AirlinesAeromexico to fly PopeAt an internal event held to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, Aeromexico announced that it will fly His Holiness Pope Francis during his first apostolic journey to Mexico. Aeromexico will use two different types of aircraft for the papal flights, including a Boeing 737-800 Sky Interior with 160 passenger seats to fly His Holiness and his entourage to the cities of Morelia and Tuxtla Gutierrez, and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 243 passenger seats for the trip to Ciudad Juarez, and from there to Ciampino Airport in Rome.
LinkAirberlin, Alitalia to extend cooperationAirberlin and Alitalia will extend their cooperation on several routes between Germany and Italy starting from summer schedule 2016 onward. Airberlin will operate 3X-daily services from Düsseldorf to Bologna, starting May 2. Existing services from Düsseldorf to Venice and Florence will be expanded from 1X- to 3X-daily frequencies. All flights are expected to be integrated into the existing codeshare agreement with Alitalia soon.
LinkAir India maintenance technician dead after ‘tragic’ incidentAn Air India aircraft maintenance technician died after being sucked into the engine of an Airbus A319 at Mumbai Airport. The Dec. 16 incident was described by Air India managing director Ashwani Lohani as a “mishap” and “tragic.” He said the airline was “deeply saddened,” adding in a statement, “The incident is being investigated. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.”
LinkAmerican to start weekly service to Dominican Republic from O'HareAmerican Airlines plans to begin nonstop service on Saturday to the Dominican Republic from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. American will deploy Boeing 737-800s for the weekly service. The carrier also announced plans to add service from O'Hare to Providence, R.I., and Norfolk, Va., next year.
LinkAmerican to offer gourmet menu on LAX-Sydney flight American Airlines will launch new flights from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia on Dec. 17, and it wants business and first class passengers on its Boeing 777-300ERs to get excited about food menus. At least I think so. American had a tasting in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and I was not invited. So I cannot say for sure how the food is, or who should be excited.
LinkCargolux, pilots reach an agreementLuxembourg-based Cargolux and its pilot unions have reached an agreement on a new labor contract. Cargolux said in a statement: “After repeated meetings in the last 24 hours, an amicable agreement on the new CWA [collective work agreement] for the staff of Cargolux Airlines was finally achieved between all concerned parties—Cargolux management and unions OGB-L, CLSC and LCGB. The new CWA will be valid for three years.”
LinkCopa Holdings Announces Monthly Traffic Statistics For November 2015Copa Holdings, S.A., today released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for November 2015. For the month of November 2015, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPM) increased 2.6% year over year, while capacity increased 2.6%. As a result, system load factor for November 2015 was 74.0%, a similar load factor when compared to November 2014.
LinkDelta agrees on deal for Embraer E190s plus 20 Boeing 737sDelta Air Lines announced Wednesday it will add up to 20 Embraer E190s and 20 new Boeing 737-900ERs into its fleet in an agreement reached with Boeing. The Atlanta-based airline initially had a plan to place 20 98-seat E190s owned by Boeing into its mainline network, but had to rescind the plan when its pilots rejected a tentative agreement on a new labor contract that would have allowed the E-Jets to be placed into Delta’s fleet.
LinkEmirates to expand mainland China networkEmirates will expand its services in mainland China with 4X-weekly flights from Dubai to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou from May 3, 2016. The 266-seat Boeing 777-200LR services will expand Emirates’ offerings to mainland China from three to five, which also include flights to Beijing, Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou.
LinkMalaysia Airlines cautioned over immigration procedures Malaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has been criticized by the Malaysian government for poor application of immigration procedures. The issue came about following an incident where international passengers were allowed undocumented entry into Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said passenger checking was the responsibility of all operators, which was not done on this occasion.
LinkPIA Sale Hits Snag As Airline Workers Walk OutEmployees of Pakistan International Airlines have walked out in protest over its planned sale, disrupting flights and undermining a central plank of reforms promised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in return for an IMF bailout. In September 2013, the International Monetary Fund saved Pakistan from a possible default by agreeing to lend it USD$6.7 billion over three years.
LinkSouthwest Plane Rolls Off Taxiway, Eight InjuredA Southwest Airlines plane rolled off a taxiway and got stuck in the grass after landing at Nashville Airport on Tuesday evening. Eight people were taken to hospital with injuries officials said. Southwest said flight 31 from Houston Hobby Airport was approaching the gate with 133 passengers and five crew members aboard when it left the taxiway. All were safely evacuated from the plane and taken to the terminal.
LinkRussian court puts Transaero under external supervisionThe Arbitration Court of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region has put Transaero Airline under external supervision, in a decision published on the court’s website Dec. 16. Russia’s Sberbank filed a bankruptcy motion against Transaero on Oct. 19, after Aeroflot’s plans to acquire Transaero fell through.
LinkUnited to offer Nashville-San Francisco route in May Nashville International Airport says United Airlines plans new nonstop service from Nashville to San Francisco International Airport, starting May 5. It is Nashville's only nonstop flight to San Francisco. The flight leaves Nashville daily at 5 p.m. Central time and arrives at 8:07 p.m. Pacific time. Return service leaves San Francisco at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time and arrives in Nashville at 3:59 p.m. Central time.
LinkUnited promotional videos take lighthearted approachUnited Airlines has created a series of promotional videos starring sports broadcaster Katie Nolan. The short "Big Metal Bird" videos strike a humorous tone to keep customers informed on important policies and information when they travel. United plans to create 12 videos in total for the series.
Link 
