Airline, Organisations & Operators,

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Damas Saudi Arabia Company Ltd. signed an agreement to grant members of the frequent flyer program, ALFURSAN, miles added to their account for every purchase. The agreement was signed by the Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at SAUDIA, Mr. Essam Akhonbay, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Damas and CEO, Mr. Luc Perramond.Under the agreement, members of the Blue and Silver tiers of the Elite ALFURSAN program will receive one additional mile for every USD per purchase from Damas, while members of the Gold Level Elite Plus will receive two additional miles for every USD on each purchase from Damas.
Mr. Essam Akhonbay, VP Marketing and Product Management at SAUDIA, stated, “In line with the new program revamp, ALFURSAN is set to offer more rewards, miles, and partners to maximize the benefits to our 7.5 million ALFURSAN members. This partnership will enrich the pool of benefits to ensure our elite members receive more value for their loyalty”.
Luc Perramond, Chairman and CEO of Damas Jewellery commented: “We are proud to announce the signing of our partnership with SAUDIA, one of the most notable airlines in the region. As a leading player in the jewellery sector in the Kingdom in particular and the Gulf in general, it is essential that our products and services remain fully compatible with the changing needs of the market that is always seeking brilliance and creativity.”
Perramond added, “We will in turn strive to meet the needs of the consumer with our distinguished business and various offers. One of our goals is to offer ALFURSAN members a high-level shopping experience, where they are rewarded for their loyalty to SAUDIA. We are sure that this solid partnership will continue to meet the requirements of customers of both parties.
ALFURSAN members can enjoy many benefits and services including upgrades, free flights, free baggage allowance and priority check-in. They can also take advantage of a wide range of offers, rewards, and access to more benefits with global partnerships that include banks, hotels, car rentals, telecommunications, retail sales, services, insurance, online booking sites and more to earn more reward miles and additional benefitsADVERTISEMENT

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Malaysia Aviation Group Announces New Senior Leadership Team

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Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) today announced the implementation of its Target Operating Model (TOM), which sees MAG operating as a full-fledged operating company (op-co) overseeing Group-level support functions and subsidiaries, which are grouped into three dedicated profit centres, namely Airlines, Loyalty & Travel Solutions, and Aviation Services. With the new organisational structure, the MAG senior leadership team has also been enhanced for better reporting across the Group and business verticals. The new operating model will enable MAG to deliver its Long-Term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP 2.0) in a more cohesive and unified manner, with greater emphasis on transparency and accountability through a clear profit and loss (P&L) reporting structure; empower each vertical to drive business growth; and diversify the Group’s revenue streams beyond its airlines business.
Captain Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG, said, “The new set-up allows MAG to have a more dynamic reporting structure under each profit centre, including dedicated Loyalty & Travel Solutions and Aviation Services functions to drive revenue growth; promoting better synergy as the Group collectively work towards fulfilling its Long-term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP2.0) aspirations of becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group. While the existing structure has enabled us to be futureproof, we continue implementing a strong and flexible organisational structure that will set the Group up for long-term success.”

In line with the new structure, the leadership team at the op-co level will continue to lead the Group, supported by the Chief Executive Officers in the respective profit centres.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Airlines business portfolio will oversee MAG’s global, domestic and segmented airlines comprising Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings, and AMAL. Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airlines, supported by the Chief Operating Officers (COO) of the respective subsidiaries: Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar for Malaysia Airlines; Captain Hamdan Che Ismail for Firefly; Suresh Singam for MASwings; and Muhammad Najmi Mansor for AMAL.

The Loyalty & Travel Solutions portfolio covers MAG’s end-to-end travel solutions and loyalty programmes, complementing its established strength and expertise in the airline and aviation service businesses. This includes Journify, MHholidays, Firefly Holidays, and Enrich. Philip See will oversee the portfolio as CEO of Loyalty & Travel Solutions, double hatting the role of Group Chief Sustainability Officer.

The Aviation Services portfolio covers cargo, ground handling, training, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), comprising MABkargo, AeroDarat Services, MAB Academy and MAB Engineering. The portfolio will be overseen by Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri as the CEO of Aviation Services , supported by the CEO of MABkargo, Mark Jason Thomas and COOs of other subsidiaries: Ibrahim Salleh for AeroDarat Services; Aida Salfaraz for MAB Academy (following the retirement of Captain Kamarudin Kamilin in February 2023) and Eke Nazri Rahim for MAB Engineering.

