Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa), as planned, on April 21 extended the Addis Ababa – Hong Kong route to Tokyo (Narita) in association with Star Alliance partner ANA (Tokyo). The route is operated three days a week with its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 ET-AOV (msn 34750) touches down in London (Heathrow).
Ethiopian Airlines aircraft slide show:ย 
Norwegian Long Haul (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) continues to expand its long route network with new destinations. Norwegian will launch nonstop flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico from Stockholm (Arlanda), Oslo, Copenhagen and London (Gatwick).
Stockholm and Copenhagen will also get nonstop flights to Las Vegas. From Copenhagen Norwegian is launching a new route to the Caribbean island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.
Here is a list of the new Norwegian Boeing 787 routes:
Stockholm – San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
Weekly on Tuesdays, starting November 3
Stockholm – Las Vegas (LAS)
Weekly on Saturdays, starting October 31
Copenhagen – San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
Weekly on Mondays, starting November 6
Copenhagen – St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (STX)
Weekly on Mondays, starting November 9
Copenhagen – Las Vegas (LAS)
Weekly on Tuesdays, starting November 10
Oslo – San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
Weekly on Sundays, starting November 1
London Gatwick – San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
Two flights a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting November 4
Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner EI-LNG (msn 35314) with Norwegian artist Edvard Munch on the tail approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
Below Photo: Norwegian. Norwegian Long Haul crew.
Norwegian aircraft slide show:ย
Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has agreed to the permanent display of one of the original 787-8 Dreamliner flight test airplanes at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
This particular 787, test designated as ZA002 and registered as N787EX (msn 40691), is the second Boeing 787-8 to be produced. The airplane flew for the first time on December 22, 2009, joining what would become a six-airplane flight test and certification program for the 787-8. The primary focus of ZA002 was testing systems performance.
Interestingly Boeing registered N787EX with the FAA as a “787-83Q” but later decided to drop all Boeing customer codes in the designation (for the first time) and elected to designate all Dreamliners as 787-8s, 787-9s etc.
Coinciding with the 787 induction, the Pima Air and Space Museum also unveiled its new ‘Women in Flight’ exhibit, commemorating the achievements of female aviators over the past century.
ZA002 is the second of three flight test 787-8s Boeing plans to share with communities and future generations of employees and airplane enthusiasts.
The Pima Air and Space Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum in the United States. The museum maintains a collection of more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globeโincluding many rare and one-of-a-kindโand more than 125,000 artifacts. The museum is located at 6000 E. Valencia Road, Tucson, Exit 267 off Interstate 10.
Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com. Although N787EX was painted in full ANA colors it was never delivered to launch customer ANA due to being an early model. Delivery aircraft incorporated changes Boeing made as a result of the testing.
ANA aircraft slide show:ย
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has withdrawn its petition to the NLRB for an April 22 union election at Boeing (Charleston). The unionizing election is essence has now been postponed. The union issued this statement:
Citing a toxic environment and gross violations of workersโ lawful organizing rights, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on April 17 withdrew its petition with the NLRB for an April 22 union election at the Boeing Company in North Charleston, SC. The decision pushes the date for a subsequent election forward by at least six months and was made after IAM organizers conducted home visits with more than 1,700 Boeing workers.
The petition for a union election was filed on March 16, 2015 after a significant number of Boeing workers signed authorization cards expressing interest in union representation. Workers at Boeing had reached out to the IAM regarding numerous workplace concerns, including forced overtime, rising health care costs and a lack of respect on the shop floor.
โAfter speaking with Boeing workers who we were previously unable to reach, weโve determined now is not the right time for an election,โ said lead IAM organizer Mike Evans. โAn atmosphere of threats, harassment and unprecedented political interference has intimidated workers to the point we donโt believe a free and fair election is possible.โ
In addition to filing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges, the IAM recently suspended home visits after two organizers were threatened at gunpoint and others reported hostile and near-violent confrontations.
โThe right to organize is a legally protected civil right and no one who chooses to exercise that right in North Charleston, SC should fear for their life or safety,โ said Evans. โI hold the Boeing Company, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and their surrogates responsible for creating an atmosphere of state-sanctioned hostility toward unions and union organizers.โ
The IAM will continue to work with Boeing workers and members of the Charleston community to further communicate the benefits of collective bargaining for workers and their local economies. Efforts will also be made to dispel the misinformation spread by Boeing and their allies over recent weeks.
โBoeing workers reached out to us initially because they wanted to be treated fairly on the job and build a better, more secure life for themselves and their families,โ said Evans. โBoeingโs campaign of rumors and threats may have succeeded in delaying this election, but the fight to win collective bargaining rights for thousands of Boeing South Carolina workers is far from over.โ
Copyright Photo: Arisara Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Theย Boeing 787 Flight Line at North Charleston, South Carolina (CHS).
Air Lease Corporation (Los Angeles) has announced a long term lease agreement with AeroMexico (Mexico City) for one new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This aircraft is from ALCโs order book with Boeing and is scheduled for delivery in fall 2016.
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. AeroMexico will take delivery of the first stretched Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in 2016 and the new type will replace the existing and aging two Boeing 767-300 ERs. The new 787-9s will operate along with the current smaller 787-8 Dreamliners. The pictured 787-8 N964AM (msn 35307) lands in London (Heathrow).
AeroMexico aircraft slide show:ย
LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw) is back in the black, producing its first profit in seven years. The airline issued this statement:
LOT ended 2014 in the black. With more than PLN 99 million ($26 million) profit on its core business of flying, LOT earned 40 percent more than it planned. This is the company’s first profit in seven years.
LOT was supposed to end 2014 with PLN 70 million ($19 million) profit on its core business but it is almost 30 million ($8 million) above the Restructuring Plan assumptions and 103 million ($27 million) more than in 2013.
“The company is steadily improving its situation, stabilizing its financial condition and getting ready for rapid growth in the next year,” said Sebastian Mikosz, CEO, LOT Polish Airlines. “The positive result on the core business, which is a key indicator of our company’s health, is of utmost importance since it has been achieved regardless of the compensation measures required by the European Commission.”
“Because of the public aid received, we had to cut the number of flights by almost eight percent in 2014, compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, we carried two percent more passengers and increased the revenue in comparison with 2013, while keeping a similar cost level,” continued Mikosz.
The company owes its positive results to consistent changes and initiatives included in the Restructuring Plan. Most of them were added as early as in 2013, but 2014 was the first full year to have seen the results. LOT continues to modernize and expand its sales channels, including mobile solutions. The quality of service is gradually improving. New products are being added to address new passenger groups in the market.
The new philosophy of building a network has also paid off. LOT has increased its connecting capacities by as much as over 40 percent in its Warsaw hub. Such connecting options are among the reasons why LOT has become the first choice for a constantly growing number of passengers from Poland as well as the entire Eastern and Central Europe region.
2014 was also the first year to have seen the Dreamliner effect since it was only in the entire past year that all long-haul flights were operated exclusively with these aircraft. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is not only popular among passengers but provides tangible benefits, such as fuel savings. LOT currently operates six Dreamliners on its schedule network, leases them to other airlines and operates long-haul charter flights in the winter season. An efficient use of the Dreamliner fleet is included in the Restructuring Plan.
“The results in 2014 show we can operate effectively in this very competitive market, and there is a place for such a carrier as LOT,” added Mikosz. “However, we have to remember that this is just the first step of transformation and more challenges are ahead. This year, we are bound to repeat the financial success, as it is our goal to achieve sustained profitability and to move from restructuring to a rapid growth of the company.”
LOT has also improved other indicators. The EBITDA — indicator of company performance which determines the cash flow generating ability — also improved. EBITDA in 2014, is PLN 291 million ($77 million), compared to 2013 PLN 156 million ($41 million) and 2012 a minus PLN 346 million ($91 million).
The normalized net profit, i.e. without one-offs and accounting effects, is also positive and amounts nearly to PLN 36 million ($9.5 million). Taking into account the one-offs and accounting effects, related to the increase of currency exchanging rates (mainly of the dollar), a minus appears at the net result at the level of 263.4 million ($70 million). This is only an artificial accounting record having no effect on the actual financial health of the company. It is because the relationship between LOT’s earnings and spending in foreign currencies is fairly in balance. Therefore, no currency is in fact exchanged, but only the amounts are booked in PLN according to the valid standards. The net profit in the previous year amounted to PLN 26 million ($7 million). The normalized net profit in 2013 was a minus 67 million ($18 million).
Owing to the consistent improvement of its financial condition, LOT postponed and considerably reduced by as much as two thirds, the money it received from the second state aid tranche. At the end of 2014, LOT received PLN 127 million ($34 million.). It should be emphasized that the amount of state aid has no effect on the result.
The company’s growth policy for 2016 is underway. It will be announced in the next few months new short- and long-haul destinations. LOT will start flying on those routes at the beginning of the next year when the Restructuring Plan is formally ended.
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. The airline attributes the turnaround to its game changing six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and its restructuring program as the main reasons for the change in fortunes.
LOT Polish Airlines aircraft slide show:ย
Xiamen Air (Xiamen) plans to launch its first European route to Amsterdam from Xiamen starting on July 26. The new route will be operated three days a week with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner B-2760 (msn 41540) approaches the runway at Paine Field near Everett before the handover.
Xiamen Air aircraft slide show:ย
Norwegian Long Haul (Norwegian Air Shuttle) (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) today (April 4) launched nonstop Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner service from London (Gatwick) to Orlando.ย Earlier this week, Norwegian also started the first nonstop flight between Copenhagen and Orlando. Orlando was launched as a long-haul destination by Norwegian last year from Oslo.
According to the airline, “theย London Gatwick (LGW) to Orlando (MCO) route will go operate once a week, on Saturdays. To launch more long-haul routes between London Gatwick and the United States is part of Norwegian’s strategy to grow globally and get a stronger foothold internationally. Last summer, Norwegian launched direct flights to New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood (FLL) from London Gatwick.
Norwegian currently has seven Dreamliner planes that operate long-haul routes between the US and Europe, and between Scandinavia and Asia. In 2018, Norwegian will have a long-haul fleet of 17 Dreamliner aircraft.”
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner EI-LNF (msn 35313) arrives at London (Gatwick).
Norwegian aircraft slide show:ย
Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has been forced to parked two new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners at Victorville, California that were due to be delivered to American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth). The two 787s are being stored due to late arriving and backlogged high-end seats according to Steve Wilhelm of the the Puget Sound Business Journal. The seats are manufactured by Zodiac Aerospace.
Both Airbus and Boeing are experiencing interior cabin delays due to the backlog.
Read the full article: CLICK HERE
According to their website, “Zodiac Aerospace is a world leader in aerospace equipment and systems for commercial, regional and business aircraft, as well as helicopters and space applications.”
Photo Above: American Airlines. According to the airline, “The 787ย Business Suite, which features a seat that transforms into a fully lie-flat 77-inch bed, provides infinite adjustability, and includes a unique “z-shaped” lounge position for increased comfort.”
American Airlines is still planning to begin Boeing 787 revenue service domestically between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago (ORD) on May 7, 2015. The Boeing 787 will then shift to the AA international network to serve AA’s daily nonstop flight between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Beijing (PEK) beginning on June 2 and on the nonstop flight between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Buenos Aires (EZE) on June 4.
Dallas/Fort Worth – Shanghai (Pudong) 787 service will also commence on June 26 replacing existing Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft.
In other news, both American Airlines and US Airways expect a single operating certificate (SOC) from the FAA on April 8, in essence ending US Airways. The combined company would then begin to operate under the new American Airlines AOC. US Airways’ Cactus call sign, as we previously reported, is also being retired. Some operating policies and procedures will remain separate under the new SOC.
Top Copyright Photo: Brian Peters/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Boeing 787-8 N800AN (msn 40618) at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was delivered to American Airlines on January 22, 2015 and has been undergoing crew training.
American Airlines aircraft slide show:ย
Air India (Mumbai) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) celebrated the airline’s milestone delivery yesterday (March 31) of its 20th 787 Dreamliner from Boeing’s final assembly facility in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The ictured Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as VT-ANU (msn 36292) also features the Star Alliance livery, Air India’s โ and the world’s โ first 787 to do so. The flag carrier joined the leading global airline network last year, reflecting the strong network growth of the Indian aviation market.
“Today Air India joins an elite group airlines who have taken delivery of 20 or more 787s and this milestone highlights the successful partnership we have between Boeing and Air India,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 787 continues to provide great value to Air India, opening new routes, with superior fuel efficiency and unmatched passenger comfort.”
Air India serves more than 60 domestic and 37 international destinations. The airline has ordered 27 787 Dreamliners, with seven more scheduled to be delivered.
Photo: Boeing.
Air India aircraft slide show:ย
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