AirlinesAeromexico to launch Mexico City-Seoul 787-8 serviceAeromexico will launch Mexico City-Seoul service starting May 27. The service will be operated 4X-weekly with a Boeing 787-8. From Mexico City, the aircraft will make a stop in Monterrey, Mexico, before continuing on to Seoul. The flights from Seoul to Mexico City will be nonstop. Seoul will be Aeromexico’s third Asian destination; the Mexico City-based airline currently serves Shanghai and Tokyo.
LinkAirlink to acquire five E-JetsSouth African regional airline Airlink will acquire three Embraer E170s and two E190s from Embraer subsidiary ECC Leasing, as part of a wider plan to take 13 E-Jets in total. An Embraer spokesman confirmed to ATW the aircraft have been sold, rather than leased, by ECC to Airlink. Independently owned Airlink will start to receive the aircraft in the first half of 2017, marking the type’s South African debut.
LinkANA’s C-3PO-themed 777 to launch in MarchJapan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has scheduled the inaugural flight of its newest Star Wars-themed aircraft—a Boeing 777-200 featuring C-3PO, on Tokyo Haneda-Kagoshima service March 21. The aircraft, which will continue to fly on various Japanese domestic routes, is part of the continuing ANA Star Wars Project.
LinkJetBlue offers triple point rewards for TrueBlue travelers to CubaJetBlue Airways is offering triple points for loyalty program members who fly to Cuba. To earn the bonus points, TrueBlue members must register for the promotion online before booking travel.
LinkLATAM Brazil finds bullet lodged in 767 wingBrazilian authorities are investigating after a bullet was discovered lodged in the left wing of a LATAM Airlines Brazil Boeing 767-300ER. The bullet was found during scheduled maintenance of the aircraft. The airline has notified Brazil's federal police and civil aviation authority ANAC and is co-operating with their investigations, says the carrier in a statement.
LinkLufthansa, Iran Air to codeshare Iran Air and Lufthansa have reached an agreement to codeshare from Frankfurt and Munich to Tehran beginning Feb. 1. The cooperation allows Iran Air to add its IR designator on Lufthansa’s daily Frankfurt-Tehran Imam Khomeini International (IKA) Boeing 747-400 service, as well the German carrier’s 3X-weekly Munich-Tehran Airbus A330 services.
LinkPobeda Airlines passenger traffic up 38.7% in 2016Aeroflot low-cost subsidiary (LCC) Pobeda Airlines carried 4.3 million passengers in 2016, up 38.7% year-over-year (YOY). According to the carrier’s statement, 12% of its passengers in 2016 used the airline transportation for the first time, up from 15% in 2015.
LinkRyanair May Stop UK Domestic FlightsIreland’s Ryanair may abandon its domestic routes in Britain rather than seek a UK operating license. Dublin-based Ryanair is able to fly domestic routes in the United Kingdom as both countries are European Union members.
LinkS7 Airlines to begin E170LR operations in AprilRussia’s S7 Airlines will start Embraer E170LR operations from April 1 with services from Novosibirsk to Surgut, Gorno-Altaisk, Nizhnevartovsk, Noyabrsk and Novy Urengoy. In December 2016, the carrier agreed to lease 17 used Embraer E170s from GE Capital Aviation Services. The first aircraft will be delivered in the spring.
LinkSynergy Aerospace subsidiary takes Argentina’s first ATR Avian Líneas Aéreas, the new subsidiary of South America’s Synergy Aerospace, has taken delivery of the first ATR 72-600 to fly in Argentina. The airline—branded as Avianca Argentina—plans to start operations of its new ATR -600 series fleet during the first quarter of 2017, following certification.
LinkUnited Airlines sees bump in business travel after Nov. electionBusiness bookings are up at United Airlines since the US presidential election, though forecasting demand remains a challenge. "We will see what happens with the economy and confidence, post-transition, post-inauguration," United President Scott Kirby said.
LinkUTair Aviation expects to carry 7 million passengers in 2017Russia’s UTair Aviation forecasts it will carry 7 million passengers in 2017, up 6.7% year-over-year (YOY), with a 3.9% increase in cargo volume to 20,146 tonnes. Load factor is projected to grow 2 percentage points to 72%. The carrier predicts the Russian airline market will deteriorate in 2017, citing traffic stagnation and fleet increases as main challenges.
LinkXiamen Airlines grows rapidly in 2016China Southern subsidiary Xiamen Airlines carried 23.7 million passengers in 2016, up 4.2% over 22.8 million in 2015 as market demand—especially on international routes—experienced rapid growth. Xiamen’s operating revenue increased 6.8% to CNY20.8 billion ($3 billion) year-over-year. Profit figures were not released, although they are expected to be disclosed March 30 in China Southern’s annual report.
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