AirlinesAir China to launch Chongqing-Dubai A330 flightsAir China will launch nonstop service between Chongqing and Dubai starting April 2, adding its second service to Dubai. The Beijing-based carrier already operates Beijing-Dubai flights. The Chongqing-Dubai flights, expected to be about 7 hours in duration, will be operated 3X-weekly with A330-200s. Air China has signed an agreement with Flydubai that will allow its passengers to fly on from to Dubai to destinations such as Riyadh, Baghdad and Dammam on the same itinerary purchased through Air China.
LinkAir France A320 and UAV in near missFrench air accident investigation agency BEA has reported what it describes as a serious near-miss incident involving an unmanned aerial vehicle and Air France Airbus A320 during its approach to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The incident happened Feb. 19 and the flight’s captain reported seeing the drone, estimating it came within about five meters of the aircraft’s left wing, according to the BEA report.
LinkAmerican Airlines launches Phoenix-Roswell serviceAmerican Airlines started daily nonstop service between Phoenix and Roswell, N.M. The service is backed by a minimum revenue guarantee in case the airline does not generate enough revenue to offset expenses for the route. According to New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, the nonstop service will boost economic development and tourism to the state.
LinkAmerican Airlines launches two new Memphis flightsThis week, American Airlines is launching two new flights out of Memphis International Airport. Beginning Thursday, March 3, American will begin nonstop daily flights to Phoenix and add a third flight to New York’s La Guardia Airport (LGA).
LinkJet Airways 737 suffers landing gear collapse in MumbaiA Boeing 737-900 operated by Jet Airways suffered a main landing gear collapse after arriving at Mumbai International airport on the evening of 3 March. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-JGD (MSN 33740) had just completed flight 9W 354 from Delhi to Mumbai when crew reported a technical fault in the main landing gear at 21:52 local time. Tweets from passengers indicate the incident happened while the aircraft was taxiing to the terminal.
LinkJetBlue A321 rolls out of Airbus’ US factoryThe first Airbus A320-family aircraft built in the US has been rolled out of Airbus’s Mobile, Alabama final assembly plant. The aircraft is painted in the livery of JetBlue Airways and Airbus said it is on target to deliver the A321 to the New York-based airline in the 2016 spring. MAAS Aviation did the paintwork.
LinkJetBlue & South African Airways Expand CodeshareJetBlue Airways and South African Airways now codeshare on SAA's flights between Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International and Accra, Ghana. The carriers already codeshare on SAA flights to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and East London in South Africa and Dakar, Senegal.
LinkJetBlue looking at companies to invest for VC unitJetBlue Technology Ventures, which launched in February, plans to invest with startups related to travel and technology. The subsidiary is looking to partner with companies that can improve the experience for both passengers and employees. "We are cautious about how quickly we want to ramp up," said Eash Sundaram, chief information officer for the unit.
LinkMalaysia Airlines weighs up more A350s as restructuring continuesMalaysia Airlines is considering buying more Airbus A350 widebodies and has seen a year-over-year 10% improvement in its revenue per available seat kilometer (RASM) for the quarter ended February, the company said Friday. Announcing latest updates in its restructuring process, Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) said there was “sustained progress amidst a backdrop of external macroeconomic fluctuations”.
LinkMH370 Families Say Search Must ContinueThe families of passengers lost aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 say the two-year search for the missing aircraft must go on beyond a June deadline, as new hope emerged last week of resolving the aviation mystery. Debris found off the African coast rekindled hope for many, prompting relatives such as Grace Subathirai Nathan to demand investigators go back over mistakes made early on.
LinkPakistan Senate Rejects PIA Airline SalePakistan's upper house of parliament has rejected a bill to sell the cash-strapped national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. Loss-making state enterprises drain about USD$5 billion from the state every year, around an eighth of the government's fiscal revenues of about INR4 trillion rupees (USD$38.2 billion) last year.
LinkSunrise begins ATR 42 serviceSunrise Airways began Port-au-Prince-Camaguey, Cuba, service with a new leased ATR 42-320. The 46-seat aircraft will also serve Port-au-Prince-Santiago de Cuba. The Haitian airline hopes to add a second ATR this year through an ACMI contract with Danish Air Transport.
LinkUnited Announces Return Of CEO MunozUnited Airlines said its chief executive, Oscar Munoz, will return to the airline full-time on March 14. Munoz suffered a heart attack last October and has been on medical leave since then. The company had earlier appointed general counsel Brett Hart as acting CEO.
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