New airline set up for Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook Airlines has launched a new airline, based in Majorca, to supplement its existing operations. Currently operating ongoing airlines in Germany, the UK and Scandinavia, Thomas Cook Group Airlines has applied for a new Airline Operator Certificate (AOC) in Majorca with the aim of scheduling the first flights from early 2018.

The new airline released the news yesterday and the new venture will be called Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics, which is part of Thomas Cook Group Airlines’ growth plans, giving it a new base in its most popular destination from which it can provide flights to support its other airlines, according to seasonal demand. The new base in Majorca will provide the Group with greater operational flexibility at a competitive cost while allowing it to maintain closer control over the quality and customer experience than its current third-party lease arrangements.

Spotting Spot......Finnair Competition

Finnair are encouraging plane spotting with their latest competition to spot the spot!   The airline is celebrating the latest arrival to the fleet, the Airbus A350 complete with the stylish and artful with Marimekko’s Kivet (stones) livery, with a competition.

All you need to do is take a picture of that sexy aircraft and equally sexy livery, or indeed take a photo of any Kivet-patterned cabin item on board a Finnair flight for a chance to win one of five goodie bags.

The goodie bags contain collector items related to the A350 aircraft and Marimekko's Kivet pattern!

Once you've taken the photo, simply post your image or video with the #A350Finnair and #MarimekkoForFinnair hashtags on your Twitter, Instagram or Facebook account* between 12 October and 12 November at 12.00 (EET).

The lucky draw winners will be contacted personally and their names will be published on the Finnair site on 17 November.

So go and get spotting the Spot and share – good luck!

*the post needs to be public.

T's and C's at Finnair 

Jet2 the most punctual airline in the UK

The low-cost and friendly Jet2 has today been named the most punctual airline in the UK over the past 12 months, this is according to data by the world’s leading travel intelligence company OAG.

This makes Jet2 the only UK airline to be awarded a 5-star rating, with an On-Time Performance (OTP) score of 87.5% percent, which represents the percentage of flights running on time over the past 12 months.

The figures indicate the airline outperformed any other UK carrier during this period by 3% percent, and they come on the back of a successful summer which saw them top the OAG’s monthly rankings for OTP in June, July and August consecutively. This industry-leading performance is incredibly impressive as the airline has rapidly expanded its flying operations as well as opening not one, but two new bases - Birmingham and Stansted. 

Read more to find out what the CEO, Steve Heapy said about the announcement -  

New WestJet service from Hamilton to Las Vegas

WestJet announced this week it will begin non-stop service between John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, effective from 29th December this year.

"As Hamilton International's largest airline, as well as the carrier with the most international flights into Las Vegas, WestJet continues to add new service in Southern Ontario," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. "This new non-stop flight connects the community to a highly desirable leisure market and offers a great schedule to those looking to fly directly from Hamilton and surrounding communities without having to drive or connect through Toronto."

"We are pleased with the announcement that WestJet will be operating non-stop service from Hamilton to Las Vegas," said Cathie Puckering, Acting President and CEO, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. "This new route adds to an already robust schedule that WestJet operates from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport to destinations such as Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Orlando and Winnipeg. This welcome addition will be yet another great service offering to Hamilton and the surrounding areas."

Delta Changing LongHaul Dining Options

Delta is redefining the international Main Cabin dining experience with a series of thoughtful investments that will enhance the way customers spend their time on some of Delta’s longest flights.

Main Cabin 2“This is one of Delta’s biggest investments in the Main Cabin dining experience to date,” said Lisa Bauer, Vice President — On-Board Services. “Our goal is to truly recreate the experience our customers would have at their favourite restaurant at 30,000 feet, taking into account what menu items naturally complement one another, the service behind the offerings and the overall presentation.”

Enhancements will begin rolling out in November and will continue to expand into 2018.

Read more about the amazing changes- 

LATAM to start route to Rome

LATAM Airlines Group will operate two new European services next ear the airline revealed this week.  From 17th March next year, LATAM Airlines Brazil will start its new direct flight connecting  Rome to São Paulo/Guarulhos, Brazil three times a week, the schedule is likely to increase to five times a week in July 2018.

“As part of LATAM’s continued commitment to providing the most comprehensive network to and from Latin America, in 2018 we are excited to offer passengers even more travel options with two new long-haul destinations. This represents a significant growth for LATAM in Brazil and is part of our long-term strategy to improve connectivity between Europe and Latin America. With convenient connections throughout Latin America, these routes will open new opportunities for bilateral tourism and trade not only in Brazil but also within the Latin American region.” said Rodrigo Contreras, vice president Europe of LATAM Airlines Group.  The airline already flies to a number of destinations in Europe including, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, Frankfurt and Milan.

China Airlines Return To London Gatwick

China Airlines are returning to London Gatwick after a break of five years the airline has confirmed today.  

Flights will resume between Gatwick and Taipei from the 1st December and China Airlines promise onward connections to Australia and beyond. 

The non-stop flights will be operated by a brand new state-of-the-art Airbus A350 configured for 306 passengers spread over three classes. “We’re incredibly excited to be returning to the UK this year, making travel between the UK and Taiwan that much more simple and accessible,” says Roger Han, China Airlines’ senior vice president Europe. “By offering the only non-stop service between these two countries, we hope to welcome travellers who may not have considered Taiwan as their first outbound destination previously. Furthermore, our route network offers a wonderful array of destinations throughout Asia or onward to Australia for British travellers to enjoy.”

The schedule for the new link will see the technologically advanced jet depart Taipei at 0930 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday landing at Gatwick at 1530. Whilst a Friday flight will depart Taipei at the slightly earlier time of 0855 and arrive around 1455.

On the way back, flights are scheduled to depart Gatwick at 21.15, landing back in Taiwan at 1830 local time the following day.  

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

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

Ryanair Steal Bellew Back

Malaysian Airlines bosses were left stunned and speechless when Peter Bellew announced he was quitting the company as CEO just a week after he gave firm commitments to stay at the airline.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed that they had believed Bellew and trusted him when he pledged his commitment in a press conference on 27th September, when he was asked about the rumours of his imminent departure back to Ireland “He said that he was happy to be in Malaysia and that the turnaround of Malaysia Airlines would be ‘the greatest achievement of my life"

Malaysian Airlines will now, according to a statement, arrange a board meeting of the directors to discuss the matter and release a statement in due course. “Our operations and services continue as normal and our commitment and priority are our customers.  The turnaround of Malaysia Airlines remains on track and on schedule as per the MAS Recovery Plan,” the statement advised. Legal action against Bellew has not been ruled out.

Norwegian Loyalty Groupon & Competition To Win 10,000 CashPoints

Norwegian Reward, the loyalty scheme of low-cost airline Norwegian, has added Groupon UK to its growing list of partners where members can earn points toward discounted and free Norwegian flights.

The award-winning loyalty programme is fast approaching one million UK members who benefit from exclusive bonuses and discounts. The scheme is attracting members by partnering with popular consumer brands to give members more ways to save money on Norwegian flights including new direct services from London to Singapore, Buenos Aires, Chicago and Austin.

Norwegian Reward members can now purchase any Groupon UK offer and earn up to 10% of the purchase value in CashPoints – the loyalty’s programme’s currency. CashPoints can be used toward the cost of flights and extras such as baggage, meal service and seat reservation.

Read on to find out how you can win 10,000 CashPoints.......

Lufthansa and EasyJet make bids for Alitalia but the sale is delayed.

The budget airline EasyJet and the mammoth Lufthansa Group are among a number of companies that have put in bids for all or part of the financially troubled Italian airline, Alitalia.  However, the sale has been delayed as the Italian Government loans the airline another 300 million euros. 

Lufthansa confirmed it had submitted an offer letter on Monday, expressing its interest in establishing a "NewAlitalia". Lufthansa has opted not to make an offer for the complete Airline but has stated interest in only parts of the Global network traffic and European and domestic point-to-point business.

The offer includes a concept for a newly structured Alitalia with a focused business model ("NewAlitalia"), which could develop long-term economic prospects.  "The responsible commissioners have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding the details of the offer," said Lufthansa, however some details are already appearing in Italian media, including amounts Lufthansa and others have offered.

Bombardier and Airbus to partner on C Series

It's been confirmed today that European aerospace firm Airbus is to partner with Canadian firm Bombardier on the C Series programme.

The CSeries programme has faced a series of problems, most recently the trade dispute in the US that could potentially impose a 300% import tariff on the aircraft.

The US aircraft makers Boeing instantly dismissed the new arrangement calling the deal "Questionable"  in posts on social media, "This looks like a questionable deal between two heavily state-subsidized competitors to skirt US Government findings. Everyone should play by the same rules for free and fair trade"

Statement on Airbus/Bombardier: pic.twitter.com/y8rXIZK1NN

— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) October 17, 2017

Of course, Boeing don't mention the hundreds of billions of dollars they receive in tax breaks nor the fact that the company received $457 million in federal grants, which are typically non-repayable, between 2000 and 2014. In addition to that, there is the $64 billion in federal loans and loan guarantees.

A corresponding agreement was signed yesterday which brings together Airbus’ global reach with Bombardier’s newest, state-of-the-art jet aircraft family. It is a deal that is designed to fully unlock the value and potential of the C Series jets and create significant new value for customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders.

Under the agreement, Airbus will provide procurement, sales and marketing, and customer support expertise to the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP), the entity that manufactures and sells the C Series. At closing, Airbus will acquire a 50.01% interest in CSALP. Bombardier and Investissement Québec (IQ) will own approximately 31% and 19% respectively.

Is Lufthansa Taking Over Alitalia ?

According to Italian media, the German airline group,  Lufthansa has put in a bid of €500 million euros (that's around $590 million for the troubled and financially crippled Italian airline Alitalia.

The German airline group apparently wants to take over almost all of the Alitalia fleet, slots, routes and half of the staff.  The Italian media and repeated by Reuters are citing three anonymous sources at Alitalia say the German carrier is proposing to taking on half the Alitalia workforce, which totals of 12,000 employees.

They are reporting that any such offer is almost certainly going to be rejected by the state commissioners who are managing the Italian airlines affairs during its sale. Lufthansa has been approached for comments, but have so far refused to speculate on rumours. 

Drone Hits Commercial Flight in Canada

A drone has collided with a commercial aircraft in Canada, the first such incident in the country, according to the Transport Ministry.

The drone struck one of the plane's wings, while six passengers and two crew members were aboard.
The aircraft sustained only minor damage and was able to land safely, the Canadian transport minister said.

Earlier this year, Canada announced that it was making it illegal to fly recreational drones near airports.

The law prohibited airborne drones within 5.5km (3.5 miles) of an airport and restricted the height of a drone's flight to 90 metres (300ft).

Those breaking the restrictions could face fines of up to 25,000 Canadian dollars ($20,000, £15,000).
The Skyjet flight was heading to Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport when the drone hit it on 12 October.

WestJet launches Montreal-Boston

WestJet today announced the start of service between Montreal and Boston. The inaugural flight from Montreal Trudeau International Airport arrives at Boston Logan International Airport this morning, marking the last of three new routes launched by WestJet from Montreal this year.

"WestJet has significantly expanded its service to, from and within the province of Quebec in 2017," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. "This expansion demonstrates our commitment to bring lower airfares to communities across Canada and create new opportunities for business and leisure travellers to get more value for their travel budgets."  

"I would like to thank WestJet for their confidence in us and for their support," said Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal. "Boston is a popular destination for our passengers, who travel there both for business and leisure. The addition of two flights per day enhances the departure options from Montréal and offers greater flexibility. This is great news for Montréal and confirms Montréal-Trudeau's position as a hub."

Air France - KLM 2017-2018 Winter Schedule Increases

This winter the Air France - KLM partnership grows ever stronger and further cementing its mantle as one of Europes major airline groups. Together the airlines are introducing 52 new services this coming winter season and resuming its offensive to beat all the competition into submission. 

"On commencement of the 2017 winter schedule, KLM will be adding three entirely new destinations to its network: San José (Costa Rica), Mauritius and Mumbai (India). Year-on-year, KLM’s overall capacity will increase by +6.2% in the forthcoming winter season. Serving new destinations and increasing capacity on intercontinental and European flights ties in perfectly with our network strategy directed at offering customers a broader range of products and services worldwide, and more destinations to choose from."

Pieter Elbers - KLM President & CEO

For the 2017-2018 winter season (from 29 October 2017 to 24 March 2018), Air France-KLM is continuing its growth strategy by offering 52 new services**. The group is increasing capacity by 5.5% compared to the previous winter season*. Growth will be driven by the long-haul passenger network (+ 4.7%), the medium- and short-haul passenger network (+ 5.5%) and Transavia’s low-cost operations (+14.6%).

“With an increase in capacity of 5.5% this winter, Air France-KLM is resuming the offensive in the air transport market and is maintaining its growth commitments. Thanks to our powerful network, our strategic partnerships and more flexible management, we are able to adapt and respond to the stronger demand on both leisure and business routes. This growth is an illustration of the positive momentum initiated almost a year ago with our strategic plan Trust Together” said Jean-Marc Janaillac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM.

Read on for more details of the new winter schedule - 

Dreamflight takes off again...

Hundreds of children got to meet X factor winner Stacey Soloman and former Eastender Joe Swash as they attended a supercharged send-off at Heathrow for Dreamflight 2017. Stacey and Joe chatted with the children before they jetted off on a British Airways jumbo jet destined for Orlando where the kids will visit Harry Potter World and swim with dolphins at SeaWorld.

