EBACE, Geneva – Amjet Executive SA is the first Falcon 7X operator to have OnAir’s inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi products linefit installed on Dassault’s flagship aircraft.

OnAir announced the availability of Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir as catalogue options on the Falcon 7X at MEBA, in December 2012. The connectivity services on the European business jet operator’s brand new aircraft were activated on 1 May 2013.  

Amjet Executive, which is exhibiting one of its aircraft at EBACE, provides charter services from its Geneva-based office. It also manages the operations and maintenance of aircraft on behalf of owners. The company took delivery of the Falcon 7X, registered SX-JET, from Dassault’s facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 26 April.

“It is certainly a pleasure to fly on our aircraft, but it must also be productive time. Your office needs to go with you and an integral part of that is being able to stay in touch, both by phone and email, as if you were on the ground,” said Captain Abakar Manany, Chairman of Amjet Executive SA. “We selected OnAir because it is the only company that can provide both GSM and Wi-Fi connectivity for business jets, everywhere in the world.”

Mobile OnAir enables business jet passengers to use their mobile devices exactly as on the ground. It works in the same way as international roaming: simply turn on your phone and start using it. All charges are included in the user’s standard mobile phone bill, making the payment process both simple and transparent.

Internet OnAir creates a Wi-Fi network in the aircraft, providing Internet access through any Wi-Fi-enabled device, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

“Just five months after our linefit agreement with Dassault, we are now announcing the first delivery. It shows both the high level demand for inflight connectivity in the business jet market and that we deliver on our promises”, said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “More than ever, given the economic climate, a business jet has to be a quantifiable business tool. Passengers must be able to work during the flight. For that to happen, they need to be able to use their mobile phones and laptops as if they were at their desks. That is what OnAir delivers.”

Source: OnAir
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0811h UTC May 21, 2013

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND –– GE Aviation and AIR-TEC signed an agreement to develop an engine upgrade program for the L 410 aircraft. Under the program, AIR-TEC will replace the current M601 engine that powers the L 410 with GE’s new H75 engine.

"AIR-TEC is the largest M601 operator and has a deep understanding of the engine and aircraft," said Jim Stoker, president and managing executive of GE Aviation Czech. "The engine upgrade to the new H75 engine will enhance the performance of the L 410 aircraft and bring many benefits to customers."

"We see great opportunities with the H75-powered L 410 aircraft in our own fleet as well as aircraft operating in the African and Latin American regions, and we look forward to developing this new engine upgrade program," said Jan Rehousek, chief executive officer of AIR-TEC.

Customers can easily upgrade from a M601 engine to the H75 without any major modifications to the aircraft. The engine upgrade program will provide customers with increased temperature margin, improved fuel efficiency and extended time between overhaul.

The H75, which GE Aviation launched last year, is rated at 750 shaft horsepower (shp) for takeoff and maximum continuous operation and is aimed at the agricultural, commuter, utility and business turboprop aircraft segments. EASA certified the H75 engine last year with the FAA type certification anticipated this year.

AIR-TEC is the largest L410 fleet operator in Africa. As well as being an aircraft operator, AIR-TEC also sells and leases L410/420 aircraft for regional airlines, aid agencies and NGOs, oil exploration companies and clients requiring smaller aircraft. Based in Port-Louis, Mauritius, AIR-TEC has branches in France, the Czech Republic and South Africa. The company's goal is to provide its clients with first-class services to ensure their operational success, and its wide array of fleet diversification and custom-made leases allow AIR-TEC to provide its clients with a solution that works best.

Source: General Electric Company
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0805h UTC May 21, 2013

Cambridge Airport has today announced the opening of a new European airline base as award-winning European regional carrier, Darwin Airline, unveils brand new scheduled services linking Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Geneva with the UK’s fastest growing economic city.

The new services will be operated by highly regarded European regional airline Darwin Airline, in code-share partnership with SkyTeam member Alitalia.  Flights to Amsterdam, Paris Charles De Gaulle, Milan Malpensa and Geneva will enable travellers from Cambridge and the East England region to reach hundreds of destinations worldwide with connections to the global networks of SkyTeam partners Alitalia and Air France-KLM.

Commencing from 2 September 2013, Darwin Airline will be offering a total of 50 flights a week to and from Cambridge.  This will include a planned timetable of 24 weekly flights to and from Amsterdam; 12 weekly flights to and from Paris CDG (East Anglia’s only air service to the French capital); eight weekly flights to and from Milan Malpensa, and six weekly services to and from Darwin Airline’s main hub at Geneva.  All routes will be operated by the airline’s advanced, fast and quiet 50-seat SAAB 2000 regional aircraft and are now available to book at www.darwinairline.com.

Commenting for the Airport Owners Marshall, Steve Jones, managing director of Aviation Services, said, “The opening of this new and exciting base by Darwin Airline is a strategic step in our development of Cambridge as a regional international airport. This puts our city firmly on the international transport map, making it easier for people from around the world to get here.  As an established regional carrier in Europe, we feel that Darwin Airline is the perfect partner for Cambridge Airport going forward, offering long term expertise, award-winning service and global connectivity.”

Maurizio Merlo, CEO at Darwin Airline, added, “As we expand within Europe, the UK is a key market for us to further establish and we are delighted to open our new base in the heart of East England. Cambridge is at the forefront of several business sectors and spearheading the UK’s economic growth – it is thriving and vibrant, one of the UK’s most valuable and affluent markets.  The team here at Cambridge Airport and many of the city’s stakeholders have inspired us to invest and connect the region to Europe and beyond.”

Responding to the new base for Darwin Airline, Alex Plant, Executive Director: Economy, Transport and Environment at Cambridgeshire County Council commented, “Cambridgeshire already competes on the world stage and is home to a wealth of innovative companies, cutting-edge research and the best university in the world. The new services from Cambridge Airport will help to build our already strong international brand. Direct connections to key business centres and international hub airports like Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles De Gaulle will help our businesses to continue to grow and will complement the investments we are already making to support growth in the local and national economy. It is also welcome news that aircraft will not be flying at night and that the airport has plans in place to ensure there is minimal impact on local residents”

Alex Mawer, VisitEngland’s marketing director, said, “I’m delighted to see Cambridge Airport extending their reach across the world with some exciting new routes into Europe and beyond.  Accessibility is of paramount importance not only for leisure visitors but for our business visitors.  This increase in routes available into Cambridge will certainly give tourism in the East of England a boost that will help to stimulate growth across the sector.”

Darwin Airline customers will enjoy exceptional personal service and 23kgs of complimentary hold baggage. Flights booked via the Alitalia code (AZ) will also be part of the Flying Blue reward scheme that runs across Sky Team members including Alitalia, Air France and KLM. Additionally, customers will travel through Cambridge Airport’s newly refurbished terminal, featuring new facilities, including a business lounge, Costa Coffee, complimentary Wi-Fi and lounge-style ambience. 

Ideally located only three miles from the city centre, Cambridge Airport offers on-airport car parking, bus and ground transport from the city centre and local towns, close to all major road networks meaning major regional centres including Peterborough and Ipswich are reached within an hour.

Source: Cambridge Airport
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0803h UTC May 21, 2013

DALLAS /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) announced today that new service between Houston Hobby and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will begin Aug. 4, 2013. The airline initially will operate one daily roundtrip flight between the two cities.

To celebrate the new service, the carrier announced introductory $149 one-way fares between Houston and Washington, DC available today through May 24, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. in the respective time zone of the originating city. Travel on August 4, 2013 through November 1, 2013. Travel valid only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Fares valid on nonstop service only. See full fare rules below.

"This new option on Southwest Airlines brings our Legendary Customer Service and Low Fares to tens of thousands of Customers who will travel the route each year between Reagan National and Houston Hobby," said Ron Ricks, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President & Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer. "We owe great thanks to the thousands of Southwest Employees and Community Partners who joined a chorus of consumers asking that we be able to offer this needed service."

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded slot exemptions for this service by selecting Southwest's application over competing applications by other airlines to serve other cities from Reagan National Airport.

The new route completes a triad of nonstop service options between Houston and the metropolitan airports in Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, and further underscores Southwest's commitment to business travelers who value these nonstop flights. Fliers who are Members of the frequent flier program, Rapid Rewards®, can earn double Rapid Rewards Points on already published service between Houston Hobby and Boston area airports (Boston Logan, Manchester, and Providence), as well as between Houston Hobby and New York (LaGuardia) for travel booked through Southwest Airlines and completed between June 16 to August 31, 2013.

Southwest has served Houston since June 18, 1971, and has more than 2,800 Houston-based Employees and currently operates 153 daily departures from Hobby Airport. Earlier this year, the Houston City Council approved Southwest's proposal to construct a new five-gate international facility at Hobby Airport. New near-international service on Southwest Airlines is scheduled to begin in 2015.

Source: Southwest Airlines
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0801h UTC May 21, 2013

easyJet has today launched its first ever services from London Gatwick to Bergen, Norway. Fares to the Norway's second largest city, also known as the 'Gateway to the Fjords,' start from £31.99 one way including taxes.

Norway is the 33rd country easyJet flies to with the airline expecting to carry more than 100,000 passengers between Norway and the UK annually.

Paul Simmons, easyJet's UK Director, said:

"We're absolutely thrilled to be landing in Norway today for the very first time. Bergen is a fantastic city offering something for everyone with its beautiful mountain scenery and coastal setting coupled with a vibrant music and arts scene and a city steeped in history. With the addition of this new route easyJet plans to fly more than half a million passengers each year between the UK and Scandinavia."

Mayor of Bergen Mrs Trude Drevland welcomed the announcement:

"We are very pleased that easyJet is starting up Bergen - London. Bergen is well known as the Gateway to the Fjords of Norway and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of tourists to our beautiful region."

Airport Manager of Bergen Airport Mrs Adelheid Nes, added:

"We are very happy with the fact that easyJet has chosen Bergen Airport as their first airport in Norway. easyJet has a strong position in Europe and will bring in thousands of tourists to Bergen. This is of great importance for our city and our region."

easyJet flies between London Gatwick and Bergen daily. The addition of the airline's new flights to Bergen in conjunction with existing flights to Copenhagen will mean that easyJet flies to two Scandinavian cities from four destinations in the UK – London Gatwick, Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Source: EasyJet
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0758h UTC May 21, 2013

CHICAGO /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today welcomed back its Boeing 787 with the re-launch of commercial service from the airline's hub in Houston. United's Flight 1 departure from Houston Intercontinental at 11 a.m. to Chicago O'Hare marked the return of regular service using the world's most advanced and efficient aircraft on domestic and international routes.

"The 787 offers an unmatched travel experience for our customers and co-workers, and we are thrilled to be flying it again," said Jeff Smisek, United's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This is an exciting time at United. Our investment in the Dreamliner is just one more example of our commitment to delivering the best product, route network and customer service in the industry."

United will operate additional Dreamliner flights on routes from Houston to other domestic hubs this week, and the airline will launch international 787 service on the much-anticipated Denver-Tokyo route on June 10. This summer United also plans to inaugurate 787 service on existing routes including Houston-London, Los Angeles-Tokyo , Los Angeles-Shanghai and Houston-Lagos.

The airline expects to take delivery of two more Dreamliners from Boeing in the second half of 2013.

Source: United
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0757h UTC May 21, 2013

Austrian Airlines is extending its North American product in the 2013 summer schedule with five flights a week from Vienna to Chicago.The service will be operated using a Boeing 767 with a two-class configuration for approximately 200 Economy Class and 30 Business Class passengers.

“We can already see a huge demand on this new route in our bookings sheets. With a load factor of about 90 percent, we are expecting a surplus of 100,000 passengers per year,” says Karsten Benz, Chief Commercial Officer of Austrian Airlines. Austrian has roughly about 1.1 million passengers on its long-haul fleet. That would amount to a growth of around 9 percent.

“Our partnership will provide United’s customers an additional European gateway to destinations throughout Central and Eastern Europe, while also offering Austrian Airlines’ customers a new U.S. corridor to cities throughout North America,” said Hershel Kamen, United’s Senior Vice President of Alliances, Regulatory and Policy.

From Chicago, Austrian Airlines will offer several transfer connections to destinations across North America together with United Airlines, a key partner serving over 370 destinations worldwide with 5,500 daily departures.

Chicago: The world’s second largest airport and a United hub

Austrian Airlines will be adding 18 codeshare connections via Chicago with United Airlines to cities across the USA, including service to and from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Las Vegas, Denver and Seattle. Austrian itself offers up to 26 intercontinental nonstop flights a week to North America this summer, flying daily to New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Toronto. 

As of July 2011, Austrian Airlines has participated in a transatlantic Joint Venture with Lufthansa, United Airlines and Air Canada as well as Lufthansa Group carriers Brussels Airlines and Swiss. This strategic partnership allows the carriers to cooperate extensively on all intercontinental flights, including the new Chicago-Vienna service, through joint corporate sales agreements, similar fare products and coordinated schedules optimized to increase travel options for consumers.

The transatlantic joint venture serves over 315 destinations in North and Central America as well as more than 240 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.   Participation in the transatlantic Joint Venture has provided Austrian customers with significant benefits and resulted in new service opportunities that would not have been possible without the Joint Venture. The new Chicago-Vienna route is the latest example of this.

Vienna as a gateway to the east: 70 percent of US Americans want to fly east

Chicago is not just of interest to local passengers as a destination, however, but particularly for transfer traffic, that is for passengers transferring to another flight at the Vienna hub. The Austrian Airlines network compliments existing transatlantic Joint Venture service into and out of Central and Eastern Europe, including destinations such as Tel Aviv (Israel), Pristina (Kosovo) and Podgorica (Montenegro). For Chicago passengers, we see an increase in demand to destinations such as Sarajevo (Bosnia-Hercegovina), Skopje (Macedonia) and Tirana (Albania). Austrian expects a share of 30 percent local and 70 percent transfer traffic on the incoming Chicago flights.

Austrian plans to further expand its Intercontinental flights in 2014

"I am very optimistic about the long-haul business. Austrian has not fully made use of the market potential from Vienna and Austria in recent years. In 2014, we will continue to grow over the fleet expansion," said Karsten Benz. In the beginning of May, the Supervisory Board of Lufthansa gave the green light for an additional Boeing 777-200ER. According to Benz a good sign that Austrian is making good progress in its restructuring program.

The new aircraft will be transferred to Austrian Airlines Group in the spring of next year. Before being put into operation, it will be subjected to a maintenance check in Vienna and equipped with the all-new long-haul cabin, including its modern Economy Class seats, state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system and new Business Class seats which can be converted into lie-flat beds. The new Boeing 777 is scheduled to take off for its first flight in the summer of 2014. Further growth in intercontinental business will then be dependent upon development and results.

New long haul cabin warmly received by passengers

After finishing the conversion of its entire Boeing 777 fleet and two aircraft from its Boeing 767 fleet, Austrian surveyed its passengers to gain initial feedback, and found that 88 percent of Austrian Airlines Business Class passengers who had used the new long-haul cabin were “very satisfied” with the new product, specifically mentioning the comfort, entertainment and service offered in-flight.

Source: Austrian Airlines Group
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 1323h UTC May 20, 2013

DWI is pleased to announce that MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Mongolia’s national airline, has selected the GNSS RAIM/RNP Prediction Service Web-based User Interface (GRPS Web UI). MIAT will be using the GRPS Web UI to support its PBN operations including Basic-RNP 1 as required for Hong Kong International Airport.

The web service provides a user-friendly interface allowing flight planners and dispatchers to perform pre-flight RAIM checks, store tail configurations, aerodromes, waypoints and entire routes to reduce workload and potential human error. Due to ease of use, a short training course, given over Webex, was all that was required for dispatchers to learn how to manage and operate the Web-based User Interface. MIAT will continue to receive support from the DWI dedicated support helpdesk.

“We’re very happy that MIAT have selected the GRPS Web UI for its RAIM prediction requirements. As more and more RNAV and RNP procedures are implemented, the requirement for RAIM continues to increase,” said Charles Thornberry, Senior Consultant at DWI. “We welcome MIAT to the growing community of GRPS Web UI users.”

“MIAT is fully satisfied with DWI's GRPS Web UI,” said U.Tamir, Lead Specialist in the MIAT Flight Operations Engineering Department. “Now we have very simple tool for end-users to check RAIM status with a professional customer support team of.”

Source: DW International Ltd
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 1122h UTC May 20, 2013

DUBAI, UAE - Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, one of the fastest growing international airlines, has cemented its position as a leading global player in air cargo industry by winning the ‘Best Air Cargo Carrier Middle East’ award for the 18th consecutive year at the annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA).

Organized by the market leading transport and logistics newspaper Cargonews Asia, Emirates SkyCargo was named the ‘Best Air Cargo Carrier Middle East’ in recognition of its continued leadership and innovations in its regional air logistics. 

Michael Qu, Emirates’ Cargo Manager China accepted the ‘Best Air Cargo Carrier Middle East Award’ on behalf of Emirates SkyCargo’s during a gala dinner held in Beijing.

"To win this prestigious award for 18 years in a row is a great honour and a powerful endorsement of our focus and dedication to providing the highest levels of service,” said Mr Qu.

“The Asian region, China in particular, is a key market for Emirates SkyCargo and remains an area of huge trading potential. With our network continually growing and fleet expanding, we can support growing Chinese customers with enhanced levels of connectivity, flexibility, reliability, as well as provide them with tailored products and services to the Middle East and onwards, especially to Africa.”  

Bilateral trade between China and Africa grew from $160 billion in 2011 to $198.4 billion in 2012, in addition to a great rise of Chinese investment in Africa. China has become Africa’s largest trading partner, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. 

Emirates SkyCargo offers over 1,300 tonnes total weekly capacity from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, including five weekly freighter services from Shanghai and daily belly-hold services from all three cities. Emirates SkyCargo’s China gateways can be easily connected to South America via its world-class and technologically-advanced Cargo Mega Terminal in Dubai. 

Earlier this year, the freight division of Emirates significantly boosted its cargo capacity with the addition of three new Boeing 777F aircraft and two new cargo-only destinations, Hanoi and Chicago, taking its freighter fleet to 10 aircraft and its dedicated freighter network to 13 destinations. These are Taipei, Chittagong, Eldoret, Lilongwe, Chicago, Almaty, Gothenburg, Zaragoza, Viracopos, Tripoli, Djibouti, Hanoi and Liege.  

Emirates SkyCargo currently serves a route network of more than 130 destinations in 77 countries, spanning six continents across the globe.  It will also launch flights to Tokyo Haneda in June, Stockholm in September and Clark in the Philippines in October.  

The AFSCA award comes shortly after Emirates SkyCargo received the prestigious ‘Cargo Airline of the Year 2013’ award from Air Cargo News and the ‘Best Middle East Cargo Airline’ for the 25th consecutive year.  

Source: Emirates
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 0852h UTC May 20, 2013

Turkish Airlines, ranked the best airline in Europe with the most comprehensive network, expands also its cargo flight network with the additions of new destinations, as Kuwait joins the network.

In order to broaden its cargo services, Turkish Airlines Cargo launches new flights to Middle East.

Turkish Airlines commenced its weekly freighter flights to Kuwait (KWI) from Istanbul (IST).

Source: Turkish Airlines
Posted by: just4airlines.com at 1212h UTC May 18, 2013