Silver Airways joins in with “Girls in Aviation Day” in Orlando

Girls in Aviation Day

A special “Girls in Aviation Day”  event was held in Orlando hosted by The Central Florida Chapter of Women in Aviation International (WAI) recently along with other chapters from around the world at Orlando International Airport.

 The free event was, to provide young women from Orlando-area high schools the opportunity to learn about the many career fields available in the growing aviation industry., was attended by 40 girls in grades 9 – 12. It was a team effort sponsored by United Airlines, Silver Airways, Flight Training Professionals and Sheltair, along with participating partners, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority K-9 Team, Wildlife Control and Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters, Archer First Response Systems, Signature Flight Support Orlando, National Aviation Academy and Wings Financial Credit Union.

American adds more flights from Memphis

American Airlines has added a second frequency between Memphis and Miami for passengers at Memphis-International Airport (MEM). The second service began on October 4th. The second frequency will run five days a week: Monday-Wednesday and Saturday-Sunday. 

For Memphis passengers, the additional flight will also open 25 new one-stop connections through Miami to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The airline will use 50-seat Embraer RJ-145 and 76-seat Embraer RJ-175 aircraft for the route.

American Airlines offers nonstop flights between MEM and eight destinations, including Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.

“A second frequency to Miami is welcome news for MEM and our passengers,” said Pace Cooper, Chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. “The combination of additional connectivity to South Florida and new one-stop connections to many other international destinations is a big win for MEM!”  

The airline is also increasing the number of flights it operates to Washington from Memphis, a fourth-weekday direct flight is scheduled to start during the first week of January. 

LOT sacks striking workers

LOT Polish Airlines has taken another aggressive step up in its battle with its disgruntled employees by sacking 67 striking workers on Monday October 22nd.

The mnajority of LOT's 3000 strong workforce are protesting about conditions and pay at the national airline of Poland. They are particularly unhappy with the imposition of self-employment contracts. “It’s another form of bullying,” Karol Sadowski, the lawyer representing the pilot and cabin crew unions engaged in the strikes saying the decision to lay off workers was in his opinion illegal.

 LOT Chief Executive Rafal Milczarski told the media  “It was a sad but necessary decision,” and later a spokesperson for the company said the sackings were carried out legally and warned more could be on the way.

New China route for Delta Air Lines

Delta proposes Minneapolis-St. Paul – Shanghai

route to begin in 2020

The US mega-carrier Delta Air Lines plans to start a service from its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub to China for the first time in 2020. It announced this week that it wants to fly to Shanghai from the MSP hub on state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft, subject to government approvals from the United States and China.

"We are honored to be proposing the first-ever nonstop flight between Minneapolis-St. Paul and China as we continue to expand across the Pacific" said Ed Bastian, Delta's Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to our Twin Cities customers, this new route will benefit travellers across the U.S. with more competition and options for service to Shanghai thanks to our connecting hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport."

Delta's flagship A350-900 aircraft has 306 total seats, arranged over 32 award-winning Delta One business class suites, 48 seats in the Delta Premium Select cabin, and 226 main cabin seats. All seats offer personal in-flight entertainment, power ports and ample overhead bin space. All cabins of service include complimentary meals, snacks and beverages. 

Pratt & Whitney signed up to power upto 62 Airbus A320neo aircraft for Aegean Airlines

Aegean Airlines has, its been announced today, selected the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine to power up to 62 Airbus A320neo family aircraft - (30 firm orders, 12 options and up to 20 leased). Pratt & Whitney will also provide the airline with engine maintenance through a long-term comprehensive service agreement. 

"We selected the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine to provide our passengers with the newest and most advanced technology available for our new Airbus aircraft," said Eftichios Vassilakis, Chairman at Aegean Airlines. "The GTF will serve us and our customers with the most economical and environmentally friendly power available on the market today." 

It should be no surprise the airline has chosen Pratt & Whitney, the company already powers the Aegean Airlines fleet of 49 V2500-powered A320ceo family aircraft. The Athens-based airline's subsidiary company, Olympic Air, also currently operates 12 PW100-powered regional Turboprop aircraft.

"We are honored by Aegean Airlines' continued confidence in our engines and services," said Rick Deurloo, senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer support at Pratt & Whitney. "Pratt & Whitney and Aegean Airlines have fostered a great relationship over the years and we are excited to maintain and grow this relationship for many years to come."

(Photos Pratt & Whitney / Airbus)

The latest Airbus A350-900 for China Airlines gets special hybrid livery.

The latest airline to take delivery of an Airbus A350-900 is Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) which have adorned its latest news arrival with a new special unique joint livery that combines the airline’s distinctive plum blossom logo with Airbus’ exclusive A350 XWB carbon fibre pattern.

Following this delivery, China Airlines now has 14 A350-900 aircraft in its fleet which it uses on its non-stop long-haul routes, including services from Taipei to Europe and North America as well on selected routes in the Asia-Pacific region.

Since entry into service in 2015, the A350 XWB has established itself as the new long-range leader in the larger twin-aisle category. Over 200 aircraft are already in service with 22 airlines, flying primarily on long-haul routes.

At the end of September 2018, Airbus had recorded a total of 890 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 46 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft programmes ever.

Innovations introduced with the A350 XWB Family include the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption compared with older generation aircraft of the same size, as well as significantly lower maintenance costs.

WOW Air drops USA services, but will start a Vancouver service in June 2019

The Icelandic low-cost long-haul airline, WOW air has chosen Vancouver as its next Canadian destination the airline confirmed this week, just days after dropping five USA routes from its schedule.

WOW air is dropping its service from Reykjavik's Keflavik Airport to St Louis on the 6th January next year, with the airlines PR boss Svana Friðriksdóttir saying, “Unfortunately, it has to be said that St Louis was a disappointment for WOW Air this summer in terms of end results, with load factors not achieving the targets that were set for the route in the beginning, and compared to other markets in our network,” 

That news came as a surprise, not least to the management of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, "We’re disappointed because the response from customers across the St. Louis region was strong and we were told we were one of the airline’s top performing markets in the Midwest that were added last spring. The airline will not meet the criteria for airport incentives with its announcement to cease service in January." it said in a statement.  

But it isn't just St Louis that won't be seeing those purple planes next year, a number of seasonal services wil also not return next year.

VW Campervan, James Corden and rock music make up the perfect road trip....according to British Airways

The UK's British Airways has chosen a novel way to promote its newest South African route, to the coastal city of Durban, with a survey about ...road trips!!

Apparently, British Airways has done a little research, questioning 6000 people to find out that the perfect road trip involves three people and covers a distance or covers 190 miles or more, accompanied by rock music.  They found that it has to last three hours and 42 minutes and the ideal drive should take place in a VW camper van (16%), Range Rover (14%) or Ford Mustang (8%).

The BA research shows that we need at least one toilet stop every 100 miles, good weather and a reliable sat nav, yet one in three Brits (33%) said getting lost is the fun part of a road trip. The study also found that the music played on a road trip is more important than the destination, but your road trip companions topped the list as the most important factor with 62 %, closely followed by the scenery outside at 60%.

Travel+Leisure India & South Asia Magazine now stocked on certain Singapopre Airlines flights.

Singapore Airlines will start to stock flagship luxury travel magazine Burda Media India announced that its flagship luxury travel brand, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, will now be available on Singapore Airline's flights between India and Singapore. The magazine will be stocked on all 105 flights per week, departing and arriving pan-India to customers seated in Business and First Class seats.

In addition, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, is available to Business and First Class Passengers in Singapore Airlines' SilverKris Lounge at Delhi's IGI Terminal 3 Departure Lounge and in Changi Airport, Singapore in both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 Departure Lounges. India & South Asia, on its flights between India and Singapore. The magazine will be stocked on all 105 flights per week, departing and arriving pan-India to customers seated in Business and First Class seats. 

In addition, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, will also be available to Business and First Class Passengers in Singapore Airlines' SilverKris Lounge at Delhi's IGI Terminal 3 Departure Lounge and in Changi Airport, Singapore in both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 Departure Lounges.

Loganair Saab2000 suffers birdstrike just after take off .

A Loganair flight from Sumburgh Airport in the Shetland Islands to Glasgow had to return to the airport shortly after takeoff after suffering a bird strike on Friday.

The flight LM438 had 40 passengers and three crew onboard at the time of the incident which took place when the aircraft was climbing and had only reached 1,500ft. Some passengers on the Saab2000 said they heard a loud bang,  then smelt a smell akin to burning fuel just moments after the aircraft had left the runway.  

Passengers on board the flight reported hearing a bang and smelling fuel moments after the aircraft left the runway.

Mia Sutherland, 15, told the BBC  "Just when we were levelling out there was a bang followed by a short outburst of flames and then a horrible fuelly smell came into where the passengers were, everyone was panicking and going 'what was that?'".

"Everyone was looking out windows and probably about 10 or 15 minutes later the pilot came on and said that we were going back to Sumburgh because of a technical fault and then when we got back they said they had hit a bird."

Passengers racist rant on a Ryanair flight referred to police only after public outcry.

The Budget airline with the low-fare high-fee policy, Ryanair is at the centre of yet another row after it allowed a passenger who was racially abusing a fellow traveller to remain on the flight and the person he abused had to move seats.

In a shocking outburst of aggression and racism captured on video and shared on social media, now seen by more than two million people, shows the man being racially abusive to a black woman in her seventies, even threatening to push her to another seat. 

A fellow passenger on the flight, David Lawrence, filmed the incident explained what happened to BBC radio, "Everything was calm, we were getting ready to take off. And then a man came on board and arrived at his seat, then spoke very harshly to a woman sitting in the aisle seat.

"That was what got my attention as it was very loud and very aggressive. He started to shout at the woman, saying 'get out of the way', 'move your feet', 'you shouldn't be sitting here'." He also shouts at her: "Don't talk to me in a foreign language, you stupid ugly cow."

The incident occurred on Friday on the Ryanair aircraft at Barcelona getting ready to fly to London Stanstead.  Mr Lawrence advised that initially none of the flight attendants came over to help or clam the situation. He explained that the lady's daughter, who was sitting elsewhere on the aircraft had to come over and "an argument started". "He pushed past the woman and went to his seat," Mr Lawrence said, that is what's seen in the video then unfolded - describing it as the "most disgusting exchange of racial slurs and foul language".

New route for FlyBe between Newquay and London Southend

It has been confirmed that a new service between Cornwall Airport Newquay and London Southend will start on 1st April next year.  The service will be under the FlyBe brand but operated by Stobart Air aircraft and crews and will start as a 5 days a week service before increasing to daily in May.  

The new service will be operated with an ATR72 aircraft with capacity for up to 72 passengers and the new link will increase the number of weekly seats being flown between Cornwall Airport Newquay and London next summer by 11.5%.

Commenting on the announcement, Al Titterington, Managing Director, Cornwall Airport Newquay said: “It is great to see that further capacity will be added to the capital for 2019 thanks to Stobart Air’s decision to open direct flights to London Southend.” Informing more on the current market between CAN and the UK capital, Titterington states: “During the first eight months of 2018 over 119,000 passengers have flown between CAN and Gatwick, a 12.8% increase over the same period of 2017. With the market between Cornwall and London continuing to go from strength-to-strength this new service comes at the perfect time.”

Goh Swee Chen to join Singapore Airlines board as independent director next year

Goh Swee Chen has been appointed to the board of Singapore Airlines as an independent non-executive director, the carrier confirmed this week. Ms Goh Swee Chen will take up that position from the 1st of January next year.

Ms Goh is Chairperson of Shell Companies in Singapore and has held senior roles with Shell since 2003, in Singapore, China and the Netherlands.  Prior to joining Shell, Ms Goh was with Procter & Gamble for 14 years, in Malaysia, Japan and Singapore, and before that with IBM Australia and USA.

More women are wanted in Austrian Airlines cockpits.......

Vienna's hometown airline, Austrian Airlines is continually expanding with more aircraft operating more routes connecting more people. During the first half of 2018 alone, the carrier hired 400 new employees, mainly pilots and flight attendants. At present the airlines is looking to add 100 fully trained pilots to its roster. In addition, training courses for future pilots will be offered again in the coming year. “We are pleased that we can offer so many career entry opportunities to experienced pilots and those who still want to become pilots”, says Helmut Haubenwaller, Head of Crew Training at Austrian Airlines.

More women in the cockpit

The airlines is particularly keen on attracting more women to its flight deck crew, over the last three years, the percentage of female pilots at Austrian Airlines has risen from three percent in 2015 to the current level of five percent. This is a positive development. However, it also demonstrates that women are still strongly underrepresented in this profession. For this reason, the declared objective of Austrian Airlines is to have more women in the cockpits of its aircraft.

Learning to fly from scratch

Four so-called ab initio courses will be offered in 2019, each with 24 training positions for interested candidates without previous flight experience. The requirements demanded of prospective candidates include EU citizenship, a secondary school leaving certificate, a secondary school vocational certificate, or the subject-related university entrance qualification of the country of origin. Furthermore, candidates should be at least 165 cm tall and have an unrestricted passport. In addition, they should have a very good command of written and spoken German and English. People wearing glasses or contact lenses may only have maximum of +/- 3.0 diopter lenses. More information for potential applicants is available at www.austrianpilot.at

(photo Austrian Airlines)

UK's Jet2 promises more destinations next winter...

Airlines think ahead, very far ahead in some cases... The UK's popular holiday budget airline Jet2 has already released details of its winter schedule, but not this winter...next winter.

The company says that in winter 2019/20 it will operate to seven top ski destinations, Geneva, Grenoble, Salzburg, Turin, Lyon, Verona and Barcelona (for Andorra), giving skiers and snowboarders direct access to the French, Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps as well as the Pyrenees.

Jet2 will offer almost 400,000 departing seats on the winter schedule which has been designed with both weekday and weekend flights to make possible both long and short stays. Flights will be departing from all Jet2's UK bases and includes the following: