Etihad Airways and Kuwait Airways enter codeshare

Etihad Airways and Kuwaiti flag carrier, Kuwait Airways, have signed a codeshare partnership on selected services on bookings effective 22 December 2019, for travel from 5 January 2020.

Subject to regulatory approvals, Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on Kuwait Airways operated flights from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait, Najaf and Dhaka.

In turn, Kuwait Airways will place its ‘KU’ code on Etihad flights from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi, Belgrade, Casablanca, Rabat, Khartoum, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, Male in the Maldives, and Mahe in the Seychelles.

Tony Douglas, Group chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “This is a great first step in what we hope will be a mutually beneficial and growing relationship between Kuwait Airways, one of the region’s oldest and most experienced airlines, and Etihad, one of its youngest and most acclaimed. The joint network and product advantages of our codeshare collaboration with Kuwait Airways will create tangible benefits for our customers, building on the strong relationship between our two nations, while providing greater convenience and superior in-flight service and hospitality.

“Additionally, it gives Etihad unprecedented access to important markets not served by Etihad, particularly to Iraq and Bangladesh, where we have significant point-to-point and transfer traffic, and complements our existing services to cities such as Istanbul, enabling us to now offer flights to the city’s secondary gateway.”

Kamel Al-Awadhi, chief executive officer of Kuwait Airways, said: “We welcome Etihad as a codeshare partner. This new partnership will bring enhanced connectivity and increased convenience to our customers, who can expect the same level of impeccable service that they receive from our airline when they travel on codeshare flights to and from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi and beyond

“The agreement will support Kuwait Airways and Etihad operations between our two capital cities and provide more travel options beyond both gateways. The codeshare partnership will give customers the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights on both airlines using one reservation, guaranteeing a seamless experience throughout their entire journey. Passengers and travel agents will be able to book directly on these flights through our website and agents’ reservations systems. Furthermore, this codeshare partnership will not only enhance the relationship between the two airlines but also the strong relationship between the two brotherly states of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.”

Source: arabianaeroscape.com

Boeing announces new major appointments

Boeing today announced that its Board of Directors has named current chairman, David L. Calhoun, as chief executive officer and President, effective January 13, 2020.

Calhoun will remain a member of the Board. In addition, Board member Lawrence W. Kellner will become non-executive Chairman of the Board effective immediately.

The Company also announced that Dennis A. Muilenburg has resigned from his positions as Chief Executive Officer and Board director effective immediately. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO during the brief transition period, while Calhoun exits his non-Boeing commitments.

The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders.

Under the Company's new leadership, Boeing will operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers.

"On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am pleased that Dave has agreed to lead Boeing at this critical juncture," Mr. Kellner said. He added, "Dave has deep industry experience and a proven track record of strong leadership, and he recognizes the challenges we must confront. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Boeing team to ensure that today marks a new way forward for our company."

Calhoun said, "I strongly believe in the future of Boeing and the 737 MAX. I am honored to lead this great company and the 150,000 dedicated employees who are working hard to create the future of aviation."

Boeing also named Niel Golightly as the company's senior vice president of Communications, effective Jan. 1, 2020. He succeeds Anne Toulouse, who previously announced her plans to retire in early 2020.

Source: arabianaeroscapce.com

Embraer's first Praetor 500 business jet to be delivered to the market

Embraer has delivered its first Praetor 500 business jet to the market, just over one year after its announcement at the 2018 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).

It was delivered alongside the Praetor 600, both of which have received triple certification from ANAC, the FAA, and EASA, becoming the most technologically advanced aircraft in the midsize and super-midsize categories.

The first Praetor 500 was delivered to Flexjet, a global leader in private jet travel, which is introducing the aircraft into its fractional fleet through a purchase agreement with Embraer, announced at NBAA-BACE 2019. The deal is valued at up to $1.4 billion, at current list prices, and comprises a fleet of Embraer business jets. With this order, which includes the Phenom 300 light jet and the recently certified Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 jets, Flexjet became the Praetor Fleet Launch Customer.

“As the Praetor Fleet Launch Customer, Flexjet, once again, will lead the fractional ownership market with the introduction of the most modern midsize aircraft,” said Michael Amalfitano, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “It is with much gratitude and pride that we deliver our first Praetor 500 to Flexjet, confident that Flexjet Owners will enjoy the ultimate customer experience in business aviation.”

Flexjet’s success with the introduction of the Legacy 500 into its Red Label fleet in 2015, complemented by the addition of the Legacy 450 in the following year, allowed its customers to benefit from capabilities and performance of larger aircraft, but at midsize economics. Both Legacy models became the first full fly-by-wire aircraft in the Flexjet fleet, delivering a smooth flight experience, previously unseen in medium cabin aircraft.

“We know what our Owners look for in an aircraft and the Praetor 500 hits so many of those features — from performance to fuel efficiency to ample baggage space,” said

Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro. “And in keeping our commitment to have the youngest and most modern fleet on the market, soon we will begin upgrading all our Legacy 450s to Praetor 500s.”

Source: Africanaerospace.com

Airbus cancels 50th anniversary book

The jet maker, which celebrated its golden jubilee in May, had commissioned the tome in 2018 to former New York Times journalist Nicola Clark.

Airbus cancelled a book it commissioned for the plane maker' 50th anniversary, which was penned by former New York Times journalist Nicola Clark and due for release this year.

The French company said it "acknowledged the quality of the final manuscript" that was delivered to Airbus and the publisher Urbane Publications on time in January by the author, according to a statement on its website.

"This decision reflects a shift in Airbus’ communication content goals," the manufacturer said.

The European jet maker, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in May, had commissioned the book a year ago. The book, titled Airbus: The first 50 years, was available on Amazon Kindle on May 29 this year, but was quickly pulled from online sales and plans to distribute
printed copies at the Paris Airshow in June were cancelled last minute too.

Leeham News and Analysis (LNA), a website covering the aviation industry, published a review of the book after few copies were circulated.

"It was a candid book of the Airbus history that looked at the warts and the accomplishments," LNA said. "It wasn’t the typical puff-piece commissioned book, which made it the best such anniversary book LNA has ever read."

The book traced the creation of Airbus amid challenging odds to become a European rival to Boeing in Chicago.

Reuters first reported in July the plane maker's plan to cancel the book as it contained a chapter on an ongoing bribery and corruption investigation that Airbus feared could hamper its ability to secure a legal settlement.

The chapter discussed allegations surrounding the use of intermediaries in securing orders that are still under investigation.

Airbus did not respond to calls or email when contacted by The National. Ms Clark referred questions to the Airbus press office.

“We continue to co-operate in full with the ongoing investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said in July. “The investigation and the book are two separate topics”.

LNA said the book provided an "honest, candid accounting of how the company came to be, navigating through country and corporate politics, face offs with rival Boeing, reporting the insider trading allegations and ending with the as-yet unfinished corruption scandal investigations", it said in its review in July.

Source: thenational.ae

British Airways to trial AI-powered robots at Heathrow T5

The AI-powered robot at Heathrow T5 can converse with passengers in different languages. Credit: British Airways.

British Airways (BA) has announced plans to test AI-powered autonomous robots at Heathrow Terminal 5 to further enhance punctuality for passengers.

From next year, the robots will be used in the terminal to guide passengers through the airport. This will allow the airline’s staff to focus on answering more complex queries.

Produced by BotsAndUs, the robots are capable of interacting in different languages with the help of translation technology. They can provide answers to a variety of different questions, including real-time flight information.

Equipped with geolocation technology and advanced sensors, the robots can traverse across the airport and transport passengers to different locations such as BA’s Special Assistance and Family Check-In zones.

British Airways head of innovation Ricardo Vidal said: “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to use automation to help our customers enjoy a faster and smoother journey through the airport and beyond.

“These smart robots are the latest innovation, allowing us to free up our people to deal with immediate issues and offer that one-on-one service we know our customers appreciate. In the future, I envisage a fleet of robots working side-by-side with our people, offering a truly seamless travel experience.”

British Airways has also launched a scheme to train employees as part of its First Contact Resolution Programme at Heathrow.

Under the airlines’ £6.5bn investment plan to improve customer experience, British Airways has introduced automation and AI in its check-in processes to reduce wait times.

Last month, British Airways commenced using AI to ensure the timely departure of flights at Heathrow Terminal 5.

The airline also installed 80 automated check-in kiosks and automated bag-drop machines at the terminal.

Source: airport-technology.com

Hawaii is welcoming additional arrivals, but average daily visitor spend is showing some significant shifts

Hawaii’s tourism performance was mixed through Oct-2019 as visitor arrivals grew, but tourist spend was varied. Through the 10M ending Oct-2019, total visitor spending notched up +0.2% to USD14.67 billion, but this fluctuated significantly by market.

By region, spending grew +5.3% from the US west coast to USD5.72 billion and 2.3% from the US east coast to USD3.90 billion. However, spending from Canada declined -2.8% to USD846.9 million and -12.3% from all other international markets to USD2.37 billion. On a statewide basis, average daily spend by visitor fell -2.6% year-on-year to USD195 per person.

The island of Oahu posted a +2.4% rise in visitor spending to USD6.79 billion on a +5.6% rise in arrivals to 5.2 million. However, daily spending fell -2.5%. Maui posted a slight gain in visitor spending of +0.8% to USD4.23 billion on an increase in visitor arrivals of +5.3% to 2.6 million.

The island of Hawaii recorded a -3.6% drop in visitor spending to USD1.9 billion as daily spending slid -3.9%. But, visitor arrivals grew +2.8% to 1.5 million. Kauai posted drops in both spending and arrivals. Spend decreased -5.0% to USD1.59 billion, daily spending fell -3% and visitor arrivals dropped by -1.6% to 1.1 million.

In total visitor arrivals to Hawaii by air grew +5.5% year-on-year for the first 10 months of the year to 8.7 million. Cruise ship arrivals jumped +16.4% year-on-year to 114,974.

Source: Blueswandaily