NewsHawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines announce code-sharing dealHawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines will start a code-sharing agreement in March 2018. Hawaii is one of the most popular international destinations for Japanese travelers and the new agreement will help the carriers compete with rival airlines.
LinkUnited Airlines to let passengers bid on compensation for overbooked flightsUnited Airlines is launching a program that lets passengers on overbooked flights bid on the lowest compensation they'll accept for giving up their seats. "As part of our commitment to further improve our customers' travel experience with us, we plan to test an automated system that will offer customers an opportunity to voluntarily bid for a desired compensation amount in exchange for potentially changing travel plans if faced with an overbooked flight," United Airlines said.
LinkJetBlue considering transatlantic flightsJetBlue Airways is considering whether to offer transatlantic flights and will decide by year's end, said CEO Robin Hayes. The carrier serves 101 destinations in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
LinkAir France launches Joon, a low-cost airlineAir France launched a lower-cost airline called Joon on Monday, taking its first small steps into the battle for more budget-conscious customers on long-haul routes. Low-cost travel between Europe and the Americas has taken off, with upstarts such as Norwegian Air Shuttle and Iceland's Wow Air leading the charge and prompting traditional carriers such as IAG and Lufthansa to set up their own low-cost, long-haul brands.
LinkMobile streaming will make Netflix available on more flights in 2018Netflix will use mobile device encoding technology to make the streaming service more accessible on aircraft that may not have high-speed internet access just yet.
LinkReview: United Airlines' new Polaris business classUnited Airlines' new business class seats are comfortable and all have aisle access, while the food and beverage choices are top-notch. "The entire team fundamentally understands that hard product and all its components and all of the fanfare is at best fleeting with regards to customer satisfaction," says Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines.
LinkRussian government steps in to assist VIM-Avia passengersRussian authorities are prioritising measures to transport of VIM-Avia passengers in the wake of the financial crisis engulfing the leisure operator. The Russian ministry of transport says the airline has a "lack of funds" to meet obligations to passengers.
LinkLion Air Group moves all 737 Max jet to Indonesian unitMalindo Air will transfer its Boeing 737 Max aircraft to Indonesia's Lion Air after four months of service. A source confirmed the plan to FlightGlobal, but was unable to explain what led to the carrier's decision to cease operating the re-engined variant of the 737. Attempts to contact Lion Air Group were unsuccessful.
LinkFuel crisis easing at Auckland airportAirlines are now able to uplift 80% of their usual jet fuel allocations at Auckland airport, with signs that the crisis caused by the severing of a fuel pipeline is starting to ease. New Zealand energy minister Judith Collins says that a replacement of the damaged part of the pipeline from the Marsden Point refinery to the airport’s fuel farm has been completed, and later today will start operating at its allowable capacity from the afternoon of 26 September.
LinkEmbraer targets CRJ700 operators with new E175-SCEmbraer has shifted its US focus towards sales of a new 70-seat version of its E175, a move executives say comes as regional airlines look to replace older 70-seaters like Bombardier CRJ700s. "Seventy seats is where we see the bread and butter going forward," Embraer head of North American sales and marketing Charlie Hillis says on 25 September.
LinkQatar Airways outlines cargo ambitionsQatar Airways aims to be the world's top international cargo airline, declared chief executive Akbar Al Baker after taking delivery of the airline's first Boeing 747-8 Freighter. "I'm sure you know I don't like to be number two or number three," he said at a 25 September press conference at Boeing's delivery centre in Everett, Washington.
LinkBoeing creates programme office for New Mid-market AirplaneBoeing has created a program office to support the New Mid-market Airplane, and appointed a top 787 executive to lead the effort toward a future launch decision by the company’s board of directors. The appointment of former 787 vice-president and general manager Mark Jenks to lead the NMA office signals that Boeing’s is closer to launching the new family of composite aircraft aimed at a market segment between the 737 Max 10 and 787-8.
LinkGermany lifts Tiger helicopter groundingGermany has lifted a flight ban on the fleet of Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft operated by its army, but has yet to restart operations with the type. Berlin grounded the Tiger, except for operational emergencies, following a late-July fatal crash near Gao in Mali in which two servicemen were killed.
LinkGermany, Norway sign for five A330 tankersGermany and Norway have formally added a further five Airbus Defence & Space A330 multirole tanker transports to a multinational programme launched earlier this year by Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Airbus on 29 September announced its receipt of a firm order from Europe's OCCAR defence procurement agency for the additional aircraft, which will increase the partner nations' pooled fleet of the type to seven units. "All seven are expected to be handed over between 2020 and 2022," the company says.
LinkBulgarian government backtracks on Gripen selectionBulgaria is to restart its fighter procurement initiative, following recommendations made by a parliamentary investigation board after its review of the decision to name Saab's Gripen C/D as preferred candidate. The review board – which completed its work on 20 September – indicates that a combined offer of used Lockheed Martin F-16s submitted by the governments of Portugal and the USA was disqualified in an improper manner, preventing a fair evaluation of all submitted bids. Sources suggest that the offer was disqualified because a request for a deferred payment scheme failed to comply with Sofia's requirements.
LinkLufthansa Group approves $1.2 billion growth plan for EurowingsLufthansa Group’s supervisory board has approved a €1 billion ($1.2 billion) investment to purchase and lease up to 61 aircraft for its LCC subsidiary Eurowings as the bidding process for parts of the insolvent airberlin continues. The funds will be used to acquire up to 41 Airbus A320 family aircraft and 20 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s. ATW understands the Q400s are currently operated by airberlin’s regional subsidiary LGW.
LinkRepublic CEO: US regional industry ‘shrinking’ because of pilot shortage The US regional airline industry is “shrinking” because of a pilot shortage that is reducing air service to smaller markets throughout the US, Republic Airways Holdings president and CEO Bryan Bedford said.
LinkFAA: Post-Maria commercial flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico resume Air service resumed at San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) Sept. 24, with nearly 100 total arrivals and departures including military and relief operations, according to FAA. The agency is supporting more than a dozen commercial passenger flights per day at the airport, which was battered extensively by Hurricane Maria last week, and said it has “implemented a slot reservation system to manage the demand for ramp space at the airport and to safely separate aircraft in the air.”
LinkAirline wish list includes flexible seat configurationAirline panelists speaking at World Routes in Barcelona would like to see electric aircraft enter the market and—in the shorter term—to have the ability to reconfigure aircraft during turnarounds.
LinkGogo to provide wireless seatback IFE tablet for Delta CSeries aircraft Inflight Internet provider Gogo said it is working with Delta Air Lines to provide wireless seatback IFE on the airline’s new Bombardier CSeries aircraft, provided via mounted tablets.
LinkIAG still working on Aer Lingus-Ryanair connectionsInternational Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh is hoping to finalize a connecting deal between group carrier Aer Lingus and Irish LCC Ryanair at their Dublin hub before summer 2018.
LinkAir France-KLM, GOL, to open Fortaleza hub Air France-KLM and its Brazilian partner, São Paulo-based LCC GOL will open a third hub in Brazil with new flights to Fortaleza in the summer 2018 season. From May 18, 2018, KLM will operate 3X-weekly Amsterdam-Schiphol-Fortaleza Airbus A330 services and Air France’s new affiliate Joon, which is scheduled to launch Dec. 1, 2017, will operate 2X-weekly Paris-Charles de Gaulle-Fortaleza 2X-weekly A340-300 service.
LinkHawaiian, JAL ink new partnership agreementHawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL) have signed a new partnership arrangement that includes extensive codesharing, lounge access and frequent flyer program reciprocity. The agreement, subject to government approval, takes effect March 25, 2018. As part of this comprehensive partnership, the two carriers said they also intend to establish a joint venture to enhance services to/from Japan and beyond to multiple Asian markets.
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