Why did no US airline place an order at the Farnborough Airshow?
Overall, FIA 2024 has felt a little slow in terms of orders. While there have been announcements, many of them have been previously announced commitments (LOIs or MOUs) and not exactly surprise orders. Middle Eastern and Asian carriers took the opportunity to sign up in a very public way, but there have been no orders whatsoever from U.S. carriers. Why? Personally, I think we’ve seen the last of large orders from U.S. airlines for a while. AA placed a huge order earlier this year, including both Boeing and Airbus aircraft; both Delta and United have significant pending orders, as do Southwest and JetBlue. In fact, it was reported earlier this year that JetBlue was slowing down its delivery schedule to solidify its position in the market. It’s been a rough first half of the year for U.S. airlines, as evidenced by this week’s earnings releases. Perhaps this is a sign that U.S. airlines should stop spending and focus on efficiency to remain competitive. What do you think?
Which airline have you flown with most often?
I’ve been lucky enough to have flown with over 70 airlines. The most exotic was Costa Rica Green Airways, although my favourite was British International Helicopter Services from Penzance, Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly on the S-61. Counting all the sectors, I’ve flown with easyJet more times than any other operator. While it’s not exciting and the equipment is all over the place, at least I know what to expect. I have a particularly fond memory of my eldest son sitting in the captain’s seat of an A319 during a delay and sparking his love of aviation. He even got to help the pilots enter the details for the flight. The fact that I fly with easyJet most often is partly due to my location, about 30 minutes’ drive from Luton, the fourth most frequently used airport in the LCC network. Which airline have you flown with most and why? Let us know!
What was your longest flight on a Boeing 737?
On August 2, flydubai (Emirates’ ever-closer partner) began flights to Basel, Switzerland. Due to the airport’s interesting geographical location, it is officially called EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. The brand new route will be served four times a week with the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which is equipped with lie-flat beds. It covers 2,619 nautical miles (4,851 km) each way, although it is “only” the 58th longest scheduled non-stop route for the 737 in August. What is your longest 737 flight? Let us know!
Which airline disappointed you the most?
Low-cost and ultra-low-cost airlines are hard to disappoint, at least when everything goes as it should. After all, they have a stripped-down approach, which means expectations are usually low. Then it’s easy to meet or even exceed them. The same cannot be said of the “full” service airlines, which often overpromise and underdeliver. It’s hard to name one airline that disappointed me the most, because some aspects of the experience might be good, others not. One flight might be less than desirable, while the next – if there is a next time – might be noticeably or at least acceptably better. Such inconsistencies only make the problem worse. Which airline disappointed you the most and why? For me, it’s Ethiopian Airlines. I’ve flown with them four times, which isn’t really enough to have a fair impression. Still, the food was unusually bad, even by airline standards, and the cabins, even on nearly new
Which airline do you fly with most often?
Although several factors go into choosing a flight, many people tend to choose a particular airline. This may be because they live near a base, have frequent flyer status, or simply prefer the service offered. I track all my flights on the Flighty app, and today I looked at my most used airlines. I was a little surprised to see British Airways take the top spot with 49 flights, compared to 41 flights on Ryanair (which I expected to be at the top)! Equally cool is Air Astana, with 7 flights from a single trip to Kazakhstan last summer. Which airlines do you fly with most often? Join the conversation below!
How far can Air India expand in the US?
Air India already flies to five destinations in the United States – Newark, Washington Dulles, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and San Francisco. Some of these routes are served by multiple Indian airports. However, during a chat with Simple Flying last month, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson shared that his airline is keen to expand within the US once it gets more wide-body aircraft. There have been reports that Dallas and Los Angeles are in the pipeline. But how much could the airline expand in the US? Could we see some additional routes along both coasts? Let us know what you think below!
