Tag Archives: Boeing 737-800

SilkAir introduces a new brand campaign with its first Boeing 737-800

SilkAir (Singapore) introduced its first Boeing 737-800 into revenue service yesterday (February 20) with the 737-8SA 9V-MGA (man 44217). The carrier is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The subsidiary of Singapore Airlines has also rolled out a new brand campaign emphasizing its full-service amenities. The carrier issued this statement:

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, has launched a new brand campaign that looks to rekindle the joy of flying. Moving away from the idea of travel as being purely transactional, the campaign focuses on how Asia’s most awarded regional carrier creates journeys worth taking by offering customers a seamless and enjoyable travel experience at all times.

From check-in to touch down, the full-service carrier caters to the needs of the well-travelled global customer, providing comfort and convenience to those looking to explore Asia’s newest frontiers. Titled ‘A Joy to Fly’, the campaign redefines true value for the discerning traveller, emphasising and bringing to life the many benefits that SilkAir offers through a set of distinctive icons that feature across all the ads.

Having established its personable and warm in-flight service in its previous campaign ‘Feel at Home in the Air’, SilkAir aims to further differentiate itself and cement its positioning as a full-service carrier. The new regional campaign presents a visual display of a range of these benefits, including 30kg and 40kg baggage allowance for Economy and Business class respectively, inflight meals, reliable flight schedule, the KrisFlyer frequent flyer programme and through check-in service. Additionally, a wireless inflight entertainment system that is currently on trial will progressively be rolled out from Q2 2014. This new system will allow for free wireless streaming of blockbuster hits, short features as well as chart-topping music to customers’ laptops and personal handheld devices, keeping them entertained throughout the flight.

“SilkAir has always endeavoured to deliver a flying experience that is enjoyable and assuring, by placing our customers’ needs at the forefront of our product offerings. With the aim of celebrating the joy of flying, our new campaign is a reflection of the commitment and effort that goes into ensuring that every single detail – from the check-in process to entertainment and meals on-board – makes it a joy for customers to fly with SilkAir,” said SilkAir’s Vice President, Commercial, Mr. Ryan Pua.

Beyond functional benefits, the campaign also illustrates the joy of flying by highlighting SilkAir’s extensive network of 47 exotic destinations around the region, as well as the seamless connectivity between Singapore Airlines and SilkAir that customers can enjoy.

Created in conjunction with SilkAir’s 25th anniversary and the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 737-800, the campaign is set to run on print, out-of-home and digital platforms. The advertisements are currently on display at City Hall MRT station platforms.

To mark the launch of the campaign, SilkAir will also hold an online contest where fans can either visit silkair.com/ajoytofly or scan the QR code located below each aircraft window on the City Hall MRT platform to stand a chance to fly to their dream destination on SilkAir’s new Boeing planes by voting for their top 3 dream destinations. The contest closes on March 13, 2014, with 12 Economy Class return tickets up for grabs.

On top of dressing the airline’s first Boeing 737-800 in a specially designed livery to commemorate its silver anniversary, SilkAir will also be rewarding its customers with special promotional deals later this month, with 250,000 tickets made available at special rates for customers in Singapore and across the region.

The number of destinations includes two new destinations, Kalibo and Mandalay, which will be launched on May 27, 2014 and June 10, 2014 respectively.

Copyright Photo: Ivan K. Nishimura/Blue Wave Group. Brand new Boeing 737-8SA 9V-MGA passes through Honolulu on its delivery routing on February 10, 2014.

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SilkAir:

AeroMexico orders APB Split Scimitar Winglets for its Boeing 737-800s

Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) (Seattle) announced today that AeroMexico (Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.) (Mexico City) has ordered Split Scimitar Winglets for its Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. APB’s newest program is the culmination of a five-year design effort using the latest computational fluid dynamic technology to redefine the aerodynamics of the Blended Winglet into an all-new Split Scimitar Winglet. The unique feature of the Split Scimitar Winglet is that it uses the existing Blended Winglet structure, but adds new strengthened spars, aerodynamic scimitar tips, and a large ventral strake. APB received FAA certification for the Split Scimitar Winglets on February 6, 2014.

