American Express to open a new Centurion Lounge at Salt Lake City International Airport in 2025

American Express has released its plans to open a new Centurion Lounge at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in 2025.

Inspired by Utah’s breathtaking topography, the nearly 16,000 square foot lounge will give eligible Card Members a place to relax, work and enjoy a delicious meal before boarding their flight, an outdoor terrace with views of the Wasatch Mountains, a full bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages1, a full-service coffee bar featuring beans from a local roaster, a dedicated wellness room, and other signature Centurion Lounge amenities. The newly constructed lounge is scheduled to open in the new Concourse B in 2025 as part of Phase 4 of The New SLC Airport Redevelopment programme.

“American Express has strong roots in the Salt Lake City community. It’s home to many of our colleagues and Card Members and a popular vacation destination for US and global Card Members” said Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel. “The new Centurion Lounge will give eligible Card Members a taste of what this beautiful destination has to offer and feature premium amenities for all types of travelers.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the Centurion Lounge to The New SLC International Airport,” said Bill Wyatt, executive director, Salt Lake City International Airport. “Guests will enjoy what promises to be an inviting atmosphere to relax and refresh during their journey. We’re excited to work with American Express to bring this never before seen offering at SLC to life.”

The Centurion Lounge at SLC will feature local design elements and artwork, luxury amenities, and premium food and beverage offerings, including:

An Outdoor Terrace with Picturesque Mountain Views: The outdoor seating area will be equipped with heaters and fans for use year-round, providing guests with views of the airfield and the Wasatch Mountains.

Delicious Food from an Award-Winning, Resy Chef featuring Fresh, Local Ingredients: Guests will be able to enjoy a hot breakfast, a rotating selection of main courses, sides, salads, and soups throughout the day, and freshly made desserts.

“Blue Roast by American Express” Coffee Bar: A coffee bar with counter service featuring espresso beverages, cold brew, and rotating seasonal specialty coffee drinks from a local roaster.

Full Bar with Bespoke Cocktail Menu and Wine List: A wide selection of drinks will be available to order from two bars, including a locally inspired cocktail menu featuring alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages designed by Centurion Lounge Mixologist Jim Meehan and a selection of wines hand-picked by Anthony Giglio, Centurion Lounge Wine Director and sommelier.

Comfortable Seating Areas All Types of Travelers: Guests will have a wide range of seating options to choose from, including cozy armchairs, cafe seating and dining banquettes, quiet workspaces, a dedicated wellness room, and more.

A Longstanding Supporter of the Salt Lake City Community

American Express has strong ties to the Salt Lake City area and is committed to continuing to support the local community. The American Express National Bank headquarters is in Sandy, Utah. Since 2019 the American Express Center for Community Development has provided over $500 million in community development loans, investments, and grants to support small business resilience and growth in the state of Utah. Salt Lake City is home to many Card Members and a popular travel destination for those looking to enjoy all that the area has to offer, from world famous ski resorts and national parks to cultural and sporting events. Delta Center, the home of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise and Utah Hockey Club of the NHL, is the region’s premier sports and entertainment venue and part of the American Express Venue Collection™, where eligible Card Members can enjoy on-site benefits including dedicated entrances or fast lanes and 10% off concessions (excluding alcohol) when they use their eligible Card, plus special ticket access to select events (while supplies last).

.

Iraqi Airways renews its contract with SITA

Iraqi Airways has renewed its partnership agreement with SITA, the leading provider of information technology services in the air transport sector, to maintain its track record of continuous innovation in passenger and baggage management systems, boosting the travel experience on board the Green Bird and its partner airlines.

Key in upgrading the travel experience will be the implementation of SITA’s Flex Hybrid system. This will speed up passenger processing at Baghdad and Basra airports, providing staff quick and secure access to airline systems and applications through cloud infrastructure with high flexibility and scalability to meet fluctuating demand.

Iraqi Airways will also boost its baggage management capabilities with SITA Bag Manager Online, which offers advanced visibility of each bag’s journey. The solution tracks every bag that is loaded onto a plane, a ULD, or a cart, matching each bag with departing passengers, tracking them in real time throughout the airport, and ensuring they are loaded onto the correct plane, offering passengers peace of mind and allowing staff to focus on more complex tasks.

Introducing Toronto-Pearson - Thunder Bay new route with Porter Airlines Embraer E195-E2 jets

The Canadian regional carrier, Porter Airlines is introducing the newest route with its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Thunder Bay International Airport. Flights will operate with three roundtrips per week.

Porter has been serving the Thunder Bay community since 2009, currently with up to five times daily roundtrip flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and twice daily flights between Ottawa using the 78-seat Dash 8-400 aircraft.

Toronto-Pearson service begins October 16, 2024.

Flying on the new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2, all passengers will enjoy Porter’s elevated economy experience with no middle seats, complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, free premium snacks, and free, fast WiFi.

“This new Toronto-Pearson service will increase our passenger capacity in Thunder Bay by more than 10%, providing everyone with more options to fly with Porter,” said Kevin Jackson, president, Porter Airlines. “Thunder Bay has been very loyal to Porter, and we are committed to providing the community with a variety of service options at competitive fares. We hope to increase flights on this route as we introduce more new E195-E2s into our fleet next year.”

Air Canada to resume Ottawa to London Heathrow service

Air Canada has confirmed it will be resuming scheduled service between Ottawa and London Heathrow from 31st March 2025.  The airline will operate the route four times a week using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

"We are very pleased to solidify Air Canada's leadership serving our country's capital with the resumption of trans-Atlantic services beginning next spring. In addition to London being a top global destination, Heathrow is one of the world's primary global gateways as well as home to Air Canada's largest international operations. Conveniently located together with our Star Alliance partner airlines in The Queen's Terminal, Air Canada offers customers easy connections to a vast array of more than 30 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa with our airline partners. With continued demand for visiting friends, relatives, leisure and tourism, as well as supporting business and corporate travel, this route gives customers from both the National Capital Region and abroad direct, convenient international travel options to and from Ottawa," said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President – Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada.

"We are looking forward to the future delivery of Air Canada's new Airbus A321XLR fleet. The economics, optimum cabin size and range of the XLR which is expected to begin arriving in late 2025, will enable us to consider operating this important international route with greater frequencies and potentially with year-round service," concluded Mr. Galardo.

Surf Air Mobility reports second quarter financial results.....

Surf Air Mobility, has its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024, showing a net loss of $27million.

“Our financial results for the second quarter demonstrate strong execution by the Surf Air Mobility team. Revenue exceeded our expectations and Adjusted EBITDA was materially higher than our initial plan. We remain focused on executing our strategy and on our unwavering commitment to expand our footprint and leadership position in the regional air mobility market,” said Deanna White, Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of Surf Air Mobility.

She continued, “In the last 90 days, we have moved rapidly to implement operational improvements and stringent management of operating expenses. These efforts resulted in second quarter positive adjusted EBITDA for our regional airline operations, formerly known as Southern Airways, reversing a longstanding trend. In addition to driving substantive improvement in those operations, we are simultaneously advancing our Technology operations, including the ‘SurfOS’ technology platform and our EP1 Caravan electrification initiative.

She concluded, “We are fundamentally improving our operating model and refining strategies to reduce our cost of operations. In addition, we plan to sub-capitalize key initiatives to drive efficiencies and more effectively manage capital. To that end, we recently announced a ground-breaking new venture, Surf Air Technologies, powered by Palantir Technologies. Together with Palantir, we will develop, market and sell AI-powered software tools to create a category-defining operating system for the advanced air mobility industry. This venture uniquely places Surf Air Mobility at the forefront of innovation in our industry.”

Unical expands European sales & support with new office in Surrey, UK

Unical Aviation, a leader in the commercial aerospace Used Serviceable Material market, is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in Surrey, United Kingdom. This expansion underscores the company's commitment to strengthening its footprint across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), allowing for enhanced service delivery and closer client engagement in these vital markets.

Located in the scenic town of Dorking in Surrey, the new office will serve as a strategic hub for sales and regional support operations. The new office will support stronger relationships with partners and customers throughout the EMEA region.

Omio and Ryanair announce key partnership as Omio's expands travel options for travellers

 Omio, the leading global platform for booking trains, planes, buses, and ferries, and Ryanair, have announced a new partnership. This collaboration enables Omio to offer Ryanair's low-fare flights to its travellers, enhancing traveller choices and experiences for those seeking value and convenience.

