easyjet makes it easy with COVID protection extension

easyJet has announced it is extending its flexible policies under its ‘Protection Promise’, to continue providing customers with peace of mind when booking their flights. During the pandemic, easyJet introduced some of the most generous and flexible policies to help customers navigate the frequently changing restrictions, with no change fees for flight changes up to …

New Airline Zambia Airways to Begin Operations December 1

MIAMI – Zambia Airways (ZN), the new Zambian carrier, is expected to operate its first flight on December 1. ZN is helped by Ethiopian Airlines (ET), which has a 45% stake in the new airline. The launch has already been delayed as it was previously expected to start flying in 2019. The first flight will …

A350 Paint Deterioration Issue More Widespread

MIAMI – The saga of the surface paint flaws on Airbus aircraft continues. Earlier this year, the surface below the paint on some Airbus A350s was deteriorating much faster than anticipated. This prompted Qatar Airways (QR) to refuse delivery of aircraft until Airbus resolved the issue. Qatar has grounded 20 A350s over the issue, following …

Аir Serbia, ITA Airways Sign Codeshare Agreement

MIAMI – National airline Air Serbia (JU) and Italy’s new flag carrier, ITA Airways (AZ), become partners with a new codeshare agreement. The partnership is to provide passengers with a greater selection of destinations and improved connectivity via respective hub airports. Italy has a visa-free agreement with over 60 countries, including Serbia. Joining Air Malta …

TSA Screens 2.45 Million Passengers Sunday

MIAMI – According to the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), 2.45 million airline passengers were screened on Sunday, the biggest number of daily travelers since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world. This was the biggest total for a single day since mid-February 2020. TSA said that the volume for the 10-day Thanksgiving travel …

LATAM Airlines, Creditors Reach Bankruptcy Deal

MIAMI – LATAM Airlines Group (LA) has come to an agreement with key stakeholders to restructure its debt and emerge from bankruptcy under new management. According to court documents procured by batimes.com.ar, Latin America’s largest airline aims to raise US$5bn by offering shares and convertible notes to current stockholders and creditors as it emerges from …

British Airways Halts Flights to Hong Kong

MIAMI – Following the infection of British Airways (BA) staff members, the airline suspended service to/from Hong Kong, canceling a dozen flights. On November 20 and 27, two crew members tested positive after arriving in Hong Kong on flight BA027. One of them was transported back to the UK, while the other, together with their …

Rowdy Passengers Beware: US DoJ to Ramp up Prosecutions

MIAMI – The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged US attorneys to prioritize the prosecution of airline passengers who have committed federal crimes aboard aircraft as air travel goes up across the country this Christmas season. The directive was issued as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 5,338 rowdy passenger reports to the Department …

Air Ocean Airlines Takes off with An-148s

MIAMI – Ukraine’s new airline, Air Ocean Airlines (AOA), launched its inaugural regional flight on the Kyiv-Mykolayiv route on October 30, 2021, using an An-148 jet aircraft, according to an Antonov State Enterprise (SE) press service. Air Ocean Airlines was created in September 2020, and it was the first carrier in the country to use …

Today in Aviation: Dan-Air Merges into British Airways

MIAMI – Today in Aviation, the subsidiary of the Davies and Newman shipbroking company, Dan-Air (DA) is merged into British Airways (BA) in 1992. Dan-Air (Dan Air Services Limited) was created in 1953 and operations commenced with a charter flight from Southend (SEN) to Shannon (SNN) via Manchester (MAN) using a single Douglas DC-3 (G-AMSU). Gatwick’s …

Qatar Airways suspends passenger uplift from South Africa and Zimbabwe

Qatar Airways has suspended passenger uplift from South Africa and Zimbabwe over the new Omicron variant outbreak but flights will continue to take travellers and cargo into those countries. The airline says it is monitoring the situation in Southern Africa very closely and working with the World Health Organisation. The airline said on its Twitter …

Qatar Airways suspends passenger uplift from five African countries

Qatar Airways has suspended passenger uplift from five African countries over the new Omicron variant outbreak but flights will continue to take travelers and cargo into those countries. Qatar Airways says it is monitoring the situation in Southern Africa very closely and working with the World Health Organisation. On its Twitter page Qatar Airways said: …

Emirates suspends flights to seven African nations over Omicron

Emirates has suspended all flights to seven African nations over the Omicron outbreak. Emirates said it has cancelled all passenger flights (including for transit passengers) to and from: South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, & Zimbabwe — until further notice. The World Health Organization announced Friday that its Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus …

Omicron creates border bans for many African nations

Numerous major European countries, the US and now Australia are closing their borders to over a dozen Africa countries over the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. The World Health Organization announced Friday that its Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) assessed the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529. and found that this variant has …

Singapore adds more countries to its Vaccinated Travel Lanes

Singapore Airlines Group has welcomed the addition of more countries to Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangements. These are: Thailand (from December 14, 2021) Cambodia, Fiji, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Turkey (from December 16, 2021). The airline said it will be adding Bangkok and Phuket to its VTL network from December 14, 2021, Phnom Penh, …

Today in Aviation: Concorde Makes Her Last Flight Ever

MIAMI – Today in Aviation, Concorde, the world’s only supersonic passenger airliner, made its final flight ever in the year 2003. Flight BA9010 operated by G-BOAF, the last Supersonic jet to roll off the production line, made a scenic flight from London Heathrow (LHR) over the Bay of Biscay before crossing low over the Clifton …

Qantas launches world first green FF initiative

Qantas Frequent Flyers has launched a world-first Green Tier to its program to reward members who make sustainable choices at home and when they travel. initiative To be rolled out next year the Green tier will sit alongside existing flying tiers and is designed to educate, encourage and reward the airline’s 13 million frequent flyers …

Kenya, South African Airways Sign Strategic Deal

MIAMI – Kenya Airways (KQ) and South African Airways (SA) inked a Strategic Partnership Framework on Wednesday, marking a significant step toward forming a Pan African Airline Group by 2023.  The collaboration conceptual framework is based on the two airlines’ two-month-old Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), which aims to promote the exchange of knowledge, expertise, innovation, …

TSA Expects to Screen 20 million Travelers during Thanksgiving

MIAMI – US airports and commercial airlines had one of their busiest days since before the pandemic yesterday as millions travel for Thanksgiving. The biggest day for travel is usually Thanksgiving Eve. Working from home, on the other hand, allowed many people to fly early this year and avoid the last-minute congestion. Passengers should arrive …

ANA to Raise ¥150bn for New Airline, Debt Repayment

MIAMI – ANA Holdings, the parent company of Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (NH), aims to sell over ¥150bn in bonds to invest in a new airline. The funds will be used to support the company’s business structure reform strategy, which was announced in October 2020, as well as to redeem maturing bonds and repay …

Today in Aviation: Maiden Flight of Malév Hungarian Airlines

MIAMI – Today in Aviation, Hungarian flag-carrier Malév (MA) made its maiden flight in 1954. This came after the Hungarian government purchased the Soviet shares of former national carrier Maszovlet. Masovlet was formed at the end of the second world war in 1946. It replaced three smaller Hungarian airlines forced to suspend services during hostilities. …

Today in Aviation: Maiden Flight of the Fokker F27

MIAMI – Today in Aviation, the first Fokker F27 (PH-NIV) took to the skies in 1955. The turboprop went on to become one of the most successful airliners to come out of Europe with 586 examples built before production ended in 1987. Following the end of the Second World War, Dutch manufacturer Fokker, along with …

Understanding Boeing’s 787 door and structural issues

New York-based analyst Bernstein has provided clarity around the 787’s door and fuselage issues in a new report, “Boeing: 787 restop – How serious is the new fuselage problem?” Bernstein said that “the [new] issues were widely reported, and confirmed by Boeing, that the company is addressing structural nonconformities around three aft fuselage doors in …

Airline Ratings Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas talks 777X and border openings

AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas has appeared on Skynews Australia to discuss the Boeing 777X that stunned the crowds at the recent Dubai Air Show. He also discussed the travel bubbles from Australia. About Geoffrey Thomas; Geoffrey Thomas is a world-renowned multi-award-winning writer, author, and commentator who has taken a holistic view of the read more …

Air New Zealand welcomes phased reopening which starts Januray 17, 2022

Air New Zealand has welcomed the news that from January 17, 2022, New Zealanders will be able to travel to and from Australia, and from February 14, 2022 Kiwis can return home or explore the rest of the world. And from April 30, 2022, the airline will be saying Kia ora to all visitors who …

Lufthansa Technik Reveals Stunning Explorer Concept

MIAMI – Lufthansa Technik (LHT) revealed a new concept for wide business jets with the motto “Go anywhere at any time.” The new concept involves a brand new cabin, with different lightmoods and a stunning innovation: an open-air area. It would allow passengers to have an unique view on the airport from their plane. On …

Emirates Returning to 90% of Network by July

MIAMI – More evidence that the pandemic is finally subsiding on a global scale comes from Emirates (EK). The Dubai state carrier says that by July it will have restored about 90% of its pre-pandemic network. Despite recording a record US$5.5bn loss this week, EK says it is “encouraged” as several countries open their borders. …