A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321NEO climbs out of Munich.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
TAP Air Portugal increases its operations on six routes to the United States, the company’s second most important intercontinental market. The service increases are via Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO). According to data obtained through Cirium, the Portuguese flag carrier will have in July 2023 an offer of 31,038 weekly seats between Portugal and the United States, a 16.14% increase when compared to 2019 levels.
Boston (BOS)
As of May 31, 2023, services to Boston will increase from 11 weekly operations to two daily flights operated on Airbus A321LRs with a capacity of 168 passengers.
From June 4, 2023, services to the U.S. capital will increase from 8 to 10 weekly flights all operated on Airbus A321LR.
Flight Itinerary
Lisbon – Washington Flight TP 231 LIS 11:55 – IAD 15:15 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Lisbon – Washington Flight TP 235 LIS 17:15 – IAD 20:35 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Washington – Lisbon Flight TP 232 IAD 17:50 – LIS 06:05+1 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Washington – Lisbon Flight TP 234 IAD 22:05 – LIS 10:20+1 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Miami (MIA)
As of July 2, 2023, the route will increase from 7 to 10 weekly flights. TAP Air Portugal is the only airline offering flights between Portugal and the state of Florida.
Flight Itinerary
Lisbon – Miami Flight TP 223 LIS 10:40 – MIA 14:40 daily flights operated by Airbus A330-900neo.
Lisbon – Miami Flight TP 225 LIS 17:35 – MIA 21:35 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday operated by Airbus A330-200.
Miami – Lisbon Flight TP 224 MIA 16:25 – LIS 05:45+1 daily flights operated on Airbus A330-900neo.
Miami – Lisbon Flight TP 226 MIA 23:25 – LIS 12:45+1 Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays operated on Airbus A330-200.
Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Beginning June 5, 2023, service to Chicago will increase from 3 to 4 weekly operations, then in the period June 6 through September 28 will offer 5 flights per week. The route will be operated on Airbus A330-900neo.
Flight Itinerary
Lisbon – Chicago Flight TP 243 LIS 17:00 – ORD 20:20 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Chicago – Lisbon Flight TP 242 ORD 22:05 – LIS 12:05+1 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
San Francisco (SFO)
As of June 6, 2023, the route to San Francisco increases from 3 to 4 flights per week, then in the period from July 8 to September 30 will increase to 5 weekly operations, all services will be operated on Airbus A330neo. The airline is the only carrier to offer non-stop flights between Portugal and the West Coast of the United States.
Flight Itinerary
Lisbon – San Francisco Flight TP 237 LIS 09:55 – SFO 14:35 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
San Francisco – Lisbon Flight TP 236 SFO 16:20 – LIS 11:25+1 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Porto (OPO) – Newark (EWR)
As of March 26, 2023, the carrier increases the Porto – Newark route from 2 to 5 weekly operations operated on Airbus A321LR and from June 1 increases again to daily flights. The Portuguese airline during the 2023 summer season will have four daily flights between Portugal and the New York metropolitan area.
A Lufthansa A340-600 in Munich. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
Lufthansa will modify its operation in Colombia for the summer season 2023, increasing its services on the Frankfurt (FRA) – Bogota (BOG) route and changing aircraft. Currently, the company is the only airline that offers non-stop flights between Germany and the South American country.
From March 26 to July 1, 2023, the airline will increase its operation from 3 to 5 flights per week on Airbus A340-300 and will offer 2,790 seats per week according to Cirium, representing a 67% increase in capacity compared to the previous season.
As of June 5, 2023, Lufthansa will switch to Airbus A340-600 aircraft and will once again offer First Class service. The company is the only company offering this product between Colombia and Europe. The company’s last scheduled operation with this aircraft to the Colombian capital was on March 22, 2020.
Flight schedule
Frankfurt – Bogota Flight LH 542 FRA 14:35 – BOG 18:55 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Bogota – Frankfurt Flight LH 543 BOG 23:30 – FRA 17:55+1 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Route details
As of July 2, the service will increase to daily flights and will have an offer of 3,934 weekly seats, recovering its pre-pandemic offer. The Airbus A340-600s that will operate on this route have capacity for 281 passengers in four classes (8 First Class/56 Business Class/28 Premium Economy/189 Economy) and promotional fares are available from EUR 539 each way.
According to data compiled by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Lufthansa mobilized 79,860 passengers in the period January – November 2022 in Colombia, a 50.7 percent recovery in passenger traffic compared to 2019 levels.
The AirlineGeeks banner placed perfectly next to the last flying Super Constellation. ( Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mike Mangano )
Perhaps, this year is best summed up by one word — lively. From the chaos of reopened airports to the incredible development of new aircraft, we certainly are finding ourselves in a new era of aviation and air travel. While the dreaded COVID-19 has not yet disappeared, it would appear that the airline industry has found a footing and begun returning to some sense of normality.
We’ve witnessed declining airline reputations, the continuing fallout of the 737 MAX fiasco, and tragedy from the war in Ukraine. But there has been some positive news; new airlines have continued to takeoff, flight frequencies have returned to pre-COVID levels, large investments have been made as the industry continues to define what the future will look like, and – of course – AirlineGeeks managed to support two major Australian air shows!
Here, then, is the year that was — 2022 in review:
January
Philippine Airlines’ new A350 (Photo: Philippine Airlines)
It was an interesting start to the year, with many nations opening up borders and airlines struggling to get back into their pre-COVID business.
Having flown its maiden flight in 1994, the Airbus A300-600ST Super Transporter — also known as the adorable and oversized Airbus BelugaST — became the world’s most unique cargo carrier as it featured one of the biggest cargo holds of any civil or military aircraft flying today in quite an unorthodox shape.
It is no surprise that 2021 was a bad year for aviation globally, however, for many players, a timid recovery began to be seen. In the case of Boeing, such recovery became visible in the last quarter but did not prevent a loss of $4.3 billion, pushed mainly by the production problems of its airplanes.
An ITA Airways Airbus A320 with the new livery named after “Fausto Coppi” at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. (Photo: ITA Airways)
According to ITA Airways, the Italian national airline offers three travel classes onboard its aircraft: Business Class on long- and medium-haul flights, Premium Economy on long-haul flights only, and Economy. However, on Dec. 26, the airline launched its new Superior Class, a service that was present in the old Italian flag carrier Alitalia but had since been eliminated. Superior Class will be available on some domestic flights, and later — after Jan. 10 — it will be available throughout the airline’s entire domestic network.
Today, Icelandic low-cost airline PLAY is announcing a new service connecting Iceland to the United States. Starting June 9, PLAY will fly between its main base at Rekjavik, Iceland’s Keflavik Airport and New York’s Stewart International Airport.
The low-cost carrier industry is about to have some major breakthrough changes, beginning with the definitive merger between two of the largest and most prominent low-cost carriers in the U.S.; the first airline merger since Alaska purchased Virgin America back in 2016.
On Tuesday, Ethiopian Airlines operated its first Boeing 737 MAX flight almost three years after regulators grounded the fleet globally — following two deadly accidents involving the aircraft.
On Feb. 14, ANA and Joby Aviation announced an agreement that will see Japan’s largest airline unite with the aerospace company to offer aerial ridesharing services to Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation has also joined the agreement — with plans to study potential topics such as ground-based mobility.
The situation on the border between Ukraine and Russia has always been very tense. To better comprehend the reasons for this war, it is necessary to understand the events of recent years.
March
A Bamboo Airways 787 departs from Hanoi for its inaugural flight to the U.S. (Photo: Bamboo Airways)
Bamboo Airways — a Vietnamese leisure carrier — hasn’t stopped expanding its route map during the pandemic. Recently, the carrier announced the launch for flight operations between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Sydney on March 30.
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues escalating, more countries are closing their airspace to Russian carriers and Russia-registered aircrafts. In return, Russia closed its airspace to those countries to retaliate.
Today there are only three Italian airlines with an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), ITA Airways, Air Dolomiti (part of the Lufthansa group) and Neos Air.
The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has recently released an airworthiness bulletin stating that “CASA has not confirmed any RA (radar altimeter) system failure from 5G interference but continues to monitor this situation.”
On the afternoon of March 21, a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 flying domestically from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed in a mountainous of Southern China. According to official sources, the aircraft had 123 passengers and 9 crew members on board flight MU5735.
