No technical faults found in preliminary investigation of S-76 Norway crash.

No technical faults have been found on the Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-92  that was involved in a crash in Norway at the end of last month, investigators report.

The bulk of the helicopter was recovered on 1st March along with the flight recorders which were sent to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority. They have since been downloaded successfully according to the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) which confirmed the investigation is continuing.  

The NSIA warned the investigation was still at an early stage, advising it was “too early to draw any conclusions” however, thus far it “has not observed any technical fault which contributed to the accident”. The NSIA added, “We have downloaded data and it is currently being analysed. We have had interviews with some of the crew from the helicopter,”.

The accident happened during a training search and rescue flight, approximately 15 nautical miles west of Bergen, Norway.  The helicopter, registration LN-OIJ, was operating with six crew members onboard at the time of the incident. One fatality was confirmed on the day of the crash and the other five crew members have suffered varying levels of injuries. 

Bristow Helicopters stated "Our thoughts are with all those affected during this incredibly difficult period. At this time, the full resources of Bristow’s incident response team are being mobilized. The company is in the process of contacting and providing assistance to family members of those onboard and fully cooperating with authorities responding to the incident. Our highest priority is to take care of our crew and their family members and provide them with any assistance needed."

Flight Global reports that images of the wreckage indicate the main rotor and tail rotor were spinning at the time of impact. The S-92 was fitted with automatic floats which should deploy in events of this kind, however, images of LN-OIJ show these floats had not deployed.

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Delta pilot more than twice over legal alcohol limit before New York bound flight.

A Delta Air Lines pilot was remanded in custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today after pleading guilty to reporting for duty as a pilot while being impaired through drink or drugs, it has been reported by the BBC.

Lawrence Russell, 63, failed a breath test at the airport on 16th June last year after he turned up to fly a Boeing 767 to New York.  His blood sample later showed the alcohol level was "not less than 49mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood". The legal limit is just 20mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.  

According to reports, Russell's belongings were searched by airport security officers on the morning of 16th June and he was found to have two bottles of Jägermeister in his luggage - one of which was half full.

Sheriff Alison Stirling deferred the sentence to later this month for the preparation of reports.

Following Russell's arrest last June, the flight to New York had to be cancelled leaving customers' travel plans in chaos and the airline facing a hefty bill to reaccommmodate passengers and crew. 

Delta has refused to comment on the case at this stage. 

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Air Cargo demand up 18.4% in January

 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for January 2024 global air cargo markets indicating a strong start to 2024. 

•    Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), increased by 18.4% compared to January 2023 levels (19.8% for international operations). This significant upturn marks the highest annual growth in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs) since the summer season of 2021.

•    Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres (ACTKs), was up 14.6% compared to January 2023 (18.2% for international operations). This was largely related to the growth in belly capacity. International belly capacity rose 25.8% year-on-year (YoY) on the strength of passenger markets.

"Air cargo demand was up 18.4% year-on-year in January. This is a strong start to the year. In particular, the booming e-commerce sector is continuing to help air cargo demand to trend above growth in both trade and production since the last quarter of 2023. The counterweight to this good news is uncertainty over how China’s economic slowdown will unfold. This will be on the minds of air cargo executives meeting in Hong Kong next week for the IATA World Cargo Symposium with an agenda focused on digitalization, efficiency and sustainability," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Air cargo growth outpaced trade and production. Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

•    Global cross-border trade increased by 1.0% in December compared to the previous month (-0.2% YoY).

•    In January, the manufacturing output Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) improved to 50.3, surpassing the 50 mark for the first time in eight months, indicating expansion. The new export orders PMI also saw an increase to 48.8, but remains below the critical 50 threshold, suggesting a continuing yet decelerating decline in global exports.

•    Inflation in major economies continued to ease from its peak in terms of Consumer Price Index (CPI) in January, reaching 3.1% in both the US and in the EU, and 2.1% in Japan. China’s CPI, however, indicated deflation for the fourth consecutive month, raising concerns of an economic slowdown. China’s negative inflation rate of -0.8% was the lowest since the Global Financial Crisis in 2009. 

Sir Stephen Hillier reappointed as Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The Secretary of State for Transport has re-appointed Sir Stephen Hillier as Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority. Sir Stephen’s term will be extended for four more years until 31 July 2028.

