NewsAlaska Airlines gets tentative approval for Mexico City slotsAlaska Airlines will resume service to Mexico City in August after receiving initial approval from the Department of Transportation. Departure cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
LinkA4A highlights Charles Taylor's contributions to flightCharles Taylor is an unsung hero of aviation who worked with the Wright Brothers on their inaugural flights, including building a wind tunnel inside their bicycle shop.
LinkJetBlue honors New York's men, women in blue
JetBlue Airways has painted one of its Airbus A320 passenger jets to honor the New York Police Department. The paint job features the green and white stripes and 24 stars that make up the NYPD's flag.
LinkJetBlue flight welcomes crying babiesJetBlue Airways recently released an ad campaign featuring a video in which passengers aboard a transcontinental flight were offered 25% off their next ticket for each time a baby in the cabin cried.
LinkPeach plans to accept bitcoin paymentsPeach Aviation Ltd. will become the first Japanese carrier to accept bitcoin as payment for airline tickets as the discount airline aims to attract more tourists from other parts of Asia. The cryptocurrency can be used to book seats starting by the end of the year, Peach said in a statement in Tokyo Monday, adding a change in Japan’s law on fund settlements in April helped facilitate the move. The carrier also aims to increase tie-ups with local governments and regional companies to help spread usage of the currency, it said.
LinkEmbraer wins EASA approval for Phenom 100EV engineEmbraer is poised to deliver the Phenom 100EV to the European market, with regional certification approval of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s upgraded engine received on the eve of EBACE.
LinkMalindo operates world's first 737 Max flightMalaysian carrier Malindo Air flew the world's first Boeing 737 Max 8 commercial flight on 22 May, operating the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore route as flight OD803. The aircraft, registered 9M-LRC, is configured with 180 seats in an all-economy configuration. It is painted with the airline's new Batik Malaysia branding.
LinkBrexit process heralds complex aviation challengesRigas Doganis, chairman of the European Aviation Club in Brussels and visiting professor at Cranfield University, explores the process ahead for the UK as it attempts to forge a new aviation relationship with the EU. And so it begins. Brexit is becoming a reality. The UK has launched the process of leaving the European Union. For air transport, uncertainty prevails. Here, as in other sectors, new arrangements have to be agreed.
LinkCathay to cull 600 jobs in restructureCathay Pacific will cut around 600 jobs from its head office and restructure its cargo division under its transformation program aimed at returning to profitability. The Oneworld carrier says in a statement that around 190 managerial roles will be cut, representing roughly one quarter of its management ranks. In addition, 400 non-managerial roles will also be made redundant, about 18% of those positions.
LinkSaudiGulf to negotiate Boeing long-haul jet orderMiddle Eastern carrier SaudiGulf Airlines is to enter talks with Boeing to acquire up to 16 long-haul aircraft. The Saudi Arabian airline currently operates a small all-Airbus A320 fleet.
LinkA330neo joins Airbus corporate jet rangeAirbus has formally included the re-engined A330neo in its corporate jet line-up, offering up to 17.5% more range than the baseline A330 version. The aircraft, designated the ACJ330neo, will have the capability to operate up to 9,400nm if configured for 25 passengers, says the airframer.
LinkGogo brings personal touch to IFEIn-flight connectivity provider Gogo Business Aviation has unveiled a new suite of integrated cabin, in-flight entertainment and voice solutions that can be personalised to meet the individual needs of passengers.
LinkFour used A380s offered to head-of-state market Geneva-based reseller Sparfell & Partners has announced that it has been charged to market four used Airbus A380s as head-of-state aircraft and will unveil at EBACE a Winch Design-provided rendering of the private double-decker.
LinkAirbus Corporate Helicopters launched as new brandAirbus is giving a greater focus to its corporate helicopter range by spinning off Airbus Corporate Helicopters as a separate brand. The new entity – revealed at a lavish ceremony on its stand this morning – will sit alongside Airbus Corporate Jets as a "sister brand", and is part of an ongoing restructuring by the Toulouse-based group that has brought the former Eurocopter, commercial aircraft and defence and space divisions into a single organisation.
LinkPresident Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi ArabiaIn his first international trip as US president, Donald Trump arrived in Riyadh bearing a record-setting arms deal for Saudi Arabia that features integrated air defense systems, Black Hawk helicopters - including local assembly - and precision-guided munitions, in a multi-billion contract bonanza for Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
LinkCost considerations fuel Israeli tanker debateAs a decision on acquiring new tankers for the Israeli air force becomes time-critical, two options are the subject of a heated debate within the nation's defence ministry. The air force has made an immediate request for at least two in-flight refuelling aircraft, having previously identified the replacement of its tanker-adapted Boeing 707s as an urgent need.
LinkIsrael divides Hercules unit following upgradeIsrael's air force has formally split its "Knights of the Yellow Bird" squadron into two separate units: one operating upgraded Lockheed Martin C-130Hs; and the other equipped with the new-generation J-model Hercules.
LinkBrussels Airlines to buy seven Airbus A330ceosBelgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines has decided to replace seven of its 10 Airbus A330s, but is sticking with A330ceos for its fleet renewal and long-haul expansion. Lufthansa-owned Brussels Airlines issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the A330 replacement last summer. Given the carrier’s push to create an all-Airbus fleet, Airbus was a likely choice.
LinkAirbus tightens fraud controlsAirbus has established a new independent compliance review panel (ICRP) to ensure “irreproachable” behavior, following allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption in its civil aviation business. The move follows an investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and France’s Parquet National Financier (PNF), after Airbus self-disclosed misstatements and omissions found a year ago.
LinkIcelandair to equip its 737 MAXs with ViaSat connectivityIcelandair has selected US technology company ViaSat to provide high-speed Wi-Fi for its incoming fleet of 16 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 9s. The aircraft retrofit will begin in March 2018 and continue through 2020, enabling Icelandair passengers browse the internet and stream content on flights to 18 North American and more than 25 European destinations.
LinkSpirit Airlines to launch flights to Cancun from BaltimoreFlorida-based ultra-low-cost-carrier Spirit Airlines will begin nonstop service from Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Cancun International Airport beginning Nov. 9.
LinkSun Country Airlines will begin 3X-weekly Minneapolis-St. Paul from Dec. 21-April 15, 2018.
Delta Air Lines will launch daily New York JFK-Rio de Janeiro Boeing 767-400 service Dec. 21.
Wizz Air launched twice-weekly Liverpool-Lublin Airbus A320 service.
Volaris launched twice-daily Queretaro-Chicago and Queretaro-Los Angeles services.
Emirates will launch daily Dubai-Birmingham Airbus A380 service from Oct. 29.
Ethiopian Airlines began Addis Ababa-Chengdu, China Boeing 787-8.
