Cape Air to fly to New York

Cape Air has made this announcement:

We’re spreading our wings to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport! Beginning on October 23, 2018, we will be offering one daily round-trip between Hyannis and Nantucket to New York’s JFK. This seasonal service will run through mid-May of 2019.

Our NYC connection means Islanders and Cape Codders have access to the Big Apple for fun, business, or domestic and international flight options from JFK. At JFK, we will be located in Terminal 5, which means easy connections with our partner, JetBlue.

New Yorkers who want to get back to ACK for Stroll Weekend, Daffy, Nantucket Wine, or just to visit the Cape & Islands during the beautiful (less crowded!) shoulder season can skip the traffic and ferries for an easy 1 hour and 20 minute flight.

All photos by Cape Air.

Wizz Air announces further expansion in Ukraine

Wizz Air has announced that it will further expand its operations in Ukraine by adding a fourth Airbus A320 aircraft at its Kyiv base in March 2019, launching five long-awaited routes from Kyiv and Lviv airports and increasing the number of tickets offered with over 45% next year.

The new low fare routes announced will operate from Kyiv to Breman, Billund and Riga and from Lviv to Copenhagen and Frankfurt Hahn.

The new aircraft will arrive on March 1, 2019 and will support the service of the 5 new routes from Ukraine from which, Wizz’s routes to Kyiv-Bremen, Kyiv-Billund, Lviv-Copenhagen and Lvivi-Frankfurt Hahn are the only direct connections.

Wizz Air started its operations from Kyiv International Airport in 2008.

Wizz Air also released its 2019 summer schedule from Kyiv airport.

WIZZ AIR’S NEW ROUTES FROM UKRAINE

New routes	Frequency	Start date	Fares from*
Kyiv – Riga	Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays	2 March 2019	24.99 EUR / 759 UAH
Kyiv – Bremen	Mondays, Fridays	1 March 2019	24.99 EUR / 759 UAH
Kyiv – Billund	Tuesdays, Saturdays	2 March 2019	24.99 EUR / 759 UAH
Lviv – Copenhagen	Wednesdays, Sundays	3 March 2019	24.99 EUR / 759 UAH
Lviv – Frankfurt Hahn	Mondays, Fridays	14 December 2018	24.99 EUR / 759 UAH

WIZZ AIR’S FREQUENCY INCREASE ON EXISTING ROUTES

New routes	Weekly flights
Kyiv – Lisbon	3 from 2

Top Copyright Photo: Wizz Air (wizzair.com) (Hungary) Airbus A320-232 HA-LWI (msn 4628) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 940680.

Wizz Air aircraft slide show:

British Airways becomes the Official Airline Partner to England Rugby

British Airways issued this statement:

British Airways announced as Principal Partner to Twickenham Stadium and the Official Airline Partner to England Rugby.

British Airways will become the Official Airline Partner to England Rugby, flying the Men’s and Women’s squads to tournaments around the world. The multi-year, ground-breaking new partnership will also see the airline become the first ‘Principal Partner’ to Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby. British Airways will have exclusive stadium branding, including the building’s roof, which as an iconic landmark on the flight path and is seen by the thousands of travellers flying in to Heathrow every day.

British Airways and England Rugby will also work closely together on the digital experience at Twickenham Stadium, including developing and launching a new stadium app and e-ticketing in the future. It also sees the new top floor facility of the redeveloped East Stand named as the British Airways Rose Garden, which will be a modern relaxed environment for guests featuring live music and a mix of open cooking stations.

Alex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways, said: “We’re getting behind England Rugby and looking forward to supporting the Men’s and Women’s squads, by delivering them ready to win on their travels all over the world. Twickenham Stadium also sits on the flight path in to Heathrow, so our partnership with the home of England Rugby will be visible to British Airways customers from the skies.”

RFU Chief Executive, Steve Brown, commented on the launch today: “We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with British Airways and are extremely excited about working together. Twickenham Stadium is the home of English rugby and we’re so pleased to have British Airways – an iconic British brand with a strong heritage and aligned with our core values – as our first ever principal partner of the stadium.”

The partnership will see British Airways fly the England Men’s and Women’s teams to matches all around the world, including to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan and Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2021.

To kick off the partnership, British Airways held a photoshoot at the stadium with uniformed ambassadors and created a bespoke pitch design captured by an aerial camera.

Photo: British Airways.

SkyWork Airlines has stopped all operations

SkyWork Airlines (Bern) was declared bankrupt on August 28, 2018 and halted all operations on the following day.

The airline issued this short statement:

SkyWork Airlines has stopped operations with immediate effect. We would like to thank you for your loyalty during the past seven years.

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation-FOCA issued this statement:

Bernese Regional Air Line Skywork Airlines AG ceased operation with immediate effect due to economic reasons. 11’000 passengers, which made bookings, are affected by the cease of operation.

Previously on October 16, 2017, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation announced it would to terminate SkyWork’s air operator’s certificate (AOC) after October if the airline failed to provide information on sufficient funds to maintain operations during the winter schedule.

SkyWork Airlines was unable to provide the necessary funding and was forced to cancel all flights for the winter schedule.

Negotiations failed to find a new investor and the airline decided to declare bankruptcy.

The company started in 1983.

Top Copyright Photo: SkyWork Airlines SAAB 2000 HB-IZT (msn 036) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 943336.

SkyWork Airlines aircraft slide show:

Video:

American Airlines flight attendants to picket AA headquarters

Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) issued this statement:

In any early morning wake up call, members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) will descend upon American Airline’s Headquarters 1 building tomorrow. “It’s time for our company to wake up and understand exactly what’s going on with their 27,000 front line employees,” said APFA National President Lori Bassani. “We are sick from toxic uniforms, sick from cabin fume events and sick of being given the run-around with the flawed implementation and improperly programmed new scheduling systems.”

Flight Attendants are set for full operational integration (FOI) in October of this year. Monumental changes have been introduced to the work force in the areas of scheduling and contractual issues.

As of FOI, flight attendants from both legacies (Us Airways and American) will work under the same collective bargaining agreement and a new attendance policy. “The new sick policy is extremely punitive and does not take into account the unique working conditions flight attendants endure daily. We are exposed to ill passengers, foreign food borne illnesses, toxic cabin air, unhealthy sleep patterns, radiation exposure, and flight attendants cross multiple time zones, to name just a few,” said President Bassani.

APFA members will gather at AA Headquarters 1 in Dallas Ft. Worth at 7:30am. They will be protesting the disrespect and disregard shown to the flight attendants as American Airlines plows ahead to FOI.

Picket signs and mobile billboards will be displaying images during the informational picketing event.

Gol showcases its new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 in Sao Paulo

Boeing and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes today celebrated the unveiling of the carrier’s newly outfitted 737 MAX 8 during a celebration in Sao Paulo.

The leading Brazilian carrier also announced plans to fly the more fuel-efficient and longer-range 737 airplane on international routes.

The Brazilian airline took delivery of its first 737 MAX 8 this year and has been improving onboard products and services, such as adding wireless internet to the popular Boeing Sky Interior cabin. The airline is now outfitting its second 737 MAX airplane – which it received last week – with the same cabin amenities.

As part of its strategic fleet renewal program, GOL has placed multiple orders for the 737 MAX, including a new order last month at the Farnborough International Airshow. In all, GOL is on track to become the largest MAX operator in Latin America with a fleet of 135 MAX airplanes.

The first MAX airplanes arriving at GOL are the MAX 8 variant, which seats up to 186 passengers in GOL’s configuration. The airplane will reduce GOL’s fuel use and emissions by 15 percent compared to today’s single-aisle airplanes, and can fly farther than its predecessor. With the additional range, GOL said it will begin regular service from Brazil’s capital Brasilia and Fortaleza to Miami and Orlando. GOL also plans new international routes to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, with the MAX.

Thirty of GOL’s new airplanes will be for the larger MAX 10, which will enable GOL to comfortably serve more than 30 additional passengers. GOL and more than 20 customers have placed over 500 orders and commitments for the MAX 10, which will offer operators the lowest cost per seat mile of any commercial aircraft in service.

Top Copyright Photo: Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 PR-XMA (msn 43986) GRU (Rodrigo Cozzato). Image: 942795.

Gol aircraft slide show:

Finnair continues its strong growth in Asia with additional frequencies for summer 2019

Finnair has made this announcement:

Continuing its strong growth in key Asian markets, Finnair today announced it will be adding frequencies on many popular Asian routes for next summer, including double-daily flights to Hong Kong and additional flights to Japan.

Finnair will add flights on several of its Japanese routes, increasing its capacity to Japan by 15% for the summer season. Three weekly flights will be added on the Helsinki-Osaka route, meaning Finnair will now fly a total of ten weekly frequencies during the summer season starting on March 31, 2019. The new departures will now offer an alternative departure for customers with two daily frequencies on selected days. The added frequencies depart on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Helsinki, with departure times from Helsinki at 00:45.

Continuing on the success of the double-daily flights to Tokyo during the summer of 2018, Finnair will operate double-daily flights on the Tokyo route for the entire summer season in 2019 and will also add a third daily flight during Japan’s Golden Week holiday. With these changes, Finnair is increasing its capacity to Tokyo by 9% compared to the 2018 summer season.

In addition, Finnair is also adding capacity on the Nagoya route by flying the Airbus A350 from May 5th onwards.

Finnair operates all flights to Japan in cooperation with its joint business partners: Japan Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. Including the joint business flights with Japan Airlines, Finnair will now offer up to 41 weekly frequencies to Japan during the summer 2019 season.

Finnair will also significantly grow its presence in the Greater China area, with a 12% increase in overall capacity during the summer season, offering 42 weekly flights in total between Helsinki and Greater China.

Finnair will fly double-daily, or 14 weekly frequencies, to Hong Kong with the new Airbus A350 aircraft year-round as of 2019 summer season. Finnair is currently flying ten weekly flights during the 2018 summer season, and 12 weekly flights in the upcoming winter season.

Capacity will also be increased on the Guangzhou route as it will now be operated with a A350 aircraft. Finnair will fly four frequencies to Guangzhou during the 2019 summer season, increasing its capacity on the route by 16% compared to summer 2018.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Finnair): Finnair Airbus A350-941 OH-LWB (msn 019) (Oneworld) LHR (Keith Burton). Image: 939094.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Alaska to add Seattle/Tacoma – Columbus, Ohio flights

Alaska Airlines will add a new spoke route from its Seattle/Tacoma hub next year. The carrier on March 7, 2019 the carrier will add the SEA – Columbus, Ohio route.

The new route will be operated daily with Airbus A320 aircraft.

Alaska Airlines issued this statement:

Alaska Airlines is ready to touch down in Buckeye Country. The airline announced today it will begin daily nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio. The new service, which is scheduled to begin March 7, 2019, will be the only nonstop flight offered between the Pacific Northwest and Central Ohio.

Effective Date	City Pair	Departs	Arrives	Frequency	Aircraft
March 7, 2019	Seattle – Columbus	9:45 a.m.	5:15 p.m.	Daily	A320
March 7, 2019	Columbus – Seattle	6:15 p.m.	8:25 p.m.	Daily	A320

Flight times based on local time zones.

Alaska currently operates an average of 31 daily flights from the West Coast to 10 Midwest cities, which includes Chicago; Detroit; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis; and Wichita, Kansas.

From Alaska’s main hub in Seattle/Tacoma, guests can travel nonstop to 89 destinations. Columbus becomes the 90^th nonstop destination this spring.

Alaska aircraft slide show (Airbus):

Flair Airlines reports record breaking summer, will lease Boeing 737-800s

Flair Airlines has announced that, after doubling its summer flying, the privately-held Flair Airlines surpassed load factor projections.

“It’s been a delightfully busy summer for us” stated David Tait, Flair’s Executive Chairman. “Since mid June – when we more than doubled our capacity and expanded our network to 10 cities from Victoria to Halifax – our fleet of seven aircraft has carried more than a quarter million passengers and we’re currently enjoying load factors in excess of 90%.”

Having led the way as the nation’s first low fare airline, among other initiatives, Flair is working closely with Edmonton’s community at large to firmly establish its position asthe city’s‘hometown airline.’Already,some 75% of the airline’s flights go through Edmonton International Airport EIA.Throughout the coming months, Flair will continue to relocate staff to its new HQ building at EIA, as well as hire for new positions from the local labor pool.

Tait added that, “As one of the founders of Virgin Atlantic Airways, I’ve played the David versus Goliath role before – and won! The tenacity of the Flair team, their spirit and determination to ensure that air travel becomes an affordable reality for all Canadians is really quite remarkable. I am truly proud to be of a part of this dynamic team, and, as Yogi Berra would have said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

Flair recently announced low fare service (starting in December) out of Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto (YYZ), to Palm Springs,Phoenix/Mesa, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando and St. Pete/Clearwater.

Tait added that, “Going forward, our robust fleet expansion plans should see up to 20 newer, more fuel efficient and longer-range aircraftby the end of 2020. The first additions will start arriving in early 2019 as our current aircraft are rapidly phased out.”

Flair is intending to phase out its older Boeing 737-400s.

In other news, Flair will lease Boeing 737-800s from Air Transat to support its expansion.

Images: Flair Airlines.

Route Map:

Laudamotion introduces its new livery, fleet will expand to 18 aircraft

Laudamotion (Vienna) is introducing its own livery that will gradually replace the former Airberlin markings on its aircraft.

The new livery places the emphasis on just “Lauda” rather than Laudamotion.

Ryanair released this statement and photo:

Laudamotion on August 29, 2018 announced that it would double its Airbus fleet from 9 to 18 aircraft in Summer 2019 following the completion of Ryanair’s purchase of 75% shareholding in Laudamotion GmbH from Niki Lauda in August.

Laudamotion also announced a series of initiatives to support Laudamotion’s continued growth, which include:

– Confirmed delivery dates for 9 additional Airbus A320 aircraft for Summer 2019

– A new aircraft livery which reflects Laudamotion’s Austrian heritage

– New Vienna offices to accommodate more, high paid, high quality jobs

– Pilot pay increases and basic pay guarantees