First Ultra Long Range A350 XWB makes its debut

Singapore Airlines prepares to resume world’s longest commercial flights


The first Ultra Long Range version of the A350 XWB has rolled out of the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse. The latest variant of the best-selling A350 XWB Family will be able to fly further than any other commercial airliner and will enter service with launch operator Singapore Airlines later this year.

Altogether, Singapore Airlines has ordered seven A350-900 Ultra Long Range aircraft, which it will use on non-stop flights between Singapore and the US, including the world’s longest commercial service between Singapore and New York.

Following completion of the airframe assembly, the first aircraft has now moved to an outdoor station where it will undergo extensive ground tests, prior to installation of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
The aircraft will then embark on a short flight test programme to certify the changes over the standard A350-900 that will bring the additional range capability. These include a modified fuel system that increases fuel carrying capacity by 24,000 litres, without the need for additional fuel tanks. The test phase will also measure enhanced performance derived from aerodynamic improvements, including extended winglets.

With a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 280 tonnes, the A350 XWB Ultra Long Range is capable of flying up to 9,700 nautical miles or over 20 hours non-stop, combining the highest levels of passenger and crew comfort with unbeatable economics for such distances.

The A350 XWB is an all new family of widebody long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. The A350 XWB features an Airspace by Airbus cabin offering absolute well-being on board with the quietest twin-aisle cabin and new air systems.

To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 854 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.

Singapore Airlines is one of the largest customers for the A350 XWB Family, having ordered a total of 67 A350-900s, including the seven Ultra Long Range models. The carrier has already taken delivery of 21 A350-900s.

FRANKFURT TRIP 2018

Marcel Bouquet de Biasi

BASEL TRIP 2018

Paul Bannwarth

Kam Air acquires a Ukrainian B737-500

Kam Air  has acquired a B737-500 that it had been leasing from Ukrainian Wings (UWJ, Kiev Boryspil), ch-aviation research has revealed. UR-BAA (msn 28052) was transferred to the Afghan register as YA-KMS earlier this month.

Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows the 20-year-old Boeing twinjet is currently deployed on Kam Air flights connecting Kabul with Kandahar, Herat, and Mazar i Sharif locally and Istanbul Atatürk, Mashad, Almaty, Ankara Esenboga, Dushanbe, and Tashkent Islam Karimov regionally.


Kam Air also operates one A340-300, one B737-500, one B767-200 (inactive), two MD-83s (one of which is inactive), and two MD-87s (one of which is inactive). No known wet-leased aircraft are currently in the airline's employ following the events on the January 20 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul in which five Taliban gunmen shot dead 42 people, including nine Kam Air crew members, seven of whom were Ukrainian while two were Venezuelan.

First Air adds first ATR42 dedicated freighter

First Air (7F, Carp) operated its first commercial flight with its redelivered ATR42-300 Class C dedicated-freighter on February 22, marking the entry into service of the world's first such Avions de Transport Régional converted aircraft.

Operated by First Air as a Quick Change (QC) variant since 2001, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows C-FIQU (msn 138) was retired from active service in August 2017 in order to undergo P2F conversion at Ottawa Int'l.
Aside from three other ATR42-300(QC)s, as well as three ATR42-300s and six ATR42-500s, the Canadian regional specialist also operates two ARJ-85s (wet-leased from Summit Air Charters (Yellowknife)), one B737-400, and three B737-400(F)s on regular and chartered flights to remote communities in Canada's Nunavut, Nunavik, and Northwest Territories.

ch aviation

Norwegian Air Argentina eyes Southeast Asian ops via Perth

Norwegian Air Argentina (DN, Buenos Aires Aeroparque) is planning to exercise its route authority for regular passenger flights between Buenos Aires Ezeiza and Perth Int'l, Australia.

According to The West Australian newspaper, the nascent budget carrier would use Perth as a stop on proposed flights to Singapore Changi whose rights it has also applied for.


The Argentine Chamber of Commerce’s Australia executive director, Diego Berazategui, has already set forth the proposal to Western Australian industrialists as well as Argentina’s ambassador to Australia, Hugo Gobbi.
“The study shows that a trans-polar flight between Buenos Aires and Perth would take less than 15 hours and would position Perth as a great midpoint destination for international travellers between Asia and Latin America,” he said.
No flights between Argentina and Southeast Asia currently exist despite Buenos Aires actively courting investment from region. In September last year, Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie reopened the Argentine Embassy in Singapore amid plans to use the diplomatic outpost to increase and diversify Argentine product and service exports, not only to the Singaporean market but also to Asia as a whole.
For its part, the Norwegian (DY, Oslo Gardermoen) unit will commence operations later this year using a fleet of B737NextGen/MAX aircraft. The first longhaul-capable aircraft, B787-9s, are expected towards year-end.

ch aviation

Boeing and Aeromexico Celebrate Delivery of Airline's First 737 MAX Airplane

Mexico's global airline to open new routes with up to 90 new MAX jets

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Aeromexico today celebrated the delivery of the first of up to 90 737 MAX airplanes. Mexico's global airline plans to use the more fuel-efficient and longer-range MAX jets to expand its network across the Americas.

In 2012 Aeromexico placed an order for up to 90 MAX airplanes, including the MAX 8 and the larger MAX 9 variant. The two models offer the airline the flexibility to fly between approximately 160 and 190 passengers on flights of about 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 kilometers), both with better operating costs and passenger experience.

"We are very proud to be one of the first airlines in Latin America operating this aircraft, which allows us to provide operational efficiencies that translate into multiple benefits for our clients, both in terms of their experience on-board and the options they have to reach their destination," said Andrés Conesa, CEO of Aeromexico.

Aeromexico, the largest airline in Mexico, operates one of the most technologically-advanced fleets in the region. It is a leading operator of the 787 Dreamliner.

"We are honored to expand our partnership with Aeromexico and welcome them to the 737 MAX family," said Ricardo Cavero, vice president, Latin America sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 737 MAX will provide Aeroméxico with unmatched reliability, fuel efficiency and a premium on-board experience for its passengers."

The 737 MAX family is designed to offer customers exceptional performance, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range that will open up new destinations in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays and other features to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.



The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,300 orders from 93 customers worldwide. For more information and feature content, visit www.boeing.com/commercial/737max.

United eyes A330neo and NMA for fleet replacement

United Airlines is considering the Airbus A330-900neo and Boeing New Mid-market Airplane (NMA) among options to replace its fleet of aging Boeing 757s and 767s.
The Chicago-based carrier is looking at replacements for its 77 757-200 and -300s, and 51 767-300ERs in the near term, a presentation by senior vice-president of finance, procurement and treasurer Gerry Laderman on 27 February shows.

The A330-900neo and NMA are joined by the Airbus A321neo, Boeing 737 Max 10 and Boeing 787-8 as replacement options for the fleet, his presentation shows.
United's upcoming fleet replacement decisions

United Airlines

United's 757-200s have an average age of 21.8 years, its 757-300s 15.5 years and its 767-300ERs 22.7 years, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.

The airline targets an average life for its aircraft of around 25 years, Laderman's presentation shows.

United and other US carriers face a similar quandary over what to replace aging 757s and 767s with. Most domestic 757s have been replaced by A321s and 737-900ERs, but neither Airbus nor Boeing have released a comparably sized replacement for longer missions across the Atlantic or to South America.

Airbus plans to take some of the transatlantic 757 market with its A321LR, which will have a range of 4,000nm (7,048km) compared to up to 3,915nm for the 757-200, that is due to enter service this year.

However, multiple airlines that have looked at the A321LR say it will not be capable of carrying as high of a payload as the 757 across the Atlantic.

For the 767, airlines have said that the A330-900neo is too large while the 787-8 has too much range for the specific missions they are looking at. Many 767s fly across the Atlantic on higher density routes than the 757, but also to farther flung points in Europe, South America and even in Asia.

“It’s a great airplane [but] it’s getting a little old and if we’re going to keep flying them longer we’re going to need to make some investments in extending the life,” said Scott Kirby, president of United, on the 767 in January 2017. “But it also serves missions that the other aircraft would be hard-pressed, at least in today’s economics, to find.”

American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker has expressed similar sentiments regarding the future of its fleet of 54 767-300ERs.
Boeing is considering launching the NMA with seats for 220-280 passengers a range of about 7,000nm. The aircraft could potentially be a good 757-300 and 767-300ER replacement

Delta Air Lines is also interested in the NMA, with chief executive Ed Bastian reportedly telling employees earlier in February that it hoped to launch the aircraft.

"Delta finds [the NMA] to be an interesting concept and could be a long-term replacement for some 757s and 767s," the Atlanta-based carrier told FlightGlobal at the time.

Long term, United is considering replacements for its A320 family and 737-700 and -800 fleets, Laderman's presentation shows. It operates 65 A319s, 97 A320s, 40 737-700s and 141 737-800s, according to Fleets Analyzer.

The carrier is considering used models of both aircraft families, as well as the A320neo family, 737 Max family, Bombardier CSeries and Embraer 195-E2 as possible replacements.
United has firm orders for 161 737 Max, including 61 Max 9 and 100 Max 10, its fleet plan shows. It expects its first 10 737-9s this year with deliveries beginning in April.

FLIGHT DASHBOARD BY: EDWARD RUSSELL WASHINGTON DC

New Livery: EUROATLANTIC AIRWAYS - B777-200ER - CS-TFM

João Luis Pessoa - Lisboa

Cmdt: Marios Zanos - Lisboa

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES - B787-9 - ET-AUO

Ton Jochems - BRU

MAURITANIA AIRLINES - B737MAX 8 - ST-CLJ

Ton Jochems - BRU

HIFLY - A330-200 - CS-TQW

Ton Jochems - BRU

REPUBLIQUE DU TCHAD - B737-700BBJ - TT-ABD

Ton Jochems - BRU

REPUBLIQUE NIGER - B737-700BBJ - 5U-GRN

Ton Jochems - BRU

LOS ANGELES TRIP

hsckcwong 

RWANDAIR - A330-300 - 9XR-WP

Ton Jochems - BRU

Slovak Republic - FK100 - BRU.JPG - OM-BYC

Ton Jochems - BRU

First TUI B737-MAX 8 - OO-MAX

Ton Jochems - BRU

Smartwings S18 737 MAX 8 operational routes

Photo:Ton Jochems - BRU

Smartwings earlier this month filed operational schedule for its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft during summer 2018 season, between 25MAR18 and 27OCT18. The following is planned 737 MAX 8 operational routes, note some routes may be served by the MAX 8 aircraft on one-time basis.

Brno – Bourgas 

Brno – Ostrava – Corfu – Brno
Brno – Ostrava – Marsa Alam – Brno

Ostrava – Bourgas

Prague – Alghero
Prague – Antalya
Prague – Bourgas
Prague – Cagliari
Prague – Catania
Prague – Chania
Prague – Corfu
Prague – Dubrovnik
Prague – Dubai
Prague – Erbil
Prague – Faro
Prague – Fuerteventura
Prague – Gran Canaria
Prague – Hurghada
Prague – Irakleion
Prague – Kavala
Prague – Kos
Prague – Lanzarote – Palma Mallorca – Prague
Prague – London Gatwick
Prague – Malaga
Prague – Marsa Alam
Prague – Moscow Sheremetyevo
Prague – Naples
Prague – Olbia
Prague – Palma Mallorca
Prague – Podgorica

Prague – Preveza
Prague – Rhodes
Prague – Samos
Prague – Split
Prague – Tel Aviv
Prague – Tenerife South
Prague – Thessaloniki
Prague – Tirana
Prague – Valencia
Prague – Varna
Prague – ZakynthosBy Jim Liu - Routesonline

the first A330 for the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) for tanker conversion.(EC-340)

José Ramon Valero - Getafe

Jetstar introduce A321neo LR

BASEL TRIP

Paul Bannwarth