AirAsia signed a joint venture agreement with China on Sunday to establish a low cost carrier, with a base in the east-central city of Zhengzhou. AirAsia (China) is a joint venture between AirAsia, Everbright Group and Henan Government Working Group, the airline said. AirAsia (China) will also invest in aviation infrastructure, including a dedicated LCC terminal at Zhengzhou airport and an aviation academy to train pilots, crew and engineers, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities to service aircraft, the statement said. No further details of the LCC were provided. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on a visit to China, witnessed the signing of the joint venture agreement. "This Chinese venture represents the final piece of the AirAsia puzzle," said AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.<br/>
unaligned
Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), the world's largest pilot union, said Friday that 62% of WestJet Airlines's pilots who voted in a representation election favored joining the union. ALPA said 97% of eligible pilots of the Canadian airline participated in the election. "We are disappointed with the outcome of the vote but we are dedicated to moving forward as a team," WestJet said.<br/>
New Jersey family says their plans to celebrate a birthday in Nevada were crushed when JetBlue Airways kicked them off the plane for storing a birthday cake in an overhead bin. Cameron Burke said they were flying out of Kennedy Airport May 3 when he was asked to remove the cake, which he did. He said another attendant berated him, telling them to leave the plane after he questioned whether the attendant had been drinking. JetBue said Sunday the cake and other items were stowed in a bin reserved for safety and emergency equipment and the family refused multiple requests to remove them. The airline said the family cursed and yelled at the crew. Police were called and the captain determined they would not be allowed to fly.<br/>
Sir Freddie Laker may have failed at cracking the “no frills” long-haul flying market. But the late airline entrepreneur’s pioneering spirit will take to the skies again in June with his picture emblazoned on a Norwegian Air Shuttle aircraft. One of Norwegian’s new red and white fleet, which will open up direct routes from small Irish and UK regional airports to the US from as little as GBP69, will have Sir Freddie’s image on the tail fin and will be part of the Scandinavian low-cost carrier’s attempt to cement market share in the intensifying battle between the airlines over the Atlantic. While Sir Freddie’s low-cost service between London and New York in the 1970s failed after five years, Norwegian is hoping the launch of the next generation of fuel-efficient narrow-body jets will help it “change the game” in making “no frills” long-haul flying profitable over the long-term. The innovative deployment of single-aisle jets normally used only for short-haul operations is the next stage of Norwegian’s plan to shake up the lucrative transatlantic market, which for decades has been dominated by a handful of US and European legacy airlines. It is a high-risk gamble for Norwegian. Only last week questions were raised about potential aircraft delivery delays after Boeing temporarily suspended test flights of its new 737 Max 8 jet, which Norwegian will use for its transatlantic service, after discovering problems with the engine. But Bjorn Kjos, CE of Norwegian, is confident his strategy can pay off, particularly as Boeing still plans to deliver the first 737 Max 8 aircraft to its customer in June. Norwegian says the launch of its transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Ireland and Belfast to the US will not be delayed.<br/>