Tag Archives: 737-400

FedEx Corporation to acquire TNT Express for $4.8 billion

FedEx Corporation (FedEx Express) (Memphis) has announced its intention to acquire its European rival TNT Express (TNT Airways) (Amsterdam) in an all-cash public offer with a stated public value of $4.8 billion. FedEx is offering a 33 percent premium in its price offering for the stock of TNT. The combined European headquarters will be Amsterdam. TNT’s Liege cargo hub will be maintained.

The two companies issued this joint statement:

Transaction highlights:

FedEx Corporation (FedEx) and TNT Express N.V. (TNT Express) reached conditional agreement on recommended all-cash public offer of €8.00 per ordinary TNT Express share.

The Offer Price represents a premium of 33% over the closing price of 2 April 2015 and a premium of 42% over the average volume weighted price per TNT Express share of €5.63 over the last 3 calendar months.

The transaction represents an implied equity value for TNT Express of €4.4 billion ($4.8 billion).

Transaction unanimously recommended and supported by TNT Express’ Executive Board and Supervisory Board.

High level of deal certainty.

PostNL N.V. has irrevocably confirmed to support the Offer and tender its 14.7% TNT Express shareholding.

Combination will transform FedEx’s European capabilities and accelerate global growth.

Customers will enjoy access to an enhanced, integrated global network, combining TNT Express strong European capabilities and FedEx’s strength in other regions globally, including North America and Asia.

FedEx and TNT Express employees share a commitment to serving customers and delivering value for shareholders and supporting the communities they live and work in.

The parties have agreed to certain non-financial covenants including:

Existing employment terms of TNT Express will be respected.

The European regional headquarters of the combined companies will be in Amsterdam/Hoofddorp.

TNT Express hub in Liege will be maintained as a significant operation for the group going forward.

TNT Express’ airline operations will be divested, in compliance with applicable airline ownership regulations.

FedEx and TNT Express anticipate that the Offer will close in the first half of calendar year 2016.

FedEx and TNT Express are confident that anti-trust concerns, if any, can be addressed adequately in a timely fashion.

Top Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. FedEx Express Boeing 757-204 (F) N923FD (msn 26266) departs from EuroAirport serving Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg.

FedEx Express aircraft slide show:

TNT aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bernhard Ross/AirlinersGallery.com. TNT Airways Boeing 737-4M0 (F) OE-IAT (msn 29210) taxies to the runway at Frankfurt.

Choice Aire to launch flights between Atlantic City, Nashville and Miami

Choice Aire (Miami) will debut its scheduled public charter service operated by Swift Air (2nd) (Phoenix) on May 21, 2015 serving new nonstop destinations Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Miami International Airport (MIA).

According to the company, “Choice Aire will offer affordable, convenient, full-service first and economy class flights, with convenient connections from Miami to Cuba, Aruba and Curacao.”

The five-times-weekly service will be operated by Swift Air, and will use Boeing 737-300 and 737-400 aircraft with 126 and 150 seats, including first class and economy service.

Schedule:

Choice Aire Charters, LLC dba Choice Aire offers Scheduled Public Charter Flights operated by Swift Air, LLC filed under DOT PC-15-043″ “FLA.

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Former US Airways Boeing 737-4B7 N447US (msn 24874), now with Swift Air (2nd) as N802TJ (msn 24874), taxies at Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto without airline titles.

Swift Air (2nd) aircraft slide show:

Southern Air eliminates all of its long-term debt with a debt-for-equity exchange

Southern Air (2nd) (DHL) (Cincinnati) has issued this statement about its restructuring process:

Southern Air Holdings, Inc. (SAHI) has completed a debt-to-equity exchange that eliminates all of the company’s long-term debt, enabling SAHI to significantly enhance its strategic position and growth plans.

The consensual secured debt-to-preferred equity exchange satisfies approximately $90 million in senior secured term debt by issuing to its former term lenders a new class of preferred stock and warrants. The newly issued preferred stock is non-voting and non-convertible, and provides for an annual stated yield accruing in kind (not in cash), and a liquidation preference over common shares. The exchange transaction was approved by the United States Department of Transportation and by 100% of the participating term loan lenders. In addition to the debt-for-preferred equity exchange, SAHI’s lenders agreed to renew and increase to $20 million a working capital line of credit in favor of various SAHI affiliates.

“The completion of this debt-for-equity exchange sets a new stage for growth in our air cargo platforms,” said SAHI and Worldwide CEO Dan McHugh. “Southern Air now has a clean balance sheet and no long term debt. With positive cash flow, we are poised to grow our existing 777 and 737 programs with global logistics leader DHL Express and other global customers, and in view of the closing of our acquisition of 767 carrier Florida West International Airways (Florida West), Worldwide is strengthening and expanding its highly reliable, cost efficient and customer-oriented ACMI, CMI and other air cargo services.”

Worldwide recently announced its plans to acquire Miami-based Florida West, a U.S. all cargo carrier operating 767 aircraft.

McHugh added, “Our lenders’ willingness to convert all of their term debt to preferred equity demonstrates a firm commitment to SAHI’s management vision, strategic positioning and growth plans, and we greatly appreciate their support in this debt conversion process.”

SAHI was advised in the transaction by the investment banking firm Imperial Capital and the law firm Berger Singerman.

Southern Air currently operates four Boeing 777-200 freighters on an around-the-world basis for the leading global express delivery provider DHL. Southern Air also operates five Boeing 737 aircraft for DHL, flying key routes to support DHL’s North American air networks.

All Boeing 747s have been retired.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Southern Air now operates five Boeing 737-400 freighters in DHL colors including ex-LOT 737-45D N495SA (msn 27157) at Calgary.

DHL-Southern Air aircraft slide show:

Southern Air aircraft slide show:

Alaska Airlines to continue to offer its new premium inflight entertainment free for two more months

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today announced it will continue to offer free premium inflight entertainment directly to customers’ personal electronic devices for two more months, in addition to the more than 100 titles of free content that are available all the time, to all passengers, as part of the new Alaska Beyond™ experience.

Above Photo: Alaska Airlines.

All content, including premium movies and TV shows, will be complimentary through March 31, 2015. Starting April 1, customers can still enjoy free access to a wide selection of complimentary custom curated content and purchase premium movies and TV shows starting at $1.99.

The new entertainment service is available today on more than half of Alaska’s mainline aircraft and will be equipped on nearly all of Alaska’s all-Boeing fleet by April 2015.

Additionally, beginning February 1, Alaska will also introduce new Inflight Entertainment tablets powered by Microsoft. The tablets will be available to rent on long-haul flights for $8-10 and will feature movies, TV, XBOX games, music, digital magazines, and easy Internet access on WiFi-equipped flights. The rentable tablets will continue to be offered at no charge to First Class customers and MVP Gold75Ks.

Last month, Alaska debuted its new flight experience, ‘Alaska Beyond.’ In addition to the new, free inflight entertainment offerings, Alaska Beyond features delicious, locally sourced food and beverages, comfortable Recaro leather seats and personal power at every seat.

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska Airlines continues to replace its older Boeing 737-400s which are still due to be retired by the end of 2017.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Alaska-Airlines

Hermes Aviation (FlyHermes.com) stops flying, strands passengers

Hermes Aviation (FlyHermes.com) (Luqa, Malta) suddenly cancelled its flights on January 6 according to the Malta Independent. The sole aircraft (above) has been on the ground at Turin, Italy since January 12. According to the report, the airline is under investigation by the Italian civil aviation authority – ENAC (L’Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile). The airline had been offering flights from Malta to Comiso and Palermo in Sicily and Turin in northern Italy.

The airline does not mention the stoppage on its website and has not issued any statement.

Read the report from the Times of Malta: CLICK HERE

Read the report by the Malta Independent: CLICK HERE

The airline started operations on June 6, 2014.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. FlyHermes.com (Hermes Aviation) Boeing 737-4K5 9H-HER (msn 24901) taxies at Palma de Mallorca.

FlyHermes aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Hermes-Aviation-FlyHermescom

Blue Air establishes a new base at Larnaca in the wake of the Cyprus Airways demise

Blue Air (Bucharest) is opening a new operational base in Cyprus and will start operating daily flights Larnaca to Athens and thrice-weekly flights to Thessaloniki. Blue Air is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-4Q8 YR-BAR (msn 25371) is pictured at Luton Airport near London.

The new routes:

Current routes from Bucharest:

Blue Air aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Blue-Air-BlueAirwebcom

Ethiopian Cargo Boeing 737-400F today crash lands at Accra while operating for ASky Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines Cargo (Addis Ababa) Boeing 737-43Q (F) freighter, registered as ET-AQV (msn 28493, ex N493AC/OO-VES), operating for ASky Airlines, today (January 10) skidded off the runway at Accra on landing. The gear collapsed and the right engine was sheared off. The freighter was operating flight KP 4016 from Lomé to Accra. According to the airline, the aircraft blew its tires on landing. The three crew members safely exited the aircraft. The aircraft is an insurance write off (WO).

Twitter photos by Heni Mebay.

Alaska Airlines and American Airlines expand their code-share relationship

Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) and American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) are expanding their code share agreement on 16 additional routes

According to Airline Route, from December 25, 2014, Alaska will place its AS code on the following American routes:

Los Angeles – Fayetteville
Los Angeles – San Antonio
Los Angeles – Tampa
Los Angeles – Toronto
Los Angeles – Vancouver
Los Angeles – West Palm Beach

In return, American will place its AA code on the following Alaska and Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air)routes:

Salt Lake City – Las Vegas
Salt Lake City – San Diego
Salt Lake City – San Francisco
Salt Lake City – San Jose

Seattle/Tacoma – Kalispell
Seattle/Tacoma – Kelowna
Seattle/Tacoma – Lewiston
Seattle/Tacoma – Pullman
Seattle/Tacoma – Walla Walla
Seattle/Tacoma – Wenatchee

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-490 N795AS (msn 28890) arrives in Anchorage.

Alaska Airlines aircraft slide show:

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A321-231 N126AN (msn 6313) arrives in Las Vegas.

XTRA Airways rebrands as XTRAirways

XTRA Airways (formerly Casino Express Airlines) (Boise) has rebranded as XTRAirways and unveiled this new livery on this former Sky King Boeing 737-484 registered as N741AS (msn 25417).

Photo: XTRAirways.

XTRA Airways aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-3/Airlines-United-States3-QZ/Xtra-Airways

Casino Express aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Casino-Express-Airlines

Vision Airlines to operate Cuban charters for ViajeHoy under the “Havana Air” name

ViajeHoy Charters dba Havana Air (Miami) starting today (December 11) will start using the aircraft of Vision Airlines (Las Vegas). The aircraft will carry Havana Air titles. The tour operator has been using Swift Air’s (2nd) (Phoenix) Boeing 737-400s. The company operates charters from Miami to Havana (HAV) and Santa Clara (SNU) in Cuba.

Havana Air Company describes itself:

Havana Air staff has over 25 years experience in corporate travel and leisure travel planning. Our senior officers fully understand the needs and requirements of this sector of travel and have served some of the nation’s largest companies. With this expertise, we can assist those companies now seeking to participate in travel to Cuba under new OFAC General License guidelines. We have a great deal of experience in serving both the pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries and would be pleased to assist your company with facilitating travel to Cuba under the appropriate OFAC guidelines. We also encourage those in the field of journalism or government organizations to allow us to assist them as well, as our organization has over a dozen years of experience in serving the U.S. Government travel.

All images by Havana Air.

Video: