The Guardian is reporting that Virgin Atlantic will be cutting 600 jobs, or about 7 percent of its workforce, as long-haul air travel suffers in the economic downturn.

LIAT will operate three flights a week from Grenada to the Grenadine island of Canouan, beginning March 3. LIAT also will add three weekly flights between Grenada and Barbados on March 6.

A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 127 passengers and seven crew members crashed near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport while approaching the runway, killing nine people aboard and injuring more than 80, Dutch officials said.

In a continuing effort to streamline operations and contain costs, American Airlines/American Eagle announced that, effective May 1, 2009, the airline will discontinue service between its San Juan hub and Bonaire.

Through December 2009, Aeromexico Airlines will offer travel agents a 90 percent discount and an 85 percent discount to their traveling companion when traveling to any Mexican destination from any of their U.S. departing city. Discounts will be applied to published tourist class, Y-level rates and agents must supply their IATAN card to receive the rate. Aeromexico flies to 40 destinations in Mexico and 16 gateways in the U.S. and two in Canada, and has been names “Best Airline in Mexico” by the readers of Business Traveler magazine for the past three years.

Anguilla’s Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming led the welcome team on the tarmac at Wallblake Airport to greet the arrival of the first Anguilla Air Express service into the island on Saturday, February 14.