Tag Archives: 737300

Grand Rapids to join the Southwest Airlines network on August 11

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today that Grand Rapids, Michigan is the next AirTran Airways (Dallas) city to be converted to Southwest service. Those flights from Grand Rapids to Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Orlando, and Saint Louis will begin on August 11, 2013. AirTran service in Grand Rapids will end the previous day, August 10, 2013.

From Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), fly Southwest Airlines Nonstop to:

(BWI) Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
(DEN) Denver International Airport
(MCO) Orlando International Airport
(STL) Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Additionally, AirTran expands operations in Memphis with new nonstop flights between Memphis and Chicago (Midway), Baltimore/Washington, and Orlando, beginning on August 11, 2013. In Memphis, AirTran currently offers five daily nonstop flights to Atlanta.

Southwest also will begin nonstop service between Flint, Michigan and Las Vegas starting on August 11, 2013. Bishop International Airport (FNT) in Flint is currently served by AirTran Airways and will convert to Southwest Airlines service on April 14, 2013. Inaugural service from Flint will also include nonstop service to Baltimore/Washington, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.

Top Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney. Boeing 737-3H4 N609SW (msn 27929) in the California One motif lands at Las Vegas.

Southwest Airlines:

AirTran Airways:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Southwest Airlines is also phasing out the AirTran Airways’ Boeing 717 fleet. The 717s will gradually migrate to Delta Air Lines. Boeing 717-2BD N946AT (msn 55009) painted in the special livery of the world champion Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) climbs away from the runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

Cayman Airways to return to the Grand Cayman-Dallas/Fort Worth route on April 10

Cayman Airways (Grand Cayman) will resume nonstop, year-round flights from Grand Cayman to Dallas/Fort Worth starting on April 10, 2013. The route will operate two days a week.

The new schedule also facilitates immediate connections to Cayman Brac from Grand Cayman.

Cayman Airways operates four Boeing 737-300s and two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.

Bi-weekly flights will be scheduled Wednesdays and Saturdays for the following times:

Flight #	Departs	Time	Arrives	Time
KX 320	Grand Cayman	8:30 am	Dallas-Fort Worth	12:30 pm
KX 321	Dallas-Fort Worth	1:50 pm	Grand Cayman	5:50 pm

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Boeing 737-36E VP-CKW (msn 26322) arrives at Miami dressed in the 2007 livery based on coat of arms for the British Overseas Territory.

Cayman Airways:

Southwest to add additional Florida service for winter-spring season

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) is adding new seasonal nonstops in several Florida markets.

Effective from February 15 to April 13, 2013 the airline will be bringing back daily roundtrip nonstops between Orlando and Oklahoma City (last flown since 2008!). WN is also adding new nonstop service between Orlando and Little Rock. Southwest will also be adding a third daily nonstop roundtrip between Tampa and both Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis.

From March 10 through April 13, 2013 WN will be adding a second flight between Louisville and Tampa and between Kansas City and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood. The airline will also add a fourth daily roundtrip between St. Louis and Tampa.

Southwest Airlines:

The end of “flower power”: Kuban Airlines ceases operations today

Kuban Airlines (Krasnodar, Russia), named for the Kuban Province of southern Russia, ended all operations today (December 11) due to “a difficult financial situation”. The airline started operations in 1932 as a regional division of Aeroflot (Moscow). The company merged with SkyExpress on October 29, 2011. The company issued the following statement (translated from Russian)

Kuban airline will stop all operations at 00:00 on December 11, 2012. The main reason for the stop of the airline is the difficult financial situation and the inability to follow a number of provisions of the new Federal Aviation Regulations “Certification requirements for natural persons, legal persons engaged in commercial air transport” (FAP-11), which became effective at the end of November 2012. According to the rules scheduled air carrier shall not have less than 8 aircraft with a capacity of 55 or more passenger seats.

Until now, Kuban operated six aircraft of foreign manufacture. Three of them (Airbus A319) were prematurely returned because it is impossible for timely payments under the contract and the company was in arrears on the payments. Previously, from November 1, 2012, the company had removed the obsolete Yak-42s. (The A319s were operated in an all-white condition).

Given the inability of the prevailing conditions (reducing the fleet by 50%) to run a program of autumn-winter navigation in the stated amounts in accordance with the requirements of FAR-11, airline management made the decision to stop the forced operations.

We have to state that today the very existence of regional airlines in Russia is threatened. This is facilitated by the current legislation. There is a problem with access to markets, selective support of some airlines in the form of protectionist measures and subsidies, the opacity of the aviation industry suppliers, the absence of a favorable financial background, aimed at stimulating regional carriers to move to new modern aircraft. The existing regulations does not promote competition, the emergence of new carriers, opening regional routes and the overall financial health workers airlines.

Kuban will work closely with the Administration of Krasnodar region, in order to minimize the problems associated with the forced cancellation of flights.

The company sent a statement to the Arbitration Court of Krasnodar Krai on the recognition of its bankruptcy. All financial claims will be considered by the bankruptcy process to manage the airline.

Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf. Kuban also operated two Boeing 737-300s and two 737-500s. This bright and dazzling Sunflower design was introduced by the airline in February 2010. Boeing 737-3Q8 VQ-BHB (msn 26310) taxies to the runway at Munich.

Kuban Airlines:

Frameable Color Prints and Posters:

Tiara Air Aruba arrives in Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood

Tiara Air Aruba (Aruba) yesterday (November 27) expanded to the United States with twice-weekly Boeing 737-300 jet service on the Maracaibo-Aruba-Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and return route.

Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf. Formerly operated by United Airlines as N345UA and Gol Transportes Aereos as PR-GLE, Boeing 737-322 was delivered to Tiara Air Aruba as P4-TIW (msn 24249) on February 14, 2012. The jetliner is named “Arawak” after the Arawak indigenous people of the West Indies.

Hot New Photos:

US Airways retires the last Boeing 737-300 after 28 years

US Airways (Phoenix) quietly retired its last Boeing 737-300 on November 26 from revenue service. Aircraft 737-3B7 N530AU (msn 24412) operated flight US 1611 from Raleigh/Durham to the Charlotte hub ending 28 years of faithful service for the type with the company per Airliners.net. USAir was the launch customer of the 737-300 and received its first copy (N353AU, later registered as N374US) on November 28, 1984. N530AU was delivered new on June 26, 1989. N530AU was immediately ferried to Miami. US Airways still operates the Boeing 737-400.

Southwest Airlines currently still operates the Boeing 737-300 and is now likely to be the longest operator of the type when retired.

Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Boeing 737-3B7 N530AU (msn 24412) taxies to the runway at Charlotte.

US Airways:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Keith Armes. Originally the Boeing 737-300 fleet wore the 1975 Allegheny Airlines livery. Boeing 737-3B7 N351AU (msn 22951) is pictured at Orlando, a popular destination for the new type in the early years. Later the type was relegated to shorter feeder routes.

Gol shuts down Webjet today

Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (Gol Transportes Aereos) (Sao Paulo) has announced as of today (November 23), it will begin the process of winding up the activities of its subsidiary Webjet Linhas Aereas (Rio de Janeiro) and the discontinuation of its name and brand. The airline was grounded today.

The group continued in its statement; “The first step is to extinguish flight operations. Webjet has an operational model based on a fleet that mostly consists of aging Boeing 737-300 aircraft that are advanced age, technologically out of date and consume large amounts of fuel. Given the Brazilian sector’s new cost standards, this model is no longer competitive.

As a result of the winding up of operations, around 850 employees, including flight and cabin crew and maintenance personnel, will be laid off.

Webjet’s clients and passengers will be fully served by Gol and their flights will be guaranteed. As of this date, Gol will be responsible for all air transport and associated services for these passengers. In this context, all the necessary measures are been taken.

As a result of this decision and its consequences, the Company estimates a non-recurring increase in costs in the fourth quarter of 2012, which will be disclosed to the market opportunely. However, the measures will improve operational efficiency as of 2013.

In relation to Webjet’s Boeing 737-300 fleet, Gol estimates that it will return all 20 aircraft by the end of the first half of 2013, 16 of which in the first quarter.

Thanks to the smaller fleet, Gol expects to reduce its domestic supply (ASK) by between 5% and 8% year-on- year in the first half of 2013, underlining its commitment to recovering its operating margins and the sustainability of the business.”

Webjet Linhas Aereas:

Jet2 announces three new destinations from Glasgow

Jet2 (Jet2.com) (Leeds/Bradford) is adding three new destinations from Glasgow for the next summer season. The three new destinations will include Murcia (Spain), which will take off every Monday and Friday from May 24, 2013. Flights to the Eastern Med’s Croatian resort, Pula, will start on June 18, 2013. Finally, the airline will operate weekly flights to Menorca starting on May 25, 2013. Jet2 will fly to 19 destinations from Glasgow in the summer of 2013.

Jet2:

Monarch Airlines drops the use of Aurela Airlines after an incident today at Birmingham

Monarch Airlines (London-Luton) has issued the following statement today after an incident involving an Aurela Aircompany (Vilnius) Boeing 737-300 (LY-SKA) at Birmingham:

“Monarch confirms that the flight operating from Nice on flight ZB 467 operated by Aurela Airlines on September 21, 2012, has been involved in an incident upon landing at Birmingham Airport.

It is understood that the flight operating on an Aurela Boeing 737-300 aircraft registration LY-SKA with 135 passengers onboard left the runway whilst taxiing to the terminal, bringing the aircraft to a stop. Passengers have now safely disembarked from the aircraft and have been coached to the terminal where they are being cared for by Monarch Airline staff. At this time we understand that no passengers or crew have sustained any injuries.

Monarch apologises to all passengers on-board and is offering them all possible assistance. Monarch is working with Birmingham Airport to move the aircraft and is fully assisting with the authorities. As a standard precaution emergency services have attended the aircraft.

We have suspended the use of Aurela Airlines.”

Top Copyright Photo: Javier Rodriguez. Boeing 737-35B LY-SKA (msn 23972) was being operated for Monarch in the basic Aurela livery without titles. The airliner is pictured departing from Palma de Mallorca before today’s incident.

Aurela:

Monarch:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Nik French. Monarch’s Airbus A321-231 G-OZBS (msn 1428) has received decals (both sides) of a drawing by an employee’s daughter. This drawing was selected in a competition for the employees’ children to draw a picture depicting new destination Munich. Service to MUC starts today.

American and US Airways announce they are now formally exploring a merger

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) announced today they are now officially exploring a merger. The following statement was issued this morning:

“AMR Corporation (“AMR”), the parent company of American Airlines®, and US Airways Group, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”), under which the companies have agreed to exchange certain confidential information and, in close collaboration with AMR’s Unsecured Creditors Committee, to work in good faith to evaluate a potential combination.

The companies do not expect to provide any further announcements regarding the status of any such discussions unless and until the parties have entered into a transaction or discussions between the parties have been terminated. Furthermore, AMR and US Airways have each agreed while they are evaluating a potential combination that they and their representatives will not engage in discussions with other parties concerning a potential combination of AMR and US Airways. The companies noted that there can be no assurance that a transaction will result from these discussions.”

Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. American is a large Boeing operator with Airbus aircraft on order. Boeing 737-823 N959AN (msn 30828) taxies at Miami.

American Airlines:

US Airways:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. US Airways has a large Airbus fleet. The company is also getting ready to phase out its last Boeing 737-300 after Labor Day. Boeing 737-301 N574US (msn 23739) departs from Charlotte.