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Tag: Douglas

Rex Airlines Takes Delivery of First Boeing 737-800ng in Full Livery

Rex Airlines marks another major milestone tomorrow, as the first of its Boeing 737-800NGs lands in Sydney in full Rex livery (airline colours). The aircraft arrived in Brisbane today just after 7:30pm on a transit stop after its major scheduled check overseas. The aircraft is due to touch down in Sydney at 8:30am on Christmas Eve.

Planespotters will be in for a treat as they finally get to see Rex’s official livery on its Boeing 737 in the Sydney skies.

Rex has leased six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft in readiness for its inaugural service from Melbourne to Sydney commencing 1 March 2021.

Brisbane will be added to Rex’s capital city network after Easter.

Rex’s Deputy Chairman the Hon John Sharp AM said, “The livery of Australia’s favourite Regional Airline is now emblazoned on a 737, ready for take-off. It’s a historic moment.”

“Our second 737 is currently being painted by Douglas Aerospace at one of the country’s finest aircraft paint facilities in Wagga Wagga. The remaining four 737s are undergoing scheduled checks and will be brought in-country over the next 3 months.”

“With Rex’s entry into the domestic market, passengers are no longer forced to choose between cheap fares that come with limited service and reliable service with premium fares. Rex is bringing its renowned country hospitality to the capital city market, offering twice the value at half the cost. This is the shake-up Australia’s domestic aviation sector has been crying out for and it could not have come at a better time, as Australia struggles to recover from the worst pandemic in the last century.”

To celebrate its launch, Rex is offering 100,000 special $79 fares between Melbourne and Sydney on sale now at rex.com.au.

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab340 aircraft (pre-COVID) on 1,500 weekly flights to 59 destinations throughout all states in Australia. Rex will begin its domestic services with six 737-800NGs in March 2021. In addition to the airline Rex, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation (air freight, aeromedical and charter operator) and the two pilot academies, Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.

Alaska Airlines & Partners Serve Season’s First Copper River Salmon to First Responders

  • Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Copper River Marketing Association and Tom Douglas partner to salute local medical professionals
Alaska Airlines Captain Brent Carricaburu presenting the first Copper River salmon, which weighed in at 33 pounds.

More than 200 health care workers at Swedish Medical Center – Ballard will be among the first to enjoy the season’s first catch of prized Copper River salmon. Alaska Air Cargo this morning delivered the first catch of fresh, sustainable Copper River salmon to Seattle, which will be delivered to grocery stores across the country.

Helping fishing communities, fisheries and processors like Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods and Cooper River Seafoods get the coveted salmon to market, often in less than 24 hours from being pulled from the water, is Alaska Air Cargo’s specialty. The airline plays a critical role in the economic vitality of Cordova, Alaska, where more than 50 percent of residents work in the fishing industry.

“Alaska Air Cargo has long been a partner of the Alaska seafood industry,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director of cargo for Alaska Airlines. “Now more than ever, we provide a critical service that directly impacts the economic vitality of the region. In Cordova alone, more than half of residents are directly involved in the fishing industry or related business.”

As a thank you for their efforts on the frontlines of the battle against coronavirus, Alaska Airlines, Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Copper River Seafoods, Copper River Marketing Association and famed Seattle chef Tom Douglas are partnering to provide a delicious meal to health care heroes, and feed the community, while raising money for Food Lifeline.

“I love everything about Copper River salmon,” said chef Tom Douglas. “I love the richness of its delicate flesh and flavor. It’s very short season makes it a true delicacy. I am glad we get to share it with our health care workers and the Greater Seattlecommunity.”

Alaska Air Cargo employees begin to unload 9,000 pounds of Copper River salmon, part of the first shipment to arrive in Seattle.

Douglas will feature salmon donated by the seafood processors and the Copper River Marketing Association to prepare over 200 meals for Swedish Hospital medical professionals working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Pilots, flight attendants and management employees from Alaska will be on hand Saturday to deliver the meals and thank workers for their efforts.

“We’re thankful for Alaska Airlines, Copper River Marketing Association, Trident, Ocean Beauty, Copper River Seafoods and especially Tom Douglas for providing our heroic health care workers at Swedish Ballard with the meal today,” said Swedish Ballard Chief Operating Officer Kasia Konieczny. “While this pandemic has been difficult for us all, it is great to see the community coming together, like these partners, to provide for one another.”

On Sunday, May 17, fish lovers are invited to partake in the festivities, while social distancing, of course. For a limited time and while supplies last, Trident and Douglas will be “Grilling for Good.” He and his Serious TakeOut team will prepare grilled Copper River sockeye salmon entrees available for purchase through the Tom Douglas website, with all proceeds donated to Food Lifeline.

Alaska Air Cargo transports more than 30+ million pounds of cargo annually—including seafood, mail and freight —and operates the most extensive air cargo operation on the U.S. West Coast of any passenger airline.

Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 115 destinations across the United States and North America, providing essential air service for our guests along with moving crucial cargo shipments, such as food, medicine, mail and e-commerce deliveries. With hubs in Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Anchorage, Alaska, the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

Vic Scheibert (l), President of Alaska Operations, Trident Seafoods, and Joe Bundrant, CEO, Trident holding up the first Copper River salmon.

Get Your Commemorative Pass for Final MD-80 Flight

American Airlines is retiring its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 fleet to Roswell, New Mexico, Sept. 4. We understand what the iconic aircraft means for our customers and our team members. To help commemorate this historic day, we have created a special retro American Flight 80 boarding pass. Personalize, print and display your pass today.

American Airlines Schedules Final MD-80 Revenue Flights

On Sept. 4, American Airlines will retire its last 26 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. The MD-80, also known as the Super 80, was the workhorse of the airline’s fleet throughout the 1980s and beyond, providing customers and team members with heartfelt memories on adventures ranging from family vacations to key business trips. It’s a bittersweet but well-earned retirement as American celebrates the aircraft’s history while modernizing its fleet.

Below is the schedule of the final revenue flights on the “Mad Dog” before their desert farewell ferry flights to Roswell, New Mexico (ROW). All schedules are subject to change based on operational needs.

FlightDateDepartureTimeArrivalTime
1449Sept. 3GRR1425DFW1606
2372Sept. 3SAT1955DFW2110
2257Sept. 3MSY1943DFW2122
1010Sept. 3DFW2034STL2218
267Sept. 3DFW2226TUL2329
2454Sept. 4ICT0500DFW0615
2180Sept. 4AMA0500DFW0618
2232Sept. 4LBB0500DFW0627
2586Sept. 4PNS0500DFW0656
2200Sept. 4CLE0540DFW0732
2891Sept. 4VPS0545DFW0754
2338Sept. 4MFE0615DFW0755
2540Sept. 4OMA0600DFW0758
2605Sept. 4RDU0600DFW0758
2326Sept. 4DSM0600DFW0800
2185Sept. 4SAT0700DFW0814
2500Sept. 4CVG0629DFW0802
1999Sept. 4STL0730DFW0924
1538Sept. 4VPS0719DFW0934
1038Sept. 4ICT0810DFW0937
2335Sept. 4ABQ0650DFW0938
80Sept. 4DFW0900ORD1135

Visit the official American Airlines webpage beloow for a tribute video to the MD-80!

http://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2019/American-Airlines-Announces-Schedule-of-Final-MD-80-Revenue-Flights/default.aspx

Via Airlines Ceases All Commercial Service

Growing independent regional airline Via Airlines has abruptly ended all scheduled commercial flights with plans to revert back to its original business model of conducting charter operations. Known by its shortened name, ViaAir, the airline began flying in 1997, specializing in both public and private charter flights catered for corporations, casinos and sports teams.

Click the link below for the full story! https://airlinegeeks.com/2019/05/31/via-airlines-officially-stops-commercial-routes-in-favor-of-charter-flights/

Etihad Reports 3rd Consecutive Loss, Jobs & Aircraft Cuts

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Etihad Airways on Thursday reported its third consecutive annual loss despite finding cost savings of nearly half a billion dollars as it cut its workforce and fleet.

The Abu Dhabi state-owned airline blamed challenging market conditions including higher fuel prices for a $1.28 billion (965.2 million pounds) loss in 2018, narrower than the $1.52 billion it lost in 2017.

Etihad, which has trimmed its ambitions to be a major intercontinental airline to focus on point-to-point flights, has made losses of $4.75 billion since 2016.

Revenue fell nearly 4 percent to $5.86 billion last year, compared with the $6.1 billion it reported for 2017.

The airline launched a five-year turnaround strategy in 2017, the year current chief executive, Tony Douglas, was hired.

“In 2018, we continued to forge ahead with our transformation journey by streamlining our cost base, improving our cash flow and strengthening our balance sheet,” Douglas, said in a statement.

Etihad said it slashed costs by $416 million in 2018, or 5.5 percent, as it cut its workforce by 5 percent to 21,855.

The number of passengers carried fell by 4.3 percent to 17.8 million as it cut the number of aircraft in its fleet by nine and stopped flying to several routes it said were unprofitable.

Etihad has been rethinking its business since 2016 after piling billions of dollars into a failed strategy of buying minority stakes in other airlines.

Dozens of aircraft orders with Airbus and Boeing worth billions of dollars have since been canceled.

(Reporting By Stanley Carvalho; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Will Boeing bring back the 717?

Just read a great article about the Boeing 717 jet. There were only 156 Boeing 717’s built, but their operators would love to get their hands on more of them. The aircraft today is mainly being operated by Delta, Qantas, Hawaiian, and the Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea.

AirTran Airways operated more than half of the Boeing 717’s that were manufactured. They operated a fleet of 88 when it was announced that they would be acquired by Southwest Airlines in September of 2010. Southwest, eager to maintain there single aircraft type fleet of 737’s, later sold all of their inherited 717’s to Delta Air Lines.

You can read the story referenced above at the link below…

Boeing 717

You can also read about Delta’s acquisition of the Airtran 717’s at this link…

Delta acquires 717’s

Boeing 247 in the Friday Pic of the Week

Boeing 247 parked in front of the Museum of Flight is the Friday Pic of the Week. The Boeing 247 was known as the the first modern aircraft to include several new advancements in aircraft manufacturing. These advances included all-anodized aluminum construction, an auto pilot, cantilevered wing, control surface trim tabs, de-icing boots, and retractable landing gear. Boeing would go on to build seventy-five 247 aircraft, most seeing service with Boeing Air Transport. The plane would be rendered obsolete in just a few years by the Douglas DC-3.

Boeing 247

If your in the Seattle area, be sure to check out the great collection of aircraft, aviation, and space history contained in the Museum of Flight. To find out more, just visit:

www.museumofflight.org