American Airlines is coming to Hong Kong

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today announced it plans to launch its first-ever nonstop service from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) next year.

The new daily service between DFW and Hong Kong will be operated with a Boeing 777-300 ER, marking the first time American will deploy its flagship aircraft to Asia. The new service between DFW and Shanghai will be operated with a 777-200 aircraft. Pending regulatory approval, customers can travel on these new routes beginning summer 2014.

Both routes will be operated as part of American’s joint business agreement with fellow oneworld^®alliance member Japan Airlines. The service to Hong Kong will add a new destination to American’s international network, and the service to Shanghai complements American’s existing service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Through oneworld member airlines and their affiliates, American’s customers will have access to more than 145 destinations within Asia. Also, through American’s extensive network out of Dallas/Fort Worth, customers traveling from Shanghai and Hong Kong will now have access to nearly 200 destinations throughout North, Central and South America.

In addition to welcoming the 777-300 ER to Asia with the launch of service to Hong Kong, American will take delivery of and deploy additional 777-300 ER aircraft to key international markets in 2014, including routes from American’s hub in Miami for the first time. American will begin operating the 777-300 ER on one of its two daily flights from Miami to London Heathrow (LHR) in January, and one of its four daily flights from Miami to Sao Paulo (GRU) in November 2014. American will also operate an additional 777-300 ER between New York JFK and London Heathrow in March. By the end of 2014, American will have 16 of the 20 777-300 ER aircraft it has on order deployed throughout its network.

With the introduction of an additional 777-300 ER between JFK and London Heathrow, customers will have the opportunity to travel in fully lie-flat First Class or Business Class seats on all 12 frequencies American operates together with British Airways between the two airports, providing more fully lie-flat seats than any other airline partnership in the market.

Together, American and British Airways provide customers in the competitive New York to London travel market more service than any other airline partnership, with 17 daily nonstop flights from New York-area airports to London-area airports. In addition to the combined 12 daily trips between JFK and London Heathrow, British Airways also offers direct access from Newark to London Heathrow and the only service by any carrier between JFK and London City (LCY), giving business travelers more convenient access to the financial district in the heart of London.

Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. American’s new Boeing 777-323 ER N722AN (msn 31547) arrives in London at Heathrow Airport.

American Airlines:

Breaking News: A Lao Airlines ATR 72 crashes in the Mekong River, 44 people on board

Lao Airlines (Vientiane) today (October 16) suffered a terrible accident. One of their new ATR 72-600s, registered RDPL-34233, crashed into the Mekong River in bad weather while attempting an approach for landing at Pakse Airport in southern Laos on a flight from Vientiane. 39 passengers and five crew members were on board according to the Bangkok Post. All 44 people have tragically perished in the crash. The aircraft is half submerged in the river with bodies being brought to the shore line according to Laos TV.

Did a lingering part of Typhoon Nari play a part in this accident? Reuters asks that question in this latest report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Olivier Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. Lao Airlines was operating two new ATR 72-600s (RDPL-34222 and RDPL-34233). The pictured ill-fated ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) F-WWEH (msn 1071) became RDPL-34233 when it was delivered on March 29, 2013.

Lao Airlines:

Route Map: Pakse is in the southern portion of Laos on the Mekong River.

Air France-KLM: The Alitalia business plan is not suitable

Air France-KLM Group (Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines) (Paris and Amsterdam) with 25 percent of the stock is the key to Alitalia’s (2nd) (Rome) survival. According to this report by Reuters quoting internal sources, the group has stated privately the Alitalia rescue plan and capital infusion “fell short of its requirements, particularly in terms of debt restructuring.”

However, the source added that Alitalia was “of strategic interest” to Air France-KLM.

Meanwhile Willie Walsh of the International Airline Group (British Airways, Iberia and Vueling Airlines) has spoken out against the state aid for Alitalia and has called on the European Commission to stop the Italian government’s efforts to prop-up the failing flag carrier.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Alitalia’s Boeing 777-243 ER I-DISU (msn 32858) climbs from the runway at Tokyo (Narita).

Alitalia (2nd):

Air France:

KLM:

A large panel falls off of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 VT-ANO while flying over India

Air India‘s (Mumbai) Boeing 787-8 VT-ANO (msn 36286) while being operated on flight AI 803 from Delhi to Bangalore with 148 passengers and crew members, lost a 4′ x 8’ panel while en route between the two cities on October 12, 2013. The troubled airliner made a safe emergency landing at Bangalore. The panel has since been repaired and the aircraft is back in service according to The Times of India.

VT-ANO was delivered to Air India on October 4, 2013.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Soon to be delivered Boeing 787-8 VT-ANG (msn 36275) Completes a test flight at Paine Field near Everett.

All AG images are available as framable color prints or posters.

Air India:

Iberia introduces a new color scheme

Iberia (Madrid) today introduced its long-awaited new livery. The pictured new color scheme retires the now famous “IB” logo on the tail.

The first aircraft to wear the new look will reportedly be the fifth new Airbus A330-302 which is expected to become EC-LYF (msn 1437). This new arrival will be delivered at the end of November.

Images: Iberia.

What do you think?

Iberia:

Norwegian establishes a new European airline subsidiary

Norwegian AIr Shuttle’s (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) Board of Directors today approved a new structure that will ensure the company’s international growth and the necessary traffic rights. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA continues to be overall parent company. The parent company established two new wholly owned subsidiaries with their own operating certificate (AOC), one in Norway and one in Europe. The Company intends to establish hiring pilots at bases outside Scandinavia.

The most important changes:

New Norwegian operating company with its own AOC in Norway based on the current Scandinavian bases

All employees pilots in Scandinavia is transferred to the Norwegian operating company with current pay and working conditions. Other employees of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA are not affected

Creation of a separate EU operational company that ensures the necessary traffic rights to fly from Europe

In line with the development of law in Europe established wholly owned resource company with roots in the countries where the bases are

Hired pilots are being offered permanent employment locally in the respective resource companies. The first is the base in Finland, where the pilots are being offered permanent employment in the first quarter of 2014. This is followed by the bases in Spain and England.

Norwegian goes from being a Scandinavian company into an international company. The organizational structure needs to be modernized and adapted accordingly.

The new structure provides a greater degree of equality regarding career opportunities, regardless of what country they have that base.

Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8JP LN-DYU (msn 39008) with the special “Wireless Internet on Board” markings arrives at London (Gatwick).

Norwegian:

Silver Airways and United Airlines renew their code-share agreement

Silver Airways (United Express) (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Gainesville, FL) and United Airlines (Chicago) have announced that they have reached agreement reaffirming the code-share relationship between the two carriers on service throughout Florida and the Bahamas. In addition, Silver Airways will continue to operate as an United Express carrier in their shared Mid-Atlantic hubs in Cleveland and Washington, DC (Dulles).

News of the renewed relationship follows a June 2013 release from Silver Airways announcing that it had successfully migrated to a new, stand alone reservations system and website powered by Sabre.

Silver Airways:

United Express-Silver Airways:

Southern Airways Express meets with new capital investors

Southern Airways Express (Memphis) today announced that it is embarking on its secondary capital raise in order to further expand the carrier’s increasing demand for flights across its five-state footprint.

Credited with helping secure a new tower for the Destin Airport due to its daily passenger service there, Southern has been a welcome amenity to those Memphis and Oxford beach homeowners and vacationers wanting direct and convenient flights.

“Our demographics support what we know people are looking for, and that is direct service without bag fees, security hassles, or parking charges,” said Stan Little, Chairman of Southern Airways Corporation. “However, the airline is not just for vacationing travelers. It also serves many of the metro area’s business men and women trying to get to meetings within the southeast region.”

The airline wants to continue to boost travel to Destin, Gulf Shores, and Panama City but also to serve other markets. With Delta having already cut non-stop destinations out of Memphis from 93 to 29, and with more anticipated cuts coming to Memphis International Airport in the future, Southern is counting on rapid growth and hoping to move quickly to meet demand.

“We need the next round of funding to secure more aircraft, expand our routes, and add the resources we need to do it right,” said Little. To date, funding has come initially from private Mississippi investors, but the next level is being considered by a group of venture capitalists out of New York.

“We’ve enjoyed being a Mid-South airline, and our corporate headquarters will remain here. Obviously, future growth plans will be dictated in large part by the wishes of our investors, and I know that the New York group is interested in our duplicating the Memphis-Destin model in the New York-Hamptons-Cape Cod markets,” Little continued. “Until this year, Memphis was an airline hub in the Southeast region for the better part of half a century. Under our model, it can be once again.”

Images: Southern Airways Express.

Route Map:

JetBlue to add Detroit and Detroit-Boston service

JetBlue Airways (New York) has announced that Detroit will become its 85^th destination in the Americas, with new nonstop flights to Boston Logan Airport beginning on March 10, 2014. Detroit becomes JetBlue’s 51^st nonstop destination from Boston and the newest business market served.

JetBlue will serve the Boston-Detroit route three times daily, operated with its 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft.

JetBlue’s schedule between Boston (BOS) and Detroit (DTW):

BOS to DTW:	DTW to BOS:
Depart – Arrive	Depart – Arrive
7:30 a.m. – 9:49 a.m. 4:00 p.m. – 6:17 p.m. 7:35 p.m. – 9:52 p.m.	6:30 a.m. – 8:16 a.m. 10:30 a.m. – 12:16 p.m. 6:55 p.m. – 8:43 p.m.

– First flight operates daily beginning March 10, 2014 –

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N306JB (msn 19000272) in the Harlequin tail design banks on the final “River Approach” at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

JetBlue Airways: