Over the years, the airline's aircraft have sported various designs, each reflecting the evolving brand identity and capturing the essence of its home state.
Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is excited to launch our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
Hawaiian Airlines boasts a vibrant and dynamic livery that embodies the spirit of the islands themselves. Over the years, the airline’s aircraft have sported various designs, each reflecting the evolving brand identity and capturing the essence of its home state.
The Pualani Legacy
The most iconic element of the Hawaiian Airlines livery is undoubtedly the Pualani, a stylized plumeria flower known as the “flower of the sky.” This symbol, introduced in 1973, has adorned the tails of Hawaiian Airlines aircraft for over four decades. It represents the warmth, hospitality, and beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.
The face of Hawaiian’s brand is a Maui native named Leina’ala Ann Teruya Drummond, who recently passed away in September 2023. A Miss Hawaii 1964 winner and former flight attendant at the airline, her profile adorns the tails of around 66 active Hawaiian jets, including the airline’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A321neos.
A Hawaiian A321neo (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)
Evolution of the Floral Livery
In 1995, the Pualani received a makeover, becoming a more vibrant and contemporary flower with a broader gradient of colors. This floral-themed livery remained in use for 15 years, gracing the fuselages of Hawaiian’s fleet, including the Boeing 717 and Airbus A330.
In 2017, Hawaiian Airlines unveiled a brand refresh, including a revised livery for its aircraft. This current design features a larger and more prominent Pualani, framed by a stylized rising sun. In addition, the color palette has shifted towards a deeper purple hue.
“So much of our visual identity, which is 15 years old, still resonated deeply with our guests and employees,” said Avi Mannis, senior vice president of marketing for Hawaiian in a press release regarding the new design. “Our aim was to retain the essence of our brand and arrive at a bolder, truer expression of our unique Hawaiian hospitality.”
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.
As part of its Friday announcement, Delta is adding two routes within Texas, positioning Austin as a connection point. Starting on April 22, 2024, the carrier will have up to three daily flights between Austin and Midland/Odessa (MAF) and McAllen (MFE). These flights will be operated by dual-class regional aircraft on both Endeavor and SkyWest.
“This is the first time we’ll be using Austin as a connecting point to access our network with the addition of McAllen and Midland,” Eric Beck, managing director of network planning said in an interview with CNBC. “For us here at Delta, Texas has historically has been a white space for opportunity on our network.”
Delta’s SkyTeam partners KLM and Aeromexico serve Austin, creating additional opportunities for connections. Albeit not part of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta partner Virgin Atlantic announced it would be pulling out of Austin in October. In addition, Aeromexico Connect will fly from McAllen to Mexico City starting on Feb. 1, 2024.
More New Routes, Increased Service
Along with its hubs, Delta also serves a handful of point-to-point markets from Austin, including Las Vegas, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham, and Cincinnati. Also starting in April 2024, the airline will add an additional daily flight to both Cincinnati and Raleigh/Durham. With these additions, Austin-Cincinnati will have double daily service while Raleigh/Durham will have three daily flights.
Delta is also planning to add service from Austin to Nashville in April with up to three daily flights. It will compete with both American and Southwest on this route.
Despite recent service cuts, Austin-Bergstrom is still one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S. According to Cirium Diio data, the airport served 11% more passengers in 2022, exceeding 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
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.
30 Years Later: In-N-Out Burger and Boeing 757 Wake Turbulence
Thirty years ago, a small business jet carrying In-N-Out executives crashed outside of John Wayne Airport after encountering wake turbulence from a Boeing 757.
A United 757 departs Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Thirty years ago this week, a small private jet crashed outside of California’s John Wayne’s airport in Santa Ana. Unfortunately, these kinds of accidents do happen but this one in particular had significant implications for both the aviation industry and a growing fast-food chain based out of California.
On December 15, 1993, an IAI Westwind business jet was preparing to land at John Wayne Airport behind a Boeing 757 when it suddenly lost control and crashed just short of the runway. The fatal flight carried none other than Rich Synder, CEO of In-N-Out, along with the chain’s executive vice president and chief operating officer Philip R. West. Both pilots, Stephen R. Barkin and John Odis McDaniel were also killed.
Synder was returning from a visit to the 93rd In-N-Out location that had just opened. Interestingly, the company had a rule barring the two executives from flying on a single aircraft at the same time, however, that was not followed.
Family Tragedy
The crash was a shock to everyone as Synder was instrumental in the growth of the In-N-Out. It was his actions that set the chain up for success that continues to this day. Rich Synder’s brother, Guy, soon took over operations of the fast food chain as the new CEO but his time at the helm was also short-lived. Guy died in 1999 due to an accidental drug overdose. The company had lost two CEOs in a span of six years.
These deaths ultimately led Esther Snyder, Rich and Guy’s mother, to take over the company. Esther successfully ran the company until her death in 2006 when Mark Taylor, former vice president of operations took over. He was the first non-Snyder to hold the position. Eventually, the role passed to Lynsi Synder, Guy Synder’s daughter. She gained control of 50 percent of the company in 2012 when she turned 30 and nearly full control at the age of 35 in 2017, making her one of the youngest female billionaires in the world. The chain now has well over 350 locations with its most recent one opening in Idaho.
A Lufthansa A380 lands over the In-n-Out Burger near LAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
While the 1993 accident started a difficult period for the Synder family, it also resulted in aviation safety improvements around the world.
The Dangers of Wake Turbulence
An investigation into the crash determined that the business jet had lost control due to wake turbulence from the Boeing 757 that was in front of the smaller jet. Wake turbulence occurs as an aircraft wing generates lift, therefore creating horizontal vortices.
While it was known that larger aircraft could create wake turbulence at the time, more in-depth actions had yet to be taken on managing it, particularly for Boeing’s 757, which had prior issues with it due to the aircraft’s larger wing. This was not the first time a smaller jet had crashed as a result of a 757’s wake turbulence either.
In fact, the FAA had evidence from as early as 1991 that the 757 generates an unusual amount of wake turbulence, according to a Los Angeles Times article. In 1992, eight people were killed in their Cessna Citation as it was trailing a 757 in Billings, Mont.
Additional investigations were carried out and one of the tests showed that the 757 generated stronger wake turbulence than a Boeing 767, a larger widebody aircraft. The FAA issued new guidance for aircraft separation due to this with the 757 now being treated as a “heavy” jet, which requires additional consideration from air traffic controllers when operating around small to medium-sized aircraft. This designation is usually given to aircraft that have greater maximum take-off weights (MTOW), making Boeing’s 757 the only narrow-body to be considered a “heavy” aircraft.
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.
Interview: Southern Airways CEO on the Airline’s Newest Destination
Southern Airways Express will be bringing Purdue University Airport back to the air transportation network for the first time in over 20 years
Palm Beach, Fla.-based Southern Airways Express has announced it will be adding a new city to its route map. But this isn’t just any city, it is West Lafayette, Ind. which is home to Purdue University, an airport that hasn’t been a part of the commercial air service network for almost 20 years, as the last airline to fly here was AmericanConnection back in February of 2004.
This is the second busiest airport in the state, despite not having any airline service currently, but is thanks to the university’s aviation program based at the airport, which is also why the airport is mostly referred to as Purdue University Airport.
AirlineGeeks had the opportunity to speak with the CEO of Surf Air Mobility, and founder of Southern Airways Express, Stan Little, about his airline’s plans to add the college town back to the list of commercially used airports in the country.
AirlineGeeks (AG): Why did you decide to start this non-Essential Air Service (EAS) community, when that is what the airline mostly operates to?
Stan Little (SL): We’ve always been looking for opportunities of places where we can fly, where we believe we will be able to fill up airplanes, but also where we’ll able to have community partners that choose to have skin in the game. And, growing up in the South and starting this airline in Memphis, and frankly being a football fan all of my life, I’ve always said if we have airline service that would go to some of these big universities, usually big state schools, but also some big private schools that are not urban and are sometimes located a couple of hours from the nearest airport, I think it would really work.
So we began taking a look several months ago at some schools and universities, one of our long-time executives Bruce Jacobs has been with the company since the beginning, is a Purdue grad, and he said that we need to talk to Purdue, he goes to every single football game and most of the basketball games, and he said that “we would love to have a way for my wife and I to get back and forth to West Lafayette” and so the discussions began, we took several moths to study the market. And so we said if Purdue is willing to come in, and we get some other local partners that are willing to come in and ensure the success of the service, this is where we wanna launch it. We hope that this is the first of many similar situations with universities.
(AG): Out of all of the universities and college towns you could’ve started in, why and how did you end up choosing Purdue to be the first one?
