Antigua-based Caribbean Star Airlines has been certified as a Category One airline under Antigua & Barbuda’s new civil aviation regulations, opening the way for broader expansion opportunities, according to Skip Barnette, president and CEO of Caribbean Star and its Florida-based sister carrier Caribbean Sun. The move had been anticipated since last March when the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority was upgraded to Category One status by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

In the highly competitive contest for authority to operate a new daily flight to China, American Airlines (AA) has garnered unprecedented public and civic support for its proposed Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Beijing service. The depth and breadth of support reflects the fact that American offers something that none of the other three competitors has proposed –both a new gateway to China and strengthened airline competition.

Futuremedia plc, a leading learning and communications company, today announced that its subsidiary, ebc, has completed a custom e-learning project on behalf of Virgin Atlantic Airways for the purpose of training new cabin crew recruits. The course has been nominated for both the UK’s e-Learning Age Awards in the category "Most Tangible Project ROI" and for the World of Learning Awards in the category Bespoke Solution of the Year.

GOL, Brazil0s leading low-cost airline, has started its operations in Chapeco, in western Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Daily flights will follow the route Sao Paulo-Florianopolis-Chapeco. Passengers from Porto Alegre may fly to the new destination via a connection in Florianopolis.

KLM together and Northwest Airlines expand their plans on the North Atlantic route network. By so doing, the two airlines can better meet market demand for more destinations, more daily frequencies, a better spread of flights across the day and seamless connections. KLM/Northwest is introducing the first nonstop transatlantic service between Europe and Hartford, Connecticut. This unique Northwest operated service from Amsterdam to Hartford, Connecticut will start on July 1, 2007.

Lufthansa has signed a contract for 35 new aircraft from Airbus, confirming a September announcement, the pan-European plane maker said last week. The order is for five A319s, ten A320s and 15 A321s, as well as five long range A330s, the statement said. The agreement also includes options for a further 30 A320 family aircraft.