Tag Archives: Amsterdam

EasyJet announces a new base in Amsterdam

EasyJet (UK) (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) has announced it will open a base at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from Spring 2015. Amsterdam now becomes easyJet’s 26th network base.

EasyJet has offered service to and from Schiphol since 1996. This announcement marks easyJet’s first ever base in the Netherlands and further strengthens the airline’s long term strategic position at Amsterdam Schiphol, where it holds a 9% market share. Amsterdam is already one of the airline’s most successful network points with more than 3.5 million passengers flying annually to and from 21 destinations.

Three A320 aircraft will be based at Amsterdam Schiphol. This will enable EasyJet to offer more early morning departures which are popular with business passengers, expand the number of cities easyJet connects to Amsterdam while also building a stronger outbound schedule for Dutch leisure travellers. With this extra capacity EasyJet expects to fly an additional 600,000 passengers next year, an incremental 16% year-on-year increase, giving a whole new generation of easyJet customers access to Europe’s best point to point network.

EasyJet will add Hamburg as its newest destination from Amsterdam starting in November 2014, with additional routes launched later this autumn.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-111 G-EZIW (msn 2578) rests at the gate at Amsterdam in the special “Inate-Fiumicino Per Tutti (For All)” livery.

EasyJet (UK):

Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17 crashes in the Ukraine, all feared dead

Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) flight MH 17 operating from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with the pictured Boeing 777-2H6 ER 9M-MRD (msn 28411) (since repainted) with 280 passengers and 15 crew members, while operating at flight level 330 (33,000 feet) and about 50 nautical miles northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine has crashed. The airliner came down near the village of Shakhtarsk, Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines has confirmed the crash.

The airline issued this statement:

Malaysia Airlines confirms it received notification from Ukrainian ATC that it had lost contact with flight MH 17 at 1415 (GMT) at 30 km from Tamak waypoint, approximately 50 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Flight MH 17 operated on a Boeing 777 departed Amsterdam at 12.15 pm (Amsterdam local time) and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10 am (Malaysia local time) the next day.

The flight was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew members.

According to CNN:

“The aircraft was “shot down” over Ukraine by “terrorists” operating a Buk surface-to-air missile system, according to the Facebook page of Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. There were 280 passengers killed as well as 15 crew members, Gerashchenko’s post reads.”

Read the full CNN report: CLICK HERE

Read the full updated account (with photos of the crash site) from the BBC: CLICK HERE

Read the report from the New York Times: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati/AirlinersGallery.com. 9M-MRD was once painted in this special “Blue Heliconia” livery but it has since been repainted.

Malaysia Airlines Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Bottom Copyright Photo: Olivier Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. 9M-MRD lands in Paris (CDG) in 2011 after repainting.

More information will be added as details are confirmed.

Video:

Video: This video appears to capture the moment of impact:

Video: The Russian surface-to-air missile that is believed to have been fired and taken down the Triple Seven. The missile was allegedly fired from a Russian separatist controlled area in eastern Ukraine:

KLM gets ready to celebrate 95 years of flying

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) is getting ready to celebrate 95 years of flying on October 7. The airline has issued this video (below) and new logo.

As part of this upcoming celebration, KLM is bringing its iconic Douglas DC-3 PH-PBA to Humberside. KLM issued this statement today:

KLM steps back in time as its iconic DC-3 aircraft arrives at Humberside Airport. The DC-3 flew in from Amsterdam three days ago and is currently on a tour of the East Coast, with its third stop being Humberside Airport, having previously stopped at Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley airports.

A select group of passengers will experience the golden age of travel in a series of short flights showing a bird’s eye view of the East Coast. Built in 1944, the DC-3 is the first ever commercial aircraft and passengers from Humberside will be traveling in the same style and luxury as passengers in the pioneering age of aviation. Flying the DC-3 meant that KLM led the way in modern European aviation, offering customers comfort on board and reliable flights in Europe, the Far East and beyond.

The DC-3 aircraft, PH-PBA (above) was in service with the 8th Air Force during the Second World War. After the war the aircraft was acquired by his Royal Highness Prince Bernhard, Prince of the Netherlands and later became the first official aircraft of the Dutch government.

After retirement in 1975 the aircraft became part of the collection of the Aviodrome Museum. It was put back in service in 1998 and it has been flying ever since. In 2010 she received her current historic KLM color scheme and was christened ‘Princes Amalia’, after Prince Bernhard’s great grandchild, the current heiress to the Dutch throne.

Warner Rootliep, General Manager UK and Ireland Air France KLM said: “We are offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for passengers to experience aviation at its vintage best. The DC-3 is such an iconic aircraft and it is a historic moment to welcome it to Humberside. Our regional bases are incredibly important to KLM and it is fantastic to be able to showcase our heritage to the local community.”

After the Humberside flights the DC-3 will continue its tour of the East Coast calling at Norwich on June 28 before she leaves the UK to return to Amsterdam.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Douglas C-47A-DK (DC-3A-456) PH-PBA (msn 19434) sits at the AMS base in the 1959 livery.

KLM:

Video: On October 7, 2014, KLM will celebrate its 95th anniversary. Every year on this day the airline stops to reflect on KLM’s illustrious past and looks to the future. The next special anniversary awaiting us in 2019 is our centenary — KLM 100 Years. KLM 95 Years is a special moment and therefore worthy of celebration.

Zagrosjet is coming to both Amsterdam and Munich

Zagrosjet (Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq) is coming to both Amsterdam (starting on June 26) and Munich (June 28). The growing airline will launch weekly flights to both cities.

The airline is now the flag carrier of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjopgren/AirlinersGallery.com. Wet leased from partner Atlasjet, Airbus A321-231 YI-AQU (msn 1878) prepares to land in Stockholm (Arlanda).

Arke takes delivery of its first Boeing 787, PH-TFK arrives in Amsterdam

Boeing (Chicago and Seattle) and Arke (formerly Arkefly) (Amsterdam) today celebrated the arrival of the airline’s first 787-8 Dreamliner at the Dutch carrier’s base at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The pictured 787-8 PH-TFK (msn 36427) departed Paine Field in Everett, Washington on Wednesday (June 4) on its delivery flight to the Netherlands. Arke is part of TUI Travel PLC, the largest tourism group in the world.

Arke will use the 787 on its service between Amsterdam and the islands of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean. The airplane is the first of three Dreamliners to join the carrier’s all-Boeing fleet that also includes Next-Generation 737s and 767-300 ERs (Extended Range). TUI Travel has ordered a total of 15 787-8s, of which six have been delivered and are currently in operation with three of the six airlines it operates; Thomson Airways, Jetairfly and now Arke.

Arkefly:

No labor peace at Austrian Airlines-Tyrolean Airways and also no contract and no merger due to tense labor negotiations

Austrian Airlines (Vienna) and Tyrolean Airways (Innsbruck and Vienna) have met with stiff resistance and a possible strike from its unions on its recent proposals for a new contract and hopefully some labor peace. As a result, Tyrolean Airways has now withdrawn its offer for a new contract as previously reported. In addition, Tyrolean Airways will not be merged into Austrian Airlines. Lower cost Tyrolean Airways currently operates all aircraft (except one Boeing 777-200) for Austrian Airlines under the Austrian brand. The company has also decided not to pursue a replacement program for the Fokker jet aircraft due to this uncertain labor environment. The group issued this statement:

• Threat of industrial action or even a strike met with incomprehension
• Works Council considers the old collective wage agreement to be the basis for negotiations
• “Old collective wage agreement would lead into an economic dead end”

After ten months of negotiations the management of Tyrolean Airways has withdrawn its offer for a new Group collective wage agreement. Last Monday the Works Council responded to the presented offer by holding a general staff meeting and threatening industrial actions or even a strike – a total of 34 flights had to be cancelled, and almost 3,000 passengers were affected by the disruption of normal flight operations.

Moreover, at the first round of negotiations following the announcement of the offer, Karl Minhard, Chairman of the Works Council for the flight and cabin crew, declared that from his point of view the basis for negotiations is still the original collective wage agreement applying to the former flight staff of Austrian Airlines. In January, both parties had still defined the goal of reaching an agreement by May 31, 2014.

“We would not manage to achieve this under the prevailing circumstances, neither with respect to the timing or the contents”, says Klaus Froese, Managing Director of Tyrolean Airways. “The past cannot be the answer to an economically challenging future. The old collective wage agreement would lead us straight into an economic dead end”, he adds. As a reminder: for six consecutive years Austrian Airlines operated in the red. As of 2013 the company was again in the black, as a result of strict cost management and after the termination of the old collective wage agreement.

After consulting with the Executive Board of Austrian Airlines, the management of Tyrolean Airways decided to take the proposed solution off the agenda. “We have to remain punctual and reliable, especially when people are planning their summer vacations. Flight disruptions and cancellations are not acceptable for our customers”, Froese adds.

Thereby, for the time being, also the offer of merging Tyrolean Airways and Austrian Airlines is no longer under discussion. The management of Austrian Airlines does not believe it is an opportune time to make the potential investments of up to EUR 1 billion to replace the Fokker aircraft and expand long haul routes. This is because the former collective wage agreement does not provide a sound basis for such investments.

“We will now deliberate which options we have. Naturally my door remains open for serious negotiations about an economically viable Austrian Airlines”, Froese emphasizes.

The management remains confident with respect to the lawsuits filed by the trade union and the Works Council. The transfer of flight operations to Tyrolean was economically essential and also legally permissible.

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. The Fokker 70s and 100s operated by Tyrolean Airways are not likely to replaced any time soon with this uncertainty. Fokker F.28 Mk. 0100 (Fokker 100) OE-LVC (msn 11446) arrives in Amsterdam.

Austrian Airlines:

Ruili Airlines launches flight operations in Yunnan, China

Ruili Airlines (Kunming, Yunnan) formally started passenger operations on May 18 between its Kunming (KMG) base in southern China and Mangshi (LUX).

As previously reported, Ruili Airlines is owned by the Yunnan Jingcheng Group. In August 2013 the new airline ordered 18 Boeing 737 aircraft. Three aircraft, two Boeing 737-700s and the pictured 737-800 were delivered in order to commence operations.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Ex-Airberlin Boeing 737-86J D-ABMX (msn 37786) became B-1960 when it was delivered to Ruili Airlines on April 16, 2014.

Delta to offer year-round flights to Zurich and expanded service to Rome

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will offer new year-round daily service from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Zurich Airport and expanded service to Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport.

The Zurich flight will be operated using a Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft featuring full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in the BusinessElite cabin. Daily Zurich service will begin effective June 16, 2014 and during the summer will complement the airline’s existing service from Atlanta. Rome service will operate daily from April to October on an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, and then five times per week in November, December and March on a Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft in conjunction with Delta joint venture partner Alitalia.

Effective this winter, Delta and its joint venture partners Air France-KLM and Alitalia are also expanding service to key European hubs at Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. From Atlanta, the joint venture will offer additional daily nonstop service for a total of four daily flights to both Amsterdam* and Paris, timed to provide customers with more connecting opportunities to destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-332 ER N175DZ (msn 29696) in the SkyTeam motif arrives at Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).

Delta Air Lines (current):

Bottom Copyright Photo: Delta Air Lines. A picture of the cabin of Delta’s first refurbished trans-con Boeing 757-200. Routes from JFK will offer BusinessElite® flat-beds, LED mood lighting, expanded Economy Comfort™ seating & larger In-flight Entertainment screens.

Beginning July 1, 2014, Delta will operate three updated Boeing 757-200 aircraft with full flat-bed seats on the trans-continental route between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX). These will be the first 757 aircraft in service to feature Delta’s previously announced upgrades including full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite on transcon flights between JFK and LAX, SFO and SEA. All trans-con flights on these routes will feature full flat-bed seats by summer 2015.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines is coming to Munich on May 9

AirBridgeCargo Airlines-ABC (Moscow-Sheremetyevo), the largest Russian scheduled cargo airline and part of Volga Dnepr Group, is further expanding its services in Central Europe by introducing direct services to/from Munich with a Boeing 747 freighter on May 9.

The new Munich flight to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport will be in addition to the existing 4 weekly Boeing 737 flights operated by Atran Cargo Airlines, also part of Volga Dnepr Group. ABC Boeing 747 all-cargo flight between the Bavarian capital and ABC hub in Moscow (Sheremetyevo) will be on Friday midday, providing ideal end of the week departure time for European customers.

Germany has always been one of the most important markets contributing to ABC’s growth over the last decade. Earlier this year ABC launched scheduled Boeing 747 services to and from Leipzig, extending the Group’s strong association with the airport, where it has invested in a modern aircraft maintenance and repair facility to serve a variety of aircraft types (Boeing 747-200/300/400/8 (CF-50/80, PW4000), Boeing 737CL).

AirBridgeCargo’s scheduled network covers major markets in Asia (China, Japan and Korea), Europe (the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden) and North America (Chicago, Dallas).

The airline’s fleet is one of the youngest in the industry and includes 12 Boeing 747s: four Boeing 747-400ERFs, three Boeing 747-400Fs and five brand new Boeing 747-8Fs. The average fleet age is about 4 years.

Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-8HVF VQ-BLR (msn 37668) taxies at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS).

AirBridgeCargo Aircraft Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Routes to Europe:

Cargolux improves with a net profit of $8.4 million in 2013

Cargolux Airlines International (Luxembourg) at its annual general meeting, the shareholders of Cargolux Airlines International S.A. approved the audited financial statements for the financial year ended on December 31, 2013.

2013 Highlights

Cargolux earned a full year net profit of US$ 8.4 million compared to US$ 35.1 million net loss in 2012;

Total revenues rose 14.4% to US$ 1,988.5 million from US$ 1,738.9 million in 2012.
Key Performance Indicators:

Tons sold increased 16.7% to 753,848 from 645,759 in 2012;

Average load factor softened 0.9 percentage points to 67.7%;

FTK strengthened to 5.7 million compared to 4.8 million in 2012;

Daily aircraft utilization stood at 14:57 block hours versus 15:07 in 2012.

In spite of a moderate recovery in the last quarter, the airfreight industry continued to operate in a difficult environment for the most part of 2013. Capacity growth still outstripped demand, which resulted in an industry-wide decline in yields and load factors. Despite difficult trading conditions, Cargolux grew its activities and increased volumes in a bid to maximize contribution to fixed costs. This was achieved quite successfully, as the company recorded a tonnage growth of 16.7% over 2012 to 753,848 tons – exceeding the 2013 budget by 13.5%. Total revenues grew by 14.4% to $1,988.5 million (US) while tons-kilometers flown increased from 4.8 million in 2012 to 5.7 million in 2013.

Cargolux operated 95,022 block hours, 13,364 hours more than planned for 2013. The high amount of operational activity contributed towards achieving a net consolidated gain of $8.4 million (US), a noteworthy improvement over the originally budgeted loss for 2013 of $27.1 million (US).

Cargolux expanded its fleet with three new Boeing 747-8Fs and retained, on a power-by-the-hour basis, a Boeing 747-400F that was initially planned to exit the fleet during 2013. It also added a Boeing 747-400ERF on the same basis, which brought the fleet to 20 aircraft at the end of the year. In contrast, the budget for 2013 foresaw a fleet of 16 aircraft only.

With a bigger fleet and more operational activity than planned, Cargolux recorded an average daily aircraft utilization of 14:57 hours. The company’s market share reached 3.5% and it ranked at number 8 among the world’s dedicated freighter and combination carriers in terms of FTKs.

“We don’t expect market conditions to improve significantly in 2014,” said Cargolux President and CEO Dirk Reich. “Our priority is to grow and expand our global network with the continued support and valuable contribution of our hard working employees while focusing on efficiency and performance improvements. I am also confident in our ability to reap the first tangible rewards from the cooperation with our new shareholder HNCA”, Reich added.

Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-8R7F LX-VCG (msn 35812) taxies past the camera at Amsterdam.

Cargolux Aircraft Slide Show: CLICK HERE