NewsAir Senegal signs for A330neoAfrican carrier Air Senegal has become the latest customer to sign for the Airbus A330neo, with a tentative agreement for two of the type. Airbus has disclosed the deal – a memorandum of understanding – during the Dubai air show.
LinkCathay to roll out wi-fi on 777, A330 fleetsCathay Pacific Group will introduce high-speed wi-fi to its Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 fleets from mid-2018. This follows the introduction of the service on Cathay's Airbus A350-900 fleet. The Hong Kong carrier will adopt Gogo's 2Ku satellite-based broadband inflight connectivity technology.
LinkAlaska Airlines to launch daily Seattle-Pittsburgh serviceAlaska Airlines will launch nonstop daily service next year between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport. The service is slated to start on Sept. 6, 2018.
LinkAmerican Airlines sees uptick in passengers at Mont. airportAmerican Airlines in June launched service at Montana's Billings Logan International Airport with nonstop service to Dallas. October's numbers for the new route appear to be strong, according to the airport's director.
LinkAirbus' Cabin-Flex system gives JetBlue more room for Mint seatingAirbus' new Cabin-Flex system lets airlines eliminate unused space by allowing carriers like JetBlue Airways to expand their premium seating -- for example, in JetBlue's Mint service -- without sacrificing legroom.
LinkJetBlue TrueBlue loyalty program ranks highest in customer satisfactionA J.D. Power study found that JetBlue Airway's TrueBlue loyalty program had the highest customer satisfaction in US airline loyalty programs in 2017, followed by Alaska Mileage Plan and Southwest Rapid Rewards. Passengers' most preferred perks include lowest price guarantees, waived same-day change fees and the ability to use points on rental cars and at shops and restaurants.
LinkN.C. airport begins $17.6M renovationNorth Carolina's Fayetteville Regional Airport has launched a $17.6 million terminal renovation. The first phase of the project is expected to be complete in July 2019.
LinkSukhoi to decide on new Superjet variant by 1Q 2018Russian manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Corp. (SCAC) must decide by 1Q 2018 about whether to begin developing a smaller or larger variant of the SSJ100 Superjet. Speaking at the Dubai Air Show, newly installed SCAC president Alexander Rubtsov said discussions were underway with customers as to whether a shortened 75-seat version or a stretched variant of the 100-seat standard aircraft should be launched first.
LinkHawaiian Airlines CEO Dunkerley to retire after 15-year runHawaiian Airlines president and CEO Mark Dunkerley will retire and be replaced by EVP and CCO Peter Ingram, effective March 1, 2018, ending a 15-year run in which Dunkerley transformed the Honolulu-based carrier. Dunkerley, born in England and educated in the US, joined Hawaiian as president and COO at the end of 2002 after having served as COO of Brussels-based Sabena Airlines. His first order of business was guiding the then-struggling Hawaiian through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization that lasted for more than two years.
LinkEthiopian Airlines expects 100-seater decision in 2018Ethiopian Airlines expects to make a decision next year on an order for a 100-seater type and is carefully watching Boeing’s plans for a Mid-Market Aircraft (MMA), the airline’s group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said at the Dubai Air Show. The decision on the 100-seater was originally planned for 2016, with several contenders in the frame for an order. “It’s an issue that needs deep analysis,” Gebremariam said.
LinkAvianca’s 3Q net result shows early impact of pilot strikeBogota, Colombia-based Avianca Holdings posted a 2017 third-quarter $36.1 million net profit, down 4.5% from $37.8 million in 3Q 2016, as the airline realized $17.1 million in losses from the first 10 days of what would become a 51-day strike by over half of Avianca’s pilots.
LinkHawaiian Airlines takes first A321neoHawaiian Airlines took delivery of the first of 18 Airbus A321neo aircraft, which will be used on flights between Hawaii and the US west coast. The carrier’s new fleet of single-aisle aircraft will offer nonstop flights to more islands, starting with service to Kauai, Maui, and the Kona Coast on the Island of Hawaii.
LinkPegasus 3Q net profit soars as tourists return to TurkeyThe resurgence of the Turkish tourism industry helped LCC Pegasus Airlines’ 2017 third-quarter net profit more than double to TRY538.5 million ($139.6 million) from TRY246.2 million in 3Q 2016.
LinkSkyTeam opens lounge in VancouverSkyTeam alliance has opened its latest branded lounge at Vancouver International Airport—its first lounge in the Americas and seventh worldwide. The new lounge spans 528 sq m (5,683 sq. ft.) and seats up to 126 passengers. The facility comprises two separate wings and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the runway and mountains in the distance.
LinkAustrian Airlines to train 96 pilots for 2018Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines is looking for 96 future pilots as it begins a new training course for ab initio pilots. Twenty-four students are learning to become fully qualified pilots; the first courses at Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) in Goodyear, Arizona will take place in the near future.
LinkA400M gearbox fix slips into 2018The process for approving a permanent propeller gearbox (PGB) fix for the Airbus Defence & Space A400M will take longer than previously expected, according to propulsion system supplier Europrop International (EPI). Earlier this year, EPI outlined an ambition to secure European Aviation Safety Agency certification for a "Pack 2" series of modifications to the TP400-D6 engine's Avio Aero-supplied PGB in the third quarter of this year. The activity involves design enhancements intended to reduce vibration and "reinforce endurance and reliability".
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