Avelo Airlines flies its one millionth customer

Avelo Airlines has made this announcement:

Just 16 months after making history as America’s first new airline to take flight in more than a decade, Avelo Airlines announced it is flying its one millionth Customer today. To celebrate the milestone, Avelo Founder, Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy will be aboard the milestone flight – surprising every Customer with a free future roundtrip ticket anywhere Avelo flies.

The one millionth Customer will be aboard Avelo Flight 165 from Los Angeles’ popular Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Boise Airport (BOI). However, Levy will thank all of the nearly 160 Customers aboard the Boise-bound Boeing 737-800 milestone flight with a free roundtrip ticket.

At the BUR departure gate surrounded by Avelo Customers and Crewmembers Levy said, “From the start, Avelo has been on a mission to Inspire Travelby making flying affordable and easy so you can travel more. Since our first flight 16 months ago, one million Avelo Customers have enjoyed the everyday low fares and convenience of flying with us. On this momentous occasion, all of us at Avelo are grateful to you and every Avelo Customer who has chosen Avelo. I’m also very appreciative of our Avelo Crewmembers who deliver the smooth, reliable and caring travel experience that keeps our Customers coming back. Thanks a million!”

Avelo will also be awarding one lucky traveler with a year of free tickets to any Avelo destination. The winner will receive 12 pairs of roundtrip Avelo tickets that are valid for one year. Inspired travelers can enter the Avelo One Million Sweepstakes*at Avelo’s Instagram page (@AveloAir) or by visiting AveloAir.com/OneMillion through September 12, 2022.

AVelo Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Atlas Air extends its partnership with QANTAS Freight

Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. has announced an agreement to extend its long-standing partnership with Qantas Freight, the leading air freight carrier in Australia. The successful partnership between Atlas Air and Qantas Freight began in 2004.

Under the extended agreement with Qantas Freight, Atlas Air will provide long-haul, widebody main deck capacity with two Boeing 747-400Fs operating its existing network linking Australia, Asia and the U.S. An additional 747-400F has also been extended to service the one-way U.S.-Australia-Hong Kong routing, boosting capacity to meet customer demand.

Both Atlas Air and Qantas are committed to meeting the industry-wide 2050 sustainability targets set forth by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

Atlas Air aircraft photo gallery:

New airline from Nigeria – Umza Xpress

Umza Xpress (Umza Aviation Services) is a new airline based in Nigeria. The new airline has taken delivery of this former Air Canada Express Q400.

C-FSRY will become 5N-CAC.

Aero Contractors will operate the aircraft. Aero Contractors issued this statement:

Copyright Photo: Umza Xpress (Umza Aviation Services) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) C-FSRY (5N-CAC) (msn 4174) SEN (Keith Burton). Image: 958512.

Air New Zealand is taking proactive measures to protect the travel plans of its customers as sickness levels continue to cause disruption

Air New Zealand has issued this statement:

Over the next six months, the airline will operate a slightly reduced schedule of 1.5 percent fewer seats than originally planned, meaning a change to some flights.

Most customers who experience a flight change will be transferred to another flight on the same day for domestic travel, and for international travel, on the same day or a day either side of their original booking. Where customers cannot be accommodated within these timeframes, they may change their booking online, opt into credit or request a refund.

Those customers with changes will start to see them from today and will be automatically transferred to another flight. Those with further onward connections may also be disrupted and we will work through these directly with impacted customers.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says making these changes now gives customers advance notice and will help the airline provide a service that’s more reliable during its rebuild.

“Like many airlines around the world, we’ve been ramping up our operation at a time when Covid and the flu continues to impact the aviation industry. Looking at the disruptions our customers and staff have faced over the past five weeks, we’ve made some adjustments to reduce short-notice cancellations in the months ahead.

“While we did factor sickness into our ramp up plan, we’ve seen the highest rates of crew sickness in over a decade. We see these challenges continuing not just for crew, but for our whole operation, and so we’re making proactive changes to address them.”

Mr Foran says reducing the number of flights means the airline will be able to have crew on standby to cover illness, which has not been possible lately.

“We’re pulling out all the stops to minimise disruption and provide surety for our customers over the next six months. We have rehired or brought on more than 2,000 pilots, airport staff, cabin crew, contact centre and engineers, and we’re going as fast as we can with recruitment and training.

“We’re also exploring options to lease a crewed widebody aircraft for the busy summer period. We know customers want the Air New Zealand experience, and that’s what we want to deliver too. But at the moment we’re stretched to capacity and making sure our customers are able to travel is our top priority. The lease of an additional crewed aircraft may help us achieve that.”

Air New Zealand’s domestic and international schedule will be operating at 90% of pre-Covid capacity for the next six months.

In other news, ANZ is bring back grounded Boeing 777-300 aircraft:

Nau mai hoki mai to our first Victorville 777-300 🥳 After 696 days in the Mojave Desert we’re welcoming back our largest widebody aircraft! Helping us connect even more Kiwis around the world 💜 pic.twitter.com/4IGhdeeTEd

— Air New Zealand (@FlyAirNZ) August 10, 2022

Top Copyright Photo: Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZG (msn 37963) HNL (Ivan K. Nishimura). Image: 956949.

Air New Zealand aircraft photo gallery:

Additional freighter enables Lufthansa Cargo to grow its network to Asia and North America

Lufthansa Cargo is expanding its long-haul route network in the 2022-2023 winter flight schedule with additional flights to high-demand destinations, including a new destination. From the end of August, Lufthansa Cargo is marketing additional capacity with the entry into service of another Boeing 777F freighter. A further Airbus A321F will supplement the medium-haul offering from October. Related adjustments and extensions to the short- and medium-haul flight schedule are currently still being planned.

Lufthansa Cargo’s current 2022-2023 winter flight schedule consists of a total of 78 weekly Boeing 777F freighter rotations. On Asian routes alone, customers can choose from 38 weekly connections to attractive destinations. New to the schedule is the destination of Hanoi (HAN). Hanoi will be served twice a week from Frankfurt via Mumbai (BOM) from the beginning of November. Lufthansa Cargo already flies twice weekly from Frankfurt via Bangkok (BKK) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), thus doubling its presence in Vietnam. In addition, service from Frankfurt via Kansai (KIX) to Seoul (ICN) will increase from three to four weekly flights. The frequency to Hong Kong (HKG), China, will also be increased from four to five weekly flights.

Additional frequencies will also be offered on the future 34 weekly freighter rotations between Europe and North America: The service from Frankfurt to Mexico City (MEX) will be increased from five to six and to Chicago (ORD) from seven to eight flights per week.
Lufthansa Cargo is maintaining its proven four weekly routes to South America and two weekly connections within Europe with the B777F to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Cairo (CAI) in the winter flight schedule.

Top Copyright Photo: Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F D-ALFG (msn 66090) (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) FRA (Jay Selman). Image: 404100.

Lufthansa Cargo aircraft photo gallery:

TAP Air Portugal sees a massive 526% increase in traffic between Europe and Brazil

TAP Air Portugal (TAP) experienced a massive 526% increase in customers carried between Europe and Brazil in the first six months of 2022, compared to the previous year.

The Portuguese flag carrier flew more than 640,000 customers on more than 3,100 flights, grabbing nearly a third (28%) of the whole market share of all customers flown between Europe and Brazil.

During the first half of 2022 it operated 3,129 flights and was the third largest international airline in the number of take-offs, representing a huge increase of 130% compared to the same period in 2021.

This summer, TAP will operate 76 flights a week between Portugal and Brazil, the largest number of flights by a foreign airline flying to Brazil.

TAP connects Europe to 11 cities in Brazil from its Lisbon hub, flying to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belém, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Natal, Maceió, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador. The airline also connects Porto with São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Currently, TAP connects Portugal with three destinations in the United Kingdom – London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester – as well as offering flights to the Irish capital, Dublin.

The airline, which boasts one of the youngest fleets in Europe, currently operates a mix of short-haul and long-haul Airbus aircraft, from the state-of-the-art A330neo to the game changing single-aisle A321neoLR.

The carrier’s regional arm also operates a fleet of ATR and Embraer aircraft for those travelling a shorter distance.

Top Copyright Photo: TAP Portugal – Air Portugal Airbus A330-941 CS-TUR (msn 1943) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 958273.

TAP aircraft photo gallery:

Archer Aviation receives $10 million pre-delivery payment from United Airlines for 100 eVTOL aircraft

Archer Aviation Inc. has announced that it has received a $10 million pre-delivery payment from United Airlines for 100 of the company’s initial production eVTOL aircraft. The payment represents a watershed moment for the eVTOL industry, validating confidence in the commercialization of eVTOL aircraft and Archer’s leadership. United is making the deposit on 100 of Archer’s production aircraft which it agreed to purchase in 2021.

Archer recently completed its production aircraft’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and is now advancing to the next stage of its development and commercialization efforts. The PDR is a meticulous review of the aircraft design to ensure the program is on track and the design is mature enough to proceed to the next development phase and kick-off of production of long lead time hardware. The PDR lays out all aspects of the aircraft’s specifications and manufacturing requirements, necessary pre-conditions for determinations that the design is feasible for regulatory compliance and viable to bring to market. United’s decision to place a deposit for 100 of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft signals its desire to be one of the first airline operators in the U.S. to bring eVTOL aircraft to market.

The pre-delivery cash deposit continues a trend of strong support by the airline throughout development of its aircraft. Recently, United formed a Joint eVTOL Advisory Committee with Archer, allowing the parties to work more closely on eVTOL maintenance and operational matters. Committee members include Archer’s operations and maintenance leadership, as well as leadership from United’s maintenance, materials, and engineering groups.

Critical azimuth testing ✅ We've wrapped phase two of Maker's flight test program 😤https://t.co/6PrNOC5BmN pic.twitter.com/eTOUytfTkp

— Archer (@ArcherAviation) July 29, 2022

American announces its Boeing 787-8 deliveries resume

American Airlines has made this announcement:

On August 10, 2022 American received its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft this year and its first since April 2021.

The aircraft, with U.S. registration number N880BJ, was delivered from Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to enter commercial service in the coming weeks.

Including this delivery, American currently has 47 active 787 family aircraft in its fleet with an additional 42 on order. We appreciate the work done by the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing during the review process.

Video:

American Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):

Malaysia Airlines to acquire 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft

Malaysia Airlines is preparing to sign an order with Airbus and leasing companies next Monday to acquire 20 new Airbus A330neo aircraft according to Reuters.

The new aircraft will replace aging 15 Airbus A330-300s and six Airbus A330-200s.

Loganair to be featured in a new ten-part BBC series

Loganair has made this announcement:

If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in an airline beyond take-offs and landings, a new ten-part BBC series launching next Monday will offer an exclusive insight into the lives of the younger members of the team at Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline.

Loganair provided all-areas access to camera crews from Mentorn Scotland over several months – filming from as far afield as Shetland and the Outer Hebrides to London Heathrow, as 11 of the airline’s team, ranging from Captain to Aircraft Engineer, balanced their personal lives with the busiest summer at work they’ve faced to date.

It’s far reaching, with the UK’s first commercial pilot living with HIV attempting to update aviation legislation to achieve his dream, while one cabin crew member seeks advice from her best friend as she strives to become a pilot. The show also follows the UK’s youngest captain from Edinburgh as he juggles life in the air with his love of street performing and his long-distance relationship in Shetland, and an engineer who faces her biggest challenge yet as she converts a plane into an air ambulance in time for a patient to be transported the following morning.

The series also captures the close friendships of those at Loganair as it shows best mates from Manchester and Mauritius settling into their new lives as pilots in Aberdeen, and a special family moment as one pilot surprises his mum with a flight to an island to thank her for her support throughout his career – the first time she’s ever been on a commercial flight with her son flying the plane.

The first episode of Sky High Club lines up for take-off on BBC Scotland at 22:30 on Monday 15 August, with a second instalment on Wednesday 17 August. BBC Three launches the series nationally from 20:00 on Thursday 18 August with two back-to-back episodes.

A “series drop” of the entire ten episodes will be available through the BBC iPlayer from Monday 15 August.

Jonathan Hinkles, CEO of Loganair, said:

“We are all incredibly proud of those who participated in Sky High Club and everyone in the wider team who made it possible.

During a busy summer, when the entire aviation industry was faced with changing covid restrictions and huge challenges, it was a daunting prospect to invite a TV crew behind the scenes of our airline. For this to work in the best possible way, we gave the camera crews full access to behind-the-scenes life at Loganair, and I’m truly grateful to the stars of the show for volunteering to share their personal and truly inspiring stories as part of the journey.

It is our hope that it provides fantastic encouragement and insight for those contemplating a career in aviation – whether in the air or on the ground – and that we are able to continue welcoming a diverse range of new recruits into the Loganair family.”

Sky High Club, produced by Mentorn Scotland, is the result of a commission from a creative partnership of BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland. The scheme invited local Scottish Independent production companies to pitch innovative, factual entertainment format ideas that reflect the life experiences young people, with the promise of a guaranteed series commission.

The BBC made this announcement:

It’s take-off for a 10-part series that tells the stories of the young crew members of the UK’s largest regional airline. This opening episode introduces the Loganair team including pilots and cabin crew, who are buckling their belts for journeys across Scotland and beyond in their busiest summer yet.

Robbie is the youngest pilot to become a captain in the UK. Now 25, he has the dream job, and Kirsten, his dream girl – but there’s one small problem: he lives in Edinburgh and she lives on the remote island of Shetland as part of the customer service team.

Luckily for him, crew members and good pals Shannon and Karolina are on hand to organise a team day out, and offer some solid advice on long-distance relationships.

Moroccan-born Omar has moved from the Canary Islands to start a new life in Scotland. He’s training to become a member of the cabin crew, and having made the big move to Aberdeen for a career with the airline, the pressure’s on to pass gruelling exams or risk having to take off again to another location.

Sky High Club is produced by Mentorn Scotland. The commission came from a creative partnership of BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland. The scheme invited local Scottish Independent production companies to pitch innovative, factual entertainment format ideas that reflect the life experiences young people, with the promise of a guaranteed series commission.

Loganair aircraft photo gallery: