The BIZclass is coming for Eurowings

Eurowings will be the first low-cost airline to offer a business class on selected long-haul flights at the beginning of the summer timetable 2018. 

The budget airlines has called its new premier offering BIZclass to represent a more modern and less stuffy image of the tradition 'business class' mantle. The airline will premiere its BIZclass poduct at the world's largest ITB travel fair in early March 2018 in Berlin. 

The airline in indicates the cabin and product will be introduced on flights some time during April 2018, the exact date still hasn't been finalised. 

On Tuesday 12th December Eurowings published a first photo of their new BIZclass via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. The announcement and photo was designed to be a sweet teaser to customers and indicate what they can look forward to on the carriers long-haul flights next year. 

Eurowings says BIZclass will offer seats with more legroom, more service and, of course, the seat itself is larger and more comfortable. The new BIZclass seat can be fully automatically transformed into a bed of about two meters in length allowing passengers to get a "full flat" bed at the touch of a button in just moments, perfect for relaxing during a long flight. 

Saudi Airlines receives its last Airbus A330

The national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Airlines took delivery of its last Airbus A330-300 from the manufactuer in the French city of Toulouse yesterday.

The airline had ordered 50 new Airbus aircraft back on 24th June 2015, comprising of 20 A330-300s and 30 A320s, signing in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Chairman of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development, and former French President Francois Hollande.  

Saudi Airlines took the first plane arrived on 18th August 2016 and on Tuesday 12th December 2017 the airline took delivery of Airbus A330-300 number 20 at a special hand-over ceremony in the French city of Toulouse. 

The arrival of the new aircraft forms a powerful addition to the fleet of Saudi Arabia, which is currently witnessing unprecedented modernization and development as part of its transformation programme. 

The seat configuration for the Saudi Airbus is 30 seats in business class and 300 in economy. All the  seats are equipped with special screens that allow passengers to enjoy a wide variety of audio/visual entertainmnet for their flight. The carrier boasts it offers over 3000 hours of entertainment programs, passengers can enjoy.

Unhappy Qantas pilots over reregistering aircraft

There may be pilot trouble ahead for Qantas.  It appears according to local media that pilots of the Australian airline are more than just a little unhappy with the carrier's plans to fly Australian aircraft with lower-paid pilots employed by a subsidiary in New Zealand.

The antipodean airline will be operating operate extra flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and Auckland from March 2018 when code-share partner Emirates reduces its A380 trans-Tasman services.

We're being told that Qantas is converting seven Boeing 737 aircraft it has registered in New Zealand through its sister company Jetconnect to the Australian Qantas operating licence. However, pilots employed in New Zealand by Jetconnect will be the ones flying those Australian registered planes - making it the first time Qantas has regularly used 'foreign' employed pilots on local aircraft.

It is a move that has angered some of the flight crews in Australia,  with a pilots union saying Qantas is shifting to a model of using overseas crews working on lower pay and worse conditions than their Australian counterparts.  "This is not dissimilar to the Ryanair or Norwegian [Airlines] models that deploy contract crew, on varying conditions in bases around their network. -  The Americans and Europeans have fought long and hard against this model and we must guard against its emergence in Qantas."  Australian and International Pilots Association president Captain Murray Butt said in a letter to union members.

According to a Qantas spokesperson, pilots from Jetconnect would till only fly the same routes they already do, across the Tasman Sea. They would not operate domestic flights in Australia.   

The spokesperson reiterated that changing the registration of its 737 to Qantas' Australian Air Operators Certificate was simply a measure to better utilise the aircraft. "By registering these aircraft in Australia instead, we could make much better use of this down time by flying domestic sectors in between flying to New Zealand,"

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Stanstead to Salzburg service launched by Jet2

Last week budget carrier Jet2 launched a new service from London Stanstead airport to the heart of Europe's premier ski region, Salzburg.  The airline will operate up to three flights a week to the charming city of Salzburg, which offers so much opportunity for skiers and snowboarders as 130 ski resorts, including Alpbach, Ellmau, Kitzbühel, Obertauern, Söll and Schladming are located within a three-hour drive of the city.  

Jet2 services go on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays which could be handy if you want a winter weekend away either on the slopes or staying in Salzburg itself.  This wonderful gateway city offers some wonderful traditional Christmas Markets held in the squares close to the cathedral as well as an 'Advent Magic' market at Hellbrunn Palace, or there is another at Mirabell Square, close to Mirabell Gardens that will delight the senses. As the birthplace of Mozart, there is almost always live classical music taking place somewhere in the city, indeed from now up until January there are at least four daily concerts happening around the city.  

To celebrate the inaugural jet2 flight, customers were welcomed at Salzburg Airport with cake, and traditional ‘Mozartkugel’ (Mozart Ball) a delicious round treat made of pistachio, marzipan and nougat, which is then covered with dark chocolate.

Primary Inspection Kiosks and eDeclaration now available at Halifax Stanfield

 The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Halifax International Airport Authority announced last week that Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIK) and the eDeclaration mobile application are operating at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. PIK are next generation technology that offer self-service options for international air travellers arriving in Canada.

PIK verify travel documents, allow travellers to complete an on-screen declaration, and confirm identity using facial authentication for all eligible international travellers arriving by air. Those looking to save more time can complete their declaration in advance using the CanBorder - eDeclaration mobile app, which will give them a quick response (QR) code to scan at a kiosk upon arrival. 

The 24 Primary Inspection Kiosks at the Halifax Stanfield strengthen border security, as well as assist in reducing wait times. Halifax Stanfield is the fifth Canadian airport to launch the PIK technology in 2017.  "We are continuously looking for innovative ways to improve the airport experience of our passengers. Employing the latest technology to expedite the customs process aligns with our strategic priority of maximizing airport efficiency." Said Joyce Carter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Halifax International Airport Authority. "We were delighted to collaborate with the Canada Border Services Agency and launch this enhancement for the benefit of returning residents and arriving visitors."

Read more to watc a short video on the new PIK's

The Spirit of Shame - Airline kicks off passenger because baby cries

This is the festive season, the season of goodwill, however that goodwill doesn't extend to Spirit Airlines passengers if they have a crying baby!

It appears the cabin crew of a Spirit flight took exception to a mother nursing her baby onboard their aircraft on Friday 8th December. 

Mei Rui, a cancer researcher and pianist from Houston, Texas USA was kicked off the flight due to go to New York, she says because her baby was crying, but the airline says because she failed to comply with safety instructions. “The only 'non-compliance' is that my son was crying for 25 minutes straight after I force-buckled him into the airplane seat.” Ms Rui stated.

 In  Facebook post Ms Rei wrote “After a three-hour delay due to ‘insufficient de-icing solution’ to thaw the ice on the plane and having to deplane and re-board everyone, I was nursing my exhausted baby (we woke up at 3am for the early flight, as I have a very important recording session in NY this afternoon) as a crew attendant approached me and asked me to stop nursing him and buckle him in his seat. 

“Since the plane hadn’t finished re-boarding, and the doors were still open, I politely asked for a couple more minutes so I could finish nursing him. She waved for another flight attendant to come. I explained to them both that giving me a couple more minutes to finish nursing him would prevent him from crying and disturbing the other passengers. 

“Seeing that I did not stop breastfeeding him promptly, they went back and at that point must have called the captain. I didn’t want to cause any trouble, so I immediately pulled my son off and forced-buckled him into the seat, which set off uncontrollable crying for the next 25 minutes to the great dismay and earache of everyone on the plane.

“The crew came back (baby had been strapped in the seat for over 20 minutes at that point) and asked us to leave. We said that we haven’t violated any regulations and asked why? They left, and at that point must have called the police.

The family was escorted from the aircraft and greeted by the police in a traumatic experience for them all. 

Find out what lies the airline said in its statement - 

Air China launches new non-stop service between Shenzhen and Los Angeles

The inaugural flight for Air China's non-stop route between Shenzhen and Los Angeles took place on 7th December. The new route adds to Shenzhen's growing portfolio of international long-haul routes and will help to promote economic and cultural exchange between southern China and the U.S. West Coast.

In 2016, more than 5 million tourists travelled between China and the U.S., while China became the top destination for U.S. travellers in the Asia Pacific. Los Angeles also became the first U.S. city to welcome over one million Chinese visitors in the space of a year. Air China's new non-stop route will reduce the journey time between Shenzhen and Los Angeles to just over 12 hours and provide a convenient new link for tourists and business passengers.

Record November for Gatwick as Asia connections soar

London Gatwick has achieved its busiest-ever November as 2.9 million passengers travelled through the airport last month, bringing Gatwick to 45.5 million annual passengers.

Long-haul routes continue their significant growth at Gatwick, growing +12.1% in November, driving a +25.6% cargo increase from the increased belly hold capacity in the aircraft serving these connections.

The airport’s Asia connections proved particularly popular in November with passengers to Hong Kong +75% and Tianjin +46.1%.

Gatwick’s regional connectivity also continues to perform strongly with passengers to the Isle of Man, Glasgow and Guernsey +12.9%, +11% and +6.8% respectively.

Meanwhile, St Lucia +85.8%, Mauritius +55% and Liberia, Costa Rica +47% were the winter sun destinations experiencing the fastest passenger growth in the month.

November also marked the first anniversary of the Gatwick Foundation Fund which annually distributes £300,000 to deserving projects across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

To date, 80 organisations and more than 46,000 people have benefited from the grants and reported improvements in the services they provide, which cover four main areas: Employment, training and skills; Families; Widening horizons and Elderly people.

read on to see what Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said:

Air Canada's New Boeing 737 MAX Enters Regular Service

Air Canada embarked today on the next phase of its transformation with the entry into scheduled service of its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Flight AC137 from Toronto to Calgary this morning was the first to be operated using the 169-seat, fuel-efficient aircraft, featuring Air Canada's next generation in-flight entertainment system, spacious overhead storage bin capacity and Boeing's Sky Interior. Throughout the day it will then fly passengers from Calgary to Montreal, followed by service from Montreal to Vancouver.  

"Introducing a new aircraft type to the fleet is always exciting for an airline, but we know customers will be even more thrilled by the Boeing 737 MAX, which is set to become the mainstay of our North American, narrow-body fleet. With this new aircraft we are introducing the next generation of our onboard entertainment system and customers will find ample storage space for carry-on baggage in its generous overhead bins," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

"The 737 MAX is also more fuel efficient and quieter than the older, narrow-body aircraft it will replace, benefitting the environment. This increased efficiency will also enable us to compete more effectively and gives the aircraft extended range capabilities so we can launch new city pairings within North America, and routes to select international destinations. Combined with our fleet of Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX will ensure Air Canada continues to have one of the most modern fleets among global carriers," said Mr Smith.

Deer Jet Crowned "World's Leading Private Jet Charter" for Three Consecutive Years

The World Travel Awards (WTA), the travel industry's leading awards programme, reunited hundreds of leaders representing the best of the world's hospitality for a glamorous night on December 10, 2017 at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay. For the third year in a row, Deer Jet has been selected as the "World's Leading Private Jet Charter".

Once again, Deer Jet has showcased its superior Seven Star services and outstanding business innovation, winning the votes of hundreds of thousands of industry leaders and business travellers who had selected the company from a pool of global leaders, including Net Jets and Royal Jet among others.

Aeroflot Named World's Leading Airline Brand

Aeroflot has taken the prestigious World's Leading Aviation Brand 2017 prize at the World Travel Awards, the first time the nomination has been awarded.

     

Known as the Oscars of the tourism industry, the World Travel Awards are given every year to leading tour firms, hotels and airlines. Country-level and regional awards take place during the year, followed by the world event. Winners are decided by an online vote that attracts hundreds of thousands of travel professionals and millions of travellers to take part. The key criteria are product quality and level of service.

The global WTA ceremony took place on 10 December at the renowned Vietnamese island resort of Phu Quoc.

Aeroflot took the World's Leading Airline Brand nomination in a highly competitive field including carriers such as Emirates.

"This award is a great honour for us, and also a well deserved result," said Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev. "The World Travel Awards are the Oscars of the tourism industry, and to triumph in such a prestigious category has taken many years of work. Today Aeroflot is one of the world's top-20 airlines by passenger numbers. We hold 4-Star Airline status from Skytrax and were recently named a Five Star Global Airline by US passenger association APEX. I am proud that we have been recognised as the world's leading aviation brand. Aeroflot will do everything it can to hold on to this title going forward."

Earlier this year Aeroflot won two key categories at the regional World Travel Awards: Europe's Leading Airline Brand and Europe's Leading Airline - Business Class. This result meant Russia's flagship carrier was able to advance to the global awards, something no other Russian company has previously achieved.

In February Aeroflot was named the world's most powerful airline brand by Brand Finance, the leading authority on brand value and strategy. Aeroflot was also named the most powerful brand in Russia in any sector.

Who are Aeroflot?  Read on for more.

Allegiant's November Results

Allegiant Travel Company last week  reported preliminary passenger traffic results for November 2017. 

Scheduled Service
	November 2017	November 2016	Change
Passengers	961,225	854,114	12.5%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	862,158	766,850	12.4%
Available seat miles (000)	1,028,881	934,843	10.1%
Load factor	83.8%	82.0%	1.8 pts
Departures	6,940	6,335	9.6%
Average stage length (miles)	881	879	0.2%

Total System*
	November 2017	November 2016	Change
Passengers	977,891	866,737	12.8%
Revenue passenger miles (000)	879,464	779,725	12.8%
Available seat miles (000)	1,079,028	975,552	10.6%
Load factor	81.5%	79.9%	1.6 pts
Departures	7,355	6,658	10.5%
Average stage length (miles)	872	871	0.1%

*Total system includes scheduled service and fixed fee contract.

Belavia to Add a Further E195 to its Embraer Fleet

 Embraer and Belavia, Belarusian Airlines, the national carrier of Belarus, announced during the week a further firm order for one current generation E195 jet for delivery in 2018. The firm order, with a list price value of USD 53.5 million, will be included in Embraer's 2017 fourth-quarter backlog.

"To receive a further order so soon after announcing their last order is a great source of pride for Embraer. It confirms that our aircraft and the team that supports them are delivering significant value to Belavia and their customers. Belavia's success continues, their traffic has grown 20% year on year, and Embraer is ready to support further fleet growth and renewal," said Martyn Holmes, Embraer Vice President Sales and Marketing for Europe, Middle East, and CIS.

United's Share buyback and November results

United Airlines announced during the week that the Board of Directors of its parent company, United Continental Holdings, Inc. (UAL), authorized a new $3 billion share repurchase program. This amount represents approximately 17 percent of the company's market capitalization based on the closing stock price on 6th Dec. 2017.

"We continue to invest in our employees, our customer experience and the growth of our business. Returning cash to our shareholders reflects the strength of our balance sheet and the confidence we have in our future," said Andrew Levy, executive vice president and chief financial officer of United Airlines.

The company is expected to complete its most recently authorized July 2016 $2 billion share repurchase program by the end of December 2017. The company's share repurchases under today's $3 billion repurchase authorization will be made in accordance with applicable securities laws in open market, or accelerated repurchase transactions from time to time, depending on market conditions, and may be discontinued at any time. There is no expiration date for the share repurchase program.

Read on for the November results

Continued wintry precipitation hampers Atlanta operations

Delta has cancelled more than 1000 flights Friday and opens Saturday with about 350 due to a winter storm that hit its Atlanta hub. 

Delta people have been working around the clock to reset the Atlanta Airport operations for weekend travel; however, the continued stream of winter precipitation in metro Atlanta throughout the night continues to impact the airline’s startup at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  

 Aircraft parked overnight on gates require a heavy pass of deicing before their first departures of the day, but as wintry precipitation tails off and temperatures rise, the operation expects to see increased momentum throughout the morning.

Delta ended Friday with more than 1000 system-wide cancellations, most departing from or arriving into Atlanta. Saturday’s operation opened with more than 350 system-wide cancels, again, with the bulk touching the Atlanta airport. 