Mum of two Stacey said: "It’s been an amazing experience meeting the children here today. Dreamflight is a wonderful charity and it’s been great to see how excited the kids are to be flying to Florida in style on their very own private British Airways jet.”

TV favourite Joe said “It was so lovely to see all their faces, they were all so excited! The work Dreamflight does is so amazing and it was a pleasure to be a part of this year’s trip.”

Every year Dreamflight raises funds to enable a specially chartered British Airways jumbo jet to fly almost 200 children with a serious illness or disability to Florida to enjoy a fun packed ten-day trip of a lifetime. There the youngsters will spend time at attractions including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios.

Ural Airlines Expansion

The Russian carrier Ural Airlines has recently announced a number of new and reintroduced flights in part of is new winter schedule expansion.

This winter the airline will start a scheduled service to Poland, the first Moscow Domodedovo – Warsaw flight will be on 24th December 2017. The new flight, operated by an Airbus A320, will fly 3 times a week. 

The carrier will also start a new flight from 1st November 2017,  connecting the south of Russia with Tel Aviv, one of the biggest Israel city.  The flights between Mineralnye Vody – Tel Aviv every Wednesday. Flying time is 2 hours and 55 minutes by one of the airlines A320. This is the 7th departure point to Tel Aviv the airline operates. 

Ural Airlines also renews flights between Ekaterinburg – Krasnoyarsk – Ekaterinburg. The winter scheduled will be operating from October 30, 2017 until March 21, 2018, on Mondays and Wednesdays to Krasnoyarsk, Wednesdays and Fridays to Ekaterinburg. 

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

Singapore Airlines Fundraising

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has raised S$2.55 million for Community Chest through three fundraising events, organised as part of the Airline’s 70th anniversary celebrations. Proceeds from the SIA Family Day, SIA Group Charity Run and SIA Charity Gala will go towards supporting beneficiaries from about 80 social service organisations under Community Chest.

Last evening, SIA hosted a Charity Gala, graced by Speaker of Parliament and Advisor to National Council of Social Service, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin. In addition to table sales, guests bid generously in live and silent auctions in the spirit of caring and giving. At the closing of the Charity Gala, SIA Chairman Mr Peter Seah and SIA CEO Mr Goh Choon Phong presented a cheque of S$2.55 million, representing funds raised from all three fundraising events, to Community Chest Chairman Mr Phillip Tan and Advisor to Community Chest Ms Jennie Chua.

The SIA Charity Run, the second of the three fundraising events, took place on 8 October 2017 at The Float @ Marina Bay. The Run attracted more than 11,000 participants.

Farm to Plane for Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines committed last week to significantly enhancing sustainability practices in its in-flight food and beverage offerings. Under the new initiative, a “From Farm to Plane” concept will be introduced to promote environmental sustainability and support local farmers’ communities.

Current efforts in Singapore Airlines’ sustainability strategy include using fish from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council for their sustainable fishing practices, and obtaining produce from local farms in countries the Airline serves.

With the “From Farm to Plane” concept, Singapore Airlines intends to use more sustainable and meatless ingredients, as well as local produce, in its in-flight meals. The Airline will work with partners overseas and in Singapore to source for such ingredients.

Norwegian named ‘Airline of the Year’ at 2017 CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence

Norwegian has been awarded ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2017 CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence during the CAPA Global Aviation & Corporate Travel Summit in London.

Norwegian was selected by the judging panel at the Centre for Aviation – CAPA for being at the forefront of low-cost long-haul travel, opening nearly 30 intercontinental routes in the past year between Europe, USA and Asia. CAPA also recognised Norwegian for its pioneering use of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on underserved transatlantic routes which is creating demand in new markets.

Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos, was presented with the ‘Airline of the Year’ award by CAPA Executive Chairman Peter Harbison during a gala dinner at the Sofitel London Heathrow.

Bjørn Kjos, CEO at Norwegian said: “It’s an honour to collect the award for CAPA Airline of the Year on behalf of Norwegian.

“This achievement underpins the hard-work and support of all my dedicated colleagues who have contributed to Norwegian receiving a prestigious industry recognition once again.

WestJet achieves its highest quarterly load factor in its 21-year history

WestJet today announced September 2017 traffic results with a load factor of 80.4 percent an increase of 0.5 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 5.9 percent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 5.3 percent over the same period. In the third quarter of 2017, the airline flew an all-time record high of 6.5 million guests, a year-over-year increase of 10.7 percent or approximately 630,000 additional guests.

"We are very pleased with our strong traffic growth, as we reported record load factors each month this quarter, which translated into achieving both our highest ever quarterly load factor of 85.7 percent, and flying an all-time quarterly record number of guests in our 21-year history," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "I want to sincerely thank our over 13,000 WestJetters for continuing to deliver our award-winning brand of friendly caring service as we transition through our shoulder period into the busy winter season."

Read on for the figures

Alaska Air Group reports September 2017 operational results

Alaska Air Group Inc. has reported September and year-to-date operational results on a consolidated basis, for its mainline operations operated by subsidiaries Alaska Airlines Inc. (Alaska) and Virgin America Inc. (Virgin America), and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries Inc. (Horizon) and third-party regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and Peninsula Airlines.

Read on for a breakdown of the figures over the group.

WestJet adds The Chopped Leaf as exclusive meal supplier on board

WestJet announced today that it has partnered with fresh casual restaurant, The Chopped Leaf, in a move that will see the restaurant's whole-food offerings available on board WestJet aircraft.

WestJet has partnered with fresh casual restaurant, The Chopped Leaf, to offer the restaurant's whole-foods on board WestJet aircraft.   WestJet and The Chopped Leaf have a common goal to break down the 'airline food' stigma," said Rossen Dimitrov, WestJet Chief Guest Experience Officer. "The ingredients in our new menu have been sourced to provide healthier options with quality and taste in mind. We continue to evolve our onboard offerings to meet the needs of our 22 million annual guests."

British Airways Celebrates Work Experience Month

British Airways is welcoming more than 1,000 students as part of Work Experience Month 2017.

Students will get to experience the airline’s world-class facilities and speak to colleagues at its engineering bases at Heathrow, Cardiff and Glasgow, and its Global Learning Academy training centre. The students will meet and learn from the carrier’s professional operations teams at its Heathrow Terminal 5 operation, including customer service staff, turnaround managers and baggage, loading and cargo specialists.

British Airways professionals from across the company will share their experience and expertise with the students to give them an insight into how the airline delivers its hugely complex global flight operation to more than 200 short and long-haul destinations, maintaining world class customer service and the highest levels of safety and maintenance on its fleet of more than 280 aircraft.  

Contract for the purchase of parts of Air Berlin Group signed

After intense negotiations over the past few weeks, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the Air Berlin Group have signed a contract today regarding the purchase of NIKI Luftfahrt GmbH (NIKI) and Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter mbH (LGW).

These two carriers are projected to increase the capacity of the operational fleet at Eurowings as follows:

LGW with 870 employees, as well as 17 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and 13 Airbus A320 aircraft

NIKI with 830 employees, as well as 20 Airbus A320 type aircraft

This means that the wet-lease operation that is currently still provided for Eurowings by Air Berlin Group will be taken over by Eurowings’ own operational fleet. Eurowings also plans to acquire additional aircraft on the market and hire 1,300 more employees.

Eurowings remains the fastest-growing airline in Europe,  “Our strategic modernization initiatives have paid off. We have regained the capacity to invest and grow, in order to play an active role in the consolidation of the European airline market with Eurowings. As the fastest-growing airline in Europe, Eurowings can now expand the range of services it offers customers,” says Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Malaysia Watching A330neo's

Malaysia Airlines is watching the testing of the Airbus A330neo due to enter service next year as it evaluates an order for around 30 long-haul aircraft, CEO Peter Bellew said on Friday.

Malaysia Airlines is transforming its operations as it recovers from two tragedies in 2014, when flight MH370 disappeared in what remains a mystery and flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

“We need to work out longer-term which aircraft will replace the A330-300 we have. That’s a choice between (Boeing) 787-9s and the A330neos,” Bellew said on the sidelines of the CAPA Global Summit in London.

“We’ll be watching test flights of A330neos with great interest over the next 6 months,” he said, adding he would also keep a close eye on the performance of the Rolls-Royce engines that power the jet.

Lufthansa buys the bulk of Air Berlin

The German airline group, Lufthansa has purchased the bulk of the bankrupted Air Berlin after a marathon signing session today the airline confirmed. The extra aircraft and routes it will be taking on will mainly be used to further expand its budget carrier Eurowings. 

The mega deal is valued at €210 million that's approximately $249 million and would cement the German travel giant as one of the largest airline group in Europe.  In addition to its purchase of part of Air Berlin, Lufthansa has agreed to acquire Air Berlin’s Austrian leisure travel airline Niki, its LG Walter regional airline and 20 additional aircraft.

“This contract provides new opportunities for jobs for a large part of our workforce. But we can only really breathe again when the EU Commission approves the deal,” Air Berlin chief executive Thomas Winkelmann said. 

Lufthansa's September Traffic Up.

The European airlines of the Lufthansa Group carried 12.7 million passengers during September 2017 according to figures released by the German group this week.  his shows an increase of 17.8% compared to the same month last year and the available seat kilometres were up 11% over the previous year. Sales increased by 12.9% and the seat load factor improved accordingly, rising 1.4 percentage points compared to September 2016 to 83.8%. In the first nine months of the year, around 98.4 million passengers were transported, 17.5% more than in the first nine months of 2016. Overall, the Lufthansa Group carried more passengers than ever before in the first nine months of 2017. The seat load factor has reached a historical peak of 81.4%. The figure was 2.1 percentage points higher than in the previous year.

Read on for more details of the September Results, 

Jet Airways expands services

Jet Airways, India’s growing full-service international airline, will introduce three new international services to its already extensive global network this winter, besides reinforcing six existing routes with additional frequencies to meet growing travel demand.

The carrier will introduce its first non-stop service between the capital cities of New Delhi and Riyadh. It will also deploy additional frequencies on the Mumbai-Riyadh, Mumbai-Kuwait, Delhi-Doha and Delhi-Dammam sectors as it deepens presence and connectivity between key Indo-Gulf cities.

Effective 29th October  2017, new non-stop flights will commence connecting Bengaluru and Chennai to the airline’s gateways in Amsterdam and Paris, respectively, as part of the carrier’s strategy to connect more cities, especially in the South of the country to destinations in Europe and North America. The airline is the first to operate flights on these routes which, along with a third daily flight on the increasingly popular Mumbai-London sector, will give guests a greater choice of convenient connections to other European cities and destinations in North America.

New route to Azerbaijan for Etihad

Etihad Airways has announced plans to launch scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and Baku, the capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan, effective 2 March 2018. 

The new route is being introduced to capitalise on the strong and growing demand for flights between the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan. The service will be operated three times a week using a 136-seat Airbus A320, configured with 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy.

Azerbaijan introduced a visa waiver programme for UAE nationals in November 2015 and expanded it to other GCC nations in early 2016. This prompted a surge in travel from across the GCC to the emerging tourist destination located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, which offers visitors access to vast areas of unspoiled nature and centuries-old culture. Baku, which sits on the Caspian Sea, is the country’s primary gateway and commercial centre.

Pilot openly criticises Ryanair's negotiations

In a surprising and brave move, a serving Ryanair pilot has publically criticised the airlines' management's internal negotiating structures for flyers.

Imelda Comer, a captain for the Irish airline is the first to openly display her unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the airline. She made her criticisms in a hard-hitting but civil and polite letter delivered by hand to the Dublin head office.

The brave open stance of Captain Comer refers to the fear of being among many pilots concerned about victimisation for speaking out in her letter to the CSO Michael O'Leary. Her letter indicates notes that Ryanair has previously either ignored EERC communications or falsely claimed they were not from legitimate representatives.  The letter, she confirmed, was from the EERC group made up exclusively of Ryanair pilots from several countries.

Ryanair has previously threatened or conducted legal action against EERC members as well as demoting or suspending them. Comer also reiterates the demands of pilots, including permanent local contracts negotiated by 1 January 2018, benchmarking of conditions with regional competitor airlines, and the right to have professional assistance in negotiations.

Boeing V Bombardier - Trade War Looms

Photo Reuters 

The battle between the US aviation giant Boeing and the much smaller Canadian manufacturer Bombardier continues to rumble on with almost alarming ferocity.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, in Washington for US-Canada trade talks, warned his US counterpart, President Donald Trump he would block Canadian armed forces from buying Boeing aircraft if the US Government presses ahead with its outrageous plans to slap duties and tariffs of 300 percent on Bombardier C Series aeroplanes.

The battle has been bubbling up for some time and many see it as a key ingredient to start a trade war between the North American neighbours. It's already caused consternation and possible trading hostilities between the US and the UK, where the Canadian manufacturer employs some 4000 people making wings for the C Series jets at the former Shorts Brothers factory in Northern Ireland.

Mr Trudeau met Trump at the White House this week for discussions on the North American Free Trade Agreement and confirmed he raised “directly” the Bombardier issue. “I highlighted to the president how we disagree vehemently with Commerce’s decision to bring in countervailing and anti-dumping duties against Bombardier, that we feel this is not something that is warranted and quite frankly something that we look very negatively upon,” The Canadian Prime Minister said after the meeting.

WestJet shows off 737 Max 8

WestJet officially unveiled its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to the media yesterday, just one of 50 it has on order that are scheduled for delivery over the next four years.

Boeing's new 737 MAX features the company's Sky Interior which features larger overhead bins, sculpted sidewalls and LED lighting to create a more comfortable guest experience over the course of a flight. (CNW Group/WestJet)

"We are proud to make history as the first Canadian airline to receive the Boeing 737 MAX," said Ed Sims, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Commercial. "The MAX's design updates, including Boeing's Advanced Technology winglets and the Boeing Sky Interior, will contribute to improvements in fuel efficiency and overall guest experience. We look forward to welcoming guests on board our sleek new aircraft along with our signature caring, people-driven service."

Read on for more photos and the 737 MAX

Breaking Lufthansa to buy 83 Air Berlin aircraft

Lufthansa's CEO  Carsten Spohr will sign a deal today to buy a large part of the insolvent German carrier Air Berlin.

“We will see a milestone in the history of Lufthansa and Berlin today,” he said.

It's understood the deal will include 83 aircraft and over 3000 staff will be reemployed with Lufthansa.  Details later.

Aircalin confirms Airbus order

Aircalin, the Noumea based carrier in the French territory of New Caledonia has firmed up its order for two A320neos single-aisle and two A330-900 wide-body aircraft.

The A320neo powered by Pratt & Whitney engines and equipped with 168 seats will be deployed on regional routes to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The A330neo, powered by the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines will feature 26 seats in Business, 21 in Premium and 244 in Economy Class. Aircalin plans to deploy the aircraft on commercial services to Japan for onward connections.

“Investing in our new fleet of modern efficient aircraft reduces our environmental impact thanks to lower fuel burn and allows Aircalin to reduce operating costs too. Equipped with the latest technology the aircraft will drive Aircalin’s strategy forward in Asia Pacific as well as its ambition to promote the development of tourism in New Caledonia”, said Didier Tappero, Aircalin CEO.

Jet orders 75 Boeing 737 Max aircraft

The Indian airline Jet Airways reported on Wednesday that it had agreed to buy 75 Boeing 737 Max aeroplanes. 

The full-service airline also advised that it could order a further 75 examples of the technologically advanced craft, to further bolster its position within the domestic Indian market. They expect the aircraft to start to be delivered from Boeing in mid-2018. The deal is thought to be valued at $9.3 billion based on list prices, however, such a large order would receive an estimated 25percent discount. 

WestJet Encore Launch Two New Routes

WestJet announced yesterday that it will begin operating daily, year-round service from Nanaimo Airport and Comox Valley Airport to Vancouver International Airport on WestJet Encore.

"WestJet is looking forward to providing Nanaimo and Comox with improved connectivity into the broader WestJet network," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. "In addition, WestJet Encore's Bombardier Q400s offer an affordable, quick and comfortable option for leisure and business travellers looking to hop back and forth between the island communities and British Columbia's largest business centre and airport."

"This is another great connection from our long-standing partner, WestJet," said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. "Thanks to these new services, our passengers will have more options when travelling domestically. This will further grow WestJet's hub out of YVR, connecting people and products to B.C. and beyond."

"It's great to see WestJet recognize the opportunity to expand in our marketplace," said Fred Bigelow, CEO at the Comox Valley Airport. "We're well served with WestJet service through Calgary and Edmonton. By adding Vancouver International Airport to the mix, travellers now have more options for easy connections within the Province and Hawaii."

Finnair Impressive Growth in Septmeber

September results released from Finnair shop impressive growth as the airline expands its reach and network. The airline measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres grew by 16.9 percent. The number of passengers carried in September was 1.08 million, corresponding to an increase of 10.7 percent year-on-year. The passenger load factor increased by 4.6 percentage points to 85.3 percent.

The capacity in Finnair’s largest traffic area, Asia, increased by 15.4 percent in September and traffic grew by 21.5 percent. The passenger load factor increased by 4.5 percentage points to 88.9 percent. The selection of routes was mainly unchanged year-on-year, but there were more frequencies to many destinations, Tokyo and Hong Kong in particular.

Flights could be grounded on Bexit warns chancellor

The UK's chancellor Philip Hammond has extended yet another layer of fear and confusion on the Brexit situation after suggesting it is “theoretically conceivable” airlines and flights could be grounded on 29th March 2019 - The Brexit D Day.

Warning that Brexit could cause a wide range of outcomes, Hammond said “One can plan for the most extreme scenario. It is theoretically conceivable that in a no deal scenario there will be no air traffic moving between the UK and EU on the 29th March 2019. But I don’t think anybody seriously believes that that is where we will get to."

The chancellor’s stark warning came on Wednesday morning when he told the Commons Treasury committee he would not spend money planning for Brexit talks to fail until the last minute. He said a “cloud of uncertainty”  was hanging over the UK's economy.  

Air Tahiti and ATR celebrate 30 year partnership

There was much celebration as Air Tahiti and plane maker ATR celebrate 30 years of working together.  Since the very beginning, Air Tahiti has been one of the cornerstones of the ATR programme, with the arrival of its first ATR 42 in Tahiti on January 21st, 1987. At the time, the airline chose the ATR as the most efficient solution to the problem of connectivity presented by Polynesia’s islands.  Air Tahiti operates a huge network in a space as large as Europe. The ATR quickly proved itself, with its flexibility allowing it to be the optimal tool on the atolls’ short runways as well as for much longer journeys.

ATR and Air Tahiti have grown together, with the success of one creating new opportunities for the other. Throughout all of the technical evolutions of the aircraft, Air Tahiti has enriched its flight operations and opened new routes, with the longest connecting Tahiti and Mangareva (1,600 km). The reliability of the ATR, its easy maintenance, high comfort and low operating costs have continuously convinced the airline to expand its fleet with new aircraft.

Air New Zealand's New Dreamliner Arrives

The first of Air New Zealand’s new-look Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners has touched down in Auckland, with a freshly configured interior offering more premium seating arrangements in response to growing demand for premium travel, increasing the number of Business Premier seats from 18 to 27 and Premium Economy seats from 21 to 33.

Air New Zealand Chief Marketing and Customer Officer Mike Tod says the airline is expecting the new cabin layout to be popular with customers.  “Since we introduced the Dreamliner, we have seen strong customer demand for our award-winning Business Premier and Premium Economy cabins and the products and service that come with these. Increasing the size of these cabins on our new 787-9 Dreamliners will give more customers than ever the opportunity to experience why Air New Zealand has been named by Airlineratings.com as the best airline in the world for the past four years,” Mr Tod says.

Mr Tod says the team at Boeing has been excellent to work with during the design process. “They share our vision of taking comfort in the sky to the next level for more people and have supported Air New Zealand as we set a new benchmark for 787-9 Dreamliner travel,” he says.

China Airlines will introduce non-stop direct flights between Taipei and Ontario (ONT), California, from Spring 2018.  The airline will use a Boeing 777-300ER on the route four times a week and give passengers a much greater choice when travelling to and from California.

Traffic demand between the Asia-Pacific region and the US. is forecast to grow by 6.1% per year so the new route has strong potential for China Airlines and should foster closer ties between Taiwan and the US. This new route will also save passengers a good deal of time when heading for the incredibly popular coastal tourist destination of San Diego.

Coco gets airborne - Southwest and Disney/Pixar

Southwest Airlines may have reported disappointing load factors and passenger numbers for September, with the outlook looking equally negative, the carrier is still brightening up the skies!

The low-cost airline celebrates Disney/Pixar's all-new, big-screen adventure "Coco" in super high-flying style this autumn that with a comprehensive promotional program including a Boeing 737-700 aircraft emblazoned with the vibrant "Coco" logo and artwork inspired by the film. 

This wonderful and vibrant liveried aircraft will fly to many destinations on the airlines' vast network throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean through the end of 2017.  "Coco," the film opens in across US cinemas on 22nd November this year. "Coco" is about a boy with big dreams and a strong connection to his family," says Director Lee Unkrich. "These themes really lend themselves to teaming up with a company like Southwest. And after working for nearly six years to bring this story to life, we were all so excited to see "Coco" on the side of an aeroplane."

Read on for more details of the promotional plans including a contest for a family to attend the US premiere of "Coco"

Another new ATR for Binter

Binter the Canarian airline welcomed a bright new shiny ATR aircraft into its flying fleet today, the new ATR 72-600 will operate its first scheduled passenger flight this afternoon.  The new aircraft is called 'Virgen del Pino' loosely translated as Virgin of the Pines joins one of the largest ATR operating airlines in Europe and will be used to operate scheduled flights within The Canary Islands as well as on some of Binter's 11 international routes. 

Te presentamos el nuevo @ATRaircraft 72-600, bautizado como Virgen del Pino. ¡Bienvenido! pic.twitter.com/8yY8FtCmjZ

— Binter (@BinterCanarias) October 10, 2017

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