American Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner N883BM (msn 66003) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 960559.
The APA Negotiating Committee and its American Airlines management counterparts have reached an agreement in principle (AIP) on a new collective bargaining agreement.
As required by the APA Policy Manual Section 9.06, we will move forward with completing contractual language for all sections and related letters and for the implementation schedule. Once that requirement is fulfilled, the Negotiating Committee will present the AIP to the APA Board of Directors for consideration as a proposed tentative agreement (TA) at least seven days prior to any meeting convened to consider the TA.
Details of the AIP will be released by the Negotiating Committee in the days ahead.
Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner N883BM (msn 66003) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 960559.
American Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):
Virgin Atlantic is restarting its much-anticipated flights to Shanghai, re-establishing essential business and leisure connections between the United Kingdom and China. The daily service resumed on May 1, 2023.
The move comes following a relaxation in travel restrictions between the two countries, which sees the borders reopening to foreign nationals for the first time since December 23, 2020. Shanghai is Virgin Atlantic’s final route to be re-instated following the global pandemic, having been impacted by suspensions and closures since February 1, 2020.
Virgin Atlantic’s Shanghai flights will continue to operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The return to China will complement the rest of Virgin Atlantic’s global route network which includes the USA & Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria and India. The airline’s Tel Aviv service has doubled capacity this summer, operating a double daily service. New routes to the Maldives and Turks and Caicos will also commence later this year.
Top Copyright Photo: Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-VNYL (msn 37981) SEA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104713.
WestJet on April 30 celebrated the departure of flight WS80 from YYC Calgary International Airport to Tokyo’s NaritaInternational Airport.
Tokyo service will operate on the airline’s 787 Dreamliner three times per week through October 28, and will return in Spring 2024. Guests travelling between Calgary and Tokyo can expect an elevated experience onboard including Western and Japanese inflight meals, Japanese entertainment options and the comfort of Japanese announcements and menus.
Route
Frequency
Departure
Arrival
Calgary – Tokyo (Narita)
3x weekly
15:10
16:15 (next day)
Tokyo (Narita) – Calgary
3x weekly
18:15
12:15
Top Copyright Photo: WestJet Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner C-FAJA (msn 64982) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 960153.
Azerbaijan Airlines and Boeing today announced the national flag carrier has ordered eight 787-8 Dreamliners to support the growth of its long-haul fleet.
Photo: Boeing
Azerbaijan Airlines is one of the largest carriers in Central Asia, serving 40 destinations across 25 countries, with a fleet that includes Boeing 757, 767 and 787 jets.
Top Copyright Photo: Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VP-BBR (msn 37920) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 934847.
Neos on April 6 launched a new weekly route from Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport to Toronto (Pearson) in Canada on April 6, 2023 via its Milan (Malpensa) hub.
Neos was born in June 2001 and, once it obtained the Air Carrier Certificate on March 7, 2002 from the National Civil Aviation Body (ENAC), its first Boeing 737-800 I-NEOS “City of Milan” took off from Milan Malpensa the following day to Senegal (Dakar and Cap Skirring).
Ceremony at Toronto (Pearson)
Regular flights started in October of the same year as the only Italian air carrier being authorized to fly the route Italy-Cape Verde, followed by routes to the Canary Islands in August 2003 and to numerous important holiday destinations in the Mediterranean in the summer of 2004.
Long haul flights finally started in December 2004 and are currently performed by six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
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.
Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will resume its services to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 25, 2023.
The flight will be operated four times a week with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as per the below schedule.
Ethiopian Airlines first commenced its service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a thrice-weekly service back in 2012. However, the flight was suspended later in 2021.
Top Copyright Photo: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ET-AUR (msn 38793) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 943204.
ZIPAIR Tokyo Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA824J (msn 34834) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 959695.
ZIPAIR Tokyo has announced it will launch flights from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The Japanese carrier has not announced the launch date.
ZIPAIR Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The new route will be operated with Boeing 787-8 Dramliner aircraft.
SFO will be the third destination in California.
Top Copyright Photo: ZIPAIR Tokyo Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA824J (msn 34834) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 959695.
Ethiopian Airlines has announced the resumption of its nonstop flights between Abidjan and New York John F. Kennedy Airport on May 29, 2023.
Ethiopian first started serving New York from its main hub Addis Ababa via Abidjan in June 2019. However, the route was suspended in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Later, the flight resumed serving New York via Lomé starting in October 2020.
The four times weekly flight will be operated between Addis Ababa and New York via Abidjan as per the below schedule. Flight Number
Frequency
Departure Airport
Departure time
Arrival Airport
Arrival Time
Sub Fleet
ET 512
Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun
ADD
09:00
ABJ
11:30
788
Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun
ABJ
13:00
JFK
20:00
788
ET 513
Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun
JFK
21:30
ABJ
11:35+
788
Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun
ABJ
12:45
ADD
21:10
788
Ethiopian Airlines currently operates to more than 130 international passenger and cargo destinations from its main hub Addis Ababa including to Abidjan, where Ethiopian provided 42 years of uninterrupted service since November 1980. Ethiopian will also be commencing a new passenger service to Atlanta, USA starting from 16 May 2023. Atlanta will be Ethiopian Airlines’ 6th destination in the US following its passenger services to New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington DC and cargo service to Miami.
Top Copyright Photo: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner ET-ARF (msn 34752) IAH (Jarrod Wilkening). Image: 949750.
Etihad Airways is increasing its services to Frankfurt, Germany.
From May 1, 2023, the airline will add an extra four services a week to its current daily frequency, bringing the total number of flights to Frankfurt up to 11 weekly.
The additional flights will be operated by one of Etihad’s ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, designed with customer comfort in mind, boasting 28 seats in Business and 262 in Economy.
Top Copyright Photo: Etihad Airways Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner A6-BMH (msn 60765) (Greenliner) MUC (Tony Storck). Image: 960014.
