The United States has finally decided to ground the Boeing 737 MAX after two fatal crashes in less than six months involving the aircraft model. The decision was apparently made by President Trump who only yesterday Tweeted that he thought…
Airline News
Norwegian Says it Wants Compensation From Boeing for 737 MAX Grounding
Well, this could get interesting… The chief executive of the world’s fifth largest low-cost airline has said he expects Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing to pay out compensation for the near worldwide grounding of 737 MAX aircraft. It follows two fatal…
Cathay Pacific Reports a 3,600% Rise in Profits After Three Years of Losses
Cathay Pacific has released its annual financial results for 2018 and after three years of heavy losses, the airline has finally turned things around with a HK$2.3 billion profit (approximately USD $293 million). The airline had actually given us a…
“This is About Public Confidence in the Safety of Air Travel”: Flight Attendants Plea to Ground 737 MAX
Will the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground the Boeing 737 MAX at some point today? The agency is still holding out despite a slew of aviation regulators around the world grounding the controversial passenger aircraft. Most notably, late this afternoon…
A Saudi Mother Got on a Plane But Forgot to Take Her Baby With Her
This story would be hilarious if it weren’t for the fact that a small baby was put at risk… We all know flying can be stressful and that can often leave us susceptible to a bout of forgetfulness. But a…
Pressure Mounts On Boeing, FAA Despite Assurances of 737 MAX Air Worthiness
A growing list of countries and individual airlines have decided to ground their Boeing 737 MAX aircraft despite continued assurances from the aircraft manufacturer and the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) that the aircraft remains safe. The drastic action follows…
British Airways Crew Unanimously Reject Pay Offer, Majority Back Industrial Action Ballot
Back in November, three trade unions which represent the majority of staff at British Airways took the unusual step of joining together to submit a collective pay claim to significantly improve base pay and profit sharing bonuses at the airline. …
Here’s How Flight Attendants Are Reacting to Boeing 737 MAX 8 Worries
Founded or not, passengers and crew alike are perfectly justified in questioning whether Boeing’s latest generation single-aisle aircraft, the 737 MAX aircraft family, is safe to fly. After all, there have been two fatal accidents involving brand new 737 MAX…
KLM to Stop All In-Flight Duty Free Shopping as of January 2020
The internet and popular shopping sites like Amazon have claimed yet another victim – this time it’s the long-loved tradition of in-flight Duty Free shopping which faces being relegated to the history book. The Dutch carrier KLM today announced…
AT LONG LAST: Turkish Airlines Say’s Date for the ‘Great Move’ to New Istanbul Airport is Set
After several very embarrassing delays, Turkish Airlines says a date for what it calls the “Great Move” from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to the New Istanbul Airport has finally been set. The government-owned airline plans to move its entire operation starting…
Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce Offers 10-Year Old Boy Some Sage Advice On How to Run an Airline
This is incredibly adorable – During the school holidays, 10-year old airline fanatic Alex Jacquot decided to start his own airline that he called Oceania Express. Alex appointed himself the Chief Executive Officer of the upstart airline and he even…
Air Europa Cabin Crew Caught in Shoot Out in Venezuela’s Capital, Caracas
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about advice that security advisors at Spanish airline Air Europa sent their pilots and cabin crew should they be kidnapped while on a layover in Venezuela’s Capital, Caracas. Air Europa is one of…
PSA: This is Why You Should Always Wear a Seat Belt – Even When the Sign is Off
Blood can be seen splattered across overhead lockers, a woman is bloodied and in shock, oxygen masks and other debris hangs from the ceiling, passengers look around in utter bewilderment at what has just happened- that’s the scene that one…
Brand New Ethiopian Airlines 737MAX Crashes Minutes After Takeoff
Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed that a brand new Boeing 737MAX aircraft was involved in an incident just minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, Kenya. According to flight tracking app FlightRadar24, Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 was…
Female Cabin Crew Made to Wear Makeup: Exploring the Law Behind Virgin Atlantic’s Policy Change
In December 2015, Nicola Thorp turned up for her first day at work as a temporary receptionist at accountancy and professional services powerhouse pwc. Thorp, who was wearing a pair of smart flat shoes when she arrived at the…
Pilots Union Says Airlines Still Need to “Remove One of the Biggest Barriers” for Female Pilots
As has become an annual tradition, airlines around the world celebrated International Women’s Day yesterday with a number of high profile media events. The aim is two-fold – to both encourage more women into the aviation industry and in particular…
Cathay Dragon Flight Attendants Demand Pay Rise Following Surprise Profit Announcement
Flight attendants at Cathay Pacific’s wholly owned regional subsidiary Cathay Dragon are set to begin a week-long set of negotiations to improve pay and conditions beginning March 18. The union which represents the airline’s 1,900 flight attendants is seeking an…
Is Lufthansa Turning Eurowings into the New Joon? Expansion Prompts Union Fury
A couple of days ago, Lufthansa announced plans to not only expand the presence of its low-cost tourist-oriented airline brand Eurowings at its Munich hub but to also introduce the airline at its Frankfurt stronghold for the first time. Eurowings…
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Reignites Rumour Airline Will Leave OneWorld Alliance
Here we go again – the chief executive of Qatar Airways, the often outspoken and controversial figure Akbar Al Baker has used a news conference at the ITB Berlin aviation expo to reignite a rumour the airline will pull out…
Well That Was Underwhelming: First Look at Qatar Airways New Economy Class Seat
Qatar Airways has just unveiled a brand new Economy Class seat at the biggest annual aviation trade show and well, it’s a bit of a disappointment. Akbar Al Baker, the chief executive of Qatar Airways, previously said his airline was…
The Dispute Between KLM and Air France is Heating Up Again: The Latest Updates
The relatively new head of the Air France-KLM Group has certainly got his work cut out. As a quick recap, Benjamin Smith became the first non-French chief executive of the Franco-Dutch airline group in September 2018 – his appointment came…
Delta Air Lines Breathes New Life Into Proposed Boeing 797 Mid-Sized Concept Plane
The chief executive of Delta Air Lines has told investors at a J.P. Morgan conference that the Atlanta-based airline would be “very interested” in the proposed mid-market concept plane that Boeing is yet to formally commit itself to developing. Ed…
European Air Safety Agency Says Airlines Should Do More to Prevent Cabin Crew Fatigue
A new report by the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) recommends introducing a raft of new rules to reduce the risk of flight and cabin crew suffering from dangerous levels of fatigue – especially during night flights. The recommendations follow…
New Aviation Agreement Between European Union and Qatar Will Create “Level Playing Field”
We now have more details on a “landmark” aviation agreement between the European Union and the State of Qatar that the EU’s Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc says will not only level the playing field but also “raise the bar…
Virgin Atlantic Will No Longer Make Female Cabin Crew Wear Makeup
In what could be seen as a major change in policy, Virgin Atlantic has decided that it will no longer make female cabin crew and other frontline female employees wear makeup. The Crawley-based airline says the change came about after…
The Huge Giveaway Clue That jetBlue is Set to Launch Flights to London
Yesterday, the New York-based airline jetBlue sent out an internal ‘Save the Date’ invitation to its crewmembers where company executives will talk about about the carrier’s vision and strategy – and everyone is now expecting this will be used for…
Has The Taxman Forced Virgin Atlantic to Change Pay and Conditions for Cabin Crew?
We’ve learnt that Virgin Atlantic is in urgent talks with its community of cabin crew after tax authorities in the United Kingdom started an investigation into the airline’s current setup for paying crew. Like many European airlines, Virgin Atlantic is…
Final Call For Female Artists: A United 757 Could Be Your Canvas For Unique Art Project
To mark Women’s History Month, United Airlines has launched what it calls a “first-of-its-kind contest” to find two female artists for a very special artwork that will adorn a unique canvas – a Boeing 757 aircraft. United says it wanted…
Labour Unions at British Airways Deride Pay Offer From “Profit-Making Powerhouse”
Three unions which together represent over 25,000 British Airways employees have labelled the airline a “profit-making powerhouse” with a less than generous “austerity approach to pay negotiations”. The claims were made by union leaders after the airline revealed it made…
British Airways Reports £2 Billion Profit: Orders Up To 42 Boeing 777-9’s Worth $18.6 Billion
British Airways today published its financial results for 2018, revealing it made £1.95 billion last year and pushing its operating margin over 15% higher compared to 2017. The news of the Heathrow-based airline’s strong performance coincided with an announcement that…
Airline Chaos After Pakistan Closes Airspace Following Downing of Indian Fighter Jets
Pakistan has closed its airspace to all commercial air traffic in what appears to be a major escalation in tensions with neighbouring India. The airspace closure, which encompasses the entire country, was brought about after Pakistan apparently shot down two…
America’s Most Powerful Flight Attendant Just Came After Qatar Airways for Sponsoring Gender Diversity Awards
Qatar Airways, the Doha-based airline that regularly holds ‘female only’ recruitment events for new cabin crew and whose chief executive has faced heavy criticism for sexist remarks, has just announced it is partnering with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)…
Hidden Seat Back Cameras WILL Improve Passenger Experience Claims Aviation Trade Group
If you haven’t heard, your favourite airline could be spying on you with hidden cameras lurking within the plane’s in-flight entertainment system. That’s at least the conspiracy theory that emerged just over a week ago when one eagle-eyed Singapore Airlines…
After an Attempted Suicide, Should Emirates Do More to Look After its Cabin Crew?
Just over a week ago, a member of Emirates cabin crew jumped from a balcony in the airline’s global head office in what appeared to be an attempted suicide. The crew member was seriously injured but thankfully survived the fall,…
Has Alaska Airlines Changed its Safety Demo to Warn About In-Flight Sexual Assault?
There are some things that are certain in life and one of them is that no matter how many times you’ve flown before, you’ll still have to listen to a pre-flight safety briefing before your next flight. The safety demonstration…
Flight Attendants at American Airlines File Lawsuit Claiming Widespread Gender Discrimination
The bitter dispute between flight attendants and American Airlines really seems to be ratcheting up a notch – the latest salvo between the two sides has just seen the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) file a charge with the…
Delta Flight Attendants Have to Ask Themselves Whether They Deserve Better Pay
As profit sharing bonuses go, Delta Air Lines once again stormed ahead of the pack, surpassing every other major U.S.-based airline in its generosity for a good job well done. The Atlanta-based airline recently announced it would pay out $1.3…
Air Europa Warns Cabin Crew What To Do In Case of Kidnapping During Layovers in Venezuela
Venezuela is currently in the grip of a major constitutional and humanitarian crisis after the incumbent President, Nicolás Maduro refused to cede defeat to opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Anti-government protests have been going on for months and in January Guaidó declared himself…
Qantas See’s Profit Fall $179 Million On Back of Rising Fuel Prices in its International Business
The Qantas Group may well be the largest airline business in Australia but to retain that position the company’s chief executive Alan Joyce is betting big on a making a success of its international long-haul business. Unfortunately, like so many…
Is American Airlines Putting Frequent Flyers Ahead of Flight Attendants After Burlesque Skit?
When a private members group of frequent flyers who belong in the American Airlines’ AAdvantage program decided to hold a social gathering last weekend they probably had no idea their meeting would spark fury amongst American’s 27,000 flight attendants. But…
Well Done Cathay Pacific: Painful Turnaround Programme is Starting to Show Dividends
It’s been a difficult few years for Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific. In 2017, the airline announced it would make around 600 people in its Head Office redundant after the carrier made a huge loss of HK$1,259 million in 2017. The…
99% of British Airways Cabin Crew at Gatwick Airport Support the Possibility of Strike Action
British Airways’ centenary celebrations may be about to turn sour just days after praise was heaped on the airline when it unveiled a nostalgic retro liveried Boeing 747 aircraft adorned in the paintwork of its predecessor company, the British Overseas…
This Passenger Thought it Was Acceptable to Wear Just Boxer Shorts… Right or Wrong?
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…
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…
