Silver Airways to start Fort Lauderdale - Pensacola service

The small boutique Floridian carrier, Silver Airways has announced it will be starting a new daily service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Pensacola International Airport (PNS) to start on February 13th, 2019.

To complement the new service, Silver offers convenient connections beyond Fort Lauderdale to Key West and the Bahamas. In addition, connections are available to destinations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America through Silver’s interline ticketing partners, including JetBlue, United, Avianca and Azul Brazilian Airlines.

“Adding nonstop service between South Florida and the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast region is a natural addition to Silver’s already extensive Sunshine State route network,” said Silver Airways CEO Steve Rossum. “We’re thrilled to offer business, leisure and military travellers yet another affordable, convenient and time-saving way to fly within Florida versus driving.”

“The addition of nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale and the South Florida area provides another link to one of the Pensacola Gulf Coast Region’s top ten market areas and important connecting opportunities on the Silver network to Key West and the Bahamas, and hundreds of other destinations served by Silver’s airline partners,” said Pensacola Airport Director Dan Flynn. 

Silver Airways
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – Pensacola (PNS) service effective February 13th, 2019;
PNS – FLL service effective February 14th, 2019:

		Departure		Arrival		Flight #		Stops		Frequency
Fort Lauderdale – Pensacola		6:20 pm		7:40 pm		95		0		Daily
Pensacola – Fort Lauderdale		7:15 am		10:25 am		96		0		Sat
Pensacola – Fort Lauderdale		7:45 am		10:55 am		96		0		Daily except Sat

(Images Silver)

Copa Holdings reports a drop of nearly 39% in net income during the third quarter

Copa Holdings announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2018 which shows the company had a net income of US$57.7 million, from an operating income ofUS$74.3 million, representing a 38.4% decrease over operating income of US$120.7 million during the third-quarter of 2017.

The revenues were hit by increased fuel charges, the weakness of the Brazilian and Argentinian currencies as well as increased competition and lower fares.  Yield per passenger mile decreased 3.3% to 11.6 cents and RASM came in at 10.1 cents, or 4.2% below last years numbers.  Operating cost per available seat mile (CASM) increased 4.3% from 8.6 cents in the same period of 2017 to 9.0 cents in third-quarter, driven by a 31.6% increase in the effective price of jet fuel. CASM excluding fuel costs decreased 5.5% from 6.3 cents in last year to 6.0 cents in this period, mainly as a result of timing of expenses, fewer operational disruptions and cost reduction efforts.

Copa ended the quarter with a consolidated fleet of 102 aircraft – 1 Boeing 737 MAX9, 68 Boeing 737-800s, 14 Boeing 737-700s, and 19 Embraer-190s (pictured).

 

India's Tata group to buy Jet Airways?

During this last week, many stories appeared in the Indian newspapers and the financial press around that world that the Indian multinational conglomerate, Mumbai based Tata, was interested in taking over Jet Airways in some form or another. 

Various local media sources were reporting the deal between Tata and Jet Airways was so close to being completed that presentations were being made to each respective boards.  Such news sent the struggling airline's share prices skyrocketing to record levels.

The deal appeared to focus on the involvement of the joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines, Tata SIA Airlines which already operates domestic carrier Vistara, which would effectively take over control of Jet. It would have been a deal that would have a deep and far-reaching impact on the aviation industry of India.

However, the brakes on such a deal have well and truly been applied, Tata issued a statement, “Over the last few days there has been growing speculation in the print and electronic media about Tata’s interest in Jet Airways. We would like to clarify that any such discussions have been preliminary and no proposal has been made.” 

While the brakes may well have been applied, the deal is not yet at a full stop, there are still investigations going on. Tata is still interested, possibly. Although, sources in the United Arab Emirates have indicated that Etihad Airways, who owns around 24% of Jet Airways is unwilling to sell its stake in the Indian carrier, at rock bottom prices. The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Aviation Group is thought to be interested in pursuing a joint venture arrangement for Jet, however, it will not be making a significant further investment in the Indian operation.

The future for Jet Airways is looking less exciting and promising as the hours' tick by so slowly, but whilst there isn't a deal on the table right at the moment, there are a number of parties watching from the sidelines, ready to take advantage of a bad situation.  

Profits down by 86% for Emirates

The Emirates Group announced its half-year results for 2018-19 on Thursday, November 15th, which saw profits fall by 86%. 

Whilst the group saw reasonably steady revenue growth during the first half of this financial year, the firm cites a significant rise in oil prices, unfavourable currency movements and devaluation in certain markets along with other challenges of political and economic nature as reasons for its dip in fortunes.

Emirates, one of the worlds largest airlines carried 30.1 million passengers, up 3% and made AED226 million ($62 million) during the six months to September 30th, yet while revenues were up by 10% on last years half-year results to AED 54.4 billion (US$ 14.8 billion) a massive 37% increase in fuel prices combined with the other difficult trading circumstances ate into that profit.

His Highness (HH) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Emirates and dnata grew steadily in the first half of 2018-19. Demand for our high quality products and services remained healthy, as we won new and return customers across our businesses and this is reflected in our revenue performance. However, the high fuel cost as well as currency devaluations in markets like India, Brazil, Angola and Iran, wiped approximately AED 4.6 billion from our profits.

First A320neo Flynas delivery

Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost airline, has begun taking delivery of its first of 80 A320neo Family aircraft. This follows an agreement signed in January 2017, with deliveries scheduled to take place from 2018 to 2026.

Flynas is the first operator in Saudi Arabia to acquire the A320neo and currently operates a fleet of 30 A320ceos. The A320neo, powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines, will support Flynas’ expansion plans while providing greater operational efficiency and passenger comfort.

Flynas becomes the first Saudi carrier to receive the A320neo

The AgustaWestland AW169 helicopter 'did not respond to pilot's command' in Leicester City crash

taking off, seconds before crashing.  Captured by BT Sport

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority Air Accidents Investigation Branch has released an initial interim report into the helicopter crash at Leicester City Football Club that caused the death of five people, including the clubs chairman and owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

The report detailed the route the helicopter had taken in the hours before the tragic crash on 27th October. The report indicates the helicopters first flight of the day was from its Fairoaks Airport base in Surrey with the pilot and one passenger on board to go to the London Heliport in Battersea on the banks of the Thames. There it picked up three more passengers before it flew up to Leicester and landed at Leicester City Football Club's training ground at Belvoir Drive. It is then understood that those onboard went to the King Power stadium to watch the match. The pilot and one passenger returned to the training ground, to fly the helicopter back to the stadium and landed in the centre of the pitch. It picked up three people and took off on a flight that was due to go to London's Stanstead airport. However, less than 40 seconds after lifting off, the helicopter started to turn right "contrary to the pilot's left pedal command" the AAIB report states. The cause of the apparent loss of control is still being investigated.

Arkia Israeli Airlines takes delivery of world’s first A321LR

The Worlds first Airbus A321LR has been delivered to Tel Aviv-based Arkia Israeli Airlines, which is majority-owned by Jordache Enterprises.

The carrier has taken delivery of its first A321LR, becoming the launch operator of the world’s most flexible and capable large single-aisle aircraft ever, on Wednesday, November 14th. The A321LR is the latest version of the best-selling A321 Family and allows operators the flexibility to fly long-range (LR) operations of up to 4,000nm (7,400km) and to tap into new long-haul markets, which were not previously accessible with single-aisle aircraft. The new LR cabin configuration allows airlines to offer each passenger more space and premium products for widebody comfort.

Powered by LEAP CFM motors, Arkia’s A321LR fleet will be configured with 220 seats in a single-class layout.

Arkia Israeli Airlines received its first A321LR from Hamburg, Germany. The A321LR and its derivative aircraft family members are the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft with over 6,100 orders from 100 customers since its launch in 2010. It has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies, including its new generation engines and the industry's reference cabin design, delivering 20% fuel cost savings alone. The A320neo also offers significant environmental benefits with nearly 50% reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft. 

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Decision time for flyadeal over Airbus or Boeing order due before December!

The low-cost carrier from Saudi Arabia, flyadeal says it will make a decision on its future fleet plans before the start of December. 

The airline is trying to choose between the Airbus A320neo and the  Boeing 737 Max and after vigorous campaigning from both manufacturers, the airline will announce the results of its decision by the start of next month.

Flyadeal had been expected to place an order for 30 new aircraft in September this year, however the airline wanted to spend more time evaluating the two models,  “We want some evidence because we’re committing a huge chunk of capital,” the airlines CEO Con Korfiatis told the media in Dubai on Wednesday, November 14th.  

More JetBlue services to Nantucket next year

New York's hometown airline, JetBlue announced earlier this week that it would be expanding service to Massachusetts’ Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) with new summer seasonal service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Westchester County Airport (HPN). 

Westchester flights take off 13th June 2019 and will operate on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. LaGuardia flights will launch on 15th June  2019 and operate on Saturdays and Sundays. All new flights are on sale today.  “With added JetBlue service to Nantucket, more of our customers can skip the drive and ferry and enjoy a convenient flight directly to this classic American summer getaway,” said Andrea Lusso, director route planning, JetBlue. “It’s never too early to start planning a summer getaway, especially with more JetBlue flights from more cities than ever before to this to New England destination.”

United Airlines will deploy Boeing 787-10 aircraft to six European destinations from New York/Newark

One of the leading US airlines confirmed today that it will operate its newest Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft on six trans-Atlantic routes from its New York/Newark hub beginning in March 2019. 

United Airlines is the first airline in the world to have the entire family of Boeing's 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners in its fleet. It was also the first North American airline to take delivery of the 787-10, which feature 44 United Polaris business class seats, 21 United Premium Plus seats, 54 Economy Plus seats and 199 standard Economy seats. 

"United is proud to offer more seats between New York and Europe than any other carrier and our Boeing 787-10 aircraft based in New York/Newark will enable us to connect even more New York City customers to Europe and beyond," said Patrick Quayle, United's Vice President of International Network. "We are thrilled to announce six international cities that will be served with this aircraft and we look forward to offering our customers all of the comforts and services of our most advanced aircraft.".

United say Boeing 787-10s will be flying to

Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris and Tel Aviv 

October results for Chorus Aviation announced

Chorus Aviation today announced third quarter financial results for the period ended September 30th, 2018. "Our business delivered solid performance in the third quarter of this year," said Joe Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chorus.  "Our financial performance in the third quarter generated over $87.0 million in adjusted EBITDA, a $3.4 million or 4.0% increase over third quarter 2017 due primarily to growth in aircraft leasing.  Net income per basic share was $0.31."

Key month highlights

    Net income of $43.7 million, or $0.31 per basic share, inclusive of an unrealized foreign exchange gain of $14.0 million.
    Adjusted net income1 of $30.8 million, or $0.22 per basic share, a decrease of $18.0 million, of which $12.6 million was driven by changes in tax rates in 2017.
    Adjusted EBITDA1 of $87.1 million, an increase of $3.4 million or 4.0% primarily due to increased earnings from aircraft leasing.
    Continued execution on aircraft leasing strategy with the addition of three new customers and growth in third-party fleet to 33 aircraft, of which five will be delivered over the course of 2019.
    Expanded maintenance, repair and overhaul ('MRO') certifications to include Embraer 135 and 145 aircraft.
    Added airBaltic as a third-party airframe maintenance customer.
    Diversified parts provisioning offerings with the addition of Q400 inventory.
    Completed the eighth Extended Service Program ('ESP') on a Dash 8-300 aircraft.

Record number of travellers expected to take to the US skies for Thanksgiving.

A record 30.6 million passengers will travel on US airlines during the 12-day Thanksgiving air travel period this year according to Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organisation for some of the main American carriers. 

The forecast translates to an estimated 2.55 million passengers per day, up 137,000 per day from a year ago. Airlines are accommodating this increase in demand by adding 158,000 more seats in the marketplace each day, with a total of 2.94 million seats available to flyer's every day.

The 2018 Thanksgiving air travel period runs from Friday, November 16th, through to Tuesday, November 27th, with the busiest day projected to be Sunday, November 25th, when an estimated 3.06 million passengers will take to the skies.  

"The busy holiday travel season kicks off this week, and it is thanks to incredibly accessible and affordable flight options that more travellers than ever before are visiting loved ones, wrapping up year-end business or enjoying a vacation this Thanksgiving," said A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich. "U.S. airlines are investing heavily in their employees, products and facilities to make air travel this holiday season enjoyable for all passengers." 

Record number of travellers expected to take to the US skies for Thanksgiving.

Delta adds Atlanta-Burbank service

Delta connecting Hollywood with Atlanta’s

booming film production industry.

The US airline Delta will offer 22 daily flights between Atlanta and the LA Basin's four key airports, and more choices to access Delta's global network via its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Long connected by their ties to the entertainment and production industries, Atlanta and the LA Basin will have more connections than ever when Delta launches twice-daily service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Hollywood Burbank Airport on July 8, 2019.

The new service will make Delta the only airline to offer service to the southeastern U.S. from Burbank and the only airline to serve Atlanta from the four largest airports in the LA Basin, including Los Angeles International Airport, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Ontario International Airport and Hollywood Burbank Airport. 

"The LA Basin is one of the largest regions in the world. Burbank service means people from all over the LA Basin will have convenient, direct access from the region's four key airports to the Southeast and beyond through Atlanta, Delta's largest hub," said Ranjan Goswami, Delta's Vice President — Los Angeles and Sales, West. "And if LA is the entertainment capital of the world, Burbank is the heart of the action. Our Atlanta-Burbank service connects not only two of the largest regions, but also two of the largest film production markets in the world."

Stobart Air poised to take over FlyBe?

Stobart Air is poised to buy out the troubled British regional airline Flybe, according to Sky News, it is being reported this week. 

The broadcaster reported that Bankers at Evercore have been brought in to handle talks about a potential deal, which could see the two firms merged or the FlyBe Group taken over completely by Stobart, who also own Southend Airport.

Flybe has been struggling for some time and recently issued a profits warning, it is expected to lose £12m this year alone, citing Brexit uncertainty, higher fuel prices and the falling value of the British pound as the main causes of its financial hardship.

Another airline said to be interested in taking over the Exeter based FlyBe, is the regional airline Eastern Airways, owned by the Bristow Group. Eastern Airways operates a mixed fleet of British Aerospace Jetstreams, Saab 2000s, ATR72, Embraer E135, E145 and E170 jets on routes within the UK and to Europe.  

Neither FlyBe, Stobart or Eastern have made a public statement about the news reports at this stage, however an announcement is expected imminently. 

Russell Kane and Rob Beckett perform a gig at 38,000 feet

Russ Kane on the mic. Photo British Airways

Flying Start, British Airways global charity partnership with Comic Relief, is celebrating raising £20 million.

This partnership, the first to work with Comic Relief to raise money all year round, began in 2010 with a goal to raise £20 million by the end of 2020 and has achieved hitting the monumental target two years early.

British Airways employees and customers were treated to a celebratory flight to say thank you to the dedicated fundraisers and generous customers who have helped hit the fundraising target.

Russell Kane, Joel Dommett and Rob Beckett took their comedy to new heights when they performed a special Flying Start Gig in the Sky. The trio entertained 140 guests during a special hour-long flight on an Airbus A320 to celebrate reaching the fundraising goal.

Speaking after the performance, Russell Kane who hosted the gig said: “I’ve performed in many unusual venues but never at 38,000 feet! There was an amazing atmosphere with lots of laughs on board. What a great way to celebrate Flying Start raising £20 million for Comic Relief”

EVA Air ranked highly in recent ratings survey

EVA Air has been ranked highly in two categories in the Airline Excellence Awards from global airline safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com. EVA Air earned the eighth  position among the World's Top 10 Airlines 2019 and "Best Long-Haul Airline Asia/Pacific." 

Photo EVA Air

EVA President Clay Sun said, "This kind of recognition and support inspires us to continually innovate, improve and upgrade our services and products. In this spirit, we are beginning to add Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year and we are elevating services with each new aircraft deployment. We want all of our passengers to be pleased with their EVA flight experiences."

EVA excels in flight safety and service, consistently winning accolades, honours and recognition from prestigious aviation authorities year after year. In early 2018, Airline Ratings ranked EVA among the World's Top 20 Safest Airlines. EVA also won five TripAdvisor awards, including 5th place in the Top 10 World's Best Airlines and ranking among the Top 10 Major Airlines in Asia. In addition, EVA netted SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline status for third year in a row and was singled out for World's Best Airport Services.

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Air India sack operations director who turned up too drunk to fly jet to New Delhi

Arvind Kathpalia, Air India’s director of operations, failed two breath tests before he was scheduled to take controls of an Air India jet scheduled to fly from London Heathrow to New Delhi on Sunday, November 11th.

Air India is carrying out an investigation into his conduct but confirmed today that it had already fired Kathpalia. It is believed that he has also resigned from the board of the state-run airline and India's safety authority has taken away his pilots licence for three years. 

The airline says Amitabh Singh, executive director for training, will now take on the operations director’s responsibilities for the foreseeable future.  

This is not the first time that Kathpalia has allegedly been intoxicated and under the influence of alcohol when turning up for work. Most recently he had been suspended for a period of three months during 2017 for refusing to take breathalyser tests.

Emirates at the 2018 Bahrain International Airshow to be largest ever

On the eve of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIA), Emirates says it is ready for its largest participation yet at the show which takes place between 14th & 16th November. 

This is the first time the airline will showcase its 100th A380, which is emblazoned with the HH Sheikh Zayed decal as a tribute to the late founding father of the UAE.  The aircraft on display will allow both trade visitors and the general public to explore all the features on this latest generation double-decker, including Emirates’ refreshed OnBoard Lounge.

The Emirates Flight Training Academy, which was inaugurated one year ago at the Dubai Airshow, will also participate at this year’s Bahrain Airshow with an Embraer Phenom 100EV jet on display, one of the Academy’s twin-engine training aircraft. The Emirates Flight Training Academy is a state-of-the-art facility that was developed by Emirates to meet the global aviation industry’s requirement for skilled commercial pilots. The Academy provides advanced learning technologies and training aircraft that provide opportunities for training cadets to develop and sharpen their flying knowledge and skills.

Etihad Airways turns 15 years of age!

