Category: Other

Qantas has begun rolling out next-generation airport kiosks, which will make the airport experience faster and easier for customers travelling on domestic flights. The national carrier has started a limited trial of new self-service kiosks in Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport. After fine tuning the new technology with customers, the airline expects to have them fully installed in Sydney by early June and around 140 kiosks installed across all major domestic airports by September. These will replace the existing kiosks that customers use to check in and print baggage tags. With more than three quarters of customers already checking in Read more

WestJet has released that WestJet flight dispatchers, represented by the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA), voted more than 90% in favour of a ten-year agreement. The ratified agreement starts June 1, 2022 and expires on May 31, 2032.   “As our industry continues to recover, this ten-year agreement will help the long-term sustainability of WestJet and demonstrates our commitment to our WestJetters, our guests and the communities we serve,” said Diederik Pen, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our flight dispatchers exemplify true professionalism, dedication and help to ensure our operation runs smoothly day in and day out. The Canadian economy Read more

Skyborne Airline Academy and JSX, an award-winning U.S.-based Part 135 air carrier, have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to supply First Officers for its Embraer ERJ fleet. The MOU allows Skyborne to provide experienced former flight instructors the opportunity to fill First Officer positions at JSX, once they meet JSX’s strict hiring standards, including having achieved at least 1,000 total flight hours and 50 hours of multi-engine time. This agreement helps JSX source qualified pilots while giving Skyborne CFIs the opportunity to enrich their professional experience with a U.S. Part 135 air carrier. Captain Ed Davidson, Managing Director, Skyborne Airline Read more

Qantas has announced that it will take a majority shareholding in the Australian-made travel business, TripADeal. The stake allows Qantas Loyalty to immediately expand its exposure to the estimated AU$13 billion online packaged holiday booking market, which is experiencing significant growth as leisure demand booms and the shift to e-commerce continues. Over the past decade, TripADeal has built thousands of direct supplier relationships with hotels, tour operators and other vendors that allow it to offer well-priced holiday packages both domestically and overseas. It also has its own tour guides based in over 30 countries. TripADeal packages range from African safaris, Read more

Swissport has officially inaugurated a new 8,000 m² air cargo centre near Vienna Airport – its second facility to serve air cargo customers in Vienna. The new facility is connected with Swissport’s on-airport cargo centre by a dedicated electric truck, the first of its kind in Swissport’s growing global network of air cargo centres. Swissport continues to grow its air cargo business to participate in strong global demand for air cargo logistics and to capture additional market share. With a second cargo centre now operational in Vienna, Swissport can resolve local constraints and provide air carriers and forwarders in Vienna Read more

Lufthansa has selected Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) to provide its NEXT in-flight entertainment (IFE) system and enhanced connectivity solutions for the carrier’s flagship Boeing 747-8 fleet. Panasonic Avionics’ NEXT IFE system will be retrofitted on Lufthansa’s 19 Boeing 747-8s, with the first due to be rolled out in summer 2024. This higher-performance system will provide Lufthansa’s passengers with a superior, immersive cinematic experience using the latest 4K screen technology, with faster network speeds and higher storage capacity.  Business Class passengers will enjoy an enhanced IFE experience with up to 24-inch 4K screens, a large 10-inch additional control unit, high Read more

United Airlines has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for three weekly nonstop flights between Washington, D.C. and Cape Town, South Africa. If approved, United’s flights will become the first nonstop service ever between Washington D.C. and South Africa’s legislative capital, Cape Town. This long-overdue route will benefit important government-to-government connections and increase communication and commerce with a region that has strong cultural ties to South Africa. United’s proposed service would begin November 17, 2022, and operate on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, maximised to meet consumer demand and benefit both U.S. and South African travellers. If approved, Read more