EgyptAir Expands UAE Service, Announces Return to Fujairah International Airport

EgyptAir, the national carrier of Egypt, is expanding its flight services to include Fujairah International Airport in the UAE.

Victor Shalton

Tuesday, May 07, 2024 at 11:42 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An EgyptAir A321 aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock)

EgyptAir, the national carrier of Egypt, is expanding its flight services to include Fujairah International Airport. Starting from July 11, 2024, travelers can access nonstop flights between Fujairah City—an emirate in the UAE—and Cairo.

These flights will operate twice a week, specifically on Sundays and Thursdays. The announcement was made via an EgyptAir social media post on April 30, 2024.

This initiative is a collaboration between the Fujairah Airport administration and EgyptAir, the state-owned flag carrier of Egypt. Captain Ismail Al Balushi, Director General of Fujairah International Airport, affirmed that this step enhances travel options to and from Fujairah and meets the growing demand for travel locally and regionally.

Al Balushi added, “We are working to provide a comfortable travel experience according to quick clearance procedures that ensure enhancing the travel experience to and from the emirate.”

According to AeroRoutes, the airline will resume the Cairo – Fujairah route, offering two weekly flights starting from July 11, 2024. Flight MS903 departs from Cairo at 19:30 local time and arrives in Fujairah at 00:05 (+1 day) local time operating on Thursday and Saturday.

The return flight, MS904, departs from Fujairah at 01:05 local time and arrives back in Cairo at 04:00 local time operating on Monday and Friday. Both flights will be operated using Airbus A321 aircraft. This marks EgyptAir’s return to Fujairah after a hiatus of two decades, having last served Fujairah until September 2003.

Notably, this addition marks EgyptAir’s fourth destination within the UAE. Currently, the Star Alliance carrier connects Cairo to Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi within the United Arab Emirates.

In other developments, EgyptAir is set to resume its Cairo-Zurich route on July 8, 2024. This marks a return after last serving the route in April 2004. Per AeroRoutes, EgyptAir, will offer three weekly flights (on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays) between Egypt and Switzerland. The route will be operated using an Airbus A320neo, featuring 142 seats (16 in business class and 126 in economy).

Furthermore, EgyptAir also plans to launch flights to Mogadishu by the end of the year. In anticipation of this milestone, a delegation from the airline met with the Director General of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Ahmed Macallin Hassan, on March 18. During the meeting, the delegation visited the headquarters of the SCAA and conducted an inspection of Aden Adulle International Airport in Mogadishu.

Victor Shalton

Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.

Global Airlines’ Unusual Airbus A380 Ferry Flight

Last week a very unusual flight made the headlines; an Airbus A380, brought back from long-term storage, flying for maintenance in a peculiar configuration.

Filip Kopeć

Tuesday, May 07, 2024 at 10:55 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Global Airlines' first A380 (Photo: Global Airlines)

Last week a very unusual flight made the headlines with a transatlantic trip consisting of two legs. An Airbus A380, brought back from long-term storage, operated in a peculiar configuration.

The Ferry Flight

The operator of the ferry flight was the Portuguese charter carrier Hi Fly. which has a history of operating Airbus A380 aircraft. This time around, it officially reported the details of the flight.

The trip started at Mojave Air and Space Port in the United States, where the aircraft had been stored and was slated to reach Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland. Under normal circumstances, this would be easily reachable for a widebody aircraft like Airbus A380. The distance of approximately 4400 nautical miles (8200 km) is well within the commercial range of the type which stands at 8200 nautical miles (15200 km).

This time was different though as the aircraft required a specific type of maintenance after the storage which could not be performed on the spot. The storage facility lacked jacks to lift the aircraft and perform a test procedure of landing gear retraction/extension and free-fall extension (REFF). As a result, the ferry flight had to be split into two parts to facilitate flying with the landing gear in the down position.

Global Airlines’ Airbus A380 transatlantic ferry flight (Photo: gcmap.com)

A stop at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport for refueling was scheduled. The aircraft, registered as 9H-GLOBL, an ex-China Southern Airbus A380, departed Mojave on Tuesday, April 30 and arrived 5 hours 40 minutes later at the mid-point. From there the onward travel to Prestwick took another 7 hours and 44 minutes for a combined duration of more than 13 and a half hours of flight time. Normally such or similar flights would take around nine and a half hours, but the airspeed of an aircraft in such a configuration had to be limited.

That was likely the longest gear-down Airbus A380 on record, but similar feats were already performed on shorter flights when other carriers like Lufthansa were bringing back the type.

Global Airlines

The mentioned Global Airlines is a startup company with a business model that was sparked by retired Airbus A380-type aircraft becoming available on the market. For some, the pandemic was the catalyst, for others the fuel consumption of the four-engine aircraft. Slowly but surely many operators with smaller fleets started retiring the A380, with some going back on their word at some point.

Founded in 2021, the company is on its way to acquiring aircraft and attaining all the required certifications. The company is currently looking for its niche in the market. The British startup wants to fly the superjumbo jet between London and New York, with the first commercial flight penciled in for later this year.

Filip Kopeć

A passionate aviation enthusiast that started off his career as an aerospace engineer, but found his true calling on the commercial side of the airline business. Now as a finance guy among avgeeks and an avgeek among finance guys, he has experience working in the Revenue Divisions of three airlines. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, but admittedly sometimes is more about the journey than the destination.

Qatar Airways Partners With Cardless to Launch Two Credit Cards

It’s no secret that the United States credit market is extremely lucrative for airlines that profit handsomely from co-brands with card issuers.

Hemal Gosai

Tuesday, May 07, 2024 at 09:01 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Qatar Airways A350-900 pushing back for its next flight in Zurich. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Qatar Airways is entering the lucrative United States travel credit card market by introducing two co-branded cards in partnership with Cardless.

These cards would allow people to earn Avios points that can be redeemed on Qatar Airways and their partners along with fast-track offers to elite status with Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite

The first card being launched is their premium card, the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite card with an annual fee of $499. This card will have an all-metal design and will be the first international airline loyalty program card to be a Visa Infinite credit card. The card will come with many of the Visa Infinite standard benefits such as concierge services and access to the Luxury Hotel Collection.

The card features a sign-up bonus of 50,000 Avios. 25,000 Avios will be awarded after the first transaction is made on the card and an additional 25,000 Avios will be awarded after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days. Infinite cardholders will also get an additional bonus of 150 QPoints after meeting the required sign-up bonus spend. These QPoints will provide members a boost on their way to elite status with the airline.

For every $1 charged to the card, cardholders can earn five Avios on spend directly with Qatar Airways, three Avios on restaurant spend, and one Avios on all other spend. There are also QPoint spend bonuses to help earn elite status. For every $1,500 spent on the card, one can earn two QPoints.

Qatar Airways’ new U.S. credit cards (Photo: Qatar Airways)

Cardholders will also enjoy a fast track to Gold status for one year on the airline which comes with a variety of benefits such as a 75 percent tier bonus on eligible flights, priority services, extra baggage allowances, lounge access with four guest passes, free preferred seat selection, complimentary meet and assist services from Al Maha services at Hamad International Airport in Doha, and oneworld Sapphire status.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature

The other card being introduced is the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature at an annual fee of $99. This card is similar to the Infinite card but has a different sign-up bonus and Avios earning structure. The sign-up bonus is 40,000 Avios; 20,000 Avios are awarded after the first transaction is made and the other 20,000 after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.

This card has the same bonus categories as the Infinite card but Avios are earned at a lower rate. Four Avios for every dollar spent on Qatar Airways, two Avios on restaurant spend, and one Avios on all other spend. Cardholders can earn QPoints on this card as well, two QPoints for every $2,000 spent.

Much like the Infinite card, Signature cardholders will also receive a fast track to elite status with the airline for one year. Cardholders will get a year of Silver tier with the airline which includes a 25 percent tier bonus on eligible flights, priority services below the Gold tier, lounge access with two guest passes, and discounts on seat selection. Those with Silver tier at Qatar Airways have oneworld Ruby status.

It’s no secret that the United States credit market is extremely lucrative for airlines that profit handsomely from co-brands with card issuers. We’re seeing more foreign airlines partner with U.S. banks to issue co-brand cards to capitalize on such a lucrative market.

Hemal Gosai

Hemal took his first flight at four years old and has been an avgeek since then. When he isn't working as an analyst he's frequently found outside watching planes fly overhead or flying in them. His favorite plane is the 747-8i which Lufthansa thankfully flies to EWR allowing for some great spotting. He firmly believes that the best way to fly between JFK and BOS is via DFW and is always willing to go for that extra elite qualifying mile. Hemal's opinions are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

JetBlue to Return Some Retired A320 Jets to Service

Embattled with ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine troubles on its new A321neo aircraft, JetBlue is planning to return some older Airbus A320s to revenue service.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, May 06, 2024 at 05:16 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

JetBlue A320 aircraft in storage (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Embattled with ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine troubles on its newer A321neo aircraft, JetBlue is planning to return some older Airbus A320s to revenue service. During a first-quarter earnings call on April 23, the airline detailed plans to buy out 12 aircraft at the end of their lease terms.

“As we continue to work through near-term growth challenges stemming from the GTF issues, we are exploring cost-effective and capital-light ways to grow our fleet. To date, we have committed to purchase or purchased 12 A320 aircraft off lease that were set for return to lessors,” the company’s finance chief Ursula Hurley shared. JetBlue has plans to “extend the life” of 30 A320s altogether, Hurley added.

The New York-based airline expects to have an average of 11 aircraft out-of-service this year due to the ongoing GTF engine woes. In Q1 2024, JetBlue reported a net loss of approximately $716 million while also announcing plans to cut routes and scale back operations on the West Coast.

First JetBlue Aircraft Returning

Among the A320s returning to service is N503JB, which is JetBlue’s first-ever aircraft. As first reported by PaxEx.Aero, the aircraft’s return was announced in an internal memo to employees.

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Christine,’ N503JB was first delivered to the carrier in December 1999. it was later retired in August 2023 at a storage facility in Marana, Ariz.

JetBlue does plan to retrofit interiors on the re-activated aircraft in line with other A320s in its fleet. Per Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, JetBlue has five A320s in storage programs.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Emirates Plans First Airbus A350 Routes

Emirates unveiled on Monday the first routes to be served by its upcoming Airbus A350-900XWB aircraft, scheduled for launch in September 2024.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, May 06, 2024 at 09:59 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Emirates A350-900 mock-up (Photo: Airbus)

Emirates unveiled on Monday the first routes to be served by its upcoming Airbus A350-900XWB aircraft, scheduled for launch in September 2024. Ten new A350s are expected to join the Dubai-based airline’s fleet by March 2025, offering the airline’s latest cabin experiences on short and medium-haul routes.

The first A350 flight, EK839, will depart Dubai for Bahrain on Sept. 15, 2024. Passengers can expect three cabin classes on the A350: 32 Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats, and 259 Economy Class seats.

The initial deployment of the airline’s A350s will focus on nine destinations across three regions. In the Middle East, Bahrain begins September 15, with increased frequency to twice daily in November. Kuwait begins on September 16, and Muscat starts on December 1.

In Asia, Mumbai and Ahmedabad will begin October 27 while Colombo service begins Jan. 1, 2025 on the fourth daily flight. Emirates also plans to deploy the new jet in Europe with service to Lyon and Bologna on December 1, along with a new route to Edinburgh on November 4.

Emirates says it will announce additional destinations and interior designs for the A350 in the coming months. Bookings for these initial routes are now open.

“The A350 will be a game-changer for Emirates, enabling us to serve regional points with superior operating efficiency and flexibility across the Middle East and GCC, West Asia and Europe,” said Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, at Emirates. “With the latest generation cabin products including more of our sought-after Premium Economy to more cities, top-notch in-flight entertainment technologies and an abundance of other customer-friendly features, the Emirates A350 builds on our long-standing commitment of investing in the very best customer experience in the sky. Flying the A350 to 9 cities in such a short span of time adds more premium cabin options and choice across geographies for our customers, and ensures we maintain our competitive edge and industry leading position.”

The carrier has 65 A350-900 aircraft on order with initial deliveries planned for later this summer.

Ryan Ewing

Icelandair Launches New Service to the Faroe Islands

For the first time ever, an airline now serves Denmark and all kingdom countries at the same time, but it is not the airline you think.

Joey Gerardi

Monday, May 06, 2024 at 06:20 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Icelandair Dash 8 at Akureyri International Airport, Iceland. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | John Flett)

The Faroe Islands and Greenland are the last two overseas countries that remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark now in 2024, but other than that the countries have very little in common with each other. They all feature very different climates, populations, and physical size. But now, for the first time ever, they all receive service from one specific carrier: Icelandair.

On May 1, 2024, Icelandair began services to Vágar Airport, the main and only airport located in the Faroe Islands. Flights operate five times a week during the busy summer tourist season onboard the airline’s Q400 from its main hub at Reykjavík/Keflavík Airport in Iceland.

In Denmark, Icelandair serves two destinations: Copenhagen, where it flies two to three times a day onboard a mix of Boeing 737 MAXs, Boeing 757s, and Boeing 767s. The other location in Denmark is Billund, which sees twice-weekly seasonal service on the 737 MAX, which also ends in October just like the new Faroe Islands route.

Taking off out of Copenhagen onboard Icelandair (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Finally, the third country; Greenland, of which Icelandair flies to four destinations, including Kulusuk, which sees twice weekly service onboard the Dash-8~200; Ilulissat, which is served from June until September, is also on the Dash-8~200 but offers nine weekly flights spread across six days of the week, four of which are redeye flights back to Iceland; and Narsarsuaq, which sees flights twice a week between June and September, with one flight on a Dash-8~200 and the other being the much larger Boeing 737 MAX.

The last city is the country’s capital of Nuuk, which sees service between twice and five times a week depending on the season operated by the Dash-8~200. This route from Nuuk features one of the shortest redeyes in the world scheduled at 3 hours and 20 minutes, and perhaps the only overnight flight on a Dash-8.

It is interesting to note that the first carrier to serve all three Denmark colonies at the same time isn’t based in either of the three countries. But, two of the countries do have very unique tourism sectors and a lower population relative to most countries of similar size, offering very few airlines at all. Greenland only has two airlines offering services to the country; Air Greenland and Icelandair, and the Faroe Islands only has three airlines; Icelandair, SAS, and Atlantic Airways.

Air Greenland’s sole Airbus A300-800neo seconds before touching down in Kangerlussuaq (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

There are three airlines that serve two of the colonies; Air Greenland serves its home country of Greenland as well as Denmark via Copenhagen and Billund. Atlantic Airways, serves its home country of the Faroe Islands, as well as Denmark via Copenhagen, Billund, and Aalborg. Finally, SAS serves four cities in its home country of Denmark and it also flies to the Faroe Islands.

It is interesting to point out that while Air Greenland and Atlantic Airways have never served all three countries in the past, SAS has, although it wasn’t at the same time. SAS offered flights to Greenland for more than 50 years until March of 2003, and after a brief hiatus again from 2007 until the carrier left for good in 2009. But, it didn’t start service to the Faroe Islands until March of 2017, meaning service in all three countries didn’t overlap and had a sizable gap.

An Atlantic Airways Airbus A320neo in Vágar, Faroe Islands (Photo: Atlantic Airways)

Transatlantic Flights

Atlantic Airways also offered services to New York last fall, but the service was only offered once a week and only for two months. Those flights will return this season but for a shorter period of time with only six flights spread across six weeks.

With Icelandair now serving the Faroe Islands, it makes them more accessible than ever for people in North America as the flights to Vagar have similar departure and arrival times in Reykjavík/Keflavík to the other destinations they serve in Europe. Atlantic Airways does have interline agreements with multiple airlines in Europe including Icelandair and codeshares with Air France and KLM.

Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.

WestJet Issues Lockout Notice to Maintenance Workers

The second-largest airline in Canada issues a 72-hour lockout notification to the union representing its aircraft maintenance staff.

Benjamin Pham

Sunday, May 05, 2024 at 10:18 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

On Saturday, WestJet issued a 72-hour lockout notification to the union that represents the airline’s aircraft maintenance engineers. Unless the Aircraft Maintenance Fraternal Association (AMFA) can reach a deal and agreement with the carrier, a work stoppage could happen as early as Tuesday, May 7 at noon, according to the airline.

A lockout is an employer-initiated situation where the company prevents employees from entering the workplace and returning to work due to the failure to agree to a contract. This essentially is an attempt to force the union to relent. In this case, WestJet has decided to initiate this lockout as a final resolution and in response to the recent actions of the AMFA.

In a statement, Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airline and Group Chief Operating Officer, said, “The decision to issue a lockout notice was not one that was made lightly, and we sincerely regret and apologize for the uncertainty this causes for our guests and the communities and regions that rely on us. Despite our unwavering commitment to reach a collective agreement, AMFA continues to show up to the bargaining table with unreasonable demands and expectations.”

AMFA and the WestJet Group have been in labor negotiations for a contract since September 2023, and the initial contract package included a cumulative wage increase of 20 percent, stronger job security, and improved work-life balance, the carrier claims.

However, the aircraft maintenance workers’ union and the airline have not come to an agreement on a contract. Last week on April 30, AMFA issued a referendum email to its members to vote to authorize the union to call for a strike.

“With AMFA publicly issuing a strike vote alert last week and publicly directing guests to fly with other carriers, we can’t allow the unpredictable nature and lack of progress to continue. We are left with no alternative but to issue a lockout notice in an attempt to bring this to a final resolution,” Pen added.

The carrier will attempt to prevent any major operational disruption from occurring due to this recent notion with its maintenance workers and union.

Airline’s Pilot Lockout

WestJet’s recent 72-hour lockout notification for its aircraft maintenance personnel is not its first. In May 2023, the carrier issued a lockout notice to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union that represents the company’s over 1,800 pilots. In this instance, the lockout notice was in response to ALPA’s issuance of a 72-hour strike declaration, after voting for a strike in April.

Similar to the ongoing dispute, the airline and union remained at the bargaining table after failing to agree on negotiations a contract. Lockouts or threats to impose one are seen to be used as leverage, when an airline like WestJet intends to block the union from causing disruptions to business, during negotiation disputes.

As a result, the WestJet Group cancelled flights and parked a majority of its Boeing 737 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, as it anticipated the labor action from the pilots. However, ALPA and the airline reached an agreement on the second collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between both parties, preventing further operational disruptions.

Update May 6, 2024: The company and union reached a tentative agreement early Monday that halts any potential work stoppage.

Benjamin Pham

Benjamin has had a love for aviation since a young age, growing up in Tampa with a strong interest in airplane models and playing with them. When he moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Benjamin took part in aviation photography for a couple of years at Gravelly Point and Dulles Airport, before dedicating planespotting to only when he traveled to the other airports. He is an avid, world traveler, having been able to reach 32 countries, yearning to explore and understand more cultures soon. Currently, Benjamin is an Air Transporation Management student at Arizona State University. He hopes to enter the airline industry to improve the passenger experience and loyalty programs while keeping up to how technology is being integrated into airports.

Delta Relaunches Flights From Tampa To Amsterdam

The prominent SkyTeam carrier will fly from Amsterdam, offering ten routes after the relaunch of flights to Tampa.

Andrew Chen

Saturday, May 04, 2024 at 07:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

A Delta Airbus A330-300 landing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

Delta Air Lines has announced that it will resume flying between Tampa and Amsterdam later this year, bringing its total number of routes to the Dutch city to ten.

Details: Delta’s New Tampa–Amsterdam Route

Daily flights between Tampa International Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol are scheduled to begin on October 26, 2024. The route will be a winter seasonal service, with an end date of March 29, 2025.

Delta will deploy its Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route. The route will be a service resumption, with Delta last flying nonstop between Tampa and Amsterdam in summer 2019.

The fact that the route is being introduced as a seasonal winter service suggests that Delta foresees strong demand from European residents. Although travel demand to Europe is strong among American travelers in the summer, there is significant demand for westbound travel from Europe to Florida in the winter months, as the Sunshine State is seen as a leisure destination for its warmer weather and pristine beaches.

Four other airlines currently offer transatlantic service from Tampa: British Airways flies to London’s Gatwick Airport, Discover Airlines flies to Frankfurt, Edelweiss Air flies to Zurich and Virgin Atlantic flies to London’s Heathrow Airport. As a result, the prominent SkyTeam carrier’s resumption of this route will compete with other carriers across the Atlantic.

Delta’s Expanding Transatlantic Network

Delta’s flights from Tampa to Amsterdam will be its tenth route to the Netherlands’ largest city. The Atlanta-based carrier currently offers year-round flights from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City and New York’s John F.Kennedy International Airport to Amsterdam. The airline also has a winter seasonal route between Amsterdam and Orlando.

Amsterdam serves as a major European connecting hub for Delta passengers, due to the airline’s transatlantic joint venture with SkyTeam partners Air France–KLM and Virgin Atlantic. With Amsterdam being KLM’s home base and main hub, many Delta passengers who fly to the airport from the United States connect onto KLM flights to other European destinations and beyond. The SkyTeam hub is Delta’s most-served airport in Europe.

Andrew Chen

Andrew is a lifelong lover of aviation and travel. He has flown all over the world and is fascinated by the workings of the air travel industry. As a private pilot and glider pilot who has worked with airlines, airports and other industry stakeholders, he is always excited to share his passion for aviation with others. In addition to being a writer, he also hosts Flying Smarter, an educational travel podcast that explores the complex world of air travel to help listeners become better-informed and savvier travelers.

Embraer Delivers 1,800th E-Jet

Brazilian-based jet manufacturer Embraer delivered its 1,800th E-Jet to Royal Jordanian Airlines on Thursday.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Saturday, May 04, 2024 at 08:45 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Embraer delivered the E190-E2 jet to Royal Jordanian Airlines on Thursday. The navy green jet sports a decal marking the jet manufacturer’s 1,800th E-Jet delivery milestone. (Photo: Embraer)

Brazilian-based jet manufacturer Embraer reached a new milestone by delivering its 1800th E-Jet production aircraft on Thursday.

According to a press release from the company, the new Azorra-owned E190-E2 was handed over to Royal Jordanian Airlines at Embraer’s facility in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

This delivery marks the third E2 for the airline, which also operates four first-generation E-Jets. Royal Jordanian Airlines will receive a total of eight E2s under its existing deal with Embraer and Azorra.

Since the company’s founding, Embraer’s E-Jets have serviced fleets of 90 airlines and leasing companies from over 60 countries. The E190-E2 is part of a family of advanced-generation E-Jets in the under-150-seat market that are quiet, low-polluting, and fuel-efficient. In 20 years of service, the E-Jets have carried two billion passengers on 26 million flights a distance of nearly 87 million miles.

Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, attributed the longevity of the E-Jets program to Embraer’s focus on excellence and continuous improvement.

“It’s great to mark this milestone along with two key partners, RJ and Azorra,” Meijer said in a press release. “We’re always looking for ways to make our aircraft better – reducing operating costs, extending maintenance intervals and adding new technology.”

Additionally, Meijer said that Embraer will announce a number of performance improvements for the E2 later this year, noting that it is ready to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

“The E2 continues to demonstrate its advantages in fuel burn, emissions, quietness, reliability, and passenger comfort, and airlines are taking notice,” Meijer said.

Embraer is the third largest commercial jet manufacturer in the world behind Boeing and Airbus. The company has over 18,000 employees and has delivered over 8,000 airplanes since it was founded 20 years ago.

A report published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal claims that Embraer is planning a new 737-sized jet to rival Boeing. Embraer countered this report, however, saying the company has no plans for a major cycle of spending, according to another article published by Reuters that same day.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.

Etihad Inks Five New Interline Agreements, Expands A380 Network

Etihad Airways has expanded its partnerships with the addition of five new airlines to a growing list of interline agreements.

John Flett

Friday, May 03, 2024 at 06:32 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Etihad's A380 lands at London Heathrow (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Etihad Airways has expanded its partnerships with the addition of five new airlines to a growing list of interline partnerships. The U.A.E. carrier announced on Friday that partnerships had been agreed with Kam Air, SKY Express, Rex Airlines, Jeju Air, and Myanmar Airways International.

Kam Air operates from Etihad’s base at Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi to Kabul, Afghanistan. The interline agreement will give Etihad passengers the opportunity to transit through AUH to Kam Air’s service to Kabul and then connect with the airline’s operations within Afghanistan.

SKY Express operates to 28 destinations on the Greek mainland and Mediterranean islands giving Etihad passengers connectivity through the airline’s twice-daily service to Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH). Similarly, the interline agreement with Australia’s Rex Airlines opens up the continent via Etihad’s gateway destinations, Sydney and Melbourne. Rex flies to 22 Aussie airports including Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Australia’s capital, Canberra.

South Korean carrier Jeju Air self-identifies as ‘Korea’s number one low-cost carrier’ connecting from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) to 27 destinations across seven countries in Northeast Asia. High-profile destinations serviced on the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX and 737-800 aircraft from ICN include Busan, Tokyo’s Narita airport, Fukuoka, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand.

The interline agreement with Myanmar Airways International will give further access to Etihad passengers to Yangon and Mandalay. Myanmar Airways has a significant range of codeshare and interline partnerships including Etihad competitors Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Oman Air.

Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said: “We continue to broaden our network reach enabling seamless connection across our network, giving our guests a broader range of travel options. These five interline agreements make life easier for guests of all the airlines involved.”

New A380 Service

News of the five interline agreements comes amid several expansion announcements and inaugural flights by Etihad in recent weeks. Included in the recent developments was the introduction to New York’s JFK airport of the airline’s A380. This follows the Airbus aircraft’s utilization on the London Heathrow route, as the second destination for the premium-heavy configured layout with the luxurious ‘Residence’ three-room suite.

Etihad’s chief executive officer Antonoaldo Neves stated: “Introducing the A380 to the popular New York route aligns with our strategy to meet increasing customer demand and expand our network. It comes just three weeks after we launched our new route to Boston, our fourth US gateway, underlining our commitment to serving and growing the North American market.”

The carrier also announced in April that the A380 would be deployed on the AUH to Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) route from Nov. 1, 2024.

John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content. John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.