Boeing and Griffin Global Asset Management have announced the aircraft lessor is expanding its commercial aircraft portfolio with five new 737-8 jets. The purchase is Griffinโs first direct order with Boeing as it sees strategic opportunities to place the airplanes during the market recovery.
Copyright Photo: Delivered on September 1, 2021. Blue Air Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 YR-MXC (msn 43326) BFI (Nick Dean). Image: 954868.
Delta Air Lines has made this announcement:
Every journey has a story that can be told in music, which is why Delta and Spotify areย partneringย to reimagineย the in-flightย audioย experienceย exclusivelyย on Delta Studio.
Beginning inย September,ย customers on Delta will be able to listen toย specially curated versions of Spotifyโs most popular playlistsย andย more than 40ย select podcastย seriesย curated by Spotify and Deltaย directly from the airlineโs industry-leading seatback screens*.
โOur customers expect the very bestย in-flightย entertainmentย when flying on Deltaย and Spotifyย is the very best in musicย and podcasts,โย said Ranjan Goswami, S.V.P. โ Brand Experience. โWe are not only elevating the audio experienceย onboard,ย butย best-in-class contentย alsoย is the foundationย forย our vision ofย aย moreย personalizedย travelย journeyย in the future that customersย wonโt find anywhere else.โ
The partnership brings together theย worldโs most awarded airlineย with theย worldโs largest audio streaming service.ย Spotifyย reaches more thanย 365Mย monthlyย active usersย inย 178ย markets around the worldย โ helping listenersย connect withย culture through music, podcasts and curated contentย that reflects the world around them.
Available only onย Delta, customers can enjoyย eightย specially curated versions of Spotifyย playlists that featureย tastes of some of Spotifyโs most popular playlists, including:ย Mood Booster,ย Relax & Unwind,ย RapCaviarย andย Hot Country.
In the same way the airline regularly refreshesย Delta Studio with new hit movies and TV shows from top studios,ย theseย curatedย playlist mixtapesย and podcastsย will beย regularly updatedย and expandedย withย new tracksย and episodesย to ensure customers always have the latest hitsย and new playlistsย during their journeyย โ including selections from artists and genres they might notย have discovered yet.
The new audio section lives within the familiar Delta Studioย interface on seatback screens.ย Simply tap the โAudioโย tab on the left to browseย and select from available options,ย plug in earbuds orย headphones andย enjoy.
With fast-streaming Wi-Fi coming to more routes this year, customers can also choose to streamย Spotifyย directly from their personal mobile deviceย withย theย purchase of in-flight Wi-Fiย access.
Delta is reimagining the onboard entertainment experience. Customers canย alsoย use Delta Studioย toย watchย the latest hit movies and TV showsย andย browseย 12 channels of live satellite TV**,ย stay connected withย free messaging, andย enjoyย fast-streaming Wi-Fiย on more flights.***
Eastern Airlines has announced that it is expanding into the cargo market.ย Eastern has secured the acquisition of 35 Boeing 777 aircraft as feedstock for the first-ever P2F (Passenger to Freighter) conversion of the Boeing 777 aircraft into a true, Class-E cargo aircraft.
The Eastern Boeing 777 Express Freighter is designed to serve the e-commerce express freight market. Accelerated growth of this market has created excess demand for the service.
Subject to STC approvals, the Eastern Boeing 777 Express Freighter will be a fully certified cargo aircraft with a “Class-E” main deck capable of carrying a full load of volumetric express cargo non-stop between Asiaย and the US.ย The Eastern Express Freighter will not be subject to the restrictions on cargo commodities that are imposed on conventional passenger aircraft used as freighters.
Due to enter service in the first quarter of 2022, the Eastern Boeing 777 Express Freighter will be the first to the market.ย The innovative design converts the main deck cabin of the widebody Boeing 777, the -200, -200ER and -300 series, into a true cargo aircraft.ย This allows the entire volume of the main deck cabin to hold low-density, express freight cargo.
Eastern Air Cargo will offer general cargo sales, cargo charters, ACMI/wet-leasing and dry leasing.
Garuda Indonesia will conduct a trial of implementing the “International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass” as an application for authentication of health credential documents for international air travel requirements.
The trial of the use of “IATA Travel Pass” will be held from August 30 to September 13, 2021 where in the initial stage will be applied to flight GA874 / GA875 Jakarta-Haneda round trip (PP).
Through this trial, Garuda Indonesia became the first airline in Indonesia to test the IATA Travel Pass application to air service users to manage digital COVID-19 health credential documents more easily in accordance with the requirements set by the government, especially for those who will travel internationally.
IATA Travel Pass is a digital-based application that allows users to store and manage the results of Covid-19 test or vaccine certification easily and safely. Through the IATA Travel Pass, Garuda Indonesia service users can easily obtain information about the requirements of Covid-19 documents for destinations, including information about the location of accredited Covid-19 testing laboratories. Furthermore, the application also allows service users to have a digital passport to manage the required travel documents.
Copyright Photo: Eurospot.
Comair’s Kulula.com and British Airways operations in South Africa returned to the skies today, September 1.
Kulula.com Route Map:
British Airways (operated by Comair) Route Map:
British Airways (Comair) aircraft photo gallery:
Finnair has made this announcement:
The food at Finnair is well known for its high-quality Nordic specialties and local ingredients. The refreshed Business Class menu still highlights these elements but to boost the Scandi flavors Finnair has now looked towards the tastes of Japan and makes the most of local delicacies in the destination countries.
Both the short-haul and long-haul flights can now enjoy a renewed Business Class menu.
โCustomer service is obviously always the number one factor in customer experience, but food is also very high up. That is why we are happy that we’ve been able to rethink what our customers want the food service to be now,โย saysย Maarit Kerรคnen, Head of Inflight Food and Beverage Concept.
At the center of the new menu selection remains the modern and high-quality flavors that the customers expect and appreciate.
โBut we have also found that a little twist of Japanese cuisine works well with the Scandinavian flavors. The culinary traditions are very similar,โย Kerรคnen states.
There is a focus on local ingredients, especially when it comes to the meals made in the Helsinki kitchen. On the return flights from long-haul destinations the meals are made locally, and the local food heritage is respected.
According to Kerรคnen the new menu strives to be simple yet pleasing to the eye and delicious. The idea has been to find a limited number of options that most passengers will find delicious.
โOf course, we cater for all that have dietary restrictions or allergies and offer around 20 different special meals to pre-order,โย she says.
Simplicity is important for the sustainability targets that Finnair has. The goal is to avoid carrying large quantities of extra meals onboard and offer a high-quality experience done in a smart and resource efficient way.
Customer wishes have been heard in the changes made and this has led to entirely new features in the service.
โFor example, we are now introducing oat milk as a coffee creamer option to the long-haul flights in Business Class. This has been highly requested by our passengers,โย Kerรคnen mentions.
The meals on long-haul flights are a great combination of tradition and refreshing new experiences. Before the actual meal passengers can snack on a small amuse bouche. The starter is a combination of three different elements where Scandinavia meet the piquant flavors of Asia.
There are three options for the main course, one of which has the interesting, sustainable Benella rainbow trout as the main ingredient. The other two options are a Japan inspired chicken dish and a plant-based meal that celebrates the tastes of India.
โAll the main courses have an emphasis on umami. Your sense of taste is not as heightened when on air, so deeper flavors hold their own better than more delicate ones,โย Kerรคnen describes.
After the main course there is a separate cheese course, where at the moment the traditional French Comtรฉ meets a Finnish white cheese Heidi from Herkkujuustola cheesery.
Manyย passengers know to expect a cake to finish the meal with and you can still find a lovely Normandy apple tart on the menu. To fit the trend of all things traditional and as a nod to the Finnish exotic the other option is now a whisked berry mousse. It is usually made with lingonberries but modernized by Finnair and made from blackcurrants.
โMy bet is that it is going to be a bit hit,โย Kerรคnen mentions.
There is another meal served prior to landing on long-haul flights. If arriving before noon the meal is a generous breakfast including continental elements such as fresh fruit and bread. If you are feeling quite hungry there is the option to have a traditional hot breakfast as well.
Later in the day the second meal is an avocado pasta. According to Kerรคnen Finnair wants to include plant-based dishes but with a strong focus on deliciousness.
โThe most important factors are always quality and taste,โย she states.
In addition to the actual meals there are small snacks available throughout the flight to satisfy a small hunger or a craving to snack when watching a movie.
Even on the short-haul flights there is an emphasis on wonderful food experiences. But the food must also be easy to eat, light and refreshing.
On the flights that are approximately an hour or under the meal served is a sandwich with accompanying drinks. If the flight is under three hours the meal is a fresh, cold dish made in the Finnair kitchen. For now, the meal is a hearty salad made from Benella rainbow trout. In the future the dish might be another chilled option, such as a poke bowl.
For the flights that are over three hours the passengers have the time to enjoy a rounded three course meal based on the new flavor profiles.
In addition, the passengers can always make the most of the Nordic Kitchen onboard menu, that features light snacks and a variety of drinks.
โOur service now represents a new way of thinking about food. It is local yet global, simple yet offers incredible taste sensations,โย she outlines.
Emirates will receive three more A380 aircraft from Airbus this year with its last unit on order scheduled to join its fleet in November, bringing forward the original delivery timeline from June 2022.
All three new A380s to be delivered will be fitted out with Emiratesโ much lauded Premium Economy cabin as well as its latest A380 cabin interiors and signature features including private suites and Shower Spas in First Class, the popular Onboard Lounge, fully flat seats in Business Class, and the industryโs largest seatback screens for customers in all cabins to enjoy the airlineโs extensive selection of entertainment content onย ice.
These deliveries will bring Emiratesโ total fleet of A380s to 118 units in November, including six aircraft equipped with Premium Economy seats in a 4-class configuration.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: โWeโve come to an agreement with Airbus to bring forward the delivery of our remaining A380 orders and have secured financing for these units. These new aircraft will also add more highly sought-after Premium Economy seats into our inventory, as we prepare to fully launch this cabin product in the coming months.โ
He added: โEmirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades, and weโre committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favorite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services.โ
As travel restrictions ease with the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, come October, Emirates will have reinstated its A380 operations on over a dozen popular routes between Dubai and: Amman, Cairo, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mauritius, Moscow, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Toronto, Vienna, Washington DC, and Zurich.
Emiratesโ 4-class A380s are currently operating on its London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle routes. The comfortable and luxurious cream leather-covered Emirates Premium Economy seats with generous leg room, are currentlyย offered as spot upgrades for valued customers on a discretionary basis. All other signature Emirates A380 First, Business and Economy cabins are available for reservation on emirates.com or via travel agents.
Ryanair has announced its Winter 2021 schedule for its three London airports โ Stansted, Luton and Gatwick โ opening 14 new routes (142 in total) โ connecting London to more exciting European destinations from October.
As travel recovers to pre-Covid levels, Ryanairโs growth continues to lead traffic, tourism recovery and jobs in the UK. Ryanair will create over 500 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers at its London airports as it gears up for more growth in S2022.
| LONDON โ 14 NEW WINTER 2021 ROUTES | |
| Stansted to: | Luton to: |
| Helsinki | Fuerteventura |
| Oradea (Rom) | Gran Canaria |
| Stockholm | Grenoble |
| Tampere | Naples |
| Trapani | Shannon |
| Treviso | Turin |
| Zagreb | Gatwick-Malaga |
Ryanairโs Michael OโLeary said:
โRyanair is committed to re-building the Londonโs tourism industry, jobs and connectivity as we grow across Europe and recover air travel to pre-Covid levels. As Ryanair takes delivery of 55 Boeing 737-8200 โGamechangerโ aircraft this Winter, we are delighted to announce these 14 new routes from our three London airports in Stansted, Luton and Gatwick. We will also create over 500 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers this winter at our London airports as we gear up for more fleet and route growth in S2022.ย
As vaccinations rise and consumer confidence returns, Ryanair again calls on the UK Govt to scrap PCR tests for fully vaccinated arrivals and also to suspend APD (air passenger duty), to allow airlines and airports quickly recover connectivity, jobs and tourism in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. APD makes UK airports uncompetitive against lower cost EU airports, which is why Ryanair has added capacity at other EU airports in recent months in the likes of Zagreb, Stockholm, Billund and Riga. While Ryanair is committed to its London airports, the lack of Govt support for aviation and tourism recovery creates further barriers to traffic and growth.
You must be logged in to post a comment.