Tag Archives: Vinay Bhaskara

Southwest Airlines reveals initial 737-800 operational details

US low cost carrier Southwest Airlines has released some of the details of the planned initial utilization of their new fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Southwest’s first two 737-800s (out of 73 that were ordered), will enter service on April 11, 2012. These aircraft will come equipped with the new Boeing Sky Interior that features larger windows, mood lighting, and …

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AirAsia group struggles onwards in India

Vinay Bhaskara and Devesh Agarwal When Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia X announced last week that it would be ending service to Mumbai, Delhi, London, and Paris earlier this month, industry analysts seized on the occurrence as a repudiation of the long haul, low-cost business model. AirAsia X, an offshoot of Southeast Asian behemoth AirAsia, operated 377 seat Airbus A330-300s to …

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American swaps JFK-Narita for JFK-Haneda

According to numerous reports at various travel sites, US carrier American Airlines will be ending flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, while simultaneously resuming flights between JFK and Tokyo’s other airport, commonly known as Haneda. Indeed, inventory on AA.com reflects these changes, as do other booking engines. Flights to Haneda will …

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January 2012 in review: Airbus and Boeing

As we come to the close of January 2012, we feel that it is time to look back at the successful month enjoyed by both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)from an aircraft orders perspective. Airbus Net Orders: 102 A320neo: 100 (Norwegian- 100)A330-200F: 2 (Etihad Airways-2) Airbus also firmed up orders from Latin American carriers Volaris and Avianca/TACA for 44 (30 neo, …

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Virgin America to take delivery of 6 A320s in the first half of 2012 (and other news)

Late last week, San Francisco based Virgin America announced their latest destination, Philadelphia, which will be served from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Flights will begin in April with two daily flights from LA and one from San Francisco, and will increase to 3 and two daily flights respectively. Schedules for the new routes are as follow: (via airlineroute) Los …

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Turkish Airlines in discussions to acquire LOT Polish, what about India?

Over the weekend, it broke that Middle Eastern behemoth Turkish Airlines was in negotiations to acquire a controlling stake in Poland’s national carrier, LOT Polish Airlines. Hamdi Topcu, Turkish chairman, said: “We are starting negotiations to buy LOT. It should be a win-win situation for both sides.” LOT operates a fleet of 56 aircraft to 92 destinations around the globe, …

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Southwest Airlines posts net profit in Q4 2011

After falling to an unprecedented pretax loss of $226 in the third quarter of 2011, Dallas based Southwest Airlines once again returned to net profitability, earning $152 million, or 20 cents per diluted share. Revenue grew 32% to $4.1 billion, while operating expenses grew 37% (with fuel and related expenses jumping 59) (All figures vs. Q4 2011. Southwest’s performance beat …

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VIDEOS: The new Southwest Airlines cabin

On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines announced a series of changes to its interior, including the addition of 6 seats to their 737-700 aircraft and a reduction in seat pitch offset by a decrease in recline. The new cabin also features, “recyclable carpet, a brighter color-scheme, and a more durable, eco-friendly, and comfortable low-profile seat that weighs less than the current seat.” …

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Breaking: Alaska Airlines Group expands Horizon Air

Seattle based Alaska Airlines has announced new service via Horizon Air for the summer of 2012. All flights mentioned below will operate on Horizon’s Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 equipment. They are adding “daily nonstop service from San Diego to Monterey and Santa Rosa, and twice-daily service to Fresno. Two daily flights between San Jose and Reno are also being added …

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2011 Indian airline industry review – From cautious optimism to an uncertain future

In contrast to the positive note I ended my US airline review for 2011 on, the Indian industry most certainly had a bad year in 2011. The shine is certainly off the fast growing Indian market, and the cautious optimism noted at the end of 2010 has turned back into fear. Airlines and airports have continued to invest in their …

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Opinion: India’s airlines are safe to fly

Over the past week, a serious fight has erupted between India’s aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the airlines, with a number of serious charges being espoused by the DGCA. In a bluntly worded financial audit that Bangalore Aviation (as well as most of the internet) has acquired, the DGCA lists out several “safety” violations that India’s …

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The financial mess that is Kingfisher (Guest Post at Cranky Flier)

Recently, Cranky Flier author Brett Snyder has begun publishing a series of guest posts as he and his wife are expecting their first child this week. I wrote a guest post for him on Kingfisher Airlines, and you can see the results below. Link to the post Could there ever be an airline as bad as Air India, who Cranky …

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2011 US airline industry review – The return of profits, but only just

Air travel and economic growth are widely recognized to be linked together; the industry typically grows at about double the rate of economic growth. However, despite the economic malaise in the United States, 2011 was not a bad year for the aviation industry here. As US airlines dealt with stagnating demand and appreciating fuel prices, they still managed to pull …

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Critical analysis of Delta Air Lines hub in New York La Guardia

Late last week, Atlanta based Delta Air Lines announced a large expansion of its focus operation in New York’s La Guardia, adding more than 100 additional daily flights to 29 new destinations. The expansion was made possible by the final approval of the carrier’s slot swap deal with US Airways that saw Delta trade landing slots at Washington’s Reagan National …

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Airbus A320neo vs. Boeing 737-8 MAX: a battle that’s just beginning

When Southwest Airlines announced the first firm order for the re-engined Boeing 737 MAX on Wedenesday, it represented the latest in a series of back and forths between Boeing and Airbus regarding their re-engine programs of the 737NG and Airbus A320 family respectively. Earlier this year, speaking at the Credit Suisse Aerospace Conference, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer – Customers, John …

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PHOTOS: Boeing delivers 7000th Boeing 737 to flydubai

American airframer Boeing delivered its 7,000th Boeing 737 today, a B737-800 to flydubai, a fast growing low cost carrier based in Dubai. The 737-800 will be equipped with the brand new Boeing Sky Interior, and will be the 21st Boeing 737-800 in flydubai’s fleet, with 30 more on order. According to Boeing, “The 737 is the most produced large commercial …

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PHOTOS: Boeing unveils first 787 for Japan Airlines

Earlier today, Boeing released the first images of the first Boeing 787 destined for Japan Airlines. From the Boeing press release: The first Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner to enter service for Japan Airlines (JAL) rolled out of the paint hangar last night. The airplane’s livery features the iconic new brand mark on its tail and underscores the airline’s commitment …

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Boeing 737 MAX logs first firm order from launch customer Southwest Airlines

The 737 MAX now has another customer. Southwest Airlines, the world’s largest Boeing 737 operator has announced an order for 150 of the re-engined 737s, as well as 58 next generation 737s. The order for 208 planes, worth almost US $19 billion at list prices, represents the largest single order in Boeing history, topping previous orders from Emirates and Lion …

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Northwest Airlines Detroit international operations in 2000

Here at Bangalore Aviation, we sometimes like to take trips down memory lane, and explore the history of airlines. Today we take a look at Northwest Airline’s international operation in their Detroit “World Gateway” in 2000. Northwest Airlines was a US carrier who served Mumbai and Delhi for many years via partner KLM’s hub in Amsterdam. In 2008 they merged …

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