New French ATC Protests: Ryanair Petition Surpasses 600,000 Signatures

Monday, May 01, 2023 at 03:03 AM ET

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Ryanair is one of the many carriers affected by the ATC strike (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

May 1, 2023, Labor Day, will see the next round of protests in France against the raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64. The reform, approved by the French Constitutional Court on April 14, has sparked new protests across the country. The change, sought by current President Emmanuel Macron, was presented as a way to force workers to pay more into the system, which the French government says is on the verge of going into deficit. The reform would also require 43 years of work to be eligible for a full pension, while people are already entitled to a full state pension at the age of 67, regardless of contributions.

Most French unions have therefore called on citizens and workers in all sectors to take to the streets in protests and marches. Air Traffic Controllers have also taken part in general strikes, and the French authorities have warned that this will lead to disruptions from the evening of Sunday, April 30, until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 2.

Just a few days ago, EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said that the British airline does not contest the right to strike, but flights on French soil must be protected, warning that France must deal with strikes before tourists “go elsewhere”. During the protests, some 10 million travelers were affected by delays and 64,000 people had their flights canceled.

In Paris, the Direction générale de l’aviation civile (DGAC) has asked airlines to cancel 33 percent of scheduled flights at Orly and 25 percent at Charles de Gaulle and Beauvais airports on May 1. However, not only French airports will be affected, but most likely the flight will only “pass through” French skies. The most affected airports will be Paris Orly, Charles de Gaulle and Beauvais, as well as Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes and Nice.

Ryanair confirmed that more than 600,000 passengers have already signed the “Protect Passengers: Keep EU Skies Open” petition launched by the Irish low-cost airline five weeks ago. The aim is to call on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take immediate action to protect the freedom of movement and overflight of European citizens during the French air traffic control strikes. Once the petition reaches one million signatures, the airline will present it to the EU Commission.

According to Ryanair’s website, in the first four months of 2023, more than 50 days of French ATC strikes (10 times more than in all of 2022) forced the Irish airline to cancel more than 3,700 flights, resulting in the short-term cancellation of more than 666,000 passenger flights, not only in French skies, but also in Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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.

SkyWest Joins Delta in Paying Flight Attendants for Boarding

John McDermott

Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 12:57 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Alaska continues expansion with Skywest-operated Embraer E175s (Photo: Ian McMurtry)

SkyWest Airlines announced over the weekend that it will give flight attendants boarding pay. This makes SkyWest the second major airline in the United States, after Delta, to pay cabin crew during the boarding process. To compensate for the change, SkyWest has updated its Flight Attendant pay rates to include $23.66 per hour of boarding time, according to pay rates forwarded to Aero Crew News.

According to SkyWest’s website, the company’s flight attendants are currently guaranteed a minimum of 76 flight hours per month. If flight attendants don’t spend at least that much time in flight, SkyWest will make up the difference so that the flight attendants earn 76 hours of pay. The amount of time that flight attendants spend during the boarding process depends on how many flights they take per day, which is itself dependent on how long the flights they take are each day. But if we assume that a flight attendant takes four flights per day with 30 minutes of boarding each, a SkyWest flight attendant will earn an extra $946 per month if they fly 20 days per month with that structure.

The first aircraft painted in SkyWest Charters colors. (Photo: AirlineGeeks)

Pilots and flight attendants alike have long called for a modification to their pay scales. Generally speaking, flight crews are usually paid based on flight time. Flight attendants themselves get paid their full rate when the cabin doors close. This can be a sticking point for crews, though, as they often show up long before a flight leaves and believe they should be compensated more for the flight planning and preparation they do before they even board.

As the airline industry rebounded from the initial shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, though, crews strengthened their calls for boarding time to be included in their pay rates. Flight attendants were especially vocal, as they are directly working with passengers and executing essential safety and security measures.

Delta Air Lines was the first to commit to the change, and the Association of Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines has said that boarding pay is among negotiating items with their management. But SkyWest beat out big names such as American Airlines and United Airlines in paying flight attendants for boarding time. SkyWest flight attendants are not union members.

Compensation Aims to Fix Crew Shortages

SkyWest’s plan comes amid a severe airline staffing shortage that will challenge summer operations. The pilot shortage has been in the spotlight lately, but flight attendants are also in high demand.

Regional airline pilots’ pay has considerably increased since air travel has rebounded from the pandemic. There was a notable shift in the regional airline industry when American Airlines’ wholly-owned regionals substantially increased pilot pay, and other regional airlines followed suit to match the new rates.

A SkyWest CRJ-200 (Photo: Alan Wilson [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Thus, the question will be raised whether other regional carriers will follow SkyWest’s lead and pay their flight attendants boarding pay as well. While it’s debatable whether this pay will also translate to legacies – at the time of writing, Delta is the only legacy airline to have ratified a new pilot contract since the pandemic started – but, at a time when more new crewmembers are starting their careers at low-cost carriers instead of regionals, it may be critical for other regionals to match SkyWest’s offer to continue staffing all of their flights.

SkyWest Charter Developments

SkyWest’s announcement comes just days after it formally launched a new subsidiary, called SkyWest Charter, to help alleviate the effects of the pilot shortage. This will allow the airline to operate on-demand flights for sports teams or private individuals. SkyWest has all necessary FAA approvals to launch the subsidiary.

The only outstanding approval is SkyWest Charter’s FAA commuter authority, which will allow them to operate scheduled charter flights. This will be critical for SkyWest, as this final authorization will allow SkyWest to fly the Essential Air Service contracts it holds under different crew requirement regulations.

SkyWest hopes that all these adjustments in its pay scale and business model will alleviate the challenges of the flight crew shortage. It has yet to be seen whether the changes it has made, especially the flight attendant pay update, will stick with other airlines or how much SkyWest will be able to expand its flight operations with its new charter arm.

John McDermott

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.

Opinion: Icelandair Stopover Option Offers Unique Experiences

John Flett

Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 06:49 AM ET

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Vanni Gibertini

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

Icelandair’s business model of leveraging the country’s mid-Atlantic geographic position allows the carrier to serve four markets: ‘TO, FROM, VIA and Within Iceland.’ With the population of Iceland estimated at just below 350,000, reliance on traffic to and from Europe and North America meant during the dark days of the pandemic that Icelandair did not have the benefit of a strong domestic market. As a comparison, the least populous of the 50 U.S. states Wyoming has a population of approximately 585,000. The U.S. domestic market with a population base of 350 million rebounded quickly but international routes and the airlines that relied on international passengers were hampered by varying travel restrictions.

Thankfully Icelandair endured and last month the airline announced that its winter 2023-24 schedule would be its most extensive to date. Tomas Ingason, Icelandair Chief Revenue Officer, advised: “We have been able to extend previously seasonal routes to year-round services and increase frequencies on other routes throughout the network for the winter 23/24 season. As a result, I’m delighted that we have been able to increase Icelandair’s capacity by 20-25%, compared to winter 2022/2023.”

Great news for the airline but also good news for its passengers as Icelandair continues to offer high customer service standards. On a recent flight from Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) to Keflavik (KEF) the airline offered access to the Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 3. For departures from KEF the airline operates its own excellent Icelandair Saga Lounge with its distinctive fireplace and panoramic views of the surrounding vistas.

Onboard, Icelandair has made the strategic decision not to offer lie-flat beds in the Saga Premium cabin. Given that single flight times rarely exceed six or seven hours this is understandable and did not detract from the premium experience. YYZ-KEF was a little over 5 hours with an early morning arrival time allowing for a leisurely meal with the viewing of a movie or two. Passengers traveling in the Economy cabin can pre-purchase meal items up until 24 hours prior to departure or cashless purchasing is available onboard.

Icelandair is certainly a strong advocate for the country it serves with regular ‘Taste of Iceland’ events promoting the country’s culture, specifically its cuisine. This is obviously evident onboard with the food the airline offers in both premium and economy cabins but also the extensive local gin and beer selection and inflight entertainment content. On the flight I undertook to Iceland, the main meal in Saga Premium was the best lamb dish that I have tasted, either in the air or on the ground. The tenderness and generous portion size were unlike any other airline meal I had experienced, and this was echoed by others who were traveling.

