REX selected as the preferred tenderer for the Perth – Carnavon/Monkey Mia route

Regional Express – REX (Wagga Wagga) has released this statement:

The West Australian (WA) Government has announced REX as the preferred tenderer for the regulated Perth to Carnarvon/Monkey Mia route.

The announcement follows an extensive competitive tender process by the WA Government and comes on the back of Rex commencing operations in WA in February 2016 to operate the regulated Perth to Albany and Perth to Esperance routes.

Subject to final negotiations in early 2018 , REX will enter into a deed of agreement with the Department of Transport to operate the Perth to Carnarvon/Monkey Mia route for a five – year licence period commencing on July 2, 2018.

The REX livery has been updated with blue-painted engine nacelles.

Photo Above: REX.

Regional Express (REX) is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of more than 50 SAAB 340 aircraft on some 1,500 weekly flights to 60 destinations throughout all state s in Australia. In addition to the regional airline Regional Express, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel – Air Aviation (air freight and charter operator), Air Link (Dubbo – based regional airline) and the Australian Airline Pilot Academy .

Top Copyright Photo: REX (Regional Express Airlines) SAAB 340B VH-ZRE (msn 391) SYD (Micheil Keegan). Image: 908308.

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KLM Cityhopper welcomes its 42nd Embraer

On Tuesday evening, December 19, 2017, KLM Cityhopper welcomed its latest Embraer 175, registration PH-EXS, at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This, the twelfth E175 brings the total number of Embraers in the KLC fleet to forty-two, which includes thirty E190s. This is the last delivery of 2017. KLC is expecting the forty-third Embraer in January.

The delivery is another important step in KLM Cityhopper’s fleet renewal program. Now that KLM has said goodbye for all time to the Fokker 70, the KLC fleet consists entirely of Embraer aircraft.

In Europe, KLC is the operator with the largest Embraer fleet. At the end of 2018, the KLC fleet will include no fewer than forty-nine aircraft built by the Brazilian manufacturer.

More environmentally friendly

The Embraer has a large number of technical features that significantly reduce fuel consumption and, with it, CO₂emissions. Compared to the Fokker 70, the new E175 burns 22% less fuel.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by KLM Cityhopper): KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ 170-200STD (ERJ 175) PH-EXL (msn 17000633) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 937629.

KLM Cityhopper:

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TAM Bolivia may not be able to operate after January 1, 2018 (now extended)

According to the El Mundo newspaper of Bolivia, Transporte Aéreo Militar Empresa Pública (TAM Bolivia), may not be able to operate scheduled airline flights from January 1, 2018.

Update: The Bolivian government has now extended the deadline to mid 2018.

According to the newspaper, the airline bank accounts have been frozen by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Further, the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) has not granted authority to operate starting on January 1, 2018.

The airline has had difficulty paying for two MA-60 aircraft (below) and cancelled any further orders of the type.

Read the full report (in Spanish): CLICK HERE

Video: TAM Bolivia is one of the last passenger operators of the Boeing 727-200:

Top Copyright Photo: (all others by TAM Bolivia): TAM (Bolivia) Boeing 737-322 FAB-115 (msn 24653) (partial United Airlines colors) LPB (Christian Volpati Collection). Image: 932093.

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ALC to lease two Boeing 737-800s to FlyEgypt

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced the long term lease placement of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft with FlyEgypt (Cairo). The first of the two aircraft was delivered in December 2017, and the second is scheduled to be delivered in January 2018.

These Boeing 737s will enable FlyEgypt to grow our route network to Europe and the Middle East and also increase its flight schedule frequencies.

Air Deccan receives its government approvals, will start UDAN regional operations on December 23, 2017

Air Deccan has received its scheduled commuter operator (SCO) permit from DGCA. As a result, the reborn carrier will relaunch regional operations in India on December 23, 2017 under the UDAN program.

According to the airline;

“UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik)- is a breakthrough initiative by the government of India that will be transformative on a societal scale, improving the economic landscape of the region. The objective of Regional Connectivity Scheme is to make flying affordable for the masses, to promote tourism, increase employment and promote balanced regional growth. It also intends to put life into un-served and under -served airports.

We at Deccan, share the same vision to ‘connect every part of the country by affordable air transport’ and under the first phase will connect over 34 routes spread across the country with the Beechcraft 1900D aircraft

The airline will operate three 18-seat Beechcraft 1900D aircraft on these regional routes.

In 2003 Air Deccan started by Capt G R Gopinath gave wings to the nation’s dream to fly by becoming India’s first low cost carrier. In little over 4 years it expanded rapidly opening up over 30 new airports in the country and by 2007 was flying to over 70 destinations with 45+ aircraft.

Today Air Deccan unit of Deccan Charters has re-launched with an aim of augmenting the government’s UDAN Regional Connectivity scheme, an ambitious program of connecting Tier II & Tier III cities to the nation’s map. This laudable undertaking of the Government of India will usher in a new sustainable air revolution giving wings to the aspirations of the common man to affordable flying.

Through this service, Air Deccan will connect emerging towns across various states of India like Assam, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal in the current first phase to the metros like New Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata, thereby shortening the travel time from 5-6 hours to under an hour at an affordable price, thereby increasing travel options.”

Air Deccan is now connecting flights from :-

Mumbai to Nashik, Pune, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Sholapur
Kolkata to Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Durgapur, Bagdogra, Burnpur, Cooch Behar, Agartala
Shillong to Imphal, Silchar, Dimapur, Aizawl, Agartala
New Delhi to Agra, Shimla, Ludhiana, Pantnagar, Dehradun, Kullu

LOT Polish Airlines to fly to Dubrovnik

LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw) has announced it will operate three weekly flights from Warsaw to Dubrovnik, Croatia starting on May 3, 2018 according to Radio Poland.

LOT Polish Airlines currently flies to Zagreb and Split. It will also operate seasonal flights to Pula and Zadar.

The carrier intends to operate 21 flights a week from Warsaw to Croatia during the 2018 summer season.

Air Serbia is coming to Geneva

Air Serbia (Belgrade) will add a new route linking its Belgrade hub with Geneva, Switzerland. The twice-weekly Airbus A319 route will commence on March 25, 2017.

Air Serbia:

China Southern to retire its last Boeing 757-200

China Southern Airlines on December 23, 2017 will operate its last scheduled Boeing 757-200 revenue flight. The type is being traded into Boeing for newer aircraft.

According to Airline Route, the last flight will be on December 23, 2017 as flight CZ 6008 from Islamabad and Urumqi.

China Southern added its first Boeing 757-200 in 1991.

China Southern:

Airline Aircraft Endangered Species List:

Boeing and Embraer confirm discussions on potential combination

Boeing issued this statement:

The Boeing Company and Embraer have confirmed the two companies are engaged in discussions regarding a potential combination, the basis of which remains under discussion.

There is no guarantee a transaction will result from these discussions. Boeing and Embraer do not intend to make any additional comments regarding these discussions.

Any transaction would be subject to the approval of the Brazilian government and regulators, the two companies’ boards and Embraer’s shareholders.

Boeing and flydubai finalize order for 175 737 MAX Airplanes

Boeing and flydubai have finalized the purchase of 175 737 MAX airplanes in the largest single-aisle jet order in Middle East history. The deal – which includes options for an additional 50 jets – is valued at $27 billion at current list prices.

Announced as a commitment at the 2017 Dubai Airshow, the deal allows flydubai to take advantage of the 737 MAX family’s flexibility and commonality, while using the unique size and range of the MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 10 to suit its growing network.

flydubai, an all-Boeing operator, first ordered the 737 MAX in 2013 with a purchase of 75 jets. The carrier has taken delivery of five MAX airplanes from that order.

The 737 MAX has racked up 640 net orders this year and more than 4,200 orders since the program launched, making the MAX the best-selling airplane in Boeing history.

The MAX family of airplanes offers seating for about 130 to just over 200 passengers with a range of 3,200 to 3,800 nautical miles. All of the jets use the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

Flydubai: