Aer Lingus has warned passengers travelling on long-haul flights to arrive at Dublin Airport a minimum of 3 hours before their scheduled departure time. The airline said due to recent “enhanced security measures” by the US Department of Homeland Security, Aer Lingus passengers are “experiencing delays” at US Customs Border Protection at Dublin Airport. Dublin Airport Authority said the airport has been “very busy” for several weeks, with increasing passenger numbers. More than 400,000 passengers are expected to travel through Dublin Airport over the Bank Holiday weekend. Passenger figures are up 4% over the same weekend last year, with over 2,669 flights expected to arrive and depart between Friday and Monday. <br/>
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Vistara is likely to place a mega order for wide-body aircraft soon. The order which will be a mix of narrow and wide body will come after fresh capital infusion from promoters may be for more than 100 aircraft. Vistara may advance its current A320 delivery schedule from June 2018 as it is negotiating with the lessor for early delivery. A 20th aircraft will allow the airline to fly abroad but not before 4 to 6 months. According to sources, Roshan Joshi the airline’s senior VP for flight operations wrote to employees that the airline is in the final stages of finalising the aircraft type and delivery date. “We are closely working with SQ and evaluating our delivery dates and aircraft type. We expect a big triple digit order, once finalised,” Joshi wrote. CAPA had earlier said that it expects the airline to opt for Boeing 777 type for its long haul operations. <br/>
Ryanair has unveiled designs for the seating on its new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 200. The upgraded perches are slimmer than what’s currently found in the carrier’s cabin, meaning that, although each aircraft will contain more seats - 197, rather than 189 - each offers more legroom. Ryanair claims passengers will have 31 inches in which to stretch their limbs, up from 30. But one thing is still missing: somewhere to put belongings. One of the most curious aspects of flying with Ryanair is the lack of seat-back pockets. It’s all down to speedy turnarounds, says Ryanair. Having the pockets gives cabin crew something to check and clean, which takes up precious time. “Since 2004 Ryanair seats have not included seat-back pockets, allowing us to maintain our industry-leading 25-minute turnaround,” said a spokesperson. <br/>
TAAG Angola Airlines posted a net loss of US$12m for the 2017 first half, significantly widened from a net loss of $5m in the year-ago half. However, the carrier said the latest results were considerably better than typical historical losses for the first half, which had exceeded $150m in some years. In the 6 months to June 30, passenger revenue grew 16% over the previous year. The airline gave no detailed figures, but the latest results represent something of a rebound from previous years. Angola is heavily dependent on the oil industry and has been badly hit by the slump in prices for the commodity in recent years. It has also been affected by a severe lack of foreign currency. The airline said the main reason for the loss over the past 6 months was a provision of $21m for unpaid tax liabilities in overseas stations relating back to 2010. <br/>
Allegiant Air will establish its 14th aircraft base at Indianapolis International, executives from the airline and airport said Aug 2, with operations to begin Feb 2018. Allegiant plans to base 2 Airbus aircraft at IND, and is investing US$40m in the project. Allegiant began operations at Indianapolis in Feb 2015 and has grown its nonstop flights from the airport to 14 destinations. “The establishment of a permanent aircraft base … in Indianapolis will further increase the efficiency of our operations and better position us for even more growth in the near future,” Allegiant VP-govt affairs Keith Hansen said. The airline plans to expand its service to and from Indianapolis and create new nonstop routes in the future, adding to the airport’s existing 47 nonstop flights. <br/>