Hawaiian Wants Immediate Approval for Haneda Slot: Airline Pulse News and Notes for May 6, 2016

by Josh Lew
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Fri May 6, 2016

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

American Airlines Adds Flights for Toronto Film Festival
To meet demand from travelers in the entertainment industry, American Airlines will operate two additional daily flights between Los Angeles and Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The flights will run from Sept. 7-14.

Hawaiian Airlines Opting for Nighttime Slot at Haneda
U.S.-based carriers are applying for the five daytime slots at Tokyo Haneda. However, only Hawaiian Airlines is asking for the nighttime slot. Hawaiian CEO Mark Dunkerley says that he wants the DOT to award the space immediately so his airline can begin making plans for the route. New flights could start in October.

KLM Connects Amsterdam with Salt Lake City
KLM has begun flying between Salt Lake City and Amsterdam. Flights will be twice per week, with a third frequency added in July. The Utah city is becoming something of an unexpected international hub. Earlier this year, Delta started flying from Salt Lake to Heathrow.

High Taxes Hurting Airlines in the Caribbean
As more and more direct flights come to the Caribbean, smaller regional carriers who fly between islands are feeling the crunch. High taxes at airports force these airlines to raise their fares by as much as 40 percent, making them a non-competitive option for travelers.

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Frontier Airlines earned $220 million from baggage fees in 2015. This was a major part of the airline's $1.6 billion in revenue for the year.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, in 2016 nearly US$12 billion will be invested in improving the aviation infrastructure in the country.

Emirates wants to take advantage of new development in China. The carrier will begin flying from Dubai to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou, two cities in the underserved Midwest of China. The four-times-weekly service will stop in Yinchuan before making the hour-and-a-half flight to Zhengzhou.

Airlines for America has "commended" the TSA for taking steps to expedite the screening process at overcrowded checkpoints around the country. In the same statement, however, A4A also warned that wait times will remain long during peak hours during the summer, even at PreCheck checkpoints.