Airline, Organisations & Operators,

Air Canada has been recognized as one of Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces® for 2023. It is the sixth consecutive year Air Canada has won the award, given for innovative engagement and recognition practices that elevate the employee experience.“At its heart, Air Canada is a customer service business, and we rely on our highly motivated and dedicated employees to deliver on that promise each and every day. We put a premium on all our people throughout our company because each of them is essential and they are the best at what they do. We are always devising new ways to support them so that they can continue to succeed, and it is gratifying that Achievers recognizes these efforts,” said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada.
The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces® is one of several awards Air Canada has already won this year for its workplace engagement and employee practices. The carrier has also been named:
One of “Montreal’s Top Employers” for 2023 by Mediacorp Canada for the 10th consecutive year.One of Canada’s Best Employers 2023 by Forbes for the eighth consecutive year.Winner of the 2023 HRD Innovative HR Teams Award for Forward-Thinking HR Programs.In selecting its winners, Achievers assembled a panel of 11 esteemed judges comprised of employee engagement academics, industry analysts, thought leaders, journalists, and influencers to evaluate the applicants. Winners were selected based on Achievers’ Eight Elements of Employee Engagement®: Accountability & Performance, Belonging, Equity & Inclusion, Culture Alignment, Manager Empowerment, Professional & Personal Growth, Purpose & Leadership, Recognition & Rewards, and Wellbeing.

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Qantas and Jetstar are giving customers an extra 12 months to use their COVID credits, which are a carry-over from the unprecedented upheaval to borders and travel during the pandemic.Credits have been extended three times since 2020 and this final extension to the travel date is designed to make it easier for customers to use their remaining credits for domestic or international travel.
Before today, customers had to book and complete their travel by 31 December 2023. Following this change, they will still have to book by 31 December this year but have until December 2024 to complete their travel[1].
This extension follows a number of other initiatives introduced over the past year to make using COVID credits easier. They include a dedicated Qantas help line with specially trained staff, monthly reminder emails on credit balances and prompts to use flight credits in the online booking engine. Qantas customers can call the Travel Credit Concierge Team on 1300 171 505 or visit the Travel Credits Hub. Jetstar customers can use LiveChat to locate their voucher details.
Today’s change also adds to offers introduced to encourage customers to book travel before their credits are due to expire, including a double points offer for Frequent Flyers last December and a Qantas “Find My Credit” tool, which will launch in April to help those who have lost track of their original booking details.
The travel date extension makes the Qantas and Jetstar COVID credit program more flexible than our main domestic competitor and one of the most flexible among global carriers – some of which have already expired their COVID credits.ADVERTISEMENTComments
Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson, said both Qantas and Jetstar are focused on helping customers use their credits.
“We literally had millions of bookings that were cancelled during several waves of lockdowns and border closures. No airline had systems that were designed to manage that in a seamless way and we realise there’s been frustration for some customers as a result,” said Mr Svensson.
“Now that we’re flying again, a huge amount of effort has gone into making it easier to use your credit, from putting 250 specialists into our call centres to building dedicated websites.
“Our main goal is for everyone who has a COVID credit to be able to put it to good use, which is why we’re doing one final extension of the travel expiry date by 12 months. This is on top of all the system changes we’re making, so people can be reunited with credits they might have forgotten they even have.
“Whether it’s for a domestic flight in Australia or internationally, this year or next, the extension of the travel date really opens up more opportunities for our customers to plan their next trip.
“Our COVID credits can also be used on sale fares and frequent flyer flight promotions, so customers can get maximum value,” added Mr Svensson.
COVID credits through the pandemic
During the pandemic, Qantas and Jetstar provided customers with more flexibility for flight changes and credit redemptions than ever before. Each time borders closed, more travel credits were created as people were unable to take planned trips, amassing a total of $2 billion in credits over more than two years. More than $1.2 billion of this has already been refunded or used for travel, with millions of dollars in COVID credits being accessed by customers each week.
A recent analysis of the $800 million in COVID credits[2] still held by Qantas and Jetstar customers shows:
76 per cent of COVID credits are worth less than $500.24 per cent of COVID credits are worth between $500 and $5000.Less than 1 per cent of COVID credits are worth over $5000.There are two main types of Qantas COVID credits in the system – those that were triggered when the airline cancelled a flight (which are the most flexible for that reason) and those triggered when a customer elected not to travel. All Qantas customers in the first category remain eligible for a cash refund of their credit should they prefer.
As lockdowns ended, Qantas switched back to pre-COVID terms and conditions from 1 October 2021. Qantas customers were still given the flexibility to switch their flight into credit if they chose not to travel[3], however the expiry date of those credits remains at the standard 12 months and is unchanged from today’s announcement.
Qantas and Jetstar customers holding a COVID credit will be emailed the changes to their vouchers.[4] Customers who booked through a Travel Agent should contact their Agent directly to book travel using their COVID credit.
[1] At any point Qantas travel can be booked up to a maximum of 353 days in advance, which reflects system range. On 31 December 2023, this will mean travel can be booked up to 19 December 2024. Jetstar vouchers can be used to book any flight, which are generally made available for booking 12 months in advance of travel.
[2] As reported at Qantas’ half year results, around $800 million in COVID Credits were yet to be redeemed at 31 December 2022.
[3] Qantas’ Fly Flex allowed customers a fee free date change or flight credit on bookings made before 30 April 2022 for domestic travel and 30 June 2022 for international travel. Post these dates, all standard terms and conditions apply.
[4] Jetstar systems will be progressively updated and customers will be emailed changes to their vouchers by the end of March 2023.

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The third A321XLR flight test aircraft – MSN11080 – also known as “FT3”, which is dedicated to the in-flight validation of its cabin-related aspects, is currently in the midst of its busy flight test schedule, following its first flight on 20th October 2022.
This testing focuses on more than just the highly visible Airspace branding elements – such as new overhead stowage compartments (OHSC), ceiling panels etc. – but also the numerous ‘behind the scenes’ new system adaptations and features relating to thermal comfort, ventilation, water & waste, sound insulation, and so on. Together, all these aspects, among others, will contribute to achieving the best possible passenger and flight-crew experience, as well as airline and airport performance and flexibility – given the Xtra Long-Range routes on which this aircraft will routinely fly.
Inside this dedicated cabin flight test aircraft the teams will be able to test all sorts of things which passengers don’t actually see or hear but nevertheless do appreciate – such as water, waste and heating options available – notably including the optional 300 litre waste-water tank, the heated floor panels, the potable water storage and supply, and the associated freezing protection measures – which include ‘tape heaters’ for the water lines.The results from this campaign were recently validated by the programme’s internal steering committee as meeting the design requirements. Subsequently, FT3 has been fitted with flight test instrumentation (FTI) installations for the cold temperature campaigns which are planned to take place in Iqaluit in northern Canada. The freezing protection and insulation of the water lines will be tested as well as the complete waste tank itself and lavatory areas – so this is a big campaign for the team
Later this year there will also be a flight test campaign more oriented to gauging passenger perceptions. “This will include a dedicated flight of up to seven hours with Airbus employees – acting as passengers – on board. Various comfort aspects will be asked, not only from the passengers, but also for the crew. We will conduct surveys, to assess the passenger comfort level on the aircraft during the long flights with regards to temperature and noise,” explains Tuan.
The team will take the opportunity to make some direct ‘spot’ measurements – acoustic as well as temperature – using a hand-held sensing device. Crew noise exposure will be recorded, especially around the main door entrance areas.ADVERTISEMENT
The new Airspace cabin elements will be tested as well. For example, the new parts will be checked for any vibration or resonance during the phases of flight. Ergonomic aspects will also be assessed, such as how easy or hard it is to load and unload the new overhead bins. Airbus will also receive feedback on the visual aspects of the cabin.
Other design changes now being fine-tuned for the best possible in-flight experience inside the A321XLR include items such as the extra fuel pumps for the new underfloor Rear-Centre-Tank (RCT). There are additional pumps to supply fuel from this tank, and any acoustic energy they emit is monitored closely
Higher requirements for the A321XLR long range cabinFor the XLR’s long range missions there are now higher thermal and acoustic requirements for the cabin. “We have added insulation in the forward fuselage section and developed a new lining as standard within the door and door-surround structures, says Mehmet Altay, Cabin & Cargo Engineering Project Leader.“We have also developed an optional thermal/acoustic ‘Textile Door Cover’ for Doors-1 and Doors-4 which can be attached via magnets to each door by the crew during flight. “Additionally, in the Doors-1 and Doors-4 entrance areas we have new heated floor panels, as well as a quieter fresh air vent outlet.”
Comfortable 6,000ft cabin altitude during cruiseA notable passenger/crew wellbeing-related feature of the A321XLR during long cruise at high flight levels is the latest ‘cabin pressure control’ standard (introduced across all the A320 Family). The system actively schedules proportional cabin altitudes depending on the flight level. For the A321XLR this means that a cabin altitude of less than 6,000ft is achieved when the aircraft is cruising at 33,000ft. Low cabin altitudes create a more comfortable and less fatiguing in-flight environment for passengers and crew.
Improved sidewall and ceiling panelsThe teams have also developed a new visually improved lightweight sidewall and ceiling panels for the A321XLR. Of course the panels themselves are already qualified and have passed all the tests, and now the teams are making sure everything will be really robust in flight, as close as can be to airline operations.

New Flexible zone in forward cabinAnother key feature concerns the forward passenger cabin. “The cabin layout itself is becoming more complex than we used to know in the single-aisle business,” observes Mehmet. “While the galleys and other monuments haven’t really changed, we have many more combinations of monuments in the forward cabin.”
In particular, the XLR benefits from the so-called ‘full-flex zone’ which was first introduced on the A321neo “ACF” standard (ACF = “Airbus Cabin Flex”). This is the zone in the forward half of the fuselage between Doors-1 and Doors-2 where airlines can place monuments – such as galleys and lavatories – which conveniently allows them to segment the cabin into different seating classes. The trend for the -XLR is moving towards more ‘enriched’ cabins with at least two-class layouts and going to three-class.
Customer at HeartOverall, all the products developed and decisions made by the teams were customer-focused. “We involved our customers by inviting them to our ‘Customer Experience’ workshops in Hamburg,” says Tuan. “Having this interaction in the development phase was proven essential in getting useful feedback to improve our design.”
For example, based on the airlines’ valuable in-service feedback from their A321neos featuring the more recent ACF configuration, the C&C teams were able to define and implement further improvements proposed for the A321XLR, including the enhanced thermal and acoustic comfort at the forward and aft entrance areas (eg. adjacent to Doors-1 and Doors-4) by introducing insulation means, gap closures and optional textile door covers. This would bring benefits in particular for the cabin crews’ working environment, especially during long range flights.
Next step: MG13“The next step is the Milestone MG13 ‘Maturity Gate’. That means everything that we have developed is now in the phase to obtain EASA Type Certification, and then to hand it over to the series production organisation for Entry Into Service,” says Mehmet. “This is the main milestone we’re heading for now. Stay tuned.”

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This Red Nose Day, British Airways is proud to have raised an incredible £27.3 million for Flying Start, through the airline’s global charity partnership with Comic Relief. The money has been raised over the past 13 years, since the partnership’s launch in 2010.
To celebrate this ‘oarsome’ milestone, British Airways teamed up with Comic Relief celebrity supporters Alison Hammond, Rylan and Sir Steve Redgrave to find out if one of its aircraft could beat the GB Rowing team in a race next to London City Airport.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave brought together medal-winning members of the GB Rowing Team to take on the challenge. The World Champions and Olympians in the mixed eight boat comprised a cox, four female and four male rowers, who took on a British Airways Cityflyer Embraer 190 Aircraft.
Ahead of the race, Alison Hammond gave words of wisdom to the rowing team, showing them some of her own special warm up tips. At the same time, Rylan prepped the airline’s crew, before both celebs took to the water to cheer everyone to the finish line.The race took place at London City Airport, next to the Royal Albert Docks with the runway running parallel to the water where many Olympic and World Champion rowers train.
A video of the special challenge can be viewed below and customers will also be able to watch it on British Airways’ inflight-entertainment system later this year.ADVERTISEMENTSir Steve Redgrave, an honorary trustee of Comic Relief and five-time Olympic gold medal rowing champion, said: “As a trustee for Comic Relief, it’s so fantastic to combine my passion for rowing with a cause so close to my heart. I trained at these docks for many years, so I know them well, but seeing a challenge like this was certainly a first for me. It was a lot of fun and a privilege to be a part of – I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to help raise awareness for British Airways’ Flying Start charity partnership, that has helped millions of individuals worldwide with its fundraising.”
Mary Brew, British Airways Community Investment Manager said: “We’re so proud to have reached the 13th year of our long-standing partnership with Comic Relief. It’s the generous donations of our customers and the fundraising efforts of our colleagues that has helped us reach another milestone this Red Nose Day.”
Across the business, British Airways’ colleagues also supported fundraising efforts for Red Nose Day this year, with 56 of its cabin crew taking part in the airline’s eighth trolley dash, pushing aircraft trollies more than 15km around the capital. This year’s trolley dash raised more than £12,000 for Flying Start through donations from spectators and online sponsors.
Funds raised through the Flying Start partnership support projects both in the UK and around the world in destinations that British Airways flies to. Examples include Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland which provides tailored support to families with children affected by spina bifida and /or hydrocephalus, and Butterflies in New Delhi, which works with children living or working on the streets to give them life skills to prosper. Butterflies has supported an estimated 2,250 children in New Delhi over the last two years.Customers can donate to Flying Start by visiting here.https://www.comicrelief.com/partners/british-airways-flying-start

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Pan Am Flight Academy, a facility that specializes in training aviation professionals from around the world, has announced the addition of a new course to its curriculum. The new, Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) program is offered to international customers and complies with the requirements of South American and European regulations. Upon completion of the course, pilots will be proficient in multi-crew operations with a focus on operating safely in the National Airspace System under instrument flight rules.
The Multi-Crew Cooperation Course consists of 45 hours of training, including 25 hours of instructor led ground training, and 20 hours of training in a Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD). The course training objectives includes crew resource management, decision-making, task management, use of checklists, and team member support through normal, abnormal, and emergency situations. MCC training emphasizes the development of skills necessary for working effectively in a multi-crew environment.
“The aviation industry continues to demand more pilots,” said Jeff Portanova, President of Pan Am Flight Academy. “At Pan Am, we continuously strive to offer courses that further enhance pilot skills and qualifications producing highly trained professionals to meet industry demands.”
To enroll, pilots must possess a valid ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Airman Certificate with multiengine and instrument ratings. Pilots should also demonstrate competence in aviation English Language (minimum ICAO Level 4) before enrolling.
Pan Am offers a variety of FAA, ANAC, and other DGCA approved pilot training programs including ATP-CTP, Initial, Upgrade, Recurrent, Requalification, Recency, Type Ratings, Differences, VMC Limitation removals, and Foreign License Conversion to FAA ATP, among others.ADVERTISEMENTTraining programs are offered utilizing a wide variety of full flight simulators, flight training devices and emergency training equipment on the following fleet types: A320; B737CL; B737NG; B747-400; B757/B767; B777 and SAAB-340

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Jetstar Asia has completed its second orientation flights from Terminal 4, ahead of its move on 22 March 2023.
Comments from Jetstar Asia Head of Flight Operations, Captain Geof Lui  
“The focus of this second round of orientation flights was to evaluate the process and validate the efficiency with which passengers and their luggage could be transferred between terminals to seamlessly meet onward connections.
“Following the initial orientation flights, we’ve worked with our airline partners to increase the frequency of shuttle services, both airside and landside, to ensure customers can quickly and easily transfer between terminals from our new home at T4.
“To ensure a smooth experience for our customers, these operational trials included system testing at every stage of the journey, from check-in through to boarding to clearing customs.ADVERTISEMENT“As we approach our move date, we continue to perform operational tests covering crew communications and procedures, ensuring our entire team is ready to welcome our customers to T4 on 22 March.” 
Jetstar Asia will initially operate more than 230 weekly services in and out of T4, to and from key destinations in Southeast Asia including Bali (Denpasar), Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Phnom Penh.
Jetstar Airways will also operate from T4 and continue to fly between Singapore and Melbourne up to six times a week with the popular route being operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying more than 200,000 passengers each year between the two cities.

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Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a key element for the future reduction of air transportation’s carbon footprint, and Airbus is continuing its testing of this bio-jet fuel with a new VOLCAN flight test campaign using the best-selling A320 Family aircraft.An A321neo took off today from Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France with both of its engines powered by 100% unblended SAF. Since the end of February, the aircraft is being closely followed by a data-collecting aeroplane with the mission to gather information on the non-CO2 emissions and the creation of contrails.
The A321neo’s flights are the latest demonstration in the VOLCAN project, the acronym of VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux, French for “Flight with new alternative fuels”Close-formation flight with our partnersAirbus’ VOLCAN partners are the French aerospace companies Safran and Dassault Aviation, along with the ONERA aeronautics research laboratory and the French Ministry of Transport. The project is co-funded by CORAC, the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research.
An A321neo version powered by LEAP-1A engines from CFM International is being used for the latest tests, and provides yet another opportunity to evaluate the potential benefits of unblended SAF versus conventional aviation fuel. This A321neo is the first Airbus single-aisle aircraft and the latest Airbus aircraft overall – following the A350 and A330MRTT – to test 100% sustainable aviation fuel on both engines.

To gather the important information from this flight, a ‘chase aircraft’, a highly modified Dassault jet from the German Aerospace Center, DLR is flown within 100 metres of the A321neo, using the testbed’s sensors to capture emissions data for detailed analysis.ADVERTISEMENTUnblended SAF for the VOLCAN flightsThe VOLCAN evaluations are focused on the emissions of unblended SAF, which – unlike SAF blends that are increasingly being used in aviation today – is not mixed with any fossil fuels.
Analysing the performance of unblended SAF and its promise in reducing emissions (CO2 and non-CO2) is an important step toward the decarbonisation of the aviation industry, and Airbus is once again taking a key role in such forward-looking research.
Currently, all Airbus commercial and military aircraft, as well as helicopters are capable of flying with an up to a 50% blend of SAF. The goal is to ensure 100% SAF capability by 2030 of these products. The potential to cut emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel highlights the immense possibilities for SAF usage in the aviation sector.

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Azul Linhas Aéreas has partnered with Chooose to develop a program that allows passengers to understand and offset carbon emissions of purchased flights.
The process is placed within the booking flow of Azul Linhas Aéreas’ mobile app.
Going beyond the current mission of reaching remote locations and connecting communities in the region to national and international destinations, Azul now aims to strengthen its commitment to the biodiversity of the Amazon region.
By offering carbon calculation and offsets for all flights, the company wants to give customers the chance to not only fly to all parts of the country, but to understand the CO2 impact of their flights and support the protection and development of the Amazon.
When buying any ticket with Azul through the mobile app, customers can choose to pay an additional fee that has a double function. ADVERTISEMENTFirstly, it offsets the CO2 emissions resulting from the seat during the flight, and secondly it directs funds to climate projects in the Amazon.
The CO2 calculations are based on the flight distance, route, type of aircraft, number of passengers, seat class, and other variables present in each flight.
The calculations are done using technology from Chooose, a climate tech company that specializes in CO2 offset solutions and is a world leader in this type of solution for the aviation sector.
Offsetting emissions is voluntary, and through this solution, Azul offers a practical, safe, and educational option for customers concerned about the impact of their carbon footprint during their air travel, Filipe Alvarez de Oliveira, sustainability manager at Azul, explained.
“This is because, in the Azul app itself, when buying tickets, customers who offset their emissions find out how much CO2 their contribution will help to offset, and can also learn about the projects supported by the company that will benefit from this compensation,” he said.
This in-app solution with carbon offsetting and climate project support is just one several by the company actions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
This, among other initiatives that Azul intends to disclose throughout the year, are part of a larger strategic plan and represent the airline’s commitment to the ESG principles of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and governance.
“We see a growing trend of individuals and companies worldwide seeking ways to understand and reduce the CO2 emissions associated with their travel.
“In response, Chooose is proud to support Azul in delivering a climate program that enables customers to easily understand and address their carbon footprint – all within the mobile app booking flow – while contributing to high-impact climate solutions like forest conservation and biodiversity preservation.
“Together, we are making climate action more accessible for people worldwide,” said Andreas Slettvoll, chief executive of Chooose.

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