Breeze Airways to show off Airbus A220 over its rapidly growing network.

The new U.S. budget airline with a breath of fresh air, Breeze Airways has just released plans for new, longer routes for the airline’s super-efficient and popular Airbus A220 aircraft over the coming weeks. 

Passengers will get their first opportunity to fly on the new aircraft on 17 existing Breeze routes this summer, starting May 4th*. One of the ways Breeze is saving money to enable it to operate with low nice fares is by not having a traditional customer contact centre taking phone calls. Instead, Breeze customers can only contact the airline virtually, through text message, Facebook Messenger and email. 

The airline expects to have 15 Airbus A220-300s in service by the end of 2022 which will be used primarily for longer-haul flights, including transcontinental service. The carrier, which only began service in May 2021 with an all-Embraer fleet, has agreed to purchase 80 A220-300s, with one aircraft scheduled to be delivered each month for the next six and a half years.

Nicest Fare

Until now, Breeze Guests have been able to select from either the ‘Nice’ or ‘Nicer’ fare when booking on the Breeze website or app. When booking a flight on the A220-300, Guests will have a third fare option to select, the ‘Nicest’ fare, which will feature a range of bundled amenities in addition to a first-class seat.

The Nicest fare also includes two checked bags, a carry-on bag and a personal item, and Guests will receive 6% BreezePoints earned. Fresh food items will be introduced later with the longer routes. All A220-300 aircraft will be outfitted later this year with the technology allowing Guests to seamlessly stream TV or movies, check email, browse the internet and stay connected via social media or messaging apps while in flight.

First Class Seat

Breeze’s A220-300 aircraft will feature a dynamic seating plan which can be customized for seasonality, or by the route. The A220s will feature a range between 10 and 45 extra legroom seats and 80 standard legroom seats, all in a two-by-three configuration. The aircraft also will be outfitted with between 12 and 36 first-class seats in a two-by-two configuration, featuring 39-inches of seat pitch, 20.5-inches of seat width and special features such as a footrest for added comfort. All seats are fitted with in-seat power and USB ports.

First A220 Flights

Breeze has extended its travel booking window through September 6, 2022, revealing which routes the A220 will operate first. The A220 will not operate every day on each route. To determine which flights are operated by the A220, check to see if there is a “Nicest” fare option, which is only available on the Airbus jet.

The A220 will operate on the following routes:

Tampa, FL to:

- Akron/Canton, OH (starting 5/4/22) ;

- Charleston, SC (starting 5/4/22);

- Louisville, KY (starting 5/4/22);

- Norfolk, VA (starting 5/4/22);

- Oklahoma City, OK (starting 5/4/22);

- Richmond, VA (starting 5/4/22);

- Tulsa, OK (starting 5/5/22);

- Bentonville/Fayetteville, AR (starting 5/6/22);

- Huntsville, AL (starting 5/6/22).

Charleston, SC to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22);

- Providence, RI (starting 5/5/22);

- Richmond, VA (starting 5/26/22);

- Hartford, CT (starting 6/2/22);

- Huntsville, AL (starting 6/30/22).

Norfolk, VA to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22);

- Columbus, OH (starting 6/2/22);

- Hartford, CT (starting 6/2/22).

Richmond, VA to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22);

- Charleston, SC (starting 5/26/22).

Akron/Canton, OK to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22).

Louisville, KY to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22).

Oklahoma City, OH to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/4/22).

Providence, RI to:

- Charleston, SC (starting 5/5/22).

Tulsa, OK to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/5/22).

Bentonville/Fayetteville, AR to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/6/22).

Huntsville, AL to:

- Tampa, FL (starting 5/6/22);

- Charleston, SC (starting 6/30/22).

Hartford, CT to:

- Charleston, SC (starting 6/2/22);

- Columbus, OH (starting 6/2/22);

- Norfolk, VA (starting 6/2/22);

- Pittsburgh, PA; (starting 6/2/22).

Columbus, OH to:

- Hartford, CT (starting 6/2/22);

- Norfolk, VA (starting 6/2/22).

Pittsburgh, PA to:

- Hartford, CT (starting 6/2/22).

Based in Salt Lake City, UT, Breeze developed an app to deliver a simple and streamlined travel experience that provides the Guest with all the self-service tools they need to book, manage, change, and cancel flights. 

*Subject to Government approval

Hotel 101: Avenir Hospitality Acquires 4 Boutique Hotels in Cannon Beach and Partners with Life House for Management (air101.co.uk)

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Fourth-quarter net loss of $931 million...........and a full year net loss of $2.0 billion for American Airlines

The U.S. mega-carrier American Airlines has released its full results for 2021 as well as the fourth quarter of 2021, which show the company suffered massive net losses during an incredibly difficult time for the aviation industry.  The full-year net loss was $2.0 billion, whilst in the last quarter,  losses amounted to  $931 million. Despite the negative amounts, American carried more than 165 million passengers during 2021, which was more than any other U.S. carrier.

American’s Chairman and CEO Doug Parker commented: "As we close out the second year of operating in a global pandemic, we are incredibly proud of the American Airlines team. Over the past year, we have experienced periods of high travel demand countered by periods of decreased demand due to new COVID-19 variants. This volatility has created the most challenging planning environment in the history of commercial aviation. Yet the American team has delivered, growing back faster and further than any other U.S. airline to meet this unpredictable demand. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the future of American with Robert Isom as its new CEO. While we still have work to do as the recovery from the pandemic continues, I have no doubt the best is yet to come for American.”

Another positive for the carrier was its timekeeping,  the airline achieved its best performance in on-time arrivals, on-time departures and completion factor since the pandemic, despite flying significantly more than any other airline. The company’s on-time performance in December was better than any December in years prior to the pandemic, and American performed better than its primary competitors in these operational metrics during the month. These results were achieved despite an increase in sick calls toward the end of the year due to the omicron variant.

“We’re very proud of the way our team delivered throughout 2021,” said American’s President and incoming CEO Robert Isom. “Looking forward, our focus in 2022 will be to continue running a reliable airline, returning to profitability, and delivering on our long-term plan to deleverage the balance sheet.”

American is committed to strengthening its business and achieving profitability by focusing on its three strategic objectives: Create a world-class customer experience, make culture a competitive advantage and build American to thrive forever.

First Airbus A320neo with Airspace Cabin delivered to SWISS

New Cabin Features for Passengers on the European network

 SWISS has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo featuring the new Airspace cabin configuration. 

The new Airspace cabin features include: slimmer sidewall panels for extra personal space at shoulder level; better views through the windows with their redesigned bezels and completely integrated window shades; the largest overhead bins for 60% more bags; the latest full LED lighting technologies; LED-lit ‘entrance area’; and new lavatories with hygienic touchless features and antimicrobial surfaces.

SWISS is a long standing Airbus customer,operating Airbus A220 and A320 Family Aircraft on its European network and in addition A330s and A340s globally. In 2018 Lufthansa Group, the parent company of SWISS, chose to equip more than 80 of its new A320 Family aircraft on order from Airbus with Airspace cabins.

The A320neo Family is the most successful aircraft family ever and displays 99,7% operational reliability rate. The A320neo provides operators with 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO 2  emissions. The A320neo Family incorporates the latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices. The Airbus’ A320neo Family offers unmatched comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18-inch wide seats in economy as standard. 

At the end of December 2021, the A320neo Family had received nearly 7,900 orders from over 120 customers worldwide.

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United Airlines Achieves Fourth Quarter Financial Targets and Reiterates Long-Term Commitments

United Airlines announced fourth quarter and full year 2021 financial results and reiterated confidence in its longer term United Next financial targets. The company achieved every major financial guidance target for the fourth quarter – and set a new Net Promoter Score (NPS) record in 2021 – despite the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. Despite near term volatility, bookings for spring travel and beyond remain strong, which is why the Omicron spike has not altered the airline's confidence in the 2023 and 2026 CASM-ex1 United Next targets announced last year.

The airline starts 2022 with a scaled-back schedule, reflecting the impact of the Omicron spike on demand. However, as the year progresses, United expects to nimbly ramp up capacity by ungrounding 52 Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing 777s, as demand returns, which will yield improvements in the airline's gauge and aircraft utilization. The airline expects this approach, which continues to prioritize matching capacity to demand, means: 1) the airline will fly fewer available seat miles (ASMs) in 2022 than 2019 and 2) CASM-ex1 will decline significantly over the course of 2022. Most importantly, these 2022 trends will lay the groundwork for successful execution of the multi-year United Next strategy and achievement of the financial targets set for 2023 and beyond.

"The United team has been fighting through unprecedented obstacles to, once again, overcome the new and daunting challenges that COVID-19 is bringing to aviation, and I am grateful to each one of them for their commitment to taking care of our customers," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "While Omicron is impacting near term demand, we remain optimistic about the spring and excited about the summer and beyond. We look forward to beginning to return the Pratt & Whitney 777s to service this quarter and getting the full airline back to normal utilization — as we ramp up along with demand this year. By investing in innovative technology, focusing on process improvements and implementing a transformative United Next strategy, we're poised to emerge as an aviation leader that's more efficient than before and serves our customers better than ever."

Airbus seeking new talents to prepare the future........................Around 6000 to be hired worldwide in the first part of 2022

As the aerospace industry shows strong signs of recovery post-COVID, and while Airbus continues to prepare the future of aviation and implement its roadmap for decarbonisation, the Company announces it intends to start 2022 with a recruitment plan of around 6000 new hires worldwide across the entire group.

“Airbus has demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID crisis, and has laid the foundations for a bold future for sustainable aviation. This can only be achieved by acquiring the right talents in the various domains of expertise that will help us grow our activities as we come out of the crisis, while preparing the long-term transformation of the Company”, said Thierry Baril, Airbus Chief Human Resources & Workplace Officer. “Following this initial wave of recruitment, which will take place worldwide and across all our businesses, the number of external hires will be reassessed before mid-year 2022 and we will adjust our needs accordingly. Not only will we look at acquiring the new skills that Airbus needs in the post-COVID world, but we will also do our utmost to reinforce diversity across the Company, fostering a safe and inclusive culture reinforcing Team Airbus to be ready to pioneer sustainable aerospace.”

About a quarter of the planned recruitments should focus on acquiring the new skills to support the Company’s long-term projects and ambition, notably in the fields of decarbonisation, digital transformation and cyber technology. A third of the total recruitment will be allocated to young graduates.

To learn more about the broad range of opportunities available at Airbus, potential applicants can visit the Airbus website at https://www.airbus.com/en/careers. 

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More than $560,000 raised for charities by ATSG

Air Transport Services Group, a leading provider of aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation, announced today that more than $560,000 was raised for various charitable causes during 2021.

In addition to funds donated through corporate philanthropy, ATSG held its annual charity campaign for individuals to donate directly in support of organizations such as United Way, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, ATSG Cares, and Wounded Warrior Project. This critical effort delivers financial support to charities that are important to the employees of ATSG companies. This year’s employee campaign increased in overall funds donated using the theme “ATSG-Giving Wings to Hope.”

“I am always inspired by the extensive charitable and philanthropic work in which so many of our employees engage,” said Rich Corrado, president and chief executive officer of ATSG. “This year in particular saw non-profit social services in communities throughout our network stretched to the limit, and our employees stepped up to the challenge by increasing their contribution to record levels. ATSG supports and fosters this spirit of giving because supporting others is an integral part of our culture.”

ATSG historically impacts change in the markets in which it operates by supporting programs serving individuals in the areas of school readiness, youth development, veteran engagement, and homelessness. In 2021 in response to the global pandemic, the company focused on providing vaccination opportunities for residents in the rural area surrounding its corporate location. ATSG strives to be a conscientious citizen in the communities it serves around the globe. 

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Brussels Airlines to introduce 8 new routes this summer.

This coming summer season, starting on March 27, Brussels Airlines will offer 85 destinations, with a focus on leisure. Newcomers in the airline’s summer portfolio compared to last year are Arrecife -Lanzarote, Chania in Crete, Egypt's Hurghada Resort, Lesbos - Mytilene, Samos, Marrakesh and Rabat (Morocco) and Munich.

After a winter that was still heavily impacted by the global pandemic, Brussels Airlines predicts a very busy summer season.

“The booking figures clearly show a great willingness to travel. Compared to the summer of 2021, we also see that passengers start to book longer in advance again, especially for the school holiday periods. Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Greek Islands are expected to be the most popular destinations this summer season. That’s why we are happy to add the islands Lesbos and Samos in Greece to our network, but also Lanzarote and Crete will be an added value in our vacation portfolio.”

• Jan Derycke, Head of Network and Planning Brussels Airlines

 

66 Medium haul destinations with focus on leisure travel

With a broad range of popular holiday destinations, the Belgian company wants to provide its customers a positive outlook for the coming summer. On top of the year-round destinations like Alicante, Madrid, Lisbon, Milano, Rome and many more, the airline relaunches a series of summer holiday destinations:

In Greece, Athens and Greek islands Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Cos, Rhodes, Corfu, Zakynthos, Lesbos and Samos will again be connected to Brussels. In Italy the airline will land again in Bari, Catania, Florence, Napoli, Olbia and Palermo. Spanish leisure routes Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca will join the network while flights to the Canary islands Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote will be continued from the winter season. Brussels Airlines will also start flying to Croatian destinations Dubrovnik and Split again as well as to Russian destinations Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. The Egyptian destination Hurghada will be continued after winter and also Marrakesh in Morocco will join the summer schedule. During the peak season, Moroccan destinations Tangier, Rabat and Nador will be connected to Brussels too.

19 long haul destinations with the restart of Washington

On the intercontinental network, Brussels Airlines will reopen Conakry (Guinea) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in Africa and will resume flights to Washington D.C. during the summer season. In total, the Belgian airline offers 19 long haul destinations, including 17 in Sub Sahara Africa and 2 in the US (New York and Washington).

New route Brussels – Munich

For the first time, Brussels Airlines will operate flights between Brussels and Munich. The Belgian airline will operate two flights a day, while Lufthansa continues to operate 5 daily frequencies. The first Brussels Airlines flight to Munich will take off on March 27^th.

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Norwich Airport has published its full schedule for 2022/23

Norwich Airport has published its full schedule for 2022/23, with 18 destinations in nine countries, and more than 150 connections worldwide thanks to year-round flights to Amsterdam.

Whether it’s summer sun, an arctic adventure, the Italian Lakes or global business travel, Norwich Airport offers a world of choice.

Countries reached directly from Norwich Airport in 2022/23 include Bulgaria (Bourgas), Cyprus (Paphos), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Italy (Bergamo, gateway to the Italian Lakes), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Spain – Balearics (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca), Spain – Canaries (Tenerife), and Turkey (Dalaman).

In the UK there are year-round flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Exeter with Loganair, and a summer service to Jersey, with Blue Islands. There are also day trips to Lapland. All flights are on sale now via the airport’s website.

Richard Pace, Managing Director at Norwich Airport, said: “After two years of disruptions caused by the pandemic we’re delighted to be offering passengers such fantastic choice from their local airport.

“TUI have already launched their year-round holidays to Tenerife, and their flights to Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Turkey all take off from May, and are bookable now. KLM continues to increase its flights into Amsterdam, with fantastic onward connections to the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

“There are many benefits to flying local, including a quick journey to the airport, parking close to the terminal, short check-in and security times and total step-free access from the terminal entrance to flight boarding. We look forward to welcoming all our passengers in 2022.”

Norwich Airport is owned and operated by Regional & City Airports (RCA), part of Rigby Group plc.

To view Norwich Airport’s Fly 2022/23 schedule click here.

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American Airlines Names Gregory D. Smith to Its Board of Directors

American Airlines today announced the election of Gregory D. Smith, 55, to its board of directors. Smith will serve on the board’s Audit Committee and Corporate Governance, Public Responsibility and Safety Committee.

“We are very pleased Greg has agreed to join the American Airlines board,” said American’s Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “Greg is a highly accomplished leader who has held key finance, operations and strategy roles over the course of three decades at Boeing. His experience and strong knowledge of the aviation and aerospace industry will be tremendous assets to American.”

Smith retired from The Boeing Company in July 2021 after a more than 30-year career. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for the company’s Enterprise Operations, Finance, Strategy and Shared Services organizations. He managed Boeing’s overall financial activities and drove operational excellence by overseeing the company’s manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality and program management teams. He also led the company’s global financing arm, Boeing Capital, its corporate audit function, and its environmental, social and governance work.

During his time at Boeing, Smith held a number of other key leadership roles including Vice President of Finance, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, and Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. In between his two stints at Boeing, he spent four years at Raytheon Company as Vice President of Investor Relations.

Smith currently serves on the board of directors of Intel Corporation, as well as Lurie Children’s Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Healthcare in Chicago.

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2022 ‘Fearless Forecasts’ Avolon Publishes 2022 Outlook Paper - ‘Rise Above’

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, issued its annual outlook paper for 2022 titled ‘Rise Above’. Co-authored by Jim Morrison, Head of Portfolio Management, and Rosemarie O’Leary, Head of Counterparty Risk, the paper reviews the key trends in the aviation industry for airlines, manufacturers, and lessors, identifying themes that will shape the year ahead and setting out Avolon’s ‘Fearless Forecasts’ for 2022. 

2022 ‘Fearless Forecasts’ predicts continued aviation recovery, as the lessor share of the large commercial aircraft fleet surpasses 50%

 2022’s seven forecasts are set out below and the full paper is available at: https://www.avolon.aero/newsroom-and-thoughts

Jim Morrison, Head of Portfolio Management commented: “Aviation’s recovery unfolded in 2021 as anticipated, with vaccines offering a springboard for the easing of government restrictions and re-openings of economies around the world. This allowed many of us to pass an important milestone, boarding our first plane in a post-pandemic world. It is clear from the re-opening that the importance of air travel to society, and the global economy, remains undiminished.

Aviation’s resilience was demonstrated again in 2021, with airline operating losses halving to $54 billion as airlines positioned themselves to capitalize on the pent-up demand evident in the market. Looking ahead, the strong economic growth forecast for 2022 will drive a further recovery in demand for air travel. While we are confident in recovery, it will be a gradual and uneven recovery that will vary region-by-region. In 2022, a strong recovery in international air traffic will follow the domestic air travel rebound of 2021, bouncing back to 70% of 2019-levels by year-end.”

Rosemarie O’Leary, Head of Counterparty Risk commented: “Aircraft lessors will continue to be an integral part of the recovery, supporting airlines as they seek to restore their balance sheets, re-fleet, and grow. As airlines begin deleveraging and transitioning to asset-light business models, the lessor share of the commercial fleet will grow as they fund new deliveries.

Beyond the recovery, environmental considerations will remain central to the aviation agenda for the period ahead. The aviation sector continues to focus on reducing emissions and committing to decarbonization. Solutions to support further decarbonization, such as sustainable aviation fuels, are progressing but policies must be structured to ensure that adoption is economically viable. Emission-free flight is also on the horizon. Aerospace innovation is accelerating with the development of electric-powered aircraft which provide a glimpse into the sustainable future of flight.”

2022 ‘Fearless Forecasts’

First six months of PLAY classed as a success with more than 100,000 passengers flying with the carrier.

During PLAY‘s first six months in operation, the airline flew 101,053 passengers on more than 1,000 flights. Considering the challenging environment with the pandemic and the performance of other start-up airlines in Europe and North America, we consider the 53.2% load factor for the year very satisfactory.

In 2021, over 48% of our passengers were travelling from Iceland. We are delighted with the reception that PLAY has received in Iceland as the numbers show that there was a significant need for a low-cost alternative in the market.

Our flights to the U.S., which we recently launched ticket sales for and will start operating in Spring 2022, will strengthen PLAY’s foundation even more as we open up the U.S. – Iceland market to low-cost travel and facilitate connections for passengers that want to take advantage of low-cost travel between the U.S. and Europe.

In 2022, PLAY will serve 24 destinations in Europe and North America.  
17,749 Passengers in December

Icelandair to lease two more Boeing 737 MAX jets

Icelandair has entered into agreements with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Ltd (DAE), regarding long-term operating leases of two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from Boeing in spring 2022. This transaction will bring the total number of 737 MAX in the Icelandair fleet up to 14 aircraft for next summer.

Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO of Icelandair Group: “We are very pleased to announce the new agreements with DAE, a long-lasting business partner. With favorable conditions in commercial aircraft markets, and the continued ramp up of our route network we saw an opportunity and need to expand our fleet of Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft have proved to perform even better than expected, both in terms of flight range and fuel-efficiency which will also contribute to our efforts of reducing the carbon emissions from our operations.” 

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U.S. budget airline Allegiant saw passenger numbers above pre-covid levels in December - just

Allegiant today reported preliminary passenger traffic results for December 2021, fourth quarter 2021, and full year 2021 which showed a slight improvement on the number of passengers carried.

"Fourth quarter scheduled capacity was up 14.5 percent as compared with 2019, in line with our initial expectations," stated Drew Wells, senior vice president of revenue. "Despite a challenging operating environment during the Christmas holiday peak-period, we ended the quarter with a load factor of 78.8 percent, the highest since the onset of the pandemic. Although Omicron led to an uptick in customer cancellations, daily booking trends throughout the quarter consistently outperformed levels observed in 2019. This strength in bookings resulted in total operating revenue of roughly $496 million for the quarter, an increase of more than 7.5 percent when compared with 2019."

"We are pleased to report that the fourth quarter will be our third consecutive quarter of profitability since the onset of the pandemic," stated Gregory Anderson, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Despite operational challenges around holiday peak travel, we expect an adjusted¹ EBITDA margin for the fourth quarter of roughly 19 percent. This margin includes nearly $23 million of irregular operations costs incurred during the quarter, the majority of which were incurred in December. Operational challenges were predominantly a result of crew shortages related to Omicron. Although these challenges continued into early January, we are beginning to see relief and expect significant improvement in the operation as the Omicron variant begins to dissipate."  

Four new Boeing 777 Freighters for Atlas Air

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings confirmed an order with Boeing for four new 777 freighters in response to strong customer demand for dedicated international wide-body airfreight capacity, particularly in the fast-growing e-Commerce and Express markets.

The first of the four new 777-200LRFs is expected to be delivered in November 2022 with the other three expected to be delivered throughout 2023. This investment will bolster Atlas’ 777 fleet, which currently includes 14 freighters that the company operates or provides to customers on a dry-lease basis through its Titan Aviation Leasing subsidiary.

“We are excited to expand our fleet and service offerings for our existing and prospective customers with these four new 777s. With the best team in the industry as well as our focus on innovation and prudent fleet management, Atlas is serving the evolving needs of the global supply chain and delivering value for our customers,” said John W. Dietrich, Atlas Air Worldwide President and Chief Executive Officer.

“These new aircraft will advance our strategic growth plan as we continue to capitalize on strong demand for dedicated airfreight capacity. This investment aligns with our disciplined approach to deploying capital and meets our strict return guidelines when investing in aircraft. We anticipate this transaction will drive strong earnings and cash flows, and enhance shareholder value,” Mr. Dietrich added.

Sylvia Olafsdottir named as Icelandair's new Chief Customer Officer and Rakel Ottarsdottir appointed as Chief Digital Officer

Sylvia Olafsdottir has been appointed Chief Customer Officer and Rakel Ottarsdottir has been appointed Chief Digital Officer of Icelandair Group. They will both take seats on the Executive Committee and will start in the first quarter of the year.

New routes to Nice, Rome and Alicante for Summer.

These new appointments are part of aligning the Company’s organizational structure to execute its ambitious strategy of sustainable growth, digital transformation and central focus on customer experience.

Sylvia rejoins Icelandair Group from the technology company Origo where she has served as Managing Director of Business Development and Marketing for the past year. Sylvia first joined Icelandair in 2018 and served as Director of Operations Support and later as Director of Network Planning & Scheduling. She worked at the energy company Landsvirkjun from 2015 as the Head of its Geothermal Department. Prior to that, Sylvia worked for Amazon in Europe for five years, first in operations and planning and then in the company's Kindle department where she was in charge of business intelligence, marketing and product development. Sylvia holds an M.Sc. degree in operational research from the London School of Economics and a B.Sc. degree in industrial engineering from the University of Iceland. Sylvía is Chairman of the board of IS Funds Ltd.

Rakel has served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the pharmaceutical company Alvotech for the past year. Before that she was CIO and VP of Global Program Management Office at the international orthopedics company Össur. Prior to that, Rakel worked for 14 years at Arion Bank where she served as Managing Director of Corporate Development and Marketing from 2011 and was CIO from 2016 where she led the successful digital transformation of the bank. Rakel has an MBA from Duke University in the US and a B.Sc. degree in computer science from the University of Iceland.

December Traffic

More than 100,000 passengers flew with PLAY in the first 6 months

During PLAY‘s first six months in operation, the airline flew 101,053 passengers on more than 1,000 flights. Considering the challenging environment with the pandemic and the performance of other start-up airlines in Europe and North America, we consider the 53.2% load factor for the year very satisfactory.

In 2021, over 48% of our passengers were travelling from Iceland. We are delighted with the reception that PLAY has received in Iceland as the numbers show that there was a significant need for a low-cost alternative in the market.

Our flights to the U.S., which we recently launched ticket sales for and will start operating in Spring 2022, will strengthen PLAY’s foundation even more as we open up the U.S. – Iceland market to low-cost travel and facilitate connections for passengers that want to take advantage of low-cost travel between the U.S. and Europe.

In 2022, PLAY will serve 24 destinations in Europe and North America.  
17,749 Passengers in December

AerCap Completed the GECAS Transaction, Raised Funding of Approximately $30.5 Billion and Executed 438 Transactions in 2021

AerCap Holdings has announced its major business transactions during the full year and fourth quarter 2021:

• Completed the GECAS transaction on November 1, 2021, making AerCap the worldwide industry leader across all areas of aviation leasing: aircraft, engines and helicopters.
• In December 2021, AerCap received an MSCI ESG Rating of "A," an improvement from our previous ESG rating of "BBB."

Aengus Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of AerCap, said, "Throughout 2021, we saw a steady improvement in the performance of the airline industry as borders reopened to travel and passenger traffic increased. For AerCap, this manifested itself in an increased level of transaction activity due to the growing demand for aircraft. I am optimistic that we will see further increases in passenger traffic during 2022 as the recovery continues.

"I am delighted that we successfully completed the acquisition of the GECAS business during the fourth quarter. Our ability to raise $24 billion of long-term funding for the acquisition at very attractive rates illustrates the depth of investor interest in aircraft leasing and is a testament to AerCap's platform and its strong management team.

"Another important milestone during the quarter was the upgrade of our ESG rating by MSCI. In addition, our Board of Directors has established an ESG Committee to further strengthen our commitment in this area."

Full Year 2021 Transactions

IATA Appoints Frederic Leger as SVP for Commercial Products and Services

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Frederic Leger as the association’s Senior Vice President for Commercial Products and Services. Leger served in the role on an ad interim basis since July 2021, when IATA’s Commercial Products and Services Division was created as part of an internal restructuring. He reports to Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Leger holds the concurrent position of President of IATA’s Cargo Network Services in the US, a responsibility he has held since May 2021. 

Leger joined IATA in 2005 as head of e-Invoicing Services. Since then, he has held various roles at the association with a focus on IATA’s commercial products and services and cargo. Most recently he oversaw the commercial performance of products and services connected with IATA’s work in airport, passenger, cargo and security activities. 

“IATA’s commercial products and services are vital. First and foremost, they support efficient global connectivity. This includes essential offerings such as the IATA Travel Pass and Timatic which, together, provide critical support for efficient checking of health credentials and entry requirements. Furthermore, the commercial success of IATA’s products and services enables the association to deliver critical activities on which the global air transport industry relies. Examples include standards setting to enable safe and efficient operations, and advocacy to help the industry achieve net zero carbon emissions. Frederic has taken on a huge responsibility and I have every confidence in his success,” said Walsh.

Prior to IATA, Leger worked for Cap Gemini and bioMerieux; and he was part of the start-up team of CPGmarket.com in the consumer packaged goods industry.

Leger is a French national based in Geneva, Switzerland. He holds a Master's Degree in Strategy with honors from the Grenoble School of Management and studied Supply Chain as well as Finance at the Lyon School of Management. 

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The International Space Station connected via the SpaceDataHighway

The Airbus’ SpaceDataHighway – developed with the support of ESA – provides broadband connectivity services between the International Space Station and the Earth. With the Columbus Ka-band (ColKa) terminal now installed and fully tested on-board the ISS, a SpaceDataHighway satellite will start to relay data via a bi-directional link in real time between the ISS Columbus Laboratory and the Columbus Control Centre located at the German Aerospace Center DLR near Munich as well as research centres across Europe.

Thanks to the SpaceDataHighway and the ColKa terminal, ESA will benefit from a direct and sovereign access to the ISS, thus increasing the operational flexibility allowing more astronauts, scientists and researchers to benefit from a direct link with Europe. This will also enable ESA to create slots for ad-hoc experiment access and interaction with European astronauts.

The ColKa data service provision has been contracted between ESA and Airbus. As part of this new SpaceDataHighway service, Airbus has adapted its Ka-band inter-satellite link to ensure data will be channelled via the ground station at Harwell Campus, UK.

London City Airport predicts strong passenger recovery in 2022

Central London airport expects meaningful growth in 2022 as British Airways announces significant summer schedule

More than three-quarters of 2019 routes to be on the London City departure board in 2022

New routes include Thessaloniki, Barcelona and the return of 2019 top performer Milan

714,000 passengers used London City in 2021, down 21% on 2020

London City Airport expects pent up passenger demand to fuel a surge in growth in 2022, with the introduction of new routes and the return of top-selling destinations, resulting in more than three quarters of 2019 routes operating at LCY this year.

The prediction follows the announcement of a busy summer schedule for British Airways, the airport’s biggest customer, and the easing of COVID restrictions, which are helping to fuel a return to business and leisure travel.

 Flights to Milan, one of the airport’s top performing routes, and which alone carried 275,000 passengers from the centre of London to the centre of Milan in 2019, will be reinstated this year.

 

Barcelona will return to the London City network for the first time in almost a decade, while new routes such as Thessaloniki join established summer favourites like Split, Mykonos and Faro.

The upturn in confidence at the airport reflects the easing of travel restrictions and the proactive role LCY has played to work with and support its airline partners as the industry looks to bounce back from the worst of the pandemic.

 

The impact of COVID-19 can be seen in the airport’s 2021 results. 714,000 passengers used London City, down 21% on 2020 and 86% on 2019. However, in the first six months of the year, when extensive global travel restrictions were in place, the airport handled only 75,184 passengers. In the last six months, as restrictions were eased, 638,785 passengers used the airport and very strong month on month growth was achieved.

 

There were other positive trends for the airport in 2021, with business travel back strongly on all domestic routes, with Edinburgh the best performer. Internationally, Amsterdam was the airport’s strongest route, with KLM growing to four rotations per day in the autumn, with high passenger load factors. Other key business routes have included Zurich and Geneva, operated by SWISS and Frankfurt, operated by Lufthansa.

 

Pieter Elbers to step down as the boss of KLM

The Supervisory Board (SB) of KLM today announces that, after close consultation with CEO Pieter Elbers, it has established that Elbers will not enter into a third term as CEO & President of KLM as of 1 May 2023. This enables the Supervisory Board to start a thorough process for a successor in a timely manner.

"In view of the expiration of his second term, which provides the Supervisory Board a natural moment for consideration, we have, after consultation with Pieter, concluded not to enter into a third term. The continuity of KLM's leadership greatly benefits from being able to establish this at an early stage. It enables us to initiate a thorough succession process and also to offer a new CEO a sufficient induction period. It is also a time when the restructuring plan has largely been implemented, which positions KLM well for recovery and further development. With thirty years at KLM, eleven years on the Board of Management including two terms as CEO, Pieter has an enormous track record and significance for KLM. Partly for this reason, it is important that we are able to achieve a smooth leadership transition." Said Cees 't Hart, chairman of the KLM Supervisory Board.

KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers said: "After two terms, more than eight years, of leadership as CEO of KLM, I am handing over the baton with full confidence. It goes without saying that I am committed to supporting KLM in this transition to new leadership. I am extremely proud of this company and its fantastic employees. Especially in these hectic and difficult times, they remain the strength of KLM. My thirty-year career with the blue KLM family has been an unimaginably beautiful journey that I will always cherish. I very much enjoy the cooperation with my colleagues and look forward to this in the coming period."

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Delta Air Lines becomes the official airline partner of US Ski & Snowboard

Delta Air Lines becomes the official airline partner of

 US Ski & Snowboard

Delta Air Lines is returning as the official airline partner for U.S. Ski & Snowboard through 2023. Through this partnership, Delta will support athlete training and competition travel, as well as launch a series of female empowerment initiatives as the founding partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Women’s Mentorship Program.

“We are thrilled to rejoin U.S. Ski & Snowboard ahead of the Olympic Winter Games 2022 to assist with athlete travel and the Women’s Mentorship Program,” said Molly Battin, S.V.P., Global Brand Marketing at Delta. “With years of experience working with the team under our belt, we know that each year will be better than the last in improving athlete experience as they go for gold.”

A significant part of the partnership will be the implementation of several female empowerment initiatives embodying spirit, strength and inclusion. Delta is the founding partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Women’s Mentorship Program, which pairs women from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team with women at Delta to meet monthly.

“Delta has been a key asset to our team throughout our history together, and we are thrilled to have rekindled our relationship with them ahead of an important U.S. Olympic season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “We are looking forward to our new activations with this partnership, including our new female empowerment initiatives. We are excited to collaborate with Delta to help maximize overall sport inclusion, athlete support and advocation for women’s equality within the sports industry.”

Delta and U.S. Ski & Snowboard first teamed up in 2007, delivering athletes, coaches, staff and equipment to competition and training grounds for seven years. Delta’s support of the Olympic Movement originated in the 1990s as a sponsor for both the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996 and the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002.

Delta will also collaborate with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to create content with athletes and host community events. Additionally, Delta is supporting individual athletes, including seven-time World Cup podium alpine skier Breezy Johnson, as well as five other U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. 

Along with its partnership of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Delta is the official airline partner of Team USA and will manage travel for all U.S. Olympians and Paralympians to Beijing 2022, including charter flights from the U.S.

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