JetBlue Airways today announced it has officially launched service between New Yorkโs John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Guatemala Cityโs La Aurora International Airport (GUA), with the first roundtrip flight arriving back in New York this morning. JetBlue now offers the only daily service between New York City and Guatemalaโs capital city and introduces the airlineโs award-winning service and low fares to one of the largest markets in Central America.
JetBlue operates new Guatemala City service using both its Airbus A320 and A321neo aircraft.
Alaska Airlines is increasing its service and commitment toย Santa Rosa/Sonoma Countyย with more nonstop flights betweenย Southern Californiaย and the heart of wine country. Startingย June 1, the airline will offer daily nonstop service betweenย Santa Rosa/Sonoma Countyย andย Burbank. Onย Sept. 8,ย Alaskaย will add additional flights to bothย Orange Countyย andย San Diego.
With the additional flight to Hollywood Burbank Airport, the airline will have nonstop service to six destinations from Sonoma County: Burbank, Los Angeles, Portland, Orange County, San Diego and Seattle/Tacoma. By fall, Alaska will operate 13 peak day departures, including eight daily nonstop flights to Southern California airports.
Alaskaย was the first commercial airline to resume service to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in 2007. The airline has long been the airport’s largest carrier. In 2019, three out of four passengers toย Santa Rosa/Sonoma Countyย flew onย Alaska.
The new route betweenย Santa Rosa/Sonomaย andย Burbankย will be served by the Embraer 175 jet, an aircraft with only window and aisle seating; there are no middle seats. Guests will enjoy award-winning service in a three-class cabin that includes First Class and Premium Class; hundreds of free movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices; free texting on most flights; and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.
QANTAS Airways and Jetstar Airways will restart flying to all pre-COVID 19 destinations in New Zealand when the two-way Trans-Tasman bubble opens later this month.
The national carrier will also launch two new routes direct from Auckland to Cairns and the Gold Coast, providing travelers with more options for holidays in Queensland and New Zealand.
From April 19, 2021, Jetstar and QANTAS will initially operate up to 122 return flights per week across the Tasman on 15 routes, offering more than 52,000 seats each week.
As part of the existing one-way bubble, the Qantas Group has been operating less than 3 per cent of its pre-COVID capacity on the Trans-Tasman. Flights announced will see this increase to 83 percent โ a level that reflects a high level of expected demand for what will be Australiaโs only international destination for at least the next six months, moderated by the fact that international tourists (beyond Australia and New Zealand) normally account for about 20 percent of the passengers flying between the two countries.
QANTAS and Jetstar schedules
Jetstar will initially operate to Auckland from Melbourne, Gold Coast and Sydney using its Airbus A320 aircraft, with schedules of both airlines connecting on to Jetstarโs New Zealand domestic network of more than 120 return flights per week to five destinations. Jetstar will resume flights on the remainder of its pre-COVID routes from the middle of the year.
QANTASโ schedule includes year-round direct flights to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown including direct flights from Brisbane and Melbourne to Queenstown, routes which Qantas traditionally only operated seasonally for the ski season peak.
A new daily service from the Gold Coast to Auckland will commence when the bubble opens, marking QANTASโ first ever international flights from Gold Coast Airport. The new Cairns-Auckland route will launch in time for the June long weekend, operating three days per week. Flights will initially operate for nine weeks until late July, and Qantas will look to add more flights beyond this period if there is demand.
QANTAS will initially operate a mix of Boeing 737-800s as well as the wide-body Airbus A330s.
Jetstar and QANTAS will look to grow capacity and the number of routes as the market recovers.
Top Copyright Photo: Jetstar Airways (Australia) Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VH-VKH (msn 36233) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 943879.
Delta Air Lines issued this financial report for the first quarter of 2021:
Delta Air Lines reported its financial results for the first quarter 2021 and provided its outlook for the second quarter 2021. ย Highlights of the first quarter 2021 results, including both GAAP and adjusted metrics, are on page five and are incorporated here.
โA year after the onset of the pandemic, travelers are gaining confidence and beginning to reclaim their lives. Delta is accelerating into the recovery with our brand stronger and more trusted than ever before,โ said Ed Bastian, Deltaโs chief executive officer. ย โThanks to the incredible efforts of our people, we achieved positive daily cash generation in the month of March, a remarkable accomplishment considering our middle seat block and the low level of demand for business and international travel. ย If recovery trends hold, we expect positive cash generation for the June quarter and see a path to return to profitability in the September quarter as the demand recovery progresses.โ
First Quarter Financial Resultsย
Adjusted pre-tax loss of $2.9 billion excludes $1.2 billion of benefit related to the first payroll support program extension (PSP2), which is partially offset among other items by the debt extinguishment charges incurred when prepaying our $1.5 billion slots, gates and routes term loan
Adjusted operating revenue of $3.6 billion declined 65 percent on 55 percent lower sellable capacity (see Note A) versus March quarter 2019
Total operating expense, which includes the $1.2 billion benefit related to PSP2, decreased $3.9 billion over the March quarter 2019. ย Adjusted for the benefit related to PSP2 and third-party refinery sales, total operating expense decreased $3.1 billion or 33 percent in the March quarter compared to March quarter 2019, driven by capacity- and revenue-related expense reductions, lower salaries and related costs and strong cost management across the business
During the March quarter, cash burn (see Note B) averaged $11 million per day and turned positive in the month of March with cash generation of $4 million per day
At the end of the March quarter, the company had $16.6 billion in liquidity, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and undrawn revolving credit facilities.ย The company had total debt and finance lease obligations of $29.0 billion with adjusted net debt of $19.1 billion, which was higher than prior guidance as a result of aircraft financing decisions
airBaltic has announced that starting on September 2, 2021, it plans to launch new scheduled flights between Riga and Tenerife in Spain. airBalticย has planned to operate flights between Riga and Tenerife three times a week with theย Airbus A220-300ย aircraft.
Destination served
Flight frequency
Start date
Price *, GREEN
Price *, GREEN Classic
Price*, Business
RigaโTenerife
3 flights weekly
September 2, 2021
159 EUR
209 EUR
649 EUR
*Lowest fare (one way), including taxes, fees and service charges
Great news for passengers who seek a guaranteed holiday in the sun! Starting on September 2, we plan to launch new scheduled flights between Riga and Tenerife in Spain. We'll fly to the largest island in the Canary Islands archipelago three times weekly: https://t.co/ZF8w4IKQ9Ipic.twitter.com/vkzzkKwx54
This summer seasonย airBalticย will also offer new safe connections between Riga and Heraklion (Greece), Santorini (Greece), Naples (Italy) and Edinburgh (United Kingdom).
Due to the historical negative impact caused by the pandemic, airBaltic group closed 2020 with a revenue of EUR 143 million, which was 72% less than the year before. Despite the severe travel restrictions, airBaltic carried 1.34 million passengers: https://t.co/NaUrZfGy67pic.twitter.com/SZERaZkbDT
On the financial side, the airline issued this report for 2020:
Due to the historical negative impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,ย air Baltic group closed 2020 with a revenue of EUR 143 million, which was 72% less than the year before. The groupโs net result was negative EUR 265 million. Despite the severe travel restrictions, airBalticย carried 1.34 million passengers
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer ofย airBaltic: โWe saw a dramatic change last year, butย airBalticโsย core vision for the future remains the same โ to be the number one carrier in the Baltics, providing the best connectivity to and from the region. Last year, in the wake of the crisis, we significantly reduced our cost and adjusted the business planย Destination 2025 CLEAN.
We took a decision to permanently phase out Bombardier Q400ย andย Boeing 737 aircraft and became a single aircraft type operator of the Airbus A220-300 two year ahead of the original plan.โ
โWe look forward to an increase in travel demand that is now slightly showing some positive signals. We have developed several scenarios for the gradual market recovery. Our base scenario reduction is currently in line with the industry wide projections, and we are flexible to make further adjustments whenever necessary. To support our future return to profit, we will accept additional sevenย Airbus A220-300ย aircraft in 2021,โ Martin Gauss added.
Last year the airline connected Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius on a total of 76 routes, providing much-needed essential connectivity and cargo shipments for the region.
2020
2019
Change %
Revenue
EUR 142.6 million
EUR 509.0 million
-72%
EBITDAR
EUR -152.3 million
EUR 126.4 million
-221%
EBIT
EUR -201.7 million
EUR 27.2 million
-841%
Net Result
EUR -264.6 million
EUR -9.1 million
-2803%
Passengers
1.34 million
5.0 million
-73%
Market share in the Baltics
37%
36%
+1% pp
Flights
22 thousand
63 thousand
-64%
Routes out of Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius
76 routes
88 routes
-14%
Employees (year-end, airBaltic Group)
1.2 thousand
1.7 thousand
-30%
Top Copyright Photo: airBaltic Airbus A220-300 (Bombardier CS300 – BD-500-1A11) YL-CSJ (msn 55038) (Estonia) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 947410.
Air France will launch on July 2, 2021 a new connection between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Denver International Airport (Colorado). Up to three direct flights will be operated each week (on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with a capacity of 279 seats (30 in Business cabin, 21 in Premium Economy and 228 in Economy).
This new destination will thus strengthen Air France’s service to the United States. Subject to the easing of travel restrictions, the airline will offer flights to 12 US cities during the 2021 summer season: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
With this new route, Europe will be connected to Denver for the first time nonstop by a SkyTeam member airline.
This flight schedule is subject to change depending on travel restrictions. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Air France has been adjusting its offer in real time, taking into account changes in the health situation. Prior to any trip, Air France invites its customers to check the conditions of entry and the documents required on arrival at their destination.
The best of Air France on board the Boeing 787
For Air France customers traveling to Denver,ย the Boeing 787 provides a number of assets. They will enjoy a real cocoon in the sky in the Business cabin and even more comfort in Premium Economy and Economy with:
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย On-board WiFi adapted to customers’ needs and expectations;
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Windows that are approximately 30% larger than on similar aircraft;
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Improved air pressure and humidity levels for greater travel comfort;
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 20% less fuel consumption than previous generation aircraft;
–ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย A significant reduction in CO2ย emissions (about 20%) as well as noise emissions.
Above Copyright Photo: Air France Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner F-HRBJ (msn 42497) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 950659.
With vaccination programs underway in many countries and demand for travel slowly starting to pick up for summer Brussels Airlines prepares its operations for a gradual build up of its flight offer.
At an airline, such a buildup does not happen overnight and it takes several months to prepare. We not only need to get our planes ready to hit the skies again, but we also need to get our cabin and cockpit crew and our Ground Operations colleagues back up to speed and fully trained after a period of inactivity.
Training our pilots, crew and ground staff
In aviation, nothing is left to chance and safety is at all times the highest priority. Therefore, our Training department worked out a very thorough and intensive training program to make sure we fully prepare our pilots to take off again. The first group started their training at the beginning of April. For each pilot, the program takes approximately one month to complete and includes 14 hours of theoretical training, including self-study and classroom trainings to review all flight and aircraft procedures, 12 hours of simulator and ย 10 to 20 flights with an instructor, depending on the experience of the pilot. Last but not least, every pilot performs a line check before they are released to fly on their own again. In total 150 pilots need to go through this complete training and we expect to finish the training program by summer. Our 400 other pilots have continuously been trained during the past months.
As for our cabin crew, as of 1 May, 130 cabin colleagues who have been in full temporary unemployment will gradually be retrained for flying duties with seven to ten days of refresher courses, depending on the type of flights they operate (short haul or long haul), and several familiarization flights to have all safety procedures and Corona-related hygiene measures fresh in mind when they welcome our passengers on board again.
Also on the ground, we prepare our airport colleagues for their duties. They get refresher courses and work in pairs with colleagues on their first day back on the job so they are ready to welcome our guests again.
Getting our aircraft ready
Today, 21 of our 38 aircraft are operational. In order to increase our flight offer, we of course also need to get more and more aircraft back in the air to prepare for summer.
As aircraft are made to fly, not to stand on the ground, ย we have kept busy meticulously maintaining our birds while they were inactive, in order to keep them in great shape once we could reactivate them. To reactivate an aircraft after such a long period (some have been parked since March 2020), our Maintenance teams go through thorough procedures, checking every nook and cranny of the fuselage and moving parts, checking every valve and tube, and test-running all electronic systems. They test the engines, replace life vests and other safety equipment if they are expired, and getting the cabin ready with a thorough cleaning. Finally, they run a test flight to give the aircraft a final GO for operations. The entire de-storage process takes approximately 200 man hours per aircraft.
Hygiene measures
Welcoming more passengers means that it is important to emphasize that we continue to apply the same Corona measures as before. These include a mandatory face mask during the entire flight (as of arrival at the airport) for every passenger as of six years old, row by row boarding and de-boarding to avoid queues in the aircraft, extra disinfection of the aircraft and of course proper hand hygiene. All our aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters that continuously supply clean air on board. See the complete overview or our measuresย here.
As usual, we ask passengers who feel unwell not to travel, to protect the health of other passengers and our crew. As many countries still have specific restrictions, we ask our passengers to check the requirements before they travel.
Above Copyright Photo: Brussels Airlines Airbus A320-214 OO-SNE (msn 4243) (Pieter Bruegel – we fly you to home of Bruegel) LHR (Tony Storck). Image: 947177.
Frontier Airlines today announced its expansion of summer 2021 service with eight new nonstop routes, including the addition of three new destinations: Nassau, The Bahamas; San Jose, Costa Rica and St. Maarten. To celebrate the new service, Frontier is offering fares as low as $29*.
New Route via Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW):
SERVICE TO
SERVICE START
SERVICE FREQUENCY
INTRO FARE
APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Cancun (CUN)
June 10, 2021
3x Weekly
$89*
Tuesday, Thursday
New Routes via Miami International Airport (MIA):
SERVICE TO
SERVICE START
SERVICE FREQUENCY
INTRO FARE
APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Myrtle Beach (MYR)
June 10, 2021
5x Weekly
$29*
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS)
June 24, 2021
4x Weekly
$39*
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
July 2, 2021
2x Weekly
$79*
Monday, Friday
St. Maarten (SXM)
July 10, 2021
1x Weekly
$89*
Saturday
New Routes via Orlando International Airport (MCO):
SERVICE TO
SERVICE START
SERVICE FREQUENCY
INTRO FARE
APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
July 1, 2021
2x Weekly
$89*
Thursday, Sunday
St. Maarten (SXM)
July 10, 2021
1x Weekly
$89*
Saturday
New Routes via Luis Muรฑoz Marรญn International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU):
SERVICE TO
SERVICE START
SERVICE FREQUENCY
INTRO FARE
APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
St. Thomas, USVI (STT)
June 12, 2021
1x Weekly
$29*
Saturday
Additional Miami International Airport made this announcement:
On April 15,ย low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines and Miami-Dade County officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the airlineโs inaugural flight from Miami International Airportย to San Salvador that day, as well as its new Miami-Guatemala City service that began on April 12. Frontier is now serving both routes with twice-weekly service.
Photo: MIA Director Lester Sola addresses guests at the airlineโs launch event.
Frontier topped off its busy week at MIA by announcing that it will be launching service to four more cities this summer:ย Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (5x weekly) on June 10; Nassau, Bahamas (4x weekly) on June 24;ย San Jose, Costa Rica (2x weekly) on July 2; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles (1x weekly) on July 10. Myrtle Beach is not currently served by any other airline at MIA.
Top Copyright Photo: Frontier Airlines (2nd) Airbus A320-251N WL N362FR (msn 9222) (Wellington, the Black-Footed Ferret) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 952369.
Southwest Airlines today published an initial flight schedule forย Eugene Airportย (EUG) in Oregon, bringing the airlineโs low fares, flexible policies, and Hospitality closer to more outdoor attractions in the Pacific Northwest. Southwest Airlinesยฎ will offer nonstop, roundtrip service once daily to Las Vegas and twice daily to Oakland in the Bay Area, bringing additional same-plane or connecting roundtrip service daily between Eugene and more than 30 airports across the Southwest route map.
New destinations recently added:
Beginning August 29, 2021, Southwest will commence service to a second city in Oregon, having served Portland since 1994.
Hydro-Quรฉbec and Air Inuit have entered into a new agreement to ensure the maintenance and operations of Hydro-Quรฉbec’s fleet. Valued at approximately $28ย million a year, the contract runs until 2032.
Hydro-Quรฉbec relies on three aircraftโtwo Dashย 8ย Q400 and one Dashย 8ย 300โto transport employees to locations in Saguenay, Abitibi, Cรดte-Nord and Baie-James.
Under the agreement, Air Inuit consolidates 78 cabin crew, pilot and maintenance and operations specialist positions. Hydro-Quรฉbec uses Air Inuit’s facilities at Montrรฉal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) for its flights to and from its main remote work sites.
Air Inuit was founded by the Inuit in 1978 and owned by Makivik Corporation, Air Inuit was created to provide air connections between Nunavik’s 14 coastal villages and southern Quรฉbec, to promote trade and to preserve Inuit culture. The company has become a major player in air transportation in Quรฉbec and is one of Nunavik’s most significant economic drivers.
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