Tag Archives: Las Vegas

Korean Air signs MOU for 20 Boeing 737 MAXs and two additional 777-300 ERs

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Korean Air (Seoul) today announced the airline’s intent to purchase 30 737 MAXs and two additional 777-300 ER (Extended Range) jetliners, with options for an additional 20 737 MAXs. The agreement is valued at approximately $3.9 billion at current list prices. Boeing will work with Korean Air to finalize the order, at which time the order will be posted to the Orders & Deliveries website.

With this commitment Korean Air is poised to become a new 737 MAX customer when this order, which includes MAX 8s and substitution rights for MAX 9s, is finalized. With this commitment, the Korean flag carrier will increase the size of its unfilled orders with Boeing to 69 airplanes.

Today’s agreement, which also includes two additional 777-300 ERs (above) for Korean Air, comes on the heels of the airline’s order for five 777 Freighters earlier this year, raising Korean Air’s total orders and commitments with Boeing in the first six months of 2015 to 37 airplanes.

Korean Air currently operates a fleet of 87 Boeing passenger airplanes that consist of 737, 747 and 777 airplanes. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet of 27 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.

Korean Air’s Aerospace Division is a key Boeing partner on both the 747-8 and 787 programs, supplying the distinctive raked wing-tips for each model. They are also one of two suppliers producing the new 737 MAX Advanced Technology (AT) Winglet.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 159 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates more than 430 flights per day to 129 cities in 46 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 612 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,000 daily flights covering 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.

Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-3B5 HL8217 (msn 37648) approaches the runway in Las Vegas.

Korean Air aircraft slide show:

United Airlines maintenance workers warn shareholders of problems at the airline

United Airlines‘ (Chicago) maintenance workers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has issued this statement:

United Airlines aviation maintenance technicians and related support personnel rallied outside the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Chicago today to warn investors and customers of problems at the airline.

More than 9,000 Teamster aviation maintenance workers are seeking a fair collective bargaining agreement. The workers’ last contract became amendable in January 2013.

The maintenance workers, who are critical to the airline’s operations, are losing patience as the company drags its feet on reaching a fair collective bargaining agreement five years after the United-Continental merger announcement.

“United-Continental workers, shareholders and customers have been loyal through tough times. They have shouldered the burden of myriad problems—including integration and customer service issues—that have taken a toll on United’s earnings and reputation,” said David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. “The company appears willing to risk United’s turnaround by provoking a labor dispute with its aircraft maintenance technicians and related workers. And the timing couldn’t be worse.”

United Airlines came in last among traditional carriers in the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey released in May.

“As employees and shareholders of this company, we have a long-term interest in the success of the airline and it’s time for management to do the right thing and offer us a well-deserved, industry-leading contract,” said John Laurin, a 29-year United Airlines maintenance technician.

United Airlines aircraft slide show:

Allegiant wins its injunction appeal against its pilots

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) has issued this statement:

Allegiant prevailed before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in its appeal of a lower court ruling which had prohibited the Company from changing the terms and conditions of employment for its pilots. The unanimous appellate court decision held that the lower court erred in finding that Allegiant had to maintain the “status quo” while it negotiates a contract with the pilots’ representative, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters), pursuant to the Railway Labor Act (RLA).

The Teamsters was elected to represent Allegiant’s pilots in August 2012. In late 2013, the Teamsters sued the Company, claiming the Company had violated the RLA’s “status quo” requirements by allegedly making changes to established pilot work rules during the parties’ negotiations. The appellate court concluded that Allegiant has no obligation to maintain the status quo under the RLA during its negotiations with the Teamsters. It vacated the injunction and remanded the case to “permit the Teamsters and Allegiant to continue negotiating a collective bargaining agreement in conformity with the RLA and under the [National Mediation] Board’s guidance.”

“We are pleased with the Court’s ruling and look forward to directing our time and energy to the negotiating table to continue working toward a contract that will be beneficial to both our pilots and the company,” said Steve Harfst, Allegiant’s chief operating officer.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N868GA (msn 49554) arrives back at the Las Vegas base.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Allegiant today launches seasonal Tulsa – Los Angeles flights

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) today (June 5) launches new, nonstop, seasonal flights from Tulsa to Los Angeles. The new seasonal flights will operate twice weekly through August 17, 2015 between the Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Yesterday (June 4) the ultra low-fare carrier launched twice-weekly seasonal flights from Little Rock, Arkansas also to Los Angeles. The new seasonal flights will operate twice weekly through Auguist 16, 2015, and will fly nonstop between Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N408NV (msn 53246) promoting the Blue Man Group show in Las Vegas arrives at LAS.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Delta to start Stockholm – New York seasonal flights on June 6, increases connectivity at JFK

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) effective June 6, 2015, will operate four weekly nonstop flights between Stockholm (Arlanda) and New York (JFK) in conjunction with joint venture partner, Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam), using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Customers connecting to destinations including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Orlando will benefit from same-terminal transfers thanks to the new $175 million extension of Terminal 4 at JFK.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 757-251 N552NW (msn 26499) approaches the runway at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery only):

Allegiant today starts two new routes

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) on June 4 began new twice-weekly nonstop, seasonal service between Columbus (Rickenbacker) and Allegiant’s newest vacation destination, Savannah-Hilton Head. The route will operate through August 16.

In addition, the carrier on June 4 made its debut in Brownsville with the start of new twice-weekly nonstop flights to Las Vegas.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Spirit Airlines to operate between Los Angeles and Oakland

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) announced today it will add new nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Oakland International Airport (OAK),
beginning on November 12, 2015.

Spirit continues its build-up at LAX. This new service will consist of two daily nonstop flights, with a morning and evening flight each way. With this new service, Spirit will operate nonstop flights to 13 destinations from Los Angeles, including Atlanta (starting on August 20, 2015); Baltimore/Washington, DC (starting July 9, 2015), Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Houston, KansasCity (starting July 9, 2015), Las Vegas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Oakland (starting November 12, 2015).

From Oakland, Spirit will operate nonstop to five destinations, including Chicago (O’Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston (seasonal), Las Vegas, and Los Angeles (starting November 12, 2015).

Copyright Photo below: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 N502NK (msn 2433) prepares to land in Las Vegas.

Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show:

Volaris to expand into Costa Rica

Volaris (Mexico City) has announced their expansion into the Costa Rica market with the launch of two new flights from Cancun, Quintana Roo and Guadalajara, Jalisco to Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose, starting on September 10 with two flights per week.

Volaris is expanding its presence to Costa Rica as part of the carrier’s international growth plans, seeking to increase the country’s connectivity to Mexico’s most important cities as well the US market. Volaris CEO, Enrique Beltranena said: “We are extremely proud to announce flights to Costa Rica, a destination special not only as a natural and adventure tourism location, but also for their history and cultural heritage”.

“Two new services plus our innovative business framework make visiting Costa Rica easier than ever for our Customers in Mexico”, Beltranena added.

Separately, Costa Rica Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura said, “Mexico is Latin America’s top issuing market for tourism by air, which is why Volaris’ bet strengthens the work we’ve done towards attracting more airlines and opening our markets by increasing the number of seats available to the destination and becoming a complement to traditional offerings with an option that provides good service at an affordable price,” the official said. “This also introduces an element of competitiveness in terms of fares to Costa Rica.”

To date, Volaris is the airline with the widest route network servicing Mexico and the US. The carrier has transported nearly 50 million passengers since it started operating in 2006, and this number continues on the rise as a result of more than 240 daily flights operated to 61 leading destinations, including 38 in Mexico and 23 internationally.

For those interested in the new service, flight schedules, including dates and times of operation, are announced as follows:

San Jose, Costa Rica – Guadalajara, Jalisco
(Effective September 10. Thursday and Sunday)

Departing Guadalajara, Jalisco at 7:20 hrs., arriving San Jose, Costa Rica at 9:55 hrs.
Departing San Jose, Costa Rica at 19:05 hrs., arriving Guadalajara, Jalisco at 23:30 hrs.
San Jose, Costa Rica- Cancun, Quintana Roo
(Effective September 10. Thursday and Sunday)

Departing San Jose, Costa Rica at 11:25 hrs., arriving Cancun, Quintana Roo at 14:40 hrs.
Departing Cancun, Quintana Roo at 16:15 hrs., arriving San Jose, Costa Rica at 17:35 hrs.

Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney/AirlinersGallery.com. Volaris Airbus A319-133 XA-VOE (msn 3069) (Erick) arrives in Las Vegas.

Volaris aircraft slide show:

Allegiant today starts new service from Memphis

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) today (May 22) stated nonstop flights from Memphis to Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, Las Vegas and Sanford (near Orlando).

Copyright Photo below: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 M868GA (msn 49554) arrives at the Las Vegas base.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Delta to launch New York JFK – Halifax service

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will launch twice-daily (except Saturdays) Delta Connection service on the New York (JFK) – Halifax, Nova Scotia route starting on September 1. The new route will be operated with Bombardier CRJ700s per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo below: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Ex-Comair Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N641CA (msn 10122), now operated by SkyWest Airlines, arrives in Las Vegas.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Delta Connection-Comair aircraft slide show: