Hi Fly's first A380 arrives in Malta for painting

The first Airbus A380 aircraft for wide-body wet leasing specialists, Hi Fly has arrived in Malta for painting before it starts its new flying operations for the company.

The aircraft, with its new registration of  9H-MIP flew from Singapore, home of former operator, Singapore Airlines, to Malta International Airport on Thursday evening. It is the first of the type to go on the Maltese register and is an impressive sight. 

Cabin Crew strikes for Ryanair

More strikes for Ryanair, this time it is those staff in front of the cockpit door, the cabin crew that will be taking industrial action.  The Ryanair flight attendants based in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium have all said they will strike in late July.

on 25th July, cabin crew in Italy will go on strike for 24-hours, while those employed in Spain, Portugal and Belgium will strike for a longer period, they are walking out for 48 hours on 25-26 July.

Unions have said that further industrial action may very well follow if the Irish airline does not make at the very least some concessions on employment terms that many see as draconian and harsh. Just one of the benefits and improvements cabin crew seek is to actually be paid directly into bank accounts in their own countries, rather than be forced to have wages paid into Republic of Ireland bank accounts. 

These strikes are completely separate from the one previously announced by pilots of the low-cost-high-fee carrier, which are due to take place on 12th July. Some Ryanair flyers in Ireland are also planning for a further strike by pilots for the first weekend in August, although this has not yet been confirmed, either by unions or the airline. 

Boeing and Embraer start joint venture......

Boeing and Embraer have announced the first stage in the Boeing take over plan of the Brazillian manufacturer, which is to establish a strategic partnership, that will allow both companies to collude on pricing, marketing, targeting, development, production, marketing and lifecycle services operations. The joint venture is also looking to apply increased pressure on other aeronautical companies in the supply chain of both manufacturers for better terms and to reduce the number of firms involved. 

The new joint-venture is 80 percent owned by Boeing, the remaining 20 percent taken by Embraer and is a direct result of the Airbus & Bombardier CSeries tie up and Boeings ambitions to dominate the global aircraft market in all sectors by decimating the competition "By forging this strategic partnership, we will be ideally positioned to generate significant value for both companies' customers, employees and shareholders – and for Brazil and the United States," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. 

easyJet's June figures are out

The European low-cost airline easyJet, has released its June 2018 traffic statistics this week, showing a 6.6% growth in passenger numbers compared to the previous 12 months.

The airline saw a 1.8% increase in capacity in June and 1.4ppt increase in load factor to 93.5% compared to the previous 12 months ending 30 June 2018. All numbers were also up when compared to June 2017 with passenger numbers increasing by 2.3%.

Impressive passenger growth for Norwegian during June

One of the top long-haul low-cost carriers, Norwegian carried almost 3.5 million passengers in June, an increase of 14 percent over the same month last year, the company has revealed today as it publishes its latest figures.

A total of3,497,286 passengers chose to fly with Norwegian in June, 437,883 more than the same period last year. The total traffic growth (RPK) increased by 44 percent, and the capacity growth (ASK) increased by 43 percent. The load factor was 90.5 percent, up 0.8 percentage points.  

Volaris June numbers out

Volaris the ultra-low-cost airline serving Mexico, the United States and Central America, reports June 2018 and year-to-date preliminary traffic results.

Turkish Airlines head to Morocco and agree deal with American Express Global Travel

Turkish Airlines signed a significant deal with American Express Global Business Travel, one of the world's leading agencies for corporate travel earlier this week.  The new agreement expands the carriers existing collaboration with American Express from a regional level to a global one. 

The expanding airline has also revealed plans to introduce a service to Marrakech service from spring next year.  The new Morocco route will operate five times a week between Istanbul and Marrakech on one fo the carriers Boeing 737-900ER.

The proposed flight schedule would see the flight leave Istanbul at 1130  to arrive at Marrakech 1430 while the return is preliminarily scheduled to leave at 1525 for arrival at 2205.

Hawaiian Airlines will use two A321neo's on mainland USA services

The expansion into service on the US mainland for Hawaiian Airlines continues at a pace with the introduction of two more brand new Airbus A321neos aircraft.

The sunny carrier recently took delivery of its fifth and sixth A321neos, which are scheduled to enter service a little later this month, after some crew familiarisation work. 

Hawaiian says that it will deploy the remaining aircraft of its 18 A321neos on order, on flights between Hawaii and the US mainland as well as secondary routes on the US mainland.  The carrier currently operates its A321neos on four routes, from both Honolulu and Maui to Portland, Oregon; from Maui to San Diego; and from Honolulu to Oakland. The next scheduled destination for one of the new A321neos will be Oakland from Lihu’e from 16th July. 

New Airbus operations for Philippine Airlines

On Monday, Philippine Airlines' Airbus A321neo took its maiden flight to Brisbane, Australia from the airlines home base of Manila.

There were special ceremonies at the NAIA Terminal 2 in Manila at the start of the inaugural flight of the A321neo operations.  President and COO Jaime J. Bautista was on hand to join in the celebrations of the first revenue flight of the type for the airlines.

The 168-seater modern aircraft has 12 full-flat seats in business and 156 seats in economy, all have TV monitors on all seats, free WiFI connection and myPAL eSuite to access more in-flight entertainment choices.  

The airline has also announced that it will use a new Airbus A350 on the Manila – New York JFK nonstop service, replacing 1-stop flight via Vancouver. The A350-900xwb will be on the route from 28th October this year instead of the Boeing 777-300 that currently operates the route. From 4th November, the airline will operate flight PR126 with the A350 departing Manila at 2100 arriving New York's JFK at 2315 local time. On the return, flight PR127 leaves at 0145 landing back in the Philippines 0715. 

Before that, the airline will introduce the A350-900 XWB on a regional rotation on the Manila to Hong Kong route between 20th July and 31st August this year. 

Air New Zealand in-flight business menu just got Impossible......................

Photo Impossible Burger from Impossible Foods

Air New Zealand is making the Impossible possible for its business class passengers, at least in terms of what's on the menu for its in-flight meals.  The airline is going to be serving up the trendy, award-winning plant-based Impossible Burger as a part of its Business Premier menu on flights from Los Angeles to Auckland.

You might have heard of the Impossible Burger, it is the latest in-thing to have in LA, Silicon Valley, New York and a number of other US locations, and unlike many other burgers, both up in the air and down on the ground, this one is meatless. It is, as Impossible Foods puts it,  "Our burger is made from simple, all-natural ingredients such as wheat, coconut oil, and potatoes. What makes the Impossible Burger unlike all others is an ingredient called heme." 

Yes, heme is what its called and is the key magic ingredient, which is an iron-containing molecule which comes from the roots of soy plants. The heme in the Impossible Burger is the same as the heme found in animal meat. The result is, we're told because it isn't yet available over here in the UK, a plant-based burger that cooks, smells and tastes like beef and yet contains no animal products at all.

Your flight is delayed because of a lack of........meals! Asiana Airlines making passengers hungry or late

There are many reasons why flights are delayed these days, bad weather, air traffic control strikes, technical issues with the aircraft, passengers spending too long in the duty-free shops and bars at the airport, they are just a few of the reasons we see on a regular basis.

However, none of those are the reasons behind why a whole raft of Asiana Airlines flights have either been cancelled or delayed over the recent days. No,  the South Korean airline's flights have been halted because of a lack of .......meals!

On Sunday, 51 flights were delayed and 36 departed without meals at all. Monday saw 18 depart without catering and 20 delayed whilst waiting for the in-flight meals to be delivered, sparking a surge of complaints to the airline from disgruntled and hungry passengers!

Asiana Airlines has not yet given us a formal statement, however, from what we understand, the company, seeking to cut costs, refused to extend a contract with flight catering company LSG Sky Chefs, a division of German airline Lufthansa.  Asiana had been with LSG Sky Chefs for around 15 years, so the relationship had been longstanding.

Transatlantic Birthday for Norwegian from London Gatwick

It is hard to believe when looking at the vast array of destinations one of the most popular and exciting long-haul low-cost carriers, Norwegian, offers from London Gatwick, when you consider that only on the fourth of July four years ago, they launched their first long-haul flight to the USA from Gatwick. 

Yes, it has been a remarkably rapid expansion that has seen the airline offer more non-stop routes to the USA than any other European airline!   Celebrate with us and book your flights now to the USA, Buenos Aires or Singapore non-stop from London, Edinburgh and Belfast!

Some of the current low low fares include Fort Lauderdale/Miami, Orlando and Oakland/San Francisco all from £175 or just from £515 for premium. The premium service offers comfortable seats giving you up to 140 centimetres of legroom, 3-course Premium dinner, complimentary drinks and breakfast, state-of-the-art touch-screen entertainment system, USB charger and power outlet by your seat and even lounge access at selected airports.

Norwegian carries 5.8 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports and now flies to more than 50 destinations worldwide.  It is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,000 UK-based pilots and cabin crew

Also worth noting that even on it's shorter European flights, of which it does to more than 30 destinations from UK airports, Norwegian is the only airline to offer free in-flight WiFi.

The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.7 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s.

Emirates Launches Second Daily Flight on Dubai-Prague Route

Due to a massive increase in demand, one of the worlds leading international airlines, Emirates has launched a second daily flight between Dubai and Prague.

The carrier from the United Arab Emirates has been serving the Czech travel market since 2010 and during this time has carried some 1.7 million passengers on the route. To meet the rising demand for both inbound and outbound travel, the airline has added this new daily flight operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with a capacity of 360 seats, boosting tourism into the Czech Republic by 262,800 seats a year.

The new flight will accommodate three classes on board, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy.

Flight EK137 leaves Dubai at 15:30 and arrives in Prague at 19:55. The return flight EK138 leaves Prague at 21:35 and arrives in Dubai at 05:30 the following day, giving travellers the full day in Dubai to kick-start their holiday, short break, or business trip, and take advantage of the wealth of activity and dining options the cosmopolitan city has to offer.

Cebu to convert two ATR aircraft to cargo

Cebu Pacific has announced they will engage Switzerland-based IPR Conversions Ltd to convert two of the airlines ATR 72-500 passenger aircraft into freighter planes, which will make Cebu Pacific the only passenger airline in the Philippines with dedicated cargo planes.

"We will be able to offer cargo capacity that no other carrier in the Philippines can provide," said Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of Cebu Pacific, "With the freighter aircraft, we will further support the growing needs of the logistics industry, especially as the Philippines' e-commerce businesses expand rapidly and look for faster delivery schedules." Cebu Pacific expects to receive the first of two converted aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2018. 

Sweating it out for three hours on a plane that's going nowhere.....

Thomas Cook Airlines are facing a barrage of complaints from passengers left to sweat it out on a an aircraft scheduled to fly them from Zante to London Stanstead was delayed yesterday for three hours.

Flight MH1805 had been due to depart Zakynthos (Also known as Zante) at 2pm yesterday, however, passengers were initially told that due to the aircraft needing to be refuelled there would be a delay to boarding.  When the passengers were allowed to board the flight, they had to wait in their sets as a 'technical issue' had arisen. People on the flight say the aircraft didn't have any working air conditioning and temperatures were rising fast.

Travellers took to social media to vent, Kerry Shippey tweeted: “Nobody minds a delay, things happen, but keeping people in a tin can in 40 degree heat so that people are passing out and throwing up is taking things a little far don’t you think?”

New strike woes for Ryanair - next date for action 12 July 2018

Members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association working for the low-fare-high-fee airline Ryanair have voted almost unanimously (99%) in favour of strike action.

The pilots for Ryanair are in dispute with the airline over pay, terms and conditions and feel that the carrier, is not taking their demands seriously concerning pay and conditions and issues over seniority and how annual leave is dealt with.

The pilots plan to strike on 12th July for a period of 24 hours and a spokesperson for the Irish Airline Pilots' Association said- "Our member pilots directly employed by Ryanair complain that there is no transparent system for the determination of important matters including voluntary/involuntary base transfer/allocation, command upgrade, allocation of annual leave and promotion."

"When a pilot receives notice of a mandatory base change, or is denied a request for a change of base, such management decisions can have a devastating effect on family life."

Emirates to take the A380 to Islamabad

One of the world's leading international airlines, Emirates, has advised that it will deploy a one-off A380 service to Islamabad on 8 July 2018. The airline’s iconic double-decker will make its inaugural arrival in Islamabad on a special flight EK2524/EK2525.

The A380 flight will depart Dubai on 8 July 2018 at 0800hrs and arrive in Islamabad at 1210hrs. The flight will depart Islamabad at 1540hrs arriving in Dubai at 1745hrs on the same day.

“We are proud to bring our flagship A380 aircraft to Islamabad, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products on-board this iconic aircraft with the signature Emirates service. While this is a special flight, we are very keen to launch a scheduled A380 service to Pakistan and will continue to work with authorities to realise these plans,” said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre, Emirates.

Final flights for Dash 8's in Piedmont Airlines fleet

Piedmont Airlines is finally letting its wonderful 8's rest as the  wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines retires the de Havilland Canada “Dash 8” fleet after 33 years of flying. 

Tomorrow, 4th July 2018, will be the final day of scheduled operations for the hard-working venrable turboprops. The carrier tells us that Flight 4927 will depart from Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 6:33 p.m. and touch down at sunset at Salisbury Wicomico Ocean City Regional Airport in Salisbury, Maryland, thus completing the Dash’s final revenue flight.

 The Dash 8 fleet has been Piedmont’s pride and joy since the first Dash was delivered to company headquarters in Salisbury on April 4, 1985. The first revenue flight, from Salisbury to Baltimore, took place on May 2, 1985.

Delta's June 2018 numbers are out

Delta Air Lines reported its operating performance for June 2018 today in which the company boasts that it carried 17.7 million customers across its broad global network, a record for the month of June. 

Changes at Etihad for a streamlined future.....

News from the Abu Dhabi head office of the United Arab Emirates mega carrier Etihad reveals board changes to the airlines board, structure and operating model as it seeks to cut mounting losses and a move towards profit in a streamlined way.

The company has announced some major changes at the top, including the promotion of Mohammad Al Bulooki to Chief Operating Officer, the appointment of Robin Kamark as Chief Commercial Officer, and Ibrahim Nassir as Chief Human Resources & Organisational Development Officer, as part of new seven-strong C-suite.

Under the new structure, the group will be reorganised into seven business divisions – Operations, Commercial, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO), Human Resources, Finance, Support Services and Transformation, led by a new executive leadership team reporting to Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO), Tony Douglas, who also assumes responsibility for Etihad Airways.

Air Asia and Airbus on cusp of order confirmation

Expect confirmation of AirAsia X order for at least 66 Airbus aircraft shortly as the Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes and his team do the final checks with Airbus on the price, performance and engines of A330neo before they can "finally confirm" the order.

AirAsia X, is the long-haul division of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia Group and is the main customer for the A330neo aircraft.  The airline's CEO, used his Twitter stream on Tuesday to announced his visit to the Airbus campus in Toulouse to finalise negotiations on the A330neo order. “Off to Airbus today in Toulouse. Lots to discuss. The A330 neo (is equipped) with Rolls Royce engines. They (weigh) 251 tonnes (and) can reach London,” he said.

"We have ordered the 330 but to finally confirm it we must make sure price is right. Performance is right. Engine is right," he said. "And performance of the 330 251 ton is right. If right (it is) the plane we dreamt of and fought for and then we can order more. Or else."

Fernandes also previously had talks with American manufacturer Boeing as theu tried to poach his business away from the European company with super sweet deals on its 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft,  as well as supplying 787 Max aircraft to replace Air Asia's A321neo order of 100 aircraft. 

Fly more often with Norwegian and get upgrades or free flights

The low-cost airline that's turning heads all over Europe and North America, Norwegian, has revealed plans on how it is going to reward repeat flyers over the next couple of years.  The low-cost airline that feels anything but a budget carrier is offering free upgrades and free flights if you are a regular flyer on their network.

Plus the airline is offering some special discounted tickets from London to select USA destinations using a discount code at the end of this article.

Yes, you did read that correctly, Norwegian will offer a free long-haul ticket and Premium upgrade next year to its most frequent flyers in 2018. The carrier is also offering discounted fares to consumers on select Florida routes from London Gatwick with a special discount code that can be used by Wednesday 4 July at www.norwegian.com/uk.

Delta's refreshed 777 fleet

Trump supporting Delta Air Lines has embarked on a full-fleet interior renovation of its 777 aircraft, with the first refreshed 777-200ER taking flight this afternoon from Detroit (DTW) to Beijing (PEK) featuring the award-winning Delta One suites, the new Delta Premium Select cabin and the widest Main Cabin seats of Delta's international fleet, among other interior upgrades.

Highlights of Delta's refreshed 777 aircraft include:

• 296 seats total, including seating for 28 in award-winning Delta One suites, 48 in the popular Delta Premium Select cabin and 220 in Main Cabin
• 9-abreast seating in Main Cabin versus the industry norm of 10 across
• Seatback entertainment screens throughout with Delta Studio and thousands of hours of content — free of charge across all cabins
• Full-spectrum LED ambient lighting with customized lighting schemes depending on phase of flight

United Express flight evacuated after smoke in the cabin

An investigation is underway into why the cabin of United Express aircraft, operated by Mesa Airlines, at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport filled with smoke, causing passengers and crew to evacuate.

The aircraft was taxing to the runway for a flight to Houston when the drama occurred on Sunday around 1pm local time.  Smoke was reported in the cabin as and the crew declared an emergency causing passengers and cabin crew to vacate the aircraft via the emergency slides.

Officials said in a statement that passengers and crew members were evacuated without incident using slides and were returned to the gate. 

United flight 6122 (ERJ-170) was taxing for departure to Houston around 1 p.m. Sunday when smoke was reported, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a statement.  There were no reports of any injuries to either staff or passengers. 

Ryanair on the dole.......

The Irish low-fares-high-fees carrier Ryanair is launching a new route from London Stanstead to Dole, France commencing in December 2018. 

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “Ryanair is pleased to announce a new London Stansted to Dole route commencing in December 2018, which will operate once weekly as part of our Winter 2018 schedule. Customers can now book their trip to Dole as far out as March 2019 getting to the slopes on the lowest fares this winter."

London Stansted’s Mark Davison said: “It’s great news that Ryanair is adding another new service to its extensive route network already available from London Stansted. Dole is an exciting new destination which I’m sure will prove to be very popular with     passengers looking for even more choice when heading off to France.”

Jet2 and Jet2Holiday's claims to be given Royal Approval but lies

Budget UK holiday company Jet2 Holidays and its sister company, the Jet2 airline, has claimed in its latest press release that it has been given Royal Approval, however, no Royal Warrant has been granted to the Leeds based company.

Jet2, part of The Dart group claimed its new status in a press release dated today, 2nd July, which highlights a meeting one of the firms' representatives had with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall at a recent reception at the British Embassy in Athens. 

Yet, upon checks, it seems that no Royal Warrant or Royal Approval has been given to the budget airline or the holiday company and suggestions otherwise are false according to the Royal Warrant office. 

Claims Jet2's website

10th Aircraft in Bucharest for Wizz Air

The is no doubt that Wizz Air, the largest airline in Romania is one of Europe's fastest growing airlines as the impressive low-cost carrier has allocated the 10 aircraft and celebrated the eleven-year anniversary at its Bucharest base. The state-of-the-art 230-seater Airbus A321 aircraft will support the operations of the newest four routes commencing this year from Bucharest to Athens, Gothenburg, Nice, Kutaisi as well the increased frequencies to 8 popular destinations from Bucharest: Barcelona, Bari, Billund, Eindhoven, Geneva, London Luton, Paris Beauvais and Tel-Aviv. In total, WIZZ schedule will have 24 additional weekly flights departing from Bucharest.

Virgin Australia starts Sydney to Hong Kong route - plus new codeshare deals

There's a celebration going on down under, as Virgin Australia launched its inaugural flight between Sydney and Hong Kong, further expanding the airline’s international network and Greater China presence.

Virgin Australia Group CEO and Managing Director, John Borghetti A.O. said: “Today marks an important milestone for Virgin Australia as we launch our second route to Hong Kong, from Sydney.”

“Hong Kong is an important gateway to China, which is Australia’s most valuable and largest inbound tourism market. Through our Hong Kong services and world-class alliance partners, we’re able to capitalise on this growth, which has positive flow on effects to our domestic network and the Australian economy.

“Guests can now travel beyond Hong Kong to 17 destinations within China with Hong Kong Airlines and Hainan Airlines or to London via our codeshare partnership with Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Level up for the inaugural flight to Montreal

International Airlines Group’s (IAG) long-haul low-cost airline brand "Level" starts its inaugural French flight today from Paris heading for Montreal in Canada. There will be more than 300 passengers on board a new Airbus A330-200 aircraft as IAG's answer to 'Norwegian' begins to serve the Canadian city three times a week.

Tomorrow the airline will also start the first of a four times a week service to Guadeloupe, both from its Paris Orly base. 

This year two new Airbus A330-200 aircraft will be based at Orly, each with 293 economy and 21 premium economy seats. A third A330-200 aircraft will be added in 2019 providing the opportunity to expand LEVEL’s network further. These aircraft are equipped with the latest high-speed Wi-Fi with prices starting at €8.99.

Air Europa Dreamliner to fly to Amsterdam!

Air Europa will be increasing its winter 2018/19 capacity on its popular Madrid – Amsterdam route, with the introduction of one of the airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft on 1 of 2 daily flight. 

From the 28th October this year, the Dreamliner will operate UX1091 from Madrid at 0705 arriving Amsterdam at 0945. The return leg is UX1098  departing Amsterdam 1105 arriving in back in Madrid at 1740.

Air Canada Completes Inauguration of 25 New Non-Stop International, Transborder and Domestic Routes This Summer

Air Canada today inaugurates five new non-stop regional services from Montreal to Windsor, Montreal to London ON, Edmonton to Kelowna, Edmonton and Victoria, Calgary and Comox, completing the successful launch of 25 new year-round and seasonal routes this summer.

Five regional services launch today: Montreal to Windsor and London ON; Edmonton to Kelowna and Victoria; Calgary to Comox

"We are very pleased to launch our newest domestic regional services today to offer customers more choice and convenience when travelling. The 25 international, transborder and domestic routes that we have strategically added this summer broaden and deepen our already expansive global network by adding new destinations and city pairings, and are consistent with company growth plans," said Benjamin Smith, President, Airlines and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

British Airways pilot recruitment campaign

British Airways has launched a big new campaign to recruit experienced pilots for its regional operation.

The job opportunities have arisen with the growth of its London City schedule and increased regional flying from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Stansted and Edinburgh airports this year.

BA CityFlyer, the wholly owned British Airways company with its home base at London City Airport, is on the look-out for all pilots to fly its fleet of 22 modern Embraer 170 and 190 jets.

Norwegian is voted Europe’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2018 at the World Travel Awards

Norwegian has been named Europe’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2018 for the fourth consecutive year at the 25th annual World Travel Awards, one of the travel industry's most prestigious awards.

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel industry and they are recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Bjorn Kjos, Norwegian’s CEO, said: "We are very proud to have been once again voted Europe’s leading Low-Cost airline which is a reflection of the dedication of our 9,500 colleagues. Norwegian continues to offer exceptional value across our expanding global network and is recognised as an industry leader in the low-cost sector. We would like to thank the thousands of customers and industry peers that have once again cast their vote for Norwegian."

New Star Alliance lounge opens at Rome

Star Alliance customers travelling from Rome can look forward to a new premium lounge experience at Fiumicino Airport. The new Star Alliance Lounge will welcome eligible First and Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold Card holders as of June 29th onwards.

Located on the upper level of Boarding Zone D in Terminal 3, the lounge provides easy access to the departure gates for Alliance member carrier flights to European destinations in the Schengen Zone*. 

All Star Alliance branded lounges are designed to provide a unique local experience. In Rome, Italian designer furniture gives an elegant, modern and fashionable look, along with functional spaces to work, relax or socialise in. This goes hand in hand with an exciting Italian inspired culinary experience, ranging from a staffed bar and barista coffee station, to made to order signature dishes.

Freshly painted, the BelugaXL................

On Thursday, the very first BelugaXL from Airbus rolled out of the paint-shop with an incredibly special and effective livery making it look like the biggest Beluga Whale in the history of the world.

The special livery was one of six choices submitted to Airbus employees through a poll where 20,000 people participated. With 40% votes in favour, the smiley livery won - well done Airbus workers!

The decision to build the supermassive BelugaXL was taken in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. The new oversize air transporters are based on the A330-200 Freighter, with a large re-use of existing components and equipment. The first BelugaXL will now undertake ground tests before its first flight planned for later in the summer 2018 and will enter into service during 2019. Airbus is making five of these mammoth airborne whales!  

Coming soon - Canada Day - Happy Birthday Canada

Almost upon us is Canada Day, the national day of Canada, and it's more than just another holiday day!  It is a day of celebrations and events that mark the anniversary of the 1st July 1867 Constitution Act, 1867 (Although, back then it was called the British North America Act, 1867) which united three separate colonies of Canada into a single Dominion within the British Empire called simply  Canada. Having originally been called Dominion Day, the name was changed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed, and so the 1st July is Canada day - only this year as 1st of July is a Sunday, the holiday day is actually Monday 2nd - so a double excuse to celebrate! 

There are always things going on Canada Day across the country and all over the world, whilst I may not be Canadian, I do recall celebrating Canada Day one year on Bondi Beach just outside Sydney, Australia with a group of Canadian exchange students. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but I guess everyone forgot that July is winter time Downunder and probably the coldest month of the year, not the best time for sunbathing and swimming, still we had pancakes bathed in pure Canadian maple syrup and Molson Canadian Lager and a good time was had by all.

Here are just a few suggestions 

Houston to Guatemala City for Spirit

The ultra low-cost US carrier Spirit Airlines announced earlier this week a new international air service from Houston to Guatemala City, from September 2018.

The airline is planning to fly the route three times a week initially from September this year, increasing to four times a week from November with the possibility of a daily service if demand dictates it from next year. 

The proposed schedule -

Houston – Guatemala City 

NK328    IAH      1125 – 1328   GUA
NK383   GUA     1405 – 1803   IAH

No downturn for Trump supporting Delta on Chinese routes as it celebrates 40 years of going to Guadalajara

The CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian says his airline has not yet witnessed any downturn in business on its routes to China following the previously announced 25% trade tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by the Trump administration.

Bastian speaking at a recent National Press Club meeting in Washington say no "slowdown or any pullback" in demand had been seen and that his airline was in "100% in agreement," with the Trump administration.

Although he added that trade wars were not usually "good for business" he believed this one would be a "zero-sum" game and the long-term implications would remain to be seen.

Meanwhile, the carrier is celebrating 40 years of serving Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL).  "Mexico is a key destination for North Americans and we are proud to have reached four decades flying to Guadalajara," said José "Pepe" Zapata, General Manager — Joint Cooperation Agreement Sales in Mexico. "I want to thank our employees for their commitment and support as well as Aeromexico employees and JCA partners because they work diligently to offer our joint customers the best of what each airline has to offer."

Delta operates one non-stop daily flight from Atlanta to Guadalajara in a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 16 seats in First Class, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+, and 108 seats in Main Cabin during peak season.

New Hi Fly A330 takes its First Flight

The second brand new Airbus A330 from the Hi Fly direct order has successfully completed its first flights in Toulouse last week and looks all set for an on time for an expected delivery in late July.

The flight program included testing the aircraft for stability and controllability and checking the efficiency of the onboard equipment in all extreme configurations.

The aircraft has now successfully completed the PATM (Production Aircraft Test Manual) - the basis for the Certificate of Airworthiness and is today ready and technically certified to fly the globe.

RFID Technology helps Air Tahiti Nui speed up inspections

Air Tahiti Nui is taking safety seriously with a new hi-tech way of cutting down inspection times for lifejackets on its Airbus A340-300 aircraft.  The airline has installed RFID tags on the life vests across the entire fleet of A340-300's using EAM RFID's TagControl Solution. 

The RFID technology will allow the airline to cut down inspection times from 5 hours to just 10 minutes, it will also enable the carrier to improve the traceability of cabin safety equipment and increase the rapidity of inspections - previously every three months, but now it can be done monthly, making it even safer!

Nepal Airlines takes delivery of its first widebody aircraft, an Airbus A330

Nepal Airlines has taken delivery of the first of two A330s, which it will lease from the wide-body lease specialists, Hi-Fly. These will be in addition to its two existing A320ceos, and will be one of the largest aircraft operating out of Tribhuvan International Airport.  Situated at high altitude, only the most sophisticated of aircraft are capable of operating from this location, which is Nepal’s gateway to destinations in the rest of Asia and beyond.  

The A330 is the most popular widebody aircraft ever, having won over 1,700 orders from 119 customers worldwide. Today, over 1,300 A330s are in service with 124 airlines, flying on everything from high density domestic and regional operations to long-range intercontinental routes.

Hawaiian Airlines to Add Daily Sacramento-Maui Service

Hawaiian Airlines has announced it will begin daily non-stop flights between Sacramento (SMF) and Kahului, Maui (OGG) next year, offering convenient, direct access to the Valley Isle on the airline's new Airbus A321neo from California's capital city. Special introductory one-way fares are on sale now for travel beginning April 1, 2019.

"West Coast travellers love Hawai'i just as much as we do, which is why we're thrilled to offer the convenience of flying straight to Maui amidst the comfort of our signature, award-winning hospitality," said Brent Overbeek, senior vice president of revenue management and network planning at Hawaiian Airlines.

Air Canada Rouge is five years old!

Air Canada Rouge is celebrating its fifth birthday!  From its first flight on Canada Day 2013, Air Canada's leisure carrier has grown from four aircraft to more than 50 and expanded to over 100 routes on five continents. The carrier has flown more than 25 million customers, and apparently directly created 2,000 jobs for Canadians.

Another amusing safety video from British Airways for Comic Relief

Top celebrities including Sir Michael Caine, Olivia Colman and Joanna Lumley have come together to create the second instalment of British Airways’ star-studded pre-flight safety video, which launches on board in July.

In the video, seven celebrities are seen ‘auditioning’ in humorous sketches while also landing important safety messages. They are under the watchful eye of comedian Asim Chaudhry, who attempts to direct their every move.

To watch the director’s cut from the new safety video on YouTube, see below: