British Airways and Airlink announce codeshare deal

British Airways has announced a codeshare partnership with Airlink, improving connectivity between the UK, Europe, North America and more than 15 destinations in Southern Africa.

With bases in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban in South Africa, Airlink is a premium regional airline with a wide-reaching network of cities in 14 countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia.

The agreement means British Airways’ customers travelling from or transiting through London will be able to connect to their final destination via Cape Town or Johannesburg on a single ticket.  This will offer more choice and flexibility for those travelling on to one of 18 towns and cities, such as Windhoek in Namibia and Durban in South Africa.

British Airways currently flies twice daily between London Heathrow and Johannesburg with A380 aircraft, twice daily between London Heathrow and Cape Town with B777 and A350 aircraft and three times per week between London Gatwick and Cape Town with B777 aircraft.

Members of British Airways’ loyalty programme, the Executive Club, can earn Avios when flying on Airlink flights on a British Airways’ codeshare journey. Avios is the programme’s currency, which can be used as part-payment towards Reward Flights or upgrades, as well as hotel stays, car hire and more.

Introducing the Air Safety Management System Tool (ASMAT)

A new evaluation tool to help with Self-Assessment of Air Safety Management.

What is the Air Safety Management Assessment Tool (ASMAT)?

The ASMAT is the MAA’s new tool to help the Defence Air Environment (DAE) Regulated Community to comply with Air Safety management regulations. It replaces the previous MAA Air Safety Management Performance Matrix (MAPM) as a means to conduct first and second party assurance.

What is the ASMAT for?

Safety management is about preventing accidents, keeping people safe and maintaining operational output. To do this effectively, commanders need to understand the risks involved in aviation activities to understand what could go wrong and the likelihood of such an occurrence. If these are understood, they can be prioritised and importantly commanders can put suitable barriers in place to help prevent incidents from occurring. The barriers can then be monitored to assess and assure their effectiveness. This tool helps people to ask the right questions of their Air Safety Management System (ASMS), so they get relevant answers, and are able to highlight areas of strong performance as well as areas where more focus may be required.

Safety is not about risk avoidance, but risk management.

What is the relevance to the wider aviation community?

Everyone involved in aviation must be engaged from a safety culture perspective. Generating and maintaining an engaged safety culture is heavily influenced by the leadership, but it requires support and commitment throughout the entire organisation. To maintain operational effectiveness, the provision of aviation capability must be supported by an ASMS that encapsulates everything we do day-to-day. This comprises the entirety of all documented and undocumented structures, processes, procedures, tools and methodologies that exist to manage Air Safety. This series of interconnected elements that make up the ASMS is what Aviation Duty Holders (ADH) must establish and maintain to comply with RA 1200. The ASMS is not about safety for the sake of it, nor is it about risk avoidance, but rather it is about conducting operations safely and risk management. The Air Safety Management Assessment Tool provides a self-compiled excel database that allows units to score their ASMS. The use of the tool is optional, while its make up is similar to the Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) Self-Evaluation tool (linked to their Safety Management System (SMS) regulation – CAP 795), the ASMAT is structured around the areas covered within the four pillars of an ASMS: Safety Policy and Objectives, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.

What is the benefit of using the ASMAT?

The ASMAT provides a wide-ranging assessment of the current performance of the ASMS and highlights areas where further development may be needed. This approach can assist organisations in making better informed decisions when allocating resources to the management of Air Safety. The ASMAT should be used to record findings and has a function to produce a graphical representation of the assurance assessment conducted.

An important benefit of the ASMAT is that it is a tangible resource that can help Flight Safety teams and ADHs understand specific areas of strength or weaknesses in compliance to regulation. In keeping with the principle of simplicity, it provides a snapshot of the ASMS and associated scoring chart with the click of a button. By keeping all the ASMS evidence in one place, it makes it simple and efficient to provide self-assessment at both first and second party levels of self-audit.

The ASMAT has been designed to address previous shortcomings in the MAPM

Following discussions with Air Safety Management teams across the DAE, it was found that the majority of individuals in Flight Safety posts found the MAPM difficult to use as it lacked any guidance and was simply a template to record audit findings. The ASMAT address these issues by including:

a revised question set that has been compiled from a variety of internal and external inputs, helping to provide an overt connection with the Air System Safety Case (where relevant)

safety culture assessments which were previously excluded

the addition of enhanced tool use guidance making it easy for anyone to use

an improved scoring system across a 1 to 8 scale within the standard Present, Suitable, Operating, Effective (PSOE) scale used by the CAA 

a more intuitive and user-friendly interface

Mesa Airlines is launching a new direct-entry captain position

Mesa Airlines is launching a Direct-Entry Captain Position for highly qualified candidates with a 24-month flow to United Airlines. Qualifications are as follows:

Airline Transport Pilot License (ATP).

A minimum of 1,000 hours of Part 121.436 qualifying experience.

Must have flown 100 hours within the previous 12 months.

Current FAA First Class Medical Certificate.

Must pass a security background check and FAA-mandated drug test.

With the launch of the Direct-Entry Captain Position to United, Mesa will offer highly qualified candidates the most competitive overall package in terms of compensation and career opportunity, including:

$110,000 sign-on bonus paid in full at the completion of training.

Longevity match program for pilots who have worked for any Part 121 or Part 135 carrier.

Earning potential between $150 to $215 a flight hour as a Captain at Mesa before transitioning to United.

Multiples bases to choose from, including Phoenix, Houston, Washington Dulles, Dallas, Louisville, and Denver.

Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and CEO of Mesa said, “This program provides an incredible opportunity for Captain qualified candidates to have a direct flow to United’s flight deck and advance their career goals in just two years. United is the fastest growing, best positioned and most employee-friendly airline in America.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved supply of missiles that shot down MH17 in 2014

The international team investigating the shooting down of  Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 operating flight MH17 by a  BUK-TELAR missile system said today, it has convincing evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved the decision to allow the missile system into Ukraine.

MH17 was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17th July 2014 and was in the sky over the eastern part of Ukraine when the Russian-made and Russian-supplied BUK-TELAR missile system was used to shoot it down, killing all 298 passengers and crew onboard. 

In a statement, the international prosecutors said: "There are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying the Buk TELAR to the DPR (Donetsk People's Republic) separatists,' the investigators."   The team also said they were suspending the criminal investigation into the atrocity as they have insufficient evidence to launch any new prosecutions.

The Netherlands will continue to hold Russia to account for its part in the shooting down of the 777, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.  He said it was a "bitter disappointment" that there would be no further prosecutions, but promised, "We will continue to call the Russian Federation to account for its role in this tragedy,"

Universal Hydrogen gets experimental airworthiness certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration and completes first taxi tests....

Universal Hydrogen Co., whose mission is to make hydrogen aviation a near-term reality, today announced it was granted a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the first flight of its hydrogen-powered regional aircraft. The company also released video footage of successful first taxi tests of the aircraft, designed to evaluate ground handling qualities and the performance of the fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds.

The Dash 8-300 flying testbed has a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell powertrain installed in one of its nacelles. The powertrain is in a configuration that closely resembles the company’s first product—a conversion kit for ATR 72-600 regional airliners—which is expected to be certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025. Notably, Universal Hydrogen’s powertrain does not utilize a hybrid battery architecture—a major innovation—with all of the power transmitted directly from the fuel cells to the electric motor, significantly decreasing weight and lifecycle cost.

FlyBe may yet fly again......

The UK's leading travel trade publication TTG is reporting that the former UK regional airline FlyBe may yet fly again after the administrators have put in a request with the CAA for a temporary licence. 

Gary Noakes advises that the failed carrier’s administrators Interpath Advisory is seeking a permit to allow it to engage with the authority and others to restructure the business.  A source close to the administration told them that gaining the licence would allow administrators to explore a sale. "We have a short window in which we can try to get some sort of sale agreed for the business and assets,".

"The UK Civil Aviation Authority has not yet made a decision on whether to grant a temporary licence. Flybe’s licence currently remains suspended in accordance with the undertakings given by the administrators."  a spokesperson said. 

1.4 million people flew with SAS in January

Financially troubled Scandinavian airline SAS saw passenger numbers jump 89% during January according to the latest results released by the carrier.   The total number of passengers was 1.4 million as travel demand increased massively although the load factor was just 68%.  

“January traffic came in at 1.4 million passengers, an 89 percent increase compared to January 2022. It is a healthy figure during the winter season when we, due to our usual seasonality, see lower passenger numbers. Our flown load factor of 68 percent exceeds the pre-pandemic level of 65 percent in January 2019. We continue to make progress with SAS FORWARD and our chapter 11 process in the U.S. We recently concluded our aircraft lessor negotiations, and we expect to achieve our targeted cost reductions related to annual aircraft lease and financing costs,” says Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of SAS.

Lygg... the aviation startup adds new flight routes to and from Helsinki, Finland; Örebro and Linköping, Sweden and Tallinn.

Lygg - the aviation startup adds new flight routes to and from Helsinki, Finland; Örebro and Linköping, Sweden and Tallinn. 

The regional air travel startup out of Finland is leveraging existing privately-owned aircraft assets and their pilots, coupled with car services, to deliver flight routes that take passengers from destinations underserved by traditional airlines to cities throughout Europe with door-to-door service. In January, Lygg began offering flight routes to and from Helsinki, Finland; Örebro, Sweden; Linköping, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia, which started Monday, January 16, 2023.

The new flight paths milestone comes on the heels of record promotional and charter flights in 2022 to familiarize customers with Lygg’s offerings. From June last year, when operations began, Lygg has completed 52 flights to 17 destinations in 12 European countries.

“These new flight routes are a confirmation that the Lygg regional travel model is resonating with the business community,” said Roope Kakäläinen, CEO and Co-Founder of Lygg. “On the one hand, we are delivering traveller satisfaction with curb-to-aircraft seamless efficiencies that anticipate savings for companies. On the other hand, we are providing operators of the small aircraft asset class the possibility to see future flight hours and consequently predict their revenues. Happy customers, savings, profitability — that is a winning combination.”

The new city and country destinations offered by Lygg are linked with direct connection flights, planned and optimized through Lygg’s smart mobility platform, at the heart of which lies its client and demand-driven business model. The Lygg customer app enables corporate clients with regular transportation requirements to book point-to-point itineraries across Europe.

“We have people moving around every week, so the use [of privatized flights] could be very active … we [also] have a lot of visitors [come] here at the factory. The nearest airfield is in Kuopio, from where it always takes time to get here [IIsalmi],” says Tommi Väänänen, who heads supply chain for Ponsse Plc, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of large-scale forest machines. Ponsse plans to use Lygg’s existing Helsinki-Iisalmi direct connection flights for easier access to the company’s remotely-based site.

Cathay Pacific’s ‘The Deck’ is now open

As more flights are resumed, Cathay is progressively reopening its lounges for customers to enjoy before they fly

Cathay Pacific has reopened The Deck lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, giving customers more ways to relax and pamper themselves before their flight.

The Deck joins The Wing, First and The Pier, Business as the Cathay Pacific lounges currently open to guests at the airline’s home hub. The airline is also working towards reopening The Pier, First and The Wing, Business within the coming six months as it continues to add more flights to its schedule.

As travel resumes, Cathay Pacific is also progressively reopening its global lounges. February will see the reopening of the Cathay Pacific lounges in Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport, while March and April will see the airline’s lounges at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, respectively, reopen their doors to guests.

Customers can also look forward to enjoying the airline’s signature lounges at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport in the second and third quarters of 2023.

Outside of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific’s First and Business class lounges at London Heathrow Airport, and its lounges at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Tokyo (Haneda) International Airport are already open to eligible customers.

Cathay Pacific understands its airport lounges are highly appreciated by its customers and the airline has used the time while these spaces have been closed to further invest in its lounge experience.

The Deck, Hong Kong

Pay as you go access now avialable at the Star Alliance lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Star Alliance Lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Now Offers Pay-as-you-go Access

Passengers travelling in all cabins on Star Alliance member airlines can now choose to experience the premium lounge before their flight.

The Star Alliance-branded lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) airport now permits pay-as-you-go type entry.  Thus, in addition to offering complimentary access to Star Alliance Gold members, and First Class and Business Class passengers, the lounge will now welcome other Star Alliance passengers regardless of membership status or cabin class, for a nominal fee.

This is the fifth among the six Star Alliance-branded lounges to offer paid access, after the Star Alliance lounges in Rome (FCO) Airport, Rio De Janeiro (GIG) Airport, Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The Star Alliance Amsterdam airport lounge is located airside in Departures Hall 2 after security clearance for the Schengen Area. This makes it ideally positioned for easy access to passengers travelling to or from European destinations within the Schengen Zone. Currently, 14 Star Alliance member airlines operate flights from the Amsterdam airport connecting 20 destinations in 16 countries.

Delta and American Express team up for special discount

Eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members can take 15% off Award Travel on Delta flights, anytime₁. The new TakeOff 15 benefit is available to Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Consumer and Business American Express Card Members.

Eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members have another reason to start planning their next trip: beginning February 2, these cardholders can take 15% off Award Travel on Delta flights, anytime1.

The new TakeOff 15 benefit is available to Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Consumer and Business American Express Card Members.

“Our Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members are some of our most loyal customers, and we want to continue to give them opportunities to travel the world more easily,” said Prashant Sharma, V.P. of Loyalty at Delta. “We’re grateful to have a partner like American Express who shares our vision and passion for delivering ingenuity and excellence to our customers.”

This latest partnership achievement with American Express further demonstrates Delta’s commitment to evolving the SkyMiles program to exceed expectations and enable more seamless travel. And it comes as Delta continues to revolutionize the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Delta now offers free high-speed Wi-Fi for all SkyMiles Members, which will power a vast suite of in-flight entertainment. All of this bolsters an already best-in-class loyalty program that gives customers opportunities to earn status through other partnerships with brands they love, such as Starbucks and Hertz.

Seven weird and wonderful careers in aviation

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

Ask someone to name a job in aviation and their likely answer would be ‘airline pilot’ or ‘flight attendant’. Yet there are many diverse careers in the aviation industry, ranging from critical safety roles to ultra-niche stunt performers. Artemis Aerospace spotlights seven unusual jobs in the field of aviation.

Aviation is big business. It’s estimated the industry supports over 10 million jobs worldwide, generating billions of pounds of GDP. Although badly hit by the pandemic, aviation is recovering well, with passenger numbers climbing back towards 2019 levels. Commercial pilots and cabin crew are busy again, but so are many other industry professionals. Here are seven surprising aviation jobs you might never have heard of…

Wildlife survey pilot

Fancy a spot of low altitude flying? Wildlife survey pilots get to fly close to ground level day in, day out, piloting conservationists and biologists as they conduct studies of wildlife and habitats. Aerial surveys are carried out over oceans, too, offering these pilots some of the most spectacular views imaginable. Within this niche profession is another category: polar pilots. These airmen and women fly above glaciers and icebergs, helping environmental scientists monitor the terrain for research purposes.

Skytyper

You’re probably familiar with the concept of skywriting, but have you heard of skytyping? As an advertising technique, skywriting dates back to the early days of aviation. Hugely popular in the 1920s, messages were ‘written’ into the sky by aircraft whose exhausts are primed to release smoke. Pilots with skywriting skills can still be hired today, however a more sophisticated (if expensive) technique has been developed: skytyping. Five aircraft are needed to release smoke dots into the sky at approximately 12,000 feet. The dots join up to create an accurately ‘typed’ message that can be visible to millions of people on the ground. Messages can last several minutes depending on wind conditions. Banned in the UK until 2020 due to safety concerns, skytyping is popular in many countries around the world, with prices starting at $25,000 for a single message. That’s a pretty astonishing way to blow a fortune!

Interior designer

A new flight linking London Stansted and Bergen to start 26 March....

A new Widerøe flight linking London Stansted and Bergen will offer travellers from London and the East of England easy access to Norway's famous fjords from 26 March 2023.

Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, will operate a twice-weekly service to the country’s second-largest city using a 110-seat Embraer E190-E2 aircraft.  Flights will depart London Stansted at 18.40 on Fridays and 11.30 on Sundays.

A World Heritage Site located in the west of Norway, Bergen, is renowned for its Bryggen harbour district, one of Europe's oldest ports, and as the gateway to Norwegian fjords.

Simon Gorrighan, London Stansted’s Aviation Director, said:  "We're delighted to welcome Widerøe to London Stansted, adding yet another new destination to our growing network and giving passengers even more choice when travelling from their local airport.

This new route makes a beautiful region of Norway more accessible to UK travellers as well as being an important route for business, especially the energy industry in Norway and the East of England."

Christian Skaug, Widerøe’s Commercial Director, said:   "We are very pleased to be flying to London Stansted from 26th March and being able to maintain London as part of our route map. London Stansted has smooth and convenient connections to the City of London, which we know our customers will appreciate."

Several other new flights will be available from London Stansted this summer, including Belfast, Newquay, Edinburgh, Asturias, Klagenfurt, and Leipzig with Ryanair.

Meanwhile, Emirates is launching a second daily service to Dubai on May 1 and Jet2 is also adding new flights to Rome and Athens.

VisitNorway.com

Bergen is known as "The heart of the fjords"....

Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway and yet it also offers small-town charm alongside a metropolitan character that matches any European tourist destination. 

The UNESCO World Heritage site Bryggen, the Hanseatic wharf is a key relic from times gone by, when the city was a key centre for trade between Norway and Europe.  These days, the wharf is host to a museum, shops, galleries, and restaurants, popular with locals and visitors alike. 

Not far away is a jolly and lively fish market which has a long history of providing the locals with freshly caught sea creatures since 1276. Although, the market now also sells more than just fish, offering fruit and veg,  souvenirs and handicrafts.  

There is a vibrancy about Bergen which might be because around 10% of the population is made up of students and that means there is always something happening at one of the many bars, venues or restaurants.  

KODE is one of the largest museums for art, design and music in all the Nordic nations and is a wonderful building dating back to 1896 which has undergone a complete renovation over the last couple of years. 

Not far away is the home of Norway's most famous composer Edvard Grieg which is now a museum and exhibition centre. 

Air France to offer new activity kits for children on long-haul flights.

In all cabins on long-haul flights, Air France cabin crew will give children a new fun activity amenity kit to help keep them amused and occupied.  With nearly 2 million children travelling on its flights every year, Air France is dedicated to the well-being of families travelling with children, that's why its introducing new products for younger passengers. 

Turning the trip into a world of make-believe

In all cabins on Air France long-haul flights, children now receive a new fun activity kit from the cabin crew to keep them amused with imaginative role-play games during their trip and for use at home. Inside, they will find a little dog-shaped figurine with a suitcase, a plane in the airline’s colours, a runway jigsaw puzzle, an activity book and coloured pencils. The kit unfolds to reveal a fun French bakery decor and the figurine wears a sailor top, two emblematic nods to France.

This new kit is distributed to all young travellers during the in-flight meal service. The “kids” menu is exclusively made up of organic products on flights departing from Paris and is automatically offered to kids aged 2 to 6. Beyond the age of 6, the child’s parents can reserve the kid’s menu at no charge up to 24 hours before departure. As part of an eco-friendly approach, this kit is free of plastic. Each item is made of FSC wood (obtained from sustainably managed forests) or recycled paper and cardboard.

SWISS to resume passenger services to Shanghai

SWISS to resume passenger services to Shanghai

Now that the entry restrictions into mainland China have been lifted a number of European carriers have or are in the process of restarting services. SWISS is the latest to announce a resumption of flights, with the confirmation its Zurich - Shanghai route is back on the schedule from early next month. 

One weekly flight is currently planned on the route for the month of March, which will then be expanded to three weekly frequencies from April onwards.

In view of the now-eased local entry provisions, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is to resume passenger services to and from Mainland China. SWISS will initially offer one weekly non-stop flight between Zurich and Shanghai from 3 March. Service on the route should then be expanded to three weekly frequencies from April onwards. The flights will generally be operated using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, or alternatively Airbus A340-300.

“We’re delighted that we’ll soon be providing our customers with flights between Zurich and Shanghai again,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “It’s a high priority for us to meet the demand that is now growing again for travel between these two major business centres and beyond. Shanghai remains one of the key points in our network in terms of both inbound and outbound travellers.”

SWISS suspended its previous scheduled passenger services between Zurich and Shanghai in April 2022 in view of the travel restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and its services on the route have since been limited to cargo-only flights.

In addition to resuming its Zurich-Shanghai passenger flights, SWISS will also be increasing its service to and from Hong Kong from five to six weekly frequencies in the 2023 summer schedules.

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