Ethiopian Airlines upgrades the cabins of its Boeing 777 fleet

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) today issued this statement:

Ethiopian Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) has achieved another milestone with the successful completion of retro-fitting all Ethiopian Boeing 777 passenger aircraft with 180° business class full flat bed. The retro-fitting was completed and the aircraft have started operations with the new 180° business class full flat bed.

The retro-fitted Boeing 777-200 and 300 with new 180° flat business class seats are expected to enhance passenger comfort and improve the Ethiopian product. These new 180° business class seats impact the overall Business class service to a higher level of customer satisfaction.

Top Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com (all others by Ethiopian Airlines). Boeing 777-260 LR ET-ANR (msn 40774) taxies at London (Heathrow).

Ethiopian Airlines aircraft slide show:

Eurowings to add four new routes from Vienna

Eurowings (Dusseldorf) in February, through its parent (Lufthansa Group,) announced Vienna, Austria would be its first base outside of Germany:

“Following close consultation with Austrian Airlines (Vienna) and at the carrier’s own request, two Airbus A320 aircraft are being stationed at VIE initially, offering point-to-point connections on European routes. The aircraft are to fly in the colors of the new Eurowings. The aircraft will be staffed with crews from Austrian. This partnership is possible as a result of Austrian’s new collective agreement, which was entered into in December 2014 and offers additional prospects to the 900 pilots and 2,300 flight attendants.

With the new Eurowings brand, the Lufthansa Group is entering new markets in the price-sensitive leisure travel sector, thereby safeguarding its leading position in its home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. By the end of 2015, Eurowings and Germanwings along with other European airlines are to be united on a joint platform and should acquire new customers by offering low-cost short and long-haul services.”

In October, Eurowings will be taking over 55 routes from Germanwings along with the appropriate amount of aircraft and crews to fly the newly assigned routes.

Eurowings has now announced a further expansion at VIE with four additional routes starting on November 9 to Barcelona, London (Stansted), Palma de Mallorca and Rome (Fiumicino).

The new Eurowings will operate the Airbus A320s in Austria under a new Austrian AOC.

Eurowings aircraft slide show:

United to add new routes from Chicago O’Hare this winter

United Airlines (Chicago) is adding three new routes this winter from its Chicago O’Hare hub. According to Airline Route, the carrier will add daily United Express service to Kalamazoo on December 9 and winter seasonal United Express service to Tucson on December 17 followed by weekend mainline Boeing 737 service to Vail/Eagle, Colorado (ski destination) on December 19.

In addition, United is adding weekly Boeing 737-800 (Saturday only) seasonal service to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts from its Newark hub on December 19.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. United Airlines’ Boeing 737-824 N78509 (msn 31638) with Split Scimitar Winglets arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Virgin Atlantic moves the last Boeing 747-400 flight at London Heathrow to February

Virgin Atlantic Airways (London), as previously reported, is phasing out its venerable Boeing 747-400 at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). According to an update by Airline Route, the last Boeing 747-400 arrival at LHR is now scheduled for February 21, 2016 instead of April 17, 2016.

The last flight is expected to be flight VS006 from Miami to LHR arriving on the morning of February 21.

The type will continue to be operated from London’s Gatwick Airport.

Virgin Atlantic aircraft slide show:

British Airways is getting ready to operate the last Boeing 737 revenue flight

British Airways (London) is nearing the end of an aircraft era – the last operational single-aisle Boeing 737. BA is now down to just three active 149-seat Boeing 737-436s (G-DOCO, G-DOCW and G-DOCX), all based at London’s Gatwick Airport. The older Boeing 737-400s are being replaced by newer Airbus A320 Family aircraft.

The older Boeing 737-400s have been gradually retired to the desert at Victorville, CA (VCV) and other locations and other operators.

Boeing 737-436 G-DOCO is now planned to be ferried to VCV on September 2.

The last two remaining 737-436s will close out a long line of BA Boeing 737 operations on September 30. Currently the last scheduled revenue flight of a BA 737 is between Turin (TRN) and London (Gatwick) (LGW) on September 30 with either of these two aircraft (G-DOCW or the pictured G-DOCX above). Of course, as with any aircraft type retirement, the last flight is always subject to operational needs as a possible replacement aircraft.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. The original BA Boeing 737 type, the new Boeing 737-200s were delivered in the pictured 1973 livery which featured a lower case “airways” for titles.

BA has been a long-time Boeing 737 operator. In July 1978, BA placed an order for 19 new Boeing 737-200s (above) to start the Trident replacement process. The new type entered revenue service in February 1980. The carrier gained experience with the type with leased-in 737-200s from Transavia Airlines starting in November 1977.

Above Copyright Photo: Richard Vandervord/AirlinersGallery.com. Later an experimental silver top version of the updated 1980 livery (with just “British” titles) was tried. Boeing 737-236 G-BKYA (msn 23159) arrives at the London (Heathrow) base when it was the main short-range BA airliner.

The company operated the venerable 737-200 (below) until 2001.

Below Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-236 G-BKYJ (msn 23168) taxies at Zurich in the 1984 Landor color scheme.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-34S G-OGBC (msn 29109) in the “Flowers from Mazowsze” Utopia tail design was actually operated by franchise carrier GB Airways in British colors.

The newer and larger 737-300s were operated from 1988 to 2009 (above) and the 737-500 (below) from 1996 through 2009.

Above Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-5H6 G-GFFJ (msn 27355) of British Airways departs from Lasham.

The larger Boeing 737-400s were introduced into the fleet in October 1991 with the delivery of three 141-seat 737-436s. The stretched 737 has served the carrier well over the years. A total of 37 Boeing 737-400s have been operated and the fleet has been gradually reduced as newer Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been introduced.

The Boeing 737-400 fleet was initially based at London’s Heathrow where the type replaced earlier Boeing 737-200s. When the new Airbus A319s and A320s arrived, the older Boeing 737-400s were moved to London’s Gatwick Airport. LGW has became the last stronghold of a BA 737.

Unfortunately for this historical Boeing 737 Classic tradition, BA decided not to order the Next-Generation advanced 737 models and instead elected to go with Airbus as replacements.

The Boeing 737 is sunsetting at British Airways. It served BA very well over the years. Farewell.

Top Copyright Photo: Terry Wade/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-436 G-DOCX (msn 25857) arrives back at the LGW base with the red nose in support of Red Nose Day.

British Airways aircraft slide show:

Emirates to make London Gatwick an all-Airbus A380 destination

Emirates (Dubai) is moving to a triple-daily all-Airbus A380 scheduled operation at London’s Gatwick Airport starting on January 1, 2016. The third daily A380 roundtrip flight will replace the lone existing Boeing 777-300 ER flight according to Airline Route.

The carrier dominates the Dubai – London market with five additional daily Airbus A380 flights to Dubai from nearby London Heathrow Airport. This is a total of eight daily Airbus A380 roundtrip flights in one market.

Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A380-861 A6-EDW (msn 103) with special “Rugby World Cup – England 2015” markings taxies at London (Heathrow).

Emirates aircraft slide show:

Air Serbia applies for codeshare service to the U.S. via partner Airberlin

Air Serbia (Belgrade) hopes to serve the United States again. Formerly as Jat Airways, the company previously flew to the USA starting in 1970 with Boeing 707s. Later McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s were deployed on those routes starting in 1978 (below).

Above Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. JAT-Yugoslav Airlines (later Jat Airways) McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 YU-AMA (msn 46981) approaches Zurich.

Now as Air Serbia, the airline has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to serve the U.S. via a codeshare agreement with partner Airberlin (Berlin) using Airbus A330s (above).

If approved, the Air Serbia code would be shown on Airberlin flights to Chicago (O’Hare), Miami and New York (JFK) via Berlin (Tegel) and Dusseldorf according to Airline Route.

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airberlin’s Airbus A330-223 D-ALPC (msn 444) approaches the runway at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Air Serbia aircraft slide show:

Jat Airways aircraft slide show:

Airberlin aircraft slide show:

Philippine Airlines to start nonstop Cebu – Los Angeles service

Philippines (Philippine Airlines) (Manila) on March 15, 2016, will launch three weekly flights from Cebu, the capital city of Cebu Province in the Philippines, and Los Angeles. The new service will be operated with Airbus A340-300s per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-313 RP-C3435 (msn 302) approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

Philippines aircraft slide show:

Lufthansa to add Frankfurt – Luxembourg flights

Lufthansa (Frankfurt) will launch daily Lufthansa Regional Bombardier CRJ900 service on the Frankfurt (FRA) – Luxembourg (LUX) route on October 25. The airline currently operates to LUX from Munich.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Lufthansa CityLine Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) D-ACKL (msn 15095) approaches the runway at EuroAirport serving the Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg area.

Lufthansa Regional-Lufthansa CityLine aircraft slide show:

Cities served by Lufthansa CityLine:

Lufthansa CityLine aircraft fleet:

Iberia to introduce the new Airbus A330-200 in January

Iberia (Madrid) will introduce the new 288-seat Airbus A330-200 on January 1, 2016 on the Madrid – Panama City route with a one-off flight per Airline Route. The following day it will be introduced on the Madrid – Guatemala City route, followed by Montevideo and Santo Domingo.