Wizz Air UK, member of one of Europe’s fastest growing airline groups, Wizz Air group [PNK: WZZAF] the leading low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, today announces that it will launch a new route in November 2019 connecting London Luton with sunny Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and on the airline’s mobile app.
From 16 November, Wizz Air UK will offer flights from London Luton to the popular Spanish holiday destination of Tenerife. Fares to the biggest island of the archipelago start from £25.99/EUR 29.99*. Besides its white sandy beaches and all-inclusive resorts, the island offers extraordinary beauty and diversity, with remote mountain-ridge villages, cultured port settlements and charming ancient towns. Today’s announcement will see Wizz Air UK create seventy thousand new seat capacity at its London Luton base and 50 additional indirect jobs** in the UK. With this new route Wizz Air – the largest airline to operate from London Luton with over 40% market share – will be offering 63 routes to 30 countries from its London Luton base.
Owain Jones, Managing Director, Wizz Air UK said: “It is our pleasure to announce another long awaited route to a popular Spanish holiday destination. The new route to Tenerife, starting already in November demonstrates that Wizz Air UK is committed to offering customers ultra-low fares to destinations across all of Europe, connecting the UK with ever more leisure destinations. The WIZZ team looks forward to welcoming customers old and new on-board one of our ultra-efficient Airbus aircraft on Europe’s cleanest fleet very soon.”
Fiji Airways’ first A350 XWB has rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse featuring the airline’s signature livery. The aircraft, an A350-900 leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, will be the first of its type to be operated by an airline in the South-Pacific region.
The aircraft will now proceed to the final phase of the assembly process, with the installation of engines followed by ground and flight tests, before delivery to Fiji Airways in Q4.
The aircraft will be configured with 33 full lie-flat Business Class and 301 Economy Class seats. The aircraft will be deployed to enhance existing long-haul services from Fiji to Australia and the U.S., and to provide the opportunity to open additional routes.
The A350 XWB is the world’s most modern wide-body family and the long-range leader. It is the only all-new design aircraft in the 300-410 seat category, offering the lowest cost per seat of any large wide-body. The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (9,700 nm).
The A350 XWB is an all-new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB has the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. At end of August 2019, Airbus has recorded a total of 913 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 51 customers worldwide.
Sun Country Airlines,a small Minnesota-based, low-cost carrier owned by private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, plans to file for an initial public offering as soon as April, Sun Country’s CEO said Tuesday in an interview.
“Our earnings are supportive,” Jude Bricker told Skift at the International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas. “I think there’s a market for an airline that is growing.”
If Sun Country were to go public next year, it would be a fast turnaround for Apollo, which acquired the airline in December 2017. The previous owners, Mitch and Marty Davis, who also control Cambria, a maker of stone countertops, had managed Sun Country more like a family business than a medium-sized airline. Apollo has cut costs and changed the model, dropping first class, adding fees and making more it like Frontier Airlines or Spirit Airlines than an undersized competitor to Delta Air Lines or American Airlines.
Demonstrating unmatched airport performance, Dassault’s Falcon 8X recently set a new coast-to-coast speed record, flying from Santa Monica and its notoriously short 3,500 foot runway to Teterboro, New Jersey. The flight took just 4 hours and 28 minutes with overall poor tailwinds, averaging just five knots, over the trip.
“Business aviation is about flying precisely where you need to be. Today’s flight on the Falcon 8X embodies everything that advanced design can accomplish: unparalleled airport performance, a quiet noise footprint and extended capability, all in a large cabin business jet,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “This is not possible in any other business jet in the ultra-long range class.”
The mission, with four passengers and 200 pounds of payload, beat a previous speed set when Santa Monica’s runway measured 5,000 feet, by 24 minutes. Santa Monica represents a specific challenge because of the length of its 3,500 foot runway and its strict noise abatement departure procedure. The airplane needed less than 2,000 feet of runway upon landing and a balanced field length only of 3,200 feet when it departed at 8:08 a.m. local time. Incredibly, the departure procedure and climb-out measured significantly below the 95 dBA SEL sound limit. The 8X landed in Teterboro at 3:36 p.m. local time.
The record is pending official ratification by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in Washington, DC.
The new speed record follows a series of records set in 2018, including a challenging mission from London City that crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Beverly, Massachusetts, an immediate suburb of Boston, in 6 hours and 44 minutes. London City’s stringent noise rules, short runway and steep glide scope limit the airport to very few aircraft types. All production Falcon aircraft are certified to operate at London City.
