Wataniya Airways’ AOC is revoked

Wataniya Airways Air Operators Certificate (AOC) has been cancelled.

The Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) of Kuwait in September 2018 suspended the license of Wataniya Airways for three months.

The DGCA warned that if the airline failed to address the operational issues that led to flight cancellations in August 2018 would lead to a permanent cancellation.

After three months the DGCA has now finally cancelled the AOC of Wataniya Airways.

The airline resumed operations in July 2017 and operated a fleet of four Airbus A320 Family aircraft.

Previously at the Farnborough Airshow, the airline placed a firm order for 10 Embraer E195-E2s and converted an earlier MOU for 25 Airbus A320neos to a firm order.

All images by the airline.

Qatar Airways to launch flights to Malta, starts service to Mombasa

Qatar Airways has announced that it will launch direct services to Valletta, Malta, starting on June 4, 2019, marking the airline’s first gateway to Malta and the latest addition to its rapidly-expanding European network.

The Valletta route will be served with an Airbus A320 aircraft, with daily services in summer and four-times-weekly flights in winter.

Valletta, a city with a rich historical and cultural past, offers much for visitors to explore, including some of Europe’s finest baroque architecture as well as many museums. Visitors can admire the striking views of Malta’s Grand Harbour, often described as the most beautiful in the Mediterranean, or stroll the cobbled streets of the fortified capital, lined with honey-coloured limestone buildings, fine palaces, shops and cafés.

Flight Schedule:

Doha (DOH) to Valletta (MLA) QR381 departs 01:25 arrives 06:45 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Valletta (MLA) to Doha (DOH) QR 382 departs 09:20 arrives 15:55 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Doha (DOH) to Valletta (MLA) QR383 departs 08:05 arrives 13:25 (Tues, Thurs, Sat)
Valletta (MLA) to Doha (DOH) QR384 departs 17:45 arrives 00:20 +1 (Tues, Thurs, Sat)

In other news, Qatar Airways’ first nonstop flight from Doha to Mombasa, Kenya landed on December 9, 2018 (above) at Moi International Airport, marking the airline’s second gateway in Kenya.

Qatar Airways flight QR1333, operated by an Airbus A320, departed Hamad International Airport (HIA) on Sunday, December 9 at 02:30 and arrived at Moi International Airport at 08:40, where it was welcomed with a celebratory water cannon salute.

On board the inaugural Qatar Airways flight to Mombasa, Qatar Airways Chief Flight Operations Officer, Captain Jassim Al-Haroon, was joined by the Kenyan Charge D’Affaires a.i. to the State of Qatar, Mr. Washington Oloo. The VIP delegation was greeted upon arrival by the County Government of Mombasa Deputy Governor, H.E. Dr. William Kingi, County Government of Mombasa, Executive for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon. Fawz Ali, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Director Aviation Safety Security and Regulation, Capt. Tom Ogenche, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director, Middle East Directorate, Amb. Jackline Yonga, Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Betty Radier, Kenya Tourism Federation Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Hersi, Moi International Airport General Manager Marketing and Business Development, Mr. Jimmy Kibati and Moi International Airport Manager, Mr. Peter Wafula.

Qatar Airways will operate its service to Mombasa with an Airbus A320 aircraft, which features 12 Business Class seats and 120 seats in Economy Class. Passengers will be able to enjoy the airline’s superior entertainment system offering a wide variety of entertainment options.

In the following weeks, the award-winning airline will also launch direct flights to Gothenburg, Sweden and Da Nang, Vietnam. Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight to Gothenburg will touch down on December 12 and will operate five-times a week, while flights to Da Nang will launch on December 19 and will operate four-times weekly.

Photos: Qatar Airways.

Boeing launches longest-range business jet ever with BBJ 777X

Boeing Business Jets has announced it is launching the, a new Boeing Business Jet model that can fly more than half way around the world without stopping, farther than any business jet ever built.

Customers can choose between two models: the BBJ 777-8 and BBJ 777-9. The BBJ 777-8 offers the longest range of 11,645 nautical miles (21,570 km) and a spacious 3,256 sq. ft. (302.5 sq m) cabin.

The BBJ 777-9 provides an even larger cabin measuring 3,689 sq. ft. (342.7 sq m), while still offering ultra-long range of 11,000 nautical miles (20,370 km). This model opens up almost unlimited interior design options to ensure ultimate comfort for long distance travel.

To demonstrate the versatility of the airplane’s spacious cabin, BBJ unveiled interior concepts from three leading design firms: Greenpoint Technologies, Jet Aviation, and Unique Aircraft Design. Each concept shows how the BBJ 777X can be transformed to suit the tastes of any VIP customer.

The strength of the BBJ fleet of airplanes was highlighted at the air show as Boeing announced it recently booked another order for its BBJ MAX family. The order from an unidentified customer brings total orders for the BBJ MAX to 21.

Based on Boeing’s best-selling 737 MAX airplane, the BBJ MAX offers more than three times the cabin space as most of its competitors, a lower cabin altitude, and the ability to fly 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km).

Gol announces the acceleration of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet renewal

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. has announced an acceleration of its fleet renewal and modernization plan and the execution of operating lease agreements for 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with Avolon.

Result of operational gains and favorable market conditions, Gol has accelerated its fleet renewal and modernization plan with operating leases of 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to be received in the second half of 2019. Gol will maintain its capacity discipline, and the decision to accelerate its fleet renewal maintains the flexibility of Gol’s fleet plan. The accelerated fleet renewal will not alter Gol’s planned capacity, as the Company will simultaneously return and/or sell 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft under operating and finance leases.

“We acquired the 737 MAX to make Gol’s operations even more efficient and to offer our passengers additional flights aboard new and even more modern and safe aircraft. The 737 MAX exceeds the expected performance on every count,” said Paulo Kakinoff, CEO of Gol. “We’ve been very impressed with the MAX’s superior range, fuel efficiency and reliability. By accelerating our fleet renewal plan to this new technology, we will be able to further reduce our costs and open up more international destinations for our Customers.”

Gol launched operations with the 737 MAX 8 in July 2018 with impressive results. Compared to Gol’s 737-800 NG aircraft, the MAX 8 has decreased fuel consumption on Gol’s routes by approximately 15%. Additionally, the increased range of the 737 MAX 8 has allowed Gol to further diversify its route network and to begin operating flights to North America. In fact, Gol’s new Brasilia-Orlando route is the longest commercial 737 flight in history.

In addition to the four new international destinations already announced – Miami, Orlando, Quito and Cancun – the additional 737 MAX 8s will allow Gol to launch a new international destination every quarter over the next two years.

Onboard, Gol’s passengers will also enjoy the greater comfort and convenience provided by the Boeing Sky Interior, which includes: a spacious and welcoming cabin, dynamic LED lighting, and the largest and most accessible overhead bins in the market. The aircraft will also be equipped with Wi-Fi antennas, making it possible for passengers to access Gol’s complete on-board entertainment platform during flights.

Gol has an order for 135 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered through 2028 and is currently the largest 737 operator in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. The 737 MAX offers exceptional performance, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range to open new destinations. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays and other features to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the market.

Top Copyright Photo: Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N6046P (PR-XMA) (msn 43986) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 942460.

Gol aircraft slide show:

LOT Polish to increase the number of flights to North America next summer

LOT Polish Airlines has announced on social media that starting in June 2019 it will be increasing the number of flights per week to Warsaw from Los Angeles, Newark and Toronto (Pearson).

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner SP-LSB (msn 38084) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 941726.

LOT Polish aircraft slide show:

airBaltic to base two Airbus A220-300s in Tallinn

airBaltic has announced that as of summer season of 2019 it will base two of its new Airbus A220-300 aircraft in Tallinn, in order to serve the growing range of destinations offered to Estonian passengers. In total, airBaltic will have three aircraft based in Tallinn next year.

Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic: “Since 2014, we are continuing to grow our operations in Tallinn Airport and we are glad that more Estonian passengers choose our services. Next summer we will serve already 12 different destinations. By basing a third aircraft in Tallinn, we are further committing to the Estonian market. We see airBaltic as a true Baltic airline, and with this Estonia is part of airBaltic’s growth story.”

“This year we launched direct flights from Tallinn to London, Stockholm and Oslo. Next year new direct flights to Malaga, Brussels and Copenhagen will be added. By offering both direct flights from Tallinn and convenient connections via Riga, airBaltic offers the best connectivity to and from the Baltic states to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East,” Martin Gauss added.

This year airBaltic expects to transport around 400,000 passengers to and from Estonia. This makes Tallinn the second biggest market after Riga.

From Tallinn, airBaltic offers nonstop flights to Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna and Vilnius as well as convenient connections via Riga. airBaltic will launch new nonstop services from Tallinn to Malaga, Brussels and Copenhagen in 2019.

airBaltic serves over 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, offering the largest variety of destinations and convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East. For summer 2019, airBaltic will launch a new nonstop routes from Riga to Stuttgart and Lviv.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): airBaltic Airbus A220-300 (Bombardier CS300 – BD-500-1A11) YL-CSC (msn 55005) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 938229.

airBaltic aircraft slide show:

AirAsia signs Memorandum of Cooperation for Vietnam JV

Top Photo: AirAsia. AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes (front center left) shakes hands with Tran Trong Kien, CEO of Thien Minh Travel Joint Stock Company CEO and General Director of Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company, after the memorandum signing witnessed by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (center right) and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung (centre left), flanked by the Vice Chairmen of the Vietnamese Advisory Council to the Prime Minister on Administrative Procedures Reform, VinaCapital Group CO-Founder and CEO Don Lam (far left) and FPT Corporation Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Truong Gia Binh (far right), who is also Chairman of Vietnam’s Private Sector Development Committee.

AirAsia (Malaysia) has made this announcement about a new joint venture in Vietnam:

AirAsia has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation reaffirming its intention to set up a low-cost carrier in Vietnam with local partners.

The memorandum was signed by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and Vietnamese businessman Tran Trong Kien, in his capacity as CEO of Thien Minh Travel Joint Stock Company (TMG) and General Director of Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company (HAA), at the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 on December 6, 2018.

The signing, conducted on the sidelines of the Vietnam Travel and Tourism Summit 2018, was witnessed by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “AirAsia is an Asean airline. And in Asean, Vietnam is one of the last remaining countries with a large population we’re not in. Today’s memorandum reaffirms our commitment to making AirAsia in Vietnam happen. Last year, when we announced this JV, we were bullish about Vietnam and we remain incredibly bullish about serving one of the most dynamic, fastest-growing economies in Asia.

“AirAsia is already the largest foreign airline group in Vietnam by capacity. We currently operate to five destinations here, including our most recent addition, Phu Quoc. And we will continue to expand our network to connect Vietnam to Asean and beyond, something our local JV will be able to accelerate. We couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of bringing more visitors to this amazing country and delivering true low-cost air travel to 95 million Vietnamese in the near future.”

TMG CEO and HAA General Director Tran Trong Kien said, “Vietnam tourism has performed extremely well. The number of international arrivals has doubled over the last three years and domestic and outbound travel have also grown tremendously. The sector has contributed greatly to recent economic development and social progress. Vietnam as a country needs better connectivity to continue this trend and for tourism to reach its full potential. Adding a new airline, especially at this stage and with an experienced operator like AirAsia, is a much needed and welcomed move. This new airline will bring more and better choices to our people in the years to come.”

AirAsia operates 141 return flights weekly on 13 routes – including six unique routes – connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc with Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bharu in Malaysia, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand and Manila in the Philippines, and has carried 12 million passengers to and from Vietnam since entering the market in 2005.

Adria Airways recapitalizes with an injection of 4 million euros

Adria Airways issued this statement:

The announced recapitalization of Adria Airways in the amount of 4 million euros is completed. The capital injection of at least 10 million euros is planned for the first quarter of 2019.

The recapitalization of Adria Airways in the amount of 4 million euros is completed. The payment will be intended for further business development and growth of the Slovenian airline.

The capital injection of at least 10 million euros is planned for the first quarter of 2019.

Photo: Adria Airways.

Air Italy is coming to California

Air Italy (3rd) is launching two new California routes from Milan (Malpensa) in the spring 2019.

The rejuvenated carrier is launching a new route to Los Angeles (four days a week) on April 3, 2019 followed by San Francisco (four days a week) on April 10, 2019.