Tag Archives: Airbus A340300

Norwegian to wet lease two Airbus A340-300s from Hifly due to the 787 delays

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) has announced it will wet lease two Airbus A340-300s from Hifly (Lisbon) due to the delays in the delivery of its new Boeing 787-8s for the new New York and Bangkok routes.

The company issued the following statement (translated from Norwegian):

Norwegian has entered into an agreement to lease two long-range Airbus A340-300. The aircraft will be used on Norwegian routes to New York and Bangkok on the company’s Dreamliner aircraft will be delayed.

To ensure that Norwegian passengers can fly to and from New York and Bangkok on Dreamliner planes that are delayed, the Company has entered into an agreement to lease two Airbus A340-300 aircraft. The two aircraft Norwegian will use are the pending Dreamliner delivery. The agreement is called a MOU – Memorandum of Understanding – which is binding on both parties. Outsourcing is a so-called “wet lease” – leasing of aircraft and crew.

The two Airbus aircraft to Norwegian to lease owned by the Portuguese HiFly leasing company that took them over the winter 2012/2013. The aircraft were previously flown by Singapore Airlines and Emirates. Aircraft are subject to EU safety legislation and enforcement is carried out by European aviation authorities. HiFly is one of several European airlines which conduct leasing of aircraft to companies who need spare capacity. The company has had a number of major European airlines on its customer list.

Copyright Photo: Pedro Baptista/Flyingphotos. Hifly’s Airbus A340-313X OY-KBM (msn 450) taxies into position at the Lisbon base.

Hifly:

Norwegian:

IAG sinks to a pretax loss of $1.29 billion due to Iberia

International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) (British Airways and Iberia) (London) presented the Group’s consolidated results for the year to December 31, 2012. In addition, IAG presented combined results for the comparative year to December 31, 2011, including Iberia’s first 21 days of January in 2011.

IAG period highlights on combined results:

· Operating loss for the year to December 31, 2012 of €23 million before exceptional items ($29.8 million) (2011: operating profit €485 million). After exceptional items operating loss for the year not including Iberia restructuring and impairment was €68 million, compared to our guidance in November of €120 million

· Before exceptional items, British Airways made an operating profit of €347 million in the year to December 31, 2012 and Iberia made an operating loss of €351 million

· Non-operating charges for the year were €384 million, including €266 million related to non-cash pensions accounting requirements

· Loss before tax for the year of €997 million ($1.29 billion) (2011: profit before tax of €503 million), including restructuring charge of €202 million for the Iberia transformation plan and €343 million impairment of Iberia intangible assets

· Revenue for the year up 10.9 per cent to €18,117 million (2011: €16,339 million), including €872 million or 5.4 per cent currency impact. Passenger unit revenue for the year up 9.4 per cent, on top of volume increases of 2.8 per cent

· Fuel costs up 20.4 per cent to €6,101 million (2011: €5,068 million before exceptional items). Fuel unit costs up 16.8 per cent, or 8.4 per cent at constant currency

· Non-fuel costs before exceptional items, up 11.6 per cent at €12,039 million, including €543 million of adverse currency translation. Non-fuel unit costs up 8.5 per cent, or 3.8 per cent at constant currency

· Capital investment of €1,239 million (2011: €1,071 million) including over €400 million on pre-delivery payments for future aircraft

· Cash of €2,909 million at December 31, 2012 was down €826 million on 2011 year end (December 2011: €3,735 million). Group net debt up €741 million to €1,889 million (December 2011: €1,148 million)

Many will now question what was British Airways thinking when it merged with Iberia to form the IAG? Mergers are not always the answer.

Copyright Photo: With its continued employee strikes, lack of labor peace and a soft economy in Spain, Iberia is a bleeding airline bringing down British Airways and the IAG. Iberia’s Airbus A340-313X EC-KSE (msn 170) climbs away from the MAD hub.

British Airways:

Iberia:

Finnair produces its first yearly profit since 2007

Finnair (Helsinki) reported a net profit of €1.2 million ($1.6 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012. The carrier produced its first yearly profit since 2007. The flag carrier reported a net profit for 2012 of €11.8 million ($15.9 million) for 2012. CEO Mika Vehvilainen, who is leaving the company, should be credited with the turnaround. The Asian strategy has worked well for the carrier.

The next CEO will need to find new airline partners to sustain profitability.

Read the full report by Reuters: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Arriving from Asia, Airbus A340-313X OH-LQF (msn 168) taxies to the gate at its HEL hub and European gateway.

Finnair:

Can Air Namibia survive the current pilots strike?

Air Namibia (Windhoek) is currently limping through a strike by its pilots, represented by the Namibian Airline Pilots Association (NAPA). Some flights are being cancelled as the carrier continues to lose money. The airline issued the following short statement:

The NAPA industrial action is still on going. Negotiations continue, to reach an agreeable solution.

According to this report by AllAfrica the African carrier is hiring foreign pilots to maintain most of its flights. According to the union the airline is paying more for these foreign pilots than what the national pilots are asking for in the negotiations.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Bernhard Ross. Airbus A340-311 V5-NME (msn 051) awaits for its passengers at Frankfurt, bound for Windhoek.

Air Namibia:

Emirates to add Phuket on December 10

Emirates Airline (Dubai) is adding new passenger and belly cargo service to Phuket, Thailand. Phuket will become the second Thai gateway that connects it to international trade opportunities across its network of 126 destinations.

The launch of a daily nonstop flight to Phuket on December 10, 2012, operated by an Airbus A340-300 with a belly hold capacity of 13 tons, will take the weekly cargo capacity into and out of the country to more than 640 tons. This capacity is spread across four flights to Bangkok and one to Phuket.

Phuket, the largest island in Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea, will become the 15th route launch for Emirates this year and the second in South East Asia following the launch of Ho Chi Minh City in June.

Emirates:

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Kuwait Airways to drop Geneva on September 15

Kuwait Airways (Kuwait City) is planning to drop Geneva on September 15 per Airline Route. The airline recently added Abu Dhabi and Muscat on July 29.

Kuwait Airways:

Air Mauritius reduces its losses in the fiscal first quarter

Air Mauritius (Port Louis) reported a pre-tax $12.5 million loss in its fiscal first quarter.

Read the full statement by the carrier: CLICK HERE

Air Mauritius:

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China Airlines becomes the first Asian airline to join the Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement project

China Airlines (Taipei) has dedicated one of its Airbus A340-300s for climate monitoring analysis, becoming the third airline after Lufthansa and Air France. China Airlines will be followed by Cathay Pacific later this year.

The company has issued the following statement:

“The first China Airlines (CAL) A340-300 equipped with IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) instruments was officially unveiled on June 26. The aircraft livery combines an image of a flight attendant with environmental motifs, emphasizing CAL’s active contribution to global environmental protection as part of its corporate social responsibility. Through the new airplane, CAL invites passengers to participate in ecology preservation through green energy and environmental protection.

In support of the “Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement Project” being run jointly by Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the National Science Council and the National Central University, CAL’s Airbus 340-300 aircraft with the identity number B-18806 has been installed with the IAGOS instrument. CAL is therefore the first Asian airline to join the PGGM (Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement) project to monitor greenhouse gases and the first to operate an IAGOS-equipped aircraft for taking atmospheric measurements on trans-Pacific routes.

The IAGOS instrumentation is installed in the avionic compartment underneath the cockpit on the CAL A340-300 passenger aircraft. A sampling port extending from fuselage collects data on atmospheric gases, water vapor, ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide during each flight. The collected data is automatically transmitted by satellite to the European research center after landing, providing the global scientific community with valuable data for research on global warming and climate change. The EPA and the National Central University will also combine the data collected by CAL with observations from FORMOSAT-3 satellite, ground weather stations and sea observations to analyze the sources and vectors of air pollution. The information can be used as a reference when formulating air pollution control policy.

The CAL climate observation aircraft has made its maiden return trip to Hong Kong. The aircraft will mainly operate on the Taipei-Vancouver route in the future to facilitate the recording of atmospheric data over the Pacific. The official name of the project “PGGM-Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement¨ is painted on the nose of the aircraft while both sides of the fuselage will display “The Official Airline for Climate Monitoring¨. The aircraft livery itself features the Earth cradled by a flight attendant to inspire passengers to protect the environment. CAL’s President, Huang-Hsiang Sun has set this year as “Eco Year “. Apart from actively promoting a green quality policy and corporate environmental management, CAL is continuing to introduce more eco-friendly services through paperless electronic operations, use of local food ingredients, recycling and reuse items. CAL hopes these initiatives will inspire more passengers to take part in energy saving.

In 2011 the EPA presented CAL with an award for outstanding performance under the “Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Action Mark¨. In the following year, CAL also won “Super Green” Judge’s Award as well as the First Prize in the transportation category of the third “2012 Green Brand Survey” conducted by Business Next magazine. The awards all served to recognize CAL’s long-term support for the environment. CAL is now also promoting e-Check In, mobile electronic boarding passes, self-printed boarding passes, KIOSK services and self-printed luggage tags. The e-services will help CAL achieve the goal of paperless operations and CAL is now the most effective airline at implementing electronic operations in Taiwan.”

Top Copyright Photo: Manuel Negrerie. Airbus A340-313X B-18806 (msn 433) taxies at the Taipei base with the special stickers.

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Bottom Copyright Photo: China Airlines.

South African Airways introduces its 2012 London Olympics logojet

South African Airways (Johannesburg) brought its newly-decorated Airbus A340-313X registered as ZS-SXD (msn 642) to London (Heathrow) for the first time. ZS-SXD is painted in a special 2012 London Olympics color scheme.

The aircraft was officially unveiled on July 18. South African issued the following statement:

“South African Airways on July 18, 2012 revealed the fully branded aircraft that will fly Team South Africa and officials to the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 19, 2012. The spectacular design painted on the aircraft was created by Adri le Roux, a first year design student at Stellenbosch University.

The long-haul Airbus A340-300 is set to cause a splash at international airports with its bold and colorful images of South African swimmers, runners, soccer players and other sports stars.

SAA issued a public competition challenging South African youth of ages 13-21 to design an iconic visual which captures the spirit of South Africa. The judging criteria included creative flair and an eye for design. Furthermore, the simplicity and longevity of the design was considered, with the third and final criteria being how the design compliments SAA’s internationally recognised branding.

The design of the aircraft is colorful and vibrant and uses the colors of the South African flag to create brush strokes covering the plane. The sportsmen and women in the stroke illustrate the speed and excellence with which the SA Olympic team performs on the field.

As an official air transportation partner to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), SAA will fly athletes and officials to London for the Olympics, which takes place from July 27, 2012 to August 12, 2012. SAA will also fly athletes and participants to the Paralympics, scheduled for August 29, 2012 to September 9, 2012.

Adjudication of the competition to design the Olympic aircraft’s special livery was conducted by a panel of technical, arts, and design professionals. On the panel were South Africa’s National Herald Mr. Themba Mabaso, SAA Technical Senior Engineering Analyst: Mr. JJ Pretorius, Vega School of Arts lecturer Mr. Matthew Partridge, and Mr. Steve Knapp, Art Director at Brand Activation. The results were audited by Ernst and Young, SAA’s auditing firm.”

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