Lufthansa, JetBlue and United Sign On for Alternate COVID-19 Digital Pass

In the rush to develop a digital health pass for international travelers, a race to launch first could be brewing between aviation giants. The Commons Project Foundation announced the development of their own health pass, CommonTrust, with the backing of Lufthansa, JetBlue and United Airlines. COMMONPASS GETS SUPPORT FROM AIRLINES, AIRPORT COUNCIL AND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM One of several projects from the Commons Foundation, the goal of CommonPass is to allow flyers to verify their record of… (www.flyertalk.com) Plus d'info...

Thanksgiving Could Be The ‘Mother Of All Superspreader Events,’ Health Expert Warns

The US could see an explosion of Covid-19 infections in the weeks following Thanksgiving, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a former White House medical team adviser, told CNN Tuesday. “It’s potentially the mother of all superspreader events.” Many health officials believe the Midwest was seeded with Covid-19 last summer from just such an event, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, Reiner said. “Now imagine that on a massive scale — people leaving from every airport in the United States, and… (baltimore.cbslocal.com) Plus d'info...

French finance minister tells Bloomberg TV: I can guarantee survival of Air France

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Bloomberg TV he could guarantee the survival of Air France, which like many airlines around the world has been hit hard by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Le Maire said in the interview that he hoped to keep the alliance between Air France and KLM as it was in the interests of both the Netherlands and France. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Edmund Blair) (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

This is how air travel’s transformed through the decades

A history of air travel in pictures From the early days of flight and the "golden age of travel", to modern-day budget airlines and the current regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel has changed a lot over the past century. Here, we take a journey through time to bring you the biggest milestones in commercial aviation history. (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

US plots to sanction COMAC, AVIC - report

The US Department of Commerce is planning to impose sanctions on 89 Chinese aerospace firms, including aircraft manufacturers AVIC and COMAC, for their alleged military ties, Reuters has reported. The news agency saw a draft list of sanctions, although the representatives of the US administration refused to comment or acknowledge the plan. According to the draft, the sanctions would be motivated by "national security interest". If enacted, the sanctions would substantially hinder… (www.ch-aviation.com) Plus d'info...

Volga-Dnepr Grounds Antonov 124 Fleet Following Crash

ussian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr has grounded its fleet of Antonov An-124 aircraft. According to the airline, the grounding is a proactive and pre-emptive decision following a near catastrophe earlier in November for the An-124 RA-82042. (simpleflying.com) Plus d'info...

U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier Avatar Airlines gears up to acquire 10 Boeing 747-400

BOCA RATON — Ultra-low fare newcomer Avatar Airlines has stretched its wings across the globe and extended a letter of intent to Thai Airways to acquire 10 long-haul Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Avatar plans to operate scheduled service between major city pairs throughout the United States and Hawaii with routes including popular domestic vacation destinations and large family-oriented attractions. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Plus d'info...

Delta Cargo shuts Chicago airport facility for 9 days

Internal problem at O'Hare forces temporary shut down of cargo operations for Delta Cargo. (www.freightwaves.com) Plus d'info...

Brazilian regulator clears grounded Boeing plane to fly

Brazil’s aviation regulator has lifted its order that grounded the Boeing 737 Max, clearing the way for the plane to fly again in Latin America’s biggest country. The move Wednesday by the Brazilian regulator, ANAC, followed similar actions in recent days by U.S. and European officials.ANAC said it agreed with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that all necessary technical changes to address safety issues raised by two deadly crashes have been made. The FAA is requiring the planes to get… (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

Air France, KLM to commence Nigeria flights

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have announced the resumption of flight operations into Abuja and Lagos from December 7. The airline in a statement on Monday said passengers could now fly Air France and KLM from Nigeria (Abuja and Lagos) to Paris and Amsterdam, with the possibility of transfer to other European and North Atlantic destinations. (punchng.com) Plus d'info...

Philippine Airlines Says It’s Readying Restructuring Plan

Philippine Airlines Inc. is working on a “comprehensive recovery and restructuring plan,” according to the carrier owned by billionaire Lucio Tan. The plan will enable it to “emerge financially stronger” from the global crisis, it said in a statement. Asia’s oldest airline didn’t provide details of the plan, but said it is gradually increasing flights. The pandemic has devastated the global travel industry, forcing airlines to suspend flights, lay off employees and seek financial help from… (www.msn.com) Plus d'info...

Starting in December, Lufthansa will have daily flights to Brazil and SWISS 5 flights a week

"Before the pandemic, Brazil was already positioned as a strategic market for the Lufthansa Group. The pandemic crisis highlighted the importance of the country for the group and confirmed that... (cmsherbert.blogspot.com) Plus d'info...

World’s Longest A350 Flight? ‘Merkel One’ Flies Non-Stop To Australia

Recently the German Air Force has been putting its new Airbus A350, registered 10+03, to the test. (simpleflying.com) Plus d'info...

Aviation Bodies Seek Slots Waiver

Global aviation heavyweights led by airline body IATA are pushing to suspend airport slot access rules until October 2021 (www.reuters.com) Plus d'info...

Air India To Launch 1st Bengaluru-San Francisco Direct Flight From January 11

Passengers from Bengaluru can soon fly non-stop to San Francisco as national carrier Air India is set to launch a twice weekly service, scheduled to commence from January 11, 2021. This would be the first non-stop flight between Bengaluru and the United States, connecting the worlds two tech hubs the original Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley of India, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru,said in a release. This is a significant milestone for Bengaluru Airport and would transform the… (www.ndtv.com) Plus d'info...