Southwest’s Schedule Extension Adds Three Routes
Southwest Airlines announced its schedule extension through June 4 and the carrier has three new routes in this release with potential for more when the carrier announces another extension next week. Next Thursday, December 16, the carrier will fill its schedule out for the remainder of the summer, extending its outlook to September 5.
This edition adds daily service between Austin and Tulsa, beginning April 25, where Southwest will battle both American and Allegiant head-to-head. Tampa gets a new destination with Saturday-only service to Syracuse beginning April 30. The carrier wanted to start earlier than late April but promised airport officials they’d give SYR a chance to thaw out from winter before beginning the new flight.
Lastly, Southwest is adding 4x-weekly service from San Antonio to Oklahoma City, a route it will be the only airline operating when it begins in April now that Breeze has pulled out. Four nonstop routes that have been on the shelf will return, all on April 25 as well, and they are:
- San Antonio to Los Angeles
- Dallas/Love Field to Louisville
- Houston/Hobby to Milwaukee
- Nashville to San Jose
Daily service to Havana will resume February 17 from Fort Lauderdale, or not, if the Cuban government changes its mind.
Allegiant Announces Nine New Routes
Allegiant announced nine new routes to what it is calling “Premier Spring Break Destinations,” proving that the airline’s communications and PR team has spent very little time visiting the their employer’s new destinations.
From Knoxville, the carrier will fly to two new cities, Phoenix (beginning February 16) and noted premier Spring Break destination Minneapolis (beginning March 9). It will begin flying on March 9 from Phoenix/Mesa (AZA) to the party central that is Toledo, with service beginning March 11 from St. Petersburg (PIE) to the Ibiza of the Appalachians – Clarksburg, WV (CKB).
Appleton, WI (ATW) receives three new cities, Ft. Lauderdale (beginning March 10), Sarasota, and Denver (both beginning March 10). Lastly, Flint, Michigan fliers (FNT) can now fly nonstop to two Spring Break meccas – Jacksonville (beginning March 11) and Boston (March 10).
Thyme’s Up: SpiceJet Ordered to Pay $20 Million, Maybe
The Madras High Court in India granted a petition filed by Credit Suisse against SpiceJet on $20 million debt that the carrier has owed for nearly a decade. Moments after granting the petition, the court then stayed the order to give the carrier an opportunity to appeal.
SpiceJet has had this cumin for six years, after the court ruled for Credit Suisse in 2015, but the payment has been tied up in litigation keeping the carrier from being forced to pay its debt – until now, sort of.
The heart of the issue is a contract SpiceJet signed with SR Technics to provide aircraft maintenance in 2011. The company eventually turned the debt collection over to Credit Suisse as part of its own financing agreement. Credit Suisse has been rebuffed at every turn when looking for payment, including a claim from SpiceJet that SR Technics did not have the proper license to perform maintenance which the airline says absolves it from having to pay for services rendered. This logic, while providing SpiceJet a chance to extract itself from its financial obligations doesn’t seem like it will work and the court is strongly suggesting the airline cut a dill with Credit Suisse.
- Air Canada took delivery of its first B767 dedicated freighter aircraft.
- Air Zimbabwe was allotted $4.1 million from Zimbabwe’s government to be used towards acquiring new aircraft and operating new routes.
- Belavia is in the market for new lessor options since its been banned from doing basically any business with any company from a country that isn’t Russia.
- Etihad clearly lost a bet with someone as it signed a codeshare partnership with ITA.
- FLY CORALway is postponing its debut until mid-2022 and is now looking to acquire A321neo(LR) aircraft. Check back to Cranky Daily for updates on this developing story.
- GlobalX plans to open a base in Las Vegas early next year, you can bet on it.
- Kuwait Airways is suing its ex-chairman to recover payments that its owed that the carrier says were made illegally to vendors and clients.
- Madagascar Airlines is wet-leasing an Ethiopian B787. The airline plans to put it into service as soon as it dries off.
- SAA cemented a cooperation and codeshare agreement with regional carrier CemAir.
- Sydney Seaplanes placed an order for 50 eVTOL aircraft from Embraer’s subsidiary Eve with deliveries expected to begin in 2026 or when Spirit eliminates fees, whichever comes last.
- United Nigeria Airways secured a wet-leased A320.
- Volotea has requested an aid package from the Spanish government of up to €185 million.
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