Air Peace (Lagos) today (March 31) launches a new route from Lagos to Mumbai, India.
The new route will be operated two days a week.
The route will be operated with its Boeing 777 aircraft.
Top Copyright Photo: Air Peace Boeing 777-21H ER 5N-BVE (msn 29324) JNB (Jonathan Druion). Image: 945972.
Other photos by the airline:
Bonza on March 30 launched operations from its second base at Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) with the first flight to Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY).
Bonza will base two Boeing 737-8s at MEL to operate nine routes.
Then airline has made this announcement:
Travel-hungry Victorians have packed onto the first ever Bonza flight from the Victorian capital to the Sunshine Coast marking the launch of the airline’s Melbourne (Tullamarine) base just in time for Easter and school holidays.
“Our team of legends have been working hard to set up and launch our second base at Melbourne Tullamarine. The Victorian capital is our second home and based here are a number of cabin crew, pilots and first officers who get to come home after a day travelling to regional destinations on our route map,” said Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza.
From the Tullamarine base, Bonza will operate two aircraft from their fleet of brand new Boeing 737-MAX who are affectionately named Shazza, Bazza, Sheila and Malc.
Twelve routes from the Melbourne base went on sale last month via the Fly Bonza app to 11 destinations including the low-cost carrier’s home base Sunshine Coast Airport and regional locations like Toowoomba Wellcamp, Tamworth and Bundaberg. Melburnians can now take advantage of nine Bonza routes – seven of which are not being offered by any other airline. Bonza will also launch a much anticipated Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Mildura service from its new base on 8 May, turning a six-seven-hour drive within the same state to little more than an hours flight.
With Melbourne poised to overtake Sydney to become the largest city in Australia, and regional populations booming, Jordan says there has never been a better time for Bonza to enter the market as an airline for the many, not the few.
In other news, Bonza has launched its twice weekly service from Newcastle to the Whitsunday Coast on March 30.
The new route is part of Bonza’s ongoing launch with this week seeing the introduction of flights between the Sunshine Coast and Cairns, Newcastle and Melbourne Tullamarine. Yesterday, Bonza launched Cairns to Mackay and on Friday it will introduce a Cairns to Rockhampton service. The ramp up comes as Bonza looks to enjoy its first ever peak holiday period with Easter and school holidays kicking off this week in Queensland.
Pictured: Aerial view of people looking out over the blue waters, from Hill Inlet Lookout, Image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Top Copyright Photo: Bonza Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N5515X (VH-UJT) (msn 62533) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 958109.
Bonza aircraft photo gallery:
Vistara will commence services on the Mumbai – London (Heathrow) route on June 1, 2023.
The new route will operate five days a week.
Top Copyright Photo: Vistara Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner VT-TSE (msn 66527) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 960094.
Vistara aircraft photo gallery:
Avelo Airlines is planning to add two more routes from Wilmington, NC to Florida.
Flights from ILM to both West Palm Beach (PBI) and Tampa (TPA) will begin on June 22, 2023.
Top Copyright Photo: Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-8EH WL N808VL (msn 37597) PBI (Jay Selman). Image: 404289.
Avelo Airlines aircraft photo gallery:
EVA Air has finalized an order with Boeing for five additional 787-9 Dreamliners, a repeat order for Boeing’s super-efficient widebody jet. EVA Air’s follow-on investment in the 787 will enable the airline to further reduce carbon emissions and sustainably grow its fleet.
The Taipei-based airline currently operates a fleet of 10 787s, including four 787-9s and six 787-10s. With this new order, EVA Air has unfilled orders for seven 787-10s and nine 787-9s. EVA Air also operates one of the world’s largest 777 fleets with more than 40 airplanes, including passenger and freighter models, with one 777 Freighter on order.
Top Copyright Photo: EVA Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner B-17885 (msn 42118) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 946414.
EVA Air aircraft photo gallery:
Vistara made this announcement with photos concerning its fourth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered as VT-TSP (this is likely to be the last Vistara 787):
We are ecstatic to welcome our 4th Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner™ to our fleet. This maiden flight was extra special as it became India’s first wide-body aircraft to operate on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Photos: Vistara.
Amerijet International Airlines, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Amerijet Caribbean Express Ltd., opened a new branch office in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on March 28, 2023.
Amerijet Caribbean Express Ltd. has been successfully operating at the Piarco International Airport for over 22 years.
Recent legislation passed by the government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago to encourage foreign direct investment will eventually allow for the establishment of special economic zones. In anticipation of the legislative change, Amerijet is moving forward with its expansion plans, focusing on hiring skilled and experienced labor in Trinidad & Tobago.
Trinidad’s proximity to the United States, common language, and close time zone will allow the new Amerijet branch office to handle various financial and management functions and report directly to Miami’sheadquarters.
Top Copyright Photo: AmeriJet International Boeing 757-256 (F) WL N286GB (msn 26245) MIA (Antony J. Best). Image: 960067.
AmeriJet aircraft photo gallery:
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly Malindo Air) will launch a new route linking Kuala Lumpur to the Maldives via Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 12, 2023.
The new route will be operated with Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 aircraft according to Aviators Maldives.
Route Map:
Top Copyright Photo: Batik Malaysia Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 9M-LRH (msn 43017) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 960342.
Batok Air Malaysia aircraft photo gallery:
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).
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.
Air India aircraft photo gallery:
Lynx Air has announced the addition of two new routes from Hamilton to Vancouver and from Toronto to Kelowna.
Canada’s leading ultra-affordable airline will offer seasonal summer services between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Kelowna International Airport (YLW) starting April 13, 2023, and between Hamilton’s John C. Munroe International Airport (YHM) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) starting April 16, 2023. Both services will operate as “through flights” via Calgary International Airport (YYC), providing a seamless service with a single boarding pass and the ability to check bags through to the final destination.
Lynx Air has recently announced the addition of Montreal and Fredericton to its network of destinations. This brings the total number of destinations on Lynx’s network to 16. By Summer 2023 Lynx will offer over 240 flights per week across North America, which equates to over 45,000 seats.
Top Copyright Photo: Lynx Air (Canada) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 C-GJSL (msn 43312) YYZ (TMK Photography). Image: 957311.
Lynx Air aircraft photo gallery:
Icelandair has announced its 2023-2024 winter schedule with a capacity increase of 20-25% between North America and more than 30 destinations in Europe, compared to last winter season.
Due to popular demand, Rome, Barcelona, Raleigh Durham, Baltimore, and Vancouver will increase from seasonal to year-round service.
In addition, six destinations will further increase flight frequency and for the first-time, day flights from New York and Boston have been added to the winter schedule, offering up to 11 weekly nonstop flights from Boston to Keflavik (Reykjavik), and 21 nonstop flights from New York to Keflavik (Reykjavik).
Shifting from seasonal to year-round service:
| Destination | Frequency |
| Barcelona (BCN) | Three flights per week |
| Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | Four flights per week |
| Rome (FCO) | Three flights per week |
| Vancouver (YVR) | Four flights per week |
| Baltimore | Daily flights |
Increased Frequency:
| Destination | Frequency winter 23/24 |
| Boston (BOS) | 7-11 flights per week |
| Chicago (ORD) | 5-7 flights per week |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 4-7 flights per week |
| Munich (MUC) | Daily flights |
| New York (JFK) | 17-21 flights per week |
| Tenerife (TFS) | 4-6 flights per week |
Top Copyright Photo: Icelandair Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 TF-ICU (msn 44355) LHR (Keith Burton). Image: 960319.
Icelandair aircraft photo gallery:
Boeing and Japan Airlines (JAL) have finalized an order for 21 super-efficient 737-8 jets.
JAL intends to begin introducing the airplanes into its fleet from 2026.
Norwegian Air Shuttle has made this announcement:
144 routes to 65 destinations are on the schedule for the next winter season, and Norwegian continues to fly to Nordic citizens’ favourite cities and vacation spots in southern Europe.
Norwegian continues with direct departures to exciting destinations in Europe from all the major Nordic airports, such as Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki. In addition to direct routes from Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Haugesund, Ålesund, Tromsø and Sandefjord in Norway and from Gothenburg in Sweden and Aalborg in Denmark.
Some routes to the most popular ski destinations in the Alps will be announced later.
Norwegian operates a summer and winter programme that changes twice a year, respectively at the end of October and the end of March. In a few weeks, the summer programme will start with 300 routes to 114 destinations. Among many popular and familiar destinations, the summer programme also contains some new destinations including Bari, Skopje, Porto, Bologna, Bucuresti, Sofia, Milano/Bergamo, Alanya/Gazipasa, and Thessaloniki.
Top Copyright Photo: Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) Boeing 737-86Q WL LN-NOO (msn 30289) (Gustav Vigeland) PMI (Ton Jochems). Image: 960289.
Norwegian aircraft photo gallery:
Virgin Orbit has suspended all operations for at least a week and furlough most of its staff in order to cut costs.
The company is looking for additional financing.
Previously on January 9, 2023 the company suffered an “anomaly” on its first orbital attempte from the United Kingdom:
On January 9, 2023, during the first attempted orbital launch from the United Kingdom, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne experienced an anomaly, leading to a premature shutdown of the rocket and failure to reach orbit.
Virgin Orbit began its investigation into the failure within hours of the conclusion of the mission, under the leadership of distinguished aerospace veteran Jim Sponnick and Virgin Orbit Chief Engineer Chad Foerster. The failure investigation team received immediate access to extensive telemetry data collected during the mission from the ground stations in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, as well as systems onboard its carrier aircraft, providing a robust dataset that the investigation team has thoroughly examined.
The investigation includes oversight by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (acting as the Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA) for the United Kingdom) and also participation by personnel from the Department of Defense, National Transportation Safety Board, and the National Reconnaissance Office. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority will also be involved in investigation process.
The investigation has confirmed that the Virgin Orbit team successfully executed pre-flight preparations, carrier aircraft takeoff, captive carry flight, and rocket release. The ignition, first stage flight, stage separation, second stage ignition, and fairing deployment of the LauncherOne rocket were nominal. Each of these milestones constituted a first-of-its-kind achievement for any orbital launch attempt from western Europe. LauncherOne performed successfully on all four prior operational flights, accurately delivering 33 payloads to their required orbits.
The investigation team is utilizing a comprehensive fault tree, a very detailed timeline, and several other products to conduct the investigation in a rigorous manner. Key observations at this point in the investigation:
The investigation is employing a detailed action plan to develop key analyses and tests to replicate flight conditions and to aid in determining the root cause or causes of the failure. All potentially credible scenarios, including the one described above are being investigated. Numerous tests are underway to support the investigation and help lead to definitive conclusions. Ultimately, all credible causes of the failure will be addressed prior to the next LauncherOne mission.
Virgin Orbit’s next launch will occur from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California for a commercial customer. The company anticipates announcing more details about that mission in the coming weeks.
ABOUT VIRGIN ORBIT
Virgin Orbit Holdings, Inc operates one of the most flexible and responsive space launch systems ever built. Founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2017, the Company began commercial service in 2021, and has already delivered commercial, civil, national security, and international satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California, and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft that allows Virgin Orbit Holdings, Inc to operate from locations all over the world in order to best serve each customer’s needs.
The company issued this statement on that issue:
Top Copyright Photo: Virgin Orbit Boeing 747-41R N744VG (msn 32745) (Virgin Atlantic colors) LGB (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944039.
Air Premia is coming to the U.S. East Coast.
The Korean carrier will launch the nonstop Seoul (Incheon) – Newark route on May 22.
The new route will operate four days a week with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Top Copyright Photo: Air Premia Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner HL8388 (msn 66409) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960278.
Air Premia aircraft photo gallery:
Air Canada today announced the addition of new, nonstop seasonal flights between Montreal and Amsterdam for this summer.
Flights will operate five-times weekly with the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, and conveniently link to and from Air Canada’s extensive North American network at its Montreal global hub.
Schedule:
| Flight | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Operates |
| AC900 | Montreal (YUL) | Amsterdam (AMS) | 22:10 | 11:00 + 1 day | Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, SatJun 2-Oct 14 |
| AC901 | Amsterdam (AMS) | Montreal (YUL) | 14:00 | 15:30 | Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, SunJun 3-Oct 15 |
Top Copyright Photo: Air Canada Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner C-FVND (msn 38361) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960271.
Air Canada aircraft photo gallery:
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.
Ethiopian Airlines aircraft photo gallery:
United Airlines is now forecasting a first quarter loss due to declining demand and rising pilot costs.
According to Reuters, “United said a combination of lower-demand in January and February and higher capacity has weakened its pricing power.
Total revenue per available seat mile, a proxy for pricing power, is estimated to be up 22% to 23% in the first quarter from a year ago, slower than the 25% growth expected earlier.”
Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 737-724 SSWL N15712 (msn 28783) IAH (Jarrod Wilkening). Image: 960270.
United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):
Boeing and Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) today announced the national flag-carrier will grow its long-haul fleet with the selection of up to 49 787 Dreamliners. Saudia is set to purchase 39 787s, with a further 10 options, utilizing the outstanding efficiency, range and flexibility of the Dreamliner to sustainably grow its global operation. The agreement will include both 787-9 and 787-10 models.
This agreement is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider strategic plan to transform the country into a global aviation hub. In total, Saudi Arabian carriers announced today their intent to purchase up to 121 787 Dreamliners in what will be the fifth largest commercial order by value in Boeing’s history. This will support the country’s goal of serving 330 million passengers and attracting 100 million visitors annually by 2030.
Saudia currently operates more than 50 Boeing airplanes on its long-haul network, including the 777-300ER (Extended Range) and 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliner. The additional 787s complement Saudia’s existing fleet, enabling it to effectively harness the value of the 777 and 787 families.
Boeing and Riyadh Air announced today that the new Saudi Arabian carrier has chosen the 787 Dreamliner to power its global launch and support its goal of operating one of the most efficient and sustainable fleets in the world.
Owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Riyadh Air said it will purchase 39 highly efficient 787-9s, with options for an additional 33 787-9s. Based in the capital city, Riyadh Air will play a key role in growing Saudi Arabia’s air transport network.
This agreement is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider strategic plan to transform the country into a global aviation hub. In total, Saudi Arabian carriers today announced their intent to purchase up to 121 787 Dreamliners in what will be the fifth largest commercial order by value in Boeing’s history. This will support the country’s goal of serving 330 million passengers and attracting 100 million visitors annually by 2030.