Francis Zera

1 month ago | airlinereporter.com | Francis Zera

Every two years, Icelandair hosts the Midatlantic travel trade show in Reykjavik, allowing travel vendors from the regions that the airline serves to gather together and present and promote their offerings to travel buyers, travel journalists, and to network with one another. It’s always a great event, and this avgeek travel reporter always finds plenty of resources and story ideas there. We were also provided opportunities to see some very cool behind-the-scenes stuff at Icelandair.

Jan 15, 2025 | airlinereporter.com | Francis Zera

Icelandair has, other than their domestic/feeder airline, long had an all-Boeing mainline fleet consisting of 737 MAX-8 and MAX-9, 757-200, 757-300, and 767 jetliners. That all changed on Dec. 10, 2024, when the airline placed an A321LR into service as TF-IAA, named Esia, per their protocol of naming aircraft after Icelandic volcanoes. There’s a lot to unpack here, so this article will focus on the experience of the flight. We’ll do a follow-up story on the implications of the fleet change later on.

Dec 2, 2024 | airlinereporter.com | Francis Zera

We usually cover specific events at airports, often relating to aircraft or airline events, but sometimes about milestones at the airport itself. We’re going to try something new – profiling airports you may not know about, ones that have an interesting history or attribute. First up will be Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg, Virginia (BCB).

Nov 25, 2024 | airlinereporter.com | Francis Zera

On Oct. 2, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport added yet another international carrier and city to its service roster: Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) via Philippine Airlines (PAL). The jet arrived after dark, allowing for some unusual and fun photo opportunities. Washington State is home to the United States’ fourth-largest Filipino population, and the route has been long-requested by travelers, according to SEA airport officials.

Aug 27, 2024 | airlinereporter.com | Francis Zera

STARLUX Airlines added Seattle as its third North American destination on Aug. 16, 2024, following Los Angeles and San Francisco, which saw service starts in 2023. The fledgling Taiwan-based airline was launched in 2018, with its first services from Taipei to Macau, Penang, and Da Nang having started in 2020. The carrier positions itself as a luxury airline, with four service classes on each of its 23 aircraft.