Earlier this week Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has marked its 15 years of commercial flying with a number of events, including a human mosaic and cake.  It has been 15 years since its inaugural commercial flight to Beirut on 12th November 2003.  

In a fitting tribute to the first flight, guests travelling on flight EY535 to the Lebanese capital enjoyed a cake-cutting ceremony at the departure gate this morning. The airline also presented each guest with a limited-edition cabin crew scarf and tie set, designed by iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, while younger flyers were gifted Etihad teddy bears by cabin crew wearing the airline’s first-ever uniform from 2003, in addition to its current style.

More than 400 employees from Etihad Airways Engineering and Etihad Technical teams gathered together to celebrate the 15 Year Anniversary of Etihad Airways, with a human mosaic photographed in front of one of the airline’s Airbus A380s at the Etihad Airways Engineering facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport. 

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United Airlines responds to California wildfires

Photo AP / John Locher

United Airlines today reaffirmed its commitment to California and to lifting up communities in need by announcing $150,000 in direct donations to Ventura County Community Foundation and North Valley Community Foundation for their efforts in areas affected by the ongoing California wildfires, while launching a new Crowdrise by GoFundMe campaign to award up to five million bonus miles for individuals who make donations of $50 or more. All funds will go toward efforts to support affected communities in California. The airline also continues to work with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and both community foundations with offers to fly first responders who need to get in or around California.

Delta ranked No. 1 in Business Travel News Airline Survey for 8th year in a row

For an impressive record eighth consecutive year, the corporate travel community has ranked Delta Air Lines as the top air carrier among US airlines in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey.

Since BTN first began surveying corporate travel professionals in 1998, no other airline has topped the survey for eight consecutive years.  “On behalf of the entire Delta team, I’d like to thank our customers not only for this honour but also for the valuable feedback we receive from you through this survey and throughout the year,” said Steve Sear, Delta’s President — International and Executive Vice President — Global Sales. “Delta’s track record of success in this survey is a reflection of the constant dedication and professionalism of Delta’s more than 80,000 employees.”

WestJet again named Best Low-Cost Airline in North America

WestJet again named Best Low-Cost Airline in North America

The Canadian airline WestJet has been recognised as the Best Low-Cost Airline – The Americas for 2018 by airlineratings.com for the second year in a row the carrier revealed today. 

"We are pleased and honoured to again be named Best Low-Cost Airline – The Americas," said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "Being recognized by airlineratings.com ahead of our domestic roll out of our Boeing 737-8 MAX and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft is a feat worth celebrating. I thank our 13,000 WestJetters for their continued dedication in delivering exceptional and safe travel experiences to our more than 22 million guests."

"WestJet has again brought top-class travel to North America," said airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas. "In addition to connecting markets and economies, WestJet brings together millions of people as never before."

A complete list of the award-winning airlines can be found at airlineratings.com.     .

Binter firms up order for Embraer E195-E2s

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has confirmed that Binter Canarias, of Spain, will receive its first E195-E2 jet in the second half of 2019, becoming the first European customer of the E-Jets E2's largest model. 

The airline has confirmed a  Letter of Intent (LoI) it signed with Embraer at Farnborough Air Show back in July 2018 and will take three of the type, with purchase rights for an additional two aircraft. Binter will use the new craft as both fleet expansion and replacement, " At Binter we have always believed in offering our customers quality service and, for us, fleet modernisation is paramount," said Binter's Vice President, Rodolfo Núñez, who recalled that the airline will celebrate its 30 years in 2019, with a very modern fleet. "We are convinced that the E195-E2 is the ideal aircraft model for our operations," he said.  

Delta jet aborts take off after runway incursion by Japan Airline aircraft

Photo Weibo

An Airbus A350-900 of Delta Air Lines had to abandon a high-speed takeoff earlier today at Shanghai Pudong Airport after a Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9  of the invaded the end of the same runway - 34L.

The aircraft was operating flight DL582 to Detroit with 217 passengers and 15 crew members onboard at the time of the incident, all of whom have returned to the airport terminal and will be accommodated on an additional Delta flight departing tomorrow. 

British Airways celebrates new London City - Rome route with Julius Caesar

Left-right): Valeria Manfredi, Richard Hill,
Luke Hayhoe, Kayleigh Webb and Marco Tagliaferri

British Airways is celebrating the launch of new flights to the Italian capital city of Rome from London City this week. The new flight runs from Sunday to Friday on Embraer E190 aircraft and rather unexpectedly the carrier chose to welcome passengers on the first flight with a special bust of one of Rome’s most infamous forefathers, Julius Caesar!

Yes, the dictator, the man who ordered the murder of hundreds of thousands of people, waged numerous wars, the man who invaded Britain, was drafted in by British Airways to greet customers on the first flight.  The bust was welcomed on board the Embraer 190 jet by British Airways’ in-flight business manager and fellow Italian Marco Tagliaferri.

British Airways’ airport manager, Andrea Sperini, is also Italian although he was born in Venice said, “I’m very proud to see the Italian capital becoming part of our network. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe and a treasury of art, history, traditions, politics and local food - almost anyone can find something to explore and enjoy. “

Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: “By adding another major European city to its network, British Airways is creating further choice for tourists and business travellers who want to use London’s most central airport as their bridge to the continent. Like London, Rome is an iconic destination, bursting with culture, history, and home to an international business district, and the route is an attractive addition for customers to and from Italy’s capital city. Ahead of a 20 per cent boost in capacity during 2019, this new service further underlines British Airways’ continued investment in their London City operation.”

• London City to Rome timetable:Flight No          Depart             Arrive              Days
  BA7349           10.50am           2.20pm             Mon-Fri & Sun
  
• Rome-London City timetable:Flight No          Depart             Arrive              Days
  BA7348           3.05pm             4.40pm             Mon-Fri & Sun
  

(Images British Airways)

Ryanair's corporate private jet up for hire.

Ryanair private jet for hire Photo Ryanair

Never short of an idea to cash in, Ryanair is offering its own corporate jet up for hire again. The jet is back in service and available for hire for the winter period, but it's not your usual company private jet, it's a Boeing 737-700.

Ryanair configures the private jet with 60 leather seats with a generous 48-inch seat pitch in a 2 by 2  arrangement. The aircraft also has a full galley that is capable of rustling up a sausage roll or a full-on fine dining experience and is crewed by normal Ryanair air pilots.  

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “We are pleased to announce that our B737 corporate jet is again available for the winter season. It has enjoyed great demand since we first launched it in February 2016. In this past year, the Ryanair corporate jet was booked by many prestigious clients from Champions League soccer teams to world-famous pop stars, who enjoyed an unbeatable Ryanair corporate jet service and excellent rates.”

Photo Ryanair

Should you wish to hire the plane, you don't need to worry about looking out of place at the airport, for the Boeing 737 looks just like any other Ryanair jet, with the giant lettering all down the fuselage. So no one at the airport will know you've splashed the cash to such a large extent.  Thankfully, however, the bright yellow and adverts that are a predominate feature inside the cabin of a usual Ryanair plane are not continued inside the special corporate jet, which has a far more sophisticated interior, as you can see below. 

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month, we remember them........

At the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, we remember those service personnel that have paid the ultimate price, given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. 

The Poppy Appeal each November helps us to remember and say thank you to all those that have served, sacrificed and changed our world. The money raised each year goes to help the Royal British Legion to provide lifelong support for the Armed Forces community - serving men and women, veterans, and their families.

Why the poppy?

During the First World War (1914–1918) much of the fighting took place in Western Europe. Previously beautiful countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over, again and again. The landscape swiftly turned to fields of mud: bleak and barren scenes where little or nothing could grow.

Bright red Flanders poppies (Papaver rhoeas) however, were delicate but resilient flowers and grew in their thousands, flourishing even in the middle of chaos and destruction. In early May 1915, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, a Canadian doctor, Lt Col John McCrae was inspired by the sight of poppies to write a now famous poem called 'In Flanders Fields'.

McCrae’s poem inspired an American academic, Moina Michael, to make and sell red silk poppies which were brought to England by a French woman, Anna Guérin. The (Royal) British Legion, formed in 1921, ordered 9 million of these poppies and sold them on 11 November that year. The poppies sold out almost immediately and that first ever 'Poppy Appeal' raised over £106,000; a considerable amount of money at the time. This was used to help WW1 veterans with employment and housing.

The following year, Major George Howson set up the Poppy Factory to employ disabled ex-Servicemen. Today, the factory and the Legion's warehouse in Aylesford produces millions of poppies each year.

The demand for poppies in England was so high that few were reaching Scotland. Earl Haig's wife established the 'Lady Haig Poppy Factory' in Edinburgh in 1926 to produce poppies exclusively for Scotland. Over 5 million Scottish poppies (which have four petals and no leaf unlike poppies in the rest of the UK) are still made by hand by disabled ex-Servicemen at Lady Haig's Poppy Factory each year and distributed by our sister charity Poppyscotland.

A video of this story is available here.

A range of poppy products are available from The Royal British Legion's Poppy Shop.  

In Flanders Fields

Lt Col John McCrae

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders' fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow  

In Flanders' Fields.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

IndiGo changing Airbus order for larger craft

One of India's leading airlines IndiGo and currently the country's India’s largest domestic operator has made a major switch in a recent Airbus order according to reports from news agency Reuters.

The Indian aviation industry is undergoing a period of severe turbulence at the moment with both Air India and Jet Airways experiencing heavy financial difficulties. Therefore it might seem rather surprising that IndiGo, has apparently, switched an order for 125 of the new engine offering of the Airbus A320 jet to the larger A321neo aircraft that also have a greater range. 

The airline plans to increase capacity on its route network by around 30% before the end of this financial year and it may expand its route network to take advantage of the consolidation from rivals Jet and Air India. 

French release the Ryanair 737 after airline eventually pays its bills

In an unusual move, the French civil aviation authority grounded a Ryanair Boeing 737 on Thursday at Bordeaux airport, the aircraft had been seized in a row subsidies paid to the budget carrier.

The dispute was caused by French subsidies paid to Ryanair for flights from Angoulême regional airport between 2008 and 2009, which the European Commission later deemed illegal. Officials at the regional airport confirmed the sum involved was €525,000 that's £457,000.

The French authorities had been in communication with the low-fare-high-fee airline and trying to recoup the regarding the €525,000from 2014 onwards.  Ryanair had continued to ignore the request for payment, even after the Frech authorities sending a final legal warning during May.

Trees for Troops..............FedEx delivers a touch of festive cheer cheer to US service members and their families

FedEx and the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation will spread holiday cheer to US service members and their families with the Trees for Troops programme, an initiative that delivers farm-grown Christmas trees to domestic and international US military bases. “We are proud to kick off another year of support for the Trees for Troops programme. This programme is just one way the FedEx Freight team supports US service members and their families,” said John Smith, president and CEO of FedEx Freight. “Our work with Trees for Troops really illustrates this company’s deep appreciation for the sacrifice these men and women and their families have made for our country.”

Allegiant's October

Las Vegas-based Allegiant reported preliminary passenger traffic results for October 2018 earlier this week which demonstrated the company saw increases in both passenger numbers and revenue.  

Allegiant is focused on linking travellers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations with low-fares and  The airline offers industry-low fares on some 85 aircraft flying more than 350 routes and during October the carrier achieved a load factor of 82.8%. 

Joint venture approved for Boeing and Safran causes concern for other plane makers

The US giant Boeing and Safran have received regulatory approvals for a joint venture so they can begin designing, building and servicing aircraft Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), which are the onboard engines that are primarily used to start the main engines and power aircraft systems while on the ground and, if necessary, in flight. 

SkyWest issues latest results with a drop of 5.4% in block hours during October

SkyWest, the St. George, Utah based air firm that operates regional flights for United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines has issued its latest results.

The firm reported 146,200 block hours in October 2018, down from 154,500 block hours in October 2017, a decrease of 8,300 or 5.4%.  The net decrease was consistent with SkyWest's fleet transition plan to improve the mix of aircraft in its fleet.  

The year-over-year net change was primarily driven by approximately 8,700 additional block hours from its E175 aircraft (includes the E175 aircraft and the E175 SC aircraft) and a decrease of approximately 17,000 block hours from its other aircraft types.   

Impressive results for Air Lease Corporation

Air Lease Corporation announced its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, earlier this week, showing incredibly positive results.  One of the world's major aircraft leasing specialist saw revenues increase during the last three months by over 19%. The fleet grew by 14.1% to a net book value of $15.1 billion as of September 30th and amounted to 268 owned aircraft.

JetBlue and Princess Awesome join forces to encourage girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a new aviation-themed fashion collection

The US low-cost carrier and New York Hometown airline, JetBlue announced this week a collaboration with Princess Awesome, a clothing company whose mission is to give girls options that reflect their full range of interests. 

Princess Awesome teamed up with JetBlue for the special aviation-themed “Airplanes Collection,” featuring blue jets as the focal point of the line. This capsule collection highlights both JetBlue’s and Princess Awesome’s commitment to providing access for girls to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The Aeroplanes Collection includes dresses, leggings, scarves, shirts in infant and girls sizes and is available exclusively from until November 19th, or while supplies last, on ShopJetBlue.com – JetBlue’s online shopping site for branded and related gear. Pieces from the line will be available at Princess-Awesome.com after November 13.

Azul and Copa Airlines announce new codeshare deal

with improved frequent flyer programme agreements

Azul Brazilian Airlines and Copa Airlines announced this week that they have agreed to a far-reaching cooperation agreement that connects the two largest route networks in Latin and South America. As part of this agreement, customers can conveniently connect to Azul’s unrivalled domestic network when flying Copa into and out of Brazil. This agreement means that Copa customers can now potentially access all of Azul’s 101 domestic destinations in Brazil, including 52 destinations not served by any other airline. In the near future, Azul will also place its code on Copa flights into and out of its Panama city hub, allowing Azul’s domestic customers to take advantage of the broadest network in Latin America. The benefits and convenience of a codeshare ticket include those of thru check-in and thru-baggage.

United Airlines sees passenger numbers rise in October

US mega-carrier United Airlines disclosed its latest operational results this week which demonstrated that consolidated traffic as listed as revenue passenger miles increased 7.5% and consolidated capacity (available seat miles) increased 5.9% compared to October 2017. The airline also saw load factors increase by 1.2%.

During October United launched flights between San Francisco and Tahiti, becoming the only US carrier to have service between the mainland US and the Islands of Tahiti. Started a year-round, daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare and León, Guanajuato, Mexico. 

The airline has also announced it would do special nonstop flights between San Francisco and Barcelona in February 2019 to make travel to the 2019 Mobile World Congress more convenient for Bay Area residents. In addition, the airline has announced 22 new routes from six of its U.S. hubs to start in 2019. 

United unveiled a state-of-the-art flight training centre in Denver, Colorado - the largest in the world and home to the airlines' more than 30 full flight simulators representing all of United's fleet types and a major step forward in training.

Air Wisconsin flight attendents vote to authorise strike action.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA representing the flight attendants of Air Wisconsin, who provides regional air service for United Airlines, confirmed today that the staff voted 99% to authorise strike action.

"Enough is enough. Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants are ready to do whatever it takes to get a new contract. We have made every sacrifice to ensure the stability of the airline while management refuses to offer meaningful pay and work rule improvements. Higher pay, no more delay!" said Ernie Lazernick, AFA Air Wisconsin President.

Negotiations began in July 2016 and are overseen by the National Mediation Board (NMB) and the lack of progress could lead to the NMB declaring that negotiations are deadlocked which releases both parties into a 30-day "cooling off" period leading to a strike deadline. No future negotiations sessions have been scheduled at this time.  

The almost unanimous vote for to authorise strike action doesn't automatically mean that the cabin crew will take industrial action, it just gives the Association of Flight Attendants the authority to call a strike, if it should become necessary.  It should perhaps be seen as another tool in the box of the union in its negotiations with the airline. 

Air Wisconsin is a regional airline, based in Appleton, Wisconsin operating CRJ-200 regional jets and since March 2018, it has operated exclusively as a United Express regional air carrier. 

ATR and Air New Zealand explore the future of a regional aviation ecosystem including hybrid aircraft

European aircraft manufacturer ATR and Air New Zealand have signed an agreement to explore the role of new propulsion technologies could play in the future of the regional aircraft ecosystem.

Under the agreement the partners will investigate the development of these new solutions and the required systems to support them such as airport and regulatory infrastructure, maintenance, ground and flight operations. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says with New Zealand’s renewable electricity supply and Air New Zealand’s comprehensive regional network, the country is seen as the ideal test bed for these technologies.

“Hybrid aircraft are expected to enter the market in the next decade or so.  Depending on when hybrid and electric technologies become available for larger turboprop aircraft, we believe there is potential for these to be a viable option for our regional network.

Flair Airlines first US bound service starts.

A major milestone in the development of Canadian low-fare airline, Flair, took place today as the carrier launched its first US-bound flight.

The airline's first flight, 777 to Las Vegas left Edmonton International Airport with a full load of excited passengers and was just the start of a number of southbound flights. In December Flair will begin flying to Palm Springs, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix/Mesa. Flair’s Executive Chairman, David Tait, stated, “Today is a momentous day in our history as it the first of our multiple new trans-border services.” 

Low Fare Flair hosts a huge party for an on-time departure

for its first US flight to Vegas

“Edmonton International Airport is honoured to host Flair’s first scheduled US flight,” said Tom Ruth, Edmonton International Airport President and CEO. “Las Vegas is an incredibly popular destination with travellers from the Edmonton Metro Region, Western Canada and the North.”

Flair Airlines flight 777 was welcomed in Vegas to the salute of water cannons, Elvis, and Showgirls.  “We are pleased to welcome Flair Airlines to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and wish it great success with these new air service offerings from Edmonton,” said Chris Jones, chief marketing officer for the Clark County Department of Aviation. 

“We are excited to welcome new seasonal flights from Canada with our latest travel partner, Flair Airlines,” said Cathy Tull, chief marketing officer for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Canada has nearly 1.5 million visitors to Las Vegas annually and as such represents our largest source of international visitors. Flair’s new service will provide further access and convenience for our Canadian friends to see why Las Vegas is the perfect escape this winter.”