Dundee gets a stylish Staybridge Suites hotel

InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has opened its first Staybridge Suites in Scotland - the Staybridge Suites Dundee.

Located in the heart of Dundee, the hotel is within a formerly abandoned linen mill, allowing guests to enjoy a sense of history and heritage during their visits. Many of the suites have the original features including exposed brick ceilings and iron beams, connecting guests directly to the buildings historic past. A super charm surrounds the Staybridge Suites Dundee that perfectly blends the historic and the ultra-modern. The suites are roomy, comfortable and the restful decor is a delight for the eyes. 

Designed to meet the needs of extended stay guests from business travellers to families, Staybridge Suites Dundee offers 85 one bedroom and studio suites which are designed to deliver the comforts of home, with comfortable living areas, fully equipped kitchens and flexible workspaces.

Park Inn by Radisson Opens Hotel in Southern São Paulo, Brazil

Park Inn by Radisson, has opened the Park Inn by Radisson Berrini in the south zone of São Paulo at Rua Quintana, 934 Brooklin Novo, São Paulo. The 171-room hotel is near several affluent neighbourhoods and districts including Vila Olímpia and Morumbi. Hotel guests have easy access to shopping malls, business and financial districts, restaurants, nightlife and public transportation hubs including the Berrini train station. Complimentary shuttle services are also available to nearby districts.

“The addition of this hotel in São Paulo signifies the success of our growth strategy in Latin America,” said Frances Gonzalez, vice president of Operations for Radisson Hotel Group in Latin America. “We are proud to partner with owners who equally embrace our ‘Happiness Guarantee’ promise while creating a space that complements our Park Inn by Radisson brand full of vibrant colours, unique designs and upgraded amenities.”

Air Canada to launch seasonal flights between Calgary and London, Ontario

Air Canada confirmed it will launch new daily, seasonal flights between Calgary and London, Ontario beginning June 24, 2019 until mid-October.  Flights will be operated onboard Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319 aircraft with a choice of two cabins, wi-fi options and in-flight entertainment streamed to personal devices.

"We are pleased to expand Air Canada's domestic network linking London, Ontario to our Calgary hub with daily seasonal flights this summer.  We have strategically added these non-stop services between the considerable southern Ontario market and Alberta to offer both convenient point-to-point travel, as well as easy connections at our Calgary hub to and from destinations throughout Alberta and BC including Vancouver Island," said Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning at Air Canada.  "In London, the addition of Calgary flights complements our flights to Montreal and Toronto, giving customers in the greater southwestern Ontario region unparalleled options of connecting over three convenient hubs when travelling to their final destinations this summer."

Porto set to become Emirates second Portuguese destination in July

The Dubai based mega-carrier Emirates confirmed this week that it would be launching a service direct to the beautiful; Portuguese city of Porto this summer.

The airline will fly to the country's second largest city four times a week frum it's Dubai home base starting on 2nd July.  Porto will become Emirates’ second destination in Portugal after its capital, Lisbon, which the airline currently serves with two flights a day. The flight will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three class cabin configuration, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Emirates’ new service will provide travellers in northern Portugal, a major urban area, as well as those in the north-west of Spain in cities such as Vigo and Santiago de Compostela, due to its close proximity to Porto, with a direct option to travel to Dubai, and onward to destinations across the airline’s global network, particularly in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Alaska Airlines to build new lounge at San Francisco.................

Alaska Airlines unveiled plans to build a new 8,500-square-foot top floor lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Located in Terminal 2, guests will be treated to the highest viewpoint of any other domestic lounge at SFO with stunning sights of the Bay and runway. Expected to open in 2020, the Alaska Airlines SFO lounge is the company's first in Terminal 2 and is part of a multi-year commitment to invest in new and existing lounges with guests' every comfort in mind.

Lounge details.

Airbus certifies A400M cargo hold tanks refueling unit

Airbus has successfully completed the certification flight tests for the A400M Cargo Hold Tanks (CHT) refuelling unit, taking a new step towards the full certification of the aircraft for air-to-air refuelling operations as a tanker.

The campaign, performed together with the Spanish Air Force Test Centre (CLAEX), featured a total of nine flights where 90 tonnes of fuel were dispensed to Spanish Air Force F-18 receivers and to another A400M prototype as a representative heavy aircraft receiver.

The test campaign included the development and certification of the Cargo Hold Tanks with the latest Fuel Quantity Management System software, to be certified during 2019, enhancement of the night refuelling vision system and preliminary testing of helicopter air-to-air refuelling capabilities.  

(Images Airbus)
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Etihad Airways launches Special Olympics mileage donation initiative

Photo Etihad

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and official airline partner of Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, encourages members of its Etihad Guest loyalty programme to donate their frequent flyer miles to help support athletes with intellectual disabilities attending the Games.  

The cost to fund a single athlete’s participation in the World Games is approximately AED 25,000. Generous donations from Etihad Guest members will go directly to helping athletes from all over the world to fulfil their ambitions of competing on a global stage.

Citation Latitude was the most delivered midsize Business Jet in 2018

Photo Textron Aviation Inc

Textron Aviation celebrated the news this week that its Citation aircraft were the most-delivered business jets of 2018! This is according to the annual shipment and billings report published by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). 

The firm delivered 188 business jets, of which 57 were Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft.  winning the midsize segment for the third consecutive year and outselling its closest competitor four to one.

“Leading business jet deliveries in 2018 is a continued testament to the trust our valued customers place in the Citation family,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “We’re honoured to see that customers and operators have responded by making the Latitude their midsize platform of choice for three years running.”

Honda Aircraft Company delivered 37 HondaJet's last year

 The Honda Aircraft Company confirmed this week that during 2018  it delivered  37 HondaJets which meant it was the most delivered jet of its class globe, the second consecutive year the HondaJet has been the most delivered very light jets.

“We are proud that our customers continue to choose the HondaJet for its unrivaled performance, efficiency and cabin comfort. This, along with our strong global dealer network, has made the HondaJet the most delivered aircraft in its class,” said Honda Aircrunrivalledny President & CEO Michimasa Fujino. “The HondaJet finishing as the

most delivered aircraft for the second consecutive year is a testament to the dedication of our team to developing cutting-edge technologies that improve the lives of our customers around the world.”

Safran to build new Indian engine plant

Safran Aircraft Engines have confirmed this week it would build a new plant in Hyderabad, India to make parts for the LEAP turbofan engine from CFM International.

The deal was confirmed at the Aero India Show by Philippe Petitcolin, Chief Executive Officer of Safran (pictured left).  The plan is also supported by the Telangana State and will see Safran invest €36 million in the new plant, which will cover 13,000 square meters (140,400 sq ft).

The plant will be in the Special Economic Zone of GMR near the airport and construction is set to kick off in June 2019, and will aim at delivering the building and producing the first parts in early 2020. 

According to the preliminary details, the plant will have about 50 employees by the end of the year to launch operations and will reach a workforce of 300 once it is fully up and running. All employees will benefit from a complete training programme. 

Norwegian finally get back 737 that was stranded in Iran

It has taken more than two months but finally, the budget carrier Norwegian has managed to get a stricken Boeing 737 Max aircraft out of Iran, after the plane diverted there last year.

On December 14th the jet had to divert to Shiraz in Iran after developing technical problems in one of its engines. At the time it was carrying 186 passengers and 6 crew,  who were able to leave the next day on a different Norwegian aircraft. 

The airline then struggled to get the right documents, approvals and parts into Iran to fix the aircraft and fly it out. The reimposed US sanctions slammed on Iran by president Trump stipulate no product containing more than 10% US parts or goods can be sent to Iran without a special licence.

However, a Norwegian spokesperson confirmed that its Boeing 737 MAX registration LN-BKE has taken off from Shiraz Airport in Iran and landed back at Stockholm Arlanda Airport just before 4am on Saturday morning.

The US government shutdown had also delayed the process significantly, however, planemaker Boeing and engine supplier General Electric finally got the licences needed from the US and were able to repair the aircraft.

It is understood that Norwegian are exploring legal avenues for compensation for lost earnings caused by the grounding of the brand new jet from Boeing and General Electric. 

More than two months after diverting to Shiraz due to an engine issue, Norwegian 737 MAX LN-BKE left Iran today with a new engine.

📼 https://t.co/pVY7j7HyQF pic.twitter.com/uIZaIdmwen

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 23, 2019

A star-studded award season lineup for Delta's in-flight entertainment

Delta

Frequent flyers and film fans rejoice: Delta has rolled out the red carpet so you can catch up on this year’s award show nominees at 30,000 feet.

Delta Studio’s current lineup includes several titles in the running for this weekend’s big awards, including best documentary contender “RBG,” animated feature film “Isle of Dogs,” the widely-nominated “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and best picture nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody” – to name several.

Starting in March, best picture nominees “A Star is Born,” “Green Book” and “The Favourite” will join the star-studded lineup and become available via seat-back screens on more than 600 Delta aircraft.

United Airlines joins American and Delta in the rush to apply for routes to Tokyo Haneda Airport

United Airlines announced today it has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a total of six daily nonstop flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Guam's A.B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM). Pending completion of an aviation agreement between the U.S. and Japanese governments later this year, and slots awarded by DOT, the flights are expected to begin service by the summer of 2020.

United has presented a proposal maximized to meet consumer demand and benefit U.S. travellers. Together, the flights from five U.S. mainland hub cities and Guam will connect Tokyo Haneda with 112 U.S. airports, representing approximately two-thirds of U.S.-Tokyo demand, or more than three million annual Tokyo bookings. With United's proposed routes representing five of the six largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. mainland and a combined population of nearly 56 million, the new flights requested in this proceeding will provide consumers with more choices and more convenient options when selecting Tokyo Haneda for their travel plans.

Lufthansa flew 9.1 million passengers in January

In January 2019, the Lufthansa Group airlines welcomed around 9.1 million passengers. This shows an increase of 4.8 percent compared to the previous year’s month. The available seat kilometres were up 7.3 percent over the previous year, at the same time, sales increased by 8.1 percent. In addition as compared to January 2018, the seat load factor increased by 0.6 percentage points to 76.2 percent.

Cargo capacity increased by 7.0 percent year-on-year, while cargo sales decreased by 5.0 percent in revenue tonne-kilometre terms. As a result, the Cargo load factor showed a corresponding reduction, decreasing by 7.5 percentage points to 59.1 percent. 

Network Airlines with around 7 million passengers

The Network Airlines including Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines carried 6.7 million passengers in January – 3.7 percent more than in the prior-year period. Compared to the previous year, the available seat kilometres increased by 6.1 percent in January. The sales volume was up by 7.0 percent over the same period, with an increasing seat load factor by 0.7 percentage points to 76.5 percent. 

Lufthansa maintenance unit to build engine repair plant in Hungary

Lufthansa Technik AG today initiated the establishment of a new site for the repair and overhaul of aircraft engine parts. Dubbed Lufthansa Technik Miskolc, a new fully-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik AG will commence operations until 2022 and will utilize around 20,000 square meters of production space. Customers of Lufthansa Technik´s Engine Parts & Accessories Repair (EPAR) network will greatly benefit from this extended production capacity.

In the long term, Lufthansa Technik Miskolc will employ around 400 employees. Investments in the triple-digit million-euro range will hence not only encompass state-of-the-art machinery for procedures such as cleaning, thermal spraying and heat treatment of engine parts, but also an extensive training and qualification programme.

Acquisition of property in Miskolc, Hungary

The briefest of brief histories of British Airways

A potted history of BA:

On August 25, 1919, British Airways’ forerunner company, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T), launched the world's first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris.  This was with a single-engined De Havilland DH4A registration G-EAJC, the aircraft was flown by pilot, Lt E H “Bill” Lawford. It carried one passenger and a consignment of leather, several brace of grouse and some jars of Devonshire cream.

It's back to 1960's for British Airway's latest historic livery!

Time to B-E-A-MAZED by the next

British Airways historic livery. 

This is the centenary year of the UK's premier legacy airline British Airways and today the flag carrier has confirmed details of the latest in its new series of heritage livery's to mark the milestone birthday.

The airline has confirmed that an Airbus A319 will be painted in the very special colours of the airline’s short-haul predecessor, British European Airways (BEA).  The A319, reg G-EUPJ, will enter the paint shop at Shannon Airport this weekend.  It will then return to Heathrow and enter service a little later early next month and start flying around the UK and Europe adorned with the special paint job.

The historic livery will be kept on the aircraft until it retires next year. The aircraft can be followed using tracking website Flightradar24, which will feature a special image of the livery.

American's Tokyo dreams

American Airlines plans to take advantage of more slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport becoming available to US carriers with new services to the city from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS). 

The news follows Delta's massive expansion plans to launch services to Haneda from 5 US cities and is a direct result of the US and Japan reaching a tentative agreement last month to expand access at HND, which would open up to 12 additional daytime slot pairs for US carrier operations.

“Tokyo is an important hub for our Pacific Joint Business with Japan Airlines,” said American Airlines President Robert Isom. “Enhanced service at Haneda would give our customers better access to downtown Tokyo and open up JAL’s domestic network with flights to destinations like Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka.”

American currently operates one daily flight between LAX and HND, which began in 2016. An additional flight from LAX would provide American’s customers with even more options and a convenient schedule between Tokyo and the airline’s West Coast hub. Additionally, DFW, American’s largest hub, serves as an important gateway to Asia with proven local and connecting traffic. With two daily flights, customers travelling from Haneda to DFW would be able to connect to and from more than 800 daily flights and more than 200 destinations throughout American’s vast network.

Croatia Airlines up for sale? ............The Croatian government seek partner for Croatia Airlines

The national carrier for Croatia could be up for sale soon if the government cannot find a strong strategic partner for Croatia Airlines as it seeks to modernise its fleet and expand its route network.

Oleg Butković, the Minister of Maritime Transport and Infrastructure confirmed that the future further development of the carrier could only be achieved with the help of a serious strategic partner, and that seeking such a partner would be the main function of a new inter-agency committee.  “The main task of that committee will be to consider possible further steps that will ensure the arrival of a quality strategic partner with significant experience in civilian air transport," Butković said at a press briefing this week, where he also said the new partner was needed to ensure the airline could expand and increase its market share. The minister also stressed "the importance of regular and year round connection in domestic and air transport, the need for strong support of further development of tourism potentials in the Republic of Croatia".  Part of the function for the new partner will be to modernise the 12 strong aircraft fleet of Croatia Airlines as well as recapitalise it for future developments. The minister didn't rule out the possibility of Croatia Airlines being sold off completely if no strategic partner could be found.

Why Delta built the world's largest jet engine test cell

This week, Delta TechOps leaders and employees officially cut the ribbon, opening the world's largest jet engine test cell. And while world's largest is a nice bragging right, there was immense research, innovation and thought that went into designing this state-of-the-art facility.

The test cell, which is the first cell built by a U.S. airline in more than 20 years, is capable of running a mounted, stationary engine at full power with 150,000 pounds of thrust. To compare, the airline's current test cell has a 68,000 pound thrust capacity and the most powerful jet engine in the world today, the GE90 that powers Delta's Boeing 777-200LR fleet, is rated up to 115,000 pounds of thrust.

Bottom line — Delta is preparing for the future as the new test cell allows the airline to test engines that have yet to be designed and built.

"This new test cell is not only great for the future of Delta, but for our future aircraft maintenance technicians and engineers," said Don Mitacek, Senior Vice President — TechOps. "The quality of work and expertise of our people are the reason why we are able to confidently invest so heavily in our future. They are really leaving a legacy behind with the new test cell and engine shop — both facilities are a reflection of the accomplishments and dedication of our people."