CommutAir appoints Subodh Karnik as president & CEO

CommutAir announced the appointment of Subodh Karnik to President and CEO, effective immediately. Karnik's appointment follows the finalization, upon receiving regulatory approvals, of the previously announced agreement with United Airlines for the introduction of Embraer 50-seat jet aircraft at CommutAir.

"Subodh has strikingly impressive qualifications for the job of leading our company into the new role which United has entrusted to us", said CommutAir's Chairman, John Sullivan, in a company press release. "His career has spanned over thirty years of direct leadership responsibility in operations, finance, marketing and planning at some of the largest airlines in the world, including senior corporate officer positions at Delta, Continental and Northwest. He has headed up global airline consulting at ICF-SH&E; one of the world's leading aviation consulting firms and has been part of the consulting practice at Ernst & Young. He was President and CEO of Global Aero Logistics, parent company of World Airways, North American Airlines and ATA. The list continues to several turnaround projects, including Jet Airways (India), Air Pacific (Fiji) and Air Jamaica".

CommutAir, operating as United Express, is majority owned by Champlain Enterprises LLC, an airline holding company. Today, CommutAir operates a large fleet of Bombardier Q200/Q300 aircraft with more than 650 weekly flights to 29 airports.

Video: Cargo ship departs International Space Station

The Cygnus cargo craft, built by Orbital/ATK in Dulles, Va., departed the International Space Station on Friday, a little over two months after delivering almost four tons of supplies to the station’s residents. Dubbed the “SS Deke Slayton II”, the resupply vehicle, now loaded with trash, will be commanded to deorbit on Saturday, for a destructive re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

Air Niugini orders four Boeing 737 MAX planes

Boeing and Air Niugini announced an order for four 737 MAX 8 airplanes Thursday at the Singapore Airshow.

"The superb economics of the 737 MAX will enable us to increase flight frequencies and develop into new markets which offer significant opportunities for Air Niugini," said Frederick Reiher, the airline's chairman. "We look forward to receiving our first airplanes in 2020."

The previously unidentified order adds to the national carrier's current fleet of Next-Generation 737s and 767-300ERs (extended range) airplanes.

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. The new single-aisle airplane will deliver 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s and the lowest operating costs in its class – eight percent per seat less than its nearest competitor.

Air Niugini operates a robust domestic network of more than 25 destinations from its Port Moresby hub, as well as numerous international routes across Asia-Pacific, including Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Fiji, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, Japan, and in the near future, China.

HondaJet lands at Gary Jet Center in Indiana

The Gary Jet Center announced Thursday that it is managing one of the first HondaJets to be delivered in the United States. Additionally, two Gary Jet Center pilots were among the first type rated in the aircraft and attended pilot training at the Honda Aircraft Training Center in Greensboro, N.C. A Gary Jet Center maintenance technician also attended and completed the first HondaJet Initial and Avionics Maintenance Training program.

The Gary Center, located at the Gary/Chicago International Airport, is a 25-year old, privately owned aviation company, providing fixed-base operator services, as well aircraft management, maintenance and charter to a variety of Chicago customers.

The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag.

Hookers for Hillary

In advance of this weekend's Nevada caucuses, prostitutes at Dennis Hof's world famous "Moonlite Bunny Ranch" legal brothel in Carson City, Nev., are banding together to announce their support of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Following Clinton's formal announcement last year, the sex workers launched their "Hookers For Hillary" initiative, drafting a four point platform to explain their endorsement:

Protecting health care reform

The Affordable Health Care Act made health insurance available for the first time ever to the 500 independent contractors employed by Dennis Hof.  With any Republican nominee likely to work for its repeal, the bunnies want to protect the quality health coverage that they now enjoy.

Foreign policy experience

With her eye on the international landscape, the bunnies are confident that President Hillary Clinton would also avoid a repeat of the Secret Service's Colombian prostitution scandal by making sure that her detail "buys American."

Hundreds of legal prostitutes that are employed by Hof's seven legal brothels will be out in force all over Nevada this weekend in support of Clinton.

Etihad Airways change aircraft on two key US markets

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, continues to optimize its United States network with equipment changes on two key markets in 2016.

Currently Etihad operates leased Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for its daily flight to and from San Francisco. These aircraft will be replaced with Etihad Airways Boeing 777-200LRs from April 25.

The daily EY101 flight from Abu Dhabi to New York's JFK airport and the return EY100 service will also see leased Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER aircraft replaced by Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ERs from June 1.

The second daily Etihad Airways service to and from New York JFK, EY103 and EY102, will continue to be operated with the airline's flagship A380 aircraft in 2016.

The Etihad Airways Boeing 777-200LR to be deployed on the San Francisco route will be configured to carry 239 guests in three cabins, with eight First Class seats, 40 Business Class seats and 191 Economy Class seats.

The Boeing 777-300ER to be deployed by Etihad Airways on the New York route will be configured to carry 328 guests also in three cabins, with eight First Class seats, 40 Business Class seats, and 280 Economy Class seats.

All Etihad Airways guests flying to the United States pass through U.S. Preclearance at Abu Dhabi Airport meaning they clear U.S. immigration and customs before boarding their flight and arriving in America as domestic passengers.

Etihad Airways currently operates daily to New York JFK, a daily service to Chicago, daily to Washington D.C., daily to Los Angeles LAX, daily to San Francisco, and three flights a week to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Etihad Airways began operations in 2003, and in 2014 carried 14.8 million passengers. The airline has a fleet of 120 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and approximately 200 aircraft on firm order, including 66 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777Xs, 62 Airbus A350s and five Airbus A380s.

Hawaiian Airlines appoints South Korea director

Hawaiian Airlines has announced the appointment of Soojin Yu to the position of country director and chief representative for South Korea. She will oversee general management of Hawaiian's commercial activities in South Korea.

Yu brings to Hawaiian more than 25 years of experience in aviation, aeronautics, automobile and broadcast. She most recently served as China business manager - Asia Pacific region for Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea, where she led new vehicle development projects and new business platform initiatives.

Previously, Yu worked as the marketing and communications manager for Air France KLM, and also served as an interpreter for pilots and mechanics for Samsung Aerospace and Eurocopteur. Yu began her career working in foreign exchange at the Banque Indosuez in Seoul.

Born and raised in Busan, Yu holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Yonsei University in Seoul.

Hawaiian, which launched non-stop flights between Seoul and Honolulu on Jan. 12, 2011, has since operated more than 2,800 flights and carried nearly 600,000 guests between Honolulu and Incheon International Airport.