Los Angeles International Airport - 07/2022

hsckcwong

Lisboa Humberto Delgado-Portugal - 07/2022

FPP
 

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg - 07/2022

9H-ELF B.737-7BC(WL) Air X Charter

LX-LTI A 318-112(CJ) 'Elite' Global Jet Luxembourg

P4-HUA A 319-153(N)(CJ) SINO Jet

15+01 A 319-133(CJ) Bundesrepublik Deutschlang (LUFTWAFFE)

HB-JJJ A 319-133(CJ) Nomad Aviation

VP-CMA B.737-Max 8 Jet Aviation Business Jet

5U-GRN B.737-75U(BBJ) République du Niger 'Mont Greboun'
 Paul Bannwarth

Legend Airlines takes first A340

Legend Airlines (Romania) (LAL, Bucharest Otopeni) took delivery of its first A340-300, YR-LRC (msn 844), registering it in Romania on July 22, 2022.

The 15.2-year-old ex-Air Belgium (KF, Brussels Charleroi) quadjet is currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance at Amman Queen Alia and has yet to be ferried to Romania. Legend Airlines plans to add another ex-Air Belgium A340-300, F-WTAJ (msn 921) which will become YR-LRB, later this year. Both aircraft are owned by Airbus Financial Services.

The start-up remains tight-lipped about its business plan and has only revealed that it is planning to operate "direct long-haul services from Romania", without specifying any destinations or whether the flights will be scheduled or charter. Legend Airlines certified in September 2021, but its AOC has until recently included only a single Cessna (single piston) C172. According to BoardinPass.ro, corporate records show the airline is currently co-owned by one Ramin Youresh (55% stake) and one Timor Shah Shahab (45%), both of whom are executive managers at Afghanistan's Kam Air (RQ, Kabul). Youresh is a Dutch citizen, which ensures that the airline is compliant with EU control and ownership rules.

ch aviation

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines announce merger

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines announced that both companies will merge and that Spirit Airlines will be acquired by JetBlue. The day before, Spirit Airlines already terminated a previous, in February 2022 announced, merger-agreement with Frontier Airlines which didn't gain approval from its shareholders, which much more valued the bid from JetBlue.

The deal is subject to approval from the necessary anti-trust and -competition authorities and is expected to close by 2024. As a result of the merger, the Spirit Airlines-brand will be replaced by that of JetBlue. The company's headquarter will remain in New York (NY) but the airline will also have a significant presence in Florida, the current home-state for Spirit Airlines.

Combined, the new JetBlue/Spirit-fleet consists of more than 450 aircraft, with 300 Airbuses on order. JetBlue expects that it will operate up to 675 aircraft by 2027, consisting of 100 Airbus A220s and 575 A320(neo)-family aircraft.

JetBlue is now set to become the US fifth largest airline after American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, expecting a yearly revenue of close to 12 billion USD, carrying 77 million passengers per year to 127 unique destinations, operating 1,700+ daily flights.

Illustration by JetBlue.

Bonza’s First Boeing 737 MAX Arrives in Australia

- Bonza becomes first Australian airline to take delivery of the new 737 MAX

- New carrier will launch operations to 17 destinations on 27 routes across Australia with super-efficient 737-8 fleet

MARCOOLA, Australia, Aug. 1, 2022 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] has delivered the first 737-8 airplane to Bonza, a new carrier that becomes the first Australian airline to fly the new 737 MAX. Today, Bonza held an arrival ceremony to commemorate the milestone and welcome the arrival of the fuel-efficient 737-8 at its Sunshine Coast base.

“We are beyond excited to welcome our first 737 MAX to Sunshine Coast Airport and with so much buzz around the country for Bonza, we hope today is also exciting for the communities we’ll be flying to,” said Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza. “Our teams have been working hard behind the scenes to reach this significant milestone and we cannot wait to launch operations in the near future. The efficiency, reliability and overall capability of the 737 MAX will enable us to provide our customers with low-cost flights and the highest level of comfort onboard.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for Bonza and Boeing as the airline joins many operators around the world who have launched service with the 737 MAX,” said Christy Reese, vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing Asia Pacific, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Bonza has created a new business model to create new markets in Australia’s dynamic commercial aviation market. We are confident that the fuel-efficient 737-8 airplanes will enable the airline to provide their passengers with a comfortable flying experience and a more sustainable option to travel throughout the country.”

The 737-8 will enable Bonza to optimize its domestic operations, while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% and creating a 50% smaller noise footprint compared to previous generation airplanes. The 737 MAX family has the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, advanced technology winglets and other aerodynamic enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs. More than 40 airlines globally are operating the 737 MAX, which has made over 720,000 revenue flights totaling more than 1.8 million flight hours since late 2020.

Based in Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Bonza has signaled a commitment to add seven 737 MAX airplanes to its fleet within its first year of operation. The airline is working hard to commence flights as soon as late September subject to regulatory approval. The airline has also launched a nationwide contest on social media platforms to ask locals to help name its airplanes.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.

 

Pakistan's PIA to add widebodies

PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad Quaid-e-Azam Int'l) is planning to add widebody aircraft, which may include both A330 and B787 types in undisclosed variants.

"PIA would be looking at acquiring three wide body aircraft during the first quarter of 2023. The RFQ for that purpose will be floated within the next few weeks," spokesman Abdullah H. Khan told ch-aviation.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that PIA's widebody fleet comprises six B777-200(ER)s (17.5 years old on average), two B777-200(LR)s (17.3 years), and four B777-300(ER)s (14.7 years). The airline has an outstanding order for a further five B777-300(ER)s, which dates back to 2012, although it is highly questionable whether the aircraft will ever be taken up by PIA. The Pakistani flag carrier considered switching the B777 order to eight B787-9s in 2016. However, the order was never officially amended.

During a briefing with the carrier, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq instructed PIA to refurbish the cabins of the two B777-200(LR)s, which currently operate mainly to Toronto Pearson.

The airline said it is also planning to add a further two A320-200s in August 2022 to increase the type's fleet to 16 units. Five will also undergo cabin refurbishment.

Besides the B777s and A320s, PIA's fleet also includes four ATR42-500s and a single ATR72-500. The airline is also chartering an A330-200 from Jordan Aviation (R5, Amman Queen Alia) to operate flights to the European Union as PIA's own Third Country Operator authorisation was revoked over pilot licencing irregularities.

ch aviation