One of the leading airlines Central Asia, the Almaty based Air Astana has gone through some turbulent times in recent years, yet its latest results prove to be positive reading. In the first six months of this year the airline carrier around 2.1 million people and scored an operating profit of US$6.8 million, a massive improvement on the loss of nearly US$12 million in the same period last year.
The UK's High Court has sided with the pilots union BALPA and confirmed the strike that had been scheduled for Thursday and Friday can go ahead, despite a claim by Ryanair that it would cause too much disruption. Of course, as usual with Ryanair, the truth is sometimes not as forthcoming as it would be from another airline, despite telling the high court the strike would cause too much disruption, the airline was saying outside the court it would aim to minimise disruption and would run its "full schedule of flights" and passengers can expect their flights to run on time.
Ryanair said it would pull in other UK pilots, its says some have volunteered to come in o their day off to cover flights, which could in itself cause a few a safety concerns if flyers are not well-rested prior to flights. They are also calling in European pilots, including those based in Dublin, who lost a court battle for strike action Justice McDonald at Dublin's High Court said he would restrain Forsa the Irish pilots' union that represents some 180 Ryanair pilots in Ireland, "from directly or indirectly, organising, directing or endorsing" a strike by its members on Thursday and Friday. Talks will now continue in an effort to settle the dispute.
Brian Strutton, Balpa's general secretary accused Ryanair of stalling negotiations "This is a waste of time and money that would be better spent trying to resolve the dispute." he also accused the low-fare-high-fee airline of 'bully boy' tactics, "If they think they can legally bludgeon us and their pilots into submission they are wrong,"
One of the global leaders in electronic warfare and aerospace technology, BAE Systems, has received a Block 4 Modernisation contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
BAE Systems will modernise its AN/ASQ-239 Electronic Warfare/Countermeasures (EW/CM) system to address emerging threats and maintain U.S. and allied warfighters’ ability to safely conduct missions in contested airspace.
Air Canada has put the positive spin on its deal to take over Transat following recent negative publicity in Canada. The transaction is advantageous and in the best interests not only of the two companies, but also of their employees, the airline says. Quebec consumers and the Quebec economy. As a reminder, Air Canada raised its purchase price from $13 to $18 per share, for a total purchase price of approximately $720 million. The transaction is in the public interest, as evidenced by Air Canada's statements regarding employment, the head office and brands, its presence and significant growth in Quebec and Montreal in recent years, and the great deal of support Quebec organizations have voiced in favour of the transaction. In addition, Letko Brosseau, Transat's largest shareholder at approximately 19.3% of outstanding shares, entered into a lock-up and support agreement, affirming its support for the acquisition by Air Canada.
Zonta International awards 30 Amelia Earhart Fellowships to women in aerospace sciences and engineering
Zonta International recently awarded 30 women from 15 countries with the prestigious Amelia Earhart Fellowship for the 2019-2020 academic year. Chosen from 175 applicants worldwide, these 30 women exhibited the most promise in advancing research in the field of aerospace.
Women make up only 25 percent of the workforce in the aerospace industry. To encourage them to expand their horizons by exploring occupations and holding positions beyond those traditionally held by females, Zonta International annually awards the Amelia Earhart Fellowship to women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace-applied sciences or aerospace-applied engineering.
EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company, announced that it has become one of the world's first company to achieve a certificate of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) safety level II for AAVs through tests of the UAS fence. The certificate was issued by the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology (CAST) and was internationally recognized among member organizations of the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS).
Miami International Airport's passengers and visitors will soon receive a warm welcome from some of Miami's most recognizable voices.
World-renowned artists, athletes and local personalities have lent their voices to MIA in a new initiative to share the warmth and energy of our diverse and vibrant community.
Bringing the heat to this launch are NBA Champions Alonzo Mourning and Udonis Haslem along with Grammy-winning recording artist Willy Chirino and singer and telenovela star Jencarlos Canela.
"We thank all of the hometown personalities who are participating in this campaign which is representative of our diverse community," said Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO. "We are excited that our 45 million passengers will now be greeted by these celebrities who call Miami home."
American Airlines Provides Flights to CHOICE Humanitarian, Supporting Efforts to Fight Poverty and Build Community
CHOICE Humanitarian and American Airlines Group are demonstrating their commitment to making a global sustainable impact through a strategic partnership during the 2019 United Nations Conference.
The United Nations Civil Society Conference in August, 2019, is being held outside of the UN Headquarters in New York City for the first time. The conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will focus on building sustainable and inclusive cities. Nonprofit organizations from around the world will converge at the annual conference to share ideas and learn and experience best practices for building peaceful and sustainable communities.
However, for grassroots nonprofits, finding the budget for staff to travel internationally is nearly impossible. American Airlines recognized the unique opportunity to support CHOICE by providing roundtrip flights for staff members in each country where the nonprofit works, which includes Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and Peru.
State and local officials joined executives from Allegiant Travel Company as the company announced plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Allegiant's growth plans in the state include creating at least 66 new, high-wage jobs.
The Las Vegas-based company is investing $50 million to establish its new base of operations, which will house two Airbus aircraft. The company, which focuses on linking travellers in small-to-medium cities to world-class leisure destinations, plans to begin its base operations at Lehigh Valley International Airport on February 12, 2020. Lehigh Valley will become the airline's 18th aircraft base.
With Manchester Pride’s biggest ever Festival just days away, long-standing Pride partner Thomas Cook Airlines’ “Fly with Pride” flight to San Francisco took off from Manchester Airport with an all-LGBT+ crew and has touched down in the Golden Gate City overnight, following a celebration at the Northern hub.
Captured on film, the celebrations started when a Metrolink rainbow tram arrived at The Airport Station with Thomas Cook Airlines’ crew, pilots, customers and House of Suarez, who led a vibrant parade through to check-in. At the gate, customers kicked off their holiday to San Francisco in style with a colourful Pride party, a Gaydio DJ set and further performances from House of Suarez.
The “Fly with Pride” A330 aircraft was emblazoned with the Pride heart, one of five Thomas Cook
Airlines aircraft specially painted this year, each representing a decade since the Stonewall riots and
one for each of the five years that the airline has supported the Manchester Pride Festival.
The crew also wore a special uniform for the flight. See the livery being painted in a fantastic time-lapse video, here.
Thomas Cook Airlines has long supported diversity and inclusion among its colleagues and customers and actively recruits diverse talent and skills in its Manchester headquarters. Christoph Debus, CEO of Thomas Cook Airlines said, “Diversity is in our DNA. We fly our customers all over the world and we don’t just want to get them from A to B. We want to connect people regardless of their sexuality, gender or race. We believe in a future where everyone can be who they want to be and travel the world while doing so.
Journalist and award-winning businesswoman, Christiane Link, has been appointed as the new Chair of East Midlands Airport’s disability forum.
The independent role helps shape and scrutinise services that the airport provides to disabled customers.
Christiane covers current affairs for German media and is a frequent flyer who has visited all continents and nearly 100 airports worldwide. As a wheelchair user, she has been an active member of the disability community for over 20 years and is passionate about access to transport for all.
Bigger discounts for last-minute fares for residents in 16 regional towns
Maximum fares approximately $400 per sector to capital cities (approx. $800 return)
Qantas calls on councils and airports to reduce airport fees
Residents in regional and remote towns across Australia will benefit from a major expansion to Qantas’ discounted fares program.
The national carrier will invest up to $10 million each year in providing flight discounts for residents in 16 towns across Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Currently, Qantas provides residents flying between their home town and the nearest capital city with discounts of at least 20-30 per cent – with discounted fares starting at $175-$325 per sector when booking return journeys. These discounts will remain.
Vacasa, North America’s largest vacation rental management platform, has launched its second annual Top 25 Best Places to Buy a Vacation Home report, highlighting the best U.S. destinations to invest in a vacation rental property.
According to a 2019 study conducted by Vacasa, 65% of people actively in the market to purchase a vacation home haven’t decided exactly where to buy. Vacasa’s Top 25 Best Places to Buy a Vacation Home report is designed to help buyers seeking to invest in a vacation home by providing useful data, including cap rate, net operating income and median home cost.
“Buying a vacation rental property requires more consideration than simply thinking about where you’d enjoy owning a second home,” said senior director of real estate, Shaun Greer. “To maximize your investment, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with markets that have a strong rate of return and consistently high occupancy rates.”
To create the 2019 report, Vacasa analyzed home sales data in vacation destinations throughout the country, and overlaid it with actual performance data for thousands of U.S. vacation rental properties.
JetBlue the #1 carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, has opened the doors of the new home for its JetBlue Travel Products subsidiary.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue Travel Products is setting out to make travel easier and more enjoyable with innovative new technology and JetBlue’s award-winning customer service.
JetBlue Travel Product’s new home – dubbed its “Inspiration Center” – is located in the landmark Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) campus in Broward County, placing it at the centre of the region’s booming tourism industry and growing technology and start-up environment.
“Everyone loves to vacation but travelling isn’t always as enjoyable and seamless as it should be,” said Andres Barry, president, JetBlue Travel Products. “From our new home in Fort Lauderdale, we have a chance to shake up the travel and vacations space – much like JetBlue has been doing in the airline industry for nearly 20 years – with innovative and customer-service focused ideas that will make travelling much better than it is today.”
Garmin International, has announced it will certify the GFC™ 600H flight control system for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter. The attitude-based (AHRS-derived) flight control system boasts a number of helicopter-tailored features, including attitude hold, Garmin Helicopter Electronic Stability and Protection (H-ESP™), dedicated return-to-level (LVL) mode, hover assist, as well as overspeed and low speed protection. Certification of the GFC 600H for the Bell 505 is expected to be complete in the first-half of 2020 and available at that time through select Garmin dealers as a retrofit installation.
Editor in Chief.
Jason's many years within the media and aviation industries have seen him working for airlines, tour operators, travel agents, radio stations, magazines and media consultancy operations. He loves to travel, often more for the journey than arriving at the destination. Strolling along a beach at dusk, red wine, reading and cheesecake are some of his favourite things.
Josh has worked in both travel and the media for a number of years. He presents a number of online radio shows. He can be reached at josh@air101.co.uk
CHOICE Humanitarian and American Airlines Group are demonstrating their commitment to making a global sustainable impact through a strategic partnership during the 2019 United Nations Conference.
Vacasa, North America’s largest vacation rental management platform, has launched its second annual Top 25 Best Places to Buy a Vacation Home report, highlighting the best U.S. destinations to invest in a vacation rental property.
