Air Transport World

Paris Orly-based long-haul, low-cost startup French Blue launched its first flight from Paris Orly to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Sept. 10.
Airlines & Lessors

Lufthansa Group low-cost (LCC) subsidiary Eurowings Europe will open a base in Palma de Mallorca, Spain in May 2017, the airline’s third base in addition to Austria’s Vienna and Salzburg.
Airports & Networks

Thai Airways International, which took delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB Aug. 30, will delay launching the first scheduled service to Melbourne Airport because of additional inspections and requirements from Australian authorities.
Airports & Networks

By Graham Warwick
sustainable alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel over five years from Gevo, a commitment that allows the renewable chemicals and fuels producer to seek investment to build a commercial-scale refinery.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Mark Nensel
Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines and the union representing the airline’s flight simulator engineers have reached a tentative agreement on a new joint collective bargaining agreement, both parties announced Sept. 9.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Mark Nensel
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and its flight attendants have reached a new tentative agreement on a successor contract, the airline announced Sept. 9.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Polina Montag-Girmes
Russia’s Aeroflot Airline will transfer all rights and obligations under the contract for 22 Boeing 787s to Avia Capital Services leasing company.
Airlines & Lessors

By Alan Dron
SAS Scandinavian Airlines recorded net income of SEK805 million ($94 million) for the third quarter of its financial year ended July 31, marginally up on the SEK800 million earned for the year-ago period.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
Austrian Airlines and pilots have signed a new collective agreement, including career structures that have been under discussion since 2014.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Victoria Moores
UK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet pilots are to ballot on strike action after negotiations over a trade dispute broke down without agreement.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Victoria Moores
London Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye has said he will accelerate the airport’s growth and deliver it at a lower cost in the post-Brexit aftermath.
Airports & Networks

By Alan Dron
The president of Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division, Eric Schulz, has met All Nippon Airlines (ANA) executives in Japan in the wake of several incidents involving the Trent 1000 engines installed on the Japanese carrier’s Boeing 787s.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

The uncontained left engine failure on an Aug. 27 Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Orlando was likely initiated by a fan blade that broke off because of metal fatigue, according to a Sept. 12 investigative update by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Latvian carrier airBaltic still plans to launch the Bombardier CS300 into commercial service this year, but it will receive fewer CS300s than planned in 2016.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Thales is partnering with satellite-operator SES to launch a new high-speed, Ka-band-based commercial aircraft connectivity service in the Americas next year.
Interiors & Connectivity

By Victoria Moores
European safety regulator EASA has joined FAA in voicing caution over Galaxy Note 7 smartphone use inflight because of Lithium battery-related fire fears.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Linda Blachly
Mexican ultra low-cost carrier Volaris took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo Sept. 12, making the LCC the first A320neo operator in North America.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Shanghai-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Spring Airlines reported a 2016 first-half net profit of CNY740.15 million ($100.5 million), up 19.5% over a net income of CNY641.69 million in the year-ago period.
Airlines & Lessors

By Linda Blachly
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co. has appointed John Redmond as the company’s president, effective Sept. 12.
Airlines & Lessors

By Graham Warwick
The 28-member EU and 16 other European countries have committed to joining ICAO’s global carbon-offsetting program from its outset in 2021.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

LOT Polish Airlines said it plans to more than double the number of passengers it carries annually from 4.3 million in 2015 to 10 million by 2020.
Airlines & Lessors

By Mark Nensel
Denver-based Frontier Airlines will begin 1X-daily Miami-Havana service on Dec. 1, the ultra low-cost carrier announced Sept. 7.
Airports & Networks

By Victoria Moores
Emirates Airline has appointed outgoing Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller as chief digital and innovation officer, as the Dubai-based carrier kicks off a wide-ranging process review.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
Dubai-based Emirates Airline is considering introducing a premium-economy class and ancillary revenue streams as yields continue to come under pressure.
Airlines & Lessors

By Alan Dron
Airlines face losing control of their customers to reservation systems such as Google FlightSearch unless they take measures to personalize their offers to passengers, audiences at the Aviation Festival in London heard Sept. 9.
Safety, Ops & Regulation