Air Transport World

American Airlines is reiterating its request that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) require Delta Air Lines to operate its proposed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport-Tokyo Haneda Airport (MSP–HND) flight daily with a 291-seat Boeing 777 aircraft.

Aircraft & Engines-Aug. 16, 2016

Delta Air Lines will introduce an all-suite business-class cabin on its first Airbus A350-900 arriving next year, and will roll out the new business-class offering on additional aircraft over time.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is expected to raise the bar on approving new entrants in the domestic airline industry in light of market saturation and possible excessive competition.

Korean Air reported a second-quarter net loss of KRW251 billion ($216 million), deepened from a net loss of KRW169 billion in the year-ago quarter, despite an improvement in operating profit.

EASA has certified the Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100 to operate into airports with runways as narrow as 30 m (98 ft.) wide.

Japan has approved Spain’s flag carrier Iberia to be included in a Europe-Japan revenue-sharing partnership, which includes oneworld carriers British Airways (BA), Finnair and Japan Airlines (JAL).

Malaysia’s Malindo Air has been approved to operate Saudi Arabia flights, which would be the carrier’s longest yet.

With regulatory approvals in place, Gogo is now readying to provide connectivity services on international flights entering or leaving China.

India’s Jet Airways Group recorded a net profit of $18.6 million for the first quarter of the airline’s 2017 financial year.

Airline Routes-Aug. 15, 2016

Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation has placed one new Airbus A321-200 and one new A320-200 with Hungary-based low-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air from its own order book.

Regulations surrounding the carriage of lithium batteries—which have been implicated in several fires on board airliners—must be more strictly enforced, IATA and battery manufacturers said Aug. 15.

Belavia Belarusian Airlines has taken delivery of the first of three new Boeing 737-800s out of an order placed in 2014.

Aeroflot low-cost subsidiary (LCC) Pobeda Airlines plans to double its network at Saint Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport for the 2016/2017 winter schedule.

FAA has upgraded Indonesia’s safety rating to Category 1, clearing the way for Garuda Indonesia to launch flights to the US.

United Airlines’ technicians, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, reached an agreement in principle for a joint contract covering the company’s 9,000 technicians and related employees.

United Airlines’ flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), have ratified a new five-year labor contract. (AFA-CWA) represents 25,000 United flight attendants.

Selected June 2016 airport passenger traffic and aircraft movements, presented in monthly and year-to-date figures.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 diverted to a South Dakota airport on Aug. 11 after experiencing serious turbulence, and 24 passengers and crew were taken to a local hospital.

Santiago, Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group reported a $92.1 million net loss for the 2016 second quarter, deepened from the group’s $49.7 million net loss in 2Q 2015.

MRO Briefs-Aug. 12, 2016

Florida-based ultra low-cost carrier (LCC) Spirit Airlines is making a number of executive changes at the carrier, as new CEO Robert Fornaro settles into his job.

Norwegian Air International (NAI) is appealing to European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc to help the carrier make its case for starting US service.

A Boeing 767-300 converted freighter flight from Seattle to Wilmington, Ohio marked the inauguration of Amazon-dedicated air cargo service being provided on a contract basis by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings.