Icelandic airline WOW will launch directs flights between Keflavík International Airport and Los Angeles and San Francisco in the summer of 2016. This will be the first time an Icelandic airline offers direct scheduled flights to Los Angeles.
The carrier will offer four weekly round-trips to Los Angeles and five round-trips to San Francisco, with connections to 18 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe via Keflavík International Aiport in Iceland. WOW already offers direct flights to 3 destinations in North America: Boston, Washington and Montreal.
WOW is a low-cost airline that was founded in November 2011 and began its flight service in May 2012. The airline has grown rapidly and it’s estimated that 800,000 passengers will fly with WOW air in 2015 and double that in 2016.
WOW will use Airbus A330-300 planes for the long flight to the USA’s west coast. Their range is 11,300 km (6,100 mi). The distance between Keflavík Airport and San Francisco is 6.764 km (4.203 mi), and to Los Angeles it’s 6.940 km (4.312 mi).
The Airbus will be the largest plane used for scheduled flights by an Icelandic airline. It’s 63.69 m (208 ft 11 in) long and can carry up to 440 in an all-economy layout. WOW planes will be equipped with 340 seats, for added legroom and comfort, according to the airline’s founder and CEO, Skúli Mogensen.
WOW will start selling tickets to Los Angeles and San Francisco early 2016.
Iceland Magazine
Passenger strangles fellow passenger over seat recline
A man aboard a San Francisco-bound flight was detained Sunday night after he apparently tried to strangle a fellow passenger who had leaned her seat back shortly after the plane took off from Los Angeles International Airport, authorities and witnesses said.
Southwest Flight 2010 had been in the air for just over 10 minutes when around 10:43 p.m. the scuffle broke out between two passengers who were not traveling together, prompting the captain to declare an emergency and turn back, police said.
After the plane landed, the FBI detained one of the passengers, who was not identified, and authorities launched an investigation, said airport police Officer Rob Pedregon.
“No arrest has been made at this time, and the investigation is continuing,” said Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman with the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “The allegations involve the assault of a fellow passenger, but no charges have been filed.”
A woman aboard the flight took a photo from inside the plane of several police cars on the runway and described the altercation in an Instagram post written in German.
The woman, who goes by @mel.anita, said nine police cars surrounded the plane after a man grabbed the passenger by the throat when she tilted her seat back.
The 136 passengers on the flight were put on board another plane and arrived in San Francisco at 1:43 a.m. Monday — five hours behind schedule, officials said.
“Our crew members are trained to ensure the safe operation of every flight we operate,” said Dan Landson, a spokesman for Southwest. “Initial information is that the flight attendants swiftly coordinated with pilots on the flight deck to get the aircraft on the ground safely and quickly.”
SF Gate
American Airlines upgrades Miami-LAX service
American Airlines during the Christmas and New Year period plans to operate Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on Los Angeles – Miami, with 1 daily operation. The 777-300ER will operate from 17DEC15 to 04JAN16.
During this period AA operates 8 daily flights, including 2 A321, 3 767-300ER, 1 each of 777-200ER/-300ER/737-800.
AA252 LAX0900 – 1647MIA 77W D
AA1065 MIA1700 – 1944LAX 77W 67
AA1248 MIA1700 – 1944LAX 77W x67
Airline Route