Dallas Fort Worth Airport and American Airlines reveal plans for 6th terminal

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport and American Airlines have announced plans to develop a sixth terminal, providing a long-term commitment from the airline and opportunities for businesses and customers in the fastest growing region in the United States.

The plans call for DFW to invest up to $3 to $3.5 billion in terminal improvements, including the construction of Terminal F and enhancements to Terminal C. The identified site south of Terminal D provides significant flexibility for phasing in the number of gates for Terminal F, with a long-term projection of up to 24 gates, as demand for additional facilities is warranted.

Ryanair's profits down 29% but the boss says he'll win the fare war!

The European budget carrier Ryanair has released its full-year figures showing a profit of  €1.02 billion, down 29% that is despite seeing 7% growth in passengers to 139 million.

The low-fare-high-fee airline blames the fall in profits on the higher fuel costs that have had a massive impact on European airlines in recent times.  It also blamed its profits falling by a third on the low fares in the saturated marketplace - yet the main driving force behind the lowering of airfares in Europe is Ryanair!

Also having a negative impact on the airline's fiances was the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft following two fatal crashes. Ryanair delayed the delivery of its first 5  Boeing 737 Max aircraft to this coming winter and believes the type will be flying again in July for the USA and perhaps September or October for Europe and the rest of the world  - once aviation safety boards give the aircraft its new approval certificates. Ryanair believes these new arrivals will also drive better profit figures, as the firm proclaims they have 4% more seats and are 16% more fuel efficient. Ryanair's bullish boss Michael O'Leary says, has the utmost confidence in the Boeing 737 Max, which is just as well as the firm has 135 on order with options on 75 more!  Ryanair will also be talking to the US manufacturer about “modest compensation” it's Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorohan said. 

Hawaiian Airlines getting ready for World Reef Day

Hawaiian Airlines Raw Elements USA CEO Brian Guadagno

Inaugural World Reef Day on June 1st encourages consumers Worldwide to dive deep into reef conservation.

On June 1, 2019, consumers, businesses, and organizations around the world will be called to action on the inaugural World Reef Day to reflect on the delicate ecosystem of our ocean's coral reefs and prevent further reef loss. World Reef Day is now the recurring annual day for the world to come together in awareness and activation to effect positive change for our world’s reefs. Founded by Raw Elements USA®, a 1% for the Planet member that has pioneered the reef-conscious movement with its certified-natural, non-nano zinc oxide-based sunscreens—and with the support of Hawaiian Airlines and Aqua-Aston Hospitality, World Reef Day kicks-off a month of initiatives focused on the environment to spur conversations and actions to support sustainability.  

Recognized by the National Day Calendar Association, World Reef Day was inspired by new legislation that will go into effect in Hawaii and Key West, Florida in January 2021, as well as recent proposed bills in the state of Florida, Bonaire, Palau and Aruba, banning the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that have been shown to be damaging to coral reefs. The Day aims to bring awareness on how coral reefs are hurt by human activity, including industrial pollution, plastic pollution, sewage and chemical sunscreens.

Manchester Airport flight disruption due to fuel problem

Passengers at one of the UK's busiest airports are experiencing disruption, delays and cancellation due to a power cut that knocked out the airport's fuel delivery system.

Many flights, including those to Tenerife, Belfast and Milan are among the scores that have been cancelled, while others have been delayed for a number of hours. 

The situation has affected bother arrivals and departures art the crowded airport, some 27 of the flights cancelled were arrivals, while 21 departing flights have been axed. The airport warns there could be more to come as the situation has yet to be fully rectified. 

An airport spokesperson said,"Due to a power issue this afternoon there is currently an issue with the fuel supply at the airport. Engineers are... on site to fix the issue and we are working with airlines to try and minimise the impact."

The airport has asked passengers to contact their airlines for more information and updates before travelling to the airport.  

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Delta to launch Los Angeles-Omaha service in November 2019

Photo Flyoma.com

The US airline confirmed this week that it will launch a service between Los Angeles and Omaha this autumn.  The new daily service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield (OMA) will start on November 10th and will be operated by Delta Connection carrier Compass Airlines using a 76-seat Embraer E-175 aircraft.  The plane will be configured with 12 sears in First Class, 20 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 44 seats in Main Cabin.

“Los Angeles is one of the most popular destinations in the world and we are excited that this fall, Delta Air Lines is adding a new route between the Midwest and Southern California,” said Samson Mengistu, Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. “When visitors from Omaha arrive in Los Angeles, they will find our signature weather, a welcoming spirit and a singularly “LA” experience starting the moment they step off their plane at LAX.”

A new lounge opens at Jacksonville International Airport

The Club JAX at Jacksonville International Airport has officially opened and is designed to offer passengers the opportunity to relax, replenish with new food & beverage options, refresh with a shower and stay productive and connected.

The new lounge comes from Airport Lounge Development Inc. who is an award-winning global provider of premium shared-use lounges and the Club JAX is the latest in a series of new and planned lounges for the firm.

The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia opens

Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International’s newest collection of independent, characterful hotels, together with Rockbridge and Makeready, has further expanded its portfolio with the recent addition of The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia. 

The Alida's pool deck         Photo Marriott International

Mother joins daughter to become cabin crew for British Airways

Photo British Airways

We often see stories about a son or a daughter following in their parent's footsteps and joining the same company, often doing the same role. This time, however, it is slightly different,  it' is the other way around, a mother is following her daughters lead in becoming a British Airways cabin crew member!

Following an intensive training course, the first 84 British Airways apprentices on the UK’s biggest ever Cabin Crew Apprenticeship Scheme have started flying on the airline’s largest route network in more than a decade, including new routes to Osaka in Japan and Pittsburgh in the USA.

British Airways is recruiting 2,000 cabin crew this year who will all be trained at the airline’s Global Learning Academy. Cabin crew apprentices will then continue their learning journey in the air and on the ground for a further 10-months, flying both long and short-haul routes from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Its a Family Affair!

Tourists targeted in bomb attack on bus in Egypt

An explosion has hit a tourist bus near the Grand Egyptian Museum, next to the pyramids in Giza, with at least 16 people being injured according to local media reports.

It is understood from the reports that the bus that was attacked was a tourist bus bringing travellers and sightseers to the ancient sights of Giza. media reports say.  It is the second attack in the area on tourists in recent times,  it follows a similar roadside bomb attack that killed three Vietnamese tourists and a local tour guide back in December.

Ryanair condemns new Dutch aviation tax

The budget low-fare-high-fee airline Ryanair has hit out at a new aviation tax proposal from the Dutch government. 

The airline headed by the aggressive Michael O'Leary, which claims to be Europe’s greenest, cleanest airline,  condemned the Dutch Government’s proposed National Aviation Tax, scheduled for a possible introduction during 2021. The levy applies to passengers on direct flights to the Netherlands.

The tax exempts transfer passengers at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport,  which is the home base of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Ryanair fire the assertion that the exemption is a form of state aid to the airline. The budget carrier didn't stop there, it further attacked KLM claiming that it operated older, half empty, less fuel-efficient aircraft than Ryanair and "the new tax rewards KLM’s environmental inefficiency!"   In typical Ryanair fashion, the truth isn't something they always use in communicating with passengers, KLM's load Factor for April was 90.1% which, is less than 6% below Ryanair's reported load factor for April, not exactly half empty by any interpretation.

More Alitalia cancelled flights ahead of Italian air transport workers strike on 21st May

Photo Alitalia

Due to a 24-hour air transport sector strike confirmed by some Italian trade unions for Tuesday 21st May, Alitalia has been forced to cancel half of its flights scheduled for that day, as well as some flights scheduled for the late evening of 20th May and the early morning of 22nd May.

Flights set to operate on 21 May during the peak times between 7 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 9 pm will operate as scheduled.

List of cancelled flights is available below.

Alitalia has taken special measures to mitigate customer inconvenience by operating bigger aircraft on domestic and international routes, in order to rebook passengers affected by cancellations onto the first available flights on the same day: 60 per cent of involved travellers will fly on the same 21 May 2019.

Travelers affected by cancellation or schedule change of Alitalia flights from the late evening of 20th May to the early morning of 22nd May can rebook their travel at no additional cost or penalty, or ask for a full ticket refund (only if the flight is cancelled or the delay on departure exceeds 5 hours) by May 28th, 2019.

Air Italy revamps its loyalty plan

The tiny European airline that the Big Three US carriers are gunning against, Air Italy has revealed a great new look to its revamped loyalty programme along with its new name, @MyAirItalyClub.

The new moniker – @MyAirItalyClub – is supposed to reflect two key elements, maximum synergy with the new airline brand, and the digital nature of the club’s positioning. Now despite being refreshed, all the regulations, characteristics and benefits of the previous loyalty programme, AVIOS,  accumulation and redemption mechanisms of AVIOS are still the same.

Strike action causes cancellations for Loganair.

More Stornoway disruption

The regional airline Loganair has been forced to cancel flights recently due to industrial action by HAL Air Traffic Controllers and there are more to come.

The airline is cancelling the following flights from or to Stornoway this Tuesday, 21st May.

LM341 Edinburgh-Stornoway
LM342 Stornoway-Edinburgh
LM470 Glasgow-Stornoway
LM471 Stornoway-Glasgow
LM478 Glasgow-Stornoway
LM479 Stornoway-Glasgow

Loganair has said they will only allow passengers booked on those cancelled flights to transfer bookings to other Loganair services on Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st or Wednesday 22nd May. Full refunds will only be available for Loganair flights, not any connecting flights, which may have been booked on Loganair's partner airlines or other airlines.  

"We sincerely regret the inconvenience to our customers." the airline says, "If we had any viable alternative open to us to avoid this disruption, we would have taken it.".

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Can Thomas Cook conquer its debt mountain?

 Can Thomas Cook conquer its debt mountain? 

Following the recent losses announced by the UK holiday firm Thomas Cook earlier this week and news that it has whopping debts of  £1.25billion,  some city analysts have downgraded the companies worth.  Among those were the number crunchers at investment bank  Citigroup who said that one of the UK's oldest tour companies should be priced at zero pence!  Warning that customers might be put off booking future holidays by the firm's drastic financial situation.  These dramatic revelations from the city of London sent Thomas Cook's share price tumbling yesterday, loosing almost 40%

The group has put up its airline business for sale and says it has received significant interest, although no firms have publicly said they want to buy the whole lot, Lufthansa has confirmed an interest in buying Condor - the German holiday airline from Thomas Cook. Another name being mentioned by aviation commentators is Virgin/Delta which recently took on the loss-making Flybe. Indigo Partners, the investment firm behind Wizz and Frontier are another that are believed to have put in a bid, whilst IAG, the parent of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus have ruled themselves out.  

Silver Airways starts Orlando - Destin service in Florida

Bravo Zulu                          Photo Silver Airways

Silver Airways, the boutique style airline has launched flights between two historic U.S. Air Force bases – Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, located within Eglin Air Force Base, and Orlando International Airport, formerly McCoy Air Force Base, with a newly-painted military-themed aircraft named  “Bravo Zulu”. 

The aircraft is a flying salute to members of the US Armed Forces who have selflessly given of themselves to protect and serve the country. The Saab 340 was officially named “Bravo Zulu,” a long tradition and widely-used phrase throughout the military for a job well done. The messages “Saluting Service Members” and “All Gave Some – Some Gave All” is also inscribed on the plane.

ANA gets its second A380

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline received the second of three Airbus A380 FLYING HONU on May 15th, 2019.

While offering the same high standard of performance, comfort and safety as ANA's other A380 which the airline received in March, this second FLYING HONU plane also has a unique livery. Inspired by the crystal-clear water of the ocean surrounding Hawaii, the green livery depicts the face of a Hawaiian Honu (turtle) with a welcoming smile.

"We are excited to welcome the second A380 into our world-class fleet of aircraft," said Yutaka Ito, Executive Vice President of ANA. "With its visually distinct livery that evokes the folklore and traditions of Hawaii, and the outstanding features of the A380, the beautiful Emerald Green FLYING HONU lives up to the ANA standard of excellence. We are ready to welcome the plane to Narita Airport so that we can begin operations."

Starting from May 24th, FLYING HONU will begin serving three roundtrips per week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday departure from Tokyo Narita to Honolulu. From July 1, the Honolulu route frequency increases to ten roundtrips per week serviced by the FLYING HONU.

A wonderful taste of Japan comes to the UK 

read on

WestJet continues its European expansion........

WestJet continues Dreamliner momentum with the first Calgary-Paris service

Fresh from the news that the airline is about to be sold to Toronto based investment firm Onex, WestJet continues its rapid expansion into the transatlantic market with passion.

The Canadian airline became the only airline to operate a non-stop route between Paris and Calgary this week with a new Dreamliner service. The airline's newest route, along with its codeshare partnership with Air France, provides historic new access between Western Canada and Europe. Canadian business and leisure travellers now can fly to and from 11 cities in  Europe including Rome, Venice, Athens and Lisbon through WestJet's Air France codeshare partnership from Paris. 

"WestJet's first non-stop flight from Calgary to Paris opens up a key market for inbound tourism to Western Canada and easy and unique travel opportunities throughout Europe for Western Canadians," said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. 

easyJet celebrates flying 55 million passengers from Bristol

The airline now operates 74 routes and up to 740 flights a week out of Bristol - that’s 10% more flights compared to summer 2018 - making it the airline’s largest UK base outside of London.

In what is set to be an important summer of expansion for easyJet at the airport, the airline will base a 17th aircraft at Bristol and launches flights on five new routes to Rhodes in Greece, Montpellier and Biarritz, France as well as to Brindisi and Milan, Italy.

The airline has also recently added even more flights from Bristol to popular destinations such as Lyon, Zakynthos, Belfast, Glasgow and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Adding an additional daily flight to and from the French capital provides even more opportunity for customers to enjoy a city getaway or a great value day trip for commuters from businesses across the South West.

easyJet celebrates flying 50 million passengers from Edinburgh

easyJet celebrates flying 50 million passengers from Edinburgh

Photo easyJet

easyJet continues to grow its services at  Edinburgh; the airline recently extended its summer route from Edinburgh to Jersey to operate throughout winter 2019 and is offering 40% more seats this summer to Italian destinations.

Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager for easyJet, commented: “We are delighted to be celebrating flying 50 million passengers from Edinburgh. Since the launch of our first flight from the city over 24 years ago Edinburgh has been a key market for easyJet and this is a fantastic milestone for us.

“We are committed to providing great value and convenient connections for our customers in Edinburgh, whether they’re travelling for business or leisure. I have to thank our fantastic customers for their loyalty and support.  We remain excited about the future at Edinburgh.”