Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a flight training centre in Singapore. The venture will provide simulator training for Boeing aircraft types. The JV will provide simulator training for Boeing aircraft types that addresses pilot training needs in the region. The centre will operate out of the SIA Training Centre (STC) near Changi Airport. It will initially hold four of SIA's aircraft simulators and CAE-built training equipment. Training programmes will cover simulation for Boeing 737 MAX, 747, 777 and 787 aircraft types. SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong said, "The long-term prospects for the aviation sector are positive, and we are confident that the new flight training joint venture with CAE will further enhance Singapore’s position as a leading aviation hub. With the SIA Group expanding its fleet to drive additional growth, the joint venture will help keep pace with our own training requirements as well as those of other airlines in the region." Once approved, the venture's operations are expected to begin by the end of 2017.<br/>
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United said Thursday it will launch seasonal nonstop service from two of its principal hubs — Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport — to Mazatlan, a lush beach resort on Mexico's Pacific coast. A city of nearly 500,000 people, Mazatlan is known, among other things, for its 19th-century architecture and the Zona Dorada with its nightlife and hotels, as well as the sandy beaches that stretch for miles along the city's boardwalk. United's new service marks the first nonstop flights from both Chicago and Houston to Mazatlan, which in many ways mirrors the huge resort appeal of Cancun and surrounding area on Mexico's eastern coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Mazatlan is just the newest of some two dozen Mexican markets United serves.<br/>
Japan’s ANA will open its first lounge for kids at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport Aug. 11. The “Star Wars ANA Kids Lounge” is inside the ANA lounge at Haneda’s Terminal 2, located in the Main Building South 3F, by Gate 62. According to ANA, the design of the kids’ lounge is based on its Star Wars’-themed aircraft—R2-D2, BB-8 and C-3PO. The lounge has a slide, bench cushions, picture books and other items. The floor is covered with cushion mats to let young children play freely in a safe environment. Young children will be given a free sticker at the lounge reception desk.<br/>