Delta to add more flights across Atlantic and Pacific this winter and summer 2021

Delta Air Lines has made this announcement:

As Delta works to restart service in line with the lifting of travel restrictions, potential vaccine availability and the gradual return of demand, customers will see more trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights to top business and leisure destinations for the winter 2020-2021 and summer 2021 seasons. While the airline expects pre-COVID level recovery for international flying to continue to lag U.S. domestic, Delta plans to add over 50 transoceanic flights next summer, compared to the summer 2020 schedule.

Delta will focus its strengths in its core markets and with the support of its partners, offer customers a wide array of onward connections.

Delta will operate the adjusted schedule with a more efficient, upgraded fleet of Airbus A350-900s, A330-900neos and refurbished Boeing 767s, following the retirement of its Boeing 777 aircraft by the end of October 2020.

Deltaโ€™s schedule remains subject to change due to the evolving nature of COVID-19, customer demand, government travel regulations and federal health guidelines. Specific restart dates may vary for previously suspended routes due to travel restrictions and other operational requirements.ย Delta will make decisions about resuming additional service on other routes at a later date.

Trans-Pacific Schedule

Delta is maintaining its global presence and investment in Seattle (SEA) over the next year, which continues to be a premier gateway for travel to Asia. Continued daily service next year from Sea-Tac to Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Seoul-Incheon (ICN), Beijing (BJS), and Shanghai (PVG) will allow customers to connect further within the region through Deltaโ€™s partners, Korean Air and China Eastern.

With the opening of the new international arrivals facility at SEA, Delta will offer an entirely upgraded experience for local and connecting customers with direct or one-stop partner access to over 95% of Asia markets. Customers traveling from Seattle to any destination the airline serves in Asia will enjoy an enhanced experience on efficient, next-generation aircraft featuring the award-winning Delta One suites and the popular Delta Premium Select cabin.

At Deltaโ€™s partner hub at ICN, customers can connect on Deltaโ€™s current flights from Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW) and Seattle to over 70 destinations throughout Asia via partner Korean Air. In April 2021, Delta plans to return to service between Minneapolis (MSP) and Seoul-Incheon.

Delta also remains committed to the Japan market and by summer 2021, will offer service from seven U.S. cities to Haneda, Tokyoโ€™s closest and most convenient airport. Currently, the airline offers up to 14 weekly flights across its Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle gateways. Beginning in December 2020, Delta plans to add up to four-times weekly services between Haneda and Honolulu (HNL).

Between the U.S. and China, Delta is working closely with governments in both countries to increase service in response to high demand. Currently, Delta operates four weekly flights to Shanghai (PVG) from Detroit and Seattle. Subject to approval, the airline plans to increase service between these destinations. In summer 2021, Delta hopes to operate daily service between Shanghai and Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles, plus daily service connecting Sea-Tac with Beijingโ€™s new Daxing Airport, subject to government approval.

To Australia, Delta plans to maintain a minimum of thrice-weekly service between Los Angeles and Sydney (SYD) before resuming daily service in 2021. The flight will be operated on Airbus 350-900 aircraft beginning in November, which offers more luxury and comfort with the Delta One suite, Delta Premium Select cabin, large in-flight entertainment screens and more personal stowage.

 

U.S. Hub Route IATA Winter Schedule

(Oct. 25-March 27)

IATA Summer Schedule

(March 28-Oct. 30)

ATL ATL-HND 4x weekly 1 daily
ATL-ICN +5x weekly 1 daily
ย 
DTW DTW-HND 3x weekly 1 daily
DTW-NGO 3x weekly
DTW-ICN Daily 1 daily
DTW-PVG* +2x weekly 1 daily
ย 
LAX LAX-HND 3x weekly 1 daily
LAX-PVG* 1 daily
LAX-SYD +3x weekly 1 daily
ย 
MSP MSP-HND 5x weekly
MSP-ICN 5x weekly
ย 
SEA SEA-HND 4x weekly 1 daily
SEA-ICN +4x weekly 1 daily
SEA-PVG* +2x weekly 1 daily
SEA-BJS* 1 daily
Additional Service PDX-HND 5x weekly
HNL-HND 4x weekly** 1 daily
ICN-MNL 4x weekly 1 daily

*Subject to government approval

**Starting in December 2020

Trans-Atlantic Schedule

As travel restrictions lift and Delta begins to restore its global network, the airline plans to increase flying in the trans-Atlantic market from winter 2020-2021 to summer 2021.

Between September and October, Delta will resume service to several major business and leisure markets, including a buildup at its hub in New York-JFK.

In September, Delta will resume:

  • Atlanta โ€“ Lagos*(LOS)
  • Boston โ€“ London-Heathrow (LHR)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Accra* (ACC)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Barcelona (BCN)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Madrid (MAD)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Rome (FCO)

In October, Delta will add:

  • New York-JFK โ€“ Brussels (BRU)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Dublin (DUB
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Frankfurt (FRA)
  • New York-JFK โ€“ Zurich (ZRH)
  • Seattle โ€“ Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Service between Boston and Paris will return in November.

Following this resumption of service in the fall, Delta expects to maintain a similar schedule across the Atlantic through winter 2021.

Moving into next summer, Delta will expand its hub-to-hub flying between the U.S. and Europe, offering nonstop daily service to Amsterdam (AMS), Paris and London-Heathrow from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, New York-JFK and Minneapolis. From Seattle and Salt Lake City, customers will have nonstop daily access to Amsterdam and Paris. Deltaโ€™s LAX hub will offer nonstop service to Paris. This expansion also marks a restart of trans-Atlantic service for L.A., Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.

Additionally, Delta will add back service to Paris from our focus cities Cincinnati (CVG) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU), as well as service to Amsterdam from Portland (PDX).

From AMS, CDG or LHR, customers will then have access to over 160 destinations throughout the region via partners Virgin Atlantic and Air France-KLM.

Delta remains committed to ensuring customers benefit from easy access across the pond through its key hubs in ATL, BOS and JFK. By next summer, customers traveling through JFK will have direct access to six more seasonal destinations popular with leisure travelers. Delta will also resume popular vacation spots from Atlanta, such as Barcelona, Dublin, Rome and Madrid. Service from Boston to Paris, London-Heathrow and Dublin will increase to daily.

U.S. Hub Route IATA Winter Schedule

(Oct. 25-March 27)

IATA Summer Schedule

(March 28-Oct. 30)

ATL ATL-AMS 2 daily 3 daily
ATL-CDG 1 daily 2 daily
ATL-FRA 4x weekly 1 daily
ATL-JNB* 3x weekly** 5x weekly
ATL-LHR 1 daily 2 daily
ATL-LOS* Up to 1 daily 4x weekly
ATL-MUC 3x weekly 1 daily
ATL-BCN 1 daily
ATL-DUB 1 daily
ATL-FCO 1 daily
ATL-MAD 1 daily
ATL-STR 5x weekly
ย 
BOS BOS-AMS 1 daily 1 daily
BOS-CDG 4x weekly 1 daily
BOS-LHR 5x weekly 1 daily
BOS-DUB ย  1 daily
ย 
DTW DTW-AMS 1 daily 3 daily
DTW-CDG 1 daily 1 daily
DTW-FRA ย  1 daily
DTW-LHR ย  1 daily
ย 
JFK JFK-ACC* Up to 1 daily 5x weekly
JFK-AMS 1 daily 2 daily
JFK-BCN 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-BRU 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-CDG 1 daily 2 daily
JFK-DSS 3x weekly 3x weekly
JFK-DUB 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-FCO 5x weekly Up to 2 daily
JFK-FRA 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-LHR 1 daily 2 daily
JFK-MAD 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-MXP 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-TLV Up to 2 daily 2 daily
JFK-ZRH 5x weekly 1 daily
JFK-ATH ย  Up to 2 daily
JFK-EDI ย  1 daily
JFK-KEF ย  5x weekly
JFK-LIS ย  1 daily
JFK-LOS* ย  3x weekly
JFK-NCE ย  1 daily
JFK-VCE ย  1 daily
ย 
LAX LAX-CDG ย  1 daily
ย 
MSP MSP-AMS ย  2 daily
MSP-CDG ย  1 daily
MSP-LHR ย  1 daily
ย 
SEA SEA-AMS 1 daily 1 daily
SEA-CDG 4x weekly 1 daily
ย 
SLC SLC-AMS 1 daily
SLC-CDG 1 daily
ย 
Focus Cities RDU-CDG 5x weekly
PDX-AMS ย  4x weekly
CVG-CDG 4x weekly

*Subject to government approval

**Starting Dec. 13

IATA refers to the International Air Transport Association.

Delta aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):

WestJet reinforces commitment to safety with zero-tolerance mask policy

The WestJet Group has announced multiple safety updates including the potential for denied travel and a one-year WestJet Group travel ban for those who fail to comply with the airlines’ mask regulation. The WestJet Group also announced the mandatory input of all guests’ contact information at online and kiosk check-in to help the Public Health Agency of Canada and the provincial public health agencies across Canada with contact tracing in the case of infected individuals on board. The WestJet Group includes WestJet, WestJet Encore, WestJet Link and Swoop.

Zero Tolerance Mask Policy
Effective, September 1, 2020, the WestJet Group will implement a zero-tolerance policy in support of the requirement for all guests, over the age of two, to wear masks and face coverings. Non-compliant guests will face penalties including denied boarding, return of the aircraft to the gate to offload the passenger and the suspension of travel on any WestJet Group aircraft for up to one year.

“Canadian travellers and all of our WestJet Group employees are counting on us to keep them safe and it is our utmost priority to do so,” said Ed Sims, The WestJet Group President and CEO. “Masks are mandated by our regulator and the vast majority of our guests are happy to keep themselves and each other safe by complying. This enhanced policy provides clarity on how we will enforce the regulation for those who don’t. Travellers must understand if they choose to not wear a mask, they are choosing not to fly our airlines.”

Non-compliance on board the aircraft will be managed through a three-step process:

  1. Passengers will first be asked to put the mask on in a discussion with cabin crew.
  2. Passengers will be given a warning that masks are required, and compliance is necessary.
  3. Passengers will receive notice that non-compliance will result in follow up notification that they will be placed on a no-fly list for 12-months.

Since April 20, 2020, it has been mandatory for travellers to wear protective face coverings throughout their travel journey, including at the airport and while in flight and at the airport.ย  As outlined by Transport Canada, travellers requiring an exemption to the regulation for health reasons must produce a certified medical note or will be subject to the measures as outlined. Complete guidelines on non-medical masks are available here.

Prior to flying, it is important travellers understand the current regulations and modifications to services in response to COVID-19. Travellers that wish to eat or drink while on board remain able to do so if they replace their mask once finished.

Contact Tracing Enhancements
Effective, September 1, 2020, the input of contact information for those travelling on WestJet, WestJet Encore, WestJet Link and Swoop will become mandatory at the 24-hour check-in process online and at kiosks. Mandatory information at WestJet check-in kiosks will be phased into the policy change by the end of September.

Once implemented, guests will no longer be able to bypass the information screen and will be required to input up-to-date information prior to the issuance of a boarding pass. It is the responsibility of the traveller to provide accurate information.

“We continue to work collaboratively with our health partners to adapt our procedures,” added Sims. “A coordinated approach is essential, and we are advocating for contact tracing enhancements along with the introduction of testing.”

Since March, the WestJet Group has been the only Canadian airline to provide full transparency in advising the public of flights affected by COVID-19. Between March 23 and August 25, WestJet has flown more than 725,000 guests on 19,370 flights. Of those, the airline has been notified of just over 230 flights where infected individuals have flown, this accounts for less than one per cent of flights. Swoop has operated 1,070 flights with 103,000 travellers and has been notified of eight flights where infected individuals have flown, accounting for less than one per cent of flights. There have been no reported cases of transmission on board any WestJet Group aircraft.

WestJet (including WestJet Encore and WestJet Link) and Swoop remain the only operators in Canada taking the extra steps to post affected flights to external channels in effort to inform the public at large and to aid the media in assisting public health officials in disseminating information as quickly and as broadly as possible.

WestJet has built a framework to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline invested quickly in hygiene and safety measures to mitigate the risk throughout the entire travel journey, investing millions of dollars’ worth of equipment, cleaning and additional measures to protect those who had to fly. The airline continues to invest, test and trial multiple additional safety measures to ensure safety above all.

Additional Quotes on masks:
“CUPE is very pleased to see the further steps WestJet is taking to keep our members safe and empowered. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the airline in reassuring all guests that air travel is truly safe.”

– Chris Rauenbusch, President CUPE Local 4070

Virgin Atlantic set to launch new services to Pakistan from London and Manchester

Virgin Atlantic Airways has made this announcement:

Virgin Atlantic has announced it will be launching flights โ€ฏto โ€ฏPakistan in December 2020.

Operating three new routes from London Heathrow to Lahore, London Heathrow to Islamabad, as well as from Manchester to Islamabad; these new services will go on sale in September 2020 subject to applicable regulatory approvals, and will boast Virgin Atlanticโ€™s Upper Class, Premium and Economy Light, Classic and Delight offering.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic commented:

โ€œWith travel restrictions remaining in place for many destinations around the world, weโ€™re continually evaluating our network, looking at customer demand and where there are opportunities to launch new services.โ€

โ€œPakistan is an extremely exciting opportunity for us โ€“ it boasts one of the largest foreign-born populations in both the UK and the US and, as people start to travel to visit loved ones, weโ€™re anticipating the demandโ€ฏ to visit friends and relatives will increase post COVID-19. Both Lahore and Islamabad are popular year-roundโ€ฏdestinationsโ€ฏand we look forward to welcoming travellers onboard as demand for leisure and business travel gradually increases to the region”.

โ€œWe also see a significant opportunity to increase competition in the US โ€“ Pakistan market. Using the strength of our trans-Atlantic services weโ€™re able to offer customers the shortest journey to and from destinations in the US such as New York, Los Angeles and Washington by connecting through London Heathrowโ€.

Virgin Atlantic restarted passenger flying on โ€ฏJuly 20, 2020 after a โ€ฏthree month โ€ฏhiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently operating flights to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Barbados and Miami with further routes being added throughout September and October.

 

Emirates to resume flights to Bangkok and Lusaka

Emirates has announced the resumption of passenger services to Bangkok with daily flights starting from September 1, 2020.

The resumption of flights to Bangkok will expand Emiratesโ€™ current network to 78 cities in September, offering travellers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific convenient connections via Dubai to the popular Thai destination.

Flights between Dubai and Bangkok will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering seats in First, Business and Economy class. Starting from 1 September, flight EK384 will depart Dubai daily at 01:50 and arrive in Bangkok at 11:30, while the return flight, EK385, will depart Bangkok at 03:25, and arrive in Dubai at 06:35, from 2 September.

Emirates also announced the resumption of passenger services to Lusaka with two weekly flights to/from Dubai effective September 4, 2020, which will boost the airlineโ€™s global network to 79 cities.

The restart of services to Lusaka will offer Emirates customers in Zambia the opportunity to travel to Dubai, as well as an array of onward connections to Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas through the airlineโ€™s Dubai hub. The addition of Lusaka also broadens Emiratesโ€™ reach into Africa with nine destinations served.

Flights to Lusaka will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from 4 September, Emirates will serve Lusaka on Fridays and Sundays. Emiratesโ€™ flight EK 713 will depart from Dubai at 0820hrs, arriving in Lusaka at 1330hrs. The return flight, EK 714 departs Lusaka at 1530hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0025hrs the next day. Customers can book flights onย emirates.comย or via travel agents.

SAS will continue to increase the number of flights and open routes to more destinations in Europe, USA and Asia

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS has made this announcement:

Throughout autumn, SAS will continue to increase the number of flights and open routes to more destinations in Europe, USA and Asia to meet the demand for travel and transport to, from and within Scandinavia.

SASโ€™ domestic flights in Sweden, Norway and Denmark will cover almost the entire domestic network when SAS resumes its flights from Stavanger to Trondheim and from Stockholm to Ronneby and Sundsvall. With its expanded flight programme, within and between the three countries, SAS will increase the availability of essential travel and transport, thereby ensuring critical infrastructure.

To meet the demand also for business travel to Europe, SAS is increasing the number of flights and adding 18 routes to key European markets and capitals, such as from Copenhagen to Paris, from Stockholm to Frankfurt and from Oslo to Brussels.

At the end of September, SAS plans* to start up its intercontinental flights to Asia and fly from Copenhagen to Shanghai once a week.

This means that SAS will be able to offer flights again in the autumn across the whole network on all three continents on which SAS operates.

SAS is also increasing the number of flights to New York from Copenhagen up to daily departures. We will also resume flights from Copenhagen to Washington, with two flights a week from mid-September and maintain an unchanged number of flights to Chicago and San Francisco.

As there is stillย uncertainty regarding restrictions and there are changes in travel advice, SAS offers travelers the option to change a planned journey/ticket for a SAS Travel Voucher, up to 16 days prior to departure, for all international travel, until January 15.

*Subject to government approval.

Norwegian strongly affected by COVID-19 โ€“ 71 percent passenger decline, 8,000 furloughed or laid off employees and 140 grounded aircraft

Norwegian Airย Shuttleย reported its results for the first half year of 2020. The figures are as expected heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with a net loss of NOK 5.3 billion. During the first half of 2020, 5.31 million customers travelled with the company; a decrease of 71 percent compared to the same period last year. Norwegian successfully converted debt, gained access to state guaranteed loans of NOK 3 billion and conducted a public offering, in addition to implementing a series of cost-reduction measures. Still, Norwegian is facing challenging times ahead.

Before COVID-19, Norwegian had guided the market of a profitable 2020 and the best summer ever. Strict government travel advice and the following drop in customer demand forced Norwegian to ground 140 aircraft and furlough or lay off approximately 8,000 employees. In the second quarter, Norwegian only operated 7-8 aircraft on domestic routes in Norway. Following a successful restructuring process, the company gained access to the Norwegian governmentโ€™s loan guarantee of NOK 3 billion and an additional NOK 0.3 billion from commercial banks.

โ€œWhen we entered 2020, we were expecting a positive result and the best summer ever, thanks to successful cost-saving initiatives and a more efficient operation. Then we were hit by COVID-19 and customer demand literally stopped from one day to the next, as government-imposed travel restrictions and travel advice were introduced world-wide. For the past months we have been working tirelessly to make sure that we can emerge from this crisis as a stronger company, well-positioned for future competition. Some of these measures have been painful, but totally necessary if we are to make it through at all. Creditors, bondholders and shareholders have shown us support and trust to find a way forward for the company and our customers are expressing their strong support, for which I am grateful. And not least, I am extremely proud of all our Red Nose Warriors who are keeping up a positive spirit,โ€ said CEO Jacob Schram.

During the first six months of 2020, 5.3 million customers travelled with Norwegian, compared to 18.1 million during the same period previous year. Production (ASK) was down by 69 percent and passenger traffic (RPK) decreased by 72 percent. The load factor was 78.2 percent, a decrease of 6.5 percentage points compared to the first half of 2019. Both load factor and production are adjusted according to the government mandatory blocking of middle seats on domestic routes in Norway in the second quarter of 2020.

Punctuality was at 87.2 percent, an improvement of 7.3 percentage points compared to the first half of 2019.

Poor visibility creates uncertainty ahead

On July 1, Norwegian reopened 76 routes, put an additional 15 aircraft into service and brought more than 600 employees back to work. The market is still highly uncertain, mainly due to changing travel advice from governments across Europe. As the government changes its travel advice, demand is immediately impacted. Going forward the company will continue to adjust its route portfolio in line with demand and government travel advice.

โ€œThe COVID-19 crisis has impacted aviation and the travel industry particularly hard, and most companies need government support to survive. We see that many of our main competitors receive considerable liquidity support from their governments as aviation represents the backbone of infrastructure. We are thankful for the loan guarantee made available to us by the Norwegian government which we worked hard to obtain. However, given the current market conditions it is not enough to get through this prolonged crisis,โ€ Schram said.

 

Smartwings and Czech Airlines file for protection against creditors as flights continue

Smartwings Group has made this announcement:

Members of Smartwings Group including Smartwings, a.s. (Smartwings) and ฤŒeskรฉ aerolinie, a.s. (Czech Airlines, CSA) today filed request to the Municipal Court in Prague to declare an extraordinary moratorium under the so-called Lex COVID legislation. This new law introduced the moratorium as a tool to alleviate the impact of the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. The need to apply for the moratorium is solely driven by the impacts of the pandemic that has caused the largest crisis in aviation history. Both companies had been profitable before the pandemic broke out and they are expected to return to profitability once it subsides. The extraordinary moratorium will provide protection to both Smartwings and CSA at a time when their revenues have reduced significantly. Both companies will also obtain time to develop and negotiate a long-term sustainable financing solution that would benefit all concerned parties, i.e., creditors, employees, and passengers.

 

โ€œSmartwings and CSA continue with their standard operations. Both companies operate all scheduled flights and have been resuming additional routes as the epidemiological situation and travel restrictions in the respective destinations allow. Smartwings Group, like other air carriers, has implemented restructuring measures to achieve operational efficiencies and savings. Theย extraordinarymoratorium is only a temporary measure that grants Smartwings andย CSA the time they need to achieve their financial stability in cooperation with financing banks, aircraft lessors and other creditors. We believe that the steps we are taking today will help us to successfully overcome this unprecedented crisis,โ€ says Jiล™รญ ล imรกnฤ›, Board Chairman, Smartwings.

Due to the state of emergency declared by the Czech government and the adoption of special measures in response to the coronavirus breakout, Smartwings Group recorded a year-on-year decrease in air traffic volume of 95 percent between April and June 2020 and more than 80 percent in July and August. Since the onset of the epidemic, Smartwings and CSA have implemented a cost saving program and adopted every possible measure to mitigate the negative financial impact of the coronavirus crisis. Air carriers around the globe, including the largest players (such as Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, easyJet, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Emirates, American Airlines, etc.), have adopted similar measures. While many airlines have already benefited from the support from their national governments (e.g. in the form of capital injection or provision of state-guaranteed loans), Smartwings and CSA have not received any state-support to date.

A support program for large businesses active in the field of transportation and tourism was not implemented in the Czech Republic in the first months of the coronavirus crisis. The COVID Plus program aimed at such businesses that have been affected by the pandemic was launched by Export Guarantee and Insurance Corporation (EGAP) only in the second half of July after notifying the European Commission. Smartwings and CSA are taking steps now to benefit from this program.

โ€œThe loan guarantee application process is a complicated and lengthy procedure requiring the agreement of multiple parties. This is one of the primary reasons why Smartwings Group has resorted to the extraordinary moratorium. We are exploring all potential financing options to ensure business continuity of both companies. Throughout the process, we will be cooperating closely with our finance providers and other stakeholders. In this context, we have also mandated an international advisor EY, which has extensive experience in the field of restructuring and finance raising as well as the necessary aviation industry expertise,โ€ adds Jiล™รญ ล imรกnฤ›.

Smartwings currently operates flights from Prague to 25 destinations, from Brno to 9 destinations and from Ostrava to 2 destinations. CSA operates flights to 12 destinations and is planning to resume flights to Barcelona, Madrid, Budapest, Goteborg, Bucharest, Brussels, Warsaw, and Milan in September. Other routes are expected to be resumed depending on the coronavirus situation in the respective countries and applicable travel restrictions.

Smartwings was a successful business before the coronavirus crisis, reporting earnings before tax in the amount of CZK 183 million last year despite problems caused by a global grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. CSA reported earnings before tax in the amount of CZK 79.2 million in 2019 and has been profitable since Smartwings assumed partial management responsibility. Smartwings Group reported revenues of CZKย 28 billion in 2019. Smartwings and CSA transported more than 9.6 million passengers in total last year.

Alaska Airlines announces new nonstop flights to Jackson, WY

Alaska Airlines has made this announcement:

It has been a challenging time, and for many the great outdoors has become a safe haven. For Alaska Airlines guests, the Grand Tetons just got a bit closer. Today the airline announced new seasonal service to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, offering nonstop flights between Seattle; and the first nonstop flights from San Jose, Calif. and San Diego.

With five-times weekly service from Seattle/Tacoma and San Diego from December 17 through April 11, 2021, and twice weekly flights from San Jose from December 19 through April 10, guests can hit the slopes faster with all flights taking less than three hours. Flights times offer afternoon departures from Seattle, San Jose and San Diego, for easy West Coast connections (hello long weekend) and late afternoon or early evening departures from Jackson Hole to allow for maximum time on the slopes.

 

Guests will fly onboard the Embraer 175 jet from all departure cities and enjoy the experience they have come to know and love about Alaska, including three classes of service and Wi-Fi, as well as Next-Level Care โ€“ the layers of nearly 100 actions taken to ensure the safety of guests and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those actions include enhanced aircraft and airport cleaning; mandatory facial masks; hospital-grade HEPA air filters, an air filtration system that brings fresh, outside air into the cabin every three minutes; hand-sanitizing stations throughout the journey and more.

COVID-19 causes EUR 185 million consolidated loss for airBaltic in the first half of 2020

airBaltic has made this announcement:

As a result of the Coronavirus crisis, revenue and the number of passengers carried byย theย Latvian airlineย airBalticย has significantly decreased, and according to airBaltic’s unaudited consolidated financial results for the first six months of 2020, the group suffered loss of EUR 184.8 million.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: โ€œWe began this year on a solid track, continuing our sustainable growth path in both January and February. The following months, though, proved to be the largest crisis in aviation history. It led to airBaltic being forced to suspend flights for 62 days and see a significant reduction in demand for air travel.โ€

โ€œTo counteract the crisis, we swiftly cut our capacity and costs, adjusted our business plan Destination 2025 CLEAN as well as secured financing from our shareholders. With that, when the market recovers, we will be in an excellent position to fully redeploy our efficient Airbus A220-300 fleet,โ€ Martin Gauss added.

During the first six months of 2020, the revenue of the group reached EUR 82.5 million or 62% less than during the same period last year. The number of passengers carried, and flights performed by the airline decreased by 64% and 58% respectively.

H1 2020 H1 2019 Change %
Revenue EUR 82.5 million EUR 219.5 million (62%)
Net loss EUR (184.8) million EUR (26.6) million n/a
Passengers 0.8 million 2.2 million (64%)
Flights 12501 29733 (58%)

Ryanair announces additional flights to Faro, Portugal

Ryanair has announced it would be strengthening its connection between the UK and Portugal over the coming weeks (September 11โ€“ October 24) with 14 additional flights to Faro every week from 12 UK airports:

Increased Flights to Faro Flights Per Week
Bournemouth 4 (+1)
Bristol 6 (+1)
Cardiff ย 3 (+1)
Edinburgh 4 (+1)
East Midlands Airport 8 (+1)
Glasgow Prestwick 4 (+1)
Liverpool 6 (+1)
Londonย  Southend 3 (+1)
Luton 5 (+1)
Manchester 13 (+2)
Newcastle 4 (+2)
Stansted 15 (+1)