unaligned

Spirit Airlines is entering a third consecutive day with more than half of its schedule upended. The low-cost carrier had canceled more than 40% of its schedule, or nearly 300 flights, as of midday Tuesday, according to the aviation tracking website FlightAware. Another 12% of its schedule was delayed, FlightAware reported. On Monday, cancellations and delays disrupted 71% of Spirit's schedule, and Sunday saw 60% of its schedule canceled or delayed, FlightAware said. The airline said it was proactively canceling flights because of "overlapping operational challenges including weather, system outages and staffing shortages in some areas." Pressure on Spirit's schedule had been building for about a week, a source familiar with the airline's operations said. Delays, including from multiple thunderstorm systems, had pushed flight crews past the number of hours they may work under federal safety rules. The scramble to find a new crew for individual flights eventually tapped out the replacement crews' hours, too. In the past few days, the issues reached a tipping point, the source said. The airline's schedulers spent Monday figuring out how to reset the system, rather than deal with day-of turmoil. The airline said it was "working around the clock" to get back on track.<br/>

A Frontier Airlines passenger assaulted three flight attendants, punching one and groping the breasts of two others, on a weekend flight from Philadelphia to Miami, prompting one crew member to tape him to his seat until the plane landed, the authorities said. Part of the altercation was caught on video by other passengers, who jeered as the man was restrained for the remainder of Flight 2289, which left Philadelphia at 10:41 p.m. on Saturday and landed 2 hours and 37 minutes later. Frontier Airlines said in an initial statement on Tuesday that the flight attendants would be “relieved of flying” while it investigated, which drew sharp criticism from the Association of Flight Attendants, the nation’s largest flight attendants union. Later on Tuesday, the airline said that paid leave was in line with “an event of this nature.” The Association of Flight Attendants said that the encounter was emblematic of the hostilities faced by airline crews since the loosening of travel restrictions that had been put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. It came amid a surge of reports filed by airlines with the FAA about unruly passengers, who have faced steep fines for disruptions. In one video, which was obtained by several television stations and received widespread attention online, the man, who police said had been drinking, repeatedly cursed at other passengers and at the crew. He said that his parents were worth “two million goddamn dollars.” Berry was booked into the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department on Sunday and was released later that day. Court date information was not immediately available from the department.<br/>

JetBlue is not departing New York. The low-cost airline announced Tuesday that it will keep its headquarters in Queens and expand its flagship terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport. JetBlue had considered moving its headquarters to Florida when its lease at a building in Long Island City ends in 2023. The airline already operates a training center in Orlando and has a subsidiary based in Fort Lauderdale. Instead, the airline said that after going through a competitive bidding process it intends to stay in New York where it began in 1998. The airline will negotiate a new lease for its headquarters building. CEO Robin Hayes said New York is still a great place to live, work and visit, and JetBlue wants to help the city recover from the pandemic. The announcement was praised immediately by leaders in New York. <br/>

Brazil’s Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes has signed an agreement to buy 28 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft that will replace 23 of its 737-800 NGs through the end of 2022, the airline said in a securities filing on Tuesday. Gol said the new planes will reduce unit costs by 8% next year and are expected to generate about $200m in cash equity gains. “We’ve concluded our multi-year planning and, combined with the return of the company’s sustainable growth rate via the take-in of the minority interest in our loyalty program, we will now have more cash flow available for investment in aircraft acquisitions,” said Gol chief financial officer Richard Lark. Gol is Boeing’s main South American customer and one of the largest customers for the 737 aircraft in the world, the airline said. “Gol has done a remarkable job of managing the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and is well-positioned to return to its growth trajectory,” said Ricardo Cavero, Boeing vice president of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean.<br/>

Icelandic freight operator Bluebird Nordic is to treble its capacity under an expansion plan which involves taking 25 Boeing 737-800s over the next three years. The airline operates older-variant 737 freighters – comprising seven 737-400s and a single -300 – but will take its fleet to around 33 jets by the end of 2024 with the introduction of the -800s. Its first will be acquired in September this year while a second will follow in October. Parent company Avia Solutions Group’s charter division, Avion Express, is to use the aircraft for passenger flights while they are awaiting conversion to freighters for Bluebird. Avia’s leasing affiliate AviaAM will deliver the aircraft to the cargo operator. Avia says the carrier will be “more than tripling” its capacity under the “hugely ambitious” growth strategy.<br/>

Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air said it carried 62% more passengers in July compared to the same month last year, as a travel recovery takes hold in Europe. The airline said it flew 2.96 million people on planes which were 79% full. <br/>

Estonian carrier Nordica has begun operating flights under its own AOC and IATA code for the first time. The airline says it will initially focus on winning contracts to provide public service obligation (PSO) flights in Europe, noting that tenders for such contracts have been increasing as air travel recovers from the pandemic and established carriers retreat from unprofitable routes.b“We’re taking part in quite a number of other European procurements, and if we win them we’ll be operating the routes using our own aircraft and crews,” explains Nordica CCO Deepak Ahluwalia. Nordica’s first regular operations under its own steam are Gallivare-Arvidsjaur-Stockholm services in Sweden under a recently won PSO contract, which it begin flying on 1 August using Bombardier CRJ900 jets.<br/>

IndiGo has disclosed its target to cut carbon emissions per available seat-kilometre to 18% below their 2016 level in the financial year 2023. The Indian low-cost carrier makes the commitment in its first environmental, social and governance report, titled IndiGo Green. Gurugram-based IndiGo says it has made several strides towards sustainability, from investing in fuel-efficient engines, to planting trees, sponsoring biogas plants and investing in water-conservation projects. The carrier adds that it has cut carbon emissions by 1.48m tonnes between its financial years 2015 and 2021. CE Ronojoy Dutta states: “As a socially responsible airline, we are deeply concerned about the scarcity of natural resources and the increasing impact of climate change on our planet; we understand the importance of sustainability for future generations. We believe it is important for us to contribute back to the community we serve and to maintain strong governance processes, to ensure long-term success and stability. IndiGo is committed to enhancing long-term value for its stakeholders, investors, and customers by maintaining high standards of corporate governance at all levels of the organisation.”<br/>

Nok Air submitted a petition to continue flights from Phuket as most airlines have stopped operations due to the extension of the flight ban. Nok Air CE Wutthiphum Jurangkool said the airline has been granted permission to operate at U-tapao airport until Aug 5, but it sought approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Tuesday to serve routes from sandbox provinces to facilitate travellers who need to travel during the lockdown. Phuket imposed stringent travel restrictions from Aug 3-16 to curb the outbreak on the island. He said according to the Covid-19 Situation Response Center in Phuket, a relaxation on domestic flights from Phuket to other destinations could be implemented based on the CAAT's decision. Nok Air demanded the CAAT allow the airline to carry passengers from Phuket to U-tapao airport which will help facilitate those who have difficulty finding connections when all flights and public transport were banned.<br/>