The airline will be expanding its current service at Denver Boulder Airport, the second airport in the city to have commercial airline service after the much larger Denver Intl. JSX is currently the only airline to offer flights out of Denver/Boulder Airport, also known as Rocky Mountain Metro Airport or RMMA , the last airline to serve RMMA before JSX was Denver Air Connection before they moved all of their flights to Denver Intl. in 2017.
At the present point in time, JSX operates four daily flights into and out of RMMA, with two of them heading to each Burbank and Dallas Love Field on most days of the week. The new destinations they have announced from the secondary Denver airport include Las Vegas and Phoenix Sky Harbor. Flights to both new cities start on November 3rd, 2022, and with each occurring five times a week, operating on Thursdays through Mondays.
All flights are scheduled to operate using the airlines Embraer E135s or E145s, both of which feature 30-seats.
Executive 1×1 seating on the carriers Embraer jets (Photo: JSX)
This is a major accomplishment for the airline as they only started operating in Denver as a whole in August of 2022, showing that the bookings have done very well for the city into the future doubling the number of destinations and flights a week from the city.
Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.
U.S. Carriers Seek to Capitalize on Additional Cuba Flights
An American A321 in Charlotte. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
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. Reuters reports that the airline has been faced with challenges to relaunch the service that was suspended at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to the news organization United has to “undertake significant work including re-negotiating multiple contracts with service providers that have lapsed, building out necessary infrastructure in Terminal 3 at Havana, Cuba’s airport where United is being relocated.” Prior to March 2020, the airline was operating a total of seven flights each week to the island from Newark, N.J. and Houston, T.X.
News of United’s extension request for Cuba flights comes during a week when the current U.S. administration agreed to increase flights between the two countries. Under the former administration of President Trump flights to Cuba were restricted after flight bans had been lifted under President Obama. At the time of the imposition of restrictions Trump administration Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited “support of the Cuban people” and “the foreign policy interests of the United States” as the rationale.
The announcement of increased services to Cuba comes in the same week as President Joe Biden’s administration confirmed Wednesday that the United States Embassy in Cuba will begin processing full immigrant visas early next year. Florida Politics quotes Ambassador Brian Nichols, the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, saying, “Supporting the Cuban people and Cuban-American families remains a top U.S. priority.”
Visa processing for Cuban citizens was paused in September 2017 and this week’s announcement will be positive news for U.S. airlines wishing to capitalize on the significant visiting friends and relatives market (VFR).
American Airlines has been granted an additional 13 weekly departures from Miami, and JetBlue will have a weekly departure from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The flights are in addition to six daily American Airlines flights and three JetBlue flights on weekdays to Havana, Cuba from Miami and Fort Lauderdale typically operated. USDOT has determined that both airlines must commence the additional flights by the middle of December.
Reuters also reported that the lifting of a ban on flights to smaller Cuban airports had been of interest to American Airlines. According to the article, American had sought approval in July to operate flights from Miami to Santa Clara, Holguin, Matanzas/Varadero and Santiago de Cuba, in Cuba.
At the time of lodging, the request with the U.S. DOT American stated that the flights “will enhance service and access between the U.S. and these non-Havana points, after more than two years during which such service was suspended.”
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.
A Qantas Boeing 787 departing LAX. (AirlineGeeks | James Dinsdale)
It is high time we address the elephant in the room: Qantas is its own worst enemy. From Australian icons to domestic disasters, the demise of Qantas has seen the airline assign blame to everything (and everyone) except itself. It’s little wonder, then, that the Flying Kangaroo is incapable of resolving its many issues — it cannot see that the wound in its foot is self-inflicted.
To be clear, this is not to say that all of Qantas is at fault here. The unsung heroes of the post-pandemic world are truly the nameless thousands of airline staff, many of whom are the flight crews and ground staff of Qantas. For many years, Australia’s flag carrier had a reputation of being the finest in the world, and just to get a job with Qantas was an achievement in itself. To fly for Qantas was to have joined the elite of aviators, the top percentage of the top percent. Heck, John Travolta would be your wingman!
Reflecting on its safety record, who could argue with the classic Rain Man scene? When Charlie says “Ray, all airlines have crashed at one time or another, but that doesn’t mean that they are not safe”, Raymond responds with “QANTAS. QANTAS never crashed.” To their credit, Qantas has never crashed — not yet.
To be fair, these are two very big ticks in two very big boxes for an airline. But it is the third box, alone and empty, which explains why Qantas will continue to slide down the dismal hill of disaster – the customer service box.
There is great irony in Qantas’ slogan, ‘the Spirit of Australia’. It’s the spirit that keeps Qantas aloft (or so it would believe with wishful thinking), and it’s all but absent from what was once Australia’s favorite airline. For an airline to claim itself as the personification of a national spirit — the spirit of its customer base — Qantas sure knows how to add injury to its insulted customers. Oh yes, literally insulted customers.
“Qantas sure knows how to add injury to its insulted customers.”
Proof that the first cut is the deepest, the rift began when airline CEO Alan Joyce suggested that its paying passengers were not “match fit” for travel. He might as well just call them stupid. For a time, it seemed that maybe all the delays and lost baggage were simply symptomatic of newly opened borders, but then that time ended.
Stage two began when the Australian Federal Court ruled that Australia’s largest airline illegally outsourced 2000 ground staff. Suddenly, it appeared the delays and lost baggage were caused, not by stupid passengers, but by the airline itself. Reinforcing the fact that its issues are the result of its own actions, the airline sent out managers and executives to aid in the logistical nightmare it had created. In keeping with its slogan, this suggested that “the spirit” of Qantas’ customer base had a thing for not arriving in Los Angeles despite the fact that the baggage had arrived.
For Australians who’ve long loved their airline, frustration has evolved into anger, and it seems those flames just blaze with whatever Qantas does next.
In an effort to save face, Joyce addressed the media to apologize. Stating that the airline hasn’t been “good enough,” he extended an apology, but quickly pointed the finger elsewhere, stating “while factors out of our control like weather can have an impact on our schedule, we expect things to keep improving each week.”
If things like “the weather” have been truly to blame, we are witnessing the supernatural: with a cancellation rate of 4.7% compared to competitor Regional Express’ 0.8% for August 2022, it would suggest that it storms only when Qantas flights are due to fly. The last time this writer checked, TRegional Express and Qantas both use the same airports.
The Airline’s Reputation
With the airline evading responsibility with only a token apology, it seems it was only willing to promise a “plan” to return Qantas to its former glory, and an all but meaningless Frequent Flyers offer of $50 towards a return flight from Australia or New Zealand. The airline would be lucky if the offer was taken up. Painfully for many, Joyce’s apology statement fails to mention anything about the return of over $1 billion Australian Dollars it withheld from passengers with canceled flights.
As Qantas continues its evasive behavior, shying away from any genuine accountability, it has continued to prove it really has no care for its customer base. Little wonder, then, that its competitors – such as Rex – are thriving in the wake of Qantas’ disaster. Commenting on Qantas’ lack of customer service, Rex Deputy Chairman John Sharp AM stated: “Contrary to what other carriers want you to believe, shocking reliability and equally appalling customer service is not an inevitable outcome even in today’s very challenging environment,” adding that “we (Rex) are able to keep our OTP and cancellation rate close to pre-COVID levels.”
It is a statement that, despite coming from a competitor, is not without merit. The real spirit of any airline is its internal culture, and it’s no surprise that Qantas’ is unraveling into a mess. A recent report by Australia’s ABC found that staff within the airline “described a ruthless regime of cost-cutting and out-sourcing.” This is no lie.
The issues within Qantas’ culture began to show with news of flight crew having to sleep on rows of seats. Love them or not, Australia’s aviation fatigue laws require flight crew to have adequate rest and stop over time between flights. With these laws come, you guessed it, the added expense of accommodation, and so it was no real surprise to see Qantas was hiring staff from New Zealand in what seemed an effort to bypass these requirements. Evidently, so this culture would suggest, profits come before safety.
It’s worth noting that the culture of an airline is directly connected to its performance. Comparing Qantas cancellations to that of Hawaiian Airlines — an airline whose home base had similarly strict COVID lockdowns as Australia — the difference is massive. In June 2022, Qantas saw a 7.5% cancellation rate, while Hawaiian had canceled just 0.11% of its flights.
This writer’s recent review of Hawaiian found its positive company culture to be both a positive customer experience and positive safety culture. It’s a sobering analysis.
The numbers don’t lie; the issues Qantas faces are entirely the result of it having shot itself in the foot. For all its talk of ‘Operation Sunrise’, new fleet purchases and promises to improve, the evidence — presented by itself — seriously questions if it values its slogan. Qantas’ pomp of being the one airline to connect the abroad Australian with his home, using its rich Aussie heritage as its backbone, it finds itself wanting. Perhaps Qantas ought to buy a new mirror before a new fleet — it might even be tax deductible!
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.
(Photo: Anna Zvereva via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Austral,_F-OLRC,_Boeing_787-8_Dreamliner_(49589490037).jpg)
The rescue Air Austral — a French airline based in the country’s Indian Ocean territory of Réunion — will not go through a merger with Corsair, also in great financial difficulty after the health crisis, and strongly defended by the French government but fiercely rejected by the elected representatives of the Reunion regional council.
The airline’s restructuring now lies in the hands of Brussels as it submitted a restructuring plan, including a fresh cash injection of 55 million euros ($54 million), to the European Commission for approval.
“Our restructuring plan has just been notified to the European Commission by the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring (CIRI),” Joseph Brema, CEO of the struggling Reunionese airline, announced on Friday in a letter to his collaborators. Agence France-Presse obtained a copy of the letter.
Air Austral lost three quarters of its customers in 2020-2021. At the end of 2021, its debt reached 161 million euros, in addition to 55 million lent by its shareholders, a total greater than its annual turnover at the time.
The State, for its part, guaranteed several loans and granted rescue aid. Public aid has received the green light from the European Commission, provided that the Reunion airline restructures.
Air Austral, which employed 848 people at the end of 2021, is currently 99% owned by a semi-public company, Sematra, bringing together, in particular the Réunion region (73.5%), Caisse des dépôts (13.6%), and the department (11.4%).
A Clear Set of Goals
According to Joseph Brema, who took office in June, the plan sent to Brussels on Sept. 16 is comprised of three parts: A commitment by Reunionese investors to contribute 55 million euros to the capital; a debt restructuring project, which is discussed with creditors and still needs to be approved by a commercial court and a commercial strategy.
“I remain, like our current reference shareholder Sematra, optimistic about the follow-up that will be given,” said Joseph Brema, saying he hoped “a rendering of the decision [in] the current [of] the first half of October.”
This intervention by Reunionese investors now rules out the possibility of a merger between Air Austral and its competitor Corsair, qualified at the end of 2021 as a possible ‘option’ by the Minister of Public Accounts at the time, Olivier Dussopt.
Air Austral serves several destinations in the Indian Ocean and mainland France from Reunion and operates ten aircraft: three Boeing 777s, two Boeing 787s for long-haul flights, three Airbus A220s for medium- and long-haul routes, and two Boeing 737s for medium-haul destinations.
Brussels must now examine the file and validate it, amend it or reject it by mid-October, ensuring that it complies with the public aid system. The restructuring file of the company and its debt retains the takeover of the company by a dozen private shareholders from Réunion.
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.
Parked Boeing 737 MAX jets at Boeing Field, most of which destined to Chinese carriers. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Despite all the hype built up around the two COMAC C919s that flew from Shanghai to Beijing last week, the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) — the country’s civil aviation regulator — did not award the plane its type certificate (TC) on Sept. 19. Regulators typically don’t set target dates for milestones. However, many have speculated the date since it coincides with the plane’s designation.
