Tag Archives: Airbus A320

Clint Eastwood to direct feature film about “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger

Warner Brothers (Burbank) has made the following announcement:

Clint Eastwood will helm Warner Bros. Pictures’ as-yet-untitled drama about the life of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who became an American hero when he landed his disabled jet on the Hudson River, saving the lives of everyone aboard. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Eastwood will direct the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. The film is being produced by Eastwood and Tim Moore, for Malpaso; Frank Marshall, under the Kennedy/Marshall banner; and Allyn Stewart, for Flashlight Films. Flashlight’s Kipp Nelson and RatPac-Dune’s Steven Mnuchin are serving as executive producers.

In making the announcement, Silverman stated, “Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure. On the heels of his extraordinary work in ‘American Sniper,’ it is tremendously exciting to see him explore the life of another captivating true-life hero. It is also great to be collaborating with Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart to produce this compelling script by Todd Komarnicki.”

The film will go beyond Sullenberger’s almost impossible and much-heralded achievement of safely landing a jet (above) on the water, which was captured on video and viewed around the world. But behind the scenes, a drama was unfolding that could have cost him his reputation and his wings.

Sullenberger commented, “I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and veteran producers Allyn Stewart and Frank Marshall. The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team.”

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Ill-fated but now preserved in Charlotte, Airbus A320-214 N106US (msn 1044) arrives at CLT before the “Miracle on the Hudson” event of January 17, 2009.

Photo below: Clindberg. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the Captain of US Airways flight 1549.

JetBlue takes a stand against the U.S. Big Three – American, Delta and United, defends “Open Skies”

JetBlue Airways (New York), which has business agreements with 40 international airlines, including codeshare agreements with Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, not surprisingly, has taken a strong stand against the position currently being held and promoted by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines against the Gulf Big Three in the on-going dispute between the two warring group over alleged government subsidies.

According to this report by Mary Schlangenstein of Bloomberg Business, JetBlue Airways stated “U.S. regulators should review the agreements known as immunized joint ventures to ensure they are “truly benefiting the traveling public,” JetBlue said in a letter to the secretaries of the State, Commerce and Transportation departments Tuesday. The accords should be re-examined periodically, the airline said.”

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N789JB (msn 4612) approaches the runway at the focus city of Long Beach, California.

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

Aer Lingus to add Liverpool service

Aer Lingus (Dublin) will add the Dublin – Liverpool route on October 23. The route will be operated 16 time a week with Airbus A320 aircraft according to Airline Route.

Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:

Limitless Airways starts operations in Croatia

Limitless Airways (Rijeka, Croatia) started passenger operations on May 23 with this leased former China Eastern Airbus A320-214 now registered 9A-SLA (msn 828) (below). The airliner has been placed into service in this all-white condition and is leased from GECAS. The new airline is operating between Rijeka, Croatia and Gothenburg, Sweden and Kokkola, Finland.

The new airline issue this statement:

On May 23, Limitless Airways officially started with its operations.

In cooperation with Scandjet Travel, our first travellers were people from Sweden and Finland, returning to their homes from holiday. After that we flew new tourists back to Croatia, from Gothenburg and Kokkola.

All images by Limitless Airways.

IAG moves one step closer to acquiring a 25% share of Aer Lingus

British Airways (London) and Iberia (Madrid) parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) (London) has confirmed that it has reached agreement with Aer Lingus (Dublin) to make a €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) (£1 billion) cash offer for Ireland’s national carrier.

The deal, which comes after months of negotiations, values Aer Lingus at €2.55 a share ($2.80 a share).

The board of the Irish carrier is recommending the offer, which was made after confirmation from the Irish government that it is willing to sell its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus.

The decision of the sale was made at a meeting of the Irish cabinet late on Tuesday, which itself followed indications earlier in the day from Brussels that European competition authorities would not stand in IAG’s path.

Yesterday (May 28) IAG updated the Aer Lingus offer with this formal statement: CLICK HERE

Read more from The Irish Times: CLICK HERE

Assistant Editor Oliver Wilcock reporting from Manchester.

Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Aer Lingus Airbus A320-214 EI-DEO (msn 2486) in the special Green Spirit – Official Airline of the Irish Rugby Team livery taxies at the home of IAG and British Airways – London (Heathrow).

Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:

Wizz Air to add two new routes from Vilnius, will open its 22nd base

Wizz Air (Budapest) has announced further growth of its route network from Lithuania with two new Vilnius services to Stockholm and Billund starting from September 14 and operating with three and two weekly frequencies respectively.

Wizz Air is now offering a total of 24 routes to 14 countries from Lithuania.

In other news, Wizz Air also announced that it will open its 22nd base on December16 in Debrecen (Hungary) with one new Airbus A320 and further increases to its regional Hungarian services.

Already served by Wizz Air flights, Debrecen will be Wizz Air’s second Hungarian airport with base operations. The new aircraft will increase the number of routes served from Debrecen to six and increase annual seat capacity from the airport by 136% to 145,000 seats per year. The airline hopes this will stimulate the local job market in aviation and tourism sectors as consumers will have access to more low cost routes.

Wizz Air will operate three new routes from its Debrecen base to Charleroi (near Brussels), Malmo and Beauvais (near Paris) starting December 16, all initially operating with two weekly flights. The Debrecen route to Beauvais will provide Hungarian consumers with Wizz Air’s low fare access to the French capital. Frequencies on its existing popular Debrecen services to London Luton and Eindhoven will also be increased.

Wizz Air now offers a total of 47 Hungarian routes to 22 countries from two Hungarian airports.

Copyright Photo below: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 F-WWIA (msn 6614) became HA-LYQ on delivery and was the first to introduce the new 2015 look.

Wizz Air aircraft slide show:

JetBlue Airways launches the New York JFK – Reno route

JetBlue Airways (New York) today (May 28) launched service to its latest destination, Nevada’s Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), with nonstop service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

JetBlue will serve the route with its Airbus A320 aircraft

JetBlue’s Schedule Between New York and Reno-Tahoe as of May 28, 2015:

—————————————————————————-
JFK – RNO RNO – JFK
—————————————————————————-
7.40 p.m. – 11.07 p.m. 11.59 p.m. – 8.09 a.m.
—————————————————————————-
Daily service will operate between June 18, 2015 and September 11, 2015, as well as between November 25, 2015 and January 4, 2016. Other times of year, service will operate Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Copyright Photo below: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N527JL (msn 1557) in the Blueberries scheme arrives at the New York (JFK) hub.

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

Philippine Airlines is coming to Cairns and Auckland

Philippine Airlines (Philippines) (Manila) has announced it will launch a new route to Auckland, New Zealand via Cairns starting on December 1. The carrier will use Airbus A320s on the new route.

Here is the full statement:

As part of the expansion of its network in the Oceania region, flag carrier Philippine Airlines will launch flights from Manila to Cairns, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning on December 1 this year.

PAL will operate four flights weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) to serve the Manila-Cairns-Auckland route, utilizing the 156-seater Airbus A320.

The six-hour flight to Cairns – PAL’s fifth Australian destination – departs Manila at 11:45 PM (2345) (MNL time) arriving in Australia at 08:00 AM (0800) (local time) the following day. The one-hour stopover allows PAL to pick up passengers from Cairns for the continuing journey to Auckland. Arrival in New Zealand is at 4:00 PM (1600) (local time).

Flights from Auckland depart on the same days at 6:30 PM (1830) (local time), arriving Cairns at 10:30 PM (2230) (local time). After a brief stopover, flights depart from Cairns, arriving Manila at 3:30 AM (0330) (MNL time), the following day.

Prior to launching flights to these two destinations, PAL opened services to New York, USA on March 15 and to Jinjiang in Quangzhou, China on April 25.

Philippines aircraft slide show:

JetBlue to launch new service to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood from Baltimore/Washington and Philadelphia, will also expand to Mexico City

JetBlue Airways (New York) has announced plans for two new routes that will grow its presence in the Baltimore-Washington and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and continue its expansion in its focus cities in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.

Beginning November 12, JetBlue will operate new once daily service between Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) — the same day JetBlue launches previously announced service between Baltimore/Washington and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood. Within the National Capital Region, JetBlue also operates flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Beginning November 19, JetBlue will operate twice daily service between Philadelphia (PHL) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL). Philadelphia is one of the largest markets JetBlue currently does not serve from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and will play a part in its growth towards 100 daily flights to meet increasing customer demand in South Florida.

JetBlue will serve both routes with its Airbus A320 aircraft.

JetBlue’s Daily Schedule between Baltimore-Washington and Orlando as of November 12, 2015:

BWI – MCO MCO – BWI

11.20 a.m. – 1.56 p.m. 2.42 p.m. – 5.15 p.m.

JetBlue’s Daily Schedule between Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood as of November 19, 2015:

PHL – FLL FLL – PHL

7.30 a.m. – 10.09 a.m. 9.45 a.m. – 12.21 p.m.

1.05 p.m. – 3.50 p.m. 6.30 p.m. – 9.13 p.m.

JetBlue also announced plans to begin flying to Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport, one of the largest markets in the Americas. Mexico City will be JetBlue’s second destination in Mexico and its 35th in the Latin America and Caribbean region, where JetBlue continues to expand its presence as a leading U.S. airline.

Daily service to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) will launch on October 1 from JetBlue’s two focus cities in Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Service from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Orlando to Mexico City will operate in the evening, with flights back to the U.S. from Mexico City offered in the early morning.

JetBlue will serve both routes with its Airbus A320 aircraft.

JetBlue continues to grow its footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline recently announced plans to serve Quito, Antigua, and Grenada, and to offer its successful Mint experience from New York to Aruba and Barbados on Saturdays between November 7, 2015 and April 30, 2016, and daily between December 19, 2015 and January 4, 2016.

Copyright Photo below: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N746JB (msn 3622) in the special New York Jets motif arrives at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

The growing route map from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport:

VivaAerobus receives its first direct delivery Airbus A320

VivaAerobus (Monterrey) took delivery of its first new Airbus A320 (the pictured A320-232 F-WWIY and XA-VAA, msn 6574) following the aircraft handover at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse on May 9, 2015. The A320 is the first to be delivered from an order placed in 2013 for 52 aircraft (12 A320ceo and 40 A320neo), which is the largest single deal by a Mexican customer. VivaAerobus already operates six leased A320s and will become an all Airbus operator as it completes its fleet transition from Boeing 737-300s by early 2016.

Including the first A320, all VivaAerobus’ A320ceo are powered by IAE engines. The A320neo will be powered by Pratt and Whitney engines. The aircraft will be deployed on the airline’s domestic network and international routes to the United States.

Copyright Photo below: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured A320-232 F-WWIY (msn 6574) became XA-VAA when it was handed over on May 9.

VivaAerobus aircraft slide show: