Airbus begins U.S. production of A220

Airbus on August 5 officially began manufacturing the A220 in the United States at its production facility in Mobile, Alabama. The company’s Alabama-based workers received on-the-job training in Mirabel, Quebec, where the A220 program and primary final assembly line are located. “The expansion of our commercial aircraft production in Mobile to a second product line […]

Emirates SkyCargo looks to diversification and digitisation

Product diversification, digitisation of the air cargo supply chain and an ambition to build an e-commerce hub in the Middle East are just three of the projects under way at Emirates SkyCargo. The Dubai-based airfreight giant will also monitor demand for its freighter capacity in these turbulent times for the world economy, but the carrier […]

Cathay introduces fire containment bags for lithium-ion battery shipments

Cathay Pacific Cargo has introduced a new fire containment bag that enables it to carry standalone shipments of lithium-ion batteries safely. Cargo products manager Alex Leung said: “These new fire containment bags have been thoroughly tested and meet our stringent safety requirements, and they have also been approved by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). […]

Air France-KLM signs for up to 120 A220s

Air France-KLM has signed for up to 120 Airbus A220-300s as part of a fleet renewal plan disclosed today. The airline group says the commitment comprises 60 firm aircraft, plus 30 options and 30 acquisition rights. Airbus labels the 60-unit portion of the deal as a memorandum of understanding. The aircraft will «gradually replace» Air […]

Hawaiian posts 2Q net profit drop on growing competition

Hawaiian Airlines reported a decline in net profit for the second quarter, as the airline comes under increasing competitive pressure in some of its key markets. The Hawaiian flag carrier achieved a net profit of $57.8 million in the three months through June 30, a 27.2% decline from Hawaiian’s $79.5 million net profit in 2Q […]

ANA reconfigures 12 Boeing 777-300ERs with new seats

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has reconfigured the interiors of 12 Boeing 777-300ERs aircraft with new seats across four classes, the first of which will serve the Tokyo Haneda-London route from 2 August. The newly reconfigured aircraft has 212 seats: 8 in first class, 64 in business, 24 in premium economy, and 116 in economy. ANA’s […]

British Airways receives first Airbus a350

British Airways’ first Airbus A350 has landed at London Heathrow. The state-of-the-art aircraft also features the British flag carrier’s new business class cabin, called Club Suite. Four new A350 planes will join the British Airways fleet by the end of the year. In total, the airline has 18 on order. The first A350, registration G-XWBA, […]

Alaska Airlines, technicians ratify final transition agreement

Alaska Airlines’ 900 Airbus and Boeing aircraft technicians, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), have ratified a transition agreement and an integrated seniority list. This ratification vote will combine the Airbus and Boeing technicians into a single group, a crucial step in the Alaska-Virgin America merger, which was finalized in December 2016. According […]

Icelandair removes MAXs from flight schedule through October

Icelandair will keep the Boeing 737 MAX off its flight schedule through the end of October as uncertainty about when the grounded aircraft will return to service drags on. The Icelandic flag carrier has five MAX 8s and one MAX 9 in its fleet, all of which are grounded. Two of the 737-8s are owned […]

Southwest extends cancellations of 737 Max to November

Southwest Airlines is extending cancellations of flights scheduled on its Boeing 737 Max aircraft through 2 November, following a similar move by American Airlines as safety regulators continue reviewing Boeing’s updates to the aircraft. Customers whose flights are affected are being notified of their re-accommodated travel, the Dallas-based airline says in a statement. «By proactively […]