It is no secret that Norwegian wants access to fly across northern Russia. The trans-Siberian routes open up opportunities in North Asia, including Japan, China and Korea. And the Russians know this. The country is a notoriously tough negotiator when it comes to gaining access to those routes. Some might even claim extortionate. Oh, and the country has a maligned small airplane that it would like to see selling better, perhaps flying more outside of its home carriers. What are the odds??
A220
A Hong Kong Surprise: PaxEx Update (16 August 2019)
A surprise twist in the Hong Kong protests as Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg resigns. Plus RFID for bags, VR for passengers and new aircraft types launching service soon. A busy week with plenty to uncover in this edition of PaxEx Update!
Air Canada announces new A220 routes, unveils interior
Air Canada’s first A220 is working through the Airbus FAL in Mirabel as it nears delivery. The carrier released details on the interior design this week, as well as two new routes the type will launch next Spring.
PaxEx Update: 9 August 2019
Another business class double bed concept, more first class on regional jets and a lot about the A220 top this week’s PaxEx news. Check it out!
Moxy: Where flexibility is key
The Airline Known As Moxy continues to take shape. Little by little details emerge and the concept shifts closer to its estimated departure time. And flexibility seems to be a key component of the plan for founder David Neeleman, mostly delivered in the A220 chosen as the backbone of the operation.
JetBlue picks Viasat for A220 WiFi service
The aircraft type will be new to the fleet, but JetBlue’s A220s will have some familiar touches on board. Among them, the inflight WiFi connectivity will be delivered by Viasat. And it will continue to be free to passengers.
Air France adds A220s, retires A380s
Air France will add sixty A220-300 aircraft to its fleet from September 2021. The planes will replace the carrier’s aging A318 and A319 aircraft. The carrier also announced plans to fully retire its fleet of ten A380s by 2022.
Bits and bobs from EBACE 2019
The annual Geneva gathering of the Business Aviation world known as EBACE is once again underway. The event is a showcase for aircraft manufactures and third party suppliers to highlight their new offerings and features for the private jet travel industry. This year’s show includes incremental updates in the inflight connectivity and entertainment segment, as well as fun new interiors and even progress towards sustainability.
Bombardier to restructure aviation, sell off Belfast composite wing facility
First Bombardier sold off the CSeries (now A220) to Airbus. Then the Q400 turboprop business was sold to Viking Air. Today the company announced further restructuring, with plans to consolidate remaining operations in the Americas while divesting its composite aerostructures businesses in Belfast and Morocco.
JetBlue plans 140 seats, Boston base for A220 launch
The A220 will join JetBlue’s fleet in 2020 and the company revealed some details on its role and layout this week in an internal strategy briefing.