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Despite most airlines banning voice calls, and polls showing passengers against the idea, customers onboard 20 Ryanair planes can now call somebody at 35,000ft.

The planes are mainly based in Dublin. But Ryanair says it will fit out all 170 of its aircraft over the next 18 months to allow all passengers to make and receive mobile calls and texts

A maximum of six people will be allowed to make calls at a time, however this may increase to 14.

The Dubai-based airline Emirates became the first airline to introduce an in-flight mobile phone service on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca, in March last year

source: Times Online

Ryanair has become the latest airline to reduce its services to Poland, after it confirmed today that it is cutting 11 of its routes from March.

The cancelled services include those from Bristol, Birmingham, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Luton and Liverpool.

The airline, which has defied the downturn by announcing 23 new routes from the UK this year, blames the “‘unacceptable increase in navigation charges'” in Poland for the decision.

source: telegraph.co.uk

U.S. airlines’ on-time performance declined dramatically in December compared to the previous month, but improved slightly over a year earlier, the Transportation Department said Monday. The carriers blamed heavy snowstorms around the Christmas holiday and aviation system issues for contributing to some delays.Airlines had a significantly higher domestic flight cancellation rate and a higher mishandled baggage rate in the final month of 2008 compared to November. Even complaints about airline service were up in December compared to November.

source: iht.com

easyJet is opening 14 new routes across Europe, for summer 2009. Nine of the new routes will operate from UK regional airports, giving travellers even more choice of popular destinations.

As part of the expansion, easyJet will base an additional aircraft at Liverpool from 1 June 2009 and at Manchester from 4 August 2009.

source: Boarding.no

Ryanair is willing to raise its offer for rival Aer Lingus but will not wage a prolonged battle if shareholders in Ireland’s former state airline continue to oppose the deal.

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary told reporters he would be willing to increase his offer price of 1.40 euros a share, equivalent to about 750 million euros ($995 million).

However, in a statement Europe’s largest low-cost carrier ruled out raising the price to 2 euros or above. A spokeswoman for Ryanair declined to comment further.

Aer Lingus said the offer was “‘unlikely to be capable of completion'” as Ryanair had still not made clear why it would be approved by the European Commission, which blocked an earlier offer by Ryanair on competition grounds.

source: USA Today

A flight attendant is suing JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines, saying a male employee denied her a work-related flight because she wasn’t dressed provocatively enough.

The flight attendant, 37-year-old Karin Keegan of Pittsburgh, works for Delta. The airline has an agreement for JetBlue to ferry Delta flight attendants to job assignments on a standby basis.

Keegan’s lawsuit said a male JetBlue worker wouldn’t let her on a flight in October 2007 because she wasn’t dressed provocatively enough, then allowed other flight attendants with less seniority to board the plane.

JetBlue told the commission it is not liable because Keegan is not an employee. But federal law enables employees to sue over workplace harassment even when they are not directly employed by the alleged harasser.

source: USA Today

The Dublin-based no-frills airline has increased its fees for putting a case in the hold to £30 for a return flight (this includes the airport check-in fee) – up from £5 three years ago. Last year the airline carried 58 million passengers. Assuming similar traffic this year, with around half its passengers still checking in at least one bag per flight, it stands to make at least £435 million in baggage fees. This is based on passengers taking the cheapest option (booking online and carrying only one bag). These charges rise to £60 for those who do not check in online or to £50 for two bags checked in.

Additionally, 75 per cent of passengers pay with credit card that increses the total amount on £217 million – bringing its total revenue from additional charges this year to well over £650 million.

Other charges on Ryanair that have increased include those imposed for flying with sports equipment (doubled since 2006), carrying a baby (now £40 per return flight, up from £32 in 2006) and excess baggage fees (three times higher).

source: telegraph.co.uk

AirAsia, the Malaysia-based low-cost airline, is considering setting up airports in several south-east Asian countries following its proposal to build its own airport near Kuala Lumpur.

Tony Fernandes, the Air Asia founder and chief executive, has discussed opening budget terminals in Thailand, Indonesia and Burma to support the carrier’s regional network in what would be a further business expansion for AirAsia, according to people familiar with the plans.

source: FT.com

Award winning low cost airline Jet2 has announced that the airline will be operating a new route from Manchester to Tel Aviv from 21 may this year.

Jet2’s is confident it will provide an important gateway for the UK’s northern Jewish community to one of Israel’s largest cities.

source: alternativeairlines.com

Struggling Slovak low-cost airline SkyEurope said Wednesday its fleet had shrunk to five planes over the past few months from an original fifteen Boeing 737s it had last autumn.

SkyEurope with bases in Prague, Bratislava, Kosice and Vienna has never posted a profit in the six years of its existence.

The company listed in Vienna posted a loss of 59.4 million euros in the last financial year ending September 30, compared to 24.07 million last year, while its revenue grew 10.5 percent to 260.9 million euros from 236.2 million euros last year.

source: AFP