Porter Airlines to close its own frequent flyer programme and join Aeroplan

The Canadian regional airline Porter Airlines has signed a deal with Aimia Inc to become a comprehensive partner and be designated as a preferred Canadian airline to issue Aeroplan Miles on Porter routes with effect from July 2020. 

The carrier will then also become a redemption partner, offering up to 60% of seat inventory for the purchase of flights with Aeroplan Miles at fixed-rate prices. "This is a unique opportunity for Porter to join a well-established travel loyalty program and, in the future, reach its vast member base to aggressively promote our airline," said Michael Deluce, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Porter Airlines. "Our current VIPorter members will benefit from Aeroplan's enhanced range of loyalty services, with an ability to earn and redeem points with a growing network of airlines and other brands."

Passengers with points already accrued in VIPorter will see their value dropped as they will be converted into Aeroplan Miles in 2020, however, they will be able to spend those points in a more varied way in the future. 

"Today's announcement with Porter is consistent with our strategy to further differentiate and strengthen our air offering come July 2020," said Jeremy Rabe, Chief Executive Officer. The announcement comes just days after Aimia rejected a take over bid from Air Canada, Visa and two Canadian banks for Aeroplan. Aimia said the Air Canada bid of $325 million was far to low, insisting its base selling price would be around $450 million.  Air Canada’s chief executive Calin Rovinescu said Friday the offer was more than what Aeroplan was worth, “It was, in fact, at a substantial premium and extremely generous, given the $2 billion unfunded redemption liability of Aeroplan that the consortium would be accepting. We believe there is no other party out there prepared to accept this $2 billion liability, nor any other buyers for the company.”

Irish pilots feeling unwanted by current employer might like to know Norwegian is recruiting

As more strikes continue to bite into Ryanair's schedules as unhappy staff seek a better future, the worlds best long-haul airline, Norwegian announce more job opportunities in Ireland.

Norwegian is continuing to expand and as such has just launched a new recruitment drive in Ireland for pilots who hold a Boeing 737 operational certificate. The carrier currently has 40 pilot jobs up for grabs, including both captains and First Officers, which will effectively double the number the airline has operating from its Dublin base.

Airline looking to recruit 40 pilots, almost doubling the current number of flight crew currently operating out of Dublin base

The hunt for more pilots follows the airlines' recent announcement of an expanded 2019 summer schedule with 40 weekly transatlantic departures from March 2019, an increase of 37%, to the USA and Canada from Ireland. The airline also has flights to some key European cities from Dublin, including the top Nordic destinations of Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen. 

Some of the major increases to Norwegian's summer schedule from Ireland include the brand new daily service to Canada which begins on 31st March 2019, flights to Providence, Rhode Island will increase to a daily service and services to New York Stewart International Airport from Shannon will increase to five flights a week.

“Norwegian offers pilots a rewarding career with a diverse route network which spans both long haul and short haul destinations flying the latest Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We look forward to welcoming qualified pilots who want to work for an airline that recognises the vital contribution that they make to our business during this continued phase of expansion in Ireland." Said Helga Bollmann Leknes, Chief Human Resources Officer at Norwegian. 

More information on Norwegian's job openings, visit https://careers.norwegian.com/pilot
 

Lisbon and Kharviv are new Wizz destinations from Luton

One of Europe’s fastest growing airlines, Wizz Air has confirmed it will further expand its London Luton base in the UK with a ninth A321 Airbus being based at the airport.  The airline will also expand its route network with two new routes from London Luton to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon and Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.

UK travellers will soon be able to explore one of Ukraine’s major cultural and scientific centres in Kharviv when the new service starts in mid-November. Or experience the liveliness of Lisbon from the end of October.

The Lisbon route will operate every day, while the Kharviv service will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and will be on one of the airlines fleet of modern Airbus A321 aircraft.

In addition, the airline is also increasing the weekly flight frequency for three existing London Luton routes. Flights to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, will increase from three to five a week; flights to the Albanian capital of Tirana will increase from three to four a week; and to Satu Mare in Romania from two to three a week.

Emirates to increase flights to Amsterdam as demand grows

Amsterdam will see an extra five flights a week from Dubai by Emirates Airlines thanks to the strong and growing market demand the gulf carrier confirmed this week.

These additional flights are to complement the existing double daily services Emirates currently operate to the home hub of KLM and offer an earlier departure option from Amsterdam that is perhaps more convenient for visitors to Dubai, as well as providing enhanced connectivity to more destinations on Emirates’ vast global network.

It is envisaged that the four additional weekly services will start from 1st December this year and the fifth will be added a month later on 1st January 2019. Then the airline will operate 19 weekly flights to the Dutch capital. 

United celebrate 20 years of service to Israel with a new route to Tel Aviv from Washington

To mark its 20th year of services to Israel, United Airlines will open up a new route between Washington Dulles International Airport and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, with effect from 22nd May 2019. The route will, subject to government approval, be the first to be operated by a US carrier between the two cities.

The proposed schedule for the service will see a United Boeing 777-200ER leave Washington IAD on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 2230 and arrive in Tel Aviv 1630 the next day, local time.  The return flights are scheduled for  Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays leaving Ben Gurion International Airport at 0020 and landing back at Dulles at 0550 in the morning.

United's new route to Tel Aviv will be the carrier's fourth flight to Israel. United currently operates twice-daily service between New York/Newark and Tel Aviv and daily nonstop service between San Francisco and Tel Aviv, it flies more services to Tel Aviv than any other US airline.

GOL's second quarter operating income doubles

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, the Brazillian airline has released its second-quarter 2018 results this week and the airline has done well, its operating income doubles and net revenues grow by 9% to a net revenue for the quarter of R$2.4 billion. The airline's load factor didn't move a great deal, ever so slightly up at 78.1%, which makes in the increase in revenue more surprising. However, this was achieved by higher prices and a greater cost awareness within the organisation. 

"We expect to continually drive our operational efficiency and capacity rationalization. In June, we took delivery of our first 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which enable GOL to serve Brazil's large addressable market of passengers travelling between Midwest/Northeast Brazil and the State of Florida," commented Paulo Kakinoff, the carriers CEO.

Engine fire on landing on Jazeera Airways Airbus

An investigation is underway after a Jazeera Airways aircraft carrying 145 people appeared to catch fire upon landing at India's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad early this morning.

According to local media reports, staff in the airport's control tower spotted what looked like a small fire in one of the aircraft's engines as it landed. They informed the pilot who shut down both engines as the fire services were scrambled to attend the plane.

The Jazeera Airways aircraft, an Airbus A320, registration 9K-CAL had just landed on flight J9608 from Kuwait Airport. The incident occurred at around 1.30am local time and the aircraft was towed to a parking stand. From what we understand, there have been no reports of any casualties among the passengers or crew. 

More reorganisation for Icelandair's Air Iceland Connect

The cost-cutting and reorganisation work at the Icelandair Group HQ continues at pace with the latest development seeing the group's regional division, Air Iceland Connect, cut many routes including those to the UK.

Air Iceland Connect is a relatively small operation with a fleet of 3 Bombardier Q400s turboprops and 3 of the smaller Dash 8-200s aircraft which are used on both domestic and regional routes. The company says it has been challenging to operate in the regional market and has had to cut routes for efficiency reasons as the group struggles to make ends meet and stem losses.

It has withdrawn services to its UK destinations of Aberdeen and Belfast, cut some domestic Q400 services and may drop its flights to the Faroe Islands. 

Air Iceland Connect will now be used mainly for domestic flights and those to neighbouring Greenland and the group advises there will be further work to integrate Air Iceland Connect more fully into the main operation of Icelandair. 

Meanwhile, the group has been busy buying back a number of its shares in a bid to stop the share price from falling further and prevent further dilution of the company. 

18.3 million people flew with Delta in July

Delta Air Lines today reported operating performance for July 2018. The company carried 18.3 million customers across its broad global network, a record for the company. 

Monthly highlights include:

A350 service bound for New York's JFK says Qatar Airways

From the 28th October this year, Doha based Qatar Airways will be flying its new ultra-modern Airbus A350 into New York JFK, the airline has confirmed this week.

It will be the first US commercial route the aircraft has been assigned to by Qatar Airways on a regular basis and the airline hopes will attract even more passengers to the super efficient jet and the service to Doha.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the A350-1000 on flights to and from JFK, one of our key U.S. gateways. The introduction of this next-generation aircraft to the route demonstrates our commitment to providing passengers travelling to and from the U.S. with the most modern and technologically-advanced aircraft available, ensuring that their experience is second-to-none. We look forward to welcoming all passengers travelling to and from the U.S. on board this spectacular aircraft.”

The airline already operates the A350 on daily non-stop services between London and Doha as was the launch customer for the world’s most advanced passenger aircraft.  The A350-1000 offers a total of 327 seats across two cabins, with 46 award-winning Qsuite Business Class seats and 281 18-inch extra wide Economy Class seats. The aircraft provides enhanced levels of passenger comfort, thanks to the lowest twin-engine noise level of any aircraft, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED mood lighting.

Special service from American Airlines and Japan Airlines for CES 2019

American Airlines and its Pacific joint business partner Japan Airlines have said they will operate a special nonstop flight between Narita International Airport in Tokyo and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport to support additional demand for CES® 2019. American will operate the flight Jan. 4–14, 2019.

“Thousands of travellers from Japan and other parts of Asia make their way to Las Vegas every year for CES,” said Shane Hodges, managing director of Asia Pacific Sales for American. “The network and onboard experience offered by American and Japan Airlines as part of our Pacific Joint Business is world-class, and we are thrilled to make getting to the world’s largest technology event faster and easier than ever before.”

90 seat configuration approved for Bombardier’s Q400 aircraft

Bombardier's commercial aircraft department confirmed yesterday that it had received certification from Transport Canada for a 90 seat cabin configuration on its Q400 aircraft!

The company sees this as a major milestone in the types development and another step in its continuous improvement of its Q400 aircraft, aimed at addressing traffic growth and customer bottom line, regardless of passenger comfort or space. The 90 seat configuration offers a seat pitch of 28 inches at its widest, so you'll not want to be squashed in there for long flights. Other improvements under development includes a 2,000-lb-increase in payload capacity and an escalation of the A-Check and C-Check intervals from 600/6,000 to 800/8,000 flight hours. Such a jump in interval times for maintenance checks will certainly ease an airline's bottom line, but at what cost to passenger safety?  Full stats on the Q400 are available here. 

Big sale for Norwegian's Northern Ireland customers for 5 days only

They feel so much part of the aviation landscape that it is a little hard to believe that Norwegian has only been serving the long-haul market from Belfast for a year. But, just a year it has been and to mark this special occasion the World's Best low-cost long-haul airline is offering some amazingly special fares, but be quick they are only on offer for a limited time.

Norwegian offers seasonal transatlantic nonstop flights from Belfast to New York Stewart International Airport and Providence Airport, Rhode Island, near Boston on the US east coast. The carrier is using its brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on the routes which are fitted out with 189 slimline seats from Belfast to the USA four times a week in the summer season.

Here's the deal, for travel to the USA from Belfast in September and October, Norwegian have launched a special 5-day special offer on fares, running from now until Monday 6th August at 22:59 BST.  Belfast to New York or Providence-Boston from just £79

The 5-day offer is available on Norwegian’s affordable transatlantic flights from Belfast nonstop to New York Stewart International Airport in New York state and Providence International Airport in Rhode Island which offers good access to Boston and attractions in New England from just £79 one-way*.  Customers can book now at www.norwegian.com/uk using campaign code FLYFORLESS.

Of course, as you would expect the fares are subject to availability, are limited in number, one-way and certain other terms and conditions apply. 

Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian said:“A year on from launching our first transatlantic flights from Belfast, we’re giving consumers in Northern Ireland some of the lowest fares ever to the USA from £79. “Our special £79 fares to New York and Providence-Boston will be available for a limited period, so there’s never been a better time to plan a trip to America and enjoy our brand new modern and spacious aircraft with high-quality service along the way.”.

American pilot unions are combining to fight the elimination of flight deck crews

It isn't often that a number of unions come together with a single cause, however, today in the USA that's exactly whats happening.  Seven unions and a trade body, representing more than 100,000 pilots have come together to remove a provision from the recent reauthorization bill introduced by the FAA.

