Southwest increases seat upgrade costs
- BTN News
- Friday, 19 May 2023
The USA's Southwest Airlines until recently allowed passengers to upgrade their seats for US$30-US$60 per segment, per person, but now charges up to US$80 for the same service.
Northern summer holiday season should be strong - IATA
- Health & Leisure
- Friday, 19 May 2023
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the coming northern summer travel period is 'looking good', even better than the first quarter 2023 forward bookings data for May–September that was 35 per cent above 2022 levels.
IATA identifies ground handling priorities
- BTN News
- Friday, 19 May 2023
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has highlighted three priorities to enable the ground handling sector to build resilience and ensure long-term sustainability.
Jetstar changing check-in times
- BTN News
- Friday, 19 May 2023
Australian carrier Jetstar is moving check-in and bag drop closing times from May 23 to 40 minutes before departure, (up from 30 minutes previously) on domestic flights and 60 minutes for international, 15 minutes earlier than now.
Nexus Air to launch in WA
- BTN News
- Friday, 19 May 2023
Western Australia's state government is investing more than A$4 million in the state's Inter-Regional Flight Network (IRFN), with the launch of Aviair's Nexus Airlines to deliver more routes, upgraded services and cheaper airfares for regional Western Australians.
SIA Group powers ahead
- BTN News
- Wednesday, 17 May 2023
In April 2023, the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group continued to see strong passenger traffic and load factors across all routes.
Virgin Voyages offers Canadian agents a Melbourne inaugural prize
- Health & Leisure
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
A Virgin Voyages competition will award a Canadian travel agent two places on the line’s inaugural five-night 'Aussie MerMaiden Voyage' cruise from Melbourne, Australia to Tasmania on December 11 2023.
Hawaiian releases 787 cabin design details
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
The USA's Hawaiian Airlines has released cabin design details of its yet-to-be-delivered Boeing 787s.
Sanction busters arrested in USA
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Oleg Patsulya, a Russian citizen living near Miami, USA, has been arrested - with a business partner - on charges of violating US export controls and helping Russia bypass sanctions to import US$14.4 million of US-made aircraft parts.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the USA and nearly 40 other governments have limited Moscow’s access to weapons, computer chips, aircraft parts and other products needed to fuel its economy and the war.
The sanctions cover aircraft and parts, but thousands of shipments of aircraft parts still were successfully sent into Russia last year, according to Russian Customs data sighted by the New York Times.
Carriers that benefited included Rossiya Airlines, Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, S7 Airlines, Utair Aviation and Pobeda Airlines.
More than 5,000 shipments carried copper wires, bolts, graphite and other parts marked as 'made in the United States by Boeing' over an eight-month period.
Aviation supply chain experts say the parts probably came from legitimate overseas stocks owned by airlines and from repair facilities, plus resellers that trade in scrapped parts.
Many of the products were routed through countries including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and China, according to the data, which also showed aircraft parts originating in the European Union including some marked as being manufactured or trademarked by Airbus.
Defects ignored
Aeroflot is telling its employees to stop recording equipment defects, meaning planes regularly fly with malfunctions, according to news outlet Proekt citing employees at the airline as sources.
The policy, in force since last northern spring, was introduced "to prevent aircraft being grounded due to a defect, which, according to regulations, prohibits the aircraft from flying until it is fixed”.
Other airlines in Russia also have adopted the same unofficial practice in order to keep aircraft flying.
Analysts say that Russian airlines had about 736 aircraft operating at the beginning of this year, but the number will fall by about 20 per cent each year as defects become too serious.
Brisbane Airport closes Covid test centres
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Australia's Brisbane Airport has closed its two on-site Covid testing clinics, effectively declaring the end of the pandemic era for its terminals.
The airport said the clinics' closure marked "a symbolic end to the pandemic which had disrupted domestic and international travel over the past three years".
Emirates shares profits with staff
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
More than 50,000 staff at Dubai-based Emirates will share a large bonus pot after the aviation group posted a record profit of AED10.6 billion (US$2.9 billion), its highest-ever annual profit.
VA extends Middle Seat competition
- Health & Leisure
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Australia's Virgin Australia (VA) says customer demand has prompted it to extend its Middle Seat Lottery from the original end date of April 23 to Sunday, July 9, 2023, with one passenger per week winning a prize.
Alaska enhances menus
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Passengers on the USA's Alaska Airlines are being offered new menu items in first class and economy.
