United Polaris Lounge opens at Newark Liberty International Airport

Beginning today, June 4, 2018, customers traveling in United Polaris^®, the airline’s international premium cabin travel experience, will be able to relax and dine before their travels in the new United Polaris lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Building on the airline’s concept to be uniquely United while embracing the energy of the Newark/New York metropolitan area and the exciting destinations served from it, this United Polaris lounge exhibits distinct local flair throughout. When visitors first enter, they will be greeted with a vibrant lighting fixture created by Brooklyn-based art and design laboratory Richard Clarkson Studio that is meant to mimic the constellations of the 12 zodiac signs.

In a nod to the city’s recognition for preeminence in the world for craft cocktails, the bar is the stand-out gem of this United Polaris lounge, both in terms of size and the array of cocktails offered. The thoughtful cocktail list includes the United Polaris Old Fashioned, a fresh take on the classic, complete with J. Rieger & Co. Kansas City Whiskey, a house simple syrup, Dale DeGroff bitters with a muddled orange wheel and Luxardo cherry, just like the legend himself — Dale DeGroff— makes it. A custom-designed a la carte dining menu blends international comfort foods, such as Moroccan-spiced braised lamb, with staples like the United Polaris Burger, which will be on the menu at all United Polaris lounges.

United Polaris Lounge at EWR Facts & Highlights

More than 27,000 square feet
455 seats
15 different types of seating
570 power outlets and 450 USB ports
4 private phone rooms
10 private daybeds outfitted with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding
10 luxurious shower suites, featuring rainfall showers and Soho House & Co’s Cowshed Spa products
Personal valet services, including steaming garments
A private dining area with table service for up to 48 guests featuring a menu that blends global trends with familiar comfort foods, developed by New York Chef John Glowacki. Menu items include: potato latkes, polenta fries, wild mushroom risotto with a balsamic reduction, and the “Brookie,” a playful combination of a brownie and cookie served with milk.
A bistro-like buffet that includes a do-it-yourself bagel bar plus sandwiches and wraps such as a curried salmon salad with cucumber raita and baby spinach on a pumpernickel roll as well as a charcuterie board and chicken parmesan.
A cocktail menu with signature drinks such as the Fernet About It, a unique version of the Cuba Libre containing the Italian libation, and the United Polaris Star, featuring house-made anise-infused vodka. Other house-made items include oolong-steeped bourbon, lavender syrup, vodkas and vermouth.

The opening of the United Polaris lounge at New York/Newark closely follows the debut of the United Polaris lounge at San Francisco International Airport in April. The United Polaris lounge at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston will open this summer, followed by the lounge at Los Angeles International Airport this fall.

The focus behind the United Polaris experience has always been to provide long-haul travelers with what they’ve asked for: better sleep in the sky. On average, United plans to add one aircraft with the new United Polaris business class seat every 10 days from now through 2020. Beginning July 1, every seat in the United Polaris cabin will be provisioned with a cooling gel pillow. The gel pillow, previously available by request, has proven to be one of the most popular items of United Polaris bedding.

United Polaris lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport is conveniently located in Terminal C, following security screening, between Gates C102 and C120.

All photos by United Airlines.

Delta and Korean Air enhance codeshare flights in the U.S.

Delta Air Lines and Korean Air are expanding codeshare flights, following the launch of a joint venture partnership May 1 that gives customers world-class travel benefits across one of the most comprehensive route networks in the trans-Pacific market.

A total of 132 Delta-operated flights from Seattle, Atlanta, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, Chicago and Dallas have been recently coded with Korean Air’s flight number. These new codeshares complement 164 existing Korean Air codeshare markets on Delta in the Americas from Delta’s hubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York-JFK. An additional 66 markets from Detroit, Portland, Seattle and Atlanta will become codeshares in North America next week. In addition, Korean Air’s code will be added to five Delta-operated flights from Japan to Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle and Portland, beginning June 6.

The enhanced codeshare flights in the Americas will further strengthen the existing 36 codeshare routes within Asia.

