Singapore Airlines firms up its order for eight additional Boeing 777-300 ERs

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-312 ER 9V-SWG (msn 34572) SFO (Mark Durbin), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Singapore Airlines (Singapore) has firmed up an order with Boeing for eight more Boeing 777-300 ERs for use on medium and long-haul routes.

The order was announced in August 2011 when a letter of intent (LOI) was signed. A firm purchase agreement has now been signed, enabling deliveries of the aircraft to begin in the 2013/14 financial year. The order is valued at USD2.4 billion at current list prices.

Powered by General Electric GE90 engines, the aircraft will be configured in a three-class layout and will join 19 Boeing 777-300 ERs already in service.

Singapore Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Lion Air signs a commitment for 230 Boeing 737s

Lion Air Boeing 737-9GP ER WL PK-LGZ (msn 37271) PAE (Nick Dean), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.Lion Air (Jakarta) has now announced a commitment for the airline to order 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900 ERs (extended range). The agreement also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.

With 230 airplanes at a list price of $21.7 billion, this deal when finalized will be the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing’s history by both dollar volume and total number of airplanes. Boeing and Lion Air are working to finalize details of the agreement, at which time it will be a firm order posted on the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website. Lion Air will also acquire purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes valued at more than $14 billion if exercised at list prices.

U.S. President Barack Obama witnessed the announcement at a ceremony today at the East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The 737 MAX is a new engine variant of the world’s best selling airplane and builds on the strengths of today’s Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP 1-B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and appeal.

According to Boeing, “airlines operating the 737 MAX will see a 10-12 percent fuel burn improvement over today’s most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes and a 7 percent operating cost advantage over tomorrow’s competition.”

To date, the 737 MAX has commitments for more than 700 airplanes, while the Next-Generation 737 family has won orders for more than 6,000 airplanes and Boeing has delivered more than 3,800.

Lion Air, Indonesia ‘s largest private airline, currently operates or has on order a total of 178 Next-Generation 737s.

Lion Air also intends to launch upscale Space Air in 2012.

Lion Air Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Xiamen Airlines is accepted to join the SkyTeam Alliance

Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-85C WL B-5459 (msn 35057) BFI (Joe G. Walker), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Xiamen Airlines (Xiamen) has been accepted to start the process of formally joining the SkyTeam Alliance by the end of 2012.

Xiamen Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Hawaiian Airlines orders five more Airbus A330-200s

Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-243 N383HA (msn 1217) LAX, originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu) has signed a firm order with Airbus for five additional A330-200s for deliveries in the 2013 to 2015 period.

Hawaiian Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Alaska Airlines launches San Diego-Honolulu flights

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-890 WL N570AS (msn 35185) SEA (Bruce Drum), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today launched its second Hawaii market from San Diego with a new daily nonstop flight to Honolulu, on the island of Oahu . The service complements the airline’s existing daily nonstop flight between San Diego and Kahului, Maui, which started in October 2010.

Alaska Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Monarch Airlines to add new flights to Rome and Venice

Monarch Airlines Airbus A320-212 G-MONX (msn 392) LTN (Antony J. Best), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Monarch Airlines (London-Luton) has announced a significant expansion into the Mediterranean for the summer of 2012, launching 14 new flights across Italy, Croatia and Greece.

The new routes have been introduced in support of Monarch’s plan to expand. The two-pronged strategy focuses on scheduled services and introducing new flights to leisure destinations across Europe.

Two additional Airbus A320 aircraft will be added to Monarch’s fleet in March 2012.

This is the start of the expansion plan that will see an increase from 30 to 40 aircraft with a view to offering more flights including flights to Rome and Venice.

Monarch Airlines’ new routes for Summer 2012 include:

— Manchester to Dubrovnik, Milan, Venice and Verona

— Birmingham to Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Milan, Rome and Venice

— London Gatwick to Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Milan and Venice

— London Luton to Rome

Monarch Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Bmibaby to launch two new routes to Sicily and Menorca

Bmibaby (bmibaby.com) Boeing 737-36N G-TOYL (msn 28594) STN (Keith Burton), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Bmibaby (bmibaby.com) (East Midlands) has announced it will offer new flights from East Midlands Airport to Catania, Sicily and from Belfast City Airport to Mahon, Menorca in the summer.

The new route from Belfast City Airport to Mahon in Menorca will commence on June 15, 2012 and will operate up twice a week on Mondays and Fridays until September 24, 2012. Flights to Catania in Sicily will operate once a week on Sundays from May 27 until September 30, 2012.

Bmibaby Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Volaris signs MOU for 44 Airbus A320s

Volaris Airbus A319-133 XA-VOO (msn 3705) (LAX special colors) LAX (Michael B. Ing), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Volaris (volaris.com.mx) (Toluca) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 44 Airbus A320 aircraft, comprising of 30 A320neo and 14 A320 Family aircraft. The order makes Volaris the first airline to order the A320neo in Mexico. Engine selection will be announced by the airline at a later date.

Volaris Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Continental Airlines launches Houston-Lagos flights

Continental Airlines Boeing 777-224 ER N77006 (msn 29476) LGW (Antony J. Best), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Continental Airlines (Houston) yesterday (November 16), operating as United Airlines, inaugurated the first daily scheduled passenger service between Texas and Africa with new nonstop flights between Houston (Bush Intercontinental) and Lagos, Nigeria. The new service links the two energy capitals on a route which no other airline currently serves on a scheduled basis (Atlas Air is also operating a charter series of flights from Houston to Luanda).

Flight CO 142 departs Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport at 7:05 p.m. (1905) and arrives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 1:40 p.m. (1340) the following day. On the return, flight CO 143 departs Lagos at 11:05 p.m. (2305) and arrives in Houston at 5:25 a.m. (0525) the following day. Flying times are approximately 11 hours, 35 minutes eastbound and 13 hours, 20 minutes westbound.

The flights will operate using Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft with a total of 276 seats — 50 in BusinessFirst and 226 in Economy.

Continental and United are still two separate airlines pending a single operating certificate under the United brand.

Continental Slide Show: CLICK HERE