Thai Lion Air (Bangkok-Don Mueang) is the new low-cost subsidiary of Lion Air of Indonesia. Lion Air has partnered with local Thai interests and is planning to launch operations later this year.
Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Boeing 737-9GP ER N5515R (msn 38738) with gray “Thai” titles before the main Lion titles, became HS-LTI when it was handed over on October 18, 2013.
Boeing (Chicago) hasย delivered to UTair Aviation (Khanty-Mansiysk), one of Russia’s leading national carriers, its first directly purchased Next-Generation 737-800. Boeing 737-8LP VP-BUL (msn 41707) was handed over yesterday (October 9). The airline currently has 40 Next-Generation 737s on order to be delivered in the next several years.
UTair’s new 737-800 seats 162 passengers and features the new Boeing Sky Interior. This interior is the latest in a series of enhancements for both airlines and passengers. It introduces LED lighting and curved architecture that welcomes passengers onboard and creates a greater sense of spaciousness and comfort in the cabin. The interior also features modern, sculpted sidewalls and overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling, yet carry more bags.
The Next-Generation 737 family has won orders for more than 6,500 airplanes, while the whole 737 family has surpassed 11,000 orders to date.
Based in Russia, UTair is an integrated air carrier and aircraft services company with over 40 years of experience. Today, UTair operates one of the largest aircraft fleets in Russia and ranks among the top three largest Russian carriers by passenger volume.
Top Copyright Photo: OSDU/AirlinersGallery.com. Acquired in the aircraft market, sister shipย Boeing 737-8GU WL VQ-BQP (msn 37553) arrives at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow.
UTair (Russia):ย 
Bottom Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker/AirlinersGallery.com. Brand new Boeing 737-8LP VP-BUL (msn 41707) is pictured at Boeing Field in Seattle before the hand over.
Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) on Friday (September 27) quietly took delivery of its first new Boeing 737-900 ER. The aircraft, the pictured 737-932 ER N801DZ (msn 31912) (fleet number 3801) with Blended Winglets, arrived at the Atlanta base yesterday morning (September 28).
On August 25, 2011, Deltaย announced it had ordered 100 Boeing 737-900 ER aircraft for delivery between 2013 and 2018 as it retires older mainline jets and upgrades its fleet.
According to Delta, “the order will enable Delta to add 100 fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art 180-seat aircraft to its fleet, replacing on a capacity-neutral basis older technology aircraft that will be retired from the fleet. ย The new aircraft will improve the companyโs profitability while providing customers with an industry-leading on-board experience. ย With a range of 3,200 nautical miles, the Boeing 737-900ER can operate on any domestic route offered by Delta.”
As previously reported, Delta will take delivery of 12 737-900 ER aircraft in 2013, 19 aircraft per year in 2014 through 2017, and the remaining 12 aircraft in 2018. Each aircraft has committed long-term financing.
As a result of maintenance efficiencies and a 15 to 20 percent improvement in fuel consumption per seat, the Boeing 737-900 ER will have lower unit costs than the older technology Boeing 757 and 767 and Airbus A320 aircraft that it will replace. ย The aircraft will be equipped with CFM56-7B engines produced by CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric Company of the U.S. and Snecma ofย France.
The 737-900 ER will be Deltaโs first aircraft to feature Boeingโs new โSky Interior,โ which offers expanded carry-on baggage space, a roomier, more airy cabin and an LED lighting system that provides different color schemes, such as a soft blue sky and a relaxing pallet of sunset colors.
Update: On Monday, September 30, 2013 Boeing issued this statement:
Boeing and Delta Air Lines celebrated the delivery of the carrier’s first Next-Generation 737-900 ER (Extended Range). The delivery is part of Delta’s 100-airplane order placed in 2011 to renew its single-aisle fleet with more fuel-efficient airplanes.
The Boeing 737-900 ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family. It has the highest capacity and lowest seat-mile cost of Boeing’s single-aisle family. The 737-900 ER will fit seamlessly into Delta’s existing fleet of 737-700 and 737-800 airplanes, allowing Delta to efficiently match capacity to market demand with industry leading economics.
Delta’s new 737-900E R seats 180 passengers and features the new Boeing Sky Interior. This interior is the latest in a series of enhancements for both airlines and passengers. It introduces new LED lighting and curved architecture that welcomes passengers onboard and creates a greater sense of spaciousness and comfort in the cabin. The interior also features modern, sculpted sidewalls and overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling, yet carry more bags.
