It’s estimated there are 320,000 people living homeless in the UK at the moment – it’s a problem that’s getting worse and one charity claims the rate is equivalent to 36 new people becoming homeless every single day. The problem…
Airline News
What We Learned at Lufthansa’s Capital Markets Day and the Future of Eurowings
The Lufthansa Group is holding its first Capital Markets Day since 2011 at the airline’s crew training facility in Frankfurt today. Carsten Spohr, the chief executive of Lufthansa, opened the day telling the assembled journalists that Lufthansa and its subsidiaries…
EVA Air Will Start Hiring Male Cabin Crew in Concession to End Labour Dispute
As a massive cabin crew strike at Taiwanese airline EVA Air enters its fourth day, the carrier has today announced plans to hire male cabin crew for the first time in its 30 year history. The announcement comes as EVA…
Lufthansa Boss Carsten Spohr Says Eurowings Cabin Crew Enjoy “Above Average” Conditions
As Germany’s Independent Flight Attendants Union (UFO) prepares to ballot Eurowings cabin crew on strike action, Carsten Spohr the chief executive of the Lufthansa Group has said that they actually enjoy “above average bargaining and social standards”. Speaking with Der…
Air Europa Cabin Crew Will Begin Overnighting in Caracas, Five Months After Crew Were Shot At
The little known Spanish carrier Air Europa (which is actually Spain’s third largest airline after Iberia and Vueling) has decided to restart layovers for its pilots and cabin crew in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The decision comes just five months…
Thousands of Passengers Stranded as EVA Air Cabin Crew Strike Escalates
More than 15,000 passengers are said to be stranded in Taipei after cabin crew at EVA Air walked out in a dispute over pay, conditions and labour rights at the Taiwan-based airline. The strike started at 4pm local time on…
From Flight Attendant to Aircraft Engineer: How Women Are Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes
Let’s be perfectly honest… When we think of flight attendants we think of them as female and when we think of aircraft engineers we think of them as men. We’re not entirely to blame for these preconceptions – these roles…
Lufthansa and Eurowings Cabin Crew WILL Be Balloted On Strike Action
Over the lasting few weeks and months, I’ve written quite a bit about a possible industrial dispute that has been simmering away at Lufthansa and its low-cost brand Eurowings. It now looks like things are coming to a head and…
Low-Cost Airline Norwegian Now Offers Gate-to-Gate WiFi – And it’s Still Free
Norwegian has long bucked the trend of other low-cost airlines by offering WiFi on its entire short-haul aircraft fleet and unlike the majority of full-service competitors, Norwegian’s service is free. In the last 12-months, we’ve also the Oslo-based carrier introduce…
EVA Air Flight Attendants Start Strike Action TODAY Over Pay Dispute
Flight attendants at Taiwans’s EVA Air will start strike action today after last ditch mediation talks broke down. So far only eight flights have been cancelled although it’s likely that the action could quickly escalate. Just over a week a…
Flight Attendants Tell Capitol Hill That 737MAX Will Be “Forever Tainted” If Boeing, FAA Fail to Win Trust
Ever since the FAA issued a worldwide safety notice that grounded Boeing’s controversial 737MAX aircraft family, the date on which it might finally be cleared to fly keeps on getting pushed back. As a recap, the FAA finally took action…
As a Flight Attendant, I couldn’t Think of Many Things Worse Than the Airbus A321XLR
The big news from this weeks Paris Air Show in Le Bourget (apart from IAG’s surprising letter of intent to purchase up to 200 Boeing 737MAX aircraft) has been the launch of the Airbus A321XLR – A single-aisle aircraft that…
The Royal Air Force is Recruiting Cabin Crew Who Will Serve the Queen and British Prime Minister
The Royal Air Force has a rather interesting and unusual job advert posted to its official recruitment website at the moment – they’re currently hiring what are known as Air & Ground stewards (or as they’re more commonly known… Cabin…
British Airways Owner Eyes Up a Bargain in Boeing 737 MAX Order
International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) which owns British Airways and Iberia, as well as low-cost brands Vueling and LEVEL, has delivered a major coup for US-aircraft manufacturer Boeing with an order for 200 of its single-aisle 737MAX aircraft. This is…
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker Goes On Offensive, Teases New Airline Investment at PAS
The biannual Paris Air Show is currently underway in Le Bourget but while Qatar Airways may have a big presence at what is the world’s largest aviation exhibition, the Gulf carrier hasn’t come with any new products or announcements to…
Environmental Protestors Call Off Controversial Heathrow Drone Protest
The environmental protest group, Extinction Rebellion has decided to call off a controversial direct-action protest at Heathrow Airport which was expected to start on Tuesday 18th June. Protestors had planned to fly drones around the airport in a bid to…
Six Saudia Cabin Crew Arrested After Fellow Crew Member is Violently Assaulted
According to reports coming out of Tunisia, six members of cabin crew from Saudi Arabian Airlines have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a fellow crew member at the airline’s crew hotel in Gammarth, near Tunis. The incident allegedly took…
