COSTA RICA: Argentine Pilots Survive Plane Crash In San Jose

Two Argentine pilots survived when their light aircraft crash landed Friday in a heavily populated area of the capital of Costa Rica, officials said.

The pilots climbed out of the wreckage of the plane after it came down in the Pavas neighborhood of San Jose, in an area full of homes and schools, witnesses and officials said.

The pilots are well, they managed to get out of the plane on their own, said the head of Costa Rica's civil aviation authority, Guillermo Hoppe, speaking at the scene.

It was a complicated situation, the plane lost all power, said Damian Barreira, one of the two pilots, in a video clip shot on a local resident's cell phone and broadcast on news channels.

Hoppe said Argentine authorities had informed him that the men had bought the plane in the United States and were flying it back to their home country in short-distance flights, a journey that had been expected to take a month.

Shortly after taking off from an airfield in San Jose, the plane lost power and the pilots looked for an open space in the residential district to make an emergency landing.

As it came down, the plane hit a large tree which cushioned the impact of the crash.


Tourism Observer

USA: Southwest Airlines Passenger Numbers Soar To Over Seven Million

Southwest Airlines launched its first international route from Nashville on 11 November 2017, a weekly service to Cancún in Mexico. Southwest is the largest operator at Nashville, accounting for 54% of the airport’s total traffic.

Since 2013, the airline has reported an average year-on-year increase in traffic from the airport of 7.8%, with the number of passengers it carries from the Tennessee city growing from 5.49 million in 2013 to 7.45 million in 2017.

Southwest Airlines is the largest operator at Nashville Airport, accounting for a 54% share of the airport’s total passenger movements between October 2017 and September 2018, with over 8.05 million customers being transported to/from the airport by the airline during this period.

To give an idea of how dominant Southwest is at Nashville, the airport’s second biggest operator, Delta Air Lines carried a little under 1.65 million passengers within the same period on 12 routes, accounting for 11% of the airport’s total traffic. Southwest presently operates 39 routes from Nashville on either a seasonal or year-round basis.

Southwest Airlines transported 7.45 million passengers from Nashville in 2017, up 7.7% versus the 6.92 million it transported from the airport in 2016.

The result of last year marks a 54% increase in annual passengers for the airline from the airport versus 2008, when it carried 4.83 million people from the Tennessee airport.

During the past decade, Southwest has reported two years where passenger numbers fell, with 2009 seeing a 3.4% drop in passengers carried versus 2008, and 2012 when numbers fell by 1.0% when compared to 2011.

While full year data for 2018 is presently not available, it should be noted that data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has confirmed that 8.05 million passengers were transported in the 12-month period between October 2017 and September 2018.

For the first nine months of this year, Southwest Airlines carried just under 6.14 million passengers from Nashville, up 11% versus the same ninth-month period of last year when 5.52 million people were flown by Southwest to and from the city.

If the airline is able to maintain its 11% growth rate for the last quarter of 2018, then it will have flown roughly 8.28 million passengers from Nashville, up 71% versus the same traffic levels encountered in 2008.

Baltimore/Washington and Chicago Midway are Southwest’s top routes from Nashville, with both seeing 35 weekly flights a piece during the week. As stated, the airline operated 39 routes from the airport in 2018, on either a seasonal or year-round basis.

For the airline, last year was a quiet one with regards to adding new destinations, with just two routes being launched from Nashville, namely to Atlanta and Oklahoma City.

However, while the new route count is low, the airline is operating 30 weekly departures to Atlanta, catapulting it into being the airline’s third biggest route from Nashville, while also breaking Delta’s monopoly on the route to the world’s busiest airport.

Looking ahead to 2019, Southwest is already showing that growth is set to continue from Nashville, with the airline already confirmed to add five new routes from the airport this year. The first to launch will be on 7 January when it begins services to New York Newark.

Coincidentally, this route is a relaunch from when the airline closed the airport pair back in April 2016, with this also being the last route that was dropped by the airline from Nashville.

Following on from this, the other four new routes will begin in June, namely Burbank, San Jose, Norfolk and Omaha.

Southwest Airlines operated 39 routes from Nashville in 2018 on either a seasonal or year-round basis, with its two new routes last year being Atlanta and Oklahoma City.

In 2019, the airline has confirmed that it will add five new routes from Nashville, namely New York Newark, Burbank, San Jose, Norfolk and Omaha.


Tourism Observer

USA: United To Fly New 737 MAX 9s From SFO And LAX To Hawaii.

United will drop a transcontinental route from San Jose, add some domestic regional markets, and start flying new 737MAX9s to Hawaii from the West Coast.

Delta will start service between two business centers, add a Mexico route and increase Havana flights; JetBlue expands Mint service to Central America; and British Airways targets a new U.S. gateway.

United Airlines is throwing in the towel on its daily San Jose-Newark service as of October 26, citing poor traffic numbers.

That leaves three carriers in the non-stop SJC-New York market – Alaska Airlines with a daytime eastbound flight to Newark and a new daily daytime flight to New York JFK; and Delta and JetBlue with eastbound red-eye service from SJC to New York JFK.

United continues to fly from SJC to its hubs at Houston Bush Intercontinental, Denver and Chicago O’Hare.

Elsewhere, United will add some new spokes from its Denver hub. On October 4, it will begin twice-daily service to Monterey, California with CRJ200s.

On December 19 United will launch seasonal daily service from DEN to Mammoth Lakes, California with a CRJ700, continuing through the end of March.

And on August 29, United will add Prescott, Arizona to its route map with daily CRJ200 flights from Denver and six CRJ200 flights a week from Los Angeles. All four of these routes will be operated by SkyWest.

To Hawaii, meanwhile, United is expected to deploy new Boeing 737 MAX9s on some west coast routes in the months ahead.

It will use the new planes to operate six to seven flights a week from LAX to Kahului, Maui starting August 21; daily flights from LAX to Kona as of February 14.

Daily service from San Francisco to Kona beginning March 8; and daily flights from SFO to Maui as of March 9. While efficient, the new planes have become quickly known for ultra-tight seating and teeny-tiny lavatories. Tough for a five hour flight.

Speaking of Hawaii when Chris was in Kauai recently, the word on the street was that production crews were on the island shooting commercials for Southwest Airlines' launch of new flights from the mainland.

Unconfirmed reports are that flights could begin as soon as November. The carrier is currently flying domestic simulations in the hopes of getting ETOPS certification for its 737s soon.

Delta is the largest airline at Raleigh-Durham, and it’s planning to grow there next spring with the addition of a key business route.

On April 1, the carrier will start flying three times a day from RDU to Chicago O'Hare , using 70-passenger E175s with first class, Comfort+ and main cabin seating.

Delta will be trying to pick up a piece of the RDU-ORD market currently dominated by United and American, and maybe a bit of the RDU-Chicago Midway market served by multiple daily Southwest flights.

Delta and Aeromexico will add another route top their joint venture operation on September 17 with the launch of new non-stop service between Detroit and Queretaro, a growing business center northwest of Mexico City.

The route will be served three days a week with a two-class Aeromexico E190. And on October 28, Delta will increase capacity between Miami and Havana by adding a second flight five days a week.

Citing increased demand from customers for its premium front-cabin Mint service with lie-flat seats, JetBlue said it will add weekly Mint-equipped flights to a pair of Latin America and Caribbean markets this fall.

On November 3, it will start Saturday service from Boston to St. Lucia, followed on December 15 by Mint-equipped flights from New York JFK to Liberia, Costa Rica.

Next February, it will resume Saturday Mint service from JFK to St. Maarten.

British Airways will add another U.S. gateway to its network on April 2 when it kicks off new service from London Heathrow to Pittsburgh.

The carrier will use a 787-8 Dreamliner on the route, which will operate four days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).


Tourism Observer

ST. MARTIN: Donald Trump’s St. Martin Villa Listed For Sale

U.S. President Donald Trump’s villa in French St. Martin has been listed for sale.

Le Chateau des Palmiers, which Trump reportedly first purchased in 2013, has been listed with Sotheby’s International Realty. It is now held by a trust established by Trump, in an effort to isolate him from potential conflicts of interest.

The home, located in the beautiful Les Terres Basses neighborhood on Plum Bay, had been used as a rental property marketed by top villa firms.

It boasts 11 bedrooms, 12 full bathrooms and three partial bathrooms on a 4.8-acre direct beachfront lot on Plum Bay.

Other amenities include a large pool, a tennis court, an outdoor covered bar across a two-villa complex.

The home also includes a two-bedroom manager’s area.

The home does not have a listing price, although the home had been listed for $19.7 million when he purchased it in 2013.

Southwest Airlines is continuing its rapid expansion push in the Caribbean with a trio of new Caribbean routes.

The company, which is rolling out a wave of new flights on June 4, has announced plans to launch new daily nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, beginning in November.

Southwest is also launching new weekly Saturday flights to Cancun, Mexico out of both Nashville and St. Louis, with the new service set to launch on Nov. 11.

Southwest’s Fort Lauderdale expansion, which will also include new daily service to San Jose, Costa Rica, will mean the carrier will fly to a tlta of 10 destinations out of that hub.

Starting rates on the Punta Cana flights start at $129 one way, with introductory rates for the Cancun flights at $149 one way.

Southwest is also expected to launch flights from Fort Lauderdale to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, beginning on Nov. 5.

Our position as hometown carrier both here in Nashville and in St. Louis with more than a 100 flights a day this summer from both airports makes this weekly shortcut to Cancun a natural addition for our loyal Customers to hit another popular beach destination, said Dave Harvey, who oversees International Planning as Southwest Airlines’ Managing Director of Business Development.

At the same time, we’re adding daily service in our established gateway in Fort Lauderdale as part of a larger effort to bring meaningful international service to Customers coast-to-coast who have made us America’s largest carrier.

Heading to these destinations? Check out the top all inclusive Punta Cana resorts and the best Cancun hotels.

USA: Alaska Airlines And Virgin America Expand To Dallas Love Field,Turkish Introduces New Product

Virgin America and Alaska Airlines are expanding service to Dallas Love Field from four West Coast airports. With new routes between Love Field and Seattle; San Diego; Portland, Oregon; and San Jose, California, the combined airline will serve eight destinations from Love Field with 18 daily peak season departures, up 40 percent.

Four months into its merger with Virgin America, Alaska Airlines has announced unprecedented growth from the West Coast, adding a record 37 new markets to date.

The new Love Field expansion builds on Alaska's successful service to Texas, which began 12 years ago. After today's announcement, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America will offer guests 59 peak season flights a day to/from five Texas airports, including Austin, Dallas Fort Worth, Dallas Love Field, Houston and San Antonio.

The four new routes will be flown using three-class jets. The Embraer 175 jet, operated by SkyWest Airlines, will fly daily to Portland, San Diego, San Jose and Seattle.

One of the two daily flights to Seattle will be operated by Virgin America using an A320 family aircraft. All guests flying the new routes will enjoy Free Chat, free movies, premium food and beverages, Wi-Fi and advance seat selection.

Starting this summer, Virgin America jets will be replaced with a 76-seat E175 jet in two Love Field markets – New York's LaGuardia Airport and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. On Aug. 27, three-times daily service to New York's LaGuardia Airport will operate using an E175 and increase to four daily flights on Oct. 28.

Starting Feb. 18, twice-daily service to Reagan National Airport will also be replaced with an E175. The third daily Love Field-Washington Reagan National daily trip will continue to be operated by Virgin America until March 11, when SkyWest will take over the evening flight. As part of these schedule changes, Virgin America will permanently exit Love Field-Las Vegas on Aug. 26.

The fleet changes will free up Virgin America planes used in Love Field, to fly new, previously announced long-haul San Francisco flights to Philadelphia, New Orleans, Nashville, Indianapolis, Raleigh-Durham and Kona, as well as new flights between Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Virgin America will continue to operate three daily flights between Love Field and Los Angeles and three daily flights between Love Field and San Francisco. Additionally, all Virgin America employees in Dallas and LaGuardia are keeping their jobs. There is no change in employment status for any teammates as a result of this announcement.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines takes in-flight experience even further. Having the passenger’ satisfaction as the airline’s priority, wide on-board selection of the carrier continues to be broadened in order to reach the widest range of passengers’ requests.

Yet another innovation developed by Turkish Airlines to enable its business class passengers to enjoy the best Turkish hospitality within the concept of privileged travel.

Living garden concept including new cosmetics consisting of hand lotion, hand soap and room odor branded with Molton Brown –a brand identified with refreshment, naturalness and luxury-, are presented on specially designed wooden stands with live plants in business class lavatories.

The flowers and green plants placed in the lavatories within the scope of the project make passengers feel like in a flower garden above the sky.

BELIZE: Copa Airlines Inaugural Flight To Belize

Copa Airlines, Panama’s leading airline, had its inaugural flight touch down in Belize December 8th and now offering flights to Belize for its passengers as part of its expansion efforts.

Lloyd Alvarez, Cahal Pech Village Resort Reservations Manager, who has been working in the tourism industry for over a decade said Copa Airlines will definitely increase overnight tourism arrivals from South America.

Copa Airlines will be offering two weekly flights to Belize City from Hub de la Americas, Panama City. With this new addition, Copa Airlines will now expand its route to 75 cities and 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean with Belize being the seventh in Central America.

The addition of Belize to Copa’s route now means that the airline covers all of Central America and strengthens their regional leadership.

“The connectivity will open enormous opportunities for tourism and commercial development for this interesting Caribbean country, as well as allowing for tourists from the same region to have the opportunity to enjoy all the tourism and commercial strengths Belize has to offer,” Copa Airlines Executive President Pedro Heilbron said.

Flight CM 281 will leave Belize City on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2:17 p.m., arriving at ‘Hub de las Americas’ at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City at 5:34 p.m. The return flight, will leave Panama Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:29 a.m. arriving in Belize at 12:52 midday. All flights are local time and the flight time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

For its direct flight to Belize, Copa will be operating a modern Embraer 190 aircraft with capacity for 94 passengers, 10 in Executive Class and 84 in the main cabin. This aircraft is characterized for having two seats in each side of the isle without a center seat, which makes it more attractive and comfortable for passengers.

From Hub de las Americas in Panama, Copa airlines offers more international flights than any other airline with a center of operations in this continent. The flight from Belize to Panama was programmed to provide convenient connection to Sao Paulo, Brazil; San Jose, Costa Rica; Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin in Colombia; Santiago de Chile, Chile; Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador; Managua, Nicaragua; Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; Havana, Cuba; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Lima, Peru.

The passengers in transit will not need to pass through immigration or wait in a customs line, and their luggage will be checked at their final destination. In addition, Belizeans will have access to the top five biggest shopping malls in Latin America, a “Stop Over” two nights free of charge in Panama, and easier access to the Caribbean and Latin America for business and vacation.

Alvarez said he is proud of Belize’s tourism industry for remaining vibrant and partnering with Southwest Airlines, who also recently added a new route to Belize. Airfare to Belize has gone down by 20 percent this year compared to last year with Southwest’s introduction and low prices causing other airlines flying to Belize to lower their prices.

2016 looks to be an even better year for airfare as additional airlines, including Westjet, look to partner with Belize and increase air traffic to and from the country.

Alvarez said Cahal Pech looks forward to the increase in overnight arrivals as it will boost the local economy and help to strengthen the tourism industry, which accounts for 18 percent of the country’s GDP.

Cahal Pech Village Resort, located in the Cayo District is comprised of 23 palm thatched cabanas, 14 standard rooms, 5 spacious suites, 9 deluxe suites, 3 fresh water swimming pools, a restaurant that serves an assortment of gourmet flair, a fully stocked bar, a gift shop, a fleet of tour vehicles and a cadre of professional staff.

Families, honeymooners and adventure travelers use the resort as an ideal base to explore the amazing and wonderful ecotourism activities in San Ignacio Town. The resort is owned by Dan and Miriam Silva and has been in operation since 1995.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways To Fly Direct From London To Iran

British Airways is resuming direct flights to the Iranian capital Tehran, Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the airline said, following the lifting of western economic sanctions against the country.

British Airways will operate a six-times weekly service during the summer before moving to daily flights towards the end of the year, beginning July 14.

British Airways’ Tehran flights will be operated by a four-class Boeing 777 aircraft and depart from Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

British Airways CEO Willie Walsh has previously hinted at a recent conference in Dublin that the London-Tehran route would return:

“We are very interested in flying to Tehran and we are hopeful that it will form part of BA’s network in the very near future. We are actively looking at it as a destination.”

The move came a few weeks after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), came into force.

Based on the nuclear deal, reached in July 2015, all nuclear-related anti-Iran sanctions have been removed.

A British Airways spokeswoman said the company’s route network was regularly reviewed “to ensure that we operate to destinations with a strong demand from our customers”.

If the flights are introduced, it is thought that other Heathrow slots will be dropped to make way for the service, which was stopped in 2012.

British Airways head of network planning Neil Cottrell, said:

“Iran is a large and growing economy and Tehran is a brilliant business city so we are incredibly excited to be adding another gateway to the Middle East for our customers.

According to a British Airways spokesperson, the airline suspended flights in October 2012 when British Midland International (BMI) became part of British Airways and the route was “no longer commercially viable”.

British Airways has a long history of flying to the city and offered the first scheduled flights between London and Tehran in 1946.

Tehran is one of 14 new routes British Airways will be launching this year, which include San Jose, Costa Rica, San Jose, California and Lima in Peru.

MEXICO: Aeromexico Announces New Route For 2016, Amsterdam

Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, announced three weekly nonstop flights between Mexico City and Amsterdam starting on May 29, 2016, making the city its fourth destination in Europe.

This new route will be operated using Boeing 787 aircraft with 243 seat capacity, including 32 seats in Clase Premier, Aeromexico's Business Class Cabin. The Dreamliner is considered one of the most advanced commercial aircraft in the skies, offering benefits that include extra legroom, more storage space for carry-on bags, bigger windows that can be dimmed at the touch of a button, personal entertainment system, Sky Interiors LED lighting, and new in-flight menu services.

Anko van der Werff, Aeromexico's Chief Revenue Officer, said, "Aeromexico is extremely proud to add Amsterdam to its European route network. The Netherlands is the fourth largest Mexico's trading partner in the European Union, and nowadays, an average of 200,000 annual passengers travel between both capital cities".

"With this flight, Aeromexico will be able to offer a quality service to all of its customers traveling from the Netherlands on board our Boeing 787 aircraft with greater connectivity options to the main cities in Mexico, such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puerto Vallarta, and in Central and South America, including San Jose, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama.", he added.

One of the key factors in establishing this new route is Amsterdam's status as a major SkyTeam hub where KLM offers a significant number of flights within Europe. Aeromexico is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance.

Aeromexico is proud to crown the year 2015 by announcing the addition of a new route, just as it did at the beginning of this year, thus allowing the airline to increase the economic, commercial and tourist exchange between the two nations, as well as the number of passengers carried between Mexico and Europe.

About Grupo Aeromexico

Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexico's global airline, operates more than 600 daily flights and its main hub is in Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its destinations network features more than 80 cities on three continents, including 46 destinations in Mexico, 16 in the United States, 16 in Latin America, three in Canada, three in Europe and two in Asia.

The Group's fleet of about 130 aircraft is comprised of Boeing 787, 777 and 737 jet airliners and next generation Embraer 145, 170, 175 and 190 models. In 2012, the airline announced the most significant investment strategy in aviation history in Mexico, to purchase 100 Boeing aircraft including 90 MAX B737 jet airliners and 10 B787-9 Dreamliners.

As a founding member of SkyTeam, the airline alliance which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, Aeromexico offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 179 countries served by the 20 SkyTeam airline partners rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 636 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel on its codeshare partner flights with Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines and Westjet with extensive connectivity in countries like the United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru

GERMANY:Lufthansa To Introduce New Non-stop Flights Between Frankfurt And San Jose

Lufthansa is to introduce a new non-stop service between Frankfurt and San Jose, California (USA). The new service, which will commence on 29 April 2016, will be the first non-stop flights to the state’s Silicon Valley from a European airport. The five-times-weekly service will be operated using Airbus A340-300 equipment.

The new westbound LH 488 service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, departing from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub in the morning and arriving in San Jose in the early afternoon after a 12-hour flight. The corresponding eastbound LH 489 service will operate as a night flight, leaving San Jose in the afternoon and arriving in Frankfurt the following morning. The schedules have been designed to provide the best possible connections with other Lufthansa services from and to Germany, Europe, Asia and Africa at the Frankfurt hub.

The San Jose metropolitan region has a population of around 3.3 million and lies in the heart of Silicon Valley, the major site of high-tech start-ups and corporations. Alongside many of the most famous names in the internet world, the area is also home to several leading companies in the biotech, pharmaceuticals and medical sectors. And a number of major car manufacturers have their research labs there, too.

San Jose is also an attractive tourist destination, serving as an ideal starting point to explore Northern California. Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe and other key attractions are all close by, making San Jose a genuine travel alternative to San Francisco, which is just 70 kilometers away.

Lufthansa is the first airline in Europe to offer non-stop service to San Jose, whose airport is increasingly developing into an international hub. Since its new international terminal was completed, the airport has welcomed new non-stop services to various destinations, including Tokyo and Beijing.

Lufthansa travellers to and from San Jose will have three seating classes to choose from: Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. For further information and/or bookings visit LH.com or call the Lufthansa Service Center on 210 6175200. Flights can also be booked via Lufthansa’s travel agency partners.

USA: 93 Sick After Shigella Outbreak Occurred At The Mariscos San Juan Restaurant

California health officials are investigating a bacterial outbreak after at least 93 people were sickened.

An outbreak of shigella occurred at the Mariscos San Juan Restaurant on 4th Street in San Jose, California, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said. Individuals started to report symptoms including fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea last Saturday, health officials said. Currently, at least 24 of those sickened have been diagnosed with shigella, according to the health department.

The restaurant was closed on Sunday and health department officials are asking anyone who has eaten at the restaurant and developed symptoms, including fever or sudden onset of diarrhea, to see a doctor immediately. No specific source of contamination has been identified, according to the health department.

Health department officials said many of those who had been in the intensive care unit had been discharged, but they were warning anyone with symptoms to stop working to curb the infection.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said officials would be especially concerned about improper food handling or if the produce was contaminated with polluted water.

"If produce comes in from the developing world, on occasion fresh produce has been irrigated or freshened with polluted water," he explained.

The bacteria shigella can cause an infection called shigellosis, and symptoms usually appear one to two days after a person has been exposed to the bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms including diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, and it usually resolves itself between five to seven days, though in rare cases the disease can be so dehydrating it can lead to dangerous complications. Young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at heightened risk for complications.

"This is serious business. It is a highly infectious agent," Schaffner said. "It usually takes very little bacteria to make people sick. That may account in part for the large number of patients in the outbreak."

Every year, 500,000 Americans are sickened with shigella, according to the CDC.

COSTA RICA: Volaris Connects To Costa Rica

Volaris on 10 September added San Jose in Costa Rica to its international network. Cutting the celebratory ribbon were: Jose Luis Suarez, Retail and Customer Service, Volaris; Miguel Aguiñiga, Senior Sales Manager, Volaris; Hermes Navarro, Chief of Airlines and Investment Attraction, Volaris; and Maria Eugenia Renauld, Costa Rica Ambassador to Mexico.

The airline will serve Costa Rica twice-weekly from both Cancún and Guadalajara.

Volaris has added Costa Rica to its international network with the introduction on 10 September of twice-weekly flights from both Cancún (CUN) and Guadalajara (GDL) to San Jose (SJO) using the airline’s A320s.

Neither the 1,260-kilometre route from Cancún, nor the 2,354-kilometre route from Guadalajara, faces any direct competition. Both routes will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.

Costa Rica becomes the LCC’s fourth international market after Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the US.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways Launches Transatlantic Flight Between San Jose And London

The British airline British Airways has announced the launch in May 2016 of a new link between the international airport of San Jose Norman Y. Mineta in California and London Heathrow. This new transatlantic route will be operated by 787-9 Dreamliner.

British Airways will deploy the latest device in its fleet, a 787-9 configured for 216 passengers (8 new First Class Class, 42 in Business Class, 39 in Premium Eco Class and 127 in Economy Class) on its new California road. Daily flights are scheduled from 4 in 2016 but with departure at 15:15 from London Heathrow at 18.05 and arrive in San Jose (flight 10:05); return flights starting again at 20:00 with arrival in London at 14:05 the next day.

British Airways, which currently operates its eight 787-8 Dreamliners, ordered 22 copies of the immediately higher. It will receive its first 787-9, which features a First Class contrary to 787-8, in September with a first flight on October 25 between London and Delhi.

San Jose Airport was no longer connected to Europe since that American Airlines had withdrawn his way to Paris in 2001. San José is the fourth British Airways destination with California Los Angeles, San Francisco (two daily flights) and San Diego.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways Announces New Boeing 787-9 Route To San Jose, California

British Airways (London) has announced that it will begin service between Mineta San Jose International Airport and London Heathrow Airport from May 4, 2016. This marks the first regularly scheduled nonstop service to the UK for the city of San Jose. British Airways will operate the newest aircraft in its fleet, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring the airline’s newly designed First cabin.

San Jose will be the fourth Californian city from which British Airways flies, following Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Earlier this year British Airways introduced its super jumbo Airbus A380 onto San Francisco, providing customers with comfort, space and enhanced wellbeing for their trip to London.

Flight BA279 will touch down in San Jose for the first time at 6:05 pm in the evening of May 4, 2016 and BA278 will depart San Jose at 8:00 pm the same evening, arriving into London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 2:05 pm the next day.

The airline’s 787-9 Dreamliner will accommodate eight customers in the new First cabin, 42 seats in Club World, 39 in World Traveller Plus and 127 in World Traveller. Lower pressurization means less dry cabin air, leaving customers feeling more refreshed with less jet lag while the aircraft’s smooth ride technology reduces the effect of turbulence. Soothing mood lighting in every cabin gradually adjusts to reflect the time of day and the large windows feature electronic dimming switches.

The 787-9, the first of which is due to be delivered to British Airways in September, is 20 feet longer that its 787-8 predecessor, so as well as offering World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and Club World (business class), there’s also room for a new First class cabin – a first for the airline’s 787 fleet.