The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has approved Scandinavian long-haul operator Norse Atlantic Airways’ application to operate scheduled and chartered service between Europe and the USA. The DOT’s show cause order, published on 14 January, paves the way for the Oslo-based start-up to launch transatlantic operations with a fleet of 15 Boeing 787 aircraft later this year. “We are thrilled by the Department of Transportation’s approval of our affordable transatlantic flights,” says Norse chief executive Bjorn Tore Larsen. “This significant milestone brings Norse one step closer to launching affordable and more environmentally friendly service to customers travelling between Europe and the United States.” In December, Norse secured an air operator’s certificate from the Norwegian civil aviation regulator, and also took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9, in Oslo. Norse Atlantic has said it plans to start commercial operations in spring 2022 with the first flights connecting Oslo to select cities in the US. It has sought formal authorization to launch service to New York, Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles in Summer 2022.<br/>
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Israel's cabinet approved additional state aid on Sunday to help bail out airlines suffering another pandemic blow with the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the finance and transportation ministries said. Total state aid would not exceed $85m for all of Israel's carriers and would come in the form of three-year bonds which do not accrue interest, representing a $41m addition to a similar package in November, the ministries said. Israel's airlines - flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines Arkia and Israir - have been hit hard during the pandemic with the country's borders largely closed to foreign tourists since March 2020. Earlier this month, Israel began admitting vaccinated foreigners, or those who have recovered from COVID-19, from countries deemed medium-risk and ended a so-called "red list" of destinations it deemed off-limits to Israeli citizens. With the Omicron variant pushing infection rates within the general population in Israel to new highs, such restrictions on travel were seen as moot. But still, Omicron has dented travel. "The spread of Omicron in the world and in Israel has caused a significant drop in the activities of Israeli airlines," the statement said. "The finance and transportation ministries have worked intensively to formulate an additional blueprint to enable those companies to weather the crisis."<br/>
The United Arab Emirates' civil aviation regulator has opened an investigation into an aborted take-off by an Emirates airline passenger jet this month at Dubai airport, the carrier said on Saturday. It is the second inquiry launched into the airline in less than a month, after another passenger jet in December did not immediately increase its ascent after take-off. The flight landed safely. An Emirates spokesperson said that safety is its top priority and there was no aircraft damage or any injuries as a result of the aborted take off from Dubai on Jan. 9. The jet, carrying passengers to Hyderabad in India, was instructed to "reject take-off on departure", which the spokesperson said was "completed successfully." The General Civil Aviation Authority's Air Accident Investigation Sector is investigating the incident, the spokesperson said. The airline is reviewing it too. FlightRadar24, a flight tracking website, has reported the Boeing 777 jet started its take-off while another 777 was crossing the runway. The take-off was aborted after the wide-body jet reached 100 knots, it said. The regulator is already investigating what Emirates has publicly described as a "technical incident" that took place on a Dec. 20 passenger flight from Dubai to Washington DC. Industry blog The Air Current, citing FlightRadar24, has reported the passenger jet did not immediately climb after it took off from Dubai, flying unusually low over a neighbourhood. The flight landed safely in the United States.<br/>
Armenia’s new national carrier, Fly Arna, has unveiled the design of its livery, with a colour scheme based on the country’s flag. Fly Arna is being developed as a venture between Middle Eastern budget airline Air Arabia and the Armenian National Interests Fund. Its livery is dominated by the bold red-yellow-blue pattern on the aft fuselage and fin, symbolising a capital ‘A’, while the rest of the fuselage is largely white bar the airline’s title. Fly Arna’s name is derived as an acronym of ‘Armenian National Airlines’ and the carrier says the brand identity reflects a “young, modern and value-driven” operator. “Its brand values are ambition – to motivate to build and grow the airline – persistence to build services that deliver real and tangible value to customers, and innovation to inspire creative solutions that help keep a competitive edge while remaining practical and efficient,” it adds. Fly Arna says the livery aims to illustrate “clarity” and an airline that is “always on the move”.<br/>