JetBlue is finally ready to cross the Atlantic. After years of planning seats are now on sale for the company’s flights between the US and London, though no official word from the company announcing the plans.The (likely?) inaugural flight departs JFK for London Heathrow on 12 August 2021.
Airplanes and Airports
PLAY secures certification, first aircraft
Iceland’s PLAY Airlines is ready to fly. The carrier received its operating certificate from Icelandic authorities and officially registered its first aircraft. It expects to have three planes in service in the coming weeks.
Airbus resumes Toulouse A320 family upgrades
Airbus is confident in a demand rebound for its A321 single-aisle aircraft. The company is once again moving forward with plans to add capacity in Toulouse to build the type.
Avelo selects New Haven for New England hub
A hub at New Haven?? Avelo is ready to make it happen, bringing three planes to a new base in New England later this year.
Vistara plans US launch in September
The Vistara 787s could be flying to the USA later this year. The carrier applied to the US DOT for permission to operate service as soon as September.
Finnair adds A330 cargo conversion with Lufthansa Technik, Airbus
A handful of markets show signs of recovery for passenger traffic. But airlines typically focused on long-haul international service are nowhere close to calling it a recovery. With air cargo capacity still depressed around the globe Finnair is the latest to add more cargo capacity to its operations, bringing a temporary conversion online for its A330s in partnership with Airbus and Lufthansa Technik.
Sun Country breaks from its hub model in the Upper Midwest
Travelers will have more opportunities to escape the Upper Midwest this coming winter as Sun Country expands its route offerings. The Minneapolis-based carrier will add 9 new airports and 18 routes overall, including 10 where the carrier is the only non-stop service in the market.
Hawaii’s big summer: More flights, bigger planes
Travelers looking to visit Hawaii this summer will have plenty of flight options. Airlines expect high demand to the islands and everyone wants to cash in. More than 1100 weekly flights from the mainland are slated to operate in June 2021.
AirBaltic rides the NFT hype, minting an emissions mess
Sensing an opportunity to cash in on the hype, Latvian airline AirBaltic is now issuing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to celebrate its destinations. The company intends the campaign to “serve as a tourism campaign for Latvian cities” with the funds raised a small side benefit. Emissions impact, be damned.
JetBlue, American extend alliance growth plans in Boston, NYC
Slots are swapping. Routes are growing. And JetBlue is about to venture into uncharted territory. Phase two of the North East Alliance with American Airlines brings much of the change we were promised back in February, plus a few extra bits to digest.