Darwin Airline (Etihad Regional) (Lugano) will drop routes from Zurich to Lugano and Linz and from Geneva to Toulouse and Nice. The four routes were unprofitable.
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) has restated its confidence in the regional carrier. Darwin is attempting to finalize its business relationship and investment by Etihad with the European regulatory authorities.
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Darwin Airline SAAB 2000 HB-IZP (msn 031) in the Etihad Regional colors taxies at Geneva.
The Lufthansa Group (Frankfurt) has issued this statement about a new pilot agreement with its expanded Eurowings (Dusseldorf) subsidiary which has just taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 (D-AIZQ, msn 5497) from Lufthansa.
New wage agreements apply for the approximately 300 pilots at Eurowings GmbH as of January 1, 2015. At the beginning of the year, the airline reached agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit pilotsโ union on new settlements that are to run for five years. They govern such matters as developments in working conditions and โgrandfathering clausesโ for the duration of the agreements. The collective bargaining partners agreed on a wage increase of 2.5 per cent for the year 2015 and at least two per cent for subsequent years, depending on the rate of inflation. Signing the wage agreements means that the forthcoming renewal of the Eurowings fleet with Airbus A320 aircraft, and thereby the safeguarding of Eurowings and its future prospects, is being aided and supported in terms of collective bargaining, too.
Sustainable settlements with various pilotsสผ unions have already been reached for other flight operations in the Lufthansa Group.
Shortly before Christmas, the management of Swiss International Air Lines and the board of the Aeropers pilotsสผ association agreed on the basis for a new overall wage agreement. In particular, agreements on productivity improvements and an increase in the retirement age to 60 have been reached. The compromise that was reached also includes greater protection against dismissals, as well as foundations for a new career model and for an involvement of both pilot corps in the introduction of the new Bombardier CSeries and Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. The details of the contract will be hammered out over the coming weeks. Should it be adopted, the agreement shall be valid from April 1, 2015 and will replace the existing overall wage agreement. A renegotiated overall wage agreement was signed with the IPG pilotsโ association back at the end of May 2014.
At Austrian Airlines, an important agreement with the airborne staff was also reached back in October 2014. The new collective Group agreement applies to roughly 900 pilots and 2,300 flight attendants. Since December 1, 2014, it has governed the future salaries and pensions, working hours and career development for cockpit and cabin crew. A key element of the new agreement is the option for pilots and flight attendants to move to Austrian Airlines from the wholly owned Tyrolean Airways subsidiary. With this agreement, the airborne staff have made an important contribution to safeguarding the future of Austrian Airlines.
Lufthansa CityLine also reached an agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit pilotsโ union at the end of 2014. The agreement lays the foundation for the deployment of the Airbus A340-300 aircraft on long haul services at the regional carrier of the Lufthansa airline group.
These recent wage settlements mean that the Lufthansa Group and almost all its pilots now have agreements that reflect changes in the industry and that introduce sustainable wage conditions.
Still outstanding, however, are wage agreements at Lufthansa German Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings. In December 2014, Lufthansa offered further talks on unresolved topics, along with a concrete plan for arbitration. The Vereinigung Cockpit pilotsโ union turned down this offer. Lufthansa is always prepared to cooperate on a viable solution for all sides.
United Airlines (Chicago) is considering an order for 10 Boeing 777-300 ERs according to Bloomberg. Quoting an United representative, the stretched Triple Sevens would possibly replace other aircraft ย United has on order (i.e. 787s). Boeing needs to keep the 777-300 production line going until the new 777X version is ready for production.
In other news, United is dropping its routes from its Denver hub to Saskatchewan. The carrier will drop service to both Regina and Saskatoon on February 28.
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Both the old United and Continental were large Boeing 777-200 operators. The progression to the larger 777-300 ER is a logical move. United’s Boeing 777-222 ER N788UA (msn 26942) departs the runway at London (Heathrow).
AirAsia Indonesia (Indonesia AirAsia) (Jakarta) vanished from radar screens over the Java Sea on December 28 on a flight from Surabaya to Singapore with 162 passengers and crew members on board. Tragically there were no survivors.
Investigators have ruled out any act of terrorism. The same group has stated it was unlikely an explosion brought down the airliner. According to the preliminary reports, there were no sounds of gunfire or explosions on cockpit voice recorder. Analysis of the flight data recorder of Airbus A320-216 PK-AXC (msn 3648) operating flight QZ 8501 showed the A320 climbing at an abnormally high rate, then plunging and suddenly disappearing from radar. The A320 was climbing at a steep ascent of 6,000 feet a minute (a normal climb rate is 1,000 to 2,000 feet a minute) before it suddenly dived and crashed in the Java Sea. This is not a normal climb rate. The crew had asked air traffic control for a higher altitude due to severe thunderstorms in the area. The request was denied due to other air traffic in the area.
Was flight QZ 8501 trapped in the updraft of a severe thunderstorm and then it stalled and fell to the sea?
It has happened before with devastating results. Dial the clock back to February 12, 1963 over Florida’s Everglades. While the crashes of ValuJet Airlines flight 592 and Eastern Airlines flight 401 are more well known, there was a third crash in the Everglades that is very similar to the tragedy of AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ 8501. Both involved flying into severe thunderstorms.
Northwest Airlines (Northwest Orient Airlines) flight NW 705 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. After takeoff from MIA the flight crew operating Boeing 720-051B N724US (msn 18354) encountered an approaching cold front with large thunderstorms. The crew tried their best to avoid the approaching line of thunderstorms.
The accident (from Wikipedia quoting the official accident report):
Prior to departing from Miami, the flight crew questioned the ground controller at the airport about the departure routes being used, and he replied that most flights were departing “either through a southwest climb or a southeast climb and then back over the top of it.”
After the jet lifted off from runway 27L, it made a left turn based on radar vectors from Miami Departure Control, to avoid areas of anticipated turbulence associated with thunderstorm activity. Another flight had followed the same guidance shortly before the jet took off.
While maintaining 5,000 feet and a heading of 300 degrees, Flight 705 contacted controllers and requested clearance to climb to a higher altitude. After a discussion between the flight and the radar departure controller about the storm activity, and while clearance to climb was being coordinated with the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center, the flight advised “Ah-h we’re in the clear now. We can see it out ahead … looks pretty bad.”
At 13:43, Flight 705 was cleared to climb to flight level 250. They responded, “OK ahhh, we’ll make a left turn about thirty degrees here and climb…” The controller asked if 270 degrees was their selected climbout heading, and they replied that this would take them “… out in the open again…” Controllers accordingly granted the jet clearance. Following some discussion about the severity of the turbulence, which was described as moderate to heavy, the flight advised, “OK, you better run the rest of them off the other way then.”
At 13:45, control of Flight 705 was transferred to Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. There were communication difficulties, although after the jet was provided with a different frequency to tune to, the flight crew established contact with Miami ARTCC. Several minutes after contact was established, the jet’s altitude began increasing with a rate of climb gradually increasing to approximately 9,000 feet per minute. Following this rapid ascent the rate of climb decreased through zero when the altitude peaked momentarily at just above 19,000 feet. During this time the jet’s airspeed decreased from 270 to 215 knots and as the peak altitude was approached, the vertical accelerations changed rapidly from 1G to about -2G.
In the next seven seconds the negative acceleration continued to increase at a slower rate, with several fluctuations, to a mean value of about -2.8G, the jet began diving towards the ground with increasing rapidity. As the descent continued with rapidly increasing airspeed, the acceleration trace went from the high negative peak to 1.5G, where it reversed again.
Below 10,000 feet the forward fuselage broke up due to the forces of the dive. The main failures in both wings and horizontal stabilizers were in a downward direction, and virtually symmetrical. The forward fuselage broke upward and the vertical stabilizer failed to the left. All four engines generally separated before the debris of the aircraft fell in unpopulated area of the Everglades National Park, 37 miles west-southwest of Miami International Airport.
The accident was investigated by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) which later became the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB):
Synopsis of the CAB Aircraft Accident Report:
Northwest Airlines, Inc., Boeing 720B, N724US, operating as Flight 705, crashed in an unpopulated area of the Everglades National Park, 37 miles westโsouthwest of Miami International Airport at approximately 1350 e. s. t., on February 12, 1963. All 35 passengers and the crew of eight were fatally injured.
Flight 705 departed Miami at 1335 e.s.t. Circuitous routing was utilized during the climbout in an effort to avoid areas of anticipated turbulence associated with thunderstorm activity. At 1347 e.s.t., in response to a request for their position and altitude, the flight advised, “We’re just out of seventeen five (17,500 feet) and stand by on the DME one.” This was the last known transmission from the flight. Shortly thereafter the aircraft entered a steep dive, during which the design limits were exceeded and the aircraft disintegrated in flight.
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the unfavorable interaction of severe vertical drafts and large longitudinal control displacements resulting in a longitudinal upset from which a successful recovery was not made.
The FAA later added in its Lessons Learned section this summation:
As the investigation of Northwest Flight 705 proceeded, other jet transports became involved in similar upsets. These pitch upset events were collectively referred to as “Jet Upsets.” This terminology was used because the phenomena appeared to be unique to the new generation of swept wing jet transports which began to enter service a few years earlier. The investigation of Northwest Flight 705, and associated similar pitch upset incidents, led to changes in operating procedures and design requirements for jet transports, as well as improved forecasting and dissemination of hazardous weather information to Air Traffic Control and Flight Crews. These actions proved effective in substantially reducing the occurrence of this type of pitch upset events.
Was QZ 8501 a repeat of NW 705?
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Boeing 720-051B N737US (msn 18793) is pictured at New York (JFK).
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has added nonstop service from Phoenix to Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle/Tacoma and has put larger aircraft on select flights from Seattle/Tacoma to Phoenix to accommodate customers traveling to and from the pro football championship game (Super Bowl).
The temporary service will operate as follows:
Flights 8789 to Los Angeles and 8799 to Seattle/Tacoma will operate using specially configured aircraft with all first or business class seats. Along with the added service, Delta has increased the size of the aircraft on one regularly scheduled flight from Phoenix to Seattle/Tacoma on February 2 from a regional jet to a 160-seat Boeing 737-800.
Delta regularly operates five peak-day flights to Phoenix from its Seattle/Tacoma hub, and two of those flights will be operated using larger aircraft to accommodate more fans traveling to the game on Friday, January 30. Delta also operates five peak-day flights from Los Angeles to Phoenix. Some service may be operated by Delta Connection carriers SkyWest Airlines and Compass Airlines.
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-832 N399DA (msn 30379) approaches the runway at Las Vegas.
Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery):ย
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) was reportedly due to take delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in November, then it slipped to December. The original delivery date was September 2012 before all of the delays occurred to the other 787s in front of this aircraft. The first 787 is now due to be delivered in the first quarter of this year. The pictured 787-8 N800AN (msn 40618) emerged from the paint shop on October 30, 2014. Boeing and American are currently working on the details for the delivery and entry of the new type into revenue service. However the new type has completed an important milestone in the delivery process.
As we previously reported, the pictured N800AN successfully conducted its first flight on January 6 from Paine Field via Moses Lake. Since then, the 787 has completed another test flight.
American has 42 Boeing 787s on order including 16 787-8s and 26 787-9s, with 58 options. The airline is scheduled to take delivery of two 787s this year, 11 in 2015, 13 in 2016 and nine in 2017.
American will replace some of its older Boeing 767-300s with the new 787s.
Copyright Photo: Royal S. King/AirlinersGallery.com. A splendid shot in sunshine of N800AN at Paine Field near Everett, Washington on January 19 performing another test flight.
American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):
Business Air (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi) was grounded by theย DCA of Thailand. The DCA ordered Business Air to suspend all operations on January 16, 2015, leaving more than 1,000 passengers stranded. The company was unable to pay its unpaid bills.
The company started operations in December 2009.
Read the full full report from the Bangkok Post: CLICK HERE
Update: Later in January 2015 Business Air was permitted by DGA to resume operations.
Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-383 ER HS-BID (msn 24848) arrives back at the Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) base.
Alitalia (3rd) (Rome) today issued new strategy with its new partner Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi). The new strategy will also include a new brand and livery for 2015.
The company issued this statement:
The strategy for the new Alitalia was unveiled today, with an unequivocal commitment by the new executive team and strategic investors to reinvent the airline.
Alitalia will introduce new routes, new product and service standards, a new cost management strategy and new branding, as the foundations to build a premium global airline representing the best of Italy.
The new Alitalia commenced operations on January 1, 2015, following the completion of equity investments by Etihad Airways and Alitaliaโs existing shareholders. The new companyโs Board meeting yesterday ratified the business strategy, which was outlined today by Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Alitalia, Silvano Cassano, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, and James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group and Vice Chairman of Alitalia.
Luca di Montezemolo said: โThe energies, passion and expertise I have experienced at Alitalia in recent weeks do not leave any doubt that the airline weโre unveiling today will become once again a premium Italian airline recognised worldwide. This is why I believe the people in Alitalia are a pillar of the history weโre about to write.
“Our priority is to put the customer at the centre of everything we do. And to do that, we will change many things, starting with the way we work. We need to work as one united team to achieve this great common goal.
โThe revitalized Alitalia we envision and have started building, will be an asset to this country, and a driver to support the growth of our tourism and our business.โ
James Hogan said Alitaliaโs future will rely on major change throughout the organization.
โIn a market still beset by the continuing Eurozone crisis, anything other than rapid, decisive change is simply not an option.
โThis is the right strategy, with the right management team to lead it.
โBut there should be no doubts at all: we have made a commercial investment that must deliver a commercial return.
โWeโve invested in the new Alitalia because we believe it can flourish again. It will only succeed if there is 100 per cent support from everyone. The coming months and next few years will not be easy, but if everyone pulls together as one team, Alitalia can grow again.โ
Mr Hogan said that Alitaliaโs major investors had set a clear deadline for the airline to deliver profitability by 2017.
Outlining the airlineโs new strategy, Silvano Cassano said: โThe new Alitalia strategy is serious, it is exciting and it is commercial. It is a strategy for success โ if everybody delivers.
โIt is serious because it has been developed over months by an executive team and a set of partners that share extensive and in-depth industry expertise.
โIt is exciting because of the vision and ambition that we have for the brand and for the business. This is the chance to create a new Alitalia, one which Italy can truly feel proud of.
โAnd it is commercial because that is the only way this can work. Every single employee at Alitalia has to get into a commercial mindset, one in which the basis of every decision is: Does this add value to our customer? Does it add value to our company? And does it help us to deliver a financial return?
โWe need to create a performance-based, customer-focused culture which results in a sustainably profitable airline, one which can grow over the long term.
โThe investment we have received from our shareholders gives us the opportunity to do that.โ
Mr Cassano added: โA successful Alitalia means jobs, it means trade and it means tourism. It means a major impact on the Italian economy.โ
The key elements of the new business strategy include:
Network
A new three-hub strategy in Italy. Milan Malpensa will increase long-haul services, while Milan Linate will increase connectivity with partner airline hubs. Rome Fiumicino will grow long-haul flying and continue to expand short and medium haul flying to maintain relevance to the Italian market.
Schedules across the network will be optimized to allow better connectivity, as well as increased codesharing with existing and new partners.
New routes from Rome include Berlin, Dusseldorf, San Francisco, Mexico City, Santiago (Chile), Beijing and Seoul, with increased flights to New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Abu Dhabi.
Alitalia will also add 13 weekly flights from Milan Malpensa, with daily services to Abu Dhabi, four flights a week to Shanghai, and additional flights to Tokyo.
There will also be increased connectivity with Etihad Airwaysโ hub in Abu Dhabi, with daily services from Venice, Milan, Bologna and Catania, as well as additional flights from Rome, all allowing onward connections to the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China and Australia.
Venice will be the only Italian airport, in addition to Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa, from which Alitalia will operate services to Abu Dhabi with long-haul aircraft.
Cooperation
While exploring further opportunities to deepen the relationships with Skyteam members and in particular Air France/KLM and Delta, there will be a major new partnership with Airberlin and Niki, as well as increased connectivity with Etihad Airways. There are also plans to work more deeply with Air Serbia and Etihad Regional. These partnerships will increase customer choice across many markets.
Fleet
Alitalia and Etihad Airways and its partners are exploring opportunities to improve jointly fleet efficiency. For example, Alitalia is in the process of relocating 14 Airbus A320s to Airberlin, and looking into options with Etihad Airways to acquire additional wide-body aircraft for Alitalia. Alitalia will also have opportunities to receive aircraft from Etihad Airwaysโ existing fleet orderbook.
Guest Services
A new customer-first culture, with new product and service standards across the airline. A new Customer Excellence Training Academy will deliver skills to all customer-facing staff, while customers will experience traditional Italian hospitality, new food service options, new-look lounges in Rome, Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate.
Brand
Alitalia will launch a new brand and visual identity, covering aircraft, uniforms and all other customer touch-points. While the name will remain unchanged, the new branding will seek to capture and embody the essence of Italy.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. The updated version (in 2006) of the basic 1969 livery will soon be history as Alitalia replaces it with a new Italian theme and look. Alitalia is also going to receive new aircraft types for its long-range routes from partner Etihad Airways. Boeing 777-243 ER EI-ISD (msn 32860) arrives in Los Angeles.
Video:ย Join Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Alitalia, Silvano Cassano, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, and James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group and Vice Chairman of Alitalia, as they outlining the strategy for a new Alitalia.
Gotham Air (New York) is a new crowd sourced on-demand helicopter service for the New York area. The new service will be different than previous helicopter airlines of the past. Prospective passengers with use the Gotham Air app to find a flight and the company will match you with other passengers to fill the helicopter. Gotham Air is using Helicopter Flight Services to operate the helicopters. Gotham Air’s role is to find and combine the passengers to make the flights profitable. The service will operate from JFK International Airport, Newark International Airport and Manhattan. The new service today issued this statement:
Time is money. Imagine if you could travel from Manhattan to JFK or Newark Liberty Airports in six minutes instead of two hours of stop and go traffic. Today marks the launch of Gotham Air, a premiere daily crowd sourced helicopter service that will revolutionize how you commute. To celebrate the launch, first time riders can book a $99 flat rate flight by simply selecting a departure from one of three Manhattan heliports.
Gotham Air features include:
Flights available seven days a week
First time users pay $99 to JFK or EWR; after the first ride, a one way fare is $199 – $219 dependent on departure time
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by world renowned Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery
Inclement weather guarantee backed by Tesla; Gotham Air will pick up guests at their home or office in Manhattan and whisk them to the airport in a sleek Tesla S on rare occasions when the winds are too high or the cloud cover is too low
Gotham Air has formed an alliance with Helicopter Flight Services, one of the largest, most trusted names in luxury aviation for the past thirty years. Gotham Air’s digital service platform is integrated with Helicopter Flight Services’ fleet of state of the art helicopters including seven Bell 407s, one Sikorsky S76 C+ and one Bell 427.
United Airlines (Chicago) added more flights for football fans on top of regularly scheduled service to Phoenix from its hubs in Chicago (O’Hare), Denver, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Los Angeles, Newark and San Francisco. The airline also added special new nonstop service, operating from January 29 to February 2, from Boston and Seattle/Tacoma to Phoenix for the Super Bowl. Several of the flights will be operated with Boeing 767 aircraft to accommodate the extra demand.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com.ย United Airlines Boeing 767-322 ER N675UA (msn 29243) completes its final approach at Los Angeles International Airport.
United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery only):ย
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