Top Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-932 ER N801DZ (msn 31912) lands at Boeing Field (King County) in Seattle after a test flight.
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Delta Air Lines:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp/AirlinersGallery.com. Another view of N801DZ at Boeing Field.
Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow) is on the verge this month of taking delivery of its first new Boeing 737-800. This will be the return of the Boeing 737 type to the Aeroflot fleet. The Russian carrier operated the 737-400 in 1998. Aeroflot will join a growing list of airlines operating both the Airbus A320 Family of aircraft and the Boeing 737 Next Generation Family of aircraft.
Aeroflot intends to eventually operate 65 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft through Russian Technologies including 25 Boeing 737-800s with Winglets as well as the 737-700 and 737-900 ER.
Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Boeing 737-8LJ VP-BRF (msn 41195) at Boeing Field in Seattle will be the first and is namedย S. Obraztsov.
Aeroflot:ย
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Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) is ranked Number 1 in fuel efficiency in a report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, D.C. The ICCT study is the first to quantify fuel performance for U.S. airlines.
Alaska, along with its regional partner Horizon Air, led all 15 mainline U.S. carriers as the most fuel-efficient airline operating in the United States in 2010, outperforming the least fuel-efficient carrier by 26 percent.
“We have made significant investments in our fleet, technology and processes to improve our fuel performance, which is a key part of Alaska’s commitment to be the airline industry leader in environmental stewardship. These sustainability efforts also help us keep our costs down in order to provide better value for our customers,” said Keith Loveless, Alaska Air Group’s executive vice president and general counsel. “We’re proud and gratified to see our efforts validated by such an independent and respected source as the International Council on Clean Transportation.”
The ICCT study looked at fuel-consumption data reported annually by airlines to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The study employed methodology developed by a team of researchers at the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR) at the University of California, Berkeley, to evaluate fuel efficiency based on passenger miles between origin and destination as well as airports served and/or flight frequency. Researchers looked at fuel burned and identified inefficiencies, such as the use of older technology, circuitous routing and taxiing with two engines instead of one.
By improving its fuel efficiency in recent years, Alaska Airlines reduced its carbon emissions by 30 percent (measured by flying one passenger one mile). This reduction was accomplished through a variety of measuresโmost notably by migrating to exclusively flying the Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q400, the most fuel-efficient aircraft in their classes.
Alaska Airlines has also made other improvements in its sustainability efforts:
Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-990 ER N403AS (msn 41730) climbs away from Boeing Field in Seattle. All-Boeing Alaska enjoys one of the shortest delivery flights in the world from Boeing Field (King County) (BFI) in Seattle to nearby Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Alaska Airlines:ย
Boeing (Chicago) has delivered a Next-Generation 737-800 to Iraqi Airways (Baghdad), the first of 30 that the airline ordered in 2008, marking a milestone in its relationship with the airline.
With the delivery of Boeing 737-81Z YI-ASE (msn 40104) on August 12, 2013, Iraqi Airways currently has 39 Boeing airplanes on order, including 29 Next-Generation 737-800s and 10 787 Dreamliners.
Copyright Photo: Duncan Kirk/AirlinersGallery.com. Showing off the Arabic titles side, Boeing 737-81Z YI-ASE is pictured on a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. The delivery also ushered in a new look for Iraqi.
Iraqi Airways:ย 
Hainan Airlines (Hainan Airlines Company Ltd.) (Haikou and Beijing) brought its first 787 Dreamliner aircraft to China on July 7 at 11 a.m., when the pictured 787-8 B-2722 (msn 34939) landed atย Haikou Meilan International Airport.
Top Copyright Photo: Jim Arlow. B-2722 stopped at Seattle (Boeing Field) on its long journey between Charleston and Haikou.
The airline issued this statement:
With the delivery completed, Hainan Airlines becomes the second Chinese airline with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner as part of its fleet. At the welcoming ceremony, Hainan Airlines simultaneously kicked off the “Fly Your Dreams” program, during which the airlines will hand out hundreds of 787 Dreamliner air tickets to graduating college students and model workers as well as randomly selected romantically-engaged couples and ordinary citizens free of charge, providing an unparalleled flying experienceย for the lucky recipients.
