Twitter round-up: Alex Macheras’ tweet on Qatar Airways most popular tweet in December 2019

Top tweets on airlines in December 2019

1. Alex Macheras’ tweet on Qatar Airways’ acquisition of new Rwanda airport

Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, tweeted on Qatar Airways’ plans to acquire 60% stake in Rwanda’s new Bugesera international airport. Qatar will build, operate and own 60% of the new state-of-the-art airport near Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.

The new international airport will handle approximately seven million passengers during the launch year. It will include a 30,000m2 terminal, six passenger boarding bridges and ten boarding gates.

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Username: Alex Macheras

Twitter handle: @AlexInAir

Retweets: 1,302

Likes: 2,018

2. Tony Fernandes’ tweet on AirAsia being among the largest and best airlines

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO at AirAsia, tweeted on the success of the airline to enter the top tweets for December. The influencer stated that the Malaysian low-cost airline started with just two airplanes, and has now expanded to 274. He further stated that the airline began by serving 200,000 passengers, which has now increased to approximately 100 million.

Tony also noted that AirAsia has been ranked as the 13th largest airline group in the world and won the world’s best airline award 11 times consecutively.

Username: Tony Fernandes

Twitter handle: @tonyfernandes

Retweets: 814

Likes: 2,684

3. Dominic Gates’ tweet on the shutdown of 737 MAX production at Renton

Dominic Gates, a reporter, shared an article on the temporary shutdown of 737 MAX production at Boeing’s Renton facility. The Boeing board plans to close all assembly lines till a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clearance is received to resume commercial operations of the 737 MAX aircraft.

The board plans to move the 12,000 affected workforce at Renton to other production units located in Auburn and Everett. The 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded across the world following two crashes caused by the on-board flight control systems. The article stated that the FAA is currently reviewing the software upgrade for the flight control systems.

Username: Dominic Gates

Twitter handle: @dominicgates

Retweets: 135

Likes: 179

4. Jon Ostrower’s tweet on delay in US approval for Boeing 737 MAX

Jon Ostrower, an aviation editor and writer, shared an article on the final FAA approvals for Boeing 737 MAX being delayed to February. The delay is being caused by a combination of factors including pilot evaluations and software scrutiny.

The article details that confusion over pilot procedures has added new complications to the review. As many as 1,302 rigorous tests have been conducted with a focus on human factors and dealing with abnormal situations. The FAA stated that it does not have a timeline for submitting its final approvals.

Username: Jon Ostrower

Twitter handle: @jonostrower

Retweets: 36

Likes: 53

5. Jason Rabinowitz’s tweet on Alaska Air painting “proudly all Boeing” on new aircraft

Jason Rabinowitz, a researcher and correspondent, tweeted on Alaska Air continuing to paint “proudly all Boeing” on its new aircraft, despite having a fleet of Airbus Embraer and Bombardier aircraft. He noted that the move was one of the most irrational marketing strategies.

Before being acquired by Virgin America, Alaska Air flew only Boeing aircraft. The airline now flies Virgin America’s older Airbus aircraft as well as the latest Airbus A321neos. The company has not released plans to go all Boeing or to continue with the current mix of older and newer Airbus fleet.

Username: Jason Rabinowitz

Twitter handle: @AirlineFlyer

Retweets: 31

Likes: 315

6. Star Alliance’s tweet on the arrival of more fuel-efficient aircraft

Star Alliance, a global network of airlines, tweeted on the arrival of more fuel-efficient and comfortable Airbus A350 to the Scandinavian Airlines fleet.

The modern aircraft arrived at the Copenhagen airport at the end of November. The new Airbus A350 joins the A320neo (new engine option) family, which is regarded as the world’s most fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft.

Username: Star Alliance

Twitter handle: @staralliance

Retweets: 24

Likes: 174

7. Ben Schlappig’s tweet on Virgin Atlantic upgrading oldest passenger on flights

Ben Schlappig, a blogger, shared an article on an announcement made by Virgin Atlantic to upgrade its oldest passengers to the highest cabin class available during the festival season.

Virgin Atlantic made the announcement in order to honour a passenger named Jack, who gave up his upper class seat to an 88-year-old woman named Violet, on the way to London from New York.

Username: Ben Schlappig

Twitter handle: @OneMileataTime

Retweets: 16

Likes: 88

8. The Points Guy tweet on Spirit Airlines’ first jet

The Points Guy, an online platform for aviation news and stories, shared an article on the introduction of new app, seats, and cabins by Spirit Airlines to its fleet in order to gain more loyalty from its customers. The ultra-low-cost Florida-based carrier revealed its first aircraft, the Airbus A320neo, with new seats and cabins, at an event in the Spirit’s Detroit (DTW) hangar.

The first aircraft with new interiors entered service on 13 December 2019 while the second was delivered on 19 December 2019. The carrier is planning to introduce 48 new A320neo aircraft in two years, along with retrofits for its already existing 40 aircraft.

Username: The Points Guy

Twitter handle: @thepointsguy

Retweets: 14

Likes: 54

9. Ben Bearup’s tweet on United Airlines signing an order for 50 A321XLR aircrafts

Ben Bearup, a writer for Airways Magazine, tweeted on Chicago-based United Airlines signing an order for 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The move is part of the carrier’s plans to phase out its aging Boeing 757 jets.

United Airlines is also planning to expand its transatlantic routes from its key hubs in New York and Washington DC.

Username: Ben Bearup

Twitter handle: @TheAviationBeat

Retweets: 6

Likes: 108

10. Johnny Jet’s tweet on experiencing the most expensive airline

Johnny Jet, the creator of JohnnyJet.com, a travel website, shared a video of YouTube traveller Casey Neistat on experiencing the most expensive airline, Etihad Airways. Casey travelled on the Residence, a three-room luxury suite, considered to be the most expensive airline service in the world.

The video takes viewers across the suite, including a private bedroom, shower, and living area. Though he travelled for free, Casey stated that the ticket could equal the cost of a new Toyota car.

Username: JohnnyJet

Twitter handle: @JohnnyJet

Retweets: 4

Likes: 214