(SL): Bruce really picked up the mantle and said “Let me run with this and see if there is some interest”. My co-founder at Southern [Airways Express] Keith Sission and I are both Ole Miss grads, and certainly, Oxford had not had air service commercially since the 1960s or 70s, and most of the schools we would play when we were in college [don’t have service either], Mississippi State, Auburn, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, look at the size of that university and yet they don’t have commercial service at their airport. Look at the Georgia Bulldogs, they are two-time national champions in football and you can’t get to Athens [Georgia] unless you are on a bus. So, we think there are a lot of opportunities like this across the country, and we are going to be reaching out to some of these universities and hopefully, some of them will be reaching out to us.
(AG): Purdue is known for football and basketball as you said, but they also have a well-known aviation program. Does Southern Airways Express (SAE), plan on partnering with them for a pilot program of something of that nature?
(SL): Absolutely, and even aside from me jokingly saying we went there because one of our executives is a grad, in reality, it’s because Purdue is the perfect launch customer for this type of service because of that aviation program. They are producing pilots and we pride ourselves at SAE as being a major producer of pilots, so I would love to be able to get some of these students that are at Purdue that fly back and forth to their homes or their parent’s homes on SAE to eventually when they graduate, come to kickstart their career at SAE as a pilot.
Maybe give them an opportunity to stay in West LaFayette a little bit longer than they otherwise would after graduation. Even beyond the pilots, they are Producing the future of airline executives, they’re producing the future people who are running maintenance programs, and who are running software programs, and who are doing route planning, and all of those things that go into what we do every day here at SAE, are coming from places like Purdue. So, I hope that a couple years from now we’ve got dozens of Purdue grads working with us, more than we even have right now.
(AG): Purdue hasn’t had service for a while so they don’t have the normal infrastructure that most airports do in terms of TSA checkpoints and screening. Will Purdue service be sterile to start, or will it start out non-sterile and eventually switch?
(SL): That’s an excellent question, it depends on how quickly the airport is able to get TSA service there. We have seen that to be fairly fast in the past, when we took over Jackson, Tennessee service two June’s ago, they were able to secure TSA I think in four or five months with the help of many of their legislators in Washington D.C.. We are hoping that Purdue will be able to do the same thing. We have a great gate at O’Hare, it’s right in the middle of the main United Airlines terminal so we really want to be able to get those flights from west LaFayette into our terminal at [gate] F4, but obviously, we can’t do that until TSA is on site. I really hope that becomes an expedited process.
(AG): Will you offer discounts or promotions for college students?
(SL): Yeah, and as you may have seen in so many of our cities, we do serve other college towns, we serve Morgantown, West Virginia, home of West Virginia University, and in fact Morgantown will set the record for the highest number of enplanements in the last decade, even pre-dating our service there. We love college towns and we think we are really good at providing that service, so we will have programs for students, for facility and staff, and we have programs for corporate individuals, businesses, and factories and [people at] headquarters that are there as well. The idea is to fill up airplanes and we’ve gotten pretty good at that.
(AG): Will you increase and decrease service based on college busy seasons like spring break and the end of semesters?
(SL): You know, we are going to have one line of flights that is generally dedicated to West LaFayette, and it will be based on how many flights we’re able to get on that single line. Not that we are going to have one airplane, there will be two separate crews. We will have the ability to toggle that up a little but, you may see days [like] the Friday after final exams you may see five departures instead of four, and between Christmas and New Year where there is low demand you may see two flights instead of four. So, there will be a little bit like that, but there won’t be the case where we can fully supply all the anticipated demand on those really peak times. You take a big football weekend, if Ohio State comes into town on Saturday afternoon, you probably won’t be able to get seats on Friday flights or Sunday flights, but we’re going to do our best.
(AG): Is Purdue going to be seasonal or year-round
(SL): This will be a year-round service, absolutely.
(AG): How will you split up your 24-weekly departures across the week?
(SL): We’ll do scheduling similar to what we do in a lot of our other cities. If you look generally across the airline industry, you see that Tuesdays and Saturdays are usually the two lowest days of the week. Mondays and Fridays are far busier, Wednesdays and Sundays are a close second behind those. We will take the 24 flights and spread them across the week so we have at least two flights every day of the week, and some other days you may see four and even sometimes perhaps five.
(AG): What interline and codeshares will Purdue passengers be able to enjoy out of Chicago O’Hare?
(SL): Out of Chicago we have the same interlines that we do systemwide, which are United, American, Alaska, and Hawaiian. Of course, Hawaiian doesn’t serve [Chicago] O’Hare, and the other two [American and United] both have hubs here. This is the reason that O’Hare is one of our most successful hubs systemwide because two of our partners have major hub operations there, unlike most of our others like Denver, or Dallas, or Washington Dulles where only one or the other have hubs there, in Chicago two of our partners have hubs. We anticipate a lot of connections there, and Alaska as well has a very nice presence at O’Hare, so if your looking to fly to the West Coast; San Francisco, Portland, or Seattle, you really have three choices to get there instead of one or two.
A small “Southern Airways” logo on the aircraft adjacent to the entry door (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
(AG): What type of plane will the new service to Purdue be on?
(SL): This will be on the Cessna Grand Caravan, which is the backbone of Southern’s fleet, it’s the most popular plane with all of our passengers, it’s the most reliable plane we have in the fleet, and most importantly it is the aircraft that we are serving all of our other cities with out of the Chicago hub. So, adding West Lafayette out of Chicago on the Caravan just gives us more scale in the region, which only serves to increase reliability.
(AG): What kind of funding or subsidiaries will you or have you gotten for this new route to Purdue?
(SL): We’ve not disclosed the details of our agreement with Purdue and with the community, but both of those parties have committed to be there to ensure the service is profitable and is viable in the long term.
(AG): As with many cities there is a trial period to start off and see if it will be profitable, what does Purdue’s trial period look like?
(SL): That’s an interesting question, cause obviously if something doesn’t work out no airline is going to commit to being there for two, or three, or four years, or whathaveyou. But, we are so confident in the ability of this service to work and our ability to provide a product that the local community embraces and wants to use, and the university and community’s ability to provide all of the support on a long-term basis that we are really not putting timelines on this, I anticipate that we are going to be in Purdue for the long haul.
(AG): How will their terminal construction and runway rehabilitation affect your operations there in Purdue?
(SL): We don’t foresee any bad effects from that, in fact, we are very excited with what they are doing to improve the airport, and the overall narrative they are trying to convey, it’s a new day at West Lafayette, at Purdue Airport, and at the University, cause this is going to make such a seamless experience. If you have someone that’s coming to give a speech at the university and they’re coming from London, guess what, it’s now one-stop service and you don’t ever have to leave the airport until you leave the airport at your destination and that’s such a transformative thing not just for Purdue, but someday for other universities that are non-urban that need that kind of connectivity to the world.
(AG): I know you mentioned other colleges and college towns are on your radar, if Purdue does as well as you expect it to, when might we see the airline start service to other non-urban college towns?
(SL): You know we are expecting to begin deliveries from Textron of our order of 100 brand new [Cessna Grand] Caravans in April of 2024, this coming spring. Right now the limiting factor in Southern’s and Surf Air’s expansion is, we just don’t have enough planes, and there are not enough airplanes on the worldwide market to go out and buy them, so we need planes straight from the factor to make that work. Those planes will begin delivery in April, it’s no coincidence that our service in Purdue is scheduled to begin shortly after that.
We also are going to be sending some of these new planes to our existing cities to improve reliability in those areas, but then once that happens we’re going to be looking for homes for the new aircraft as they’re delivered, some will be EAS, some may be in major markets that are ‘at-risk’ markets as we call them, and then some will be available to do expansions to some of these college towns that we talked about. Our big criteria for 2024 and 2025 as far as our route growth goes, is based on adding scale at hubs we already have a presence at. So, are you likely to see us open a hub in Seattle so that we can serve somewhere in Oregon or Washington… probably not in the near term. But, are you looking at cities maybe near Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, or Pittsburgh… quite possibly.
(AG): How has Chicago been doing operation-wise, especially being a smaller airline with small aircraft at a major airport like that?
(SL): It has been surprisingly better than expected frankly, we go into a lot of big airports. We go into LAX, DFW, and IAD among others, so we know our way around big airports, but we also know we are very often the small dog on the porch, and we may be the ones with the longest taxi times and the longer waits at the bigger airports than the bigger carriers with bigger planes. But, thanks in very large part to our partners at United Airlines, United has really helped us in Chicago and has paved the way and greased the skids, thanks to them we’ve received a very warm welcome at O’Hare and things have run remarkably smoothly as a result.
(AG): Final question to wrap things up, I know you mentioned the second quarter/April of 2024 for the start of Purdue, but what does the timeline look like for choosing a definitive start date and putting up ticket sales for Purdue?
(SL): We hope to have a firm timeline determined just after the holidays when we all get back in mid-to-late January is when we’re hoping to put a timeline on that. I want to get the firm delivery dates, what day in April are we going to start receiving our planes from Textron, then we’ll start allocating where those planes are going to go. And then of course we’ll want to coordinate with Purdue so we can make a big splash locally, and I’d like to get there before school is out and all the students leave if at all possible, but we’ll determine that in early Q1 (first quarter 2024).
A video version of this interview can be found here.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 at 5:31 p.m. ET to correctly spell ‘Ole Miss.’
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.
Southwest Flight Attendants to Revote on Tentative Agreement
Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Union TWU Local 556 has discovered significant issues with the security of data collected.
A Southwest 737 MAX 8 in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
This past Wednesday, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) released a bulletin to members regarding the recent tentative agreement vote for Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants. The letter was first released on X by user @xJonNYC.
Initially, the collective membership group voted down the Tentative Agreement, drafted between the Union and the Company. However, the Union’s election board determined the final tally may not have been the true collective vote. According to the TWU local 556’s website, members of the union are now able to register for the re-vote webinar.
In an email to members, the Union stated they had received numerous complaints from voting members regarding issues with the voting site. These issues were noted by the labor group in a letter:
When they logged onto the voting site and entered their PIN, a blank screen appeared with no option to choose a vote;
The system showed a member voted, but no ballot was cast;
The site froze while attempting to cast a ballot without a selection;
Inoperative hyperlink to take them to the voting site;
When the complaints were raised with TrueBallot, the vendor that conducted the election tabulation, the Board of Election was assured that there were no issues with the voting system.
The Board had entrusted TrueBallot, an organization that provides election services for unions and other organizations. The labor group entrusted the security of the election to this group, however, TrueBallot’s system was deemed extremely vulnerable. According to the TWU, member data that was not supposed to be identifiable was.
Names, votes and other information directly related to the individual was identifiable on the TrueBallot database. This led to TrueBallot disturbing a newsletter amongst customers regarding a breach in security at the company.
This breach in vote integrity has led the Union to dismiss the results of that vote. The board announced to the member group that a second vote should be held shortly, in hopes of getting a true, honest vote on whether or not the TA is accepted by the labor group.
Other Labor Groups
Many labor groups are currently in negotiations with their respective companies. Recently, American Airlines and the carrier’s passenger service agents came together, with the labor group passing their respective TA. The carrier’s flight attendant union is also currently in negotiations with the airline to produce a contract.
At Southwest, the carrier’s pilot group is also in negotiations for a new Tentative Agreement. While currently without an agreement, word is spreading that a potential agreement may be reached soon with the company. The pilot group would then vote on the agreement soon after, much like the flight attendants have recently, and will do so again in the near future with a new election service.
Zach’s love for aviation began when he was in elementary school with a flight sim and model planes. This passion for being in the air only intensified throughout high school when he earned his Private Pilot Certificate. He then attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, earning his certificates and ratings to later flight instruct and share his passion for aviation with others. He now resides in the North East living out his dream as an airline pilot.
JAL Takes Delivery of Its First A350-1000
JAL's first A350-1000 took off from Toulouse for Tokyo on December 14, marking the start of a new era in JAL's long-haul product offerings.
Executives and staff post in front of JAL's first A350-1000 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Japan Airlines’ (JAL) very first A350-1000, registered as JA01WJ, took off from Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse at 1:46 p.m. local time on Thursday bound for Tokyo Haneda. The new jet is set to become the carrier’s new international flagship aircraft.
JAL’s order of A350 consists of 13 A350-1000s and 18 A350-900s. 16 A350-900s have been delivered so far and according to JAL, the airline will take delivery of three A350-1000s by the end of March next year, enabling the jet to be deployed between Haneda and New York-JFK on a daily basis, in addition to a second destination which is set to be Dallas/Fort Worth.
Delivery Ceremony
A ceremony was held at the Delivery Center in Toulouse right before the jet departed for Haneda, where an audience witnessed the signing of the delivery documents by Airbus Executive Vice President Benoit de Saint-Exupery and JAL Vice President, Quality Assurance Europe, Jun Yamanaka. Executives from the engine provider, Rolls-Royce, were also present at the ceremony.
During his speech, JAL Vice President Yamanaka expressed his confidence in the A350 to deliver the world-class service that JAL has always provided while acknowledging the delays due to the supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, which saw JAL pushing back the delivery several times this year.
Airbus Executive Vice President, Contracts, de Saint-Exupery, emphasized the significance of the delivery and the order. When the A350 order was finalized in 2013, it was the very first time that JAL had ordered from Airbus for any type of aircraft. On January 24 next year, it will also become the first time that JAL has used an Airbus jet to operate intercontinental revenue flights in its entire history.
Airbus and JAL executives sign delivery documents (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
World’s First A350-1000 With First Class Cabin
AirlineGeeks was invited to be one of the first to get onboard the new aircraft. The cabin is laid out with 239 seats, with six brand new private First Class suites featuring double beds and 4K IFE, 54 lie-flat business suites arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, 24 premium economy, and 155 economy seats at the very back.
Notably, being the eighth airline to ever receive the A350-1000, JAL will become the first one to install a First Class cabin, distinguishing itself as a premium carrier and fully utilizing the potential of the stretched version of the A350 to accommodate larger first and business class cabins.
First Class on JAL’s A350-1000 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
First A350-1000 in Japan
JAL was the first operator of the A350 in Japan when it received its A350-900 for domestic flights, and it will be the first operator of the large variant as well. It will become only the eighth airline in the world and fourth in Asia to operate A350-1000s, which was first delivered in 2018 to Qatar Airways. It will also be the fifth in the world, after Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, French Bee, and Air Carabeis to operate both variants of the A350.
JAL’s first A350-1000 parked at Toulouse (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
With the introduction of A350-1000s, JAL’s 13-strong 777-300ER fleet will eventually make its exit. The 777 fleet has an average age of 16.8 years, with the oldest having been with JAL for over 20 years, according to Planespotters.com. JAL’s future long-haul fleet will consist of 787 Dreamliners and the A350s, while both types operate on domestic high-density routes as well.
Anthony is an aviation enthusiast who grew up around the world from St. Louis to Singapore, and now lives in Amsterdam. He loves long-haul flying and finds peace in the sound of engine cruising. He aspires to share his passion for the sky though writing and providing another angle on the stories.
Tulum’s New Airport Lands Two More Airlines
Two new North American airlines have announced plans to fly into the brand-new airport in Tulum, Mexico starting in 2024.
An Air Canada 737 MAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Two new airlines have announced plans to fly into the new airport in Tulum, Mexico. JetBlue and Canadian flag carrier Air Canada are the latest to reveal their plans.
JetBlue Announces Year-Round Service to Tulum
JetBlue will begin daily, year-round flights between New York’s JFK Airport and Tulum on June 23, 2024. The outbound flight will depart just before 8:00 a.m. for a midday arrival. The return service will leave at 12:45 p.m. and arrive just before 6:00 p.m.
“With picturesque beaches and vibrant cultural heritage, Tulum has proven to be a destination in demand by seamlessly blending ancient and modern, in a country that continues to lead with world-class hospitality,” David Jehn, Vice President of Network Planning and Airline Partnerships at JetBlue, said in a statement.
“With the new international airport in Tulum, we are able to bring our customers where they want to go, arriving and departing in a brand new, modern, and convenient airport facility while offering the great service and low fares JetBlue is known for,” Jehn continued.
A JetBlue Airbus A320 taxis in Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Notable about JetBlue’s announcement is that it is starting flights three months later than other US carriers, who plan to start flights in late March. Summertime is often considered the slow season for tourism in the area, whereas many travelers, especially those from cold regions farther north, visit during the winter months for relief from the cold.
JetBlue will operate to Tulum year-round, consistent with its focus on leisure destinations.
Air Canada is the First Canadian Carrier in Tulum
Air Canada also announced plans to serve Tulum on Thursday, becoming the first Canadian carrier to do so. The airline will begin flying to Tulum from both Toronto and Montreal on May 3, pending government approval.
Air Canada will fly to Tulum two days per week from Toronto and one day per week from Montreal, amounting to three weekly flights. The airline did not announce an equipment type for the new routes.
“We are excited to add two brand new destinations to our global network, Tulum, Mexico, from our Toronto and Montreal hubs, and Charleston, South Carolina from Toronto, plus new Austin and St. Louis flights from Montreal in summer 2024. These new destinations and routes reflect Air Canada’s market leadership and network diversification strategy of adding capacity to in-demand leisure destinations such as Tulum and fast-growing, key metropolitan areas in the US,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning in a press release.
An Air Canada 737 MAX 8 at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
“We are also very pleased to grow our North American network from coast to coast with additional frequencies in key markets including Ottawa, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina, in regional markets, and by resuming major seasonal routes earlier. By adding scale to our Canadian hubs, we are offering more travel choices and unparalleled access to and from our worldwide network. We look forward to welcoming our customers onboard,” Galardo continued.
Air Canada’s announcement was welcomed by Mexican officials, who identified Canada as a critical source of tourists in the region.
“I celebrate this great announcement from Air Canada. Without connectivity there is no tourism, and the two new routes to the new Tulum International Airport, which is ready to receive five million passengers, will boost the arrival of tourists from our second most important source market for international tourists,” stated Lic. Miguel Torruco Marqués, Secretario de Turismo, Mexico.
A Brief History of Tulum’s Airport
Plans to build an airport in Tulum have been in the works for over a decade; bidding for the construction contract began in 2011. The airport was built to address overcrowding at Cancún’s airport, which has reached its capacity. Tulum has long been a popular tourist destination, and a significant portion of traffic in Cancun consists of passengers continuing by car to Tulum.
Domestic operations in Tulum began earlier this month, and the airport plans to welcome international arrivals in March when some U.S. carriers start service.
John McDermott is a commercial pilot pursuing a career in professional flight. His passion for aviation began in an Ann Arbor bookstore with a tale of enemy pilots during World War 2, and he hasn't looked back. Besides flying and writing for AirlineGeeks, John volunteers with Professional Pilots of Tomorrow and travels whenever he gets the chance.
Former American CEO’s New Charity Looks to Break Down Barriers
Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is back in the limelight again after he retired from a nearly decade-long career leading the world’s largest airline.
Left to right: Dana Donati, Gwen Parker, and Doug Parker (Photo: Glenn Watson)
Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is back in the limelight again after he retired from a nearly decade-long career leading the world’s largest airline back in 2021. But now the former airline chief is embarking on a new mission: to attract the next generation of pilots and aviation professionals from so-called ‘underrepresented’ communities.
Joined by his wife Gwen—a former American flight attendant—along with Dana Donati, who previously led United’s Aviate Academy, the trio is debuting a new charity called Breaking Down Barriers. At its core, they say the new charity’s goal is to foster interest, mentorship, and career development for individuals who are otherwise underrepresented in the aviation sector, including minorities and women. The charity’s initial roll-out will focus on pilots, according to Parker.
“At least from my perspective, the two biggest barriers were one, this financial requirement and the other is awareness just because of the history in the industry. I just think there are a lot of people out there that have the full ability to do this but don’t know it exists,” Parker said during an interview with AirlineGeeks at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas.
In the U.S., 93.7 percent of professional aviators are Caucasian and 92.5 percent are men as of 2020, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
“But those people exist in underrepresented communities as well. So what we really want is just to go find those people who have the same skills that the airlines are looking for…and identify them ourselves,” Parker continued.
No prior certificates are required to receive a scholarship from Breaking Down Barriers, not even the entry-level private pilot certificate. “So, we’re providing the scholarships to do the training, but it’s also about the coaching and the mentoring,” said Donati during the interview. “I currently have my CFI, so I’ll be on these students, making sure that they’re studying.”
Parker, who started his airline industry career in 1986 within American’s finance department, became chairman, president, and CEO of America West Airlines in 2001. Having taken the helm of the Phoenix-based airline 10 days before the September 11 terrorist attacks, he led the airline through some choppy waters.
In 2005, Parker orchestrated the merger of US Airways and America West. Seven years later, he joined US Airways and American together, forming the world’s largest airline. He served as CEO of American until March 2021.
“We just know because that demand [for pilots] exists, it’s a real [chance] to make sure that we don’t miss this opportunity to open it up to the best of the best,” Parker added. “Those that have barriers in front of them, we want to help pull those barriers down so they can succeed to their full potential.”
Editor’s Note: An in-depth version of this story will be available in an upcoming print version of FLYING magazine.
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.
Near Miss Led to 2022 JetBlue Tail Strike Incident
The NTSB published its final report on a near-miss incident involving a King Air and JetBlue A320, which resulted in substantial damage to the Airbus aircraft.
A JetBlue A320 in Las Vegas (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On Jan. 22, 2022, JetBlue flight 1748 (N760JB) departing Hayden-Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) experienced a tail strike during takeoff while attempting to avoid a Beechcraft King Air (N350J) landing on the opposite runway.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the incident has now concluded, revealing a complex interplay of miscommunication and expectation bias at the root of the near-miss.
The final report identified several key factors contributing to the incident. The incoming King Air aircraft used non-standard phraseology on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), a frequency pilots use to communicate at airports without operating control towers. Notably, the King Air pilots omitted crucial details like the specific runway it intended to use (“28” instead of “runway two eight”). This ambiguity sowed seeds of confusion for the JetBlue crew.
The JetBlue crew, lacking extensive experience with non-towered airport operations, interpreted N350J’s initial calls as an intention to land on the same runway (10) from which they were departing. This pre-existing assumption, combined with the limited information available, led to a misinterpretation of the King Air’s true intentions.
As the JetBlue flight was preparing to depart, the King Air’s flight crew replied on the frequency that they were on a short final and stated, “I hope you don’t hit us,” according to the final report.
As a result of these factors, the JetBlue captain – who was the pilot flying at the time – was surprised by the unexpected head-on traffic and reacted by rotating the 15-year-old Airbus A320 24 knots early, exceeding the recommended pitch limit and causing the tail strike.
The JetBlue flight diverted to Denver following the incident. In its report, the NTSB classified the aircraft’s damage as ‘substantial.’
Damage on N760JB (Photo: NTSB)
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the incident to be the captain’s premature rotation upon encountering head-on traffic. Importantly, the investigation also identified miscommunication from N350J and the JetBlue crew’s expectation bias as contributing factors.
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.
JAL's first A350-1000 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Japan Airlines, also known as JAL, will take delivery of its first A350-1000 on December 14. AirlineGeeks was able to gain early access to its cabin, which consists of brand new, industry-leading hard products that will set to debut on JAL’s flagship route from Tokyo Haneda to New York-JFK next January and to Dallas/Fort Worth later in 2024.
The new airplane will feature a total of 239 seats, with six in first, 54 in business, 24 in premium economy, and finally 155 in economy class. In terms of cabin floor space, the premium classes will occupy door 1 to door 3, with only the very last section of the cabin for economy class.
JAL’s A350-1000 seat map (Photo: JAL)
Cabin Overview
The First Class cabin is configured in a 1-1-1 arrangement, with sofa seats that can be turned into a double bed and 4K personal IFE screens. There are sliding doors for privacy and all overhead compartments are removed to create space.
First Class on JAL’s A350-1000 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
The Business Class seats have a 1-2-1 configuration with private suites that come with doors and dividers. Each lie-flat seat comes with a personal IFE screen, plenty of storage, and a so-called smart cushion.
Premium Economy seats use hard-shell products in a 2-4-2 configuration; the electrically controlled seats can recline without affecting the passenger behind. Each seat is equipped with reading lights and privacy dividers are present between every seat.
Premium Economy on JAL’s A350-1000 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Japanese Elements Meets Western Functionality
JAL has stated that many Japanese elements are consciously incorporated into the designs of the seats and cabin. Especially in business class, the use of the Japanese rice paper wall, or Shoji, is incorporated in both sliding doors and closets. The individual lights also carry an Eastern flair.
Economy Class seats feature Japanese-style patterns (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
The designs also kept functionality in mind. Working with U.K.-based design firm Tangerine, the cabin has an emphasis on practicality. Many storage spaces are available and business class travelers are able to store their luggage in their seats under the footrest, on top of the many mini storage spaces and overhead compartments on the two sides.
First Class Shoji-inspired door allows light into the suite (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
The emphasis on privacy resulted in sliding doors and dividers between seats. All seats are separated from one another as JAL intends to deploy the aircraft on business-oriented routes where many solo corporate travelers fly. Another focus for the new products is space, from seating space, legroom to storage space, across the board there is more space and fewer total seats, compared to the 777-300ER which the new Airbus replaces.
Economy seating on JAL’s A350-1000 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Many Industry Firsts
JAL has invested heavily in improving customer experience, especially focusing on improving the cabin features and innovating when designing the seats. In forward cabins,
Industry’s first built-in speakers in seats, available in both business and first class cabins;
First three-people dining space in first class, a seat which could also be turned into a double bed.
In Premium Economy:
The first airline to use an electric automated recline in the premium economy cabin;
It will also feature a non-moveable privacy divider between seats in the middle of the cabin, as shown below, to maximize privacy for premium economy passengers.
Large divider ensures greater privacy (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Crew Friendly Design
The design keeps the crew and operation smoothness in mind. The cabin galley space is significantly larger than other types thanks to the ‘New Cabin Standard’ that Airbus has rolled out on most of its A350s. The seats in the premium cabin also come with an external touch screen that gives the crew the status of the passenger, lightening up their workloads significantly during services and turbulences.
Crew panel on the outside of premium seats (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Anthony An)
Anthony is an aviation enthusiast who grew up around the world from St. Louis to Singapore, and now lives in Amsterdam. He loves long-haul flying and finds peace in the sound of engine cruising. He aspires to share his passion for the sky though writing and providing another angle on the stories.
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Premium Economy seats use hard-shell products in a 2-4-2 configuration; the electrically controlled seats can recline without affecting the passenger behind. Each seat is equipped with reading lights and privacy dividers are present between every seat.
