Alaska Airlines Flight 450 Canceled Due to Snowstorm

The unusual snowstorms that hit Seattle and Portland beginning December 19 forced the cancellation of 450 Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights. Airline spokesman Paul McElroy says thousands of people have been stuck at west coast airports because of the heavy snow and strong winds in the Pacific northwest. Rebooking all those travelers is a major challenge. While airline travel is generally back to normal, not everyone will make it home or to their holiday destination by Christmas. McElroy says the airline is considering creating additional flights.

Couple Drops Alcohol Lawsuit Against United Airlines

At the request of the Florida couple who brought the legal action, a U.S. District Court in Tampa has dismissed a lawsuit against United Airlines that claimed the carrier “negligently” overserved alcohol during a flight.

Yoichi and Ayisha Shimamoto asked the court on Dec. 23 to voluntarily dismiss the case, which created headlines for the legal theory involved.

At issue was whether laws that hold bars and restaurants responsible for harm caused by intoxicated patrons apply when the server and drinker are flying at 40,000 feet across international territory.

The lawsuit alleged that United’s flight attendants were overly generous in serving wine to Yoichi Shimamoto during a nearly nine-hour flight from Osaka, Japan, to San Francisco, fueling domestic violence involving the couple shortly after the plane landed.

Shimamoto was arrested and accused of disorderly conduct and battery after he struck his wife as they headed through U.S. Customs following the December 2006 flight.

Under the Dram Shop Act, which is in place in most states, commercial suppliers of alcohol may be held liable for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons. California’s version of the statute restricts suppliers’ liability to damage inflicted by minors.

Delta Air Lines Adds New Flight Service to Liberia

Delta Air Lines Inc. on Sept. 4 will add new service between Atlanta and Monrovia, Liberia.

Delta already has approval from the Liberian Civil Aviation Authority and preliminary approval from the U.S. government to sell seats for the new flight. Final U.S. government approvals are expected before the flight begins, Delta reported.

The new service will connect Delta’s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Roberts International Airport in Monrovia with a stop in Accra, Ghana.

Delta originally wanted to launch service to Monrovia in June 2009, but it was delayed while Roberts International Airport implemented measures to ensure it is properly equipped and prepared for the new service.

All Nippon Airways Immediately Operate Boeing 787 Dreamliner Aircraft

Plane-maker to celebrate in Everett, Wash., but experts note plenty of challenges ahead for Chicago-based Boeing.

Boeing marks a milestone in its long history Sunday when the aircraft-maker officially delivers the first Dreamliner, a twin-aisle plane that offers the best fuel economy and range for a craft its size and promises passengers far greater comfort while flying.

“It’s a very big deal, not just for Boeing but for the airline community,” said Aaron Gellman, professor of transportation at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The journey to delivering the 787 aircraft, which sells for about $185 million, has been long and problem-plagued for Boeing, which this month marks the 10-year anniversary of moving its world headquarters to Chicago.

Sunday’s contractual delivery of the plane to All Nippon Airways and a celebration on Monday in Everett, Wash., come about three years late because of design and construction problems. Those troubles earned the 787 jet the unflattering nickname “7-late-7.” ANA originally ordered the plane in 2004 for delivery in 2008.

Delays haven’t hurt sales, however. Boeing said it has more than 800 orders from 56 customers around the world.

While the 787 aircraft itself is a big deal, the celebration around finally delivering the first one is more fanfare than progress, said Richard Aboulafia, aircraft and aviation analyst with Virginia aerospace market analysis company Teal Group. More work lies ahead for Boeing, which will be pressed to deliver on its promises for the much-ballyhooed plane, he said.

“They have so many more challenges ahead of them,” he said. Chief among those are figuring out how to build the plane at a profit — Boeing will likely lose money for years on the ones it builds initially — and ramping up production to the rate of 10 planes per month by 2013.

The Dreamliner is the most technically advanced commercial aircraft ever built, and its information technology systems have been a selling point for Boeing, along with the jet’s lighter, largely composite structure, which promises greater fuel efficiency and creature comforts. The first version will hold 210 to 250 passengers; a typical 737-size plane holds about 150. A subsequent version will carry nearly 300 passengers.

For passengers, there’s the industry’s largest windows and overhead bins. The smoother-riding and quieter plane will have wider aisles and seats, lower cabin pressure and cleaner air using a filtration system that will remove offensive odors. The windows will even be dimmable, via electrochromatic window shades rather than physical pull-down shades. Boeing says these features combine to allow passengers to arrive at their destinations more refreshed.

For airlines, the midsize 787 offers fuel economy and the ability to fly long range.

If it lives up to expectations, the Dreamliner would burn 20 percent less fuel than other midsize jets but boast the range of far larger aircraft: 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles. That would enable carriers to bypass airport hubs and directly connect city pairs, like Auckland, New Zealand, and Houston, that otherwise wouldn’t generate enough passenger traffic to fill jumbo jets.

“It is going to enable airlines to fly between points that they never served directly before,” Gellman said.

AirAsia Promotion cheap flights to Malaysia from Stansted

A new airline promising bargain flights from the UK to Malaysia plans to take off in the new year.
AirAsiaX, a subsidiary of Malaysian no-frills carrier Air Asia, intends to launch five flights a week to Kuala Lumpur from London Stansted on March 11.

It is promising return tickets to the Malay capital for under £200 – including taxes. Everything else, including food and water on a 12-hour flight will have to be paid for, with meals costing between £5 and £7.50.

AIrAsiaX arrives on the scene during one of the most turbulent periods in aviation history. Over 20 airlines have gone bust during the last year, including Oasis, a carrier which tried to crack the London to Hong Kong market by offering cheap fares.

Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian entrepreneur behind the project, is confident his airline is unlikely to suffer the same fate because it will be part of an established no-frills brand with routes across the Far East and Australia.

He said: “We have 86 aircraft and are already carrying 20 million passengers a year in Asia. This means we can undercut existing operators on some of the most profitable routes, such as London to Perth (via Kuala Lumpur).”

He added that passengers on the Air Asia’s flights from Malaysia to Australia – which can last as long as eight hours – have accepted the principle of having to pay extra for food.

“We are not denying you something you get for free on other airlines, because they really include food as part of the ticket price.”