The airline’s strategy allows passengers to stopover in the country for one to seven days at no additional charge. Travelers flying transatlantic select this option when booking flights and can book the accommodation at the level that suits their needs and budget. On my trip, proximity the center of Reykjavik was required so we stayed at the Reykjavik EDITION. This new hotel is across the road from the Harpa Conference Hall and Conference Centre on the waterfront and close to the excellent FlyOver Iceland experience.

As part of the trip to Iceland, a day trip to the town of Akureyri on the northern coast of the main island was scheduled. This service was scheduled to be operated from the Reykjavik central city airport (RKV) by a De Havilland Canada DHC-8, or ‘Dash 8’. Once boarded the aircraft was beset with a mechanical issue and all passengers were made to deplane and await further instructions.

Goðafoss Waterfall near Akureyri, Iceland
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | John Flett)

With every minute of delay eating into potential time on the ground at the destination, it became a concern as to whether all passengers could be accommodated on the next flight. That concern was alleviated when the airline announced that it was flying a 757 from KEF to RKV to ensure that everyone made it to Akureyri for however the amount of time they were planning on being there. A return flight from Akureyri was achieved on the Dash 8.

That level of customer service highlighted what is special about Icelandair and why the airline has seen a dramatic return to demand post-pandemic. In Q1 2023 the Icelandair Group achieved an operating income of $233.3 million up 47 per cent on the equivalent period in 2022. The carrier is set to operate to 54 destinations over the coming summer period, the most in the airline’s history. Recently, the airline’s future fleet strategy was announced with A321XLR and A321LR aircraft scheduled to enter the fleet beginning in 2025.

Icelandair provided all flights, accommodation and access to attractions.

John Flett

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

Photos: Southwest Debuts New Hawaiian-themed Special Livery

John McDermott

Friday, April 28, 2023 at 07:00 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Southwest Airlines' new Imua One on display at Long Beach Airport. (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Southwest Airlines announced a new special livery on Friday. The carrier painted an ETOPS-certified Boeing 737 MAX – registered N8710M – in a Hawaiian-themed design, dubbed Imua One, to celebrate its four-year anniversary of Southwest’s first inter-island flight in Hawaii.

The design centers around eight elements that “represent concepts in Hawaiian culture that also align with Southwest values,” Southwest said in a press release.

The concepts of Ohana (family), Honu (turtle), Aina (land), Ama (support), Hoku (star), Kai (ocean), Lokahi (unity), and Imua (forward) are all represented. These concepts are represented by symbols overlaid on a color gradient meant to evoke a sunset.

Iuma One waits in the paint hanger before departing Spokane. (Photo: Stephen M. Keller | Southwest Airlines)

Southwest also painted a lei near the nose of the aircraft with unique flowers representing each Hawaiian island that Southwest flies to. There are also five stars painted on the aircraft, representing each airport that Southwest flies to, including Honolulu, Lihue, Kahului, Kona, and Hilo.

“Imua, that means go forward with strength and courage and spirit,” said Southwest CEO and President Bob Jordan stated in a press release. “To me that’s what Southwest Airlines stands for. It’s a rally cry that unites a team in moving forward to a common goal, unified with direction.”

Southwest is also launching a video series with the aircraft called “Honoring the Heart of Hawaii” to highlight each of the values represented by Imua One.

Southwest’s Other Liveries

Imua One is Southwest’s 14th state-inspired aircraft. Other Southwest planes are painted in designs inspired by states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland. The company also has an aircraft called Freedom One, which wears a design based on the American flag.

Yet while Imua One is not the first state-inspired plane in Southwest’s fleet, it is the first that does not bear a state’s flag as its design. Rather, the plane incorporates various aspects of Hawaiian culture together into a new design. These concepts are largely conceptual and abstract.

Southwest held a special commemoration at Long Beach Airport before Iuma One continued to Honolulu. (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Iuma is the third 737 MAX that bears a special livery at Southwest. Two others honor Herb Kelleher, the company’s founder, and Colleen Barrett, the President Emeritus.

Iuma One spent about 3.5 weeks in Spokane, Washington being repainted with the design. It flew to Long Beach, Calif., where a celebration was held to honor the anniversary. The aircraft then continued on to Hawaii.

Other Aircraft Upgrades

Imua One isn’t drawing heads just for its paint job. It is also the first aircraft in Southwest’s fleet to feature a new cabin design centered around larger overhead bins, faster Wi-Fi, and power ports at every seat. This redesign was announced in May 2022 and will see Southwest spending $2 billion over 5 years to upgrade its entire fleet, starting with the 737 MAX sub fleet. 250 of the airline’s 700 aircraft will be retrofitted by the end of 2023, CNBC reports.

John McDermott

European Union Introduces New Sustainable Fuel Mandates

Hemal Gosai

Friday, April 28, 2023 at 02:00 PM ET

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Benjamin Pham

An ITA Airways Airbus A320 with the new livery at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. (Photo: ITA Airways)

The European Union (EU) — in its mission to decarbonize air travel — have introduced a new environmentally friendly measure to tackle aviation carbon emissions. This isn’t exactly new across the European Union, they do this all time with new taxes and selective bans targeted towards the aviation industry. What makes this move new and worth mentioning is due to the fact that it’s a departure from the initial punitive measures.

This week, the EU reached a deal that would set binding targets for European airlines to start using more sustainable aviation fuels. The plan is to increase use of sustainable aviation fuels across the Union over the next three decades or so.

2 percent of aviation fuel supplied at European Union airports needs to be comprised of a sustainable aviation fuels by 2025, this grows to 6 percent in 2030, twenty percent in 2035 and all the way up to seventy percent by 2050.

Additionally, from 2030 the deal requires that 1.2 percent of fuels be synthetic. This grows to thirty-five percent in 2050.

This deal now needs to get approval from the EU countries and EU Parliament, but that’s more of a formality than anything. While there isn’t much noise from the country levels, there are some airlines, like Lufthansa, that are making noise over the deal citing increased costs and hurting competition, since the rules only apply to airlines flying from European airports and not to carriers flying into the EU.

However, EU airlines are going to receive around 2 billion euros to help with the transition, so it’s not likely they’re being left to fend for themselves.

Legislative Motivation

This rings different than the typical EU legislation. It’s among the few new legislative moves that are actually forward thinking. The deal that is being put in place is to squarely spur the sustainable aviation fuel industry.

Sustainable fuels are a thing, airlines all over the world are using sustainable fuels in some capacity. However, use is still extremely limited. While investments are growing in the sector there are a lot of barriers to overcome. This legislation from the EU puts on strong legislative pressure to spur the growth of sustainable aviation fuels.

If these goals are followed, then it puts a greater degree of certainty into the growth of sustainable aviation fuels.

The U.S. Approach

The United States Department of Transportation is following a somewhat different path. Instead of legislative fiat, the plan is to introduce a government-wide approach to work with the fuel industry to grow the market share of sustainable aviation fuels with a target to supply 100 percent of projected fuel use by 2050.

There are start ups every day touting some new electric or hydrogen plane concept. They will eventually come to fruition, but a stop gap is needed until technology develops to support it. Sustainable aviation fuels are the only realistic way at the moment to reliably reduce carbon emissions in the aviation industry.

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.

Spirit Competes with JetBlue in New Boston Expansion

Zach Cooke

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 09:58 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

A Spirit Airlines A320 landing in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Spirit Airlines announced a significant expansion in the carrier’s Boston presence. With five new routes announced in a press release, the Miramar, Fla.-based carrier aims to increase competition with the big three and JetBlue.

The airline will launch routes that will go head to head with American, Delta, JetBlue and United. Beginning June 7, Spirit will begin operating between Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth, with Los Angeles beginning July 5 and Houston along with Phoenix inaugurating on August 9.

While Boston is a hub for Delta and JetBlue, it is considered more of a focus city for American and has strong movements from United. The route to Los Angeles will have the strongest competition, with Spirit going head-to-head with the four carriers previously listed. Houston has the least competition, with only JetBlue and United currently operating to the Texas city. However, the other three routes will face direct competition from American, Delta, and JetBlue making Spirit the fourth airline to operate between Boston and the aforementioned cities.

All five routes are currently advertised to be operated by the carrier’s Airbus A320 aircraft.

John Kirby, Spirit’s Vice President of Network Planning is enthusiastic about the new announcement stating “It’s exciting to grow our service in Boston and provide new nonstop options to a variety of popular destinations across the country. We trust Bostonians will appreciate the great value and convenience we provide our Guests at such affordable prices.”

Spirit-JetBlue Merger

This announcement comes as the carrier is currently working to resolve the lawsuit that the United States Department of Justice had imposed on blocking the merger with JetBlue and Spirit. Currently, the two carriers only go head-to-head on 38 routes throughout their respective networks. All five of the announced routes will have Spirit competing directly with JetBlue out of Boston, marking a 13% increase in competition from the current 38 routes to 43 this upcoming August.

The carrier will also be welcoming a new aircraft to the fleet this summer. The first A321neo for Spirit will begin service between Fort Lauderdale and Chicago on June 7 according to Routesonline.

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.

Airlink Launches Daily Nairobi Flights, Connecting South Africa and Kenya

Victor Shalton

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 09:44 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

An Airlink (South Africa) Jetstream J41, reg. ZS-OMS, seen at George Airport, Western Cape, South Africa (Photo: WikiMedia | Africaspotter)

Airlink, Southern Africa’s leading airline, has announced the launch of a new daily flight service from Johannesburg to Nairobi, connecting two of the major regional markets in Africa.

Airlink’s entry into the South Africa-Kenya market will offer more options and increased competition, benefitting travellers by potentially leading to more affordable fares and improved services. This move also signifies the efforts of both South Africa and Kenya to strengthen bilateral ties and promote tourism and trade between the two countries.

The new service is expected to provide greater choices for business and leisure travellers flying between the two major regional markets. Airlink’s connectivity through its Johannesburg hub will allow travellers to easily connect to various destinations within South Africa, Southern Africa, and around the world through its partner carriers.

Airlink CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, said, “Our competitive and convenient flights will promote tourism in both markets by letting travellers take advantage of the visa-free requirements for Kenyans visiting South Africa and South Africans wanting to visit Kenya.”

Increasing Competition

With the addition of Kenya to Airlink’s comprehensive sub-Saharan route network, Kenya becomes the 15th country and the third in East Africa to be served by the airline, alongside Dar es Salaam and Entebbe. The flights on the Johannesburg-Nairobi route will operate daily, departing Johannesburg at 09.40 and arriving in Nairobi at 14.45 with flight number 4Z 070. The return flight, 4Z 071, will depart Nairobi at 15.45 and arrive in Johannesburg at 19.05. Airlink will operate 98-seat Embraer E190 jetliners on the new service.

In related news, TrueNoord has welcomed Airlink as a new lessee, with the novation of two YoM 2008 Embraer E190AR aircraft on long-term operating lease. These assets are part of TrueNoord’s recent portfolio acquisition of 10 aircraft from Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), which brings new lessee airlines from the United States and Canada, as well as Airlink from South Africa, into the business. The aircraft are based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, flying domestic routes across South Africa and to international destinations within Southern Africa.

Maarten Grift, Sales Manager – Africa, Middle East and CIS at TrueNoord, comments, “Airlink has been connecting Africa for over 30 years. Operating the Continent’s largest fleet of Embraer aircraft, they continue to expand their route network to new destinations spanning regional capitals, smaller communities and major cities.”

Airlink’s CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, said, “TrueNoord is a highly knowledgeable and experienced lessor with solid financial backing. We are very pleased to have them as a new business partner as we continue on our journey as South Africa’s leading regional airline. We are committed to optimising regional air transportation by providing exceptional quality service to all our customers and setting benchmarks in safety, on-time performance and reliability.”

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.

Hong Kong’s Aviation Industry Gradually Rebounds

Pete Ainsley

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 06:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

A Cathay Pacific 777 at the gate in Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Hong Kong continues an upward trend after the lifting of travel restrictions. Cathay Pacific — the city’s flag carrier — has carried over 1.3 million passengers last month, with an increase of 19% compared with February. The load factor was over 90%.

Cathay Pacific and HK Express, its no-frills airline, has reached 50% pre-pandemic flight capacity, covering more than 70 destinations as of the end of March. Cathay Pacific has enhanced its services by adding flights to Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport, the Chinese city of Haikou and Nagoya, Japan in March.

“Our Japan and South Korea flights benefited from good passenger traffic for the cherry blossom season and demand ahead of the Easter holiday. Demand between Hong Kong and Taiwan was similarly strong, including transit traffic from Taiwan to Europe and Indonesia via the Hong Kong hub,” Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, said.

In the meantime, Hong Kong International Airport has welcomed 2.8 million passengers in March, with an increase over 30% to the previous month. The airport has handled approximately 100,000 passengers each day, reaching 50% of 2019 levels.

The aviation hub handled seven million passengers in the first three months of 2023. Compared to 2019, the airport served 18.8 million passengers in the first quarter. Earlier, Hong Kong International Airport was crowned the world’s busiest cargo airport in 2022.

In March, Hong Kong International Airport has welcomed the return of United Airlines. The airline has resumed the flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, British Airways has doubled its operations to Hong Kong as its A350-1000 touched down at the airport. Earlier, Virgin Atlantic — the rival of British Airways — announced the termination of the flights between London and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines is operating 45% flight capacity of pre-pandemic levels. In March, the carrier has launched the flight operations to Beijing’s Daxing International Airport, becoming the only Hong Kong carrier to serve to Daxing and Beijing Capital Airport.

Affordable Price Tag

After three years of pandemic, Hong Kong has a long way to go before returning to normality. The shortage of staff is becoming all too familiar after the pandemic.

Hongkongers currently pay through the nose for the air tickets. The pent- up travel demand is outstripping supply and the customers need to book months earlier to secure their vacations. Some customers have postponed their vacations and hoping for a cheaper fare.

In response to the staff issues, Qantas has delayed resuming flights between Melbourne, Australia and Hong Kong to June. Australia is one of Hongkonger’s favurite travel destinations. In addition, some Asian airlines haven’t returned to Hong Kong at the moment, such as Jin Air, Jetstar Japan, Mandarin Airlines, SpiceJet and Indigo.

Pete Ainsley

FAA Reauthorization Bill Needed by the End of Fiscal Year

John McDermott

Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 09:27 PM ET

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Edited By:

Vanni Gibertini

Inside an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at Washington Dulles International Airport. The federal agency is celebrating 100 years of its Flight Service program. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing)

The American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is bracing for a reauthorization. Every five years, Congress passes a bill outlining new steps the agency can take to promote further growth and safety in the American aviation industry. These bills also provide the agency’s funding and dictate where the funding should go to further the American aviation industry.

Former President Donald Trump was the last leader to sign off on such a bill. In 2018, the FAA focused particularly on unmanned aircraft operations and making the skies a safer place for drones and manned aircraft to coexist. The FAA had also expanded powers and more funding for enforcement; the 2018 bill allocated to the FAA a total of $4.35 billion per year.

NOTAMs overhaul urgently needed

This time, the main focus of reauthorization talks is on modernizing the systems the FAA uses to run the national airspace system. An outage of the FAA’s Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) system in early January highlighted the need to systematically upgrade the technology the FAA uses to manage flights and send out critical safety information to pilots and aircraft operators alike.

Part of this reauthorization will be the approval for a new office within the FAA to test, approve, and integrate new technologies.

“I’m concerned that Federal Aviation Administration is falling short on its technological mission,” said Representative Jefferson Van Drew during a committee hearing. “This year’s FAA bill is the opportunity to develop [advanced technology] tools and set the agency up for real success.”

“Recent disruptions and groundings appear to be due in large part to reliance on outdated technology and systems, some of which are built on software that is decades old,” Rep. Brian Babin said. “It’s striking to see that the failure to use or partner with the right software or service providers could directly result in a disruptive impact on our passengers [and] the airlines themselves – shaking public confidence in our air operations.”

The reauthorization bill in 2018 allocated $3.35 billion for infrastructure investments, according to a CNN report. It has yet to be seen whether this amount will increase to allow the FAA to not only maintain but upgrade its infrastructure to enhance reliability.

One-pilot operations under consideration

Another hot topic has been at the forefront of this reauthorization. In December, it was revealed that an early draft of the bill included language that would allow the FAA to authorize airlines operating under Part 121 of the Code of Federal Regulations to fly with only one pilot aboard flights. This is a significant break from precedence, as Part 121 has required two pilots in the cockpit at any given time.

Airline lobbyists support such language, saying it will help them address a critical pilot shortage that has forced airlines to cut dozens of routes and hundreds of flights from their schedules. But pilot unions say that removing a pilot from a cockpit would be a critical safety blunder, adding that removing a pilot from the cockpit puts the flying public at risk.

“The risks associated with reduced-crew and single-pilot operations are well documented.

Most prominently, these risks stem from the increased workload for the remaining pilot, the elimination of a critical layer of monitoring and operating redundancy in the cockpit, and the inability of a single pilot to handle many emergency situations,” the Airline Pilots Association wrote in a document called ‘The Dangers of Single-Pilot Operations.’

Representatives on the U.S. House Transportation Committee emphasize why this reauthorization bill is so critical.

“Recently there have been incidents that reemphasize why getting an FAA reauthorization done on time is critical,” said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, referencing runway incursions and close calls across the first few months of 2023. “Even following the safest decade in our history, our aviation system is clearly in need of urgent attention. Complacency and stagnation are equal threats to a safety culture.”

“Our role, and the FAA’s role, is to manage risk and ensure safety while reaping the incredible benefits of flight. Our global leadership in aviation begins with global leadership in aviation safety. And the only way to maintain our gold standard is to continue to enhance it. I’m going to say it again – the goal is zero fatalities,” said Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves.

The previous reauthorization bill expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2023, so lawmakers have until September 30 to agree on a new bill and send it to President Joe Biden. Ultimately, the consensus among lawmakers is that the FAA lags behind the pace it needs to keep up with the technology and problems of the modern day.

“First and foremost, we have the president’s budget, and we obviously need to be funded at that request level,” said Dave Boulter, the acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety at the FAA. “The pace of technology – as we all know – has increased, but the pace of our processes has not. My number one goal in the aviation safety organization is to get that speed without ever degrading safety.”

John McDermott

Alaska Airlines Removing Check-in Kiosks

Andrew Chen

Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 05:48 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900 (ER) and B737-800 aircraft at LAX. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | James Dinsdale)

Alaska Airlines is making bold changes to the airport experience in an effort to reduce the amount of time passengers have to spend in airport lobbies. The airline is investing $2.5 billion in improvements at its hub and focus city airports with the goal of getting travelers through to security in five minutes or less.

New Bag Tag Stations

The Seattle-based carrier is eliminating a staple of the modern-day check-in lobby by replacing its existing check-in kiosks with new bag tag stations. The new stations are equipped with an iPad and a card payment terminal. Passengers who arrive at the airport with a printed or mobile boarding pass can scan their pass at the station, pay any bag fees if needed and receive a bag tag.

Alaska Airlines bag tag station (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

The airline has already started installing the new bag tag stations at Portland International Airport and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport and is planning on rolling out the new machines at its hub and focus cities. Other airports expected to get the new stations include Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Alaska expects to complete the transition to the bag tag stations by the end of 2023.

Expanding Technology Use

Alaska is looking to build upon the trend of passengers increasingly using online and mobile check-in options. Approximately 75 percent of its passengers currently check-in before arriving at the airport and the airline is looking to raise that number to 90 percent.

Starting in the spring of 2024, the airline will also be introducing new bag drop technology. The machines will incorporate the use of biometrics and have the ability to scan faces, government-issued identification and bag tags. Airlines have been expanding the use of biometrics to improve the travel experience and Alaska’s move demonstrates its willingness to embrace this technology.

With the new system, the goal is to get passengers through the airport lobby seamlessly and efficiently. Travelers will check in beforehand and arrive at the airport with a boarding pass, before scanning their pass and receiving a bag tag. They will then take their bag to an automated bag drop station that will incorporate biometrics to allow passengers to use their faces as their identification and boarding pass. Customer service staff will be available to help travelers who require additional in-person assistance.

“As we thought about how to provide the most caring experience for our guests, it was clear the lobby was a pain point. We realized the majority of our guests were doing most of the kiosk actions on their own phones and we could reduce the congestion in our airports,” Alaska Senior Vice President of Innovation and Merchandising Charu Jain said in a press release. “Alaska was the first airline to introduce kiosks more than 20 years ago, and we’ll be the first airline to remove them. We’re looking forward to offering the new full guest experience next summer.”

Andrew Chen

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