Ryanair cabin crew in Portugal are planning 5 days of strikes in August, potentially wrecking thousands of passengers’ summer holiday plans. Portuguese cabin crew union SNPVAC announced the potential industrial action Wednesday, although exact dates have yet to be confirmed. The union accuses the airline of a “total lack of respect for national legislation” and says the decision to strike is due to the company’s refusal to comply with the protocol signed between Ryanair and SNPVAC last November. Among the demands that were agreed by the airline and union in 2018 are a mandatory 22 days of annual leave for all cabin crew, plus the switching of those employed by Ryanair for more than 2 years through employment agencies onto permanent contracts, with no loss of salary or seniority. <br/>
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Air Belgium plans to resume scheduled flights in December with twice-weekly service to 2 destinations in the French Caribbean. The startup had initially operated scheduled flights between Brussels South Charleroi Airport and Hong Kong but suspended the service in Oct 2018, and in March said it was shelving plans to resume the route. Since the Hong Kong suspension, the carrier has operated on behalf of other airlines under wet-lease arrangements. Now Air Belgium is set to launch scheduled Airbus A340-300 flights from Charleroi to Fort-de-France, Martinique, and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, from Dec 7. The airline is also considering routes to Miami, Florida, and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the Belgian L´Echo newspaper. The airline operates 4 A340-300s. <br/>
Philippine Airlines is expected to name a new president Monday, replacing Jaime Bautista, who abruptly quit the post last month. Gilbert Santa Maria, who was COO of IBEX Global Solutions, tops the list of nominees, according to people familiar with the matter. Philippine Air’s board of directors will meet July 29. Asked to confirm if Santa Maria has been chosen, Philippine Air majority owner Lucio Tan said Friday “that’s true,” without elaborating. Tan has been interim president as the airline undergoes management changes that started with Bautista’s retirement. Early this month, the carrier named new heads for its commercial and human resources departments. Vivienne Tan, executive VP and daughter of Lucio, is assisting her father in day-to-day operations. <br/>
Southwest Airlines is preparing to resume expansion of its service to Hawaii, officials said. The carrier's expansion plans were delayed due to a lack of available aircraft. Southwest expects to "provide details of the next phases of Hawaii flying in the coming weeks and months, as we put new flights out for sale," said Gary C. Kelly, board chairman and CE. All 34 of Southwest's Max aircraft from its fleet of 753 planes were grounded during Q2 of 2019. Southwest does not yet fly Max planes in Hawaii, but the carrier had to stretch its fleet of model 737-800 aircraft to cover the Max planes removed from its schedule through Jan 5, officials said. Southwest had about 20,000 flight cancellations in Q2, while the normal rate is about 3,000. Southwest began Hawaii service in March and expects to offer flights to Hawaii from Sacramento and San Diego. <br/>
Chinese start-up carrier Genghis Khan Airlines has launched operations with the Comac ARJ21. GE Aviation – which supplies CF34-10A powerplants for the twinjet – says the Hohhot-based airline operated its first flight to Ulanhot Friday. Genghis Khan Airlines has received 2 ARJ21s and plans to operate 25 of the type by 2024, says GE, noting the carrier is the first to have an entirely Chinese-made fleet. The airline's chairman, Yutao Hao, states that Genghis Khan Airlines "shoulders the mission of exploring the industrialised development of China-made jet airliners". GE describes the CF34-10A as "ideally suited" to the ARJ21 and says that the engine "meets the demanding conditions of China's diverse environment, specifically the hot temperature and high-altitude conditions experienced on many routes”. <br/>