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[Chubby Bear]

March 23

Airbus A380 seat count raised
Airbus says it has increased the standard number of seats in the brochure for its A380 superjumbo to 544.

Fraport hit by Russia crises
German airport operator Fraport is suffering from the crisis in Ukraine and Russia, with currency weakness hitting passenger numbers and retail spending.

Eurowings expands long hual
The new Eurowings is further expanding its long-haul routes. The first flight from Cologne to Puerto Plata in the Caribbean will take off on 7 November 2015. →

Jetblue steps up Carribean services
JetBlue is planning to start offering its well-regarded lie-flat Mint seats on flights to the Caribbean, with services commencing from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Barbados and Aruba.

Air Asia unveils logojet
AirAsia India (Chennai) yesterday (March 21) celebrated the unveiling of Airbus A320-216 VT-JRT (msn 3448, ex OK-NES) (below). The unique livery is a tribute to Indian aviation pioneer J.R.D. Tata with a Puss Moth, the aircraft he flew on October 15, 1932, leading to the start of Tata Airlines and the start of aviation in India.

 
JAL resumes LAX
JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) on March 20 resume daily flights between Osaka (Kansai) and Los Angeles with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
 
Air NZ,Air China plan partnership
Air New Zealand and Air China are gearing up for an alliance on services between China and New Zealand.
Similar to the partnership between AirNZ and Singapore Airlines, the proposed hook-up would see fellow Star Alliance member Air China introduce a daily direct service between Beijing and Auckland.
The Chinese flag carrier would also continue to codeshare on Air New Zealand’s daily Shanghai–Auckland service, which from late August will switch to a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner every day of the week.

Brisbane introduces digital passenger cards
Jetsetters departing from Brisbane International Airport no longer need to complete handwritten outgoing passenger cards thanks to a new ‘digital departure card’ feature in the BNE Airport iPhone and Android apps.
Passengers travelling with any airline simply open the app, click ‘departure card’ in the main menu and can then type the same information they would have traditionally written on a conventional passenger card.

[Chubby Bear]

March 24

Eva air retires last MD11
EVA Air (Taipei) today (March 23) operated its last McDonnell Douglas MD-11 flight. The pictured MD-11F B-16113 (msn 48790) departed Taipei (Taoyuan) at 0840 local time as EVA Air Cargo flight BR 606 to Anchorage. EVA Air was the last operator of the tri-jet in Taiwan. China Airlines and Mandarin Airlines previously also operated the type.

Air China opens up Melbourne
Air China will start Beijing-Melbourne four-times weekly nonstop service from June 1, 2015, becoming the only carrier that offers Beijing-Melbourne nonstop service. At the same time, the carrier will continue its Shanghai-Melbourne nonstop service.The four-times weekly flights CA 165/6 will be offered on Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday. The service is slated to increase to daily from October 25, 2015. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 02:00 and arrives in Melbourne at 15:30 local time; the return flight departs from Melbourne at 20:40 local time and arrives in Beijing at 06:30. The flights will be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.Finally, Air China will add flights to its Beijing-Los Angeles route from May 2015, further strengthening its presence on the North American market.

Airbus delivers 9000th aircraft
Airbus has celebrated the delivery of its 9000th aircraft at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany on March 20, 2015. The aircraft is the first A321 to be delivered to Vietnamese carrier VietJetAir (Ho Chi Minh City) and will join the carrier’s all-Airbus A320 Family fleet flying on its fast-growing Asia-Pacific network.

Shanghai Airlines retires 757
Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai) has retired its last Boeing 757-200 from revenue service. The pictured Boeing 757-26D B-2875 (msn 33966) on March 21 operated flight FM 9172 from Harbin to Shanghai (Pudong) according to wcarn.com.

FijiDream taked delivery of gold Ejetiji

FDA-Fuji Dream Airlines (Makinohara, Shizuoka) has taken delivery of its ninth Embraer E-Jet. The pictured ERJ 170-200STD (ERJ 175) JA09FJ (msn 17000464) was handed over in Brazil on March 19 and is painted gold (above). JA09FJ has now been welcomed to Japan (below).

 
Aer Lingus Bid resolution withing weeks
Ireland's transport minister said talks with IAG on a bid for Aer Lingus were "workmanlike and constructive" and that he expected the cabinet to decide whether to back the bid within weeks.

Azul cuts April flights by 10%
Azul is cutting planned flights in April by nearly 10 percent from earlier forecasts, according to a person with knowledge of the decision, as the Brazilian company feels the impact of the stronger US dollar.

[Chubby Bear]

March 25

World in shock after Germanwings Disaster
Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) flight 4U 9525 with 146 passengers (including two infants) and six crew members on board (numbers updated) has crashed in the rugged French Alps (near Digne-les-Bains and the Grenoble Airport) at approximately 6,500 fleet and around 1037 local time. The pictured Airbus A320-211 D-AIPX (msn 147) was being operated on the flight between Barcelona and Dusseldorf. The flight had descended 14,000 feet in six minutes. No distress call was sent by the crew (correcting previous statements by the media). French radar contact was then lost at 1053. The airliner apparently slammed into the mountain according to flight tracking services.

Debris has been cited by a helicopter in the mountainous terrain and survivors are “not likely”. Human remains are tragically scattered over the crash site. The debris field is contained in about four acres and there is no piece larger than a car. It is difficult to get to the remote crash scene and retrieve the bodies and parts of D-AIPX. The flight data recorder has been sighted in the debris.

Cathay Pacific to drop Moscow
Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong) is planning to drop the Hong Kong – Moscow (Domodedovo) route after June 1. The airline cited high operating costs.Cathay Pacific launched flights to Moscow in July 2010. It currently serves the route three days a week with Airbus A340-300s.

Aeroflot celebrates victory
Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow) on March 21 put into service its new Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B RA-89047 (msn 95047) on the Moscow (Sheremetyevo) – Minsk route. The pictured new SSJ100 carries a special emblem celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Russian victory in World War II.

Qatar confirms Zanzibar
Qatar Airways will launch flights to Zanzibar, the airline’s third gateway in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro. From July 1st, the new five-times-a-week flight to Zanzibar will operate via Kilimanjaro. The current Kilimanjaro flights which today are served by Qatar Airways via Dar es Salaam will be made non-stop from Doha to Kilimanjaro, with return flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha served via Zanzibar.

Australia to reject Qantas,China Eastern tie-up
The Australian competition watchdog may reject a tie-up between Qantas and China Eastern, saying it would harm competition, in a potential embarrassment for Prime Minister Tony Abbott's efforts to boost trade with Beijing.

GOL to trim capacity
Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas may revise down its outlook for stable seat capacity this year, chief executive Paulo Kakinoff told journalists at an industry event on Tuesday.

Rwandair orders A330
RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, has signed a memorandum of understanding for two Airbus A330 aircraft, in a deal worth around USD$500 million based on list prices.

[Chubby Bear]

March 26
 
Airbus sells Dassualt stake
Airbus Group sold a further 17.5 percent stake in Dassault Aviation on Wednesday as it unwinds its 16-year-old link to its rival.

MAHB sells Delhi airport stake
Malaysia Airport Holdings said it will sell its entire 10 percent stake in Delhi International Airport for USD$79 million.

Cockpit voice recording adds to mystery of Germanwings flight
Investigators have retrieved cockpit voice recordings from the Germanwings plane that crashed into the Alps and revealed that the Pilots was locked out of the cockpit and bashing the door trying to get inside when the plane went into its decent.

Amazon blasts FAA for drone regulations
Amazon has blasted the FAA for being slow to approve commercial drone testing, saying the United States is falling behind other countries in the potentially lucrative area of unmanned aviation technology.

Etihad may sell Aer Lingus stake
Etihad Airways' chief executive James Hogan has indicated that the airline would be willing to sell its stake in Aer Lingus if the Irish government backs the offer made by IAG, the Financial Times reported.

El Al Q4 loss widens
El Al's net loss widened in the fourth quarter after the summer conflict with Palestinian militants in Gaza hurt incoming tourism.

AA,US expects FAA approval soon
American Airlines and US Airways expect to receive a single operating certificate from the FAA on April 8, marking a milestone since their December 2013 merger.

Fastjet prepares for ZImbabwe launch
astjet has announce that, as part of its plans to grow its footprint in sub-Saharan Africa, it has received an Air Service Permit from the ministry of transport and infrastructural development Zimbabwe.

Dubai remains global A380 hub
n addition to laying claim to being the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai International was also the world’s leading hub for Airbus A380 operations in 2014, according to Dubai Airports’ 2014 Yearbook. The Yearbook reports that Dubai International had a total of 15,098 A380 flights to 39 destinations around the world during 2014. This is sharply up from the 10,608 A380 scheduled flights to 26 destinations recorded in the previous year.

Emirates goes to Orlando
Emirates (Dubai) has announced it is commencing a daily service to Orlando, Florida from September 1, 2015. The route will be served by Boeing 777-200LR aircraft with eight First Class suites, 42 Business Class lie-flat beds and 216 Economy Class seats.

Emirates flight EK 219 will depart Dubai International Terminal 3 (DXB) at 03:50 hours local time and arrive at Orlando International Airport (MCO) Terminal B at 11.40 hours local time, a flying time of 15 hours 50 minutes. The return flight, EK 220 will depart Orlando International at 14:20 hours and arrive into Dubai at 12:30 the following day, a 14 hours 10 minutes flight.

Volaris expands
Volaris (Mexico City) announced today a new nonstop route to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from Guadalajara, starting on July 15, 2015.

LAN flights to be affected
LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) and its associated carriers in Latin America could be affected today (March 25) by “a series of actions” by its unions.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has issued this statement:
A number of flights of South American LAN Airlines could be affected. The unions of LAN Airlines will begin a series of actions on Wednesday, March 25 in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Miami. To date the company has not responded to the union’s demands to improve working conditions. LAN Airlines workers are responsible for passenger safety, airplane maintenance, and customer connections in airports.

Alitalia launches Venice-Abu Dhabi
Alitalia (3rd) (Rome) has issued this announcement on new Venice-Abu Dhabi service in connection with Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) :

Venice – Abu Dhabi is set to be the first new route opened by the new Alitalia since the January 1, 2015 launch of operations, after Etihad Airways acquired a 49% stake in the company.

 

[Chubby Bear]

March 27

Hainan order 787-9
Hainan Airlines plans to order 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as it seeks to expand international routes to tap into growing demand for overseas travel from China.

TAP swings annual loss
TAP Portugal made a 2014 loss of EUR€46 million (USD$50 million), after a profit the previous year, due to delays with the delivery of new aircraft and strikes against the planned sale of the state-owned airline.


Air China post 14% profit rise
Air China has reported a 14 percent rise in 2014 net profit, helped by lower oil prices and rising passenger numbers.

Co-Pilot appears to have crashed plane delibrately
The co-pilot of the Germanwings airliner that crashed in the French Alps killing all 150 people aboard appears to have brought the plane down deliberately, the Marseille prosecutor said.

German police search Germanwings pilots house
The young German co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525 locked himself in the cockpit and set the plane on course to crash into an Alpine mountain, killing all 150 people on board including himself, prosecutors said.

Airlines introduce 2 person rules
Airlines are changing rules to require a second crew member in the cockpit at all times, hours after French prosecutors suggested a co-pilot who locked himself himself in the cockpit of the Germanwings plane had crashed it on purpose.

Lufthansa to phase our Germanwings brand
Lufthansa (Frankfurt), in the wake of the tragic crash of Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) flight 4U 9225 in the French Alps, is facing some tough decisions on the future of its low-cost subsidiaries. Before the crash, Lufthansa was planning to gradually phase out the Germanwings brand and shift a number of routes to the new Eurowings (Dusseldorf) low-cost brand.
According to Airline Route, on October 25, 2015, a total of 55 Germanwings routes (and the 4U code) operating from Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf and Hamburg were due to be transferred to Eurowings and the EW code.

Air Mandalay returns to charter airline
Air Mandalay (Yangon), as we previously reported, stopped flying as a scheduled passenger airline on December 10, 2014. According to Myanmar Times, quoting CEO U Sai Kham Park Hpa, the carrier has acquired two Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets and plans to restore operations as a charter airline.

Finnair to introduce inflight A350 WiFi
Finnair will launch inflight WiFi on its first Airbus A350 this year, as the first step towards a fleet-wide upgrade which will see all of the Finnish airline's jets set for sky-high surfing by 2018.
The €30 million (A$42 million) program will connect Finnair's nimble regional European jets as well as its international Airbus A330s and new flagship A350s, the first of which is due to begin flying later this year.

[Chubby Bear]

March 28

Indigo heads up for $400 million IPO
IndiGo is preparing a draft prospectus for a stock listing to raise USD$300 million to USD$400 million, aiming to cash in on a boom in budget air travel.

Thai budget carriers eye 20% increase
Thailand's biggest budget carriers, Thai AirAsia and Nok Airlines, expect passenger numbers to rise by nearly a fifth this year as the outlook for the tourism industry improves.

EU to advise 2 person cockpit rule
European Union air safety regulator EASA may advise airlines to ensure that two crew members are in the cockpit of passenger planes at all times, in the wake of the suspected suicide crash of Germanwings flight 9525.

Investigators find German pilot hid illness
German state prosecutors said they had found evidence that Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings co-pilot who is suspected of deliberately crashing a passenger plane in the French Alps, had hidden an unspecified medical condition from his employers.

Delta restarts Dublin-Atlanta
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will restart its seasonal nonstop flight between Dublin International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, effective March 30, 2015. The daily flight will complement Delta’s existing daily nonstop service between Dublin and New York-JFK.Delta’s seasonal Atlanta service will be operated in conjunction with joint venture partner, Air France-KLM and Delta will fly a 225-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft on the route.

UK extends Registered Traveler fast track service
Australian travellers can now skip the passport control queues at the UK's largest airports – including Heathrow, Gatwick and London City, with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Stansted to follow – thanks to an expansion of the ‘Registered Traveller’ scheme.
The program has dropped its initial invitation-only caveat and now extends to all nationals from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the USA and Canada.
Note that you still need to have travelled to the UK four or more times in the last 52 weeks.

 

[Chubby Bear]

March 29

KLM delays Edmonton launch
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) was due to commence a new route to Edmonton on May 5, but the new route was postponed. Now the company will launch the new route with Airbus A330-200 equipment under flight numbers KL 675 and KL 676 on May 19. Flights to Edmonton will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and, from June 26, on Fridays.

Air Canada crash lands at Halifax
Air Canada (Montreal) flight AC 624 from Toronto (Pearson) to Halifax, Nova Scotia with 133 passengers and five crew members made a hard landing and “exited runway upon landing at Halifax” shortly after midnight (Atlantic time) this morning according to a statement by Air Canada and media reports. Weather at the time was gusty winds, low visibility and light snow. The aircraft reportedly hit power lines.https://www.youtube....d&v=lMdUWADrMyc


Choice Aire launches flights
Choice Aire (Miami) will debut its scheduled public charter service operated by Swift Air (2nd) (Phoenix) on May 21, 2015 serving new nonstop destinations Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Miami International Airport (MIA).

ANA firms up 787-10 orders
ANA-All Nippon Airways (Tokyo) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) have finalized an order for three 787-10 Dreamliners, valued at approximately $900 million at list prices. With this order, originally announced as a commitment in January 2015, ANA becomes Boeing’s newest 787-10 customer and first airline in Asia to operate the entire family of 787 Dreamliners.

DOT allows Seattle-Haneda to be kept by Delta
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) (Washington) has issued this tentative decision to allow Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) to retain the Seattle/Tacoma – Tokyo Haneda route provided the carrier operates daily, year-round service on the route

Easyjet opens new base at Sa Carneiro
easyJet has opened its new base at Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport Porto. Three new UK routes from Manchester, Bristol and London Luton Airports to the new Porto base will launch this summer

Saudi Arabia resumes south airport flights
Saudi Arabia gradually resumed flights at its southern airports one day after suspending all traffic as it launched air strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen.

Ex-JetBlue pilot sues airline
A former JetBlue Airways pilot whose midair meltdown forced an emergency landing of a 2012 flight has sued the carrier for USD$14.9 million, saying it should have grounded him because it knew he was incapable of flying.

