Ryanair to swtich handling agent at London Stanstead early next year....bad news for passengers!

The low-cost airline Ryanair announced this week that it was switching handling agents at its largest and perhaps most important bases, London Stanstead Airport.

From 1st February 2019, OmniServ will take over from Swissport and start providing all of Ryanair’s check-in, baggage and ground operations handling at Stansted. This is a massive undertaking for Omniserv, who will be operating under the name of Blue Handling, as Ryanair operates more than 200 flights a day from London Stanstead.

It isn't clear how, after an extensive tendering process OmniServ managed to steal the contract off Swissport, who will continue to handle Ryanair’s operations at over 40 other airports across Europe and the UK. OmniServ have an incredibly poor reputation, many passengers cite rude staff, lack of understanding, abandoning disabled passengers and incredibly slow service. The company has a one-star rating on Trustpilot, which might indicate why they are going to be operating under the name of Blue Handling! 

Flybe expects big losses this year, the share price dives and analysts fear for its future.

The UK's regional airline Flybe issued a profits warning on Wednesday, October 17th blaming a weaker British pound, higher fuel prices and a drop in demand for the fall in revenues.

Shares in the company slumped even further after the news broke, prompting many in the industry to question the airlines' long-term survival. By the close of business on Wednesday, the share price had dropped by 41% and could drop even further.

Whilst the airline has seen good revenue performance during the first part of the year,  it faces even more difficulties during the second half. Increasingly high fuel prices are just part of the story, the airline also cites unfavourable currency rates as having an impact on the company's bottom line, increased carbon costs are another issue.

Flybe has in recent times cut routes and capacity to focus on the more popular routes in wide UK network, which seemed to be working as the airline saw load factors were up to just over 86%. The airline had also started to get rid of some of its Embraer jets, which had high leasing contracts and were not as economically suited to the short, regional routes that FlyBe mostly operate. 

Planes grounded for up to three weeks if there is a no deal Brexit..........

STOP PRESS, hold the front page, don't press 'post now' just yet,  the boss of one of the largest airlines in Europe has issued a dire warning that planes could be grounded for up to three weeks in the event of a no deal Brexit!

This would be major news, it would lead all the news bulletins had the boss uttering those supremely pessimistic words not been Michael O'Leary, the aggressive boss of low-cost airline Ryanair.  

O'Leary has a long history of bashing Brexit and urging on the most pessimistic of predictions in the event of a no deal scenario. Back in September, he warned flights would be grounded for between a couple of days or a couple of weeks, all this, his latest outburst, made in Brussels on Wednesday, October 17th, does is extend the period of the grounding of flights could face. In August 2017 he said the UK was in denial over aviation. 

However, such a massive grounding of aircraft may have nothing to do with regulations or licencing, it could be because the airlines have chosen to voluntary ground the planes. O'Leary's said that his airline, Ryanair, may ground flights after Brexit anyway, just to teach voters a lesson and persuade them to "rethink" Brexit.  In an article in UK's Telegraph, it details how the outspoken CEO told the leaders of other European airlines, he wanted to "create an opportunity" for forcing Brexit supporters to learn they will "no longer going to have cheap holidays". Leading the call to other airlines to support a mass grounding of aircraft, he said: "I think it's in our interests - not for a long period of time - that the aircraft are grounded.". 

He wasn't alone in believing that the European airlines should punish the British for voting to leave the EU, Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr speaking at the same event said: "If we could use this industry to prove to the British how wrong the decision was, that might be a good thing."

Aeromexico cuts fleet and axes routes as losses bite

Aeromexico has confirmed today that it is cutting its fleet as its losses mount and costs continue to rise during challenging times for the aviation industry.

The company says it will retire three Embraer 170s and two Boeing 737-700s from service after a fleet review in an effort to ensure fleet flexibility and reduces its operational costs. Aeromexico has continued to deliver an operating profit, the company has delivered a net loss so far this year. 

As a result of this capacity reduction, these aircraft retirements will cause, the airline will suspend a number of routes, including - Mexico City to Boston, Washington Dulles & Portland; Monterrey to Las Vegas, Tijuana, Merida & Veracruz; and Guadalajara to Cancun and San Jose, California. Aeromexico has indicated that the affected routes will start to be halted during the spring of 2019.  

United Airlines releases latest results

The US leading mega-carrier, United Airlines has released its third-quarter 2018 financial results today which detailed a third-quarter net income of $836 million.

The airline saw impressive growth, despite the recent storms, although excessive fuel prices took a toll on the profits for the carrier. "Our stand-out third-quarter performance, which produced double-digit revenue growth as we more than offset the steep increase in fuel costs, is proof that United is building momentum," said Oscar Munoz, chief executive officer of United Airlines. "Our growth plan has been essential to our success, and we're more confident than ever we'll achieve the ambitious adjusted earnings per share1 target of $11 to $13 we laid out for 2020.".

Air cargo to double in 20 years time.......

According to the latest projections from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, air cargo operators will need more than 2,600 freighters over the next two decades to keep up with increasing global freight traffic, which is expected to double with 4.2% growth annually.  

Apparently, there will be demand for 980 new medium and large freighters and a further 1,670 converted freighters which will go towards replacing older aircraft and growing the global fleets of cargo operators to meet demand. "The air cargo market continues to be a major element of commercial aviation's growth story," said Darren Hulst, managing director of Market Analysis & Sales Support at Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes. "Our new forecast indicates strong long-term air cargo trends, which coincide with the market recovery that we have seen over the last few years across Europe, North America, and Asia."

The World Air Cargo Forecast was released by Boeing today at The International Air Cargo Association's Air Cargo Forum and Exhibition which detailed how some of the main forces behind the rise in demand for cargo aircraft comes from China. The global rise of e-commerce is also a key factor in the growth in demand as that industry is expected to rise by around 20% each year. 

CTA releases What We Heard Report summarizing its air passenger protection consultations

The What We Heard Report from The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has been released today, which summarises what it was told by the Canadian travelling public during a three month long research period.

The CTA is rightly proud of the engagement travellers mdae in the consultation process as there were close to 31,000 visits to the website and, 4,923 online questionnaires were completed, 463 written comments were sent in through the website, 930 randomly-selected travellers filled out surveys in 11 different airports, 104 formal written submissions were sent to the CTA, 39 in-depth discussions were held with key stakeholders and experts, and 203 Canadians attended in-person consultation sessions in eight cities and a phone-in consultation session. 

Korean Air boss indicted on embezzlement charges...

The woes at Korean Air Lines continue as its Chairman Cho Yang-ho was indicted on Monday 15th October on a number of charges that include embezzlement and breach of trust.

The South Korean prosecutor's office advised on Monday said Cho Yang-ho pocketed 19.6 billion won that's around $17 million in commission between 2003 and 2018 after setting up a trading company to broker specialist aircraft equipment and in-flight duty-free goods purchase deals for Korean Air, which cost the airline the same amount. 

Preveza and Bastia become new destinations for British Airways in summer 2019

New routes from London Heathrow to Preveza in Greece and Bastia in Corsica are the headlines from the release of the UK's biggest airline British Airways' new summer schedule for 2019. 

Preveza is said to be ideally positioned as a gateway to both beach and mountain escapes, sitting just 20 minutes north of the island of Lefkada, a popular summer yachting haven and windsurfers’ paradise. Adventure seekers can also explore one of Europe’s great wildernesses as Preveza is located just 60 minutes away from the Pindus mountains, where travellers can trek the vast alpine trails or explore the UNESCO protected Vikos Gorge.  The new service from British Airways will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays between 26th May and 29 September from May 26 through to September 29, with fares starting at £71.

Flights to the Corsican gateway of Bastia are scheduled for every Saturday from 25th May to 28th September, next year. Bastia will then become the second destination the carrier will serve on the French island following the launch of a new service to Figari this year. Corsica is perfectly placed between France and Italy in the Mediterranean Sea and is fast becoming a must-visit destination for European holidaymakers, BA says the lowest economy fares will start from £48.  

Yakutia Sukhoi Superjet100 damaged beyond repair in runway overun incident

An investigation is underway into why a Sukhoi Superjet 100 of  Yakutia Airline overran the runway on 10th October at Yakutsk International Airport not long after three in the morning.

There were no fatalities during the incident although a small number of the passengers did require medical assistance according to the airline. The SSJ100, registration RA-89011 was on a flight from Ulan-Ude, in Buryatia and was carrying 91 passengers and 5 crew.

The runway at Yakutsk International Airport is undergoing a programme of repair and refurbishment at the time of the incident. According to local media the aircraft touched down and landed normally on part of the runway that has finished being reconstructed.  However, it failed to stop before continuing onto an unfinished part of the runway which included a hump, which caused the main landing gear to collapse. The crew deployed the emergency slides for passengers and crew to escape the aircraft on the runway.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has released a video of the damaged aircraft on the runway which shows the forward landing gear off the ground as the nose points skywards, the main gear collapsed forcing the rear fuselage on the ground.

Jetlines makes another step forward in the race to get airbourne

Canada Jetlines has taken another massive leap forward in its race to get in the air, the company announced this week that it has completed a second set of advance lease payments to leading aircraft leasing firm, AerCap.

These lease payments are for two Airbus A320 aircraft, that are currently flying with Air New Zealand and near the end of their lease term with the kiwi airline.  Delivery of Airbus A320 MSNs 2594 and 2663 which are around 12 years old and are expected by early in the second quarter of 2019. These two planes are virtually identical in design, features, and equipment, allowing Jetlines to expedite the necessary training and maintenance processes to commence operations at an earlier date. 

Jetlines has made another deposit to AerCap for USD $438,000 per the terms of the agreement and in a demonstration of the continued partnership. To date, Jetlines has made payments totalling USD $2,190,000 toward securing these aircraft. CEO Javier Suarez stated “Our operations team has worked diligently on securing quality aircraft, carrying out a meticulous vetting process to ensure that the aircraft are fit for Jetlines’ ultra-low-cost operation. As a part of the process, Jetlines retained Lufthansa Technik to accomplish the preliminary inspection prior to the lease agreement completion to ensure the aircraft suitability and condition. Both AerCap and Air New Zealand have been proactive in supporting the transfer of data and information to Jetlines in order to allow the early entry into service. We look forward to getting these aircraft off the ground and to finally bring low fares to Canada.”

Oscar Wilde takes to the skies (again) with Norwegian

The popular low-cost airline, Norwegian has proudly announced that Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde has become the second Irish ‘tail fin hero’, ahead of the anniversary of his birthday on the 16th October. The renowned writer’s portrait graces the tail fin of two Norwegian aircraft –a Boeing 787 Dreamliner as well as a Boeing 737 MAX. 

From the very start of the airline, it has honoured many iconic people on the tails of its planes, sometimes they have been literary geniuses of Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde, other times the airline has celebrated big players in the aviation world like Sir Freddie Laker, but all the time the celebrated figures chosen symbolise the spirit of Norwegian by pushing boundaries, challenging the norm and inspiring others.

To represent Norwegian’s growth in Ireland, the airline has launched a second Irish tail fin hero following the announcement of explorer Tom Crean who also graces a Boeing 737 MAX and a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Born in Dublin on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a renowned Irish poet and playwright. He tried his hand at various literary activities throughout the 1880s and became one of London’s most popular playwrights. His imaginative works, in particular, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and his play The Importance of Being Earnest, are considered among the great literary masterpieces of the late Victorian period.

Matthew Wood, SVP Commercial Long haul and New Markets at Norwegian said: “Our ‘tail fin heroes’ offer us a perfect chance to pay tribute to some of the greatest Irish men and women of all time. Oscar Wilde has inspired generations and we are very happy to have one of the greatest poets of all time adorn our aircraft.”

(Photo  Norwegian)

Russian airline Aeroflot wins its first ever Business Traveller Award!

The leading Russian airline Aeroflot has been named Best Airline in Eastern Europe at the Business Traveller Awards,  this is the first time that the national flag carrier has scooped one of the annual awards voted for by readers of UK magazine Business Traveller.

"It is a special honour to receive this prestigious international award," said Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev. "The Business Traveller Awards are particularly valuable as they reflect the unfiltered opinions of our most discerning passengers. More and more international travellers are choosing to fly with Aeroflot, which reflects our consistently high standards of service, convenient route network and attractive prices. We will continue to focus on these competitive advantages as we seek to further strengthen our global market position."

The Business Traveller Awards are considered to be among some of the most prestigious awards within the travel media industry and have been going for more than 30 years. The results of the poll of the magazine's readers are authenticated by an independent auditing company, and are widely recognised as the market's benchmark for excellence.

Aeroflot is a regular winner of international awards based on passenger polls. The loyalty and high levels of satisfaction of the airline's passengers were reflected at this year's Skytrax World Airline Awards, when Aeroflot was named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the seventh time, while users of TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel reviews site, named Aeroflot's business class service the best in Europe.

(Photo Aeroflot)

Massive route expansion for America's United Airlines - 22 new routes for 2019

The US mega-carrier United Airlines has revealed its latest domestic route network development plans today which will see the company offering more ways for customers to connect to 22 destinations from six of its U.S. hubs. 

United also announced it will begin nonstop service to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, from Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C. With the new service, United will offer more nonstop service from more cities to Hilton Head Island than any other airline. Tickets are available now for purchase.

United announces the only nonstop flights connecting New York and Pensacola, Florida,

and new daily service to Anchorage, Alaska

Strengthens connectivity at Washington Dulles with four new routes and

 expands service between New York/Newark and seven destinations

"With more than 40 new domestic routes added this year, we remain committed to expanding our network to offer customers even more choices in their travel destinations," said Ankit Gupta, United's vice president of Domestic Network Planning. "The expansion to Hilton Head Island from three of our hub cities and the introduction of New York's only nonstop service to Anchorage and Pensacola, are just some of the ways we are responding to customer interest and demand." 

Team UK heads off for Invictus Games in Sydney

The 2018 Invictus Games are about to get underway in Sydney, Australia and the UK's British Airways gave the nations 2018 squad, a heroes’ send-off at Heathrow ahead of their 10,558-mile flight down under.

The Invictus games were set up by His Royal Highness Prince Harry in 2014 and is a parasport event especially for wounded, injured or sick armed forces personnel and their associated veterans.  Some of the disciplines taking place at the games in addition to athletics are archery, rowing, powerlifting, cycling, swimming and wheelchair basketball.

This year, Team UK comprises of 72 wounded, injured and sick serving military personnel and veterans who were photographed in front of a specially detailed British Airways Boeing 777.  The jet proudly displays a Good Luck message to the team and conveyed the team to Australia for the games which run from 20th - 25th October.