Aeromexico to Install 2Ku on Additional Boeing 737-800 Aircraft

Gogo the leading global provider of broadband connectivity products and services for aviation, announced today that Aeromexico will install 2Ku on an additional 9 Boeing 737-800NG's, bringing the total to 29 aircraft.  Today, 20 of Aeromexico's 737-800NG aircraft are flying with Gogo's 2Ku in-flight connectivity technology.
"Aeromexico was one of the first airlines to commit and deploy 2Ku and we are excited to extend our partnership and bring the industry's leading in-flight connectivity solution to their passengers," said Dave Bijur, Gogo's SVP and regional president for the Americas.  

Boeing 737 MAX 9 Awarded FAA Certification

Boeing announced today that the 737 MAX 9 has received an amended type certificate (ATC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), officially certifying the aeroplane for commercial service.
Boeing's new 737 MAX 9 has received FAA certification and is now being prepped for first delivery. Paul Weatherman photo. This certification marks the culmination of a successful flight test program that began in March 2017 with two Boeing flight test aeroplanes. The FAA certification affirms that the aeroplane's handling, systems and overall performance all comply with required aviation regulations.
"Our teams built superior capabilities into the MAX 9 and proved them all the way through flight test. We're looking forward to bringing this aeroplane to market for our valued customers," said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "I am proud of the entire team for helping us reach another important development milestone."

Copa's January

Copa Holdings, released its preliminary passenger traffic statistics for January 2018 on Thursday. 
For the month of January 2018, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPMs) increased 5.8% year over year, while capacity (ASMs) increased 5.4%.  As a result, system load factor for the month was 84.0%, a 0.4 percentage point increase when compared to January 2017.
Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services.  The Company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to 75 destinations in 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 101 aircraft: 81 Boeing 737NG aircraft and 20 EMBRAER-190s.

Operating Data	Jan	Jan	% Change
	2018	2017	(YOY)
Copa Holdings  (Consolidated)
ASM (mm) (1)	2,170.2	2,059.2	5.4%
RPM (mm) (2)	1,823.6	1,723.0	5.8%
Load Factor (3)	84.0%	83.7%	0.4p.p.
1.  Available seat miles - represents the aircraft seating capacity multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
2.  Revenue passenger miles - represents the numbers of miles flown by revenue passengers
3.  Load factor - represents the percentage of aircraft seating capacity that is actually utilized

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Chorus Aviation announces solid year-end 2017 and fourth quarter earnings

Chorus Aviation announced yesterday, solid year-end and fourth quarter financial results for fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.
"I'm very pleased with the significant progress made in 2017 towards our vision of delivering regional aviation to the world," said Joe Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chorus.  "The successful launch of Chorus Aviation Capital and its rapid build to a global business has propelled the value of Chorus' portfolio of leased aircraft to over one billion dollars and demonstrated the strength of our growth and diversification strategy. We have been methodical and deliberate in deploying the $200 million gross proceeds from our convertible debt unit financing with Fairfax Financial. Within a relatively short period of time we've concluded leasing agreements with eight well-established regional carriers in eight countries located on six continents. We have strong momentum.

Norwegian reports 2017 full year results influenced by global expansion, fleet renewal and extraordinary costs

Norwegian today reported its full year and fourth quarter 2017 results. The net loss was -299 million NOK (-£27.4 million) in 2017, while the earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) was 60 million NOK (£5.5 million). Significant costs related to increased fuel prices, wet lease and passenger care affect the results. Going into 2018, Norwegian is far better positioned with stronger bookings and a better staffing situation. Major investments have also been done in 2017 to prepare for future growth.

Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and its flight attendants reach tentative merger agreement

Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and the Association of Flight Attendants announced today they have reached a tentative merger agreement for the airline's 5,400 flight attendants.
The merger agreement includes competitive pay raises, increase in retirement contributions and quality of life benefits and preserves all productivity of Alaska Airlines existing contract.
"We're thrilled to have reached this major milestone towards integrating our flight attendant work groups," said Jeff Butler, Alaska Airlines' vice president of guest and inflight services. "We have one of the best flight attendant work groups in the industry. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to bring Virgin America and Alaska Airlines together as one and supports our long-term low cost, low fares business philosophy."
Alaska Airlines' flight attendants will conduct a ratification vote that is expected to be completed in April. The tentative merger agreement marks a major milestone in integrating Virgin America and Alaska Airlines flight attendants.

Europe is more accessible than ever with Air Transat - New domestic flights will offer travellers greater flexibility

Air Transat, one Canada's leading low-cost airlines, has announced that it will be adding new domestic flights this summer, making Europe that much more accessible to travellers from Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City. In fact, they will now have access to more than 10 new European destinations, thanks to Air Transat's connecting flights via Montreal and Toronto.
"For more than 30 years, Air Transat has been the preferred holiday travel airline for Canadians flying to Europe," says Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer at Transat. "Our domestic flights are very popular with travellers, as they offer more choices and the flexibility to easily plan their dream vacations to Europe. This allows us to reinforce our position as leader in the transatlantic market, because a greater number of travellers are choosing the unique experience of flying with Air Transat to Europe."

Finnair and the Finnish Paralympic Committee agree to a partnership agreement

Finnair and the Finnish Paralympic Committee have signed a three-year partnership agreement, whereby Finnair becomes a key partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee for the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, which will begin on March 9, 2018. The agreement also covers the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020.
“Being the official airline and the main partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee is great,” says Pekka Vauramo, Finnair’s President and CEO. “We are doing our best to support the Paralympic team on their journey to success. We also want to promote together the theme of accessible travel. We want to provide parasport athletes with the best connections to the events and to enrich their preparation for the Games with a unique flying experience. Inclusiveness and diversity are an integral part of Finnair’s values. Finnair is committed to providing its customers, personnel and partners with equal opportunities. In addition, working with Paralympic athletes is an excellent opportunity to raise Finnair’s brand awareness globally. This cooperation will also enable us to get valuable information about the accessibility of our services and how to develop them further.”
“Travelling to the Paralympic Games with Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland, will be a first-class experience for our Paralympic athletes,” says Tero Kuorikoski, the Secretary-General of the Finnish Paralympic Committee. “Our cooperation brings forward the importance of accessible travel, and encourages everybody, despite possible challenges, to participate actively in life and share success stories. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Finnair as a key partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee.”
Finnair is also the official partner of the National Olympic Committees of Finland and Sweden. 

OneJet start Buffalo - Albany route and introduce new product.

OneJet, the airline that specialises in providing direct air routes between small and medium markets in the US have inaugurated a new nonstop service between Buffalo and Albany. This new route also marks the service introduction of OneJet's Plus product.

OneJet will now offer a twice-daily round-trip flight between Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Albany International Airport, the first direct flights between the two cities to be offered in more than seven years. Travellers had previously been forced to make the 280-mile trip by road taking some considerable time. 

The OneJet Plus service, which will be introduced to additional routes throughout 2018, provides passengers with expanded amenities onboard retrofitted ERJ 135 regional jet aircraft, including increased legroom, complimentary 4G high-speed Wi-Fi, streaming entertainment gate to gate and complimentary beer, wine and premium snacks.  Passengers also receive the same check-in conveniences that standard OneJet flights provide, including TSA Pre access for eligible travellers and valet plane-side baggage service.

Norwegian launches UK’s first low-cost route to South America

Norwegian, voted world’s best low-cost long-haul airline, is continuing its global expansion today by launching the UK’s first low fare route to South America, with a non-stop service from London Gatwick to Buenos Aires.
Airline grows long-haul network with first route to Buenos Aires
Valentine’s Day celebration as the new route to the ‘Paris of South America’ takes off
Affordable fares from £259.90 one-way break current monopoly  on direct London to Argentina flights
The new year-round service of four weekly flights from London Gatwick to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport breaks the monopoly on direct flights to Argentina with fares starting from £259.90 one-way, offering passengers more choice and lower fares.

Love was in the air today at London Gatwick as passengers on the inaugural got to enjoy a Valentine’s Day themed departure gate celebration as they headed to the ‘Paris of South America’. Passengers were surprised with a tango performance as well as learning a few steps for themselves, meaning they could tango their way to Buenos Aires!

Delta pays employees more than $1 billion in profit sharing for fourth consecutive year

Airline has paid more than $5 billion in profit sharing in last five years; 2018 payout is nearly double that of the other U.S.-based global carriers combined

Delta Air Lines today will pay out more than $1 billion in profit sharing for the fourth year in a row and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments made possible by its more than 80,000 employees around the world.

Delta employees earned the $1.1 billion payout for their role in delivering record-breaking operational and customer satisfaction performance as well as strong financial performance. 

