Delta is teaming up with Shake Shack to serve its burgers at 30,000 feet.

Delta’s first-of-its-kind partnership with Shake Shack will begin on flights out of Boston on Dec. 1, with plans for expansion to other U.S. markets throughout 2025.

Customers sitting in First Class on routes over 900 miles will be able to pre-select a Shake Shack Cheeseburger as their meal option.

Stephanie Laster, managing director of onboard service said: “A delicious cheeseburger is an iconic comfort food – our customers know that which is why burgers are one of the top ordered menu items we offer, and we’re thrilled to elevate the offering with Shake Shack.

“However, our partnership with Shake Shack goes beyond the burger. Shake Shack’s people-first culture and commitment to enriching their neighborhoods are spot on with our own brand values of service excellence and helping the communities we serve.”

ou can customize your burger to create the signature ShackBurger, with toppings like tomato, lettuce and Shake Shack’s famous ShackSauce, all served on the side.

The meal also features chips, a Caesar salad, and a dark chocolate brownie reminiscent of Shack Attack flavors from some of the brand’s dessert offerings.

Michael Kark, president of global licensing at Shake Shack said: “At Shake Shack, we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to meet our guests where they are, even at 35,000 feet.

“Taking our beloved cheeseburger to new heights, Shake Shack is proud to partner with Delta as we elevate the in-flight dining and hospitality experience for travelers across the country.”

The Shake Shack Cheeseburger will be available via pre-select; customers can make and edit their entrée selection up to 24 hours in advance using the Fly Delta app or a link in their email, starting seven days before departure.

The post Delta to serve Shake Shack burgers on flights appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

American Airlines is expanding technology that supports the boarding process to more than 100 airports across the U.S. The technology platform ensures customers receive the benefit of boarding in their assigned group and supports team members with more visibility into the boarding process.

The airline has successfully trialed this modern technology over the last month at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Tucson International Airport (TUS) to gain early insights on ways to improve the boarding process.

Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of airport operations, reservations and service recovery said: “We’ve heard from our customers that the ability to board with their assigned group is important to them because it’s a benefit associated with their AAdvantage status or fare purchase.

“The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations, so we are thrilled to leverage this technology to deliver for them ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.”

If a customer boards before their assigned group is called, the new software will not accept the boarding pass and instead makes an audible sound to alert the gate agent and customer that the group has not yet been called.

In these instances, the American team member will invite the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called.

For customers traveling with a companion in an earlier boarding group, the agent has a simple one-click solution to override the alert and accept the pass to continue boarding.

American offers multiple boarding groups which are associated with travellers’ ticket purchase, AAdvantage status or membership, eligible AAdvantage credit cards, U.S. military service and more.

All AAdvantage members receive Group 6 priority as soon as they enroll in the program and if their AAdvantage number is added to their trip.

The post American Airlines expands boarding technology to more than 100 airports appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Cathay Pacific today released its traffic figures for October 2024, showing that the airline reached the milestone of operating more than 10,000 passenger and cargo flight sectors in a single month for the first time this year.

Cathay Pacific carried a total of 2,014,105 passengers in October 2024, an increase of 19.6% compared with October 2023.

The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 19.1% year on year.

Passenger load factor decreased by 1.6 percentage points to 83.1%, while available seat kilometres (ASKs) increased by 21.3% year on year.

In the first 10 months of 2024, the number of passengers carried increased by 27.4% to a total of 18,567,818, against a 32.7% increase in ASKs and a 26.8% increase in RPKs, as compared with the same period for 2023.

Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer said: “October was another good month for our travel business, with strong demand for both leisure and business travel resulting in a solid load factor of 83% across our network.

“We saw considerable leisure traffic from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to destinations in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Europe over the National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday at the beginning of the month.

“The Chung Yeung Festival long weekend in Hong Kong also stimulated robust demand from our home city to various short-haul destinations around Asia, with Japan as the most popular choice among our customers.

“Meanwhile, business traffic also remained strong, driven by the various exhibitions and conventions in Hong Kong as well as the Canton Fair in nearby Guangzhou.

“This resulted in October seeing the highest number of passengers in our premium cabins of any month since the pandemic.

“Last month, we celebrated the launch of our non-stop passenger service between Hong Kong and Riyadh.

“This service has been well received by our customers, with considerable demand originating from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

“Looking ahead, we are projecting a strong Christmas travel peak, with Japan anticipated to be a top destination for outbound travel from our home market.

“We are also expecting considerable inbound demand from North America, the United Kingdom and other destinations in Europe as customers travel to visit friends and relatives.

“In terms of new destinations, Cathay Pacific’s seasonal service of three flights per week between Hong Kong and Cairns will launch on 17 December 2024.

“Recently, we also announced the resumption of Cathay Pacific’s non-stop passenger services to and from Hyderabad starting from 30 March 2025, further enhancing our network presence in India.

“Additionally, HK Express launched thrice-weekly passenger flights between Hong Kong and Hiroshima at the start of November, increasing to four return flights per week in January 2025.”

On 14 November 2024, Cathay Pacific announced its proposed repurchase of HK$6.74 billion 2.75% guaranteed convertible bonds due 2026, which were issued on 5 February 2021.

The buyback reflects Cathay Pacific’s confidence in its long-term business prospects and could also enhance the return to its shareholders.

The repurchase price will be determined after trading of Cathay Pacific’s shares on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited closes on 19 December 2024.

The post Cathay Pacific achieves milestone with over 10,000 flights in October appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Hahnair announced an extension of its contract with Airbus. As a result, Hahnair will continue to provide Airbus with the HR-Shuttle Manager, a product to simplify corporate shuttle services.

Since 2019, this tool has been streamlining the booking process for Airbus’ corporate shuttle flights, which are exclusively for Airbus employees, making them available in the Global Distribution System (GDS).

Hahnair serves as the validating and marketing carrier, while two European carriers operate the flights. Airbus’ Travel Management Company can issue tickets on the Hahnair HR-169 ticket stock.

With the product HR-Shuttle Manager, Hahnair simplifies corporate shuttle management by making it possible to handle corporate shuttle flights like any other commercial flight.

This includes booking the shuttle flights via the standard reservation processes, access to all booking related data and detailed reports as well as offering a convenient online check-in and wait-list management for the corporate travellers.

Alexander Proschka, executive vice president commercial at Hahnair, stated: “With our distribution know-how and technical infrastructure, we support corporations in making their intra-company flights available in the GDS.

“We are honoured to extend our agreement with Airbus and look forward to managing their company shuttle flights during the next years.”

The post Hahnair extends partnership with Airbus to enhance Airbus’ corporate shuttle service appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Jetcraft Commercial, the commercial division of the global aircraft trading firm Jetcraft, is announcing the delivery of two Dash 8-400 turboprops to Panama-based regional carrier, Air Panama.

These are the first Dash 8-400s to join Air Panama’s fleet and will be deployed on both domestic and international routes, enhancing the airline’s capacity to serve growing passenger demand across Central America.

The deal follows Jetcraft Commercial’s acquisition of 19 Dash 8-400s from Horizon Air, and several successful deliveries to other companies.

Richard Libby, VP Sales, Jetcraft Commercial, says: “The Dash 8-400 is a versatile aircraft, perfectly suited to operations in the Americas, and we expect its value to remain strong.

“This dual delivery to Air Panama demonstrates Jetcraft Commercial’s expertise in efficiently structuring deals that align with the specific needs of our clients, while opening new aviation opportunities.

“We’re proud to support Air Panama, having used our leading position in the Dash 8-400 market to swiftly respond to their requirements as the airline embarks on its next phase of growth.”

Eduardo Stagg, CEO, Air Panama, says: “Jetcraft Commercial has played a key role in supporting our fleet expansion, allowing us to strengthen our network and meet rising demand.

“The Dash 8-400’s fuel efficiency and reliability make it a perfect fit for both our domestic and regional operations, helping us optimize our services while enhancing the overall passenger experience.”

The post Jetcraft Commercial delivers two Dash 8-400 aircraft to Air Panama appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has released its traffic statistics for October 2024, highlighting continued strong performance.

The airline welcomed 1.6 million guests during the month, achieving a notable average passenger load factor of 87%.

Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said: “Our passenger numbers in October saw significant growth compared to the same period last year, highlighting our continuing upwards momentum.

“Year-to-date, Etihad has welcomed more than 15 million passengers, marking a substantial 34% increase from the previous year.

“As of October 2024, the airline’s rolling 12-month passenger total stands at 17.8 million, a 73 per cent increase on the figure for the whole of 2022, indicating we are on track to double passenger numbers in under two years.

“Our capacity continues to grow, and it is pleasing to see we maintained our robust passenger load factor of 87% year-to-date, as well as announcing another exciting new route to Al Alamein, Egypt from Summer 2025.

“Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a global aviation hub and a major destination for tourists from around the world is being bolstered by our fleet growth year-on-year, which underpins our route expansion. This was further bolstered by the reintroduction of our fifth A380 in October.”

The post Etihad reports October 2024 traffic statistics appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Spirit Airlines has announced that it has received approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York for all of its requested “first day” relief in support of its prearranged chapter 11 process.

Among other benefits, this relief ensures that Spirit’s Team Members, vendors and other counterparties will continue to be paid in full in the ordinary course of business and that Guests can continue to book and fly without interruption and use all tickets, credits and loyalty points as normal.

Ted Christie, Spirit’s president and chief executive officer said: “We are pleased with the Court’s decision to grant all of this important relief, which affirms our ability to continue operating seamlessly during our streamlined restructuring process.

“I want to thank our Guests, Team Members and business partners for their continued support as we position Spirit for long-term success.

“We look forward to emerging as a stronger company and continuing to execute on our strategic initiatives to transform our Guest experience.”

As previously announced, Spirit entered into a restructuring support agreement (the “RSA”) supported by a supermajority of its loyalty and convertible bondholders on the terms of a comprehensive balance sheet restructuring that would equitize $795 million of funded debt and provide $350 million of fully committed equity capital upon emergence.

The restructuring will be effectuated through a plan of reorganization that is subject to confirmation by the Court.

The Company expects to emerge from its streamlined chapter 11 process in the first quarter of 2025.

The post Spirit Airlines receives court approval for “first day” relief appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

Avelo Airlines today celebrated its second international destination with the start of service between Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Cancun, Mexico (CUN).

Avelo operates this route to Cancun twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays utilizing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft.

This month Avelo has debuted six new routes at BDL: North Carolina’s Charlotte / Concord (USA) and Wilmington (ILM), Florida’s Daytona Beach (DAB) and Orlando / Lakeland (LAL), Houston via Hobby (HOU).

Saturday, the airline inaugurated service to its first international destination: Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ).

Andrew Levy, Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO said: “Our inaugural international service to Cancun, and last week’s Montego Bay, is a significant milestone for Avelo.

“Our purpose is to Inspire Travel, and the addition of international service to our expansive route network offers our Customers even more choices.

“As the only current airline offering nonstop service to Mexico from Connecticut, we are leading the way in making it convenient and affordable for our Customers to enjoy Cancun and the nearby vacation destinations of Tulum and Cozumel.”

Ned Lamont, Connecticut Governor said: “The growth of Avelo Airlines and the addition of new routes at Bradley is only helping to increase the reputation of our state’s flagship airport as one of the best and most convenient airports in the northeast.”

The post Avelo Airlines launches flights to Cancun, Mexico appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

United today reported bookings to European destinations are up nearly 30% compared to 2019 and up almost 10% versus last year, as more Americans opt to spend their holiday dollars on experiences.

According to a recent Deloitte survey, consumer spending on holiday experiences is expected to rise 16% this year, while spending on physical gifts remain flat.

Europe’s markets are a cultural tradition dating back hundreds of years, and millions of people from around the world visit them annually to experience festive offerings like mulled wine, artisan crafts, live music, picturesque scenery and more.

As the world’s largest airline, measured by available seat miles, United is ready for its busiest holiday season ever and plans to offer nearly 60 nonstop flights each day from its U.S. hubs to Europe in November and December, more than any other U.S. airline.

Connecting travellers can visit even more Christmas markets with United’s partners, offering seamless connections through the air with Lufthansa Group or by rail with Deutsche Bahn.

Darren Scott, United’s Director of Atlantic and Hawaii Planning said: “The European Christmas markets have become even more popular in recent years and no airline makes it easier than United to get away and visit for the holidays,” .

“Stay for a week or make it a long weekend with nonstop flights and easy connections to more than 130 European cities, including the legendary markets in Dresden, Strasbourg, Vienna and Cologne.”

United’s most popular European destinations during the holiday period include London, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Brussels.

United expects the 2024 holiday period to be its busiest yet, with around 25 million passengers, up 6% from 2023.

The post United sees nearly 30% surge in travel to European Christmas markets appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.

easyJet is to launch a new route to Split in Croatia from Liverpool John Lennon Airport starting next summer.

On sale from today a new twice-weekly route to Split will start on 9th June and operate on Mondays and Fridays throughout the summer with fares from £34.99*

Paul Winfield, Aviation Director for LJLA commented: “We’re delighted to add another new route with easyJet for Summer 2025.

“Croatia is a market hugely underserved from Liverpool and this will be our first scheduled service to Split, with the region’s passengers now able to fly there from the UK’s number one Airport.”

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, added: “Launching another new route from Liverpool for next summer, is proof that our flights are as popular as ever for our customers in the North West.

“Split is a real allrounder and offers a mix of rich history to explore, alongside outstanding beaches and a vibrant waterfront. We are confident it will be a great choice for customers planning their summer holidays next year.

“We are committed to providing more choice for customers from across the North West who choose to fly with easyJet for our unrivalled network, fantastic service and great value fares.”

The post easyJet launches new route from Liverpool John Lennon Airport for summer 2025 appeared first on Airline Routes & Ground Services.