Trainspotting writer calls airline staff muppets over small delay

Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting went on a rant worthy of one of the characters he created after his American Airlines flight was delayed. The aggressive Scot used social media to bemoan about his experience branding the airline muppets after a technical error with electronic flight bags meant critical safety flight manuals were not loaded correctly on the crew's flight iPads. “@AmericanAir can’t take off on this or any other flight as they’ve ‘lost all our updated flight manuals from our iPads. Are you f*****g kidding us, you muppets!” he wrote on Twitter.  

Following up with a more offensive expletive in another tweet -

The writer's reputation for being aggressive, rude and belligerent to those working in the service industry continues. And, the duration of the mega long delay that caused such anger and hate from the writer was....an hour. 

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Philippine Airlines view the A350-1000

The national airline of The Philippines is looking to add the largest version of the Airbus A350 family to its fleet the carrier’s president said on Thursday.
Philippine Airlines is currently undergoing a massive $2 billion that's approximately £1.4 billion expansion and fleet renewal programme to give it one of the youngest fleets in Asia.
“It is one airplane we can consider. It is a bigger version of the A350-900,” Jaime Bautista, president of the airline’s operator, PAL Holdings Inc, told reporters before an A350-1000 test flight in the capital Manila.

65 people feared dead in Iranian plane crash

It's believed that all 65 passengers and crew on an Aseman Airlines ATR72 aircraft have perished in an air disaster in the mountainous region in southern Iran.

The ATR72 was 24 years old and left the Iranian capital Tehran at around 8am local time Sunday morning and is understood to have crashed approximately an hour later. Local media is reporting that the aircraft came down near the remote mountain town of Semirom, which is close to 390 miles south of Tehran. A blanket of heavy fog was said to be in the region at the time of the incident.  
A spokesperson for Aseman Airlines originally advised that there were 66 people on the aircraft, however, it now appears one passenger had actually missed the flight, bringing the likely death toll to 65.  According to local media, there were 59 passengers on board, as well as a flight crew of two, two flight attendants and two air marshals.
The aircraft was en route to the southern city of Yasuj, in Isfahan province when the crash happened and "Given the special circumstances of the region, we still have no access to the spot of the crash and therefore we cannot accurately and definitely confirm the death of all passengers of this plane." said the spokesperson, Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai.  Rescue teams and Iran's Red Crescent have deployed workers to the area on foot as the fog is preventing helicopters from reaching the crash site.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a statement: "The very tragic incident of a passenger plane crashing on Tehran-Yasuj route, which led to the death of a number of our fellow Iranians, caused great grief and sorrow.  I hereby express sympathy with the bereaved families and offer my condolences to the Iranian nation, asking the Almighty mercy for those who lost their lives, and patience and rewards for their bereaved families."
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani issued messages of condolences. The president asked the transport minister to lead an investigation into the crash. The Armenian Prime Minister expressed his sympathies and condolences. 

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Air Canada Announces Appointment of Jon Turner as Vice President, Maintenance

Air Canada President and Chief Executive Officer Calin Rovinescu announced on Thursday the appointment of Jon Turner as Vice President, Maintenance.
Mr Turner began his career at Air Canada in 1980 and held a wide-range of critical operational positions with the company. From 1997 to 2004, as General Manager, Aircraft Programs, he was responsible for all aspects of Air Canada's aircraft acquisition and disposal. From 2004 to 2007 he was Vice President, Maintenance and Engineering. He is returning to Air Canada after working at other airlines, most recently Air Canada Express partner, Sky Regional, where he was President and Chief Executive Officer. He will report to Richard Steer, Senior Vice-President – Operations, who reports to Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada, who has overall responsibility for all aspects of the operations of the airline.

Bombardier Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Results With Some Surprises

Bombardier reported its fourth quarter and full year 2017 results, highlighting solid financial and operational performance across the company.
“Bombardier closed out the second full year of its five-year turnaround plan with very strong performance,” said Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. “Because of this solid performance, we begin 2018 with great momentum. Our operational transformation is in full motion; our growth programs - including the Global 7000 - are on track and we have a clear line of sight to our 2020 objectives.”
In 2017, Bombardier’s full-year EBIT before special items grew 57% year-over-year, from $427 million to $672 million, while EBITDA before special items(1) reached close to $1 billion. Full year EBIT margins exceeded guidance at Transportation, Business Aircraft and Aerostructures. Before special items, EBIT margins(1) were 8.4% at Transportation and Business Aircraft; and 10.0% at Aerostructures. Consolidated revenues for the year were $16.2 billion, in line with our guidance.

Alaska Air Group reports January 2018 operational results

 Alaska Air Group reported its January operational results this week,  on a consolidated basis, for its mainline operations operated by subsidiaries Alaska Airlines Inc. (Alaska) and Virgin America Inc. (Virgin America), and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries Inc. (Horizon) and third-party regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and Peninsula Airlines.
On Jan. 11, 2018, Alaska and Virgin America consolidated their operations onto a Single Operating Certificate (SOC). As a result, operational results for Alaska and Virgin America have been combined into a single mainline operation.

Aeroflot Open 2018 Begins in Moscow on 19 February

The Aeroflot Open 2018 international chess festival will be held from 19 February to 1 March at the Cosmos Hotel. The competition is one of the world's oldest and most popular and is traditionally held with support from Aeroflot. This year's event is taking place in the Russian capital for the 16th time and brings together a strong line-up of participants.

he Aeroflot Open consists of three tournaments (A, B and C), into which competitors are entered according to their ratings. Players in all sections will play according to the Swiss system of nine rounds. Naturally, much of the interest is centred on the "A" group, in which players must have a ranking of 2,550 or higher.

This year the "A" tournament starting list includes leading players such as Vladimir Fedoseev, winner of Aeroflot Open 2017 (Russia, 2,724); Vidit Gujrathi, winner of the Tata Steel Challengers 2018 tournament (India, 2,723); Dmitry Andreikin, champion of Russia 2012 (2,712), former European blitz champion Rauf Mamedov (Azerbaijan, 2,709); current European champion Maxim Matlakov (Russia, 2,709); Vladislav Artemiev, winner of the Higher League of the Russian Championship 2015 (2,697); ex-European champion Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia, 2,684); Evgeny Naer, ex-champion of Europe and winner of Aeroflot Open 2016 (Russia, 2,683); and many other stars.

More than 90 chess players from 23 countries will compete in the "A" tournament. The overall winner of the competition will receive a ticket to the elite tournament in Dortmund (12-23 July 2018).

Aeromexico to Install 2Ku on Additional Boeing 737-800 Aircraft

Gogo the leading global provider of broadband connectivity products and services for aviation, announced today that Aeromexico will install 2Ku on an additional 9 Boeing 737-800NG's, bringing the total to 29 aircraft.  Today, 20 of Aeromexico's 737-800NG aircraft are flying with Gogo's 2Ku in-flight connectivity technology.
"Aeromexico was one of the first airlines to commit and deploy 2Ku and we are excited to extend our partnership and bring the industry's leading in-flight connectivity solution to their passengers," said Dave Bijur, Gogo's SVP and regional president for the Americas.  

Boeing 737 MAX 9 Awarded FAA Certification

Boeing announced today that the 737 MAX 9 has received an amended type certificate (ATC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), officially certifying the aeroplane for commercial service.
Boeing's new 737 MAX 9 has received FAA certification and is now being prepped for first delivery. Paul Weatherman photo. This certification marks the culmination of a successful flight test program that began in March 2017 with two Boeing flight test aeroplanes. The FAA certification affirms that the aeroplane's handling, systems and overall performance all comply with required aviation regulations.
"Our teams built superior capabilities into the MAX 9 and proved them all the way through flight test. We're looking forward to bringing this aeroplane to market for our valued customers," said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "I am proud of the entire team for helping us reach another important development milestone."

Copa's January

Copa Holdings, released its preliminary passenger traffic statistics for January 2018 on Thursday. 
For the month of January 2018, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic (RPMs) increased 5.8% year over year, while capacity (ASMs) increased 5.4%.  As a result, system load factor for the month was 84.0%, a 0.4 percentage point increase when compared to January 2017.
Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services.  The Company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to 75 destinations in 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 101 aircraft: 81 Boeing 737NG aircraft and 20 EMBRAER-190s.

Operating Data	Jan	Jan	% Change
	2018	2017	(YOY)
Copa Holdings  (Consolidated)
ASM (mm) (1)	2,170.2	2,059.2	5.4%
RPM (mm) (2)	1,823.6	1,723.0	5.8%
Load Factor (3)	84.0%	83.7%	0.4p.p.
1.  Available seat miles - represents the aircraft seating capacity multiplied by the number of miles the seats are flown.
2.  Revenue passenger miles - represents the numbers of miles flown by revenue passengers
3.  Load factor - represents the percentage of aircraft seating capacity that is actually utilized

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Chorus Aviation announces solid year-end 2017 and fourth quarter earnings

Chorus Aviation announced yesterday, solid year-end and fourth quarter financial results for fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.
"I'm very pleased with the significant progress made in 2017 towards our vision of delivering regional aviation to the world," said Joe Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chorus.  "The successful launch of Chorus Aviation Capital and its rapid build to a global business has propelled the value of Chorus' portfolio of leased aircraft to over one billion dollars and demonstrated the strength of our growth and diversification strategy. We have been methodical and deliberate in deploying the $200 million gross proceeds from our convertible debt unit financing with Fairfax Financial. Within a relatively short period of time we've concluded leasing agreements with eight well-established regional carriers in eight countries located on six continents. We have strong momentum.

Norwegian reports 2017 full year results influenced by global expansion, fleet renewal and extraordinary costs

Norwegian today reported its full year and fourth quarter 2017 results. The net loss was -299 million NOK (-£27.4 million) in 2017, while the earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) was 60 million NOK (£5.5 million). Significant costs related to increased fuel prices, wet lease and passenger care affect the results. Going into 2018, Norwegian is far better positioned with stronger bookings and a better staffing situation. Major investments have also been done in 2017 to prepare for future growth.

Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and its flight attendants reach tentative merger agreement

Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and the Association of Flight Attendants announced today they have reached a tentative merger agreement for the airline's 5,400 flight attendants.
The merger agreement includes competitive pay raises, increase in retirement contributions and quality of life benefits and preserves all productivity of Alaska Airlines existing contract.
"We're thrilled to have reached this major milestone towards integrating our flight attendant work groups," said Jeff Butler, Alaska Airlines' vice president of guest and inflight services. "We have one of the best flight attendant work groups in the industry. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to bring Virgin America and Alaska Airlines together as one and supports our long-term low cost, low fares business philosophy."
Alaska Airlines' flight attendants will conduct a ratification vote that is expected to be completed in April. The tentative merger agreement marks a major milestone in integrating Virgin America and Alaska Airlines flight attendants.

Europe is more accessible than ever with Air Transat - New domestic flights will offer travellers greater flexibility

Air Transat, one Canada's leading low-cost airlines, has announced that it will be adding new domestic flights this summer, making Europe that much more accessible to travellers from Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City. In fact, they will now have access to more than 10 new European destinations, thanks to Air Transat's connecting flights via Montreal and Toronto.
"For more than 30 years, Air Transat has been the preferred holiday travel airline for Canadians flying to Europe," says Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer at Transat. "Our domestic flights are very popular with travellers, as they offer more choices and the flexibility to easily plan their dream vacations to Europe. This allows us to reinforce our position as leader in the transatlantic market, because a greater number of travellers are choosing the unique experience of flying with Air Transat to Europe."

Finnair and the Finnish Paralympic Committee agree to a partnership agreement

Finnair and the Finnish Paralympic Committee have signed a three-year partnership agreement, whereby Finnair becomes a key partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee for the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, which will begin on March 9, 2018. The agreement also covers the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020.
“Being the official airline and the main partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee is great,” says Pekka Vauramo, Finnair’s President and CEO. “We are doing our best to support the Paralympic team on their journey to success. We also want to promote together the theme of accessible travel. We want to provide parasport athletes with the best connections to the events and to enrich their preparation for the Games with a unique flying experience. Inclusiveness and diversity are an integral part of Finnair’s values. Finnair is committed to providing its customers, personnel and partners with equal opportunities. In addition, working with Paralympic athletes is an excellent opportunity to raise Finnair’s brand awareness globally. This cooperation will also enable us to get valuable information about the accessibility of our services and how to develop them further.”
“Travelling to the Paralympic Games with Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland, will be a first-class experience for our Paralympic athletes,” says Tero Kuorikoski, the Secretary-General of the Finnish Paralympic Committee. “Our cooperation brings forward the importance of accessible travel, and encourages everybody, despite possible challenges, to participate actively in life and share success stories. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Finnair as a key partner of the Finnish Paralympic Committee.”
Finnair is also the official partner of the National Olympic Committees of Finland and Sweden.