This week’s top air transport stories cover U.S. airlines as they face a busy holiday weekend and ACI World’s partnership with World Economic Forum to launch Airports of Tomorrow.
U.S. airlines are facing a busy holiday weekend proceeded by nearly a week of disrupted travel, predominantly in the northeast region. Delayed flights within, into, or out of the U.S. numbered over 43,000 between June 23-27, with cancellations above 6,500 during that span, according to FlightAware. New York-area airports are among the most impacted and disruptions continued June 28, with afternoon ground stops issued for Newark Liberty (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA) and Teterboro due to thunderstorms in the area.
Airports Council International (ACI) World has partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to launch a project—Airports of Tomorrow—designed to address the energy, infrastructure and financing needs of airports.
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 made an emergency landing at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) without its nose gear extended early June 28. The pilots brought the aircraft down safely and all 96 passengers and five crew members evacuated without incident.
Boeing will invest $100 million over two years to help grow India’s pilot pipeline. The investment will fund pilot training-related infrastructure and programs. Of the 1,282 orders, commitments and options announced at Le Bourget and tracked on Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery, 1,056 come from Indian carriers.
Cyprus Airways is expecting to take delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 on July 6 from Air Lease Corp., with a second aircraft to arrive a week later. Cyprus flag carrier plans to add 10 additional A220-300s by 2028.
Hong Kong Airlines reintroduced the first of three Airbus A330-300s as the carrier pumps in additional capacity to meet increasing demand. The airline plans to reactivate the remaining two aircraft in the summer 2023 season. Hong Kong Airlines has four A330-300s in service, with 13 A330-300/200s in storage.
Qantas Group’s incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson, who will formally take over from Alan Joyce as the carrier’s next CEO, has named the senior leadership team that includes current group executive for strategy, people & technology Rob Marcolina as the next CFO; chief customer officer Markus Svensson as the new CEO of the Qantas domestic operation; and Cam Wallace as CEO for Qantas international.
Panama-based Copa Airlines is working to densify its fleet of Boeing 737-800s during the next year and a half.
Turkish Airlines signed lease agreements with Dublin-based lessor CDB Aviation, owned by China’s CDB Leasing, for six Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft to bolster the fleet of its low-cost subsidiary AnadoluJet. The CFM International Leap 1B-powered aircraft leased from CDB are part of the lessor's existing orderbook with Boeing. The aircraft will be built to AnadoluJet's cabin specification and are set to be delivered over 2024-25.
Air Astana will phase out its Embraer E190-E2 fleet from 2024 onward and is evaluating whether to increase the range of its Airbus A321LR by adding an additional center tank to the aircraft.
Related Content
