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Airliner World 2022-07 Flipbook PDF
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E5 E FRAN-2S2TER
CORNWALL VIRGIN ORBIT TOFROM THE COSMOS
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INCORPORATING
w w w . K e y . A e r o
THE GLOBAL AIRLINE SCENE
ONE GIANT LEAP New era dawns as Qantas orders Project Sunrise Airbus A350s
Eurowings Discover
Embraer’s regional jet revolutionary
What’s in store at the biggest show of the summer?
9 771465 633225
The ‘Jungle Jet’ at 20
Farnborough
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Royal Jordanian’s bold bounceback ambitions
Lufthansa launches long-haul leisure links
JULY 2022 £5.60
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ello and welcome to your July 2022 edition of Airliner World, incorporating Airports of the World. If I’ve learnt anything over the past few years, it’s to expect the unexpected. To hope for the best and prepare for the worst. With this in mind, I’m trying my best not to get too giddy at the prospect of the Farnborough Airshow returning this summer, but it’s hard not to be excited. Thanks to its biannual job-share with Le Bourget and a mischiefmaking pandemic, it’s been four long years since the global aerospace industry called Hampshire its temporary home. While a quick scan at airport departure boards in Boston, Brussels or Brisbane would suggest the sector is back on track, the hangover from COVID-19 will be with us for some time in the form of labour shortages, supply chain issues and residual travel restrictions. Throw in the war in Ukraine, surging fuel prices and the threat of financial recession in key Western markets, and you’d be forgiven for wondering when the woes will ever end for a bruised and battered industry. As one airline chief executive told me recently, black swan events – issues that are unlikely to occur, but which have huge impact when they do – were previously seen once in a decade. Not anymore. While the commercial aviation pond is rarely tranquil, these days it can feel like the black swans are outnumbering the white ones. It’s human nature to don rose-tinted glasses and hark back to simpler times, but the sobering reality is that these issues are here and now. The current generation of aviation bosses must be nimbler than their predecessors and be ready to be ruthless if the situation requires it. As global minds gather in Farnborough, it will be interesting to distinguish between those leaders who acknowledge the need to adapt to survive versus the old guard who may be clutching onto antiquated practices that are no longer fit for purpose in this fascinating, yet foreboding, new era we’re entering. For further preview coverage of the year’s biggest airshow, turn to page 24, and don’t miss the incredible archive photography contained within our special snapshot of Farnborough’s formative years starting on page 28. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you enjoy your July edition. Gordon Smith Editor-at-large
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INCORPORATING
Thomas Lee Assistant Editor Gordon Smith Editor-at-large, Commercial Aviation
Carol Randall Associate Editor, Commercial Aviation
Martin Needham Executive Editor
Andy Mason Advertising Manager
Lee Howson Andy O’Neil Molly Eastwood Designers Rebecca Antoniades Advertising Production/ Design
COVER IMAGE • An Airbus A350-1000 passes over the Sydney Opera House to coincide with Qantas's Project Sunrise order AIRBUS ABOVE • Airbus A340-600, F-WWCA (c/n 360), drifts over The Swan pub in Farnborough during the 2006 airshow GIDEON MENDEL/ CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES www.key.aero
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06 News review Airliner World’s comprehensive round-up of global news including ATR going hybridelectric, Boeing’s new 777F operator and a special livery for Emirates’ A380
22 RecoveryWatch We gather the latest data-driven insights from the Cirium team
24 Farnborough is back! Ahead of the return of the year’s biggest airshow, we preview the key trends to watch out for in 2022
32 Etihad: Beyond the A350 In the second part of his special report from the UAE, Gordon Smith explores some of the lesserknown parts of the Etihad Aviation Group
40 The Crane on holiday Andreas Spaeth reports on Eurowings Discover – the newest airline brand within the burgeoning Lufthansa Group
48 A new dawn We find out why May’s agreement between Airbus and Qantas sets the scene for an Antipodean aviation revolution
56 Amman with a plan Tom Batchelor catches up with the CEO of Royal Jordanian to learn more about the flag carrier’s transformation strategy
66 From airport to spaceport There’s a quiet revolution taking place in an otherwise sleepy corner of southwest England, as Robin Evans discovers
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London’s ‘first air hub’
We burrow into the archives to uncover rare images and share insights from London’s former Croydon Airport
78 Deliveries 86 MRO news 88 Departure Gate 90 UK Visitors 92 Aviation training 94 Preservation news 95 Air safety 96 The E-Jet at 20 Bernie Baldwin celebrates two decades since the first flight of Embraer’s best-selling regional jet family
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
66 32 A subscription to
offers great savings on cover price. See pages 64-65 for details
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48
40
74 96
www.key.aero
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News Review • Europe
IAG seals deal for up to 150 MAXs
THE PARENT company behind some of the biggest names in European aviation has signed a blockbuster deal to buy dozens of Boeing narrowbodies. International Airlines Group (IAG) has confirmed that it has finalised negotiations with the US OEM for up to 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets. The purchase, which remains subject to formal approval by IAG shareholders, is a firm order plus options for both the 737-8-200 and larger 737-10 aircraft, powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines. Luis Gallego, IAG chief executive, said: “The addition of new Boeing 737s is an important part of IAG’s short-haul fleet renewal. These latest generation aircraft are more fuel efficient than those they will replace and in line with our commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.” While British Airways and Iberia are the two best known brands in the IAG stable, it also includes Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, European no-frills
giant Vueling and low-cost, long-haul testbed LEVEL. In a market filing, IAG said that the incoming jets could be deployed with any of its airline brands, illustrating the impressive buying power available to the organisation. While Boeing is keen to stress the 150 figure, IAG has actually only agreed to order 50 examples. This comprises 25 737-8-200s and the same number of 737-10s. Focusing on the aircraft, the 737-8-200 could see IAG configure it with up to 200 seats in the most dense set-up. This is the jet currently being integrated into the Ryanair fleet, with the Irish LCC billing it as “a gamechanger” due to its fuel economy and ability to pack in passengers in a highly efficient manner. Meanwhile, the 737-10 – the largest model in the 737 family – can seat up to 230 passengers in an all-economy layout and can fly up to 3,300nm. Boeing claims the jet can cover “99% of single-aisle routes,” including those currently or historically plied by the
757. Data from the OEM suggests the MAX family is on average 14% more fuel-efficient than today's most efficient 737NGs and is up to 20% more efficient than the original 737NGs when they entered service. "With the selection of the 737-8-200 and larger 737-10, IAG has invested in a sustainable and profitable future, as both variants will significantly lower operating costs and CO² emissions," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Today's agreement for up to 150 airplanes, including 100 options, is a welcome addition of the 737 to IAG´s short-haul fleets and reflects our commitment to support the group's continued network recovery and future growth with Boeing's unrivalled family of airplanes." The development follows a commitment made by IAG executives at the 2019 Paris Air Show, which raised more than a few eyebrows at Le Bourget given the jet was still
grounded at the time following two fatal crashes. While commercial terms have not been disclosed, IAG said it has negotiated a “substantial discount from the list price” for the MAXs. Alongside savvy negotiations, this is likely due to the potential size of the deal, the excellent spin-off reputation of having up to three European flag carriers as customers and the timing of the 2019 commitment, when Boeing’s flagship narrowbody was deeply unpopular with passengers, airlines and regulators alike. The list price of the 737-8-200 is $120m and the 737-10 is officially on sale for $130m. According to IAG, the first jets are due to arrive as soon as next year, with deliveries continuing until 2027. The remaining 100 options available to the group can be handed over between 2025 and 2028. IAG notes that the aeroplanes will be used for “fleet replacement”, most likely substituting some (or all) of the group’s ageing Airbus A320ceo jets. (Photo Boeing)
New tenant for Thomas Cook hangar ONE OF Manchester Airport’s largest hangars – previously operated by Thomas Cook Airlines prior to the company’s 2019 collapse – is to reopen as a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. The airport’s operator, Manchester Airports Group, has agreed terms with STS Aviation Services, which will lease the site and create an aircraft base maintenance station. STS Aviation expects that the hangar, capable of undertaking multiple lines of aircraft maintenance, will create more than 200 new jobs in the region over the next two years. The company already has two sites in the UK – at Birmingham Airport and another at Cornwall Airport Newquay. The company plans to start its recruitment 6
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drive immediately, with a view to the facility being fully operational by October 2022. Mick Adams, CEO of STS Aviation Services in Europe, said: “In the
coming months, our team will introduce [more than 100] jobs in Manchester, with 100 more coming online in 2023. As part of STS’s long-term resourcing strategy,
we will launch new trainee and apprenticeship schemes – something that is critical to the future of aviation in the United Kingdom.” (Photo Martin Needham)
News Review • Europe
First A350 for ITA
ITALIAN NATIONAL carrier ITA Airways celebrated delivery of its first Airbus A350 jet. Leased from ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company, the widebody EI-IFA (c/n 308) is part of a larger deal with the Kuwait-based firm for four examples. The three other A350s are thought to be EI-IFC (c/n 323), M-ABOD (c/n 285) and F-WXAQ (c/n 338). These were originally destined for Tianjin Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Capital Airlines, respectively. All four examples from ALAFCO are expected to be leased for 12 years. ITA Airways’ A350 is configured in a two-class layout, with 334 seats comprising 33 fully lie-flat beds in business and space for 301 passengers in economy. The type is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Pitched as a fresh start for Italy, ITA
Airways (Italia Trasporto Aereo) is a replacement for the embattled airline Alitalia, which ceased operations last October after 74 years. Beginning flights on October 15, 2021, the carrier started with short-haul services to European destinations before launching a limited long-haul network, mainly to the US, largely using its predecessor’s former fleet. The addition of the A350 – making ITA the 40th global operator of the type – should allow the airline to resume operations of the longhaul routes previously operated by Alitalia’s Boeing 777-300ERs, which are not practical with A330s. ITA’s A350 is due to start revenue operations in early June 2022 and serve Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and São Paulo from Rome/Fiumicino. Francesco Presicce, chief technology officer of ITA Airways,
said: “The collaboration with ALAFCO allows us to improve cost efficiencies across our fleet. I would like to thank all the team involved and the commitment which made possible to achieve the prestigious, coveted and challenging goal of entry into service in just six months.” In late September 2021, just before its launch, ITA selected Airbus for its fleet renewal when it ordered ten A330neos, 11 A320neos and seven A220s. The carrier said it would also lease a further 56 jets. By the time the airline has received all of its future deliveries, it will have a fleet of 84. By 2025, it hopes to have 74 destinations across 89 routes. Headquartered at Fiumicino, the carrier also has a base at Milan/ Linate. Its current roster spans 58 aircraft, including 18 A319s, 31 A320s, eight A330s and now a single A350.
Lufthansa to welcome new Boeing widebodies
in brief Wizz Air has revealed its intention to launch a new airline in Malta. The Hungarian ultralow cost carrier said it is currently working with the relevant authorities to secure the necessary approvals. “Wizz Air is constantly evaluating the structure of its business and exploring options to establish new AOCs and bases in Europe and beyond,” said Wizz Air CEO József Váradi. “The successful establishment of Wizz Air Malta later this year will help to reinforce our strong position and support our expansion plans in Europe. We look forward to working with EASA and the Maltese CAA to take this application forward.” Air France has unveiled a new business class seat, along with improvements to its premium economy and economy products. According to the carrier, the overhaul is designed based on the three F’s: fully flat, full access and full privacy. The new business class product, which is in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration and includes a sliding door, will be fitted to select Boeing 777-300ERs before being rolled out more widely. It’s due to enter revenue service in autumn this year on the firm’s flagship route between Paris/Charles de Gaulle and New York/JFK. (Photo Air France)
March saw the European airport network post its best monthly performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to trade body ACI Europe. The organisation’s traffic report for the first quarter of 2022 reported March’s monthly performance as -34.1% (Q1 stands at -39.6%). The recovery was due to many EU states relaxing travel restrictions, as well as strong pent-up demand from travellers. Olivier Jankovic, director general of ACI Europe, said: “The immediate challenge is to manage the sudden surge in traffic, given that the pandemic left airports and ground handlers with hugely depleted resources. This now requires re-staffing in what is a very tight labour market across Europe.”
THE LUFTHANSA Group has confirmed its intention to purchase a tranche of new Boeing widebodies. The deal comprises seven Boeing 787-9s, which are to be operated by the German flag carrier’s mainline division, along with three 777Fs and seven 777-8Fs for Lufthansa Cargo. The company has also revealed that terms on a pair of 777Fs – with leases due to run until 2024 – are to be extended. The commitment boosts the group’s total firm order tally for the Dreamliner to 32 examples, which are poised to arrive in 2025 and 2026. According to the company, the new 787s are “intended to fill the capacity gaps”
following delivery delays of the incoming 777-9s – it states the type was originally scheduled for handover from next year, but is now “currently advised in 2025.” As a launch customer for the nextgeneration 777X, the Lufthansa Group currently holds a 20-strong firm order. In a separate move, previous 787-9s already in the US OEM orderbook will have delivery timeframes “revised”, while some are to be accelerated “forward to 2023 and 2024.” Meanwhile, the 777-8F – Lufthansa Group is now the type’s maiden European customer – is slated for delivery from 2027 with the company’s
air freight division. Boeing, which launched the 777-8F in January this year, has already garnered 34 firm commitments from global operators. Finally, on the topic of 777Fs, the German firm had indicated that one of the three jets will be pre-owned and “reassigned” to Lufthansa Cargo. The remaining pair will be new airframes, although their exact arrival date has yet to be disclosed. The company said it chose to bolster its inventory of the current-generation freighter thanks to “persistently high” air freight demand. As of mid-May, the freight firm fielded 11 777Fs and one Airbus A321P2F. (Photo Lufthansa Group)
Two ATR 72-600s are set to join the Air Serbia fleet. Registered YU-ALW (c/n 1466) and YU-ALX (c/n 1474), the pair are due to arrive in Belgrade in June. The 2017 turboprops, on lease from AerCap, form the latest stage in the renewal of Air Serbia’s regional fleet, which began in January and will be finalised by the end of 2022. A new Plaza Premium lounge has opened at Edinburgh Airport – the brand’s first in Scotland and only its third in the UK. The space features the group’s first gin bar, opened in collaboration with Edinburgh Gin. Spanning more than 7,000sq ft, the lounge can cater for up to 165 passengers. “Our latest offerings prove that we are constantly improving our products and services to cater to different market needs, while incorporating local touches to the experience,” said Okan Kufeci, regional general manager at Plaza Premium Group. www.key.aero
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News Review • Europe
Malta flying high again AFTER A bumpy two years, it was back to business for Maltese aviators in early May. The tenth annual MAviO (Malta Aviation Outlook) Conference and Awards brought together more than 60 organisations from across the island for the country’s largest in-person aviation event since the COVID-19 pandemic. A record 130 delegates were in attendance, with a particularly strong showing from MRO firms, such as Lufthansa Technik Malta and SR Technics, indicating the continued importance of the segment within the local landscape. Other notable representatives included Air Malta Executive Chairman David Curmi and Mohammed Dau, managing director of Medavia. Ten speakers from across the industry addressed the audience offering expert insight and analysis. Topics ranged from the ongoing struggle to secure affordable aviation insurance through to the challenges associated with aircraft repossession – an issue of particular relevance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Airliner World’s Gordon Smith queried how island economies can be 21st century aviation pioneers, while Richard Maslen, head of analysis at CAPA – Centre for Aviation examined how air travel is likely to evolve over the coming decade. Among other highlights was a deepdive into the Maltese market by Max Oldorf, chief commercial officer and co-founder of ch-aviation. Leveraging his company’s datasets, he revealed that Transport Malta grew the number of Maltese airline AOCs (operators with more than 19-seater aircraft) from just four in 2011 to 29 today. In comparison, ENAC (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority) oversaw 27
Air Malta is no longer the only major player on the archipelago AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ DANIEL NICHOLSON
operators in 2011 but only 17 today. The numbers suggested that in Spain and other comparable European countries, the trend is broadly similar. The message was clear – this is what’s possible when an aviation regulator is run more like a modern business than an overly bureaucratic quasi-governmental organisation. Among the VIPs in attendance was Aaron Farrugia, Malta’s new minister for transport, infrastructure and capital projects. Making his first public comments on the aviation industry, he spoke about how government and industry stakeholders alike have a responsibility to further strengthen the sector and continue to invest. Acknowledging his recent appointment, Farrugia said he had much to learn and was grateful for the
opportunity to hear from domestic and international stakeholders. “Building a good reputation is an uphill struggle but the opposite will apply if we are complacent. We have been told by many that Malta is the preferred jurisdiction in Europe, and I have learned that we have outpaced many larger jurisdictions. But this growth needs to be sustainable: both fiscally and environmentally, as we continue to push our country towards an ecological transition without in any manner hindering our connectivity and continuing to strengthen our touristic product,” said Farrugia. With the formalities of the main conference finished, it was soon time for the MAviO Awards. Developed to recognise excellence in management and airmanship within the Maltese
From left, award winners Rachel Grech and Lt Col Joseph Smith are joined by Claire Zammit Xuereb, who collected the trophy on behalf of her husband Trevor MAVIO
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aviation industry, the ceremony was first held in 2011, when the country was grappling with the meltdown brought by the 2008 global financial crisis. The winner of the Aviator of the Year award was first officer and flight examiner Trevor Zammit who made a textbook emergency landing at Malta International Airport in November 2021 after encountering problems with the starboard main gear of the Piper Seneca he was flying. Although the right-hand main landing gear collapsed on touchdown he managed to keep damage to a minimum. Other winners included Lt Col Joseph Smith, who collected the Lifetime Achievement Award and Rachel Grech, head of personnel licensing at Transport Malta’s Civil Aviation Directorate who picked up the trophy for Leader of the Year. By accident, rather than design, the event was held on the day coronavirus restrictions – including the wearing of masks inside – were lifted in Malta. The ability to shake hands and see faces again was not taken for granted. This, coupled with the fact that the conference and awards are organised on a completely voluntary basis by a small team of local aviation aficionados, helped reinforce the community spirit at the venue. While uncertainty and extreme geopolitical challenges have become seemingly omnipresent, the gathering was a hugely important signal that there’s plenty of promise within the Maltese aviation industry and, with an openminded, international outlook it seems set to continue to punch well above its weight on the global stage.
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News Review • CIS
Air Astana’s 20th anniversary THE NATIONAL carrier of Kazakhstan is celebrating its 20th birthday. On May 15, Air Astana marked two decades since its first revenue flight, with the maiden sortie linking the country’s two primary cities – Almaty and Astana (now Nur-Sultan) – using a Boeing 737. Since 2002, the airline has carried almost 60 million passengers and more than 250,000 tonnes of cargo onboard 600,000 flights. According to the firm, its average load factor over the years has been almost 70%, with 5,000 people currently on the payroll. The company is a joint venture between Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund (51%), and Britain’s BAE Systems (49%). From an aircraft perspective, the Air Astana Group fleet has grown to 37 examples, including Boeing 767300s, Airbus A320ceo/neos, A321ceo/ neos and A321LRs and Embraer 190E2s, with a combined average age of 4.9 years. Air Astana recently took delivery of its eighth A321LR, EI-KGH (c/n 10534), with the jet arriving in Almaty on May 5, 2022. The A321LR was secured via Air Lease Corporation and is due to be joined by two more later this year. A timeline for the airline’s much mooted 787 Dreamliner acquisition is still uncertain, with the Boeing widebody originally due to join the Central Asian carrier in 2017. It remains to be seen if – or when – these airframes will ultimately join the Air Astana roster. The status of a separate Letter of Intent for up to 30 737 MAX jets is also not clear. Since its launch in 2019, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary, FlyArystan, has expanded to operating ten A320s,
serving up to 44 routes. The group’s most recent financial figures show it carried 6.6 million passengers in 2021, up almost 80% on the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with Air Astana’s mainline operation comprising 3.6 million and FlyArystan carrying three million. Speaking as the milestone was reached, Peter Foster, the president and CEO of Air Astana since 2005, said: “Our 20th anniversary is a truly remarkable achievement, which I hold with great pride, together every one of our dedicated 5,000 employees. With the guiding principles of resilience,
determination and innovation, we have all worked tirelessly to overcome every obstacle in order to consistently deliver the very highest levels of safety, service and efficiency to our dedicated customers for two decades. The past two years of enduring the effects on travel of COVID have been particularly challenging, but these principles helped ensure a very solid financial performance in 2021, which positions us well for growth at the start of Air Astana’s third decade.” In recent months, Air Astana has opened new international flights to Batumi (Georgia), Podgorica
(Montenegro), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Phuket (Thailand), as well as resuming services to Male (Maldives), London, Delhi, Tbilisi (Georgia) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan). Meanwhile, its low-cost subsidiary inaugurated services to Kutaisi (Georgia) from three Kakazh cities and launched ten new domestic links. Despite Kazakhstan’s close economic and political links with Moscow, earlier this year the airline joined most western carriers in suspending all scheduled services to and from Russia, citing difficulties in obtaining insurance following the Ukrainian invasion. (Photo Air Astana)
Turkish twist for Russian jets? SEVERAL BOEING 737 MAX 8 jets originally destined for Russia’s S7 Airlines now appear to be going to Turkish Airlines and its leisure subsidiary AnadoluJet. As many as five airframes, which currently retain much of the distinctive two-tone green colour scheme of S7, have been seen with Turkish registrations.
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Spotters in the Seattle area noted the following examples at Boeing Field in mid-May, bound for Turkey: TC-LAG (c/n 61810), TC-LAH (c/n 61845), TC-LAI (c/n 64947) (pictured), TC-LAJ (c/n 64462) and TC-LAK (c/n 61848). The far-reaching economic sanctions imposed against Moscow by Western powers following the
invasion of Ukraine have created headaches for aircraft manufacturers and leasing companies alike. The firms have had to overhaul their customer pipelines, forfeiting orders from Russian businesses and expediting other operators to fill the void. Boeing is not alone in having to find new homes for aircraft once
heading to Russia – several Airbus A321neo examples in S7 colours have been pictured parked at the facility of European OEM Finkenwerder in Germany. These include c/n 10809, 10756, 10789 and 10883. At the time of going to press, new customers for these jets had not yet been confirmed. (Photo Joe G Walker)
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News Review • Africa/Middle East
Manchester Kuwaits no longer KUWAIT AIRWAYS has started a new thrice-weekly connection to Manchester, making the northwest hub its second UK destination after London/Heathrow. The carrier now deploys its sixstrong contingent of CFM International LEAP-1A-powered Airbus A320neos – featuring both an economy and business class product – from Kuwait City, a distance of around 3,000 miles. On the opening day, two-year-old example, 9K-AKM (c/n 9119), arrived at the Mancunian gateway following a 6hr 35min sortie (pictured here). The inbound flight – KU 113 – is scheduled to arrive into Manchester – which benefits from two parallel runways, the 10,000ft-long 05L/23R and 10,007ft-long 05R/23L – at 1145hrs local time, before the return leg – KU 114 – departs exactly an hour later, operating on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. While the move is expected to greatly benefit businesses, tourism organisations along with visiting friends and relatives traffic, university students are of particular importance
– Manchester Airport revealed that around 2,960 Kuwaiti students were studying across its catchment area at the time of the announcement. Demand looks promising – before the onset of COVID-19, more than 23,000 travellers annually from Kuwait visited Northwest England, spending more than £22m. Meanwhile, current statistics show that approximately 49,000 people across the airport’s vast catchment area journey indirectly to Kuwait each year.
Additionally, it is estimated a further 800,000 travellers from across the North of England head to a range of onward destinations currently offered on the Kuwait Airways network – such as Bangkok, Delhi, Mumbai and Manila – that are not directly connected with Manchester Airport at present. Maen Razouqi, Kuwait Airways chief executive officer, said: “Manchester as a destination is of great importance to Kuwait Airways’ customers. The
selection came after an increased demand for it as a distinct destination for tourists, especially in the summer season, which is expected to witness an unprecedented boom in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors. In addition, the launching of Manchester as a destination in KAC’s [Kuwait Airways Corporation] network will assist a large segment of students to study abroad in universities in Manchester and in [other areas of] England.” (Photo Nik French)
Livery is a vision of the future
EMIRATES HAS unveiled the first of its latest series of special-liveried aircraft, an Airbus A380, A6-EVK (c/n 260), emblazoned with Dubai’s new torus-shaped, architectural icon, the Museum of the Future – a pillarless, seven-storey building that opened in February this year.
The airline reports that the initiative underscores its “unwavering commitment” to support the vision of Dubai as a leading city of the future, promoting innovation and being a testbed for emerging technologies. The museum is to act as an incubator to bring and develop bold visions of
the future to life, in addition to being a platform to trial and demonstrate new technological discoveries. The first destination for A6-EVK dressed in the new scheme – with the ‘Journey to the future’ titles covering 3,616sq ft of the widebody – was Los Angeles. Since then it has globetrotted
to other destinations including New York/JFK, Melbourne/Tullamarine and São Paulo/Guarulhos. A further nine super jumbos will receive the markings – Emirates disclosed these would mainly serve routes to Europe, along with “key Arab regional cities”. (Photo Emirates)
Wizzing to Saudi Arabia? IN AN interesting turn of developments, Wizz Air has noted “potential expansion” into Saudi Arabia. This came after Wizz Air Holdings Plc inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment on May 10 – primarily aimed to “explore airline market development opportunities” within the country. With collaboration seeking to “enable potential investment and operating models” that positively 12
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enhance the Kingdom’s aviation ecosystem, this, in turn, could substantially increase connectivity and boost the local tourism industry. The move is supported by the Saudi National Air Connectivity Programme – an initiative of the Saudi National Tourism Strategy. The Middle Eastern nation, through its ‘Vision 2030’ programme, has ambitions of tripling passenger traffic in Saudi Arabia by 2030 and is anticipated to bring “unprecedented
opportunities” for airlines. Wizz Air says thanks to an “innovative” and “sustainable” ultra-low-costcarrier (ULCC) model, it has proven to develop markets by opening up more affordable air travel. Consequently, the budget behemoth reaffirmed the MOU, adding its potential entry into the Saudi market could stimulate new demand, helping to create “significant contribution” to planned growth for the Kingdom. The airline’s brand is already
reasonably well established in the region thanks to Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between holding company ADQ, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc. The airline’s route network from its Abu Dhabi/International base in the UAE, includes Muscat (Oman), Tel Aviv/Ben Gurion (Israel) and Amman (Jordan). Currently, it fields a quartet of 239seat Airbus A321neos: A6-WZA (c/n 9503), A6-WZB (c/n 9429), A6-WZC (c/n 10371) and A6-WZD (c/n 10391).
News Review • Africa/Middle East
Strategic partnership unveiled
QATAR AIRWAYS and Virgin Australia have teamed up to form a new strategic partnership earmarked to begin “mid-year”. According to both parties, the development will “significantly expand” their networks, lounges and loyalty programmes. For instance, their customers are set to take advantage of seamless connectivity across each other’s networks. At present, Qatar Airways operates into several Australian facilities, namely Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney at daily frequency, complemented by thrice-weekly links to Adelaide (which continue on to Auckland, New Zealand). Therefore, travellers from the Qatari flag
carrier stand to benefit from a new codeshare agreement allowing them access to 35 destinations across Virgin Australia’s domestic network – all on one booking – including Alice Springs, Broome, Cairns and Gold Coast, plus some short-haul international markets such as Fiji and Queenstown in New Zealand. Conversely, Virgin Australia passengers are also granted one-stop connectivity to more than 140 locations worldwide, including 54 cities in Europe (equating to more than 600-weekly rotations to the continent), via Qatar’s Doha/Hamad hub. Another advantage of the strategic partnership – which also promises
to boost Australian trade and tourism – involves reciprocal loyalty benefits. Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will be able to earn and redeem Avios on the Aussie firm’s services, while the same applies for Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer members flying on the Qatar-based airline. Meanwhile, depending on status tier, Privilege Club and Velocity members will also enjoy “unique benefits”, which could include priority check-in and boarding as well as complimentary lounge access and extra baggage allowance. (Photo Flickr Commons/ Anna Zvereva)
New turboprop on for Gabon
A brand-new turboprop bound for Gabon-based Afrijet Business Service was seen at Toulouse’s Blagnac gateway on May 5 sporting a striking new livery for the Central African carrier. This ATR 72-600, which completed its maiden flight at the end of March, still bore test registration F-WWEP (c/n 1646), but is understood will eventually become TR-ABW. At last year’s Dubai Airshow, the Franco-Italian manufacturer finalised the sale for a trio of the type – these are to complement an existing 2015-vintage ATR 72-600, TR-ABJ (c/n 1285), in service and on lease from Aergo Capital. The move to directly acquire brand-new airframes is designed to present opportunities for new routes and frequency increases V1IMAGES.COM/CLÉMENT ALLOING
An eye on Oya Libyan start-up Fly Oya has recently begun five-times-weekly links between its Tripoli/Mitiga base and Istanbul Airport using its sole Airbus A330-200, 5A-OSA (c/n 345). The jet also operates thrice-weekly connections from the Libyan capital to Cairo and Alexandria, having been placed into service at the start of May. The jet, leased from Airbus Financial Services, was delivered to the carrier in November of last year and has previously served with Emirates, Tunisia’s Syphax Air and Onur Air. This particular A330’s delivery flight to Emirates, as A6-EKZ, in October 2000 was featured in the April 2001 issue of Airliner World ILGAZ DEGER
in brief Passenger figures are on the rise at Dubai/International after the airport reported its busiest quarter since 2020. In Quarter 1 of this year, the UAE gateway recorded 13.6 million customers – becoming its second consecutive quarter to surpass the ten million mark in terms of passenger traffic – and 81,966 flight movements. In comparison, during Q1 2021, Dubai/International handled just 5.7 million customers. At present, India is the UAE hub’s top destination country, with 1.6 million travellers, while the UK capital, London, was the top city with 617,000 passengers. According to Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, annual traffic is now projected to reach 58.3 million this year. EgyptAir is poised to gain its maiden Boeing 737-800SF after the flag carrier inked a freighter conversion contract with Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI). The jet in question is SU-GCP (c/n 35560) – pictured, and currently configured in a two-class, 144-seat passenger layout – and has served exclusively with EgyptAir since it rolled off the Renton production line back in 2007. The modification process is scheduled to start in October this year with conversion and maintenance requirements carried out by authorised AEI conversion centre Commercial Jet, in Miami, Florida. According to Capt Amr Abu El-Enein, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company, the carrier will “continue to increase the size of [its] fleet and open new freighter markets in the coming years”. (Photo Flickr Commons/ Anna Zvereva)
A pair of ATR 72-500 freighters are set to join Nigeria-based GIG Aviation – a subsidiary of GIG Group. The news followed confirmation by the Franco-Italian airframer of an agreement on May 10, that the turboprops would be acquired from its asset management portfolio – although no exact delivery dates were shared at the time of writing. According to Cargo Facts, the airframes involved are EC-JBI (c/n 713) and EC-JEH (c/n 716) – both having flown with Spain’s Binter Canarias. These freighter aircraft would support network expansion for GIG Logistics (also a GIG group subsidiary) in Africa, to meet the rapid growth of the e-commerce sector, plus strengthening connections between communities. Adetoro Fowoshere, chief executive officer of GIG Aviation, said the ATRs would be “significant in allowing us to expand operations with economic efficiency and reliability, key factors for an airline”. Bluebox Aviation Systems, specialising in passenger engagement software for commercial aviation, has been selected by El Al Israel Airlines to provide wireless in-flight entertainment on 26 of its Boeing 737 jets. Passengers will be able to view movies, TV shows, games, plus a moving map, all streamed to their own devices via the battery-operated Bluebox Wow wireless streaming system. Bluebox Wow is a lunchbox-sized unit stowed in overhead bins to create a “captive Wi-Fi network”. The announcement added that El Al is to renew its deployment of Bluebox-enabled iPads. www.key.aero
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News Review • Americas
Norse reveals first four US cities
THE LATEST company to attempt to make ‘low-cost long-haul’ transatlantic travel viable has revealed its launch plans. Norse Atlantic Airways – not to be confused with Norwegian – has started selling tickets for its first American routes. The Nordic carrier confirmed its inaugural will depart Oslo/ Gardermoen for New York/JFK on June 14. Promotional prices start at just NOK 995 ($129, £85) one way, although it should be noted this is the most stripped back fare and does not include checked luggage, meals, seat selection or other ‘frills’. Norse had been expected to launch services this spring, but delayed the start of its revenue operations citing market weakness, highlighting the war in Ukraine as a factor which “resulted in increased fuel prices and uncertainties relating to travel demand”. Alongside its flagship route to NYC, Norse will also serve two destinations in Florida – Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando/ International (MCO) – as well as Los Angeles (LAX) from its Oslo base. The airline confirmed to Airliner World that other cities across the United
States are in the pipeline and will be revealed at a later date. Earlier reports suggested Norse might fly into secondary US airports near major markets to reduce costs. Gateways such as New York/Stewart (SWF) for the Big Apple and Ontario (ONT) for the Los Angeles area were mooted as potential options. The fact that the airline has opted to serve these mainline ‘premium’ hubs is telling of Norse’s wider strategy. It indicates the company is aware that the allure of a low fare wanes if the destination airport is sub-par.
While the launch of services from Oslo to the USA is notable, many are waiting to see when other European bases come online. Norse has confirmed London/Gatwick and Paris/ Charles de Gaulle will follow soon – likely late summer 2022 – with routes to the US Eastern Seaboard the focus of the initial offerings. Norse will deploy the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for its
transatlantic sorties, with both the -8 and larger -9 variants being rolled out as the network matures. Airliner World will report from one of the first Norse flights – watch this space! (Photo Norse Atlantic Airways)
Abra aims to work its magic
AVIANCA AND GOL have agreed to pool their operations under a new holding company. The transaction, which is still subject to regulatory approval, would see the individual brands maintained and is “intended to create long-term stability in the post-coronavirus environment”. According to a financial filing published in mid-May, the aim is to create the leading air transportation group across Latin America, with strong market penetration and lean operational costs. It is claimed the
airlines will have the “lowest unit cost in their respective markets”. The name of the new organisation will be the Abra Group. It will be co-controlled by the principal shareholders of Avianca and the majority shareholder of GOL and led by a management team “with significant airline experience within the region”. Abra will control Colombia’s Avianca and Brazil’s GOL and, thanks to recent investments made by Avianca, also owns a noncontrolling 100% economic interest
in Viva’s operations in Colombia and Peru, as well as a convertible debt representing a minority interest investment in Chile’s Sky Airline. Roberto Kriete, Abra Group’s chairman and founder of Mexican carrier Volaris, said: “Our vision is to create an airline group that tackles 21st century issues and improves air travel for our customers, employees and partners as well as the communities in which we operate. Our customers will benefit from access to even better fares, more
Aleutian aviators swing south Spotters at Boeing Field were treated to a rather unusual visitor on May 13. This Aleutian Airways Saab 2000, registration N687PA (c/n 2000-021), positioned to the Washington State airport from Anchorage in Alaska. Pictured on arrival at BFI, the former PenAir aircraft was delivered new to France’s Regional Airways in 1995 as F-GMVC. Describing itself as “the strongest link in the [island] chain”, Aleutian Airways is a new airline serving the far southwest of Alaska. It is understood to be a partnership between Juneau-based Alaska Seaplanes, Florida’s Sterling Airways and two venture capital companies JOE G WALKER
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
destinations, more frequent flights and seamless connections, and the ability to earn and use points across the brands’ loyalty programmes.” Constantino de Oliveira Junior, Abra Group CEO and founder of GOL, added: “This agreement places Abra’s airlines in a position to lead air travel within the region – serving a population of over one billion and GDP of nearly $3tn – providing significant opportunities for capacity and revenue growth.” (Photo Avianca)
News Review • Americas
Colorado concourse upgrade complete A RIBBON-CUTTING ceremony has marked the completion of 16 new gates on Concourse C at Denver International Airport (DEN). The new area is being leased by Southwest Airlines and will allow the low-cost carrier to continue growing its operations at the Colorado gateway. The 530,000ft² expansion includes 20 ‘holdrooms’ (designated waiting zones at gates) and additional airline support areas. It is the largest space commissioned by DEN since the Westin Hotel and Transit Center was unveiled in 2015. New and upgraded passenger amenities include an outdoor patio, enhanced seating options, charging
stations, new restrooms, nursing rooms and animal-friendly areas, plus space for eight new shopping and dining options due in 2023. Phil Washington, the airport’s chief executive (pictured fourth from right), said: “The gate expansion programme is just one way we are growing our infrastructure to ensure we are prepared for 100 million passengers in the next eight to ten years. These new gates will not only allow one of our largest carriers to expand at DEN, but provide our passengers with more options and an improved experience.” Southwest Airlines was expecting to start operating from the new gates in late May or early June.
A pair will remain closed until the autumn to improve alignment and tie in with existing facilities. Steve Sisneros, vice-president of airport affairs at Southwest Airlines (pictured third from right, below), said: “With the opening of the gates, we continue partnering with DEN to design and build larger and modern facilities to support our long-term vision in Colorado, which includes our recently opened maintenance hangar complex, buildings for our provisioning, cargo and ground support teams, and a larger people department to support our robust recruiting efforts.” (Photo Denver International Airport)
Space Home Alabama! HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL has become the first civilian airport in the United States to receive a licence to land commercial space vehicles. The North Alabama site has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an official re-entry site for a brand new spaceplane concept. The application was submitted by Huntsville authorities in November 2021, with consent conditional upon the finding of no significant impact through the FAA’s environmental assessment. The public was invited to participate in the evaluation, which
examined air space, noise, historical preservation, wildlife and impact to waterways within the anticipated re-entry trajectory of the vehicle. Initially, the obtaining of the FAA licence is specific to Dream Chaser (a spaceplane currently in development by the Sierra Space Corporation). However, this proof of concept supports other vehicles, each of which would require additional FAA licensing. The Dream Chaser is theoretically capable of touching down on almost any runway that can accommodate a Boeing 737. The company has been
awarded six missions by NASA to resupply the International Space Station via uncrewed vehicles. Potentially, the FAA could grant the spaceplane the option to land at Huntsville as soon as 2023. Tommy Battle, mayor of Huntsville, said: “The landing of Dream Chaser at Huntsville International Airport is part of a vision for economic development that continues our legacy in space science and taps into our workforce expertise and assets developed for the International Space Station.” (Photo NASA/Huntsville International Airport)
in brief United Airlines has bolstered its transatlantic schedule to Munich by adding two services at the Bavarian airport. The carrier has launched a daily link to Denver, connecting the two cities – and major United and Lufthansa hubs – for the first time. It has placed a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the route, operating as Flight UA 760/1. The Chicago-based airline has also restarted its daily sortie to Houston, which had been suspended since March 2020. It is typically operated by a Boeing 767-300ER and flies as UA 102 and UA 160. Ultra low-cost carrier Avelo has revealed it will open the airline's third base in June. The new capacity will be at Orlando/International Airport (MCO) and joins Avelo's existing west coast base at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and its east coast home at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) in Connecticut. Over the coming summer season, Avelo will take delivery of Boeing 737NGs, which will be based at MCO. The airline hopes to station additional 737 examples at the Floridian hub in the second half of the year as Avelo's overall fleet reaches 15 737NGs by the end of 2022. (Photo Avelo)
Menzies Aviation has confirmed the acquisition of a controlling stake in Agunsa Aviation Services. The company provides ground and air cargo handling services in Santiago, Chile, to several major international carriers including Delta Air Lines and Qatar Airways. It also operates a 110,000sq ft on-airport cargo warehouse, able to handle a combination of import cargo, export cargo and courier products. The deal complements Menzies’ existing operations in five other countries across Central and South America. Air Canada Rouge has bolstered connectivity from Quebec City with the launch of two non-stop seasonal services to the west of Canada. The flag carrier’s leisure brand now flies four times a week to Calgary and up to thrice weekly to Vancouver. The new domestic routes will run until the end of October and be operated by Airbus A319s. A successful airport system revenue bond sale to investors has helped AustinBergstrom International (AUS) secure $400m of funding. The money will support near-term airport expansion and development programme (AEDP) projects for the Texan gateway. Over the AEDP’s lifetime, an estimated $3.5 to $4bn will be invested in improvements to support more passengers and more flights. “Securing this funding is a milestone. This bond sale moves us closer to breaking ground on exciting new airport improvement projects that will modernise AUS,” said Gina Fiandaca, assistant city manager for mobility. www.key.aero
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News Review • Asia/Pacific
Qantas Airbus trio commitments QANTAS HAS placed firm orders for three Airbus types in a historic move which the flag carrier says will “reshape its international and domestic networks over the next decade and beyond”. The orders comprised 12 Airbus A350-1000 widebodies as part of Project Sunrise, while as part of Qantas’ narrowbody fleet renewal
– named Project Winton – firm commitments were also made for 20 examples each of the A220-300 and A321XLR. Purchase options for a further 94 jets – on the A220 and A320 families – spread over at least a decade, are also included. The A350-1000s are slated to arrive from 2025, with the last example from this order expected to be completed
no more than three years later. Meanwhile, A220-300 deliveries are poised to commence late next year, with the A321XLRs being handed over from late 2024. This, in turn, will start the replacement of the carrier’s combined 95-strong Boeing 717 and 737-800 contingent (comprising 20 and 75 examples, respectively) as they begin to be retired.
The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 will power the Qantas A350-1000, while the A220-300s and A321XLRs are to be equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1500G and PW1100G-JM powerplants, respectively. (Photo Airbus) A full-length feature about this major Qantas development can be found starting on page 48.
Second international gateway for Nepal OFFICIALLY NAMED Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), Nepal’s latest international gateway was inaugurated on May 16 by the country’s Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba. Prime Minister Deuba described the opening of the site as a historic day in Nepal’s aviation and tourism sectors, adding that the facility will contribute to the country’s overall development and prosperity in the long run. Speaking at the inauguration, Arnaud Cauchois, Asian Development Bank (ADB) country director for Nepal, congratulated the government of Nepal on the completion and opening of the airport, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“The airport will help connect Lumbini – a major tourist and pilgrimage destination – to Buddhist circuits in South Asia, as well as to the rest of the world. In a broader context, the airport will form a cornerstone of the country’s overall development, by facilitating tourism, expanding trade and economic activities, generating local employment opportunities, and improving international air transport access to migrant workers and people living in the nearby provinces,” Cauchois said. The airport is 11 miles from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. The new facility, which can accommodate widebodies, features
a 163,277sq ft terminal building and a new airstrip of 9,843ft: Runway 10/28. Moreover, an advanced instrument landing system (ILS) will be used at GBIA, a first for Nepal, to enable aircraft landings in reduced visibility. Minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation, Prem Bahadur Ale, said: “The opening of the airport is a moment of pride for the country. As Nepal’s second international airport, GBIA will serve as an alternate for Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, and airlines will no longer have to divert to other countries in the event of bad weather or technical issues.” ADB supported the government of Nepal in upgrading and building GBIA through the South Asia
Tourism Infrastructure Development Project. The total cost of the airport construction was $76.1m. Of this, ADB’s contribution was about $37m in loans and grants, while the OPEC Fund for International Development contributed about $11m on a loan basis. The rest is funded by the government of Nepal. ADB’s development project is helping Bangladesh, India and Nepal improve infrastructure and services in key tourism sites. GBIA’s opening was marked by the successful landing of an international commercial flight on May 16, operated by an Airbus A320neo, 9K-CBG (c/n 10366), flown by Jazeera Airways from Kuwait City.
New type delight for Tibet The first Airbus A319neo example for Tibet Airlines was spotted at the European manufacturer’s Hamburg/ Finkenwerder plant on April 30. The jet, still sporting test identity D-AVWP (c/n 10607), but eventually to be registered as B-329H, had yet to make its maiden flight at the time pictured. So far, China Southern Airlines is the only commercial carrier to operate the A319neo, after accepting a pair of the type in February (see Airliner World, April 2022). At the time of writing, data from Airbus’s most recent orders and deliveries (April 2022), showed the airframer amassed 72 A319neo commitments, including 31 from Spirit Airlines and a pair from Air Côte d’Ivoire V1IMAGES.COM/DIRK GROTHE
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
News Review • Asia/Pacific
Green machine JAPAN AIR Commuter (JAC) has received a brand-new ATR 42-600 from the Franco-Italian airframer. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M-powered turboprop, JA11JC (c/n 1611), is adorned with the titles ‘eco PROP’ towards the front of the fuselage and a special sticker (pictured). This is said to represent the leaves of Kaikouzu – the tree of Kagoshima Prefecture – and signals JAC’s commitment to connect areas (using the lowest amount of CO2
emissions) that coexist with nature, such as Natural World Heritage Sites, including Amami Oshima, Okinawa, Tokunoshima and Yakushima – all destinations JAC flies to. In May, the 48-seat airframe departed Toulouse on its ferry flight to the Far East and used a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on the first leg of the marathon journey. Stefano Bortoli, chief executive officer of ATR, commented: “We are proud to see that ATR aircraft continue to support our Japanese
long-standing customer JAC in its mission to connect communities and remote places, as well as propelling [the] local economy. Thanks to the unrivalled versatility of our aircraft and its responsible performance, ATR aircraft are the perfect choice for this country.” Thanks to its latest acquisition, JAC – a Japan Airlines Group company – now fields a nine-strong inventory of ATR 42-600s, along with a pair of larger ATR 72-600s. (Photo ATR)
All-important Auckland Airport AIR NEW Zealand has outlined plans to centralise its operation, including the expected shift of its head office to Auckland Airport in the coming years. As part of a long-term strategy, which bosses at the Kiwi firm say will “unleash the airline’s full potential”, its base at Auckland Airport is to receive a multi-year investment. A refurbished airport campus is anticipated to house the centralised Auckland workforce in 2024 – with Air New Zealand stating the project has been approved in-principle. The flag carrier said moving its city office to Auckland’s aerial gateway is estimated to reduce costs by
20% over 15 years, as it significantly shrinks its property footprint. Greg Foran, Air New Zealand chief executive officer, said: “We’ve spent the last two years looking at how we can set ourselves up for success as we revive our airline. We know we work best when we work together, and we have plenty of underutilised space at the airport campus to make that happen.” He added: “We have more space than we need in the Auckland CBD [central business district] and are already paying for a precinct at the airport that has more than enough space to meet even our most
ambitious growth projections. With building costs increasing and our CBD leases coming to an end, this is the time to get started on the work to bring our people together.” As part of further investment at the airport, construction of a new 107,639sq ft engineering facility, called Hangar 4, for Air New Zealand is due to start from this year. With space to accommodate a Boeing 787 and a pair of Airbus A320s side by side, the site is designed to have the “largest single-span timber arch aircraft hangar in the Southern Hemisphere”. (Photo Air New Zealand)
in brief Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline, Rex, has inked a letter of intent (LOI) with US-based Delta Air Lines – a move said to cement their intentions of entering into a “definitive commercial agreement”. Upon a final deal, reciprocal interline ticketing and baggage services between the two is anticipated to come online during Q3 of this year. Rex deputy chairman, John Sharp, said: “Delta will not only connect international travellers on Rex’s trunk domestic routes, but could also allow them easy access to Rex’s expansive network of [more than] 60 routes throughout regional Australia.” Meanwhile, passengers from the Aussie firm would be able to connect onto Delta’s daily SydneyLos Angeles link, and onward to almost 50 cities across the United States. In a move expected to reduce delays, enhance safety and save fuel, IndiGo became the first carrier in Asia to conduct a localiser performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approach. The test sortie – part of an approval process with the Indian regulatory body DGCA – was carried out at Kishangarh Airport in northwest India. Using one of the airline’s ATR 72-600s, VT-IXW (c/n 1573) – pictured – it was equipped with GAGAN (GPS-aided GEO-augmented navigation), an indigenously developed space-based augmentation system, which is stated to approximate accuracy of a Category I instrument landing system (ILS). Benefits of LPV include providing a “a precise and near-precision instrument approach option with the lowest minima relative to other approach options” when either an ILS is not installed or unavailable. (Photo IndiGo)
AirAsia Indonesia has restored flights on the route between Perth in Australia and Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia, following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. The first service to resume – Flight QZ 537 – occurred on May 15 and was flown at 93% passenger occupancy. The popular connection is currently flown four-weekly but AirAsia Indonesia CEO Veranita Yosephine said demand is strong, adding: “We will continue to review opportunities to increase services in the future, to match this pent-up demand.” Meanwhile, the 2012-vintage Airbus A320ceo, PK-AZE (c/n 5098), that plied the opening service has an interesting history after being the first customer-accepted A320 to feature Sharklets. As part of a recent Airbus demonstration tour across the Asia-Pacific region, the airframer used an airBaltic A220-300, YL-ABH (c/n 55162), in early May. Destinations visited included Sydney, Australia, where it made a demonstration flight to coincide with Qantas’ blockbuster order, as well as the likes of Singapore; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Tokyo, Japan. As YL-ABH made stops on its journey, attendance of product briefings by Airbus executives, aircraft tours for invited guests, along with short demo flights were offered. www.key.aero
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News Review • International
ATR details hybrid 'EVO' plans FRANCO-ITALIAN TURBOPROP titan ATR has outlined plans for a more sustainable and economic regional airliner offering, which it aims to launch by next year. Called ATR ‘EVO’, it will incorporate “advanced design features and a new powerplant with hybrid capability.” In a statement, ATR said that while EVO will incorporate a “new eco-design that includes new propellers and enhanced cabin and systems, it will remain a two-engine turboprop that can be powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).” Speaking at the announcement, ATR CEO Stefano Bortoli said: “Our next generation of aircraft will be a step forward in responsible flying through further incremental innovation. When it enters the market, the new ATR ‘EVO’ will pave the way towards a decarbonised future for aviation. Key benefits include a 20% overall fuel improvement and 100% SAF compatibility. This means that the aircraft will emit over 50% less CO₂ than a regional jet when powered by
kerosene. When using 100% SAF, its emissions will be close to zero.” Confirming the progress made to date, ATR’s senior vice president of engineering, Stéphane Viala, added: “We have issued a Request for Information to the main engine
manufacturers for the development of the new powerplant that will combine existing and future generation engine technology. The ATR ‘EVO’ will feature improved performance in terms of time to climb and an enhanced cabin, with increased use of lighter
bio-sourced materials. Recyclability will also be at the heart of our new design.” The company also confirmed it will be liaising with airlines, systems providers and engine manufacturers, to achieve its aim of launching the programme in 2023. (Photo ATR)
C919 certification and first deliveries near THE COMMERCIAL Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has flown the first C919 destined for airline service. The jet, bound for China Eastern Airlines made its maiden test flight from Shanghai/Pudong on May 14. The milestone is a major step towards the issuing of a local type certificate later this year. During the three-hour sortie, pilots and engineers reported that the aircraft was in good condition and performed as expected. Deliveries are anticipated to start later this year, with the manufacturer stating that preparations for the initial handover are “progressing in an orderly manner” but stopping short
of confirming a likely date for China Eastern to accept its new airliner, the first of five it has had on order since March 2021.
Designed to compete against the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, the C919 offers a range of between 2,150-3,000nm and can be configured
Boeing Deliveries
KLM chief goes for an Indian IN ONE of this summer’s more surprising transfers, Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has secured its own blockbuster signing. The Delhi/Indira Gandhi-based airline has signed current KLM president and CEO Pieter Elbers to replace current chief executive Ronojoy Dutta, who is set to retire at the end of September. Dutta, who has previously worked for United Airlines and Air Sahara, joined IndiGo in January 2019 and guided the company through the COVID-19 pandemic. Elbers has spent almost his entire career at the Dutch flag carrier, joining the company in 1992 and holding several managerial positions in both the Netherlands and overseas. He reached the position 18
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
of chief operating officer in 2011 and became CEO in 2014. IndiGo co-founder Rahul Bhatia said: “We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Pieter Elbers as CEO. India promises to be the last bastion of enormous growth globally and given Mr. Elbers’ deep understanding of the business, his legendary leadership qualities coupled with his energy and passion, we are ever so confident that under his stewardship, IndiGo will play a pivotal role in this growth opportunity.” Responding to his appointment, Mr. Elbers said: “What IndiGo’s employees and leadership have jointly built, since it was launched 16 years ago, is, by any standard, truly impressive.”
to seat up to 168 passengers. The type was initially rolled out in 2015, with its entry into service being planned for the following year, but numerous delays caused by a number of technical and supply chain issues have pushed this date back. COMAC advises that it has received 815 orders from 28 customers for the CFM International LEAP-1C-powered type to date. These include a handful of China’s biggest carriers, such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Sichuan Airlines. However, the jet has failed to get a foothold in the international stage thus far. (Photo AirTeamImages.com/Weimeng)
UPS received its 28th and final Boeing 747-8F in April, meaning there are just four more jumbos to be delivered – all to Atlas Air – before production of the iconic type ceases after 54 years AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/JOHN BALLANTYNE Boeing delivered the following aircraft in April: 737 MAX
28
777 Partners; Aeromexico (2); Air Canada (2); Air Lease Corporation (4); Alaska Airlines (2); Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (2); Flydubai; GOL; Ryanair (5); Southwest Airlines (3); TUI Travel (2); Unidentified customer/s (3)
747-8F
1
UPS
777-300ER
3
BOC Aviation (3)
Total
32
Annual total to date
120
News Review • International
NAC launches E190/195 freighter NORDIC AVIATION Capital (NAC) has become the launch customer for the Embraer E190/E195 passenger-tofreighter (P2F) conversion. The Dublinbased lessor has signed an agreement with the Brazilian manufacturer to take up to ten conversion slots, with deliveries expected from 2024. Stock for the programme will come from NAC’s existing E190/E195 fleet. Freighter conversions will be undertaken at Embraer’s facilities in Brazil. The programme includes
the addition of a main deck front cargo door and a cargo handling system, while the main deck floor will be reinforced, and Class E fire extinguishers will be installed in the former passenger cabin. The E190F can handle a payload of 10,700kg, while the E195F has a payload of 12,300kg. Norman CT Liu, NAC’s president and CEO, said: “We look forward to working with Embraer on developing an operator base for the E-Jet
STOL ATR takes to the air THE ATR 42-600S – the short takeoff and landing variant of the 30-50 seater – departed from Toulouse’s Francazal Airport on a 2hr 15 min test flight on May 11, and will now undergo ground and flight testing. The successful flight paves the way for the testing of new features, starting with the multifunctional computer next generation (MFC-NG) and moving on to the autobrake, ground spoiler and increased take-off rating systems.
The aircraft will enter its final configuration at the end of the year, when it will receive a larger rudder, then move on to certification. ATR was prompted to offer a STOL variant of its smallest airliner as there are around 500 airports around the world with a runway length between 800-1,000m which the ATR 42-600S can operate from. To date, 20 examples have been ordered by airlines and lessors.
Freighter as cargo conversions are a key element of our full lifecycle portfolio strategy for the future.” Arjan Meijer, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s president and CEO, added: “It’s great to be doing business with NAC, who has always been a strong supporter of Embraer and regional aviation. Having launched the E190F and E195F very recently, today’s announcement with NAC is a strong indicator of the demand we are seeing for our E-Jet freight conversions.”
Johann Bordais, Embraer Services & Support president and CEO, said: “There is unprecedented demand for airfreight, especially for same day deliveries and decentralised operations – the perfect mission for E-Jet sized freighters. Embraer’s P2F solution provides NAC with ideal revenue-earning extension opportunities for our earlier E-Jets, now set to replace the more polluting narrowbody cargo aircraft heading into retirement.” (Photo Embraer)
Embraer delivers 1,500th Ipanema
Airbus Deliveries
Virgin Atlantic's ninth and latest Airbus A350-1000, G-VLIB (c/n 507), is named ‘Lady Emmeline’ after Manchester-born political activist and suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/SIMON WILLSON Airbus delivered the following aircraft in April: A220-300 4 airBaltic; Breeze Airways; JetBlue (2) Avolon; BOC Aviation (Azul); BoComm Leasing (China Eastern Airlines); CALC (China Eastern Airlines) (3); Cebu Pacific; Chengdu Airlines; China Express Airlines (Huaxia A320neo 20 Airlines); CMB Financial Leasing (China Eastern Airlines); Frontier (2); ICBC (Volaris); NAS Aviation Services (Avianca); Qingdao Airlines; Saudia (Flyadeal); Spirit Airlines; Vistara; Viva Air (Viva Air Colombia); Volaris Air China; Air Lease Corporation (China Airlines) (2); American Airlines; BOC Aviation A321neo 17 (TAP Air Portugal); Delta Air Lines; IndiGo (2); NAS Aviation Services (Air China); Pegasus Airlines (2); Turkish Airlines; Viva Aerobus; Volaris; Wizz Air (3) A330-300 1 Altavair A330-900 1 Delta Air Lines A350-900 3 Air France; Japan Airlines; Singapore Airlines A350-1000 2 Air Lease Corporation (Virgin Atlantic Airways); British Airways Total 48 Annual total 190 to date
EMBRAER HAS delivered the 1,500th EMB 202/203 Ipanema. The agricultural aircraft, which has been in production since 1971, has played and continues to play an incredibly important role in Brazilian farming, with future examples of the type that will be powered by ethanol and an electric motor-equipped variant currently in development. The 1,500th example was painted with a celebratory livery marking the milestone ahead of its delivery to Carla de Freitas, a Brazilian rancher and owner of Agropecuária Bela Vista. Of the delivery, de Freitas said: “It is an honour to receive the 1,500th Ipanema from a genuinely national company like Embraer, which develops technologies to improve production techniques in Brazilian agriculture. Embraer is a company that demonstrates its commitment to Brazil's technological,
agricultural and environmental agenda with an aircraft powered 100% by ethanol.” “Furthermore, being a woman and receiving an aircraft from a female pilot demonstrates the company's value and care with the gender inclusion theme.” The milestone adds to an already successful year for the Ipanema, which secured 39 new orders in the first five months of 2022. Sany Onofre, Embraer's head of agricultural aviation, commented: “The Ipanema is a great ally for Brazilian agribusiness and it is trusted by operators throughout the country. Given the favourable agribusiness performance, customers have been anticipating future crop demand and we are very satisfied with the growing results obtained thus far. Given this success, we are excited about the forecast for 2023.” (Photo Embraer) www.key.aero
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News Review • Business Aviation
BY NIGEL PITTAWAY
Gulfstream delivers Dallas G600
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE Corporation has delivered the first new G600 aircraft to complete outfitting in Dallas. The Texan facility was commissioned by Gulfstream in July 2021 to meet its expanded completion schedule and is a component of the manufacturer’s wider growth strategy, which also includes expansion of the Gulfstream Customer Support facility at Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport. Mark Burns, Gulfstream’s president, commented: “We are seeing tremendous demand for our
next-generation aircraft. Expanding G600 completions to Dallas is positioning us well for the future as we prepare for G700 entry into service, continued G500 and G600 in-service fleet growth and the interest we are seeing in the recently announced G400 and G800.” Interior completions for the airframes also take place in Savannah, Georgia and Appleton, Wisconsin; the Dallas facility also performs similar work for Gulfstream’s G280. (Photo Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation)
Challenger 3500 scoops award BOMBARDIER’S NEWEST business aircraft, the Challenger 3500, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Best of the Best’ title in the Red Dot Product Design Award 2022. The top accolade recognises pioneering design, while the 3500 was also recognised in the ‘Best of the Best in Trains and Planes’ category. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award, said: “This distinction is synonymous with ground-breaking design par excellence. Only a very small percentage of competition winners were awarded this special title because a product needs to
have a certain something in order to win this top [prize]. This is proof that Bombardier created a brilliant design.” The Challenger 3500 is undergoing certification testing at Bombardier’s flight test centre in Wichita, Kansas, which is to be the location of the company’s US headquarters, under a move announced in mid-April. Wichita will also be the completion centre for six new Global 6000 aircraft to be delivered to the US Air Force under a recent $465m order for additional E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications (BACN) platforms. (Photo Bombardier)
New PC-24 for Platoon Aviation
XLS Gen2 receives FAA nod
Hamburg-based private jet charter operator Platoon Aviation has taken delivery of its latest Pilatus PC-24. The handover of the new airframe, D-CHMS (c/n 266), took place at Germany’s Aero Friedrichshafen general aviation show and brings the firm’s PC-24 fleet to four examples. The first was handed over to the operator in 2021 and the company has further options on order. At the handover of the Swiss-designed aircraft, Deniz Weissenborn, Platoon Aviation’s managing director said: “The PC-24 is at the cutting-edge of technology and offers passengers the highest level of comfort, be it the light, spacious cabin, the flat floor or the high-quality workmanship of the materials. This elegant business jet is an excellent match for our modern corporate philosophy.” PILATUS
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TEXTRON AVIATION has confirmed its Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 mid-size business jet has been awarded type certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft is the latest variant of the Cessna Citation 560XL series, which began with the Citation Excel in 1998. More than 1,000 of the family have been delivered over the past 25 years. Following the regulatory milestone, Textron delivered the first aircraft to an unnamed long-time Citation operator in the US Midwest. Lanni O’Bannion, Textron’s senior vice-president of sales and flight operations, said: “This fresh
approach to our popular 560XL series includes comfort and productivity upgrades requested by our customers, yet retains the model’s combination of performance and efficiencies that offers mid-size jet features at a smaller jet operating cost.” In other news, on May 12 Textron Aviation announced an order from Turkish Aerospace Industries for one Cessna Citation Longitude and two Citation Latitude special mission aircraft for use by the Turkish General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) in a flight inspection role. (Photo Textron Aviation)
First Icelandair P2F revealed ICELANDAIR CARGO has confirmed which Boeing 767-300 is due to undergo the first passengerto-freighter conversion for the company. The airframe in question is G-OBYH (c/n 28883), which may be familiar to British-based readers as it was handed over factory-fresh to Britannia Airways in February 1999. The widebody later operated under the Thomsonfly, Thomson Airways and TUI Airways banners. Images shared by the Icelandic firm in early May show G-OBYH still sporting its previous TUI livery, albeit with temporary registration N28883. The photographs were taken following the jet’s arrival at ST Engineering at Singapore/ Changi for conversion work. The airline has confirmed the jet will eventually become TF-ISH later this year, perhaps as a nod to all the fish exports likely to be carried on the reconfigured jet. It’s understood the General Electric CF6-equipped 767 had been stored at Phoenix Goodyear Airport,
Tales from the hold
Arizona, before flying to Singapore via Honolulu. Once the conversion is completed the jet will join the fleet this autumn – a move the Icelandair Group hinted at in its recently released Q1 2022 financial results – that will allow for increased cargo capacity from Q4. A further 767 example – current identity unknown – is also indicated in the Q1 2022 results.
Last March, Icelandair revealed plans to field a pair of 767-300Fs from 2022. CEO Bogi Nils Bogason said: "We see great opportunities in freight transport in our major markets by adding these powerful freighters to our fleet. These are two Boeing 767 [widebodies] that each carry over 50% more cargo than our current aircraft and are a great fit into the company's network.” (Photo Icelandair Cargo)
Kyiv cargo route reopened RIGA-BASED CARRIER airBaltic has helped re-establish critical cargo operations from Ukraine. The Latvian airline has confirmed a partnership with UkrPoshta – the besieged nation’s postal service – to deliver mail from Kyiv and other cities. As the country’s airports continue to remain out of action for civilian traffic, an innovative multimodal mail transportation system has been developed to reopen essential cargo links. In essence, this means post from across Ukraine is gathered by UkrPoshta before being moved by road to Latvia. From there, it plugs into the airBaltic route map and flies
to destinations around Europe on the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A220-300 jets. The first shipment from Kyiv arrived in Riga on April 12. Since then the company has handled more than 7,000 mail bags from Ukraine with a total weight of 50 tonnes. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, airBaltic had served Kyiv, Odesa and Lviv with scheduled passenger services. The airline has expressed its interest in operating air links to and from the country as soon as it is safe and practical to do so, once the conflict in the region has been resolved and travel has stabilised. (Photo airBaltic)
First flight for French freighter SPOTTED AT Paine Field in early May, this Boeing 777-200F will be the first to join the CMA CGM Air Cargo fleet. The aircraft, wearing registration F-HMRB (c/n 67460), is seen returning to the Washington State facility after completing its maiden test flight. The firm is the air freight subsidiary of Marseille-based CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies. The group launched the dedicated division in February 2021, starting commercial operations in March that year with a first flight between Liege, Belgium and Chicago. This was later followed
by services to New York, Atlanta, and Dubai. F-HMRB is the first of two General Electric GE90-powered examples on their way to the French company. At present, CMA CGM Air Cargo is an
all-Airbus outfit with a fleet of four A330-200Fs which are operated by Air Belgium. The 777F has a range of 4,880nm and can carry a maximum payload of 102 tonnes. (Photo V1Images.com/Nick Sheeder) www.key.aero
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O Recovery Watch
ver the last two decades, the dynamics of international aviation have changed beyond recognition, with the continued expansion of three Gulf carriers – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. With geographically central hubs, supportive governments, and global workforces, the bullish trio has expanded over the last 20 years and now touch down in all corners of the world. Aviation suppliers also celebrated as Gulf carriers spent lavishly on airframes, engines, passenger amenities and IT systems. The 2013 Dubai Airshow was a key milestone in their growth story, with Emirates alone buying 150 Boeing 777s and 50 Airbus A380s.
Mapping success Underpinning this expansion, the Gulf carriers have a genuine competitive advantage in the region’s strategic location. Emirates has benefitted from its position midway between Europe and the Far East, as the local government focused on transforming Dubai into a global aviation hub. Alongside geography, Etihad and Qatar Airways have also benefited from the perception that both have solid financial backing from their respective governments. While sharing the benefit of location, the three carriers have not adopted the same business strategies. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have taken diverse approaches in their journey to
become some of the biggest names in the global aviation market. All three are seen as strategic assets of their respective governments, making them less likely to collapse in challenging market conditions. However, their expansion started to slow during the second half of the 2010s, notably after oil prices crashed in late 2014. This challenged Gulf-region economies, while, at the same time, intercontinental capacity increased sharply, with rivals such as Turkish Airlines offering increased competition for many of the same markets, albeit via Istanbul.
London calling Although all three airlines focus on different markets, their biggest routes inevitably overlap. In fact, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways all see London/Heathrow as one of their biggest international sectors from their respective hubs, as evidenced by the number of flights scheduled to operate during Q3 2022. After London, Emirates is heavily invested in the Indian market, with links from Dubai to Mumbai and Delhi being the airline’s next biggest routes. In contrast, this summer, Qatar Airways has capitalised on the Middle East, with Kuwait City and Dammam being its largest routes outside London. The UAE national carrier, Etihad, shares a similar view to that of Qatar Airways, with Abu Dhabi to Doha and Dammam being its next biggest routes.
The graphs featured here show the capacity of the three carriers over a 16-year period, as well as their annual growth rates, focused on available seat kilometres (ASK) – the measure of an aircraft carrying capacity available to generate revenues. Saudia is overshadowed by the big three, but remains a significant player in the Middle East and is therefore included within Cirium’s analysis.
Growing pains While Qatar Airways recorded annual growth until the pandemic, the picture was not as positive for the other Gulf carriers. Indeed, Emirates had started reducing the size of its operation just before COVID-19, with 2019 seeing a 3% drop in ASKs. Etihad has been in retreat since 2018, recording a 4% drop in 2018 and 6% in 2019. Meanwhile, Saudia’s growth rates have fluctuated, with the carrier recording as high as 30% annual growth in 2011, before dropping 2% in 2012. As the pandemic hit, long-haul international traffic essential to the global hub business models of these major Gulf carriers was significantly affected. Like all operators, they were forced to cut capacity and scale back growth, due to government travel restrictions. Emirates was the most cautious, with growth rates falling by 64% in 2020. They were followed by Saudia at 62%, Etihad at 59% and Qatar with 41% over the same period. As 2021 saw spurts of growth, Saudia recorded a vast capacity increase
Par for the Gulf course? In our monthly check-in with the Cirium team, we focus on some of the biggest names in Middle Eastern aviation
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Gulf Carriers capacity (ASKs) over time
of 25%. Emirates and Qatar Airways were more modest with their recovery, with their 2021 capacity rising by 8% and 5%, respectively. Etihad, however, remained more pessimistic and decreased annual capacity by a further 1% in 2021, according to Cirium data. The chart shows the steady growth in capacity of all Gulf carriers before the squeeze of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
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Gulf Carriers: Annual ASK growth rates since 2006 Emirates
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31%
26%
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17%
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27% 19%
14%
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35%
15%
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9%
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10%
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Today, the Middle East remains the most prominent connecting hub of any region. Its airports continue to see rapid transformation to cope with exponential traffic growth. All three carriers have varying strategic plans to support their recovery as they look to rebuild and recover following the impact of the pandemic. The general objective now is to recapture markets and grow. However, the airlines will have to do so in a worldwide economy that appears to be pulling back on globalisation. With Qantas pining much of its hopes, through Project Sunrise, on direct point-to-point long-haul travel between the UK and Australia (see our feature starting on p48), the question for the future is how much of a threat this could pose to the established high-capacity transfer models carved out so successfully by the big three Gulf carriers. For more insight visit cirium.com
Emirates fields an allwidebody fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s EMIRATES
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FARNBO
Some are claiming this to be Farnborough’s 80th anniversary – is that true? hat’s not correct, although it depends how loosely you define the event. The Farnborough we know today can trace its roots back to the pre-World War Two Hendon Air Pageant. The first of these took place on June 19, 1932, when the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) displayed the latest developments in aviation engineering. Three further events were held at Hendon before it moved to de Havilland’s airfield at Hatfield. The following year (1937) saw the show being extended to two days. However, with the threat of global conflict looming this was to be the last of the SBAC’s formal gatherings for nine years, a period during which time the industry changed considerably. Immediately after the end of the war, the SBAC display
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moved to Radlett, Hertfordshire, the home of manufacturer Handley Page, where it was staged for two consecutive years. By this time the post-war British aerospace industry had grown so much that OEMs and other stakeholders needed a bigger shop window to promote their products to potential overseas customers. So, in 1948 the display relocated to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, which had the benefit of a long runway, extensive facilities and relatively easy access to London.
Why isn’t there a Paris Air Show this summer? The French event at Le Bourget is typically held during odd-numbered years, while Farnborough has the hosting duties on even years. Despite being the ‘partner’ show of the British gathering, the Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace is actually a good bit older than
ABOVE • Boeing has showcased the 777X at Dubai and Singapore over the past year BOEING
Farnborough. It was first held in 1909 and designed as an annual affair and, albeit with wartime interludes, has been a biannual event since 1949. By most metrics – including venue size and visitor numbers – the Parisian rendezvous is larger than its UK counterpart, although it is generally accepted that both events are of equal international importance and prestige.
Where do the other airshows stand? As a ‘who’s who’ of the airshow world, the Paris event is the largest by sheer size, closely followed by Farnborough. Next in the pecking order come the Dubai Airshow and Singapore Airshow – both of which are far less established but gathering momentum year-on-year. Beyond this are a swathe of notable, but more regionally focused occasions of relevance to commercial aviators such as ILA Berlin, the Australian International Airshow, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
O ROUGH 2022 Your essential briefing As the iconic airshow returns after four years, Airliner World has the lowdown on everything you need to know ahead of the Hampshire gathering
(held in Wisconsin, USA) and the Bahrain International Airshow.
What happened at the last Farnborough? Due to the pandemic, the scheduled in-person event in 2020 was cancelled. Therefore we need to look back four years to assess the last Farnborough gathering. The 2018 show’s four trade days proved to be fruitful for global aerospace industries. Held just three months before the first fatal crash
of a Boeing 737 MAX, the American OEM came out on top in the battle for orders against its European rival Airbus. Boeing took commitments for 673 aircraft valued at $98.4bn, significantly more than the $26.8bn it had achieved two years earlier. By comparison, Airbus secured new business for 431 examples, which consisted of 93 firm orders as well as 338 memorandums of understanding (MoU).
What about action away from the ‘big two’ OEMs? As for other major names in the commercial aviation scene, ATR – in a bid to steal a march on its rivals – announced five separate deals for nine aircraft on the previous Friday, including a letter of intent (LoI) for three more ATR 72-600s for Guernsey-based Aurigny Air
ABOVE • The Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X completed aerial displays at the Singapore Airshow in February AIRBUS
Services. The aircraft were to be the first equipped with the new ClearVision enhanced vision system, which uses an external camera to display an augmented outside view in real time to a head-mounted visor worn by the pilot. The 2018 event also saw the FrancoItalian OEM sign an MoU with Japan Airlines Group carrier Hokkaido Air System for two ATR 42-600s with an option for a third, designed as replacements for its fleet of Saab 340s. This was followed by a second MoU, this time from Colombia’s EasyFly for five aircraft – three ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s. Elsewhere, Embraer stole the headlines with a remarkable 40-minute press conference held mid-afternoon on day three, during which it announced the sale of 300 E-Jets valued at $15bn. Having set the ball rolling 24-hours earlier with www.key.aero
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a 25-strong order from United Airlines, the Brazilian manufacturer followed this up with a barrage of orders, continuing the theme of ‘momentum’ much-lauded by Embraer Commercial Aircraft’s thenpresident and CEO John Slattery (a title he now holds at GE Aviation). The highlight was undoubtedly a 200-aircraft commitment from US carrier Republic Airways, its LoI covering the firm order of 100 E175s with purchase options on a further 100, all of which could theoretically be converted to the newer E2; however the E175-E2 programme has been put on pause until 2027. Rounding off the 2018 aircraft deals was a quartet of Bombardier CRJ900s to Uganda National Airlines (a firm order) and two sets of ten Russian-built examples for Aeropéru International, comprising MC-21 and SSJ100s as LoIs.
ABOVE • Expect to hear plenty about hybrid air platforms and other sustainability initiatives PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA
How about the 2019 Paris show? The last major pre-pandemic event of this scale was at Le Bourget in summer 2019. While the industry is now in a very different place, it’s useful to reflect on some of the numbers from Paris, which saw 140 aircraft on display and 2,453 exhibitors. A total of $140bn of contracts were signed across the week (including military/defence), with 316,470 unique visitors in attendance. It was of course a hugely challenging time for Boeing, with more than 85% of its total commercial aircraft sales at the show consisting of a single agreement – that from International Airlines Group (IAG) for 200 examples of the then-grounded 737 MAX. Elsewhere, Airbus officially launched its A321XLR, with early commitments from Air Lease Corporation and MEA. Over the course of the week, the variant received endorsements from a mixture of low-cost and mainline carriers, with orders swelling to 243. Four operators also exercised options and converted existing commitments to the ’XLR, with Saudia, American Airlines, flynas, jetBlue and Indigo Partners among the suitors. The show also saw Virgin Atlantic sign up for
BELOW • The booming air cargo sector, including conversion projects, is one of the biggest growth areas BOEING
the A330neo, a jet that is due to make its revenue debut with the British carrier later this year.
What can we expect from the big two this year? As of the end of May, the major OEMs are remaining uncharacteristically tight-lipped about what exactly they’ll be bringing to Farnborough this year. Pre-pandemic, we would usually have a broad idea – albeit with room for a few surprises – by this stage. However, these remain unusual times and it falls to some educated guesswork to surmise what is likely to be gracing the skies over Hampshire in mid-July. Buoyed by the decision by IAG to firm up its Paris 2019 LoI Boeing 737 MAXs (and options for up to 150 examples), the US OEM will likely showcase a variant of the narrowbody family. The programme has experienced unthinkable challenges since the last Farnborough outing, but with IAG’s backing, a clutch of other notable deals in the pipeline and the continuing headaches for Boeing’s widebody products, it would be wise to expect a MAX or two. As for the twin-aisles, the 777X is also a likely visitor. The flying displays undertaken at the 2021 Dubai Air Show and Singapore earlier this year were well received and gave Boeing a chance to remind customers and the wider aviation community that its new flagship is worth the wait. While Airbus can sometimes feel more at home at Le Bourget, it has historically chalked up some of its biggest headlines in Hampshire. Despite a booming order book, the company remains hungry for new
business and will be keen to further capitalise on the well-documented woes facing its American rival. Expect a strong showing, with the A220, A320neo Family, A330neo and A350 all likely to be represented in some way. Coming hot off the Qantas ‘Project Sunrise’ and ‘Project Winton’ deal, the Europeans will be touting the dominance of its broad civil aviation portfolio – and don’t rule out an appearance from the A380 eco testbed.
What about wider areas to watch? It’s important to look beyond the nuance of the duopoly rivals, where a number of major themes will likely prevail. The first is the staggering rise of the air cargo sector, with new-built options such as the A350F and 777F being offered alongside passengerto-freighter (P2F) alternatives. Anyone who thought the boom in air freight was a pandemic fad is sorely mistaken – this is a generational and global shift and one that is moving at rapid speed within the narrow- and widebody markets. A second theme to watch out for is the continued development of more eco-conscious platforms. While the concept of sustainable aviation fuel and cleaner engine technology is nothing new, expect all the major players to have robust rebuttals to claims that they aren’t adequately addressing the issue. While we’re unlikely to see any static (never mind flying) next-generation prototypes at Farnborough this year, it’s reasonable to assume we’ll receive further detail on the various programmes that are underway, including, but not limited to Embraer’s Energia and Airbus’ ZEROe projects. Other narratives to keep an eye on include the continuing challenges associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stubbornly high fuel prices, the global supply chain and labour crisis as well as the future of propulsion technologies. Airliner World will have a full report on the Farnborough 2022 Airshow in our September edition (on sale August 11), but for daily updates, be sure to check out our website www.Key.Aero, where we will have special coverage from the event.
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The first of two Armstrong Whitworth AW.55 Apollos to be built, G-AIYN (c/n AW.3137), is put through its paces at the 1950 SBAC event. The airliner had been designed to Brabazon Committee Type II specifications but suffered from instability and engine reliability issues. It failed to secure any orders when pitted against the Rolls-Royce Dart-powered Vickers Viscount
Farnborough’s formative years As the 44th Farnborough Airshow is almost upon us, and with the iconic event nearing its 75th anniversary, we delve into the Key Publishing archive to share images from the Society of British Aircraft Constructors’ (SBAC) first airshows at the historic Hampshire airfield
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The prototype de Havilland DH.106 Comet, G-ALVG (c/n 6001) makes its Farnborough debut in September 1949, less than two months after its maiden flight
A British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Short Solent II, G-AHIU (c/n S.1307), performs for the crowds at the 1949 SBAC show
The second prototype Airspeed Ambassador, G-AKRD (c/n 62), speeds down the display line past contemporaries including Gloster Meteors, a de Havilland Dove and Vampire, an Avro Shackleton and a Vickers Varsity
A rare colour image of the 1955 airshow's diverse static display, incorporating an array of civilian and military types. Among those in attendance are a Trans-Canada Air Lines Vickers Viscount, examples of all three V-Bombers, an Airspeed Ambassador, a de Havilland Comet 3, a trio of Hawker Hunters, a Fairey FD2, a Gloster Javelin and one of two Short Sperrin prototypes ALL IMAGES KEY COLLECTION www.key.aero
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Jimmy Orrell displays the Woodford, Cheshire-built Avro 706 Ashton I, WB490 (c/n 1), at the 1950 SBAC show
British West Indies Airways ordered a trio of Short Sealands, including VP-TBA (c/n SH.1565). The commitment for three examples was abandoned soon after the 1949 SBAC show at Farnborough, and the aircraft returned to the UK registry as G-AKLP
At the 1958 SBAC Airshow, the Black Arrows – 111 Sqn RAF's display team and a predecessor to the Red Arrows – looped a formation of 22 Hawker Hunter F.6s every day of the show. Some 64 years later, the feat has yet to be equalled or surpassed
The Handley Page Reading H.P.R.3 Herald lands at Farnborough in its original configuration with four Alvis Leonides Major engines. Production examples were equipped with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops to counter stiff competition from the Fokker F-27 Friendship
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ETIHAD
BEYOND THE
A350 ABOVE • The Sustainable50 recently joined the ‘Greenliner’ as Etihad ramps up its testbed projects ALL IMAGES ETIHAD AVIATION GROUP UNLESS STATED
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In the second part of his special report from Abu Dhabi, Gordon Smith meets teams from across the Etihad Aviation Group to discover more about the company’s broader endeavours
eaders of the last issue of Airliner World hopefully enjoyed our feature focused on the inaugural flight of Etihad Airways’ (EY) Airbus A350-1000. Years in the making, the launch of the UAE national carrier’s new flagship grabbed global headlines and represented a step change in its fleet modernisation programme. While the cabin crew were the glamorous face for passengers boarding A6-XWB (c/n 290), there was also a small army of colleagues behind the scenes whose efforts help make the airline run smoothly. Keen to learn more about the broader workings of the Etihad Aviation Group (EAG), I took some time out of my schedule to get a better idea about lesser-known but hugely important aspects of the wider business.
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Hangar hangout My day started with a visit to Etihad Engineering headquarters just a few minutes’ drive from the main passenger terminal at Abu Dhabi International. Picking me up from the security outpost at the perimeter fence was David Doherty, the firm’s head of MRO sales. Despite being a relatively cool 27°C, I was still grateful to see his golf buggy, which would be our chariot to help explore the airside elements of the site. On our way to the main hangar I took the opportunity to get Doherty’s verdict on the supply chain crisis impacting businesses around the world. How do companies such as his – which often rely on a ‘just-intime’ approach for tools and parts – navigate such extreme challenges?
He said: “The supply chain crisis has developed over the past two years, so it isn’t anything new, but it has got worse. What we’re looking at now is how we can have enough stock in the facility to cover the requirements that we’ve got with specific aircraft.” He revealed that an improvement in how Etihad Engineering manages aircraft contracts had helped maximise efficiencies, which in turn has reduced exposure to the global supply crunch for spare parts and equipment. Doherty said: “There was a point when we were at one or two inputs [aircraft commissions] at a time and each one was very different. We’re quite lucky now that we’ve got a contract basis where the workload is a lot more mapped out and it is often the same type of aircraft going through a similar type of check. It’s a constant learning experience, so if you find a defect or problem on the first aircraft there’s a good chance it will be the same on the second, third and fourth. This means we can then develop our supply chain requirements around that.” The MRO executive cited a recent example where a customer’s fleet had an issue resulting in a significantly higher number of cargo panels needing replacement than would otherwise be expected: “Our approach allowed us to be proactive in our supply chain and order the materials in advance. We then got our structures team to make the replacements before the aircraft even came in. We’ve tried to get ahead of that curve – it hasn’t always worked perfectly but we try our www.key.aero
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best to be proactive with those areas of concern that we’ve identified to make sure we get the materials in place.” Asked about those trickier ‘rare spares’, which might not be as easy to come by, he said a pragmatic approach was needed: “There’s always going to be the odd thing that we can’t order, can’t find or isn’t available in the market. Yet even with some of the stuff that we can find, there can be cargo constraints, particularly with bulky items. “During the height of pandemic, cargo utilisation was so high that there were certain parts such as aircraft floor beams that we simply couldn’t get on [regular] flights. Then you have to look at alternative methods, it might be one part on AOG [aircraft on the ground] air
freight and another coming by sea, and whatever one comes first is used and the other goes into our stock. You have to think outside the box and consider the many eventualities.”
Quality and quantity? As we entered one of the largest hangars on the site, it was fascinating to see the broad range of aircraft being scrutinised by dozens of technicians and an array of machinery. From a Boeing widebody belonging to a European flag carrier through to an A380 straight out of storage in Victorville and destined for an Asia-Pacific airline, the variety of types, liveries and engineering work undertaken was mesmerising. When I was finally able to peel my eyes away from the awesome sight of the
super jumbo having its landing gear replaced, I asked Doherty about Etihad Engineering’s appetite for risk – and it’s clearly a case of adapt to survive: “Things are constantly evolving in terms of new aircraft types and areas for us to get into. If we stayed the same and only did things we were used to working on, we’d still be dealing with A300s and A340s. We’re driven by our customer base – if there’s a market requirement for it then it makes sense to invest. For example, if our customers have taken A320neos, then we’ll be looking to get A320neo capability. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll do it automatically – this is not driven by ego, but by customer requirements – but you can’t wait until it is a mature market, otherwise you’ll be behind the curve and not at the
RIGHT • An overview of the Etihad Engineering site in Abu Dhabi
LEFT • The company was the first MRO outside Europe to be approved by EASA for Production Organisation Approval
BELOW • With the Airbus A380-800 and Boeing 777 leaving its scheduled fleet, the UAE carrier has focused its widebody operations on the 787 and A350
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
ABOVE • Boeing Dreamliners are regular visitors to the site, but more than a dozen other types can be handled by the firm BELOW • From left, John Slattery from GE, Tony Douglas of Etihad and Stan Deal of Boeing, pictured at the Dubai Airshow in 2021
forefront of the technology. There’s definitely a sweet spot – when there’s a new aircraft type it’s about having conversations with our long-term customers about what their future fleet is going to look like, what the requirements are going to be, and establishing at what point is that maintenance going to come in. “We’re a heavy maintenance company, so if a customer takes an aircraft – realistically we’re looking at three years down the line for that first major check – it isn’t always imperative that we’ve got it from day one.” As we continued our tour, we walked through the busy design department where aircraft interiors are a speciality. The company holds EASA Part 21J DOA (Design Organisation Approval) and Part 21G POA (Production Organisation Approval) allowing the team to offer complete solutions for cabin outfitting. With the site able to manufacture metallic, polymer and soft furnishing parts, no job feels beyond their reach. Even Etihad’s new A350-1000s are being kitted out by the in-house team (see part one in Airliner World, June 2022). When I caught up with Doherty last September, he identified changes to the usual MRO cycle caused by COVID-19. While the pandemic hasn’t gone away, its impact on travel restrictions has changed significantly in recent months – so what’s the current state of play? “The disruption is still definitely there, but because of our geographical www.key.aero
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location and the customer base that we have, we’ve been able to even out some of the seasonality as our Southern Hemisphere customers want their aircraft at different times to those in the north. We’ve also got our cargo and VIP operators to try and balance off those peaks and troughs. “I think the issue now is that people are working less around traditional holiday dates and more around when destinations are opening up [following pandemic travel restrictions]. The usual idea that everyone needs their aircraft for the summer holidays has gone out of the window; it’s more a case of, ‘right, regions in the Far East are opening up, so let’s get our aircraft in there to serve that’. “I think this situation will last maybe for the next two or so years because not everyone is going to return all of their fleet at the same time – and now we’ve obviously got the situation in Ukraine which may cause some operators to take a further step back. Airlines are very cautious about launching all of their fleet back into the market again, so it will be on an ongoing step-by-step basis. Purely from an MRO perspective it's great because we can put aircraft back into service at any point in the year, it’s not restricted by that normal timing.” As our rather snazzy golf buggy continued to survey the site, other assets soon became obvious. The Etihad team conducted the world’s first full chemical stripping and painting of a 787 outside the Boeing network, with two dedicated paint hangars capable of taking types as large as the A340-600 and 777-300. This is bolstered by an in-house large format decal production facility with the capability to design, approve and manufacture large scale works for external fuselage application. Before being dropped off, we took a slight detour to have a sneak peek at the next exciting project in the division’s increasingly busy
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
pipeline. As we turned the corner a dazzling array of liveries (and partial liveries) from carriers on almost every continent came into view. Mostly, these jets weren’t being actively worked on, rather stored by their owners or operators pending a strategic decision about their future. Some of this is pandemic related, but other reasons might be more specific to an airline, such as financial restructuring. Abu Dhabi’s east-meetswest location and relatively stable geopolitical situation has made it a popular choice for aircraft storage – so much so that the Etihad team is on track to double the footprint of this ‘aeroplane carpark’. “We’ve signed the contract with ADAC [Abu Dhabi Airports Company] and are just waiting for the relevant passes to come in,” revealed Doherty. “The estimate we’ve been given is four to six months to reach project completion, so by the time we get to October/November we’ll have that capacity online.”
ABOVE • The complex needs to keep pace with developments in the Etihad Airways fleet, with new Airbus A350 FFS now on site CAE
“It doesn’t mean we aren’t taking customers in now – we’ve got an agreement with the airport which means we can park aircraft over at the airport – but there are certain logistical issues there around how we can service the aircraft as it takes a bit of time to get across there to the remote parking stands, but we are actively trying to build up that portfolio of parked aircraft ready so that when the extension is there we can just move everything across.” Once completed later this year, the project will boost capacity by 50% on the existing offering, which depending on the mix of narrowbodies and widebodies, translates to between 19 and 22 aircraft.
Heading for HQ BELOW • Aviators from around the world visit the Abu Dhabi site to train and be assessed on Airbus and Boeing equipment KARIM SAHIB/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
With our tour of the engineering division complete, it was time to visit the EAG’s main corporate headquarters. While almost all of the aircraft action happens in and around the airport, this building is where a seemingly infinite number of business functions come together to keep the company ticking along. From marketing and communications through to personnel and logistics, it is an administrative hub for the company’s global operations. But before I checked it out for myself, I couldn’t resist a quick diversion next door to see another part of EAG’s portfolio – Etihad Aviation Training. Captain Sören Rohwer, deputy head of training on the Boeing fleet, showed me around the complex. The facility has 11 full-flight simulators (FFSs) plus a dozen fixed training devices and a wealth of cabin crew training equipment. Those opting for the European OEM can hone their skills on the Airbus A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380, while 777 and 787 FFSs are available for Boeing flyers. As one of the best-equipped facilities in the
region, the site plays host to aviators from other airlines as well as Etihad Airways, creating a truly international atmosphere. Last year, it chalked up more than 10,700 training hours for EY crews, in addition to almost 2,000 hours for external personnel. As luck would have it, a slot was available for me to join Capt Rohwer for a special Dreamliner sortie in the FFS. While I’ve visited plenty of training centres, this was the first time I’d had the opportunity to ‘fly’ a widebody aircraft under such senior supervision – a real treat for an armchair aviator like me. Stepping into the CAE 7000 series machine was a captivating experience in itself with the exact replica of the 787 cockpit soon awaiting my attention with an intimidating array of lights, switches and displays. Of course, it isn’t just new recruits or those learning how to fly a new aircraft who train here, regular refreshers – typically every six months – are also undertaken by experienced
ABOVE • As well as pilot assessments, the facility handles engineering and cabin crew training
BELOW • The Boeing 787 ‘Greenliner’ is one of Etihad's most prominent environmental statements
aviators to ensure they still meet the required standard for their type rating. With the simulator door secured and the session about to begin, there was a growing sense of anticipation and adrenaline. The sights, sounds and even the smells create an environment that’s as real as it gets. Before I knew it, and under the expert guidance of Capt Rohwer, we were soon hurtling down Runway 26R at Paris/Charles de Gaulle for a one-off roundtrip rotation in the skies above the French capital. While I was blessed with fine weather for our take-off roll, the FFS is really designed to put pilots through their paces and recreate real-life situations that can occur during line operation. From a relatively routine thunderstorm to an abnormal emergency event such as engine failure, the platform is able to simulate an incredible range of scenarios for which pilots must be prepared. Among the factors to contend with during my hour in the cockpit was a TCAS (traffic collision avoidance system) advisory, meaning
the jet communicates with a potential conflict aircraft to negotiate a safe and efficient course of action for both aeroplanes. Although I was only in the hotseat for 60 minutes, formal exams typically see pilots in the FFS for four hours at a time. During a quieter mid-flight moment, Rohwer recalled the excitement he felt as an eight-yearold boy when he caught sight of a flight deck for the first time: “I was just blown away – I wanted to become a pilot from that moment onwards.” German-born, he has now been flying professionally for 14 years and oversees much of the Boeing training operation, but still captains revenue Etihad services too. Alongside his adopted home airport of Abu Dhabi, he said Thailand’s Phuket International is a firm favourite with its beautiful, if sometimes challenging geography and famous beach-side location. After a safe although not entirely textbook landing back at CDG, I thanked Capt Rohwer and handed the keys of the $20m simulator back to allow someone infinitely more qualified to step on board.
A sustainable future My final assignment of the day was with Mariam Musallam Al-Qubaisi, EAG’s head of sustainability, who plays a leading role in developing the company’s environmental initiatives. Etihad isn’t alone in having this position as part of their head office mix – most major carriers now have a figurehead for promoting sustainable best practices. That said, there is cynicism in some quarters about their value within aviation businesses, with allegations of corporate ‘greenwashing’. While I can’t vouch for every sustainability
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chief across the industry, it’s a slightly delayed start to my meeting with Al-Qubaisi that gives me some confidence that her efforts aren’t falling on deaf ears. Apologising for running a couple of minutes behind schedule, she explained that her previous appointment overran. The meeting in question was with Tony Douglas, CEO of the Etihad Aviation Group and someone who Al-Qubaisi meets every fortnight. Put simply, airline chief executives are among the most time-pressured people on the planet, so the fact that a slot has been carved out of the schedule every two weeks to discuss sustainability is as surprising as it is impressive. “We’ve been able to bypass some of the more traditional bureaucratic processes by meeting our CEO on a bi-weekly basis. We escalate the problems so he can see them and that then comes from the top back down. I think this approach and the resulting endorsements from the chief executive have allowed Etihad to be a thought leader in sustainability,“ noted Al-Qubaisi. Speaking to a sustainability chief, it might sound silly to ask what this means to them – but it’s a subjective term and one which gets banded around the aviation industry more than most. Delivered after a short pause for thought, Al-Qubaisi’s reply is far more profound than I expected: “Sustainability means that I ensure and secure for my son a lifestyle far better than I had, knowing I’ve had the luxury of having a standard of living much better than my father’s. We wish to sustain that, and the only way we can do it is ensuring that we have the resources to spare for future generations and leave them with a really good planet to live on.” But how does that translate into real
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world solutions, and the commercial aviation sector in particular? “The main game changers when it comes to sustainability in the air really come down to three things. Under the CORSIA carbon offsetting reduction scheme for international aviation, firstly we’re looking at operational efficiencies as a solution to decarbonisation, the second is sustainable aviation fuel [SAF] and the third is carbon credits for offsets. We usually say the credits are the lowest hanging fruit, but also should be the last resort – we need to exhaust the first two.” Al-Qubaisi acknowledged that the road to a SAF world is a long one, particularly when there is no source for the more sustainable fuels in the UAE at present: “SAF is a challenge for us, partly because we don’t have SAF in the region, but it is also limited globally. As there is a small supply and not much demand, it isn’t as regulated an area and can be up to three or four times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. Yet as far back as 2011, we’ve been participating to improve the local SAF capability, initially through the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium where we explore creating biofuel though Salicornia [a salt tolerant plant] which is suitable for this climate. The yields so far are not too much, but it is still in the trial phase. I think we’ll need ten to 15 years to have SAF really moving in this region. More recently we invested in a waste-to-fuel initiative, the Green Falcon project, where we’re looking at making green hydrogen-based synthetic kerosene.
We’re exploring all possible options, but to have SAF right now is not yet proving to be commercially viable.” Despite the very real challenges, Etihad Airways has signed up to the industry pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – but it isn’t waiting until the middle of the century to act. Al-Qubaisi points towards a range of efficiencies across the group, which helped achieve a 5.6% reduction in the emissions intensity of its passenger fleet last year. The carrier has also bridged the gap between rival OEMs with a bold crossorganisational initiative to reduce CO ² emissions in aviation. The programme previously focused on its fleet of GEnX-powered Boeing jets, most notably on board its eye-catching 787-10 ‘Greenliner’ testbed but last year this platform was expanded to include the Rolls Royce XWB-powered A350s under the ‘Sustainability50’ platform (see Airliner World, June 2022). Both programmes are aimed at researching and developing new technologies and methods of flying to aid decarbonisation efforts. As I wrapped up my chat with Mariam and stepped out into the late afternoon glow, it wasn’t just the Arabian sun that was in a reflective mood. My whirlwind day had given me a special insight into some of the lesser known parts of EAG that some of Etihad’s frequent flyers might not be fully aware of. Even before considering other critical elements such as cargo and catering, it really is akin to a vast aviation ecosystem within a single organisation.
ABOVE • Etihad says its 'eco-flights' typically consume 15% less fuel than conventional routings
BELOW • Al-Qubaisi explained that operational efficiencies can have a significant impact on the overall carbon intensity of the airline's flying programme
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THE CRANE GOES ON HOLIDAY Eurowings Discover is the latest Lufthansa spin-off, trying to cash in on the rising return of leisure travel and bring innovation to the legacy group, reports Andreas Spaeth
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
t’s an unassuming glass door opposite Frankfurt’s Terminal A – one that's easy to miss on your way to the train station and as you pass the Airport Center. But this door leads into a radically different airline world – different at least in terms of what Lufthansa Group carriers have ever been used to. At the headquarters of the group’s newest offspring, Eurowings Discover, this two-storey, open-plan loft has high ceilings, wide-open spaces, wood panels and only a few separate office units with glass walls. It is called ‘The Bay’ and it oozes start-up spirit. Strewn throughout are wooden tables, benches, deck chairs and parasols, intended to spread holiday spirit. Here, everybody sees everyone, from crew, administration and operation colleagues alike. Everyone works closely together, which helps to foster team spirit and open communication and deal easily with any troubleshooting. Even crew briefings take place in front of everyone at a big conference table underneath a wall-mounted Airbus A330 winglet painted in company colours: “It actually flew on a Brussels Airlines [also part of the Lufthansa Group] A330 before,” said Captain Philipp Röder. He’d just gathered with his crew in preparation for the firm’s inaugural flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe via Windhoek, Namibia, which was to depart later that evening. Airliner World was invited along.
I
ABOVE • Wolfgang Raebiger, the CEO of Eurowings Discover, flies two rotations a month, logging approximately 400 flight hours per year ANDREAS SPAETH
BELOW • Having made use of a well-established brand name, which CEO Wolfgang Raebiger said “nine out of ten Germans” knew, he hinted that a later name change is not completely ruled out AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ MOISES MENDOZA
Adding to this openness, even Wolfgang Raebiger, the CEO of Eurowings Discover, declared: “I [no longer] have a permanent office anymore and station myself in different spots [each] day, being approachable for anyone.” But then, the CEO has a very different kind of office to double-up – the cockpit of one of the airline’s A330 widebodies. Raebiger has an unusual professional path that involves juggling flying and management roles. The 50-year-old started his pilot career at Lauda Air in 1994 – with founder and former legendary Formula One racing driver Niki Lauda being the ultimate role
model of an airline boss sitting at the controls himself. “That’s the cherry on the cake, bearing responsibility for the company at the same time as flying yourself,” added Raebiger, who pilots two rotations a month, logging approximately 400 flight hours per year, after qualifying for an A330 type rating. Parallel to his career as an aviator, Wolfgang Raebiger started taking on management roles from 1999, initially as assistant to the then Lufthansa CEO. He eventually held other positions, including head of flight operations at Lufthansa Cargo, as well as chief financial officer at
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AeroLogic (a joint venture between DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo). During autumn 2019, he was asked by the Lufthansa board if he was interested in heading a new leisure market project – which he then led from February 2020. This project was internally named ‘Ocean’ but then put on hold for three months during Germany’s first pandemic lockdown.
Getting the ball rolling In July 2020, EW Discover GmbH was founded and applied for its own air operator certificate (AOC) – the wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG later secured its AOC in June 2021. During the first summer of the pandemic, the rapid onset of events meant there was no way to start operations, but it was clear already that the leisure market held significant growth potential postpandemic in comparison with the business travel sector – a trend massively enhanced by COVID-19. Other network carriers had initially identified this shift in demand earlier, too, and attempted to capture it – with
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
spectacular failures by some. Within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss holiday carrier Edelweiss – a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines – is seen as a role model for Eurowings Discover. Conversely, one example of an unsuccessful attempt was by Air France with its ill-fated spinoff Joon for the leisure business. Lasting only briefly, fare-paying operations began in December 2017, before it flew its last rotation under the brand in June 2019. Lufthansa had already experimented a bit half-heartedly on how to serve this segment. Long-haul routes that saw a predominant leisure demand were at times operated by its affiliates Eurowings, Lufthansa CityLine and SunExpress Deutschland (a Turkish SunExpress subsidiary), or rather by a kind of melange of all three. The overall objective was to lower costs compared to those at the Lufthansa main line. It never really succeeded. It’s also worth noting that the SunExpress Deutschland subsidiary has since been “discontinued” after SunExpress – originally founded as a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines in 1989 – revealed in
ABOVE • Here, at the headquarters of Eurowings Discover, flight crew briefings are conducted underneath a wall-mounted winglet from an Airbus A330 that had served with Brussels Airlines ANDREAS SPAETH
RIGHT • Within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss holiday carrier Edelweiss, a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines, is seen as a role model for Eurowings Discover FLICKR COMMONS/ MARKUS EIGENHEER
ABOVE • Eurowings Discover boasts a 16-strong aircraft inventory as of April 28, comprising six A320ceos and ten A330s (a trio of -200s and seven larger -300s) AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ SERGE BAILLEUL LEFT • ‘Airliner World’ was invited aboard Eurowings Discover’s inaugural flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe via Windhoek in Namibia ANDREAS SPAETH
June 2020 a strategically appropriate decision to “exclusively” focus on its core business from then on.
Flying fresh As such, there was desire to start afresh with an entirely new company. Industry experts estimated that Eurowings Discover, with its lean structures acting in many areas operationally separate from Lufthansa, should be able to produce around 30-40% lower costs, not counting fuel. Even though the start-up is independent from the other group carriers, in many respects, it still made use of a well-established brand name. “We commenced with the Eurowings brand as that gave us a jump-start in market recognition as nine out of ten Germans know it,” stated Raebiger. “That meant we could reach great awareness quickly and relatively cheaply even in pandemic times when resources were scarce.”
Eurowings Discover – Facts and Figures IATA code:
4Y
ICAO code:
OCN
Owner:
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (100%)
First revenue flight:
July 24, 2021
Employees:
Approximately 1,000
Headquarters:
Frankfurt
Route network (summer 2022):
42 destinations from Frankfurt 24 destinations from Munich
Website:
www.eurowings.com/en
Eurowings Discover Fleet* Aircraft Type
Registration
c/n
Airbus A320ceo
D-AIUT
7115
D-AIUU
7158
D-AIUW
7251
D-AIUX
7256
D-AIUY
7355
D-AIUZ
7625
D-AXGE
612
D-AXGF
616
D-AXGB
684
D-AIKA
570
D-AIKB
576
D-AIKC
579
D-AIKD
629
D-AIKH
648
D-AFYQ
1193
D-AFYR
1711
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330-300
*According to planespotters.net as of April 29, 2022
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Interestingly, the CEO also doesn’t rule out a later name change: “We will look at the question if there should be a repositioning over the next months and years. Currently we are well under way as Eurowings Discover.” That might be deemed wise as nobody at the new venture has held back in admitting how difficult it is to communicate with the outside world on how, exactly, yet another new Lufthansa brand really differentiates, especially as there is almost no overlap with the already well-known Eurowings, other than the sharing of a website and that both are 100% Lufthansa subsidiaries working separately from each other and the main line. Eurowings exclusively operates decentralised European flights from outside Lufthansa’s main Frankfurt and Munich bases, while Eurowings Discover on-the-other-hand, concentrates on just these two airports. The maiden Eurowings Discover rotation departed Frankfurt on July 24, 2021 as Flight 4Y 134 to Mombasa (Kenya) and Zanzibar – as a sign of the project’s heritage, ‘Ocean’ is the airline’s callsign. So far, a majority of its services have operated from the Hesse-based hub, and since winter 2021, have been complemented by short- and medium-haul destinations across Europe and North Africa. Meanwhile, at Munich, long-haul links, including Cancún (Mexico), Las Vegas (USA) and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), have already started. A swathe of
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short- and medium-haul connections were planned for the Bavarian gateway as part of Eurowings Discover’s 2022 summer flight schedule. This model is underpinned by the feeding of passengers from across the Lufthansa network – even from markets as far away as Scandinavia – especially on to long-haul flights. According to the Lufthansa Group, customers benefit from “direct connections and seamless transfers to and from all German and European Lufthansa destinations, as well as an end-to-end booking process”.
ABOVE • Celebrations were held at Frankfurt on July 24, 2021 for Flight 4Y 134 – the first-ever Eurowings Discover sortie – ahead of its departure to Mombasa (Kenya) and Zanzibar LUFTHANSA GROUP
Fierce competition Undoubtedly, the entrance of Eurowings Discover has meant going head-to-head with competitors, namely Condor. Ironically, Condor was founded on December 21, 1955 as ‘Deutsche Flugdienst GmbH’ by four partners including Deutsche Lufthansa, holding a 26% stake. During 1959, Deutsche Lufthansa AG took over 100% of the capital, while two years later, Deutsche Flugdienst GmbH acquired ‘Condor Luftreederei Hamburg’, changing its name to Condor Flugdienst GmbH. It was in this period that old Condor advertising depicted slogans such as “the holiday carrier of Lufthansa”. Lufthansa was a shareholder in Condor for many decades, but this concluded in 2009 after the former sold its final 25% stake in the latter to Thomas Cook. With the latter's parent company, Thomas Cook Group, collapsing, Condor
RIGHT • As a sign of the project’s heritage, ‘Ocean’ is the airline’s callsign LUFTHANSA GROUP
became an independent airline in July 2021, with European asset manager, Attestor, the new majority shareholder, with a 51% stake. Subsequently, with Airbus A330neos inbound, and a bold new livery unveiled to the world during April 2022 to accompany them and the wider fleet, competition from Condor looks set to be fierce for Eurowings Discover. In an interview with German travel industry magazine, FVW, Ralf Teckentrup, Condor CEO dismissed the new entrant as “Eurowings Discount” and accused Lufthansa of “very clearly wanting to eliminate Condor” by its new start-up. A major area of dispute for Condor concerns connecting flights from Lufthansa at Frankfurt and Munich – with the former’s business model depending on this feed for its longhaul services, which have served Condor for decades. While Lufthansa had initially proposed to end the agreement, the German cartel office
then decreed that Lufthansa has to keep selling the connections to Condor at a preferential rate for the time being. A final decision is still due. Amid such tensions, Eurowings Discover’s Wolfgang Raebiger is understandably keeping sole focus on his carrier: “We are paying very little attention of what Condor does, but rather try to satisfy our guests, this feeder topic is one between Lufthansa and Condor.” Nevertheless, it’s very obvious there is a significant overlap between route networks from both rival German holiday operators; for example, at the time of writing, Eurowings Discover was flying on eight of the same routes from Frankfurt as Condor.
Clear for take-off On the inaugural Eurowings Discover flight between Frankfurt, Mombasa and Zanzibar in July last year, it was Wolfgang Raebiger who sat in the lefthand seat of the A330. Being part of the crew to operate such a historic
ABOVE • This SunExpress Deutschland Boeing 737-800 was pictured back in February 2019 adorned with a striking, special colour scheme FLICKR COMMONS/ TJDARMSTADT TOP • One of Eurowings Discover’s pair of ex-Edelweiss Airbus A330-300s, D-AFYQ (c/n 1193), was seen here in Malta back in June 2021 shortly after gaining its new paint job, but was still sporting its previous Swiss registration HB-JHQ MARIO CARUANA/MAVIO NEWS
sortie was a move he took huge pride in – all despite a multitude of COVID19 travel restrictions being in place at that time. “We have built up a new airline in just 330 days,” said Raebiger. “We now [have been] flying [for more than] eight months [at the time of writing] and we are within our plan, having achieved what we set out to in this timeframe.” With the world reopening and the easing of travel restrictions coinciding with strong, pent-up demand, a jampacked summer schedule this year was set to be offered by Eurowings Discover. The current blueprints aimed to have an impressive 42 destinations from Frankfurt, with 19 of these being long-haul. Conversely, this figure at Munich would be 24, with three links being intercontinental. At present, the fledgling firm has three pillars for selecting its long-haul routes: the Caribbean, North America and south/east Africa. “We are not yet going to [South and] Southeast Asia, where we could think of flying to Goa,
Colombo or Thailand, but for that we don’t have the right fleet size [or] aircraft with sufficient range as of yet,” said the CEO. In any case, it’s quite an ambitious route portfolio which, Raebiger added is “aimed at infrequent fliers to round off the profile of the Lufthansa Group in terms of leisure traffic”.
Fleet mix Eurowings Discover boasts a 16-strong aircraft inventory as of April 28, comprising six A320ceos and ten A330s (a trio of -200s and seven larger -300s). Unsurprisingly, their origins come from the Lufthansa Group, with A320s from Lufthansa, while its A330-200s had flown most recently with Eurowings. Meanwhile, its A330-300s had last flown with a mix of Lufthansa main line and/or Eurowings. Interestingly, a pair of these, D-AFYQ (c/n 1193) and D-AFYR (c/n 1711) – former ex-Edelweiss Air examples – are -343Es, and the youngest widebodies
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in the Eurowings Discover fleet, aged 11 and six years old respectively. According to Raebiger, D-AFYR “is most dear to us not only because it’s the youngest, but it achieves a slightly higher range due to an increased MTOW [maximum take-off weight]”. The rest of the twin-aisle jets are much older, with the eldest examples having flown for more than 18 years. Not exactly a sign of sustainability for a new airline, but Eurowings Discover had no other choice. All aircraft fly with their existing interiors, including a full business class (with mixed Lufthansa and Edelweiss hard products) and premium economy cabins, with Eurowings Discover positioned as a full-service carrier. According to the airline, its premium cabins are in particular demand: “After two years of [the] pandemic, travellers want to spoil themselves again, so a trip in premium economy or even business class is an option for many, meaning our seats up front are well-filled,” said Raebiger. On the A330s, roughly 60 premium seats are on offer and don’t differ from Lufthansa in their hardware. But Eurowings Discover puts a great emphasis on setting a different tone on board: “Seats are interchangeable, but what really counts are the humans delivering the service; they make the difference,” said the CEO. This striking difference was exemplified to Airliner World on the trip down to Windhoek and Victoria Falls, with the crew’s enthusiasm showing in particular with their genuine attempt at a light-hearted, though efficient and individual service, at least in business class.
Facing hurdles But not all is so rosy. According to unions for both pilots and cabin crew, the early cheery mood is already waning as staff work under much less favourable conditions, even in comparison to earlier Lufthansa spin-offs such as the now shut down Germanwings and SunExpress
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ABOVE • There was cause for much celebration upon landing in Victoria Falls as the 18-yearold, ex-Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, D-AIKB (c/n 576), looms large in the background ANDREAS SPAETH
BELOW • One of the main rivals for Eurowings Discover is the wellestablished player, Condor, which itself has undergone a major rebranding as shown by this Airbus A321ceo, D-AIAD (c/n 6053). At the time of writing, both German holiday operators had flown eight of the same routes from Frankfurt JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ
Deutschland – where many crew members hail from. Experienced pilots earn about a quarter less at Eurowings Discover than Germanwings, while having to make do with fewer days off too. The unions are proceeding to establish a works council, which Raebiger finds “a little too early”, fearing it will slow down growth. But such will happen nevertheless. On top of the current workforce of about a 1,000 until the end of the year, an additional 300 to 500 employees are poised to join. Simultaneously, growth is also necessary in respect of fleet size: “At year end we want to operate 21 aircraft, of which 11 will be A330s,” said the CEO. Although that’s hardly enough to operate their ambitious schedule as Eurowings Discover ramps up swiftly to achieve economies of scale and make an impact on the market right away. Short-term remedy is supposedly to come in the form of wet leasing.
For example, a pair of A220-300s from Riga, Latvia-based airBaltic are planned to be utilised from Munich this summer. On the widebody front, Finnair has leased three A350-900s and almost 400 crew members to Eurowings Discover for the summer 2022, being deployed on services to North America. With the current Eurowings Discover fleet holding an average age of 13 years, it’s up for rejuvenation in any case, with the trio of A330-200s – aged around 17 years old – supposedly to leave by 2025. “Right now, I am happy with what we have,” said Wolfgang Raebiger, “[with] the A330 currently being the most efficient long-haul aircraft of the group, offering the right size with plus/minus 300 [seats] to get by in this market segment.” Within the Lufthansa Group, there is fierce competition among subsidiaries around who is allocated newly ordered aircraft. For example, Austrian Airlines has desperately been hoping for new equipment for a fairly long time, setting its hopes on the 787 Dreamliners the group has on order. But to receive any factory fresh airframes, each company has to meet its business targets, which has been tough recently. “Once we have achieved our top priorities and delivered successfully, we will strive for more growth in the group, but that’s the same many other airline bosses within Lufthansa do,” Raebiger said. The CEO has already outlined where he sees fleet growth going ultimately, with 20 each for long- and short-haul aircraft. He also muses about what equipment he’d like to operate: “You always have dreams, but no matter if it’ll be the A350, the A330neo or the 787, in any case we need new
technology of about the same size we have today, but with longer legs, and it would be nice to have that by the middle of the decade,” he said. However, the principal aim is to first prove that the Eurowings Discover concept works, not just externally, but also internally. Then, there are people inside the group that aren’t keeping their fingers crossed for it to succeed, as, if proving viable, some of its procedures could be adapted to the main line, a prospect not everyone favours. So, the new venture is an important litmus test for Lufthansa’s adaptability as a legacy carrier to get fit for the future.
Discovering new places Airliner World experienced the service first hand during an unusually rainy March morning. As we touched down at Windhoek, Namibia on the Eurowings Discover rotation, Wolfgang Raebiger had things other than the weather on his
ABOVE • Wolfgang Raebiger started his pilot career at Lauda Air in 1994, under its founder and former legendary Formula One racing driver Niki Lauda, who also flew their passenger flights ANDREAS SPAETH ABOVE RIGHT • The magnificent Victoria Falls as seen by the author from 8,000ft ANDREAS SPAETH
BELOW • In a bid to better prevent its aircraft from spending long periods on the ground, route extensions are flown which, in turn, give access to new markets ANDREAS SPAETH
mind – how to maximise the aircraft. After a night flight from Frankfurt, this daily A330 service will, instead of a long ground stop which could see the aircraft parked for up to 12 hours, be utilised better during the day to access new markets. That day, it was the first of three weekly route extensions to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, while in November, Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport – gateway to the Kruger National Park – in South Africa is due to be served via Windhoek. These are untapped territories for European airlines. With that in mind, Raebiger entered the sparsely filled cabin, personally offering chocolate to business class passengers, before taking the captain’s seat and operating the 90-minute sortie to the widest water cascades on Earth and one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Before touching down in front of a huge crowd of guests at the
oversized, Chinese-built airport, Raebiger performed a low pass before taking the A330 on two spins around the majestic waterfalls, enveloped in their characteristic mist. We circled the natural wonder at 8,000ft. It is an unusual sight from both the jet and the ground. After landing, a rousing welcome was given by local dancers, followed by endless ceremonies. In the seventh speech (from a total of eight), Raebiger had even been promoted to “Lufthansa’s CEO” by a Zimbabwean minister. While that might be premature, Eurowings Discover certainly stands on firm ground – at least in Southern Africa. The author wishes to thank André Schulz, Lufthansa GM Southern Africa, and Leonie Bueb of Eurowings Discover’s communications team for making this story possible. And of course, Wolfgang Raebiger and the fabulous crew on the inaugural flight from Frankfurt to Victoria Falls
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New dawn for Qantas and Airbus Q
BELOW • Journey times between Sydney and London are expected to be around 20 hours – not insignificant but a far cry from the multi-day trips of the 1950s AVIATION ANCESTRY
antas is no stranger to pushing the envelope. During its 102 years of commercial flying, it’s made relatively light work of joining the domestic dots, but its international routes have needed ingenuity and a pioneering spirit not often seen at comparable European flag carriers. Over the past decade, under the stewardship of CEO Alan Joyce, Qantas has become increasingly impatient with the age-old concept of long-haul stopovers en route
from Australia. In 2017, the airline announced what it coined as “Project Sunrise: the final frontier of aviation”. The term is a homage to the legendary ‘double sunrise’ flights operated by Qantas across the Indian Ocean during World War Two, which remained airborne long enough to see the sun rise twice. In today’s context, these are direct sorties linking the east coast of Australia to any global city, with London and New York among the greatest prizes. Five year ago, Qantas publicly challenged Boeing and
A historic deal between the Australian flag carrier and European OEM heralds a bold new chapter in Antipodean aviation, says Gordon Smith
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Airbus to deliver an aircraft capable of ultra long-haul flying, a concept that, if realised, would revolutionise Australian air travel for a generation or more. The Airbus A350 was officially selected in December 2019 as the preferred aircraft for the project, with an extra
LEFT • Airbus flew its A350 testbed from its Toulouse HQ into Sydney, via Perth, to mark the occasion
BELOW • The blockbuster order looks set to revolutionise Qantas' decades-old 'kangaroo route' ALL IMAGES AIRBUS UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE
fuel tank added to extend its range. After a series of false starts – and the small matter of a pandemic bringing Qantas and the wider aviation industry to its knees – the delight on Joyce’s face in early May was unmistakable. With the rumour mill running red hot for weeks, the airline formally confirmed an order for a dozen A350-1000s, bringing the pioneering concept much closer to reality. If current timescales are to be believed, non-stop air connections between Sydney and London should be with us by late 2025. Commenting as the news was confirmed, Joyce neatly put the development in perspective: “For more than 100 years, Qantas has been at the forefront of
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transforming the way the world travels, particularly through direct flights. Now, the A350 and Project Sunrise will make almost any city in the world just one flight away from Australia. It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia.”
Historical context Project Sunrise may be the latest chapter in air links between Australia and the northern hemisphere, but its foundations date back more than a century. On November 12, 1919, Captain Ross Macpherson Smith departed Hounslow Heath aerodrome – close to the site of today’s London/ Heathrow Airport. His converted Vickers Vimy bomber, registration G-EAOU (whimsically said to stand for ‘God ‘elp all of us’), touched down in Darwin, capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, 28 days later on December 10. The astonishing feat covered more than 11,000nm in a total flying time of 135 hours and 55 minutes. Fast-forward 100 years and aviators with the same pioneering spirit operated a Boeing 787-9 in 2019 for the first in a series of special research flights. The Dreamliner covered more than 9,600nm non-stop from London to Sydney in 19 hours and 19 minutes – a neat numerical synergy with that first flight a century earlier. The jet flew over 11 countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, the Philippines and Indonesia, before
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Alan Joyce has described non-stop routings to London and New York as the ‘Holy Grail’ for Qantas
crossing the Australian coast near Darwin and tracking southeast across the country towards New South Wales. Despite the fanfare, this wasn’t the first non-stop rotation connecting the two cities. In 1989, a brand-new Qantas 747-400, VH-OJA (c/n 24354), also covered the distance, spending 20 hours and nine minutes in the air – albeit with some stark differences to the 2019 sortie. To enable the jumbo to clock up the miles, its interior was completely stripped out to make the aircraft as light as possible. Despite this, the 747’s fuel tanks were fully
“The board’s decision to approve what is the largest aircraft order in Australian aviation is a clear vote of confidence in the future of the Qantas Group. Our strategy for these aircraft will see us generate significant benefits for those who make it possible – our people, our customers and our shareholders...” Alan Joyce, Qantas Group CEO
loaded to ensure the quad-jet was up to the job. Not a drop of kerosene was wasted, with the ‘Queen of the Skies’ towed to the start of the runway to save fuel during its taxi from the gate. Compare this with the twin-engine 787-9, which wasn’t stripped out, carried 50 passengers and crew, took off with capacity left in its tanks, and still had 13,889lb of fuel remaining
on arrival – roughly enough for a further one hour and 45 minutes in the air. The 2019 journey operated with around 50% less fuel than its 1989 counterpart, illustrating how far aviation technology has come in a relatively short space of time. With the advent of more efficient long-range twin-engine aircraft has come the opportunity to fly longer routes, often cutting out the need for a stopover. Airlines around the world have seized the opportunities created by ‘point-to-point’ – as opposed to ‘hub and spoke’ – networks to offer passengers the choice to reach more places via a direct flight. Carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Qantas rely on being able to fly ultra-long sectors as part of their business models. In February 2017, Qatar’s Doha-to-Auckland route, then operated by a 777-200, completed the 9,032-mile distance in 16hrs and 23mins to set what was then the longest flight record. In October the following year, Singapore Airlines’ non-stop A350-900 ultra long-range (ULR) flight between its hub and Newark clinched the accolade of the longest commercial flight in regular service, covering more than 9,320 miles in 17hrs and 52mins. When Qantas launches its direct services from Sydney to New York and London, it will almost certainly top the leader board, with flight times expected to be around 20 hours, depending on prevailing winds and air traffic restrictions. This is an enormous amount of time to spend in the air, but Qantas says the non-stop
routing could cut up to four hours off total travel time compared with one-stop options today. The Sydney-based firm isn’t the only carrier from that part of the world to see the appeal of the Big Apple. In March 2022, Air New Zealand (ANZ) announced its firstever scheduled route from Auckland to New York/JFK. Served by a premium-heavy 787-9 Dreamliner,
the new thrice-weekly service – awarded the much-coveted NZ1 and NZ2 flight numbers, following ANZ’s retirement from the London market – is estimated to take just over 16 hours northbound and 17.5 hours southbound.
What’s on board? With Airbus having pipped its American rival in sealing the Sunrise
deal, attention has now turned to the winning aircraft. Qantas says its specially configured A350-1000s will have a four-class layout – comprising first, business, premium economy and economy – accommodating up to 238 passengers. The flag carrier says its choice of configuration will be the least dense of any A350-1000 currently in service, and with more than 40% of the cabin being dedicated to the ‘posh’ seats, few will argue with this claim. Of the 238 seats, six will be Qantas’ new flagship ‘First suites’, which come complete with a privacy door, separate bed and lounge chair, individual wardrobe and a 32in in-flight entertainment screen. Further back, a total of 52 ‘Business suites’ will offer direct aisle access in what the airline describes as “a redefinition of long-haul business travel”. For those without a corporate credit card or generous travel budget, the A350 also offers 40 premium economy options with 40in pitch, and, finally, 140 economy options at 33in pitch. In addition to the seats themselves, there will be a dedicated ‘wellbeing zone’ designed for movement, stretching and hydration with a self-serve snack station and digital displays providing “movement and stretching recommendations” to ward off any sky-high medical complications. As part of the initiative, Qantas is promising more direct routes to Australia, a significantly reduced point-to-point travel time and “a flying experience second to none”. It says the cabin interior and service design are influenced by medical and scientific research carried out on the trio of
The European widebody jet received a warm welcome as it arrived in the hangar at Sydney for the signing ceremony
Alan Joyce (left) was joined by Airbus’ Christian Scherer as the deal was officially inked
Project Sunrise has been delayed, due to the pandemic, but appears to be gaining real momentum
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Project Sunrise research flights from New York and London to Australia’s biggest city in 2019. Joyce said the airline has learnt not only from the proving flights, but also its existing non-stop services from Western Australia to and from the UK: “Our direct Perth-to-London flights started in 2017 and showed strong demand for the convenience
and time savings from this kind of travel, if the product and service is right. Pre-COVID, it was the longest route and had the highest customer satisfaction on our network. All signs point to that demand increasing post-COVID. The Qantas A350 travel experience will be truly exceptional, particularly across the premium cabins. Our first and business class
Our artist's impression of how the Boeing 777X could have looked, alongside the A350 ROLANDO UGOLINI
A ‘wellbeing zone’ is one of the more unusual elements of the Qantas-configured A350 QANTAS
seats will set a new benchmark for premium long-haul travel.” The Qantas chief has made no secret of his company’s desire to fly non-stop to London from Australia’s east coast, but he also confirmed New York will join the British capital for the first tranche of Project Sunrise revenue services. Stating the obvious, Joyce referenced Paris and Frankfurt as also being within the 8,700nm reach of the A350 – surely a given if the widebody can make it to Heathrow. In his defence, this was probably as close as he could get to hinting that these markets were in the airline’s sights without committing to a formal timeline. Even if the A350s are deployed from multiple Aussie origin cities, with a dozen of the jets coming online before the end of the decade, it’s safe to assume at least a couple of other global megahubs will join the Sunrise celebrations.
That’s not all
As part of the launch event, Qantas revealed a new first-class suite. There will be six of this top-tier product on each A350-1000 QANTAS
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Amid the excitement about Sydney non-stops to the UK and NYC, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Qantas also announced the wholesale renewal of its narrowbody fleet. In a break from its current roster of Boeing 717 and 737s – which currently comprise around 95 examples – Qantas has inked firm orders for 20 Airbus A321XLRs and 20 A220-300s as it concludes its ‘Project Winton’ study. The new A220-300s are due to seat up to 137 passengers, with 127 in economy and ten in business, while the A321XLR is to be fitted with 200 seats, comprising an impressive 20 business class and 180 in economy. While the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 will power the A350, its A220-300s and A321XLRs are to be equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1500G and PW1100G-JM powerplants, respectively. The narrowbodies will also be arriving ‘Down Under’ a little sooner than their A350 big brother.
According to Airbus, the first A220 examples will be handed over in late 2023, with the A321XLRs joining from late 2024. Joyce said the incoming singleaisle jets will form the backbone of Qantas’ domestic fleet “for the next 20 years”. With the A220-300 boasting a range of more than 3,400nm, any city pairing in Australia is within reach. Meanwhile, the airline has highlighted the A321XLR’s 4,700nm range enables the opening of direct domestic and short-haul international links, such as destinations across southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. While Qantas is remaining tightlipped on the exact price of the blockbuster Airbus order, telling media the “total cost of the deal is commercial in confidence”, it did state “a significant discount from standard price should be assumed”. From an OEM perspective, Airbus management has known since December 2019 that their product portfolio was the preferred option for the ultra-long flights, but the narrowbody news only came in December 2021. Speaking alongside Joyce in Sydney, Christian Scherer, Airbus’ chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International said: “Qantas is one of the world’s iconic airlines, with a visionary spirit from its inception over 100 years ago. We are honoured by the confidence that [they are] placing in Airbus and look forward to delivering to the [Qantas] Group one of the world’s most modern, efficient and sustainable fleets. This decision underscores the position of the A350 as the reference long-range widebody aircraft.” Rarely one to miss a promotional opportunity, Airbus dispatched not one but two jets to Sydney to mark the formal announcement of the Project Sunrise and Winton contract wins. Alongside a special Qantas decal on its A350-1041, F-WMIL (c/n 059), from Toulouse, an A220-300 also made a special appearance, albeit in the colours of airBaltic. YL-ABH (c/n 55162) made the southern detour as part of a wider Asia-Pacific sales tour to drum up sales for the Canadian-designed and built type.
Will it work? To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum’s character in the 1993 dino-tastic film Jurassic Park: have Qantas executives been so preoccupied with whether or not they could fly non-stop from Sydney to London, that they didn’t stop to think if they should? Even in first class, 20+ hours on an aircraft is pushing the boundaries of comfort, let alone the 140 souls who have a much more modest 33in pitch to call home for the mammoth sorties. It remains to be seen if the much heralded ‘wellness’ investments – both in terms of hard and soft product – are gimmicky guff or provide genuine passenger experience improvements. Ultimately, the success of the ultra long-haul venture will be decided by its financial viability. Will people pay more for a direct flight, even if it means being on the aircraft for an extraordinarily long time? Is it so
Sporting a special Qantas decal, the Airbusowned A350-1041, F-WMIL (c/n 059), conducted a flypast over Sydney Harbour
The narrowbody deal will see A220s replace the carrier's existing Boeing 717s AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ ANDREW HUNT
gruelling to stop off in Singapore or Dubai to stretch one’s legs, get some fresh air and use a proper bathroom? Our best insight into the market is Qantas’ reasonably well-established Perth to Heathrow route. Prepandemic, it was the airline’s most popular long-haul sector with passenger loads consistently above 95%, and a robust financial performance. Put simply, it appears that some members of the travelling public – or, at least, enough to fill a premium-heavy widebody – are prepared to pay a bit more to cut out the midway stop. Speaking in 2019, Joyce defended the concept: “I’ve had business travellers tell me they’d rather stay on board and watch an extra episode of their favourite show before arriving at their final destination, rather than spending 90 minutes on the ground waiting for a connecting flight. I’ve also had a few parents tell me they would rather not disturb their kids if they are settled in, and [would rather] avoid having to bundle them and all their carry-on luggage off and back on a flight during a stopover. So, there is definitely support for the non-stop flights.” For Joyce and the wider Qantas management team, they’ll be hoping their robust research and intimate knowledge of the market means Project Sunrise won’t go the same way as the dinosaurs.
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JULY 2022 An unusual view from the cargo door of a Lineas Aereas El Dorado Douglas DC-3 in flight from Villavicencio La Vanguardia, Colombia in 1992. The aircraft in question, HK-2663X (c/n 10201), had previously served with the United States Army Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and the Omani Air Force as well as a handful of civilian operators GERRY MANNING
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AMMA with
Tom Batchelor catches up with Samer Majali, chief executive of Royal Jordanian Airlines, to learn more about the carrier’s post-pandemic strategy he last decade has not been an easy one for Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ). Geopolitical events outside its control have seen the flag carrier lurch from one crisis to another, but there is now much cause for optimism. A fleet renewal and network expansion strategy – including a near-doubling of the number of aircraft it operates and the addition of dozens of new routes – will see it bolster its presence across the Middle East and Europe as it strives to become a dominant player in the region. Samer Majali, who took up the role of president and chief executive
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officer of RJ in spring 2021, sat down with Airliner World to discuss his fiveyear plan for the airline and explain how the pandemic left the carrier in need of a bailout.
A brief history Royal Jordanian’s roots can be traced back to King Hussein’s Royal Decree in 1963, establishing a national airline of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The airline operated a varied fleet including Lockheed L-1011 TriStars and Boeing 747-200s to destinations as far afield as Houston and New York. It was initially known as Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines, said to be named
ABOVE: The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the flagship of the Royal Jordanian fleet AVIATION IMAGE NETWORK/ BAILEY
after King Hussein's eldest child, Princess Alia bint Hussein. However, by 1986 the branding was simplified to become Royal Jordanian Airlines. In 2007, RJ joined the oneworld airline alliance, the first Arab carrier to do so, and at the end of that year the company was privatised, listing on the Amman stock exchange (though the Jordanian government remains the largest shareholder). Seven years later its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was introduced, largely replacing Airbus A330-200s, as the airline sought to modernise its fleet and compete with regional rivals. In pre-pandemic times, RJ contributed
MAN a plan
around three percent of Jordan’s GDP, attracting three million passengers annually. This mainly comprised VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic, tourists travelling to the country’s numerous cultural and historical sites, businesspeople and those using Amman as a connecting hub. Last year, with COVID-19 still denting demand for air travel, the company carried around half that number. Despite the turbulence, RJ continues to play a strategic role in serving the kingdom of ten million people, while helping to reinforce its image as a secure and stable country in a region that has been plagued by conflict.
TOP RIGHT: Prior to rejoining RJ last year, Samer Majali was the airline's president and CEO between 2001 and 2009 JUSTIN HESSION/ GETTY IMAGES
A safe harbour Decades-long instability in the Middle East, from tensions between Israelis and Palestinians to war in neighbouring Iraq from 2003 to 2011 and an 11-year conflict in Syria that has yet to end, has taken its toll on national economies and consumer confidence. Speaking to Airliner World, Majali explained: “Royal Jordanian has been negatively affected over the past five to ten years due to regional events in Syria and Iraq. Obviously, because RJ is a carrier based in Jordan, in close proximity to all of this, the global perception of our part of the world
has suffered. RJ carries a lot of tourism passengers, so we were very affected by the regional conflict. But not only from a tourism perspective; we were also hit from a feeder perspective, because we also get feed from the entire region through Amman onto our global network. So we were affected in two dimensions.” Amid the troubles, there are signs that things are slowly beginning to stabilise. Last September RJ said it would begin discussions on resumption of direct connections to the Syrian capital Damascus after nearly a decade. Elsewhere, RJ now serves five Iraqi cities: Baghdad,
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Basra, Erbil, Najaf and Sulaymaniah, with more than 30 departures per week and has started offering its passengers in Iraq special medical tourism packages to Jordan as a means of generating new revenue streams. Karim Makhlouf, RJ’s chief commercial officer, has previously described Iraq as a “key market” in the airline’s growth plan. While Royal Jordanian has been able to navigate its way through regional conflict and geopolitical tension, no airline was immune to the colossal challenges of the pandemic. In 2020, RJ was derailed by the COVID-19 induced downturn, leading the firm to effectively ground its fleet for several months (aside from repatriation flights) triggering the cancellation of some 14,160 sorties. This came after a decision was taken at national level to shut down the airline’s scheduled operations from March to September 2020. The six months that followed saw
ABOVE: The Sud Aviation Caravelle was one of the first aircraft to join the fledgling flag carrier in the 1960s ROYAL JORDANIAN ARCHIVE TOP: A Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500, JY-AGH (c/n 293A1249), at Frankfurt in 1985 AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ WOLFGANG MENDORF TOP LEFT: The Boeing 747 joined the airline in 1977 and inaugurated the Amman to New York route ROYAL JORDANIAN ARCHIVE FAR LEFT, MIDDLE: An evolution of crew uniforms over the carrier's 59-year history ROYAL JORDANIAN ARCHIVE LEFT: In October 2021, the airline unveiled an impressive Petra-themed livery to promote the UNESCO World Heritage Site ROYAL JORDANIAN
the resumption of some flights, but at a significantly reduced level. Majali said this was largely due to the inability of Amman’s airport to handle the volume of tests that were required for arriving passengers. The crisis saw the airline’s passenger numbers plummet from 3.3 million in 2019 to just 715,000 in 2020, a 77% decrease, while take-offs fell from 35,000 in 2019 to 10,000 in 2020 – a fall of 71%. There was also a dramatic decline in revenue, with losses reaching Jordanian dinars (JOD)155.3 million (£166.7m) in 2020, compared to a profit of JOD10.4 million in 2019. As part of efforts to safeguard the carrier, RJ negotiated with its major suppliers, aircraft lessors and banks to delay payments that were pending. It also froze all capital expenditures and secured cash flow through the Central Bank of Jordan. The airline was also able to stem losses by leveraging its cargo operations, becoming the first airline in the Middle East to use passenger aircraft seats for freight. It operated more than 350 all-cargo flights between March and December 2020, mostly on the 787, A320 and A319. In total, RJ operated 569 cargo sorties; comprising 211 on cargo aircraft and 358 on the Dreamliner and Airbus narrowbodies.
CEO context With an aviation background spanning four decades, Majali appears sanguine about the most recent downturn: “This is not the first crisis we've seen, it's probably
the longest crisis, but not the most dramatic in terms of the sharpness of the crisis. We've been through regional issues and regional conflicts. We've been through various limited pandemics over the years, and we've had to cope with that quite well.” Looking to the future, he said: “What we've done now as we're coming out of COVID-19, hopefully, and nothing else happens down the line in terms of [the] pandemic, is to reinvest in the airline in terms of increasing the number of destinations, and using RJ's power to put in a very strong regional network, and also then expand our European, Far-Eastern and Gulf network in line with that.” RJ’s plans for growth do not mean the airline has emerged unscathed from 24+ months of economic turmoil. In December 2021, Majali warned that the state airline was at risk of collapse unless it was offered financial assistance by the government, broadly in line with the support many other airlines had received. Specifically, RJ requested JOD200 million (£216 million) over the course of this year, having already received JOD50 million in 2021. “Half-baked and temporary, patchwork solutions will not work. Either there is a serious investment in RJ or the airline has no chance of survival,” Majali warned last December. Speaking to this magazine in March, he said the airline was still working with the Jordanian government, which owns around 85% of the carrier, for an “assistance www.key.aero
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package that will help us bridge the gap” of pandemic losses, while acknowledging the country had “limited resources” with which to provide support. “For a year, effectively, the airline was grounded because we had a very strict COVID19 policy to be able to cope with the crisis. That's why we are trying to seek one-off help and assistance for that. We're still in discussion, and nothing has been decided yet.”
Fleet focus Majali first began working at Royal Jordanian in 1979, and held senior executive positions across flight operations, corporate planning, information technology, passenger services, engineering and maintenance, before occupying the position of president and CEO between 2001 and 2009. He then left the company to become chief executive of Gulf Air, and after three years was appointed CEO of SaudiGulf Airlines, before returning to RJ in 2021 to help the airline weather the COVID storm. The Amman-based carrier is now seeking to turn the page on the pandemic, with what Majali described as a “major investment” in 2022 and beyond to expand RJ: “It's a whole network strategy over the next five to seven years, which involves increasing our number of destinations from currently 33-35 to about 60 within the space of five years, and also renewing our fleet,” revealed Majali.
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ABOVE: On August 27, 2014, Boeing delivered the first of RJ's 787 Dreamliners. The example is seen here at the Everett Delivery Center BOEING FAR TOP LEFT: RJ has been a oneworld alliance member since 2007 AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ CHRIS JILLI LEFT, INSET: The flag carrier's corporate headquarters are located in the heart of Amman, the Jordanian capital ROYAL JORDANIAN BELOW: Regional feeder traffic is an important part of the RJ business model AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ MONI SHAFIR
The airline plans to increase its headcount for cabin crew, pilots and maintenance staff by 40-50% as more services are launched. RJ’s fleet is relatively modest, at least compared to regional competitors based in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. At the time of writing, the flag carrier’s portfolio comprises 25 aircraft (one Airbus A310, five Airbus A319, six Airbus A320, two Airbus A321 – all ceo types – seven Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, two Embraer 175s and two E195s) with an average fleet age of 11.9 years. “The idea is to bring up the fleet to about 45 aeroplanes within the same [five-to-seven year] period, both renewing the old aeroplanes and growing at the same time,” noted Majali. RJ has a three-fleet system: a widebody jet for long-range and very thick routes, which is currently the Boeing 787-8; narrowbody options that primarily operate to European destinations, in the form of the A320 Family; and regional aircraft that cover airports within a two-hour flying radius from Amman, typically served by the Embraer 175 and 195. Majali and his team are yet to decide, publicly at least, on the new types that will join the roster, but unsurprisingly the current evaluation is between the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo families for single-aisle replacements. RJ is also comparing the A220 with the Embraer E2 as a regional replacement. As for its largest twin-aisles, the carrier says it has no current plans to
upgrade this part of its portfolio as its 787-8s are already the newest in the fleet, all of them introduced within the last five or six years.
Closing the gap In addition to revamping its maturing metal, RJ is seeking to improve its soft product to woo future passengers. Last year it announced a shake-up of its onboard catering service with upgraded economy class meals and the introduction of new global dishes, which change every two weeks. Meanwhile, at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport – RJ’s hub – it was announced in February that the gateway would start trials of facial recognition software in the checkin area and boarding gates for select flights to Istanbul to streamline the passenger journey – expect this to be rolled out more widely in the coming months. Elsewhere, its VIP Tikram service provides a range of travel packages, including a meet and greet function at Queen Alia International Airport. Passengers can be collected from their hotel, fast-tracked through security and gain access to a lounge, among other perks, at a cost of JOD80 (£87) each. Despite the industry’s focus on the so-called ‘new realities’ of the post-COVID aviation world, from the decline in business travel to an increase in cash-rich leisure passengers, Majali said the demands of RJ customers had remained largely unchanged through the pandemic: www.key.aero
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“In the global market there's enough space for all of us to play. People who just use transport as a medium to get from A to B want to do it at the cheapest possible price, and people who are still willing to pay for travel as an experience as part of their trip, whether they're going for tourism or anything else. ”I think there's enough of a market globally for all kinds of passengers.” RJ is tentatively banking on the gradual retreat of COVID-19, but another geopolitical crisis in the form of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reared its head, threatening to inflict more economic pain on the airline industry. Many carriers have had to cancel or reroute flights that until February of this year overflew the region. RJ is not exposed on that front, since its current route network does not take its aircraft over Ukraine or Russia. However, the carrier had been eyeing a return to Moscow, something which has been paused for now. While the war in Ukraine is not having a direct impact on current operations, RJ is far more exposed to the rising cost of oil. Majali said: “You're replacing a physical barrier to travel [pandemic restrictions] with an economic barrier to travel, because obviously airlines will have to try and recover a portion of the increase in fuel prices through increasing ticket prices. This is going to be difficult for passengers.” Majali acknowledged that the first days of the conflict in Ukraine had triggered a “dramatic increase” in oil prices, which could derail RJ and other carriers' routes to profitability with fuel accounting for around a third of an airline’s costs: “That is significant: an increase in fuel prices and all your economics are shot. In terms of RJ, we don't know yet. We don't know whether the forecast
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LEFT: Royal Jordanian’s distinctive livery makes it a crowd-pleaser for aviation enthusiasts AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ MARKUS MAINKA LEFT, BELOW: A look at the interior of the premium cabin onboard Royal Jordanian's 787-8 AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ JAN SEVERIJNS RIGHT: Last November, an Alia retro livery was unveiled marking the Kingdom of Jordan's centenary ROYAL JORDANIAN
BOTTOM: Embraer examples form the backbone of the carrier's fleet for sub two-hour sorties ROYAL JORDANIAN BELOW: Airbus A320ceos could be replaced by MAX or neo options in the coming years says the RJ chief executive ROYAL JORDANIAN
for fuel is going to be a long-term increase, or a short term blip. We just don't know, but we go with the market. We increase [ticket prices] when we forecast a sustainable increase, and we reduce [ticket prices] when we forecast a reduction.” RJ currently hedges between 20-25% of its total consumption, insulating it from some of the fluctuation, but Majali said that risk management strategy was “not a panacea”. He explained: “If the market is rising and you hedge, you do well. But if the market is dropping and you hedge, you don't do well, so hedging is not really a panacea, especially in a highly volatile environment.” As the country’s flag carrier, RJ dominates Jordan's aviation sector and on many routes the airline is unchallenged by competitors. Jordan Aviation, the first privately owned airline in the country, was launched in 1998, and currently operates a handful of flights to neighbouring countries including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, with an eight-strong fleet of Airbus A320 and A330s, as well as Boeing 737 and 767s. In October 2021, a joint SaudiJordanian $20 million investment agreement was reached to form Fly Aqaba, a new private sector-owned airline to be based in the southern city of Aqaba. The organisations behind the venture, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)
and Fly Aqaba Company, said they would launch with two aircraft and operate flights to and from Amman as well as destinations in Europe and the Gulf, the Jordan Times reported. However, no date was given for Air Aqaba's inaugural flight and as of May 2022 seats were yet to go on sale. The move followed the policy of the Jordanian government to encourage low cost carriers (LCCs) to establish operations in the country to broaden the catchment area for tourism and business. Commenting on the prospect of increased competition within the Jordanian aviation scene, Majali appealed to decisionmakers in Amman not to pursue LCCs to the detriment of RJ: “We are asking them to create new markets rather than compete with the airline in the markets that it already serves. We believe there is a role for low-cost carriers to operate in Jordan in terms of bringing tourism and bringing people in general, but we want to make it complementary to the airline rather than directly competitive.” For now at least, Royal Jordanian’s foothold in the country is secure and with an ambitious growth plan and veteran CEO the future looks brighter for the airline than it has for some time. It will be fascinating to track the progress of one of the region’s most interesting flag carriers as it prepares to re-establish itself in an uncertain world. www.key.aero
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From airport to
SPACEPORT This summer heralds the UK’s first sovereign satellite launch – a partnership between Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit – as Robin Evans explains
he Earth’s position in space has been dubbed the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ for its optimal environment. A little closer to home, a similar regulatory, political and technical parallel has been developing, and is expected to visibly bear fruit in the UK this summer. The country’s space prowess has accelerated over the last decade and it now produces more satellites than anywhere outside of California. However, the launch business, always lost to other nations, is a different story; the United Kingdom has certainly launched satellites before, but always overseas – that is until now.
T
Building momentum Cornwall Airport Newquay, under the brand Spaceport Cornwall, leads the charge for UK launch capability. Issued under the Space Industry Act 2018, its licence permits an integrated ‘air and space port’. Central to the programme is a partnership with launch client Virgin Orbit, whose 747-400 Cosmic Girl made its commercial launch debut a year ago (see Airliner World, July 2021) repeating the feat in January 2022. Luke Winfield, the site’s spaceport operations manager, said: “We’re very lucky that we have a relationship with a launch provider which has not ABOVE • The Virgin Orbit programme has given this Boeing 747-400 a new lease of life AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ RYAN PATTERSON RIGHT • The complex is already a popular gateway for more conventional civil air traffic CORNWALL AIRPORT NEWQUAY FAR RIGHT • The site's military-standard runway has bolstered its space-race credentials CORNWALL AIRPORT NEWQUAY
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Airport Statistics IATA code:
NQY
ICAO code:
EGHQ
Location:
50° 26′ 27″ N, 4° 59′ 43″ W
Elevation:
390ft (119m)
Runway:
12/30 – 9,003ft (2,744m)
Terminal:
One
Operator/owner:
Cornwall Council/Cornwall Airport Ltd
Passengers:
105,554 (2021)
Aircraft movements: 32,062 (2021) Website:
www.cornwallairportnewquay.com
Copyright © 2022 Jeppesen. All rights reserved. The charts are available to the flight simulation community via Navigraph Charts: www.navigraph.com (not for airborne/operational use)
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AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
just done it once, but repetitively. Going into this campaign we’re in a good place.” Luke and business development colleague Ross Hulbert form one quarter of the Spaceport project team. By late 2021, their licence application had been submitted and a new satellite integration facility built. Speaking in spring 2022, this was being internally fitted out and Virgin Orbit representatives had recently visited to finesse countdown procedures ahead of this summer’s first satellite launch from UK soil. Hulbert described the events that brought Cornwall to the launchpad: “There’s been this move from national space programmes subcontracting to the private space sector, to the private space sector providing the services. The size of satellites has decreased, so launchers like Virgin Orbit had a business case to put more payloads into orbit more frequently. “Rather than having one large satellite orbiting for 20 years, you can fly LEO [low earth orbit, the lowest orbital ring at 100-1,250 miles
ABOVE • Could space flights become as commonplace as regional passenger aircraft at the Cornish gateway? SPACEPORT CORNWALL
BELOW • Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft ‘Cosmic Girl’ as seen in-flight during the company's cryogenic captive carry flight in April 2020 VIRGIN ORBIT/GREG ROBINSON
Launch operations – the NATS perspective
altitude] satellites in constellations and constantly replenish them. That wasn’t a business model that existed ten years ago.” Big, traditional satellites, launched vertically on big, traditional rockets require huge infrastructure and vast, secure areas; Hulbert said if that was still the approach, Newquay couldn’t throw its hat in the ring as Cornwall would have nowhere remote enough. Mindful of opportunities, in 2014 the UK government, through the Department for Transport (DfT), began shortlisting vertical and horizontal launch sites. Hulbert said the facility’s 2,744m runway – a useful legacy of RAF St Mawgan – proved to be quite the asset: “We made an application into that process with a number of launch partners, as did the other sites. “What enabled us to be in the conversation was the length of the runway. We identified we could make small investments across the site enabling us to become a spaceport.” Seven potential candidates, all in close proximity to the Atlantic, were
ABOVE • The finished integration facility is the most significant part of the initial infrastructure required, located on Delta taxiway on the southern side, far from the passenger terminal SPACEPORT CORNWALL
BELOW • The facility hosted VIP widebodies during last year's G7 Summit; a useful test of the airport’s flexibility and potential AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ SIERRA BRAVO
shortlisted in 2021: vertical launch was proposed from North Uist (Hebrides), Sutherland and Unst (Shetland) with horizontal launch from Cornwall, Prestwick, Snowdonia (Llanbedr) and Machrihanish (Campbeltown). Alongside geographical advantages, Hulbert said an original, marquee space company next door helped bolster the business case for the southwest England complex: “With the activity Goonhilly Station have been doing since the 1960s, Cornwall has always been involved in and excited about space. They’re still heavily involved in geostationary telemetry and tracking, but are also now working with all the big satellite companies for LEO. “The difference for Cornwall is that as a licensed passenger airport the vast majority of the infrastructure was already here. Scotland is a completely new enterprise, building spaceports from scratch – it’s not like they’re behind us, more that we’ve had an unreal advantage.” To enable what didn’t yet exist, Cornwall Council contributed £12.5m of a total £20m investment.
The UK, through the LaunchUK initiative, has a healthy launch industry with several spaceports and operators working with the CAA Spaceflight team to gain licences under the Space Industry Act 2018 and Space Industry Regulations 2021. Current applications are for sub-orbital and orbital operations including air, vertical and sea launch. It is expected this will include balloon launch, flown returns and spaceplanes as the technology and the market mature. UK launch of an orbital rocket is a new endeavour supported at the highest levels of government, and NATS has been involved with spaceports, operators, the Ministry of Defence and regulators for several years to understand how to enable safe, sustainable spaceflight. This first planned UK orbital launch has been a journey of discovery for all parties, requiring close working to solve the complex issues that enable launch. Through their approvals, the launch and range operators plus spaceports are required to assure the CAA that the risks to life of their operations (in air, on ground/sea and even sub-sea) are acceptable, including the management of segregated airspace. Spaceflight activities use the CAA’s CAP1616 Airspace Change process for design and approval. Segregated airspace is sized for both normal operations and abnormal occurrences or catastrophic failures. Advance preparation of airspace, procedures and training is key. Management of segregated airspace is via a letter of agreement, which the space industry regulations require range operators to have with all impacted air navigation service providers (ANSP). Where spaceflight activities span international boundaries (eg, UK-Iceland) the UK government agrees co-ordination mechanisms by memorandums of understanding. To balance activity with other demands, airspace is booked in advance and activated on launch day through the airspace management cell. NATS will clear the airspace and route aircraft around the protected area until operations can return to normal configuration.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson toured the Cornwall site last year SPACEPORT CORNWALL www.key.aero
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Business development manager Ross Hulbert (right) keeps an eye on the progression of the integration facility in 2021 SPACEPORT CORNWALL
“This might not be considered small investment, but to deliver a spaceport and first launch for the UK, it really is. Our challenge is to enable the launch but also to capture enough activity around it to make it economically interesting for Cornwall. “We want to see opportunities on site, for Cornwall and for graduates. If it was just about Virgin Orbit launching and then disappearing we could deliver that, but we’d be much less interested to do so.” His colleague Luke Winfield echoed this sentiment: “You’re not buying a launch for £20m, the point is that this has to be a long-term investment in Cornwall and the future. You can get that badge from launching first but that’s not what we’re trying to achieve, we’re trying to achieve a sustainable spaceport that doesn’t just create a launch but enables opportunities.” Previously flying the Airbus A380 and undertaking a masters degree in space operations, Winfield is driving the processes to permit integration of airport and spaceport: “We’ve already got the security teams, emergency rescue and firefighting a vertical site would need, training, air traffic control and a safety department. “We have all these amazing competencies so it’s about transferring those to a new operation.” He described the 2021 G7 Summit as a useful test of Cornwall’s operational flexibility: “An entirely different operation to occasional, regional air traffic, they had mid-teens of widebodies to park and fuel so the airport is well-equipped to deal with additional operations.” And he was positive about the symbiosis earned: “As far as the airport team are looking at it, it’s just another challenge they’re ready to deliver on.”
Preparation time Virgin Orbit arrived in February 2022 for a full rehearsal with multiple airport stakeholders. Their launch services team counted back for the best part of a month through the whole campaign to establish what they were doing each day, recalled Hulbert: “It was really good to witness Luke and his team either asking questions or answering Virgin Orbit’s ‘Where can we do this?’ or ‘What’s the impact to other airport users if we do this?’. You can see it’s iterative, they were saying ‘This time we’ll likely do it like this’ or ‘Last time, this happened’.” Winfield also highlighted the need to flex around time zones to achieve enough workable time with California: “There’s a lot you can achieve by Teams – a lot we’ve had to achieve during the pandemic. Their visit was a huge opportunity at a critical point in our licensing process and in things like supply chain and infrastructure. This is putting the final touches on the requirements of the company that’s
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An insight into what goes on inside Virgin Orbit’s Californian satellite integration facility, with payloads secure and fairing prepared for connection to the rocket VIRGIN ORBIT
going to be using our new facility. When you’re a spaceport you want to be isolated, that’s great for safety and risk in general… for logistics it’s not. “So Cornwall brings its own challenges, especially when you’re trying to ship a launch system. For their team to be appreciative of the ‘big picture’, the Cornwall environment was a big takeaway.” Central to logistics is the ground equipment Virgin calls the Transportable Ground Operating System (TGOS). “The UK Space Agency provided a grant to ensure the transportable version of the TGOS you see at Mojave in the US was built and retained in the UK. It has been designed to fit in the cargo hold of a 747 and will remain a UK asset to the point that we’re having conversations with other spaceports.
Collaboration efforts Submitted in October 2021, the spaceport application kicked off a process that Winfield revealed is still ongoing: “We’re in the midst of discussing all aspects with the CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] – environmental, the safety and security – it’s very iterative and I knew it would be. The CAA has been very supportive throughout, giving us their time to shape our safety argument in a way that accurately reflects what we’re trying to do but also meets what they expect and need.” He spoke of the collaboration between a regulator looking to establish procedures and an operator defining how it will apply them. To balance their safety case they use the ALARP methodology: “As Low As Reasonably Practical,” clarified
ABOVE • Under the stewardship of Spaceport Cornwall head Melissa Thorpe, community engagement is key, even down to sponsoring the strip of the local football club SPACEPORT CORNWALL
BELOW • The Virgin Orbit factory in California where rockets are made. Note the pixelated ends of the rocket sections VIRGIN ORBIT
Winfield. “Meaning, can you make it any safer, without going bust, whilst still achieving a safety objective? Getting that methodology well defined takes time.” He admitted timelines are tight: “We recognise that – it’s the first time we’re doing it as an airport aspiring to be a spaceport, but also as a first for the CAA and the UK in general so there’s learning points on all sides.” Winfield talked of wider challenges for the regulator, devising legislation for a nascent sector: “I think the biggest challenge for the CAA and DfT is they’ve got to make regulations fit for all the different types of launch. “It’s easy to say, ‘We can write regulations to make Spaceport Cornwall work’, but you’ve got airlaunch, ground-launch, balloonlaunch – and return. You’ve got one
set of regulations, one size fits all, and that’s a big challenge.” This is because the focus is not purely permitting a debut launch this year, or from multiple spaceports over a decade, but in the much longer term: “The most challenging thing is they have to future-proof, to plan for what hasn’t even been invented yet.” He further cited SpaceX returning boosters to drone ships as an example of an area to consider: “There are bits in the regulations about launching from and returning to boats. Is a boat classified as UK soil for the terms of the licence? There are so many things built-in there, that must have been a big challenge.”
Handle with care Winfield outlined several critical processes for an aspiring spaceport, for example operators will typically bring their own oxidiser and propellant to load in liquid form. “You need a large space so you can prepare your launch vehicle where it doesn’t have any incompatible reactions – liquid oxygen [LOX] doesn’t react very well with tarmac, hydrocarbons or rubber. One of your processes would be pressure cleaning the apron to make sure you have no contaminants, and it might be the removal of incompatible sealants between those [apron] slabs.” LauncherOne burns RP-1 (Rocket Propellant-1) with its LOX oxidiser. NASA’s Saturn V first stage engines used this combination, subsequent stages substituting liquid hydrogen for differences in relative energy density. While LOX is industrially available, RP-1 is more specialised. A refined kerosene optimised for rocket engines, it is more practical (less explosive, with lower toxicity and greater stability) than many comparable fuels. As there are no RP-1 supplies in the UK, Virgin Orbit is using its supply chain to bring it in from overseas. www.key.aero
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“Especially in the first stages we’re looking at a minimal footprint, without permanent RP-1 or LOX storage,” explained Winfield. “That enables the flexibility to move around the airport as required, allows us to scale up in future and keeps initial setup costs below £20m. It’s a temporary solution, which from a safety perspective actually helps – if we reduce the time with propellants and oxidisers on the apron, we’re reducing risk. Oxidisers and propellants are incompatible by nature. The spaceport needs to prove it can enforce an area which is easily vacated, which can be a challenge at airports – you have to design in such a way this is doable.” As for air traffic considerations, these could be considered to be the opposite of Mojave’s. “With prevailing westerly winds, in 99% of circumstances we’ll be taking off straight over the sea, but have catered for the possibility to the east,” revealed the operations manager. Selected routing corridors consider launch frequency and population overflown. A preferred route that reduces overflight risk, approved by the CAA, goes into the team’s siting analysis, which also feeds into Virgin Orbit’s licence. Upper airspace co-ordination is more complex, with Virgin consulting with NATS (the UK’s main air navigation service provider) on airspace change (see box, page 69). “Launch range deconfliction from
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ABOVE • An artist's impression of a westerly departure from Spaceport Cornwall, which is expected 99% of the time in the prevailing winds, illustrating the useful proximity of the coast in reducing overflight SPACEPORT CORNWALL
North Atlantic airspace reservation is a huge job, not as simple as launching from the west coast of the States,” said Winfield. “I can say Virgin Orbit has made considerable concessions in time and location to make sure the impact from launches is minimised to airline traffic.”
(Orbital) mechanics Winfield described the journey of satellites inside the integration facility, where they will be prepared and charged: “The remove before flight – instruments, antennas, batteries, cameras and other equipment are triple checked before they’re loaded. That’s done using a payload adaptor, the part bolted onto the rocket itself.” This hangs vertically from a roof beam ready to accept payloads in standardised canisters. “Above the adaptor are the satellite canisters and all of that is encapsulated in the fairing – the pointy bit.” Built in Long Beach, California, the rockets will be shipped via container freight, not ferried on Cosmic Girl. Days before launch, the fairing is closed, rotated 90° and positioned horizontally to a doorway aperture. “The end of the rocket is poked inside and the fairing attached before transport by dolly out to the apron.” LauncherOne is then mated to Cosmic Girl and connected to the TGOS with network cabling. “
From that moment there are eyes and ears on the rocket, it’s alive,” said Winfield, before describing how Cornwall’s location influences available orbits and satellite markets: “Spaceports aren’t necessarily competing for orbits, because these are dictated by location. A launch site as close as possible to the equator is useful if you’re trying to get to geostationary orbit at zero degrees inclination, right over the equator. With a satellite orbiting in 45° inclination that’s the maximum latitude you can reach in visibility – 45° north and south. Whereas, with a polar orbit, at some point you’re going to see the entire Earth so that gives good coverage.” Orbital inclination is driven by client requirements, as many interests as possible grouped onto one rocket. “A lot of small payloads want sunsynchronous orbit [SSO] for the same illumination in every pass, ideal if you’re trying to look down on the Earth and not see changing shadows. So sun-sync is popular for university and research satellites, just as polar orbits are for communications.”
Life after launch With its intent to ramp up operations, Virgin Orbit has scheduled two launches this year. “That’s exactly what Cornwall Council wants to see bearing in mind the investment made,” said
Hulbert. “At first they will come in relatively infrequently, growing to a point where multiple yearly launches might unlock the part of our business model where we build them a hangar. I’d expect other spaceports will do the same, until Virgin can’t fly the same system between their spaceports for launches and they’ll have to start investing in further systems.” He was open about both parties retaining other interests: “This isn’t about delivering first launch, it’s about life after launch,” he said of the longterm strategy: “A multi-user spaceport, like any airport with multiple carriers.” In June 2021, a memorandum of
understanding was announced with Sierra Space, with its Dream Chaser already in flight-testing. A feasibility study in partnership with the UK Space Agency assessed trajectories from the ISS, where Sierra Space already has first contracts, Cornwall listed as a suitable divert site. Facilities required for planned missions are in discussion. “That will be customer reliant, so if they haven’t got a European customer wanting to return to a European spaceport they’re not going to do it for the novelty. Once they know they can land here and we have the facilities to enable their payloads to be taken off Dream Chaser and analysis to begin immediately it becomes more of a probability,” said Hulbert. “We’re also under NDA [nondisclosure agreement] with others at different stages of development – organisations developing horizontal launch or return… anyone looking to have European operations is talking to us.” He suggested that non-launch activity is also key, with work under way on a Space Systems Operations Facility, a multi-user laboratory workspace. Ultimately, this could see businesses, civilians and defence companies all on the same site working together. Given the potential of small satellites for environmental data and considering the demand for LEO as an analogue for the planet, sustainability is key. The 1968 Apollo 8 ‘Earthrise’ photograph, considered the most influential environmental image ever taken, illustrates space’s perspective and power. “The term we’re using is Responsible Space,” said Hulbert. “We want this facility to be a headquarters for that, whether R&D or component testing and manufacture, we want to encourage companies that are being responsible about their space activities to be based in Cornwall. We’re transparent about what our carbon impact will be – getting us towards carbon neutrality and the role space is playing in that – something you’re going to hear a lot more of from us.”
ABOVE • Known as an aviation pioneer and aerospace tycoon, Sir Richard Branson is a frequent visitor at Virgin Orbit's Long Beach, California, construction facility VIRGIN ORBIT
BELOW • There are high hopes that the Virgin Orbit launch project will be the first of many for the Cornwall facility VIRGIN ORBIT
L-Zero Hulbert related how recent exercises with Virgin Orbit contributed to the palpable sense of payoff just over the horizon: “For our team it was exciting to think, especially where we were sat in our Spaceport Office, in a few months’ time Cosmic Girl will be on the apron and things will be happening. All these things that up until now have remained imaginary will happen.” Reflecting on his tenure, Winfield is aware of the great acceleration: “When I first joined we were saying ‘year after next’ like it was a distant project and we all hoped we could get there and pull it off.” A final question remains – a launch date. Hulbert said: “There is a date this summer we’re working to. When Virgin Orbit were over, they worked out everything that’s going to happen, counting down to L-Zero [launch time] – it does have a date!”
www.key.aero
73
Cracking Croydon
Readers who picked up a copy of the 100th and final issue of Airports of the World magazine will have enjoyed David Ransted’s definitive, double-length feature celebrating Croydon Airport, the UK’s first major international hub. Here, we share some of the incredible archive imagery used to illustrate the article, which can now be accessed on our online portal, Key.Aero
A busy ramp as Maud, Lady Hoare, Viscountess Templewood, wife of the British Secretary of State for Air Samuel Hoare, christens five newly delivered Imperial Airways Handley Page Type W airliners on March 30, 1926. The four W.10s and one W.9 being christened are joined by an Aero Union Farman Goliath, three company Handley Page W.8bs and an Avro 536 of Surrey Flying Services CENTRAL PRESS/HULTON ARCHIVE/ GETTY
An accident in 1924 and a need to expand and improve upon the original wooden structure led to the opening of a new Neoclassical terminal building and several hangars in 1928 CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES
74
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
A newsagents and a weather reporting chart could be found inside the new terminal building BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE
The 1928 terminal viewed from the air, looking east. The Aerodrome Hotel is on the far left. The rural scene and open ground surrounding the airport is a far cry from today's urban development BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE
The Short Scylla supplemented the Handley Page HP.42 on European links from 1934, although its performance left much to be desired, earning it the nickname ‘the flying block of flats’ FOX PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES
An officer in charge of Croydon’s radio transmitter, Mr FS Mockford, invented the international distress signal ‘Mayday’ from the French ‘M’aidez’ (‘Help me’). It is still in use today. CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES
British Airways Ltd flew from Croydon, although its most famous flights – transporting Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to Munich for meetings with Adolf Hitler – were flown from Heston Airport in West London BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE www.key.aero
75
Just seven de Havilland DH.91 Albatrosses were built, all serving with Imperial Airways (later British Overseas Airways Corporation). No example would survive World War Two BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE
KLM introduced the 16-passenger Fokker F.XII to its fleet in 1931. Here, PH-AID Diuf (Pigeon) pays another visit to Croydon BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE
Imperial Airways' 1934-built de Havilland DH.86 Express, G-ACWC (c/n 2434) Delia, parked by the terminal BRITISH AIRWAYS HERITAGE CENTRE
Morton Air Service was based at Croydon from 1945 until the airport's final operation in 1959. It initially used de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapides on air taxi and charter services before flying domestic and European routes with Douglas DC-3s and de Havilland DH.114 Herons AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/WORLD AVIATION ARCHIVE
Want to learn more about classic Croydon? Our definitive history of London's first true international airport broken down into six weekly instalments which began on May 15 can be found at www.key.aero/croydon-airport 76
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
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The latest commercial aircraft deliveries from manufacturers and lessors
Former Alitalia Airbus A330-200, EI-DIP (c/n 339), has joined the ITA Airways fleet. The 22-year-old jet was delivered new to Canada 3000 and has since flown for Etihad Airways and a quartet of Italian airlines AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ SIMONE C
Key to Abbreviations a/c als awys bf b/u canx cls cn cnvrtd dbf dbr dd ex ff frtr lrf lsd fr lsd to msn ntu oo op pax pwfu reg’d reg’n ret fr ret to rr rts sb scr st std tba unk wfu w/o
78
aircraft airlines airways bought from broken up/scrapped cancelled colours manufacturer’s construction/serial number converted destroyed by fire damaged beyond repair delivery date previous reg'n first flight freighter last revenue flight leased from leased to see cn not taken up on order operated passenger permanently withdrawn from use registered registration returned from returned to re-registered return to service sold by scrapped/broken up sold to stored to be advised unknown withdrawn from use written off/destroyed
Pakistan International Airlines [PK/PIA ‘Pakistan’] ex OE-ITV, dd 28.04.22 Sharjah – Islamabad, AP-BON A320-214 5746 lsd fr AerCap Oman Air [WY/OMA ‘Oman Air’] ex N1800B, N1787B, N1786B, ff 12.03.19, dd A4O-MF B737-8 63358 08.03.22 A4O-MI B737-8 63359 ex N1782B, ff 29.05.19, dd 11.03.22 flydubai [FZ/FDB ‘Sky Dubai’] A6-FMX B737-8 60998 ex N4022L, N4022T, ff 09.02.22, dd 18.03.22 Air China [CA/CCA ‘Air China’] ex D-AZWN, ff 24.03.22, dd 29.03.22, lsd fr B-327R A321-272nx 10666 NAS Aviation Services B-327U A321-272nx 10468 ex D-AZWJ, ff 28.02.22, dd 31.03.22 ex B-005W, ff 09.07.21 as F-WZNT, dd B-327V A350-941 528 11.03.22 China Eastern Airlines [MU/CES ‘China Eastern’] ex B-005U, ff 22.04.21 as F-WZGA, dd B-324X A350-941 489 22.03.22 China Express Airlines [G5/HXA ‘China Express’] B-329F A320-271n 10637 ex F-WWDE, ff 07.02.22, dd 25.03.22 Colorful Guizhou Airlines [GY/CGZ ‘Colorful’] ex F-WWIV, ff 04.03.22, dd 24.03.22, lsd fr B-329J A320-251n 10783 Aviation Capital Group Shenzhen Airlines [ZH/CSZ ‘Shenzhen Air’] B-325P A320-271n 10477 ex B-000L, ff 26.09.21, dd 01.03.22 Spring Airlines [9S/CQH ‘Air Spring’] B-328U A320-251n 10690 ex B-007X, ff 19.02.22, dd 04.03.22 YTO Cargo Airlines [YG/HYT ‘Quick Air’] cnvrtd to B767-33AER(F) 04.21 at Tel Aviv, N32KJ B767-33AER 33424 ferried Tel Aviv – Guangzhou 11.04.22 & reg’n canx same day, rr B-221H ferried Roswell – Xiamen for cargo N173AN B757-223 32399 conversion China Airlines [CI/CAL ‘Dynasty’] B-18775 B777-F 66901 ff 28.02.22, dd 30.03.22 Starlux Airlines [SJX ‘Starwalker’] ex D-AVXG, ff 07.03.22, dd 24.03.22, lsd fr B-58210 A321-252nx 10599 Aviation Capital Group Tigerair Taiwan [IT/TTW ‘Smart Cat’] ex F-WWDR, ff 17.03.22, dd 31.03.22, lsd fr B-50023 A320-271n 10799 ICBC Financial Leasing Adventure Air Manitoba Ltd) C-GABJ Cessna 208B 208B2148 ex P4-BAB, reg’d 26.04.22 Air Canada [AC/ACA ‘Air Canada’] cnvrtd to B767-375ER(F) 04.22 at Tel Aviv, C-FTCA B767-375ER 24307 ferried Tel Aviv – Frankfurt 14.04.22 & entered service ex N1786B, ff 11.04.19, dd 17.03.22 & reg’d C-GELJ B737-8 61234 16.03.22, fleet # ‘529’ ex N5573B, N1786B, ff 21.05.19, dd 23.03.22 C-GEMV B737-8 61238 & reg’d 21.03.22, fleet # ‘532’ ff 20.03.22, dd 31.03.22, fleet # ‘128’, ferried C-GVUH A220-300 55161 Montreal YMX – Montreal YUL 04.04.22, reg’d 21.04.22 Air Inuit [3H/AIE ‘Inuit’] C-GIXF DHC-8 315 613 ex 5N-TBB, reg’d 06.04.22
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
Conair [FGD ‘Fireguard’] C-FFZY
DHC-8 402
4206
ex G-ECOD, reg’d 12.04.22, ferried Weeze – Muskoka as G-ECOD & reg’n canx 11.04.22
61808
ex N5573B, N1779B, N1796B, N1786B, ff 07.02.20, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d same day, lsd fr 777 Partners, fleet # ‘910’
Flair Airlines [F8/FLE ‘Flair’] C-FLRS
B737-8
Great Slave Helicopters 2018 Ltd C-FYHD Bell 205A-1 30128 Guardian Helicopters C-FFJY Bell 205A-1 30002 C-GKFC Bell 412EP 36208 C-GSHG Bell 205A-1 30165 Lynx Air [Y9/DAT ‘Dauntless’]
ex C-FNMO, reg’d 27.04.22 ex VH-NGM, reg’d 08.04.22 ex N73700, reg’d 13.04.22 ex C-GENZ, reg’d 08.04.22
ex N5515X, N240BE, N1786B, ff 21.01.20, dd 18.03.22 & reg’d 17.03.22, st Aergo Capital & lsd back, fleet # ‘802’ Sunshine Coast Air / Tofino Air (JDR Pacific Ventures Ltd) C-FGCY DHC-2 Mk.I 216 ex CF-GCY, reg’d 27.04.22 Swoop [WO/WSW ‘Swoop’] oo, ex EI-GZD, to be lsd fr SMBC Aviation C-GJKK B737-8 42838 Capital, ferried Woensdrecht – Victorville as EI-GZD prior to lease oo, ex EI-GZG, to be lsd fr SMBC Aviation C-GORP B737-8 63976 Capital, ferried Woensdrecht – Victorville as EI-GZG prior to lease True North Airways C-GBIW DHC-2 Mk.III 1622/TB13 ex C-FUBN, reg’d 26.04.22 VIH Helicopters C-FRMH S-61N 61771 ex N261F, reg’d 27.04.22 WestJet [WS/WJA ‘WestJet’] ex 2-BPDL, reg’d 12.04.22, lsd fr Babcock C-FJWS B737-8K5(BCF) 34686 & Brown, fleet # ‘860’ ferried Guangzhou – Calgary as 2-BPDL & reg’n canx 11.04.22 LATAM Airlines Chile [LA/LAN ‘Lan’] lrf 20.03.22 Lima – Santiago SCL, ferried CC-BCE A319-112 5005 Santiago SCL – São Paulo CGH for trf to LATAM Airlines Brasil lrf 03.04.22 Lima – Santiago SCL, ferried CC-BCF A319-112 5097 Santiago SCL – São Paulo CGH for trf to LATAM Airlines Brasil lrf 26.03.22 Cali – Bogotá, ferried Bogotá – CC-CPE A319-132 2321 Santiago SCL 27.03.22 EcoJet [8J/ECO ‘Ecojet’] CP-3197 BAe Avro RJ100 E3357 ex M-ABOS, dd 26.04.22 TAP Air Portugal [TP/TAP ‘Air Portugal’] ex D-AVXV, ff 28.02.22, dd 18.03.22, lsd fr CS-TXI A321-251nx 10617 BOC Aviation TAP Express ex PT-TGW, dd 05.04.22 Sofia – Lisbon, lsd fr/ LZ-PLO ERJ190-100AR op by Bulgaria Air Avanti Air [ATV ‘Avanti Air’] ferried Bygdoszcz – Siegen 07.04.22 D-AASH DHC-8 402 4187 after painting Condor [DE/CFG ‘Condor’] C-FULI
B737-8
44314
D-AIAD
A321-211
6053
D-AIYB
A330-243
852
D-ANRD D-ATCF D-ATCG
A330-941 A321-211 A321-211
1972 5843 6005
LZ-FBG
A320-214
6012
Eurowings [EW/EWG ‘Eurowings’] D-AENA A320-251n 10758 9H-MLC
A320-232
4645
repainted into new yellow stripes colours 03.22, 1st a/c repainted ex A6-EYO, dd 05.04.22 Abu Dhabi – Düsseldorf, lsd fr Altavair AirFinance, blue stripes only on tail oo, ex F-WWCS, in green stripes colour repainted into new blue stripes colours 04.22 repainted into new red stripes colours 05.22 ex F-HBIX, dd 02.04.22, lsd fr/op by Bulgaria Air, has Condor blue stripes tail
EC-LAA
A320-214
2678
Wamos Air [EB/PLM ‘Pullman’] EC-NOG A330-343 786 ASL Airlines Ireland [AG/ABR ‘Contract’] OE-IEC B737-82R 35701 OE-IOZ
B737-8BK
33019
D-AIUU
A320-214
A320-214
7115
7158
ex D-AVVL, dd 24.02.22 Frankfurt – Malta for work, ret to Frankfurt 03.04.22, to Norwich 11.04.22 for painting, ret to Frankfurt 20.04.22 after paint all white with titles ex D-AVVN, dd 02.04.22 Frankfurt – Norwich for painting, ret to Frankfurt 11.04.22 after paint all white with titles
German Airways [ZQ/GER ‘German Eagle’] D-A
ex N329NC, dd 15.04.22, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital, ferried Macon – Cologne as N329NC & reg’n canx 15.04.22
ERJ190-100AR
Lufthansa [LH/DLH ‘Lufthansa’] D-AIEM
A321-271nx
10817
D-AIEN
A321-271nx
10859
D-AIVA
A350-941
228
ex D-AVXC, ff 19.11.21, dd 22.03.22, named Murrhardt ex D-AVZE, ff 21.02.22, dd 23.03.22, named Lübbecke ex EI-GWZ, dd 14.04.22, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital, (EI-GWZ canx 22.04.22)
Bestfly Cabo Verde [3B/BCV ‘Morabest’] D4-BFE
ex N949UW, dd 28.04.22, leased from ACIA Aero Leasing
ERJ190-100AR
Air Europa [UX/AEA ‘Europa’] EC-NUY
B737-8GP
39858
EC-NVJ
B737-8K5
35138
EC-NVO
B737-8AS
40317
EC-NVP
B737-8AS
35017
oo, ex VP-CSF, to be lsd fr SaintEx Leasing, seen Ostrava 27.04.22 in full colours prior to lease oo, ex G-FDZF, oo, ex EI-EVX, to be lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital oo, ex OE-IIM, to be lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital
Air Nostrum [YW/ANE ‘Nostru Air’] EC-LKF
CRJ.1000
19011
EC-MOX
CRJ.1000
19053
EC-NPS
CRJ.200LR
7200
ex 9H-LKF, ret fr Mel Air & ret to service 07.04.22 ex 9H-MOX, ret fr Mel Air & ret to service 07.04.22 ex ZP-CRT, ret fr Paranair lease & ret to service 17.04.22
Iberia [IB/IBE ‘Iberia’] A350-941
453
EC-NMZ
A350-941
459
EC-NTO
A320-251n
10818
ex F-WZGU, ff 30.10.20, dd 18.03.22, named #GraciasHéroes ex F-WWIW, ff 19.01.21, dd 30.03.22, named Volando ex F-WWIN, ff 10.03.22, dd 28.03.22, named La Muñoza
Iberia Express [I2/IBS ‘Iberexpres’] EC-LLE A320-214 1119 EC-LUS A320-216 5501 EC-LYM A320-216 5815 Swiftair [WT/SWT ‘Swift’]
lsd to/op for British Airways as EC-LLE as EC-LLE
EC-NUG
ex N763PB, dd 06.04.22, lsd fr DHL, ferried Stockholm ARN – Madrid still as N763PB 05.04.22 & reg’n canx 06.04.22
30197
Volotea [V7/VOE ‘Volotea’] 9A-BTH
A320-214
ferried Kaunas – Tianjin for cargo conversion ex HL8035, bf Avolon Aerospace & reg’d 26.04.22 to ASL Aviation Holdings DAC, std Hondo
EI-FSK
ATR 72-212A (600) 1326
EI-GZV
ATR 72-212A (600) 1107
EI-GZY
ATR 72-212A (600) 1471
ex OY-YDT, reg’d 12.04.22 & ferried 14.04.22 Toulouse LFBF – Dublin, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital ex 2-CGCA, reg’d 06.04..22, ferried Exeter – Dublin 27.04.22, lsd fr Chorus Aviation, (2-CGCA canx 06.04.22) ex OY-YCE, reg’d 06.09.22, ferried Exeter – Dublin 09.04.22, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital, named St. Caillín / Caillín
We welcome any feedback on this listing (The listing is alphabetical with reference to the registration of the country of origin. Columns indicate the registration, type, construction number and notes.)
Ryanair [FR/RYR ‘Ryanair’] EI-HEY
B737-8200
62307
EI-HGN
B737-8200
62327
EI-HGS
B737-8200
65880
EI-HMT
B737-8200
65892
EI-HMV
B737-8200
65890
ex N5002K, ff 25.11.19, dd 25.03.22 & reg’d same day ex N1787B, N1786B, ff 20.05.21, dd 16.03.21 & reg’d same day ex N4022T, ff 28.06.21, dd 29.03.22 & reg’d same day ff 15.03.22, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d 30.03.22 ex N4022T, ff 14.03.22, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d same day
SAS Connect [SL/SZS ‘Spinnaker’] EI-SIL
A320-251n
10764
EI-SIM
A320-251n
10761
ex F-WWTX, ff 22.02.22, dd 16.03.22 & reg’d same day, named Brun Viking ex F-WWBM, ff 09.03.22, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d same day
HiSky [H7/HYM ‘Sky Moldova’] YR-SUN
A320-232
6278
ex OE-IRU, dd 08.04.22 Ostrava – Bucharest OTP, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
Aero Nomad [KA/ANK ‘Aero Nomad’] EX32008 A320-233 912 Air France [AF/AFR ‘Air France’]
ex TC-ODA, reg’d 20.04.22
F-HTYO
ex F-WZGC, ff 08.02.22, dd 11.03.22, lsd fr Fuyo General Lease & reg’d to FO Next Leasing Ltd 23.03.22, named Cayenne
A350-941
546
Transavia France [HO/TVF ‘French Soleil’] F-HUYF
B737-86N
38038
F-HUYG
B737-8JP
40544
F-HUYM
B737-86N
39397
ferried Istres – Paris ORY 19.04.22 for entry into service reg’d to ALIP No.25 Co Ltd 07.04.22, ferried Nimes – Paris ORY 15.04.22 for entry into service, adds to last months section ferried Nimes – Paris ORY 07.04.22, entered service 15.04.22
Blue Islands [SI/BCI ‘Blue Island’]
EC-NLP
B737-883(F)
reg’d 28.03.22
Emerald Airlines [EA/EAI ‘Gemstone’] ex F-WWIF, ff 08.03.22, dd 31.03.22 ex OE-LDO, dd 13.04.22, lsd fr/op by Avion Express Malta
Eurowings Discover [4Y/OCN ‘Ocean’] D-AIUT
lrf 03.01.20. std various locations, ferried Barcelona – Lasham 04.04.22 for continued storage all white, ret to lessor after lease
1454
ex HK-4905, dd 15.04.21, lsd fr/op by Trade Air
G-ISLO
ATR 72-212A (500) 778
oo, ex SE-MDA, ferried Halmstadt – East Midlands as SE-MDA 22.04.22 for paint
British Airways [BA/BAW ‘Speedbird’] EC-LLE
A320-214
1119
EC-LUS
A320-216
5501
EC-LYM
A320-216
5815
G-XWBI
A350-1041
473
G-XWBK
A350-1041
495
ex EC-HDT, dd 14.04.22 Madrid – Gatwick, lsd fr/op for Iberia Express ex D-AXAG, dd 13.04.22 Madrid – Gatwick, lsd fr/op by Iberia Express ex F-WWBM, dd 19.04.22 Madrid – Gatwick, lsd fr/op by Iberia Express ex F-WZNC, ff 21.06.21, dd 25.03.22 & reg’d same day ex F-WZGE, ff 27.01.22, dd 09.03.22 & reg’d same day
Eastern Airways [T3/EZE ‘Eastflight’] G-CMEI
ATR 72-212A (600) 1231
ex M-ABPO, reg’d 04.04.22, lsd fr Aergo Capital
easyJet Airline [U2/EZY ‘Easy’]
Vueling [VY/VLG ‘Vueling’]
Bulgaria Air has leased Embraer E190, LZ-PLO (c/n 19000584), to TAP Air Portugal Express AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ SIMONE C
www.key.aero
79
The latest commercial aircraft deliveries from manufacturers and lessors
Delta Air Lines continues to add Airbus A330-900s, accepting two examples during March STEVE RINDE/V1IMAGES YL-LCT
A320-214
2233
YL-LDF
A320-214
4061
YL-LDM
A320-214
2975
Jet2.com [LS/EXS ‘Channex’ G-VYGL A330-243
1555
YL-LCQ
A321-231
2211
YL-LCV
A321-231
2216
9H-SLC
A321-211
4461
ex VP-BWM, dd 14.04.22, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines ex VP-CYC, dd 01.05.22, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines ex VP-CDO, dd 01.05.22, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines ex ZZ341, dd 27.04.22, lsd fr/op by Air Tanker ex SE-RDN, dd 29.04.22 Larnaca – Birmingham, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines ex F-WTDH, dd 24.04.22 Berlin – Birmingham, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines ex YL-LCY, dd 08.04.22 Berlin – Birmingham, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Airlines Malta
ATR 72-212A (600) 1283
G-RJXE Emb-145EP 145442 Titan Airways [ZT/AWC ‘Zap’] G-GBNI
A321-251nx
10238
TUI Airways [BY/TOM ‘Tomjet’] C-FYJD B737-8Q8 41807 C-GFEH B737-8GS 41608 ES-SAM
Key to Abbreviations a/c als awys bf b/u canx cls cn cnvrtd dbf dbr dd ex ff frtr lrf lsd fr lsd to msn ntu oo op pax pwfu reg’d reg’n ret fr ret to rr rts sb scr st std tba unk wfu w/o
80
aircraft airlines airways bought from broken up/scrapped cancelled colours manufacturer’s construction/serial number converted destroyed by fire damaged beyond repair delivery date previous reg'n first flight freighter last revenue flight leased from leased to see cn not taken up on order operated passenger permanently withdrawn from use registered registration returned from returned to re-registered return to service sold by scrapped/broken up sold to stored to be advised unknown withdrawn from use written off/destroyed
A320-232
1896
ES-SAY
A320-232
2689
G-FDZF
B737-8K5
35138
G-FDZY
B737-8K5
37261
G-TAWM
B737-8K5
37249
G-TAWP
B737-8K5
37257
G-TAWV
B737-8K5
41662
G-TAWW
B737-8K5
41663
G-TUKP
B737-8K5
37250
9H-MLP
A320-232
4109
ex 2-HOPL, reg’d 25.04.22, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital, ferried Toulouse LFBF – Aberdeen as 2-HOPL 22.04.22 & reg’n canx 25.04.22 rr G-SJAE 22.04.22
3545
N962AV
A320-251n
10781
ex VP-BKC, dd 15.04.22, lsd fr AerCap, ferried Montpellier – Medellin ex F-WWBB, ff 14.02.22, dd 09.03.22, lsd fr NAS Aviation Services & reg’d to Bank of Utah same day trustee
Easyfly [VE/EFY] HK-5354
ATR 42-500 (600)
HK-5404
ATR 72-212A (600) 1366
1416
ex F-WWLQ, ff 26.12.19, dd 28.04.22, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital ex VQ-BWU, reg’d 20.04.22 to Billund Leasing XII Leasing, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital, ferried Muskoka – Bogotá as VQ-BWU
Korean Air [KE/KAL ‘Korean’] HL8349
G-WUKR
A321-271nx
10871
G-WUKS
A321-271nx
10891
HL8502
B737-8
63437
ex N1786B, ff 04.06.19, dd 22.03.22 & reg’d same day
repainted into ‘United Kingdom’ colours 04.22 ex N1795B, dd 28.04.22, lsd fr/op by Sunwing dd 29.04.22, lsd fr/op by Sunwing ex EI-EZT, dd 30.04.22 Châteauroux – Doncaster, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Estonia ex OE-IET, dd 30.04.22 Tallinn – Manchester, lsd fr/op by SmartLynx Estonia ret to Aircastle after lease & reg’d 22.03.22 ex C-FYDY, ret fr Sunwing lease & reg’d 22.04.22 ex C-FYEM, ret fr Sunwing lease & reg’d 25.04.22 ex D-ATYB, reg’d 29.04.22, lsd fr Banc of America Leasing ex C-FYSV, ret fr Sunwing lease & reg’d ex C-FYUW, ret fr Sunwing lease & reg’d 25.04.22 ex C-FYAU, reg’d 28.04.22 ex HA-LPY, dd 30.04.22 Vilnius – Gatwick, lsd fr/op by Avion Express Malta
A330-343E
1065
ex VP-BCU, reg’d 31.03.22, lsd fr AerCap, ferried Xiamen – Seoul GMP 07.04.22 for entry into service
4479
lrf 10.10.21 parked Bangkok DMK, ret to lessor & imported into Canada 08.04.21, rr C-GWUG to World Wide Aircraft Ferrying Ltd 21.04.22
37294
ex PK-LJU, entered service 06.04.22, lsd fr Aircastle
Nok Air [DD/NOK ‘Nok’] HS-DQC
Wizz Air UK [W9/WUK ‘Wizz Go’]
DHC-8 402
Thai Lion Air [SL/TLM ‘Mentari’] HS-LGI
B737-8GP
flyadeal [F3/FAD ‘Adeal’] HZ-FAT A320-251n HZ-FAW A320-251n flynas [XY/KNE ‘Nas Express’] HZ-NS47 A320-251n HZ-NS49 A320-251n
10755 10835
ex F-WWTY, ff 11.02.22, dd 07.03.22 oo, ex F-WWDX
10777 10851
VP-CXK
A320-214
4055
ex F-WWDL, ff 28.02.22, dd 21.03.22 oo, ex F-WWDQ lrf 22.08.21, ferried to Sharjah 26.08.21 for storage, Sharjah – Larnaca 16.04.22 for lease return
B737-85F
30567
Aeroitalia 9H-CRI
ITA Airways [AZ/ITY ‘Itarrow’] EI-DIP A330-202 339 EI-IMM
A319-111
4759
EI-IMX
A319-111
5424
ex 2-RLBE, dd 19.04.22 Montpellier – Flori, lsd fr Macquarie AirFinance ex A6-EYW, dd 01.04.22, lsd fr Castlelake repainted into new colours 04.22, named Marco Simoncelli repainted into new colours 04.22, named Novella Calligaris
Peach [MM/APJ ‘Air Peach’] ex D-AZWX, ff 10.03.22, dd 16.03.22 & reg’d same day ex D-AVZA, ff 21.03.22, dd 28.03.22 & reg’d same day
Wizz Air [W6/WZZ ‘Wizz Air’] HA-LZL A321-271nx 10700 ex D-AZXI, ff 18.02.22, dd 11.03.22 HA-LZN A321-271nx 10792 ex D-AZWP, ff 24.02.22, dd 02.03.22 HA-LZU A321-271nx 10894 oo, ex D-AYAH HAA321-231 8791 ex G-WUKL Swiss International Air Lines [LX/SWR ‘Swiss’] ex F-WWDY, ff 17.02.22, dd 16.03.22 & reg’d HB-JDF A320-271n 10735 same day to Lufthansa Asset Management Leasing GmbH, named Wildhaus Arajet [DM/DWI] ex N4022T, ff 14.02.22, dd 03.03.22 & reg’d HI1026 B737-8 60195 02.03.22, named Pico Duarte Sky High Dominicana [DO/SHH ‘Sky High’] ERJ190-100LR oo, ex P4-KCI, to be lsd fr TrueNoord oo, ex P4-KCK, to be lsd fr TrueNoord, ferried ERJ190-100LR Bygdoszcz – Macon as P4-KCK prior to lease AerCaribe [JK/ACL ‘Admire’] lrf 04.10.20, ferried Bogotá – San José SJO HK-5228 B737-4B6(F) 26526 06.10.20 & parked, st Aerotrust Services Corp Trustee & rr N652EE 07.04.22 Avianca – Aerovias del Continente Americano [AV/AVA ‘Avianca’]
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
A320-214
T’Way Air [TW/TWB ‘Teeway’]
Loganair [LM/LOG ‘Logan’] G-LMTE
N950AV
JA205P
A320-251n
10411
JA207P
A320-251n
10502
JA208P
A320-251n
10774
ex D-AVVW, rr F-WXAK 13.04.22 & ferried Hamburg XFW – Osaka KIX 14.04.22, was dd 09.07.21 & parked reg’d 08.03.22 ex F-WXAJ, ff 15.12.21 as F-WWTN, dd 10.03.22 & reg’d 29.03.22
Flyr [FS/FOX ‘Greenstar’] LN-FGG
B737-8
43343
ex N4022T, ff 01.03.22, dd 21.03.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp & reg’d to ALC B378 43343A LLC 22.02.22
Aerolíneas Argentinas [AR/ARG ‘Argentina’] LV-KAN
A330-202
877
ex 9H-AIX, dd 13.04.22 San Bernardino – Buenos Aires EZE, lsd fr TrueAero
JetSMART Airlines [WJ/JES ‘Smartbird’] 8493
ex CC-AWF, dd 29.04.22, lsd fr Wings Capital Partners
Avion Express [X9/NVD ‘Nordvind’] LY-MLG A320-232 2863 Compass Air Cargo [ADZ ‘Migrator’]
ex OE-ILP, dd 07.04.22, lsd fr AerCap
LZ-CXB
ex N616AJ, dd 05.04.22, lsd fr GA Telesis, ferried Dothan – Sofia as N616AJ in full colours & reg’n canx 05.04.22
LV-KDP
A320-232
B737-86N(F)
28616
Alaska Airlines [AS/ASA ‘Alaska’] N934AK
B737-9
43374
ex N4022T, ff 06.03.22, dd 22.03.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp & reg’d to Bank of Utah Trustee 29.03.22
N935AK
B737-9
44077
N972AK
B737-9
43389
N973AK
B737-9
43346
ex N4022T, ff 04.03.22, dd 29.03.22& reg’d 28.03.22 ex N237BE, N1798B, N1786B, ff 14.05.19, dd 18.03.22 & reg’d 07.04.22 ex N238BE, N4027R, N1786B, ff 24.05.19, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d 30.03.22
Allegiant Air [G4/AAY ‘Allegiant’] N281VA
N282VA
A320-214
A320-214
6669
6704
ex F-WWBU, dd 28.03.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp, ferried Melbourne MLB – Lake City 08.04.22, ret to Melbourne MLB 28.04.22 ex F-WWBQ, dd 28.04.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp, ferried Melbourne MLB – Lake City 28.04.22 using new reg N191NV
American Airlines [AA/AAL ‘American’] N449AN
A321-253nx
10747
N450AN
A321-253nx
10810
N452AN
A321-253nx
10784
N454AL
A321-253nx
10785
ex F-WZME, ff 08.03.22, dd 18.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘449’ ex F-WZMH, ff 25.03.22, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘450’ ex F-WZMF, ff 17.03.22, dd 24.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘452’ ex F-WZMG, ff 21.03.22, dd 30.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet “454’
Avelo Air [XP/VXP ‘Avelo’] N918WN
B737-7H4
29843
N7834A
B737-752
33789
dd 11.04.22, ferried Dothan – Burbank 19.04.22 after painting, had ferried Wichita IAB – Dothan 12.03.22 for paiting, N707VL reserved 07.04.22 ex XA-HAM, dd 08.04.22 Marana – Burbank, lsd fr Genesis Aircraft Services
Breeze Airways [MX/MXY ‘Moxy’] N137BZ
ERJ190-200LR
N208BZ
A220-300
55148
ferried Norwich – San José SJO for work prior to entry into service ex C-GPSW, ff 11.03.22, dd 22.04.22, st Voyager Aviation & lsd back, reg’d to Bank of Utah Trustee same day ferried Mobile BFM – Tampa 27.04.22
Delta Air Lines [DL/DAL ‘Delta’] N501DA
A321-271nx
10437
N416DX
A330-941
1999
N417DX
A330-941
2000
FedEx Express [FX/FDX ‘Fedex’] N266FE B767-300F 66867 N294FE B767-300F 63131 Frontier Airlines [F9/FFT ‘Frontier Flight’]
ex D-AZAA, ff 02.03.22, dd 22.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘5001’ ex F-WWKT, ff 04.03.22, dd 30.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘3416’, ferried Toulouse – Tokyo NRT 31.03.22, Tokyo NRT – Minneapolis 13.04.22 for entry into service ex F-WWKF, ff 08.02.22, dd 10.03.22 & reg’d same day, fleet # ‘3417’, ferried Toulouse – Tokyo NRT 11.03.22, Tokyo NRT – Minneapolis 31.03.22 for entry into service ff 16.03.22, dd 25.03.22 & reg’d same day ff 22.03.22, dd 31.03.22 & reg’d same day
ex F-WZMD, ff 28.02.22, dd 10.03.22 & reg’d 11.03.22 to Wilmington Trust Co Trustee, named Rocky the Saw-Whet-Owl GoJet Airlines (United Express) [G7/GJS ‘Lindbergh’] cnvrtd to CRJ.550 & reg’d as such 06.04.22, N509MJ CRJ.701ER 10094 N566GJ reserved same day jetBlue Airways [B6/JBU ‘Jet Blue’] ex C-GPUV, ff 18.02.22, dd 19.04.22 & reg’d N3102J A220-300 55144 same day ex C-GPZX, ff 18.03.22, dd 08.04.22 & reg’d N3104J A220-300 55150 same day JetOneX ret fr Longtail Aviation, rr TF-AMK and VQ-BWS B747-467F 27503 operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic JSX Air (Delux Public Charter) [XE/JSX ‘Bigstripe’] N389FR
A320-251n
10743
N14562 Emb-145LR N15910 Emb-145LR N18556 Emb-145LR Northern Pacific Airways
145611 145455 145595
N200UU
B757-2B7
27809
N201UU
B757-2B7
27810
ex PT-SVA, reg’d 27.04.22 ex PT-SCE reg’d 06.04.22 to Float Alaska Holdings LLC, adds to last month's section reg’d 26.04.22 to Float Alaska Holdings LLC, std Roswell
SkyWest Airlines [OO/SKW ‘Skywest’] ex PR-EBT, dd 12.04.22 & reg’d same day, Alaska Airlines colours N688SK CRJ.701 10245 ex F-GRZL, reg’d 20.04.22 Southern Airways Express [9X/FDY ‘Friendly’] ex N345CV, dd 31.03.22, lsd fr Jetstream N679PA Saab 340B 340B-345 Aviation Capital, named The Phil LeFevre Spirit Airlines [NK/NKS ‘Spirit Wing’] ex F-WZMC, ff 24.01.22, dd 08.03.22, lsd fr N954NK A320-271n 10697 SMBC Aviation Capital & reg’d to UMB Bank NA Trustee 10.03.22, fleet # ‘4954’ UPS – United Parcel Service [5X/UPS ‘Ups’] ff 04.03.22, dd 08.04.22 & reg’d same day, N633UP B747-8F 65774 last UPS B747-8F delivery Western Global Airlines [KD/WGN ‘Western Global’] ferried Frankfurt – Shreveport 20.04.22 N784SN MD-11F 48784 after storage Austrian Airlines [OS/AUA ‘Austrian’] ferried Bratislava – Munich 21.04.22 for trf to OE-LDD A319-112 2416 Lufthansa CityLine easyJet Europe [EC/EJU ‘Alpine’] OE-LKX A319-111 4744 ex HB-JYI, reg’d 06.04.22 OE-LKY A319-111 4778 ex HB-JYF, reg’d 12.04.22 ex 2-VIDZ, dd 01.04.22, lsd fr/op by YL-LDD A320-232 3264 SmartLynx Airlines ex 2-VIHA, dd 28.04.22, lsd fr/op by Smart YL-LDE A320-232 3330 Lynx Airlines Go2Sky [6G/RLX ‘Relaxair’] OM-GTH B737-8BK 29644 lsd to/op for Corendon Airlines ex EI-GVN, dd 26.04.22 Lleida – Bratislava, OM-GTI B737-8K5 34684 lsd fr Babcock & Brown, lsd to/op for Corendon Airlines, (EI-GVN canx 27.04.22) Air Belgium [KF/ABB ‘Air Belgium’] ex M-ABOW, reg’d 07.04.22, op for Hongyuan OE-LFD B747-87UF 37563 Group (M-ABOW canx 06.04.22) ferried Charleroi – Amman 23.04.22 for OO-ABB A340-313 844 continued storage TUI Airlines Belguim [TB/JAF ‘Beauty’] ex C-FYMQ, ret fr Sunwing lease & reg’d OO-JAQ B737-8K5 35148 28.04.22 ex C-FYAU, trf to TUI Airways after Sunwing OO-JAU B737-8K5 37250 lease ex ES-SAS, dd 27.04.22 Châteauroux – 9H-SLK A320-214 1725 Brussels, lsd fr op/by SmartLynx Malta Danish Air Transport [DX/DTR ‘Danish’] OY-RUZ A320-232 839 lsd to/op for Corendon Airlines KLM Cityhopper [WA/KLC ‘Hopper’] PH-NXI ERJ190-400STD reg’d 24.03.22 ex PR-EAD, ff 08.03.22, dd 06.04.22, fleet PH-NXJ ERJ190-400STD # ‘NXJ-065’ ex PR-EAT, ff 29.03.22, dd 20.04.22, fleet # PH-NXK ERJ190-400STD ‘NXK-066’ PH-NXL ERJ190-400STD oo, ex PR-EMW TUI Airlines Nederlands [OR/TFL ‘Orange’] C-FFPH B737-81D 39440 dd 18.04.22, lsd fr/op by Sunwing Airlines C-GNCH B737-81D 39438 dd 17.04.22, lsd fr/op by Sunwing Airlines Airfast Indonesia [AFE] N410SY
We welcome any feedback on this listing
ERJ170-200LR
(The listing is alphabetical with reference to the registration of the country of origin. Columns indicate the registration, type, construction number and notes.)
