Libyan Wings, the newly launched Tripoli based airline, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for three A350-900s and four A320neoโs. The carrier is building up its fleet with aircraft orders announced at the 2013 Dubai Airshow. Libyan Wings will start operations for passenger charter and freight from the beginning of 2014.
Images: Airbus.
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) today announced an order for 56 Boeing widebody airplanes with options and purchase rights for 26 additional airplanes at the start of the 2013 Dubai Airshow.
In addition, the airline has ordered 30 787-10s, the newest and largest member of the 787 Dreamliner family. When today’s order is combined with the carrier’s previous order for 41 787-9s, Etihad Airways becomes the world’s largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order. The order includes options and purchase rights for an additional 12 787-10s.
Today’s announcement also marks the 1,000thย order for the 787 Dreamliner family since its launch in 2004. The 787 has reached this milestone faster than any other twin-aisle airplane in aviation history.
Etihad’s order also includes one additional 777 Freighter for its cargo fleet, with options for two additional 777 Freighters.
According to Boeing, advanced technology including a new composite wing, all-new engines and superior aerodynamics will result in the incredible fuel efficiency promised by the 777X family.
The 777-9X, with around 400 seats, will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine commercial jet in the world with 12 percent lower fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating costs over the competition. It will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane and no competitor in its market segment.
The 777-8X will be the most flexible commercial jet in the world with breakthrough economics and greater range capability than today’s 777.
The 787-10 is the third and longest member of the super-efficient 787 family. With its greater passenger and cargo capacity, high degree of commonality and its passenger-pleasing features, the 787-10 will complement the family while setting a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics. The 787-10 will be 25 percent more efficient than airplanes of its size today and more than 10 percent better than anything offered by the competition for the future.
Final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018.
In addition, Etihad Airways also ordered from Airbus.ย Etihad Airways also announced a firm order for 50 A350 XWBs, 36 A320neo aircraft and one A330-200F as part of its fleet modernization strategy. The contract was signed today at the 2013 Dubai Airshow by James Hogan, Etihad Airways CEO and Fabrice Brรฉgier, Airbus President and CEO.
The order comprises 40 A350-900s, ten A350-1000s, one A330-200F, 26 A321neoโs and 10 A320neoโs. Etihad currently operates a fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft, 25 A330s and 11 A340s. The new aircraft will fit seamlessly into the airlineโs existing long-haul fleet delivering operational efficiencies and cost savings.
The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is an all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions. The new Family, whose fuselage cross-section is optimized to accommodate Airbusโ 18-inch economy seat-width for long range passenger comfort, will also bring a 25 percent step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category. Scheduled for entry-into-service in 2014, the A350 XWB to date has already won 764 firm orders from 39 customers worldwide.
The A320neo is offered as an option for the A320 Family and incorporates new more efficient engines and large “Sharklet” wing tip devices, which together will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. At the end of October 2013, firm orders for the NEO stood at 2,487 from 44 customers, making it the fastest selling commercial airliner ever and underlining its market leadership position.
The A330-200F is the all-freight version of the best-selling A330 Family. It is the worldโs most modern mid-size freighter and can carry 70 tons of payload with a range capability of up to 4,000 nm. To date, Airbus has won more than 1,280 orders for the various versions of the A330, with over 1,010 aircraft currently flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.
Images: Boeing (above) and Airbus (below).
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International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), announced today it has signed a 12-year lease agreement with SriLankan Airlines (Colombo, SriLankan), the national carrier of Sri Lanka, for three A350-900 aircraft. The aircraft will support the airlineโs long-haul fleet renewal.
SriLankan has also placed direct orders for four additional A350-900 aircraft with Airbus.
The A350-900s are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and are part of an operating lease agreement, which has an anticipated delivery timeline between July and September 2016. ILFC currently has two A330-200s and one A340-300 on lease with SriLankan.
Image: Airbus.
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JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo), a long time Boeing customer, has turned to Airbus for its next batch of wide body airliners to replace its older generation of aircraft.
JAL-Japan Airlines has signed a purchase agreement for 31 Airbus A350 XWBs (18 A350-900s and 13 A350-1000s), plus options for a further 25 aircraft. This is JALโs first ever order for Airbus aircraft.* It is also the first order Airbus has received from Japan for the A350 XWB.
In a typical three-class layout the A350-900 comfortably seats more than 300 passengers on routes as long as 8,100 nautical miles (nm). The A350-1000 is the largest member of the A350 XWB Family, seating 350 passengers on even longer missions up to 8,400 nm. All A350 XWB models are equipped with the new Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
Over 70 percent of the A350 XWBโs weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials combining composites (53 percent), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. In addition to innovative materials, the A350 XWB brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies and provides significant improvement in fuel efficiency compared with competing models.
To date, the A350 XWB msn 1 has completed around 300 flight test hours out of the campaignโs total 2,500 hours which are to be achieved by five flight test A350โs over the next 12 months. Entry into commercial service of the A350-900 is scheduled for the second half of 2014. With this latest commitment, Airbus has recorded more than 750 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 38 customers worldwide.
* Before the merger by Japan Airlines and Japan Air Systems (JAS), JAS ordered Airbus aircraft.
Image: Airbus. Is this payback to Boeing for the 787 delays and groundings?
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Lufthansa (Frankfurt) as expected, placed orders for 34 Boeing 777-9Xs and 25 Airbus A350-900s. The group issued issued this statement:
Following a recommendation by the Deutsche Lufthansa AG Executive Board headed by Dr Christoph Franz, the Supervisory Board approved the purchase of 59 ultra-modern aircraft for the Group at its meeting. 34 Boeing 777-9Xs (above) and 25 Airbus A350-900s (below) will be added to the Lufthansa Group’s wide-body fleet. The first of these new aircraft will be delivered as early as 2016. Older Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-300s will be phased out by 2025. The new airplanes will primarily serve to replace existing aircraft at Lufthansa.
The investment amount for the Lufthansa Group’s latest order totals EUR 14 billion at list prices and is the largest single private-sector investment in the history of German industry. “This investment will safeguard about 13,000 jobs at Lufthansa alone as well as thousands of jobs at our partners in aviation and other suppliers”, said Christoph Franz, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of the Lufthansa Group, explaining the macroeconomic significance of the investment at a press conference in Frankfurt.
This investment in new technology, efficiency and customer comfort is a continuation of the ongoing fleet modernization that is taking place at the Group’s airlines. Lufthansa operates a wide-body fleet of around 107 aircraft, among them ten ultra-modern Airbus A380s and nine Boeing 747-8s as well as the Airbus A330-300 (18 aircraft). The fleet also includes Airbus A340s (48) and Boeing 747-400s (22). In addition to these, the Group subsidiary Swiss has 31 wide-body airplanes, while Austrian Airlines’ wide-body fleet consists of 12 aircraft.
The aim is to reduce the number of different models and fleet complexity in the Passenger Airline Group segment and also replace existing aircraft with state-of-the-art airplanes. In March, the Group approved the purchase of around 100 short and medium-haul aircraft. This order included six new Boeing 777-300 ERs for Swiss, which are also intended to replace older Airbus A340-300s at the airline.
The new aircraft will be operated by ultra-modern, powerful, low-noise engines โ the Airbus A350 by the Rolls-Royce ‘Trent XWB 84’ engine and the Boeing 777-9X by General Electric’s ‘GE-9X’ model. The noise footprint of the new models will be at least 30 per cent lower than today’s aircraft.
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Airbus (Toulouse) brought its new Airbus A350-900 yesterday (June 21) to the Paris Air Show for a brief fly-by.
The manufacturer issued this statement:
As part of its third test flight from Airbusโ Toulouse headquarters in southwestern France, the number 1 A350 XWB headed north to offer a show-stopping performance in the skies above Le Bourget Airport today โ where a large crowd gathered to witness the fly-by of this new highly-efficient wide-body jetliner.
The aircraft, designated msn 001 in Airbusโ numbering system, made a dramatic entrance over Le Bourget at approximately 1:30 p.m. โ marking its first appearance at a public event.ย Cheers and applause from the crowd drowned out the A350 XWBโs quiet Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines as the aircraft flew along the air show runway before clearing the area and entering the cloud cover.
Piloted by Airbus Captain Peter Chandler and Captain Guy Magrin, the A350 XWBโs fly-by was performed with the authorisation of the Franceโs DGAC civil aviation authority, and supported by Paris Air Show organisers โ who allocated a slot in Friday afternoonโs aerial display.
The A350 XWB performed its first flight on June 14, 2013 from Toulouse and followed that with another mission this week, before its fly-by at the Paris Air Show. These initial flights opened a test and certification campaign that will total approximately 2,500 hours with a fleet of five development aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Airbus. A350-951 F-WXWB (msn 001) flies over a mostly cloudy Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport on the longest day of the year.
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United Airlines (Chicago) and Airbus (Toulouse) have announced that the airline will add 35 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to its future fleet.ย The agreement between the companies represents a conversion of the U.S. carrierโs previous order for 25 A350-900s to the -1000 model, as well as the addition of 10 more orders for A350-1000 aircraft. The announcement was made today during the Paris Air Show.
The A350-1000 is the largest version of the A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) family and typically seats 350 passengers in a three-class layout. The aircraft is capable of flying 8,400 nautical miles non-stop and will be operated by United on higher density routes, including non-stop flights between the United States and the Asia/Pacific region. The aircraft will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines delivering 97,000lbs of thrust โ the most powerful engines ever developed for an Airbus aircraft.
The A350 XWB is an all-new mid-size long range product line featuring three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The aircraft will bring new levels of efficiency to the mid-size market, using 25 per cent less fuel than existing aircraft in this size category and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions.
The first A350 XWB began an extensive flight test program last Friday, June 14th. Entry into commercial service of the first customer aircraft is scheduled for the second half of 2014.
To date, Airbus has recorded 678 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 34 customers worldwide.
The increased seating capacity of the A350-1000 will enable United to replace older, less efficient aircraft currently serving long-range, high-demand markets. United expects delivery starting in 2018.
The Airbus order supports United’s commitment to improve the overall efficiency of its fleet. On Tuesday, the airline announced an order for 10 Boeing 787-10 aircraft and conversion of 10 existing 787 orders to the -10 variant, making United’s total Dreamliner order book 65. In July of last year, United announced a narrowbody order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft and 50 Boeing 737-900 ER aircraft. The airline is also modernizing itsย United Expressย fleet by adding seventy 76-seat Embraer aircraft that will be operated by regional partners.
Top Image: Airbus.
Video: Here is the second flight of the Airbus A350 at Toulouse:
Bottom Image: United.
United Airlines:ย 
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)ย has finalized its order for 30 additional Airbus A350-900s, plus options for a further 20 aircraft. The agreement firms up a commitment announced last month. Under the terms of the agreement, Singapore Airlines will be able to select either the baseline A350-900 or the larger A350-1000 when exercising the options.
This is the third order from Singapore Airlines for the A350-900. The deal sees the carrierโs total firm orders for the all-new aircraft increase to 70, plus 20 options. Singapore Airlines will operate the A350-900 on long haul and regional services.
Image: Airbus.
Singapore Airlines:ย
Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) have finalized a firm contract for 25 A350-900 aircraft and for a further 25 options.
The Air France-KLM Group currently operates a fleet of just over 190 Airbus aircraft, comprising eight A380s, 31 A330s, 13 A340s, 25 A321s, 54 A320s, 41 A319s and 18 A318s. With this new order Air France-KLM joins an exclusive group of airlines who are customers for every member of the Airbus product family.
The A350 XWB is the all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in spacious three-class layouts. The new family will bring a step change in efficiency using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. By the end of May, the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.
Images: Airbus.
Air France:ย
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines:ย
Airbus (Toulouse) today (June 14), as planned, launched the first flight of its first Airbus A350-900 (A350 XWB). The pictured A350-941 F-WXWB (msn 001) took to sunny skies at Toulouse this morning.
Here is the statement by Airbus:
A new chapter has opened in Airbusโ 43 year history as the first A350 XWB, the worldโs most efficient large twin-engined commercial aircraft, powered aloft this morning for its maiden flight at Blagnac in Toulouse, France at 10.00 hours local time. Equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofans, the A350 XWB first flight is taking place over south western France.
An international crew of six is on board, comprising two Flight Test Pilots, one Test Flight Engineer and three Flight Test Engineers. At the controls of the A350 XWBโs first flight are Peter Chandler, Airbusโ Chief Test Pilot, and Guy Magrin, Project Pilot for the A350 XWB. Accompanying them in the cockpit is Pascal Verneau, the A350 XWB Project Test Flight Engineer. At their flight test stations in the main aircraft cabin and monitoring the progress of the flight via an extensive array of flight test instrumentation are the three flight test engineers: Fernando Alonso, Head of Airbus Flight & Integration Test Centre; Patrick du Chรฉ, Head of Development Flight Tests; and Emanuele Costanzo, lead Flight Test Engineer for the Trent XWB engine.
This first flight marks the beginning of a test campaign totaling around 2,500 flight hours with a fleet of five development aircraft. The rigorous flight testing will lead to the certification of the A350-900 variant by the European EASA and US FAA airworthiness authorities, prior to entry into service in the second half of 2014 with first operator Qatar Airways (Doha).
The A350 XWB is Airbusโ all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in spacious three-class layouts. The new family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. To date the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.
Copyright Photo: Eurospot (please click on the photo for the full-size view).
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