Air Canada Proudly Salutes its Black Employees, Wraps Black History Month with Celebration Flight

Flight AC660 from Montreal to Halifax was operated and supported by Black pilots, flight attendants, managers and ground teams

Air Canada wrapped Black History Month today with its second annual Black History celebratory flight. Flight AC660 from Montreal to Halifax was planned, supported and operated by Black pilots, flight attendants, managers and employees on the ground and behind the scenes at Montreal Trudeau International Airport and on arrival at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

"Air Canada salutes its Black employees who have proudly championed their identity and pride to showcase their achievements and contributions to aviation. This is the second year in a row we have applauded Black excellence with a celebration flight and we are thrilled to highlight our employees' professional achievements. They are incredible ambassadors and role models for the next generation of Black youth," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada.

On today's flight are some Air Canada employees and special guests who will visit Africville to learn more about the rich Black cultural heritage, and the long and deep Black history roots in the Halifax area.

Comments from airline professionals involved in Air Canada's Black Celebration Flight:

"Being asked to help lead and organize this second Black Excellence Flight for Air Canada is an honour that I cannot express in words. I am proud of the example we are setting and showing as a Black community and as an Air Canada family. We are highlighting to aspiring young Black kids that there are people in the aviation industry that look like them and that they, too, can be a part of this incredible industry.  We are demonstrating to them that Air Canada celebrates Black History and that 'You are Black History'," said Andrew Free, Manager, STOC Oversight for Montreal and Quebec City.

"To me, being a Black aviation professional means having the responsibility to mentor the next generation of young aviators. I am extremely fortunate today because of the efforts of the few Black pilots that came before me. I appreciate and thank all the many hard-working professionals who have contributed to the success of the day," said William Batson, Manager, Line Operations, Flight Operations in Toronto, and Captain of flight AC660.

JetBlue offers passengers tools to help scale the sustainability of air travel

New Platform Enables JetBlue Customers to Directly Contribute to the Purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Help Grow This Critical Emerging Market

JetBlue has formed a partnership with climate tech company CHOOOSE to enable passengers to estimate the CO2 emissions of their flights and then address these emissions by contributing to a fund dedicated to covering the cost premium of SAF as compared to conventional jet fuel.

JetBlue views SAF as the most promising avenue for addressing aviation emissions in a meaningful and rapid way – once cost-effective SAF is made available commercially at scale. Produced from a wide array of renewable sources such as agricultural wastes and used cooking oils—not fossil fuels— SAF is a type of renewable fuel that exists today and drops directly into existing aircraft and infrastructure with no impact to safety or performance. SAF can lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 80% compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels while reducing particle and sulfur pollution.

In 2022, roughly 0.3% of JetBlue’s fuel consumed was SAF. Supporting and growing SAF availability is critical to increasing this volume and reaching the aviation industry’s emissions reduction goals. By contributing toward the purchase of additional SAF through CHOOOSE, JetBlue customers and can now send a critical signal of consumer demand for more sustainable air travel options and help grow the emerging SAF market.

Qantas unveils prototypes of the First and Business cabins on the Airbus A350 that will fly passengers non-stop from Australia to New York and London from late 2025.

Luxe First suites with fixed flat bed, separate lounge recliner and wardrobe.

Next Generation Business suites with sliding door for added privacy.

Fast and free Wi-Fi to be installed across A350 fleet.

Qantas has unveiled prototypes of the First and Business cabins on the aircraft that will fly passengers non-stop from Australia to New York and London from late 2025.

A virtual reality fly through of the aircraft cabin has also been revealed.

Designed with ultra-long haul travel in mind, the flagship cabins are the first to be developed from the ground up by a mix of aviation specialists, as well as Australian industrial design studio Caon Design, and a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre including sleep scientists.

Key to the cabin design has been giving passengers more space, made possible by Qantas’ decision to configure its 12 Airbus A350s to seat 238 passengers compared to the 300-plus seat layout specified by other carriers.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the investment in new A350 aircraft and approach to cabin design continues Qantas’ 100-year history of aviation ‘firsts’.

“Qantas has been the leader in opening up new long-haul flights for most of our history, and we’re bringing everything we’ve learned, both technically and in terms of passenger comfort, to Project Sunrise flying,” said Mr Joyce.

“We think our A350 cabins have the most sophisticated and thoughtful design of any airline, combining cutting edge technology with sleep research to shape the look and feel for what is effectively a new era of travel.

“We’re building on the customer experience of our extremely popular non-stop flights from Perth to London as we keep working to make it easier to connect Australia with the rest of the world.”

The spacious First suite has a range of features to make customers feel like they are in a mini boutique hotel room complete with an extra-wide fixed bed, separate recliner chair, personal wardrobe, dining table for two and a 32” ultra-high definition TV.

Every Business suite will have direct aisle access for ease of moving around the cabin, and Qantas is incorporating sliding doors into the suite for privacy, if desired.

Other Business features include a two metre flat bed, generous storage (including a large mirror), cushioned leather ottoman, 18” ultra-high definition touch screen TV, large dining table and feature lighting.

First and Business will also offer multiple personal device charging options including wireless induction charging.

Airbus Foundation joins explorer and scientist Jean-Louis Etienne’s Polar POD expedition

                The Airbus Foundation has signed an agreement with the Polar POD expedition to support both the scientific programme and the operational phase of the mission. The Airbus Foundation will provide access to products and services such as Earth observation satellite data, as well as offering additional capabilities for reliable high-speed telecommunications. 

The maritime expedition, driven by renowned French explorer and scientist Jean-Louis Etienne’s non-profit organisation “Océan Polaire”, aims to better understand global environmental and climate dynamics. Running for several years, it will achieve this by monitoring the Southern Ocean using an innovative inhabited low-carbon vessel: the Polar POD. It has no engine and will be propelled by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, sails and wind power. 

The aim of the Polar POD initiative is to measure air-sea exchanges to improve climate studies, detect man-made impacts (such as microplastics, pesticides, etc.), and analyse the ocean’s weather, waves, winds and colour to improve satellite calibration.

“We are honoured to support this major oceanographic initiative by providing access to Airbus’ products and services. The research being undertaken by the Polar POD expedition aims to help mitigate the impact of climate change and to restore damaged ecosystems. This mission is well-matched with our priorities and perfectly complements other projects supported by the Airbus Foundation, which have until now focused on land-based activities, such as wildlife and ecosystem protection and reforestation monitoring,” said Rachel Schroeder, Managing Director, Airbus Foundation. “The Foundation and Polar POD teams will work side-by-side to successfully implement this extraordinary mission and tackle the important scientific and technological challenge together.”

Top level changes at Qantas.....

The Qantas Group has announced changes to its Group Management Committee, as the national carrier moves into a new phase of growth and renewal.

In summary, the changes are:

Andrew David, who is CEO of Qantas Domestic and International, will retire from the Group in September 2023.

The role of CEO of Qantas Domestic and International (which was combined during COVID), will return to being two separate portfolios from 1 July 2023. This will provide the management bandwidth required as each business welcomes new aircraft and expands its network. Both roles will report to Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce.

Cameron Wallace, who has more than two decades of aviation experience in the Asia Pacific region, will join the Group as CEO of Qantas International and Freight from 1 July 2023. This will include growing Qantas International’s capacity to 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels and beyond, as well as guiding preparations for Project Sunrise through to the first flight in late 2025.

Andrew David will remain as CEO of Qantas Domestic until his retirement from the Group in September 2023. A recruitment process to appoint this role will start soon.

The rest of the Group Management Committee remains unchanged.

In announcing the changes, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “At the start of the pandemic, we rationalised the two CEO roles for Qantas Domestic and Qantas International down to one given what was happening to our business.

“With Andrew retiring and given the amount of investment now in the pipeline, it makes sense to again have separate CEOs for the International and Domestic businesses, which are both back to generating billions in revenue each year.

“Andrew has contributed a huge amount during his 10 years across both Qantas and Jetstar. His leadership of Qantas’ domestic, international and freight businesses has been pivotal, especially during the incredible challenge of putting the airline into hibernation and bringing it back again.

Delta Sky Club opens only airline lounge in newly transformed Kansas City airport

The Delta Sky Club network is deepening its Midwest ties on Tuesday with the opening of its Kansas City International Airport (MCI) lounge, the only carrier lounge at the recently transformed airport. 

MCI’s $1.5 billion overhaul consolidated all airport operations into a state-of-the-art, 39-gate terminal. Customers at the new MCI will enjoy a completely revamped, fully accessible experience from curb to gate, with a state-of-the-art lobby; a new, enlarged security checkpoint; local concession options; gates equipped with the most up-to-date technology; and more.  

The Delta Sky Club network is deepening its Midwest ties on Tuesday with the opening of its Kansas City International Airport (MCI) lounge, the only carrier lounge at the recently transformed airport. 

The Kansas City Club is the second in a string of lounge openings in the Midwest, with the new Chicago O’Hare Club opened in October 2022 and a third Minneapolis location planned for April 2023. The remainder of 2023 will be ambitious for Delta Sky Club, with eight total planned Club openings and expansions. 

Kansas City’s airport transformation provided the perfect opportunity for Delta to grow its presence in the area, providing another touchpoint for Midwest customers and strengthening the airline’s relationship with the “City of Fountains.” 

Air Serbia and Air China renew and expand their partnership

The national airlines of Serbia and China, Air Serbia and Air China, have renewed their cooperation which started in 2015, with the aim to facilitate simpler travel between the two countries. The codeshare partnership between the two companies was renewed for flights between Belgrade and Beijing, with Air China putting its marketing code on Air Serbia flights between Belgrade and Vienna, while the Serbian airline placed its marketing code on the flights between Vienna and Beijing operated by the Chinese company. In addition to that, the partnership was expanded with the addition of the Air China marketing code to Air Serbia's flights between Belgrade and Tianjin, which commenced last year in December.

When it comes to other cities in the People's Republic of China, passengers will now be able to combine Air Serbia's flights to Tianjin with Air China's flights from Tianjin to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xi'an, thanks to the interline agreement between the two national airlines.

"With the commencement of direct flights to Tianjin, Air Serbia returned to China after more than two decades. We have already further enhanced our presence in this market, by renewing and expanding the commercial cooperation with Air China. We believe that this news will please passengers who had a need for flights between Europe and the Far East, i.e., Belgrade and China", said Ivana Miklja Mučalov, Manager International Affairs & Alliances, Air Serbia.

As of 9 December 2022, the Serbian national airline has been operating flights to Tianjin, the fourth largest city in the People's Republic of China. The flights between Belgrade and Tianjin are operated using Airbus A330 aircraft from Air Serbia's long-haul fleet. The average flight duration is 10 hours for flights from Belgrade to Tianjin, and 12 hours for flights from Tianjin to Belgrade. 

British Airways Holidays and Universal Orlando Resort have teamed up with ITV's Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

British Airways Holidays and Universal Orlando Resort have teamed up to offer the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando for the ‘Place on the Plane’ prize winners of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

The lucky prize winners will secure a seat on an exclusively chartered flight thanks to British Airways Holidays and will stay six nights at the surf-themed Universal’s Endless Summer Resort - Surfside Inn and Suites in spacious two-bedroom suites that sleep up to six. Winners will also receive park-to-park access to all three Universal Orlando Resort theme parks; Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay water theme park.

In addition, prize winners will be invited to an exclusive winners’ event at Universal’s Volcano Bay and tickets to the finale of Saturday Night Takeaway, live from Universal’s Islands of Adventure on 8th April, meaning guests will be treated like true VIPs.

With places so highly sought after on the flight, even Stephen Mulhern couldn’t secure a seat and had to think of creative ways to bag a place on the plane. Mulhern devised a plan to train as one of British Airways’ highly skilled cabin crew. He was put through his paces by expert customer service trainers, which was harder than expected. 

Stephen Mulhern, presenter, said: “British Airways’ cabin crew go through rigorous training to ensure they deliver exceptional service for passengers. It is fair to say I just didn't quite cut it, but it was great to spend a day with the team and learn more about how they keep customers safe while delivering excellent customer service. I'll just have to beg Ant and Dec for a space!”

Pilots from across Europe call on EU policymakers to reform Europe’s airspace now

Europe’s leading airlines are calling on EU transport ministers to make the benefits of airspace reform a reality as they meet in Stockholm today. Pilots representing 9 A4E member airlines have come together in a new video to urge ministers to seize the opportunity and move the Single European Sky (SES2+) legislation out of the holding pattern it has been stuck in for many years. 

Implementing the updated Single European Sky (SES2+), as proposed by the European Commission, would be a major step in creating a seamless European airspace. This would enable pilots to fly the most efficient routes possible which will reduce the amount of fuel used in-flight, reduce delays and deliver a reduction of around 7% in CO2 emissions.

 

The EU has been discussing airspace reform for decades without any real results to show for it. As airlines face into a busy summer and the prospect of ever more congested European airspace, the need for reform is clearer than ever. 

Commenting on today’s video, Laurent Donceel, acting Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E) said: “Member states have the opportunity to achieve a seamless and digitalised airspace in Europe by supporting the EU Commission’s proposal to reform the Single European Sky (SES2+) legislation. Our pilots have a message for ministers today: We’ve been waiting too long for this important reform and it’s time to take action on airspace now to deliver for passengers, for Europe and for the environment.” 

Direct flights between Abidjan and New York John F. Kennedy Airport to restart from 29 May 2023 with Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest network operating carrier in Africa, has confirmed it plans to restart direct flights between Abidjan and New York John F. Kennedy  Airport from 29 May 2023. 

Ethiopian first started serving New York from its main hub  Addis Ababa via Abidjan in June 2019. However, the route was suspended in March 2020  due to COVID-19. Later, the flight resumed serving New York via Lomé starting in  October 2020. 

The four times weekly flights will be operated between Addis Ababa and New York via  Abidjan on Boeing 787 aircraft. 

Regarding the resumption of the flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said “We are excited to bring back our direct flight between Abidjan and New York. We have long been offering flights with the best connectivity between the US and Africa. The resumption of our Abidjan-New York flight brings back the flexibility that our passengers love. We have been increasing frequencies and adding new destinations in Africa, Europe, Middle East, and Asia in the past couple of months and we are delighted that the  Abidjan-New York route is coming again.” 

Ethiopian Airlines currently operates to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations from its main hub Addis Ababa including to Abidjan, where Ethiopian provided 42 years of uninterrupted service since November 1980. Ethiopian will also be commencing a new passenger service to Atlanta, USA starting on 16 May 2023. Atlanta will be Ethiopian Airlines’ 6th destination in the US following its passenger services to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington DC and cargo service to Miami. 

New York - the city that never sleeps has so much to offer the visitor, with attractions like ntrepid Sea Air Space Museum where you can take an interactive journey through history and innovation as you explore the legendary aircraft carrier "Intrepid", the space shuttle Enterprise", and the world’s fastest jets.

JetBlue Celebrates Groundbreaking of JFK’s New Terminal 6

New York City-based JetBlue joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and other partners and leaders, celebrated a key milestone in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with the groundbreaking of a $4.2 billion project to develop a new international Terminal 6. The groundbreaking, held Thursday at JetBlue’s JFK maintenance hangar, only reinforces the airline’s commitment to JFK, Queens, and New York.

The new Terminal 6 will connect seamlessly with JetBlue’s current home at Terminal 5, adding gates and opportunity for the airline to add flights, destinations and partner airline connections. The project is a public-private partnership between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFK Millennium Partners - a consortium that includes JetBlue, Vantage Airport Group, an industry leading investor, developer, and manager of award-winning global airport projects, including LaGuardia Terminal B; American Triple I, a certified minority-owned investor, owner, developer, and manager of infrastructure assets; and New York real estate operating company RXR.

“It was 23 years ago that JetBlue launched our first flights from our home at JFK, eventually growing and taking over our modern Terminal 5 and now sending customers to more than 80 destinations, including London and soon Paris. At a time that JetBlue is set to grow significantly, we are excited to once again invest and further the governor’s vision as we build the new Terminal 6,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “As we move JFK into the future with a new, state-of-the-art, customer-focused facility, we are so pleased to have an opportunity to expand our presence with new gates in a new terminal. The team putting this project together is setting out to develop a terminal that New Yorkers, including our JetBlue crewmembers, can be proud of.”

With hiring ongoing throughout the company, more than 7,000 JetBlue crewmembers are now based at JFK.

Continued Growth with Spirit Airlines

Record breaking results from Luna Aviation

Luna Aviation Group, the leading European aviation charter company, provides a market update on its 2022 performance reflecting tremendous growth of its LunaJets and LunaGroup Charter brands fueled by unprecedented demand from existing, new clients and additional offices.

The Group continues to see strong growth in its various business lines, with revenue up over 45% versus 2021. Despite negative stock market returns, constant rising inflation and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Group generated a record-breaking revenue for the year.

2022 Growth

After a record 2021, LunaJets, the private jet charter division of Luna Aviation Group, exceeded $150M* annual revenue in 2022 for the first time in its history, representing a 40% YoY increase. The number of flights organised generated over 12,000* movements representing more than one aircraft taking off every hour worldwide. The company welcomed more than 1,250 new clients.

During its second year of operation, LunaGroup Charter, the commercial charter division of Luna Aviation Group, exceeded $15M* annual revenue and is up 290% in the number of flights organised. "Considering the post-pandemic situation, particularly the uncertainty of whether international events are hosted, and a slow start of the year we are delighted by these numbers and by growing our market share. Our worldwide activity enabled us to achieve a record-breaking fourth quarter," states Rémi Aubin, LunaGroup Charter Sales Director.

Leidos to upgrade security at London Luton Airport

Leidos,  the science and technology company was recently named the principal contractor for technology upgrades across multiple security checkpoints at London Luton Airport (LLA). As one of the UK's busiest airports, LLA served over 13 million passengers in 2022.

"This is an exciting opportunity for our team, and we look forward to supporting these important initiatives at London Luton Airport," said Brad Buswell, Senior Vice President and Operations Manager at Leidos. "By focusing on end-to-end solutions versus individual systems, we will deliver a holistic security management solution, which can scale with the airport's future needs."

As the principal contractor, Leidos manages all subcontractors and associated consultants working on the project. This includes oversight of building modifications to create two central image processing rooms. The company will also install its security systems and other third-party security solutions at the checkpoints.

Under the agreement, Leidos will deploy 12 of its integrated ClearScan™ cabin baggage scanners and ProPassage™ automated tray return systems. ClearScan is a computed tomography (CT) scanner with advanced explosive detection algorithms. This capability eliminates the need to remove electronics and approved liquids from carry-on baggage. The large, automated ProPassage trays reduce the number of trays needed per passenger in the divest area and helps prevent sweep-outs, a common issue with light items in shallow trays. The combination of these two technologies will enable faster processing of passengers through the checkpoint.

A year on from Ukraine War – Are European and Asian Airlines feeling the impact?

A year on from Ukraine War – Are European and Asian Airlines feeling the impact? Commentary from Bloomberg Intelligence's Conroy Gaynor.   

 

Photo by Margarita Marushevska on Unsplash

A year on from the invasion of Ukraine – large European airlines such as BA and AerLingus (part of IAG) aren't going to suffer as badly as once feared, says Bloomberg Intelligence. The price of jet fuel falling 43% from a June peak is a relief, while consumer subsidies on energy support demand. Yet closed Russian air space exacerbates profitability difficulties on Asian services for Finnair and SAS.

 

Conroy Gaynor, industry analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence comments: “One year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, jet fuel in Europe is about one-third more expensive vs. 2019, when the airline industry last operated at normal capacity.

 

“Fuel can be 25-40% of unit cost so is reflected in higher fares, along with other inflation. We calculate the largest budget airline fares were up 12-14% in calendar 4Q vs. pre-Covid-19. Yet energy costs falling from a peak, plus a stronger euro vs. the dollar since 3Q, may mean a softening of pricing gains.”

 

He continues: “At the invasion, we estimate that our peer group was about 40% fuel-hedged on average for the year at a price of $680 per metric ton, including Wizz Air and the Nordic carriers, which had little or no cover. Today we forecast similar overall cover but at $940, as more carriers started a policy but others became cautious about over-hedging at high prices.

 

ATSG Reports Record 2022 Revenues

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. the leading provider of medium wide-body aircraft leasing, contracted air transportation, and related services, today reported consolidated financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2022. 

Fourth Quarter Results

• Revenues $533 million, up 11%
• GAAP EPS (basic) from Continuing Operations $0.58, down $0.02 on GAAP Pretax Earnings from Continuing Operations $61.2 million, up 1%
• Adjusted Pretax* Earnings $65 million, up 16%
• Adjusted EPS* $0.53, up $0.03
• Adjusted EBITDA* $163 million, up 5%

Full Year 2022 Results

• Revenues $2.0 billion, up 18%
• GAAP EPS (basic) from Continuing Operations $2.67, down $0.66 on GAAP Pretax Earnings from Continuing Operations $260 million, down 14%
• Adjusted Pretax Earnings* $263 million, up 51%
• Adjusted EPS* $2.28, up $0.67 or 42%
• Adjusted EBITDA* $641 million, up $100 million or 18%
• Operating Cash Flows $472 million and Adjusted Free Cash Flow* $285 million

Rich Corrado, president and chief executive officer of ATSG, said, "In 2022, our revenues and Adjusted EBITDA each grew 18%, with revenues reaching a record $2 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA increasing $100 million to $641 million. Our Adjusted Pretax Earnings also grew sharply, excluding 2021 benefits from pandemic related government grants for our passenger airline. At the same time, we invested nearly $600 million in our businesses which will allow us to take advantage of the continued attractive leasing market for midsize freighter aircraft. I expect those investments and the outstanding performance of our employees to drive even more robust growth and earnings in the years to come."

2022 Operating Highlights

• Six more dry leases of Boeing 767-300 freighters, plus one re-lease and four lease extensions of Boeing 767-200s. Two of the six newly converted 767-300 freighters leased last year are also being operated by ATSG’s airlines under Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (CMI) agreements.
• Seven more customer-provided 767 freighters were subleased to and operated by ATSG’s cargo airlines during 2022, totaling thirteen such aircraft in the fleet at the end of the year.
• Feedstock aircraft secured for the twenty freighters ATSG expects to lease in 2023.
• Completed a strong schedule of passenger airline missions for government customers, including the resumption of a full schedule of combi service worldwide for the Department of Defense.
• Executed a six-year extension and expansion of ATSG’s longstanding commercial relationship with DHL. The number of 767s our airline operates for DHL has more than doubled since the beginning of 2021.