Venezuela has postponed until next month a measure restricting flights by U.S. airlines after holding talks with U.S. officials to end a dispute over aviation safety. Venezuela´s INAC aviation agency said Wednesday it had suspended the restrictions on U.S. carriers until April 25 to await the results of a safety audit carried out by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration this week.

China Southern Airlines is to launch daily Boeing 777 flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Guangzhou starting June 22. This trans-pacific service, operated by China Southern Airlines for the past eight years, is operated under code share service with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, offering connecting flights between seven major USA destinations and Guangzhou including New York City (JFK), Atlanta, Salt Lake city, Honolulu, Boston and Cincinnati.

Virgin Atlantic began flying between the Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai, its first Middle Eastern location, and London yesterday and will offer daily flights starting June 2. Mr. Andrew Fyfe, regional manager for the Middle East & Indian Sub-continent, stated that “we are delighted to have set up our office in Dubai and are ready to begin flights from today, four times a week to London non-stop and then build up to daily from June 2.”

JetBlue Airways has unveiled the launch of their brand communications program titled “Sincerely, JetBlue” designed to provide customers a forum in which to tell their personal JetBlue stories. JetBlue customers believe they helped build the company. And JetBlue isn´t disagreeing. Created by marketing partner JWT New York, the program uses multiple media channels to facilitate the collection and distribution of these stories to the broader community.

Bolivian airline Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) is “on the verge of bankruptcy,” its president said, as a worsening financial and labor crisis left the airline threatening Monday to cancel national and international flights again. In a television announcement Sunday night, Ernesto Asbun also called on workers to halt recent strikes, warning that if the situation did not reverse itself quickly, LAB, which has some 1,500 employees, would be forced to cease flights to Madrid, Miami and Washington.

Virgin Atlantic Airways has agreed a new reciprocal codeshare deal with Air China (CA) to enable its passengers to enjoy codeshare connections between the services of the two carriers. Effective on flights from 1 July 2006, the agreement with Air China means that Virgin Atlantic passengers will be able to purchase flights between London Heathrow and Beijing, complimenting Virgin Atlantic´s daily flights into Shanghai.