AirlinesAtran Airlines receives Moscow-Frankfurt designationMoscow-based cargo carrier Atran Airlines, which is part of Volga-Dnepr Group, has received approval for 7X-weekly Moscow-Frankfurt service, according to a statement by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency. Atran is the group’s regional and express cargo airline; it operates a fleet of Boeing 737-400 freighters.
LinkBrussels Airlines to wet-lease SuperjetsBrussels Airlines will expand the use of hired-in regional aircraft as it phases out a fleet of Avro RJ100s, the airline said Jan. 12. The Belgian flag carrier will use three Sukhoi SSJ100 Superjets from Ireland-based CityJet beginning in April, when the aircraft start a two-year contract.
LinkChina Southern to boost international routes in 2017China Southern Airlines’ parent China Southern Group transported 115 million passengers in 2016, up 4.8% over 2015. The Group reported a 3.2% increase in operating revenue to CNY115.8 billion (16.7 billion) and a “record high profit,” although the company did not disclose figures.
LinkDelta 2016 net profit down 3% to $4.4 billionDelta Air Lines posted a 2016 net profit of $4.4 billion, down 3% from net income of $4.5 billion in 2015, as higher labor costs drove a slight decrease in earnings. Delta’s full-year earnings report indicates the revenue environment remained sluggish in the US airline market in 2016, with the Atlanta-based carrier’s revenue dropping 3% year-over-year to $33.8 billion. Costs for 2016 fell just 1% compared to 2015 to $32.7 billion as employee salaries rose 14% to just over $10 billion. Operating income in 2016 was just under $7 billion, down 11% from an operating profit of $7.8 billion in 2015.
LinkEurowings Europe opens Salzburg baseLufthansa Group low-cost (LCC) subsidiary Eurowings Europe opened a base in Salzburg, Austria on Jan. 11, the LCC’s second base after Vienna. The Salzburg network will include 30 weekly flights to Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Brussels, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Palma de Mallorca, Olbia, Spilt, Dubrovnik and Saloniki.
LinkInterjet returns 11 SSJ100s into service following repairsRussia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCA) has completed repairs on all 11 Sukhoi Superjet 100s (SSJ100s) that were grounded by Mexican airline Interjet, the only SSJ100 operator in the Americas. The carrier grounded 11 out of 22 SSJ100s at the end of December 2016 after SCA identified a minor fault in the tail stabilizer of one aircraft during inspections. At the end of last year, SCA experts were sent to Mexico to perform all required maintenance.
LinkJetBlue brings high-speed internet to the skiesJetBlue's entire fleet is now enabled with complimentary satellite Wi-Fi capabilities, enabling broadband-level speeds for all passengers. "It's 2017 and our customers expect to be connected everywhere, whether that be from the comfort of their sofa or 35,000 feet above it," said Jamie Perry, JetBlue's vice president of marketing.
LinkMalaysia Airlines to order 25 widebodies Malaysia Airlines say it will make an order for 25 new widebodies by the end of the year, with plans for deliveries to start in 2018. In an email response to FlightGlobal, the carrier says that 15 of these aircraft are for replacement of the same number of Airbus A330-300s coming off lease, and the remaining 10 targeted at growth.
LinkSalalah Air to launch regional servicesOmani startup Salalah Air is planning a move from its original equipment of light aircraft and 19-seater regional turboprops to jets about a year after it starts services. The airline, which will be Oman’s first charter airline, aims to operate its first flights this month. Operating from Salalah, Oman’s second city, the startup plans initially to operate four light aircraft plus a single Dornier 228.
LinkUnited to retire last Boeing 747 in 2017United Airlines says it will retire its last Boeing 747 by the end of the year. "It's a bittersweet milestone -- this jumbo jet with its unmistakable silhouette once represented the state-of-the-art in air travel," United President Scott Kirby wrote in a letter to employees. "Today, there are more fuel-efficient, cost-effective and reliable widebody aircraft that provide an updated in-flight experience for our customers traveling on long-haul flights."
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