AirlinesAirberlin Group appoints new CCOAirberlin Group has promoted Götz Ahmelmann to CCO, from March 1, succeeding Julio Rodriguez who will become CCO of the carrier’s Austrian-based subsidiary FlyNiki. Ahmelmann returns to airberlin from Etihad Airways where he implemented several projects for Etihad Airways Partners.
LinkAmerican to launch Charlotte, N.C.-to-Bahamas connection in summerAmerican Airlines announced that it plans to begin new service to the Bahamas this summer. The carrier will launch flights between Charlotte, North Carolina and George Town, located on the island of Great Exuma, on June 3.
LinkAsiana to launch A350 on Osaka and Manila in MayAsiana Airlines will deploy its first Airbus A350-900 on flights from Seoul Incheon to Osaka and Manila from 15 May. The airline says that the A350-900 will fly daily to Osaka, and six-times weekly to Manila, before being deployed on flights to San Francisco and London during the second half of the year.
LinkEtihad Airways, EgyptAir to codeshareAbu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and EgyptAir have entered into a new codeshare partnership to be introduced in phases beginning March 1. Under the initial phase of the agreement, Etihad will place its EY code on EgyptAir flights between Abu Dhabi and Cairo. In turn, EgyptAir will place its MS code on Etihad’s flights between the two capital cities.
LinkHawaiian Airlines surpasses 11M passengers, marks 12 years of growthHawaiian Airlines has reported record passenger traffic for 2016, surpassing the 11 million mark. It's the airline's 12th consecutive growth year.
LinkJetBlue plans to expand in WorcesterJetBlue will expand at the Worcester Regional Airport in central Massachusetts, saying it plans to add flights to its biggest hub at New York JFK. JetBlue already flies from Worcester, where it is the only passenger airline currently offering scheduled service. JetBlue’s existing service from Worcester operates to its Florida bases of Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
LinkMalaysia Airlines shows steady improvement in 2016 4QMalaysia Airlines said it finished last year ahead of its budgeted loss, with a “strong result” during the final quarter of 2016. The Kuala Lumpur-based company said it is making steady progress on its turnaround plan and continues to seek out cost savings for the year ahead. Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad does not release full financial statements, as it is not publicly traded, but said it finished 49% ahead of its budged loss under the business plan for fiscal year 2016.
LinkQatar Airways leases four A350-900s from LATAMQatar Airways has reached an agreement with LATAM Airlines Group to lease four A350-900s for a period of 6-12 months. The first of the four A350s will be put into service on the Doha-Munich route March 2, Qatar Airways said. The aircraft will retain LATAM’s livery and seating configuration, but will be staffed with by Qatar Airways pilots and cabin crew.
LinkS7 Airlines to boost Saint Petersburg serviceRussia’s S7 Airlines will begin Embraer E170LR service from Saint Petersburg to Bryansk and Kaliningrad on May 7. Bryansk service will be 2X-weekly; Kaliningrad will be 3X-weekly. In December 2016, S7 Airlines agreed to lease 17 used Embraer E170s from GE Capital Aviation Services. The first aircraft will be delivered in the spring.
LinkSouthwest flight celebrates couple's 4 decades of marriageCrew members on a recent Southwest Airlines flight to Hawaii held an impromptu wedding "ceremony" to commemorate the 40th wedding anniversary of a couple on board.
LinkSriLankan Airlines receives first A320neo SriLankan Airlines has taken delivery of the first of six Airbus A320/321neo family aircraft, which will be used to expand services to Asia and the Middle East. The Sri Lankan flag carrier has six Airbus neo family aircraft on order. It will take delivery of its second A320neo in April, two A321neos in the second quarter, one A321neo in the fourth quarter and the final A321neo in the first quarter of 2018.
LinkTAP Portugal returns to profit in 2016TAP Portugal has posted a full-year net profit of €34 million ($35.8 million) for 2016, marking its return to profitability. Revenue for the year fell €156 million to €2.2 billion, but operating costs dropped by €227 million to €2 billion, triggering the bottom line turnaround.
LinkUnited wants dual approaches at Newark to expand hubUnited Airlines wants to move towards “dual approaches and departures” for aircraft at Newark Liberty International airport, something its president Scott Kirby says is needed to expand its hub there. “The key we’re going to need to work on to really make the Newark hub structure work is to get to a world where we can have dual approaches and dual departures,” he says in a video message to employees of the Chicago-based carrier on 27 February.
LinkUnited Airlines taps Air Wisconsin as Express carrierUnited Airlines and Air Wisconsin have reached a five-year contract that will bring on Air Wisconsin as a United Express carrier after 2018. "Air Wisconsin flew under United's colors from the 1980s until 2006, so for many of us at the airline, today's announcement feels like we're coming home," said Capt. Chris Suhs, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association International's Air Wisconsin group.
LinkUnited Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz discusses employees, company successesOscar Munoz talks about how he rebuilt trust within United Airlines' workforce when he took over at United Airlines in 2015. In this interview, Munoz discusses the economics behind the company's basic-economy service, immediate changes he made to boost employee morale and competition in the industry.
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