The partnership between Omio and Ryanair continues to redefine the travel experience and the seamless integration enables travellers to search and book international and domestic flights effortlessly via the Omio app.

Omio's President B2C Europe, Veronica Diquattro, said:  "This is a major milestone in our collaboration with Ryanair. Soon, travellers will have direct access to Ryanair flights on Omio, which enables customers with options and empowers choice. By combining Ryanair's wide range of budget-friendly flights with Omio's extensive travel options, Ryanair and Omio alliance helps our goal for travellers which is to offer seamless, convenient, and multimodal travel experiences to people worldwide."

The collaboration with Ryanair is intended to strengthen Omio's standing as the leading global platform for ground transportation and multi-modal services. With a strong emphasis on a business-to-consumer (B2C) approach, Omio's commitment to direct partnerships, expanding inventory, and customer-focused vision all contribute to positioning Omio as the preferred platform for travellers.

EL AL Israel Airlines completes order for up to 31 Boeing 737 MAX jets

Boeing and EL AL Israel Airlines confirmed this week that the Israeli flag carrier finalized an agreement for up to 31 737 MAX jets, supporting the airline's plans to renew its fleet of Next-Generation 737 aeroplanes.

"This is a significant milestone for EL AL, which will allow us to offer our customers the most advanced service and technology experience in the industry," said Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia. CEO EL AL Israel Airlines. "The implementation of the long-term procurement plan, which began with the purchase of an additional 787 Dreamliners earlier this year and culminates in the current deal, once again demonstrates our commitment to the Israeli public and the state."

Ben-Tal Ganancia added: "EL AL has a central role in ensuring open skies for Israel. The implementation of our strategic plan - which aims to expand the fleet, increase the value proposition for customers and increase capacity and seating - will ensure a strong and growing company for many years to come."

With the 737 MAX family, EL AL will achieve the best per-seat economics in its class, improved environmental performance and increased passenger comfort. In particular, the 737 MAX will reduce fuel use and emissions 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces and have a 50% smaller noise footprint.

"We are honoured EL AL has chosen Boeing aeroplanes to power its past, present and future as we continue to build on seven decades of partnership," said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We know EL AL depends on the versatility and reliability of Boeing aeroplanes, and we look forward to delivering the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner jets that will reshape and grow the airline in the coming decades."

EL AL's 737 MAX order follows its purchase earlier this year of three additional 787-9 aircraft with options for six more as the airline further expands its 787 Dreamliner fleet. The carrier will take delivery of a new 787-9 this year and plans to receive two more new 787-9s on lease in the coming years.

.

American Airlines and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) campaign takes off to accelerate funding for cancer research

              American Airlines, in collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), is launching its annual campaign to raise funds for innovative and life-saving cancer research and is inviting customers to contribute. The campaign kicked off with a powerful new public service announcement featuring actress, film producer and SU2C celebrity ambassador Rosario Dawson.

From now through Sept. 30, customers will receive 25 AAdvantage® bonus miles for every dollar they donate of $25 or more to Stand Up To Cancer.

Additionally, anyone who uses their AAdvantage® Mastercard® credit card to contribute between $25 and $10,000 will receive 50 AAdvantage® bonus miles per dollar through Sept. 30, or until $3 million has been donated, whichever comes first. To donate, customers can visit SU2C.org/AA.

"Cancer affects countless lives, including many of our own team members and their loved ones. Our eight-year partnership with Stand Up To Cancer has become an important part of our airline. It truly allows us to live out our purpose of caring for people on life’s journey while supporting Stand Up's vital mission of advancing life-saving research," said Ron DeFeo, American’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer.

Since joining forces in 2016, American has raised more than $20 million through fundraising efforts to benefit SU2C. In 2019, American debuted a campaign that allowed those who donated the chance to honor a loved one by including their name on an Airbus A321 aircraft wrapped in a special SU2C livery.

This year, to further highlight the campaign and give customers an opportunity to support the campaign’s important cause, American will launch a limited-edition specialty amenity kit design created in collaboration with sustainable fashion brand Raven + Lily.

The new Flagship® First Class and Flagship® Business Class kits feature the SU2C yellow, orange and red colors, along with Raven + Lily’s recognizable zig-zag trim, while the Premium Economy kit features the SU2C yellow. The limited-edition kits will feature new skincare brands and offerings. Customers can scan a QR code within the kits to easily donate to the campaign. The SU2C specialty kits will take flight later this year. This kit marks American’s second limited-edition amenity kit since the airline launched a new amenity kit program earlier this year.

“Cancer is a terrible thing to face alone. That’s why Stand Up To Cancer is proud to join American Airlines to highlight the incredible stories of how showing up can mean so much during a cancer journey,” said Rusty Robertson, Co-Founder of SU2C. “We thank Rosario Dawson for lending her voice to this campaign, as well as American Airlines and its customers, whose generous donations are putting essential funding into the hands of the top minds in science working tirelessly to accelerate the research and save lives now.”

Hey Canada....its time to get in the Vacation Mood

                                     

              Air Canada Vacations is thrilled to announce the launch of its ‘Vacation Mood’ fall/winter brand campaign. The social-first campaign was designed to put Canadian travellers at the forefront by inviting them to share their vacation mood on social media with the hashtag #MyVacationMood and tagging @aircanadavacations for a chance to be featured on Air Canada Vacations’ social channels. The campaign aims to create a travel community of real people on real vacations, exchanging and sharing unique travel experiences.

“We want to inspire Canadians to dream about their next vacation by inviting them to have a voice in our campaign,” said Nino Montagnese, Vice President at Air Canada Vacations. “By creating authentic, emotional connections through travel, we celebrate the way it makes us feel and brings us together.”

The campaign, which runs from August 15 – September 8, 2024, includes digital and social media, a ‘My Vacation Mood’ contest, and out-of-home media placements in key cities across the country, each depicting a series of playful vacation moods and moments.

“When you consider that travel planning is often inspired by social media and recommendations from friends and family, it seemed like a natural fit to ask Canadians to share their vacation moods so that others can discover new adventures, destinations, and unique travel experiences,” said Selma Filali, Senior Director of Marketing & E-Commerce at Air Canada Vacations. 

Virgin Australia Group has placed eight firm orders for Embraer E190-E2 aircraft

Virgin Australia Group has placed eight firm orders for Embraer E190-E2 aircraft in a significant investment which will secure the future growth of its WA-based regional and charter business, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA).

The E190-E2, which is the world’s most fuel efficient single-aisle jet aircraft [1] with the lowest noise profile of any aircraft in its segment [2], will complement VARA’s fleet of larger narrowbodies and ultimately replace its long-serving Fokker 100 fleet.

The new aircraft will support the creation of 150 new, WA-based jobs in the VARA business over the next three years.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the new aircraft would improve performance, reliability and customer comfort. “When the first new E190-E2 enters service from October 2025 [3], it will become the first brand new aircraft in the WA charter market this century,” she said.

The E190-E2 is the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its segment and will reduce emissions by about 30 per cent compared to the outgoing F100 [4]. These aircraft also feature significantly lower noise profiles and enhanced passenger comfort. 

When the E190-E2 joins the fleet from late next year it will predominantly operate charter flights for VARA, bolstering its position as a leading operator in the WA charter market.  This is a huge vote of confidence by the Virgin Australia Group in our charter business and the WA market.”

Robinson Helicopter Company’s fourth ‘climb higher’ series demonstrates modern capability of the R66 law enforcement helicopter

Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters shares a new ‘Climb Higher’ series featuring one of America’s premier law enforcement agencies, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) in Polk County Florida. In these videos, PCSO highlights the pivotal role the Robinson R66 plays in their fleet, emphasizing the aircraft’s ability to modernize operations, reduce costs, and expand aerial coverage, enhancing public safety for their community covering 2,000 square miles.

Designed specifically for the demanding needs of law enforcement and public safety, the Robinson offers unparalleled technology, performance, safety, and cost-effectiveness. In this four-video series, PSCO shows how their fleet of Robinson R66s equipped straight from the factory with state-of-the-art technology, including advanced cameras, tactical radios, and night vision compatibility, empowers their officers to respond swiftly and effectively to a wide range of challenges.

“Because of the technology in the R66, we can be proactive. We can spend more time preventing problems from happening than just chasing problems after they occur,” said Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd. “We chose Robinson to give the best service to the people of Polk County. The R66 does everything we need to get the job done.”

In 2019, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was faced with an aging fleet and escalating costs. The department transitioned to Robinson helicopters, experiencing a dramatic reduction in operating and maintenance expenses, more than 50 percent. These cost savings, coupled with increased flight hours and mission capabilities, have significantly enhanced the department’s ability to protect and serve its community.

10 more A220s for airBaltic takes total commitment to 90 aircraft

The new order takes the airline’s total commitment to 90 planes. 

airBaltic confirms an incremental order for an additional 10 A220-300s. This new and fourth reorder will take the airline’s total firm order to 90 A220 aircraft. Already operating a strong fleet of close to 50 A220-300s, airBaltic is currently the largest A220 customer in Europe and the largest A220-300 operator in the world. 

The Latvian flag carrier has a long-standing history operating the Airbus A220-300 - previously known as Bombardier CSeries CS300, having been the launch customer in 2016. Since 2020, the airline has operated an A220-exclusive fleet. With a firm order for 90 A220-300, airBaltic further reinforces its position as the largest A220 customer in Europe.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic, said: “For the first time in the company’s history, airBaltic plans to operate a fleet of close to 100 A220-300 aircraft, and these exercised options are the next step in the right direction. Over the years, this aircraft type has proven its operational capabilities and value – it has been the backbone of our operations and has played an integral role in the international success story of airBaltic. By exercising these options, we are strengthening our unwavering support and trust in the A220 Programme and are looking forward to our fleet expansion over the upcoming years.”

Funding boosts 6 innovative future space technologies

Stellar success: Secured as part of the Space to Innovate Campaign – Charlie Drop, six organizations have received funding to advance technologies that improve the UK's capacity for safe operations in space.

 

£1.6 million overall funding allocated to 6 innovative organisations to develop space technologies.

The Space to Innovate Campaign aims to find and fund solutions to major space hurdles to promote space resilience and operational effectiveness.

The Space to Innovate Campaign – Charlie Drop is the third challenge in a joint collaboration between the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA).

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) are pleased to announce that six innovators have shared £1.6 million in funding to develop technologies for the space domain.

The funding was achieved as a result of Space to Innovate Campaign – Charlie Drop which invited innovators to submit their innovative technologies and solutions to help overcome the following challenge areas:

Challenge Area 1: Novel ways to achieve fine resolution collection for intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR)

Challenge Area 2: Technologies and techniques to alert, protect and defend satellites

Challenge Area 3: Satellite and ground segment technologies for future Defence and Security operations

Major General Paul Tedman, Commander, UK Space Command, said: "As space becomes increasingly contested and congested, the ability to harness novel technologies to ensure freedom of action is essential. We will continue to work with our partners in industry, DASA, Dstl to seize and maintain the competitive edge in space." 

Athos Ritsperis, Dstl Space Systems Programme Manager, said: "Accelerating the development of these technologies could contribute to the development of future operational concepts in support of the Defence Space Strategy. We look forward to working with all the contracted suppliers."

Aviation Capital Group announces delivery of a Boeing 737-800 to Avelo

Aviation Capital Group, a premier global full-service aircraft asset manager, announced the delivery of one Boeing 737-800 on long-term lease to Avelo Airlines Inc.

“We are delighted to deliver this aircraft to Avelo, a new lessee for ACG, and excited to broaden our customer base in North America,” said Alan Mangels, Vice President of Marketing for ACG. “The addition of this B737-800 aircraft will enable Avelo to further grow its network and we look forward to building a long-term partnership with the airline.”

Avelo Airlines Head of Commercial Trevor Yealy said, “We’re excited to accept delivery of this Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 from ACG. Growing our fleet is a big part of continuing to expand Avelo’s convenient, affordable, and reliable air service across our network. This new aircraft enables us to add more routes across our network, create more jobs in the communities we serve and continue our momentum of consecutive profitability quarters. We’re grateful for our partnership with ACG.”

ACG specializes in commercial aircraft leasing and aviation finance. In addition to aircraft leasing services, ACG provides aircraft asset management solutions tailored to meet our customers’ fleet management needs. 

.