Monthly Archives: April 2018

Allegiant Air to end service to Trenton, NJ

Allegiant Air will drop the Punta Gorda – Trenton twice-weekly route on April 29, 2018.

Allegiant aircraft slide show:

Etihad Airways to drop Perth and Edinburgh

Etihad Airways will end the Abu Dhabi – Perth route. The last departure from Perth will be on October 1 according to Airline Route.

The carrier will also drop the Abu Dhabi – Edinburgh route on September 30.

Etihad Airways aircraft slide show:

KLM is the first to order JAMCO’s new business-class seats

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has contracted the JAMCO Group of Japan to supply new World Business Class seats for eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, to be delivered from next year. KLM is the first customer to order JAMCO’s new “Venture” business-class seats.

The next-generation seat is lighter than its predecessors, reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the fishbone configuration of the new Venture seats ensures more effective utilisation of the available space.

KLM will be the first European airline that will fly with the new Boeing 787-10. The first airplane will be delivered in June, 2019. The new Dreamliner is an extended version of the already operating Boeing 787-9.

KLM World Business Class
KLM is constantly striving to improve customer experience. This is exemplified by JAMCO’s Venture seats, which offer passengers greater personal space and comfort, with full-flat recline and an 18.5-inch entertainment screen. Another new feature is the “Do not disturb” button on the armrest, which passengers can turn on and off at will. The middle seats in WBC have a movable partition, allowing passengers to opt for maximum privacy or for an optimum shared travel experience.

Aisle is directly accessible
There will be 38 World Business Class seats aboard these new aircraft. All of these seats will offer direct access to the aisle. The new seats will be KLM-branded, based on a design created in cooperation with Hella Jongerius.

JAMCO Group
The JAMCO Group is a Japanese corporation serving the aviation industry. It has divisions for aircraft interiors, aircraft components, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft seats. JAMCO was established in 1955 and is a longstanding supplier of Boeing and Airbus. JAMCO supplies the galleys installed aboard KLM’s long-haul fleet.

Photos: KLM.

United’s new Boeing 737-9 MAX 9s to adopt the updated “wavy” 2012 787 livery

https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-USA6/United-Airlines-NC-Boeing/i-2GChJrT/A

Boeing has now finished the painting of the first new Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 (N67591, msn 43430, line number 6834, fleet number 7501) (above) for United Airlines.

Above Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 N60659 (N67501) (msn 43439) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 941210.

United has now decided the new type will adopt the updated “wavy gold cheatline” livery introduced in 2012 on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Aviation writer Edward Russell has introduced a peek of N67501 on social media:

Previously United Airlines announced it has added the Boeing 737 MAX 9 to its domestic flight schedules. The MAX 9 features Boeing’s Advanced Technology winglets and fuel efficient engines providing a quieter ride and the ability to fly farther on less fuel.

United expects to begin operating MAX 9 aircraft on June 7, between its hub at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and five cities. Beginning June 29, United expects to add additional MAX 9 flights from its Houston and Los Angeles hubs including service between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

Scheduled Boeing 737 MAX 9 service
Date	United Hub	Destination	Depart	Arrive
June 7	Houston (IAH)	Anchorage (ANC)	2:40 p.m.	6:58 p.m.
June 7	Houston (IAH)	Austin (AUS)	10:25 a.m.	11:15 a.m.
June 7	Houston (IAH)	Ft. Lauderdale (FLL)	2:20 p.m.	5:52 p.m.
June 7	Houston (IAH)	Orlando (MCO)	7:35 a.m.	10:38 p.m.
June 7	Houston (IAH)	Orlando (MCO)	2:50 p.m.	6:19 p.m.
June 7	Houston (IAH)	San Diego (SAN)	9:50 p.m.	10:52 p.m.
June 29	Los Angeles (LAX)	Honolulu (HNL)	11:05 a.m.	2:00 p.m.
June 29	Los Angeles (LAX)	Houston (IAH)	8:15 a.m.	1:37 p.m.
June 29	Los Angeles (LAX)	Houston (IAH)	1:00 a.m.	6:14 a.m.
June 29	Houston (IAH)	Los Angeles (LAX)	7:45 a.m.	9:23 a.m.
June 29	Houston (IAH)	Los Angeles (LAX)	9:35 p.m.	10:59 p.m.
June 29	Houston (IAH)	Sacramento (SMF)	9:50 p.m.	11:27 p.m.
June 29	Houston (IAH)	Tampa (TPA)	2:50 p.m.	6:02 p.m.
June 29	Houston (IAH)	Tampa (TPA)	7:50 a.m.	10:59 a.m.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 features 179 seats including 20 United First seats in a 2-2 configuration, 48 in Economy Plus in a 3-3 configuration with 34 inches of pitch, and 111 United Economy seats in a 3-3 configuration with at least 30 inches of pitch. Customers also have access to in-seat power outlets and the opportunity to purchase satellite Wi-Fi. United Private Screening personal device entertainment will be available throughout the aircraft and enables customers to play thousands of hours of movies and television programs on their electronic devices.

United’s new, extra-spacious United First seat features contoured, two-tone leather, a six-way adjustable headrest and a padded articulating seat cushion. The seat is equipped with storage spaces for personal items, including an in-arm tablet/laptop slot, a personal water bottle console and double seatback pockets. The seat also features a new tray table design with a flip-up mobile device holder that fits more than 200 phone and tablet models, and a universal AC power plug to charge devices on the fly. A granite-topped extendable cocktail table in the center console adds an extra bit of elegance, keeping the tray table free for eating, working or staying entertained.

Lufthansa cancels more than 800 flights today due to Verdi strike

The Verdi trade union called for a strike at Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne and Bremen airports on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. The ground handling services, the support services and also part of the airport fire brigade will be on strike between 5:00h and 18:00h. Due to this Verdi strike, Lufthansa is canceling 800 out of the 1,600 scheduled flights, including 58 long-haul flights on April 10. The cancellations will affect about 90,000 passengers. Flight operations are scheduled to resume normal services on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

On inner-German routes, passengers can use the train, regardless of whether their flight has been cancelled. To do so, passengers can convert their ticket into a Deutsche Bahn ticket at “My Bookings” on Lufthansa.com. It is not necessary to travel to the airport.

The airline continued;

Lufthansa cannot comprehend Verdi’s threat to carry out such a massive strike. “It is completely unacceptable for the union to impose this conflict on uninvolved passengers. Lufthansa is not a part of this collective bargaining conflict, but unfortunately our customers and our company are being affected by the consequences of this dispute,” says Bettina Volkens, Member of the Executive Board for Human Resources and Legal Affairs of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The nature and extent of the widespread and full-day strike is inappropriate and unreasonable at this time. Strikes must be the last resort in a wage dispute. “Politicians and legislators must define clear rules for strikes and industrial actions,” demands Volkens. “We regret that the travel plans of so many customers are being affected by this Verdi strike and we are working on minimizing the impact as much as possible”.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show:

ALC announces a new Airbus A330-900neo lease with Hi Fly

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced a medium-term lease agreement with Hi Fly (Portugal) for one Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The aircraft is scheduled to deliver from ALC’s order book with Airbus in June 2019.

The new Airbus A330-900neo offers the airline a 380-passenger aircraft that can fly 7,000 statute miles nonstop with economic and operational efficiency unmatched by current generation A330s.

Paulo Mirpuri, Hi Fly President and CEO, added, “We are delighted to start the renewal of our widebody fleet with the first brand new A330-900neo coming from ALC. The A330neo is a perfect aircraft for Hi Fly, with its new technology, modern interior and the new super-efficient Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines, responding very well to our business needs as well as to our environmental concerns.”

Above Copyright Photo: Airbus A330-941N F-WTTN (msn 1795) TLS (Eurospot). Image: 939623.

The first of ten Airbus A330-900neo aircraft that will ultimately renew the entire Hi Fly Airbus A330 fleet in upcoming years and will arrive in June 2019.

Southwest Airlines begins more than a dozen new routes this week

Southwest Airlines this week will begin operating more than a dozen new nonstop routes across North America. San Jose, California saw six new nonstop routes take off on Sunday, April 8, adding more nonstop routes from the Bay Area to cities across the United States.

New Nonstop Flights Connect California With More Places

On Sunday, April 8, 2018, Southwest® inaugurated service on 11 new routes between cities throughout California and cities across the United States. The nonstop flights will take Customers between:

San Jose, California and Boise
San Jose, California and Houston
San Jose, California and Spokane
San Jose, California and St. Louis
San Jose, California and New Orleans (Flights operate on Sundays)
San Jose, California and Albuquerque (Flights operate on Sundays)
San Francisco   and Austin
Sacramento       and Austin
Sacramento       and St. Louis
Oakland              and Newark
San Diego           and Newark

Also on Sunday, the carrier also began new intra-Florida service between Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and Jacksonville. The flights operate three times a day. Additionally, Southwest celebrated new daily nonstop flights between Raleigh/Durham and Kansas City, and Sunday-only nonstop service between Austin and Indianapolis.

New Saturday Service
On Saturday, April 14, the carrier will begin weekly service on Saturdays between Oakland and Orlando, marking the first time Southwest has connected the Bay Area and Orlando with nonstop service. The service will be offered daily beginning July 15, 2018.

New Seasonal Service
Also on April 14, 2018, the carrier will begin seasonal weekly service on Saturdays between Kansas City and Pensacola and between Orlando and Oklahoma City. Southwest will also begin weekly nonstop service on Saturdays between Phoenix and New York (LaGuardia). The service will continue until June 2, 2018.

New International Gateways Open
Southwest is also beginning its international journey from two new gateway cities. On Saturday, April 14, the carrier will begin weekly seasonal service on Saturdays between Columbus and Cancun and between New Orleans and Cancun.

Southwest Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

SAS places an order for an additional 50 Airbus A320neo aircraft, will phase-out the Boeing 737s

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS has decided to order 50 additional Airbus A320neo aircraft with delivery from spring 2019 through 2023. This order means SAS for the first time will have a single-type fleet by 2023 that consists of the market’s most efficient short- and medium-haul aircraft in terms of cost and environment.

The Airbus A320neo has 15–20 percent lower jet-fuel consumption per seat kilometer compared to the aircraft being phased out of traffic. In addition, the climate-impacting emissions can be further reduced through the use of biofuel. Today, SAS already invests in biofuel and has also been working for several years on stimulating increased production of biofuels

The investments in the customer offering and efficiency enhancements over the past few years have contributed to SAS’s improved profitability, which in turn has enabled this aircraft order. SAS is in the process of implementing SEK 3 billion in efficiency gains by 2020. SAS will have to continue to improve efficiency even after 2020. The renewal of the aircraft fleet together with the implementation of the single type fleet means SAS can take efficiency enhancements of its operations to the next level.

A modern and efficient single-type fleet

SAS has already 17 Airbus A320neos in service from a previous order for 30 Airbus A320neos.

This order means that SAS will have at least 80 Airbus A320neos in service during 2023. The order for 50 Airbus A320neos is split into two parts. The first 15 new Airbus A320neos, with deliveries from the spring of 2019 through 2021, have been secured through declarations of intent with lessors. The remaining 35 Airbus A320neos are planned to be delivered directly by Airbus up to 2023.

The aircraft order also includes options for an additional five A320neos. Moreover, SAS has the possibility to increase the number of aircraft that can be leased from lessors. Alongside existing aircraft, this also creates flexibility for growth under the right circumstances.

The aircraft will be financed through a combination of finance leases, sale and leaseback, and cash flow generated by our own operations. All of the aircraft will be equipped with SAS’s high-speed WiFi and have SAS’s appreciated new cabin interiors.

During the 2010s, SAS worked on harmonizing and simplifying its aircraft fleet.

Today, SAS has two aircraft types in service within Europe, compared with six different types in 2012.

In line with the deliveries of the new Airbus A320neos, SAS will begin phasing out its Boeing 737 and the existing Airbus A320 aircraft.

Above Copyright Photo: The Boeing 737-800s are likely to be the last 737 type to be retired in 2023. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Boeing 737-883 WL LN-RRT (msn 28326) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 936360.

At the same time, SAS will further simplify its aircraft fleet into a single-type fleet consisting of Airbus aircraft on both short-, medium- and long-haul routes. This will lead to increased flexibility, and enable further standardizations and enhancements to efficiency in the production.

As a whole, this aircraft order will provide SAS with an extremely competitive aircraft fleet in terms of environmental impact, customer comfort and cost efficiency.

The list price of the 35 A320neo aircraft, including engines, directly purchased from Airbus amounts to just below $4 billion (US), before discounts agreed between SAS and Airbus. The other 15 A320neo aircraft will be leased from lessor companies. The order to Airbus is made by SAS and its wholly owned subsidiary Gorm Asset Management Ltd.

SAS has not yet selected the engines that will be used on these aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo: Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A320-251N WL LN-RGL (msn 7290) ARN (Stefan Sjogren). Image: 937988.

SAS aircraft slide show:

Just Us Air is set to take to the skies following the award of its AOC

Just Us Air has made this announcement:

Just Us Air is delighted to announce that it has successfully secured its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority.

The newly-launched carrier will operate a small fleet of Airbus aircraft available for short notice ACMI and wet / damp lease operations, series flights, and ad-hoc charter services.

Based in Bucharest, Just Us Air will commence operations with a 2008-manufactured Airbus A319 in 144Y configuration – registration YR-URS (above) – which is available to customers immediately.

A second aircraft – an Airbus A321 in 220Y configuration – will be added to the AOC at the end of April 2018.

Just Us Air will be working in close partnership with UK-based Chapman Freeborn Airchartering who will provide the airline with commercial and operational support.

Dan Iuhas, CEO of Just Us Air, said:

“We are delighted to have been awarded our AOC and look forward to the next chapter in our journey. With our team’s vast experience in airline operations and the professionalism and global reach of Chapman Freeborn, we feel we are ideally placed to offer a high quality product and service to the market at a time of short supply.”

Photo: Just Us Air.

Boeing, Lion Air Group announce order for 50 737 MAX 10 airplanes

(PRNewsfoto/Boeing)

Boeing and the Lion Air Group have announced the airline purchased 50 of Boeing’s new 737 MAX 10 airplane, which will be the most fuel-efficient and profitable single-aisle jet in the aviation industry. The deal, valued at approximately $6.24 billion at list prices, is the largest incremental order to date of the MAX 10 variant. The order was previously listed as unidentified on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website.

The Lion Air Group was first in the world to put the 737 MAX 8 into service and the first to order the 737 MAX 9. Last month, the group became the first to take delivery of a 737 MAX 9, using the airplane’s added capacity to launch several international routes.

The 737 MAX is a family of airplanes that offer about 130 to 230 seats with the ability to fly up to 3,850 nautical miles (7,130 kilometers). These jets incorporate the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, the Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays and other features to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant in the family. At 43.8 m (143 ft 8 in) long, the airplane can seat a maximum of 230 passengers and offer airlines the lowest seat-mile cost ever in a single-aisle aircraft.

Image: Boeing.