EasyJet (UK) (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) has announced that it will open a base in Hamburg as well as increasing its fleet in Berlin in the Spring of 2014. The announcement was made by chief executive Carolyn McCall at an event at Airbusโ facilities in Hamburg.
Building on its success to date in both Hamburg and Berlin, EasyJetโs new base will open with three A319 aircraft with the airline increasing its fleet in Berlin by an additional plane.
EasyJet will more than double its network from Hamburg with 15 additional new business and leisure routes on the top of its existing portfolio of six routes offering almost 170 flights a week during summer 2014. With more frequencies and early morning departures from Hamburg the schedule will make easyJet more attractive to business passengers.
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 G-EZUD (msn 4536) taxies to the runway at Geneva.
AeroMexico (Mexico City) yesterday (September 24) introduced its new Boeing 787-8 on the Mexico City-New York (JFK) route. AM is now operating its flights AM 0409 and AM 0408 from New York to Mexico City with its new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with the following schedule:
New York โ Mexico City
Mexico City โ New York
AM 0409
1440
1850
Daily
AM 0408
0725
1300
Daily
The schedules are published in each country’s local time and are subject to changes without notice.
According to the airline, “the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has unique technological and structural advances in its type. The cabins are configured with 32 seats with a 180 degree “full flat bed” tilt in Clase Premier, y 211 cutting edge seats with greater space in the Economy cabin. The aircraft is also equipped with Sky Interiors Led lighting and outfitted with significantly larger windows for its kind of airplane, with pressurization features that reduce fatigue during the flight”
This new airplane is also equipped with personal entertainment systems with 16 inch Elite High Definition Panasonic screens in Clase Premier and Eco Monitor touch screens in the Economy cabin, where passengers can enjoy watching a wide variety of films and TV series. It also features the Moving Maps system that offers real time flight information the Jukebox software that allows users to program playlists with the 1,500 songs the system offers; iConnect to synchronize iPods with the entertainment system and the Seat Chat feature passengers can use to chat with each other on the same airplane, among many other advances.
The AeroMexico 787 operates with General Electric GEnx-1B engines whose structure is made of carbon fiber, plus high efficiency systems and equipment that serves to maximize operating and maintenance costs. All of this translates into significant benefits in environmental terms as this new airplane significantly reduces pollution levels with its lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lower takeoff and landing noise pollution.
By operating the Boeing 787-8, AeroMexico becomes one of the first 14 carriers in the world to operate the new type.
Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. AeroMexico’s first Boeing 787-8 N961AM (msn 35306) is pictured at Paine Field near Everett.
Air Canada (Montreal) and Premier Aviation have announced the signing of a five-year agreement for the provision of airframe maintenance in support of Air Canada’s fleet of 60 Embraer ERJ 190 and ERJ 175 aircraft. With the addition of a second line of maintenance at Premier Aviation’s Trois-Riviรจres, Quebec facility now in place, the work performed for Air Canada will have created a total of 120 jobs for aircraft technicians on the two lines. This contract follows a successful year of operations meeting the quality and on-time delivery requirements for 37 Air Canada Embraer ERJ 175 and ERJ 190 maintenance visits at Premier’s Trois-Riviรจres maintenance center.
Premier Aviation performs maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services consisting of airframe, painting and support services for Air Canada’s Embraer fleet at its Trois-Riviรจres maintenance center. Air Canada’s Embraer fleet consists of 45 ERJ 190 aircraft, with an additional 15 ERJ 175 aircraft now operated by Sky Regional Airlines.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Air Canada’s Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW C-FHNY (msn 19000085) taxies at the Vancouver hub.
BOC Aviation (Singapore, the aircraft leasing subsidiary of Bank of China, has announced during the 15th Aviation Expo China 2013 in Beijing an additional firm order for the purchase of 25 A320 Family aircraft comprising 13 A320ceo and 12 A320neo family aircraft. The order comprises A320 and A321 variants.ย BOC Aviation will make its engine selection at a later date.
The order from BOC Aviation for 25 more A320 Family aircraft comes less than a year after their previous order for 50 A320 Family aircraft, confirming the fast pace at which the market requires Airbusโ fuel efficient single-aisle planes.
Including this latest purchase agreement, BOC Aviationโs cumulative orders for new Airbus aircraft reach a total of 212 (206 A320 Family and six A330 Family aircraft).
Spring Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong) has taken delivery of its first A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet fuel saving wing-tip devices. Airbus A320-214 B-9965 (msn 5778, ex D-AXAD) was handed over on September 23.
The A320, powered by CFM56 engines,ย features a single class economy cabin, seating 180 passengers. The A320 will make its first commercial flight from Shanghai to domestic destinations on September 27.
Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall. They are an option on new-build A320 Family aircraft and standard on all members of the new A320neo family. They offer operators up to four per cent fuel burn reduction on longer range sectors and provide the flexibility of either adding an additional 100 nautical miles range or increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.
Established in 2004, Spring Airlines is one of China’s first private airline companies. It operates more than 50 domestic routes and several regional and international routes. Its fleet comprised 37 Airbus A320 jetliners by end of August 2013.
Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. D-AXAD became B-9965 when it was handed over on September 23.
Qingdao Airlines, a newly established airline based in the Eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, has selected the Airbus A320 Family aircraft to build up its fleet.
The airline has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for a total of 23 A320 Family aircraft, including five A320ceo and 18 A320neo aircraft. The agreement was signed by He Li, director of the Board of Qingdao Airlines and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers at the 15th Aviation Expo China 2013 in Beijing. The deal is subject to approval from Chinaโs central government. The first delivery is expected to begin in 2016. The airline will start operation in 2014 with leased A320 aircraft.
Zhejiang Loong Airlines, an airline based in Hongzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for 20 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, including 11 A320ceo and nine A320neo. The airline has recently been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for passenger flight operation.
The MOU was signed by Liu Yi, President of Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO, at the 15thย Aviation Expo China 2013 in Beijing.
Zhejiang Loong plans to start operating later in 2013. Itโs passenger operation will start with domestic routes from Hangzhou to first tier airports like Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Xiโan. The airline has the ambition to start regional and international routesย in three to five years.
Copyright Photo: Airbus.ย Zhejiang Loong Airlines, an airline based in Hongzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China, signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 20 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, including 11 A320ceo and nine A320neo aircraft.
Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) stated yesterday after a board meeting that it will defer its decision on what to do with its 25 percent share in Alitalia (2nd) (Rome). The Air France-KLM Group board is seeking more information from Alitalia which continues to lose money. Meanwhile AF-KL is constrained in what it can do because the group has posted financial losses for the past two years.
Read the full analysis from the Wall Street Journal: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. Alitalia’s 1960 retrojet in the form of Airbus A321-112 EI-IXI (msn 494) prepares to land at Amsterdam.
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is expanding its charter program flying professional and college teams to and from their games. Delta and Syracuse University announced today that Delta will serve as the official airline of Syracuse University Athletics. The Syracuse football team will also use Delta as their charter carrier for the 2013 season.
As the official airline of the Orange, Delta will be featured on game day signage at the Carrier Dome and sponsor in-game promotions during football, basketball and lacrosse games.
Delta has marketing relationships with eight NCAA athletic programs in addition to Syracuse โ Boston College, Brigham Young, Duke, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and University of North Carolina. Delta serves as the charter carrier for 41 NCAA Football programs.
Beginning in March 2012, Delta added new all-jet service from LaGuardia to key Upstate New York markets, including Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. It continues to maintain its commitment to the Upstate community through its support of local civic arts and community organizations, including the Syracuse YMCA and the Taste of Syracuse.
Delta offers 15-peak day departures from Syracuse Hancock International Airport to five destinations, including Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia and New York-JFK. A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Chautauqua, Compass, Endeavor Air (formerly Pinnacle Airlines), ExpressJet or GoJet.
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-114 N363NB (msn 1990) arrives at the Minneapolis/St. Paul hub.
British Airways (London) is premiering its “Red Carpet Route” between Los Angeles and London today, the inaugural flight for the airline’s first Airbus A380. The City of Angels is the first of the airline’s more than 150 destinations to receive the super jumbo, offering a premium experience to customers who want to travel in style to the U.K. and beyond.
Scheduled to touch down at Los Angeles International Airport this evening, the new British Airways aircraft offers customers a superior travel experience, including:
Spacious interiors, featuring 469 seats across four cabins, 14 First, 97 Club World (business class), 55 World Traveler Plus (premium economy) and 303 World Traveler (economy)
First ‘suites’ with 30 percent more space, turndown service, a la carte dining and champagne supper
Full-flat beds in business class with new 2:3:2 configurations on the upper deck, designed for maximum personal space and comfort
State-of-the-art in-flight entertainment with 1,600 hours of programming, including more than 130 of the latest Hollywood blockbusters and classic movies and 650 TV shows from around the world
Complimentary bar, three course meals, amenity kits and blankets for all customers
Cleaner air, as a result of advanced filters and a system that allows 15 different temperature control zones with cabin air refreshed every three minutes.
The British Airways A380 also features a new menu designed by The Langham, London, for customers travelling in First and Club World. This includes an elegant five-course tasting menu and afternoon tea, inspired by the range of indulgent treats offered at The Langham, London โ famed as the birthplace of Afternoon Tea over 140 years ago.
New aircraft are part of British Airways ยฃ5 billion investment in products and services to benefit customers. The airline has ordered 12 A380s and 24 Boeing 787s.
Red Carpet Route Premiere, Hollywood Style
Celebrating the connection between two entertainment capitals of the world, British Airways has partnered withย Varietyย magazine to present “10 Brits to Watch”. The best emerging U.K. talent in Hollywood will be recognized at a red carpet event on September 25.
At the premiere party, guests will experience signature elements of the A380 while honoring the magazine’s “10 Brits to Watch.”ย These up-and-coming actors, writers, directors and musicians include Sam Claflin, Tuppence Middleton, Harry Treadaway, Sally El Housani, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Georgia King, Ed Whitworth, George Blagden, Alexandra McGuiness and Lauren Harris.
“London and Hollywood have been productively-linked entertainment business hubs for all of Variety’s 108 years as the pre-eminent source of industry news, so the chance to partner on the Brits to Watch project with an esteemed global brand like the U.K’s British Airways was irresistible,” said Steve Gaydos, Executive Editor, Variety. “Business travelers and business readers both have high expectations due to their fast-paced careers and sophisticated lifestyles, so this is a partnership born out of our mutual strengths of experience and dedication to delivering on those daily demands, 24/7.”
Tweetliner Race
To further celebrate the launch of the A380, British Airways is staging the world’s first-ever social race between a virtual plane and real plane.ย The competition invites British Airways fans and followers to ‘tweet’ a message using #racetheplane @British Airways.ย Each tweet will fuel the ‘tweetliner” and move it nearer to its destination โ LA. Three lucky winners will receive a pair of tickets to fly to London.
The 5,454-mile race begins when BA 269 takes off from London Heathrow at 4:15pm BST and will culminate when the inaugural flight touches down at LAX at approximately 7:15pm PST. Visitย http://racetheplane.ba.com/ย for additional information, including terms and conditions.
Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. A beautiful landing photo of the first British Airways Airbus A380-841 G-XLEA (msn 095) arriving at Shannon on a training and photo flight.
British Airways:ย
Videos: British Airways is using social media to promote this inaugural flight:
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