Chester will fly on fewer aircraft types sooner than planned. Alaska Airlines’ accelerated fleet harmonization plan will drop the Q400 and Airbus A320 family aircraft from its operations by the end of next year.
A320
Aegean’s EAN in-flight WiFi officially goes live
Aegean’s in-flight wifi offering officially entered service. The system, powered by Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN), is live on seven aircraft and will be active across the full A320 and A321 fleet by the end of 2025.
Vaayu secures A320 P2F deal, expects early 2022 EIS
The first A320 freighter conversion took flight this week, a major milestone in the project as it moves towards entry into service in the first half of 2022. Vaayu Group expects to take delivery of the first plane early next year, part of a five plane deal announced during the Dubai Airshow last month.
Spirit Airlines WiFi hits milestone
Looking for WiFi on a Spirit Airlines flight? Depending on which aircraft type you’re on, the odds of fast, inexpensive connectivity on board could be surprisingly high.
Air France adds new North America routes from Guadeloupe
Air France plans a pair of new Caribbean routes this winter, but perhaps a bit outside the normal range of operations. The carrier will connect Montreal and New York City with its mini-hub at Guadeloupe.
Tracking tails: More WiFi flying sooner than expected
In-flight WiFi installations don’t have to be a slow, drawn out affair. And even with the rebound in air travel demand in the US, some airlines are finding the necessary downtime in their fleet to get the gear installed. Including one sub-fleet that finished a little faster than previously anticipated.
Alaska Airlines boosts Boeing 737 MAX order, plans Airbus retirements
It won’t truly be “Proudly all Boeing” as was painted on the nose for many years, but Alaska Airlines is moving aggressively back in that direction. The carrier announced an expanded order book with Boeing for the 737 MAX today, with plans for a total of 68 firm orders of the 737-9 type. An additional 52 options are also included.
A320s Score Swanky Boarding Area with Airspace Design
Making an A320 feel like a twin-aisle plane is no easy task. With the introduction of a new entry area, built by FACC, the A320 now has a more stylish option, one that might even be considered swanky.
Solving the Thales Ka-band antenna conundrum
Rip-and-replace is rarely good news for an on-aircraft hardware system. But there’s at least one big winner with the latest revision to the Thales Ka-band in-flight connectivity offering. The Thinkom ThinAir Ka2517 has been confirmed on an Spirit Airlines A321 headed towards certification.
Airbus, EASA warn on parked aircraft battery issues
With thousands of aircraft parked around the globe this year the industry is learning more and more about the impact of these long-term storage actions. This week Airbus and EASA issued an advisory regarding battery systems on the A320, A330, A340 and A380 family aircraft that “could lead to reduced battery endurance performance, possibly resulting […]