Chilean Authorities Approve American Airlines’ Minority Stake in JetSMART

Monday, January 09, 2023 at 07:58 PM ET

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A brand new American Airlines A321neo parked in Pittsburgh (Photo:AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Chile’s National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE) approved American Airlines’ acquisition of a minority stake in JetSMART. In 2021, both companies signed a letter of intent (LOI) to move forward with a codeshare agreement between the United States and South America.

Previously, Indigo Partners and the Dallas-based airline submitted to the FNE a request for a “concentration operation consisting of the acquisition by American Airlines of a minority stake in JetSMART.” Both companies complied with all the requirements established by the prosecutor’s office.

In the FNE’s report, the following considerations were considered:

American Airlines currently offers services to Chile from its main hubs, allowing passengers to connect to other destinations. The U.S. airline offers daily flights from Miami (MIA) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Santiago (SCL).
JetSMART operates in Chile and offers domestic services, as well as international operations to Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Colombia.
American will hold a minority stake in the shares issued by JetSMART. In addition, the two airlines entered into a codeshare agreement, a frequent flyer program agreement and other commercial agreements.
American and JetSMART do not operate the same origin-destination (O&D) routes.
Both airlines are in the process of entering into bilateral interline and codeshare cooperation agreements as part of the alliance.
JetSMART has not entered any cooperation with other air carriers.
American and the Indigo Partners group airline do not have any third-party agreements aimed at marketing flights in Chile.
Regarding cargo transportation, American has an interline agreement with an economic agent that does not transport cargo on routes within Chile.
The prosecution concludes that if this association materializes, it is not apt to substantially reduce competition in the markets analyzed.

A Singular Cooperation

American Airlines is currently the North American airline that offers the largest number of connections with Latin America, from its hubs in Dallas, Miami and New York. JetSMART is in full growth, and already has bases in Chile Argentina, and Peru, as it continues its development in Latin America.

A particularly important Latin American market for American is Colombia, where it offers flights to 6 destinations. JetSMART has operations to Bogota and Cali, and in August will add the Medellin connection, reaching three routes to and from Chile, the low-cost carrier’s main base. American Airlines has a significant presence in these markets, with operations to the capitals of both Chile and Argentina from Dallas, Miami and New York.

This article was originally published by Rainer Nieves Dolande and Sebastián Polito on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.

Aviacionline

Aeroflot Purchases 10 Boeing 777s from Lessor

Fangzhong Guo

Monday, January 09, 2023 at 10:16 AM ET

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Edited By:

Parker Davis

An Aeroflot 777-300ER landing at Paine Field after a test flight. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

Aeroflot — Russia’s largest carrier — announced on Dec. 30, that it had bought 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which have been under financial lease from an Irish leasing company since 2013 and 2014. The airline will continue to work on further aircraft buyback deals.

“Aeroflot has bought and received ownership rights to 10 long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which have been under financial lease from an Irish leasing company since 2013 and 2014,” the statement said.

According to the airline, it would continue to work on further implementation of aircraft buyback transactions in order to maintain the current fleet of foreign-made aircraft in its own operation and expand the possibility of their operation.

Sellers

According to the Aeroflot’s 2014 annual report, all 10 777-300ERs received in this period were on finance lease. (Photo: Aeroflot)

The latest agreement covers ten 777s Aeroflot leased from VEB Leasing’s Ireland branch. VEB Leasing is one of the largest leasing companies in Russia, which likely set up the Irish office to benefit from the country’s regulations regarding leasing.

Similar to the previous A330 deal,the airline made with another foreign lessor, the sub-fleet is also on finance lease. A finance lease means Aeroflot is the legal owner and is paying a mortgage on the plane rather than renting the plane from the lessors.

While the Russian-based carrier has already restarted 777 long-haul operations, all the planes on this list have been solely domestic. This limitation contrasts with some of the other 777s owned by other lessors, such as GTLK, the Russian State Transport Leasing Company. Despite having the entire fleet on US Commerce Department’s sanction list, Aeroflot had sent GTLK-owned 777s out of the country.

Since May, Aeroflot has expanded its long-haul international destinations to Turkey, India, China and Thailand. The company is serving more than a dozen destinations with only seven airplanes. AirlineGeeks will continue to monitor when and if this latest fleet is deployed internationally.

Airline’s Next Options

An Aeroflot A321 in London (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

According to a recent report by Reuters, the Russian carrier is exploring options to use the national fund for purchasing some of the airplanes from western lessors.

SMBC, which took an impairment of $1.6 billion for 34 jets, said in the letter that on September 2, AlfaStrakhovanie offered it $644.2 million for 17 aircraft leased to Aeroflot, minus $82 million already paid in deposits and reserves.

However, that was “considerably less than the aggregate Agreed Values” for the aircraft, SMBC said in the letter. Adding the challenges with current EU sanctions, it’ll take a little longer for any agreement to materialize.

All Aeroflot Airbus A321s delivered before 2013 were on finance lease according to the company’s 2012 annual report.(Photo: Aeroflot)

Given the success of buying out airplanes off financial leases, it’s possible airplanes on financial leases are the prime candidate for the sanctioned carrier’s next transaction. According to their 2012 annual report, all the airline’s A321s received prior were on finance lease. As of today, three of those A321s still remain in the fleet and all are actively flying.

Alternatively, Sberbank’s leasing arm also operated a small Irish office that shut down at the start of the invasion. Given the substantial Russian financial background, planes currently owned by the bank of its leasing company SB Leasing may have an easier path to Russian domestication.

Fangzhong Guo

Fangzhong grew up near an OEM airport in northeastern China, where he developed his enthusiasm for aviation. Taking upon his passion, he's now working as an aircraft interior design engineer. Besides working in the aerospace industry, Fangzhong enjoys trying out different types of airplanes and seeing how airplane interiors have evolved. So far, he's flown on over 80 types of aircraft. He also planespots in his spare time. His rarest catches included the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and AN-225.

Global 2022 On-Time Performance Results Released

Andrew Chen

Monday, January 09, 2023 at 04:36 AM ET

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Edited By:

Jack Dawin

All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines at Tokyo Haneda Airport's Terminal 3 (International Terminal) (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Andrew Chen)

Global aviation analytics firm Cirium has released the results of its worldwide 2022 On-Time Performance Review. The company looks at punctuality among airlines and airports around the world and publishes an annual report highlighting the top performers.

Azul Brazilian Airlines took the top spot among airlines, followed closely by Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Cirium considers an on-time arrival one that that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival time. The top five global airlines for on-time performance were as follows:

Rank	Airline	Total Flights	On-Time Arrival
1	Azul Brazilian Airlines	279,722	88.93%
2	All Nippon Airways	162,370	88.61%
3	Japan Airlines	165,981	88.00%
4	LATAM Airlines	451,651	86.31%
5	Delta Air Lines	1,004,684	83.63%

To be classified as a global airline, Cirium requires that a carrier be within the top 10% of passenger airlines by capacity and volume and that it serve at least three worldwide regions out of the five defined by the company: Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and North America. AirlineGeeks has previously reported on the firm’s North America on-time rankings.

The review also lists top performers among low-cost carriers:

Rank	Airline	Total Flights	On-Time Arrival
1	StarFlyer	21,894	95.23%
2	Solaseed Air	27,486	94.53%
3	Thai AirAsia	66,043	91.56%
4	Azul Brazilian Airlines	279,722	88.93%
5	Sky Airline	27,161	88.74%

The global airport category requires airports to be within the top 10% of airports worldwide by flights served in a month and for the airport to serve at least three regions. The top performers for global airports were as follows:

Rank	Airport	Total Flights	On-Time Arrival
1	Tokyo Haneda Airport	373,264	90.33%
2	Kempegowda International Airport (Bangalore, India)	201,897	84.08%
3	Salt Lake City International Airport	226,545	83.87%
4	Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport	271,963	82.62%
5	Philadelphia International Airport	233,777	82.54%

Cirium further categorizes airports by size into large, medium and small airports. The winners in these categories were Osaka International Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport and Miyazaki Airport, respectively. All three of these airports are located in Japan.

Overall, Japanese airports have once again dominated the airport rankings, earning the top spot in all four categories. Japanese airlines have similarly performed very well in their categories, further reflecting the country’s reputation for punctuality. The report notes these trends, pointing out that, “Japanese airlines and airports continue to deliver passengers to their arrival gates on time – pandemic or no pandemic.”

The year brought significant challenges to the air travel industry and global on-time performance was down by approximately two percent in 2022, according to the analytics firm. The report cites global staffing shortages across the air travel sector as a major contributor to decreased on-time performance, stating that, “although the aviation industry collectively worked hard to keep pace with recovering demand, they fell short in many cases due to staffing issues worldwide necessitating reducing flights to work within staffing constraints.”

“Staffing shortages will continue to challenge the global air travel industry and could have long-term impacts affecting on-time performance and reliability throughout 2023 and beyond.”

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.

Delta Joins Short List of Airlines Offering Free Wi-Fi

Andrew Chen

Sunday, January 08, 2023 at 07:18 PM ET

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Edited By:

Jack Dawin

Delta aircraft parked on the ramp in Boston. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines made headlines at CES 2023 last week when it announced free WiFi for all passengers, as well as innovative new in-flight digital experiences.

Delta announced that it would be rolling out free WiFi on board most domestic mainline flights beginning Feb. 1, 2023, with a goal of expanding free WiFi to all aircraft by the end of 2024.

The airline also revealed Delta Sync, its vision for an interconnected and personalized digital experience. Delta Sync will roll out later this year, bringing together in-flight entertainment (IFE), connectivity and other technological features.

Free WiFi: The Details

As of Feb. 1, 2023, Delta will be offering free WiFi on Viasat-equipped aircraft. Delta currently has two in-flight WiFi providers: Viasat and Intelsat, which was formerly known as GoGo. Around 500 of the carrier’s over 700 narrowbody mainline jets are currently equipped with Viasat. Free WiFi has already been launched on all Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 737-900 aircraft, with other narrowbody aircraft beginning free WiFi offerings throughout the rest of January. Delta plans on offering free WiFi on over 700 aircraft by the end of 2023 and on international and regional jets as well by the end of 2024.

According to the airline, the following aircraft are currently equipped with Viasat and will therefore offer free WiFi: All Airbus A321-200s and Airbus A321neos, select Boeing 737-800s, select Boeing 737-900s, select Boeing 757-200s, select Airbus A319-100s and select Airbus A320-200s. The current free WiFi offerings will not cover Delta’s Boeing 717 or Airbus A220 aircraft, which are not equipped with Viasat. Paid Wi-Fi options will continue to be offered on these aircraft. Widebody jets operating domestic flights also will not feature free WiFi until 2024.

Passengers will have to be a member of Delta’s frequent flyer program, SkyMiles, to log in to the free WiFi but membership is free and travelers will be able to join while in-flight. There is no device limit and Delta says that the Viasat system offers streaming-quality connections.

“Connectivity is essential to daily life, and your journey on Delta should be no different,” Delta Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said at CES. “Our vision has long been to deliver an experience at 30,000 feet that feel similar to what our customers have available on the ground.”

In the United States, Delta is the second airline to widely offer free WiFi after JetBlue, which has provided passengers with free WiFi for years. Internationally, an increasing number of airlines have also been offering free in-flight WiFi, including Qantas, Emirates and Porter Airlines.

Delta has long been talking about providing free WiFi to its passengers. In 2019, the carrier conducted a free WiFi trial on 50 domestic routes. However, the GoGo/Intelsat system was unable to handle the heavy usage at the time. In 2022, Delta began a more successful trial of offering free WiFi that set the stage for the airline’s latest announcement.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian presents at CES 2023 in Las Vegas (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Delta Sync: A New In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity Experience

The second major Delta announcement at CES revealed a new in-flight digital experience called Delta Sync. Delta Sync brings together traditional aspects of in-flight entertainment and connectivity, while also debuting innovative new features. Delta Sync will be supported by free WiFi and will be available to SkyMiles members.

The airline states that Delta Sync will bring together an ecosystem of digital services to deliver a personalized travel experience. It will roll out later in 2023 and consists of a variety of offerings, both on personal devices and on seatback screens. Delta Sync consists of two sets of offerings: Delta Sync on Demand for seatback screens and Delta Sync Exclusives Hub for personal devices.

Delta has seatback screens on a large majority of its mainline aircraft and the carrier working on a new in-flight entertainment system called Delta Sync on Demand. Debuting this summer, new features will include food and beverage ordering for First Class passengers and the ability for all passengers to log into their SkyMiles account to receive curated content recommendations and seatback flight notifications. Passengers who are not SkyMiles members and those who choose not to log in will continue to have access to Delta’s existing seatback entertainment offerings.

Delta Sync Exclusives Hub will offer content and access to features with major brands on travelers’ personal devices. SkyMiles members will be able to unlock personalized American Express offers as part of Delta’s partnership with the credit card company. In addition to seatback entertainment, Delta will offer Paramount+ streaming on passengers’ personal devices. Delta has also partnered with the restaurant booking platform Resy to provide dining guides and restaurant bookings while on board. Similarly, Delta will offer travel recommendations and content from Atlas Obscura and games from the New York Times.

Looking forward, Bastian highlighted the vision for Delta’s in-flight digital offerings at CES. “The future of travel is one where your digital and physical experiences come together in a seamless, warm and personal way, making those human travel connections even more meaningful.”

Andrew Chen

The Most Punctual North American Airlines in 2022

Andrew Chen

Saturday, January 07, 2023 at 12:48 AM ET

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Edited By:

Vanni Gibertini

A Delta Boeing 767-300 lands in Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)

For the second year in a row, Delta Air Lines been deemed North America’s most punctual airline by aviation analytics firm Cirium. The company publishes an annual On-Time Performance Review, in which it measures on-time performance for airlines and airports. In North America, the firm tracked more than five million flights between January 1 and December 15, 2022, capturing over 99% of flights across the continent.

The company’s threshold for an on-time flight is one that arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival time. Approximately 72% of flights tracked in North America during the year were considered on-time.

A total of ten North American airlines were included in the rankings:

1. Delta Air Lines: Cirium tracked over a million Delta flights and over 83% of them arrived on time. This gave Delta the top spot among North American airlines. The Atlanta-based carrier has won this title every year since 2017, though the firm did not hand out awards in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After seeing widespread cancellations and delays throughout its network during Memorial Day weekend, Delta reduced its flying schedule to help improve its performance.

2. United Airlines: In third place is United, with 80.46% of its nearly 790,000 flights being marked as on-time by Cirium.

3. Alaska Airlines: The Seattle-based airline took a close third place in this year’s rankings, despite some operational hiccups during the summer due to staffing issues. 80.36% of the carrier’s more than 240,000 flights arrived on time. Before Delta won the top spot in 2017, Alaska was named as North America’s most punctual airline from 2011 to 2016.

4. American Airlines: The worst-performing of the “big three” is American. Over 78% of the approximately 1 million flights tracked arrived on time.

5. Southwest Airlines: With over 1.3 million flights, Southwest had the highest number of flights tracked in the North American review. Slightly over 74% of these flights arrived on time. Unlike most major carriers, the Dallas-based airline’s network is based on a point-to-point model rather than a hub-and-spoke model. Prior to Southwest Airlines’ recent holiday season operational meltdown, its on-time performance had been closer to 75%.

6. Frontier Airlines: The ultra-low-cost carrier flew over 170,000 flights in 2022 and a little over 68% of them arrived on time.

7. JetBlue: Of the airline’s more than 340,000 flights during the year, over 66% of them arrived on time.

8. Allegiant Air: The low-cost carrier flew almost 117,500 flights this year and a little under 66% of them were marked as on-time by Cirium.

9. WestJet: In ninth place is Canada’s second largest airline. Cirium measured around 90,000 flights flown by WestJet and saw an on-time performance for approximately 59% of them.

10. Air Canada: Canadian flag carrier Air Canada flew over 140,000 flights in 2022. 54.51% of them arrived on time.

It is unsurprising to see that WestJet and Air Canada did not perform very well. Airlines and airports across Canada suffered from staffing shortages throughout the year. Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s busiest airport and home to large Air Canada and WestJet operations, was consistently ranked as one of the world’s worst airports for delays during the summer months.

Despite holding the top spot for punctuality, Delta’s on-time performance has decreased from previous years. In 2021, the airline saw 87.7% of its flights arrive on time and in 2019 this figure was 85.69% (again, Cirium did not publish a review in 2020). This decline is also unsurprising. 2022 was a challenging year for airline operations in North America, with a major resurgence in air travel demand following the end of pandemic restrictions combined with staffing shortages at airlines and airports across the continent.

Andrew Chen

Skykraft Launches First Air Traffic Management Satellites

Mike Mangano

Friday, January 06, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Rendition of Skykraft's Block II Air Traffic Management Satellites deployed in Low Earth Orbit. Image: Skykraft

Australian space-services company Skykraft has launched its first stack of air traffic management satellites, with the 300kg payload reaching low earth orbit on Jan. 4 (AEDT). Riding aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, the five Skykraft Block II satellites are part of a larger constellation amounting to over 200 in the next two years.

The satellites — which weigh more than the total mass of all Australian-built space objects ever launched — are part of a three-month proof of concept operational test. The test will seek to validate Skykraft’s space-based Air Traffic Management service which it aims to commence in 2025. According to Skykraft, the global system will increase air traffic management efficiency, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and fill gaps in both surveillance and communications in remote locations.

Filling the Communication Gap

Skykraft’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) services aim to deliver seamless communication to remote locations that standard air traffic control cannot. Currently, ground-based infrastructure is limited to approximately 400km from land which makes it difficult to accurately track aircraft and ensure their safety over oceanic and remote areas.

Addressing these limitations, the Australian company’s space-based ATM utilizes ADS-B signals for independently verifying aircraft anywhere in the world, while also providing a VHF communications capability for both data and voice. Operating in Low Earth Orbit across seven orbital planes, the satellites will have a five-year life cycle, with each powered by solar arrays generating a total power output of 2.6 kW and are equipped with an S-Band antenna, UHF antennas and VHF antennas. Although relatively small in size when launched, the satellites will open up to the size of a small car when all antennas and solar panels are deployed.

Skykraft’s Block II ATM Satellite. | (Photo: Skykraft)

In a statement, Dr. Michael Frater, CEO of Skykraft, said that air traffic controllers will be able to “talk directly with the pilot anywhere in the world,” adding that “(if) your aircraft hits turbulence, the pilot will now be able to get a clearance to change altitude much more quickly. For passengers, this means they won’t need to be seated for long periods of time, and for airlines savings on fuels savings and a reduction in the environmental impact.”

Expanding Australia’s Space Industry

With a goal of launching over 200 satellites into orbit by 2025 and a five-year replenishment cycle, Skykraft has set the ambitious target of producing 40-50 satellites per year. Assembled wholly in the Australian capital of Canberra, the satellites are manufactured from parts supplied across regional Australia, expanding Australia’s rejuvenated space industry.

In a statement, Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency, said that the launch “is another signal that Australia’s space industry is scaling, while also being a milestone in our history as the largest Australian-made payload launched into space.” Palermo further said that “this is what a future made in Australia looks like. Skykraft’s Block II Satellite represents the homegrown space technology we can offer the world and what Australian ingenuity and know-how can achieve.”

Mike Mangano

Mike’s love affair with flight and mechanical objects in the sky began at an early age, fascinated by space documentaries and the vintage Flight Simulator ’95. He currently works as an instructor for UAVs and is training to receive his Private Pilot Licence with the goal of working in manned flight instruction. An avid reader of all things aviation and manned space flight, Mike stays close to developments in aerospace while reminiscing and sharing the rich history of flight with others. He loves writing, engineering and science.

IATA Responds to Reintroduction of COVID-19 Testing

John Flett

Friday, January 06, 2023 at 07:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Air China's A350 Star Alliance Livery approaching at Singapore's Changi International Airport. | (Photo: Lei Yan)

Chinese authorities are now allowing citizens to travel internationally again after almost three years of strict bans due to the pandemic. However, as a result, airlines are again facing the prospect of managing passenger testing in several countries. Since the lifting of the Chinese government’s COVID-19 elimination policy last month, a number of countries have reintroduced testing requirements for airline travelers from China.

Airline advocacy organization IATA (International Air Transport Association) has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the imposition of travel restrictions for passengers from China. In a statement issued on Wednesday, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said, “It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years.”

Walsh cited that countries should employ “tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs. Governments must base their decisions on ‘science facts’ rather than ‘science politics’.” He also urged the Chinese government “to remove the need for pre-departure COVID-19 testing for those traveling to China.”

The U.S., India, Italy, Japan and Australia are among those countries imposing measures on travelers from China. As with the management of testing requirements at the various peaks of the pandemic over the last three years countries are implementing various types of controls and approaches that could be considered ‘inconsistent’. For example, the U.S. require travelers from China to undertake a COVID-19 test prior to departure. Authorities in Japan will require passengers arriving from China to undertake a test upon arrival with those testing positive subject to quarantine.

The English government initially advised that pre-arrival testing would be required but reversed that decision. Reuters reported that the approach now is that testing will be voluntary and any passenger who may test positive after arriving in the country would not need to quarantine. With several European countries imposing their own measures the European Union (EU) issued a statement on Wednesday seeking ‘a coordinated precautionary approach in the light of Covid-19 developments in China’ by all member states. CNBC reported that health policy is determined by each EU member state hence some countries such as Italy, France and Sweden initiating testing measures whilst other countries within the EU have no restrictions.

This week, Morocco took a more extreme approach and banned all travel from China of citizens from any country. In a statement announcing the measures, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the restrictions had been initiated after closely following events within China over recent weeks. The Ministry also advised, ‘ This exceptional measure in no way affects the sincere friendship between the two peoples nor the strategic partnership between the two countries, to which the Kingdom remains firmly attached.’

Given the dynamic nature of the current situation and with past knowledge of travel restrictions, travelers should check on the requirements for travel close to the dates of travel.

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.

British Airways’ BA Euroflyer Expands Route Offering from London Gatwick

Aviacionline

Wednesday, January 04, 2023 at 08:49 PM ET

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Edited By:

Pablo Diaz

A BA Euroflyrt Airbus A320 (Photo: British Airways)

British Airways announced that it will add five routes to and from London Gatwick Airport. The new connections will begin in March, May, June and December, according to a press release sent by the airline. The flights to Greek, French and Austrian cities are set to be operated by BA Euroflyer.

Schedule to and from London Gatwick – British Airways

Salzburg (SZG): 2 flights weekly starting March 28th
Montpellier (MPL): 3 weekly flights starting May 27th
Corfu (CFU): 3 weekly flights starting May 30th
Mykonos (JMK): 1 flight a week starting June 10th
Innsbruck (INN): 8 weekly flights starting December 8th

Tom Stoddart, Acting CEO of BA Euroflyer, said: “It is exciting to see our short-haul schedule at Gatwick grow. These additional routes are to a broad range of destinations that will suit all manner of travellers from beach lovers and skiers to explorers and adventurers. We have something for everyone departing from London Gatwick.”

The airline has also put its short-haul Gatwick winter schedule on sale on January 4, offering 21 destinations to customers. Ski hotspots include Geneva and Turin, while winter sun destinations include Tenerife and Lanzarote.

The announcement of new routes follows latest news that BA Euroflyer received its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and Operating Licence from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This allows it to operate as a subsidiary airline in an equivalent manner to the company’s existing subsidiary, BA Cityflyer, flying under the British Airways brand and delivering the premium British Airways service.

This article was originally published by Sebastián Polito on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.

Aviacionline

Argentina is the First Destination for Iberia’s New Airbus A350 Next

Aviacionline

Wednesday, January 04, 2023 at 08:25 PM ET

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Edited By:

Pablo Diaz

Iberia's first A350-900XWB named Placido Domingo. (Photo: Iberia)

Iberia has chosen Argentina as the first intercontinental market to debut the new A350 Next aircraft, which include its new cabin products, on the Madrid (MAD) – Buenos Aires (EZE) route. Gradually, these aircraft will be incorporated on the company’s other Latin American services.

On January 3, flight IB 6845 was operated by the A350-900 with registration EC-NXE and christened “Ciudad de Quito”, which took off with 352 passengers from Adolfo Suarez International Airport (MAD) at 12:53 local time and landed at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) at 20:49, after 11 hours and 57 minutes.

As part of the celebration of the A350 Next’s entry into service, passengers were presented with a Panasonic state-of-the-art headset, an amenity kit designed for all classes, and a cocktail include in the onboard service.

Iberia continues to strengthen its presence in the Argentine market, where it has increased its operations to two daily flights. According to data obtained by Aviacionline through Aena Estadísticas, in the period January – November 2022, 691,007 passengers and 14,094 tons of cargo were mobilized between Madrid (MAD) and Buenos Aires (EZE) in 2,466 operations.

The company’s new A350s feature aerodynamic improvements, a one-ton reduction in aircraft weight for improved efficiency at Hot & High airports, as well as new flap positions and a faster retracting landing gear.

Cabin improvements and new products

The Airbus A350-900s have a new configuration for 352 passengers in three classes (31 Business Class/28 Premium Economy/293 Economy Class) and offer the company’s new cabin products. It also incorporates an innovative new-generation in-flight entertainment system that Iberia has developed with Panasonic, called IFE Next.

The cabin has a new lighting system with six lighting moods -wake up, meal, relax, sleep, boarding, take-off, and landing-. In the bathrooms the faucets are touch-free, and the linings are made of antibacterial materials.

This article was originally published by Rainer Nieves Dolande on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks

Aviacionline

Boliviana de Aviación Receives a New Boeing 737-800

Aviacionline

Wednesday, January 04, 2023 at 08:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Pablo Diaz

A Boliviana de Aviación Boeing 737-800 (Photo: Boliviana de Aviación)

Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) took delivery of its ninth Boeing 737-800 on January 2. In less than a year, the company has incorporated five aircraft of the same model.

The aircraft in question is registered CP-3206, and like the other new aircraft, it has a capacity for 168 passengers in a single class and will operate on domestic and medium-range international flights. The CP-3206 is owned by lessor SMBC Aviation Capital and the contract is worth USD 146,000 per month. The aircraft is 13.1 years old and previously belonged to Air Berlin, Pegasus, Jet Airways and GOL Transportes Aéreos.

The Ministry of Public Works and BoA executives presented the new aircraft at Jorge Wilsterman International Airport in Cochabamba. They also announced that in May 2023 they will complete the construction of a new maintenance hangar. In the domestic segment, BoA uses its Boeing 737-800 on these routes:

Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI) to Cochabamba (CBB), La Paz (LPB), Tarija (TJA)
La Paz (LPB) to Cobija (CIJ), Cochabamba (CBB), Sucre (SRE) and Trinidad (TDD).
Cochabamba to Oruro (ORU), Sucre (SRE), Tarija (TJA) and Trinidad (TDD).

In the international market, they operate from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE), Argentina; Lima (LIM), Peru; and São Paulo (GRU), Brazil.

As it continues to receive more Boeing 737-800s, the company plans to add new destinations in 2023. On target are Cancun (CUN), Mexico; Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic; Asuncion (ASU), Paraguay; and Santiago (SCL), Chile. Boliviana seeks to make Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI) a hub for South America.

BoA’s current fleet totals 26 units:

5 Boeing 737-300
4 Boeing 737-700
9 Boeing 737-800
4 Boeing 767-300ER
2 Mitsubishi CRJ 200

More aircraft in 2023

The company is carrying out a fleet modernization phase, with which it would replace all its Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 767 aircraft. As part of its renewal program, the state-owned company plans to add three Airbus A330-200 aircraft to its fleet, ordered at FIDAE 2022. However, there are delays in the delivery of the A330s due to problems in MRO services and the supply chain, an issue that affects the industry globally.

Ronald Casso, General Manager of Boliviana de Aviación, had told Aviacionline during the ALTA Forum last October that the three Airbus A330-200s are in Europe (Birmingham, Italy and Germany) and previously operated for Virgin Australia. The aircraft will maintain the former company’s interior, featuring a better business and economy class than its former Boeing 767s. They will have a revamped livery, in-flight entertainment, and new catering. BoA also plans to add a third CRJ 200 to improve the network of domestic destinations, adding cities such as Rurrenabaque, Riberalta and Guayaramerín.

Casso has urged the Bolivian government to improve existing airports for Boliviana de Aviación to operate. In recent years, airports such as Chimoré, Monteagudo, Ixiamas and San Ignacio have been opened in Bolivia, but have not had sufficient demand to sustain regular flights.

This article was originally published by Gastón Sena on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.

Aviacionline