ITA Airways and airBaltic to codeshare

ITA Airways and airBaltic are starting codeshare cooperation that will open new and wider travel opportunities.

airBaltic customers will benefit from convenient access to various destinations in Italy. At the same time, ITA Airways passengers can now purchase tickets to Riga on direct flights from Rome (Fiumicino) and Milan (Malpensa).

airBaltic will expand its network by putting its BT designator code on selected ITA Airways operated flights covering 10 Italian cities in the current winter season, namely Brindisi, Bari, Catania, Genoa, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Lamezia Terme, Turin, Trieste, Venice, which will be joined by Bologna, Florence, Naples, Verona in the summer season.

Similarly, ITA Airways will offer new connections to its passengers and will apply its code AZ on flights operated by airBaltic between Italy and Latvia.

ITA Airways receives an Expression of Interest from MSC Group and Lufthansa

The Company announces that today it has received an Expression of Interest from the MSC Group and Lufthansa to acquire the majority of ITA Airways. The MSC Group has agreed with Lufthansa its participation in the partnership on terms to be defined during the Due Diligence.

Both the MSC Group and Lufthansa have expressed the wish that the Italian Government maintains a minority stake in the Company. Furthermore, the MSC Group and Lufthansa have requested 90 days of exclusivity to work on this Expression of Interest.

ITA Airways is satisfied that the work carried out in recent months to offer the best prospects to the company is starting to have the expected results, providing for a company recognized as viable for partners of international reputation both in passenger and cargo transport. The Board of Directors will examine the details of the Expression of Interest in an upcoming meeting.

Lynx Air to start flying in April, begins selling seats

Lynx Airlines will commence scheduled operations in April in Canada. One-way fares between Calgary and Toronto for example will start at $69 (Can).

YYZ, YVR, YWG, YYC and YLW – starting from $39 one-way! We are excited to announce that tickets are on sale for a number of our routes taking off in April 2022. Flying Lynx is the easy decision. Where to go first is the hard one. To purchase, go to https://t.co/kZccJ3q5xw! pic.twitter.com/WzNHOd4mCr

— Lynx Air (@Lynx_Air) January 19, 2022

Stowaway survives 11-hour Cargolux cargo flight to Amsterdam in wheel well

From NBC:

“A man who was discovered hiding in the wheel section of a cargo plane at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Sunday survived an 11-hour flight, Dutch military police have said.”

In other news, Cargolux made this announcement:

Cargolux Airlines has launched an online customer portal, offering access to a seamless and transparent quoting & booking tool. The portal builds on the functionalities developed for the API. The interface will enable customers to log on, request an instant spot quote according to personalized criteria, as well as having full visibility of allocations, thereby enabling for the selection and booking of the best option.

The introduction of this portal is the latest step in Cargolux’s wide-ranging Sales digitalization. This transformation aims to enhance customers’ experience throughout their interaction with Cargolux. The online portal offers transaction options for all customer profiles, from international groups to local independent forwarders. “With this new portal, Cargolux is moving closer to an omni channel connectivity experience for customers. The portal offers tailored quoting and booking in a few clicks and we are confident that this handy and timely solution will be highly appreciated by our customers”, says Mathieu Weber, VP Digital Sales & Marketing.

Forwarders based in Europe who are interested in Cargolux’s services can easily apply for access through my.cargolux.com. Cargolux is looking forward to welcoming customers on this new portal and further expanding its digital sales offer in the future.

About Cargolux Airlines International

Cargolux, based in Luxembourg, is Europe’s leading all-cargo airline operating a fleet of 30 Boeing 747-8 freighters and Boeing 747-400 freighters. The Cargolux worldwide network covers over 75 destinations on scheduled all-cargo flights and offers full and part-charter services. The company has more than 85 offices in over 50 countries and operates an extensive global trucking network to more than 250 destinations. With 50 years of experience in the air cargo industry and an extensive product portfolio, Cargolux provides tailored transport solutions for all types of shipments. As a responsible cargo carrier, Cargolux has developed a solid CSR program encompassing Environmental, Social, and Governance principles. The Cargolux Group employs over 2,200 staff members worldwide.

Above Copyright Photo: Cargolux Airlines International (Luxembourg) Boeing 747-4HAF ER LX-MCL (msn 35232) (50 Years) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 956571.

Cargolux aircraft slide show:

Cargolux aircraft photo gallery:

Air Serbia to launch Trieste and Bologna flights

Air Serbia, the national airline of the Republic of Serbia, will commence scheduled flights between Belgrade and Trieste on June 2, 2022, as well as a scheduled Belgrade-Bologna service on June 6, 2022. Flights to both destinations in Italy will operate three times a week – to Trieste on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and to Bologna on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

With the introduction of flights to Trieste and Bologna, and existing flights to Rome and Milan, as well as announced flights to Venice and Bari, Italy becomes the market with the currently largest number of destinations to which Air Serbia operates from Belgrade – six in total.

Jeju Air to operate cargo flights to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

Jeju Air announced today it will operate cargo flights for the first time in order to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline currently operates 39 Boeing 737-800s.

Jeju Air operates 84 routes, including the Gimpo-Jeju route, the world’s most frequently traveled aviation route, and routes to 49 destinations in the Asia-Pacific, including Japan, China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam, Saipan, Russia, and Laos. As of August 202, JejuAir is a 3,200-employee operation, with flights operating mainly out of Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport in Korea.

Top Copyright Photo: Jeju Air Boeing 737-8JP WL LN-NOT (HL8304) (msn 37816) QLA (Antony J. Best). Image: 941149.

Jeju Air aircraft slide show:

Jeju Air aircraft photo gallery:

United flight 90 from Newark to Tel Aviva is forced to turn around after 2 passengers attempt to sneak into Business Class

United Airlines flight 90 from Newark to Tel Aviv with a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner was forced to return to EWR on Thursday after two passengers reportedly attempted to sneak into the business class section.

The pair became unruly when asked to show proof of their assigned seats by the flight attendants, according to Israeli news outlet N12.

Gol secures US $600 million in financing for fleet transformation

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. , Brazil’s largest domestic airline, has closed a financing of up to US $600 million with Castlelake LP to finance the acquisition of new 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

The transaction will comprise 10 finance leases and two sale-leasebacks. The interest rate for the finance leases is approximately 6% p.a., which represents a reduction when compared to operating lease costs of existing aircraft in the fleet. The funds originated by the transaction will cover 100% of the acquisition cost of the new aircraft and provide resources that will be directed to obligations and return costs on GOL’s 737 NG aircraft. The Company expects to return up to 18 737 NG aircraft in 2022 and a total of 34 NG aircraft by year-end 2025, which is expected to further reduce unit costs.

Delivery of these additional 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft begins in January 2022, in line with GOL’s plan to accelerate the transformation of its fleet and have half of its aircraft under finance leases by 2026. In 3Q21, the Company signed agreements for 26 additional MAX 8 aircraft, and currently has a total of 102 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered.

“Accelerating our fleet transformation to the 737 MAX positions us more competitively for growth through greater flexibility in our capacity management and enables the expansion of routes and destinations, which will ensure we are highly efficient at meeting fluctuations in travel demand,” said Celso Ferrer, COO. “Furthermore, adding these new aircraft will reduce the average age of GOL’s fleet from 11 to seven years.”

The Boeing MAX is also a key component in the Company’s goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, as this aircraft consumes 15% less fuel, produces 16% fewer carbon emissions and 40% less noise, and has a greater flight range than the NG aircraft.

Photo: DHL Air (UK) Boeing 777F G-DHLY (msn 67138) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 956567.

RDU’s main runway has reopened

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) made this announcement:

RDU’s main runway (5L/23R) has reopened. Delta Connection flight DL 5501 landed safely around 9 p.m. on Friday, and while taxiing to the terminal, left the paved area and became stuck in the grass adjacent to the runway. There were no injuries to the crew members and passengers on board.