News From The Americas

HAITI LINK FOR CONTINENTAL

Subject to Government approval, Continental Airlines will launch a three-times weekly Newark – Port-au-Prince service from June 9 using Boeing 737-800s. The frequency will increase to daily between July 1 and October 3. According to official IATA BSP data close to 40,000 O+D passengers travelled between the two cities between November 2009 and November 2010, with Continental holding a dominant 94% share of the market.


CHICAGO GETS IN THE SPIRIT

US low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will introduce a fourth flight from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport this spring when it launches a daily Airbus A319 service to Los Angeles on April 1. The route is already heavily served by legacy operators American Airlines and United Airlines with over 125 weekly frequencies, according to Flightbase (January 14-20). Spirit has a small presence at O’Hare concentrated on just three routes, with 21 flights per week to Fort Myers, 19 a week to Fort Lauderdale and a daily rotation to Las Vegas, a route that is scheduled to go double daily from March 5.


INTERJET ORDERS SUPERJETS

Independent Mexican carrier Interjet has become the launch customer for the Sukhoi Superjet SSJ-100 regional jet in the Americas, placing a firm order for 15 aircraft and options for five more. The 98-seat aircraft, the first of which will be delivered in the second half of 2012, will enable the Toluca-based low-cost carrier to expand its network to serve some thinner domestic routes. It currently operates a fleet of over 20 Airbus A320s, configured with up to 180-seats.


PLUNA BOOSTS BUENOS AIRES SCHEDULE

PLUNA, the national carrier of Uruguay, is to boost its services to Argentina resuming flights on the Montevideo – Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini route from March 14. It will operate a twice daily schedule with a Bombardier CRJ900 to complement its existing connection to Buenos Aires' Jorge Newbery Airport, the main traffic routing between the two cities with 25 weekly services (Flightbase, January 14-20) operated by Aerolineas Argentinas, PLUNA and Trip Linhas Aereas.


JETBLUE DESCENDS INTO MARTHA’S VINEYARD

US low-cost carrier JetBlue Airlines is to introduce a daily Embraer 190 service from its New York JFK base to Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the south of Cape Cod in New England, between May 26 and September 6. The New York market is already served seasonally, with US Airways Express flying from LaGuardia Airport, but Cape Air does also offer a year-round twice-weekly link to White Plains Westchester County Airport.


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Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…