NTSB investigating engine failure aboard Spirit Airlines Flight 165

By BA Staff

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Tuesday’s engine failure on a Spirit Airlines Airbus A319, which was flying from Dallas to Atlanta.

The NTSB has an investigator on the scene at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport inspecting and documenting the engine, an International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500, which has now been removed from the airplane.

As a result of the initial inspection, it was determined that the engine failure was contained, meaning it did not penetrate the engine casing.

The engine will be shipped to a separate facility for a detailed examination and disassembly. IAE, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Spirit Airlines are parties to the investigation.

The NTSB has also secured the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from Spirit Flight 165. The recorders are being brought back to Washington, DC for readout and analysis.

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GOL and Delta achieve alliance milestones

Atlanta based American full service carrier Delta Air Lines and Brazilian low cost carrier (LCC) GOL Linehas Aereas Inteligentes recently detailed the benefits of their alliance 20 months after its inception. Find the details below.

22nd August, 2013

SAO PAULO, Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty months after Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes (BM&FBovespa: GOLL4 and NYSE: GOL) announced their enhanced, long-term, exclusive alliance, the companies highlight the milestones achieved.  Delta and GOL leveraged the strengths of both carriers to create additional value by establishing a seamless customer experience.

The Delta and GOL commercial team accomplished its immediate objectives: (1) expand the codeshare agreement; (2) provide additional benefits to the airlines' loyal customers; and (3) offer a consistent experience at airports.   

Codeshare Agreement

"Our strategic partnership with GOL greatly enhances Delta's network, providing access to 23 destinations in Brazil," said Ed Bastian, Delta's president and member of GOL's Board of Directors. "The codeshare will continue to expand pending regulatory approvals. Delta and GOL offer a U.S.-Brazil network unrivaled by any other U.S. flag carrier."

Currently GOL has the ability to offer its customers access to the 5 markets Delta serves between the U.S. and Brazil which are: Brasilia - Atlanta, Rio de Janeiro - Atlanta; and between Sao Paulo and Atlanta, Detroit and New York JFK.  Additionally, GOL's customers from the following local markets currently have access to Atlanta and will soon have access to Detroit and JFK: 

• Belo Horizonte
• Curitiba
• Goiana
• Porto Alegre

The Delta-GOL codeshare agreement provides Delta customers access beyond Brazil as well, including connections to Asuncion, Paraguay and Montevideo, Uruguay.

"We are achieving our goals and this is just the beginning," said Paulo S. Kakinoff, GOL's Chief Executive Officer. "The alliance has driven significant growth in traffic, with 28 percent of all Delta customers that travel to Brazil continuing on their journey with GOL. This represents an increase of nearly 100 percent more traffic year-over-year."

As of July, GOL started to offer Delta flights on GOL's website, voegol.com, Voe GOL stores, GOL's call center and travel agents. The alliance benefits commercial customers with joint contract agreement to serve corporate customers allowing them to have a single contract for service on both carriers.

Furthermore, the airlines have initiated a joint marketing campaign to promote GOL's ability to sell Delta on their channels.  As part of the joint branding efforts, customers traveling with GOL will now see the Delta logo and the phrase "in partnership with Delta" illustrated close to the boarding door of the GOL airplanes.  All GOL planes will soon carry the Delta brand.

Brazil is expected to become the fourth-largest aviation market in the world by 2014, with more than 100 million passengers.  The FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016 will spotlight Brazil across the world. 

Airport Co-location and Customer Experience

One of the additional milestones of the alliance is the co-location of the airlines.  In April, Delta moved from Terminal 1, A Wing to Terminal 2 C Wing of the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. For GOL and Delta customers co-location increases ease of connectivity and facilitates the process of re-checking bags after clearing customs since gol counters are located immediately after leaving the secured customs area.

"We want to offer our customers a premium check-in area, improved signage to enhance customer experience and an enhanced VIP lounge," Kakinoff said.  "GOL has a significant presence in Brazil's main airports and together with Delta we will continue to provide customers a seamless experience."

Customer Benefits

The alliance set in motion a plan to increase shared benefits to Delta's and GOL's most loyal customers. Along with the ability to accrue and redeem flight awards, Delta customers now enjoy complimentary access to GOL's VIP Lounges in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International airports.  Likewise, Delta Sky Clubs in Atlanta, New York-JFK and Detroit are available to SMILES Diamond members at no charge. 

GOL's SMILES Diamond elite members have now access to priority check-in and boarding on Delta's flights through Delta's Sky Priority. Delta's Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members have access to the same benefits. Delta's Sky Priority is a series of distinctively branded priority airport services designed for high value customers, allowing them to move quickly through the airport.

"This is a period of rapid growth and transformation for Delta and GOL. Brazil is the leading engine for economic growth in Latin America and an increasingly popular travel destination from the U.S.," said Bastian. "These joint achievements represent furthering Delta's goal to become the best U.S. airline in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Our alliance is based on shared values, leveraging strengths and learning to benefit from each other to better serve our customers."

As part a $3 billion investment in enhanced global products, services and airport facilities, Delta offers fully flat-bed seating with direct aisle access in the BusinessElite cabin on its routes from Sao Paulo to Atlanta and JFK, as well as from Rio de Janeiro to Atlanta. These flights also offer Delta's popular Economy Comfort seating in the forward section of the economy cabin. Economy Comfort offers additional legroom and 50 percent more recline compared to standard economy seats. All cabins offer in-seat audio and video on demand with a broad range of in-flight entertainment options. Delta also will introduce in-flight Wi-Fi service on international flights beginning in 2014.

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (BM&FBovespa: GOLL4 and NYSE: GOL), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers around 970 daily flights to 65 destinations in 10 countries in South America, Caribbean and the United States under the GOL and VARIG brands, using a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, the safest, most efficient and most economical of their type. The SMILES loyalty program allows members to accumulate miles and redeem tickets to more than 560 locations around the world via flights with foreign partner airlines. The Company also operates Gollog, a logistics service which retrieves and delivers cargo and packages to and from more than 3,500 cities in Brazil and eight abroad. With its portfolio of innovative products and services, GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes offers the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta is working to become the best U.S. airline in Latin America and the Caribbean and was just recognized with the Best Airline to North America award by Premio Destaque Companhia de Viagem,  by Grupo Companhia.  As part of that goal Delta has established a long-term exclusive alliance with GOL Línhas Aereas Inteligentes investing more than US $100 million in GOL. Likewise, Delta has invested more than US $65 million in Aeromexico as part of a long-term exclusive commercial alliance and entered a code sharing agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas solidifying its footprint in Latin America. Executive Travel magazine recognized Delta with the Gold Leading Edge Award for the Best Flight Experience to Mexico. Delta provides service to 28 countries and 44 destinations in the region offering more than 1,200 weekly flights between Latin America/Caribbean and the U.S. Spanish speaking Delta customers can receive real-time, on-the-go travel assistance in Spanish and Portuguese through its Twitter channels @DeltaAssist_ES and @DeltaAjuda 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. Brazilian customers can also access Delta´s dedicated Brazil Facebook page visiting http://www.facebook.com/DeltaAirLinesBrasil.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 63 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.

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Analysis: Delta-Virgin Atlantic tie up does little to enhance Indian connectivity for either carrier

by Vinay Bhaskara

Image by, and copyright Devesh Agarwal. Used with permission.

Earlier this week, Atltanta-based full service carrier Delta Air Lines and London based Virgin Atlantic Airways announced that their application for a code share and joint venture partnership on trans-Atlantic flights had been approved by antitrust authorities in both the United States and European Union.

The deal, in which SkyTeam member Delta will purchase a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic previously owned by Singapore Airlines, covers 108 routes, 91 by Delta, and 17 by Virgin Atlantic. According to the press release put out by Virgin Atlantic, the deal offers the following benefits for customers.

The agreement includes the following customer benefits:

• Virgin Atlantic customers will now enjoy a vast network of connecting North American destinations while Delta customers will gain an additional six daily frequencies between London to New York

• SkyMiles and Flying Club loyalty programs that will offer up to 125% tier bonus miles* to frequent fliers on all Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights - not just those within the codeshare agreement

• Reciprocal Delta Sky Club and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse access at applicable airports for Upper Class and BusinessElite passengers and Flying Club Gold members and SkyMiles Platinum and Diamond members

• Priority check-in, boarding, baggage handling and additional baggage allowance on all Virgin Atlantic and Delta operated flights worldwide - not just those within the codeshare agreement - for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class and Flying Club Gold members as well as Delta BusinessElite and SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Diamond members

This is all pretty standard fare for these types of joint venture agreements, though the reciprocal frequent flyer benefits are better than those for most of Delta's partners in the SkyTeam alliance. The benefits will kick in on July 3rd, and will hopefully mark better times for Virgin Atlantic after two straight years of massive losses and increased pressure from rival British Airways at their core hub at London Heathrow.

However, looking at the deal from an Indian consumer's perspective, it adds very little to the existing offerings for both carriers in the India-USA market. Delta Air Lines currently operates a daily flight between Amsterdam and Mumbai, which is fed by its myriad services between the US and Amsterdam. The deal with Virgin Atlantic does nothing to affect the existing Delta service one way or the other.

However, the deal does open up the potential for Delta to add London as an European connecting point for flights to India along with the existing Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle points, as well as for Virgin Atlantic to enhance its US-India connectivity on existing flights to and from India. However, the schedules just don't bear this out. First of all, the Delhi flights are poorly timed to connect with the additional Delta flights in either direction. The 5:55 pm arrival into Heathrow means that there are no connections possible onto Delta flights; the last Delta departure from Heathrow is 5:10 pm. In the other direction, every Delta arrival into Heathrow is before 12:15 pm, yet the Delhi flight does not depart till 10:00 pm. That 10 hour (minimum) layover simply is not competitive with the quick connections offered by the Middle East Big 3 competition.

In terms of Mumbai, the arrival into Heathrow at 7:55 am allows for relatively effective connections to New York JFK, Minneapolis, and Atlanta, but not Boston or Detroit (the switch from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3 requires passengers to clear security again at Heathrow, adding time to connections). The departure from Heathrow to Mumbai at 10:35 am allows for connections from Boston, New York JFK, and Atlanta, but not from Detroit or Minneapolis. Furthermore, these destinations already have easy access to Mumbai services via Amsterdam.

So in the short term, the Delta-Virgin Atlantic tie up has limited effect on the Indian market. However, it could push Virgin Atlantic to re-time its Delhi and Mumbai operations (creating a red-eye at Delhi?), which would only make Virgin Atlantic's Indian presence more competitive.

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Delta CEO Anderson gives up seat for mother of diabetic daughter

by Devesh Agarwal

A truly inspiring action by Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson, who gave up his seat on a full flight to a mother so that she could return home in time to pick up her 12 year old diabetic daughter from a summer camp.

Ms. Jessie Frank who was to fly home to Atlanta from Washington DC on June 13 morning. After a series of delays and cancellations, Frank was anxiously hoping against hope to get on one of the last flights of the day, since she was number eight on the waiting list and zero seats were available.

Her prayers were answered and the agents called her name and asked to board the aircraft.

In her thank you letter posted on Facebook, Frank says

A vaguely familiar face met me at the doorway, not in uniform so probably an off-duty pilot I had seen before. He quickly grabbed my roll-aboard, helped clear a space in the overhead, and showed me to my seat.

As the flight was descending in to Atlanta, the cabin crew announced a special guest was riding in the jump seat of the cockpit, because he had given up his place to allow one more person on the flight, Richard Anderson, Delta's CEO.

Frank then recognised the "vaguely familiar" face since Anderson is in the flight safety video played at the start of every Delta flight.

On a shameful day when politicians in India were publicly bickering on who will take credit for rescue operations in Uttarakhand, may be they need to see across the oceans to see how true leaders help their supporters.

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Airport Traffic Roundup: Beijing Airport hits 80 million passengers in one calendar year, Dubai Airport continues to grow

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier this week, Beijing Capital Airport (PEK), the world's second busiest airport by passenger enplanements, crossed 80 million passengers carried in one calendar year. According to Zhang Guanghui, general manager of Beijing Capital International Airport co., the airport is likely to cross the 90 million passengers per annum mark by 2015, allowing it to pass Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as the world's busiest airport by passengers carried.

Meanwhile, Dubai Airport (DXB) reported a robust 10% growth in passenger traffic for November 2012. Dubai is now projected to handle more than 56 million passengers in 2012, and a whopping 66 million in 2013, which would exceed the current capacity of the airport. However, thanks to the opening of the new A380 concourse next year, passenger capacity should rise to around 75 million passengers per annum.

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Delta's 717 Delivery Schedule

In late May, the news broke that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines would be leasing 88 Boeing 717-200s from its newly minted rival in Atlanta, Southwest Airlines. The Dallas based airline, which acquired the fleet of 717s from its merger with AirTran Airways (through which it also inherited a hub in Atlanta), had previously utilized only  a single fleet type (the Boeing 737) for its entire 40+ year long history. But the new economic realities of growing labor costs and slower traffic growth at Southwest have combined to make the 717s uneconomical.

Either way, Bangalore Aviation can now reveal the tentative details of Delta's 717 delivery schedule. Earlier, Delta had made the acquisition of these new aircraft contingent on its pilots approving a new contract that contained changes to Delta's scope clause and increases in profit sharing with amongst other issues. This contract was approved on June 29th, and thus Delta will begin to take delivery of the 717s from August 2013. They will take on the aircraft at a rate of 3 per month continuously (with the exception of December 2013 when they will take delivery of 4 aircraft) until the end of 2015, at which time all 88 717s have been delivered. See below for Delta's full 717 delivery schedule.

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Delta to reduce Atlanta Mumbai nonstop frequency

Delta Airlines which recently commenced its Atlanta - Mumbai non-stop is feeling the pinch of the economic slowdown affecting India's IT industry.

Effective March 29, it will reduce the frequency of its service from a daily to five flights a week.

The service will not operate on Tuesdays and Sundays ex-Atlanta, and Mondays and Wednesdays ex-Mumbai. In my opinion, it is a very sensible move. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are the slowest days of the week.

Service will continue to operate with the ultra long range Boeing 777-200LR.

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Delta Adds First-Ever Nonstop Service between Atlanta and Mumbai, India

Longest range commercial jetliner will connect Atlanta to one of world’s fastest-growing economies

Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft features lie-flat seats in Delta’s BusinessElite class

ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a new daily nonstop flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Mumbai, India, starting Nov. 1, 2008*. The new flight will connect the world’s largest airport with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Delta’s recently acquired Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft will make the 17-hour, 55-minute westbound nonstop flight possible. The world’s longest range commercial jetliner bolsters Delta’s ability to connect customers and cargo between virtually any two cities around the globe, nonstop.

Delta’s first two 777-200LRs joined the fleet earlier this year as the first of 10 such models to be delivered through 2010. Since April, these aircraft have been serving the New York-JFK-Mumbai route, which will be discontinued with the start of nonstop service between Atlanta and Mumbai.

“The size and scope of Delta’s operations at our Atlanta hub are best suited for the capacity of the 777-200LR in terms of cargo and passenger lift,” said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president – Network and Revenue Management. “Serving Mumbai from Atlanta will allow us to optimize the route thanks to the approximately 150 U.S. destinations to which Mumbai customers will be able to connect, as well as the more than 30 easy connections available to and from Latin America and the Caribbean.”

With the new service, Delta will offer customers nonstop service to 78 international destinations from Atlanta, including service recently announced or inaugurated between Atlanta and Shanghai, China; London-Heathrow, England; Stockholm, Sweden; and Kuwait City, Kuwait (effective Nov. 7).

Delta’s schedule between Atlanta and Mumbai will be:

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Frequency
DL 184	Atlanta at 7:15 p.m.	Mumbai at 10:35 p.m.**	Daily
DL 185	Mumbai at 1:05 a.m.	Atlanta at 8:30 a.m.	Daily

** arrives the next day

The 777-200LR is the flagship aircraft for Delta’s global product, including fully horizontal personal sleeper suites in BusinessElite®, next-generation, more comfortable seats in coach, and Delta’s on-demand entertainment system on larger screens at every seat.

BusinessElite customers flying on the 777-200LR enjoy:

• Reclining seats that adjust to multiple comfortable positions, including a completely flat 6-foot 3-inch bed;
• Privacy screens incorporating pull-out meal table, fold-out 10.6-inch personal video screen, integrated footrest and personal stowage compartment for bags, shoes or blankets;
• Immediate access to the aisle so customers do not have to disturb another passenger when exiting their seat; and
• USB ports offering charging ability for laptops and MP3 players.

Customers flying BusinessElite on any Delta international aircraft enjoy Delta on Demand featuring first-run and popular classic movies, music, TV programming and video games – all available on demand; a five-course menu offering culinary creations by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, including an appetizer, soup or salad, and choice of four entrees (including a vegetarian selection); a reinvented wine program launched in February by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson featuring wines from around the world; new full-size pillows, duvets; modern and stylish dinnerware; and in-seat power outlets that allow customers to recharge their laptops.

Delta’s 777-200LR aircraft offers customers flying in coach comfortable new, all leather slim-line seats each with on-demand music, movies, games and television on individual 9-inch video monitors. Delta is the first airline to offer the sleek, new, leading-edge seats from Weber Aircraft LP, offering up to 1.5 inches of increased personal space, additional under-seat storage, and ergonomically-designed cushions.

Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 312 destinations in 61 countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S. airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 44 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers 393 weekly flights to 47 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 500 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.

*Subject to foreign government approval

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