AirlinesAirAsia signs multi-million dollar seat order with UK startupMalaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has signed a multi-million dollar deal with UK-based Mirus Aircraft Seating to retrofit its entire Airbus A320 fleet with lightweight composite-based seats. The deal, which was signed at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, will see Mirus deliver “tens of thousands” of the seats, the company said. Mirus was founded in February 2015.
LinkAlaska to offer seasonal service to Hawaii from Bellingham, Wash.Alaska Airlines plans to launch nonstop service between Bellingham, Wash., and Kona, Hawaii. The seasonal service on Boeing 737-800s will start Nov. 12.
LinkAmerican Airlines to start seasonal Philly-Athens route in MayAmerican Airlines will launch seasonal service from Philadelphia to Athens, Greece, on May 6. "The activity of American Airlines in the Athens-Philadelphia itinerary is very important, as this connection is of strategic significance for our market," said Ioanna Papadopoulou, a spokeswoman for Athens International Airport.
LinkAtlas Air Worldwide-Southern Air cargo merger completedAtlas Air Worldwide Holdings has closed its acquisition of Southern Air Holdings for $110 million. Purchase, New York-based Atlas is the parent company of international airfreight carriers Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo. It operates the world’s largest Boeing 747 freighter fleet with more than 40, including 10 747-8Fs.
LinkAustrian Airlines to close Tokyo route, open Hong Kong serviceLufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines will end its route from Vienna to Tokyo Narita in September, and open a new service to Hong Kong. Austrian will terminate the Vienna-Tokyo Narita route from Sept. 4 as a result of Japan’s economic slowdown, combined with the devaluation of the Japanese yen that began three years ago.
LinkFlybe Hit By Booking Uncertainty And Currency CostsBritish regional airline Flybe reported a drop in the level of bookings for coming months and warned over the impact of the strength of the US dollar. Flybe, which is coming to the end of a turnaround plan which started in 2013, said it was on track for a pretax profit of GBP£3 million for the 12 months ended March 31 2016, against a GBP£25 million adjusted loss last year.
LinkRossiya Airlines takes first Boeing 747 in new liveryAeroflot Group’s consolidated regional subsidiary Rossiya Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747 in a new livery. The aircraft was previously operated by Transaero. Rossiya’s entire fleet will be painted when new aircraft are delivered or regular maintenance is performed on the fleet, the carrier said in a statement.
LinkRyanair to invest $200 million in new base at PragueIrish low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair will invest $200 million to open a new base—its 84th—at Prague Airport from Oct. 31. Ryanair will station two Boeing 737-800s at the new base at the Czech capital, which will support 470 jobs at the airport.
LinkSaudi Arabia bans Iran’s Mahan AirSaudi Arabia’s aviation regulator, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has barred Iranian carrier Mahan Air from its airports and airspace following alleged breaches of safety regulations. Direct air links between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been cut since the start of the year, following the Saudi execution of a Shia cleric. The resulting diplomatic row saw air travel between the two nations suspended.
LinkSouthwest Airlines boosts RPMs in MarchSouthwest Airlines reported a 6.2% growth in revenue passenger miles for March on a year-over-year basis. The carrier also boosted its load factor to 84.6% for the month, compared to 84.5% in March 2015.
LinkTAP Portugal to revamp Airbus cabinsNewly privatized TAP Portugal is to refresh the cabins of its 39 Airbus A320 family narrowbodies and seven A330-200s, as part of an updated product strategy that will be announced at a later date. “Part of our commitment when we bought the airline and privatized it was to invest in an entirely new product, new seats, new training,” TAP Portugal CCO Trey Urbahn told media attending the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg.
LinkUnited Airlines marks 9 decades in the skyUnited Airlines marked its 90th anniversary on Wednesday with complimentary sugar cookies for passengers and birthday cake for its 84,000 employees. United flew its first flight on April 6, 1926, delivering mail from Pasco, Wash., to Boise, Idaho, under the name Varney Air Lines.
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