ASL Airlines France inaugurates Paris CDG – Tel Aviv service

ASL Airlines (France) started a new route from Paris (CDG) to Tel Aviv on July 3, 2018.

The new route will operate two days a week all year round.

All photos by ASL Airlines.

Emirates lands in Santiago de Chile via Sao Paulo

Emirates on July 6, 2018 launched a new, five times-a-week service from Dubai (DXB) to Santiago International Airport (SCL), via the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo (GRU), marking the airline’s first arrival in Chile.

On board the inaugural Boeing 777-200LR flight, which was welcomed at both Sao Paulo (above) and Santiago airports with a water cannon salute (above), was a group of special guests and media.

Emirates’ newly refurbished Boeing 777-200LR to operate the new route

The aircraft deployed on the route is Emirates’ newly refurbished two-class Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 layout, and 264 seats in Economy Class. While the Business Class seats are in the same design and shape of Emirates’ latest lie-flat seats, they are now two inches wider for a more comfortable journey. The seats retain the champagne coloured finish and diamond stitch pattern on a full leather cover, and the ergonomically designed headrest revealed on Emirates’ newest Boeing 777 Business Class seats in November.

In addition, the new Business Class cabin features a social area – unique to the Boeing 777-200LR fleet. The mini lounge area features snacks such as crisps, sandwiches and fruit, as well as beverages for customers to help themselves to during the flight. Economy Class seats onboard the 777-200LR have also been refreshed to the latest colour palette of soft greys and blues. The ergonomically designed seats come with full leather headrests that have flexible side panels and can also be adjusted vertically for optimum support. Customers can enjoy up to 3,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on ice with 600 movies, over 200 hours of TV, and thousands of music tracks every month. The aircraft is also equipped with Wi-Fi and Live TV across all classes. Business Class passengers also benefit from a complimentary chauffeur drive service in Dubai, Santiago and other select destinations as well as access to Emirates’ global network of airport lounges.

Flight details and connections to Emirates’ global network of over 160 destinations

Flight EK263 will depart Dubai on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 09:05hrs local time, arriving in Sao Paulo at 17:00, before departing again at 18:30 and arriving into Santiago at 21:40 on the same day. The return flight EK264 will depart Santiago on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 01:10 local time, arriving in Sao Paulo at 05:55. EK264 will depart once again from Sao Paulo at 07:45 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 05:15 the next day, connecting to flights to many of the points beyond on the extensive Emirates and flydubai partnership network.

Timings of the new service are scheduled to provide seamless connections to many Asian and Middle East routes, via a convenient stopover in Dubai. Passengers travelling from Sao Paulo can benefit from a morning departure in Sao Paulo and morning arrival in Dubai, making connecting to new destinations in Southeast Asia, China, Turkey, Egypt, Middle East, Africa and Europe convenient.

The new service will see Emirates fly an additional five times a week to Sao Paulo, complementing the airline’s existing daily A380 flight between Dubai and Sao Paulo. In total, Emirates will now fly 12 times a week to Sao Paulo. Emirates’ Santiago flight will be a linked service with Sao Paulo, meaning that customers in South America can now travel between the two cities in unprecedented style and comfort. Citizens from both Brazil and Chile only need ID cards to travel to either country.

In other news, Emirates will be operating extra flights to Jeddah and Medina to help facilitate travel for pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Emirates will be operating 33 additional flights to Jeddah and Medina from 6 to 31 August to support the journey for pilgrims expected to travel to the Holy City of Mecca during Hajj this year. These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina. These additional flight services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa. This year, top inbound destinations Emirates is expecting Hajj pilgrims to come from are Pakistan, Senegal, the United States, the UK, Australia, Indonesia, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

Finally, Emirates Engineering has successfully completed the reconfiguration of the second Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet. The conversion of the aircraft from three to two cabin classes was executed fully in-house at the Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai. The reconfigured aircraft also features new, wider Business class seats in a 2-2-2 format, a new social area in business class, as well as a fully refreshed Economy class providing customers a superior inflight experience.

Video:

The first reconfigured Emirates Boeing 777-200LR aircraft took to the skies in early March 2018. The eight remaining Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in Emirates’ fleet will be progressively reconfigured by mid-2019 and deployed to a number of other cities on the airline’s global network including Santiago, Chile- Emirates’ latest destination in South America. Emirates has invested over US$150 million to reconfigure the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet.

Working with internal stakeholders as well as external suppliers, it only took Emirates Engineering 22 months from the time the decision was made to reconfigure the airline’s Boeing 777-200LR fleet to the first reconfigured aircraft rolling out of the hangars ready for its first commercial flight.

Emirates Engineering undertook a complex process to ensure that the job was completed successfully and on time. This included detailed work to outline specifications, review designs and layout, manage procurement and contracts with suppliers, secure regulatory approvals, maintain a stock of raw materials, and the management of workflows, timelines and resources in the run up to grounding the aircraft and converting the interiors.

Design and workflow

Finalising the design was core to the reconfiguration process and the layout of the cabin that was finally chosen was one of eight proposed blueprints. The engineering team also had to secure approvals from regulatory authorities including the GCAA and the FAA in order to modify the aircraft from its original design.

Once the design was finalised Emirates Engineering worked with suppliers to ensure that all the necessary parts and spares were available to complete the reconfiguration of the aircraft. In total, the team had to work with over 30 suppliers and had to manage more than 2,700 parts and spares at any one point of time. Key suppliers such as Boeing, Jamco, Panasonic, Rockwell Collins, Zodiac, and ATG were present on-site to provide assistance.

Grounding the aircraft

The next step in the process was to ground the aircraft for cabin reconfiguration. During this time the original interiors of the aircraft cabin were completely stripped and rebuilt. The reconfiguration not only involved the installation of new seats but also a number of other changes including new wiring for the lighting systems, raising the ceiling height in the business class cabin, and modifying the aircraft galleys to incorporate the new social space in business class.

It took Emirates Engineering 55 days of ground time to reconfigure the first aircraft. However, as a result of the learnings and efficiencies achieved during the first conversion, the reconfiguration of the second aircraft was completed in just 35 days.

Safety Testing

A battery of tests had to be conducted on the aircraft at various stages to ensure its safe operations. The four major types that had to be conducted included: prototype testing where the design was validated for regulatory compliance; functional testing of cabin components; EMI Electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and air-flow testing inside the cabin, and a five hour test flight with the simulation of various flight scenarios and in-flight fire and smoke testing.

Overall, the Emirates Engineering team invested the equivalent of over 16,000 collective man hours in the design and implementation of this aircraft reconfiguration project.

Emirates Engineering operates modern and extensive technical facilities in Dubai to maintain its fleet of over 260 aircraft. Spread over 136 acres, the support infrastructure includes seven heavy maintenance hangars and four light maintenance hangars, all of which are capable of servicing the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet. Leveraging on its experience as the world’s largest operator of the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777 aircraft, Emirates Engineering provides Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services selectively to external parties.

All photos by Emirates.

Air New Zealand serves up the impossible

Air New Zealand has issued this statement:

Air New Zealand is the first in the world to serve the award-winning, plant-based Impossible Burger which is now available as part of its Business Premier menu on flights from Los Angeles to Auckland.

Impossible Burger’s magic ingredient is an iron-containing molecule called heme which comes from the roots of soy plants. The heme in the Impossible Burger is the same as the heme found in animal meat. The result is a plant-based burger patty that cooks, smells and tastes like beef but contains no animal products whatsoever.

Air New Zealand’s Inflight Customer Experience Manager Niki Chave says the airline has been watching Impossible Foods for some time and has been impressed with the work it’s doing.

“Like Impossible Foods, we are committed to offering our customers a fresh and innovative approach to cuisine. We’re incredibly excited about this partnership and the opportunity to offer our Business Premier customers travelling from Los Angeles to Auckland a delicious plant-based option that tastes just like the real deal.

“We’re confident vegetarians, flexitarians and dedicated meat lovers alike will enjoy the delicious taste of the Impossible Burger, but for those who want to stay with the tried and true it will sit alongside our regular selection of menu items prepared by our talented culinary team and consultant chefs.”

Impossible Foods CEO and Founder Dr. Patrick O. Brown says the company’s mission is to make the global food system more sustainable by making products that don’t compromise on sustainability, nutrition or taste.

“We launched with high-credibility, innovative chefs known for their delicious burgers, so it’s no coincidence our first airline partner has been named Airline of the Year for five straight years.

“The Impossible Burger is available in nearly 2,500 restaurants throughout the United States and now Air New Zealand will help us take the Impossible Burger to even greater heights.”

Air New Zealand will serve the Impossible Burger on flights NZ1 and NZ5 from Los Angeles to Auckland through until late October.

Photo: Impossible Foods.

Fiji Airways launches nonstop Nadi – Tokyo Narita flights

Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline on July 3, 2018 launched its direct flight to Japan with a celebration at Nadi International Airport. The flights will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from Nadi to Narita International Airport.

With the launch of the services, Fiji Airways became the 100th airline to serve Narita Airport.

At Nadi International Airport departure gate, an inaugural ceremony was held in celebration of the launch of the new direct route, where passengers were given a taste of Japan with a sushi and green tea station. Onboard each passenger received commemorative gifts and a special inaugural flight dining experience.

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the three times-weekly flights make Fiji and the South Pacific more accessible to Japanese tourists than ever before.

“We are excited to share with Japan the untouched beauty of our 333 islands. Fiji’s unparalleled hospitality and warmth offers Japanese tourists a unique, culturally immersive experience – much more than just another beach getaway. Our flights have been designed to ensure guests get the most of their time in Fiji. The flight from Narita arrives into Nadi in the morning, with convenient domestic connections on our subsidiary Fiji Link to major tourism spots like Savusavu and Taveuni. Additionally, guests can also easily do boat transfers after arrival to the many wonderful resorts in the beautiful Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups,” Mr. Viljoen said.

“Additionally, this direct flight also provides a great opportunity for Fijians to be able to travel to Japan with the ease and comfort of their National Airline to witness two major sporting events that’s of great interest to many Fijians; the Rugby World Cup in 2019, and the Summer Olympics in 2020.” Mr. Viljoen added.

Fiji Airways Nadi to Narita flights will operate with the code FJ351 with a flight time of nine hours and five minutes. The Narita to Nadi flight will operate with code FJ350 and a flight time of eight hours and 40 minutes.

Flight

Frequency

Departs

Arrives

Start Date

FJ351

Tue, Fri, Sun

Nadi 1:25pm

Narita 7:30pm

Tuesday, July 3rd 2018

FJ350

Tue, Fri, Sun

Narita 9:25pm

Nadi 9:05am

Tuesday, July 3rd 2018

The new route is flown with Airbus A330 aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo: Fiji Airways (2nd) Airbus A330-243 DQ-FJV (msn 1465) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 942223.

Fiji Airways aircraft slide show:

Myway Airlines launches flights to Tel Aviv

Myway Airlines (Tbilisi) on June 28, 2018 launched a new route linking Tbilisi’s Shota Rustaveli International Airport with Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The new route will be served three days a week with 170-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The expanding airline has plans to serve the USA and scheduled flights to Moscow, Minsk, Dubai, St. Petersburg, Russia, Samara and Beijing (via Urumqi).

Myway Airlines is part of the Hualing Group which was founded in 1988 in China.

Photo: Myway Airlines.

Delta to operate winter Atlanta – Palm Springs service

Delta Air Lines is planning to again operate winter seasonal service from its Atlanta hub to Palm Springs, CA. According to Airline Route, initially the route will be operate daily during the Christmas holidays starting on December 20, 2018 with Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The route will revert to weekly Saturday service on January 5, 2019.

Delta aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Boeing and Embraer together: Strategic partnership MOU signed

Boeing and Embraer announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic partnership that positions both companies to accelerate growth in global aerospace markets.

The non-binding agreement proposes the formation of a joint venture comprising the commercial aircraft and services business of Embraer that would strategically align with Boeing’s commercial development, production, marketing and lifecycle services operations. Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing will hold an 80 percent ownership stake in the joint venture and Embraer will own the remaining 20 percent stake.

“By forging this strategic partnership, we will be ideally positioned to generate significant value for both companies’ customers, employees and shareholders – and for Brazil and the United States,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This important partnership clearly aligns with Boeing’s long-term strategy of investing in organic growth and returning value to shareholders, complemented by strategic arrangements that enhance and accelerate our growth plans,” Muilenburg said.

“The agreement with Boeing will create the most important strategic partnership in the aerospace industry, strengthening both companies’ leadership in the global market,” said Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, Embraer Chief Executive Officer and President. “The business combination with Boeing is expected to create a virtuous cycle for the Brazilian aerospace industry, increasing its sales potential, production, creating jobs and income, investments and exports, and in doing so, adding more value to customers, shareholders and employees.”

The transaction values 100 percent of Embraer’s commercial aircraft operations at $4.75 billion, and contemplates a value of $3.8 billion for Boeing’s 80 percent ownership stake in the joint venture. The proposed partnership is expected to be accretive to Boeing’s earnings per share beginning in 2020 and to generate estimated annual pre-tax cost synergies of approximately $150 million by year three.

The strategic partnership will bring together more than 150 years of combined leadership in aerospace and leverage the two companies’ highly complementary commercial product lines. The partnership is a natural evolution of a long-standing history of collaboration between Boeing and Embraer over more than 20 years.

On finalization, the commercial aviation joint venture will be led by Brazil-based management, including a President and Chief Executive Officer. Boeing will have operational and management control of the new company, which will report directly to Muilenburg.

The joint venture will become one of Boeing’s centers of excellence for end-to-end design, manufacturing, and support of commercial passenger aircraft, and will be fully integrated into Boeing’s broader production and supply chain.

Boeing and the joint venture would be positioned to offer a comprehensive, highly complementary commercial airplane portfolio that ranges from 70 seats to more than 450 seats and freighters, offering best-in-class products and services to better serve the global customer base.

In addition, both companies will create another joint venture to promote and develop new markets and applications for defense products and services, especially the KC-390 multi-mission aircraft, based on jointly-identified opportunities.

“Joint investments in the global marketing of the KC-390, as well as a series of specific agreements in the fields of engineering, research and development and the supply chain, will enhance mutual benefits and further enhance the competitiveness of Boeing and Embraer,” said Nelson Salgado, Embraer’s Executive Vice President, Financial and Investor Relations.

Finalization of the financial and operational details of the strategic partnership and negotiation of definitive transaction agreements are expected to continue in the coming months. Upon execution of these agreements, the transaction would then be subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, including approval from the Government of Brazil, as well as other customary closing conditions. Assuming the approvals are received in a timely manner, the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019, 12-18 months after execution of the definitive agreements.

“This strategic partnership is a natural evolution of the long-standing history of collaboration between Boeing and Embraer on a range of aerospace initiatives over almost three decades,” said Greg Smith, Boeing Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Enterprise Strategy & Performance. “It is aligned with Boeing’s enterprise strategy of pursuing strategic investment opportunities where they demonstrate real value and accelerate our organic growth plans. This partnership will strengthen the vertical capabilities of Boeing and enhance value for our customers through the full lifecycle of industry-leading products and services.”

Boeing and Embraer will benefit from a broader scale, resources and footprint, including global supply chain, sales and marketing, and services network, which will enable them to capture benefits from best-in-class efficiencies across the organizations. Additionally, the strategic partnership will provide opportunities to share best practices in manufacturing and across development programs.

The transaction will have no impact on Boeing and Embraer financial guidance for 2018 or Boeing’s cash deployment strategy and commitment to returning approximately 100 percent of free cash flow to shareholders.

Airbus A380 joins the Hi Fly fleet

Hi Fly, an European Airline specialized in widebody aircraft wet lease to other airlines and governments on a global basis, received today its first Airbus A380, the world’s largest and most spacious airliner. The arrival is a major event for the Company, making it the 4^th European airline operating the model, the 14^th global operator and the first leasing airline to fly the aircraft.

Paulo Mirpuri, Hi Fly President and CEO said: “We welcome the arrival of the Airbus A380 in our fleet and we are extremely happy with the market reaction so far on this new availability in our wet lease product offering. The A380, besides being the largest and most comfortable airliner in the world, is a star and the preferred aircraft from a customer experience perspective, including double first class suites, lounges, extra-large business class seats and individual IFE at each ergonomic economy seat. Most important for Hi Fly, the A380 minimizes environmental impact thanks to its reduced fuel burn that generates the lowest carbon footprint per seat for aircraft in its category. I recall sustainability is a top management ongoing concern, we want to continue our growth path in a responsible way, protecting our future generations”.

This first A380 will be operating worldwide and will be powered by one of the most reliable engines in the world, the Rolls Royce Trent 900 model, with 471 seats distributed between three classes. The main deck has the First class for 12 passengers and Economy class for 311 passengers while the upper deck has Business and Economy class seats carrying 60 and 88 passengers respectively. In a high density version, the aircraft can carry up to 853 passengers.

Hi Fly’s A380 is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and truly luxurious cabin interiors. Each seat will have its own in-seat IFE system by Panasonic eX2 providing the passengers with great in-flight entertainment options and an optimized user experience.

Moreover, the performance of the A380 goes in line with Hi Fly’s environmental commitments. By producing only about 75 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometer, the A380 minimizes greenhouse gas emissions being capable of carrying more people with less impact on the environment. Apart from its incomparable efficiency, it also has the quietest and smoothest ride making it a true favorite for both airlines and passengers.

Hi Fly is the largest wet leasing specialist operating an all Airbus fleet. The EASA and IOSA certified and FAA approved carrier operates a fleet of large widebody aircraft, Airbus A330s, A340s and now the A380s, exclusively available for Wet Lease worldwide. Wet Lease – the supply of aircraft and crew, maintenance and insurance – is Hi Fly’s core business and has been developed with unmatched operational expertise for over a decade.

Hi Fly will be showcasing its new Airbus A380 at the Farnborough Airshow 2018.

The airline will be at the event, along with Airbus, from July 19-22, 2018 taking this opportunity to introduce its most recent fleet acquisition to the industry. During the show, visitors will have the opportunity to see Hi Fly’s A380 in its brand new livery and experience the aircraft’s optimized interiors.

Furthermore, airline president and CEO Paulo Mirpuri will have a key role in the Airbus Press Conference on the 19^th, where he will share his thoughts and answer pertinent questions related to this crucial business development.

The inclusion of the A380 in Hi Fly’s fleet is a major event not only for the airline but for the industry as it becomes the 4^th European airline to operate this model, and the 14^th global operator and first Wet Lease airline to fly the aircraft.

All images by Hi Fly.

Philippine Airlines and TAL Aviation to expand into the Russian market, PAL brings the A321neo to Brisbane

Philippine Airlines has made this announcement. The company is continuing on its journey of innovations, adding new aircraft to its fleet, new routes and increased connectivity to its route network and TAL Aviation is proud to be part of this journey. As the airline’s representative in Russia, TAL Aviation’s team will be working on expanding the airline’s activities in the market and placing it as the preferred carrier to the Philippines.

On July 2, 2018, the airline’s Airbus A321neo took its maiden voyage to Brisbane, Australia where it will be operating 4 weekly flights. The 168-seater modern aircraft – with 12 full-flat seats in Business Class and 156 seats in Economy Class – has TV monitors on all seats, free wifi connection and myPAL eSuite to access more inflight entertainment choices.

Photo Above: Philippine Airlines’ Airbus A321neo took its maiden voyage to Brisbane, Australia. Ceremonies at the NAIA Terminal 2 in Manila (July 2) marking the start of PAL A321neo operations and the start of the fourth weekly frequency to Brisbane were led by PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista, PAL SVP for Operations Isamel Augusto Gozon Nicky, PAL VP – Revenue Management Dina May Flores, PAL VP- Marketing Ria Domingo, PAL VP – Inflight Services Salvador Britanico with Australian Envoy to the Philippines Amanda Gorely.

The 168-seater modern aircraft – with 12 full-flat seats on business and 156 seats on economy – has TV monitors on all seats, free WiFi connection and myPAL eSuite to access more inflight entertainment choices. For delivery are six A321 NEOs until 2019; the first two units arrived in May and June 2018.

The introduction of new destinations in Europe and the US mainland is also amongst Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) plans. A total of 6 A321neos are expected for delivery until 2019.

All photos by PAL.