First new A321LR to enter SAS fleet in September 2020

The first of three new A321LRs, a narrow-bodied aircraft suited for longer distances, will enter service in the SAS fleet on September 18, 2020. The new aircraft is equipped with a service concept with three travel classes, like the rest of SAS’ long-haul fleet, and will increase SAS’ flexibility to meet Scandinavian travel patterns. The new aircraft, part of SAS’ ongoing fleet renewal will reduce climate-impacting emissions in comparison to previous generations of similar aircraft.

The Airbus A321LR is a narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft, specially configured to fly longer distances than a standard A321neo. The smaller aircraft gives SAS the opportunity to fill the aircraft on new routes and will be a welcome addition to the SAS long haul fleet. The A321LR will increase the SAS’ flexibility to adjust to changes in the demand for new routes and destinations.

New flight connection: Austrian Airlines Launches Flight Service to Boston

Austrian Airlines will offer flight service from Vienna to Boston starting at the end of March 2020. Austria’s home carrier will initially operate four weekly flights to the American metropolis on the East Coast and increase frequencies to six flights per week as of mid-April. Accordingly, Boston will be served on a daily basis with the exception of Mondays. Austrian Airlines will deploy a Boeing 767 equipped with 211 seats.

“We are very pleased about this new and attractive destination. Boston is a city with great historical significance, just like Vienna”, says Austrian Airlines CCO Andreas Otto. “The city is also worth a trip from a business standpoint, not least because Boston is home to two of the world’s best universities, namely Harvard and MIT.”

• Austrian Airlines will fly to Boston on 29 March 2020 for the first time
• Initially four weekly flights, increase to six flights per week in mid-April 2020
• Expanded seating capacity to Chicago as of summer 2020

Airbus Helicopters signs first HCare contract in Canada with STARS Air Ambulance

Photo STARS

Under the 10-year contract, Airbus Helicopters will provide all spare parts and repairable items for STARS’ fleet of H145s

Vancouver, B.C. - Demonstrating its trust in Airbus, nonprofit air ambulance provider STARS has signed its first HCare support and service contract, which also represents the first HCare contract Airbus has secured in Canada.

The 10-year, nose-to-tail contract will cover nine new Airbus H145 aircraft ordered by STARS. The first three helicopters have already been delivered, with the rest scheduled for delivery over the course of the next two years. 

“As we introduce new aircraft to our fleet, we want to ensure they receive the exceptional support and service that will keep them flying for years to come,” said Andrea Robertson, STARS president and CEO. “HCare gives us that peace of mind and allows us to focus on what matters most — patient care and safety.”  

First Hyatt Hotel Opens in Himachal Pradesh State with Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort

                                                 Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of its first mountain resort property in India, Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort, in the scenic Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Surrounded by mountains and lush forests, the resort’s signature Hyatt Regency offerings and insightful service will now be available to travellers visiting the region. The hotel’s opening marks an important step for the growth of the Hyatt Regency brand in India, joining 11 other Hyatt Regency properties in country. Hyatt Regency hotels aim to provide a stress-free travel experience for guests by providing seamless access to everything guests need under one roof.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our first Hyatt Regency branded hotel in the majestic state of Himachal Pradesh,” said Sunjae Sharma, vice president - India operations, Hyatt. “The resort is inspired by the hill station’s unique heritage and culture and designed to offer a comprehensive range of premium experiences while ensuring guests feel connected to nature. With the popular tourist destination of Dharamshala attracting an increasing number of domestic and international travellers, we are confident the Hyatt Regency brand is the perfect fit to cater to them, providing personalized care and hospitality.”

Airbus and its partners unveil details of new Eurofighter ECR concept

At the International Fighter Conference in Berlin Airbus and its partners introduced for the first time concrete details of the new Eurofighter electronic combat role (ECR) concept. This role will enlarge Eurofighter’s multi-role capabilities and further increase the survivability of coalition forces in hostile environments.

Collaborative electronic warfare capabilities are essential for future combined air operations.

Initial Eurofighter ECR capability is expected to be available by 2026, followed by further development steps and full integration into the future combat air system (FCAS) ecosystems.

Hard landing for Virgin Australia ATR

A Virgin Australia ATR 72-212 operating flight VA646 suffered a heavy landing on 10 November 2017 because the crew failed to adhere to standard operating procedures, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has concluded.

The ATR 72-212, registration VH-FVZ suffered a reasonable amount of damage in the landing and subsequently needed repairs to fuselage sections and drain deflector.  There were three crew members on the flight deck at the time of the incident, a first officer, a captain and a check/training captain who was performing evaluations on the other two crew members during a busy day of flights. 

First additional Austrian Airbus completes maiden flight

                       Austrian Airlines’ 37th Airbus A320 departed for its maiden flight to London Heathrow under flight number OS 461 on Thursday 14th November. Around two hours later it landed at its destination. The jet with the registration OE-LZD is the first additional Airbus aircraft, which Austrian Airlines will phase-in during the next few years. The jets will successively replace the Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft. In the course of fleet harmonisation, Austrian will transfer the decentralised flights from the federal states to Germany to the Lufthansa Group and bundle its fleet strength at the Vienna hub in order to better fend off the approach of low-cost carriers.                         

