Southwest Air Lines-SWAL/JTA (Japan Transocean Air) Boeing 737-446 JA8999 (msn 29864) HND (Akira Uekawa). Image: 912016.
Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com.
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.
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) today (April 8) begins flying six times a week from Copenhagen to San Francisco. SAS
already flies toย New York, Chicago and Washington. This is the first service to the U.S. West Coast by SAS.
The route will be operated using an Airbus 340-300.
SAS is forecasting around 125,000 passengers per year on the route. Of these,ย 55% will come from the Nordic countries and 10% from the rest of Europe. Theย remaining 35% will come from the USA.
Meanwhile SAS is ending service to Bangkok, a route it has servedย since 1949. This was an important route for SAS. It helped to create Thai Airways in 1960.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing.ย Airbus A340-313X OY-KBC (msn 467) climbs away from Tokyo (Narita).
JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) on March 29 introduced this 30th Anniversary logojet to help celebrate the success of the Tokyo Disney Resort. Boeing 777-246 JA8985 (msn 27652) at Tokyo (Haneda) is the first JAL aircraft to wear the special Disney livery. The titles proclaim Year 30 is The Happiness Year. JA8985 is named the “JAL Happiness Express”.
JAL will add five more Disney aircraft including one additional 777-200 domestic and four 737-800 domestic aircraft.
According to Wipipedia,ย The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park (Tokyo Disneyland), but developed into a resort with two theme parks, three Disney hotels, six non-Disney hotels, and a shopping complex. Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney theme park opened outside of theย United States.
Copyright Photo:ย Shige Sakaki.
ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) according to this report by Reuters, is planning to put its Boeing 787-8 pilots through resumption training. Pending recertification by the FAA and the Japanese authorities, the airline is now planning to resume 787 operations in June, possibly first as a freighter to allay any fears by the flying public over the now-being-tested battery system fix.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa.ย Boeing 787-8 JA802A (msn 34497) climbs away from Tokyo (Narita) in the special 787 colors when it was flying. Will the “787” now be removed from the side of the fuselage?
Solaseed Air (Miyazaki) (formerly SNA-Skynet Asia Airways) has leased two new Boeing 737-800s fromย GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE.
Solaseed Air operates a fleet of 14 aircraft to seven destinations in Japan.
Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa.ย Boeing 737-81D WL JA801X (msn 39415) arrives in Tokyo (Haneda).
Boeing (Chicago) could be facing a new challenge for its grounded 787 according to this report by Reuters. The 787 was designed to fly long thin over-water-flights. Will the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permit the new type to fly these routes once again (at least initially) once it is allowed to fly again? ย ETOPS could be reduced to only two hours. If this is correct, the business case for the new type is severely hurt for this period and the affected airlines will be asking Boeing for further compensation until they are able to fly these long thin routes once again in the most efficient manner.
Reuters raises these concerns. Read the full article: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Some routes like Tokyo-Boston will not be able to be flown with the 787 if there are any ETOPS restrictions once the grounded order is rescinded. JAL‘sย Boeing 787-8 JA828J (msn 38438) in the special Sora wo Tobu – Flying Sky motif approaches Tokyo (Narita) for landing.
Japan Airlines-JAL (Tokyo) has been a loyal Boeing customer. However the recent problems with the much-delayed Boeing 787 may have soured that relationship. According to Nikkei, the company is now considering an order from rival Airbus for 20 Airbus A350s and it will make a decision in June. However this may also be a ploy to get better terms and compensation from Boeing for the 787 delays. JAL is considering replacing its current Boeing 777-300 ERs with the new Airbus A350-100s for its European routes.
Read the full report from the Chicago Tribune: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo:ย Akira Uekawa.ย Boeing 777-346 JA8941 (msn 28393) approaches the Tokyo (Haneda) hub for landing.
Lufthansa (Frankfurt) today has cancelled nearly 40 percent of its flights due to a strike by its employees on the eve of wage discussions according to Reuters. According to this report, the unionย Verdi is demanding a 5.2 percent pay increase for the 33,000 cabin crew and ground staff at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Systems, LSG Sky Chefs and the ground crews. the union also wants a commitment by Lufthansa to safeguard all current jobs.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Meanwhile Lufthansa issued this statement:
Due to aย warning strikeย at German airports this morning it is expected that someย flight operationsto and fromย Frankfurt, Munich, Dรผsseldorf, Berlin, Hamburgย andย Cologneย will beย affectedย throughoutย theย afternoon and eveningย ofย 21 March 2013.
Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience to Lufthansa passengers caused by the strike measures and will do its utmost to minimise impacts on passengers. Passenger support and service has paramount priority.
All Lufthansa passengersย are urged to check the status of their flight before beginning their journey atย My bookings.
If your flight is operating, pleaseย planย for someย extra timeย when travelling to the airport, as you may experienceย longer waiting timesย in the terminals.
Check currentlyย cancelled flightsย under
Passengers whose flights have been cancelledย are kindly asked to check on
if they have already been checked in on an alternative flight. If this is the case, the boarding pass for the new flight can instantly be created online.
Affected passengersย please check theย status of their bookingย prior to departure at
You might find an alternate flight and can check-in for it here.
Up-to-date informationย on your Lufthansa flights is available under
If your flight to/from Germany has been cancelled:
Affected passengers can refund or rebook their flights free of charge. If your flight has been cancelled and you cannot use the self-service options above, passengers in Germany can contact our Service Center toll-free on 0800-850-60-70* or via one of ourย local phone numbers.
*toll-free from German landlines
Passengers travelling within Germanyย whose flights have been cancelled due to the weather may alternatively travel by train withย Deutsche Bahn.
To do this, please exchange your etix for a travel voucher underย My Bookingsย or at a Lufthansa check in machine. When exchanging the voucher online you can either print the travel voucher or send it per E-mail/SMS to your mobile phone.
If you do not have the time to exchange your ticket online or at the machine, we recommend you purchase a regular train ticket. In this case we kindly ask for your understanding that you will then be refunded the unused portion of your ticket. As the reason for cancellation was force majeure we are unable to provide any compensation beyond the value of the unused ticket. Please contact your ticket issuing office after your travel for a refund of your unused ticket.
You can receive current travel information underย Deutsche Bahnย or on your mobile phone via m.bahn.de.
Your baggage could not be forwarded on the alternative flight/train.
In order to deliver your baggage please fill in ourย Lufthansa Baggage formย or please contact the Lufthansa baggage tracing counter as soon as you arrive at your destination. For status updates on your missing baggage please go toย Lufthansa baggage tracing online.ย Checkย hereย for further information on baggage liability.
Passengers holding a Lufthansa/SWISS, Austrian Airlines or Brussels Airlines ticket for flights from/to or via a German airport on 21 March 2013 can rebook free of charge online underย My Bookings.
The following conditions apply:
– the ticket needs to have been issued on/before 20 March 2013
– the new travel date needs to be before/on 30 June 2013
– rebooking within the original fare: Exept for Lufthansa Group operated flights a rebooking can be in the next higher booking class
– departure/arrival city as well as class of travel remain unchanged
– all further original ticket conditions apply without changes
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing.ย Airbus A340-642X D-AIHX (msn 981) climbs gracefully away from Tokyo (Narita).
Boeing (Chicago) is now testing the 787 batteries to a new standard that it originally helped to develop but never used in the original certification testing according to this excellent report by Reuters.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. JAL’sย Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA822J (msn 34832) climbs away from Tokyo (Narita) when it was flying.
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