WestJet enters code-sharing with China Airlines

WestJet today announced it has entered into a code-share agreement with China Airlines (CI), allowing the carrier to begin marketing and selling WestJet-operated flights. Code-share designations will be available on select WestJet flights from Vancouver and Los Angeles. Bookings can be made through China Airlines or a travel agency.

"We are very excited to announce a code-share partnership with WestJet's oldest interline partner," said Chris Avery, Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances, and Corporate Development. "Just a few years ago, WestJet's agreement with China Airlines laid the groundwork for future interline and code-share agreements as part of our airline partnership strategy. With 38 partnerships now in place, we continue to bring top-quality airlines on board, along with more services to market for the business traveller. The success of this combined strategy plays a part in WestJet's consistently strong results, and this announcement underscores our efforts."

"China Airlines began flying to Canada in 2000 and offers daily non-stop flights from Taipei to Vancouver," said China Airlines' spokesperson Jeffrey Kuo. "We are thrilled to expand our reach in Canada with WestJet's code-share service."

This is the twelfth code-share agreement for WestJet. Since 2011, WestJet has initiated code-shares with American Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air and Qantas. Additionally, WestJet has 26 interline relationships, further connecting passengers world-wide to WestJet's network.

Source and image: WestJet

Cebu Pacific launches low-cost KSA-Philippines flights

(Left to right) Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Deputy Director General II Beda Badiola, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia 2nd Secretary Fahad Eid AlRashidy, CEB General Manager for Long Haul Alex Reyes and Department of Foreign Affairs Executive Director for Migrant Workers Affairs Ricardo Endaya officially launch Cebu Pacific’s Manila-Riyadh route with a cake-cutting ceremony.


Cebu Pacific Air now flies thrice weekly, non-stop flights between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, becoming the only low-cost carrier flying between the two countries.
CEB’s flights from Riyadh to Manila depart at 12:45 a.m. (Riyadh time) and arrive in Manila at 3:40 p.m. (Manila time) every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Flights from Manila to Riyadh depart at 5:05 p.m. (Manila time) and arrive in Riyadh at 11:35 p.m. (Riyadh time) every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
CEB also started its thrice-a-week, non-stop flights from Manila to Dammam on Oct. 4, 2014, with lowest year-round fares to start from SAR249.
In a press statement, CEB said it uses brand-new Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a configuration of 436 all-economy class seats for these two new routes.
It said passengers may also opt to purchase baggage allowance, seat selection, wi-fi connectivity inflight and hot meals.
“Cebu Pacific will keep flying to where the Filipinos are. As we expand our operations in the Middle East, we are proud to offer even more Filipinos in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia --- the fastest, most affordable way to come home,” said Alex Reyes, CEB general manager for Long Haul Division.

 

 

Aside from Riyadh and Dammam, CEB’s long-haul division also operates flights to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Sydney, Australia. From Manila, CEB offers fast and convenient same-terminal connecting flights for guests taking advantage of the airline’s extensive Philippine network.
For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to "http://www.cebupacificair.com/" or call Attar Travel Company +966-11-216-1158 (Riyadh and Dammam). The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter (@cebupacificair) and Facebook (Cebu Pacific Air) pages.
CEB's 51-strong fleet is comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 28 Airbus A320, 5 Airbus A330 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2014 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 11 more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 1 Airbus A330 aircraft.
It flies to 34 Philippine and 28 international destinations, including Boracay (Caticlan), Palawan (Puerto Princesa), Tokyo, Beijing, Bali, Seoul, Hanoi and Siem Reap.
Cebu Air Inc. is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering its low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.

Spirit Airlines,3.2% load factor decrease in 3Q, 2014

Spirit Airlines today reported its preliminary traffic results for September 2014. Traffic (revenue passenger miles) in September 2014 increased 13.5 percent versus September 2013 on a capacity (available seat miles) increase of 18.0 percent. Load factor for September 2014 was 81.5 percent, a decrease of 3.2 pts compared to September 2013. Spirit's preliminary completion factor for September 2014 was 99.1 percent, down 0.4 percentage points year-over-year due to service disruptions caused by the Air Traffic Control facility fire in Chicago and Hurricane Odile which damaged the airport in Los Cabos, Mexico resulting in a temporary suspension of all flights to/from Los Cabos.

The Company recently became aware of an underpayment of Federal Excise Tax ("FET") on a minority portion of its fuel purchases for the time period beginning July 1, 2009, coinciding with a change in fuel service provider, through August 30, 2014. In its calculation for economic fuel price for the third quarter 2014, the Company will exclude the prior years' additional FET amount of $9.3 million but will include the year-to-date 2014 additional FET amount of $2.1 million. The Company estimates its economic fuel price per gallon for the third quarter of 2014, which includes the year-to-date 2014 additional FET amount, will be $3.13.

Based on actual results for July and August and estimated results for September, including the year-to-date 2014 FET amount noted above, the Company believes its third quarter adjusted operating margin will be in the lower half of its previous guidance range. The Company plans to provide an investor update on October 15, 2014 which will include more detailed guidance for the third quarter 2014.

Source ad image: Spirit Airlines

FAA revised airworthiness directive for Sikorsky

FAA is revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S–61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R, and V; Croman Corporation Model SH–3H, Carson Helicopters, Inc., Model S–61L; Robinson Air Crane models and more. This SNPRM is prompted by comments received in response to a previous SNPRM and a reevaluation of the relevant data. This SNPRM retains the proposed actions in the previous SNPRM, provides an increased estimated cost of the main rotor shaft (MRS) replacement, and clarifies some of the language in the Required Actions section of the AD. The proposed actions are intended to prevent MRS structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.   FAA is proposing this SNPRM after evaluation all the relevant information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other helicopters of these same type designs. Certain changes described above expand the scope of the previous SNPRM (78 FR 24363, April 25, 2013) by increasing the economic burden. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 60 helicopters of U.S. registry.   Source and image: GPO

Locatory.com and Unical Aviation Team Up to Deliver Customers Access to Spare Parts

Locatory.com, an IT company supporting the aviation industry with IT-based Supply Chain Optimisation solutions worldwide, is delighted to team up with Unical Aviation, a USA-based global supplier of aircraft parts, components, and inventory-based solutions in offering industry professionals access to Unical Aviation’s parts inventory using one of the largest aviation inventory listing systems. 

As of August 29, 2014, the Locatory.com trading platform launched the inclusion of Unical Aviation’s one million unique part numbers supporting commercial and militaryaircraft.  Through Locatory.com’s advanced web based platform, Unical Aviation provides operators and MROs worldwide with solutions for both routine and AOG requirements across a range of commercial aircraft including Boeing, McDonald Douglas, Airbus, Embraer, and Bombardier as well as military platforms including the F5, F15, F16, and C130.  

“With such a major universal supplier as Unical Aviation, the community of our platform users gain access to an even more extended range of spare parts. What is more, all Unical Aviation parts and components will be covered by our Amber system thus ensuring that all the available parts are being offered literally in just a few seconds after an operator or an MRO sends an e-mail with the request,” comments Zilvinas Sadauskas, the CEO of Locatory.com.

“Unical Aviation’s cooperation with Locatory.com gives our customers a convenient source through which to locate and order critical aviation parts from our extensive inventory holding.  Combined with our comprehensive parts based solutions encompassing component exchanges & leasing, repair management, kitting services, our standard same-business-day shipping, and available 24/7 AOG Service, support is provided anytime, anywhere” shares Alex Tan, Executive Vice President, Sales.

Source and image: Locatory.com

Ebola Crisis: EU organises airlift operation to West Africa

The European Union is scaling up its response to the Ebola disease in West Africa with an airlift operation to the affected countries. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) will facilitate the transportation of relief items to West Africa. In addition, the EU will fund and coordinate if necessary the evacuation of international staff from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

A quarter of the new €4 million funding will be allocated to UNICEF, enabling three Boeing 747 cargo planes to transport vital material to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. The first plane will take-off on Friday, carrying 100 metric tons of emergency equipment from Amsterdam to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The supplies and equipment include personal protection equipment, including masks and gloves, as well as essential medicines and hygiene supplies.

In addition, the remaining €3 million will help in the setting up of a medical evacuation system, coordinated by the ERCC, that will enable international workers in West Africa diagnosed with the Ebola virus disease (EVD) to be evacuated in less than 48 hours by plane to hospitals within Europe that are equipped to deal with the disease.

This initiative is funded from €30 million in humanitarian aid announced by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in New York last month during a High Level Meeting in response to the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

"We are in a race against time to fight Ebola," said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian aid and Crisis Response. "The European Commission alone has so far pledged some €180 million to help the affected countries. Funding is crucial but far from enough. That is why, together with our member States, we have been mobilising in-kind assistance including medical equipment and personnel."

Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health, added: "To strengthen Europe's preparedness to handle Ebola, we have been mobilising solidarity inside the EU. We are working closely so that patients can be treated in an appropriate healthcare facility."

The ERCC is coordinating the transportation of aid, equipment and personnel to hotspots in the countries affected by the disease. European countries such as the UK, France, Austria and Belgium have already made use of the mechanism, providing field hospitals, ambulances, sanitation products, medical isolation equipment and experts to the affected region.

Source and image: Europa.eu

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