Russian airline Aeroflot starting key holiday flights

The Russian airline Aeroflot has opened regular flights from Moscow to key holiday destinations including Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The carrier has started daily services using Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Flights will be operated daily from October 1 on the following schedule:

Route	Flight	Departure	Arrival
Moscow — Hurghada	SU0422	11:40	15:55
Hurghada — Moscow	SU0423	17:25	23:50
Moscow — Sharm El Sheikh	SU0426	12:05	16:20
Sharm El Sheikh - Moscow	SU0427	17:50	00:10(+1)

The resumption of international air service between Russia and Egypt has been long-awaited. Egypt is one of favourite leisure destinations for Russians. Tourists are mostly attracted by the resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. In addition to beach holidays, travellers go on short sightseeing tours to Cairo and to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings.

 Dominican Republic

Another holiday destination to get regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow is Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic), which will initially operate on Fridays and Sundays, and starting from November, on Wednesdays as well. Thus, the frequency will be three weekly services.

Flights will be operated on Airbus A350, the most advanced wide-body aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Aeroflot’s A350 has a three-class cabin layout with 28 private business class Suites, 24 Comfort economy seats, and 264 Economy class seats. The business class cabin design featuring 2-metre full-flat beds in each Suite offers an unprecedented level of comfort, rivalling the first-class cabins of most major carriers.  The Suites provide a high level of privacy and personal space.

Transport Secretary agrees high-level principles with G7 leaders to support international and transatlantic travel

Seven principles agreed between G7 leaders to build a long-lasting recovery for the international travel sector.

World leaders have given international travel a further boost on 30 September 2021, by agreeing a series of new measures at the G7 transport and health meeting hosted by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

In the first meeting of its kind between G7 transport and health ministers from major global economies, agreement was reached to align their international travel strategies through 7 principles that will build a long-lasting recovery for the international travel sector.

These 7 high-level principles are:

futureproofing the transportation sector against future health threats

ensuring the fair treatment and safety of essential transport personnel

respecting privacy and data protection in implementing vaccination certification solutions

reaffirming the pre-eminence of scientific evidence in planning international travel policy

ensuring fairness and equity in respective national responses

maintaining regular international and multilateral engagement

delivering a safe, sustainable and resilient recovery

The 7 principles agreed today will drive global standards on international travel and continue the progress made to make a long-lasting recovery for the sector.

As outlined in the Chair’s statement, the group also agreed to focus on improving data protection in vaccine certification developments, as well as prioritising the decarbonisation of transport.

This builds on recent work done by the UK government to simplify its international travel system to make it easier for people to travel to and from the UK, including for all G7 nations – whether that’s for overdue business trips or catching up with loved ones.

G7 members also agreed to focus on facilitating a sustainable global recovery committing to prioritising the sustainable decarbonisation of transport and protecting the rights of transport workers in their vital work to facilitate international travel.

Grant Shapps Transport Secretary said:

"Under the UK’s presidency of the G7, we are determined to get people travelling abroad as freely and safely as possible and the progress made today between all G7 nations is testament to this vision.

By sharing information, working together on common standards and solutions for vaccine certification, and keeping a focus on a sustainable recovery for our travel sector, we will build a resilient and long-lasting recovery now and for generations to come."

Lord Kamall Health Minister said:

"Global cooperation on healthcare is crucial, especially during a pandemic and the strong links we have with our G7 partners continue to help protect people around the world.

The UK’s world-leading clinical trials have saved lives. We owe a huge debt to those volunteers who stepped forward to help break new medical and scientific boundaries by taking part in these trials, so we must make sure they are not disadvantaged when travelling.

I am pleased that we have agreed steps to support the safe return of international travel, and I look forward to working with my G7 colleagues further."

Ministers also outlined their collective support for the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including the upcoming High-level Conference on COVID-19 next month. The conference will bring together over 190 states to discuss issues relating to international travel, helping to achieve a common approach for aviation recovery as we continue to collaborate with our international partners in response to the pandemic.

