BREAKING British Airways extends the cancellation of short-haul flights from Gatwick
British Airways announced it extends the cancellation of all short-haul flights from London Gatwick airport until March 2021, at the earliest.
Emirates to produce kosher meals as the airline to start flying to Tel Aviv
The Emirates airline group unveiled plans to produce kosher meals in keeping with Jewish dietary rules, two days after the UAE and Israel signed a deal to normalise ties. Dubai-based Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is expected to start flying to Tel Aviv by the end of the year, Israeli and Emirati…
British Airways announces direct flights from Lahore to London Heathrow operated by a Boeing 787-8
British Airways announced it will begin flying direct from Lahore, Pakistan to London Heathrow four days a week, commencing on October 14, 2020. The ‘City of Gardens’, Lahore and will be the second city in Pakistan that British Airways will connect to London. The airline already flies every single day from Islamabad, connecting friends and…
Ryanair shareholders approve CEO Michael O’Leary a €458,000 bonus
A third of Ryanair shareholders today revolted against a €458,000 bonus for chief executive Michael O’Leary today at the budget carrier’s annual general meeting. Although the firm’s remuneration report was approved by 65.8 per cent of voters, 34.2 voted against the packages, which had been criticised due to the ongoing financial crisis brought on by…
ALERT Southwest temporarily grounds 130 Boeing 737-800 airplanes
Southwest Airlines Co said it temporarily grounded 130 Boeing 737-800 aircraft after it discovered discrepancies in aircraft weight data. The Dallas-based airline said in a statement that “out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily ceased flying the respective aircraft to enter the correct weights of the aircraft in question into the system and…
Airliners could soon be flying in formation like birds in order to save fuel
Airliners could reap fuel savings of up to 10 per cent — along with a corresponding decrease in emissions — by flying in formation like birds. The concept, which the European aerospace firm has dubbed fello’fly, will see planes fly relatively close behind one another. This allows the trailing aircraft to take advantage of the…
JetBlue to add 24 new routes to its network
Jetblue announced its intention to launch 24 new routes towards the end of this year. Many of these routes have never been flown before by the airline. Each of the new routes adds strength to the airline’s focus cities in Florida, Latin America, the Carribean, New York, and California. Each of the markets added in…
Cathay Pacific to park 40 per cent of its passenger fleet
The Cathay Pacific Group will park 40 per cent of its passenger fleet overseas and says a restructuring is “inevitable” as it reported a drastic drop in its traffic numbers for the month of August due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hong Kong-based airline group revealed in its latest traffic figures for the month of…
ALERT Emirates could cut almost 600 jobs in the UK
Almost 600 UK-based Emirates employees risk losing their jobs after the airline warned its employees of the need to “consider reducing the size of the UK workforce”. The United Arab Emirates flag carrier stated that quarantine, border controls and other travel restrictions had left passenger demand “extremely subdued”, according to an internal memo seen by…
IATA completes Pakistan International Airlines safety audit
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reportedly concluded its operational safety audit of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The audit was conducted by a four-member team and lasted for one week, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI). During the operational safety audit, which is performed every two years, the team consisting of foreign experts…
European Commission extends airline slot waiver until spring next year
The European Commission has announced it will extend a waiver of the 80:20 ‘use it or lose it’ slot allocation rule until March next year. The waiver conditions agreed between airlines, airports and slot coordinators earlier in September will be applied immediately on a voluntary basis, said European commissioner for transport, Adina Valean. The decision…
United Airlines to close flight attendant base at Japan’s Narita
United Airlines said it would close its flight attendant base at Japan’s Narita airport on Oct. 1, a move that will affect 270 flight attendants. Some of the 270 flight attendants may be eligible for a transfer to the United States, a spokeswoman said on Monday, confirming a plan first reported by Reuters in June…