Airlinesairberlin nears decision on more cutsAirberlin's executive committee of the board of directors met on Sept. 29 with the airline’s senior management team to review progress on the 2018 business plan. The plan, which is well underway, will be presented to the full board for approval shortly, airberlin said in a statement. The meeting included crucial decisions such as further route cuts and a possible reduction of staff.
LinkAirAsia adopts inflight tracking systemMalaysia-based low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia will install 90 Airbus A320s with inflight aircraft tracking systems. The carrier said the satellite-based FlightLink system, supplied by Panasonic Avionics Corporation, would allow it to “maintain constant contact with our aircraft everywhere we fly.” The move comes a month after its offshoot India AirAsia also opted to install inflight tracking on its aircraft—but using a system supplied by competitor SITA.
LinkAir Canada extends codeshare agreement with Air China Air China and Air Canada have extended their codeshare agreement to include three domestic routes in Canada. The move, which started yesterday, coincides with the launch of Air China's non-stop service between Beijing and Montreal, also part of the Star Alliance members' joint venture.
LinkChina Eastern To Sell Remaining Joy Air StakeChina Eastern Airlines is seeking buyers for its remaining 5 percent stake in Joy Air, a small domestic airline that has been blighted by safety concerns over its propeller-powered planes. China Eastern is asking for CNY35 million yuan (USD$5.5 million) for the stake. In February 2009, it sold a 35 percent stake in the airline based in the northwestern city of Xi'an.
LinkDelta inspires girls to look toward aviation careersTo celebrate Girls in Aviation Day, Delta Air Lines took a plane full of girls to The Museum of Flight to encourage them to pursue careers in aviation. Every aspect of the flight -- ground handling, catering, flight attendants, pilots and camera crew -- was handled by women.
LinkHawaiian Airlines redesigns its websiteHawaiian Airlines recently debuted a new website showcasing the beauty of the islands and more customer-friendly features. "This launch marks the completion of a major investment in our customer experience," said Avi Mannis, senior vice president for marketing. "We've tried to design a digital presence that is as welcoming, comfortable, and filled with aloha as the rest of our experience."
LinkJetBlue Launches New Service Between SYR and FLLJetBlue Airways (JBLU) today announced it will begin seasonal non-stop service between Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) this winter. The new route between Upstate New York and South Florida deepens JetBlue's commitment to the Empire State as New York's Hometown Airline and grows the airline's presence in its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood focus city.
LinkLufthansa Systems launches portable version of BoardConnect IFE Lufthansa Systems has developed a small, portable version of its BoardConnect IFE system that gives airlines the option of bringing on a low-cost, entry-level onboard entertainment system. Italian airline Air Dolomiti is launch customer for the system and will start taking deliveries of the portable units later this year, Lufthansa Systems senior VP BoardConnect Norbert Muller told ATW at the APEX Expo in Portland, Oregon, this week.
LinkLuxair Q400 comes to rest on fuselage after aborting take-offOne of Luxair's Bombardier Q400 turboprops has come to rest on its lower fuselage after aborting take-off from Saarbrucken. Flight LG9562 had been bound for Luxembourg. Luxair says the aircraft aborted its departure at around 10:00. None of the 16 passengers and four crew members was injured, it adds.
LinkRyanair Has Applied For CDG, Orly SlotsRyanair has applied for slots at Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and is willing to cooperate with long-haul airlines, according to a newspaper report. Chief executive Michael O'Leary told French financial daily Les Echos the new slots, if approved, would not be at the expense of Beauvais airport north of Paris and added that Ryanair also has projects at Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and several other French airports.
LinkSAS rolls out cabin design for new A330s and long-haul fleet Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has rolled out a new cabin design, IFE and connectivity products to coincide with its taking delivery of new Airbus A330-300s, for which it is the first European operator of the 242-tonne version. SAS executives walked journalists through the new interior design and the reasons behind their choices at the APEX Expo in Portland, Oregon, this week. In the business-class cabin, SAS has selected Thomson Vantage XL lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
LinkUnited Airlines launches updated safety videoUnited Airlines launched a new safety video showcasing exotic destinations and a touch of humor. The video opens in London's Abbey Road Studios before embarking to destinations in Hawaii, Asia and South America..
LinkVirgin America strikes deal with NetFlix Virgin America has signed an agreement with Internet TV company NetFlix that allows the US carrier to stream NetFlix’s full catalog of films and shows to passengers. Virgin America, a San Francisco-based carrier, is initially providing NetFlix programming free to customers via the seat-back IFE systems or passengers’ own tablets, laptops and devices. The ViaSat Wifi-based system became available from Sept. 29 and created an industry first for the airline industry.
LinkAirlines reinvest $8.5B in profitsAirlines are unfairly targeted for earning profits, executives said at a summit sponsored by Airlines for America. "Through a very painful series of restructurings, budget cuts, employee cuts, bankruptcy and consolidations, (airlines) got on the right foot and also changed the business model," said Nicholas Calio, A4A president and CEO. Airline CEOs echoed Calio's remarks. In the past 100 years, the airline industry probably has "negative retained earnings," said Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines CEO. "We're moving from that history to where we're starting to make a little bit of money and people are saying, 'Oh my God, they're making excess profits.' I don't think the industry is," Tilden said. "I think we're making profits that are necessary to continue to grow and invest in service." During the first half of the year, US airlines also reinvested $8.5 billion in services and products.
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