Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has just repainted its Boeing 757-232 registered N608DA (msn 22815) in Atlanta in the “Upright Widget” livery. This color scheme (above) was introduced in 1966 for the fleet and was the longest-running livery for the carrier until the “red dash” color scheme was introduced in 1997.
The aircraft has now been donated to Delta Flight Museum.
Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Boeing 757-232 N619DL (msn 22909) taxies at Dallas/Fort Worth when it actually wore the 1966 color scheme (slightly altered in 1976). This is the first livery worn by Delta’s Boeing 757-200s.
Delta Air Lines (current livery):ย
Delta Air Lines (historic and all other liveries):ย
Delta’s Route Map in 1966 (it was barely an international airline):
Delta’s current fleet line-up and number of aircraft in service (Delta Air Lines):
Spring Airlines Japan (Tokyo-Narita) has announced it will commence scheduled passenger operations on June 27. The new airline wasย established in October 2012. The airlineย is 33 percent owned by Spring Airlines, a Chinese low-cost carrier, with the remainder held by various Japanese investors.
The first routes will be toย Hiroshima, Saga and Takamatsu with three Boeing 737-800s per ZipanguFlyer.
Alitalia (2nd) (Rome) on April 3 launched nonstop service between Venice and Tokyo (narita). The new route will operate two days a week: AZ 788 will depart on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1.30 PM and will land in Tokyo at 9.40 AM (local time) the following morning. From Tokyo Narita, AZ 789 will depart every Wednesday and Friday at 12.25 PM (local time) and will arrive in Venice at 8.20 PM.
Alitalia has a total of 19 weekly frequencies to Japan: 14 frequencies a week, of which 7 are from Rome Fiumicino, 5 from Milan Malpensa and 2 from Venice, which connect these three Italian airports with Tokyo Narita; 5 flrequencies a week connect Rome Fiumicino with Osaka.
Venice has become the third Italian city, after Rome and Milan, to host intercontinental flights operated by Alitalia and, above all, for the first time, Alitalia offers the citizens of Venice and the Veneto region a direct service to the Far East.
The service between Venice and Tokyo will be operated by one of Alitaliaโs Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft, the flagship of its long-haul fleet, which can accommodate 293 passengers on board divided into three classes of travel: Magnifica business class (30 seats), Classic Plus premium economy class (24 seats) and Classica economy class (239 seats).
In other news, Alitalia has canceled its order for 12 Airbus A350-800s and 12 options. The order was originally placed in June 2008 by Air One.
Copyright Photo: Reinhard Zinabold/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-243 ER I-DISO (msn 32857) taxies at Toronto (Pearson).
Tibet Airlines (Lhasa) from the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China has taken delivery of its first A319 with Sharklets. The pictured Airbus A319-115 B-6451 (msn 5855) was handed over at the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre (ATDC) on April 12 and joins Tibet Airlinesโ existing fleet of eight existing A319s. The aircraft is the 165th assembled at AirbusโTianjin Final Assembly Line (FALC).
The aircraft is powered by CFM56-5B engines and features a comfortable two class cabin, seating 128 passengers with eight in business class and 120 in economy.
Tibet Airlinesโ base is Gongga Airport, Lhasa, is one of the worldโs highest airports at an altitude of 12,000 feet. The new A319 is certificated for high altitude airport operation and Required Navigation Performance โ Authorisation Required (RNP-AR) and Satcom is installed.
RNP-AR procedures represent today the most modern navigation technique, allowing the aircraft to fly precisely along predefined routes using on-board navigation systems and the GPS-based โGlobal Navigation Satellite Systemโ (GNSS). The high accuracy provided by RNP-AR is especially important for airlines operating in and out of airports in mountainous regions. Tibet Airlines has selected Airbus ProSky, an Airbus subsidiary, as its strategic partner for its RNP-AR operations.
Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall. They are an option on new-build A320 Family aircraft and standard on all members of the new A320neo family. They offer operators up to four per cent fuel burn reduction on longer range sectors and provide the flexibility of either adding an additional 100 nautical miles range or increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.
The FALC in Tianjin is based on the latest state-of-the-art Airbus single aisle final assembly line in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft delivered in China are assembled to the same standards as those assembled and delivered in Europe. Airbus has delivered 165 Tianjin assembled A320 Family aircraft. The aircraft are in service with 13 Chinese and Asian airlines.
Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) may leave the dedicated air freighter business after five decades according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The freighter division has been beset by losses in cargo that rose to nearly $300 million last year according to the report.
The airlineโs board is weighing options and plans to decide on a strategy by September, according to a report in Bloomberg News.
Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi/AirlinersGallery.com. Air France is phasing out its Boeing 747-400 ย ER freighter fleet with the last to be retired next year. Boeing 747-428 ERF F-GIUA (msn 32866) arrives in Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).
Gol Linhas Aรฉreas Inteligentes S.A. (Gol Transportes Aereos) (Sao Paulo) has received authorization from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and other pertinent authorities to operate regular flights between Campinas (SP-Brazil) and Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont airport). Additionally, Gol announces it has received the approval to start flights from Campinas to Miami. The flight will have a connection in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the passenger has also the option to fly to Orlando. Operations will begin on July 18, 2014.
Campinas (SP) – Rio de Janeiro, Santos Dumont Airport (RJ)
There will be 12 flights per day between Campinas (SP-Brazil) and Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont Airport).
Campinas (SP) – Miami
The new flights between Campinas (SP-Brazil) and Miami via Santo Domingo, with the option to fly also to Orlando, will take place, initially, three times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
In other news, Gol has announced that it has signed a contract to implement a codeshare and frequent flyer program agreement with TAP Portugal (Lisbon). The agreement will be submitted for the authorization of Portugal and Brazil’s governments, and is still pending the approval of Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and Antitrust Authority (CADE).
Initially, the agreement will allow TAP Portugal, with more than 74 weekly flights from Portugal to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Salvador, Natal, Fortaleza and Recife, to include its codes on Gol’s flights, enabling connections to other Brazilian destinations.
Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8EH PR-GTE (msn 34278) climbs gracefully Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).
Makivik Corporation and NorTerra Inc., respectively the shareholders of First Air (Ottawa) and Canadian North (Yellowknife), have agreed to hold discussions leading to the merger of their operations consistent with a merger of equals, subject to the successful conclusion of negotiations and regulatory review.
The potential merger is intended to create a single airline entity that builds on the strengths and identities of the two companies. A merger would improve the sustainability of these critical Inuit birthright enterprises and would also create better air services and new economic development opportunities across the north.
Flight operations and services will remain independent and unaffected during the negotiation and regulatory review phases.
Makivik Corporation and NorTerra Inc. will inform the public as discussions progress.
Top Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Formerly operated by KLM, Boeing 737-406 C-FFNC (msn 27232) of First Air taxies at Hamilton, Ontario.
First Air:ย
Canadian North:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: Gilbert Hechema/AirlinersGallery.com. First Air’s Boeing 737-25A C-GCNO (msn 23790) climbs away from the runway at Montreal (Trudeau).
Air Seychelles (Mahe) has announced a net profit of $3 million (US) for 2013, exceeding by 171 percent its profit of $1.1 million (US) reported in 2012.
Revenue increased by 107 percent to $88.7 million (2012: $42.8 million).
The airlineโs passenger numbers on its international network increased 100 percent to 195,857 (2012: 97,576), while traffic on domestic services in 2013 increased nine percent to 156,617 passengers.
The impressive 2013 passenger traffic growth was aided by Air Seychellesโ acquisition of a second Airbus A330-200 aircraft in March. The same month the island carrier launched three weekly flights to Hong Kong, and increased frequencies to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg and Mauritius, bringing its total international weekly services to 16, up 100 percent.
Johannesburg and Mauritius enjoyed an additional return service per week, connecting each destination three times a week respectively with the Seychelles. The airlineโs Abu Dhabi services also increased from four to seven return flights per week.
Abu Dhabi was Air Seychellesโ busiest international route, with a total of 90,746 passengers carried between the archipelago and capital of the United Arab Emirates, a year-on-year increase of 178 percent.
Elsewhere, Air Seychelles saw record cargo volumes in 2013 thanks strong demand to and from France, Italy, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Air Seychelles signed four new codeshare partnerships in 2013, entering agreements with airberlin, Czech Airlines, South African Airways, and Cathay Pacific Airways. These codeshare agreements increased Air Seychellesโ virtual network from 19 to 34 destinations.
In October, Air Seychelles announced a multi-million dollar agreement for the purchase of three new Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft (top and below), its largest ever domestic fleet order signalling the carrierโs long-term commitment to its domestic operations. Two of these aircraft are due to arrive in mid-2014, one year ahead of schedule.
Air Seychelles now plans to welcome the new Twin Otters in July, following which, the aircraft will enter into service between Mahรฉ and Praslin, as well as other islands in the archipelago, including Bird, Denis, DโArros, and Frรฉgate.
The third Twin Otter aircraft is expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2015. All three new aircraft are part of a phased business plan to refresh the Twin Otter DHC-6 fleet.
Twin Otters were first introduced by Air Seychelles in the early 1980s and the airline currently operates three DHC-6 Series 300 aircraft and 1 DHC-6 Series 400 aircraft.
The 19-seat twin engine Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 aircraft are manufactured by Viking Air in British Columbia, Canada.
Air Seychelles capped a remarkable year of achievements by being awarded a four-star rating by Skytrax, one of 35 global carriers to hold this accolade.
Both Copyright Photos: Air Seychelles is upgrading its Twin Otter inter-island fleet. Top: S7-CUR (msn 846) is the first DHC-6-400 Twin Otter with a digital glass cockpit.ย Viking Air President and CEO, David C. Curtis, the Seychelles Minister of Home Affairs and Transport and Chairman of Air Seychelles, Joel Morgan, and Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Cramer Ball, outline details of the new Twin Otter fleet order at a press conference.
Air Seychelles:ย
Video: Air Seychellesย DHC-6-300 Twin Otter landing at Praslin Island Airport (PRI) coming from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ).
Gulf Air (Bahrain) has announced that it will be resuming its flights to Athens, with four weekly flights to Athens International Airport starting on June 16.
Gulf Airโs four weekly flights will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration, featuring 14 Falcon Gold Class seats and 96 Economy Class seats.
Gulf Air took the difficult decision to suspend services to Athens in March 2012 for commercial reasons following a prolonged period of challenging operating conditions.
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 A9C-AF (msn 4158) arrives in Doha.
Jet Airways‘ (Mumbai) flight 9W 117 from London (Heathrow) to Mumbai flew over the busy German airspace ย without radio contact on March 13, five days after Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 disappeared. Boeing 777-35R VT-JEG (msn 35163) was flown for 30 minutes without positive radio contact from the cockpit crew.
Both pilots, who failed to notice they had lost air traffic control radio contact, were suspended by the company.
Read the full report from the Economic Times: CLICK HERE
Previously the airline on February 12, 2014 had inaugurated flights from the new international integrated terminal T2 at Mumbaiโs Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on this route to London Heathrow.
Jet Airways’ flight 9W 118 from Mumbai to London Heathrow became the first international flight to take off at 1320 from India’s most new, modern and spacious Terminal 2.
Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship Boeing 777-35R ER N834BA became VT-JEL (msn 36563) on delivery.
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