Aviation

AirBaltic places order for 10 more A220 aircraft

airBaltic, the Latvian flag carrier, exercised the option to purchase 10 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft, increasing their total order to 90.

These options originated from the additional purchase rights for an additional 20 A220-300 aircraft during the Dubai Airshow, when airBaltic placed a firm order for 30 A220-300 aircraft. This is the fourth time airBaltic ordered the A220 aircraft, increasing its total firm order to 90 A220 aircraft.

This is in line with their fleet expansion plans to operate approximately 100 A220-300 aircraft by 2030, with the 40 aircraft on order slated to be delivered from 2026. Currently operating a fleet of 48 A220-300 aircraft, airBaltic is the largest operator of the A220 in Europe, and the largest A220-300 operator in the world.

The Latvian flag carrier bases these aircraft out of 4 main airports, Tampere, Tallinn, Vilnius and its main hub, Riga. airBaltic was also the launch customer for the A220 aircraft in 2016, and has operated an A220-exclusive fleet since 2020, retiring its then ageing Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q400 fleet.

airBaltic offers flights within Europe, usually connecting major cities together through their hubs located in the Baltic States using a hub-and-spoke strategy. Currently, the airline operates more than 130 routes from its 4 main hubs and Gran Canaria, a seasonal hub.

Marking this occasion, Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic praised the A220 for playing a part in the ‘success story of airBaltic’, further emphasising this order as a show of confidence in the A220 program.

Over the years, this aircraft type has proven its operational capabilities and value – it has been the backbone of our operations and has played an integral role in the international success story of airBaltic. By exercising these options, we are strengthening our unwavering support and trust in the A220 Programme and are looking forward to our fleet expansion over the upcoming years.

The A220 can carry up to 150 passengers on flights up to 3,600 nautical miles (6,700km), with the largest cabin in its class, enabling a 2-3 abreast configuration to be feasible, together with the largest cabin, seats and windows in its category. At the end of July 2024, the A220 aircraft have had more than 900 orders from around 30 customers of the A220.

An Airbus A220-300 aircraft on an aerial display

Aviation

DOT Penalizes Lufthansa $4 Million for Stopping Jewish Passengers From Boarding

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed a $4 million penalty on Lufthansa for discriminating against Jewish passengers traveling from New York City to Budapest via Frankfurt in May 2022. The incident marked the largest civil rights fine ever levied by the DOT against an airline.

The case stems from an incident where Lufthansa denied 128 Jewish passengers — most of whom were wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish attire — from boarding their connecting flight in Germany.

China Airlines eyes new aircraft order for 777X and A350-1000

The airline’s actions were based on the alleged misconduct of a few individuals during the first leg of the journey from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA). However, many of those passengers did not know each other or travel as a group. DOT investigators found that Lufthansa treated them as a single entity, barring them from their connecting flight to Budapest (BUD) for the actions of a few.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the department’s commitment to protecting passengers’ rights. “No one should face discrimination when they travel, and today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated,” he said. Buttigieg added that DOT’s increased enforcement efforts aim to ensure airlines treat all passengers with fairness and dignity.

This aircraft won’t need a runway

The investigation began after DOT received over 40 complaints from Jewish passengers affected by the incident. Despite some passengers failing to follow crew instructions on the first flight, lufthansa business lounge newark did not specifically identify any noncompliant individuals.

Instead, the airline placed a blanket hold on the tickets of over 100 passengers, preventing them from continuing their journey. lufthansa airways acknowledged that this approach could lead to excluding compliant passengers but deemed it impractical to address each case individually.