Searchers in the Mediterranean have found the first sunken wreckage of the EgyptAir flight that mysteriously veered off course and plunged from 37,000 feet last month, the Egyptian govt reported Wednesday. News of the discovered wreckage was reported from the Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee, established by the govt to find out what happened to the plane, an Airbus A320. The Committee said a search vessel, the John Lethbridge, had found and “identified several main locations of the wreckage” and that investigators had been provided with photographic images taken from the seabed, roughly 10,000 feet below the surface. There was no immediate word on the precise location of the wreckage or whether it included the data recorders. <br/>
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When United Airlines abandoned its Cleveland hub 2 years ago, the move left the region reeling. It came as unwelcome news to a city already bracing for the worst. That move left Cleveland Hopkins International with fewer nonstop flights and a significantly weakened United presence. As part of the agreement established in 2010 when the two airlines merged, the state Attorney General's office reserved the right to have an independent audit performed if United ever removed its local hub. That audit was completed in March of this year and the results released to the city in the past week. The audit found that the market conditions did exist for United to de-hub Cleveland, a location the airline had said was unprofitable. That means United met the terms of the agreement and was justified in leaving. <br/>
Two weeks after United Airlines began the only nonstop flight from the US to Singapore, departing from San Francisco, the city-state’s hometown carrier is responding with competing service. SIA will start a daily nonstop flight from Singapore to San Francisco Oct 23 using new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, the airline said Wednesday. SIA has firm orders for 67 of the jets and received its first in March. Its order for a longer-range A350-900ULR will allow for nonstop flights to Los Angeles and New York in 2018. Such long-distance Asian routes are among airlines’ higher-yielding flights, catering to corporate customers. The lack of nonstop service has been a competitive disadvantage for SIA, which now routes its US flights to Singapore through Frankfurt, Moscow, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo. <br/>
Mango Airlines leased planes from South African Airways at market-related rates, its CE said, denying a statement by the carrier’s parent that it provided aircraft at a “substantially discounted cost.” “It’s outright, straightforward, not true,” Nico Bezuidenhout said Wednesday. Mango pays market-related lease rates and since 2010 has negotiated new deals directly with leasing companies, he said. SAA said June 11 it sub-leased Mango all 10 of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft at a discounted cost while paying the leasing company the market rate, an arrangement that would potentially have given the budget carrier an advantage in South Africa’s highly competitive market. The statement was part of a response to the resignation of Bezuidenhout, who will become the head of FastJet from Aug 1. <br/>
EVA Air has been named a Skytrax 5-Star Airline for the first time. Wednesday, Edward Plaisted, CE of Skytrax, said EVA Air was certified as a 5-Star airline due to "outstanding staff service in both airport and on-board environments". "We place a lot of responsibility and trust on EVA Air to maintain standards to deliver this 5-Star Airline experience," he added. Steve Lin, chairman of the airline known for its Hello Kitty-themed aircraft, said the company was "deeply humbled" by the award, adding that it was a reminder to "never lose sight of our commitment to being the best or falter in our quest to continually improve and innovate”. The other Skytrax-certified 5-Star Airlines are ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways and SIA. <br/>
Air China plans to start direct Shanghai Pudong-San Jose, California (SJC) service from September. The 3X-weekly service will use dual-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The airline gained approval from Chinese aviation authorities in March and the US DoT in early June. The new schedule comes following a number of incentives from San Jose authorities, including waiving the carrier’s landing and ticket counter fees for up to 18 months. “Shanghai is a key destination for Silicon Valley businesses and residents, and this new service will provide significant benefits for both the city and our region,” San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo said. SJC spent US$1.3b on an extensive upgrading and modernisation program, partly to attract more international carriers. <br/>