NewsHouston airports closed following tropical storm HarveyThe US Federal Aviation Administration has closed both Houston Intercontinental and Houston Hobby airports through at least 28 August, following heavy rains from tropical storm Harvey. Houston Intercontinental, a major hub for United Airlines, is closed until at least noon local time on Monday, 28 August, and Houston Hobby, a large base for Southwest Airlines, until at least 08:00 local time on Wednesday, 30 August, the FAA says on its website.
LinkSouthwest flies stranded travelers out of Houston airportSouthwest Airlines received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly stranded passengers out of Houston's William P. Hobby Airport on Sunday evening. The airport is expected to remain closed to nonemergency traffic until Aug. 30.
LinkUnited to award travelers free miles for donating to hurricane reliefUnited Airlines will donate award miles to members of its MileagePlus program who donate to charities helping people affected by Hurricane Harvey. Funds for the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Airlink or Operation USA can be sent via a special website set up to collect donations.
LinkHouston airports closed; major impact on United, Southwest operationsHouston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) are closed because of severe flooding in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, significantly affecting United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. More than 5,000 flight cancellations in the US are estimated as a result of the hurricane so far. All scheduled flights to/from the two Houston airports were suspended at 12 p.m. local time Aug. 27. According to Airlines for America (A4A), HOU will remain closed until 8 a.m. Aug. 30 and IAH will remain closed until 12 p.m. Aug. 31. Chicago-based United has a major hub at IAH, while HOU is a key airport in Dallas-based Southwest’s network.
LinkSpirit to equip fleet with wi-fiSpirit Airlines is close to signing a deal to equip its entire Airbus A320 family fleet with wi-fi, in a move that departs from the airline's long-held strategy of eschewing amenities on board. Spirit chief executive Bob Fornaro tells FlightGlobal that installations will begin in 2018. The carrier expects it will take about a year for the entire fleet to be equipped.
LinkAlaska could maintain mixed Airbus and Boeing fleetAlaska Airlines could continue to operate a mixed fleet of Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 family aircraft indefinitely, says chief executive Brad Tilden. "We feel we have enough scale to run the mixed fleet efficiently," he says at the Boyd International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas today.
LinkAlaska Airlines to keep Virgin amenities, add more of its ownAlaska Airlines is retiring the Virgin America brand but retaining many of the amenities its passengers have come to love, including mood lighting and access to free chat services during flights. The airline will offer satellite-based Wi-Fi across its entire mainline flight by early 2020
LinkNeeleman refutes reports of new airline ventureJetBlue Airways and Azul founder David Neeleman has denied reports that he plans to start a new US airline, saying he has his "hands full" in Brazil. Rumours of Neeleman's involvement in a new start-up emerged in July, when reports cited a new Connecticut-based company, Azura Airways, registered under his name.
LinkQantas conducts executive leadership reshuffleThe Qantas Group has reshuffled its executive leadership team, effective November. Jetstar chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka will become chief executive of Qantas Loyalty and Digital Ventures, which will now also includes innovation, says Qantas in a statement.
LinkGAO denies Boeing and Bombardier’s Compass Call protestThe Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied both Boeing's and Bombardier’s protests against the US Air Force’s acquisition strategy for the Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call cross-deck effort, the agency announced last week. GAO released its decision 25 August but did not include additional information, noting the protest is covered by a protective order. The agency is negotiating a public release with the companies, a GAO official tells said.
LinkHawaii's Lihue Airport expects jump in passengers in 2018Airlines are expected to increase service to Lihue Airport in Kauai by 42.6% in the first seven months of 2018, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
LinkA peek inside United Airlines' Polaris amenity kitsTravelers flying in United Airlines' international Polaris Business Class enjoy lie-flat seats, slippers, pajamas and a special amenity kit featuring skin products by Soho House & Co's Cowshed Spa. Other products in the kits include socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, an eye mask, earplugs and a pen.
LinkAmerican Airlines expanding basic economy fares' availabilityAmerican Airlines' basic economy fares offer low prices for travelers willing to fly without a seat assignment or a carry-on bag. The fare is expected to be available throughout the airline's domestic network by the end of next month.
LinkIn post-9/11 first in US, Pittsburgh Airport to give non-passengers airside access Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will become the first airport in the US since 9/11 to allow non-ticketed members of the public access to the secure, airside area of the airport on a regular basis starting next week. In conjunction with the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), PIT has developed a program in which non-ticketed persons can get a “myPITpass” that enables them to go through security checkpoints and access the airport’s shops and restaurants between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The first day of the program will be Sept. 5.
LinkAirlines, airports voice ‘significant concerns’ on EU immigration wait timesFive industry lobby groups have written to the European Council of Ministers, calling for urgent action to address long immigration wait times caused by new European Union (EU) border control rules.
LinkMonarch owner Greybull mulls Alitalia bidGreybull Capital, the owner of Monarch Airlines, is the latest company to emerge as interested in Alitalia, highlighting the possibility that the Italian flag carrier’s operations could be sold off separately—even though Italy’s government has stated a preference for a sale of the company as a whole.
LinkHainan Airlines sees 1H profit drop on poor subsidiary performance Hainan Airlines reported a net profit of CNY1.2 billion ($17 million) for the 2017 first half, down 31% over net income of CNY1.7 billion for the same period last year. According to a filing by the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Hainan’s subsidiary Tianjin Airlines saw a 42% profit decline to CNY84 million after operating expenses jumped 70.5% to CNY12 billion in the first quarter.
LinkLower Schiphol charges lead to 2.9% interim net profit hitDutch airports operator Royal Schiphol Group’s interim net profit has fallen 2.9% to €117 million ($140 million), driven by a 7.1% reduction in airport charges at Amsterdam Schiphol, which took effect April 1.
LinkBAA wins approval for pilot training in RussiaLithuania’s BAA Training has received approval by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, to provide Boeing 737CL initial, recurrent and renewal training to Russian pilots. The approval also means Russian pilots can use BAA Training’s 737CL full-flight simulator (FFS). Currently, approximately 500 Russian pilots hold licenses for the 737CL, BAA said in a statement Aug. 28.
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Russian airlines’ passenger traffic up 21% from January-JulyRussian airlines carried 58.3 million passengers from January-July 2017, up 21% year-over-year (YOY). International traffic increased 37.7% to 23.5 million; domestic traffic grew 11.8% YOY to 34.8 million passengers.
LinkUTC to expand Alabama nacelle facilityUTC Aerospace Systems is preparing to open a new nacelle assembly and manufacturing facility in Foley, Alabama, in the coming weeks, which will significantly expand its existing operations there.
LinkEtihad, Aerolíneas Argentinas start codesharingAbu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Buenos Aires-based Aerolíneas Argentinas have started implementing their codeshare agreement, which was originally signed in 2014. Etihad’s code will be placed on Aerolíneas flights from Rome and Madrid to Buenos Aires, and from Buenos Aires to nine destinations in Argentina: Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Iguazú, Salta, Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Trelew and Ushuaia.
LinkJetBlue will launch daily Syracuse-Boston Embraer E190 service Jan. 4, 2018.
Canada’s
First Air introduced an additional weekly Montreal-Kuujjuaq (Canada) Boeing 737-400 combi service.
Allegiant Air will begin 2X-weekly Louisville, Kentucky-Las Vegas, Nevada service from Nov. 16.
LOT Polish Airlines started 6X-weekly Warsaw-Gothenburg Bombardier CRJ900 service[/b]