Since its entry into service in late 2016, the Falcon 8X has been widely recognized not only for its superior performance—including its ability to land at airports like Aspen, Lugano and Gstaad, Switzerland whose challenging approaches typically limit access to very few ultra-long range business jets—but also for its unrivaled comfort and ultra-silent cabin, the quietest in the industry.
Melbourne, Florida, May 17, 2019 – Embraer’s new Praetor 600 super-midsize business jet has completed its first transatlantic crossing, powered by Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel (SAJF). The aircraft arrived yesterday in Farnborough, having departed from Teterboro Airport in the U.S. The first transatlantic flight of the Praetor 600 covered about 3,000 nautical miles with about 15,000 lb of fuel, of which 3,000 lb was SAJF.
Embraer will debut its new Praetor business jets at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 21 to May 23. The new midsize Praetor 500 and super-midsize Praetor 600 business jets were launched in October 2018.
On static display at this year’s EBACE will be the entry-level Phenom 100EV, the Phenom 300E light jet, the midsize Praetor 500, the super-midsize Praetor 600, the large Legacy 650E and the ultra-large Lineage 1000E. All aircraft will arrive at EBACE fueled with SAJF.
Prior to arrival at EBACE, Embraer will participate at a business aviation biofuel event to be held at Farnborough Airport on May 18. This event will mark the first anniversary of the launch of the Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuel (SAJF), at EBACE 2018, and the 10th anniversary of the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change, announced in 2009.
The “Fueling the Future” event will gather business aviation and civic leaders to discuss the path forward for the continued adoption of SAJF in business aviation, in order to fulfill the coalition’s goal of reducing emissions through investments and innovation. Several manufacturer’s business aircraft will be fueled with SAJF before departing to EBACE.
On May 8, the Praetor 600 began its journey to EBACE at São Paulo International Airport in Brazil and arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a six-passenger equivalent payload of 1,200 lb (544 kg). This was the aircraft’s longest flight to date, covering 3,904 nm (7,230 kilometers) over an air distance of 3,678 nm (6,812 kilometers), having faced up to 43 knots of headwinds and descended into Miami’s distinct air space pattern.
The Praetor 600 is the best performing super-midsize jet ever developed, surpassing all its main design goals and becoming capable of flying beyond 4,000 nautical miles in long-range cruise speed or beyond 3,700 nautical miles at Mach .80 from runways shorter than 4,500ft, complemented by an outstanding payload capability.
The Praetor 600 is the first super-midsize jet with full fly-by-wire technology, which powers the Active Turbulence Reduction that not only makes every flight the smoothest but also the most efficient possible.
Second and Final Phase of Airbus A320 Interior Cabin Restyling Ushers in New Era of Comfort and Connectivity for JetBlue Customers.
The Most Legroom in Coach® Now Features the Widest, Most Comfortable A320 Seats, Larger Seatback TVs with Even More Entertainment, Expanded Gate-to-Gate High-Speed Internet on Nearly Every JetBlue Route—and More!
The restyling effort has been several years in the making, with the latest aircraft marking the first to receive this all-new 2019 design. The aircraft, named “If You Can Read This, You’re Blue Close,” re-joins JetBlue’s fleet today, with roughly a third of JetBlue’s A320 aircraft scheduled for restyling completion by the end of the year.
“JetBlue rocked the airline industry in 2000 with seatback television and all leather seats. In our first makeover since, this incredible new onboard experience represents what the founders would have done if they were launching JetBlue today,” said Marty St. George, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, JetBlue. “The new experience brings together technology, entertainment, and comfort with the great service JetBlue customers love so much.”
For most of the airlines 100+ destinations the A320 restyling will bring the upgraded JetBlue experience to their city for the first time.
A major focus of the restyling is keeping customers connected throughout their flight, including a new inflight entertainment system, high-definition seatback televisions, in-seat power outlets with USB ports and continued free gate-to-gate Fly-Fi high-speed internet with an expanded coverage area – including throughout the Caribbean and Latin America where Fly-Fi had not been available until now.
The Widest Seat Available For the A320
In 2019, JetBlue will outfit its A320 aircraft with the Collins Meridian seat, customized for the airline’s needs and featuring a number of design elements with customer comfort in mind:
Expanded seat width of more than 18 inches, the widest available for the A320.
The most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (a).
Enhanced cushion comfort.
Adjustable headrests, a new feature for JetBlue’s A320.
Contoured seatback design at knee level creating additional living space for every customer.
Redesigned seatback stowage options, including an innovative elastic grid to accommodate a variety of customer items.
At least two easy-to-reach power connections at every seat.
“We are proud to partner with
JetBlue on its A320 restyling project by supplying our Meridian Seat,” said
Cynthia A. Muklevicz, Vice President, Account Management, Interiors for Collins
Aerospace. “Meridian offers passengers industry-leading comfort and living
space through an intense focus on ergonomic design supported by optimization of
the underlying seat structure.”
IFE
Also in 2019, JetBlue will build on
its reputation as an industry leader in inflight entertainment options with
Thales AVANT and ViaSat-2 connectivity. With this system, JetBlue will offer
customers aboard its restyled A320s expanded entertainment choices in nearly
every region the airline flies (b). JetBlue is the only major U.S. airline with
seatback entertainment screens at every seat on every aircraft.
10.1 inch, 1080P high definition screen at every seat.
More than 100 channels of live television with DVR-like pause and rewind functionality.
Expanded collection of on demand movies, TV shows and video content, plus new gaming features.
Destination-specific content allowing customers to enhance their travel experience.
Picture-in-picture function
Enhanced, 3D flight map offering multiple ways to track time to destination.
Personal handheld device pairing capabilities for use as a remote or gaming controller.
Expanded Fly-Fi connectivity, providing coverage to nearly the entire JetBlue network.
“Thales is proud to have been a
business partner with JetBlue since the beginning of their IFE evolution. The
airline has reimagined the flying experience, and with our custom-designed
AVANT IFE solution, we’ve helped JetBlue reimagine their customer experience on
the A320 platform,” said Philippe Carette, Chief Executive Officer, Thales
InFlyt Experience. “We look forward to collaborating with the airline to create
new opportunities that wow their customers with a unique and personalized
inflight experience.”
“Thales is proud to have been a
business partner with JetBlue since the beginning of their IFE evolution. The
airline has reimagined the flying experience, and with our custom-designed
AVANT IFE solution, we’ve helped JetBlue reimagine their customer experience on
the A320 platform,” said Philippe Carette, Chief Executive Officer, Thales
InFlyt Experience. “We look forward to collaborating with the airline to create
new opportunities that wow their customers with a unique and personalized
inflight experience.”
“JetBlue continues to be an
industry leader in its approach to inflight internet—bringing free, high-speed
connectivity to every customer onboard,” said Don Buchman, vice president and
general manager, Commercial Aviation, Viasat. “We’re honored to once again
partner with JetBlue on inflight connectivity, giving them access to ViaSat-2,
the world’s most advanced satellite network, enabling all JetBlue customers to
enjoy fast Fly-Fi service on more routes where JetBlue flies.”
Completing The 2018 Phase
The first phase of JetBlue’s A320
interior cabin restyle began in spring 2018 and modernized the airline’s so-called
“classic interiors” with products that matched those found on the airline’s
newer A321 aircraft – features such as more modern seats and larger seatback
TVs. More than a dozen A320 aircraft have been restyled with these products so
far and several more are scheduled for completion in the coming weeks. This
spring the restyling will fully transition to the 2019 version of onboard
products for all aircraft going forward.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 42 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com.
(a) JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.
(b) Fly-Fi is available on all JetBlue-operated flights. On ViaSat-2 equipped aircraft, Fly-Fi may not be available on portions of some routes. On all other aircraft Fly-Fi may not be available while operating outside of the contiguous U.S., or until the aircraft returns to the coverage area.
Boeing revealed the newest Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), which researchers say will fly higher and faster than the previous TTBW concepts. The new configuration is designed to offer unprecedented aerodynamic efficiency while flying at Mach 0.80.
From end-to-end, the folding wings measure 170 feet. The high wingspan is made possible by the presence of a truss, which supports the extended length of the ultra-thin wing.
Originally, the TTBW was designed to fly at speeds of Mach 0.70 – 0.75. To increase the aircraft’s cruise speed, the new concept now has an optimized truss and a modified wing sweep. By adjusting the wing sweep angle, the truss can carry lift more efficiently. The end result was a more integrated design that significantly improved vehicle performance.
The new changes follow extensive wind tunnel testing at NASA Ames Research Center. For nearly a decade, Boeing and NASA have been studying the concept as part of the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) program. The research focuses on innovative concepts that reduce noise and emissions while enhancing performance.
