The regional airline flight in Alaska that crashed, killing all 10 people onboard, was overweight before it took off, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Cessna Grand Caravan operated by Bering Air as flight 445 crashed about 34 miles southeast of Nome, Alaska, on February 6. It was initially reported missing but was found the next day on ice floating in Alaska’s Norton Sound. The icepack, which was subject to the tidal ocean currents, continuously moved about 5 to 10 miles per day, which complicated search and rescue efforts, the report notes. The NTSB found the airplane’s estimated gross takeoff weight at departure was about 9,865 pounds, which was about 1,058 pounds over the maximum for flights into icing conditions, and more than 800 pounds over the limit for better weather. There was light snow and traces of ice reported around the time of the crash and the temperature was about 12 degrees. An examination of the wreckage outlined in the report found the plane was broken apart on impact, but there were signs of icing on the top of the tail. A senior aerospace engineer will conduct a detailed review of the airplane’s performance as part of the investigation, including an evaluation of the airplane’s center of gravity, according to the NTSB. The NTSB also compiled data about the plane’s flight path, communications between the pilot and Anchorage Air Traffic Control and data downloaded from the onboard avionics. This preliminary report does not identify a probable cause of the crash, which usually takes the NTSB a year or longer to determine.<br/>
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Porter Airlines is strengthening strategic relationships with Alaska Airlines and Air Transat by now offering loyalty programme members ability to redeem VIPorter points for flights with those carriers. Toronto-based Porter said on 19 March that the update marks the next phase of its joint venture with fellow Canadian carrier Air Transat and a “deepening of the commercial partnership” with Alaska. “With this programme enhancement, VIPorter members can now redeem seamless travel across an extensive network of flights sold by Porter,” the carrier says. Alaska, a Oneworld carrier, established an interline agreement with Porter in December 2023. The deal has opened new opportunities for Alaska customers to travel to Canada and connects Porter’s regional network in Eastern Canada to Alaska’s West Coast hubs. Indeed, Alaska and Porter’s relationship initially focused on Porter’s flights between Toronto and Los Angeles and San Francisco. Those flights were made available for booking through Alaska’s website, and passengers were then able to book combined Alaska-Porter itineraries through Porter’s portals. That deal came on the heels of Porter and Montreal-based leisure carrier Air Transat joining forces via a joint venture launched in November 2023, with the aim of competing more meaningfully with Air Canada and WestJet. Annick Guerard, Air Transat’s CE, recently told investors that the joint venture with Porter is building “strong organic momentum”, and the airline anticipates that the full year will reflect a ”significant increase in additional connecting passengers compared to 2024”. <br/>
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is set to expand its Airbus A350-900 network to another seven destinations, including its first in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. It will operate the twinjets to four Middle Eastern and north African cities – Baghdad, Amman, Dammam and Tunis – as well as Oslo, Istanbul and the Asian destination of Ho Chi Minh City. All the A350 deployments will take place over the course of 1 June to 1 September, beginning with Tunis and Amman. The Dubai-based carrier adds that it will increase A350 frequency to Bahrain and Kuwait as part of the roll-out, and bring forward by a month its plan to introduce the type to Bologna. “Introduction of this aircraft and layering it on existing route schedules…enables Emirates to maintain a compelling competitive position as the airline of choice for discerning travellers,” says Emirates deputy president Adnan Kazim. Emirates is operating the A350s with a three-class configuration comprising 312 seats including 32 in business-class and 21 in the premium-economy cabin.<br/>
Etihad Airways will start flying to Addis Ababa in October this year under a joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines, Abu Dhabi's hub carrier said in a statement on Wednesday. Under the deal, which includes a codeshare arrangement, Etihad will start direct flights from Abu Dhabi to the Ethiopian capital on October 1, while the African carrier will start flying to Abu Dhabi from July 15.<br/>
Frustration is building inside India's newest airline, Akasa Air, with top executives privately criticising Boeing for delayed plane deliveries and scrambling to assuage hundreds of anxious pilots who remain idle without work. Troubles at Akasa, backed by an Indian billionaire's family, are among the starkest examples of how Boeing's woes are crippling airlines globally and having a ripple effect on their planned expansions. The Mumbai-based low-cost airline, which started operations about three years ago, has a fleet of 27 planes, but has 226 jets - all Boeing 737 MAXs - on order. Deliveries have been delayed as Boeing's 737 programme faced regulatory scrutiny after a mid-air cabin panel blowout last year and suffered from the effects of a seven-week workers' strike. Just as Akasa has expressed confidence in Boeing publicly, its executives voiced optimism about U.S. planemaker's turnaround in a private February town hall with pilots, but top executives did not shy away from candidly revealing the operational stress they face, according to an audio recording reviewed by Reuters. During the previously unreported meeting, Akasa's chief of strategic acquisitions, Priya Mehra, described Boeing as the "elephant in the room" whose workers' strike caused "sleepless nights". Co-founder Aditya Ghosh referred to the company as "Boeing bloody ... retarding our speed". "We just don't have enough aircraft to fly ... nobody wants to sit at home and twiddle their thumbs," CEO Vinay Dube told the gathering of pilots. Akasa did not comment on queries about the remarks made in the town hall, but said it is in "continuous discussions with Boeing" and is "fully aligned with the steps they are taking to enhance quality and streamline resources."<br/>
Bangkok Airways is gearing up to order as many as 30 new aircraft as it renews its ageing fleet and plans for a tourism boost driven by the popularity of the television series The White Lotus. The Thai carrier plans to tap the planemakers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer for at least 20 single-aisle jets in the first half of the year, with options to order about 10 more, said CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth. Its goal is to grow its fleet to at least 30 jets in the next four to five years, including the lease of some aircraft, he said. “We need to grow and a new aircraft fleet would be mandatory,” Puttipong said in an interview. The carrier currently flies 25 jets, some of which are already 20 years old. Bangkok Airways operates routes between Bangkok and major tourist destinations including Koh Samui, one of the filming locations for the latest season of The White Lotus and where the carrier owns the airport. The hit show on the Max streaming service is expected to drive an influx of tourists to Thailand, with the government predicting a record 40m visitors to the country this year. Puttipong said Bangkok Airways has already seen a 14% increase in advanced flight bookings for the second quarter, even though it is typically the low season in the Thai tourism calendar. Bangkok Airways is set to see 10% to 20% more passengers than the 2.7m it carried last year on its routes to Koh Samui, according to Puttipong. Its ownership of the island’s airport gives it a virtual monopoly of flights to the holiday hotspot<br/>