Boeing, Hainan Airlines Celebrate Delivery of Airlines' First 787-9 Dreamliner

Carrier to become the first in China to operate 787-8 and 787-9 variants

EVERETT, Wash., June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Hainan Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the carrier's first 787-9 Dreamliner. Hainan becomes China's first operator of both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants of the Dreamliner family.Hainan Airlines, the largest privately owned airline in China, leased the airplane through an agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The delivery is also the first 787-9 Dreamliner to ALC, which has 15 additional 787-9s on order.

"The 787-9 Dreamliner will be a great addition to our long-haul fleet," said Mou Weigang, Vice Chairman, Hainan Airlines. "The 787-9's super efficiency, capability and in-flight experience will accelerate our market position internationally."

As the largest 787 operator in China, Hainan Airlines already has 10 787-8s in service and plans to deploy its first 787-9 Dreamliner on a new route from Beijing to Las Vegas beginning in September.

"We are honored to celebrate this milestone delivery with both ALC and Hainan Airlines," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing Commercial Airplanes senior vice president of Northeast Asia Sales. "The 787-9 will complement Hainan Airlines' existing 787-8 fleet, enabling the airline to open up new nonstop services for continuous global expansion."

The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8, the 787-9 will fly over 40 more passengers an additional 280 nautical miles (520 kilometers) with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than the airplanes it replaces.

The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as large windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

Hainan Airlines, headquartered in Haikou, is one of only seven airlines, and the first in China, to be rated as a five-star airline by Skytrax, which surveys international travelers to rate and review airlines and airports. Boeing airplanes make up more than 85 percent of Hainan's current fleet, which serves 500 domestic and international routes.

NEW YORK (JFK) TRIP I

Marcelo de Biasi Leão Monteiro

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES - A350-900 F-WZGM msn 040 - LFBO - TLS

To be ET-ATQ

Alain Charpentier - TLS

AIR EUROPA - ERJ 195 - EC-LKX - "SALVADOR"

José Ramon Valero - PMA

IBERIA REGIONAL - CRJ-200 - EC-HHI

José Ramon Valero - MAD

WAMOS AIR - A330-200 - EC-MJS

José Ramon Valero - MAD

IBERIA REGIONAL - CRJ-200 - EC-MJE

José Ramon Valero - MAD

AIR EUROPA - B737-800W - EC-LPQ

José Ramon Valero -MAD

JET2 - B737-800W - EC-LTM

José Ramon Valero - PMA

EMIRATES AIRLINES - B777-300ER - A6-EPL

Pedro Filipe - Lisboa

TUI ( BLUE AIR ) - B737-800W - YR-BMC

Pedro Filipe - Lisboa

Kashan, Iran reopens to all traffic

Kashan Airport, located in central Iran, has reopened to all traffic following a twenty-year closure. Aviation Iran reports the country's government invested IRR100 billion (USD3.3 million) into the airfield's refurbishment and upgrading.
ATA Airlines (Iran) (I3, Tabriz) recently inaugurated flights to Kashan with Taftan Air Lines (SBT, Tehran Mehrabad) and Caspian Airlines (IV, Tehran Mehrabad) to follow.

ch aviation

German football team on the way to the European Championship in France with Fanhansa

Lufthansa special flight LH342 took off from Frankfurt at 14:02 local time

The German national team departed from Frankfurt Airport today with Lufthansa special flight LH342 for the European Championship in France. At exactly 14:02 local time, the “Fanhansa” aircraft, with Captain Ulrich Pade and First Officer Rafael Gabel in the cockpit, took off from runway 18 West after having left parking position at 13:49 local time. On board were the national team, coaches and team staff as well as other DFB (German Football Association) representatives. The flight from Frankfurt (FRA) to Chambery Savoie Airport (CMF) near the team accommodation takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.

"We are proud that we, as the ‘Official Carrier’ of the DFB, may again fly the national team to another major tournament. Many Lufthansa employees are already in football fever and are keeping their fingers crossed for the German team," said Klaus Froese, CEO Lufthansa German Airlines Frankfurt Hub, at the send-off in the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.

Last week, the Boeing 737-300 aircraft type with the registration D-ABEK received special livery from Lufthansa Technik for the occasion. In addition to the well-known “Fanhansa” logo from the 2014 World Cup, the names of fans now decorate the aircraft’s fuselage. Among more than 65,000 online applications, around 300 winners were drawn to symbolically accompany the national team on their flight to the European Championship.

"After the very emotional return from Rio with the Fanhansa Siegerflieger, we are delighted that Lufthansa has again made a special plane available to us. The support of the fans is hugely important for the team. Therefore, it is a wonderful signal that so many people have applied to co-design this fan plane" said Oliver Bierhoff, manager of the national team.

In regular service, the aircraft has 140 seats in Business and Economy Class. For the special flight, the entire cabin is set-up in business-class standard. The catering on board has been tailored to the needs of athletes: Sandwiches with beef pastrami or vegetarian ones with cream cheese, a colourful fruit plate and the entire range of nonalcoholic beverages available on Lufthansa flights.

For the first time in 2014, on the occasion of the World Cup in Brazil, Lufthansa traded its name for "Fanhansa" on the fuselage of part of the fleet and for a limited time. The climax of the campaign was the “Fanhansa Siegerflieger” which flew the newly crowned world champions from Rio de Janeiro to Berlin. The Boeing 747-8 still delights on its flights around the world and will continue to fly until the World Cup in 2018.

Lufthansa is engaged as the "Airline for sport" for many popular sports. In addition to the long-standing cooperation with the German Football Association (since 2005), Lufthansa also works with FC Bayern München (since 2004) and Eintracht Frankfurt (since 2008) football clubs. In addition, the airline is a national sponsor for the German Sports Aid and is a longstanding partner of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

Deutsche Lufthansa AG



Media Relations Lufthansa Group

SriLankan expands route map with Qatar Airways

Passengers offered connections to multiple global destinations via Doha


SriLankan Airlines has expanded its codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways, offering passengers a series of new one-stop connections from Colombo to destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America.

Both airlines will codeshare on each other’s flights between Colombo and Doha, including Qatar Airways’ three daily services and SriLankan’s daily flight.

And SriLankan’s passengers can now transit through Doha’s Hamad International Airport to 20 onward destinations, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow, Rome, Frankfurt, Geneva, Manchester, Milan, Oslo, Sofia, Stockholm, Vienna, Zurich, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bahrain and Cape Town.

Travellers will be able to earn frequent flyer points on all codeshare flights.

“It is our pleasure to seal a codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways to allow our passengers the flexibility and convenience of effective onward connectivity to a number of destinations,” said SriLankan’s CEO, Captain Suren Ratwatte. “We are also glad to tie up with another oneworld member in our strategic network expansion drive as we celebrate the second anniversary as an alliance member in May this year.”

Both SriLankan Airlines and Qatar Airways are members of the oneworld alliance.

Mark Elliott / Travel news

China's HNA Group to Take over Two Azul A350s

China Aviation Daily
China's HNA Group, the biggest shareholder of Azul Brazilian Airlines, will take delivery of two Airbus A350-900 jetliners the Brazilian company had expected to receive in 2018.

In November 2014, the Brazilian company signed a lease agreement with AerCap for five A350-900s and 20 A320neos. Deliveries of the A350s are expected between 2017 and 2018.

Azul may eliminate eight planes in addition to the 20 it's fleet cut since November, Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said in an interview to Bloomberg News.

The Brazilian carrier is set to receive two Airbus A320neo jetliners this year, two A350 planes next year and another A350 in 2018. The two A350s would be part of a trio A350 scheduled for delivery in 2018.

The move is part of a new series of capacity cuts Azul is planning amid a two-year recession in Brazil's aviation industry.
In addition, Azul will transfer as many as 1,700 pilots to HNA Group as part of its saving program.

Boeing to Deliver 30th 787 Dreamliner to Qatar Airways Soon

Boeing is set to deliver its 30th 787 Dreamliner to Qatar Airways in the next few weeks, 

company's senior vice-president (International sales) Martin A. Bentrott has said.

"We are excited to be delivering the 30th Dreamliner to Qatar Airways. We have a very good relationship with Qatar Airways. Boeing's relationship with Qatar is long standing."

"We are very proud of that relationship. And we are committed to supporting the airline... their growth... and their business," Bentrott said in an interview with Gulf Times at the Inter-Continental Dublin recently.

Qatar Airways was the first airline in the Middle East to take delivery of the game-changing 787, for which it has placed 30 orders.

Asked whether the electrical system problems stemming from Boeing 787 Dreamliner's lithium-ion batteries, mainly during its first year of service, have been resolved, Bentrott said, "Battery issues have been completely resolved. Early on in the deliveries of the 787s, there were some reliability issues. That's gotten behind us. The airplane is performing very well in service. We continue to hear very positive comments from a number of the CEOs who are here at the IATA meeting that the 787s in their fleets are performing well."

Boeing Defense, Space & Security products have also made their mark; in 2010, Qatar's national carrier's colours were seen in a very different context when the Qatar Emiri Air Force used its Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs to airlift several tonnes of much-needed humanitarian aid to Haiti and Chile in response to disastrous earthquakes in both countries.

Bentrott described Qatar and the GCC market as a "very terrific market" for Boeing.

"We believe the long-term prognosis is very strong. Our backlog in the Middle East region is strong. We have more than 500 airplanes in backlog that are going into the region," the Seattle-based senior Boeing executive said.

According to the planemaker's data, Qatar Airways currently has a fast-growing fleet of Boeing airplanes, with a backlog of about 70 aircraft that includes 60 777Xs. The Boeing 777 has been given the coveted "flagship" status in the Qatar Airways fleet.

In December 2010, Boeing solidified its relationship with Qatar when it established its first office in the country. Operations at the Boeing office in Doha include the Defense, Space & Security business, commercial airplanes business and other support services that have significantly enhanced the level 

and quality of service that the company provides to its customers in Qatar.

On whether the three big Gulf airlines - Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad, which operate large fleets of Boeing as well as Airbus aircraft would be forced to review their orders in view of regional economic slowdown caused by lower oil prices, Bentrott said, "I don't think to a large degree. Qatar, Emirates, or Etihad have large fleets of aircraft currently existing. So, they make long-term decisions that are directed at replacing existing aircraft as well as some anticipated growth."

"But if at any point in time...now... or two years from now... if they have excess capacity, we will sit with our customers and adjust things to accommodate their requirements. At this particular point in time, however, we have not seen any customers coming and asking for any near-term airplane deferrals."

He pointed out that the fundamental driver for commercial aviation was economic growth.

"So, if there is a downturn in economic growth, whether that is global or local, there could be a negative impact on commercial aviation," Bentrott said.
Although generally the demand is greater for single-aisle aircraft, Bentrott said, "in the Middle East uniquely demand remains higher in the market for twin-aisle larger airplanes than it does for single-aisle aircraft."

Pratap John, Gulf Times

Solomon Airlines to resume flights – updated

More AddThis Share options

Solomon Airlines, the national carrier of the Solomon Islands, has confirmed that it will resume flights today (Wednesday 8 June 2016), having grounded its entire fleet on Tuesday morning.

One flight between Honiara and Brisbane will depart this evening, with all remaining domestic and international services resuming the following day.

This follows the drastic decision taken by the airline’s management to suspend its operations on Tuesday, due to a dispute with the government of the Solomon Islands.

According to a Radio New Zealand report, the airline is owed “millions of dollars” by the government, and this lack of funds has “seriously compromised airline operations”.



Solomon Airlines’ CEO, Captain Ron Sumsum, apologised “unreservedly” the inconvenience the grounding had caused.

Travel News / Mark Elliott

Sharks Take Flight—Southwest Airlines Launches Shark Week-Themed 737-700 Aircraft To Fly The Skies This Summer

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is partnering once again with Discovery Channel's Shark Week, taking television's longest-running and most anticipated summer event to new heights. Today, the companies unveiled the first-ever Shark Week-themed 737-700 aircraft proudly displaying the majestic sea life that is widely celebrated by millions during Discovery's Shark Week, airing June 26 through July 3, 2016. The aircraft will fly as part of the carrier's fleet through Aug. 31, 2016.

Customers who catch a glimpse of the Shark Week-themed plane during their summer travels are encouraged to snap a photo and share it with @SouthwestAir and @SharkWeek, using the hashtag #SharksTakeFlight for a chance to receive fin-tastic custom Shark Week swag.

As Shark Week fans around the globe anticipate the best week ever, Southwest Customers can get in on the action early. Only on Southwest Airlines can Customers enjoy exclusive, jaw-dropping, never-before-seen content brought to you by Discovery. Onboard Wifi-equipped flights beginning June 1, Customers can sit back in "Shark n' Awe"to enjoy Jungle Shark nearly one month before airing during Shark Week.

"Now more than ever, brands have to be creative and unique in their approach to reach new Customers,"said Linda Rutherford, Chief Communication Officer for Southwest Airlines. "Partnering with Discovery's Shark Week allows Southwest to connect with our Customers in a fun and memorable way. Only on Southwest can you enjoy this Shark Week experience, and that's what it's all about."=

The exclusive episode of Jungle Shark will take Customers on a deep dive into the rainforests of Costa Rica with Marine Biologist Dr. Craig O'Connell and Andy Casagrande to find out why young bull sharks swim up the river, and how they avoid the 12-14' American Crocodiles living there.

Want to head to Costa Rica to experience Jungle Shark for yourself? Southwest can get you there. Catch a nonstop flight to San Jose (SJO) or Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica from Los Angeles (LAX), Houston-Hobby (HOU) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI). If shallow waters are more your thing, Southwest and Discovery are sending a family of four on a jawsome Mexico adventure. Enter the Dare to Dive Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR), including roundtrip air travel for four on Southwest, a $2,000 hotel gift card, and a $1,000 Visa gift card to put toward an aquatic excursion for the entire family. For full rules and to enter for a chance to win, visit Southwest.com/SharkWeek.



Customers traveling today onboard the Shark Week-themed aircraft on Flight 10 from Dallas Love Field to Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA) will be surprised with jaw-dropping Shark Week goodies including Shark Week-themed neck pillows, Shark Week fin hats, "I Flew with Shark Week"buttons, Shark Week koozies, sunglasses, and even washable tattoos!

Qatar Airways CEO Says Cancels First A320neo over Delays

Qatar Airways has cancelled its first Airbus AIR.PA A320neo jet and remains at an impasse with the European planemaker over delays in deliveries caused by engine problems, its chief executive said on Friday.

Akbar Al Baker said the carrier would soon start talks with alternative engine supplier CFM, a joint venture between General Electric Co and Safran SA of France. It has held talks with rival planemaker Boeing over switching to 737s but was not yet walking away from Airbus, he said.

"We will switch to the MAX if we cannot resolve our issue. We will go to current option 737s and convert it to MAX," he said, adding he was sure Boeing could find production slots.

Al Baker has refused to accept planes with engines made by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, because the engines required additional time to start under certain conditions.

The airline said in May it was reducing the frequency of more than a dozen regular routes from Doha because of hold-ups in the delivery of new planes from Airbus.
The delays are affecting Qatar Airways' profit, but the carrier is not seeking compensation, Al Baker told reporters on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Dublin.

"We are five aircraft down this summer. This is why we are screaming because it is making a huge impact on my bottom line," Al Baker told journalists.

"We are still at an impasse. We have walked away from our first A320neo because it is more than a certain number of days late, so exercised a walk-away clause," Al Baker said, adding the carrier would exercise walk-away clauses on the other four delayed planes when they reach the time limit.

He added he is also still waiting for deliveries of three A350 planes, which have been held up since February due to issues with cabin equipment.

He said he expects Airbus to deliver 10 of the planes as promised this year and that he had met with the CEO of Airbus's planemaking unit, Fabrice Bregier, and programme executive Didier Evrard on Thursday to "iron out the issues".

"The ball is in court of Airbus. We will start delivery of the airplane delayed from February imminently, provided the issues we have are resolved," he said, adding the A350 problems were likely to be resolved before the A320neo issues.

Pratt & Whitney in a statement said Al Baker's remarks were "inaccurate and mischaracterize the performance of the engine."

Pratt's PW1100G-JM engine has been certified, has been delivered to three other airlines and meets performance and contract specifications, including a 16 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, the company said.

"We have resolved the very few initial teething items airlines have experienced," Pratt said. "Production engines shipping today to Airbus already include hardware and software improvements. In fact, solutions for the items are well known and have been extensively covered in detail by the media."

Chengdu Airlines to Operate First ARJ21 Commercial Flight on June 28 - Source

China's homegrown regional jet, ARJ21-700, is set to make its first commercial flight from Chengdu to Shanghai Hongqiao on June 28, two month later than planned.

Chengdu Airlines, the launch customer of ARJ21 regional jet, planned to ferry passengers from its home base in Southwest China to commercial hub Shanghai on Feb. 28, but has yet to do so.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Chengdu Airlines will operate the very first ARJ21 revenue flight on June 28.

Flight EU6679 is scheduled to depart from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 9:10 a.m. and land at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airportat 11:50 a.m.; with the return flight EU6680 leaving Shanghai at 1:10 p.m. and reach Chengdu at 4:25 p.m.

As the launch customer of the ARJ21, the Chengdu-based carrier received the first of 30 ARJ21-700 aircraft, Registration B-3321, from Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) on November 29, 2015.

Chengdu Airlines plans to fly them on regional routes between Chengdu and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Nanjing in Jiangsu Province as well as other central and western Chinese cities.

The airline, however, has not started selling tickets for the maiden flight. The schedule is still subject to change

Bombardier C Series Aircraft Reaches for the Stars with Historic First Passenger Flight from Dublin to Zurich

SWISS-liveried CS100 aircraft transports Star Alliance CEOs, executives and media, impressing all with the aircraft’s performance, low noise levels and its spacious and comfortable cabin 

Innovative C Series aircraft designed to deliver unparalleled economic advantage to operators and to open up new opportunities for single-aisle aircraft operations 

Outstanding fuel efficiency, along with low emissions and low noise footprint contribute to the aircraft’s best-in-class environmental scorecard

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today the successful completion of a C Series aircraft demonstration flight carrying senior executives from about twenty Star Alliance member airlines and media representatives. The historic flight of the innovative C Series aircraft, which features state-of-the-art technologies, departed Dublin at the conclusion of the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on June 3, 2016.

The CS100 airliner carrying 100 passengers, along with six Bombardier crew members, was operated by Bombardier’s crew and featured the livery of launch customer Swiss International Air Lines (“SWISS”). With the passengers, their luggage and fuel on board, Bombardier confirmed to passengers that its calculations indicated the aircraft could have flown direct from Dublin to Montréal. The one hour and 50 minutes ride from Dublin to Zurich consumed 20 per cent less fuel than competing single-aisle aircraft currently flying that route.

“It was a pleasure to welcome our fellow Star Alliance Chief Executive Board members to Zurich in this special year, having flown on a very special aircraft – the Bombardier C Series – for which SWISS is the launch customer,” said Thomas Klühr, Chief Executive Officer, SWISS. “We are really looking forward to welcoming the CS100 into our fleet when we take delivery in a few weeks.”

“The IATA conference was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the C Series aircraft to leaders of the world’s major airlines,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “Along with our friends at Star Alliance we were able to offer their member airlines a unique and exclusive opportunity to fly aboard the CS100 aircraft from Dublin to Zurich.

“As we approach first delivery and entry-into-service with launch operator SWISS, showcasing the CS100 aircraft to Star Alliance members and media provided them with first-hand experience of the C Series aircraft’s flight deck and cabin in operation. The quiet, steep take-off and climb out to 37,000 feet (11,278 metres) impressed us all and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and complimentary - all in anticipation of the aircraft entering commercial service this summer. Our business case for the C Series aircraft is coming to fruition and we are confident that our strategic plan is on track,” added Mr. Cromer.

Hainan Airlines reveals new Dreamliner routes

Hainan Airlines currently operates 10 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (credit: Angel DiBilio)

Hainan Airlines has revealed the initial routes on which it will deploy its new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

The first of 30 new B787-9s is expected to be delivered next week, and the airline will launch the aircraft on its domestic routes.

The inaugural B787-9 flight will operate from Haikou to Beijing on 13 June, before commencing daily services from Beijing to Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Following the domestic introduction, the new Dreamliners will be deployed on trans-Pacific routes to North America.

The configuration of the new aircraft has not been revealed, but Hainan Airlines will offer all B787-9 passengers free Wi-Fi.

Hainan Airlines currently operates 10 smaller B787-8s, and will expand its total Dreamliner fleet to 18 aircraft by end of this year.
Travel news

Air China Southwest Receives Three A330s and Three A319s

Air China's Southwest Branch, which has the nation's largest plateau fleet, took delivery of six new Airbus aircraft in late May.

Composed of three A330-300s and three A319s, the six new aircraft, Registration B-5956, B-5957, B-5958, B-6468, B-6478 and B-6479, have been authorized by CAAC North China Regional Administration to serve high-altitude airports.

These airplanes were delivered after October 2014 and equipped well for operating in highland weather and conditions, like high-performance engines and improved technique performances of cabin pressurization system, oxygen system and brake system. Besides, the A319, known as the "Plateau Prince", is equipped with fuel-saving Sharklets - lightweight composite wingtip devices.

Up to date, Air China Southwest operates 28 Airbus aircraft, including 21 A319s, four A330-200s and three A330-300s, with an average age of 8.4 years.
China Aviation Daily

AIR EUROPA - EMBRAER-195LR - EC-KRJ

João Luis Pessoa - Lisboa

MULTIFLIGHT Ltd - B737-329 - 9H-MTF

João Luis Pessoa - Lisboa

CONDOR - A320-200 - D-AICA

João Luis

                                                                 Pedro Filipe - Lisboa

Cyprus's Cobalt commences operations

Cobalt (CO, Larnaca) officially inaugurated operations on Wednesday, June 1 with a return flight between Larnaca and Athens Int'l. Guests on-board included journalists and company officials.

The start-up said in a statement that it expects to commence regular, 3x daily return flights between the two cities later this month. The actual launch of revenue flights has been the subject of much speculation in the local press given reported delays in the Air Transport Licensing Authority's (ATLA) issuance of an Air Services License (ASL) to the start-up. According to the Phileleftheros daily, the ATLA has cited a lack of satisfactory vetting of the company’s foreign shareholders for the delays.

In any event, Cobalt has outlined several destinations that are scheduled to start in the near future and they include: Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Chania, London, Manchester Int'l, Dublin Int'l, and Paris. Operationally, Cobalt plans to add three more aircraft (A320 and A321) to its fleet by month-end.

ch aviation / Photo:Glenn Palmer - Lanarca

China-Developed Y-20 to Be Delivered Soon

China Daily
he domestically developed Y-20 heavy-lifting transport plane will soon be delivered to buyers, a project manager said on Thursday.

The manager expects that China will need at least 1,000 of the huge aircraft.

"I can't tell you the exact time planned for delivery, but ... it will be carried out very soon," Zhu Qian, head of Aviation Industry Corp of China's Large Aircraft Development Office, said at a technology exhibition in Beijing.

"More than 1,000 Y-20s will be needed," he said, adding that the figure was calculated based on the experience of the United States and Russia. Both countries have used heavy-lifting transport aircraft for years.
Zhu said the military and many civilian sectors will benefit greatly from delivery of the Y-20.

The plane's engines will initially be imported, but it is only a matter of time before the Y-20 is equipped with domestically developed engines, he said.
China will also develop transport jets that are even larger than the Y-20 and comparable to the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy from the United States and the Antonov An-225 Mriya, designed in the former Soviet Union.
Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said prototypes of the Y-20 have completed all planned tests, and AVIC will begin mass-production.

"Once the Y-20 joins the military, it will enable the Air Force to move closer to its goal of building a strategic air power," he said.
The Y-20, with a crew of three, made its maiden flight in January 2013, making China the third nation after the US and Russia capable of developing strategic transport aircraft.

The plane has a maximum payload of 66 metric tons and a maximum takeoff weight of more than 200 tons, according to military sources. The high payload means it can carry the PLA's heaviest tank, the 58-ton Type-99A2.

According to a technical evaluation in Aerospace Knowledge, the Y-20 when fully fueled and carrying a payload of 51 tons can fly for 5,200 kilometers. This means it can reach everywhere in Europe and Asia, the US state of Alaska, Australia and North Africa.

With its maximum payload, it has a range of 3,700 km, enabling it to fly nonstop from Harbin in Heilongjiang province to Lhasa in the Tibet autonomous region, the report said.

Malaysian CSeries order in doubt as flymojo misses deadline

flymojo (Johor Bahru) has missed a May 30 deadline for it to have formally commenced its AOC certification drive with the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

The Malaysia Reserve business paper reports the start-up, which made headlines with an LOI with Bombardier (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) for up to forty CS100s in March last year, has a provisional licence, which only allows it to seek funding and to purchase aircraft.

However, as of last week, flymojo had yet to furnish the DCA with proof that it either owns or has leased a single aircraft needed to begin certification. The airline is also understood to have not submitted any request for an extension.

DCA officials who spoke to the paper also alluded to problems in using the CSeries jet given that it has yet to be certified for use in Asia let alone Malaysia.

flymojo intended to use its CS100s to operate domestic as well as regional passenger flights from hubs in Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu.

ch-aviation 

POP eyes London-India market

flyPOP (London Stansted) is a UK-based start-up planning to launch regular passenger flights from its London Stansted hub to the Indian Tier II cities of Amritsar (Punjab) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat) during the last quarter of this year.

Though it will inaugurate operations as a virtual carrier, POP says it does plan to pursue an AOC at a later stage. As such, its initial services will be undertaken by a 378-seater, all-economy A330-300 chartered from an undisclosed firm.

POP ("People Over Profit") will operate in the budget segment and, in line with its ethos of social responsibility, will donate a minimum of 51% of its profits to fund social projects in the UK and India.

A 60-day crowdfunding campaign, aimed at raising GBP5 million (USD7.24 million) in initial capital requirements, will commence later this month.

ch aviation

WOW air adds maiden A330

WOW air (WW, Reykjavik Keflavik) has taken delivery of its first widebody jet, A330-300 EC-MIO (cn 1624) formerly in service with Air Europa (UX, Palma Son Sant Joan). Skyliner Aviation reports the jet was positioned to Reykjavik Keflavik from Cambridge after repainting on Tuesday, May 31.


A further two A330-300s are expected in due course including another ex-Air Europa A330-300, EC-MIN (cn 1607), and a former Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) machine, TF-GAY (cn 1098).

The trio of jets will be used in the Icelandic LCC's launch of longhaul flights to Los Angeles Int'l and San Francisco, CA later this summer.

ch aviation

Skybus starts Georgia charters

SkyBus (Kazakhstan) (7S, Almaty) has secured regulatory approval from both the Kazakh and Georgian authorities ahead of the launch of regular charter flights to Batumi, Georgia this summer.

Effective June 1, the Kazakh operator will offer flights from Aktau, Aktyubinsk, Kzyl-Orda, Shimkent, Astana, Karaganda, Atyrau, and Kostanay to the Georgian Black Sea resort town using CRJ-100s leased from InvestAvia (IV, Almaty).

ch aviation

TOULOUSE TRIP

Paul Bannwarth

GoAir takes delivery of its first of 72 A320neo aircraft

Mumbai, India based GoAir has taken delivery of its first A320neo aircraft, becoming the world’s third operator to do so. The A320neo powered by Pratt and Whitney engines, is the first of 72 A320neo on order and joins GoAir’s existing fleet of 19 A320 aircraft.

The aircraft is configured in a conformable layout and is the first A320neo equipped with the innovative Spaceflex cabin configuration with 186 seats. GoAir currently flies to 22 Indian destinations. With the NEO induction, GoAir will expand its network and offer fliers better connectivity and continue its growth as one of India’s preferred low-cost airline.

GoAir’s first A320neo is the first of the type to be financed on a sale and leaseback through SMBC Aviation Capital.

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 with further cabin innovations.

The A320neo Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with over 4,500 orders from 82 customers since its launch in 2010 capturing almost 60 percent share of the market. 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. To date, seven A320neo aircraft have been delivered to three customers.

Bombardier C Series Aircraft Makes its Dublin Debut at the 72nd IATA Annual General Meeting

SWISS-branded Bombardier CS100 aircraft on display at the Dublin Airport during world’s largest gathering of airline leaders, June 1 – June 3

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that the C Series aircraft liveried in first operator Swiss International Airlines’ (SWISS) colours will make its Irish debut in Dublin, Republic of Ireland ahead of the 72nd IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit. The CS100 aircraft – flight test vehicle five (FTV5) - will be featured on static display during the event and will be parked at the Dublin Airport where it will host visitors and media tours.

“As we approach first delivery and entry into service with launch operator SWISS next month, it’s our pleasure to be showcasing the CS100 aircraft to influential industry leaders in Dublin during this premier IATA event,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “Our execution has been flawless in 2016 and as our teams focus on meeting our commitments, we’re taking every opportunity to update the industry on our progress and continue to promote the C Series aircraft worldwide.”

The first CS100 will be delivered to SWISS in June and is expected to enter service in July 2016.