Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways will continue offering complimentary meals in economy class, but is to add buy-on-board drinks, snacks and amenity kits as the airline continues to experiment with new products.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) approved its 2018 budget Dec. 7, paving the way for $1.1 billion in capital budget funds toward redeveloping the region’s three airports, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
Germany-based regional carrier LGW has begun wet-lease Airbus A320 operations for Lufthansa LCC subsidiary Eurowings as part of Lufthansa Group’s €210 million ($247 million) bid to take over a large part of bankrupt airberlin assets, which includes Austria’s NIKI and LGW.
Critics of perceived federal government overreach regarding US airline industry regulation were handed a victory Dec. 7 as the US Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew two proposed rules that would have forced US airlines to collect and publish detailed data on ancillary revenues and disclose baggage fees to passengers at point-of-sale, respectively.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana said it is destined to become one of the largest Airbus A320neo family operators in Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) over the next three years.
Air India is contending with a rising trend of older passengers traveling between India and the US opting for wheelchair assistance at airports, particularly when arriving at or departing from US airports.
Ryanair will end its partnership with global distribution system (GDS) provider Amadeus on Dec. 15, after both parties were unable to reach a renewed commercial agreement, the Irish LCC announced Dec. 8.
New information indicates there was significant damage to a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine on an Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 that recently was forced to turn back soon after takeoff.
Belavia Belarusian Airlines has ordered another Embraer E195 jet, scheduled for delivery in 2018. The firm order has a list price value of $53.5 million.
US senators have introduced legislation to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at a funding level higher than that in its current budget.
Qatar Airways has decided to equip its incoming fleet of Airbus A321neos with CFM International Leap-1A engines, dropping an earlier commitment for the competing Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine.
Air New Zealand is facing significant disruption in its international network because of problems with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its Boeing 787-9 fleet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has amended the civil code permitting carriers to refuse to sell tickets to passengers previously added to a “blacklist.”
Scandinavian leisure carrier Primera Air has ordered two more Boeing 737 MAX 9s, taking the original order signed in May 2017 from eight to 10 aircraft.