APB will develop and certify the Split Scimitar Winglet System for several variants of the Boeing Next-Generation 737 series of aircraft including the structurally provisioned and non-provisioned 737-700, 737-800, Boeing Business Jets, the structurally provisioned 737-900 and the 737-900 ER.

APB expects Scimitar Winglet Systems installed on a 737-800 to save AeroMexico more than 55,000 gallons of jet fuel per aircraft per year resulting in a corresponding reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of 530 tons per aircraft per year. Additionally, AeroMexico can realize incremental payload on several of its long haul 737-800 operations such as Mexico City to Lima, Peru and Caracas, Venezuela.

APB’s Split Scimitar Winglet program is the most successful product launch in its history. Since launching the program early last year, APB has now taken orders and options for 1,461 Split Scimitar Winglet systems. Over the last 10 years, APB has sold more than 7,000 Blended Winglet Systems. Over 5,100 Blended Winglet Systems are now in service with over 200 airlines in more than 100 countries. APB estimates that Blended Winglets have saved airlines worldwide over 4 billion gallons of jet fuel to-date.

Aviation Partners Boeing is a Seattle based joint venture of Aviation Partners, Inc. and The Boeing Company.

Image: PRNewsFoto/Aviation Partners Boeing. A computer rendering of an AeroMexico Boeing 737-800 with Split Scimitar Winglets.

AeroMexico:

United Airlines is the first to operate a revenue flight with the new Split Scimitar Winglets

United Airlines (Chicago) yesterday operated a Boeing 737-800 aircraft freshly retrofitted with new Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets. The pictured Boeing 737-824 N37277 (man 31595) took to the skies yesterday (February 18), marking the first commercial flight worldwide to operate with the advanced winglet technology. United flight 1273 on Tuesday, February 18 took off from the airline’s Houston (Bush Intercontinental) hub and flew to Los Angeles. The airline installed the innovative winglets on the Boeing 737-800 after the FAA approved the technology made by Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) earlier this month.

This new winglet design demonstrates significant aircraft drag reduction over the basic Blended Winglet configuration United uses on its current fleet. Using a newly patented design, the program retrofits United’s Boeing Next Generation 737 Blended Winglets by replacing the aluminum winglet tip cap with a new aerodynamically shaped “Scimitar”™ winglet tip cap and by adding a new Scimitar-tipped ventral strake. The new design will reduce fuel consumption by up to 2 percent per aircraft.

Last year, United served as the launch customer for the Split Scimitar winglet when it made a firm commitment with APB to retrofit its 737-800 and 737-900 ER aircraft.

United currently has more than 350 aircraft fitted with advanced blended winglet technology. Once the Split Scimitar Winglets installation is complete, the combined winglet technology on United’s 737, 757 and 767 fleet is expected to save the airline more than 65 million gallons of fuel a year, equivalent to more than 645,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and$200 million per year in jet fuel costs. The savings from the Split Scimitar Winglets will contribute to United’s overall fuel-savings initiative to reduce its fuel costs by $1 billion by 2017.

Copyright Photos: United Airlines. United technicians at Orlando International Airport install the new Split Scimitar Winglet on a Boeing 737-800 on February 16, 2014. United is the first airline in the world to operate commercial service with the innovative winglet technology.

United Airlines (current):

AeroMexico reports a 71.8% increase in operating profit for 2013

Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. (AeroMexico) (Mexico City), the largest global airline in Mexico, announced its unaudited results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013.

FOURTH QUARTER 2013 RESULTS

The Group reported a 71.8% increase in operating profit, year-on-year, for a total of MXP $634 million. Aeromexico achieved an operating margin of 5.9%; 2.2 percentage points greater than the same period last year.
Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDAR reached MXP $2.1 billion; a 26.4% increase compared to the prior year. The adjusted EBITDAR margin increased 2.8 percentage points to 19.6%.
Net income in the fourth quarter reached MXP $385 million. Aeromexico reported a MXP $601 million in net benefit in the fourth quarter 2012 due to the sale of a 20 percent stake in PLM, the subsidiary which manages the Group’s loyalty program. Eliminating this effect, fourth quarter of 2012 net income was MXP $10 million.
Grupo Aeromexico’s fourth quarter 2013 revenues reached MXP $10.7 billion; an 8.7% year-on-year increase.
The cost per available seat kilometers (CASK) excluding fuel decreased 5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, representing the fourth consecutive quarter with a year-on-year decrease in CASK excluding fuel.
The Company added four new aircraft to its fleet: two Boeing 787-8, one Boeing 767 and one Embraer 190, while three Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft were retired. Grupo Aeromexico’s operating fleet therefore consisted of 117 aircraft as at December 31, 2013.
The Group’s On-Time Departure Performance for 2013 reached 87.7%; a 7.7 percentage point improvement compared to 2012.

Andres Conesa, Grupo Aeromexico’s CEO, commented: “2013 was known for its challenging economic environment, but we nevertheless succeeded in achieving very strong results during the fourth quarter. On the operational front, we again improved profitability for the fourth consecutive quarter by reducing the cost per ASK (CASK) to be increasingly competitive.”

To access the full text of this earnings release, please visit our Investor Relations website at: http://www.aeromexico.com/investors

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-81Q WL N520AM (msn 29052) operating in the Contigo program arrives in Las Vegas.

AeroMexico:

SunExpress finalizes an order for 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 25 737-800s

SunExpress Airlines (Antalya) and Boeing (Chicago and Seattle) have finalized an order for 15 737 MAX 8s and 25 Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes. The order, valued at more than $3.8 billion at list prices, also includes options for 10 additional 737 MAX 8s.

The order is the largest in the Turkish carrier’s near 25 year history, and brings the total number of orders to date for the 737 MAX to nearly 1,800.

“Twenty-four years ago we started to fly tourists to Turkey with brand-new 737-300s and ten years later the company began to operate the Next-Generation 737-800s. Next year at the age of 25, SunExpress will start the process of renewing its entire fleet and in the future add the latest achievement of Boeing, the 737 MAX,” said Paul Schwaiger, managing director of SunExpress. “We value our long and successful relationship with Boeing and we are grateful for the company’s endless support over so many years.”

The 737 MAX builds on the success of the Next-Generation 737 – retaining efficiency, economics, reliability and passenger appeal that make this family of airplanes the market leader. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines with aerodynamic improvements such as new Advanced Technology winglets to deliver a 14 percent fuel-efficiency improvement over today’s most fuel efficient single-aisle airplanes. At longer ranges, the improvement will be even greater, perfectly complementing SunExpress’ future growth.

“With our order of up to 50 new 737 aircraft – including the ten options – we have realized an important milestone for the future of SunExpress,” said Haci Say, deputy managing director of SunExpress. “Our company has always been a vital part of the travel trade betweenTurkey and the source markets of Turkish tourism. With this enormous investment SunExpress underlines its strong position among Europe’s leading holiday airlines. We are happy to grow even stronger with the help of new Boeing aircraft which perfectly suit our business model.”

Based on the Turkish Rivera, SunExpress was founded in October 1989 as a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. Today, SunExpress carries more than seven million passengers per year and is one of the leading airlines in terms of passenger numbers between Germany and Turkey. The carrier operates an all-Boeing fleet of more than 60 Next-Generation 737-700s and 737-800s and serves more than 90 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

SunExpress:

Ryanair to fly to Russia starting on April 1

Ryanair (Dublin) will launch its first route to Russia starting on April 1. The Dublin-St. Petersburg (Pulkovo) will be operated three days a week per ShanghaiDaily.com. The ultra fare airline had planned to launched flights to both St. Petersburg and Moscow in March but it is being delayed to April 1.

Copyright Photo: Michael Kelly/AirlinersGallery.com. Ryanair’s Boeing 737-8AS EI-EBN (msn 35003) taxies at the Dublin home and base.

Ryanair:

Nok Air commits for eight Boeing 737-800s and seven 737 MAX 8s

Nok Airlines Public Company Limited (Nok Air) (Bangkok) and Boeing (Chicago and Seattle) have announced from the Singapore Airshow a commitment to order eight Next-Generation 737-800s and seven 737 MAX 8s. The commitment, valued at $1.45 billion at list prices, will establish Nok Air as the first airline in Thailand to operate the 737 MAX.