Saab at the Dubai Airshow 2019

Saab will be exhibiting at the Dubai Airshow, Dubai World Centre, United Arab Emirates from 17-21 November. Come to stand 1060 to learn more about how Saab is making people and society safer.

Saab is showcasing a range of systems that provide a tactical advantage by giving users more time to act through the rapid detection of threats, as well as solutions that support the air traffic management community in optimising air travel.

The display will include: GlobalEye, representing the full potential of an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system across land, sea and air; the Giraffe 1X compact high-performance lightweight 3D radar; and air traffic management using digital towers and the integrated controller system.

Air New Zealand wins South Pacific Passenger Choice Award

Air New Zealand has taken out the South Pacific Regional Passenger Choice Award at the Future Travel Experience Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Asia Awards in Singapore.

The award, voted by customers, recognises the airline’s overall commitment to customer experience.

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Nikki Goodman says the award reflects the airline’s commitment to delivering an outstanding experience on the 17 million customer journeys it facilitates every year.

Wizz Air boss wants to ban business class......

The boss of  European budget carrier Wizz Air has called for a total ban on business class on flights of five hours or less.  Jozsef Varadi attacked other airlines and business class passengers of being greedy, out of date and a burden on the environment.

In an unusual has swipe Varadi said business class passengers "Account for twice the carbon footprint of an economy passenger." and were a burden on the environment. He blames other European airlines of preserving an inefficient and archaic model.  "A rethink is long overdue, and we call on fellow airlines to commit to a total ban on business class travel for any flight of under five hours."

The low-cost carrier is the largest of its class in Central and Eastern Europe claims to be one of the greenest in Europe, thanks in part to is fuel-efficient Airbus aircraft. Yet the airline is rapidly expanding, offering more flights from more cities at low fares, encouraging more and more people to travel. Recently the airline said it would launch 15 new routes from Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw as well as increase weekly frequencies, adding a total of 24 incremental weekly flights to its Polish schedule.  

Will other airlines drop business class from services five hours and under?   We called five European airlines that offer business class cabins on flights and not one of them expressed plans to curb or cut their premium services. 

Recommended for you...

Swoop Takes Off with Five New Direct Flights from Winnipeg

Beginning this week, Swoop, Canada's ultra-low-fare airline and subsidiary of WestJet Airlines Ltd., launches a series of inaugural flights from Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG), starting with a direct flight to Orlando International Airport (MCO) departing at 8 a.m. CST.

Over the weekend, Swoop travellers will be taking off on inaugural routes to McCarran International Airport (LAS) on November 15, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) on November 16, and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) on November 17.

"This weekend marks an exciting milestone for Winnipeg travellers, gaining access to more destinations across North America at an affordable price," said Steven Greenway, President, Swoop. "Swoop's growing network offers more flights to popular destinations at an ultra-low fare for all Canadians to enjoy."

Air France and KLM offer one-stop flight from Manila to Paris-Charles de Gaulle via Taipei

Air France and KLM are offering a one-stop flight from Manila to Paris with a faster and smoother connection via Taipei. The service with KLM from Manila to Taipei now connects KLM from Taipei directly to Amsterdam and Air France seamlessly to Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

The Air France flights from Taipei operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Love was in the air for a British Airways customer......

Love was in the air at Heathrow Terminal 5, when British Airways customer Phil Reynolds got down on one knee to propose girlfriend, Bethan ahead of their flight to Milan.

The terminal has sentimental meaning to the couple as Bethan was based 4,000 miles away from Phil in China for over a year, so they both travelled back and forth through it on their regular trips to see one another.

When British Airways and Heathrow heard of Phil’s plans, they helped to pull out the stops and make it even more special, by flashing the message ‘Will you marry me?’ in bright lights across the five huge JC Decaux advertising screens in Terminal 5.

Latest results from Alaska Air Group

 Alaska Air Group Inc. today reported October operational results on a consolidated basis, for its mainline operations operated by subsidiary Alaska Airlines Inc. and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries Inc. and third-party regional carriers.

AIR GROUP

On a combined basis for all operations, Air Group reported a 3.4% increase in traffic on a 3.6% increase in capacity compared to October 2018. Load factor decreased 0.1 points to 83.7%.

Republic Airways Presents 10th Annual Plane Pull on Saturday, April 18, 2020

Republic Airways announced today that its 10th annual Plane Pull will be held Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the Republic Airways hangar at Indianapolis International Airport. The event, which benefits Indiana Children’s Wish Fund, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, Riley Children’s Foundation and A Kid Again, features teams competing to pull an Embraer 170/175 aircraft 15 feet. The event starts at 9 a.m. and includes food, music, kid games and guest celebrities. Team registration is now open at RepublicPlanePull.com and fundraising for the event has begun.

“The Plane Pull is Republic’s time to shine, to show what we as a Company can do for our community,” said Amy Arnell, director of Republic’s Corporate and Community Responsibility Department. “Each year, our event gets bigger and better, drawing more celebrities and more jaw-dropping donations, and that’s due largely to the selfless support of our sponsors pulling together to make a difference for those in need.”