Saab's Gripen officially presented in Brazil

The Gripen E, named F-39E Gripen by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), was officially presented today October 23rd, during the celebrations of Aviators’ Day and the Brazilian Air Force Day, at Wing 1, in Brasília. The aircraft flew over the air base after an air display of the Brazilian Smoke Squadron.

The ceremony was attended by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian Defence Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva; the Swedish Ambassador to Brazil, Johanna Brosmar-Skoogh; the Brazilian Air Force Commander, Air Lieutenant Brigadier Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermudez; Commander of the Swedish Air Force,Major General Carl-Johan Edström; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saab, Marcus Wallenberg; and President and CEO of Saab, Micael Johansson, among others.

“It is a great honour to see Gripen E at the ceremony in celebration to the Aviators’ Day and the Brazilian Air Force Day. I do not believe that there is a more appropriate occasion for this presentation, as it certainly means a lot to all Brazilian aviators to have the aircraft flying in the skies of Brazil”, stated Micael Johansson, CEO and President of Saab. "This is the result of a successful collaboration between Brazil and Sweden, and a great opportunity to further strengthen ties between the two countries".

Eindhoven Airport supports call for European blending obligation for sustainable aviation fuel

The coalition Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST), of which Eindhoven Airport (as part of Royal Schiphol Group) is part, has asked the European Commission to establish a European blending obligation for aviation fuel by 2025 at the latest. According to CST, a blending obligation is a powerful incentive to scale up the production of sustainable aviation fuel. CST wants the European Commission to announce the blending obligation next year and that it will enter into force no later than 2025. Until 2050 CST wants the mandatory blending ratio to increase.

Condor will leave protective shield proceedings at the end of November as a healthy company

The path out of the protective shield proceedings is clear: today's creditors' meeting approved Condor's restructuring plan. Germany's most popular leisure airline can leave the protective shield plan at the end of November as healthy company. Appeals cannot be lodged this time.

"December 1 will be a new start for Condor as a healthy company," says Ralf Teckentrup, CEO of Condor. "For our customers and partners, this step means that they can continue to rely on Germany's most popular vacation airline in the future. On behalf of all Condorians, I would like to thank all creditors for their support and trust".

The second protective shield plan was submitted to the Frankfurt am Main district court at the end of August. The plan covers the measures Condor is taking to prepare for a future without Thomas Cook. Condor is already successfully implementing a number of restructuring and cost-cutting measures: The leisure airline not only moved to new, more cost-effective corporate headquarters, but also concluded viable collective agreements with all the unions months ago, which allow flexibility and efficiency while at the same time responsibly securing the jobs of its approximately 4,200 employees until at least December 2021.

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Boeing’s Australian Unmanned Aircraft Completes First Taxi

The Boeing Loyal Wingman aircraft being developed with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recently moved under its own power for the first time, a key milestone for the aircraft that’s expected to make its first flight this year.

“Air Force partners with industry to ensure we can find innovative solutions to meet our future priorities,” said Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts, RAAF Head of Air Force Capability. “Boeing’s Loyal Wingman project is a perfect example of what this collaborative approach can achieve.”

“Seeing the prototype take to the runway for this low-speed taxi test is an exciting moment – another significant development milestone ahead of its first flight.”

Hyatt Hotels launches new digital platform, Hyatt Together, to help inspire wellbeing at home or away

New custom streaming content provides guests, members and customers innovative experiences that address today’s wellbeing needs

Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt Hotels Corporation has launched Hyatt Together – a digital platform for guests, members and customers featuring curated wellbeing experiences created by Hyatt colleagues from around the world. Aligned with Hyatt’s holistic approach to wellbeing, Hyatt Together content is focused on three pillars: Feel (emotional and mental wellbeing), Fuel (powering the body, including food, sleep) and Function (how you move and function in work and life). Today, Hyatt is premiering expanded video content designed to bring its engaging, signature experiences outside of Hyatt hotels so that more people can have access, whether at home, or when they’re ready, while travelling.

Accor and BNP Paribas become strategic partners to launch a co-branded payment card in Europe

Accor, a world leader in hospitality, and BNP Paribas, the leading bank in the eurozone and a key international banking player, announce that they have concluded a pan-European partnership to launch a unique co-branded payment card. Members of the ALL-Accor Live Limitless lifestyle loyalty program who subscribe to the card will be able to use it for all their day-to-day purchases. Linking up with one of the sector’s best loyalty programs, card users will earn points as soon as they start spending, upgrade to a higher status more quickly, and enjoy special and unforgettable experiences both in the Group’s hotels and across the entire Accor ecosystem.

Air Canada Continues to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) as it Receives New Certification by the International Air Transport Association

Air Canada announced this week that it has successfully attained the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) certification. Introduced last year by IATA, the IWT certification incorporates the 11 commitments of the United for Wildlife (UFW) Buckingham Palace Declaration for airlines engaged in fighting the trade in illegal wildlife.

As a global carrier, Air Canada can play a meaningful role in helping to prevent the devastating impact of the illegal wildlife trade. The airline recently signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration and despite the disruptions of 2020, Air Canada Cargo has developed and introduced controls and procedures to reduce the likelihood of transporting illegal wildlife and illegal wildlife products.

Flair Airlines names new Chief Executive Officer – Stephen Jones

The independent Canadian low-cost-carrier, Flair Airlines has named its new CEO as Stephen Jones, who also becomes the firm's President.

Jones replaces Jim Scott, the outgoing President and CEO, who presided over the year-long process to identify his successor. After nearly three years, Mr. Scott has decided to retire as Flair’s President and CEO. He will remain as a shareholder of the company.

Jones, former Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air, was selected as CEO and President after an extensive global search. During Mr Jones tenure at Wizz, one of the most profitable and fastest-growing ULCC airlines in the world, he was responsible for operating a 110 aircraft fleet while heading the commercial, marketing, supply chain and digital organizations. Before Wizz Air, Mr Jones served as Air New Zealand's Chief Strategy Networks and Alliances Officer and was Chairman of the Alliance Management Board for the Star Alliance.

JetBlue Announces Update on Negotiations with TWU

JetBlue has announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the Transport Workers Union (TWU), regarding the process toward a contract for JetBlue’s inflight crewmembers.

The agreement is subject to a ratification process which includes final documentation, review, and consideration by JetBlue’s TWU leadership team before being distributed to inflight crewmembers for a final vote.

Ed Baklor, vice president inflight, JetBlue, said: “We are pleased to come to this tentative agreement and look forward to bringing the contract to a vote with our inflight crewmembers. Thank you to both negotiating committees for their efforts over the past two years to reach this agreement.”

Ian Deason, head of customer experience, said: “I want to thank our amazing inflight crewmembers for their commitment to safety and for continuing to always deliver the best experience in the skies during this especially challenging time for our industry.”

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Mayo Clinic’s review of in-flight service guides Delta's safety response

A team of expert advisors from Mayo Clinic boarded a Delta A330-300 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last month – and never left the gate. They were there to experience a simulation of the in-flight service our flight attendants deliver to customers every day and to share their views on key health and safety considerations as Delta continues to refine our processes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve asked Mayo Clinic to take a hard look at our food and beverage service, the way the flight attendants prepare the food, the way they deliver it to the customer, the way they interact with each other,” said Jaime Jewell, Delta’s Director - In-Flight Service Brand Strategy and Customer Experience. “We want to create an environment on the aeroplane that [customers] feel great about and that our crews feel great about, so they’re confident to come fly again.”

Virgin Holidays must refund customers or face a legal battle

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been snowed under with complaints regarding Virgin Holidays and its refund procedure. Many customers, it said, were not getting refunds or had been forced to wait for an "unreasonably long time" to get their money back from Virgin. 

The holiday company has now been ordered to meet refund deadlines or face a high court legal fight with the regulator. By law, package holidays cancelled by an operator should be refunded within 14 days, however, the average time for Virgin Holiday customers to get a refund has been three months. 

Despite the coronavirus pandemic 15.6 Million passengers travel through Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport during the first nine months of the year

Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport served 15,606,000 people from January through September of 2020. There were 145,368 take-off and landing operations in the same nine-month period, showing the airport, still managed to remain relatively busy despite the global slowdown of aviation due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The largest contributors to the growth of Sheremetyevo's passenger traffic in this period were Aeroflot, Nordwind Airlines, Rossiya, Ikar, Royal Flight and Air France.

Sheremetyevo's passenger traffic in the third quarter was 476% higher than in the second quarter, totaling 5.837 million people. This growth was due to the high demand for flights to popular Russian domestic resort destinations, as well as the partial resumption of regular international flights, including popular tourist destinations in Turkey.

The number of passengers served on domestic airlines reached 4.967 million, an increase of 424% over the second quarter. Growth was due mostly to an increase in demand for flights to Sochi, Simferopol and Anapa. In the third quarter, passenger traffic on international airlines amounted to 869,930 people, which is 1,225% more than in the second quarter. The greatest demand was for flights to destinations such as Antalya, Istanbul and London.

The airport served 2.156 million passengers in the month of September, when there were 15,878 take-off and landing operations. 

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Conrad London St. James Announces Plans to Create a New Destination for Food and Drink in Central London

 

At the heart of one of London’s most symbolic boroughs, Conrad London St. James will be taking centre stage with the opening of four new food and drinks concepts in Westminster. The hotel, set in Constitutional London and a stone’s throw from London’s most-visited landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye, is investing £1.75 million in creating exceptional and pioneering eating and drinking concepts. Designed to provide a truly British experience, and with the area’s community and global travellers in mind, the hotel will launch a new signature restaurant; a contemporary take on the traditional London pub; an afternoon tea lounge, and the addition of the hotel’s first cocktail bar. Significantly, Michelin-starred chef Sally Abé has been appointed as Consultant Chef.

The hotel has appointed leading designers Wilson Associates to create stunning interiors to bring to life a very London pub; a glamorous new restaurant inspired by pioneering women; a seasonally-influenced and elegant cocktail bar; discreet private dining, and an afternoon tea lounge.