Emirates has retired its first Airbus A380.
A6-EDB performed its last revenue flight on February 23, 2020 from Muscat to the Dubai hub. It has been in storage since then.
A6-EDB was delivered on October 24, 2008.
Top Copyright Photo: Emirates Airline Airbus A380-861 A6-EDB (msn 013) LHR (David Apps). Image: 901468.
Emirates aircraft slide show:
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Vietjet has announced and opened ticket sales from June 15, 2020 for 5 new Thailand domestic routes. These five new routes will connect the capital Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) with famous tourism and cultural destinations from North to South of Thailand including Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surat Thani.
The 5 new routes extend Thai Vietjetโs domestic flight network to 12 domestic routes, connecting 11 destinations in Thailand. Vietjet is bringing more chance for people and tourists to benefit tourism, trade in Thailand.
Hat Yai, a large district of Songkhla province in South of Thailand, is well-known as the center of trade, logistics, communications, transportation, and tourism of the province and the region. While Nakhon Si Thammarat and Khon Kaen are famous for their precious history. For Ubon Ratchathani, it is one of the four major cities of Isan, a region in northeastern Thailand, also known as the “big four of Isan.” Meanwhile, Surat Thani is a province in the lower southern Gulf of Thailand with many popular big and small islands around the province, including travelerโs favorite islands of Koh Samui. Letโs travel to these Thai top destinations with Vietjet.
Recently, Vietjet has also increased its Vietnam domestic flight network to 53 routes with 8 new routes connecting Hanoi with Dong Hoi (Quang Binh province); Hai Phong with Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province); Vinh (Nghe An province) with Phu Quoc; Da Nang with Phu Quoc, Da Lat (Lam Dong province), Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak province), Vinh and Thanh Hoa. These new routes will commence operation from June 18, 2020.
Currently, Thai Vietjet is operating stable flight operation covering Thailand domestic network including routes between Bangkok and Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai/ Phuket/ Krabi/ Udon Thani. Passengers are recommended to check the regulations and procedures upon arrival of each destination city and airports for smooth entry. The airline also continuously increases flight schedules and extends its network in response to rising demand. Earlier, Thai Vietjet has offered 1-year complimentary travel to front line medical staff, including all members of Thai Covid-19 Prevention & Control Committee and all doctors and nurses of 160 appointed hospitals for treatment of Covid-19 patients in Thailand as a way to appreciate the heroes who have been working hard to prevent and control the outbreak until the situation is recovered.
| New Routes | Flight time | Frequency | Start operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok – Hat Yai | 07:00-08:25 15:25-16:50 | 10 flights/week | July 17, 2020 |
| Hat Yai – Bangkok | 08:55-10:35 17:20-19:00 | 10 flights/week | |
| Bangkok – Khon Kaen | 07:30-08:35 15:45-16:50 | 14 flights/week | July 30, 2020 |
| Khon Kaen – Bangkok | 09:05-10:15 17:20-18:30 | 14 flights/week | |
| Bangkok – Nakhon Si Thammarat | 11:05-12:20 | 7 flights/week | August 6, 2020 |
| Nakhon Si Thammarat – Bangkok | 12:50-14:20 | 7 flights/week | |
| Bangkok – Ubon Ratchathani | 10:45-11:55 | 7 flights/week | October 6, 2020 |
| Ubon Ratchathani – Bangkok | 12:25-13:40 | 7 flights/week | |
| Bangkok – Surat Thani | 09:30-10:45 | 7 flights/week | November 4, 202 |
| Surat Thani – Bangkok | 11:15-12:40 | 7 flights/week |
In other news, following the announcement of Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) about re-opening Phuket International airport for domestic flight operation starting from June 13, 2020, Thai Vietjet is the first and only airline confirmed to resume operation of the route between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Phuket international airport to serve passengers demand from that date. The airline strictly complies with current safety and healthy procedures including measuring passengers and crewsโ body temperature, social distancing at the airport and on-board the flights. Passengers are required to wear the face mask throughout the journey.
Finally,ย Vietjet Airbus A321 VN-A657 skidded off the runway while landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on June 14, 2020.
Flight VJ322 was operating from Duong Dong on Phu Quoc Island to Ho Chi Minh City. The A321 landed on runway 25L in heavy rain, but skidded off the runway into a grass field after crossing two taxiways.
Social media:
ANA (All Nippon Airways) on June 14, 2020 operated its last Boeing 737-500 revenue flight via ANA Wings.
JA306K flew flight NH254 from Fukuoka to Tokyo Haneda.
Photo: ANA Wings.
flyBAIR, the new Swiss airline, will start operations on July 18, 2020 with two routes, Bern โ Palma de Mallorca and Sion โ Palma de Mallorca with Embraer E190-E1 aircraft.
The new airline also announced Crete and Rhodes will be added in mid-August, and Jerez, Kos, Menorca and Preveza in September.
Brussels Airlines issued this report:
Aircraft are not made to stand still. And the same goes for our colleagues, who have missed their jobs dearly. We’re happy that on Monday, we will finally hit the skies again. But restarting flight operations after 12 weeks of hibernation doesn’t happen overnight. Getting an aircraft out of parking mode and making it airworthy again takes about as much time as parking it. Getting our flying staff back up in the air is also something that isn’t taken lightly.
In normal circumstances, a commercial pilot who flies on a regular basis goes through a strict training regime every 6 months, to keep up with all procedures. Now that our pilots have not been in a cockpit for 3 months and do not meet the mandatory “3 landings in 90 days” standard, we need to retrain them to make sure they are ready to get back in the cockpit. A simulator test, as well as a theoretical exam and Crew Resource Management training help get them ready for June 15.
Also our cabin crew colleagues get a refresher course and are trained to apply the new procedures and measures that we have put in place.
As for our birds, they are pretty high maintenance, even when they have been on the ground for a long period. Remember how we told you that the storage of an aircraft takes about 400 man hours and they still require regular checks and maintenance? Well, unpacking an aircraft and making it airworthy again takes about 200 man hours, too. From testing all computer systems, getting the cabin ready, to unwrapping the landing gear and engines, nothing is left to chance in aviation.
Photos: Brussels Airlines.
Videos:
The new United Airline ticket counter in the Arrivals and Departures Hall at Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport opening on June 13, 2020.
United customers traveling through New York-LaGuardia (LGA) this weekend will be the first of any legacy airline to enjoy the airport’s new Terminal B experience, featuring brand-new, best-in-class Arrivals and Departures Hall. Whether their journey starts or ends at LGA, United passengers will see amenities including first-rate retail and dining choices as well as innovative lobby and baggage claim areas. The new building is part of the $4 billion, 1.3-million-square-foot Terminal B redevelopment project operated by LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP).
The newly completed and highly contemporary Arrivals and Departures Hall connects directly to Terminal B and the eastern concourse gates via a pedestrian bridge built over the top of the original terminal.
United’s gates opened last June in the Terminal B eastern concourse along with a new United Club located after security near the airline’s gates.
The Club is a private, 10,500-square-foot space that features more than 200 seats โ 30 percent larger than United’s previous LGA Club. Along with a more spacious experience, the Club offers sweeping views of the tarmac while combining the sleek styles of New York City with the modern touches travelers desire.
Air France has made this announcement:
As air traffic picks up, Air France is gradually reinforcing its flight schedule for summer 2020.
By the end of June, the flight schedule will represent 20% of the capacity usually deployed over this period. Subject to the lifting of travel restrictions, the gradual increase in the number of frequencies and destinations will continue, reaching 35% of the flight schedule initially planned in July and 40% in August.
Air France plans to serve close to 150 destinations,ย i.e. 80% of its usual network, with priority given to strengthening its domestic network. Several routes will resume between Paris and the French regions, as well as inter-regional routes, particularly to and from Corsica. The number of services will also be increased to the French overseas departments and territories, as well as to Europe, mainly to Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal.
Long-haul services will gradually resume on a large part of the network, both for passenger and cargo transport, which is particularly buoyant.
The flight schedule will be operated by 106 of the 224 aircraft in the Air France fleet.
“We can see that people need to travel again and will gradually be resuming services to 150 destinations in France, Europe and the rest of the world this summer. After this difficult period, we are delighted to be welcoming our customers back on board, so that they can travel this summer and be reunited with their loved ones.ย All Air France staff, both on the ground and on board, are committed to guaranteeing our passengers the highest levels of health & safety“, said Air France CEO Anne Rigail.
Flight schedule for July and August 2020 to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle
| Metropolitan France | Ajaccio, Bastia, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Brest, Calvi, Clermont Ferrand, Figari, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Pau, Perpignan, Rennes, Toulon, Toulouse |
| French overseas departments & territories, Caribbean & Indian Ocean | Antananarivo, Cayenne, Fort de France, Havana, Mauritius, Papeete, Pointe ร Pitre, Saint-Denis de La Rรฉunion, Santo Domingo, Saint Martin |
| Europe | Alicante, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Bari, Bergen, Berlin, Bilbao, Billund, Birmingham, Bologna, Bucharest, Budapest, Cagliari, Catania, Copenhagen, Cork, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Faro, Florence, Frankfurt, Geneva, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Hanover, Heraklion, Ibiza, Krakow, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Mykonos, Naples, Newcastle, Nuremberg, Olbia, Oslo, Palermo, Palma de Mallorca, Porto, Prague, Rome, Santorini, Seville, Split, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tbilisi, Thessaloniki, Turin, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Yerevan, Zagreb, Zurich |
| Middle East | Beirut, Dubai, Cairo |
| Africa | Conakry, Cotonou, Douala, Nouakchott, Tunis, Yaoundรฉ
+ other destinations subject to obtaining the required government authorization. |
| North America | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toronto |
| South America | Panama City, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Sao Paulo |
| Asia | Bangalore, Bangkok, Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul,
Singapore, Tokyo |
Flight schedule for July and August 2020 to and from Paris-Orly
| Metropolitan France | Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Figari |
The flight schedule from the French regions, the days of operation and the resumption date of the various routes can be consulted online at airfrance.com.
This flight schedule is subject to change and remains subject to obtaining the required government authorization. It will take into account the current health & hygiene measures in the various countries or destinations served.
Updating the flight schedule will result in the cancellation of bookings for flights that are not operated. Commercial measures, which can be consulted online at airfrance.com and at all sales points, will enable the customers concerned to postpone their trip free of charge or to cancel it, by requesting a bonus voucher or a ticket refund.
Before travelling, Air France recommends its customers contact the relevant authorities to check the entry and travel requirements for their destination and transit countries, which may have changed due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Air France reminds customers that surgical masks must be worn on all its flights and that temperature checks are carried out prior to boarding. Daily aircraft cleaning operations have been stepped up and a specific procedure for the regular disinfection of cabins with an approved virucidal spray has been introduced.
Air France aircraft photo gallery:
Virgin Atlantic Airways has made this announcement:
Virgin Atlantic has announced its plan to restart passenger flying, with services from London Heathrow to Orlando, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York JFK and Los Angeles set to resume from July 20 and July 21, 2020.
โOur planned first flights will be to Orlando and Hong Kong on July 20, however, we are monitoring external conditions extremely closely, in particular the travel restrictions many countries have in place including the 14 day quarantine policy for travellers entering the UK. We know that as the COVID-19 crisis subsides, air travel will be a vital enabler of the UKโs economic recovery. Therefore, we are calling for a multi-layered approach of carefully targeted public health and screening measures, which will allow for a successful and safe restart of international air travel for passengers and businesses. We are planning to announce more destination restart dates in the next two weeks for the month of August.โ
Virgin Atlantic planned return to flying from London Heathrow Terminal 2*
Flights will be loaded into systems over the next two weeks subject to change.
| Restart date | Route |
| 20th July 2020 | London Heathrow โ Orlando |
| 20th July 2020 | London Heathrow โ Hong Kong |
| 21st July 2020 | London Heathrow โ Shanghai |
| 21st July 2020 | London Heathrow โ New York JFK |
| 21st July 2020 | London Heathrow โ Los Angeles |
Your Health & Wellbeing
To ensure the health and safety of our people and our customers, Virgin Atlantic is implementing additional measures to offer peace of mind in the airport and when taking to the skies**.
These include enhanced and thorough cleaning practices at check in, boarding gates and onboard including the use of electrostatic spraying of high-grade disinfectant onboard in all our cabins and lavatories, ensuring no surface is left untouched.
Safe distancing will also be adhered to wherever possible, particularly at check-in and boarding and where not possible, masks will be required. We will provide a personal Health Pack for the wellbeing and comfort of all our customers, which will contain medical grade face masks as a requirement to be worn onboard, surface wipes and hand gel. In the short term, we will also be offering a simplified hot food service onboard to minimize contact, enclosed from preparation in a COVID-safe, monitored environment directly to our customersโ seats.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer Officer, Virgin Atlantic commented: โOur teams have been working tirelessly to ensure that the health and safety of our airport and onboard experience offers peace of mind to our customers when travelling with us. Our medical experts are working closely with all relevant U.K. and international health and aviation authorities to ensure we adhere to, and on many occasions exceed the guidance they are offering, whilst continuously reviewing and updating the measures we have in place to keep our customers and teams safe.โ
โWe are carrying out health questionnaires before check in and are calling upon airport and health authorities to put temperature checks in place as part of a multi layered, end-to-end health screen.
We have introduced a personal Health Pack for the comfort of all customers, containing medical grade face masks, surface wipes and hand gel, and are implementing a series of measures to limit customer-to-customer and customer-to-crew contact throughout the journey. While we will continuously review our measures, wearing a mask for the duration of the flight will initially be required. Our meticulous cleaning program ensures our planes are disinfected and amongst the cleanest in the skies, while we work with our airport partners to ensure sanitisation of customer touchpoints on the ground. Our customers are in safe hands and we are really looking forward to welcoming them back onboard from July 20.โ
Transporting Essential Cargo
In addition to the restart of passenger flying, Virgin Atlantic continues to operate cargo-only flights keeping global supply chains running and transporting essential supplies around the world. Throughout June, the airline plans to operate more than 600 cargo-only services, serving destinations including Tel Aviv, Chicago, Brussels, Johannesburg, Lagos and Miami.
The airline also looks forward to continuing to partner with the Department for Health and the NHS, working with them on 17 cargo charters per week from Shanghai and Beijing throughout June and July, bringing in the vital medical supplies that the teams here in the UK urgently need to care for patients. To date the airline has carried over 44 million items of PPE from China to the UK.
Virgin Atlantic aircraft photo gallery:
Videos:
Alitalia will increase number of flights and destinations served in July. During the month, the Airline will operate over 1,000 weekly flights reaching 13 new domestic and international airports: Amsterdam, Athens, Boston, Malta, Nice, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tunis and in Italy Brindisi, Florence, Lampedusa, Pantelleria and Reggio Calabria.
Alitalia will operate 60% more flights compared to June and will double number of services compared to May. Alitalia aircraft will fly on 52 routes (22 more than June) to 37 airports, including 19 in Italy and 18 abroad. Seats offered in July will grow by 60% compared to the previous month.
The Alitalia flight schedule in July will mainly include the reopening of international air services from Milan and the increase of international flights from Rome, as well as the increase of services from Northern Italy to Southern Italy and the Italian islands.
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In detail, Alitalia will resume flights from Rome Fiumicino to Athens (2 flights per day, from 1 July), Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Tunis (10 flights per week with each of the three airports, from 1 July), Nice and Tirana (6 flights per week for each airport, from 1 July), Malta (6 flights per week, from 2 July), Boston (6 flights per week, from 16 July), Brindisi (2 flights per day, from 1 July), Florence (2 flights per day from 1 July, replacing the services to Pisa), Reggio Calabria (2 flights per day, from 1 July), Lampedusa and Pantelleria (4 flights per week with each of the two airports, summer seasonal services from 4 July).
Alitalia will also increase from 1 July the number of air services from Rome Fiumicino airport to Barcelona and Madrid (from 6 flights per week to 2 per day for each airport), Paris (from 20 flights per week to 4 per day), London (from 4 to 6 flights per day), Milan (from 8 to 10 flights per day), Bologna, Lamezia Terme, Turin and Venice (from 2 to 4 flights per day for each of the four airports). The Airline has already planned to increase, beginning from 15 June, the number of services from Rome to Catania and Palermo (from 8 to 10 flights per day with each of the two airports) and to Cagliari (from 6 to 8 daily flights).
From Milan Malpensa airport, where the Airline will carry on its operations until the reopening of Linate airport, Alitalia will resume international services to London, Paris, Amsterdam (2 flights per day with each of the three airports, from 1 July), Brussels (12 flights per week, from 1 July) and domestic services to Brindisi, Lamezia Terme, Naples, Reggio Calabria (2 flights per day with each airport), Pantelleria and Lampedusa (2 flights per week with each of the two airports, summer seasonal services which will start, respectively, from 4 and 5 July).
Furthermore, the Airline has already planned to increase, beginning from today, the number of flights from Milan to Cagliari (from 4 to 6 daily flights) and to double services, from 13 June, to Catania and Palermo (from 2 to 4 flights per day with each of the two airports).
Overall, with about 750 weekly flights Alitalia will connect its hub in Rome Fiumicino airport with 36 domestic and international destinations (Alghero, Bologna, Bari, Brindisi, Cagliari, Catania, Florence, Genoa, Lamezia Terme, Lampedusa, Milan, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Pantelleria, Reggio Calabria, Turin, Venice and, abroad, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Boston, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneve, London, Madrid, Malta, Munich, New York, Nice, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tunis and Zurich).
From Milan, Alitalia will serve 17 domestic and international destinations (Alghero, Bari, Brindisi, Cagliari, Catania, Lamezia Terme, Lampedusa, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Pantelleria, Reggio Calabria, Rome and, abroad, Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Paris) with over 350 weekly flights.
All passenger flights are operated with reduced aircraft capacity, in order to comply with the provisions of the Italian law on social distancing on board aircraft. Alitaliaโs aircraft are sanitized with high-powered sanitizing products every day and, thanks to HEPA filters and vertical circulation, the air on board is 99.7% pure, just like in a sterile medical room.
Alitalia aircraft photo gallery:
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