Azerbaijan Airlines is coming to Berlin

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) (Baku) has announced it is coming to Berlin. The airline will start twice-weekly Airbus A319 flights from Baku to Berlin (Tegel) on May 2.

The airline issued this statement:

The national carrier of Azerbaijan – AZAL – Azerbaijan Airlines announces the start of scheduled flights from Baku to Berlin commencing on May 2, 2015 and the opening of the ticket sales for this route from January 21. Flights to Tegel Airport (TXL) of the capital city of Germany will run twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays with departure from Baku at 07.25 and arriving to Berlin at 09.25 local time. The return flights from Berlin will be operated at 10.45 and coming to the capital of Azerbaijan at 18.40 at the same days of the week.

Copyright Photo: OSDU/AirlinersGallery.com. Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A319-111 4K-AZ04 (msn 2588) is pictured in action at Moscow (Domodedovo).

Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-1/Airlines-Asia1-AE/Azerbaijan-Airlines-AZAL

Ural Airlines ends Moscow-Cologne flights

Ural Airlines (Yekaterinburg) ended Moscow (Domodedovo) – Cologne/Bonn flights on January 23. The route was operated with Airbus A320s on three days a week.

Ural Airlines currently operates, under operating leases, 34 Airbus aircraft (19 A320s, 10 A321s, and 5 A319s) on their Russian and international routes. The airline’s strategic plans include operating long-haul wide-body aircraft of the Airbus A330-type by 2016.

Copyright Photo: OSDU/AirlinersGallery.com. Ural Airlines Airbus A320-214 VQ-BAG (msn 1063) arrives back at Moscow (Domodedovo).

Ural Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-3/Airlines-Asia3-QZ/Ural-Airlines

Transaero Airlines to launch three new routes including Prague

Transaero Airlines (Moscow) has announced it will start the Moscow (Vnukovo) – Prague route. On March 29, 2015 Transaero will launch, for the first time in its history, scheduled services on the Moscow-Prague route.

The daily flights UN 359/360 will be operated from Moscow Vnukovo airport, Terminal A, according to the following schedule (local time):

Departure from Moscow at 12.00, arriving in Prague at 14.00.
Departure from Prague at 15.00, arriving in Moscow at 18.50.

This route will be operated with Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

The company also announced it will launch new flights to India on February 5 with twice-weekly Moscow (Vnukovo) – Delhi service. This new route will be operated with Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft.

Finally, on March 30, 2015, Transaero Airlines will launch for the first time in its history scheduled flights on the Moscow – Komsomolsk-on-Amur route.

The flights UN 2349/2350 will be operated from Moscow Domodedovo airport twice weekly. Transaero will increase the flight frequency on this route up to four times per week starting on May 23, 2015. Transaero will use on this route Tu-214 aircraft, configured with business and economy class cabins.

Transaero launched its flights to Khabarovsk Krai in July 2007. The airline has carried nearly 1.5 million passenger on the Moscow-Khabarovsk route since the launch of the service.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-7Q8 EI-EUW (msn 29360) approaches the runway at London (Heathrow).

Transaero Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Transaero-Airlines

Red Wings Airlines takes delivery of its first Superjet 100

Red Wings Airlines (Moscow-Vnukovo) as planned, took delivery of its first Superjet 100 this month. On January 19 the company accepted the pictured former Moskovia Airlines Superjet 100-95B registered as RA-89021 (msn 95021). The new type is being leased from Sukhoi and two more copies will follow.

Photo: Red Wings Airlines.

Red Wings Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Red Wings aircraft slide show:

Iberia to resume summer flights to Havana

Iberia (Madrid) is resuming summer seasonal service to Havana, Cuba with five weekly flights starting on June 1. The flag carrier will also operate three weekly flights on a Madrid – Medellin – Cali – Madrid routing commencing on July 3 per Airline Route. Both routes will operate with Airbus A330-300 equipment.

Copyright Photo: Ole Simon/AirlinersGallery.com. Iberia Airbus A330-302 EC-LZJ (msn 1490) completes its final approach to the runway at the Madrid Barajas International Airport hub.

Iberia aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Iberia-Lineas-Aereas-de-Espana

SAS to launch an improved business class experience on January 28

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it will launch a new improved business class experience for its long-haul flights staring on January 28. The airline issued this statement:

On January 28, SAS is launching an improved service concept in SAS Business on all its long haul flights. Customers will enjoy a restaurant experience in the air with an even greater number of choices, even more personal service and high quality in every respect.

SAS is currently in the process of updating its long haul fleet. This includes the renovation of seven existing aircraft and the introduction of new aircraft from fall 2015. The food and drink experience onboard in SAS Business is also being improved and customers will notice changes from January 28.

Additional choice and more personal service will be the most noticeable changes for customers in SAS Business. For example, they will have an extra starter and main course to choose from. To increase the restaurant feel and provide an even more personal service, proper tablecloths and porcelain will be used and food will be served from a service trolley to minimize the use of trays.

The improved service concept will be available on all SAS long haul flights from January 28. SAS’s long haul destinations from Scandinavia are New York (JFK), Washington (Dulles), Chicago (O’Hare), San Francisco, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo (Narita). On September 10, 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A330-343 SE-REF (msn 568) in the Star Alliance scheme arrives at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

SAS aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Scandinavian-Airlines-SAS

Europe Airpost to operate from Dublin to Halifax, Nova Scotia this summer

Europe Airpost (Paris-CDG) is joining the list of airlines operating Boeing 737 aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. According to Dublin Airport, Europe Airpost will operate a new nonstop scheduled summer service between Dublin and Halifax, Novia Scotia this summer. The new route will operate from the beginning of July until mid September.

Europe Airpost, which is the French subsidiary of Dublin-based ASL Aviation Group, has an existing charter operation at Dublin Airport, but the new weekly Halifax service will be its first scheduled service from Dublin. The company has been operating at Dublin Airport since 2010 and is the only charter airline that has an aircraft based year-round in Ireland. Europe Airpost’s new route will operate weekly from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Dublin and then continue to Halifax, Novia Scotia with a Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

The new service will operate weekly from July 9 until September 11 with flights departing Dublin on Thursdays and from Halifax on Fridays. The schedule for the new routes is as follows: Dublin/Halifax Thursday: Departs from Dublin 2:25 p.m. – Arrives in Halifax 4:45 p.m. Friday: Departs from Halifax 10:15 a.m. – Arrives in Dublin 8:05 p.m. All times specified are local and subject to government approval. The flights will be operated by a Boeing 737-700, configured in a two-class lay-out, with a capacity of 130 seats: 16 in Premium class and 114 in Economy class.

Europe Airpost aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Europe-Airpost

Alaska Air Group to reward its employees with a 9%+ bonus

Alaska Air Group (Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air) (Seattle/Tacoma) had a good financial year in 2014. The group is now rewarding its employees and has issued this statement:

Employees at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are receiving annual bonuses today of more than 9 percent of their annual pay, or more than five weeks’ pay for most workers. The bonus is in addition to the approximately $1,000 in 2014 monthly bonuses that most employees earned for achieving on-time and customer satisfaction goals.

The combined monthly and annual bonuses amounted to nearly $116 million, the highest in Alaska’s history, and are part of the company’s incentive-based pay program.

“We’re really excited to reward our employees for all the great work they’ve done this year,” said Tammy Young, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of human resources. “This is the sixth year in a row Alaska and Horizon employees have exceeded their payout targets for performance-based pay.”

Nearly $51 million in annual bonuses — 55 percent of the total — is being paid to nearly 6,000 Alaska and Horizon employees in the Puget Sound area. Another $12 million is being paid to 2,122 employees in the Portland, Oregon, area, while $9 million is going to workers throughout the state of Alaska.

Bonuses in Alaska Air Group’s Performance Based Pay Plan are determined by meeting specific company-wide goals for safety, customer satisfaction, cost control and profit that are approved annually by the board of directors. Since the inception of the program in 2003, Alaska has paid employees $624 million in combined incentive-based pay and monthly bonuses.

As part of its philosophy to provide employees with rewarding careers and good retirement benefits, Alaska Air Group has contributed $620 million over the past 6 years to its defined benefit pension plans, which were fully funded in 2013.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 ER N469AS (msn 41702) prepares to land in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Alaska-Airlines

Major snowstorm to hit the U.S. Northeast the next two days closing airports and canceling flights

The National Weather Service has issued this statement and forecast for the Northeast United States:

The stage is being set for a major nor’easter to affect parts of the Northeast Monday through Wednesday. This system will be responsible for heavy snowfall and strong winds, with blizzard conditions possible along coastal areas from New Jersey to Massachusetts. Blizzard Warnings are in effect along the coast from central New Jersey to the Canadian border.

The heaviest impact area will be around the Boston area (see map above).

This will cause a major impact to all airlines operating in the area with most airlines canceling flights in advance and rebooking passengers without the usual fees.

According to USA Today, as of 6:15 a.m. EST, 1,851 flights have already been canceled today and another 1,707 for tomorrow. This is likely to rise.

According to Reuters, Delta Air Lines has already canceled about 600 flights for Monday, January 26 due to a “historic” blizzard expected to hit the East Coast.

Read the full report from USA Today: CLICK HERE

More from The Weather Channel: CLICK HERE

Qatar Airways to operate the new Airbus A350-900 from Doha to Dubai during March

Qatar Airways (Doha) has scheduled a number of Airbus A350-900 flights on the short Doha – Dubai route according to Airline Route during the month of March giving travelers a chance to sample the new type on a much shorter route. The A350-900 is currently in service between Doha and Frankfurt, the first route for the new type.

In other news, Qatar Airways Cargo is launching freighter service to EuroAirport serving the Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg area. The new route will operate weekly with Airbus A330-200F freighters on the Doha-Brussels-EuroAirport (Basel)-Doha route.

Copyright Photo: Bernhard Ross/AirlinersGallery.com. Captured in beautiful light, newly-delivered Airbus A350-941 A7-ALA (msn 006) is seen at its first destination, Frankfurt. A7-ALA was handed over to the carrier on December 22 and entered service on the route on January 15.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-3/Airlines-Asia3-QZ/Qatar-Airways