SPECIAL SCHEME - German Airways (Adler c_s) EMB190 / D-AJHW

Ton Jochems - AMS
 

FLEET - JetBlue to give older A320s second life

JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) has committed to purchasing twelve A320-200s, which were set to be returned to lessors, and return them to service in order to cope with near-term growth constraints stemming from the Pratt & Whitney engine recalls.

US journalist Seth Miller reported that N503JB (msn 1123) is set to be one of the airframes that will return to JetBlue’s fleet, following a retrofit into a new 162-seat configuration and updated inflight entertainment as with the rest of the hybrid carrier's fleet. The plane was ferried to Marana on August 2023, FlightRadar24 ADS-B data shows, and has not operated since.

ch-aviation’s research has revealed that two other stored JetBlue A320s, N509JB (msn 1270) and N510JB (msn 1280), were recently moved from Marana to México City International, where they may be undergoing maintenance with Mexicana MRO Services.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows eleven A320-200s in JetBlue’s fleet still with the older 150-seat configuration (108 in economy and 42 in economy plus) namely: N503JB, N504JB (msn 1156), N505JB (msn 1173), N506JB (msn 1235), N516JB (msn 1302), N517JB (msn 1327), N519JB (msn 1398), N520JB (msn 1446), N521JB (msn 1452), N523JB (msn 1506), and N524JB (msn 1528).

JetBlue was not immediately available for comment.

It recently confirmed it is working towards reaching a compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney but did not disclose the amount. The carrier expects an average of 11 aircraft (between A321-200NX and A220-300s) to be out of service for the remainder of the year due to the GTF issue. The groundings will peak “in the low teens” in the late second to early third quarter.

The US carrier has further optionality and could extend the life of approximately thirty A320s in total, representing about 10% of its fleet, Ursula Hurley, chief financial officer, said.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows JetBlue’s fleet comprises 304 aircraft, including twenty-nine A220-300s, 130 A320-200s, sixty-three A321-200s, twenty-three A321-200NX, eleven A321-200NX(LR)s, and forty-eight E190s.

CH Aviation

Photos:Duncan Stewart

 

FLEET - Korean Air to take first B787-10 in mid-2Q24, sells B747-8s

Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) will take delivery of the first of ten B787-10s supplied by Air Lease Corporation (ALC) later this month. The lessor's CEO, John L Plueger, confirmed the upcoming deliveries in a May 8 earnings call.

Korean Air has 20 of the type on order among a larger portfolio of seven B787-9s, twenty-two B737-8s, thirty-nine A321-200Ns, one A321-200NX, twenty-seven A350-1000s, and six A350-900s. The Korean Air deliveries are part of a broader portfolio of aircraft that ALC expects to deliver to customers around Asia this year and next. The lessor says the region remains a global hotspot for aircraft demand amid double-digit passenger growth in many markets there.

Meanwhile, Korean Air has sold five B747-8s to US aerospace firm Sierra Nevada Corporation. The airline disclosed the KRW918.3 billion won (USD672 million) transaction in a May 8 regulatory filing. The airline said the sale was part of its mid- to long-term fleet renewal and disposal plan. The sale is scheduled to be completed in September 2025. The filing did not disclose the specific aircraft sold. However, Reuters cited a source familiar with the matter saying they were B747-8s. Korean Air operates nine of the type, with two currently inactive.

Sierra Nevada recently secured a USD13 billion United States Air Force contract for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) programme to develop a successor to the E-4B. The new aircraft is expected to start flying in 2036.

Riyadh Air places narrowbody orders, eyes more widebodies

Riyadh Air (RXI, Riyadh) has placed an order for an undisclosed number of narrowbody aircraft and secured delivery slots, but will only reveal its details over the coming months, chief executive Tony Douglas said during the Arabian Travel Market.

"We have a narrowbody position secured and we're already moving on to our next order after that. Order number three will be widebodies because of the scale of the network I need to operate," he said.

The nascent Saudi carrier expects to place its second widebody order by 2025.

Also speaking at the ATM, CCO Vincent Coste said Riyadh Air plans to begin ticket sales in January 2025 and launch in June. The airline aims to have ten "mostly international" destinations in its network by the end of 2025 and add around two new ones per month through the end of the decade.

Riyadh Air ordered its first batch of thirty-nine B787-9s in 2023 and has options for a further 33. It plans to operate a simple fleet comprising just two types so as to keep its overheads low.

Douglas said Riyadh Air has demanded "as much focus and special assurance as they can give to anyone" from Airbus and Boeing regarding delivery dates given it has no backup plans. As a start-up with ambitious plans to operate 200 aircraft within the first five years and serving more than 100 cities, it has to induct new aircraft at a high rate from the get-go. It has no option to extend any leases, given it does not have any aircraft while curtailing its planned network would be detrimental to its plans for a Riyadh hub.

Riyadh Air is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

 

AIRPORT - EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg - 04/202

Paul Bannwarth
 

FLEET - Copa Airlines pushes MAX 8 EIS to mid-3Q24

Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen International) has delayed its inaugural B737-8 flight by six weeks, to August 15, 2024, ch-aviation research has revealed.

The ch-aviation schedules module shows the Panamanian carrier plans to deploy the type on eight routes from Panamá City Tocumen International namely:

Asuncion (5x weekly starting August 15);

Lima International (8x weekly starting August 15);

San José Juan Santamaría (3x weekly starting August 15);

Bogotá (1x weekly starting August 16);

Guatemala City (2x weekly starting August 16);

Havana International (4x weekly starting August 16);

San Pedro Sula (1x weekly starting August 17); and

Rosario Islas Malvinas (3x weekly starting August 18).

ch-aviation has asked Copa Airlines for comment.

At the end of 2023, the Panamanian carrier expected to add three B737-9s and twelve B737-8s in 2024 but to date has not taken on a single plane, stating that Boeing's delivery delays were "partly due to increased regulatory scrutiny and quality lapses at key suppliers.”

In the fourth quarter of 2023's financial results, parent entity Copa Holdings’s chief executive, Pedro Heilbron, said the B737 MAX delivery delays would reduce the company’s estimated capacity growth for the coming year to approximately 10% from the original expectation of between 12% to 14%.

Overall, Copa has firm orders for 57 MAX to be delivered between 2024 and 2028. These new airframes will allow the company to transition to a new-gen fleet by retiring its B737-700s in 2028 and reducing its B737-800s from 68 in 2024 to 43 in 2030. In the meantime, the MAX will increase from 38 projected in 2024 to a maximum of 86 in 2029.

Copa Holdings closed 2024 with a fleet of 106 aircraft, operated by Copa Airlines and sisters Wingo (Colombia) and Wingo (Panama).

CH Aviation

Photo: Duncan Stewart

SPECIAL SCHEME - BRUSSELS AIRLINES / A320-200 / OO-TCV - "Yes To Europe"

Rui Silva - LPTT
 

ROUTES / FLEET - Korean Air to launch direct flights to Lisbon, Portugal, sells five Boeing 747-8 jets

Korean Air will launch scheduled charter flights to Lisbon, Portugal, from September 11 to October 25, 2024.
The airline will operate three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Lisbon on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. These flights will make a total of 20 round trips during the two months, serviced by the airline’s Boeing 787-9 fleet.

The scheduled charter flights are the only nonstop flights between Northeast Asia and Lisbon. Previously, travelers had to transfer in neighboring countries such as France and Spain, or switch to land transport upon arrival in Europe. The new direct flights will streamline the journey, making trips to Lisbon and its adjacent cities more accessible.

The company has also sold five Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental jets.
On the financial side, the airline reported the following:
Korean Air reported a first quarter revenue of KRW 3.8225 trillion (USD $2.8382 billion), an increase of 20% year-on-year, driven by the strong recovery in passenger traffic and robust cargo demand. Operating profit increased 5% year-on-year to KRW 436.1 billion (USD $323.8 million) despite higher fuel costs, airport and facility charges and labor-related costs.
Passenger business revenue increased 32% year-on-year to KRW 2.3421 trillion in the first quarter. The airline’s network capacity has almost recovered to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with the exception of China. Profitability improved through timely capacity expansion on Southeast Asia and Japan routes, catering to the strong tourism demand.
Cargo business revenue in the first quarter declined slightly year-on-year to KRW 996.6 billion as the global air cargo market continues to stabilize.
In Q2 2024, the airline’s passenger business will prioritize route profitability amidst the expansion of global capacity and intensified competition. The cargo business will capitalize on the growing e-commerce demand from China by strengthening client partnerships and allocating capacity on key routes.

CH Aviation

Photos: KPB

Frontier registers name Frontera, maps fleet growth

Frontier Airlines (F9, Denver International) has asked the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to register the new trade name Frontera for use in certain of its air transportation operations. The DOT confirmed the brand name raised no similarity or other issues requiring resolution under Part 215 and approved it for use in Frontier’s operations starting May 6.

ch-aviation reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment on the plans it has with the alternative trade name.

Separately, Frontier took delivery of six A321-200NX aircraft during the first quarter of 2024, the company revealed. For the remainder of the year, it expects to add seventeen further airframes, all of which are expected to be financed through sale-and-leaseback transactions. It also has two engine purchase orders for this year.

So far in the second quarter, it has added three more A321-200NX, the ch-aviation fleets module shows. The carrier’s fleet now comprises 145 aircraft, including eight A320-200s, eighty-two A320-200Ns, twenty-one A321-200s, and thirty-four A321-200NX.

Frontier Airlines has commitments to purchase an aggregate of 67 A320neo and 137 A321neo airframes, with deliveries expected until 2030, namely:

2025: 42 aircraft (seventeen A320neo, twenty-five A321neo);

2026: 41 aircraft (nineteen A320neo, twenty-two A321neo);

2027: 42 aircraft (twenty-one A320neo, twenty-one A321neo);

2028: 40 aircraft (ten A320neo, thirty A321neo); and

2029 and beyond: 22 aircraft (all A321neo).

Furthermore, the company still has the option to convert eighteen A320neo to the A321-200NY(XLR). This option, available since the US private equity firm Indigo Partners placed an order with Airbus for 255 additional aircraft in 2021, has not been exercised.

CH Aviation

Photos: Duncan Stewart
 

Hawaiian to join Oneworld after merger with Alaska - CEO

Hawaiian Airlines (HA, Honolulu) plans to join Oneworld in time, pending United States Department of Justice approval of its USD1.9 billion merger with Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International), a member of that alliance, said CEO Peter Ingram.

Hawaiian does not belong to any major airline alliance but has individual commercial partnership agreements with several airlines. At Oneworld, it would join the ranks of American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, and JAL - Japan Airlines.

In an interview with Forbes, Ingram expressed confidence that the merger will get regulatory approval. The DOJ has until August 5 to make a decision. He confirmed the merged company would continue to operate both airlines under their own brands while combining their operating platforms.

"We feel very good about the combination because it is pro-consumer and pro-competition. There are not a lot of overlapping routes between Alaska and Hawaiian, but where there are, there are other carriers also flying the same city pairs," he said.

"Both Alaska and Hawaiian have fiercely loyal followings in their home markets. This was evident in Hawaii when the merger was announced, with many locals worried about their home-grown airline losing its uniquely Hawaiian touch. While the airline won't be locally owned anymore, both brands will operate separately, meaning the Hawaiian touches will stay the same. Both Hawaiian and Alaska are almost a century old, and each brand is very important to the community in its home markets."

The planned merger could eventually see the B737 MAX replace Hawaiian's B717-200 fleet on inter-island routes. The airline has nineteen B717s, on average aged 22.3 years, ch-aviation fleets data reveals. The rest of the fleet comprises two B787-9s with ten more due for delivery, eighteen A321-200Ns, twenty-four A330-200s, and three A330-300(P2F)s, plus seven A330-300s to be delivered post P2F conversion.
According to Ingram, a third B787-9 is scheduled to join the fleet by the end of the year. "The Dreamliner will serve as a combination of fleet replacement for some of the A330s as well as potential growth for new routes or to add capacity on existing ones," he explained.
"Since it is a premium-heavy aircraft, it fits perfectly in markets like Honolulu to New York JFK, Tokyo Narita, and Sydney Kingsford Smith that combine the demand for a flat-bed product with the longer range for which the aircraft is designed. The 787 has 300 total seats versus 278 on the A330. There are 34 premium seats, which is almost double what is on the Airbus plane. As a newer generation aircraft, it has greater fuel efficiency, too," he opined.
The airline's two B787-9s currently serve the US West Coast, including San Francisco, with Phoenix Sky Harbor and Los Angeles International following this month. "This allows for more flexibility in the schedule so that the aircraft can undergo maintenance in between these shorter flights. It also allows more opportunities for pilots to become certified and get hours operating the aircraft. Both of those functions become more difficult when the planes are flying longer-haul routes with less downtime between sectors," he explained.
Ingram said narrow operating margins were one of the leisure-focused carrier's biggest challenges. "As a smaller airline, we have to be creative and scrappy to stay competitive," he said. "This challenge is what keeps me up at night, but also what gets me up in the morning."

Photos:Duncan Stewart

 

SPECIAL SCHEME - TUI fly Deutschland celebrates heritage

TUIfly Deutschland is celebrating its heritage by introducing a special liveried aircraft. Boeing B737-8 D-AMAH (44629) was unveiled on 7 May 2024 after being repainted at Norwich.

The MAX is featuring three liveries, starting with the current TUI blue, then the yellow HLX and ending with the Hapag-Lloyd one, the airline where it all began with in 1972.

TUIfly Deutschland isn't a stranger to special liveries. Next to this new one, it also has four other special liveries in the fleet.

Photo by TUIfly Deutschland.

Air Vanuatu halts operations

 

Financial difficulties have forced Air Vanuatu to halt all operations, replace its board, and appoint an administrator to see if the airline can resume operations again. According to a statement issued on 10 May 2024, the appointment of the administrator came after "a challenging period for the global aviation industry, including labour shortages, inflation affecting input costs, and a global increasing cost of credit enviroment".

Furthermore, the administrator has said it will conduct a fleet and maintenance check to see if the airline can resume operations soon.

Air Vanuatu, which was founded in 1981, has a fleet of one ATR72-600, one Boeing B737-800, and two DHC-6s. Both the ATR and B737 have been parked for maintenance, which has prompted the airline to utilize wet-lease capacity for its flights.

Images: Air Vanuatu

AIRPORT - Madrid Barajas - 05/ 2024

José Ramon Valero
 

AIRPORT - Lisboa-Humberto Delgado-Portugal - 05/2024

Rui Silva
 

AIRPORT - EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg,

Paul Bannwarth
 

FLEET - Scoot’s first E190-E2 commences revenue flights

 

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), commenced revenue flights with its new Embraer E190-E2 fleet earlier today. The first aircraft, named Explorer 3.0, departed Singapore’s Changi Airport, bound for Krabi, Thailand.

“We would like to congratulate Scoot on this momentous occasion,” said Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We are proud to see the modern and fuel-efficient E2 aircraft grace the skies over Singapore and Southeast Asia and would like to thank all the involved stakeholders who worked tirelessly to make this possible.”

Mr. Holmes represented Embraer at Scoot’s E190-E2 launch event which was held at Changi Airport prior to the departure of the first revenue flight.

The operation of Explorer 3.0 will see an increase in the frequency of Scoot’s flights to Krabi and Hat Yai from 7-times weekly to 10-times weekly for both destinations.

Scoot’s second E190-E2 arrived in Singapore on 29 April and will commence revenue flights soon.

EMBRAER