Jet2 is First2 Makes Masks Optional
British ULCC Jet2 became the first airline to rescind its on-board mask requirement for flights departing both England and Northern Ireland. The airline will continue to strongly recommend masks, especially for flights leaving the north of Britain in order to avoid too much contact with the pasty-white complexion of the British people.
The carrier will require face masks when landing at international airports outside of England and Northern Ireland to remain compliant with laws and regulations of those countries. Additionally, the airline will also require masks on flights leaving Scotland as the Scottish government has not yet rescinded its mandate.
British Airways has the option of dropping mandatory face mask rules on its handful of domestic flights but has no plans to do so for now. British carriers easyJet and TUI will also keep the mask mandates for now, likely waiting to see how Jet2’s experiment goes.
Denver’s Concourse B Project in Hot Water
Denver International Airport’s Concourse B extension project was supposed to open this month, but the project will be delayed until this fall after a hot-water pipe burst in December, causing more than $50 million worth of damage.
The revelation came out this week during a city council meeting, where airport officials detailed damaged flooring, fireproofing on steel beams, restrooms, and other equipment from the 180-degree water that poured out of the burst pipe. A contractor uninvolved in the project discovered the damage in the early morning, notifying others and saving the airport from potentially greater damage. The unnamed contractor was rewarded with a free appetizer voucher with a purchase of an entrée of $12 or more at the airport’s Chili’s To Go location.
The airport is still investigating the cause of the pipe break and declined to name the subcontractor it considers at fault. The 10-gate extension is to be used for United Express, and while the delay in the project will hinder UA’s operation at the airport, it will result in fewer flights a day to Newark, a victory for all travelers.
Frontier’s Newest Frontier: Crew Base in Phoenix
Frontier Airlines will open a new base this fall in Phoenix, with up to 180 pilots and 275 flight attendants collectively learning the phrase “but it’s a dry heat.”
Frontier is currently the third largest airline in Phoenix based on number of destinations served, which is a special kind of verbal gymnastics to puff up the carrier’s presence at the airport. Frontier currently operates to 14 destinations from Phoenix, while its future merger partner Spirit flies to just one year-round destination from the airport: Dallas/Ft. Worth.
Phoenix will be the 8th crew base for Frontier, joining Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Trenton… all of which were still crew bases this morning when we last checked, but with Frontier, you never know.
- aha! had a eureka! moment and chose to end service on March 31 from Reno to Eureka, CA (ACV).
- AirBaltic and Finnair suspended service to Russia through the end of May.
- Air Canada‘s Aeroplan now allows for lap infant award tickets to be booked online. Presumably the award must be booked by an adult and not the lap infant themselves.
- Allegiant is adding three new nonstop routes in May. Year-round service from Orange County to Idaho Falls begins May 18, and Newark to Des Moines begins May 20. Seasonal service between two of the carrier’s bases, from Las Vegas to Orlando/Sanford begins May 27. In the meantime, the people of Des Moines would like to know what they did to be punished so severely by Allegiant.
- American is retiring short-haul upgrade credits. In news that is most likely unrelated, incoming CEO Robert Isom got a raise.
- Brussels Airlines scooped up an extra aircraft to use this summer.
- China Southern plans to retire its A380 fleet by the end of the year. It has five left.
- CommutAir pilots ratified a new contract that includes a 25% salary bump for captains, 32% bump for first officers, an agreement from the airline to put those beaded seat cushions most NYC taxi drivers have in the cockpit of its aircraft, and an annual $5 Hudson News gift card to each pilot.
- Etihad will put its A350-1000 aircraft into the air this June.
- Flybondi retired a B737-800 and seems to be pretty upset about it.
- Lufthansa Cargo is cutting back on flights for March due to restricted cost in operating around Russian airspace.
- Mas Air has rebranded itself as just Mas, reminding us all that sometimes less is mas.
- Norwegian Air Shuttle came to an agreement with AerCap to lease 18 B737 aircraft.
- Qantas expects to order up to 12 A350-1000(ULR) later this year, and begin delivery in 2025.
- Rex‘s domestic jet service turns one today and somehow it’s still operating.
- Starlux plans to have a different business class seat on the A350 it will receive later this year compared to the A330neo its currently flying. The law of averages dictates this fact must matter to someone.
What’s the difference between a dollar and a ruble?
A dollar.