Tag Archives: McDonnell Douglas

Allegiant announces Cincinnati-Las Vegas flights

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) today announced new, nonstop service from Cincinnati to Las Vegas beginning on December 18.

The new flights will operate twice weekly between the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) beginning on Thursday, December 18, 2014. This announcement brings the total number of destinations served by Allegiant from CVG to seven, including service to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Mesa (near Phoenix) announced just last month.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N424NV (msn 49421) departs from Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.

Allegiant:

Western Global Airlines receives its Part 121 AOC, will start cargo operations with two MD-11Fs

Western Global Airlines-WGA (Sarasota/Bradenton) according to ch-aviation, will begin cargo operations with a fleet of two McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighters (N415JN, msn 48415 and N435KD, msn 48435). Both freighters will be leased from Neff Air. The company has issued this statement:

Western Global Airlines LLC (WGA), a low cost, high quality all-cargo carrier, announced on August 4 that it received final FAA certification and has been issued a Part 121 Air Operator Certificate. In addition, WGA has been certified by the U.S. DOT to be fit, willing, and able to engage in interstate and foreign air transportation of property and mail. WGA plans to commence operations immediately.

Founder and CEO, Jim Neff, said, “We are very pleased by these approvals. As the first newly certified U.S. based wide-body air cargo operator in almost a decade, WGA is poised to offer the global marketplace a new large-scale, customer-oriented platform, focused on low cost, flexible service and high reliability. We also expect to benefit from the relative shortage of wide-body cargo carriers in the market today.” In addition to being WGA’s CEO, Mr. Neff also serves as CEO and Chairman of Helsinki based Nordic Global Airlines, Ltd. (NGA) and has had an unparalleled career in air cargo and aviation dating back to Flying Tiger Line, Continental Airlines, Emery Worldwide and Burlington Air Express. He was the founder and CEO of Southern Air Inc. from 1999 until 2010.

Mr. Neff added, “For me, this is the culmination of a lifelong dream. Having created and built the air systems for many of the leading U.S. based cargo operators over the past 30 plus years, I believe that the current global economic reality calls for freighter services to be both lower cost and more responsive to customers. This is the driving force and the vision behind WGA.”

WGA’s management team was hand-picked by Mr. Neff from among the industry’s most knowledgeable and experienced innovators. The company will begin operations with a fleet of MD-11Fs leased from Neff Air LLC, an affiliated leasing company which owns ten GE powered MD-11Fs and two GE powered 747-400BCFs directly without debt. WGA’s business plan is based on enabling its customers to profitably grow their air cargo business by seamlessly outsourcing all or part of their freighter operation to WGA. WGA’s sister company, NGA, has been providing low cost, flexible, and reliable service to the European market for the past three years with a fleet of four MD-11Fs leased from Neff Air. Going forward, the company expects to develop the WGA/NGA platforms jointly to achieve marketing and operational synergies to maximize service responsiveness, flexibility, and operating efficiencies.

Orange Air operates charter flights for the U.S. government

Orange Air, LLC (Sanford) is a relatively new FAR 121 Air Carrier located at the Orlando Sanford International Airport in Sanford, FL (north of Orlando).

The charter airline received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) on June 3, 2014. On June 10, 2014 it operated its first charter flight.

Mission Statement:

Orange Air strives to be a leading service provider of passenger air charter for Commercial Customers, US and International Government Agencies and US Defense Contractors providing the safest, most reliable, highest quality service and to be the most competitive 121 non-scheduled airline in the industry.

Copyright Photo: Orange Air. The crews stand in front of the first aircraft, former Belle Air McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N918AV (msn 49104, ex ZA-ARD).

Are the days numbered for Martinair?

Martinair‘s (Amsterdam) days could be number. The cargo subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group could be sold to a third party and even shut down i.e. “internal restructuring”. The cargo divisions of the Air France-KLM Group continue to bring down the group financially. As part of its first half financial report, the Group issued this statement concerning the cargo divisions, including Martinair:

Second Quarter 2014 cargo revenues amounted to 669 million euros, down 5.1% and by 1.9% on a constant currency basis. Faced with a slower than expected recovery, the group continued to reduce full-freighter capacity (down 8.6%). In consequence, total capacity decreased by 2.0%. Traffic decreased by 1.6%, leading to a 0.3 point increase in load factor to 63.2%. Unit revenue per Available Ton Kilometer (RATK) increased by 1.1% on a constant currency basis (-2.1% on a reported basis).

The operating result improved slightly to -45 million euro, up 5 million euros.

The recovery in demand being slower than expected, the group has initiated a strategic review of its full-freighter business, with different scenarios under consideration. Having already decided in October 2013 to reduce its full-freighter fleet to 2 aircraft in Paris and 8 aircraft in Amsterdam by 2015, the group is now looking to further reduce its Amsterdam-based full-freighter exposure either through a partnership with a third party or through internal restructuring. In consequence, the group has recorded an impairment of 106 million euros in its Second Quarter 2014 accounts.

First Half 2014 cargo revenues amounted to 1,344 million euros, down 4.3% and by 1.6% on a constant currency basis. Traffic was stable for a -1.5% decline in capacity, leading to a 1.0 point increase in load factor to 64.0%. Unit revenue per Available Ton Kilometer (RATK) was stable on a constant currency basis (down 2.7% on a reported basis).

On a constant currency basis, cargo unit cost was down 1.7% in the First Half (down 3.9% on a reported basis). The operating result improved by 21 million euros to -79 million euros.

Will Martinair be sold or disbanded? It is unlikely to remain as it is today.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (F) PH-MCY (msn 48445) taxies at the Amsterdam base.

Martinair:

Air Algerie/Swiftair flight crashes in Mali, wreckage found, there are no survivors

Swiftair (Madrid) McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) registered EC-LTV (msn 53190) operating for Air Algerie (Algiers) as flight AH 5017 from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to Algiers with 110 passengers and 6 crew members is missing. Contact with the airliner has been lost over Mali near Gao about 50 minutes after the takeoff. Both airlines have announced they have lost contact with the crew.

According to Reuters, the country of Burkino Faso stated the flight had asked ATC to alter its course due to a storm. There was a known sandstorm in the area according to local reports.

Swiftair said on its website the flight took off from Burkina Faso at 0117 GMT and was supposed to land in Algiers at 0510 GMT but never reached its destination.

Two French Air Force Mirage 2000 jets based in west Africa have been dispatched to try to locate the missing airliner according to Reuters.

Reuters is now reporting the plane has crashed:

“An Air Algerie flight crashed on Thursday en route from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers with 110 passengers on board, an Algerian aviation official said.”

Update: The wreckage has been found near the city of Gao, Mali (see the map below). There are no survivors of the 116 passengers and crew members on board.

Read the full report from The Telegraph: CLICK HERE

Update: From CNN:

“France has declared a three-day mourning period to commemorate the victims of the Air Algerie flight 5017 crash, French President Francois Hollande declared on Saturday (July 26).

Following a meeting with families of the victims, Hollande said flags will fly at half-staff on government buildings from Monday through Wednesday.

Fifty-four of the 118 victims were French nationals.

The second flight data recorder from has been found in Mali, a U.N. official said Saturday (July 26).”

Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Sister ship McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) M814NK became EC-KCX on delivery (msn 49619).

Bottom Copyright Photo: Javier Rodriguez/AirlinersGallery.com. The ill-fated DC-9-83 (MD-83) EC-LTV at Palma de Mallorca before the tragic crash.

Swiftair:

Air Algerie:

Google Maps:

Allegiant adds more routes and flights from fast-growing Cincinnati

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) has announced new, nonstop jet service from Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood beginning on October 9, 2014 and Mesa (near Phoenix) beginning on November 12, 2014. In addition, Allegiant will also add additional weekly flights to Sanford (near Orlando), St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Punta Gorda all in Florida.

Allegiant began its service at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in February 2014 with nonstop flights to Sanford. The carrier has since added nonstop flights to two additional Florida vacation destinations as well as seasonal summer service to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This announcement will more than double Allegiant’s footprint at CVG, increasing from seven weekly flights to 18, serving six destinations. Cincinnati is the fastest-growing origination city in Allegiant’s 15-year history, and the carrier attributes the expansion to the overwhelming demand for low-cost, nonstop flights to leisure destinations.

The new flights to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood will operate four times weekly between Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The new flights to Mesa will operate twice weekly between Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA).

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N876GA (msn 53469) sets down at the Las Vegas base.

Allegiant:

Erickson Aero Tanker places its first McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 into fire tanker operations

Aero Air (Hillsboro, OR) as we previously reported, acquired the Butler Aircraft (Redmond, OR) air tanker operation, including its three aging Douglas DC-7s, located at the Madras Airport, according to the Madras Pioneer. This air tanker operation is now known as Erickson Aero Tanker. Seven former SAS McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87s (MD-87s) are being acquired and at least four will be converted to air tankers. This is a new use for the versatile DC-9.

The new name comes from co-owner Jack Erickson, who was the founder and former owner of Erickson Air-Crane.

The new company has been awarded the next generation air tanker contract by the U.S. Forest Service. Erickson Aero Tanker has now received a FAA Supplemental Type Certificate for the DC-9-87 and in May placed the first aircraft into its fire fighting contracts which is a new role for this former airliner.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured DC-9-87 (MD-87) N293EA (msn 53209) was originally delivered to Iberia as EC-635 (later EC-FFA) on June 20, 1991. It would also serve with SAS as SE-DMN.

Video: Air Tanker 101, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 (MD-87), is seen dropping retardant on the Shirley Fire near Lake Isabella, California on June 15, 2014. The video was filmed by Tim Walton of Photo One Productions.

Allegiant adds new seasonal routes from Los Angeles to Great Falls and Cedar Rapids

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) on June 6 started seasonal nonstop jet service between Great Falls, Montana and Los Angeles. Allegiant now operates Great Falls’ only nonstop service to Los Angeles in addition to Las Vegas and Mesa (near Phoenix). The new flights will operate twice-weekly through September 8, 2014.

The company on June 6 also inaugurated new nonstop, seasonal jet service between Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Los Angeles via Los Angeles International Airport.

As is customary on new Allegiant routes, the new flights will initially operate twice weekly, beginning through September 8, 2014, flying nonstop from The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and becoming the only nonstop service from Cedar Rapids to any destination in California.

Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N416NV (msn 49555) holds for runway clearance for its departure from the Las Vegas base.

Allegiant:

Allegiant starts two seasonal routes from Los Angeles

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) yesterday (June 5) celebrated the start of nonstop seasonal jet service between Kalispell, Montana and Los Angeles. Kalispell is the gateway airport for Glacier National Park.

Los Angeles becomes Allegiant’s third destination from Kalispell, joining current flights to Oakland and Las Vegas. The new flights will operate twice weekly between Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) beginning today through September 7, 2014.

In addition, Allegiant yesterday (June 5) also launched seasonal nonstop jet service between McAllen, Texas and Los Angeles. McAllen serves the southern Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island.

Allegiant offers McAllen’s only nonstop services to Las Vegas, Southern California and Florida. The new flights will operate twice weekly between McAllen-Miller International Airport (MFE) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) through September 7.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 N880GA (msn 49625) approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Allegiant:

Allegiant Air today launches three seasonal routes to Myrtle Beach

Allegiant Air (Las Vegas) today (May 29) began new nonstop, seasonal jet service between Lexington, Kentucky and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The new flights operate twice weekly beginning today through August 10, 2014, flying nonstop from Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport (LEX) to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) and becoming the only nonstop service from Lexington to any destination in South Carolina.

Allegiant first began service at Blue Grass Airport in November 2008 with nonstop service to Sanford and today serves five vacation destinations from the airport including Sanford, Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Myrtle Beach. Lexington becomes one of eight Allegiant cities with nonstop service to Myrtle Beach, including four new cities in 2014.

In addition, Allegiant today also began new nonstop, seasonal jet service from Columbus, Ohio to Myrtle Beach. The new flights will operate three times a week until September 7, 2014, flying nonstop from Rickenbacker Charter Terminal (LCK) to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Myrtle Beach becomes the fourth destination available to Allegiant travelers flying out of Rickenbacker.

Allegiant first began service at Rickenbacker Charter Terminal in October 2012 with nonstop service to Sanford. In the last year and a half, Allegiant has added nonstop service to both St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Punta Gorda and has carried more than 15,000 passengers between Columbus and the company’s sunny destinations. Columbus becomes one of eight Allegiant cities with nonstop service to Myrtle Beach this summer.

Finally, the company operated its first nonstop flight between Syracuse and Myrtle Beach. The new nonstop flights will operate twice weekly between Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Myrtle Beach becomes the second destination offered to local Allegiant travelers after less than a year in the Syracuse market.

Allegiant first began service at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in November 2013 with nonstop service to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-83 (MD-83) N874GA (msn 49643) approaches the runway at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS).

Allegiant Air: