Monthly Archives: February 2022

Airhub Airlines adds its first Airbus A330

Airhub Airlines (Malta) made this announcement:

Airhub Airlines has inducted one Airbus A330-343 into the fleet, bearing the Maltese registration of 9H-AHQ (MSN 1754). The addition of a new aircraft type will strengthen the competitive position of Airhub Airlines in the ACMI and Charter market, complementing its product and services.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engines, the five-year-old aircraft is the youngest in the Airhub Airlines fleet, having performed its maiden flight in December 2016. According to the Ch-Aviation Aircraft database, the subject aircraft is considered one of the top three youngest widebody aircraft bearing a Maltese registration. The young age of the aircraft will offer Airhub Airlines and its customers better fuel efficiency gains and enhanced technical reliability.

The A330 will be in ZERO LOPA configuration, supplementing the cargo fleet of Airhub Airlines. The aircraft bears a maximum volume of 256 m3 and a payload of 50 tons, respectively.

The maiden flight under the Airhub Aviation livery is scheduled for the next week. The 9H-AHQ will be deployed on all international markets worldwide, including the USA, India, Vietnam, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

LATAM renews its travel kits with a focus on sustainability and local design

LATAM recently presented its Travel Eco Kits, a new amenity kit concept for passengers traveling in Premium Business cabins. These kits are based on local design and gradually incorporate sustainable elements. The collectable bags are designed to be reusable and versatile with a very long lifespan, and new and exciting designs.ย 

Following LATAMโ€™s commitment to eliminate single-use plastics, the bag is delivered unwrapped, and its amenities are made more environmentally friendly through the incorporation of reusable materials such as a bamboo toothbrush with a sugar cane cap.ย  The earplugs are wrapped in kraft paper to reduce the use of plastic materials as much as possible, and the socks and eye covers are made from recycled plastic.

The bag includes cosmetic products (hand cream, lip balm and a refreshing towel) produced by Feito Brasil, a brand certified as B Corpโ„ข (certification that recognizes performance in financial, social and environmental sustainability). Feito Brasil prides itself on making products with a focus on sustainability. These products are cruelty-free and vegan, use natural ingredients and raw materials, and are locally produced by Brazilian artisans.ย 

The design of the new Travel Eco-Kits is to display the work of South American artists chosen by LATAM for their emerging trajectory and/or for being transformers of their communities. The first two artists to join this initiative are Tomรกs Olivos (Chile) and Hamilton Aguiar (Brazil). The following designs will be by artists from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Argentina.

Passengers on the Santiago de Chile โ€“ Madrid โ€“ Santiago de Chile and Sรฃo Paulo/Guarulhos โ€“ Miami โ€“ Sรฃo Paulo/Guarulhos routes will be the first to receive the new Travel Eco Kits during on-board service, which will be progressively implemented on remaining routes during 2022.

With this initiative, LATAM intends to take another step forward in its sustainability strategy, focused on generating environmental and social value in the community, and promoting social, environmental and economic development in the countries where it operates.ย 

ย About the artists:

HAMILTON AGUIAR

โ— Visual artist born in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) in 1965.

โ— His work is clearly inspired by natural beauty, with a transcendent quality that cannot be imitated.

โ— He has participated in individual and collective exhibitions throughout his thirty-year career, with notable exhibitions in galleries in Germany, Korea, Sweden, Canada, and Singapore, among others.

โ— His work is displayed by important galleries and exhibition spaces of contemporary art in Latin America and the United States. It has been exhibited at international fairs and is part of important collections of contemporary art, both public and private.

ย 

TOMรS OLIVOS

โ— Chilean illustrator born in Santiago in 1987. He currently resides in Barcelona.

โ— Author of the books “Abecedario Ilustrado” (2018) and “El gran Espรญritu” (2019), in addition to participating in publishing projects in Spain, Argentina, Chile, among others.

โ— He has a special obsession with nature and loves to draw characters with long arms and very small faces. His source of inspiration is strongly related to his own anatomy: “I have short legs and arms, it may be a reflection of the complex I have with my body.”

airBaltic temporarily suspends overnight flights to Ukraine

airBaltic has announced that due to the current situation it has made a decision to temporarily suspend overnight flights to and from Ukraine until the end of February 2022. The airline will continue to provide flights from Kyiv to both Riga and Vilnius.

The safety of our passengers and employees is the main priority ofย airBaltic.ย airBalticย is evaluating the current situation before each flight and following the recommendations issued by official authorities.ย airBalticย is flexible and ready to adjust its flight schedule if necessary.

This weekย airBalticย plans to provide daily flights between Kyiv and Riga as well as two flights between Kyiv and Vilnius.

As a result of the temporary suspension, the airline has cancelled five overnight rotations between Kyiv and Riga as well as two rotations between Odessa and Riga. The airline will contact the affected passengers and offer them to be rebooked on other connections.

Etihad Airways is coming to Crete

Etihad Airways made this announcement:

Travelers with Etihad Airways can look forward to a new destination this summer, along with the return of popular seasonal routes to Europe and the Indian Ocean.

Starting June 15, 2022, Etihad Airways will launch a seasonal twice-per-week service to Crete, the largest island in Greece. The flights are set to be operated on an Airbus A320 aircraft and will connect Abu Dhabi to the main city of Heraklion.

The airline will also return to Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar this summer. All four destinations are set to be operated from mid-June.

Destinations Frequencies Aircraft Launch date
Crete 2 flights per week A320 15 June 2022
Malaga 2 flights per week B787 15 June 2022
Santorini 3 flights per week A320 16 June 2022
Zanzibar 3 flights per week A320 17 June 2022

Kuwait Airways announces 17 new destinations

Kuwait Airways Boeing 777-300ER 9K-AOC (msn 62561) (65 Years) LHR (Andi Hiltl). Image: 956861.

Kuwait Airways has announced the launch of 17 new destinations, in addition to the 40 existing destinations, bringing the number of destinations to 57, which will commence in May.

Kuwait Airwaysโ€™ operation of new destinations from Kuwait will include flights to Malaga, Moscow, Sarajevo, Nice, Salalah, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Alexandria, Mykonos, Bodrum, Trabzon, Vienna, Madrid, Casablanca, Manchester, Kathmandu, and Kuala Lumpur.

In this regard, KACโ€™s Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi (above) stated, โ€œKuwait Airways is pleased to announce the operation of 17 new destinations to link Kuwait to the world, which comes within the framework of the Companyโ€™s preparations for the summer season that will witness a remarkable recovery in the movement of travel around the world. This is in addition to the fact that Kuwait Airways has selected a variety of destinations that are among the most important that the Company focuses on, due to its high demand for it by our customers of all segments, whether with the intentions of tourism, business or education.โ€

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Razouqi added, โ€œThis is also part of Kuwait Airwaysโ€™ tireless efforts to provide passengers on its aircraft with more direct options to meet their travel requirements and to provide them better services by launching new destinations and various services.โ€

Razouqi stressed on the Companyโ€™s keenness to attain the best levels of excellence in the services provided by the Company to its passengers, in addition to improving and developing all services to keep pace with the latest developments offered by the aviation sector around the world, as well as to achieving its desired objectives and to provide the best solutions to customers.

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It is worth mentioning that launch of Kuwait Airways new destinations comes as part of KACโ€™s strategy, and systematic research of the feasibility of these routes and their benefit to the Company, in addition to meeting the growing requirements for these new sectors which are important to customers.

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Kuwait Airways is also keen to assist its passengers and provide them with all means of comfort during their travel on its aircraft; from providing reservations for customers through all available channels and offering them appropriate services, to the check-in at Terminal 4 and completing their travel procedures with ease. In addition, Kuwait Airways is fully equipped with diverse fleet of the latest types of different aircraft, which will enable passengers to enjoy the Companyโ€™s services on board the Blue Bird.

Top Copyright Photo: Kuwait Airways Boeing 777-300ER 9K-AOC (msn 62561) (65 Years) LHR (Andi Hiltl). Image: 956861.

Kuwait Airways aircraft slide show:

Kuwait Airways aircraft photo gallery:

AviaAM Leasing delivers an additional Boeing 737-800BCF to Bluebird Nordic, will add 3 Boeing 777-300Fs

AviaAM Leasing, a global aviation holding company engaged in tailored aircraft leasing and trading services, has announced the delivery of a second Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter to Bluebird Nordic โ€“ a rapidly growing Iceland-based cargo airline, offering ACMI and Full-service Cargo services.

 

As both companies are part of Avia Solutions Group, a leading global aerospace services group, the strategic synergy between AviaAM Leasing and Bluebird Nordic allows the lessee to continue accomplishing ambitious expansion plans.

The Boeing 737-800BCF aircraft was converted to freighter configuration by Boeing at the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company (GAMECO) facility in Guangzhou, China.

AviaAM Leasing plans to have 25 converted aircraft of different types in the upcoming four years.

Blรกfugl ehf, d.b.a. Bluebird Nordic was established in 1999 with an Icelandic AOC. At present, Bluebird has seven Boeing 737-400s, one Boeing 737-300 and now two Boeing 737-800 cargo aircraft in operation.

Bluebird Nordic plans to increase its Boeing 737-800 fleet to 25 units by 2024.

At the end of December 2021, Bluebird Nordic concluded lease agreements for three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. At present, the aircraft are in passenger configuration but will proceed for conversion in 2024 and will be utilized as cargo aircraft once the conversion is complete.

Bluebird Nordic aircraft slide show:

Bluebird Nordic aircraft photo gallery:

 

Air Corsica to operate seasonal service to Gothenburg

"U. Cao Corsu"

Air Corsica will operate a weekly flight from Bastia to Gothenburg, Sweden this summer season starting on April 25.

The seasonal route will operate through October 3, 2022 with Airbus A320 aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo: Air Corsica Airbus A320-251N WL F-HXKJ (msn 9392) AJA (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 955208.

Air Corsica aircraft slide show:

Air Corsica aircraft photo gallery:

Air France suspends its flights to Kyiv

Air France suspended its flight to Kyiv, Ukraine starting today.

Korean Air introduces its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8

Korean Air announced that its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 was delivered to Incheon Airport on February 13, 2022.

The newly introduced Boeing 737-8 is scheduled to begin operations from March 1, 2022 after undergoing standard safety procedures such as an airworthiness test.

Kicking off with its first delivery of the 737-8, Korean Air is slated to receive a total of six aircraft this year. In November 2015, Korean Air signed an agreement to acquire 30 737-8s.

The 737-8 is a next-gen, eco-friendly aircraft with superior efficiency, reliability and operational capabilities. Powered by the latest CFM International LEAP-1B high-tech engines, the fleet also features the split-scimitar winglets that reduce aerodynamic drag and decrease necessary fuel amounts by 1.8%. These new advanced technology winglets are manufactured by Korean Airโ€™s Aerospace Division and supplied to Boeing.

The aircraft can operate on 15% less fuel compared to similar aircraft, lowering per-seat operating costs by 12%. Carbon emissions will also be reduced by 13% compared to the Boeing 737 Next Generation.

The cabin is equipped with the Boeing Sky Interior, which offers customers a roomy and comfortable space with its streamlined ceiling and overhead bins. The LED lighting system also allows for lighting to be adjusted to match phases of the flight for better ambience.

Korean Air offers a total of 146 seats, including 8 in Prestige class and 138 in economy class on its new model.

Since 2019, the 737-8 has obtained airworthiness from 188 countries, after its various safety devices and software systems were strengthened through thorough inspection and upgrades. A total of 36 airlines around the world, including American, United and Singapore, operate the 737-8.

The 737-8 has demonstrated high operational reliability, with a 99.38% on-time performance over the 898,737 flight hours logged so far.

No other news, Korean Air will participate in hydrogen fuel infrastructure development:

In preparing for the future of carbon-neutral aviation, Korean Air has embarked on a project to pioneer the Korean hydrogen fuel infrastructure.

On February 9th, Korean Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), Airbus, and Air Liquide to cooperate on supplying aviation hydrogen fuel and developing relevant infrastructure.

The event, which took place at IIACโ€™s Headquarters in Incheon, was attended by Soo Keun Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Safety & Operation Officer, Korean Air), Hyoung-Wook Jeon (Vice President of Infrastructure Division, IIAC), Fabrice Espinosa (President, Airbus Korea), and Guillaume Cottet (President and Representative Director, Air Liquide Korea).

The MOU is aligned with Airbusโ€™ aim to develop the worldโ€™s first zero-emission hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035, and confirms Korean Air as an active participant in welcoming this alternative energy paradigm shift.

The MOU paves way for the stakeholders to actively cooperate in various fields, from developing hydrogen infrastructure at airports, establishing a roadmap for introducing hydrogen, to ground handling logistics.

Korean Air will focus its expertise on overall operational activities, including ground handling planning, maintenance and flight operations, and IIAC on research and development of airport facilities. Airbus and Air Liquide will analyze domestic demand for hydrogen-powered aircraft, and establish a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen fuel, respectively.

At the 2021 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Boston, member airlines have approved a resolution for the global air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Korean Air, as an industry leader, is poised to apply various carbon reduction measures in its operations.

Last year, Korean Air signed an MOU with Hyundai Oilbank to manufacture and promote the application of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and also partnered with SK Energy to purchase carbon-neutral jet fuel to be used on the Korean domestic network. In addition, the airlineโ€™s introduction of Airbus A220-300 to its fleet will reduce carbon emission per seat by 25% compared to existing models of similar capacity, demonstrating its commitment to environmental awareness.

As a pioneer in the global aviation industry, Korean Air plans to proactively respond to climate change. The airline is committed to various means of carbon emissions reduction to achieve carbon neutrality, and also to the successful development of the Korean domestic hydrogen energy sector.

Above Photo: (From left to right) Guillaume Cottet (President and Representative Director, Air Liquide Korea), Fabrice Espinosa (President, Airbus Korea), Hyoung-Wook Jeon (Vice President of Infrastructure Division, IIAC), Soo Keun Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Safety & Operation Officer, Korean Air).

Qatar Airways unveils a unique retro livery aircraft to celebrate 25 years of operation

Qatar Airways welcomed a nostalgic flashback to its early days of operation with the delivery of a Boeing 777-300 aircraft (A7-BAC) painted in the award-winning airlineโ€™s retro livery design as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

The aircraft made its retro livery debut operating as Flight QR 0041 from Hamad International Airport (HIA), Doha, to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, and will become a familiar sight on a variety of other Qatar Airways routes over the coming 12 months, celebrating 25 years of excellence for the award-winning airline during its milestone year.

The national carrier for the State of Qatar, part of the Qatar Airways Group, now stands at the forefront of the commercial aviation industry, connecting Doha to more than 140 destinations across six continents via the โ€˜Worldโ€™s Best Airportโ€™, its home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA).