Dennis A. Muilenburg resigns as CEO of Boeing

Boeing is announcing a shake-up of its top management:

Boeing announced today that its Board of Directors has named current Chairman, David L. Calhoun, as Chief Executive Officer and President, effective January 13, 2020. Mr. Calhoun will remain a member of the Board. In addition, Board member Lawrence W. Kellner will become non-executive Chairman of the Board effective immediately.

The Company also announced that Dennis A. Muilenburg has resigned from his positions as Chief Executive Officer and Board director effective immediately. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO during the brief transition period, while Mr. Calhoun exits his non-Boeing commitments.

The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders.

Under the Company’s new leadership, Boeing will operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am pleased that Dave has agreed to lead Boeing at this critical juncture,” Mr. Kellner said. He added, “Dave has deep industry experience and a proven track record of strong leadership, and he recognizes the challenges we must confront. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Boeing team to ensure that today marks a new way forward for our company.”

Mr. Calhoun said, “I strongly believe in the future of Boeing and the 737 MAX. I am honored to lead this great company and the 150,000 dedicated employees who are working hard to create the future of aviation.”

Azimuth Airlines is now flying to Munich

Munich Airport has made this announcement:

Azimuth Airlines is now offering two weekly flights, departing on Sundays and Tuesdays, from Munich to the southern Russian city of Krasnodar.

The university city with a sub-Mediterranean climate, located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, is approximately 1,200 km south of Moscow. It is an important research and business center.

Azimuth Airlines operates a fleet of 11 Sukhoi Super Jet 100 airliners.

Through its hubs in Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don it offers connections to around 27 other interesting destinations in Russia.

All photos by the airline and airport.

Route Map:

Azimuth Airlines aircraft slide show:

United continues the removal of the Boeing 737 MAX from the schedule until at least June 4

United Airlines has extended the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX until at least June 4, 2020.

Etihad Airways and Kuwait Airways launch new codeshare partnership

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwaiti flag carrier, Kuwait Airways, have signed a codeshare partnership on selected services on bookings effective December 22, 2019, for travel from January 5, 2020.

Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on 3 Kuwait Airways routes to Kuwait, Iraq and Bangladesh
Kuwait Airways will place its ‘KU’ code on Etihad routes from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi and onwards to 9 destinations in Europe, Africa, Seychelles, and Maldives

Subject to regulatory approvals, Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on Kuwait Airways operated flights from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait, Najaf and Dhaka.

In turn, Kuwait Airways will place its ‘KU’ code on Etihad flights from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi, Belgrade, Casablanca, Rabat, Khartoum, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, Male in the Maldives, and Mahe in the Seychelles.

Etihad Airways currently operates five return daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, and Kuwait Airways serves Abu Dhabi with a daily service.

In other news, Etihad Airways has announced that it will launch new seasonal flights to Malaga in Spain, to meet strong customer demand from across the UAE and GCC for flights to the popular gateway to the province of Andalucía.

Three weekly seasonal flights to meet summer demand
Operated by three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring 8 private First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 190 Economy Smart Seats
Third Etihad gateway in Spain

Three weekly flights will operate via the Moroccan capital, Rabat, from June 26 to September 13, 2020.

Abu Dhabi – Malagaschedule effective June 26 – September 13, 2019 (all timings are local):

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Aircraft	Frequency
EY615	Abu Dhabi	09:40	Rabat	14:50	Boeing 787-9	Wed, Fri, Sun
EY615	Rabat	16:10	Malaga	18:20	Boeing 787-9	Wed, Fri, Sun
EY616	Malaga	19:40	Rabat	19:45	Boeing 787-9	Wed, Fri, Sun
EY616	Rabat	21:05	Abu Dhabi	07:25+1	Boeing 787-9

Hawaiian Airlines launches new pilot pathway program

Hawaiian Airlines has made this announcement:

Pilots interested in flying for Hawaiian Airlines can move closer to a seat in the cockpit of Hawai‘i’s flagship carrier by first joining the company as an instructor under a new career pathway.

Candidates hired through Hawaiian’s Pilot Pathway Aircrew Instructor program will deliver fleet and ground training to pilots while helping develop courses for Flight Standards & Qualification activities. After one year on the job, instructors will be guaranteed a first officer interview during the next available hiring period. Successful applicants will be added to Hawaiian’s first officer hiring pool and be eligible to transfer to a pilot position two years after becoming a Flight Standards & Qualification instructor.

“This new instructor-to-pilot pathway provides an attractive track for pilots seeking to join Hawaiian while allowing us to meet our training needs as we continue to grow the best network for travel to, from and within our islands,” said Ken Rewick, vice president of flight operations at Hawaiian Airlines.

Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321neo Capt. Nathan Richards (standing) provides virtual procedures training to a pilot at the carrier’s Honolulu training facility.

Based in Honolulu, Hawaiian’s instructors will work in classrooms and advanced flight training devices. Interested candidates may learn more about the pathway program and apply here.

Hawaiian’s pilots operate a fleet of 20 Boeing 717 aircraft on a comprehensive network of more than 170 daily flights between the Hawaiian Islands. Transpacific flights connecting Hawai‘i to the U.S. mainland, Asia and the South Pacific are operated with 24 Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline also utilizes a current fleet of 16 Airbus A321neo aircraft on flights between the U.S. West Coast and Hawai‘i.

This summer, Hawaiian announced the purchase of a CAE Boeing 787-9 full-flight simulator as it prepares to welcome a new fleet of Boeing 787-9 aircraft beginning in 2021.

Air Canada Rouge launches the first international route from Québec City

Air Canada Rouge’s first international flight out of Quebec City (YQB) flew to Cancún, Mexico on the morning of December 21.

Surrounded by a colorful decor and environment, passengers were treated to a warm welcome from Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of YQB; David Rheault, Managing Director – Government and Community Relations at Air Canada; and Guy Marchand, General Manager – Eastern Canada Sales for Air Canada Vacations.

De gauche à droite :

Agents de bord, Air Canada Rouge
Jean-Luc Tremblay, chef de secteur des ventes – Québec
Stéphane Poirier, Président et chef de la direction de YQB
David Rheault, directeur général des relations gouvernementales et avec les collectivités chez Air Canada
Père Noël et jeunes voyageurs
Agents de bord
Gary Doucet, Chef d'escale, Air Canada (CNW Group/Aéroport de Québec)

Air Canada Rouge’s flights to Cancún began on December 21 and will end on April 11, 2020. Flights to Punta Cana will begin on December 22, 2019, and end on April 12, 2020. These routes are flown by an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321 in a 200-seat all-economy configuration.

Air Canada Rouge aircraft photo gallery:

Icelandair Cargo partners with FedEx and TNT

Icelandair Cargo made this announcement:

Icelandair Cargo handles all shipments to and from Iceland for FedEx and TNT, following a new three-year agreement going into effect in early 2020. After FedEx’s acquisition of TNT, FedEx and TNT have merged their operations, and aim to expand their operations in Iceland in cooperation with Icelandair Cargo. FedEx is one of the largest express transportation companies in the world, headquartered in the United States.

Following the agreement, some changes will be made to Icelandair Cargo’s flight schedule to Europe. With Liege being one of FedEx’s and TNT’s main airports in Europe, there will be a significant increase of flights to Liege in Belgium.

Icelandair Cargo will fly seven times a week to Liege and three weekly flights to the East Midlands in the UK. The company also continues its freight services to all of Icelandair’s 40 destinations.

Icelandair Cargo got a considerable boost following Icelandair’s decision to add Boeing 767 aircraft to its fleet, as these aircraft can transport significant amounts of cargo along with their passenger operations. Icelandair now has four Boeing 767s in its fleet. Icelandair Cargo’s estimates to carry almost 50,000 tonnes of freight this year, of which around 60% is transported the company’s passenger aircraft.

Icelandair aircraft photo gallery:

Icelandair route map:

Midwest Express delays its return to the first quarter 2020

Midwest Express (2nd) was hoping to get airborne before the end of 2019. The return of the brand has been delayed to the end of the first quarter 2020.

The new airline will announce further flight details in 2020.

Previously in August the new entity announced its first three destination from its Milwaukee base: Cincinnati, Grand Rapids and Omaha.

Flights will be operated by Elite Airways. The first Bombardier CRJ200 (N96EA) was painted (below).

Photo: Midwest Express.

Elite Airways will provide the initial aircraft, flight crews and maintenance service for Midwest Express, and Midwest Express will establish its own reservations system, customer service operations and in-flight amenities to support the new flights. All public-facing customer interaction, including the branding on the planes, will be Midwest Express. In addition to providing flight operations, Elite will work in tandem with Midwest to complete regulatory and operational steps for Midwest to obtain its own airline operating certificate.

Aeroflot introduces hand-luggage-only fares on selected long-haul routes

Aeroflot Russian Airlines has made this announcement:

From December 24, 2019 Aeroflot Group airlines will introduce hand-luggage-only fares on selected long-haul flights departing from Moscow, and on routes from St. Petersburg via Moscow, including to destinations in the US, India, Mongolia and Thailand, as well as the Maldives, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Denpasar in Bali) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City).

This year, Aeroflot rolled out new hand-luggage-only fares – fares that are not inclusive of checked baggage – on some medium-haul routes, including those operated by its subsidiaries Rossiya Airlines and Aurora.

The new option has proven popular with customers. Aeroflot’s wide selection of fares better meets the needs of passengers and significantly increases the accessibility of air travel.

Economy class passengers can now choose between fares inclusive of a checked bag (up to 23 kg and the sum of three dimensions not exceeding 158 cm) or a carry on-only fare, so that they do not pay for a service they do not need. Passengers who select the carry on-only fare can bring hand luggage on board weighing 10 kg per seat for Economy class. The new offer will be particularly appreciated by passengers traveling with families, who usually check fewer than one bag per family member.

A discounted price for checked baggage applies if passengers pay in advance when booking or after purchasing the ticket on the company’s website, via the mobile app, in sales offices or through authorized agents. A discount for checked baggage also applies on the departure day, if the service is purchased through the website or the Aeroflot mobile app.

Aeroflot’s short-haul routes:

Aeroflot’s long-haul routes:

Aeroflot aircraft photo gallery:

KLM adds its fourth Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and last 737-800

KLM made this announcement:

This morning (December 21) KLM’s fourth Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner arrived at Schiphol, directly from the Boeing factory in Charleston, South Carolina.

The sustainable and energy-efficient aircraft with registration PH-BKF bears the name “Snow drop”.

Alongside the use of weight-saving materials, theoptimisation of flight procedures, and the use of more sustainable biofuels, our investment in a new fleet is the way to further reduce CO2 emissions. The 787 Dreamliner consumes up to 20% less fuel than other aircraft of similar size. In fact, compared to KLM’s Boeing 747 Combi, the Dreamliner is 46% more fuel efficient. And, the use of less fuel results in a comparable reduction in CO2 emissions. New engines, more lightweight composite materials, and the latest developments in aerodynamics all contribute to the Dreamliner’s overall performance.

All KLM Dreamliners are named after flowers or flowering plants. With the arrival of Snow drop, KLM has seventeen Boeing 787s in its fleet: thirteen 787-9s and four 787-10s.

In other news, on December 19, KLM’s thirty-first Boeing 737-800 arrived at Schiphol Airport from the Boeing in Seattle. The airliner is the very last Boeing 737-800 to be built. The sustainable aircraft with registration of PH-BCL bears is named “Red-crested Pochard”.

KLM highlights and the KLM Facts and Figures sheet 2019: