An Aeromexco E190 (Photo: aeroprints.com [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
Aeromexico is expanding into the U.S. market again with a new route between Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Mexico City (MEX), according to Friday evening’s Cirum Diio schedule update. A Delta focus city, Raleigh has seen several new air service developments in the last year, including new airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, and Icelandair.
Starting on July 1, 2024, Aeromexico’s new service will be daily operated by an Embraer E190 aircraft. Both Delta and Aeromexico are codeshare partners and members of the SkyTeam Alliance.
More U.S. Expansion
With a recent change in Mexico’s air safety rating, the country’s airlines are now permitted to add new service to the U.S. Several Mexican airlines – including Aeromexico and VivaAerobus – have jumped on the opportunity to grow their respective networks across the border.
Last month, Aeromexico firmed up plans to add service between several U.S. and Mexican cities, particularly from Delta’s hubs in Detroit and Atlanta. All of these routes are scheduled to begin in early to mid-2024.
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.
A Norse 787 Dreamliner (Photo: Norse Atlantic Airways)
Norwegian low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic confirmed that it plans to fly a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Antarctica. As first reported by Ishrion Aviation on Twitter (X), it will be a one-off charter flight that originates from Norway with a stopover on the way.
A spokesperson for the airline told AirlineGeeks that the charter will be for the Norwegian Polar Institute. This will be the first time that a 787 Dreamliner has been used to fly an Antarctica charter mission, though a variety of aircraft have been used in the past. It will also be the first time Norse Atlantic is flying to the continent.
Norway to Antarctica
It is not yet known what the exact purpose of the flight is, though most charters that run between Norway and Antarctica are used to carry Norwegian scientists and provisions used for polar research missions. In the past, Icelandair has used its 767 to fly supplies and scientists from Norway down to Antarctica in 2021. The charter operation in 2021 made a stopover in Cape Town and landed at Troll Airfield in Antarctica, with IATA code QAT. The airfield is operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute to support its Troll Research Station.
Past Antarctica Charters
Antarctica charter flights mostly serve either tourists or scientists. These charter flights often use a wide range of aircraft, from A319s to A340s. The first A340 flight that touched down in Antarctica ever took place in 2021, operated by Hi Fly from Cape Town to the ice runway at Wolf’s Fang resort. The flight took around five hours and was chartered by tourism company White Desert.
HiFly’s first Airbus A340 landing in Antarctica. (Photo: Hi Fly)
Titan Airways has also operated its 757 to Antarctica to carry marathoners as a part of the World Marathon Challenge back in 2020. Though more often than not, the charter flights to Antarctica fly on smaller jets such as the Gulfstream, while scientific missions often deploy jets from militaries around the world. U.S. research missions have a history of using Air Force LC-130s to transport supplies.
In the past, most charters fly to Antarctica through either South Africa, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand or Australia. One interesting flight was done by a Lufthansa A350 during COVID-19 and flew from Hamburg, Germany to the Falkland Islands. It was the longest flight in the company’s history and though technically not qualifying as an Antarctica charter – as it does not touch the continent – the flight was to transport scientists who were on polar research missions.
Sightseeing Charters
Some airlines operate charter flights that do not land in Antarctica but rather fly over the continent, providing a sightseeing opportunity for passengers. Qantas is known to fly Antarctica scenic flights from several Australian cities on its 787 Dreamliner. These flights take around 12 hours and are marketed as ‘Antarctica in a day.’
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at 7:22 p.m. ET to correct a misprint.
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.
Livery of the Week: ITA Airways’ Dazzling Blue Design
As a newer airline, ITA Airways’ brand and livery is bold and eye-catching, a refresh from the former Alitalia design.
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.
Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.
ITA Airways is Italy’s relatively new airline, having been launched in October 2021. However, its history can be traced back to the collapse of Alitalia, the country’s former flag carrier, in 2020.
Alitalia had been struggling financially for several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic only worsened its problems. In March 2020, the Italian government took control of the airline and announced plans to launch a new national carrier.
ITA Airways was created as a successor to Alitalia, and it took over many of Alitalia’s assets, including its fleet, routes, and staff. However, ITA Airways is a new company with a different business model. It claims to focus on a better operation and sustainability, and it is not burdened by the legacy debts of Alitalia.
By reducing costs and improving reliability, ITA Airways has made several positive changes since its launch. It has also strived to improve its customer service and expanded its network, including recently announced new service to Chicago and Toronto. The airline is also growing its fleet with modernized aircraft, including the A321neo and A220-300.
ITA Airways aircraft at Rome Fiumicino Airport. (Photo: ITA Airways)
A Bold and Blue Livery
The Italian airline has used a dazzling blue paint scheme as a catalyst for its post-Alitalia turnaround. Designed by Landor & Finch, the new branding is far bolder than its predecessors.
ITA Airways’ livery features a blue fuselage and white engines along with the Italian flag etched on the rudder. “ITA Airways” is also placed near the front of each aircraft.
An ITA Airways A350-900 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
“The new livery of ITA Airways is characterized by the blue color, chosen as a symbol of unity, cohesion and pride of the country…,” the company said describing the livery in a press release.
“The rudder, the tricolor, on the blue background the white and red gold logo of ITA Airways and stylized icons inspired by the national artistic heritage,” the press release continued. The blue livery was first debuted on an Airbus A320.
With 73 aircraft in service, ITA Airways individually names each airplane after an Italian athlete. The carrier has also been known to use social media to solicit naming ideas for new aircraft.
As a newer airline, ITA Airways’ brand and livery is bold and eye-catching. The carrier is expected to expand more in the coming years with additional expansion plans.
Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.
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.
The giant pandas flew from Washington Dulles to Chengdu, China. (Photo: FedEx)
Transporting giant pandas is no simple feat. FedEx transports over 10 million items each day, but a special delivery came on Wednesday as the Memphis, Tenn.-based company carried three beloved panda bears from Washington, D.C. to Chengdu, China.
Embarking on a 19-hour journey, the pandas’ departure puts an end to a 50-year-long partnership between the U.S. and China. According to CNN, China even admits that it uses the loveable bears as part of a diplomacy strategy. The Chinese government owns the pandas and their offspring, which the Smithsonian’s National Zoo has paid roughly $500,000 per year to maintain.
Transporting Fuzzy Diplomats
FedEx shared a bit more insight into the logistics of transporting the pandas. 25-year-old Mei Xiang, 26-year-old Tian Tian, and their three-year-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji, were loaded onto their own private 777-200 Freighter on Wednesday at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.
FedEx’s 777 with a special panda decal (Photo: FedEx)
A FedEx spokesperson confirmed to AirlineGeeks that – aside from staff, food, water, and other supplies – the pandas were the only cargo on the flight. A captain, relief captain, first officer, loadmaster, and animal care experts were among the transport team.
Registered as N886FD, the 777 aircraft was also fitted with a panda-themed decal. Following a brief stop in Anchorage, the three pandas arrived in Chengdu on Thursday.
FedEx placed a special decal on the 777-200 Freighter aircraft. (Photo: FedEx)
“I remember fondly when we brought Mei Xiang and Tian Tian over decades ago, and we are proud to once again be entrusted with transporting these beloved animals through our global network,” said Richard Smith, president and chief executive officer, Airline and International at FedEx in a press release.
The pandas were placed in custom containers, which they were acclimated to a few days before the transport. Bamboo, toys, and treats were also onboard to create a ‘first class’ experience.
A look inside the containers used to transport the giant pandas. (Photo: FedEx)
“These bears are special. Certainly don’t want anything happening to them on my watch,” FedEx’s 777 chief pilot Ron Zampini told WTOP. “Our No. 1 objective is to get these lovable bears to Chengdu safe.”
A Long History of Panda Logistics
While it isn’t clear what the future holds for so-called ‘panda diplomacy’ in the U.S., FedEx has spent decades airlifting giant pandas across the world. Starting with Mei Xiang and Tian Tian in 2000, the cargo operator has transported 15 different pandas on 10 separate flights.
Loading the pandas onto the 777 aircraft (Photo: FedEx)
These high-profile shipments have always been donated by FedEx, the company says. In addition to U.S.-China transport, FedEx has also carried giant pandas to Canada, France, and Scotland over the years.
“It’s the highlight of my career, certainly with FedEx,” Zampini also told WTOP.
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.
While the new airport was slated for an early 2024 opening, Mexico’s president announced in April that the project will be completed ahead of schedule.
An American Airlines 737-800 landing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
American is jumping on the bandwagon of airlines adding service to Mexico’s newest airport. On Friday, the Fort Worth-based carrier announced that it will add four daily flights between three of its U.S. hubs and Tulum’s brand-new airport.
Coinciding with the airport’s early 2024 scheduled full opening, American will add new flights starting on March 28, 2024. Flights will be operating year-round, according to the airline. The new route from American’s Dallas/Fort Worth hub will be twice daily in addition to one daily service from Charlotte and Miami.
All of the airline’s new flights to Tulum will be operated by 737-800 aircraft. Just 80 miles north, American regularly serves nearby Cancun with up to 40 peak-day departures.
Mexican airlines are already gearing up to serve the airport as early as Dec. 1, 2023. According to The Points Guy, Aeromexico and VivaAerobus have begun selling tickets. VivaAerobus will operate the first flight into Tulum from Mexico City’s newer Felipe Ángeles International Airport. Aeromexico will also operate a flight to its main hub in Mexico City.
While the new airport was slated for an early 2024 opening, Mexico’s president announced in April that the project will be completed ahead of schedule, per Cancun Sun.
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.
Japanese low-cost carrier Zipair is launching a new route between Tokyo Narita International Airport and Vancouver International Airport. The new service will be the airline’s first route to a Canadian destination.
Zipair’s New Vancouver Service
As reported by Yahoo Japan, Zipair’s President Shingo Nishida has stated that the new Tokyo Narita–Vancouver route will launch in March of 2024. The airline will initially operate three flights per week in each direction but plans to increase the frequency to a daily service. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Authority told Canadian media outlet Daily Hive that the airport is working with Zipair to finalize the schedule.
The route will be operated by the airline’s only aircraft type, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The carrier’s aircraft are configured with 18 business class seats and 272 economy class seats for a total of 290 seats. Zipair offers an unbundled low-cost product on all its flights. For example, its lie-flat business class seats do not have entertainment screens and the base fares for both seating types do not include checked bags or meals.
Zipair Boeing 787-8 lie-flat seat (Photo: Zipair)
Nishida stated that the airline is aiming to price tickets at half of what is being offered by full-service carriers. He added that typical round-trip economy fares for the Tokyo–Vancouver route are approximately 200,000 Japanese Yen ($1320), meaning that Zipair would be looking to price their flights at around 100,000 Japanese Yen.
Zipair’s Expanding Network
Since starting operations in June 2020, Zipair has expanded its network to a total of eight destinations – four in Asia and four in the United States. Zipair’s U.S. destinations include Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. The airline is based at Tokyo Narita International Airport. Formally known as Zipair Tokyo, the low-cost carrier is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines.
Zipair operates a fleet of seven Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, with an eighth aircraft to be added early in the new year and another two to be added by the end of 2024. Last month, it was reported that Zipair was looking to expand its network to new North American destinations, with Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver being the options that were under consideration. Given that the airline plans to have a ten-aircraft fleet by the end of 2024, it is likely that the airline will add more new routes in the coming months.
Zipair Boeing 787-8 economy class cabin (Photo: Zipair)
A High-Demand but Competitive Market
Zipair will be joining three other carriers in the Tokyo–Vancouver market. Air Canada and Japan Airlines each currently operate a daily service between Vancouver and Tokyo Narita and All Nippon Airways has a daily Tokyo Haneda service.
Most notably, Zipair will be directly competing with its parent company, Japan Airlines. However, this is also the case on three out of Zipair’s four current transpacific routes.
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.
Many commuter flights are operated by a single pilot. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
With concerns raised over whether pilots fear seeking treatment for mental health issues, the FAA announced on Thursday it will establish a Pilot Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to address the issue. According to the announcement, the FAA “expects the committee to provide recommendations on breaking down the barriers that prevent pilots from reporting mental health issues to the agency.”
Members of the committee will include medical experts and representatives from aviation and labor. In the coming weeks, the charter for the ARC will be finalized and the FAA will appoint its panel of experts.
Noting that work has already been accomplished on the subject, the FAA said the new initiative will build on that foundation. Among the areas given priority are: increasing mental health training for aviation medical examiners (AMEs); providing support for industry-wide studies and research into pilots’ mental health; adding more mental health professionals to the FAA staff with the dual goals of expanding in-house expertise in the field and hastening “return-to-fly” decision-making for pilots awaiting FAA action; performing clinical research and amending policies on cognitive testing for pilots taking antidepressant medication; and ramping up efforts to connect with pilot groups to inform them of available resources.
Newly confirmed FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, said, “Mental health care has made great strides in recent years, and we want to make sure the FAA is considering those advances when we evaluate the health of pilots.”
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared on AvWeb.
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.
A Delta 727 in Frankfurt (Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Rarely does an airline operate narrow-body aircraft in regional markets outside of its home country. While this practice was more prevalent a few decades ago, today one would be hard-pressed to find examples of this practice.
A carryover from the 2010 Continental merger, one example of this is United’s ‘Island Hopper,’ which connects several islands in Micronesia using a Boeing 737-800. The route doesn’t touch any of United’s mainland hubs.
With decades of consolidation and concentration on hub-and-spoke network models, today it is difficult to imagine a world where a U.S. carrier would fly regional flights in Europe. But Delta did exactly that only 30 years ago.
A Pan Am Relic
In 1991, Delta acquired several of financially ailing Pan Am’s assets, including a variety of routes and aircraft leases. Valued at $416 million according to the Chicago Tribune, the acquisition also included Pan Am’s hub in Frankfurt (FRA).
Formed in 1954, Pan Am maintained a so-called Internal German Service (I.G.S.) with a hub in Berlin and another base in Frankfurt, per the Pan Am Historical Foundation. Frankfurt eventually morphed into a smaller intra-European operation along with a stop-over point for several of Pan Am’s long-haul India, Africa, and Middle East flights.
Pan Am continued to maintain a strong presence in Frankfurt up until Delta acquired the hub. At the time, German flag carrier Lufthansa was also bolstering its hub in Frankfurt.
Delta in Frankfurt
After acquiring Pan Am’s assets, Delta kept the Frankfurt hub for several years. In addition to its transatlantic flights, the carrier maintained a 727 base in the German city. According to Flightglobal, Delta flew Boeing 727s from Frankfurt to Athens, Bucharest, Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Warsaw.
Delta also had a sizeable transatlantic presence in Frankfurt to various U.S. gateways, including Washington Dulles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Portland, and San Francisco. Frankfurt served as a connecting point for transatlantic and intra-European flights, all on Delta aircraft.
A Delta 727 in Prague (Photo: G B_NZ, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
With the Skyteam Alliance taking shape and a subsequent partnership with Air France, Delta’s Frankfurt hub began ramping down in the late 1990s. With it also came the axing of the airline’s intra-European operation.
In 1997, when air transportation was completely liberalized in the European Union, most of Delta’s intra-European flights were scrapped and the 727s deployed to U.S. markets. The airline also nixed several of its transatlantic flights to Frankfurt, pivoting to focus on bolstering European service from New York-JFK.
Nowadays, the landscape of intra-European flights has radically changed: competition is much tougher with almost 50% of the seats being provided by low-cost carrier, while before 1997 the model launched by Southwest Airlines in the U.S. was totally absent in Europe. Furthermore, the current E.U.-U.S. Open Skies Agreement does not allow U.S. carriers to sell seats on intra-European flights unless they are operate as the continuation of transatlantic services (so-called Fifth Freedom flights).
Now, Delta’s presence in Frankfurt is under the shadow of the Star Alliance, which dominates the market. The carrier only serves Detroit, Atlanta, and New York-JFK from Frankfurt, a far cry from just a few decades ago.
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.
An Air Asia Airbus A330-300. [AirlineGeeks - Hisham Qadri]
AirAsia X, Malaysia’s low-cost carrier, has announced a new flight from the Gold Coast, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand from Feb. 3, 2024. The Southwest Pacific is one of the most important markets to the carrier and the Gold Coast was the first destination back in 2007. AirAsia X is the affiliated airline of AirAsia providing long and medium haul services.
However, the airline will suspend the flight from Auckland to Sydney from January 31. The flight was launched in November 2022. The trans-Tasman flight was expected to provide another option and competitive fares to customers. AirAsia X halted its service after only one year of operation. Benyamin Ismail, the airline’s CEO, emphasized the suspension is based on a number of factors but primarily based on consumer demand.
“We understand the inconvenience for affected guests booked on the Sydney -Auckland route next year so we are doing all we can do to minimise any disruption by contacting them as soon as possible and offering a range of provisions,” Ismail said.
According to the Gold Coast Airport, about 60% of passengers traveling between the tourism hotspot and New Zealand are from Auckland. The new route could add more than 350,000 seats every year.
“This is a welcome addition to our network and exciting news for travellers – flights between the Gold Coast and Auckland are our busiest international connection.” Adam Rowe, Chief Commercial Officer of Queensland Airports, in response to the new flight operation.
Fail to Exit PN17
AirAsia X has recently increased its services to Australian cities as well, such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. The airline owns a fleet of 17 aircraft.
Earlier, the no-frills airline marked its sixteenth anniversary and announced the third quarter’s remarkable operating statistics. The airline hit the mark, carrying over 800,000 passengers during the third quarter with an 80% load factor, 10 times higher than the same time in 2022. In addition, AirAsia X Thailand carried over 340,000 passengers in the third quarter, almost six times more than the same period last year.
The airline revealed that it will ramp up services to existing destinations and introduce new destinations in the future.
In the meantime, Bursa Malaysia Securities has turned down the airline’s request to exit PN17 status, which is given to financially distressed entities. AirAsia X has kept its head above water and classified as PN17 since the pandemic, it needs to regularize its finances within a set time frame. Malaysia is eager for tougher financial rules on the airlines, as a result of the Myairline chaos.
An A321 in Frontier's "Spot the Jaguar" livery on approach into Las Vegas.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Ultra-low-cost airline Frontier has announced that it will be opening a new crew base at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) in March of 2024. The new base is expected to employ up to 110 pilots, 250 flight attendants, and 50 aircraft maintenance personnel within the first year, according to a press release.
Frontier says it is the fastest-growing airline in Cleveland, having increased passenger capacity by 53 percent over the past year. The carrier currently offers 17 nonstop routes from CLE, more than any other carrier in the 2023-2024 winter schedule.
The opening of the new crew base is expected to have a positive impact on the Cleveland economy. The airline estimates that the crew base will generate nearly $80 million in local wages annually.
“We’re excited to partner with the Cleveland community as we continue to expand our operation at CLE and bring meaningful economic impact to the area through new jobs,” said Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines in a press release.
“A crew base also positively impacts customers as it helps to support smooth flight operations. Our new crew base reflects our commitment to continued growth at CLE as we bring even more of our ‘Low Fares Done Right’ to area residents,” he added.
Other Frontier crew bases include Denver, Dallas, Las Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Miami, according to AviationPros. United still has a crew base in Cleveland with over 500 combined pilots and flight attendants.
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.
