Chalk up another major long-haul LCC failure. Norwegian will abandon its fleet of 37 787 Dreamliners, refocusing on the short-haul European market served with single-aisle aircraft.
London
Emirates launches Premium Economy to London
The newest Emirates A380 will fly a dedicated route starting this week. That’s great news for travelers looking to try out the updated cabins, though getting a premium economy seat will still require a bit of luck.
American Airlines secures Heathrow slots for Seattle service
American Airlines secured slots at London’s Heathrow Airport for its new Seattle service planned for the upcoming summer season. The carrier leaned on Oneworld alliance and transatlantic joint venture partner Finnair for the scarce resources.
Iceland’s PLAY secures slots at Gatwick, Stansted, Dublin
A year has passed since the company initially planned to start selling seats, enough time to question whether launching a new airline right now is really a smart choice. But Iceland’s PLAY secured access to at least two London-area airports should its operations launch in Summer 2021, suggesting that the company is still pushing forward.
JetBlue’s initial London play: Stansted and Gatwick
JetBlue continues to pursue Heathrow as an option for access to the most lucrative London market, but should the carrier launch transatlantic service in Q3 2021 as currently filed it will be to Stansted and Gatwick.
Aer Lingus approved to join Oneworld TATL joint venture
Aer Lingus received tentative approval from the US Department of Transportation on Monday to join the Transatlantic OneWorld Immunized Alliance joint venture. The ruling, pending final approval and a similar order from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will allow Aer Lingus to fully participate in the coordination of fares and scheduling with American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and OpenSkies.
United launches pre-flight COVID testing to London
United Airlines is adding a new sort of pre-flight check to one of its routes: COVID-19 testing. All passengers (over the age of 2) on one of the company’s Newark-London flights will be required to take a test at the airport prior to departure. The test will be free of charge to travelers, with results returned before departure.
JetBlue delays London launch
JetBlue still intends to launch service to Europe. CEO Robin Hayes believes that “the need for us to enter that market and bring more competition” remains relevant. Just don’t expect it to happen quite so soon, and that may be a good thing.
JetBlue wants to give United Airlines its Mexico City slots, if the DoT will let it
Why does JetBlue care what happens to its slots in Mexico City as it pulls out of that market next month? Turns out competition among airlines is a good thing, and the carrier just might have its eye on another prize some 5,500 miles away.
Air New Zealand extends its range with Newark in 2020
Air New Zealand will add a new longest route to its network map in October 2020 as the carrier connects its Auckland home to Newark. The news also brings an end to the carrier’s 38 year run at London.