Looking to the future, G7 partners agreed that a joined-up approach was essential to mitigate against risks associated with the current pandemic and any future health threats, understanding how to safeguard international travel, and providing a high level of resilience for the sector in the longer term.

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British Airways bringing the Airbus A380 back to life?

According to some aviation industry commentators in the UK, including Simon Calder of The Independent, British Airways is all set to bring back the Airbus A380 into revenue service from the start of November.

The airline, like many other operators during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, flew its planes to quiet out of the way airports to park and store them as demand crashed. Now, like Emirates, and Australian airline Qantas, it would seem British Airways is all set to bring the superjumbo back in to revenue service. 

According to reports, British Airways are putting together schedules for five of the double-decked aircraft, mainly on inter European flights, including to destinations such as Madrid, Frankfurt and Rome. But BA has now taken the industry by surprise by bringing back five of its 12 giant jets next month – initially on short-haul hops to Frankfurt and Madrid.

In early December the airline will schedule the type to operate schedules to North America, including those to Los Angeles and Miami  Rob Burgess, editor of Head for Points says the A380s on the Miami route would start from 3rd December, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles routes would see the superjumbo deployed on 7th and 9th December.  Although, "DFW may be delayed as the necessary facilities to handle a BA A380 are not yet in place," Burgess wrote. 

British Airways may not be able to bring all 12 of its A380s back to regular routine scheduling as soon as demand dictates as it has retrained a great number of its former A380 pilots on other aircraft types during the nearly two years of grounding with relatively very few staying type rated on the A380. 

 

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Winners of £3 million zero emission flight aviation competition announced

Fifteen successful projects have been awarded funding to help support UK airports in handling new types of electric and hydrogen aircraft.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today (29 September 2021) announced the winners of the latest £3 million competition focused on making zero emission flights a reality.

Winning projects include wireless charging for electric planes, swappable battery packs to keep flight turnover times to a minimum and state-of-the-art fuelling tanks to safely and efficiently refuel flights of the future.

The 15 successful projects have been awarded a share of over £700,000 to help bring forward innovative research and technology, which can support UK airports in handling new types of electric and hydrogen aircraft.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:  "As the world reopens from the pandemic, it is essential that we are investing in greener aviation as part of our transport decarbonisation agenda. Funding these revolutionary projects will help to slash carbon, create jobs and get us closer to our goal of operating zero emission flights."

Today’s funding forms part of the government’s commitment in the Prime Minister’s Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution, with a commitment of £3 million funding to research into airport infrastructure for zero emission flights this year.

Aviation Minister Robert Courts said:  "As an island nation, aviation is essential for our future growth and plans to build back better and greener from the pandemic. With COP26 around the corner, we’re ramping up our efforts even further by funding the technology that unlocks the flights of the future."

Earlier this year, the UK government set out its ambition to become world-leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production, launching the £15 million Green Fuel, Green Skies competition and publishing a consultation proposing to mandate sustainable aviation fuel use in the UK from 2025.

England's Red List of countries and territories......... as of 04 Oct 2021

The UK's red-listed countries as of 4th October are as follows:

Red list of countries and territories

Afghanistan

Angola

Argentina

Bolivia

Botswana

Brazil

Burundi

Cape Verde

Chile

Colombia

Congo (Democratic Republic)

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Eritrea

Eswatini

Ethiopia

French Guiana

Georgia

Guyana

Haiti

Indonesia

Lesotho

Malawi

Mayotte

Mexico

Mongolia

Montenegro

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

Nepal

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Réunion

Rwanda

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

Sudan

Suriname

Tanzania

Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Uganda

Uruguay

Venezuela

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Before you travel to England from a red list country you must:

Take a COVID-19 test – you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England

Book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests

Complete a passenger locator form

You must do this even if you are fully vaccinated.

Children aged 11 to 17 must take a COVID-19 test in the 3 days before travel to England.

On arrival in England children aged 5 to 17 must quarantine in a managed hotel for 10 full days and take 2 COVID-19 tests.

Children aged 4 or under do not have to take any travel tests but must enter managed quarantine.

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UK travel simplified....... traffic light system scrapped into a single red list.

Coming to the UK has just gotten a whole lot easier with the scrapping of the traffic light entry system which has been replaced with a single red list.

The new rules came into effect at 04:00 this morning and have been welcomed by the majority of the UK's travel industry. The rule change will mean most fully vaccinated travellers coming in from non-red list countries will now no longer be required to take a test before departure or a test 8 days later or enter a 10-day self-isolation period. The Government has also eased rules for people coming in from non-red list destinations who have been vaccinated in the UK, the EU, the US, or any of the other 18 recognised nations. 

UK's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We are accelerating towards a future where travel continues to reopen safely and remains open for good, and today’s rule changes are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector.

Our priority remains to protect public health but, with more than 8 in 10 people now fully vaccinated, we are able to take these steps to lower the cost of testing and help the sector to continue in its recovery."

The UK now recognises vaccines from Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca (including Covidshield), Moderna and Janssen (J&J). Those eligible must have a document from a national or state-level public health authority that includes certain information including name, date of birth and vaccination details, as set out in the guidance on GOV.UK.

Fully vaccinated residents in other countries not yet part of the inbound policy, as well as those partially vaccinated, will still have to take a pre-departure test, PCR tests for day 2 and day 8 after arrival, and self-isolate for 10 days, with the option to test to release after 5 days.

The UK government is continuing to work with international partners as we seek to more regularly expand the policy to further countries and territories.

All arrivals will still need to fill in a passenger locator form ahead of travel. Travellers should continue to check GOV.UK travel guidance including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice

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airBaltic launches flights to Dubai

airBaltic launches flights to Dubai

The Riga based carrier airBaltic has recently yesterday launched direct flights between Riga and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. airBaltic now connects both cities with four weekly flights.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “We are proud to offer our passengers such a unique destination as Dubai, which now connects the Baltic region with the United Arab Emirates with one of the longest flights on our route map. Dubai has been one of the most demanded destinations among our passengers for some time now, and it will be hosting the Expo 2020, which attracts a lot of interest to this city.”

Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of Riga Airport: “Expanding the range of destinations accessible from Riga Airport with Dubai will open new opportunities for our passengers, who will be able to get to the attractive Middle East leisure and business centre faster and more conveniently. At the same time, it is also an important step forward for the Airport, continuing to strengthen Riga's position as an important air transit hub.

H.E. Mrs Hanan Al Aleeli, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Latvia: “I am pleased by the direct flights connectivity between the UAE and Latvia, which will bring new opportunities and closer ties between both countries. Inauguration of this flight coincides with the opening of Expo 2020 in Dubai which will further increase the demand for these convenient and necessary flights and provide new options for cooperation.”

Destination served	Flight frequency	Start date	Price *, GREEN	Price *, GREEN Classic	Price*, Business
Riga–Dubai	4 flights weekly	September 27, 2021	339 EUR	439 EUR	1 389 EUR

*Lowest fare (round trip), including taxes, fees and service charges, on www.airBaltic.com, subject to availability

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Spirit AeroSystems to Upgrade 757 Fleet for SF Airlines in China

Spirit AeroSystems has confirmed it signed an agreement with SF Airlines (SFA) to modify inlet cowlings for its Boeing 757 cargo freighters.

SF Airlines CEO Mr Li Sheng attended the contract signing with Mr Kailash Krishnaswamy, General Manager of Spirit AeroSystems (Hangzhou) Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. in China, during the Air Show China event in Zhuhai, China. Also from SFA, Mr Tong, General Manager of the SFA Maintenance and Engineering Department, and Ms Wu, Director of the SFA Maintenance and Engineering Department, joined Mr Li for the signing.

“Spirit AeroSystems is honoured to be selected by SF Airlines for this 10-year agreement,” Mr Krishnaswamy said. “Under this agreement, Spirit will provide important repairs for inlet cowlings that will help keep SFA’s Boeing 757 fleet operating effectively now and in the future.”

SFA technicians will remove cowlings from the engines and ship them to Spirit’s site in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the repairs will take place. Once repairs are complete, the cowlings will be shipped back to SFA.

Mr Krishnaswamy added, “Spirit is positioning itself regionally to support SF Airlines and other operators with increasing passenger travel and freight traffic in the post-COVID era, and we look forward to bringing our world-class repair capabilities to the Asia Pacific region.”

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Intelsat to Provide Inflight Connectivity on Air France’s A220 Fleet

Intelsat, the operator of the world's largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, has been selected by Air France to install its 2Ku high-speed, satellite-based inflight connectivity solution on 60 new Air France A220-300 aircraft. With deliveries commencing in 2021, the aircraft will fly to short and medium-haul destinations of the Air France network.

Intelsat's solution is the industry's leading inflight connectivity (IFC) because it simply delivers the highest throughput and best reliability to aircraft and devices globally, providing a superior connected passenger experience and exceptional Net Promoter Scores (NPS).

"We are honored to partner with Air France and delight their passengers with a superior inflight connectivity experience on Airbus' state-of-the-art A220 aircraft," said John Wade, president, Commercial Aviation of Intelsat. "This award expands the total Intelsat fleet at Air France to 143 aircraft, including widebody B777s and A330s. Air France is the third airline partner to select Intelsat on the A220 airframe and our first 2Ku line-fit European airline partner."

Happy birthday airBaltic .......................26 years old!!!

During this month, October 2021, the Latvian airline airBaltic celebrates its birthday.  This rapidly growing airline is celebrating its 26th anniversary since the launch of commercial operations.  airBaltic's Chief Executive Officer, Martin Gauss said: "Since the pandemic began, airBaltic has undergone a significant transformation, accelerating change that is necessary for future growth. We have achieved major milestones over the past 26 years and we are well equipped to come out of this crisis even stronger than before. We are thankful to our employees, passengers and partners for being with us together on this journey."

The airline was established in the early autumn of 1995 with the signing of a joint venture between the Latvian state and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). On October 1, airBaltic operated its first commercial flight, from Riga to Stockholm, with the Saab SF340 aircraft. Throughout October 1995, airBaltic carried 4 400 passengers on 209 flights. During these 26 years, airBaltic has carried a total of over 46 million passengers on more than 780 thousand flights.

These days, airBaltic operates a fleet of 31 super modern, comfortable and efficient Airbus A220-300 aircraft, making airBaltic the largest operator of the type globally. The airline connects the Baltic region by performing direct flights on more than 90 routes. 

Happy birthday airBaltic, your journey has taken many turns over the last 26 years and your trajectory is ever upwards which is only enhanced by your great staff, service and aircraft. 

Nearly five years ago we were the launch operator of @Airbus A220-300, and until today we've grown into the largest A220-300 operator in the world. Learn more of this success story shared by @airBaltic President & CEO @Gaussm. pic.twitter.com/NpQrjEQLyl

— airBaltic (@airBaltic) September 9, 2021

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Alaska unveils Giants-themed aircraft at San Francisco International Airport

Alaska Airlines, the official airline partner of the San Francisco Giants, has unveiled a new Giants-themed livery on one of its Airbus A321 aircraft, just in time for the Giants' upcoming playoff run.

The aircraft's first revenue flight transported sports fans from San Francisco (SFO) for Seattle (SEA) on Wednesday 29th September. 

"Few things are as exciting as seeing this big, colorful giant fly across our beautiful state as we go into our playoff run. My hope is that this aircraft gives Giants fans a way to feel part of the team, every time they travel," said San Francisco Giants CEO and President Larry Baer. "Partnerships like we have with Alaska Airlines offer critical support of local community, youth and education programs like the Willie Mays Scholarship Fund and the Giants Community Fund, which in turn is helping change the lives of our youths."

This is the second livery dedicated to the San Francisco Giants. The plane, tail number N855VA, will fly throughout Alaska's network now through 2022. The new Giants-themed livery is one of many ways guests can celebrate the team's playoff run. Alaska just announced that fans who wear Giants' apparel can board early for all San Francisco departing flights for the duration of the team's postseason play.

