This is not quite a crowdfunding play for an upstart airline, but it is close. Midwest Express continues it comeback run and consumers can help thanks to a new online shop the company set up. It is unlikely the margins on logoed golf balls and pint glasses will help close the gap on the $6-8 million dollars the company is seeking to raise for its next funding round, but at least there’s a guarantee that shoppers will get something for the spend.
Gogo 2Ku to fly on the ACJ319neo
Late last month Airbus performed an impressive feat: It flew an A319neo for more than 16 hours as part of the certification process for the type. That same plane, the first customer frame of the A319neo, will soon be delivered to a private owner. When that happens it will also allow for the travelers on board to be online and entertained for any of its trips. Gogo announced today that it will be fitted with the 2Ku inflight connectivity solution as part of the kitting out process.
CTrip, Routehappy team for improved online shopping experience
Millions of passengers across Asia will soon have access to more and better information when shopping for flights thanks to a new partnership between CTrip and Routehappy by ATPCO.
Delta, United win big in Haneda slot allocation
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines came home the big winners in the most recent allocation of coveted route authorities at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport. The pair combined for nine of the twelve available slots, with American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines picking up the other three. The new flights should begin operation in Summer 2020.
Pepsi and Pouring: JetBlue switches up inflight catering plans
JetBlue is making two significant changes to its inflight service process in the coming months. The carrier will switch from Coke to Pepsi for the complimentary beverages in “Core” economy class. The carrier will also transition away from the single-serving mini water bottles to a poured offering from 1.5L bottles. The changes will begin to fly in early June 2019.
Air Canada to acquire Air Transat
Air Canada wants to buy its LCC competitor Air Transat in a half billion dollar deal. But can it get past the regulatory hurdles along the way??
Lilium’s "flying taxi" eVTOL jet takes flight
The world inched closer to a “flying taxi” reality this month as the Lilium Jet, an all-electric five seat eVTOL aircraft. took flight for the first time.
Highlights from the FAA and NTSB’s Congressional testimony on the 737 MAX grounding
Leaders from the FAA and NTSB were called before Congress to testify today about the 737 MAX grounding and what it will take to get the plane back into the sky. The tone and content from the two witnesses was impressively different. Here are some highlights from the 2.5 hours of hearings.
KLM kicked offline by Intelsat 29e outage
When the Intelsat 29e satellite failed last month anchor tenant Panasonic Avionics indicated that it had mitigated the loss of capacity for all customers. One airline is now suggesting the mitigation efforts were insufficient.
Global Eagle considers maritime spin-off
Could Global Eagle benefit from divesting its cruise connectivity business? Also, what is the impact of the 737 MAX grounding and who might the big new customer announced this week be? Lots of juicy insight from the Q1 earnings out this week.