More flights to Shanghai from Copenhagen

SAS is now adding a second departure to Shanghai making it two weekly departures from Copenhagen.

Starting December 16th, SAS offers more frequent departures between Copenhagen Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. After operating the second weekly flight for the first time on the 16th of December, SAS will fly from January 6th from Copenhagen to Shanghai every Tuesday and Friday and from Shanghai to Copenhagen every Thursday and Sunday, throughout the winter season.

The flights are conveniently timed with late evening departures from Copenhagen and early morning arrivals back in Copenhagen to ensure full connectivity for passengers and air cargo with the SAS network.

SAS operates the Shanghai route with the Airbus A350. Apart from offering passengers a unique travel experience, this aircraft has a much lower fuel consumption and up to 30 percent lower CO2 emissions than previous comparable aircraft.

SAS, Scandinavia’s leading airline, with main hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, flies to destinations in Europe, USA and Asia. Spurred by a Scandinavian heritage and sustainability values, SAS aims to be the global leader in sustainable aviation. We will reduce total carbon emissions 25 percent by 2025, by using more sustainable aviation fuel and our modern fleet with fuel-efficient aircraft.

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SAS opens 20 new routes the summer of 2023 which means more than 5000 weekly flights to over 100 destinations.

The new summer program includes more than 200 routes, and the number of flights will continue to rise on major domestic, Scandinavian and international routes as demand for travel is expected to continue to increase.

In light of strong customer demand for particularly popular destinations, SAS’ overall capacity to the Mediterranean is set to exceed pre-pandemic levels. SAS is adding flights to long-time favourites in Spain from all three Scandinavian capitals as well as a fourth destination in Croatia with the start of a Copenhagen-Zadar service.

The summer traffic program includes a major capacity expansion to Italy. SAS will have up to 156 weekly flights on sale between Scandinavia and Italy with the new service from Oslo to Catania, Florence and Venice as well as from Bergen to Milan. In addition, SAS is adding flights to existing destinations such as Milan, Bologna and Rome. Milan will be served up to three times daily from Copenhagen, up to twice daily from Stockholm, and daily from Oslo. The expansion to Italy also includes more flights from Copenhagen to Florence as well as to Catania and Palermo on Sicily.

SAS offers nine new European destinations and one new domestic route in Norway this summer. SAS is flying from Oslo to Antalya, Florence, Catania, Venice, Larnaca and Stuttgart, and from Bergen to Milan and Nice. Additional new routes from Haugesund-Trondheim and Haugesund-Copenhagen is also introduced, as well as increased frequency between Ålesund and Copenhagen – in total providing even better connections in the western part of Norway.

Adding to an already extensive international network of both intercontinental and European destinations out of Copenhagen, SAS offers seven new routes this summer by flying from Copenhagen to Porto, Larnaca, Antalya, Haugesund, Newquay/Cornwall and Zadar as well as JFK in New York.

SAS also has a continuous focus on domestic routes in Denmark and Sweden with the aim to provide better connections between the Danish and Swedish airports and European destinations. The summer program includes additional morning departures from Aalborg to Copenhagen, adding up to eight daily. SAS will serve Aarhus-Copenhagen with up to five daily flights. SAS is increasing the number of departures between Stockholm and the largest domestic destinations in Sweden, such as Luleå, Gothenburg and Umeå. In addition, SAS offers four new routes from Stockholm to Antalya, Ibiza, Montpellier and Vaasa.

During the summer there will be a continuous increase in flights to major European capitals in order to provide travellers with the best connectivity.

We are pleased to present our program for this summer, and we are delighted to see a continuous increase in demand for travel. The summer offering includes several new destinations as well as expanded capacity to already existing popular summer destinations. SAS will continue to add to our already extensive network during the coming months with several exciting new destinations. We look forward to a busy summer and to welcoming our passengers onboard,” says Erik Westman, EVP & CCO, Network and Revenue management.

The arrival of electric air taxis – will exert an immense influence on air travel over the next decade......

Several powerful megatrends – from young, highly connected travellers to the arrival of electric air taxis – will exert an immense influence on air travel over the next decade, forcing industry, governments, and technology to adapt rapidly. This is according to “Meet the Megatrends,” a new report from SITA that examines 12 emerging technological, societal, traveller, and economic trends that will significantly morph the travel landscape by 2033.

These megatrends do not exist in silos but operate in an evolving ecosystem where emerging technologies interconnect the trends and help drive them forward. Data is at the heart of this ecosystem. The increasing willingness of providers to share data across the wider travel industry will help further accelerate these trends and pave the way to the more connected, seamless travel experience that passengers want.

Ilkka Kivelä, VP Strategy and Innovation, SITA, said: “The air transport industry is at a post-pandemic crossroads, facing challenges from all sides. While the travel recovery accelerates globally, airports and airlines are scrambling to provide the seamless travel experience passengers expect, often with slashed workforces and squeezed budgets. The climate crisis demands swifter and more decisive industry action to make travel more sustainable. We now have an opportunity to reimagine the world of travel, connect the dots and transform travel with bold solutions that cross sectors and exploit the latest technologies.”

One of the key trends identified in the report is Gen Z and millennial travellers driving a digital transformation of the transport industry, demanding a more integrated digital journey, and accelerating the digital way of life. Privacy, digital identity rights, and controls for passengers will be a priority for passengers opening the door to a future where we can travel from everywhere to anywhere without the need for physical documents or being stopped for identification. 

Another power trend is the automation and emergence of smart airports, which will reshape the workforce, give rise to a new flattened business organization, and streamline operations through technology. By 2030 metaverse operations will be commonplace at leading airports and play a vital role in optimizing processes, avoiding disruption, and facilitating intuitive, immersive control of intelligent airports. This in turn will require new skills and create new opportunities for employees in the industry.   

Meanwhile, electric air vehicles are expected to be ubiquitous at major international airports by the end of the decade, operating as an effective auxiliary service and revenue stream for airports and airlines. This year alone, investment in the Urban Air Mobility industry has skyrocketed, with $4.7 billion committed to the development of eVTOL vehicles.

Ilkka Kivelä said: “These trends are shaping SITA’s own innovation agenda. We’re excited to be working across many of these areas and look forward to collaborating with partners to drive positive change across the industry.”

The report was spearheaded by the SITA Lab innovation team and draws upon insights from across the transport industry, SITA’s global research, and the latest cutting-edge proof of concepts to identify the most powerful shifts that will drive the travel industry’s evolution by 2033.

Meet the Megatrends (sita.aero)

SWISS and kapers conclude new collective labour agreement

SWISS and the kapers union of its cabin personnel have reached an agreement on the cornerstones of a new collective labour agreement (CLA). With effect from 1 January 2023, the starting salary for cabin crew members will be raised to CHF 4,000, all further salaries will be increased by at least four per cent and actions will be adopted to enhance the social lives of the company’s cabin personnel in plannability terms. Kapers will submit the proposed new CLA23 to a referendum of its members for their approval.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and kapers, the union of its cabin personnel, have reached an agreement after robust negotiations on the cornerstones of a new collective labour agreement (CLA). The accord, which follows agreements with the company’s social partners for its ground and cockpit personnel, marks a further major achievement for all the parties involved. “I am very pleased that, with this new agreement, we have laid the last building block to give ourselves a firm foundation with all our personnel groups for the years ahead,” says SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx. “With this new collective labour agreement, we aim to pay due tribute to the exceptional performance and commitment of our cabin personnel over the past few years, and simultaneously to provide the requisite stability and attractive prospects and perspectives for a successful future in 2023 and beyond.” CLA23 will remain in effect for at least five years.

New CHF 4,000 starting salary and increases to existing salaries of at least four per cent

One key element in the new CLA23 is the substantial across-the-board increases to cabin staff salaries. With effect from 1 January 2023, the monthly starting salary will be raised to CHF 4,000, and existing salaries will be increased by at least four per cent for all salary levels. The highest increases here will be seen with cabin crew members in the lower salary categories; but long-serving cabin staff, too, will see a sizeable rise in their monthly salaries.

Brand-new Duty Free shop opened at Helsinki Airport

“We are excited about the opening of the new duty-free shop. The shop is centrally located in the heart of the gate area of the airport. We believe that the new concepts will delight our air passengers,” says Nora Immonen, Finavia’s Director of Commercial Services at Helsinki Airport.

Finavia and Dufry have developed their product range together, taking into account the preferences of both Finnish and international passengers.

“We are delighted that at Helsinki Airport we are opening this new shop, which offers a perfect combination of local and international brands. Our excellent collaboration with Finavia and these brands has allowed us to create a new shopping experience that will add to customer satisfaction while travelling,” says Margareta Le Calvé, Dufry’s Managing Director for the Nordic Countries.

Dufry will open its first Mind.Body.Soul well-being concept in Europe in the nearly 1,400-square-metre shop. Only two similar concepts have been opened in the world, in Brazil and Jordan.

“Well-being, a natural lifestyle and domestic products are important to our passengers. Our goal is to develop our product range to meet their needs,” says Immonen.

The shop focuses on products for the well-being of the body and mind.

The opening of the duty-free shop is part of a wider upgrade in the gate area, which is included in Finavia’s development programme at Helsinki Airport. The development programme will be completed in 2023.

Remote Carrier demonstrator released and operated from flying A400M for the first time

Remote Carrier demonstrator released and operated from flying A400M for the first time

Germany’s Bundeswehr, Airbus, the German Aerospace Center DLR, and German companies SFL and Geradts have jointly carried out the world’s first successful launch and operation of a Remote Carrier flight test demonstrator from a flying A400M. Multiplying the force and extending the range of unmanned systems will be one of the future roles of Airbus’ military transport aircraft in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

“The excellent collaboration with our German customer and partners on the A400M UAV Launcher campaign is further evidence of how the development of FCAS will take innovation and technologies to the next level,” said Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn. “FCAS as a system of systems is starting to take shape now.” The device for launching Remote Carriers from a flying A400M was developed in just six months. For the test flight, it was loaded onto the ramp of a Bundeswehr A400M, from which the Remote Carrier demonstrator, a modified Airbus Do-DT25 drone, was launched. After the release, the Do-DT25’s engines were started and it continued in powered flight mode. The crew on board the A400M then handed over control to an operator on the ground, who safely commanded and landed the drone.

 

Remote Carriers will be an important component of FCAS. They will fly in close cooperation with manned aircraft and support pilots in their tasks and missions. Military transport aircraft such as the A400M will play an important role: as motherships, they will bring the Remote Carriers as close as possible to their areas of operation before releasing up to 50 small or up to 12 heavy Remote Carriers. These will then join manned aircraft, operating with a high degree of automation although always under a pilot’s control.

 

Getting the A400M UAV Launcher ready for testing

To get the A400M UAV Launcher ready for the test campaign, Airbus, the Bundeswehr Technical Centre for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment (WTD 61), DLR, SFL and Geradts applied new ways of working such as rapid prototyping and a joint flight testing approach. This enabled the multidisciplinary team to develop and integrate the system, bringing it into the needed systems-of-systems context in a very short time, ready for flight testing. Throughout the development, this flexible industrial setup and new collaborative ways of working were supported by the German procurement office, BAAINBw.

For the second year in a row, American Airlines is the only passenger airline to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI)

American has improved its overall score and remains the only passenger carrier to appear in the index

 For the second year in a row, American Airlines is the only passenger airline to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). American increased its year-over-year score by more than 20%, a strong recognition of the progress the airline has made toward reaching its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

The 2022 DJSI comprises North American sustainability leaders as identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. It represents the top 20% of the largest 600 North American companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

“Returning to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for a second straight year is a tremendous honor,” American’s CEO Robert Isom said. “We know there’s still a great deal of work to do, but I’m proud of the strides our entire team has made over the past year. As we continue to build American to thrive forever, we will keep holding ourselves to this high standard of aviation industry leadership.”

In 2022, American became the first airline in history to receive a CORSIA-certified batch of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and furthered its commitment to SAF usage by announcing a new agreement to purchase an additional 500 million gallons over five years from Gevo, Inc., an important step in reaching the airline’s goal to replace 10% of its jet fuel with SAF by 2030. As part of its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, American also became the first U.S. airline to make two direct investments focused on the development of both hydrogen-electric propulsion technology and the future of hydrogen distribution logistics.

American was also recognized for its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The airline has received high scores from leading benchmark organizations including a top score of 100 from the Disability Equality Index; the highest possible rating of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which named American a 2022 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ equality; and recognition from the Seramount Inclusion Index for the fifth straight year for the airline’s efforts to create an inclusive workplace.

In addition, the DJSI noted American’s continued efforts to advance its ESG goals while maintaining the highest standards of safety. Last year, the airline successfully mitigated 100% of identified safety risks and hazardous situations for mainline flights. The achievement comes during a year in which American operated the largest flight schedule of any U.S. carrier.

The full results and list of Index constituents are available online.

American released its latest ESG Report in July, which details the progress the company made on key ESG priorities in 2021 and provides the airline’s updated analysis of its path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

More information on American’s approach to ESG is available at aa.com/esg, and details on the airline’s sustainability strategy are available at aa.com/sustainability.

Air Cargo World names Jason Berry as Cargo Executive of The Year

 

Air Canada today congratulated Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, on being named Executive of the Year by Air Cargo World, one of the longest-standing publications focused on the transportation and logistics industries.

"This award is a very well-deserved recognition for Jason, which I know he shares with his team. Since joining Air Canada to lead our cargo division, he has demonstrated his ability to build and lead a strong team that is well positioned to drive our cargo business forward. Coming to Air Canada Cargo at the height of the pandemic presented a unique set of challenges, and he rose to meet them head on. He sought out new opportunities, implemented new strategies, oversaw the introduction of our Boeing 767 freighters and furthered investments in technology and our people to position the business for growth and continued success," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

Under his leadership, Air Canada Cargo posted record revenues in 2021 and continues to grow its business through critical investments in infrastructure and technology. That includes a cold chain facility at its global Toronto Hub, warehouse expansion in Frankfurt and a continued investment in digital solutions to streamline operations and better serve its customers.

Jason joined Air Canada Cargo in January of 2021, and has overseen a tremendous transformation that has resulted in a thriving cargo division despite the effects of the pandemic on the global supply chain. The most visible sign of that transformation has been the entry into service of dedicated Boeing 767-300 freighters, with two in operation and eight more on the way. Air Canada has also ordered two Boeing 777 freighters for delivery in 2024.

To determine the 2022 Air Cargo Executive of the Year, Air Cargo World's editorial team elected four outstanding leaders in airfreight based on notable contributions, such as innovation and growth, made in 2022. Air Cargo World also received feedback from a 300-plus reader survey, which the editorial team used in its final evaluation.

Finnair gets loan extension

Finnair announced in its Stock Exchange Release on 20 May 2020 that the Finnish Government has approved that the State of Finland guarantees Finnair’s pension premium loan up to 540 million euros. With the state guarantee and the following pension premium loan, Finnair aimed to further secure its cash position and business continuity also after the exceptional situation caused by the corona crisis. Further, a commercial bank guaranteed up to 60 million euros of the loan. The arrangement was compliant with the EU state aid regulations and was approved by the European Commission on 18 May 2020.

Finnair drew down the 600-million-euro pension premium loan in three tranches in 2020 and based on the agreed schedule, the loan was planned to be repaid in two 300-million-euro tranches in December 2022 and in June 2023.

The EU Commission’s competition authority approved the extension of the 540-million-euro guarantee related to the pension premium loan on 20 June 2022. To maintain its cash funds in the prevailing uncertain operating environment, the company has agreed with other parties to extend the guarantees and the loan. The loan maturity is extended until 2025 and the repayment schedule is amended so that the company will amortise the loan by 100 million euros every 6 months. However, the remaining two 100-million-euro tranches will be paid in full on 15 May 2025. As opposed to the previous schedule, the loan will not be amortised in December 2022.

Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY selects MOST's end-to-end payment solution

PLAY, the Icelandic low-cost carrier, has selected MOST, makers of technology for a world on the move, to provide it with onboard retailing and payment solutions, including software, hardware and payment gateway services. Working with MOST will allow crewmembers to accept secure payments quickly and easily from passengers onboard the aircraft.  

 

Starting from December 6, PLAY will upgrade from its existing card readers on board and implement three of MOST's modular payment solutions: most.Retail, most.Pay and most.Onthego. The deployment covers PLAY's entire fleet of A320 family aircraft. 

  

As the launch customer for three of MOST's products, PLAY is paving the way for a future of frictionless inflight payment technology. MOSTs cutting-edge digital retail platform, payment sled hardware and payment gateway technology will mean that PLAY passengers can look forward to a more convenient and streamlined travel experience, and crew can efficiently complete transactions in the cabin.

With PLAY already serving 24 destinations in Europe and the United States from its hub in Keflavik, Iceland, MOST's end-to-end payment solutions enable passengers on both sides of the Atlantic to use their preferred payment option. PLAY's passengers will be able to tap and pay with all major cards or digital wallets worldwide in currencies including EURO, US Dollars and ISK when ordering inflight food and beverages. A sophisticated special offer engine and forecasting tools will also help PLAY to maximize inflight sales opportunities as it grows. 

 

MOST will also supply the airline with customized and company-branded mobile payment accessories. PLAY's crew will be using smartphones paired with payment modules from MOST to complete transactions, track onboard inventory and perform other tasks, such as delivering eco-friendly e-receipts to passengers. The crew devices will sit in a custom casing, designed ergonomically with crew comfort in mind and manufactured in PLAY's signature brand colours. The cases provide increased physical protection for crew devices and feature a detachable payment peripheral that can be removed to get closer to the cardholder.

  

"We are delighted to be working with an energetic airline brand such as PLAY as it continues to expand its fast-growing route network across North America and Europe," said MOST CEO Jan Blanchard. "This airline is hungry for success, and they have plenty of room to grow. Our solutions will help PLAY deliver on its low-cost model and bolster ancillary revenues by simplifying inflight sales and removing barriers to payment on board."

  

PLAY CIO Georg Haraldsson added: "This is an exciting time for our airline as we continue to invest in innovative solutions that will help us boost ancillary revenues and enhance the travel experience for our passengers. Technology and service are key to our strategy as a low-cost carrier, and MOST has delivered an excellent combination of specialist hardware and software. We trust them to help us achieve our goals."

Four key times private aircraft were put to good use.

After it was reported that a stream of celebrities were hopping on and off private jets for journeys taking less than 15 minutes, there has been much controversy around the impact of business jets on the environment.

While utilising jets in this way is undoubtedly extravagant, business jets are also being used as a crucial contributor for many worthy causes. Here, Deborah Scott, finance director of component supply specialist Artemis Aerospace, reveals four times that private jets were put to good use.

Delivering essential medical equipment

During the pandemic, many countries lacked the medical resources and critical means to care for COVID-19 patients. Global air cargo carriers were under mounting pressure, with IATA estimating that they were oversubscribed by 30%.

To alleviate this pressure, a number of private jet companies turned their attention to supporting international COVID-19 response efforts by transporting tonnes of medical equipment, including face masks, PPE and medicines, to destinations in need of assistance.

One such company was Vimana Private Jets, which delivered more than 300 tonnes of medical resources between March and July 2020.

Amazing Thailand 10 Million Celebrations

Thai Lion Air joins the "Amazing Thailand 10 Million Celebrations" event organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports at Don Mueang Airport, which is 1 of 9 event venues. Nationwide to celebrate the important occasion of welcoming 10 million foreign tourists who enter to Thailand (information from the Immigration Office) according to the goal of promoting foreign markets in 2022. 

various dignitaries as well as Miss Tourism World Thailand joined in welcoming and giving souvenirs to tourists who travel on flight SL 117, Thai Lion Air from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta arriving at Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok at 8:10 a.m., delivering an impressive atmosphere to tourists with Soft Power of Thailand, a cultural puppet show. and give a flower garland and various souvenirs for tourists travelling on this flight. For a warm welcome, make an impression in preparing to support quality tourists as well as deliver valuable travel experiences in a new perspective to enhance the Amazing Thailand brand image and reinforce Thailand as the most popular destination in the heart of tourists.

ACJ partners with Citadel to extend its Service Centre Network

ACJ partners with Citadel to extend its Service Centre Network 

 

                 Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) has signed a partnership agreement with Citadel Completions LLC, based in Chennault International Airport, Louisiana, USA, to enter the ACJ Services Centre Network. Citadel will provide to ACJ customers a wide spectrum of capabilities, including maintenance, engineering, modification and upgrade services. The signature took place at MEBAA, the Middle East and North Africa's leading business aviation event in Dubai.

The ACJ Service Centre Network already has locations in Dubai (UAE), Xiamen (PRC), Basel (Switzerland), Bordeaux (France) and Indianapolis (US). Capabilities include all maintenance-related activities, cabin refurbishing and cabin/system upgrades, giving ACJ customers/operators a globally approved network of facilities to rely on.

Citadel delivers superior customized service to its clients and is focused on design excellence and on-time aircraft redelivery. The company’s exceptional facilities include a 10,000 ft runway to accommodate the largest aircraft and a highly skilled labour force for heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul services. The facility covers a sprawling 260,000 square feet, and its multiple hangars can accommodate multiple aircraft projects simultaneously. Citadel can support aircraft registered worldwide and holds Part 145 Repair Station certifications from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

More than 210 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide, flying on every continent, including Antarctica, and more than 1,800 private and business aviation Airbus helicopters are in service worldwide.

Delta resumes service to Cuba in spring 2023

Delta Air Lines is restarting its service to Havana, Cuba, with two daily nonstop flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) beginning April 10, 2023.

With this restart, customers travelling through Miami will have access to 203 weekly nonstop flights at 10 U.S. airports.

The flights will operate on an Airbus A320 aircraft with a choice of First Class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin. All customers will have a variety of tasty treats to pick from, including unique products from small and diverse brands like Kate’s Real Food Lemon Coconut bars, Thrive Farmers Tea and Du Nord vodka.

All customers on flights from Miami to Havana can enjoy complimentary Delta Studio featuring more than 1,000 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment and exclusive partner-curated content from Peloton and Spotify. Additionally, free mobile messaging is available via iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, plus optional access to high-speed Wi-Fi.

Delta made its return to the Cuban market in 2016 after a 55-year hiatus, but suspended service in March 2020 in response to COVID-19. In line with continued strong demand, Delta remains committed to fully restoring its network by next summer, as shared on the September quarter 2022 financial results call.  

Customers interested in travelling to Havana should refer to the U.S. Embassy website for details on travel requirements.

Starting April 10, Delta’s new MIA-HAV service will operate as follows:

Flight 1	Departs	Arrives	Operating Day	Aircraft
DL1787	Miami at 9:05 a.m.	Havana at 10:20 a.m.	Daily	A320
DL1788	Havana at 11:55 a.m.	Miami at 1:05 p.m.	Daily	A320
Flight 2	Departs	Arrives	Operating Day	Aircraft
DL1789	Miami at 1:40 p.m.	Havana at 3:00 p.m.	Daily	A320
DL1790	Havana at 4:25 p.m.	Miami at 5:35 p.m.	Daily	A320

 

Delta's Airbus A320 - 200 feature First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin sections with onboard Wi-Fi for purchase and all cabins have in-seat power and in-seat video. Delta has 58 of the type in service.

JetBlue and American Airlines expand flying in New York and Boston as part of Northeast Alliance

JetBlue Expands its Route Map in New York and Adds New International Destination From Boston

American Introduces a Half Dozen New Destinations from LaGuardia and Boosts Frequencies in Boston

 

JetBlue and American Airlines has announced they are further increasing competition for travellers in the Northeast with the addition of a wide variety of new nonstop destinations set to take off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2023. The new flying – which includes many routes with limited competition today – is made possible through JetBlue and American’s innovative and effective Northeast Alliance (NEA).

Next year, the NEA will fly nearly 300 daily departures from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and will serve 49 of the top 50 global markets. Across New York’s three major airports, the NEA will fly more than 500 daily departures in 2023, as well as nearly 200 daily departures in Boston.

“The Northeast Alliance is bringing more of JetBlue’s low fares and great service to more customers,” said Dave Fintzen, vice president, Northeast Alliance, JetBlue. “As we continue to enhance the Northeast Alliance and link more destinations with new nonstop choices, customers finally have a compelling alternative to the carriers that have dominated the market for too long.”

JetBlue’s New Flying

In spring 2023, JetBlue will introduce nonstop flying between LaGuardia and:

• Atlanta (ATL) – 4x daily
• Bermuda (BDA) – Once daily, summer seasonal (a)
• Hyannis, Mass. (HYA) – Once daily, summer seasonal
• Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) – Once daily (a)

In summer 2023, JetBlue will expand its premium Mint® flying with Saturday service between Newark and Aruba (AUA). The airline will also reintroduce flying between Newark and Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) with once daily summer seasonal service.

In New England, JetBlue plans to expand the airline’s service in Canada with daily summer seasonal service between Boston and Vancouver, B.C. (YVR). New Vancouver flying will complement JetBlue’s service between New York-JFK and Vancouver, which first launched earlier this year also as part of growth related to the NEA.

All new JetBlue routes will go on sale in January 2023 and all new American routes go on sale this weekend.

WestJet announces commitment to grow Alberta's Indigenous tourism industry

Indigenous Tourism Alberta and WestJet sign three-year strategic partnership agreement

WestJet has just announced an agreement with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA) to bolster support for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and create meaningful employment opportunities for Indigenous Canadians as the airline grows its global presence.  The announcement was commemorated by an official signing of a memorandum of understanding at ITA's annual Gathering in the presence of more than 300 travel and tourism partners and government representatives on Treaty 6, Métis Region 4, Edmonton Alberta.

"We are grateful to build upon our meaningful partnership and continued collaboration with ITA as we work together to foster important opportunities for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and entrepreneurs right here in our home province," said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate & Sustainability Officer. "As Alberta's home carrier, we provide service to seven communities across the province and have built our global hub in Calgary, which benefits all of Western Canada. Indigenous tourism and the history, stories and culture that accompany it, are essential to growing Alberta's visitor economy and provide meaningful opportunities to advance economic and cultural reconciliation."