quinta-feira, 23 de janeiro de 2020
Bamboo Airways to debut European operatins by 220
Bamboo Airways plans to start its first service to Europe this spring, the airline said on January 14. Its overseas network currently includes services to Taiwan, Macao, and South Korea only.
There are currently no direct flights between Vietnam and the Czech Republic. Vietnam Airlines:
operates European services to:
Frankfurt Int'l,
London Heathrow,
Moscow Sheremetyevo,
Paris CDG.
sábado, 18 de janeiro de 2020
Airbus BelugaXL enters service, adding XL capacity to the fleet
The BelugaXL has entered into service, providing Airbus with 30% extra transport capacity in order to support the on-going production ramp-up of commercial aircraft programmes.
The aircraft, which is an integral part of Airbus’ industrial system, made its first operational flight on 9 January. This is the first of six BelugaXL to begin work alongside the BelugaST predecessors, with the additional aircraft being introduced between 2020 and 2023.
Launched just over five years ago, in November 2014, the entry into service milestone marks yet another successful achievement for the internal aircraft programme that was awarded Type Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in November 2019, following an intensive flight test campaign that saw the BelugaXL complete more than 200 flight tests, clocking over 700 flight hours.
At 63 metres long and 8 metres wide, the BelugaXL has the largest cargo bay cross-section of all existing cargo aircraft worldwide. The BelugaXL can carry two A350 XWB wings compared to the BelugaST, which can only carry one. With a maximum payload of 51 tonnes, the BelugaXL has a range of 4,000 km. (2200nm).
The BelugaXL is based on an A330-200 Freighter, enabling the re-use of existing components and equipment, and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The lowered cockpit, the cargo bay structure and the rear-end and tail were newly developed jointly with partners, giving the aircraft its distinctive look.
The BelugaXL is the latest addition to Airbus’ transportation portfolio. While air transport remains the primary method for transporting large aircraft components, Airbus also uses road, rail and sea transport to move parts between its production sites. Like the BelugaST, the aircraft will operate from 11 destinations in Europe, continuing to strengthen industrial capabilities and enabling Airbus to deliver on its commitments.
Airbus demonstrates first fully automatic vision-based take-off
Toulouse – Airbus has successfully performed the first fully automatic vision-based take-off using an Airbus Family test aircraft at Toulouse-Blagnac airport. The test crew comprising of two pilots, two flight test engineers and a test flight engineer took off initially at around 10h15 on 18 December and conducted a total of 8 take-offs over a period of four and a half hours.
“The aircraft performed as expected during these milestone tests. While completing alignment on the runway, waiting for clearance from air traffic control, we engaged the auto-pilot,” said Airbus Test Pilot Captain Yann Beaufils. “We moved the throttle levers to the take-off setting and we monitored the aircraft. It started to move and accelerate automatically maintaining the runway centre line, at the exact rotation speed as entered in the system. The nose of the aircraft began to lift up automatically to take the expected take-off pitch value and a few seconds later we were airborne.”
Rather than relying on an Instrument Landing System (ILS), the existing ground equipment technology currently used by in-service passenger aircraft in airports around the world where the technology is present, this automatic take-off was enabled by image recognition technology installed directly on the aircraft.
Automatic take-off is an important milestone in Airbus’ Autonomous Taxi, Take-Off & Landing (ATTOL) project. Launched in June 2018, ATTOL is one of the technological flight demonstrators being tested by Airbus in order to understand the impact of autonomy on aircraft. The next steps in the project will see automatic vision-based taxi and landing sequences taking place by mid-2020.
Airbus’ mission is not to move ahead with autonomy as a target in itself, but instead to explore autonomous technologies alongside other innovations in areas such as materials, electrification and connectivity. By doing so, Airbus is able to analyse the potential of these technologies in addressing the key industrial challenges of tomorrow, including improving air traffic management, addressing pilot shortages and enhancing future operations. At the same time Airbus is leveraging these opportunities to further improve aircraft safety while ensuring today’s unprecedented levels are maintained.
For autonomous technologies to improve flight operations and overall aircraft performance, pilots will remain at the heart of operations. Autonomous technologies are paramount to supporting pilots, enabling them to focus less on aircraft operation and more on strategic decision-making and mission management.
TUI fly (Germany) to base B787s out of Düsseldorf
TUI fly (Germany) (X3, Hanover) has announced in a press release that it will base two B787-8s out of Düsseldorf Int'l starting in the Winter 2020/21 season.
The German unit of TUI Group announced earlier that it will commence widebody operations with two B787-8s but did not disclose its operational plans.
According to the statement, the airline will initially connect the German hub with destinations in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Details of the schedule are still being worked out with the launch of sales expected in the coming weeks.
"The launch of our Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights is getting closer, and of course there are important milestones on the way there - the announcement of our long-haul base is one of them. With the decision to base the Dreamliner in Düsseldorf, we are relying on the Rhein-Ruhr location and the good cooperation with the airport," Managing Director Oliver Lackmann said.
The carrier underlined that its flights to Mexico and the Dominican Republic will benefit from both TUI's extensive hotel portfolio in the region and the group's cruise business.
The German airline currently operates narrowbody aircraft, namely one B737-700 and twenty-eight B737-800s. As such, it is the only TUI Group carrier with no widebody aircraft. All other units - TUI fly (Belgium), TUI Airways, TUI fly (Netherlands), and TUI fly Nordic - operate B767-300(ER)s. All of them, except for the Nordic unit, also have B787-8s, while the British airline also has six B787-9s.
ch aviation
Fuel efficient aircraft and sustainable fuel will be crucial in reducing carbon emissions By Joe Peskett16 January 2020 Etihad's Greenliner Programme is designed to act as a test bed for sustainable products and practises. Etihad Airways plans to be a carbon neutral organization by 2050 and aims to halve its net carbon emission levels by 2035. The airline plans to achieve its zero carbon emissions though a combination of initiatives, collaborations and new programmes designed. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that the number of passenger journeys will more than double within 20 years, from 4.5 billion in 2019 to an estimated 9 billion by the late 2030s. Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said that the company will take an “active role in reducing the impact of aviation on the environment” through its various initiatives. Mr Douglas said the entire air transport industry, from airlines and suppliers to airspace providers, was responsible for helping to reduce aviation’s emissions. “Airlines have attracted significant scrutiny in the global discussion of the environment, and our collective challenge as a fast-growing industry is to deliver meaningful initiatives which can quickly help to contain and reduce carbon emissions,” he said. Etihad’s fleet strategy will be important to its sustainability goals and the airline will continue to use Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A350-1000s, Boeing 777-9s and Airbus A321neos. The next Dreamliner is due to arrive next week. Etihad will also continue to use its Greenliner Programme as a ‘test bed’ for sustainable products and practices. And it will invest in the development of sustainable aviation fuels including biofuel developed and refined in Abu Dhabi from saltwater-tolerant plants.
Aero K (EOK, Cheong Ju) is nearing the delivery of its first aircraft, with A320-200 N631VA (msn 3135) already repainted in the South Korean start-up's livery, according to photos available online.
The aircraft is a 12.7-year-old unit owned by Carlyle Aviation Partners, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. It was previously operated by Alaska Airlines (after the takeover of Virgin America, the earlier operator) and, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, was retired from revenue service on October 6, 2019. It was subsequently ferried to Greensboro, then to Victorville in mid-December 2019, and finally back again to Greensboro on January 3 already in Aero K's livery.
Chief Executive Kang Byung-ho said in October 2019 that Aero K planned to take its first A320 in February 2020 and launch operations on the Cheong Ju-Jeju route in March. The LCC expects four A320s for delivery by the end of 2020.
ch aviation
Etihad Aims For Zero Carbon Emissions Within 30 Years
Fuel efficient aircraft and sustainable fuel will be crucial in reducing carbon emissions
By Joe Peskett16 January 2020
Etihad's Greenliner Programme is designed to act as a test bed for sustainable products and practises.
Etihad Airways plans to be a carbon neutral organization by 2050 and aims to halve its net carbon emission levels by 2035.
The airline plans to achieve its zero carbon emissions though a combination of initiatives, collaborations and new programmes designed.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that the number of passenger journeys will more than double within 20 years, from 4.5 billion in 2019 to an estimated 9 billion by the late 2030s.
Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said that the company will take an “active role in reducing the impact of aviation on the environment” through its various initiatives.
Mr Douglas said the entire air transport industry, from airlines and suppliers to airspace providers, was responsible for helping to reduce aviation’s emissions.
“Airlines have attracted significant scrutiny in the global discussion of the environment, and our collective challenge as a fast-growing industry is to deliver meaningful initiatives which can quickly help to contain and reduce carbon emissions,” he said.
Etihad’s fleet strategy will be important to its sustainability goals and the airline will continue to use Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A350-1000s, Boeing 777-9s and Airbus A321neos. The next Dreamliner is due to arrive next week.
Etihad will also continue to use its Greenliner Programme as a ‘test bed’ for sustainable products and practices.
And it will invest in the development of sustainable aviation fuels including biofuel developed and refined in Abu Dhabi from saltwater-tolerant plants.
quinta-feira, 16 de janeiro de 2020
The first flight of Russia’s Ilyushin IL-96-400M widebody is not expected before next year
The first flying prototype is currently at the final assembly stage, but there are still no customers for the upgraded Russian-built widebody
by Russian Aviation Insider
The wing has been attached to the fuselage and VASO is starting to install flight control systems (IL)
Russian aircraft manufacturer Ilyushin (IL), which is part of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), has reported that the first flying prototype of its IL-96-400M modernised widebody airliner has reached the final assembly stage at the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) plant.
It means that the upgraded four-engine wide-body airliner programme is nearing the first flight stage, albeit with a two-year delay and with no commercial airline thus far having announced a willingness to act as the launch customer for the aircraft.
VASO has now attached the wing to the fuselage and commenced the installation of flight control systems and cabin interior, Ilyushin’s statement reads. The flight test prototype’s final assembly is due to be completed before the end of this year, followed by a series of ground tests. Thus the first IL-96-400M will not take to the skies before 2021.
The programme, which kicked off in 2016, was initially scheduled to reach the maiden flight stage in 2019 so that, by 2021, the first two serially built airliners would enter service with as yet non-existing customers. In a December interview with state-controlled RIA Novosti newswire, Ilyushin’s general director Yury Grudinin attributed the delays to the complexity of the “serious upgrade” of the aircraft’s platform, and to VASO’s tight schedules. “A minor shift of the maiden flight [date] may occur due to the Voronezh plant being busy with other projects. It is steadily loaded through to 2026.”
THE BACKGROUND
The IL-96-400M is a comprehensively upgraded passenger version of the ill-fated IL-96-400T freighter aircraft, which in turn is a modernised iteration of the IL-96-300 platform, with a fuselage stretched by 9.65 metres and a 20-tonnes higher maximum take off weight (MTOW).
The base IL-96-300 made its maiden flight in 1988, with Russian flag carrier Aeroflot becoming the first airline to operate the type in 1993. The first IL-96-400T freighter was delivered in 2009 to Polyot Airlines, the now non-existent subsidiary of VASO. Up to now, VASO has built four of the four-engine freighters, with two (RA-96101 and RA-96103) stored at VASO, and the other two (RA-96102 and RA-96104) utilised by state customers in refurbished passenger versions.
An IL-96-400, with registration RA-96104, is spotted at Almaty airport in October 2018 (Georgiy Bovtik)
THE UPGRADE
According to Ilyushin, the passenger IL-96-400M will have three cabin layout options of a single economy class for 402 passengers, a two-class configuration with 350 seats, and 305 seats in a three-class layout.
The upgraded aircraft is to be powered by the PS-90A1 engine, a modified Russian-made PS-90A powerplant that has powered the IL-96-400 since 2007. According to UEC-Aviadvigatel, the engine’s producer, the upgraded version conforms 98 per cent with the original PS-90A specifications.
Ilyushin is promising to fit out the airliner with modern avionics that are compliant with the existing and future requirements of international aviation standards and will allow for a two-manned crew operation.
The upgraded aircraft will require a supplement to the IL-96-300’s existing type certificate.
NO CUSTOMERS
The project’s main disappointment is the absence of any firm orders, with no sign of real – not declarative, politically motivated – interest from commercial airlines. In 2017, Ilyushin announced that the upgrade would require a financial injection of more than 53 billion roubles (US$0.85 billion), including 10 billion roubles for research and development, 1.5 billion roubles for upgrading VASO’s manufacturing facilities and 42 billion roubles for topping up the capital of the state-owned leasing company, which would act as the aircraft’s customer. In 2018 the Russian government allocated 1.32 billion roubles to UAC for the programme.
UAC previously confirmed plans to build six serial aircraft before 2025 at the rate of two or 2.5 units per year.
Sigma Airlines to operate Kazakhstan’s first Boeing 747 freighter
The private Kazakh cargo airline adds a jumbo freighter to its fleet of Ilyushin IL-76 and Airbus A300 aircraft
ES in Air Transport
Sigma Airlines is to base its Boeing 747-222B(SF) at Chimkent airport in the south of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan Aviation Administration)
Sigma Airlines, the privately owned Kazakh freight carrier, has added a Boeing 747-200 freighter to its fleet. The aircraft, which was added to Kazakhstan’s civil aircraft register in December, is the first of the type in the country’s commercial aviation industry, Kazakhstan’s Aviation Administration (KAA) has reported.
Sigma Airlines’ Boeing 747-222B(SF) was produced in 1987 (MSN 23737) and was previously operated under tail number N794CK by US cargo airline Kalitta Air. In Kazakhstan the aircraft has reportedly received the registration number UP-B4702 and, according to the Kazakh aviation authority, it will be based at Chimkent, in the south of Kazakhstan.
Sigma Airlines has rented the Boeing 747 from an unnamed UAE airline for a two-year period up to 2022, adding it to its existing four-aircraft fleet of IL-76TDs and an Airbus A300B4F.
According to information from KAA, Sigma Airlines has been operating since January 2017 and was apparently founded at the premises of Air Almaty, which currently has no Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC). Its general manager Umirbek Kenesbayev now runs Sigma Airlines. Air Almaty is reportedly morphed into Sigma Airlines in March 2018.
According to its website, Sigma Airlines flies mostly to destinations in the Middle East, Europe, CIS countries, Africa and South America. In mid-2019 the airline reported that it had delivered consignments of humanitarian aid to Syria. Last year it announced that it had gained a third-country operator’s certificate from EASA, Europe’s aviation safety agency.
Last year Kazakhstan start-up airline IrMa Air Service launched specialist airfreight services using an Ilyushin IL-18 four-engined veteran turboprop.
IrAero says good-bye to its Boeing 777 experiment
After an 18-month trial period, the Irkutsk-based regional airline has wound down its failed wide-body programme
ES in Air Transport,
IrAero was one of Russia’s six Boeing 777-200ER operators (IrAero)
The privately owned Russian airline IrAero has shut down its experimental Boeing 777 programme after industry analysts had doubts from the start that the regional carrier had the necessary capabilities to tackle the challenging wide-body project, pointing specifically at a lack of a clear strategy. Now that the last of the airline’s leased Boeing 777-200ERs has left its fleet and the 18-month project is over, those predictions have proven true.
THE IDEA AND WHY IT FAILED
The IrAero Boeing 777 project started in June 2018 when the airline leased the first of the aircraft type, followed by two more. The last of the three units – with registrations VP-BMR, VP-BSJ and VP-BL and all built between 1997 and 1998 – returned to Spain in early January.
Just like the previous Russian operator of these aircraft, the now defunct VIM Airlines, IrAero was counting on capitalising on operating the wide-bodies on flights to and from China. But whilst this made sense on paper, in reality the project ran into hurdles right from the start. Firstly, with the Chinese programme finally kicking off in October 2018, the entire high summer season was spent attempting to find work for the expensive aircraft, including flights to the Far Eastern region of Russia already served by Aeroflot offering state-supported ‘flat rates.’ Then, in early 2019, IrAero was forced to suspend its B777 operations after its large Chinese travel agent partner backed out of the programme. That is when the wide-body project’s shortfalls became increasingly apparent. Although the airline’s management announced it was still hopeful of resuming B777 operations some day in the future, the idea seemed more dubious than ever.
BITTER OPTIMISM
Despite encountering such obvious difficulties, IrAero’s management is still defending its stance. “Last year, IrAero’s 20th anniversary year, was probably one of the most successful in its history,” first deputy director Vladimir Panfilov insists. “The airline’s RPK numbers more than doubled as the result of a significant route network expansion.”
In January through November 2019, IrAero transported some 847,000 passengers, a very solid 35 per cent year-on-year improvement, and it also achieved a 77.9 per cent seat load factor.
Now, having divested itself of the 1,100 seats that its B777s provided, IrAero is back to its regional self, with its nine 100-seat Superjet 100 regional jets, its largest aircraft and the core of its fleet. However its woes are not yet over as only five of these are in airworthy condition and the airline is facing ongoing lawsuits from the owner of the aircraft and even from the type’s manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co (SCAC).
The airline’s smaller segment, featuring the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200, is not much better off, as only one of four aircraft is actually operating. There are also the company’s “good old” Antonov An-24/26 turboprops, but the overall problem remains: there’s simply no sound strategy the airline can follow, admits one of its managers in a private conversation with Russian Aviation Insider. The Boeing 777 trial was too expensive, both for the airline and for the market, he explains. “The [long term] idea to work on long-haul routes still remains. But with a more suitable aircraft type.”
BACK TO THE SUPERJET
On December 30, Sukhoi Civil filed yet another lawsuit against IrAero, claiming 941.4 million roubles (US$15.350 million) for as yet undisclosed reasons. It is the third case following a similar suit in February 2019 (for 550 million roubles) and also in July in the same year (for 660 million roubles).
IrAero, in turn, has retaliated with a claim to reimburse its collective losses of 1.9 billion roubles ($31 million) associated with the operation of SSJ100s since their entry into service with the airline in 2016.
“IrAero has nine SSJ100s in its fleet, but only five of them are serviceable,” a source has revealed to Interfax newswire. “The remaining aircraft are not in flying condition. Moreover, one of the aircraft has been grounded for three years and now serves as a spare parts donor for its siblings,” the source adds, further explaining that the claim also includes maintenance costs and losses associated with cancelled flights and anticipated damages.
IrAero has not provided an official statement regarding its claims against SCAC, but has confirmed that only five aircraft remain flying.
(IrAero)
IrAero leased its nine SSJ100s from Russia’s State Transport Leasing Corporation (GTLK). Of these, four were factory-fresh deliveries and the remaining five were units previously operated by Red Wings and Yamal Airlines. Throughout 2018 and 2019 GTLK filed several lawsuits against IrAero in pursuit of pending lease payments, all of which ended up in a friendly settlement.
In an interview with Interfax, IrAero’s general director Yury Lapin, insisted that according to SCAC’s figures, the Superjet 100’s operational economy offers an average monthly flight-time of 202 hours, but in the course of its operational experience, IrAero has never been able to come “anywhere close to these numbers.”
Qatar Airways increases Lisbon service from June 2020
Qatar Airways from June 2020 plans to increase service to Portugal, where Doha – Lisbon will see 12 weekly flights from 01JUN20 to 04AUG20, 11 weekly from 05AUG20. The oneWorld carrier currently operates this route 7 weekly with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
QR343 DOH0035 – 0630LIS 788 6
QR343 DOH0040 – 0635LIS 788 3
QR343 DOH0130 – 0725LIS 788 2
QR343 DOH0350 – 0945LIS 788 7
QR341 DOH0725 – 1320LIS 788 4
QR341 DOH0740 – 1335LIS 788 36
QR341 DOH0920 – 1515LIS 788 5
QR343 DOH1020 – 1615LIS 788 1
QR341 DOH1025 – 1620LIS 788 7
QR343 DOH1145 – 1740LIS 788 5
QR341 DOH1430 – 2025LIS 788 2
QR344 LIS0740 – 1650DOH 788 6
QR344 LIS0835 – 1745DOH 788 2
QR344 LIS0920 – 1830DOH 788 3
QR344 LIS1200 – 2110DOH 788 7
QR342 LIS1445 – 2355DOH 788 6
QR342 LIS1500 – 0010+1DOH 788 3
QR342 LIS1610 – 0120+1DOH 788 4
QR342 LIS1625 – 0135+1DOH 788 5
QR344 LIS1730 – 0240+1DOH 788 1
QR342 LIS1915 – 0425+1DOH 788 7
QR344 LIS2015 – 0525+1DOH 788 5
QR342 LIS2135 – 0645+1DOH 788 2
QR341/342 on Day 2 operates until 04AUG20.
RoutesOnline
Vistara explores options to gain London slots
Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) is in talks with a number of airlines holding slots at London Heathrow airport regarding a potential lease, sources told Indian CNBC TV18.
"However, since slots at such a busy airport are a scarce commodity, we are talking to several carriers to take slots on lease. Simultaneously, we are also looking at London Stansted but we are trying to get Heathrow," an unnamed source said.
The Indian carrier, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Group, is expecting to take its first four B787-9s in 2020, allowing it to launch long-haul operations. The deliveries of the first two units are tentatively scheduled for February and March 2020. It has six B787-9s on firm order from Boeing but expects to add additional units from lessors, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.
Besides London, Vistara will target other destinations in Europe and in the Far East in the first phase of its long-haul expansion. Going forward, it also plans to add services to Australia and North America.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, the India-London market is already extensively served with scheduled passenger flights from Ahmedabad (Air India), Amritsar (Air India), Bangalore Int'l (Air India and British Airways), Chennai (British Airways), Delhi Int'l (Air India, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic), Hyderabad Int'l (British Airways), and Mumbai Int'l (Air India, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic). All of these flights serve Heathrow with the exception of Air India's services from Amritsar, which serve Stansted. Air India also plans to add a three times weekly Mumbai-Stansted service from February 20. Other airports in the London metro area do not have scheduled services to India, although TUI Airways operates scheduled charters from London Gatwick to Goa Dabolim.
For its part, Vistara remains, for the time being, a predominantly domestic airline with less than 5% of its total scheduled capacity deployed internationally. The carrier's network outside India comprises of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Singapore Changi, Dubai Int'l, and Colombo Int'l. Vistara plans, however, to focus its growth on international routes, achieving a roughly 50/50 split between domestic and international operations by 2023.
ch aviation
As of now, Vistara's fleet includes thirteen A320-200s, nineteen A320-200neo, and nine B737-800s. It has an order for fifty A320neo Family aircraft, including 13 directly from Airbus and 37 from lessors, with five A320neo and two initial A321-200neo due for delivery in 2020.
As of now, Vistara's fleet includes thirteen A320-200s, nineteen A320-200neo, and nine B737-800s. It has an order for fifty A320neo Family aircraft, including 13 directly from Airbus and 37 from lessors, with five A320neo and two initial A321-200neo due for delivery in 2020.
Juneyao Air to open branches in Europe and Asia
Juneyao Air (HO, Shanghai Hongqiao) plans to open branch companies in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Greece, and Malaysia, the privately owned carrier said in a stock market filing on January 9, as it continues to expand in Europe and Southeast Asia.
Since taking delivery of its first B787-9 widebody in 2018, Juneyao has been bolstering its overseas presence, launching its first long-haul route to Helsinki Vantaa in June 2019.
It currently has six B787-9s in its fleet, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, with four more on order, and has announced new services to Dublin Int'l, Manchester Int'l, and Reykjavik Keflavik from March 2020, all of which will fly via Helsinki. It also operates two A320-200neo delivered in December 2019, forty A320-200s, and twenty-seven A321-200s. It is expecting the delivery of its first A321-200neo shortly.
ch aviation
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