Florida’s GLOBALX dates Jetlines spin-out, pays SmartLynx

US’s GLOBALX targets pan American cargo ops growth

US DOT sides with Icelandair, grants it Cuba rights

The US Department of Transportation has granted Icelandair (FI, Reykjavik Keflavik) all of its requested charter rights for services between the US and Havana Int'l despite considerable opposition from American carriers active in the same market.

The regulator allocated 170 round-trip charter rights to the Icelandic carrier, comprising 136 flights from Miami Int'l and 17 each from Orlando Int'l and Houston Intc'l, between February 1 and May 31, 2022. In a separate decision, the DOT also authorised Icelandair to operate four round-trip flights from Orlando to Havana between January 11-31, 2022. All flights will be operated on behalf of tour operator Anmart Air.

iAero Airways, GLOBALX, and World Atlantic Airlines, joined by the US Air Line Pilots' Association (ALPA), collectively objected to Icelandair's application in late 2021. However, the DOT found no basis for their arguments, roundly rejecting all of them and siding fully with the Icelandic carrier.

In particular, the DOT agreed with Icelandair in rejecting allegations of the lack of reciprocity. The regulator underlined that...

Canada’s Jetlines takes delivery of maiden A320

Jetlines (CJL, Vancouver Int'l) has taken delivery of its first aircraft, an A320-200, as part of previously reported plans to launch in spring 2022.

Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd announced on December 27 the delivery of OE-IAV (msn 4175) on lease from Jackson Square Aviation, the first of what it has projected will be 15 aircraft of the type by mid-2025.

A virtual airline, the “newly established all-Canadian carrier” said in November that it would initially charter an A320 from GLOBALX (GXA, Miami Int'l), its former parent company, which itself operated its first revenue-earning flight in August 2021. GLOBALX still holds a stake in the venture.

Jetlines later announced, on December 17, the signing of a Definitive Lease Agreement for the first aircraft, A320-200 OE-IAV (msn 4175), but it said delivery was expected by February 2022. According to reports, the A320 rolled out of the paintshop at Shannon last week.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Jackson Square Aviation owns and manages the 12-year-old jet....

US carriers in uproar over Icelandair US-Cuba charter plans

Icelandair (FI, Reykjavik Keflavik) has applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for authority to operate 170 round-trip charter flights between the United States and Havana Int'l, Cuba prompting a flurry of objections from US carriers active in the market.

The Icelandic carrier is planning to operate 136 round-trips from Miami Int'l and 17 each from Orlando Int'l and Houston Intc'l between February 1 and May 31, 2022, on behalf of Anmart Air tour operator using B757-200 aircraft.

Shortly after the application, iAero Airways (SWQ, Greensboro) objected to Icelandair's request on the grounds that granting the application would be detrimental to US carriers as they would be crowded out of the gradually reopening Cuban market. iAero pointed out that while it and other US carriers have resources allocated to the Cuban market and are "putting them back to work" as demand returns, Icelandair is acting opportunistically without a comparable long-term investment. iAero underlined that it has aircraft available to operate on behalf of Anmart Air, and...