- US Airways and Northwest Airlines have received temporary liquor licenses from the state of New Mexico and are once again selling alcohol on flights to and from the state. Expressjet, which just opened its service, plans to sell alcohol in the air before it gets its license, taking the same view as other carriers that licensing is based on where one purchases, not sells the alcohol.
- Upgrade Travel reports ten airlines are considering turning half their economy seats around to face the opposite way to squeeze in an extra column of seats along the aircraft. It could increase the seat pitch by four inches. As they put it…“Not only will crawling over your neighbors be harder, but you’ll be staring at your neighbor’s face. And romantic couples won’t be getting too frisky in this configuration.”
- Embraer will be supplying 30 Embraer 190 jets to Lufthansa, with delivery starting in 2009. The contract will supersede a previous agreement with Swiss International for 15 170s and 15 195s.
- Go! today celebrated the launch of Go!Express and the start of service to Kapalua, Maui. Go! operates sixty flights a day from its hub in Honolulu using a fleet of CRJ-200 aircraft.
- Delta will be offering daily flights from Los Angeles to Tijuana and Zacatecas in Mexico. Service will begin to Tijuana June 7th with two daily flights. Zacatecas will be served with three daily flights starting the next day. Service will be operated for Delta by Expressjet.
- Air Transport World reports US Airways will not be looking at Boeing aircraft to replace its A350 order. US Airways, according to them, has opted to stay with the A350 and buy more A330s to plug the capacity gap. The rumor has no official verification, however, but considering the A350’s long delays and problems, it may not help US Airways to stick with it totally.
- Delta is close to securing coveted and valuable slots at London’s Heathrow Airport for its own use. Industry experts were shocked at the quickness of this news, as slot availability was expected to limit the airport, even in the face of Open Skies competition.
- Expressjet launched service Monday from Tulsa, Oklaholma City, and Albuerqueque.
