While United’s May schedule will still represent a 92% cut in international capacity, a handful of international routes will return to service. United Restores Service On Several International Routes In May 2020 In addition to the international routes already...
KLM Reactivates Two 747-400s To Serve Cargo Missions
Just days after suddenly retiring its entire 747-400 fleet a year ahead of schedule, KLM has backtracked and restored two specially-configured 747-400s to service. KLM operated a subfleet of 747-400M or 747-400 Combi aircraft. Unlike traditional passenger configurations, these...
Lufthansa Seeks State Aid From Four Nations
Lufthansa will ask Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria for a bailout as it seeks to stabilize itself and its subsidiary carriers in a time of uncertainty. Speaking to staff, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “I am optimistic that the...
Teen Pilot Flies Critical Supplies To Rural Hospitals
TJ Kim is too young to drive alone, but he can fly…and he has put his pilot’s license to good use, delivering critical medical supplies to rural hospitals. 16-year-old Kim lives in Virginia and delivers supplies including masks, gloves,...
Pessimistic Lufthansa Will Retire Some 747s, A340s, A380s
Lufthansa does not see demand bouncing back for years and has responded by announcing the retirement of several longhaul and shorthaul aircraft. When I accuse my German wife of being pessimistic, she corrects me and says she is just...
United Significantly Reduces Flying Schedule At San Francisco + Los Angeles
Much like it did in Newark, United Airlines is dramatically scaling back flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco. In a note to SFO and LAX employees, United’s Executive Vice President Greg Hart announced the cutbacks, set to begin...
Turkish Airlines Shuts Down Until At Least April 20, 2020
As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates in Turkey, Turkish Airlines is temporarily shutting down operations. Chief Executive Officer Bilal Eksi announced on Twitter that Turkish is suspending all domestic flights until April 20, 2020. International flights were already cancelled and...
American + JetBlue + United Drastically Slash New York Service
With COVID-19 raging in New York and demand continuing to sink, airlines are responding by drastically slashing already-reduced service from the Big Apple. Over 120,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in New York State, with over half of...
Americans Trapped In Moscow Airport After Aeroflot Flight Ordered Back To Gate
After abruptly and unexpectedly suspending international air traffic yesterday, hundreds of Americans and thousands of others find themselves trapped in Russia. One asthma-stricken man remains stuck without a visa in Moscow Airport almost out of medication. Yesterday, April 3,...
Germany Backs Lufthansa Effort To Stop Issuing Refunds
The German government has endorsed Lufthansa’s argument that it cannot survive if it must issue refunds for cancelled tickets. Just last week the European Commission re-affirmed regulation that mandates airlines to promptly refund tickets for flight cancellations. Lufthansa, among...
United Suspends Service To Four Hawaiian Cities
With airplanes running virtually empty, United will further reduce domestic flights and axe service to four stations in Hawaii. Between April 8 and May 3rd, United will suspend service between the U.S. mainland and: Hilo (ITO) Kona (KOA) Lihue...
A Five-Page Application Worth Billions To U.S. Airlines
In case you’re curious how the aid process works for U.S. passenger airlines, the Treasury Department has made the application process quite transparent. Posted on its website (.pdf) with detailed instructions, airlines have until 5:00PM EDT on April 3,...
British Airways Suspends All Service To London Gatwick
London Gatwick was poised to grow in 2020. Then COVID-19 hit. EasyJet suspended all flights and now British Airways has followed. With the United Kingdom encouraging citizens to avoid all non-essential travel and travel demand greatly depressed due to...
U.S. Airlines Want To Party Like It’s 1977
Imagine a country where airlines were seen as a public utility, not merely an engine for profit. A body of civil servants determined what routes each airline would operate, how much they would charge, and limited any new entrants...
Free Flights On Delta Air Lines…For Medical Volunteers
Delta has found one way to turn lemons into lemonade when it comes to dismal load factors: transport critical healthcare workers for free. As detailed on Delta’s website, medical volunteers can book round-trip travel on Delta for free to:...
Airline Unemployment Has a Curve Too
The world just learned about the importance of flattening the curve of coronavirus, but airline unemployment has a curve too and we need to flatten that as well. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
Why We Had To Bail Out The Airlines, Even Though It’s Wrong
As a devout capitalist, it pains me to say it, but it has to be done. Airline bailouts are immoral but right for this specific situation. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please...
Good News: Germany’s Luftwaffe Airlifting Patients From Italy
Just when you needed some good news in the world, Germany has utilized a Luftwaffe flying hospital to move patients out of Italy for care. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click...
United Airlines Drastically Reduces Service Onboard
I was wondering what took United so long. The carrier has finally matched the cutbacks to onboard product introduced by American and Delta during a time of heightened tension over COVID-19. United Airlines “Streamlines” Beverage + Meal Service Onboard In...
Payback: China Bans Foreigners And Limits Flights
For China, payback is sweet…foreigners are now banned, flights limited, and gloating abounds. I say “payback” because China was initially livid over government bans that limited its own citizens but has now turned the tables. China Bans Foreigners From...