Boeing will work with the Bangkok-based airline to finalize the details of the agreement, at which time the order will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website. While Nok Air currently operates a fleet of 14 Next-Generation 737s, this will mark the airline’s first direct order with Boeing.

Copyright Photo: Keith Burton/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-83N HS-DBH (msn 32614) departs from Bangkok (Don Mueang) base.

Nok Air (view the colorful liveries): CLICK HERE

Myanma Airways to lease six Boeing 737-800 and four 737-8 MAX aircraft from GECAS

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has announced at a press conference prior to the 2014 Singapore Air Show, it has signed a contract with Myanma Airways (formerly Union of Burma Airways) (Yangon), the flag carrier of Myanmar, to lease 10 new Boeing narrow bodies. Deliveries of the new leased aircraft are scheduled to begin in June 2015 and come from GECAS’ existing order book with Boeing. The contract calls for six Boeing 737-800 models and four Boeing 737-8 MAX models. The aircraft will be delivered through 2020.

Established in 1948 as Union of Burma Airways, Myanma Airways is the state-owned airline of Myanmar, currently serving all major domestic destinations from its main base at Yangon International Airport.

This is a major expansion for the flag carrier as the country begins to blossom under new civilian leadership.

Myanma Airways currently operates a pair of Embraer 190s (also leased from GECAS) and a diverse turboprop fleet of ATR 42s and 72s, Beech 1900s, Cessna 208B Grand Caravans and Xian MA60s.

Image: GECAS.

Boeing delivers the 1,000th 737 Sky Interior

Boeing’s (Chicago and Seattle) passenger-inspired 737 Boeing Sky Interior marked its 1,000th milestone delivery with Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (Oslo).

The 737 Boeing Sky Interior features modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead stowage bins.

Norwegian Air Shuttle was one of the launch customers for the 737 Boeing Sky Interior. This is the airline’s 48th Next-Generation 737-800 with the new interior, making it the largest airline operating with the 737 Boeing Sky Interior in Europe.

A passenger survey conducted by Norwegian Air Shuttle soon after the airline began service with the new look found that more than half of respondents rate the 737 Boeing Sky Interior more comfortable than the standard interior. And passengers reported they feel “happier” in the new interior.

Since the first 737 Boeing Sky Interior was delivered in October 2010, more than 60 customers have ordered the new interior.

Approximately 85 percent of Boeing’s backlog of more than 1,900 Next-Generation 737s will be delivered with the 737 Boeing Sky Interior. The passenger-preferred interior will be standard on Boeing’s newest family of single-aisle airplanes, the 737 MAX.

Copyright Photo: Norwegian. Norwegian received its first Boeing 737-800 aircraft with Boeing Sky Interior in 2010. The sleek design features curving architecture and new cove lighting based on Boeing’s Dreamliner interior. The LED “mood” lighting adds a feeling of spaciousness and improves the cabin perception. The cabin crew can also simulate sunset and sunrise, enhancing passenger comfort and ambience.

Norwegian:

United Airlines and Association of Flight Attendants agree to avert any involuntary furloughs

United Airlines (Chicago) and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) have agreed to advert all involuntary furloughs. The AFA issued this statement: The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), representing over 25,000 Flight Attendants at United Airlines, announced an agreement with United management that averts involuntary furloughs at the world’s leading airline through improved voluntary options. The mutual agreement between AFA and management also provides employment for Flight Attendants originally slated to lose their jobs by offering an enhanced crossover agreement to pre-merger Continental Airlines. In other news, United will end the Washington (Dulles)-San Salvador route on March 31 per Airline Route. The route is currently operated three days a week with Boeing 737-800s. Additionally the carrier will launch daily summer United Express service between the Denver hub and Sun Valley, Idaho from July 2 through September 22 with Bombardier CRJ700s.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-824 N26210 (msn 28770) in the Star Alliance colors arrives at the Washington (Dulles) hub.

United Airlines (current):