Customers are encouraged to use delta.com to change travel plans. Customers affected by weather may make a one-time change to their ticket without fee if they are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the affected destinations on Delta, Delta Connection or Delta-coded flights during the specified time periods listed here. Additionally, if customers’ flights are cancelled or significantly delayed, they may request a refund.

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Jet2 breaks the hearts of dozens of dying children

It looked like UK Budget airline Jet2 were coming to the rescue of dozens of terminally ill and sick children when a special 'Meet Santa' flight was cancelled by the demise of Monarch Airlines.  

Monarch had been running special Santa flights for disabled and terminally ill children for a number of years but the collapse of the airline ended that dream that many of the children had of meeting Santa, possibly for the very last time.

However, Jet2 seemed to come to the rescue after being approached and said they would do the flight and offered some seats to Martin House Childen's Hospice.  In total at least 40 severely disabled and children with life-shortening illnesses and their carers were due to go on the special flight.  The flight would have flown around the UK, during which the children would have received presents and then meet Santa himself. 

The flight was due to depart from Leeds Bradford Airport on Wednesday, but Jet2 axed the trip for children and their carers with just a weeks notice.   The airline blames Leeds Bradford Airport at the hospice for not giving them enough details about the medical conditions of the children from Martin House Children's Hospice in Wetherby claiming they had not been told full details of the medical conditions of the children before the flight. They say they couldn't provide a 'safe and enjoyable flight'. 

There is more on this story - 

Azul and Turkish agree a codeshare deal

Azul the largest airline in Brazil by the number of cities and departures, and Turkish Airlines, the largest airline group in Turkey, announced this week, the signing of a codeshare agreement effective as of 08 December 2017.

Through the codeshare partnership, Turkish will add its code (TK) on Azul domestic flights. As a result, customers will be able to purchase tickets directly from all of Turkish Airlines' sales channels to fly to Brazilian domestic destinations operated by Azul.

"The codeshare with Turkish Airlines will be very important to strengthen our international presence, especially for customers travelling from Europe and Asia to Brazil. Now they will be able to enjoy the convenience of thru ticketing, check-in and boarding passes.  On the domestic connection customers will experience the market leading and award-winning service of Azul, "says Abhi Shah Azul's Chief Revenue Officer.

"As Turkish Airlines, we are glad to be a codeshare partner with Azul, one of the most important airlines of Brazil. In conjunction with this new commercial cooperation, passengers would enjoy travelling from Sao Paulo to different Brazilian destinations as a continuation of their seamless Istanbul-Sao Paulo flight", said Bilal EKŞİ, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman & CEO.

New routes for Brussels Airlines, Zadar and Split start next year.

Brussels Airlines expands its network in Croatia, one of the fastest growing holiday destinations. Next to Zagreb and Dubrovnik, the Belgian airline will now add two new destinations to its portfolio. From 12th May onwards, Zadar is connected to Brussels Airport and on 28th April, the first Brussels Airlines flight to Split takes off.

Tourism is on the rise in Croatia. More and more holidaymakers are looking at the youngest EU member state for a summer holiday along the beautiful coastline, in one of the historic cities or to sail past the breathtaking islands. Brussels Airlines is following up on this growth trend and expands its flight offer next summer with Zadar and Split as newcomers. In total, Brussels Airlines will fly to four Croatian destinations during the following summer season: Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Split.

Southwest Airlines Named A 2018 Military Friendly Employer By Victory Media

 Southwest Airlines  announced that it has earned the 2018 Military Friendly® Employer designation by Victory Media. To achieve this prestigious designation, Southwest Airlines® was evaluated in four different categories using publicly available data from federal agencies, personal opinion data from veteran Employees, and proprietary Military Friendly® survey data from participating organizations. Southwest Airlines is pleased to share it has received the "friendly" label in all four categories, earning the overall Military Friendly® Employer designation.

Military Friendly Brands: ranked #1 in the Trucking & Transportation industry
Military Friendly Supplier Diversity: ranked  #1 in the Trucking & Transportation industry
Military Friendly Employer: ranked  #6 in the Trucking & Transportation industry
Military Spouse Friendly Employer: ranked  #4 in the Trucking & Transportation industry

"Southwest Airlines is committed to being a military friendly Company, and this designation is an honor," said Julie Weber, Vice President People at Southwest Airlines. "We owe everything to the dedicated service members whose sacrifices and bravery give us freedom to fly, connecting People to what's important in their lives."

More

OpenSkies to Close

IAG airline British Airways has confirmed it will be shutting down the boutique business airline OpenSkies after 10 years of operations.

OpenSkies currently flies between New York and Paris, will cease operating from September next year. According to the airline, no staff will lose their jobs as they will all be transferred to the new IAG budget long-haul airline called Level. 

IAG will also pass other OpenSkies assets to Level including slots and departure gates at Paris Orly airport. 

A million tickets from Eurowings from as little as 29.99 euro

The festive season might just have gotten a little more merry and festive.

Eurowings have offered a special gift for Advent. As of today, the airline’s customers can book unbeatably cheap flight tickets to the world’s most beautiful destinations from as little as EUR 29.99, now that is sure to please Santa and add a little extra special Christmas spirit to the rest of us. 

The discounted Advent flight tickets can be booked until Sunday, 10.12.2017, via www.eurowings.com or the Eurowings app on smartphone and tablet, and they can be redeemed flexibly up to the end of April 2018.

Maybe now you give a gift where literally the sky is the limit. So if you haven’t already purchased all your Christmas presents, maybe a low-cost Advent flight tickets from Eurowings is the answer.  It's perfect for anyone,  including your most favourite travel blog writer. 

Toronto Pearson announces new carriers, routes for summer 2018

With demand for air travel in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) continuing to grow, Toronto Pearson announces additional new airline services from Canada's busiest airport, serving the region for the Summer 2018 travel season.

The airport, which is forecast to welcome nearly 48 million passengers in 2017, will see several new airlines enter the local market, as well as expanded service from existing carriers and more frequent flights on some high demand routes. As a critical economic engine for Ontario and Canada, additional connectivity from Toronto Pearson opens key development opportunities for local industry and facilitates growth for area businesses.

Domestic and international travellers will have new options from Toronto Pearson. For the summer 2018 season, Air Canada will offer new direct service to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as new routes from Toronto to Providence, RI, Omaha, NB, Nanaimo, BC, and Kamloops, BC.

New Canadian carrier Flair Air will operate for its first summer out of Toronto Pearson after starting service to Edmonton, AB and Kelowna, BC this month.

SKYCOP demands Monarch Airlines give slot deal money to passengers

The collapse of one of the UK's longest running airlines, Monarch, sent shock waves throughout the travel industry. Its demise left thousands of passengers overseas and many more thousands of future holidaymakers plans in doubt.  The CAA mobilised a massive airlift operation to bring back Monarch passengers in a repatriation the size of which had not been seen since the war. 

The administrators, KPMG, appointed to realise the most possible return for Monarch's assets and redistribute those funds to all the airlines' creditors managed to sell a large number of Monarch's lucrative slots. 

The sale has, according to Lithuanian based compensation chasers Skycop, 'sparked outrage among passengers left stranded or without holidays by the airline collapse, the majority of whom are yet to receive any flight compensation', which, again according to Skycop,, is around €291 million.

We spoke to five people who were affected by the Monarch collapse and none were 'outraged', they understood that it was the administrators' job to get as much money as possible by selling Monarch's assets before they are able to distribute any of that cash to staff, customers and all the other creditors. 

It should also be worth pointing out that nobody was left stranded overseas, all Monarch passengers were brought home by one of the many airlines the CAA had hired to operate those repatriation flights.  

More routes and more staff for British Airways at london City

British Airways is further expanding both its London City and regional operation with three new routes, increased frequencies, two more aircraft and 40 new jobs.

Just a week after the airline announced it is increasing flights from Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol in Summer 2018, today it unveils plans to double its weekday services between London City and Milan Linate and add a new weekday service to Frankfurt from January.

In addition, there will be new summer services from Manchester and Edinburgh to Florence and a weekly service between Manchester and Dublin.

The extra flights are made possible with the arrival of two new 98-seat Embraer 190 aircraft in January and April 2018, bringing the total fleet number to 22.

The airline is also recruiting 20 new pilots and 20 cabin crew.

GOL's November

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A.  Brazil's number 1 airline, announced its preliminary air traffic figures for the month of November 2017, yesterday.

Southwest's November Results

Southwest Airlines today reported its November and year-to-date preliminary traffic statistics.

The Company flew 10.8 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) in November 2017, an increase of 3.4 percent from the 10.4 billion RPMs flown in November 2016. Available seat miles (ASMs) increased 2.5 percent to 12.6 billion in November 2017, compared with November 2016 ASMs of 12.3 billion. The November 2017 load factor was a record for the month of November at 85.8 percent, compared with 85.1 percent in November 2016. Based on these results and current trends, the Company now estimates its fourth quarter 2017 operating revenue per ASM (RASM) will increase in the one to two percent range, as compared with fourth quarter 2016.

Turkish Airlines Welcomes 777 Freighter

Boeing and Turkish Airlines celebrated the delivery today of the airline's first 777 Freighter, the world's longest-range twin-engine freighter. The aircraft will help the airline expand its cargo business.

"The delivery of our first 777 Freighter is a milestone event in our cargo business," said Mr. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. "As a prominent sub-brand of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo increased its freighter destinations served from 55 to 73 from the beginning of this year, reaching approximately one million tons of cargo with a 29 percent increase. It is surely beyond doubt that this is a remarkable success. We're sure that this significant delivery, which will bring great value to our rapidly growing cargo operations, will also enable our leading sub-brand to further compete, expand and reach new short and long-range destinations from our hub in Istanbul."

"We are honored to deliver the 777 Freighter to Turkish Airlines," said Marty Bentrott, Senior Vice President of Sales, Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia and Africa, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This aircraft's range capability, combined with its enhanced cargo capacity, makes it a perfect airplane for Turkish Airlines to continue to profitably grow its global cargo service."

No apologies from British Airways after a year of hell for passengers......

The chief executive of British Airways Alex Cruz has defended the carriers decision to end free meals on its short-haul flights, despite the lack of 'buy-onboard' products. Cruz also predicts that all legacy airlines will follow his example and charge for food. 

Cruz, the head of the IAG carrier says the airlines' decision to end free meals for economy passengers and introduce a buy-on-board range from M&S on European and domestic routes earlier this year was "absolutely the right" decision to take.  “Given some of the fares in the marketplace, we make no apology for making ourselves more efficient in various ways so we can consistently compete effectively,” Cruz said. 

He describes the free food and drink services still available on board rivals' short-haul flights as a "fad" and is he "absolutely convinced" that the two big European carriers that still offer free meals will end the practice in the coming months. If free food and drink on the short-haul flights is a fad, it is one of the longest-running fads in the aviation world, free meals have been offerd on flights since the dawn of regular scheduled services.

"Every carrier in the world will be offering food to buy in the very short flights as we do," Cruz arrogantly blasted. He was also unapologetic for the lack of the buy-on-board range claimed that a "logistics issue" meant that there was never enough food on the aircraft to serve even half the passenger loads on each flight. Demand "completely surprised us" said Cruz in London yesterday and claimed the airline has now sorted out the problem and will offer the "food you want when you are flying at a reasonable price". 

Speaking more generally about the airline, Alex Cruz blames the passengers for being "more and more demanding" regarding the level of service they expect from the carrier and the soaring level of complaints the airline has received in the past year. Many disagree with the assertion that he made that British Airways was “and always will be,” a premium airline. 