Eurowings Expected to Make More Heavy Losses in 2019 – Lufthansa Adjusts Forecasts Down
Eurowings, the discount subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, is expected to make more heavy losses in 2019 after the airline updated the markets on its financial position. The airline had been hoping to break even this year after reporting a…
Emirates Reportedly in Talks With Boeing to Defer, Cancel or Change Massive 777X Order
According to The Seattle Times, the Dubai-based airline Emirates is reportedly in talks with Boeing to either defer, delay or even cancel parts of its massive 777X order. Emirates ordered 150 of the next-generation 777X aircraft at the 2013 Dubai…
Environmental Protestors Told They Could Face Life in Prison if Drones are Flown Near Heathrow Airport
Police have warned environmental protestors from the Extinction Rebellion movement that they could face life in prison if they fly drones near Heathrow Airport in West London. The group is said to be planning a day of action at Europe’s…
Lufthansa and Other Group Airlines Could Be Hit by Cabin Crew Strikes as Early as July
Lufthansa is facing the prospect of cabin crew strikes – not only at the mainline brand but also other group airlines like Austrian and SWISS – and they could start as early as July if new reports are to be…
A “Toxic Fume” Event On a Lufthansa A319 May Have Left a Flight Attendant Permanently Unfit to Fly
A flight attendant at Germany’s Lufthansa is believed to have been signed-off as permanently unfit to fly because of a 2016 “toxic fume” event. The incident was first reported by the Aviation Herald but was recently updated with new details…
TAP Air Portugal Criticised for Paying Out €1.17 Million in Bonuses After Recording Heavy Losses
TAP Air Portugal is facing criticism from the Portuguese government after it was revealed that the airline paid out €1.17 million in bonuses to 180 of its senior employees. Two staffers are said to have earned €110,000 each in bonus…
Woman Sues Emirates Claiming Flight Attendants Refused to Serve Her Water
An Australian woman has sued Emirates Airlines, accusing flight attendants on a 2015 flight from Melbourne to Dubai of ignoring repeated requests to serve her water. Lina Di Falco, 54, claims that when she went to the lavatory because she…
Oman Air Teases New Cabin Crew Uniform in Corporate Brand Film
While Oman Air has not yet released any official information, eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed a brand new cabin crew uniform that appears in a corporate brand film. Yesterday, Oman Air released the brand film on its Facebook page with…
Airline Etiquette: Germ Spreading Passengers Are Now More Annoying than Drunks
According to a new survey from Expedia, germ spreading airline passengers are now more annoying than drunks. The hotel booking site found that 40% of American’s found passengers who cough and splutter throughout a flight are the most annoying type…
Group of Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew Hope to Bring Crowdfunded Legal Case for Better Pay
A group of cabin crew at Virgin Atlantic are hoping to bring a crowdfunded legal case in a bid to win better pay and conditions from their employer. The cabin crew, who are represented by Constantine Law, have set up…
Etihad Airways Taps its Employees for Ideas to Overcome Ongoing Challenges
By now, we all know that Etihad Airways is facing some pretty significant challenges. While the Abu Dhabi-based airline has made some headway in reducing losses, it also has some way to go if it hopes to make a profit…
Air New Zealand Champions Diversity in Decision to Allow Uniform Wearers to Have Visible Tattoos
Air New Zealand is breaking the airline mould with a decision to allow all staff including public-facing uniform wearers like cabin crew, pilots and ground agents to have Tā Moko, as well as non-offensive tattoos visible. Up until now, Air…
Five Men Bailed After Ryanair Flight Attendant and Girlfriend Attacked on Eve of Gay Pride Month
Five men aged between 15-18 who were arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault after a Ryanair flight attendant and her girlfriend were attacked on a London night bus have been bailed by police. Melania Geymonat, 28, who is originally…
Oops: A PIA Airlines Passenger Mistook the Emergency Exit for a Toilet Door, Deployed the Slide
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Manchester, England to Islamabad faced a seven-hour delay on Friday night after a passenger somehow mistook the emergency exit for a toilet. The female passenger onboard Friday night’s PIA flight PK702 inadvertently opened…
Flight Attendants Will Have to Wait at Least Another 9 Months for Fatigue-Busting Rules to be Introduced
When Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act in October 2018, a specific provision contained within the Bill that would guarantee flight attendants more rest between flights seemed pretty clear cut. In fact, the provision explicitly stated that it must be…
Flight Attendants at Taiwan’s EVA Air Vote in Favour of Strike Action in Dispute Over Pay and Conditions
Flight attendants at Taiwan’s EVA Air have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions. Around 90% of the airline’s flight attendants who are represented by the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union (TFAU) backed strike action…
Canada Introduces New Rules Banning Cabin Crew and Pilots from Consuming Cannabis
In October 2018, Canada became the first developed country in the world to make cannabis legal – but that bold move did raise a number of really important questions. In particular, should there be additional rules for people working in…
The First European Airline to Introduce Non-Binary Booking Options Might Surprise You
It’s no secret that I’ve questioned the motives of Air Italy – The Sardinian-based airline that was previously known as Meridiana until Qatar Airways bought a 49% stake in the business 2017 and then rebranded it into the airline we…
Scandi Airline SAS Becomes Latest Carrier to Ditch In-Flight Tax Free Shopping
You soon won’t be able to flick through a catalogue of random perfumes, questionable jewellery and not so hot deals as yet another airline removes the joy of in-flight tax-free shopping. This time, the Scandinavian airline SAS has decided to…
Lufthansa is Equipping its Entire Long-haul Fleet with Mobile ECG Readers for Medical Emergencies
Dealing with medical emergencies at 38,000 feet is always a dreaded moment for any member of cabin crew. Resources are limited, medical expertise might not be readily available and you can’t simply land a fully-loaded plane at the nearest hospital…
Emirates Cabin Crew Safety Trainer Receives Life Sentence Over Terrorism Plot
A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced a cabin crew Safety and Security (SEP) Trainer to life in prison after finding him guilty of a Hezbelloh-inspired terror plot against a “vital facility” in the UAE – Believed to…
Everybody Thinks Melania Trump Looks Like a Member of Cabin Crew at Door of Air Force One
President Donald Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump arrived in the United Kingdom this morning as part of a three day official State Visit that will see the President and his wife hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Arriving at…
Boeing 737 MAX Hit with New Problem: Manufacturer Say’s Certain Parts Have “Potential Nonconformance”
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has issued an urgent notice to operators of its single-aisle 737 model advising them that there may be a potential problem with a specific part known as the ‘slat tracks’. The problem is believed to affect both…
A Grassroots Movement is Calling for the Return of Former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall
A grassroots campaign has begun to reinstate the former Chairman and CEO of American Airlines who famously ordered the removal of a single olive from every salad served in First Class – a move that would save the airline an…
Air France May Have Served Sandwiches Contaminated with the Deadly Listeria Bacteria
Air France has issued an urgent warning after the potentially deadly Listeria bacteria was discovered in a sandwich served onboard flights to several international destinations. Routine quality checks revealed that tuna sandwiches which were available from a self-serve buffet in…
American Airlines Says it Celebrates Flight Attendants Today and Every Day – It’s Employees Might Feel Differently
May 31st marks the annual international Flight Attendant Appreciation Day – it’s not quite a Hallmark event just yet but if on you’re a flight today or happen to bump into a flight attendant then show them some appreciation. For…
Blink and You’ll Miss it: Emirates to Serve Muscat with Regularly Scheduled Airbus A380
Emirates has decided to use the world’s largest passenger aircraft – the Airbus A380 – for a flight which covers just 340km and normally takes little more than 40 minutes. The new twice-daily regularly scheduled A380 service between Dubai International…
Spare Any Change? Passengers Left Nearly $1 Million at TSA Checkpoint’s Last Year
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), harried passengers left $960,105 in various currencies at its checkpoints across the United States between October 2017 and September 30th 2018. It’s the largest amount ever recovered from forgetful passengers and marks a…
Lufthansa Benefits as Internal Dispute at Flight Attendants Union Leads to Resignations
Allegations of nepotism and fraud have rocked Germany’s largest cabin crew union, the Independent Flight Attendant Organisation (UFO) leading to resignations and calls for a criminal inquiry. The turmoil comes at a particularly crucial point for thousands of flight attendants…
Happy 50th Birthday Airbus – Even Rival Boeing is Sending it’s Regards
The pan-European aircraft manufacturer and aerospace giant Airbus is celebrating its 50th birthday and even its biggest rival, Seattle-based Boeing is marking the occasion with a sweet (and just a little cheeky) video as a way of sending its best…
This is Why I Share Leaked Insider Information from Airlines
I’m far from the only aviation blogger that occasionally shares internal leaked information that airlines might not necessarily want in the public domain. But it’s perhaps worth explaining why I do this – because, contrary to the opinion of some,…
TAP Air Portugal Cabin Crew Named “Most Handsome Crew”… Again
We’re used to seeing adjectives like “pretty” and “beautiful” used to describe cabin crew and flight attendants… But “handsome”? Well, that’s exactly how the cabin crew of TAP Air Portugal have been described – in fact, they’ve been named the…
British Airways Gatwick Cabin Crew Tell Airline “Enough is Enough” in New Industrial Dispute
There’s nothing new or unusual in airlines having to deal with more than their fair share of industrial disputes (no wonder Delta Air Lines is going to such extreme lengths to prevent unionisation of its workers) but the unrest at…
