USA: Airlines And Flights Regularly Cancelled

A report from the U.S. Department of Transportation looked at the airlines that had the highest percentage of flights canceled for July 2019. The percentage was calculated from the total flights the airline canceled divided by the total flights it booked in July.

Overall, major airlines had relatively low cancellation percentages.

Of Tampa International Airport's, American Airlines, the airport’s third largest airline, had the most cancellations with 2.3 percent of its flights canceled.

Southwest Airlines, which is Tampa’s largest carrier, had a cancellation rate of 1.4 percent, making it the airline with the 11th most canceled flights and Tampa International’s most canceled carrier.

Delta Airlines, TPA’s second busiest carrier, performed well with only 0.4 percent of its flights being canceled. United Airlines, the fourth busiest carrier at Tampa International, also performed well with 1.3 percent of its flight being canceled in July.

ExpressJet Airlines, which does not operate out of Tampa, had the highest percentage of cancellations at 5 percent. Hawaiian Airlines, which is also not in Tampa, had the lowest cancellation rate with only 0.1 percent of flights cancelled in July.

Spirit Airlines, which has gained a reputation for cancellations, was the ninth most canceled airline, placing ahead of American Airlines.

Find the comprehensive report here

USA: Hawaiian Longest Domestic Nonstop Flight In USA Starts April 4th 2019

Hawaiian Airlines begins nonstop flights between its hub in Honolulu (HNL) and Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS) starting on April 4, 2019.

This new flight will becomes longest domestic route in the history of the United States, measuring 4427.43nm. The HNL-BOS route beats the current HNL-JFK route that the airline operates, which is at 4330.10 nm.

But the route between Boston and Honolulu falls short by almost 800 miles to become the world’s longest, which is the Paris-Reunion route (5,047.88 nm), served by Air Austral and Air France.

Approximate flying time between Boston and Honolulu will be at 11 hours, 40 minutes.

Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines CEO, said that he looks forward to sharing our warm hospitality with our New England guests whose vacation starts the minute they check in and step onto our plane.

The airline plans to introduce this route on a 4 times a week basis. According to Hawaiian, the Boston-Honolulu market generates over $76 million in ticket sales every year, on average 500 passengers flying between these cities every day.

Hawaiian is a unique airline because we have represented Hawai‘i for nearly a century while flying people to, from and between the Hawaiian Islands.

In July, the Hawaiian carrier also announced daily nonstop flights between Sacramento, California (SMF) and Kahului, Maui (OGG), set to begin on April 1, 2019.

The carrier’s growth has gained a higher momentum this year, following the order for 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, featuring 10 firm and 10 purchase rights, at list prices of $2.82 billion.

On top of that, the carrier took delivery of its first U.S-Produced Airbus A321neo, straight from the manufacturer’s assembly line in Alabama.

As the carrier receives a total of 18 A321neos through 2020, they will be looking to announce additional routes between the U.S. West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines notes that the new Boston service will depart HNL every day but Tuesday and Wednesday at 13:45 Local Time. and arrive at BOS the following morning at 06:00 Local Time.

Flight HA91 will depart BOS every day but Wednesday and Thursday at 08:55 Local Time., except for Friday flights, which will depart at 08:00 Local Time.


Tourism Observer

USA: Hawaiian Airlines Acquires A321neo

Hawaiian Airlines has taken delivery of their first U.S-Produced Airbus A321neos this week from the manufacturer in Alabama.

Hawaiian Airlines currently has two other of the type in their fleet but was delivered by Airbus from their Hamburg Delivery Center instead.

This aircraft is also the first NEO aircraft delivered from the Alabama plant. The aircraft is powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney PW1000G high-bypass geared turbofan engines.

Bob Lekites, Executive Vice President-Customers, Airbus Americas said, Airbus understands the challenging airline marketplace and has continued to stay on the cutting-edge of developing and producing aircraft that exceed industry standards in safety, efficiency and reliability.

Hawaiian has recognized the Airbus commitment to innovation and we could not be more proud to deliver on this promise to them with our first U.S.-manufactured A321neo aircraft.

We are honored to accept the delivery of the first A321neo from the Airbus Manufacturing facility, said Jon Snook, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Hawaiian Airlines.

The A321neo is the ideal aircraft for us to share our Hawaiian hospitality with more guests as we grow our Western U.S. network and provide greater access to our entire island chain. We look forward to more deliveries from Mobile.”

Hawaiian’s A321neo operations currently stem between Portland and Long Beach to Honolulu.

As the carrier receives a total of 18 aircraft through 2020, they will be looking to announce additional routes between the U.S West Coast and the Hawaiian Islands especially with the A321neo aircraft that they have on their way.

The carrier will benefit from the lower operating costs that the A321neo offers, with the NEO operating 15% more efficiently than the CEO version of the aircraft. By 2020, the aircraft will be operating up to 20% more efficient than the CEO variants respectively.

Airbus’ adage of The - Sun Never Sets on Airbus Manufacturing - is now starting to become more of a reality, with their Alabama and Tianjin plants now starting to ramp up production to the levels of Hamburg and Toulouse.

They have now been able to position themselves on a significantly global scale where delivery times can be far less to customers around the world.


Tourism Observer

USA: Airline Wars Flare Between US Airlines And Gulf Airlines

Late last month, Delta Air Lines posted a video on its public relations website attacking Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.

Now, the airline's rivals have hit back at Delta with an economic impact study and an attack ad of their own.

The long-running feud between America's three legacy carriers and their Middle Eastern rivals continues to be most the volatile and heated business dispute in recent memory.

Here's the shorthand version of the feud: Since 2015, American, Delta, and United Airlines have been complaining about competition from three huge and fast-growing Middle East-based rivals — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways (the ME3).

The US3's position, which is succinctly explained in Delta's 15-minute-long video, argues that the ME3's growth has been fueled by more than $50 billion in subsidies over the past decade. As a result, they believe this allows the ME3 to flood the international market with un-sustainably low prices designed to drive out competitors and threaten the job security of US aviation workers.

They're taking our jobs, they're taking our markets, and over time, they want to take over international flying, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said of the ME3 in the video.

Delta and its allies believe the playing field is inherently unbalanced and that it is unfair to expect a private company to compete against the resources of a national government.

As a result, they also say the ME3 are in violation of the Open Skies agreements that govern air travel between the US and 120 nations including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The US3 has asked the Trump Administration to re-examine the Open Skies agreements with the UAE and Qatar while prohibiting any further expansion into the US by the ME3.

In reaction, Emirates released a study on Monday claiming the airline's activities generated $21.3 billion worth of economic impact in the US during 2015.

The report by Virginia-based consulting firm Campbell-Hill Aviation Group posits that Emirates' activities, directly and indirectly, supported more than 104,000 jobs in the US that year.

Emirates, while closely associated with the government of the Dubai, has always maintained that it is an independent profit driven enterprise. In an interview with the Business Insider earlier this year, the airline's president, Sir Tim Clark, called the US3's unrelenting campaign against his company as "infantile".

Delta Air Lines declined to comment on the matter and instead referred Business Insider to the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, the lobbying organization representing the US3 in the dispute.

Emirates’ new study is based on fundamentally flawed assumptions and is simply meant to distract from their trade cheating behavior, the Partnership's chief spokesperson, Jill Zuckman, said in an emailed statement.

Economists have already empirically demonstrated that the presence of Gulf carriers fails to meaningfully stimulate new demand in U.S. markets."

Also on Monday, US Airlines for Open Skies (USAOS) released a new 30-second attack ad calling for the Trump Administration to ignore the US3's demands which they characterize as merely an attempt to limit competition.

The group whose members include JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, FedEx, and Atlas Air believe the US3's actions put US airlines operating in the UAE and Qatar at risk for retaliatory actions.

In fact, the USAOS believes the US3's campaign will destabilize the whole network of more than 100 Open Skies agreements that support hundreds of thousands of US jobs while saving consumers $4 billion annually in airfares.

The presence of USAOS represents a faction of the US aviation industry that operates in an environment very different from the nation's three remaining legacy carriers.

FedEx and Atlas Air are two of the world's largest international freight carriers with major operations in the Middle East and around the world.

Although they do depend Open Skies agreements to do business around the world, they are not in direct route competition with the ME3.

While most major US airlines, including American and Delta, benefit from direct business dealings with the ME3 and their subsidiaries, JetBlue is the most open about it.

The New York-based boutique airline is a major partner for Emirates and takes on much of the airline's connecting traffic within the US.

In 2016, JetBlue was awarded a Fly America Act contract for all US government travel to Dubai as well as between New York and Milan, Italy.

Since JetBlue does not operate any long haul international routes outside of the Americas, all of its Fly America passengers will actually travel on Emirates planes.

In response to USAOS, Zuckman said:

Our opponents have chosen to stand with foreign airlines that want to kill U.S. jobs and undermine international trade agreements. It’s outrageous and offensive that any American business would defend these foreign trade cheaters over the livelihoods of over 1.2 million American workers. We hope that President Trump and his administration will see through this misleading campaign and enforce our trade deals to protect American jobs.


Tourism Observer
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HAWAII: Hawaiian Airlines And South African Airways Partner In New Interline Agreement

South African Airways and Hawaiian Airlines established a new interline agreement providing new and convenient flight options for both SAA and Hawaiian customers traveling between the Hawai’ian Islands and South Africa.

The partnership offers increased convenience to customers by allowing travel on one single ticket and through interline baggage transfer upon check-in with either SAA or Hawaiian Airlines in the United States or Southern Africa.

This new interline partnership enable SAA and Hawaiian Airlines to broaden their route networks to provide some of the fastest connections between Hawai’i and destinations throughout Africa, said Todd Neuman, executive vice president, Americas, South African Airways.

Our mutual customers will enjoy the warm traditional South African and Hawai’ian Island hospitality throughout their journey from two award-winning airlines.

With immediate effect, customers can purchase a single itinerary for travel on flights of both carriers allowing passengers to enjoy connections via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport between Hawaiian Airlines’ neighbor island network in Hawai’i and in more than 75 destinations served by SAA.

JFK is a primary gateway for SAA in North America, with daily non-stop service to South Africa, allowing the new partnership to provide convenient connections.

Hawaiian Airlines flights from Honolulu, Hawai’i (HNL) to Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) depart Hawai’i at 3:10 p.m., and arrive at JFK 6:55 a.m. the next morning. SAA serviced flights depart JFK 11:15 a.m., and arrive in JNB at 8:05 a.m., the next morning.

Flights from JNB to HNL depart JNB at 9 p.m. and arrive in JFK at 6:40 a.m., while flights serviced by Hawaiian Airlines depart JFK at 10 a.m., and arrive in Honolulu at 3:05 p.m.

Hawaiian Airlines Reveals New Brand Identity Pualani Meaning "Flower of the Sky"

Hawaiian Airlines revealed an updated brand identity and the freshly-painted livery of a Boeing 717 (N488HA), the first of its fleet of more than 50 aircraft that will feature the new design.

Pualani or Flower of the Sky, the beloved icon of Hawaiian's brand for more than four decades, continues to gaze forward on the tail of the aircraft; beneath her, a silver maile lei with woven pakalana flowers wraps around the fuselage in a larger-than-life expression of the aloha spirit.

Our new livery embodies a stronger, more contemporary representation of Hawaiian Airlines culture of service and hospitality, which is the bedrock of our guest experience, said president and CEO Mark Dunkerley, who unveiled the new brand design at Honolulu International Airport during a special employee event on Lei Day, a statewide annual celebration of Hawaiian culture.

It acknowledges our place as Hawaii's airline and underscores the commitment our employees make every day to provide our guests with a gracious and genuine island welcome.

Serving as a brand constant, Pualani has evolved at pivotal moments in the carrier's ever-changing phases of growth as seen in a historical timeline online.

Debuting in October 1973, she was one of the first female icons painted on the tail of a commercial airline and marked Hawaiian's transformation to an all-jet airline with the entry of McDonnell Douglas DC-9s.

While slight variations were made to the red hibiscus in her hair over the next 28 years, Pualani's last evolution was in 2001 when Hawaiian's new interisland Boeing 717s and transpacific Boeing 767s entered the fleet, ushering in a more competitive and sophisticated airline at the time expressed through brand adaptations representing the look of a 21st century Island woman.

In addition to the refreshed livery, travelers across Hawaiian's U.S. and international networks will begin to see the new logo throughout their journey on web and digital assets, airport lobby signage and kiosks, and at boarding gates.

Painting of all aircraft and ground service equipment is scheduled to be complete by 2020.

The new identity retains Hawaiian's distinctive color palette of purple, fuchsia and coral. Pualani—the singular icon of the brand—remains at its core.

The new logo and livery emphasize Pualani by featuring her more prominently and liberating her from the floral "holding shape" of the former logo.

She gazes proudly with the wind in her hair, adorned with a hibiscus flower and framed by a Hawaiian sunrise. The expressive, organic graphics reflect the natural forms of Hawai'i.

The addition of the lei elements to the livery accentuate the three-dimensional contours of the aircraft fuselage while also incorporating a rich, meaningful cultural narrative that reflects the carrier's strong sense of place and identity.

Updated typography and bright, emotive imagery support Hawaiian's positioning as a premium leisure airline, focused on warm hospitable service.

The new visual identity preludes the next chapter in Hawaiian's 88-year history with the arrival of the medium-haul, single-aisle A321neo fleet later this year.

It is the next step in a series of major investments Hawaiian has made to aircraft cabins, lounges, and other aspects of the customer experience over the past five years, to elevate the carrier's service and ensure Hawaiian's position as the preferred airline for travelers flying to and within Hawaii.

To complement its new phase of growth, the airline will also roll out new uniforms for its frontline employees, themed Kū Mākou or Together We Stand, by the end of 2017.

Since 2001, Hawaiian has more than doubled its route network, from 13 to 27 airports served, including 11 international destinations. Hawaiian currently operates a fleet of 23 Airbus A330s, 20 Boeing 717 aircraft and eight Boeing 767s.

It also provides turbo-prop flights using three ATR-42 aircraft through its 'Ohana by Hawaiian service. The airline expects to take delivery of 18 new A321neo aircraft between the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2020.

WOW Air Takes Delivery Of A320neo And Hawaiian Airlines Debuts its New Premium Cabins

WOW Air, the low-fare airline based in Iceland, has taken delivery of its first A320neo on lease from Air Lease Corporation. WOW Air is an all Airbus operator with 12 aircraft in its fleet to date.

WOW Air selected the A320neo for its low operating costs and fuel efficiency character. The aircraft will feature a single-class cabin layout with 180 seats. The airline has chosen CFM engines to power the aircraft that will be used to operate throughout Europe routes.

The A320neo Family has received over 5,000 orders from over 90 customers. The aircraft family includes new generation engines and Sharklet wing-tip devices, bringing 15 percent in fuel savings to carriers.

As the airline said, this new delivery “will strengthen the airline’s fleet and expand its network” that comprises today 30 international routes throughout Europe and North America.

Hawaiian Airlines’ new lie-flat seats and Premium Cabins debuted their service from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), joining Tokyo (Narita), Brisbane and Sydney, Australia as the destinations in which the airline currently offers its new cabin products.

The business class cabin in Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330s includes 18 lie-flat seats. The airline collaborated with California-based consultancy PaulWylde to incorporate the new seat, evocative of elements of the winds and ocean, while mating organic textures and a sand and sea color palette throughout the cabin.

Aligned in a 2-2-2 configuration, the Optimares-designed seats are ideally tailored to leisure guests (couples, families, honeymooners), while offering superior functionality to the business traveler.

Besides the new seat, the airline has introduced new designer amenity kits, new custom cocktails through an exclusive partnership with On The Rocks premium cocktails, featuring all-natural ingredients, and new first class menus from the airline’s Featured Chef Series, featuring menus from Hawaii’s top chefs on a six-month rotation.

The island state airline has also increased the number of premium economy seats from 40 to 68. Dubbed the Extra Comfort, the product features 36 inches of seat pitch, priority boarding at the gate, complimentary on-demand in-seat entertainment, and a personal power outlet.

With the new configuration, the seat number in Hawaiian’s A330-200s will decrease from 294 to 278 while the fleet is being retrofitted with the new cabin configuration through 2017.

Hawaii’s tourism industry established new records in visitor arrivals in 2016. According to data from Hawaii Tourism Authority, over 8.9 million visitors came to Hawaii in 2016, representing a 3 percent increase compared to 2015, including an increase in arrivals from all regions of the east coast. Particularly, the New York City – Hawaii non-stop traffic increased by 14% year over year.

Qantas,Japan Airline, AirAsia Most Punctual Airlines In The Pacific

Qantas and Japan Airlines achieved the best on-time performance rates of any airline in the Asia Pacific region last year, while Thai AirAsia is the region’s most punctual low-cost carrier, a new report has revealed.

According to OAG’s latest ‘Punctuality League’ report for 2016, 87.56% of Qantas flights arrived at their destination on time last year, putting it top in Asia Pacific and fourth in the world. JAL (86.74%) was Asia Pacific’s second most punctual carrier, with Singapore Airlines (85.19%) third.

Continuing the strong performance of Australia and Japan, ANA (84.71%) and Virgin Australia (84.52%) were fourth and fifth respectively.

In terms of airports, Juanda International in Surabaya surprisingly topped the Asia Pacific rankings, with an OTP rate of 90.30%. This also made it the best performing “large” airport in the world (those handling in excess of 10 million passengers per year). Osaka Itami (89.56) was second in Asia Pacific, followed by three Australian hubs: Cairns (87.23), Brisbane (86.71) and Perth (85.86).

“Whether it is a 17-hour long-haul service or a one-hour connecting flight to a hub, the accuracy of both scheduling the service and delivering the stated on-time performance is incredible; especially when compared to so many other forms of transport,” said OAG’s John Grant. “This year’s report draws upon the largest ever number of flights tracked in a single year.”

Globally, the world’s most punctual airlines in 2016 were Hawaiian Airlines (89.87%), Copa Airlines (88.75%) and KLM (87.89%), while the best performing airports were Birmingham (91.28%), Newcastle (90.94%) and Surabaya (90.30%).

HAWAII: Unique Volcanic Phenomenon Begins, Tourism To Shoot Upwards

Hawaiian Airlines says it is expecting an increase in volcanic tourism numbers as word of a unique natural event spreads.

Mt Kīlauea on the Island of Hawai’i (also known as the Big Island), is the youngest and most active of the Hawaiian shield volcanoes and has recently begun extending the island’s coastline as its lava flow reached the Pacific Ocean.

NZ country director for Hawaiian Airlines Rusty Williss says that the Big Island is proving increasingly popular with intrepid New Zealand travellers.

“Our flights to Kona and Hilo [airports] were popular this July, when the lava viewing areas were re-opened,” said Williss.

“Kiwi travellers frequent the island for a variety of reasons including Hawaiian historical and cultural sights, diverse terrain -- from tropical rainforests, green and black sand beaches and the snowy peak of Maunakea -- and a multitude of water activities.

However, one of the most popular attractions last month has likely been the captivating, active volcano at the Kīlauea Volcano World Heritage Site,” he says.

Darragh Walshe, New Zealand manager for Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania, says Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is visited by millions of tourists each year and this number is already increasing due to the recent activity and the reopening of hikes which make the lava flow accessible.

“Kiwis are active travellers who love to experience and enjoy Hawai‘i’s natural environment. Opportunities such as this, which allow us to witness nature in its most formative stages, will be on the bucket list for many,

“The timing is also perfect, as Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park was established exactly 100 years ago and is part of this year’s US National Park Service Centenary celebrations,” he says.

An Auckland University vulcanologist has spent the past six months working alongside Hawaiian officials to monitor the lava flow agrees that Kiwis will be eager to take a peek.

Ben Simons, whose specialities include geo hazards and active volcano monitoring, devotes much of his life to studying the world’s active volcanoes, but even he is impressed by what is happening on Kīlauea.

“The lava flow itself is a major attraction but now that it has reached the water you get a whole other spectacle of vulcanism - fire fountaining, exploding bubbles and steam. The night glow is particularly special,” he says. “It’s a real treat to be able to see it all in action.”

Last month, the national park as well as the County of Hawaii revived the previously dormant hikes to view the lava flow. Tourists should be prepared for a long, strenuous 10 to 12 mile roundtrip hike through solidified lava fields to watch the latest flow travel into the water.

“The vulcanism is constant but this lava flow is new,” says Simons, a doctoral candidate who was in Hawai’i as part of an academic exchange. “There are two permanent lava lakes on Kīlauea - one is Halemaumau and the other is Puu Ōō, which is where the lava flow has begun this time.”

Hawaiian flies three-times weekly from Auckland International Airport to Honolulu, departing on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The airline is currently offering roundtrip airfare to Hilo from Auckland with a stopover in Honolulu for as low as $1279.96. For more information visit www.hawaiianairlines.co.nz.

USA: Government's Rankings Of Leading Airlines

Here are the government's rankings of the leading airlines and their on-time performance for December. The federal government counts a flight as on time if it arrives within 14 minutes of schedule.

1. Hawaiian Airlines, 93.0 per cent

2. Alaska Airlines, 85.3 per cent

3. Delta Air Lines, 83.6 per cent

4. Envoy Air, 80.4 per cent

5. American Airlines, 79.2 per cent

6. United Airlines, 77.9 per cent

7. ExpressJet, 77.3 per cent

8. Southwest Airlines, 76.1 per cent

9. Frontier Airlines, 75.0 per cent

10. SkyWest Airlines, 72.9 per cent

11. Virgin America, 71.1 per cent

12. JetBlue Airways, 70.1 per cent

13. Spirit Airlines, 68.7 per cent

Total, 77.8 per cent

USA: Empire Airlines Inc, dba Empire Aerospace Adds Embraer ERJ 145 All Series To Ops Specs

On December 18, 2015 Empire Aerospace a subsidiary of Empire Airlines received amended Operating Specifications , adding the ERJ 145 to its maintenance capabilities.

Empire Aerospace has performed heavy maintenance on large turbo-prop aircraft for the past 10 years. We are known for our ATR experience throughout North America, providing service to U.S. and Canadian based operators.

With the lack of growth of turbo-prop operations in North America, Empire realizedan additional market opportunity in collaborating with operators of regional jet aircraft.

Using industry outlooks and trend analysis, and through discussions with operators at the Regional Airline Association conventions in St. Louis in 2014 and Cleveland in 2015, the decision was made to add the Embraer ERJ 145 to our Operating Specifications. Working with our customers and the Federal Aviation Administration, Empire Aerospace added the ERJ 145 to our capabilities.

This is an exciting new chapter in the history of Empire Aerospace as one of the leading aviation companies in the Idaho Panhandle. With the addition of the ERJ 145, Empire Aerospace continues to meet regional airline needs by providing premier customer service through dedication to quality, and expanding its capabilities at a fair price.

Empire Airlines is an Idaho based company with over 350 employees providing air cargo services for FedEx in 15 states and inter-island passenger airline services for Hawaiian Airlines in Hawaii. Empire operates two other divisions: Empire Aerospace providing heavy maintenance and modifications to the industry and Empire Unmanned which provides unmanned aerial surveillance and analysis for agriculture and related industries.

HAWAII: Hawaiian Airlines To Upgrade Business Class

Hawaiian Airlines, the pink and friendly airline serving America's 50th state, has announced that it is refurbishing its business class and premium economy product on its A330 including lie flat seats in business and more seating capacity in Premium economy.

The upgraded aircraft will fly routes between between Honolulu and Australia from summer 2016. Already reknowned as a great way to fly, the new seats and upgraded in-flight product are in line with Hawaiian's stated mission to become the premium carrier of choice for flights to its home state.

USA: United Airlines Ends Flights To Dubai, Because Of Over Subsdised Gulf Carriers

United Airlines is ending its service to Dubai, saying the rapid expansion of “subsidized” local carriers and the loss of a government contract is forcing it to end its nonstop route from Washington Dulles.

The carrier’s last flight on the route will be the return from Dubai on Jan. 25.

“Even though we successfully operated the Washington-Dubai route for the past seven years, the entry of subsidized carriers such as Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways into the Washington, D.C. market has created an imbalance between supply and demand to the United Arab Emirates,” United says in a statement detailing its exit from the market. “As they’ve added subsidized capacity, our Washington-Dubai route has become less profitable.”

United's move follows a similar move by Delta, which announced in October that it would end its Atlanta-Dubai route in February. Like United, Delta blamed what it described as excess capacity from the Gulf carriers for making its route unprofitable.

As for United, it also pointed to a decision by the federal government to award the U.S. government contract for flights on the Dubai-Washington route to JetBlue. JetBlue does not fly the route, but its codeshare partner Emirates does. JetBlue is able to sell tickets on Emirates’ flights thanks to a codeshare partnership between the carriers.

In its statement, United estimated that Emirates “will be carrying an estimated 15,000 U.S. government employees, including active duty military personnel, whose official travel is funded by U.S. taxpayers."

“It is unfortunate that the GSA (General Services Administration) awarded this route to an airline that has no service to the Middle East and will rely entirely on a subsidized foreign carrier to transport U.S. government employees, military personnel and contractors,” Steve Morrissey, United’s Regulatory and Policy Vice President, says in United’s statement.

“We believe this decision violates the intent of the Fly America Act, which expressly limits the U.S. government from procuring commercial airline services directly from a non-U.S. carrier. For the Washington to Dubai route, JetBlue merely serves as a booking agent for Emirates,” Morrissey adds.

JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw confirmed to Today in the Sky that the airline had been chosen as the government’s contract carrier for the route, adding: "The GSA awards contracts that deliver the best value to the U.S. taxpayer and JetBlue is honored to have this traffic with Emirates, our codeshare partner."

United, of course, has also been part of broader effort by the three big U.S. airlines to push back against the rapid expansion of the three big "Gulf carriers" that include Emirates and Eithad of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar's Qatar Airways. United, along with Delta and American, has alleged that the three state-owned carriers receive unfair subsidies that allow them add capacity that outstrips demand that can be served profitably.

"For months, we’ve been speaking out about the ways unprecedented government subsidies to Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways distort competition and threaten U.S. airline jobs," United added in its statement. "We continue to call on the Obama administration to request consultations with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to ensure Open Skies agreements are being enforced."

All three of the Gulf carriers have vigorously denied the allegations of the big three U.S. airlines. And several big U.S. airlines have rallied in support of the Gulf carriers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, JetBlue is among that group, which also includes Hawaiian Airlines.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said that subsidy complaints by the three largest U.S. airlines against three rivals in the Middle East are unjustified, and an attempt to prevent more competition on lucrative European routes.

“If you pore through the legacy carriers’ filings with a critical eye, it’s clear many of their arguments against the Gulf carriers just don’t pass the straight-face test," JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in October while speaking at the International Aviation Club in Washington. "What is indisputable is that the legacy carriers have failed to prove that they’ve suffered any harm.”

USA: Virgin America Starts Daily Flights To Honolulu

New flight to Hawaii – really? I would never have guessed. On hand to celebrate the start of Virgin America’s San Francisco to Honolulu route is the shy and retiring Richard Branson. The service will be flown daily and started on 2 November.

Virgin America began daily services on the San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) city pair on 2 November. United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will compete, offering 36 and daily frequencies respectively.

The 3,853-kilometre route will be flown by the airline’s A320 fleet.

“Our loyal Bay Area travelers, and especially our Elevate frequent flyers, have been asking for an island escape for some time, and as of today they have a fresh option for their Hawaii travels,” said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush.


“We are thrilled to be bringing our unique service to Honolulu and next month Maui, and we look forward to building lasting community ties with the state and people of Hawaii.”

On 3 December, the airline’s Hawaii schedule grows again with daily non-stop flights from San Francisco to Maui’s Kahului Airport.