News

Due to recent failed Military Coup July 15 – 16 this weekend airports and specially Atatürk International Airport had been exposed to the coup. Police officers were killed and many people swarmed the airport including airfield operations side. “All airline carriers, regardless of country of registry, are prohibited from flying into the United States from Turkey either directly or via third country,” the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said.This all came about since the attempted coup. A statement over this weekend “This ban is until further notice with no statement of future dates of being lifted. That all changed late today Monday July 28, 2016 Turkish Airlines said it will resume all U.S. flights on July 19, starting with its 6:45 a.m. departure to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. The government also barred U.S.-registered aircraft from flying to and from Turkey, but since American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines do not serve Istanbul, that ban did not affect U.S. passenger carriers. The FAA has also lifted that restriction. The U.S. response to Friday’s attempted coup was unique. Other countries did not ban flights, though some airlines, including British Airways, temporarily canceled flights over the weekend as Istanbul’s airport recovered. On Monday, Turkish Airlines and other European were flying most of their usual schedules from Istanbul’s airport. U.S. passengers stranded in Turkey were trying to board flights to Europe, where they could catch a connecting flight to the United States, but many reported that they were having difficulty getting airline representatives to rebook them. Travel into this region is not really advised but if you do so with caution. Source FAA / Contributing Airline Adviser 07/18/16

Commercial Aircraft Corporation Of China, LTD known by many as COMAC received 2 major aircraft orders at the 2016 Farnborough Air Show. Two separate orders for a total of 90 ARJ21 passenger aircraft.

At this time CALC known as China Aircraft Leasing Groups is one of the 2 customers with the order of 30 with options for 30 more of the ARJ121 aircraft. The other Customer is known to be AVIC Leasing which is a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China . This other order of 30 aircraft placed during the Farnborough Airshow.

The ARJ 121 is Chinas first domestically manufactured regional jet to be built in China. With seating capacity is one of three combinations First development and design started 14 years ago and the first flight test in 2008.

The ARJ21-700 aircraft, Flight EU6679 of Chengdu Airlines, flew from Chengdu to Shanghai with 70 passengers on June 28th, 2016. This event symbolized that the first China-developed regional jet ARJ21 entered into formal route operation with Chengdu as the base, and it was also an important milestone for the development of civil aircraft of China. The China-developed jet flew in the sky over China for the first time in commercial service.

Source COMAC and contributed edit By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

Aer Lingus is expanding its fleet of A330-300s by two aircraft following a decision to exercise options. The carrier currently operates eight A330s increasing to 10 aircraft in 2016. With the latest decision Aer Lingus’ A330 fleet will grow to 12 aircraft.

The airline today carries over 12 million passengers each year to over 70 destinations across Ireland, the UK, Continental Europe and North America. It celebrated its 80th year of operation in May 2016.

The A330 is one of the most popular widebody aircraft ever and has to date won over 1,500 orders, with over 1,100 flying with some 110 operators worldwide. With a true wide-body fuselage allowing very high comfort standards, the A330-300 is able to accommodate seat and class configurations to suit the diverse customer requirements. It has a range of up to 5,650 nm / 10,500 km with a full passenger load.

Source Airbus / Edited BY Airline Adviser 07/16/18

Norwegian, one of the largest low cost carriers in Europe, has placed an order for 30 A321LRs with Airbus. This follows a commitment signed in June 2012 for 100 A320neo aircraft. The switch from 30 A320neo aircraft to 30 A321LRs will support the carrier’s growth and modernization strategy and allows it to become the first low-cost carrier to operate the A321LR.

Norwegian (the brand name of Norwegian Air Shuttle AS) operates a network across Europe, North America and Asia, and is rapidly expanding its low cost operations. The new aircraft will feature a single class cabin layout, seating approximately 220 passengers.

“I am very excited about this new order of the Airbus A321LR,” says CEO of Norwegian, Bjorn Kjos. “The new ‘short long-haul’ aircraft available from 2019 fits really well with our global expansion plans and future long-haul network, both in terms of size, range and fuel efficiency. The Airbus A321LR is the newest narrow body long-haul aircraft on the market and with this order we will have a significant cost advantage and increased competitiveness, which means that we can offer our customers low prices on board brand new aircraft to a wide range of new destinations,ʺ said Kjos.

The A321LR, the latest member of the market leading A320neo Family, will be able to fly longer routes of up to 4,000 nm. The A321LR will provide additional flexibility as it will have the longest range of any single aisle airliner, making it ideally suited to transatlantic routes and enable airlines to tap into new long haul markets which were not previously accessible with current single aisle aircraft. First deliveries will start in 2019.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company, the Kuwait-based international aircraft leasing company, has upsized an order of ten A320neos to A321neos. The contract was signed at Farnborough International Airshow. This agreement is part of an overall agreement signed in 2012 for 85 A320neo’s.

“In a continuously growing market, ALAFCO is fully focused on offering its customers the most modern, technologically advanced and economically efficient aircraft. With the A321neo we will be able to look forward to even greater levels of efficiency and offer our customers some of the best that the industry has to offer,” said Ahmad A. Alzabin, ALAFCO Chairman & CEO.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

The first A320neo for LATAM Airlines Group rolled out of the Airbus Final Assembly Line in Toulouse after the installation of Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100-JM engines, revealing the airline’s new coral and indigo livery. The aircraft will continue through the next stages of production, including completion of cabin furnishing, ground and flight tests. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery to LATAM Airlines Group in the near future.

LATAM Airlines Brasil will become the first airline in South America to fly the A320neo. The airline group was the first A320neo customer in Latin America and has more than 250 Airbus planes in operation.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

Synergy Aerospace Corporation, largest shareholder of Colombia-based Avianca and owner of Avianca Brasil, has finalized a Purchase Agreement with Airbus for 62 A320neo Family aircraft. These A320neo will be the base of the fleet renewal and network growth strategy for Avianca Brasil, and also marks over 1,000 Airbus aircraft sold in Latin America.

“These A320neo will allow Avianca Brasil to take an important leap toward growing and modernizing its fleet in a profitable and sustainable manner, while improving passenger experience,” said Alex Bialer, Chairman of the Board, Synergy Group. “Thanks to its excellent eco-efficiency, reliability and comfort the A320neo Family will allow us to strengthen our position in South America by offering passengers the best single-aisle product available.”

Synergy became an Airbus customer in 2007 with its order for 10 A350 XWBs. It also has ordered 20 A320 Family aircraft, six A330-200 passenger and one A330-200 Freighter. Today, Avianca Brasil operates 40 A320 Family aircraft and one A330 Freighter.
Growing at a favorable rate of 5.3 percent annually, intra-regional and domestic traffic in Latin America is expected to almost triple in the next 20 years. The single-aisle aircraft is Latin America’s linchpin, and the A320neo will play a key role in securing this future market.

With over 1,000 aircraft sold and a backlog of more than 450, over 600 Airbus aircraft are in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past 10 years Airbus has tripled its in-service fleet, securing over 60 percent of orders in the region since 1990. The A320neo has become the undisputed aircraft family of choice for Latin America, now with 410 firm orders, plus 58 commitments with lessors, from seven customers winning nearly 70 percent of orders in the new generation single-aisle aircraft market.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

AirAsia has signed a firm order with Airbus for the purchase of 100 A321neo aircraft. The contract was announced at the Farnborough Airshow by AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes and Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier.

The contract marks the first order placed by AirAsia for the largest model in the best-selling A320 Family. Seating up to 240 passengers in a single class layout, the A321neo will enable the airline to increase capacity while benefitting from the lowest operating costs in the single aisle category.

The announcement sees the total number of A320 Family ordered by AirAsia rise to 575, reaffirming the carrier’s position as the largest airline customer for the Airbus single aisle product line. To date, over 170 A320s have already been delivered to the airline and are flying with its units in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.

Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer said. “AirAsia Group currently operates close to 1,000 flights per day to more than 120 destinations in 24 countries. We recorded a robust load factor of 85% in the first quarter of 2016, up 8 percentage points from the same period last year, and we are confident of maintaining this momentum going forward. The A321neo will help us to meet ongoing strong demand as well as further reduce our cost per Available Seat Kilometre across the group, which will translate to lower air fares for our guests. We would like to congratulate Airbus for producing the state-of-the-art A321neo aircraft that meets our requirements for efficient operations.”

Fernandes added, “The A321neo will be operated on our most popular routes and especially at airports with infrastructure constraints. It will allow us to bring higher passenger volumes with the same slots, therefore providing immediate benefits to the airports. These include, among others, more efficient operations, higher revenues from passenger service charges, and more airport retail purchases. We will also continue to maintain our 25-minute turnaround with two- or three-step boarding where permitted to ensure on-time performance.”

Source Airbus / Edited By airline Adviser 07/18/16

Indian low-cost airline Go Air has chosen Airbus for its further expansion plans by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 72 A320neo aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow.

Go Air, a Wadia Group company, announced its latest order following a similar agreement for 72 A320neo placed in 2011 bringing the total order book to 144 aircraft. The first two aircraft from this order were delivered in June. With the NEO induction, Go Air will expand its network and offer fliers better connectivity and continue its growth as one of India’s preferred low-cost airline.

“The new A320neo provide us the competitive edge to achieve our growth targets and help us strengthening our presence in the wider region. It also reaffirms Go Air’s commitment to deliver the most modern, comfortable and excellent air travel experience to all customers as well as to strengthen the sustained positive growth and business expansion of the company. The new aircraft will help us in unlocking new domestic routes while providing a springboard for continued international network expansion in the years to come.” said Go Air CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer.

Go Air is the first airline to use A320 NEO in Spaceflex configuration with 186 seats without compromising on the passenger leg room and comfort. This configuration will also enable better service and availability during peak season for the travelers.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

WOW air the low-fare airline based in Iceland has signed a firm order for four A321s. The airline’s first purchase agreement directly with Airbus also makes WOW air a new Airbus customer. WOW air is an all Airbus operator with 11 aircraft in its fleet to date and will grow to 12 by the end of 2016.

WOW air selected the A321 for its wider cabin, low operating costs and excellent fuel efficiency. The aircraft will feature a single-class cabin layout with 200 seats. The airline has selected CFM engines and will operate the aircraft throughout Europe and North America.

“We are thrilled to be adding these brand new A321 aircraft to our fast growing fleet. WOW air is becoming one of the leading low-cost long-haul airline in the World and we look forward to expanding even further through our successful partnership with Airbus,” said Skúli Mogensen, Founder and CEO of WOW air. This new order will strengthen the airline’s network that comprises today 30 international routes throughout Europe and North America.’’

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

Germania Group has placed a firm order for 25 Airbus A320neos. The contract was signed at the Farnborough International Airshow by Karsten Balke, CEO of Germania and S.A.T., and Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO of Airbus.

Germania Group operates an Airbus fleet of ten A319s and five A321s to destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from mainly German, Swiss and UK bases. Berlin-based Germania is also the charter service provider for Airbus’ double daily flights between its largest production sites in Toulouse and Hamburg.

“We are delighted to continue our successful collaboration with Airbus within the framework of our fleet renewal programme. The order of 25 A320neo fitted with the newest engines from Pratt & Whitney provides a solid basis for Germania’s future business development. We are totally convinced by the technical innovations, as well as by the combination of comfort and economics provided by this aircraft,” said Karsten Balke, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Germania.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/18/16

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air Europa today announced an order for 20 737 MAX 8s at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow. The order was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website.

“The 737 MAX will complement Air Europa’s growing fleet and is the perfect aircraft for our short-haul operations across Europe to feed our long-haul network from hubs in Madrid and Palma,” said Juan José Hidalgo, president, Globalia, the parent company of Air Europa. “This aircraft will play a major role in growing our business in the years to come and we look forward to becoming an all-Boeing carrier following recent orders for the 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX.”

Air Europa announced an order for 14 787-9 Dreamliners in 2015, the largest ever Boeing widebody order from a Spanish carrier. Air Europa now has a combined total of 22 787-8s and 787-9s on order as it continues its transition to an all-Boeing long-haul fleet.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/13/16

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Ruili Airlines announced today at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow the finalization of an order for six 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $1.59 billion at current list prices. The order represents the first widebody order for the Yunnan-based carrier.

Ruili Airlines first announced an intent to order the six 787-9 Dreamliners in May at the ceremony for the airline’s two-year anniversary.

“With our base in Yunnan province, Ruili Airlines is positioned to help build Yunnan as the gateway between Southwest China and the rest of the world,” said Ma Zhanwei, Chairman, Ruili Airlines. “The right size, long range, competitive fuel efficiency, as well as passenger appealing edge of the 787-9 make it an ideal fit in facilitating our international expansion plans.”

Established in February 2014, Ruili operates a fleet of nine 737 airplanes on 16 domestic routes with 46 daily departures. The start-up carrier plans to expand its fleet to 70 airplanes by the end of 2025.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/13/16

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and EGYPTAIR announced an order today for nine Next-Generation 737-800s at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow. The deal, valued at $864 million at current list prices, was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Order & Deliveries website.

Eight of the airplanes will be financed by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The announcement coincides with 50 years of partnership between Boeing and the airline that began with an order for a 707 in 1966. EGYPTAIR placed its first 737 order in 1975.

“Over the years, Boeing has played an important role in our growth plan,” said Safwat Musallam, Chairman and CEO, EGYPTAIR Holding Company. “The Next-Generation 737-800s has earned an excellent reputation for reliability, performance and cost efficiency and has added tremendous value to our operations. The addition of several more of this airplane will definitely enable us to continue with our plans to introduce modern, efficient aircraft on our short to medium haul destination network. We are pleased to be working with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to finance eight of these airplanes.”

EGYPTAIR currently operates 20 737-800NGs and when the nine airplanes on order have been delivered will comprise the largest single-aisle aircraft type in its fleet. The airline also has six 777-300ERs and two 777-200ERs. EGYPTAIR forecast significant growth of their total fleet by 2026.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/13/16

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced a commitment for 30 737 airplanes from an unidentified Chinese customer at the 2016 Farnborough Airshow.

The commitment includes a mix of 737 MAX and Next-Generation 737 airplanes, valued at more than $3 billion at current list prices.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 07/13/16