For many people, inflight entertainment can play a useful role in making time fly while traveling from one airport to another. Seatback screens are commonplace on widebodies, but passengers on narrowbodies often have to remember to download movies to their own devices before their flight if they want something to watch. Of course, if this is forgotten, your chances for entertainment are somewhat minimized. However, by teaming up with a Dutch WiFi provider, Bhutan Airlines has launched a 'bring your own device' system that will allow passengers to stream a selection of films and television series without having to pre-download anything.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:18am 20/7/23

Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce as part of an ambitious project to operate a transatlantic flight powered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). As part of this program, the British carrier announced this morning that it had reached a key milestone, following a successful engine test. When it comes to notable transatlantic routes, there are few, if any, that spring to mind quicker than London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to New York JFK. As such, it is rather apt that this is the corridor that Virgin Atlantic has chosen for its 100% SAF flight, which will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' on November 28th. Commenting on the flight, Shai Weiss, the airline's CEO, stated:

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:18am 20/7/23

Sometimes it can an airline months to gain traction on a new route, with load factors slowly climbing to a reasonable level as the route progressively develops. This month AirAsia and AirAsia X have launched new routes from Malaysia to China that are already achieving load factors of more than 90% on their Airbus aircraft. The new routes are with AirAsia Malaysia from Kota Kinabalu to Beijing and Macau and with AirAsia X from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu. AirAsia X recorded a 99% load factor on its first flight from Chengdu to Kuala Lumpur International (KUL) on July 1st. AirAsia X (AAX) uses an Airbus A330 on the route, and on the first flight, it carried 376 passengers, prompting the airline to increase frequency from twice weekly to three times weekly.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:18am 11/7/23

Air Serbia is preparing for its first Embraer E195 aircraft to enter revenue service between Belgrade and Milan in the coming weeks. The aircraft will join an E190 that the airline reportedly took delivery of last month. The E195 is the first of four aircraft that the flag carrier of Serbia plans to add to its fleet, as of estimates from June. According to the airline’s CEO, the move is to bridge the gap between its smaller turboprop planes and larger Airbus aircraft.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:18am 11/7/23

TAP Air Portugal carried more than 7.5 million passengers over the first six months of this year, over 30% more compared to the same period in 2022. The airline noted a strong performance on its intercontinental routes, which exceeded its pre-pandemic levels by almost 15%.

Portugal's flag carrier saw a 30.2% increase in passengers in the first half of this year, serving a total of 7.58 million. The airline - coming off a yearly net profit of $70 million for 2022 - is still around 4% off its pre-pandemic half-yearly figures but is clearly moving in the right direction. While it may have reported net losses of $63 million for the first quarter of 2023, it managed to halve the deficit compared to the same period in 2022.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:18am 11/7/23

Aircraft unavailability has forced Dutch low-cost airline Transavia to scrap more flights. The airline is facing an airplane shortage due to unresolved maintenance issues and delays in operating its leased planes. The latest disruption to its schedule comes after Transavia was forced to cull some flights in April and May.

Transavia’s summer schedule continues to be affected, with the airline announcing further cancellations in June. More than 300 flights to and from the Netherlands have been cancelled, almost all of them in the month of June.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:26am 17/5/23

British low-cost leisure carrier Jet2 has reached a key milestone in the ongoing development of its fleet, with its first Airbus A321neo having now entered service. The airline celebrated this yesterday with a ceremony on the ground in Manchester, with its lucky passengers receiving VIP treatment and vouchers for future trips.

The introduction of Jet2's first Airbus A321neo has been a highly-anticipated event for many in the UK's commercial aviation scene. The Yorkshire-based carrier made its first order for the type back in August 2021, marking the first time it had ever purchased brand-new Airbus jets. It has since added to this multiple times.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:26am 11/5/23

In 2022, airlines globally earned an estimated $103 billion in ancillary revenue, of which $29 billion came from fees for carrying bags. The data is in the Car Trawler Global Estimate of Baggage Fee Revenue, released yesterday.

Aviation and ancillary revenue consultancy IdeaWorksCompany and CarTrawler, a global B2B car rental and mobility solutions provider to the travel industry, compile the report. Each year IdeaWorksCompany analyzes ancillary revenue disclosures for airlines globally, and baggage activity for each airline category is added to the analysis.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:27am 20/4/23

Doha-based Qatar Airways will return with its direct Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Auckland International Airport (AKL) flight, recommencing one of the globe's longest long-haul flights. The Qatari carrier operated the direct service before the onset of the pandemic before hibernating and altering the service as border restrictions eased.

From September 1st, Qatar Airways will take off for Auckland direct, operating its Airbus A350-1000 on the route, equipped with Q-Suite, recognized by many as one of the world's best business class products. The operation will take off daily for Auckland, operating a once-daily service, providing a seamless connection to the many destinations from its Doha hub.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 18/4/23

British Airways added another widebody aircraft to its fleet – a Boeing 787-10. While the longest version of the 787 series is not its best-selling model, British Airways now has six of this variant, with another six to be delivered, per ch-aviation.

British Airways recently welcomed its sixth Boeing 787-10 aircraft. On April 8th, the plane (registered G-ZBLD) flew from Paine Field to Heathrow and joined other -10 variants in the airline’s fleet (G-ZBLA, G-ZBLB, G-ZBLC, G-ZBLF, G-ZBLG).

While the aircraft has been delivered recently, it is almost two and a half years old. According to ch-aviation, G-ZBLD took its first flight in November 2020. It doesn’t usually take this long for the plane maker to deliver an airplane following its first flight, which suggests that BA’s latest 787-10 delivery was affected by Boeing’s Dreamliner production issues.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 18/4/23

After a few quiet months to start 2023, it seems the Singapore Airlines Group is about to hit V1 on its COVID-19 recovery. The group, which includes Singapore Airlines and Scoot, released its March operating results today, which showed capacity and passenger numbers are heading in the right direction.

In March, Singapore Airlines Group carried 2.72 million passengers at a load factor of 89%, compared to the March 2019 returns of 3.11 million passengers and a passenger load factor (PLF) of 81.5%. Seat capacity this March was 12.5 million seat kilometers, 85% of what it was in March 2019.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 18/4/23

As carriers in India ramp up operations and get on with growth plans, airline workers, particularly pilots and cabin crew, are in great demand. Last year, several airline employees switched companies as many carriers offered better salaries in a post-COVID environment. With Air India hoping to expand significantly, it needs all the talent across departments to support the growth. And latest reports suggest it is ready to increase the salaries of its employees.

Air India could reportedly announce a salary hike across various departments as the competition among airlines to hire the best industry talent heats up. According to a report by Mint, the airline will first start with pilots and could give them an increment of around 8-10% and bring them to par with global standards.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:25am 29/3/23

Etihad Airways, with one of their Airbus A320-232 aircraft, has restarted the route between Abu Dhabi and India’s financial capital of Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU). In a March 27th statement, Etihad Airways announced resuming daily connections not just between two world financial centers but also connecting Kolkata to Etihad’s hub, which has 67 destinations, 8 in India alone.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:25am 28/3/23

Last night, a Bucharest-bound Boeing 737 operated by Romanian flag carrier TAROM had to divert to Istanbul. The aircraft had been flying from Tel Aviv back to Bucharest when a bomb threat prompted the plane to land prior to reaching its planned destination. The incident has caused significant delays for the passengers.

According to Romania Insider, the diverted service was TAROM flight RO154, which connects Israel's Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) with Bucharest Henri Coandă International (OTP). The latter of these serves as the main operational base for TAROM, which competes with the likes of El Al, Ryanair, and Wizz Air on this route.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:25am 24/3/23

Reports of Japan Airlines (JAL) placing an order for Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft were doing the rounds for quite some time. And now, both have confirmed that the airline will, indeed, go ahead with this plan by placing an order for 21 MAX planes. The order is part of JAL's fleet renewal program, and the new planes will join its fleet about three years from now.

Japan Airlines placed a firm order for 21 737-8 jets from Boeing. The airline was reportedly in talks with both Airbus and Boeing for an order for its narrowbody fleet renewal program, and Boeing has won this round. Yuji Akasaka, president of Japan Airlines, commented,

“We are delighted to select the Boeing 737-8, a member of the very latest 737 MAX family, to replace our Boeing 737-800s, which make up the largest proportion of the JAL Group's fleet. We look forward to carrying our passengers in the utmost safety and comfort and to moving closer to our 2050 carbon-neutral goals, thanks to a combination of these super-efficient aircraft, operational innovations and new fuel-saving technologies.”

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:17am 23/3/23

Earlier this month, Simple Flying got to speak with Akasa Air’s co-founder and Head of Operations Neelu Khatri, who said that the Middle East and Southeast Asia are on the airline’s radar for international flying. And at the CAPA Aviation Summit in Delhi, the carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Praveen Iyer, gave further updates on where Akasa could be flying initially in these regions.

Akasa Air has been tight-lipped about where it could fly internationally, mainly due to regulatory permissions and route allowances. Simple Flying analyzed the carrier’s offshore options a few days ago, taking into account the range of its fleet. The Middle East and Southeast Asia were obvious conclusions, but anything beyond that was anybody’s guess.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:25am 22/3/23

According to schedule data from Cirium, Atlanta-based carrier Delta Air Lines has reduced its summer schedule by more than 6,000 flights. Four routes were cut as part of the changes to the airline's schedule, including two from its hub in Detroit and one that had not even launched.

As summer rapidly approaches, airlines hope to nail down their schedules and minimize last-minute disruptions to operations. Multiple factors go into the decision-making process, like analyzing the demand and labor force. In recent years, labor shortages have proved a problem for carriers, as the demand for air travel has rebounded faster than anyone expected.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:27am 21/3/23

Today, Australian national airline Qantas announced something that will put a smile on its customer's faces, particularly those who look forward to airplane food but would like something bigger and better.

In what Qantas describes as "a significant menu enhancement program," the airline is introducing new meals and, wait for it, larger portions across all cabins. Qantas said it is the biggest single investment in inflight and lounge dining in a decade, which is a key element in its customer investment programs. Other parts of that package include an AU$100 million ($67 million) expansion of domestic and international lounges, progressive aircraft renewal, and new routes.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:25am 21/3/23

For many people, inflight entertainment can play a useful role in making time fly while traveling from one airport to another. Seatback screens are commonplace on widebodies, but passengers on narrowbodies often have to remember to download movies to their own devices before their flight if they want something to watch.

Of course, if this is forgotten, your chances for entertainment are somewhat minimized. However, by teaming up with a Dutch WiFi provider, Bhutan Airlines has launched a 'bring your own device' system that will allow passengers to stream a selection of films and television series without having to pre-download anything.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 21/3/23

Ahead of the upcoming start to the 2023 IATA summer season, Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has announced an exciting expansion on the network front. The airline plans to serve five European destinations this summer, with three being brand-new routes. The other two will see its flights resume on existing routes.

Jazeera Airways is a budget carrier that has been flying out of its hub at Kuwait International Airport (KWI) since October 2005. With an all-Airbus fleet at its disposal consisting of A320ceo and A320neo aircraft, it leverages its Middle Eastern location to serve a wide range of scheduled destinations in Asia and Europe.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:26am 20/3/23

As airlines transition to life after COVID, many are reassessing their networks and launching new routes. In a bold move, Israeli flag carrier El Al has announced it will introduce nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and Melbourne next year.

Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, is Australia's second-largest city, and the new service will be the first to link Israel and Australia with a nonstop flight. This week, El Al Israel Airlines (El Al) signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the Victorian State Government to launch the route by June 2024.

JosephSmyth Goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 17/3/23

When one of the world’s most recognized airlines changes its livery, everyone notices. Images of an Emirates Airbus A380 in a refreshed livery began circulating on social media, with av-geeks speculating whether this was a one-off change or would be more permanent across the entire fleet. Emirates has officially confirmed that the new livery is here to stay and will be applied to all its planes gradually.

One of the first noticeable changes in Emirates' latest livery is on the tail section of the A380. While the basic design and concept have remained the same, the UAE flag on the Emirates tailfin is much more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork.

JosephSmyth Goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:23am 17/3/23

Negotiations between Barbados, the Africa Export-Import Bank, and Air Peace could lead to the commencement of a direct route between Barbados and Nigeria as soon as the second half of the year.

Barbados' Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador, David Comissiong, disclosed that negotiations between the Africa Export-Import Bank and Nigeria's Air Peace were going well. If successful, the island could see the commencement of the direct route to Africa.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:26am 13/3/23

Avianca has bid farewell to its only Airbus widebody passenger aircraft, an A330-200. In a short statement published on social media, the Colombian carrier announced it will stop employing this aircraft type for scheduled passenger operations after 15 years.

The Colombian flag carrier officially operated the last commercial passenger flight onboard an Airbus A330 on February 16. Avianca operated the A330-200, registration N974AV, on flight AV98 between Santiago de Chile (SCL) and Bogota El Dorado (BOG), the airline confirmed to Simple Flying.

On Monday, Avianca released an image on social media, saying goodbye to this passenger widebody fleet.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:27am 1/3/23

A report has surfaced online of an alleged lithium battery fire onboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Atlanta (ATL). According to the report, the incident happened as the aircraft was over Salt Lake City, when a flight attendant noticed smoke coming from the overhead locker at rows 2-4 and managed to put the fire out using one of the onboard halon fire extinguishers.

The laptop was then transferred to the fire containment bag, which by this point had been filled with water, and one of the flight attendants was assigned the task of keeping watch to ensure that the laptop did not reignite, which is a potential risk with lithium battery fires.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:26am 1/3/23

In thinking about operators between Europe and Africa, Binter Canarias is unlikely to feature highly. The regional carrier, which uses ATR-72s and Embraer E195-E2s, is European but is geographically very close to Africa. It serves five countries in North and West Africa. But the airline's Jonay Lobo, Chief Network, Revenue Management and Alliance, said at CONNECT Route Development Forum in Tangier that it will be adding "two to three" more African countries in the next two to three years.

This summer, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Western Sahara will be served by Binter Canarias from its main airport at Las Palmas or Tenerife North. It targets both point-to-point passengers and those transiting across the wider Canary Islands and, in some cases, to wider Europe.

JosephSmyth goodmorningnews Travel Editor 11:24am 1/3/23