Philippine Airlines (PAL) (Philippines) (Manila) has announced the launching of 12 new destinations to Australia, China, Malaysia and the Middle East, including a new domestic service to Northern Luzon in the continuing expansion of PAL’s route network.
The 12 new destinations include Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) starting on May 2; Darwin, Brisbane and Perth (Australia) on June 1; Guangzhou (China) on June 2; Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) on October 1; Doha (Qatar) on November 1; Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam (Saudi Arabia) on December 1; Dubai (United Arab Emirates) on November 1 and Basco, Batanes on May 1 (the last two to be operated by PAL Express).
PAL’s current network, operated with PAL Express, consists of 32 domestic and 28 international destinations.
Copyright Photo: Nik French.ย Airbus A330-301 RP-C3333 (msn 191) approaches Tokyo (Narita) for landing.
Aer Lingus (Dublin) is planning to wet lease three Boeing 757-200s starting in early 2014. The aircraft will be assigned to thin trans-Atlantic routes. The company believes there is growth potential on these new routes because of its new jetBlue Airways (New York) relationship.
On the financial side, the company will seek to reduce its staff by 100 positions by the end of the year after its first quarter operating loss widened to $59.1 million.
Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. The Boeing 757s will supplement the Airbus A330 fleet.ย A330-302 EI-EDY (msn 1025) prepares to depart from the Dublin hub.
Iberia (Madrid) is facing more labor strife. According to this report by the Financial Times the company is planning deeper wage cuts after talks with the unions failed.
In other news, Iberia introduced the new Airbus A330-300 on the Madrid-Miami route on April 15.
With a configuration of 36 seats in the Business cabin and 242 in the Economy class, the Business Plus section in the new A330s features wider seats that unfold into perfectly flat beds almost 80 inches long, housed in individual modules, each of them with direct access to the aisle. The design and positioning of the new seats ensure greater privacy and comfort to passengers. Lighting in the Business class cabin changes at the different phases of the flight and the seats offer more space for customersโ belongings.
Business Plus passengers can also enjoy new, intuitive entertainment options, using 15.5โ screens similar to that of tablet computers, plus 4.2โ touch screen remotes with virtual keyboard, with which passengers can make telephone calls, send text messages, and easily access entertainment options. Each month some 50 feature films will be available, plus 80 TV series, documentaries, some 200 musical options, and 3D games, among many other choices.
In the Economy cabin, seats are more ergonomic and wider (18.1โ). They are equipped with the most advanced inflight entertainment system: individual 9โ touch screens, a wide film and TV series offer, documentaries, as well as a childrenโs programme. Every seat has a connection port for Apple devices and a USB port, while universal power sockets are also available.
Iberia will soon be adding Wi-Fi Internet access and SMS capability for all its long-haul customers. Theย Airbus A330sย is a twin-engine aircraft and is 15% more fuel efficient than the aircraft it replaces.
The A330 already operates toย Bostonย and it will soon serveย New Yorkย andย Chicago. Flights toย Los Angeles, the fifth Iberia destination in the U.S., will be operated by the Airbus A340 aircraft โ Iberia will refit its 17ย A340-600ย aircraft with the new product from next month.
Iberia will be operating two daily flights from Miami to Madrid during the next six months, three more than a year ago. Iberia started flying from Madrid to Miami on August, 1972.
Video:
Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best.ย Airbus A330-302 EC-LUB (msn 1377) arrives at London (Heathrow).
Finnair‘s (Helsinki) growing hub at Helsinki (HEL) is expanding due to an ever-growing number of international connecting passengers as the airline adds more routes to Asia. The airport is located in an ideal geographical location for these connecting flights. The Finnair Blog (and video) takes us behind the scenes at HEL. HEL is a pretty nice place to connect according to Finnair.
Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow) hasย transferred its controlling 52.156 percent of the shares of Vladivostok Air (Vladivostok Avia) (Vladivostok) (a member of the Aeroflot Group ofย companies) to SAT Airlines (Sakhalin Airlines) (Sakhalin) (a 100 percent subsidiary ofย Aeroflot). This move was made following the decision of Aeroflot’s Board ofย Directors concerning the creation of Far Eastern Airline (DVA) within the Aeroflot Group.
According to Aeroflot, “the new member inย Aeroflot Group ofย companies will satisfy the growing demand for regional flights offering the highest service standards inย one ofย the most impressively developing regions ofย the countryย โ Russiaโs Far East.”
Aeroflot continues, “the creation ofย Far Eastern Airline (DVA) will contribute significantly toย the social-economic development ofย this vast region with aย powerful economic potential and will let Aeroflot Group become one ofย the leading air carriers inย Asia-Pacific.
The establishment ofย Far Eastern Airline (DVA) isย one ofย the key elements ofย Aeroflot Group strategy aimed atย the creation ofย aย large aviation holding which will successfully compete with the leaders ofย the global civil aviation.”
Vladivostok Air isย the largest air carrier inย Russia’sย Far East, carrying about 1,100,000 passengers annually onย its own fleet ofย planes. The airline flies toย 24ย domestic and 13ย international destinations.
Copyright Photo: Vladivostok Air. V/A’s flight attendants.
Aeroflot recently celebrated its 90th anniversary of its creation as a state airline. Aeroflot is one of the world’s oldest airlines, founded on March 17, 1923 as Dobrolet. Operations commenced on July 15, 1923 from Moscow to Nizhniy Novgorod. The company adopted its current name Aeroflot on March 25, 1932.
Top Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl.ย Vladivostok Air’ Airbus A330-301 VQ-BEU (msn 055) arrives at Antalya.
Aeroflot:ย
Vladivostok Air:ย
SAT Airlines:ย
SAT Airlines Route Map:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing.ย SAT Airlines’ (Sakhalin Airlines) Boeing 737-232 RA-73005 (msn 23100) completes its final approach at Beijing.
US Airways (Phoenix) today (March 30) will begin daily, nonstop service between its largest hub in Charlotte, North Carolina and London’s preferred business airport, Heathrow. The daily flight will supplement the airline’s existing daily service between its international gateway in Philadelphia and Heathrow, and replaces its current service between Charlotte and London’s Gatwick airport, which ended yesterday.
US Airways will operate the service between Charlotte and London Heathrow with Airbus A330 aircraft that features Envoy, the airline’s international business class. Customers traveling in Envoy will experience the remarkably comfortable and private Envoy Suite equipped with an adjustable seat that reclines into a fully flat bed. The Envoy Suite also features personal in-flight entertainment and a 110-volt universal power outlet.
The flight schedule is as follows:
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) โ London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) โ Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Flight
Departure
Arrival
Flight
Departure
Arrival
730*
7:05 p.m.
8:05 a.m.
731**
10:05 a.m.
2:10 p.m.
* Flight arrives next day.
** First day of Charlotte-bound flight is March 31, 2013.
The flight will originate in Miami offering customers in South Florida convenient one-stop service to London via the airline’s Charlotte hub.
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.ย Airbus A330-323X N275AY (msn 370) arrives at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport hub.
Iberia (Madrid) on March 17 introduced its new Airbus A330-300 on its first trans-Atlantic route from Madrid to Boston. It is unclear if the type will be operated to Miami as planned.
AESA, the Spanish Aeronautical Safety Agency, granted Iberia ETOPS-90 minutes authority. Iberia hasn’t flown ETOPS flights since it retired its two Boeing 767-300s (EC-GTI and EC-GSU).
ETOPS stands for “Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards”. Underย ETOPS-90 the aircraft must follow a route that will allow it to reach a diversion airport within 90 minutes if one engine fails.
Copyright Photo: Wingnut.ย Airbus A330-302 EC-LUB (msn 1377) taxies at London (Heathrow).
Finnair (Helsinki) has announced it will join the trans-Atlantic joint venture established by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010.
Finnair will add its AY code to select American, British and Iberia flights between North America and Europe (EU, plus Norway and Switzerland). American (AA), British (BA) and Iberia (IB) codes on Finnair’s daily flights between New York and Helsinki.
All together, the JV will operate up to 102 daily roundtrips between North American and Europe serving 42 gateways on either side of the Atlantic.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems.ย Airbus A330-302X OH-LTR (msn 1067) taxies to the gate at the HEL hub.
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) and its Star Alliance partner Thai Airways International (Bangkok) on April 8 will expandย ย their present code-share agreement to also cover Stockholm – Bangkok,ย Oslo – Bangkok and Copenhagen – Bangkok. This will be in addition toย the present code-share destinations on Thai’s regional destinations in Asia andย SAS’ Scandinavian and European destinations.
Top Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren. SAS’ย Airbus A330-343X LN-RKH (msn 497) departs from the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.
Scandinavian Airlines:ย
Thai:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Thai’sย Boeing 777-3D7 ER HS-TKA (msn 29150) climbs away from the Bangkok hub.
Ryanair (Dublin) is planning to appeal if it is denied its goal of acquiring rival Aer Lingus (Dublin). The airline issued the following statement today:
Ryanairย was notified this morning (February 12) at a State of Play meeting with the EU Commission, that the EU Commission intends to prohibit Ryanairโs offer for Aer Lingus, despite the fact that Ryanair has met every competition concern raised in the EUโs Statement of Objections and during the review process, including providing the EU โ at its request โ with irrevocable commitments from not one, but two, upfront buyers to eliminate all competitive overlaps between Ryanair and Aer Lingus. ย IAG has committed that they would take over divestments of Ryanairโs and Aer Lingusโ entire London-Gatwick operations, and Flybe has committed to take over 43 Aer Lingus UK and European routes.
Given that the EU Commission recently approved IAGโs acquisition of BMI at London-Heathrow on the basis of three year commitments, the EUโs claim that it could not be satisfied of IAGโs and Flybeโs commitments to these Irish routes after three years is another example of the EU ย holding Ryanair to a much higher standard than any other EU airline. Ryanairโs remedies package is unprecedented. ย For the first time in EU airline history, Ryanair delivered not one, but two, substantial upfront EU airline buyers who have agreed to come to Ireland to compete against a combined Ryanair/Aer Lingus.
Ryanair has today instructed its lawyers to appeal any prohibition decision to the European Courts.
Top Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. Ryanair accurately predicted the demis of bmibaby but it is not getting its way with Ryanair. Boeing 737-8AS EI-DLN (msn 33595) with the “Bye Bye Baby” banner on the fuselage arrives at the Dublin base.
Ryanair:ย
Aer Lingus:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. Aer Lingus’ Airbus A330-301 EI-JFK (msn 086) prepares to depart from the DUB hub bound for its registration namesake, New York (JFK).
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