The South African commercial aviation sector took another hit this week with the announcement Friday that all South African (SA) Express flights were to be grounded immediately due to maintenance concerns. Following the announcement, news agency Fin24 reported that South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) was behind the grounding of the SA Express fleet. “SACAA suspended SA Express' Operator's Certificate, as well as its Aircraft Maintenance Organisation approvals," the site reported. "SACAA has also suspended the Certificates of Airworthiness for…
Iran’s history of turbulent relations with Western nations has greatly impacted its aviation industry and forced aging aircraft to continue flying as newer replacements were unobtainable. As a result, aviation enthusiasts from around the world frequently gather in Tehran to fly on some of the oldest and rarest aircraft still…
European low-cost carrier Wizz Air has published strong results for the end of the 2018 financial year compared to 2017, with passenger numbers increasing 24.7 percent to 29.6 million, revenue by 24 percent to €1.95 billion, and profit increasing 22.1 percent to €275 million. Headquartered in the Hungarian capital Budapest,…
The term "flag carrier" is often bestowed upon an airline with a strong connection to its homeland. Airlines such as Japan Airlines, Aeromexico and Lufthansa have become staples of their respective countries of Japan, Mexico and Germany and have been given the honor of being flag carriers. However, the State…
In the 1990s, Richard Branson and the Virgin Group were looking to expand into continental Europe. By this time, Branson’s Virgin Atlantic was a successful competitor to British Airways and the group was looking to expand. In April 1996, the Virgin Group purchased the EuroBelgian Airlines in nearby Belgium. The…
Regional airlines are the backbone of the current hub-and-spoke system employed by the world’s major airlines. For many pilots, their first foray into the airline world is through a regional airline. However, few people know what goes on behind-the-scenes of these airlines. Fortunately for us, Mesa Airlines was kind enough…
If you’ve ever planned a trip to Asia, you most likely have stumbled upon the dilemma of which airport to set as your destination. Tokyo has Narita and Haneda, Seoul has Incheon and Gimpo, Shanghai has Pudong and Hongqiao, and Bangkok has Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. Almost every major city…
After years of negotiations, on May 21 the exchange of diplomatic notes between the governments of Brazil and United States marked the final implementation of the Open Skies Agreement signed in March 2011. In December 2010 negotiations started between the two governments, initializing a Memorandum of Understanding that expanded the…
Sun Country Airlines’ President and CEO Jude Bricker announced in an email on Wednesday the airline’s newest cabin changes following the restructuring of the airline with a low-cost business model. The shift from Sun Country’s traditional full-service model comes 6-months following the sale of the Minnesota-based airline to Apollo Global…
Starting this summer, all Lufthansa Group passengers will have the option to book Economy “Light” fares on routes to and from North America on flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, and Austrian Airlines. The cheaper fare is aimed at passengers traveling with only carry-on luggage as well as those…
