AirlinesAir France-KLM CFO to leave in NovemberAir France-KLM Group has announced the resignation of CFO Pierre-François Riolacci, effective Nov. 4, when he will become CFO at Danish facilities manager ISS A/S. The move comes as Jean-Marc Janaillac took over as chairman and CEO July 1, succeeding Alexandre de Juniac, who will replace the retiring Tony Tyler as IATA’s DG and CEO Sept. 1.
LinkAmerican Airlines will fly Dreamliner to Madrid, Sao PauloAmerican Airlines will fly routes from Dallas to Madrid and Sao Paulo using the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner beginning Nov. 4. The aircraft features a 2-3-2 configuration and 30 fully flat seats in business class.
LinkAmerican touts comfort available aboard new Dreamliner aircraftThe new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners joining the American Airlines fleet will feature larger seats and more legroom for passengers in premium economy class. "The 787-9 is going to be a fantastic addition to our widebody fleet, with international Wi-Fi and an inflight experience that's second to none," said Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Nocella.
LinkCypriot startup Cobalt launches servicesNew Cyprus-based carrier Cobalt has launched initial services, with plans to ramp up its fleet and destinations over the next few weeks. Cobalt is chaired by Cypriot entrepreneur Gregory Diacou and has what the airline describes as “51% European shareholding,” with the remaining 49% being held by the Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC).
LinkDelta Air Lines’ mainline operations half-year PLF reaches 86.4%With the release of the first round of major US airlines’ operational data for June 2016, half-year results are taking form. Delta Air Lines’ mainline traffic for the first half of 2016 rose 5.3% year-over-year (YOY) to 173.1 billion RPKs on a capacity rise of 3.4% YOY to 200.4 billion ASKs; Delta’s passenger load factor for the year-to-date on its mainline routes was 86.4%, up 1.6 points YOY.
LinkFinnair to introduce Wi-Fi service on A330s Finland flag carrier Finnair will begin installing Panasonic Avionics Corp. (PAC Panasonic) Wi-Fi on its eight Airbus A330-300s in October. Installation is estimated to be completed in May 2017. “In May 2017, our customers will be able to enjoy wireless network connection onboard all of our long-haul fleet,” SVP-customer experience development Piia Karhu said in a statement.
LinkHawaiian Airlines saw RPM increase 6.2% in JuneHawaiian Airlines achieved revenue passenger mile growth of 6.2%, as the airline's available seat mile revenue jumped 1% for the quarter.
LinkJet2 adds Birmingham baseUK leisure airline Jet2 has announced plans to open its eighth UK base at Birmingham Airport in central England from the end of March 2017. Jet2 plans to base four Boeing 737-800s at Birmingham, which it will use to operate 15 routes on 57 weekly flights.
LinkSouthwest to operate seasonal New York Newark-Puerto Rico flightsDallas-based Southwest Airlines will add seasonal, weekly service between New York Newark and San Juan, Puerto Rico starting Dec. 17. Currently, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines operate the route nonstop. Southwest will operate the route nonstop on Saturdays from Dec. 17 through March 4, 2017.
LinkSWISS targets 25% savings on unit costs with CSeriesSwiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is targeting a 25% savings on unit costs with its Bombardier CSeries 100/300 aircraft, CEO Thomas Klühr told ATW on board the first passenger flight of the SWISS CS100 on July 6. SWISS took delivery of its first CS100 on June 29. The Lufthansa subsidiary originally ordered 20 CS100s and 10 CS300s, plus 30 options, but then converted five 100s to the 300 variant.
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