British Airways Airbus A318-112 G-EUNB (msn 4039) (red nose) “Flying Start” DUB (Greenwing). Image: 912244.

Copyright Photo: Greenwing.

British Airways: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-232 ER N864DA (msn 29736) (Soaring Spirit – Salt Lake City 2002) CDG (Christian Volpati). Image: 912048.

Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati.

Delta Air Lines: 

Blue Air (BlueAirweb.com) (Blue Air Transport Aerien S.A. dba) (Bucharest) was acquired by Airline Management Solutions. The new owners have laid our their strategy and issued this statement:

The new ownership of Blue Air has as objective to strengthen the position in the market. “The target for 2013 is keeping the turnover at the same level as in 2012 and preserving the number of passengers who benefit from our services”, said Gheorghe Răcaru, CEO of Blue Air, during a press conference on Sunday.

He added that for the period 2014-2015, the objective of the new shareholders is to increase the consolidated turnover by 3-5%. “We are considering a radical change in terms of services. From customer service, bookings and catering in the aircraft, you will see radical changes and updates, a first for the Romanian industry. In addition, we are interested in gradually increasing the fleet”, said Răcaru.

The CEO said that the shareholders intend to keep and specialize the current staff. In addition, Gheorghe Răcaru said that the flights will be operated according to the existing schedule, ensuring customers that Blue Air will remain their preferred airline: “We assure our customers that Blue Air will continue to be one of the top airlines in Romania and that all provided services will be at least at the same level of quality, reliability and professionalism as before”.

In turn, Arthur Flieger, lawyer and representative of Airline Management Solutions, the new majority shareholder of Blue Air, said that the transaction goes as planned, with no delays. “From our point of view, even if the process is extensive, all that remains to be done for the sale is just formalities. The actual transfer will be completed probably in two or three weeks”, he explained.

The Airline Management Solutions company has Romanian capital and purchased Blue Air through a transaction worth about 30 million euro, including the assumption of liabilities in the amount of 28 million euro.

Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-430 YR-BAK (msn 27005) climbs away from Brussels.

Blue Air: 

Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) has announced it will recruit around 50 pilots from partner Airberlin (Berlin) which has been downsizing. The carrier issued this statement:

The move comes as Airberlin, Germany’s second largest carrier, continues to work through its Turbine business turnaround program, and as Etihad Airways prepares for significant international expansion.

The recruitment transfers began in April when the first batch of six Boeing 737-rated First Officers arrived in Abu Dhabi to start type conversion training on to the Boeing 777 at Etihad Airways’ Flight Training Centre.

Upon successful completion, the six pilots will undertake line training on the airline’s global network, before being fully licensed as type-rated Boeing 777 First Officers.

Further pilot transfers will take place in the coming months, comprising Airbus A320 Captains, Airbus A320 First Officers, Airbus A330 First Officers and Boeing 777 non-rated First Officers.

Etihad Airways’ current fleet of 77 Boeing and Airbus aircraft will grow significantly this decade with more than 90 firm order aircraft scheduled for delivery.

Over the next 12 months the carrier will take delivery of four Boeing 777-300 ERs, five Airbus A320s, one Airbus A321, one Airbus A330-200 and one Airbus A330-200 freighter aircraft.  Late next year, Etihad Airways will also introduce its first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Etihad Airways currently employs over 1,400 pilots, and plans to recruit 1,000 more by 2020.

In other news, Etihad has announced it has entered the second phase of its strategic partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) following the launch of new Amsterdam service. The airline issued this statement:

The daily service, operated by a two cabin Airbus A330-200 and configured to carry 262 passengers with 22 in Pearl Business Class and 240 in Coral Economy Class, was launched on May 15 and carries KLM’s KL code.

The launch of the new flights coincides with the addition of 12 new KLM destinations out of Schiphol Airport which now carry Etihad Airways EY code. KLM has also added its KL code to a further six Etihad Airways destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub.

The 12 additional destinations that Etihad Airways customers can now access through codeshare operations with KLM are Stockholm, Aberdeen, Barcelona, Bergen, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Leeds/Bradford and Madrid.

These cities join the first phase of cities served by KLM, which carry the EY code, Billund, Cardiff, Newcastle, Oslo, and Stavanger.

KLM now has its KL code on six Etihad Airways’ flights to Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Khartoum, Male, Muscat and Seychelles.

These join the initial group of cities served by Etihad Airways – Colombo, Islamabad, Lahore, Melbourne, and Sydney – which also carry the KL code.

In addition to flight operations Etihad Airways has this year wet-leased a Boeing 747-400 freighter from KLM. This aircraft, with a payload capacity of 124 tons, links the two cargo hubs of Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam, and increases our capacity to Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Dhaka.

From KLM’s partner, Air France, Etihad Airways has also wet-leased an Airbus A340-300 for use on the Paris-Abu Dhabi route from now until the end of the year.

Amsterdam joins a group of 17 leading European cities that Etihad Airways flies to including Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London and Paris.

Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf. Etihad Airways’ Airbus A330-243 A6-EYE (msn 688) (Manchester City Football Club) arrives at Munich.

Video: Etihad Airways.

Etihad Airways: 

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Airberlin: 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: 

AeroMexico (Mexico City) has announced its new route from Las Vegas to Puerto Penasco and Hermosillo, Mexico. The new route will start on June 20.

AeroMexico Connect will operate two weekly flights to these Mexican touristic destinations with 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft with the following schedule:

Las Vegas – Puerto Penasco*

Puerto Penasco – Hermosillo*

Hermosillo – Puerto Penasco*

Puerto Penasco – Las Vegas*

*Schedules are in local time of each country and subject to change without notice.

Puerto Penasco is the newest tourist destination in the country’s Northwest that offers visitors an impressive hotel infrastructure of the condo-hotel type and which has begun the construction of a “Home Port” to open the Sea of Cortez to cruise liners, in addition to beautiful beaches for relaxing and admiring the lovely sunsets, two golf courses, as well as many water sports options such as: sailing, sport fishing and jet skiing. Complementing this attractive destination’s offerings is the impressive Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and its more than 400 craters surrounded by the Grand Altar Desert.

Hermosillo, capital of the state of Sonora, has positioned itself as one of the most attractive cities in the country because of the astonishing variety of activities that can be enjoyed here - snorkeling, hiking, bird watching, mountain cycling, in addition to hunting tourism – and its economic, political and social important development. The city is located three hours from the border, 100 kilometers from the Sea of Cortez, and with fast access to all other regions of the entity and other states.

With this new route, AeroMexico adds to its network the 47^th destination in Mexico.

Copyright Photo: James Helbock/AirlinersGallery.com. AeroMexico Connect’s Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) XA-CLI (msn 14500803) in the SkyTeam livery arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

AeroMexico: 

AeroMexico Connect: 

Video: AeroMexico Connect ERJ 145 Video:

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is facing resistance from the Department of Justice according to this report by Reuters. The DOJ is opposing American Airlines’ Chapter 11 reorganization plan to pay outgoing CEO Tom Horton $19.9 million in severance pay (the CEO that got AA into bankruptcy). The unions have opposed this large payout after being asked to give back on salaries and benefits.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

In other news by Reuters, American Airlines is warning regulators that any requirement to give up certain airport slots could lead to a reduction in service to smaller markets from slot-controlled airports. American Airlines and US Airways (Phoenix) are seeking a merger approval to build the world’s largest airline.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi. American Eagle Airlines‘ (2nd) Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N508AE (msn 10072) climbs away from Washington’s Reagan National Airport, one airport that could see a reduction in slots for the merged carrier.

American Airlines: 

American Eagle: 

US Airways: 

First Nation Airways Airbus A319-113 5N-FNE (msn 660) DUB (Greenwing). Image: 912238.

Copyright Photo: Greenwing.

First Nation Airways: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Aeroflot Russian Airlines Boeing 777-2Q8 ER VP-BAS (msn 27607) LAX (Roy Lock). Image: 912236.

Copyright Photo: Roy Lock.

Aeroflot Russian Airlines: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta), the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and JFK International Air Terminal LLC (JFK IAT) today opened the new Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, part of a $1.4 billion redevelopment program at JFK.

Today’s opening of the first phase of Delta’s Terminal 4 expansion includes:

• Nine new and seven renovated international gates.
• Improved and renovated check-in areas, including a dedicated Sky Priority check-in.
• A centralized security checkpoint.
• New dining and retail offerings.
• A new 24,000-square-foot flagship Delta Sky Club with the first ever Sky Deck at Delta Sky Club outdoor terrace.
• An in-line baggage system to streamline and improve the baggage handling system.
• Improved Customs and Border Protection, baggage claim and re-check facilities.

With the 346,000-square-foot expansion of Concourse B, Terminal 4, which is managed by JFKIAT, now measures 2 million square feet, making it one of the largest terminals in North America. Delta partner Virgin Atlantic Airways also operates out of Terminal 4.

In addition to the expansion opening today, Delta earlier this year announced phase two of the Terminal 4 redevelopment plan that will include an additional 11 gates on Terminal 4′s Concourse B. Construction on phase two will commence immediately. Upon completion in summer 2015, Terminal 4′s Concourse B will house a total of 27 Delta gates and replace Delta’s current Terminal 2 regional jet facility.

The Terminal 4 Delta Sky Club, the largest in the Delta system, offers travelers superior amenities and a unique customer experience. A chef-designed menu of cuisine such as sushi, cheese, charcuterie and dessert will allow customers the option of enjoying a pre-departure meal, enabling them to sleep immediately after takeoff. Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, who also selects Delta’s Business Elite wine offerings, has developed a premium wine-by-the glass program for the Club with many vintages usually available only by the bottle, including Dom Perignon and Muga Prado Enea, Gran Reserva. Additionally customers needing privacy within the Club can reserve the Ciroc Lounge, which offers a private space with seating and entertainment.

The Sky Deck at Delta Sky Club, debuting at JFK Terminal 4, is a 2,000-square-foot rooftop terrace developed in partnership with Architectural Digest. Renowned designer Thom Filicia was selected by Architectural Digest to create a distinctive space that will offer passengers runway views and the comfort, convenience and relaxation they have come to expect from the award-winning Delta Sky Club.

Delta has ceased operations at Terminal 3 (the old Pan Am Worldport). The site will be redeveloped for operational use.

Delta’s Corporate Strategy

The new international terminal at New York’s JFK airport is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to position Delta for long-term success.  Globally, Delta has worked to establish strong partnerships with key airlines across the globe to ensure the integrity of the airline’s global network.  The airline has embraced a strategic fleet delivery plan that combines both new and used aircraft.  Last year, Delta purchased the Trainer oil refinery to control Delta’s fuel costs.

Earlier this month and as part of a comprehensive five-year financial plan, Delta announced a capital deployment program aimed at creating up to $5 billion of value for shareholders, including returning more than $1 billion to shareholders over the next three years.  Over the next five years, the company plans to reinvest more than $2 billion annually into improving the company’s fleet, facilities, products and technology. In addition to returning cash to shareholders, Delta’s free cash flow will be used to further reduce the company’s debt and opportunistically address longer-term pension funding obligations.

Delta in New York

Delta Air Lines is New York City’s largest and fastest-growing carrier, providing service to more destinations from New York State than any other airline. In addition to the enhancements at JFK, Delta is investing more than $160 million to expand and update Terminals C and D at LaGuardia. The unique Delta Shuttle product offers hourly service to Boston, Chicago (O’Hare) and Washington, D.C. Delta’s three New York metropolitan-area airports carried 23.1 million domestic and international passengers in 2012, up from 20.8 million passengers in 2011. Delta and its nearly 9,000 New York-based employees are part of the fabric of the New York community.  Delta is the official airline of the Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, Madison Square Garden, Food Bank for New York City, New York Wine and Food and AmFar among many others.

Copyright Photo: Delta Check-in Lobby at the New JFK Terminal 4. (PRNewsFoto/Delta Air Lines).

Delta Air Lines: 

Map:

Air Dolomiti (Verona and Munich) is facing a four-hour strike strike on May 29 by its pilots, belonging to Ugl Trasporti Union.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) I-ADLJ (msn 686) approaches Zurich for landing.

Air Dolomiti: 

Gol Transportes Aereos (Sao Paulo) has filed a formal request with the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to expand its operations at Viracopos Airport, in Campinas, Brazil. The company expects the six new daily flights (five to Santos Dumont and one to Brasília) will start on September 1, 2013.

Viracopos–Campinas International Airport (VCP/SBKP) is an international airport serving the Campinas, Brazil area northwest of Sao Paulo.

Viracopos-Campinas is also the home of Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras.

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi/AirlinersGallery.com. Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-8EH WL PR-GTF (msn 34279) in the special GOL 10 ANOS livery arrives at Sao Paulo (Congonhas).

Gol: 

Map: Yahoo Travel: Viracopos-Campinas International Airport is located in Campinas in the northwest section of the Sao Paulo metropolitan area.

British Airways‘ (London) flight BA 762 to Oslo operated with Airbus A319-131 G-EUOE (msn 1574) was forced to return to Heathrow Airport this morning after a fire developed in the right engine. The passengers and crew member were safely evacuated on the runway. The emergency landing temporarily closed both runways causing delays this morning. However one runways is again open. However BA was forced to cancel its short-haul flights and issued this statement:

We are very sorry for the significant disruption at London Heathrow today.

The closure of one runway meant that we needed to cancel all our short-haul flights in to and out of Heathrow up until 16:00 (BST) today. We understand how frustrating this is for customers and thank them for their patience.

These cancellations will help us to stabilize our schedule, allowing us to get as many customers away as possible in these difficult circumstances.

Read the full report from the Independent: CLICK HERE

British Airways: 

Avianca Holdings S.A, (Avianca and TACA) reported net income of $75.3 million in the first quarter of 2013. The company issued this statement:

First Quarter 2013 Highlights

• Avianca Holdings earns net income of $75.3 million (USD) for 1Q 2013, an increase of more than $75 million over the profit recorded for the same period in 2012.
• First quarter operating revenues increased to USD$ 1.11 billion, up 5.9% from 1Q 2012 due mainly to a 6.5% increase in passenger revenues driven by an 8.6% growth in passenger traffic over 1Q 2012 figures. Cargo and other revenue increased by 2.5%, primarily as a result of an increase in our Freight and Loyalty revenues.
• Operating Cost per available seat kilometer (CASK) decreased by 1.5% from 10.98 cents in 1Q-12 to 10.81 cents in 1Q-13 and CASK excluding Fuel decreased by 1.8% from 7.31 cents in 1Q-12 to 7.17 cents in 1Q-13.
• Operating Income (EBIT) increased to USD$ 108.1 million, a 31.1% increase from USD$ 82.4 million in 1Q-12. Excluding special items in 1Q-12 operating income increased by 48.5%. Operating Margin for 1Q-13 rose to 9.7% compared to 7.8% in 1Q-12, primarily as a result of lower unit costs.
• Capacity, measured in ASK’s (available seat kilometers), increased by 5.4% during 1Q 2013, mostly due to expansion in our domestic operations in Colombia and Peru. In addition, passenger traffic, measured in RPK’s (revenue passenger kilometers) grew 7.8%, reaching a consolidated Load Factor of 80.8%, surpassing 1Q-12 Load Factor by 2.3 percentage points.
• In Line with the fleet renewal program, the company continues to incorporate new aircraft. During the first quarter, one (1) Airbus A330 Freighter, one (1) Airbus A330 and two (2) Airbus A320 passenger aircraft (one of which is equipped with sharklets) were incorporated.
• During the first quarter the Company inaugurated its new VIP lounge in Terminal Eldorado International Airport in Bogotá. Lifemiles members can now enjoy over 2,000 square meters of services and innovations in different environments. The lounge has capacity to simultaneously serve nearly 670 travelers, 505 Gold Elite and 165 Diamond Elite members.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Avianca’s (Colombia) Airbus A320-214 N664AV (msn 3664) arrives at Miami International Airport.

Avianca (Colombia): 

TACA: 

United Express-SkyWest Airlines Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia N295SW (msn 120322) SFO (Mark Durbin). Image: 912231.

Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin.

United Express-SkyWest Airlines: 

Saudi Arabian Airlines Convair 340-68B N597MA (msn 222) OPF (Bruce Drum). Image: 102879.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

Saudi Arabian Airlines: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Tiger Airways (Singapore) will start nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Jakarta on July 25. Tiger Airways will fly to the capital of Indonesia four times weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with an increase to daily flights from September onwards.

Tiger Airways has been rapidly expanding its network in Indonesia this year. Domestically within Indonesia, the airline flies between Jakarta and key cities including Bali (Denpasar), Medan, Surabaya, Padang, Pekanbaru and Yogyakarta.

Top Copyright Photo: Jens Polster/AirlinersGallery.com All others from Tiger Airways). Airbus A319-132 9V-TRB (msn 3801) prepares to land at Bangkok.

Tiger Airways (Singapore): 

Route Map:

JetBlue Airways (New York) today (May 23) launches service to its 78th city, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. JetBlue will serve Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with five daily nonstop flights from Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS).

Philadelphia will be the 48^th destination JetBlue serves from Boston.

JetBlue’s schedule between Boston and Philadelphia:

JetBlue’s flights to Philadelphia will be operated with its 100-seat Embraer ERJ 190 fleet.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. JetBlue Airways Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N273JB (msn 19000073) in the Harlequin design lands at the focus city of Long Beach, California.

JetBlue Airways: 

JetBlue’s growing route map from BOS:

EasyJet (UK) (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) has announced and confirmed it plans to acquire 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots London’s Gatwick Airport from Flybe (Exeter) for £20 million ($25.7 million). The company issued this statement:

EasyJet plc can confirm it has completed an agreement with Flybe Group plc to acquire 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots at Gatwick airport for a total consideration of £20 million. The acquisition is subject to the approval of Flybe’s shareholders.

The slots will transfer from summer 2014 and will allow easyJet to provide additional frequencies on popular existing routes from Gatwick as well as add new destinations across the UK and Europe.

In return, Flybe issued this statement:

Flybe confirmed to the London Stock Exchange today at 0700 that it has sold its arrival and departure slots at London Gatwick airport, thus bringing to an end Flybe’s 22 year record of providing high-frequency air services from the UK regions to the airport. Flybe will continue to fly all its routes until the end of March 2014. The slots have been sold to EasyJet for a cash sum of £20 million.

The decision is as a result of the pricing regime applied by the airport’s owners to the operators of smaller, regional aircraft which, in Flybe’s case, has resulted in a 102% rise over the last five years. In a well-publicised, lengthy and expensive complaint, the airline used the Airports Act 1986 to argue to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2010 that Gatwick was acting in an anti-competitive and discriminatory manner. Despite support from other airlines, communities and governments around the British Isles, the fact that Flybe operates more UK domestic flights than any other airline and has won the airport’s Gold Award for punctuality in every quarter since its introduction in 2009, the CAA ruled in September 2012 that Gatwick was within its rights to raise their landing fees for smaller aircraft, thus paving the way for today’s regrettable announcement.

Flybe will continue to operate as normal all its seven domestic Gatwick routes – from Belfast City, Guernsey, Inverness, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Newcastle and Newquay – until Saturday March 29, 2014, with no changes to pricing, frequency or timings. It also confirmed that there will be no impact upon any other route currently operated from those seven airports and that the funds generated by the sale of the slots will be re-invested in the remaining 159 Flybe routes.

Separate to this announcement, Flybe today updated the London Stock Exchange on the significant positive progress it has made in its plan to return Flybe UK, its UK based scheduled airline, to profitability. Highlights included surpassing its target savings of £25m, with £30m of annual cost savings being delivered for year 2013/14 onwards, and the deal agreed in principle with BALPA (British Airlines Pilots Association) for a 5% reduction in salary in return for extra time off.

Top Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best. EasyJet’s Airbus A320-214 G-EZTD (msn 3909) holds short of the runway ready for departure from London (Gatwick).

EasyJet (UK): 

Flybe: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Keith Burton. Flybe’s Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) G-JEDW (msn 4093) arrives at Gatwick Airport.

Flybe LGW Route Map: Flybe flies to mainly UK domestic destinations from LGW:

Seaborne Airlines (St. Croix) is expanding with new weekly service to the island of Martinique beginning on June 1 from San Juan.  The new flights will operate as follows:

Seaborne will use SAAB 340 aircraft for the new Martinique service.

Copyright Photo: Seaborne Airlines. SAAB 340B N353SA (msn 351) retains the basic colors of Calm Air now with a Caribbean flavor.

Route Map:

Sunrise Airlines (Sarasota/Bradenton) is the proposed paper airline of Stephen Miller and his wife Hannah. The residents of Sarasota, Florida still hope to raise $30 million to launch a new airline with an initial fleet of four Boeing 737-400s. Stephen Miller is a former executive of Oasis Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong). The couple recently gave an update to the Airport Authority Board on its business plan.

The proposed first phase would launch nonstop routes from Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ) to Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Baltimore/Washington , Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago (Midway) and Newark.

Meanwhile departures at SRQ have declined by 38 percent in the past six years. Continental Airlines (now United Airlines) and AirTran Airways (now owned by Southwest Airlines) dropped SRQ during this period.

This new paper airline should not be confused with Sunrise Airways of Haiti.

Read the full article from Bradenton.com: CLICK HERE

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines: 

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best. The proposed tail design of Sunrise Airlines borrows on the colorful livery of Oasis Hong Kong Airlines (below) which operated from 2006 to 2008.

FlyFrontier.com (Frontier Airlines 2nd) Airbus A319-112 N954FR (msn 1786) (Bull Moose) LAS (Eddie Maloney). Image: 912205.

Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney.

Frontier Airlines: 

East African Airways Vickers Super VC10 Series 1154 5H-MMT (msn 882) ORY (Jacques Guillem). Image: 912203.

Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem.

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Air Canada (Montreal) has painted and handed over its first Airbus A319 for its new low-fare division called Air Canada rouge. The company issued these photos and short statement:

Countdown to takeoff! Air Canada rouge has just taken delivery of its first Airbus 319 aircraft in its new livery at Mirabel Airport today (May 22) where it will now undergo a new interior design. Air Canada rouge will soon be leading the way in affordable, leisure travel when service starts July 1. Further details will be released on flight team training and the unveiling of new uniforms starts on May 27.

Top Copyright Photo: Air Canada. Airbus A319-112 C-GSJB (msn 1673) is the first aircraft to be painted.

Air Canada: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Air Canada. Air Canada rouge VP Operations Al Read was on hand to take delivery of the leisure airline’s first Airbus 319 in its new livery today at Mirabel Airport, where the aircraft will be fitted with its new interior.

Finnair (Helsinki) this year is celebrating 90 years of aviation excellence.

US Airways (Phoenix) today begins daily, nonstop, summer service from its international gateway at Philadelphia following a four-year hiatus to Shannon, Ireland. The airline will operate flights to SNN on 176-seat dual-class Boeing 757-200 aircraft until September 6, 2013. The seasonal service complements US Airways’ existing flights to Dublin, which the airline serves year-round from Philadelphia and during the summer from its largest hub in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The flight schedule is as follows:

*Flight arrives next day. First day of service from Shannon is May 23, 2013.

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi. Ex-America West Boeing 757-2G7 N909AW (msn 24522) climbs away from Washington (Reagan National).

US Airways: 

Monarch Airlines (London-Luton) is launching two new routes from East Midlands. On May 7 the airline launched its first ever scheduled flight to Malta from East Midlands Airport. The flights will operate twice a week on a Tuesday and Saturday.

Malta is the first of two new routes to launch this summer from East Midlands Airport with Ibiza also launching on May 23.

Video: Monarch makes flying fun for 600 kids:

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. Airbus A321-231 G-OZBL (msn 864) lands at Geneva in the updated look.

Monarch Airlines: 

What does it take to repaint an airliner? Monarch Airlines explains the process that takes nine days on their excellent Monarch blog:

First step, checks and scaffolding

The first task was to fly Airbus A321 G-OZBZ down to a specialist aircraft painting company in Bournemouth called Airbourne Colours. The A321 would spend about 9 days being stripped down and repainted by a team of 10 to 12 highly experienced specialist painters each with 10 to 20 years experience. The team in Bournemouth would be in constant communication with Monarch operations teams and engineers during this time.

When G-OZBZ first arrived at the painter’s hangar, a Monarch engineer carried out an acceptance check on the aircraft. This check included removal of window wipers and a series of other tasks such as disconnecting batteries.

Next, the painting specialist’s hangar supervisor and a Monarch engineer worked together to check on the condition of the current paintwork and assessed any damage. While this check was carried out, a team put scaffolding into place around the aircraft. There had to be enough scaffolding to give access to every point of the aircraft during the painting process.

Second step, masking and stripping

There are two kinds of paint job that you can give an aircraft – a strip or an abrade (otherwise known as a ‘rub’). A strip involves the use of chemical washes to remove the paint back to bare metal. During a ‘rub’ the aircraft fuselage (the body of the plane) is sanded back to a smooth finish ready to accept paint.

Generally the fuselage and fin are stripped as these are made of metal but the engines and wings and rubbed as they are made of composite materials.

G-OZBZ needed a fuselage strip and repaint, so the next step was to cover or ‘mask’ all the areas which needed to be protected from sanding dust and paint overspray, for example the cockpit and cabin windows. As the wings weren’t being painted (just the ends were to be painted yellow), these were also masked. Masking was also applied to sensitive items such as ports, antennae, aerials and engine intakes.

The metallic areas were then chemically stripped back to bare metal, a process which includes a power wash and alkaline shampoo. The tail fin and engine cowlings (covers) are made of composite materials, so these were abraded, followed by a solvent wash. Once all the paint was removed and sealants checked and repaired or replaced, Monarch engineers carried out a bare metal inspection to check the state of the aircraft before painting commenced.

 Then, it’s time to paint

After masking, a team of 10 to 12 people hand-sprayed primer to the fuselage.

Once the primer was dry, a layer of white paint was applied to the fuselage.

Next, yellow paint was sprayed on to the tail and once dry, the indigo was applied to the underneath of the fuselage and Monarch’s famous spotty M logo was added to the tail.

There are a number of mandatory markings and Monarch titles that need to be put on the aircraft. These are a combination of decals (industrial stickers) and paint. The Monarch title for instance was applied by placing a massive spray mask (or stencil) over the fuselage and spraying the mask with paint.

Aircraft paints are designed to be tough in order to withstand extreme environmental conditions as well as corrosion, chemicals, and rain erosion. However, unlike paint you might use to protect your home, aircraft paints also need to be incredibly lightweight and the completed paint job was allowed to be no more than 250 microns thick (0.25mm or about 0.01 inches).

Taking all the primer, white, yellow, purple basecoat and the clear coat together, the total amount of paint used was about 360 litres.

Finally, it’s very important to the safe and efficient operation of commercial aircraft that we know how much everything weighs. When the painting was complete, G-OZBZ was given a ‘calculated reweigh’, which compared the thickness of the new paint to the original paint. These figures were sent to a loadmaster company to produce accurate trim data for the aircraft, which will be used eventually by the pilots and other people in operations.

Thank you Monarch for explaining the process.

Oman Air (Muscat), the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has placed an order for three A330-300s, growing its A330 Family fleet to a total of ten Airbus aircraft. The aircraft will be operated on long haul routes and can comfortably seat close to 300 passengers.

Copyright Photo: Dave Glendinning. Airbus A330-343X A40-DB (msn 1044) taxies at London (Heathrow).

Oman Air: 

Route Map:

Video:

Avianca (Colombia) Airbus A320-214 WL F-WWBE (N632AV) (msn 5632) (Sharklets) (partial new livery) TLS (Eurospot). Image: 912194.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot.

Hot New Photos: 

Avianca (Colombia): 

China Airlines Boeing 747SP-09 B-1862 (msn 21300) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 102868.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

China Airlines: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Virgin America (San Francisco) today celebrated the launch of its new daily roundtrip service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) from San Francisco with an onboard concert.

In keeping with Austin and the Virgin brand’s musical roots, guests onboard the inaugural flight were also treated to a live, in-flight acoustic performance onboard the Airbus A320 aircraft by the award-winning Austin-based psychedelic rock band, The Bright Light Social Hour. En route from SFO to the “live music capital of the world,” the band surprised guests and performed in the aisles on the commercial flight (see video below).

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Airbus A320-214 N848VA (msn 4959) approaches Los Angeles International Airport.

Virgin America: 

Video:

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has issued this statement concerning a few flight cancellations of PenAir (Peninsula Airways) (Anchorage) in Alaska due to volcanic activity:

Few Alaska Airlines flights have been affected by volcanic activity from Mount Cleveland, located west of Dutch Harbor, and Mount Pavlof, located near Cold Bay, Alaska. No Alaska Airlines operated flights have been canceled at this time.

PenAir, which operates an average of three flights a day for Alaska Airlines between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor, canceled six flights yesterday and two flights today after several low-level eruptions of Mount Pavlof. The Anchorage-based airline could cancel additional flights today pending reports from the Alaska Volcano Observatory and other state and federal weather agencies.

PenAir’s Alaska Route Map:

“While the impact these volcanoes have had on Alaska Airlines has been minimal, we will continue to closely monitor Mount Cleveland and Mount Pavlof for any changes that could affect service to Bethel, Adak or Dutch Harbor,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer.

Alaska Airlines operates an average of 125 daily flights to 20 destinations throughout the state of Alaska, in addition to 686 flights throughout the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.

In other news, the eastern division of PenAir will start twice-daily service between Boston’s Logan International Airport and Long Island MacArthur Airport (Islip) on July 25, 2013.

East Coast Route Map:

Copyright Photo: Rainer Bexten. SAAB 340B N675PA (msn 206) with harbor seals on the fuselage arrives at Anchorage in the old livery.

PenAir: 

Alaska Airlines: 

AeroMexico (Mexico City) has announced the addition of three Embraer 175 planes to its fleet, making it the first national airline in Mexico to operate this aircraft type.

As part of the plan for the renovation of its fleet, the aircraft, with 86 seats in one single class, will gradually replace the smaller Embraer ERJ 145 planes with 50 seats operated by Aerolitoral.

The Embraer 175 shares its design and cabin structure with the larger Embraer 190. This attribute allows customers to have the same travel experience on either one of these aircraft. Other features include more space for storing carry-on luggage in compartments that are overhead or underneath seats, more comfortable seats, a 2×2 seating configuration with space in the aisle, to name a few.  Embraer aircraft are recognized as the most comfortable family of aircraft in their category.

Two of the three planes will start operations on June 1 and June 20, offering greater comfort along with cutting edge technology on routes from Mexico City to Acapulco, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Tampico, Zihuatanejo, Minatitlan, San Luis Potosi and Aguascalientes.

Aerolitoral, operating as AeroMexico Connect (Monterrey), is expected to operate the aircraft for AeroMexico.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. The new ERJ 175s will supplement the larger ERJ 190s. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR XA-JAC (msn 19000248) prepares to land at Miami.

AeroMexico: 

AeroMexico Connect: 

United Airlines (Chicago) today will celebrate the 25^thanniversary of the airline’s Terminal C hub facility at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Travelers arriving and departing at Newark Liberty today will join United employees in an anniversary celebrationbetween 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the upper level United Airlines ticket counter, where customers will have opportunities to earn prizes, travel discounts and bonus MileagePlus miles, and see the airline’s new uniforms for the first time. The airline is also setting up a temporary exhibit during the two-hour period demonstrating how air travel has evolved since 1988.

Map of Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey).

“We are pleased to celebrate United’s long history at our Newark hub - a premier global gateway and a powerful economic engine,” said Jeff Smisek, United’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We continue to make investments in our terminal facilities, our services and our people to ensure United’s Terminal C remains a great place for our customers and co-workers.”

“Thanks to the Port Authority’s strong partnership with United, Newark Liberty has become not only a world-class airport but also an important driver of economic growth, jobs and development for the entire region,” said Port AuthorityChairman David Samson. “The continued investment in Newark Liberty’s facilities will ensure that the airport, and Terminal C specifically, remains a modern, premier gateway for travelers.”

As part of the event, Smisek will outline the airline’s plans for further investments at Terminal C, including:

• a redesign of the airline’s check-in facilities
• installation in gate areas of flight-information displays that offer customers more detailed information about their flights
• construction of a widebody maintenance hangar that economic development officials anticipate will drive $52 million in economic activity in the region
• a new checked-baggage screening system.

In addition: 

• Nearly two dozen United pilots, flight attendants, customer service agents and ramp workers will participate in an in-terminal fashion show that will debut the new uniforms that United employees worldwide will wear beginning onJune 25. This is the first time that all employees at the new United will wear the same uniforms.
• Buddy Valastro, co-owner of the Hoboken, N.J. bakery Carlo’s Bakery and star of the TLC program “Cake Boss,” will join the program to present a cake made specifically for the occasion.
• At 1:15 p.m., the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fly from any of the three New York-area airports since the aircraft re-entered service will depart for Houston.
• This afternoon, United will send photos of iconic locations throughout Manhattan via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, meeting up with the company’s friends and followers in social media.

United in New York/Newark: The Hub for Wall Street

With more than 13,000 local employees, United is the New York area’s largest airline, offering more flights and more seats from the region to more destinations around the world than any other airline in history.

Since the first flight from Terminal C - the 6:15 a.m. departure of Continental flight 839 to Denver from gate 72 on the morning of May 22, 1988 - flights to and from the facility have enabled investment and economic development for theNew York metropolitan area, including Newark. In 1988, Continental offered service to 57 airports from Newark Airport.United today offers more than 400 flights each day from Newark Liberty to more than 150 destinations in North andSouth America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, giving New York-area travelers more flights and more destinations via United and United Express than any other airline.

Newark Liberty’s location and rail links make it the most convenient hub airport for travelers originating in north and central New Jersey, parts of New York City including Wall Street, and southern New York State.

The airline also offers New York-area travelers more flat beds in premium cabins and more extra-legroom economy seats than any other airline. In addition, the airline boasts:

• the most saver-style award seats for frequent flyers among the largest U.S. global carriers, according to the 4^thannual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey published this month by IdeaWorksCompany.
• more aircraft offering satellite Wi-Fi and live television than any other U.S. airline.

Terminal C History

Copyright Photo: Dave Campbell/AirlinersGallery.com. The Boeing 737 and the pictured 727-200 were the mainstay aircraft in the PEOPLExpress fleet. Former Braniff Boeing 727-227 N553PE (msn 20774) poses for the camera at Chicago (O’Hare).

In 1985, People Express Airlines (PEOPLExpress) and the Port Authority agreed to remodel the existing Terminal C facility. After its 1987 mergers with Peoplexpress and New York Air (New York), which itself had a large Newark presence, Continental Airlines completed the terminal redevelopment project in conjunction with the Port Authority.

Copyright Photo: Fernandez Imaging/AirlinersGallery.com. The New York Air operation is pictured at nearby LaGuardia Airport.

In 2001, Continental Airlines (Houston) opened the Global Gateway, a $3.8 billion public-private partnership. The centerpiece of that project was the third concourse in Terminal C, “C-3,” designed to be bright and airy with gates constructed to enable international travelers to arrive at Terminal C - rather than solely at Terminal B - adding convenience and quicker connections.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Continental’s McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 N68046 (msn 47800) in the 1984 livery.

The Global Gateway also introduced the only rail station at a New York-area airport located in close proximity to the terminals, enabling Newark Liberty travelers direct AirTrain rail access to New York City’s Pennsylvania Station, New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut and Philadelphia.

Continental and the Port Authority also outfitted Terminal C with new roadways, parking garages, expanded electronic ticketing facilities, new terminal designs to facilitate more efficient security screening and an automated baggage handling system.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines. Crew members showcase the new uniforms.

United Airlines: 

Continental Airlines: 

Peoplexpress: 

New York Air: 

Route Map: How the Newark Hub has grown (click on the map for the full-size view):

SkyWest, Inc. (SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines) (St. George) announced today that it has entered into a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with United Airlines, Inc. (Chicago) to operate 40 new Embraer 175 (ERJ 175) dual-class regional jet aircraft.  The CPA with United has a term of 12 years and SkyWest will operate under terms and conditions similar to its existing agreements with United.

SkyWest has determined that these 40 regional jet aircraft will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (St. George), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyWest. Under the agreement, it is anticipated that the 40 aircraft will be introduced into service in the second quarter of 2014, with deliveries continuing to mid-2015.  The aircraft will be configured with 76-seats in dual-class.

SkyWest, Inc. also announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Embraer for the purchase of 100 new Embraer 175 dual-class regional jet aircraft. Of the 100 aircraft, 40 are considered firm deliveries and the remaining 60 aircraft are considered conditional until SkyWest enters into capacity purchase agreements with other major airlines to operate the aircraft.  Deliveries for the 40 firm aircraft are anticipated to begin in the second quarter of 2014 and continue through mid 2015. The aircraft will be configured in 76 seats in dual-class. The agreement also includes options for an additional 100 ERJ 175 aircraft and would be valued at $8.3 billion if all 200 aircraft are ordered.  The initial 40 firm aircraft outlined above will be operated by SkyWest Airlines, Inc.

SkyWest management believes reaching this agreement brings to conclusion a thorough process that also included the negotiation of support and long-term maintenance agreements that will enable SkyWest to efficiently manage the operating costs of the new aircraft.  SkyWest management also believes it has developed an industry-leading agreement that will allow SkyWest to offer competitive benefits to its major partners.

Image: United Airlines.

Video: A SkyWest pilot shows the views from the cockpit:

Current Routes operated for United Airlines by SkyWest Airlines (click on the map for full-size view):

United Express/SkyWest Airlines: 

Adria Airways (Ljubljana) reported a reduced loss of $7.3 million in the first quarter. The struggling carrier intends to lease out its two Airbus A319s to Jat Airways (Belgrade) next month according to Balkans.com. However the airline will lease in two older (and cheaper) A319s in order to maintain its summer schedule and main routes according to the same source.

The government of Slovenia is planning to privatize around 15 state owned companies including Adria Airways according to Telecompaper.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 S5-AAR (msn 4301) prepares to land at Zurich.

Video: Adria Airways’ Cabin Crews:

Adria Airways: 

Current Routes:

EasyJet (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) yesterday (May 20) launched  its first ever services from London Gatwick to Bergen, Norway.

Norway is the 33rd country EasyJet flies to with the airline expecting to carry more than 100,000 passengers between Norway and the UK annually.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-111 G-EJAR (msn 2412) in the Supporting UNICEF motif taxies at Amsterdam.

Video: The expanding easyJet:

EasyJet (UK): 

Smart Wings (smartwings.com) (Holidays Czech Airlines) Airbus A320-214 OK-HCB (msn 2180) PMI (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 912099.

Copyright Photo: Javier Rodriguez.

Smart Wings: 

Alitalia (1st) (Linee Aeree Italiane) Boeing 747-243B I-DEMS (msn 22969) (Bulgari) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 102865.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

Alitalia (1st): 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (New York) today announced plans to enhance its Boeing 767 Intra-Asia services and 747 trans-Pacific services starting in early June 2013.

One Boeing 767-300 freighter will operate between Tokyo, Sydney and Seoul (Incheon), while a second 767-300F will operate between Taipei, Nagoya and Seoul (Incheon). With other previously announced routes, this will allow seamless connections to and from the United States.

Polar also announced the addition of two weekly flights between Hong Kong and Cincinnati responding to the market’s demand for additional capacity.

Video: A Polar Boeing 747-400F video by Just Planes:

Polar Air Cargo: 

United Airlines (Chicago) as planned welcomed back its Boeing 787 today with the re-launch of commercial service from the airline’s hub in Houston (Bush Intercontinental). United’s flight UA 1 departure from Houston Intercontinental at 11 a.m. to Chicago O’Hare marked the return of regular service using the world’s most advanced and efficient aircraft on domestic and international routes.

United will operate additional Dreamliner flights on routes from Houston to other domestic hubs this week, and the airline will launch international 787 service on the much-anticipated Denver-Tokyo route on June 10. This summer United also plans to inaugurate 787 service on existing routes including Houston-London, Los Angeles-Tokyo, Los Angeles-Shanghai and Houston-Lagos.

The airline expects to take delivery of two more Dreamliners from Boeing in the second half of 2013.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com.

United Airlines: 

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today that new service between Houston Hobby and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will begin on August 4, 2013. The airline initially will operate one daily roundtrip flight between the two cities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently awarded slot exemptions for this service by selecting Southwest’s application over competing applications by other airlines to serve other cities from Reagan National Airport.

The new route completes a triad of nonstop service options between Houston and the metropolitan airports in Boston, New York, and Washington, DC.

Southwest has served Houston Hobby since June 18, 1971, and has more than 2,800 Houston-based employees and currently operates 153 daily departures from Hobby Airport. Earlier this year, the Houston City Council approved Southwest’s proposal to construct a new five-gate international facility at Hobby Airport. New near-international service on Southwest Airlines is scheduled to begin in 2015.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8H4 WL N8610A (msn 36635) completes its final approach into nearby Baltimore/Washington.

Southwest Airlines: 

Cyprus Airways (Larnaca) is moving closer to Air France (Paris) with an expanded code-share program. Air France-KLM is helping the airline with its reorganization. The carrier today made this announcement:

Air France and Cyprus Airways are building on their existing cooperation to now offer a total of 20 daily code-share flights.

This new agreement offers travellers a wider choice of seamless travel solutions. Passengers travelling on Air France’s extensive international network are now able to connect to and from Cyprus at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

Flight options between Larnaca and Paris are also enhanced through several daily connections via Athens, in addition to the five weekly nonstop flights operated by Cyprus Airways. Customers can now take advantage of the domestic flights operated within Greece by Cyprus Airways, offering easy connections via Athens, between Paris, Rhodes and Heraklion.

Thanks to this new code-share agreement, Air France will now offer flights operated by Cyprus Airways: Larnaca-Paris, Larnaca-Athens, Athens-Heraklion and Athens-Rhodes. Cyprus Airways will also offer flights operated by Air France between Athens and Paris.

To better serve passengers on both airlines’ code-share flights, Cyprus Airways has conveniently moved from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. Terminal 2 is also used by Air France for its own flight operations. Moreover, passengers on both Air France and Cyprus Airways flights can collect points for their frequent flyer programmes, Flying Blue and Sunmiles, with each airline on all code-share flights.

This expanded relationship follows the bank rejection of all overtures by MEA-Middle East Airlines (Beirut) to either acquire a share or all of Cyprus Airways. The Central Bank, which controls the majority shares of MEA, rejected the plan by MEA to buy into troubled Cyprus Airways which is undergoing an reorganization. The bank did not want the airline to take on this added risk.

Read the full report from The Daily Star: CLICK HERE

Meanwhile Cyprus Airways’ pilots are supporting the restructuring plan being designed by Air France-KLM.

Video: 65 Years of Cyprus Airways:

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 5B-DCK (msn 2275) approaches the Larnaca base for landing.

Air France: 

Cyprus Airways: 

Darwin Airline (Lugano) has announced a new European base at Cambridge, UK. Starting on September 2, Darwin will fly from Cambridge to Amsterdam, Paris (CDG), Milan (Malpensa) and Geneva with 50-seat SAAB 2000 aircraft. A total of 50 flights will be operated from Cambridge each week. This will include a planned timetable of 24 weekly flights to and from Amsterdam;
12 weekly flights to and from Paris CDG (East Anglia’s only air service to the French capital); eight
weekly flights to and from Milan Malpensa, and six weekly services to and from Darwin Airline’s main
hub at Geneva.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 2000 HB-IZZ (msn 048) arrives at Zurich with a special S. Pellegrino logo.

Darwin Airline: 

Current routes from Geneva:

Ryanair (Dublin) has reported on its financial results for 2012. The company issued this statement:

Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) today (May 20) announced (record) annual profits of €569 million ($731.3 million), up 13% on last year despite higher oil costs. Revenues rose 13% to €4.88 billion as traffic grew 5% to 79.3 million passengers. Unit costs rose 8% mainly due to an 18% (€292 million) increase in fuel. Excluding fuel unit costs rose by 3%, while average fares improved by 6%.

“Announcing these profits Ryanair’s, Michael O’Leary, said:

The highlights of the past financial year include:-

·         Profits grew by 13% to €569m.

·         Traffic grew 5% to 79.3m (despite grounding up to 80 winter aircraft).

·         7 new bases – Chania (Greece), Eindhoven (Netherlands), Fez (Morocco), Krakow (Poland), Maastricht (Netherlands), Marrakech (Morocco) & Zadar (Croatia).

·         217 new routes (y/e total over 1,600 routes).

·         15 new aircraft delivered (y/e fleet 305).

·         2nd special div. of €492m and €68m share buyback completed.

·         175 new aircraft order, delivery 2014 to 2018 (sub. to June 18 EGM approval).

Delivering a 13% increase in profits and 5% traffic growth despite high oil prices during a European recession is testimony to the strength of Ryanair’s ultra-low cost model. Fuel costs rose by over €290m, and now represent 45% of total costs.  Excluding fuel, unit costs were up 3% due to excessive and unjustified increases in Italian ATC, Eurocontrol and Spanish airport fees. Ancillary revenues outpaced traffic growth, rising 20% to €1,064m or 22% of total revenue.

Growth – New Routes and Bases

This summer Ryanair opened 7 new bases, and more than 200 new routes as we continue our strategy of growing Europe’s largest passenger airline. However with 9 (net) additional aircraft and longer sectors, traffic growth this summer will be very modest at approx. 2%. By grounding fewer aircraft next winter we expect to deliver slightly faster H2 monthly growth which should result in overall traffic growth for the full year rising by more than 2m to 81.5m passengers.

Our new route teams continue to handle more growth opportunities than our current fleet expansion allows. Significant opportunities are opening up in Germany, Scandinavia and central Europe in particular, where Air Berlin, SAS and LOT continue to restructure. We are in active discussions with the new owners of Stansted Airport and the new management at Dublin Airport and while no agreements have yet been reached, if a competitive cost base emerges, then we could restart growth at one or other airports as early as September 2013.

Ryanair continues to expand, making meaningful share gains in many of Europe’s largest markets. In addition to being the No. 1 passenger airline in Ireland, and Spain, we have in the last 12 months overtaken Alitalia and LOT to become Italy’s and Poland’s No. 1 airline, respectively. Ryanair believes that its unique low cost advantage will enable the airline to achieve a 20% share of the European short-haul market over the next 5 years, particularly given that many of Europe’s high fare incumbents are restructuring and cutting capacity.

Ryanair’s successful growth, allied to deep short-haul restructuring among many high fare competitors, gives us confidence that we can grow from 80m p.a. to over 100m passengers p.a. over the next 5 years. Our recent order for 175 firm B 737-800 aircraft represents an enormous opportunity for shareholders as Ryanair returns to higher rates (5% p.a.) of traffic growth. We are pleased to have reached acceptable  pricing with Boeing, and the controlled delivery programme from Autumn 2014 to end of 2018 will provide the opportunity to expand Ryanair’s fleet to over 400 aircraft and our traffic to over 100m p.a. Ryanair is now uniquely positioned to offer many of Europe’s airports sustained traffic growth in return for low cost, efficient facilities. I am confident that in time this new order will enable Ryanair to extend its traffic leadership over Europe’s airlines, and generate further returns for our shareholders.

We were disappointed that the European Commission in February 2013 decided to prohibit Ryanair’s third offer for Aer Lingus. It is bizarre that the EU can wave through BA’s offer for British Midland in Phase 1 with few remedies, yet months later reject Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus which was accompanied by a revolutionary remedies package delivering two upfront buyers to open competing bases in Dublin and Cork airports. We have no doubt that this was yet another politically motivated decision by Europe’s competition authority and it is inexplicable in the context of its stated policy of promoting European airline consolidation.

In recent years high oil prices and competitor fuel surcharges have made Ryanair’s fares even more attractive to hard pressed European consumers. The combination of high oil prices, increasing competitor losses, together with a shortage of financing for weaker credits, will lead to continued EU consolidation and closures. Ryanair is 90% hedged for FY’14 at $980 per tonne (approx. $98 p.bl) and we have now extended our hedges into FY’15 with 25% of H1 hedged at $930 per tonne (approx. $93 p.bl). We hope to continue to make meaningful reductions in our oil costs into FY’15.

Ryanair’s balance sheet remains one of the strongest in the industry. Our aircraft which have been purchased at substantially discounted prices, represents a significant long term benefit for our shareholders. We have gross cash over €3.5bn and year-end net cash of €61m, despite having returned almost €500m to shareholders in November (€1.5bn over the past 5 years) via a second special dividend. We have also taken advantage of current low interest rates to secure almost 70% of our fleet financing all in at under 3% and we have completed our Capex hedging programme to the end of 2014 at Euro/Dollar exchange rate of 1.32.

We expect traffic in FY.14 to grow by 3% to 81.5m. Growth will be slower in H1 at approx. 2%, but rise to approx. 5% in H2 as we ground fewer winter aircraft (up to 60) compared to prior years. Unit costs will increase primarily due to rising oil prices, a 3% growth in sector length, and unjustified higher Eurocontrol and Spanish airport charges. Due to lower yields and higher fuel costs Q1 Net Profit will be lower than last year due to the timing of Easter (which boosted Q4 revenues) and its presence in the prior year Q1 comparable. With almost zero yield visibility into H2 and the EU wide recession, we expect that there will continue to be downward pressure on yields which will dampen full year profit growth. We expect modest yield and traffic growth for the full year to be partly offset by higher oil and Eurocontrol costs resulting in another year of profit growth in FY’14 which – subject to winter yield outturns – should increase to a range of between €570m to €600m”.

Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. In November of 2006 Ryanair added these biting “bye bye Latehansa” markings to this Boeing 737-8AS EI-DLM (msn 33594) pictured landing at the Dublin base. The aircraft has since gone on to Nok Air as HS-DBM.

Ryanair: 

China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet fuel saving wing-tip devices, becoming China’s first carrier to do so. The aircraft is also the first Sharklets equipped A320 assembled and delivered in Tianjin, China.

The A320, powered by IAE V2500 engines, features a comfortable two class cabin, seating 158 passengers with eight in business class and 150 in economy. The A320 will make its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Dalian on May 18.

Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall. They are an option on new-build A320 Family aircraft and standard on all members of the new A320neo family. They offer operators up to four per cent fuel burn reduction on longer range sectors and provide the flexibility of either adding an additional 100 nautical miles range or increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.

China Eastern is one of the largest airlines in China and is the first Chinese airline operating Airbus aircraft in 1985. Now it operates an Airbus fleet of over 230 aircraft including A300s, A319s, A320s, A321s, A330s and A340s.

Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre has delivered 126 aircraft since June 2009 and it plans to deliver 46 aircraft in total in 2013.

Copyright Photo: Airbus. Wearing temporary marks of B-513L, this Airbus A320-232 was handed over as B-9921 (msn 5516).

China Eastern Airlines: 

Tatarstan Airlines (Tatarstan Aircompany) Airbus A319-111 VP-BDZ (msn 2446) (RusLine colors) DXB (Paul Denton). Image: 912185.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com.

Tatarstan Airlines: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

Quebecair BAC 1-11 402AP CF-QBR (msn 009) YYY (Bruce Drum). Image: 102855.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

Quebecair: 

Frameable Color Prints and Posters: 

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) have circled August 31 as a target date for its possible merger approval pending any anti-trust concerns of the government. In the meantime, according to this Wall Street Journal update, 29 employee teams are currently analyzing differences between the two carriers and ways to integrate the merger process. This research will lead to a sequence of events once the approval is granted. CEO Parker and CEO Horton co-lead the transition team. The new American livery still remains an resolved issue for the possible new American.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE 

Copyright Photo: Brian Peters/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-323 ER N722AN (msn 31547) arrives at the DFW hub.

Video: What is it like to take delivery of a brand new Boeing 737-800:

American Airlines: 

US Airways: 

Harbour Air Seaplanes (Vancouver Harbour), Westcoast Air (Vancouver Harbour) and Kenmore Air (Kenmore, WA) are coming together to build a new seaplane terminal in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, replacing the present facility consisting of converted trailers. The city council of Victoria has approved the variances to build the new terminal on city property according to this report by the Times Colonist.

Harbour Air acquired the assets of Westcoast Air on April 30, 2010.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Harbour Air’s de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbo Otter C-FRNO (msn 21) is captured beautifully inflight near Sechelt, British Columbia.

Harbour Air: 

Westcoast Air: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Westcoast Air and parent Harbour Air are now developing a common livery. Westcoast Air’s de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100 Twin Otter C-GQKN (msn 94) showcases 2013 livery which replaces the more colorful green, blue and white color scheme from 2008.

Video:

Route Map:

Hawkair Aviation Services (Terrace, BC) will start the Terrace-Prince George-Calgary route on June 3. The new route will be operated as a Central Mountain Air (Smithers, BC) flight using Hawkair’s Bombardier DHC-8s.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Hawkair introduced this new look in June 2012. The unique tail design was created by Roy Henry Vickers.

Video:

Hawkair: