Tag Archives: Boeing

Etihad Airways orders from both Airbus and Boeing, becomes the biggest 787 customer

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 1,000th 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. 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 Brégier, Airbus President and CEO.

The order comprises 40 A350-900s, ten A350-1000s, one A330-200F, 26 A321neo’s and 10 A320neo’s. Etihad currently operates a fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft, 25 A330s and 11 A340s. The new aircraft will fit seamlessly into the airline’s 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 Airbus’ 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 world’s 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).

Etihad Airways:

Boeing launches the 777X today with orders from Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates

Boeing (Chicago) today formally launched the 777X program at the 2013 Dubai Airshow with a record-breaking number of customer orders and commitments for the newest member of its twin-aisle product family. Agreements for 259 airplanes from four customers across Europe and the Middle East provide a strong foundation to support development and production of the airplane.

Representing the largest product launch in commercial jetliner history by dollar value, 777X orders and commitments include Lufthansa with 34 airplanes; Etihad Airways with 25; Qatar Airways with 50 and Emirates with 150 airplanes. The combined value of the agreements is more than $95 billion at list prices.

The 777X builds on the passenger-preferred and market-leading 777, which today commands 55 percent of market share in its category in terms of backlog, and 71 percent of the in-service fleet worldwide. The 777X family includes the 777-8X and the 777-9X, both designed to respond to market needs and customer preferences.

The 777X builds on the best-in-class dispatch reliability from today’s 777, as well as offering more market coverage and revenue capability that surpasses the competition. The 777-8X competes directly with the A350-1000, while the 777-9X is in a class by itself.

Opening new growth opportunities for airlines, the 777-9X offers seating for more than 400 passengers, depending on an airline’s configuration choices. With a range of more than 8,200 nautical miles (15,185 km), the airplane will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane.

The second member of the family, the 777-8X, will be the most flexible jet in the world. The airplane will seat 350 passengers and offer an incredible range capability of more than 9,300 nautical miles (17,220 km). In addition, the airplane will have unmatched takeoff and payload capability compared to the competition.

The 777X introduces the latest technologies in multiple places, including the most advanced commercial engine ever – the GE9X by GE Aviation – and an all-new high-efficiency composite wing that has a longer span than today’s 777. The airplane’s folding, raked wingtip and optimized span deliver greater efficiency, significant fuel savings and complete airport gate compatibility.

Like the 787 Dreamliner which was launched as the 7E7, the 777X will be formally named at a later date. Design of the 777X is underway and suppliers will be named in the coming months. Production is set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2020.

According to Reuters, Boeing will firm up the configuration of the aircraft in 2015 and plans to have a detailed design by 2016.

Production will begin in 2017, with the first test flight scheduled for 2019 and first delivery in 2020.

The Launch Customers:

Videos:

LATAM swings to a net profit of $52 million in the third quarter

LATAM Airlines Group (LAN Airlines and TAM Linhas Aereas) (Santiago and Sao Paulo) swung to the black in the third quarter with a net profit of $52 million versus a loss of $49 million a year ago for the same period.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Read the analysis by Reuters: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato/AirlinersGallery/com. LAN Cargo’s (LAN Airlines Chile) Boeing 777-F16 N778LA (msn 41518) departs from Viracopos Airport near Sao Paulo.

LAN Airlines:

TAM Linhas Aereas:

Westjet to fly its first trans-Atlantic route to Dublin, Ireland

WestJet (Calgary) starting on June 15, 2014* will be offering its first trans-Atlantic service from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Dublin, Ireland, with connecting service from several other Canadian destinations.

St. John’s is actually closer to Dublin than Calgary.

Schedule highlights:

Route	Frequency	Dates^
St. John’s – Dublin	Daily	June 15, 2014 to October 5, 2014
Toronto (direct same plane) – Dublin**	Daily	June 15, 2014 to October 5, 2014
Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Kelowna, Montreal, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Vancouver, Victoria, Winnipeg – Dublin**	Daily	June 15, 2014 to October 5, 2014

*Subject to government approval.
^Schedule is subject to change without notice.
**Available daily through connections. Guests flying from Toronto will stop in St. John’s but will have the same plane to Dublin.

WestJet:

Air North to expand eastward to Yellowknife and Ottawa

Air North (Whitehorse) today announced the addition of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and Ottawa, Ontario.

The Yukon and NWT capitals haven’t been connected in over three years, and never before by scheduled Boeing 737 jet service.

The expansion adds Ottawa and Yellowknife to the list of Air North’s gateway cities to the Yukon, which also includes Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, and Edmonton (see map below).

Air North’s growth is particularly pleasing to the Vuntut Gwitchin Limited Partnership, which invested in the airline more than 12 years ago. “Our original investment has grown in strength and reach, along with our people,” said Pauline Frost, President of the Vuntut Gwitchin Limited Partnership. “We are all very pleased that Yukon’s airline has grown from a small local carrier to one that serves our nation’s capital, providing northerners with an important connection to Yellowknife and Ottawa.”

Service to both cities will begin during the first quarter of 2014, with the schedule and introductory fares to be announced once a number of regulatory and logistical hurdles have been overcome.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Air North’s Boeing 737-48E C-FANB (msn 25764) arrives at the traditional southern terminus of Vancouver.

Air North:

Current Route Map: The expansion eastward to Yellowknife and Ottawa will bring new traffic to the Yukon.

The “new American” to operate under the umbrella of the American Airlines Group Inc.

AMR Corporation (Dallas/Fort Worth), whose principal operating subsidiary is American Airlines, Inc. (Dallas/Fort Worth), and US Airways Group, Inc. (Phoenix) today announced that they have applied to list the common stock of the combined company on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Upon closing of the merger and AMR’s emergence from Chapter 11, the combined company will be renamed American Airlines Group Inc. and will use the ticker symbol “AAL.” Additionally, the common stock of both US Airways Group, Inc. and AMR Corporation will be cancelled and shareholders will receive equity interests in American Airlines Group Inc. per the terms of the Merger Agreement and Plan of Reorganization.

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. American Airlines’ Boeing 777-323 ER N721AN (msn 31546) prepares to touch down in New York (JFK).

American Airlines:

Boeing and Gol to work on a sustainable biofuel in Brazil

Boeing (Chicago) and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (Gol Transportes Aereos) (Sao Paulo) will work together to speed the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil. Their collaboration will support Gol’s plans to use this lower-carbon jet fuel on more flights during upcoming major sporting events and also will benefit long-term development of a new sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.

Paulo Sergio Kakinoff, chief executive officer of Gol, and Van Rex Gallard, vice president of Sales for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, signed a memorandum of understanding for biofuel collaboration at the Latin America and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) Airline Leaders Forum 2013.

Gol plans to use sustainable biojetfuel on 200 flights during the major sporting event in Brazil in 2014 and to incorporate biofuel into 20 percent of its flights during the major sporting event taking place in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Boeing will work with Gol to identify and select the most promising feedstocks and refining technologies and then will play a leading role in the approval process for new fuel pathways to ensure the fuel meets safety and performance standards.

The agreement between Boeing and Gol is a significant new step in efforts to advance an aviation biofuel industry in Brazil. On October 23, Brazil’s Aviator’s Day, Gol conducted Brazil’s first commercial biofuel flight in a Boeing 737-800 powered in part by sustainable aviation biofuel made from waste cooking oil and blended by Petrobras, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Following the flight, aviation industry stakeholders including Gol and Boeing, as well as Brazilian officials and research institutions, announced a national effort called the Brazilian Biojetfuel Platform to establish a sustainable biojetfuel industry with research and development in several regions of the country. If the Platform is successful, Brazil, which has already established a biofuel industry could be the first nation to establish a sustainable aviation biofuel industry from biomass production to flight.

Copyright Photo: Rodrigo Cozzato/AirlinersGallery.com. Gol’s Boeing 737-809 PR-GIT (msn 28403) in the striking Smiles special livery departs from Sao Paulo (Guarulhos).

Gol:

Delta wants to expand operations at Dallas’ Love Field

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) plans to add 18 daily nonstop flights to five destinations from Dallas Love Field in October 2014.

According to the airline, Delta’s planned expansion will enhance competition at the airport with new nonstop service to New York-LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Delta also will add two daily flights to its existing Atlanta service.

Delta will require access to gates at Love Field in order to operate its expanded schedule. Delta has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to allow it to bid on Love Field gates as part of the divestiture of airport assets under a proposed settlement agreement with American Airlines and US Airways.

Currently at Love Field, 16 of the 20 gates and more than 95 percent of available seats are controlled by one airline, Southwest Airlines, which transports more passengers in the U.S. than any other carrier. Love Field has one of the highest concentrations of operations controlled by a single airline among the nation’s large airports.

The expanded Love Field service builds on Delta’s recent growth at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where it currently operates 45 peak-day flights to eight destinations. Last year, Delta added new nonstop service between DFW and New York-LaGuardia. It also operates nonstop flights from DFW to Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Memphis and New York-JFK.

When the expansion is complete, Delta would operate a total of 68 daily flights in the Dallas/Fort Worth region, including flights at both DFW and Love Field.

Delta’s expansion will be implemented following changes to the Wright Amendment, which previously restricted Love Field service to Texas, adjacent states and Missouri, Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi. Those restrictions are scheduled to end in October 2014.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-732 N302DQ (msn 29648) prepares to land at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

Delta Air Lines:

Alitalia’s board approves the new plan, Air France-KLM vote against it

Alitalia’s (2nd) (Rome) board of directors yesterday approved a revised business plan, promising “severe cost cuts” to make the Italian airline more profitable but did not include specifics according to this report by Reuters.

Air France-KLM Group, which owns 25 percent of the Italian carrier, voted against the plan but it did not address the long-term debt issue.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Alitalia’s Boeing 777-243 ER EI-ISB (msn 32859) turns on the taxiway at Los Angeles International Airport.

Alitalia:

Delta expands service at Boston

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will increase service at Boston’s Logan International Airport with daily year-round and seasonal service to the following seven destinations, including three new markets.

New daily service to Jacksonville, Florida and Richmond, Virginia, operated by Delta Connection carrier Endeavor Air using 76-seat, two-class Bombardier CRJ900s, effective March 3, 2014 and March 6, 2014
New service to Las Vegas with three flights per week operating a Boeing 737-800, effective March 6, 2014
Expanding service to Los Angeles with one additional flight for a total of two daily operating a Boeing 737-800, effective April 7, 2014
New Saturday-only summer seasonal service to Nassau, Bahamas, operated by Delta Connection carrier Shuttle America using 76-seat, two-class Embraer ERJ 175s as well as the Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands using an Airbus A320, effective March 8, 2014
Extended service to Cancun, previously scheduled to end April 26, 2014, now ending Aug. 30, 2014

Delta and joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic, recently announced they will coordinate schedules and retime their respective Boston to Heathrow flights to offer customers more convenient and flexible travel options.

Delta currently operates 70 peak-day departures from Logan International Airport to 16 nonstop destinations. Delta’s new Boston service offers customers the option of First Class, Economy Comfort or economy seating, along with in-flight Wi-Fi on domestic flights.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-832 WL N3771K (msn 29632) is pictured in action at Los Angeles International Airport.

Delta Air Lines: