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SEATTLE, /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Primera Air announced an order for eight 737 MAX 9 airplanes, valued at more than $950 million at list prices. The agreement also includes purchase rights for four additional 737 MAX 9s and a lease agreement for eight more airplanes from Air Lease Corporation. The 737 MAX 9 will form the backbone of the low-cost airline’s future as it seeks to commence flights between Europe and North America. Primera Air plans to use the MAX 9’s auxiliary fuel tanks to lower trip costs and maximize the range to accommodate flights connecting Europe to the east coast of the U.S. “The 737 MAX 9 will allow Primera Air to open up nonstop, long-haul routes from Europe to the U.S. with unmatched economics,” said Andri M. Ingolfsson, President, Primera Air. “This aircraft has a lower per-seat cost than the current wide body aircraft servicing the transatlantic and the capabilities of this aircraft type will change the economics of the industry. This will open up fantastic possibilities for growth for Primera Air in the future.” is an all-Boeing carrier currently operating a fleet of nine Next-Generation 737-700s and 737-800s with flights to more than 70 airports in Europe. Primera Air is part of the Primera Travel Group that operates travel agencies and tour operating companies in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Estonia. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 05/26/17

Boeing confirms the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Iran Aseman Airlines, expressing the airline’s intent to purchase 30 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes with a list price value of $3 billion. The agreement also provides the airline with purchase rights for 30 additional 737 MAXs.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an aerospace sale of this magnitude creates or sustains approximately 18,000 jobs in the United States. Deliveries would be scheduled to start in 2022.

Boeing negotiated the MOA under authorizations from the U.S. government following a determination that Iran had met its obligations under the nuclear accord signed in 2015. Boeing will look to the Office of Foreign Assets Control for approval to perform under this transaction. Boeing continues to follow the lead of the U.S. government with regards to working with Iran’s airlines, and any and all contracts with Iran’s airlines are contingent upon U.S. government approval.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 04/10/17

RENTON, Wash., March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced today that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the 737 MAX 8 airplane for commercial service. Boeing is now in the final stages of preparing for the first 737 MAX 8 delivery to customers in the coming months.

To earn certification for the 737 MAX 8, Boeing undertook a comprehensive test program that began just over one year ago with four airplanes, plus ground and laboratory testing. Following a rigorous certification process, the FAA granted Boeing an Amended Type Certificate for the 737 MAX 8, verifying the design complies with required aviation regulations and is safe and reliable.

“This certification is a true testament to the dedication and commitment of our entire MAX team throughout the process, from airplane design to flight testing,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager, 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The Renton team looks forward to delivering superior efficiency, reliability and design to our customers as they start to receive their 737 MAX aircraft in the next few months.”

The 737 MAX family of aircraft is designed to offer customers exceptional performance, flexibility and efficiency, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range that will open up new destinations in the single-aisle market. The MAX 8 and 9 will be followed in 2019 by the smaller MAX 7 and higher capacity MAX 200, while studies and discussion continue with customers on growing the family.

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. It is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 3,600 orders to date from 83 customers worldwide.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 03/09/17

RENTON, Wash /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) marked a milestone Tuesday March 7, 2017. The first 737 MAX 9 made its debut in front of thousands of Boeing employees.

The 737 MAX 9 is the second member of Boeing’s industry leading 737 MAX family, with a maximum capacity of 220 passengers and a range of 3,515 nautical miles.

The airplane now begins system checks, fueling and engine runs on the flight line. Once completed, the airplane will begin flight testing in the coming weeks – the final phase of verification of the operational characteristics and overall performance of a new airplane.

“The 737 MAX team continues to do a fantastic job getting us to these important milestones right on schedule,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our primary focus is delivering an aircraft that has the legendary reliability our 737 customers depend on, plus the optimized flexibility and range capability they desire.”

The 737 MAX 9 is scheduled to enter service in 2018. The 737 MAX 8 is on track to deliver to customers in the second quarter of 2017.

The 737 MAX family has been designed to offer customers exceptional performance, flexibility and efficiency, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range that will open up new destinations in the single-aisle market. The MAX 8 and 9 will be followed in 2019 by the smaller MAX 7 and higher capacity MAX 200, while studies and discussions continue with customers on growing the family.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 03/08/17

On March 6, All Nippon Airways (ANA) revealed a special livery for the A380. The livery was selected from over 2,000 submissions received in an open competition organized by the carrier. The winning design will be painted on the airline’s first new A380, which will be delivered early in 2019. ANA will operate the aircraft on its most popular leisure route, from Tokyo to Honolulu.

The winning entry is a colorful design featuring the Hawaiian green sea turtle – a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hawaii.

Flights between Japan and Hawaii represent a highly competitive market. Around 1.5 million Japanese travel to Hawaii annually, with airlines enjoying consistently high load factors. ANA will seek to increase significantly its share of this lucrative market with the introduction of the popular A380.

ANA parent company ANA Holdings placed its order for three A380s in January 2016 and will become the first Japanese airline to operate the type, transporting more passengers, more efficiently and in greater comfort – all at lower cost.

ANA is planning a number of future activities in Hawaii to protect the green sea turtle, which is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. The green sea turtle is known as the “Honu” in Hawaii and ANA will adopt the name “Flying Honu” for its A380 fleet.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 03/07/17

SEATTLE /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] is pleased that Singapore Airlines has announced its commitment to purchase 20 777-9s and 19 787-10 Dreamliners. The national carrier and 787-10 launch customer also announced its recommitment for its previous order for 30 787-10 airplanes.

“Singapore Airlines has been a valued Boeing customer for more than 50 years and we are honored they have selected the 777X and additional 787-10s to expand its future widebody fleet. They are the most efficient, capable and passenger preferred airplanes in their class,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Kevin McAllister. “We appreciate the trust, commitment and endorsement of Singapore Airlines, and look forward to delivering market-leading capability to one of the world’s most widely respected industry leaders.”

Advanced technology including a new composite wing, all-new engines and superior aerodynamics will result in the incredible fuel efficiency promised by the 777X family.

The 787-10 is the third member of the super-efficient, passenger-pleasing 787 Dreamliner family. With its greater passenger and cargo capacity, high degree of commonality and passenger-pleasing features, the 787-10 will complement the family while setting a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics – 25 percent better fuel per seat and emissions than the airplanes it will replace.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 02/10/17

Atlantic Airways, the national carrier of the Faroe Islands, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 as part of its plan to increase capacity, becoming Airbus’ newest operator of the type.

Atlantic Airways passengers will benefit from the newest cabin comfort throughout the cabin in a single class layout with 168 seats and 18 inch wide seats as standard. The aircraft which is equipped with CFM engines will be deployed on routes from the Faroe Islands to Copenhagen.

The A320 was chosen by Atlantic Airways for its unrivalled economics, performance and operability in challenging environmental and geographical conditions. The aircraft has Required Navigation Performance (RNP 0.1) capability built-in, which enables the aircraft to fly precisely along predefined routes using state-of-the-art on-board navigation systems. Atlantic Airways were the first airline in Europe to use the Required Navigation Performance approach.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 12/21/16

São José dos Campos, Brazil. Embraer reached another milestone with its E-Jets program, the delivery of the 1,300th aircraft. The E-Jet, an E195, was handed over to China’s Tianjin Airlines in a ceremony at the factory in São José dos Campos. This delivery brings the Tianjin Airlines E-Jet fleet to 45, the largest in Asia.

“We dedicate this milestone to all our customers who have embraced the E-Jets philosophy. Without each of them, we would never have achieved such success with the program,” said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “It’s a great pleasure to share this exciting moment with Tianjin. We’ve been partners for many years and we look forward to many more decades, as the airline grows with the E2.”

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2014 state visit to Brazil, Embraer and Tianjin Airlines signed an agreement for up to 20 E195s and 20 E190-E2s. The first E2 is scheduled to be delivered to Tianjin Airlines in 2018.

Tianjin Airlines is among Embraer’s earliest customers in China. In 2008, it became the first airline to operate an E-Jet in the country. It is also the Embraer Authorized Service Center in the region.

Liu Lu, Executive Chairman and President of Tianjin Airlines, said this is another milestone for Tianjin Airlines. “Tianjin Airlines started as a regional carrier, and E-Jets have played a crucial role in our fleet optimization and route expansion. Tianjin Airlines is also the largest E-Jets operator in Asia with 62 aircraft, which redefined the operation model of regional aviation in China.

Embraer has been leading the Chinese regional aviation industry with a market share around 80% of regional jet orders. To date, the company has logged orders for 190 commercial aircraft, 21 of which are pending government approval.

Source Embraer / Edited By Airline Adviser 12/05/16

SAA’s A330-300 are configured in a comfortable two-class cabin layout with 46 seats in Business Class and 203 in Economy class seats. The aircraft will introduce new levels of onboard comfort, including connectivity for SAA’s passengers and enhanced operating efficiencies for the airline.

SAA has selected the latest 242-tonne Maximum Take-Off Weight variant of the A330-300, which incorporates a new aerodynamic packages enabling the aircraft to cover distances of up to 6,350 nautical miles (11,750km) in flights up to 15 hours in duration. This payload/range capability allows the aircraft to be deployed across SAA’s long-haul, intra-Africa and peak domestic routes.

The A330-300s share the same cockpit configuration, operating philosophy and procedures with SAA’s existing fleet of Airbus widebody jetliners. This high degree of commonality across the fleet is fundamental to achieving low operating, maintenance and training costs.

The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, has attracted over 1,630 orders, with over 1,300 aircraft delivered to more than 100 operators worldwide, including SAA.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 12/05/16

The first delivery of an A321 aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility to Delta Air Lines took place in Mobile, Alabama. On hand for the occasion were executives from Airbus and Delta Air Lines, a team of Delta employees from the airline’s Minneapolis-St. Paul station, and representatives of the more than 370 employees at the facility.

Bob Lekites, Executive Vice President-Customers, Airbus Americas said, “Airbus is committed to giving our customers the right products for a marketplace that needs modern, efficient and passenger-friendly aircraft. Delta has recognized our commitment to our customers, and has determined we were the right partner for them.

Delta already operates a fleet of 137 A320 family aircraft and 40 A330.They have another 123 aircraft on order—including A320 family, A330 and A350 aircraft. Just this year, Delta placed its third A321-ceo order in three years. So this is definitely the first of many deliveries Delta will take from Mobile in the next few years.”

“The first Delta A321 produced in Mobile will be our 12th overall for Delta. We look forward to taking many more A321s in the years ahead to safely and comfortably get our customers to their destinations,” said Greg May, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management and Fleet. “We appreciate our partnership with Airbus and the great manufacturing work produced at the Mobile facility.”

Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama in 2012, and less than one year later, broke ground on the $600 million facility. The ceremonial inauguration of the plant took place in September 2015. The aircraft delivered today is the 15th aircraft delivered from the Mobile facility.

Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries will all be A320 Family aircraft with the Current Engine Option (CEO), but will begin transitioning to New Engine Option (NEO) derivatives in late 2017.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 12/05/16

Aircalin, the Noumea based carrier in the French territory of New Caledonia has signed an agreement (MoU) for two A320neo single-aisle and two A330-900 wide-body aircraft. The agreement was finalised and signed at a ceremony in the capital Noumea attended by airline officials and Airbus executives.

The A320neo engine choice will be made at a later date as will the cabin configuration of both aircraft types. The A320neo will be deployed on existing regional routes to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. With the A330neo, Aircalin will boost services to Japan for onward connections and the possible opening of new routes such as to China.

“As part of our plan to boost tourism to New Caledonia, Aircalin has made a strategic decision to renew its complete fleet with the A320neo and the A330neo to grow routes and connect New Caledonia to the region,” said Didier Tappero, Aircalin CEO. Bernard Deladrière, Chairman of the Board and Member of New Caledonia Government asserted, “Aircalin is taking on an even more strategic step for its future, as it is about its profitability and its competitiveness.”

The A330neo is the most cost-efficient in its size category, offering a reduction in fuel burn of 14 percent per seat, an increase in non-stop flying range of up to 4000 nautical miles and the lowest maintenance costs of any aircraft.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 12/05/16

The maiden flight of Airbus’ A350-1000. During more than 4 hours aloft Thursday November 24, 2016, this longest-fuselage version of the A350 XWB demonstrated the performance and efficiency that will be appreciated by airline and aircraft leasing customers worldwide – 11 of which already have ordered 195 A350-1000s from the Middle East, North America, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Performing the initial in-flight evaluation from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in southwestern France was the aircraft bearing the Manufacturing Serial Number 59 (MSN059) – one of three jetliners that will participate in the A350-1000 flight test and certification campaign.

Measuring nearly 74 meters from nose to tail, the A350-1000 is offering a maximum range of 7,950 nautical miles. It is designed for high efficiency, maximum reliability and optimized performance while offering passengers best-in-class comfort with its “Airspace by Airbus” cabin.

The A350-1000’s longer fuselage translates to greater capacity, seating 366 passengers (+40 seats compared to the A350-900) in a typical three-class configuration, and answers market needs with a larger premium area to accommodate first class and business class travelers.

Further enhancing the A350-1000’s efficiency are its latest-generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofan jet power plants – the world’s most efficient large aero engines flying today.

Deliveries of the A350-1000 are planned to begin in the second half of 2017 with launch customer Qatar Airways (which has ordered 37 aircraft). Other carriers that have booked A350-1000s are United Airlines (with 35 on order), Cathay Pacific (26), Etihad (22) British Airways (18), LATAM (14), Japan Airlines (13), Asiana Airlines (10), Air Lease Corporation (9), Virgin Atlantic (8), and Air Caraïbes (3).

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 11/25/16

Airbus celebrated the delivery of its 10,000th aircraft – an A350-900 for Singapore Airlines. The milestone event was marked by a special ceremony in Toulouse hosted by Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders and attended by Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines.

The aircraft delivered is the sixth A350-900 for Singapore Airlines, out of a total order for 67. Featuring a special “10,000th Airbus” logo, the aircraft will be used to launch the airline’s new non-stop services between Singapore and San Francisco later this month.

The 10,000th Airbus delivery comes as the manufacturer achieves its highest level of production ever and is on track to deliver at least 650 aircraft this year from its extensive product line. These range from 100 to over 600 seats and efficiently meet every airline requirement, from high frequency short haul operations to the world’s longest intercontinental flights.

Driven by a passion for aviation and a desire to create better ways to fly, the over-four-decade-long Airbus success story is now an achievement that spans 10,000 aircraft – from the A300 to the A350 XWB and beyond.

With the handover of an A350-900 to Singapore Airlines , Airbus marked the 10,000th aircraft provided to worldwide customers since the aircraft manufacturer’s initial delivery in 1974. This accomplishment underscores the company’s ongoing growth that has transformed a European upstart in the 1970s to a global market leader now offering a modern and comprehensive product line ranging from 100 to more than 600 seats.

Throughout Airbus’ history, these commercial aircraft have been connected by the shared values of continuous innovation, unmatched operational efficiency and superior comfort – characteristics which operators and passengers around the globe have firmly endorsed.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/18/16

WASHINGTON / Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Qatar Airways announced an order for 30 787-9 Dreamliners and 10 777-300ERs, valued at $11.7 billion at list prices, validating the value, reliability and performance of Boeing’s twin-aisle airplanes.

The airline also signed a Letter of Intent for up to 60 737 MAX 8s, valued at $6.9 billion at list prices.

The announcement builds on Qatar Airways’ current fleet of 84 Boeing aircraft, a combination of 787s and 777s, all delivered over the last nine years. With this new order, Qatar Airways increases its firm order backlog of Boeing widebody airplanes from 65 to 105, including 60 777Xs.

The announcement was attended by the State of Qatar’s Minister of Finance, His Excellency Ali Shareef Al Emadi, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and the Ambassador of Qatar, His Excellency Mohammed Jaham Al-Kuwari.

“Qatar Airways, already one of the fastest growing airlines in the history of aviation, today announces a significant and historic aircraft order that will power our future growth for the years and the decades ahead,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. “Boeing has proven to be a valuable partner, and today’s announcement is testament to our appreciation of the quality of their product and their dedication to providing world class customer service.”

Qatar Airways’ relationship with Boeing was renewed in 2006. it would be the first Boeing single-aisle airplane model to join Qatar Airways’ fleet in more than 15 years.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/10/16

Las Vegas, Nevada-based Allegiant Travel Company has signed a purchase agreement for 12 Airbus A320ceo (current engine option) aircraft. This deal marks the first time the low-cost airline has purchased new aircraft from any manufacturer. Each will be powered by CFM56 engines from CFM International. The company’s current fleet plan is focused on a transition to all Airbus aircraft including a mix of previously-owned aircraft along with those included in this deal.

“Allegiant offers travelers convenient, affordable nonstop service enabling them to more easily enjoy their favorite vacation destinations,” said Maury Gallagher, Chairman and CEO of Allegiant Travel Company. “As we continue to transition to an all-Airbus fleet, this purchase will allow us to accelerate that process, reduce complexity in our fleet and provide our passengers with an ever-improving experience.” Allegiant currently operates a fleet of 15 A319ceo and 16 A320ceo aircraft.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/29/16