Air Italy has a through Special Prorate Agreement with Aegean,
which opens the MXP‑Athens route, thereby allowing US passengers a
route to Greece.
29Oct19 onwards Milan MXP Mombasa MBA Tu,F (*) 332
29Oct19 onwards Milan MXP Zanzibar ZNZ Tu,Th 332
29Mar20‑24Oct20 Milan MXP Los Angeles LAX 4× Weekly 332
29Mar20‑24Oct20 Milan MXP San Franciso SFO 4× Weekly 332
29Mar20‑24Oct20 Milan MXP Toronto YYZ 6× Weekly 332Air Madagascar [MD/MDG] [Madagascar] chartered an A380 from Hi
Fly (Portugal) on 30Jun19 and 01Jul19 for Paris flights as its A340
underwent maintenance.Air Malta [KM.AMC] [Malta] employee unions are seeking direct talks
with the government and want written guarantees on their members’
future, after the government teamed up with Ryanair (Ireland) on a
new airline in Malta.
The carrier was to take delivery of two more A320neos in June 2019,
while one A319 will be retired in October 2019 ahead of the gradual
phase out of the remaining seven A320s. The carrier may increase its
fleet to 14 aircraft over the next five years, and options include the
A321LR and XLR.
04Jul19‑19Sep19 Malta MLA Tbilisi TBS Th 320Air Mauritius [MK/MAU] [Mauritius]
02Jul19 onwardsMauritius MRUMahe Island SEZ Tu,F 319
07Jul19 onwardsMauritius MRUDurban DUR M,W,Sa,Su (+1 weekly) 319Air Moldova [9U] [Moldova] – the carrier’s privatisation process is
likely to be cancelled by the government over violations related to
fraud.Air Namibia [SW/NMB] [Namibia] faces operational challenges as a
result of the court case filed against the carrier by Challenge Air
(Belgium), which is demanding US$27 million. Due to frozen funds, the
carrier has been forced to scale down regional and domestic flights
and cannot release three A319s coming off maintenance. It will get
them back soon as funding arrangements have been made the
government after the airline requested US$1.3 million as it suffered
from severe liquidity constraints.
22May19 Windhoek WDH Lagos LOS‑Accra ACC M,W,F,Su CancelledAir New Zealand [NZ/ANZ] [New Zealand] will purchase eight B787‑
10s powered by GEnx‑1B engines, in a deal worth US$2.7 billion at list
prices. The first of these aircraft will join the fleet in 2022. The carrier
may opt to increase the total to 20 Dreamliners, with rights to select
the ‑9. The delivery schedule can also be delayed or accelerated. Eight
B777‑200s will be phased out by 2025.
The carrier may launch service from Auckland to New York with
B787‑9s around 2022‑23, in collaboration with United Airlines (US).
Air New Zealand has announced flight number changes on selected
service to Australia and South Pacific Islands, as well as Indonesia. The
planned flight number changes will commence on 29Mar20, the launch
of Northern summer 2020 schedule.
27Oct19 onwards Auckland AKL Vancouver YVR Daily 789 (x772)
Air New Zealand is giving its Bali seasonal service a boost in 2020,
increasing capacity on the route by 80%, or 30,000 additional seats,
compared with the current season. From late June to mid October
2019, a B787‑9 is being placed on the route.Air Niugini [PX/ANG] [Papua New Guinea] says renewing its fleet will
be its priority over the next two to three years, as its B767 leases expire
in 2021. The first two B737 MAX are on track for delivery in 4Q20, with
the remaining two likely to be delayed. Lastly, the regional fleet will be
replaced with newer turboprops.
Air Niugini is in talks to take over the Cairns – Hong Kong route
from October when it is relinquished by Cathay Pacific.
The carrier has resumed services to Hoskins from Port Moresby
(eight times weekly), Lae Nadzab (four times weekly) & Rabual (also
four times weekly), suspended on 26Jun19 by the eruption of Mount
Ulawun.Air Iceland Connect [NY/FNA] [Iceland]
Specific date Reykjavik RKV Vagar/Faroe Islands FAE 26Sep19 DH4
Air Hong Kong [LD/AHK] [Hong Kong] plans to add at least two
A330Fs under its own AOC.
Air India [AI/AIC] [India] – the Executive Pilots Association has
written to chairman and MD Ashwani Lohani, demanding the payment
of their arrears amounting to US$174.3 million, or it will approach the
National Company Law Tribunal to recover the dues.
Air India incurred a loss of US$71.4 million due to the closure of
Pakistani airspace, the government said, adding that it was a unilateral
decision taken by the neighbouring country and so it was up to it to
revoke the ban.
Air India privatisation has taken off in full swing with the Union
Budget announcing it as the centrepiece of divestment this year. The
government is targeting October 2019 as the deadline for announcing
the deal.
Air India is expected to remain in Indian hands, as the government
is committed to disinvestment of the carrier. Air India is doing
“extremely well”, but the debt burden on the carrier is “unsustainable”.
01Jul19‑26Oct19 Mumbai BOM London LHR Daily 773 (x788)
15Jul19 onwards Delhi DEL Colombo CMB 2× Daily (+1 Daily) 320/321
15Jul19 onwards Indore IDR Dubai DXB M,W,Sa 32B
15Jul19 onwards Kolkata CCU Dubai DXB Tu,Th,F,Su 32B
17Sep19 onwards
(x01Jul19 onwards)Amritsar ATQ
Birmingham
BHX Tu,Th,Sa^788
20Sep19 onwards
(x01Jul19 onwards)Mumbai BOM Colombo CMB Daily xTh,Su (*) 32B
27Sep19 onwards Delhi DEL Toronto YYZ M,W,F, 773
01Oct19 onwards
(x01Jul19 onwards)Delhi DEL Singapore SIN
2× Daily
(+1 daily)^321
Air India expanded its codeshare partnership with flyBe in late
June 2019, covering three additional routes from London Heathrow.
The planned new codeshare routes, which went into effect
approximately on 24Jun19 (or earlier), as follows:
Air India operated by flyBe:
- London Heathrow – Guernsey, London Heathrow – Isle of Man,
London Heathrow – Newquay
LOT Polish Airlines has expanded its codeshare partnership with Air
India, covering additional routes between Delhi and Europe. The
planned new codeshare routes went into effect from 15May19:
Air India operated by LOT Polish Airlines:
- Warsaw – Milan Malpensa, Warsaw – Vienna
Air India is re‑organizing its network in East Asia from mid September
2019, including the cancellation of fifth freedom rights beyond Hong
Kong:
- Delhi – Hong Kong – Osaka Kansai eff 17Sep19: 3 weekly Hong
Kong – Osaka Kansai sector cancelled - Delhi – Hong Kong – Seoul Incheon eff 18Sep19: 4 weekly Hong
Kong – Seoul Incheon sector cancelled - Delhi – Hong Kong eff 18Sep19: 7 weekly service remains
unchanged, however Hong Kong departure moves to morning
hours instead of evening - Delhi – Seoul Incheon eff 19Sep19: New 4 weekly non‑stop
service, replacing 1‑stop via Hong Kong - Mumbai – Hong Kong eff 19Sep19: New nonstop service, 1 daily
All changes listed above are active until 27Oct19. The Hong Kong –
Osaka Kansai and Hong Kong – Seoul Incheon sectors are closed for
reservation on/after 28Oct19.
Air Italy [IG/ISS] [Italy] has reached an agreement with Alitalia
(Italy) and the Regione Sardegna with respect to the Olbia PSO routes.
The carrier has added 10 destinations through Special Prorate
Agreement with Alaska which provides onward services from New
York, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Anchorage, Honolulu, Las
Vegas, Seattle, Portland OR, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Jose and
Guadalajara.