Flyingphotos Magazine News: fevereiro 2023

terça-feira, 28 de fevereiro de 2023

NEW AIRCRAFT - Iraqi Airways takes delivery of first B737 MAX 8

Iraqi Airways (IA, Baghdad) took delivery of the first of six B737-8s on February 26, 2023, and expects a further five by the end of April 2023.

YI-ASL (msn 65405) was ferried from Seattle Boeing Field via Reykjavik Keflavik and onwards directly to Baghdad over the course of February 24-26, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. As previously announced, the airline plans to take another B737-8 by the end of February, two more in March, and a further two in April.

The state-owned carrier's fleet renewal programme is now in full swing with a fifth and final A220-300 due in March 2023, followed by the first two of its ten B787s later this year. The carrier's Boeing (BOE, Washington National) widebody order book comprises nine B787-8s and a single B787-9, all of which will be delivered by the end of 2026. Iraqi Airways has also decided to add B737-10s with 10 due between 2024 and 2027.

Speaking during the MAX welcoming ceremony, Chief Executive Karim Kazem Hussein stressed that the airline is fully committed to gaining authorisation to fly to the European Union as soon as possible. The airline was added to the European Commission Air Safety List in 2015 over safety supervision lapses. As such, it is barred from operating its own aircraft both to the bloc as well as through its airspace.

CH Aviation / Photo: Brian Worthington

AIRPORT - EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freibur - 02/2023

Paul Bannwarth

NEW AIRCRAFT - EGYPTAIR takes delivery of Africa’s first Airbus A321neo

Hamburg – EGYPTAIR took delivery of its first A321neo from Airbus’ Delivery Centre in Hamburg, making the airline the first African operator of the aircraft.

EGYPTAIR has specified a high comfort, two-class configuration with 16 Business class seats and 166 Economy class seats, and will increase the airline’s single aisle capacity to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The aircraft is on lease from AerCap and is powered by CFM engines.

The A321neo is the largest-fuselage member of Airbus’ best-selling single-aisle A320 Family and brings a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions per seat compared with previous generation competing aircraft. This enables EGYPTAIR to benefit from enhanced efficiency and be able to deliver on its commitment to sustainability, whilst reducing operating costs.

This modern aircraft joins EGYPTAIR’s Airbus fleet of 12 A220s, 8 A320neos, 2 A320ceos 4 A330-200, 4 A330-300. With the addition of the A321neo, EGYPTAIR is demonstrating continuous ambitions to expand its Airbus fleet to meet current and future demand.

Across all its aircraft families, Airbus’ unique approach ensures that aircraft share the highest commonality in airframes, on-board systems, cockpits and handling characteristics. This significantly reduces operating costs and maximises the airline's profitability.

The delivery flight from Hamburg to Cairo was powered by 34 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend. SAF is a sustainably-produced aviation fuel made from feedstocks ranging from used fat, oil and grease to municipal and forestry waste. Compared to fossil jet fuel, SAF has been demonstrated to result in an up to 80 percent reduction in CO2 emissions across the entire SAF lifecycle. Therefore, it is considered as a key enabler to contribute to the decarbonisation of aviation.

Currently, all Airbus commercial aircraft are capable of flying with an up to 50 percent SAF blend mixed with kerosene and are targeted to be capable for 100 percent SAF use in flight by the end of this decade. Since March 2021, Airbus has successfully accomplished 100 percent SAF test flights on A319neo, A350 and A380 aircraft.

Airbus

NEW AIRLINE - AviaRoma (Italy) owner Robert Flavio Paltrinieri plans to launch a new airline in summer 2023, flying throughout the Mediterranean from Rome before going long-haul. He is leaning towards Airbus jets.

AviaROMA is a proposed Italian carrier planning to launch operations in early 2023. The carrier intends to initially operate domestic services with a fleet of Embraer E190 and E195 aircraft, with plans to expand with short haul routes and long haul international services by 2025.

Photo: AviaRoma

Turkish Airlines took delivery of one A350-900, serial 596.

Alain Charpentier - TLS

ROUTES - Badr Airlines launches flights from Khartoum to London Gatwick via Istanbul/Cairo on 24 February 2023, with aircraft operated by AirExplore (Slovakia).

Aviator daily news
Photos: Badr Airlines

NEW AIRCRAFT - Aerolineas Argentinas is in early stages of acquiring four A330-900s while retiring two existing A330s in 2025-26, leaving a total A330 fleet of 12

The carrier is also seeking to renew its E190 fleet with the E195-E2. In 2023, three more B787-8s will arrive along with two leased B737-800Fs. Lastly, the carrier is comparing the B737-9 vs the A321neo.

Aviator daily news

NEW AIRCRAFT - Djibouti's Daallo Airlines seeks B737-800, Dash 8-300

Daallo Airlines (United Arab Emirates) (D3, Dubai International) has appointed global aviation services group ACC Aviation to source and deliver B737-800 and DHC-8-300s to expand the airline’s existing route network.

“We look forward to working with Daallo Airlines, and in the coming days, we will be reaching out to our industry network to help Daallo Airlines get the required aircraft for their expanding fleet,” commented Tristan Brouard, Senior Manager, Asset Management, ACC Aviation, in a statement.

ACC Aviation will support Daallo Airlines with a desktop technical assessment of the aircraft and guide the airline throughout the commercial stage of the aircraft acquisition process.

Daallo Airlines is a Somali-owned charter airline based at Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ) Al Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With its main hub at Djibouti, the airline functions as the national carrier for Djibouti and serves the East African region with flights to the Middle East. Daallo Airlines is owned by the African Airways Alliance, created on February 19, 2015, when Daallo Airlines merged with Nairobi-based Jubba Airways (Kenya) (JBW, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta).

Daallo Airlines started operations in 1991 using a single wet-leased Cessna (single turboprop) Caravan operating from Djibouti to Hargeisa in Somalia after the demise of Somali Airlines (1964) (Mogadishu) in the wake of the civil war in that country. As of February 2021, the Daallo Airlines fleet comprises one 25-year-old B737-300, 5Y-KQB (msn 28747), operated by Nairobi-based ACMI/charter specialist Fanjet Express (FJE, Nairobi Wilson) on behalf of Daallo Airlines between Jeddah, Mogadishu, and Hargeisa. The company offers Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage charters.

CH Aviation

segunda-feira, 27 de fevereiro de 2023

AIRPORT - Abuja Int'l Airport - DNAA, Nigeria - 02/2023

United Nigeria Airlines-5N-BWW-Embraer ERJ-145LR

Air Peace (SmartLynx Malta)-9H-SLE-A320-214

Air Peace-YL-LDU-A320-214

Aero Contractors-5N-BLE-Boeing 737-522

Green Africa AIrways-5N-GAD-ATR 72-600

ValueJet-5N-BXR-Bombardier CRJ-900LR

Photos: Sander in West-Africa

NEW LIVERY - HK Express introduces a new livery with the first Airbus A321neo

HK Express introduces a new livery with the first Airbus A321neo

HK Express (Hong Kong Express) will soon take delivery of a new Airbus A321neo (B-KKA).

The new addition is painted in the new purple and while livery featuring a new “e” logo.

The new brand was formally announced previously on January 11, 2023.

The new aircraft livery, which will be gradually rolled out across the airline’s fleet, will debut with the delivery of HK Express’ first Airbus A321neo aircraft in the first half of 2023.

HK Express

NEW LIVERY - Air Malta modifies its livery

Air Malta is dropping its prominent “Malta” fuselage titles and replacing it with smaller and more traditional “Air Malta” titles as seen on its latest Airbus A320neo due for delivery.

NEW AIRCRAFT - Edelweiss Air eyes A320neos and A350s

In an interview with German aviation news site AeroTelegraph, the CEO of Edelweiss Air has outlined a few things regarding the airline's future fleet needs.

With mother Swiss selecting the Airbus A350, Edelweiss also eyes the same type to secure the synergies between the two airlines. Although its A340s could continue to fly until 2031, Edelweiss is looking to replace them in 2026 and 2027 with the A350. Today, the airline is flying with four A340-300s with one more to join in the coming months.

For its narrowbody fleet, Edelweiss is looking into bringing in the A320neo, with a possible introduction of 2025. Currently, its operating fourteen A320s. Some of them are relatively young but five of these are more than 20 years old.
Scramble

Photo: Edelweiss

NEW AIRCRAFT - Mongolia's MIAT to take first B787-9 in 2Q23

MIAT - Mongolian Airlines (OM, Ulaanbaatar) has confirmed that it expects to take its first of a now two-strong order of B787-9s in the second quarter of 2023.
The state-owned carrier secured the first B787-9 on lease from Air Lease Corporation in 2019, with the delivery initially expected in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic and the manufacturer's delays disrupted this plan, although MIAT has not, until now, confirmed the new delivery date. JU-1789 (msn 66877) has already been repainted in the airline's livery and was ferried from Charleston, SC to San Antonio Lackland for pre-delivery maintenance on January 23, 2023, still operating under the US manufacturer registration.
According to a US regulatory filing, MIAT said that adding the two B787-9s would allow it to launch services to Shanghai Pudong, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore Changi, and San Francisco, CA. The airline's first US route is subject to regulatory approval and the certification of Mongolia as an FAA Category 1 country. MIAT filed for an exemption to operate to the US on February 16, 2023, updating its previous pre-COVID filing from 2019.
As soon as it receives the exemption, the airline plans to start serving the US via codeshare flights from Seoul Incheon, Istanbul Airport, Japan, and Hong Kong International. MIAT hopes to extend its network this way to Seattle Tacoma International, Denver International, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles International, New York, Washington Dulles, and San Francisco. The airline has existing codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines, Korean Air, JAL - Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.
The carrier did not give a new estimate as to when it would be able to launch direct flights to the US, although it said earlier that it would not happen before 2024 at the earliest.
The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that MIAT's current fleet comprises one B737-8, three B737-800s, one B767-300(ER), and one B757-200(PCF).

CH Aviation

Air Senegal cancels A220-leases

According to Italian aviation news site ItaliaVola, Air Senegal has decided to cancel its lease-agreement with Macquarie AirFinance for five Airbus A220-300s. The reason for the cancellation is the continuous grounding of its single A220 and the late delivery of two new A220-300s, which were scheduled to occur in December last year. The late delivery and grounding of its single aircraft of the type is due to issues with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100 Geard Turbo Fan-engines.

Although issues with the engines have been resolved according to Pratt & Whitney, supply chain restraints prevent a quick upgrade to already produced engines. Air Senegal is not the only customer impacted by these engine issues. KLM cityhopper, for instance, has seven of its fifteen Embraer E195-E2s grounded, which use the same type of engines as the Airbus.

Air Senegal took delivery of its first, and now most likely, A220-300 on 27 December 2021. Now, the aircraft, registered 6V-AOA (55089), has been parked at the airline's base at Dakar since 19 November of last year.

The airline is now considering its options and is actively considering the Embraer E195-E2, although is wary of this option due to the similar engines, as well as that it has less range than the A220-300.

Air Senegal has a fleet, next to its single A220, consisting of two ATR72-600s, two A319s, two A321s (both parked), and two A330-900s.

Photo by Air Senegal.

NEW AIRCRAFT - Air Tanzania now expects first B767 freighter by late 1Q23

Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam) expects delivery of its first dedicated freighter by the end of March as well as four more passenger aircraft before the end of the year, says Managing Director Ladislaus Matindi.

He told a media briefing in Dar es Salaam on February 20 that Air Tanzania (known as ATCL) expects delivery of one B767-300F by March 31, as well as one DHC-8-Q400, two B737-9 MAX, and one more B787-8 by the end of the year, which would vastly improve the airline's capacity as several of its aircraft are currently grounded for various reasons.

Matindi did not respond to a request for more information from ch-aviation. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, the B767-300F freighter was ordered by TGF - Tanzania Government Flight (Dar es Salaam) – the state-owned aircraft lessor – on July 29, 2021. All of ATCL's aircraft are owned by and leased from TGF.

The Tanzanian flag carrier currently has 12 passenger aircraft, including four A220-300s, two B787-8s, one DHC-8-Q300, and five DHC-8-Q400s. Matindi confirmed that only eight aircraft in the fleet are currently functional. The ch-aviation fleets advanced module confirms that three A220-300s and the Dash 8-300 are out of service.

Matindi explained that two A220-300s are grounded due to technical problems with the Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 engines, but he is hopeful they could be back in service in March. The airline needs four spare engines for the two aircraft whose power plants were sent to Frankfurt, Germany for maintenance. "We expect to receive more spare engines from March," Matindi told The Citizen newspaper.

He said that one A220-300 was in service after the engine manufacturer provided replacement power plants in December.

Matindi declined to disclose how much the carrier has lost due to the faulty engines but said ATCL was still negotiating compensation from the manufacturer. "The compensation being issued is small compared to the loss we have incurred after grounding our aircraft," he said.

Meanwhile, a third A220-300 remains attached in The Netherlands over a land rights dispute between Tanzania and two Swedish investors. As reported, EcoDevelopment in Europe AB and EcoEnergy Africa AB were awarded USD165 million in damages after Tanzania unilaterally revoked a land rights claim. The companies persuaded a Dutch court to uphold the attachment of 5H-TCH (msn 55047) owned by TGF. According to The Citizen, the matter is pending before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Tanzania argued the attachment was unlawful because it was obtained a day after the state petitioned the ICSID to annul EcoDevelopment's award.

Matindo said SATCL would consider wet-leasing aircraft to bridge the gap before the A220-300s are returned to service. "We are currently monitoring demand. We may consider leasing aircraft if demand exceeds the airline's capacity."

Meanwhile, he said, ATCL plans to increase its frequencies to Guangzhou, China, to twice weekly from March 2. The carrier also serves Mumbai International in India once weekly with the two B787-8s. In total, it serves 24 destinations, including 14 domestic routes.