United Airlines is expecting to land more gates at O’Hare International Airport this fall, a bonus resulting from a boom in departures. “Last year, United operated 52% of total ORD departures but only had 48% of gates,” Vice President of United O’Hare hub Omar Idris told employees Tuesday in an email. “Since we have been growing at O’Hare, United expects to gain six gates.” If approved by the Chicago Department of Aviation, that would bring United’s gate total from 88 to 94. The gates would be reassigned from ones being used by other airlines and likely would be in Terminals 1 or 2, United officials explained. “We expect to get these mainline gates by Oct. 1, and will fully utilize them to grow even more, including by adding at least two new long-haul international destinations,” Idris said. The expanded footprint allows United to compete more effectively with hubs like Atlanta and Dallas Fort Worth, he noted. The airline also anticipates adding flights this summer. In July, for example, approximately 585 peak day flights are planned compared to 510 in July 2024.<br/>
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Thousands of residents are fleeing Santorini after hundreds of earthquakes were recorded near the Greek island in the last 48 hours. About 9,000 people have left the island since Sunday, with additional emergency flights scheduled to leave on Tuesday. More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the past two days near the island, and some experts say tremors could continue for weeks. Authorities have closed schools and warned against large indoor gatherings, but Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged calm. Santorini is a popular tourist destination but most of those leaving are locals, as February is outside the peak tourist season. Dozens of tremors were recorded in the Aegean Sea north-east of Santorini on Tuesday, with a large earthquake measuring magnitude 5 striking mid-afternoon. Local media reports around 6,000 people have left the island by ferry since Sunday, and a further 2,500 to 2,700 passengers will have flown from Santorini to Athens via plane on Monday and Tuesday, according to Aegean Airlines. The carrier said it had added nine emergency flights to its schedule following a request from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.<br/>
The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to potentially source neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Aether Fuels (Aether) on Tuesday, 4th February. Aether is a climate technology firm that plans to set up SAF production plants in the United States of America and in Southeast Asia. The agreement outlines the SIA Group’s intention to procure neat SAF for five years when Aether plants begin commercial production, with an option for a five-year extension. The neat SAF will be blended with regular jet fuel before being supplied to selected airports served by Singapore Airlines and Scoot. For its part, Aether will use waste carbon feedstock to produce the fuel, employing its innovative and proprietary Aether AuroraTM technology. This method reduces plant capital cost, increases production efficiency, and achieves higher SAF yields compared to existing techniques. <br/>
Bangkok-based Star Alliance member Thai Airways has officially relaunched its premium economy class offering. The premium economy product is currently only available on two Airbus A330-300 aircraft that joined the Thai Airways fleet in late 2024 via a leasing agreement with Chinese lessor CDB Aviation. The airline has not confirmed whether it will retrofit other aircraft with the product. The two Thai Airways A330-300s with premium economy are now operating services between the airline’s Bangkok hub and Fukuoka in Japan, as well as Delhi and Mumbai in India. The two A330-300s previously operated for Virgin Atlantic Airways and retain that carrier’s configuration, i.e. 31 lie-flat business class seats, 48 premium economy recliners and 185 standard economy class seats. The 31 ‘Royal Silk’ business class seats are in a 1-1-1 reverse herringbone configuration, while premium economy is configured 2-3-2 and economy class 2-4-2. The flag carrier last offered a premium economy product on its retired A340 aircraft. <br/>
Air New Zealand’s engine issues are causing more impacts to the airline’s schedule. It will not be returning to Seoul for its seasonal flights in October, due to the ongoing engine availability challenges across its fleet. The airline’s final seasonal flight from Incheon to Auckland will be on March 29, 2025, marking the conclusion of the route’s three-times-a-week seasonal route, which had 40,000 seats available over the five months. Air New Zealand CCO Jeremy O’Brien acknowledged the disappointment this may cause. “We understand this will be disappointing for some customers, and we sincerely apologise for the impact. Due to the ongoing challenges with engine availability, we have reviewed our network to ensure we are set up to operate our schedule effectively and best deliver for our customers’ needs.” The small number of customers affected by this change will be contacted by Air New Zealand with rebooking options on alternative services, which include stop-overs and connections with the airline’s partner carriers. Customers may also choose to place their fare into credit or receive a full refund.<br/>
Air New Zealand has confirmed it’s investigating a new luxury lounge for frequent flyers. The airline surveyed its Airpoints members last year about potential new perks but has consistently stayed tight-lipped about what changes would be introduced — or when they’d be available. However, the airline’s former Head of Loyalty, Kate O’Brien, gave a big hint that a new lounge could be on the way in a presentation with investors during Air New Zealand’s Investor Day late last year. During the presentation, O’Brien mentioned that a couple of the ideas it had floated with Airpoints members “had tested really well,” including “access to an Elite and Business Class-only lounge at Auckland International”. Mentioning it to key investors is a strong indication the airline is serious about the idea. Currently, Air NZ operates three lounges in Auckland: two at the domestic airport (one for jet flights, the other for turboprop regional flights) and one at the international terminal. These lounges are often packed at peak times, with seating at a premium — which has been a source of frustration for some passengers. Air NZ wouldn’t give any more details about the new Elite lounge, with its General Manager of Customer Experience, Kylie McGillivray-Brown, saying “We are doing some work to explore what the redevelopment at Auckland Airport might mean for our lounge spaces in the future, including access to an Elite and Business Class-only lounge at Auckland International Airport.”<br/>