Air Canada congratulates Captain Judy Cameron on being named to the Order of Canada

Today, the office of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, named Captain Judy Cameron as one of the newest appointees to the Order of Canada.

"On behalf of everyone at Air Canada, we salute and applaud Judy on receiving Canada's highest honour that recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation, and enriching the lives of others while making a difference to this country. Judy has been a trailblazer throughout her entire career, and she continues to be a tremendous ambassador, tireless mentor and inspiration to the next generation of female pilots. Warmest congratulations, Judy!" said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs.

Judy Cameron became the first female pilot hired by Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, in April 1978 at the age of 23. She was the first woman to graduate from Selkirk College's Aviation Technology Program in 1975. Throughout her flying career of 40 years and over 23,000 hours, she has flown the DC-3, Twin Otter, Hawker Siddeley 748, DC-9, Lockheed 1011, Airbus 320, Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 to the far corners of the world. She became a captain in 1997 and in 2010, she became the first female captain in Canada of a Boeing 777, the largest aircraft in Air Canada's fleet. She retired in 2015, received the Elsie MacGill Northern Lights award in the Flight Operations category that year, and in 2016 she was chosen by the 99s (International Organization of Women Pilots) to be on its Canadian postage stamp.  Today, Captain Cameron continues her volunteer work mentoring and supporting the next generation of female pilots with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.

In 2019, Air Canada proudly launched the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship in her honour with the goal of helping the next generation of women follow in her trailblazing footsteps. To date, eight scholarships have been distributed to help young women pursue non-traditional professional aviation careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers.

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How one flight attendant made her journey to the flight deck

As a child, Lucy Klein thought becoming a pilot was like becoming an astronaut: something for those who were truly extraordinary.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I could become an airline pilot. I had never set foot on an airplane until I was 11," said Lucy, who grew up in China's Sichuan province.

Lucy's first flight would also be the one that would bring her to live in the U.S. Back then, she didn't speak a word of English, so flying was only one part of her new adventure.

Fast forward to 2008, and Lucy was finishing her final semester at the University of Georgia when she saw a Delta ad for bilingual flight attendants. 

"Ever since I was young, I dreamed of seeing the world, and I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime," said Lucy. "It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

It was as a flight attendant that Lucy fell in love with the airline lifestyle and her future husband. Andrew was working as a flight attendant at the time but soon started on his own path to becoming a pilot. 

Cirium released its annual On-time Performance Review 2021 showing All Nippon Airways most on time airline globally........

One of the global leaders in aviation analytics - Cirium, has released its On-Time Performance Review for 2021, with a few surprises along the way, including Delta Air Lines taking the Platinum Award for the world’s best-performing airline of the year for Operational Excellence.

This newly made-up award is presented to an airline with outstanding performance considering the complexity of the airline’s operation, the volume of flights, diversity of its network and other key operational factors.  According to Cirium the Platinum Award is based on a proprietary algorithm that considers an array of parameters and provides an output to compare airlines on a one-to-one basis as far as possible to ensure fairness, accuracy, and integrity.

“It was another challenging year for the aviation industry, however, 2021 was certainly better than 2020, marking the start of the recovery,” said Jeremy Bowen, CEO, Cirium. “Delta Air Lines stood out this year when you consider the carrier’s size, network, and passenger delay minutes, as well as the number of completed flights. It’s an outstanding effort and achievement during a difficult period. All Nippon Airlines (ANA) is recognized as the most on-time airline in the world. Delta, ANA and the regional winners are congratulated.”

Cirium’s 2021 On-Time Performance Review reflects the second half of the year when flight volumes returned. Airlines globally operated nearly 25 million flights, a 10% increase from 2020, but still down 36% compared to 2019.

Menzies Aviation service truck hits LOT 737 wing.

An investigation is underway at London Heathrow after the driver of a service lorry collided with the wingtip of a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft.

The passenger jet was being refuelled at the time of the collision and the split Scimitar winglet is said to have been badly damaged by the lorry of handling agent Menzies Aviation.

The airport fire service responded to the incident as is standard procedure for such a collision, although no injuries have, as yet, been reported. 

LOT had to cancel the aircraft's flight to Warsaw, Poland, while other flights were delayed during the incident. 

