Lufthansa has described a proposed strike which has been called by the flight attendants union for six hours on Sunday “unlawful” and threatened to take action against any individual who partakes in the action. The Independent Association of Flight Attendants…
Airline News
Qatar Airways Keeps Up Pressure On Delta Air Lines; Says It Could Increase Stake in LATAM
There’s no bigger troll in the aviation industry it would seem than Akbar Al Baker, the often outspoken chief executive of Qatar Airways. Just a few weeks after Delta Air Lines made a shock announcement that it was acquiring a…
Turkmenistan Airlines Has Been Removed from the European Union’s List of Banned Airlines
Turkmenistan Airlines has managed to get itself removed from a list that no airline would ever want to find itself on… the European Union’s Air Safety List of blacklisted airlines. The little known national airline of this Central Asian country…
Etihad Airways and Air Arabia Announce Joint Venture to Create Abu Dhabi’s First Low-Cost Airline
Etihad Airways and Air Arabia announced a new partnership on Wednesday to create an airline called Air Arabia Abu Dhabi – the city’s first low-cost carrier. Air Arabia is a privately owned low-cost airline which is based in Sharjah and…
One of Delta’s Very First Flight Attendants Has Died at the Grand Old Age of 103
Delta Air Lines has expressed its sadness of learning the news that one of its very first flight attendants has died at the grand old age of 103. When the then 24-year old Sybil Peacock Harmon was hired by Delta…
SWISS Grounds its Entire Fleet of Airbus A220 Aircraft For Urgent Inspections Following Engine Incident
Update: Airbus A220 services have now resumed after SWISS conducted engine checks across its entire fleet. The airline said that no abnormalities had been found and apologised to customers for any inconvenience the sudden and unexpected decision to ground its…
Australian Woman Who Sued Emirates Claiming She Was Refused Water Loses Court Case
An Australian woman who sued Emirates in the Victoria Supreme Court has lost her legal battle with the Dubai-based airline. Linda Di Falco had alleged cabin crew had refused to serve her water during a flight between Melbourne and Dubai…
American Airlines Flight Attendants Could Still Veto Reintroduction of Boeing 737MAX Slated for Jan. 16
Last week, American Airlines gave a significant update on the planned re-entry into service of the Boeing 737MAX with the news that the airline plans phasing the aircraft back into service starting January 16. 2020. What made this announcement different…
Lufthansa Flight Attendants Union Announces Strike Action on 20th October, More Could Follow
The union that claims to represent flight attendants at German flag carrier Lufthansa has announced a five-hour strike which is set to take place on the 20th October at the airline’s hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The Indepedent Flight Attendants…
Emirates Pushes Back First Delivery of Brand New Boeing 777X Until 2021 at the Earliest
Last month, Sir Tim Clark, the longtime President of Dubai-based airline Emirates told reporters that the carrier was expecting a delay in the first delivery of brand new Boeing 777X aircraft which were originally planned for June 2020 onwards. We…
Emirates Unveils Special Airbus A380 Decal to Celebrate the UAE’s First Space Astronaut
An Emirates aircraft, with its distinctive livery featuring a stylised version of the UAE’s national flag on the tailfin and the bold gold lettering in Emirates’ very own typeface, is instantly recognisable. But Emirates also has a massive fleet of…
Air Canada Will No Longer Refer to Passengers as “Ladies and Gentlemen” in Onboard Announcements
Air Canada will soon embrace gender-neutral onboard announcements according to a recent internal memo sent to the airline’s flight attendants. Like many carriers, Air Canada has traditionally started many of its onboard and gate announcements with the opener “Ladies and…
TUI Airways Accused of Sexist Stereotyping: Encouraging Boys to Become Pilots and Girls Cabin Crew
Last year, TUI Airways faced some fierce criticism after it emerged cabin crew had gender-stereotyped child passengers and given out stickers that said “Future TUI Captain” to boys and “Future TUI Cabin Crew” only to girls. At the time, TUI…
Boss of British Airways’ Parent Company Thinks He Could Do Better Job at Negotiating Pilots Dispute
The boss of British Airways’ parent company has signalled frustration at not being able to get directly involved in negotiations over a long-running dispute between pilots and the airline on pay and conditions. And even worse, Willie Walsh, chief executive…
Did Emirates Really Warn Cabin Crew They Face Disciplinary Action for “Facial Enhancements”?
Is this for real? An apparently leaked internal memo from Dubai-based airline Emirates which was allegedly sent to its cabin crew warns they face possible disciplinary action for “facial enhancements”. The memo doesn’t detail what enhancements may result in action…
Flight Attendants Union Wants to Completely Ban e-Cigarettes From Being Taken On Planes
The leader of the largest flight attendants union in the United States has said she would be happy to have e-cigarettes and other vaping devices completely banned from air transport. Sara Nelson, head of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA)…
Delta Air Lines Plans to Hire Even More Flight Attendants, Pilots to Better Prepare for 2020
Delta Air Lines says it plans to hire at least 6,000 new employees next year after being “caught off-guard” by rapid growth during the first nine months of 2019 as well as a series of weather events that have heaped…
Massive fail: Extinction Rebellion Protestors Target the Only Airline Group to Commit to Net Zero Emmisions
Protestors supporting the Extinction Rebellion movement have descended on London City Airport in the British capital’s East End in an attempt to “peacefully occupy and shut down” the airport for three full days. So far, despite the best efforts of…
Mexican Court Stops Emirates Opening a New Route Between Barcelona and Mexico City
The Dubai-based airline Emirates has 10-days to appeal a decision by a Mexican court to block its new planned service between Barcelona and Mexico City. Yesterday, Aeromexico won an injunction against its rival which effectively stops Emirates beginning flights between…
British Airways Becomes Latest Airline to Carbon Offset Domestic Flights, Commits to Becoming Carbon Neutral
British Airways has been quick to follow the lead of European rival Air France by announcing it will carbon offset all domestic flights beginning in January 2020. The carrier currently operates around 75 flights between London and several destinations across…
International Cabin Crew Appreciation Day is Becoming an Official UN-Sanctioned Event
For the last five years, you may well have seen a growing number of airlines and aviation-industry insiders celebrating what’s become known as either International Cabin Crew Appreciation Day or International Flight Attendant Day. No one really knows how the…
Hepatitis A Outbreak on an American Airlines Flight From San Francisco Traced Back to Flight Attendant
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say they have traced the source of a recent Hepatitis A exposure on an American Airlines flight back to one of the flight attendants onboard. The incident took place on…
Etihad Will Continue Making Losses Until 2023 According to a Senior Executive
Etihad’s chief commercial officer has told an aviation conference being held at the airline’s training college in Abu Dhabi today that the carrier does not now expect to start turning a profit until 2023. Speaking at the Gulf Innovation Forum,…
Southwest Airlines Pilots Union Files Lawsuit Against Boeing, Claiming They’ve Lost Millions Over 737MAX
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Dallas County on Monday alleging that the grounding of the Boeing 737MAX aircraft has cost Southwest Airlines pilots in excess of $100 million. The pilots union…
A United Airlines Flight to Amsterdam Had to Make an Emergency Landing – Why Did it Divert to This Tiny Airport in Maine?
A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing last night after an apparent pressurisation issue and air conditioning problem. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the incident, adding that all 252 passengers…
Air Canada Rouge Pilots Forced to Put On Oxygen Masks Because of “Rank Smelling” Fruit
The pilots of a recent Air Canada Rouge flight between Vancouver and Montreal were forced to declare an inflight emergency and put on emergency oxygen masks because of an overpowering smell that permeated the entire flight deck and passenger cabin. …
Yet Another ‘Fume Event’ On a British Airways Flight Brings Total to 56 in Less Than Months
A British Airways flight from Bari to London Gatwick airport was forced to divert and make an emergency landing into Basel’s EuroAirport yesterday afternoon after potentially toxic fumes started to fill the passenger cabin. An emergency was declared just before…
Emirates Offering Cabin Crew the Opportunity to Take Part in the “World’s Greatest Show” But There’s a Catch
It’s an event that organisers are not only describing as the “world’s greatest show” but also as the largest event to have ever taken place in the Arab world. In little over a year, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes its first…
Southwest Flight Attendant Faces Disciplinary Action for Calling Out Trump Supporter On Social Media
A flight attendant for Southwest Airlines has got himself into hot water after taking to social media to call out a supporter of President Trump who was a passenger on one of his recent flights. The flight attendant, who has…
This is How Much a Dutch Court Thinks Ryanair Cabin Crew are Worth (Spoiler: It’s Not A Lot)
A Dutch court has ruled that the low-cost airline Ryanair was in its rights to close a cabin crew and pilot base in the city of Eindhoven after an independent report noted that the airport was the second poorest performing…
Two Members of South African Airways Cabin Crew Arrested in Hong Kong Drug Smuggling Bust
Two members of cabin crew working for South African Airways have been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of attempting to smuggle cocaine with a street value of nearly USD$3 million (HKD$23 million / R45 million) into the territory. Officials…
VIDEO: European Low-Cost Airline Transavia Smashes the Tetris Challenge
It started off with members of the emergency services the world over competing to show off the varied equipment they carried in their vehicles – but a European low-cost airline may well have just snatched victory in the global competition…
Norwegian Plans on Slashing 448 Cabin Crew and Pilot Jobs in Spain, Closing Madrid Base
Struggling low-cost airline Norwegian is said to be making plans to slash up to 448 cabin crew and pilot jobs in Spain – representing a third of the carrier’s total workforce in the country. Norwegian said the move followed an…
Rumour Control: Virgin Atlantic and British Airways Pilots Now Planning Christmas Strikes
Pilots at two major British airlines are now said to be threatening crippling strike action over the Christmas holidays in growing disputes over pay and conditions. The latest threat of a Holiday walkout comes from Virgin Atlantic pilots who are…
It’s Going to Get a Whole Lot More Expensive to Buy Airbus Made Planes in Widening Trade Dispute
If you’re in the market for a brand new Airbus A350 long-haul aircraft, normally valued at a list price of a cool $317 million, and you happen to be based in the United States then expect to pay a lot…
Flight Attendants at Hawaiian Airlines to Take Part in Strike Vote Over Stalled Contract Negotiations
After what has been described as 20-years of “calm” labour relations, flight attendants at Hawaiian Airlines will start balloting later this month on possible strike action after months-long contract negotiations hit a new impasse. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)…
American Airlines Pilots Demand Share of Compensation Payout from Boeing 737MAX Grounding
The head of the American Airlines pilots union has demanded compensation for his members who have lost out on flying hours because of the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737MAX. American Airlines has a fleet of 24 MAX8 variants 737’s…
Air France to Carbon Offset All Domestic Flights and Cut CO2 Emissions in Half Within 10 Years
Air France has today announced a new plan to carbon offset all domestic flights within mainland France starting 1st January 2020. In addition, the French flag carrier said it hoped to reduce CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 50 per cent…
First Pictures: Take a Look at the Different Cabins Inside the First Refurbished Qantas Airbus A380
Qantas’ first refurbished Airbus A380 took off over two hours late on Monday evening for its inaugural flight from London Heathrow to Singapore Changi. It may not have been the perfect start but the passengers on Qantas flight QF2 would…
Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Feel “Betrayed and Deeply Saddened” by Airline’s Decision to Sack Increasing Numbers of Crew
The main flight attendants union at Cathay Pacific says it feels both “betrayed” and “deeply saddened” at reports that increasing numbers of crew at both Cathay Pacific and regional subsidiary Cathay Dragon have been “unreasonably” sacked. Cathay Pacific did not…
Revealed: American Airlines Asks Flight Attendants to Vote on Design of New Signature Dress
Since last November an army of over 1,000 American Airlines employees have been field testing a brand new uniform which is set to be rolled out in little more than six months time. When we say brand new, what we…
flydubai Reports First Half Loss of $53 Million; Blames Boeing 737MAX Grounding
The budget airline flydubai has reported a first-half loss of $53.6 million (AED 196.7 million) with the carrier’s chief executive, Ghaith Al Ghaith pegging the blame on the worldwide grounding of Boeing 737MAX aircraft. flydubai currently has 14 Boeing 737MAX8…
Qatar Asks UN Aviation Body to Take Action on Saudi-Led Blockade Because its Bad for the Environment
It’s been over two years since Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed a political, economic and physical blockade on the tiny Gulf state of Qatar. The Saudi-led blockade came suddenly on the 4th…
Emirates to Fly One-Off Airbus A380 Service to Cairo; Hopes to Make it Permanent Fixture
Emirates says it will become the first scheduled commercial airline to operate an Airbus A380 flight into Egypt when it flies its flagship aircraft to Cairo on 2nd October. The flight is currently a one-off but the Dubai-based airline is…
Air France Refuses to Help Aigle Azur or XL Airways Because it Would “Jeopardize” Staff Relations
The chief executive of the Air France-KLM airline group says the company has ruled out helping either XL Airways or Aigle Azur because doing so would “jeopardize” hard-fought staff relations on the French side of the business. Aigle Azur filed…
The FAA Wants to Hear Your Opinion About Flight Attendants Getting More Rest Between Flights
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is finally getting the ball rolling on introducing a new rule that will mean flight attendants get at least 10-hours rest between duty days. It’s been a long time coming – the law that heralded…
Climate Champion Greta Thurnberg Leads March in Montreal During Global Aviation Summit
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is leading what is set to be the largest climate change that the Candian city of Montreal has ever seen. Similar marches are taking places in cities around the world including Rome, Munich and Lisbon. …
Australian Pop Duo Put Qantas’ Policy That Prevents Cabin Crew Helping With Hand Luggage to the Test
You could be easily forgiven for never having heard of the Australian pop duo The Veronica’s but the group made up of identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso have certainly made a name for themselves in the last week. …
Lufthansa Loses Latest Legal Challenge in Anti-Union Flight Attendant Battle
A few days ago we revealed that a union which represents 20,000 flight attendants at Lufthansa might be prepared to announce a strike on the 14th October – the problem, is that Lufthansa has challenged the legitimacy of the union…
Emirates is Desperately Trying to Hire Locals as Cabin Crew by Offering Over x3 the Normal Salary
Emirates has relaunched a cabin crew recruitment drive aimed at local UAE nationals by offering a basic salary which is over three times that enjoyed by other crew, as well as Ad Diem allowances, an attractive monthly retention allowance, free…
