Albert Aviation: Recent Episodes
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The Chinese government recently issued new regulations that all passengers on flights to China need to undergo nucleic acid and serum IgM antibody tests in advance. The testing equipment at Copenhagen Airport will be put into use from November 16. Transit passengers need to set aside 4 hours for testing and obtain testing reports. This time is expected to be shortened to 1 hour after 2-3 weeks. Passengers who have undergone pre-boarding double-checks on flights to China at Copenhagen Airport can board directly with the negative test report. Scandinavian Airlines will continue to provide passengers with the latest news about the Copenhagen Airport testing facilities.
More flexible rebooking and cancellation for flights connecting to China
According to the new regulations, transit passengers need to undergo nucleic acid testing and serum IgM antibody testing in countries that fly directly to China, which may require extending their stay in Copenhagen, and thus need to rebook or cancel the original flight to Copenhagen. In order to facilitate passengers to accept the test on time, SAS is allowing passengers to rebook or cancel the flight to Copenhagen for free. The resulting change fee, refund fee and possible fare difference will be all exempted, that is to say, all are free. Normally, European inland segments are not allowed to be changed or cancelled individually. Please note that SAS is not responsible for other expenses incurred due to rescheduling, such as accommodation. There is no refund for cancelled connecting flights.
Extra Check-in Baggage For Students Fly From China
Scandinavian Airlines are now launching very attractive one-way tickets from China. All students departing from China who purchase SAS flight tickets in economy class only need to show a valid student ID at the airport check-in counter to check in one extra piece of luggage. This means that students travelling in economy class (except for Go Light) can carry two pieces of checked luggage, each of which must not exceed 23 kg. The free extra baggage check will be done manually at the airport check-in counter.
Announced on June 15th, Air France plans to operate scheduled flights from Paris to Shanghai once weekly. As the relevant Chinese authorities began to relax travel restrictions, Air France announced that it would resume passenger service on the Shanghai route in Mainland China from June 18, 2020, with one flight per week, operated by Boeing B777-300.
Depending on government approval, travel restrictions and customer needs, Air France will gradually increase the frequency of passenger flights to China.
The first Air France flight AF198 to China will depart from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 23:30 on June 18, 2020, and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 16:45 on June 19.
In addition, Air France plans to operate scheduled flights from Paris to Shanghai once weekly, and will issue an official notice after confirming flight authorisation to open sales.
From May 11, 2020, all Air France-operated flights will undergo a temperature check on passengers one by one before departure. Passengers need to wear masks throughout the flights; all crew members and agents who are in contact with passengers are also required to cover themselves.
“In the context of the new crown epidemic crisis, Air France has always put the health and safety of its passengers and staff first. All Air France team members are doing their best to protect the overall health of passengers. And safety, to ensure that passengers travel safely and worry-free. After this difficult period, we are very pleased to welcome our passengers to choose to take Air France flights again to fly to Chinese destinations.”
Mr. Pang Daoan, General Manager of Air France KLM Greater China
In addition to resuming passenger flights to mainland China, Air France and KLM will continue to operate cargo flights on Chinese routes to ensure the continued supply of medical supplies from China.
Before restarting passenger service, Air France’s operational activities were mainly focused on cargo flights between China and France, and actively participated in the air transportation of masks and medical supplies between China and France. Air France currently operates 27 flights a week on routes in Greater China, using Boeing B777 all-cargo aircraft, Boeing B777 passenger aircraft cargo bays and cabins to carry equipment for cargo operations. (Among them: Shanghai Pudong-Paris Charles de Gaulle 5 pure cargo flights per week, Paris Charles de Gaulle-Shanghai Pudong 8 passenger-to-cargo freight flights per week, Beijing-Paris CDG weekly 7 pure cargo flights, Hong Kong-Paris Charles de Gaulle weekly 7 pure cargo flights)
At the same time, Air France is gradually increasing its 2020 summer flight plan. Air France plans to provide flights to 150 destinations worldwide this summer, accounting for 80% of the usual route network
As of the end of June, the planned flight capacity will return to 20% of the same period in previous years. Depending on the cancellation of travel restrictions in various countries, Air France will continue to gradually increase the number of flights and destinations. It is expected to reach 35% of the original flight plan in July and 40% in August.
Air France plans to lay off 8,000 to 10,000 employees by 2022.
According to the report of the French mainstream economic daily newspaper “Echo”, Air France will announce the specific number of layoffs in the company restructuring plan submitted from the end of June to the beginning of July. According to the plan, Air France will lay off employees on the basis of voluntary departure, involving multiple positions such as pilots, flight attendants, and ground crews. HOP! – Air France’s subsidiary airline, which mainly operates domestic French and European countries, may be the most affected. .
Issued on the 10th June, Poland is to open its borders with EU countries as of June 13, and international flights within Europe will be relaunched from June 17. Among the many airlines resuming flights today, LOT Polish Airlines won’t be one of them, the airline previously stated all international flight operations will be suspended until 30th June, while a few international long-haul charter flights has been operated spontaneously as part of the evacuation mission to help stranded Polish citizens return home.
The biggest airlines in Europe: Lufthansa, Air France and KLM will all be resuming flights today from Poland’s Capital Warsaw to Frankfurt, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam. Other airlines including the low-cost carrier Wizz Air will resume services today as well to 13 European destinations including London Luton, Budapest, Sandefjord Torp and Rome.
As the flag carrier of Poland, LOT Polish Airlines hasn’t come out with a statement just yet on when will they resume regular international flights. The airline’s current domestic network schedule is planned to run until June 19th with limited capacities, so it’s likely more information will be updated from the airline.
Poland will relaunch international flights, but noted that carriers “will probably need a week, or two or three, to prepare a flight-connection network.”
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki Commented On June 16
Ryanair, the Irish low-cost airline is planning flight resumption of almost 200 routes to and from Poland from July 1st. After a long period of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Poland. Base on Poland is one of the most important low-cost market for the airline, the airline is eager to resume much of its network as soon as possible.
Lufthansa is resuming once daily service to its hub in Frankfurt and Munich today, confirmed by the airline, the airline is expecting full flights today with a high load factor in the coming days as well, as many passengers are eager to enter or exit the country through the strong connection network available through them.
Other major airlines like Air France and KLM are also resuming flights today, though only Warsaw is seeing a huge increase of international flights today, but more are expected for other airports in Poland as carriers slowly goes back to normal operations.
In a press statement released today, SAS is now launching its traffic programme for July. Scandinavian Airlines is bringing back numerous European destinations the airline previously served, and in addition, trans-Atlantic flights from Copenhagen airport to New York, Chicago and San Francisco will resume operations as well. In total, the July traffic programme indicates a capacity increase from 30 aircraft in June to over 40 in July, equivalent to just under 30 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
After resuming a dozen European flights earlier this month, SAS is planning ahead with more destinations to be served in July. Scandinavian Airlines is resuming flights in stages in June where a dozen destinations has been planned with limited frequencies, however, the airline is still not operating as normal due to the complexities of travel restrictions in different countries they fly to. The flexible booking policy is still in place which allow one-time free reservation modification.
SAS planned to operate up to 30 aircraft by the end of June, and putting 10 more aircraft in service with the expanded traffic program in July, an overwhelming majority of flights will be resumed from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. In addition to a number of routes from Copenhagen, SAS is also resuming international flights from Oslo to a number of destinations, including Reykjavík, and continuing its operations to Finland and London from Stockholm.
Here’s the list of destinations SAS is resuming flights to:
Copenhagen:
Oslo:
Stockholm
Stavanger
Aalborg
Alta
Ängelholm
Aberdeen
Aarhus
Bardufoss
Gothenburg
Faeroes
Bodø
Kalmar
Malaga
Evenes
Kiruna
Palma de Mallorca
Kirkenes
Luleå
Alicante
Longyearbyen
Malmö
Athens
Tromsø
Östersund
Nice
Lakselv
Skellefteå
Split
Ålesund
Umeå
London
Bergen
Visby
Berlin
Haugesund
Malaga
Dusseldorf
Kristiansand
Alicante
Frankfurt
Kristiansund
Palma de Mallorca
Hamburg
Molde
Aten
Munich
Stavanger
Thessaloniki
Stuttgart
Trondheim
London
Amsterdam
Athens
Rome
Bologna
Malaga
Milan
Rome
Alicante
Faro
Milan
Palma de Mallorca
Split
Brussels
Split
Helsinki
Faro
Barcelona
Oslo
Gdańsk
Billund
Copenhagen
Geneva
Gran Canaria
Zurich
Nice
Reykjavík
Aalborg
Palanga
Aarhus
Vilnius
Stockholm
Stockholm
Copenhagen
Oslo
Reykjavík
Stavanger
Bergen
Trondheim
New York
Chicago
San Francisco
SAS - Scandinavian Airlines tweeted: We continue to slowly reopen routes. From July, we will fly to Alicante, Faro, Rome and 7 other destinations again. In addition, we are adding more flights on our intra-Scandinavian routes. Full program: #flysas #wearetravelers
As of June 13, the number of confirmed American Covid-19 cases has reached 2.09 million. Through a review of the development process of the pandemic, it can be clearly seen that in the first quarter, the impact of the aviation industry was mainly concentrated in March. At the end of January, the first patient was diagnosed in the United States. Passenger screening was started at major airports in the United States, and then three major U.S. airlines were grounded on Sino-U.S.
routes. At the end of February, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that sooner or later the outbreak would occur in the United States. Started to realize the seriousness of the pandemic and began to adjust the annual development expectation; in March, the United States expected an explosion of newly confirmed cases throughout the country. In mid-March, it announced the restriction of passage between European countries, and the transatlantic routes were affected, which marked that the impact to the industry has escalated, until the US domestic market has gradually fallen, and the aviation industry has completely entered the dark night.
In the first quarter of 2020, the operating revenues of the three major US airlines decreased by 17%-19% year-on-year, and the operating losses amounted to US$410 million to US$2.5 billion.
At the same time as the revenue has dropped sharply, the airline company has a very high proportion of fixed costs to the total cost.
The difference in the amount of loss between the three major US airlines is also due to the difference in cost control capabilities.
Affected by the pandemic, the operating income of the three major US airlines fell by more than 15% year-on-year compared to the first quarter of 2019. American Airlines’ operating income in the first quarter was US$8.52 billion, down 19.4% year-on-year; US United Airlines’ operating income was US$7.98 billion, down 16.8% year-on-year; Delta Airlines’ operating income was US$8.59 billion, down 18% year-on-year.
Among the operating income, both passenger and freight revenue declined to varying degrees. In terms of passenger revenue, the three major airlines fell closer, all from 9 billion to 7 billion. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta’s passenger revenue declined by 20%, 19%, and 18%, respectively; The decline in freight revenue is quite different. American Airlines and Delta have dropped from 220 million and 190 million levels to 150 million, with a decline of 33% and 21%, while United Airlines has only fallen from 290 million to 260 million. The range is 8%.
2019 Q1
2020 Q1
Year-on-year change
AIRLINES
PAX
CARGO
OTHERS
PAX
CARGO
OTHERS
PAX
CARGO
OTHERS
AMERICAN AIRLINES
96,6
2,2
7,1
76,8
1,5
6,9
-20 %
-33 %
-3 %
UNITED
87,3
2,9
5,8
70,9
2,6
6,5
-19 %
-8 %
12 %
DELTA AIR LINES
92,5
1,9
10,3
75,7
1,5
8,7
-18 %
-21 %
-15 %
Despite the decline in travel demand, various airlines have reduced capacity, but the passenger load factor still declined in the first quarter. The average load factor of American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines in the first quarter of this year were 72.7%, 70.9%, and 73.1% respectively. Compared with last year’s data (82.2%, 80.9%, and 82.7%), the decline rate was about 10%.
While revenues have fallen sharply, operating costs have not changed much over the same period. American Airlines’ operating costs have even increased, from US$10.21 billion in 2019 to US$11.06 billion, up 8%; United Airlines’ operating costs have dropped from US$9.09 billion in 2019 to US$8.95 billion, down 1.5% ; Delta Air Lines dropped from 9.45 billion US dollars to 9 billion US dollars, a decrease of 4.8%.
From the perspective of cost composition, fixed costs account for a very high proportion. Among the three airlines, labour costs accounted for the largest proportion, accounting for about 30% of the total cost; followed by j...
Sanya International Airlines will be the only airline that currently includes state-owned enterprises, private airlines, OTAs and local state-owned enterprises among its shareholders.
After a long period of low-key preparations, a new Chinese airline by the name of ”Sanya International Airlines” led by China Eastern finally surfaced after the instruction on the general plan for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port was released on June 13, China Eastern Group participated in the signing of the first key project of the Hainan Free Trade Port and signed a contract with the Hainan Provincial Government formally on the strategic cooperation framework agreement in Haikou.
China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd., the core main company of China Eastern Airlines Group, and the relevant partners formally signed the “Jointly Established Sanya International Aviation Co., Ltd. Cooperation Framework Agreement” (《合资设立三亚国际航空有限公司合作框架协议》) to fully open China Eastern Airlines’ service to Hainan Free Trade Port with a new chapter in construction.
According to the strategic cooperation agreement, China Eastern will give full play to the advantages of its aviation industry cluster, join hands with relevant parties in Hainan, vigorously develop the aviation economy and airport industry, and fully support the development of various businesses in the new era of Hainan. China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Province will be committed to promoting all-round and in-depth cooperation in various fields such as air passenger transportation, aviation logistics, aviation catering, aviation finance, aviation industry investment, and aviation innovation technology, to create the “Aerial Silk Road” connecting Hainan to the world, contributing to the “Eastern Air Force” for the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.
Among them, “Sanya International Airlines” is an important part of this strategic cooperation.
According to China Eastern Airlines, Sanya International Airlines is positioned as an innovative airline based on Hainan and facing the world, integrating diversification, internationalisation, marketisation and intellectualisation. The airline will be absolutely controlled by China Eastern Airlines (600115), jointly established with Hainan Transportation Investment Holdings Co., Ltd., Sanya Development Holdings Co., Ltd., Juneyao Airlines, and Ctrip Travel Network Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
It is worth noting that “Sanya International Airlines” is also the only airline that currently includes state-owned enterprises, private airlines, OTAs, and local state-owned enterprises among its shareholders.
