Copyright Photo: Iraqi Airways (Tailwind Airlines) Boeing 737-8FZ WL TC-TLI (msn 29682) (Tailwind colors) FRA (Bernhard Ross). Image: 962045.
Iraqi Airways aircraft photo gallery:
Delta Air Lines today (November 30) is closing another chapter. The last Bombardier CRJ200 revenue flight will be flown today.
Delta made the decision to retire the type in 2020.
SkyWest Airlines will operate the last flight from and to the Salt lake City (SLC) hub.
The type was being operated in November to Cedar City (CDC), Elko and Moab (CNY).
The last flight is likely to be:
DL4300 CDC – SLC 7:05 pm – 8:12 pm
The type is being replaced with larger CRJ700s and CRJ900s.
Today, American proudly makes high-speed connectivity available on more aircraft than any other domestic airline. Over the next two years, the airline intends to help even more customers have a consistent and connected inflight experience through the forthcoming introduction of high-speed Wi-Fi on the dual-class regional aircraft operated on its behalf. American is working to extend its relationship with Intelsat with the plan to install new high-speed Wi-Fi capability on nearly 500 regional aircraft beginning next year.
American currently makes high-speed Wi-Fi available on more than 900 mainline aircraft, with the objective to bring the total number of satellite-connected aircraft to more than 1,400 once the planned updates to regional aircraft are complete.
Inflight connectivity technology continues to evolve rapidly across the airline industry. Intelsat’s Electronically Steered Array (ESA) antennae is unique because it is multi-orbit, interoperating on both Intelsat’s family of geo-stationary satellites and on a constellation of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, providing low latency high-speed internet connection to American’s customers.
This new technology will allow these regional aircraft to match fast Wi-Fi speeds that are currently available on American’s mainline aircraft. With the planned purchase of this new technology, American is reinforcing its commitment to provide a consistent and connected experience for customers on all of American’s connectivity-equipped flights with the ability to stream, browse, check email and even log onto VPN while inflight.
Electra Airways of Bulgaria has unveiled a new logo and aircraft livery on Airbus A320 LZ-EAI.
The company issued this statement:
Let us unveil our new stunning livery transformation!
Electra Airways has partnered with the Airbus Design Studio, a cutting-edge service introduced by Airbus in late 2022, to redefine its corporate identity, livery, and aircraft interiors. The redesign extends beyond the airline’s visual identity to encompass the entire aircraft interior – from colors and materials to finishes and lighting.
The freshly unveiled corporate identity is now proudly displayed on Electra Airways’ A320 aircraft livery. The collaboration with Airbus Design Studio signifies Electra Airways’ dedication to elevating the passenger experience and establishing a distinctive presence in the skies.
More from Airbus:
Electra Airways Ltd, a fast growing airline with headquarters in Sofia, Bulgaria, has recently trusted the Airbus Design Studio, a new service launched by Airbus at the end of 2022, to redesign the airline’s corporate identity including Aircraft interior look and feel.
Using its proven creative expertise, the Airbus Design Studio produced comprehensive brand book for the company, digital promotion materials and recommendations for cabin interiors (such as colors, materials, finishes and lighting). “Our design, said Alexandre Garcia Head of Design Studio, will allow Electra Airways identity to be recognised as well as permit a fast rebranding in case of aircraft leasing to another company“.
Electra Airways’ corporate identity has been released and is now visible on their A320 aircraft livery.
Electra Airways Ltd is also part of a wider multi-service holding, the Vector Group. Vector Group includes ETG Maintenance, an EASA certified MRO (Maintenance & Repair Overhaul), Classic Air, a broker and Charter flights consolidator and Maverick Horizon Ltd, a Mid-Life to End-of-life Airbus narrow body aircraft leasing company.
“We are glad that Airbus accepted the challenge and the result is fully meeting our expectations. We appreciated working with the highly professional team, which contributed a lot of their knowledge and experience, gained during many years of work at Airbus, to this project. We are convinced that their sophisticated approach added a lot of value to the design development of Electra Airways”, declared Effi Grunwald, Vector Group CEO.
Airbus Design Studio sells end to end user experience services to airlines to create or remake the branding and design of aircraft external livery, cabin interiors, lounges, uniforms and digital presence. They offer a fully tailored experience, from branding to the entire passenger journey customisation.
“Electra Airways was one of our launch customers and we are delighted to announce that the trust has been renewed. A new deal has been settled in September 2023 to extend the initial package to all the other companies, members of Vector Group. We are proud of this extension in parallel to other on-going design projects. It gives us the confidence to further develop our customer base over the years to come”, said Jochen Werner, Airbus HO Industrial Design.
Top Copyright Photo: Electra Airways (Bulgaria) Airbus A320-232 LZ-EAI (msn 1862) BCN (Andi Hiltl). Image: 962044.
Electra Airways aircraft photo gallery:
From New Haven Register:
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/new-haven-tweed-avelo-melbourne-fla-18517618.php
Current Route Map:
Air Transat has announced two enhancements to its network. Its popular routes between Montreal and San Salvador, El Salvador, and Liberia, Costa Rica, which were previously operated only during the winter season, will now be available year-round.
As of May 1, 2024, flights to San Salvador will be operated every Wednesday, and flights to Liberia will be operated every Sunday. These new frequencies will provide travellers with a unique opportunity to discover these destinations outside of the peak winter travel season. At the same time, they provide greater flexibility for Salvadoran and Costa Rican communities settled in Canada, making it easier to reunite with loved ones at any time of the year.
Porter Airlines has further expanded its Florida offering from Eastern Canada with flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW) taking off for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) for the first time today.
United’s new Airbus A321neo takes its inaugural flight from Houston today, November 30 to Chicago (O’Hare).
The aircraft, the pictured N44501, is sscheduled to depart from Houston (Bush Intercontinental) at 17:30 (5:30 pm CS), operating flight UA321 to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
This is the first new Airbus aircraft to enter United’s fleet since 2002 and features United’s most advanced cabin interior yet – including Panasonic’s new NEXT inflight entertainment system, which offers an up to 13 inch, 4K screen and a customizable passenger experience including curated content options, a more detailed flight timeline, 3D map with destination guides and onboard food and beverage menus.
The new aircraft also offers:
The A321neo is just the latest addition to United’s fleet as progress continues on the airline’s ambitious United Next growth strategy; United expects to take delivery of about 800 new narrowbody and widebody aircraft between 2023 and the end of 2032, while retrofitting existing narrowbody aircraft with United’s Signature Interior.
Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Airbus A321-271NX WL D-AXXH (N44501) (msn 11500) XFW (Gerd Beilfuss). Image: 961507.
United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Airbus, current livery):
New Great Airlines Series books just announced (available on Amazon and other book sellers):
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS issued this update on its Chapter 11 process:
I am pleased to conclude a busy year for SAS. Some 6.8 million passengers traveled with SAS in the fourth quarter, which means that, in total, some 23.7 million passengers traveled with SAS during the full fiscal year 2022/2023. This represents a passenger volume increase of 18 percent for the fourth quarter, and a 33 percent year-on-year increase for the full fiscal year. This is a clear confirmation of passengers continuing to return to SAS, and that our ramp-up efforts throughout the year have been successful. We are also proud to have achieved a five-star rating from our customers in the 2023 APEX Awards.
We are making steady progress in our Chapter 11 process in the US and in reaching our overall targets in the SAS FORWARD plan with one major milestone reached during the quarter. On October 3, SAS announced that Castlelake, Air France-KLM and Lind Invest, together with the Danish state, had been selected as the winning bidder consortium in SAS’ exit financing solicitation process. We entered an investment agreement with the bidding consortium shortly after the end of the quarter. The agreement includes a total investment in the reorganized SAS corresponding to approximately SEK 13.2 billion, including approximately SEK 5.2 billion in new unlisted equity and approximately SEK 8 billion in secured convertible debt. The investment comprises a key step in our SAS FORWARD plan, and confirms that our new investors believe in SAS and our potential to remain at the forefront of the airline industry for years to come.
We currently target receiving approval of the Chapter 11 plan from the US court in early 2024, to be followed by obtaining regulatory approvals and the implementation of a Swedish company reorganization at the SAS AB level (likely to be filed by SAS AB in 2024). As a result of that process, all of SAS AB’s common shares and listed commercial hybrid bonds are expected to be cancelled, redeemed and delisted (currently expected to take place during the second quarter of 2024). Consequently, there is no expected value for existing shareholders in SAS AB and only a modest recovery is expected for the holders of commercial hybrid bonds. SAS expects that its operations will be unaffected by such legal proceedings and that it will continue to serve its customers as normal.
AUGUST 2023–OCTOBER 2023
NOVEMBER 2022–OCTOBER 2023
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING THE QUARTER
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE QUARTER
QUARTERLY RESULTS
We noted continued healthy passenger demand through the fourth quarter with the total number of passengers up 17.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Year-on-year, our RPK increased 17.2 percent, while capacity increased 16.2 percent. Our flown load factor for the quarter was 77.8 percent, up 0.7 percentage points compared with the same period last year.
The increase in passenger demand and production led to a year-on-year increase of 13 percent in our total operating revenue, which landed at SEK 12,019 million for the quarter. After the significant depreciation of the Swedish Krona towards the end of the quarter and the increase in jet fuel prices in the same period, earnings before tax ended at a negative SEK 2,110 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of SEK 409 million. However, for the full year, EBT increased SEK 2,330 million to a negative SEK 5,516 million. The higher costs from adverse trends in currencies and fuel prices are cloaking a significant part of the achievements from stronger operational and commercial performance.
Cost reductions across the business remain in focus to secure our cost competitiveness, and total operating expenses for the quarter ended at SEK 12,681 million. Many of the cost efficiencies of the SAS FORWARD plan are ramping up over time, and some have been implemented but cannot be recognized in our financial results until after emergence from Chapter 11, including cost savings from the fleet restructuring.
The cash balance at the end of the quarter was SEK 6,160 million. Cash flow from operating activities during the quarter amounted to an inflow of SEK 81 million.
UPDATE ON SAS’ TRANSFORMATION PLAN
We launched our comprehensive business transformation plan SAS FORWARD in conjunction with the publication of the first quarter report for FY2022, in the end of February 2022. The aim of the plan is to secure long-term competitiveness for SAS in the global aviation industry. On July 5, 2022, to accelerate the implementation of SAS FORWARD, we announced that we had voluntarily filed in the US for Chapter 11, a well-established and flexible legal framework for restructuring businesses with operations in multiple jurisdictions. Through this process, we aim to reach agreements with key stakeholders, restructure the company’s debt obligations, reconfigure our aircraft fleet and emerge with a significant capital injection.
On October 3, SAS announced that we had selected Castlelake, Air France-KLM and Lind Invest, together with the Danish state, as the winning bidder consortium in our exit financing solicitation process. We entered into an investment agreement with the bidding consortium shortly after the quarter ended. The agreement entails a total investment in the reorganized SAS corresponding to approximately SEK 13.2 billion, including approximately SEK 5.2 billion in new unlisted equity and approximately SEK 8 billion in secured convertible debt. As part of the transaction, we have also secured new Debtor-in-Possession (“DIP”) financing of SEK 5.5 billion from Castlelake. The funds from the new DIP financing agreement are being used for, inter alia, refinancing SAS’ original DIP term loan, increasing liquidity, and supporting SAS’ path to exit from its voluntary restructuring proceedings. The refinancing of SAS’ original term loan was completed in November 2023.
As part of the transaction, SAS also intends to eventually exit the Star Alliance and join the SkyTeam Alliance, of which Air France-KLM is a founding member. This move towards a partnership with SkyTeam determines a clear path forward for the company. Through the completion of this process and the opportunities presented by being part of SkyTeam, we will be able to further enhance SAS’ offerings for the benefit of our colleagues, customers and communities. This is a truly exciting step for SAS. However, it is important to note that nothing is changing immediately. SAS is still part of Star Alliance and our EuroBonus members will continue to enjoy their usual benefits when flying on our partner airlines. Members can continue to accrue and redeem points – just like today, and their benefits when they fly with SAS will not be impacted.
The agreed exit transaction remains subject to approval in connection with the confirmation of SAS’ Chapter 11 reorganization plan. We currently target to receive approval of the Chapter 11 plan from the US court in early 2024, to be followed by obtaining regulatory approvals and the implementation of a Swedish company reorganization at the SAS AB level (likely to be filed by SAS AB in 2024). As a result of that process, all of SAS AB’s common shares and listed commercial hybrid bonds are expected to be cancelled, redeemed, and delisted (currently expected to occur during the second quarter of 2024). Consequently, there is no expected value for existing shareholders in SAS AB and only a modest recovery is expected for the holders of commercial hybrid bonds. SAS expects that its operations will be unaffected by such legal proceedings and that it will continue to serve its customers as normal.
FIVE-STAR RATING IN GLOBAL CUSTOMER RANKING
In September, SAS earned a five-star rating in the prestigious global APEX customer ranking at the 2023 APEX Awards. The ranking is based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with the world’s highest-rated travel-organizing app. We are thrilled to achieve the highest rating from our customers, and this recognition is a testament to the tireless dedication of the SAS team in ensuring safe journeys, championing sustainability initiatives and offering the highest service standards.
RED DOT AWARD FOR THE SAS APP
In September, SAS also won a Red Dot Award for its redesigned mobile app. The Red Dot Award is one of the most prestigious and internationally recognized design competitions, and celebrates outstanding achievements in the field of design, creativity, and innovation. The SAS app received an award in the Brands & Communication Design 2023 category. This achievement is a result of the hard work and dedication of our talented team, and all supporting teams, who continuously strive to create innovative solutions that deliver exceptional experiences for our customers.
STEPS TOWARDS FOSSIL-FREE AVIATION
SAS aims to decarbonize aviation and progress on this ambitious plan can only be achieved through collaboration. By involving our customers and teaming up with them, we can reduce CO2 emissions and enable increased large-scale production of sustainable aviation fuels.
SAS strives to be a driving force in sustainable aviation and is proud to participate in a large-scale international study using a SAS aircraft at Copenhagen Airport to investigate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) flights’ impact on local air quality. The project began during Q1 FY2023, and one of the conclusions drawn is that bio-based aviation fuel reduces the number of ultrafine particles that are emitted from the aircraft engines by approximately 30 percent, thereby improving air quality. SAS is very proud to participate in this project as it is a great example of how our collective efforts can enable further discoveries of sustainable solutions for the aviation industry. The findings of this unique experiment at Copenhagen Airport showcase that using SAF not only reduces CO2 emissions but also enhances local air quality.
THE COMING WINTER SEASON
We have entered the winter season and we look forward to flying our passengers to their destinations. We have added several new routes and destinations for the winter season. In October, SAS inaugurated the new winter season route to Bangkok from Copenhagen. Thailand is a favorite destination among many passengers during the winter season and the Bangkok route will offer a perfect entry point for wider Thailand and Asia, and be a great option both for business and for leisure travelers. SAS operates the Bangkok route with Airbus A350 aircraft, which have much lower fuel consumption and up to 30 percent lower CO2 emissions than previous comparable aircraft.
We continue our work towards completing our Chapter 11 process in the US, and towards reaching the objectives in the SAS FORWARD plan. The aim is currently to receive approval from the US court of the Chapter 11 plan in early 2024, to be followed by obtaining regulatory approvals and the implementation of a Swedish company reorganization at the SAS AB level. While work still remains, I am pleased to see the substantial progress we are making to becoming a competitive and financially strong company.
I am grateful for the really hard work of my colleagues at SAS for the progress of SAS FORWARD to date, and for everything they do to ensure that we take the best possible care of our customers on a daily basis. Thank you for all your efforts!
As always, we look forward to welcoming our customers on board our aircraft.
Anko van der Werff
President & CEO
Stockholm, November 30, 2023
Top Copyright Photo: Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A321-253NX WL SE-DMR (msn 10408) YYZ (TMK Photography). Image: 962041.
SAS aircraft photo gallery:
Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., today announced it has taken delivery of a Boeing 777 Freighter, which it will operate on behalf of its customer MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, as part of a previously announced long-term ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) agreement.
This is the third of four Boeing 777 Freighters that Atlas Air will operate for MSC, which will complement the existing weekly service and add an additional route from Hong Kong (HKG) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW).
The fourth aircraft is expected to be delivered later this year.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a global leader in transportation and logistics, privately owned and founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. As one of the world’s leading container shipping lines, MSC has 675 offices across 155 countries worldwide with over 180,000 employees. With access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the company prides itself on delivering global service with local knowledge. MSC’s shipping line sails on more than 300 trade routes, calling at over 520 ports.
Top Copyright Photo: MSC Air Cargo (Atlas Air) Boeing 777F N709GT (msn 67994) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 961983.
MSC Air Cargo aircraft slide show:
