LATAM Airlines plans to launch a new daily route from Orlando to Bogota, Colombia on 1 July as part of its recently approved joint venture with Delta Air Lines. The nonstop route between Orlando and Colombia’s capital will be operated with a 174-passenger Airbus A320 in a journey lasting four hours and 15 minutes, Delta said on 30 January. “We will boost our presence in the North American market with the aim of becoming the best option for passengers from that region who wish to travel to Colombia and the other South American countries that are part of the agreement,” says Santiago Alvarez, CEO of LATAM Airlines Colombia. The US Department of Transportation granted antitrust immunity to the joint venture between Delta and LATAM in September 2022. The deal had been more than three years in the making. The companies say they now “work closely to create the leading airline partnership between the United States/Canada and South America” in a partnership that encompasses flights to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay and more than 300 destinations. “Through the joint venture with Delta, we will improve our presence in the United States market, which continues to be one of the most important international destinations for Colombian passengers,” Alvarez adds. LATAM Colombia currently operates between Bogota and Miami as it seeks to expand its international network. Santiago-based LATAM said on 23 November that its Brazil subsidiary will fly three times a week between Sao Paulo and Los Angeles beginning on 1 July 2023, using Boeing 777s with capacity for 410 passengers. Meanwhile, Delta’s network includes daily flights from Atlanta and JFK International Airport in New York to Bogota. <br/>
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France is bracing for another wave of strikes that will affect flights, trains and public transport as labor unions continue their protests against the government’s proposed pension reform. Air France-KLM’s French arm will be forced to cancel one in every 10 short- and medium-haul flights on Tuesday because of the strikes, while the SNCF railway operator warned of potential disruption across its networks and urban transport systems, including in particular Paris. The Air France cancellations follow a request by France’s DGAC civil aviation authority to reduce flight schedules to and from Paris Orly airport by 20%, according to a spokesman The carrier aims to assure all of its long-haul flights, while not ruling out last-minute delays and cancellations. Train disruptions will start from late Monday and last into early on Wednesday, affecting some high-speed TGV and Intercity connections. TGV Lyria will cancel several train connections between France and Switzerland. KLM flights shouldn’t be affected on Tuesday as the Dutch carrier operates only to and from Charles de Gaulle airport. More than one million people took to the streets across France on Jan. 19, led by labor unions opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to eliminate deficits in the pension system by raising the minimum retirement age to 64 from 62. The strikes closed many schools and crippled the rail network. Emboldened by broad public opposition, unions have called for more action and will hold another day of coordinated strikes and protests.<br/>
Continuing a trend of Chinese airlines teaming up with municipal and city councils to promote economic development, China Eastern Airlines has signed a strategic cooperation framework with the Shanghai Municipal People's Government to "deepen cooperation" and promote development in the city. At a January 29 meeting in Shanghai attended by Li Yangmin, general manager of China Eastern Airlines; Chen Jining, secretary of the Municipal Party Committee; and Gong Zheng, deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and also the city mayor, the parties agreed to work together to build Shanghai into a "world-class aviation hub." While some private interests, such as Air France-KLM and Travelsky Technology, have holdings in China Eastern Airlines, the carrier is majority government-owned, with the China State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission having a 55.9% shareholding. According to ch-aviation PRO airlines data, the airline has 633 aircraft in its fleet (597 active) and is by far the biggest operator at its Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport base, with more than double the available weekly seat capacity and flights of its wholly-owned subsidiary and nearest market share rival, Shanghai Airlines. Hongqiao Airport is owned by Shanghai Airport Authority, which is a state-owned enterprise of the Shanghai Municipal Government, one of the two parties to this agreement. They also own Shanghai's other international airport, Shanghai Pudong, where China Eastern Airlines has an equally commanding market share. Combining China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines, the China Eastern Group has more than 50% of the weekly seats and flights in and out of Hongqiao and over 40% at Pudong. The new agreement encourages China Eastern to increase its network and "service format" out of its Shanghai airports.<br/>