Sections 744 and 703(a)(xviii) of the bill would authorize a new FAA research and development programme in support of single-pilot all-cargo operations utilizing remote-piloting or computer-piloting technology, and ALPA, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), the Independent Pilots Association (IPA), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP), the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), want Congress to know how reckless passage of a bill with this provision would be.

Trouble for Primera Air passengers as it pulls out of Birmingham and cuts Stansted routes

Primera Air has decided to cancel short-haul operations from Birmingham as it tries to stem losses and follows an earlier decision to cancel long-haul flying.

Flight to Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona are to be withdrawn from 3rs September whilst the routes to Alicante, Tenerife, Las Palma, Reykjavik and Malaga will all cease on 29th October this year on 29th Ocober, the airline said“Our priority is ensuring those affected passengers are compensated in compliance with EU261/2004, and alternative travel arrangements have been offered to them, as well as the option of a full refund if appropriate, we are committed to minimising any disruption and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this may cause.”

In addition the troubled airline has already started to reduce its frequencies from London Stansted, the Malaga service has already been reduced to five flights a week and the carriers Alicante route will come to an end from the start of October. 

Virgin Australia enhances trans-Tasman services

Virgin Australia is stepping up the competition on trans-Tasman services since it was dropped by Air New Zealand in favour of a Qantas tie up that continues at such a pace, many in the industry are tipping a merger announcement before the end of the year.

Virgin Australia will introduce a whole range of enhancements to its services from the 28th October on routes to Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington and Dunedin will receive:

• A substantial meal and drink included in all fares;

• At least 23kg of baggage included in all fares;

• WiFi on all flights including 15 minutes of complimentary access; and

• Increased Velocity Frequent Flyer Points and Status Credits earn potential.

Rob Sharp Virgin Australia Airlines Group Executive, said the airline was excited to provide an even better product and service for guests travelling to New Zealand. “Last year, 1.5 million Australians flew to New Zealand and we’re looking forward to making their trip across the ditch even more enjoyable with a meal and drink as well as WiFi so they can keep connected whilst in the sky,” he said.

Lufthansa sees profits rise.

Lufthansa Group released its latest set of figures which showed it had increased its total first half-year revenues by 5.2 percent this year, excluding the impact of the first-time application of the IFRS 15 accounting standard. 

Luxair acquires 2 Boeing 737

The little airline from Luxembourg, Luxair has confirmed it will take delivery of 2 additional Boeing 737-700 aircraft in March and May 2019. 

The 142 seater aircraft will give the airline the extra capacity it desperately needs as it seeks to expand services. The aircraft are currently operated by a large European flag carrier, although Luxair hasn't said which airline that is.

With the addition of the new aircraft, The LuxairGroup fleet will consist of 8 Boeing 737 and 11 Bombardier Q400 turboprops.

Ten years of A380 operations for Emirates

Can it really be ten years since Emirates Airlines first started flying the Airbus A380?  Yes, indeed it can, the first flight took off on 1st August 2008 from Dubai and heading over to New York in a blaze of publicity and razmataz. Since those early days of double-decked transport, the Emirates A380's have carried more than 105 million passengers in luxurious surrounds on 115,000 flights, flying more than 1.5 billion kilometres - the equivalent to 39,000 trips around the world.

Hi Fly's first A380 customer is Thomas Cook Scandinavia

The first airline to lease Hi Fly's superjumbo Airbus A380 double-decker is.....not one anyone in the aviation industry was suggesting and guessing, it's Thomas Cook! 

The holiday airline is having to charter in the A380 at very short notice to operate a flight from Denmark's Copenhagen Airport to Larnaca in Cyprus for its Scandinavian subsidiary as they had sent the aircraft scheduled for the flight to a different destination to bring home passengers stranded by an IT issue. The A380 will also bring passengers back from Larnaca that had been scheduled to fly into Stockholm's Arlanda airport but is expected to return them to Copenhagen which is more suited to A380 operations. Tomorrow, Thursday the double-decker beauty is scheduled to cover another Thomas Cook Scandinavia flight from Oslo to Palma, Majorca. 

This change of aircraft will be a massive advantage for all of those lucky passengers, who were expecting to fly on an Airbus, but one of the A321 variety, now they will have the luxury of flying in the splendour of a former Singapore Airlines A380. 

“It has been important to find a solution for our customers. We have been bending over backwards to find a plane, the Airbus A380 was the only option. But we do not let the economy decide when it comes to our customers.” A spokesperson for Thomas Cook Scandinavia said.

Hi Fly's A380 positioned to Copenhagen early this morning, arriving at 4.11am  

Second quarter revenues up for KLM

Air France-KLM saw positive movements in the second quarter of 2018 according to its latest figures.  The group saw revenues climb up 4.0% at constant currency, whereas the number of passengers was only slightly up by .8%  with a total of 26 million people carried.

The Group delivered an operating result at a similar level to last year before the impact of Air France strikes: its operating result 1 at 345 million euros, 241 million euros lower than last year, including a strike impact of around 260 million euros.
Unit costs1 up 2.4% at constant currency, fuel and pension charges, with underlying structural unit cost savings of -0.7% offset by a strike effect of +3.1%.  

"KLM’s financial results for the first half of 2018 are a little higher compared to KLM’s record results the same period last year. We can certainly be satisfied and proud of this result, especially considering the negative influence of higher fuel prices. All KLM staff are to be congratulated on this wonderful joint achievement. We are well on track for 2018 and the near future." said KLM President & CEO, Pieter Elbers.

Tianjin Airlines welcomes its 100th aircraft.

Tianjin Airlines has acquired its 100th aircraft, an Airbus 321, B-302X which was welcomed at an acquisition ceremony which celebrated this unique milestone for the airline.

Tianjin Airlines' is one of the fastest-growing airlines in China and has grown to 100 strong aircraft fleet in just 9 years, from its official start of operations. So far it has carried more than 70 million passengers across its route network of over 130 destinations on three continents.

The airline has a mixed fleet that includes Airbus 330, Airbus 321, Airbus 320, Embraer 195 and Embraer 190 types of aircraft. The chief executive officer of Tianjin Airlines, Mr Liu said: "It is an honour for the airlines to reach the milestone of 100 aircraft. 

According to Tianjin Airlines, this new aircraft is specially painted and the paint scheme represents Tianjin's city image and focuses on several Tianjin city landmarks, showing Tianjin Airlines' great gratitude towards the city and passengers.

103 people survive Embraer 190 crash in Durango, Mexico - Aeromexico issue statement

Looking at the news reports and photos, it is remarkable that anyone got out of the wreckage of the Aeromexico Connect Embraer 190 aircraft alive, yet astonishingly, all 103 people on board survived the crash.

The aircraft, registration XA-GAL, had just taken off from Guadalupe Victoria International / Durango International Airport operating flight AM2431 to Mexico City when the crash happened.

According to state Governor José Rosas Aispuro the aircraft was hit by a gust of wind, which caused the sudden descent. Its left wing then came in contact with the ground and both engines came off.  The Governor also said the cabin crew were able to deploy the evacuation slides shortly after the crash when the aircraft came to a halt, which allowed those still on board to leave the plane safely before the flames spread and many of the passengers were able to walk and run from the aircraft.

It is understood that the pilot is one of two people that were seriously injured in the crash and is said to have had a spinal operation. A young girl was the other seriously injured person, sustaining burns.  Ninety-seven other people were taken to hospital, yet the vast majority had only "very light" injuries, officials have said.

(Photo  AFP)

Jacqueline Flores a passenger on the E190 has been telling local media of her ordeal,  "When we were already aloft, up high, it felt like the plane was going to level out but just then it plunged to the ground," she said. "I think we fell back on the runway because it was a hard surface, then we skidded on the ground until it stopped," 

Thomas Cook summer 2019 schedule released.

British holiday airline Thomas Cook Airlines released its full summer 2019 long haul programme a little earlier this week.  The new season includes some new destinations and increased schedules to others.  

The airline will fly from Manchester, London Gatwick and Glasgow to 13 destinations in the USA, the Caribbean and Mexico. The carrier will also strengthen its long-haul fleet with another Airbus A330-200.

The A330-200 will have fully refurbished premium and economy cabins, seatback in-flight entertainment and USB charging points and it is to be based at Manchester for the season.  Thomas Cook Group Airline has a fleet that includes seven A330-200s.

Seattle, which launched in May this year, will increase from two flights a week to three (the same frequency as San Francisco), Cancun will fly daily (same as New York) and 13 flights a week will go to Orlando at peak season, a growth of 21 per cent compared to summer 18. Montego Bay is a brand new long-haul destination.

$20.8 million loss for WestJet

WestJet have announced its second quarter results for 2018 this week and the Canadian airline reports a net loss of $20.8 million,  a terrible result when compared with net earnings of $48.6 million reported in the second quarter of 2017. 

The airline says that higher fuel prices and the threat of industrial action are the main causes of such a vast loss, "The impact of the threat of industrial action, in combination with the dramatic increase in fuel price and competitive capacity provided particularly significant challenges in the second quarter." Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "While we are disappointed with these results, all WestJetters can take great satisfaction from the successful delivery of key strategic initiatives like Swoop and WestJet Link.".

Aeromexico Embraer E190 crashes on take off from Durango

An Aeromexico Connect Embraer E190 has crashed whilst operating flight AM2431 today.

The aircraft, registration XA-GAL, had been scheduled to operate between Durango to Mexico City today. Early indications are that some passengers may have survived the crash.

Remarkably there are no reports of fatalities on the ill-fated aircraft when it crashed shortly after taking off from Guadalupe Victoria Durango International Airport in Durango state.  Mexico's nation's transport minister said the aircraft had 97 passengers and 4 crew were on the aircraft a the time of the crash and many injured have been transported to local hospital.

Aeromexico said it is aware of the crash working to obtain more details.

More strikes ahead for Ryanair as boss threatens to move more jobs to Poland

Industrial relations between Ryanair and its staff are in turmoil all over Europe, the latest to vote in favour of strike action are the Dutch!

The Dutch Airline Pilots Association confirmed on Tuesday that its members voted in favour of industrial action, “Negotiations for a Dutch Ryanair collective labour agreement between the Dutch ALPA and Ryanair are still ongoing, however, we are losing hope for a positive outcome. Ryanair needs a ‘wake up call’ and a strike in the Netherlands might be the only solution,” the union confirmed in a statement.

The pilots in the Netherlands do not hold as much power or sway with the low-fare high-fee airline Ryanair as the country isn't in the top ten markets for the airline. Yet a much more important market for Ryanair is Germany, where pilots voted overwhelmingly on Monday in favour of striking.

Faced with the prospect of yet more strikes and industrial action by a growing multitude of disgruntled staff, the bullish chief Executive Michael O’Leary continued his threats of moving jobs to Poland should walk-outs hurt its business.   

Emirates increasing Toronto flights

Emirates to fly to Toronto five times a week starting August 18

Fresh from the news that Etihad was increasing its schedule to Toronto, it's United Arab Emirates rival in Dubai, Emirates also announces its intention to increase schedules.

The carrier will introduce two additional flights to its current operations to Pearson Airport with effect from the 18th August. The additional Toronto flights will operate on a Saturday departing Dubai as EK241 at 03:30 to arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, leaves Toronto at 14:25 and arrives in Dubai at 11:40 the next day. On Sundays, EK241 will depart at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, will leave Toronto at 14:30 and arrives in Dubai at 11:25 the next day. These new flights to the Toronto schedule will be operated by the airlines iconic and luxurious Airbus A380 aircraft with private suites in First Class, lie-flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy Class.

Many changes ahead for Etihad Airways schedules this winter.

The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways will be making many changes to its schedules for this winter season, which will see some routes increasing frequency, but many routes will see reductions, including even a number of route closures.

Toronto is increasing from three to five weekly services, that will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, that enjoy 40 seats in Business Class and 340 in Economy Class. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We are thrilled to announce more flights to cosmopolitan Toronto, one of the most successful and popular destinations on our global route network. This news has been eagerly anticipated." The new schedule takes off from 28th October this year.

The popular route between Etihad's home base of Abu Dhabi and the Egyptian capital, Cairo currently has 4 flights each day, from 28th October one of those rotations (EY653/654) will be upgraded to one of the carriers Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

The airline will also extend the services to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, so from 1st October it will enjoy a double daily double-decker service on Airbus A380's.

First Ultra Long Range A350 XWB emerges from the paint shop

There is always a sense of anticipation palpable when the first of a particular type of aircraft rolls out of the paint shop at Airbus. This week was no exception as the latest craft to get the unveiling was the first Ultra Long Range Airbus A350 XWB which will go to launch customer Singapore Airlines, resplendent in the carriers distinctive livery. 

Singapore Airlines has ordered another six of these Ultra Long Range aircraft from Airbus and we're told that all of those aircraft are being worked on right now. The first aircraft has already done a number of test flights and is currently undergoing its cabin fitment.

Singapore is going to be using the A359-900 ULR on a direct non-stop services from Singapore to Los Angeles, San Francisco as well as to New York, which will then become the world’s longest commercial air service.  

Norwegian to deploy 737 MAX to Gatwick for Nordic routes

The long-haul and European low-cost airline Norwegian will be bringing the brand new Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft to its London Gatwick summer schedules this year the airline has confirmed today.

Recently rated as the World's Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline for four consecutive years at the renowned SkyTrax Awards, as well as Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline for six consecutive years, the company is the European launch customer of the Boeing 737 MAX and is due to take delivery of 12 of the type before the end of the year. 

The carrier already has eight examples of the MAX jets in operation which are deployed on transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon to New York Stewart International Airport and Providence Airport in Rhode Island near Boston.  

United Airlines Strengthens Domestic Route Network

New Washington Dulles - Miami Service and Expands to 33 New Destinations in Four Months

United will begin a new daily service from Washington Dulles International Airport to Miami International Airport from 19th November.  The flight will run daily until 30th March and a second daily flight will also operate during the peak travel period between 24th December - 6th January 2019. 

United 737 Max  (photo United)

The airline is looking to offer flyers more opportunities to connect to more destination, both domestic and international than ever before and is busy boosting connectivity and expanding services from its seven major U.S. gateways.

The popular US airline is also stepping up frequencies between Washington Dulles and Orlando and Tampa. Beginning 28th November 2018 right through to 6th January 2019, United will increase to five daily flights to Orlando, and between 26th Dec and 26th Jan. the airline will increase to four daily flights to Tampa.

More trans-Pacific routes to get Delta One suites and Delta Premium Select seats in 2019

Delta Air Lines has just announced that it will put on more aircraft with the new Delta One suites and Delta Premium Select seating on Pacific routes next spring.  

The Trump supporting airline is able to make the changes as it takes delivery of additional A350-900 aircraft and puts back into service more 777-200ER and LR aircraft following refurbishment.

Delta says it will refurbish all eight of its 777-200ER and all ten of its 777-200LR aircraft and expects to have taken delivery of 13 A350s before the end of next year.

Today, Delta offers the Delta One suite and Delta Premium Select on nonstop service from its Detroit hub to Tokyo-Narita, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai, Beijing and Amsterdam; from Los Angeles to Shanghai and from Atlanta to Seoul-Incheon.

Cat's and dogs allowed in the cabin of Air Transat flights

The Canadian carrier, recently named as the World Best Leisure Airline by Skytrax, has confirmed that it will allow cats and dogs of up to 10 kg (22 pounds) fly in the cabin on the vast majority of its flights.  The weight allowance listed above is including the weight of a suitable cage or carier and the caged animal must be placed under the seat in front of the passenger.

Travellers interested in this new service can book it directly with the airline, and fees start at $50 / £29.22 for domestic, south and USA flights. It rises to $90 / £52.60 for the carriers Europe flights and all the details are on the Air Transat’s website.

It's important to note however, to prevent the spread of rabies to the UK, animals are only allowed to be carried in the hold on flights to the UK and Ireland, which will cost more. Plus of course, animals coming in will need to have a period of quarantine prior to being admitted, which can be quite costly.  It is also not allowed on flights to and from Jamaica or Saint Lucia. It is also not available on connecting flights.

Hey Ryanair staff, did you know easyJet are seeking 1200 new cabin crew...........

The low-cost airline easyJet, announced a few days ago that it was seeking an additional 1200 new permanent and fixed term cabin crew positions, to join its ranks.

The airline says that it will offer its new cabin crew positions at some of easyJet’s largest bases across Europe, although around half will be employed within the UK, making it especially attractive to Ryanair staff, who may be dissatisfied with their current employment situation!

The new recruits will fly on easyJet's modern fleet of Airbus aircraft, including the A321neo's, as well as having access to a number of rewards, high quality training and opportunities for career development.

Liverpool to get three new Romanian routes

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport will get three brand new routes to the Romanian cities of Bucharest, Cluj and Iași, from 29th October this year, thanks to Wizz Air.

Wizz Air is one of Europe’s fastest growing airline groups and has promised introductiory fares starting at just £23 for the new routes to three of Romania’s most vibrant destinations.  Including these new services, Wizz Air now offers a total of 17 weekly flights from Liverpool, with more than 290,000 seats on sale in 2019 on flights to and from Liverpool. This represents nearly 17% growth compared to 2018, with the expansion of Wizz Air’s operations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport benefiting the region’s tourism, hospitality and aviation-related industries. 

Flights to Bucharest will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, whilst flights to Cluj-Napoca will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. The Iasi service will also operate on Mondays and Fridays.

Wizz Air Chief Corporate Officer, Owain Jones,said: “Wizz Air’s investment in the UK continued as we bring new flights to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, increasing our network of  destinations for our customers in the North West to include some of Romania’s most historic and lively destinations and which offer the perfect choice for a city break with a difference and access to Romania’s beautiful countryside.  We looking forward to welcoming ever more customers travelling on our seven routes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport as they experience WIZZ’s truly low fares and great service on board one of Europe’s youngest and most efficient aircraft fleets.”

£23 fare is one way, with just cabin baggage, other fees may apply. 
(photo Wizz Air)

Thomas Cook Airlines for sale...again?

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The Sunday Times has reported that British travel company Thomas Cook is looking at divesting itself of its airline, at least in part to a foreign investor.

The newspaper says that industry sources have told them discussions were at an early stage and that no change was likely in the immediate future. The newspaper declined to say who the 'industry' source was, or how close to the organisation they were,  but it is not the first time the company has been in talks to sell off the airline, either in whole or in part.  In April 2015 the very same Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper ran a story about Thomas Cook looking to flog the airline off as it tried to cut losses and tidy up the company balance sheet. At the time the airline said "We are definitely not desperate to sell our airline. There were no talks. There is no real news.". Although, a member of the Air101.co.uk team spoke to a contact working at the head office, who confirmed that tentative talks regarding starting negotiations for a joint venture had been made. 

Chinese conglomerate Fosun is already an existing shareholder in the group, around 12 percent, is looking to expand its holding, at least according to the Sunday Times.  A Thomas Cook spokesperson told the paper that the company had previously said it was open to industry consolidation but that it had “no current plans” to sell its airline.

Of course, shares in Thomas Cook has been on a steady decline since the middle of May and there is nothing like industry gossip on takeover or sell off plans to make the shares spike upwards.

Alaska Air Group reports Second Quarter 2018 Results

Alaska Air Group, reported its second quarter 2018 results during the week which demonstrated a GAAP net income of $193 million, or $1.56 per diluted share, compared to $293 million, or $2.36 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of merger-related costs and mark-to-market fuel hedge adjustments, the company reported adjusted net income of $206 million, or $1.66 per diluted share, compared to $309 million, or $2.48 per diluted share, in 2017.

"In the last year and a half, we've made tremendous progress bringing Alaska Airlines and Virgin America together," said CEO Brad Tilden. "We're on very solid footing today thanks to the fantastic efforts of our employees, who delivered exceptional on-time performance and earned our 11th consecutive J.D. Power award for highest in customer satisfaction - all while completing the most complex part of our integration."

Air Canada results for second-quarter 2018

Air Canada reported second-quarter EBITDAR  (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairment and aircraft rent) of $646 million compared to second quarter 2017 EBITDAR of $681 million.