Can a pretty new paint scheme make the difference for Northern Pacific as it pushes forward with plans to connect Asia and the Lower 48 via Anchorage? Probably not, but the plane still looks good and CEO Rob McKinney is talking up the plans in more detail now.
Airplanes and Airports
Norse Atlantic secures initial US operating authority
Norwegian startup Norse Atlantic will soon be able to operate flights to the United States. The carrier received tentative approval from the US Department of Transportation for its requested access to the US market.
Boom fires up the engines on XB-1 supersonic demonstrator
The Boom Supersonic XB-1 engines are installed and running. The company released an update on the flight test program progress, including details on the installation and first test runs of the three General Electric J85 engines on board.
Galley Gossip: Airline Planning edition
It is not often that a senior airline executive departs that role, and even less often that the news is semi-buried in a press release. Which makes what comes next for Scott Laurence, formerly Head of Revenue and Planning at JetBlue, all that much more interesting.
Allegiant picks Boeing 737 MAX for fleet expansion, refresh
Allegiant is mixing up its fleet plans. The carrier announced an agreement to purchase 50 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, diversifying from its current all-Airbus A320 family operation.
JetBlue plans February schedule adjustments
Fresh on the heels of a New Years schedule cut, JetBlue expects to further trim operations into February. The company informed crew on Friday of impending “adjustments to our February schedule” in light of shifting customer demand.
WestJet, Transat push codeshare to US markets, with a catch
WestJet and Transat applied to the US Department of Transportation for permission to codeshare on flights between the US and Canada. The move is part of the carriers’ planned transatlantic codeshare pact announced last month.
KLM, Transavia tap Airbus for single-aisle refresh
Chalk up another 100 aircraft order for Airbus (plus 60 options). Air France-KLM announced a firm order to refresh the KLM, Transavia, and Transavia France fleets with A320neo family aircraft.
Baltimore, Boston picked for PLAY’s US debut
Travelers from Baltimore and Boston now have a new option to Europe. Iceland’s PLAY intends to launch both markets in Spring 2022, connecting the US to Europe via its hub at Keflavik.
Qantas picks Airbus for fleet refresh
The next several decades will see a lot of Airbus planes in the skies over Australia. Qantas announced its intention today to renew its single-aisle fleet with a mix of up to 134 A220 and A320neo family aircraft.