Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Christchurch Airport on March 27, marking the resumption of its daily service from Dubai to Christchurch via Sydney after more than three years.
The special service was greeted by a crowd of spectators at the Christchurch Airport boundary, who watched as the iconic aircraft taxied through a ceremonial water canon salute, before parking in view of trade, media, and VIP guests at the international terminal.
Outbound EK412 left Dubai at 10:15 local time, stopping briefly in Sydney before arriving in Christchurch at 13:55 hours the next day, New Zealand time.
Restart of Christchurch via Sydney
The A380 flight operates as EK 412 and EK 413. Emirates flight EK 412 departs Dubai at 1015hrs, arriving in Sydney at 0700hrs. The flight will then continue, taking off from Sydney at 0845hrs, arriving in Christchurch at 1355hrs. EK 413 will then depart Christchurch at 1820hrs, arriving in Sydney at 1940hrs. The final leg of EK 413 will depart to Dubai at 2145hrs, arriving at 0515hrs local time.
Airbus has announced the successful delivery of its first Airbus A321neo to the low-cost carrier HK Express, a member of Cathay Pacific Group based in Hong Kong.
This milestone marks the first of 16 A321neo aircraft for HK Express and features the airline’s latest livery, with vibrant shades of purple and white. In addition, the aircraft’s winglets and empennage spots an “e” shaped journey symbol, which evokes the start of a pleasant journey with HK Express.
Photo: HK Express
HK Express’ A321neo is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and can seat up to 236 passengers in Airbus’ award-winning Airspace cabin, which brings unique lighting displays, more personal space and a sleek design to improve passenger experience.
HK Express is an all-Airbus operator, with its current fleet comprising 27 A320 Family aircraft, including 11A321ceo, 10 A320neo, five A320ceo and its first A321neo.
Aruba and Guyana have become the latest destinations to join British Airways’ network, with inaugural flights arriving to a warm welcome in the destinations’ respective capital cities.
British Airways operates more routes to the Caribbean and Mexico than any other UK airline, with Aruba and Guyana bringing the total number of destinations served in the region to 17.
Flight BA2157 departed London Gatwick (LGW) at 10:00 on Sunday, March 26, 2023 and touched down at Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Oranjestad, Aruba at 17:00 local time. The brand-new route will operate twice weekly via Antigua on Thursdays and Sundays.
The following day on Monday, March 27, 2023, flight BA2159 departed London Gatwick at 11:35, landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana at 19:50 local time. This was the first of a twice weekly flight, operating via St Lucia on Mondays and Thursdays.
Both routes will operate on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with three cabins for customers to choose from: Club (business), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).
Sunday, March 26, 2023 also saw British Airways’ first direct flight to Port of Spain, Trinidad, which will operate three times per week from London Gatwick. The flight was formerly via St Lucia.
Aer Lingus this weekend began a brand-new service connecting the West coast of Ireland to London Heathrow and recommenced direct flights to Hartford, Connecticut from Dublin.
Theinaugural Aer Lingus flight EI916, operated by an Airbus A320, departed from Ireland West Airport at Knock for Heathrow at 1.05pm on March 26.
Aer Lingus commences new daily service to London Heathrow with Seamless onward flight connections to 80+ destinations worldwide. Pictured at the commencement of the new daily service to London Heathrow from Ireland West Airport with Aer Lingus was Joe Gilmore CEO Ireland West Airport with the inaugural Aer Lingus flight EI916, Airbus A320, landing at the airport. Pic: Michael McLaughlin
Given the close proximity of Knock to the Wild Atlantic Way and the huge spotlight on the West of Ireland following the box-office hit ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, the new route will connect UK visitors, and those travelling via Heathrow, to one of Ireland’s most popular destinations.
Tourism Ireland figures indicate that the majority of visitors to Ireland are from Great Britain (42%), followed by the US (15%) which validates the new Aer Lingus route and highlights the importance of connectivity between Ireland and Great Britain.
In addition, according to Tourism Ireland, 4.78 million people from Great Britain visited the Island of Ireland in 2019, generating €1.4 billion in revenue and 28% of British holidaymakers were between the ages of 25 and 34.
For residents of the West of Ireland, who can use Aer Lingus’ 16 direct Aer Lingus North American routes from Dublin and Shannon airports this summer, the London Heathrow service will also enable them to connect to destinations right across the globe via the UK’s largest and busiest airport.
Return to Hartford – driving connectivity to North America
The weekend also marked the recommencement of Aer Lingus’ Dublin-Hartford service for the first time in over two years.
Aer Lingus flight EI131, which departed from Dublin for Hartford on March 26, is operated by an Airbus A321neo LR. This is the airline’s most sustainable long-haul aircraft delivering a 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.
Aer Lingus operating the only service from Bradley to Europe
The return of daily service between Dublin and Hartford is a critical milestone for Bradley International Airport as Aer Lingus operates the only direct service from there to Europe.
Travelling with Aer Lingus, customers departing from Hartford will not only benefit from a direct flight to Dublin, they can also enjoy seamless onward connections via Dublin to 28 UK and European airports including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Prague, plus many more.
Hartford is one of 16 North American destinations which Aer Lingus will operate to this summer. With over 2.25 million transatlantic seats on sale, 2023 marks the airline’s largest ever North American summer schedule to date. As part of that Aer Lings will have a direct route to Cleveland, Ohio, starting in May.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and the Pokémon Company have teamed up under the “Pokémon Air Adventures” to launch its specially painted “Pikachu Jet NH*” on June 4, 2023. The collaboration will include a series of special products and services including original goods and inflight entertainment.
Image: ANA
With easing travel restrictions, the “Pokémon Air Adventures” is a project set to elevate the excitement of travel with the world of Pokémon. This new endeavor is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment for people to experience the joy of travel and the pleasure of mobility once again.
The ANA Group believes in connecting people and communities through travel and we are delighted to introduce the “Pikachu Jet NH”, with hopes to rekindle the joy and excitement among our customers.
*NH: NH is the airline code that recognizes ANA as defined by the International Air Transport Association.
1. Specially painted “Pikachu Jet NH” aircraft (scheduled to begin service on international routes from June 4, 2023)
■ Operation period: Approximately 5 years from June 4, 2023
■ Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 aircraft (JA894A)
■ Design concept: The “Pikachu Jet NH” aircraft features a livery designed for ANA, in which the Sky High Pokémon Rayquaza is depicted across the entire fuselage to create a vivid effect. Charizard, Latias, Latios, Vivillon, and other flying Pokémon from all over the Pokémon world move together with Pikachu toward the shining rays of hope and endless possibilities of an interconnected world. Pokémon are also hidden inside the engines, so please keep an eye out for them when boarding on your next adventure with the Pikachu Jet!
■ The following is a list of routes that may be operated from June 4, 2023 to October 28, 2023. The routes are subject to change due to changes in operations.
● Haneda – Bangkok (NH847/NH850/NH849/NH848)
● Haneda – Singapore (NH841/NH844/NH843/NH842)
● Haneda – Jakarta (NH855/NH856)
● Haneda – Manila (NH869/NH870)
● Haneda – Ho Chi Minh City (NH891/NH892)
● Haneda – Delhi (NH837/NH838)
● Haneda – Sydney (NH879/NH880/NH889/NH890)
● Haneda – Vancouver (NH116/NH115)
● Haneda – Honolulu (NH186/NH185)
Please note that the routes/flights will not be decided until the day of the flight, as it changes daily depending on the operation status.
■ The interior cabin design of the “Pikachu Jet NH” and original goods to be distributed to passengers will be announced at a later date.
2. First original goods “Bath Poncho” (on sale from June 4, 2023)
The first original goods will be the “Bath Poncho,” which will go on sale on June 4, 2023. The product will be available to passengers on ANA international and domestic flights through the in-flight duty free sales service as well as the “ANA STORE@SKY” online shopping service accessible through the Wi-Fi on ANA domestic flights and lounges. Details will be offered in the May/June issue of ANA SKY SHOP (digital magazine) available from the end of April.
Please stay tuned for more original goods to be added in the future. Please note that the number of items in stock is constantly subject to change and may run out early.
3. In-flight entertainment (scheduled to be available on international flights from June 2023 and domestic flights from July 2023)
Passengers will be able to enjoy Pokémon-related content such as Pokémon Kids TV and POKÉTOON on all ANA international and domestic flights.
*Scheduled to start in June 2023 for international flights and in July 2023 for domestic flights.
*Contents are subject to change.
*For details, please check the ANA SKY CHANNEL, where more information will be available from the end of the previous month. The contents to be screened will differ depending on the time of boarding.
Viva (Air Colombia) Airbus A320-251N WL HK-5366 (msn 10482) MIA (Jay Selman). Image: 404284.
Viva Air will be allowed to be taken over by Avianca and merged into the larger national flag carrier’s holding company.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority has approved the merger with conditions. Viva Air will be required to reimburse passengers affected by the canceled flights.
The Viva Air brand would continue under the merger agreement.
Meanwhile Avianca is reconsidering the deal it agreed to in April with this statement:
“Avianca will study the resolution and the implications of the measures set forth by the regulator as soon as possible, to determine the feasibility of complying with them.”
Top Copyright Photo: Viva (Air Colombia) Airbus A320-251N WL HK-5366 (msn 10482) MIA (Jay Selman). Image: 404284.
Porter Airlines launched three new routes between Ottawa International Airport and Boston, New York-Newark and Thunder Bay on March 27, providing convenient travel links for the region.
The new routes are part of Porter’s broader expansion plan in Ottawa and its commitment to the region, including new maintenance hangars that are currently under construction at YOW. These will serve as a primary maintenance facility for the airline’s new E195-E2 fleet.
Porter is the only airline providing year-round daily direct flights to Boston and Thunder Bayfrom Ottawa.
Photo: Porter Airlines
The new daily nonstop routes are served by 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft. Passengers are able to experience Porter’s genuine hospitality and elevated onboard service, including premium snacks, and free beer and wine served in glassware for all passengers.
Routes from Ottawa (YOW)
Frequency
Introductory roundtrip fares (including taxes and fees) start at:
Norse Atlantic Airways marked a new era in affordable transatlantic travel between the US and France with the celebration of its inaugural flight from Paris, Charles de Gaulle to New York JFK and from JFK to Charles de Gaulle. The daily direct service commenced on March 26, 2023, providing customers with a quality service onboard modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The launch of this route marks Norse Atlantic’s entry into yet another major international market as the airline continues to provide comfortable and budget-friendly travel options for long-haul flights.
Photo: Norse Atlantic Airways
Daily departures from New York to Paris are at 12:30 a.m. EDT, with arrival in Paris at 2:05 p.m. local time. The return flights depart Paris at 8:00 pm local time, and land in NY at 10:15 p.m. EDT.
British Airways has introduced award-winning English Sparkling wines in its Club World (business class) cabin so customers can enjoy the ‘best of British’ bubbles at 35,000ft.
The airline’s Master of Wine has worked carefully with several award-winning wineries to source, taste and select a range of English Sparkling wines for customers to sample in the comfort of their seat. The introduction of four English Sparkling wines in Club World will be a first for the airline, previously only available in the airline’s First cabin with Hattingley Valley from Hampshire.
The four English Sparkling wine options will be available on a rotational basis, changing every three months. This means that customers will be able to choose from two sparkling options when travelling in Club World, including the current Champagne resident Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Silver Top Non-Vintage Champagne, and now an exclusive English Sparkling wine option.
The first English Sparkling wine will be the Digby Fine English Brut NV, which has over three years’ maturation, giving it great complexity and finesse for customers to savour. This wine pairs well with delicate dishes on the airline’s Club World menu, such as the grilled cod with sweet potato mousseline, mozzarella mezzaluna or an after-dinner selection of cheeses.
Photo British Airways
From July, the airline will serve the Balfour Rosé de Noirs, grown on the Balfour Hush Heath Estate in Kent, and made only from red grapes. This lighter rosé sparkling wine is an exclusive blend for British Airways, making it only available at 35,000ft for customers in the airline’s Club World cabin.
Later in the year, Simpsons Chalklands Cuvee Brut NV, from Kent will be available from October for three months. This epitomises English elegance and is pale gold in colour, with delicate notes of crisp green apple. Finally, Wiston Estate Brut NV from the South Downs, is refreshing in flavour, with citrus and toasty notes and available for customers to try in the airline’s Club World cabin from January 2024.
The airline continues to spotlight a destination through its premium wine selection, celebrating a different destination in its network each quarter. In April, the airline will spotlight wines from the regions surrounding the city of Porto, Portugal, in its Club World and First cabins, including Anselmo Mendes’ Muros Antigos Loureiro Vinho Verde and Casa Ferreirinha’s Callabriga Douro.
Elsewhere, British Airways continues to elevate its drinks portfolio with the launch of Whispering Angel Provence Rosé and The Pale, curated from the same Château d’Esclans vineyards. Customers can enjoy these varieties across its lounges at London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
British Airways recently introduced new seasonal menus across its cabins to celebrate Valentine’s Day and promote the best of British cuisine, and is launching Easter and Eid menus over the coming weeks. The airline has also been trialling menu variations and service styles with the airline’s cabin crew to ensure they meet customers’ expectations.
Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-ANT (msn 36291) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 957139.
Air India is expanding its UK presence in a move which reinforces the strong links between the UK and India, as it undergoes a massive modernization program to transform into a world-class, premium airline.
The Indian flag carrier is launching four new services from London Gatwick to Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kochi and Goa, switching them from London Heathrow, and flying on each route three times a week.
Each of the four new services will be operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Flights to Ahmedabad and Amritsar started on Sunday, March 26, with services to Kochi starting today (Monday, March 27), and to Goa on Tuesday, March 28.
From London Heathrow, Air India is adding five additional weekly frequencies, with flights to Delhi increasing from 14 to 17 times a week, and to Mumbai from 12 to 14 times a week, effective as of yesterday (Sunday, March 26).
Photo: Air India
Air India also plans to upgauge the equipment on its London Heathrow to Delhi and Mumbai routes with Boeing 777 aircraft, expected to be added from May 2023, initially on the Delhi route. This will enable First Class service to be reinstated for passengers.
Air India also flies from Birmingham to Amritsar and Delhi three times a week on each route. In total, there are 49 Air India flights a week between the UK and India.
The flag carrier, which has 126 aircraft currently, has embarked upon a major transformation, having recently placed the largest-ever firm orders for a total of 470 aircraft with Airbus and Boeing, with deliveries starting later in 2023.
The orders for new aircraft are in addition to 36 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft that the airline had leased in late 2022, which are already being inducted into its fleet. The airline has also committed over USD $400 million in a project to fully refurbish its entire legacy wide-body fleet, comprising 27 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and 13 Boeing 777 aircraft, which will see a complete overhaul of existing cabin interiors.
This will include the addition of latest generation seats and best in-class inflight entertainment across all classes. In addition, the refurbishment will see the introduction of a Premium Economy cabin on both fleets.
As part of the firm orders for 470 new aircraft, Air India has selected 250 new Airbus aircraft, consisting of 40 A350s and 210 A320/A321neos, as well as 220 Boeing aircraft, consisting of 190 Boeing 737 MAX, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and 10 Boeing 777X.
The first six Airbus A350s are due to arrive by the end of 2023. The fleet order, and expansion at Gatwick, will see an expected 500 new jobs created in the UK due to Air India’s ambitious transformation.
The fleet order, and expansion of its network, signals the swift return of one of the most iconic carriers worldwide. Air India became part of the Tata Group in 2022. The transformation will include major changes to its brand, world-class customer service offerings on the ground and in the air, and more dynamic digital products.
Top Copyright Photo: Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-ANT (msn 36291) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 957139.
Atlantic Airways was considering adding a new route from Vagar in the Faroe Islands to Newark.
That plan appears to have changed.
Atlantic Airways CEO Jóhanna á Bergi has told the state KvF news source that the airline will soon offer scheduled weekly flights between Vagar Airport and New York-Stewart International Airport (SWF) near New York City starting on August 22, 2023.
Flights will depart from Stewart on Wednesday through early October.
Atlantic Airways route map:
Atlantic Airways route map
Top Copyright Photo: Atlantic Airways-Faroe Islands Airbus A319-115 OY-RCG (msn 5079) MUC (Arnd Wolf). Image: 940485.
Finnair is shifting its sustainability efforts up a gear with the launch of a new range of environmentally focussed initiatives.
The new projects are aimed at helping the airline reach its target of being carbon neutral by the end of 2045 and will contribute towards reducing Finnair’s overall carbon footprint.
This month, the Nordic airline introduced 105 new electric-powered ground equipment vehicles, as part of its plan to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve net-zero emissions in non-flight operations by the end of 2023.
The investment includes dedicated Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric vans, which will support Finnair’s Technical Operations on the ground in Helsinki and reduce CO2 emissions.
Following this move, 45% of Finnair’s motorised ground equipment will be electric or hybrid – a testament to the airline’s commitment to sustainability.
While the airline has made great strides towards transforming its ground handling equipment to become totally electrically powered, some vehicles will remain conventionally powered for operational and risk reduction reasons, especially during Finland’s demanding winter conditions.
After reaching its goal to halve single-use plastic waste onboard by 2022, Finnair is also taking actions onboard to reduce single-use plastic and increase its recycling rate.
From today, customers can enjoy bamboo toothbrushes and mint toothpaste, developed for Finnair by the Swedish sustainability-focused company, The Humble Co.
The newly designed toothbrush and toothpaste are available to customers travelling in Business Class and Premium Economy upon request.
Photo: Finnair
The flag carrier also recently announced the purchase of 750 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from its partner, Neste, for use on flights departing from Helsinki Airport.
This week, Finnair was ranked by Finns as the most sustainable brand among the airlines included in the Sustainable Brand Index 2023.
This follows the airline’s recent move to switch shorter domestic flights to buses, the launch of carbon offsetting, and also the additional investment in setting a science-based target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A321-211 OH-LZB (msn 961) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 941814.
airBaltic announces that in the period of March 27 and May 31, 2023 it will temporarily wet-lease additional aircraft short-term. Such conditions have arisen as a result of the manufacturer’s inability to fulfill the obligations of engine maintenance in a timely manner. To meet the increasing passenger demand and to ensure a successful performance of planned flights without cancellations, also the aircraft of XFly (Bombardier CRJ-900NG – 88 seats), Danish Air Transport-DAT (Airbus A320-232 – 180 seats), Carpatair (Airbus A319-100 – 150 seats), and Cyprus Airways (Airbus A320-232 – 180 seats) will operate flights of airBaltic.
As reported previously, airBaltic has also established a partnership with Avion Express, adding four Airbus A320-232 aircraft of 180 seats to the fleet of airBaltic for the summer season 2023.
Prior to the partnership agreement, airBaltic has conducted full volume technical and quality inspections of all the aircraft to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Important to emphasize that airBaltic cooperates only with airlines that are certified in accordance with the European Aviation Safety requirements. The average age of the specific aircraft is 12 years. Furthermore, the crew of wet-lease carriers has been instructed to detail, in order to ensure the same high standard of service as airBaltic.
To fulfill its contractual obligations and follow the business plan, at the same time airBaltic will continue to lease out 14 of its aircraft to other airlines, during the summer season 2023.
airBaltic provides flights to more than 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and Tampere, offering connections to a wide range of destinations in the airline’s route network in Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East.
Connect Airlines is planning to expand from Toronto (Billy Bishop Airport) (YTZ) to Greenville/Spartanburg (GSP) – Newark (EWR) – Charlotte (CLT) – Raleigh/Durham (RDU) – Milwaukee (MKE) and Nashville (BNA).
Connect Airlines currently flies from Bishop to both Chicago (O’Hare) and Philadelphia.
Connect Airlines is the brand for Waltzing Matilda Aviation LLC’s (WMA) proposed scheduled 121 operation (flag, domestic scheduled, domestic unscheduled).
