SAS Presents New Livery After 21 Years . For the first time in 21 years, SAS has launched a brand new visual identity and revealed a new design for its aircraft exterior. The new livery is a modern take on classic Scandinavian desig...

SAS is opening a year-round route to Los Angeles from Copenhagen. The first flight will be in January 2020. Big demand from leisure travelers in Denmark and a more attractive timetable with daily flights mean that the route will be part of the flight program from the new year.

SAS PRESS RELEASE

From 13 January 2020, SAS will be moving its route between Stockholm and Los Angeles to the Danish capital. This won't be the first route SAS decided to relocate due to the previously introduced Swedish aviation tax(Lag (2017:1200) om skatt pa flygresor) which carriers has to pay up to SEK400 (EUR39) on long haul routes departing from Swedish airports. The non-existent flight SK963 was flying between Stockholm - Hong Kong before was moved to Copenhagen under a better time slot in October 2018.

A320neo SAS

However, this won't be the only reason for SAS to make the decision of moving its long haul operation from Stockholm, the "Greta Thunberg effect" has been impacting Swedish travel habits, new buzzwords in Swedish mainstream media like flygskam (flight shame) and tagskryt (train bragging) has made the global air travel industry worried.

SAS is also moving its Los Angeles route to Copenhagen at a strategic time as the other big carrier at CPH - Norwegian will suspend 3 long haul destinations in winter season 2019, routes being canceled are Copenhagen to Fort Lauderdale, New York JFK and Los Angeles. This was seem as a move that the low cost carrier is shifting from growth to profitability, something SAS is also keen on after the week-long strike earlier (from April 26 to May 2) in the summer season.

The 'new' route will have an improved timetable from six to seven departures a week from Copenhagen Airport(CPH) starting next March.

"By opening a year-round route to Los Angeles from Copenhagen we are increasing availability and enabling growth. The timetable is attractive, and thanks to the economies of scale we can achieve in fully utilizing our fleet, we are in a position to provide a daily service from Copenhagen Airport," says Karl Sandlund EVP Commercial, SAS.

"Los Angeles is one of the most in-demand intercontinental routes from Copenhagen, and an important route for our leisure customers in particular, who are keen to visit the American West Coast. We continuously assess our offering in order to optimize our network for our travelers," says Karl Sandlund.

Flights from Copenhagen to Los Angeles can be booked from 3 September 2019. The first flight departs 13 January 2020. Passengers with already purchased tickets from Stockholm to Los Angeles, will be rebooked via Copenhagen.

A350-900 SAS

The new time schedule for the route starting January 13th:

Flight SK931 departs from CPH 09:35 and arrives in Los Angeles 12:15 the same day. Flight SK932 departs from Los Angeles 14:00 and arrives in CPH 10:10 the day after.

There will be daily departures on the route SK9321/932 between Copenhagen and Los Angeles starting on March 31st 2020, something suggests that their newly received A350s next year will come into play here.

SAS Relocates Its Stockholm - Los Angeles Route To Copenhagen. SAS is opening a year-round route to Los Angeles from Copenhagen. The first flight will be in January 2020. Big demand from leisure travelers in Denmark and a more attractive timetable with daily fligh...

After only two years of restarting the route, Air China will suspend the direct flight from Beijing-Zurich from October 14, 2019. According to the Swiss travel news platform - "Travel News" reported, learned from the tourism partners that have business dealings with Air China, Beijing direct flights operated by Air China to and from Zurich(CA781/782) will be grounded from October 14.

Maiden flight for Air China's 50th A330

The news triggered speculation by the Swiss media. Many Swiss business and tourism agencies are concerned that Chinese tourists may be reduced as a result.

According to data from the Swiss Tourism Board, the number of Chinese tourists staying in Switzerland in 2000 was 234,000 and soared to about 1.73 million in 2018. Chinese tourists spend an average of 380 Swiss francs per day in Switzerland, which is also the highest among foreign tourists. The analysis believes that Air China's flight to and from Zurich will potentially lead to a shortage of passengers.

In June 2017, after several years of grounding, Air China restarted the direct flight from Beijing to Zurich. The source speculates that Air China's reason for abandoning this direct route is related to the two air crashes of the Boeing 737MAX. In the situation of current fleet shortage, the relatively new route from Beijing to Zurich quickly became a victim.

Air China is introducing a large number of Airbus A350 passenger aircraft. Perhaps in the next two to three years, this aircraft will be used on the direct route from Beijing to Zurich.

Also included in Air China's winter season timetable, the Chengdu-Kunming-Yangon, Chengdu-Lhasa-Kathmandu and Hangzhou-Surat Thani routes will be discontinued as well (all starting October 27).

Air China continues to believe in the potential of the German-speaking Swiss market. However, the focus is now on the Geneva flight which operates under a joint venture agreement with the Lufthansa Group.

"Why did China Air China really suspended the Zurich route?"

Although it make sense that Air China, like all other big carriers out there, it's facing aircraft shortage due to the global grounding of B737 MAX, however the Beijing - Zurich route is a long haul route that requires a wide-body aircraft.

The route will operate til October with an Airbus A330 aircraft, out of the 59 A330s Air China currently operates, at least 22 of them are registered under operating leasing which is reaching its expiry date, Air China will have to retire them soon while finding replacement for them.

First Air China A350-900 take off

Although Air China has ordered 20 A350-900 aircraft from Airbus earlier this year, with the opening of Beijing's new daxing international airport, Air China will soon have new time slots opening up at PEK due to China Eastern and China Southern moving its operation to the new airport (PKX), in addition, Air China 'luckily' got 10 prosent slots share at the new airport as well.

So the question really comes down to, why won't Air China order more wide-body aircrafts? The A350 series is unlikely to be delivered in the short term and is now scheduled to be at least from 2020. The B787 series can't be delivered too quickly either. It's an unfortunate coincidence that now they even got one A330 less relating to news happened a few days ago.

On the 27th August, crew for Air China flight CA183 from Beijing to Tokyo found out that the cargo space in front of the aircraft was sending out smoke. the fire quickly spread after the plane caught fire. The upper part of the nose has been burned through and the structure of the aircraft may have been destroyed.

Air China A330 B-5958 @ PEK

The aircraft that caught fire in this warehouse was Air China A330-300 passenger aircraft with registration number B-5958, which was introduced in December 2014. According to its flight record, the aircraft operated a round-trip flight from Beijing to Singapore today and landed at Beijing at 15:00. According to Air China's r...

Air China To Ground Beijing - Zurich Direct Flight From October. After only two years of restarting the route, Air China will suspend the direct flight from Beijing-Zurich from October 14, 2019. According to the Swiss travel news platform - "Travel News" reported, l...

According to Boeing website, Boeing and KLM announced two 777-300ER aircraft purchase agreement, catalogue price of 751 million US dollars, this order will be included on the Boeing website under Orders and Delivery as an unnamed customer order.

"KLM is one of the world's leading network carriers and an aviation pioneer and we are delighted the airline has once again selected the Boeing 777-300ER to strengthen its long-haul fleet for the future," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. "KLM's continuing interest in the 777-300ERs shows the enduring appeal and value of the 777, thanks to its outstanding operating economics, superior performance and popularity among passengers."

Boeing Press

The Boeing 777-300ER can carry 396 passengers in a two-cabin layout with a maximum range of 7,370 nautical miles (13650 km). The aircraft is the world's most reliable dual-aisle aircraft with a reliability of 99.5%.

The Amsterdam-based KLM Group has 92 European routes and 70 intercontinental routes with 209 fleets. KLM currently operates 29 B777 aircraft, including 14 B777-300ERs. At the same time, it also operates the 747 and 787 Dreamliner.

777-300ER KLM In Skyteam Livery

KLM as the world's oldest airline, is still operating under its original name. This year marks the 100th anniversary of KLM. In 2004, it merged with Air France to form Europe's largest aviation group. The French KLM Group is also one of the largest operators of the 777 series aircraft, operating a total of nearly 100 B777 series aircraft.

Boeing to break the existing deadlock?

KLM has long been Boeing's customer. However, Boeing revealed that the order was not a new order as KLM previously recorded it on its accounts as an unidentified customer. Based on the listing price, the deal was valued at approximately $751 million. As of July 31, Boeing had delivered 804 B777-300 aircraft. Emirates currently operates 114 aircraft which make it the world's largest operator.

Boeing 777 Factory

Boeing desperately needs new wide-body order due to its best-selling narrow-body aircraft 737 MAX's order have been completely exhausted since mid-March.

The 737 MAX aircraft accounts for nearly 70% of Boeing's total commercial aircraft output, accounting for approximately 30% of its total operating profit. However, since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines on March 10, the largest aircraft delivery has been completely exhausted. The frozen of the MAX aircraft deliveries has severely damaged the financial condition of the aircraft manufacturer. In the second quarter of this year, Boeing's total commercial aircraft deliveries fell 54% year-on-year to 90. As a result, the company's second-quarter revenue fell 35% year-on-year.

KLM Purchases Two More Boeing 777-300ER Aircraft. According to Boeing website, Boeing and KLM announced two 777-300ER aircraft purchase agreement, catalogue price of 751 million US dollars, this order will be included on the Boeing website under Order...

EgyptAir's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be flying the return route from Beijing to Cairo this month. The 787-9 inaugural flight to China is scheduled to fly from Cairo to Beijing on August 18 and the first flight from Beijing to Cairo on August 20.

The Boeing 787-9 is the first new model launched by Boeing after the launch of the Boeing 777 program in the late 1990s, with many revolutionary innovations. Its core purpose is to create excellent business opportunities for airlines with leading-edge technologies and to actively improve the air travel experience. The Boeing 787-9 has unprecedented fuel efficiency and range flexibility, while creating a more comfortable flight for passengers, which is also known as the "dream passenger aircraft."

EgyptAir's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features a two-cabin layout with 30 business class seats and 279 economy class seats. The seat design also incorporates elements of Egyptair for a more comfortable ride.

Egyptair B787-9 Dreamliner

The business class seats feature a 1-2-1 layout with reverse herringbone business seats that cleverly utilizes cabin space. The 30 Super Diamond fully flat business class seats allow guests to enjoy a spacious and private cabin.

The economy class seats are in a 3-3-3 layout with a seat spacing of 31 inches. The slender design makes the journey more simple and comfortable.

To enhance the onboard experience, each seat in the 787-9 is equipped with a personal entertainment screen, the business class display is 18 inches, and the economy class display is 12 inches. The new entertainment system supports live TV and the operating system is smoother, bringing travellers a more diverse in-flight experience. The on-board WiFi can meet your business and communication needs throughout your flight.

With the advancement of the "Belt and Road Initiative", China and Egypt have become increasingly close in various fields. More and more Chinese tourists have shown a clear interest in traveling to Egypt and Africa. By mid-August, Egypt will receive their sixth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This means that all six 787-9 Dreamliner that EgyptAir ordered from Boeing will be delivered then.

Egyptair Is About To Fly Beijing - Cairo Route With Boeing 787 Dreamliner. EgyptAir's new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be flying the return route from Beijing to Cairo this month. The 787-9 inaugural flight to China is scheduled to fly from Cairo to Beijing on August 18 and t...

On July 18, 2019, Air France unveiling its newly revamped lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport; The new lounge welcomes Air France's La Premiere and Business Class customers as well as Flying Blue Elite Plus members in a completely renovated, more elegant and modern environment. The total area is 615 square meters with two floors that can accommodate up to 155 customers.

Air France New Lounge Food & Drinks Counter

At the heart of the lounge is a new dining area, There is a new service concept "Night Service" for Business Class guests onboard Flight AF027 departures every day from Washington to Paris, Charles de Gaulle.

Eligible passengers can enjoy French cuisine in the airport lounge just as they would on board. Guests can enjoy a full meal at the table, including appetisers, hot dishes, cheese plates, desserts, and wine and champagne.

Air France Lounge Charcuterie Board

Air France Lounge Cheese Plate

Air France Lounge Coffee & Croissant

Air France Lounge French Baguette & Wine

Air France Lounge French Pastries

Air France Lounge Desserts

During the flight, guests can enjoy a good night's sleep in the business class cabin. A quiet private seat that can be converted into a flat bed which guarantees a peaceful rest. When they woke up with the flight reaching the French coastline, breakfast will be served right before landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Air France Visual Illustration

Air France Visual Illustration

In addition to the service concept specially catered to business class passengers onboard the night flight, Air France also introduced other newly improved features at the lounge.

New Night Service Illustration

The iconic bar area in the lounge

Dressed in a lacquered metal structure and completely open to the lounge, the bar offers a selection of wines, Champagnes and spirits, served by a bartender. For the first time in an Air France lounge, customers can also enjoy cold draught beers.

A new dining experience

As part of its ongoing effort to offer its customers the best possible service, the company has also revamped its dining area to highlight French gourmet cuisine.

Designed in the spirit of a Parisian brasserie, new furnishings and circular benches have been custom-designed to provide conviviality and comfort. Customers can enjoy a self-service buffet with a cold, sweet and savoury selection.

A cosy environment

The second level offers customers a genuinely cosy environment. In a relaxing light-filled atmosphere, where light screens perfectly mimic sunlight and the colour of the sky, customers can relax comfortably in chaises lounges or other seating of their choice. A snacking area completes this moment of well-being.

Air France Press Release

Air France New Lounge Decor

Facts of Air France's new Washington lounge:

A VIP area with a cosy and private atmosphere, dedicated to customers travelling in the La Premiere cabin;

An area reserved for Flying Blue Platinum Ultimate customers.

A lobby equipped with new eligibility kiosks, for smoother access;

A co-working space;

Free Wi-Fi access and electrical/USB outlets close to each seat;

A lounge area reflecting the architectural design of the latest Air France lounges - wide bench seating, brightly-coloured individual seats that give the lounge its own distinctive identity;

A press kiosk offering French and international newspapers and magazines, in addition to the digital offer available on the "Air France Play" app;

Freshen up and relax thanks to an invigorating shower.

Air France New Lounge Decor Details

Air France currently operates 2 daily flights to Washington by Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-200 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle; while KLM operates a daily flight to Washington from Amsterdam-Schiphol airport. There will be a schedule change from 26th October this year as the winter season schedule kicks in.

AF054: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13:15, arrives in Washington at 15:40;

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