Tag Archives: LAX

American takes delivery of the first Alabama-built Airbus A321

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/World-Airline-News/World-Airline-News-May-2016/i-8xXrdD2/A

The first delivery of an A321 aircraft (N162AA) from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility to American Airlines took place on May 17, in Mobile, Alabama. On hand for the occasion were executives from Airbus and American Airlines and representatives of the more than 350 employees at the facility.

Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama in 2012, and less than one year later, broke ground on the $600 million facility. The ceremonial inauguration of the plant took place in September 2015. The aircraft delivered today, an American Airlines A321, successfully had its first flight on April 19, 2016.

Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries will all be A320 Family aircraft with the Current Engine Option (CEO), but will begin transitioning to New Engine Option (NEO) derivatives in late 2017.

Southwest Airlines pilots file suit against Southwest for pursuing non-contractual aircraft

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SWAPA, the union representing the pilots of Southwest Airlines on May 16, 2016 filed papers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to obtain status quo protection due to unlawful tactics of Southwest Airlines. The carrier is ramping up negotiations pressure by threatening to force its pilots to fly aircraft not listed in the collective bargaining agreement.

Southwest Airlines is the launch customer of Boeing’s new 737-800 MAX aircraft (“the MAX”) with scheduled deliveries beginning the first half of 2017. The pilots assert that Southwest may not operate or threaten to operate the MAX without a contract provision for this aircraft. SWAPA asserts that Southwest Airlines is violating federal law by threatening to proceed unilaterally if an agreement is not reached before the MAX is delivered for use by the carrier.

“Each new type of 737 that has joined the Southwest fleet over the years has required contractual agreement, whether in Section 6 negotiations or through an amendment to a current contract,” said SWAPA President, Captain Jon Weaks. “We believe Southwest Airlines, in planning to fly the MAX without a contract for it, is threatening a breach of status quo under Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act. Pilots cannot be forced into labor without a contract in place.”

Southwest has a firm order for 200 MAX aircraft between 2017-2027 with options on an additional 191 over that same time frame.

“Over the past 10 years there have been multiple instances where our contract was reopened to accommodate the use of a new aircraft, whether it was the 737-700, 737-800, or the B717,” continued Captain Weaks. “The MAX is certainly no different and we expect management to finalize a contract with its pilots expeditiously so that this new aircraft can be flown.”

The pilots have been negotiating with Southwest on a new contract since 2012. Currently in federal mediation, hundreds of pilots will descend upon Chicago on May 18 to engage in informational picketing both on Michigan Avenue and near Chicago Midway airport.

Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 8,300 pilots of Southwest Airlines.

China Southern Airlines and Virgin America to expand their codeshare agreement

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Virgin America (San Francisco) and China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou) have announced a codeshare agreement to offer seamless booking and travel between China, Southeast Asia and multiple Virgin America destinations across the United States.

Under the new agreement, China Southern will place its two-digit airline code (CZ) and flight numbers on a range of Virgin America routes operating from Los Angeles and San Francisco – including West Coast flights to and from Boston, Chicago, Dallas Love Field, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Newark, New York (JFK), Seattle, San Diego and Washington DC.

This partnership will bring expanded choice and convenience for travelers flying between China Southern’s numerous Chinese and Southeast Asia destinations and the United States. This agreement is unique in that China Southern is the only airline offering non-stop service between Guangzhou and Wuhan and the United States.

China Southern offers daily flights from Guangzhou to San Francisco (three flights per week with one stop in Wuhan), ten flights per week from Guangzhou to Los Angeles, and daily flights from Guangzhou to New York.

This new agreement builds and expands on China Southern’s existing interline arrangement with Virgin America. China Southern is Virgin America’s sixth codeshare agreement and joins the airline’s growing partner portfolio.

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. China Southern’s Boeing 777-31B ER B-2029 (msn 43224) departs from Los Angeles.

Below Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Virgin America’s Airbus A320-214 N855VA (msn 5179) prepares to land at Washington (Reagan National).

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-3/Airlines-United-States3-QZ/Virgin-America/i-29jRGND

Virgin America aircraft slide show:

China Southern aircraft slide show:

Southwest Airlines and TWU 555 reach a tentative agreement

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Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced a new tentative agreement with Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 555, the union that represents more than 12,000 Southwest Ground Operations, Provisioning, and Cargo Agents. The Union’s Executive Board reviewed an Agreement in Principle that negotiators reached on December 23 and decided to conduct a ratification vote that could end more than four years of negotiations.

The Company said that the new contract not only improves wages and benefits, but it also enhances Southwest’s competitive standing within the industry.

Over the next few weeks, the Union will share the terms of the agreement with its members and conduct a ratification vote. If approved, the contract will become amendable in 2021.

Southwest operates a network of 97 destinations across the United States and seven additional countries with more than 3,900 departures a day during peak travel season.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-3H4 N654SW (msn 28399) arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show:

Malaysia Airlines tentatively schedules the last Boeing 777 revenue flight

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Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) is phasing out and retiring its Boeing 777-200 ER fleet as we have previously reported. According to Airline Route, the last revenue flight has now been tentatively scheduled for March 26, 2016 as flight MH 377 from Guangzhou to the Kuala Lumpur base.

The type was involved in two tragic aircraft losses in 2014.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-2H6 ER 9M-MRN (msn 28419) completes its final approach to the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

Airline Aircraft Type “Endangered Species List”:

Video: Flight Review of 9M-MRL:

Spirit Airlines to add two seasonal routes from Minneapolis/St. Paul

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Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) starting in April 2016, will begin new seasonal daily service between the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and the Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

Spirit’s new seasonal service between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Philadelphia will operate from April 14, 2016 through November 9, 2016, and between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Boston will operate from April 28, 2016 through September 7, 2016.

This announcement follows Spirit’s recent announcement of new daily nonstop service between MSP and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), also starting in April 2016. With these additions, Spirit will operate nonstop service from Minneapolis-St.Paul to 16 cities, including Atlanta (starting 4/14/2016), Baltimore/Washington DC, Boston (starting 4/28/2016), Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fort Myers, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia (starting 4/14/2016), Phoenix, and Tampa.

Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show:

Route Map:

Spirit 12.2015 Route Map

Southwest to offer international service from Los Angeles to Costa Rica

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Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced plans to complement its growing portfolio of international routes by offering nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica beginning in April 2016. Southwest® expects to operate the service daily from LAX Terminal 2, adjacent the carrier’s domestic operation in LAX Terminal 1.

The new international service comes as Southwest achieves several milestones in a revitalization of its LAX facilities at Terminal 1. As part of the $508 million modernization project unfolding now in partnership with Los Angeles World Airports, a new ticketing lobby and baggage claim facility is set to open early next year. Additional facility construction will bring new entrances, additional capacity in the security checkpoint expected to open in 2017, new food options, and an overall enhanced Customer experience. The project is expected to be completed fully by 2018.

Southwest Airlines began flying to California in 1982 and now serves nine airports in the Golden State, offering more daily departures in California than any other airline. 143 of those flights takeoff and land within the state, connecting 18 unique city-pair combinations within California. By summer 2016, Southwest’s nine California airports will offer Customers a combined peak weekday schedule of 678 departures to destinations across the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Following its launch of service in April 2013 to the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Southwest began its international journey in July 2014 with service to three Caribbean nations and, after adding service points across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, will end 2015 ‘twelve for twelve,’ so to speak: the carrier now serves a dozen destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean from a dozen gateway airports on the U.S. mainland. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will become the carrier’s thirteenth gateway airport in the 48 contiguous states.

Southwest Airlines Gateway Cities within the 48 contiguous states (as of 12/31/2015, listed alphabetically):

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Baltimore/Washington
• Chicago Midway
• Denver
• Ft. Lauderdale
• Houston Hobby
• Milwaukee
• Orange County/Santa Ana
• Orlando
• San Antonio
• Tampa Bay

Southwest Airlines Service across Latin America and the Caribbean (as of 12/31/2015, listed chronologically by start of service):

• San Juan, Puerto Rico
(began Apr. 14, 2013)
• Oranjestad, Aruba
(began July 1, 2014)
• Nassau, The Bahamas
(began July 1, 2014)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
(began July 1, 2014)
• Cancun, Mexico
(began Aug. 10, 2014)
• San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, Mexico
(began Aug. 10, 2014)
• Mexico City, Mexico
(began Nov. 2, 2014)
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
(began Nov. 2, 2014)
• San Jose, Costa Rica
(began Mar. 10, 2015)
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
(began June 7, 2015)
• Belize City, Belize
(began Oct. 15, 2015)
• Liberia, Costa Rica
(began Nov. 1, 2015)

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-76N N7706A (msn 32661) departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show:

Southwest Airlines to open 5 new routes in June including 3 from St. Louis

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Southwest Airlines (Dallas) will open five new daily routes on June 5, 2016 per Airline Route:

Dallas (Love Field) – Burbank

Oakland – Reno

St. Louis to Cleveland, Oakland and Portland, Oregon.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8H4 N8671D (msn 36715) departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Norwegian to fly from London Gatwick to Oakland

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Norwegian Long Haul (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) is planning to launch a new route connecting London (Gatwick) with Oakland in May 2016. The new route will be operated three days a week with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners starting on May 12 per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Now registered in Norway (was previously registered in Ireland), Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner LN-LNG (msn 35314) arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

Norwegian aircraft slide show:

Compass Airlines amends its CBA for First Officer first-year pilot pay

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Compass Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) (American Eagle and Delta Connection) has issued this statement about increasing the First Officer first-year pay in order to attract new pilots:
Compass Airlines is pleased to announce that the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for its pilot group has been amended to increase first year, First Officer pay to $35.81 per flight hour. An additional highlight of the amended CBA is the provision of four paid hotel stays per month for commuting pilots. The amendment also gives Compass the flexibility to quickly raise first year pay in response to market conditions. The agreement was reached as part of a voluntary mediated settlement of a number of outstanding issues between Compass Airlines and its pilot group, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

The amendments to the contract are effective immediately.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N638CZ (msn 17000259) departs from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Delta Connection-Compass Airlines aircraft slide show: