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CommutAir (United Express) (Burlington, VT) has confirmed that its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), ratified a new four year contract that the company called a “significant accomplishment in light of a very challenging employment environment”.
The new four year deal addresses key quality of life and pay issues as well as important productivity concerns as the Company implements significant growth plans with the addition of 40 Embraer ERJ 145 jet aircraft to its fleet pursuant to the recently announced five year flying contract with United Airlines.
In addition to the announced aircraft growth the Company has established a “Career Path Program” CPP with United Airlines where participating pilots are offered the option to transition from CommutAir to United after meeting various service, performance record and accumulated flight hour requirements.
CommutAir, operating as United Express, is the d/b/a of Champlain Enterprises Inc., an airline holding company founded in the 1980s. Today, CommutAir operates a large fleet of Bombardier Q200/Q300 aircraft with more than 650 weekly flights to 29 airports.
Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. CommutAir’s Bombardier DHC-8-202 (Q200) N364PH (msn 524) arrives at Baltimore/Washington.
Bombardier (Montreal and Toronto) today issued this statement about Qazaq Air (Almaty) becoming a new Q400 operator:
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft today welcomed Qazaq Air to the family of Q400 aircraft operators.
Qazaq Air, a subsidiary of Samruk Kazyna, Kazakhstan’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, has announced that it will launch domestic service in Kazakhstan with three Bombardier Q400 aircraft leased from Falcon Aviation Services LLC (Abu Dhabi).
Many of the 12 routes on which the Q400 aircraft will operate are not currently served by any other carrier.
The first aircraft to be painted is Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) P4-NUR (msn 4494).
Jetstar Airways (Melbourne) has announced plans to start flying to regional destinations in New Zealand starting in December*.
The new services will be operated by a fleet of five 50-seat Bombardier DHC-8-300 (Q300) Dash 8 turboprop aircraft and are expected to create at least 100 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew, and ground crew.
The services are expected to operate to at least four regional destinations initially, with some of those under consideration being Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier and Palmerston North in the North Island and Nelson and Invercargill in the South Island. These will connect with one or more of Jetstar’s current domestic destinations.
Regional fares will go on sale in September with first flights taking off in early December, in time for the busy summer and holiday season.
Jetstar Airways, which is fully owned by QANTAS Airways, launched Trans-Tasman flights in 2005 and established domestic operations in New Zealand in June 2009. The low cost carrier’s fleet of nine Airbus A320 aircraft operate up to up to 240 domestic and 100 international flights a week.
Jetstar has crew bases in Auckland and Christchurch and provides employment for over 400 pilots, cabin crew, engineers and ground crew around the country.
The Jetstar-branded regional services, which will be marketed and managed by Jetstar, will be operated by QANTAS Link. Under this arrangement, QANTAS-owned Eastern Australia Airlines (Sydney), which has operated Q200 and Q300 aircraft in Australia for QANTAS Link for over 15 years, will manage the aircraft operations.
* Services are subject to regulatory approval.
Copyright Photo: Rob Finlayson/AirlinersGallery.com. Eastern Australia Airlines operates both the pictured Bombardier (de Havilland Canada) DHC-8-200 Dash 8 and the DHC-8-300 (Q300) aircraft types on regional routes in Australia under the QANTAS Link brand. DHC-8-201 VH-TQG (msn 430) waits for the next flight at the gate at Hobart, Tasmania.
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will begin daily nonstop service between Boise, Idaho and Spokane, Washington, starting August 24, 2015.
With the addition of Spokane, Alaska Airlines now flies to eight destinations from Boise: Lewiston, Idaho, Portland, Oregon, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Jose, California, Seattle/Tacoma and Spokane.
The new flight, which is just under 70 minutes, will be operated by Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) (Seattle/Tacoma) for Alaska Airlines using 76-seat Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Alaska Horizon (Horizon Air) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N422QX (msn 4150) climbs away from the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Icelandair Group (Icelandair and Air Iceland) (Reykjavik) has announced Icelandair will operate two Boeing 767-300s. The Group has also announced plans to replace Air Iceland’s aging Fokker 50 fleet with newer Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft. The Group issued this statement:
The Board of Directors of Icelandair Group has decided to update the fleet policies of the subsidiaries Icelandair and Air Iceland.
All five Fokker 50 aircraft that Air Iceland operates will be sold and three Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 will replace it. After that Air Iceland will operate five aircraft, three Bombardier Q400 and two Q200. The Q400 aircraft can seat 74 passengers while the Fokker 50 takes 50 passengers.
The airline’s operations will be simplified and optimised as number of aircraft decrease and synergies will increase as all aircraft will be from the same manufacturer. As the Q400 is faster and has a longer range,
Air Iceland Route Map: Air Iceland flies domestically in Iceland and adjacently to Greenland.
Air Iceland sees opportunities in new markets. The company will be better equipped to service the domestic market as the aircraft are larger and travel time will be shorter. The airline aims to increase the number of foreign tourists on board its aircraft going forward.
In 2015 Icelandair will operate 23 Boeing 757-200 that take 183 passengers and one 757-300 that takes 220 passengers. The company owns 22 of those aircraft and leases two that will be redelivered this autumn.
Above Copyright Photo: Boeing 757-208 TF-FIN (msn 28989) taxies at London (Heathrow). LHR is a likely place where the larger Boeing 767-300 would be utilized along with New York (JFK).
It has been decided that they will be replaced with two Boeing 767-300 aircraft that take 260 passengers that will be added to the route network as of the spring of 2016. Larger aircraft are more feasible due to high load factors on many routes all year round and limited number of landing slots on certain airports. The increase of the fleet in the last few years has made it more economical to have more than one size of aircraft in the fleet. The Boeing 767 aircraft is similar to the 757 in terms of maintenance and crew training and the airline has experience in operating that type.
Above Copyright Photo: Daniel White – Bruce Drum Collection. Icelandair is very familiar with the Boeing 767-300 as subsidiary Loftleidir Icelandic has been a past operator of the type. Boeing 767-3Y0 ER TF-FIA (msn 24953) taxies at Sanford (SFB).
Icelandair Group’s subsidiary, Loftleidir Icelandic, has operated 767 aircraft in leasing projects that have been maintained by Icelandair. The aircraft has longer range than the 757 which will create new opportunities for the route network.
It has not been decided whether the new aircraft will be purchased or leased.
Bjorgolfur Johannsson, President and CEO of Icelandair Group: “Operating one type of aircraft has been very economical for Icelandair but when the route network and the fleet reaches a certain size it becomes more feasible to have a broader range of aircraft in the fleet. High load factors all year round and limited number of landing slots on certain airports also support this decision. In terms of Air Iceland a simpler and more economical fleet will make the operations better as crew training will be simpler.
We foresee further growth opportunities in the coming years with these changes to the fleet policy for passenger aircraft. Both the Boeing 767 and Q400 aircraft can service markets that the current fleet cannot, which will enable us to go into new markets and connect them to the current route network.”
Top Copyright Photo: Wingnut/AirlinersGallery.com. The five Fokker F.27 Mk. 050s (Fokker 50s) will be sold. Flugfelag Islands-Air Iceland Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 TF-JMO (msn 20205) lands at the Reykjavik (RKV) base.
SpiceJet (Delhi) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) VT-SUA (msn 4373) operating flight SG 1085 from Bangalore to Hubli was involved in an incident on landing last night at Hubli, India. The flight was carrying 74 passengers and four crew members. The Q400 reportedly skidded off the runway in heavy rain and the left main gear collapsed. There were no reported injuries.
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) is taking another look at possibly serving Paine Field near Everett, Washington (north of Seattle) after the Snohomish County council approved the construction of a passenger terminal. Paine Field is also the home of Boeing’s 747/777/787 assembly plant.
The Snohomish County Council has approved a two-gate passenger terminal at PAE. The building will be leased to Propeller Airports (New York). The facility once built, could handle up to 23 flights a day according to KING 5.
Meanwhile Alaska Airlines is now taking a new look at PAE for possible service probably by Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) following this vote according to Puget Sound Business Journal.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N452QX (msn 4459) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in the special “Employee Powered” livery featuring the signatures of employees.