The Metro newspaper reported that the images of the scene appeared to show part of a wingtip almost broken off the Boeing 737 aircraft after getting caught in the side of the lorry.

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European Commission approves airBaltic equity increase of €45 million

                     The European Commission on December 21, 2021, under EU State aid rules, has approved a part of the Latvian government's investment of €45 million into the equity of the Latvian airline airBaltic to compensate the losses caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and to support overcoming the economic crisis.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “The support of our majority shareholder to overcome the crisis reflects the recognition of the positive impact airBaltic has on the economy. The European Commission has concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic qualifies as such an exceptional occurrence that exceptional interventions by member states to compensate for the damages linked to it are justified.”

The investment is planned to be returned to the Latvian state in form of proceeds from selling shares during a planned initial public offering of airBaltic in the future.

On August 17, 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia, as the majority shareholder of airBaltic, approved the investment of EUR 90 million into the equity of airBaltic. The other part of the investment is still subject to the approval of the European Commission.

airBaltic is a strategic facilitator of the Latvian economy and is responsible for more than 2.5% of the Latvian GDP. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the number of passengers carried by airBaltic decreased by 73% in 2020, and significantly influenced company’s operations. To support the local economy, Latvian government provided and continues to provide aid to all industries heavily affected by the crisis, including airBaltic.

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SmartLynx is looking for cabin crew members.......

.SmartLynx Cabin Crew Training Instructor Courses are comprehensive training courses aligned with EASA and ICAO requirements. After the training, students are equipped with in-depth knowledge of educational subjects and all training requirements, enabling them to transfer the learning to future trainees on all the matters regarding operations in the aircraft cabin.

Our Instructor team are flying professionals actively operating for SmartLynx Airlines. With extensive experience in ACMI services, they know what it takes to be outstanding and what airlines want.  

SmartLynx Cabin Crew Instructor Training Courses | SmartLynx Airlines

C-Check for Air Astana Airbus A321.

In Nur-Sultan Air Astana engineers performed a C-Check on an Airbus A321. This is a deep and extensive safety check of individual systems and components on the aircraft which is carried out every 2-3 years, depending on the number of hours flown. 

Air101: Air Astana to start Almaty - Phuket service from the end of October

Air101: Air Astana to restart London route next month

Air101: More new routes for Air Astana - the flagship of Kazakhstani aviation.

Air101: Air Astana gets new Airbus A321-200neoLR

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Another Airbus A320NEO for IndiGo

IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) has taken delivery of the last of eight Airbus A320NEO aircraft powered by CFM Leap engines, on a sale and leaseback deal with BOC Aviation Limited. 

Mr. Steven Townend, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, BOC Aviation, said: “The delivery of these eight aircraft reflects the strong cooperation that we have established with IndiGo, India’s largest passenger airline.”

“We look forward to building on our relationships with major airline partners such as IndiGo, as we continue to support our airline customers in financing their aircraft deliveries,” added Mr. Townend.

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Havana return for Aeroflot

The Russian airline Aeroflot has resumed regular flights to Havana, Cuba with flights operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Flights to Havana will be operated on the Airbus A350, newest type of aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Thу A350 has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private business class Suites, including 2-metre full-flat beds; 24 Comfort economy seats with extra legroom; and 264 Economy class seats. 

The long transatlantic flight onboard Aeroflot’s aircraft will be comfortable for travellers. Passengers in all classes will enjoy the latest generation in-flight entertainment system, landscape cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity*. Economy Class offers increased legroom and seat pitch (78.7 cm). In Comfort Class passengers will savour special menu, and appreciate the seats with enhanced recline angle, 33cm screens, individual lighting and sockets to recharge mobile devices. The Business Class Suites offer an unprecedented level of comfort and privacy. The Suites come fitted with 54 cm screens and 2-metre full-flat beds.

Havana is the second destination point in Cuba where Aeroflot operates regular flights. From June 2021, Aeroflot has offered three weekly flights to the resort city of Varadero.

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Aeroflot Group's operating results for November 2021

Russia's most well-known brand and leading airline group, Aeroflot has released details of its operating results for November and the year to date. During the month, the group carried 3.6 million passengers, which was an impressive 76.8% up year-on-year, but still not as high as the prepandemic levels.

The airline group said that 2.7 million passengers were carried on domestic services,  more than in 2019 by nearly 10 percent and up 46% on last years rates. International passengers were down 50% on 2019 numbers, but up slightly from last year. passenger load factor rose to 76.4%.  While the group carried 30.5 thousand tonnes of cargo and mail, up 27.5% year-on-year which helped stem some of the losses.  

Aeroflot Group airlines: All flights

	Aeroflot	Pobeda	Rossiya	Total
Passengers carried, thousand PAX	1,644.6	1,166.2	772.5	3,583.2
Change vs. 2020, %	97.4%	33.5%	2.4х	76.8%
Change vs. 2019, %	(41.5%)	33.8%	26.1%	(16.6%)
Available Seat Kilometres, million	5,960.5	2,143.1	2,444.2	10,547.9
Change vs. 2020, %	2.0х	33.2%	2.3х	86.8%
Change vs. 2019, %	(42.0%)	29.3%	0.4%	(26.6%)
Passenger load factor, %	68.8%	91.7%	81.7%	76.4%
Change vs. 2020, %	7.2 p.p.	3.5 p.p.	8.5 p.p.	5.1 p.p.
Change vs. 2019, %	(6.1 p.p.)	(2.2 p.p.)	0.7 p.p.	(1.7 p.p.)
Cargo and mail carried, tonnes	21,899.7	4,541.0	4,043.9	30,484.5
Change vs. 2020, %	31.3%	16.3%	21.6%	27.5%
Change vs. 2019, %	4.6%	6.7%	22.6%	7.0%

Joby Completes Acquisition of Radar Developer Inras GmbH

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, announced its acquisition of Inras GmbH, a leader in radar system design based in Linz, Austria.

Co-founded by Andreas Haderer and Andreas Stelzer, the five-person team brings academic and commercial leadership in the design of radiofrequency (RF) systems, processing boards, real-time signal processing and advanced radar sensors. Stelzer is Chair of Johannes Kepler University’s renowned RF-Systems Department, where he has been a professor since 2011.

“We look forward to integrating our advanced sensing technology into Joby’s electric air taxi. The technology we have developed will improve the aircraft’s onboard detection and navigation capabilities in preparation for scaled operations,” said Stelzer.

“As we grow our team here in Linz, we’re thrilled to further develop RF systems that are foundational to the future of sustainable aviation.”

Joby Aviation, is a California-headquartered transportation company developing an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient air taxi service beginning in 2024. The aircraft, which has a maximum range of 150 miles on a single charge, can transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph. It is designed to help reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit. Founded in 2009, Joby employs around 1,000 people, with offices in Santa Cruz, San Carlos, and Marina, California, as well as Washington, D.C. and Munich, Germany.

Joby’s acquisition of Inras is emblematic of the Company’s strategy to maintain leadership in key advanced technologies by seeking out proven leaders in their field — wherever they are in the world. The transaction will see Stelzer and Haderer’s team remain in Linz, a growing hotbed for RF-related commercial and research activity, with additional resources.

“We have been continually impressed with Inras since we began working with them to develop custom radar systems for our aircraft,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.

“They are leaders in solving the challenges associated with airborne sensing and autonomy and we are excited to welcome them to Joby as we move toward integrating more advanced detection capabilities in the future,” Bevirt added.

With a maximum range of 150 miles recently demonstrated during flight testing, and a top speed of 200 mph, Joby’s all-electric aircraft is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot with zero operating emissions. The Company began flying full-scale prototypes in 2017 and has completed more than 1,000 flight tests. Joby aims to launch passenger service in 2024, offering a fast, clean, and quiet way for people to move within congested metropolitan areas and other communities.

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Virgin Orbit completes final launch rehearsal

Virgin Orbit announced the successful completion of its wet dress rehearsal today prior to its third launch carrying U.S. Department of Defense and commercial satellites to Low Earth Orbit.

Virgin Orbit team completing final technical rehearsal of LauncherOne R5 for January flight (Photo: Business Wire)

Virgin Orbit, which has announced a planned business combination with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II  completed a full wet dress rehearsal of its air-launched LauncherOne satellite delivery service, taking the integrated system through a full run of procedures to verify the health of the system and the preparedness of the team just prior to the Christmas break. 

“The successful completion of this final major test has us heading into the holiday season with excellent momentum and high confidence for our Above the Clouds launch,” said Chief Operating Officer Tony Gingiss. “It’s been an incredible year, delivering 19 satellites to orbit and ramping up our factory for 2022 – our team has earned a joyous and restful holiday with their families.”

With this critical test successfully completed and the bonus of adding an additional satellite to the payload stack earlier this month, Virgin Orbit is tracking towards a launch in January 2022. The launch window is set to open on January 12th, 2022, and the launch itself will be live-streamed to the public. The spacecraft to be launched for this mission include satellites for the US Department of Defense’s Space Test Program, Polish company SatRevolution, and Spire Global, Inc. Virgin Orbit has safely loaded the spacecraft in the vehicle’s payload adapter, and they are slated for delivery to the Mojave Air and Space Port in early January.

Virgin Orbit operates one of the most flexible and responsive space launch systems ever built. Founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2017, the company began commercial service in 2021, and has already delivered commercial, civil, national security, and international satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California, and are air-launched from a modified 747- 400 carrier aircraft that allows Virgin Orbit to operate from locations all over the world in order to best serve each customer’s needs. On August 22, 2021, Virgin Orbit entered into a definitive agreement to combine with NextGen Acquisition Corp. II), a special purpose acquisition company, which would result in Virgin Orbit becoming a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol VORB. 

Virgin Orbit team completing final technical rehearsal of LauncherOne R5 for January flight (Photo: Business Wire)

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ATSG Announces New Presidents of Two Subsidiaries

Air Transport Services Group has announced the appointment of new presidents for two of its subsidiaries.

Todd France, pictured left, president of ATSG’s aircraft maintenance subsidiary, Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services, will become president of ATSG’s aircraft leasing subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management, succeeding Brady Templeton, who will retire in April 2022.

Mark Snook, pictured below, general manager of Airborne’s Wilmington facilities and line stations, will replace France as Airborne’s president.

France has been president of Airborne since February 2020, having previously served as the company’s General Manager, Vice President of Business Development, Director of Business Development, and Director of Business Operations. Before joining Airborne, France held a series of management positions at ABX Air. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University, Fresno.

“Todd knows our business inside and out, and he has a proven track record of effective leadership,” said ATSG President and CEO Rich Corrado. “I am confident that he has what it takes to ensure CAM’s continued success.”

Snook joined Airborne in June 2020. His 37-year career in aviation has included management roles with TIMCO/HAECO Americas and Evergreen Air Center. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

“Mark’s wealth of experience in the aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul industry make him the right choice to lead Airborne,” Corrado said.

Hong Kong Welcomes 2022 with First-Ever Arts Spectacular at Victoria Harbour

Featuring the city’s flagship Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra alongside the recently opened M+, with countdown lights on its facade, radiant harbour lights and more to ring in the New Year

Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations 2021-Skyline-M+-West Kowloon  Photo Kevin Mak. Courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour promises to offer an electrifying experience this New Year’s Eve, with a three-part countdown spectacular presented by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) that brings the city’s thriving art scene right to the global centre stage. From around the world, viewers can enjoy the dazzling live concert and exciting countdown moment via live-streaming at https://www.discoverhongkong.com/countdown.

The newly opened M+ will amplify the brilliant lights around Victoria Harbour as Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District lends its 216-feet-tall LED facade for a grand visual countdown display. Starting in the evening on New Year’s Eve, the facade will showcase a sweeping, high-contrast visual tale created by talented local digital artists as a homage to the city’s various landmarks, neighbourhoods, and vibrant arts and culture scene.

The M+ Facade will be transformed into a countdown clock that travels across the rich cityscape of Hong Kong during the final minute of 2021, building perceptible excitement about the year ahead. As the clock strikes midnight, the numerals “2022” and New Year greetings will be splashed across the screen to deliver blessings to the world. The site of the newly opened M+ in West Kowloon is also the centrepiece of the WinterFest celebrations with dazzling views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline and a Harborfront Park transformed into a storybook Christmas Town. This year, the six-story tree has been relocated from Central to West Kowloon for the first time.

The dazzling light art extravaganza, featuring the facades of numerous prominent skyscrapers along the entire Victoria Harbour, will be further enhanced by an outdoor concert in the West Kowloon Cultural District, led by the city’s flagship orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil). Winner of the prestigious Gramophone Orchestra of the Year award in 2019, the HK Phil will perform energetic and jubilant music for a global audience to build anticipation as Hong Kong celebrates the New Year.

For more information about the Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, please visit https://www.discoverhongkong.com/countdown.

Photo BrandHK

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CDB Aviation Delivers First of Two 737-800 Aircraft to New North American Customer Sun Country

CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited, delivered the first of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Sun Country, a Minnesota-based, hybrid low-cost airline.

“We’re delighted to have partnered with our colleagues at Sun Country on executing this transaction for two Boeing aircraft from our portfolio, which will facilitate the further build-out of the carrier’s highly-adaptable network structure,” said Luís da Silva, CDB Aviation’s Head of Commercial, Americas.

The aircraft are configured with 183 seats in a single economy-class layout and will be operated on seasonal, point-to-point routes. The second aircraft’s delivery is anticipated in early 2022.

“We are excited to commence a new and valued partnership with CDB Aviation. These two aircraft are key to meeting our near-term growth plans and reflect Sun Country's exceptional ability to grow its fleet with strategic partners throughout the world,” said Thomas Frey, Sun Country’s Director of Fleet and Fuel.

Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “Sun Country’s unique model and distinct network proved exceptionally advantageous in navigating the pandemic’s headwinds and better positioning the carrier for air travel’s recovery. Our commercial team worked swiftly to provide the airline, which operates in a key focus market for our platform, with immediate access to additional aircraft capacity, supporting their network expansion.”

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Archer Takes to the Skies with First Hover Flight of Maker Aircraft

Six months after unveiling its Maker eVTOL aircraft, Archer has achieved both FAA airworthiness certification and its first successful hover flight

The successful hover flight saw Maker accelerating off the ground and hovering in place before returning to the ground safely

Maker aircraft is an autonomous two-seater eVTOL aircraft that has been certified for flight testing by the FAA

In the coming months, Archer’s flight test campaign will broaden to include hover envelope expansion, followed by transition envelope expansion

 

Archer Aviation Inc. announced that Maker, Archer’s eVTOL demonstrator aircraft, completed its first successful hover flight. The flight marks the completion of the company’s first full and complete systems test and validation of every hardware and software component working as intended to move the aircraft into the air. The flight test was completed at 10:30 am PT on 16 December and also resulted in the successful checkout of the company’s flight control system in flight and the end-to-end close of flight software. Now that flight has been achieved, Archer will move forward with an ongoing extensive flight test campaign into 2022 and beyond.

In November, Archer’s dedicated flight test team, consisting of experts in flight test, battery, propulsion, flight controls, software and avionics, moved from the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto to a new flight test facility to prepare for this important milestone. Over the past two months, the team has been laser-focused on Maker’s integration and ground testing in order to prepare Maker for a successful first hover flight, as well as ensuring it meets the FAA's standards for airworthiness certification. After being fully integrated, Maker moved into its ground testing phase, which included verification of the control and propulsion systems, along with driving the motors at full power, and then putting those motors through stress testing to ensure all systems were operational and ready to withstand flight testing. After completing an untethered test, during which the Archer team verified that the entire propulsion and flight control system was functioning correctly, Archer’s flight test team approved the aircraft for its first flight.

The moment was particularly significant in aviation history as this week marks the 118th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903 - the moment where humanity officially took to the skies for the very first time. Eric Wright, a descendant of Orville and Wilbur, and Archer’s own head of certification, placed a historic piece of the Wright Flyer in Maker for its inaugural flight to mark the full circle moment.

France orders the H160M for its Joint Light Helicopter programme

France orders the H160M for its Joint Light Helicopter programme

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the development and procurement of the H160M in the frame of the Light Joint Helicopter programme (HIL). The contract includes the development of several prototypes and the delivery of a first batch of 30 aircraft (21 for the army, 8 for the navy and one for the air force). The French Ministry for the Armed Forces plans to order a total of 169 H160M helicopters, or Guépard as it will be known in the French armed forces. Deliveries will start in 2027 beginning with the French Army.

“The Guépard is the result of ten years of close cooperation with the DGA and the French armed forces,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The H160M will bring new capabilities to the armed forces as it is adapted to modern warfare thanks to its increased connectivity, maneuverability, low acoustic footprint, and a fully integrated support system. Having the French armed forces, a world reference, as our launch customer for the H160M is extremely valuable.”

The first of a new generation of helicopters, the H160M is derived from the EASA-certified H160. It benefits from a low cost of operations and optimised flight safety. The H160 was designed to be a modular helicopter, enabling its military version, with a single platform, to perform missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare in order to meet the needs of the army, the navy and the air force. To ensure a high level of availability while reducing operating costs, the H160M’s support and services needs were taken into account from early in its design phase. Innovative and simplified, the H160M’s support is based on the exploitation of data through analytics.

2021: a year of resilience says KLM

2021: a year of resilience

With this film, KLM looks back on 2021, a year of optimism and perseverance. The world opened up and it was possible to fly again. There was perspective, but we also had to continuously adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, such as travel restrictions that changed almost daily. The experience of our customers when it comes to our service and quality remained high on our agenda. We also continued to invest in further sustainability and innovation of our operation. Because that is what we stand for with all KLM employees: coming out of the crisis stronger and better.

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World's Leading Airline Alliance......Star Alliance

Star Alliance has been named the World’s Leading Airline Alliance in this year’s World Travel Awards. 

The annual awards cover multiple categories and are awarded based on a worldwide poll of qualified executives working within travel and tourism, and the consumer travel buyer. The awards serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. 

Earlier, the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) repeated in its selection as North America’s Leading Airport Lounge by the World Travel Awards. The Star Alliance lounge at LAX is one of six such lounges globally. 

“We are grateful for the continued recognition from travel and tourism executives and from the World Travel Awards organisation,” said Jeffrey Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Star Alliance, adding “I accept this award on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of dedicated employees of the 26 member airlines of the Alliance, who work tirelessly to provide an unparalleled customer travel experience.” Continued Mr. Goh, “Our unrelenting focus on improving the customer journey is evident by the continued recognition of the Alliance and of its member airlines. All of us are working flat-out, along with other industry experts and partners, to reconnect the world and fully restore global travel.”

Graham E. Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, says: “Star Alliance continues to set the benchmark for global aviation and I am delighted that both the travel trade and the public have acknowledged this excellence by voting it ‘World’s Leading Airline Alliance 2021’. Star Alliance member airlines have also enjoyed a strong showing in our 2021 programme, winning 18 awards at regional level, plus 7 prestigious World awards. Their momentum going into 2022 is an inspiration to us all.”

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Emirates delivers premium lounge experience with re-opening of over 20 dedicated airport lounges across its network

In line with the restoration of Emirates’ network and an upsurge in travel demand, passengers travelling in premium cabins as well as Skywards members in select membership tiers will have access to more than 120 lounges by February.

Emirates, which has resumed operations to over 90 percent of its pre-pandemic network, currently flies to more than 120 destinations worldwide via its hub in Dubai. Customers travelling in First Class and Business Class will be able to complement their travel experience with Emirates’ signature premium lounge service at over 20 airports in its network, comprising popular destinations across Europe, Africa, US and Asia.

By late December, Emirates lounges at a host of airports in the UK will have re-opened their doors for customers to immerse themselves in the pre-flight premium experience, including London Heathrow, Birmingham, and Manchester while the lounges in London Gatwick and Glasgow will welcome customers in January 2022.

In Europe, Emirates lounges in Germany, namely Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Dusseldorf, in addition to lounges in Milan and Rome, have already re-opened for passengers to enjoy their premium facilities, while the lounge in Paris is scheduled to open later this month.

