AirlinesAir France to cut 14 long-haul aircraft and 2,900 staffAir France is to axe 2,900 jobs, scale back its long-haul fleet by 14 aircraft and close five routes after failing to reach a productivity agreement with its flight crew unions. Under the plan, Air France’s long-haul fleet will be reduced from 107 aircraft in summer 2015 to 93 in summer 2017, cutting capital expenditure by up to €200 million ($224.2 million) in 2016 and 2017. “This adjustment will mainly be made via the accelerated retirement of Airbus A340s, which will not be replaced by Boeing 787s as had been initially planned,” Air France-KLM said in an update released on Oct. 5.
LinkAir France Managers Flee As Meeting Turns ViolentAir France managers fled a meeting on Monday about mass job cuts after angry staff waving banners and flags stormed the room. The airline's human resources chief Xavier Broseta had his shirt ripped off and his tie hanging from his neck as he battled through crowds of workers, seeking to escape. Broseta and Air France chief executive Frederic Gagey had been outlining a drastic cost cutting plan, described by the company as "Plan B" after it failed to persuade its pilots to accept a less radical one earlier this year.
LinkAlaska debuts sixth new destination this yearAlaska Airlines started service from Seattle to Raleigh-Durham, N.C., as the sixth new destination served this year. The daily nonstop service operates with Boeing 737-900 aircraft.
LinkAmerican Airlines pilot dies; flight makes emergency landingAn American Airlines Airbus A320 made an emergency landing in Syracuse “due to pilot illness” that resulted in the pilot’s death, the carrier said. American flight 550 was enroute from Phoenix to Boston Oct. 5 when the pilot became ill and a medical emergency was declared. The aircraft, carrying 147 passengers and five crew, landed safely in Syracuse.
LinkAmerican CEO reaffirms commitment to Charlotte DouglasAs US Airways prepares for its last flight on Oct. 17, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker recently reaffirmed the carrier's commitment to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. "I feel even better today than I did two years ago about the strength of our partnership," said Brent Cagle, interim aviation director of Charlotte Douglas airport.
LinkMeet the American Airlines crew who flew Pope FrancisThe Shepherd One team at American Airlines helped fly Pope Francis during his US tour last month. The team of 31 AA employees also flew Pope Francis back to Rome on Sept. 27. In an employee newsletter, flight attendant Jeff Gross said Pope Francis "took time to speak to us each individually. There are no words to describe that feeling."
LinkWreckage Of Indonesian Plane FoundIndonesian authorities on Monday said they had found the wreckage of an Aviastar airline Twin Otter turboprop aircraft that went missing over Sulawesi island last week with 10 people on board. The plane was found in the Enrekang region, around 240 km (150 miles) from the port city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, MetroTV said. South Sulawesi police official Adex Yudiswan said that residents had found the plane. He gave no details about its condition or the fate of the passengers and crew.
LinkBritish Airways takes first Boeing 787-9; ends 737 operationsBritish Airways (BA) took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 on Sept. 30 and, on the same day, operated its final 737 flight. The initial 787-9, registered G-ZBKA, touched down at London Heathrow Airport at 0850 local time following its delivery flight from Seattle.
LinkDelta projects upswing in operating profit margin Delta Air Lines Inc on Friday said its third-quarter unit revenue continued to fall during the year's busiest travel season but hinted that financial metrics were already improving. The Atlanta-based airline said passenger unit revenue, which measures sales relative to the capacity and distance of flights, declined between 4.5 and 5.5 percent, compared with earlier guidance of a 4.5 to 6.5-percent drop.
LinkEmirates Hints At No Dubai Airshow OrdersEmirates has indicated that it won't be announcing any big orders at next month's Dubai Airshow and said it wouldn't make a decision this year on whether to purchase Airbus A350 or Boeing 787. Tim Clark, the airline's president, asked whether any orders were likely to be announced at the air show which runs November 8-12, said the carrier was still taking delivery of planes announced at the last show in 2013.
LinkJeju Air to rebrand, launch an IPOKorean low-cost carrier (LCC) Jeju Air will rebrand its operations prior to launching an initial public offering (IPO) by year end. It plans to issue 5.5 million shares on the Korea Exchange to raise at least KRW126.5 trillion ($107 million). The carrier said the money will be used to add cash reserves to help it capitalize on the rising numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Korea. Launching an IPO has been on the table since 2013.
LinkMint leads to success for JetBlueJetBlue Airways' "Mint" premium service has proved successful for the carrier, which has helped lead to a 63% surge in stock price for the year. "Unit revenue has outperformed the industry," said Helane Becker, an analyst with Cowen & Co. "Their balance sheet has improved dramatically.."
LinkJetstar launches international service from Townsville Australian low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar has launched international service from Australia’s East Coast Townsville International Airport to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. The Airbus A320 3X-weekly service is the airport’s first international schedule. The new route comes following a significant Australian government drive to upgrade and expand traffic at Australian East Coast regional destinations that see significant tourist visitors, including Townsville and Sunshine Coast.
LinkSouthwest to offer international flights from BWISouthwest Airlines plans to fly internationally from three main airports, including Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "With Southwest weighing as many as 50 new international markets in the coming years, the airline might prefer to route much of those additions through its stronghold in Baltimore," writes columnist Alex McIntyre.
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VietJet A320 suffers radome damage after bird strikeA VietJet Air Airbus A320 aircraft suffered extensive damage to its radome in a bird strike incident on the evening of 30 September. The aircraft was flying on the Buon Ma Thuot-Hanoi route operating flight VJ496, confirms VietJet. The carrier provided no details on the number of passengers or crew aboard the jet, but says it landed safely.
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