In a move that will be welcomed by a number of its airline partners, Airbus announced this week that the company will increase the production capacity of its popular A321 at its Toulouse facility. Airbus Chief Operating Officer Michael Schoellhorn said: “We are enjoying an unprecedented high demand for our winning A320neo Family and especially its A321 Long Range (LR) and Xtra Long Range (XLR) derivatives. In order to optimize the industrial flow, we have decided to increase our global…
The U.K. government’s decision this week to defer a reported £100m ($130m) in Air Passenger Duty (APD) payments from Europe’s largest regional carrier Flybe has been met with celebration and criticism. The deal has given the airline, which is owned by a consortium including Virgin Atlantic's parent company, the opportunity…
International Airlines Group (IAG) announced Thursday that chief executive officer Willie Walsh will step down from his current role and the board of IAG on March 26 and will formally retire on June 30. The chairman of IAG Antonio Vázquez praised Walsh’s achievements at the multi-national airline holding company which…
Reuters has reported that 863 Airbus aircraft were delivered to customers in 2019 exceeding the manufacturer’s forecast target for aircraft deliveries. The news agency is citing ‘airport and tracking sources’ for the unaudited figure which the European manufacturer refused to comment on pending official confirmation later this month. If the…
Commercial aviation is shaped by nationhood and foundations agreed by countries at the Chicago Convention of 1944. This event also saw the beginnings of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The initial freedoms of the air which emerged from the convention have been added to since 1944 and still form…
The discussion on the aviation industry’s impact on climate change continued in Europe this month with the conclusion on Sunday of a two-week United Nations climate conference (COP 25) in Madrid and the European Commission (EC) releasing a "European Green Deal" last week. Airline executives were watching both events closely…
Wizz Air announced on Thursday that it will set up a low-cost subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will be a partnership with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADDH), a partner of the Abu Dhabi government. The airline is expected to begin operations in the second…
The use of biometric information such as fingerprints and facial recognition in the airline industry has become more familiar to passengers around the world over recent years. In addition to such procedures as biometric boarding,, the ‘capturing’ of biometric information on passports and visa applications is becoming commonplace and touted…
The continuing political protests in Hong Kong have been cited by Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) as the main reason a significant number of their staff will not be paid on time this month. The South China Morning Post on Thursday reported excerpts of an internal HKA memo which stated: “Hong…
British Airways was affected on Wednesday night by an undisclosed ‘technical issue’ which resulted in a disruption to the airline’s schedule with flight delays and cancellations. A statement from the airline said: "Our teams are working hard to resolve a technical issue which is affecting some of our flights, and…
