Intel in the Air: January Roundup of the Latest Aviation News
The new year has arrived and the demand for travel is continuing to increase globally. The aviation industry had a rocky end to 2021 with sweeping flight cancellations and chaos, but with new exciting expansions and innovations ahead, 2022 seems to be headed on a better path!
Read on for the latest ‘Intel in the Air’ news roundup, where we keep our users informed with the aviation industry’s latest happenings.
Flight Cancellations
After a chaotic and complicated conclusion to the holiday season, the month of January brought an influx of unexpected flight cancellations across several airlines. With over 1,000 flight cancellations each day during Christmas and New Year’s week– due to weather and the recent Omicron COVID-19 surge– JetBlue, Delta, United and Alaska Airlines faced angry customers. Alaska Airlines even went as far as asking travelers to avoid nonessential travel if possible, amidst the chaos.
Later in the month, an abundance of international airlines also began canceling and suspending flights due to operational concerns as a result of the new 5G rollout by AT&T and Verizon. The industry’s main concern was that the frequency could interfere with the airplane systems that measure altitude. Air India, Emirates, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways all canceled flights.
Expansions + Partnerships
Despite the recent Omicron COVID-19 surge, several airlines announced expansion plans for 2022, adding high-profile long-haul international flight routes to destinations including Jordan, Qatar, India, Spain, Finland and Norway. These airlines are determined to broaden their scope of travel as air travel demand picks up and people become more comfortable flying again.
Also new to the industry is Pan-African Airline. The new carrier, a joint force of Kenya Airlines and South African Airways, was announced to begin operations in 2023. This partnership seeks to expand global coverage and provide support in salvaging the massive losses each of the two airlines individually accrued due to the pandemic.
American Airlines has inked a new partnership with Aer Lingus, the flag carrier of Ireland. The codeshare agreement will enable Aer Lingus customers to access greater connectivity options and more seamless travel between the U.S. and Europe via its Dublin hub. This will also allow travelers to gain U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance in Dublin itself — making it easier than ever for U.S. travelers to visit Dublin.
Lastly, starting this spring, Singapore Airlines will offer a daily nonstop flight from Changi International Airport (SIN) to both New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR). Respectively, these will be the world’s two longest flights.
Safe travels and stay tuned for more aviation insights during next month’s ‘Intel in the Air’.
