Home Blog Page 1617

Lufthansa launches routes from Munich to three Canary Islands

By
André Orban
-
0

Airline launching new routes to Fuerteventura and Tenerife next winter / Flights to Gran Canaria to be resumed in October/ Business Class service also available

Starting next winter, Lufthansa customers who want to escape the winter blues will have two more attractive destinations in the Canary Islands to choose from besides Gran Canaria. The new weekly service from Munich to Fuerteventura will be launched on Saturday 25 October, before the start of the autumn holidays in Bavaria, while flights to Tenerife will be offered from Sunday 31 October. As both destinations will be served by an Airbus A321 with 200 seats in a two-class configuration, Lufthansa customers can also opt to fly Business Class to the Canaries. In addition, Lufthansa is resuming flights to Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, next winter. Flight departures from Munich have been conveniently timed at 8.50 hrs, ensuring ideal connections from all domestic German and most European airports. “For the first time, Lufthansa customers will be able to reach these three large islands in the Canaries within a matter of hours. Even during the winter months, passengers will thus have a choice of 15 attractive holiday destinations,” Thomas Klühr, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, Finances & Hub Munich.

Round-trip fares to the Canary Islands start at 280 euros. More information about how to book Lufthansa flights is available online at LH.com or via the Lufthansa Service Center on
+49 69 86 799 799 (land-line rate). Flights can also be booked through Lufthansa’s travel agency partners as well as at the Lufthansa ticket counters at airports. Lufthansa also offers all-inclusive packages (flight and hotel) to numerous destinations. For details, visit the website www.lufthansa-holidays.com.

The new flights at a glance

Airports/Three-letter code/Time zone (winter)Munich, Terminal 2 (MUC); UTC + 1 hour

Fuerteventura(FUE), Tenerife (TFS); Las Palmas (LPA); UTC + 1 hour

Schedule (all times are local times) MUC-FUE weekly (Sundays) , 25.10.2015 – 20.03.2016

MUC-TFS weekly (Saturdays), 31.10.2015 – 26.03.2016

MUC-LPA weekly (Sundays),  18.10.2015 – 20.03.2016

LH 1836: MUC 08:50 hrs – 12:35 hrs FUE

LH 1837: FUE  13:50 hrs – 19:25 hrs MUC

LH 1838: MUC 08:50 hrs – 12:40 hrs TFS

LH 1839: TFS  13:40 hrs – 19:25 hrs MUC

LH 1832: MUC 8:50 hrs – 12:40 hrs LPA

LH 1833: LPA  13:40 hrs – 19:15 hrs MUC

Flight duration (on average)

 

Munich – Fuerteventura  4 hours 45 minutes

Munich – Tenerife South  4 hours 50 minutes

Munich – Gran Canaria  4 hours 50 minutes

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Communications Lufthansa German Airlines Southern Germany 23.01.15

AEGEAN launches Larnaca – Tel Aviv direct flights

By
André Orban
-
0

AEGEAN, taking advantage of the deregulation of traffic rights to Israel and in accordance to its commitment for dynamic growth of its presence in Cyprus, launches its Larnaca – Tel Aviv direct flights.

More specifically, as of February 3rd 2015 and until the completion of the company’s winter schedule, AEGEAN will connect Larnaca with Tel Aviv, 3 times a week. With the start of AEGEAN’s summer 2015 schedule the company will begin daily non – stop flights between Larnaca and Tel Aviv, adding significant capacity and options. The flights will be operated with one of the youngest fleets in Europe, comprising 56 aircraft, after AEGEAN´s recent investment in new additional Airbus A320ceos.

It is worth noting that according to AEGEAN’s summer timetable, which was presented during a Press Conference that was held on January 13th 2015 in Nicosia, AEGEAN will operate with 4 Airbus A320 aircraft from Larnaca’s base, while the number of destinations connected directly with Cyprus will increase to 14. As regards direct connections with Greece and 7 other countries, total year capacity will exceed 1.5 million seats.

 Athens, January 27th 2015

U.S. Air Force identifies Boeing 747-8 platform for next Air Force One

By
André Orban
-
0

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, in coordination with the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall, has determined the Boeing 747-8 will serve as the next presidential aircraft, commonly known as Air Force One.

“The presidential aircraft is one of the most visible symbols of the United States of America and the office of the president of the United States,” James said. “The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that), when fully missionized, meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission, while reflecting the office of the president of the United States of America consistent with the national public interest.”Analyses of the capability requirements conclude a four-engine, wide-body aircraft is required to meet the needs of the Air Force One mission. Market research determined there are two four-engine platforms that could meet the requirements; the 747-8 manufactured by Boeing in the state of Washington, and the A380 manufactured by Airbus in Toulouse, France.

The decision, made official through a Determinations and Findings document, authorizes the commercial aircraft purchase by other than full and open competition. This decision, in conjunction with the notification of the Air Force’s intent to award a sole source contract to Boeing for the modification of the 747-8, allows discussions with Boeing that will likely lead to a contract for the aircraft platform as well as the modifications necessary to missionize the aircraft.

“This decision is not a contract award to procure 747-8 aircraft,” said Col. Amy McCain, the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization (PAR) program manager. “We still need to finalize the overall acquisition strategy and conduct risk-reduction activities with Boeing to inform the engineering and manufacturing development contract negotiations that will define the capabilities and cost.”

The Air Force wants to own enough of the technical baseline to permit competition for sustainment throughout the aircraft’s planned 30-year life cycle. Competition can keep costs down, spur innovation and provide options.

“We are committed to incorporating competition for subsystems of the missionized aircraft as much as practicable, and will participate substantively in any competitions led by the prime contractor,” James said.

“The current fleet of VC-25 presidential aircraft has performed exceptionally well, a testament to the Airmen who support, maintain and fly the aircraft,” James said. “Yet, it is time to upgrade. Parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased down times for maintenance are existing challenges that will increase until a new aircraft is fielded.

“The Air Force provides the president with safe and reliable air transportation with high levels of security and communication capability as the alternate airborne White House,” she added. “This platform will meet the requirements necessary to provide that level of service for future presidents.”

The secretary is clear affordability will be a key element of the PAR program.

“The program will use multiple strategies, such as the use of proven technologies and commercially certified equipment, to ensure the program is as affordable as possible while still meeting mission requirements,” James said. “We will insist upon program affordability through cost conscious procurement practices.”

Secretary of the Air Force Office Public Affairs / Published January 28, 2015

Emirates announces two new A380 destinations in Europe: Dusseldorf and Madrid

By
André Orban
-
0

Emirates, a global connector of people, places and economies, announced today the launch of A380 services to two European destinations: Dusseldorf and Madrid. For both cities, Emirates will be the first airline to operate a scheduled A380 service, offering an unmatched travel experience to business and leisure travellers alike.

emirates_a380

The addition of Dusseldorf and Madrid to the list brings the total number of European gateways served by Emirates’ A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, to 13. Emirates currently has 57 A380s in its fleet, flying to 34 destinations globally and wowing customers everywhere it flies with its industry-leading onboard features.

“As the world’s largest operator of the A380, Emirates is proud to further expand the number of destinations served by this incredible aircraft. It offers passengers in all three classes a superior travel experience thanks to unique features like: the world’s only Shower Spas in First Class, the Onboard Lounge where First Class and Business Class passengers can socialise at 40,000 feet, our award-winning in-flight entertainment system with more than 2,000 ‘on demand’ channels, and free Wi-Fi,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations – West. By introducing new A380 services out of Dusseldorf and Madrid, our customers can enjoy seamless connectivity on the most talked about aircraft, to popular destinations in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean, Australia and the Middle East, via our Dubai hub.”

As of 1st July, EK055 will be operated by an A380, leaving Dubai at 0830hrs and landing in Dusseldorf at 1325hrs the same day, while EK056 will depart Dusseldorf at 1525hrs and arrive at Dubai International Airport at 2355hrs the same day.

As of 1st August, EK142 will be operated by an A380, leaving Madrid at 1530hrs and landing in Dubai at 0045hrs the following day. The return flight EK141 departs Dubai at 0740hrs and arrives in Madrid at 1340hrs the same day.

The Emirates A380 offers a total of 519 seats in a three-class configuration, with 429 spacious seats in Economy Class on the main deck, 76 fully flat-bed mini-pods in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck. In all classes, Emirates passengers enjoy spacious seating and the excellent service delivered through our multilingual cabin crew. Business Class and First Class passengers also benefit from a complimentary chauffeur-drive service as well as access to Emirates’ global network of airport lounges.

As with all Emirates flights, passengers will enjoy the extra generous Emirates baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class

DUBAI, U.A.E., 28th January 2015

FlightStats 2014 Airline On-Time performance service awards announced

By
André Orban
-
0
FlightStats, Inc., the leader in global flight data services, solution and technology for the travel industry has released the winners for the 6th Annual Airline On-Time Performance Service Awards.

FlightStats is in a unique position to provide this service given its leadership role in collecting and distributing real-time and historic flight information to the global travel community.

The report covers airlines in the following eight (8) categories:

  1. Major Global
  2. Major Alliances
  3. North America
  4. Europe
  5. Asia – Pacific
  6. Middle East – Africa
  7. Latin America
  8. Low-Cost Carrier

FlightStats has published the On-time Performance Service (OPS) Awards for the last six years in an effort to recognize the “Best of the Best” Airlines that demonstrate consistently high performance and deliver on their promise to get passengers to their destinations in a timely manner.

The winners in each of the respected categories, announced by FlightStats are:

Major International Global Airline:

Air Berlin, ANA, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LAN Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Saudia, Singapore Airlines

The winner is KLM

Major Alliances:
oneworld, Sky Team, Star Alliance

The winner is oneworld

North America Major Airlines:

Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Virgin America, WestJet

The winner is Alaska Airlines

Europe Major Airlines:

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, easyjet, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air Shuttle, SAS

The winner is Finnair

Asia-Pacific Major Airlines:

Air New Zealand, ANA, IndiGo, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jetstar, Korea Air, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Australia International

The winner is Japan Airlines

Middle East and Africa Major Airlines:   

EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Flydubai, Kenya Airways, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Turkish Airlines

The winner is Saudia

Latin America Major Airlines:

Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Gol, LAN Airlines, TAM Linhas Aereas

The winner is Copa Airlines

Low-Cost Airlines:

AirAsia, Air Baltic, easyjet, Iberia Express, IndiGo, Jetstar Airways, NIKI, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Thai AirAsia, Virgin America

The winner is Iberia Express

The full 2014 On-Time Performance Service Awards can be found here.

Ethiopian and Liege Airport renew their successful partnership in Air Cargo

By
André Orban
-
0

Ethiopian Airlines and Liege Airport have agreed to extend for another 5 years their win-win partnership for the transport of air cargo between Africa and Europe.

Liege Airport has been serving as Ethiopian main European cargo hub since 2008 for Ethiopian flower exports to the European market and the import of high value goods into Africa.

Ethiopian and Liege Airport 5 years partnership has been very successful thanks the phenomenal growth of trade between Africa and Europe and their ability to tap into this growth by leveraging the operational excellence of Ethiopian Cargo, Africa’s largest cargo operator, and the state-of-the art cargo facilities and services at Liege Airport.

Ethiopian_Airlines_Cargo_McDonnell_Douglas_MD-11F

Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, said: “Ethiopian has become a truly global cargo operator with 8 dedicated freighters, including B777-200 LR freighters serving 24 cargo destinations on 4 continents, and a growing cargo infrastructure, including the construction of a 1.2 million tons annual capacity cargo terminal in Addis Ababa.

Liege Airport is our main cargo hub for the European market and has been instrumental in the success of Ethiopian flower exports to Europe. We currently operate 3 wide-body B777-200 LR freighters to Liège every single day during the peak season. I wish to thank Liege Airport, its management and staff, for their top notch service and facilities, which were critical in making our partnership successful. With Africa’s economic growth in general and Ethiopia’s export-driven growth in particular, the prospects are indeed very bright for our long and mutually beneficial partnership to continue to thrive“.

Luc Partoune, CEO of Liege Airport, added that “As our first client to and from Africa we are proud to serve Ethiopian Airlines since their start with wide-bodies to and from Europe; the fact that Ethiopian Airlines extends our cooperation based on aforementioned reasons confirms our excellence in perishables, the flexibility of our services, the availability 24h a day, and the interconnectivity with all the operators based at Liege airport.”

Both Ethiopian and Liege Airport expect traffic to continue to grow robustly in 2015 and thereafter. In line with its strategic roadmap Vision 2025, Ethiopian Cargo, which currently uplifts 200,000 tons of cargo annually, plans to uplift 800,000 tons per annum by operating to 37 freighter destinations using 20 dedicated cargo aircraft by 2025.

www.ethiopianairlines.com

SAS delivers world class punctuality – again

By
André Orban
-
0

SAS was the second most on time of all global airlines in 2014 – 0,04% behind the winner. And compared with other major European airlines, SAS was the third most punctual, with 88.62% of the company’s 300,000 flights on schedule last year.

These figures come from Flightstats that publishes monthly statistics of airline punctuality. Flightstats has just announced its sixth annual On Time Performance Awards, where in the categories Global and Major Airlines SAS has been one of the world’s best airlines in each of these years.

“All our employees, both on the ground and in the air, do their utmost every day to meet the high expectations our customers have of SAS. Receiving this award is a confirmation that SAS is a world beating airline and a real tribute to our employees,” said Rickard Gustafson, Group CEO of SAS.

“At the same time, it is also an important award for our frequent flyers, as it confirms that SAS is a reliable airline that repays their loyalty,” added Rickard Gustafson.

Flightstats records the arrival times of over 150,000 flights a day, and then analyses and publishes the data for the benefit of millions of travelers worldwide. For more information on Flightstats: www.flightstats.com.

January 27, 2015 08:32 / SAS News / English

Europe Airpost launches flights between Dublin and Halifax, Canada, by Boeing 737-700

By
André Orban
-
1
Halifax, harbour area

French airline Europe Airpost is to operate a new direct scheduled summer service between Dublin and Halifax, Novia Scotia this summer.

The new route, which will operate from the beginning of July until mid September, will boost Canadian tourism to Ireland and also offer a new direct destination in North America for Irish consumers.

Europe Airpost, which is the French subsidiary of Dublin-based ASL Aviation Group, has an existing charter operation at Dublin Airport, but the new weekly Halifax service will be its first scheduled service from Dublin.

The company has been operating at Dublin Airport since 2010 and is the only charter airline that has an aircraft based year-round in Ireland. Europe Airpost’s new route will operate weekly from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Dublin and then continue to Halifax, Novia Scotia with a Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

“We are very pleased to launch a new scheduled route departing from Dublin,” said Europe Airpost Chief Executive Jean-François Dominiak. This new route meets Europe Airpost’s strategy of diversification into scheduled flights. Five years ago Europe Airpost successfully started a new passenger business in Ireland with its chartered operation and I am confident that our scheduled operation from Dublin will register the same success.”

Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison said the airport was delighted to welcome the new Europe Airpost service to Halifax. “Halifax is Dublin Airport’s fifteenth North American destination and we look forward to working closely with Europe Airpost to promote this new route, which strengthens the growing links between Ireland and Canada. Europe Airpost has been a valued charter customer for Dublin Airport during the past five years and we welcome its decision to operate a new scheduled service from Dublin for the first time.”

The new service will operate weekly from July 9 until September 11 with flights departing Dublin on Thursdays and from Halifax on Fridays.

Halifax, which is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, is an Atlantic seaside city of great natural beauty, boasting a dramatic coastline, white sandy beaches, and one of the world’s largest natural harbours.? Steeped in history, rich in culture, and remarkably friendly, Halifax bustles with big city energy blended with small town charm.?Halifax, which is the largest city in Atlantic Canada, has been described by Lonely Planet as “the kind of town that people flock to”.

The schedule for the new routes is as follows:

Dublin/Halifax

Thursday: Departs from Dublin 2:25 p.m.  – Arrives in Halifax 4:45 p.m.

Friday: Departs from Halifax 10:15 a.m.  – Arrives in Dublin 8:05 p.m.

All times specified are local and subject to government approval.

The flights will be operated by a Boeing 737-700, configured in a two-class lay-out, with a capacity of 130 seats: 16 in Premium class and 114 in Economy class. Prices to will start at €659 return, with all taxes and baggage fees included (within the authorized baggage allowance).

With this new route to Halifax, Europe Airpost will also offer a new travel option between Dublin and Paris with the following schedule:

Thursday: Departs from Paris-CDG 1:00 p.m. – Arrives in Dublin 1:35 p.m.

Friday: Departs from Dublin 8:55 p.m. – Arrives in Paris-CDG 11:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now on Europe Airpost’s website: www.europeairpost.com. Call center: +33 (0) 825 825 849 (Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. French time) and will shortly be available through travel agencies and other travel websites.

January 26 2015

Qatar Airways named ‘Best Economy Long-haul Experience’

By
Maarten Van Den Driessche
-
0

Worldwide study by SKIFT proves the high-quality of Qatar Airways’ 5-Star aviation experience

DOHA, Qatar – On January 16th, Qatar Airways was named “Best Economy Long-Haul Experience” by SKIFT, a recognised leader in world travel trends and information. The study, which included all major international airlines, was a comprehensive evaluation of the user experience, designed to “determine the best cabin experiences around the world”.

This distinction joins Qatar Airways’ other coveted titles including “World’s Best Business Class” from Skytrax, which the World’s 5-star airline has won for the past two consecutive years.

QATAR AIRWAYS
QATAR AIRWAYS

“Having received such prestigious honours for our Business Class, we are proud to be recognised for our commitment to all of our world travellers,” said Qatar Airway’s Group Chief Executive, His Excellency, Mr. Akbar Al Baker.

He continued: “Our vision has always been to create the world’s finest travel experience; in the air and on the ground, in every seat on every flight, for both business and leisure passengers. We are honored by this recognition and inspired to set new standards for our hospitable, 5-Star service.”

The final decision was reached by evaluating all aspects of the airline user experience, including website, economy cabin comfort, inflight meals, added perks (Wi-Fi, in-seat power, etc.) and overall design aesthetic. While acknowledging the quality of previous passenger rating systems, SKIFT’s ground-breaking study set out to minimise bias and deliver a data-driven evaluation.

“We chose a system which put the very subjective “best” in an objective context,” wrote Marisa Garcia of SKIFT, “We also wanted to consider the overall passenger experience point-to-point, and to give ratings which, though always subjective, could be justified as equitable.

SKIFT’s recognition comes just weeks after Qatar Airways launched the brand-new Airbus A350 from the manufacturer’s headquarters in Toulouse, France. Qatar Airways is the first airline in the world to offer the state-of-the-art aircraft, and successfully completed the innagural passenger flight, between Doha, Qatar and Frankfurt, Germany, on January 15, 2015.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operation, to the point where today it is flying a modern fleet of 146 aircraft to 146 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Qatar Airways flies daily to Washington DC, New York, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami* and Chicago non-stop from the airlines hub in Doha, Qatar. All of these routes are operated with the airline’s state-of-the-art Boing 777 aircraft, the backbone of the fleet.

*Miami to be daily from November 2015; presently Qatar Airways flies five-times-weekly to Miami International Airport.

American Airlines Welcomes First Boeing 787 Dreamliner

By
Maarten Van Den Driessche
-
2

The 787 will bring great new benefits to American’s network and customers

FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — American Airlines today officially welcomes its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. American took delivery of the airplane, a 787-8 with registration number N800AN, on Thursday at Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, and it is scheduled to arrive in Dallas/Fort Worth on Friday afternoon.

“We are committed to delivering a fantastic product for our customers with the continuation of our unprecedented fleet renewal program and more than $2 billion in improvements in the customer experience,” said Doug Parker, American’s chairman and CEO. “The 787 makes our fleet younger and more modern and it will open up new possibilities to connect our customers to the places they want to fly.”

“We’re proud that American Airlines has chosen the 787 to be a key part of its fleet renewal plan,” said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We appreciate American’s confidence in the airplane and know the Dreamliner will open exciting new routes for American’s customers.”

American has placed firm orders for 42 Boeing 787 aircraft, with the right to acquire an additional 58. American will take delivery of both the 787-8 and 787-9 as part of the 42 firm orders. American expects its first 787 to enter revenue service in the second quarter, flying domestically between American’s hubs for several weeks before being launched on international flights.

American

The 787 will bring new benefits to American’s network and customers. It has an onboard experience unlike any other airplane and provides improved aerodynamics, advanced engine technology, reduced maintenance requirements, better fuel efficiency and lower overall operating costs.

American already has the youngest fleet of the U.S. global network carriers, with an average aircraft age of 12.3 years. In 2015, American plans to take delivery of an average of two new aircraft per week. These new deliveries will make American’s fleet even younger, more modern and more efficient and will provide a solid foundation for continued improvements in technology, products and services.

American is in the midst of more than $2 billion in planned improvements to give customers a superior travel experience around the world. These investments include fully lie-flat seats on international long-haul aircraft; international Wi-Fi; more in-flight entertainment options and power outlets; a new, modern design for Admirals Club lounges worldwide; and an upgraded assortment of complimentary healthy food, cocktails and more. In addition to taking delivery of hundreds of new planes, American is retrofitting its entire fleet of Boeing 777-200s and selected 767-300s, 757-200s and Airbus A319s to refresh the cabins and enhance the experience on domestic and international flights.

For more information on American’s fleet renewal efforts, visit aa.com/newplanes.

Dublin-based lessor Elix acquires three Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft

By
André Orban
-
0

Bombardier welcomes newest leasing company to the program as lessors continue recognizing the Q400 NextGen turboprop as a high-quality asset

q400_elix

 Global Airfinance Conference Dublin – Bombardier Commercial Aircraft today welcomed leasing company Elix Aviation Capital Limited (“Elix”) to the family of Q400 ?aircraft owners and operators. Elix is taking an assignment of three Q400 NextGen aircraft previously booked by an existing Bombardier customer.

Dublin-based Elix was launched in September 2013 with the equity backing of Oaktree Capital Management, a premier global alternative investment firm managing funds in excess of $90 Billion US.

“The Q400 NextGen aircraft is ideally suited to meet the needs of regional airlines as their demand for new-generation turboprops increases worldwide,” said Antonis Simigdalas, Chief Executive Officer, Elix Aviation Capital Limited.  “We have noted the Q400 NextGen aircraft’s proven operational capability and performance and are confident that it will be an outstanding asset in our portfolio.”

“As the number of Q400 ? aircraft owners and operators continues to grow, we are very pleased to add Elix to our family,” said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “As active investors in turboprop aircraft, and with a worldwide customer base that includes operators on every continent, Elix is well positioned to extend the global reach of the Q400 aircraft even further – bringing the aircraft to an ever increasing number of communities.”

January 21, 2015 Toronto Aerospace,  Press Release

Vueling adds African destinations from Barcelona

By
André Orban
-
0

Rabat (Morocco), Yerba (Tunisia) and Accra (Ghana) will expand Vueling’s African presence starting on 20 June.

The airline will also launch a summer service to Istanbul.

For the sixth consecutive year, Vueling will launch services to several new destinations from Barcelona’s El Prat airport, and this year Africa is a new growth area. Starting on 20 June, Vueling will directly operate regular flights to Rabat in Morocco, Yerba in Tunisia, and Accra, Ghana. The new routes are expected to help meet demand especially from customers at Vueling’s European destinations in the UK and Scandinavia, who can benefit from easy connections via Barcelona to these African cities.

After launching flights to Marrakech in 2009, the airline gradually added new African services and now has 16 routes reaching 11 destinations on the continent: Marrakech, Rabat, Casablanca, Nador, and Fez in Morocco; Tunis and Yerba in Tunisia; Algiers and Oran in Algeria; Dakar in Senegal; Banjul in Gambia; and Accra in Ghana. At 3,960 km, the Barcelona-Ghana route will be the longest operated by the airline.

Another addition to Vueling’s network this summer is Istanbul. From June through October the airline will fly three times a week from Barcelona.

New Routes Now Open for Booking

ROUTE

FREQUENCY

Barcelona-Rabat (Morocco)

2 flights/week (Tues., Sat.)

Barcelona-Yerba (Tunisia)

2 flight/week (Wed., Sat.)

Barcelona-Accra (Ghana)

1 flight/week (Sat.)

Barcelona-Istanbul (Turkey)

3 flight/week (Tues., Thurs., Sat.)

Tickets for flights on these routes may now be booked on the Vueling.com website or with our app for mobile phones (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone).

Barcelona, 22 January 2015

Alaska Air Group purchases two more Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft

By
André Orban
-
0

Order will increase Horizon Air’s fleet to 54 Q400 aircraft; reinforcing the airline’s standing as the largest operator of Q400 turboprops worldwide

Bombardier Q400 NextGen in the livery of Alaska Air Group

 

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Seattle-based Horizon Air Industries, Inc. (“Horizon Air”) has converted two of seven previously acquired Q400NextGen aircraft options to firm orders. The airline retains its options on another five Q400 NextGen aircraft. Horizon Air and its sister carrier, Alaska Airlines are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.

Based on the list price of the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the purchase agreement is valued at approximately $70.1 million US.

“As we grow our operations, we continue to rely on the Q400 aircraft’s versatility, speed and comfort to provide a satisfying experience for our customers,” said David Campbell, President and Chief Operations Officer, Horizon Air.  “In 2014, Horizon Air ventured into the Alaskan frontier, successfully launching the Q400 NextGen aircraft on new routes between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and Anchorage and Kodiak.”

“Horizon Air is one of the most successful North American regional carriers and a marquee customer that continues to showcase the operational flexibility and performance capability of the Q400 aircraft,” said Steve Young, Regional Vice President, Sales, North America, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.  “The Q400 aircraft has long been the backbone of Horizon Air’s network success and continues to be the airline’s choice as it increases its fleet to 54 aircraft.  We are delighted that the Q400 aircraft retains its status as North America’s preferred turboprop.”

Horizon Air’s Q400 aircraft are equipped with Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS) for all-weather operations, Wide Area Augmentation Systems (WAAS) with approach guidance (LPV) for ILS-like landing minima at remote runways and RNP AR 0.1 to fly curved approaches to airports in difficult terrain. The unmatched capability to land and take off on challenging runways in unsettled weather is another benefit of the Q400 aircraft.

Established in 1981, Horizon Air was acquired in 1986 by Alaska Air Group, Inc., the parent company of Alaska Airlines. At its start, the airline operated two aircraft and served three destinations in Washington state. Today, Horizon flies its 76-seatQ400 aircraft on behalf of Alaska Airlines and serves 43 cities in the western United States, Canada and Mexico. Horizon Air, which is also a codeshare partner of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, operates both the longest (Seattle to Fresno, 748 miles/1,204 km) and shortest (Pullman to Lewiston, 26 miles/42 km) turboprop routes currently being served by regional carriers in the U.S.

In 2014, Bombardier and Horizon Air signed a five-year heavy maintenance agreement whereby Bombardier will perform heavy maintenance tasks for the airline’s fleet of Q400 aircraft at Bombardier’s service centre in Tuscon, Arizona.

January 22, 2015 TorontoAerospace,  Press Release

Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft ready for demonstration flights

By
André Orban
-
0

Initial mission systems testing completed

The Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) program is ready for customer demonstration flights, having completed the baseline ground and flight testing of the aircraft mission systems.

Flights for prospective customers around the world are scheduled to begin in the coming months. The mission system testing followed last year’s airworthiness and certification testing.

“The mission systems flight test program proved the functionality and performance of the onboard sensors and was a huge accomplishment for the MSA team,” said David Utz, MSA demonstrator flight test manager.

The testing included hundreds of scenarios to confirm performance of the Automatic Identification System, radar, Electro-Optical Infrared camera, communications radios and data links, Communications Intelligence System and the Electronic Support Measures.

MSA is a multi-intelligence maritime surveillance platform that leverages investments in the P-8A Poseidon and the Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 aircraft mission systems to provide a high capability, low-risk intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solution in a mid-size business jet.

The aircraft’s potential missions include anti-piracy, immigration patrols, Economic Exclusion Zone enforcement, coastal and border security and long-range search and rescue.

SEATTLE, Jan. 22, 2015

US Navy approves F/A-18 Super Hornet IRST system for production

By
André Orban
-
0

Long-range sensor system demonstrated production readiness on Super Hornet

F18EThe F/A-18 Super Hornet infrared search and track (IRST) system, developed and integrated by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, received approval from the U.S. Navy to enter low-rate initial production.

The IRST system consists of Lockheed Martin’s IRST21™ sensor, the GE Aviation FPU-13 Fuel Tank Assembly and the Meggitt Defense Industry Environmental Control unit. The system demonstrated its production readiness through a series of extensive assessments and reviews, including flight tests.

“This ‘see first, strike first’ capability can be used in a variety of threat environments and is a game changer for our warfighters as we combat future adversaries,” said U.S. Navy F/A-18 program manager Capt. Frank Morley. IRST is expected to deploy on the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2017.

IRST21 is the next generation of Lockheed Martin’s legacy IRST sensor system, which accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours on the U.S. Navy’s F-14 and international F-15 platforms.  The long-range IRST21 sensor uses infrared search and track technology to detect, track and enable the Super Hornet to engage threats with air-to-air weapons.

“Lockheed Martin and Boeing have proven the maturity of the IRST21 sensor and the IRST system and are poised to get this advanced capability out to the fleet to support Navy carrier strike group objectives,” said Ken Fuhr, fixed wing program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

In addition to detecting airborne threats, IRST significantly enhances multiple target resolution compared to radar, providing greater discrimination of threat formations at longer ranges. Data from the IRST21 sensor is fused with other on-board F/A-18 sensor data to provide maximum situational awareness to the warfighter.

“The IRST system is another example of how we continue to evolve Super Hornet capabilities to ensure it outpaces future adversaries,” said Tim Adrian, F/A-18 IRST program manager at Boeing.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

Orlando, Fla., and ST. LOUIS, Jan. 22, 2014

Boeing, Thai Airways International celebrate 75th direct airplane delivery

By
André Orban
-
0

THAI uses newly delivered 777-300ER to carry out humanitarian mission

777-300ER TII #1267-WE444Boeing and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) celebrated the Thai flag-carrier’s 75th direct delivery of a Boeing airplane. Marking the milestone delivery, Boeing and THAI collaborated to transport 1,000 wool blankets onboard THAI’s newly delivered 777-300ER (Extended Range). The blankets, donated by Another Joy Foundation, will be distributed by the airline to people in need in Thailand during the colder winter months.

“This is a very special delivery for us, our 75th direct delivery from Boeing, and we are excited to mark this occasion with another joint humanitarian flight,” said THAI President Mr. Charamporn Jotikasthira. “THAI is thankful to Boeing and Another Joy Foundation for providing winter blankets and pleased that Thai Airways International can carry them to people in need in Thailand. This partnership demonstrates the close relationship between THAI and Boeing, and our shared interest in humanitarian support in Thailand.”

This latest humanitarian effort, the third between Boeing and THAI, is part of Boeing’s long-running Humanitarian Delivery Flights program.

“Boeing is honored to celebrate this milestone delivery with Thai Airways International and to partner again on providing resources to those in need,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It is a reflection of our longstanding relationship with THAI, and through efforts such as this, Boeing and its airline partners are able to deploy aid where it’s needed around the world.”

Boeing’s Humanitarian Delivery Flights program, which began in 1992, has worked in partnership with nearly 50 carriers worldwide to facilitate more than 170 humanitarian flights. On previous delivery flights, THAI and Boeing have provided medical kits and school supplies.

THAI currently operates four 787 Dreamliners and has operated nearly every model of the 777. THAI Cargo was the first carrier in Southeast Asia to utilize the 777 Freighter. The airline has an additional two 777-300ERs on order.

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/

Cathay Pacific to operate more San Francisco flights from June

By
Maarten Van Den Driessche
-
0

Cathay Pacific to operate more San Francisco flights from June

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that it will launch an additional three-times-weekly direct service between Hong Kong and San Francisco commencing 11 June 2015.

The three extra flights, operating as CX892/893, will bring the total number of Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and San Francisco to 17 a week, providing more choice, greater convenience and improved connectivity for passengers travelling through the Hong Kong hub to the West Coast of the United States.

Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific Chief Operating Officer Rupert Hogg said: “Adding an evening departure out of Hong Kong will give our passengers more flexibility when travelling to San Francisco. These additional flights will also be a boon for the significant number of passengers who choose to travel through the Hong Kong hub to connect to a huge number of Asian destinations in the networks of Cathay Pacific and our sister airline, Dragonair.”

Cathay Pacific currently operates more than 100 passenger flights a week between Hong Kong and a number of destinations in North America, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Newark, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver. The airline will commence operations to Boston, Massachusetts, on 2 May 2015.

Emirates launches 13th weekly flight to Kolkata and introduces First Class to the route

By
Maarten Van Den Driessche
-
0

Emirates launches 13th weekly flight to Kolkata and introduces First Class to the route

Double announcement marks ninth anniversary of operating to the Indian city
DUBAI, U.A.E.,19th January 2015: Emirates airline, a global connector of people and places, today, announced two enhancements to its service to the Kolkata market.

Commencing 29th March 2015 the airline will add a 13th weekly flight between the West Bengal capital and its home and hub in Dubai. Operating on Wednesdays, EK 572 will depart Dubai International Airport at 13:00 hours and arrive at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 19.15 hours. The return flight EK 573 will depart at 20:30 hours and arrive in Dubai at 00:05 hours.

Kolkata 2_tcm133-2099896

The inbound service offers convenient connections with several regions within Emirates’ network, including many of the 37 European, 17 Middle Eastern and 20 African cities Emirates serves. With this additional service, Emirates will operate 186 weekly flights across its network of 10 Indian destinations.
Also on 29th March, Emirates will start to operate a larger Boeing 777-200ER on the route as flight numbers EK 570 and EK 571 which will offer Emirates’ renowned First Class service. The Boeing is an up-gauge from the existing A330-200, with capacity for 274 passengers; 220 in Economy Class, 42 in Business Class and 12 First Class. Emirates will be the only airline operating a First Class cabin to the city.

The new service and up-gauge will represent a capacity increase of 250 seats in each direction per week.
“Emirates commenced flights to Kolkata on 26th March 2006 the seventh city in India we launched flights to. Since then we have flown over 1.6 million people and 55,260 tonnes of cargo on this popular route. On the milestone of completing nine successful years of operations to Kolkata, we are happy to offer an extra weekly flight to passengers flying to the city which not only increases their choice of flight times but also introduces increased capacity and a First Class cabin for our premium customers”, said Ahmed Khoory, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations – West Asia and Indian Ocean, Emirates Airline. “The additional flight and increased capacity also means strengthening of travel options available not just to Kolkata, but the entire east and north-east India region. We hope this capacity addition will help connect even more people to the market, and facilitate greater trade to the region and its economy”.

Kolkata1_tcm133-2099895

Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. A bustling city with 4.5 million residents, Kolkata has long been known for its literary and artistic heritage. A former capital of India, it has a proud heritage of modern Indian literary, artistic and academic thought and is often dubbed the Cultural or Literary Capital of India, with travellers able to enjoy many renowned cultural and literary activities whilst visiting.

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance once again voted MRO of the year

By
André Orban
-
0

On 19 January 2015, the specialized magazine Airline Economics awarded AFI KLM E&M the “MRO* of the year” prize for the second year running, at the Airline Economics Aviation 100 Awards.

This award, voted by aviation industry professionals, confirms the recognized expertise of the maintenance, repair and overhaul solutions delivered by AFI KLM E&M, along with the quality of its customer service. The award of this prize for the second year running also underlines AFI KLM E&M’s commitment to continue to deliver top-level performances in the long-term.

AFI KLM E&M continues to invest heavily to improve its infrastructure and develop its network in order to provide a rapid response to its customers worldwide. Listening to customers, providing quality services and a capacity to align its products and services with the concrete requirements of companies are at the heart of AFI KLM E&M’s ambition to constantly improve its ability to adapt.

*Maintenance Repair Overhaul

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Vueling wins Brussels Airport Aviation Award for network development

By
André Orban
-
0

Vueling has won a price at the 8th edition of the annual Brussels Airport Aviation Awards. The Spanish airlines company was awarded with the Network Development Award for the introduction of seven new routes at Brussels Airport in 2014 and for the fact that it choose Brussels Airport as a focus airport within its network.

 

Wim Melis, Country Manager Benelux at Vueling, is truly delighted: “I am very pleased that we carry home this beautiful award. The Network Development Award is a recognition for the daily efforts of all our employees to turn the new routes into a success story. We welcomed in December our 3 millionth passenger on Brussels Airport, the best proof that our offer is clearly attractive to the Belgian travellers. We are proud to add the Basque capital Bilbao this coming Spring to our destinations out of Brussels. “

 

The Brussels Airport Aviation Awards are awarded annually since 2007 by Brussels Airport to those airlines and partners who have distinguished themselves in a special way in terms of punctuality and performance, environment and safety, and the development of network and new routes. Vueling shares the prize for network development and new routes (Short Haul) with Brussels Airlines, Emirates received the Network Development Award (Long Haul).

Brussels, 15 January 2015

1...1,6161,6171,618...1,632Page 1,617 of 1,632

Aviation24.be latest

Aviation24.be trending