Powering an aircraft could soon be a sustainable endeavor. Fuel cell technologies being explored by Boeing use a fusion of hydrogen and oxygen to help power aircraft electricity, produce heat, and provide clean water.

The 777 Signature Interior continues to be preferred by passengers because of its spaciousness and ability to accommodate many unique configurations. Airlines continue to be creative in curating new experiences for their passenger. See a sampling of the unique configurations available on today’s 777.

Less than six months after Boeing and South African Airways (SAA) announced their plans to turn “energy tobacco” into sustainable aviation biofuel, farmers in South Africa’s Limpopo province are harvesting their first crop of a nicotine-free, energy-rich tobacco plant.

Thanks to our automated drilling system, the Flex Track, we can manufacture the 777 in a safer, more efficient and more flexible way.

Who remembers our red aircraft? We’ve just completed the repainting of our fleet in our current white and red livery. Watch the 11 day process of repainting a Virgin Australia aircraft here, in two minutes!

From JustPlanes.

From JustPlanes.

Boeing 747-400 upper deck Lufthansa flight LH470 First Class Frankfurt to Toronto LH470 filmed with GoPro HERO 4 and Iphone 6.

New videos from QANTAS Airways:

On February 19, Captain Harry Loughnan skippered his last flight before he retires at the end of this month. Captain Loughnan started with Qantas as a cadet in 1969 and worked his way up the ranks to Boeing 747 check and training Captain. Congratulations Captain Harry!

The Australian Government and Qantas has announced a collaboration to support ANZAC Centenary activities marking the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings

New video from Air Crash Investigation and the National Geographic Channel. The crash of First Air flight 6560 near Resolute Bay on August 20, 2011.

New video from JustPlanes.

Porter Airlines (Toronto-Billy Bishop City Centre) is supporting the Pan American Games and the host city of Toronto in 2015 with a new logo on Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) C-GKQF (msn 4391) above and below.

About the Pan American Games:

The Pan American Games are the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games; they are only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.

The first Pan American Games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951 and the inaugural Parapan American Games were held in Mexico City in 1999. Both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are held every four years for the athletes of the 41 PASO member nations, in the year preceding the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

While the Pan Am Games have been hosted in a dozen countries throughout the Americas, Canada has had the honour of hosting them twice; in 1967 and 1999 and both times in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In 2015, Toronto will be the proud Host City of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

In other news, Porter Airlines is adding a second weekly flight to Stephenville, Newfoundland, this summer, as it seeks to improve travel options for southwestern and western Newfoundland. Increased service begins June 20, 2015, connecting nonstop to Halifax.

From June 20, to September 6, Porter will offer two weekly flights departing Halifax on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Return flights depart Stephenville the following day on Sundays and Thursdays. Continuing service on the same aircraft to Ottawa and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is also available.

Top Copyright Photo: Gilbert Hechema/AirlinersGallery.com. C-GKQF arrives in Montreal (Trudeau).

Porter Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Jetstar Japan (Tokyo-Narita) yesterday (February 28) launched its first international route linking Osaka (Kansai) and Hong Kong.

Read the full report from ZipanguFlyer: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 JA10JJ (msn 5520) arrives at Tokyo (Narita).

Jetstar Japan aircraft slide show: 

QANTAS Group (QANTAS Airways and Jetstar Airways) (Sydney) reported an underlying profit before tax of A$367 million ($286.6 million) and a statutory profit after tax of A$206 million ($160.8 million) for the fiscal six months ending on December 31, 2014.

CEO Alan Joyce commented on the results:

I am pleased to report the results so far of the fundamental business transformation that is underway at Qantas.

Qantas reported an underlying profit before tax of $367 million for the six months to December 2014, and a statutory profit after tax of $206 million.

This is a $619 million improvement over the same period last year at the underlying level.

The decisive factor in this result – our best half-year performance for four years – is our transformation program, which delivered $374 million in benefits in the first half.

Without the impact of transformation, Qantas would not be profitable today.

The other positive drivers in the results were:

$208 million from reduced depreciation;

$162 million from increased revenue per available seat kilometre;

$59 million from the removal of the carbon tax; and

$33 million from lower fuel prices.

This result confirms that we are executing the right plan with discipline and speed.

We are meeting, or exceeding, all our targets as we build a strong, sustainable future for Qantas and grow long-term shareholder value.

Since we announced our transformation program in December 2013 we have:

Lowered our cost base;

Grown free cash flow and revenue;

Improved fleet, product and service;

Strengthened customer satisfaction;

Reduced debt and strengthened the balance sheet;

Improved our return on invested capital;

Achieved our youngest fleet age in more than 20 years; and

Simplified the fleet from eleven to nine aircraft types, on the way down to seven.

What sets this program apart is that we are reducing costs permanently, while at the same time delivering Qantas’ best ever fleet, product and service.

We now have a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

I want to express my deep appreciation to the people of Qantas who have worked so hard to make this transformation succeed.

We have come together to protect this great Australian company and give it a sustainable future.

I also want to thank our customers.

We are delighted to repay their loyalty with even better Qantas experiences today, and more rewards to come in the future.

All parts of our business have contributed to this good result.

Qantas International was profitable for the first time since the GFC with underlying earnings of $59 million, a turnaround of $321 million over the same period last year.

Over the period it cut unit costs by almost 4 per cent while revenue increased by nearly 5 per cent.

The partnership with Emirates is now more than two years old and it continues to deliver.

We’ve seen exceptional customer satisfaction with our Dubai hub and increased range of destinations, which in turn has given us a significant competitive advantage.

With smarter fleet utilisation, Qantas has been able to offer new or additional capacity, including seasonal flights to Vancouver and additional services to LA, Santiago and Japan.

Our new A330 product and lounges in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles have been met with acclaim.

In 2011 we set ourselves the task of getting Qantas International back into profit.

We expect to achieve that goal this year, on target.

Our domestic airline businesses performed well over the half – with total domestic profitability of just under $300 million.

The Qantas Group strengthened its position substantially in the domestic market.

Qantas Domestic reported an improvement of $170 million compared with the same period last year, with underlying earnings of $227 million.

With its unrivalled network, frequencies, lounges, and Loyalty program, Qantas Domestic retained an overwhelming 80 per cent revenue share of the Australian corporate market.

Looking at large corporate accounts, we recorded 113 renewals, 42 new accounts – with 16 of those won back from the competition – and just four lost.

Customer satisfaction with Qantas Domestic was at record levels in the December quarter.

The Jetstar Group continues to build scale and brand presence, flying to 66 destinations across 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific.

It reported underlying earnings of $81 million, an improvement of $97 million on the same period last year.

Domestically, Jetstar achieved earnings of $63 million, driven by improved yields and loads and a continued focus on managing costs and capacity

Strong Jetstar International earnings of $51 million reflected the benefits of a network restructure and the roll-out of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Qantas’ investments in the Jetstar-branded airlines in Asia will generate long-term returns in the world’s most important emerging markets.

These airlines improved their performance in the first half, relative to the prior period, with a $13 million reduction in Qantas’ share of losses.

Jetstar Asia in Singapore was profitable in the December quarter.

Both Qantas and Jetstar have won a string of awards and recognition for product, service and safety.

Qantas Loyalty continued its outstanding performance.

With 10 per cent earnings growth, Loyalty achieved underlying earnings of $160 million.

It attracted more than 400,000 new members in the half, to reach a new high of 10.5 million.

Continued innovation and investment in programs like the online mall, Aquire, and Qantas Cash card, have helped grow, diversify and maximise the customer base. They have brought in a younger demographic, with 60 per cent of new members aged 36 or younger.

Qantas Freight delivered underlying earnings of $54 million, a strong improvement which was driven by significant recovery in the international freight market – outweighing a challenging domestic market.

Overall, this result demonstrates the continuing strength in our portfolio of integrated Qantas Group businesses.

The Group’s financial position improved significantly with more than a billion dollars in cash generated from operations for the half, up nearly 45% on the prior year.

The outlook for the Group’s operating environment in the second half of this financial year has improved after a turbulent period.

Demand is mixed in the domestic market and steady in the international market.

Importantly, market capacity – both domestic and international – is moderating and aligning more closely to demand.

Yield and load factors have stabilised and are in the early stages of recovery.

Lower fuel and Australian dollar values have, overall, improved our competitive position.

While fuel prices produced a modest benefit in the first half, we expect fuel costs for the full year to be no more than $4 billion at current prices – which will be a significant boost to the bottom line in the second half.

And we expect all operating segments to be profitable in the full year.

The results are good and we take pride in our progress so far.

Transformation has been central to our recovery and we will drive it forward with all our energy.

It is about making ourselves strong and resilient through the ups and downs of economic cycles.

Over the next two years we will further strengthen the Qantas position.

We will be a company able to withstand tough times, capitalise on the good times, and deliver sustainable and attractive long term returns to our shareholders.

We will be a stronger integrated Group portfolio where each business complements the others, generating sustainable returns through the cycle.

We will always be the airline that represents the best of the Australian way of life.

And today we can see a bright future for this great Australian company.

Thank you.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Airbus A380-842 VH-OQJ (msn 062) taxies to the gate at London’s Heathrow Airport.

QANTAS Airways aircraft slide show: 

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) on February 27 launched new, twice-weekly nonstop jet service between Hagerstown, Maryland and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE).

Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N876GA (msn 53469) lands in Las Vegas.

Allegiant aircraft slide show: 

Norwegian Air Norway (Norwegian Air Shuttle) (Oslo) is a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Norwegian Air Shuttle recently transferred its first aircraft (Norwegian registered LN-DYY, msn 39012) to the Irish registry according to Skyliner Aviation. The Boeing 737-8JP was reregistered on the Irish registry as EI-FHA on February 17. Ireland is part of European Union. Under Ireland, Norwegian registered aircraft will be able to operate on more European routes due to the prevailing bilateral restrictions from Norway to the EU.

In February 2014, Norwegian Air Shuttle’s Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International, received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC). The AOC issued in Ireland gives the company future traffic rights to and from the European Union. Norwegian Air International is seeking rights to operate the Boeing 787s to the United States and theoretically replace Norwegian Long Haul.

The Norwegian Long Haul Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (currently operating on long range routes) are also registered in Ireland. Norwegian Long Haul however has a separate Norwegian AOC with the IATA code of DU.

All aircraft operate under the “Norwegian” brand.

According to News in English (from Norway) the pilots are striking because airline management wants to “cut their pensions, pay and insurance benefits”. According to the report, the pilots are “fighting for a permanent collective bargaining agreement with Norwegian Air’s parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle.” The union also fears the company will try to replace them with cheaper crews from crewing agencies or possibly declare bankruptcy.

Read the full full report: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile Norwegian Air Norway (Oslo) issued this statement:

Norwegian regrets that it was not possible to reach an agreement in mediation between the subsidiary Norwegian Air Norway (NAN) and the Norwegian Pilot Union (NPU). Norwegian’s goal remains to implement this weekend flights so far as is possible when a limited number of pilots have been on strike in the first round.

Norwegian had before the mediation proposed several completely necessary cost savings to ensure a sustainable business and future jobs. Unfortunately, the NPU / Parathyroid did not comply with these requirements but instead presented a claim that goes in the wrong direction relative to the agreements reached at the previous hearing in 2013. NPU demand the right to control the Norwegiankoncernen, collective agreements with a company they are employed in, and that the Norwegian collective agreement shall also apply outside Norway. Norwegian could not accept the requirement for koncernansenitet for NAN pilots, ie ansenitet in a company they are employed in. In practice, it would have given Scandinavian pilots the opportunity to oust colleagues at the other bases in Europe.

We really regret the uncertainty being created among our passengers. Our goal has always been to avoid a strike and get a solution and peace in the company. Now we will do what we can to take care of the passengers in the best possible way, says Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos.

The conflict comes for Norwegian Scandinavian subsidiary Norwegian Air Norway (NAN). This means that long routes between Scandinavia / UK and USA / Asia runs as usual. The bases in England, Finland and Spain are also not directly concerned.

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. Registered in Norway, Boeing 737-86N LN-NOQ (msn 32658) departs from London (Gatwick).

Norwegian aircraft slide show: 

Bombardier (Montreal and Toronto) issued this statement on the first flight of the CS300 yesterday (February 27):

Another major milestone in Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft program was reached on February 27 with the maiden flight of the CS300 airliner. The technologically advanced CSeries aircraft will provide operators with an all-new family of single-aisle mainline jets specifically designed for the 100- to 149-seat market segment.

The CS300 airliner – bearing Canadian registration markings C-FFDK – departed Montréal–Mirabel International Airport at 11:00 EST and returned at 15:58 EST. It reached an altitude of 41,000 feet (12,500 metres) and a speed of 255 knots (470 km/h).

At Bombardier’s Mirabel, Québec facility, some 2,000 Bombardier employees, Board members, partners, suppliers and customers braved frigid temperatures to witness the flight.

Capt. Andris (Andy) Litavniks, who was the co-pilot on the historic maiden flight of the smaller CS100 model on September 16, 2013, was pilot-in-command on today’s milestone flight. Capt. Litavniks was assisted by co-pilot Christophe Marchand and flight test engineers Anthony Dunne and Mark Metivet.

“It was an absolute privilege to fly the first flight of the CS300 airliner and I’m absolutely ecstatic with how well it handled. It’s a pilot’s aircraft and handled exactly as predicted by simulation,” said Capt. Litavniks. “Pilots will find it easy to transition from the CS100 to the CS300 aircraft or vice versa, which will greatly reduce training costs for operators using both models.”

“Our CSeries aircraft program is progressing well, with results from testing as expected or better. The CS300 airliner will now join the five CS100 aircraft flight test vehicles that have amassed more than 1,000 flight test hours to date,” said Rob Dewar, Vice President, CSeries Program. “We are confident the CS100 aircraft will be certified in the second half of 2015, followed closely by entry-into-service. The CS300 airliner is expected to follow about six months later.”

“It was a thrill to see the first CS300 aircraft take to the skies for the first time and I heartily congratulate our teams for this achievement,” said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We continue to see increased interest from all over the world and as our performance targets are validated, we expect the enthusiasm for the CSeries family of aircraft to grow even more.”

The CS300 aircraft offers the best seat-mile cost in its category, making it the most profitable solution for mid-sized markets with up to 150 passengers per flight, and ideal for a range of routes from short-haul to longer transcontinental markets.

Top Photo: Bombardier. C-FFDK in flight.

Below Copyright Photo: Gilbert Hechema/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier C Series CS300 (BD-500-1A11) C-FFDK (msn 55001) arrives back at Montreal (Mirabel) after the first flight.

Videos:

Silver Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Gainesville), this week previewed its new international maintenance headquarters at Orlando International Airport.

Scheduled to officially open in March, the project was made possible by a $3.5 million public transportation joint participation agreement from the Florida Department of Transportation to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, as well as a significant contribution from Silver Airways.

Silver Airways’ new facility will employ 200 people in the local Orlando-area community. The airline also employs an additional nearly 700 people throughout the State of Florida.

The project is a complete renovation that will be home to a 38,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul facility that includes two large aircraft hangars each capable of housing three to four aircraft, as well as office space. Silver Airways has committed to a long-term 30-year lease from the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority to headquarter its new maintenance facility in Orlando.

In other news, Silver Airways is resuming service in the following markets:

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood to Governor’s Harbour with three weekly flights (Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays).
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood to Great Exuma Island with five weekly flights (every day except Mondays and Thursdays).
Orlando to Marsh Harbour with daily service.
Jacksonville to Marsh Harbour with two weekly flights on Saturdays and Sundays.

Top Image: Silver Airways.

Silver Airways aircraft slide show: 

Route Map: