Arik Air will launch thrice-weekly Lagos-New York JFK service on Nov. 29 aboard an A340-500. Porter Airlines will offer twice-weekly Toronto City Centre-Myrtle Beach service Feb. 28-May 30.
It was announced late last night that British Airways and Iberia have reached a preliminary agreement for a merger, expected to be completed in late 2010. Adam Coulter caught up with BA CEO, Willie Walsh, to discuss the merger issue, among others facing the airline, at the launch of the new Las Vegas service – the airline’s only new route from Heathrow this year.
Chinese airlines are facing the prospect of canceling once-profitable domestic routes owing to increasing competition from high-speed rail. Spring Airlines, the country's most successful LCC, has stopped flying from Shanghai to both Zhengzhou and Wuhan because it was losing passengers to the train. "Currently our solution is to avoid opening short-haul routes that are shorter than 1,000 km.," a Spring spokesperson said.Sichuan Airlines will shutter its Chengdu-Chongqing service on Nov.
RwandAir CRJ100ER struck a building at Kigali Airport after landing yesterday, killing one of the 10 passengers onboard. According to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network, the aircraft departed KGL bound for Entebbe but turned around 2 min. after takeoff "because of unspecified technical problems." It landed safely and taxied to its parking spot in front of an airport lounge, at which point the engines still were at "100% power," according to the RwandAir COO. The CRJ moved forward, knocking over fences and hitting the concrete wall of the building.
Republic Airway Holdings, wooed by some $27 million in tax credits offered by the state of Wisconsin, will pack up and move its heavy maintenance and some administrative jobs from Denver to Milwaukee.
Qantas plans to introduce an Airport of the Future concept in major domestic markets next year that it said will reduce dramatically time spent at check-in and in security queues and speed baggage collection. Domestic passengers will be issued new RFID cards that will replace both the standard boarding pass and baggage tags and give instant recognition to security agents.
JetBlue Airways and Lufthansa launched codeshare operations yesterday at New York JFK and Boston. Passengers originating in 13 JetBlue destinations currently have access to transatlantic flights on LH out of JFK and BOS, with more cities set to come online next year, the airlines said. Alaska Airlines launched service from Oakland to Kahului (four-times-weekly) and Kona (thrice-weekly) aboard a 737-800. US Airways will resume thrice-daily Melbourne, Fla.-Charlotte service on Feb. 11 after a 12-year hiatus. Flights will be aboard PSA Airlines CRJ700s.
American Airlines Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey reiterated this week that he sees no need to relinquish slots at London Heathrow in order to address possible competition concerns over AA's planned transatlantic joint venture with British Airways and Iberia.