The next significant date on the calendar would be Oct. 1, the National Day of China. The country has been keen to show off its achievements at its annual celebration. Therefore, it would not be surprising if the original target was to have the new aircraft awarded it TC just before the National Day.
Now that the certification of the first C919 seems imminent, will the Boeing 737 MAX finally return to Chinese skies?
Mixed Feelings at Boeing
One of the Shanghai Airlines 737 MAX in storage at Paine Field Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
Boeing might be the biggest beneficiary of the C919 certification. Due to the complicated political environment, many have speculated that CAAC wouldn’t recertify the 737 MAX until it certifies the C919. Once the country’s ruling party can claim the win for its domestic-built airplane’s certification, it could open the doors for Boeing and let its airline customers in China start growing their MAX fleets again.
The Boeing Zhoushan factory expects the situation to change. Boeing ferried its first post-grounding 737 MAX to China in March. However, the airplane did not arrive at the factory until late July due to technical issues and Covid-19-related restrictions. In August, Boeing China’s President also stated that the Zhoushan 737 Completion and Delivery Center is “ready for the resumption of the 737 MAX delivery in China.”
A Turn for the Worse
However, much geopolitical tension still remains, a fact that could hinder the 737 MAX from returning to Chinese skies. The pressure hit a climax after U.S. Speaker of the House Nacy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August. In the month following, Boeing announced it would start removing engines from its Chinese Operators’ inventories to support new productions. Concerns are also growing about the effect of strict Covid-19 restrictions on domestic traffic growth.
On Sept. 15, Boeing CEO David Calhoun suggested the company would begin remarketing airplanes earmarked for the Chinese Operators. Due to the grounding, China-bound 737 MAXs account for over half of the 290 aircraft on hand. The Chicago-based company expressed unwillingness to sit on the inventories indefinitely.
According to surprising new information from the CAAC on September 20, the two parties met on the day before Boeing’s Sept. 15 statement. The timing cast some doubt on the substance of Calhoun’s threat, but it’s clear the manufacturer is getting impatient. It’s also possible that CAAC only released the statement to lower the tension in response.
Operators Quietly Reworking the MAX
Despite the recent revelation, airlines appear to be optimistic in the months leading up to September. Three airlines have started flexing 737 MAXs that stayed grounded even after completing rework at the start of the year. In addition, two airlines have only recently started reworking their 737 MAXs for service.
According to social media posts, on Aug. 19, Xiamen Airlines completed rework on one of their 737-8s, registration B-1288. The all-Boeing airline spent 3,500 man-hours in getting the plane ready and ferried it to its home airport, Xiamen Xiang’an International Airport, on Aug. 20. However, it flew the same aircraft back to its storage location on Aug. 31. The plane made a short hop to its Fuzhou, China hub before continuing to Yinchuan, China, where the aircraft was stored for the past three years.
Flight track of a Shandong Airlines Boeing 737-8 ferry flight. (Photo: Variflight)
According to the Chinese flight tracking service Variflight, Shandong Airlines also moved one of its 737 MAXs last month. The aircraft carries registration number B-1120, first flew on Aug. 15 from Linyi, China, to its hub at Jinan, China. It subsequently made three roundtrips between Jinan and Linyi on Aug. 26, Sept. 5 and Sept. 17. The Jinan-based airline had to lease five used 737 NGs in 2021 due to the grounding of the 737 MAX. Therefore the official ungrounding would be well-received by the all-Boeing airline.
However, there is no definitive signal in the public domain that the plane will return to commercial service soon. While it’s a positive sign that more operators started getting the MAX ready, it won’t be a surprise if the CAAC keeps the Boeing jet grounded until C919 starts commercial service.
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.
Cathay Pacific Reports Higher Passenger Demand, Continues to Experience Hindrances
Cathay Pacific's special "Spirit of Hong Kong" aircraft in Düsseldorf.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
After two and half years of the pandemic, Cathay Pacific Airways continues to experience the effects of travel disruptions and restrictions. Hong Kong’s flag carrier has revealed its latest travel figure for August, carrying a total of 253,901 passengers — an increase of 87.6 percent, compared to the same time last year. However, the number showed a 91.3 percent decrease, compared to the pre-pandemic level in August 2019.
Also, the carrier carried 104,851 tonnes of cargo for August — a decrease of 15.6 percent compared to August 2021.
While the increase was attributed to the government has lifted the travel restriction last month, travelers coming from overseas need to comply with a so-called “3+4 model”, facing quarantine in a specific hotel for three days, followed by medical surveillance at home for four days, instead of quarantining for seven days as previously enforced. As a result of the new policies, the airline has seen an uptick in inbound traffic, especially from the U.S., Canada and Europe.
However, the pandemic is far from over, Cathay Pacific has been experiencing turbulence, operating at 16 percent of the pre-pandemic level last month and the load factor was close to 69 percent. In addition, the airline is forecasted to operate about one-third of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of the year due to “other operational complexities”.
In the meantime, Hong Kong International Airport handled 479,000 passengers in August, recording year-on-year growth of 116.3 percent, compared to August 2021. However, the latest figure was still significantly below to pre-pandemic level. The international hub recorded 6 million passengers in August 2019.
“Transit traffic between the Americas and Southeast Asia and India is anticipated to be strong, while traffic between Australia, New Zealand and other parts of our network is also expected to increase,” Ronald Lam, Chief Customer and Commercial of the airline said.
In spite of the border hasn’t been fully opened, the carrier believed the demand will remain solid in the fourth quarter.
“We intend to add about 200 pairs of passengers flights in October, primarily to regional destinations such as Osaka, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Manila, Philippines, and also to long-haul destinations such as Vancouver, Canada, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia,” Lam added.
Lift the Travel Restrictions soon?
Hong Kong is best known for its strict travel restrictions since the pandemic and the rules leave the carrier behind. However, Cathay Pacific is seeing a silver lining. It is widely rumored that the government could lift the travel restrictions by November. According to the media, the Hong Kong government could announce the new policy as soon as this week. It is expected the quarantine rules could be scrapped and implement a new “0+7 model” instead of “3+4 model”. The travelers coming from overseas could avoid quarantining and only make a self-monitoring for seven days.
Hawaiian Airlines and its A330 aircraft (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)
When reviewing an airline, it’s easy to focus on what appears to the eyes. Obviously, it includes presentation, comfort and that all-important reliability. After all, airlines exist for the simple reason of rapid transportation at an affordable price. However, as the informed reader is surely aware, airline performance is inseparably dependent on something deeper than what is seen – the inner structure that props up the smiling faces of the flight crew.
As previously highlighted by the preceding article, Hawaiian Airlines scores high in its visible performance. This time around, Airline Geeks wanted to see what is behind the obvious; the clockwork inside that makes Hawaiian Airlines tick. The answer reveals a culture that is crafted with its own people in mind and offers clear evidence that a happy workforce is key to a happy customer. Sounds similar to that age-old adage about a happy life…
Goodbye, Paradise!
To leave Hawaii is to leave paradise behind, but thankfully one can cling to the last strands of the holiday state as they depart home. After checking in at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Airline Geeks was granted access to Hawaiian Airlines’ ‘Plumeria Lounge’. The premium lounge, located above the main terminal, offers guests an easy place to relax before departure.
Plumeria Lounge, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
Upon entry, we were met with a warm ‘aloha’ from extremely friendly staff who quickly found our names and led us to the seating of our choice. With a warm atmosphere, the quiet lounge is well suited to the business traveler, with great internet speed and ample power points for charging electrical devices. The tinted windows mean that while there is clear visibility of the sky above, glare is not a bother for the passenger, although the view is best suited to those who prefer to look at what flies above. There is no view of the apron, instead replacing the scenery with a carpark, air conditioning systems, plant rooms and a cute green golf cart.
The acoustics within the lounge are well insulated, with commercial carpet tiles and acoustic ceiling tiles to minimize excessive echoing. Added to this comfort are some plush lounge chairs and coffee tables, but these are also complemented with dining settings. Speaking of dining, the buffet menu was simple yet varied. The corn chowder was hot and ready to go, but for this sweet-toothed writer, the raspberry pastry proved to be a delightful choice. Along with some fruit, chicken kaarage and yakisoba broadened the horizon for the traveler who prefers a fuller belly before the flight.
Plumeria Lounge, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
Drinks were not forgotten; the usual soft drinks were available (the reader most likely knows it as soda, but it will always be a soft drink to me), along with a selection of Maui beers and Californian wine. For those yet to fully awaken from their slumber, there is an endless supply of Lion Coffee from the urns located next to the food. For those wanting a fancier option, or who are Australian coffee snobs (ie. this guy), there is an automated espresso machine offering all the comforts that a cappuccino can bring.
Hygiene scores extremely high at the Plumeria Lounge, with restrooms and the lounge under the constant scrutiny of cleaners. Like first responders, they are extremely quick to remove mess, disinfect, and ensure a comfortable toilet experience. The importance of hygiene is certainly not lost on the guest. Staff, while incredibly caring, display Hawaiian hospitality all the while ensuring adequate social distancing and capacity limits are respected. The latter was most appreciated and kept the claustrophobia at bay.
The Culture Behind the Comfort
Friendly welcomes aboard Hawaiian Airlines’ flights are standard, but that warmth was particularly noticeable on the flight to Sydney. Flight attendants demonstrated exceptional care and patience, despite the fact that one passenger (there’s always one) demanded they access their stored bags in the locker during taxi for takeoff. In both conflict resolution and general comfort, the crew of attendants demonstrated impeccable – and genuinely sincere – customer care. That led this inquisitive writer to wonder: what was behind this service?
Despite the rather late departure, another symptom of a global staff shortage, AirlineGeeks was impressed with the lack of outwardly visible frustration from both the pilots and attendants. The cheerful chirpiness of the crew is clear evidence of a company culture that focuses on more than just profit.
During the flight, this avid coffee drinker took the chance to get a caffeine top-up, as well as the opportunity to get a better understanding of the airline’s culture. After spilling half a cup of coffee (definitely proof I needed a coffee), I met Cal, a long-time flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines. During our chat, I was pleasantly surprised to hear just how much Hawaii’s flag carrier values its staff. Hawaiian truly has a focus on employee satisfaction, offering a great deal of flexibility for their workforce, and as such ensuring a fair balance of work and life.
These views, not unique among the many airline employees, highlight the value of prioritizing employee satisfaction. It’s little wonder that, despite the delays and headaches caused by staff shortages, Hawaiian Airlines is able to deliver such genuine customer care to its passengers – regardless of class in flight.
While there is a heavy load on those attendants who deal with a variety of passengers, each with their own diverse backgrounds, it’s obvious that the people flying the ship have an even greater responsibility. I wanted to know how the demand for pilots affected this airline.
After speaking to Captain Bob Scott, I was able to gain further appreciation for the culture within the airline. While there are notable occasions when barriers between captains and first and second officers have resulted in serious safety concerns, Captain Scott revealed that many pilots within Hawaiian play an active role in instructing and evaluating. Those instructors, not necessarily determined by seniority alone, can at times be younger than the ones being evaluated.
For this writer, there was an immediate benefit here alone. This culture means a breaking down of the barriers that sometimes exist between senior and junior pilots, and in turn, a safer cockpit where communication can freely flow.
A spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines told Airline Geeks, “Nearly 20 percent of our 950-plus pilot force (which continues to grow) help us in various training capacities. Instructing or evaluating is entirely optional for pilots who meet our qualifications”, adding that “we strive to provide a positive, supportive and safe work environment that is reflective of Hawaiian Airlines’ purpose and values – mālama (to care), lōkahi (unity), poʻokela (excellence) and hoʻokipa (hospitality). Forbes recently named Hawaiian Airlines the Top Employer in the State of Hawaiʻi, and we attribute that success to each of our 7,000-plus employees, who consistently demonstrate a high level of care and dedication to their teammates and our guests.”
Beyond the Call of Duty
On landing in Sydney, this incredible team –an isolated element of a great airline – demonstrated just how impressive Hawaiian is. On departure from the aircraft, we were awarded the chance to further chat through Sydney’s duty-free shops, and they even helped us navigate better through our home airport. Impressive indeed: end of their shift, they still extended their assistance and care.
Reviewing Hawaiian Airlines, it is clear that the secret to a great airline lies beneath the uniform. It is not the fleet that defines customer experience, but the people. Those employees – the airline’s spirit and core – can only truly shine if the culture creates positivity. That, indeed, is what makes Hawaiian great.
True, Hawaiian may be limited in destination for this Australian writer, but it deserves a place among the world’s best airlines. If ever in need of a touch of Hawaiian paradise, this writer is convinced it can be tasted from the moment he boards Hawaiian Airlines.
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.
Amsterdams Schiphol Airport - Departures 3 (photo by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport -
(PHOTO AND COPYRIGHT ROGER CREMERS
The summer of problems and delays that has been plaguing travelers all around the world, especially in Europe, shows no sign of fading away. Even as the official end of the summer in the northern hemisphere is quickly approaching and will come in just a few days, some airports are still experiencing the knock-on effects of their inability to keep up with air travel recovery in the post-pandemic world.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the most important airport in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe as well as the main hub for Dutch flag carrier KLM has been experiencing delays, cancelations and very long wait times for its passengers since last spring, and during this last week, it has known one of its worst days so far.
On Monday, September 12, the airport requested airlines to cancel flights between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. due to labor shortages. “After weeks of improvement, Schiphol did not expect to have to take these measures. Employees in the terminal are working as hard as they can to ensure that everyone can travel today, but unfortunately, there is a chance that travelers will miss their flight due to long waiting times,” the airport said in a statement as reported by Reuters.
A few days later the airport notified the airlines and the traveling public they will be reducing daily passenger numbers by 18% until October 31, and this is due to the same labor shortages that caused the extraordinary measure of September 12 and that mainly concerns the number of security agents available to staff entry points.
Photos of passengers in line outside the passenger terminal at Schiphol were reported by newspapers around the world as the airport is also establishing strict check-in guidelines for passengers: those wishing to travel on flights departing Schiphol and showing up at the airport more than four hours before their departure time will be turned away, but those arriving later than that may actually risk not making their flights.
CEO Resigns Following More Labor Shortages
Just before the weekend started the CEO of Schiphol Airport Dick Benschop decided to step down from his role with immediate effect, although he agreed to remain in charge until a successor could be selected. ”A lot of attention, and criticism, has been directed towards the way in which Schiphol is tackling the problems and my responsibility as CEO,” he said as reported by Flightglobal.
” On my own initiative, I am giving Schiphol the space to make a new start. I do not want the attention on me as an individual to become an obstacle for Schiphol. I have done my very best, but we’re not there yet. I hope that things improve soon. I love Schiphol. Managing this company was a great honor.”
Passenger statistics show that Amsterdam Schiphol handled approximately 5.3 million passengers last August, which represents a 40% increase over 2021, but it is still 21% below the pre-pandemic level. The Dutch Government is also in the process to implement a law that would require a 12% cut on the number of flights to tackle noise pollution around the area.
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.
ITA Airways aircraft at Rome Fiumicino Airport. (Photo: ITA Airways)
In recent days, consultants from the Italian government’s ministry have been sorting out draft contracts for the final sale of Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways. As already known, it had been announced on Aug. 31 that it had been chosen by the Italian government to go ahead with an exclusive negotiation with the consortium formed by Certares, a U.S. private capital company, Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM.
For this reason, ITA Airways reopened on September 16 its Data Room, which holds the Italian airline’s most confidential documents. Entering was Certares, the U.S. fund that is exclusively negotiating and also a group of experts in international shipping routes from the U.S. company Delta Airlines.
According to the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”, the two counterparts have already exchanged drafts of the two final divestment contracts, namely the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) and the Shareholders’ agreement (Sha), which regulates relations between shareholders.
However, despite these very concrete demonstrations of interest, the general elections on September 25 and the formation of a new government in October are imminent deadlines that should not be underestimated. Certares, Delta, and Air France-KLM have allowed the Italian state to have 45 percent of ITA’s shares (as opposed to MSC-Lufthansa, which would leave no more than 20 percent), meaning the Italian state would retain two of the five board members with broad veto powers over strategic decisions and the ability to appoint the airline’s president. The shareholding structure would then consist of Certares with 40.1 percent, Air France-KLM with 9.9 percent and Delta with 5 percent, and 45 percent the Italian government as the majority shareholder.
The election of the new Italian government in October represents the deadline for the sale of ITA Airways, since if it is passed, it would mean having to start over, or even blow up the privatization.
Another factor forcing an accelerated timetable is rising fuel prices. ITA Airways about a week ago announced that there may be cash flow problems in November, which if not resolved in time, will make it impossible to face the coming season.
If fuel prices rise another 20 percent and if the pandemic situation deteriorates further, restricting travel and thus air travel, the matter could become critical. Apparently, by December, the cash level could fall below the 100 million safety threshold, becoming unsustainable. For the next winter season, between 100 and 150 million will be needed.
The Certares fund, noting the Italian flag carrier’s cash flow difficulties, has taken precautions with a “price adjustment” mechanism, that is, if ITA Airways’ accounts turn out to be less solid it will pay less money for the acquisition.
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.
An Air New Zealand 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)
This past weekend saw Air New Zealand launch nonstop flights from Auckland to New York City, ushering in nonstop service from New York to New Zealand.
There’s much excitement around the launch, it was first announced in 2019 with the expectation that the first flights would start in October of 2020. Unfortunately, a few months into 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic upturned international travel and Air New Zealand stopped nearly all international flights. The country then effectively isolated itself from most of the world in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19 within its borders.
The country since then has relaxed these travel restrictions and international travel is resuming at a steady pace. Over a dozen international routes have resumed service or will shortly resume service. The airline is planning on having 100 percent of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity and 75 percent of international capacity back in service by the end of 2022.
The flight will operate three times a week using Boeing 787 aircraft with blocked flight times of around 16 hours from Auckland to New York and around 17 hours on the way back. This has the flight clocking in as the fourth longest flight in the world.
Qantas Wants to Fight
It’s not all rainbows and ponies for Air New Zealand though. Qantas has come out swinging with its return to international travel and has taken a direct hit at Air New Zealand by also announcing nonstop service between Auckland and New York.
The Qantas flight is expected to launch in June of 2023 as am ICAO 5th freedom flight. QF 3 will begin in Sydney with a short hop to Auckland before continuing onwards to New York. QF 4 will run in the opposite direction. Qantas is shopping the flight as both a nonstop flight between Auckland and New York and a one-stop set up to get from Australia to New York given that Qantas operates nearly a dozen flights from Australia to Auckland allowing for easy connectivity to New York from most places in Australia.
This is enough to be a thorn in the side of Air New Zealand for a while as Qantas works through Project Sunrise which is expected to materialize in 2025. The plan here is to make almost any city in the world just one flight away from the East Coast of Australia. So far, the first expected flights will be nonstop flights from the East Coast of Australia to New York and London. Paris and Frankfurt are under consideration, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
It’s expected that the nonstop flight from Auckland to New York on Air New Zealand will be successful, even with direct competition from Qantas. Air New Zealand already flies to several U.S. destinations and while a direct competitor on a route will pose a challenge it most likely won’t significantly hinder plans Air New Zealand has for the route.
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.
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