April
JetBlue Airbus A321 departing London Heathrow [AirlineGeeks | James Dinsdale]
Following reports by the New York Times, JetBlue announced that it had submitted a $3.6 billion all-cash offer for Miramar, Fla.-based Spirit Airlines, putting the New York-headquartered carrier in direct competition with Frontier Airlines — the ultra-low-cost carrier with which Spirit had agreed to merge earlier this year.
This year’s Easter weekend has seen Australian airports and airlines struggle to manage the highest amount of passengers some airports have seen in over two years.
One of Europe’s busiest airports is set to have further disruption this weekend after an unannounced baggage handlers strike caused chaos last weekend.
A KLM 737-800 in Amsterdam (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
May
A rendering of Qantas’ new Airbus A350-1000, A321XLR and A220-300. (Photo: Qantas)
The Essential Air Service – or EAS – communities have been taking a major hit over the past eight months. First Boutique Air requested to terminate Jackson, Tenn. followed by Show Low, Ariz. Altoona, Penn., and Pendleton, Oregon, although the latter three were just so the carrier could get a higher subsidy and is in the process, they are planning to leave Jackson in the next month or so.
Dubai, the United Arab Emirates-based Emirates will convert six more of its Boeing 777s into freighters which will serve to provide capacity growth, according to Cargo Facts.
Airline passengers this summer can continue to expect record flight cancellations as the aviation industry wages its battle against one of the largest pilot shortages to date.
As the travel industry attempts to return to a semblance of normality after months of restrictions due to the COVID pandemic, each country tried to find its own way to deal with the situation balancing the need to protect its population in a rapidly changing health environment and the need to restart business and leisure air traffic to support the economy.
Air New Zealand unveiled its plan on Wednesday for completely redesigned cabins on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, creating a much more comfortable experience for passengers on the carrier’s long-haul flights.
An Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing in Houston. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On 30 June 2022, Etihad Airways celebrated the arrival of its new Airbus A350-1000 (one of five new Airbus A350s to join Etihad’s fleet this year) in the United States, with 371 passengers, following the inaugural commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
American Airlines has announced company-record second-quarter revenue earnings of $13.4 billion for Q2 2022. The revenue figure is a 12.2 percent increase over the same quarter in 2019, despite capacity being down 8.5 percent.
American Airlines jets on the ramp at DFW. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
August
Delta’s new Airbus A321neo. (Photo: Delta Air Lines)
Earlier this week, United announced new direct flights between Washington, DC’s Dulles Airport and Cape Town, South Africa —becoming the first airline to provide nonstop round-trip service from the United States’ capital to one of South Africa’s main gateways.
While the airline industry recovers from the drastic collapse in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines and airports worldwide are struggling to cope with the sudden uptick in demand triggered by the removal of many restrictions on international mobility.
This month, AirlineGeeks took advantage of the opportunity to review the US airline described by Forbes magazine as “top in reliability for the second year running.”
It wouldn’t be a Hawaiian air show without Hawaiian Airlines. Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mike Mangano
This past week, Emirates announced an expansion of their premium economy offering, making it available across more routes. Premium Economy was initially not a focus for the airline, but over the years its popularity has been growing and airlines have quickly come to see the dollar signs tagged to it.
Virgin Atlantic revealed images on Twitter of its freshly painted Airbus A330neo. The highly anticipated aircraft is just one of the carrier’s 16 Airbus A330-900s firm orders that were placed during the 2019 Paris Airshow.
United Airlines has requested an additional 30-day waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ahead of an Oct. 31 deadline to resume flights to Cuba.
Air travel was dead in late-2020. Airlines had slashed their schedules to fractions of 2019 levels, potential travelers had hunkered down to protect themselves from Covid-19 and airports had little to do but sit idly by.
October
Rex Finalises Purchase of National Jet Express. (Photo: Regional Express)
At its global headquarters in Montreal, Canada, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has just concluded its 41st Assembly, a global event that every three years gathers all Member States to decide the way forward for all global items involving commercial aviation.
Amazon Air, the cargo airline of Amazon.com, Inc. which operates exclusively for Amazon’s parcel transportation business, has signed a lease agreement for ten converted to freighters (P2Fs) Airbus A330-300.
Another earnings presentation, another negative result for Boeing. In recent years, the U.S. manufacturer found no way to escape this sequence, and Q3 2022 was no exception.
Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 on its maiden flight (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)
November
HARS’ Lockheed Super Constellation. Photo: Ryan Imeson
The chance to visit any air show is, of course, a delight. The opportunity to attend an air show based at an aviation museum, however, is extraordinary. That’s what makes Wings Over Illawarra so distinctly unique.
Wizz Air is among the fastest-growing European airlines in 2022. It was also recently named Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year at the inaugural Centre for Aviation Asia Aviation Summit and Sustainability Expo in Singapore and received the Europe, Middle East and Africa Environmental Sustainability Airline of the Year.
As China continues to pursue its zero-Covid-19 strategy imposing heavy restrictions on international travel and countries in East Asia continue to feel the impact of the closure of Russian air space to European and North American carriers, efforts are being made to boost commercial relationships with other Asian countries that represent viable commercial partners for Western economies.
The airline plans to be based in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the summer of 2024. Operating flights to both the United States and Canada, Fly Atlantic will look to change the narrative on ultra-low-cost transatlantic travel.
December
A United Express CRJ-200 exiting the runway in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Denver based startup Boom Supersonic announced on Tuesday that it had finally found a designer and manufacturer for the engine it hopes will power its Overture aircraft.
The week leading to Christmas is usually a very busy travel period in North America, but this year it has been made particularly chaotic by Winter Storm Elliot, an extra-tropical bomb cyclone that created blizzard conditions over large parts of the United States and Canada and wreaked havoc into airline schedules.
One Door Closes, Another Opens
It’s no lie that this year has been incredible – we’ve worked around the clock and around the globe to deliver all things airlines and aviation. We are thankful most for you — our cherished reader. This year saw us crack 60,000 followers on Twitter alone, and with all the comments and retweets, you sure know how to make us feel appreciated. Thank you.
As this year ends, we are excited for the next! We thank you for your support, and we — AirlineGeeks — look forward to delivering the very best we can.
All the best, and however you welcome 2023, be safe and keep your eyes on the skies!
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.
A New England Airline's Britten-Norman BN2 Islander landing at Block Island State Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
With all the renewed discussion on single pilot operation, it’s important to remember it is not an entirely new concept. Many commuter flights already utilize single-pilot operation, and here’s one of my experiences flying on one.
I took the flight in April 2022 from Westerly, R.I., to New Shoreham, R.I., on New England Airlines. The Westerly-based airline was the only airline serving this route. In fact, it’s the only scheduled service in either of these airports.
It’s also the only scheduled Britten Norman BN-2 Islander flight in contagious 48. Several other airlines fly the BN-2 as well. However, almost all of them are based in Puerto Rico.
The entire experience was nostalgic, unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Booking
A hand-written ticket in 2022. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Despite offering ‘scheduled services,’ the airline is in no way traditional. The only way to reserve a seat is to call the airline directly. Since my flight was at the end of spring, before their peak season, I was able to get a reservation on the day of my flight.
On top of that, you can only pay for your flight when you arrive at the airport. What’s more interesting is instead of a plain receipt from the POS machine, you also get a handwritten ticket. The last time I saw a paper ticket was in the early 2000s, not to mention a handwritten one.
Why did an airline choose not to offer conveniences such as online booking? The DOT rules on interstate services may have played a part. In previous rulings and the ongoing feud between Dash Air Shuttle and Kenmore Air, the DOT has considered online booking a form of inter-state operation, which requires the carrier to apply for an additional certificate to carry out the service. The tiny airline in Rhode Island may have chosen to keep it simple, which also enabled us to have more memorabilia.
Departure
Since Westerly State Airport does not connect to the rest of the National Air Transporation System, passengers do not go through security checkpoints. While the airport does not have separate areas for arrivals and departures, it has an indoor waiting room and an outdoor waiting area.
New England Airline’s counter at Westerly State Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Inside the terminal, you have the check-in counter and a few benches for people waiting for their flight or picking up their family and friends. It also houses a few vantage carts that hold the packages and food deliveries that would later join me on my flight.
The outdoor waiting area at Westerly State Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
The outside space lets you be within mere feet of the aircraft. Several BN-2s in New England Airlines livery were sitting on the ramp. Although the extra planes are mostly flying charters, it’s still reassuring to see their fleet out in the sun, ready to keep this vital link running.
The Flight
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander features bench style seating. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
The Islander can carry up to nine passengers with four rows of bench seating and an individual seat beside the pilot. Rather than boarding everyone through the same door, we boarded through two separate entrances on both sides of the aircraft. The rear entry on the left side provides access to the back two rows, whereas the two rows behind the pilot board through a door on the airplane’s right side. The first passenger row folds down so others can reach the middle of the plane.
The interior is by no means comfortable, not even by general aviation airplane standards. Single passengers generally need to share a bench with a stranger in the tight fuselage. There was barely any padding or insulation on the wall, so the cabin was very noisy inflight. However, I found myself appreciating that intimacy with the machine.
Despite having an abysmal cabin, it does have one of the quirkiest features I’ve seen on a plane. In addition to the overhead air vents, the Islander also has a small opening in the window. Passengers can rotate the knob on the tab to allow more airflow from the outside. You can even use it when the plane is in the air.
Both my flights had an air time of 10 minutes, so bare minimal amenities won’t be a problem. The weather was fairly calm for my flights, but it’ll certainly be a bumpy ride when it is rougher.
Seatback pocket contents include a safety card, a life vest, and a flashlight. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)Flying aboard the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Block Island
New England Airline’s counter at Block Island State Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Block island is a popular summer vacation spot in the area. People can arrive on the island via ferry, which lands at the heart of the town. New England Airlines offers a much faster alternative, although passengers need to call a cab or walk a mile and a half to the center. Many people on my flights were coming to the island for work, including several builders.
After a quick stroll to and back from town, I enjoyed a sandwich at the airport diner while watching planes come and go. Eating right next to an active ramp is a treat you can only get at small general aviation airports.
Enjoying a sandwich next to the ramp is a rare treat only available at small airports. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
What about single-pilot operation?
Many commuter flights are operated by a single pilot. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Like many other commuter flights in the country, this northeastern airline also flies their planes with a single pilot. Unlike many other flights flown by a lone pilot, the ‘cockpit’ of the BN-2 is more challenging to access by passengers sitting behind the pilot. It would seem that this would be concerning since we’ve all heard stories of passengers having to land a general aviation airplane when the pilot became incapacitated due to medical conditions. However, given how short this hop was, none of the passengers showed a remote sign of concern.
It’s always a balancing act ensuring air service safety and efficiency. In this case, a ten-minute hop over the waters has very few threatening factors which enabled the airline to continue providing service to the island. Single-pilot operation is a great way to provide important connectivity to communities that won’t otherwise have fast air transportation. It shouldn’t be just another thing the airlines do to lower their costs.
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.
Ethiopian Airlines Announces Singapore, Copenhagen As Two Latest Destinations
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landing in Brussels. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
Ethiopian Airlines is resuming services to Copenhagen on May 22 after last serving the Danish capital in 2003. The carrier plans to offer five flights per week to the city, starting on May 22, 2023. The Addis Ababa-Copenhagen Kastrup route will operate via Austria’s capital Vienna using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Copenhagen was last served by Ethiopian in October 2003, when the airline ended its one-stop routing via Frankfurt. Since joining Ethiopian’s network in 2014, Vienna has had flights continue to Stockholm; Brussels; Milan, Italy; Geneva and Marseille, France. In recent years, the carrier has served two destinations in Scandinavia, flying to Stockholm and Oslo.
At the present time, OAG data shows it operates a daily Addis Ababa-Stockholm-Oslo service using a mix of 787-9s and 777-200LRs.
The new route will also have an impact on the Vienna route as previous onward flights to the Belgian capital Brussels will no longer be used after stopping in Austria.
Ethiopian currently operates a route from Addis Ababa to Vienna to Brussels five times per week, in addition to operating twice-weekly nonstop flights from Addis Ababa to Brussels.
The addition of the Addis Ababa-to-Vienna-to-Copenhagen route will see Ethiopian end the Addis Ababa-Vienna-Brussels routing and instead operate daily nonstop flights between Addis Ababa and Brussels.
Return to Singapore
As well as making changes to its European network, Ethiopian has also confirmed plans to resume regular flights to Singapore after a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic.
From March 25, the carrier will offer a four times-weekly Addis Ababa-Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route a move that brings the Ethiopian national carrier back closer to restoring services to all pre pandemic destinations.
“The flight will further expand our network in Asia and create air connectivity for passengers travelling between Africa and Singapore,” Ethiopian Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said.
“The new flight will also facilitate trade, investment, and tourism ties between Africa and Singapore. In line with our plan for growing our network around the world, we will keep on opening new routes to enhance connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world via Addis Ababa.”
The last time the carrier operated its passenger services to Changi Airport was from June 2017 to March 2020 due to the pandemic and border closures. However, the Star Alliance airline continued to operate ad hoc cargo services using passenger aircraft.
Passenger traffic between Africa and Southeast Asia grew steadily between 2015 and 2019 pre-pandemic. More than 1.4 million passengers travelled between the Africa and South-east Asia in 2019, an increase of about 30% from 2015.
Flights from Addis Ababa to Singapore will take about ten and a half hours, while the return journey will take close to nine hours.
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.
China Eastern's flagship Boeing 777-300ER at Shanghai's Pudong Airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Albert Kuan)
After being closed for three years, China will reopen its borders on January 8, 2023, and will eliminate the mandatory quarantine requirement for entry into the country, according to reports from the South China Morning Post.
The Asian giant was the first nation to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, because of which China closed entire cities, strict quarantines, and isolation of those infected.
Provincial health authorities are already prepared to meet the management plan for the reopening of the borders, as the country will only require a 48-hour PCR test for entry into the country.
A health official from the southern Guangdong province commented that they are already in preparations to open the border with Hong Kong. “It sets the direction for China’s Covid-19 control, which is more flexible and less disruptive to people’s lives,” the official said.
The airline industry in China was severely hit since January 2020 when airlines started canceling operations in the country, international passenger traffic dropped to record lows.
Major projects such as the Beijing-Daxing International Airport (PXK) stalled due to lack of foreign operators and low demand in the domestic market, and Chengdu-Tianfu International Airport (TFU) has been left without a date due to the pandemic situation.
With the opening of China’s borders, there’s a hope for foreign airlines to soon return to the country and for domestic operators to rebuild their international network.
A Southwest Airlines 737 is deiced before takeoff in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo | Flickr - James Lee (CC BY 2.0))
The week leading to Christmas is usually a very busy travel period in North America, but this year it has been made particularly chaotic by Winter Storm Elliot, an extra-tropical bomb cyclone that created blizzard conditions over large parts of the United States and Canada and wreaked havoc into airline schedules.
Almost 20,000 flights have been canceled throughout the days before and after Christmas, and the emergency has disrupted holiday plans for millions of people that could not reach their intended destinations to celebrate the festivities.
One airline in particular has been hit very hard by the storm: Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, the progenitor of low-cost carriers around the world, has been forced to cancel over two-thirds of its schedule on Monday, Dec. 26, and according to FlightAware.com it has proactively canceled almost 60% of its flights also for Tuesday, Dec. 27, due to an unprecedented meltdown of its operations that has affected both Southwest’s Customers and Staff alike.
Flight cancelations for Tuesday, December 27, 2022 (photo | FlightAware.com)
“With consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our Customers and Employees in a significant way that is unacceptable –Southwest Airlines posted on its website on Monday – […] These operational conditions forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity.
“This safety-first work is intentional, ongoing, and necessary to return to normal reliability, one that minimizes last-minute inconveniences. We anticipate additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period. And we’re working to reach to Customers whose travel plans will change with specific information and their available options”.
The airline, therefore, expects to be forced to make many other significant adjustments to its flight schedules during the last days of 2022 and it is reasonable to believe that it will take some time before the situation can return to normality.
A Peculiar Business Model
All airlines in the United States and Canada have been affected, but no carrier was forced to cancel such a large percentage of its flights in order to cope with the extraordinary situation. In fact, the weather is only partly to blame for this disastrous breakdown of systems and procedures. CNBC reports a staff message from Southwest CEO Bob Jordan that pinpoints the Crew Scheduling system as a major culprit for the situation: “Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools,” Jordan said “We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that. And Crew Scheduling is one of the places that we need to invest in. We need to be able to produce solutions faster.”
Southwest Airlines operations follow a model that is quite unique in the airline business: while most of the major carriers in the United States operate a hub-and-spoke system, where most of the flights are operated in and out of large hubs where crews and maintenance are concentrated, Southwest operates flight very differently with aircraft and crew that follow a multi-segment schedule taking aircraft and personnel across the country in very long cycles that may be more complicated to be restored once a major external factor disrupt regular operations.
Also, until not too long ago the software tools used by Southwest Airlines for their day-to-day operations were developed in-house by the carrier to suit their own particular business model, while most of the other carriers in the United States and around the world had outsourced the development of IT solutions to specialized companies serving the entire industry with their standardized solutions.
The Texas-based carrier has even chartered buses in order to carry their passengers to their final destinations, as it has been reported by ABC11 in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Some passengers confirmed they were boarding a bus to Nashville, Tennessee, an approximately nine-hour drive, as an alternative solution arranged by Southwest Airlines after their flights had been canceled.
Vanni fell in love with commercial aviation during his undergraduate studies in Statistics at the University of Bologna, when he prepared his thesis on the effects of deregulation on the U.S. and European aviation markets. Then he pursued his passion further by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University in the U.K. followed by holding several management positions at various start-up carriers in Europe (Jet2, SkyEurope, Silverjet). After moving to Canada, he was Business Development Manager for IATA for nine years before turning to his other passion: sports writing.
Singapore Airlines Resumes Non-Stop Flights to Barcelona
Singapore’s first flight to Seattle is greeted by a water arch (Photo: AirlineGeeks
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will once again offer non-stop flights between Singapore – Changi (SIN) and Barcelona (BCN) for the 2023 summer season. Catalonian capital is the airline’s only destination in Spain.
The airline will have an offer of 1,012 seats per week on this non-stop service according to Cirium. In addition, SIA will be the only airline connecting El Prat Airport (BCN) with Southeast Asia.
Flight schedule
Singapore – Barcelona Flight SQ 388 SIN 23:35 – BCN 06:55+1 Monday and Friday.
Barcelona – Singapore Flight SQ 387 BCN 11:05 – SIN 06:00+1 Tuesday and Saturday.
Route details
The non-stop service will be available from July 3 until August 29, 2023.
In addition, the company will continue to operate to the Catalan capital via Italy with five weekly flights.
Flight itinerary
Singapore – Milan/Malpensa Flight SQ 378 SIN 23:45 – MXP 05:55+1 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Milan/Malpensa – Barcelona Flight SQ 378 MXP 07:40 – BCN 09:15 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Barcelona – Milan/Malpensa Flight SQ 377 BCN 10:40 – MXP 12:20 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Milan/Malpensa – Singapore Flight SQ 377 MXP 13:20 – SIN 08:15+1 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
All services will be operated on Airbus A350-900 aircraft with a capacity of 253 seats in three classes (42 Business Class/24 Premium Economy/187 Economy) and promotional fares are available from EUR 675 each way. The airline also offers options to connect to multiple destinations in Southeast Asia including Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Phuket, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
According to Aena Estadísticas, Singapore Airlines mobilized 47,932 passengers and 1,242.9 tons of cargo in 481 operations in Spain in the period January – November 2022.
A Lufthansa A319 coming in to land in London.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Lufthansa will start operations to Asturias (OVD) with two services from its main hubs in Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). The German airline will offer fifteen destinations in Spain.
“The arrival of Lufthansa will provide Asturias with global connectivity through the airlines of the Lufthansa Group, its partners and Star Alliance. With these two new routes, Asturias reaches 27 direct destinations in 9 countries and improves its strategic connectivity,” said Adrián Barbón, President of the Principality of Asturias.
Lufthansa will offer four weekly flights to Asturias (OVD) and passengers will have the connection to connect through more than 200 destinations offered by the company through its hubs in Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), thus reinforcing the global connectivity of the region.
Flight schedule
Services to Frankfurt (FRA) set to start on April 23, 2023.
Frankfurt – Asturias Flight LH 1552 FRA 13:40 – OVD 16:10 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Asturias – Frankfurt Flight LH 1553 OVD 17:00 – FRA 19:35 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The route will be operated on Airbus A319 aircraft and promotional fares are available from EUR 147 each way.
Operations to Munich (MUC) start on April 29, 2023.
This service will be operated by Lufthansa Cityline Airbus A319 aircraft and promotional fares are available from EUR 157 each way.
Lufthansa in Spain
According to Aena Estadísticas, Lufthansa between the period January – November 2022 has mobilized 3,772,739 passengers and 3,296.2 tons of cargo in Spain in 24,715 air operations. This represents a recovery of 84% and 59.3% in passenger and cargo traffic respectively compared to 2019 levels.
By May 2023, Lufthansa will offer services in Spain to Alicante (ALC), Barcelona (BCN), Bilbao (BIO), Fuerteventura (FUE), Ibiza (IBZ), Gran Canaria (LPA), Madrid (MAD), Malaga (AGP), Menorca (MAH), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Santiago de Compostela (SCQ), Seville (SVQ), Tenerife – South (TFS), Valencia (VLC) and Asturias (OVD).
Increased international connectivity in Asturias
With Lufthansa’s new services from Munich (MUC) and Frankfurt (FRA), Asturias (OVD) will have twelve international non-stop operations by the 2023 summer season and services to three cities in Germany will be available.
Asturias’ international network also offers destinations to Brussels – Charleroi (CRL), Dublin (DUB), London – Stansted (STN), Rome – Fiumicino (FCO), Düsseldorf – Weeze (NRN), Milan – Bergamo (BGY), Lisbon (LIS), London – Gatwick (LGW), Amsterdam (AMS) and Paris – Orly (ORY).
On December 14 Iberojet begins operations between Madrid (MAD) and Tegucigalpa/Comayagua (XPL). This is the first non-stop connection from Europe to Palmerola International Airport (XPL) and the leisure airline’s second destination in Central America.
Flight EVE 867, operated in an Airbus A350 registered with the registration EC-NGY, took off from Adolfo Suarez International Airport (MAD) at 17:55 local time to Palmerola International Airport (XPL).
The airline of the Ávoris group will offer 1,728 weekly seats between Spain and Honduras, Iberojet will be the company with the largest capacity in this market, surpassing Air Europa.
“We will soon make it possible for our passengers not only to fly with us to Palmerola, but also to use Palmerola to connect to other points in the region, such as the fantastic island of Roatan,” said Paul Verhagen, CEO of Iberojet.
According to Aena Estadísticas, 52,461 passengers and 1,603.3 tons of cargo were mobilized in the period January – November 2022 between Madrid (MAD) and Honduras in 188 operations.
Flight Itinerary
Madrid – Tegucigalpa/Comayagua Flight EVE 867 MAD 14:00 – XPL 17:55 Wednesday and Saturday.
Tegucigalpa/Comayagua – Madrid Flight EVE 868 XPL 20:00 – MAD 12:45+1 Wednesday and Saturday.
Flights will be operated in Airbus A350-900 aircraft with a capacity of 432 passengers in a single configuration and promotional fares are available from USD 850 round trip.
With Iberojet’s new service, Spain will be connected to two destinations in Honduras, doubling the number of seats available between the two countries. In addition, the Spanish leisure airline is the eighth airline to offer service at Palmerola International Airport (XPL).
“I’m honored to be part of this inaugural flight between Madrid and Palmerola, which reflects that confidence is being generated to attract foreign investment to our country,” said Marlon Brevé Reyes, Ambassador of Honduras to Spain.
For this northern winter season, Iberojet will offer services from Madrid (MAD) to Cancun (CUN), Havana (HAV), Punta Cana (PUJ), Santiago de Cuba (SCU), San Jose de Costa Rica (SJO) and Tegucigalpa/Palmerola (XPL).
Flight schedule between Honduras and Spain
According to Cirium, as of December between both nations there will be an offer of 2,998 weekly seats, which represents an increase of 136% compared to the previous month.
Tegucigalpa/Palmerola (XPL): two flights per week operated by Iberojet
San Pedro Sula (SAP): two weekly flights operated by Air Europa in Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
