sábado, 21 de dezembro de 2019
Bamboo Airways receives first B787s
Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) has taken delivery of its first new-build B787-9 and is set to shortly receive another second-hand unit of the type.
According to Vietnamese media, the airline took delivery of VN-A819 (msn 62736) at Boeing's Charleston, SC site on December 9. It is equipped with 294 passenger seats, including 26 in business class and the remainder in economy. The aircraft, which was initially ordered by Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou) but was not taken up, has yet to be ferried to Viet Nam.
Meanwhile, the airline is also set to receive another B787-9 which was taken by Hainan Airlines but has now been retired by the Chinese airline. Msn 62739, owned by GECAS, was originally delivered in October 2018 but operated its last scheduled service for Hainan Airlines on November 18, 2019, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. It is currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance in Haikou.
In early December, Bamboo Airways said in a press release that it expected four B787-9s by the end of January 2020, including two delivered directly from the manufacturer.
"The first B787-9 Dreamliner will be operated by Bamboo Airways on domestic routes such as Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang. In the future, this will be the main aircraft for the medium and long routes of Bamboo Airways to Asia, Europe, America, connecting countries such as Japan, Korea, Czechia, Australia, and the USA," it said.
According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Bamboo Airways currently operates twenty narrowbody aircraft, namely one A319-100, six A320-200s, three A320-200neo, two A321-200s, and four A321-200neo. It also wet-leases three A320-200s from Turkey's Freebird Airlines (FH, Istanbul New). The airline has ten B787-9s on firm order from Boeing with another twenty due for delivery from lessors.
ch aviation
Pakistan Int'l Airlines eyes up to 16 SSJ 100/95s
PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Karachi Int'l) is considering adding between six and sixteen SSJ 100/95s as a part of an investment deal offered by the Russian government to Pakistan, Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Denis Manturov told the media during a visit to the Asian country.
The Russian side has offered various options regarding the addition of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft regional jets, ranging from purchase to dry- and even wet-lease. It is unclear who would be wet-leasing the aircraft to PIA in the last option.
The deal was a part of the largest-ever business agreement between Russia and Pakistan, wherein the Kremlin pledged billions of dollars worth of investment in the latter country.
The Russian government and Sukhoi are actively trying to find new foreign operators for the SSJ 100/95s.
sexta-feira, 13 de dezembro de 2019
Uzbekistan Airways adds Boeing 787 London service in S20
Uzbekistan Airways in summer 2020 season plans to introduce Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft on Tashkent – London Heathrow route, replacing Boeing 757. The 787 will operate this route twice weekly from 03APR20 for majority of summer season (757 operates from 01MAY20 to 10JUL20).
HY201 TAS1620 – 2000LHR 789 25
HY202 LHR2135 – 0825+1TAS 789 25
By Jim Liu
Routes Online
Air Canada’s first A220-300 takes to the skies
The first A220-300 for Air Canada has successfully completed its inaugural test flight from the Mirabel A220 final assembly line in Canada. The first of 45 aircraft for Air Canada is scheduled to be delivered to the Montreal-based airline in the coming weeks.
With its first A220 commercial flight in early 2020, Canada’s flag carrier will become the first airline in Canada to operate the Canadian-designed and -built A220. It will also become the first carrier in North America to fly the A220-300 variant.
Air Canada is planning to use the A220 on various domestic routes in Canada as well as to the United States. The A220’s unequalled performance and range capability will enable the airline to serve new markets, such as Montreal to Seattle and Toronto to San Jose, connecting the carrier’s main hubs to the West Coast, as of Spring 2020.
Benefitting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft, 20% lower fuel burn per seat and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for neighbourhood airports.
Around 100 A220s are currently flying with six operators on routes in Asia, America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.
Air France-KLM orders an additional 10 A350 XWBs
The Air France-KLM Group has decided to place a firm order for 10 additional widebody A350-900s, which will take its total order for the type to 38 aircraft.
By acquiring the industry’s most efficient and technologically advanced widebody aircraft, the airline will benefit from a significant reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The A350 XWBs are intended to be operated by Air France.
“Rationalising and modernising the fleet is central to our effort to regain our leading position in Europe,” said Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM Group. “It will strengthen our performance from both an economic and operational standpoint, and will help us deliver on our ambitious sustainability agenda. Offering a 25% reduction in fuel consumption compared to previous-generation aircraft, the Airbus A350-900 is a jewel of European expertise and a passenger favorite. We are excited to see it become a core asset of the Air France fleet.”
“Ben is leading an impressive transformation at Air France-KLM and we feel honoured that our A350 XWB aircraft have been selected as part of this endeavor,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “We sincerely thank Air France-KLM for the confidence placed in us.”
Air France-KLM currently operates a fleet of 159 Airbus aircraft.
The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions. The A350 XWB’s Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience. By the end of November, the A350 XWB Family had received 959 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.
Bamboo Airways takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Bamboo Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (VN-A819).
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will initially serve the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh route from Tet 2020.
With the mission of exploring new destinations, Bamboo Airways delivers unique experiences with direct flights connecting Vietnam to different countries in the region.
By 2021, Bamboo Airways is expected to expand direct flights to the US and Europe.
Qantas selects A350-1000(ULR) for Project Sunrise
Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) has selected the A350-1000(ULR) for its proposed Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul operations but has still not finalised the decision to launch such flights, the Australian airline said in a press release.
Qantas said that while no firm order has been placed yet, it "will work closely with Airbus to prepare contract terms for up to 12 aircraft ahead of a final decision by the Qantas Board", which is expected in March 2020.
The A350-1000(ULR) will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, an additional fuel tank, and a slightly increased maximum take-off weight.
"Between the research flights and what we’ve learned from two years of flying Perth Int'l to London Heathrow, we have a lot of confidence in the market for direct services like New York and London to the east coast of Australia. The A350 is a fantastic aircraft and the deal on the table with Airbus gives us the best possible combination of commercial terms, fuel efficiency, operating cost and customer experience," Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce said.
The manufacturer agreed to extend the deadline to confirm delivery slots by one month to March 2020. Qantas welcomed this change, pointing out that it "provides additional time to negotiate an industrial agreement without impacting the planned start date of Project Sunrise flights in the first half of calendar 2023".
Qantas clarified that the last remaining "gap in the business case" was an agreement with the pilot unions.
"From the outset, we’ve been clear that Project Sunrise depends on a business case that works. We’ll only commit to this investment if we know it will generate the right return for our shareholders given the inherent commercial risks. We’ve done a lot of work on the economics and we know the last gap we have to close is some efficiency gains associated with our pilots. We’re offering promotions and an increase in pay but we’re asking for some flexibility in return, which will help lower our operating costs," Joyce said.
The airline said discussions with the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) were ongoing.
Qantas said that based on the information already provided by the airline after two ultra-long-haul research flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith from London Heathrow and New York JFK, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has indicated that it was willing to amend the crew operating time rules to permit Project Sunrise operations.
The airline is also continuing work on a cabin redesign for flights lasting up to 21 hours.
Boeing initially proposed the B777-8 for Qantas' Project Sunrise operations but was later reported to have switched the offer to B777-200(LR)s given the delays marring the B777X programme.
Chile’s SKY orders 10 A321XLRs to expand its international footprint
SKY, a Chilean-based ultra-low-cost carrier, has signed a Purchase Agreement with Airbus for 10 A321XLRs. The airline will expand its international route network with the new aircraft.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step in the A320neo/A321neo Family, meeting market requirements for increased range and payload in a single-aisle aircraft. The A321XLR will deliver an unprecedented narrow-body airliner range of up to 4,700nm, with 30% lower fuel consumption per seat compared with previous-generation competitor jets, allowing airlines to expand networks by making new longer routes economically viable.
“This new aircraft fleet will allow us to expand our offer of international and wide-ranging routes, always under our successful low cost model and its extremely convenient ticket prices. Now passengers can enjoy new and very attractive destinations on the most modern airplanes in the market,” said Holger Paulmann, CEO of SKY.
Arturo Barreira, President of Airbus Latin America, said: “We are delighted that SKY has selected the A321XLR to further expand its fleet of all Airbus aircraft. The A321XLR will allow SKY to offer its customers new destinations, such as direct flights from Santiago in Chile to Miami in the U.S.”
According to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF), Latin America will need 2,700 new aircraft in the next 20 years, more than double today’s fleet. Passenger traffic in Latin America has doubled since 2002 and is expected to continue growing over the next two decades. Specifically in Chile, traffic is expected to increase from 0.89 trips per capita to 2.26 trips in 2038.
In parallel to the growing fleet, according to Airbus’ latest GMF, there will be a need for 47,550 new pilots and 64,160 technicians to be trained over the next 20 years in Latin America. To cover this necessity SKY also selected Airbus as its flight training provider, making the airline the launch customer for the new Airbus Chile Training Centre. The centre will offer flight crew training for Chilean pilots and will include a full-flight A320 simulator.
SKY has been an Airbus customer since 2010 and became an all-Airbus operator in 2013. The airline’s fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft serves national and international routes connecting Chile to Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay.
Airbus has sold 1,200 aircraft, has a backlog of more than 600 and more than 700 in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a 60% market share of the in-service fleet. Since 1994, Airbus has secured nearly 70% of net orders in the region.
sábado, 7 de dezembro de 2019
Condor completely abandons Thomas Cook brand
Condor (DE, Frankfurt Int'l) has repainted the first aircraft, B767-300(ER) D-ABUF (msn 26985), into a slightly modified livery which lacks any references to its former parent, Thomas Cook Group.
The German carrier said via Twitter that "the Thomas Cook name and the heart-shaped logo must be completely removed for trademark reasons". As such, its returned to its old stylized-condor logo which it last used 16 years ago. The colour scheme remains grey and golden.
Condor is one of two main units formerly owned by Thomas Cook Group which remain in operation. The other one is Sunclass Airlines (DK, Copenhagen Kastrup), formerly Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia (DK, Copenhagen Kastrup).
Condor also owns a technical subsidiary, Thomas Cook Aviation (H3, Frankfurt Int'l), and has a sister firm in Spain, Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics (H5, Palma de Mallorca). Both airlines continue to operate exclusively for Condor.
"Due to the fact that our partner airlines Thomas Cook Aviation and Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics only serve Condor as their client, their liveries will be changed as well and the sunny heart will be removed from the planes through cost-efficient decals," spokesperson Magdalena Hauser told ch-aviation.
Editorial Comment: The article has been updated regarding Thomas Cook Aviation and Balearics.
Aegean Airlines plans A320neo operations early-4Q20
Aegean Airlines (A3, Athens Int'l) has extended its schedule listing into November 2020, which sees further routes receiving A320-200neo operations, according to Airline Route.
It remains highly likely that in the coming weeks the planned A320neo service for these routes may move forward to the Summer 2020 season.
Planned new A320neo services, all of which are from Athens Int'l, are scheduled to commence from late-October to mid-November 2020 as follows:
Dublin Int'l, 3x weekly effective from October 26, 2020;
Edinburgh, 2x weekly effective from October 25, 2020;
Lisbon, 3x weekly effective from October 25, 2020, and;
Manchester Int'l, 2x weekly effective from October 27, 2020.
All of these services are currently operated by the airline's fleet of 37 A320-200s. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Aegean has 20 A320neos on order for delivery.
The airline also recently moved forward its planned A321-200neo operations from March 2020, with London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and Munich all receiving the type from January 2020.
ch aviation
sexta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2019
quinta-feira, 5 de dezembro de 2019
ROYAL Air Philippines - A319-100 - RP-C9368
Wong Chi Lam
Hong Kong
United Airlines orders 50 Airbus A321XLRs for transatlantic route expansion
United Airlines has placed a firm order for 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft as it begins to phase out older models and launches an expansion of transatlantic routes from its key U.S. hubs in Newark/New York and Washington D.C. United plans to take delivery of the first A321XLR in 2024 and expects to begin international service with the aircraft in 2025.
“The new Airbus A321XLR aircraft is an ideal one-for-one replacement for the older, less-efficient aircraft currently operating between some of the most vital cities in our intercontinental network,” said Andrew Nocella, United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “In addition to strengthening our ability to fly more efficiently, the A321XLR opens potential new destinations to further develop our route network and provide customers with more options to travel the globe.”
“We are delighted to be re-United with our friends in Chicago and thank them for their trust. The selection of the A321XLR by the leadership of United Airlines is a ringing endorsement of the range, payload, and fuel efficiency that Airbus incorporated into this state-of-the-art aircraft,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “The exceptional versatility and performance of the A321XLR enable new operational efficiencies that flow to the airline’s bottom line.”
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step in the A320neo/A321neo family of aircraft, meeting market requirements for increased range and payload in a single-aisle aircraft, and creating more value for the airlines by enabling economically viable service on longer routes than any comparable aircraft model. It will allow service from the U.S. East Coast to a much larger selection of European destinations.
The A321XLR will deliver an unprecedented narrow-body airliner range of up to 4,700nm, with 30% lower fuel consumption per seat compared with previous-generation competitor jets. It will have a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 101 metric tonnes, while takeoff, climb, and flight performance will change little from the A321neo.
The A321XLR will be operated by the same crew, powered by the same engines and have the same cabin as the A321neo, with more than 90 percent commonality. Combining the A321neo’s two rear center fuel tanks into one adds fuel capacity and reduces structural weight. Other significant changes include structural reinforcements and modified landing gears for the increased MTOW, increased braking capability, higher tire speed, and additional flap and slat configurations.
With the Airbus Cabin Flex fuselage, the A321XLR will accommodate a variety of seating classes and configurations suitable for longer flights.
At the end of October 2019, the A320neo Family had accumulated more than 7,000 firm orders from over 110 customers worldwide.
For more information about the A320 family
Air Corsica takes delivery of its first Airbus A320neo
Air Corsica, the airline company based on the Island of Corsica, has taken delivery of its first of two Airbus A320neo aircraft on lease from ICBC Leasing. With this delivery, the airline becomes the first French A320neo operator.
The highly-fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft will help reduce Air Corsica’s operating costs. The airline’s A320neo is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and is configured in a single-class cabin layout, seating 186 passengers.
Each passenger will benefit from a modern cabin that includes USB ports to charge electronic devices during flight. In addition, the aircraft’s lavatories are designed to facilitate access for passengers with reduced mobility.
The two Air Corsica A320neo aircraft will replace the older aircraft in its fleet and will operate on the airline’s main domestic and European networks. Air Corsica is currently operating a fleet of six A320 aircraft.
Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver 20% reduced fuel burn as well as 50% less noise compared to previous-generation aircraft.
At the end of October 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 7,000 firm orders from over 110 customers worldwide.
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