Breeze Schedules Its “Nicest” A220s This Summer
Breeze will be introducing its second fleet type into revenue service this summer, the Airbus A220-300. The aircraft will also mark the introduction of Breeze’s third class of service which it calls “Nicest.” This complements the current “Nicer” and “Not Even Remotely Nice” cabins that exist today.
Eventually, the A220-300 will be used to fly longer haul routes for the airline, but for now, it will start by placing the aircraft on existing routes.
- From May 4, 2022
- Tampa – Akron/Canton, Charleston (SC), Louisville, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Richmond
- From May 5, 2022
- Charleston (SC) – Providence
- Tampa – Tulsa
- From May 6, 2022
- Tampa – Huntsville, Northwest Arkansas
- From May 26, 2022
- Richmond
- From June 2, 2022
- Hartford – Charleston (SC), Columbus, Pittsburgh
- From June 30, 2022
- Huntsville
The A220 will have 80 Nice seats, but it will vary Nicer seats between 10 and 45 and Nicest seats between 12 and 36 depending upon just how nice the guy in charge of changing configurations is feeling that day.
Northern Pacific Has an Actual, Real-Life Airplane
Northern Pacific Airways introduced its livery on its very first B757-200 aircraft on Tuesday at the very northern location of San Bernardino, California. The plane is the first of nine that it has acquired. It started its life with USAir in 1995, then US Airways, and then American until AA retired its B757s in the spring of 2020.
The carrier aims to become the Icelandair of the Pacific – shuttling passengers between the U.S. and Asia using Anchorage as a stopover that can be a destination in and of itself. It hopes to launch in the second half of this year with a low-cost model that’s surely to generate headlines but isn’t guaranteed to be a success.
At launch, it expects to operate to five mainland U.S. destinations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York/JFK, and Orlando. On the other side of the ocean, it plans to serve Tokyo/Narita, Seoul/Incheon, Nagoya, and Osaka.
Mango’s Next Woeful Chapter is Upon Us
Bidders for much-beleaguered South African LCC Mango are being given more time to comply with state-required financial requirements after none of the bidders provided an acceptable source of funding to buy the bankrupt carrier.
Expressions of interest in potential suitors were due to Mango’s bankruptcy administrator by December 20, with those who would make the shortlist to be informed by January 14. Unfortunately, no one made the shortlist as all the bids were insufficient, causing the carrier to extend the bidding process.
About 90% of the airline’s staff – 593 employees – took voluntary severance packages while the carrier flopped in the wind. Forty-one staff remained on-board to carry out critical office tasks to keep the flicker of hope alive that the airline can eventually be revived. Administrator Sipho Sono is optimistic that he will receive the remaining $26 million the carrier is owed in state aid this month. The cash will be used to pay the severance packages and keep the lights on in the office while awaiting the bidding process to run its course.
- Air Astana has fully restored its network after unrest in Kazakhstan caused it to suspend some service.
- Air Bora Bora now hopes to begin flying late in 2022.
- American wants you to know if you were waiting to hear if you were named to its Board of Directors, you were not. Unless you’re Gregory D. Smith. If you are, then congratulations on your appointment.
- BA CityFlyer is launching four new European routes this summer from London/City.
- Cathay Pacific is offering $3,700 bonuses to its pilots to keep them flying.
- flypop took delivery of an A330 this week — its second aircraft for dedicated cargo ops.
- German Airways is adding its first dedicated ATR freighter aircraft.
- Go First has ended its plans for an IPO for the time being, making executives consider changing its name to Go Later.
- Icelandair is leasing two new B737 MAX 8 aircraft that will be delivered this spring.
- ITA (the bankrupt and grounded Brazilian one, not the likely soon-to-be-bankrupt but never grounded Italian one) had its request to defer a $400 million tax payment rejected by the Brazilian government.
- LATAM and Virgin Atlantic are beginning a new codeshare agreement.
- SriLankan Airlines is now being required to pay its fuel bill in advance after the airline has come up short on several payments.
- Trans Island Airways took delivery of its first Dash 8-300.
- WestJet politely announced more reductions to its schedule through February.
- Wizz Air raised new capital this week when it issued a $572 million bond which is expected to close today. Somehow Ryanair will come up with a reason to challenge this in court.
I told my friend I saw a deer on the way to work this morning.
She asked me, “How did you know it was on its way to work?”