Spirit Airlines has big growth plans on its mind. The carrier announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus today to add 100 A320neo family aircraft to its order book, more than doubling the fleet by 2027.
Doha aims to complete new airport, copy Changi
More gates. More fancy art. A water feature and garden that look surprisingly familiar. These are just a few of the updates slated for Hamad International Airport in Doha as it seeks to complete its terminal build out.
SES, Thales, Thinkom raise the bar on inflight connectivity performance with GEO/MEO blend
Blending GEO and MEO satellites delivers a hybrid of coverage, performance, and cost that is hard to beat. SES, Thales, HughesNet, and Thinkom are on the cusp of delivering a commercially-viable solution in this space.
Delta’s plan to arrive on time: Leave early!
With runway construction ongoing at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and taxi times longer than normal Delta Air Lines is turning to creative approaches for improving on-time performance. Some 45 airports will aim to have flights depart five minutes early at least through the end of the month.
Aeroplan seeks a hybrid loyalty solution with program relaunch
Aeroplan is coming home and Air Canada has a LOT of big ideas on what that will mean for the future of its loyalty program. The program won’t relaunch for members until late 2020, but significant changes are already underway to lay the groundwork for the new program. Mark Nasr, AC’s Vice President, Loyalty & eCommerce, recently spoke with PaxEx.Aero to review some of the changes that members can expect to see.
Air New Zealand extends its range with Newark in 2020
Air New Zealand will add a new longest route to its network map in October 2020 as the carrier connects its Auckland home to Newark. The news also brings an end to the carrier’s 38 year run at London.
Delta to grow A330neo fleet, accelerate deliveries
Delta Air Lines will accelerate its A330neo fleet growth through the first half of 2021. Two additional planes and faster deliveries of existing orders will bring newer aircraft online, replacing older frames and helping drive growth.
Gogo builds partnerships for 5G network development
Gogo’s upcoming 5G ATG network will require partnerships for a successful buildout. Today at NBAA in Las Vegas the inflight connectivity company announced three companies that will play key roles in developing the technology used by the service. Cisco, Airspan Networks, and FIRST RF Corp. each will provide necessary elements to Gogo’s 5G solution for aviation.
Viasat, Gulfstream announce STC for inflight wifi on G280
The super-midsize Gulfstream G280 business jet is now certified to carry Viasat’s inflight Ka-band connectivity solution. The two companies announced the receipt of FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the installation at the NBAA conference in Las Vegas this week.
JetBlue launches a new – and maybe useful – carry-on bag fee trial
Since airlines started charging for checked bags the overhead bins are more crowded and passengers more stressed. A new (optional) fee from JetBlue related to carry-on bags may help solve the problem. Or at least mitigate it slightly.