American Airlines and JetBlue are to launch a “strategic partnership” in Boston and the New York City area, aligning flights and loyalty program benefits to boost their recovery. It reads well in the press release, but how it evoloves in practice is very much up in the air, with few details available from either side.
Airplanes and Airports
This Delta A321 won’t be domesticated
Generally speaking airlines don’t dedicate an aircraft to a single route. But this is certainly a time for strange things in the world of aviation. So Delta Air Lines choosing to fly one of its A321s on what appears to be a dedicated route for the past four months almost seems normal now.
Accessible Lavs and more wifi flying: The Weekly Wrap–10 July 2020
Improved wifi offerings from multiple vendors leads this edition of the Weekly Wrap, while an option for more accessible lav access is our feature interview. Plus lots more!
Breeze blows inland, slow-rolls launch plans
The newest US airline, Breeze Airways, is taking a delay in its launch plans. The company is also adjusting its fleet plan and service markets in response to changing market dynamics.
JetBlue beefs up Los Angeles, abandons Long Beach
JetBlue’s long and convoluted history at Long Beach comes to a close in October. The carrier will move its LA crew and maintenance bases to Los Angeles International Airport and halt service at the smaller, nicer airport.
OWG to launch as new Canadian leisure carrier this Fall
Canada’s Nolinor Aviation has a long history of providing charter air services, mostly in the country’s far north. Now the company wants to bring its special sort of flying to leisure markets further afield, and under new branding. OWG aims to operate flights to tropical destinations from September 2020.
Peek inside the largest converted cargo aircraft flying today
Given that the A380 has no real future as a true cargo aircraft (i.e. containers on the main deck, not just in the belly) this is likely the only time we’ll see the Whale flying with so much freight on board. And that’s awesome, even if it is for less than wonderful reasons.
July’s magic: The Weekly Wrap–3 July 2020
As the calendar rolled over to July the global aviation community saw significant wins. Borders reopened, airlines resumed or increased flight levels. And, perhaps most exciting, lounges are reopening, too. Get details on that and lots more in this edition of The Weekly Wrap
LIAT’s future in further doubt as CARICOM looks to outside airlift
With its regional airline LIAT slated for liquidation the Caribbean is looking to outside resources to help maintain air connectivity among the islands rather than investing further in the failed operation. At least six airlines from the region are keen to back-fill the capacity gap from LIAT’s collapse.
JetBlue hits most targets in voluntary staff reduction plan
Most of JetBlue’s employee groups hit targets for voluntary departures, helping the company to avoid layoffs as the CARES Act Payroll Support Program funding expires at the end of September. In a message to crewmembers today Chief People Officer Mike Elliott detailed the situation among each of the work groups.