Tag Archives: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Lufthansa orders five Airbus A350-900s and five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Lufthansa Group is accelerating the modernization of its fleet. New, highly cost and fuel-efficient aircraft are replacing older types on short, medium and long-haul routes. As a result, the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG decided to buy ten long-haul aircraft: five Airbus A350-900s and five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The Supervisory Board approved the purchase today. These aircraft will be operated by Lufthansa Airlines and strengthen the 5-star premium offer of the Group’s core brand.

As part of the long-standing fleet renewal program, a total of 175 new aircraft will be delivered to Lufthansa Group airlines this decade.

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said:
“Even in these challenging times, we are continuing to invest in a more modern, more efficient and a lower emission Lufthansa Group fleet. At the same time, we are pushing ahead with the modernization of our long-haul fleet even faster than planned prior to the coronavirus pandemic due to anticyclical opportunities. The new aircraft are the most modern of their kind. We want to further expand our global leadership role, among other things, with cutting-edge premium products and a state-of-the-art fleet – especially because we have a responsibility to the environment.”

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is scheduled to fly for Lufthansa as early as next winter, with others to follow in the first half of 2022. Today’s decision brings the total number of firm orders for Boeing 787-9s and Boeing 777-9s to 45 aircraft.

Due to the dramatic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global aviation, aircraft that had been ordered by some airlines could not be delivered in the past twelve months. Lufthansa held talks with Boeing and found a way to buy five 787-9 that were already manufactured. At the same time, the Group reached an agreement with Boeing on a restructured delivery plan.

Airbus A350-900
The five newly ordered Airbus A350-900s will be delivered in 2027 and 2028. This brings the total number of firm orders for the A350-900 to 45 aircraft. The Lufthansa Group also agreed with Airbus on a restructuring of planned deliveries.

In addition to renewing its long-haul fleet, Lufthansa is also focusing on the latest technology, maximum efficiency and the highest level of customer comfort on short-haul routes. In the current year alone, Lufthansa will take delivery of a new, fuel-efficient Airbus A320 family aircraft for short- and medium-haul routes on average every month. Delivery of a further 107 Airbus A320 Family aircraft is planned until 2027.

With the Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 777-9 and the Boeing 787-9, the Lufthansa Group will operate the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft in terms of kerosene consumption per passenger and 100 kilometers flown. On average, the new aircraft will only consume approximately 2.5 liters of kerosene per passenger and 100 kilometers flown. This is about 30 percent less than many current as well as previously operated long-haul aircraft models and will have an equally positive impact on the Group’s carbon footprint

The investment in new aircraft is in line with the framework agreement between the Economic Stabilization Fund of the Federal Republic of Germany (WSF) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The investments are also in line with the Group’s policy of limiting annual capital expenditures to the level of depreciation and amortization and strictly focusing on increasing company value

Current plans call for an initial fleet reduction, while at the same time extensively modernizing it in the future. The Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A350-900 will essentially replace the four-engine A340 long-haul aircraft as part of this process. Plans call for reducing the number of four-engine aircraft in the Lufthansa Group long-haul fleet to less than 15 percent by the middle of this decade; before the crisis, the share was around 50 percent. The aircraft purchases are accelerating the reduction of fleet complexity for more efficiency. The new, fuel-efficient aircraft will reduce operating costs by around 15 percent compared with the models they replace.

Top Copyright Photo: Lufthansa Airbus A350-941 D-AIXN (msn 292) IAD (Brian McDonough). Image: 946359.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show:

AeroMexico receives court approval for its new Boeing order

Grupo Aeroméxico, S.A.B. de C.V. has announced that following the information disclosed on April 23, 2021, regarding (i) Aeromexico’s agreement to increase its fleet with twenty-four (24) new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, including Boeing 737-8 and Boeing 737-9 MAX and four (4) 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft as part of its restructured agreements with the manufacturer and certain lessors and (ii) Aeromexico’s related agreements with other suppliers and financial entities ((i) and (ii) collectively, the Company informs that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, presiding over Aeromexico’s Chapter 11 voluntary financial restructuring process, has approved Aeromexico’s entry into the Transactions.

Aeromexico will continue pursuing, in an orderly manner, its voluntary financial restructuring through Chapter 11, while continuing to operate and offer services to its customers and contracting from its suppliers the goods and services required for operations. The Company will continue to strengthen its financial position and liquidity, protect and preserve its operations and assets, and implement the necessary adjustments to face the impact from COVID-19.

Top Copyright Photo: AeroMexico Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner XA-ADG (msn 44426) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 940207.

AeroMexico aircraft slide show:

ANA to install world’s first hands-free lavatory doors on 21 aircraft

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and 5-Star airline for eight consecutive years, has partnered with JAMCO Corporation to develop the world’s first hands-free door that allows easy access to lavatories on its aircraft. The innovative door was developed as part of the ANA Care Promise initiative, and will help limit potential vectors for the transmission of pathogens. The first hands-free doors will be introduced to domestic flights starting May 1.

“Guided by the principles of ANA Care Promise, we have continued to invest in the development and implementation of innovative technologies because the health and safety of passengers and our staff is the top priority,” said Shinichi Inoue, Senior Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Management & Planning. “The hands-free lavatory door is the latest example of us putting this principle into practice as we look for ways to make the travel experience safer and more convenient.”

The new lavatory door is equipped with a large inner door locking knob and an additional handle so that passengers can use their elbows to unlock the door. Because the door mechanism is different to those found on other aircraft, signage has been placed near the lavatory to provide operational instructions.

Above Copyright Photo: ANA (All Nippon Airways) – Air Japan Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner JA899A (msn 34519) (Star Alliance) NRT (Akira Uekawa). Image: 953557.

The hands-free lavatory will be installed on 11 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, two Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and eight Boeing 777-200s. The initial installation will be for aircrafts serving domestic routes, while ANA hopes to introduce the system to all domestic and international aircraft in the future.

To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other pathogens, ANA has instituted the ANA Care Promise program which goes above and beyond the recommendations from public health officials in order to keep passengers and employees healthy. With such efforts, ANA is the first airline in Asia and only the fourth in the world to receive the SKYTRAX Airline Safety 5-Star rating which confirms the effectiveness of ANA Care Promise.

ANA aircraft slide show:

Neos to operate passenger flights to New York JFK

Neos has officially obtained an approval from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate passenger flights to the United States.

The first route will be Milan Malpensa – New York JFK, twice a week and begins in the second half of June and will be “Covid Tested”.

The route is already active with two weekly frequencies for cargo transport and from June it will also be used for scheduled passenger transport flights.

The operations foresee the departure from Milan Malpensa on Thursdays and Sundays at 12:20 with arrival in New York at 14:50 on the same day, while the return flight will take off at 17:50 from New York with arrival in Milan Malpensa at 7:20 of the following day (local times).

In November 2020, Neos made the first international “Covid Free” flight between Milan and Nanjing, launching a protocol that, still today, represents the only way to travel from one country to another, eliminating the quarantine. The airline has also joined the IATA Travel Pass trial, a ‘digital passport’ that allows passengers to keep their health information on the app, verifiable by airlines and authorities by scanning a QR code. The IATA Travel Pass project will make it possible to streamline and speed up embarkation and disembarkation procedures, offering a safe and secure model for all travelers and their privacy.

Marco Finelli reporting from Italy.

Top Copyright Photo: Neos Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner EI-NEU (msn 38794) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 944065.

Neos aircraft photo gallery:

Neos aircraft slide show:

Qatar Airways to launch three weekly flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Qatar Airways has announced it will operate three weekly flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Accra from June 16, 2021 becoming the fourth new destination in Africa announced by the national carrier of the State of Qatar since the start of the pandemic.

The Abidjan service will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the aviation industry and, despite this, Qatar Airways never ceased operations and worked diligently to take people home safely and reliably throughout the crisis. The airline has also added seven new destinations in the past 12 months including San Francisco and Seattle in the US, Abuja, Accra and Luanda in Africa, and Brisbane and Cebu in Asia Pacific. The airline also recently announced that it will resume services to Khartoum, Sudan, with four weekly flights starting May 11, 2021.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 130 destinations with plans to increase to more than 1,200 weekly flight to over 140 destinations by end of July 2021. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivaled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to travel when they want to. Qatar Airways also offers strong connectivity to Asia-Pacific with destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta and Manila among many others.

Flight Schedule Monday, Wednesday & Friday:

Doha (DOH) to Abidjan (ABJ) QR1423 departs: 02:20 arrives: 09:10

Abidjan (ABJ) to Doha (DOH) QR1424 departs: 17:20 arrives: 06:10 +1

Top Copyright Photo: Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner A7-BHD (msn 64216) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 948027.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

Saudia and Gulf Air hold talks to enhance partnership

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, and Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently held talks to discuss their close commercial relationships and explore ways to build on the ties by establishing a codeshare agreement.

Being the first two airlines that started operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, Saudia and Gulf Air will cooperate to expand their footprints regionally and internationally by sharing their codes and offering guests the signature warmth of Arabian hospitality.

The codeshare will further enhance seamless travel options for passengers of Saudia and Gulf Air, providing wider choices of domestic destinations in Saudi Arabia and other international destinations across each airline’s network.

Saudia will place its ‘SV’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to Riyadh, Jeddah, Tbilisi, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Baku, and Multan. On the other hand, the agreement will see Gulf Air place its ‘GF’ code on SAUDIA flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Bahrain, Abha, Jizan, Yanbu, Aljouf, Ha’il, as well as Tunis–Carthage airports. These codeshare operations will commence from the upcoming summer schedule of 2021.

Saudia’s Al Fursan frequent flyer members traveling with Gulf Air on these routes will be eligible to earn and redeem miles for flights operated by either carrier on their codeshare routes. Similarly, Gulf Air’s Falconflyer members will be able to earn and redeem miles when flying on SAUDIA.

Top Copyright Photo: Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner HZ-ARD (msn 41547) (Year of Arabia Calligraphy 2021) CDG (Manuel Negrerie). Image: 953535.

Saudia aircraft slide show:

AeroMexico to add 24 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and four 787-9 Dreamliners

AeroMexico has made this announcement:

Aeromexico has reached agreement to increase its fleet with twenty-four (24) new Boeing 737 aircraft, including B737-8 and B737-9 MAX, and four (4) 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft as part of the airline’s restructured agreements with the manufacturer and certain lessors to incorporate new aircraft. Other suppliers and financial entities also participated in these transactions, resulting in a comprehensive deal that offers multiple benefits to the carrier.

Note: AeroMexico resumed 737 MAX operations on November 18, 2020.

Image: Boeing.

Image AeroMexico.

The addition of the first aircraft is scheduled for this year, with nine (9) offering service beginning this summer season, and the rest arriving in the second half of 2021 and during 2022. These transactions represent a milestone in Aeromexico’s transformation for the upcoming years, and their economic terms are highly competitive compared to current market levels.

These transactions make it possible for Aeromexico to modify long-term maintenance contracts and reduce leasing costs of eighteen (18) other aircraft that are part of the current fleet. Aeromexico estimates that reaching this comprehensive agreement will lead to total savings of approximately 2 billion dollars.

The comprehensive agreements are subject to the approval of the United States Court for the Southern District of New York, in charge of Aeromexico’s Chapter 11 voluntary financial restructuring process.

Aeromexico’s current fleet is comprised of 107 aircraft: 47 Embraer 190s, 42 Boeing 737s, and 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Image: AeroMexico.

Top Copyright Photo: AeroMexico Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner XA-ADG (msn 44426) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 940208.

AeroMexico aircraft slide show:

LATAM Group adjusts operational projection to 25% in April

LATAM estimates the passenger operation in April 2021 to reach 25% (measured in available seat kilometers – ASK) compared to the same month in 2019 and a pre-pandemic context. This operational projection is in line with the demand, which has been affected by new border closures and passenger travel restrictions due to the current impact of COVID-19 in the region.

The group plans to operate approximately 400 daily domestic and international flights this month, connecting 114 destinations in 15 countries. Meanwhile, in the Cargo Division, there are more than 1,150 cargo freighter flights scheduled.

All projections are subject to the evolution of the pandemic, as well as travel restrictions in the countries where LATAM operates.

During March 2021, passenger traffic (measured in revenue passenger-kilometers – RPK) was 22.6% in relation to the same period in 2019, based on an operation of 31.5% (measured in available seat-kilometers – ASK) compared to March 2019. As a result, the load factor decreased 23.3% percentage points to 59.5%.

With regard to the cargo operation, the load factor in March reached 67.2%, 9.1 percentage points higher than the same month of 2019.

LATAM Group Operational Estimate – April 2021 (measured in ASK):

Brazil ● 27% projected operation (versus April 2019) ○ 38% domestic and 16% international ● Total April routes: 72 domestic (equivalent to 190 daily flights) and 9 international.

Chile ● 18% projected operation (versus April 2019) ○ 50% domestic and 5% international ● Total April routes: 17 domestic (equivalent to 66 daily flights) and 11 international.

Colombia ● 64% projected operation (versus April 2019) ○ 107% domestic and 26% international ● Total April routes: 23 domestic (equivalent to 99 daily flights) and 2 international.

Ecuador ● 20% projected operation (versus April 2019) ○ 54% domestic and 11% international ● Total April routes: 6 domestic (equivalent to 14 daily flights) and 3 international.

Peru ● 31% projected operation (versus April 2019)○ 48% domestic and 25% international ● Total April routes: 18 domestic (equivalent to 67 daily flights) and 15 international.

Cargo Division ● 78% projected operation (versus April 2019) ○ 61% domestic belly y 36% international belly* ○ 128% freighter

*Belly: goods transported in the cargo hold (lower deck) of the aircraft.

Top Copyright Photo: LATAM Airlines (Chile) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGP (msn 38469) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 953352.

LATAM Airlines aircraft slide show:

Ethiopian launches high-end COVID-19 testing lab at its hub

Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s leading Airline, is pleased to announce that it has joined hands with BGI Health Ethiopia, a subsidiary of China’s biotech giant, the BGI Genomics Co., Ltd, to launch high-end COVID-19 testing laboratory at its main hub and the continent’s busiest airport, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The testing center is opened to revitalize the passengers’ business by creating seamless travel experience that includes COVID-19 testing to passengers that are departing or transiting via Addis Ababa.

The state-of-the-art COVID-19 testing lab is equipped with cutting-edge technologies to provide quick and accurate testing for passengers. Currently, the lab has a capacity to carry out 1,000 COVID-19 tests a day with a potential to grow further after expansion. Regular test results can be obtained within three hours, leading to a convenient travel arrangement by reducing waiting time for testing and result collection.

Further to significantly reducing the time and energy spent for testing, the launch of the testing center at the airport will elevate Ethiopian customer service and consolidate the airlines’ safety measures at the airport and onboard. Timeliness of COVID 19 test results has been an issue of concern for passengers who wish to transit or extend their stay in Ethiopia and the provision of testing at the airport simplifies customers journey with Ethiopian. The laboratory -performs RT-PCR and IgM antibody tests for COVID-19 to departing, arriving and transit passengers with high level of efficiency in delivering the results. As a result, Ethiopian hopes to see a revival of passenger traffic following the move.

Top Copyright Photo: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ET-AYC (msn 65091) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 949882.

Ethiopian aircraft slide show:

Air France to launch the Paris CDG – Denver route on July 2

Air France will launch on July 2, 2021 a new connection between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Denver International Airport (Colorado). Up to three direct flights will be operated each week (on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with a capacity of 279 seats (30 in Business cabin, 21 in Premium Economy and 228 in Economy).

This new destination will thus strengthen Air France’s service to the United States. Subject to the easing of travel restrictions, the airline will offer flights to 12 US cities during the 2021 summer season: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

With this new route, Europe will be connected to Denver for the first time nonstop by a SkyTeam member airline.

This flight schedule is subject to change depending on travel restrictions. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Air France has been adjusting its offer in real time, taking into account changes in the health situation. Prior to any trip, Air France invites its customers to check the conditions of entry and the documents required on arrival at their destination.

The best of Air France on board the Boeing 787

For Air France customers traveling to Denver, the Boeing 787 provides a number of assets. They will enjoy a real cocoon in the sky in the Business cabin and even more comfort in Premium Economy and Economy with:

–          On-board WiFi adapted to customers’ needs and expectations;
–          Windows that are approximately 30% larger than on similar aircraft;
–          Improved air pressure and humidity levels for greater travel comfort;
–          20% less fuel consumption than previous generation aircraft;
–          A significant reduction in CO₂ emissions (about 20%) as well as noise emissions.