Emirates has announced plans to up frequencies to Mauritius starting 1 October 2022

Emirates has announced plans to up frequencies to Mauritius starting 1 October 2022. The additional evening frequency which will operate up till 31 January 2023 is in response to increased travel demand to and from Mauritius, and will boost connectivity to the island nation.

Emirates’ third-daily flight to Mauritius will operate with the following schedule (all timings local): EK 709 departs Dubai at 22:10 hrs and arrives in Mauritius at 04:45 hrs. EK 710 leaves Mauritius at 06:30 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 13:05 hrs.

The third-daily flight will boost seat capacity to and from Mauritius by approximately 35%, catering to the surge in demand and providing added support to the tourism industry during one of the busiest travel seasons. The added frequency supplements the existing double-daily Airbus A380 services and will also offer customers travelling to Mauritius with more flexibility when planning their trip with the choice of an early morning arrival at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in addition to the existing EK 0701 service which arrives mid-morning, and EK 0703 that arrives early evening. Travellers departing Mauritius will also have ample choice to connect safely and seamlessly to Dubai, and through Dubai onwards to Emirates’ global network of 130 destinations. All three daily flights offer code sharing with Air Mauritius to allow greater access and a seamless travel experience to and from the island nation.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said, “We thank the Mauritian authorities for considering our request to operate a third daily flight. Air connectivity is critical to international tourism, and these extra seats will help us bring even more visitors from across our network to Mauritius, and accommodate rising demand. Emirates is committed to playing a key role to promote inbound travel, and support the government in achieving its goal of hosting 1.4 million tourists by June 2023.”

In May this year, Emirates renewed its MoU with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) aimed at jointly promoting the island destination across Emirates’ global network. Mauritius is a very popular leisure destination, and continues to experience consistent growth post-pandemic.

Travellers flying with Emirates can enjoy the best experience in the sky with an unmatched culinary experience, regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can sit back and relax with more than 5,000 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

In addition to carrying more passengers, Emirates’ third-daily flight between Dubai and Mauritius will provide around 30-40 tonnes of cargo belly-hold capacity for businesses, further opening global trade lanes through enhanced import and export opportunities.

IPS puts off start date..... from August to October......

With multiple challenges currently facing the aviation industry as the recovery from the global pandemic continues at a pace plus the high cost of aviation fuel, IPS Airways has taken the decision to postpone its start-up operation from Leeds-Bradford Airport and East Midlands Airport, which was due to commence early August. The carrier now says it hopes to start services in October this year.  

Passengers who have booked directly with IPS Airways will get a refund automatically using the original payment method. For those passengers who have booked through our travel agents, they should go back to that agent for a full refund. 

IPS Airways was due to link the UK's midlands with Pakistan using direct flights operated on a leased Airbus A330-300 with a two-class configuration. IPS Airways aimed to offer the highest level of service, operations, and safety. All based around the needs, wants, comfort and convenience of their passengers. 

Under the firm's terms and conditions, it advised that flights would be "operated by IPS Airways UK Limited, whose registered office is 635 Sovereign Court Sipson Road West Drayton UB7 0JE, yet there is no air operators licence registered under that name or address. The company was incorporated in July 2021 using a company formation website for a fee of £19.99 with a company value of £100. According to some media reports, the firm is being investigated by the aviation regulator, the CAA.

Alex Antilla appointed as Delta's Vice President for Latin America

Delta has appointed Alex Antilla as Vice President, Latin America. Based in Santiago, Chile, he will oversee Delta’s business and customer experience strategy throughout Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, as well as the airline’s partnerships with the LATAM Group* and Aeromexico.

“As Delta continues to expand its international network and product offering to support the growing demand for travel, Alex’s diverse experience will be pivotal in leveraging opportunities, delivering the Delta Difference for our customers, and leading the best employees in the business,” said Alain Bellemare, Delta’s President - International. “With Alex’s leadership, we will also strengthen our partnerships with LATAM and Aeromexico, providing the best network and customer experience throughout Latin America.”

Antilla has worked with Delta for 16 years in the trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic and Latin American regions, and in this new role he will focus exclusively on Latin America. Before this new position, he served as Managing Director, Latin America Pricing and Revenue Management, leading a team of professionals focused on optimizing and maximizing revenue and profit for Delta’s Latin America portfolio. He has also held roles in Network Planning, Sales and Alliances, and has worked extensively on several of Delta’s joint ventures.

“As Delta continues to invest in delivering a world-class customer experience, I look forward to working with our teams to strengthen our partnerships and to deliver best-in-class solutions, products and services to our customers and partners in Latin America,” Antilla said. “This outstanding team is poised to build a bright future and capitalize on the great opportunities in this important market.”

*Delta and LATAM Joint Venture pending U.S. Department of Transportation approval.

Air Arabia's second quarter net profit reached AED 160 million

The Middle East & North Africa's largest low-cost carrier operator, Air Arabia has just released its latest results showing an impressive net profit of AED 451 million for the first six months of the year,  ending June 30, 2022. This compares to the AED 44 million registered in the corresponding first half 2021. 

Air Arabia reported a turnover of AED 2.24 billion, that's 110% up from last year and testament to the growing demand that has seen more than 5.2 million people fly with the budget airline between January and June 2022.

In other key areas, the airline reported that load fact was up 11% to 79% on average. Net profit stood at AED 160 million and the company’s turnover for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 125%  to AED 1.11 billion. More than 2.7 million passengers flew with Air Arabia between March and June 2022 across the carrier’s five hubs

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: “The solid financial and operational performance registered in the first half of this year is a testament to the strength of the business model we operate and the appeal to the value-driven product that Air Arabia offers to our customers. The strong performance we witnessed in the first quarter of this year continued in the second quarter and was supported by higher customer demand and cost control measures adopted by the management team”.

He added: “We have continued with our network expansion strategy in the second quarter of this year by increasing the fleet size, adding new routes and new frequencies across all operating hubs as well as continuing with preparations for the launch of our new ventures in Armenia and Pakistan. Air Arabia remains focused on diversifying and expanding its business while investing in product innovation and adopting further measures to control costs”.

Emirates to spend over US$ 2 billion to upgrade and enhance onboard services

One of the world's biggest and most highly recommended airlines, the Dubai-based Emirates is investing a huge amount of money to enhance its inflight customer experience as well as a massive programme to retrofit over 120 aircraft.

Over US$ 2 billion is being spent by Emirates to live up to its brand promise to ‘Fly Better’and includes almost all aspects of the onboard product. Some of the enhancements passengers can look forward to include:

New Inspirations, New Menus:  An award-winning team of chefs, a world-class catering team and a wide variety of suppliers have been assembled to design and deliver the best fine dining experience in the sky. New menus will be served on select Emirates routes in First Class, featuring dishes such as pan-fried salmon trout with moqueca sauce and creole rice, roasted duck breast with orange thyme jus, steamed broccolini and fondant potatoes. New menus will also be introduced to Business and Economy on the 1st of September.

Purposefully Vegan Choices: Emirates’ new vegan menu is carefully curated to cater to the growing numbers of customers pursuing this thoughtful lifestyle. Vegans, or anyone interested in a delicious and healthy plant-based meal, will enjoy handcrafted gourmet dishes such as pan-roasted king oyster mushrooms, flavoursome jackfruit biryani and sliced kohlrabi garnished with burnt orange. Desserts are a decadent affair with choices of chocolate truffle cake with hazelnut, pistachio and gold leaf, or green grape tart adorned with candied rose petals, vanilla custard, and berry compote glistening with yuzu pearls. 

The Champagne and Caviar Experience: Emirates’ First Class experience, always a benchmark for service excellence, has been upped a notch in 2022. Customers can now savour unlimited portions of Persian caviar as part of the ‘dine on demand’ service, with an exquisite pairing of the world-renowned Dom Perignon vintage champagne. Emirates is the only airline with an exclusive agreement to offer the luxury brand on-board.

Cinema in the Sky: First Class customers can create a memorable movie moment on board by ordering cinema snacks as they enjoy the 5,000 channels on Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system. The cinema snack menu includes moreish classics such as lobster rolls, juicy sliders, edamame, and salted popcorn, and can be ordered on demand. All passengers can also curate their own ice experience before their flight, simply by browsing and pre-selecting movies or TV shows on the Emirates app, which can then be synced to ice the moment they board, maximising the seamless travel experience.

Farm to Fork - Sustainable Supply Chain: Emirates’ customers departing on flights from Dubai can begin crunching on fresh greens harvested from Bustanica, the world’s largest vertical farm and newly-opened US$40 million joint venture investment through Emirates Flight Catering. Emirates is continuing to invest in sustainable operations and supply chains, seeking local food suppliers and farms wherever possible to serve the freshest produce on board.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: “While others respond to industry pressures with cost cuts, Emirates is flying against the grain and investing to deliver ever better experiences to our customers. Through the pandemic we’ve continued to launch new services and initiatives to ensure our customers travel with the assurance and ease, including digital initiatives to improve customer experiences on the ground. Now we’re rolling out a series of intensive programmes to take Emirates’ signature inflight experiences to the next level.”

More onboard enhancements in the programme include: 

Specialised Hospitality Training for Cabin Crew: Emirates has partnered with Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, one of the world’s top hospitality management schools, to craft the Emirates Hospitality strategy and encourage inspiring customer experiences. Emirates Cabin Crew have already begun engaging in intensive training programmes focused on delivering the four service pillars: Excellence, Attentiveness, Innovation and Passion.

Upgraded Cabin Interiors in all Classes: The most significant investment is an extensive and record-breaking refurbishment of the aircraft fleet interiors, where cabins will be retrofitted with new or reupholstered seats, new panelling, flooring and other cabin features. Benefitting all Emirates passengers, every cabin class will be refreshed and new Premium Economy cabins installed. After the retrofit, Emirates will have a total of 120 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats – the only airline in the region to offer this cabin class, and enhanced interiors and features across all other cabins. With its first aircraft scheduled to roll into the Emirates Engineering Centre for retrofitting in November, planning work and trials have begun in earnest.

Additionally, Emirates confirms there will be more announcements about new products and services in the near future.

London Stansted Airport sees positive recovery continue

London Stansted Airport's pandemic recovery continues at a positive rate with 2.5 million passengers travelling through the airport in July 2022, representing 90% of pre-Covid traffic.

The airport’s owner, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) - which also owns Manchester and East Midlands Airports – saw 5.5 million passengers travel through its terminals across the month, compared to 6.5 million in July 2019.

MAG’s goal has been to ensure that passengers can take their long-planned trips and this has meant that, since March, the Group’s three airports have served more than 17 million passengers and had among the lowest cancellation rates of any large UK airports.

Stansted’s terminal operation remained stable during July with all passengers clearing security in under 30 minutes, and 99% within 15 minutes.

A £12 million refurbishment of the airport's international departure lounge was also unveiled, adding more bars, restaurants, and retail outlets as well as additional seating for passengers.

More than 70 new security officers started in July, bringing the total number recruited since January to 300.

Air101: London Stansted completes £12 million international departure lounge upgrade

Air101: Stansted Aerozone inspiring the next generation of engineers

Air101: London Stansted's new state-of-the-art baggage system ready for take off

Manchester Airport served 2.6m passengers last month

MAG reaches 85% of pre-Covid traffic in July

Passenger numbers continued to recover across Manchester Airports Group (MAG) in July, with its three airports handling 85% of pre-Covid passenger numbers, up from 82% in May and 84% in June.  

Figures released today show that the Group – which owns Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands Airports – saw 5.5 million passengers travel through its terminals across the month, an increase on the 5.2 million in June.

London Stansted saw its passenger numbers reach 90% of 2019 levels, totalling 2.5 million. Manchester Airport’s strong recovery also continued, as 2.6 million passengers passed through the Northern hub, representing 82% of pre-pandemic traffic.

East Midlands Airport saw more than 400,000 passengers travel through its terminal in July as the summer holidays began. 

Operational performance also continues to improve, with 93% of passengers at Manchester Airport clearing security in 30 minutes or less in July. More than two-thirds – 69% – passed through in 15 minutes or less.  This positive trend was maintained into the first week in August, with 99% of passengers clearing security in less than 30 minutes and 84% in less than 15 minutes.

Throughout its recovery, MAG has remained committed to ensuring its airlines can deliver their planned schedules. This has meant that, since March, the Group’s three airports have seen more than 17 million passengers and have had among the lowest cancellation rates of any large UK airports.

