The Business of Passenger Experience
Wilmington, Delaware is on the air world map. Again. Avelo launched operations on 1 February 2023, with Orlando the first of five initial destinations planned, and more on the horizon.
During the inaugural flight I sat down with CEO Andrew Levy to understand in more detail why he felt Wilmington was ready for long-term success with an airline – something that has eluded the airport and the state previously – and what other growth we can expect from Avelo in the years ahead.
The first Alaska Airlines 737-800 completed its interior retrofit and is once again ready to carry passengers. Gone are the carpet-art cabin dividers and forward bulkhead wall. Replacing them are muted tones of blue, beige, and grey.
With more than a dozen aircraft fitted, Turkish Airlines is finally ready to officially launch its newest in-flight connectivity platform. The service, powered by Anuvu and in-country partner Profen, can be accessed on 13 of the company’s Airbus A321 and Boeing 737NG planes.
Norwegian agreed to lease a pair of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, bringing the type back into service at the carrier. The two planes will join the carrier’s operations “shortly” with a focus on meeting the Summer 2022 goal of serving approximately 270 routes.
Australia’s Rex Airlines is now online in the sky. The carrier officially activated the 2Ku satellite internet offering from Intelsat on its fleet of 737-800s. And, to help acquaint passengers with the service, WiFi is free on board for the rest of November.
El Al, Astronics, and Viasat joined the dubious group of in-flight connectivity installations causing damage to aircraft last week. As a result, hardware must be removed from the planes to avoid catastrophic failure.
KLM’s short-haul WiFi service went live this week, just under six months after the carrier announced plans to update the fleet. The first two aircraft with the Viasat Ka-band satellite connectivity officially activated for passengers, with a free week before the regular, three-tier pricing plans kick in.
The Recaro SL3710 economy class seat is ready to fly. KLM represents on only the launch customer for the new seat, but also the first time Recaro will fly on an Embraer jet. KLM selected it for installation on the 737-800, E190 and E195-E2.
Putting flat bed seats in single-aisle aircraft is hardly a new phenomenon. As the planes fly farther and passengers appear willing to pay for increased comfort that trend will likely continue, with seat manufacturers continuing to innovate in the space. Or, perhaps, taking a step backwards from time to time.
American Airlines grounded fourteen of its 737-800 aircraft today after discovering an issue with recent retrofit work. An “issue with the quality of work conducted on overhead bins” was discovered on two of the planes.
