Alaska Airlines advances its 'sun and snow' strategy with additional wintertime routes

New service will connect Los Angeles and Palm Springs to four destinations; airline extends middle seat blocking through Nov. 30, flexible travel policy through Dec. 31

Everyone is ready for a getaway right about now. Think socially distanced fun by the poolside, the beach, skiing, golfing, you name it. Alaska Airlines wants to make trip planning to terrific destinations this winter easier for its guests.

Alaska announced this week five new routes that will better connect Los Angeles International Airport and Palm Springs International Airport to key West Coast markets and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. From fun in the (warm) sun to bright (cool) days in the mountains, the airline is ready to take travelers to locations near and far.

Alaska will begin daily nonstop service on Dec. 17 between Los Angeles and Cancun, Mexico, and Reno, Nevada. Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular getaways, and Reno is the gateway to Lake Tahoe and its endless possibilities. These additions build on Alaska's leading intra-West and transborder route network from Los Angeles. On the same date, the airline is adding daily nonstop service between Palm Springs and Boise, Reno and San Jose, California. 

Airbus reveals new zero-emission concept aircraft

Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. These concepts each represent a different approach to achieving zero-emission flight, exploring various technology pathways and aerodynamic configurations in order to support the Company’s ambition of leading the way in the decarbonisation of the entire aviation industry.

All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source - an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral targets.

“This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition this industry has ever seen. The concepts we unveil today offer the world a glimpse of our ambition to drive a bold vision for the future of zero-emission flight,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “I strongly believe that the use of  hydrogen - both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft - has the potential to significantly reduce aviation's climate impact.”  

Cathay Pacific Airways Launches 12-week Cargo Service to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

 Cathay Pacific Airways today launched a temporary expansion of its operations in the Americas, with a 12-week cargo service linking Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) with Southeast Asia, to supplement the airline’s existing network of 19 cargo stations throughout the Americas, including East Coast cargo services to Boston, Newark, and Washington, Dulles, and a dedicated freighter port at New York (JFK). The first arrival touched down in Pittsburgh today at 10:30am local time, carrying consumer goods from Asia.

The temporary service will originate in Ho Chi Minh (SGN), stopping at Cathay Pacific’s Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport, landing in PIT every Monday and Thursday until November 26, 2020.

Notably, flight CX8800 will be operated by a reconfigured Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft instead of Cathay Pacific’s go-to ultra-long-haul freighter, the Boeing 747-8, of which there are currently 14 in its fleet.

Boeing Wins More 737-800BCF Orders and Launches New Freighter Conversion Lines to Meet Strong Demand

Two additional freighter conversion lines are launched to meet strong demand in express traffic and e-commerce markets.

This week Boeing announced a firm order from an unidentified customer for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF), as well as agreements to open additional conversion lines in Guangzhou, China, and Singapore to meet strong market demand.

Based on the popular Next-Generation 737, the 737-800BCF offers operators newer technology, lower fuel consumption and higher reliability than other standard-body freighters. Primarily used to carry express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, the airplane is capable of carrying up to 23.9 tonnes (52,800 pounds) and flying up to 2,000 nautical miles (3,750 kilometers).

The 737-800BCF now has 134 orders and commitments.

Emirates boosts African network to 15 destinations with restart of flights to Luanda from 1 October

   

Photo Emirates

                Emirates’ African network will expand to 15 destinations with the restart of Luanda, Angola from 1 October. The airline continues to gradually and safely restore its network, delivering on its health and safety promise as it responds to growth in passenger demand across the globe.

Flights to Luanda will initially operate once a week on Thursdays. Emirates flight EK793 will depart Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Luanda at 1430hrs. EK794 will depart Luanda at 1825hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0510hrs the next day. 

Emirates sending Airbus A380 back to Moscow

Photo Emirates

Emirates has announced it will resume its A380 service to Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) - serving market demand and offering customers more travel options. The airline resumed flights to the Russian capital last week and due to strong passenger demand, its iconic Emirates A380 will operate the Dubai to Moscow route starting 18 September. Emirates currently serves five cities utilising its A380 aircraft including, Cairo, Paris, London Heathrow, Guangzhou and Toronto.

    

The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins. The airline will gradually expand the deployment of this popular aircraft in line with demand and operational approvals.

Flights to Moscow will operate every Friday and Saturday. On Fridays, Emirates flight EK 133 will depart Dubai at 10:10hrs and arrive in Moscow at 14:25hrs local time. The return flight, EK 134 will depart Moscow at 17:35hrs and arrive in Dubai at 23:35hrs local time. On Saturdays, Emirates flight EK 131 will depart Dubai at 16:15hrs and arrive in Moscow at 20:30hrs local time. The return flight, EK 132 will depart Moscow at 23:20hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:30hrs local time, the following day.

Flights can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. Travelers can also enjoy enhanced connectivity via Emirates’ codeshare partner in Russia, S7 Airlines – providing greater access to a range of regional destinations.

Emirates currently serves over 85 destinations in its network, offering passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific safe and convenient connections via Dubai.

Photo  Emirates

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Unprecedented industry appeal to European Commission President to end quarantines and develop common EU Testing Protocol

Unprecedented industry appeal to European Commission President to end quarantines and develop common EU Testing Protocol

Over 20 EU Travel and Tourism Associations issue open letter to President von der Leyen following further dramatic decreases in air passenger traffic 

Brussels, 18 September 2020: 25 travel and tourism bodies as well as unions across Europe united today in an unprecedented call for European Commission leadership to replace quarantine restrictions with an EU Testing Protocol for Travel in a bid to save the livelihoods of more than 27 million Europeans who work in the sector.

In an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the groups – which represent over 5,000 member companies and their workers, point to a continued lack of co-ordination and diverging travel restrictions as crippling their business. The letter is signed by representatives from across the tourism and travel sector and their workers, including airlines, airports, railways, ground handlers, caterers, travel retailers, air navigation service providers, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, cafes, travel agents, road transport operators and logistics services, camp sites, holiday parks, taxi operators, tourism boards and authorities and all their associated supply chains.

Open letter to Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission

Launched in 2016, Airlines for Europe (A4E) is Europe’s largest airline association, based in Brussels. The organisation advocates on behalf of its members to help shape EU aviation policy to the benefit of consumers, ensuring a continued safe and competitive air transport market. With more than 720 million passengers carried each year, A4E members account for more than 70 per cent of the continent’s journeys, operating more than 3,000 aircraft and generating more than EUR 130 billion in annual turnover. 

Members with air cargo and mail activities transport more than 5 million tons of goods each year to more than 360 destinations either by freighters or passenger aircraft. Current members include Aegean, airBaltic, Air France-KLM Group, Cargolux, easyJet, Finnair, Icelandair, International Airlines Group (IAG), Jet2.com, Lufthansa Group, Norwegian, Ryanair Holdings, Smartwings, TAP Air Portugal, TUI and Volotea. In 2019, A4E was named “Airline & Aviation Business Development Organisation of the Year” by International Transport News.

The open letter is listed below. 

Emirates increases services to Bahrain with second daily flight

Emirates has reaffirmed its commitment to growing its operations in Bahrain with the introduction of a second daily flight to the Kingdom. The expanded schedule will offer enhanced connectivity for customers travelling to Dubai and beyond to Emirates’ network of over 85 destinations.

The second daily flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from 20 September, EK837 will depart from Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Bahrain at 1000hrs. The return flight, EK838 will depart from Bahrain 1130hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1355hrs. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates sales offices, via travel agents as well as online travel agents.

‘Feel the Vibe at Eindhoven Airport’ provides a platform for talent from the region

To give a platform to creative talent from the Brainport region and share the creative energy the city has to offer, the Van Abbemuseum, designer Piet Hein Eek and Eindhoven Airport joined forces to launch the ‘Feel the Vibe at Eindhoven Airport’ initiative on Thursday 17 September 2020. In a number of changing exhibitions at Eindhoven Airport - a hub for a whole range of different nationalities and cultures - travellers and other visitors will get a taste of the technology, design, art and innovation originating from Eindhoven and the surrounding area. The Van Abbemuseum and Eindhoven Airport will organise two exhibitions a year, both of which will be displayed on the airport forecourt. The theme of the first exhibition is space and movement. The work of Eindhoven visual artist Tijs Rooijakkers, The Ruggeds (a world-famous breakdance formation from Eindhoven) and of the Eindhoven designer Piet Hein Eek will be showcased in three displays developed by Piet Hein Eek himself.

Is British Airways misleading customers over refunds?

Photo Lesley Anderson

A number of British Airways customers are going public over a refund system designed to recompense people for cancelled is ignoring their wishes and issuing vouchers for future travel automatically.

The latest to join a grown number of disgruntled travellers is Lesley Anderson who told the BBC that a voucher was issued "automatically" after she selected "Cancel and refund flight".  She said she was refused a refund for a cancelled flight, that was even after she'd sent screenshots of the airline's website showing the option of a voucher was not even mentioned.

Five Cathay Dragon passengers test positive for coronavirus COVID-19 - the airline will suspend Kuala Lumpur - Hong Kong service.

Five passengers on a Cathay Dragon flight between Kuala Lumpur and the airlines home base of Hong Kong have tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19, according to local health authority officials.

It is understood that all five passengers had travelled on flight KA734 on September 18th after connecting from an Air India Express flight, arriving from India.

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) has prohibited Cathay Dragon passenger flights from Kuala Lumpur from landing at Hong Kong International Airport for two weeks between 20 September to 3 October.

The airline issued the following statement:  

RAF Hercules lead first Ukrainian parachute jump

RAF Hercules lead first Ukrainian parachute jump

RAF Hercules transport aircraft enabled a historic first jump into southern Ukraine by over 200 British paratroopers this week.

Flying directly from their base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire UK and carry out air-to-air refuelling on route, the C-130 aircraft dropped 250 soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade into the Ternivsky training area from a height of 600 feet as an opener for Exercise Joint Endeavour.

“The flexibility and agility of the RAF transport fleet was on show again this week with the C-130J Hercules clearly demonstrating the reach and versatility for which it is well known. While there have been plaudits for our recent humanitarian support efforts across the Globe, this week’s parachute insertion is a timely reminder of the unique role in we play in support of UK force projection.”

Air Vice-Marshal Al Gillespie

Air Officer Commanding Number 2 Group