Tag Archives: Toulouse

Air New Zealand orders one more ATR 72-600

Air New Zealand (Auckland) today received its most recent ATR 72-600.

On the occasion of the delivery ceremony, held today at the Paris Air Show, the airline announced as well the purchase of an additional ATR 72-600 aircraft. Since 2011, Air New Zealand has purchased a total of 14 ATR 72-600s. Deliveries of the ATR 72-600 aircraft will continue until 2017. Once delivered, Air New Zealand will have 25 ATR aircraft in its fleet, including 11 ATR 72-500s and 14 ATR 72-600s.

The introduction of this additional ATR 72-600 aircraft marks yet another step in Air New Zealand’s fleet modernization strategy. The new ATR aircraft will join airline’s existing fleet of 6 other ATR 72-600s and 11 ATR 72-500s. The new aircraft will enter service in July across Air New Zealand’s regional domestic network.

As with other recent deliveries to Air New Zealand, the 68-seat ATR 72-600 is equipped with the most advanced technology for the aircraft type, including a new glass cockpit avionics suite and updated cabin interiors.

The new ATR 72-600 will be operated by Mount Cook Airline for Air New Zealand.

Copyright Photo: Oliver Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-600) F-WWEC (msn 1228) became ZK-MVF on delivery.

Air New Zealand aircraft slide show:

Air New Zealand-Mount Cook aircraft slide show:

Tunisair takes delivery of its first Airbus A330-200

Tunisair (Tunis) took delivery of its first Airbus A330-200 in Toulouse yesterday (June 9), thus becoming a new operator of this type of aircraft.

Named “Tunis”, the pictured A330-243 F-WWKR became TS-IFM (msn 1631) (above and below) on the hand over and flew out from Toulouse and landed at Tunis-Carthage Airport in the evening, thus joining the airline’s existing fleet of Airbus aircraft comprising four A319s and seventeen A320s.

Above photo: Airbus/H. Gousse.

Boasting an entirely new, fully equipped cabin, Tunisair’s A330-200 will accommodate 24 passengers in business class and 242 in economy class.

The A330 family, which can seat between 250 and 300 passengers, has to date recorded more than 1,400 orders. More than 1,100 aircraft of this type are already flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. F-WWKR returns to Toulouse after a test flight.

Tunisair aircraft slide show:

Vietnam Airlines first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to be on display at the Paris Air Show

Vietnam Airlines (Hanoi) will soon take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (above) from Boeing. The flag carrier will also soon take delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 from Airbus. Both new types have now been painted by the respective manufacturers.

Vietnam Airlines and Boeing have announced the first 787 will be on display at the Paris Air Show. Will Airbus counter with the first Vietnam Airlines A350-900?

Vietnam Airlines has issued this statement:

Vietnam Airlines and Boeing have confirmed that the first of the national carrier’s new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will make its very first public appearance in the flying display at the Paris Air Show, which runs from June 15-21, 2015. Resplendent in its fully painted new livery, with the golden lotus – Vietnam’s national flower – taking pride of place, Vietnam Airlines’ new Dreamliner will make its debut in public by performing its first ever demonstration flights at one of the world’s biggest air shows.

This year marks the 51st edition of the Paris Air Show, celebrating more than 100 years since the first world aviation exhibition in Paris. Vietnam Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be on static display, and perform daily demonstration flights, on June 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Boeing will also hold a series of briefings for the news media during the show. Accredited members of the media should check the daily briefing and announcement schedule at the Media Centre and the Boeing media chalet, located in chalet row A324 for updates.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the latest extension to Boeing’s super-efficient 787 family. The new aircraft can fly farther, and with more passengers and more cargo, than the Boeing 787-8 – but with the same exceptional environmental performance: 20 percent less fuel usage and 20 percent fewer emissions than the aircraft it will replace. The new aircraft will feature fully flat beds in Business Class, with in-flight WiFi services also set to be introduced. Passengers will also benefit from larger windows and stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity and cleaner air, lower cabin pressure and a smoother, quieter ride.

As it rolls out a major fleet upgrade including a total of 19 Boeing 787s and 14 Airbus A350-900 XWBs, Vietnam Airlines will become the first Asian airline to operate both Boeing and Airbus’ modern next-generation aircraft at the same time. The SkyTeam member will also be the first airline to operate the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner nonstop between Southeast Asia and Europe, with Heathrow becoming the first international destination on the Vietnam Airlines network to be served by the new aircraft. Frequencies will rise from four flights to five or six flights per week between Heathrow and Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City following the deployment of the Dreamliners, before increasing to a daily service for Summer 2016.

Previously scheduled to start on June 29, the new 787-9 Dreamliner will now enter revenue service on the Hanoi-London (Heathrow) route starting on August 2 per Airline Route. The planned Boeing 787-9 service on the Ho Chi Minh – London (Heathrow) route remains unchanged from August 1.

Vietnam Airlines will also introduce its brand new livery, corporate identity and brand image to coincide with the introduction of its new fleet.

Top Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com. The first, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner VN-A861 (msn 35151) arrives back at Paine Field after a test flight.

Vietnam Airlines aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Olivier Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. Meanwhile Airbus has painted and is testing the first A350-900 XWB for Vietnam Airlines. The pictured A350-941 F-WZFI (msn 014) will become VN-A886 when it is handed over later this year.

Airbus completes the first flight of the first A350-900 for Vietnam Airlines

Airbus (Toulouse) on June 1 completed the first flight in Toulouse of the first Airbus A350-900 for Vietnam Airlines (Hanoi) bearing the airline’s updated and distinctive 2014 blue and gold lotus livery. The aircraft will now enter the final phase of production, including cabin completion, as well as further ground and flight tests. The aircraft, which will be leased from AerCap, is scheduled for delivery in the middle of the year.

Vietnam Airlines will become the first Asian airline to fly the A350-900 XWB and the second operator in the world. Vietnam Airlines will acquire 14 A350-900 XWBs, including ten on order from Airbus and four under lease agreements. The carrier will operate its A350-900 XWB fleet on premium long haul routes, beginning with services between Hanoi and Paris.

Photo: Airbus. The pictured A350-941 F-WZFI (msn 014) will become VN-A886 on delivery.

Vietnam Airlines aircraft slide show:

Qatar Airways to bring the Airbus A350-900 to Munich

Qatar Airways (Doha) has announced it will add the new Airbus A350-900 on the Doha – Munich daily route starting on October 1. The airline issued this statement:

Qatar Airways, the Global Launch Customer of the A350 XWB, has announced the expansion of its A350 services to Germany, with the new state-of-the-art aircraft being deployed on its Doha-Munich route.

Commencing October 1, 2015, the Doha-based airline will be launching the A350 XWB to Munich alongside its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on one of the two double-daily flights to Munich.

Beginning November 1, 2015, the second daily flight to Munich will also be operated with the world’s newest wide-body aircraft, the A350 XWB, further strengthening the airline’s position in Germany as a world-class airline providing passengers with an exclusive premium travel experience.

Qatar Airways introduced its first and second commercial A350 XWB flights to the German market with flights to Frankfurt in January and March this year. The airline has also recently launched its third A350 aircraft to Singapore and will add its fourth and fifth aircraft with all three daily flights to Singapore scheduled to be operated with the A350 XWB by mid-August, 2015.

Qatar Airways’ A350s feature 283 seats – with 36 seats in Business Class in a 1-2-1 configuration, featuring 80” inch fully flat horizontal beds – and a 247 seating capacity in Economy Class in a 3-3-3 layout. All seats in Business Class have a direct aisle access with 17” HD in-flight entertainment screens. Economy Class features 10.6” in-flight entertainment screens and more space for passengers in window seats, thanks to a vertical side wall panel design.

Qatar Airways currently has three Airbus A350-900 XWB in its fleet of aircraft, with 77 more on order, and is the only airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airline portfolio. The airline, which has been serving Munich since 1998, currently operates 14 flights each week between Munich and the airline’s Doha base, Hamad International Airport, from which it flies to 146 key leisure and business destinations worldwide.

Video above: A trip report on the Airbus A350-900 from Doha to Frankfurt.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

Video below: Sam Chui. Airbus A350 inaugural flight.

Air France to resume services to Freetown, Sierra Leone

Air France (Paris) on June 30, 2015, is resuming services to Freetown with three weekly frequencies from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

Flights will be operated by Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 208 seats: 40 in the Business cabin, 21 in Premium Economy and 147 in Economy.

In other news, Air France will close its Toulouse, Nice and Marseille pilot bases by October which will result in the reassignment of approximately 200 pilots to Paris according a report by Midi-Pyrenees.

Read the full report (in French): CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo below: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-203 F-GZCI (msn 502) approaches the runway at New York (JFK).

Air France aircraft slide show:

Airbus A320neo with LEAP-1A engines takes to the skies for the first time

Airbus (Toulouse) has issued this statement, video and photo:

The first A320neo equipped with CFM International LEAP-1A engines completed its maiden flight on May 19 in Toulouse, France. The aircraft, registration F-WNEW, was flown by Experimental Test Pilots Philippe Perrin and Malcolm Ridley. Accompanying them in the cockpit was Test-Flight Engineer Jean-Michel Pin and monitoring the progress of the flight profile were the Flight-Test Engineers Tuan Do and Philippe Pupin. The flight lasted 4 hours and 25 minutes during which tests were performed to validate the aircraft’s flight envelope up to the maximum altitude (39,000 feet) and test the engine speed variation (low/high) in addition to checking systems behavior.

The newest member of the A320 Family, the A320neo, incorporates many innovations including latest generation engines, Sharklet wing tip devices and cabin improvements, which together will deliver up to 20 percent in fuel savings by 2020.The flight test campaign of the A320neo has accumulated more than 400 flight hours in around 130 flights since first flight on September 25, 2014.

Photo below: Airbus.

VivaAerobus receives its first direct delivery Airbus A320

VivaAerobus (Monterrey) took delivery of its first new Airbus A320 (the pictured A320-232 F-WWIY and XA-VAA, msn 6574) following the aircraft handover at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse on May 9, 2015. The A320 is the first to be delivered from an order placed in 2013 for 52 aircraft (12 A320ceo and 40 A320neo), which is the largest single deal by a Mexican customer. VivaAerobus already operates six leased A320s and will become an all Airbus operator as it completes its fleet transition from Boeing 737-300s by early 2016.

Including the first A320, all VivaAerobus’ A320ceo are powered by IAE engines. The A320neo will be powered by Pratt and Whitney engines. The aircraft will be deployed on the airline’s domestic network and international routes to the United States.

Copyright Photo below: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured A320-232 F-WWIY (msn 6574) became XA-VAA when it was handed over on May 9.

VivaAerobus aircraft slide show:

The first Airbus A350-900 for TAM takes shape at Toulouse

Airbus (Toulouse) has issued this statement and photo on the progress of the first Airbus A350-900 for TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aereas) (Sao Paulo):

The first A350-900 for TAM Airlines is progressing well in the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, with joining of the wings, the horizontal and vertical tail plane, the main landing gear and the tail cone to the fuselage (below).

The A350 XWB is made of 70 percent advanced materials, including 53 percent composites, and incorporates the latest innovations, providing extra efficiency for airlines.

In particular, the wings have been designed to adapt during the flight, morphing while airborne, changing their shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency throughout the various phases of flight. This contributes to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 25 percent compared to previous generation competing aircraft.

TAM will be the first airline in the Americas to fly the A350 XWB and the fourth operator in the world overall. Delivery of TAM’s first A350 XWB is scheduled for the end of this year. TAM has a total of 27 A350 XWB on order.

The A350 XWB is the latest addition to the market-leading Airbus widebody product line. Offering customers a game-changing reduction in fuel-burn, the all-new mid-size long-range A350 XWB has carbon fibre fuselage and wings and sets new standards in terms of passenger comfort, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
By the end of April 2015, the A350 XWB has won 780 orders from 40 customers worldwide.

Photo above: Airbus and below (TAM). The pictured Airbus A350-941 (msn 024) takes shape at Toulouse and should be handed over to the carrier in December.

TAM aircraft slide show:

Spirit Airlines announces its adjusted first quarter net quarter increased 87.1% to $70.7 million

Spirit Airlines, Inc. (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) today reported first quarter 2015 financial results:

Adjusted net income for the first quarter 2015 increased 87.1 percent to $70.7 million ($0.96 per diluted share) compared to the first quarter 20141. GAAP net income for the first quarter 2015 increased 83.0 percent year over year to $69.0 million ($0.94 per diluted share).

Adjusted pre-tax margin for the first quarter 2015 was 22.7 percent, up 900 basis points year over year1. On a GAAP basis, pre-tax margin for the first quarter 2015 was 22.1 percent.

Spirit ended the first quarter 2015 with an unrestricted cash and cash equivalents balance of $741.6 million.

Spirit’s return on invested capital (before taxes and excluding special items) for the twelve months ended March 31, 2015 was 30.2 percent2.

“I want to thank our team members for delivering strong first quarter operational and financial performance while continuing to execute on our growth plan. We’ve announced 38 of the new routes to begin in 2015 and, over the last two fiscal quarters, we have added 12 new aircraft to our fleet all while improving our on-time performance and maintaining our high degree of reliability,” said Ben Baldanza, Spirit’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our consistent, reliable operational performance, solid track record in successfully launching new markets, and continued strong financial performance position us well for the year ahead.”

Revenue Performance

For the first quarter 2015, Spirit’s total operating revenue was $493.4 million, an increase of 12.6 percent compared to the first quarter 2014, driven by an increase in flight volume.

Total revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) for the first quarter 2015 decreased 9.9 percent compared to the first quarter 2014 on a capacity increase of 25.0 percent. The RASM decrease was primarily driven by a 7.8 percent decrease in average yield due to the ramp up of our growth in new and mature markets, overall fare compression in many of our markets, and increased capacity from other carriers in the Dallas markets.

Total revenue per passenger flight segment (“PFS”) for the first quarter 2015 decreased 7.6 percent year over year to $123.96, primarily driven by a 11.7 percent decrease in ticket revenue per PFS and a 2.1 percent decrease in non-ticket revenue per PFS. The decrease in non-ticket revenue per PFS was primarily attributable to lower bag revenue per PFS and the outsourcing of the Company’s onboard catering to a third-party provider under a revenue share agreement.

Cost Performance

Total operating expenses for the first quarter 2015, excluding $2.7 million of special items, increased 0.9 percent to $381.4 million3. Including special items, total operating expenses increased 1.6 percent year over year to $384.1 million. Operating expenses benefited from economic fuel expense decreasing 25.4 percent, or $37.7 million, on a fuel volume increase of 21.5 percent.

Spirit reported first quarter 2015 cost per available seat mile (“ASM”) excluding special items and fuel (“Adjusted CASM ex-fuel”)3 of 5.72 cents, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to the same period last year driven primarily by lower labor expense per ASM and lower aircraft rent per ASM. Labor expense per ASM in the first quarter 2015 was lower compared to the same period last year primarily due to scale benefits from overall growth and from larger gauge aircraft. The decrease in aircraft rent per ASM was driven by a change in the mix of leased (rent recorded under aircraft rent) and purchased (depreciation recorded under depreciation and amortization) aircraft.

“Once again our team executed well on improving our cost structure. Despite very disruptive winter weather which caused a number of cancelations, and nearly a one percent shorter stage length, our first quarter 2015 Adjusted CASM ex-fuel decreased 5.6 percent year-over-year. This performance sets us up nicely to meet our full year target of delivering Adjusted CASM ex-fuel down 6 to 8 percent year over year,” said Ted Christie, Spirit’s Chief Financial Officer.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. In the first quarter of 2015, Spirit took delivery of five new A320 aircraft, ending the quarter with 70 aircraft in its fleet. The first Airbus A320 in the new bright yellow livery is the pictured A320-232 F-WWDV (msn 6586) at Toulouse which will become N642NK on the pending delivery from Airbus.

Spirit Airlines aircraft slide show: