American Airlines adds new features to its app...

American Airlines has added some new updates to its app to provide additional ways to promote a touchless travel journey.  

With the latest customer upgrade to the app, the airline has added two new features: App Clips and widgets. Customers who have downloaded the latest iOS to their mobile devices will be able to access these new features immediately.

“We’re all using our mobile device for everything these days,” said Steven Leist, Vice President Customer Technology at American. “With these new features, we’re making important flight information super easy to find and also allowing customers a touchless check-in experience. Even if a customer doesn’t have our app downloaded, they will still be able to check in on their mobile device and have a touchless kiosk experience. We are always looking for ways to make the mobile experience innovative, safe, and seamless for our customers.”

airBaltic introduces digital loyalty card

The Latvian Government-owned airBaltic has introduced new digital loyalty cards to its Club travel loyalty programme, which members are able to download to their mobile device wallets in an effort to reduce unnecessary use of plastic.

Māris Rudens, Managing Director of SIA Loyalty Services: “The new digital cards can be used in the same way as the plastic card, yet are more convenient for the users. As a part of our efforts towards sustainability and digital improvements, we will no longer send out physical airBaltic Club and PINS member cards.”

BA 747 retirement list

British Airways announced that all 31 of its remaining 747s had sadly flown their last commercial services as a result of the devastating impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector.

Full details of each retired aircraft are below and will be updated. 

The 8th cohort of students start at airBaltic's pilot academy.

This week saw the 8th group of students began their studies at the pilot academy of the Latvian airline airBaltic.  

This group of  11 students will receive a commercial pilot licence upon completion of the full-time programme in less than two years from now.  Overall, there are now 60 active students at airBaltic Pilot Academy. Most of the students are from Baltic countries, however, there are students also from other EU countries such as Germany, France, Finland among others. More than 10% of airBaltic Pilot Academy students are female.

Pauls Cālītis, airBaltic said: “We launched our Pilot Academy almost three years ago. Since then, we have worked with over 72 students and built a fleet of eight state-of-the-art training aircraft at our base in Liepaja. This is the first group that has started studies since the Covid-19 crisis began. We believe that, once they will graduate the demand for air travel and new pilots will have returned.”

For more information and applications, please visit: http://pilotacademy.com.

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Aeroflot Group Announces Operating Results for August 2020

 

Aeroflot has announced operating results for Aeroflot Group (“the Group”) and Aeroflot – Russian Airlines (“the Company”) for August and 8M 2020[1].

8M 2020 Operating Highlights

In 8M 2020, Aeroflot Group carried 19.6 million passengers, 52.2% down year-on-year. Aeroflot airline carried 10.3 million passengers, a year-on-year decrease of 59.1%. 

Group and Company RPKs decreased by 55.9% and 61.9% year-on-year, respectively. ASKs decreased by 49.5% year-on-year for the Group and by 53.8% year-on-year for the Company.  

The passenger load factor decreased by 10.4 p.p. year-on-year to 72.0% for Aeroflot Group and decreased by 14.1 p.p. to 65.9% for Aeroflot airline. 

August 2020 Operating Highlights

In August 2020, Aeroflot Group carried 3.8 million passengers, a year-on-year decrease of 41.0%. Aeroflot airline carried 1.5 million passengers, a year-on-year decrease of 60.4%. 

Group and Company RPKs were down 51.6% and 69.9% year-on-year, respectively. ASKs decreased 

by 49.2% for Aeroflot Group and by 66.3% for Aeroflot airline. 

Aeroflot Group’s passenger load factor was 86.0%, representing a 4.2 percentage point decrease versus 

the same period a year earlier. The passenger load factor at Aeroflot – Russian Airlines decreased 

by 9.3 percentage points year-on-year to 78.5%. 

Lightning jets take off from RAF Marham to join HMS Queen Elizabeth for major exercise

F-35B Lightning Jets from the Royal Air Force and United States Marine Corps (USMC) have left RAF Marham to join the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, to take part in Exercise Joint Warrior off the west coast of Scotland.

The jets from 617 Squadron and USMC’s VMFA 211 Squadron have previously been carrying out training from RAF Marham.  This exercise will see the jets embark onboard the aircraft carrier for the next stage of the Carrier Strike Group’s training programme prior to the carrier’s first operational deployment next year.

This exercise follows on from the recent Exercise Point Blank, which the jets took part in and marks a step up in complexity as the pilots and ground crew exercise from HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Lufthansa to send all Airbus A380s to storage............Restructuring see's deeper cuts

The outlook for international air traffic has significantly worsened in recent weeks. With the summer travel season coming to an end, passenger and booking figures are declining again, after slight signs of recovery were still evident in July and    August. In view of these developments, the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG approved the third package within the Group-wide "ReNew" restructuring program today and informed the Supervisory Board accordingly.

In detail, the Executive Board adopted the following resolutions:

The capacity outlook for the passenger airlines will be significantly revised; the previous assumption that an average production level of 50 percent of the previous year's value would be reached in the fourth quarter of the year no longer seems realistic. If the current trend continues, the available seat kilometres will probably only be in a range between 20 and 30 percent, compared to the previous year.

The medium term fleet planning will be adjusted and currently foresees  a permanent, Group-wide capacity reduction of 150 aircraft by the middle of this decade (starting point is the Group fleet including wet-leased aircraft).

In addition to the fleet changes already communicated, the following decisions have been made: After six Airbus A380s were finally taken out of service in the spring, the remaining eight A380s and ten A340-600s, which were previously intended for flight service, will be transferred to long-term storage and removed from planning. These aircraft will only be reactivated in the event of an unexpectedly rapid market recovery. In addition, the remaining seven Airbus A340-600s will be permanently decommissioned.

Aeroflot restarts regular flights to Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and South Korea

Aeroflot announces that international service between Moscow and Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), Belarus (Minsk) and Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan) will restart over the next week. Regular service between Moscow and South Korea (Seoul) will restart on 1 October.

Flights to the Kyrgyz capital begin on 24 September. Flight SU1882 Moscow-Bishkek will operate once per week, on Thursdays, and the return flight SU1883 Bishkek-Moscow will operate on Fridays.

Belarus flights SU1842 Moscow-Minsk and SU1843 Minsk-Moscow will operate once per week, on Saturdays, beginning 26 September.

Flights to the Kazakh capital will restart on 27 September. Flights SU1956 Moscow-Nur-Sultan and SU1957 Nur-Sultan-Moscow will operate once per week, on Sundays.

Aeroflot will fly to the South Korean capital once per week on Thursdays (SU0250 Moscow-Seoul). The return flight, SU0251 Seoul-Moscow, will operate on Saturdays.

Boeing Licenses Ultraviolet Wand to Healthe, Inc. to Counter COVID-19

Boeing entered into a patent and technology license with Florida-based Healthe® Inc. today under which Healthe will manufacture an ultraviolet (UV) wand designed to sanitize airplane interiors. Boeing designed and developed the UV wand as part of the company's Confident Travel Initiative (CTI) to support customers and enhance the safety and well-being of passengers and crews during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The UV wand is designed to be more effective than similar devices. It quickly disinfects surfaces on an airplane and further strengthens other layers of protection for passengers and crew," said Mike Delaney, who leads Boeing's CTI efforts. "Boeing spent six months transforming an idea for the wand into a working model, and Healthe will now take that prototype and make it available to the world at large."

Delta extends loyalty benefits further into 2021, offers more flexibility for award travel

Delta Sky Club Memberships, select Delta SkyMiles Amex Card benefits extended further into 2021 

No fees to change or cancel a domestic award ticket for all SkyMiles Members 

No 72-hours-before-departure deadline to change or cancel a domestic award ticket for all SkyMiles Members 

To give customers more time to enjoy their benefits, Delta is extending benefits for some Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members, Delta Sky Club Memberships and more.

SkyMiles Members can now enjoy more choice and control over their travel plans as Delta is again extending loyalty benefits and adding more flexibility. 

“From extended loyalty benefits to improving award travel, customers now have even more flexibility for upcoming trips and more time to enjoy benefits when they’re ready to travel again,” said Sandeep Dube, Senior Vice President – Customer Engagement and Loyalty, and CEO of Delta Vacations. “We are dedicated to ensuring customers’ health and safety during travel above all else, and these changes show how we are continuing to find new ways to be there for them as the pandemic continues.”  

To give customers additional time to enjoy their benefits, Delta is extending benefits for some Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members, Delta Sky Club Memberships and more – doubling down on the industry-leading Medallion Status extension and Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) rollover announced in April. 

The following extensions will happen automatically in the coming weeks, with no action needed from customers. 

Alaska Airlines Foundation awards $430,000 in grants to inspire young people

2020 marks the largest grant cycle in the nonprofit's 20-year history

The nonprofit Alaska Airlines Foundation has awarded $430,000 in LIFT grants to 41 nonprofits in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. With this latest round of grants, the Foundation has donated $750,000 this year to organizations in communities served by Alaska Airlines. Called by the heightened level of need during COVID-19, this is the largest cash distribution since the inception of the Foundation.

As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Alaska Airlines Foundation has supported nonprofits and communities for more than 20 years.

"Our first round of grants focused on immediate needs in communities as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, such as food security and safe shelter. But the impacts of the pandemic are widespread, and our core mission  – supporting those working to address racial and educational equity by equipping, empowering, and inspiring young people – has never been more relevant," said Diana Birkett Rakow, Foundation chair and vice president of external relations at Alaska Airlines.

British Airways is bringing its renowned Flying with Confidence courses - with a difference this October.

British Airways is bringing its renowned Flying with Confidence course to the comfort of customers’ homes for the first time ever this October.

More than 50,000 people have taken part in the Flying with Confidence course since it began more than 35 years ago. The course, which has typically only been run in a classroom format followed by a short flight the following day, is now being offered as a live interactive webinar, to give attendees every detail from how an aircraft flies, to why turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous, to simple breathing techniques to use to manage anxiety, all without leaving the house.

British Airways recognises that around 25% of people have at least some fear of flying, while 1 in 10 people have a phobia of flying. In addition, flyers are now having to navigate travel in the Covid-19 era, so the course will also cover all the safety measures put in place by British Airways both on the ground and in the air, to help give travellers from around the world the confidence to fly again.

IATA Calls for Systematic COVID-19 Testing Before Departure

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity. IATA will work through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with health authorities to implement this solution quickly.

International travel is 92% down on 2019 levels. Over half a year has passed since global connectivity was destroyed as countries closed their borders to fight COVID-19. Some governments have cautiously re-opened borders since then, but there has been limited uptake because either quarantine measures make travel impractical or the frequent changes in COVID-19 measures make planning impossible.