UK holiday carrier Jet2 is the newest Airbus A321neo customer. The carrier announced an order for 36 of the planes, to be delivered from 2023 to 2028. The airline currently operates a fleet of 737NG and 757 aircraft.
Alitalia Due (a/k/a Italia Trasporto Aereo) applies for US service
Come October 15th Alitalia will cease operations; Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA) will take its place as Italy’s flag carrier. Except that Alitalia will still probably be in business. ITA confirms that it intends to bid on the Alitalia brand at auction as part of its application to serve the United States.
Additional details as Connect Airlines pushes for October launch
Connect Airlines still aims to launch this Fall. An updated Department of Transportation filing sheds light on additional details for how the company plans to fill its planes headed to and from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport downtown.
Porter Air reduces seat pitch as it resumes operations
When passengers return to Porter Air next month they’ll notice a change on board. And a few more people, too. After an 18-month hiatus the carrier is slated to resume flying in mid-September and during the down time it replaced its seats on board. It also added an additional row.
Qantas making big moves, looks to restart international travel
The financials are, expectedly, not great for Qantas. But with the carrier’s latest earnings report it also expressed optimism in the reopening of international markets later this year. And, potentially, a return of the A380 to service sooner than expected.
JetBlue’s Mint Studio to London: Most of the premium, none of the crowd
With half of the aircraft space devoted to the Mint business class cabin it is clear that JetBlue wants to win over the premium travel market to London. And while loads are light as service ramps up (and COVID continues to impact international travel rules), the on-board offering represents well versus the competition.
Gatwick targets expanded operations with updated north runway plan
It is time, once again, for a conversation about additional runways at London airports. With the third runway at Heathrow stalled, Gatwick is pushing to activate its shorter North runway for departures, boosting capacity and reducing congestion at the airport. Community consultations are slated to begin in two weeks.
American reopening Flagship lounges, expanding access
As airlines shuttered lounges across the globe at the onset of the pandemic, many promised to reopen when premium demand returned. American Airlines is ready to make good on that commitment, with its first two Flagship Lounges set to welcome guests again beginning next month.
El Al removing Viasat WiFi from 737s to avoid possible aircraft damage
El Al, Astronics, and Viasat joined the dubious group of in-flight connectivity installations causing damage to aircraft last week. As a result, hardware must be removed from the planes to avoid catastrophic failure.
OneWeb secures antenna, investment with Hanwha Systems
Each of OneWeb’s post-bankruptcy investors plays a strategic role in the company’s future. Last week’s news of a new partner keeps that streak alive, as Korea’s Hanwha Systems added $300 million to the company’s coffers.
Perhaps more importantly, however, Hanwha can provide a critical component of the company’s technical roadmap. Expect to see electronically steered antenna (ESA) solutions delivered from Hanwha to power the OneWeb customer terminals.