Earlier this year, Delta and Korean Air co-located at the new, state-of-the-art Terminal 2 of Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, substantially reducing connection times for customers. Since April, Delta and Korean Air have been codesharing on each other’s Seattle–Incheon flights, significantly increasing customer choice and connectivity. Both airlines have also improved their loyalty programs’ reciprocal benefits, including the ability to earn more miles on both loyalty programs and redeem them on the increased codeshare flights.

Delta and Korean Air continue to work closely to implement full reciprocal codesharing on each other’s networks to the extent allowed and provide the best travel experience for customers between the U.S. and Asia.

Delta is investing in the Asia-Pacific region where it has seen a steady increase in customer satisfaction as more Asia-based customers choose to fly Delta. Some of the investments include expanding its Asia-Pacific network, developing strong partnerships with important Asian carriers like Korean Air, operating Delta’s first Airbus A350s into Asian markets featuring the all-new Delta One suite product enhancement and Delta Premium Select cabin, upgrading complimentary economy cabin amenities and more.

Photo: Delta Air Lines.

Avion Express expands its fleet to 18 aircraft

Avion Express, the largest narrow-body ACMI operator in the world, has signed leasing agreements for three additional Airbus A320 aircraft. These three aircraft have recently been added to the fleet of Avion Express, which now comprises of 18 Airbus A320 family aircraft. During summer-autumn 2018 all three newly leased-in aircraft will be flying on behalf of Avion Express clients in Europe.

With the addition of these three aircraft, Avion Express has completed its fleet expansion for 2018. The current fleet, which is the largest in the history of the company, has been growing consistently over the years back from 2011 when Avion Express started to operate its first Airbus A320 aircraft.

Following the latest additions to the fleet Avion Express CEO Darius Kajokas said, “In times of constantly growing demand for ACMI services, we have worked consistently to increase our fleet and strengthen our position in the market by assisting our clients worldwide. During 2018 and beyond we will continue working hard to further strengthen our stand as a forward-thinking leader in the ACMI market”.

Photo: Avion Express.

Iberia takes delivery of its first Airbus A320neo

Iberia on May 29, 2018 took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo (EC-MXU, msn 8221).

Copyright Photo (all others by Iberia): Iberia Airbus A320-251N WL F-WWIG (EC-MXU) (msn 8221) TLS (Eurospot). Image: 942226.

Iberia aircraft slide show:

Air Seychelles announces the order of an Airbus A320neo aircraft

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, has announced its first order of the new generation Airbus A320neo (new engine option) aircraft as part of the plan to refresh its fleet and increase efficiency on its regional network.

The order was signed by Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Remco Althuis and the Airbus Vice President Sales Sub-Sahara Africa and Indian Ocean, Hadi Akoum during a ceremony held at the Savoy Resort and Spa in Beau Vallon, in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation Ports and Marine, Didier Dogley, Principal Secretary of Civil Aviation Ports and Marine, Garry Albert, Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune, members from the travel and trade industry as well as the airline’s staff and colleagues from Airbus.

The new addition will be entering the Air Seychelles fleet in the second half of 2019 and will enable the airline to increase the capacity on its Johannesburg and Mumbai routes while at the same time delivering significant fuel savings, reducing the airlines’ operating costs.

The aircraft will be equipped with new inflight product reflecting the latest trends in air travel industry, offering guests greater level of comfort and an enhanced travel experience.

Air Seychelles is the first airline to order the A320neo in the Western Indian Ocean.

Wizz Air takes delivery of its 100th A320 Family aircraft

Wizz Air, one of the fastest growing airlines in Europe and the leading low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, has taken delivery of its 100^th A320 Family aircraft, an A321ceo, at an event in Budapest Airport. The event was attended by Mr. Levente Magyar, Hungary’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. József Váradi, Wizz’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Andreas Kramer, Airbus Vice President Sales Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as Mrs. Jessica Villardi, Pratt & Whitney Regional Vice President, Europe, Russia & CIS.

“Wizz Air started to operate its first Airbus aircraft 14 years ago. Today Wizz Air has become a true success story, and we are proud to have played a major role in this journey, providing the most efficient aircraft with the lowest operating costs combined with unbeatable comfort in the widest single aisle cabin in the skies, ” said Eric Schulz, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.

The aircraft carrying a special livery to mark the occasion is powered by IAE engines and configured with 230 seats. It is also equipped with “Smart Lavs”, an optimised lavatory design providing more cabin length for more seats and improved seat recline for more comfort.

The aircraft will be deployed on WIZZ’s extensive regional and international network covering 141 destinations across 44 countries in Europe and beyond.

Wizz will take delivery of 268 additional A320 family aircraft over the coming years.

The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with more than 14,000 orders since launch and more than 8,100 aircraft delivered. Thanks to their widest cabin, all members of the A320 Family offer unmatched comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18” wide seats in economy as standard. With one aircraft in four sizes (A318, A319, A320 & A321), the A320 Family, seating from 100 to 244 passengers, seamlessly covers the entire single-aisle segment from low to high-density domestic to longer range routes.

Wizz Air followed up with their statement:

Wizz Air, one of Europe’s fastest growing airlines and the leading low cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, celebrates a unique milestone as its fleet reaches 100 aircraft. To mark the event, a special livery on one of Wizz Air’s super-efficient Airbus A321 aircraft was unveiled in Budapest and, reflecting the ever-increasing importance of Wizz Air to the communities it serves, the Wizz Foundation was announced, focusing on four different areas: Health, Education, Child Care and Emergency Aid.

Wizz Air’s fleet has grown to 100 aircraft just 14 years after the start of operations, providing truly low fares to over 155 million passengers in total and making flying affordable for more people than ever before. Wizz Air will continue to develop its network and stimulate underserved markets with the lowest fares, as it drives towards its ambition of becoming one of the top 5 airlines in Europe. Wizz Air’s future growth plans are underpinned by committed orders for a further 268 latest-technology aircraft for delivery until the end of 2026, bringing the fleet to almost 300 aircraft, carrying 100 million passengers a year, supported by a team of 10.000 colleagues. A strong focus on digitalization will at the same time enable Wizz Air to become even more customer-focused as well as introduce further efficiencies into the business.

The Wizz modern fleet with an average age of just 4.6 years is an essential asset in the airline’s ultra-low cost business model, along with the features of the game-changing Airbus A321, the most efficient single-aisle aircraft flying. The larger number of seats compared to the Airbus A320 means that the Airbus A321 is more efficient and environmentally friendly, with the A321ceo delivering a 10% unit cost saving when compared to the Airbus A320ceo. By 2023, 75% of Wizz Air’s seats will be flown on an Airbus A321. A further step-change will start in 2019, when Wizz Air takes delivery of the first of 256 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, an aircraft whose next-generation technology engines will deliver a further 10% unit cost saving when compared with even the current Airbus A321ceo. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engines, the most environmentally friendly and most quiet engine in its class, which will deliver a minimum 16% fuel burn advantage compared to the A321ceo.

All photos by Airbus.

airBaltic launches flights from Riga to Bordeaux

airBaltic on June 3, 2018, launched a new route from Riga International Airport to Bordeaux Airport in France.

Route	Flight frequency	Start date	*Price, Basic**	*Price, Premium**	*Price, Business**
Riga – Bordeaux (France)	2 flights weekly	June 3, 2018	79 EUR	139 EUR	479 EUR

*Lowest fare, including taxes, fees and service charges, on www.airBaltic.com, subject to availability

airBaltic flies from Riga to Bordeaux two times a week on a Boeing 737 aircraft, and the flight is scheduled to last 3 hours and 30 minutes.

airBaltic serves over 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, offering the largest variety of destinations and convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East. For summer 2018, airBaltic has introduced eight new destinations from Riga to Malaga, Lisbon, Split, Bordeaux, Gdansk, Almaty as well as Sochi and Kaliningrad. In addition, airBaltic launched a new direct route connecting Tallinn and London.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by airBaltic): airBaltic Boeing 737-522 YL-BBQ (msn 26691) PMI (Ton Jochems). Image: 938328.

airBaltic aircraft slide show:

First Boeing 777-300ER joins AviaAM Financial Leasing China fleet

AviaAM Leasing, a global aviation holding company engaged in commercial aircraft acquisition, leasing and sales, has announced that its joint venture with the Henan Civil Aviation Development and Investment Company (HNCA) – AviaAM Financial Leasing China – has added a brand new Boeing 777-300ER to its fleet. The aircraft was delivered to the Russian carrier, Aeroflot, under a 12-year operating lease agreement.

The aircraft bearing the manufacturer’s serial number msn 6530, was delivered to the operator at the Boeing facilities in Seattle, USA, on June 1, 2018. It will be used under an operating lease for 12 years. The company intends to debut the aircraft in a flight to the FIFA World Cup 2018, which begins July 14^th in Russia.

Along with being the world’s largest twinjet, this is also the first brand new Boeing 777 deal for AviaAM Financial Leasing China and has allowed the company to enter into the area of long-range wide-body twin-engine jet airliners. “We are thrilled to make a new start, a new beginning in our business. This is the first wide-body aircraft we have leased and we are delivering it to one of our biggest customers. With this Boeing 777, we are stepping into the great market of wide-bodied aircraft leasing and looking forward to new challenges,” says Tomas Sidlauskas, CEO of AviaAM Financial Leasing China.

The abovementioned Boeing 777-300ER is an “extended range” airliner that can travel up to 13 650 km with 30 business, 48 premium economy, and 324 economy class passengers. It is powered by the world’s most powerful jet engine, a GE90-115B turbofan. In December 2017, there were 767 of these aircraft in service with 72 unfilled orders.

Photo: AviaAM Leasing.

Etihad Airways to launch new service to Barcelona

Etihad Airways has announced the introduction of a new scheduled service linking Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, and Barcelona, Spain, effective November 21, 2018. The route will initially be operated five times a week by a two-class Airbus A330-200 before becoming a daily operation from March 31, 2019.

Barcelona will become the second city in Spain served by Etihad Airways, complementing the airline’s existing daily service to the capital Madrid.

The new service is being launched in time for the start of the 2018 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Middle East’s largest sporting event, held from November 23-25 at the capital’s 5.55 kilometre Yas Marina Circuit.

Etihad Airways operates an extensive codeshare partnership with Air Europa (UX), on the Spanish airline’s scheduled services from Madrid to Barcelona and 18 other major European cities.

Flight schedule: Abu Dhabi – Barcelona, effective November 21, 2018:

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Dest.	Arrives	Freq	Aircraft
EY 49	Abu Dhabi	2:20	Barcelona	06:45	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun	Airbus A330-200
EY 50	Barcelona	09:50	Abu Dhabi	20:00	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun	Airbus A330-200

Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.

Etihad Airways aircraft slide show:

Air Canada celebrates the launch of seasonal service to Ireland from Montreal

Air Canada has made this announcement:

The arrival of flight AC818 at Dublin Airport, Ireland, on the morning of June 3, 2018 marks the successful launch of nonstop service between Montreal and Dublin. Flights will be operated until October 12, 2018, using Air Canada’s newest single-aisle aircraft, the Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 featuring a Premium Economy and Economy cabin configuration.

Air Canada has configured its Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 with two cabins of service: Premium Economy and Economy. Features of the new aircraft include:

Premium comfort and ambiance with improved seats and innovative LED mood lighting along the ceiling;
An upgraded in-flight entertainment system with a sleek, new 15 language user interface. Coming soon, passengers will be able to stream video and audio to their own devices;
Upgraded overhead storage space compartments offer additional space for every single passenger to bring a carry-on bag;
The latest quiet engine technology with up to 40 per cent noise reduction, offering more peace and quiet for customers when flying;
The Boeing 737 MAX burns 20 per cent less fuel per seat than the previous Next-Generation 737.

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Days of Week
AC818	Montreal 21:15	Dublin 8:25 + 1 day	Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
AC819	Dublin 10:20	Montreal 12:00	Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday

In 2018, Air Canada is launching ten new destinations from Montreal: London, Windsor, Victoria (Canada); Tokyo–Narita, (Japan); Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Baltimore(U.S.); Dublin (Ireland); Lisbon (Portugal) and Bucharest (Romania).

Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and its regional airline partners flying under the Air Canada Express banner operate on average approximately 2,400 flights per week between Montreal and 97 destinations: 26 in Canada, including 9 in Quebec, 23 in the United States, 26 in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, 16 in Europe, one in China, one in Japan two in North Africa, one in the Middle East and one in South America.