Tag Archives: A330-300

The first 242-ton Airbus A330-300 is rolled out in Delta colors

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will take delivery this year of the first 242-ton Airbus A330-300 as a launch customer. Airbus has issued this statement and photos:

Just four months after entering the Final Assembly Line, and less than two months after its maiden flight, the first 242 ton Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) variant of the A330 rolled out of the paintshop in Toulouse, France in Delta Air Lines livery.

This first, new higher weight variant of the A330-300 is powered by two GE CF6-80E1 engines and will be delivered this year to the new variant’s launch customer Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines is a major Airbus widebody customer, with 32 A330 Family aircraft (11 A330-200s and 21 A330-300s) in service today and 35 more on order (25 A330-900neo and 10 A330-300). In addition, Delta has equally 25 A350-900s on order. Delta also operates 126 A320 Family aircraft (57 A319ceo, 69 A320ceo) and has 45 A321ceo on order.

The A330 242 ton MTOW is the platform for the future A330neo and offers more capability at lower operating cost with a range extended by up to 500 nautical miles and up to two percent reduced fuel consumption while also benefiting from today’s A330 operational reliability of 99.4 percent. The 242 ton MTOW is capable of flying missions up to 15 hours.

Photos: Airbus. Right now this A330-300 airframe is carrying the test registration of F-WWYX (msn 1627) and is also carrying a future fleet number of 3322.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 skids off the runway at Kathmandu

Turkish Airlines (Istanbul) flight TK 726 from Istanbul skidded off a foggy runway today (March 4) while landing at Kathmandu, Nepal. The Airbus A330-303 TC-JOC (msn 1522) had already aborted a previous approach and was circling the airport before attempting to land again. The aircraft skidded off the runway and the nose gear collapsed. The passengers used the emergency chutes to evacuate the airliner.

According to this report by NBC, only one passenger out of the 224 passengers and crew members on board was injured.

Turkish Airlines issued this short statement:

Our flight number TK726 from İstanbul to Kathmandu overshot the runway after landing at Napal / Kathmandu.

All of our passengers and flight crew evacuated safely.

Necessary precautions are taken; after the technical investigation, this unfortunate incident will be determined and announced to public.

Read the full report from NBC: CLICK HERE

Read the full report from The Independent: CLICK HERE

Twitter photo by Mallika Aryal.

Video:

Skymark Airlines operates its last Airbus A330 revenue flight

Skymark Airlines (Tokyo-Haneda) yesterday (January 31) operated its last Airbus A330-300 revenue flight. According to ZipanguFlyer, the last revenue flight from Tokyo (Haneda) was flight BC 727 to Sapporo (New Chitose) operated with Airbus A330-343 JA330D. The final flight was the return leg, flight BC 730 back to Tokyo (Haneda), arriving back at 2236 local time.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com. A spectacular takeoff view of Airbus A330-343 JA330B (msn 1491) from Haneda Airport from Tokyo Bay.

Skymark aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-3/Airlines-Asia3-QZ/Skymark-Airlines

Skymark Airlines to ground its Airbus A330s, will cut 15% of its flights as it reorganizes

Skymark Airlines (Tokyo-Haneda) announced today (January 29) it was filing for bankruptcy protection with the district court in Tokyo. The reorganizing airline announced it would eliminate 15 percent of its flights and ground its Airbus A330-300s on January 31 according to ZipanguFlyer.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rob Finlayson/AirlinersGallery.com. The Airbus A330-300s only entered revenue service on June 14, 2014. Airbus A330-343 JA330E (msn 1554) lands in Fukuoka.

Skymark Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-3/Airlines-Asia3-QZ/Skymark-Airlines

Iberia to resume summer flights to Havana

Iberia (Madrid) is resuming summer seasonal service to Havana, Cuba with five weekly flights starting on June 1. The flag carrier will also operate three weekly flights on a Madrid – Medellin – Cali – Madrid routing commencing on July 3 per Airline Route. Both routes will operate with Airbus A330-300 equipment.

Copyright Photo: Ole Simon/AirlinersGallery.com. Iberia Airbus A330-302 EC-LZJ (msn 1490) completes its final approach to the runway at the Madrid Barajas International Airport hub.

Iberia aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Iberia-Lineas-Aereas-de-Espana

SAS to launch an improved business class experience on January 28

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it will launch a new improved business class experience for its long-haul flights staring on January 28. The airline issued this statement:

On January 28, SAS is launching an improved service concept in SAS Business on all its long haul flights. Customers will enjoy a restaurant experience in the air with an even greater number of choices, even more personal service and high quality in every respect.

SAS is currently in the process of updating its long haul fleet. This includes the renovation of seven existing aircraft and the introduction of new aircraft from fall 2015. The food and drink experience onboard in SAS Business is also being improved and customers will notice changes from January 28.

Additional choice and more personal service will be the most noticeable changes for customers in SAS Business. For example, they will have an extra starter and main course to choose from. To increase the restaurant feel and provide an even more personal service, proper tablecloths and porcelain will be used and food will be served from a service trolley to minimize the use of trays.

The improved service concept will be available on all SAS long haul flights from January 28. SAS’s long haul destinations from Scandinavia are New York (JFK), Washington (Dulles), Chicago (O’Hare), San Francisco, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo (Narita). On September 10, 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A330-343 SE-REF (msn 568) in the Star Alliance scheme arrives at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

SAS aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Scandinavian-Airlines-SAS

The first 242 ton Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) version of the Airbus A330-300 flies today for the first time, will go to Delta Air Lines

Airbus (Toulouse) on January 12 issued this statement:

The newest evolution in Airbus’ market-leading widebody jetliner product line – the A330 with an increased 242-ton maximum takeoff weight capability – is another step closer to entering service later this year after its successful maiden flight.

Taking off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport today (January 12), the A330-300 variant carried out an airborne evaluation that concluded with its return to the southwestern France location – which is home to Airbus headquarters and the A330 final assembly line.

During the flight, a five-person crew – comprised of Captain Thierry Bourges and First Officer Jean-Louis Rabilloud, along with flight test engineers Joan Andre and Gert Wunderlich and test flight engineer Alain Pourchet– checked the jetliner’s flight control system and validated its flight envelope. This activity kicked off the increased takeoff weight A330-300’s flight test campaign, which is to involve some 15 total hours aloft to confirm its new aerodynamic package and performance.

The increased maximum takeoff weight A330 results from Airbus’ focus on incremental innovation, and will further increase the cost-effectiveness and versatility for its popular twin-engine A330 product line. Operators will benefit from these jetliners’ additional range and fuel-burn reduction, resulting from a combination of improved engine performance and the aircraft’s enhanced aerodynamics.

The 242-ton A330-300 maximum takeoff weight variant launch customer is U.S.-based Delta Air Lines, which is scheduled to take delivery of its first aircraft in the second quarter of this year. The shorter-fuselage A330-200 in the 242-ton configuration is planned to enter commercial service in early 2016.

In addition to Delta Air Lines, eleven customers worldwide have already selected this option since the launch in November 2012.

Airbus’ latest A330 variant is the basis for the A330neo (new engine option) version – which will incorporate new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 powerplants and aerodynamic improvements to provide unmatched operating economics, along with the latest in cabin technology.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. Registered F-WWYY (msn 1628), the first flight is captured today at Toulouse.

Video: Airbus:

Malaysia Airlines suspends the trading of its shares as it becomes an entirely-owned state airline

Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) has suspended the trading of its shares. The beleaguered airline which is majority owned (70 percent) by the state investment fund Khazanah Nasional, is acquiring the remaining shares. The fund will delist the stock and take it private according to the Business Insider.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-2/Airlines-Asia2-FP/Malaysia-Airlines

Virgin Atlantic to add a second daily seasonal flight to Miami

Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) is adding a second daily flight to Miami for the winter season 2015/2016. The second flight, operated with Airbus A330-300 aircraft, will start on October 25, 2015 from London (Heathrow) per Airline Route. The second flight will compliment the daily Boeing 747-400 flight.

Virgin Atlantic aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-3/Airlines-Europe3-QZ/Virgin-Atlantic-Airways

Lufthansa resumes Munich-Miami service

Lufthansa (Frankfurt) is resuming flights to Florida from its Munich hub. Starting today (December 2), the airline will operate five flights a week to the Sunshine State in addition to its daily Airbus A380 service from Frankfurt.

During the winter months, Miami will be served by LH flight 460, which will be operated with an Airbus A330-300 in the new First, Business and Economy Class layout, which can accommodate 217 passengers.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 D-AIKQ (msn 1305) touches down in Charlotte with downtown Charlotte in the background.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show: