AirTran Airways, the budget airline based in Orlando, Florida, the United States, is launching non-stop flights between Orlando International Airport in Florida and Branson Airport in Missouri from December 19, 2009.

Wizz Air, of Hungary, which operates several flights from Bulgaria, is to start 4 new routes from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, to 4 destinations in Western Europe – Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain) and Forlì, near Bologna (Italy) – from May 22, 2010.

The Airbus A400M military transporter aircraft is most likely to make its first flight in December 2009.

‘Hero of the Hudson’ Captain Chesley Sullenberger who, along with co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles, succeeded in landing his crippled US Airways plane safely in the icy Hudson River in New York on January 15, 2009, is set to take to the skies again.

Bangkok Airways, the regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand, will stop its service between Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and Siem Reap in Thailand when the aviation agreement between Cambodia and Thailand expires on October 25, 2009, and Cambodia will not renew the licence.

South East Asian Airlines (Seair)), based in Pampanga, the Philippines, has announced that it is reopening some routes as well increasing flights on others anticipating the enhanced tourist traffic in the holiday season.

British Airways, the flag-carrier airline of the United Kingdom, will charge passengers who wish to choose their seats prior to their travel. The new system will come into effect on October 7, 2009.

Canadian North Airlines, based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, has announced that it is cancelling flights on some routes and reducing the number of flights on some others owing to what it calls “a saturated market in Yellowknife.”

The European aviation safety regulator has issued a safety warning for an airspeed sensor supplied by the United States-based Goodrich Corporation for the long-haul Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 jet aircraft and asked airlines to test the gadget.

Midwest Airlines, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the United States, has announced that it will add direct, seasonal service between Kansas City International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida; and between Milwaukee in Wisconsin and Fort Lauderdale in Florida from December 17, 2009, through April 19, 2010.

As study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has added impetus to the need to pass the airline passenger Bill (or, the tarmac delay Bill) in the United States Congress.

The Model 162 SkyCatcher, the light sport aircraft of the Cessna Aircraft Company, has been test-flown.

Duluth, the port city in Minnesota, the United States is going to get non-stop flights from Chicago and Orlando – between Chicago and Duluth by United Airlines, and between Orlando and Duluth by Allegiant Air.

Air France is planning to auction 380 seats on 2 inaugural flights of the Airbus A380 Superjumbo from Paris to New York on November 20, 2009, and from New York to Paris on November 21, 2009.

Ryanair may be a low-cost airline, but it charges more for food and drink on board than any of the other major carriers based in Britain or Ireland, a survey has found.

American Airlines is making a major restructuring of its route system, with some airports based in the United States gaining flights and many others losing services.

Eurocopter, the world’s biggest helicopter-maker and a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), is doing well in sales in September 2009.

US Airways is offering its business-class passengers more comfort and luxury on trans-Atlantic flights with the Envoy Suite.

Southwest Airlines, the low-fare airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the United States, has announced that the members of its Rapid Rewards programme can earn double credits on flights between September 17, 2009, and October 31, 2009.

AirTran Airways, the budget airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the United States, is launching new services to the Caribbean island of Aruba and to Key West in Florida.

bmi (British Midland Airways), based in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England, has announced that it is reducing the number of its  flights between London and Belfast in Northern Ireland and between London and Tel Aviv in Israel.

American Airlines has begun asking its customers to provide additional information in accordance with the new Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) requirements of the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Frontier Airlines, the low-fare carrier based in Denver, Colorado, the United States,  has announced that it will start non-stop flights to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Florida, from Denver International Airport and also raise the number of flights to Tampa International Airport (TPA) from Denver International Airport.

American Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the United States, is considering making an equity investment in Japan Airlines, the flag-carrier airline of Japan.

Deutsche Lufthansa, the national airline of Germany, is raising the number of its fights between Frankfurt in Germany and Manama, the capital of Bahrain, from 4 times a week to a daily service from September 22, 2009.

United Airlines has announced that it will charge fees for a second checked bag for many of its international flights.

Southwest Airlines, the low-cost carrier based in Dallas, Texas, the United States, has announced that it will launch daily, non-stop flights from Denver International Airport (in Denver, Colorado), to Boston (Massachusetts), Reno (Nevada), and Spokane (Washington) in January 2010.

Allegiant Air, the low-fare carrier based in Enterprise, Nevada, the United States, is launching non-stop flights between Duluth (Minnesota) and Orlando (Florida) from November 20, 2009.

The low-cost airline bmibaby, which is a subsidiary of bmi, is expanding its services from East Midlands Airport in England by raising capacity at the airport by 40%, by basing more planes there, by increasing frequencies as well as by adding routes.

United Airlines has increased its number of flights to the ski town of Aspen in Colorado, the United States, for the forthcoming ski season.