sexta-feira, 31 de março de 2017

ASIANA - A350-900 - F-WZNY

Alain Charpentier - TLS

AIR INDIA - A320NEO - F-WWIH

Alain Charpentier - TLS

ALITALIA - B777-200ER - EI-DDH

João Luis Pessoa-  ppt

The Airbus A319neo takes to the skies


Third member of successful A320neo Family starts flight test campaign



The first Airbus A319neo performed its maiden flight today, The smallest member of the A320neo Family, powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines took off from Hamburg and landed in Toulouse after a 5 hour flight.
It was piloted by Experimental test pilots Michel Gagneux and Eckard Hausser. They were assisted in the cockpit by Test-Flight Engineer Jean Michel Pin, while two flight test engineers Sylvie Loisel-Labaste and David O’nions directed the flight from the aircraft’s Test Engineer station.

This flight was the occasion for the crew to assess the general handling of the aircraft and to check the main systems. The A319neo, registered as D-AVWA, will be based in Toulouse in order to complete its flight test programme.

The A320neo Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with over 5,000 orders received from over 90 customers, capturing almost 60 percent share of the market. The A320neo Family incorporates latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices, which together deliver more than 15 percent in fuel savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020.

Thanks to their widest cabin, all members of the A320neo Family offer unmatched comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18” wide seats in economy as standard.

With one aircraft in three sizes ( A319neo, A320neo & A321neo), the A320neo Family, seating from 100 to 240 passengers, seamlessly covers the entire single-aisle segment from low to high-density domestic to longer range routes.

The A319neo is the smallest member of the A320neo Family; it offers its operators superior short field performance in hot and high conditions. It can accommodate up to 160 passengers without compromise on the comfort.

TACV schedules 767 service in April 2017



TACV Cabo Verde Airlines in the GDS inventory listing as well as OAG Schedules Analyser filed aircraft changes for Praia – Lisbon and Praia – Providence route, which will be in effect from 03APR17 to 19APR17.


During this period, the airline will operate leased Boeing 767 aircraft, temporary replacing 757. Both served once a week.

Praia – Lisbon
VR606 RAI0800 – 1400LIS 767 3
VR607 LIS1700 – 1900RAI 767 1


Praia – Providence
VR690 RAI1100 – 1600PVD 767 2
VR691 PVD1800 – 0500+1RAI 767 2
Jim Liu Data & Analysis Manager - Airlineroute, Routesonline

KOREAN AIR - B787-900 - HL8082

Brisnance - Boeing  - USA

SAUDIA . B787-900 - HZ-ARF

Brisnance - Boeing - USA

LEVEL to operate as a virtual carrier first; eyes own AOC



LEVEL (Barcelona El Prat) will operate as a virtual carrier while it pursues its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IAG International Airlines Group, Willie Walsh, has revealed.
Unveiled earlier this month, LEVEL will use a pair of A330-200s to offer low-cost, longhaul flights from its Barcelona El Prat hub to Los Angeles Int'l, Oakland, Punta Cana, and Buenos Aires Ezeiza from June onwards.

Speaking to the Cranky Flier blog about the project, Walsh said LEVEL would use Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas) as an operational platform before transitioning to its own certificate in the short- to medium-term.
On the choice of the A330-200, Walsh said the -200's unit costs work out well when used in LEVEL's configuration (314 seats with twenty-one seats in Premium Economy and 293 in Economy class) and in the longhaul markets it plans to operate in. The A330-300 presented too much capacity while the B787 is more expensive in terms of ownership or leasing costs.

While LEVEL will focus on longhaul operations out of Barcelona El Prat initially, the longterm goal is to expand to other cities across Europe tapping into IAG's regional strengths. The Catalan capital was chosen primarily because it is the primary hub for IAG's short- and medium-haul LCC, Vueling Airlines (VY, Barcelona El Prat), which will provide LEVEL with the necessary feed to ensure sustainable operations from Barcelona.

On how LEVEL will expand in future, Walsh noted that aside from Vueling's strong Western European marketshare, the IAG's other carriers - Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia - have a strong presence in other key European markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, and even Italy and Belgium. As each airline operates more or less independently within the confines of the IAG, passenger feed can be derived as and when needed.
"In terms of speed to market and speed to growth, we’re out there way ahead of anybody else," he said. "And we’ve got the flexibility to be able to do this and proven ability to have these airlines operate successfully quasi-independently within the group so they don’t interfere with one another; they don’t try to encroach on one another; they don’t try to suppress one another. That’s the sort of focus we have at the moment."
In terms of segment, LEVEL is primarily aimed at stimulating market demand among passengers, millenials in particular, who may not have thought of travelling to any of the destinations being sold before.

"This is a segment of the market that we believe is going to be significant going forward tapping into a whole new generation of fliers who are looking to experience something beyond what they had before and experience the world. This is the start of something that will be very significant for us," he added.
ch aviation

Sky Airline to lease three A320neo from SMBC




Sky Airline (Chile) (H2, Santiago de Chile Int'l) has secured three A320neo from SMBC Aviation Capital as part of its fleet renewal plans. In a statement issued earlier this week, the Irish lessor said the trio of aircraft would be sourced from its Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) order book with deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2018.





Chilean LCC confirmed earlier this month it is expecting a total of six A320neo during 2018 as part of an USD800 million fleet renewal plan which will eventually see it operating eighteen of the type.

“After conducting extensive product evaluation‎, we determined the A320neo as the best match with which to carry out our low-cost carrier strategy,” Holger Paulmann, CEO of Sky Airline, said.
Sky Airline currently operates thirteen A319-100s and two A320-200s leased from AerCap, Apollo Aviation Group, DAE Capital, ECAF I, Nomura Babcock & Brown, ORIX Aviation, and SMBC. It operates regular passenger flights throughout Chile as well as to Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay.
ch aviation

Flybe ‒ Europe’s largest regional airline – has become the first domestic carrier to begin operating at London Heathrow (LHR) since 2013, adding new flights from Edinburgh (EDI) and Aberdeen

The two sectors replace those abandoned by Virgin Atlantic Airways’ Little Red domestic operation which ceased in September 2015. Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener, said: “We are so pleased to confirm further our commitment to Scotland by offering even more flights to London with our two new routes from Edinburgh and Aberdeen to Heathrow’s Terminal 2, giving passengers greater choice and also linking them with our range of codeshare partners through our ‘One Stop to the World’ approach. Passengers can, for example, fly onwards with Virgin Atlantic to Los Angeles or New York, or fly east with Singapore Airlines – all on one ticket from Edinburgh or Aberdeen. Early bookings show this is an increasingly important part of the booking profile for these two new routes and we look forward to adding even more codeshare partners shortly.” London Heathrow Operations Director Derek Provan added: “Earlier this year, Heathrow reduced domestic passenger charges by £10 and it’s great to see the benefits of that coming through with Flybe’s new services to Aberdeen and Edinburgh boosting choice for our passengers. We’re delighted to welcome them to the Heathrow family.” The regional carrier will offer a 25 times weekly service to the Scottish capital from 26 March and 18 times weekly to Scotland’s energy capital from 27 March. Both routes, flown by Flybe’s Q400 fleet, will face direct competition from British Airways, which operates to Edinburgh 75 times per week, and to Aberdeen on a 45 times weekly basis.
aenna

BELAVIA, B737-800W - EW456PA

Ton Jochems -  AMS
Ton Jochems - HEL

Eurowings used the start of S17 to commence seven new routes from four German airports and two Austrian airports


With an average sector length of 1,089 kilometres, the longest of these new routes was from Hannover (HAJ) to Faro (FAO) at 2,198 kilometres, while the shortest is the domestic route from Cologne Bonn (CGN) to Sylt (GWT) at just 457 kilometres.

The average weekly frequency of the seven routes launched was 3.7. “With a total of 34 destinations and 203 weekly frequencies, the flight offering of Eurowings from Vienna has almost doubled compared to the previous year. Six A320s of the German airline are now stationed at Vienna Airport. We are very pleased with this tremendous expansion. In particular, the new direct flight to Birmingham, one of the most frequently visited cities in Great Britain, excellently complements our existing flight offering from Vienna”, says Julian Jäger, Member of the Management Board of Vienna Airport. “Eurowings is currently the fastest growing European airline. We are particularly pleased with the high level of demand in response to our favourable rates offered in Vienna and the great feedback received from Eurowings customers. Starting at the end of March we will add a large number of flight connections to our route network”, says Robert Jahn, MD of Eurowings Europe
aenna

