AirlinesAeroflot subsidiary Aurora traffic grows Aeroflot subsidiary Aurora Airline, which serves Russia’s far eastern regions, carried 303,530 passengers in the 2017 first quarter, up 10% year-over-year. The airline operated 5,161 flights, up 28% over the previous year, and carried 226,050 passengers on domestic routes and 77,490 on international.
LinkAir Madagascar, Air Austral sign strategic partnership MOUAir Madagascar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to create a strategic partnership with Reunion-based Air Austral, under a deal which is expected to be finalized by May 31. Air Austral, which is already partnered with Air Madagascar through the Vanilla Alliance, was selected as Air Madagascar’s preferred partner in March after beating off a rival bid from Star Alliance carrier Ethiopian Airlines.
LinkAlaska Airlines pursues Calif. expansionAlaska Airlines is adding 27 routes in California, a state where the airline is keen to expand after its acquisition of Virgin America.
LinkANA adds to Boeing 737-800 fleetSingapore-based lessor BOC Aviation has placed two new Boeing 737-800s with Japan’s ANA Holdings, the lessor said April 10. The two aircraft will be delivered in the second half of 2018.
LinkAustrian Airlines launches Los Angeles servicesAustrian Airlines launched 6X-weekly summer season Vienna-Los Angeles LAX services April 10, its sixth North American destination and first route to the US west coast. Austrian operates a Boeing 777-200ER on the flight, which at 9,900km sector is also its longest.
LinkCityJet continues expansion into EuropeIreland-based regional carrier CityJet will station crew in the Estonian capital of Tallinn for the first time and provide additional capacity for the regional arm of Dutch flag carrier KLM. CityJet, which is shifting its operations increasingly from scheduled services under its own name to providing flights for others, announced in February 2017, in so-called “white label” services for SAS Scandinavian Airlines. The flights are operated using Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets on thinner SAS routes.The Irish carrier has 12 CRJ900s and 10 more on order.
LinkDelta canceled 3,500 flights, took days to resume normal ops after stormsAtlanta-based Delta Air Lines continued to experience residual delays through the April 8-9 weekend following a series of damaging storms in the Atlanta area April 5. Approximately 3,500 flights in total were canceled systemwide, but operations as of April 10 “are essentially normal,” according to a Delta spokesperson.
LinkIran Air reportedly poised to take sidelined Turkish 777-300ERIran Air could be set to acquire its first new Boeing jet as early as next month after reportedly opting to pick up a 777-300ER originally destined for Turkish Airlines. The Iranian flag-carrier has agreed to take 80 Boeing jets under an agreement which includes 15 777-300ERs.
LinkInsufficient reverse-thrust contributed to Nordavia overrunRussian investigators believe inadequate use of braking capabilities resulted in the overrun of a Nordavia Boeing 737-500 at Murmansk. Investigators found that the aircraft overran the runway by 73m, according to the Arkhangelsk regional division of Russia's federal air transport regulator.
LinkOman Air expansion continuesOman Air’s fleet and route map continued to grow in 2016, but the airline’s financial performance remained unclear after it announced its annual financial report. Despite the document’s title, few details were given, notably in terms of profit and loss.
LinkSpirit faces issues with P&W GTF on A320neosSpirit Airlines is facing issues with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines on its new Airbus A320neos, joining a list of carriers experiencing problems with the powerplants. A Spirit spokesman tells FlightGlobal that the engine issues were detected on three of its five A320neos. He was not immediately able to comment further on the issues.
LinkVideo of United passenger dragged off aircraft causes outrageVideo of a passenger being forcibly and roughly dragged from a United Airlines flight by law enforcement officers created outrage from customers and social media observers. In an account reported by several US and international publications April 10, the male passenger was apparently ordered to give up his seat because the April 9 flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, United Express 3411, was over-sold and airline gate staff could not get anyone to volunteer to give up their seats. It appears that United needed at least four seats for flight crew who were enroute to their next shift.
LinkUPS utilizes Boeing 767s to meet cargo demandUPS has bought used Boeing 767 aircraft to be used in meeting its immediate demands for package shipments.
LinkVirgin Atlantic details full-year burden on airline operationVirgin Atlantic has confirmed that the pre-tax profit from its traffic operations last year sank by two-thirds to £3.9 million ($4.8 million), on revenues of £2.25 billion. The airline operation's revenues were down by 5%, and yield declined by 3.4%, the carrier states in its newly-filed annual report for 2016.
LinkPolish Tu-154 obsession does nothing for air safetyPoland’s government harbours an unhealthy resentment over the presidential Tu-154 crash in Smolensk, now manifesting itself as a delusional farce. Loss of the aircraft, president Lech Kaczynski, and dozens of senior officials in the same forests as the 1940 Katyn massacre was, to crackpot conspiracy theorists, a poisonous selection box of connivance and treachery gift-wrapped by arch-nemesis Russia.
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