AirlinesAir Berlin CEO Eyes New CultureAir Berlin needs more of an "anti-establishment" attitude to take on bigger rivals, its chief executive, as the airline nears the end of a fleet review to stem losses and reduce debt after an acquisition spree. Germany's second largest airline, 29 percent owned by Etihad Airways, has made operating losses in four of the last five years. It is reviewing routes and its fleet of 140 aircraft as part of its efforts to return to profit in 2016.
LinkAir Canada pilot saves dog traveling on flightAn Air Canada pilot diverted an international flight to Toronto to save a dog traveling in cargo after a heating system malfunctioned. "As soon as the crew became aware of the temperature issue, the captain grew rightfully concerned for the dog's comfort and well-being," a spokesman for Air Canada said.
LinkAir France pilot reports Reunion debris sightingAn Air France pilot has reported a debris sighting just off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, where a part of the Boeing 777-200 that operated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was found on July 29. “Air France confirms that, in line with current procedures, the crew of flight AF642 from Paris-Orly to La Réunion on Sept. 14, 2015 reported an unidentified floating object to the control tower at Roland Garros airport in Denis de la Réunion, during the approach to la Réunion,” an Air France spokeswoman said.
LinkAmerican Airlines CEO: Fares are lower, but profits are notDoug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, said lower fuel prices have allowed the carrier to lower fares for customers and still make a profit. "We're in pretty good supply-demand balance," Parker said. Meanwhile, he also told reporters in Fort Worth, Texas, that the carrier was planning on keeping its headquarters in the city.
LinkBinter Canarias takes delivery of first ATR 72-600Canary Islands regional airline Binter Canarias has taken delivery of the first of 12 ATR 72-600s ordered through two different contracts signed in 2014 and earlier this year. With the introduction of these new ATR ‘-600s series’ aircraft the airline will progressively upgrade its current fleet, consisting of 16 ATR 72-500s. Binter, which is a long-standing ATR operator, said it has progressively developed its regional network over the Canary Islands with ATR aircraft since 1989.
LinkDelta on track to beat its no-cancellation recordDelta Air Lines announced this week that it had achieved 95 days in a row without canceling a flight, tying its all-time record set last year. "At nearly four months ahead of last year's pace, I can't wait to see what the completion factor record for 2015 will be," wrote Gil West, executive vice president and chief operating officer, on a blog post.
LinkFiji Airways introduces additional Hong Kong routeFlag carrier Fiji Airways will increase flight frequencies on its Fiji (Nadi International)-Hong Kong International route from Oct. 25. The carrier will add an extra weekly Airbus A330 flight to a 4X-weekly schedule between the two cities. Fiji Airways reached 100,000 monthly passengers for the first time in July, and says the new service will help the airline boost visitor numbers from China, greater Asia and Europe.
LinkFinnair cancels 16 flights ahead of Sept. 18 strikeFinnair has canceled one domestic flight on Sept. 17 and a further 15 on Sept. 18 in preparation for a nationwide labor demonstration, which is likely to disrupt its operations. The Finnish carrier, which was due to operate over 350 flights on Sept. 18, has preemptively canceled 16 flights to and from Helsinki and has warned that there may be more to come.
LinkTAM's first A350 emerges from paint shopTAM's first Airbus A350-900 has rolled out of the paint shop in Toulouse, ahead of the aircraft's delivery to the Brazilian carrier in December. The aircraft will have its engines installed next, as well as cabin furnishing and cockpit fitting, says Airbus. These will be followed by ground and flight tests. The first A350 for TAM is registered PR-XTA, Flightglobal's Ascend Fleets shows.
LinkUnited is committed to improving on-time performanceUnited Airlines is taking steps to improve its on-time performance. Starting in November, the carrier will schedule more aircraft flying from a hub to one city before returning to the same hub to mitigate the impact of inclement weather on operations. "The improvement in on-time performance and improvement in customer satisfaction outweighs any potential cost of the change of aircraft routing," said Rahsaan Johnson, a United spokesman.
LinkLow-Cost Carriers Confront Africa's National AirlinesBefore Fastjet launched low-cost flights between Harare and Dar es Salaam last year, Zimbabwean businessman Jonathan Jabangwe had to brave a three day bus journey to meet his clients in Tanzania. Fastjet is among a wave of low-cost airlines launching or expanding operations in Africa as they seek to capture middle-income people who are tired of dangerous road journeys but cannot afford major international carriers.
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