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The US DOT has issued Connect Airlines a certificate of convenience and necessity, clearing the way for the start-up to begin FAA-mandated proving runs ahead of launching revenue service later this year. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based regional carrier says on 6 July that the DOT has also tentatively approved Connect’s certificate authorizing foreign scheduled air transportation. The airline plans to introduce service between Billy Bishop Toronto City airport and two US destinations: Chicago O’Hare International airport and Philadelphia International airport. The routes will initially be served with 76-seat De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops, of which it now has two examples. ”This major milestone allows us to deliver a smarter and more sustainable travel experience,” says Connect Airlines chief executive John Thomas. “We look forward to completing our regulatory process with the FAA and DOT to ensure our pending service will meet our promise to passengers.” The proving runs will begin on 18 July, and last approximately four weeks, the carrier says. Thomas had told FlightGlobal in June that it was looking to launch revenue service by August. But the airline will also still need to secure a foreign air operating certification from Transport Canada before it can begin servicing the trans-border routes. ”Connect will work closely with the FAA towards successful completion of the certification process, then subsequently apply for Canadian authorizations,” the company says. Connect Airlines is a brand under an existing company called Waltzing Matilda Aviation, which is based in Bedford, Massachusetts and operates Cessna Citation Excels, Bombardier Challenger 604s and ERJ135s. Thomas, who is also Waltzing’s co-founder, was CEO of Virgin Australia in 2016 and 2017. to being the world’s first true zero-emission airline”.<br/>

Virgin Atlantic is to launch year-round flights from London Heathrow to Tampa from this November, marking the first service to the Florida city from the London airport. It will mark Virgin’s third service to Florida; it already operates up to four daily flights to Orlando and a double-daily frequency to Miami from Heathrow. Virgin will begin the service on 3 November, initially four times a week, before moving to daily from 28 November. British Airways has long served Tampa from London Gatwick, while Norwegian also operated the route for two years before dropping its long-haul transatlantic flights. Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen says: ”Florida is very much a firm favourite for our customers ever since our first flight to Miami back in 1986. The region has a booming economy with high profile businesses moving to the area and many budding entrepreneurs registering start ups in the city. Tampa will be Virgin’s second new US destination this year, the carrier having begun Heathrow flights to Austin in Texas in May. Cirium schedules data shows Virgin currently serves 11 US destinations from Heathrow.<br/>

India’s aviation regulator has criticised cash-strapped airline SpiceJet over safety failures after a string of technical malfunctions forced pilots to turn back or make emergency landings. “Poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance actions . . . resulted in degradation of safety margins,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a notice on Wednesday, giving the budget carrier three weeks to offer a defence and prevent action being taken against it. SpiceJet, one of India’s top five domestic carriers, said in a statement that it was committed to safety, and that when the regulator audited its aircraft a month ago, all were “found to be safe”. The regulator published the notice a day after a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Dubai was diverted to Karachi following a false alarm over fuel levels. Another SpiceJet flight from Kandla in Gujarat to Mumbai suffered a cracked windshield, but landed safely. After a volatile day of trading, SpiceJet shares closed 3% higher at Rs39. The stock has plunged 44% this year, according to Refinitiv data. SpiceJet has gone through turbulence before. It was brought back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2014 by its chair and co-founder Ajay Singh, who now owns 59.4% of the airline. The entrepreneur has ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and was dubbed “Team Modi’s slogan writer” in a reference to prime minister Narendra Modi in the local media. SpiceJet said that when Singh rescued the airline in 2014, “there was no financial assistance or waivers provided by the government. No favours were sought or provided”. The Haryana-based carrier suffered heavy losses during the pandemic, causing its auditor to declare “material uncertainty” over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern. SpiceJet said in its 2020-21 financial report that cargo services were a “much needed lifeline”. But the DGCA alleges cash flow problems have continued, affecting the fleet’s upkeep.<br/>

Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet has launched two new routes linking Hanoi with the Japanese cities of Nagoya and Fukuoka, anticipating demand from technical interns from Vietnam and tourists from Japan. The airline is operating three direct flights a week between Hanoi and Fukuoka Airport, and four between Hanoi and Chubu Airport outside Nagoya, taking about five hours each way. The routes had been announced back in January 2020, but the emergence of the coronavirus shortly thereafter forced Vietjet to rework its plans. The carrier will restart flights between Danang and Haneda Airport near Tokyo in September, gradually returning service on the route to pre-pandemic levels. Founded in 2007, Vietjet has risen to become one of Southeast Asia's largest budget airlines and continues to expand service to destinations across Asia. It and JAL signed a memorandum of understanding for commercial cooperation in 2017 and began code-sharing flights the following year. Vietnam reopened its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in two years this past March. With the Southeast Asian nation's COVID-related entry restrictions now lifted, flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is resuming suspended routes.<br/>