AirlinesAdditional US airlines set to launch service to CubaAmerican Airlines will begin Charlotte, N.C., to Havana, Cuba, service in November, while Alaska Airlines will commence nonstop service from Los Angeles to Havana in January. On Aug. 31, JetBlue launched the first commercial flight from the US to Cuba in over 50 years with a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
LinkAir Canada adds two more 787 routesAir Canada plans to launch daily Vancouver-Taipei and 3X-weekly Toronto-Mumbai flights using Boeing 787-9s in 2017. The Vancouver-Taipei route, which is slated to launch June 8, 2017, is subject to government approval. The Toronto-Mumbai service has gained regulatory clearance and will start July 8, 2017.
LinkAlaska Airlines to start Havana flights in JanuaryAlaska Airlines will launch 1X-daily service to Los Angeles-Havana service on Jan. 5, 2017, the Seattle-based carrier announced Sept. 27. It will be the only nonstop Boeing 737-900 flight to Cuba from the US west coast. Alaska Airlines is one of eight US airlines granted permission by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Aug. 31 to begin scheduled flights between the US and Havana, Cuba.
LinkAmerican Airlines rolls out no-cost Preferred Seat access for business travelersCorporate travelers are now able to access Preferred Seats aboard American Airlines flights at no additional cost, regardless of their loyalty rewards status. These seats offer standard economy legroom.
LinkAmerican subsidiary Envoy Air to reopen LaGuardia operations in 2017American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air will re-open New York’s LaGuardia Airport as a base of operations in early 2017, the Irving, Texas-based airline said Sept. 28. Envoy operates American Eagle regional flights for American Airlines. Envoy said its pilots, flight attendants and mechanics will return to LaGuardia in the first quarter of 2017. Envoy presently has personnel providing ground handling services for other American Eagle flights at the airport. The carrier said it will operate Embraer E145/E140 family aircraft from LaGuardia to destinations in the US and Canada.
LinkAirberlin to wet-lease aircraft to Lufthansa as part of restructuringGerman carrier airberlin has released details of its restructuring plan, which hinges on placing up to 40 Airbus A320s with Lufthansa Group and reducing employee positions by up to 1,200. In a statement released Sept. 28, airberlin said it would refocus its operations on being a network carrier serving higher-yield markets from Berlin and Dusseldorf using a fleet of 75 aircraft.
LinkBA, Qatar Airways Sign Business AgreementBritish Airways and Qatar Airways have announced a joint business agreement that will allow the airlines to share codes and revenue. The carriers said passengers will benefit by providing better links between the UK, continental Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, and a greater choice of flights.
LinkCathay’s 747s enter their twilight hourA Cathay press release says that the airline has “made the difficult decision to retire” its 747 passenger aircraft. From a purely nostalgic perspective this could well be true, but it is hard to imagine the carrier’s hard-nosed yield managers being too nostalgic about the type, especially given the efficiency of newer, twin-engined types that now make up the bulk of its fleet.
LinkData error led to wrong-configuration Cobham 717 take-offAn incorrect flex temperature setting in a Cobham-operated Boeing 717 flight management system (FMS) caused the aircraft to take off in an incorrect configuration. Prior to the operation of a QantasLink flight between Canberra and Sydney, the captain prepared the cockpit, entering 40C as the flex temperature, says the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) in its final report on the incident.
LinkLufthansa Board Approves Brussels Airlines TakeoverLufthansa’s Supervisory Board has approved the full takeover of Brussels Airlines by acquiring the 55 percent of shares it doesn’t own. The shares will be acquired through the exercise of a call option, the German airline said.
LinkMH17 Shot Down By Russian-Made MissileMalaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from rebel-held territory, the international investigation has concluded. MH17, a Boeing 777 with 298 passengers and crew onboard, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by the ground-to-air missile. Most of the passengers were Dutch.
LinkOman Air continues to grow amid economic challenges, says CEOChallenging economic conditions facing state-owned Oman Air in recent years are likely to continue, but the flag carrier will continue to invest in improvements, CEO Paul Gregorowitsch said. Giving an update on the company’s progress in the Omani capital Muscat, Gregorowitsch said expansion was continuing against a backdrop of shrinking financial support from the government, overcapacity and infrastructural constraints.
LinkRwandAir takes delivery of first A330, eyes A350 XWBsRwandAir has taken delivery of the first of two long-haul, widebody Airbus A330s—an A330-200—becoming the launch operator of the type in East Africa. The Kigali-based carrier also has an A330-300 on order, which will be delivered in November. “One additional brand new Boeing 737-800 will also join our fleet in the same month,” RwandAir CEO John Mirenge told ATW at the delivery ceremony.
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