WestJet launches inaugural Halifax/Gatwick flight

WestJet today officially launched its route between Halifax and London (Gatwick). The departure of WS24 marks the start of daily, nonstop service between Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Gatwick Airport until October 26, 2018.

This is the first time the airline has used its newest aircraft, the Boeing 737-8 MAX for transatlantic travel. The aircraft, which has been at WestJet's Calgary hangar since September 29 for inspections, training and test flights, is the first of 50 Boeing 737 Max scheduled to be delivered through 2027.  WestJet's 737 MAX 8 aircraft feature a single cabin with 174 seats. Its seating configuration consists of three rows of Plus in addition to 11 more rows with a seat pitch of 34 inches. Further enhancing WestJet's guest experience, the aircraft comes with Boeing's new Sky Interior which has features such as customizable LED lighting and new speakers to improve sound and clarity of onboard announcements.

"WestJet continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation using its fleet of fuel-efficient, guest-friendly Boeing MAX aircraft for transatlantic service," said Tim Croyle, WestJet Interim Executive Vice-President, Commercial. "This service also demonstrates our commitment to support efforts on the part of Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada to enhance trade and tourism, and grow the economies of both Canada and the United Kingdom."

United Airlines increases economic stake in Azul to 8.0%

Azul has announced that current shareholder United Airlines has just concluded a private preferred share transaction with Hainan Airlines. The transaction increased United's economic stake in Azul from 3.7% to 8.0%.

Hainan Airlines to Launch Tel Aviv-Guangzhou Service on 2nd August

Hainan Airlines announced the launch of nonstop service between Tel Aviv and Guangzhou scheduled to start on August 2, 2018. The route will be serviced by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner three flights a week. Following the rollout of Tel Aviv-Beijing and Tel Aviv-Shanghai services, this is Hainan Airlines' third direct flight between Tel Aviv and China. Following the flight from Tel Aviv to Beijing and the flight from Tel Aviv to Shanghai, this is Hainan Airlines' third direct flight between Tel Aviv and China. This new route will deliver a new level of convenience for Israelis when they travel to China while creating more possibilities for business cooperation between Israeli and Chinese companies. 

Air China Limited Announces 2018 First Quarter Results

Earlier this week Air China announced its first quarter results for 2018, which showed that total profit increased 66.31% year-on-year to RMB4.024 billion. 

In the first quarter of 2018, the Chinese economy developed steadily. As residents' demand for travel was strong, air passenger traffic maintained steady growth while demand in the cargo market continued to improve. During the Period, the Group recorded operating income of RMB31.607 billion, an increase of 9.11% over the same period of last year. Total operating cost was RMB 28.230 billion, an increase of 6.71% over the same period of last year. Total profit was RMB4.024 billion, an increase of 66.31% over the same period of last year, and net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was RMB2.628 billion, an increase of 79.23% over the same period of last year.

Gulf Air takes delivery of its first Dreamliner

Boeing and Gulf Air celebrated the delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner for the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The aeroplane also debuts the carrier's new livery. 

"This delivery is a historic moment for Gulf Air and Bahrain and yet another important step in our strategic direction towards furthering Gulf Air's fleet modernization process and supporting our network and overall passenger experience enhancement strategies," said Krešimir Kučko, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air.

"The 787-9 Dreamliner orders will ensure we maintain one of the youngest fleets in the region while building upon our award-winning reliability, on-time performance and product and service standards," Kučko.

Profits up by 28% at SkyWest

SkyWest, Inc. reported financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2018 this week, including net income of $54 million, or $1.03 per diluted share, compared to net income of $35 million, or $0.65 per diluted share for Q1 2017.
The improvement in Q1 2018 pre-tax income from Q1 2017 was primarily due to SkyWest's ongoing fleet transition. Since Q1 2017 19 new E175 aircraft have been added and 46 CRJ and ERJ 50-seat aircraft and 25 CRJ700/CRJ900 aircraft have been removed. 
Commenting on the results, Chip Childs, Chief Executive Officer and President of SkyWest, said "Demand for our product remains strong, and I'm proud of our professionals who continue to provide best-in-class operations to our customers.  Our financial results reflect continued solid operating performance combined with the ongoing improvements in our fleet mix.  We remain disciplined in our approach to risk and flying commitments and focused on executing a strategy to improve our overall model."   

Double Daily New York service for Norwegian from Dublin

Norwegian now offers a double daily service to New York Stewart International from Dublin providing passengers with greater choice and flexibility at an affordable price. With fares from €109 one way there has never been a better time to enjoy the sites of the Big Apple or go on a shopping spree to the renowned surrounding shopping outlet.

The second rotation started on Thursday, 26th April with the introduction of a new early morning departure at 8:10 am which offers passengers the earliest flight from Ireland to the USA, which lands at 10:30am local time. The convenient flight schedule will give passengers several hours to shop at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York State and depart for Dublin at 8:30pm the same evening.

Southwest Reports First Quarter Profit

Southwest Airlines have reported its first quarter of 2018 results earlier this week, which showed good growth, welcome news for the carrier which is going through somewhat of a turbulent time following the events on flight 1380.

Net income of $463 million, net margin1 of 9.4 percent, and record first quarter earnings per diluted share of $.79
Operating income of $616 million and operating margin2 of 12.5 percent
Excluding special items3, net income of $438 million, net margin4 of 8.9 percent, and earnings per diluted share of $.75
Excluding special items, operating income of $584 million and operating margin5 of 11.8 percent
Operating cash flow of $1.0 billion and free cash flow3 of $708 million
Returned $648 million to Shareholders through a combination of share repurchases and dividends
Return on invested capital (ROIC)3 pre-tax of 27.1 percent for the 12 months ended March 31, 2018, or 20.8 percent on an after-tax basis
Revised Boeing firm order delivery schedule by exercising 40 737 MAX 8 options, adding 10 firm orders in each year 2019 through 2022, to support future fleet modernization

Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "It remains a sombre time for the Southwest Family following the Flight 1380 accident, and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Riordan family, and all of our Customers on the flight. I want to extend my immense gratitude for the compassion and support shown by our Employees, Customers, and airline peers. We continue to cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board's thorough investigation to understand the cause of the accident. We will never compromise the Safety of our Customers and Employees. It is our highest priority—today and always.

The Airline Pilots Association issues strike authorisation vote to WestJet pilots

The Air Line Pilots Association, announced this week that it has made the called to WestJet pilots for a strike authorization ballot vote to the members of their bargaining group, for consideration. The ballot started yesterday, 25th April and will run for 15 days, after which they could strike and cause mass disruption to WestJet's scheduled operation. 
“Our bargaining proposals are reasonable and consistent with the contracts that other pilots within North America enjoy. Unfortunately, our management team believes there is no issue with outsourcing our work and our careers. They expect us to just stand in place, be grateful to work for the company we helped build, and be willing to accept terms that are substandard compared to our peers,” said Capt. Rob McFadyen, chairman of WestJet’s ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC). “Our goal remains to reach a fair contract that also brings stability to the airline.”
WestJet today issued the following statement regarding the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) announcement that it has issued a strike authorization vote to WestJet pilots.   "A strike authorization vote is a common step by unions in context of the overall labour negotiation process," said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "We remain focused on successfully negotiating an agreement that will benefit our pilots and WestJet."
Meanwhile, Air Canada wasted no time in issuing the following statement to encroach on WestJet's business and stoke up uncertainty over a strike before any such industrial action has been confirmed. "Air Canada today said it is ready to adjust its schedules and capacity to limit disruptions for the travelling public and to ensure that customers get to their destinations in the event of a labour disruption at WestJet. 
We know that people travel for a variety of reasons and as the busy summer period approaches, we appreciate that the travelling public may be feeling anxious about their plans resulting from the uncertainty associated with potential labour disruptions at WestJet. With our extensive network and varied fleet, we are well placed to accommodate passengers disrupted by this situation. "
Of course, with Air Canada's policy of overbooking all flights by a factor of 50 and such rescheduling of flights may result in preventing disruption should strike action take place. 

Norwegian reports strong growth in a seasonally weak first quarter

Norwegian today reported its first-quarter earnings for 2018 with a result of NOK -46.2 million (- £4.16 million). The quarter was characterized by international expansion, strong passenger growth and higher fuel cost. A successful private placement of shares was completed this quarter.

The net result was NOK -46.2 million, compared to NOK -1,491.5 million the same quarter previous year. The net result this quarter is positively affected by a financial gain from reclassification of the investment in Norwegian Finans Holding of NOK 1,940 million.

The airline carried 7.5 million passengers in the first quarter, an increase of 12 percent. The capacity growth was 36 percent and the load factor was 84.5 percent.

Norwegian has grown rapidly during the past years, expanding international traffic and adding new bases, destinations and markets to its portfolio. Consequently, making the U.S. the market with the strongest growth.

Aeroflot Again Named World’s Strongest Airline Brand by Brand Finance

Aeroflot has once again been named the world's strongest airline brand by Brand Finance, the leading independent brand valuation consultancy.
The Russian flag carrier held onto its position at the top of this global ranking for the second year and was also named as one of Russia's top brands in any sector.
Brand Finance measures the influence of aviation brands by a number of factors such as marketing investment, familiarity, loyalty, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. Aeroflot received the highest AAA rating. Aeroflot's brand strength score put it ahead of a number of other leading global carriers including American Airlines, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Air China and Singapore Airlines, which has been named best in the world in numerous ratings over the years.
Aeroflot's brand value also grew, increasing by 13% year-on-year to USD 1.429 billion.

Ontario International Airport welcomes JetBlue

Ontario International Airport (ONT) officials heralded news from JetBlue that the popular airline will return to ONT this fall, beginning with nonstop service to New York. JetBlue is the third carrier in recent months to announce new service at ONT, the fastest growing airport in Southern California.

Popular airline begins non-stop service to

New York in September

"One of the biggest questions we get is when JetBlue will come to Ontario. Now we know that day is September 5th," said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). "We can't wait to welcome JetBlue, its crew members and customers. They can expect quick, easy access to our first-rate facilities and the hassle-free experience for which ONT is known."

United Airlines Unveils United Polaris Lounge at San Francisco International Airport

Beginning 30th April customers travelling in United Polaris, the airline's international premium cabin travel experience, will be able to relax and dine prior to their travels or refresh upon arrival in the new United Polaris lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) conveniently located in the International Terminal near Gate G92.

Thoughtful California touches are incorporated into the lounge's look as well as the food and beverages so that customers – visiting us from all over the globe – get a glimpse into the Bay Area's unique aesthetic.

Sunwing under investigation

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is launching an inquiry into delays, cancellations, tarmac delays and lost, delayed and damaged baggage affecting Sunwing flights scheduled to fly to, or from, Toronto Pearson International Airport between April 14 and 18, 2018. This inquiry will allow the CTA to deal efficiently with the high volume of complaints relating to these flights.

CTA's announcement is here. 

Silver Airways Acquires Seaborne Airlines

Silver Airways announced this week that it had completed its acquisition of Seaborne Airlines - its business and assets and creating a leading independent airline to serve the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, and beyond.

The take-over brings together two strong independent airlines with fleets of Saab 340B's, a complementary route network and common codeshare/interline partners. With the upcoming deployment of Silver’s recently announced new fleet of state-of-the-art ATR-600s across both networks, the combined airline will have an expanded range, allowing it to better serve passengers and markets while creating more opportunities for employees and greater value for its business partners.

“I am thrilled to welcome the Seaborne team members to the Silver family as together we create one of the nation’s leading independent airlines in a transaction that will benefit our guests, team members, and the communities we serve, as well as both airlines’ valued codeshare and interline partnerships with most major U.S. carriers,” said Silver Airways CEO Steve Rossum. “This transaction brings together two strong and historic independent airlines with amazing employees, an excellent track record of operational safety, respect for our people and our communities, and great service for our passengers.”

Chorus Aviation honoured with Bombardier's top Reliability Awards

Chorus Aviation announced today that its subsidiary, Jazz Aviation LP ('Jazz'), has once again been recognized for achieving superior reliability performance in 2017 at Bombardier's annual award ceremony for commercial aircraft operators held in Orlando, Florida on April 23, 2018.

"We are honoured to be the North American award winner in two categories of exceptional reliability performance," said Colin Copp, President, Jazz. "This recognition can be attributed to the exceptional expertise of Jazz Technical Services and Maintenance and Engineering teams, and their unrivalled experience with Bombardier regional aircraft as an Authorized Service Facility (ASF)."

Jazz is the North American recipient of Bombardier's 2017 Airline Reliability Performance Awards in two categories:

CRJ100/200 aircraft programs for North America

CRJ700/900/1000 aircraft programs for North America

Air Canada to Launch Daily non-stop Montreal-London, Ontario and Montreal-Windsor, Ontario flights

Air Canada today announced it will begin new domestic regional non-stop flights on July 2, 2018.  The only year-round service between Montreal-London and Montreal-Windsor will provide services that meets the needs of both local and connecting passengers. Flights are timed to offer convenient connections to/from Atlantic Canada including Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton Halifax and St. John's; to Europe including Brussels, Rome, Geneva, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Lyon, Frankfurt, as well as Casablanca, Morocco.

Eurowings BIZclass takes off

The new Eurowings Business Class – BIZclass launches today with some great fares on select long-haul flights.
The new BIZZclass offers many benefits and services including a comprehensive entertainment programme, super comfortable high-quality seat in a fresh modern cabin. The seat can quickly be converted in seconds into a fully flat bed that’s two metres in length.

Eurowings promise us that passengers will also be able to enjoy selected wines, beers, organic teas and other exquisite specialities from their partners Crew Republic, Geile Weine, Lakrids and Pukka Herbs. Fares, available to be booked from now, start from €*799.99  on flights from Dusseldorf to New York, Miami, Fort Myers, Cancun and Punta Cana!

Hawaiian Holdings Reports 2018 First Quarter Financial Results

Hawaiian Airlines, has released its financial results for the first quarter of 2018 this week, which showed despite some issues, the airline performed very well.
"2018 is off to a great start," said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO. "Despite an uptick in competitive capacity in the first quarter, we generated more revenue and carried more guests than any first quarter in our history. No one should be surprised that Hawaiian rose to the challenge. My colleagues on the ground and in the air are without peer - delivering operational excellence coupled with authentic Hawaiian hospitality.  Our outstanding first quarter results would not have been possible without the passion and excellence they bring to this airline.  It is an honour to serve with them."
"We are excited for the year ahead, and look forward to continuing to demonstrate that Hawaiian is now, and will remain, the carrier of choice to Hawai'i."

WestJet Encore wins 2017 Airline Reliability Performance Award

WestJet Encore today announced it has been named a winner in the Bombardier Commercial Aircraft's 2017 Airline Reliability Performance awards. The Airline Reliability Awards recognize operators of Bombardier's Q-Series turboprops and CRJ regional jets that have achieved at least 99 percent dispatch reliability throughout the year.

"To be awarded a Bombardier 2017 Airline Reliability Performance award is a fantastic recognition of work the WestJet Encore team does to get more than 250 daily flights out safely and on time every day," said Charles Duncan, President, WestJet Encore, and Executive Vice-President, WestJet. "WestJet Encore has almost five years of solid operational performance under its belt and I am extremely proud of the hard work of our team. We will continue to focus on being Canada's most reliable regional airline to best meet the needs of our guests."  

"Congratulations to your management team and all employees who contribute tirelessly to WestJet Encore's operational excellence," said Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager of Q400 Program and Customer Services for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

WestJet Encore operates a fleet of 46 Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft. The airline serves 33 Canadian cities as well as Nashville and Boston.

Norway's Widerøe Completes First Revenue Flight of an E190-E2

Widerøe, Scandinavia's largest regional airline, completed the first scheduled passenger flight of an Embraer E190-E2 this morning. The aircraft, registered LN-WEA and operating as flight WF622, departed Bergen Airport on time at 7:35 AM and arrived at Tromsø Airport two hours later at 9:35 AM local time. The flight was sold out.

Today's flight marks the official entry into service of the first of three new E-Jets E2s that Embraer has developed to succeed its first-generation E-Jets. Deliveries of the larger E195-E2 are planned to start in 2019, and in 2021 for the smaller E175-E2.

WOW air Brings Back $69 Flights To Iceland For Summer And Fall 2018

WOW air, the ultra-low-cost transatlantic airline is offering American's $69 one-way fares from 13 cities in the United States to Iceland. The airline first introduced $69 one-way fares in 2017 and is excited to bring them back in time for summer and fall vacation planning.

The discounted flights will be available from Baltimore/Washington, D.C. (BWI), Chicago (ORD), Cleveland (CLE), Cincinnati (CVG), Detroit (DTW), New York (EWR & JFK), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), St. Louis (STL), Pittsburgh (PIT), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) to Iceland (KEF). Fares go on sale today and will be offered for flights May 1, 2018—June 20, 2018 and September 1, 2018—October 27, 2018. Tickets can be purchased starting today at www.wowair.us.

Transat Celebrates 30th Anniversary of its Inaugural Toronto-London Flight

With 250 partners and guests in attendance at its hangar near Toronto–Pearson airport, Transat A.T. Inc., Canada's first integrated international tourism company, celebrated the 30th anniversary of its first flight between Toronto and London, England.

"I am exceedingly proud when I look back at how far we've come since that first flight out of Toronto, and how much the company has grown in Ontario and the rest of Canada," said Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer, Transat. "Over the years, our organization has adjusted to a changing and ever more competitive business environment. It has evolved and rapidly responded to emerging consumer needs when it comes to products, destinations, services, and of course price."

Delta to add more flights between New York-JFK and the Caribbean

Delta Air Lines is expanding access between New York-JFK and the Caribbean with a second daily flight to Nassau, The Bahamas, beginning Oct. 1, 2018; new daily service to Kingston, Jamaica, effective Dec. 20, 2018; and new Saturday-only service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, beginning Dec. 22, 2018.

"No one better connects New York to the world than Delta," said Chuck Imhof, Vice President — New York and Sales, East. "We offer our customers more flights to more destinations than any other airline and we're excited to add more flights to the Caribbean to our strong network portfolio."
New services complement significant domestic network enhancements for New York’s largest carrier.

British Airways Gatwick - Toronto flight launches next week.

British Airways’ direct flight from Gatwick to Toronto will launch next week, with the service beginning on May 1. The new flight, which will operate three times a week, will be British Airways’ first flight to Canada from Gatwick.

 

It is estimated that around 724,000 British nationals visit Canada each year.* The flight timings are perfect for those looking to explore the city and maximise their time in Canada. The outbound BA2271 flight will depart at 11.35am from Gatwick, arriving into Toronto at 2.25pm, giving customers time to explore the city or attend business meetings. The return flight operates overnight, leaving travellers with a full day before heading for the airport. It departs Toronto at 7.50pm and landing into Gatwick at 7.55am the next day.

 

JetBlue And JetSuiteX Announce Codeshare Partnership

JetBlue and JetSuiteX today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership making JetSuiteX-operated flights available on JetBlue.com with a new codeshare agreement.

For travel starting May 1, 2018, JetBlue will place its "B6" airline code on JetSuiteX Air-operated flights between West Coast destinations, offering new point-to-point routes for JetBlue customers. This includes flights between Burbank, Calif. (BUR); Concord, Calif. (CCR); Oakland, Calif. (OAK); and Las Vegas (LAS), and marks the first codeshare between a semi-private public charter operator (JetSuiteX) and a major national carrier.

