Video: When a seat transforms into a bed

From Emirates Airline: Watch the seat become a bed in our new game changing fully-enclosed Boeing 777 First Class Private Suite. © Zach Honig

Video: Painting of TAP Air Portugal’s first Airbus A330neo

From Airbus: Look at the first Airbus A330neo# being painted in launch operator livery of TAP Air Portugal.

Video: Sam Chui visits Royal Jet

From Sam Chui: Follow me for a tour onboard the MOST LUXURIOUS Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) owned by Royal Jet.

Delta proactively cancels flights as storm brings strong winds, snow to Northeast U.S.

Delta Air Lines issued this storm update on March 2:

A powerful late winter storm could bring winds in excess of 50 mph in some areas along the Northeast coast, including at New York City-area airports. As a result, Delta has proactively canceled approximately 750 flights to and from the Northeast and New England Thursday night and Friday, with more disruptions possible.

The forecasted gusty winds, increasing in intensity over the course of Friday, will pose a challenge for airline operations. In particular, high crosswinds at the New York airports may, at times, exceed allowable limits for certain regional and mainline aircraft. Those winds may also prevent ground crews from provisioning aircraft with catering and may hamper de-icing efforts—a safety requirement anytime snow or other frozen precipitation is falling.

Customers are encouraged to check Delta.com or the Fly Delta mobile app for the most up-to-date flight status information.

A winter weather waiver has been issued for affected cities from Washington, D.C., as far north as Portland, Maine, and as far west as Cleveland. This waiver allows customers the ability to make a one-time change to their travel plans without incurring a fee.

Delta will also proactively re-position aircraft away from the New York airports during the most significant impact from the storm, making them available to quickly restart flights once the storm passes. The snow and heavy winds are forecasted to taper off late Friday night and Saturday. Delta will aim to rebound its operations in the region Saturday.

Current Weather Radar from the NWS:

Delta unveils its “Runways” ad campaign

Delta’s newest brand campaign – “Runways” – highlights unforgettable adventures and experiences that traveling with Delta fosters around the globe. Launching March 5, the campaign celebrates customers who get out into the world to chase after new experiences, while encouraging others to do the same.

Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis’ indomitable and steady voice reminds viewers that good things come to those who “go” as the viewer experiences takeoff through travel experiences across the globe at increasing speeds.

“As we aim to connect the world better than anyone else, ‘Runways’ and Viola Davis inspire us all to ‘go’ in every aspect of our life,” said Julieta McCurry, Delta’s Managing Director – U.S. Marketing Communications and Sponsorships. “We hope those who see it are inspired to listen to their inner curiosity and connect to the passions, people and places that feed their soul. Core to enabling that curiosity and connection, our people are making the world a smaller place for our customers to explore.”

“Runways” is the latest in Delta’s “Keep Climbing” series, focusing on the incredible experiences and opportunities customers have when they travel with Delta, and featuring visual and audio elements that mimic a plane taking off, connecting customers with those experiences. “Runways” highlights more than 15 destinations – all of which can be visited with Delta or its partners. The brand video campaign will run nationally on broadcast, social and digital channels in 2018.

Spirit Airlines pilots ratify 5-Year agreement

Spirit Airlines and its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), announced the ratification of a new five-year working agreement. Of the 98 percent of pilots who voted, 70 percent cast ballots in favor of the agreement.

“This agreement increases our annual compensation, delivers job protections, and maintains important quality-of-life protections,” said Capt. Stuart Morrison, chairman of the Spirit unit of ALPA. “The agreement also significantly improves the ability of Spirit Airlines to attract and retain the highest quality of pilots available.”

Spirit Airlines’ agreement with ALPA includes an average 43 percent increase in pay rates on date of signing, double-digit direct contributions to pilots’ retirement plans, and $75 million in ratification compensation.

“We are very pleased to reach this important agreement with our pilots,” said Robert Fornaro, Spirit’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our new contract will give our pilots a deserved increase in pay and benefits, and will allow the airline to operate more efficiently and reliably so we can even better serve our guests. I want to thank our mediators from the National Mediation Board and our negotiators from ALPA and Spirit.”

The ratification of this agreement represents three years of contract negotiations, including nearly two years at the bargaining table with the assistance of the NMB.

“I want to congratulate the Spirit bargaining team and the pilot group’s leadership for achieving much-needed improvements in the cornerstone areas of their contract,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA president. “Under their leadership, this group emerged from mediated negotiations with the pay increases and job security provisions our pilots have long deserved.”

Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show:

QANTAS welcomes home its newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with the Indigenous Livery

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) on February 28, 2018 was handed by Boeing the pictured Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered as VH-ZND (msn 63390) (above). VH-ZND is decorated in the special “Yam Dreaming” livery.

QANTAS made this announcement on March 2:

QANTAS’ newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which features a unique Indigenous livery, touched down in Alice Springs on March 2 (below).

The livery showcases the artwork of the late Northern Territory artist and senior Anmatyerre woman, Emily Kame Kngwarreye*. Based on her 1991 painting, Yam Dreaming, the design depicts the culturally significant yam plant, an important symbol in Emily’s Dreaming stories and a staple food source in her home region of Utopia, 230km north-east of Alice Springs.

Adapted by leading Indigenous owned design studio Balarinji, this special livery took a team of 60 people more than 10 days to complete.

The aircraft touched down in Alice Springs shortly after dawn following a 13,000 km journey from Boeing’s Everett facility and was warmly received by members of Emily’s family, who were joined by government officials and local community members.

Registered as VH-ZND, this aircraft carries the fifth design in the QANTAS Flying Art Series which started more than 20 years ago and is the only one dedicated to international flights.

It will fly several domestic services for crew familiarization before it enters service on international routes in late March.

The aircraft is the fourth Dreamliner to enter the QANTAS fleet, following the arrival of Great Southern Land, Waltzing Matilda and Quokka.

*Emily Kame Kngwarreye (pron. Emily Karma Nung-war-ray).

FAST FACTS

The livery based on Emily’s Yam Dreaming artwork took:
- A team of more than 60 graphic designers, engineers and painters at Boeing’s Seattle facility worked with Balarinji to install the design onto the aircraft, taking more than ten days to complete.
- There are close to 5000 dots on the aircraft.
This aircraft will be the second in the Flying Art series currently in service alongside a Boeing 737-800, named Mendoowoorrji.
QANTAS has worked with Indigenous owned design studio Balarinji for more than two decades on aircraft livery projects and other design work, including the Peter Morrissey uniform of 2003.
Yam Dreaming, 1991 is part of the Campbelltown City Council Permanent Collection and can be viewed at Campbelltown Arts Centre. The work was purchased in 1995 by Campbelltown City Council with assistance from the Australia Council.
Five QANTAS aircraft have been painted in Indigenous designs, with Wunala Dreaming carried on two separate aircraft.
QANTAS has a long-term commitment to reconciliation and the promotion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and economic development. Since the mid-1990s, Qantas has actively promoted the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through unique customer experiences, including the Flying Art Series.
QANTAS is committed to ethical and transparent sourcing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and is proud to be a supporter of the Indigenous Art Code.
Fact sheet about Balarinji is available here.

EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE

Born in 1910 at Ahalkere in the Utopia Homelands, Emily Kame Kngwarreye is recognised worldwide as one of Australia’s most significant artists of the late 20th Century.
Her paintings influenced a change in the direction of Australian Aboriginal art from the use of traditional iconography to an open abstract landscape.
Working as a stock hand, she became very familiar with the local Utopia landscape and her paintings are maps of her traditional lands.
Emily’s paintings, depict the Utopia of her ancestors. Emily began painting quite late in her life, when she was almost 80 years of age.

Top Copyright Photo: QANTAS Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner VH-ZND (msn 63390) (Yam Dreaming) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 940992.

QANTAS Airways aircraft slide show:

Laudamotion will be the name of Niki Lauda’s new airline, formerly Niki

As previously reported, on January 23, 2018, the creditors’ of defunct Niki (Vienna), selected Lauda Motion GmbH as the company that would take over the assets of the grounded airline.

Niki brand has been retired and all operations will operate under the Laudamotion brand with 15 Airbus A320 family aircraft transferred from Niki.

Operations are expected to commence for the summer 2018 season.

Previously, up until February 2018, Niki Laura used the Laudamotion name for his charter operations with a fleet of business jets.

Hawaiian Airlines adjusts seasonal summer schedule

Hawaiian Airlines has announced it has removed two seasonal summer flights between the Bay Area and Hawai‘i from its schedule and deferred another due to unforeseen delays in the delivery of the carrier’s new Airbus A321neo fleet.

Due to the delays, Hawaiian will no longer offer two seasonal summer flights between the Bay Area and Hawai‘i.

Our previously announced extra flight between San Francisco and Honolulu, and the flight between Oakland and Kona will be removed. Service between Oakland and Lihue, originally scheduled to commence on April 11, will be deferred until July 15. Guests already booked on these flights will be re-accommodated on other Hawaiian Airlines flights from the Bay Area to their final destination.

Affected Flights

Flight Number	Route	Flight Dates
HA 53	SFO-HNL	May 26, 2018 – July 31,2018
HA 54	HNL-SFO	May 25, 2018 – July 30, 2018
HA 65	OAK-KOA	May 26, 2018 – September 2, 2018
HA 66	KOA-OAK	May 26, 2018 – September 2, 2018
HA 67	OAK-LIH	April 12, 2018 – July 16, 2018
HA 68	LIH-OAK	April 11, 2018 – July 15, 2018
HA 1066	HNL-OAK	May 25, 2018

Completed re-accommodations by flight number and date*

Flight Number	Route	Flight Dates Completed
HA 53	SFO-HNL	In Progress
HA 54	HNL-SFO	In Progress
HA 65	OAK-KOA	In Progress
HA 66	KOA-OAK	In Progress
HA 67	OAK-LIH	In Progress
HA 68	LIH-OAK	In Progress
HA 1066	HNL-OAK	In Progress

*Dates not shown in the above table are currently in the process of being re-accommodated.

Hawaiian Airlines aircraft slide show:

The airline feud on airport expansion at Chicago O’Hare: American versus United

From Reuters:

A new $8.5 billion plan to expand Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport ran into turbulence on Wednesday due to a gate dispute involving the airport’s two biggest carriers.

But Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed to move ahead with the project despite opposition from American Airlines Group Inc.

That airline said it cannot sign a new lease needed for the project, citing a provision that gives United Airlines Inc five out of eight gates that all parties had agreed to designate for common use as late as Feb. 8.

“United’s last-minute secret deal with the city raises a number of questions and undermines competition and consumer choice,” American said in a statement.“We encourage city leaders to fix the lease and ensure competition remains vibrant at O’Hare.”

Chicago-based United called American’s claim“disingenuous” and countered that a deal with the city for five additional gates was reached in 2016.

“Our agreement with the city for five additional gates was made more than 18 months ago in response to American’s deal with city for five additional gates,” United said in a statement.“American has been aware of our agreement for over a year and has worked to block the implementation at every opportunity.”

O’Hare is the world’s second-busiest airport in terms of take-offs and landings after Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, according to an Airports Council International 2016 ranking.

American Airlines carriers accounted for 35.5 percent of passengers at O’Hare in 2016, versus 44.5 percent for United carriers, according to city data.

The eight-year expansion plan calls for replacing one of O’Hare’s existing terminals with a new global terminal, where United and American would be relocated. Other terminals would be renovated to expand gate capacity. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.

Emanuel said the expansion provides a level playing field for competition and that“multiple airlines” are on board with the plan, which he added is moving forward.

“The key thing for us as a city is to make sure we can compete and we’re not dependent on any one airline or how O’Hare was structured in the past to compete,” he told reporters.

The plan marks the biggest terminal expansion in O’Hare’s history, which dates back to the mid-1940s.

It relies on a new use and lease agreement with airlines that the mayor introduced to the Chicago City Council on Wednesday, along with a proposal to sell up to $4 billion of airport revenue bonds to start financing the project. The new lease would replace an existing 35-year deal that expires in May.

Chicago Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown said the bonds would be paid off with revenue generated by airlines, parking and concessions at O’Hare, as well as federally authorized passenger facility charges. She added that the timing for an initial bond sale would be the last quarter of 2018 at the earliest.

The city has already spent billions of dollars to reconfigure and extend runways at the airport.

Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis

On February 28, 2018 the City of Chicago made this announcement on the ORD expansion:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a historic plan between the City of Chicago and its airline partners that will create tens of thousands of jobs and transform O’Hare International Airport with the biggest terminal expansion ever, adding 25 percent more gate capacity, modernizing existing terminals and improving passengers’ experience.

“This plan is not just a game changer for O’Hare, it is a turning point for Chicago that will create tens of thousands of jobs for Chicagoans and strengthen our great city’s position as a national and global leader in travel, tourism and trade for generations,” said Mayor Emanuel. “My goal is to make O’Hare the best airport in the country, and I want to thank our airline partners for recognizing the value of this investment. We are looking forward to moving full steam ahead on this transformational plan that represents a watershed moment in Chicago’s economic future.”

The project will create 60,000 construction jobs through 2026 and ensures one of the City’s economic engines is positioned to drive significant growth for the region in the years and decades to come. Through the plans outlined in the agreement, passengers traveling through O’Hare will enjoy better customer service, fewer delays, more choices for travel, and a seamless journey to their destination.

Current Terminal Map:

“This agreement is a win for O’Hare and our customers, thanks to the investments the City and our airline partners are making to ensure our top connected airport is positioned to grow for the future,” said Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Ginger S. Evans. “Our plans will put O’Hare at the forefront of the industry, providing the absolute best value when it comes to customer service, efficiency and innovation. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring O’Hare’s economic power also strengthens our community, and will ensure that our investments bring more opportunities for all Chicagoans.”

Today’s announcement marks the first major capital improvements to O’Hare’s terminals in more than 25 years. A new Terminal Area Plan for O’Hare will completely redevelop the terminals and concourses, with Terminal 5 to undergo an upgrade and expansion, Terminal 2 to be largely demolished and rebuilt to include a brand new international arrivals facility, and renovations made to Terminals 1 and 3. These changes will expand gate capacity and set in motion a wide range of other improvements to significantly enhance airline performance and the overall passenger experience.

“As Chicago’s hometown airline, we are looking forward to continuing our investment in O’Hare and building our largest hub into the world-class airport this world-class city deserves,” said Oscar Munoz, United’s chief executive officer. “The improvements in our new agreement will help ensure we provide a superior travel experience for the more than 36 million United customers who fly through O’Hare each year. We thank Mayor Emanuel and Commissioner Evans for their ongoing support, and we look forward to collaborating further on this exciting project.”

Through a new capital program valued at more than $8.5 billion, O’Hare’s facilities will receive a major upgrade with the following benefits to passengers:

A new world-class international terminal, called the O’Hare Global Terminal, will streamline customs and immigration processing using advanced technologies, creating a seamless experience for connecting passengers;
O’Hare will rival U.S. hub competitors by becoming home to the first Global Alliance Hub in the country, giving passengers an easier connection to international destinations upon arrivals;
State-of-the-art security screening that will further reduce wait times and allow passengers more time to relax, shop, and dine;
Three new state-of-the-art baggage systems; and
New self-service technologies to make the flight check in process faster and easier for passengers.

“Delta’s ties to the Chicago market go back to the early days of commercial aviation more than 80 years ago and today our presence is vital to Delta’s strategy of connecting major business centers across the world for our customers,” said Holden Shannon, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Corporate Real Estate. “Delta supports these necessary O’Hare enhancements, including those at Terminal 5, where in the coming years we look forward to offering our SkyTeam customers a world-class product with the most convenient facilities on the airport.”

The upgrades are set to grow O’Hare’s overall terminal square footage by more than 60 percent, from 5.5 to 8.9 million square feet, and increase gate frontage by 25 percent. More gate capacity will enable O’Hare and its airline partners to reduce delays by improving access to gates for arriving aircraft. This will also enable O’Hare to handle a wider range of aircraft more efficiently, including larger aircraft that allows more passengers to be served at O’Hare.

“Spirit Airlines is proud to be a part of moving O’Hare International Airport forward. Spirit has invested resources over the past 18 months to reach a collaborative solution to propel the airport to the next level. We believe this plan will lead to a diverse, competitive and passenger-friendly airport,” said Ted Christie, President and Chief Financial Officer of Spirit Airlines. “We would like to thank the City of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Aviation for their tremendous work which will further O’Hare as a world-class travel hub.”

“Alaska Airlines is proud to serve the Chicagoland area. As we work to continue our integration with Virgin America, we’re excited to finalize a new lease with the City of Chicago that provides for the modernization and expansion at one of our important markets, O’Hare International Airport,” said Matt Shelby, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of airport affairs and development. “This agreement will provide Alaska with preferential gates that are needed to keep providing our award-winning service.”

To support these critical infrastructure improvements, the City is seeking authority to issue up to $4 billion in bonds to help facilitate the start of these capital projects. This authority will provide flexibility to help the City and the Airlines minimize total financing costs and time bond issuances relative to expenditures and market conditions. The bonds will not be backed by taxpayer dollars; rather, they will be funded from O’Hare Aviation revenues, which include landing fees, terminal rent, and other fees paid by airlines, as well as non-airline sources, such as charges for parking and revenues from concessions in the terminals. The City plans to seek additional borrowing authority in the future as these capital projects move forward.

As O’Hare adds gates and improves its terminals, passenger volumes are expected to keep pace with a strong demand for air travel worldwide, which, according to aviation experts, will double to 14 billion air travelers in the next decade. By 2026, O’Hare is expected to serve nearly 100 million passengers, up from nearly 80 million served today. The economic impact on the region will be greater, with O’Hare 21 expected to provide at least $50 billion in economic contribution to the region, and to enable at least 460,000 jobs in the next eight years.

“This project will take real steps toward realizing western access at O’Hare, including employee parking and the first phase of a connecting tunnel. I appreciate the seriousness with which the City and the airlines are addressing this issue, which is good for the airport, local residents and the regional economy,” said DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin.

With construction planned to begin next year, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and its partners across the city will establish a comprehensive workforce development program to connect residents to construction jobs and other airport employment opportunities. As projects are awarded, CDA will ensure that community hiring plans are in place and meaningful participation by MBE and WBE firms is achieved as a result of new contract provisions and programs instituted by the City of Chicago.

O’Hare’s expansion plans are being pursued by the City and the airlines as part of a new Use and Lease agreement, designed to replace the existing 35-year agreement that expires in May 2018. The new agreement establishes a more modern business arrangement to support O’Hare’s growing operations, with revised terms aligned to current industry standards.

The investments announced today are a part of Mayor Emanuel’s O’Hare 21 vision, which is currently underway, to modernize O’Hare International Airport by building more efficient, higher capacity facilities to support a modern, growing O’Hare. Terminal upgrades announced today will complement several O’Hare 21 projects underway today, including: the Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 gate expansion projects; the hotel development and expansion; construction on the new Multimodal Facility; and Runway 9C/27C, to be completed in 2020.

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