The bad news continues to spread for Rolls Royce and its Trent 1000. An additional 160+ engines are now subject to new inspections while airlines and passengers should expect growing disruptions as a result.
Airplanes and Airports
Fiji Airways signs on as inaugural oneworld connect member
Oneworld wants to grow its route network and it is willing to take on smaller airlines to deliver on that plan. Fiji Airways is the inaugural member in the new “oneworld connect” program allows limited alliance membership and limited benefits for passengers. But locking up the new connect member airlines is a smart move for the group.
Singapore Airlines brings back the nonstop to Newark
Singapore Airlines is reclaiming the role as operator of the world’s longest flight. The carrier confirmed today that it will serve Newark nonstop from its Changi Airport hub using the Airbus A350-900ULR starting in October 2018. That’s nearly 19 hours on board, a trip that requires certain accommodations to keep passengers sane.
A not-quite-Basic Economy across the Atlantic
Fares are going up across the Pond. All three major alliance JVs now offer some sort of Basic Economy for transatlantic travel. The Star Alliance A++ group launched its version this week, with sales starting 5 June 2018. No checked bag, no changes and no upgrades are the main limits, though there is more nuance in the details.
AirBaltic commits to CS300 fleet growth
AirBaltic loves its CSeries jets. The Latvian carrier is set to dramatically grow that fleet. Today’s deal with Bombardier, inked just over one year since the first CS300 arrived in Riga, adds at least 30 more of the type to its fleet.
Southwest teases further network growth, including Canada
Southwest Airlines’ plans to grow in to the Hawaiian islands are no secret, but they’re also not the only destinations further afield the company is considering. Among the possibilities: Canada!
A big boost for space-based ADS-B: NATS invests in Aireon
A big win today for aircraft monitoring and safety: Space-based ADS-B operator Aireon secured a $69 million investment from UK’s NATS to help fund operations. And the biggest winner might be Iridium, the satellite operator hosting the services.
Optimizing the east coast: United’s latest schedule shifts
United is moving around its east coast operations, shifting more connections to Dulles and away from Newark. Can the NYC-area hub hold up under the new schedule load? And will travelers really flock to the “better” connection opportunities on CRJ-200s??
Interisland service, mainland gateways announced for Southwest’s Hawaii service
Interisland service in Hawaii? You betcha! Mainland gateway details? We’ve got that, too. Southwest Airlines’ plans for island service continue to trickle out and the carrier is clearly not afraid to pick a fight.
American is "playing to win" with international route shake-up
“We very often don’t earn enough cash to cover the price of fuel on the flight.” That’s definitely not what you want to hear from the VP of network planning. For American Airlines, however, it is part of a major shift in international operations at its O’Hare hub.