JetBlue Ramps Up Efforts to Build Diverse Pipeline of New Pilots and Maintenance Technicians as Demand for Talent Bounces Back

JetBlue’s Innovative Suite of Programs Brings High-Paying Aviation Careers Within Reach for Current Crewmembers and Non-Traditional Candidates

JetBlue’s Landmark Competency-Based Training Program for Aspiring Pilots With No Experience Produces Its First 28 Pilots for JetBlue

JetBlue announced it is advancing efforts to meet the growing demand for qualified pilots and maintenance technicians through its industry-leading suite of education and training programs, JetBlue Gateways. JetBlue has demonstrated that airlines can meet the growing need for aviation professions through programs that offer a range of pathways into the industry, while also opening the door to more candidates from underrepresented communities, including women and people of colour.

JetBlue Gateways program offers seven distinct education and training paths to becoming a JetBlue pilot or maintenance technician. JetBlue’s program is the longest-running US airline program, which produces a significant number of new hire pilots for an airline. 12% of JetBlue’s new hire pilots to date in 2021 came to the airline through one of these non-traditional programs and the pipeline for both pilots and maintenance technicians continues to grow:

• Gateway Select, JetBlue’s landmark training program for aspiring pilots with no flight experience, successfully placed its first 28 pilots this summer after extensive education and training, many of whom came from unlikely backgrounds like a movie theater manager, a teacher, and a project manager.

• Gateway University has expanded to include eleven partner schools, adding four new aviation colleges to the program in 2021, including the first historically black college and university (HBCU) to participate.

• This fall, JetBlue Pilot Gateway Programs® was expanded to include opportunities for those aspiring to become aircraft maintenance technicians, with the first class of accepted candidates through JetBlue’s crewmember development Gateway Direct (Tech-Ops) starting in 2022.

• With its crewmember-centric culture, in the first quarter of 2022 JetBlue will further expand its crewmember development Gateways by extending the opportunity to participate in a pilot pathway to the immediate family of current JetBlue crewmembers.

“As travel rebounds and we prepare for growth from our Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, we need to ensure a pipeline of qualified pilots and technicians over the next several years,” said Warren Christie, head of safety, security and fleet operations, JetBlue. “Successful candidates will not only be skilled in their craft but also reflect JetBlue’s culture, and through the Gateways programs, we can invest in our future crewmembers from day one.”

Women and people of color have typically been under-represented within the pilot and maintenance technician professions. JetBlue is breaking down the barriers to find candidates from all background who exhibit the skill and aptitude to take on these high-quality and high paying airline jobs.

JetBlue’s Landmark Gateway Select Delivers

This year, JetBlue welcomed to the company its first Gateway Select pilots. These 28 pilots are the first to complete the airline’s groundbreaking ab initio program, first announced in 2016. With Gateway Select, candidates with little or no flying experience but demonstrate the aptitude of a JetBlue pilot, can secure a path to land first officer status.

"Gateway Select was the perfect opportunity that presented a structured path to a dream job, said First Officer Philip Carroll, JetBlue. “I can't discount the relationships and support network JetBlue provided. Though the course was challenging, we covered everything needed to prepare for a great career."

American celebrates 75 years at Los Angeles International Airport

First American Airlines crewmembers to land at LAX, from left, First Officer Lawson, Stewardess MacDonald and Capt. Floyd.
 Photo provided courtesy of LAWA/LAX Flight Path Museum.

This week, American Airlines celebrates the 75th anniversary of the first commercial departure — operated by American — at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The airport, known at the time as Los Angeles Municipal Airport, was developed more than 20 years before launching commercial air service. American and three other carriers shifted a portion or all of their operations from nearby Burbank Airport to LAX, which was renamed in 1949.

"For three quarters of a century, American's service at LAX has helped Angelenos reach domestic and international destinations and brought visitors from around the globe to our great city,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles World Airports. “Our partnership with American has only grown stronger over the decades, as we jointly look toward a future with a fully modernized LAX, which will set new standards for how passengers experience air travel in Los Angeles. We congratulate our partners at American and wish them many more years of success to come."

First American flights celebrated at LAX

Onlookers celebrated the first departure from a nearby roadway, as well as the first arrival. First Officer Lawson, Stewardess MacDonald and Capt. Floyd were surprised to learn that they were the first commercial flight crew to land after the opening of the field.

1954 advertisement promotes faster flights provided on American’s Douglas DC-7 aircraft.

A history of firsts in the aviation industry

Throughout the years, American celebrated many successes and many firsts for the region. Beyond inaugural flights to new destinations, the airline and its team members helped solidify American's presence in the region with an ever-increasing focus on better connecting the greater Los Angeles community.

Beyond transporting customers to American's broader network, the airline's cargo operation, then known as AA Airfreight, also helped facilitate quicker transport of consumer goods from around the world. For the first time starting in August 1947, American's Flagship Mercury delivered newspapers the morning of publication from both the New York Times and the Herald Tribune. The daily papers appeared on local California newsstands shortly after 7:30 a.m. after the Mercury's arrival each day.

American continued to increase service to LAX throughout the 1950s. The airline advertised as the first choice in transcontinental travel aboard its new Douglas DC-7 Flagship aircraft, which began service Nov. 29, 1953. The Flagship Mercury offered the only nonstop service and became known as the finest and fastest path to the West Coast — almost three hours faster than any other airline serving Los Angeles. It was American Capt. Joe Glass and Capt. James B. Ingram who began setting records of how quickly they were able to complete the trip between New York and Los Angeles.

Things just got a little more dangerous.......

Swarms Take Flight in Final Field Experiment

The future of warfare and indeed the world just got a little more dangerous as tests into swarming autonomous vehicles rose to new heights. 

Researchers, roboticists, and technologists deployed swarms of autonomous air and ground vehicles to test mission capabilities in the final field experiment (FX-6) of DARPA’s OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program at the Cassidy Combined Arms Collective Training Facility (CACTF) in Fort Campbell, Tennessee. 

Since the program kicked off in 2017, OFFSET has held six field experiments with objectives of increasing complexity and difficulty, the last one by far was the best and arguably most successful and clearly demonstrates a gear shift in future warfare and covert attacks. 

The program envisions future small-unit infantry forces employing large-scale teams of unmanned air and/or ground robots to accomplish diverse missions in complex urban environments. OFFSET specifically focused on advancements in collaborative swarm autonomy and human-swarm teaming capabilities. The goal is to develop a set of “swarm tactics” that can be used to implement a swarm commander’s intent using algorithms that autonomous systems can understand.

Two Swarm Systems Integrators – Northrop Grumman Mission Systems and Raytheon BBN Technologies – were tasked with designing, developing, and deploying an open architecture for swarm operations in both physical and virtual environments. The swarm systems consist of an extensible game-based architecture that enables the design and integration of swarm tactics, immersive interfaces for collaboration among teams of humans and swarm systems, and a physical testbed with hundreds of aerial and ground robots to validate new capabilities.

American Airlines announces service to Doha, Qatar - connecting customers to the Middle East and Beyond,

 

American will launch service from New York’s JFK to Doha, Qatar, on June 4, 2022, as part of its deepening relationship with Qatar Airways.

Seasonal routes to customer favorite destinations such as Barcelona, Lisbon, and Venice return to American’s summer 2022 schedule.

For customers wanting to visit Athens and Rome, American will launch seasonal services earlier than in previous years.

Seasonal routes to Europe will also return for summer 2022 travel

U.S. Mega-carrier

American Airlines will be starting a new service between New York's JFK airport to Doha, Qatar which will offer a range of attractions, including museums and galleries, desert safari adventures and beautiful landscapes such as the amazing Inland Sea.

“We continue to creatively find ways to build a network that gets customers where they want to go when they are ready to travel,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Vice President of Network Planning. “Adding Doha to our expansive global network and resuming a significant portion of our European routes provides our customers with more choices as they plan next year’s vacations.”

With the launch of American’s new service to Doha, the airline will deepen its relationship with Qatar Airways. Customers have already benefited from the expansive codeshare between the two airlines as it has allowed customers to access new destinations in the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia that American does not currently serve.

“We look forward to welcoming our oneworld partner and friends at American Airlines to our home airport in Doha, recently voted the World’s Best Airport, and offer connectivity to numerous business and leisure destinations across the region and beyond,” said Thierry Antinori, Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer.

Finnair and Wunderdog to join forces in establishing a technology hub in Málaga, Spain

Finnair and its software development partner Wunderdog are taking their relationship to a next level by opening a joint technology hub in Málaga, Spain, in 2022. Together the companies aim at building a diverse ecosystem that will support the future development of Finnair’s digital services. 

“Digital services are at the heart of Finnair’s ambition to build a modern premium offering and they are a key part of our customer experience in every step of the customer’s journey”, says Seppo Pöyhönen, Head of Digital Solutions Development at Finnair. “This collaboration strengthens our capabilities to support strategic initiatives and gives us access to a wider base of experts in this area where we have a fierce competition for talent”, Pöyhönen states. 

The software developers will be employed by Wunderdog, working fully integrated with the Finnair Digital Services team to develop digital solutions for Finnair customers. The recruitment will start before year-end, and the site is expected to be operating in the first half of 2022.  

New Airbus A321-200neo LR Aircraft for Peach Aviation

 A  new Airbus A321-200neo LR Aircraft for Peach Aviation on long term lease from Air Lease Corporation. 

Air Lease Corporation announced the delivery of one new Airbus A321-200neo LR aircraft on long-term lease to Peach Aviation, an affiliate of ANA based in Osaka, Japan.  Featuring CFM International LEAP-1A32 engines, this is the first of two new A321-200neo LRs confirmed to deliver to the airline from ALC’s orderbook with Airbus.  This aircraft is the first A321neo LR to join Peach Aviation’s fleet. 

“ALC is delighted to be the first to introduce the A321-200neo LR to Peach Aviation,” said Chi Yan, Senior Vice President of Air Lease Corporation.  “The A321neo LR will provide key enhancements to the airline’s fleet operations as Peach continues to add the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft to their expanding fleet and offer the highest quality passenger experience.” 

In addition to this new A321-200neo LR, Peach Aviation currently has two A320-200neos on long-term lease from ALC.  

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Air Canada's First Boeing 767-300ER Freighter Enters Service; Deployed to British Columbia to Support Canadian Supply Chain

Air Canada's first dedicated Boeing 767-300ER freighter aircraft was put into service today and operated its inaugural flight from Toronto to Vancouver. Originally scheduled to first fly to Frankfurt, Air Canada Cargo deployed the aircraft early to provide capacity where needed.

"Our first freighter is being deployed earlier than initially planned in order to provide additional cargo capacity needed into and out of Vancouver to meet ongoing demand as a result of the flooding that disrupted British Columbia's transportation network. The freighter is planned to operate 12 trips between our Toronto and Vancouver cargo hubs. Our teams have also worked extremely hard over the last several days to get our freighter into service early to aid in the transport of goods to Vancouver," said Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, at Air Canada.

Prior to its first freighter operation, Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo had boosted cargo capacity by 586 tonnes into Vancouver from Toronto, Montreal and Calgary in November to allow for the transport of more critical supplies to and from British Columbia.

Freighters part of Air Canada Cargo's growth strategy

The first freighter aircraft is currently planned to operate between Toronto and Frankfurt for the remainder of 2021, in addition to the flights to Vancouver. In 2022, primarily out of Toronto, it will also serve Miami, Quito, Lima, Mexico City and Guadalajara. With additional airports including Madrid, Halifax and St. John's planned when the second aircraft is delivered in the first half of 2022.

The Boeing 767-300ER freighters will allow Air Canada Cargo to offer five different main deck configurations, increasing the overall cargo capacity of each aircraft to nearly 58 tonnes or 438 cubic metres, with approximately 75 per cent of this capacity on the main deck.

The addition of freighter aircraft to Air Canada's fleet will allow Air Canada Cargo to provide consistent capacity on key air cargo routes, which will facilitate the movement of goods globally. The freighters will allow Air Canada Cargo to increase its capabilities to transport goods such as automotive and aerospace parts, oil and gas equipment, pharmaceuticals, perishables, as well as handling the growing demand for fast, reliable shipment of e-commerce goods.

Given the immediate demand for cargo capacity, the first freighter entered service without its final livery. At a later date, it will be painted in an Air Canada Cargo variation of the Air Canada livery introduced in 2017.

Since March 2020, Air Canada has operated more than 13,000 all-cargo flights globally using its wide-body passenger aircraft as well as certain temporarily modified Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft, which have additional available cargo space due to the removal of seats from the passenger cabin.

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IAG Cargo restarts regular services to Rio de Janeiro

IAG Cargo restarts an important trade route between London to Rio de Janeiro, with regular flights commencing four times a week.  The route will enable the flow of e-commerce and automotive goods into Rio de Janeiro, and the export of perishables to London-Heathrow.

 

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced a return of its direct service from London-Heathrow – Rio de Janeiro. The route was paused throughout the majority of the past 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The services to Rio de Janeiro officially restarted on 01 December and will now run four times per week, by a B787 wide-body aircraft. IAG Cargo also services Sao Paulo with a daily service from its Madrid hub, and four times a week from London-Heathrow.

The connection is expected to be a key supply route for automotive parts into Brazil. The route is also forecast to enable the flow of electronic and e-commerce goods between Europe and South America.

 

The London-Heathrow – Rio de Janeiro service is also significant for the export of perishable products across the world, including popular tropical fruits such as papayas and melons. According to The Brazilian Fruit Exporters’ Association (Abrafrutas) in 2020, the UK ranked as the world’s second-largest importer of fresh fruits from Brazil, after the Netherlands.[1] These perishable goods can be moved seamlessly using IAG Cargo’s specialised product for perishables goods, its Constant Fresh service.

 

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said: “We are delighted to be restarting regular services to Rio de Janeiro, presenting a positive start to the New Year for our customers. Brazil is an integral part of our global network. IAG Cargo will provide a fast and reliable service to two important areas of the Brazilian economy – the automotive and perishables sectors, drawing on our extensive experience.”

 

In 2020 IAG Cargo officially appointed Aviation Services as its General Sales Agent (GSA) for Brazil.

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Aerospace Bearings Market revenue to cross USD 1.8 Bn by 2027

 The aerospace bearings market size is anticipated to record a valuation of USD 1.8 billion by 2027, according to the most recent study by Global Market Insights Inc. Robust demand from aerospace applications for repair & maintenance across the globe is poised to drive the overall growth during the forecast timeline.

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted various industrial sectors with aerospace being one of the highest impacts. Lockdowns across countries along with air travel restrictions are affecting domestic and international flights. Furthermore, a slowdown in the transportation of non-essential goods and disruptions in the distribution chain have majorly impacted the aviation sector. This has also lowered the sales of various types of aircraft coupled with MRO demand for components such as bearings. The COVID-19 crisis has negatively impacted several players operating in the market.

The roller bearing segment is expected to witness 6.6% growth rate through 2027. Resembling wheels, roller bearings enable devices to roll, reducing the friction between the surface of the bearings and the surface they are rolling over. Roller bearings find applications in multiple areas such as engines, cockpit controls, landing gears, and aerostructures.

American Airlines Pilots First to Use CEFA Aviation Flight Replay App in the U.S.

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, is the first carrier in the U.S. to adopt CEFA AMS, an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application allowing pilots to virtually review flight data on their tablet after landing.

CEFA AMS (Aviation Mobile Services) is the first self-improvement tool allowing individual pilots to access and review the specifics of their flight after landing.

Captain Neil Raaz, Operations Safety Director at American Airlines, says that CEFA AMS is the next step in American’s data-driven approach to relentlessly advance safety. “By choosing CEFA AMS, we are now able to advance the Safety-II approach in a practical way in our operations. This progressive new debriefing capability will help promote a culture of continuous self-improvement and reinforce American’s safety-first mentality into each and every flight.”

“We are delighted to partner with American Airlines, who sets the standard when it comes to flight safety,” says Dominique Mineo, CEO of CEFA Aviation, a France-based software company specialized in flight safety and pilot training. “Being able to deploy our innovation in the U.S. was one of our main ambitions. Today we have the opportunity to work with an airline committed to the highest safety standards and, beyond the conventional safety approach, aiming for Safety-II implementation.” Mineo added.

The implementation of CEFA Aviation’s EFB flight replay capability is a milestone for American. It demonstrates its will for innovation as well as a strong desire to lead the shift in pilot empowerment through increased access to and awareness of operational flight data.

JetBlue and Aer Lingus expand codeshare deal.

 JetBlue has just announced it is expanding its codeshare partnership with the Ireland based IAG carrier Aer Lingus, providing customers more ways to book and connect their travel between the two airlines’ networks.

Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue (left) and Lynne Embleton, chief executive officer and chairman, Aer Lingus at the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Boston on October 3, 2021. (Photo: Business Wire)

As part of the new bilateral codeshare, JetBlue is now placing its “B6” code on four Aer Lingus routes between JetBlue’s Northeast focus cities and Ireland:

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to:

Dublin Airport (DUB)

Shannon Airport (SNN)

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to:

Dublin Airport

Shannon Airport

JetBlue intends to add its code to select Aer Lingus routes beyond Ireland in the near future.

“Connecting our customers with more of the destinations they want to fly to ensures JetBlue grows its relevance in the Northeast, and by expanding our partnership with Aer Lingus we’re introducing new options for travelers flying between the U.S. and Ireland,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “More than 13 years after Aer Lingus became our very first international airline partner our relationship continues to strengthen in ways that bring more benefits customers on both sides of the Atlantic.”

“Our relationship with JetBlue is long-standing and valued,” said Lynne Embleton, chief executive officer and chairman, Aer Lingus. “All at Aer Lingus are looking forward to extending a warm Irish welcome to more JetBlue customers. These customers can now travel seamlessly to Dublin and Shannon airports as we continue to connect friends and families, businesses and colleagues from the US and Europe.”

JetBlue and Aer Lingus customers purchasing a codeshare itinerary benefit from having a single ticket that includes flights operated by both carriers, as well as conveniences on their day of travel like one-stop check-in and baggage transfer. Additionally, customers traveling to the U.S. from Ireland benefit from the convenience of pre-clearing customs prior to departing Dublin and Shannon, allowing them to be on their way faster after landing in New York or Boston.

JetBlue and Aer Lingus have partnered since 2008 and in 2013 announced a unilateral codeshare agreement. Today the Aer Lingus “EI” code is available on more than three dozen JetBlue routes and offer customers convenient connections through JetBlue’s New York and Boston focus cities.

Aer Lingus will operate 16 transatlantic routes from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester, UK to North America and the Caribbean in 2022. Aer Lingus is a 4-Star airline, awarded by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organization. Aer Lingus is a member of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline groups.

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final assembly for first Airbus A321XLR development aircraft

Airbus took a major step forward this week when the very first A321XLR flight test aircraft, MSN11000 entered the final assembly in Hamburg.  This is the first of three planned development aircraft which will be used to perform the rigorous flight testing programme as well as the type certification test flights which are scheduled to start in the spring of next year

 

In an update, the European planemaker confirmed the structural completion of MSN11000 in the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Hamburg follows the recent assembly and delivery of the nose and forward fuselage from Saint Nazaire; the centre and aft fuselage assembled in Hamburg; the wings from Broughton in the UK; the landing gears supplied by Safran, and the vertical and horizontal tailplanes from Stade and Getafe respectively.

While other Airbus FAL locations will eventually be producing A321XLRs to fulfil the type’s impressively large customer order-book, Hamburg has been chosen to ‘pilot’ this new variant into series production. This is starting with the three development flight test aircraft – now in various stages of completion there.

Michael Menking, Head of the A320 Family Programme explains: “For the A321 Family, we have started all the head-of-versions in Hamburg -- the real first ones -- and it is our intention to build these aircraft also at the other sites.” 

He adds: “We are currently on the way to also have the A321XLR delivered out of other Single Aisle FALs. So it is important for sure that all the teams learn from the experience in Hamburg so we can bring this knowledge to the other facilities. This is also what we are doing with the A320 Family Airspace cabin which we started in Hamburg.”

Of the four A320 Family assembly lines in Hamburg, the one which is processing the first A321XLR is referred to as “FAL Line 2”, which is inside the “Hangar-9” building. The subsequent two A321XLR development aircraft – MSN11058 and MSN11080 – will follow in due course from the same assembly line.

Alaska Airlines is the Merrier Carrier

Alaska Airlines is the 'Merrier Carrier' this holiday season as it celebrates the festive period with a number of changes and additions. The airline unveiled its newest special-edition aircraft featuring one of its favourite hometown friends, Starbucks. 

The aeroplane, with the registration N238AK showcases Starbucks famous red cups filled with their signature holiday drinks. The Boeing 737-900ER made its inaugural flight from Seattle (SEA) to Chicago (ORD) earlier this week and is scheduled to fly throughout the network this holiday season.

Starbucks and Alaska will provide 50 flights with reusable holiday cups and treats through Dec.12. Alaska will also offset the carbon impacts of these flights through The Good Traveler program, as part of the carrier's commitment to be carbon net-zero by 2040.

May your days be cozy {and bright}

In celebration of National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day, Alaska's famous holiday sweaters are back to make the holiday season cosy. Guests who wear their festive holiday sweaters to the airport on December 17th can board early across Alaska's expansive network. This year's design is now available for presale at Alaska's Company Store.

Any guest wearing an ugly holiday sweater this holiday season can purchase a day pass to one of the nine lounges, located in Anchorage (ANC), New York (JFK), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA) for just $25 for immediate use!

Most wonderful time of the year to give back!

The LIFT Miles programme offers Mileage Plan™ members a unique and meaningful way to support important causes. Miles donated to this program help charities with business travel, accommodation of special organization requests and achievement of the organization's mission. In the spirit of the season, we are donating a million miles to various LIFT mile partners.

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WestJet Cargo and SmartKargo partner on innovative digital transformation

WestJet Cargo and SmartKargo today announced a partnership that will provide extensive digital solutions to enhance and transform the airline's air cargo business. In 2022, SmartKargo, a comprehensive cargo information management solution, will implement innovative software that will provide a streamlined user experience for WestJet Cargo customers.

"As we witness record-setting cargo volumes, we are making strategic investments in our technology, our aircraft and our people," said Charles Duncan, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Cargo. "Our partnership with SmartKargo signifies an integral step forward in the digital transformation of our business. We look forward to working in lockstep with SmartKargo to digitize our business and deliver an improved user experience to our valued customers."

Together with SmartKargo, WestJet Cargo customers will realize an enhanced experience through paperless shipment documentation, ease of booking, and the ability to track their shipments in real-time as well as access important information and updates through a mobile and browser-friendly cloud platform.

"On behalf of the SmartKargo team, we are very excited to add WestJet to our list of valued airline clients, who have placed their trust in us to transform their cargo business," said Milind Tavshikar, Chief Executive Officer, QuantumID Technologies, SmartKargo. "We look forward to supporting their growth and enabling new opportunities in the marketplace as they arise."

In the coming months, the two businesses will work expediently, to integrate and implement SmartKargo's digital solutions with WestJet Cargo's existing systems and supply chain providers.

As WestJet Cargo continues to grow, so too will its team, network and flight plans. To learn more about how WestJet Cargo can fulfil shipping needs, or to discover incredible employment opportunities, visit WestJet Cargo. 

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Breeze Airways to launch new services from New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport and Palm Beach International Airport

Breeze Airways the U.S. low-fare airline, is adding new eight new routes in February from New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), its first new market additions since the carrier started in May. The new cities are Breeze’s 17th and 18th destinations and will expand the carrier’s network to 42 routes.

Breeze will inaugurate four weekly roundtrip flights between Islip and Norfolk, VA, on February 17, on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. On February 18, Breeze will introduce twice-weekly roundtrips between Islip and Charleston, SC, on Fridays and Mondays. Fares will start at $39 one-way.

The airline then will add Saturday-only roundtrip flights from Palm Beach (PBI) to six cities starting February 19: Akron/Canton, OH; Charleston, SC; Columbus, OH; New Orleans, LA; Norfolk, VA; and Richmond, VA. Fares from Palm Beach to Charleston and New Orleans will start at $39 one-way, while PBI to Akron/Canton, Columbus, Norfolk and Richmond will start at $59 one-way.

“Breeze Airways holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve been watching Breeze carefully since David Neeleman first visualized the carrier. We had the opportunity to show Breeze Long Island hospitality during the US Department of Transportation air carrier certification process. We believe our professionalism, perseverance, and community support helped showcase our area bringing this exciting new service to fruition,” said Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter.

United Airlines Names Nike, Inc. CFO Matthew Friend to Board of Directors

 United Airlines announced this week
that Matthew Friend will join its Board of Directors. Friend, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nike, Inc., brings more than two decades of corporate finance and strategy experience to the airline's Board.

"As we emerge from the pandemic as a leader in the industry and stand ready to accelerate our business, United will benefit greatly from Matt's deep financial acumen and stewardship of one of the leading consumer brands on the planet," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "Plus, his years of global corporate experience will help inform our effort to continue to be a force for good across the country and around the world."

"Any time we bring on a new board member, we're focused on adding experienced leaders with skill sets and unique perspectives that will benefit United," said Ted Philip, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "As the world reopens and travel demand continues to surge back, the United Board will benefit from Matt's extensive global finance, strategy and business planning skills to help guide the airline as it charts a successful future."

"United has shown real leadership over the past 18 months and has worked to redefine itself in the eyes of its employees, customers and the communities it serves," said Friend. "The airline is determined to capitalize on this momentum, and I'm thrilled to join the board at this exciting time in its history."

Friend was named EVP and CFO of Nike, Inc. in March 2020. Since then, he has helped steer Nike through a significant business transformation. Previously, Friend held the roles of CFO for Nike Operating Segments and VP of Investor Relations. He has also served as CFO of Nike Brand, Global Brands & Functions, Emerging Markets, and as VP of Corporate Strategy and Development. Friend is a member of Nike's Executive Leadership Team and the senior management representative to the Audit & Finance Committee of the Nike, Inc. Board of Directors.

Friend began his career in investment banking with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

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easyJet welcomes FlyZero’s concept for a midsize aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, enabling zero-carbon emission flights of the future

easyJet has welcomed FlyZero’s announcement that it has developed a concept for a midsize aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, enabling zero-carbon emission flights. This is another vote of confidence for hydrogen technology.

The concept aircraft would be capable of flying 279 passengers halfway around the world without a stop (i.e. from London to San Francisco), or to anywhere in the world with just one stop to refuel (i.e. from London to Auckland).

The midsize aircraft would store hydrogen at minus 250 degrees Celsius (minus 418 degrees Fahrenheit) in cryogenic fuel tanks at the rear of the plane and in two smaller “cheek” tanks along the forward fuselage to keep the aircraft balanced.

easyJet sees hydrogen powered aircraft playing an important role in its decarbonisation pathway. The airline recently joined the UN-backed “Race to Zero”, committing to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and setting an interim science-based target for 2035.

David Morgan, Director of Flight Operations at easyJet, said:  “FlyZero’s concept aircraft demonstrates the huge potential of green liquid hydrogen for aviation, including larger gauge aircraft, and I’m very excited to see where we go from here. easyJet is closely involved in the work of the Aerospace Technology Institute and its FlyZero project and we look forward to continuous collaboration to make zero-carbon emission flights a reality as soon as possible.” 

The FlyZero project is led by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and funded by the UK government. The project supports the aims of the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between industry and government with the aim of delivering zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation. 

easyJet is closely involved in these initiatives with representation in all three entities:

AerAdvise assist Emerald Airlines in getting EASA part-CAMO approval and AOC from the IAA.

AerAdvise provided support in the development of the Emerald Airlines Continuing Airworthiness Exposition (CAME), Approved Maintenance Programme (AMP) and Minimum Equipment List (MEL) as well as input towards the initial set up of Emerald Airlines CAMO. In addition, AerAdvise provided support to Emerald Airlines in the delivery of their first ATR72 aircraft.

Pat Toner, AerAdvise CEO & Founder, commented: "We are excited to evolve our working relationship with Emerald Airlines, in assisting this new Irish airline in achieving its CAMO certificate. Emerald is an important part of our aviation system in Ireland, so we have experienced first-hand Emerald's performance-driven and entrepreneurial culture, proven success in building and extending the Emerald brand and their strong airline product innovation. We believe this relationship will create compelling and sustainable value for our AerAdvise regulated technical services business and our shareholders."

Commenting on the announcement, Conor McCarthy, CEO and Founder of Emerald Airlines said: "We are very pleased with the outcome of our work with AerAdvise. The CAMO certificate was a key milestone to achieving our AOC and enables us to perform the continuing airworthiness management of our ATR FLEET."

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Flexjet to Join 2022 Naples Winter Wine Festival as Official Private Jet Raffle Sponsor and Festival Partner

Flexjet is celebrating the return to in-person Naples Winter Wine Festival this year on January 28-30, 2022 with a double donation comprised of 15 flight hours in a Challenger 300 for its fundraising raffle and another 8 flight hours in a Challenger 300 for an Auction Lot featuring a glamorous holiday in St Barths.

The ‘Rise Up Twenty Twenty Twogether’ Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) is one of the world’s most prestigious and successful charity wine auctions and with the rise in popularity of private jet travel, this year is a fitting year for Flexjet to be a Festival partner. The wine selection at the Festival represents 13 wine-producing regions, six countries and three continents. Since 2001, it has raised nearly $220 million for the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), to assist at-risk children living in Collier County, FL. This is such a popular event, even when it went virtual in 2021, it raised $7.4 million for the foundation.

“For the past 20 years, the generosity and money raised by this organization on the behalf of the children has really been inspiring for myself and for all of us at Flexjet,” said Flexjet CEO Michael J. Silvestro. “We are enthusiastically doubling down on our donation to do everything we can to raise as much money as possible for the children.”

American Airlines Announces Leadership Succession Plan

American Airlines has announced Doug Parker will retire as chief executive officer of American Airlines on March 31, 2022. Robert Isom, currently president of American, will succeed him. Isom also will join the airline’s board of directors on that same date, and Parker will continue to serve as chairman of American’s board.

“I have worked with Robert for two decades and I am incredibly pleased that he will be the next CEO of American Airlines, which is truly the best job in our industry,” Parker said. “Robert is a collaborative leader with deep operational expertise and global industry experience. His efforts to guide and support our team throughout the pandemic have been nothing short of phenomenal. We are well-positioned to take full advantage of our industry’s recovery, and now is the right time for a handoff we have planned and prepared for. I feel extremely fortunate to hand the reins to this clear and capable leader.”

Parker added, “It has been the privilege of my life to serve for 20 years as an airline CEO. I am forever grateful to the American team, whose commitment to taking care of each other and our customers has never wavered and will continue to drive our success going forward.”

Isom, who was named president in 2016, brings more than 30 years of global industry and leadership experience across finance, operations, planning, marketing, sales, alliances, pricing and revenue management.

“I am humbled to serve as CEO of American Airlines,” said Isom. “Over the past several years, our airline and our industry have gone through a period of transformative change. And with change comes opportunity. Today, our more than 130,000 dedicated team members fly more people than any other U.S. airline on the youngest fleet of all the network carriers, and we are positioned to continue to lead the industry as travel rebounds.”

Isom added, “I want to thank Doug for his partnership over the past two decades. He is a leader and teacher who inspires all around him and leaves an incredible legacy at American and in our industry. Looking ahead, I am deeply honored to be working alongside the best team in the industry and know that we will achieve great things together.”

Lead Independent Director John Cahill said, “The board views succession planning as one of our most important mandates, and today’s announcement represents the culmination of a thoughtful and well-crafted succession planning process. Robert is an excellent team builder who has worked to bring people together throughout his career. He is the right leader to carry American forward into its next period of growth.”

Cahill concluded, “Over the span of his 35-year career, Doug has been an architect and advocate for a more vibrant, resilient and secure aviation industry. At American, Doug has overseen unprecedented investment in our team and our product and set the standard for servant leadership, tirelessly championing our people and establishing an accessible and inclusive culture. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Doug’s sound judgement, deep industry knowledge, persistence and optimism as chairman of our board.”

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CDB Aviation Delivers A320 Aircraft to U.S budget airline Allegiant

CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited confirmed this week, the delivery of an Airbus A320-200 aircraft to a new customer in the Americas region, Las Vegas-based ultra-low-cost airline Allegiant.

“With its efficient air service model focused on providing reliable and affordably accessible air travel, Allegiant has been strengthening its unique position of growth as the industry emerges from the pandemic,” noted Luís da Silva, CDB Aviation’s Head of Commercial, Americas. “This transaction is a valuable component of the carrier’s fleet plan for 2022 and beyond, and we look forward to building a long-term, strategic relationship with the Allegiant team.”

The aircraft will enter service, configured with 186 economy seats, to support the carrier’s business model: point-to-point commercial air service that links small city airports to leisure destinations across the United States.

“We appreciate CDB Aviation’s creative approach, providing a transaction that fits nicely with our fleet strategy,” said Robert Neal, Allegiant’s Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance. “We’re pleased to be growing our fleet with high-quality aircraft well suited for our ULCC operation. We appreciate CDB Aviation’s confidence in Allegiant.”

Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome a new customer in North America, which demonstrates our continued efforts to build up the platform’s position in key markets across the globe. As airlines adapt fleets to meet the recovery in air travel, CDB Aviation is well positioned to provide fast-growing airlines, such as Allegiant, with access to an established fleet of varied aircraft types and full-service support to monetize post-pandemic growth opportunities.”

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Seattle to be added to Finnair's U.S. network and carrier continues direct flights from Stockholm to Los Angeles and New York during the summer season

Helsinki based Finnair has confirmed it will be further expanding its route network to the United States with a new service between its home base and Seattle starting 1 June 2022. In the summer season 2022, Finnair will operate three weekly flights to Seattle on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Seattle is known for its spectacular natural beauty, coffee culture, music scene and quirky neighbourhoods. Visitors can hike in evergreen forests or visit picturesque vineyards. The Emerald City is also home to some big names in business. 

Finnair also continues to expand its presence in the US by continuing direct flights to New York John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles International Airport from Stockholm, Sweden, through the summer season. From 1 May 2022, Finnair will increase frequencies for these connections. Finnair will fly from Stockholm to New York daily, and to Los Angeles four times a week. 

“We are delighted to offer more connections between the US and Northern Europe,” says Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orvér. “Seattle is a fantastic destination for leisure travellers who enjoy vibrant city life and beautiful nature. We also expect this new connection to be a pleasant surprise for many business travellers.” 

In the summer season 2022, Finnair will fly from Helsinki also to Dallas, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. 

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Ethiopian Airlines launches car hire and transfer service in partnership with CarTrawler

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa, is pleased to announce that it has  partnered with CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems,  launching car hire and transfer services for its passengers globally. The partnership enables Ethiopian to offer seamless transport service to passengers throughout their journeys.  

Commenting on the launch of the car-hire and transfer services, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO  Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said, “We are very glad to partner with CarTrawler which enables our  passengers to book car rental and transfer services at their destinations. As a customer centric airline, we  always look for opportunities to maximize passengers’ comfort through end-to-end services which augment  their travel experience. We have integrated the service digitally so that passengers can make their bookings  through our website and mobile app from anywhere.”  

The service enables passengers to rent vehicles from third-party vehicle rental suppliers and book  ground transportation services including taxis and ride-hailing services, airport transfer services  and chauffeur driven vehicle rental, among others. Passengers can book the service via Ethiopian  Airlines website ethiopianairlines.com and Mobile App. 

Globally, CarTrawler offers attractive rates for car hire in over 30,000 locations in more than 145  countries, and with over 1,200 international suppliers. 

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DB Schenker extends long-term agreement with Atlas Air

Atlas Air, part of the Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings group have confirmed an extension of its partnership with Schenker Flight Services GmbH (DB Schenker), one of the world’s largest integrated logistics service providers, to provide transpacific service. 

Atlas Air’s relationship with DB Schenker includes supporting its global network by providing charter capacity service. The new arrangement builds on an agreement Atlas Air reached with DB Schenker in 2020, and extends the dedicated capacity, which Atlas Air provides on multiple flights every week. 

“We are excited to strengthen our partnership with DB Schenker through this long-term, extended agreement to provide critical capabilities for our valued customer,” said John W. Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide.  “We appreciate DB Schenker’s confidence in Atlas Air’s ability to deliver their cargo safely and efficiently as we support their network across the Pacific and around the world.” 

Björn Eckbauer, Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Procurement Airfreight for DB Schenker, said the flights Atlas Air provides have become an essential part of their global flight network.  “We are excited to extend our current partnership with Atlas Air on our transpacific charter operations.  The timely and reliable operation of Atlas Air fits perfectly into our commitment to provide our customers a reliable service for air transportation in their supply chain,” Mr Eckbauer said. 

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Only 170,000 people flew with Icelandair in November

The total number of Icelandair‘s passengers and capacity increased significantly in November 2021 compared to November 2020, but was far less than anticipated. The total capacity in November reached 63% of November 2019 capacity levels. Year-to-date, Icelandair passengers have reached 1.3 million in 2021.

The total number of passengers on international and domestic flights was around 170,000 compared to around 13,000 in November 2020 and 283,000 in November 2019. Thereof, the total number of passengers on international flights was around 151,000. The number of passengers to Iceland was around 80,000 and from Iceland around 33,000. Via passengers were around 38,000. On-time performance was 75%.

The load factor on international flights was 71% compared to 32% in November 2020 and 79% in November 2019. The load factor on flights to and from North America increased significantly when the US borders opened to vaccinated travelers from Europe in the second week of November.

The number of passengers on domestic flights was around 19,000 compared to around 6,000 in November 2020 and 21,000 in November 2019. The domestic operation is recovering well and year-to-date, the number of domestic passengers has increased by 78% compared to 2020.

Sold block hours in charter flights increased by 96% compared to November 2020. Freight measured in Freight Tonne Kilometres increased by 26% compared to November 2020 and has increased by 24% year-on-year during the first eleven months of 2021.