Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Dhaka), the national flag carrier airline of Bangladesh, is becoming a new Bombardier Q400 operator. The airline has confirmed it has signed an agreement with Smart Aviation Company (Cairo, Egypt) for the lease of two Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprops.
While Bimanโs main hub is located at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, it also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet (see map below).
Copyright Photo: Nik French/AirlinersGallery.com. Smart Aviation’s Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) SU-SMI (msn 4368) is pictured at Sharm el-Shekh Airport in Egypt.
Air Cรดte dโIvoire (Abidjan)Air Cรดte dโIvoire Orders Two More Bombardier Q400 , the national airline of the Republic of Cรดte dโIvoire has converted options on two Q400 NextGen airliners to a firm order. Air Cรดte dโIvoireโs two options were acquired under a contract announced on December 18, 2013 that also included a firm order for two Q400 NextGen aircraft. Air Cรดte dโIvoire took delivery of its first two aircraft in 2014, in a dual-class configuration.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Air Cรดte dโIvoireย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) C-FBUO (msn 4478) is pictured at Downsview.
Flybe (Exeter) hasย announced it will operate a new year round service between Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport starting on September 7. This will offer up to three flights a day departing early morning, lunchtime and late afternoons.
With the addition of this new route, Flybeโs 2015 Summer schedule features those to the Isle of Man and Belfast City offering a total choice of up to 60 flights a week.
Jambojet (Jambojet.com) (Nairobi) has launched flights to three new destinations in the countryโs coastal region, namely Lamu, Malindi and Ukunda. The first flights on the new routes took off from Nairobiโs Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on March 28.
Jambojet launched the new service with a Bombardier Q400 turboprop chartered from DAC Aviation.
Jambojet, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways (Nairobi), has joined more than 50 owners and operators of Q400 aircraft worldwide. The airline is the second new operator to have adopted the Q400 aircraft in Africa in 2015, and has become the 19th member of the family on the continent.
The new airline will commemorate its first year of operations on April 1. Jambojet also operates three Boeing 737-300s.
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 airlineโs 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 Groupโs 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: โOperating 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.โ
Top Copyright Photo: Wingnut/AirlinersGallery.com. The five Fokker F.27 Mk. 050s (Fokker 50s) will be sold.ย Flugfelag Islands-Air Iceland Fokker F.27 Mk. 050 TF-JMO (msn 20205) lands at the Reykjavik (RKV) base.
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.
Porter Airlines (Toronto-Billy Bishop City Centre) is supporting the Pan American Games and the host city of Toronto in 2015 with a new logo on Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) C-GKQF (msn 4391) above and below.
About the Pan American Games:
The Pan American Games are the worldโs third largest international multi-sport Games; they are only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.
The first Pan American Games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951 and the inaugural Parapan American Games were held in Mexico City in 1999. Both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are held every four years for the athletes of the 41 PASO member nations, in the year preceding the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.
While the Pan Am Games have been hosted in a dozen countries throughout the Americas, Canada has had the honour of hosting them twice; in 1967 and 1999 and both times in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In 2015, Toronto will be the proud Host City of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.
In other news, Porter Airlines is adding a second weekly flight to Stephenville, Newfoundland, this summer, as it seeks to improve travel options for southwestern and western Newfoundland. Increased service begins June 20, 2015, connecting nonstop to Halifax.
From June 20, to September 6, Porter will offer two weekly flights departing Halifax on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Return flights depart Stephenville the following day on Sundays and Thursdays. Continuing service on the same aircraft to Ottawa and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is also available.
Top Copyright Photo: Gilbert Hechema/AirlinersGallery.com. C-GKQF arrives in Montreal (Trudeau).
Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com.ย Bombardier DHC-8-402 (marketed as the Q400) LX-LGC (msn 4162) approaches the runway at London Heathrow.
EuroLOT (eurolot.com) (Warsaw) is giving up in its financial struggle. According to Radio Poland, the struggling airline is not taking any reservations past March 31.
According to report, the airline has been exploring its options for the past two months and concluded it could not make the company profitable. The state airline will be liquidated. The treasury of Poland controls 62.1 percent of the shares.
Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com.ย EuroLOT’s Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) SP-EQH (msn 4424) is framed on the ramp at Zurich. The Q400s will find new homes quickly.
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