AirlinesSaudi carrier Flyadeal switches to A320neo from 737 Max Saudi Arabian budget carrier Flyadeal has opted to take up to 50 Airbus A320neo-family jets, having put its previous Boeing 737 Max agreement on hold.
Flyadeal had selected the 737 Max for its fleet-expansion programme, choosing to take 30 737 Max 8s and place options on another 20.
LinkAustralian and UK Virgin carriers get go-ahead to partner Australian regulators have given interim approval to a partnership between Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic that will see them cooperate in the Australia-UK market.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) decision will allow the two airlines to partner on flights that meet at “mutual midpoints” in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and “any other future mutual connecting points.”
LinkEC approves Flybe acquisition by Virgin Atlantic consortium The European Commission (EC) has formally approved Connect Airways’ acquisition of UK regional carrier Flybe, the consortium said July 5.
Connect Airways, a consortium made up of Virgin Atlantic, UK-based airline operator Stobart Group and funds managed by US-based Cyrus Capital Partners, bought Flybe in February after the carrier ran into financial difficulties it attributed to high fuel costs, currency fluctuations and Brexit uncertainty.
LinkAir France A380 engine part found in Greenland France’s air accident investigation agency said it has found part of the engine of an Air France Airbus A380 in Greenland, opening up the possibility of learning more about what happened almost two years after the engine failed. “One of the sought-after engine parts was found and will be sent to the US to be examined by Engine Alliance under the supervision of the BEA,” the agency wrote on Twitter.
LinkSeat fire forces Virgin Atlantic A330 emergency landing A Virgin Atlantic made an emergency landing at Boston Airport shortly after taking off from New York JFK July 4 after a fire broke out in one of the passenger seats.
The Airbus A330, operating flight VS138, was scheduled to fly to London Heathrow. It diverted to Boston about 25 minutes after taking off and landed safely.
LinkNorwegian introduces ‘gate-to-gate’ Wi-Fi connectivity Scandinavian LCC Norwegian Air Shuttle has introduced “gate-to-gate” Wi-Fi connectivity, which gives passengers access to the airline’s Wi-Fi network as soon as they step on board the aircraft.
Passengers will be able to stay connected for the entire duration of the flight, from pushback to arrival at the gate, on any route across Norwegian’s network.
LinkHOP strike threat revives Air France labor tensions Pilots at Air France regional subsidiary Air France HOP may strike because they want to be moved onto Air France contracts. Air France and HOP management are scheduled to meet pilot representatives July 9 in what pilot union SNPL described in a statement as the “last chance” to find career solutions that are acceptable for all parties.
LinkNew Caledonia’s Aircalin prepares for fleet overhaul Aircalin, the national airline of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, is planning acomplete replacement of its fleet with the delivery of new Airbus widebodies and narrowbodies. The carrier has ordered two A330neos and two A320neos, which are intended to replace the same number of A330ceos and A320ceos. This process is expected to begin in mid-July with the delivery of the first of the A330neos, Aircalin manager for Australia and New Zealand Chris Thistlethwaite said.
LinkAir Kiribati bases international ambitions on E190-E2s Pacific Island carrier Air Kiribati plans to extend its reach to international tourist markets with the introduction of Embraer E190-E2s. The airline’s move represents another example of small carriers in the region looking to add new aircraft types that meet their specific operational needs. Several other Pacific Island airlines are also in the process of renewing or growing their fleets with modern jets that can serve their long, thin routes more effectively.
LinkEtihad boosts Asian services Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways plans to increase capacity to three of its significant Asian destinations in a response to growing traffic on the routes.
Larger aircraft will be employed on the routes to Shanghai and Chengdu in China, as well as to Seoul, South Korea.
LinkReverser failure, wet runway caused Air India 737 excursion A faulty thrust reverser and aquaplaning were the primary factors that caused an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 to overshoot the runway on 10 July 2018 at Mumbai airport, but the crew handled the situation well.
In its final report on the incident, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) says the incident involved the aircraft bearing registration VT-AXT (MSN36331) operating flight IX213 from Vijayawada.
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