Tag Archives: Airbus A320-200

Peach Aviation orders three Airbus A320s

Peach Aviation (Osaka-Kansai), Japan’s Low Cost Carrier (LCC), has signed a firm contract with Airbus for the purchase of three A320s. A signing ceremony was held today at the Paris Air Show, with presence of Peach Aviation President Shinichi Inoue and Airbus Chief Operating Officer-Customers, John Leahy.

This is Peach’s first direct order from Airbus. Peach Aviation currently operates 14 leased A320s, with three more to be delivered on lease. Peach Aviation’s A320 seats 180 passengers in a single-class layout and will be powered by CFM International engines.

To date, the A320 Family has won more than 11,700 orders and over 6,500 aircraft delivered to more than 300 operators worldwide.

Photo: Airbus. The pictured Airbus A320-214 F-WWIQ (msn 4887) became JA801P on delivery.

Peach Aviation aircraft slide show:

JetBlue adds Grenada to its growing Caribbean network

JetBlue Airways (New York) today (June 11) launched twice-weekly service to its newest destination, Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The airline now offers up to 152 daily flights from the U.S. to Latin America and the Caribbean, of which up to 61 daily flights are nonstop from New York JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). With 28 routes from the two airports to the region, there are additional routes from a number of other cities, including Boston, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and Washington, D.C.

Grenada marks JetBlue’s 90th destination. The twice-weekly service from JFK to Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) operates on Thursdays and Sundays with its Airbus A320 aircraft.

JetBlue continues to grow its footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline recently announced plans to serve Antigua, Mexico City and Quito, and to offer its successful Mint experience from New York to Aruba and Barbados on Saturdays between November 7, 2015 and April 30, 2016, and daily between December 19, 2015 and January 4, 2016.

Copyright Photo: Fred Freketic/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N613JB (msn 2449), now with the new Tartan tail, is pictured at the New York (JFK) hub.

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

Aeroflot adds a second daily flight to Hamburg

Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow) has increased the flight frequency on the Moscow-Hamburg route. The airline has added a second daily flight. This addition bucks the trend of other airlines which have been dropping some routes between Europe and Russia.

On June 1, 2015, in a festive atmosphere, Aeroflot performed its first additional flight on the Moscow — Hamburg route. According to the airline, “The flight was warmly welcomed by Aeroflot German office in Hamburg and airport staff with the water salute and a celebratory cake.”

An additional flight to Hamburg will be operated on a daily basis from Sheremetyevo Airport (Terminal D) in Moscow on Airbus А320 family aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 VP-BDK (msn 2106) taxies at Zurich in the SkyTeam livery.

Aeroflot aircraft slide show:

Bottom Photo: Aeroflot. On May 15 Aeroflot celebrated 85 Years of flight attendants. This photo shows some of the various uniforms over the years.

Volaris inaugurates Leon – Los Angeles service

Volaris (Mexico City) announced the consolidation in Mexico’s Bajio region, with new international services connecting Leon, Guanajuato to Los Angeles, California operating four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The new route started on June 8.

The new service helps consolidate Volaris positioning as the Mexican airline with highest number of routes throughout Mexico and to the US, totaling 140 routes to 61 destinations, of which 20 are to the US and 38 domestic. Since its inauguration, Volaris has transported over 49 million passengers, and of these nearly 7 million have been to the US. This number continues on the rise as a result of more than 220 daily flights.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-233 N506VL (msn 4828) named “Coral” arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.

Volaris aircraft slide show:

Atlantic Airways orders its first Airbus A320

Atlantic Airways (Vagar), based in the Faroe Islands, has signed a firm order for one new Airbus A320. With this order Atlantic Airways becomes a new A320 customer. The aircraft will be delivered at the end of 2016, enabling the carrier to tap into the growing passenger market between the Faroes and Copenhagen.

Atlantic Airways is buying the larger aircraft due to the increasing demand on the route between the Faroes and Copenhagen. The new craft will primarily serve this route.

Atlantic Airways’ new A320 will have 168 seats.

Above Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. The airline already operates three Airbus A319s. The pictured A319-115 OY-RCG (msn 5079) completes its final approach to the Greek island of Corfu.

According to the airline, “Currently, there are three Airbus 319 in Atlantic Airways’ fleet, one of which the company owns while it leases the other two. The leasing contracts for the two aircrafts expire in September 2016. The company plans to extend one of these contracts to secure sufficient capacity until the new aircraft has been acquired and while the new NORTH routes are being built up.

Until the fall of 2016, Atlantic Airways has opted to serve the NORTH routes with Airbus A319s. In this trial period the company will determine whether it is feasible to acquire a smaller plane to serve these routes. The company is still researching what type of aircraft is ideal for the NORTH routes.

In summary, within the next few years, Atlantic Airways plans to have a fleet consisting of an Airbus A320, an Airbus A319 and an aircraft suited for the NORTH routes.”

Image above: Atlantic Airways.

The aircraft has Required Navigation Performance (RNP 0.1) capability built-in, which enables the aircraft to fly precisely along predefined routes using state-of-the-art on-board navigation systems. Atlantic Airways were the first airline in Europe to use the Required Navigation Performance approach.

Top Image: Airbus (all others by Atlantic Airways).

Atlantic Airways aircraft slide show:

Route Map:

Video:

Clint Eastwood to direct feature film about “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger

Warner Brothers (Burbank) has made the following announcement:

Clint Eastwood will helm Warner Bros. Pictures’ as-yet-untitled drama about the life of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who became an American hero when he landed his disabled jet on the Hudson River, saving the lives of everyone aboard. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Eastwood will direct the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. The film is being produced by Eastwood and Tim Moore, for Malpaso; Frank Marshall, under the Kennedy/Marshall banner; and Allyn Stewart, for Flashlight Films. Flashlight’s Kipp Nelson and RatPac-Dune’s Steven Mnuchin are serving as executive producers.

In making the announcement, Silverman stated, “Simply put, Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game, not to mention a global treasure. On the heels of his extraordinary work in ‘American Sniper,’ it is tremendously exciting to see him explore the life of another captivating true-life hero. It is also great to be collaborating with Frank Marshall and Allyn Stewart to produce this compelling script by Todd Komarnicki.”

The film will go beyond Sullenberger’s almost impossible and much-heralded achievement of safely landing a jet (above) on the water, which was captured on video and viewed around the world. But behind the scenes, a drama was unfolding that could have cost him his reputation and his wings.

Sullenberger commented, “I am very glad my story is in the hands of gifted storyteller and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and veteran producers Allyn Stewart and Frank Marshall. The project could not have found a better home than Warner Bros. Pictures. This is truly a dream team.”

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Ill-fated but now preserved in Charlotte, Airbus A320-214 N106US (msn 1044) arrives at CLT before the “Miracle on the Hudson” event of January 17, 2009.

Photo below: Clindberg. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the Captain of US Airways flight 1549.

JetBlue takes a stand against the U.S. Big Three – American, Delta and United, defends “Open Skies”

JetBlue Airways (New York), which has business agreements with 40 international airlines, including codeshare agreements with Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, not surprisingly, has taken a strong stand against the position currently being held and promoted by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines against the Gulf Big Three in the on-going dispute between the two warring group over alleged government subsidies.

According to this report by Mary Schlangenstein of Bloomberg Business, JetBlue Airways stated “U.S. regulators should review the agreements known as immunized joint ventures to ensure they are “truly benefiting the traveling public,” JetBlue said in a letter to the secretaries of the State, Commerce and Transportation departments Tuesday. The accords should be re-examined periodically, the airline said.”

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N789JB (msn 4612) approaches the runway at the focus city of Long Beach, California.

JetBlue Airways aircraft slide show:

Aer Lingus to add Liverpool service

Aer Lingus (Dublin) will add the Dublin – Liverpool route on October 23. The route will be operated 16 time a week with Airbus A320 aircraft according to Airline Route.

Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:

Limitless Airways starts operations in Croatia

Limitless Airways (Rijeka, Croatia) started passenger operations on May 23 with this leased former China Eastern Airbus A320-214 now registered 9A-SLA (msn 828) (below). The airliner has been placed into service in this all-white condition and is leased from GECAS. The new airline is operating between Rijeka, Croatia and Gothenburg, Sweden and Kokkola, Finland.

The new airline issue this statement:

On May 23, Limitless Airways officially started with its operations.

In cooperation with Scandjet Travel, our first travellers were people from Sweden and Finland, returning to their homes from holiday. After that we flew new tourists back to Croatia, from Gothenburg and Kokkola.

All images by Limitless Airways.

IAG moves one step closer to acquiring a 25% share of Aer Lingus

British Airways (London) and Iberia (Madrid) parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) (London) has confirmed that it has reached agreement with Aer Lingus (Dublin) to make a €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) (£1 billion) cash offer for Ireland’s national carrier.

The deal, which comes after months of negotiations, values Aer Lingus at €2.55 a share ($2.80 a share).

The board of the Irish carrier is recommending the offer, which was made after confirmation from the Irish government that it is willing to sell its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus.

The decision of the sale was made at a meeting of the Irish cabinet late on Tuesday, which itself followed indications earlier in the day from Brussels that European competition authorities would not stand in IAG’s path.

Yesterday (May 28) IAG updated the Aer Lingus offer with this formal statement: CLICK HERE

Read more from The Irish Times: CLICK HERE

Assistant Editor Oliver Wilcock reporting from Manchester.

Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Aer Lingus Airbus A320-214 EI-DEO (msn 2486) in the special Green Spirit – Official Airline of the Irish Rugby Team livery taxies at the home of IAG and British Airways – London (Heathrow).

Aer Lingus aircraft slide show: