Boeing has delivered the 1,500th Boeing 737 MAX:
Wamos Air has a new investor
Abra Group has agreed to carry out a strategic investment in Wamos Air, a world-leading air charter and wet lease services company based in Spain. This partnership will bring about the possibility of improving connectivity between Latin America and Europe, leveraging the potential increase in coverage and operation of the Group’s wide-body fleet.
In turn, Wamos Air will benefit from the knowledge of an expert investor with a long-term vision that will drive growth its operations to and from Latin America.
Wamos Air will maintain its leadership team, continue to operate independently under its existing business model, and, as it has done throughout its more than 20 years of history, will continue to serve its customers around the world.
The investment complies with European Union regulations on air services, airline ownership and control, and its implementation is subject to standard closing conditions for such transactions, including obtaining approvals from competent authorities.
Top Copyright Photo: Wamos Air Airbus A330-343 EC-NOG (msn 786) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 963210.
Wamos Air aircraft photo gallery:
Ascend Airways partners with Chapman Freeborn for its first revenue flight
Ascend Airways (London-Gatwick and Southend) is a new charter airline in the United Kingdom.
Ascend Airways, the UK’s newest airline, operated its first ever commercial flight, officially launching operations, with the successful completion of a charter flown on behalf of fellow Avia Solutions Group company, Chapman Freeborn Airchartering Limited.
G-HODL, our freshly painted Boeing 737-800, departed from London Southend Airport on Friday, April 26, 2024.
Tony Carder, Commercial Director at Ascend Airways said “We are so pleased to have commenced commercial operations with our first ever charter, operated on behalf of Chapman Freeborn Airchartering. This is a landmark day for the company, the start of an exciting journey and we are ready for a busy summer with our damp lease operations commencing in May. Today’s achievement is something the entire team of dedicated professionals at Ascend Airways can be very proud of and is the fruition of a lot of hard work over the last 9 months. Everyone has played a huge part in making this a reality.”
Ascend Airways is part of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider. The business was established to provide locally based aircraft and crew to meet the requirements of UK-based airlines, tour operators, charter brokers, government departments, and NGOs.
Planned livery:
All images by the airline.
Southwest to add three new routes from Las Vegas
Southwest Airlines is planning to add three new routes from Las Vegas:
Albany, NY
Grand Rapids, MI
Rochester, NY
Top Copyright Photo: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N8725L (msn 42575) SEA (Bruce Drum). Image: 106089.
Southwest Airlines aircraft photo gallery:
Air Vanuatu files for bankruptcy protection and liquidation
Air Vanuatu filed for bankruptcy protection and liquidation on May 9, 2024.
The company issued this statement:
Air Vanuatu entered liquidation on May 9, 2024 and Morgan Kelly, Andrew Hanson and Justin Walsh of EY have been appointed as Joint and Several Liquidators of the Company.
All flights have been grounded with immediate effect.
Route Map:
Air Vanuatu aircraft photo gallery:
From Cirium: 6% More Domestic Seats Scheduled Memorial Day Weekend 2024
From Cirium Airline Data:
Memorial Day Weekend seats scheduled to be flown in 2024 will be up around 6% compared to 2023, and up 13% compared to 2019. That’s some 600,000 more seats in the air this year compared to last. (This analysis is for flights departing on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, returning on the Monday, in all classes, for the 11 major U.S. airlines plus Breeze and Avelo.)
Domestic flights and seats by airline, for the month of May 2024 compared to 2023…
(In context, for the month of May. Sorted by difference in flights — showing the large increases in seats and flights in the U.S. domestic market year over year, for the entire month of May.)
| Date | May 2024 | May 2023 | Diff | Percent Diff | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Name | Flights | Seats | Flights | Seats | Flights | Seats | Flights | Seats |
| American Airlines | 165,861 | 20,132,305 | 145,531 | 17,975,478 | 20,330 | 2,156,827 | 14.0% | 12.0% |
| Delta Air Lines | 132,596 | 17,873,898 | 126,713 | 16,910,870 | 5,883 | 963,028 | 4.6% | 5.7% |
| Frontier Airlines | 18,645 | 3,785,074 | 14,122 | 2,773,168 | 4,523 | 1,011,906 | 32.0% | 36.5% |
| United Airlines | 113,965 | 13,964,985 | 111,513 | 13,502,439 | 2,452 | 462,546 | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Alaska Airlines | 35,071 | 4,639,037 | 32,852 | 4,412,390 | 2,219 | 226,647 | 6.8% | 5.1% |
| Breeze Airways | 3,299 | 442,637 | 2,402 | 300,988 | 897 | 141,649 | 37.3% | 47.1% |
| Spirit Airlines | 23,302 | 4,432,554 | 22,514 | 4,146,246 | 788 | 286,308 | 3.5% | 6.9% |
| Sun Country Airlines | 2,005 | 372,930 | 1,616 | 300,576 | 389 | 72,354 | 24.1% | 24.1% |
| Avelo Airlines | 1,502 | 255,638 | 1,192 | 202,116 | 310 | 53,522 | 26.0% | 26.5% |
| Allegiant Air | 9,565 | 1,690,722 | 9,428 | 1,660,620 | 137 | 30,102 | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| Southwest Airlines | 122,496 | 19,468,544 | 122,521 | 19,441,623 | (25) | 26,921 | (0.0%) | 0.1% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 6,647 | 1,067,922 | 6,890 | 1,092,206 | (243) | (24,284) | (3.5%) | (2.2%) |
| JetBlue | 21,228 | 3,151,630 | 24,631 | 3,578,393 | (3,403) | (426,763) | (13.8%) | (11.9%) |
| TOTAL | 656,182 | 91,277,876 | 621,925 | 86,297,113 | 34,257 | 4,980,763 | 5.5% | 5.8% |
States Receiving the Largest Increase in Seats this Memorial Day Weekend
(Sorted by difference, showing the top 20 states by increases in seats. Importantly, this may not be a Memorial Day bump but an indicator of more seats into these states generally this summer.)
| Destination State | 2024 Seats | 2023 Seats | Difference | % Difference |
| Texas | 1,260,218 | 1,159,336 | 100,882 | 9% |
| North Carolina | 519,231 | 443,631 | 75,600 | 17% |
| Colorado | 559,375 | 489,609 | 69,766 | 14% |
| Pennsylvania | 279,371 | 239,291 | 40,080 | 17% |
| Florida | 1,187,068 | 1,148,371 | 38,697 | 3% |
| Arizona | 354,964 | 326,272 | 28,692 | 9% |
| Minnesota | 228,907 | 205,099 | 23,808 | 12% |
| Illinois | 573,317 | 553,088 | 20,229 | 4% |
| Utah | 177,668 | 160,151 | 17,517 | 11% |
| Virginia | 193,931 | 176,440 | 17,491 | 10% |
| Michigan | 236,678 | 220,082 | 16,596 | 8% |
| Tennessee | 239,037 | 222,670 | 16,367 | 7% |
| South Carolina | 120,637 | 104,418 | 16,219 | 16% |
| Massachusetts | 230,195 | 216,418 | 13,777 | 6% |
| Washington | 350,072 | 336,470 | 13,602 | 4% |
| Missouri | 200,318 | 188,208 | 12,110 | 6% |
| Ohio | 148,608 | 137,667 | 10,941 | 8% |
| Alaska | 81,210 | 70,404 | 10,806 | 15% |
| Montana | 43,479 | 32,952 | 10,527 | 32% |
| Oregon | 138,464 | 128,924 | 9,540 | 7% |
Hawaii will receive about 3% fewer seats flown this Memorial Day, compared to last.
Cities Receiving the Largest Increase in Seats this Memorial Day Weekend
(Sorted by % difference, and showing the top 20 cities in the U.S. by increase in seat difference. Note the cities in the Carolinas. Importantly, this may not be a Memorial Day bump but an indicator of more seats into these markets generally this summer.)
| Destination | 2024 Seats | 2023 Seats | Seat Difference | % Difference |
| Knoxville, TN | 24,663 | 19,880 | 4,783 | 24% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 37,256 | 30,181 | 7,075 | 23% |
| Asheville/Hendersonville, NC | 18,401 | 15,069 | 3,332 | 22% |
| Greenville/Spartanburg, SC | 20,905 | 17,134 | 3,771 | 22% |
| Anchorage, AK | 45,988 | 37,912 | 8,076 | 21% |
| Pensacola, FL | 24,008 | 19,905 | 4,103 | 21% |
| Providence, RI | 27,240 | 22,772 | 4,468 | 20% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 183,219 | 153,726 | 29,493 | 19% |
| Charlotte-Douglas, NC | 360,641 | 303,313 | 57,328 | 19% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 16,644 | 14,195 | 2,449 | 17% |
| Long Beach, CA | 29,749 | 25,780 | 3,969 | 15% |
| Ontario, CA | 46,539 | 40,401 | 6,138 | 15% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 73,531 | 64,330 | 9,201 | 14% |
| Key West, FL | 8,784 | 7,696 | 1,088 | 14% |
| Houston-Intercontinental, TX | 250,449 | 219,540 | 30,909 | 14% |
| Reno, NV | 31,003 | 27,248 | 3,755 | 14% |
| Buffalo, NY | 32,741 | 28,830 | 3,911 | 14% |
| Denver, CO | 523,792 | 462,436 | 61,356 | 13% |
| Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | 491,028 | 434,025 | 57,003 | 13% |
| Albany, NY | 19,045 | 16,992 | 2,053 | 12% |
The Transatlantic Market this Memorial Day Weekend
(Sorted by seat difference, showing all classes from the U.S. to Europe, for Memorial Day weekend.) Yes, this is a long way to go for a long weekend, but it illustrates the increase in capacity we’ll see this summer in the transatlantic market. United and Delta Air Lines continue to lead on seats for this first major weekend of Summer 2024. (More to follow on that in June or on request.)
| Airline Name | 2024 Seats | 2023 Seats | Seat Difference | % Difference |
| Virgin Atlantic | 31,269 | 25,421 | 5,848 | 23% |
| American Airlines | 65,916 | 60,816 | 5,100 | 8% |
| Lufthansa | 37,578 | 33,378 | 4,200 | 13% |
| JetBlue | 6,888 | 2,760 | 4,128 | 150% |
| United Airlines | 91,584 | 88,058 | 3,526 | 4% |
| Delta Air Lines | 89,988 | 86,534 | 3,454 | 4% |
| Air France | 31,387 | 28,357 | 3,030 | 11% |
| ITA Airways | 9,592 | 6,668 | 2,924 | 44% |
| Norse Atlantic UK | 5,070 | 2,704 | 2,366 | 88% |
| British Airways | 54,657 | 52,413 | 2,244 | 4% |
| Condor | 8,060 | 5,854 | 2,206 | 38% |
| Norse Atlantic Airways | 5,746 | 3,718 | 2,028 | 55% |
| Iberia | 15,693 | 14,259 | 1,434 | 10% |
| TAP Air Portugal | 8,722 | 7,324 | 1,398 | 19% |
| Icelandair | 14,538 | 13,158 | 1,380 | 10% |
| French Bee | 5,343 | 4,521 | 822 | 18% |
| Aer Lingus | 21,073 | 20,351 | 722 | 4% |
| Singapore Airlines | 1,815 | 1,309 | 506 | 39% |
| Discover Airlines | 4,489 | 4,006 | 483 | 12% |
| Finnair | 3,664 | 3,387 | 277 | 8% |
| Swiss | 11,964 | 11,728 | 236 | 2% |
| Azores Airlines | 1,488 | 1,306 | 182 | 14% |
| Play | 3,288 | 3,106 | 182 | 6% |
| Air Europa | 1,985 | 1,948 | 37 | 2% |
| Turkish Airlines | 22,896 | 22,895 | 1 | 0% |
| Air Serbia | 1,039 | 1,039 | 0 | 0% |
| Air Tahiti Nui | 1,176 | 1,176 | 0 | 0% |
| Brussels Airlines | 1,770 | 1,770 | 0 | 0% |
| La Compagnie | 608 | 608 | 0 | 0% |
| Neos | 718 | 718 | 0 | 0% |
| Emirates | 3,492 | 3,498 | (6) | 0% |
| KLM | 16,059 | 16,367 | (308) | -2% |
| LOT Polish Airlines | 4,680 | 5,250 | (570) | -11% |
| Austrian | 4,658 | 5,318 | (660) | -12% |
| TUI Airways | 2,145 | 3,225 | (1,080) | -33% |
| SAS | 9,840 | 11,192 | (1,352) | -12% |
Airfare: Some Trends, No Predictions
Airfare between the U.S. and Europe fell steadily by August 2023 into the fall, and only rose slightly in February 2024 (the latest month for which Cirium has data available.) The one-way non-directionally averaged economy fare (not including taxes and fees) last year was ~$435. Double the fare for a rough roundtrip fare. This is for all carriers flying transatlantic routes.
U.S. domestic airfare has been very steady since August 2022 — for economy fares at ~$180 one-way, non-directionally averaged (not including taxes and fees). Indeed, U.S. domestic airfare has been outpaced by the rise in inflation (19%), thus in real terms, domestic U.S. airfare has actually dropped. As you know, Cirium does not predict airfare, but has abundant historical airfare data.
The data above, by month, should you wish to create your own tables/charts.
| Month | US-Europe Fares | US Domestic Fares |
| Jan-22 | $ 358.00 | $ 140.00 |
| Feb-22 | $ 347.00 | $ 144.00 |
| Mar-22 | $ 367.00 | $ 151.00 |
| Apr-22 | $ 389.00 | $ 145.00 |
| May-22 | $ 421.00 | $ 152.00 |
| Jun-22 | $ 464.00 | $ 191.00 |
| Jul-22 | $ 469.00 | $ 152.00 |
| Aug-22 | $ 437.00 | $ 191.00 |
| Sep-22 | $ 429.00 | $ 182.00 |
| Oct-22 | $ 417.00 | $ 180.00 |
| Nov-22 | $ 416.00 | $ 179.00 |
| Dec-22 | $ 415.00 | $ 186.00 |
| Jan-23 | $ 396.00 | $ 181.00 |
| Feb-23 | $ 420.00 | $ 184.00 |
| Mar-23 | $ 437.00 | $ 175.00 |
| Apr-23 | $ 461.00 | $ 185.00 |
| May-23 | $ 467.00 | $ 176.00 |
| Jun-23 | $ 476.00 | $ 187.00 |
| Jul-23 | $ 455.00 | $ 179.00 |
| Aug-23 | $ 440.00 | $ 189.00 |
| Sep-23 | $ 431.00 | $ 173.00 |
| Oct-23 | $ 425.00 | $ 184.00 |
| Nov-23 | $ 412.00 | $ 169.00 |
| Dec-23 | $ 407.00 | $ 184.00 |
| Jan-24 | $ 394.00 | $ 168.00 |
| Feb-24 | $ 406.00 | $ 181.00 |
For more information:
United expects traffic volume to be up almost 10% for Memorial Day holiday, adds features to its app
United Airlines is ready for its busiest Memorial Day holiday ever – with a record-setting three million travelers expected to fly between May 23-28, up nearly 10% compared to last year.
To help fliers navigate the crowds and jumpstart their summer vacations, United has dozens of features in its mobile app to help travelers skip lines, breeze through security, navigate to their gates, quickly check their bags and more – saving travelers up to 30 minutes on average* at the airport.
United continues to release new innovations in its mobile app to help travelers prepare for their trips – offering more transparency, saving time and reducing stress.
Here are the top ways the United mobile app can help fliers travel on easy mode:
- Find live, personalized flight notifications for details such as countdown to boarding, gate number, seat, bag tracking and more right on your phone screen. United is the first and only U.S. airline to support Live Activities for iPhone, and the live updates have helped millions of travelers since last year especially during peak travel times.
- Request your desired seat with the new seat preferences feature in the mobile app if your preferred seat type isn’t available at the time of booking your flight. Travelers who use this tool are moved automatically into their preferred seat, on average, 35% of the time. United is the first and only U.S. airline offering this option.
- Receive automatic rebooking assistance during flight disruptions directly in the app. When travel doesn’t go as planned, customers will get alternate travel options automatically served to them in the app. Saving travelers about 15 minutes in line on average, the tools help them get back on their way more quickly after a flight disruption or cancellation. Plus, only United offers Agent on Demand – allowing customers to scan a QR code or use the United app to video chat, text or call a customer service representative instead of waiting in line at the airport. In 2023, Agent on Demand helped more than 1.6 million travelers avoid lines at the airport and get fast help in the app.
- Take advantage of TSA PreCheck® Touchless ID at O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport† to seamlessly drop off bags or make it through security in seconds by leveraging facial scanning technology.
- Use Terminal Guide in the app to know in advance which door at the airport to pull up to, drop off a checked bag or head straight to security. These instructions will be personalized by factors such as if a traveler is parking at the airport, getting dropped off by a rideshare, checking a bag, traveling with TSA PreCheck® and more.
- Get where you need to go at the airport with confidence and ease using animated terminal maps right in the app. The maps are customized for each leg of a trip to offer turn-by-turn directions from airport lobby to gate to baggage claim.
- Check-in on the mobile app before arriving at the airport, removing the step of waiting in line to print a boarding pass in the airport lobby.
- Skip the check-in line and drop off bags in under a minute at the designated bag drop shortcut location in the lobby by checking bags in the app before arriving at the airport.
- Track your bag by checking the app’s bag tracker for time stamps every step of the way.
Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Airbus A320-232 N413UA (msn 470) SEA (Bruce Drum). Image: 106088.
United Airlines aircarft photo gallery:
Mechanical malfunction sparks fire on Delta Airbus A321 jet arriving at the gate at Sea-Tac Airport
Delta Air Lines flight DL 604 arrived at the gate at SEA on Monday night and a fire broke out on the parked Airbus A321 (N504DZ).
Watch the video from KOMO News 4 and the Port of Seattle SEA:
Fokker Next Gen and airBaltic sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- Fokker Next Gen is developing a clean sheet 120–150 seat narrowbody aircraft, powered by liquid hydrogen combustion, with a range of up to 2.500 km. Entry into service is planned for 2035.
- airBaltic is committed to contributing to innovation developments in the aviation industry and the economic strength of the Baltic region.
- airBaltic is interested in evaluating the potential of hydrogen powered aircraft opportunities with Fokker Next Gen.
- Through this MoU, the collaboration between airBaltic and Fokker Next Gen will include the incorporation of end user feedback into the design and development of the Fokker Next Gen liquid hydrogen combustion powered aircraft.
Fokker Next Gen N.V. (Fokker Next Gen), a pioneering liquid hydrogen powered commercial aircraft manufacturer that plans to produce aircraft both in the Netherlands and in Latvia, and Air Baltic Corporation AS (airBaltic), Latvia’s national airline, are pleased to announce this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets the stage for a collaborative future in aviation.
This memorandum will leverage the insights of airBaltic to contribute to the development of the Fokker Next Gen liquid hydrogen combustion powered commercial aircraft.
From airBaltic’s perspective, this is an opportunity to investigate hydrogen aircraft fit for the airline’s routes.
Fokker Next Gen, with its expertise in aircraft design, certification, and assembly, is developing a liquid hydrogen fueled aircraft that aims to revolutionize the industry. The aircraft will be designed with a dual fuel system so that it can also fly on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or kerosene when liquid hydrogen is not available.
This collaboration is poised to leverage the strengths of both companies and explore the vast potential of liquid hydrogen powered commercial aircraft for the aviation sector.
Porto Alegre Airport is flooded in Brazil
Porto Alegre Airport – Aeroporto Internacional Salgado Filho has been flooded due to torential rains in South Brazil.
The airport issued this statement:
Fraport Brasil informs that operations at Porto Alegre Airport remain suspended for undetermined time.
Porto Alegre Airport, as well as various locations in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, was severely hit by the heavy rains of the past few days. Our teams are acting to implement measures to mitigate the impacts suffered. These actions include alignments with the Federal Government, reinforcement of security at our facilities and for our employees.
While it is still early to estimate a return to regular operations, we want to make sure we are committed and ready to act once we can scale the impacts.
We thank all the institutions, airlines, authorities, and individuals who are helping our state get through this time.
Fraport Brasil, administrator of Porto Alegre Airport since 2018, together with the Ministry of Ports and Airports, is developing a plan for the operation of commercial flights to transport passengers from Canoas Air Base.
The plan will include actions to adapt the Base to receive passengers, in addition to cargo and humanitarian aid – which is already in progress. In order to guarantee compliance with international aeronautical legislation and Brazilian aviation rules, Fraport Brasil has authorization to operate up to five daily flights leaving this new point. In the coming days, information regarding destinations, times and other related procedures necessary for passenger boarding will be released.
Video:
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