Tag Archives: Dulles

Silver Airways to drop most of the Atlanta routes

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) is trimming back its route structure again. The regional carrier will drop most of its routes radiating from the Atlanta hub. The carrier issued this statement today:

As part of its plan to strengthen operations, increase revenue, reduce costs, andbetter position the airline for future growth and other opportunities, Silver Airways today announced plans to exit much of its Atlanta network and redeploy its aircraft and team members to other key markets.

Silver has provided the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with the required 90-day notice of its intent to discontinue scheduled service between Atlanta and five communities, including Muscle Shoals,
Alabama (MSL); Greenville, Mississippi (GLH); Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi (PIB); Tupelo, Mississippi (TUP); and Meridian, Mississippi (MEI).

Silver does intend, however, to continue operations between Atlanta and Macon, Georgia (MCN), and between Macon and Orlando, Florida (MCO), as well as between Atlanta and Greenbrier/Lewisburg, West Virginia (LWB).

The airline also confirmed that once operations at the affected communities are discontinued, all team members in good standing who wish to remain with Silver will be offered opportunities elsewhere.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 340B N420XJ (msn 420) taxies at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Silver Airways:

Atlanta Route Map:

Silver Airways to pay a signing bonus of $12,000 to all new new hire pilots

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Gainesville) has issued this statement to encourage the recruitment of more pilots:

As Silver Airways continues to proactively pursue innovative initiatives to attract and retain quality pilots, the next generation regional airline has announced it has increased its new hire signing bonus to $12,000. This doubles Silver’s previous signing bonus and is the highest pilot bonus in the regional airline industry.

Silver began its pilot bonus program in November 2013, providing qualified new first officers with a $6,000 signing bonus, half of which
is paid upon completion of initial training and the other half after a pilot’s first year of service. This week, Silver doubled that bonus and
is now offering an additional $6,000 to be paid upon completion of two years of service.

This latest announcement is one of many proactive efforts underway at Silver to attract and retain quality pilots and other team members. On March 17, 2014, the airline signed a preferential hiring agreement with Broward College, which when added to its other aviation partnerships, will further assist the airline with finding top caliber new pilots. In addition, the airline is also investigating tuition assistance and scholarship programs with these and other certified aviation colleges and universities.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 340B N433XJ (msn 433) approaches the runway at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Silver Airways:

Current Route Map: Silver Airways has trimmed back its route map including ending Montana service due to the shortage of qualified pilots. The regional carrier is also phasing out all smaller Beech 1900Ds.

CommutAir to shift its fleet to Newark and Washington Dulles

CommutAir (United Express) (Cleveland) as expected, will shift most of its fleet to United Airlines’ Newark and Washington (Dulles) hubs as United phases down the CLE hub according to Flightglobal.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier DHC-8-311 (Q300) N876CA (msn 438) of CommutAir arrives at Washington’s Dulles International Airport hub (IAD).

United Express-CommutAir:

Current Route Map:

Emirates arrives in Boston

Emirates (Dubai) yesterday (March 10) launched its daily, nonstop service between Dubai and Boston. Boston becomes the airline’s eighth US destination and the 142th on its global network which links key tourism and trading destinations across six continents.

The inaugural flight EK 237 departed from Terminal 3, Dubai International at 09:45 hours, carrying a delegation of senior airline executives including: Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline; Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer; Hubert Frach, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations West; and Hiran Perera, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Cargo Planning and Freighters.

Also travelling on the inaugural flight was a VIP delegation from the UAE including: His Excellency Abdulrahman Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber; His Excellency Mohammad Khamis Bin Harib Al Muhairi, Director General, The National Council of Tourism and Antiquities; Rahul Agarwal, Manager of Recruiting, McKinsey & Co; Chadi Chahine, Chief Financial Officer, Smith Nephew.

Emirates will operate daily flights between the two cities with a Boeing 777-200 LR (Longer Range) aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering eight seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 216 in Economy Class.

In addition to passengers, Emirates SkyCargo will operate bellyhold cargo space to help transport goods to and from Boston – such electronics, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, machine parts, leather products, consumer commodities, as well as New England’s finest lobster. Emirates SkyCargo can carry up to 15 tons per day.

EK 237 will depart Dubai at 09:45 and arrive in Boston at 15:15. The return flight, EK 238, will take off from Boston at 23:15 and land in Dubai at 19:30 the next day.

Emirates began passenger services to America in 2004 with the launch of daily nonstop flights from New York JFK to Dubai, and now offers daily flights to Washington (Dulles), Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Dallas/Fort Worth, Seattle/Tacoma, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com (all others by Emirates). Boeing 777-21H LR A6-EWB (msn 35573) approaches the runway at Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Emirates:

Ethiopian Airlines to start daily Boeing 787 service to Shanghai on March 29

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) will start daily Boeing 787 service to Shanghai, China on March 29.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 ET-AOR (msn 34746) prepares to touch down at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

Ethiopian Airlines:

Air China to start Washington Dulles flights in June

Air China (Beijing) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to commence nonstop service from its Beijing hub to its Star Alliance partner United Airlines’ (Chicago) hub at Washington (Dulles). The new route will operate four days a week with Boeing 777-300 ERs starting in June according to Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-39L ER B-2032 (msn 38671) in the Star Alliance motif departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

Air China:

United Airlines and Association of Flight Attendants agree to avert any involuntary furloughs

United Airlines (Chicago) and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) have agreed to advert all involuntary furloughs. The AFA issued this statement: The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), representing over 25,000 Flight Attendants at United Airlines, announced an agreement with United management that averts involuntary furloughs at the world’s leading airline through improved voluntary options. The mutual agreement between AFA and management also provides employment for Flight Attendants originally slated to lose their jobs by offering an enhanced crossover agreement to pre-merger Continental Airlines. In other news, United will end the Washington (Dulles)-San Salvador route on March 31 per Airline Route. The route is currently operated three days a week with Boeing 737-800s. Additionally the carrier will launch daily summer United Express service between the Denver hub and Sun Valley, Idaho from July 2 through September 22 with Bombardier CRJ700s.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-824 N26210 (msn 28770) in the Star Alliance colors arrives at the Washington (Dulles) hub.

United Airlines (current):

Silver Airways gets an infusion of $73 million in additional financing, will increase pilot pay to address the pilot shortage

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has secured up to $73 million in additional financing from GB Credit Partners LLC, the investment management affiliate of Gordon Brothers Group and Crystal Financial LLC. Victory Park Capital (Chicago), the investment firm that owns the airline, will maintain full ownership and control of the company.

Read the full statement: CLICK HERE

In other news, the regional airline and its pilots, represented by the Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Airline Division (IBTAD), have announced they reached an agreement that will help address pilot shortages at the airline and provide Silver’s pilots with pay increases and quality of life improvements, according to a joint release from Silver Airways and Local 1224.

According to both parties, “the two groups have been working since August 2013 on a mid-term contract solution that will increase pilot pay and provide quality of life enhancements, while at the same time allowing the airline to better operate and continue to grow. Once ratified by the pilots, the letter of agreement will also assist the airline in attracting and retaining high quality pilots by immediately boosting pay, enhancing commuting and schedule flexibility, and allowing all pilots who remain with the Company for another year to earn a cash retention bonus.

The agreement was negotiated over the last several months, and it is being strongly endorsed by both the Silver Executive Council and the Teamster local. Final approval, however, is subject to ratification by Silver’s pilot membership.”

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 340B N415XJ (msn 415) taxies to the gate at the Washington Dulles International Airport hub.

Silver Airways:

Current Route Map:

JetBlue Airways and South African Airways begin code-sharing

JetBlue Airways (New York) and South African Airways (SAA) (Johannesburg) have launched their bilateral code-share agreement.

JetBlue is now placing its “B6” code on SAA-operated flights between the U.S. and Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as on connecting flights to select destinations beyond Johannesburg including Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

SAA flies each day between both New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport

Via its Johannesburg hub, SAA links the world to most cities and destinations across southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, including South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Beginning in 2014, JetBlue will debut Mint, the carrier’s new premium offering, featuring the longest lie-flat bed in domestic business class and the only private suites on the New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco routes.

At JFK Airport, JetBlue operates from its Terminal 5, while SAA operates from the adjacent Terminal 4, allowing for fast and easy connections between flights.

At Washington Dulles, both JetBlue and SAA are co-located in Concourse B.

Top Copyright Photo: James Helbock/AirlinersGallery.com. Standing out in the red FDNY special livery, Airbus A320-232 N615JB (msn 2461) arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

JetBlue Airways:

South African Airways:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. South African Airways’ Airbus A340-313X ZS-SXE (msn 646) leaves the runway at Washington Dulles International Airport.

United opens a new wide body maintenance hangar at Washington Dulles International Airport

United Airlines (Chicago) officially opened its new wide body aircraft maintenance hangar yesterday at Washington Dulles International Airport, a major United hub and the airline’s principal gateway to the Middle East.

United invested nearly $45 million to construct the facility, which will enable the airline to perform maintenance on two wide body or several narrow body aircraft simultaneously. United employs approximately 300 technical operations employees at Dulles, and has nearly 6,000 employees throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

“The close relationship between Dulles and United goes back decades, and this facility represents yet another important investment in this key market,” said Greg Hart, United’s senior vice president for technical operations. “Our new maintenance hangar, coupled with additional improvements in our terminals, gate areas, lounges and employee facilities, will deliver greater reliability for our customers and enhance their overall travel experience.”

More than 600 area construction workers helped build the 125,000-square-foot hangar, which includes 85,000 square feet of enclosed aircraft space.

United has maintenance hangars at its hubs in Chicago O’Hare, Cleveland, Denver, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is nearing completion on another wide body hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-322 ER N664UA (msn 29236) now with Blended Winglets completes its final approach into Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

United Airlines:

Washington Dulles International Airport Hub Fact Sheet: