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.

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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.

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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.

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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

British Airways to add the London Heathrow-Bologna route

British Airways (London) is planning to add the London (Heathrow)-Bologna on April 29, 2012 according to Airline Route. The new route will be operated with Airbus A319s.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl.

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Caribbean Airlines takes delivery of the first ATR 72-600

Caribbean Airlines (Port-of-Spain) on November 9 took delivery in Toulouse of its first ATR 72-600 aircraft. The carrier becomes one of the first operators of the new ATR 72-600 series. Caribbean has ordered nine copies. The aircraft are configured with 68 seats and equipped with the new ATR -600s standards of comfort, including In-Flight Entertainment.

With this new ATR 72-600 deliverey, Caribbean Airlines will start replacing its fleet of five 50-seat Bombardier DHC-8-300s. Caribbean Airlines will also operate some of its new ATR 72-600s in the domestic route network of Air Jamaica, which was recently acquired by the Trinidad and Tobagoโ€™s flag carrier.

Photo: ATR.

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United Airlines and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reach a tentative agreement

United Airlines (Chicago) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) announced that they reached a tentative agreement on a labor contract for mechanics at United.

The agreement covers approximately 5,500 United mechanics and related employees located throughout the United States . Continental mechanics represented by the IBT ratified their collective bargaining agreement in November of 2010.

Copyright Photo: Marcus Jellyman.

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AirTran Airways to drop five airports on June 2

AirTran Airways (Orlando) announced to its employees it will cease operations at the following airports: Knoxvilleโ€™s McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Miami International (MIA), Central Illinois Regional Airport/Bloomington/Normal, Illinois (BMI), Charlestonโ€™s Yeager Airport in West Virginia (CRW), and Dulles International (IAD). The Southwest Airlines operations at IAD will continue unaffected. The last day of operations at these airport will be on June 2, 2012.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Please click on the photo for additional information.

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Kingfisher Airlines cuts flights as it attempts to restructure

Kingfisher Airlines (Bangalore and Mumbai) is in financial difficulty. The airline, which has lost over $935 million in the past three years, is cutting flights (167 flights cut since November 8) and seeking government assistance in reorganizing according to this article by Bloomberg Businessweek. However the airline faces some of its aircraft being seized for non-payment of leases.

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Copyright Photo: Wingnut. Please click on the photo for additional information about the carrier.

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