Global X Continues To Expand Operations

Friday, September 08, 2023 at 07:00 AM ET

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One of GlobalX's first Airbus A320 aircraft registered N276GX (Photo: Global Crossing Airlines)

Global Crossing Airlines is a relatively new ACMI airline that continues to make strides in the industry. While Global X operated for Red Way Airlines, which ceased operations a mere week ago, the company has found new opportunities to operate its aircraft across the globe and continue to expand. Operating over 2,500 block hours in the month of July and 2,400 in August, the Florida-based carrier closed out a strong summer. The carrier recently took delivery of an Airbus A319, gained funding for new aircraft, reached an agreement for a maintenance facility in Florida and closed on additional operating contracts.

The Florida-based carrier took delivery of a 20-year-old Airbus A319 from Air Mauritius in July. Registered N285GX, the A319 is the 10th passenger aircraft for the ACMI carrier, joining an already robust fleet of Airbus A319, Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft. Global X signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for an additional passenger-configured A321 to be delivered to the carrier in the fourth quarter of this year.

In addition to the passenger variant, the carrier also signed an LOI for two additional A321 freight-configured aircraft to be delivered in 2024. The airline also acquired additional funding to add six additional aircraft during the year and provide capital for the 2024 deliveries.

Future Growth

With the carrier growing significantly in the near future, a maintenance facility will become a necessity. Working with renowned fixed base operator Sheltair, a state-of-the-art maintenance facility will be built at Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood Airport in Florida, beginning this year. The facility is expected to be completed in 2025 with the carrier using the space at that time.

The $25 million facility will allow the carrier to complete C checks among other maintenance tasks in-house instead of being outsourced, a cost-saving measure for a growing fleet. The 69,650 square foot space will be able to accommodate three Airbus A320 family aircraft or one Airbus A330, a type that the airline is looking to bring onboard in the future.

The Florida-based carrier is continuing to source contracts for tour operators and the government. Global X signed an agreement to operate an ACMI contract with the United States government for September and October worth $4 million with the potential for the contract to become a multi-year deal.

In addition to the government contract, Global X will work with two tour operators launching service to the Caribbean three times weekly. This agreement is similar to the carrier’s previous contract to operate Red Way flights, offering the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance. The cargo side saw a boost as well with new routes being established through the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

The future is bright for Global Crossing Airlines. Operating over 50% additional block hours over July and August of this year compared to last, the carrier is seeing positive growth in the ACMI market. With additional aircraft joining the fleet in the coming year and a new maintenance base to handle the influx arriving in the near future, it looks like Global X will be a key player in the market.

Zach Cooke

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.

Petition Seeks to Rename Key West International After Jimmy Buffett

Buffett owned and flew several aircraft, including Falcons for touring and amphibious aircraft for hopping around the Keys.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Thursday, September 07, 2023 at 11:39 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Up close with a Delta 737-700 taxiing to its gate in Key West. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Calling all Parrot Heads: There is a petition floating around to rename Key West International Airport (EYW) in honor of Jimmy Buffett.

Buffett, a well-known musician, aviator, author, and activist, died on the evening of Sept. 1, 2023, surrounded by family, friends, music, and dogs. He was 76.

Buffett began his music career in Nashville but eventually migrated to the Florida Keys. The island lifestyle fueled his music, and symbiotically, the money from the music paid for his flying lessons. He owned and flew several aircraft, including Falcons for touring and amphibious aircraft for hopping around the Keys. His most recognizable aircraft was a Grumman Albatross, the Hemisphere Dancer, which was a much-anticipated visitor to airshows such as Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo and EAA AirVenture.

Buffett’s music was as much a part of aviation events as sharing stories of his first solo.

The petition to rename Key West Airport in honor of Buffett surfaced on September 4 and, in a single day, gained close to 4,000 signatures.

Buffett would not be the only celebrity to lend his name to an airport. There is John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California (SNA), and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California (BUR).

Plane & Pilot reached out to the airport sponsor, but requests for information were not answered by the close of business Wednesday.

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on AirlineGeeks’ parent company FLYING.

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.

United, Emirates Expand Codeshare to Include Flights to Mexico

Hemal Gosai

Thursday, September 07, 2023 at 06:00 AM ET

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Benjamin Pham

A United 787 Dreamliner descends into Amsterdam. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

In fall 2022, United Airlines and Emirates Airlines announced a new partnership. This alliance was relatively unexpected, given just a few years ago, the big three carriers in the United States were in the middle of a spat with Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways over a variety of allegations.

The initial partnership was tied to the launch of United’s new nonstop flights from Newark to Dubai along with a codeshare agreement that allowed United passengers to seamlessly connect to flights flying to over 100 different cities. Emirates passengers flying into the United States to United hubs had easy access to many cities served by United. Interline agreements were put in place where United did not operate a hub but both carriers flew to.

The partnership also introduced loyalty program benefits with United loyalty program members traveling to Dubai on United being able to earn and redeem miles when connecting on Emirates and FlyDubai. Emirates loyalty program members were also able to earn and redeem miles on United flights.

This partnership has not been without challenges. Earlier this summer, in a purely protectionist move, the Indian government refused to grant permission to United Airlines to codeshare with Emirates on routes to and from India. The Indian government stated that codeshares are not covered in the bilateral traffic rights agreement between India and Dubai and are therefore not allowed.

Nine Destinations in Mexico

Ultimately, this did not stop the two airlines from agreeing to partner elsewhere. This week, the two airlines announced a significant expansion in their codeshare partnership to now include nine destinations in Mexico.

Now passengers on Emirates flights to Chicago and Houston will be able to seamlessly connect onwards to leisure destinations in Mexico such as Cancun, Cozumel, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, San Jose Del Cabo, Leon/Guanajuato Queretaro and Mexico City, the Mexican capital. Passengers coming into the United States on Emirates will have the option of arriving in Houston on a newly refurbished Airbus A380 aircraft featuring premium economy or on a Boeing 777 aircraft into Chicago.

While Emirates already serves Mexico City direct from Dubai with a stop in Barcelona, this expansion now gives passengers greater flexibility in timing by offering a choice of a United flight and an onwards connection on Emirates versus flying on Emirates direct from Mexico City and stopping in Barcelona.

With the addition of these new codeshare flights, the agreement between the two airlines now includes 134 destinations from United’s international gateways with an additional 100 destinations that are available through interline agreements.

Tickets featuring these new codeshares will be available starting Sept. 14.

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.

Air Canada Passengers Asked To Sit On Vomit-Soaked Seats

The airline has already apologized to the passengers and the crew will likely be spending some time with HR.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Wednesday, September 06, 2023 at 10:52 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

An Air Canada A321. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The Public Health Agency of Canada is now investigating Air Canada after crew members were set to force two passengers to sit on vomit-soaked seats for a five-hour flight from Las Vegas to Montreal last week. The pair never got that chance, however, because the captain kicked them off the plane for “rude behavior.” The airline has already apologized to the passengers and the crew will likely be spending some time with HR. “They clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled,” the airline said in a statement emailed to The Canadian Press. “Our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance.”

The passengers saw and smelled the vomit on their seats and protested to flight attendants, who were sympathetic but said there were no seats available on the full flight. The passengers asked for wipes to clean the seats themselves and blankets to sit on and as they were trying to make the best of it the captain appeared and gave them the option to leave voluntarily or he’d call security. Amid protests from fellow passengers the two were escorted off the plane and their names put on an internal no-fly list.

The new Economy seats on Air Canada Rouge’s new Airbus A321 interior (Photo: Air Canada)

The story went viral on social media and the health officials got wind of it. “Blood, vomit and diarrhea may contain microorganisms that can cause disease. These fluids, and the surfaces that come in contact with them, should always be considered as contaminated,” the agency said in a statement. The agency said it had been in contact with Air Canada on Wednesday.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published by Russ Niles on AirlineGeeks’ sister publication AvWeb.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

New Capital One Lounge to Open This Week

The new lounge will occupy the space near the airport's iconic old tower, featuring enhanced amenities for select guests.

Hemal Gosai

Wednesday, September 06, 2023 at 09:00 AM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Capital One lounge entrance at Dulles (Photo: Capital One)

After much anticipation, the Capital One Lounge will finally open to customers at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday, Sept. 7.

This marks the opening of the bank’s second location in the U.S. following its first location at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport late in 2021 as Capital One follows the path of American Express and Chase in developing lounges for their premium card members.

The Capital One Lounge in Washington is right past the TSA PreCheck security checkpoint occupying the space that was once the control tower for the airport.

While the new space will have a similar look and feel to the DFW lounge there is a focus on showcasing local offerings. The Washington lounge will showcase a locally sourced food and beverage program that includes a variety of grab-and-go options which has been extremely popular in the DFW lounge. Often during tight connections, it’s easier to pop in and grab a couple of items for the next flight; a practice that some lounges don’t openly encourage.

The lounge will also feature semi-private workspaces, a coffee and pastry bar staffed with an actual barista, a full-service bar with a variety of cocktails, and an expansive food offering for dining in the lounge.

Working space in the new lounge (Photo: Capital One)

A coffee bar that features a barista (Photo: Capital One)

Local Inspiration

Capital One has also partnered with local artisans to source items for the lounge such as mugs and other service items from Acorn Pottery and Farm, a farm and pottery shop located nearby in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Acorn pottery mugs to be used at the new lounge (Photo: Capital One)

How to Access

Access to cardmembers is as follows:

Capital One Venture X cardmembers get unlimited visits to the lounge along with two free guests. Additional guests are $45
Capital One Venture Rewards and Spark Miles for Business cardmembers receive two complimentary visits every year with no free guests
Non-cardmembers can pay a $65 fee per visit to enter the lounge

There are high expectations for the lounge here in Washington for two reasons. First, the DFW lounge has been a resounding success and is highly popular among travelers. Second, Capital One is headquartered in McClean, Virginia which is a short 14 miles away. The close proximity to the mothership should hopefully mean an enhanced focus on quality.

More Lounges to Come

It’s expected that the opening of this lounge in Washington will be closely followed by the opening of a lounge at Denver International Airport. Lounges in Las Vegas are also in the works along with New York’s LaGuardia airport and Washington National, the other Washington D.C. area airport.

Indeed, it has taken some time for the bank to open its second location, and the process of securing permits and space within airports is not an easy task. As more lounges continue to open the network will become more appealing and act as a draw for potential new cardmembers.

Hemal Gosai

Big Three Chinese Airlines Report First Half 2023 Losses

The airlines are seeing an upward trend in revenue as COVID measures reduce.

Lei Yan

Tuesday, September 05, 2023 at 07:00 AM ET

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John McDermott

An Air China 737 MAX 8 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

On August 30, the big three airlines, Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern released their results in the first half of 2023 (1H23). Overall, the carriers still recorded negative profits, but the amount of loss has been significantly reduced versus the same period last year, benefiting from the release of COVID-19 control measures in China. However, the recovery of international and regional transportation are behind domestic transport, and all of them called out macroeconomic risks in uncertain demand, high exchange rates, increasing oil price, and more.

Air China

In 1H23, Air China recorded a loss attributed to shareholders at ¥3.45Bn ($480 million). The loss was significantly reduced compared to the 1H22 loss at ¥19.43Bn ($$2.78Bn, 2022 exchange rates). The available seat kilometers (ASK) increased by 160% compared to 1H22, among which international ASK was 9x of 1H22 performance, amid China’s release in border controls. On the other hand, cargo performance was down 15%.

During 1H23, Air China acquired controlling interests in Shandong Airlines, a regional airline based in Shandong, China that mainly operates Boeing 737 series jets. The acquisition made Air China Group the largest airline in Asia in terms of fleet size, with 902 jets operated by Air China and its subsidiaries.

An Air China 747-8i at San Francisco International Airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

China Eastern

China Eastern also achieved similar results to Air China, with significant loss reduction and increases in performance. Compared to 1H22 ¥18.74Bn ($2.68Bn, 2022 exchange rates), China Eastern recorded a ¥6.25Bn ($870 million) loss in 1H23. The significant loss reduction benefited from the 144% increase in available seat kilometers (ASK) and 189% increase in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK).

China Southern

China Southern has the most minimal loss among the big three, as it is the main carrier of the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau, which is one of the most vibrant areas economically.

In 1H23, China Southern recorded a ¥2.88Bn ($400 million) loss, which is a 75% reduction compared to 1H22 at ¥11.49Bn ($1.64Bn, 2022 exchange rates). The airline saw a doubling growth in both available seat kilometers (ASK) and revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), similar to Air China and China Eastern, and the carrier is maintaining it positive outlook for future developments.

A China Southern 737 MAX heads to storage in Everett, Wash. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

Overall, all three airlines have seen significant performance improvements in 1H23 compared to the same period last year. Even though they still recorded a negative balance on financial results, the trend is clearly going in the correct direction. With a strong summer season under their belt, the market is positive some carriers may turn a profit by the end of 2023.

New Jet Plans

The receiving plan of Air China and China Eastern reveals interesting leads regarding future orders to Boeing and Airbus in the coming years. In the report, Air China laid out its new aircraft receiving plans until 2025. Besides the previously planned Airbus A320neo series jets, Air China Group reactivated their plans to receive Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft. Additionally, five Boeing 787s are planned to be delivered to Air China in 2025. This Boeing 787 delivery has not been in any announced orders from Air China.

Similar to Air China, China Eastern also laid out 787 receive plans in coming years. A total of 11 Boeing 787s will be delivered to China Eastern in 2024 and 2025. Those Boeing 787 orders are the first commercial jet orders from mainland China since 2017. However, the total number of new widebody jets orders is still unknown, nor is the type and configuration of those new jets.

Lei Yan

Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.

Plans For New Nigerian National Airline Suspended

Victor Shalton

Monday, September 04, 2023 at 01:38 PM ET

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John McDermott

A rendering of what a Nigeria Air aircraft could look like. (Photo: Nigeria Air)

The newly appointed Nigerian Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has ordered the suspension of the Nigeria Air project, a decision that has garnered widespread support, notably from the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), who had previously voiced concerns about the project initiated during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Minister Keyamo made this pivotal announcement during a visit to Lagos airports, elucidating that the Nigeria Air Pproject is currently mired in a legal dispute between AON and the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika. The suspension is intended to provide an opportunity for an exhaustive review of the project’s terms and conditions to safeguard the interests of the Nigerian people.

This move comes after AON took legal action against Sirika to halt the national carrier deal and revoke the Air Transport Licence issued to Nigeria Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. AON had also raised concerns about the links between the transaction adviser firm and the former aviation minister.

In addition, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) summoned the former Minister Hadi Sirika in June 2023, indicating potential legal challenges surrounding the project.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) revealed that Nigeria Air was still in the early stages of obtaining the necessary Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for commercial operations. Local airlines argued that the Air Transport Licence granted to Nigeria Air hadn’t undergone standard security clearance. Furthermore, they expressed apprehensions about the new airline’s partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, fearing it could adversely affect domestic carriers. Nigeria Air also had support from Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Minister Keyamo’s decision to suspend the Nigeria Air project received commendations from AON and various industry stakeholders. AON expressed confidence that the suspension would pave the way for a comprehensive review, potentially rectifying the project’s flaws and bolstering Nigeria’s standing in the global aviation community.

AON’s spokesman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said in a statement that it was evident to everyone who had followed developments around the Nigeria Air project that “the idea was not only ill-thought- out but also lacked any modicum of transparency.”

“It was therefore no surprise that the House of Representatives Committees on Aviation which investigated the process and purported launch of Nigeria Air on Friday, June 2, 2023 described it as a ‘fraud.’ It remains a puzzle to Nigerians why the processes of actualising such a major national project was shrouded in almost utter secrecy until the end of the last government,” Okonkwo said.

“However, we remain confident that by suspending the Nigeria Air project to allow for a thorough review, the Aviation Minister will put things right and help restore Nigeria’s image in the global aviation family,” continued Okonkwo.

AON reiterated its belief that adopting the terms set out by the former aviation minister for the national carrier could have detrimental consequences for Nigeria’s aviation sector, possibly leading to the dominance of Ethiopian Airlines.

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.

Cayman Airways Announces Service Changes

Cayman Airways is expanding in several markets.

Joey Gerardi

Sunday, September 03, 2023 at 04:26 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

A Cayman Airways 737 MAX. (Photo: Boeing)

Cayman Airways has recently announced some network news, which includes the expansion of one of it’s current routes and an expansion to a new destination.

The airline will be expanding its Los Angeles route, which is currently the longest in its network, will go from once-a-week flights to twice weekly. Currently, the carrier offers departures from the Cayman Islands to Los Angeles on Saturdays with the return trip to the islands on Sundays.

With the new expansion, it will now also offer a departure from the Cayman Islands to LAX on Wednesdays, with the return trip operating on Thursdays. This expanded second weekly flight will begin on Nov. 8, 2023.

Adding a New Route

The new route that the airline will be offering is to Bridgetown located in Barbados, making this the third country it serves in the Caribbean outside of its home country, along with Cuba and Jamaica. The new route to Bridgetown will initially operate once a week, on Wednesdays, beginning on Oct. 18, 2023. with the departure and return trip happening on the same day.

It will increase the Barbados route to twice a week on Nov. 7, 2023, with departures from the Cayman Islands on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the departure from Barbados occurring on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Not only are these routes and service expansions good for people wanting to visit the Cayman Islands, but also for people connecting to onward destinations due to the timing of the new flights; on Tuesdays, passengers from Kingston, Havana, Miami, and Cayman Brac can connect onward to Barbados. On Wednesdays, Barbados passengers can connect in the Cayman Islands onto either JFK in New York City, LAX, and Cayman Brac.

On Thursdays, the exact opposite can happen with JFK, LAX and Cayman Brac passengers being able to connect onward going to Barbados. And finally, on Fridays, passengers from Barbados can connect onward to La Ceiba, Kingston, Miami, and Cayman Brac.

A Cayman Airways 737-300 in Grand Cayman (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Justin Sinanan)

Given that all routes are scheduled to start relatively soon, they have already been posted for booking, and all new routes and frequencies are scheduled to operate on the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX.

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.

Vertical Aerospace Update On VX4 Program After Incident

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Saturday, September 02, 2023 at 01:47 PM ET

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Edited By:

Vanni Gibertini

The Vertical Aerospace VA-X4. (Photo: Vertical Aerospace)

Vertical Aerospace, a British eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, updated on its VX4 program, announcing a significant milestone by successfully concluding its remote thrust-borne flight test campaign. The first full-scale VX4 prototype achieved its target speed of 40 knots (74 km/h), surpassing performance expectations by 10-30% during various flight phases.

According to the statement, the VX4 demonstrated exceptional stability and control, particularly in sustained hover, a challenging feat for VTOL aircraft. However, the journey hasn’t been without its hiccups. On August 9, 2023, the eVTOL experimental prototype, registered as G-EVTL, suffered a crash during an uncrewed test at Cotswold Airport (GBA) in the United Kingdom after reaching an altitude of approximately 20 feet (six meters).

One of the aircraft’s Electrical Propulsion Units (EPU) was intentionally disabled, and this led to the unexpected release of one of the front propellers connected to a separate EPU, resulting in an excessive imbalance that caused a supporting pylon structure to fail. The aircraft entered a stable descent, sustaining damage upon impact with the ground.

High-voltage systems and batteries demonstrated resilience during the incident, with voltage, current, and power levels remaining within acceptable limits and average cell temperatures. The investigation into the incident revealed a bonding issue within the propeller blade, which had already undergone a redesign and a different manufacturing process before the incident occurred. It’s worth noting that the aircraft involved in the incident will not be repaired to an airworthy standard but will be utilized for further ground tests.

As explained and addressed in the announcement, it is worth mentioning that it was a “forward-looking statement neither promises nor guarantees.” The market for eVTOL aircraft is in a relatively early stage, so Vertical Aerospace has a potential inability to produce, certify, or launch aircraft in the volumes or timelines projected.

Despite the setback, Vertical Aerospace maintains its certification timelines, with plans for an advanced full-scale VX4 prototype set to take flight early in 2024, backed by key industry partners like Honeywell, GKN Aerospace, Hanwha, Solvay, Leonardo, and Molicel.

The British company flew its first prototype aircraft weighing 750 kg (1,650 lb), VA-X1, in June 2018 at Cotswold Airport, Kemble, Gloucestershire, and initially stated a goal of commercial flight by 2022. Now it targets for 2024. Last March, Vertical Aerospace announced the opening of a new 15000 sq. ft facility in Bristol.

Already 1,400 aircraft pre-ordered

The British company has secured funding through the second half of 2024, ensuring continued progress in its ambitious endeavors. In June 2021, American Airlines announced a pre-order of up to 250 aircraft with an option for an additional 100, while in 2022, it confirmed delivery slots for 50 VX4 eVTOL aircraft to collaborate on a framework for exploration of the future of advanced air mobility and potential markets for eVTOL operations in the United States.

As of 2022, Vertical has a market-leading pre-order book by value for 1,400 aircraft from global customers. Customers include American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Avolon, Bristow, Marubeni, Iberojet and FLYINGGROUP, Japan Airlines (JAL), Gol, Air Greenland, Gozen Holding and AirAsia.

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Vincenzo graduated in 2019 in Mechanical Engineering with an aeronautical curriculum, focusing his thesis on Human Factors in aircraft maintenance. In 2022 he pursued his master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Palermo, Italy. He combines his journalistic activities with his work as a Reliability Engineer at Zetalab.

Trip Report: Emirates vs. Flydubai

The Emirates-Flydubai partnership can be described from various angles. One of the interesting ones is comparing their service on the same route.

Filip Kopeć

Saturday, September 02, 2023 at 09:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Flydubai Boeing 737-800 at Dubai International Airport. (Photo: aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Flydubai is to Emirates like a younger, less favored sibling. A low-cost airline with a singletype fleet consisting of only Boeing 737s, next to a big brother, with an enormous fleet that consists of exclusively Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. This negative connotation cannot be further from the truth. In the fierce business of commercial aviation, Flydubai is actually to Emirates like a second breath. Cooperation and partnership that had yet not been replicated in the Gulf area. One that gives Emirates the narrow-body component and product flexibility that other airlines from the region need to achieve on their own.

A Blessing, Not a Curse

From a purely internal perspective, Flydubai gives Emirates an edge in regard to network planning and scheduling. It is possible to either open destinations that wouldn’t be able to support even the smaller of the two families operated by Emirates, the 777, or add more frequencies that enhance the product. It is also a way to offer a lower price point to the passengers without sacrificing the Emirates brand.

The decision between the two so-called siblings arose in front of me recently. The schedule was a driving factor when choosing the trip plan. To set off my journey I picked to fly from Dubai International Airport to Warsaw-Chopin on a morning segment with Emirates. It fit me best to fly back the overnight segment with Flydubai. This is a great way to compare the two carriers operating in parallel on the same route. What interested me the most during this endeavor was pure comfort. I wanted to waste the least amount of energy on travel as my trip was short and tight.

A Seat is a Seat?

On flights longer than two hours the seat can make a difference. Flights between Dubai and Warsaw are three times that long. It’s because of that, that I was able to notice the difference. My flights were operated by Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 737-8MAX respectively. Both with two class configuration – economy plus business class. According to seatguru the first of the two offers 33-34″ of pitch, while the other only 30″. This is a metric easy to quantify and verify, but from my observation, there was another one. Flydubai seat is definitely not reclining as much as the Emirates seat. I’m assuming that the lower pitch is partially the reason, but it’s a second issue nonetheless. When choosing between the two carriers on the website I couldn’t notice any difference in price. For this reason, each shortcoming I found felt a little bit like betrayal.

Is Emirates Food More of the Same?

Even though the flight time is very similar, while Flydubai passengers can count on one meal service during the flight, flying on Emirates gets you two. On my segment, the first meal was only a snack, and since it was a morning flight, the options were an egg sandwich or a fruit pastry. The second meal was the main course. It was an early lunch with two options – chicken or beef. Overall I really enjoyed it, and admittedly it was a lot of food. I could save the piece of cheese, the crackers and the oatbar for an even later snack during this flight.

Emirates main Economy meal service (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Filip Kopec)

Flydubai offers only one meal serving per flight, with two options to choose from – one of them veggetarian this time. The portion of the meal is rather smaller than the one offered by Emirates. To be fair though, I would not say that with blinds on my eyes I could tell the difference between Emirates and Flydubai food. It is worth noting that not all Flydubai passengers receive the meal service. If you booked the cheapest type of ticket called “Lite” , you are not eligible for this small luxury. Having bought the Emirates flight operated by Flydubai, there wasn’t such an option though at least with this part of the service.

Flydubai meal service (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Filip Kopec)

Entertainment

Emirates offers one of the world’s best In-Flight Entertainment systems. It is possible to have a peek at their current portfolio through the magazine available on the website. Next to some interesting new releases or the evergreen classics, we can also count on some seasonal offers, like the current Penelope Cruz cooperation. While flying on my second segment with Flydubai, I was hoping to see the same selection of movies and TV series. To my surprise, a dreadful orange box showed up on the right top corner of my IFE – “PURCHASE AED 40 ($11)”. This disappointment was incredibly amplified when after having a look at the digital offering I decided to go to sleep and asked the cabin crew for a blanket. I was politely informed that I could purchase one for myself for 100 AED ($27).

Flydubai IFE screen (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Filip Kopec)

Is It Worth It?

Comparing Emirates to Flydubai on one route might be comparing apples to apples, but such a comparison is definitely not fair to the latter. Flydubai will never play in the same league as Emirates. Having the possibility to book Flydubai flights with a different schedule is already an upgrade over just browsing through the Emirates offer. That being said, we sacrifice a lot for such perk, and I would very much prefer that Emirates clients were in fact treated like full service passengers when given a full service price to pay.

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.