Delta highlights its powerful brand, competitive advantages and future opportunities at annual Investor Day

Delta Air Lines has released this statement:

Leadership at Delta today will highlight its long-term business strategy and 2019 financial targets at the company’s annual Investor Day.

“Delta is leading the way with our powerful brand and unmatched competitive advantages. In 2018, the Delta people have delivered another year of industry-leading financial results, sustained improvement in customer satisfaction and solid returns for our owners,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer. “We have a bright future ahead and are confident in our plan for double-digit earnings growth in 2019 of $6 to $7 per share with both top-line growth and margin expansion.”

The leadership team will discuss:

How the company’s powerful consumer brand, combined with Delta’s unmatched competitive advantages – culture, operational reliability, global network, customer loyalty and an investment-grade balance sheet – create opportunities for sustained revenue and earnings growth.
Expectations for 2019 profits above $5 billion for a fifth consecutive year, driven by revenue growth and margin expansion, with a 15 percent after-tax return on invested capital.
Top-line growth in 2019 of 4 to 6 percent, driven by an increasingly diverse revenue stream, premium product mix, and a pipeline of initiatives.
Non-fuel unit cost growth trajectory improving as efficiency initiatives gain momentum and Delta’s fleet transformation continues.

“Delta has a great runway of opportunity as we continue to provide superior travel experiences and industry-leading reliability for our customers” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s President. “Our pipeline of commercial initiatives and brand momentum drive our expectations for 4 to 6 percent revenue growth in 2019.”

Delta will outline its financial framework and introduce financial targets for 2019, including:

Diluted earnings per share of $6 to $7, with pre-tax margin expansion of approximately 100 basis points at midpoint
Top-line growth of 4 to 6 percent on 3 percent capacity expansion
Non-fuel unit cost growth of approximately one percent

“2018 has demonstrated Delta’s resiliency as we’ve overcome 90 percent of a $2 billion headwind from fuel costs” said Paul Jacobson, Delta’s Chief Financial Officer. “With a structurally improved business model that produces strong cash generation, we remain committed to continued reinvestment in our business, an investment-grade balance sheet and industry-leading shareholder returns.”

The Investor Day event will feature presentations and Q&A sessions with:

Ed Bastian, Chief Executive Officer
Glen Hauenstein, President
Gil West, Chief Operating Officer
Tim Mapes, Chief Marketing Officer
Eric Phillips, Senior Vice President – Revenue Management
Rahul Samant, Chief Information Officer
Joanne Smith, Chief Human Resources Officer
Paul Jacobson, Chief Financial Officer

Delta invites shareholders, the investment community and the media to listen to a live webcast of this event today from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. A live webcast will be available at http://ir.delta.com/news-and-events/calendar/. An online replay will be available at the same site shortly after the webcast is complete.

100th Crane Birthday: First Lufthansa Airbus A380 in the new livery

On Wednesday, December 12, 2018, the Airbus A380 landed in Germany for the first time in the new Lufthansa design.

The landing of the newly painted flagship of the Lufthansa fleet marks the festive end of the anniversary year of the crane’s 100th birthday.

The Airbus A380, named “Tokyo”, was welcomed to Munich Airport early Wednesday morning. The aircraft came from Guangzhou, China, where it has been repainted over the past three and a half weeks.

The A380 took off on December 12 on its first commercial flight to Miami at noon.

The Airbus A380 with the registration of D-AIMD is based at the Lufthansa hub in Munich. The aircraft is one of a total of five Airbus A380s based in the Bavarian capital for the first time this year. The A380 is also one of the first thirty Lufthansa aircrafts to fly in the new design this year. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Lufthansa crane, the airline has further developed its design and adapted it to the requirements of a digitized world. The redesign of the airline’s brand identity is the most visible sign of Lufthansa’s far-reaching modernization.

As part of the airline’s new design, the new Lufthansa paintwork underlines Lufthansa’s modern premium claim. The fuselage, wings and engines of the A380 are all painted in brilliant white. The precise white line at the apex of the vertical tail supports the streamlined shape of the aircraft. The deep blue, optically elongated tail provides the basis for a large, strong and contrasting representation of the crane. The Airbus A380 is an aircraft of superlatives: the crane, which has been given an even more dynamic design as part of the design refresh, has a diameter of over six meters on the tail unit. The letters of the Lufthansa lettering on the aircraft reach a maximum height of 1.90 meters. More than 4,200 square meters of aircraft skin were repainted with hundreds of liters of paint.

Since the introduction of the new brand design until the end of the year, 30 aircrafts have been painted in the new design, over 50 gates have been redesigned at the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich and more than 200 in-flight service items have been exchanged. By the end of 2019, over 50 percent of the work on the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich will have been completed and over a quarter of the fleet will be flying in the new design. Digital media is already appearing in a completely new design. In 2021, 80 percent of the new brand design will be visible along the entire travel chain. The last aircraft repainting is scheduled for 2025.

This year Lufthansa celebrated the 100th anniversary of its corporate symbol. In 1918, the graphic artist and architect Otto Firle designed a stylized bird for the “Deutsche Luft-Reederei”, a predecessor of “Luft Hansa”. Over the past 100 years, the crane has become an unmistakable company logo and the symbol of the Lufthansa brand. Today it stands for competence, cosmopolitanism and quality, inspiring trust and sympathy around the globe.

In other news, in November 2018, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group welcomed around 10.6 million passengers. Despite a strong basis for comparison from the previous year, this corresponds to an increase of six per cent compared with November 2017. The number of seat kilometres offered was 8.1 per cent up on the previous year, while sales increased by 8.6 per cent. This results in a seat load factor of 78.1 per cent, 0.3 percentage points higher than in November 2017.

Freight capacity in November was three per cent up on the previous year, and tonne-kilometres sold were 0.9 per cent lower. This results in a 2.7 percentage point lower load factor of 68.4 per cent.

Network airlines again increase seat load factor

The network airlines Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines carried a total of some 7.9 million passengers in November, 4.5 per cent more than in the same month last year. The number of seat-kilometres offered in November was 6.7 per cent up year-on-year. Sales rose by 7.2 per cent in the same period. This increased the seat load factor by 0.4 percentage points to 78.6 per cent.

Double-digit growth in sales in Munich, Zurich and Vienna

The strongest growth was recorded by the network airlines at the Vienna hub in November 2018 with passenger growth of 9.7 percent, followed by Zurich with eight percent, Munich with 2.6 percent and Frankfurt with 2.4 percent. The underlying offer increased by 13.5% in Munich, 9.5% in Zurich, 6.3% in Vienna and 2.7% in Frankfurt. Sales in Munich, Zurich and Vienna increased by 13.5 per cent, 12 per cent and 11.5 per cent respectively. In Frankfurt, sales rose by 1.9 percent in this period.

Lufthansa welcomes around 5.5 million passengers on board in November

In November Lufthansa carried around 5.5 million passengers, 2.7 per cent more than in the same period last year. A 5.9 per cent increase in the number of seat kilometres in November was offset by a 5.2 per cent increase in sales. At 78.8 per cent, the seat load factor was 0.5 percentage points lower than in the same month last year.

Eurowings increases passenger numbers by more than ten percent

Eurowings (including Brussels Airlines) carried around 2.7 million passengers in November, of which around 2.5 million on short-haul flights and 250,000 on long-haul flights. This represents an increase of 10.6 percent on short-haul flights and 10.2 percent on long-haul flights over the previous year. A 15.1 per cent increase in capacity in November was offset by a 15.8 per cent increase in sales, resulting in a seat load factor of 75.6 per cent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points.

On short-haul routes, the number of seat-kilometres on offer was increased by 16.4 per cent in November, while the number of seat-kilometres sold rose by 14.5 per cent over the same period. This results in a seat load factor on these flights that is 1.2 percentage points lower than the 72.9 per cent recorded in November 2017. On long-haul flights, the seat load factor rose by 3.2 percentage points to 80.2 per cent over the same period. The 13 per cent increase in capacity was offset by a 17.8 per cent increase in sales.

All photos by Lufthansa.

First Look: The first ANA Airbus A380 is rolled out of the paint shop

Airbus has rolled out of the paint shop the first Airbus A380. The pictured A380-841 JA381A (msn 262) is also the first A380 in the new special livery (Lani).

Top Photo: Airbus.

Previously ANA made this announcement about the upcoming Airbus A380 service and special liveries:

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and only 5-Star airline, has announced the features of Japan’s first Airbus A380, launching in spring 2019.

This aircraft will be introduced on ANA’s Tokyo – Honolulu service, and each cabin is specially designed to meet the passenger’s needs on this route. Honolulu is loved by many Japanese families, couples, newlyweds, and Hawaii is a popular destination for their vacations and honeymoons. With this in mind, ANA aims to make their experience onboard more comfortable by strategically designing the cabin features in order to meet their unique needs while providing them with a once in a lifetime experience.

1.Three Designs for the Special Livery Aircraft
In March 2017, ANA announced the special livery motif FLYING HONU. At the time, the design ANA introduced was blue, an homage to the Hawaiian blue sky. ANA is pleased to announce two more colors, green and orange. The emerald green is inspired by the crystal clear waters of the Hawaiian ocean and orange is a reference to the beautiful Hawaiian sunset.In order to make this triad, the FLYING HONUs, more familiar to everyone, ANA has created a character from each aircraft. The blue character is named “Lani,” meaning sky, while the emerald green character is named “Kai,” meaning ocean, and the orange character is named “Ka La,” from the Hawaiian word meaning sunset.
2.Configuration and Seat Products
In order to provide the perfect trip, ANA has designed each cabin to accommodate a host of needs for passengers of all ages. For example, on the upper deck, ANA has introduced eight First Class seats, 56 Business Class seats, and 73 Premium Economy seats.

This marks the first time ANA has offered First Class on this resort route, and its aim is to provide passengers with a luxurious onboard experience. Each seat features its own door and provides passengers with the privacy they need to enjoy their personal space.

ANA’s Business Class is a popular option for passengers on honeymoons and family vacations. Therefore, compared to other aircraft where seats are staggered, this revolutionary Business Class offers pairs of seats, allowing passengers to enjoy and share their exciting travel experience sitting next to each other while still keeping all seats with aisle access.

Furthermore, while Premium Economy on other aircraft has about 20 seats, the FLYING HONUs offer 73, allowing more passengers the opportunity to experience the premium features.

The main deck will have 383 Economy Class seats, which includes 60 couch seats. This makes ANA the first in Japan to introduce a couch seat concept. Each couch is comprised of three or four seats and passengers are able to lie on the seats by folding up the leg rests. In addition, passengers will receive a dedicated mattress that will provide them with further comfort. This new seat concept will especially enable passengers traveling with small children to have a more relaxed experience in the cabin.
3.Cabin Interiors
The cabin interiors have also been strategically designed in order for the passengers to feel the spirit of Hawaii from the moment they board the aircraft. The walls and lights have been arranged in such a way as to illustrate Hawaii’s enviable blue skies, sunrises, sunsets, night skies and iconic rainbows.
- All classes will have access to bar counters. Lastly, behind the main deck, ANA has created a multi-purpose room where new mothers will be able to tend to their babies and passengers will be able to change before arriving at their destination.
- 4.Concept
  ANA also created a new concept name called “ANA HAWAii.” By flipping the “ii” 180 degrees, it turns into two exclamation points. This symbolizes the numerous excitements that passengers are able to experience including cabin features, and promotions, as well as the grand opening of a new ANA Lounge at Honolulu Airport.
All images by ANA.

ACPA: Canada’s aviation fatigue rules less safe than US

The Air Canada Pilots Association, the largest single pilot group in Canada – representing more than 4,000 professional pilots across Canada who fly the vast majority of Canadian overseas flights, is gravely disappointed that Minister Garneau and the federal government are moving forward with substandard fatigue rules.

“To say that we are profoundly disappointed is an understatement. These substandard rules leave a two-hour gap between the maximum flight time for Canadian pilots flying at night, compared to what’s recommended by NASA’s Ames Research Centre, and two and a half hours longer than what U.S. pilots are allowed to fly,” said Captain Matt Hogan, Chair of the ACPA Master Elected Council. “It is unbelievable that in the face of scientific evidence and international best practice our government expects pilots to fly two hours longer than what NASA says is safe.”

The new rules will significantly impact Air Canada pilots flying for Air Canada Rouge, who will be subject to weaker fatigue regulations than on Air Canada’s mainline. ACPA had proposed that measures be put in place to protect all pilots flying overseas long-haul flights at night.

“This is the first time in 20 years that Canada has updated its fatigue rules, yet here the government is delaying implementation until 2022 for smaller operators,” said Milt Isaacs, CEO of ACPA. “The government’s own statistics conclusively prove that it’s these very pilots who need the most protection. It’s unacceptable that they’re forced to wait the longest for the new rules.”

Almost every prescriptive limit set out in the government’s regulations can be bypassed, thanks to the government’s Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS). The government spent a decade developing these new rules, and operators now have a way to bypass the new regulations. By the government’s own estimation, FRMS is expected to be implemented by operators on up to 20% of regulated flights, meaning that one fifth of flights would essentially have no effective oversight.

Statement from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada chair on the release of new air fatigue regulations

Today, the Minister of Transport announced new fatigue regulations to improve air travel safety for passengers and flight crews. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is pleased to see that the Minister is taking action to address this key safety issue.

Since the early 1990s, the TSB has identified fatigue as a contributing factor or a risk in at least 34 air occurrences. In October 2018, the TSB issued a call to action by adding this key safety issue to its Watchlist 2018. More specifically, the TSB asked for updated flight and duty-time regulations, as well as for air operators to implement fatigue risk management systems suited to their specific operations. The new regulations and standards announced today are a significant step in addressing this key safety issue. We look forward to a timely implementation of the new regulations and continued strong action from both the regulator and industry to reduce the risks associated with fatigue in the air transportation industry.

Fatigue is also a key safety issue in the Rail and Marine transportation industries. The TSB calls upon the Minister to take similar steps to address the risks associated with fatigue in these other industries. See Fatigue in the transportation industry.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

Risk factors, mitigation strategies and fatigue management tools

Fatigue is widely recognized as a hazard in the transportation industry that must be managed. Mitigating the risk of fatigue requires understanding it and implementing effective countermeasures.

According to scientific research,^{Footnote 1} to help prevent the risk of fatigue, sleep should ideally occur at night in a period of seven to nine continuous hours, so that all stages of sleep occur during each sleep period. Because of the daily (circadian) rhythm, the human body is physiologically ready for sleep at night and for activity during the day. No matter the amount of rest we get, overall performance and cognitive functioning are at their worst during the nighttime period. The body’s circadian rhythm also makes any sleep that occurs during the day less restorative than nighttime sleep.

Risk factors

Fatigue can impair human performance in ways that can lead to accidents. This is why the TSB routinely investigates if fatigue was present in an occurrence, if it played a role, and if the operator had practices in place to effectively manage the associated risks.

Sleep disruptions — Depending on the stage in which it occurs, sleep disruption may affect physiological functioning and/or cognitive functioning, and elevates the risk of fatigue. The risk increases when the quality or quantity of sleep has been reduced within the previous three days (acute sleep disruption) or when sleep disruptions have been sustained for periods longer than three consecutive days (chronic sleep disruption).
Continuous or prolonged wakefulness — Being awake for more than 17 hours heightens the risk of fatigue.
Circadian rhythm effects — Changing sleep-wake patterns too quickly, or working at a time of day at which our body is expecting sleep can cause circadian rhythms to desynchronize, leading to performance impairments.
Sleep disorders — Many disorders result in higher than normal levels of fatigue if they are untreated or not managed properly. Three of the more common sleep disorders are insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movement disorder.
Individual factors — A person’s ability to obtain restorative sleep may be influenced by individual factors, including certain illnesses, the use of drugs or medication that affect sleep or sleepiness, or characteristics such as morningness/eveningness, or one’s capacity to nap.

Mitigation strategies

To effectively manage the risks of fatigue in the transportation industry, organizations must adopt a proactive approach that includes, as a minimum, compliance with regulations and an education program that enables employees to identify fatigue, and take preventative measures that go beyond the regulations.

Work/rest requirements

To minimize the risk of fatigue, the following regulations apply in the transportation industry:

Section 320 of the Marine Personnel Regulations^{Footnote 2} requires that the master and every crew member of Canadian vessels have
1. at least six consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period, and
2. at least 16 hours of rest in every 48-hour period; and
The master shall also ensure that
1. not more than 18 hours but not less than six hours elapse between the end of a rest period and the beginning of the next rest period.
Subsection 5.1.1 of the Work/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees^{Footnote 3} requires that

The maximum continuous on-duty time for a single tour of duty operating in any class of service, is 12 hours, except work train service for which the maximum duty time is 16 hours. Where a tour of duty is designated as a split shift, as in the case of commuter service, the combined on-duty time for the two on-duty periods cannot exceed 12 hours.
According to the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), subsection 700.16(1),^{Footnote 4}

Subject to subsections (5) and (7), no air operator shall assign a flight crew member for flight duty time, and no flight crew member shall accept such an assignment, if the flight crew member’s flight duty time will, as a result, exceed 14 consecutive hours in any 24 consecutive hours. Where the flight is conducted under Subpart 4 or 5 using an aircraft other than a helicopter, flight duty time shall include 15 minutes for post-flight duties.

Education and awareness

The prevention of fatigue in the workplace is a shared responsibility between an organization and its employees.

An organization can help prevent fatigue by

educating employees on the causes and mitigation of fatigue;
defining appropriate policies and procedures;
ensuring that the working environment and scheduling system minimize the risk of fatigue;
striving for continual improvement in reducing the risk of fatigue.

Employees can help prevent fatigue by

recognizing the signs of fatigue in themselves and in co-workers;
taking action to ensure that fatigue arising from activities inside or outside of work does not lead to performance issues;
making effective use of appropriate countermeasures if or when fatigue occurs, e.g., consuming caffeine; turning on a bright light; engaging in exercise; exposing oneself to intermittent loud noise; getting fresh (cool) air; engaging in conversation.

Current fatigue management tools

Marine sector

Fatigue management and awareness training materials were developed for marine pilots in response to TSB Recommendation M96-18. These materials include the Fatigue Management Guide for Canadian Marine Pilots (TP 13959) and the Trainer’s Handbook TP 13960.

On 31 May 2018, the TSB issued Recommendations M18-01 and M18-02 to help ensure that watchkeepers whose work and rest periods are regulated by the Marine Personnel Regulationshave the tools needed to recognize and address the risks of fatigue (read more about New and previous TSB recommendations to address the risk of fatigue in the marine sector).

The United States Coast Guard has developed a Crew Endurance Management System to assist in managing the risk factors that can lead to human error and performance degradation in maritime work environments.

Rail sector

Transport Canada guidance material (Fatigue Management Plans: Requirements and Assessment Guidelines) helps companies develop fatigue management plans that meet the industry’s Work/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees.

In 2017, Transport Canada announced its intent to amend the rail safety regulatory framework,^{Footnote 5} which may result in amendments to the Work/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees and the Railway Safety Management System Regulations, 2015 or the development of new regulations to address fatigue in the rail industry.

Aviation sector

Transport Canada provides guidance, in the form of a toolbox, to companies that adopt Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) in accordance with the CARs.

In 2017, Transport Canada proposed amendments to the CARs to mitigate the effects of fatigue with new hours of work and rest provisions.^{Footnote 6}

Footnotes

Footnote 1

M. Hirshkowitz, K. Whiton, S. M. Albert, et al., “National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary,” Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (March 2015), pp. 40–43.

Return to footnote 1referrer

Footnote 2

Transport Canada, SOR/2007-115, Marine Personnel Regulations (last amended 20 August 2013), Part 3: Maritime Labour Standards, section 320: Minimum and Maximum Periods.

Return to footnote 2referrer

Footnote 3

Transport Canada, TC O-0-140, Work/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees(last amended February 2011), subsection 5.1.1.

Return to footnote 3referrer

Footnote 4

Transport Canada, SOR/96-433, Canadian Aviation Regulations (last amended 27 June 2018), subsection 700.16(1).

Return to footnote 4referrer

Footnote 5

Government of Canada, Canada Gazette, Part I, Vol. 151, No. 45 (11 November 2017), Transport Canada, Notice of intent to amend Canadian rail safety regulations.

Return to footnote 5referrer

Footnote 6

Government of Canada, Canada Gazette, Part I, Vol. 151, No. 26 (01 July 2017), Transport Canada, Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Parts I, VI and VII — Flight Crew Member Hours of Work and Rest Periods).

Return to footnote 6referrer

WestJet comment on flight crew fatigue regulations

WestJet today provided the following comment on federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s flight crew fatigue regulations.

“The safety of our guests and our crew is of utmost importance,” said Scott Wilson, WestJet Vice-President, Operations. “We welcome the Minister’s announcement outlining the move to new flight and duty time regulations. Utilizing scientific principles on fatigue will provide prevention and mitigation while aligning with international standards and best practices.”

As outlined in the new regulations, WestJet will work to implement the updated crew fatigue standards over the next 24 months.

WestJet has provided safe flying to Canadians since 1996 and now operates more than 700 daily flights to more than 100 destinations across North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe.

United Airlines announces largest international route expansion in San Francisco

United Airlines today announced its largest ever international network expansion from its hub at San Francisco International Airport. The airline will offer Bay Area customers nonstop year-round service to Toronto and Melbourne, Australia and seasonal service to New Delhi. United also announced it will begin a second daily flight between San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea. All routes subject to government approvals. In addition to the new routes, in 2019, United will begin new year-round nonstop service between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand, Tahiti, French Polynesia and Amsterdam.

“This route expansion solidifies United’s position at San Francisco as the gateway airline serving destinations across the Pacific, the continental United States, as well as to Europe and beyond,” said Oscar Munoz, United’s CEO. “It serves as a fitting capstone to all our efforts that made 2018 a breakthrough year for United, from delivering strong financial performance to currently leading in on-time departures for the second year in a row.”

Since 2013, United Airlines has added 12 new international destinations from San Francisco. With these new flights, United will serve 29 international destinations from San Francisco, including eight cities in Europe, India, and the Middle East, seven in North America, and 14 in Asia and Oceania. United, the largest airline at San Francisco International Airport, operates more than 300 daily flights.

United has been a Bay Area company for 90 years and employs 14,000 people in the region, including 2,500 industrial jobs at its maintenance base, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary of operation. United continues to invest in the airport, this year opening the 28,000-square foot Polaris lounge near Gate G92 in International Terminal G.

San Francisco to Amsterdam

United recently announced it will offer nonstop daily year-round service between San Francisco and Amsterdam. With this new flight, United will be the first U.S. carrier to fly between California and Amsterdam. United currently serves Amsterdam nonstop from its hubs in Chicago, Houston, New York/Newark and Washington, D.C. The new San Francisco service begins on March 30, 2019 and will be operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

San Francisco to Melbourne, Australia

Offering the most service between the U.S. West Coast and Australia by any U.S. carrier, United is adding new nonstop year-round service between San Francisco and Melbourne three times per week, beginning October 29, 2019. For more than 35 years, United has offered nonstop service to Australia. Today, United offers nonstop service to Sydney from Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco and provides nonstop service between Los Angeles and Melbourne. United operates all flights between the U.S. and Australia with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

San Francisco to New Delhi, India

United’s new seasonal service between San Francisco and New Delhi enables business and leisure travelers nonstop access from the U.S. West Coast. The new flight will connect customers from more than 80 cities to India with just one stop in San Francisco. United currently offers nonstop service to Mumbai and New Delhi from New York/Newark. Seasonal service begins on December 5, 2019, with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

San Francisco to Seoul, South Korea

United is adding a second flight – flown four times per week – between San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea. The airline has served Seoul for more than 30 years from San Francisco. The second flight will provide customers with new time and itinerary options, while providing convenient connections to more than 80 destinations. The additional flights begin on April 1, 2019 and will be operated with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

San Francisco to Toronto, Canada

United’s new twice-daily nonstop year-round service between San Francisco and Toronto begins March 31, 2019, offering convenient connections for business and leisure travelers from throughout the western United States, Asia and the South Pacific. United currently offers more than 20 daily flights between Toronto and its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York/Newark and Washington Dulles. In addition to Toronto, United operates daily nonstop service between San Francisco and Calgary and Vancouver. United will operate service with Boeing 737-800.

San Francisco to Pape’ete, Tahiti, extended to year-round

This fall, United began the only nonstop service offered by a U.S. carrier between the mainland U.S. and Tahiti with its San Francisco – Pape’ete flight. The airline recently announced it is extending its Tahiti schedule to year-round service from San Francisco. Year-round service on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays begins March 30, 2019. United operates Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft between San Francisco and Pape’ete.

San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand, extended to year-round

Beginning March 30, 2019, United will extend service between its West Coast hub in San Francisco and Auckland to year-round with three-times-weekly service. In partnership with Air New Zealand, United’s flight arriving in Auckland offers passengers more than 20 connections across the region and the return trip utilizes United’s extensive route network in San Francisco, which provides connections to the United States, Canada, and Latin America. United’s extended service between San Francisco and Auckland will operate with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.

2019 new international routes

Flight	From	To	Frequency	Depart*	Arrive*	Aircraft
UA104	San Francisco	New Delhi	Daily	7:15 p.m.	12:45 a.m. ^{+2 days}	787-9
UA105	New Delhi	San Francisco	Daily	4:00 a.m.	6:10 a.m.	787-9
UA060	San Francisco	Melbourne	Tue/Thur/Sat	10:50 p.m.	9:40 a.m. ^{+2 days}	787-9
UA061	Melbourne	San Francisco	Mon/Thur/Sat	11:40 a.m.	6:50 a.m.	787-9
UA805	San Francisco	Seoul	Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat	4:55 p.m.	9:35 p.m. ^{+1 day}	777-200ER
UA806	Seoul	San Francisco	Mon/Wed/Thur/Sat	11:25 a.m.	6:10 a.m.	777-200ER
UA565	San Francisco	Toronto	Twice daily	10:25 a.m. 11:00 p.m.	6:30 p.m. 7:00 a.m ^{+1 day}	737-800
UA459	Toronto	San Francisco	Twice daily	7:15 a.m. 7:21 p.m.	9:54 a.m. 9:55 p.m.	737-800
UA968	San Francisco	Amsterdam	Daily	2:55 p.m.	10:20 a.m. ^{+1 day}	787-9
UA969	Amsterdam	San Francisco	Daily	2:50 p.m.	4:50 p.m.	787-9
*Schedules subject to change

2019 international route year-round extensions

Flight	From	To	Frequency	Depart*	Arrive*	Aircraft
UA917	San Francisco	Auckland	Tue/Thur/Sat	11:10 p.m.	7:20 a.m. ^{+2 days}	777-200ER
UA916	Auckland	San Francisco	Mon/Thur/Sat	2:30 p.m.	6:40 a.m.	777-200ER
UA115	San Francisco	Pape’ete	Tue/Thur/Sat	1:15 p.m.	6:55 p.m.	787-8
UA114	Pape’ete	San Francisco	Tue/Thur/Sat	9:15 p.m.	8:25 a.m. ^{+1 day}	787-8
*Schedules subject to change

iAero Group to acquire Swift Air (USA)

iAero Group (Miami), a leading integrated aviation business, has signed a deﬁnitive agreement to purchase Swift Air (USA), the leading independent US airline charter business.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1, 2019. With the pending acquisition of Swift Air, iAero Group will add to its portfolio of aviation businesses acquired since its inception earlier this year including the leading engine MRO and leasing company, AeroThrust and airframe MRO AeroTech. iAero Group is headquartered in Miami along with its MRO service businesses on a campus with more than 350,000 square feet of office and MRO space at Miami International Airport.

“Bringing Swift Air into the iAero Group creates an integrated aviation services platform and will enable the airline to leverage our capabilities to further their already exemplary customer service and impeccable safety record through access to our high quality, efﬁcient, stateside maintenance services,” says iAero Group Chief Executive Officer, Robert Caputo. “In addition, with our aircraft acquisition capabilities in our engine and airframe leasing division we have developed a pipeline of assets that will allow Swift Air to meet its customers growth needs in a manner that is unmatched in the industry.”

Jeff Conry will remain as the leader of Swift Air as its CEO. Jeff brings over thirty years of airline management experience and will be a welcomed addition to the iAero Group management team.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Swift Air): Swift Air (2nd) (USA) Boeing 737-401 N420US (msn 23988) BWI (Tony Storck). Image: 939056.

Swift Air aircraft slide show:

El Al is coming to Las Vegas and San Francisco

El Al Israel Airlines has announced the only nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Tel Aviv, Israel starting on June 14, 2019. The weekly nonstop flight (roundtrip) will utilize a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Also, for Northern California residents and neighboring states, as of May 13, 2019, El Al will operate three weekly nonstop flights from San Francisco to Tel Aviv Israel on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft offering Economy, Premium, and Business Class.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by El Al): El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 4X-EDC (msn 38086) (70 Years) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944741.

El Al aircraft slide show:

Avianca Brasil files for bankruptcy protection

Avianca Brasil on December 11, 2018 announced it was filing for bankruptcy protection.

The airline also stated its passengers flights will continue. The debts from its creditors amounts to almost 493 million reais ($127 million).

The airline issued this statement (translated from Portuguese):

We are here to clarify the news circulated in the press.

Due to the resistance of our aircraft lessors to an amicable agreement, we had to file a request for judicial recovery to protect you, our customers and passengers. As the first court decision, we have had the release of our fleet to comply with all scheduled flights at the airports where we operate.

That is, our operations WILL NOT BE AFFECTED.

You, our passengers, can have absolute peace of mind in making your reservations and purchasing your tickets, since all sales and flights are and will be kept.

We will continue here, serving all customers, flying to all destinations with the quality and excellence for which we are known and recognized.

Let’s continue with our mission: make you fall in love. Just come!

Avianca Brasil