JetBlue announces Fort Lauderdale as the new home for its travel products subsidiary

JetBlue Airways, the #1 carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, today announced it has selected Fort Lauderdale as the new home for its JetBlue Travel Products subsidiary. JetBlue Travel Products consists of the JetBlue Vacations brand and other non-air travel products including travel insurance, cruises, car rentals and more.

Fort Lauderdale is one of JetBlue’s six focus cities. As the JetBlue Travel Products subsidiary grows, the move to South Florida places the subsidiary right at the center of the travel and tourism industry. Fort Lauderdale is a major center of operations for JetBlue’s international flights to and from the Caribbean and Latin America, two regions which now account for one-third of the airline’s network. Today the airline serves 59 destinations from Fort Lauderdale and is growing toward 140 daily departures.

JetBlue Travel Products is laying the foundation for the next level of ancillary earnings growth, building on the JetBlue brand. Andres Barry was recently appointed president of the JetBlue subsidiary. In his new role, he will lead JetBlue Travel Products and work to expand its presence throughout the broader travel experience.

“Just as our venture capital arm JetBlue Technology Ventures has found success by being based in Silicon Valley, Fort Lauderdale will be the perfect location to grow JetBlue Travel Products,” said Barry. “In Broward, JetBlue has established a major network serving cities across the U.S. as well as top leisure destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America. With its vibrant economy, especially in travel and tourism, we believe it makes a lot of sense to base our business here. We look forward to becoming an even greater part of the community in Broward County.”

South Florida is very important to JetBlue. The airline’s inaugural flight, Flight #1, took off from New York’s JFK Airport in February 2000 bound for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. JetBlue is already a top employer in South Florida, with more than 1,800 local crewmembers.

JetBlue Airways Corp. will continue to be based in New York City. By locating the subsidiary and the core airline teams separately but highly connected, each can focus on successfully delivering the best customer experience and creating value for owners while continuing to collaborate on future products that only JetBlue can offer.

“I want to thank JetBlue Travel Products for selecting Florida as the home for their headquarters. Florida’s world-class tourism industry continues to attract and grow businesses, like JetBlue Travel Products,” said Governor Rick Scott. “Through our pro-business policies, the Fort Lauderdale area has created more than 12,000 new private-sector jobs in the last year and Florida has created over 1.5 million jobs since December 2010. Florida is a national leader in job growth and we will continue to fight to ensure all Floridians have the opportunity for a great job.”

“JetBlue’s selection of Fort Lauderdale for its travel products headquarters is great news,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the airline industry. “The company’s commitment to expanding its operations in South Florida will support jobs and the economy.”

“JetBlue is a strong corporate citizen that has stepped up repeatedly for Floridians in their time of need. My office has worked closely with them over the years, and I thank them for their continued commitment to Florida,” said U.S.Sen. Marco Rubio. “By choosing Fort Lauderdale as the new home for JetBlue Travel Products, JetBlue is continuing to keep their focus and investment in Florida, providing thousands of jobs for Floridians.”

“JetBlue is a large, vital and growing part of the workforce and economy in Greater Fort Lauderdale, and a wonderful community supporter,” said Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County’s public private partnership for economic development. “We couldn’t be prouder that they have chosen Fort Lauderdale as the location for their Travel Products subsidiary. We wish them every continued success here and throughout their international footprint.”

Copyright Photo: JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 N603JB (msn 2352) (jetBlue vacations) LGB (Michael Carter). Image: 941953.

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

Delta offering more trans-Atlantic flying than ever

This Memorial Day weekend marks the start of Delta’s biggest ever summer on the trans-Atlantic. Some 11 routes – both new and old favorites – will begin over the next couple of days connecting the U.S. and nine countries in Europe.

Portugal is proving to be a hot destination for U.S. visitors this summer and Delta is responding by increasing capacity by more than 200 percent compared to 2017. Not only is it launching service from Atlanta to Lisbon (right), it is also spreading its wings to the Azores for the first time, flying five times a week from New York-JFK throughout the summer. Delta is the only airline to offer this route to the Portuguese island archipelago, which has much to offer including unspoiled beaches, Portugal’s tallest mountain, colonial villages and home-grown food and wines. These routes complement the daily existing flight from JFK to Lisbon, which launched in summer 2017 and resumed on May 3 as a year-round service.

EMEAI route map.JPG “Portugal and the Azores are growing in popularity with U.S. tourists, as evidenced by a 30 percent jump in American visitor numbers to Portugal last year. Delta’s significant growth in the market will support this upward trend and benefit the local economy through increased tourism,” Corneel Koster, Senior Vice President – Europe, Middle East, Africa & India, told a press conference in Lisbon.

Elsewhere on the trans-Atlantic:

Indianapolis gets its first European departure when the inaugural flight departs for Paris. The daily operation starts just in time for the Indy 500, bringing motor-racing fans to the heart of the action. And, as a year-round service, the flight will offer easy access to their homeland for the more than 40 French businesses that have a presence in Indianapolis.

Paris will welcome back nonstop service from Pittsburgh as well as an additional frequency from Detroit, bringing to 15 the number of peak-day nonstop services Delta offers to the French capital. In the south of the country, the longstanding JFK-Nice service restarted last month in time for the glitz and glamor of the iconic Cannes Film Festival.

“Hub-to-hub flying is important to Delta on the trans-Atlantic but travel demand is so high during the summer that we increase our ‘point-to-point’ network too,” said Dwight James, Senior Vice President -Transatlantic. “Throughout the summer season, we are celebrating seven new routes and remain the leading carrier between the U.S. and Europe.”

The Minneapolis/St. Paul-Reykjavic route returns for the second year, along with popular routes between JFK and Glasgow and JFK-Copenhagen. Back too is the JFK-Malaga service, which is now in its 10th year and joins the seasonal Atlanta-Barcelona flight to boost Spain’s network.

Completing the lineup are additional frequencies to Amsterdam, Athens and Rome plus the restart of services to Dublin (above) from Atlanta and Boston. These join year-round JFK service to the Irish capital, which will celebrate its 30-year anniversary in June.

And that’s not all. Next month, Delta will increase its European network further with the start of nonstop service from Los Angeles to both Paris and Amsterdam. With these two services, Delta will offer up to 85 daily departures from the United States to Europe this summer.

Delta to serve Mumbai nonstop from the U.S. in 2019

Delta Air Lines will begin nonstop flights between the United States and Mumbai, India, next year, linking the U.S. with one of its strongest trading partners.

The announcement follows agreements between the U.S. and the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to address the issue of government subsidies provided to state-owned carriers in those nations. The framework created by the agreement allows Delta to move forward with service to India, a market long impacted by government-subsidized Middle Eastern airlines.

This move will mark a return to India for Delta, which was forced to exit the market after subsidized state-owned airlines made service economically unviable.

“It is exciting to be able to announce Delta’s return to India from the U.S. as part of our vision to expand Delta’s reach internationally,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “We are thankful to the president for taking real action to enforce our Open Skies trade deals, which made this new service possible. We are looking forward to providing customers in the U.S. and India with Delta’s famously reliable, customer-focused service operated by the best employees in the industry.”

The service is subject to government approval; full schedule details will be announced later this year.

Delta also intends to expand its existing codeshare relationship with partner Jet Airways to provide seamless connections to other destinations within India, subject to government approvals.

British Airways to end service to Angola

British Airways is ending service to Luanda, Angola. The flag carrier will operate the last departure from Luanda to London (Heathrow) on June 9, 2018 according to Airline Route.

British Airways aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Qatar Airways arrives in London at Gatwick Airport

Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to London Gatwick touched down on May 22 at London Gatwick Airport, where it was welcomed with a celebratory water salute. The new double daily service, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, makes London Gatwick the award-winning airline’s sixth gateway into the United Kingdom and second gateway to London.

The new route will provide even more flexibility and convenience to passengers travelling to London, and will offer enhanced connectivity for passengers flying from the United Kingdom to Qatar Airways’ extensive global route network of more than 150 destinations. Over the summer period, flights to London Gatwick will further increase to 16 services per week on the popular route.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to be expanding its reach in both London and throughout the U.K. Earlier this month, we launched direct flights to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, clearly demonstrating our continued commitment to this market. We are very proud of our strong and extensive trade ties with the U.K. and look forward to offering our loyal passengers the chance to explore the newest and most exciting destinations within our global network.”

Gatwick Airport Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Stewart Wingate, said: “I am delighted to mark the start of this double daily service to Doha today as Qatar Airways’ extensive route network offers passengers more choice of onward destinations, including those across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Qatar Airways is also one of the world’s premier airlines and provides a level of service that is sure to prove popular with our passengers.

“This new route also strengthens Gatwick’s growing long-haul network, which has more than 60 routes and we hope to grow it further still in coming months.”

This summer Qatar Airways will operate 95 flights to the U.K. per week, including six daily departures to London Heathrow, 16 weekly departures to London Gatwick and Manchester, and daily flights to Cardiff and Edinburgh, alongside seven flights per week to Birmingham.

The Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner features 22 seats in Business Class, and 232 in Economy Class. In addition, lower altitude-equivalent pressure, improved air-quality and optimal humidity coupled with large, electronically dimmable windows create dramatic vistas and provide passengers with extra natural light. Full-spectrum LED lighting also helps them adjust to changing time zones, allowing them to arrive at their destination feeling refreshed.

The airline recently revealed a host of forthcoming global destinations in line with its expedited expansion plans, including the announcement that Qatar Airways will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct service to Luxembourg. Other exciting new destinations to be launched by the airline include Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum and Antalya, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Málaga, Spain.

Flights Schedule:

Doha – London Gatwick Flight Schedule:

Doha (DOH) to London Gatwick (LGW) QR 327 departs 08:30, arrives 13:30 daily

Doha (DOH) to London Gatwick (LGW) QR 329 departs 02:10, arrives 07:10 daily

Doha (DOH) to London Gatwick (LGW) QR 331 departs 15:00, arrives 20:00 Fri, Sat (from 15 Jun to 29 Sep)

London Gatwick – Doha Flight Schedule:

London Gatwick (LGW) to Doha (DOH) QR 328 departs 15:25, arrives 00:05 daily

London Gatwick (LGW) to Doha (DOH) QR 330 departs 09:00, arrives 17:40 daily

London Gatwick (LGW) to Doha (DOH) QR 332 departs 21:30, arrives 06:10 Fri, Sat (from 15 Jun to 29 Sep)

Photo: Qatar Airways.

China Southern Airlines retires the last Boeing 777-200

China Southern Airlines has retired its last Boeing 777-200.

According to Aeronautics Aviation News and Media, the last revenue flight was operated on May 20, 2018 with the pictured B-2051 on flight CZ6902 between Beijing and Urumchi.

China Southern Airlines aircraft slide show:

SkyUp Airlines starts operations in the Ukraine

SkyUp Airlines (Kiev) has commenced operations in the Ukraine with a single Boeing 737-800 (UR-SQA).

The first flight was on May 21, 2018 to Egypt in ex-Malaysian Airlines colors (see below).

A second 737-800 (UR-SQB) is due shortly.

All images by SkyUp Airlines.

American Airlines applauds ratification of U.S.-Brazil open skies agreement

American Airlines applauds the United States and Brazilian governments for finalizing an Open Skies agreement that will allow for increased air service between the two countries.

“We applaud the U.S. Departments of State and Transportation and the Brazilian Ministry of Transport for taking this important step to enhance the U.S.-Brazil aviation relationship,” said Nate Gatten, American’s senior vice president – Government Affairs. “We commend Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Chao and their teams for their leadership and commitment to finalizing this agreement. As the leading U.S. carrier in Latin America, American has long advocated for an Open Skies policy between the U.S. and Brazil. This agreement will strengthen economic ties between the U.S. and Brazil and deliver significant benefits for consumers.

U.S.-Brazil Open Skies will pave the way for the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve American’s proposed joint business with LATAM Airlines Group. The American-LATAM joint business, which was announced in January 2016, will cover all travel between the U.S. and Canada and Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

The joint business will give customers an improved route network with increased connectivity and capacity, access to lower fares, and a seamless travel experience between American and LATAM flights. The joint business previously received regulatory approval from Brazil in October 2017, Colombia in May 2017 and Uruguay in November 2016.

American has proudly served Brazil for 28 years and has more flights between the U.S. and Brazil than any other carrier. American has nearly 600 team members in Brazil and more than 70 weekly flights to Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Sao Paulo (GRU), Manaus (MAO), Belo Horizonte (CNF) and Brasilia (BSB) from American’s hubs in Miami (MIA), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX).

American Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):

British Airways to resume London – Marrakech service

British Airways is planning to resume the London (Heathrow) – Marrakech route (last served in October 2012) on October 28, 2018. According to Airline Route, the restored route will operate four days a week with Airbus A320s.

British Airways aircraft slide show (Airbus):

Royal Brunei Airlines announces daily nonstop flights to London

Royal Brunei Airlines has announced the launching of daily nonstop flights between Brunei and London (Heathrow) effective on October 28, 2018. The nonstop flights will see guests enjoying faster journeys with the round trip travel time reduced by 3.5 hours to/from Brunei and 5.3 hours to/from Melbourne.

With the introduction of the daily nonstop flights to London, RB will cease operating the Dubai-London-Dubai route. RB will however continue to provide the vital link to the GCC via Dubai and offer four times weekly Brunei-Dubai-Brunei services effective October 29, 2018.

With these changes, RB has also updated its schedule for its Melbourne flights to cater for better connections within its long haul route network. These schedules are subject to slot clearances and government approvals.

Flight No.	Sector	Departure	Arrival	Days of Operations
BI003	Brunei to London	00:15	06:50	Daily
BI004	London to Brunei	17:05	14:40 (+1 day)	Daily

Effective October 28, 2018

Flight No.	Sector	Departure	Arrival	Days of Operations
BI005	Brunei to Melbourne	19:00	05:00 (+1 day)	Daily
BI006	Melbourne to Brunei	18:40	22:40	Daily

Effective October 28, 2018

Flight No.	Sector	Departure	Arrival	Days of Operations
BI007	Brunei to Dubai	00:20	05:00	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
BI008	Dubai to Brunei	06:00	18:00	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun