Sansa Airlines Optimizes its Commercial Operations in Costa Rica and Central America through Partnership with GO7

 

Sansa Airlines Optimizes its Commercial Operations in Costa Rica and Central America through Partnership with GO7

Sansa Airlines (SANSA), the leading domestic carrier in Costa Rica, has partnered with GO7, a travel technology company committed to transforming travel brands by putting power back into their hands, to support the airline's growth and distribution strategies in the Central American region. SANSA is utilizing GO7's AeroCRS solution for inventory management, reservations and flight/fare management technology.

By partnering with GO7, SANSA can deliver better service and more options to its passengers and improve its agility in response to competitive challenges and rapidly changing demand trends. Since going live with AeroCRS by GO7 in 2022, SANSA has already relaunched its service between San Jose and Nicaragua's capital city, Managua and is planning a new connection to Panama in 2023.

"Partnering with GO7 complements our growth and expansion plans perfectly," said Julio Caballero, Managing Partner of SANSA. "Throughout the onboarding and implementation process, our team has enjoyed exemplary communication with the GO7 team; they've listened to all our needs and delivered solutions, and the training process was thorough and efficient. We look forward to growing our operation and increasing passenger volume with the help of GO7's purpose-built and unique solutions."

Seamless Air Alliance and GSMA announce a new collaboration to bring roaming to the world’s airlines

The objective of the collaboration is to create a scalable framework for establishing commercial roaming agreements between respective members.

 

The Seamless Air Alliance, which continues to lead the development and implementation of Global Standards for Inflight Connectivity, and the GSMA, the global organisation unifying the world’s mobile ecosystem, today announced a collaboration that will facilitate and accelerate the availability of seamless mobile roaming onboard commercial airlines.

In recent months, collaboration between MNOs and U.S.-based carriers such as American, Delta, United and Alaska Airlines have provided a preview of what the future holds for similar agreements. Today’s announcement between the Seamless Air Alliance and the GSMA will help drive cooperation between global carriers and mobile network operators worldwide.

The two respected bodies have complementary visions, the GSMA’s is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive, whereas the Seamless Air Alliance wishes to extend the connectivity experience on the ground to airline passengers in the sky. This collaboration will enable the organizations to co-create a scalable roaming framework that is backed by the industry and will bring proper connectivity to the skies above us. 

Commenting on this announcement, Jack Mandala, CEO of the Seamless Air Alliance said, “Working with the GSMA positions us in front of over 750 mobile network operators and other service providers, paving the way to open dialogue and cooperation in bringing roaming services to airlines worldwide. The agreement with the GSMA is a ringing validation of our goal to bring seamless connectivity to airlines and their passengers”

Ethiopian Airlines and IGAD sign a Memorandum of Understanding

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest airline in Africa and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU was signed with the purpose of providing a framework on the provision of Ethiopian Airlines products and services to IGAD.  Per the MoU, Ethiopian Airlines will also provide hospitability services to IGAD at  Ethiopian Skylight Hotel and assign a dedicated team to handle travel and hospitality need of IGAD. 

Following the signing of the MoU, Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Commercial Officer Mr Lemma Yadecha said; “We are pleased to have signed this agreement with IGAD and play our part in the region’s socio-economic development. Ethiopian Airlines operates more than 20 flights daily to IGAD member states, playing a significant role in the socio-economic ties in the region and facilitating a way to achieve the economic cooperation and regional integration that IGAD strives to achieve. Furthermore, being the largest  passenger and cargo destination operating carrier in Africa, our vast network offers  convenient access to more than 130 destinations worldwide and we are more than happy  to offer that.” 

It is to be recalled that Ethiopian Airlines signed a strategic partnership agreement with  International Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) and Air Djibouti to jointly commence sea-air multimodal transportation for expeditious transportation of goods to Africa back in March 2022, taking its cargo transportation sector to a multimodal level. The existence of this agreement alongside the extensive, strong cargo operation of Ethiopian, we believe this agreement further eases IGAD’s objectives to mobilize resources within the framework of regional cooperation. 

Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest-growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy-six-plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers,  unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. In addition to its main hub in Addis  Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with  Zambia Airways. Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 145 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian’s fleet consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s,  767-300, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900 and Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft.

Jet2 awarded Airline Market Leader at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards.

Jet2.com has been awarded with the prestigious accolade of Airline Market Leader at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards.

The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards recognise excellence across a broad range of airline operations globally and are widely considered the most coveted in the air transport industry.

Jet2.com was praised for developing a network of leisure services across Europe, holding the number one position in many markets.

The award also recognises the increasing number of sales accounted for by Jet2holidays, as well as Jet2.com's focus on profitability, operational reliability, customer service and a net zero strategy that is committed to addressing sustainability at every stage of the journey.

The 49th ATW Awards, sponsored by CFM International, will be presented at a gala dinner on Friday 2nd June, ahead of the 79th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit.

Qantas will significantly enhance its network of lounges in Australia and overseas....

The Australian carrier Qantas has announced it will significantly enhance its network of lounges in Australia and overseas, elevating the pre-flight and transit travel experience for customers to a new level of luxury at key destinations.

The $100-million investment features four brand new lounges, including a new flagship First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport, and an extensive upgrade program of existing international and domestic lounges, including:

New First Lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport

Re-opening of a refreshed Hong Kong International Lounge

Complete refurbishment and expansion of International Business Lounge in Sydney

Updated and expanded International Business Lounge in Melbourne

New Hobart Qantas Club

New Broome Regional Lounge with double the seats

It’s the single biggest investment in the Qantas lounge network in more than a decade and comes as the airline expands its Domestic and International routes and starts to take delivery of next-generation aircraft. 

The $100-million investment in lounges is phased over three years and is included in the Group’s existing capital expenditure forecast.

The national carrier has an extensive lounge network, including 42 in Australia (12 of which are in regional destinations) and 9 overseas.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the faster-than-expected recovery in travel demand meant the airline could accelerate investment in its award-winning lounge network.

“Being back in profit means we’re back to making long-term investments for our customers. That started with the major aircraft order we announced last year and now we’re building on that with a major investment in our lounges,” said Mr Joyce.

“Millions of people a year visit our lounges and they are typically our frequent flyers who travel with us the most, so anything we do to improve them is a way of saying thank you to our most loyal customers.

“We have three new and upgraded lounge spaces due to open this year and the pipeline we’re announcing today will take us through to 2025.

“London is one of the most important destinations on our network and it’s the perfect location for a First Lounge, especially with our direct Project Sunrise flights on the way. Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so we’re very pleased to be working with them to secure a great space in the terminal for an additional lounge,” Mr Joyce added.

Subject to agreement with Heathrow Airport and UK regulators, the luxury London First Lounge is expected to feature direct access to boarding gates, sweeping views of the airfield, a focus on wellbeing features and an unrivalled dining experience. The targeted opening date will align with the first Project Sunrise flights direct to Sydney.

The Qantas global lounge upgrade program includes:

Air India restarts Delhi - Vienna route

Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, continues to spread its wings in the global network, having resumed non-stop flights between Delhi and Vienna,  the Music City of Austria, on 18th February 2023. 

Air India Flight AI153 now operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from Delhi, taking off at  1435 Hrs and arriving in Vienna at 1845 Hrs (local time). The flight is operated by Air India’s Boeing  787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with a two-class cabin configuration, featuring 18 Business Class and 236  Economy Class seats. With this service, Air India’s India-Europe frequency has now increased to 69  non-stop flights per week.  

Air India had suspended flights on the Delhi-Vienna-Delhi route in March 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Mr Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India, “A key element of Air  India’s Vihaan.AI transformation is to keep enhancing connectivity between India's major cities and leading global destinations. Adding this new service to Vienna, following the recent service to Milan  reiterates our commitment to this mission.” 

Frontier Airlines selects CAE for next-generation flight operations software

Frontier Airlines selects CAE for next-generation flight operations software

CAE Flight Operations Solutions announced that it has signed a 10-year agreement to equip Frontier Airlines with CAE's next generation of flight operations solutions. With implementation scheduled to begin later this year, CAE's cloud-based Operations Control, Crew Management and Flight Management solutions will support Frontier with the latest and most feature-rich operations software available today.

Frontier Airlines becomes the latest airline in North America to move to CAE's portfolio of next-generation solutions - the first since the acquisition of the Sabre AirCentre business in February 2022. CAE's solutions will enable Frontier to take advantage of the latest-available technology, driving step-change improvements in performance over legacy software in the optimization of flight plans, aircraft usage, and crew communication and engagement.

"We are thrilled to partner with CAE and begin integrating the latest versions of their industry-leading, comprehensive software solution," said Brad Lambert, Vice President, Flight Operations, Frontier Airlines. "As we have seen in the industry over the last few years, updating core operational software is imperative to optimize flight operations, identify flight planning efficiencies and more quickly manage disruptions and recovery."

United updates seating policy for families.......

The U.S. mega-carrier United is changing its family seating policy which it believes will make travelling with kids both easier and cheaper.

The change, which is currently being introduced, thanks to a series of investments in a new seat map feature that dynamically finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking, will make it easier than ever for children under 12 years old to sit next to an adult in their party for free.  

United customers travelling with kids under 12 will start to see more adjacent seat options immediately and the complete policy change is scheduled to go into effect in early March.

United says, in instances when adjacent seats are not available prior to travel - due to things like last-minute bookings, full flights or unscheduled aircraft changes – United's new policy also lets customers switch for free to a flight to the same destination with adjacent seat availability in the same cabin. Customers also won't be charged if there is a difference in fare price between the original and new flights.

"In an era where more families are working in a hybrid environment, they're travelling more often – and they're flying United," said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. "We're focused on delivering a great experience for our younger passengers and their parents and know it often starts with the right seat. We look forward to rolling out more family-friendly features this year."

United Polaris, United First Class and Economy Plus seats remain separate products and are excluded from this family seating policy change.

In short, this looks like a good idea, it will help make travelling cheaper for those travelling with their kids.  It should also reduce the amount of stress and aggravation at the airport and on flights for families as there should be no more split up parties,  no trying to swap seats with other passengers and less tantrums - hopefully!

Latin America and the United States are the focus for Iberia's summer 2023 schedule.

Iberia will consolidate its recovery after the pandemic in the summer of 2023, with a focus on its long-haul markets: Latin America and the United States.

For the airline sector, the summer season begins on March 25 and runs until October 28, six months in which Iberia's biggest bet will be concentrated in Latin America. After the recovery of its entire network of destinations, the airline has scheduled capacity increases in its most strategic markets in this region, will deploy marketing campaigns and other communication, public relations and sponsorship actions to increase its brand recognition in the 16 Latin American countries where it flies.

"Latin America and the Caribbean have always been at the center of our strategy but this year we will go further to have more presence in markets such as Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, strengthen our leadership in routes between Latin America and Europe and, at the same time, defend the position of Madrid airport as a bridge between both regions", commented Mª Jesús López-Solás, Commercial, Network and Alliances Director of Iberia.

It has already recovered its entire network of destinations and has scheduled for this summer about 280 weekly flights between Spain and Latin America, 23.4 percent more operations than in 2022 and already above 2019

With Mexico, Iberia already offers three daily flights, in Bogotá it will go from 14 to 18 weekly frequencies and in Lima it will grow another three frequencies, from seven to 10

In the U.S. it also increases its flights by about 15 percent compared to 2022, recovers the summer routes to San Francisco and Washington and will fly to Dallas every day.

It will offer its customers attractive summer destinations in Greece (Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini), Croatia (Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb), Italy (Catania and Olbia) and Portugal (Faro)

In addition, it grows on other European routes such as Stockholm, Dusseldorf, Oslo and Venice, as well as Milan and Rome in Italy.

In Spain, the biggest bet continues to be the Air Bridge between Madrid and Barcelona, where Iberia has already scheduled the same capacity as in summer 2019

In the summer season, Iberia will recover all its pre-pandemic flight offer and has even scheduled a growth of its operations of 23.4 percent over 2022 and also above 2019: 2 percent more flights in the summer season, and five percent more than in the global year.

Specifically, it will offer about 280 weekly flights with 18 destinations in 16 Latin American countries:

Bogotá: Colombia is being one of Iberia's star markets. In the last year it has grown from 10 to 14 frequencies; From June, it will operate 18 frequencies and the company's intention is to offer 21 frequencies – three daily flights – from November, which would triple its capacity compared to 2019.

Buenos Aires: The two daily flights with the capital of Argentina are consolidated

Lima: Iberia grows from seven to 10 frequencies from June until the end of the year, with the intention of reaching the double daily flight.

Mexico: The three daily flights reached in December 2023 are maintained throughout 2022, already above the pre-pandemic capacity.

Quito: The six weekly frequencies are also consolidated -two more than last summer-, which are added to three other frequencies with Guayaquil.

Montevideo: Since January, Iberia offers up to seven weekly frequencies, which will be maintained for most of the year

In Santiago de Chile the daily flight is consolidated.

Rio de Janeiro: The operation continues with three weekly frequencies, in addition to another seven with Sao Paulo

In Central America, the increase in daily flight on the Guatemala-El Salvador route that occurred in December is consolidated, as well as in San José, Costa Rica. Panama will have between five and seven weekly frequencies throughout the summer, and daily flight from November.

Solar Orbiter............Discover UK involvement in the ESA Solar Orbiter mission to study our Sun.

Solar Orbiter was selected as the first medium-class mission of ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Programme. The programme outlines key scientific questions which need to be answered about the development of planets and the emergence of life, how the Solar System works, the origins of the Universe, and the fundamental physics at work in the Universe.

Solar Orbiter aims to make significant breakthroughs in our understanding both of how the inner heliosphere works, and of the effects of solar activity on it. Solar Orbiter will measure solar wind plasma, fields, waves, and energetic particles close enough to the Sun to ensure that they are still relatively pristine.

The mission orbit will take the spacecraft on an ellipse around the Sun that will take it up to the Sun’s higher latitude. This will allow the solar features to be kept in view and tracked for several weeks.

Launched on 10 February 2020, the mission will provide close-up, high-latitude observations of the Sun. Solar Orbiter will have a highly elliptic orbit – between 1.2AU at aphelion and 0.28AU at perihelion.

The nominal mission duration is seven years, with the option to extend the mission by a further three years.

Mission facts

The mission orbit is designed to be synchronous with the Sun’s rotation providing long duration observations for the first time. This will enable the mission to observe the build-up of events such as solar storms.

The instruments on board will undertake remote sensing observations of solar features and in situ measurements of the solar wind bombarding the spacecraft. This combination of remote and in situ instruments will enable in depth studies of the close link between the origin of solar features such as solar eruptions and their emergence into space. This unique mission could provide major breakthroughs in our understanding of how the inner solar system works and is driven by the solar activity.

The three-axis stabilised design of the spacecraft is being developed to withstand the scorching heat from the Sun that will hit one side and the cold of space on the opposite side which will usually be in shadow. The solar arrays are being engineered to provide the critical power supply without overheating.

Solar Orbiter is managed and financed mainly by ESA with strong international collaboration with NASA as part of the International Living with a Star initiative.

Work to refurbish Falkland Islands runway begins

Work has begun on a nearly £7m Defence Infrastructure Organisation project to extend the lifespan of the runway at the Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC) airfield in the Falkland Islands.

The project includes repainting runway markings in reflective paint, replacing airfield signage and adding lights, and coating the runway asphalt with a layer of bitumen. This protective layer will extend the life of the runway until it can be fully re-laid in the coming years.

The £6.96m project was awarded to Mitie in June 2022 and will be undertaken by sub-contractor Gatwick Construction.

The project team will work at night to add a protective layer to the runway to avoid disruption. Importantly, the team will liaise closely with MPC staff on a daily basis and the work has been carefully planned to ensure there is no impact on airfield operations and flights can continue as scheduled. This is particularly important given that Mount Pleasant Complex is used for the airbridge flights to and from the UK, for LATAM flights connecting the Falkland Islands to South America, as well as by the Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS) which connects MPC with the outlying islands of the Falklands.

DIO Project Manager Robert Handford said: "It’s exciting to begin this important work at Mount Pleasant Complex. Infrastructure projects in the Falkland Islands are complicated by the need to transport the necessary equipment by air or container ship, adding complexity to the preparations and requiring meticulous planning. It’s a testament to great teamwork between DIO, Mitie, Gatwick Construction and MPC personnel that everything is going according to plan."

Brian Talbot, Managing Director, Central Government & Defence, Mitie, said:  "As proud supporters of the British Armed Forces, we are delighted to build on our long-standing relationship with DIO through the refurbishment of the Falkland Islands runway at the Mount Pleasant Complex. As a critical piece of infrastructure on the estate, our work on this project will help protect and extend the lifespan of the runway for years to come."

The project is expected to take about three months.

Major new Emirates sponsorship deal for Great Britain SailGP Team

Emirates, one of the most popular mega-carriers and the Great Britain SailGP Team have signed a new three-year sponsorship deal. Under the agreement, Emirates will become the sailing team’s first-ever Title Sponsor with the airline's signature “Fly Better” logo will be visible on the Great British F50 race boat, with prominent branding on the centre of the wing and hull. The airline’s iconic logo will also appear on the front and back of the team’s clothing, sailing apparel and equipment.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with one of the world’s most successful sailing teams. Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team share common values, ambitions, and drive – making this partnership a natural fit. Together, we’ll take the sport to new levels, bring fans closer to the action, and deliver world-class experiences to customers worldwide.

We also look forward to working closely with our partners on joint sustainability initiatives that will truly make an impact - on and off the water."

Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team CEO & Driver, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “Myself and the rest of the Great Britain team are thrilled to have Emirates, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, on board this journey with us.

Sport has the ability to inspire like nothing else. At a time where the SailGP league is seeing unprecedented growth in the form of new race locations, teams, owners, and Season 4’s calendar revealing strong continuation of this trend, together as partners we will be able to take both the team and the sport to new heights. 

This is a pinnacle partnership, one that brings both commercial value as well as supports our sustainability ambitions to support three million young people to take climate action.”

Sponsorship rights and benefits

Under the sponsorship deal, the airline will enjoy a wide-range of benefits including: marketing, digital and social media rights; VIP hospitality tickets; meet and greet access to the athletes, including Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills, OBE, the world’s most decorated male and female Olympic sailors; and exclusive opportunities such as “sixth sailor experience” for Emirates fans to experience the action first-hand on the water.

Sailing into a sustainable future

In line with the UAE declaring 2023 as the “Year of Sustainability” – the new sponsorship will also open more opportunities for Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team to drive joint global environmental campaigns with the common goals of reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving biodiversity.

Emirates recently completed its first milestone demonstration flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in one of its GE90 engines on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and is exploring opportunities to enhance operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

Emirates expands capacity to Cairo

Dubai-based mega-carrier, Emirates has confirmed it is boosting its operations to and from Cairo to 28 weekly flights, effective 29 October 2023. The additional flights provide more options for customers to connect to Dubai and beyond with enhanced schedules and the opportunity to enjoy more of the Emirates A380’s signature experience.

The operational boost will see Emirates operating four daily flights, thrice daily on the A380 and a daily service on the Boeing 777. Cairo has the highest deployment of Emirates A380 services in the MENA region, outside of Dubai. The additional services and upgrade of seat capacity  on the Dubai-Cairo route will help meet high demand to and from Cairo and support the country’s tourism revival with the addition of more than 2,200 weekly seats in each direction.

EK921 will now operate daily, departing at 1200hrs from Dubai to arrive at Cairo International Airport at 1415hrs. The return service EK922 will depart from Cairo at 1615hrs, to arrive at 2145hrs in Dubai.

Emirates’ third A380 service to Cairo, EK925 will depart Dubai at 20:40hrs landing at 22:55hrs. EK926 will then depart Cairo, the following day at 00:40 hrs, to arrive in Dubai at 06:10hrs.

The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins, and signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky like the Onboard Lounge, First Class suites and Shower Spa. The airline currently deploys its flagship A380 to 41 destinations worldwide.

Eight students graduate airBaltic Pilot Academy

Eight students graduate airBaltic Pilot Academy

Eight students graduated from the Latvian national airline’s airBaltic Pilot Academy, receiving a commercial pilot license upon completion of the full-time airline transport pilot program. In addition, already the 17th group of 17 students began their professional pilot studies.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “We are proud of the most recent graduates of the Pilot Academy. In order to join the team of airBaltic very soon, some of them will start further training this month. Highly-trained personnel is one of the key factors of successful operations at any airline. Also, we congratulate the young and determined students of the 17th group, who started their studies today.”

The latest graduates represent countries such as Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Latvia. The 17th group represents Austria, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Remembering those affected by air accidents

20th February is the International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Their Families. The AAIB joins colleagues around the world in commemorating those affected by air accidents.

Today, the AAIB’s thoughts are with all of those affected by air accidents as we commemorate ICAO’s International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and their Families. This is a day of reflection within our industry, as we work towards making aviation safer and preventing accidents that can result in such tragedy.

Air Crash Victims Day is also an opportunity to advance our understanding of best practice when providing support to people who have lost loved ones. Family liaison is integral to the work of the AAIB and is something that has to be handled with great sensitivity. The AAIB is participating in an ICAO-led workshop in Milan today to learn more about providing assistance to air accident victims and their families.

As we remember those lives lost to air accidents, we redouble our efforts to help the industry to learn from these tragedies and make flying safer.