Since August 2020, Sir Stephen has played a key role in ensuring that the regulator meets its core remit of protecting the safety, security, and the consumer interests of those that fly. 

He has also steered the organisation through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK’s departure from the European Aviation Safety Agency, developing the Civil Aviation Authority’s role in relation to aviation sustainability and future flight technologies, and becoming the UK’s space regulator. 

He also led the regulator’s engagement with the Government public body review of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2023.

Sir Stephen has also championed greater diversity and engagement across the aerospace sector, including being made the Patron of the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter in 2023.

Over the next four years, Sir Stephen will ensure that the organisation continues to focus on the regulatory role set for it by Parliament to protect passengers and its wider role in enabling the aerospace sector to continue to develop, helping the UK retain its position as a world leader in aerospace.

Sir Stephen Hillier, Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:  "I am delighted to continue serving as the Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. This is a world-leading regulator, and its people are at the core of making the Civil Aviation Authority forward-looking, efficient, and effective.

I look forward to continuing our work focusing on safety, security, and consumer interests as we protect people and enable the development of aerospace.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:  “The past four years were an extremely challenging time for aviation, with Sir Stephen’s knowledge and experience proving invaluable.

“As we transition to an era of new technologies, innovation and decarbonisation, I’m confident the Civil Aviation Authority will continue to perform well under his leadership.”

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Major changes for British Airways as part of a £7bn transformation plan...

The UK's leading legacy carrier British Airways has announced an array of new initiatives as part of its £7bn transformation plan.  

The airline's Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle outlined his modernisation plan at a recent showcase that will see the airline try to regain its former reputation of delivering a world-class customer experience. The new plan will also see the company modernizing its crumpled IT systems, work on sustainability issues and drive up on-time performance.  

Sean Doyle, British Airways Chairman and CEO, commented:  “We’re on a journey to a better BA for our people and for our customers, underpinned by a transformation programme that will see us invest £7bn over the next two years to revolutionise our business".

Doyle continued: “We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. We’re also heavily investing in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points for our customers.”  

Long gone are the days of 'The World's favourite airline' when BA was a global brand epitomising quality, style and premium levels of service. A series of strikes, high-profile data breaches, massive IT failures, in-flight service cuts, staff morale issues and mismanagement have all taken their toll on the carrier.  

Ba.com and app 

British Airways has confirmed plans to overhaul its digital user experience with a new ba . com website and mobile app which it says will offer deeper personalisation. The new website is already in BETA testing mode with platforms designed to offer a range of new services, including allowing customers to self-serve if they wish, taking control of and making changes to their journeys online, in keeping with other major airlines' websites and systems. BA says the initial changes will start to roll out by the end of the year.

WiFi enhancements for customers 

In-flight WiFi is increasingly popular with passengers, with many seeing it as a prerequisite in their choice of airline, therefore, from 3rd April, British Airways Executive Club Members will start to be able to send messages free of charge on a single device using the airline’s WiFi - whatever cabin they’re travelling in. The service will be available on every WiFi-enabled aircraft within two weeks of the rollout date*. 

The free messaging pass will allow British Airways Executive Club members to use messaging-type online applications, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger and Teams Chat - without images, videos or attachments, text only.

*WiFi is available on all of the airline’s Gatwick fleet and more than 80 per cent of British Airways’ Heathrow fleet, rolling out to 100 per cent by the end of 2025.

The airline has also become the first to offer a WiFi-enabled inflight customer care solution to solve issues in the moment – even at 35,000ft. Created especially for British Airways by Microsoft, customer care teams on the ground are now able to connect with cabin crew colleagues across more than 300 flights a day. The functionality allows the crew to help solve any unexpected issues before a flight lands at one of the airline’s more than 200 destinations. 

AI implementation 

BA said it plans to invest £100m in AI & machine learning, automation all the way through the company. It says these moves will drive improvements from bookings to baggage handling and help to revolutionise its operation, speed up departures and respond to disruption.

Innovative new tools are helping to predict delays (prompting pre-emptive action to reduce disruption) and analyse real-time weather, aircraft capacity and customer connections data to help teams make better decisions. Since the introduction of the systems, alongside a number of new processes and ways of working, the airline has seen improvement to its on-time departures.   

The airline is also investing £750m in its IT infrastructure to move 700 systems and thousands of servers to the cloud by early next year.   

British Airways has also started to create around 350 roles at its home base, London Heathrow which will, it hopes, improve the level of services customers experience. The airline is investing in new equipment, such as baggage tugs and towing vehicles.

New lounge design concept 

BA is all set to open another brand-new lounge in Dubai, which is relocating to a new larger space at Dubai Airport later this year. This lounge will be the first to feature British Airways’ new lounge design concept, followed by the opening of its Miami lounge in 2025. The new Dubai lounge will replace the existing lounge facility at the airport, offering more space and more features for its premium customers. BA will also complete lounge refreshes in Lagos and Seattle, these follow recent lounge refurbishments at Heathrow Terminals 5 and 3, as well as Edinburgh.  

New cabins and seats 

New short-haul seats and cabin interiors will feature on the next generation of British Airways’ Airbus A320neo and A321neos, with eight aircraft set to arrive from May this year. The airline is working with the best of British suppliers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the new short-haul Euro Traveller and Club Europe seats reflecting a modern yet classic British interior. The re-designed cabins will also be fitted with extra-large overhead bins for luggage. 

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New short-haul seats

Club Europe seats will see the return of the bespoke leather tray that sits between the aisle and window seat. All Club Europe seats will also be fitted with USB-A & USB-C power (60W) backrest-mounted charging ports, while the Euro Traveller seats will be fitted with USB-A & USB-C (15W) backrest-mounted charging ports.

Investment in First  

British Airways is the only European carrier to offer First Class between the UK and US and the carrier seeks to capitalize on this with the introduction of a brand-new and exclusive First suite. BA believes the new seat will come into service at the end of 2025 into early 2026 as part of its Airbus A380 aircraft refurbishment.  

The Heathrow - New York JFK route has, for many years been the airline's most lucrative route, it is also the 8th busiest route in the world with nearly 3.9 million seats on offer last year. Between April 2018 and 2019, BA earned over $1.15 billion from this route alone. 

New Routes 

SkyWest to fly 20 additional E175s for United

SkyWest has confirmed a new flying agreement with United Airlines to place 20 partner-financed E175s under a four-year contract. The 20 E175s will join the SkyWest fleet throughout 2024. This agreement is in addition to the previously announced 19 SkyWest-owned E175 agreement with United.

“We’re delighted to continue enhancing our United partnership and pleased that we’re able to deliver on the strong market demand,” said Chip Childs, President & CEO of SkyWest.

SkyWest is coordinating with its major airline partners to optimize the timing of upcoming announced fleet deliveries. The anticipated E175 future delivery dates summarized below are based on currently available information and are subject to change.  By the end of 2026, SkyWest is scheduled to operate a total of 278 E175 aircraft.

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Icelandair selects RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power up to 35 Airbus A320neo family aircraft

Icelandair also selects EngineWise maintenance long-term agreement 

Pratt & Whitney, confirmed this week that Icelandair has selected GTF engines to power up to 35 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft, comprising a mix of leased and purchased A321XLR and A321LR aircraft. With this order, Icelandair becomes a first-time GTF customer. The airline has also selected an EngineWise® agreement for the long-term maintenance, repair and overhaul of its GTF engines. Pratt & Whitney will provide support to facilitate smooth entry into service and long-term operation of the engines.

"With these GTF-powered A321XLR and A321LR aircraft, Icelandair and Pratt & Whitney are renewing a relationship, which started more than 80 years ago," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "These engines and aircraft are well-suited to serve Icelandair's growing transatlantic network while delivering industry-leading fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions."

IATA Welcomes Nominations for 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Awards

 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) opened nominations for the 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Awards. Nominations are welcome from all individuals or organizations in the aviation sector and will close at 23:59 CET on 17 April 2024. This is the fifth edition of these annual awards which focus on recognizing excellence in diversity and inclusion in three categories:

•    The Inspirational Role Model Award recognizes a woman holding a senior position within the air transport industry who has had a significant impact on the aviation agenda through her strong contribution to business delivery, as well as her ongoing support for the diversity and inclusion agenda. Nominees are welcome from across the aviation industry.

•    The High Flyer Award recognizes a female aviation professional under the age of 40 who has demonstrated leadership through concrete action in favor of diversity and inclusion, making a positive impact on the industry. Open to all women professional in the aviation industry.

•    The Diversity & Inclusion Team Award recognizes an airline that has seen measurable positive change in diversity and inclusion as a result of the work it has been doing in this area. Open to all IATA member airlines.

“The aviation industry has proven over and over again that it is capable of reinventing itself. For five years these awards have recognized aviation’s notable progress on diversity and inclusion—in particular on improving aviation’s gender balance. I encourage the many aviation professionals working hard in this area to share with us what they or their colleagues are doing to make a difference. With all the good work going on in this area I am sure that the judging panel will have a challenging task in evaluating the nominations. And we all look forward to celebrating the impact of the winning entries at the upcoming IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai this June,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Delta Sync seatback brings more to SkyMiles members

How many cutting-edge advancements does it take to bring customers a best-in-class entertainment experience at 30,000 feet? Let’s crunch the numbers: as Delta’s in-flight connectivity overhaul continues, the latest data tell a story of commitment to SkyMiles members – from fast, free Wi-Fi presented by T-Mobile to a new seatback experience that enhances the day-of travel experience and beyond with new smart TV features and live notifications about gate changes, bag tracking and more.

Delta Sync seatback is now available on 185 aircraft and is expanding to three additional fleet types.

Delta leads the industry with over 161,000 seatback screens across more than 850 aircraft, underscoring the airline’s dedication to the in-flight entertainment experience. In service of that dedication, Delta is expanding Delta Sync seatback this spring. Now available on all Airbus A321ceo and Boeing 757-200 (75D) aircraft, the airline plans to bring the new seatback screen product to Airbus A319s and A320s, as well as Boeing 737-800 aircraft, by the end of the summer.

First announced at CES 2023 and tested onboard select aircraft throughout the end of last year, Delta Sync seatback is a milestone update to the airline’s industry-leading seatback screens that make them feel more like smart TVs while offering a host of day-of-travel tools for SkyMiles members designed to streamline their travel journey1.

“Customers are loving our new personalized Delta Sync seatback screens – and they especially appreciate how easy it is to log in to the screen using the Fly Delta app,” said Ranjan Goswami, Senior Vice President-Customer Experience Design. “Just by being a SkyMiles member, customers can log in to a seatback screen that recognizes them, knows their preferences and helps effortlessly guide them throughout their travel day. This level of personalization and convenience is one way we’re redefining loyalty and what it means to be a SkyMiles member – and it unlocks the minute you join.”

The new My Flight category includes details tailored to each logged-in user about their connecting flights, including terminal and gate locations as well as scheduled connection times. SkyMiles members who log in to Delta Sync seatback will also receive real-time notifications delivered directly to their seatback screen about any adjustments to their connecting flight’s schedule or other pertinent trip details.

650+      More than 650 aircraft are in service today with fast, free Delta Sync Wi-Fi presented by T-Mobile.

American Airlines to retrofit Airbus jets to add more seats...

For the past decade, the A321 and A321neo aircraft have flown American’s customers across the U.S. and to short-haul international destinations. American continues to be the largest single-carrier operator in the world of A320 family aircraft.

“The continued investment in the A321neo is a testament to the unprecedented value of the world’s most versatile and capable single-aisle aircraft,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, Airbus. “For nearly two decades, American Airlines has used its A320 family of aircraft, some of which have been produced in the U.S. in Mobile, Alabama, to grow its domestic and short-haul international network and provide an exceptional experience for its passengers and crews.”

The carrier will start retrofitting its A319 and A320 aircraft beginning in 2025. The retrofit will refresh the interior with power at every seat, larger overhead bins and new seats with updated trim and finish.

American’s A319 fleet will be outfitted with more premium seats for a total of 12 domestic first-class seats. The A320 fleet retrofits will increase the aircraft’s domestic first-class seat count to 16.

With the planned refresh of existing aircraft and the expected deliveries of new aircraft, premium seating in American’s fleet is expected to grow by more than 20% by 2026.

JetBlue and Spirit give up on merger deal

JetBlue pulls out of Spirit Airlines takeover deal as it seeks to return to profitability.

The hometown airline of New York has decided to pull out of the takeover or merger as they preferred to call it, of the budget airline Spirit both carriers confirmed today. 

Pulling out of the deal is costing JetBlue a compensation payment of $69 million, in addition to the $480 million the company has already spent on the project which would have made a big impact on the American aviation industry. 

The two airlines have mutually agreed to terminate the $3.8bn deal as the required closing conditions, including receiving necessary legal and regulatory approvals, were unlikely to be met by the merger agreement’s outside date of July 24, 2024.Joanna Geraghty, chief executive officer of JetBlue said:  “We believed this merger was worth pursuing because it would have unleashed a national low-fare, high-value competitor to the Big Four airlines. We are proud of the work we did with Spirit to lay out a vision to challenge the status quo, but given the hurdles to closing that remain, we decided together that both airlines’ interests are better served by moving forward independently. We wish the very best going forward to the entire Spirit team.”

Following the deal being blocked by a US judge in January on anti-competition concerns, there seemed no way forward for the deal. In a recent shareholders call, the focus for JetBlue was to return to sustained profitability, drive up shareholder value and concentrate on its core strengths.  Geraghty added “We have already begun to advance our plan to restore profitability. We look forward to sharing more on our progress in the coming months.”  The airline plans to cement its network relevance in its home markets as well as enhance its products and services.  

Ted Christie, Spirit's President and Chief Executive Officer said: "After discussing our options with our advisors and JetBlue, we concluded that current regulatory obstacles will not permit us to close this transaction in a timely fashion under the merger agreement," 

"We are disappointed we cannot move forward with a deal that would save hundreds of millions for consumers and create a real challenger to the dominant "Big 4" U.S. airlines. However, we remain confident in our future as a successful independent airline. We wish the JetBlue team well."  

WestJet celebrates a decade of flying to Europe with the restart of service between Toronto and Dublin

WestJet is celebrating the return of transatlantic flying between Eastern Canada and Europe.

As Canada's coast-to-coast leisure travel champion, the daily summer seasonal service reaffirms WestJet's commitment to transatlantic connectivity to and from Eastern Canada.

This summer also marks the 10-year anniversary of WestJet's entry into Europe, commemorating the airline's inaugural transatlantic flight between St. John's and Dublin in 2014.

"Service between Toronto and Dublin continues to be an important part of WestJet's story, and we celebrate a decade of service that has strengthened ties between our two countries," said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. "The return of daily seasonal service between Toronto and Dublin gives Canadians the opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse landscapes, rich culture and warm hospitality of Ireland with the convenience and affordability WestJet is known for."

Route	Frequency	Service start date	Service end date	Departure time (local)	Arrival time (local)
Toronto - Dublin	Daily	March 1	Oct. 13	10:45 p.m.	10:55 a.m.
Dublin - Toronto	Daily	March 2	Oct. 14	12:15 p.m.	3:00 p.m.

American Airlines has placed an order for 85 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

Boeing is celebrating a new order from American Airlines for its troubled 737 MAX jets, just at a time when the manufacturer needs some good news. 

It was confirmed today, that the U.S. mega-carrier is amending a previous order for 737 MAX 8 planes to the bigger version of the type the MAX 10. Plus it is further ordering 85 aircraft, with an option for another 75 MAX 10 jets.  

"Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers," said American's CEO Robert Isom. "These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers."

The Boeing 737 MAX 10 can carry up to 230 passengers and is said to offer a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles with a full load. 

The whole MAX programme has been beset with problems since its inception and maiden flight back on 29th January 2016. Two fatal crashes of this type - Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early 2019, took the lives of 346 leading to a worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX jets.  More recently, loose and missing bolts on door plugs have been found after urgent inspections were carried out after an Alaska Airlines' jet suffered a major blowout mid-flight. The programme has also suffered from issues relating to fuel tank debris, wing spur cracks, misaligned holes, fuselage quality issues and supply chain delays are all taking their toll. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that an audit into Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems regarding the 737 MAX programme found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. There were "non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control."

Last week, the FAA ordered Boeing to develop and present a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues within 90 days.  

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Another big Airbus order from American Airlines.

American Airlines orders 85 additional A321neo aircraft

The U.S. mega carrier American Airlines, has signed a big firm order with Airbus for an additional 85 A321neo aircraft, this new order will mean the carrier has commitments for 219 of the type. 

“Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernise and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom. “These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers.”

“The continued investment in the A321neo is a testament to the unprecedented value of the world’s most versatile and capable single aisle aircraft,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, Airbus. “ For nearly two decades, American Airlines has used its A320 Family of aircraft, some of which have been produced in the U.S. in Mobile, Alabama, to grow its domestic and short-haul international network and provide an exceptional experience for its passengers and crews.”

American Airlines took delivery of its first A321neo in February 2019, and 70 have been delivered as of January 31, 2024. The airline is the world's largest operator of A320 Family aircraft, the world’s largest A321 operator (CEO and NEO) and the largest customer for the A321neo in North America.

Ethiopian inaugurates the first of its kind e-commerce logistics facility at Bole International Airport

The facility positions Addis Ababa to be the cross-border e-commerce logistics hub for Africa and beyond

Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest airline group in Africa and one of the fastest-growing airline brands globally, proudly announced the launching of its state-of-the-art e-commerce logistics facility in a grand event recently. The Ethiopian e-commerce facility is located inside the Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics premises.

The newly built facility, which is dedicated to e-commerce, mail and courier logistics services is aimed at bridging logistical gaps and positioning Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the cross-border e-commerce logistics hub for Africa and beyond. Marking the unveiling of the new facility, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said: "The inauguration of this cutting-edge e-commerce logistics facility is a significant breakthrough for Ethiopian Airlines Group and the entire African economy. We have implemented high-end technologies in the infrastructure that revolutionize the way goods are transported and delivered in the e-commerce industry in Africa. Through this facility, Ethiopian Airlines paves the way for the development of e-commerce services in Ethiopia and the African continent. Built on 15,000 square meters of area, the facility boasts a capacity to handle 150,000 tons annually. We are glad to witness that our investment of 55 million USD has indeed pay off and enabled us to set the e-commerce industry in the continent to follow the global trend.”

This e-commerce Logistics Facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and meticulously implemented systems; as a result, the facility will offer a range of services including consolidation, deconsolidation, sortation, repacking, labelling and more.

Lithuanian Airports seeks international retail convenience store operator for growing commercial space

Lithuanian Airports, the company that manages Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga Airports, is launching an international lease tender to attract a new retail convenience store operator. The selected partner will operate convenience stores at all three of the country’s airports.

Lithuanian Airports served more than 6 million passengers in 2023, which is 12% more than in 2022. The number of flights also increased during the past year, with an annual growth of 4.5%. With 4.4 million passengers served, Vilnius Airport attracted the biggest number of travellers last year. Kaunas Airport served a record-breaking 1.3 million passengers, while Palanga Airport welcomed 307 thousand travellers.

Currently, strategic infrastructure development projects are underway at both Vilnius and Kaunas Airports: a new departure terminal is being built in Vilnius; while the reconstruction and expansion of the passenger terminal has started and the Northern apron is being enlarged in Kaunas. 

By 2025, it is projected that Lithuania's airports will complete their infrastructure expansion stage, allowing them to handle a total capacity of 10 million passengers annually.

High potential for commercial partners

The large-scale growth of Vilnius and Kaunas Airports will also open up more commercial potential for partners and service providers.

According to Gintarė Norvilaitė-Tautevičė, Head of the Commercial Department at Lithuanian Airports, the company will be paying a lot of attention to the search for strong and reliable partners, as it will soon be serving twice as many passengers as it does today.

"We are getting ready now – the first lease tender will specifically focus on the retail convenience category. This sector is very important for airports, as it helps to ensure fast shopping before flights, the number of which is growing every year at our airports," said Gintarė Norvilaitė-Tautevičė.

The plan is to lease about 515 sq. m of retail space to the operator, for three stores in Vilnius, two stores in Kaunas and one store in Palanga Airport. In Vilnius, the stores will be located in the new departure terminal, as well as in the current arrivals terminal and in the area of the current departure terminal behind the security checkpoint. One store at Kaunas Airport will be located on the first floor, next to the arrivals hall, while the other one will be on the second floor, beyond the security area. The store at Palanga Airport will be located next to the security checkpoint.

Volaris gets a new Airbus A321neo on lease from Aviation Capital Group

The aircraft leasing giant, Aviation Capital Group has confirmed the delivery of a new Airbus A321neo aircraft to Volaris.

The jet is powered by the ultra-efficient Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, this is the second of four aircraft scheduled to be delivered to the airline as part of a multiple-aircraft sale-leaseback transaction between the budget carrier and ACG.

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

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Global Airlines' first owned A380 takes to the skies....

In the last couple of weeks, a couple of major milestones have occurred in the development of Global Airlines.  Its first-owned Airbus A380 jet took to the skies for the first time and the airline's CEO released photos of the carrier's crew uniforms.

The Airbus A380 MSN120 last flew on 22nd December 2022, and had been stored in the Mojave desert, although was continuously maintained and looked after by expert teams. This great double-decked bird of the skies had its first flight in September 2012 and previously flew China Southern Airlines under registration B-6140. According to Airfleets. net it operated with a configuration of Seat configuration 8 first class seats, 70 in business class and 428 in economy. 

Becoming 9H-GLOBL has taken over a year of negotiation, inspections, challenges and hundreds of hours of operational and maintenance work. Fluids including fuel replenished, all 22 tyres were replaced and many hours of engine runs took place to make sure the aircraft was ready for its ferry flight from the desert to Malta. 

According to the flight crew of Hi Fly which were operating the jet, the aircraft flew like a dream and they can’t wait to get back to the flight deck for its next journey.

On Tuesday this week, the airline's CEO, James Asquith, used social media to give a sneak peek of what the carrier's Cabin Crew uniforms are likely to be.  James stated that the design continues to evolve as they move on towards the finished product. And, whilst these images are not quite the final finished articles,  they are getting close to it.

What do you think of these bright red incarnations of a classic cabin crew uniform?   What destinations would you like Global Airline's A380 to take you to? 

                                                                                                        

 

Your travel planning isn’t complete without learning the language—or at least some essential phrases. Fully immerse yourself in the language, or use Phrasebook to learn travel essentials—the choice is yours!

Former Airbus UK A380 chief engineer joins Global Airlines advisory board

Following the first flight of 9H-GLOBL from the Mojave Air and Space Port, Global Airlines has added to its roster of A380 operational and maintenance experience with the appointment of John Roberts to its Advisory Board.

John Roberts appointed to the Global Airlines Advisory Board, headed by former US Air Force Assistant Secretary, Kevin Billings OBE.

Roberts will offer operational and maintenance advice on the superjumbo to the Global team, as work continues on Global's fleet development.

Roberts spent over 40 years in aviation, including 6 years as Airbus UK Chief Engineer for the A380.

In his four decades in aviation, Roberts has worked for Dowty Fuel Systems, Messier-Dowty, but with the majority being spent at Airbus.  Most prominently, Roberts led on the operational introduction of the A380 as well as being a key customer interface for airlines through the challenging period of the aircrafts early in-service life.  Commenting on his appointment, Roberts said, "The A380 is the most distinctive aircraft in the sky, and I'm proud to have played a small part in its success since it entered into commercial operation in 2005.  It is still a modern, latest-technology aircraft, with two more decades of full-time usage in front of it.  It is great to be joining the project following the landmark first flight and I share Global's belief in the aircrafts ongoing potential. I look forward to working with the team, and the wider A380 community, as we plan for the future."

JetBlue and Empire State Development unveiled the newly rebranded Skywalk at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 5 in New York

New York's self-titled 'hometown' airline JetBlue and Empire State Development marked a significant milestone yesterday as they unveiled the newly rebranded Skywalk at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 5 in New York. 

The Skywalk serves as a crucial link within Terminal 5, seamlessly connecting millions of travelers to and from parking garages, AirTrain services, and the broader NYC-metro area to the heart of JetBlue’s operations at JFK. The redesign and installation of the updated Skywalk were generously funded by Empire State Development, further underscoring the state’s commitment to enhancing travel experiences in partnership with JetBlue. The revitalized Skywalk, from its design to production and installation, was a collaborative effort involving the teams at Prophet and Jack Morton.

JetBlue takes pride in its role as New York’s Hometown Airline and celebrates the success of this partnership alongside Empire State Development and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The new Skywalk branding incorporates innovative panels designed to enhance visual appeal while showcasing JetBlue’s distinctive and dynamic visual identity. In addition to serving as a functional pathway, the branding offers travel tips and destination insights, encouraging JetBlue customers to explore the diverse offerings of New York State. This commitment to New York is evident throughout the redesigned branding, reflecting JetBlue’s dedication not only to facilitating seamless travel but also to fostering a sense of pride in the state among its customers.