For British Airways passengers, 2017 really was a year of hell, there were cabin crew strikes, continued luggage handling issues at Heathrow which leaves over 50 BA passengers each day with lost, delayed or damaged baggage. There was that massive computer outage that the airline initially tried to blag was due to a power cut, but were forced to admit they lied and an engineer turned the power off. Reports of rude and racist cabin crew. A passenger forced to sit in a puddle of someone else's pee and flights delayed due to a lack of a loo roll!  Yep, sure sounds like a premium airline, but will 2018 be any better?   Cruz seems to think so, “The glory days are coming back,” he claimed, “I firmly believe that our best days lie ahead.”   He also boasted that BA would also introduce “the best Wi-Fi in the sky” on bigger aircraft, yet independent reviews of the service, operated by GoGo is decidedly average and priced slightly higher than many other airlines offering similar packages. 

The airline is in talks with German aircraft leasing company DrPeter over the purchase of the four ten-year-old Airbus A380 aircraft returned from Singapore Airlines. And, whilst Delta and United have made a song and dance about retiring their 747's, British Airways will keep theirs flying until February 2024!

❗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.

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Air China arrives at London Gatwick - vital trade route

Minister for International Trade, Greg Hands, and UK Trade Envoy to Taiwan, Lord Faulkner, attended the launch of a vital new trade link from the UK to the Far East today - when the UK’s only direct flight to Taipei left Gatwick for the first time.

The majority of UK airfreight is exported in the hold of long-haul passenger aircraft and this four times a week China airlines service will provide both UK and Taiwanese businesses with the fastest access to both markets, in addition to carrying business and leisure passengers.

According to the UK Government, approximately 300 UK companies are currently located in Taiwan in financial and business services, ICT, telecommunications, infrastructure, environmental technology, creative industries and marine industries, with around 180 Taiwanese companies currently based in the UK. 

The UK is seen by Taiwan as a world leader in the creative industries, and cultural and educational links are growing with approximately 30% of all Taiwanese who study overseas - around 8000 students - doing so in the UK.  Taiwanese tourism to the UK has also risen sharply since the lifting of the visa regime for visits of under 6 months in 2009.

The China Airlines service is the latest in Gatwick’s flourishing 60+ strong network – the world’s largest for a single runway airport – and one that will soon be followed by new services to Buenos Aires, Chicago and Austin in the New Year.

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Flights in Search of Santa: a 13th edition filled with magic thanks to Air Transat and the Children's Wish Foundation

Hundreds of children living with severe illnesses and their families were offered a brief respite today during the annual Flights in Search of Santa organized by Air Transat and the Children's Wish Foundation. Departed on their search for Santa Claus, children were able to find him somewhere in the sky between Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Paris…and the North Pole! 

Flights in Search of Santa: a 13th edition filled with magic thanks to Air Transat and the Children's Wish Foundation (CNW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.)

The memorable day began at the Air Transat check-in counters at Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver and Paris-CDG airports. The festivities continued on to the boarding gate, where a number of activities awaited everyone before take-off. Once in the sky, a surprise guest soon appeared in the cabin: Santa himself! 

"For Air Transat, this event has become a real tradition just before the holiday season," said Jean-Francois Lemay, President, Air Transat. "The Santa Flight holds a special place in our employees' hearts and in our corporate responsibility initiatives." 

Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer delivers the 1,400th E-Jet

Embraer celebrates the delivery of its 1,400th E-Jet, an E175, during a ceremony at Embraer’s industrial facilities in São José dos Campos, Brazil. American Airlines took delivery of this milestone aircraft and selected Envoy Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc., to operate the aircraft.

Since American Airlines has been a customer of Embraer for nearly 20 years, subsidiary Envoy is one of the original ERJ operators and currently has over 100 ERJs in its fleet. Combining the 2013 and 2017 E-Jet orders, American has ordered 74 E175s and selected Envoy to operate 54 of those E175s; this delivery represents Envoy’s 44th E175.

“The E-Jet program, one of the most successful aircraft programs in history, has been instrumental in shaping the 70 to 130-seat market we see today. And to celebrate the 1,400th E-Jet delivery with our longtime friends, American Airlines and Envoy, is truly a special moment for us, especially after they took delivery of their first E175 just two years ago,” said John Slattery, President  & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We understand that being part of an airline’s fleet is also being part of their vision, family, and brand. That’s why, as the market leader of this segment, we are committed to continuously raising the standard in order to provide products and solutions that ultimately benefit their customers.”