Copa Airlines gets another Boeing 737 MAX 9

Copa Airlines has taken delivery of a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet, powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines, on a long-term lease deal from Aviation Capital Group.

The plane is part of a multiple-aircraft sale-and-lease back transaction between ACG and Copa Airlines and is the eighth Boeing aircraft currently on lease from ACG to the airline.

“We are pleased to build on our long-standing relationship with Copa Airlines and to support the airline’s current fleet expansion requirements,” said Marine Benoit, ACG Vice President Marketing for the Latin American region.

“The delivery of this aircraft will help continue the expansion of the Hub of the Americas with more frequencies and destinations for the convenience of our passengers. It will be yet another step in our efforts to increase our capacity to meet passenger demand,” said Jose Montero, Senior Vice President of Finance at Copa Airlines.

Air Models have a range of aircraft models, including some special 737 MAX models, including this one in the colours of flydubai.  

Other airlines featured include Air China,  Xiamen Air and China Southern 

Etihad Airways to offer double daily flights to Manila

Etihad Airways is set to strengthen air connectivity between the UAE and the Philippines this winter with an additional daily service to Manila.

A second daily flight will be established on 30 October, providing guests with a total of 14 flights per week between Abu Dhabi and the Filipino capital.

Both daily frequencies will be operated on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft in the skies.

“As one of our biggest markets for point-to-point travel, Etihad is proud to offer our guests a greater choice of options and easier access between the UAE and Manila," said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Cargo.

"Our double-daily service will provide the large Filipino population in the UAE with convenient access to visit family and loved ones back home and support the recovery in tourism as more holidaymakers flock to discover the stunning islands of the Philippines.”

The combined double-daily flights will see Etihad offer 450,000 seats annually between Abu Dhabi and Manila, representing a year-on-year capacity increase of 75%.

The additional frequency will also increase the total annual cargo capacity to almost 30,000 tonnes, opening more business opportunities and supporting the growth of bilateral trade.

In Southeast Asia, Etihad will offer up to 56 weekly flights this winter between Abu Dhabi and Manila (14 weekly flights), Bangkok (14), Phuket (7), Singapore (7), Kuala Lumpur (7) and Jakarta (7.)

Manchester Airport hits out at media reports over Tui's battle for compensation.

Reading recent newspaper reports in the UK, you might believe one of the leading holiday companies, Tui was currently engaging in legal action to get compensation from Manchester Airport for the mass disruption over recent months. 

However, a statement from the airport operator indicates this isn't the case!  An airport spokesperson confirmed the holiday firm wasn't asking for compensation.   “The operational issues experienced by TUI at Manchester Airport in early June were the result of issues with TUI’s own operation, including the ground handling services that are contracted directly by the airline. 

 “As such, we welcome TUI’s confirmation that it will not seek compensation from Manchester Airport for the disruption its passengers experienced, contrary to some recent reports in the media.

 “Manchester Airport has not enforced flight cancellations on any carrier, and we have been working closely with all our airlines to support them in operating their planned schedules.

Tui on the hunt for profits before the end of the year

The TUI Group expect a return to significantly positive underlying profits for the full year! 

After nine months of the financial year, TUI continues to expect a significantly positive underlying EBIT for 2022, TUI CEO Fritz Joussen and his successor, now CFO Sebastian Ebel, confirmed at the presentation of the Q3 results. "The figures after nine months confirm the trends and our expectations for 2022. We are experiencing a strong travel summer. TUI is secured and economically and operationally back on track when I hand over the chairmanship to Sebastian Ebel on 30 September. All growth areas expanded in recent years are back on track after Corona: Hotels, Cruises and the Tours & Activities field with our digital subsidiary TUI Musement. 

TUI was strong and profitable before Corona and will continue to be so after the crisis of the century. I would like to thank our customers for their trust during these difficult times and our employees for their enormous commitment. After two years of crisis management, they can now focus on growth again. Sebastian Ebel knows the company and the industry. With him, TUI is in the best hands when it comes to new growth and dealing with the aftermath of Corona," said Fritz Joussen. A continued strong travel summer 2022 with unchanged high demand for holidays has secured a strongly improved Q3 2022 for the TUI Group with a near breakeven result. The core Holiday Experiences segment with Hotels, Cruises and Tours & Activities, as well as the Region with tour operators in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland returned to operating profit in the period under review. Excluding unplanned additional costs due to irregularities in European air traffic, the Group achieved a positive operating quarterly result for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic (48 million euros).

TUI almost breaks even in Q3 2022 despite additional costs of 75 million euros for disruptions in air traffic – without additional costs clearly in the profit zone: adjusted EBIT 48 million euros (with expenses for additional costs -27 million euros)

Growth segment Holiday Experiences with clear positive underlying EBIT of 122 million euros (previous year: -186 million euros): Cruises and TUI Musement with positive quarterly results for the first time since the start of the pandemic, Hotels & Resorts positive for the fourth quarter in a row

5.1 million guests travelled with TUI in the period under review – turnover in the third quarter almost sevenfold at 4.43 billion euros (previous year: 650 million euros)

90 per cent of Summer 2019 booking level achieved – Group confirms expectations to return to significantly positive EBIT in full- year 2022

Free cash flow increases to 1.2 billion euros, state credit lines further reduced, net debt falls to 3.3 billion euros

CFO and designated CEO Sebastian Ebel: "Our business performed well in the third quarter – despite the operational challenges in the European tourism sector. This shows the robustness of our integrated business model, the strength of the TUI brand and the continued high demand for holidays. We want to offer our guests TUI's high standards of quality and service, despite the difficult environment. We continue to expect a strong travel summer 2022 with capacity close to pre-crisis levels and significantly positive underlying EBIT for the full year."​

Sebastian Ebel, CFO and designated CEO of TUI Group: "People want to travel. Holidays continue to top the list of planned spending – this has not changed. Although the entire European airline sector continues to face challenges, we have successfully ramped up our business with a significant increase in demand and achieved a good third quarter. This shows once again: our integrated business model is robust. TUI is a strong brand, trusted by holidaymakers and our partners in the destinations. We are consistently tackling the operational challenges of the restart. We want to offer our guests the usual high TUI standards of quality and service. The topics of quality and customer experience are therefore at the top of my agenda. To this end, I will engage in intensive dialogues with the destinations, retail, but also with system partners such as airports and airlines. TUI's travel summer will be strong, with capacity almost at precrisis levels in 2019. We expect a significantly positive underlying EBIT for the full year."

New platform, United for Business Blueprint, 'will allow corporate customers to design travel programmes to include offerings they value most', says United Airlines

U.S. mega carrier, United Airlines is introducing a new platform for its corporate customers that will allow them to fully customize their business travel programme contracts with the airline. 

This could include higher status in United's loyalty programmes including United Corporate Preferred, the airline's loyalty programme for corporate customers; options to make working while travelling easier, including reserving more spacious seats in Economy Plus® and wi-fi access; and incentives like discounts on leisure travel for employees.

In an innovative shift from discounted airfare being the only option available during the contracting process, customers will now be able to work with a United sales representative to choose from the airline's extensive product catalogue to design a programme that best fits their business travel needs. With the additional ability to customize these options down to individual flights, travellers and destinations, United is set to be the first airline to offer this level of customization in the contracting process through its new platform, United for Business Blueprint, which is scheduled to launch in late 2022.

"The needs of our customers are changing, and it's the right time to move beyond the one-size-fits-all contracting model that has become standard across the industry," said Doreen Burse, senior vice president of worldwide sales for United. "United has a best-in-class suite of benefits and services and our customers deserve the opportunity to take advantage of the offerings they value most. The voice of our customers played an essential role in how this new platform was built and will continue to shape how it evolves in the future."

JetBlue Appoints Nik Mittal to Board of Directors

JetBlue has announced the appointment of Nik Mittal to its board of directors. The independent director appointment is effective immediately, following unanimous approval by the company’s board of directors.

Mittal is currently president and co-portfolio manager of Molecule Ventures LLC, a New York City-based environmental markets investment firm he co-founded in 2020 focused on carbon assets and carbon markets globally. He is also a partner and lead investor in Plankton Energy LLC, a community solar developer in the Northeast as well as an advisor to CleanPlanet Chemical, a solvent waste management and recycling company. Mittal was previously a firm partner at JANA Partners LLC, where he helped direct the firm’s investment research and focused on public markets investing across multiple industries for more than a decade. He began his career as an investment banking associate at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette.

“With Nik’s deep expertise in capital markets and financial strategy and structures, he brings a valuable investor perspective to JetBlue’s board of directors,” said Peter Boneparth, chairman of the JetBlue board. “His track record of success throughout his career is sure to benefit JetBlue as we emerge from the pandemic with a clear commitment to returning to sustained profitability.”

Phoenix to become another destination with twice-weekly service to both Charleston and Provo for Breeze Airways.

Phoenix, Arizona is to become another new destination for Breeze Airways, the budget airline set up by David Neeleman, with twice-weekly service from both Charleston, South Carolina and Provo, in Utah. 

Breeze also is adding another four routes between existing cities, with twice-weekly service between Charleston and Los Angeles; thrice-weekly flights between Westchester and Nashville, TN; twice-weekly service between New York/Westchester, NY, and Sarasota-Bradenton, FL; and weekly service between Tampa, FL, and Syracuse, NY.

“Breeze always seeks to connect cities which have previously had no nonstop service,” said Breeze’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Wuerger. “Charleston, our largest base, is one of the largest routes from Phoenix without existing nonstop service today, so we’re excited to announce the first nonstop to connect these two fantastic destinations.”

Breeze has ordered 80 new Airbus A220-300 (formally known as the Bombarder C Series CS300) aircraft, that will be delivered one per month over the next six years, with options for 40 more. When flying on the A220 aircraft, Guests may choose from three price bundles that are offered as ‘Nice,’ ‘Nicer,’ and ‘Nicest.’

Breeze’s business model, which focuses on providing fast, efficient, and affordable air service between underserved city pairs, has continued to expand its footprint across the U.S. using mid-sized aircraft, such as the A220-300. The airline doesn’t charge change or cancellation fees up to 15 minutes prior to departure and offers other benefits such as free family seating and a la carte pricing and upgrades including premium seating.

Matt Boguradzki named as Vice President, Sales and Strategy at Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic has named former Rolls-Royce executive Matthew Boguradzki as its new Vice President, Sales and Strategy, effective immediately.  Boguradzki will lead Virgin Galactic’s sales team and will oversee all sales efforts including strategy, sourcing, negotiation, and client management.

“Our thoughtful and high-touch approach to our customer journey is one of Virgin Galactic’s defining features,” said Blair Rich, President and Chief Business Officer, Commercial and Consumer Operations. “As we continue to scale our business, evolving and growing our world-class sales operation will be critical. Our recent commercial announcements demonstrate our strong momentum, and bringing in a leader of Matthew’s calibre is an important next step. His experience and networks are deeply aligned with our approach and relevant to our customer demographic, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

Archer receives $10 million pre-delivery payment from United Airlines for 100 eVTOL aircraft

Good news for Archer Aviation as it moves closer to commercialisation and the initial production of its eVTOL aircraft with a payment of $10 million from United Airlines in respect of pre-delivery payment for its order of 100 eVTOL aircraft.

The pre-delivery cash deposit continues a trend of strong support by the airline throughout the development of Archer's aircraft. Recently, United formed a Joint eVTOL Advisory Committee with Archer, allowing the parties to work more closely on eVTOL maintenance and operational matters. Committee members include Archer’s operations and maintenance leadership, as well as leadership from United’s maintenance, materials, and engineering groups.

“I am incredibly proud of the entire Archer team as we reach this milestone in our partnership with United Airlines. To receive a cash deposit is validation of Archer’s achievements to date, not only with flight testing and product development, but also a great signal of confidence in our roadmap to commercialization,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s CEO. “We’re thankful to United for their continued partnership as we usher in this new era in air travel.”

“This announcement marks a new important phase in our relationship with Archer, and our commitment to eVTOL technology. We are witnessing an inflection point where consumers, businesses, and policymakers are all aligned to prioritize technology that reduces the impact of climate change,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. “United Airlines Ventures has invested in a diverse roster of companies working in support of our goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, without the use of traditional carbon offsets. We believe eVTOLs have the potential to both help achieve carbon-neutral travel and serve as an innovative new tool to change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes within cities across the globe.”

