Virgin Atlantic is hoping to add over 80 new routes to its network after a third runway is built at London Heathrow including short-haul and domestic flights, the airline said Wednesday. Heathrow's expansion is due for completion in 2026 after lawmakers voted strongly in favour of the third runway in June 2018, although environmentalists and local groups are challenging the plans in court. Virgin Atlantic said it could serve up to 84 new locations from the expanded airport compared to its current 19. The plans would depend on Britain changing how it allocates slots to airlines. Currently Heathrow is dominated by IAG, but rules governing the allocation of slots are under review by the govt. "Heathrow has been dominated by one airline group for far too long," said Shai Weiss, CE at Virgin Atlantic. <br/>
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It’s no easy task, getting an out-of-business airline back in the air. But the chairwoman of the rebooted Wow Air insists the low-cost brand’s famous purple planes will be flying between the US and Iceland again come October. Michele Ballarin’s ambitious goal has raised eyebrows among industry analysts who question the scant details available about the plan, as well as why anyone would start flying to the North Atlantic just in time for winter. The company’s website is not yet up and running to sell tickets. The two airports involved said there is no new service to announce. And Wow 2, as Ballarin calls it, has not yet confirmed exactly how it will return to the skies so soon. <br/>
Eastar Jet will receive applications from employees for unpaid leave as the "Boycott Japan" movement and the grounding of its 2 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets have taken a toll on the airline's finances. From October to December, 500 Eastar Jet flight attendants will receive up to 1 month of unpaid leave. The drastic drop in Korean travellers to Japan has also taken a major toll on the airline as over 40% of the carrier's international flights were to the neighbouring country. Koreans have been avoiding traveling to Japan since July amid trade and historic disputes between the two nations. To cope with the situation, the airline will temporarily halt operations between Incheon and 3 Japanese destinations from Dec 1 to next March. <br/>
The boss of Wizz Air said he did not expect Brexit to disrupt his operations, and that it could actually present an opportunity to grow as competitors fall away. CE Jozsef Varadi said that Wizz Air's UK subsidiary had all permits that would be needed to operate flights between Britain and EU member countries, as well as nations. The carrier founded Wizz Air UK in 2017 as a contingency to ensure full market access to Britain beyond Brexit. "If a no-deal Brexit happens Oct 31, I don't think you as a customer would notice when it comes to flying Wizz Air," Varadi said. "Possibly further consolidation opportunities would arise as a result of Brexit and Wizz Air UK can become a consolidating platform in the UK," he added. "We would be interested in backfilling market gaps if airlines go down". <br/>