Alaska employees dedicated the plane along with a $100,000 check to the Willie Mays Scholarship Fund, in honor of the 'Say Hey Kid's' 90th birthday. The fund assists in making college aspirations come true for San Francisco's Black youth and empowers them to pursue their goals to achieve success in high school, college and beyond. Terminal 2 flyers were also treated to a surprise celebration complete with DJ entertainment on-site, prizes, giveaways and a visit from the Giants' mascot "Lou Seal" joining in on the festivities.

"Alaska has been a proud partner of the Giants since 2017," said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines managing director of brand and marketing communications. "We're thrilled to display our Giants pride from 35,000 feet with this unique looking plane, and we wish the team the best of luck as they hopefully make a deep run in the postseason."

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August Domestic Traffic Demand Falls

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel decelerated in August compared to July, as government actions in response to concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant cut deeply into domestic travel demand.  Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to July 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern.   Total demand for air travel in August 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) was down 56.0% compared to August 2019. This marked a slowdown from July, when demand was 53.0% below July 2019 levels.

Tewolde GebreMariam - Ethiopian Airlines CEO, has been awarded Air Cargo Leadership Award in the Airline Strategy Awards

Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Tewolde GebreMariam has been awarded Air Cargo Leadership Award in the Airline Strategy Awards ceremony organized by Flight Global in London on 27 September 2021. The Airline Strategy Awards is launched by Airline Business to recognize excellence in boardroom leadership and awarded Group CEO of Ethiopian, Mr Tewolde GebreMariam and Ethiopian Airlines for the commendable air cargo leadership during the pandemic. 

The award is in recognition of the airline's agile strategies during the COVID 19 crisis through the CEO’s excellence in crisis leadership. Among the key criteria for the award are business performance, network strategy, innovative thinking during the crisis. Ethiopian is among the pioneers in reconfiguring its passenger aircraft to enhance its cargo capacity and responding to the soaring demand for shipments when the passenger business declined.  

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr Tewolde GebreMariam said “I am very happy that  Flight Global and the airline strategy award judging panel recognized our unique crisis management skills, agility, speed of decision making, creativity and resilience. Despite the enormity and devastation of the global pandemic crisis in the world in general and the aviation industry in particular, we at Ethiopian Airlines have successfully changed the crisis in to an opportunity. Accordingly, we have taken advantage of the booming cargo business and converted  25 of our passenger aircraft into freighters. We have done well by doing good to the global community by providing critical medical supplies, equipment and vaccines. I am very grateful to all Ethiopian management team, the board of Directors and the 17,000 plus hard-working employees for whom I have the greatest appreciation. I would also like to thank Airline Business  and Flight Global for choosing me for the award.” 

The air cargo leadership category of Airline Strategy Awards is for the chief executive or management team that have demonstrated excellence in leading a cargo carrier or cargo business unit during the Covid-19 crisis. This category applies to all types of air-cargo carriers and businesses – including scheduled, charter, ACMI/wet-lease and integrator,  whether they are operating independently, as a dedicated air-cargo business, or as a  freight division of a passenger airline group.

Mr Tewolde GebreMariam was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines in January 2011. He began his career at Ethiopian in 1985 as Transportation Agent and has held a number of senior leadership positions in different divisions in the Airline including; Ethiopian Cargo, Area Offices and Sales & Marketing.

Mr Tewolde also serves as a member of the High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport with United Nations, Chief Executive Board member of Star Alliance, Board member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlink Advisory Council. Additionally, he is an Executive Committee member of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), a member of the Board of Directors of Africa Travel Association (ATA) and the Board of Directors of Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO).

In his role as CEO, Mr Tewolde has been a multi-award winner including ‘African CEO of the Year’, ‘Best African Business Leader’, ‘The Airline Strategy Award for Regional Leadership’ and ‘The Most Gender Focused CEO Award’.

He earned his B.A. Degree in Economics from the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Open University in the United Kingdom. He has received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa from Addis Ababa University on 13 July 2019.

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Air Lease Corp to lease 31 new Airbus aircraft to new Italian airline ITA

The global aircraft leasing giant, Air Lease Corporation confirmed on Thursday 30 September that ITA, the new national airline of Italy, has agreed to lease 31 new ALC aircraft consisting of 15 A220s, two A320neos, nine A321neos and five A330-900neos on long-term lease from ALC’s orderbook with Airbus.  The 31 aircraft will deliver to the airline progressively beginning in the second half of 2022 through early 2025. 

In addition to these 31 ALC Airbus aircraft, ITA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for the purchase of 28 new aircraft: 10 Airbus A330neo aircraft for long-haul flights, seven Airbus A220 family regional jets and 11 Airbus A320neo family aircraft (deliveries for the latter to start after the completion of the business plan).

Overall, ITA will lease a total of 56 new Airbus aircraft over the course of the plan (13 long-haul jets, including the ultra-modern Airbus A350-900, and 43 short and medium-haul aircraft).

“Air Lease Corporation is pleased and proud to be the launch Lessor for ITA to supply the new airline 31 new Airbus jet aircraft, including the most modern A220 and A320/321neo family jets, as well the latest environmentally friendly widebody aircraft on long-term operating leases from ALC’s orderbook.  These transactions will allow ITA to operate the most technologically advanced new aircraft to cover ITA’s European and Intercontinental route network with great efficiency,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation.  “We look forward to a long-term successful partnership,” he said.

The Executive Chairman of ITA, Alfredo Altavilla, said: “The strategic partnership with Airbus and ALC is crucial for ITA to jumpstart our Business Plan aiming at achieving our targets of a new environmental-friendly fleet with significantly lower operating and leasing costs.  I want to thank both Christian Scherer, CCO of Airbus, and Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation, for their trust in the future of our brand-new airline.” 

“ITA has done a thorough clean sheet aircraft evaluation and has chosen Airbus across all segments.  This is very gratifying and a testimony of the great value of the Airbus product range.  It sets a benchmark in driving the decarbonization and efficiency agenda.  From the start, we have been working closely with ITA, listening carefully to their requirements.  Today we are proud and grateful to be alongside ITA in building its future together.  Grazie Mille!" said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.

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STARLUX Airlines Launches New Route to Singapore!

STARLUX Airlines officially launched its inaugural flight between Singapore and Taipei. Once again, the airline achieves a significant milestone despite the pandemic following the opening of new routes to Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila earlier this year. STARLUX will initially operate two flights per week.

STARLUX recognizes the importance of Singapore as a centre of economic and cultural events as well as an important transportation hub in Asia. The airline chose to open the route based on the level of cargo flight demand and hopes to provide travel service to passengers commuting between Singapore and Taiwan in the post-pandemic period. As regards COVID-related travel rules and regulations, please check for the latest information on customs, immigration and quarantine procedures before departure, and cooperate with all associated instructions.

Changi Airport welcomed the inaugural flight from Taipei with a water salute today. Mr Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group (CAG)’s Managing Director of Air Hub Development said, “We are delighted to welcome STARLUX Airlines to our Changi family. This new service will provide passengers with more travel options to Taiwan and presents growth opportunities for leisure and business travel in the region. Changi Airport Group strives to maintain connectivity to the world despite the pandemic, and we look forward to welcoming back more visitors as our air borders gradually open.”

JetBlue's London Gatwick service starts..........

 

                        JetBlue - New York’s Hometown Airline announced it has expanded its presence in the transatlantic market with new, nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). The first customer-carrying JetBlue flight from the U.S. touched down at Gatwick just before 8 o’clock this morning, local time. The flights – which operate four times weekly in October, then daily onward from November – arrive well-timed for the long-awaited easing of U.S. entry requirements for travellers from the U.K. and other European destinations.

“With a 500% increase in JetBlue’s U.K. bookings following news of easing U.S. entry requirements for international travellers, it’s clear there is significant pent up demand for travel between our two countries and that our Gatwick launch is well-timed to meet the growing number of customers returning to the skies,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “JetBlue’s new service at Gatwick – complemented by our recently launched flights at Heathrow – introduces an all-new choice for London travellers who won’t have to choose between an attractive fare and great service as they reunite with family, friends and colleagues on either side of the Atlantic.”

JetBlue’s arrival at Gatwick brings the U.S. airline’s award-winning service and attractive fares to a second London-area airport. In August, the carrier touched down at Heathrow, marking the start of JetBlue’s first-ever transatlantic service. With JetBlue service established at Heathrow, flights at Gatwick now bring the airline’s London service in line with JetBlue’s successful multi-airport approach in New York, Los Angeles, South Florida, and other regions, where the airline can conveniently serve a wider range of travelers across large metropolitan areas.​ Additionally, JetBlue is the only carrier flying nonstop between the U.S. and Gatwick, where it will bring exceptional experience and affordable fares that will redefine transatlantic travel.​

“The launch of JetBlue’s service between New York and London has been a most welcomed addition to the transatlantic market, and following the recent announcements of simplified travel rules between the U.S. and the U.K., the new service to London Gatwick will provide even greater accessibility for Americans to book their next trip to Britain,” said Sheelagh Wylie, Chief Marketing Officer, Americas at VisitBritain. With the festive holiday season around the corner and an exciting year ahead full of events such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Coventry City of Culture and many other annual festivals and shows, we are thrilled to welcome JetBlue to its second home in London Gatwick. We look forward to safely having American visitors back to experience the finest British hospitality, our breathtaking coasts and countryside, and our world-class attractions in London and beyond.”

Schedule between New York (JFK) and London Gatwick (LGW)

JFK - LGW Flight #43	LGW - JFK Flight #44
7:50 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. (+1)	12:00 p.m. – 3:33 p.m.

JetBlue Accelerates Transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) With Plans for the Largest-Ever Supply of SAF in New York Airports for a Commercial Airline

JetBlue announced plans to speed up its transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with an offtake agreement with SG Preston, a leading bioenergy developer. With the addition of this SG Preston agreement to its previous SAF commitments, JetBlue is well ahead of pace on its target to convert 10 percent of its total fuel usage to SAF on a blended basis by 2030. The airline will reach nearly eight percent SAF usage by the end of 2023 when delivery of SAF under this agreement is expected. JetBlue is doubling its previous SAF commitment with SG Preston, which was first announced in 2016 as one of the largest SAF purchase agreements in aviation history.

JetBlue’s agreement with SG Preston also marks a major milestone for SAF in New York’s airports. This deal is expected to bring the first large-scale volume of domestically produced SAF for a commercial airline to New York’s metropolitan airports. JetBlue will convert 30 percent of its fuel buy across John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from traditional Jet-A fuel to SAF (b), which is expected to reduce emissions by an estimated 80 percent per gallon of neat SAF, compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels.

Targeting a start in 2023 and continuing over a 10-year period, SG Preston will deliver at least 670 million gallons of blended SAF to JetBlue to fuel its flight operations at JFK, LGA and EWR, helping JetBlue avoid approximately 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. JetBlue expects to invest more than $1 billion in purchasing SAF over the term of this agreement, at a price competitive to traditional Jet-A fuel, with no expected material impact to the airline’s total fuel costs. This marks the largest-ever announced near-term SAF deal for delivery in the Northeast and will be become the airline’s largest single jet fuel contract.

China Eastern Airlines Released New Loyalty Program Globally!

On September 26th, China Eastern Airlines held the "New Value, New Experience, New Pleasure—China Eastern Airlines New Loyalty Program" press conference in Shanghai Tower. The "Eastern Miles" membership system globally released features these five highlights as a brand-new membership upgrade, a brand-new points accumulation system, a brand-new point exchange method, a brand-new product series and a brand-new service platform.

The core of the new membership system lies in the points accumulation framework transition from "mileage-based" to "revenue-based" system, by which we are dedicated to creating a brand new customer-centered service platform and making it possible for more cross-border and cross-industry partners to enter the value chain of the aviation.

The new membership system has made sweet adjustments in the member points and the validity of points, covering issues that travellers are most concerned about. In the new "revenue-based" system, the member points will be associated with the flight ticket fare, and the mileage points can be calculated by matching with the member grade coefficient. For passengers, the number and distance of flights are no longer the only ways to realize the renewal and upgrade of membership. The period of validity will be extended from the original 3 years to long-term "rolling effective", and it will be invalid and cleared only after being dormant consecutively for more than 36 months. During this period, as long as the members of "Eastern Miles" accumulate their points by their travel, or use them for redemption and consumption, they can ensure that their points are always valid, not fearing of "clearing by the expiration".

In recent years, China Eastern Airlines has brought enormous surprises to the public and its members in aviation product innovations, such as the "Fly At Will" from last year. Relying on big data mining and analysis, China Eastern Airlines has been studying the travel habits of passengers, and making constant efforts in hope of enriching the travel scenes and providing more accurate services. With the appearance of the New Loyalty Program, more and more good news about the travel experience are coming. For travelers, high-speed Wi-fi in the air and the newly upgraded on-board dining are really something to look forward to. As members of SKYTEAM, the members of China Eastern Airlines can enjoy premium service of 19 member airlines.

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Airbus Helicopters enhances its support and services capability in China

                                   Airbus Helicopters is demonstrating its commitment and determination to better support its Chinese customers at the 13th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in the city of Zhuhai in China’s southern Guangdong Province.

On the opening day of the show, Airbus Helicopters signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement and an HCare Smart Parts By Hour (PBH) contract with State Grid General Aviation Company (SGGAC), enhancing its support and services capability with more localised solutions. 

The  Strategic Cooperation Agreement will enable SGGAC to expand the activities of its existing MRO Centre, which became an official Airbus Helicopters customer service centre in October 2018, responsible for H125 aircraft maintenance. 

As one of Airbus Helicopters’ most important Chinese customers, SGGAC currently operates 15 H125s, China’s largest H125 fleet. The expanded authorisation will further improve reassembly services for Chinese customers and enhance H125 fleet development in the country.

In addition, SGGAC becomes China’s second HCare Smart customer with the signing of a PBH contract covering its H225 and H215. 

31 New Airbus aircraft for ITA...................... 15 A220s, 2 A320neos, 9 A321neos and 5 A330-900neos

The global aircraft leasing giant, Air Lease Corporation confirmed on Thursday 30 September that ITA, the new national airline of Italy, has agreed to lease 31 new ALC aircraft consisting of 15 A220s, two A320neos, nine A321neos and five A330-900neos on long-term lease from ALC’s orderbook with Airbus.  The 31 aircraft will deliver to the airline progressively beginning in the second half of 2022 through early 2025. 

In addition to these 31 ALC Airbus aircraft, ITA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus for the purchase of 28 new aircraft: 10 Airbus A330neo aircraft for long-haul flights, seven Airbus A220 family regional jets and 11 Airbus A320neo family aircraft (deliveries for the latter to start after the completion of the business plan).

Overall, ITA will lease a total of 56 new Airbus aircraft over the course of the plan (13 long-haul jets, including the ultra-modern Airbus A350-900, and 43 short and medium-haul aircraft).

“Air Lease Corporation is pleased and proud to be the launch Lessor for ITA to supply the new airline 31 new Airbus jet aircraft, including the most modern A220 and A320/321neo family jets, as well the latest environmentally friendly widebody aircraft on long-term operating leases from ALC’s orderbook.  These transactions will allow ITA to operate the most technologically advanced new aircraft to cover ITA’s European and Intercontinental route network with great efficiency,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation.  “We look forward to a long-term successful partnership,” he said.

The Executive Chairman of ITA, Alfredo Altavilla, said: “The strategic partnership with Airbus and ALC is crucial for ITA to jumpstart our Business Plan aiming at achieving our targets of a new environmental-friendly fleet with significantly lower operating and leasing costs.  I want to thank both Christian Scherer, CCO of Airbus, and Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation, for their trust in the future of our brand-new airline.” 

“ITA has done a thorough clean sheet aircraft evaluation and has chosen Airbus across all segments.  This is very gratifying and a testimony of the great value of the Airbus product range.  It sets a benchmark in driving the decarbonization and efficiency agenda.  From the start, we have been working closely with ITA, listening carefully to their requirements.  Today we are proud and grateful to be alongside ITA in building its future together.  Grazie Mille!" said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.

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