Tag Archives: American Airlines

Celebi Aviation Eyes Expansion in India

 

Celebi Aviation Holdings is focusing on the entry and expansion of foreign airlines in India. The company is in discussions with carriers like Lufthansa, American Airlines, and Lion Air to strengthen its operations in the country. Currently, 75% of Celebi’s business comes from foreign airlines, while 25% is contributed by Indian carriers, according to Murali Ramachandran, President India & Southeast Asia, Celebi Aviation.

Ramachandran highlighted that geopolitical disruptions have impacted the entry and growth of American and European carriers in India. Airspace restrictions over Russia, Ukraine, and parts of the Middle East have slowed expansion plans. For example, a signed contract with American Airlines for ground handling at Bengaluru airport had to be postponed due to the ongoing war.

Despite these challenges, Ramachandran is optimistic about the future. He expects several international carriers, including Lufthansa, Lion Air, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines, to enhance their passenger and freight operations in India over the next few years. India remains a critical market for Celebi, and the company is poised to capitalise on growing opportunities in the aviation sector.

With a strong focus on foreign partnerships, Celebi Aviation continues to solidify its position as a key player in the ground handling and cargo industry, driving growth and expansion across India’s rapidly evolving aviation market.

Finnair announces more flights to Tokyo in Winter 2024 and Summer 2025

 

Finnair unveiled its revamped flight schedule for the summer of 2025, announcing several enhancements to its network. The airline will notably ramp up its services to Tokyo, Japan, offering daily flights to both Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita airports. Additionally, Finnair will introduce a third weekly frequency to Nagoya.

Expanding its reach, Finnair will introduce a new destination in Northern Norway: the town of Kirkenes. Operating with a 68-seater ATR aircraft, the route to Kirkenes will fly from Helsinki via Ivalo three times a week. This new route aims to cater to Finnish and international travellers interested in exploring both Finnish Lapland and Northern Norway, including the renowned Hurtigruten cruise.

Ole Orvér, Finnair’s CCO, expressed enthusiasm about the new destination, emphasising its role in bolstering the airline’s Arctic network and facilitating convenient travel to Northern Norway from Helsinki.

In the Baltic region, Finnair will increase frequencies to Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius for the summer of 2025. Tallinn and Riga will each receive five additional weekly frequencies, while Vilnius will see an addition of two weekly frequencies.

Furthermore, Finnair has updated its winter 2024 traffic program, boosting frequencies to Dallas to establish a year-round daily service. This enhancement provides passengers with seamless connections to American Airlines’ extensive network from their Dallas hub.

Star Alliance appoints Theo Panagiotoulias as new CEO

Star Alliance has appointed Theo Panagiotoulias as its next CEO.

Panagiotoulias has more than 25 years’ international experience in the airline and aviation industry. He joins Star Alliance from Hawaiian Airlines, where he had been Senior VP for Global Sales and Alliances since 2014. Previously, Panagiotoulias was VP and GM (Asia Pacific) at travel technology provider Sabre Corporation, as well as a 15-year veteran of American Airlines, where he held several commercial, operational and management positions. His full biography is appended.

“On behalf of the board of Star Alliance, I would like to congratulate Theo for being named the next CEO of Star Alliance,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines and Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board. “Theo’s international commercial and airline experience have given him a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our industry today. I believe he is the right person to lead Star Alliance into the future.”

“Star Alliance connects the world,” said Panagiotoulias. “More than 200 million customers fly with its 26 member airlines each year, on more than 16,000 flights each day. The Alliance has also led the revolution to promote a more seamless passenger experience. I am honoured that I’ve been chosen to lead the Star Alliance team and work directly with our 26 member carriers, as we continue to innovate as the world’s leading airline alliance.”

Panagiotoulias will succeed Charlotta Wieland, who has been seconded from SAS – Scandinavian Airlines to serve as Star Alliance’s interim CEO since January 2023. With Panagiotoulias coming on board, Wieland will return to SAS, and also rejoin Star Alliance’s Alliance Management Board as the representative for SAS. Panagiotoulias’ appointment is expected to take effect within the coming months, upon the completion of certain administrative processes and clearances.

“On behalf of Star Alliance and its member carriers, I would like to thank Charlotta for her service to Star Alliance as interim CEO, and welcome her back to her seat on the Alliance Management Board,” said Kirby.

American Airlines starts New York-Delhi direct flights; postpones Bengaluru-Seattle flights to March-end

According to a TOI report, India-US nonstop connectivity has got a boost with American Airlines resuming flights to the country after almost a decade. American’s New York-Delhi inaugural landed at the capital’s IGI Airport on Saturday night. This flight was supposed to start October-end but was deferred by a couple of weeks for the November 8 US reopening for international travellers.

Similarly, American’s Bengaluru-Seattle that was to start from January 4, 2022, has been deferred by a few months to March-end as corporate travel is yet to pick up and is expected to show signs of revival by then. The airline has last flown to India in 2012 when it terminated its Chicago-Delhi route that was launched in 2007.

“There is tremendous demand for travel between India and the US, thanks to the large diaspora and growing business ties. The pandemic has led to a preference among people to travel nonstop instead of going one-stop. There is huge potential for expansion in India. Mumbai is one place we are looking at closely. We will see how these two routes that we have announced do and then decide,”) said Tom Lattig, MD, Sales, American Airlines.

“Our India flights will have a feel of the country in terms of meals, inflight entertainment content, and Hindi-speaking crew. Our aircraft have onboard WiFi from Panasonic that have great oceanic coverage too,” he added.

The airline has deployed its 304-seater Boeing 777 on the Delhi route with four cabins — 216 seats in economy, 28 premium economy, 52 in business and 8 in first.

American recently entered into a codeshare agreement with IndiGo and will put its code on 29 of IndiGo’s domestic routes in India for seamless nationwide connectivity.