Flyingphotos Magazine News: setembro 2022

quinta-feira, 29 de setembro de 2022

MNG AIRLINES / A330-300F / TC-MCM - 25 YEARS

José Ramon Valero

Breeze Airways unveils first of 80 Airbus A220s on order

Breeze Airways (Breeze) unveiled its first of 80 A220-300 aircraft on order during a preview event at the Airbus A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The aircraft is expected to be delivered to Breeze in the coming weeks.
Breeze’s A220-300 cabin is configured in a comfortable two-class 126 seat premium cabin layout comprising 36 business and 90 economy seats fitted with in-seat power and USB ports for all passengers.
Breeze will offer superior single-aisle comfort on board its brand new A220s, such as the widest seats, the largest windows and more overhead stowage space per passenger.
The A220’s superior efficiency will support the new airline’s business objectives to deliver a great travel experience to its passengers, with low fares and high flexibility. Breeze is expected to provide non-stop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares - offering point-to-point flights from smaller secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.
Breeze started airline operations in May 2021. This first A220 is expected to enter service in Q2 2022.
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation geared turbofan engines. With a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km), the A220 gives airlines added operational flexibility. The A220 delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous generation aircraft - making the A220 a good neighbour around airports.
As of the end of September 2021, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 12 operators worldwide.
Further information on the A220 Family, please click here.

Boeing Delivers on 100th 737-800 BCF Order to AerCap

-AerCap Cargo was the first BCF customer and is the largest lessor of the 737-800BCF

-AerCap Cargo Head: E-Commerce growth fuels increased demand for 737-800BCF

-Boeing has more than 250 orders and commitments from over 20 customers

SEATTLE, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and AerCap (NYSE: AER) today announced the milestone delivery of the 100th contracted 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to the world's largest lessor, AerCap. The 100th 737-800BCF was converted at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services Co. Ltd., (BSAS), home to the first 737-800BCF conversion line.

AerCap Cargo has leased the aircraft to GOL Linhas Aéreas, as part of the growth strategy and logistics solution of GOLLOG, GOL´s logistics business unit. GOL will operate the freighter for a Latin American e-commerce company.

"We are delighted to be a part of this significant milestone with our partners at Boeing," said Rich Greener, Head of AerCap Cargo. "Since launching the 737-800BCF program with Boeing in 2016, the e-commerce market has grown at a phenomenal rate with increased demand from e-commerce retail businesses. Thanks to its versatility and reliability, the 737-800BCF is becoming the workhorse for express air cargo and e-commerce networks."

In 2016, AerCap Cargo was the launch customer for Boeing's 737-800BCF program. Today, AerCap Cargo has the largest fleet of 737-800BCFs with 65 firm orders and nine options.

"We are honored to celebrate this milestone with AerCap Cargo, a customer that has been an integral part of the 737-800BCF program's success since program launch," said Kate Schaefer, vice president of Boeing's Commercial Modifications, Engineering & Specialty Products business. "Across five continents, our customers' 737-800BCF utilization hours are far surpassing those of the previous generation fleet. It's a testament to the important role these freighters play in unlocking market opportunities for our air cargo operators and their customers."

Since program launch, BSAS has added a second conversion line for the 737-800BCF. It is now one of five global sites in three countries with 737-800BCF conversion capacity.

With up to 20% lower fuel use and CO2 emissions per tonne, 737-800BCF operators are carrying more payload with less fuel. The in-service 737-800BCF fleet has already logged more than 70,000 flights, with average utilization of 7 hours per day, more than double the typical utilization of older generation freighters in the same size category.

The 737-800BCF is the market leader with more than 250 orders and commitments from over 20 customers.

About AerCap  AerCap Cargo has more than 25 years' experience in freighter leasing, including Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions, with more than 100 successful conversions. AerCap Cargo's 737-800BCF customers include West Atlantic Group, Amazon Air, GOL and Kargo Xpress.

AerCap is the global leader in aviation leasing with one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 300 customers around the world with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and is based in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Miami, Singapore, Memphis, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle, Toulouse and other locations around the world.

About Boeing  Boeing has more than 40 years of successful experience in passenger-to-freighter conversions, relying on original design data and knowledge, combined with a deep understanding of the needs of the air cargo industry to deliver a superior, integrated product, including fully integrated manuals and world-class in-service technical support. Boeing Converted Freighters also come with the advantage of being associated with the industry's largest portfolio of services, support and solutions. Learn more about the 737-800BCF and the complete Boeing freighter family here.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.

China Airlines Finalizes Landmark Order for Up to 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

-- Selecting the 787 to expand China Airlines' global network and cargo capacity

-- Fleet modernization with 787 cuts fuel use and CO2 emissions by up to 25%

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SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE:BA) and China Airlines announced they have finalized an order for up to 24 787 Dreamliners, as the carrier invests in the fuel-efficient widebody to expand passenger and cargo operations. The deal includes a firm order for 16 of the longest range 787-9 with options for eight additional jets, a landmark purchase that will enable the airline to meet its long-term sustainability goals.

"We are excited to introduce the 787-9 Dreamliner into our operations as we continue to upgrade our fleet with more modern, fuel-efficient airplanes. Adding the state-of-the-art 787 will help us reduce carbon emissions, while also providing our customers with unmatched levels of comfort," said China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Su-Chien. "Our continuous investment in fleet modernization is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts. The 787's best-in-class efficiency and low operating costs will allow us to expand our network for years to come."

The best-selling model of the Dreamliner family, the 787-9 will allow China Airlines to operate with the lowest trip cost among medium-sized widebodies, while reducing fuel use and emissions by up to 25% compared to airplanes it replaces. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family's fuel efficiency, flexibility and range have enabled airlines to open more than 325 new nonstop routes and reduce carbon emissions by 80 billion pounds.

"The 787's superior fuel efficiency and range, combined with China Airlines' existing fleet of 777-300ERs, will enable the carrier to grow efficiently and also expand its global route network," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "This is a milestone order in our continuing partnership with China Airlines, and the market-leading efficiencies of the 787 will play an important role in furthering the airline's sustainability efforts."

Powered by advanced engines and a suite of environmentally progressive technologies, the 787 family has an airport-noise footprint that is 60% smaller than the previous generation of airplanes. In addition, the 787's revolutionary composite structures resist corrosion and are perfect for operating in warm and humid climates served by Taipei-based China Airlines.

China Airlines now has 22 Boeing jets on order, including six 777 Freighters. The airline also currently operates 10 777-300ERs (Extended Range), which will form a highly efficient widebody fleet and complement its new fleet of 787s.

Nigeria's ValueJet secures AOC, preps for launch

ValueJet (FVJ, Lagos) received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on September 21, 2022, and confirmed plans to launch commercial operations "soon".

The start-up has so far taken deliveries of two ex-Air Nostrum CRJ900s and one ex-Lufthansa CityLine CRJ900LR. All three are currently parked at Lagos airport. ValueJet plans to operate as Nigeria's first low-cost carrier, although it has yet to reveal its planned network or bases.

The airline received its Air Transport Licence (ATL) in March 2020, when it was still eyeing A320s for its fleet.
ValueJet did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment regarding its next steps.
Ch Aviation
Photos:Valujet

MSC teams up with Atlas Air

Shipping giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is following in the footsteps of competitors CMA CGM and Maersk by establishing dedicated air cargo-operations. The company has signed an agreement with Atlas Air, which will operate four new B777Fs for MSC. The four B777Fs were already ordered by the US cargo airline and are expected to be delivered from the last quarter of this year and will fly in a MSC-livery.

MSC or Atlas Air haven't communicated where the B777Fs will be operating from and which destinations they will serve. It's also unclear for how long MSC is wet-leasing the aircraft, the press statement just states "long-term".

Today, Atlas Air already operates a single B777F next to 21 B767-300Fs, five B767-300ERs, five B747-400s, 39 B747-400Fs, eight B747-8Fs and eight B737-800BCFs. The majority of the B767s and all of the B737s are operated by them for Amazon Prime Air.

Illustration by MSC.

Sunclass Airlines takes first A330-900

Sunclass Airlines (DK, Copenhagen Kastrup) has taken delivery of its first A330-900, although the aircraft has yet to be inducted into service.

OY-VKO (msn 1981) was registered by the Danish leisure specialist in September and ferried in an all-white livery from Toulouse Blagnac to Shannon on September 16, 2022, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The 1.7-year-old aircraft is on lease from Air Lease Corporation, and has yet to operate a single commercial flight. It was previously assigned to but not taken up by XL Airways France (Paris CDG) and Starlux Airlines (JX, Taipei Taoyuan).

Sunclass Airlines was rebranded from Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia following its acquisition by Norwegian and Swedish investors in 2019. The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows it operates nine A321-200s, one A330-200, and one A330-300 (which has been in maintenance at Abu Dhabi Int'l since mid-August 2022). The carrier previously told ch-aviation that the A330-900 was for fleet growth rather than the replacement of any of the A330ceo. During the summer seasons, it will use all three widebodies on high-density short- and medium-haul European routes, while during the winters, the -200 and the -900 will also be used for long-haul flights to intercontinental destinations. The shorter-range -300 will serve as a backup for long-haul flights and be used on European routes.

Ch Aviation

US designates three Iranian B747s for Russia flights

The United States Department of Commerce has added add three Iranian B747s to its export restrictions list citing their recent flights to Russia.

The US administration alleges that the three aircraft were involved in transporting sanctioned goods, including electronics, to Russia. Operating flights to Russia alone is not grounds for US sanctions.

The trio are:

• B747-200C(M) EP-ICD (msn 24134) operated by IranAir,

• B747-200FSCD EP-FAA (msn 23502) operated by Qeshm Fars Air, and

• B747-400 EP-MEE (msn 24383) operated by Mahan Air.

Each of the aircraft has been tracked flying to/from Moscow Sheremetyevo in September 2022.

IranAir and all of its aircraft, including EP-ICD, have been sanctioned by the US since 2018. Notionally privately-owned Mahan Air has been designated since 2011 for its alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force, but EP-MEE is not specifically designated. Qeshm Fars Air was subsequently designated in 2019 as a subsidiary of Mahan Air. EP-FAA is included on the list of secondary sanctions.

CH Aviation

FedEx pushes Boeing for B787F, NMA-F decision

The executive chairman of FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int'l) has confirmed that the cargo specialist is planning to place new aircraft orders in the next couple of years and is talking to Boeing and Airbus about candidate aircraft types. Also under active consideration is a program to acquire and convert B777-300(ER) into freighters.

Speaking to Leeham News & Analysis, Fred Smith said Boeing had shown him concepts of the B787F and New Midsize Airplane Freighter (NMA-F). Smith is also keen on a freighter variant of the A321-200neo and the A350F, saying it is a plane FedEx would "consider in the future."

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, FedEx has a fleet of 424 aircraft, including 41 that are inactive. The ranks of inactive planes are set to grow as FedEx begins parking more as the demand for air freight begins to slow. FedEx flies aircraft from seven family types, including A300s, MD-10Fs, MD-11Fs, B757Fs, B767Fs, B777S, and a solitary ATR42-300(F).

Of FedEx's sixty-seven A300s, one is an A300-600(F), forty-two are A300-600Fs, and twenty-four are A300-600R(F)s. Additionally, FedEx has fifty-eight MD-11Fs and nine ACVs!DC1030Fs although the MD-10-11s are due to exit the fleet in 2023. There are also 108 B757-200(SF)s, fifty-two B777-200Fs, and 119 B767-300Fs.

Complicating the fleet decision-making process at FedEx is the imminent cessation of B767 and B777 production. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said last year that it would adopt International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards that will see the production of the B767s and B777s end in 2028. Both fleet types at FedEx are relatively young. The average age of the B767F fleet at the airline is 4.4 years while the average age of the B777Fs is 7.8 years.

In the absence of any policy change or extension at the FAA, that sees the yet-to-enter-production B787F and NMA-F shape up as successor aircraft to the B767F and B777F. Smith notes that the dual aisle design in the NMA-F would take the same sized container as the B767F.

Acknowledging the pluses of the A350F, including its fuel efficiencies, Smith seems to have a lean towards Boeing because of the operational and flying commonalities with the existing planes. But with the B787F or NMA-F still years off flying, converting B767-300(ER)s into freighters is a stopgap solution FedEx is considering. But Smith says there is a shortage of the planes available for conversion and their high fuel burn and high emissions count against them.

The executive chairman's optimum outcome is a waiver from the FAA to allow B767 production to continue beyond 2028, even if only for US customer airlines. Alternatively, Boeing could make a decision about the B787F and NMA-Fs and begin moving at least one type towards production.

CH Aviation

Georgia's CAMEX Airlines begins commercial flight ops

CAMEX Airlines (Z7, Tbilisi) began commercial flight operations on September 15, 2022, a month later than originally planned.

The carrier's only aircraft, B737-800(BCF) 4L-CMX (msn 33549), operated the first flight - from Tbilisi to Chisinau and return. It has not, however, been active since the September 15 flight, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

The Georgian start-up, backed by US-based Gazelle Fund LP, initially targeted mid-August 2022 for the launch. CAMEX Airlines planned to operate four freighters by the end of 2022 but has so far not inducted any aircraft beyond the first B737.

Star Air expands fleet with ERJ175

Indian regional carrier Star Air has announced it has signed a lease-agreement with lessor Nordic Aviation Capital to lease two Embraer ERJ175s. Both aircraft are expected to be delivered in November of this year.

The duo is an increase of capacity for the airline, which currently operates five ERJ145s on domestic routes out of its base at Bangalore. Next to the ERJ145s, the company also operates a fleet of Airbus-helicopters.

Illustration by Star Air.

quarta-feira, 28 de setembro de 2022

JET AIRWAYS / A320NEO / OE-IBQ - First plane for Jet Airways India re-start!

Bjorn van der Velpen

Garuda Indonesia / B737-86N / PK-GFJ -

It appears that not just two, but three aircraft have been painted in the colors of Livin' by Mandiri mobile banking app. Here is "Indonesia 212" arriving into Yogyakarta in its first service since being painted.

Benedictus Nathaniel