Lufthansa Operates Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental’s First Commercial Flight

Lufthansa, the launch customer for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jet, initiated commercial passenger service of the new 747 model on June 1, 2012. The inaugural revenue flight of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental was between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Flight LH416 departed Frankfurt Airport at 9:50 a.m. and was scheduled to touch […]

Lufthansa Group Orders 48 Jets in Deals Valued at Nearly $4.7B

Lufthansa Group’s supervisory board has approved orders for 40 Airbus aircraft and eight Embraer 195s, with the Airbus aircraft destined for Lufthansa, group subsidiary airlines Swiss International Air Lines and Germanwings and the Embraer 195s to go to Lufthansa Regional. Deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2012, according to Lufthansa, which values the overall […]

United Airlines to Be First User of New Heathrow Terminal 2

A United Airlines service from Chicago landing early on the morning of June 4 will be the first flight to use London Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2. United Airlines will be alone for two weeks as the first user of the new Terminal 2 main building ‒ which is informally called Terminal 2A by London Heathrow […]

A petition to ask SAS to stop transporting dogs to laboratories

Between April 2021 and May 2023, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and other companies transported more than 5,300 dogs from US suppliers to European laboratories some of which are implanted In France. According to animal rights NGO PETA, SAS is one of a shrinking group of airlines that still profit from transporting dogs to research labs where they undergo “cruel experiences“. “Once at […]

Review: Airberlin Business Class

By David Armstrong It takes 11 hours to fly nonstop from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Berlin’s Tegel Airport, and about 11 and a half hours to return to LAX against prevailing winds. That’s a long time to be airborne, so of course being comfortable counts. Until it completes taking delivery of 18 Boeing […]

Germany’s Condor to Launch Seattle-Frankfurt Service in June

Germany’s Condor Flugdienst GmbH is starting twice-weekly nonstop service between Seattle and Frankfurt on June 23, 2011. Condor will operate the new service with Boeing 767-300ERs configured to offer three-class service. The flights will operate on Mondays and Thursdays from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany and Condor says its schedule will offer connections to […]

Is it time that Virgin Atlantic Airways lost its virginity?

The past week has seen three events in the airline world that suggest it could be high time for Virgin Atlantic Airways finally to relinquish its independent status as a carrier not aligned with any of the three major global airline alliances ― and, should Virgin Atlantic decide to offer up its maidenly honor, the […]

New Star Alliance Talking Points Surface at Continental’s Induction

As Continental Airlines was being officially inducted into the Star Alliance at an October 27 ceremony at Newark Liberty International Airport, two new talking points surfaced regarding another potential new member of the alliance and possible additional members for the Atlantic-Plus-Plus international joint venture within Star. The ceremony followed months of preparations by Continental for […]

Virgin America Launches CFM’s LEAP Engine with A320neo-Power Deal

Virgin America has become the launch customer for the new LEAP turbofan engine, to be manufactured by the CFM International joint venture between General Electric and France’s Snecma. The airline launched CFM International’s advanced LEAP engine with an order to power 30 new Airbus A320neo aircraft, to be delivered to Virgin America from 2016. The […]

Review: Swiss International Air Lines Business Class

In late January I had the chance to fly Business Class on Swiss International Air Lines. This was an experience I was keen to try, in order to compare the airline’s premium-service product to and from New York compared with its own service in years past, as well as that of the famous former Swiss […]

Boeing Breaks with Tradition to Unveil 747-8I in Red and Orange Colors

Boeing has broken with the company’s recent tradition by unveiling the passenger version of the new 747-8 in a red and orange flight-test livery. The company unveiled the 747-8 Intercontinental, which together with its sister the 747-8F freighter is the world’s longest volume-production commercial aircraft (only the Antonov An-225 Mriya is longer) and represents the third generation […]

Korean Air Orders Two More Boeing 747-8 Freighters

Korean Air has ordered two more Boeing 747-8 Freighters to add to five 747-8Fs and five 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jets it has already purchased. Boeing values Korean Air’s new 747-8F order at $639 million at list prices. “Korean Air continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s leading global cargo carriers,” says Marlin Dailey, vice […]

Japan’s Skymark Airlines Signs MOU for Four A380s

Japanese carrier Skymark Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for the purchase of four A380s, the largest and most eco-efficient airliner in service today. Fast-growing Skymark Airlines is Japan’s third-largest carrier. Skymark will operate its A380s on major international long-haul routes from Tokyo. Airbus says Skymark’s engine choice and cabin details will […]

Latin America’s Avianca-TACA and Copa Airlines to Join Star Alliance

Latin American carriers Avianca-TACA and Copa Airlines are to become member airlines of Star Alliance, following the unanimous approval by the alliance’s Chief Executive Board (CEB) of both airlines’ applications. We revealed on October 27, 2009 that Star Alliance was in discussions with both Copa Airlines and Avianca-TACA over potential membership in the alliance. However,  Star […]