Ryanair crew have warned they could join pilots in taking industrial action this summer after presenting CE Michael O’Leary with a list of demands. Representatives of cabin and ground crew from across Europe said there had been little progress since O’Leary reversed a long-held policy of refusing to recognise trade unions more than 6 months ago. The intervention by crew Wednesday comes 24 hours after about 100 pilots at Ryanair’s Dublin base said they had agreed to walk out July 15. Ryanair said the demands were “pointless”, listing benefits it said crew already enjoyed. But a trade union official in Spain said cabin crew in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium from the SITCPLA union were already planning to announce dates for a walkout Thursday. <br/>
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The EC is investigating whether Ryanair received illegal state aid from regional and local authorities in France. The news comes as the airline faces a possible strike by Irish-based pilots and potential industrial unrest on other fronts. Margrethe Vestager, EU competition commissioner, said Wednesday that Brussels is investigating whether an agreement between Ryanair and the Association for the Promotion of Touristic and Economic Flows (APFTE) that the airline promote the area around Montpellier airport amounted to illegal state aid. EU law bans state aid to businesses where it distorts normal commercial competition and gives them an unfair advantage. According to Vestager, Ryanair received substantial payments from APFTE for promoting Montpellier as a tourist destination on its website. <br/>
A Senate Standing Committee on Aviation has asked Pakistan International Airlines to expand its fleet and network. Senator Mushahidullah Khan said there is an improvement in PIA’s performance, especially its fleet has doubled as compared to 5 years ago while a reduction in losses are also being witnessed. However, there is a need to expand it further for the convenience of public. President & CE PIA Musharraf Rasool Cyan said building on ongoing efforts expansion in PIA is underway and within 2 to 3 years a significant expansion will be there. He said new airport at Islamabad will be used as new opportunity for expansion. He said 4 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by the end of current year. The present average age of fleet is around 11 years brought down from 27 years previously. <br/>
Emirates has introduced three-dimensional seat models on its portal, allowing passengers to check out in advance the plane they have booked -- before even boarding the aircraft. Using the virtual reality technology, flyers can simply go to the airline’s website on their desktop or mobile phone and visualise the interior of the Emirates A380 and the Emirates Boeing 777. It will be an immersive experience, as customers can virtually enter the plane and scrutinise the interiors. And since the new feature offers 3D-360 degree views of the cabins, the passenger will have a clearer idea if the selected seat is a good fit for their needs. Passengers can navigate through the economy, business and first class sections and also virtually check out the facilities on Emirates’ iconic double-decker aircraft, such as the on-board lounge and shower spa. <br/>
Hawaiian Airlines is continuing to expand its US mainland network, as it takes delivery of 2 more Airbus A321neos. The carrier has recently received its fifth and sixth A321neos, which will enter service later in July after some additional preparatory work. Hawaiian ordered a total of 18 of A321neos, with all expected to be used on flights between Hawaii and the US mainland. They will be used to launch new secondary routes and to replace aircraft on some existing routes. Hawaiian currently operates its A321neos on 4 routes: from both Honolulu and Maui to Portland, Oregon; from Maui to San Diego; and from Honolulu to Long Beach. The aircraft will be used to launch a new flight from Lihu’e to Oakland July 16, and the carrier recently announced it will introduce a route from Maui to Sacramento in April 2019. <br/>
Cambodian start-up airline KC International Airlines took delivery of its first aircraft, an Airbus A320, July 2. As there were no prior announcements by Airbus on new orders to Cambodia, the A320 is likely leased or sold from a Chinese operator or lessor. KC was set up as a joint venture between Chinese and Cambodian investors with a starting capital of US$100m. Planned destinations are 4X weekly Phnom Penh–Hong Kong, Phnom Penh–Siem Reap, as well as 3X weekly flights to Taiwan’s Taipei Taoyuan Airport. Cambodia will likely see two more new start-ups this year; Cambodia Airways and Air Siem Reap, bringing the total of airlines to 10. The kingdom’s 3 international airports at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, expect a combined 8m inbound and outbound passengers by December. <br/>