World's first converted 737-700 freighter

Alaska Air Cargo proudly announced on Wednesday a new chapter in its business, introducing the first converted Boeing 737-700 cargo aircraft. The aircraft is the first of its kind in the world and was converted from an all-passenger to an all-freight aircraft. The aircraft is entering commercial service today, carrying goods from Seattle to the state of Alaska.

Photo Alaska Air Cargo

Alaska Air Cargo introduces world's first converted 737-700 freighter "This one-of-a-kind aircraft marks the beginning of a new era at Alaska Airlines," said Wayne Newton, Alaska Airlines vice president of airport operations and customer service. "With an all-freight fleet, our cargo business is now a stand-alone operation, allowing us to better focus on the needs of our cargo customers."

WestJet Award

WestJet today announced it has been named a Five-Star winner by The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) at the APEX Awards at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. WestJet was named a Five-Star winner in the low-cost category and was the only Canadian airline recognized at the Five-Star level.

"We are pleased to have been recognized by APEX as providing a guest experience worthy of a five-star rating," said Rossen Dimitrov, WestJet Chief Guest Experience Officer. "Our brand of caring and friendly service resonates with our guests and we are most appreciative that our efforts are appreciated by the travelling public. As WestJet continues our expansion to new destinations, it's exciting that our focus on guest experience is being rewarded."

The APEX Awards are determined using the TripIt app from Concur, with more than 13 million travellers rating airlines on a five-star scale, from November 2016 through July 2017. The ratings determined the winners of the Passenger Choice Awards, with four- and five-star-rated airlines further honored in the categories of Global, Major Regional and Low-Cost airlines.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Delta will offer free mobile messaging in flight.

Delta is making big changes on air to ground communications for passengers this autumn,  starting on 1st October Delta Air Lines will become the first major US global airline to offer free mobile messaging, providing more customers access to free messaging than any other carrier. The airline will also have the most aircraft enabled with free messaging. 

This new, complimentary capability will enable customers to stay fully connected with those on the ground and exchange real-time messages in flight with friends, families, colleagues, and clients via iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The enhancement is part of Delta's multi-billion dollar investment in the customer experience.

"We know many of Delta's customers want or need to stay connected in the air and on the ground, which is why we're investing in an easy, free way to send and receive messages inflight through some of the most popular global platforms," said Tim Mapes, Delta's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. "Coupled with our investments in seat-back screens, free entertainment and High-Speed Wi-Fi, free messaging is one more way customers can choose how to make the most of their time on Delta flights."

The Delta / Virgin Schedule Released for 2018

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic today announced updates to their respective summer 2018 schedules to optimize their joint network between the United States and the United Kingdom. The strong partnership between the two airlines is focused on offering customers more convenient travel options and the best travel experience across the Atlantic.

Effective March 24, 2018, Delta will introduce the Airbus A330 aircraft on its New York-JFK, Atlanta and Detroit routes to London-Heathrow. The A330 aircraft, which are equipped with Wi-Fi and feature 34 fully flat-bed seats in the Delta One cabin will bring Delta's onboard customer experience to a new level as well as increase the number of seats on these U.S. routes to London-Heathrow. 

Read on to see highlights of Delta's A330 service - 

BA set to welcome its 25th Dreamliner

British Airways is set to mark a milestone aircraft delivery on Friday (September 29), as it welcomes the 25th Dreamliner into its fleet.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft will be making its maiden voyage to the airline’s Heathrow home with the flight number BA8625. It will depart Boeing’s Seattle factory on Thursday, 28th September at 6.05pm local time and will land at Heathrow at 11.15am local time the following day.

The three cabin aircraft, with the registration G-ZBJI, will be the ninth 787-8 to join the airline’s fleet. British Airways also has 16 787-9s.  Two further 787-9 aircraft and three 787-8 aircraft will be delivered in 2018, followed by 12 787-10s to arrive between 2020 and 2023.

Norwegian launches world’s longest low-cost route to Singapore from under £150

Norwegian, voted world’s best low-cost long-haul airline, continues its global expansion today by launching its first route from London Gatwick to Asia with a special Singaporean themed celebration to mark the carrier’s inaugural flight to Singapore.

The new 12-hour 45 minute flight from London Gatwick to Singapore Changi Airport is now the world’s longest route operated by a low-cost airline, covering 6,764 miles (10,885km) using brand new, state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Consumers can fly direct to Singapore from Gatwick four times a week from £149.90 one way at www.norwegian.com/uk

Today’s gate celebration at Gatwick Airport gave passengers an entertaining taste of Singapore with lion dance performances, colourful kebaya dress and traditional Singaporean cuisine and refreshments to enjoy. Norwegian opened the new route alongside Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate and Ms Tan Yen Nee, European Regional Director at Singapore Tourism Board.

Read more to find out what Norwegian's charismatic CEO Bjorn Kjos thinks.

Pacific Coast Airlines Reveal Winter & Spring Schedule

The small Canadian airline, Pacific Coastal Airlines have released details of its 2017-2018 Winter and Spring Schedule which comes into effect on Sunday, 15th October and will run all the way until Sunday, 3rd June 2018.

“We’ve made some adjustments with an aim to improve our overall on-time performance, create better connectivity within our regularly scheduled network, and adjust to the increase in passenger growth and unique market-by-market demands,” says Pacific Coastal Airlines’ President Quentin Smith.

Time to Swoop in?

Say hello to Swoop!

Swoop is a brand new ultra-low-cost airline that will start taking bookings for amazing(allegedly) fares during the first part of 2018

The airline comes from WestJet, who just introduced Swoop's name and logo to us, "The name Swoop denotes exactly what we plan to do," said Bob Cummings WestJet Executive Vice-President, Strategy and the executive member responsible for the launch of Swoop. "It's a powerful verb that demonstrates we plan to swoop in to the Canadian market with a new business model that will provide lower fares and greater opportunity for more Canadians to travel." 

Swoop will provide Canadians with a no-frills, lower-fare travel option backed by an airline with a proven track record of bringing lower fares to Canadians and an investment-grade credit rating.

In addition, Swoop has chosen Calgary as the location of its headquarters. An exact location will be announced at a later date.  Read more about Swoop

Ryanair cancel another 18,000 flights and axe 34 routes.

The low-cost high-fee airline Ryanair has announced it will go forward with plans to cancel a further 18,000 flights between November and March which will effect more than 400,000 passengers.

The airline made the announcement today and claimed it had already contacted the passengers concerned and offered them alternatives or a full refund. Passengers will also get a voucher for €40 for a one-way flight or €80 for a return which can be used for a future Ryanair flight - however the use by date for the vouchers will only be March 2018, so for most will be worthless.

The airline is also axing a number of routes as they stem their growth in order to cope with a lack of pilots to cover flight crew holidays.  Ryanair says the 35 routes are only suspended and not permanently axed.  

Read on to find out which routes are axed as well as more on the latest developments on Ryanair's mass passenger disruption plans. 

Looking beyond the hype of Joon!

With much fanfare and attention Air France launches its sister airline on social media this week,  months are we broke the story.  Joon, the newest addition to the Air France family has been born!

Joon is aimed at being an airline for the millennials, which instantly puts me out of the target audience and market and therefore, I can only assume they don't want me or my generation spending our disposable incomes with them. Targeting a specific demographic may have its advantages, but excluding all others doesn't sound like a recipe for success.  However, I'll carry on and delve deeper beyond the 'Joon' hype - sorry I mean promotional literature, read on -

Ryanair Continue to sink.....

Ryanair have announced they will extend their period of cancellations well into November,  they will also be stopping a number of routes.
This is a breaking story,   we'll have more soon

Qatar Airways Announces $2.16 billion Boeing order

Qatar Airways has announced an order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters and four 777-300ERs, valued at $2.16 billion at list prices. The order, a sign of the airline’s continued expansion and contribution to the US economy, adds to the airline’s current fleet of nearly 100 Boeing widebody aeroplanes and its more than 100 additional Boeing aircraft on order.

The announcement was made at a delivery ceremony in Everett, Washington, where the airline also received the first of its 747-8 Freighters. The ceremony was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, Boeing Vice Chairman, Mr Ray Conner, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kevin McAllister.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways operates one of the youngest and fastest-growing fleets in the sky, and Boeing unceasingly proves to be a valuable partner to us in providing the quality aircraft that make us the world’s third largest international cargo carrier. We are very appreciative of our enduring partnership with Boeing, as it is key to our future growth, and we look forward to continuing to work with this important US partner.”

Push- back advances for BA and Mototok

British Airways has become the first airline worldwide to introduce high-tech remote-controlled devices to push back aircraft across its short-haul operation. The airline is modernising its operation to maintain and further improve punctuality for its customers.

In partnership with Heathrow, the eco-friendly Mototok tugs will allow British Airways staff to prepare aircraft for departure more efficiently. The airline is the first commercial operator to deploy the devices across multiple aircraft stands.

The equipment, used to move Airbus short-haul aircraft, replaces traditional diesel tugs, allowing a single ramp agent to push an aircraft backwards from the gate remotely.Emissions-free and capable of moving planes with precision, five Mototoks are currently in operation across 25 stands at Terminal 5. They were integrated into the operation in August, and more than 100,000 customers have benefited from smoother departures already.

Norwegian and UNICEF send 787-9 to Yemen filled with humanitarian aid

Norwegian and its decade-long corporate social responsibility partner, UNICEF, sent a Boeing 787-9 aircraft filled with emergency aid for children in need in Yemen this morning. The aircraft used for this mission was delivered to Norwegian just last week and is the airline’s first Dreamliner aircraft with a UNICEF livery. The aircraft’s entire cargo belly is filled with emergency aid.

Norwegian and UNICEF have conducted three humanitarian aid missions since 2014 to the Central African Republic, to Syrian refugees in Jordan, and to Mali. Together, the partners have brought emergency aid that has saved more than 100,000 children’s lives.

Between 2007 and 2016, Norwegian contributed to UNICEF interventions for US $2.5 million. Providing the children of Yemen with nearly 28 tons of essentials medications, water purification tablets and community kits will help UNICEF to ensure a steady flow of supply for the most vulnerable. When a child is sick, every minute counts. In countries beset by violence, displacement, conflict and instability, such in Yemen, children’s most basic means of survival is a priority.

Easyjet & Lufthansa are preferred rescuers of Air Berlin

The bankrupt German carrier Air Berlin is going to the next stage in its talks with potential rescuers - the two front-runners are EasyJet and unsurprisingly, Lufthansa.

Air Berlin is fast running out of the €150m euro that's around £130m bailout loan from the government as say a deal with one of these two preferential bidders could help save the jobs of over 80% of its staff.

The negotiations with the two suiters will continue until 12th October, with any final deal needing to be approved by both German and European Union regulators and officials.

Earlier, British Airways' parent company IAG confirmed it was putting in a bid for part of Air Berlin, but said it expected the airline would go mainly to the German airline Lufthansa.  IAG boss Willie Walsh told anyone who would listen at the routes conference that it would not "come as any surprise" if Lufthansa was the main winner.

Thomas Winkelmann, chief executive of Air Berlin, said: "We are on the way to achieving good job prospects for around 80% of our colleagues with our bidders. However, we will not be able to breathe a sigh of relief until the EU Commission has finally authorised the transactions."

Is it the Uber of the skies

A new airline is set to start in the Channel Islands that aims to be the Uber of the skies after getting its Air Operators’ Certificate by Guernsey’s air registry, 2-Reg.

The certification ensures the company, called 'Waves' can start carrying passengers on its on-demand air taxi service.  "I am incredibly proud of the whole team in achieving our AOC. This has been the culmination of six months of hard work and is the first major milestone in enabling us to deliver a new style of travel to the Channel Islands" said Waves chief operations officer Matt Bisson.

"We are thrilled to be the first Channel Islands-based airline able to fly 2-Reg aircraft commercially. The team at 2-Reg has really put us through our paces, holding us accountable to the highest international standards but with an approachable and accessible team of locally based experts."

Qatar Retrofitting 777 With New Communications Equipment

Photo mro-network.com

Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777's will soon start flying with a small but significant dome on the top of the fuselage. The airlines' maintenance department is performing retrofits of Inmarsat’s GX Aviation global, high-throughput satellite (HTS) communications equipment on the aircraft.  There will be some flight tests to follow and then the system is expected to be activated later this year.  The maintenance teams will be retrofitting the aircraft when they come in for routine maintenance. 

The airlines latest Airbus A350-900s have already had GX Aviation installations done on the production line, but as yet haven't been turned on. 

“With GX Aviation already equipped on Qatar Airways’ latest Airbus A350s, the first Boeing 777 retrofit installation already complete and several more underway, we are now gearing up to launch GX Aviation across the flagship fleet,” said Leo Mondale. President of Inmarsat Aviation.

“We’re looking forward to seeing Qatar Airways’ passengers experience consistent, reliable and high-speed Wi-Fi in the sky when the service goes live later this year.”

Gulf Air to increase services to Istanbul

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s national carrier - Gulf Air, has announced it will introduce a permanent increase to its Istanbul service with daily flights on the route effective early November. 

The increase is in direct response to passenger demand, increasing the number of convenient flight options offered by the airline and giving passengers greater flexibility and choice when travelling to and from Istanbul. 

Read more to find out about Gulf Air, including what the CEO said about the increased Istanbul service. 

San Fran for Hong Kong Airlines?

Hong Kong Airlines could be operating a direct flight to San Francisco as early as 25th March next year.  The news comes from airlineroute.net which says the airline has issued papers to the authorities to start the route. Which is successful would be operated by one of the airlines brand new Airbus A350 aircraft. 

The potential San Francisco service would start with four times a week schedule and then, loads and demand permitting would go daily from August next year.  The provisional times for the service would be a 1220 departure from Hong Kong, arriving in San Francisco at 1015 that morning. The return flight has a San Francisco take off time of 1200, landing back in Hong Kong at 1725 the following morning.

These plans would tie in nicely to a codeshare deal the airline has made with WestJet as well as with its other North American routes, to Vancouver and the Los Angeles service due to start in December. 

More strikes ahead for Thomas Cook pilots

The most recent strike by members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) working for Thomas Cook lasted for 24 hours after the union and the airline couldn't come to an acceptable understanding and agreement after days of talks. 

The airline had to reschedule some flight, as many as forty, but there could be more strikes on the way.  "Tortuous negotiations at Acas have failed to resolve the pay dispute between Thomas Cook and Balpa pilots" advised Balpa general secretary, Brian Strutton, “Whilst both sides have compromised there is still a considerable gap."

The union indicate they gave a long period of notice to Thomas Cook before conducting the industrial action and even eased their stance in light of recent metrological disasters.  “Balpa has given ample warning to enable Thomas Cook to change its schedules and minimise passenger disruption. I have also offered strike dispensations to help out in the hurricane-hit Caribbean. Our argument is not with passengers."

New direct Seychelles service for British Airways

British Airways has announced the launch of new direct flights to one of the world’s most desirable holiday and honeymoon destinations. Yes from the 24th March next year, they will be flying direct from London Heathrow's Terminal 5 to the sunny Seychelles, making British Airways the only scheduled airline offering a non-stop service from the UK. Air Seychelles currently offer services in conjunction with codeshare partners like Air France via Paris and Etihad via Abu Dhabi.  

Norwegian UK gets US permit

Photo Norwegian

Norwegian has welcomed news that its British subsidiary ‘Norwegian UK’ (NUK) has been granted a foreign air carrier permit by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The permit allows NUK to operate flights between the UK, Europe and the United States, effective immediately.

The ‘Norwegian UK’ (NUK) subsidiary was set up in 2015 to allow Norwegian to build on its growing long-haul operations by accessing bilateral traffic rights to a series of global markets. Using the new traffic rights, Norwegian has already announced plans for new routes to Singapore launching in September and Argentina starting in February 2018.

Easyjet flight forced to divert by drunk passengers

An Easyjet aircraft was forced to divert to Bristol on Thursday evening because a number of drunk passengers became unruly and aggressive.

The Easyjet flight, EZY7208 was flying from Barcelona to Liverpool and was forced to divert to Bristol Airport after the passengers became unruly.  The intoxicated passengers had reportedly caused disruption on the Easyjet flight at about 11.30pm on Thursday evening.  Upon arrival, the flight was met by local police and with four passengers taken off before the aircraft continued on to its final destination.

Flyadeal commences flights

Marking the national day, the newest airline of Saudi Arabia commenced its flight operations with a sellout flight and smiles all around.

Flyadeal conducted its first scheduled flight on Saturday 23rd September with much celebration and excitement.  The airline has high aspirations of providing the large, very young and digitally savvy population of Saudi Arabia and the local region with a reputable and successful low-fare airline to facilitate both domestic and regional travel.

Flyadeal's fleet are CFM engined Airbus A320s that have a distinctive palette of white, purple and lime on the outside which is carried through on the insides in cabin crew uniforms as well as cabin highlights.  The configuration is a single-class layout comprising of 186 18” wide Recaro economy class seats, which are all equipped with USB power outlets and personal device holders, ideal for smartphones and tablets.

Boeing's Predictions For Southeast Asia

Photo Boeing 

US plane maker Boeing thinks the future is looking golden for investment from the Southeast Asian airline market,  they predict demand for 4,210 new aeroplanes, valued at $650 billion, over the next 20 years. 

Read the full details here... 

WestJet and Hong Kong Airlines announced they have entered into a code-share agreement.

WestJet and Hong Kong Airlines announced today that they have entered into a code-share agreement which sees Hong Kong Airlines placing its HX marketing code on WestJet-operated flights. The two carriers are building on an existing interline agreement put in place earlier this year.

"We welcome Hong Kong Airlines as our newest codeshare partner and congratulate them on their inaugural service to Vancouver in June of this year;" said Ed Sims, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Commercial. "This code-share agreement provides guests on both sides of the Pacific more choice and opportunity to experience excellent service and travel globally. We look forward to welcoming Hong Kong Airlines' guests on board and providing them with our caring WestJet service."

Mr. Li Dianchun, Chief Commercial Officer, Hong Kong Airlines said, "Our newly launched daily service between Hong Kong and Vancouver has been a great success, and this code-share agreement with WestJet, which extends our network in Canada beyond Vancouver towards Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto is the logical next step. Passengers flying with Hong Kong Airlines can now enjoy a seamless connection experience onto a WestJet flight."

Hong Kong Airlines' daily Hong Kong-Vancouver service will allow guests to connect onto select WestJet flights from Vancouver to Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. Tickets can be purchased via travel agents or Hong Kong Airlines' sales offices and call centres from today onwards.

Read more for the code-share flights between Hong Kong Airlines and WestJet for Sep/Oct 2017:

40 Dreamliners for Turkish Airlines

Aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing and Turkish Airlines have announced the airline's intention to order 40 787-9 Dreamliners. 

"The 787 Dreamliner is the most technologically advanced aeroplane in the world," said M. İlker Aycı, chairman of the board and the executive committee, Turkish Airlines. "Our intent to purchase these Dreamliners is to meet the demand for wide-body aeroplanes at the 3rd Airport, further strengthen our fleet capacity on the 100th anniversary of the Republic and to enhance passenger satisfaction."

"Turkish Airlines is a great partner, and we value their confidence in us and the 787 Dreamliner," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister.

Boeing and the Turkish government also announced the Boeing Turkey National Aerospace Initiative, which is designed to support the growth of the Turkish aerospace industry, in conjunction with the targets set by Turkey's Vision 2023, and strengthen Boeing's presence in the market. 

Read more on the deal after the Presidents met. 

Ryanair to pay for seats on other airlines?

A week after Ryanair began the mass cancellation of flights because of a pilot shortage, the airline has finally confirmed it will pay for passengers' flights on other airlines if necessary, writes legendary travel corespondent, Simon Calder in The Independent.

European passengers’ rights rules insist an airline that cancels a flight should offer passengers “re-routing under comparable transport conditions to their final destination at the earliest opportunity” — even if that means paying for a flight on a rival carrier.

Read his full article here - 

Is Norwegian about to take over Monarch?

Could Norwegian Air be about to swoop in and buy UK airline Monarch in a rapid and aggressive move to put pressure on low-cost rivals Easyjet and Ryanair?   

There is a lot of media speculation on that question today after reports emerged from the press association and others that Norwegian Air Shuttle has directly approached Monarch to buy some or all of the loss making airline. 

This latest twist comes as a direct result of the reports of the reevaluation of the Monarch's operations by KPMG tat we reported on recently. Insiders at the airline have indicated that private equity firm Greybull Capital, who own Monarch are looking to divest its aviation interests.

Our earlier report detailed that Monarch might be a looking to operate as a feeder airline for another bigger carrier, which working with or being taken over by Norwegian would achieve. “It is widely known that the UK is a key market for Norwegian where the airline is looking for opportunities to expand.” a source apparently told PA.

More on this story including the failed tie up between Ryanair and Norwegian

Another Q400 for Philippine Airlines and more US flights?

Philippine Airlines has taken delivery of its second two class next generation Bombardier Q400 aircraft recently after an epic 11,400-mile journey.

The delivery flight of Philippine's 83rd aircraft from Toronto to Manila had nine stopovers touched down in Manila recently after traveling approximately 11,400 nautical miles from Toronto to Manila with nine stop-overs. Newfoundland was the first and then Le Bourget,  Malta, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand before finally landing in Manila. In command of the aircraft were Captain Ryan Buhawe and Captain Melvin Olazo. Completing the flight deck roster were Crew Chief Moises Menor, First Officer Jeffrey Royce Panit, aircraft mechanics Jayson Gregorio and Willy Caducio,

The aircraft has a configuration of 86-seater and will be utilized on select intra-domestic routes and is the second of the type for the airline from an order of 12, the rest of which are all due to arrive before the end of 2019.

Read on for more on the new US flights. 

Hawaiian Airlines to increase New Zealand service.

One of the worlds most colourful and friendliest carriers, Hawaiian Airlines have announced they will be expanding the New Zealand service with up to five non-stop flights weekly between Auckland and Honolulu starting in March next year.

The smiling airline will celebrate the routes 5th birthday with an increased schedule to meet the demand on this popular segment. The greater year-round frequency comes as a direct response from passengers for the airline’s authentic Hawaiian in-flight hospitality that is experienced by more than 260,000 passengers since thrice-weekly service was launched in 2013.

“Our growth in New Zealand underpins our decision to offer Kiwis unmatched value on their Hawai‘i vacation,” said Russell Williss, Hawaiian Airlines country director for New Zealand. “As a destination carrier, we are uniquely positioned to showcase our island home with our authentic and warm hospitality from the moment we welcome guests on board.”

Fuel Rationing At Auckland

Many airlines have been impacted by a temporary fuel supply problem at Auckland airport that has lead to fuel being rationed.

Many long-haul flights have had to introduce a refurling stop on-route to make up for now being able to fill up with jet fuel at Auckland.  Among the airlines effecting are Air New Zealand, Qantas and Cathay Pacific.  The issue seems to stem from a ruptured fuel line far from the airport itself. For example, Cathay's flight CX198 from Auckland will be temporarily rerouted with a refuelling stop in Brisbane until further notice, adding an hour at least to passenger journey times with the flight leaving at 13:45 and arriving in Hong Kong at 22:55.

Refining New Zealand, the owners of Marsden Point fuel refinery, are trying to repair a section of its damaged fuel pipeline connecting the Marsden Point refinery to Wiri Oil Services Limited in Auckland, which supplies airlines operating out of Auckland Airport with aviation fuel.

Breaking News Plane Crash in Turkey

A Cessna 650 Citation VII corporate jet has crashed whilst trying to land at Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport in Turkey on Thursday evening.

The private jet, registration TC-KON had departed the airport around 21.05 local time and was heading to Ercan. Shortly after takeoff, it is been reported locally that the aircraft developed a problem with its undercarriage and so the crew decided to return to Ataturk airport.




It is believed the aircraft crashed whilst attempting to land on runway 17R/35L, it burst into flames and firefighters were immediately mobilized to extinguish the fire. According to state-run media, Ministry of Transportation officials said that there were 2 pilots on board, 1 hostess and 1 passenger. The fate of those onboard is unclear, as there are conflicting reports from various media sources, however, it is believed that all four people onboard, including the crew, have escaped with only minor injuries. 

The actual nature of the fault is unclear at the moment and a full investigation has been started. 

Delta Resume Puerto Rico Flights

Pending continued facility damage assessments at San Juan’s Luis Munoz International Airport, Delta plans to restart operations to Puerto Rico Saturday, with flights between the island and its hubs in Atlanta and New York-JFK International. Customers are encouraged to check flight status for the most up to date information.

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Delta resumed its full schedule to the Dominican Republic Thursday with flights to Punta Cana, Santo Domingo and Santiago. To offer customers more opportunity to travel to or from the island, Delta added two additional flights to Punta Cana.

Japan Airlines Orders Four 787-8 Dreamliners

Boeing and Japan Airlines announced an order yesterday for four 787-8 Dreamliners. The order, which was previously listed on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website, attributed to an unidentified customer, is valued at more than $900 million at current list prices and will expand JAL's Dreamliner fleet to 49 aircraft.

"This order for additional 787 Dreamliners, is a key part of our strategy as we look to bolster our existing route network and strengthen our position ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo," said Yoshiharu Ueki, President of Japan Airlines. "The superior noise performance of the 787 will play a critical role in meeting our commitment for quieter operations within our domestic network going forward."

Japan Airlines currently operates the second largest 787 Dreamliner fleet in the world, with 34 aeroplanes. The carrier is expected to receive its 35th Dreamliner, a 787-9 later this week. With this new order, Japan Airlines' 787 fleet includes 29 787-8s and 20 787-9 aeroplanes.

Nok CEO resigns - as refinancing begins

The low-cost Thai carrier Nok Airlines and its  Chief Executive Officer Patee Sarasin, have parted company they've announced. In fact,  Patee Sarasin resigned from the position on the 14th September and has been replaced with the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer Piya Yodmani 

However, despite resigning as the CEO, Sarasin will actually remain with the budget airline, he'll still be a director of the company but has also been appointed as Vice Chairman. He is largely considered to be the driving force behind the inventive way the airline has branded itself as a fun, playful airline with sometimes tongue-in-cheek videos and commercials as well as creating music videos.

Nok Air may well be one of the leading budget airlines in the region, however, it is trying to transition itself as a high-quality price conscious airline.  They currently operate a mixed fleet comprising of 31 aircraft in total,  21 Boeing 737-800s, 8 Q400Next Gen's and a couple of ATR72-500 aircraft. 

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America begin new service from San Francisco to New Orleans

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America today launched non-stop service between San Francisco International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, connecting the Bay Area to the "Big Easy." The new route is part of the largest network expansion in Alaska Airlines' 85-year history and is one of 33 new California routes to launch this year.  

San Francisco guests travelling to New Orleans today will be serenaded by a live jazz band and treated to New Orleans-themed breakfast items, as well as festive Mardi Gras beads and masks on-board.

"New Orleans is an important business market for the Bay Area and a top destination for Mileage Plan reward travel," said Annabel Chang, Alaska Airlines' vice president of the Bay Area. "We're proud to bring our low fares and award-winning service to this exciting destination and grow our Bay Area footprint with 18 new markets. By year-end, we'll have grown Alaska Airlines and Virgin America's network to serve 42 destinations from the three major Bay Area airports."

SKYCOP Sets out to Educate Airlines With Distribution of Special Book

To mark International Literacy Day earlier this month, SKYCOP, an online site focused on helping increase awareness around passenger rights, has prepared and distributed specially designed texts to airlines, outlining customer compensation procedures.  