At present, China Eastern has fully entered a new stage of high-quality development, and strived to build a global aviation hub network to achieve new leap-forward development in serving national strategies.
The strengthening of strategic cooperation between China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Province and the establishment of a joint venture “Sanya International Airlines” are also the forging competitiveness of Hainan’s seventh freedom rights policy, which effectively integrates the Hainan market into the greater Eastern Airlines to connect 170 countries and 1,036 destinations in the world in order to improve the global accessibility of air passenger and cargo transportation in Hainan, gather more people, logistics, capital, talents and other elements for the free trade port, effectively promote the rapid development of tourism, trade, services and other related industries in the free trade port, and fully serve the self-service port to become the International Tourism Consumer Center, National Key Strategic Service Guarantee Area, National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone, and comprehensively deepen the strategic realisation of the reform and opening-up pilot zone.
China Eastern’s Sanya International Airlines is targeting the support policy of the Hainan Free Trade Port Policy to the hub airlines, including 15% c...
Brussels Airlines, as part of the Lufthansa Group, in a press release today has decided to take substantive and essential measures to ensure the company’s survival. Impacted heavily by the continuing development of COVID-19, the airline has been met with ongoing extremely low demand and worsened financials, forcing the carrier to structurally reduce its costs to a competitive level in order to grant a future for Brussels Airlines. With the airline’s turnaround plan, Brussels Airlines will be cutting marginally profitable and unprofitable routes in an effort to tack its cost structure. The plan would result in a fleet reduction of 30% and a 25% smaller workforce. The airline is confident in its ability to safeguard 75% of its employment and grow back to profitability when expected air travel demand bounced back to normal by 2023.
The coronavirus crisis is exerting unprecedented pressure on airlines worldwide, and its total revenue impact is expected to exceed 240 billion euros. The number of bookings received fell by more than 60%, and the number of cancellations reached a record high. As a result, many airlines in Europe and elsewhere have had to lay off employees. Unfortunately, Brussels Airlines was not spared from this crisis. Since the temporary suspension of all flights on March 21st, the company lost 1 million euros a day due to loss of revenue and inevitable costs such as aircraft leasing and maintenance.
On February 28, the company first announced the impact on air travel demand. The situation deteriorated week by week and the number of days cancelled exceeded the number of bookings received. Today, demand is still very low. According to analysts and experts, the demand for air travel in 2021 is expected to be 25% lower than before the crisis, and the aviation industry can only expect to return to 2019 levels as early as 2023.
“We started the year 2020 with positive results in terms of number of passengers and revenues; and for this summer, we planned a strong leisure offer as we could compensate part of the business we lost due to the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook Belgium. But the Coronavirus pandemic is hitting Brussels Airlines extremely hard. We had no other choice than to temporarily suspend our flights as of March 21st and introduce technical unemployment for the entire company. This unprecedented crisis has worsened our financial situation obliging us to take substantial and indispensable measures. The restructuring is urgently needed in order to survive the current crisis and to become structurally competitive in the future”
Dieter Vranckx, CEO of Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines To Reduce Fleet Size By 30% For Future Survival
Avianca, Latin American’s Second Largest Airline, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
SWISS To Resume 20% Of Its Original Services Capacity In June
Czech Airlines(CSA) To Resume Services To Selected European Destinations On May 18
Brussels Airlines management plans to focus on achieving structural profitability after pulling the company out of the crisis, this will enable solid growth. The carrier plans to reduce its overall costs while increasing efficiency and productivity. Full positive EBIT margins will enable the airline to ensure its future, invest in the fleet and further develop its hub at Brussels Airport. In addition, Belgian domestic airlines will ensure that they continue to play a pivotal role in the Belgian economy and remain one of the core airlines within the Lufthansa Group.
The main measures of the turnaround plan includes:
The review of the network by focusing on the market needs and by optimizing the route profitability.
The adaptation of the fleet according to the network optimization: from 54 to 38 aircraft (-30%)
The reduction of the personnel costs by reducing the number of jobs by 25%
Together with the social partners, the number of forced redundancies will be reduced to a maximum extent.
The reduction of overhead, operationa...
Avianca, together with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies has filed a voluntary petition today under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Law to seek protection and reorganization to Avianca ’s business. The pandemic caused a 90% drop in global passenger traffic and is expected to reduce global aviation industry revenue by $ 314 billion. Avianca ’s loyalty program LifeMiles TM is managed by another company and is not part of the submission in Chapter 11. The Chapter 11 process is a well-established legal process in the United States of America that is recognized by other countries around the world. The process is a temporary one that, according to U.S. law, allows a company to reorganize and complete a financial restructuring under the supervision of the U.S. court system, while continuing its operations under the oversight of its board of directors and management team.
According to the International Air Transport Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has unforeseen effects, so it is necessary for Avianca to submit this document. Since mid-March, Avianca ’s scheduled passenger business has been grounded, which has reduced its consolidated revenue by more than 80% and has put tremendous pressure on cash reserves.
Through this reorganisation process, Avianca stated in a press release that it intends to:
Protect and preserve operations so Avianca can continue to operate and serve customers with safe and reliable air travel, under the strictest biosafety protocols, as COVID-19 travel restrictions are gradually lifted;
Ensure connectivity and drive investment and tourism by continuing as Colombia’s flagship airline, serving over 50% of the domestic market in Colombia and providing essential non-stop service across South America, North America and European markets as well as continuing cargo operations, playing a key role in the economic recovery of Colombia and the Company’s other core markets following the COVID-19 pandemic;
Preserve jobs in Colombia and other markets where the Company operates, with Avianca directly responsible for more than 21,000 jobs throughout Latin America, including more than 14,000 in Colombia, and working with more than 3,000 vendors; and
Restructure the Company’s balance sheet and obligations to enable Avianca to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as comprehensively address liabilities, leases, aircraft orders and other commitments.
“Avianca is facing the most challenging crisis in our 100-year history as we navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Anko van der Werff, Chief Executive Officer of Avianca. “Despite the positive results yielded by our ‘Avianca 2021’ plan, we believe that, in the face of a complete grounding of our passenger fleet and a recovery that will be gradual, entering into this process is a necessary step to address our financial challenges.”
“When government-mandated air travel restrictions are lifted and we are able to gradually resume our passenger flights, we look forward to welcoming back our furloughed employees and playing a leading role in restarting the economy in Colombia and our other key markets. We greatly appreciate the dedication of our employees to Avianca and to serving the more than 30 million passengers that fly our airline each year. We remain committed to our purpose to connect people, families and businesses. Our customers can be confident that they can continue to depend on Avianca for safe, reliable and high-quality service, and our valued LifeMilesTM members can expect to accrue and redeem miles as normal, ”
Mr. Van der Werff
Avianca Airlines is seeking financial support from governments that provide basic essential services just like many other airlines in the world right now. Avianca continues discussions with the Colombian government as well as those from its ket markets, discussing that the financing structure will provide more liquidity through the Chapter 11 process and play an important rol...
In the next few days and weeks, the entry requirements of various European countries will be gradually reopened. This has led to increased demand for air travel. Therefore, SWISS plans to significantly expand its services on the June schedule in accordance with respective countries entry requirements.
“We plan to restore approximately 15% to 20% of our original services in June, and we are very pleased to be able to provide Switzerland with more connections to the world.”
Swiss International Airlines CEO Thomas Kruhl
SWISS plans to operate about 140 weekly flights from Zurich to 30 destinations in Europe, and about 40 weekly flights from Geneva to 14 destinations in Europe. The airline will still provide long-haul flights to Newark, USA three times a week, and more intercontinental destinations will be added in June. In addition, Swiss International Air Lines and its Swiss WorldCargo division will continue to operate its cargo-only flights to destinations around the world.
Changes and additions to the June schedule will be announced soon in all reservation systems. According to the needs of customers, the expansion of flight schedules is proceeding gradually.
Starting Monday, May 4, 2020, all SWISS passengers will be required to bring their own face masks onboard all flights. The airline also recommends using masks at the airport before or after the flight if sufficient social distance cannot be observed. Despite the adjustments to the program, social distancing is not always possible, and this measure provides everyone with another layer of protection against SARS CoV2 transmission.
The recommendation will initially apply until August 31, 2020.
The current requirement for the second seat in Economy Class to remain vacant will no longer apply because the nose and mouth masks provide adequate protection. The probability of being infected with coronavirus while travelling by air is still very low: since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been no known cases of infection on Swiss Airlines flights. All SWISS aircraft are equipped with high-performance air filters to ensure the same air quality as the operating room and to ensure vertical air circulation rather than diffusion in the cabin.
Swiss International Air Lines stated that it maintains close contact with relevant authorities to ensure the best protection for passengers and crew.
Czech Airlines (CSA) said the company will resume some operations on May 18. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Czech Airlines has suspended operations for more than 6 weeks now.
Flights to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Stockholm will reopen in the first phase, and on May 24, the route to Kiev will be reopened, flights to Odessa and Bucharest will also be reopened on May 25. Passengers must wear masks during the entire flight, and keep a distance of 2 meters between each other. In addition, the aircraft cabin will be disinfected before and after each flight.
On May 18, 2020, Czech Airlines, a member of the Smartwings Group, plans to resume its route operations between Prague and certain cities after a temporary service interruption for more than one and half month. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Stockholm are the first destinations will be connecting to Prague. As of May 24, 2020, the airline plans to resume operations on its Kiev routes, and will begin the Odessa flights the next day, provided that Ukraine has terminated mandatory quarantine restrictions in accordance with current plans. On May 25, 2020, flights to Bucharest, Romania will also resume.
The gradual update of route operations is carried out in accordance with local laws and regulations and the relaxation of current effective restrictions in various countries. As a result, other changes may be made to the flight schedule.
At the same time, Smartwings Group is taking measures onboard to ensure that it can still fly safely during the coronavirus. The most important actions include: before boarding the plane and throughout the flight, passengers are obliged to cover their noses and mouths with adequate protective equipment like masks; to keep a social distance of two meters between passengers during boarding and disembarking, and in addition, contactless payment will be used to purchase refreshments on board.
Strict hygiene standards are followed on the aircraft. Before and after each flight, the interior is thoroughly disinfected according to the strictest hygiene regulations, including seats, tray tables, seat pockets, overhead lockers and toilets.
For many years, aircraft manufacturers and suppliers in the upstream of the aviation supply chain enjoy higher protection due to technical barriers, and the level of competition in the industry is much lower compared to the lower end of the supply chain. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a large-scale blow to the demand side of air transportation, making it difficult for aircraft manufacturers and suppliers to escape.
Since February, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world. As the closest link in the aviation industry chain to public travel needs, airlines bear the brunt. As the air transport markets of various countries are shut down like dominoes, an unprecedented large-scale grounding of the global fleet is taking place. According to Cirium’s updated data on April 17, 64% of the world’s 26,000 aircraft in service are grounded. As can be seen from industry figures, the current A330, A340 and B787 series grounding ratios of the wide-body aircraft have reached 90%, and due to the busy cargo aircraft, the B777 grounding ratio is slightly lower, about 75%. Also, more than half of the A320 and B737 series of narrow-body aircraft are grounded. Due to the possible deep damage to the global economy caused by the pandemic, the depression is expected to last longer, and it is difficult for air travel to recover as before in a short period.
-Airbus-
At present, the damage to Airbus’ commercial aircraft orders has begun to appear, and the aircraft delivery volume has also been greatly affected by the pandemic. In the first quarter of this year, Airbus cancelled 66 aircraft orders, with a net increase of 290 orders and a monthly average net increase of 97, which was higher than last year’s monthly net orders for 66 aircraft. Net orders include 248 A320neo, 42 A220 and 4 A350, while cancelled orders include 29 A320neo, 16 A220, 17 A350 and 34 A330neo. However, if we only look at the March data, Airbus received a total of 60 gross aircraft orders, while 39 aircraft orders were cancelled, and the net order volume was only 21, far below the average of 66 aircraft per month last year.
In terms of delivery, Airbus originally planned to deliver 880 aircraft in 2020, slightly higher than the 863 aircraft delivered in 2019. However, in the first quarter, Airbus delivered a total of 122 aircraft, including 31 in January, 55 in February, and 36 in March. The three consecutive months of delivery were lower than the average of 72 in 2019. Delivery level. The aircraft delivered included 91 A320neo, 14 A350, 8 A220, 5 A320ceo, and two A330ceo and A330neo each. In late March, Airbus’s factories in France and Spain were shut down due to the pandemic. Airbus’ original production and delivery plans were disrupted. At the end of March, it announced the cancellation of the original 2020 production plan and delivery plan. Aviation analyst Sandy Morris predicts that Airbus’ delivery this year will likely drop to 650, and it may drop to 600 in 2021.
Deliveries
Cancellations
Net Orders
Backlog
A220
8
-16
42
529
A320ceo
5
0
0
61
A320neo
91
-29
248
6159
A330ceo
2
0
0
36
A330neo
2
-4
-4
287
A350
14
-17
4
569
A380
0
0
0
9
Total
122
-66
290
7650
As of March 31, Airbus had 7,650 reserve orders, including 6,220 A320, 529 A220, 323 A330, 569 A350XWB and 9 A380, this is still a positive increase compared to 7,482 reserve orders at the end of 2019. After the outbreak, due to tightened airline funding and declining travel demand, the market’s demand for new aircraft will also decline, and the number of new orders is expected to decrease significantly. The current situation may be just the beginning.
Although the impact of the pandemic is not very obvious from the perspective of the number of aircraft orders, the market will remain pessimistic after the pandemic has become a consensus in the industry. Aircraft demand is expected to shrink in the future. To this e...
Air France has begun service resumption plans if confinement is lifted. France currently expects to resume flights on May 11, and Air France plans to begin resuming domestic flights between Nice, Toulouse and Marseille on this day. On the premise of border reopening of the destination country, Air France is aiming to resume 30% of flights in July.
At present, more than 90% of Air France and KLM flights have been grounded, and the CEO group Ben Smith announced internally that the company is losing €25 million a day. Despite cost saving measures already made, Air France KLM still needs help from the French and the Netherlands’ governments to avoid bankruptcy. Ben Smith is believed to have said that the company has only enough cash to survive until early June, that is not having to refund tickets for thousands of cancelled flights.
Since Paris Orly Airport was closed at the end of March, all flights leaving or arriving in Paris have been transferred to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
According to Connexion France, from May 11 (the date of initial deconfinement measures), the airline will begin by increasing the number of flights running between Nice, Toulouse and Marseille; three major airports that have stayed open despite confinement.
From July, it is expected to increase flights from the current 5% of its usual capacity, to 30%, depending on which countries reopen their borders, both within the EU and outside it.
Ben Smith earlier intends to return to 40% service in July to the initially planned offering before the crisis, then 60% in August, before reaching 75% in the fourth quarter at best. Now it still seems to be way too ambitious even for the summer.
Currently, more than 45,000 Air France employees have been placed on the partial unemployment (“chômage partiel”) scheme announced by the government, while the airline is continuing to offer a skeleton operation between major European destinations, with a only a handful flights per week.
It is also continuing to run a handful of services between Paris and several major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Montréal, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Tokyo, in addition they are flying to three African destinations of Dakar, Cotonou and Abidjan. It has also maintained services between mainland France and some overseas territories, including Cayenne in French Guiana, Fort-de-France in Martinique, Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, and Saint-Denis in La Réunion.
Many of these flights are operating as part of a rescue repatriation programme for French citizens.
At present, European airlines have basically suspended operations between China and Europe. They have been intensively using passenger aircrafts to carry cargo goods out from China. While the Chinese airlines continue to operate part of the Sino-Europe routes in accordance with the latest “Five One” rules of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, they also continue to deliver cargo goods by passenger planes.
Finnair and Shanghai-based Juneyao Air have signed a Letter of Intent to deepen their cooperation between China and Europe subject to required regulatory approvals.
The aim is to establish a joint venture on the Helsinki – Shanghai route enabling Finnair and Juneyao Air to offer their corporate and leisure customers a seamless travel experience through a wider choice of destination, schedule and fare options via their main hubs, Helsinki Airport (HEL) and Pudong International Airport (PVG).
Joint Venture Preparation
Juneyao Airlines opened its first European destination between Shanghai and Helsinki in June 2019, thus officially extending the route network from domestic and neighbouring countries to transcontinental scope, and there are plans to open more new fifth freedom routes in Europe via Helsinki. Juneyao Air became the first Star Alliance Connecting Partner in May 2017 and has been in FFP cooperation with several Star Alliance members. In 2019, Juneyao Airlines started FFP cooperation with Finnair.
Finnair has entered the Chinese market for more than 30 years. It opened the first direct intercontinental route between Helsinki and Beijing as early as 1988. Currently, there are a total of 7 direct services in China including Beijing Capital,Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Hong Kong direct to Helsinki.
Sino-Europe Routes Awaits Market Relaunch, Juneyao Airlines Confirms Finnair Joint Venture
Lufthansa To Temporarily Retires Entire Airbus A340-600 Fleet
Cathay Pacific To Auto Renew Tiers For All Marco Polo Club Members
Flying Blue To Maintain Elite Member Status For Another 12 Months
Although the global aviation industry is currently suffering huge losses under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and has suspended most of the intercontinental flight services, it is well understood both within and beyond the industry that the current market demand is only suppressed rather than disappeared, it would be wise to use this adjustment period to prepare for the restart of the market.
“The aviation industry has encountered tough situations. Nevertheless, we consistently and optimistically trust in our emphasized China-Europe market and partnership with Finnair. We have been in comprehensive cooperation with Finnair and have obtained a mutually trustworthy and beneficial partnership with shared visions and values. Expanding the partnership enables us to accelerate further development and to serve passengers better with diversified choices and broadened network coverage.”, says Mr Yu Chengji, Executive Vice President of Juneyao Air.
In fact, airline alliance is a closer way of cooperation between airlines. The two sides further bind the market and revenue links on the basis of code sharing, which can fully maximise the interests of both parties under the conditions of resource constraints.
“Despite these immensely challenging times for our industry, we at Finnair remain steadfast in our belief and commitment to China as a key market and to Juneyao Air as a key partner. Over the last year we have built up a close and mutually beneficial partnership with Juneyao Air. Taking the important step to evolve this into a deeper cooperation focused on our Shanghai and Helsinki hubs will allow us to not only serve our current customers even better, but also to lay a platform for further growth in the future, once the aviation market starts to normalise”, says Ole Orver, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair.
Air rights and foothold
Shanghai has always been Finnair’s most ...
In the process of the next 2-3 months, Lufthansa will temporarily decommission their entire fleet of 17 Airbus A340-600s. The oldest three A340-600s, with averaging age over 16.4 years, has already been flown to their graveyard at Teruel in northeastern Spain. These aircraft will be taking out of regular operating schedules for at least the next 12 to 18 months. A decision on the possible reactivation of a maximum of ten aircraft in the future will be taken at a later stage, which means, most of these aircrafts will be scrapped into parts.
The first three A340-600s already stored at Teruel are amongst the oldest of the 17 aircrafts. Lufthansa’s A340-600s used to have two types of seat configurations although now they have all been configured to one singular one, with 8 first class, 44 business class, 32 premium economy and 213 economy seats. What’s so special about this aircraft type in Lufthansa’s fleet is that passengers have to go downstairs to use the toilets. You may find the illustration on the seat map below with their older seat configuration of F8 C56 W32 Y189.
Leverkusen, with registration number D-AIHE, was named after professional football club Bayer 04 based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The aircraft was first delivered on Jan 2004, which currently is 16.4 years old and was withdrawn from service on 18th March 2020 and is now stored at TEV.
Lübeck, with registration number D-AIHF, was named after the northern German city distinguished by Brick Gothic architecture. The aircraft was first delivered on Feb 2004, which currently is 16.3 years old and was withdrawn from service on 17th February 2020.
D-AIHC, was named Essen after the city in western Germany with a rich historical heritage trail of coal mining and steel production until February 2018, during 2003 to October 2008, Essen was painted with the special Star Alliance livery.
The aircraft was first leased on Dec 2003, which currently is 16.5 years old and was withdrawn from service on 4th April 2020.
All three aircrafts is now stored at TEV, Teruel, Spain since 14th April. Teruel Airport is located between Zaragoza and Valencia in the northeast of Spain. With around 240 days of sunshine a year and little rainfall, the region is particularly suitable for parked aircraft.
REG
DELIVERED
REMARK
NAME
AGE
D-AIHB
Nov 2003
Stored
Bremerhaven
16.5 Years
D-AIHC
Dec 2003
Stored TEV, lsd
16.5 Years
D-AIHD
Dec 2003
Stored, lsd
16.4 Years
D-AIHE
Jan 2004
Stored TEV
Leverkusen
16.4 Years
D-AIHF
Feb 2004
Stored TEV
Lübeck
16.3 Years
D-AIHH
Mar 2004
Stored
Wiesbaden
16.2 Years
D-AIHI
Apr 2004
Stored
Mönchengladbach
16.2 Years
D-AIHK
May 2004
Stored
Mainz
16 Years
D-AIHL
May 2004
Stored
16 Years
D-AIHP
Nov 2006
Stored
13.4 Years
D-AIHT
Apr 2008
Stored
12 Years
D-AIHU
May 2008
Stored
11.9 Years
D-AIHV
Mar 2008
Stored
12.1 Years
D-AIHW
Dec 2008
Stored
11.4 Years
D-AIHX
Feb 2009
Stored
11.2 Years
D-AIHY
Mar 2009
Stored
11.1 Years
D-AIHZ
May 2009
Stored, lsd
Leipzig
11 Years
At the end of their useful lives, Lufthansa aircrafts will be dismantled for parts in the dry climate of Teruel, like engines or cockpit computers, are often still in good shape for re-use in other aircraft after careful inspection and certification.
With a length of over 75 meters, Airbus A340-600 makes the world’s longest aircraft when it was first launched in 2001.
“Ultimately, a plane belongs in the sky, but at some point, their time is up. That’s why we go to such lengths to keep an aircraft alive, albeit in a different form, like a keychain or a piece of designer furniture.”
Marius Krämer, From old to new | Lufthansa Magazin
Earlier this month, Marco Polo Club members were given a helping hand to retain their elite membership with club points relief and benefits extension across February, March and April, and as the COVID-19 situation has evolved into a global pandemic, Cathay Pacific has updated their tier renewal policy today on their site, all Marco Polo Club members with their current tier levels due to expire between May and December 2020 will be renewed automatically for another 12 months when the normal requirement is not met. This includes all club members at Green, Silver, Gold and Diamond levels.
Marco Polo Club Tiers
“Automatic tier renewal
The COVID-19 situation has evolved into a global pandemic, and many countries have instituted travel bans and restrictions to curb its spread. This in turn has lowered demand and we have significantly reduced capacity across our passenger network.
Renewal of club tiers
Knowing this has seriously affected your ability to travel and may continue to impact your travel plans for some months to come, we are renewing the current tier level of Green, Silver, Gold and Diamond members whose membership period expires from May to December 2020 for another 12 months, even if the normal renewal requirement is not met.
Reissuing of mid-tier benefits
We will also reissue mid-tier benefits that expire between May and December 2020 for another 12 months so you can enjoy them when your travel resumes. The reissue should take 7 working days from the date of expiry.
For the ticketing arrangements and precautionary measures we’re taking, please visit the COVID-19 Information Centre.”
Marco Polo Club Diamond Membership
This is a textbook example of how a flagship full service carrier should be retaining its customers, with the continuous passenger number drop, Cathay is expecting average daily pax number remain below 1,000 throughout April.
“A potential bright point could be cargo in upcoming weeks. Cargo revenue won’t be enough to offset passenger revenue loss, but it could cushion the blow from high monthly fixed expenses, Cathay has always had one of the strongest cargo operations in the Asia-Pacific. It would make sense for them to capitalise on this leadership and continue adding cargo capacity on key routes.”
Luya You, Transport analyst at Bocom International.
Cathay Pacific B777-300ER
Cathay Pacific had cut capacity by two-fifths and they could continue to extend its April flight reductions of 96 per cent if travel restrictions remains.
Marco Polo Club Status Renewal
Frequently asked questions
What does automatic tier renewal mean?
We appreciate our members’ loyalty. By renewing their membership tier automatically – without the need to apply or have a review – we’re ensuring they can travel in the style they’re accustomed to when they resume flying.
Who is eligible for automatic tier renewal?
Green, Silver, Gold and Diamond members whose memberships expire between May and December 2020 will automatically be renewed at their current tier levels, even if they haven’t earned the club points normally required to retain their status.
When will my status be renewed?
If your membership expires between May and December 2020, your current membership status will automatically be renewed at the end of your membership year for another 12 months.
Do I need to register to renew my status?
No, we will automatically renew your status at the end of your membership year. There is no need to call the service centre.
Where can I find the end date of my membership year?
Sign in to your account and visit the Account Balance page.
If my status will automatically be renewed at my current tier, can I still move up to a higher tier if I’ve earned the required number of club points?
Yes, the normal rules for tier qualification apply.
If my status is automatically renewed, will my club points be reset to zero in the new membership year?
Yes, the normal rule applies – upon renewal,...
From a press update from their COVID-19 statement earlier today, Air France KLM group’s Flying Blue program will be extending elite status for their elite members whose status is expiring from March this year to February next year for another 12 months. As for basic Explorer level members, all of their points won’t expire until the the end of this year.
“Coronavirus (COVID-19) Related Updates
In challenging times like today, travelling has become more difficult due to reasons beyond your control. In these trying times, we want to remove any uncertainty you may have about your Flying Blue Elite level.
We have put the following actions in place:
We will maintain all Flying Blue Elite members with a qualification period ending between March 2020 and February 2021 for another 12 months.
We will prevent all Miles from expiring between now and the end of 2020 for all our Explorer members.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely as it evolves. We are committed to sharing details and updates with you as soon as they become available. In case you have any questions about the implications regarding your situation, please see the frequently asked questions about this topic below:
If the travel date of your Reward Ticket or Promo Reward Ticket was before 31 May, 2020.
The rebooking, reissuing, or refund of your ticket must be completed on or before 30 September, 2020.
The rebooked travel date must be before 30 November, 2020.
For trip cancellations with Reward Tickets or Promo Tickets:
Penalty fees for trip cancellations are waived.
Whether you have a Reward Ticket or Promo reward ticket, your Miles will be re-credited to your Flying Blue Member account and airport taxes on the credit card used for payment.
Ticketing fees are non refundable.
For change of travel dates with Reward Tickets or Promo Tickets:
Flights booked with Air France and KLM, you will be reissued a ticket with same route, airline and booking class.
Flights booked with other airlines partners flights or in combination with AF/KLM flights, you will be reissued a ticket with same route, airline and booking class. If we are unable to reissue a ticket with the same route, airline and booking class, we will issue a new one upon your request.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely as it evolves. We are committed to sharing details and updates with you as soon as they become available.”
How would the status extension be counted towards Platinum for life?
If you you keep current level during your next qualification period based on this special covid-19 measurements, this 12 months grace period elite status extension will count towards the 10 consecutive years needed to qualify for Platinum for life.
Everything is going very fast these days, that’s to say for the survival of many airlines.
The CEO of Air France made assumptions to the French Newspaper La Tribune a few days earlier presented that while almost the entire Air France and KLM fleet is grounded, there was still talk of ensuring a very ambitious offer in July and August, putting 70 to 80% of the long-haul seats initially planned for this summer back on before the Covid crisis, 80 to 90% on medium-haul and 65 to 75% on short-haul.
Benjamin Smith, Air France
After a minimal activity in June where only 20% of the total capacity could be insured, Ben Smith intends to return to service in July 40% of the offer initially planned before the crisis, then 60% in August, before reaching 75% in the fourth quarter at best. Which still seems terribly ambitious, at least for this summer.
Like many, the CEO of Air France-KLM plans a slow and gradual recovery.
From a press statement update from the CEO of Marriott International today, Marriott is extending Marriott Bonvoy elite membership status globally for a year. These includes all elite levels from Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and all the way to Ambassador.
Marriott Bonvoy
“For Our Marriott Bonvoy Members
I also want to take a moment to address our Marriott Bonvoy members. Like many of you, frequent travel is a way of life for me and most of the Marriott team. It is the way we connect, get inspired and evolve our business every day. While it is the right thing to do, it’s been hard not to be able to travel. We know that when you get back in the air and on the road, your points and status will be important to you.
Status Extension: We want you to be able to enjoy the status that you earned in 2019. With that in mind, the status you earned in 2019 will be extended to February 2022.
Points Expiration: To provide you ample time to redeem points, the expiration of points will be paused until February 2021. At that time, your points will only expire if your account has been inactive for at least 24 months.
As the days unfold, we will continue to monitor and evolve our program requirements as necessary.
We’ve heard from many of you asking how you can help. Through Marriott Bonvoy’s Giving Platform, you can donate your Marriott Bonvoy points to relief organizations that are active in COVID-19 responses around the world and that Marriott is also supporting, including the American Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNICEF and World Central Kitchen.
Thank you for being a member of our loyalty program or simply for staying with us – we consider you a part of the extended Marriott family. We will travel again, and we can’t wait to welcome you back.
Until that day comes, stay well.
Arne M. Sorenson
President and Chief Executive Officer”
Our Continued Efforts: We Will Travel Again
This is wonderful news after the extension policy was released for the Greater China region earlier this year, now Marriott has stated that they will come back with more updates for those who would like to qualify for elite status this year regarding how they would adjust the elite qualifying requirements.
Reservation flexibility in this period still applies til June 30, 2020 as updated as follows:
“For Our Customers
We remain committed to ensuring our customers experience flexibility during these challenging times, so we have further extended our cancellation policy and I wanted to give you an update on those changes.
For guests with existing reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates that are typically more restrictive, we will allow full changes or cancellation without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival, as long as the change or cancellation is made by June 30, 2020. Please note that any changes to existing reservations will be subject to availability and any rate differences.
For guests making new reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates, between March 13 and June 30, 2020, we will allow the reservation to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival date.
Please continue to visit our website for the most up-to-date information.”
As the situation around novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Hilton are doing everything they can to provide flexibility for all guests and their Hilton Honors members, this includes all guests may cancel non-refundable reservations at no charge and also extending status for their members based in the great China region, today they have (finally) came out with a new policy that all Hilton Honors members with status will enjoy status extension from one or two years.
Regarding Hilton Honors Points and Status (March 25, 2020)
Hilton Honors is aware of that earning and using points is not possible for many of their members right now, so a number of adjustments are being made to help members maintain their status and points for the remainder of 2020.
For 2019 Status Extension
All members whose 2019 status was scheduled to be downgraded on March 31, 2020—whether it’s Diamond, Gold or Silver—will automatically receive an extension through March 31, 2021.
For 2020 Status Extension
Hilton Honors is extending 2020 member status through March 31, 2022. This means status members will continue to enjoy all the Diamond, Gold or Silver benefits you have access to today for the next 24 months.
Regarding Points Extension
Hilton Honors will pause the expiration of all Points scheduled to expire from now til December 31, 2020.
Regarding Weekend Night Rewards Earned on Eligible Hilton Credit Cards
Hilton Honors have extended the expiration date of all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021).
Regarding Hilton Honors Experiences
Hilton Honors are monitoring all active Experiences to ensure the safety of our members and provide maximum flexibility. For more information as it relates to event cancellations and Point refunds, you may find more info by visiting their FAQs page.
The Norwegian government on the 19th March agreed to save struggling airlines in the country with a loan guarantee of NOK 6 billion. Norwegian aviation is in crisis as a result of the COVID-19 virus outbreak. SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe have all canceled thousands of departures and laid off over 18,000 employees. The loan guarantees come with a number of conditions and are distributed to airlines as follows:
Norwegian can access 3 billion
SAS 1.5 billion
Other companies NOK 1.5 billion
However, the former managing director of SAS – Eivind Roald, whose current position is an adviser to Altor Equity Partners shared an interesting post 18th March on Dagens Næringsliv, a Norwegian newspaper specialising in business news, which suggested on the possibility of a consolidated Nordic airline bloc that can potentially prevent future business cycle downturns which could require government bailouts again.
The former SAS director envisioned a new Nordic airline group – NAP(Nordic Airline Platform), which should include Icelandair, SAS, Finnair and Norwegian, ” [...] at least parts of Norwegian.” said by Eivind Roald.
” I read with amazement that some are advocating that the Norwegian state should buy shares in Norwegian in order to save the company. It is important to maintain the infrastructure was used as an argument.
Eight years ago, I sat on the SAS Group Management during the crisis in 2012. We received a clear message from all Norwegian politicians that it was not appropriate to invest one krone in SAS. If SAS were to go bankrupt, Norwegian could help maintain the infrastructure until new competition is established, it was said as a political point of view.
Now obviously this is different.
Norwegian is an international airline group which is built by a Norwegian and is headquartered in Norway. Thanks to Norway’s development and tough competition, SAS has actually survived – and all of us who have worked at SAS should thank Norwegian for putting pressure on renewing SAS.
On the other hand, there is not a good enough answer to save Norwegian in the structure the company has today. Norway’s owners and board of directors, well-praised by the Norwegian financial industry, have taken quite conscious risk through major expansion in recent years, with the result that the company has high debt and low earnings.
The company is an international group with a significant number of employees outside Norway, and most flights outside Norway’s borders. The question we then have to ask is whether it is right then to use the Norwegian taxpayers’ money to buy an international airline that primarily has its air operations in Europe and between Europe and the US.
Norwegian politicians have a responsibility to maintain the infrastructure in Norway. Airplanes are part of the infrastructure for an elongated country like Norway, no matter what some politicians may think. Competition is another important principle politicians must ensure. Today, both of these conditions require us to rethink.
The short-term solution is most likely to give all airlines – Norwegian, SAS and Widerøe – a credit access, it is only breathing aid in a difficult time. The situation should be used to look at a more long-term fundamental solution for all aviation, not only in Norway but throughout the Nordic region.
We are five small countries with four airlines of some decent size. Norwegian politicians should now approach their Nordic counterparts and take the initiative to establish a new Nordic aviation group.
The company should be structured as a holding company – Nordic Airline Platform – NAP. The Group should be established on the same principle as IAG (International Airline Group – which owns, among others, British Airways, Iberia and others) and listed on the Nordic stock exchanges.
These should be included in NAP: Icelandair, SAS, Finnair and Norwegian – at least parts of Norwegian.
NAP can be owned 51 percent by the Nordic states and 49 pe...
Air France today announced its new creative space design partner for their newly built Air France Lounge in terminal 2F at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku from the Parisian space design studio Jouin Manku will be working with Air France to design the future lounge in Terminal 2F at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, which will be ready to welcome the airline’s Business and Flying Blue Elite Plus customers at the end of 2020. This lounge will be serving Air France customers departing on or connecting to a medium-haul flight within the Schengen area or a domestic flight.
As a result of new constructions aimed at developing the best transfer conditions and easing the already overcrowding issues at Terminal 2F with the Paris Aéroport, the new 3500 sq. m. space of the new Air France lounge will be located at the centre of the two boarding areas which make up Terminal 2F. It will play a full part in the new airport design to create a more streamlined and comfortable lounge visit experience.
This prestigious collaboration with Jouin Manku goes hand in hand with Air France’s tradition of regularly calling on the best designers and architects of its time.
“We are delighted to include Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku in the incredible history that Air France has had with design since its creation. Following Charlotte Perriand, Andrée Putman and more recently Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance and Mathieu Lehanneur, a new creative stage is opening up to us. By creating an iconic new lounge, the Jouin Manku studio will enhance the very French notion of hospitality, combining pleasure and poetry.”
Catherine Villar, SVP Customer Experience at Air France.
“We are very proud to be embarking on this new project alongside Air France. With this new lounge, we wish to offer the airline’s customers a real moment suspended in time before take-off. At the heart of the lounge, a “runway view”, a huge curved window with a view of the sky, will reinforce the impression of being in a bubble of serenity at the heart of the airport. We have designed an intuitive space that every customer can enjoy, whatever the time of day.”
Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku
The Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport is the second main hub for Air France’s regional subsidiary HOP!, the airline is created to help Air France to keep market share, the only all year round Air France flight operates from Lyon is a feeder route to Paris Charles De Gaulle. The lounge is newly renovated earlier this year and it’s located right outside the gate 21B boarding area; the auto-sliding door at the entrance will get you a lot of attention from people waiting for boarding outside.
Practical Info:
Contracted Airlines:
Air France
HOP! by Air France
Aeroflot
KLM
Admission:
Business Class, First Class on contracted airlines
Skyteam Elite
€25 or 6,000 Flying Blue Miles *subject to availability
Opening Hours:
5:40-22:00
Area Size:
280 sq. m.
85 seats
Dedicated Platinum Ultimate area
Seating Area:
After the renovation earlier this year, the lounge now looks in line with Air France’s new design concept of French chic and elegance, the seating are more comfortable, with different layout options that suits to different passengers need.
In addition to newer seating design, Air France went one step ahead with more dedicated attention for its first class La Premier and Platinum Ultimate passengers with an exclusive seating area which are blocked for them, this corner will get you special attention from lounge staff which includes a light conversation regarding your personal life and then they will bring the slev service items from the counter all the way to you, and even more, they might prepare you with the selv-serve counter snacks to be nicely unwrapped onto a plate in the kitchen and serve it to you with fork, knife and napkins. You will of course also get all the eye attention from other normal elites through the glass wall.
Food & Drinks:
The food and drinks options are rather limited, this can be the problem for all Air France Salon Lounges, packaged biscuits and crackers are hardly something people really want to eat, there are as daw as chewing wax, but they are served only for the purpose of having things to offer.
Although the hot drink cups came with a new design, so came the cost-cutting measures like having the chocolate or tea bag being fixed to the cup itself which kan save their staff more time to do inventories check while passengers can feel more like visiting a fast food joint.
Conclusion:
The Air France Salon Lounge at Lyon airport came with the newly expanded Terminal 2 building, facilities and amenities inside the terminal are kept at the minimum while being new and clean, so is what I have to comment about the new lounge. The lounge decor is up to date with Air France’s overall new service concept, while cost cutting had been put into practice at every aspect possible. I certainly wouldn’t recommend paying in any form to gain access to this lounge, as during quieter hours, the terminal itself has more area to sit and explore than this.
Being a frequent traveller these days can only remind people of lowering their own expectations, though the hallway inside the lounge does bring you some peace and solitude while being at such a hectic place like the airport.
Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) earlier today came out with a statement that they will shift their Copenhagen – Narita service to Haneda. The route will gives travellers access to downtown Tokyo directly with 30 domestic codeshare destinations with its Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways (ANA). The metropolitan area of Tokyo has two international airports are looking to increase Japan’s tourist numbers by adding significantly more international flights ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Japan’s biggest airport, Haneda, is more ideally located for business travellers and the airport is set to add 50 international routes per day as, starting in late March 2020, the government of Japan for the first time will allow aircraft to fly over central Tokyo during the day.
The direct Copenhagen-Haneda route will be served by SAS’ brand new Airbus A350 aircraft. As the most environmental-friendly airplane on the market, the A350 will reduce emissions by 30 percent compared to earlier generations of similar long-haul aircraft.
“Japan is already a very popular destination, and this will provide a positive boost for our travellers, both in relation to business travel and tourism. The new service offers an attractive timetable to Haneda and we hope it will be well received and appreciated by our travellers throughout Scandinavia and Japan, SAS looks forward to the opportunity to serve Haneda from summer season 2020 in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With this initiative, SAS aims to support Olympic athletes in the national teams of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in their quest for Olympic success”
Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO, SAS.
There is a large Scandinavian common market with a strong interest in Japan, both for leisure and business travel. The route is particularly well timed as SAS is in a unique cross border partnership with the three national Scandinavian Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committees and will be their principal airline partner during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Additional cities (Istanbul, Milan, Moscow, Shenzhen and Stockholm) are part of the 12 new routes ANA will serve out of Haneda Airport starting in 2020.
ANA will also be increasing the frequency of the Haneda – Los Angeles and Haneda – Sydney route in 2020.
The routes are part of ANA’s dual hub strategy to enhance its international network as Tokyo metropolitan airports continue to expand.
The two international airports had different roles when Narita first opened in 1978, Haneda was focused on domestic service while both ANA and JAL had to move their entire long-haul network til Narita. But since the opening of a fourth runway in 2010, the government of Japan has been gradually approve more international service from Haneda, with Narita will continue to serve more long-haul routes than Haneda, for legacy carriers like ANA and JAL, Haneda will become ever more important for capturing business travellers who are less price sensitive.
ANA will shift its U.S. destinations of San Jose, California, and Washington to Haneda with new destinations like San Francisco, Milan and Istanbul be added. This will shift ANA’s long haul operation to be more focused at Haneda. More capacity between Japan and Scandinavia will be added in spring 2020 when All Nippon Airways opens a new route between Haneda and Stockholm.
From December 30, Urumqi Airlines plans to open two new international routes from Urumqi to Nagoya, Japan. With the opening of Urumqi(URC) – Wuhan(WUH) – Nagoya(NGO) from the 30th of December, with flights scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; Urumqi(URC) – Jinan(JNA) – Nagoya(NGO) route will be opened on December 31 for every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The route is the second and third international scheduled routes opened by Urumqi Airlines. The opening of this international route indicates that Urumqi Airlines will further accelerate the pace of international route network build-up, and is these route layout is significant for Urumqi Airlines to create a “connected Eurasian” network.
In the past, citizens of Urumqi and surrounding areas traveling to and from central Japan required transit in cities such as Xi’an and Beijing, which took a lot of time. After the opening of the route, Xinjiang passengers only need 9 hours to reach central Japan, which greatly reduces the travel time and travel costs of passengers. In addition, the route connects the two secondary aviation hubs of Wuhan and Jinan in China, enriching the routes and time options for passengers from the two places and surrounding provinces and cities to Japan. At the same time, the opening of the route provides a more convenient air channel for economic and trade exchanges and cultural exchanges between these cities.
The flights from Urumqi (URC) to Nagoya (NGO) via Wuhan (WUH) will operate with the following schedule starting on December 30, 2019:
UQ2657 / URC – WUH / 7:05AM – 11:25AM (Mon, Wed & Fri)
UQ2657 / WUH – NGO / 1:05PM – 5:15PM (Mon, Wed & Fri)
UQ2658 / NGO – WUH / 6:45PM – 10:05PM (Mon, Wed & Fri)
UQ2658 / WUH – URC / 11:55PM – 4:20AM (Fri, slightly different on Mon & Wed)
The flights operating via Jinan (TNA) will operate from December 31, 2019, with the following schedule:
UQ2659 / URC – TNA / 7:30AM – 12:00PM (Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun)
UQ2659 / TNA – NGO / 1:30PM – 5:15PM (Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun)
UQ2660 / NGO – TNA / 6:45PM – 9:15PM (Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun)
UQ2660 / TNA – URC / 11:50PM – 4:30AM+1 (Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun)
None of the flights between Urumqi and Nagoya will be non-stop and it would still be difficult to foster them in the future, as there are currently 10 other Chinese carriers serving flights to Nagoya from 23 cities in mainland China. As for the two routes Urumqi Air is serving from Wuhan and Jinan, both airports are already served by other Chinese carriers who are competing on the same route, with Shandong Airlines serving Jinan and Nagoya 3 times weekly and China Southern serving Wuhan – Nagoya with twice weekly as well.
From 1st April earlier this year, Urumqi Airlines implemented service differentiation and customisation on its entire flight network which divided baggage allowance and meal policies into four different classes, with baggage allowance ranging from 10kg to 30kg and after the new implementation, meal service for flights within three hours will be cancelled, with more snack options being added for purchase.
There are two routes in China Eastern’s network that is of crucial importance for the airline’s survival, it’s domestic flight between Shanghai and Beijing(MU&FM) together with its low cost subsidiary – China United Airlines(KN), generated almost half of the airline’s annual profit in fiscal year 2018; and its most important long haul route, Shanghai Pudong to Paris Charles De Gaulle, is becoming the second most frequently operated Sino-European route after Shanghai(SHA) – London(LON) which is served by four carriers (Air China(CA), British Airways(BA), China Eastern(MU) & Virgin Atlantic(VS)) with up to 4 flights daily. In 2020, China Eastern Airlines’ Shanghai – Paris route will continue to served with a frequency increase of up to 17 flights per week and they are in the planing phase of opening a direct route from the brand new Beijing Daxing airport to Paris.
“This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. The heads of state of China and France have successfully exchanged visits, pushing the relationship between the two countries to a new level. Aviation cooperation is a “bridge” connecting the people of China and France. It is hoped that the aviation industry of China and France will continue to work together to contribute to the pragmatic cooperation between China and France and write a new chapter in aviation cooperation.”
Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye
In 2017, China Eastern Airlines invested 375 million euros in the Air France-KLM Group, holding 10% of the shares, becoming the second largest shareholder of Air France-KLM, and co-operating with Air France-KLM on four routes from Paris to Shanghai, Kunming, Wuhan, and Qingdao.
On July 27, 2017, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines Holding(hereafter as CEA Holding) and Delta Air Lines entered into a conditional subscription agreement with Air France-KLM, respectively, to acquire 10% newly issued shares in the share capital of Air France-KLM after the completion of issuance of additional shares. CEA Holding entered into a marketing agreement with Air France-KLM to further strengthen the business partnership on the basis of good business relationship between the two parties.
On October 3, 2017, the trading of the fixed issuance of additional 10% shares to CEA Holding by Air France-KLM was completed in the Euronext. CEA Holding appointed Tang Bing, its Director and vice president as the director of Air France-KLM. According to the relevant requirements of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the daily businesses such as joint operation and service security between CEA Holding and Air France-KLM and its controlled subsidiaries constituted a related party transaction of the Company under the Rules Governing the Listing of Stocks on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
On December 22, 2017, the Board of Directors considered and approved the relevant resolution regarding the 2017-2019 daily related party transactions between Air France-KLM and CEA Holding, pursuant to which, we will provide aircraft aviation transportation cooperation and support services to Air France-KLM and Air France-KLM will provide aircraft aviation transportation cooperation and support services to CEA Holding. The Board of Directors also approved the 2017-2019 annual caps for the Air France-KLM aircraft aviation transportation cooperation and support services.
On August 10, 2018, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CEA Holding entered into the aeronautical materials and components maintenance and spare parts supply service agreement and components lease service agreement with the wholly-owned subsidiary of Air France-KLM, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, pursuant to which, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will lease and maintain aeronautical material and spare parts for CEA Holding‘s 15 B787 airplanes for 15 years. The Board of Directors considered and approved the relevant transactions.
On October 30, 2018, a wholly-owned subsidiary of us ...
Embraer and the Netherlands KLM Cityhopper signed 21 E195-E2 confirmation orders and 14 purchase rights. The 21 confirmed order aircraft will be purchased and leased by Airbus Industrial Leasing business partner Aircastle and ICBC Leasing. At this year’s Paris Air Show, the agreement was announced in the form of 15 confirmation orders and 20 purchase rights letters of intent. If all purchase rights are converted to confirmation orders, the total value of the agreement will be $2.48 billion. It is confirmed that the 21 aircraft in the order will be leased from Aircastle and ICBC Leasing respectively, providing 11 and 10 E195-E2 aircraft to KLM.
“KLM’s decision to add a further six aircraft to this order is a significant vote of confidence in our E2 programme”, said John Slattery, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Delivering 30% lower emissions when compared to KLM’s current E190s, yet still providing a further 32 seats, the E195-E2 will simultaneously increase capacity for KLM at slot constrained Schiphol Airport, while also delivering huge reductions in emissions.”
John Slattery, President and CEO Embraer Commercial Aviation
“For KLM this aircraft is a significant part of our commitment to improving our environmental impact. Not only is the E195-E2 the most fuel efficient lowest emission aircraft in its class, it is also the quietest by a considerable margin – a huge benefit for both our communities and our passengers.”
Pieter Elbers, President and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
The economic and environmental performance of the aircraft makes the E195-E2 the ideal aircraft for growing KLM’s European business and supporting their hub-and-spoke operation, complementing the mainline fleet. This is why Embraer nicknamed the jet – The Profit Hunter. KLM Cityhopper started the process of replacing its fleet of venerable Fokker aircraft for E-Jets in 2008, in order to enhance the existing network and to permit the efficient development of new routes. KLM Cityhopper’s all Embraer fleet currently has 49 E-Jets, the largest E-Jet fleet in Europe – 32 E190s and 17 E175s.
KLM will use a 132-seat layout for the E195-E2 aircraft. Delivery will begin in the first quarter of 2021.
Embraer is the world leader in the manufacture of aircraft below 150 seats. At present, more than 100 customers worldwide operate the ERJ series and E-jet series aircraft of the Embraer industry.
Cathay Pacific Group is set to receive 65 new aircrafts by 2024 despite recent developments in Hong Kong; in an effort for fleet modernisation, the group’s 3 airlines – Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and HK Express (acquired since March 2019 for HK$4.93 billion or US$628 million) will be each taking deliveries of a dozen new aircrafts that better suits their respective market positioning.
In order to continue strengthen Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s leading international aviation hub; the group’s existing aircraft order is comprised of 21 Boeing 777-9 aircrafts, 12 A350s and 32 A321neo aircrafts between 2020 and 2024, the group has decided upon the following fleet allocation after a comprehensive review.
B777-9X
A350
A321neo
Cathay Pacific
21
12
n/a
Cathay Dragon
n/a
n/a
16 (2020-2022)
HK Express
n/a
n/a
16 (2022- )
“We have four airlines in the group, each of them has its clear proposition. Cathay Pacific will continue to operate as an international full-service airline providing premium services to customers while Cathay Dragon is our regional full-service carrier. Meanwhile, HK Express will remain as a standalone, low-cost airline focusing on serving leisure travel destinations. AHK Air Hong Kong will continue to be the Group’s all-cargo carrier specialising in express cargo services.
“We will continue to invest in each of our airlines, their products and services. New aircraft are always the best platform to showcase our customer experience offerings which we are continuously enhancing in the spirit of our progressive and thoughtful ‘Move Beyond’ brand values. Our goal is always to move people forward in life through our ability to connect them to meaningful people, places and experiences through our Hong Kong hub.”
Cathay Pacific Group Chief Executive Officer Augustus Tang
The Chinese market currently makes up around 20% of Cathay Pacific’s daily flights, however, the airline is facing negative exposure in China following criticism from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, resulting the airlines earning of HK$1.34 billion in the first half of year 2019.
HK express currently operates 13 routes to Japan, marks up half of its total destinations, recent meetings between executives at HK Express and Japanese official and business in both Hong Kong & Japan signals the airline group will double its effort for Japanese expansion to offset its negative exposure from China.
Aircraft Type
Inventory
On Order
Firm
Cathay Pacific
Boeing 777-200
3
Boeing 777-300
15
Boeing 777-300ER
52
Boeing 777-9X
21
Airbus A330-300
33
Airbus A350-900
23
Airbus A350-900
5
Airbus A350-1000
12
Airbus A350-1000
8
Cathay Dragon
Airbus A320
15
Airbus A321
8
Airbus A321neo
16
Airbus A330
25
HK Express
Airbus A320
8
Airbus A321
11
Airbus A321neo
16
Airbus A320neo
5
Cathay Pacific
Boeing 747-400ERF
6
Boeing 747-400BCF
1
Boeing 747-8F
14
Air Hongkong
Airbus A300F
10
Delta Air Lines officially announced on 30th September that it will relocate from Shanghai Pudong International Airport Terminal 1 to the new S1 satellite hall. The relocation of Delta Air Lines is coordinated with China Eastern Airlines to create a more seamless and convenient transit and travel experience for passengers alliance-wide.
In the future, all Delta flights can be bridged to a S1 Terminal gate, thus completely abandoning the need to take the shuttle bus, which greatly enhance passengers’ boarding experience.
Changes to Departure & Arrival Flow At Shanghai PVG:
Delta Air Lines currently operates four direct flights to major US hub airports from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, flights run daily to and from Detroit, Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Through strategic cooperation with China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines provides passengers with more than 1,350 domestic codeshare flights per week, covering more than 40 cities in China. Through the deployment of Delta and China Eastern Airlines in the S1 satellite hall, passengers will enjoy a smooth and seamless experience, whether it is an international transfer or a domestic transfer.
On July 27, 2015, Delta Air Lines invested approximately 3.489 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$450 million, 2.75 billion RMB) to acquire 3.55% stake in China Eastern Airlines on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This investment was the largest foreign investment in Delta’s history.
The total investment was expected to account for approximately 10% of China Eastern Airlines’ H shares in Hong Kong and 3.55% of the total share capital. Delta will then have the right to obtain an observer seat on CEA’s board of directors.
After the share purchase, Delta Air Lines became the largest external shareholder of China Eastern.
“Delta is committed to continuously investing to improve customers’ on-the-ground and in-flight experience,This move is part of our broader strategy to collaborate with China Eastern to better address the growing needs of the U.S.-China market.”
Wong Hong, Delta’s President – Greater China and Singapore.
The Chinese market is vital for Delta’s long-term global expansion strategy. Ten years ago, Delta did not fly to any destinations directly from the United States to China. And today, Delta Air Lines has six direct routes between China and the United States, including Seattle to Shanghai and Beijing, Detroit to Shanghai and Beijing, and Los Angeles to Shanghai, as well as direct flights from Atlanta to Shanghai started in July 2018.
Delta is serving the Chinese market with a generation of new aircrafts, such as the A330-900-NEO that provides passengers with a variety of travel options in four different cabin classes. In addition, Delta deploys their flagship Airbus A350 planes on flights between Detroit and Los Angeles to Shanghai.
At the end of the year, the newly retro-fitted Boeing B-777 aircraft will fly between Shanghai and Atlanta. By then, all of Delta’s Sino-US routes will be carried out by the newly-configured aircraft models, bringing the best service concepts Delta has to offer to all passengers across the pacific ocean.
All models serving Shanghai are also equipped with a new generation of Delta One® Suites Business Class and Delta Premium Select premium economy class products.
Eyeing Further Strategic Expansion:
Delta Air Lines plans to connect its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub and China for the first time in 2020, with a proposed route to Shanghai operated with its state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which currently subject to government approvals from the United States and China.
Delta Air Lines’ Routes From Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai (PVG) — Atlanta (ATL)
Non-stop Delta Air Lines 7,688 mi
Shanghai (PVG) — Detroit (DTW)
Non-stop Delta Air Lines 7,161 mi
Shanghai (PVG) — Los Angeles (LAX)
Non-stop Delta Air Lines 6,508 mi
Shanghai (PVG) — Seattle/Tacoma (SEA)
Non-stop De...
On September 27, 2019, Air France took delivery of its first Airbus A350 at the Airbus delivery centre in Toulouse (France).
This will only be one of the 28 Airbus A350 Air France will take delivery by 2025. Each of their new A350s will be equipped with 324 seats in a 3 class layout, with 34 in the Business cabin, 24 in Premium Economy and 266 in Economy.
“Toulouse”
Air France’s first Airbus A350
Air France Press
This first Airbus A350 is therefore being named “Toulouse” by Anne-Marie Couderc, Chair of Air France-KLM and Air France and the aircraft’s sponsor. The capital of aviation par excellence, Toulouse is also the birthplace of this new aircraft that is joining the company’s fleet. Moreover, Air France has been serving Toulouse since the company’s creation in 1933. Air France is thus promoting France, its culture and history throughout the world.
New Airbus A350 destinations:
The Air France Airbus A350 will gradually start operating to 6 destinations* on 4 continents as from October 7 on departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to
Abidjan (Ivory Coast): from October 7, 2019 to December 8, 2019, and as from February 10, 2020 for the 2020 summer season;
Bamako (Mali): from October 7, 2019 to December 8, 2019, and as from February 10, 2020 for the 2020 summer season;
Toronto (Canada): as from October 27, 2019;
Cairo (Egypt): as from December 9, 2019;
Seoul (South Korea): as from December 9, 2019;
Bangkok (Thailand): 2020 summer season.
(*)Flight schedule on September 16, 2019.
New Business Class Cabin:
The newest business cabin of Air France uses the Zodiac Optima seating by Safran which can turns into a 2 metre-long lie-flat bed. The new business product also came with new 18.5-inch HD touchscreens. All seats have direct aisle access in their 1-2-1 configuration while the 32 seats business class cabin will be even more spacious and quiet.
Air France also introduced improvements and exciting new features about their Premium Economy and Economy class products, the brand new “Recliner” seat in Premium Economy is 48cm wide and reclines up to 124° together with 96cm seat pitch and a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen.
“The arrival of a new aircraft is always a unique and highly emotional occasion in the life of an airline. Along with all Air France staff, we are extremely proud to welcome the Airbus A350, one of the world’s most efficient long-haul aircraft in terms of environmental, economic and operational performance. As from October 7, our customers will be able to discover optimal comfort and service on board these new cabins.
The arrival of this first A350 marks a new phase in Air France’s fleet modernization strategy. Within 5 years, more than half of the company’s fleet will be made up of new-generation aircraft!”
Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France
SAS(Scandinavian Airlines AB, STO: SAS) is continuing to strengthen its seasonal offering despite recent home market disruptions and will be launching 14 new direct routes and 5 totally new destinations from Scandinavia for its 2020 summer season timetable – Bari, Rhodes, Tivat, Zadar and Valencia. Tickets for the summer additions are on sale as of now.
SAS New Destinations & Direct Routes:
From Stockholm, Sweden:
Expanded and extended timetable to Beirut, Lebanon.
The Luxembourg route is becoming a new year-round destination.
From Copenhagen, Denmark:
Bari, Italy,
Rhodes, Greece,
Tivat, Montenegro,
Zadar, Croatia,
Haugesund, Norway.
From Aarhus, Denmark:
New route to Alicante, Spain,
New route to Chania; Crete, Greece,
Expanding its offering to Malaga and Palma (Majorca), Spain.
From Oslo, Norway:
Valencia, Spain,
The route from Oslo to Kyiv is becoming a new year-round destination.
From Bergen, Norway:
Barcelona, Spain.
For summer 2020, SAS is offering new direct routes and destinations, as well as increasing the frequency of flights to some of the most popular destinations around southern Europe, around the Mediterranean.
“It’s great to see so many choosing to travel with SAS in the holiday season. We’re constantly developing our offering in line with what our passengers ask for. I’m proud that we can now present a strong offering for next summer with attractive, seasonal destinations for our passengers,” says Karl Sandlund, EVP Commercial, SAS.
SAS PRESS
The exciting summer additions from Copenhagen are Bari in Italy, Tivat in Montenegro and Zadar in Croatia – all three of these holiday gems being in the Adriatic – great for those who love the water as well as picturesque, historical surroundings. A fourth new destination from the Danish capital is the classic holiday resort of Rhodes in Greece.
At the same time, Spain is continuing to attract holidaymakers from Scandinavia, so SAS is starting a direct route from Oslo to Valencia. The interest in Spain is also continuing to grow in Denmark and Aarhus, and SAS is increasing the number of flights to Malaga, Palma (Majorca) and Alicante.
From Stockholm, SAS is increasing its frequency of flights and extending its season to Beirut, in response to demand from the many passengers who have discovered the city or who have an affiliation with the region. Luxembourg’s timetable from Arlanda is also expanding with more departures, making it a year-round destination.
The route from Oslo to Kyiv, Ukraine, which was introduced for autumn 2019, will also be continuing over the summer period, making it now a year-round direct route. The connections eastbound from Denmark are also improving when the flights from Copenhagen to Russian Sankt Petersburg start to operate again.
“We are working constantly on our offering, so that more people can travel with us, but with less impact on the climate. New aircraft with lower fuel consumption, investments in biofuel and our carbon dioxide compensation scheme for trips made by our Eurobonus members, are just a few examples of our ambitious plans to convert to more sustainable travel,” says Karl Sandlund.
SAS PRESS
For the first time in 21 years, SAS has launched a brand new visual identity and revealed a new design for its aircraft exterior. The new livery is a modern take on classic Scandinavian design, and to highlight the future of SAS, the new Airbus A350 and A320neo, the market’s most modern and fuel-efficient aircraft, will be the first to feature the new design.
“The new livery design is a symbol of our future, a more sustainable and competitive future for SAS, but one that also embraces our heritage. Travelers from Scandinavia will recognize their home, while global travelers will encounter the renowned feeling of the Nordics,” says Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO at SAS.
“Crucial to the successful relationship with our travelers, is the thousands of SAS employees who provide passengers with top class travel experiences and service every day. They are the face of our brand and their commitment is key to a more sustainable and competitive future,” Rickard Gustafson says.
The new SAS livery features several updates, including:
Explore The New Livery Here
MORE POSTS ON SASSearch
SAS Next Generation Lounge (Domestic) Review Oslo Airport, Norway
SAS Lifetime Gold Status Is Here (Finally)
How To Access SAS Lounges On Arrival
SAS is opening a year-round route to Los Angeles from Copenhagen. The first flight will be in January 2020. Big demand from leisure travelers in Denmark and a more attractive timetable with daily flights mean that the route will be part of the flight program from the new year.
SAS PRESS RELEASE
From 13 January 2020, SAS will be moving its route between Stockholm and Los Angeles to the Danish capital. This won't be the first route SAS decided to relocate due to the previously introduced Swedish aviation tax(Lag (2017:1200) om skatt pa flygresor) which carriers has to pay up to SEK400 (EUR39) on long haul routes departing from Swedish airports. The non-existent flight SK963 was flying between Stockholm - Hong Kong before was moved to Copenhagen under a better time slot in October 2018.
A320neo SAS
However, this won't be the only reason for SAS to make the decision of moving its long haul operation from Stockholm, the "Greta Thunberg effect" has been impacting Swedish travel habits, new buzzwords in Swedish mainstream media like flygskam (flight shame) and tagskryt (train bragging) has made the global air travel industry worried.
SAS is also moving its Los Angeles route to Copenhagen at a strategic time as the other big carrier at CPH - Norwegian will suspend 3 long haul destinations in winter season 2019, routes being canceled are Copenhagen to Fort Lauderdale, New York JFK and Los Angeles. This was seem as a move that the low cost carrier is shifting from growth to profitability, something SAS is also keen on after the week-long strike earlier (from April 26 to May 2) in the summer season.
The 'new' route will have an improved timetable from six to seven departures a week from Copenhagen Airport(CPH) starting next March.
"By opening a year-round route to Los Angeles from Copenhagen we are increasing availability and enabling growth. The timetable is attractive, and thanks to the economies of scale we can achieve in fully utilizing our fleet, we are in a position to provide a daily service from Copenhagen Airport," says Karl Sandlund EVP Commercial, SAS.
"Los Angeles is one of the most in-demand intercontinental routes from Copenhagen, and an important route for our leisure customers in particular, who are keen to visit the American West Coast. We continuously assess our offering in order to optimize our network for our travelers," says Karl Sandlund.
Flights from Copenhagen to Los Angeles can be booked from 3 September 2019. The first flight departs 13 January 2020. Passengers with already purchased tickets from Stockholm to Los Angeles, will be rebooked via Copenhagen.
A350-900 SAS
The new time schedule for the route starting January 13th:
Flight SK931 departs from CPH 09:35 and arrives in Los Angeles 12:15 the same day. Flight SK932 departs from Los Angeles 14:00 and arrives in CPH 10:10 the day after.
There will be daily departures on the route SK9321/932 between Copenhagen and Los Angeles starting on March 31st 2020, something suggests that their newly received A350s next year will come into play here.
After only two years of restarting the route, Air China will suspend the direct flight from Beijing-Zurich from October 14, 2019. According to the Swiss travel news platform - "Travel News" reported, learned from the tourism partners that have business dealings with Air China, Beijing direct flights operated by Air China to and from Zurich(CA781/782) will be grounded from October 14.
Maiden flight for Air China's 50th A330
The news triggered speculation by the Swiss media. Many Swiss business and tourism agencies are concerned that Chinese tourists may be reduced as a result.
According to data from the Swiss Tourism Board, the number of Chinese tourists staying in Switzerland in 2000 was 234,000 and soared to about 1.73 million in 2018. Chinese tourists spend an average of 380 Swiss francs per day in Switzerland, which is also the highest among foreign tourists. The analysis believes that Air China's flight to and from Zurich will potentially lead to a shortage of passengers.
In June 2017, after several years of grounding, Air China restarted the direct flight from Beijing to Zurich. The source speculates that Air China's reason for abandoning this direct route is related to the two air crashes of the Boeing 737MAX. In the situation of current fleet shortage, the relatively new route from Beijing to Zurich quickly became a victim.
Air China is introducing a large number of Airbus A350 passenger aircraft. Perhaps in the next two to three years, this aircraft will be used on the direct route from Beijing to Zurich.
Also included in Air China's winter season timetable, the Chengdu-Kunming-Yangon, Chengdu-Lhasa-Kathmandu and Hangzhou-Surat Thani routes will be discontinued as well (all starting October 27).
Air China continues to believe in the potential of the German-speaking Swiss market. However, the focus is now on the Geneva flight which operates under a joint venture agreement with the Lufthansa Group.
"Why did China Air China really suspended the Zurich route?"
Although it make sense that Air China, like all other big carriers out there, it's facing aircraft shortage due to the global grounding of B737 MAX, however the Beijing - Zurich route is a long haul route that requires a wide-body aircraft.
The route will operate til October with an Airbus A330 aircraft, out of the 59 A330s Air China currently operates, at least 22 of them are registered under operating leasing which is reaching its expiry date, Air China will have to retire them soon while finding replacement for them.
First Air China A350-900 take off
Although Air China has ordered 20 A350-900 aircraft from Airbus earlier this year, with the opening of Beijing's new daxing international airport, Air China will soon have new time slots opening up at PEK due to China Eastern and China Southern moving its operation to the new airport (PKX), in addition, Air China 'luckily' got 10 prosent slots share at the new airport as well.
So the question really comes down to, why won't Air China order more wide-body aircrafts? The A350 series is unlikely to be delivered in the short term and is now scheduled to be at least from 2020. The B787 series can't be delivered too quickly either. It's an unfortunate coincidence that now they even got one A330 less relating to news happened a few days ago.
On the 27th August, crew for Air China flight CA183 from Beijing to Tokyo found out that the cargo space in front of the aircraft was sending out smoke. the fire quickly spread after the plane caught fire. The upper part of the nose has been burned through and the structure of the aircraft may have been destroyed.
Air China A330 B-5958 @ PEK
The aircraft that caught fire in this warehouse was Air China A330-300 passenger aircraft with registration number B-5958, which was introduced in December 2014. According to its flight record, the aircraft operated a round-trip flight from Beijing to Singapore today and landed at Beijing at 15:00. According to Air China's r...
According to Boeing website, Boeing and KLM announced two 777-300ER aircraft purchase agreement, catalogue price of 751 million US dollars, this order will be included on the Boeing website under Orders and Delivery as an unnamed customer order.
"KLM is one of the world's leading network carriers and an aviation pioneer and we are delighted the airline has once again selected the Boeing 777-300ER to strengthen its long-haul fleet for the future," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. "KLM's continuing interest in the 777-300ERs shows the enduring appeal and value of the 777, thanks to its outstanding operating economics, superior performance and popularity among passengers."
Boeing Press
The Boeing 777-300ER can carry 396 passengers in a two-cabin layout with a maximum range of 7,370 nautical miles (13650 km). The aircraft is the world's most reliable dual-aisle aircraft with a reliability of 99.5%.
The Amsterdam-based KLM Group has 92 European routes and 70 intercontinental routes with 209 fleets. KLM currently operates 29 B777 aircraft, including 14 B777-300ERs. At the same time, it also operates the 747 and 787 Dreamliner.
777-300ER KLM In Skyteam Livery
KLM as the world's oldest airline, is still operating under its original name. This year marks the 100th anniversary of KLM. In 2004, it merged with Air France to form Europe's largest aviation group. The French KLM Group is also one of the largest operators of the 777 series aircraft, operating a total of nearly 100 B777 series aircraft.
Boeing to break the existing deadlock?
KLM has long been Boeing's customer. However, Boeing revealed that the order was not a new order as KLM previously recorded it on its accounts as an unidentified customer. Based on the listing price, the deal was valued at approximately $751 million. As of July 31, Boeing had delivered 804 B777-300 aircraft. Emirates currently operates 114 aircraft which make it the world's largest operator.
Boeing 777 Factory
Boeing desperately needs new wide-body order due to its best-selling narrow-body aircraft 737 MAX's order have been completely exhausted since mid-March.
The 737 MAX aircraft accounts for nearly 70% of Boeing's total commercial aircraft output, accounting for approximately 30% of its total operating profit. However, since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines on March 10, the largest aircraft delivery has been completely exhausted. The frozen of the MAX aircraft deliveries has severely damaged the financial condition of the aircraft manufacturer. In the second quarter of this year, Boeing's total commercial aircraft deliveries fell 54% year-on-year to 90. As a result, the company's second-quarter revenue fell 35% year-on-year.
EgyptAir's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be flying the return route from Beijing to Cairo this month. The 787-9 inaugural flight to China is scheduled to fly from Cairo to Beijing on August 18 and the first flight from Beijing to Cairo on August 20.
The Boeing 787-9 is the first new model launched by Boeing after the launch of the Boeing 777 program in the late 1990s, with many revolutionary innovations. Its core purpose is to create excellent business opportunities for airlines with leading-edge technologies and to actively improve the air travel experience. The Boeing 787-9 has unprecedented fuel efficiency and range flexibility, while creating a more comfortable flight for passengers, which is also known as the "dream passenger aircraft."
EgyptAir's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features a two-cabin layout with 30 business class seats and 279 economy class seats. The seat design also incorporates elements of Egyptair for a more comfortable ride.
Egyptair B787-9 Dreamliner
The business class seats feature a 1-2-1 layout with reverse herringbone business seats that cleverly utilizes cabin space. The 30 Super Diamond fully flat business class seats allow guests to enjoy a spacious and private cabin.
The economy class seats are in a 3-3-3 layout with a seat spacing of 31 inches. The slender design makes the journey more simple and comfortable.
To enhance the onboard experience, each seat in the 787-9 is equipped with a personal entertainment screen, the business class display is 18 inches, and the economy class display is 12 inches. The new entertainment system supports live TV and the operating system is smoother, bringing travellers a more diverse in-flight experience. The on-board WiFi can meet your business and communication needs throughout your flight.
With the advancement of the "Belt and Road Initiative", China and Egypt have become increasingly close in various fields. More and more Chinese tourists have shown a clear interest in traveling to Egypt and Africa. By mid-August, Egypt will receive their sixth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This means that all six 787-9 Dreamliner that EgyptAir ordered from Boeing will be delivered then.
On July 18, 2019, Air France unveiling its newly revamped lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport; The new lounge welcomes Air France's La Premiere and Business Class customers as well as Flying Blue Elite Plus members in a completely renovated, more elegant and modern environment. The total area is 615 square meters with two floors that can accommodate up to 155 customers.
Air France New Lounge Food & Drinks Counter
At the heart of the lounge is a new dining area, There is a new service concept "Night Service" for Business Class guests onboard Flight AF027 departures every day from Washington to Paris, Charles de Gaulle.
Eligible passengers can enjoy French cuisine in the airport lounge just as they would on board. Guests can enjoy a full meal at the table, including appetisers, hot dishes, cheese plates, desserts, and wine and champagne.
Air France Lounge Charcuterie Board Air France Lounge Cheese Plate Air France Lounge Coffee & Croissant Air France Lounge French Baguette & Wine Air France Lounge French Pastries Air France Lounge Desserts
During the flight, guests can enjoy a good night's sleep in the business class cabin. A quiet private seat that can be converted into a flat bed which guarantees a peaceful rest. When they woke up with the flight reaching the French coastline, breakfast will be served right before landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Air France Visual Illustration Air France Visual Illustration
In addition to the service concept specially catered to business class passengers onboard the night flight, Air France also introduced other newly improved features at the lounge.
New Night Service Illustration
The iconic bar area in the lounge
Dressed in a lacquered metal structure and completely open to the lounge, the bar offers a selection of wines, Champagnes and spirits, served by a bartender. For the first time in an Air France lounge, customers can also enjoy cold draught beers.
A new dining experience
As part of its ongoing effort to offer its customers the best possible service, the company has also revamped its dining area to highlight French gourmet cuisine.
Designed in the spirit of a Parisian brasserie, new furnishings and circular benches have been custom-designed to provide conviviality and comfort. Customers can enjoy a self-service buffet with a cold, sweet and savoury selection.
A cosy environment
The second level offers customers a genuinely cosy environment. In a relaxing light-filled atmosphere, where light screens perfectly mimic sunlight and the colour of the sky, customers can relax comfortably in chaises lounges or other seating of their choice. A snacking area completes this moment of well-being.
Air France Press Release
Air France New Lounge Decor
Facts of Air France's new Washington lounge:
A VIP area with a cosy and private atmosphere, dedicated to customers travelling in the La Premiere cabin; An area reserved for Flying Blue Platinum Ultimate customers. A lobby equipped with new eligibility kiosks, for smoother access; A co-working space; Free Wi-Fi access and electrical/USB outlets close to each seat; A lounge area reflecting the architectural design of the latest Air France lounges - wide bench seating, brightly-coloured individual seats that give the lounge its own distinctive identity; A press kiosk offering French and international newspapers and magazines, in addition to the digital offer available on the "Air France Play" app; Freshen up and relax thanks to an invigorating shower.
Air France New Lounge Decor Details
Air France currently operates 2 daily flights to Washington by Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-200 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle; while KLM operates a daily flight to Washington from Amsterdam-Schiphol airport. There will be a schedule change from 26th October this year as the winter season schedule kicks in.
AF054: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13:15, arrives in Washington at 15:40; ...
Turkish Airlines recently on July 17, 2019, its official opening of a direct flight between Istanbul and the world-famous tourist destination Bali, Indonesia. The new route was carried out by the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that had just joined the Turkish Airlines fleet a few weeks ago. The first flight of the TK 066 was onboard with 250 passengers and the load factor was 84%.
Turkish Airlines A330
Turkish Airlines has announced that up to 30 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will join the airlines' young and fast-growing fleet over the next four years, and each will feature the carrier's bespoke, all-new Business Class Cabins. The Turkish national flag carrier had placed 25 firm + 5 optional orders in last year for the 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be gradually added to its expanding fleet - the youngest in the world - between 2019 and 2023.
Turkish Airlines New Business Class Cabin Turkish Airlines New Business Class Layout
When talking about the new Istanbul-Bali route, Kerem Sarp, Turkish Airlines Senior Vice President Sales (2nd Region), said; "While our new generation aircrafts continuing to join our fleet, we feel highly encouraged to launch new direct flights to farther destinations in the world. By inagurating direct flights to Bali, our second destination in Indonesia, we keep strengthening our mission to reach all corners of the world."
Turkish Airlines Press Release
Turkish Airlines IST-DPS Route Schedule
Bali is the most popular holiday destination in Indonesia, attracting tourists and explorers from all over the world every year. The city welcomes visitors from all over the world with its exotic natural scenery, and it has many historical temples and palaces with rich cultural connotations. The volcanoes and rainforests of the hinterland will leave unforgettable memories for visitors, while the culture, exotic beauty and beaches of the heartland add to the charm.
EVA Air will add Milan Malpensa to its network of destinations on February 18th 2020, becoming the first new route to be opened by the carrier in Europe in the last 20 years.
Star Alliance carrier EVA Air is to start a four-weekly service from Taipei Taoyuan to Milan Malpensa (MXP) next year.The carrier's website has begun to accept bookings. With the addition of the newly delivered B787 Dreamliner aircrafts, EVA Air decided to open a direct flight between Taipei - Milan to expand its European market.
EVA Air 787-9
Milan will become the airline's fifth destination in Europe alongside Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Paris CDG and Vienna.
"Adding a top-quality carrier like EVA Air to our airline roll call at Malpensa is a real coup for us," said Andrea Tucci, VP aviation business development at SEA.
"To be selected as the carrier's only destination in Italy, and one of just five in Europe, validates the growing attractiveness of the Milan brand abroad, thanks to a rich calendar of events and a dynamic economic environment."
"We expect many travellers on the route to fly point-to-point between Taipei and Milan, but we also anticipate significant volumes of passengers and cargo transfer traffic on EVA Air's network of 31 points in Asia, 18 in China and Brisbane in Australia," he added.
RoutesOnline
The only other link between Italy and Taipei is China Airlines' three-weekly service to Rome Fiumicino, which has operated since 2016.
EVA Air has been strengthening its route network in Japan as well. In June and July, it opened Nagoya, Aomori, Matsuyama and other destinations, as the summer season began. Tokyo Narita increased to 2 departures per day, and Fukuoka increased from 1 to 12 per week. At the beginning of their winter season schedule, Okinawa will increase from 1 flight per day to 2 and Sendai will increase to daily flights too.
Although EVA Air has only been allocated two flights on the air rights of Milan, it has already coordinated with Italy and used the extended mode to reach the volume of 4 flights per week.
Liao Zhiwei,Deputy General Manager of EVA air admitted that EVA Air's other planned European destination is indeed in Germany, and he won't deny whether it is Munich, but the time slots and flight frequencies are yet to been determined.
AeroMexico CEO Andres Conesa Labastida said that AeroMexico plans to temporarily suspend the Mexico City-Tijuana-Shanghai Pudong route in the near future. According to OAG data, AeroMexico is the only Tijuana-Shanghai regular route operator. AeroMexico opened the Mexico City to Shanghai route in May 2008. It has been 11 years since its inception and is currently operating three times a week, flying by Boeing 787-8.
According to the Mexican website a21, Mexico Airlines made this decision because Emirates announced that it will open the Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City route. Last year, the Mexican Airlines Group accused Emirates of obtaining government subsidies for its operations, which is an unfair competition for other airlines.
According to routesonline news, on July 17, AeroMexico decided to increase frequencies on the Mexico City-Barcelona route from December 13th, which will increase from the current three flights weekly to five flights weekly schedule. By the beginning March 16, 2020, the route will be encrypted to 6 flights per week, and will be further encrypted to 7 times weekly schedule starting from April 1 2020.
Singapore Airlines will invest more than SGD 50 million in a major upgrade to the SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold Lounges at Changi Airport Terminal 3. The refurbishment will begin in August 2019 and is expected to be completed by mid-2021.
After the upgrade, the area size and reception capacity of Singapore Airlines lounges at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport will increase by 30%. The new lounge will be tailored to the needs and preferences of the passengers, offering more spacious open spaces, fully upgraded amenities and a variety of dining options. Singapore Airlines has teamed up with the renowned hotel design company Hirsch Bedner Associates to inject new energy into each lounge, creating a modern yet warm atmosphere with a classic elegance.
Tne Private Room Dining Illustration
Designed to create the ultimate exclusive lounge experience, passengers in the Singapore Airlines First Class Suite and First Class will experience a new The Private Room and First Class Lounge, carefully designed for a gorgeous and intimate seating space that will satisfy both passengers' need to work and rest. The flagship bar will still be a feature of the First Class Lounge, while the private lounge will offer a full-service, high-end fine dining area. The passenger's enjoyment experience will be further enhanced, in addition to the fresh seasonal flavor, you can also enjoy popular local cuisine all year round.
In addition, the Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge will be expanded and has four different areas to meet the diverse needs of passengers. Passengers with shorter transit times can enjoy delicious snacks in a relaxed and welcoming cafe, while time-honoured passengers can enjoy a wide selection of Asian and international cuisine at the restaurant, including local specialties produced on-site.
New Lounge Design Illustration
One of the highlights of the new Business Class Lounge is that there will be a full-service bar and it will also serve as a buffet breakfast area. For passengers who need to work in a private space, there will also be separate working spaces called Productivity pods that will help increase productivity. The chaise lounges in the rest area will be used for passengers to take a short nap before departures.
The reception capacity of the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge will be doubled, including a dedicated work area, as well as a spacious terrace seating area and dining area. The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge will also be equipped with a washroom and shower.
"With extensive research and feedback garnered from our customers, we have relooked and re-envisioned our customer journey to develop this new design concept for our lounges at T3. Keeping the needs and wants of our customers in mind, we aim to deliver an experience that exemplifies the luxury and warm hospitality that SIA is known for. The project is a key part of our commitment to constantly elevate the customer experience, on the ground as well as in the air, and we look forward to revealing the exciting new offerings as construction progresses," said Senior Vice President Customer Services & Operations, Mr Marvin Tan.
Singapore Airlines Press Release
The upgrade will be carried out in four phases. During the period, all the lounges will be gradually divided into sections, first the business class lounge, then the first class lounge and The Private Room, and finally the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge. During the upgrade period, the relevant passengers will have access to the temporary lounge to ensure that they will not be affected.
Radisson Hotel Group launches its new multi-brand, mobile-optimized global website, RadissonHotels.com, which will also serve as an exclusive platform for members of the Rewards Club. After the website update is completed, the group will also launch the Radisson Blu Hotel Group APP at the end of July 2019. Radisson stated that 'this online development milestone marks the Group's move to digital leadership in the industry.' which I found very self-serving to start with, but their old website and app is more like something from the last decade, so it's refreshing to see them catching up in this regard.
Guests and members can browse the Group's more than 1,100 hotels worldwide on the updated RadissonHotels.com website and make it easy to book.
The RadissonHotels.com website and the Radisson Hotel Group app will bring a customized digital experience to the new and old members of the Rewards Club. The interactive design of the interface between the website and the app is very user-friendly and will be the central platform for earning points, viewing and redeeming points. In addition, users can view all member benefits of Rewards through the platform.
Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Commercial Officer of Radisson Hotel Group, said: "The launch of RadissonHotels.com is an important milestone for us to become an industry leader. All brands can be reached through this integrated platform, which will greatly improve user experience and enhance the value of search engine optimization. RadissonHotels.com is one of the core business initiatives of our five-year plan, which will drive our business transformation and make Radisson Hotel a priority for guests, owners and talent."
The upgraded website will integrate past single-brand websites to provide users with a comprehensive and friendly integrated platform experience. The website will cover all seven distinctive brands of the Radisson Hotel Group: Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson Collection, Radisson Red, Park Plaza, Park Inn, and Country Inn & Suites. In addition, it will also include the art'otel brand of their strategic partner PPHE Hotels Group.
The site will be fully online in English, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Swedish. Other language support will also be updated gradually. We want to make as many guests and members as possible accessible to RadissonHotels.com in their native language.
In the new booking experience, Radisson encourages guests to quickly join the Rewards program and enjoy the membership price. Once you become a member, guests will have the opportunity to save up to 10% on their stay. The best online price is available through member discounts.
Anantara Hotels Resorts & Spas officially announced the first award-winning hotel in Spain - Anantara Marbella Benavis Verapana Palace Resort . Adjacent to the southern coastline of Spain with its unique views of the Mediterranean Sea, it is hidden in the famous Spanish seaside tourist destinations across Spain. A quiet and charming oasis among the stretch of hills of Marbella and Puerto Banus.
Surrounded by sleek modern gardens, the hotel has 132 rooms including junior rooms, suites and pool villas, three award-winning golf courses, and a full range of world-class amenities: unique and stunning Anantara Spa, Club de Mar private beach club, large Romanesque event venue, countless foraging rafts, Anantara's first resort in Spain perfectly illustrates the grand palace version Andalusian style destination.
Mr. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels, an Anantara brand company, said: "We are very pleased to be Anantara Villa Vera Patina Palace as Anantara The brand was launched in Spain's first hotel. With the recent rapid development in the European market with Spain as the core, we have further developed our luxury brand Anantara to the European market. Important. There is no doubt that Anantara Vera Patina Palace is another exciting milestone in the continued healthy development of the brand; we believe that guests will experience a unique and memorable experience here."
Anantara Resort Villa Palatine Palace combines its unique palace-style architecture and furnishings with the most authentic Spanish-inspired, sturdy cultural and historical experience and services to create a truly blend of golf, spa and gourmet wines. Three-dimensional destination resort hotel. Designed by British architect Ed Gilbert, the first Anantara in Spain has nine single/two-bedroom villas in 132 rooms, which are designed to be exclusive to the pool and butler service. Multiple privacy considerations, including sex. The garden pool surrounded by beautifully shaped cypress trees and palm trees is the finishing touch of the picturesque palace-style hotel.
Cathay Pacific's newly renovated Shanghai Pudong Lounge will open its doors again on July 18, marking the introduction of the airline's awards-winning lounge design to mainland China for the first time.
Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary airline Cathay Dragon currently operates more than 12 wide body departures from Shanghai Pudong airport, making Shanghai one of the most important feeder route for its hub at Hong Kong. The Cathay Pacific Lounge was showing its ages since its first opening.
In latest Cathay Pacific press release, the airlines states that Cathay is "moving beyond" for its customers with a superior experience at every stage of their journey. The new Shanghai Pudong Cathay Pacific Lounge will be another reason for customers to arrive early, rest and recharge in the welcoming atmosphere of comfort and wellbeing before their flight.
Located near Departure Gate D69 in Pudong Airport's Terminal 2 building, the new lounge occupies a space of 970 square metres and follows the warm, inviting style developed by Studioilse, the London-based studio led by Ilse Crawford, seen in Cathay Pacific's newest lounges across its global network.
Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Paul Loo said: "We are delighted to bring our signature lounge design to mainland China, ensuring our customers travelling through Pudong Airport have an even more enjoyable experience when they fly with us. Shanghai is one of our most popular destinations for business and leisure, and a favourite among our most loyal customers. Our premium passengers can now look forward to a multitude of new and improved features at the lounge, especially when it comes to the F&B options they can enjoy."
An Oasis
Passengers leave the hustle and bustle of the airport behind as soon as they reach the reception area, where they are transported to an oasis of serenity designed to reflect the comforts of a modern apartment. The space is stylishly accentuated with natural materials such as cherry wood and limestone, while the medley of different leather and Alcantara-upholstered designer furniture is set up to allow guests to socialise in open areas or wind down more privately in peace and solitude.
The Terrace
A particular highlight of the lounge is the Terrace, an L-shaped, open-ceiling verandah that allows guests to take in panoramic views of the apron and runway while seated at one of the dining tables or bespoke Solo Chairs, which come with a built-in reading lamp and individual side table.
The design of the Terrace is similarly reflected in the open-ceiling food hall, where passengers wanting a pre-flight refreshment can enjoy the convenience of self-serve international hot and cold dishes, freshly baked treats, cheeses and cold cuts that can be picked up from the Servery counter. A variety of wines and spirits are also available at the self-service bar, giving guests the ability to mix their favourite pre-flight cocktails.
The Noodle Bar
The always-popular Noodle Bar, a signature feature among Cathay Pacific's global lounges, is also making its debut in mainland China. Channelling Hong Kong's beloved tea houses, the open-kitchen Noodle Bar offers a combination of communal long tables and private booths set within a stylish dining area complete with hanging lights and dark-wood ceiling fans. Here visitors to the lounge can get a comforting taste of Hong Kong by ordering freshly prepared wonton egg noodles with soup - a Cantonese classic - or perk up before their flight with a spicy Sichuan province special in the form of dan dan noodles. Of course, guests can also enjoy some of Shanghai's own delectable culinary culture with hand-made, soup-filled xiao long bao dumplings among the dim sum dishes served daily.
Meanwhile, high-speed Wi-Fi and Flight Information Display System screens ensure passengers are able to relax, refresh and recharge without worry before their flight.
The Shanghai Pudong Cathay Pacific Lounge is open to First and Bus...
Faroe Islands' flagship carrier Atlantic Airways received its first Airbus A320neo. The aircraft was leased to Atlantic Airlines by the Airline Leasing Company (ALC) and equipped with CFM International's LEAP-1A engine, which features a full economy cabin layout.
Atlantic Airlines will further expand its European route network after introducing this new member to its Airbus fleet. The company currently operates a full Airbus fleet of two A320 family aircraft (two A319s and one A320). In addition, the company recently added two A320neo aircraft.
The Airbus A320neo series has the widest cabin in a single-aisle aircraft, featuring the latest technology including a new generation of engines and shark fins, with a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and a 50% reduction in noise. The A320neo family of aircraft has received more than 6,500 confirmed orders from more than 100 customers, firmly occupying 60% of the market share of the same class.
On July 11, China International Airlines Co., Ltd. ("Air China") announced that the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Air China Import and Export Co., Ltd. ("Air China Import and Export Corporation") intend to purchase 20 A350-900 aircraft from Airbus.
Air China's A350-900
The statement shows that the basic price of each aircraft in this transaction includes the fuselage, additional components and engines. According to the open market offer, the listing price of the 20 Airbus A350-900 aircraft traded totaled approximately $6.537 billion. Airbus will give Air China a larger preferential price in the form of a credit memo. Therefore, the actual consideration for this transaction is lower than the listing price of the aircraft mentioned above.
The 20 aircraft to be purchased are scheduled to be delivered in batches between 2020 and 2022. In addition, the last five aircraft have the right to convert to A350-1000s.
Air China said that the transaction will expand the transportation capacity of their fleet. Regardless of their potential fleet adjustment based on the market environment and their fleet age, this order will increase the transportation capacity of Air China by approximately 9.7%, based on the available ton-kilometer ratio as of December 31, 2018.
First Air China A350-900 Take Off
On August 8, 2018, Air China introduced the first A350-900 aircraft in mainland China. On August 14, the first Airbus A350-900 aircraft debuted in Shanghai.
According to the financial report, in 2018, Air China introduced a total of six A350 series aircraft. During the four-month operation period, the A350 series had a passenger load factor of 79.71% and a daily utilization rate of 11.25 hours.
Air China believes that this transaction will help optimize the fleet structure and capacity supplement, and it is expected that the cost-effective performance of Airbus aircraft will be better improved.
Maiden flight For Air China's 50th A330
On June 12 this year, Air China opened a direct flight to Rome from and to Hangzhou. This is the first long-haul intercontinental route opened by Air China in the Zhejiang provience. It is also the fourth European scheduled passenger route opened by Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport following Hangzhou-Amsterdam, Moscow and Madrid.
The flight number of the route is CA731/732, 3 flights per week, and the schedule is Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The route is operated by Airbus 330-200, with 180-degree full-flat seats in business class, cabin-wide personal entertainment system, which can bring better flight experience for passengers.
Air China's Paris sales department announced that it will open a direct flight from Beijing to Nice. Air China will thus become the first airline in China to open direct flights to a second French city other than Paris.
Air China will open the Beijing-Nice route on August 2rd and fly the route three times weekly. Air China will also launch Airbus's latest wide-body passenger aircraft A350 on the Beijing-Paris route on August 1st.
Air China A350-900 Tail
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Starting in the summer of 2020, Lufthansa will add two Airbus A380 aircraft to fly from Munich. In this way, the Munich A380 fleet will increase to seven, and the remaining seven will be stationed in Frankfurt. Soon, the world's largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, will fly five Munich-origin routes, including two new destinations for the A380. Lufthansa will fly to Boston for the first time on the A380, and the A380 will fly to San Francisco for the whole year. In addition to these routes, Los Angeles, Beijing and Shanghai also appeared on the A380 flight schedule for Munich in the summer of 2020.
Harry Hohmeister, member of the Lufthansa Executive Committee, said: "Since March last year, the A380 has been flying smoothly to Munich. A few weeks ago, we welcomed the first million passengers on the A380 in Munich. Our customers And the crew are very fond of the flight experience of the A380. The A380 is the flagship aircraft of the fleet and is very suitable for our five-star hub Munich Airport. We will continue to develop, quality and cost."
Currently, Lufthansa's Airbus A380 is flying from Munich to Los Angeles, Beijing and Hong Kong. According to the upcoming 2019/2020 winter flight schedule, the Airbus A380 will fly to San Francisco, Miami and Hong Kong (until December 2019) and Shanghai (as of January 2020) flights.
Lufthansa said that the Airbus A380 has been Lufthansa's flagship aircraft since 2010, with a total of 14 aircraft. By the summer of 2020, seven will be stationed in Munich and seven will be stationed in Frankfurt. The Airbus A380 is the world's largest commercial aircraft, 24 meters high and nearly 73 meters long. Due to the high proportion of composite materials, the A380 is 15 tons lighter than similar long-haul aircraft and has a 50% lower noise. In addition, the A380 enters and exits the airport at the same speed as the A320. All of these features help to reduce aircraft noise in the area around the airport.
Compared to the previous generation of aircraft, the A380's fuel consumption is 33% lower, and CO2 emissions are correspondingly lower.
Although it's been previously reported on the unsatisfactory revenue of Finnair in the Asian market, as Finnair suffered losses in the first quarter of 2019, and some Asian routes did not turn into profit.
It is expected the operation between Helsinki and Chongqing will be cancelled this October. However, these seem to be unable to stop Finnair's enthusiasm and long-term interests for the Asian market, and still regard this region as the core of future growth.
According to media reports recently, Topi Manner, the newly appointed Finnair CEO, said that thanks to Finland's favorable geographical position, Finnair can provide very efficient and convenient flights from Europe to China and other destinations in Asia; and these routes also contributed a large portion of passenger revenue to Finnair. Although there are some trade tensions and some unfavorable factors for the slowdown of growth in some economies this year, Finnair has seen some signs of a rebound in demand in the near future, and the Japanese market has performed well, which is in line with some recent macro indicators. A positive recovery signal is consistent.
In addition, Robert Öhrnberg, General Manager of Finnair Greater China, also revealed in an interview with the Civil Aviation Resource Network reporter in Beijing late last month that China has always been one of the most important global markets for Finnair and will be rooted and invested in it for a long time. We are willing to work with all parties to explore and dig deep into this market with an open attitude.
In fact, a series of recent actions by Finnair in the Asian market are enough to confirm the "Asia-centrism" of the above executives.
Earlier, Finnair publicly announced that in order to increase the capacity of the Beijing route, starting from November 3 this year, it will open a flight to and from Beijing Daxing International Airport (IATA code: PKX), which Finnair will operates three flights a week on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, operated by the Airbus A330 widebody aircraft. In addition to the current daily flights operated to and from Beijing Capital International Airport, the number of flights from Finnair to Beijing will increase to 10 flights per week. Finnair has thus become the first foreign airline to announce the opening of the flight service of Beijing Daxing International Airport.
At the same time, Finnair also announced that it will open flights to Busan, South Korea in the summer of 2020, and will become the first and only airline to connect between Busan and Europe. According to plan, starting on March 30 next year, Finnair will use the new Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft to operate round-trip flights between Helsinki and Busan on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
In this regard, Finnish Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orver commented: "We are very happy to be the first European airline operating in Busan, which is a good complement to our vital Asian network. Korea is also our largest market in the world. One of which we have been operating for 11 years. Finnair is pleased to offer a new destination for our travellers and continue to grow in Asia."
It is understood that Busan will be the 20th destination of Finnair's network in Asia.
Of course, in addition to striving to build and consolidate the route network in Asia, Finnair has fully relied on the advantages of other partners to jointly develop the market and is an indispensable part of its strategic development in Asia. In fact, Finnair has also worked hard in this area recently and has reached a lot of cooperation.
According to the public information collected by the Civil Aviation Resource Network, in June this year, Finnair opened code-sharing cooperation with China Southern Airlines (China Southern Airlines) and Juneyao Airlines. In the same month, Finnair also cooperated with Juneyao Airlines to start the frequent flyer program cooperation.
The code-sharing cooperation between Finnair and China Southern Airlines...
Among the eight Airbus A340 Scandinavian Airlines operates, the 22-year-old A340 registered under LN-RKP is the only long haul aircraft that no passenger wishes to fly with. This will come as good news as LN-RKP will be the first one to leave SAS's Airbus A340 fleet.
According to Airliner Watch, The LN-RKP was built in 1997 and previously operated by the Chilean operator LAN from 2007 before it was delivered to SAS in 2013.
The LN-RKP will be taken out of service soon and will make its last flight to Tarbes in southwestern France, where it will be scrapped. Parts of the aircraft, including the engines will be sent back to SAS to be used as spare parts for remaining seven Airbus A340.
SAS took delivery of one more Airbus A330E on July 10. The aircraft was leased from the Dublin-based Irish lessor Jackson Square Aviation. The carrier had placed the order for one A330E last year in April to replace its 22-year-old A340, which mostly has functioned as a reserve aircraft.
The new Airbus A330E of the SAS registered SE-REH is currently under the certification process by the US regulator in the United States where it will be located.
SAS has eight A350-900 on order with Airbus. The Airbus A350 is a new mid-size long-range aircraft composed by the world's most modern technology and aerodynamic features.
The first SAS Airbus A350 will be named 'SE-RSA Ingegerd Viking'. By end of 2019, the aircraft will be delivered from the Airbus factory in Toulouse.
SAS will then start the process of retiring more A340 from its fleet, although exactly how many of the eight A340-300 will be phased out by SAS is not clear yet. It is said that some will be retained, and the spare parts obtained from the scrapped planes will be used to fly them.