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Scoot announces inflight product details

Scoot has announced details of its inflight service product  including the inflight entertainment (IFE) and food and beverage options that will be available onboard its flights, which begin on 4 June, to Sydney, followed by the Gold Coast on 12 June.

Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s CEO explained that the airline’s service philosophy is underpinned by the belief that customers should not subsidise the choices of other passengers and lets them select only the frills they really value.

Scoot’s hot meal selections include biryani rice (Indian spiced Basmati rice served with chicken), soya sauce chicken rice, and beef lasagne. All meals on board Scoot flights are suitable for Muslim passengers and vegetarian options are also available. Gourmet sandwiches, cup noodles, snacks, hot and cold drinks will also available for sale on board as well as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Scoot’s IFE will be via Apple iPads preloaded with a selection of popular films and television shows alongside favourite classics, music, games and more. This is to be augmented, later in the year, by an onboard wireless system which will allow guests to access streaming content from an onboard library via their own personal devices.

iPads will be available for rent onboard and, once available, wireless access will be on a pay-per-flight basis. This wireless access will be included in the ScootBiz fare and, in the interim, ScootBiz guests will be provided iPads free of charge.

Meanwhile, Scoot has changed its flight designator code to TZ. This replaces the previously-assigned code, OQ. The change comes at the request of IATA, which controls the assignment of airline flight designator codes, after IATA encountered unforeseen technicalities with the previously-assigned code.
 

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Republic picks up Colgan’s Q400 United Express work

Republic Airways Holdings has announced that its Republic Airlines subsidiary has reached a tentative agreement to operate 32 Bombardier Q400s under the United Express brand, including 28 aircraft currently in operation at Colgan Air and four aircraft currently operated by Republic in its brand division (Frontier Airlines).

The Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with United is expected to become effective in the third quarter of 2012 and continue for approximately eight years. The CPA is contingent on completing negotiations and reaching binding agreements with aircraft lessors and maintenance providers, which is expected to occur during the second quarter of 2012.

“We are confident our experience with the Q400 will translate to a level of service that will meet the high expectations of United and its customers,” remarked Republic chairman, president and CEO Bryan Bedford. “We look forward to working with United on this important project.”

“We are pleased to reach this agreement with Republic, which will allow United to deliver quality regional air service that our customers expect and deserve,” commented Alexandria Marren, senior vice-president for network operations and United Express.

Pinnacle Airlines Corporation subsidiary Colgan Air is ending its agreement with United as part of the restructuring of its parent, which is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
 

Brit Air the recipient as StandardAero Winnipeg delivers 1000th GE engine

StandardAero has completed work on the 1,000th GE engine – a CF34-3 engine for a Brit Air CRJ – to undergo MRO work at the company’s 162,000 sq ft facility in Winnipeg, Canada, which also supports the larger CFM56-7B engine used on Boeing 737NGs.

"This is a significant milestone and one that we are very proud to celebrate," remarked Jeff Wood, senior vice-president, airlines & fleets, StandardAero. "One thousand engines is a significant achievement and given the longstanding relationship we’ve had with Brit Air, it’s only fitting that this milestone engine was theirs. Brit Air was our first CF34 customer outside North America and our long term partnership with them has strengthened our presence in the European market, as well as extended our global MRO footprint."

"We are pleased to receive StandardAero’s 1,000th GE engine," noted Marc Lamidey, CEO, Brit Air. "StandardAero became our CF34 MRO support provider in 2007 and we have been very pleased with their work. Their flexibility and customer focus are what makes them an attractive choice for us and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them."

In 2009, StandardAero entered the CFM56 market to expand its current product portfolio and solidify its market position as a comprehensive MRO provider in the commercial aircraft market. To date, more than 60 CFM56-7B shop visits have been completed as the volume continues to increase to include international customers. 

“StandardAero’s continued focus on the customer is reflected in everything they do," said Paul McElhinney, president and CEO of GE Aviation’s services operation. "GE Aviation looks forward to our continued partnership and remains fully committed to StandardAero’s world-class MRO business."

StandardAero recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a GE Authorized CF34 Provider and has been a GE Designated Fulfillment Center for the CFM56-7B engine since 2009. Long-term customers include Brit Air, GoJet, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (now ExpressJet), Embraer, Cimber Air, Alitalia, WestJet, and SkyWest Airlines.
 

Wizz Air adds Brussels and London routes from Ljubljana

Wizz Air will add two new routes from Ljubljana – to Brussels Charleroi and London Luton – from October 2012 and expects the routes to deliver more than 70,000 passengers in the first year and create up to 70 jobs in Ljubljana.

These new routes signal the return of Wizz Air to the Slovenian market six years after its first flight to Ljubljana. The Brussels Charleroi service starts on 29 October, with flights to London Luton beginning on 30 October.

“Wizz Air is delighted to be launching these two new routes to Brussels and London. Over the last four years Slovenian passengers have travelled to airports in neighbouring countries to access low-fare flights,” explained József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air. “Wizz Air returns to Slovenia with increased efficiency and low costs and will offer Slovenian passengers and visitors really low fares. We expect these low fares on our five weekly flights to be very popular and hope to invest further in Slovenian tourism and job growth in the future.”

Zmago Skobir, CEO of Ljubljana Airport, commented, “We are excited about Wizz Air’s return, which in the current recession really is something to celebrate. We’re focused on delivering value for money flights for the passengers at Ljubljana Airport and our relationship with Wizz Air means that travellers can take advantage of low fares to new exciting destinations.”
 

JetBlue wins slots for Washington Reagan–San Juan service

JetBlue Airways has been granted a beyond-perimeter slot exemption from the United States Department of Transportation which will enable it to launch new nonstop service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with flights expected to begin in the final quarter of 2012.

JetBlue's new flights will be the first nonstop service between Washington Reagan and the capital of Puerto Rico, which is among the 10 largest markets without nonstop air service to Reagan National. In San Juan, customers can travel onward with JetBlue to more capital cities – St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

"It's a great day for JetBlue as we further expand our low fare presence in two of our most rapidly growing cities, Washington, DC, and San Juan, with new capital-to-capital service," declared Rob Land, senior vice-president of government affairs and associate general counsel at JetBlue. "Today's award by the Department of Transportation further underscores that despite being a small player at Reagan National, JetBlue has quickly been able to stimulate traffic, lower fares, and garner significant support in the capital region for our unique brand of customer service."

JetBlue launched service from Reagan National in November 2010, after more than a decade of attempting to enter the tightly restricted market. Most recently, it obtained eight slot pairs at an auction held by the Department of Transportation which allowed the airline to increase its total slot holdings to 34.
 

SSJ100 crash: flight recorders located

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) which crashed in Indonesia on Wednesday 9 May have been located according to the Russian Embassy in Indonesia and the rescue teams are now trying to retrieve them from the bottom of a deep ravine.

Once retrieved, data from the two recorders will be examined, although there are conflicting reports as to where that process may be carried out. Some stories have suggested the avionics boxes will be taken to Russia, though others say the Indonesian authorities will perform the task as the investigation is of an accident in their country.

All 45 people on board the aircraft are presumed dead from the accident, which occurred during a demonstration flight being conducted for potential customers as part of the aircraft’s tour of Asia.


Photos of the wreckage of the aircraft taken by the Indonesian Air Force show how steep the mountainside of Mount Salak is, and search teams have only been able to reach the crash site on foot, some of the way being covered by thick undergrowth.

Superjet International, the global marketing, training and product support business, which also sells the SSJ100 into most Western nations, has added a link to its website leading to a story from The Voice of Russia website which speculates that the aircraft may have crashed when it was trying to go around dense cumulus clouds, according to an official with Indonesia’s transportation security agency. Mount Salak is renowned for such bad weather conditions.

Reports by Ria Novosti say that the engines and the landing gear have also been found. Several bodies have also been recovered.
 

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Wizz Air to move to Budapest T2 as T1 closes

Wizz Air has confirmed that all its flights from Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport will shift from Terminal 1 (which closes on 29 May), to Terminal 2, from where services will begin on 30 May.

Wizz Air is advising all passengers travelling on a Wizz Air flight to/from Budapest to ensure they are familiar with the location and access routes to Terminal 2. Details can be found on the airport’s website, www.bud.hu.