American Airlines takes on tax benefit preservation plan for net operating losses

U.S. mega carrier American Airlines has announced its Board of Directors has adopted a tax benefits preservation plan to help preserve the value of its net operating losses and other tax attributes. The Company estimates that its cumulative U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards exceed $16.5 billion, which can be utilized in certain circumstances to reduce future U.S. corporate income tax liabilities.

The tax benefit preservation plan was adopted to protect an important asset of American Airlines that may have meaningful value to all American Airlines stockholders. These tax benefits can include the offset of tax liability arising from future taxable earnings or gains. The value of these tax benefits would be substantially limited if American Airlines were to experience an “ownership change” as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, an ownership change would occur if stockholders that own (or are deemed to own) at least 5 percent or more of the outstanding American Airlines common stock increased their cumulative ownership in American Airlines by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. The tax benefit preservation plan reduces the likelihood that changes in the American Airlines investor base would limit future use of its tax benefits, which would significantly impair the value of the benefits to all stockholders. American Airlines believes that no ownership change as defined in Section 382 has occurred as of the date of this press release.

Mount Jiuhuashan in the Snow, Wonderland of "Lotus Country of Buddhism"

Mount Jiuhuashan is located in Chizhou City, Anhui Province, not far from Mount Huangshan, another famous mountain in southern Anhui Province across a lake. Characterized by natural scenery, Buddhism and other splendid humanity cultures, it is known as one of the four famous Buddhism sacred mountains in China and designated as a national 5A-level scenic spot.

In 719 AD, Jin Qiaojue, the Prince of Silla State (the main body is now Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsan Province, South Korea) crossed the sea to China in Tang Dynasty, stayed in Mount Jiuhuashan for 75 years of painstakingly practicing and passed away at the age of 99 left with his flesh body unrotten after death. He was considered as the reincarnation of Buddhist Ksitigarbha and Mount Jiuhuashan was turned into "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Dojo".

In Winter, romance and solemnity coexist in Mount Jiuhuashan after snow. The echoing of ice and snow makes it like a "Coloured Glass World" in fairy tales while Tiantai Peak, Ten King Peak, Huatai and other scenic spots are all covered by snow in white like ice flowers blooming wantonly, with crystal clear beauty. When visiting ancient temples by walking through the snow, burning incense and listening to the Dharma, in contrast to viewing purity, inner peace stay in our hearts.

Being covered by the white snow, the distant mountains, ancient temples and snow complement each other. The branches of trees all over the mountains become into rimes, with exquisitely carved ice crystals like beautiful blooming snow lotus, or a natural ink painting, making people infatuated with it.

Mount Jiuhuashan, shining with silver light after snow, seems to be covered with white cloud-made clothes while the land with ancient pine trees are wrapped in ice and snow. It is even more beautiful and splendid under the sunshine.

After the snow, Huatai Scenic Area of Mount Jiuhuashan seems to be full of silver trees with white flowers, and the peaks are shrouded in dense fog. Thick rime condensed on the branches, furry and shiny, just like coral.

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One of the most beautiful ancient villages in China.....

When it comes to the most beautiful ancient villages in China, Anhui is the only answer, especially "Hongcun". Hongcun, at the foot of Mount Huangshan, famous all around the world, is a peculiar ancient village with cow-shaped water system, which is known as "the village in Chinese painting".

Walking through Hongcun, ancient dwellings with white walls and black tiles that can be seen everywhere are the model of Huizhou ancient dwellings, among which there are more than 140 well-preserved ancient buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The towering horsehead wall is the structural feature of Huizhou ancient buildings, which is not only beautiful but also has fire prevention function. It forms a beautiful landscape in Hongcun together with the Ancient Chinese Wingmuts of more than 500 years old, the reflection of the moon in the water and the extremely skillful carvings.

In addition to tourists, there are many photographers and painters coming to Hongcun for a sketch drawing from nature. Whatever is being done, sketch drawing, watercolour, photos or films, the artists are wandering in this picturesque place where the first Chinese blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that won an Oscar, was filmed.

In Hongcun, we feel Huizhou culture during the day and enjoy the large-scale live cultural performance Hongcun Aju in the evening. From the perspective of a Huizhou woman "Aju", the play is really an audio-visual and cultural feast showing Huizhou women's virtuous nature with tenacious and brave characteristics with modern sound, light and electricity skills.