More than 10 airlines across the EU have received printed books containing oversized texts of the EU 261 regulation, which defines the process of compensation, as well as carrier's obligations in the event of a flight delay, cancellation or overbooking. The initiative comes after in excess of 8 million passengers worldwide have seen their right to compensation denied by airlines refusing the disruption caused.

Sofia - Malaga new route for Wizz

The leading low-cost airline for central and eastern Europe Wizz Air are launching yet another new route, Sofia to sunny Malaga will commence on 27th March 2018.

This is the latest in a series of new routes for the budget airline, it will be operated twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, providing customers with a convenient schedule for weekend getaways. Seats on the route are already on sale and can be booked on wizzair.com or via the WIZZ mobile app from just €29.99 / BGN 58.99*, which includes a free hand luggage allowance of up to 55x40x23cm maximum dimensions.

Malaga is a port city on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol, which is renowned for its beautiful landscapes, fabulous beaches, rich cultural heritage and excellent cuisine. Enjoying an annual average of nearly 3000 hours of sunshine, Costa del Sol is a popular holiday destination all year round.

Icelandair Revolutionises In-Flight Entertainment with an Encore at 35,000 Feet

Icelandair has pioneered a new form of in-flight entertainment; an immersive theatre production entitled 'Ahead of Time'. The show starred talented Icelandair staff as well as trained actors, who engaged with the audience from arrival at Heathrow to touchdown in JFK. This one of a kind event took place over 11 hours and across three countries, using the transatlantic journey as a unique stage for a passport to performance.

To help realise this impressive production, the airline partnered with immersive theatre experts Gideon Reeling. In celebration of Icelandair's 80th anniversary the plotline champions the airline's history as pioneers of modern-day travel and drew inspiration from their rich history. Lead character Edda took the audience on an inspiring and entertaining journey through time, mirroring the airline's progressive and forward-thinking philosophy with themes of female empowerment and equality.

Tianjin Airlines launch new global website

Tianjin Airlines have launched its new global website which it hopes will optimize the ticket booking experience for the airline's passenger and is the foundation for Tianjin Airlines' strategic internationalization.

Time to say goodbye to United's 747's

The time to say goodbye to scheduled operations for United Airlines Boeing 747's is rapidly approaching. The airline is retiring the big old jumbo from its fleet and to mark the occasion its announced a special retirement schedule for 7th November.

This special journey will serve as an ultimate recreation for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970.  It will be a real step back into the golden days of aviation, there will be a 70's inspired menu, retro uniforms for flight attendants and special in-flight entertainment befitting of that first 747 flight. Those lucky passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style and in a rather fitting and moving tribute, this final flight will be named "Friend Ship" which was the original name of that first United 747 flight on the San Francisco to Honolulu route. 

Tickets for this special one-way trip, United flight 747, are available for purchase now via United's website and in a special twist, seats on the upper deck will not be for sale in order all guests the chance to spend time in this iconic space.

Read more on the special flight and a timeline of the 747 with United

New base for Porter Airlines

Canadian carrier Porter Airlines is all set to open a new crew base at Thunder Bay, Ontario from January next year.

It will be the first base of its kind in Northern Ontario for any large commercially-scheduled airline and will create at least 40 local jobs for pilots and flight attendants.

“Thunder Bay is a significant Northern Ontario centre that is very important to Porter’s network,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “The ability to base crew there allows us to hire people who value their northern connections and also want an opportunity to fly larger aircraft to more locations.”

Porter has operated flights in and out of Thunder Bay since 2008. Since then the airlines operation has grown to a current schedule of up to six daily flights to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Connecting flights reach throughout the airline’s network of more than 20 other destinations, including Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York and Chicago.

Mumbai Airport Closed Due to SpiceJet Overrun

Mumbai Airport closed on Tuesday 19th September after heavy rains caused a SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 to overshoot the main runway on landing.

The SpiceJet flight SG703 coming in from Varanasi is believed to have aquaplaned on the wet tarmac and got stuck in the mud causing an evacuation of the aircraft and the closure of the airport.  

 Read more on the incident here