Airlines

Southwest Airlines is increasing Wi-Fi fees for connecting passengers

Southwest Airlines will now charge every traveler for its in-flight Wi-Fi after spending more than $2 billion on in-flight enhancements the previous year.

Beginning on February 21, 2023, Southwest will charge for its Wi-Fi service. Today, the airline charges $8 per day for Wi-Fi, so if you’re connecting, you could pay that price and utilize Wi-Fi on many flights.

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Southwest Airlines spokesperson Alyssa Foster stated, “This impacts a small group of customers due to our robust network of nonstop flights, free onboard entertainment, and a small proportion of customers electing to use paid internet across connecting flights.

The adjustments happen as Southwest expands its fleet with two Wi-Fi providers. Together with Anuvu, the carrier is also adding Viasat as a second internet service provider. At the beginning of March, new Boeing 737 Max deliveries will include Wi-Fi hardware from Viasat, according to Foster.

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Now, the company claims to have renovated more than 350 aircraft, and according to Foster, it anticipates upgrading the whole fleet by the third quarter of this year. Modernized routers and modems came with new improvements.

Southwest made it clear that the $8 fee applies “from takeoff to landing,” and that customers are responsible for paying the $8 fee at each location. The same policy would be in place for a client who had a layover but wasn’t changing planes. Consumers with A-List preferred status will still have free access to Wi-Fi.

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Airlines

S7 Group Begins Fan Blade Production for Western Engine Models

The privately-owned Russian aerospace giant S7 Group has reportedly commenced production of blades for Western-built aero engines at its subsidiary, the Berdsk Electromechanical Plant (BEMZ), located in Novosibirsk.

This development, reported by the Russian aviation publication ATO.ru, marks a significant step for the company amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.BEMZ has started manufacturing composite fan blades compatible with jet turbine engines, including the CFM International CFM56, which powers popular aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family.

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The technology for restoring blades of gas turbine engines used in Airbus and Boeing aircraft was previously developed by the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and is now being implemented in the production of new aircraft parts at BEMZ.

Currently, BEMZ focuses on producing parts essential for maintaining the airworthiness of civil aircraft. Over the past year and a half, the plant has manufactured approximately 3,500 structural elements and components for replacement on foreign aircraft, which are utilized by airlines such as S7 Airlines, Pobeda, Aurora, and Aeroflot.

The facility is undergoing expansion, with two stages of an investment program totaling 2 billion roubles already completed. These developments are likely geared toward producing blades for the CFM56 engines, which equip more than half of S7’s operational fleet, including 28 Airbus A320-family aircraft and 19 Boeing 737-800s.

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Vasily Yurchenko, CEO of Berdsk Electromechanical Plant, emphasized the shift in focus towards maintaining the airworthiness of the Western-made fleet. The plant has delivered thousands of components to S7 and other Russian carriers since 2022. Notably, according to Russia’s Air Operators Association, 89% of the country’s passengers in 2023 traveled aboard foreign-made aircraft.

Future plans include serious investments to transform the plant into a modern, high-tech aircraft manufacturing facility. In addition to engine blades, BEMZ is also known for producing various spare parts for aircraft, reinforcing its role in the Russian aviation industry as it adapts to new manufacturing needs.