Spirit Airlines signs Memo of Understanding for 75 Airbus aircraft

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) and Airbus announced today that they have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) for 75 A320 family aircraft consisting of 30 of the existing aircraft model and 45 of the A320neo (new engine option) aircraft.

These aircraft are in addition to the 33 aircraft not yet delivered under Spirit’s existing order and would be scheduled for delivery from 2016 through 2021.
The airline has not yet announced its engine selection for the A320s or the A320neos.

Copyright Photo: Dave Campbell.

Spirit Slide Show: CLICK HERE

JetBlue Airways expands the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood-San Juan route

JetBlue Airways (New York) announces further expansion on the island with the addition of two more daily flights between San Juan and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood. The new flights are scheduled to begin in May 2012.

With its expanded schedule, JetBlue will offer up to six daily nonstop flights between its South Florida focus city at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in the Puerto Rican capital.

JetBlue’s added Fort Lauderdale service is just one in a series of upcoming expansion waves planned for its operation in San Juan . This Thursday the airline will begin daily nonstop jet service to St. Maarten. Then on December 12 , JetBlue will add daily nonstop jet service to both St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The growth will continue into the new year with nonstop service to Hartford/Springfield, beginning on January 5, 2012.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

JetBlue Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Frontier Airlinesโ€™ new nonstop Denver-Little Rock and Denver-Palm Springs service takes off on November 17

Frontier Airlines (2nd) (Denver) will launch Denver (DEN)-Little Rock (LIT) and Denver-Palm Springs (PSP) service on Thursday, November 17. Little Rock service is year-round and Palm Springs service, which is seasonal, will run through May 14, 2012. The new service brings to 71 the number of destinations Frontier serves nonstop from Denver.

Service on the Denver-Little Rock route will be flown on 99-seat Embraer ERJ 190 aircraft operated by Republic Airlines (2nd). The Palm Springs route will operated with Airbus A319s.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough.

Frontier-Republic Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Delta Air Lines announces another expansion at New York

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has announced its latest expansion in New York City, with 12 new daily flights to 11 domestic and Caribbean destinations in spring and summer of 2012.

In March 2012, Delta will add new frequencies between New York-JFK and Santo Domingo and Santiago, Dominican Republic ; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Delta also will launch new nonstop service between New York-LaGuardia and Nassau, Bahamas . The new and expanded Caribbean routes will serve significant local demand for flights to those markets.
In addition, Delta in June 2012 will add new routes and frequencies to seven U.S. cities from New York-JFK, including Austin, Texas ; Jacksonville, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; New Orleans; Milwaukee; San Francisco and Los Angeles.

With a new daily flight in each city, Delta will offer a total of eight peak-day flights to Los Angeles and six peak-day to San Francisco from New York-JFK.

Delta also recently received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation for a slot transaction with US Airways which will allow it to approximately double the number of nonstop destinations it serves from LaGuardia, adding as many as 4 million additional roundtrip seats available at LaGuardia without increasing congestion. Delta will invest $100 million creating an expanded main terminal at LaGuardia, with a new 600-foot connector bridge between terminals D and C.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck.

Delta Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Aviation Capital Group signs firm order for 30 A320neo aircraft

Aviation Capital Group (ACG), the United States based global aircraft leasing company, signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 30 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft at the 2011 Dubai Airshow.

This latest order from ACG for 30 A320neoโ€™s brings the lessorโ€™s total A320 Family order book to 98 aircraft. Engine selection on ACGโ€™s A320neo fleet will be made at a later date.

American Airlines increases the number of flights to Venezuela

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) announced it is expanding its Venezuela service by increasing the number of weekly flights between New York and Caracas .
Beginning on November 18 , American will add three flights per week between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and Simon Bolivar International Airport (CCS) in Caracas , offering flights on the route five days per week, up from two days per week. American flies the route with a Boeing 757-200 aircraft with 188 seats.

American first began service to Venezuela , its first destination in South and Central America , on August 1, 1987 , with flights between San Juan, Puerto Rico and Caracas . The airline currently has 48 weekly flights into and out of Venezuela , with flights to Caracas from Miami , San Juan , Dallas/Fort Worth and New York /JFK, and to Maracaibo from Miami.

In other news, American announced it and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) have reached a tentative agreement in principle for the Dispatcher workgroup.

Details about the tentative agreement will be shared with the TWU-represented Dispatchers and Operational Coordinators in the coming days.

American has been in negotiations with the TWU Dispatch group since May 2006 . Both parties worked collaboratively to reach a tentative agreement that addresses the interests of our TWU-represented Dispatchers and the company.
American Airlines has more than 50,000 employees represented by unions, including approximately 180 under this tentative agreement.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

American Slide Show: CLICK HERE

LAN Airlines supports the Teleton 2011 campaign in Chile with special stickers

LAN Airlines (Chile) (Santiago) is supporting the upcoming Teleton 2011 telethon in Chile on December 2-3 with special stickers on its domestic fleet.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero. Please click on the photo for the full story.

LAN Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Oman Air to operate the Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner

Oman Air (Muscat) and Boeing (Chicago) today announced an order for six Boeing 787-8s at the Dubai Airshow.

Oman Air has completed an arrangement with Boeing and leasing company ALAFCO (Kuwait City) to transfer existing orders for the six Dreamliners from ALAFCO to Oman Air.

Oman Airย currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to 41 destinations across the Gulf, the Levant, Europe, East Africa and Asia . Oman Air’s commitment to quality, comfort and a seamless passenger experience has resulted in international acclaim, including major regional and international awards and an Official 4 Star Airline (Skytrax 2011) rating.

Image: Boeing.

Oman Air Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Route Map:

Southwest to add international flights through AirTran

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) and its wholly owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways (Orlando) have announced new destinations and nonstop routes as they extend their flight schedules for reservations from June 3, 2012 , through Auust. 10, 2012 (some flights begin as early as May 24, 2012 ). Southwest announced new Houston nonstop service and AirTran will add nonstop service between Ft. Lauderdale/ Hollywood and San Juan, Puerto Rico , as well as new Denver nonstop routes.

In addition, AirTran announced plans to expand its international presence with four new nonstop routes to Mexico : San Antonio to Cancun and Mexico City beginning on May 2012 , and Orange County, California to Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City beginning in June 2012 . This service is subject to government approval and is not yet for sale. Specific frequencies and fares for these international routes will be announced once the appropriate approvals are received. AirTran does not currently serve Orange County , so the future introduction of AirTran service to these markets is a direct benefit of Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran.

A quick view of the new service is listed below.

AirTran new service beginning May 24, 2012:

  • Two daily roundtrip flights between Ft. Lauderdale/ Hollywood and San Juan

AirTran new service beginning June 3, 2012:

  • One daily roundtrip flight between Denver and Akron – Canton
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Denver and Dayton
  • Two daily roundtrip flights between Denver and New York LaGuardia
  • Two daily roundtrip flights between Baltimore/Washington and Los Angeles
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Baltimore/Washington and New Orleans
  • Two daily roundtrip flights between Baltimore/Washington and Seattle
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Baltimore/Washington and San Francisco

Southwest new service beginning June 3, 2012:

  • One daily roundtrip flight between Houston Hobby and Raleigh-Durham
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Houston Hobby and Kansas City
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Houston Hobby and Seattle
  • One daily roundtrip flight between Chicago Midway and Oklahoma City

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman.

AirTran Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Emirates orders 50 Boeing 777-300 ERs, the single largest airplane order in Boeing history

Emirates Airline (Dubai) and Boeing (Chicago) today announced an order for 50 Boeing 777-300 ERs (Extended Range) plus options for an additional 20 of the popular twin-aisle commercial jetliner.
The order, with a value of $18 billion , makes this the single largest commercial airplane order in Boeing’s history by dollar value. It also makes 2011 the best-selling year for the 777 program, surpassing the previous record of 154 orders set in 2005. With the Emirates order, the 2011 net order book for the 777 currently stands at 182. The options for 20 additional airplanes is valued at $8 billion.

Emirates is the world’s largest 777 operator with a fleet of 94 777s through direct purchase and lease, plus additional unfilled orders on backlog for 41 777-300 ERs previously on order. It is also the only airline in the world to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family, including the 777 Freighter.

Emirates took delivery of its first Boeing 777 โ€“ a 777-200 in 1996, and since then, the airline has deployed the 777 on short, medium and long-haul routes.

Copyright Photo: Keith Burton.

Emirates Slide Show: CLICK HERE