Arik Air (Arik Wings of Nigeria) (Lagos) has signed a firm contract with Bombardier to acquire threeย CRJ1000 NextGenย aircraft and four DHC-8-402 (Q400) NextGenย turboprop airliners.
Arik Air currently operates fourย CRJ900ย aircraft and two DHC-8-402 (Q400) NextGenย aircraft.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured DHC-8-402 C-FSRN became 5N-BKV (msn 4219) with Arik Air.
Arik Air:ย 
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Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) (Seattle/Tacoma) has signed a firm contract to acquire three 76-seat Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) NextGenย turboprop airliners. The transaction represents the conversion of three previously booked options on the aircraft. The airline also reconfirmed its options on another sevenย Q400 NextGenย aircraft.
The three new aircraft will increase Horizon Airโs orders forย Q400ย andย Q400 NextGenย airliners to 51 aircraft โ the worldโs largest fleet. Including the order announced today, Horizon Air has ordered a total of 100ย Bombardier Dash 8/Q-Seriesย aircraft since 1985.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N440QX (msn 4347) in the special Oregon State University-OSU Beavers collegiate livery departs from Los Angeles International Airport.
Alaska Horizon:ย 
Horizon Air:ย
Theย SAS Groupโs (Scandinavian Airlines-SAS) (Stockholm) sale of Widerรถe Flyveselskap AS (Bodo and Oslo) has been approved by the Norwegian competition authority. The closing of the sale is expected to take place in September 2013.
The cost reductions and the divestments performed in accordance with the 4XNG plan will lead to an improvement in SAS financial position and liquidity.
According to the group, “In November 2012, SAS renegotiated itsย revolving credit facilityof MEUR 366 to an amortizing credit facility of MSEK 3,500, divided into two tranches with separate conditions for drawdown and with a maturity in March 31, 2015. Lenders are SAS four majority owners, including the Scandinavian states and a syndicate of seven merchant banks, all participating on the same terms.
In connection with the divestment of Widerรถe, the amortizing credit facility has been re-negotiated and amended. The actions under the 4XNG plan have made it possible for SAS to reduce the facility to MSEK 2,000. The facility is divided into two tranches with separate conditions for drawdown, one with a maturity in June 1, 2014 one with a maturity in March 31, 2015. The facility remains undrawn.”
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com (please click on the photo for the full size view). All others by Wideroe.ย Bombardier DHC-8-103 LN-WIA (msn 359) and crew await the next group of passengers at Trondheim, Norway.
Wideroe:ย
Video: A typical approach and landing at Hammerfest, in northern Norway:
Copyright Photos: Wideroe. A typical approach at a rural Norwegian airport.
Current Wideroe Route Map:
Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) (Seattle/Tacoma) and theAssociation of Flight Attendantsย (AFA) announced they have reached tentative agreement on a new five-year contract for the carrier’s nearly 500 flight attendants.
The proposed contract includes pay raises, quality of life improvements and more flexible scheduling. It still must be presented to union members for review and a ratification vote, which is expected to be completed in mid-July. The current contract was ratified on Dec. 21, 2009 and became amendable on Dec. 21, 2011.
Horizon Air is a subsidiary ofย Alaska Air Groupย and flies to 39 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N429QX (msn 4161) prepares to land at Los Angeles International Airport.
Alaska Horizon:ย
Horizon Air:ย
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) will begin flying nonstop between Anchorage and Phoenix, starting on December 18, and Anchorage and Las Vegas, starting on December 19, 2013.
Flights will operate on each route three times a week. Anchorage-Las Vegas service will be offered year-round while Anchorage-Phoenix flights will operate seasonally through April 19, 2014.
| Summary of new service: | ||||
| Start date | City pair | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
| Dec. 18 | Anchorage-Phoenix | 9:10 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | Mon, Wed, Sat |
| Dec. 18 | Phoenix-Anchorage | 5:35 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | Mon, Wed, Sat |
| Dec. 19 | Anchorage-Las Vegas | 10:05 a.m. | 4:10 p.m. | Thu, Fri, Sun |
| Dec. 19 | Las Vegas-Anchorage | 5:10 p.m. | 9:45 p.m. | Thu, Fri, Sun |
| Times based on local time zones. |
Carrier introducing Bombardier Q400s to the state of Alaska
Alaska Airlines will add flying within the state of Alaska using Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft flown by Horizon Air (Alaska Horizon) (Seattle/Tacoma), starting on March 3, 2014. The Q400 will operate eight daily round-trip flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks currently flown with Boeing 737 aircraft. Additionally, the Q400 will replace an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 on one of two daily round-trip flights between Anchorage and Kodiak seasonally from October through April. Initial service will begin on March 3 and continue through April 30, 2014.
“Flying the fast and efficient Q400 enables Alaska Airlines to increase our frequency from seven to nine roundtrips a day for Anchorage-Fairbanks travelers, giving them more options for traveling between the state’s two largest cities,” Romano said. “It also gives us the flexibility to fly our larger aircraft to new destinations out of Anchorage, such as the new nonstop routes to Las Vegas and Phoenix.”
With a crew of two pilots and two flight attendants, the Q400 is configured with 76 seats in an all-coach cabin. The aircraft also is equipped with the Head-Up Guidance system and satellite-based navigation technology similar to Alaska’s Boeing 737s.
Horizon Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, will have 60 employees (30 flight attendants and 30 pilots) based in Anchorage to fly the aircraft. Alaska Airlines employees will provide ground-based customer service and maintenance support.
Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Boeing 737-790 WL N644AS (msn 30795) taxies at San Francisco with a Wi-Fi sticker by the forward door.
Alaska Airlines:ย
Alaska Horizon:ย
Horizon Air:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) N401QX (msn 4031) in the WSU Cougars – Washington State University special scheme climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.
EasyJet (UK) (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) has announced and confirmed it plans to acquire 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots London’s Gatwick Airport from Flybe (Exeter) forย ยฃ20 million ($25.7 million). The company issued this statement:
EasyJet plc can confirm it has completed an agreement with Flybe Group plc to acquire 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots at Gatwick airport for a total consideration of ยฃ20 million. The acquisition is subject to the approval of Flybe’s shareholders.
The slots will transfer from summer 2014 and will allow easyJet to provide additional frequencies on popular existing routes from Gatwick as well as add new destinations across the UK and Europe.
In return, Flybe issued this statement:
Flybe confirmed to the London Stock Exchange today at 0700 that it has sold its arrival and departure slots at London Gatwick airport, thus bringing to an end Flybeโs 22 year record of providing high-frequency air services from the UK regions to the airport.ย Flybe will continue to fly all its routes until the end of March 2014.ย The slots have been sold to EasyJet for a cash sum of ยฃ20 million.
The decision is as a result of the pricing regime applied by the airportโs owners to the operators of smaller, regional aircraft which, in Flybeโs case, has resulted in a 102% rise over the last five years. In a well-publicised, lengthy and expensive complaint, the airline used the Airports Act 1986 to argue to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2010 that Gatwick was acting in an anti-competitive and discriminatory manner. Despite support from other airlines, communities and governments around the British Isles, the fact that Flybe operates more UK domestic flights than any other airline and has won the airportโs Gold Award for punctuality in every quarter since its introduction in 2009, the CAA ruled in September 2012 that Gatwick was within its rights to raise their landing fees for smaller aircraft, thus paving the way for todayโs regrettable announcement.
Flybe will continue to operate as normal all its seven domestic Gatwick routes – from Belfast City, Guernsey, Inverness, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Newcastle and Newquay – until Saturday March 29, 2014, with no changes to pricing, frequency or timings. It also confirmed that there will be no impact upon any other route currently operated from those seven airports and that the funds generated by the sale of the slots will be re-invested in the remaining 159 Flybe routes.
Separate to this announcement, Flybe today updated the London Stock Exchange on the significant positive progress it has made in its plan to return Flybe UK, its UK based scheduled airline, to profitability. Highlights included surpassing its target savings of ยฃ25m, with ยฃ30m of annual cost savings being delivered for year 2013/14 onwards, and the deal agreed in principle with BALPA (British Airlines Pilots Association) for a 5% reduction in salary in return for extra time off.
Top Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best. EasyJet’sย Airbus A320-214 G-EZTD (msn 3909) holds short of the runway ready for departure from London (Gatwick).
EasyJet (UK):ย
Flybe:ย
Bottom Copyright Photo: Keith Burton. Flybe’s Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) G-JEDW (msn 4093) arrives at Gatwick Airport.
Flybe LGW Route Map: Flybe flies to mainly UK domestic destinations from LGW:
Hawkair Aviation Services (Terrace, BC) will start the Terrace-Prince George-Calgary route on June 3. The new route will be operated as a Central Mountain Air (Smithers, BC) flight using Hawkair’s Bombardier DHC-8s.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Hawkair introduced this new look in June 2012. The unique tail design was created by Roy Henry Vickers.
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Hawkair:ย
Flybe (Exeter) is reportedly in discussions with EasyJet (easyJet.com) (London-Luton) and others to possibly acquire its 25 landing and takeoff slots at London (Gatwick) according to this report by the BBC. Flybe has been losing money and is currently cutting costs and selling some of its assets.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Terry Wade/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) G-JEDP (msn 4085) in the unique “Low Cost, but not any cost” color scheme approaches the runway at London (Gatwick).
Flybe:ย
SAS Group (Scandinavian Airlines-SAS) (Stockholm) has today signed an agreement to sell 80% of its shares inย Widerรธe Flyveselskap AS (Bodo and Oslo) to a group of investors consisting ofย Torghatten ASA, Fjord1 AS and Nordland Fylkeskommune (together referred to asย the “Investor Group”). SAS will retain a 20% share in Widerรธe but will have anย option to transfer full ownership of Widerรธe in 2016.
The sale of Widerรธe represents an important step in the improvement of SAS’ย financial position with a significant reduction of SAS’ financial leverage. SASย and Widerรธe will have a continued close commercial cooperation after theย transaction, with Widerรธe remaining an important regional partner to SAS.
As part of the transaction, SAS will sell seven Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) aircraft to Widerรธeย which are currently leased by Widerรธe from SAS. The loans related to theseย aircraft will be transferred to Widerรธe. Additionally, three aircraft, currentlyย not in use, has been sold from SAS to a lessor and subsequently leased byย Widerรธe.
SAS will receive approximately SEK 2.0 billion in conjunction with theย divestment of Widerรธe, including the aircraft-related transactions, and up toย SEK 2.3 billion in total proceeds in the case of a full divestment in 2016. Theย total proceeds will reduce net debt by the same amount.[1]ย Additionally, the transaction will reduce the previously announced negativeย impact on equity of amended reporting rules for pensions by approximately SEKย 1.0 billion from SEK 7.9 to SEK 6.9 billion.
The sale of Widerรธe is expected to result in a limited capital loss for SAS ofย approximately SEK 230 million in case of a full divestment in 2016.
“This divestment is in line with the 4Excellence Next Generation strategy toย build a long-term financially strong SAS. We are pleased to have developedย Widerรธe into a successful airline under SAS’ ownership and we look forward toย continue strengthening Widerรธe’s position as the leading regional airlineย in Norway together with the new owners”, says Rickard Gustafsson, SAS Group
President and CEO.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearanceย from Norwegian competition authorities, and is expected to close in Septemberย 2013.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) LN-WDC (msn 4071) is seen on the ramp at Trondheim above the Arctic Circle.
Widerรธe:ย
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Croatia Airlines (Zagreb) is facing a possible strike by its pilots. According to this report by the Croatian Times, theย pilots are threatening to strike after they refused to sign the latest contract offer from the company which requires a 20 percent pay cut. The current contract expired on April 1.
The company currently operates four Airbus A319s, three A320s and six of the pictured Bombardier DHC-8-402s (Q400s).
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner.ย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) 9A-CQE (msn 4300) taxies at Zurich.
Croatia Airlines:ย
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