WestJet has releases these photos of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (C-GUDH).
airBaltic’s traffic is booming for 2018
airBaltic has carried 3ย 842 952 or 18% more passengers during the first eleven months of 2018 than in the same period last year to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East. In November 2018, 289 566 passengers or 15% more than last year travelled with airBaltic.
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: โThis is another record year for airBaltic, and we will maintain our sustainable growth path also in the future, by launching at least six new destinations in 2019. Recently we were recognized as the leading Latvian exporter by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia and Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia. As we expand our operations, we continue to strengthen our positions as the leading Latvian export brand.โ
During the first eleven months of 2018 airBaltic has operated 51 791 flights. In November 2018, the airline performed 4ย 375 flights, or 12% more than in the same period of 2017. The airlineโs load factor, which represents the number of passengers as a proportion of the number of available seats, during first eleven months of 2018 was at a level of 76%.
The 15-minute flight punctuality indicator for airBaltic during the first eleven months of 2018 reached a level of 88%. This means that more than 88 out of every 100 airBaltic flights departed at the planned time or with a delay of no more than 15 minutes. In November, punctuality indicator reached 92%.
Photo: airBaltic.
Embraer and Boeing approved the terms of strategic aerospace partnership, seek Brazilian Government approval
Embraer and Boeing have approved to the terms of a strategic partnership that would position both companies to accelerate growth in global aerospace markets.
The approved terms define the joint venture comprising the commercial aircraft and services operations of Embraer, in which Boeing will hold an 80 percent ownership stake and Embraer will hold the remaining 20 percent. The transaction remains subject to approval by the Government of Brazil, after which Embraer and Boeing intend to execute definitive transaction documents.ย The closing of the transaction will then be subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
Under the terms of the proposed partnership, Boeing will acquire an 80 percent ownership stake in the joint venture for $4.2 billion. The partnership is expected to be neutral to Boeing’s earnings per share in 2020 and accretive thereafter. Estimated annual pre-tax cost synergies of approximately $150 million are anticipated by the third year of operations.
Once the transaction has closed, 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 Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer. Embraer will retain consent rights for certain strategic decisions, such as transfer of operations from Brazil.
“Boeing and Embraer know each other well through more than two decades of collaboration, and the respect we have for each other and the value we see in this partnership has only increased since we announced our joint efforts earlier this year,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer.
“We are confident that this partnership will deliver great value to Brazil and the Brazilian aerospace industry as a whole. This alliance will strengthen both companies in the global market and is aligned with our long-term sustainable growth strategy,” said Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, Embraer president and chief executive officer.
The companies have also agreed to the terms of another joint venture to promote and develop new markets for the multi-mission medium airlift KC-390. Under the terms of this proposed partnership, Embraer will own a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, with Boeing owning the remaining 49 percent.
The transaction is subject to approval by the Government of Brazil, ratification by the Embraer Board of Directors and its further authorization to execute the definitive transaction documents. Once the parties have executed the definitive transaction agreements, the strategic partnership will then be subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, as well as other customary closing conditions. Assuming the approvals are received in a timely manner, the transaction is intended to close by the end of 2019.
TAP Air Portugal to add San Francisco in June
TAP Air Portugal has announced its latest new destination: San Francisco. This new route reinforces and consolidates the Company’s bet in that market, now extending its reach to reach California, on the west coast of the USA.
TAPยดs operation to San Francisco begins on June 10, 2019 and will have five flights per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flights depart from Lisbon at 10:00 am and arrive in San Francisco at 14:40 pm, local time. On the opposite direction, the departure is at 16:10 pm, arriving in Lisbon at 11:25 am, on the following day.
San Francisco will be the TAPยดs eighth destination in North America and the third new destination for TAP in the United States next year. Chicago and Washington are also available for sale, with operation starting on June 1 and June 16, 2019 respectively.
In the North American market, TAP had three destinations in 2015, and now has nine routes, increasing its weekly frequencies from 16 to 56.
TAP also reinforced the number of weekly flights from Porto to Newark (from 2 to 6 weekly flights).
In the North Atlantic, TAP flies to: San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, New York – JFK, New York – Newark, Boston and Miami, departing from Lisbon, and New York – Newark departing from Porto, as well as Toronto , In Canada.
The expansion and renovation of the TAPยดs fleet has made these new routes possible. The company has already received seven Airbus aircraft this year, with more arriving over the next years, to a total of 71 new aircraft by 2025. The first new aircraft the company received was an Airbus A320neo, which has been in service since June. Two Airbus A321neoโs joined the TAP fleet in September. A new Airbus A330neo arrived in Lisbon, with TAP set to become the first airline in the world to put this aircraft into service. On Saturday, December 8, 2018 a new Airbus A321neo arrived, with another A321neo arriving in Lisbon from the Airbus factory on Tuesday December 11, 2018.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline):ย TAP Portugal – Air Portugal Airbus A330-343 CS-TOU (msn 997) LIS (Marcelo F. De Biasi). Image: 940710.
TAP Air Portugal aircraft slide show:
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JetBlue adds new service between Steamboat Springs and three hubs
JetBlue Airways has announced the start of new service in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with the arrival of inaugural flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Long Beach Airport (LGB).
Service started on December 15.
JetBlue nonstop service to the Steamboat/Hayden Airport (HDN) is currently scheduled as follows:
The new routes connect the world-renowned ski destination with three key regions of JetBlueโs route map and operate on a winter seasonal schedule.
JetBlue becomes the only airline to offer nonstop service from both New England and South Florida to Steamboat Springs. And Long Beach service opens up a new and convenient airport choice for Southern California travelers. Twice-weekly Boston and Long Beach service operates Wednesdays and Saturdays, with Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood service operating weekly on Saturdays.
JetBlue flights serve Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN), just 30 minutes from downtown Steamboat Springs.
JetBlue will operate new Steamboat Springs flights using its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Top Copyright Photo (others by the airport):ย JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 N569JB (msn 2075) (10th Anniversary) LGB (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944819.
JetBlue aircraft slide show:
Video:
New routes:
Emirates takes delivery of its last Boeing 777-300ER aircraft
It was also the 146th delivery of a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Emirates. The airline welcomed the first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft into its fleet in March 2005 and over the last 13 years, the 777-300ER has become the backbone of Emiratesโ fleet operating currently to over 119 destinations across the airlineโs global network. Emirates has operated one out of every five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft produced to date and the average age of a Boeing 777-3000ER in Emiratesโ fleet is a mere 6.5 years.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: โThe Boeing 777-300ER has been a cornerstone of Emiratesโ success story as the worldโs largest international airline. The aircraftโs efficiency, range and payload capabilities have enabled us to connect our customers across six continents to and through Dubai, and offer them a flight experience that is second to none. With 140 of these aircraft in our fleet, the Boeing 777-300ER will continue to play an integral role in our operations and facilitating global tourism and trade opportunities in the years to come.โ
On the partnership with Boeing, Sir Tim said: โWeโve worked closely with Boeing on the 777 program over the last three decades, and we will build on this partnership as we start taking delivery of the 777-8 and 777-9 aircraft from 2020.โ
Emiratesโ Boeing 777 fleet has carried close to 350 million passengers on more than 1.28 million flights and covered over 6.6 billion kilometres since 1996. Thatโs the equivalent of flying almost 8600 times to the moon and back.
Setting the standards for passenger experience and safety, Emirates has continually invested in its onboard product and services. The airline recently unveiled brand new cabins for its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft including the game-changing fully-enclosed First Class private suites as well as newly-designed seats and improved inflight entertainment systems for Business and Economy class cabins. Emirates has also started a programme to reconfigure its 10 Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, installing new wider Business Class seats as well as a completely refreshed Economy Class for improved passenger comfort.
Since 2009, Emirates has also been operating the Boeing 777-F dedicated freighter aircraft to facilitate global trade. With a capacity of over 100 tonnes per flight, Emiratesโ fleet of 13 Boeing 777-Fs move a variety of cargo, including heavy and outsized shipments, pharmaceuticals, flowers and race horses on scheduled weekly flights to over 40 global destinations. In 2017, Emiratesโ Boeing 777-F aircraft also executed more than 370 charter flights over and above regular operations.
Emirates operates one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average aircraft age of 5.87 years, a figure that is much lower than the accepted norm in the aviation industry. The airline pursues an ambitious fleet renewal strategy by retiring older aircraft and introducing newer and more advanced aircraft leading to more efficient operations.
From 2020, the airline will start taking delivery of 35 Boeing 777-8s and 115 Boeing 777-9s. These next generation aircraft will have a more fuel efficient design and will feature larger windows, increased cabin pressure and humidity, higher ceilings, wider cabin and an advanced inflight entertainment system contributing to a superior customer experience.
Video:
| June 1996 | Emirates receives delivery of its first Boeing 777 aircraft A6-EMD, a Boeing 777-200 classic |
| June 2003 | Emirates announces order for 26 Boeing 777-300ERs at the 2003 Paris Air Show, worth US$ 5.6 billion |
| March 2005 | Emirates receives its first Boeing 777-300 ER |
| 2009 | Emirates becomes the worldโs largest operator of the Boeing 777 aircraft |
| November 2013 | Emirates makes aviation history with a record-breaking order for 150 Boeing 777x aircraft |
| October 2014 | Emirates receives its 100th Boeing 777-300ER aircraft |
| September 2015 | Emirates receives its 150th Boeing 777 aircraft |
| November 2016 | Emirates starts taking delivery of its new generation Boeing 777-300ER with enhanced Business Class seats and improved environmental performance |
| November 2017
|
Emirates unveils brand new cabins for its Boeing 777 fleet including the Game-changing, fully enclosed private suites in First Class |
Ryanair takes delivery of the last Boeing 737NG
Boeing announced on social media:
Itโs the end of an era and the start of a new one. Ryanair took delivery of its last 737 NG on December 13. Thanks for being all-Boeingย and get ready for the 737 MAX โGamechangerโ.
Boeing delivers first airplane from new Delivery Center in Zhoushan, China
Boeing and joint venture partner Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd (COMAC) today celebrated the delivery of the first airplane from the new 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan, China. Air China received the first plane, marking a new era in Boeing’s partnership with the Chinese aviation industry.
Delivery of the first MAX 8, assembled in Renton, Wash. and completed in China, comes 20 months after construction began at the 100-acre site. The 737 Completion and Delivery Center is the first such Boeing facility outside of the United States. The facility has been built in partnership with the Zhejiang Provincial and Zhoushan Municipal Governments and will become fully operational in phases as capacity is expanded over time.
Boeing 737 MAXs for Chinese airlines will be flown from Seattle to Zhoushan, where the joint Boeing-COMAC Completion Center will complete interior work on the airplanes. The statement of work will gradually expand to include painting with the addition of three paint hangers.ย Once completed, airplanes will move to the adjacent Boeing-operated delivery center for customer acceptance activities and delivery formalities.
The facility, which covers 666,000 sq ft in total, is designed to support the entire 737 MAX family of airplanes, from the long-range MAX 7 to the high-capacity MAX 10.ย With about one third of all 737 deliveries going to Chinese customers, the Zhoushan facility will enable Chinese airline customers to update and expand their fleets with the most technologically-advanced Boeing single-aisle airplanes available. In addition, the business and the partnerships Boeing is developing in Chinaare integral to adding capacity and aerospace jobs in the U.S
China is on course to become the largest commercial aviation market in the world.ย Boeing’s latest Commercial Market Outlook forecasts that China will need 7,680 new airplanes worth $1.2 trillion USD over the next 20 year and another $1.5 trillion USD in commercial services to support the country’s growing fleet of airplanes.
Photos: Boeing.
Hainan Airlines to launch Xi’an-Los Angeles service on December 31
Hainan Airlines Holding Company, Ltd. (Hainan Airlines) plans to launch nonstop service between Xi’an and Los Angelesย on Decemberย 31, 2018. It will be the first scheduled service between Xi’an and Los Angelesย and the only intercontinental route between Xi’an and the United States.
The Xi’an–Los Angeles service is scheduled to take off fromย Xi’an at 9:10 pm every Monday and Thursday BJT, and land at Los Angelesย at 18:10 pm PT after being in the air for 12 hours and 10 minutes.
The new route will be serviced byย a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
Hainan Airlines already has several routes that originate in Xi’an, with services to Tokyo, Rome, Sydney and Melbourne.
Hainan Airlines has to date launched 18 North American routes covering Seattle/Tacoma, San Jose, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Chicago (O’Hare), Boston, Las Vegas, Toronto (Pearson), Calgary, Vancouver, Mexico City and Tijuana.
Hainan Airlines’ Xi’an-Los Angeles Flight Schedule (All times are local):
|
Flight No. |
Aircraft |
Schedule |
Departure City |
Departure Time |
Arrival Time |
Arrival City |
|
HU493 |
Boeing 787 |
Monday/Thursday |
Xi’an |
ย 9:10 pm |
6:10 pm |
Los Angeles |
|
HU494 |
Boeing 787 |
Monday/Thursday |
Los Angeles |
11:20 pm |
5:10 am+2 |
Xi’an |
The airline is also starting Paris (CDG) – Chongqing service on December 19, 2018.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline):ย Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner B-2728 (msn 34938) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944785.
Hainan aircraft slide show:
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Delta recaps its Investor Day presentation
Delta leaders explained to Wall Street how 2018 performance shows Delta is on track to continue leading the industry.
Here’s a recap ofย what Delta leaders are saying from the stage in New York at Delta’s 2018 Investor Day. Speakers are highlighting a successful 2018, setting 2019 targets and explaining to Wall Streetย why Delta’s durable and sustainable business model creates resiliency for employees, customers and owners.
CEO Ed Bastian
Investor Day 2018 beganย with a recap of the year’s successes, including how the Delta team enabled an industry-leading operation and offset 90 percent of a fuel cost headwind through revenue growth.
He said that 2018 will be the fourth year in a row that Delta will post a profit of $5 billion, though he emphasized continued focus on costs, saying Delta has to “stay disciplined.”
On the revenue side, Bastian said strategic moves have boosted diversity of revenues. “At Delta, 30 percent of our total revenue stream is coming from premium products, which is twice what it was six years ago.”
Bastianย saidย Delta’s unique culture drives all of its strategic initiatives, and that Delta never loses sight that it is ultimately a people enterprise.”This is a business of caring for people and we have the best people who care in the business.”
He closed with five takeaways about Delta:
- Delivering superior financial resultsย โ 2019 isย expected to deliver profits over $5 billion for a fifth consecutive year, with aย return to margin expansion driving double-digit earnings-per-share growth and 15 percentย after-tax returnsย on invested capital.
- A powerful consumer brandย rooted in a unique culture, with building momentum and a sustainable revenue premium.
- An increasingly diverse revenue streamย with less than half of revenues from Main Cabin,ย and strong growth prospects from premium products.
- Non-fuel cost trajectory below inflationย as efficiency initiatives gain momentum,ย and fleet transformation continues.
- Opportunity to drive top-line growth and margin expansionย from fleet transformation, technology innovation, joint ventures, loyalty program and maintenance, repair and overhaul business expansion.
President Glen Hauenstein
He expounded on Delta’s projection of 4-6 percent top-line revenue growth in 2019, sayingย demand remands strong for all of Delta’s products and services,ย andย the company is just getting started to really provide what customersย want in the marketplace.
“We have a long runway of opportunity,” Hauensteinย said.ย “We feel very, very confident that we have a long way to go to improve our margins and to improve our customer experience and our brand.”
Delta’s opportunity lies in four areas, he said:
- Providing theย leading domestic network.
- Fleet transformationย to highly-efficient and customer experience-rich aircraft with larger gauge and better efficiency.
- Excellent global partnersย that provide seamless worldwide access for customers.
- Premium onboard productsย like Delta One and Delta Premium Select.
Gil West, Chief Operating Officer
West told attendees that more customers arrive on-time on Delta than on any other airline, through industry-best completion factor and on-time arrivals as measured by preliminary DOT data.
Heย underscored that a high degree of operational reliability is a bedrock for continuous improvement across all aspects of Delta’sย business,ย and is a catalyst for applied innovation as well as boosting Delta’s competitive advantage at its subsidiary businesses, like Delta Material Services and Delta Flight Products.
Tim Mapes, Chief Marketing Officer
“Delta has the best understanding of the customer.”
That’s howย Mapesย began his remarks, noting that Delta excelsย at gathering and interpreting data from nearly 200 million customersย aย year to evaluate theirย likes, dislikes and much more. “We have a bias toward action that feeds into this idea of listen, respond, listen,” he said.
Mapes saidย the Delta brand is moving beyond a high-quality industrial transport to a consumer brand, and a more trusted oneย every day through the work of Delta’sย people andย culture to consistently drive superior travel experiences.ย โ
Eric Phillips, Senior Vice President โ Revenue Management
Phillipsย detailed Delta’s trajectory to improve choice and customizability for Delta’s customers through a growing array of products and service.
“Over the lastย 10ย years, Delta has moved closer to the customer. When we connected with the customer, what they told us they wanted was choice.”
He added that premium products areย top of mind for Delta customers and that their behavior has validated Delta’s investments in Delta Comfort+, Delta Premium Select, the Delta One suite and, most recently, the ability to purchase upgrades with Delta SkyMiles.
He alsoย saidย the ability to pay for checked bags withย miles is expected to be available in 2020 as well as ongoing enhancements to the delta.com shopping experience and overall personalization.
Rahul Samant, Chief Information Officer
Samant emphasized that technological innovations are both customer and employee centric, adding that as recently as five years ago, innovations that customers today enjoy at Delta would have been “beyond the realm of reality.”
What’s driving Delta’s approach to technology going forward?ย “It’s all about practical and applied innovation,” he said.ย โ
“Just in the 15 mins I’ve been on stage, we’ve had 600,000 customer interactions in our physical and digital platforms,” he said. “That’s the population of Washington, D.C. These are the opportunities to make a real difference.”โ
Joanne Smith, Chief Human Resourcesย Officer
Smith detailed why Deltaโs unique culture provides a competitive advantage and how making a great place to work for employees is what sets Delta apart from competitors.
โCulture is not something thatโs trending, itโs something thatโs been going on for 94 years,โ she said. โThe theme is, from our founder to our CEO Ed Bastian, this is a people business. We take care of our employees and they take care of our customers.”
Deltaโs culture is the foundation of Deltaโs success and creates the conditions for a sustained margin premium, a metric of growing importance to investors, and operates in a cycle that continually feeds on itself and creates momentum, she explained.
Paul Jacobson, Chief Financial Officer
โI feel very good about where we are today, with less unknowns and more in the hands of execution which is where our team excels,โ Jacobson said, summing up for investors Deltaโs strong position heading into 2019.
Theย fact that 35 percent of Deltaโs mainline fleet will be replaced by 2023 is a huge opportunity for boosting efficiency through reduced fuel burn and larger gauge, he said. At the same time, these new aircraft will enhance the customer experience and offer more premium seats.
Toys for Tots check presentation
Bastianย and a group of frontline employees capped off Deltaโs 2018 Investor Day with a $25,000 check presentation to Gen. Pete Osman (ret.) CEO and President Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
โDelta has really stepped up this year in a year thatโs really important to the Marine Toys for Tots program,โ said Gen.ย Osman. โI can guarantee it will make a big difference in the lives of children this year.ย The demand is up and getting support like weโve got from Delta really makes a difference.โ
All images by Delta.
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