From the Control Tower
There's almost certainly a recovery out there somewhere. But it isn't here yet. Major US carriers are still burning huge amounts of cash and Q4 '20 wasn't as strong as they'd hoped. Q1 '21 won't be either.
With new lockdowns on the horizon and more strict testing rules in play the short term outlook is not great. But these are necessary steps to contain COVID-19 and ensure the long term safety of society. Which airlines also survive remains to be seen.
PaxExTRA by PaxEx.Aero
Connectivity
Inmarsat to provide satellite connectivity for UK’s first zero carbon regional air transport network
Short-haul operations fueled by hydrogen and potentially operating with just a single pilot on board could revolutionize air travel in Britain. Inmarsat will contribute its EAN network to deliver the connectivity required for enabling remote ‘digital’ co-piloting and journey critical communication on the flight deck.
inmarsat.com
Sponsored Link
Welcome to The Airchive
Welcome (back) to The Airchive.
Celebrating 100 years of commercial flight. Airchive is built around a vast Aviation Archive featuring more than 1,000,000 items of #AvGeek Goodness: vintage timetables, route maps, brochures, historic flights, airport terminals, airplane cabins, virtual tours of airline HQ's, bricks and mortar museums, final assembly lines, pics of airplane graveyards, models o' plenty, safety cards, menus, and of course special flights and events.
Name it, search it, browse for it. It's probably here.
wandr.me
Cabin Design
JetBlue A220 sees softer seats feel thanks to Ultrafabrics, Tapis innovation
It is unlikely that you'll snag a ride on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo or the McLaren Elva any time soon, but sitting down on board a new JetBlue A220 could offer one significant similarity: The new planes feature an Ultraleather seat covering of the same lineage as those much more rare experiences.
paxex.aero
Loyalty
Spirit Airlines new Free Spirit loyalty program now live
The new Free Spirit program is now live. And with it comes some change in the company's approach to airline loyalty.
paxex.aero
Sainsbury's is the new Avios supermarket partner!
Groceries and other coalition partners are a huge part of the loyalty earning game in the United Kingdom. Now Avios has a new partnership with Nectar (and, by extension, Sainsbury's) to replace the Tesco deal that expired last week.
headforpoints.com
Other Industry News
KLM to keep long haul flights as COVID testing demands are relaxed
KLM planned to halt long-haul operations in response to more strict COVID testing requirements on its crew. The Dutch government backed down, however, and the flights will go on, at least for now.
trust.org
Shell pulls out of joint venture to build UK sustainable jet fuels plant
It is not just that Shell is leaving the UK SAF production program, but that it is choosing a non-aero segment to invest in instead. Easier to hit big production number targets, but also potentially for industries that have more options for reducing emissions.
theguardian.com