United Airlines Takes Delivery of the Fuel Efficient 737 MAX 9

United Airlines announced today that it has taken delivery of its first 737 MAX 9 aircraft from the Boeing Delivery Center in Seattle, WA. The new aircraft, which arrived right after Earth Day, reduced fuel use and CO2 emissions significantly compared with older generation aircraft. In honour of this more eco-friendly aircraft, United has given the MAX a new livery, similar to its fuel-efficient Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, so that employees and customers can easily recognize the plane and its superior fuel efficiency.

United expects to take delivery of two more 737 MAX 9 aircraft this month and will have 10 737 MAX 9 aircraft by the end of 2018. As previously announced, the aircraft will enter United's schedule June 7 with service between the airline's hub at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and five cities – Anchorage, Alaska; Austin, Texas; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Orlando, FL. and San Diego. The aircraft will operate on additional routes from Houston and Los Angeles International Airport starting June 29.

Bombardier wins prestigious award for EcoDesign on the C Series

Bombardier’s EcoDesign approach applied on the C Series has won the prestigious Les Mercuriades award in the “Stratégie de développement durable” category. The honour was presented at the Les Mercuriades Gala on Thursday, 19th April, in front of close to 1,200 Montreal-area business leaders.

Les Mercuriades is one of the most prestigious business competitions in Québec, recognizing innovation, ambition, entrepreneurship and performance in small to medium enterprises and larger companies. Companies submit applications in 17 categories and all applicants are reviewed by an independent jury.

Our application focused on our EcoDesign approach when designing the C Series. Bombardier is the first and only manufacturer to have completed an environmental lifecycle approach on an entire aircraft.

Alaska Air Group reports First Quarter 2018 results

Alaska Airlines has reported its 2018 first-quarter results this week ...the airline reported a net income of $4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $93 million, or $0.75 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of certain noted items, the company reported adjusted net income of $18 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared to $124 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, in 2017.

"Alaska is on an incredible journey. I want to thank our employees for continuing to run a highly reliable operation and for providing genuine and caring service to our guests in the midst of a complex merger," said Brad Tilden, Alaska's CEO. "We're excited to get the biggest integration milestones behind us in the next couple of months and then turn our full focus to running a great airline and realizing the full benefit of our new and expanded platform."

Some of the key highlights -

WOW launches premium service.

 WOW air, Iceland's ultra-low-fare transatlantic airline has now introduced a new full-service type of ticket.  It's called 'Premium' and the airline hopes will appeal to business travellers as well as those travelling for leisure but seeking a little more comfort, convenience and service. 

This new fare offering is aimed directly at competing with rival airlines and business services offered on legacy carriers. 

The WOW premium ticket bundle includes: the WOW air BigSeat, featuring a wider seat with a footrest and at least 37 inches of legroom; priority boarding and fast-track security; an in-flight meal and drinks; two checked bags; one carry-on item; one personal item; and no change fee for rescheduling and cancellation protection.

Hong Kong Airlines to start daily service to Manila from June 2018 and top out new training centre

Hong Kong Airlines will operate daily flights between its home base of Hong Kong and Manila, the capital of the Philippines from 1 June 2018 - the latest addition to the airline's expanding network.

According to official figures by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, visitor arrivals from the Philippines climbed to 894,489 in 2017 - a 13% growth from that in 2016. Hong Kong Airlines' new service will meet the increasing travel demand from the Philippines to Hong Kong and beyond, including popular destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver in North America.

Ed Bastian named among ‘World’s Greatest Leaders’ by Fortune

Fortune Magazine has named Delta CEO Ed Bastian to its prestigious list of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” for 2018, joining a group that includes captains of industry, world political leaders, and philanthropic and environmental trailblazers.

Ed Bastian CEOBastian’s addition to the annual list of the “thinkers, speakers and doers who are stepping up to meet today’s challenges” is a first for the leader of any commercial airline. Previous honorees, dating back to 2014, include such luminaries as Pope Francis, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett.

United Airlines Receives "Best-of-the-Best" Award for Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Across All Communities

Congratulations to United Airlines who were honoured by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) this week with the "Best-of-the-Best" designation, lauding the airline's industry-leading results across all diverse segments, creating a better future for all diverse communities in business.