News

SEATTLE /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Alaska Airlines announced an order for 10 Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplanes, building on Alaska’s all-Boeing fleet. As Seattle’s hometown airline, Alaska continues to invest in the region it calls home. The purchase, which brings Alaska’s total Boeing jets on order to 74, means the airline’s customers will enjoy expanded service from its Seattle hub and a commitment to a locally manufactured fleet of the most fuel efficient airplanes in the market. “We love having Seattle as our home and buying locally built airplanes is a point of pride for us,” said Alaska Airlines’ president and CEO Brad Tilden. “These new planes will allow us to serve our customers even better with improved in-cabin experience, including our new leather Recaro seats with added leg room, power outlets at every seat and larger overhead bins.” With a list price of $990 million, this order represents a significant investment in the long term success of Alaska Airlines. These new airplanes will not only allow network growth, but also enable further cost reductions by replacing Alaska’s 737-400s with new 737-900ERs, capable of carrying 25 percent more passengers while using the same amount of fuel. Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

EVERETT, Wash /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air China celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 747-8 Intercontinental. Air China is the first carrier in Asia to operate the passenger version of the new, fuel-efficient 747-8. The new airplane is the first of seven 747-8 Intercontinentals Air China has on order.

“Air China has been operating 747s since the 1980s,” said Song Zhiyong, president of Air China. “This iconic airplane has played an important role in Air China’s international development and has also witnessed many milestones of the reform and opening-up of China. We are very proud to introduce the new 747-8 into our fleet to continue its tradition into the future.”

The 747-8 Intercontinental will bring double-digit improvements in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The airplane’s interior, inspired by the 787 Dreamliner, includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort. The 747-8 Intercontinental is powered by GE Aviation’s GEnx-2B engines.

Boeing’s partnership with Air China dates back to the 1970s. In addition to the 747-8 Intercontinental, Air China also has 15 787-9s on order. Air China has received all of its 20 777-300ERs in the last three years and is one of the largest 737 operators in China.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

EVERETT, Wash /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and China Airlines celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 777-300ER (Extended Range). The new airplane is the first of 10 777-300ERs that the Taiwanese flag carrier plans to introduce in the coming years.

“The introduction of the Boeing 777-300ER fleet is an important milestone for China Airlines,” said China Airlines Chairman Huang-Hsiang Sun. “Over the past two years, China Airlines has taken a broad new approach and philosophy to cabin design. China Airlines will introduce a new, state-of-the-art cabin interior onboard its 777-300ER designed by award-winning Taiwanese architect Ray Chen.

China Airlines will launch operations of their first 777-300ER to Hong Kong in October and will eventually introduce the airplane on transpacific routes, connecting Taipei with major cities in North America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

The Boeing 777 is the world’s most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane. The 777-300ER is equipped with the world’s most powerful GE90-115B commercial jet engine, and can travel, with a standard three class configuration, a maximum range of 7,825 nautical miles (14,490 kilometers).

Headquartered in Taoyuan, China Airlines is the largest carrier in Taiwan with a Group fleet of nearly 90 airplanes. The airline currently serves more than 13 million passengers annually to over 118 destinations across the globe.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

Final assembly of the first A350 XWB for Vietnam Airlines has begun at the Roger Béteille Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France.

Scheduled for delivery in mid-2015, the aircraft will see Vietnam Airlines become the first Asian airline to fly the A350 XWB and the second operator in the world of the all-new, fuel-efficient widebody.

Vietnam Airlines has a total of 10 A350 XWB on order. The aircraft will be operated on the carrier’s premium long range services.

The five A350 test aircraft currently flying have accumulated some 2600 flight hours in over 600 flights, with entry into service planned for Q4 2014. The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. To date, the A350 XWB has already won 750 firm orders from 39 customers worldwide.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

The first A350 XWB for Qatar Airways is progressing towards delivery before year end. The aircraft equipped with Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines rolled out of the Airbus factory in Toulouse fully painted, prominently bearing Qatar Airways’ livery.

Following the recent EASA Type Certification, the Qatar Airways A350-900 is now entering into its final stage of production during which Airbus and the airline teams are actively working together in order to ensure a seamless hand-over process. The remaining steps up to delivery comprise notably the cabin completion as well as ground and flight tests.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

São José dos Campos, Brazil – Embraer S.A. and Republic Airways Holdings Inc., operator of the largest E-Jets fleet in the world, announced a contract for the sale and purchase of 50 firm E175 jets. The value of the firm order, which will be included in Embraer’s 2014 third-quarter backlog, is estimated at USD 2.1 billion, based on 2014 list prices. The aircraft will be operated for United Airlines under the United Express brand. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2015 and extend until 2017.

This contract is in addition to the order signed by Embraer and Republic in January 2013 for 47 firm and 47 option E175s – 34 of which have already been delivered. In addition to the new order, Republic maintains 32 options for E175s.

This transaction is in connection with the transfer of Q400 turboprop airplanes currently operated by Republic Airlines to UK’s carrier Flybe Limited. Concurrently, Flybe and Embraer have agreed to reduce by 20 the outstanding order for 24 E175’s the airline has on order backlog. Therefore, the net increase to Embraer’s backlog in the 3rd quarter will be 30 E175 jets.

“Embraer has a long history of working with us to meet our partners’ needs,” said Bryan Bedford, President, Chairman and CEO of Republic. “We look forward to working with Embraer, United and Flybe to complete this fleet transition.”

Republic Airways was one of the first U.S. carriers to fly Embraer E-Jets, operating its first E170 in 2004. With this new order, the Republic Airways E-Jet fleet will consist of 72 E170s and 151 E175s for a total of 223 E-Jets. Republic Airways is also a long-time customer of the ERJ 145 regional jet family with 41 flying as Delta Connection aircraft.

Source Embraer / Edited By Airline Adviser 10/08/14

EVERETT, Wash/PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today rolled out of its paint hangar the first 787-9 Dreamliner that will be delivered to Etihad Airways. The airplane is painted in the airline’s new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery with colors reminiscent of the desert landscape, inspired by the culture, Islamic design and architecture motifs of the United Arab Emirates.

“The U.S. is a strategically important part of our network,” said James Hogan, president and CEO, Etihad Airways. “As we celebrate the rollout of our first 787 today, we remain focused on bringing Etihad Airways’ world-class hospitality and unparalleled product experience to provide more choice to Americans traveling with us worldwide. We are also very proud to support vital U.S. businesses including Boeing as one of the largest airline customers for the Dreamliner, an aircraft that will play a fundamental role in the future of our growing international network.”

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will take delivery of its first 787-9 later this year. Etihad Airways is one of the world’s largest customers for the 787 with a total of 71 Dreamliners on order, including 41 787-9s and 30 787-10s.

“Etihad Airways is one of the most forward-thinking airlines of the world and we’re proud to have their trust and confidence in the Dreamliner,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Ray Conner. “The airline’s new livery is a unique design that reflects the UAE’s rich heritage of innovation and great hospitality.”

The 787 will be a key part of Etihad Airways’ fleet and network expansion plans. The airline has announced that the 787-9 will be introduced on six of the airline’s routes: Dusseldorf, Germany; Doha, Qatar; Washington, D.C.; Mumbai; Brisbane, Australia and Moscow.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 09/29/14

For the first time, Etihad Airways unveiled its all-new livery design on its first Airbus A380 at a special ceremony at the Airbus site in Hamburg‎, Germany.

The airline’s first flagship aircraft‎ will now go through its final phase of cabin furnishing, followed by ground and flight tests, before being delivered to the Abu Dhabi based airline towards the end of the year.

Etihad Airways has firm orders for ten A380s and will become the 13th operator of the aircraft.

With 318 orders so far by 19 customers the A380 captures 90 percent of the Very Large Aircraft market. To date over 65 million passengers have already enjoyed the unique experience of flying on board an A380. Every four minutes in the world, an A380 either takes off or lands, and the network is constantly growing. Also see the unveiling on video in the middle east section of our airlines page https://airlineadviser.com/Airlines.html

Source Airbus / Edited By airline Adviser 09/29/14

EVERETT, Wash /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) and China Eastern Airlines celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 777-300ER. The new airplane is the first of 20 777-300ERs China Eastern has on order.

“We are delighted to introduce our first 777-300ER in China Eastern’s new look in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the 777-300ER program,” said Liu Shaoyong, Chairman of China Eastern Airlines. “The delivery not only marks a milestone in the long-standing business relationship between China Eastern and Boeing, but also signals the modernization of our world-class fleet and the enhancement of the competitiveness of our trans-Pacific routes.”

China Eastern will operate 777-300ERs on routes between China and North America, which will be a major market for China Eastern over the next three years. The carrier plans to open new routes to North America and also boost frequencies on existing routes from Shanghai to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. Starting in November, the carrier will deploy its first 777-300ER on services to Los Angeles and New York.

China Eastern debuted its new livery on the new 777-300ER – a change to its 25-year old livery. The new look features an updated logo – a swallow consisting of two capital letters, C and E, which represent the carrier’s name.

China Eastern has configured its new 777-300ER to feature three distinct cabins. Passengers will find six first class suits, 52 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and 258 economy seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.

The Boeing 777 is the world’s most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane. The 777-300ER is equipped with the world’s most powerful GE90-115B commercial jet engine, and can travel, with a standard three class configuration, a maximum range of 7,825 nautical miles (14,490 kilometers).

Headquartered in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is one of the three major airlines in mainland China. Flying a fleet of 500 long-haul and short-haul airplanes with an average age of less than seven years, China Eastern serves nearly 80 million travelers annually and ranks among the world’s top five airlines in terms of passenger transportation volume.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 09/29/14

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) launched the newest member of the 737 MAX family today with a commitment from Ryanair for 100 airplanes. Europe’s leading low-cost carrier will be the first airline to operate the 737 MAX 200, a variant based on the successful 737 MAX 8 that can accommodate up to 200 seats, increasing revenue potential and providing customers up to 20 percent better fuel efficiency per seat than today’s most efficient single-aisle airplanes.

“Ryanair is proud and honored to become the lead operator of Boeing’s ‘game changer’ 737 MAX 200, which will expand our fleet to 520 aircraft by 2024 and create another 3,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers in Europe, while allowing us to grow traffic from 82 million last year to over 150 million annually by 2024,” said Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. Valued at $11 billion at current list prices, Ryanair has options to purchase another 100 737 MAX 200s.

“These new “game changer” aircraft will allow Ryanair to lower our costs and airfares, while improving our customer experience with more leg room and the Boeing Sky Interior, as we roll out new offers, particularly for our Business Plus and Family Extra customers. As many of Europe’s flag carriers cut capacity on short haul routes, Ryanair looks forward to using these new Boeing 737 MAX 200s to grow at many more of Europe’s primary airports,” said O’Leary

Based on the 737 MAX 8 airframe, the 737 MAX 200 can accommodate up to 200 seats by incorporating a mid-exit door increasing the exit limit. The airframe is 2.2 meters longer than the A320neo, giving customers more flexibility and space in the cabin, and offering a better solution at both the heart of the single-aisle market (160 seats) and at maximum passenger configurations.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 09/15/14

São José dos Campos, Brazil, – Embraer S.A. has signed a firm order with Japan Airlines (JAL) for a total of 15 E-Jets comprising the E170 and the E190 jets models, as well as for an additional twelve E-Jets family options. The value of the firm order is estimated at USD 677 million, based on 2014 list prices.

The order will be included in Embraer’s 2014 third-quarter backlog. All aircraft will be operated by Japan Airlines’ wholly owned subsidiary, J-Air, which has headquarters at Osaka’s Itami Airport. This order is added to the existing 15 E170s that the airline currently flies. New deliveries of E-Jets are scheduled from 2015.

“We have been operating our E-Jets for five years and the aircraft have achieved an outstanding 99.7% dispatch reliability. They are efficient and have displayed exceptional performance,” said Yoshiharu Ueki, Representative Director, President of Japan Airlines. “Having the combination of E170s and E190s in our fleet will give us greater flexibility, enabling us to match capacity with demand on routes within our existing and future networks. Our passengers have been impressed with the space and comfort on board our E170. They value the fact that there is no middle seat.”

J-Air currently operates 176 daily flights across its network of 21 cities that include Osaka-Itami, Sapporo, Sendai, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Fukuoka.

Source Embraer / Edited By Airline Adviser 08/31/14

EVERETT, Wash /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Xiamen Airlines celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 787 Dreamliner. “We are excited to receive our first 787 Dreamliner which is also the first widebody airplane of our all-Boeing fleet,” said Che Shanglun, president and chairman of Xiamen Airlines.

With the delivery of its first 787-8, Xiamen Airlines becomes the third Chinese airline to operate the 787. The airline will use the 787 on long-haul routes from its Fujian province base to Europe, North America and Australia.

Formed in 1984 as China’s first joint venture between the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and a municipal government, Xiamen Airlines started services in 1985 with two 737-200s serving three cities. The carrier has grown into China’s sixth largest airline serving 218 domestic routes and 26 international and regional routes.

As part of Xiamen Airlines’ 12th five-year plan ending 2015, the carrier plans to grow its fleet to 150 airplanes, including six 787s. The 787 is the most advanced airplane in commercial aviation and will help Xiamen Airlines develop more point-to-point routes globally, while also establishing the airline as an emerging force in the commercial aviation market.

Xiamen Airlines is China’s only all-Boeing carrier. In November 2013, the airline took delivery of its 100th Boeing airplane, a Next-Generation 737-800. Xiamen Airlines has a total of six 787s on order.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 08/31/14

EVERETT, Wash/PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Royal Jordanian celebrated this week the delivery of the airline’s first 787 Dreamliner. The airplane will play a central role in the Amman-based airline’s strategic plan for fleet modernization. Royal Jordanian acquired this airplane through leasing company AerCap.

“We are delighted to receive our first 787 which will not only revolutionize the inflight experience for our passengers but also help Royal Jordanian increase its competitiveness both regionally and internationally,” said Royal Jordanian chairman of the board, president and CEO Nasser Lozi. “Our decision to invest in this game-changing airplane reflects our firm belief in its unrivaled capabilities and will allow us to offer passengers an unmatched level of comfort, on both short and long haul flights.”

With this delivery, Royal Jordanian becomes only the second airline in the Middle East to operate the 787. In addition to providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs, the 787 features a host of new technologies that greatly enhance the passenger experience. The airline will configure its Dreamliner to carry 24 passengers in business class and 246 in economy class.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 08/31/14

SINGAPORE /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) announced an order this week by BOC Aviation for 50 737 MAX 8s, 30 Next-Generation 737-800s and two 777-300ERs (Extended Range). The order, valued at $8.8 billion at list prices, is the largest in BOC Aviation’s 20-year history and part of the Singapore-based leasing company’s effort to grow its portfolio of fuel-efficient airplanes.

“Following the successful placement of the 50 Next Generation 737 aircraft that we ordered in 2006, this is a continuation of our commitment to be responsive to airline customers which are expanding or replacing older fleets,” said Robert Martin, managing director and chief executive officer, BOC Aviation. “The 737 is known for its operational and fuel efficiency, and BOC Aviation expects healthy demand for the Next Generation 737 and 737 MAX variants in the next seven years.”

The order adds to BOC Aviation’s fleet, which is among the youngest in the leasing industry with an average of less than four years.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 08/31/14

Aegean Airlines, Greece’s largest airline, has signed a firm contract with Airbus for two additional A320ceo aircraft, adding to a previous order for five A320s aircraft placed in September 2007.

All aircraft will be equipped with Airbus “Sharklet” fuel saving wing tip devices and will be powered by IAE V2500 engines. The aircraft will also be the first A320s in Aegean’s fleet to feature the enhanced take-off weight capability of up to 78 tonnes, thus enabling the carrier to expand its route network with even longer range operations.

Mr. Theodoros Vassilakis, Chairman of AEGEAN, stated: “AEGEAN’s decision to take delivery of seven new Airbus A320s shows its commitment to invest once more in the ongoing qualitative growth of the aviation sector in Greece. Our capabilities are increasing and the existing competitive advantage of the low average age of our aircraft is further enhanced. We do everything in our hands to further increase the satisfaction of our passengers and certainly our competitiveness”.

Aegean Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, was named for the fourth year in a row the Best Regional Airline in Europe at the 2014 World Airline Awards. Aegean Airlines operates to date an all-Airbus single-aisle fleet of 36 Airbus A320 family aircraft including 17 directly purchased.

This new order will strengthen the airline’s network that reaches today 205 international routes from its eight Greek bases (scheduled and charter flights), thus supporting tourism in Greece.

Source Airbus / Edited By Airline Adviser 08/31/14