Notes said pilots was unfit to fly
German authorities on Friday said they had found torn-up sick notes showing that Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz was suffering from an illness that should have grounded him on the day of the tragedy

[Chubby Bear]

March 30

BA adds Gatwick-Vienna
British Airways (London) will add the London (Gatwick) – Vienna, Austria route on September 17. The carrier will operate six days a week with Airbus A319s according to Airline Route.

Solomon Airlines A320 returns to service
Solomon Airlines has advised its flagship Airbus A320, currently undergoing a scheduled annual service in Manila, Philippines, is now expected to return to full service on Monday, 13 April

BA frequent flyer accounts hacked
Some British Airways frequent flier accounts have been hacked, but the airline says that most personal information is safe.
The London-based airline did not say how many accounts were compromised, but said they have been locked down and can no longer be accessed.
British Airways is not aware of any access to any personal information within Executive Club accounts, including travel histories or credit card details, according to spokeswoman Michele Kropf.
Customers were emailed details on how to reactivate their accounts.
The breach apparently was the result of a third party using information obtained elsewhere on the Internet, via an automated process, to try to gain access to accounts. It follows problems for hotel companies Hilton and Starwood as well as United and American airlines.

Hijack attempt foiled
Indian airlines have warned crew members to be on their guard, citing an alleged incident on board a recent international flight where there was a suspicious attempt to gain access to the cockpit.
According to an email sent to Jet Airways pilots on Friday, a passenger allegedly feigned illness and five others claiming to be doctors volunteered medical assistance.
After examining the "sick" passenger, they insisted strongly on meeting the captain, but were refused permission.
"Their persistence was suspect and the captain refused to meet the doctors either inside or outside the cockpit," reads the note.
According to aviation sources, this occurred on a recent Air India flight to London.

007 private flight charter trashed
he new James Bond movie Spectre is getting publicity for all the wrong reasons.
Film crew allegedly went on a drunken rampage aboard the official 007 private jet, according to Britain's Mail on Sunday.
Portuguese airline Hi Fly sent a report to the Bond film company Eon stating film workers triggered an international air safety alert with their reckless behaviour, fuelled by excess alcohol.
Some 150 stunt men, camera crew and technicians were travelling on the privately chartered Airbus 330 from Stansted airport in Britain to Mexico for a two-week shoot in early March when the incident occurred.
The report accused those on the plane of vomiting and urinating in the aisles, smoking on board the plane, verbal abuse towards flight staff and the removal of a safety pin from one of the aircraft's doors.

Thai airlines face security scrutiny
Thailand is facing bans on new international flights and increased inspections after the International Civil Aviation Organization flagged significant concerns about the country's aviation safety, officials said on Friday.
The ICAO's designation of Thailand as a "significant safety concern" has not been announced publicly by the UN agency but governments were informed last week. Kwak Young-pil, an official from South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said that the ICAO made the designation on March 20.
Japan has blocked new flights from Thailand following the ICAO decision and South Korea is considering similar measures, officials said. Existing flights aren't affected.
Among the airlines forced to cancel flights are budget carriers Thai AirAsia X, NokScoot and Asia Atlantic Airline, Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Flag carrier Thai Airways is also affected.

BA pilot planned to crash jet
The case of a British Airways pilot who killed his estranged wife in a hammer attack then planned to crash his jumbo jet "to make a statement" shows airlines are not doing enough to monitor the mental conditions of their crews, according to the victim's family.
Robert Brown, 47, hit his estranged wife Joanna at least 14 times with a claw hammer in 2010, following a bitter and costly divorce battle.
He had been due to fly a Boeing 747 jumbo jet from Heathrow to Lagos the next day but rang in sick at the last minute. Brown told his trial: "I didn't want to be another husband who kills his wife and then himself and nobody cares. I thought if I got to work I could crash an aircraft, or fly to Lagos and crash it there. I wanted to make a statement."
He was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder after convincing the jury that he had been suffering extreme stress due to his marital breakdown.

[Chubby Bear]

March 31

Oman order 737s
Oman Air has ordered 20 Boeing 737s as part of a plan to double its fleet to 70 aircraft by 2020.

Turkish Airlines flight diverted
A Turkish Airlines flight to Brazil was forced by a bomb threat to land in Morocco for more than three hours on Monday, but was cleared to fly on after no explosives were found.

Jetblue systems go offline
JetBlue Airways' systems were back online after a computer outage caused check-in delays at several US airports on Monday.

Searchers built road to crash site
French investigators hope to speed up identification of the 150 people killed in last week's Germanwings plane crash by digging a road that will allow direct access to the disaster zone high on a remote Alpine mountainside.

Argentina forces LATAM cancellations
LATAM Airlines has cancelled a number of domestic flights in Argentina as well as on some international routes, due to an upcoming general strike.

Etihad welcomes SAA
Etihad Airways is now able to provide enhanced access to and from South Africa following the launch of a new daily service between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi by its codeshare partner, South African Airways. A delegation of senior SAA management, South African government officials and visiting travel trade and media representatives, was welcomed to Abu Dhabi when flight SA 278 touched down on schedule at Abu Dhabi International Airport at 20:25 last night.

KLM orders E-jets
KLM Cityhopper (Amsterdam) is adding more Embraer E-Jets including 15 Embraer E175+s, a new type for the carrier. Embraer just issued this statement:
Embraer announced today a firm order for 15 E175s and two E190s from KLM Cityhopper, KLM’s regional subsidiary. The contract for the 17 E-Jets also includes an option for 17 additional E-Jets for KLM Cityhopper or Air France regional subsidiary HOP

American expands LAX
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is adding four additional Embraer ERJ 175 American Eagle routes from Los Angeles International Airport. Los Angeles – Austin will be started on May 7 along with Los Angeles – San Antonio. Additionally on June 4, the Los Angeles – Edmonton and Los Angeles – Vancouver routes will also be added per Airline Route.

 

[Chubby Bear]

April 1st
 
April Fools day

EU airlines urged to avoid Yemen airspace
European regulators have urged airlines to avoid Yemen's airspace as air strikes in the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula continue.

Flights disrupted across the Netherlands
Spring storms battered the Netherlands with gusts of up to 120 km an hour on Tuesday, causing Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to cancel flights.

SIA not in talks to buy stake
Singapore Airlines has denied a media report that it is in talks to buy a stake in Hong Kong Airlines.

Germanwings Disaster wont hurt LCC image
The disaster at budget airline Germanwings will not harm the image of low-cost air travel in Europe, easyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall said.

Lufthansa flight school knew of Illness
Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz told officials at a Lufthansa training school in 2009 that he had gone through a period of severe depression, the airline said.

Jambojet becomes Q400 operator
Jambojet, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways (Nairobi), has joined more than 50 owners and operators of Q400 aircraft worldwide. The airline is the second new operator to have adopted the Q400 aircraft in Africa in 2015, and has become the 19th member of the family on the continent

Arik Air orders CRJ1000
Arik Air (Lagos, Nigeria) has placed the first dual-class Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft configured with three-abreast business-class seating into revenue service in West Africa.

Yemenia Cancels all operations
Yemenia-Yemen Airways (Sana’a) has suspended all operations until further notice due to the “current crisis and for safety reasons”.

Karkiv Airline suspends operations
Kharkiv Airlines (Kharkiv) has suspended operations according to ch-aviation. The airline, located in war-torn eastern Ukraine, was down to one aircraft,Boeing 737-8Q8 UR-CLS, which is now in maintenance. The airline hopes to resume operations this summer but this is unlikely as long as fighting continues in eastern Ukraine.

Wizz Ukraine to be shutdown
Wizz Air (Hungary) (Budapest) has announced it will close its Wizz Air (Ukraine) (Kiev-Zhulyany) subsidiary and replace it with a new Wizz Air (Hungary) Kiev base. The last Wizz Air (Ukraine) flights will be operated on April 19.

Korean outlines A330 operations
Korean Air is strengthening its global service by introducing fuel efficient cutting edge aircrafts. Starting April 2nd, Korean Air will introduce its brand new A330-300 aircrafts, one of the main Airbus model aircrafts, on its South East Asia routes. The newly introduced A330-300 aircrafts will join the fleet serving on Korean Air’s routes to Sydney, Brisbane, Singapore as well as other routes in south-east Asia and Oceania.

Lufthansa cancels birthday operations
Lufthansa has confirmed it will cancel its 60th anniversary celebrations, originally planned for next month. In a statement earlier the airline said live coverage of the memorial service at the Cologne Cathedral in memory of the victims of flight 4U 95245 would be broadcast instead. That event will take place on the April 17th.

[Chubby Bear]

April 2

Ryanair planes collide at Dublin
Two passenger jets collided with each other at Dublin Airport, clipping wings while still on the ground.
No injuries have been reported.
The pair of Ryanair planes clashed while they slowly taxied to a runway, causing delays for hundreds of travellers.
They were preparing to travel to Edinburgh and Zadar, Croatia.
The budget airline claimed that both planes were following instructions from the airport's traffic control.
Passengers were stuck on the plane for up to ninety minutes as they waited for buses to take them from the aircraft.
The low-speed collision tore off part of the wing of the Edinburgh-bound plane.

Turkish Air flight diverted
A Turkish Airlines flight to Lisbon was diverted back to Istanbul on Wednesday after unaccompanied baggage was found on board.

Delta to a accept payments via Alipay
Delta Air Lines has become the first US airline to accept payments via Alipay, the PayPal-like service run by an Alibaba affiliate that is used by hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers.

Japan gives Thai carriers relief
Japan's civil aviation agency has lifted a charter flight ban for Thai-registered airliners during April and May to help ease the impact on passengers, Thai transport minister Air Chief Marshall Prajin Juntong said.

Former Korean Exec seeks leniency
The former Korean Air executive jailed for her outburst over in-flight service, known as the "nut rage" case, asked for leniency during an appeal hearing on Wednesday as she sought to reduce her one-year prison term.

Lufthansa CEO ignores questions
Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr declined to answer a barrage of questions on what the airline knew of the mental health problems of Andreas Lubitz, the pilot believed to have deliberately crashed a plane in the French Alps last week.

Allegiant strikes happening
Pilots at Allegiant Air will strike on Thursday, potentially grounding more than 250 flights throughout the US and impacting more than 33,000 people, a union.

Delta,Aeromexico file for antitrust immunity
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and Grupo Aeromexico (AeroMexico) (Mexico City) have filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking antitrust immunity for a new joint venture on flights between the United States and Mexico.
The application marks a significant step in the creation of a $1.5 billion joint venture that will allow Delta and AeroMexico to compete more effectively on routes between the U.S. and Mexico. The joint venture will provide more options for travelers in both countries, while enabling joint investments by the two airlines, further improving the customer experience.

Air India takes delivery of 20th 787
Air India (Mumbai) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) celebrated the airline’s milestone delivery yesterday (March 31) of its 20th 787 Dreamliner from Boeing’s final assembly facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.The ictured Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as VT-ANU (msn 36292) also features the Star Alliance livery, Air India’s – and the world’s – first 787 to do so.

242ton A330 achieves certification

Airbus (Toulouse) has issued this statement today:
The latest variant of the highly successful A330 – the new 242 metric ton A330-300 – has achieved certification from the European airworthiness authorities (EASA) following a 100 hour flight-test campaign. Certification from the US authorities (FAA) is also expected soon.

[A220]

FADEC Failure Possible Cause of A400M Crash in Spain

 

Experts claim that a failure of the FADEC (possibly a virus) could be the cause of the crash. The key scenario is that the torque calibration parameter data was accidentally wiped out on engines 1, 2 and 3 as the software was being installed. This would prevent the FADEC from operating. The first warning the pilots would receive is at 400 feet. On the ground there is no warning.

 

 

 

 

Passenger Starts Fire on a Chinese Flight

 

A passenger was arrested after starting a fire onboard Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH9648. The incident occurred as the flight was landing in Guangzhou this Sunday. The man was overpowered by fellow passengers, while 2 sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.

 

 

 

 

New Theories About The Crash Of Flight MH370

 

Led by professor Goong Chen at the Texas A&M University in Qatar, a team of mathematics developed a new theory as to the way flight MH370 crashed. The theory suggests that the plane crashed at an angle close to 90 degrees. The findings, published in April 2015, say that large portions of the 777, such as the wings, broke off upon impact with the water. The plane sunk upside down, with the belly pointing upwards, towards the surface of the sea, with no debris floating up to the surface.

 

 

 

 

The Terrifying Moment a KLM 777 Swings From Side to Side Moments From Landing

 

In the short video (37 seconds) uploaded on YouTube by user 17splinter, on July 25th 2015, the Royal Dutch Airlines B777-300 series aircraft, in the KLM Asia livery, is seen on short final to land at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The plane swings slightly, but the pilots quickly get it back under control. But, moments from touchdown, the winds violently and without mercy push the plane from side to side. The flight ended safely.

 

 

 

 

Ellinair Ads A319s to Its Fleet

 

The newly started company Ellinair, flying from Athens and Thessaloniki to Russia and Ukraine, received its first A319 aircraft, from Airbus Industry. The aircraft, another addition to the carrier's already mixed fleet, has started operations, with a first visit to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

 

 

 

 

New Start-up Airline to Start Operations in Congo 

 

Congo Airways is a new start-up airline, waiting to start operations very soon. The new carrier will operate 2 Airbus A320-200 planes, ex-Alitalia, and is anticipating to make its first flight on August 20th. It is based in Kinshasa's N'Djili Airport.

 

 

 

 

First B747-8I For Korean Air

 

KAL's first 747-8 Intercontinental is already performing test flights out of Seattle's Everett Field. The aircraft, HL7630, is the first of 10 of the type to be delivered to the airline from later this year.

 

 

 

Cincinnati to Become The Next Allegiant Base

 

The LCC Allegiant Air announced plans to open a new base in Cincinnati. The Las Vegas-based airline hopes to have effect on its new base from January 6th 2016.

''The greater Cincinnati area has become one of our strongest markets with a demonstrated demand for low-cost vacation travel'' said Jude Bricker, the airline's VP of planning.

 

 

 

 

Horrible Plane Crash In Japan

 

A light aircraft crashed in Chofu, Tokyo, on July 26th. The plane was carrying 5 people when it crashed. The airplane, likely a Cessna, had just taken off from Chofu Airport. Two of those onboard, as well as one on the ground, were killed. Several injured people were taken to hospitals, their condition unknown.

 

 

 

 

KLM Reveal B787-9 Cabin

 

30 World Business Class (1-2-1), 48 Economy Comfort (3-3-3) and 216 Economy class seats (3-3-3), as well as an IFE with more than 150 movies and 200 TV shows and WiFi, are just some of the features of the 787-9 cabin of KLM. There is more space in business class, more comfort in economy, and more benefits than any other aircraft. More information can be found at the Newsroom of the KLM website.

 

 

 

 

Ohana Starting ATR-72F Ops In 2016

 

Ohana by Hawaiian announced that it is starting Cargo flight with the ATR-72F during the 1st half of 2016. In a statement, Hawaiian Holdings Inc. announced the purchase of 3 aircraft to start cargo flights within the various Hawaiian islands.

 

 

 

 

15th Anniversary Of The Concorde Disaster

 

On July 25th 2000, 100 passengers, mostly German tourists, just starting a vacation, were welcomed by the 9 crew members of F-BTSC, one of the French national carrier's Concorde planes, on their way to JFK in NYC. There was a delay due to a thrust reverser problem on engine 2. The plane was cleared to taxi to runway 26R, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. 5 minutes before the Concorde took off, a Continental Airlines DC-10 lifted off the runway, bound for the US. A metal strip fell off one of its engines. That tiny piece of metal was the cause of a fuel tank rupture, a fire, and ultimately, the crash of the Concorde. 15 years later, the tragedy, with 113 fatalities, is a grim remainder of how dangerous small details can be.

[Hake.]

Cityjet announce Cork - London City services
Cityjet have announce a 3 daily service between the southern Irish city and the central London airport using an RJ85. This comes just 16 years after they originally planned to open the route.

Carribean Flights Announced for Dublin
Thomson are to operate weekly flights from Dublin to Cancun and Montego Bay on a weekly basis on behalf of Falcon Holidays. This is one of the first 787 services from the airport.

VLM Cut Liege Operations
After just 6 weeks of service from Liege to a range of Italian destinations, it has cited low demand on the routes.

That's all for now as I've been ignoring news recently.

[KJS607]

Airbus raises maximum seat count on both A321 & A320, VietJet takes delivery of new configuration-fitted A321

 

Airbus has as previously announced, raised the seat count on both larger A320 series aircraft, with the new maximum for A320 at 195, and A321 at 230.

 

VietJet is the launch customer for the 230-seat Airbus A321 aircraft with Wizz Air to take delivery of A321 with the new configuration later this year. 

Vueling has also announced its interest in the new raised seat count jet.

[A220]

MH370 Debris Found?

 

On July 29th, 2015, a piece of wreckage washed off in the island if Reunion, France. It matches a piece of the rear area of the left wing if a Boeing 777. It has the same colors as the missing MH370 had on that area. Investigators are looking into the serial number of the item. If it matches the one on the ill-fated plane, it may be, finally, mystery solved.

[Andy-J]

Ukraine International plans to weigh all pax before boarding- not for payment. Reason not given. Follow closely in the steps of Samoa Air.

AND,

Since no one's updated this news feed in a bit, yes, the wing piece has been declared off of MH37-.

[A220]

No Survivors Of Crashed Trigana Plane

 

Trigana Air Service flight 267 was flying on a 50-minute flight between two Indonesian airports, on August 16th, 2015. At 14:55, half an hour into the flight, the plane disappeared from radar. The next afternoon, wreckage of the 27-year old ATR-42 was located in the dangerous mountainous terrain of Papua. The morning after, the worst was confirmed. All 54 bodies were recovered from the crash site. No-one survived the crash. The commuter plane was carrying roughly 470,000$ for the poor. The money has not yet been attributed to the crash.

 

 

30 Years Since The Worst Single Plane Crash In History

 

On August 12th, 1985, Japan Air Lines flight 123 took off on a less than an hour long flight from Tokyo to Osaka, Japan. The Boeing 747-100SR was carrying 524 people onboard. Tiny cracks in the rear pressure bulkhead, the result of faulty maintenance after a tailstrike in 1978, grew bigger as the plane pressurized. 12 minutes after takeoff, it exploded. The force tore most of the tail off. After a heroic 32-minute fight, the Jumbo crashed into a mountain. Rescue came 14 hours after the crash, reason for the deaths of some initial survivors. 30 years later, the crash that added more than a fifth of the total fatalities of 1985, the second deadliest year in history, remains the worst single air accident in history.

 

 

SQ Premium Economy Has Arrived

 

Earlier this month, Singapore Airlines introduced its premium economy on select A380 and B777-300ER flights to and from Sydney. The seat is wider, has 8'' of recline, with 2 USB ports, a power supply, cocktail table, noise-cancelling headphones and the option to pre-order meals. It will be eventually introduced on 19 A380s, 19 777-300ERs and the first 20 A350s.

 

 

The New Virgin Australia Business Class Takes To The Skies

 

Yesterday, Virgin Australia debuted its brand new A330 business class. The new seats feature fully flat beds, a more passenger-friendly 1-2-1 layout and a lot of space and storage. It also has a 16-inch HD touch screen. The first of the six upgraded Airbuses inaugurated the new class on flight VA559 from Sydney to Perth.

 

 

BA Announces LGW-LIM

 

British Airways announced that, from May 2016, it will start the 3 times per week connection from London Gatwick to Lima, Peru. With Lima being a Oneworld hub and Peru being popular for tourists, the new connection makes sense.

 

 

A350LR To Enter Service In 2018?

 

Airbus and Singapore Airlines are working together to bring back the non-stop route from Singapore to NYC. They state that the A350 will be able to make the journey with 25% less fuel than previous models, with a lower-density layout than the 325-seat A350-900, with the plane available ''an awful lot quicker than Boeing''. The US manufacturer could respond with an Extended Range variant of the 787-9 to compete in that sector. A Boeing official stated ''Its market potential is really small, but prestigious''. Airbus says that several other airlines have shown interest in the plane, without mentioning them. Boeing's B777-200LR, currently the longest range commercial plane in service, could make the distance. If the new Airbus is the A350-900R, which, according to Wikipedia, could reach a range of 19,000km, it will connect practically any two airports in the world, and would unite Europe and Oceania non stop, with the flight from London to Auckland lasting a startling 22 hours. SQ has been talking with both Airbus and Boeing, but the American company hasn't announced any new planes or variants yet. Of course the plane will carry less passengers.  

[Chubby Bear]

I guess I could do 1 or 2 more

Air Serbia profit up 29%
Air Serbia has reported a 29 percent rise in first-half operating revenue to EUR€95.5 million (USD$105.7 million

India hires Turnaround Expert
India is betting on a former railway bureaucrat who styles himself as "Mr Turnaround" to fix the financial troubles of debt-burdened national carrier Air India, which last made a profit in 2007


Sriwijaya Air takes delivery
Sriwijaya Air (Jakarta) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) on August 20 celebrated the delivery of two new Next-Generation 737-900 ER (Extended Range) airplanes (PK-CMO and PK-CMP). This is the first all-new airplane delivery for Sriwijaya Air, Indonesia’s third largest carrier

KLM Modifies 787 order
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) has changed its order for six Boeing 787-9s to the larger 787-10.
According to the carrier, this is not an additional order. The aircraft are expected as of 2020.

ANA expanding star wars fleet
https://youtu.be/NOQ6qaLPJps

American drops Tel-Aviv
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has announced it will stop service on the nonstop route between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv effective on January 4 (January 5 on the westbound flight). The Airbus A330-200s assigned to the unprofitable route will be reassigned.

FedEx Unions reach agreement
FedEx Express (Memphis) and its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. The tentative agreement is subject to a final ratification vote of its members.

Iceland Air expands to Canada
Icelandair will begin a scheduled service from Reykjavik (KEF) to Montreal, Canada in May 2016 with easy connections from all 6 UK airports Icelandair fly from.

Ryanair loses delay compensation
A judge at Manchester County Court today ruled in favour of consumers in the flight delay test case Goel & Trivedi v Ryanair – a decision which stands to benefit millions of passengers. Judge Platts ruled Ryanair cannot dictate how long passengers have to claim flight delay compensation through a clause in its small print

Etihad introduces "Fare Choice"
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will implement a new fare structure from September 14th to provide more choice and clarity when booking flights. A total of eight new ‘Fare Choices’ will be introduced, allowing travellers to tailor their bookings to their individual needs.

[A220]

Royal Brunei To Take Delivery Of Its First A320SL

 

Royal Brunei Airlines will soon take delivery of V8-RBW, an Airbus A320-200 fitted with Sharklets. The plane is currently being tested prior to delivery, and is registrated D-AXAM.

 

Norwegian's 787 Becomes A 737 To JFK

 

Norwegian was to fly a Boeing 787-8 on the route LGW-JFK. Technical issues emerged and the Dreamliner had to be replaced. The replacement aircraft was a Boeing 737-800! The route was completed along with a stopover in KEF.

 

MH A350XWB Orders

 

Four of the latest in technology widebodies are to be leased from the Malaysian flag carrier and will be flown from late 2017. The deal with ALC sees another two -900s and two A330-900neos as options. The new jets will be delivered from Q4 of 2017 to mid-2018 and will feature the new MH business class.

[Andy-J]

In route news,

• American Airlines will begin 20 weekly services to each of the following destinations from New York-LaGuardia: Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis-St Paul. The routes will be served by Republic Airlines E170 aircraft operating as American Eagle. Routes start 5 Jan 16
• WestJet will begin flights from 6 Canadian cities to London-Gatwick, with most aboard their 767 aircraft. Non-stop flights will be available to Toronto-Pearson (daily 767), Calgary (5 weekly 767), Winnipeg (1 weekly 767), Edmonton (2 weekly 767), Vancouver (6 Weekly 767), and St John's, NL (1 daily 737-700). Routes start on 6/7 May 16.
• Porter Airlines will begin new seasonal service from Toronto-Billy Bishop to Melbourne FL (marketing it as Melbourne/Orlando) with one weekly light aboard a weight-restricted Q400 turboprop. Flights begin 19 Dec 15.
• WOW Air plans to fly to start service from their Reykjavik-Keflavik hub to two Canadian cities: Montreal-Trudeau and Toronto-Pearson. Each route will have 4 weekly flights aboard A321 aircraft. Montreal flights start 12 May 16 and Toronto flights will start 20 May 16.
• Cathay Pacific will begin 4 weekly flights to Madrid from Hong Kong. Flights will be operated aboard 777-300ER aircraft starting 2 Jun 16.
• United Airlines will begin flights from Washington-Dulles to Moline. 1 daily ERJ-145 flight will be operated by Trans States Airlines from 24 Oct 15. 
• Vueling will begin flights to Liverpool, Leeds/Bradford, and Newcastle from Barcelona-El Prat. Liverpool will be operated 3 times a week while the others will be twice-weekly. Flights start 27/28/29 Mar 16 (respectively)
• Air Canada rouge will begin seasonal flights to Warsaw, Prague, and Glasgow from Toronto-Pearson (3 weekly each) and Casablanca from Montreal-Trudeau (4 weekly). All routes will be operated with 767-300ER aircraft. Flights statrt May/Jun 16.
• Austrian Airlines will resume flights from its Vienna hub to Shanghai-Pu Dong. Flights will be operated 5 times a week from 4 Apr 16 and will be increased to daily from 3 May 16.
• Air Transat will begin flights on the following routes for summer season 16: Toronto-Curacao (1 weekly 737-800) Toronto-Nice (1 weekly A310) Montreal-Pisa (1 weekly A330) Montreal-Glasgow (1 weekly A310) Vancouver-Rome (Fiumicino) (1 weekly A330) Toronto-Zagreb (1 weekly A330).
• Royal Jordanian will begin 3 weekly Amman-Bangkok-Guangzhou and Amman-Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta flights on 787-8 aircraft from 2 Dec 15.
• Royal Air Maroc will begin 2 weekly Casablanca-Nairobi flights on 767-300ER aircraft from 29 Mar 16.
• Jetstar Airways will begin flights on the following New Zealand sectors: Auckland-Napier (20 weekly), Auckland-Nelson (20 weekly, increases to 27 weekly from 1 Feb 16), Auckland-Palmerston North (20 weekly), Auckland-New Plymouth(20 weekly), and Wellington-Nelson (3 daily). The first 2 routes begin 1 Dec 15 and the latter 3 begin 1 Feb 16. All will be operated on Eastern Australia Airlines Dash 8-300 aircraft, subject to government approval.