S7 Airlines is now offering flights between Vienna (VIE) and Moscow Domodedovo

From 26 March, the Russian airline will initially fly the route five times weekly, deploying an A319 on the airport pair. From May, the route will be expanded to a daily service. S7 Airlines leaves the Russian capital every day at 15:00 and arrives in Vienna at 17:00. The return flight departs from Vienna at 17:55 and lands again in Domodedovo at 21:40. “The ongoing growth in frequencies to the Russian capital is a positive sign for the Russian market and provides important and positive impetus to the future development of Eastern European flight traffic from the Vienna flight hub. We are very pleased that S7 Airlines decided to launch flight service between Vienna and Moscow. On balance, flights are offered from Vienna to Moscow up to seven times per day in the current flight schedule,” says Julian Jäger, Member of the Management Board at Vienna Airport. Indeed, Austrian Airlines flies twice-daily on the same airport pair, with Aeroflot flying from to its Moscow Shermetyevo hub on a four times daily basis. “S7 Airlines performs flights to Austrian cities Innsbruck and Salzburg in wintertime. These flights are popular for winter holidays, when our passengers travel to Alpine ski resorts. Now we are launching a flight to Vienna, the capital of Austria, for fans of excursion trips, art and classical architecture. We will also be happy to welcome passengers from Vienna onboard S7 Airlines flights. The schedule is set up to make it convenient to travel not only from Vienna to Moscow, but also to other Russian cities on S7 Airlines route map with a short-time connection at Domodedovo Airport,” says Alexey Leonov, Deputy General Representative Europe of S7 Airlines.
aenna

Virgin Atlantic Airways commenced its newest route from London Heathrow (LHR) on 26 March, a daily 787-9-operated service to Seattle-Tacoma


The UK carrier has taken over from partner carrier Delta Air Lines on the 7,699-kilometre route, with the SkyTeam carrier having ended services on the airport pairing the day previous to Virgin Atlantic’s inauguration.

Virgin Atlantic’s services on the 787-9 will increase the annual capacity on the route by more than 40,000 seats according to Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger who spoke at the inaugural ceremony. With Virgin Atlantic taking over the route from Delta, it will add 53 extra seats daily one-way on the rotation, resulting in 38,690 additional annual seats according to anna.aero’s data elves, just short of the 40,000 quoted by Kreeger. “The Seattle market fits better with the Virgin brand,” said Kreeger. “Seattle is a young, entrepreneurial, innovative, outdoorsy risk-taking kind of city and when you think of the element of the Virgin Atlantic brand and who we attract, it just seems like a great fit.” Virgin Atlantic will face direct competition on the route from UK flag carrier British Airways which offers 12 weekly flights on the city pair. Seattle-Tacoma becomes Virgin Atlantic’s ninth US route from Heathrow, with it joining the likes of Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York’s JFK and Newark, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. The airline also serves Las Vegas and Orlando from London Gatwick and Manchester, along with short seasonal services from Glasgow and Belfast International.
aenna

BASEL TRIP

Paul Bannwarth -

terça-feira, 28 de março de 2017

CHINA AIRLINES - A350-900 - B-18905


Ton Jochems - AMS

BELAVIA - B737-500 - EW-252PA


Ton Jochems - AMS

Bombardier Q400 Aircraft Continues to Support Porter Airlines’ Growth



Porter Airlines and Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that the airline’s fleet has grown to 29 aircraft with Bombardier’s delivery of another Q400 turboprop. Porter exclusively flies Q400 airliners.

Porter’s home base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is known as one of the world’s best urban airports. It is located within three kilometers of the city’s central business and entertainment districts. Approximately 2.7 million passengers used the airport in 2016.

“The Bombardier Q400 aircraft represents the fine craftsmanship that has been the backbone of the aerospace industry in Canada for many years,” said Robert Deluce, President and CEO, Porter Airlines. “As Bombardier prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year, the Q400 aircraft’s performance, environmental credentials and passenger appeal continue representing hallmarks of our customer experience. These attributes have supported Porter’s network growth to 23 destinations in more than a decade of operation.”



“We are honoured that Porter continues to credit the Q400 aircraft with providing the operating efficiency, speed and low noise levels that have helped the airline grow to become one of the best regional airlines in North America. Bombardier is delighted that the Q400 aircraft has contributed to that success as we continue to see a trend for more capable turboprop aircraft worldwide,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

Aeroflot resumes Lisbon service from July 2017



Aeroflot starting July 2017 plans to resume service to Portugal, initially operating Moscow Sheremetyevo – Lisbon route 3 times a week. Boeing 737-800 aircraft is scheduled to operate this route from 15JUL17, gradually increasing to 6 weekly by October 2017. The Skyteam member previously served Lisbon in October 2003.

15JUL17 – 09SEP17 3 weekly (Day 136 from SVO, Day 247 from LIS)
11SEP17 – 23SEP17 4 weekly (Day x457 / Day x156)
25SEP17 – 01OCT17 5 weekly (Day x45 / Day x56)
02OCT17 – 28OCT17 6 weekly (Day x5 / Day x6)

SU2606 SVO1950 – 2320LIS 73H
SU2607 LIS0840 – 1555SVO 73H
Jim Liu Data & Analysis Manager - Airlineroute, Routesonline
Photo:Ton Jochems - AMS

Air Canada leasing two B787-9s from ALC


Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) has signed long term lease agreements with Air Lease Corporation for two new General Electric-powered B787-9 aircraft.

The US-based lessor's President and Chief Executive Officer, John Plueger, said in a statement on Monday, March 27, that of the Boeing widebody jets, the first was allocated to Blackbird Capital and acquired in January 2017 while the second was delivered on March 24, 2017, and leased from ALC.

The ch-aviation aircraft database shows Air Canada currently operates sixteen B787-9s of which thirteen are owned with the remainder leased from GECAS.
ch-avition

Brussels Airlines starts operating SSJ100



The SSJ100 wet-leased from CityJet arrived from Venice in its new Brussels Airlines livery (Andrea Spoladore)

Brussels Airlines is ready to start operating its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) airliner. On March 25, the aircraft with tail number EI-FWD arrived at the Belgian carrier’s base airport Zaventem.

The Russian-built regional jet, wet-leased from the carrier’s Irish partner City Jet, entered commercial service with Brussels Airlines on March 26, CityJet CCO Cathal O’Connell told Russian Aviation Insider. O’Connell added that the aircraft had been painted in the Brussels Airlines livery as part of the customization program.

CityJet, which specializes in wet-leasing passenger airplanes, has a total of four SSJ100s in its fleet, and expects to take delivery of two more of the type in April or May this year. The two new airliners will likely be leased to the Belgian airline under the two-year contract for three SSJ100s. According to the aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, a total of five SSJ100s are to be delivered to CityJet before the end of the year.

The Russian-built aircraft will replace Brussels Airlines’ aging Avro RJ100s regional jets. The airline’s strategy calls for phasing out its own regional aircraft gradually, replacing them with wet-leased airliners and complementing the fleet with Airbus A320s.

CityJet has been operating SSJ 100s since June 2016. At the end of last summer, one of the aircraft was wet-leased to Finnish carrier Norra (Finnair’s subsidiary) for one month. One SSJ100 has been operated in the interests of UK carrier BMI Regional since February 27, O’Connell told Russian Aviation Insider. CityJet’s total firm order stands at 15 SSJ100s, plus an option for 16 more. 
Russian Aviation Insider
Photo:Ton Jochems - AMS

Royal Flight expands with a sixth Boeing 757



The leased narrowbody will perform its first revenue flight for the carrier from Tomsk in Russia to Pattaya in Thailand (Royal Flight)

Royal Flight has taken delivery of a Boeing 757 narrowbody, bringing the total number of such airliners in its fleet up to six, the Russian carrier’s spokesperson told Russian Aviation Insider.

The aircraft, registration code VP-BLB, delivered on operating lease terms, seats 235 passengers. On March 24 the 757 was ferried to Tomsk, from where it will complete its first revenue flight with the new operator to U-Tapao airport in Pattaya, Thailand.

This new addition brings Royal Flight’s overall fleet to nine aircraft. Apart from the six 757s, the carrier operates one Boeing 737-800 narrowbody and two Boeing 767 widebodies. The airline has plans to further expand its fleet, but prefers not to announce any details just yet.

Royal Flight occupies 14th place among Russian carriers by passenger traffic, which grew 14.6% in 2016 to 994,200 passengers. Traffic data for the first two months of this year indicate a further increase of almost 250% year-on-year, reaching 153,600 passengers. The airline operates mainly to the UAE, India, Austria, Spain, Greece, Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Russian Aviation Insider

Hainan Airlines has launched its ninth non-stop route between China and the US.


On 15 March the carrier introduced a twice-weekly service between Chengdu (CTU) and Los Angeles (LAX) using its 787-9s. It already serves the Californian metropolis from Changsha, with Chongqing services starting on 21 March. The new 11,573-kilometre route faces no competition. The inaugural flight was operated by the airline’s Kung Fu Panda-themed aircraft. Between China and the US, the world’s two biggest aviation markets, Hainan Airlines is now responsible for 11% of seat capacity. Leading the way is United Airlines with 22%, followed by Air China 18%, China Eastern Airlines 16% and China Southern Airlines with 11%. Chinese carriers account for 59% of capacity compared with 41% for US carriers.





Thai Lion Air is taking the fight to Thai AirAsia and Nok Air by launching a new domestic route in Thailand.

Brisnance - Boeing _USA

On 17 March the LCC began 12 times weekly flights between Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) and Khon Kaen (KKC) using its 737-800s. The two incumbent carriers operate a total of 47 weekly flights between the two airports, which are only 365 kilometres apart. This becomes Thai Lion Air’s 11th domestic route from Bangkok Don Mueang from where it also serves seven international routes. The 11 domestic routes are served by a total of 396 weekly departures. With this new service, Thai Lion Air has increased its share of the Thai domestic market to 19% ranking it third behind Thai AirAsia (27%) and Nok Air (20%).

segunda-feira, 27 de março de 2017

QATAR AIRWAYS - Airbus A 320 NEO F-WWBE msn 6904

Alain Charpentier - TLS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES - Airbus A 320 NEO F-WWIM msn 7470

Alain Charpentier - TLS

THAI LION - B737-900ER - HS-LTZ

BRISNANCE - Boeing - USA

BLUE PANORAMA - B737-400 - 9H-HUE - ex Horizon

José Ramon Valero - MAD

Bombardier C Series Aircraft Completes Landmark Non-Stop Transatlantic Flight from London City Airport to New York John F. Kennedy Airport


  • The CS100 would offer the only economically viable commercial option for direct intercontinental flights from London City to John F. Kennedy Airport 
  • Flight follows the completion of steep approach demonstration flights at London City Airport 
  • CS100 aircraft expected to receive Transport Canada and EASA steep approach certifications in the second quarter of 2017 

  • Bombardier Commercial Aircraft confirmed today that a C Series aircraft with a representative payload successfully flew non-stop from London City Airport (LCY) to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York City. The direct intercontinental flight followed a series of successful flights to demonstrate the CS100 aircraft’s exceptional capabilities for operations to and from LCY, including steep approach landing and short runway performance.

  • “The C Series aircraft program achieved another significant milestone with the completion of the demonstration tests at LCY. The C Series is the only commercial aircraft that was specifically designed for operations at LCY and we are very proud of its performance. The aircraft smoothly performed all eight take-offs and landings during a two-day period, as planned. This confirms the C Series aircraft’s unparalleled capabilities,” said Rob Dewar, Vice President, C Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The aircraft is meeting all performance expectations and clearly demonstrates that it is the best performing and most efficient aircraft in the 100- to 150-seat class.”

    “It has been a pleasure to welcome the Bombardier CS100 aircraft and its team to London City Airport for the first time, as part of their testing and evaluation process. Following the landmark C Series non-stop flight to JFK, we look forward to the completion of its regulatory certification, followed by entry into commercial passenger operation with SWISS,” added Declean Collier, CEO of London City Airport.

    Transport Canada and EASA certifications for steep approach operations with the CS100 aircraft is expected in the second quarter of 2017. Bombardier has extensive experience operating at LCY Airport with various aircraft types, including the Q400 turboprop aircraft, as well as the Challenger 650 aircraft and Global 5000 and Global 6000 business jets.

    The CS100 aircraft is the most efficient and economical commercial aircraft allowing airlines to viably offer direct intercontinental flights from LCY Airport to both North America as well as the Middle-East on top of opening numerous new route opportunities within Europe, Russia and Northern Africa, which were not possible with old-generation aircraft.

    SWISS is expected to be the first airline to offer service with the C Series to and from LCY later this year.



    With the lowest noise and emissions levels of any commercial aircraft in its class, the C Series aircraft is ideal for urban operations and noise-sensitive airports. The CS100 aircraft has a much lower noise footprint compared to other commercial jets, and provides a better quality environment for London residents as it is the quietest commercial aircraft in production.

Asiana revises A350 operations in S17



Asiana Airlines last week adjusted planned Airbus A350-900XWB operation, which sees changes to planned inaugural date and route. The airline previously scheduled 15MAY17 inaugural on Seoul Incheon – Osaka Kansai route, however this is now revised to 09MAY17, Seoul Incheon – Hong Kong.
Revised A350-900XWB operation as follow.

Seoul Incheon – Beijing 28JUL17 – 13AUG17 OZ331/332
Seoul Incheon – Hanoi eff 14AUG17 OZ733/734 Day x346
Seoul Incheon – Hong Kong 09MAY17 – 14JUN17 OZ721/722 1 daily
Seoul Incheon – Manila eff 10MAY17 OZ703/704 Day x2 from ICN/ Day x3 from MNL (EXCEPT 14AUG17 – 28SEP17; previously scheduled from 15MAY17)
Seoul Incheon – Osaka Kansai eff 15JUN17 OZ112/111, OZ114/113 (EXCEPT 14AUG17 – 28SEP17; previously scheduled from 15MAY17)

Seoul Incheon – San Francisco eff 14AUG17 1 daily
Seoul Incheon – Shanghai Pu Dong eff 14AUG17 OZ361/362
Seoul Incheon – Singapore 28JUL17 – 13AUG17 OZ751/752 Day x24
Jim Liu Data & Analysis Manager - Airlineroute, Routesonline

ATA Airlines leasing another Ukrainian MD-83



ATA Airlines (Iran) (I3, Tabriz) has wet-leased another MD-83 from ACMI/charter operator Bravo Airways (Ukraine) (BAY, Kiev Boryspil) Skyliner Aviation has reported. UR-CQC (msn 53625) was positioned from Kiev Boryspil to Tabriz earlier this week.

ATA Airlines operates eight MD-83s (of which one other is leased from Bravo with three leased from Khors Aircompany (KO, Kiev Boryspil)), three A320-200s, one B737-300s, and two ERJ-145s (undergoing maintenance at Istanbul Atatürk) on scheduled passenger flights to twenty-eight destinations across Iran as well as Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Qatar, and Georgia.
ch aviation

Ethiopian Airlines adding four routes in three days



Ethiopian Airlines is adding four new destinations March 26-28, according to the Addis Ababa-based carrier.

Ethiopian Airlines will launch services from Addis Ababa to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Antananarivo, Madagascar; and Oslo, as well cargo services to Ahmedabad, India.

“Three new [passenger] flights to three new destinations in just three days is one of the greatest expansions in Ethiopian’s long and illustrious history,” Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said in a statement.

In February, Ethiopian Airlines started flights to Conakry, Guinea. By July, the Star Alliance member will start service Chengdu, China; Singapore; and Jakarta, Indonesia. The carrier envisages reaching 120 international destinations worldwide by 2025.

Ethiopian Airlines is the largest cargo operator in Africa. Ahmedabad is the fifth cargo gateway to India, providing the Indian market with minimum weekly import capacity of 240 tons, as of March 28. Ethiopian Airlines serves 36 global freighter destinations with an average daily uplift of 650 tons. It has deployed six Boeing 777-200LRF and two Boeing 757-260F aircraft.

According to the statement, the carrier operates during its summer schedule a total of 28X-weekly flights to four destinations in China; 20X-weekly to the Americas; 72X-weekly to Asia, 65X-weekly to the Middle East; 400X-weekly to 53 cities across Africa; and almost 54X-weekly to Europe.
―Kurt Hofmann hofmann.aviation@netway.at

RwandAir eyes European debut in mid-2Q17



RwandAir (WB, Kigali) is planning to make its European debut during the second quarter of the year. According to availability data from Amadeus, the carrier plans to start a 4x weekly Kigali-London Gatwick, United Kingdom, service on May 26. Service is on-board A330 widebody metal.


RwandAir currently operates one A330-200, one A330-300, two B737-700s, three B737-800s, two CRJ-900s, and two Dash 8-400s on scheduled flights throughout Rwanda, as well as sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. At present, Dubai Int'l and Mumbai Int'l are its only intercontinental services.
ch aviation

Qeshm Air adds maiden A319



Qeshm Airlines (QB, Tehran Mehrabad) has taken delivery of its maiden A319-100 in the form of EP-SAS (msn 2091) Skyliner Aviation has reported.

Formerly UR-COP with Ukraine's Khors Aircompany (KO, Kiev Boryspil), the thirteen year-old airframe was recently tracked in service between Tehran Mehrabad and Mashad.

The Iranian carrier also operates five A300-600(F)Rs, three A320-200s, four ARJ-100s, one ARJ-85, four Fokker 100s, and four Fokker 50s.
ch aviation

BASEL TRIP


Paul Bannwarth