New product and technology updates lead this week’s air travel news.
This week Delta opened bookings for flights on its new A220-100 narrowbody fleet, which is debuting this January. The new aircraft will operate routes from Delta’s hub at New York - LaGuardia to both Boston Logan and Dallas - Fort Worth. Formerly known as the “C Series,” the new A220s have a modern interior with a spacious feel, holding 12 seats in First Class, 15 in Delta Comfort+ and 82 in the Main Cabin. Other amenities include seat-back screens, personal power ports for each customer, 2Ku Wi-Fi and, at 18.6” wide in the Main Cabin, what Delta is billing as among the widest seats in any narrowbody aircraft. Other design touches include high-capacity overhead bins, extra-large windows and full-spectrum LED ambient lighting.
In airport news this week CLEAR, a company specializing in biometric technology, announced its expansion to Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport (FLL), marking the fourth location in the South Florida region and the fifth in the state where CLEAR is available. CLEAR rolled out this week at the airport’s Terminal 2, and it will expand to the other terminals soon, CLEAR said. The technology allows members to move through a dedicated security lane where they can quickly validate their identities with a fingerprint or eye scan before moving on to physical security screening.
In booking news, this week Travelport announced it is now the sole distribution supplier for Air India, the country’s flag carrier. The agreement, which will begin to come into effect in November and will be fully implemented by the end of 2019, confirms the airline’s continued deployment of Travelport Rich Content and Branding.
In flight news, this week a new airline launched in Costa Rica: Skyway Costa Rica. The new airline offers flights within the country, including scheduled flights and chartered flights, as well as ground transportation, car rentals and helicopter flights. Fully inclusive vacation packages are also available.
In Mexico, this week Swoop Airlines announced a new flight to Mazatlan from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The new service will operate twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays from January 20 through April 21, 2019, in Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
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