Tag Archives: airbus aircraft

Delta orders 15 Airbus A321s with current CFM engines

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will grow its Airbus A320 Family with an order for 15 A321ceo (current engine option) aircraft to offset jet retirements. The airline has selected CFM56-5B engines from CFM International to power the newly ordered A321ceo aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2018. CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.

Delta currently operates a large fleet of Airbus aircraft, including 126 A320 Family aircraft and 32 A330s. The order announced today brings Delta’s backlog to 45 single-aisle Airbus A321 and 10 widebody Airbus A330 aircraft.

All of Delta’s A321s will feature fuel-saving Sharklets – lightweight composite wingtip devices that offer 4 percent fuel-burn savings. This environmental benefit gives the airline the option of extending its range up to 100 nautical miles/185 kilometers or increasing payload capacity by some 1000 pounds/450 kilograms.

Many of Delta’s A321s will be delivered from Airbus’ brand-new A320 Family assembly line, currently under construction in Mobile, Alabama. Hiring is underway at the facility, and aircraft assembly will begin there next year. By 2017, the Mobile facility is expected to produce four aircraft per month.

The A321 will be a new type for Delta when delivered.

Image: Airbus.

Delta Air Lines (current):

KLM operates the longest biofuel flight of an Airbus aircraft

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) Airbus A330-200 operating flight KL 767 has commenced the longest commercial flight with sustainable jet fuels ever performed by an Airbus aircraft. The aircraft took off with a 20% blend of sustainable fuel made of used cooking oil, for a 10 hour flight from Schiphol airport to the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Airbus’ major role in this test is to collect data before, during and after the flight (engine fuel system, engine performance analysis etc.) to provide insights into the use of non-petroleum based fuels compared to traditional fuels.

This flight is the first of a series of around 20 long-haul commercial flights using an Airbus aircraft in the context of the European initiative called ITAKA (Initiative Towards sustAinable Kerosene for Aviation) which aims to speed up the commercialisation of aviation biofuels in Europe.

Funded by the European Union, ITAKA is a collaborative project aiming to produce sustainable aviation fuel and to test its use in existing systems and normal flight operations in Europe with KLM. The project will also link supply and demand by establishing relationships among feedstock growers and producers, biofuel producers, distributors and airlines.

“As the leading aircraft manufacturer, our participation in the ITAKA initiative with KLM using an A330-200 – the most fuel efficient aircraft in its category – is key to our role as a catalyst in the commercialisation of sustainable jet fuels. We are very happy to have the full support of the European Union in the ITAKA project, supporting the aviation industry’s initiative to develop sustainable biofuels for aviation,” said Andrea Debbané, Airbus Vice President of Environment Affairs.

Airbus is involved in major European funded projects contributing significantly to reducing the environmental footprint of aviation, including the Single European Sky (SES) and SESAR for the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management System and CleanSky, a programme which aims to accelerate technological breakthrough developments and shorten the time to market for new and more environmentally efficient solutions tested on full-scale demonstrators.

Copyright Photo: Airbus. KLM’s A330-203 PH-AOM 9msn 1161) wears special “Leader in biofuel” markings for the historic trip to Aruba.

Video:

KLM:

David Neeleman to bring Azul to the United States with Airbus A330-200s and new A350-900s

Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S. A. (Azul Brazilian Airlines) (Sao Paulo), founded by David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways (New York) and Morris Air (Salt Lake City), is coming back to the United States (in a way).

The fast growing airline has ordered a new fleet of Airbus A330-200 and A350-900 aircraft for daily service
to and from United States gateways.

Azul expects to debut its first international flights by early 2015. The U.S. flights will be served from Azul’s brand new $1.5 billion terminal at Sao Paulo (Campinas), strategically located 50 minutes from downtown Sao Paulo.

Campinas is Brazil’s largest airline hub offering connections to 104 domestic cities. Azul’s U.S. gateways will be announced later this year.

Routes from Campinas Airport:

Azul will operate the new international routes with a fleet of 11 wide-body Airbus aircraft. The airline has ordered five Airbus A350-900 with deliveries beginning in early 2017. In addition, six Airbus A330-200 will be used to launch service in early 2015. The new aircraft will be leased from ILFC and will be equipped with Rolls-Royce engines. Azul’s fleet currently comprises of 80 Embraer and 56 ATR aircraft.

With less than six years of operations, Azul already has flown more than 85 million customers and changed the face of air travel in the Brazilian market since its first flight, on December 15, 2008.

The foundation of the airline was built around the Brazilian made Embraer E-jet. From that foundation, Azul has expanded to 880 daily flights, which represents one-third of Brazil’s daily departures. The airline currently operates a fleet of 136 aircraft and employs more than 10.000 people.

Azul:

ANA will order 70 Airbus and Boeing aircraft including the new 777-9X

ANA Holdings (ANA-All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) plans to place an order for 20 new Boeing 777-9X aircraft (below) as well as 14 additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The Japanese carrier also ordered six additional Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft (above). ANA also ordered 30 additional Airbus A320 (below bottom) and A321neo aircraft.

This order restores the momentum for the new Boeing 777X project as Japan Airlines had previously defected from Boeing to Airbus with an order for 31 Airbus A50s.

ANA Holdings issued this statement:

ANA Holdings is to place firm orders for 70 new aircraft worth ¥1700 billion at list prices with Boeing and Airbus. The order, approved at a meeting today (March 27) of the Board of Directors of ANA HD, is the biggest in the airline’s history and will support ANA’s drive to become one of the world’s leading airline groups.

The aircraft will be delivered during period of FY 2016-2027 and will increase the size of the ANA fleet to 250 aircraft.

ANA HD has decided to purchase twenty Boing 777-9X, a large twin-aisle aircraft with 15% larger seating capacity, as a successor to its existing fleet of Boeing 777-300 ERs. In addition, ANA HD will purchase six further Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft to support the expansion of its international services until delivery of Boeing 777-9X.

ANA HD will also place fourteen additional orders for the medium-sized Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This will take its total fleet of Dreamliners to 80, confirming ANA as the world’s biggest operator of this fuel-efficient airliner.

The order with Airbus consists of 30 smaller single-aisle jets from the A320 family – seven A320neo aircraft and twenty-three A321neo aircraft, which will replace ANA’s existing Boeing 737-500 and Airbus A320ceo aircraft.

The new Boeing aircraft will be used predominantly on international routes while the new Airbus aircraft will be introduced both on domestic routes and international routes.

ANA Group’s introduction of these new aircraft will help it respond to the needs of the increasing number of passengers expected to arrive in Japan in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will support the Japanese government’s plans to boost the annual total of foreign visitors to Japan to 20 million.

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-381 ER JA783A (msn 27940) approaches the runway at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT).

ANA:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus did not win a new Japanese customer for the new A350 but got a consolation order for more Airbus A320s which will become the predominate domestic aircraft for the ANA Group (over the Boeing 737NG). Airbus A320-211 JA8946 (msn 669) with additional “Inspiration of Japan” markings also arrives at Narita International Airport.

Airbus rolls out its third Airbus A350, this one in a “Carbon” signature livery

Airbus (Toulouse) yesterday (January 2) rolled-out its third A350 XWB flight-test aircraft (msn 002) from the paint shop in Toulouse.

The new type is expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of this year.

The pictured Airbus A350-941 F-WWCF wears a distinctive “Carbon” signature livery to reflect its primary construction from advanced materials. This aircraft is also the first of two A350 flight test aircraft to be equipped with a full passenger cabin interior.

F-WWCF will join the A350 XWB flight test fleet in the coming weeks and will be the first A350 to transport passengers when it undertakes the Early Long Flights (ELF) later in the year.

Composite materials in Airbus aircraft have seen a step-by-step introduction that started with the A310 which was first rolled-out in February 1982. Benefiting from over 30 years of composite material experience, 53% of the A350 XWB’s airframe is made-up of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) including Airbus’ first carbon-fiber fuselage.

BOC Aviation orders 25 Airbus A320 Family aircraft

BOC Aviation (Singapore, the aircraft leasing subsidiary of Bank of China, has announced during the 15th Aviation Expo China 2013 in Beijing an additional firm order for the purchase of 25 A320 Family aircraft comprising 13 A320ceo and 12 A320neo family aircraft. The order comprises A320 and A321 variants. BOC Aviation will make its engine selection at a later date.

The order from BOC Aviation for 25 more A320 Family aircraft comes less than a year after their previous order for 50 A320 Family aircraft, confirming the fast pace at which the market requires Airbus’ fuel efficient single-aisle planes.

Including this latest purchase agreement, BOC Aviation’s cumulative orders for new Airbus aircraft reach a total of 212 (206 A320 Family and six A330 Family aircraft).

Image: Airbus.

Delta orders 10 Airbus A330-300s and 30 A321s

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) today announced plans to purchase 40 Airbus aircraft for delivery between 2015 and 2017. The order, which comprises 10 international wide body A330-300 and 30 large domestic narrow body A321 jets, is the latest step in Delta’s prudent fleet renewal to enhance profitability while diligently managing capacity.

The 10 A330-300 aircraft will augment Delta’s existing fleet of 32 A330s. The first A330 delivery is scheduled for spring of 2015, with three additional airplanes scheduled for that year, four in 2016, and the final two in 2017.

Delta will be the first airline to operate the enhanced 242-metric ton A330-300, which offers additional payload capacity and range. Delta will use the aircraft’s versatility to optimize its Pacific and Atlantic networks.

These aircraft will be powered by General Electric CF6-80E1 engines. Delta currently operates similar GE CF6 engines on more than 60 widebody aircraft.

The A330 will feature 34 full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in BusinessElite, 32 extra-legroom seats in Economy Comfort and 227 Economy seats. The international aircraft will feature in-flight Wi-Fi and industry leading in-flight entertainment with a library of more than 1,000 on-demand options, as well as standard 110v power, modern interiors with LED lighting, and extra-capacity overhead bins.

The 30 A321s will expand Delta’s existing fleet of 126 A320-family domestic aircraft. Delta’s first three A321s are scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2016, with 12 more due in that year. The remaining 15 jets are scheduled for 2017.

Delta’s A321 will be equipped with CFM56-5B engines produced by CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Snecma of France. Delta operates more than 200 aircraft in its fleet today with CFM56 engines, including all Airbus narrowbody aircraft. The A321s will also feature wingtip sharklets, which will provide up to 4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The Airbus A321 will have 20 First Class seats, 22 extra-legroom seats in Economy Comfort and 148 seats in the Economy cabin. Every A321 will feature in-flight Wi-Fi, industry leading in-flight entertainment with live satellite TV and on-demand options, and standard 110v power. The A321 will also offer Economy cabin seats that are among the widest in the industry.

Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323X N801NW (msn 524) taxies at Amsterdam.

Bottom Image: Airbus.

Delta Air Lines:

Philippine Airlines takes delivery of its first Airbus A321

Philippine Airlines (PAL) (Philippines) (Manila) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321. The aircraft was handed over at the Airbus delivery center in Hamburg (Finkenwerder), Germany on August 6 and is the first of 64 new Airbus aircraft ordered by the airline in 2012 under a major fleet modernization program. These include 44 single aisle A321s and 20 widebody A330s.

Philippine Airlines has specified a two class layout for its A321s, with 12 seats in Business Class and 187 in Economy. The airline will operate its new A321s primarily on international routes across the Asian region, as well as on selected domestic flights.

The A321 joins an Airbus fleet at Philippine Airlines that already includes 22 A320 Family aircraft flying on domestic and regional routes, as well as nine in service with its budget subsidiary PAL Express. The carrier also operates eight widebody A330s on higher capacity routes across Asia and seven A340-300s on its longest services to the United States.

Following the introduction of the A321, Philippine Airlines will take delivery of the first of its 20 new A330s in the third quarter of the year. The carrier is also currently adding four A340-300s to its fleet for deployment on new non-stop services to Europe, scheduled to begin next month.

Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Airbus A321-231 D-AZAS (msn 5715) on a test flight at Hamburg (Finkenwerder) on August 5 became RP-C9901 on the hand over the following day.

Update: PAL introduced the new A321 on August 9 between Manila and Cebu and Manila and Davao.

Philippines-Philippine Airlines:

American Airlines takes delivery of its first Airbus A319 in Hamburg

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today (July 23) welcomed its first Airbus A319 aircraft, the first of 260 planned Airbus narrow body deliveries. American and Airbus celebrated this important milestone with a special delivery ceremony at the Airbus manufacturing facility in Hamburg (Finkenwerder), Germany.

According to American, “The Airbus A319 will offer customers modern technology and increased comfort onboard, including leather seats, Wi-Fi and in-seat entertainment throughout the aircraft. In addition, customers will be able to stay connected throughout their travels with individual universal power outlets and USB jacks at every seat.”

The Airbus A319 will offer a wide selection of inflight entertainment options for customers throughout the aircraft. First Class customers will enjoy a complimentary selection of up to 200 movies, up to 180 TV programs, more than 350 audio selections and up to 15 games, on a 12.1-inch HD-capable touchscreen monitor at each seat. Each seat throughout the Main Cabin will offer 8.9-inch HD-capable touchscreen monitors with an assortment of entertainment options, including movies, TV programs, games and audio selections.

In addition to increased technology offerings, the new Airbus aircraft pave the way for American to have a more fuel-efficient fleet, incorporating the latest in aerodynamic improvements. The A319s have Sharklets on the wings and other modifications to reduce fuel burn and keep American on the path toward being a more environmentally friendly airline.

American’s A319s will begin service in September from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to select cities, followed by additional routes throughout the end of the year. Initial routes planned for the A319 include service between DFW and Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; and Wichita, Kansas.

As previously announced, American plans to take delivery of 260 Airbus aircraft from the A320 family, including 130 current-generation aircraft from the A321 and A319 variants through 2017, and 130 A320neo aircraft with next-generation engine technology beginning in 2017. American will configure some of the current-generation A321s for use on trans-Continental flights, designating these aircraft as A321Ts. The A321T is scheduled to begin service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and JFK and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in early 2014.

Copyright Photo: Gerd Beilfuss/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 WL D-AVYQ became N8001N (msn 5678) on the hand over. N8001N is also the first AA Airbus aircraft with Sharklets.

American Airlines:

UTair takes delivery of its first Airbus A321

UTair Aviation (Khanty-Mansiysk) took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft. The brand-new A321-211 VP-BPS was handed over at a ceremony held at Airbus in Hamburg (Finkenwerder), Germany. The aircraft is part of a firm order for 20 A321s signed by UTair in July 2012, which is today the largest single order for this type in Russia.

UTair’s A321, powered by CFM56 engines, features a single-class cabin layout seating 220 passengers. The airline is planning to operate its A321s to further develop its high density route network.

UTair: