Tag Archives: A340-541

Emirates to retire 26 older aircraft in 2016, including all Airbus A340-300s, A340-500s and Boeing 777-200 ERs

Emirates (Dubai) has announced its fleet plans for 2016. In total, the airline will aggressively retire 26 aircraft, including 12 Airbus A330-300s, 4 A340-300s, 1 A340-500, 6 Boeing 777-200 ERs, 2 Boeing 777-300s and 1 Boeing 777-300 ER. The average age of the Emirates aircraft slated for retirement in 2016 will be 15.7 years, well-below the average industry retirement age of 25. In addition, 13 more aircraft will be retired in 2017 and another 13 will be retired in 2018.

Top Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. The four Airbus A340-300s will be retired next year. Airbus A340-313 A6-ERS (msn 139) arrives at the Dubai hub.

This means the Airbus A340-300, the last A340-500 (A6-ERE) and Boeing 777-200 ER fleets will now be retired in 2016.

The remaining Airbus A330-200s will likely be retired now in 2017.

Below Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. The last remaining Airbus A340-500 will also be retired in 2016. Now retired, A340-541 A6-ERH (msn 611) is pictured arriving at the Dubai hub.

The fast-growing airline continued;

Balancing its aircraft retirement program, Emirates will take delivery of 36 new aircraft in 2016, including 20 Airbus A380s and 16 Boeing 777-300 ERs. These two aircraft types are recognized as some of the most efficient and quiet commercial airplanes available, emitting on average 12% less carbon dioxide than the aircraft being retired. At the end of 2016, the aircraft retirements and new deliveries will put Emirates’ average fleet age at 5.6 years, dramatically younger than the global average. A recent analysis shows the average fleet age for the top five airlines in North America is 13.6 years, while the average fleet age for the top five airlines in Europe is 10.7 years.

Currently, the total number of aircraft in the Emirates fleet stands at 243. In 2015, the airline received 26 new aircraft, including 15 A380s, 10 Boeing 777-300ERs and 1 Boeing 777 Freighter. The airline has 263 additional aircraft on order, worth over US$120 billion at list prices. Its order book includes 71 Airbus A380s, 42 Boeing 777-300ERs, 115 Boeing 777-9Xs and 35 Boeing 777-8Xs.

Above Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. The six smaller Boeing 777-200 ERs will now be retired in 2016. Boeing 777-21H ER A6-EMI (msn 27250) arrives in London (Heathrow).

When delivered beginning in 2020, the new Boeing 777Xs will come with a variety of fuel efficient design additions making it almost 20% more fuel efficient than previous models. It will also include a range of passenger-focused amenities including larger windows, increased cabin pressure, more humidity, higher ceilings and a wider cabin than previous models.

In addition to reducing the age of its fleet, Emirates also implements a variety of other environmental practices that reduces CO2 emissions. These include FlexTracks, a program that plans efficient flight route patterns based on weather conditions; single-engine taxi on the ground; idle reverse thrust upon landing; and fuel-efficient ground handling and transportation equipment. Emirates publishes its environmental initiatives and emissions performance data annually as part of the Emirates Group environmental report available on http://www.emirates.com/environment.

Emirates aircraft slide show:

Airline Aircraft Endangered Species List:

Emirates will now operate the last Airbus A340-500 flight on October 3

Emirates (Dubai) will now operate the last Airbus A340-500 revenue flight on October 3 (extended from September 30) per Airline Route.

The last flight will be EK 641 from Kabul, Afghanistan to Dubai arriving at DXB at 1620 (4:20 pm) local time.

Emirates aircraft slide show:

Airline Aircraft Type Endangered Species List (click on the photo link below for the full list with details):

Emirates to retire its last Airbus A340-500

Emirates (Dubai) is planning to operate the last scheduled Airbus A340-500 flight on September 30 (subject to change) on the Kabul – Dubai route per Airline Route.

In other news, Emirates is introducing a second daily flight on the Dubai – Seattle/Tacoma route starting on July 7.

Emirates aircraft slide show:

Etihad Airways arrives in Los Angeles

Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) today (June 1) launched its new daily EY 171 service between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Los Angeles (LAX).

Los Angeles is Etihad Airways’ fourth US destination, joining Chicago (O’Hare), New York (JFK) and Washington, D.C. (Dulles) on the airline’s expanding network. This will increase further on December 3, 2014 with the addition of nonstop flights to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Guests and their checked-in baggage flying from Abu Dhabi are also processed through all new US immigration, customs and agriculture inspections, before boarding the aircraft, eliminating the need to do so on arrival in the US.

The aircraft initially serving the new Los Angeles route is a three-cabin, long-range Airbus 340-500 (A6-EHA) which can accommodate 240 guests with 12 First Class suites, 28 Business Class flatbed seats, and 200 Economy Class seats.

In mid-July, the service will transition to a three-cabin, long-range Boeing 777-200 LR which will be configured with 237 seats, including eight First Class suites, 40 Business Class flatbed seats, and 189 Economy Class seats.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-541 A6-EHA (msn 748) had the honor of operating the first flight to LAX.

Etihad Airways:

LATAM Airlines Group reports first quarter net income of $80.7 million, will phase out its Airbus A330s, A340s, Boeing 737s and Bombardier Q400s

LATAM Airlines Group (LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines) (Santiago) reported operating income of $146.7 million (US) for first quarter 2014 excluding non-recurring costs related to fleet restructuring. The increase of 28.5% as compared to the first quarter 2013 was driven by strong improvements in the results of LATAM’s passenger operations in most markets, especially in the Brazilian domestic operations, offset by the 18.5% depreciation of the Brazilian real over this period as well as by weaker results in the cargo business. Operating margin excluding fleet restructuring costs reached 4.6%, an increase of 1.2 points compared to 3.4% in 2013.

LATAM Airlines Group’s net income reached $80.7 million (US) for first quarter 2014, excluding non-recurring costs related to fleet restructuring, compared to net income of $42.7 million (US) for the same period 2013.

The group further stated:

Having concluded a thorough review of its post-merger fleet plan and fleet requirements, and the changes in the competitive environment, the Company is undertaking a broad fleet restructuring plan with the aim of reducing the number of models operated, phasing out less efficient models and allocating aircraft best suited to each one of its markets. As a result, the Company expects to redeliver a significant number of aircraft between 2013 and 2016, and to fully phase out its Airbus A330s, A340s, Boeing 737s and Q400s. During the first quarter of 2014, LATAM has provided for estimated penalties related to anticipated redeliveries and other redelivery expenses expected to be incurred as a result of this process, recognizing non-recurring costs of $147 million (US). Of this total amount, $34 million(US) are recorded as aircraft maintenance operating expenses and $112 million (US) are recognized as Other Non-Operating Costs.

During the first quarter of 2014, LATAM continues to rationalize capacity in both passenger and cargo operations. As a result, passenger ASKs declined by 4.3% and cargo ATKs declined by 6.6% as compared to the first quarter of 2013. In the passenger markets, capacity cuts were mainly driven by reductions on international routes, which decreased by 7.5% as compared to the same period in 2013, and the continued rationalization of our domestic Brazil operations. Load factors continue to increase in all markets, reaching record levels at 82.7%.

On March 31, 2014, TAM celebrated its official entrance into the oneworld alliance. This allows TAM to offer customers an improved network in regions that are most important to them, and represents a significant milestone for LATAM Airlines Group as it continues to develop its international connectivity.

Copyright Photo: Marcelo F. De Biasi/AirlinersGallery.com. TAM is phasing out its Airbus A330s and its A340s as the group concentrates around its Boeing 767/777/787 fleet for its long-range flights. Airbus A340-541 PT-MSN (msn 445) in the 1999 color scheme arrives back at TAM’s Sao Paulo (Guarulhos) hub.

LAN Airlines (Chile):

TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas):

Emirates to fly to Abuja and Kano in Nigeria

Emirates (Dubai) has announced a new daily service to Abuja and Kano from August 1, 2014. The announcement follows Emirates’ recent milestone of 10 years of successful operations to Lagos, to which the airline flies twice daily.

Abuja, located in the center of the country, is a planned city built largely during the 1980s which replaced Lagos as Nigeria’s capital in 1991. It is the seat of the Federal Government and home to most of Nigeria’s institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Abuja is also the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States and the regional headquarters of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Kano, the capital of Kano State in northern Nigeria, is the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, and has a history that goes back hundreds of years. The area is known for the production and export of groundnuts, which was a major source of Nigeria’s export earnings before the oil boom in the 1970s.

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of the airline, introduced a scheduled freighter service to Kano in October 2013, and with Abuja joining the network, Emirates will now fly to 26 destinations in Africa and 142 worldwide in 80 countries.

Emirates launched services to Nigeria on January 2, 2004 with four flights per week from Dubai to Lagos linked with Accra in Ghana, using an A330-200 aircraft. Just over a year later Emirates increased its services from four to six flights a week, and following further demand, it became a daily operation in October 2005. On January 1, 2006, Lagos was delinked from Accra and became a direct service to Dubai. On February 1, 2009, a second daily service was introduced, and today each flight is served with a Boeing 777-300 ER.

The route will be serviced by an Airbus A340-500 offering a total of 258 seats in a three class configuration – 12 in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 204 in Economy Class.

Abuja will be the first stop on the linked service on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Kano will be the first stop on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Emirates flight EK 785 will depart Dubai at 1030 and arrive in Abuja at 1450. The flight will depart Abuja at 1640 and arrive in Kano at 1750. The return flight will depart Kano at 2025 and arrive in Dubai at 0615 the next morning. Flight EK 786 will depart Dubai at 1030 and arrive in Kano at 1430. The flight will depart Kano at 1625 and arrive in Abuja at 1735. It will depart for Dubai at 2005 arriving at 0615 the next morning.

Emirates: