SkyTeam scoops ‘Alliance of the Year’ in Air Transport Awards 2023

It is the third time SkyTeam has been ranked as the number one alliance and the accolade comes in the same month that SkyTeam officially welcomed new member Virgin Atlantic.

SkyTeam, the global airline alliance, has been named "Alliance of the Year" in this year’s Air Transport Awards. Held in Montreal on Sunday, March 19, the annual awards are the only international prizes that award all the main categories of the air transport industry. It is the third time SkyTeam has been ranked as the number one alliance and the accolade comes in the same month that SkyTeam officially welcomed new member Virgin Atlantic.

Over the last 12 months, SkyTeam has established itself as a driving force for greener air travel, having launched The Sustainable Flight Challenge in May 2022. As well as helping customers to travel more sustainably, the alliance’s ongoing focus on technology continues to make travel more seamless, while customers have two new global airport lounges to enjoy in Santiago de Chile and São Paulo. SkyTeam is also the first alliance to have unanimously committed to IATA’s 25by2025 initiative to help increase gender diversity in the aviation industry.

Announcing SkyTeam as Alliance of the Year, Dr Kostas Iatrou, Director General of the Air Transport Organization said: “SkyTeam is taking a holistic approach to global travel, where its commitment to a seamless customer experience is matched by a commitment to caring for the planet. The judges were also impressed by SkyTeam’s work to increase gender diversity in the aviation industry through its RISE Leadership program and alliance-wide participation in IATA’s 25by2025 initiative.”

Ourania Georgoutsakou appointed Managing Director of Airlines for Europe

Airlines for Europe (A4E), Europe’s largest airline trade association, is delighted to announce that Ourania Georgoutsakou has been appointed as its new Managing Director. Ms. Georgoutsakou has over two decades of policy and public affairs experience in trade and representative associations and joins from Lighting Europe where she has been Secretary General since 2017. She will take up her new role in June and will succeed Thomas Reynaert who left the association in February having served as A4E’s founding Managing Director since 2016. 

A4E Chair and Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr said, “We are delighted to welcome Ourania to A4E as our new Managing Director. Her proven expertise and leadership will be critical to A4E. She brings a compelling track record of lobbying in Brussels that will be invaluable to our association as we continue to advocate for airline competitiveness for the benefit of travellers across Europe, while driving our decarbonisation.”

Ourania Georgoutsakou added, “I am extremely pleased to be taking up this role at such a critical time for the European airline sector. I’m excited to be representing an industry which connects people across Europe and the world, representing airlines which carry over 600 million customers annually. I look forward to working with A4E’s members to not only help the industry thrive now but also pave the way towards more sustainable skies for passengers and for Europe in the coming years.”

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Summer Schedule 2023

From the start of the summer schedule on Sunday, 26 March 2023, the KLM route network will comprise 165 destinations – 96 European and 69 intercontinental. The airline is expanding its Asian network, doubling the number of KLM flights to Asia compared with 2022. KLM's new Premium Comfort class will be increasingly available on intercontinental flights. 

Europe 

Following the success of the Nantes route last winter, KLM is adding this city to its summer schedule. Nantes will be served by three daily flights. A daily service will operate to Rennes, the regional capital of Brittany, from the start of the summer schedule.

Asia

KLM is further expanding its route network in Asia, following disruptions caused by Covid-19. KLM will operate services to 16 Asian destinations in summer of 2023, doubling the number of flights to the region compared with 2022. KLM operates daily services to Beijing and Shanghai. The airline also is once more operating services three times a week to Hong Kong and twice a week to Taipei via Incheon (South Korea).

In Japan, KLM operates a twice-weekly service to Osaka via Incheon (South Korea), as well as three weekly flights to Tokyo's Narita Airport, also via Incheon. Additionally, there is a direct service twice a week to Tokyo. The frequency on this route will increase in September to five direct flights a week to Tokyo.

KLM also serves the Indonesian destinations of Denpasar and Jakarta via Singapore.

Manila (Philippines) is served five times a week via Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

In India, there is a daily service to Delhi and Mumbai, and five weekly flights to Bangalore.

North America

KLM operates services to 18 North American destinations. In the USA, these include New York, Atlanta, Austin, Washington, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The route network is expanding this summer to include 13 flights a week to Toronto in Canada, compared with 10 flights in 2022. KLM also operates services to the Canadian cities of Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver.

KLM's new Premium Comfort class is available on flights to New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Toronto and Calgary.

Middle East

A daily service will operate to Dubai and Tel Aviv (Israel). Tel Aviv will be operated with the widebody Boeing 777.   

KLM also operates a daily service to Kuwait, four times a week in combination with Bahrain and three times a week in combination with Muscat.

Caribbean and Suriname

KLM is operating daily services to Curaçao this summer. During the high season, in July and August, there will be as many as 10 flights a week to the island. There will also be a daily service to the islands of Aruba and Bonaire.

Paramaribo will be served by six weekly flights and KLM will also operate three weekly services to Port of Spain and Sint Maarten.

South America

KLM is operating services to 10 destinations in South America this summer, including daily services to Sao Paulo (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Panama City (Panama). Flights to Costa Rica will operate according to the winter schedule until mid May, with three weekly flights to San José in combination with Liberia (Costa Rica).

Africa

Passengers will be able to fly KLM to 10 African destinations this summer. Tropical Zanzibar will be served by two weekly flights in combination with Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. And daily services will operate to Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Emirates launch new range of collectible toys and bags for younger flyers

The Dubai-based mega-carrier, Emirates is launching a new phase of children's amenities that consider the varying needs and preferences of babies and infants, younger kids, and older children up to 12 years.

The new amenity kits feature global exploration and diversity themes and are available as separate kits for 0-2 years, 3-6 years and 7-12 years. Each kit is certified for safety by Intertek, in accordance with toy safety standards, with new designs to be launched every year.   

All the essentials for the tiniest travellers

Emirates baby and infant kits contain all the essential items a parent needs onboard for comfort and hygiene- a reusable changing mat, diaper cream and cleansing wipes, a keepsake wipe-clean bib, a soothing vibrating plush toy that can be attached to a seatback or a stroller, and collectable ‘blanket buddies’, where an Emirates character soft toy representing a pilot or cabin crew is offered alongside a soft blanket to ensure a sweet night’s sleep.

The high-quality and sustainable kit is designed to be reusable, and the colourful bags feature hand-drawn artwork to represent the people, places, and cultures that Emirates airline serves in its global route network of 140 destinations. Quickly becoming collectors’ items among Emirates global fanbase, the unique design features emblems of the iconic city of Dubai, daytime and night-time scenes, the flagship Emirates A380 aircraft, friendly members of the Emirates cabin crew and pilots holding hands with people from all cultures of the world - showcasing diversity through national dress and a range of ethnicities. 

Engaging the little explorers from 3-6 years

Emirates amenity kits for children aged 3-6 years are designed to build memories for the youngest travellers and create excitement about travelling the world. Children in this age group are given a trendy belt bag, larger backpack, or generous duffle bag, designed to be fit for use for multiple events – from travelling to sports or simply transporting toys. Kids even get special headphones for ice inflight entertainment, a soft and comfortable fit on smaller ears. The amenity kit also contains the perfect distractions for an active young child including an engaging ‘Fly with Me’ activity pack with its own pack of non-toxic colouring pencils, featuring kid-friendly world maps, puzzles, drawing tutorials, colouring pages, educational activities about Dubai and protecting the environment.

The kits are manufactured from high-quality responsibly sourced materials, including plastic bottles – up to 4 bottles per bag.

Keeping it cool for 7–12-year-olds

United Airlines and Archer Announce first commercial electric air taxi route in Chicago

United Airlines and Archer have selected O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Vertiport Chicago as the next point to point route in which the two companies will utilize Archer’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as part of their urban air mobility (UAM) network buildout

Chicago has a long-standing reputation as a major transportation center and leader in mobility innovation and, with ORD being United’s largest operations hub, it provides an ideal location for United and Archer to ramp their UAM operations

This announcement is an important step forward as United and Archer work with partners, like the City of Chicago, Chicago Department of Aviation, World Business Chicago, the State of Illinois, ComEd, and Vertiport Chicago to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is in place around the Chicago Metropolitan Area to support the safe integrating of eVTOL aircraft operations into the City’s transportation ecosystem in 2025.

Archer Aviation and United Airlines today announced plans to launch the first air taxi route in Chicago, between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Vertiport Chicago, North America’s largest vertical aircraft takeoff and landing facility, is located in the Illinois Medical District near the Chicago Loop. This site was selected as the takeoff and landing site for this airport to city centre route because of its unparalleled convenience, access and service. From there, passengers will be able to travel to and from ORD via Archer’s Midnight aircraft in approximately 10 minutes. A similar trip by car can take upwards of an hour or more during rush hour traffic.

United and Archer’s goal for its UAM network is to provide residents and visitors in the Chicago Metropolitan Area with a safe, sustainable, low-noise, and cost-competitive alternative to ground transportation beginning in 2025. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, a centre for business, innovation and investment, and home to United’s headquarters. This makes it a unique city for Archer and United to build out. The early launch routes will focus in on airport to city centre transportation services, which are referred to as “trunk” routes. Once the trunk routes have been established, the next step will be to build out “branch” routes to connect to surrounding communities.

"Both Archer and United are committed to decarbonizing air travel and leveraging innovative technologies to deliver on the promise of the electrification of the aviation industry,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. “Once operational, we’re excited to offer our customers a more sustainable, convenient and cost-effective mode of transportation during their commutes to the airport.”

"Technological innovation thrives here in Chicago, and this venture between Archer and United is yet another example of this strength," said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. "This exciting new technology will further decarbonize our means of transportation, taking us another step forward in our fight against climate change. I'm pleased that Chicago residents will be among the first in the nation to experience this innovative, convenient form of travel."

More flights and services from Munich this summer.......

This weekend the new summer flight schedule will begin at Munich International Airport with more new destinations and a major step up in other schedules. 

Lufthansa, the biggest airline at Munich Airport, will start operating additional flight connections. Its long-haul routes will now include Osaka in Japan and Mexico City. After a long break, Shanghai will return to Lufthansa’s flight schedule from April 1 and later also Beijing.

In Europe, there will be flights to Bordeaux in France and Rzeszow in southeast Poland again. For the first time, the airline will also fly to Oviedo, the capital of the Asturias region in northern Spain. In addition to the new destinations, Lufthansa is now offering almost all routes that it used to fly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world’s biggest passenger aircraft is also making a comeback: Lufthansa will reactivate four of its out-of-service Airbus A380s for flights from Munich to North American destinations.

In addition, Air China is planning to start flights to the two metropolises Shanghai and Beijing this summer. While Lufthansa will be offering more frequent flights to Tokyo, the Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways (ANA) is also returning to Munich after a three-year break. Starting from March 27, there will be three flights a week to the Japanese capital.

Norwegian will offer 144 routes to 65 destinations this winter....

European budget airline Norwegian has recently announced its schedule for the winter season 2023-2024 which will see the carrier fly 144 routes to 65 destinations.    

"Next winter, we have 144 routes within and between the Nordic countries and to destinations in Europe. We continue our most popular routes, and the mix of destinations gives customers the opportunity to fly with us to dream vacations with sun and beach, art and culture, or activity holidays," said Magnus Thome Maursund, commercial director of Norwegian.

Norwegian continues with direct departures to exciting destinations in Europe from all the major Nordic airports, such as Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki. In addition to direct routes from Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Haugesund, Ålesund, Tromsø and Sandefjord in Norway and from Gothenburg in Sweden and Aalborg in Denmark.

Some routes to the most popular ski destinations in the Alps will be announced later. Norwegian operates a summer and winter programme that changes twice a year, respectively at the end of October and the end of March. In a few weeks, the summer programme will start with 300 routes to 114 destinations. Among many popular and familiar destinations, the summer programme also contains some new destinations including Bari, Skopje, Porto, Bologna, Bucuresti, Sofia, Milano/Bergamo, Alanya/Gazipasa, and Thessaloniki.

flydubai launches flights to Milan-Bergamo and Cagliari

flydubai grows its network in Italy to four points with the launch of its five-times a week to Milan Bergamo Airport before going daily in April.

Direct flights to Cagliari to start 22 June 2023.

flydubai has launched a service to Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) from its home base of Dubai marking a rapid increase in services to Italy. 

Flights to Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) started on 10 March with a five-times weekly service. The carrier will increase the frequency to a daily service from 18 April 2023. Emirates will codeshare on these routes and the flights will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB), offering travellers more seamless connections through Dubai’s international aviation hub.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are pleased to see our network in Italy grow to four points since our first entry to the market in 2018 with the start of flights to Catania. There is a large demand for travel from Dubai and the region and our flights to Milan-Bergamo, as well as the other points in Italy, will give passengers the opportunity to enjoy convenient direct operations to some of Italy’s most attractive regions. We look forward to welcoming passengers from Italy onboard to Dubai and beyond onto the growing flydubai network.”

Emilio Bellingardi, Managing Director of SACBO, said: “the start of flydubai's operations is of great importance as it further expands Milan Bergamo Airport’s network and offers direct access to Dubai International Airport. Passengers can not only access the heart of one of the most popular and attractive tourist destinations in the world, they can also benefit from a large network of connections. We hope flydubai passengers enjoy the services our airport has to offer that have made Milan Bergamo Airport the “Best European Airport” in the five to 15 million passenger category in 2022.”

Inflight meal upgrade for Qantas passengers.....

Qantas passengers are travelling across its regional, domestic and international network are in for a bigger and better inflight and lounge dining experience as the airline rolls out a significant menu enhancement program this month.

The additional multi-million dollar investment introduces new dishes and larger portions across all cabins, using high-quality ingredients from premium Australian producers.

It is the single biggest investment in Qantas inflight and lounge dining in a decade and comes as the airline returns to profit and accelerates its customer investment programs. These include a $100 million expansion of domestic and international lounges, progressive renewal of its aircraft and new routes.

These menu changes follow an overhaul of the domestic Economy menu in October 2022, offering more variety and catering to several dietary requirements, including a vegetarian option for all meals.

Saudi Arabian Airlines and flyadeal looks to add 25 new destinations in 2023......

Saudi Arabian Airlines and flyadeal sets course to add 25 new destinations in 2023 on SAUDIA Group Network:

All new routes are set to begin throughout 2023. The airline will publish more schedule details on announced destinations soon.

SAUDIA Group Director General, H.E. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar commented on the international network expansion: “SAUDIA Group has been carrying the kingdom’s ambitions, values and traditions across every corner of its network, as it flies the nation's flag around the world. These new destinations will offer greater access and choices to our guests. Given the increase of demand in international travel, this is the right time to expand our global network in new, exciting ways,

SAUDIA has recently launched "Your Ticket Your Visa" in January. The first-of-its-kind service provides guests with even easier access to the Kingdom through a digital integration system that links transit visas with flight tickets. The new service is aimed to encourage passengers to perform Umrah, visit key destinations and attend events during their transit in the Kingdom. The new service, which covers all international airports in the Kingdom, will allow guests to stay in the Kingdom for up to 96 hours, during which they can travel around the Kingdom and perform Umrah. The digital integration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitates the issuing of the transit visa and links it to SAUDIA flight ticket within three minutes.

SAUDIA started in 1945 with a single twin-engine DC-3 (Dakota) given to King Abdul Aziz as a gift by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was followed months later with the purchase of two more DC-3s, forming the nucleus of what would soon become one of the world’s largest airlines.

Etihad Airways boosts interline and codeshare deals with six airlines.......

Etihad Airways 787 Dreamliners

The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is boosting its global connectivity with reciprocal interline partnerships with three new airline partners – Philippine Airlines (PAL), Austrian Airlines (OS) and Airlink South Africa (4Z), while re-launching interline links with Biman Bangladesh and codeshares with Air Seychelles (HM) and ITA Airways (AZ).

The deal means customers of all airlines involved will enjoy enhanced connectivity to destinations across each other’s networks, can book on a single ticket and only have to check in once at the start of their flight, with their baggage checked through to their end destination. 

Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer, said: “Broadening our network reach, and allowing more guests to come visit Abu Dhabi has always guided our purpose. These six interline/code agreements make life easier for guests of all the airlines involved. With Austrian Airlines, this tie-in gives our guests access up to 58 European destinations via Vienna, operated by Etihad daily during the summer, and joins the other four members of the Lufthansa Group with whom we already have interline or codeshare agreements. 

“Our deal with Airlink South Africa gives connecting guests via our Johannesburg flight seamless access to 16 domestic destinations in South Africa, and 25 regional African destinations, and it complements our existing options with South African Airways. 

Delta launches Propel Flight Academy to train next generation of airline pilots

Delta Air Lines, through its Propel Pilot Career Path Program, is launching its fourth pathway for aspiring pilots since its inception in 2018: a dedicated pilot training academy in partnership with Skyborne Airline Academy.

Students can apply to begin training when the Propel Flight Academy opens in June at its campus in Vero Beach, Florida, with Delta providing eligible students with up to $20,000 in financial support.

Delta, through its Propel Pilot Career Path Program, is launching a pilot academy dedicated to training the airline’s next generation of aviators. The Delta Propel Flight Academy, operated in partnership with training provider Skyborne Airline Academy, will open its doors to the first class of students in June and is now accepting applications from interested candidates.

“The Propel Flight Academy is the latest chapter in our longstanding commitment to invest in and create new, equitable pathways for qualified talent to enter the pilot profession,” said Patrick Burns, Delta’s V.P. – Flight Operations and System Chief Pilot. “We look forward to watching a new generation of pilots begin their journey at the Propel Flight Academy and eventually join us in the flight deck to help show Delta customers why no one better connects the world.”

The academy is the fourth pathway type created for aspiring pilots by the Propel Pilot Career Path Program since its inception in 2018. To date, nearly 100 participants have completed Propel’s existing Company, College and Community pathway programs and are now flying for Delta, while another 700 pilots are currently enrolled in the program and working toward that same goal.

Student pilots will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 from Delta in financial support. Delta will also cover the cost of interest on student loans from select lenders.

The Propel Pilot Academy will be based in a newly refurbished 12,000-square-foot facility situated within Skyborne’s Vero Beach, Florida, campus.

A guide to celebrating the Coronation in London......

London is gearing up for another royal year of celebration, as the city prepares for the crowning of a new monarch for the first time in 70 years. With less than 50 days to go, the Coronation of King Charles III is set to bring together visitors from all around the world to London, where the official ceremony and celebrations will take place.

From the official line-up of events, to themed experiences, city-wide decorations and royal sites you can visit all year round, Visit London has rounded up the best ways visitors can be a part of the Coronation in the capital.

Take part in the official Coronation Weekend programme

Saturday 6 May: The Coronation of King Charles III will begin with a procession (known as the ‘King’s Procession’) from Buckingham Palace to the location of the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony will not be open to the public, but those looking to watch the ceremony on the big screen can head to one of many pop-up screenings in central London, such as in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair. The Secret Garden Party will run all weekend long, with food and drink aplenty, and is free to enter.

Sunday 7 May: London and the rest of the UK are invited to take part in The Coronation Big Lunch, during which communities will come together to share food and fun in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. Sunday evening will star the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, and while the public ballot is now closed, there’s plenty of events running across London to make the most of the celebratory atmosphere. An interactive guide to all Coronation events taking place in London and across the UK can be found here.

Monday 8 May: A nationwide bank holiday will be held to mark the occasion, with the new King and Queen pioneering ‘The Big Help Out’, a charitable initiative encouraging everyone across the nation to get involved with local and national projects. Details on how to get involved in London-based endeavours can be found on the official website.  

Southwest Airlines brings Prism to corporate travel managers and travel management companies

Carrier continues streamlining business travel program contracts with industry-standard data solutions.

Southwest Airlines has announced an expanded partnership with Sabre Corporation to begin utilizing PRISM, an industry-standard data solution designed to streamline the sales process with corporate travel managers and travel management companies. Sabre's PRISM brings decision science to the Southwest® Business Sales Team, allowing the ability to develop a more customized travel solution for business Customers through automated, real-time data insights and trends.

"With PRISM, we can now simplify the contracting process as we continue on our journey to remove friction while bringing more savings, simplicity, and total value when doing business with Southwest Business," said Dave Harvey, Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at Southwest Airlines. "We're thrilled to expand on our decades-long partnership with Sabre and bring its technology solutions to our Customers as we work together to improve the business travel journey."

Eurowings expands summer 2023 flight schedule

New from Dusseldorf: Adana, Malta, Monastir, Oslo, Samsun, Verona, Yerevan

New from Hamburg: Malta, Nador, Tunis

New from Stuttgart: Monastir, Volos

New from Prague: Geneva, Zakynthos

New from Salzburg: Thessaloniki

 

The German leisure airline, Eurowings has further enhanced and extended its 2023 summer flight schedule by adding new routes from its bases in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. With the additional connections, Germany's largest vacation airline is responding to the strong demand for vacation travel. At the same time, Eurowings is increasing its “Family and Home Visits” offering, providing travellers with more direct connections to their home countries. A few weeks ago, Eurowings had already announced a significant program expansion at the Berlin and Grazbases for the 2023 summer flight schedule. In total, travellers can choose from more than 140 destinations in 37 countries with Eurowings. All new routes can be booked as of now – at www.eurowings.com and very quickly and conveniently via the Eurowings app.

New from Dusseldorf

Eurowings has launched the most extensive program of new routes at its largest base, Dusseldorf. From 29 May, Eurowings will be flying four times a week (Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays) from the North Rhine Westphalian state capital to the Norwegian capital Oslo. The Italian city of Verona will be served on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 13 May. From 22 June, Eurowings will be flying to Samsun, the largest city in the Black Sea region of Turkey, on Thursdays, and to Adana in the south of the country on Sundays from 25 June. From 27 May, Eurowings will be taking off for Malta every Tuesday and Saturday. The Tunisian coastal city of Monastir will be served by Eurowings from 5 April on Wednesdays from Dusseldorf. From 29 May, Eurowings passengers will be able to reach the Armenian capital Yerevan every Monday.

New from Hamburg

From 4 July, Eurowings will connect Hamburg with Tunis every Tuesday. From 5 July, Eurowings will be operating direct flights to Nador, Morocco, every Wednesday. The island of Malta will also be part of the Eurowings program from the Hanseatic city from 14 May and will be served every Sunday.

New from Stuttgart

Eurowings will be taking off from the capital of Baden-Württemberg to two new destinations in the future: Starting on 3 June, there will be flights to the Greek port city of Volos every

Saturday. Also on 31 May, Eurowings will add the Moroccan city of Monastir to its program on Wednesdays.

New from Prague

In addition to the new routes from Germany, Eurowings is also expanding its pan-European offering. From 4 June, the value airline will be offering flights to the island of Zakynthos on the western coast of Greece every Sunday. In addition, Eurowings will be connecting the Czech capital with Geneva, Switzerland, up to five times a week from 26 March.

New from Salzburg

New routes also from Austria: From its Salzburg base, Eurowings will be flying to the Greek city of Thessaloniki every Saturday from 13 May.