Monthly Archives: July 2012

The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner for United Airlines is rolled out of the paint shop today

United Airlines‘ (Chicago) first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N20904) was rolled out of the paint shop at Paine Field in Everett today (July 31).

Watch for an upcoming report on this new type for United.

Copyright Photo: United Airlines.

United Airlines: 

Silver Airways comes to Atlanta and Washington Dulles tomorrow

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Gainesville) tomorrow (August 1) will expand its East Coast route network with the launch of its first-ever flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). New flights begin August 1 offering nonstop service from Atlanta to Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), serving the Greater Gainesville and Alachua County area in northern Florida, and Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Schedules are as follows:

Atlanta – Gainesville

DAY FLIGHT NO. FROM TO DEPARTURE TIME ARRIVAL TIME
Sun-Fri 3603 Atlanta (ATL) Gainesville (GNV) 9:00 p.m. 10:40 p.m.
Sun-Fri 3600 Gainesville (GNV) Atlanta (ATL) 6:00 a.m. 7:40 a.m.

Atlanta – Lewisburg/Greenbrier Valley

DAY FLIGHT NO. FROM TO DEPARTURE TIME ARRIVAL TIME
Sun-Fri 3601 Atlanta (ATL) Lewisburg/Greenbrier (LWB) 8:10 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
Sat 3605 Atlanta (ATL) Lewisburg/Greenbrier (LWB) 12:40 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
Sun-Fri 3602 Lewisburg/Greenbrier (LWB) Atlanta (ATL) 6:30 p.m. 8:25 p.m.
Sat 3605 Lewisburg/Greenbrier(LWB) Atlanta (ATL) 10:00 a.m. 11:55 a.m.

On August 1 Silver Airways is also coming to Washington (Dulles). This will be the first-ever flights from Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) by Silver Airways. The new routes, which fall under the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Essential Air Services (EAS) program, cover five gateways in West Virginia, two in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia as follows:

  • West Virginia – Beckley (BKW), Clarksburg (CKB), Lewisburg (LWB), Morgantown (MGW)
  • Pennsylvania – Altoona (AOO) and Johnstown (JST)
  • Virginia – Staunton/Shenandoah (SHD)

Silver Airways will operate its new IAD routes as United Express through its ongoing codeshare agreement with United Airlines. Schedule highlights include:

Altoona, PA (AOO); Johnstown, PA (JST); Clarksburg, WV (CKB); Morgantown, WV (MGW); Staunton/Shenandoah, VA (SHD)

  • Three daily weekday flights and three weekend departures (one on Saturdays, two on Sundays).

Beckley, WV (BKW)

  • Two daily weekday flights and two weekend departures (one each on Saturdays and Sundays).

Lewisburg/Greenbrier (LWB)

  • One daily departure seven days per week.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck.

Air Malta rebrands as “Malta”

Air Malta (Malta) today (July 31) announced its new brand. The airline has decided to promote the name and destination of “Malta”. The airline has also adopted the new tagline “The airline of the Maltese islands”.

As we previously reported, on October 31, 2011 Air Malta appointed Melinda Kecskes as the General Manager of Marketing and Brand. Ms Kecskes became responsible for the airline’s marketing, brand strategy and was the one who directed the consulting company to develop this new brand for the reorganizing airline. Air Malta earlier this year hired FutureBrand to develop this new look.

Ms Kecskes was one of the founders of Wizz Air where she developed the colorful Wizz Air brand.

Read the full account from Malta Today: CLICK HERE

Top Photo: Air Malta.

Air Malta: 

Video:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPIFvGKYoJQ&w=560&h=315%5D

United Airlines to host a live webcast of first Boeing 787 Dreamliner roll out

United Airlines (Chicago) tomorrow (July 31) will host a live webcast of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft rolling out of the paint hangar at Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility. The webcast will stream live at unitedhub.com at 5:30 a.m. (0530) PDT (1230 GMT).

The live stream will provide viewers with a look at the airline’s customized livery that is exclusive to the Dreamliner fleet, featuring a gold line that wraps the fuselage and swoops from nose to tail. The swoop is inspired by the trademark swoop painted on each of Boeing’s aircraft and is being adopted for the United 787 in a tribute to the two companies’ long history of working together. United will take delivery of its first 787 in late September 2012.

To watch the live stream, visit unitedhub.com.

Top Image: United Airlines.

More from United:

  • ​We’re getting closer to the delivery of our first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and today we’re giving you a sneak peek at an artist’s renderings of our specially designed livery.

    The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a revolutionary aircraft, and we’re excited to reveal details of our plans to make it our own. The process, known as induction, gives the 787 the look and feel of United. 

    Dreamliner delivery details

    We’re scheduled to take delivery of our first 787 in September and begin scheduled service in the Fall. The cabin has been installed and is configured as follows:
    • 36 seats in United BusinessFirst®
    • 72 seats in United Economy Plus®
    • 111 seats in United Economy®

    United 787 Dreamliner seat map

    United Boeing 787 livery

    United Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner livery renderingOur 787 fleet will be painted with the globe livery but will get its own unique twist: the gold line along both sides of the fuselage will feature a special swoop from nose to tail. Our design is inspired by Boeing’s trademarked swoop, and pays tribute to our long history of working together.

    Design and features

    The palette of colors in the cabin stays true to our current brand color scheme, so that you’ll experience the familiar United look and feel once you’re inside the plane. You’ll enjoy a number of travel-enhancing features when you fly including improved lighting, bigger windows with electronic dimmer buttons, more spacious overhead bins, lower cabin altitude (which can alleviate altitude-related symptoms such as headaches and fatigue) and enhanced ventilation systems.
    Innovative technology makes the 787 more environmentally friendly, economical and efficient to fly. Advances include the use of composite materials, less fuel consumption and a reduction in noise during takeoff and landing. These enhancements make it possible for our customers to fly to new destinations, such as the recently-announced Denver-to-Tokyo service starting in Spring 2013.

    Preparation

    United Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner livery rendering
    To get ready for the delivery of the first United 787, we’ve installed a simulator at our Houston training facility and trained more than 5,600 pilots, flight attendants and mechanics in 787 systems and operations so far.
    In addition to the ongoing training on the 787, we’re preparing our Houston maintenance facility as a place to store more than 600 spare parts for the 787.
    Following delivery, the 787 will undergo proving runs: flights that incorporate tests and training as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

United Airlines: 

Virgin America hosts “First Pitch” at San Francisco Giants home game at 35,000 feet

 

 

Virgin America (San Francisco) knows how to get attention with its unusual and wacky promotions. Here is the latest announcement:

“Virgin America, the only airline headquartered in San Francisco and the Official Airline of the San Francisco Giants, today is inviting baseball fans to help do good and compete for the chance to throw out the first-ever baseball pitch live broadcast from onboard a Virgin America commercial flight at 35,000 feet – to open the San Francisco Giants’ home game against the Colorado Rockies on August 11, 2012.  The first pitch will be thrown down the aisle of Virgin America commercial flight 753 as it enters Bay Area air space en route from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).  The first pitch will be captured live on video by AEG Digital Media and transmitted air-to-ground via the airline’s Gogo® in-flight WiFi to AT&T Park, where more than 40,000 San Francisco Giants fans will be watching.

Super fans can win a chance to throw the first-ever mile high pitch today by entering into a contest* hosted by Virgin America, the San Francisco Giants and Major League baseball.  All entrants will automatically score a 20 percent off discount** on fall travel on Virgin America – and help give back.  For every entry into the competition, Virgin America will donate five dollars to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research via the Stand Up To Cancer initiative.  The lucky super fan will join Giants mascot “Lou Seal” in-flight and get to create their own cheering section in the sky:  by inviting five friends onboard to help him or her “make it over the plate” (which in this case, is Virgin America’s Main Cabin Select Row Three).”

To enter and for official rules, see:  www.sfgiants.com/virginsweeps.

Top Copyright Photo: Virgin America.

Virgin America: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) is named “Fly Bye Baby,” and was painted in honor of the Giants. N849VA was introduced on March 29, 2012.

Condor Flugdienst introduces a 1963 “Yellow Tail” Retrojet

Condor Flugdienst (Frankfurt) today (July 30) rolled out at the Manchester paint shop this former Alitalia (2nd) (Rome) Boeing 767-31B ER registered as EI-CRF (msn 25170). The second company retrojet displays the famous “yellow tail” livery introduced on the Vickers Viscounts in 1963.

Top Copyright Photos: Nik French (above) and Keith Wignall (below).

Bottom Copyright Photo: Gunter Mayer. The first Condor Flugdiest retrojet is this Airbus A320-212 D-AICA (msn 774) introduced at Berlin on December 5, 2011. The airliner displays the original 1961 color scheme and is named “Hans”.

Condor:

Is American Airlines’ CEO panicking?

American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) current CEO Tom Horton is going on a media offensive in the on-going “war of words” with US Airways’ CEO Doug Parker about a possible merger between the airlines. As we previously reported, Horton has stated he started the merger conversation with Parker.

Now columnist Mitchell Schnurman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is raising the question of whether Horton is panicking? Is this the fight for the future CEO position of a merged American Airlines?

Read the article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. There is not a lot of “Working Together” between the management of American Airlines and US Airways. Even the AA labor groups are siding with Doug Parker. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 M73444 lands at Baltimore/Washington with the “Working Together” message.

American Airlines: 

Allegiant to add Airbus A319s

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) today (July 30) announced its intention to lease nine Airbus A319 aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and to lease and eventually purchase ten Airbus A319 aircraft from Cebu Pacific Air (Manila). The introduction of the A319 aircraft will support Allegiant’s growth opportunities.

Allegiant plans to have the first two of these aircraft in operation in the second quarter of 2013.

Allegiant currently operates 58 MD-80 aircraft, four Boeing 757-200 aircraft and owns an additional two Boeing 757-200 aircraft.

Top Image: Allegiant Air/Globe Newswire.

Bottom Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss. The Cebu Pacific Air A319s are relatively new. The pictured A319-111 D-AVYG (msn 2556) became RP-C3189 on delivery on September 23, 2005. Cebu currently operates 10 A319s and will concentrate its fleet around the larger A320.

Allegiant: 

Cebu Pacific Air: 

Tiger Airways makes a comeback in Australia

Tiger Airways (Australia) (Melbourne) is making a comeback after its grounding under the direction of CEO Andrew David. The group continues to lose money but it is working towards returning to profitability.

The Australian details the comeback.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Micheil Keegan. Airbus A320-232 VH-VNP (msn 2952) departs from the new Sydney base.

Tiger Airways (Australia): 

 

China Southern is bringing the Airbus A380 to Los Angeles on October 12

China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou) will upgrade the nonstop Guangzhou-Los Angeles route with daily Airbus A380 service starting on October 12 per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Clement Alloing. Airbus A380-841 F-WWSF became B-6136 when it was handed over to the Chinese carrier on October 14, 2011.

China Southern Airlines: