A Volaris Airbus A320 taxiing at the carrier’s hub at Tijuana International Airport in Mexico. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Albert Kuan)
Volaris — the Mexican ultra-low-cost airline — ended 2021 as the main carrier in Mexico by transporting the largest number of passengers more than Aeroméxico and Viva Aerobus.
Volaris transported 7.3 million passengers in the last quarter of 2021, increasing by 27% compared to the same quarter of 2020. Domestic passengers and international increased 29% and 19%, respectively.
For the full year 2021, Volaris reported an operating income of more than $2.09 billion, representing an increase of 29% compared to 2019 levels. This performance demonstrates Volaris’ ability to increase its offer, while improving load factors and unit revenue, despite the changing environment of demand throughout the year — due to the different COVID-19 waves and variants.
During 2021’s fourth quarter, the ultra-low-cost Volaris added seven new Airbus A320neos aircraft to its fleet.
At the end of 2021, the Volaris fleet was made up of 101 aircraft: 6 Airbus A319s, 79 Airbus A320s and 16 Airbus A321s — with an average age of 5.4 years.
On November 15, 2021, Volaris signed a new purchase order with Airbus for 39 A321neo aircraft. In addition, the ultra-low-cost carrier agreed with Airbus to convert 20 aircraft from its contract current order from A320neo to Airbus A321neos.
This year things have started just as they ended last year, with Volaris leading the Mexican aviation market with 2.3 million passengers carried in January: 1.86 million in domestic operations and 481,000 in international. Viva Aerobus carried 1.45 million passengers, with 1.27 million in domestic and 185,000 in international, and finally, Aeroméxico transported 1.27 million passengers in January.
Considering the numbers reported by Volaris in January and its current capacity, the new leading Mexican airline is expected to grow around 50% compared to the first quarter of 2021. The ultra-low-cost carrier began the year with solid traffic results — stimulating demand in major markets for leisure travel and visiting friends and family.
Volaris expects to continue with its disciplined growth strategy for the rest of the year. On the other hand, the ultra-low-cost carrier expects to end 2022 with approximately 115 aircraft.
Volaris Costa Rica Announces New Route to Lima,Peru
This year, Volaris is betting on increasing its network of international destinations as well as strengthening its subsidiaries.
Volaris Costa Rica announced its arrival to South America with direct flights from Costa Rica to Lima, Peru, starting June 3.
This new route will operate 3 weekly flights, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. With this new route, the airline will contribute to consolidating the recovery of the air market in Peru, through leisure travel and commercial exchange by the demand of business travelers.
Volaris Costa Rica currently operates 4 direct routes from San José, Costa Rica. Lima is the carrier’s fourth destination from San José, after San Salvador, Guatemala; Cancún, Mexico and Mexico City. Since its start of operations in 2016, Volaris Costa Rica has transported more than 2 million passengers.
The three things Juan Pedro loves most about aviation are aircraft, airports, and traveling thousands of miles in just a few hours. What he enjoys the most about aviation is that it is easier and cheaper to travel around the world and this gives you the opportunity to visit places you thought were too far away. He has traveled to different destinations in North, Central, South America and Asia. Born, raised and still living in Perú, Juan is a lawyer, soccer lover, foodie, passionate traveler, dog lover, millennial and curious by nature.
Mexico City’s New Felipe Ángeles Airport To Open Without Fixed Ground Transportation Services
Volaris flight crew deplane an A320neo jet at Guadalajara International Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Albert Kuan)
One of the most speculated issues regarding Mexico City’s newest airport, Felipe Ángeles Airport (AIFA – Aeropuerto Internacional de Felipe Ángeles) is its ground connectivity with the country’s capital. This is the main challenge facing the new international airport located more than 25 miles away from the city center. Unfortunately, when the airport opens later this month on March 21, no formal public transportation services will operate to and from the new airport.
Instead, a transportation company contracted by the airport is expected to provide service to and from the airport via buses and vans. Services are expected to be provided from nine different points across Mexico City: Centro Comercial Perisur, Centro Santa Fe, Auditorio Nacional, World Trade Center, Benito Juárez Airport, Indios Verdes metro station, Ciudad Azteca metro station, Mundo E Shopping Center and Cuautilán Izcalli city.
Airport officials say fares for the services would range between 50 and 150 Mexican Pesos per trip (two to eight U.S. Dollars). Despite being a few weeks before the airport’s opening, many details on the contracted service are still unknown – neither the name of the contracted company nor the frequency and operating schedule of the services.
A contracted company is expected to provide ground transportation services to and from AIFA from nine points across Mexico City, including Benito Juárez Airport. Schedules and operating times of the supposed service are still unknown. (Photo: Albert Kuan | AirlineGeeks)
The airport will eventually be served by a commuter rail service (Tren Suburbano) and bus rapid transit (Mexibús), however, despite the speedy progress towards the airport’s completion, these ground transportation projects won’t be up and running in time for opening day. Both projects are scheduled to begin operations in 2023, a year after opening.
The new international airport was expected to be served by Mexibús service upon opening, but upon investigation by local journalists last month, the bus rapid transit system’s stations were found to be still under construction. The government of the State of Mexico, the operator of Mexibús, originally promised to deliver a service connecting the airport to Ciudad Azteca metro station, a few miles north of Mexico City’s city center, in time for the airport’s inaugural flight.
Construction work on the intercity highway where Mexibús would operate the service has seen little progress, and furthermore, existing stations on the Mexibús network were found to be lacking security and in states of disrepair. Journalists also found existing fixed routes in the bus network to be overcrowded with unreliable headways.
Even popular rideshare services in Mexico such as Uber and Didi won’t be able to provide services to travelers. Rideshare services have been banned from picking up travelers from Felipe Ángeles Airport, although dropping off is permitted. This is because, as with most Mexican airports, the grounds of the new airport is deemed federal property.
As with most airports in Mexico, AIFA is located on federal property where Uber and Didi are not allowed to pick up travelers. Most travelers are able to find workarounds to avoid overpriced airport taxis by walking away from federal zones, but this would be much harder to accomplish at AIFA. (Photo: Albert Kuan | AirlineGeeks)
Transportation services require a government permit in order to operate on federal property, although many travelers often find workarounds to walk off airport grounds. This would be nearly impossible for travelers at Felipe Ángeles Airport as getting outside this zone requires miles of walking.
Felipe Ángeles Airport will be the second airport to serve Mexico City, along with the more centrally located Benito Juárez Airport (commonly referred to as Mexico City International Airport, or AICM – Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México). The new airport, which will have a total cost of 3.5 billion U.S. Dollars, is planned to relieve congestion at Benito Juárez Airport.
Mexico’s three largest carriers, Aeromexico, VivaAerobus and Volaris, will be the only carriers to operate scheduled flights from the new airport on opening day March 21. Mexico’s flag carrier Aeromexico will launch service to Mérida and Villahermosa from the new airport, while low-cost carrier Vivaaerobus has scheduled two flights to Guadalajara and Monterrey, and low-cost Volaris will operate service to Tijuana and Cancún. All flights announced to date are domestic within Mexico.
Despite persuasion from the Mexican government, a number of foreign carriers have confirmed Felipe Ángeles Airport is not in their expansion plans in the immediate future. Many airlines cited its lack of structure and feasibility, with ground connectivity being one of the main concerns. American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa have confirmed they would continue to serve their markets operating out of Benito Juárez Airport.
The only airline scheduled to operate international service from the airport thus far is Conviasa. The Venezuelan airline begins flying to Caracas in May 2022.
Mexico’s three largest carriers will operate scheduled services out of AIFA. All flights announced to date are domestic within Mexico. (Photo: Albert Kuan | AirlineGeeks)
The Mexican government declared this past Friday, a few weeks before the opening of Felipe Ángeles Aiport, a new cap would be imposed on flight numbers at Benito Juárez Airport due to both its terminals reaching overcapacity, When the flight cap will be implemented is still not certain.
Such a move would send a message to airlines that they will have to move operations to Felipe Ángeles Aiport in order to continue growing in the greater Mexico City market. The airport authority has also been instructed to revise landing and take-off schedules to guarantee its optimal operation
VivaAerobus’ Chief Executive Officer, Juan Carlos Zuazua, whose airline was one of the first to announce operations at Felipe Angeles airport, highlighted a few months ago that the airport would be a success as long as it has convenient and cheap ground transportation to the city center. Zuazua explained the airport needs to be very well connected with Mexico City’s subway in order to ensure passengers can get in and out of the airport very easily.
The Tren Suburbano, one of the transportation projects that will bring more travelers to Felipe Ángeles Airport, will provide a direct rail connection with Buenavista Train Station in the city center once it opens in 2023. The trip is expected to take less than 45 minutes and cost 50 Mexican Pesos (approximately 3 U.S. dollars).
Most people hate long flights or overnight layovers, but Albert loves them. The airport and flying parts of traveling are the biggest highlights of any trip for him – as this avgeek always gets a thrill from sampling different airline cabin products and checking out regional developments happening at local U.S. airports. He’s flown on almost every major carrier in the U.S. and Asia Pacific, and he hopes to try out the new A350s soon.
Albert recently completed his undergraduate studies in Business Accounting at USC in Los Angeles and he is currently recruiting for a corporate analyst position at one of the U.S. legacy carriers. During his college years, he interned at LAX for Los Angeles World Airports working behind-the-scenes (and on the ramp) in public relations and accounting. Outside of writing for AirlineGeeks, he enjoys trekking the Hollywood hills, visiting new hotspots throughout SoCal, and doing the occasional weekender on Spirit Airlines.
An Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Tweed-New Haven. (Photo: Avelo Airlines)
On Tuesday, Avelo Airlines announced three new routes from their popular east coast base in New Haven, Conn. The new routes will connect southern Connecticut with popular tourist and business destinations. The airline will launch flights, starting in late May — just in time for the summer travel season — from New Haven to Baltimore, Chicago’s Midway Airport and Raleigh, N.C. The new destinations will bring Avelo and the Tweed-New Haven Airport up to 13 cities served.
Growth in New Haven
Avelo has seen great success since launching service at Tweed-New Haven. The airline recently passed 100,000 passengers in four months of service. The carrier is the sole operator at the small southern Connecticut airport and takes advantage of the convenience of highway and rail access — making it convenient for travelers across New York and Connecticut. The three new destinations announced today come shortly after the airline announced a four-city expansion beginning in early May. The airline currently operates to six destinations from New Haven, Conn. — all in Florida.
The three new destinations are all scheduled to begin on May 26. All three will be operated five times a week — with no flights scheduled for Wednesdays or Saturdays. New Haven has previously had flights to Chicago and Baltimore in the 1990s and early 2000s. Avelo will utilize their Boeing 737-700s with 147 seats on the new routes.
Attracting New Clientele
Avelo’s expansion outside of their typical leisure markets shows their attempt to expand to a potentially lucrative business market. For business travelers on the southern Connecticut coast, the travel options are limited. A journey to New York City’s airports could take over an hour and then congestion can add on even more to the travel time. Hartford, Conn.’s Bradley International Airport — the state’s primary commercial airport — is an hours’ drive inland from the Tweed-New Haven Airport.
Avelo also maintains a west coast base from Burbank — serving 18 destinations across the west coast. The airline found a niche in providing low-cost air service to under-served communities. At the beginning of the year, the airline announced that it was able to secure another $42 million in capital funding — helping to fuel future expansion and new aircraft orders. The airline leans heavily on its company culture and a dedicated staff focusing on the travel experience for the customer.
Daniel has always had aviation in his life; from moving to the United States when he was two, to family vacations across the U.S., and back to his native England. He currently resides in South Florida and attends Nova Southeastern University, studying Human Factors in Aviation. Daniel has his Commercial Certificate for both land and sea, and hopes to one day join the major airlines.
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 in New York. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Hemal Gosai)
Singapore Airlines is determined to resume its services after the pandemic, announcing its full London services will resume to pre-pandemic levels in June. The carrier currently operates two flights to London, adding the third flight on Apr.1.
Singapore Airlines will operate four times a day services to London in June, using Boeing 777-300ER, A380 and A350 aircraft. Meanwhile, Loganair, a regional airline in the U.K. has reached an interline agreement with Singapore Airlines, making its customers can travel overseas from London and Manchester on a single booking.
The travelers from Aberdeen, Inverness, the Isle of Man, and Teesside, U.K. also benefit from the new agreement.
“Singapore Airlines is delighted to announce its new interline partnership with Loganair, giving our passengers greater connectivity and flexibility with their travel options.” Mohamed Rafi Mar, Singapore Airlines’ U.K. & Ireland General Manager said in a statement.
In addition, Singapore has expanded its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) program to eight Indian cities. Under the VTL program, travelers can go to Singapore without quarantine. Singapore Airlines has welcomed the decision.
Meanwhile, the flag carrier will bring the superjumbo back to India, unveiling that the A380 will operate the Singapore – Mumbai from Mar. 14 and Singapore – Delhi to be expected in the coming months.
Also, Singapore Airlines has announced that it will enhance its service to Australia by recommencing services to Cairns and Darwin, Australia on Mar. 28 and Mar. 29 respectively. The carrier is going to operate the Boeing 737 on these new routes. After adding the new routes, the airline operates nearly 100 flights to Australia from Singapore a week.
In the meantime, Singapore Airlines will start services to Penang, Malaysia, and Denpasar, Indonesia, after revealing the pairs are eligible for the VTL program. Also, travelers coming from Greece and Vietnam could avoid quarantine from Mar. 16.
After two years of the pandemic, Singapore Airlines has more than its fair share of problems due to lack of domestic travel. Singapore is carrying out a “living in covid” policy, meaning the carrier could rebound quickly after the pandemic.
However, the government is considering abolishing the VTL program, despite the country recording over 10,000 cases daily.
“Instead of having vaccinated travel lanes with selected countries that we think are low risk, we should actually (quarantine-free) travel for vaccinated travelers or fully-vaccinated travelers, from all countries.” Ye Kung Ong, Health Minister of Singapore said.
But Ong didn’t reveal more details and timeline on abolishing VTL. Currently, travelers coming from the U.S., U.K., Canada, etc. are eligible for the VTL program.
A Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks / Fabian Behr)
Sun Group, a real estate and entertainment corporation, has founded Sun Air, Vietnam’s first luxury airline, offering private jet management and air charter services, as well as tourist trips using helicopters and seaplanes. Sun Air is the first airline in Vietnam to cater completely to the luxury travel segment, primarily targeting domestic and international jet setters and high-fliers who desire ‘the best of the best’ when flying. On March 2, it was granted an aviation business license by Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport.
Sun Group Chairman, Dang Minh Truong stated that the airline’s launch is part of the company’s long-term development strategy, adding a new product to its high-quality ecosystem and motivating the expansion of the high-end segment in the Vietnamese aviation sector.
Sun Air will join Sun Group’s resort-entertainment-real estate businesses with its charter flight and sightseeing services using helicopters and seaplanes to produce Vietnam’s first near, safe, luxury, and exclusive service.
Its Fleet
Sun Air will operate Gulfstream G650ER and G700 business jets, the world’s fastest, high-altitude, long-range jet aircraft with ranges of up to 51,000ft (15,545m) and 7,500 nautical miles (13,890km). The jets have a top speed of 1,142km/h, which means they could fly nonstop from Hanoi to Los Angeles in roughly 12.5-13 hours.
Whether going for business or pleasure, or a little of both, Sun Air customers will undoubtedly travel in style while relaxing in a Gulfstream G650ER or Gulfstream G700, the type of cutting-edge business aircraft favored by billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Sun Air will operate two Gulfstream G650ER jets, each capable of carrying 11 to 18 passengers, beginning in the third quarter of this year, according to its schedule. The airline intends to put four Gulfstream G650ERs, one Gulfstream G700, one helicopter, and two seaplanes into operation between 2023 and 2025.
A Sun Air business jet (Photo: Sun Air)
To create exceptional experiences for customers, the airline is working with companies like Agusta, Airbus, Sikorsky, De Havilland Canada, Cessna, and Textron. Sun Air has also opted to collaborate with the world’s premier flight service providers, such as Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation, in order to elevate customers’ flying experiences to the next level.
Growth of Private Aviation
The airline’s inauguration comes at a time when there is a growing global demand for more exclusive travel experiences, a trend driven by the two-year-long COVID-19 pandemic. Private aviation has rebounded faster than many other industries, according to a market study analysis by aviation consulting firm ARGUS International. Indeed, private jet travel has increased by 15% compared to the pre-pandemic period.
“We’re extremely excited to launch Sun Air, which will be a pioneer for luxury air travel in Vietnam and across the region,” says Dang Minh Truong, chairman of the board of directors at Sun Group.
“It will be a key part of our ecosystem of ‘Quality – Excellent – Distinguished’ products and services and further contribute to the development of the luxury travel segment in Vietnam, a country which now attracts wealthy tourists from all around the world.”
Sun Air will connect all of the best products within Sun Group’s ecosystem of luxury resorts, entertainment complexes, and real estate products, according to Truong.
Its Gameplan
The airline will be based at Vân Đồn International Airport in Qung Ninh Province and will have an initial capital of $4.37 million. Sun Group constructed Vân Đồn, Vietnam’s first privately funded airport.
Its passenger markets include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Japan, with flights intended at capitalist practitioners who require flights for project surveys, medical treatment, sightseeing, tourism, or luxury resort excursions. Sun Air also plans to deploy larger, long-haul business jets from Boeing and Airbus in the future, though the timeline is uncertain.
It will join Vietnam’s six existing domestic carriers, which include Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Pacific Airlines, VASCO, Bamboo Airways, and Vietravel Airlines, which was the market’s last newcomer. Sun Air’s long-term goal is to raise high-end air travel in Vietnam while flying the flag for the country’s premium tourism sector.
Kalai has always wanted to work in the aviation industry, having been fascinated by its inner workings since he was a child. In pursuit of his dream, he obtained a diploma in aviation management and is currently interning with a low-cost airline, under in-flight policies. In his free time, he loves to engage in recreational activities, and watch sports. In the upcoming years, Kalai intends to pursue his degree at a business school before working as an executive for a global airline around the world.
Why a NATO No-Fly Zone is Significant in Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Aeroflot aircraft tails. (Photo: aeroprints.com [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
The current war in Eastern Europe, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is the focus of worldwide attention as it is the cause of numerous sanctions against Russia by Western NATO countries. These sanctions include a ban on overflying European airspace, suspension of logistical support to Russian carriers by Airbus and Boeing, and an obligation on Aeroflot to return aircraft to leasing companies such as AerCap.
Bipolarity between the West and the Soviet Union has its origins shortly after the end of World War II. In 1949 the Western world (United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy and other Western European countries), was beginning to feel tensions towards the Soviet Union, which was the other winner of WWII.
So NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created, as an international organization for collaboration in the defense sector. To oppose NATO, the Warsaw Pact had been signed in 1955 between the USSR and the closest states of Eastern Europe, dissolved in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Between the 1990s and 2000s, most of the former Warsaw Pact members joined NATO and the European Union.
One of these “satellite” countries that wanted to join the European Union and NATO for many years now is Ukraine, which in recent days has been clamoring for the activation of a NATO no-fly zone on Ukrainian territory to end Russian bombing raids. A no-fly zone is a part of the sky where any aircraft is forbidden to enter and it is considered a “demilitarized zone” of the sky. This means that if any aircraft, not authorized to fly over, would enter the no-fly zone it would be immediately shot down. In the current case of the war in Ukraine, it would mean to impose a no-fly zone on all Russian military aircraft.
The imposition of an overflight ban on Russian aircraft by NATO would effectively mean going to war. To enforce this imposition NATO would have to send its air force to Ukraine (which is not yet part of the alliance) contravening the regulation that states that the defense pact can only be activated militarily when one of the 30 signatory countries is threatened or attacked.
Establishing a NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine would imply the possibility of shooting down Russian military aircraft, i.e. a declaration of war against Russia.
Therefore, to avoid a global nuclear conflict, the NATO alliance has decided that there will be no no-fly zone over Ukraine. The allies agree that NATO aircraft should not operate in Ukrainian airspace as already stated by the Secretary-General of the Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg, reiterating that the support for the Ukrainian army should be limited to providing training and equipment to be able to repel the Russian attack.
Therefore, strict sanctions are currently the only way to stop the war in Eastern Europe and more importantly are the only way to prevent escalation beyond Ukraine. There is a fear that the conflict could also expand into Ukraine’s neighboring nations, such as Romania and Moldova or even further north to the Baltic countries.
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.
A United 787-9 in San Francisco. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
In an application with the Department of Transportation, United Airlines filed for the rights to fly between Washington-Dulles and Cape Town, South Africa, with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. If accepted, these flights will commence around November 17, 2022, with thrice-weekly services on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The proposed flight would depart Washington-Dulles at 6:30 P.M. and arrive in Cape Town at 4:15 P.M. the following day. The flight would return from Cape Town at 9 P.M. and arrive in Washington-Dulles at 6 A.M the next day. These flights would operate year-round with “seasonal flexibility to adjust capacity to potential fluctuations in demand.”
United Airlines touts its ability to offer multiple services to South Africa, including its flights from Newark/New York to Johannesburg, South Africa and Cape Town, South Africa. With both flights to Cape Town, the Chicago-based carrier proposes a combination of near-daily services to Cape Town. In total, United Airlines would enhance consumer access to 45 destinations, serving nearly 90 percent of all U.S. to Cape Town demand. From Cape Town, United Airlines’ passengers can experience further connectivity via a codeshare with Airlink and access 15 destinations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
United Airlines would add its fifth service from the United States to the continent of Africa and add its third African service from Washington-Dulles. In 2021, the carrier improved its connectivity to West Africa by adding flights from Washington-Dulles to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria, on its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. United Airlines hopes to intensify its competition on Delta Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier to Africa and the incumbent carrier to Africa.
Washington-Dulles would receive its first service to Cape Town, South Africa. In the past, South African Airways operated a daily nonstop service between Washington-Dulles and Johannesburg, before converting the flight into a Johannesburg to Dakar, Senegal to Washington-Dulles routing. Later, South African Airways changed the routing with a stop either in Dakar or Accra and suspended the route in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
United Airlines plans to operate the 257-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Cape Town to Washington D.C. This aircraft features 48 Polaris Business class seats, 21 Premium Plus seats, 39 Economy Plus seats and 149 economy class seats.
Competition with Delta Air Lines
Similarly, Delta Airlines applied for the rights for thrice-weekly flights between Atlanta and Cape Town in February 2022. These flights would commence on November 18, 2022, with 305-seat Airbus A350-900 service, supplementing existing service from Atlanta to Johannesburg. Delta Airlines would depart Atlanta at 8:45 P.M., arriving in Cape Town at 6:45 P.M. the following day. The aircraft would depart Cape Town at 9 P.M., arriving in Atlanta at 6:25 A.M. the next day.
However, allocated flights between South Africa and the United States are limited, with only 21 frequencies, and there are currently only four frequencies available. Since both carriers are competing for frequencies, United Airlines replied to Delta Airlines’ application, claiming that Delta Air Lines’ proposal offers unpredictability and lacks vision. The airline cited that the Atlanta-based carrier terminated services in April 2020 due to the retirement of its Boeing 777-200LR, the aircraft most suitable for services to South Africa.
Earlier in 2020 and 2021, Delta Air Lines proposed a triangle route from Atlanta to Johannesburg to Cape Town to Atlanta, spurred out of the need to operate flights at a maximum payload on the Airbus A350. Later, this proposal was rejected by the South African Government, and now, Delta Airlines connects Atlanta and Johannesburg nonstop.
In a reply to Delta Air Lines, United Airlines proposed that if Delta Air Lines agrees, each carrier should split the frequencies, so that each airline receives two each. Therefore, this leaves the Department of Transportation with the opportunity to grant rights to either Delta Air Lines or United Airlines or split the frequencies between both carriers.
Ever since Winston was a toddler, he has always had a fascination for airplanes. From watching widebodies land at Washington Dulles to traveling the world, Winston has always had his eyes towards the skies. Winston began aviation photography in 2018 and now posts his photos occasionally on his Instagram account. He previously wrote for a blog. In his free time, Winston loves to play chess, do recreational activities, and watch sports. Looking into the future, Winston plans to service the aviation industry.
New International Arrival Facility Opened at Seattle-Tacoma Airport
On March 3, the Port of Seattle has officially presented the new International Arrival Facility (IAF) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which includes a Grand Hall, an International Security Corridor and the spectacular 780-feet long, 85-feet high Pedestrian Walkway, which represents the world’s longest structure over an active taxi lane. Becoming one of the most daring architectural structures at any airport in the United States and around the world.
This new facility replaces the current Customs facility that was opened 50 years ago and allows the airport to almost double the number of gates from 12 to 20 and increase its processing capability from 1,200 to 2,600 passengers per hour.
International Arrival Facility – Seattle Tacoma Airport (photo: Katie Bailey|Airlinegeeks)
“We needed to improve the customer experience to make travel less stressful and more predictable,” says Lance Lyttle, Managing Director of SEA Airport. “This is your first impression of our region and airport. Everything from the views out the window to the simplicity of getting on your way should put you at ease.”
“Everything about this new facility — from its design to its artwork to its vistas, and even the way passengers move through the building — demonstrates our region’s most enduring values, and reinforces our commitment to being the best connected, most convenient, sustainable, and welcoming airport in the world,” said Ryan Calkins, Port of Seattle Commission President.
A New Dawn for Seattle Airport
Ribbon cutting for the International Arrival Facility – Seattle Tacoma Airport (photo: Katie Bailey/Airlinegeeks)
The inauguration event took place on the upstairs mezzanine level where the passengers with Global Entry would stop to check-in via kiosk and overlooking the baggage claim area that has increased the number of claim carousels from four to seven, allowing the airport to reduce the minimum connecting time from 90 to 75 minutes. After the Managing Director for Seattle-Tacoma Airport opened the ceremony reminding of the new international services that will come to the airport during the summer, such as Finnair to Helsinki and Delta Air Lines to London, the Governor for the State of Washington Jay Inslee made a surprise appearance: “This is a great morning here in the state of Washington, to see this beautiful facility, and I am just here to say thanks from the seven and a half million Washingtonians – to everyone involved in this incredible facility, from the construction people to the designers, to the administrators who worked through the middle of a pandemic to deliver this facility. “
Bag claim hall, International Arrival Facility – Seattle Tacoma Airport (photo: Katie Bailey/Airlinegeeks)
Throughout its construction, the IAF project has supported approximately 10,600 jobs for a total of 3 million labor hours. The approved cost of the project was just under $1 billion.
An Environmentally Sustainable Facility
This new part of Seattle Airport has been built “to fulfill the Port’s mission of environmental stewardship and sustainability”, and therefore includes:
Low-flow restroom fixtures to reduce indoor water use
Energy-saving features like LED lighting, energy-efficient escalator motors and variable speed motors on baggage handling devices
Two-thirds of the building has daylighting to connect travelers to outdoors, reinforce circadian rhythms, and reduce energy consumption
Conscientious construction with 7,163 tons of contaminated soil and 62,405 gallons of impacted stormwater removed from the project site, many materials sourced within 100 miles, low-emitting adhesives, materials, and coatings, and most of the construction waste was diverted from landfills
The most stunning piece of this entire project is the impressive pedestrian walkway connecting the international gates to the new Grand Hall. The structure is similar to the one that can be found at London Gatwick Airport but it’s longer and has a higher vertical clearance. Its 610-feet clearspan allows for an aircraft’s wingspan and tailfin (even for Boeing 747s and 777s) to safely pass underneath the structure. Most of this monumental masterpiece was built offsite with 17 major pre-fabricated components that were made using 3,000 tons of steel.
There will be five escalators in the elevated pedestrian walkway, and they will rank among the top 10 longest in the U.S. with the longest measuring 191 feet for an 80-foot rise.
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.
Interview: Northern New York Communities Reject Replacement Carrier
The terminal building in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Ogdensburg and Plattsburgh, two Essential Air Service communities located in northern New York State have been in aviation news a lot recently. It started back in January 2022 when SkyWest, the carrier that holds the current Essential Air Service Contract in the communities, requested to terminate the EAS contract in both cities. That was swiftly denied by the Department of Transportation (DOT) until they could find a replacement carrier for each respective contract. That is the point when the EAS bidding process began for both cities.
Meanwhile, SkyWest requested to reduce the number of weekly frequencies from 12 to only seven for both communities, of which the reply to this was recently announced. On Feb. 23, 2022, a document was posted to regulations.gov regarding the request to reduce frequencies.
The response was that the carrier is required to maintain the contracted service levels, 12-weekly flights, until May 11, 2022, or a new carrier has been found. Further down the page, it did make an adjustment to that ruling, “Congress has given the Department limited discretion to waive this required level of service, but only if an eligible community requests the waiver, and only for a limited period of time”. That ruling essentially means that SkyWest is allowed to reduce the number of flights, but only if the community asks for it which they haven’t thus far.
A United Express CRJ-200 in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
So the EAS bidding process has begun, and both communities had only a single eligible bidder; Plattsburgh had Cape Air bid, and Ogdensburg had Boutique bid. There was a second carrier that bid for Ogdensburg, Air Charter Express, but they didn’t meet the qualifications and weren’t counted. There is an old saying, “beggars can’t be choosers”, but that won’t apply in this case as both communities rejected the only carrier that bid for their cities.
On Feb. 25, 2022, NNY360 News posted an article saying that Ogdensburg has rejected the bid from Boutique as it didn’t meet the minimum EAS standards. On the same day, a document was posted to regulations.gov from the Clinton County Legislature, where the Plattsburgh Airport is located, informing the DOT that they were rejecting Cape Air’s bid for the same exact reason, service wouldn’t be able to accommodate historical traffic levels.
In the document posted by Plattsburgh, they went over how switching from 50-seat jets to 8/9-seat prop planes just isn’t enough for their community. Just before the pandemic in 2019, SkyWest carried 36,889 passengers to/from Plattsburgh, and a switch to Cape Air would mean annual capacity would go down to just 17,472 seats. Both communities are now looking at the same exact alternative, Alternate Essential Air Service, with Smyrna, Tenn.-based Contour Airlines using a 30-seat Embraer E135 aircraft.
A Contour Embraer E135 nicknamed “Pride of Contour” (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
AirlineGeeks had the chance to talk to Steve Lawrence, the Executive Director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, about this interesting situation happening in Northern New York.
AirlineGeeks (AG): I know you are looking at an Alternate EAS service, but what exactly goes into applying for that as opposed to normal EAS service?
Steve Lawrence (SL): I’m new to it too, but what I am told is we will create a proposal that we work out with Contour and submit that directly to the US DOT. The main thing about this is with EAS service, airlines submit bids for the communities and the government pays the airlines directly, but with AEAS it’s a grant to the communities and it’s up to us to make payments to the respective airline, in this case, Contour.
(AG): Have you been talking to other cities that Contour currently flies to or have recently started serving to see what they are all about?
(SL): Yes, we have reached out to them and they have all been very complimentary and given glowing recommendations of the Contour service.
(AG): Is there any other reason you have rejected the current bidder, or is it simply because their aircraft are too small?
(SL): Well, that’s one of them. The other aspect is that we are entitled to twin-engine service and Boutique runs a Pilatus PC-12 which is only single-engine. Another thing is that if we were to accept that, then it would be a waiver and for the future EAS contracts we would have to entertain single-engine proposals which is a thing we definitely don’t want to do. We are entitled to twin-engine service, it works for us, it is our model. We need the aircraft for enplanements, and since we expanded the airport and lengthened the runway in 2016 we have done very well. In 2019 before the pandemic we were close to 25,000 passengers with just EAS service and Boutique Air simply wouldn’t be able to do that with their Pilatus. We did have Allegiant before the pandemic as well, but they are not included in that 25,000 number.
(AG): Are you looking at any specific cities or hubs you want to serve with Contour?
(SL): At this point, we are just focused on getting Contour here, but we have briefly talked with them about Philidephia, especially with their American partnership it would be good for those passengers wanting to connect elsewhere.
(AG): Plattsburgh is also looking at Contour, is there a possibility you will combine your Contour Air flights into a single tag service similar to what they do in Parkersburg and Beckley, W.V.?
(SL): No, we want nonstop. For years with EAS we had a sorta milk run service where they would run Massena-Ogdensburg-Watertown then onto Pittsburgh, and most recently Cape Air to Boston they had to make a stop in Albany, so if you got on at the first stop you were landing two or three times before you even get to the hub. Everyone has gone out on their own with nonstop service and we haven’t talked to Plattsburg about that.
(AG): Pilot shortages have been a huge issue in the aviation industry, are you worried about running into this issue with Contour?
(SL): No, when we preliminarily reached out to them they haven’t said anything about shortages so far, when we asked them that would’ve been the first things they would tell us. They have shown interest, so that really isn’t a worry right now but it is a concern cause it did affect SkyWest and that is the main reason they are choosing to leave us. If that were the case and Contour couldn’t come here, we have assurance from the DOT that we could go out and re-bid for airlines and hopefully, someone bigger would bid if it did come to that.
Until a new carrier is chosen for both communities, SkyWest under the United Express banner will remain in both Northern New York communities. We would like to thank Steven Lawrence for taking the time to briefly talk to us about this most unique situation happening in New York State. We also attempted to contact Plattsburgh Airport, but they were unable to be reached in time for publishing.
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.
Mexico’s Calafia Airlines Makes Another Move for Leisure Travelers
Departure hall of Beijing Daxing International Airport | Photo: Lei Yan
Beginning April 29, Tijuana Airport (TIJ) will have an air link with Puerto Peñasco via Calafia Airlines. The governor of Mexico’s Sonora state, along with directors of Calafia Airlines and tourism officials, announced the new service at a press conference Tuesday.
Calafia Airlines will operate twice weekly — on Monday and Friday — a short-hop service linking the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area with the Mexican beach city in Sonora state 300 miles away using its Embraer ERJ 145 jets. The airline based in Cabo San Lucas operates regular scheduled flights within Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and cities along the Mexican Pacific coast.
On Mondays, Calafia Airlines Flight 901 leaves Tijuana at 10:15 a.m. and arrives in Puerto Penasco in the same time zone at 11:25 a.m. The flight then returns back to Tijuana at 11:50 a.m. and arrives back at 12:55 p.m.
On Fridays, Calafia Airlines Flight 901 leaves 90 minues later at 11:45 a.m. and arrives in Puerto Peñasco at 12:55 p.m. The flight then returns back to Tijuana at 1:20 p.m., arriving back at 2:25 p.m.
The service will be the shortest commercial flight operating out of Tijuana International Airport at 70 minutes, beating Volaris’ twice daily service to Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, which is blocked at 82 minutes.
Calafia Airlines’s three ERJ 145 jets, the largest in the regional airline’s fleet, have seating capactiy for 50 travelers in economy class configuration. Eight seats are designated with more space. Travelers on Calafira will also be able to check-in one bag free of charge.
Calafia Airlines also posseses a fleet of two Embraer 120ERs and one Embraer ERJ 145. From Tijuana, travelers flying Calafia Airlines can connect onwards to Loreto and La Paz, Mexico in Baja California Sur state.
The new route is targeted to bring travelers from Tijuana and Southern California to beach and fishing attraction in Puerto Peñasco. Puerto Peñasco is well-known amongst Mexicans and tourists from nearby Arizona for its resort-style hotels, shopping centers, water sports and golf courses.
The Governor of Mexico’s Sonora state, Alfonso Durazno, acknowledged Califonia is also a market with high purchasing power. Durazno hopes Calafia’s new service will attract California tourists to the coastal attractions of Sonora state.
“[The new service] creates more transportation options to those that Puerto Peñasco already has on land and this, then, will allow us to offer all the attractions of this extraordinary city to the Tijuana market, but particularly to the California, United States market.” Durazno explained.
Cross Border Xpress, an enclosed pedestrian bridge connecting Tijuana International Airport with San Diego, allows air traverlers to cross the border between Mexico and the U.S.
With Calafia’s arrival in Puerto Penasco, Puerto Peñasco’s Mar de Cortes International Airport will once again be served by commercial flights. Mexico’s TAR Airlines was the last airline to operate flights to Mar de Cortes International Airport. TAR operated scheduled flights to Puerto Peñasco from Hermosillo, Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico for a short period between July and November 2016.
Most people hate long flights or overnight layovers, but Albert loves them. The airport and flying parts of traveling are the biggest highlights of any trip for him – as this avgeek always gets a thrill from sampling different airline cabin products and checking out regional developments happening at local U.S. airports. He’s flown on almost every major carrier in the U.S. and Asia Pacific, and he hopes to try out the new A350s soon.
Albert recently completed his undergraduate studies in Business Accounting at USC in Los Angeles and he is currently recruiting for a corporate analyst position at one of the U.S. legacy carriers. During his college years, he interned at LAX for Los Angeles World Airports working behind-the-scenes (and on the ramp) in public relations and accounting. Outside of writing for AirlineGeeks, he enjoys trekking the Hollywood hills, visiting new hotspots throughout SoCal, and doing the occasional weekender on Spirit Airlines.
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