Lates traffic figures from Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific has just released its traffic figures for November 2022, which continued to reflect encouraging signs of recovery for the airline and the Hong Kong international aviation hub.

Cathay Pacific carried a total of 526,827 passengers last month, an increase of 652.1% compared with November 2021, but a 79.9% decrease compared with the pre-pandemic level in November 2019. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 565.5% year-on-year, but were down 73.7% versus November 2019. Passenger load factor increased by 51.7 percentage points to 78.5%, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 127.2% year-on-year, but decreased by 73.1% compared with November 2019 levels. In the first 11 months of 2022, the number of passengers carried increased by 220.5% against a 33.9% increase in capacity and a 211.9% increase in RPKs, as compared with the same period for 2021.

The airline carried 103,092 tonnes of cargo last month, a decrease of 23.8% compared with November 2021, and a 42.1% decrease compared with the same period in 2019. The month’s cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) decreased 27.8% year-on-year, and were down 38% compared with November 2019. The cargo load factor decreased by 15.6 percentage points to 66.9%, while capacity, measured in available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs), decreased by 11% year-on-year, and was down by 36.4% versus November 2019. In the first 11 months of 2022, the tonnage decreased by 12.6% against a 20.7% decrease in capacity and a 30.6% decrease in RFTKs, as compared with the same period for 2021.

Travel

Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said: “We continue to see positive signs for our travel business. Sentiment and demand for travel out of Hong Kong continued to improve in November. We also saw increased visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic into Hong Kong, particularly from long-haul origins such as North America, Europe and the South West Pacific. Transit traffic via the Hong Kong hub also improved as we grow our network of destinations.

“On average, we carried about 17,600 passengers a day in November, up from around 13,000 in October. Passenger flight capacity increased about 16% versus the previous month. Overall, we operated 27% of pre-pandemic capacity levels in November.

“We continued to add more flights to more destinations last month, in particular to and from popular places in Japan as well as Southeast Asia, which saw huge demand from Hong Kong. As expected, Japan was our top destination in terms of passenger numbers while load factor on these flights stayed high at 86%. November also saw the resumption of passenger flights to Denpasar (Bali), Tokyo (Haneda) and Zurich.

Cargo

“On the cargo side, demand remained flat in November compared with the previous month despite it being the start of the traditional peak cargo period. We carried 103,092 tonnes of cargo last month, approximately 6% less than in October, while cargo flight capacity was down about 2% in November compared with the previous month. Overall, we operated about 64% of pre-pandemic capacity levels.

“Production activities in the Chinese Mainland and trade flows remained constrained. While we did witness a mild uptick in e-commerce movements into the Americas around the Black Friday shopping period, a similar surge on regional lanes was more short-lived.

“Conversely, movements of perishable goods from South America as well as Australia and New Zealand were relatively active. As such, we operated five non-scheduled services from Darwin, Australia carrying fresh seasonal produce into North Asia to capitalise on this activity. 

“Building on the experience gained over the past few years and the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry, last month we refreshed our pharmaceuticals solution under a new name, Cathay Pharma. This has seen us enhance our customer proposition, making it easier for customers to identify all of the possible options for pharmaceutical shipments in a more streamlined way.” 

Outlook

Cathay Pacific welcomes the Hong Kong SAR Government’s latest measures to facilitate travel to Hong Kong, in particular the decision to remove the Amber Code restrictions under the Vaccine Pass for inbound persons entering Hong Kong effective today. The adjustments will help further boost sentiment for travel, especially among inbound visitors, thereby aiding the resumption of travel activities and strengthening of network connectivity at the Hong Kong aviation hub.

Lam said: “As we approach the festive Christmas and New Year holiday period, travel demand continues to improve. We are further increasing our passenger flight capacity and resuming more destinations, including Sapporo, Fukuoka, Penang and Dhaka in December, as well as Phuket and Nagoya in January next year. We expect that short-haul routes to leisure destinations such as Japan and Southeast Asia will remain strong, continuing on into the Chinese New Year holiday peak as well.

“We are also extremely excited for our customers to be able to experience our elevated, premium First class service again, which is now available on our prime London Heathrow flight, CX251/CX252. First class will be coming to our Paris flight, CX261/CX260, from 18 January 2023 and our Tokyo (Haneda) flight, CX548/CX549, from 1 February. Customers departing Haneda Airport can also enjoy our signature Cathay Pacific Lounge, which reopened earlier this month.

“Regarding cargo, our expanding passenger travel network will provide our cargo customers with more destinations and greater frequencies to choose from as well. However, we expect headwinds in the air cargo market to continue in the short term until supply chains in the Chinese Mainland become more stable and inventory levels in key consumer markets reduce.”

The full November figures and glossary are on the following pages.

CATHAY PACIFIC    TRAFFIC	NOV 2022	% Change VS NOV 2021	Cumulative NOV 2022	% Change YTD
RPK (000)
- Chinese Mainland	53,816	150.2%	429,520	55.5%
- North East Asia	245,551	3,704.2%	478,396	625.6%
- South East Asia	270,586	858.5%	835,108	307.4%
- South Asia, Middle East  & Africa	127,425	1,559.2%	358,925	829.5%
- South West Pacific	394,953	690.2%	1,419,388	652.7%
- North America	781,031	359.1%	4,241,903	144.6%
- Europe	743,137	580.7%	3,296,724	217.7%
RPK Total (000)	2,616,499	565.5%	11,059,964	211.9%
Passengers carried	526,827	652.1%	2,002,696	220.5%
Cargo revenue tonne km (000)	619,556	-27.8%	5,128,117	-30.6%
Cargo carried (000kg)	103,092	-23.8%	1,048,015	-12.6%
Number of flights	1,849	-12.2%	16,611	4.2%

 

CATHAY PACIFIC    CAPACITY	NOV 2022	% Change VS NOV 2021	Cumulative NOV 2022	% Change YTD
ASK (000)
- Chinese Mainland	127,912	55.5%	1,085,875	51.0%
- North East Asia	294,494	545.9%	849,799	72.5%
- South East Asia	395,516	301.5%	1,420,589	51.2%
- South Asia, Middle East  & Africa	179,042	797.8%	612,393	372.8%
- South West Pacific	476,134	1.3%	2,023,860	-26.1%
- North America	932,994	138.6%	5,709,490	32.2%
- Europe	928,774	157.5%	3,906,261	68.5%
ASK Total (000)	3,334,866	127.2%	15,608,267	33.9%
Passenger load factor	78.5%	51.7%pt	70.9%	40.4%pt
Available cargo tonne km (000)	925,416	-11.0%	7,221,601	-20.7%
Cargo load factor	66.9%	-15.6%pt	71.0%	-10.1%pt
ATK (000)	1,243,891	5.5%	8,715,910	-14.7%

 

Glossary

Terms:

Available seat kilometres (“ASK”)

Passenger seat capacity, measured in seats available for the carriage of passengers on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Available tonne kilometres (“ATK”)

Overall capacity measured in tonnes available for the carriage of passengers, excess baggage, cargo on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Available cargo tonne kilometres (“AFTK”)

Cargo capacity measured in tonnes available for the carriage of freight on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Revenue passenger kilometres (“RPK”)

Number of passengers carried on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Cargo revenue tonne kilometres (“RFTK”)

Amount of cargo, measured in tonnes, carried on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

WestJet announces Tanya Foster as Chief Information Officer

WestJet today announced the appointment of Tanya Foster as Chief Information Officer. Foster will join WestJet's executive leadership on January 9, 2023.

Following an extensive global search, Foster will bring more than 20 years of IT experience and forging links between business strategy and technology solutions to WestJet. As WestJet's Chief Information Officer, she will oversee all aspects of the airline's IT capabilities, ensuring its technology platforms are efficient, easy-to-use and cost effective. 

"I am pleased to welcome Tanya to the WestJet Group. With her extensive experience she will lead the continuous modernization of our technological foundations, improve efficiencies and support a best-in-class travel experience for our guests." said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of the WestJet Group. "With Tanya becoming our new CIO we will start a new technological chapter for WestJet, as we implement our renewed strategy and reinforce being a friendly, reliable, and affordable airline."

Foster joins the airline from Shaw Communications, where she served as Vice-President, Enterprise Solutions and Strategic Delivery. During her time at Shaw Communications, she partnered with business stakeholders to drive topline revenue, create business efficiencies and manage business risk through delivery of modern technology solutions. Foster is a people-first leader and mentor with a demonstrated ability to build high-performing, diverse teams driving transformation through technology solutions.  

"I am thrilled to be joining WestJet and its incredible IT team at such an exciting and pivotal time, as the organization looks to achieve its new strategy through technological and digital excellence," said Foster. "WestJet is known for its incredible team of people and I feel confident that through flexible, scalable IT solutions, WestJetters will unlock incredible new potential and find increased value in their work, taking the organization and its guests to new heights."

Emirates Flight Training Academy inducts 53 new pilots into the aviation industry

As the aviation world grapples with pilot shortages, Emirates Flight Training Academy’s (EFTA) third graduation ceremony held earlier today welcomed 53 new pilots trained at their world-class facility into the industry.

With the latest ceremony, EFTA celebrated crossing three major milestones, including graduating –

1) International cadets for the first time since the academy opened its doors for non-Emirati cadets in late 2019

2) The largest cohort – more than 50 cadets and double that of previous events

3) More than 100 cadets since its first graduation in 2020.

At the ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group congratulated and awarded certificates to the cadet graduates. Emirates’ executive management team in attendance included: Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer; Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer and Ali Al Soori, Executive Vice President Chairman's Office & Facilities/Projects Management.

EFTA also hosted senior leaders from across the UAE aviation community including His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA); His Excellency Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC);  Tahnoon Saif, Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub; Major General Ali Atiq Bin Lahej, Director of the General Department of Airports Security at Dubai Police, and a delegation from the UAE Armed Forces.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said: “Years ago, we realised there would be a huge demand for trained pilots to support commercial aviation’s needs, and as a global airline and an industry leader, we felt compelled to act. Today’s graduation ceremony marks the achievement of our long-term vision for establishing the state-of-the-art Emirates Flight Training Academy to welcome and nurture young talent not just locally, but globally. Our next generation of highly skilled, well-trained cadets is a demonstration of the academy’s contribution to the aviation industry. We’re incredibly proud of our graduates and our team at EFTA.”

Wizz Air to expand base at Kutaisi, Georgia.

Budget airline Wizz Air is expanding its base in Kutaisi, Georgia by basing one of its new Airbus A321neo aircraft there and gets ready to launch five new routes. The airline is also going to increase the frequency on 4 routes.

The allocation of one more aircraft to Wizz Air’s Kutaisi base will grow the base to three aircraft. The move brings the number of routes from the base to 27, including the launch of flights to Brussels Charleroi, Frankfurt Hahn, Hamburg, Madrid and Poznan from the Georgia’s third biggest city. Furthermore, the additional capacity allows Wizz Air to increase frequency of its flights from the base to Munich Memmingen, Milan, Paris Beauvais and Prague.

"We are delighted to be expanding in Kutaisi, demonstrating our commitment to the Georgian market where we are the number one carrier by both seat and passenger numbers, and where we allocate one additional aircraft just months after we- allocated our last one. From June 2023 we will operate 3 aircraft from the airport. The allocation of our latest aircraft in Kutaisi allows us to further strengthen our market offer, providing our Georgian customers the opportunity to travel on a total of 27 routes in 15 countries with us and increase the tourism to this beautiful country as well, connecting Georgia with so many destinations” comments Evelin Jeckel, Network Officer of Wizz Air.

“We are delighted that our strategic partner, Wizz Air is expanding at Kutaisi International Airport and is adding a third based aircraft from June 2023. This will allow us to start flights to five new European cities and add frequencies to existing destinations. Georgian travellers will have the opportunity to travel to five additional cities in four European countries, also soon we will have additional tourist coming to Georgia” – comments Tamara Archuadze, CEO of United Airports of Georgia.

GetJet Airlines Latvia receives air operator’s certificate

GetJet Airlines Latvia has confirmed receipt of its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) on 30 November 2022 issued by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia.

Rolands Ramins, Head of GetJet Airlines Latvia, emphasizes that the cooperation with Latvian authorities when acquiring the certificate had been splendit. Overall, the whole company management is grateful for the efforts the team and its stakeholders have put in since the airline’s founding in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Latvian AOC marks a new milestone for GetJet Airlines, the IOSA-approved ACMI and Charter carrier from Lithuania, in its expansion to Latvia.

“The establishment of a new airline company in Latvia is our strategic business step that opens new growth opportunities for our company. GetJet Airlines Latvia, along with its Lithuanian counterpart, will create strategic business synergies that will allow exploiting the charter service potential in the whole region,” said Darius Viltrakis, the CEO of GetJet Aviation Holdings.

Both companies in Latvia and Lithuania will construct business processes using the know-how and utilizing the GetJet Airlines fleet consisting of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 NG type aircraft for intra-group ACMI and charter requests. Moreover, Latvian AOC representatives have revealed plans to add more aircraft to the fleet next year as the demand in the commercial flight segment is growing.

Rolands Ramins, Head of GetJet Airlines Latvia, points out that as the sector recovery is well underway, now is the time to become part of the process and accelerate the growth. Mr. Ramins said: “As AOC holders, we are well placed to develop many new opportunities for business growth, using our experience, market expertise, and the strength of our team to ensure maximum results with our partners.”

Luka Modrić, Vinícius Júnior and Toni Kroos wonder: to fly or to fly better with Emirates?

Emirates and Real Madrid are looking to capture the attention of football fans with the launch of two ads to attract customers to travel this winter across the airline’s network of more than 130 destinations including Dubai.

The first one features Real Madrid stars Luka Modrić, Vinícius Júnior and Toni Kroos passing the ball around the field until it reaches one of Emirates' most popular holiday destinations: the Maldives. And they ask themselves, to fly or to fly better? 

The second ad, starring the same players, reflects the importance of making good decisions: from which shirt to wear to cheer on one’s favourite team, staying to watch a game alone at home or with friends, to how to take a penalty or where to go on vacation.

The ads will air in December in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia on various social media platforms. 

Emirates offers a range of winter breaks for its customers; whether a beach or city break in Dubai, a cultural getaway in Thailand and Bali or even a relaxing island escape in the Maldives or Mauritius, Emirates network will connect customers to the seasonal sunshine.

Since 2011, Emirates has been the global sponsor of Real Madrid, bringing together two of the most recognized brands in the world of aviation and soccer. As the world's largest international airline, Emirates continues to connect Real Madrid with fans and spectators from all corners of the globe through various events that create moments of inspiration, fun and joy.

Football is a truly global sport that has always played a prominent role in Emirates' sponsorship portfolio. The "fly better" brand message is showcased on leading European and international clubs, including AC Milan, SL Benfica, Olympique Lyonnais and Arsenal. In addition to soccer, Emirates also has a strong presence in other major sports such as tennis, golf, rugby and horse racing.

Discover Qatar offers educational tours to school and college students

Discover Qatar (DQ) is offering specially-designed tours to showcase Qatar’s top-tier educational and tourism resources as well as the distinctive features of Doha. Custom-made for school and college students from across the globe, these tours present a unique opportunity for a holistic view of Qatar’s premier academic ecosystem, while immersing guests in the culture of the country.

Through these tours, Discover Qatar aims to provide life-enhancing travel experiences to empower students to learn beyond the classroom. These tours will enable cross culture connections for the students to develop new ideas and perspectives through special experiences, training, and networking opportunities.

Mr. Steven Reynolds, Senior Vice President, Discover Qatar, said: “The successful development and launch of our educational tours for school and college students is a testament to Qatar’s dynamic offerings as a unique global destination for educational pursuits. We look forward to enriching the academic growth of students around the world with resources, insights, and experiences from leading academic and cultural institutions in Qatar.”

DQ's educational tours focus on a range of subjects including architecture, art and culture, sports and performance excellence, fashion and design, business management, and gastronomy, all with the goal of stimulating learning for students through curated activities and workshops. Bringing learning curriculums to life, students can develop problem-solving skills, improve critical thinking, broaden their worldview, and learn through a variety of custom-designed workshops, activities, and interactive experiential sessions. The specially-designed programmes are offered for five days and can be extended up to 10 days based on the subject or expected learning outcomes. These are all-inclusive group programmes that combine services such as hotel accommodation, meals, airport & local city transfers, sightseeing activities & a guide who escorts the group for a complete stay in Doha. More details can be found on the Discover Qatar website https://www.discoverqatar.qa/education-tours/.

Wizz Air starts flights between Rome and Riyadh

New travel opportunities, increasingly convenient for citizens and tourists in Italy and Saudi Arabia.

Wizz Air, has inaugurated its first flight from Rome to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh last week as it seeks to strengthen its presence in Saudi Arabia and boost the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector in line with Vision 2030. The route will be served by twice-weekly flights. 

Situated on the vast Najd Plateau, surrounded by desert, in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula, Riyadh is a modern metropolis whose surface holds a fascinating centuries-old history that can still be found within the atmospheric souks, engaging museums and ancient architecture. A perfect setting, then, for those seeking a staycation or for those who, instead, want a weekend escape, discovering the best the capital has to offer.

Once again, Rome Fiumicino's Leonardo da Vinci Airport proves to be a key player in Wizz Air's growth plans in Italy, from which the airline has announced the opening of 2 more new routes that will connect the Italian capital to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Dammam (the route was inaugurated last September 29) and Jeddah airports.

The route between Rome and Riyadh is part of an array of twenty-three new routes to Saudi Arabia announced in recent months by Wizz Air, confirming the airline's commitment to supporting the country's growing tourism sector by bringing more than one million passengers to the Kingdom. Wizz Air's growing presence is in line with its Vision 2030 program, a strategic and ambitious goal to triple passenger traffic in Saudi Arabia by 2030.

Evelin Jeckel, Network Officer at Wizz Air, said: “It is a huge pleasure to finally inaugurate this new route between Rome and Riyadh. The new low-fare route will enable tourists and residents in Italy and Saudi Arabia to travel directly from one point to another at affordable prices, further strengthening global connectivity and will directly connect two capitals renowned worldwide for their immense historical and cultural heritage. We would like to once again thank our Air Connectivity Program partners, the Ministry of Investment, the Saudi Arabian Tourism Board, Riyadh International Airport, and the Government of Saudi Arabia for their continued support. The WIZZ team looks forward to welcoming passengers aboard our modern, young and sustainable aircraft”.

The Northeast Alliance adds 10 more destinations.....JetBlue & American Airlines expand route network

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.

Air Canada to start three new U.S. routes.......

Air Canada has announced three new U.S. routes, including service from Toronto and Montreal to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Toronto to Sacramento as part of its trans-border summer schedule. For summer 2023, Air Canada will also restore 11 suspended trans-border services and increase frequencies on 12 popular routes to the U.S. in rebuilding its global network following the pandemic.

"Air Canada is very pleased to offer customers the most choice of any carrier flying to the U.S. for Summer 2023, where we will operate more than 400 daily flights on 95 routes to 47 destinations. We are getting an early start with new routes to JFK from both Toronto and Montreal beginning March 26, and Toronto-Sacramento in June. As well, we will restore previously suspended routes and increase frequencies on existing routes as we rebuild our transborder schedule," said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.

"Our U.S. summer schedule, which will complement our recently announced Canadian and international summer schedules, is designed to maximize connectivity within our network and offer the most seats on the most flights to the most destinations. Strengthened by our Transborder Joint Business Agreement with United Airlines, our schedule will also be attractive for sixth freedom global travellers flying internationally and strengthen our hub airports with more connection traffic."

American Airlines Group Inc. announced that Devon May has been named Chief Financial Officer

Derek Kerr to Step Down From CFO Role at End of Year Following Long-Planned Succession Process; Kerr to Remain at American as Vice Chair, President of American Eagle and Strategic Advisor

American Airlines Group Inc. announced that Devon May has been named Chief Financial Officer following a long-planned succession process. May, who is currently the airline's senior vice president of Finance and Investor Relations, will assume the CFO role effective Jan. 1, 2023. He will report to American's CEO Robert Isom.

American's current CFO Derek Kerr will remain at the airline as Vice Chair, President of American Eagle and Strategic Advisor. He will continue to lead American's Regional and Cargo teams and serve as a strategic advisor to the company.

“Derek Kerr is quite simply the best CFO in the history of the airline industry,” said Isom. “He is a great friend and has been a trusted advisor throughout my career, and his 20-year stint as CFO of America West, US Airways and American is unparalleled. He was instrumental in bringing together American and US Airways and ensuring American remained on solid footing during the global pandemic. American is well-positioned because of Derek's leadership and stewardship, and he has spent years readying Devon for his new responsibilities.”

“I have had the privilege of calling Derek a friend and colleague for more than 30 years,” said American's Chairman Doug Parker. “He is truly one of a kind — an airline CFO who has served in the role for two decades and made certain his airline met every single one of its commitments over that time. Derek has played a key role in building American into the airline it is today, and his leadership was critical in helping us get through the challenges brought on by the pandemic. On behalf of the entire board of directors, I want to thank Derek for his tremendous contributions to our airline as CFO.”

Boeing’s Spectrolab to power Earth Surface Survey mission

More than 3,000 solar cells will power the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, as the internationally led mission conducts the first global survey of water on the Earth’s surface

   As the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission begins its survey of the Earth’s surface this month, the satellite will get power from solar cells built by Spectrolab, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing.

The SWOT satellite, targeted to launch this month from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, will conduct the first global survey of water on the Earth’s surface, observe the fine details of the ocean's surface topography, and measure how water bodies change over time.

The spacecraft will be powered by a six-panel solar array, containing a total of 3,360 of Spectrolab’s NeXt Triple Junction (XTJ) solar cells. These advanced cells pull power from multiple wavelengths, allowing higher efficiencies not possible with commercially available silicon solar cell technology.

“Our Spectrolab team knows our efforts to power space programs improve life on Earth. Learning more about our changing planet is key to that mission,” said Tony Mueller, president of Spectrolab. “We’re excited Spectrolab solar cells will be powering the first spacecraft to survey nearly all water on the Earth’s surface.”

From a unique non-sun-synchronous orbit, SWOT’s instruments will measure the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs and oceans in higher definition than ever before. The data will help NASA and its partners at the Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the Canadian Space Agency and U.K. Space Agency, inform water equity and water management decisions, provide new insights into Earth’s water and energy cycle, and help to prepare communities for rising seas and changing coastlines in a warming climate.

The SWOT mission will be managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which provided the science payload and its instruments. Spectrolab’s solar cell work was done for Thales Alenia Space, which was contracted by CNES to manufacture the satellite bus and conduct the final assembly, integration and test.

Spectrolab has produced more than 6.5 million gallium-arsenide solar cells for more than 1,000 spacecraft over the last 65 years in a shared vision with customers to connect and protect people globally, enable the exploration of other worlds, and build a space ecosystem for the future. 

Uzbekistan's Samarkand International Airport welcomes Wizz Air plane.....

Air Marakanda, the operator of recently modernised Samarkand International Airport, is delighted to announce Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare UAE airline, has conducted its first flight to Samarkand.

Wizz Air’s aircraft, with a delegation from the company onboard, touched ground this afternoon at Samarkand International’s new terminal and was greeted by Air Marakanda’s leadership. The airline is the second prominent UAE carrier to launch a new route to Samarkand in Q4 2022.

Anton Khodzhajan, General Director of airport management company Air Marakanda LLC, said:  “We are pleased to welcome our new partner, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, whose direct flights between the ancient city of Samarkand and the UAE began today, marking a significant event for Uzbekistan aviation and tourism. The Air Marakanda team has worked hard to bring this about, as it opens up new travel opportunities for residents of Samarkand and the area, and will attract tourists from the Middle East to our beautiful city."

Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said:  “We welcome our seventh and eighth aircraft and are delighted to expand our ever-growing network in Central Asia, a key growth market for Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The new route into the unmissable and historic region will be operated by two new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft which have been recently added to our fleet. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is committed to supporting the long-term growth of the UAE’s travel and tourism sector, providing an eclectic mix of new marvellous destinations. We are continuing to deliver travel options that are more convenient and affordable for everyone and we look forward to seeing you onboard our young and sustainable aircraft soon.”

Flights via Wizz Air from Abu Dhabi to Samarkand will start at only US$48, with two flights per week operated for the remainder of 2022. From 1 January 2023, Wizz Air will fly the route thrice weekly.

Part of ongoing and rapid development of new routes to Uzbekistan’s historic gem - the ancient city of Samarkand - welcoming WizzAir is aligned with Air Marakanda’s and state partner Uzbekistan Airports JCS’s US$80 million expansion of SKD. The new airport will serve the region’s population of 3.9 million and act as a hub for international transit flights.

 

Serving visitors to Uzbekistan’s most frequented tourist sites in, and around, the historic Silk Road city - the modern facility will be able to handle triple the number of passengers than it could previously. Independent research by market research firm, Lufthansa Consulting, forecasts an increase in annual passenger traffic from 480,000 to two million.

Aer Lingus announces three new European destinations for Summer 2023

Aer Lingus has unveiled a bumper 2023 summer schedule which will see it fly to 53 European destinations from Ireland, including three new exciting summer routes to Kos (Greece), Olbia (Sardinia, Italy) and Brindisi (Italy).

Aer Lingus also has over 2.25 million transatlantic seats on sale, making it the airline’s largest ever North American summer schedule to date. Next summer the airline will operate 15 routes from Ireland, including Cleveland for the first time and the return of Hartford, Connecticut. It will also operate two* direct transatlantic routes from Manchester to JFK and Orlando.  

Kos (Greece), Olbia (Sardinia, Italy) and Brindisi (Italy) revealed as part of Aer Lingus’ Summer 2023 programme

Aer Lingus increases seats to Euro-Leisure destinations by 18% vs. last year reflecting consumer demand for sun

Biggest ever transatlantic schedule with 2.25 million seats to North America and 20% more seats from Ireland vs. 2019

Travel trends predict demand for sun destinations, solo-travel and desire for cultural experiences in 2023

The summer 2023 schedule reflects the huge resurgence in leisure travel and the increasing demand for European sun destinations, particularly the Mediterranean. Aer Lingus is increasing its peak summer capacity to Malaga and Faro from both Cork and Dublin. It is also increasing capacity on other popular European routes including, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Perpignan, Izmir, Bordeaux, and Athens from Dublin.

Tapping into Travel Trends

Industry insights reveal growing travel trends for 2023, with Forbes highlighting two interesting motivations for choice in 2023 - a feeling of familiarity when travelling as well as the quest to follow a path less travelled. Condé Nast Traveller’s fifth annual travel summit also reports very similar travel motivations for 2023, the key trends highlight people seeking experiences rather than destinations; solo travellers joining group trips with strangers; travellers splurging more than ever; and major interest in traveling to learn a new skill. Aer Lingus’ three new summer destinations will allow travellers to tap into these trends as each provides many different types of experiences to be enjoyed by those feeling wanderlust in 2023.

Summer 2023 is set to be a year of continuing resurgence in a post-pandemic world. As the demand for summer travel returned in force last year, as Irish consumers look to the skies after past summers of staycations. 2023 is forecasted to show strong demand for family favourite holiday destinations like Spain and Portugal which offer the comfort and reassurance of the familiar.  Whereas younger generations seek adventure along the paths less travelled, like the streets of beautiful Brindisi and the sandy beaches of Sardinia. Popular booking website, Sky Scanner, also released research for 2023 stating that one in four are considering solo travel this year.

Europe for Summer

Greek Islands

What better destination for a summer experience than a sandy beach and beautiful views? Greek island Kos, new to Aer Lingus’ summer schedule, is steeped in rich culture and surrounded by warm, clear waters and is a perfect holiday destination. Island hoppers can also discover other popular Greek islands such as Corfu and Santorini this summer.

Culture Capitals

According to Glamour Magazine’s 2023 Travel Trends, travellers are also ready to buckle up and head to culture capitals of the world to whet their appetite for change. Aer Lingus is meeting this demand with two cultural destinations that won’t disappoint. Flying into Olbia in Sardinia, a town filled with medieval history and sandy beaches, this destination provides all the culture with a dash of beach escapism, the perfect balance! Taking a flight to Brindisi, a city steeped in history, holidaymakers can take in beautiful scenery of both sea and city views of the Apulia region.