Joby Aviation expands its tie up with U.S. Department of Defence

Joby Aviation, the California-based company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft, has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime programme that increases the contract’s potential value by more than $45 million.

Building on more than five years of engagement with defence agencies, the expanded contract leverages Joby’s years of research and technology development and will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s advanced technologies. It brings the potential value of the total contract to more than $75 million.

The contract also widens the Company’s defence partnerships to include the U.S. Marine Corps, which will participate in government-directed flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

“As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defence partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

LATAM receives US Court and shareholder approval on plan of reorganization, secures exit financing and moves forward With plan implementation requirements

LATAM Group announced on Tuesday its consolidated financial results for the second quarter of the year, which reflect a gradual recovery of the operation, reaching a consolidated capacity (measured in ASK) of 72.6% compared to 2019 levels, which in turn represents more than double the capacity of the same quarter of 2021, growing by 135.2%. 

This recovery of capacity is mainly explained by the solidity of the domestic markets in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, in addition to the recovery of international operations, and takes place in a context marked by a sharp increase in fuel prices.

During the period, the group’s total operating revenues reached US$2.226 billion, 6.1% less than in 2019, but showed an increase of 150.5% compared to last year. In turn, total operating expenses increased by 3.5% compared to the same quarter of 2019, driven by a 31.5% increase in the Fuel cost line in the quarter compared to the same period of 2019.

At the end of the second quarter, LATAM reported losses of US$523.2 million.

Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines Group, commented that “we have closed a second quarter with significant progress in our reorganization process under Chapter 11 and we hope to emerge from it during the last quarter of this year. Although the group has made advances in its operational recovery, we continue to remain cautiously optimistic about the coming months, closely monitoring fuel prices and macroeconomic variables, as the industry still finds itself in the midst of a very dynamic environment.”

During the period, LATAM Group obtained the approval of its Reorganization Plan by the United States Bankruptcy Court and secured its exit financing.

East Midlands Airport welcomed 400,000 passengers in July

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has made a strong start to its peak summer season following two years of pandemic disruption.

Last month July passenger volumes returned to 73% of pre-Covid levels as the regional gateway welcomed 400,000 customers through its terminal. This is a 472 per cent increase on July last year, when travel restrictions and wider uncertainty about international travel curtailed demand. This summer, an average of 15,000 passengers are using the airport each day compared to approximately 4,000 daily passengers in July 2021.

With two-to-three weeks remaining of the school summer holidays, EMA will welcome similar numbers of passengers in August. Monday 29th is likely to be the airport’s busiest day of the summer, with 17,000 passengers expected. Summer flight schedules continue until the end of October with airlines Ryanair, Jet2.com, TUI, Flybe, Blue Islands and Aurigny providing a choice of more than 50 destinations between them across much of Europe and North Africa.

Mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands continue to be the most popular destinations for travellers who choose EMA. The top 10 destinations passengers are flying to are:

Palma de Mallorca

Alicante (Spain)

Faro (Portugal) 

Malaga (Spain)

Tenerife (Spain)

Lanzarote (Spain)

Dublin (Rep. of Ireland)

Barcelona (Spain)

Dalaman (Turkey)

Menorca (Spain)

In the months leading up to the peak summer season, the airport team, together with its airline partners, put plans in place to respond to increased passenger demand. Thanks to the progress made with recruitment, the addition of customer service ambassadors and student cadets, and the flexibility of colleagues to cover busy shifts, 99.25% of passengers continue to enjoy the convenience of clearing security within 15 minutes or less.

Arajet, the Caribbean's new budget airline will begin operations on September 15th, flying to Mexico City.

Arajet, the new low-fare Dominican national carrier with start flying operations with a service to Mexico City on 15th September. Following the first flight, Arajet will be adding additional routes including Monterrey in Mexico; Barranquilla, Cali and Cartagena in Colombia; Quito and Guayaquil, in Ecuador; Lima, in Peru; Guatemala City in Guatemala; San Salvador, in El Salvador and St. Martin, Aruba and Curaçao in the Caribbean. 

In October, Arajet will add flights to Toronto and Montreal in Canada; Medellin and Bogota in Colombia; San Jose in Costa Rica; and Kingston in Jamaica; with which it will establish a robust route network of 20 destinations in 12 countries in its first 3 months of operations. The airline also expects to add additional flights to the United States in the near future.

Arajet’s CEO Victor Pacheco said: “We promised low fares and we are announcing our trade mark low fares never seen before in our country. This is the first step in the process to build the first strategic connecting hub in the Caribbean that will foster the Americas connectivity at the lowest fares. Additionally, starting in September we are kicking off our mission to convert Las Americas International Airport into a premier Latin-American Air Hub,” 

Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport set to become a new base for Breeze in 2023

Over a five-year period, Breeze will grow its network at Providence PVD to at least 20 routes, operating some 20 weekly departures by the end of 2023, reaching an expected 44 weekly departures by 2027. The airline will base up to eight aircraft at PVD, most of which will be the Airbus A-220, a brand-new aircraft with industry-leading fuel efficiency.

The agreement will result in as many as 250 full-time jobs, including pilots and flight attendants, as well as support staff and maintenance personnel to sustain at least 20 nonstop routes.

Breeze began serving Providence on July 22, 2021 and currently serves five destinations nonstop, including Charleston, SC; Jacksonville, FL; Norfolk, VA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Richmond, VA. The airline also will begin flying nonstop to Savannah, GA, and to Los Angeles, CA (LAX) next year, as well as returning seasonal service to Columbus.

“Since launching here a year ago, the community, the airport and the state of Rhode Island have fully embraced Breeze - making it one of our fastest growing cities,” said Tom Doxey, President of Breeze Airways. “The ease and convenience of flying from PVD perfectly encapsulates our ‘Seriously Nice’ approach to air travel and we’re thrilled to expand our services from T.F. Green in the coming years.”

The history of commercial flight – how global travel took off

Flying has become the transport of choice for business travellers and holidaymakers across the globe and is now considered one of the fastest, most convenient and safest forms of long-distance travel. But how did commercial flights go from being exclusively for the wealthy to the mainstream and affordable option it is today? Artemis Aerospace guides us through the different decades of air travel and how it has shaped modern-day living.

The first commercial flight The first ever passenger flight took off in May 1908 when Wilbur Wright carried Charles Furnas just 2000 feet across the beach at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. Just one year later, and the first airline in the world – German airship company DELAG – was founded. In 1914, the world’s first scheduled passenger service, an airboat piloted by Tony Jannus, set off from St Petersburg in Florida and landed at Tampa – around 17 miles away. The service only ran for four months, but it had unlocked the appetite of those keen to tap into the novelty of air transport. A new era of aviation However, it wasn’t until the 1920s when commercial flights carrying paying passengers started to become commonplace with the introduction of the multi-engine aeroplane, the Lawson C-2, which was specifically built to carry passengers. During this time, more and more start-up airline carriers were being established - some of which are still in operation today. These include KLM in the Netherlands (1919), Colombia’s Avianca (1919), Qantas in Australia (1920) and Czech Airlines (1923). Aircraft from this period would land frequently to refuel and fly at lower altitudes due to unpressurised cabins. This made travelling by plane noisy, cold and expensive. Flying times were lengthy and turbulence was frequent. Passengers regularly experienced air sickness and many airlines hired nurses to reduce anxiety and tend to those affected.  In 1935, one of the world’s oldest airlines, Qantas, operated its first international passenger flight, travelling from Brisbane to Singapore. From there, the British-owned Imperial Airways connected this flight to the UK. This was to set the wheels in motion for creating a regular travel route between Australia and the UK in the coming decades. Despite flying being incredibly dangerous and extremely expensive during this period, it was still a fashionable way to travel for the rich. According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the number of airline passengers grew from just 6,000 in 1930 to nearly half a million by 1934 - the aviation industry was well on its way to becoming hugely important to the global economy. Innovation that revolutionised air travel The introduction of the Douglas DC-3 in 1935 also had a big impact on the future of commercial flight. The propeller-driven airliner was a larger and much-improved aircraft compared to its predecessors. Faster and more reliable, it could carry up to 32 passengers and had a cruising speed of 207mph with a range of 1500 miles. This made it popular with well-established airlines, including Delta, TWA, American and United, who soon added the aircraft to their fleets.