Jetstar has received approval to operate Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, helping restore one of the world’s busiest international air links. Starting on 29 November, seven of Jetstar Asia’s 15 weekly return services between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will be designated VTL flights, enabling fully vaccinated customers to enter Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, quarantine-free.
Jetstar Asia’s Head of Commercial and RGM SEA, Woo Wai Keong, said the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route was always a critical link between two of Southeast Asia’s leading cities.
“It is wonderful to be able to offer customers travelling between Malaysia and Singapore a quarantine-free travel option, and play a part bringing families, friends and colleagues back together again for the first time in nearly two years.” Mr. Woo said.
In line with Malaysia and Singapore Government requirements, only fully vaccinated passengers (exemptions apply to passengers 12 years and below) who meet all the necessary VTL conditions can travel on designated VTL flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Customers who book a Jetstar Asia (3K) flight on jetstar.com before 31 December 2021 for travel before 30 June 2023, will be given one ‘fee free’ date change as part of Jetstar’s Fly Flexible policy*.
Jetstar’s Fly Well safety measures offer an added layer of protection and demonstrate our commitment to keeping our people and our customers safe.
Icelandair Group is taking significant steps in aligning the firm's organizational structure as it struggles to make inroads on a strategy to sustainable growth, digital transformation and central focus on customer experience.
Commercial responsibilities split into two divisions to sharpen focus
The Commercial division will be split into customer and revenue-focused divisions. The establishment of the Customer division will foster a strong customer-centric focus across the organization and continue to strengthen the Icelandair brand. The Revenue division will combine the Company’s revenue-focused functions of Network, Revenue Management and Sales in a single division with the aim of reaching Icelandair’s full revenue potential. Each division will be led by a member of the Executive Committee (Chief Customer Officer and Chief Revenue Officer).
Digital transformation a priority
Furthermore, a Digital & Data division will enable Icelandair Group’s digital and data journey from a central position within the Company, led by a Chief Digital Officer. The division will support the business units on their quest to develop simple and enjoyable journeys for Icelandair’s customers and further enable data-driven decision making across the Company.
Clear emphasis on Sustainability and Corporate Strategy
Sustainability is central to Icelandair’s long-term strategy and will be strengthened further and positioned within the CEO office along with Strategy. The Managing Directors of Icelandair Cargo and Loftleidir-Icelandic continue to represent the subsidiaries in the Company’s Executive Committee. Their operations continue to be vital in supplementing the Company’s core business, aviation, by seizing opportunities on the international air freight and leasing markets, and by reducing seasonal fluctuations within Icelandair Group’s operations.
Tomas Ingason appointed Chief Revenue Officer
Tomas Ingason has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer of Icelandair Group. Tomas has served as the Chief Information Officer/Chief Business Development Officer of the Company since re-joining Icelandair in 2019. He was Chief Commercial Officer of WOW air from 2018-2019 and Director of Rapid Digitization at Arion Bank between 2016 and 2018. Tomas was Chief Business Development Officer of WOW air in 2014. Prior to that he was Management Consultant at Bain & Company in Copenhagen and served as Director of Revenue Management and Pricing at Icelandair for several years. Tomas holds an MBA Degree from MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston, MSc. Degree of Engineering in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and a BSc. Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Iceland.
Recruitment for the Chief Customer Officer and Chief Digital Officer positions will be initiated immediately.
Bogi Nils Bogason, President & CEO:
“We live in a changed world as we continue on the path to recovery from the global pandemic and where the importance to ensure a sustainable future is paramount. With a clear vision and strategy supported by a focused organizational structure, Icelandair is well equipped to adapt to this new reality. We aim to drive performance by ensuring sustainable growth, continuing to maintain an agile and sustainable network, ensuring excellence in all our operations and digital transformation – all through a strong company culture that puts the customer at the centre and by emphasizing our contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability.”
easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, has launched its annual recruitment drive for seasonal cabin crew to fly next summer, to serve the predicted ramp up in demand. easyJet is recruiting for 1500 seasonal crew roles across Europe for its summer operations between March and October next year. Of these, 1100 of the jobs being advertised are set to be based in the UK alongside 250 seasonal crew who are set to return to the airline having operated last summer.
With sufficient pilots already in place to support operations for summer 2022, the airline is now looking to reopen its cadet pipeline, starting with taking on 150 newly-qualified cadet pilots in the UK who had originally been due to join the airline at the beginning of the pandemic. They will now join between January and April 2022. In addition to this, the airline is planning to begin recruitment in the coming weeks for experienced Airbus pilots, to be based in Europe.
easyJet has opened recruitment for 1500 seasonal cabin crew for next summer with around 11,000 applications received to date
Many newly-qualified cadet pilots set to begin flying with the airline early next year
Recruitment for additional Airbus qualified pilots across Europe will commence soon to further support the airline’s ambitions in the recovery
Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO commented: “With the recovery underway, we are ready and able to seize opportunities and our seasonal crew are integral to this. As the largest UK airline, we are proud to employ thousands of people across the country, as well as in Europe, and have been delighted with the overwhelming response so far with more than 11,000 applicants for the 1500 crew roles. We are particularly pleased that, in line with our commitment to them, we will see many cadet pilots finally join us after they were delayed by the onset of the pandemic.
“We will continue to take decisive action to capture additional opportunities alongside our planned organic growth. We look forward to bringing these crew onboard with us for summer, so we can offer the greatest choice and best value across our unrivalled European network, for leisure and business customers alike.”
Last week, easyJet confirmed it would be expanding its UK fleet with three more aircraft across its Bristol and Manchester bases for the summer 2022 season. The Manchester base will be larger than ever with 20 aircraft based there connecting the North-West to key cities and holidays destinations across Europe.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments to adopt simple, predictable and practical measures to safely and efficiently facilitate the ramping-up of international travel as borders re-open.
Specifically, IATA urged governments to focus on three key areas:
Simplified health protocols
Digital solutions to process health credentials
COVID-19 measures proportionate to risk levels with a continuous review process
The industry’s vision to address the complexity is outlined in the newly released policy paper: From Restart to Recovery: A Blueprint for Simplifying Travel.
“As governments are establishing processes to re-open borders, in line with what they agreed in the Ministerial Declaration of the ICAO High Level Conference of COVID-19, the Blueprint will help them with good practices and practical considerations. Over the next months we need to move from individual border openings to the restoration of a global air transport network that can reconnect communities and facilitate economic recovery,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General.
The Blueprint aims to facilitate the efficient ramping-up of global connectivity. “We must have processes in place to safely and efficiently manage the ramping-up of international travel as borders re-open. With over 18 months of pandemic operational experience and traveler feedback we know that a laser-focus on simplicity, predictability and practicality is essential. That is not the reality today. Over 100,000 COVID-19 related measures have been implemented by governments worldwide. This complexity is a barrier to global mobility that is exacerbated by the inconsistencies these measures have created among states,” said Clifford.
The first Airbus built Inmarsat-6 , I-6 F1, satellite has been shipped from Airbus in Toulouse to Tanegashima in Japan ready for launch.
The first satellite of the Inmarsat-6 series is due to be launched on an H-IIA launch vehicle built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in December. Inmarsat-6 F1 is based on Airbus’ ultra-reliable Eurostar E3000 spacecraft and will be the 54th Eurostar E3000 launched. It will be the fifth Eurostar in orbit that is equipped with electric propulsion for orbit raising reinforcing Airbus’ position as the world leader in electric propulsion.
The reduced mass by using electric propulsion allows for a dual payload mission (Ka and L-band) with an exceptionally large next generation digitally processed payload giving greater flexibility to Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communication services.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched its highly-anticipated new cabin products, which will be rolled out on its Boeing 737-MAX fleet in the coming weeks. This elevates the customer experience onboard the Airline’s narrowbody aircraft fleet to a level similar to its widebody aircraft, offering a consistent and premium travel journey across the entire Singapore Airlines network.
All of SIA’s 737-MAX 8 aircraft will have 154 seats in two classes, 10 in Business Class and 144 in Economy Class, with new cabin products featuring bespoke elements that have been designed especially for the SIA customer.
The lie-flat Business Class seats have been designed by London-based Factorydesign and manufactured for Singapore Airlines by Thompson Aero Seating. The Economy Class cabin will feature the latest generation sleek and slim-line seats, which have been built by Collins Aerospace. The 737- MAX 8 cabin has been designed with a special focus on ergonomics, helping to ensure that everything is within easy reach for customers.
The aircraft feature Panasonic’s X-Series seat-back in-flight entertainment, allowing all customers to enjoy the latest KrisWorld entertainment content. The fleet is also fitted with Panasonic’s in-flight Wi-Fi service, as well as mobile data connectivity services.
In response to flooding that disrupted transportation supply chain network in the province
586 tonnes of additional capacity added into and out of YVR, an increase of 45% over originally planned levels
Air Canada Express Dash 8-400 aircraft being converted into special freighter configuration to transport cargo
Air Canada has confirmed it has significantly increased cargo capacity into and out of Vancouver between November 21 and 30 from its hubs in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary as it works to ensure that the vital economic supply chain links in British Columbia are maintained following the impacts of last week's flooding. In total, Air Canada is adding 586 tonnes of cargo capacity, representing 3,223 cubic metres to support B.C.'s economic supply chain and the needs of its communities. The additional capacity is equivalent in weight to approximately 860 adult moose.
"The economic supply chain is vital, and to help support the urgent transport of goods into and out of British Columbia, we have increased capacity to our YVR hub by using the flexibility of Air Canada's fleet to reschedule 28 passenger flights from narrow-body aircraft to be operated with wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Boeing 777, and Airbus A330-300 aircraft. These changes will allow an additional 282 tonnes of goods to be moved across the country on our scheduled passenger flights," said Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, at Air Canada.
"Additionally, Air Canada Cargo will operate an additional 13 all-cargo flights between our Toronto, Montreal and Calgary cargo hubs and YVR using widebody aircraft, providing approximately 304 tonnes of additional capacity. These aircraft will help move mail and perishables such as seafood, as well as automotive parts and other industrial goods," concluded Mr. Berry.
Air Canada is also working with its regional partner Jazz Aviation to provide additional regional cargo capacity by temporarily converting an Air Canada Express De Havilland Dash 8-400 from its normal passenger configuration into a special freighter configuration. This Dash 8-400 Simplified Package Freighter operated by Jazz can carry a total of 18,000 lbs. (8,165 kg) of cargo and will be deployed to transport critical goods, as well as consumer and industrial goods and will be in service as early as this week.
Last week, as the impact of the devastating floods became apparent, Air Canada quickly added capacity to the Air Canada Cargo network by substituting larger widebody aircraft on 14 passenger flights into Vancouver.
Additional capacity added for passengers
In addition to the extra cargo capacity, Air Canada had also increased the number of seats available for customers in Kelowna and Kamloops since November 17, adding approximately 1,500 seats into both communities by utilizing larger aircraft on routes. This enabled people affected by the highway closures to fly into and out from these airports, and through the cargo capacity of these passenger aircraft, also allowed for the important transport of emergency medical supplies into these regions.
Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have announced that they will reactivate their codeshare arrangement between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and expand it to include 15 domestic points in Malaysia, seven destinations in Europe, and two cities in South Africa.
This follows the announcement that Malaysia and Singapore will launch a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangement beginning 29 November 2021, providing customers with seamless journeys for their business or leisure travel.
The substantial expansion of the codeshare arrangements, within Malaysia and beyond the two countries, comes amid the gradual reopening of international borders and an increase in the demand for air travel.
From 29 November 2021, Singapore Airlines customers will be able to progressively connect on Malaysia Airlines services out of Kuala Lumpur as the carrier adds 15 new codeshare destinations in Malaysia. These are Alor Setar, Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Miri, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, and Tawau.
From 1 January 2022, Malaysia Airlines customers will be able to connect on SIA’s flights from Singapore to seven points in Europe – Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Moscow, Munich, Rome, and Zurich – as well as Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa.
Other points in the Singapore Airlines or Malaysia Airlines network will be progressively added to the codeshare arrangements.
Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing ARC-accredited travel agency air ticket sales increased 199% year over year in October 2021. The consolidated dollar value of tickets sold by agencies during October totalled $4.3 billion, the third month in 2021 for which sales have topped $4 billion.*
Month over month, October 2021 results showed:
Total sales up 33%.
Total passenger trips increased 14%.
U.S. domestic trips increased 11%.
International trips increased 21%.
“The announcement that the U.S. would open its borders to vaccinated international travellers on November 8 led to a significant increase in airline ticket purchases throughout October,” said Steve Solomon, vice president of global sales, marketing, operations and customer experience at ARC. “We saw double-digit percentage increases in new tickets from European countries to the U.S., a positive sign for the travel industry as we enter the holiday months.”
Total passenger trips settled by ARC in October 2021 increased 115% year over year from 8.1 million to 17.6 million. U.S. domestic passenger trips increased 112% to 12.1 million YOY. International passenger trips increased 123% to 5.4 million over the same period. The average U.S. round-trip ticket price in October 2021 was $425, a 13% increase from $377 in October 2020.
CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, and Airbus have signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of four A350F freighter aircraft. The order, which is subject to finalisation in the coming weeks, will lift CMA CGM’s total Airbus fleet to nine aircraft, including five A330-200F.
The aircraft will be operated by CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the recently launched air cargo activity of CMA CGM Group.
“We are proud to welcome CMA CGM AIR CARGO in the group of operators for the A350F and we are equally pleased to support the company’s future strategic development,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. ”The A350F will fit seamlessly into the carrier’s existing fleet of Airbus freighters. Thanks to its composite airframe and latest technology engines, it will bring unbeatable efficiency in terms of fuel burn, economics and CO₂ emissions, empowering the long-term sustainable growth of the Group.” Scherer adds: “Having an early endorsement by such an international cargo powerhouse as the CMA CGM Group is very gratifying.”
The A350F is based on the world's most modern long range leader, the A350. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door and a fuselage length optimised for cargo operations. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials resulting in a 30t lighter take-off weight, generating an at least 20% lower fuel burn over its current closest competitor. With a 109t payload capability (+3t payload/ 11% more volume than its competition), the A350F serves all cargo markets (Express, general cargo, special cargo…) and is in the large freighter category the only new generation freighter aircraft ready for the enhanced 2027 ICAO CO ₂ emissions standards.
U.S budget carrier, Alaska Airlines has started nonstop flights to Belize City from both its bases at Seattle and Los Angeles.
"For nearly two decades the Belizean market has been on our radar. We're thrilled to now be inaugurating service from both Seattle and Los Angeles," said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances at Alaska Airlines. "Belize offers terrific family-friendly, eco-conscious possibilities – from iconic islands to lush jungles and ancient sites. And it's closer than you might think: From L.A., it's only a five-hour flight, and from Seattle, it's six hours."
"In addition to attracting greater business investment and human capital, this new flight will also spur tourism which is essential for Belize's prosperity. It comes at a very opportune time as it further boosts the industry's recovery efforts," noted Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations. "We, therefore, value our partnership with Alaska Airlines in providing such a vital connectivity for travellers from the West Coast interested in reinvigorating themselves and relaxing in our tropical jewel while immersing in a rich, unique cultural experience."
On Friday, Air Canada announced it was withdrawing from further Government of Canada financial support after better than expected results as it emerged from the pandemic shutdown. The support package, announced in April 2021, provided the carrier access to interest-bearing loans of $5.375 billion through several separate credit facilities. To date, Air Canada has only accessed the facility solely dedicated to refunding customers' non-refundable tickets, while all other remaining facilities totalling $3.975 billion have not been used.
"Air Canada's recovery from COVID-19 continues. We are recalling employees, adding new routes and frequencies to our network, and restoring services, and, last quarter, we completed a $7.1-billion financing. Today, in another convincing sign of our progress, we are announcing our withdrawal from the major funding provisions of our support agreement with the Government of Canada for the $3.975 billion in facilities that were never accessed and remain unused," said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer.
"We deeply appreciate the Government of Canada's support as this helped maintain a level playing field at a time when governments around the world, recognizing the importance of air travel to their economies, were also assisting their national carriers in the face of the unprecedented downturn caused by COVID-19. In addition to helping preserve thousands of jobs and travel choice for Canadians, the assistance offered to Air Canada importantly served as an extra level of insurance that enabled us to raise additional liquidity on our own to manage the pandemic and give us sufficient resources to effectively compete in the post-pandemic marketplace."
Swedish innovation can save the planet from plastic lids
Every year, more than 300 billion plastic lids – 1,500,000,000 kg of plastic – are used on our coffee and beverage cups. The lids leak, and we spill and burn ourselves. And because they are made of plastic, the lids are harmful to the environment – and are slated to be banned in the EU.
Swedish company UniCup Scandinavia AB has now created an entirely new bio-based lid made of spruce and pine. The “Liplid” is placed inside, rather than on, the cup, and improves the stability and drinking experience of on-the-go beverages.
UniCup Scandinavia founders Lars Bendix and Håkan Löfholm have been developing products for on-the-go food and beverages for more than 20 years. Across these years they have seen and experienced major problems associated with plastic lids that are fitted onto beverage cups. When used for cold drinks or hot tea and coffee, these lids fail to meet the needs of today’s consumers in terms of both functionality and sustainability. The lids are difficult to put on properly. Spills are common occurrences. It is hard to drink through the lid and to cool down the beverage. The plastic lids are also a major environmental problem. More than 300 billion lids are produced globally each year, and many of these end up in nature.
Now the idea, hatched and drawn up on a paper napkin by Lars and Håkan over a cup of coffee in Stockholm is a reality that can solve these problems.
As Australians prepare to travel again, members of Qantas Frequent Flyer and Accor’s loyalty program, ALL – Accor Live Limitless, can for the first time be rewarded twice when they fly with Qantas and stay at one of Accor’s hotels.
From today, members who link their Qantas Frequent Flyer and ALL – Accor Live Limitless accounts can earn points in both programs on eligible hotel bookings and Qantas flights.
Almost 30 million members across both programs in Australia and the Asia Pacific are set to be rewarded for staying at Accor and flying on Qantas’ domestic and international flights. Details of the program include:
Points earn on the ground:
Earn 3 Qantas Points per dollar as well as the usual ALL – Accor Live Limitless Reward points on eligible Accor hotel stays in Australia or across the Asia Pacific.
Plus, earn 3 Qantas Points for every dollar on eligible transactions while staying at Accor hotels, including dining and room service while also earning Reward points.
Points earn in the air:
Members who hold Qantas Platinum, Platinum One or ALL Gold, Platinum and Diamond status can earn up to 2 ALL – Accor Live Limitless Reward points per A$10 spent on eligible Qantas flights in addition to the usual Qantas Points.
Accor brands include: SO/, Sofitel, MGallery, Art Series, Pullman, Swissôtel, Grand Mercure, Peppers, Swissotel, The Sebel, Mantra, Novotel, Mercure, Mövenpick, Tribe, BreakFree, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis Budget.
Accor Pacific CEO Simon McGrath said this was a major milestone for the travel industry, enabling greater benefits for loyalty members across more than 1,200 Accor hotels, apartments and resorts in the Asia Pacific region.
“We are joining forces to reward our customers, delivering exceptional travel benefits and unrivalled service for people who enjoy our two much-loved brands,” Mr McGrath said.
“Customers are at the heart of this partnership which is set to bring significant extended benefits for travellers. This is a first for a hospitality group and airline in Australia.
Jetstar Asia has announced plans to relaunch services between Singapore and Perth from 12 February 2022, when two-way quarantine-free travel is expected to be available to travellers.
Jetstar Asia will operate four weekly services to the Western Australian capital, pending Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) approval for the route, to meet the pent-up demand for travellers wanting to return to this popular Australian destination.
Pre-pandemic, Singapore travellers^ made up the largest group of visitors to Perth and with thousands of Singaporeans calling Western Australia home, the route is expected to be as popular as ever.
Jetstar Asia’s Head of Commercial, Clive Ashmore Butler, said it was exciting to add another Australian destination back to the Jetstar network direct from Singapore.
“Perth has always been an incredibly popular destination for Singaporeans, one that they would return to time and again,” Mr. Ashmore Butler said.
“Western Australia offers stunning beaches, wineries and restaurants, not to mention easy access to incredible places such as Margaret River and Ningaloo, but with many Singaporeans living in Perth it importantly enables family and friends to reconnect, some for the first time in two years.
In the first major airshow since the COVID-19 pandemic struck two years ago, customers demonstrated confidence in the recovery of the aviation sector and also in Airbus by placing orders and commitments totalling 408 aircraft (269 firm orders and 139 commitments). The agreements covered the full range of commercial aircraft families, including a first commitment for the A350F freighter derivative.
At a pre-show event, Airbus launched its latest global market forecast outlining progressively shifting demand from fleet growth to accelerated retirement of older, less fuel-efficient aircraft resulting in a need for some 39,000 new-build passenger and freighter aircraft. Of these,15,250 aircraft (around 40%) are for replacements.
With the UAE Universal expo showcasing themes on Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity, on the eve of the airshow Airbus lit up the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, by displaying its Company purpose - “Pioneering sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world” - on the façade of this iconic Dubai landmark at a time when connecting with people and cultures has never been more important.
On the opening day of the show, Indigo Partners portfolio airlines placed a firm order for 255 A321neo Family aircraft, including 29 XLR. The order breakdown is as follows: Wizz Air 102 aircraft (75 A321neo + 27 A321XLR); Frontier 91 aircraft (A321neo); Volaris 39 aircraft (A321neo); JetSMART 23 aircraft (21 A321neo + 2 A321XLR).
The second day saw Air Lease Corporation sign a commitment for 111 aircraft covering the full range of aircraft families including the new A350 Freighter (25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, four A330neos, seven A350Fs). Along with the orders, ALC and Airbus announced the first-ever joint ESG scheme in aircraft procurement - a joint Sustainability Fund - to foster industry decarbonisation solutions.
On the third day, Jazeera Airways committed to 28 A321neos and Nigeria’s Ibom Air became a new Airbus customer with a firm order for 10 A220s.
On the defence side, Airbus sold two additional Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence, and secured a new export order for two A400M new generation airlifters from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.
At the show, Airbus also highlighted its ambition to play a leadi\]ng role in developing innovative and sustainable solutions for urban air mobility, leveraging partnerships and technologies to bring a product to the market by 2025.
Finnair will start flying between Helsinki and Bergen and Tromsø in Norway on 14 December 2021. The routes will be operated by Norwegian regional airline Widerøe, and the flights are sold and marketed by Finnair.
“We are pleased to restart our services to Bergen and Tromsø,” says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair. “Finnish travellers will enjoy direct flights to the Norwegian coast, known for its breathtaking scenery and ideal opportunities for exploring the beautiful fjords. We are also happy to be able to offer our customers in Norway great connections to Finnair's network in Europe, Asia and the United States.”
During the winter season until the end of March, flights from Bergen to Helsinki are operated on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. In the summer season from the beginning of April, Finnair will fly to Bergen daily. The flight between Tromsø and Helsinki takes place on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight schedules will offer customers convenient connections to Finnair’s European network, as well as Finnair’s extensive connections to Asia and the United States.
The flights will be operated with DASH-8 Q400 aircraft. The onboard service will be based on the Finnair dual-class service concept.
The Indonesia Ministry of Defence has placed an order for two Airbus A400M aircraft in multirole tanker and transport configuration.
The contract, which will become effective in 2022, will bring the total number of A400M operators to ten nations. The agreement includes a complete maintenance and training support package. A Letter of Intent was also signed for the future acquisition of four additional A400M aircraft.
”This new order will further expand the A400M footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. The A400M offers outstanding capabilities to Indonesia, providing its air force with the perfect platform to deliver large and heavy loads into remote areas and multiplying its airpower projection thanks to reliable aerial refuelling capabilities,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
Capable of operating from rough and short runways, the A400M will strengthen the Indonesian Air Force’s airlift capabilities to rapidly respond to any crisis, demonstrated in the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the country in 2018. The A400M was the first large airlifter able to deliver heavy loads like fuel trucks and excavators as well as food, clothes and medical supplies using a damaged and short runway in Palu (Central Sulawesi, Indonesia).
Two new airline customers in Africa have selected Airbus’ Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support their respective Airbus fleets: Air Tanzania for its A220s and Uganda Airlines for its A330neos.
These two airlines will benefit from comprehensive material services including on-site-stock, access to Airbus’ spares pools and components engineering and repair services around the world. Airbus will guarantee spare parts availability, generating value through increased fleet availability and operating maintenance costs savings.
Their selections mark the first African customers for Airbus’ FHS on two new aircraft types, the A220 and the A330. They also increase Airbus’ FHS footprint in the African continent, further demonstrating the growing trust placed in Airbus’ services, both for Widebody and Single-Aisle fleets.
Airbus’ FHS helps to secure fleet entry into service through an easy maintenance set-up and access to an established industrial set-up, while maximising the aircraft availability through component reliability.
Notably, for A220 customers FHS offers a large stock availability, both for on-site stock management and parts pooling, and a dedicated operational supply chain already supporting the type’s growing customer base.
Overall the global Airbus fleet covered by FHS has increased by more than 25% over the past two years to more than 1,100 aircraft, confirming the relevancy of flexible power-by-hour solutions for airlines to secure efficient operations and contain costs.
Middle East Airlines becomes 50th customer for Airbus Skywise Health Monitoring
Middle East Airlines (MEA) has signed an agreement to join the community of Skywise Health Monitoring (SHM) users. The long-standing Airbus customer will be the 50th airline using this innovative tool to optimise the maintenance of its fleets. SHM will support the airline’s maintenance and engineering teams by enabling real-time management of aircraft events and troubleshooting.
Using the Skywise aviation data platform, SHM collates and centralises alerts, flight-deck effects, maintenance messages etc., prioritises them, correlates any faults with the relevant troubleshooting procedures. It also highlights operational impacts, provides the maintenance history of the system (from the logbook and MIS* information collected through Skywise Core and stored in the data lake), allowing effective tracking of the alerts. Additionally, it can help airlines anticipate and provision for tools and parts’ to be available closest to the aircraft.
MEA will use the solution for its entire fleet. The Beirut based airline is operating an all-Airbus fleet comprising A320 and A330 Family aircraft.
Airbus’ SHM saves airlines time and cost associated with unscheduled maintenance. SHM also Interfaces with Skywise Predictive Maintenance (SPM) and Skywise Reliability (SR) to provide an integrated user experience. Additionally, it is ready to harness the powerful capabilities of the new on-board Flight Operations and Maintenance Exchanger (“FOMAX”) data router - which can capture and record over 24,000 real-time aircraft parameters for subsequent analysis.
