AirlinesFormer American Airlines CCO to advise Nigerian startupNigerian startup Green Africa Airways has appointed former American Airlines CCO Virasb Vahidi as a senior executive advisor. Lagos-headquartered Green Africa Airways has secured its air transport license and has started work toward an air operator’s certificate. The new airline initially plans to operate domestic flights within Nigeria, using leased mid-sized jets.
LinkLufthansa to receive five A320neos in 2017 Lufthansa Group will take delivery of five Airbus A320neos instead of the 10 originally planned to be delivered this year, Lufthansa spokesperson Joerg Waber confirmed. Lufthansa did not elaborate on the reason for the switch, and Waber said the lower number of deliveries this year “will not create a capacity shortage for Lufthansa.”
LinkNordica to add two Bombardier CRJ900s Estonian national carrier Nordica is to add two Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets to its fleet. The Tallinn-based airline currently operates a fleet of six CRJ900s and two CRJ700s. The Baltic nation’s state-owned Transpordi Varahaldus (TVH) transport sector investment and holding company will issue €25 million ($26.8 million) worth of bonds with a maturity period of eight years to buy the aircraft and lease them to Nordica. The bonds will be bought equally by two Estonian entities, LHV pension funds and LHV Bank.
LinkNorwegian to make Singapore launch in SeptemberNorwegian will launch services from London Gatwick to Singapore on 28 September. The long-haul low-cost operator will operate four-times weekly on the route, rising to to five-times weekly during the northern winter season between October and March.
LinkUnited, Lufthansa finalize transatlantic joint ventureUnited Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo have finalized their transatlantic partnership. "The carriers' joint venture route network will provide greater flexibility and time savings to customers with thousands of new route combinations and more than 600 direct connections per week between the US and Europe," a joint statement from United and Lufthansa said.
LinkVirgin America becomes first to take A321neoVirgin America has been revealed as the first recipient of an Airbus A321neo, after the aircraft was formally delivered to the US carrier. The aircraft, leased from GECAS, is fitted with CFM International Leap-1A powerplants, the second of the two A321neo engine options to be certified.
LinkVirgin Australia starts onboard wi-fi trialsVirgin Australia has kicked off passenger trials of its Gogo 2Ku wi-fi system aboard one of its Boeing 737-800s. The test will run for three months, during which passengers will be able to use the service for free.
LinkVolaris posts $73 million 1Q net lossMexican ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) Volaris reported a MXP1.4 billion ($72.7 million) net loss for the first quarter of 2017, reversed from a MXP602 million net profit in the year-ago quarter. Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranena said the company “faced a challenging market and geopolitical environment” during the quarter.
LinkWestJet to launch lower-cost airline subsidiary in late 2017Canadian carrier WestJet plans to launch a lower-cost subsidiary in late 2017, a move that comes amid heightened competitive pressure from several prospective low-cost start-ups. The Calgary-based airline says the planned ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) will initially operate a fleet of 10 Boeing 737-800s configured with "high-density" seating.
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