Captain Izham Ismail will continue to provide the steer on the entire MAG business support functions and operations as Group CEO of MAG, supported by Boo Hui Yee, Group Chief Financial Officer; Bryan Foong, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer; Dato’ Mohd Khalis Abdul Rahim, Group Chief Human Capital Officer; Lau Yin May, Group Chief Branding & Customer Experience Officer; Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer; and newly appointed Group Chief Digital & IT Officer, Clarence Lee.

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SAUDIA AND DAMAS SIGN AGREEMENT FOR ALFURSAN MEMBERS TO EARN BONUS MILES THROUGH PURCHASES More

Eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members have another reason to start planning their next trip: as these cardholders can now take 15% off Award Travel on Delta flights, anytime. 1The new TakeOff 15 benefit is available to Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Consumer and Business American Express Card Members.
“Our Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members are some of our most loyal customers, and we want to continue to give them opportunities to travel the world more easily,” said Prashant Sharma, V.P. of Loyalty at Delta. “We’re grateful to have a partner like American Express who shares our vision and passion for delivering ingenuity and excellence to our customers.”
This latest partnership achievement with American Express further demonstrates Delta’s commitment to evolving the SkyMiles program to exceed expectations and enable more seamless travel. And it comes as Delta continues to revolutionize the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Delta now offers free high-speed Wi-Fi for all SkyMiles Members, which will power a vast suite of in-flight entertainment. All of this bolsters an already best-in-class loyalty program that gives customers opportunities to earn status through other partnerships with brands they love, such as Starbucks and Hertz.
Here’s how Card Members can take advantage of this benefit and enjoy more of the places they love:
Sign into your SkyMiles account and search for Award Travel by selecting “Shop with Miles” in the search criteria on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app.  ADVERTISEMENTSelect an eligible flight. When you get to check-out, you will see the miles discount applied to your itinerary. 
Use your qualifying Delta SkyMiles American Express Card to earn miles with your Card on any taxes and fees for your itinerary. 
“Delta Card Members love using their Cards to earn miles they can put toward future trips and the great experience they get when flying Delta,” said Jon Gantman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cobrand Product Management at American Express. “Now, you can go even further with your miles and get the best of the SkyMiles program with your Card.” 
New Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members can also earn miles through new, limited time offers when they apply before March 29, 2023, and are approved. Terms apply. For more information, visit delta.com/takeoff15cardoffer2.
In 2022, Delta SkyMiles received several top honors for loyalty program excellence, including outperforming all global airlines in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Airline Reward Program ranking and earning the Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Program accolade from The Points Guy. Delta’s SkyMiles program continues to lead with premier program enhancements such as: miles that don’t expire, no blackout dates for Award tickets on any Delta Air Lines flight, unlimited mileage accrual for tickets, and the ability to earn toward Medallion Status on Award Travel so Members can earn even faster toward Status. 
1 Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. Terms apply.
2 For customers that apply and open a new eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card, the system may take up to 24 hours to reflect benefit eligibility on Delta.com and the Fly Delta App when booking award travel on qualifying Delta-operated flights

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Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest aviation group in Africa, inaugurates a new aviation training center in the city of Hawassa. The new aviation training center in Hawassa will serve as the second campus for Ethiopian Aviation Academy and will currently be providing pilot trainee programs.The facility accommodates different types of classrooms, three training simulators, three aircraft parking and workshop hangars,  trainees’ and instructors’ dorm rooms, a cafeteria and sports ground for various sport types. 
Ethiopian Aviation Academy had been providing aviation trainings at its base campus in Addis Ababa to trainees from different parts of the world. The new training center will enable the academy to accommodate more trainees.
Regarding the new Aviation Academy campus Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said “We are truly happy to see the inauguration of our Aviation Academy second training center in Hawassa. As Africa’s giant in the aviation industry, we are determined to reach more people who dream of becoming aviation professionals and enrich our continent with qualified personnel who will take Africa’s aviation to the next level. From the day it has been established more than six decades back, our aviation academy has been producing the best aviation professionals who are competitive at a global level. With our second training center open now, more trainees will have the chance to realize their dreams and that is a huge achievement for us.”
He added, “Apart from the basic Aviation courses, the training center will be offering various customer service and leadership trainings for companies in Hawassa and South regional states, contributing for their success”.
Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA) is the largest and most modern aviation academy in Africa recognized as ICAO regional Training Center of Excellence. The academy provides world class training in different areas of aviation profession. Currently the academy offers Pilot, Simulator, Cabin Crew and Catering, Aircraft Maintenance, Commercial and Ground Service and Leadership Trainings at its head quarter in Addis Ababa.ADVERTISEMENT

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Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joined the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) last week to celebrate the grand opening of the new eastern extension of Terminal 5, a major milestone in the $1.3B, four-year investment to expand and modernize the key gateway at O’Hare International Airport.“O’Hare is a significant economic engine for our entire region and the first impression of Chicago for millions of visitors every year,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “That’s why we are especially proud to cut the ribbon to this expanded, modernized Terminal 5, which represents a major milestone in O’Hare’s curb-to-gate transformation into one of the great airports of the 21st century under the O’Hare 21 capital improvement program. Importantly, this project will also build on my administration’s and CDA’s ongoing commitment and efforts to create equitable, economic opportunities for Black and Brown residents, businesses, and construction and development firms.”
“With new gates, increased passenger amenities, a more efficient baggage handling system, and expanded security checkpoints and customs facilities, the state-of-the-art Terminal 5 of today is equipped to handle the growing demand we expect O’Hare to see in the coming years while offering an improved passenger experience,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. “These crucial infrastructure investments will ensure that O’Hare maintains the capacity it needs to move forward with other O’Hare 21 work with minimal impact to operations.”
Crews broke ground in 2019 on the modernization of Terminal 5, with construction led by Austin Power Partners. The project increased the terminal’s capacity by 25% to improve efficiency and reduce delays. Passenger amenity space was increased by 75%, and the existing building was expanded by approximately 350,000 square feet, with additional renovations to 750,000 square feet of the existing structure.
The firms HOK and Muller & Muller Ltd. led the light-filled redesign of the facilities, maintaining the integrity of the terminal’s original 1993 design while modernizing it for the 21st century. The vaulted ceilings welcome natural light and offer views across the airfield toward the Chicago skyline.
Sustainable technology has been incorporated throughout the terminal, including 40,000 square feet of high-performance glass, water efficiency measures that exceed Sustainable Airport Manual requirements, and new Energy Star roofing.ADVERTISEMENTThe L-shaped East Concourse extension added 10 new wide-body gates, nine of which utilize multiple aircraft ramp systems, or “MARS gates.” These MARS gates allow the flexibility to accommodate larger, next-generation wide-body aircraft or more traditional narrow-body aircraft. The space it takes to park two wide-body planes can be repurposed as necessary to fit three narrow-body aircrafts.
Ten renovated gates opened in the western wing of Terminal 5 in October 2022 as the new home for Delta Air Lines, which shifted operations from the carrier’s long­time home in Terminal 2. Delta’s move also included the construction of a new Delta Sky Club, located between Gates M11 and M14, with more than four times the capacity of its former club in Terminal 2. Chicago’s Sky Club is also Delta’s first to feature boarding on select flights from two gates inside the lounge.
The Terminal 5 project also included a partnership between the CDA and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) on a $3.5M public art plan as part of the Terminal 5 expansion and modernization, the City’s largest single acquisition of works by Chicago artists in 30 years. Commissions are planned across the FIS Arrival Corridor, the Baggage Claim area, and the Passenger Level NConcourse.
The first installation of this project will be a monumental installation by artist jina valentine titled “a murmuration” in the Passenger Level Concourse, followed by an exhibition featuring 17 artist commissions titled “Del Otro Lado / The Other Side” in the Terminal 5 Arrivals Hall. “Immigrant Owned,” a series of large-scale lightboxes by photographer Jonathan Michael Castillo, will be completed and unveiled later this year.
The expanded and renovated areas of Terminal 5 will also be home to a wide array of new concessions. In May 2022, the Chicago City Council approved the largest set of concessions agreements at O’Hare in more than a decade, including several local offerings such as Butcher and the Burger, Hampton Social, Bar Siena, Sparrow Coffee, and more. These agreements will achieve an Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBE) participation rate of 40%, exceeding the CDA’s goal of 32% and the nationwide goal of 10%, set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The new concessions are expected to open in phases throughout 2023. Overall concessions in Terminal 5 currently achieve an ACDBE participation rate of 44.8%, up from 33.5% at the project’s start in 2019.
The overall Terminal 5 project reflected the CDA’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in airport contracting, achieving a participation rate of 37% for certified minority-owned, woman-owned, or disadvantaged businesses contracting with the project’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMR), Austin Power Partners (APP).
In June 2022, crews also broke ground on a new, six-story parking garage at Terminal 5 to replace the current surface Parking Lot D. When completed in 2024, the new garage will more than double the amount of available parking at the terminal and expand capacity to offer a mix of short- and long-term parking options, like those available at the airport’s main terminals. The garage will also feature parking assist technology and electric vehicle charging stations. Additional landside improvements will include re-striping of airport roadways to rebalance lane capacity and an expansion of the curbside area, including physical drive lanes, dedicated entry and exit roadways, escalators, and pedestrian areas.
The Terminal 5 Garage project is led by joint venture AECOM Hunt Clayco BOWA as Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) and supported by 60 participating contractors, including 14 minority-owned firms and 14 women-owned firms.
The work at Terminal 5 is part of the broader O’Hare 21 capital improvement, Chicago’s vision of a curb-to-gate transformation of O’Hare’s terminal complex into a modern, efficient global hub to serve the needs of the traveling public through the 21st century. Learn more at ORD21.com.

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The Board of Directors of Flughafen Zürich AG has appointed Lukas Brosi as its new CEO.He succeeds Stephan Widrig, who will leave the company at the end of April, as previously announced. Lukas Brosi, 44 years of age, joined Flughafen Zürich AG in 2009 and has been CFO and member of the Management Board since 2017.
Following a comprehensive evaluation and recruitment process, the Board of Directors is pleased to appoint the current CFO of Flughafen Zürich AG, Lukas Brosi, as the new CEO of Flughafen Zürich AG. With this appointment, the Board of Directors ensures a seamless transition in management and continuity in strategic orientation. The Board of Directors is convinced that Lukas Brosi will further develop the company both strategically and culturally and successfully lead it through the entrepreneurial priorities and challenges of the coming years.
Lukas Brosi knows the airport and aviation industry very well. He joined the company in 2009 and has been CFO and member of the Management Board since 2017. In his current role, he is involved in all strategic projects and can therefore continue them smoothly. In addition to the finance department, Lukas Brosi is responsible for ICT with the digitization projects and for sustainability & environment, with the company pursuing the ambition of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040. Until 2021, he was also responsible for international business before it became an independent business division. During the corona pandemic, Lukas Brosi and his team significantly contributed to the company’s solid finances and successful coping with the pandemic without government funding through forward-looking financial management.44-year-old Lukas Brosi is a business economist FH, Swiss national and lives with his family in the canton of Zurich.
CEO Stephan Widrig will leave the company at his own request to take on a new external challenge. The handover of the CEO position and responsibilities to Lukas Brosi will take place by the end of April. Flughafen Zürich AG will now start the process of replacing the CFO position.

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Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) and Lufthansa are reaffirming and strengthening their successful strategic partnership. The two companies are now signing a letter of intent (LOI) to intensify and continue the sustainable development of Munich Airport.In the LOI, both parties commit to a shared sustainability strategy, to the expansion of Munich Airport as an intermodal transport hub, to the needs-based expansion of infrastructure, and to the promotion of digitalization and innovation in operations. This includes projects such as smart passenger handling and automated handling processes in order to make passengers’ travel experience more enjoyable and efficient.
In order to remain competitive in the long term, both organizations are driving forward the fulfillment of their sustainability targets so that the entire Munich Airport campus will benefit from this. The commitment to the respective climate and sustainability goals is a central component of the LOI.
Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, says: “We went through the hard times of the COVID-19 pandemic together with Lufthansa and we will return to our former strength together. With our shared goals of sustainability, innovation, digitalization, and the persistent enhancement of Munich Airport as a premium hub, we will successfully continue this strategic partnership.”
Stefan Kreuzpaintner, CCO of Lufthansa Airlines, says: “Our partnership with Munich Airport can definitely be described as unique. Together, we will continue to take on and meet the challenges of the aviation industry. Sustainability is one of the top issues. This includes better rail links – not only to reach the airport quickly and conveniently, but also to make a vital contribution to climate change mitigation.”Albert Füracker, Bavarian Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Flughafen München GmbH: “Sustainability is an important issue for the future of aviation. Back in 2016, we agreed that Munich Airport will be operated on a CO2-neutral basis by 2030 at the latest. We are working hard towards this ambitious climate target with a wide range of measures – and are well on the way to achieving it. I am very pleased that Munich Airport, as Bavaria’s gateway to the world, is leading the way together with its strong partner Lufthansa and serving as a role model.”
The partnership between Munich Airport and Lufthansa to build and expand airport traffic began at the end of the 1990s. With the joint construction and operation of Terminal 2, which opened in 2003, the two companies launched a unique model of cooperation in Europe – and established Munich Airport as an efficient global aviation hub. The satellite building, which opened in April 2016, marked the first expansion of this eminently successful joint venture.ADVERTISEMENT

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United, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight school, is celebrating the graduation of United Aviate Academy’s inaugural class of pilots, an important step towards training the next generation of talented, qualified, and motivated aviators.The inaugural graduating class includes 51 students – with nearly 80% being women or people of color – marking the next step towards the airline’s goal to train about 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030, with the added goal of at least half women or people of color.
The recruitment and hiring of pilots is a priority at United and the academy is an example of the long-term investments in infrastructure, training, and aircraft the airline has made in the past few years. Just last month, United purchased more widebodies than any U.S. airline in history and announced it’s now the largest carrier across both the Pacific and Atlantic. To support that growth, United hired about 2,400 pilots in 2022 and plans to hire another 2,500 this year. United intends to add at least 10,000 pilots by the end of this decade.
United CEO Scott Kirby and United COO Toby Enqvist will honor the first class of graduates at a ceremony later this morning at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport.
“United is leading the industry in the training, recruitment and hiring of the next generation of talented commercial pilots and the progress we’ve made at United Aviate Academy after just one year is another example of an airline where good leads the way,” said Kirby. “I’m so proud of this first class of graduates – they’ve taken an important first step in their career and they reflect our commitment to hiring people who exceed the highest professional and safety standards. I look forward to eventually welcoming them to our United team and I can’t wait to see them flying our new United Next planes in the years to come.”
United Aviate Academy graduates can continue to build flight time and leadership experience while continuing within the United Aviate pilot career development program’s ecosystem. Some graduates will work as Certified Flight Instructors at the academy to continue accruing the 1,500 required flying hours – a common industry practice for aspiring pilots – while others will build experience at participating flight schools or universities, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Purdue University and Hampton University. The United Aviate program then encourages graduates to eventually fly for a United Express carrier, take on leadership roles at an Aviate participating Part 135 operator, or become a Fleet Technical Instructor at United to complete their training. Aviate participants can expect to become a United pilot within about six years of graduating from United Aviate Academy.ADVERTISEMENTCaptaining Your Career at United
United currently has more than 14,000 pilots, and Captains of United’s Boeing 787s and 777s can earn more than $350,000 per year plus a rich package of benefits. In addition, United pilots receive one of the highest 401(k) matches in the nation – 16% of base pay.
While the airline continues to see strong interest in pilot roles from military and civilian backgrounds as well as from other carriers, for many people becoming a pilot seems not only out of reach financially, but completely unimaginable.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 5.6% of pilots are women and 6% are people of color. And training to achieve a commercial pilot’s license in the U.S. can cost at least $100,000, with supplementary costs adding to the financial burden.
To help address financial barriers to entry, United and JPMorgan Chase & Co. established a scholarship fund in 2020 and are working with leading industry partners to award more than $5 million in scholarships for prospective academy students. In addition, Boeing has committed funding to expand the program this year. United also directly works with the following organizations to educate prospects about the benefits of becoming a pilot and to find candidates for scholarship opportunities:
Organization of Black Aerospace ProfessionalsSisters of the SkiesWomen in Aviation InternationalNational Gay Pilots AssociationThe Latino Pilots AssociationThe Professional Asian Pilots AssociationExperimental Aircraft Association (EAA)As a result of these efforts, United Aviate Academy has received more than 22,000 applications, with nearly 70% of applicants being women or people of color.
United Aviate Academy
United Aviate Academy currently has more than 240 students, with nearly 75% women or people of color. In the flight school’s first year of operations, collectively, the students have flown more than 2 million miles, achieved more than 250 aviation certificates, and completed more than 68,000 takeoffs and landings. The aspiring pilots also organized 174 “Pool Dunks” in the campus swimming pool, a new tradition that commemorates each time a student completes a solo flight for the first time.
The 340,000 square-foot facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport includes world-class features such as:
Forty late-model Cirrus SR-20 series single-engine aircraft, which feature advanced safety characteristicsSeven FRASCA flight simulatorsNearly 50,000 square feet of office spaceMultiple aircraft hangarsDormitory rooms for student housing with ample room for expansionProximity to many auxiliary airfields in the Phoenix areaFavorable weather for year-round flight trainingFor more information on United Aviate Academy, please visit unitedaviate.com/academy or @unitedaviateacademy on Instagram.

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