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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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The UK Civil Aviation Authority has today (23 January) set out a vision for the future of UK airspace which will help deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys, as well as create more capacity for the benefit for those who use and are affected by UK airspace.
The aviation and aerospace regulator has developed a refreshed Airspace Modernisation Strategy to make sure that this invisible piece of the UK’s national infrastructure is fit for purpose.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s strategy also takes into account the latest developments in innovation and technology, placing integration of all airspace users, and accommodates for new types of aircraft such as drones, aerial taxis (known as eVTOL) and spacecraft.
The structure of the UK’s airspace has remained the same for decades, despite an increase in demand from its users.
Although demand for air travel is recovering after being severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the strategy takes a long-term view to 2040.ADVERTISEMENTThe refreshed Airspace Modernisation Strategy includes measures:
to maintain and, where possible, improve the UK’s high levels of aviation safety;to aim for simpler airspace design and supporting regulations;to introduce environmental sustainability as an overarching principle to be applied through all modernisation activities, taking account of the latest government policy and environmental guidance;to meet the UK’s international obligations, aligning delivery of the strategy with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Global Air Navigation Plan and ensuring interoperability of the UK network with our neighbours; andto provide a clear strategic path for regulatory policy and requirements now that the UK has left the EU and the EU Aviation Safety Agency.
Working with the Department for Transport, the UK Civil Aviation Authority developed the refreshed strategy over the last year after wide engagement with airports, airlines, the general aviation community, innovators, and community groups.
Tim Johnson, Director for Strategy and Policy at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said:
“The strategic vision set out in our refreshed strategy gives us a direction of travel that guides airspace modernisation. It will help make our airspace more environmentally friendly and sustainable, and deliver the many benefits of airspace modernisation.
“Alongside existing users of airspace like commercial air transport, business aviation, recreational flyers and the military, there are new parts of the sector which need to be integrated safely into our existing airspace network. Our strategy enables these different groups to use airspace alongside each other and is a fundamental principle of the strategy.”
Aviation Minister Baroness Vere said:
“It’s easy to forget that above our heads is a complex infrastructure that, while invisible to the naked eye, is as essential to getting around as roads and railways.
“But the future of flying requires a refresh of how we use our skies, and this new strategy will develop the infrastructure to make it fit for the future.”

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Ten global capacity trends to watch in 2023

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As the new year begins, it promises to be an important one for the aviation industry as it looks to continue on its path to recovering capacity levels. Cirium have examined ten important capacity trends to watch in 2023 which are evident from published flight schedules for this year’s first quarter.
United States – a drop in regional flying
For the opening quarter of 2023, US airlines are scheduled to fly 3% more domestic seats than they did in Q1, 2019. They will do so, however, while operating 10% fewer flights. This largely reflects a steep cut in regional flying, highlighted by a 17% drop for flights on routes of less than 600 miles. You can also see this shift to more reliance on mainline flying by looking at the average number of seats per departure. In Q1, 2019, this was 167. This quarter it’s 177.
East Asia – recovery still needed but things may change
East Asia has seen a significant loss of long-haul flying. By looking at routes longer than 3,000 miles, the number of flights from East Asian airports this quarter is down 41% when compared to Q1, 2019. This figure is partly influenced by China, which is suddenly reopening and likely to see significant schedule changes. Indeed Q1, 2023, schedules for China show that outbound and inbound capacity both more than doubled when compared to Q1, 2022, albeit both are still roughly 82% below pre-pandemic levels. Long-haul flights from Japan, too, are still down sharply when compared to pre-pandemic levels as well (down 29%). The decline for South Korea is 14% and Singapore 9%.ADVERTISEMENT
United Kingdom – Heathrow closer to full recovery
London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport before the pandemic, is getting closer to full recovery in terms of flight activity. Q1 seat counts currently show a decline of around 5% from Q1, 2019. That’s roughly in line with the shortfall at London’s Stansted and Luton airports. Gatwick’s Q1 seat capacity, on the other hand, is down 17% when compared to Q1, 2019.

Europe – airports are still less busy compared to 2019
All of western Europe’s major hub airports are still less busy now than they were four years ago. Paris De Gaulle’s seats are down 13%. Amsterdam’s decline is 17%. Frankfurt’s decline is 23%. The largest western European airport market that’s busier now than in 2019 is Lisbon. Its Q1 scheduled seats are up 12%. Other notable airports with an increase include Dublin, Paris Orly, Athens, and Malaga. However these are exceptions and the majority of Europe’s top airports have yet to recover their pre-Covid capacity levels.

Frankfurt, Germany – factors behind the travel decline
Why has Frankfurt seen a steep 23% decline in capacity? One reason is that several leading low-cost carriers, including Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air, have left the city’s main airport. Air China and Aeroflot have also dropped scheduled service to Frankfurt. Bankrupt SAS sharply downsized its Frankfurt operations. But most importantly, the Lufthansa Group will be 27% smaller this quarter, in terms of scheduled seats, than it was pre-pandemic. Germany also happens to be a heavy business market, at a time when leisure markets are doing best. Lufthansa and its subsidiaries also have substantial exposure to Asian markets that have been slow to revive. There was considerable Russia exposure as well prior to the Ukraine conflict.

Turkey – a growth and capacity success story
Let us compare the situation in western Europe to what is happening in Istanbul. Turkey’s largest airline market is enjoying an airline boom, with the city’s main airport up 11% in seat capacity this quarter vs. Q1, 2019. Seats at Istanbul’s secondary airport are up 2%. More impressive is the growth measured by seat kilometres, which also takes a flight’s distance into account. Both of Istanbul’s airports show ASK growth exceeding 20%, reflecting an increase in long haul flights since 2019. The market is benefitting from the growth of Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines, as well as Turkey’s large tourist sector and advantages linked to increased economic ties with Russia.

India – nearly back to 2019 capacity levels
India’s airline market is roughly back to where it was four years ago. Q1 seats are up 1%, while the number of flights is down 1%. The domestic market alone is a bit better, with seat counts up 5%. IndiGo Airways, which dominates India’s domestic market (it accounts for more than half of all seats) will grow capacity 31% above its 2019 levels this quarter. Rivals like Air India and SpiceJet, by contrast, are significantly down in capacity. Also influencing the data is the disappearance of Jet Airways, a major player in 2019.

Southern Hemisphere – mixed fortunes for now
Across the southern hemisphere, Latin America is showing strong recovery with Q1 seats up 7% from 2019, though that’s on 4% fewer flights. Seats to and from Africa are up 2%, on 3% more flights. The situation is less upbeat in Australia and New Zealand, which are together down 16% in seats and 8% in flights. Those markets had high service levels to Asian markets which are slower to recover, like Hong Kong.

Middle East – seats are down but low-cost carriers are growing
The dynamic Middle Eastern airline market has not quite recovered from the Covid crisis. Seats in the region are still down by about 4%. That is in large part because of double-digit contraction at leading Gulf carriers led by Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad. All are impacted by exposure to Asian hubs like Hong Kong and Shanghai. On the other hand, local and foreign low-cost carriers are growing aggressively throughout the Middle East, led by FlyDubai, Saudia’s subsidiary Flyadeal, Europe’s Wizz Air, and India’s IndiGo.

Varying success for world’s busiest airports
Of the world’s 100 busiest airports by seats this quarter, Austin is the growth leader relative to Q1, 2019; its seat counts are up a stunning 49%. Next on the leaders list are Cancun, Cairo, Bogota, Denver, and Las Vegas. On the other end of the scale, Hong Kong remains at the bottom, with scheduled seats still down 63% from the pre-Covid era. Outside of Asia, Munich has the steepest decline (down 30%) among the world’s top 100 airports.

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AirAsia X returned to Osaka, Japan earlier this week further expanding its network to/from the land of the rising sun.In celebration of the service resumption to Japan’s gourmet capital, all guests on the inaugural flight received gift bags and were treated to special performances before boarding.
The three weekly flights to Osaka are set to bring more than 116,000 travellers between Malaysia and Japan monthly and deliver a welcome boost to both countries’ tourism sectors.
AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said, “We are pleased to start the new year with the announcement of our 13th route from Kuala Lumpur to Osaka. Following the resumption of services from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo (Haneda) and Sapporo late last year, we have carried close to 30,000 guests between Malaysia and Japan post pandemic.
“Today, we have seen a strong passenger load factor for our inaugural flight of more than 95% and we are confident that this route will be very well received despite the competitive landscape. As travel demand rebounds, we will continue to expand our services to exciting destinations in Asia from our regional hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.”
To celebrate the return to one of its most popular destinations AAX is offering great value all-in* fares between Kuala Lumpur and Osaka from RM699/JPY29,990 all-in one-way for economy or RM2,999/JPY106,640 one way for a Premium Flatbed.ADVERTISEMENTAs a Group, AAX flies to three destinations in Japan namely Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo from Kuala Lumpur operated by AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) and from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) operated by AirAsia X Thailand (XJ).
*All-in fares inclusive of airport taxes, fuel surcharges and any other applicable charges. Terms and conditions apply. Booking period from now until 29 January 2023 for travel period between 1 March 2023 and 30 September 2023.

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Delta Air Lines has firmed up an order for a dozen more A220-300 aircraft, bringing the airline’s total firm order for A220s to 119 aircraft – 45 A220-100s and 74 A220-300s. Throughout the years, Delta has reordered the A220 four times and is today the largest A220 customer and operator.
“These 12 additional A220 aircraft will help power our increasingly streamlined fleet while also providing our customers with the elevated in-flight experience they’ve come to expect from Delta,” said Kristen Bojko, Vice President of Fleet, Delta Air Lines.
“Delta Air Lines was the U.S. launch customer for the A220 and this fourth reorder in just four years by a leading carrier as Delta is a most gratifying endorsement,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International. “The aircraft is currently connecting Delta passengers on more than 100 routes at 25 percent* less fuel and CO2 emissions. If you want to connect today and tomorrow, you can’t do any better!”
Delta took delivery of its first Airbus A220 in October 2018, and was the first U.S. carrier to operate the aircraft type. Delta currently owns a fleet of 415 Airbus aircraft, including 59 A220 aircraft, 266 A320 Family aircraft, 62 A330s and 28 A350-900 aircraft.
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market, bringing together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF™ engines. The A220 brings customers a 50 percent reduced noise footprint as well as around 50 percent lower NOx emissions than industry standards.ADVERTISEMENTWith 246 A220s delivered to 16 airlines operating on four continents, the A220 is the optimal aircraft to offer operational flexibility for both regional as well as long-distance routes. To date, more than 70 million passengers have enjoyed the A220. The fleet is currently flying on over 825 routes and 325 destinations worldwide. As of the end of December 2022, nearly 30 customers have ordered close to 800 A220 aircraft – confirming its leading position in the small single-aisle market.@Airbus @Delta #A220

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Finavia has built an underground wetland at Helsinki Airport to improve water management. The project is the first of its kind in the Nordic countries.“Water management is an important part of our environmental work, and we do our best to ensure good conditions for flora and fauna alike in nearby streams. The new underground wetland will improve the condition of the streams by improving the quality and oxygen balance of the water flowing to them,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Vice President, Sustainability & Environment at Finavia.
The underground wetland is a basin filled with gravel and sealed at the bottom, where the storm water that drains onto its surface is cleaned when it passes through the gravel layer. The cleaning is enhanced by the compressed air supplied from the bottom of the basin through the aeration system.
This is an exceptional structure and first of its kind at a Nordic airport.
“Quantitative and qualitative water management reduces the load on bodies of water and the erosion of streams caused by aircraft deicing and runway anti-skid agents,” says Finavia’s Environmental Expert Tuija Hänninen.
“Storm water passes through the gravel into underdrains, and air bubbles from the aeration pipes below the underdrains oxidise the water. Aeration also prevents the wetland from freezing in winter. The layer growing on the treatment layer, in turn, acts as insulation in cold weather.ADVERTISEMENTThe surface area of the wetland is 3,200 square metres. The basin is built from 7,000 cubic metres of gravel. The aeration system of the wetland has a total of 150 metres of steel pipes, through which a fan feeds compressed air into the area at a rate of thousands of cubic metres per hour. In addition, there are hundreds of metres of sewer pipes and cables.Similar wetlands have been tested at other airports around the world, such as Buffalo Niagara Airport and London Heathrow Airport.
“The activity of the wetland is monitored both continuously and with water samples analysed in a laboratory. Sensors continuously provide information on the wetland’s flow and oxygen concentrations, and this information is used to control the aeration of the wetland and water circulation speed,” Hänninen says.
The completion of the underground wetland at Helsinki Airport is a significant investment in improving the quality of bodies of water in the surrounding areas and in managing the quality of stormwater.

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Following two years impacted by the COVID pandemic, 2022 heralded a return to growth with 3 million passengers choosing to fly to and from the central London hub.Amsterdam, with up to 13 daily rotations per day with KLM and British Airways, was the busiest route, with 392,000 passengers flying between the two European capitals.
Domestically, Edinburgh remained the busiest LCY route, reaching over 302,000 passengers for the year.
2022 also saw new summer sun routes like San Sebastian, Barcelona and Thessaloniki added to the departure board as well as increased summer rotations to the Balearics and Greek Islands.
The airport, which avoided the queues and disruption seen at many other airports over the summer, saw its growth in leisure travel reflected in the top 5 busiest days being split across June and July, peaking on June 6th with 14,418 passengers.
LCY also continued to be the airport of choice for corporate travellers, with the latest CAA passenger statistics showing that the majority of passengers in September, October and November were flying on business.ADVERTISEMENTThe airport also scooped two Best UK airport honours last year, as well as being recognised by Which? as providing the quickest airport security experience.And in 2023, LCY will look to further improve its market leading passenger proposition with every security lane being upgraded with the latest, state of the art, CT scanners by April. This will mean passengers no longer need to take their laptops or liquids out of their hand luggage.
In addition, ahead of what promises to be a busy summer, reaching close to 2019 levels, the airport will look to complete a £12 million transformation of its departure area, bringing new restaurants, an expanded Duty Free, more seats and new toilets, for passengers.
Looking ahead, the airport’s CEO, Robert Sinclair said:
“2022 proved how resilient we are as a business and just how much our passengers value the speed, convenience and consistently high levels of customer service which we offer at London City.
“In 2023, as people plan holidays or business trips, I believe the airport experience will be play an even bigger factor, and the good news for returning and first-time passengers is that we will be making flying through LCY even easier in the year ahead, with significant investments in security and in our departures area underway.
“LCY is an incredibly important strategic asset for London and in the year ahead we will be working closely with airlines to increase volumes, develop new, exciting routes and welcome more of the latest new generation aircraft, which operate to the highest of environmental standards.”
LCY’s first new route of 2023 will be Antwerp with Luxair which will commence from Monday, operating three times a week, upping to four from April.

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Abu Dhabi Airports announced the appointment of Maureen Bannerman as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) effective from January 2, 2023.A highly accomplished leader and seasoned professional with over 20 years’ experience primarily within the aviation industry, Bannerman has joined Abu Dhabi Airports following a successful tenure as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of APM Terminal at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain. In addition to her invaluable aviation experience, she also brings extensive expertise in the logistics and transport fields, having held positions at renowned organisations such as Serco and Network Rail in the UK.
H.E. Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Managing Director & CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are delighted to welcome Maureen to Abu Dhabi Airports as part of our Executive Team. We are confident her exemplary track record will help realise our growth strategies and commercial plans as an enabler and a catalyst for tourism, trade, logistics and business in the emirate and the UAE.”
In her new position, Maureen has assumed roles and responsibilities including developing and implementing commercial plans that align with Abu Dhabi Airports’ business strategy and financial objectives, as well as identifying and pursuing viable new commercial opportunities.As CCO, she will also play a pivotal role in the company’s long-term strategic growth plans in line with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Her efforts here will be centered around innovating to deliver product and service excellence, within safe, secure and sustainable airport operations as per industry best practices and promoting tourism and trade via world-class connectivity.
Bannerman holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance.

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