Copyright Photo: Hainan Airlines. B-2722 in flight.
At 11 a.m., the long-awaited 787 Dreamliner aircraft appeared as a great majestic bird in the distance, grabbing the attention of all present. The golden yellow silhouette of the craft glistened against the azure blue of the sky moments before passing through the “water gate,” washing off the dust accumulated during 13 hours of flight. At last, the plane glided to a smooth stop on the spacious parking apron.
Copyright Photo: Hainan Airlines. B-2722 arrives in Haikou and group poses for this historic photo.
Captain Theodore V. Shropshire ofย Boeingย said at the ceremony, “We are excited to witness the maiden flight of Hainan’s first 787 Dreamliner. Boeing remains committed to providing efficient and safe aircraft and technical support for Hainan Airlines. We look forward to more planes from Boeing joining Hainan Airlines’ fleet.”
Copyright Photo: Jim Arlow. Here is the cabin of B-2722.
Hainan Airline’s first two Boeing 787 Dreamliners will initially be used on three domestic routes: Beijing-Haikou and Beijing-Shanghai, and then, following a three-month trial operation along these routes, will become available for North America’s medium- and long-haul international flights including Beijing-Chicago (O’Hare), Beijing-Seattle/Tacoma and Beijing-Toronto (Pearson), further enhancing Hainan Airlines’ global competitiveness. Hainan Airlines’ first 787 will initially be used on the Beijing-Haikou route, sparking a tourism boom between Hainan andย Beijingย during the summer travel peak season.
Hainan Airlines celebrated its 20th anniversary this year while also launching the “Fly Your Dreams” program. The arrival of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft marked the start ofย Hainan Airlines’ journey to a new dream.
After the delivery ceremony,ย Liu Luย announced the start of the 2013 Hainan Airlines 787 “Fly Your Dreams” program. Lin Tao, Deng Xiaogang the leaders from the government ofย Hainanย province and Li Xianhua, the CEO of HNA Group, stepped on stage and inserted a key into a globe, jointly launching the program.
Copyright Photo: Jim Arlow. Another view of the cabin of B-2722.
The program, broken down into five individual segments themed “Student Dream Comes True,” “Travel Dream Comes True,” “Romanceย Dream Comes True,” “Flying Dream Comes True” and “North American Dream Comes True” will send hundreds of free 787 flight passenger tickets to students from low-income homes who have participated in the recent college entrance exam; locally-based Party members who have performed “above and beyond”; model laborers; air travel aficionados; long distance couples; and ordinary citizens. The program will allow students to travel to their colleges, model laborers to visitย Beijing, ordinary citizens to fulfill their dream of flying for the first time, air travel enthusiasts to experience the new 787 and long distance couples a chance to reunite. Passengers can participate in Hainan Airlines’ ” Fly Your Dreams ” program by visiting the company’s official website atย www.hnair.com, following Hainan Airlines on the company’s official microblog on Weibo and its official chat account on China’s instant voice messaging app We Chat.
Afterwards HNA’s vice president Huang Qijun handed out the first batch of round trip air tickets between Haikou and Beijing to Hainan-based model workers, who will take the maiden voyage 787 flight to Beijing, realizing their travel dreams.
“Hainan Airlines’ firstย 787 Dreamlinerย will take its first commercial maiden voyage on July 11. The most important mission of this flight is for the airline to achieve its dream plan and realize that dream through the 787 Dreamliner, while providing a safe and comfortable onboard experience for each traveler achieving their own personal dream by being on the flight,”ย Liu Luย added.
A Boeing 737-800 made the airline’s first maiden flight between Haikou and Beijing 20 years ago, and now the airline has chosen another Boeing model, the new 787, to upgrade this route. The airline has continuously added aircraft, from a mere two when the route was first launched, to over 120 craft today. In those 20 years, Hainan Airlines has successively added over 100ย Boeingย planes to its fleet, becoming an important partner of Boeing in China. The Hainan Airlines’ fleet is now providing 500 routes connecting nearly 90 cities around the world. Hainan Airlines plans to upgrade the overall quality of the fleet through the introduction of more advanced models, expand the route network, consistently add routes to meet customer demand and help with China’s economic and social development as the airline and the country continue to modernize. The 787 Dreamliner addition to the fleet is another step in the airline’s efforts to perfect its five-star level of services and create the ideal flyingย experienceย for passengers through its advanced aviation technologies and design concepts.
Sixteen “787 Dream Angels” sporting Hainan Airlines’ grey uniforms made an appearance at the ceremony, and were awarded “Golden Wing” hair accessories by the company. The accessories each have the number “787” embedded in the design, a design which looks like a pair of wings, representing the goodwill behind the realization of Hainan Airlines’ “Golden Dreams.”
The “Dream Angel” crew was selected from more than 3,000 Hainan Airlines crewmembers, and flew on the airline’s first 787 Dreamliner from Charleston, South Carolina in the U.S. toย Haikou Meilan International Airportย as the plane was being delivered. Each selected crewmember has clocked in thousands of hours of in-flight experience and was chosen for their excellent service skills. Hainan Airlines, by combining its special five-star services with the personalized design of theย Boeing 787ย aircraft, will enable passengers to partake of an onboard experience akin to a “golden dream.”
In the cabin of the Boeing 787, a flight attendant from the “Dream Angel” crew briefly introduced the customized design of the passenger cabin. With bright red, the representative color of the Chinese nation and its people, as the dominant color, the layout and design of the entire cabin demonstrates Hainan Airlines’ service positioning and brand image as the “The Beauty of the Orient.” The roomy cabin features 213 seats, the lowest number among all the 787 Dreamliners delivered into China. The 36-seat business class cabin is configured in a 2-2-2 layout, with full flat-bed seats and a wide 2.4-meter (95-inch) space separating each seat. The 177-seat economy class cabin with a 3-3-3 seating layout features upgraded seats providing a higher level of comfort. The entire aircraft is equipped with individual 15-inch in-flight entertainment screens and easy access to power supply ports. USB ports are provided in the business class cabin. The newly-designed and lavishly equipped lavatory facilities fully embody the quality goals of Hainan Airlines’ five-star services.
Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines has developed a set of brand new services for passengers on the Boeing 787 aircraft. During the first week following the maiden flight, every passenger will have the opportunity to enjoy special “Golden Dream” welcome drinks as well as “Dream Cookies” specially supplied for 787 Dreamliners. The cookies will also contain “fortune cookie” messages designed to amuse passengers. In addition, Hainan Airlines offers specially produced 787 Series postcards as part of the “Post Office in the Air” onboard service, enabling passengers to send their messages while airborne and to truly experience the fun of being in flight while partaking of Hainan Airlines’ five-star service.
Hainan Airlines:ย
Spring Airlines Japan (Tokyo-Narita) as the new low-cost subsidiary of Spring Airlines (Shanghai), has been approved by Japan’s MLIT for a launch of scheduled passenger operations. However the new airline is now planning to commence operations in late 2013 or early 2014 according to CAPA. The new airline is planning to operate domestic routes initially from Narita Airport to Hiroshima, Kumamoto and Takamatsu. The airline previously was hoping to start operations in the spring of 2013 and the first Boeing 737-800 was prepared for delivery.
Spring Airlines is the largest low-cost carrier in China andย operates over 50 international and domestic routes covering a network of more than 30 cities across China, Japan and Thailand.ย Spring Airlines is the aviation subsidiary of Shanghai Spring International Travel Service.
Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp/AirlinersGallery.com. Unlike the parent which operates Airbus A320s, Spring Airlines Japan will operate Boeing 737-800s. The Japanese subsidiary also has a different livery.ย Boeing 737-81D N272LM (msn 39429) will be delivered as JA01GR.
Spring Airlines (China):ย 
Iraqi Airways (Baghdad) in May 2008, through the Iraqi government, ordered 30 new Boeing 737-800s from The Boeing Company with options for 10 additional aircraft. The first aircraft in the order is being prepared for delivery. The flag carrier is taking the opportunity to also introduce a new livery for the airline. The airline is retaining its historic green and while color scheme but now with updated lines.
Copyright Photo: Duncan Kirk/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-81Z YI-ASE (msn 40104) taxies to the runway at Boeing Field (King County) in Seattle yesterday (May 28) in the evening for a test flight.
Iraqi Airways:ย
Spring Airlines Japan Boeing 737-81D WL N272LM (JA01GR) (msn 39429) BFI (Rick Schlamp). Image: 912049.
Copyright Photo: Rick Schlamp.
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