“This is the fourth year in a row that Delta’s profit sharing has topped $1 billion — a milestone no company in history has ever achieved,” said Delta’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian. “Delta people are the reason for our success and Valentine’s Day is our favourite day each year as we celebrate the incredible results our people have delivered.”

The airline has paid out more than $5 billion through its profit-sharing program over the past five years. Through the program, employees share in the success they create together through hard work and a focus on the customer.

Qatar Airways will post a loss this year but there is growth forecast for the carrier

Qatar Airways’ chief executive said Tuesday the carrier will post a loss this year because four other Arab countries have severed land, air and sea links with Qatar.

Akbar al-Baker said the ban on Qatar’s flagship airline flying to neighbouring Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since last summer has forced it to fly longer routes through Turkey and Iran, and has hit the company’s bottom line, but not its expansion plans.

“We have increased maintenance costs because we are flying longer routes, we have more fuel consumption, so the cost to the airline is rising and I have already stated that the airline will post a loss this year due to the blockade, but this doesn’t mean that we are going to shrink,” al-Baker said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We will keep on expanding and growing the company.”

United Airlines 777 loses engine cowling mid-flight

Passengers on a United Airlines Boeing 777 endured as many as forty stressful minutes after part of its engine cowling came midflight.  The incident took place in the skies over the Pacific as they headed toward the Hawaiian Islands. 

"There was a loud bang ... and then the plane really started shaking,"  Allison Sudiacal, a passenger on the stricken jet who was travelling with her husband, parents in law and her 4-month-old told local media.  "It was like rattling, and the plane was kind of shaking, like boom, boom, boom," she said.

She praised the United crews who kept the passengers informed of the unfolding drama affecting their Boeing aircraft, although Allison's husband,  Tim, said the incident was "absolutely terrifying."

Cabin crew members instructed the passengers to adopt the brace position as the aircraft came into land at Honolulu airport at 1.02pm local time after warning the landing may be very rough.  There were 363 passengers and 10 crew members on board the Boeing 777 

The pilot of flight  UA1175 from San Francisco to Honolulu requested an emergency landing with fire crews on standby because of the 'mechanical issue', the airline said while the Hawaii Department of Transportation said aircraft rescue and fire crews responded "as a precaution," adding that airport operations and runways were unaffected by the incident.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot "declared an emergency due to a vibration in the right engine." And confirmed they are investigating the incident, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board.

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Bomb that closed London City Airport has been detonated.

The unexploded World War Two bomb found near London City Airport that forced the airport to close all day Monday has finally been detonated.

The 500kg device was discovered at the King George V Dock on Sunday during planned work at the airport. The German bomb was a massive 1.5m-long and was located in a bed of silt approximately 15m underwater.  It was carefully removed from the Thames and taken to a secure location about a mile away from the coast of Essex.

The detonation, saw a huge plume of water shoot high in the sky took take place off Shoeburyness, Essex, was postponed on Tuesday because of high winds and dangerous conditions. London City Airport returned to "business as usual" on Tuesday.

BA engineer dies at Heathrow after taxiway crash

An airside crash at London's Heathrow Airport between two vehicles has caused the death of a British Airways engineer, its been confirmed this afternoon.  

The British Airways employee died after the two vehicles collided on a taxiway at the airport at around 6am this morning. 

The man, in his 40s, suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene and died, despite attempts to save him, both at the airport and on the way to a local hospital.  A second man involved in the crash has also been taken to hospital with a suspected broken shoulder.

A number of British Airways flights were delayed by the crash yet terminal five and the airport remained open during the incident.  

Passengers on one plane were forced to disembark after the accident happened according to a Heathrow Airport spokesperson.  "Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends affected by this accident. We will be fully cooperating with the police in the investigation which will follow."

A spokesperson for British Airways commented, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and are offering our full care and support to his family and colleagues."

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and as yet there have been no arrests according to the Metropolitan Police.  

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Airbus’ Toulouse paint centre: art in motion

When a customer receives a commercial aircraft produced by Airbus at its Toulouse, France-area facilities – home to final assembly lines for the A320, A330 and A350 XWB jetliner families – they can be sure that the highest level of care went into to applying their livery, which is a critically important element of an operator’s identity. 

At the heart of Airbus’ Toulouse paint centre are its more than 300 operators and 120 support function members – who work together in harmony across the facility’s 13 separate paint halls to apply the special colour schemes and logos on more than 350 jetliners delivered each year.

An A350-900 for delivery to Air Caraïbes receives its special livery
inside Airbus’ Toulouse, France paint shop

Airbus’ paint centre in Toulouse, France includes 13 separate paint halls
 to apply the special colour schemes and logos on more than 350 jets each year

Allegiant Plans Year-Round Aircraft Base In Destin-Fort Walton Beach, New Jobs And Five New Routes

Allegiant today announces plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). As part of Allegiant's growth in Florida, the company anticipates adding more than 65 new, high-wage jobs during 2018. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport will become the airline's 14th year-round aircraft base.  The Las Vegas-based company is investing more than $49 million to establish a year-round base of operations, which will house two Airbus aircraft. Allegiant set the stage for this expansion by utilizing Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport as a seasonal base during the summer of 2017. Today Allegiant also announced new service to five cities – routes made possible only by establishing the Destin base.

"The UK will be at the heart of our continued global expansion" says Norwegian's CEO

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos today delivered an address in London to outline his global expansion plans for the world’s best low-cost long-haul airline, as the UK grows to become one of the carrier’s most important markets.

Europe’s third largest low-cost airline has led the market in low-cost long-haul travel since first launching transatlantic services from London Gatwick to the USA in 2014. Norwegian has since flown more than 2 million passengers on its transatlantic routes at London Gatwick. The airline flew more than 5.1 million UK passengers in 2017 and will shortly commence a series of new long-haul routes using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, including the UK’s first low-cost flights to South America (14 February), and new direct services to Chicago and Austin in March.

Airline CEO Bjorn Kjos states intentions to grow long-haul flights from 

UK to more underserved destinations

UK will be first to experience new enhancements to long-haul passenger experience

New routes, more frequency and newest Dreamliners to be London Gatwick-based

The airline’s CEO, Bjorn Kjos, one of the founding partners of Norwegian in 2002, addressed UK media at The Shard in central London and explained the growing importance of the UK market and the airline’s strategic plans in five key points:

Jazz Aviation named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People for the sixth year

Chorus Aviation Inc. is proud to announce that Jazz Aviation LP ('Jazz') was named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People for the sixth year.

"Jazz is honoured to be ranked among the Top Employers for Young People in Canada," said Colin Copp, President, Jazz. "Receiving this recognition for the sixth year affirms our strong commitment to attract and develop the best people – a corporate priority for our company. We continually assess and develop employee programs that are meaningful to talented young people seeking fulfilling career opportunities in aviation."

Qantas to launch daily Melbourne - Bali service.

Qantas announced last week that it will begin a new daily Melbourne – Denpasar (Bali) service from 23rd June 2018 with fares already on sale.  The service will be operated by a Boeing 737-800 aircraft and the new Qantas route comes as Jetstar increases its Melbourne-Bali flights from ten per week to twice daily.

The service will complement Qantas’ year-round daily Sydney – Denpasar service and reflects strong demand from customers who want a full-service experience travelling to one of the regions most popular holiday destinations.

Qantas’ Melbourne – Denpasar service will be operated by a two-class Boeing 737 aircraft, with a checked baggage allowance, inflight entertainment and food and drinks all included as part of the fare.

Together with Jetstar the Qantas Group will now offer customers 84 return services to Bali from across Australia – the largest international airline group to operate into the island

Emirates firms up order for up to 36 additional A380s

Emirates and Airbus firmed up an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and signed a contract for the 20 additional A380s with a further 16 options to be confirmed at a later date. The total agreement for 36 aircraft is valued at US$16 bn based on latest list prices. Deliveries are to start as early as 2020.

The agreement was signed at the World Government Summit by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group; and Mikail Houari, Airbus President for Africa and Middle East. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Edouard Philippe, Prime Minister of France were also present.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “This agreement underscores our commitment to the A380 programme, providing stability to the A380 production line and supporting thousands of high-value jobs across the aviation supply chain. For Emirates, the A380 has been a successful aircraft for our customers, our operations, and our brand. We look forward to continue working with Airbus to further enhance the aircraft and onboard product.”

“We thank Emirates, HH Sheikh Ahmed, Tim Clark and Adel Al-Redha for their continued confidence in the A380, which has so successfully transformed air travel in the 21st century,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President Commercial Aircraft and Chief Operating Officer. “This latest agreement further demonstrates the strength of our valued partnership with Emirates in support of their impressive growth.”

flynas Expands Its International Reach to Pakistan

flynas Expands Its International Reach to Pakistan

As part of its ongoing plans to expand its reach in Asia and open new strategic and international routes, flynas has announced its new flights between the kingdom and Pakistan starting February 15th  2018.

    

flynas will launch flights from Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah to both Lahore and Islamabad and will commence on the 15th of February with flights from Riyadh to Lahore. Riyadh to Islamabad flights will follow on the 16th of February, along with flights from Dammam to Lahore. While flights from Jeddah to Lahore will launch on the 17th of February.

flynas flights between the Kingdom and Pakistan will utilize A320 fleet and new B767 aircraft. Booking can be made through flynas' smartphone application, travel agents, and the flynas website.

These new flynas routes will serve business travellers from and to Saudi Arabia, as well as Hajj and Umrah visitors. It will also connect passengers to many different cities within the Kingdom with flynas' network, which includes 17 domestic destinations.

Air Canada Named Eco-Airline of the Year

Air Canada Named Eco-Airline of the Year 

in Air Transport World's 2018 Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards 

Air Canada has been named the 2018 Eco-Airline of the Year by the respected airline industry publication Air Transport World in its 44th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards. In recognizing Air Canada's environmental accomplishments, ATW cited the carrier's commitment to emissions reductions through supporting the development of alternative fuels and its numerous green programs and partnerships, including being the first airline in the world to voluntarily join the World Bank's IMF Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

"Air Canada has made sustainability central to its decision-making and business processes, and this includes acting responsibly with respect to the environment. We are very pleased that ATW has recognized the effectiveness of our environmental programs, including our participation in the development and support of alternative fuels in Canada, and our efforts to contribute to healthier communities. We have made great strides, improving fuel efficiency by 40 per cent since 1990, and this award will further spur us on to the goals we have set for ourselves to continually improve our environmental performance," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.

World War Two Bomb Closes London City Airport

An unexploded bomb left over from World War Two has forced London City Airport to close for the whole of Monday.

The ordinance was found in the River Thames on Sunday very close to the airport and following instruction from London's Metropolitan Police a 200-metre exclusion area was implemented to allow the Royal Navy to deal with the device.  

The bomb was found buried in silt at George V Dock and is understood to weigh approximately half a tonne and was found during work at the airport on Sunday afternoon. Removing the ordinance is proving difficult as the operation depends upon the tides, however, police believe it should be able to be removed by tomorrow morning.

The Metropolitan Police said a number of properties within the exclusion zone had been evacuated and a number of roads were still cordoned off.  “The timing of removal is dependant on the tides, however, at this stage, we estimate that the removal of the device from location will be completed by tomorrow morning,” police said in a statement, adding the bomb was lying in dense silt.

London City Airports CEO Robert Sinclare issued the following statement on Monday afternoon. 

Increased passenger numbers for Lufthansa group in January 2018

In January 2018, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group welcomed around 8.7 million passengers. This shows an increase of 10.1% compared to the previous year’s month. The available seat kilometers were up 8% over the previous year, at the same time, sales increased by 7.4%. The seat load factor decreased by 0.4 percentage points compared to January 2017 to 75.6%.

The Network Airlines Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines carried 6.5 million passengers in January, 5.4% more than in the prior-year period. Compared to the previous year, the available seat kilometers increased by 5.4% in January. The sales volume was up 3.9% over the same period, decreasing seat load factor by 1.1 percentage points to 75.7%.

Lufthansa German Airlines transported 4.5 million passengers in January, a 5.7% increase compared to the same month last year. A 6.1% increase in seat kilometers in January corresponds to a 4.8% increase in sales. Furthermore, the seat load factor was 76.6%, therefore one percentage point below the prior-year’s level.

Star Alliance Creates Digital Services Platform with Accenture to Deliver an Improved Experience Across its Member Airline Network

Star Alliance has launched a Digital Services Platform (DSP) as the first step to an overall enhancement of digital and mobile services offered to customers travelling across the 28 airline member Star Alliance network. The platform was developed and implemented in conjunction with global professional services company Accenture as part of the Alliance’s strategy to further improve the customer journey.

The DSP can gather data provided by an individual member airline or third-party source and make it available to all members, enabling them to build it into their own customer-facing digital applications. The longer-term aim is to allow customers to use any member airline’s website or mobile application to obtain all the information they need for travel on several Star Alliance member airlines.

Three Brits killed in Grand Canyon helicopter crash

Three British people have died after a tourist helicopter belonging to Papillon Airways crashed in the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona. 

The aircraft an EC130 came down at about 17:20 local time (00:20 GMT) on Saturday. It is not clear what caused the crash. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said it suffered "substantial damage". Six passengers and a pilot were on board the helicopter when it crashed into jagged rocks by the Grand Canyon’s West Rim, the four that survived have been taken to a local hospital and are in critical condition. 

The UK's Foreign Office confirmed it was offering assistance, a spokesperson said: "We are providing support to the families of six British visitors involved in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon on 10 February, and we are in close contact with the US emergency services."

Papillon Airways operated the helicopter involved in this incident and claims to be "the world's largest aerial sightseeing company" and has over 600,000 passengers each year. There are numerous reports in the last few months of helicopters being pulled of their normal schedule for both routine and non-routine maintenance.  The company has had at least three fatal crashes since 1999, all of which appeared to be caused by pilot error according to investigators. In 1999 a trainee pilot was called with neither he nor his instructor cleared snow from the helicopter before trying to fly.  In 2001 the pilot and five passengers were killed when the pilot lost control for an unknown reason.  In 2014 a pilot was killed by his own helicopter after he left it running in 'flight idle' while he got out to take a pee. 

The Foreign Office said it was providing support to the families of those who died and to those of three more Britons who were injured.

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Saratov Airlines An-148 crashes near Moscow

A Saratov Airlines Antonov An-148 has crashed shortly after departing from Moscow's Domodedovo airport, carrying 65 passengers and 6, there are no survivors. The flight departed at 14.27 local time on Sunday and contact was lost just four minutes into the flight. According to flight tracking the aircraft descended rapidly, at 1000m per minute.


The Saratov Airlines jet disappeared from radar minutes after take-off and crashed near the village of Argunovo, which is approximately 50 miles south-east of Moscow. The Antonov An-148 was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural mountains.

Pieces of debris, wreckage and bodies were found spread over a large area and at least one of the flight data recorders had been found according to officials at the scene. 

The cause of the disaster is unclear at this stage and investigators and emergency crews are working at the snow-covered site. The snowy weather, mechanical failure, pilot error as well as other more sinister causes are all being considered at this stage of the investigation.

 President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the victims' families and announced an inquiry into the cause of the crash.

Saratov Airlines comes from, approximately 840km south-east of Moscow and it t was banned from operating international flights in 2015 after a surprise inspection found someone other than the flight crew was in the cockpit.

The airline changed its policy on cockpit visits and appeal the ban before resuming international charter flights during 2016.  The airline mainly operates domestic services between Russian cities, however, it has flown to destinations in Armenia and Georgia.

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Lufthansa unveils new look and punters are not impressed

A large part of a brands appeal is its identity -  a strong identity can encapsulate a brands its whole ethos. A strong and recognized identity can and often does increase custom in vast amounts. Equally, change a companies identity badly and it can be disastrous. Therefore, it takes a brave company to meddle with a brand identity that has been around for decades, is globally recognized, respected and even loved. Lufthansa is one such brave company and this week they unveiled their new look!

The German airline took plenty of time and spent a great deal of effort and money to not only create their new identity but also to reveal it to staff and the public alike.  They revealed the new modernized brand image with two major events at the airlines Frankfurt and Munich hubs on Wednesday, 7th of February.

The most visible change is the new aircraft livery and so in front of more than 3,000 guests in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa officially presented a Boeing 747-8 and an Airbus A321 with the new design.

United choose Viasat for inflight connectivity

Viasat,  a global communications company, announced earlier this week a new contract with United Airlines to bring Viasat's latest generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system to more than 70 aircraft, including at least 58 of United's new Boeing 737MAX aircraft.

Viasat will serve as the direct in-flight internet service provider to United, deploying its most advanced IFEC system, in order to provide United customers access to fast, reliable internet connections from the air—for accessing their favourite websites to connecting with key business applications such as a corporate VPN and secure email. Viasat's IFEC system will also power  United's Private Screening entertainment option, which offers customers access to hundreds of entertainment titles from its onboard library direct to their own devices.