AirlinesAeroflot’s new Rossiya subsidiary to operate up to 74 aircraftRussia’s Aeroflot, which is combining three of its regional subsidiaries—Rossiya Airlines, Donavia and Orenair—into one company under the Rossiya Airlines brand, said the fleet of the renewed carrier will reach 74 aircraft and will carry up to 10 million passengers per year.
LinkCourt Allows Etihad-Air Berlin Code-sharesAn appeals court in Germany has allowed Etihad to continue most of its disputed code-share flights with Air Berlin for the winter schedule ending in March. The court ruled that Etihad should be allowed to continue its code-share agreement for 26 international routes but rejected its request to continue code-sharing on five domestic German routes.
LinkAlaska Airlines requests 50-year airport leaseAlaska Airlines is seeking a 50-year lease for airport facilities in Petersburg, Alaska. The carrier plans to use the space for "ground equipment storage and miscellaneous storage to support commercial airline operations."
LinkEasyJet urges cross-check rigour after take-off data incidentsEasyJet has underlined to crews the crucial importance of cross-checking performance calculations after three take-off incidents came under investigation in the space of four months. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch says that pilots of an Airbus A320 erroneously used a full-length runway calculation when conducting an intersection departure from London Luton on 16 July last year.
LinkEtihad extends codeshare with Swiss partnerSwitzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has approved plans by Swiss carrier Darwin Airline to extend its codeshare arrangement with Etihad Airways until the end of April 2022. Lugano-based Darwin, which operates as Etihad Regional and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has a 33.3% stake, has a network of routes between secondary and tertiary points in Western Europe and funnels traffic into Etihad’s network at Geneva and Zurich.
LinkHawaiian CEO outlines benefits of A321neos for MauiMark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, expects delivery of Airbus A321neos next year. During a lunch with the Maui Chamber of Commerce, he said "as we look to the future, we think Maui’s going to be one of the main beneficiaries of this substantial new investment in aircraft that we’ve made."
LinkIndiGo introduces 24 new routes for 2016Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo is launching 24 new schedules in January, including a new direct Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram service. The Guraon-based carrier, which placed an order for 100 Airbus A320neos last year, already has 100 aircraft in its fleet, and is pushing to expand both its route network and its existing 35+% market share of the domestic Indian market.
LinkJetBlue partners with Fla. professional soccer teamJetBlue Airways signed up as a partner with the Major League Soccer team in Orlando, Fla. JetBlue will serve as the official domestic airline for the Lions, and will run promotions at the games. "JetBlue is committed to Orlando and its growth. This partnership will help us reach a more diverse audience. We look forward to working with Orlando City on the field and in the community," said Nicole Tesser, regional marketing manager at JetBlue.
LinkJetBlue Recovering After Computer OutageJetBlue Airways has restored online booking and check-in after a power outage shut its main website for about two hours on Thursday. A maintenance operation disrupted power at a data centre run by JetBlue's business partner Verizon, the airline said in a statement, adding that this was not a "cyber security issue."
LinkKenya Airways reduces 777 fleetKenya Airways plans to sell two of its Boeing 777-200ERs to US charter operator Omni Air International (OAI) and has warned of further imminent cuts to its aircraft inventory. The loss-making African carrier announced in November 2014 it would be selling its four 777-200ERs in a fleet rationalization as part of its turnaround strategy. In August 2015, Kenya Airways unveiled heavy losses and required a major loan to stave off bankruptcy.
LinkLATAM seeks antitrust-immunized JVs with American and IAGLATAM Airlines Group is seeking to form separate joint ventures (JVs) with American Airlines and International Airlines Group (IAG) for travel between North and South America and between South America and Europe, respectively. American and LATAM, parent to Brazil’s TAM and Chile’s LAN Airlines (as well as affiliated carriers throughout South America), said they will apply for antitrust immunity with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the relevant regulatory authorities in South America. Similarly, LATAM and IAG, the parent of British Airways and Iberia, said they have signed “a joint business agreement” for the operation of “flights between Europe and South America.”
LinkRussian authorities dispute MH17 Dutch investigation findingsRussia has told the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) that its final report into the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 contained “unsubstantiated and inaccurate” information. All 298 passengers and crew were killed on board the Boeing 777-200, which was shot down over Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The DSB’s final report, issued in October 2015, said it was conclusively proved that the aircraft was downed by a BUK surface-to-air missile.
LinkUnited Close To Small Jets OrderUnited Airlines is close to deciding an order for about 30 small jets worth around USD$2 billion, with Boeing looking well placed to win at least part of the deal. A decision by United to pick Boeing's 737-700 jet would be a blow for Bombardier, which has courted United as a key prospect for its CSeries.
LinkXiamen Airlines to speed up international expansion pace China’s Xiamen Airlines plans to pick up its international expansion pace as it takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 this year. The Xiamen-based carrier is expected to open 3X-weekly Xiamen-Melbourne service in June and 4X-weekly Xiamen-Vancouver service in July. It also plans to open daily Fuzhou-New York service in January 2017.
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