American Airlines enhances inflight connectivity and entertainment, will introduce AAdvantage redemption

American continues to make its high-speed inflight Wi-Fi more accessible and easier to use, whether customers connect to work or browse the internet. From introducing a new way for AAdvantage® members to use their miles to consistently improving the inflight connectivity and entertainment experience, customers can look forward to making the most of their time onboard.

• AAdvantage® members will soon be able to use their miles in even more ways with a new option to redeem for Wi-Fi on board.
• All customers can enjoy ad-sponsored Wi-Fi available across 100% of American’s Viasat domestic narrowbody fleet.
• Regional high-speed Wi-Fi installations kick off this summer, bringing high-speed Wi-Fi to nearly 500 dual-class regional aircraft.
• New inflight content and specially curated channels further enhance entertainment offerings.

Coming soon: redeem miles for Wi-Fi in flight

AAdvantage® members will soon be able to use miles to pay for Wi-Fi on board. American will start rolling out this new ability to redeem miles in the next few weeks on a couple select aircraft. By the summer travel season, all of the airline’s Viasat-equipped narrowbody aircraft will offer this ability to unlock Wi-Fi in exchange for miles. With this enhancement to help loyalty go even further, American continues to deliver on the commitment that travel is better as an AAdvantage® member.

Taking Wi-Fi connectivity to new heights

Once connected, customers can enjoy Wi-Fi even longer with gate-to-gate connectivity on most mainline aircraft, allowing customers to stay connected from the minute they find their seat to when they’re deplaning. and connectivity is only going up from here. Customers looking for a free Wi-Fi option can enjoy ad-sponsored Wi-Fi across 100% of American’s Viasat domestic narrowbody aircraft.

All Wi-Fi connectivity enhancements will be powered by a new design for the Wi-Fi portal that customers use inflight, rolling out throughout the year. The new Wi-Fi portal design will further enhance the customer experience by making Wi-Fi offerings even more accessible for customers with a user-friendly Wi-Fi purchase process with fewer clicks and effective direct-to-customer communication through strategic pop-up messaging. The portal will also make content easier to navigate through a sleeker design, providing an aesthetically pleasing experience that highlights American’s Wi-Fi, entertainment and partner offers on a single page.

Air Lease Corporation announces pricing of offering of €600 Million of senior unsecured medium-term notes

Air Lease Corporation announced the pricing on March 20, 2024 of its offering of €600 million aggregate principal amount of 3.70% senior unsecured medium-term notes due April 15, 2030 (the “Notes”). The sale of the Notes is expected to close on March 27, 2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The Notes will mature on April 15, 2030 and will bear interest at a rate of 3.70% per annum, payable annually in arrears on April 15 of each year, commencing on April 15, 2024. Owners of the Notes will receive payments relating to the Notes in Euros.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, the purchase of commercial aircraft and the repayment of existing indebtedness.

BBVA, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, NatWest Markets, and Societe Generale are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering of the Notes.

HIA Milestone Delivery Report lists critical next steps for UK to be leader in global hydrogen aviation race

The Hydrogen in Aviation alliance is calling for a comprehensive industrial strategy for aviation to ensure the UK is a global leader in the development of  hydrogen aviation

The report sets out how to ensure the country has the right conditions for the technological development, regulation, infrastructure, financial framework and hydrogen supply that will be needed for hydrogen aviation

HIA’s ultimate goal is to ensure hydrogen-powered flights become a reality to help preserve the huge social and economic benefits that aviation brings

The Alliance, formed of major players across the aviation, manufacturing and renewable energy sectors, see hydrogen as one of the key tools for the decarbonisation of aviation, and key to creating new jobs and supporting the sector’s long term sustainable future

The Hydrogen in Aviation alliance (HIA), formed of easyJet, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Ørsted, GKN Aerospace, Bristol Airport and ZeroAvia, has today released its Milestone Delivery Report – outlining the steps and timeline the UK Government and industry needs to follow to secure its position as a global leader in hydrogen-powered aviation.

The UK is home to many world-first advances in hydrogen-powered aircraft technology, from hydrogen engine testing to the first flights of hydrogen-fuelled planes – making it well placed to be a leader in hydrogen aviation. This would secure substantial economic, employment and sustainability benefits. To realise these benefits we need an industrial strategy for the sector focussed on these long term opportunities.

The UK will need to secure massive increases in hydrogen supply. This will involve the accelerated deployment of renewable and low carbon energy generation and significant investment in hydrogen infrastructure and skills.

In order to achieve this, HIA’s new Milestone Delivery Report – which has been shaped by accurate aviation demand figures and other critical industry data – outlines specific steps that need to be taken by industry, government and regulators to equip the UK with everything it needs to be a leader in the field of hydrogen-powered aviation.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet and first Chair of HIA, said:  “It’s without doubt that the UK is well placed to be a global leader in hydrogen – but the opportunity will be gone if we do not act now to build on all the great work that has already been done.

“The breakthroughs in hydrogen-powered technology happening across the UK are truly astonishing but these advances will be inconsequential if we fail to complement them with the appropriate skills, infrastructure, investment and regulation needed to support hydrogen aviation.

“HIA’s Milestone Delivery Report outlines the critical steps and the timeframe needed to do this and if followed, not only will it create significant wealth, jobs and prosperity across industry and across the UK, it will be a vital component in decarbonising the aviation sector.”

Mark Bentall, Head of Research & Technology at Airbus, said:  “Technology is already unlocking the potential of hydrogen as a new fuel and Airbus is firmly focused on getting a hydrogen powered aircraft in the air by 2035. Beyond the aircraft, we have to prepare people, policy and infrastructure to build a world-leading hydrogen aviation economy in the UK. This report gives us the blueprint for making it happen, so now is the time to follow through.”

NAV CANADA joins the iTEC Alliance to foster more efficient and sustainable aviation

NAV CANADA is joining the iTEC Alliance and gives further momentum to an initiative that brings together some of the world's leading air navigation service providers. With this important partnership, iTEC has reached beyond the European borders for the first time and continues its cooperative venture to create a more efficient and environment-friendly generation of air traffic management systems.

The signing took place this week at the Airspace World event in Geneva which has brought together some of the main players in air traffic management ecosystem. Mark Cooper, Vice-President and Chief Technology and Information Officer on behalf of NAV CANADA, and the main representatives of the iTEC Alliance, Dirk Mahns, DFS COO and Chairman of iTEC Board; Kuldeep Gharatya, NATS Technical Services Director; Laura Garcés, ENAIRE Deputy Director ANS; Jan-Gunnar Pedersen, Avinor CEO; Magdalena Jaworska-Maćkowiak, PANSA President; Marlou Banning, LVNL CFO; Saulius Batavičius, Oro Navigacija CEO; and Javier Ruano, Indra's ATM General Director, signed the agreement. 

With this settlement, cooperation between Europe and North America will be reinforced, and global air traffic will reach new levels of efficiency thanks to a more collaborative management. This partnership also brings the possibility of operating transoceanic flights using the same technology from start to finish, thereby facilitating smoother traffic management across both sides of the world's busiest oceanic areas.

The joining of NAV CANADA, who plays a unique and critical role in managing the second-largest airspace in the world, constitutes a significant advancement for the Alliance—expanding its partnered airspace from 8 million to over 26 million square kilometres and supporting more than 12 million flights from 27 control centres each year. Aircraft will be able to cross almost half of the globe with iTEC SkyNex as the system managing their flights.

United makes it easier to share award miles with family and friends

Just in time for summer travel planning, United launched MileagePlus miles pooling – a new way for MileagePlus members to contribute and combine their miles into a joint account. Available on United.com, groups of up to five members can now share and redeem miles in one linked account. United allows any MileagePlus member – whether relatives or close friends – to be in a pool with other members. United is the first and only major U.S. airline to offer this feature.

"We're always looking for new ways to provide the most value to all of our loyalty members and are proud to be the first major U.S. airline to allow our members to pool their miles with their loved ones and friends," said Luc Bondar, Chief Operating Officer of MileagePlus. "MileagePlus miles pooling further reinforces United's position as the leader in family and group travel and gives our members more flexibility to use their miles while making it easier to connect to the destinations and moments that matter most, with the people that matter most." 

As 81% of parents report intent to travel with their children in the next year and nearly 60% report concern about travel affordability, according to a 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association, the introduction of MileagePlus miles pooling aims to make travel even easier for families or groups looking to get away; even the youngest family members can contribute as there's no minimum age to become a MileagePlus member.

MileagePlus miles pooling is now available to all MileagePlus members by logging in to their account on United.com. For those not already MileagePlus members, the program is free to join here. 

How MileagePlus miles pooling works

Any MileagePlus member over 18 years old can become the pool leader and create a pool for free when logged in to their account on United.com.

Pool leaders can invite up to four of their family, friends, or close travel companions of any age to join the pool if they have an active MileagePlus account. There is no minimum age to join MileagePlus.

When logged in to their MileagePlus account on United.com, members will be instructed on how to contribute miles to the group pool as well as how to redeem pooled miles for award flights on United and United Express*.

There are no limits to the number of miles that may be contributed to an active miles pool.

Pooled miles can be used when booking a ticket on United.com or in the United mobile app. 

Department of Transportation to launch first industry-wide privacy review of U.S. Airlines

The Department of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. will undertake a privacy review of the nation’s ten largest airlines regarding their collection, handling, maintenance, and use of passengers’ personal information. The review will examine airlines’ policies and procedures to determine if airlines are properly safeguarding their customers’ personal information. In addition, DOT will probe whether airlines are unfairly or deceptively monetizing or sharing that data with third parties. As DOT finds evidence of problematic practices, the Department will take action, which could mean investigations, enforcement actions, guidance, or rulemaking.

“Airline passengers should have confidence that their personal information is not being shared improperly with third parties or mishandled by employees,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This review of airline practices is the beginning of a new initiative by DOT to ensure airlines are being good stewards of sensitive passenger data. DOT is grateful for the expertise and partnership of Senator Wyden as we undertake this effort to protect passengers.”

“Secretary Buttigieg and the Biden Administration deserve serious credit for working with me to launch a new initiative to review the privacy practices of the major U.S. airlines,” said Senator Ron Wyden. “Because consumers will often never know that their personal data was misused or sold to shady data brokers, effective privacy regulation cannot depend on consumer complaints to identify corporate abuses. I will continue to work with DOT to ensure that it is holding the airlines responsible for harmful or negligent privacy practices.”

WestJet achieves significant reductions in aircraft emissions

The Canadian airline WestJet has reported an 11% reduction in its fuel emissions intensity in 2023, compared to 20191. The reductions align with the airline's commitment to responsible growth and the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) goal for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The lower aircraft emissions intensity can be attributed to strategic initiatives including fleet modernization and a responsible shift in network planning. By incorporating newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft and optimizing flight routes, WestJet is successfully curtailing its impact on the environment.

"Sustainability has been a core value for WestJet for more than two decades. Our achievements in reducing emissions intensity demonstrates our commitment to climate change and positions WestJet as a leader in Canada with a proven track record in sustainable aviation," said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice President and Chief People, Corporate and Sustainability Officer.

WestJet remains committed to sustainable aviation as it strives to find innovative ways to build upon its momentum, while continuing its mandate of providing affordable air travel for Canadians. The airline's current initiatives include progressive fleet modernization plans and advocacy for sustainable aviation fuel production in Canada.

airBaltic to add three new routes....

airBaltic continues expansion from the Baltics

The Latvian state airline airBaltic has announced a further expansion from the Baltics by adding three new routes – Riga–Madeira (Portugal), Tallinn–Kittilä (Finland) and Vilnius–Oslo Torp (Norway) – for the upcoming winter season that will start at the end of October 2024.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “We are pleased to announce our further expansions from the Baltics by launching these new routes. Madeira is a unique destination in our network and offers a fantastic leisure experience with its magnificent scenery and breath-taking nature. Additionally, the new routes – from Tallinn and Vilnius to Kittilä and Oslo, will serve as a destinations for both leisure and business travel.”

“When preparing for the upcoming season, we are constantly evaluating the market and are committed to further improve the connectivity to and from the region. In 2024, we will operate a record high number of routes from our home bases more than ever before, enhancing the global connectivity, which is generating significant interest and is set to offer passengers a wide range of travel options,” Martin Gauss added.

In addition to new destinations airBaltic will increase flight frequencies on routes from Riga to Stockholm, Prague, Tampere, and more, as well, as from Tallinn to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gran Canaria, and from Vilnius to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin and more. Furthermore, the airline will continue to operate some of its seasonal routes during the winter season, including Riga–Ljubljana, Riga–Baku (November), Tallinn– Malta (November), Vilnius–Lisbon and Vilnius–Hamburg.

Transavia to lease two new Airbus A321-200neo jets

Global leasing giant, Air Lease Corporation has confirmed this week it has agreed with Transavia on a long lease deal for two new Airbus A321-200neo aircraft.  

The jets are scheduled to arrive in late 2025 and early 2026 and these two new Airbus A321-200neos join seven A321-200neos ALC has leased to Transavia. The first ALC A321neo aircraft was delivered to Transavia in December 2023 and was the first A321-200neo to join the Dutch carrier’s fleet.

“ALC is pleased to announce this transaction for two additional Airbus A321neo aircraft with Transavia,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “Our nine A321-200neo aircraft will offer significant enhancements and efficiency to the airline’s fleet operations, as demonstrated by the first ALC A321neo that delivered to Transavia last year.”

In addition to the nine Airbus A321-200neo aircraft, ALC has ten Boeing 737-800s on long-term lease to the Dutch carrier.

Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. 

Transavia is a low-cost airline that for the past 50 years has taken great pleasure in flying passengers to over 110 destinations in Europe and North Africa. Transavia stands for accessibility and affordability: whether you are planning a holiday or a business trip, you will always find a flight that fits your budget. Transavia operates from the Netherlands and France.

Finnair has executed a reverse split on its shares

Finnair Plc confirmed on Wednesday it had executed a reverse split, i.e. the reduction of the number of shares in the Company, and a related directed share issue without consideration, redemption of shares and cancellation of shares. After these measures, the new number of shares in the Company is 204,811,392. The new number of shares has been registered with the Trade Register maintained by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office today, 20 March 2024, and trading with the new total number of shares in the Company commences on Thursday 21 March 2024 with a new ISIN code FI4000567029. Finnair’s trading code FIA1S will remain the same after the reverse split.

Finnair’s Annual General Meeting resolved on 18 March 2024 on the reverse split and on a related redemption of shares so that after carrying out the reverse split, every 100 shares in the Company corresponds to one (1) share in the Company. Concurrently with the execution of the reverse split, the Board of Directors of the Company has resolved on implementing the directed share issue without consideration resolved by the Annual General Meeting in which the Company has issued without consideration a total of 4,714,922 treasury shares held by the Company in such manner that the number of shares in each book-entry account holding Finnair’s shares has been made divisible by 100. The aggregate market value of the shares issued without consideration is EUR 140,976.17, based on the closing price of 20 March 2024.

After the directed share issue, the Company has redeemed without compensation 99 shares for each 100 shares in the Company, in accordance with the resolution of the Annual General Meeting. The Company’s shares redeemed in connection with the reverse split have been cancelled immediately. After the reverse split, Finnair holds 354,315 treasury shares.

The aim of the reverse split is to facilitate trading conditions of the shares by increasing the value of a single share as well as to improve the price formation of the shares.

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!

Riyadh Air joins United Nations Global Compact with the intention to incorporate United Nations Sustainability Goals across its operations

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new world-class airline, has this week announced it has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative that promotes responsible business practices and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a letter to António Guterres UN Secretary General, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas officially committed Riyadh Air to implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. As active participants of the UNGC, Riyadh Air will adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies in areas such as human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption and report on progress on these efforts regularly.

As part of its aim to support the advancement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) working alongside partners and stakeholders to drive progress towards these goals by 2030. Riyadh Air will also publish its first Sustainability Report in advance of its maiden in mid-2025.

Tony Douglas CEO Riyadh Air said, "At Riyadh Air, we are conscious of our environmental impact and committed to actively contributing to the Kingdom's sustainability goals, adopting world-class practices and leading our industry in integrating ESG into every area of our business."

Alaska Access: A new subscription service by Alaska Airlines to save on travel planning and costs,

Alaska Airlines to offer a bundle of exclusive deals with Alaska Access, a new subscription offer that includes discounted Wi-Fi plus more cost-saving tools

Alaska Airlines is launching a new subscription program for savvy, price-conscious guests that will save them time and money throughout the year. Starting today, travellers can sign up for Alaska Access at just $5 per month to take advantage of exclusive savings.

Immediately after sign-up, subscribers will receive their first monthly voucher to Alaska’s inflight streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi. Benefits also include advanced alerts to some of our biggest fare sales of the year. Subscribers will be notified the night before a sale is announced to take advantage of huge savings and seat selection. Alaska Access also offers a calendar view of the lowest fares that are tailored to subscribers' favourite destinations, so they never miss out on the best deals.

“We know time is valuable for our guests who are busy balancing a lot in their lives and we kept that in mind when we developed Alaska Access,” said Shane Jones, vice president of business development at Alaska Airlines, “Alaska Access is part of our commitment to make travel more affordable and convenient for everyone – whether planning for your dream vacation or returning home from college. Our new subscription service allows you to discover some of our best deals of the year right at your fingertips, in just minutes.”  

Alaska was the first U.S. airline to introduce a subscription service to travellers in 2022 when it launched Flight Pass. Responding to the continued shift in consumer demand for personalized and tailored experiences, the carrier seeks to open up a new revenue stream with Alaska Access. 

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!

Boeing Finally Settles Lawsuit of Deadly Spanair Crash After 15 Years of Legal Battles

Boeing has finally settled for an undisclosed amount in the lawsuit that resulted from the deaths of 154 passengers and crewmembers in Spain over 15 years ago. The case was brought against Boeing as the manufacturer of the ill-fated plane through their acquisition of McDonald Douglas. BCA argued that Boeing was aware of a mechanical defect that increased the risk of error during takeoff but failed to apply a known fix to all of their planes. While there were initially several law firms involved in the litigation, only Brent Coon & Associates held out and fought for a trial for their clients. After all of the legal wrangling, the Civil Courts in Spain finally allowed litigation to move forward to trial, 15 years after Spanair flight JK5022 crashed, killing 154 people.  

Brent Coon, whose firm undertook representation early on in the initial lawsuit in California, finally feels like his clients have been vindicated.  “We have been fighting the good fight for these victims and their families for well over a decade. It has been extraordinarily frustrating to see Boeing dodging accountability for so long, and to succeed in convincing our own judiciary that the victims would get a swift and fair trial in Spain. They knew that wasn’t going to be the case, and showed their true colours once they obtained the rulings throwing everything back into the laps of the Spanish courts, which rarely deal with this type of complex litigation. We weren’t surprised to see them undertake multiple protracted appeals of the trial court rulings to further delay the matter and wear down these families, who were already devastated by the loss of their loved ones and impatient to ride out appeal after appeal. But we have weathered all the storms and got a definitive trial date. This positioned us to negotiate a fair settlement of our claims and these families can finally have closure.   Spanish government oversight of the airline industry is frankly pretty weak or this would likely not have been allowed to happen in the first place,” says Mr. Coon.  

Ivan De Miguel Perez, Spanish counsel to the plaintiffs, had this to say: “These recent developments allowed us to see that justice is now finally available for the people we have represented for such a long time in a tragic accident that happened as a result of negligence on a massive scale. While the terms of the settlements are confidential, we believe that our clients are receiving the maximum amount they would have been awarded by the court under the laws applicable to these types of claims in Spanish law.   It has been a pleasure working with Brent Coon & Associates as their Spanish local counsel and look forward to working again with such a dedicated team of lawyers and staff. They just don’t give up”.

Air101: Why is one of the deadliest crashes in aviation history yet to be resolved after 15 years?

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!

Jet2.com recognised by CAA for punctuality performance in Q4 of 2023

Jet2 has been recognised for its punctuality performance by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), after operating 77 percent of its flights on time between October and December 2023 which makes it the best of the UK’s major airlines. 

The latest Aviation Trends report from the CAA reviewed the on-time performance of both UK airlines and international airlines in the fourth quarter of 2023. It found that 67 percent of flights were on time overall. 

Jet2 surpassed the industry average, operating 77 percent of its flights on time – arriving or departing the gate within 15 minutes of their scheduled time - between October and December 2023. This achievement makes Jet2 the best of the UK’s major airlines for punctuality performance during that period.  

The full Aviation Trends report by the CAA for quarter four of 2023 can be found here -  57 (caa.co.uk)  

Jet2 is repeatedly recognised for its continued commitment to delivering industry-leading customer service, seeing the airline receive a high number of prestigious accolades, in recognition of the way it looks after customers. Earlier this year, the airline was ranked as amongst the very best companies in the UK for delivering outstanding customer service by the latest Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) and was also the only UK airline to be named a Which? Recommended Provider. 

flynas signs strategic partnership with stc Group and SkyFive Arabia to Provide High-Speed Air-to-Ground Internet Onboard for the First Time in The Middle East

flynas, stc Group, and SkyFive Arabia have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that aims to provide a cutting-edge high-speed Air to Ground internet on 120 flynas aircraft, for the fist time in the Middle East enhancing the passenger experience across the airline's extensive fleet.

The MOU has been signed in presence of Mr. Olayan Alwetaid stc Group CEO, Mr. Ayed Aljeaid, chairman of flynas, Mr. Abdulaziz Aldahmash, GACA deputy president, Mr. Omar Alrejraje CST deputy governor.

SkyFive Arabia and stc Group will spearhead the initiative by delivering state-of-the-art Air-to-Ground internet connectivity, set to debut on domestic services in the 4th quarter of 2024. This innovative service will progressively extend its reach throughout the network and fleet of flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East.

SkyFive Arabia provides reliable high performance home-like broadband services to airlines and business jet operators. Aircraft connect through a network on the ground that creates a high-performance low-latency grid serving the sky based on proven cellular technology. Passengers can anticipate a seamless surfing experience with high speeds and minimal latencies, thanks to the latest connectivity technology employed from our partner SkyFive Arabia. The incorporation of lightweight technology not only ensures efficiency but also mitigates weight and drag, contributing to reduced fuel consumption and environmental sustainability.

More than 1.4 million people travelled with Etihad Airways in February

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has published its preliminary traffic statistics for February 2024, during which over 1.4 million passengers travelled with the carrier.

The airline reports its load factor was around 89 % for the month, up a percent from last year whilst the carriers fleet has risen to 89 operational aircraft.

“In February 2024 we saw a 46 per cent year-on-year growth in customer numbers as we continue our growth strategy,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways. “Our year-to-date (YTD) passenger figures at 2.9 million are 40 per cent higher than at YTD February 2023.

“February was a busy month; we strengthened our fleet, welcoming three new 787-9s, a move which is aligned to our network expansion strategy of adding new destinations and expanding frequencies into key markets.

We also announced two additional new routes which will begin this year: to Antalya, Turkey and Jaipur, India, the latter representing our eleventh non-stop connection between Abu Dhabi and the Indian Subcontinent."

	Feb-23	Feb-24	2023 YTD	2024 YTD
Passengers	1.0 million	1.4 million	2.0 million	2.9 million
Passenger load factor	88%	89%	88%	87%
Operating fleet size	74	89	74	89
Passenger destinations	64	69	64	69

Earlier this month Etihad Airways published some details of its results for last year, demonstrating an AED 1.4 billion (U.S.$ 394 million) operating result, driven by AED 4 billion (U.S.$ 1.1 billion) year-on-year growth in passenger revenue, while decreasing unit cost excl. fuel by 7%, marking a significant improvement in passenger business profitability.

Through 2023, the airline launched 15 new destinations, including Lisbon, Copenhagen, Kolkata and Osaka, and grew its operating fleet by 14 aircraft, to support ~30 per cent growth in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs).

The airline also successfully strengthened its balance sheet by reducing net leverage to 2.5x net debt to EBITDA, from 5.0x in 2022, off the back of strong cash-flow generation and controlled CAPEX, supported by improving aircraft utilisation and re-activating previously parked aircraft.

Joby to deliver two eVTOL aircraft to MacDill Air Force Base

Aircraft will be used by the U.S. Air Force for test and training

Four Joby aircraft are now committed to U.S. Air Force bases as part of the company’s $131M contract with the DoD

Joby Aviation, a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it will deliver two aircraft to MacDill Air Force Base in 2025 as part of the Company’s AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force.

MacDill AFB is home to the U.S. Special Operations Command (“USSOCOM”), U.S. Central Command (“CENTCOM”), and units from the Air Mobility Command (“AMC”), along with numerous logistics-oriented units. Personnel will test and train with the aircraft based at MacDill AFB, on base and in the surrounding area.

Joby delivered its first aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base in California in September 2023, with a second aircraft expected to be placed on the base this year. At Edwards, the Joby team is working closely with the 412th Test Wing on testing and experimentation that will inform future operational testing at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida.

Joby’s Agility Prime contract includes the provisioning of up to nine aircraft total to the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies. In 2020, Joby became the first eVTOL developer to receive military airworthiness approval for its pre-production prototype aircraft.

Two new Airbus A320neo aircraft for flynas

The two Airbus A320neo aircraft arrived in Riyadh on 7th March and 14th March and will operate flights on the carrier's international and domestic route network. Six A320neo new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to flynas during 2024 which will further enhance the airline's schedule.

This growth in the number of new aircraft and increasing the seat capacity is part of flynas new strategic plan "We Connect the World to the Kingdom", which along with the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP). Times Aerospace reports the aims of these plans is to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques and the National Civil Aviation Strategy to enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting Saudi Arabia with around 250 International destinations. 

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!

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to optimize operations with Gurobi

Gurobi Optimization, has confirmed this week that its solver helps power CrewVision, the innovative tool developed by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to facilitate long-term crew planning for airlines.

CrewVision makes it easy to create optimal five-year crew plans while accounting for critical factors, such as changes in industry regulations, fleets, hiring needs, and training requirements—a significant improvement from their previous outlook of nine months. With support from Gurobi’s solver, these five-year plans can now be generated within several hours, as opposed to an entire week. This allows KLM to spend more time strategizing around their long-term vision.

Prior to developing CrewVision, KLM used a legacy system to run analyses, with data spread across multiple sources. A total cycle took a week to process overall. With CrewVision, this is reduced to several hours.

“The nice thing about Gurobi is that we can easily experiment with different parameters and thresholds. We can do a lot of different runs to see what is still acceptable. So even though we have expanded the problem a lot, we can still go in and quickly get results that are quite good,” shares Tim Lamballais Tessensohn, Data Scientist at KLM.

JetBlue set to axe many flights

New York's hometown airline is seeking to cut costs and return to profitability after ending its very costly attempt to buy out budget carrier Spirit, by axing a number of flights.

TPG reports that internal communications have been issued which detail a number of routes being stopped in the next few months, including eight from Los Angeles. Among those flights being axed are ones to Miami, Reno, Seattle, Las Vegas, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.  

The carrier will also end all services from Kansas City from the second week in June and also pull out of international routes to the cities of Bogota, Quito and Lima.  

Florida will also be hit as the schedule will reduce dramatically over the next few months as the airline tries to focus on high-performing routes. 

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!

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 jet suffers cracked window upon landing

US media is reporting that the inner windscreen of an Alaska Airlines  Boeing 737-800 aircraft cracked as it landed in Portland, Oregon over the weekend.

The jet had performed a flight from Washington DC and whilst on approach the flight deck crew became aware of a crack in the inner windscreen.  Alaska Airlines said the crew "followed their checklists and the aircraft continued safely to its destination as scheduled."  

In a statement to U.S. media, Alaska Air confirmed the aircraft was "outfitted with five-layer windscreens that have an outer pane, three inner layers and an inner pane. If an inner pane cracks, the other pane and layers can maintain cabin pressure. The aircraft will be inspected and repaired by engineers on the ground."

The plane was carrying 159 passengers and six crew at the time of the incident and the windscreen layer has been repaired and the jet is now put back in service. 

The WestJet Group names Diederik Pen as airline President

Pen to continue to serve as Group Chief Operating Officer reporting to Chief Executive Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech

The WestJet Group today announced the appointment of Diederik Pen as President of WestJet Airlines effective April 1, 2024. As WestJet Group Chief Operating Officer and President of WestJet Airlines, Pen will continue to report to Alexis von Hoensbroech, the WestJet Group's Chief Executive Officer (CEO). As CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech will continue to maintain overall responsibility for the WestJet Group and its strategic direction.

"Diederik's experience as a respected leader, with a track record of operational success, will be critical as we continue our growth strategy, including the integration of Sunwing Airlines," said von Hoensbroech. "With the largest narrow-body aircraft order book in Canada, it is critical we optimize safe and reliable performance for our business, as we deliver more affordable options and better connectivity to Canadians."

Since joining the WestJet Group in October of 2021, as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Pen has been instrumental in enhancing the operational performance of the Group. Leading operations into recovery, he has been influential across airline operations, inflight, airports, technical operations, labour relations, safety, crew resources and training. As WestJet Group Chief Operating Officer and President of WestJet Airlines, Pen will be responsible for the Group's day-to-day operations, successful labour negotiations and overall operational reliability that WestJet guests expect. He will also assume the role of the Transport Canada Accountable Executive.

Airbus continues to collaborate with NASA to monitor climate change from Space

GRACE-C contract for two spacecraft awarded to Airbus

NASA and DLR mission will continue measurements of Earth’s gravity field

Airbus has been awarded a contract to design and build the GRACE-C twin spacecraft by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL (Pasadena, California). This new mission of NASA and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will strengthen the more than 20 year long partnership between the USA and Germany to ensure uninterrupted measurement of the Earth's gravity field, which started in 2002 with GRACE and continues with GRACE Follow-On, launched in 2018.

During its five year nominal mission lifetime, the GRACE-C Mission (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment-Continuity) will continue the series of measurements observing how Earth’s groundwater, oceans, ice sheets, and land shift, month-to-month, by measuring changes in the planet’s gravity field. 

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, said: “It is amazing to think that, without looking down at Earth, two satellites more than 200 km away from each other, can tell us how quickly our ice sheets are melting. In environmental monitoring, continuity is key. The valuable data provided by the previous GRACE missions is testament to their success and it is great news that Airbus continues to be part of this international mission providing the tools to measure how our climate is evolving.”

GRACE-C consists of two identical satellites flying around 200 km apart at an orbit altitude of 500 km with an inclination of 89 degrees. Each satellite will measure approximately 3 x 2 x 1 metres and weigh around 600 kg. Launch is planned no earlier than late 2028 from the USA.

New report shows 50 new direct long-haul routes could be unlocked at Manchester Airport by integrating investment in new transport infrastructure

Political and business leaders back report showing how Manchester Airport can drive Northern growth and a rebalancing of the economy

Regional political and business leaders have backed the report – saying “Manchester Airport  should be at the heart of our plan to transform the North’s connectivity if we are to drive productivity and growth”

Government measures needed include investment in new high speed rail network in the North, with Airport at its heart

 

Political and business leaders have urged the next government to place Manchester Airport at the heart of a modern, integrated transport network in the North and maximise its role in rebalancing the UK economy.

The calls were made after a new report revealed what the full economic potential of the Airport would be if the right conditions were in place to unlock “transformational growth” across the North.

Produced by Arup, it states that between now and 2050, the Northern gateway could secure direct flights to 50 new world-leading cities including Sydney, Tokyo, Montreal, Mumbai, Riyadh, San Francisco and Cape Town, driving passenger volumes to as high as 60m a year.

Those links would drive significant increases in exports, inward investment, tourism and cultural exchange for the North, growing Manchester Airport’s annual economic impact on the North to £16.3bn and leading to support for more than 80,000 more jobs.

The report spells out the opportunity for Ministers to create a “supportive policy environment” that enables both the Airport, and the Northern economy as a whole, to flourish.

The centrepiece of that would be the delivery of a high-speed rail network that transforms journey times between the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and Bradford and the airport.

That would build on MAG’s own £1.3bn investment in the transformation of its facilities, which is helping unlock the potential of its existing two runways.

Alongside measures like investing in local transport schemes, funding and policy support for aviation sustainability and the right national tourism strategy, that would create a transformational growth scenario that by 2050 would also lead to:

Gross value added (GVA) impact from the airport in the North tripling from £5.7bn to £16.3bn

  Potential for more than 50 new long-haul routes

 Around 25 new short-haul routes

Employment for over 165,000 people compared to 80,000 people today. That is equivalent to the population of Harrogate

More than 260,000 businesses would be within 90 minutes of the airport – compared to 70,000 today

Potential for the airport to serve up to 60m passengers each year compared to 27m today

The creation of 6,500 jobs and £930m of economic value through the creation of a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pipeline and production capability that serves Manchester Airport and the UK as a whole

MAG CEO Ken O'Toole said: "Manchester Airport is well-established as the UK’s global gateway in the North, connecting the region to an ever-increasing range of destinations such as Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Houston, Toronto and across the Middle East.

“We know this connectivity delivers billions of pounds of economic value to the North by driving trade, investment and tourism and, spurred by our own £1.3bn investment in new terminal facilities and infrastructure the Airport, we will continue to grow and support growth across the region in the years to come.

ATSG delivers additional Boeing 767 Freighter to DHL

Air Transport Services Group, announced this week that it has commenced a new lease agreement with DHL Network Operations (USA), Inc. under which ATSG’s Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) has leased a 767-300 freighter aircraft to DHL to operate within DHL’s global network.

“As one of our longest leasing relationships, we take pride in identifying opportunities to enhance capacity within the DHL network,” said Paul Chase, chief commercial officer of ATSG. “The Boeing 767 remains unrivalled in the medium-widebody freighter market, serving as the backbone for lessees by offering payload capacity and range capabilities to optimize express delivery operations.”

The agreement will increase the total CAM-leased 767 fleet at DHL to fourteen.

“Leasing customers recognize our Lease+Plus strategy as an opportunity to increase capacity and meet market demand,” stated Chase. “No other company in the world can compete with our bundle of services for midsize freighters, including leasing, air express operations, heavy maintenance, freighter conversions, and logistics services.”

DHL eBrochure