Air Austral is getting ready to take delivery of its latest Boeing 777-300 ER (it currently has three) and its second Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Each aircraft, decorated in the unique 2014 livery, which carries an unique photo image of the French island in the Indian Ocean.
Top Copyright Photo:ย Air Austral Boeing 777-39M ER F-OLRD (msn 61602) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 934972.
Bottom Copyright Photo:ย Air Austral Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (F-OLRB) (msn 34491) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 934973.
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LOT Polish Airlines is planning further profitable growth including a return to Newark and a new route to Seoul. The airline issued this statement:
LOT presented its 2020 profitable growth strategy. During that time the carrier plans to achieve sustainable viability and become a leading airline in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe servicing over 10 million passengers per year, gradually increasing its fleet and launching new flights.
LOTโs strategy is based on five pillars: taking advantage of potential that lies in a growing market, developing a network of connections and a hub, competition, boosting effectiveness and building a committed team.
โTaking maximal advantage of the fact that the market of air services in Poland and the Central and Eastern Europe is bound to grow at a much quicker pace than in other European countries is a starting point for our plan of further growth. We have estimated that in Poland alone the number of passengers is going to grow at about 5% per year. It is a huge opportunity for us,โ says Rafaล Milczarski, LOTโs CEO.
LOT is going to regain its lost market share in Poland, aiming for approx. 25%. It means that the number of its passengers as early as in 2020 is going to exceed 10m vis-a-vis 4.3m in 2015. Hence the airlines have announced that they are going to continue to develop their network of connections with long-haul flights being its most important element.
โLong-distance flights are the most profitable part of our business and being the only airlines in the region, LOT has the related growth potential. We are mostly going to focus on developing flights to North America and most important business centers in Asia. Connections to Central Asia and to the Middle East are particularly interesting from our perspective. Warsawโs geographical location allows to develop an unmatched offering of flights to countries such as Kazakhstan or Iran. We are going to take advantage of that potential,โ adds Rafaล Milczarski.
In just a few weeks LOT is going to launch a direct flight to Seoul and next year another connection to Newark in the USA is scheduled to be opened. Flights to the NYCโs second airport will be initially operated 4 and then 5 times a week, starting from the beginning of the 2017 summer season.
โWe are happy to return to Newark because it is an important connection to the Polish community. Newark is also an important interchange for passengers who continue their travel to other destinations in the United States and it simply extends our offering,โ says Rafaล Milczarski.
Soon LOT is going to announce more new destinations. LOTโs CEO points out that as the network of connections keeps developing, the carrierโs Warsaw hub must keep pace as well. Ensuring the shortest and most convenient transfers is one of key conditions underlying the strategyโs implementation.
โAs new long-distance flights are launched, the number of short-distance flights, especially from the Central and Eastern Europe, is going to go up as well. We assume that the percentage of transfer passengers, that is, those who change planes in Warsaw, is going to approximate 50% in 2020. Being our hub, the airport must keep up with our development, that is, ensure appropriate infrastructure and capacity. It is a huge challenge for the Warsaw Chopin Airport which in 2020 is going to reach its capacity limits. In the years to come LOT is going to continue with developing its hub at the Warsaw Chopin Airport but ultimately its offering will have to be transferred to another, centrally located airport in Poland,โ says LOTโs CEO.
A convenient timetable of flights is not the only competitive edge LOT enjoys. The Polish carrier is going to compete on the market offering the best value for money. LOT has been planning more customized promotions and working on developing additional products and services.
โLOT will no longer be perceived as expensive airlines. Travelling with LOT Polish Airlines can be inexpensive, plus we are capable of going beyond what other low-budget airlines can ensure, namely, for example, free checked baggage or free meals on board,โ says Rafaล Milczarski. โCompetition requires us to build a strong sales structure on all markets on which we are present. We are going to strengthen our co-operation with travel agents who are the backbone of our sales operations in the corporate sector and on the other hand we want to increase the footprint and sales via our lot.com Website which is intended to be the source of best deals for passengers who are most sensitive to price,โ adds LOT CEO.
LOT intends to measure customer satisfaction with its services on a regular basis. That ratio is one of the elements that help monitor the strategyโs implementation.
To improve its product portfolio and develop its network of connections LOT will need a strong and efficient fleet. The company estimates that in 2020 it will operate a total of approximately 70 aircraft, including 16 Dreamliners and approximately 15 new single-aisle planes with 150-plus seating capacity.
โLOT is able to develop its fleet on its own thanks to operating leases in that way significantly reducing a burden on the companyโs finances and improving availability and delivery time for the planes. In 2017 the first few single-aisle aircrafts are going to be added to our fleet. We are in the final phase of negotiations. We also expect the delivery of two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners. We are going to simplify and standardize our target fleet,โ says Rafaล Milczarski.
One of key factors allowing LOT to achieve sustainable viability involves steadily increasing the companyโs effectiveness in all areas of its operations. Today LOT is one of the most effective airlines in Europe in terms of costs. However, its cost effectiveness ratio is planned to improve to reach 5.5 USc/ASK vis-a-vis the present level of 6.51 USc/ASK. LOT will also ensure the highest possible operational reliability. Its goal is to maintain service regularity at 99% and punctuality at 87%. Thanks to that, it will be among the most punctual airlines in the world.
Copyright Photo:ย LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner SP-LRC (msn 35940) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 911988.
AeroMรฉxico presents the special livery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (XA-AML, msn 43859). The aircraft will be named “Quetzalcoatl” (meaning “Feathered Serpent”) after one of the principal deities of pre-Hispanic Mexico.
This is the first time in aviation history in which a design of this type is painted on an aircraft’s livery, offering a unique fusion of tradition and modernity. AeroMรฉxico’s Quetzalcoatl plane left the Boeing Aircraft Paint Hangar after a nine-day processโsix days longer than expectedโas the engineers found that they needed extra time to add all of the original hues and colors featured in the winning design.
In November 2014, AeroMรฉxico announced the “Design is in the Air” contest via social media and at several universities, inviting participants to submit a creative image to be painted on an aircraft’s fuselage. More than 1,000 participants presented their designs during the four-week contest period, 400 of which were chosen for meeting the requirements established in the rules. The winning design was created by graphic designer Josรฉ Manuel Escudero of the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Copyright Photo:ย AeroMexico Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner XA-ADL (msn 43859) (Quetzalcoatl) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 935138.
AeroMรฉxico is the second carrier in Latin America to operate the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and plans to continue investing until its fleet has ten 787-9 aircraft, with the purpose of providing a better flight experience to customers. If an airline places an order for a 787 today, it could take between 10 to 15 years for it to be delivered. With a fuselage measuring 20 feet wider than the 787-8, the 787-9 will have the capacity for 48 additional passengers on longer routes (up to 300 more nautical miles) with 20% greater fuel efficiency, and up to 20% fewer emissions than the aircraft this model is replacing.
The airline has said that it will wait until the plane lands in Mexico to unveil the interior of this new aircraft that will change its customers’ travel experience.
Photo: AeroMexico.
Uzbekistan Airways has two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on order.
Copyright Photo:ย Uzbekistan Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner UK78701 (msn 38363) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 934399.
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Copyright Photo:ย China Airlines Boeing 777-309 ER B-18007 (msn 43982) (Boeing special colors) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 932888.
China Airlines and Boeing on May 16, 2016 celebrated the delivery of the world’s first co-branded 777 during a ceremony in Everett, marking the carrier’s 10th 777-300 ER (Extended Range).
In 2004, China Airlines became the first airline in the world to use Boeing’s co-branded livery on its latest 747-400. That airplane was nicknamed the ‘Blue Whale’ by the airline and was the first co-branded twin-aisle airplane in the world.
With this delivery, China Airlines now operates a fleet of 10 777-300ERs and continues to bolster its long-haul routes to the North American and European markets. Taiwan’s flag carrier also introduced a new, state-of-the-art cabin interior onboard its 777-300 ERs designed by award-winning Taiwanese architect Ray Chen.
Each of the airline’s 10 777-300 ERs are configured to seat 358 passengers in a three-class layout highlighted by the new ‘Family Couch’ seats in economy class. China Airlines is the only airline in North Asia to feature the Family Couch seats, where three economy seats convert into a flat surface to provide passengers with added rest and relaxation.
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LATAM Airlines (Chile) Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGK (msn 38474) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 932756.
World Airline News report issued on May 14, 2016:
LATAM Airlines (Chile) on May 13, 2016 took delivery of its first LATAM-painted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The pictured CC-BGK arrived in Santiago, Chile the following day. CC-BGK landed at 11:42 am on runway 17L at SCL.
Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) hasย announced that 747 fuselage panels will be built at its Macon, Georgia facility beginning in 2018.
Boeing will take over the work from Triumph Aerostructures โ Vought Aircraft Division, a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph Group, Inc., with the Macon site providing assembled fuselage panels to Boeing’s 747 final assembly line in Everett, Washington. Boeing and Triumph Aerostructures have worked together to ensure a smooth transition for the 747 supply chain.
Boeing and Triumph Aerostructures have worked together for many months to ensure a smooth transition for the 747 supply chain. As part of this detailed process, the Boeing team selected the Boeing Defense, Space & Security Macon facility for 747 fuselage panel work.
Defense work currently performed at the Macon site includes replacement center wing sections for the A-10 Thunderbolt II, as well as sub-assemblies for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Fuselage panels for the C-17 Globemaster transport airplane were also produced at the site until earlier this year.
Current defense work at the facility is scheduled to be complete in mid-2016, at which time Boeing will transition the site for Commercial Airplanes work. Facility staffing will be temporarily reduced during the transition. The site will ramp up to full production on 747 fuselage panels by mid-2018, at which point it will employ up to 200 people.
Macon will become the twelfth manufacturing site for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Fabrication organization, which has operations in three countries.
Boeing will invest approximately $80 million in employee training, tooling and building modifications over the next three years.
The fuselage panel assembly transfer to the Macon site is the first of several new work packages for the 747 currently supplied by Triumph Aerostructures that Boeing will announce in the coming months.
Other 747 structures work now done by Triumph Aerostructures, including the empennage, floor beams and flight surfaces, is currently being competitively bid to selected suppliers. Boeing expects to have sourcing decisions for all the work completed this year.
At Macon, Boeing will equip the site with new tooling and equipment, which will occupy the entirety of the 220,000 square foot facility. A new advanced manufacturing production system will reduce the time to produce fuselage panels while also increasing quality and enhancing employee safety.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. The 2015 version of Boeing’s support of the hometown NFL Seattle Seahawks. Boeing 747-83QF N841BA (msn 60119) lands back at Paine Field in the 12th Man livery.
Boeing 747 Gallery and Slide Show:ย 
ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) today (September 12) is celebrating the roll out of the new R2-D2 Star Wars special livery on new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner JA873A (msn 34530). The airline issued this statement:
The R2-D2โข ANA Jet, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, rolled-out from the Boeing Everett Factory for the first time this morning (September 12). The R2-D2โข (below).
Photo Below: Boeing.
ANA Jet is the first of three planes to be decorated with Star Wars characters as part of an agreement between ANA, Japanโs largest airline, and The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd.
โToday the time has come to bring the ANA Star Wars project to life and we hope Star Wars fans across the world will be as excited about our R2-D2 ANA Jet as we are,โ said Hideki Kunugi, Senior Vice President, the Americas, ANA. โAt ANA weโre always looking for ways to improve the flying experience for our passengers, and what better way to start your trip to Asia than on a one-of-a-kind Star Wars plane?โ
The R2-D2 design was unveiled to Star Wars fans at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California earlier this year. Today marks the first time a Star Wars character appears on the exterior of an actual commercial aircraft.
โThe Boeing Company is truly honored that ANA has selected the new 787-9 Dreamliner to showcase this wonderful new livery,โ said Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President, Northeast Asia Sales and Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. โTheir commitment to the 787 is a testament to the market-leading efficiency and innovation of the Dreamliner. I am confident this latest addition to its large fleet of 787s, will help ANA maintain its position as one of the best airlines in the world.โ
On October 18, the R2-D2โข ANA Jet is scheduled to go into service on international routes, initially as flight NH116 between Tokyo and Vancouver, and then fly between Japan and other cities in ANAโs robust international network including the US (Seattle and San Jose), Europe (Munich, Paris and Brussels), Australia (Sydney), China (Beijing), and Indonesia (Jakarta).[1] The R2-D2 motif is imprinted onto the cockpit and front half of the jetโs main fuselage, while the Star Wars logo spans the length behind the wings. The interior of the 215-seat passenger plane will feature themed in-flight decorations, such as headrest covers, paper napkins and cups, and passengers will be able to enjoy all six of the currently released Star Wars films as part of ANAโs extensive in-flight entertainment options. This will be the first time that any of the Star Wars movies have been included as part of an in-flight entertainment system.[2]
Two additional planes decorated with BB-8, a brand new character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and R2-D2 will take to the skies following the R2-D2โข ANA Jet. The first, a Boeing 767-300, will begin flying domestic Japanese routes in November and then, in March 2016, a Boeing 777-300ER, is scheduled to start serving international routes principally between Japan and North America (the exact routes have yet to be announced)[3]. Fans will be able to see the planesโ schedules at http://www.ana-sw.com.
Todayโs ceremony began with an introduction from Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President of Northeast Asia Sales and Marketing at Boeing, who welcomed the crowd that included journalists, R2-D2, C-3PO and Stormtroopers. When the official Star Wars music began to play, the Paint Hangar doors at the Boeing Everett Factory opened, unveiling the R2-D2โข ANA Jet to the world for the first time.
[1] Routes and flights detailed on the above site are provisional and subject to change without notification.
[2] Star Wars movies to be shown from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 on all international routes.
[3] The routes are tentatively set as New York, Chicago and Houston, but this is subject to change.
More from ANA: CLICK HERE
All Images by ANA/Star Wars Project.
Video:
British Airways (London) has 22 216-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on order. Yesterday (September 7), the first copy, the pictured 787-9 G-ZBKA (msn 38616), successfully completed its first flight from Paine Field near Everett via Moses Lake.
According to British Airways, “the Boeing 787-9 โ the latest addition to the fleet โ features an evolution of our First cabin, with just 8 seats compared to the usual 14, increased range and is 20 feet longer and four inches taller than the 787-8.”
The new type will be introduced on the daily London (Heathrow) (LHR) – Delhi route on October 25. The London (Heathrow) –ย Abu Dhabi – Muscat route will follow on November 5 per Airline Route.
The 787-9 will also be introduced from LHR to Kuala Lumpur on December 5 and Austin, Texas on February 1, 2016.
Readย more on the new BA 787-9: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-ZBKA arrives back at Paine Field after its successful first flight on September 7.
British Airways aircraft slide show:ย 
Korean Air (Seoul) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) yesterday (August 25) marked the delivery of the airline’s first 747-8 Intercontinental. The new fuel-efficient jet is the first of 10 747-8 passenger airplanes the carrier has on order.
Top Copyright Photo: Royal S. King/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Boeing 747-8B5 HL7630 (msn 40905) was handed over to the carrier on August 25. The Jumbo is seen landing after a test flight at Paine Field near Everett, WA.
With this delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline in the world to operate both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8. Korean Air currently operates seven 747-8 Freighters.
Korea’s flag carrier currently operates a fleet of 87 Boeing passenger airplanes that includes 737, 747 and 777s. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet of 28 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.
With a range of 7,730 nautical miles (14,310 km), the 747-8 Intercontinental offers 16 percent savings in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The airplane also features an all-new, 787 Dreamliner-inspired interior that includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort.
Korean Air’s jet is configured with 368 seats and features the brand new First Class Kosmo Suite 2.0, which include a sliding door and higher partitions to provide added privacy for passengers. The suites are also equipped with updated in-flight entertainment systems, with large 24-inch high-definition monitors and new handheld touch remotes.
Above Photo: Boeing.
The airline’s Business Class Prestige Suites (above) will feature staggered seating and privacy panels, along with 18-inch high definition touch screens.
Korean Air’s Aerospace Division is a key Boeing partner on both the 747-8 and 787 programs, supplying the distinctive raked wing-tips for each model. They are also one of two suppliers producing the new 737 MAX Advanced Technology (AT) Winglet.
Korean Air, with a fleet of 161 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates more than 430 flights per day to 128 cities in 45 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 612 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,000 daily flights covering 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.
Korean Air aircraft slide show:ย
Below Photo: Boeing. The staircase to the Upper Deck.
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