Delta announces its additional seasonal service to Amsterdam and Italy

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will add summer seasonal to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City International Airport. The nonstop daily flight to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport launches on May 2, 2015.

According to the airline, this summer Delta has increased its network out of Schiphol, adding extra services to New York-JFK, Detroit and Minneapolis/St Paul in March, with an additional frequency to Seattle/Tacoma starting on May 4. The airline will operate up to 19 peak-day nonstop flights, responding to increased demand for service between the U.S. and the Netherlands during the peak summer travel period.

Delta is also increasing travel options for customers flying between Italy and the United States this summer. The U.S. airline will be restarting numerous seasonal services throughout May and June 2015. Flights will operate from four Italian cities – Rome, Milan, Pisa and Venice – to Delta’s hubs in New York-JFK, Atlanta and Detroit.

Expanded service at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome

In addition to restarting its seasonal service to Detroit Metropolitan-Wayne County Airport on May 2, 2015, Delta will launch a second frequency to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, effective May 23. The extra services complement Delta’s existing daily flights to Atlanta and New York-JFK, and take the total number of weekly seats on offer between Rome and the U.S. to over 14,000.

The seasonal flight from Rome to Detroit will operate daily using a Boeing 767-400 and the second Atlanta flight will operate up to six times weekly using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

Seasonal flights return to Venice and Pisa

Delta will restart a daily nonstop flight between Venice Marco Polo Airport and its Atlanta hub, effective June 2 using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The flight complements the existing daily New York-JFK service that was restarted at the end of March, meaning that Delta will operate two daily flights to the U.S. from Venice during the summer.

From Pisa, Delta will operate nonstop service to New York-JFK six times weekly using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft, effective June 16.

Extra service added at Milan Malpensa

Customers flying from Milan Malpensa Airport will benefit from a daily flight to Atlanta, effective June 17, complementing Delta’s existing daily service to New York-JFK. Operated using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, the flight will add a further 3,150 weekly seats between Milan and the U.S..

Delta teams up with NY designer Zac Posen for new crew uniforms

Delta Air Lines (New York) and New York-based designer Zac Posen are partnering to bring high fashion and function to a different kind of runway as part of Delta’s new uniform program according to the airline.

Delta is creating a program for nearly all of its uniformed employees. Through the partnership, Zac Posen will design a uniform collection for Delta’s flight attendants and airport customer service agents while advising on the uniform project for Delta’s ramp and ground support agents, Delta Cargo agents and Delta TechOps employees.

“Through challenges and triumphs, the Delta uniform has been a source of great pride for generations of Delta people and continues to serve as a symbol of our values and the world class service for which we’re known,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Marketing. “With Zac’s talent and expertise, and in partnership with Delta people worldwide, we look forward to creating a timeless, fashionable and functional new collection that will continue to be a point of pride and symbol of our brand for the 170 million customers who fly with us each year.”

Known for his fresh and innovative designs, Posen’s brand of modern American glamour pairs well with Delta’s brand attributes, and he will be personally engaged throughout the multi-year project. His designs are favored from the White House to the red carpet in Hollywood.

“I’m thrilled to partner with this classic American brand and look forward to collaborating with Delta employees to understand their wants and needs for the new collection,” said Zac. “Together, we will bring everyday elegance and style innovation to the ground and air alike, while making employees look and feel their best.”

Over the next few months, Posen will work with Delta employees to better understand the specialized needs of Delta’s active workforce. The prototypes will then undergo intensive wear testing to ensure functionality and fit before the final collection is produced. Consistent with Delta’s culture, employees will drive the project and be heavily involved in every phase along the way.

The new uniform program is part of a larger brand transformation and investment as Delta works to ensure its thoughtful, reliable and innovative brand attributes imbue all areas of the customer experience, including airport facilities, technology and global products and services.

The new collection is expected to launch in early 2018.

Air China brings its new Boeing 747-800 to San Francisco

Air China’s (Beijing) Boeing 747-800 Intercontinental makes its U.S. West Coast debut in San Francisco today (May 1), replacing the new-generation Boeing 777-300 ER used for the daily nonstop service between the City by the Bay and China’s capital, Beijing. A reception at the airport museum to celebrate the arrival of the inaugural flight of Air China’s Boeing 747-800 into San Francisco International Airport at 12:20 PM PDT today is hosted by the airline’s San Francisco team led by Ms. Litao Zhao, General Manager.

The Boeing 747-800 is the first and only aircraft in Air China’s fleet with a four-cabin configuration. It features 12 luxury suites in the Forbidden Pavilion (first class cabin), 54 fully-flat bed seats in the Capital Pavilion (business class), 66 premium economy seats and 233 in the economy cabin for a total of 365 seats.

The 180-degree fully-flat sleepers in the Capital Pavilion are split between the main deck and the entire upper deck, giving Air China’s guests an exclusive private space. Majority of the lie-flat bed seats are arranged in a staggered 2-2 configuration.

According to the airline, seats in premium economy and economy cabins offer more legroom for maximum comfort. An enhanced entertainment system offers a wide array of user-friendly features, including mobile app icons and a sliding touch control.

Premium economy seats offer eight inches more legroom (40 inches) than economy seats. In addition to priority boarding, premium economy passengers are offered a welcome drink, hot towels, slippers and many other inflight amenities for more convenience.

Air China’s Boeing 747-800 is also the first to sport the company’s new cabin interior which depicts three traditional Chinese cultural elements that represent the harmonious unity of heaven, earth and sky.

Flight CA 986 arrives in SFO at 12:20 PM. The return flight, flight CA 986 departs SFO at 2:50 PM (1450).

Air Tahiti Nui finalizes its order for two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Air Tahiti Nui (Papeete) have finalized an order for two 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $514 million at current list prices.

The flag carrier for French Polynesia, a new 787 customer, has also leased two additional 787-9s through the Air Lease Corporation (ALC)(Los Angeles).

The new 787-9 Dreamliner complements and extends the super-efficient 787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8, the 787-9 can fly more passengers and more cargo farther with the same exceptional environmental performance — 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than the airplanes they replace. The 787-9 also leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passengers features such as the industry’s largest windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

Air Tahiti Nui links the South Pacific with four continents as the leading carrier to French Polynesia, with daily non-stop service to Tahiti from Los Angeles.

The new 787-9s will replace the current Airbus A340-300s.

Cathay Pacific takes delivery of its 50th Boeing 777-300 ER

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong) celebrated yesterday (April 30) the delivery of the airline’s 50th 777-300 ER (Extended Range). With this delivery, Cathay Pacific will have 67 Boeing 777s in operation, which also includes 12 777-300s and five 777-200s. Cathay Pacific is slated to receive three more 777-300 ERs this year and is one of the launch customers for the new Boeing 777X with 21 777-9X airplanes on order.

The 777-300 ER will receive further improvements in 2016 designed to reduce fuel use by two percent.

Cathay Pacific group operates flights to nearly 100 destinations worldwide with its own fleet of more than 200 aircraft. In North America, the airline currently operates some 100 passenger flights a week to New York (JFK), Newark Liberty, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver. The airline will begin a four-times-weekly service to and from Boston and Hong Kong on May 2 this year. Cathay Pacific Cargo serves 13 cities across the Americas using the latest 747-8 freighter fleet.

Air France-KLM’s first quarter loss widens

Air France-KLM Group (Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Transavia Netherlands, Transavia France, Hop! and Martinair) reported a first quarter net loss of €504 million ($56.9 million), compared to a net loss of €485 million ($546 million) in the same quarter a year ago.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. The group retired three Boeing 747 freighters in the Winter 2014-15 season, while another five Martinair McDonnell Douglas MD-11s will be retired by the end of the Winter 2015-16 season. The Group plans to operate only five full-freighters by the end of 2016. McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (F) PH-MCS (msn 48618) of Martinair taxies at the Amsterdam cargo hub.

Airberlin posts a record loss in 2014

Airberlin (Berlin) issued their annual report for 2014 on April 29. The airline’s loss grew larger in 2014 despite its growing relationship with partner Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi). The airline reported a net loss €376.7 million ($424.2 million), compared to a loss of €315.5 million ($355.2 million) for 2013.