Delta starts nonstop Seattle/Tacoma-Seoul flights

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) on June 2 celebrated new nonstop service from Seattle/Tacoma to Seoul (Incheon) with a gatehouse inaugural ceremony. The flight marked Delta’s fourth nonstop international route added from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in a year, including London-Heathrow, Shanghai-Pudong and Tokyo-Haneda.

On June 16 Delta will celebrate a new international flight with nonstop service to Hong Kong.

In addition to the recently added international service, Delta also currently operates nonstop flights from Seattle/Tacoma to Amsterdam, Beijing, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Tokyo-Narita. By this summer, Delta will offer more international service from Seattle/Tacoma than all other carriers combined with more than 2,500 daily long-haul international seats as part of the market’s 86 peak-day departures to 26 destinations.

The Seoul flight will operate using a 210-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft with 35 full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite, 32 seats in Economy Comfort and 143 Economy class seats. Delta is the only carrier to offer full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in BusinessElite on every long-haul international flight from Seattle along with Economy Comfort seating and entertainment on demand in every seat throughout the aircraft.

Delta currently operates 76 peak-day departures to 25 destinations from Seattle/Tacoma, and every flight offers BusinessElite/First Class and Economy Comfort seating as well as Wi-Fi service on all domestic aircraft. Delta also introduced international Wi-Fi on its Boeing 747-400 fleet earlier this year and will complete installation of Wi-Fi service on its entire long-haul international fleet by the end of 2015. The airline has also invested $15 million in its facilities at Sea-Tac, including its Delta Sky Club and recently completed lobby renovations, Sky Priority services, new gate area power recharging stations, expanded ticket counters and enhancements to the international arrivals area.

Bloomberg Businessweek article: “The Battle of Seattle” between Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines is getting serious. Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-332 ER N175DN (msn 24803) taxies to the gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Delta Air Lines (current):

Ethiopian today adds a new route to Vienna, Austria

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) has announced the start of four weekly flights to Vienna, Austria starting today (June 2).

Ethiopian flights to Vienna will bring the total number of its international destinations across five continents to 82. The city will mark the 9th European city served by the airline. Thru commercial cooperation with Austrian Airlines, a fellow Star Alliance member with strong network in Central Europe, Ethiopian aims to provide seamless and convenient connectivity options for travelers between Africa and European cities such Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Budapest, and Bucharest, subject to regulatory approval.

Ethiopian Airlines:

No labor peace at Austrian Airlines-Tyrolean Airways and also no contract and no merger due to tense labor negotiations

Austrian Airlines (Vienna) and Tyrolean Airways (Innsbruck and Vienna) have met with stiff resistance and a possible strike from its unions on its recent proposals for a new contract and hopefully some labor peace. As a result, Tyrolean Airways has now withdrawn its offer for a new contract as previously reported. In addition, Tyrolean Airways will not be merged into Austrian Airlines. Lower cost Tyrolean Airways currently operates all aircraft (except one Boeing 777-200) for Austrian Airlines under the Austrian brand. The company has also decided not to pursue a replacement program for the Fokker jet aircraft due to this uncertain labor environment. The group issued this statement:

• Threat of industrial action or even a strike met with incomprehension
• Works Council considers the old collective wage agreement to be the basis for negotiations
• “Old collective wage agreement would lead into an economic dead end”

After ten months of negotiations the management of Tyrolean Airways has withdrawn its offer for a new Group collective wage agreement. Last Monday the Works Council responded to the presented offer by holding a general staff meeting and threatening industrial actions or even a strike – a total of 34 flights had to be cancelled, and almost 3,000 passengers were affected by the disruption of normal flight operations.

Moreover, at the first round of negotiations following the announcement of the offer, Karl Minhard, Chairman of the Works Council for the flight and cabin crew, declared that from his point of view the basis for negotiations is still the original collective wage agreement applying to the former flight staff of Austrian Airlines. In January, both parties had still defined the goal of reaching an agreement by May 31, 2014.

“We would not manage to achieve this under the prevailing circumstances, neither with respect to the timing or the contents”, says Klaus Froese, Managing Director of Tyrolean Airways. “The past cannot be the answer to an economically challenging future. The old collective wage agreement would lead us straight into an economic dead end”, he adds. As a reminder: for six consecutive years Austrian Airlines operated in the red. As of 2013 the company was again in the black, as a result of strict cost management and after the termination of the old collective wage agreement.

After consulting with the Executive Board of Austrian Airlines, the management of Tyrolean Airways decided to take the proposed solution off the agenda. “We have to remain punctual and reliable, especially when people are planning their summer vacations. Flight disruptions and cancellations are not acceptable for our customers”, Froese adds.

Thereby, for the time being, also the offer of merging Tyrolean Airways and Austrian Airlines is no longer under discussion. The management of Austrian Airlines does not believe it is an opportune time to make the potential investments of up to EUR 1 billion to replace the Fokker aircraft and expand long haul routes. This is because the former collective wage agreement does not provide a sound basis for such investments.

“We will now deliberate which options we have. Naturally my door remains open for serious negotiations about an economically viable Austrian Airlines”, Froese emphasizes.

The management remains confident with respect to the lawsuits filed by the trade union and the Works Council. The transfer of flight operations to Tyrolean was economically essential and also legally permissible.

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. The Fokker 70s and 100s operated by Tyrolean Airways are not likely to replaced any time soon with this uncertainty. Fokker F.28 Mk. 0100 (Fokker 100) OE-LVC (msn 11446) arrives in Amsterdam.

Austrian Airlines:

CBS 4 in Miami to detail the safety upgrades to runway 12-30 at Miami International Airport

CBS 4 in Miami is doing a special TV presentation called “The Big X” on the new safety upgrades to the diagonal runway 12-30 at Miami International Airport (MIA). The story runs tonight at 11 pm (2300) local time (EDT) on channel 4 in Miami. It will also appear on cbsmiami.com after its airing.

Runway 12-30 is on a 528-day rehabilitation project. The project will add LED lights that use much less power and last many years without replacement.

FAA Airport Diagram for MIA:

Airport Runway Statistics:

Delta orders 15 Airbus A321s with current CFM engines

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will grow its Airbus A320 Family with an order for 15 A321ceo (current engine option) aircraft to offset jet retirements. The airline has selected CFM56-5B engines from CFM International to power the newly ordered A321ceo aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2018. CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.

Delta currently operates a large fleet of Airbus aircraft, including 126 A320 Family aircraft and 32 A330s. The order announced today brings Delta’s backlog to 45 single-aisle Airbus A321 and 10 widebody Airbus A330 aircraft.

All of Delta’s A321s will feature fuel-saving Sharklets – lightweight composite wingtip devices that offer 4 percent fuel-burn savings. This environmental benefit gives the airline the option of extending its range up to 100 nautical miles/185 kilometers or increasing payload capacity by some 1000 pounds/450 kilograms.

Many of Delta’s A321s will be delivered from Airbus’ brand-new A320 Family assembly line, currently under construction in Mobile, Alabama. Hiring is underway at the facility, and aircraft assembly will begin there next year. By 2017, the Mobile facility is expected to produce four aircraft per month.

The A321 will be a new type for Delta when delivered.

Image: Airbus.

Delta Air Lines (current):

UTair Aviations unveils UTair Express’ unique livery

UTair Aviation (Russia) (Khanty-Mansiyak and Moscow) has issued this statement about the unique livery developed for its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 that will be operated by its new UTair Express (formerly Komiinteravia) (Komi, Russia) subsidiary.

On May 29, 2014 the first UTair Express Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft has been outfitted with the airline’s livery specially created for this type of aircraft.

The livery, developed by UTair representatives in cooperation with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft specialists specifically for the Sukhoi Superjet 100, includes vibrant folk patterns in the traditional Russian style. Stencil masks were used to apply more than 460 liters of seven different colors of enamel over 1,100 meters of the aircraft exterior.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft seats 103 passengers in a single class layout and is the first aircraft of this type in fleet of UTair-Express, part of the UTair Group. The tripartite agreement between UTair Aviation, VEB-Leasing and Sukhoi Civil Aircraft for the delivery of six Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft was signed in August 2013 at the MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon.

UTair has selected the SSJ 100 LR model which is distinguished from the basic model by an increased range of up to 4578 km (2470 NM), an increased takeoff weight of up to 49.45 tons and reinforced wing structure to support the increased takeoff weight. The SSJ 100 LR is equipped with a standard Power Jet SaM146 turbofan engine with 5 % additional takeoff thrust.

UTair (Russia):

Etihad Airways issues a statement concerning an equity investment in Alitalia, arrives in Zurich

Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) yesterday (June 1) confirmed that it will forward a letter detailing the conditions precedent and the criteria for a proposed equity investment by Etihad Airways that have been negotiated with Alitalia (2nd) (Rome) and its stakeholders over the past months.

The Italian Government appreciates the strategic importance of this transaction and looks favorably at the Etihad Airways – Alitalia partnership.

Upon confirmation by the Board of Alitalia and its stakeholders of their acceptance of these terms, the airlines will proceed to final documentation in order to complete the proposed transaction, in line with EU and other regulatory requirements.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan, said: “We are delighted to be able to move forward with this process and look forward to the successful conclusion of the proposed transaction with Alitalia.

“An equity investment in Alitalia will be beneficial not only for the both airlines, but, more importantly, it will give more choice and broader travel opportunities to business and leisure travellers into and out of Italy.”

Gabriele Del Torchio, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, said: “This is an excellent outcome for Alitalia. This investment will provide financial stability and confirms Alitalia’s key strategic role as an infrastructure player in the travel and tourism industry in Italy for long-term growth.”

Roberto Colaninno, President of Alitalia, said: “We are delighted to move forward with Etihad Airways providing Alitalia with an ideal strategic partner enhancing the Company’s long term growth perspectives.”

In other news, also on June 1, Etihad Airways’ Flight EY 073 was met with the customary water cannon welcome as it touched down on schedule at Zürich Airport, marking the start of the airline’s new daily nonstop service between Zürich and Abu Dhabi.

The new Etihad Airways service builds upon the airline’s existing daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Geneva launched on June 5, 2004, bringing to 14 the number of flights linking Zürich and Geneva to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, each week.

The new Zürich – Abu Dhabi route is served by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft configured with 8 seats in First Class, 32 in Business Class and 191 in Economy Class.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343X A6-AFA (msn 1071) in the special “Visit Abu Dhabi” c odor scheme is pictured arriving on a regular flight in Geneva.

Etihad Airways:

Alitalia (2nd:):

Airberlin to introduce a daily flight from Stuttgart to Abu Dhabi on December 1

Airberlin (airberlin.com) (Berlin) is adding another feeder route to its partner Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi). Airberlin will introduce a daily flight between Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi on December 1, 2014, opening up 41 onward travel destinations for flight guests.

The new Abu Dhabi route, still subject to government and regulatory approvals, is Airberlin’s first long-haul destination from Stuttgart. The service will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy Class.

Altogether, airberlin will offer 63 flights per week this coming winter season from Germany to Abu Dhabi jointly with Etihad Airways, flying twice daily from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, as well as daily from Stuttgart.

Copyright Photo: Bernhard Ross/AirlinersGallery.com. With the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Airberlin has decorated its Airbus A320-214 D-ABFK (msn 4433) in this special “Fan Force One Bitburger” color scheme. D-ABFK taxies at Frankfurt.

Airberlin:

AeroLap Paraguay Airlines is planning to launch its first route to Madrid in December

AeroLap-Paraguay Airlines (Asuncion) is now planning to launched scheduled passenger operations in December according to Negocios. The first route will link Asuncion with Madrid with Boeing 767-336 ER N254MY (msn 25443).

According to the report, the new airline is investing $180 million in starting operations. Company representatives met with the Paraguayan Association of Travel and Tourism Enterprises (Asatur) to give them an update.

Copyright Photo: AeroLap. The company now appears to emphasizing the name “Paraguay Airlines” with this new photo from the company.

Aerolineas Argentinas decorates Boeing 737-700 LV-CSI for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Aerolíneas Argentinas (Buenos Aires) has issued photos and images of the scheme and the painting of the special FIFA 2014 World Cup livery that has been applied to Boeing 737-7Q8 LV-CSI (msn 30707) which will transport the Argentine football (soccer) team to Brazil for the upcoming games.