When you’re about to embark on a near 12-hour long-haul flight from Europe to the West Coast of the United States you definitely want to be comfortable – but maybe it’s possible to be just a little too comfortable. At…
Airline News
Dubai International Airport Will See Capacity Drop a Massive 26% During 45-Day Runway Shutdown
We’ve known since last February that Dubai International Airport (DXB) would be forced to close one of its two runways for a 45-day period in April through to May 2019. Since then the airport has been working out how to…
Emirates Cabin Crew Jumps From Third Floor of Airline’s HQ in Apparent Suicide Attempt
A member of Emirates cabin crew has apparently jumped from a third-floor balcony at the airline’s headquarters in what appears to be an attempted suicide. The crew member, who is of Lebanese descent, is said to be seriously injured although…
An Update On THAT American Airlines Burlesque Flight Attendant Video
American Airlines says it is “as upset” as many of its flight attendants and other team members over a viral video depicting flight attendants performing a burlesque style dance in front of a group of the airline’s frequent flyers. The…
VIDEO: Did American Airlines Sanction This Burlesque-Style Flight Attendant Performance?
Flight attendants have reacted with horror to a new video that has been shared on social media showing performers dressed as flight attendants singing along to a modified version of Shirley Bassey’s 1986 hit, Big Spender. The performance appears to…
Ryanair Offers to Snap Up FlyBMI Pilots and Engineers After UK Regional Airline Collapse
As recent airline bankruptcies go, the collapse of FlyBMI on Saturday evening is by no means the largest but it has still sent shockwaves through the aviation industry. The regional British airline operated just 16 Embraer twin-engine jets and employed…
It Happened Again: Dubai International Airport Reportedly Had to Shut Due to Drones
According to media reports in the United Arab Emirates, the authorities were forced to temporarily suspend operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) due to illegal drone activity near the airfield. A government spokesperson said flights could neither takeoff or land…
Norwegian’s Long-Haul Uniform is Everything… Apart From the Hat and That’s About to Change
Unlike many airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle is fairly unique in that it has separate uniforms for its short-haul and long-haul cabin crew. Or more specifically, the low-cost Oslo-based carrier decided to introduce a separate designer uniform for its long-haul Boeing…
American Airlines Reviews Flight Attendant Bases: Reductions In Phoenix and St. Louis
American Airlines has confirmed it will reduce the size of its flight attendant bases in Phoenix and St. Louis as part of the company’s effort to “best utilize” the carrier’s more than 27,000 flight attendants. Employees were yesterday told that…
A Good Day to Bury Bad News: Etihad Finally Cancels A350 Orders Worth Billions of Dollars
Just like there have been rumours swirling for months that Emirates would cancel a good chunk of its existing Airbus A380 order (in turn spelling the end of the superjumbo), there has also been speculation that its fellow UAE-based neighbour…
Emirates Seals Fate of A380: Outstanding Orders Cut Short, Production to Stop By End of 2021
In two highly anticipated and coordinated announcements, the Dubai-based airline Emirates and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus have announced that the A380 project will be shut down by the end of 2021. There has been increasing speculation over the last few…
Ryanair Wins Case Against Compensation Claims Solicitors – Good or Bad for Consumers?
Ryanair has applauded a decision by London’s Court of Appeal which ruled in the airline’s favour over the way in which it communicates with customers about so-called ‘denied boarding’ compensation. The case was brought against Ryanair by a firm of…
SOURCES: Airbus Will Give Update On A380 Project, Possible End of Production
According to several anonymous industry sources quoted by Reuters, the French aerospace giant Airbus is expected to provide an update on the fate of its flagship A380 programme in the coming days. Senior executives are likely to address rumours head-on…
Croatian Footballer Charged With Indecent Assault Onboard Plane Bound for Sydney
A star striker for Indonesia’s most successful football club has been arrested by Australian police and charged with indecently assaulting a fellow passenger on board a flight from Bali to Sydney. Marco Simic was charged with indecency without consent and…
Jessica Chastain Just Came After American Airlines Over Flight Attendant Pay and Benefits
The American actress Jessica Chastain, best known for roles in Hollywood blockbusters including Interstellar and Zero Dark Thirty has just come after American Airlines and other big U.S. carriers for their policy of not paying flight attendants during boarding and…
Qatar Airways Has Voice and Accent Trainer for its Cabin Crew… No, Really
I love looking through airline job boards from time to time. In amongst the usual boring roles for pricing analysts and revenue management specialists, I occasionally come across some right gems which give an insight into how much effort an…
Air Canada Latest Airline to be Caught in an Overbooking Scandal: Did it Deceive Passengers?
It’s a scheme that has been going on for, well, as long as anyone can remember and despite well-publicised incidents, it’s a business strategy that airlines don’t have any plans to give up anytime soon. The majority of us now…
Turkish Airlines Launches a Sequel to its Lego Movie Safety Video
In a follow up to last year’s first-ever Lego inspired safety video, Turkish Airlines has once again teamed up with the creators of the Lego Movie for a second instalment. It probably comes as no surprise that the video coincides…
Talks Between Cabin Crew Union and Lufthansa Management Breakdown – What Next?
Senior managers at German aviation giant Lufthansa are said to have called off crunch negotiations with a major cabin crew union after just 35 minutes of talks. The key meeting between union officials and the company had originally been scheduled…
American Airlines Flight Attendant Reportedly Suffers Broken Ankle After Severe Turbulence
A flight attendant onboard an American Airlines flight from San Jose in Costa Rica to Miami, Florida reportedly suffered a broken ankle after the plane hit severe turbulence on Tuesday morning. American Airlines flight AA1204 encountered turbulence approximately one and…
Norwegian Air Shuttle Lost How Much Money Last Year?!
Norwegian Air Shuttle has proven to be an incredibly resilient airline despite the fact that 2018 could probably be described as its most challenging ever. And now we know exactly how challenging 2018 proved to be – the Nordic low-cost…
So What Actually Happened at the Recent Emirates Cabin Crew Forum?
Just over a week ago hundreds of Emirates cabin crew attended what the airline calls a “forum” event which is essentially an opportunity for crew to ask any burning questions they might have, clear up ‘Galley FM’ rumours and basically…
How To Be A Flight Attendant In The Comfort Of Your Own Home
We have no idea who originally wrote the following step-by-step guide but it’s been doing the rounds on social media the last few weeks and we really wanted to share it. The guide is, of course, a very tongue in…
EU and Qatar Reach Deal On Air Transport Agreement: But Details Remain Sketchy
The European Union and the State of Qatar have today concluded negotiations for a landmark Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement – it will allow airlines from both the EU and Qatar (in other words Qatar Airways) unrestricted access to one another’s…
Why Virgin Atlantic Has Changed it’s Cabin Crew Swimming Policy for the Better
We all know that cabin crew have to go through weeks of intensive initial training in order to equip them with the skills they need to deal with all kinds of emergencies that might arise at 39,000 feet. They are…
The NTSB Wants Airlines to Ban Lap Infants, Stop Pilots and Flight Attendants Using Cell Phones
Since 1990, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an annual list of its top ten most wanted transportation safety improvements. Some are merely pipe dreams that will never see the light of day, while many others come directly…
The Journey: Turkish Airlines Has Created a Beautiful But Confusing Short Film Directed by Ridley Scott
If you watched the Super Bowl LIII last Saturday then you may well have seen a tantalizing 30-second teaser of a beautiful but confusing short film advertising Turkish Airlines. The commercial, which appeared in the first quarter of an otherwise…
Leisure Airline Germania Becomes Latest Victim in Wave of European Airline Failures
Despite a 30-year heritage dating back to 1986, it didn’t take long for the financial situation at German low-cost leisure airline Germania to unravel beyond repair. Overnight, the carrier filed for insolvency with the immediate grounding of its fleet of…
Turkish Airlines Accused of Doing Nothing to Combat Illegal Trade in Endangered Wildlife
Despite being a signatory of the ‘United for Wildlife’ Buckingham Palace Declaration, a leading animal protection charity has accused Turkish Airlines of failing to do enough to stop smugglers using its aircraft to illegally transport wild animals around the world. …
How Close Did Norwegian Air Shuttle Get to Being Bought Out by Mystery Investor?
In a new interview with Norwegian business newspaper E24, the chairman of Norwegian Air Shuttle says the low-cost long-haul airline was in fact very close to being bought out by a mystery investor in late 2018 but the deal fell…
Ryanair Made a €20 Million Loss in Quarter Three – Blames Lower Than Expected Air Fares
Ryanair has today reported a €20 million loss in Q3, excluding expected full-year startup costs for Laudamotion which are currently estimated to hit as much as €140 million. The Dublin-based airline laid the blame for the loss mainly at a6%…
Up to Old Tricks? Reports British Airways Won’t Clean Planes On Some Sectors
Updated on Monday 4th February 2019 with additional information and comment from British Airways. In a recent memo that has been seen by PYOK, the Unite union which represents cabin crew at Heathrow-based British Airways warns the airline will not…
KLM’s New Economy Service Routine is “Illogical” and “Messy” According to Cabin Attendants
Last June, Dutch flag carrier KLM introduced a new service routine in its Economy cabin on most of its long-haul transcontinental flights. The redesigned service, which also featured new meals and additional offerings like ice-creams, sweets, and savoury snacks, was part…
Singapore Airlines Says it Will Keep the “Iconic Singapore Girl” in Adverts and Marketing
Yesterday, I wrote about how the airline industry has to do a lot more to end gender stereotyping if its ever to improve equality and narrow the gender pay gap. The aviation industry is one of the least gender-balanced industries…
These Two Photo’s Prove How Far the Airline Industry Has to Go to Improve Gender Equality…
On a dreary winters day in London, some of the most powerful people in the commercial aviation industry met to make a much-hyped major announcement. The event, which saw the chief executives from all 15 airlines that make up the…
Here We Go Again: New Rumours Suggest Emirates Plans to Convert Some A380 Orders for Smaller A350
Unnamed sources quoted by Reuters claim the Dubai-based Emirates is considering converting some of its outstanding Airbus A380 orders for the much smaller A350 model. The airline currently has 112 of the double-deck A380 superjumbos in its fleet and a…
Flight Attendants Are in Agreement: American Airlines’ Doug Parker Has to Go
When American Airlines released its full-year financial results for 2018 at the end of last week, it also said it would make its workplace culture a “competitive advantage” because “taking care of team members translates into better customer care.” There’s…
Norwegian’s New and Rather Risque Commercial is the Perfect Answer to Critics
It feels like Norwegian Air Shuttle has been taking a battering from all sides of late. The airline has been forced to embark on a major cost-cutting programme to shore up its finances, while only yesterday we learned it was…
Will Industrial Strife Ruin BA’s Centenary Celebrations? Unions Reject Pay Offer That “Falls a Very Long Way Short”
At the end of last year, we learned that a coalition of unions who represent different workgroups at British Airways had submitted a joint pay claim – much in the same way that Air France unions did in 2018. It’s…
Norwegian to Delay Aircraft Deliveries, Raise $350 Million in Additional Capital to Stay Afloat
Norwegian Air Shuttle has today said it intends to strengthen its balance sheet by issuing new shares in the company to the value of $350 million (NOK 3 billion). The airline says the plan, if approved at an extraordinary general…
Qantas Thinks The Future of Air Travel Involves In-Flight Spinning Classes
Ever since Qantas launched its historic direct flight between Perth and London in March last year, the Australian airline has been doing more than probably any other airline to figure out the effects of ultra-long-haul travel – and how they…
The New United Uniform: You Might Not Like the Way it Looks But at Least it Will Be Safe
Last week, United Airlines unveiled the first official look of what will soon be the airline’s brand new uniform for thousands of front line staff around the world. The reaction to the pictures that the Chicago-based airline shared on its…
British Airways Hosts Careers Event to Encourage a New Generation of Pilots and Cabin Crew
As the saying goes “Catch them early and catch them young” and that’s exactly what British Airways aims to do with a special careers event that saw 1,500 children from 19 schools across the UK visit the airline’s branded Aviation…
Desperate? Etihad Airways Attempts to Move €2 Billion Lawsuit to London’s High Court
In the last few days, it’s emerged that Etihad Airways has filed a claim in London’s High Court against the administrators of the now-defunct Air Berlin. The move is an attempt to move jurisdiction of a huge €2 billion lawsuit…
Oman Air is Recruiting Female Cabin Crew: Open Day in Muscat 6th February
Oman Air is set to hold walk-in interviews for new cabin crew to join the country’s flag carrier. The Open Day will be held on the 6th February 2019 in Muscat – unfortunately, Oman Air is only recruiting female cabin…
British Airways Owner, IAG Sells Stake in Loss-Making Norwegian: Shares Tumble
Shares in low-cost long-haul airline Norwegian have tumbled by over 21% on the Oslo Stock Exchange after one of Europe’s largest airline groups announced it was no longer interested in buying the carrier and would be selling its remaining shares. …
Etihad Will Recruit Cabin Crew in 19 Cities Across Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa
New details have emerged of a “major global cabin crew recruitment drive” by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways which will see recruiters from the airline visit 19 cities across four continents over the next few months. The airline says it is…
Member of Emirates Cabin Crew Fined Dh20,000 ($5,400) for Defaming Airline in Social Media Posts
A member of Emirates cabin crew has been sacked by the airline and fined Dh20,000 (approximately $5,400 USD) by a Dubai court after being found guilty of defamation – the crew member of Pakistani descent had been accused of using…
Flight Attendants Warn Entire U.S. Aviation System Will “Unravel” Within Days
Evoking the spirit of Martin Luther King, the president of a 50,000 strong flight attendant union has called for a general strike to bring to an end the longest ever partial U.S. government shutdown in history. Sara Nelson, who heads…
Controversy in Taiwan After Eva Air Flight Attendant is Forced to Clean Customer’s Bum
Yes, you read that right. The incident, which occurred several days ago has made headlines across Taiwan and a major flight attendants union has called on Eva Air to take more action to protect its members, including permanently banning the…
