LAN Express said Wednesday it was extending until May 2 a plan to cancel or reschedule flights in Chile and other South American destinations due to a cabin crew strike. The LATAM unit had already adjusted flight itineraries through April 28, but extended the changes by four more days as the company and workers demanding contract improvements remained far apart. The strike now in its 16th day has led to the cancellation of almost 2,000 flights and affected some 350,000 passengers.<br/>
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JetBlue will reduce flights out of Long Beach by more than a third, after the California city blocked the carrier’s plans to add international flights, leaving a hole in its network from southern California. Daily departures from Long Beach will drop to 23 from 35 starting Sept. 5, JetBlue said Wednesday. The move is among wider changes that include more cross-country service and the return of JetBlue flights to Ontario, California, a decade after leaving that airport. The cuts end JetBlue’s long-held plan to establish Long Beach as a base for flights to Los Cabos, Mexico, and other beach destinations south of the US border. JetBlue doesn’t make international flights from Los Angeles or Burbank, California, and currently has no plans for such service at Ontario, a spokesman said. The Long Beach City Council voted in January 2017 against construction of a US Customs facility, effectively killing international service at the airport, which sits about 22 miles southeast of Los Angeles International. <br/>
Hawaiian Airlines generated more revenue and carried more passengers than any Q1 ever for the company despite competitors bringing more air seats to the islands. The parent company of the state’s largest carrier, Hawaiian Holdings, reported today that revenue rose 9.8% to $665.4m while the number of passengers flown rose 6.9% to 2.9m. Hawaiian’s net income, however, fell 15.2% to $28.5m, or 56c a share, from $33.6m, or 62c a share, primarily due to a $35.3m contract terminations expense involving the purchase of three previously leased Boeing 767 aircraft, as well as the cancellation of an order for six Airbus A330-800neo aircraft and the purchase rights for an additional six A330-800s. In the year-earlier quarter, Hawaiian took an $18.7m charge associated with 401(k) and vacation components of a new pilots contract.<br/>
New Belgian airline Air Belgium said it would delay its first flight to Hong Kong from April 30 to June 3 as it has not yet received permission to fly through Russian airspace. Air Belgium CEO Niky Terzakis said: “At this date and despite all efforts of our teams and the Belgian authorities, we are still expecting to receive the overflight permit from the Russian authorities, knowing that overflying through the Russian airspace is unavoidable. Air Belgium did secure all other required permits well in advance. However, the Russian permit has not yet been granted. In addition to the uncertainty created by the above, the complicated and delayed GDS [Global Distribution Systems] implementation, has also prevented Chinese tourist groups from being directed to our flights,” Terzakis added. The airline has informed all affected passengers by email and will phone them all individually to offer either a seat on another airline’s flight, a deferred travel date with Air Belgium including financial compensation or full reimbursement, Air Belgium said. The startup airline hopes to have flights to seven destinations—six in mainland China plus Hong Kong–operating by this fall and will operate from Brussels South Charleroi Airport.<br/>
Fort Lauderdale-based regional carrier Silver Airways finalised its purchase of San Juan, Puerto Rico-based Seaborne Airlines April 23, creating a combined fleet of 31 aircraft serving Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Financial details of the transaction were not released. The consolidated airline will be headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. Silver Airlines CEO Steve Rossum will continue at the CEO helm for the combined company, while Seaborne CEO Ben Munson will leave to lead an aviation consulting firm. The combined workforce will total nearly 1,000 employees operating in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, San Juan and St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Silver Airways, from its Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa hubs, provides service between Florida and the Bahamas utilizing a fleet of 21 Saab 340 turboprops. The airline is implementing a fleet renewal programme.<br/>