Having achieved first flight this month, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) fulfilled a promise that dates back eight years to the Paris Air Show of June 2007: to create the first modern Japanese jet airliner. Like a number of other upcoming airframers, it’s using the 70-100 seater large regional jet market to do it. It is certainly a crowded market, but geopolitics might be on M...
The best part of a decade on from its October 2007 introduction into service, Singapore Airlines’ Suites class still has it. Cashing in a stack of frequent flyer points to fly from LAX to Tokyo Narita, I was surprised by how well the product has stood up against an increasing amount — and pace — of competition. The LAX lounge was very pleasant, the Kyo-kaiseki food was exquisi...
Just in time for Thanksgiving, American Airlines has announced the end of the Frequent Flier Era as we’ve known it. Starting next year, the airline’s customers will earn miles based on how much they spend on a ticket rather than how far they fly. In making the shift, American becomes the last of the big three U.S. airlines to adopt a revenue-based frequent-flier progr...
American Airlines Group Inc. will keep the right to fly between Los Angeles and Tokyo's Haneda airport, after federal regulators rejected claims by Delta Air Lines Inc. that the privilege should be revoked because American failed to begin service quickly enough. American has until March 27 to begin the flights to Haneda airport, the U.S. Transportation Department ruled. The carrier sai...
easyJet is stepping up services from Scotland next year by adding an eighth aircraft to its base at Edinburgh airport. New routes to Vienna and Venice will operate from the Scottish capital while Glasgow will gain a connection to Marseille. The budget carrier flew 5.5 million passengers between Scotland and other parts of Europe in the year to September and expects this to grow by 10% i...
German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit is confident it can come to a deal that will allow it to take part in a round table organized by Lufthansa management in a bid to defuse tensions with unions over job and growth prospects. Lufthansa asked unions representing the pilots, cabin crew and ground staff to the meeting on Dec. 2 but the pilots' union initially said it was be unlikely to take...
Sweden has suspended all flights to northern Iraq because of concerns about increased military activity in the area, the country's transport agency said on Friday. Iraq closed its northern airspace for at least 48 hours earlier this week because of military traffic from Russia's air campaign in neighbouring Syria. Commercial routes from the Middle East and Europe were disrupted, as w...
Passengers on a British Airways plane that caught fire taking off from Las Vegas in September are suing the makers of the plane and its engines in Chicago, their lawyers said on Friday. The engine of the Boeing 777 burst into flames, forcing all 170 passengers and crew to escape via emergency slides, after a part of a spool in the high-pressure compressor failed, according to findings from...
While the Emirates Aerosports Federation (EAF) is busy with last-minute touches to the first-ever FAI World Air Games next month, it is equally excited about organising an international medical symposium during the course of the event. To be held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the fou...
Airbus Group SE is aiming to seal a prospective Saudi order for the A380 superjumbo by pitching a new 615-seat, two-class version it says would be the ideal congestion-buster for carrying pilgrims to Mecca. The European plane maker has offered Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia, the high-density layout to be pioneered by leading A380 customer Emirates on its Copenhagen route next week, Hab...
On November 26, the Board of Directors of PJSC Aeroflot - Russian Airlines approved the sale of 6 Airbus A321-200 airliners to AviaAM Leasing AB, the company informed. Besides, the Board of Directors approved the 2016 operational results targets for Aeroflot Group. It is envisaged that this will include a regional carrier operating under the Rossiya brand and comprising the Rossiya, Donavia and...
Turkish Airlines' (THY) aircraft maintenance company, Turkish Technic, is meeting with Iranians to establish an aircraft maintenance center. It was also noted that German carrier Lufthansa has also started negotiations to enter into the Iranian market, which has an old aircraft fleet and therefore potential. Iran, which came to an agreement on limiting nuclear activities in return for...
