In what has been a busy few days for the United Kingdom's national carrier, British Airways' CEO, Alex Cruz, has unveiled a number of plans which hint at an aggressive modernization program, aimed at creating what he refers to as "a British Airways for everyone." The changes are driven by what Cruz is describing as the four key competitive forces, specifically the growth of low-cost long-haul airlines, the continuing expansion of low-cost short-haul, premium products offered by the Gulf carriers,…
As of Nov. 5, American Airlines launched flights to Beijing from Los Angeles, becoming the first U.S.-based carrier to operate this route. American 181 will depart daily from Los Angeles (LAX) at 10:55 A.M., and arrive at Beijing International Airport (PEK) at 4:20 P.M. the next day. The return flight,…
Qatar Airways has just announced its acquisition of a minority stake in Cathay Pacific, with the Gulf airline set to become Cathay Pacific’s third largest shareholder. The 9.6 percent stake, equivalent to 378,188,000 shares of the Asian carrier, was purchased by Qatar Airways for HK$15.6 billion, or $662 million. It…
Alitalia is reviving its MilleMiglia frequent flyer program, with Jan. 1, 2018 being set as the kick off for the “new edition” of the program. The airline announced the news in an email to members in which they added that miles earned before 2018 will expire March 31. The airline…
Earlier this week, Emirates celebrated the major delivery of its 100th Airbus A380 wide-body aircraft. The special delivery ceremony took place at Airbus’ delivery center in Hamburg, Germany on Friday. In attendance at the ceremony was Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, President of…
Saturday marks seven years since Qantas flight 32 experienced an in air emergency over Indonesia. The incident was the first major one for the Airbus A380, which at the time, was a two year old aircraft. Although the flight landed safely with no injuries to the 469 passengers and crew…
After operating non-stop flights three times weekly between Dallas Fort-Worth and Abu Dhabi for just over three years, Etihad Airways announced its plans to suspend the flight, effective March 25, 2018. The flight, which has been operating since February 2 of this year, is made possible by a codeshare agreement…
On Thursday, Singapore Airlines unveiled the new cabins for its Airbus A380 aircraft. Included in the changes will be new seats in first, business, premium economy and economy classes. These new seats will allow the airline to retain its competitive edge in the Asian market, allowing them, in theory, to…
For years, the country of Afghanistan has seen its flag carrier operating mostly unopposed within the country, with the hardest competition coming from a few carriers rapidly coming and going in the 1990s. However, the flag carrier of Afghanistan, Ariana Afghan Airlines, has seen a rise in competition since the…
On Saturday, I was privileged enough to be a passenger on the final Fokker flight by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The first Fokker 70 flight flown by KLM was on Sep. 30, 1920, from Amsterdam to London. KLM chose the return from London to be the final flight for the…