Eurowings has accepted its maiden Airbus A320neo, D-AENA (c/n 10758) CLÉMENT ALLOING/V1IMAGES
www.key.aero
81
The latest commercial aircraft deliveries from manufacturers and lessors Mexico's MAS Air Cargo is introducing Airbus A330P2Fs to its fleet, receiving two ex-Etihad Airways jets as ‘Airliner World’ went to press AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ STEVEN MARQUEZ
Key to Abbreviations a/c als awys bf b/u canx cls cn cnvrtd dbf dbr dd ex ff frtr lrf lsd fr lsd to msn ntu oo op pax pwfu reg’d reg’n ret fr ret to rr rts sb scr st std tba unk wfu w/o
82
aircraft airlines airways bought from broken up/scrapped cancelled colours manufacturer’s construction/serial number converted destroyed by fire damaged beyond repair delivery date previous reg'n first flight freighter last revenue flight leased from leased to see cn not taken up on order operated passenger permanently withdrawn from use registered registration returned from returned to re-registered return to service sold by scrapped/broken up sold to stored to be advised unknown withdrawn from use written off/destroyed
PK-OCD Bell 412EP Batik Air [ID/BTK ‘Batik’]
36411
PK-BKF
A320-232
2953
PK-BKI
A320-232
6785
PK-BKK
A320-232
5024
PK-BKO
A320-232
5429
ex PK-TVD, reg’d 24.09.21 ex JY-AYX, d 02.04.22 Singapore – Jakarta CGK, lsd fr Carlyle Aviation Partners oo, ex 9H-AJF, to be lsd fr Clover Aviation Capital oo, ex OE-IBD, to be lsd fr BOC Aviation, ferried Hong Kong – Manila as OE-IBD 20.04.22 prior to lease oo, ex OE-IEQ, to be lsd fr BOC Aviation, ferried Tallinn – Shannon as OE-IEQ 21.04.22
Black Stone Airlines PK-MBA B737-36N(F) 28569 ex PK-MGA, dd 16.04.22, named Rafflesia Elang Nusantara Air PK-ELM Cessna 208B 208B2038 ex N188GV, reg’d 02.12.21 Garuda Indonesia [GA/GIA ‘Indonesia’] lrf 14.08.21, ferried Jakarta CGK – Marana for PK-GPP A330-243 1364 storage & ret to Aircastle after lease My Indo Airlines [2Y/MY ‘Indo’] PK-MYJ B737-436(F) 25857 reg’d 14.07.21 Pelita Air [PAS ‘Pelita’] ex VP-CKM, dd 09.04.22, lsd fr Aviation PK-PWC A320-214 5463 Capital Group Reven Global Airtransport ex N338EF, reg’d 14.04.21 to Next Generation PK-RVG Cessna 208B 208B2338 Wave Pte Ltd ex PK-SNR, reg’d 04.05.21 to Next Generation PK-RVH Cessna 208B 208B2290 Wave Pte Ltd Rimbun Air [RI/OEY ‘Rimbun Air’] PK-OTW DHC-6 300 493 ex C-GKSN, reg’d 22.02.21 to Aer LLC Smart Cakrawala Aviation PK-SNA Cessna 208B/EX 208B5634 ex N901WT, reg’d 09.07.21 PK-SNG Cessna 208B/EX 208B5543 ex PK-DPG, reg’d 09.03.21 ex N9052T, reg’d 10.09.21 to Chailease PK-SNJ Cessna 208B/EX 208B5640 International Financial Services Super Air Jet [IU/SJV ‘Prosper’] ex OE-IWK, dd 15.04.22, lsd fr Avolon PK-SAZ A320-232 4965 Aerospace, ferried Ankara – Jakarta CGK ex OE-ITJ, dd 13.04.22, lsd fr Avolon PK-SJE A320-232 5036 Aerospace, ferried Istanbul ISL – Jakarta CGK 27.04.22 ABSA Cargo Airline [M3/TUS ‘Absa Cargo’] ex F-WWBQ, dd 04.22, lsd fr LATAM Airlines PR-MHW A320-214 3630 Brasil Azul Conecta [2F/CAN ‘Azul Conecta’] dd 11.02.22 & ferried Independence – Belo PS-CNC Cessna 208B/EX 208B5662 Horizonte CNF reg’d 03.03.22 GOL Linhas Aéreos [G3/GLO ‘Gol Transporte’] ex N56807, N1786B, ff 04.09.19, dd 18.03.22 PR-XML B737-8 43996 & reg’d to ALT-9 Structured Trust 25.03.22 ex N5573K, N1781B, N1795N, N1786B, ff 10.12.19, dd 16.03.22, st Carlyle Aviation PS-GPI B737-8 44348 Partners & lsd back & reg’d to UMB Bank NA 11.03.22 ex N1782B, N1796B, N1786B, ff 05.11.19, dd PS-GPM B737-8 65053 15.03.22, st Carlyle Aviation Partners & lsd back & reg’d to UMB Bank NA 11.03.22 Sideral Linhas Aéreas [SID ‘Sideral’] PR-CID B737-33A 25033 ex PR-WJX, dd 22.04.22 Aeroflot Russian Airlines [SU/AFL ‘Aeroflot’] RA-89022 RRJ100-95B 95039 trf to Rossiya VP-BAD A320-214 7240 rr RA-73180 VP-BAE A321-211 7193 rr RA-73718 VP-BAF A321-211 7202 rr RA-73719 VP-BAY A321-211 7255 rr RA-73720 VP-BAZ A321-211 7300 rr RA-73721 VP-BCA A320-214 7275 rr RA-73764 VP-BCE A320-214 7295 rr RA-73765 VP-BDD A330-343E 1356 rr RA-73788 VP-BDE A330-343E 1371 rr RA-73789 VP-BEA A321-211 6678 rr RA-73709 VP-BEE A321-211 6726 rr RA-73710 VP-BEG A321-211 6756 rr RA-73711
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
VP-BEO VP-BES VP-BEW VP-BFA VP-BFE VP-BFF VP-BFG VP-BFH VP-BFK VP-BFQ VP-BFX VP-BGC VP-BGF VP-BHA VP-BID VP-BIF VP-BIJ VP-BIW VP-BIY VP-BJA VP-BJX VP-BKI VP-BKQ VP-BKR VP-BLH VP-BLL VP-BLN VP-BLO VP-BLR VP-BNL VP-BPG VP-BPM VP-BPP VP-BPQ VP-BRC VP-BRG VP-BSF VP-BTC VP-BTG VP-BTH VP-BTI VP-BTJ VP-BTK VP-BTO VP-BTR VP-BXT VQ-BEA VQ-BED VQ-BEG VQ-BFK VQ-BFL VQ-BFN VQ-BFO VQ-BHN VQ-BIL VQ-BIU VQ-BIW VQ-BKQ VQ-BMY VQ-BNS VQ-BPI VQ-BPJ VP-BPK VQ-BPU VQ-BPV VQ-BQB VQ-BQD VQ-BQE VQ-BQF VQ-BQX VQ-BQY VQ-BQZ
A320-214 A321-211 A321-211 A320-214 A320-214 A321-211 A320-214 A320-214 A321-211 A321-211 A321-211 B777-3M0ER B777-3M0ER B777-300ER A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A321-211 A321-211 A321-211 A321-211 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 B777-300ER A320-251n A321-251nx A320-251n A321-251nx A320-251n A320-251n A320-214 A321-211 A321-211 A320-214 A320-214 A321-211 A320-214 A321-211 A321-251nx A321-211 A321-211 A321-211 B777-300ER B777-300ER B777-300ER B777-300ER A320-214 B777-3M0ER A320-214 A320-214 A320-214 A330-343E A330-343E A330-343E A330-343E A330-343E A320-214 A320-214 B777-3M0ER B777-3M0ER B777-3M0ER B777-3M0ER A330-343E A330-343E A330-343E
7038 6817 7072 7561 7593 7645 7646 7653 7667 7678 7749 41680 41686 65307 5421 8067 8201 8188 8073 5536 6945 7137 7801 7782 5565 5572 7843 7863 5585 5580 41693 10258 10193 10126 10314 10180 10481 7846 5790 7878 5873 7902 7934 7932 5913 10595 4058 4074 4116 65308 65309 65310 65311 4498 41692 4684 4579 4835 1301 1264 1323 1328 1345 5921 5970 41687 41682 41683 41684 1232 1247 1270
rr RA-73171 rr RA-73712 rr RA-73715 rr RA-73766 rr RA-73767 rr RA-73722 rr RA-73768 rr RA-73769 rr RA-73723 rr RA-73724 rr RA-73725 rr RA-73139 rr RA-73137 rr RA-73150 rr RA-73745 rr RA-73777 rr RA-73781 rr RA-73780 rr RA-73778 rr RA-73746 rr RA-73713 rr RA-73717 rr RA-73727 rr RA-73726 rr RA-73747 rr RA-73748 rr RA-73772 rr RA-73774 rr RA-73752 rr RA-73750 rr RA-73147 rr RA-73733 rr RA-73703 rr RA-73730 rr RA-73704 rr RA-73732 rr RA-73734 rr RA-73773 rr RA-73163 rr RA-73728 rr RA-73754 rr RA-73775 rr RA-73729 rr RA-73776 rr RA-73164 rr RA-73705 rr RA-73706 rr RA-73707 rr RA-73708 rr RA-73158 rr RA-73146 rr RA-73143 rr RA-73142 rr RA-73739 rr RA-73148 rr RA-73743 rr RA-73740 rr RA-73744 rr RA-73702 rr RA-73700 rr RA-73785 rr RA-73786 rr RA-73787 rr RA-73755 rr RA-73756 rr RA-73136 rr RA-73131 rr RA-73132 rr RA-73133 rr RA-73782 rr RA-73783 rr RA-73784
VQ-BSJ A320-214 6044 VQ-BSL A320-214 6060 VQ-BSU A320-214 6090 VQ-BRW A320-214 5974 VQ-BST A320-214 6071 VQ-BTX A320-214 8452 VQ-BUB B777-3M0ER 41690 VQ-BWF B737-8LJ 41214 Alrosa Avia [6R/DRU ‘Mirny’] EI-FCH B737-83N 32576 EI-GCV B737-7CT 37088 EI-GFR B737-7CT 37421 EI-GIH B737-86N 32659 Aurora [HZ/SHU ‘Satair’] VP-BDM A319-111 2069 VP-BUO A319-111 3336 VP-BUK A319-111 3281 VP-BWA A319-111 2052 Citrus Airlines [CTU ‘Citrus’] VP-BHP A319-114 2618 VP-BHQ A319-114 2641 iFly Airlines [F7/RSY ‘Russian Sky’] EI-GOT A330-323 1021 EI-GPJ A330-323 965 EI-GWF A330-323 1265 Meridian Avia VQ-BIS A320-232 3402 Nordwind Airlines [N4/NWS ‘Nordland’] VP-BGH A321-232 3034 VP-BJO B777-35EER 32640 VP-BRD A321-232 3120 VP-BUA A330-223 979 VQ-BOE A321-211 1219 VQ-BRO A321-231 3575 Pegas Fly [EO/KAR ‘Kras Jet’] VP-BZG ERJ190-100LR Pobeda [DP/PBD ‘Pobeda’] VP-BQG B737-800 64865 VP-BQH B737-800 64866 VP-BQM B737-800 64868 VP-BUS B737-8MC 44435 VQ-BHD B737-800 41221 VQ-BHT B737-800 41235 VQ-BHU B737-800 41229 VQ-BHV B737-800 41237 VQ-BHX B737-800 41242 VQ-BTD B737-8MA 43664 VQ-BTE B737-81D 39441 VQ-BTG B737-8FZ 41992 VQ-BTI B737-8LJ 39948 VQ-BTJ B737-8LJ 39950 Red Wings [WZ/RWZ ‘Remont Air’] VP-BLI B777-21HER 27250 VP-BMR B777-21HER 29325 VP-BSJ B777-21HER 27251 Rossiya Airlines [FV/SDM ‘Rossiya’] EI-GFA B777-31HER 32715 EI-GFB B777-31HER 32730 EI-UNL B777-312 28515 RA-89022 RRJ100-95B
95039
VP-BIT VP-BIU VP-BIV VP-BNJ VP-BOB VP-BOI
1761 649 3065 2241 41236 41224
A319-111 A319-114 A319-115 A319-111 B737-800 B737-800
rr RA-73760 rr RA-73761 rr RA-73763 rr RA-73757 rr RA-73762 rr RA-73169 rr RA-73144 rr RA-73126 rr RA-73266 rr RA-73267 rr RA-73268 rr RA-73264 rr RA-73680 rr RA-73675 rr RA-73677 rr RA-73674 rr RA-73682 rr RA-73683 rr RA-73685 rr RA-73686 rr RA-73684 rr RA-73320 rr RA-73324 rr RA-73847 rr RA-73325 rr RA-73328 rr RA-73273 rr RA-73271 rr RA-02740 rr RA-73228 rr RA-73229 rr RA-73231 rr RA-73208 rr RA-73240 rr RA-73246 rr RA-73244 rr RA-73247 rr RA-73250 rr RA-73294 rr RA-73296 rr RA-73299 rr RA-73297 rr RA-73301 rr RA-73329 rr RA-73331 rr RA-73330 rr RA-73277 rr RA-73278 rr RA-73279 dd 13.04.22, lsd fr VEB- Leasing, named Velsk, in special ‘Troika’ colours rr RA-73204 rr RA-73210 rr RA-73215 rr RA-73212 rr RA-73209 rr RA-73223
VP-BQK A319-111 3179 VP-BWH A320-214 2151 VP-BWI A320-214 2163 VP-BWJ A319-111 2179 VP-BZR A320-214 3640 VQ-BAQ A319-111 1560 VQ-BAR A319-111 1488 VQ-BAT A319-111 1876 VQ-BAU A319-111 1851 VQ-BAV A319-111 1743 VQ-BRV A320-214 5967 VQ-BUE B737-8LJ 34900 VQ-BSG A320-214 6017 VQ-BSH A320-214 6022 VQ-BSR B737-8AS 33622 VQ-BSS B737-8AS 33602 VQ-BVV B737-8LJ 41201 RusLine [7R/RLU ‘Rusline’] VQ-BNE CRJ.100ER 7482 S7 Airlines [S7/SBI ‘Siberian Airlines’] VP-BCP A320-214 3473 VP-BLD B737-8Q8 35283 VP-BOG A320-214 5559 VP-BOJ A320-214 5607 VP-BOL A320-214 6066 VP-BPC A321-211 5919 VP-BPO A321-211 5779 VP-BUL B737-8LP 41707 VP-BWM A320-271n 8852 VQ-BCH A320-271n 7671 VQ-BDI A321-271n 8103 VQ-BDU A321-271n 8088 VQ-BDW A321-271nx 10540 VQ-BET A320-214 4150 VQ-BGT A320-271n 8607 VQ-BGU A321-271n 8620 VQ-BFJ A321-211 6114 VQ-BFQ A321-211 6548 VQ-BKV B737-8ZS 37084 VQ-BMG B737-8LP 41841 VQ-BQH A321-211 3070 VQ-BPL A320-214 5026 VQ-BPN A320-214 5167 VQ-BRC A320-214 5106 VQ-BRG A320-214 5134 VQ-BRK B737-8LP 41708 VQ-BRP B737-8LP 41709 VQ-BRQ B737-8LP 41710 VQ-BRR B737-8LP 41836 VQ-BSF A320-271n 10139 VQ-BVM B737-8GJ 41400 VQ-BYI A321-271nx 10307 VQ-BYJ A321-271nx 10499 VQ-BYW ERJ170-100SU Smartavia [5N/AUL ‘Dvina’] VP-BAB B737-8JP 39420 VP-BAM B737-8GJ 39424 VP-BCC B737-8Q8 30665 VP-BOZ A320-251n 7581 VP-BZZ B737-752 29363 VQ-BEE B737-8Q8 32797 Ural Airlines [U8/SVR ‘Sverdlovsk Air’] VP-BBH A321-231 2862 VP-BDL A320-232 2343 VP-BFI A321-251nx 10476 VP-BFM A321-251nx 10632 VP-BFO A321-251nx 10667
rr RA-73219 rr RA-73207 rr RA-73214 rr RA-73205 rr RA-73214 rr RA-73221 rr RA-73202 rr RA-73206 rr RA-73200 rr RA-73201 rr RA-73196 rr RA-73188 rr RA-73194 rr RA-73195 rr RA-73191 rr RA-73193 rr RA-73187
We welcome any feedback on this listing (The listing is alphabetical with reference to the registration of the country of origin. Columns indicate the registration, type, construction number and notes.)
rr RA-67146 rr RA-73401 rr RA-73359 rr RA-73182 rr RA-73405 rr RA-73183 rr RA-73414 rr RA-73413 rr RA-73667 rr RA-73448 rr RA-73426 rr RA-73440 rr RA-73439 rr RA-73446 rr RA-73407 rr RA-73433 rr RA-73442 rr RA-73415 rr RA-73416 rr RA-73665 rr RA-73672 rr RA-73438 rr RA-73402 rr RA-73404 rr RA-73403 rr RA-73423 rr RA-73671 rr RA-73668 rr RA-73670 rr RA-73669 rr RA-73449 rr RA-73411 rr RA-73443 rr RA-73445 rr RA-02745 rr RA-73657 rr RA-73656 rr RA-73658 rr RA-73662 rr RA-73652 rr RA-73661 rr RA-73842 rr RA-73819 rr RA-73802 rr RA-73800 rr RA-73838
S7 Airlines has begun re-registering its fleet in Russia following sanctions imposed on the country's aviation industry by Bermuda. The aircraft had initially been leased to the carrier by Japan's SMBC Leasing prior to Russia's seizing of foreign financed airliners AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/HAMFIVE
www.key.aero
83
The latest commercial aircraft deliveries from manufacturers and lessors
WestJet has added its first Boeing 737-800BCF AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ ADRIAN EDWARDS
Key to Abbreviations a/c als awys bf b/u canx cls cn cnvrtd dbf dbr dd ex ff frtr lrf lsd fr lsd to msn ntu oo op pax pwfu reg’d reg’n ret fr ret to rr rts sb scr st std tba unk wfu w/o
aircraft airlines airways bought from broken up/scrapped cancelled colours manufacturer’s construction/serial number converted destroyed by fire damaged beyond repair delivery date previous reg'n first flight freighter last revenue flight leased from leased to see cn not taken up on order operated passenger permanently withdrawn from use registered registration returned from returned to re-registered return to service sold by scrapped/broken up sold to stored to be advised unknown withdrawn from use written off/destroyed Thanks to Dave
Richardson and LAASI Aviation for the above
84
VP-BIE A320-214 3099 rr RA-78382 VP-BKB A320-214 3189 rr RA-73834 VP-BKX A320-214 3410 rr RA-73803 VP-BMF A320-214 3711 rr RA-73831 VP-BMT A320-214 2349 rr RA-73833 VP-BMW A320-214 2166 rr RA-73805 VP-BOP A321-251nx 8955 rr RA-73840 VP-BOQ A321-251nx 9073 rr RA-73839 VP-BQW A320-214 2947 rr RA-73835 VP-BRX A320-251n 9136 rr RA-73820 VP-BRY A320-251n 9154 rr RA-73822 VP-BRZ A320-251n 9169 rr RA-73821 VP-BSW A321-231 7206 rr RA-73798 VP-BTZ A320-214 3107 rr RA-73809 VP-BVF A321-231 4277 rr RA-73845 VP-BVR A321-231 4213 rr RA-73843 VQ-BAG A320-214 1063 rr RA-73830 VQ-BAX A320-214 3778 rr RA-73824 VQ-BCE A321-231 2590 rr RA-73846 VQ-BCI A320-214 2623 rr RA-73823 VQ-BCX A321-211 1720 rr RA-73795 VQ-BDJ A320-214 2187 rr RA-73829 VQ-BDM A320-214 2175 rr RA-73827 VQ-BFV A320-214 1152 rr RA-73806 VQ-BGI A320-232 5055 rr RA-73817 VQ-BGJ A320-232 2376 rr RA-73818 VQ-BGX A321-231 1941 rr RA-73844 VQ-BGY A321-231 2105 rr RA-73799 VQ-BKX A321-251nx 10416 rr RA-73836 VQ-BKY A321-251nx 10609 rr RA-73837 VQ-BNI A320-214 3472 rr RA-73828 VQ-BQN A320-214 3433 rr RA-73826 VQ-BRE A320-214 2998 rr RA-73825 VQ-BTY A319-112 3385 rr RA-73815 VQ-BTZ A319-112 3388 rr RA-73816 UTair Aviation [UT/UTA ‘Tjumavi’] VP-BFS B737-524 27532 rr RA-73063 VP-BYM B737-524 28917 rr RA-73040 VQ-BJH B737-8AS 32780 rr RA-73341 UVT Aero [RT/UVT ‘Tat Jet’] VQ-BOL CRJ.200ER 7739 rr RA-67154 VQ-BOR CRJ.200ER 7535 rr RA-67157 Yakutia Airlines [R3/SYL ‘Air Yakutia’] VP-BVE B737-86N 29889 rr RA-73261 Yamal Airlines [YC/LLM ‘Yamal’] VP-BBN A320-232 1918 rr RA-73696 VP-BCN A320-232 1933 rr RA-73691 VP-BCU A320-232 1969 rr RA-73694 VP-BHZ A320-214 2419 rr RA-73812 VQ-BSA CRJ.200ER 7910 rr RA-67134 VQ-BSQ A321-231 1956 rr RA-73689 VQ-BWZ A320-232 2688 rr RA-73813 CEBU Pacific Air [5J/CEB ‘Cebu Air’] RP-C4127 A321-271nx 10943 ex D-AZXQ, ff 08.03.22, dd 31.03.22 Norweigan Air Sweden AOC [D8/NSZ ‘Rednose’] ex N781AR, reg’d 08.04.22, lsd fr AerCap & SE-RXB B737-84P 36781 reg’d to Bank of Utah, ferried Roswell – Oslo as N781AR & reg’n canx 06.04.22 ex 9H-AEI, dd 12.04.22 Ljubljana – Stockholm 9A-BTI A320-214 2189 ARN, lsd fr/op by Trade Air SAS Link [SVS] ex G-FBEG, reg’d 05.04.22 to Ravelin Jet Leasing 2 DAC, dd 06.04.22 Exeter – SE-RSK ERJ190-200LR Copenhagen, lsd fr Falko Regional Aircraft, named Gudrid Viking, (G-FBEG canx 05.04.22) Buzz / Ryanair Sun [RR/RYS ‘Magic Sun’] SP-RZO B737-8200 62326 ff 03.02.22, dd 21.03.22, Ryanair colours LOT Polish Airlines [LO/LOT ‘Polot’] ex N271NA, dd 22.04.22, lsd fr Nordic SP-LME ERJ190-100AR Aviation Capital, ferried Macon – Warsaw (N271NA canx 22.04.22) Tarco Aviation [3T/TQQ ‘Aviation Tarco’]
AIRLINER WORLD JULY 2022
ST-TAA
B737-846
35354
ex 2-JPLK, dd 05.04.22 Amman – Khartoum, lsd fr DAE Capital
flyegypt [FT/FEG] SU-TMO B737-846 35342 Aegean Airlines [A3/AEE ‘Aegean’]
ex VQ-BDZ, dd 22.04.22, lsd fr Icelease
SX-NAE
ex D-AZWS, ff 24.02.22, dd 08.03.22, st SMBC Aviation Capital & lsd back
A321-271nx
10704
Sky Express [GQ/SEH ‘Air Crete’] SX-VSL
A320-214
4625
ex VQ-BIR, dd 21.04.22 Shannon – Athens, lsd fr Aviation Capital Group
Corendon Airlines [XC/CAI ‘Corendon’] OM-GTH
B737-8BK
29644
LY-ELK
A320-232
6012
LY-OWL
A320-232
2029
OM-GTI
B737-8K5
34684
OY-RUU
A321-231
878
OY-RUZ
A320-232
839
9H-MMO
A320-232
3577
Pegasus Airlines [PC/PGT ‘Sun Turk’] TC-RBL A321-251nx 10611 Turkish Airlines [TK/THY ‘Turkish’] TC-LTK A321-271nx 10751 Air Atlanta Icelandic [CC/ABD ‘Atlanta’] TF-AMK
B747-467F
27503
ex TC-SBE, dd 31.03.22 Bratislava – Hannover, lsd fr/op by Go2Sky ex OE-IHR, dd 05.04.22 Vilnius – Anatalya, lsd fr/op by GetJet Airlines ex OE-IHQ, dd 05.04.22 Vilnius – Anatalya, lsd fr/op by GetJet Airlines ex EI-GVN, dd 29.04.22 Bratislava – Antalya, lsd fr/op by Go2Sky ex B-2370, dd 30.04.22 Billund – Antalya, lsd fr/op by Danish Air Transport ex PK-GLD, dd 05.04.22 Copenhagen – Antalya, lsd fr/op by Danish Air Transport ex OE-IOB, dd 27.04.22 Malta – Antalya, lsd fr/op by Malta MedAir ex D-AZXS, ff 17.03.22, dd 25.03.22 ex D-AZXR, ff 11.03.22, dd 30.03.22 ex VQ-BWS, dd 04.22 & reg’d to VQBWS Ltd, operated for JetOneX
bluebird NORDIC [BO/BBD ‘Blue Cargo’] TF-BBX
B777-212ER
33371
ex 9V-SRQ, reg’d 19.04.22 to AviaAM Leasing DMCC, std Teruel
44569
ex N4025H, N4022T, ff 08.02.22, dd 21.03.22, st Aviation Capital Group & lsd back & reg’d to Bank of Utah Trustee
Icelandair [FI/ICE ‘Iceair’] TF-ICS
B737-8
PLAY (Fly Play) [OG/FPY ‘Player’] TF-PPB
A320-251n
10134
ferried Ostrava – Keflavik 04.04.22 after painting for entry into service
Express Air Cargo [XRC ‘Tunisia Cargo’] TS-ICD
B737-8Q8(F)
30704
ex N705BR, dd 28.04.22, lsd fr BlackRock, (N705BR canx 28.04.22)
Uzbekistan Airways [HY/UZB ‘Uzbek’] UK32102
A321-253nx
10634
UK32103
A321-253nx
10676
Air Astana [KC/KZR ‘Astanaline’] P4-KBI A320-251n 8483 P4-KBJ A320-251n 8860 FlyArystan P4-KBB A320-232 5613 Air Frontier VH-AVF
ex D-AZXF, ff 07.03.22, dd 24.03.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation ex D-AZWT, ff 09.02.22, dd 04.03.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation rr EI-KBI to Cesium Funding Ltd 13.04.22 rr EI-KBJ to ALC Aircraft Ltd 12.04.22 rr EI-HBB to Saryarka Aviaton Ltd 14.04.22 ex ZK-PAI, reg’d 05.04.22, lsd fr Hunt Aerospace
Pa.31-350
Alliance Airlines [QQ/UTY ‘Unity’] VH-UZF
ERJ190-100AR
VH-UZH
ERJ190-100AR
ex N959UW, reg’d 19.04.22 to Bravo Airlines Pty Ltd, ferried San José SJO – Brisbane as N959UW & reg’n canx 11.04.22 ex N961UW, reg’d 04.04.22 to Bravo Airlines Pty Ltd
Corporate Air [FC ‘Fly Corp’] VH-VER
Saab 340B+
340B-430
ex N331AG, reg’d 28.03.22, lsd fr Jetstream Aviation Capital
208B1182
ex SX-ARX, reg’d 06.04.22, lsd fr Tillair Services
402B0597
ex JA5236, reg’d 05.04.22, lsd fr Photomapping Services
Omni Aviation Services VH-POV
Cessna 208B
Southern Airlines VH-KCL
Cessna 402B
VH-TTZ
ex VH-SBG, reg’d 05.04.22, lsd fr Photomapping Services
Cessna 404
Vietjet Air [VJ/VJC ‘Vietjet Air’] VN-A810
A330-343E
952
ex VP-CJX, dd 31.03.22, lsd fr ICBC Financial Leasing
IndiGo [6E/IGO ‘Ifly’] VT-IMH A321-251nx VT-IMI A321-251nx Vistara [UK/VTI ‘Vistara’]
10759 10678
ex D-AZWU, ff 22.03.22, dd 31.03.22 ex D-AZWD, ff 02.03.22, dd 21.03.22
VT-TQL
10748
ex F-WWDP, ff 09.03.22, dd 23.03.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
A320-251n
Aeroméxico [AM/AMX ‘Aeromexico’] XA-CCN B737-8 43759 XA-CCO B737-8 43760 XA-DAJ
B737-8
61855
XA-JSO
B737-9
43718
XA-MJJ
B737-9
43719
XA-MKJ
B737-9
43720
XA-MLI
B737-8
43727
ff 22.01.22, dd 10.03.22 ex N4025Q, N4022T, ff 01.02.22, dd 09.03.22 ex N56807, N1786B, ff 14.05.19, dd 18.03.22, lsd fr DAE Capital ex N4025H, N4022T, ff 19.02.22, dd 25.03.22, st Clover Aviation Capital & lsd back ex N4025Q, N4022T, ff 16.02.22, dd 22.03.22, st Clover Aviation Capital & lsd back ex N4022T, ff 01.03.22, dd 30.03.22, st Clover Aviation Capital & lsd back ex N4025N, N4025Q, N4022T, ff 26.02.22, dd 24.03.22, st Clover Aviation Capital & lsd back
MasAir [M7/MAA ‘Mas Carga’] EI-MAA
A330-243(F)
854
Volaris [Y4/VOI] XA-VSL A321-271nx 10447 XA-VSN A320-271n 10775 Fly Baghdad [IF/FBA ‘Iraq Express’] YI-BAV B737-8U3 30141 airBaltic [BT/BTI ‘Air Baltic’] YL-ABH A220-300 55162 YR-URS
A319-132
3614
ex A6-EYP, dd 14.04.22 Dresden – México City, lsd fr Altavair AirFinance, cnvrtd to A330-243(F) 03.22 at Singapore & ferried Singapore – Dresden ex D-AZXO, ff 04.03.22, dd 30.03.22 ex F-WWIO, ff 22.02.22, dd 16.03.22 ex PK-GMG, dd 26.04.22, lsd fr DAE Capital ex C-FOWY, ff 08.04.22, dd 23.04.22 ex P4-YAS, dd 26.04.22 Craiova – Riga, lsd fr/ op by Just Us Air
SmartLynx Airlines [6Y/ART ‘Smart Lynx’]
YL-LDM
A320-214
2975
ex VP-CDO, dd 02.04.22 Montpellier – Tallinn, lsd fr AerCap, lrf 29.04.22 Trabzon – Berlin, ferried Berlin – Châteauroux same day, Châteauroux – Gatwick 01.05.22, lsd to/ op for easyJet
Airwork New Zealand [AWK ‘Airwork’] ZK-FXM B737-4Y0(F) 25184 CemAir [5Z/KEM ‘Cemair’]
ex F-GIXU, reg’d 21.04.22
ZS-CMR
ex EI-FPA, dd 04.04.22, lsd fr TrueNoord, ferried Tallinn – Johannesburg as EI-FPA & reg’n canx 04.04.22
CRJ.900LR
15398
Star Air Cargo [BRH ‘Brightstar’] ZS-TGB B737-36Q 29327 ferried Johannesburg – Tashkent Silk Way West Airlines [7L/AZG ‘Silk West’] VP-BCR B747-4H6F 28434 rr 4K-BCR 19.04.22 VP-BCV B747-4H6F 29902 rr 4K-BCV 26.04.22 Max Air [VM/NGL ‘Maxair Nigeria’] to be parted out and parts used on its other 5N-DBK B747-4B5 26403 B747-400s, updates last month's section Rano Air ferried Kingman – Casablanca all white 5N-BZU Emb-145LR 145562 en-route to Nigeria ferried Kingman – Casablanca all white 5N-BZW Emb-145LR 145585 en-route to Nigeria 5N-BZV Emb-145LR 145565 as 5N-BZU
5N-BZX Emb-145LR 145587 5N-BZY Emb-145LR 145628 PassionAir [OP/DIG ‘Dac Air’] 9G-BPD
DHC-8 402
as 5N-BZU as 5N-BZW
4204
ex G-PRPI, dd lsd fr Aergo Capital, ferried Shannon – Accra as G-PRPI 14.04.21 & reg’n canx 22.04.22
3443
ex EI-GYG, dd 04.22, lsd fr Aircastle, entered service 23.04.22 in Sundair cls, (EI-GYG canx 13.04.22)
Fly Air41 Airways [BER ‘Berlin’] 9A-ZAG
A319-111
Trade Air [C3/TDR ‘Tradeair’] 9A-BTH
A320-214
1454
9A-BTI A320-214 2189 AirHub Airlines [AH/GJM ‘Airhub’] 9H-GYM
A320-214
9H-LEON A330-302
2584
769
lrf 15.04.22 Dortmund – Pristina, ferried Pristina – Asturias samae day, lsd to/op for Volotea lsd to/op for Norwegian Air Sweden AOC oo, ex 2-VIHC, to be lsd fr World Star Aviation, ferried St. Athan – Zagreb as 2-VIHC 21.04.22 prior to lease ex LY-LEO, seen reg’d 10.04.22 at Châteauroux, all white plus titles, lsd fr World Star Aviation
We welcome any feedback on this listing (The listing is alphabetical with reference to the registration of the country of origin. Columns indicate the registration, type, construction number and notes.)
Avion Express Malta [MLH ‘South Wind’] ex OE-LDO, dd 04.04.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp, ferried Ljubljana – Stuttgart 13.04.22, lsd to/op for Eurowings Corendon Airlines Europe [XR/CXI ‘Touristic’] ex S5-AAS, dd 30.04.22 Billund – Heraklion, OY-JRK A320-231 444 lsd fr/op by Danish Air Transport Maleth-Aero [MLT ‘Maleth’] ex CS-TRY, dd 21.04.22, lsd fr/op for AELF 9H-CFS A330-223 970 Flight Service Malta MedAir [MT/MMO ‘Malit’] ex OE-IOB, dd 04.22, lsd fr Alterna Capital, 9H-MMO A320-232 3577 lsd to/op for Corendon Airlines, ferried Montpellier – Malta as OE-IOB 13.04.22 Mel Air [5M/MDO ‘Kuda’] 9H-NFT ATR 72-212A (600) 1198 ex EC-NFT, dd 23.04.22 SmartLynx Airlines Malta [2N/LYX ‘Malta Cat’] ex OE-IEE, reg’d 26.04.22, lsdfr Avolon 9H-MLE A320-214 4767 Aerospace ex HA-LPY, reg’d 26.04.22, lsd fr Babcock & 9H-MLP A320-232 4109 Brown, ferried Budapest – Vilnius 27.04.22, lsd to/op for TUI Airways ret fr Air Peace lease & ferried Lagos 9H-SLH A320-214 3425 – Bordeaux 21.04.22 ret fr Air Peace lease & ferried Lagos 9H-SLI A320-214 3866 – Châteauroux 20.04.22, Châteauroux – Tallinn 28.04.22 ret fr Air Peace lease & ferried Lagos – Châteauroux 21.04.22, ferried Château9H-SLJ A320-214 3880 roux – Berlin 29.04.22, ferried Berlin – Lagos 01.05.22 & lsd to/op for Air Peace again FlyFirefly [FY/FFM ‘Firefly’] ex N1786B, dd 23.04.22 Kulala Lumpur KUL 9M-MLF B737-8FZ 29657 – Penang, lsd fr Babcock & Brown ex N1787B, dd 08.04.22 Kuala Lumpur KUL 9M-MLG B737-8FZ 31779 – Penang, lsd fr Babock & Brown Scoot [TR/TGW ‘Scooter’] ex D-AVWR, ff 22.03.22, dd 31.03.22, lsd fr 9V-NCC A321-271nx 10352 BOC Aviation, named Pina Colada, ferried Hamburg XFW – Singapore 14.04.22 ex D-AZWH, ff 01.03.22, dd 21.03.22, lsd fr 9V-NCH A321-271nx 10373 SMBC Aviation Capital, named Captain Yellow Singapore Airlines [SQ/SIA ‘Singapore’] ex N1796B, N1786B, ff 08.12.19, dd 31.03.22, 9V-MBN B737-8 44258 Singapore Airlines colours 9H-MLC
A320-232
4645
AirBaltic has wet leased this Airbus A319ceo, YR-URS (c/n 3614), from Romania's Just Us Air AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/HAMFIVE
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Contract wins for AFI KLM E&M The latest news from maintenance, repair and overhaul providers MRO News by Nigel Pittaway
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has announced a number of new agreements with airlines in North America and the Caribbean. Covering a range of platforms and capabilities, the first focuses on component support for Caribbean Airlines’ nine-strong Boeing 737 MAX fleet, including repairs, spares pool access and provision of a main base kit (MBK) at the Trinidad carrier’s base in Port of Spain. Elsewhere, AFI KLM E&M has confirmed the renewal of an existing GE90 support contract between the firm and Air Canada. The multiyear extension follows a previous agreement signed in 2010 that covered repair and maintenance services for the GE90-115B engines fitted to Air Canada’s Boeing 777s. Under the new deal, the MRO will provide shop visits, LRU support, provision of spare engines and on-wing and on-site support. AFI KLM E&M has also revealed that its existing partnership with
Aeromexico – covering component support for the Mexican carrier’s Boeing 737 NG and 737 MAX fleets, as well as APU support for the APS5000 APU’s installed in its Boeing 787 aircraft – has been extended. Mikel Piña Bilbao, Aeromexico's supply chain senior VP, said: “Our company's satisfaction with the services delivered so far in terms of performance and reliability, AFI
KLM E&M's footprint and proximity to the American continent via Barfield, and its expertise in the 737 product, reinforced through the CSP programme, all explain why we continue to place our trust in the company. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and further optimising it to enhance the operational performance of our 737 fleet.” (Photo AFI KLM E&M)
Embraer’s MRO movements Embraer confirmed in May that it has selected Netherlands-based Fokker Services to provide MRO services for a range of engine line replaceable units (LRUs) for its first generation of E-Jets (E170, E175, E190 and E195). The agreement covers in excess of 60 engine LRU part numbers. Menzo van der Beek, CEO of Fokker Services, said: “This is a great step in developing further opportunities together, as we have found an ideal match with the high-quality demands of Embraer’s E-Jet fleet
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and our engine LRU expertise. As our partnership with Embraer grows, we will continue to expand our support capabilities portfolio for Embraer aircraft platforms.” In other news, Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) and Embraer have jointly announced an agreement in principle for ten E190F/E195F passenger-tofreighter (P2F) conversions. Assuming the deal is formally confirmed, NAC will become the launch lessor for Embraer’s E-Jets P2F conversion programme, with deliveries set to
begin in 2024. The work will be undertaken at the OEM’s MRO facilities in Brazil and include the installation of a main deck cargo door and 9G rigid cargo barrier. The move is the latest in the fastpaced P2F segment, with OEMs around the world identifying the MRO solutions required to transform existing aircraft platforms. Working closely with relevant regulatory authorities, manufacturers are keen to leverage the surge in narrow- and widebody demand. (Photo Embraer)
Lufthansa Technik bolsters pipeline German MRO Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has secured a contract to supply Avelo Airlines with parts. The deal with the US carrier covers consumables and expendables to support the low-cost airline’s fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft. Gary Martin, Avelo’s head of technical operations, said: “[We] are pursuing an ambitious growth plan, something that would be impossible without the strong support of our partners. We rely on Lufthansa Technik, whose renowned reliability will help us achieve the operational performance our customers expect” In a separate development, Lufthansa Technik has also announced the addendum to its long-term aftermarket sales arrangement with Arizona-based inventory solutions provider AvAir, which will include as-removed and unserviceable components in addition to serviceable and overhauled items.
Under the deal, the MRO will receive a share of the proceeds from resold components under a profit share arrangement with AvAir. An initial agreement between the two companies signed in 2020 saw AvAir take over 9,000 line items from LHT’s worldwide pool. Under the new arrangement, the company will add to the wide range of commercial and regional material in its inventory, including parts for Airbus’s A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 and Boeing’s 737, 737NG, 747-400, 7478. 777 freighter and 787 airliners, as well as regional types. Delivery of the components to AvAir’s facilities in the US and Ireland will begin immediately. Christian Ehard, director of production alternatives for Lufthansa Technik Component Services, said: “Our long-standing partnership with AvAir demonstrates our commitment
to continuously improve the allocation of our rotable spare parts inventory. It is also a sign of a recovering industry and we look forward to further increasing efficiency in our supply chain with similar opportunities in the future.” (Photo Lufthansa Technik)
The latest news from maintenance, repair and overhaul providers
MoU for United maintenance ST Engineering announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with United Airlines and Mobile Aerospace Engineering at the MRO Americas 2022 conference in Dallas, Texas in late April. If realised, the agreement will see part of United’s long-term heavy maintenance requirements move to ST Engineering’s expanded facility at Pensacola International Airport in Florida, which is
currently under construction. The MRO already supports United’s Airbus A320 fleet from its centre in Mobile, Alabama, and the MoU extends narrowbody heavy maintenance support at the new complex. ST Engineering operates MRO facilities in San Antonio, Texas, and Middle River, Maryland, and also offers engine wash services through EcoServices at Wethersfield in Connecticut.
The Pensacola facility expansion is expected to be completed in 2024 and will include three new aircraft hangars and associated support workshops, adding an estimated 1.5 million manhours to ST Engineering’s annual capacity at the site. Jeffrey Lam, president of commercial aerospace at ST Engineering, said: “We are committed to the long-term and growth needs of our customers in the US. In expanding the current partnership arrangement with United under this MOU, we look forward to growing our support for them at our expanded MRO complex in Pensacola when it is completed.” The news follows ST Engineering celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of its San Antonio facility on April 25, which is currently set up to perform Airbus A321 passenger-tofreighter (P2F) conversions. (Photo ST Engineering)
Texan expansion for Standard Aero A new CFMI CFM56-7B hospital shop at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) has been unveiled by StandardAero. The facility will complement the company’s existing GE-approved CFM56-7B MRO in Winnipeg, Canada, and should come online by the end of 2022. Once operational, the hospital shop will leverage the company’s Global Engine Services (GES) business at DFW, which was acquired in July 2021 and permits the introduction of CFM56-7B engine test capabilities. Lewis Prebble, president of airlines and fleets for StandardAero, said: “With over 11,000 CFM56-7B engines in service, StandardAero is proud
to demonstrate its commitment to supporting operators worldwide through these latest investments. Our new DFW-based hospital shop and test capabilities will enable us to provide operators and owners with convenient, timely support, complementing the existing range of highly competitive service offerings provided from our Winnipeg facility.” In other news, StandardAero has confirmed it has been selected by Air France’s regional carrier HOP! to provide auxiliary power unit (APU) support for its Embraer 170/190 fleet. The exclusive multi-year agreement will see StandardAero providing
MRO services for the Pratt & Whitney Canada APS 2300 APUs fitted to the airline’s Embraer jets. The work will take place at the MRO’s OEMapproved authorised repair facility (ARF) in Maryville, Tennessee, and expands an existing long-term agreement between the two parties for engine overhaul services, including GE34-8 powerplants. Sylvain Fagot, senior vice president of engineering and maintenance for HOP!, said: “We are glad to continue our long relationship with StandardAero, which has proven to be a professional and committed service provider to HOP! in the past.” www.key.aero
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Information for the traveller.
Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, I’m sure I’m one of many who are still missing the joys of travelling on the Boeing 747 ‘Queen of the Skies’, and despite the many hours spent flying on board for long-haul travel, it brought to mind one of my shortest trips. In the early 2000s, British Airways operated a special charter flight in aid of their young flyers charity from Heathrow to the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, with the majority of the fare going to the organisation. After a very early morning check-in at Heathrow, we were bused to the waiting 747-400 which was at a remote stand far from the terminals. This in itself was a treat as we were taken
MARK STEVENS – LONG REACH IMAGES
through areas not usually seen and were able to view the many and varied aircraft on the ground. Every seat was taken and the flight to Fairford was about 20 minutes, probably less time than that taken for the bus journey to the stand. During the short trip the captain talked us through every aspect of the flight, from the thump of the landing gear retracting to the astonishing rate of climb by this massive aircraft. They also commented that because the aircraft had no cargo, no provisions and minimal fuel, this majestic, yet usually heavy airliner was now handling like a sportscar. Upon final approach to Fairford it was with
somewhat smug pleasure we flew over cars crawling toward the event, and then landed on the display line, watched intently by the early-bird spectators as if we were part of the airshow. All too soon it was time to leave and we returned to the skies, taking off down the display line, again under the watchful eyes of the remaining diehard enthusiasts. I recall it was a cloudless day and our treats had not yet ended, there was a lull in aircraft movements and our captain was able to make a slow circuit, banking the aircraft so we had a great view of the airfield before returning to Heathrow.
Big names, small planes Dear Editor, I enjoyed the ‘When is an airliner not an airliner’ feature in your recent issue. Since you’ve asked for any more images, here are a few of mine: Firstly a Motorfluggruppe Zurichoperated Cessna 172 HB-CYH (c/n 17274157) in Crossair markings and Piper PA-28 HB-PPM (c/n 2843095) in Swissair markings, both taken at Zurich in 2012. Before the G450 you
featured in your report, Maersk flew a Challenger 604, OY-MMM c/n 5430, between 2000 and 2015, in the same blue livery. The attached photo was taken in 2010 also at Zurich. Finally is Gulfstream G650 4K-AI88 (c/n 6107) of the Azerbaijan government which is in full Azerbaijan Airlines livery, also at Zurich this time in 2020. Mark Stevens Long Reach Images
Shows & events Enthusiast shows and events worldwide may be listed here for free. Organisers are invited to send any correspondence to the editorial department via email: [email protected] June 23-25, 2022 Airliners International 2022 ORD Hilton Rosemont /Chicago O'Hare www.AirlinersInternational.org July 18-22, 2022 Farnborough International Airshow Farnborough Airport, Business Aviation Centre, Farnborough www.farnboroughairshow.com July 23-24, 2022 Manchester Airport Aviation Memorabilia Fair Concorde Hangar, Runway Visitor Park, WA15 8XQ www.tasmanchester.com/aviationfair September 17-18, 2022 (rescheduled from February) Amsterdam Aviation Collectors Fair Van Zantenhal, IJweg 1415, 2152 NB Nieuw-Vennep www.aviationfair.com October 9, 2022 Midland Aviation Museum Aviation Fair Midland Aviation Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk November 20, 2022 Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts Fair Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Shepperton, Sunbury-on-Thames www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk Events are subject to late change without Airliner World’s knowledge. Please check details prior to travel and adhere to any local COVID-19 regulations
Get in touch with Airliner World Do you have a historical tale, burning question or comment about the magazine to share with our global audience? Get in touch via [email protected] with the subject ‘Letters to the Editor’, or drop us a message on Facebook.com/ AirlinerWorld, on Twitter @_AirlinerWorld or join the debate on our Key.Aero forum. As we return to the editorial office, we are also able to welcome letters once again – the postal address is: Airliner World, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ
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As a footnote I must add that we were very lucky as aircraft seat allocation was on a random basis and we were allocated two in business class. This was soon after BA introduced the flat-bed seat, which at the time was so amazing I vowed never again to fly long-haul in anything else, probably the only resolution I have ever managed to keep. It may have been a short trip, but the only way to travel to an airshow – and a wonderful memory of a great day and a truly iconic aircraft. Nigel Eaton Cheshire
civilian infrastructure, I do hope that one day – in the ultimate act of defiance to Moscow – we’ll see the mighty Mriya take flight again in her dazzling blue and yellow livery, giving two fingers to Putin and acting as a flying ambassador for the unwavering will and determination of the Ukrainian people. Keep up the good work, Ben Barratt Geneva
Dear Editor, Following your recent article, I enclose a photo of the training fleet operated in 2004 by the FTO set up by Martinair Holland, last known as Martinair Flight Academy. The line-up was to celebrate the school's 30th anniversary. The aeroplanes were based at Lelystad Airport, north of Amsterdam. The school is now part of the KLM Flight School at Groningen Airport. Adrian Young
Dear Editor, Thanks to you and the team for your special piece on the Antonov An-225 Mriya. There are of course an untold number of terrible stories coming out of Ukraine at the moment, but the tragedy of seeing this one-of-a-kind aircraft being brutally destroyed was no less heartbreaking. While the priorities will be to rebuild essential
Information for the traveller.
ADRIAN YOUNG
Want to work on Airliner World? EDITOR – COMMERCIAL AVIATION A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen within our Commercial Aviation team for an Editor to oversee commercial aviation content creation and production for Key Publishing, specifically Airliner World, but also other print products and platforms, including Key.Aero and other digital products. Content created needs to be delivered on schedule and within
budget and must provide a good basis for advertising and other revenue-generating metrics. You will have operational and line management responsibility for the Commercial Aviation team, along with some oversight of other brands (such as AIR International), but not operational responsibility for them. Competitive salary DOE.
Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
● Plan/maintain/control/monitor content creation and production (flatplans) to provide a smooth flow of features to designers/sub-
● Good or exceptional subject knowledge within the aviation sector ● Experience of managing and leading a team
editors, and ensure all deadlines are comfortably hit ● Liaise with the Editor-at-Large to create a compelling mixture of features for each issue
● Ability to work with a wider team of peers, shaping content across products to best serve the portfolio ● Good working knowledge of publishing content management systems
● Line management of brand team members (currently two staff), including their training and development to ensure succession planning is in place
● Strong writing and editing expertise ● Good knowledge of publishing and the law, especially relating to libel, ascertaining copyright issues and resolving any breaches
● Improve the quality and range of contributor material along with overseeing costing and payment of contributors ● Maintain/oversee relevant budgets
● Strong understanding of the magazine production process (accurate copy-editing ability) ● Print craft skills – developing front covers and magazine interiors
● Assess manuscripts/other contributions on submission to ascertain their suitability and length, or the need for any further research/ photography/other images
● Digital and social media skills ● Ability to prioritise workload and to manage a range of tasks ● Excellent organisational and communication skills
● Proactively support and attend shows, events and other related activities as appropriate to the development of the brand ● Keep up to date with developments in the subject sector, especially
This is a full-time role. A hybrid work pattern is available with at least 3
news and current trends
days per week in our office in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please visit www.keypublishing.com/vacancies/ and complete the online application form. Key Publishing is an equal opportunities employer and encourages diversity.
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UK Visitors
UK Visitors We present a selection of images of visiting aircraft from airports around the UK. For the most part they’re commercial jets, but almost all of them are unusual types, wearing new or unique liveries, or first visits by an airline or airliner to a particular airport. If you see something out of the ordinary while on your travels, please send in your pictures. Photos can be emailed to: [email protected] Please ensure you provide full details with the images, particularly the date, location, airline name and aircraft identity The start of Turkish Airlines’ new Antalya service to Manchester during April also heralded the arrival of the flag carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX 9s to the North West England gateway. Shortly afterwards, one of the firm’s current fivestrong contingent of MAX 9s, TC-LYA (c/n 60062), made its first visit. Outfitted in a two-class, 169-seat layout, the jet is shown here on April 9 plying the popular connection (which is also served by numerous operators) ASHLEY FRENCH
Manchester
Making its first visit to Manchester Airport was this retro-themed TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321neo, CS-TJR (c/n 10105), seen here on April 17 operating Flight TP 1314 from Lisbon. This particular airframe – which was the airline’s 42nd NEO example back in October 2020 – was painted to celebrate TAP Air Portugal’s 75th anniversary. TAP’s A330-300, CS-TOV (c/n 1006), briefly sported the same livery between 2017-2019 SPENCER BENNETT
Manchester
A 28-year-old Boeing 747400BCF, N702CA (c/n 27217), from US-based National Airlines was pictured at East Midlands on April 30 after being rostered onto a Formula 1 (F1) charter ahead of the season’s maiden Miami Grand Prix in Florida. Having initially been handed over new to Singapore Airlines as 9V-SMY in March 1994, it was later converted to a dedicated freighter towards the end of the following decade and later saw service with carriers including Cathay Pacific Cargo SPENCER BENNETT
East Midlands
This De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400, N145VE (c/n 4262), arrived at Southend on May 15 on a marathon ferry flight to Papua New Guinea-based Air Niugini, having just made a transatlantic hop via Iceland – it departed the following day for Maastricht in the Netherlands. It will be the turboprop’s second stint with the carrier – previously as P2-PXS – following a six-year period during the 2010s. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150-equipped aircraft’s last operator was Star Perú, where it wore a face mask livery on the nose SIMON MURDOCH
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UK Visitors
Glasgow/International
One of the most iconic military aircraft designs recently graced the Scottish hub in the form of this Bell Boeing CV-22B Osprey, which was spotted here on April 10. The tiltrotor type, operated by the US Air Force and adorned with serial 11-0057 (c/n D1038), was understood to have conducted several sorties around Scotland during its stay before eventually heading south SH
This striking Alsie Express ATR 72-500 was seen touching down on Exeter’s 6,811ft Runway 26 from Jersey on the first day of May. It’s understood the turboprop’s visit to the Devon gateway came after Blue Islands very briefly subchartered the 14-year-old aircraft, OY-CLY (c/n 799). Sønderborg, Denmark-based Alsie Express – which also fields fellow ATR 72-500, OY-CLZ (c/n 818) – was established in May 2013 and is managed by subsidiary, Air Alsie, with both firms being owned by Sandma Holding A/S IAN SIMPSON
Exeter
Edinburgh
East Midlands was subject to a brief influx of Italian football fans on April 28 ahead of AS Roma’s Europa Conference League firstleg semi-final tie against Leicester City that evening (eventually ending 1-1). One of the aircraft involved was this 171-seat Airbus A320ceo, EI-DTE (c/n 3885), from ITA Airways. The 2009built airframe became the first aircraft from the Alitalia successor to be adorned in ITA’s stunning all-blue colour scheme PETER APSEY
Scotland’s capital played host to this sharp-looking Boeing 737 BBJ of the Hyundai Motor Company, as noted by the CFM International CFM56powered executive jet’s South Korean registration, HL8290 (c/n 41375). The aircraft, pictured on Edinburgh’s sole 8,392ft Runway 06/24 on May 8, had initially arrived from London/Stansted. Following a two-day stay in Scotland, it left bound for Ostrava in the Czech Republic’s east SH
East Midlands
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Toronto training centre expands The latest training aids available for the aviation professional
High technology company CAE has revealed intentions for expansion of one of its flight training centres with new full-flight simulators (FFSs). In a move aimed to “support its Canadian customers” – disclosed at the 2022 World Aviation Training Summit (WATS) on May 3 – new CAE 7000XR Boeing 787 and CAE 7000XR Boeing 737 MAX Level D FFSs are planned for deployment at the firm’s Toronto Training Centre, near the city’s major Pearson gateway.
According to Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president of civil aviation, their arrival is expected later this year. Enhanced features of the CAE 7000XR Series FFS include a CAE Tropos 6000XR to produce “extreme visual realism”, upset prevention recovery training and a next-generation instructor office – and is, according to the company, designed to optimise life-cycle costs for its customers. CAE noted that the expansion of its Toronto Training Centre comes as
Fort Myers flourishes A new 19,000sq ft airline pilot training centre at Page Field in Fort Myers, southwest Florida (pictured) has been unveiled by ATP Flight School. The state-of-the-art site comprises a 9,000sq ft area dedicated to briefing, classroom and simulator space. The remaining 10,000sq ft forms part of an adjacent maintenance centre, used to inspect and maintain the training firm’s fleet of aircraft, comprising single-engine Piper Archers and multi-engine Piper Seminoles. The US Sunshine State site also houses an “expansive simulator bay” with brand new Frasca TruFlite simulators, boasting immersive 220° wrap-around visuals. According to ATP, up to 200 aspiring airline pilots were given a preview of the newly constructed facility, which was unveiled at the end of April. Michael Arnold, director of marketing, ATP Flight School, said: “With a pilot shortage upon us, it’s an exciting moment to unveil the Fort Myers training centre. ”The new facility is built on 35-plus years of experience delivering airline
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pilot training and presents state-of-the-art resources backed with the proven methodology that has made ATP the leading provider of airline pilots. “The result is Florida's premier airline training centre, where students are on the fastest track to becoming airline pilots.” Ben Siegel, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority, welcomed the ATP Flight School “as a new business partner and tenant on the North Ramp at Page Field”. He added: “We hope this new location in Fort Myers will be a great success in developing and professionally training new airline pilots.” It is ATP’s second newly constructed airline training centre that has been opened in less than 12 months, following a 25,875sq ft facility in Arlington, Texas – which began operations last autumn. As of May 5, ATP had an impressive 72 flight school locations spreading right across the United States. (Photo ATP Flight School /2022 ATP)
airlines in Canada were “expressing optimism that air travel will normalise in 2022”. Leontidis said: “We are excited to expand our training footprint in Toronto with the immediate addition of new Boeing 787 and 737 MAX simulators to be deployed in the second half of 2022. These latest additions complement our offerings and support the efforts of our Canadian-based airlines as they ramp up service and look for future growth.” (Photo Flickr Commons/Steve Lynes)
Boosting data skills Manchester Airports Group (MAG) – operator of Manchester, East Midlands and London/Stansted – has launched a data literacy apprenticeship as part of its drive towards a “digital-first culture”. According to MAG, this development emphasises its ambition of maximising efficiency of the airport experience using such digital tools. In conjunction with training provider Multiverse, employees from MAG enrol on to one of a pair of courses available. The first comprises a 13-month ‘data literacy programme’, encompassing topics such as ‘core technical skills’, demonstrating the transformation of data into insights. The other course, a degreelevel ‘advanced data fellowship’ programme, enhances an individual’s skillset in data analysis/ science. It would also “accelerate digital transformation at MAG” as skills including technical project management and predictive modelling are built on. Nick Woods, CIO at MAG, said: “We are focused on using technology to empower every corner of our business, and the data literacy programme is an important part of that commitment. Working with Multiverse on this programme will enhance our colleagues’ capability to understand and work with data, which is key to our digital strategy.” In May, MAG confirmed more than 100 of its employees from across the group had enrolled in the first cohort of the programme.
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Preserving Commercial Aviation’s Past
Scion fuselage and wing almost complete Volunteers at Rochester Airportbased Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd (MAPSL) are continuing their efforts to restore one of just three surviving Short Scions. MAPSL acquired the fuselage of Scion II, G-AEZF (c/n PA1008), in June 2013. At the time, the aircraft was in an extremely poor condition, having had a tractor drive into it, as well as bearing the brunt of the British weather while in open storage at Southend Airport. MAPSL restored the Scion’s fuselage in 2019 and focus has since shifted to the wings. Much of the wing has had to be reconstructed using images taken during the type’s four-year production run as a reference. The port wing is much more complete, but still requires re-sparring and all-new leading and trailing edges. It has been used a pattern for the restoration of the starboard wing which was in a very bad state. A float is currently on loan from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Northern Ireland so that two more of them can be built from scratch, enabling the Scion to stand on its own landing gear for the first time in several decades. The Scion has significance for Rochester and Kent as the 1930s type was manufactured at the airfield where it is being restored. Unusually, G-AEZF’s good fortune in having survived into the 21st century is thanks to its earlier misfortune, because it spent much of its working life in storage or undergoing repairs. In total, during a flying career spanning almost two decades, it spent a meagre 178 hours and 43 minutes in the air. MAPSL’s G-AEZF was the last of 22 Scions to be built, being constructed
The Scion's fuselage is almost complete, aside from fabric work and painting KEY-MARTIN NEEDHAM
by Pobjoy Airmotors and Engines Ltd as a floatplane for Elders Colonial Airways of Freetown, Sierra Leone, an associate of Imperial Airways. First flown by Short Brothers’ chief test pilot, Captain Lankester Parker, from Rochester Esplanade on the river Medway on September 22, 1937, it required two further test flights following modifications including an increased dihedral on the wing and a larger fin and rudder. These were likely made to counteract the effects of the floats. Having amassed just half-an-hour in the air by this point, the aircraft was dismantled and transported to Rochester Airport in February 1938, likely in readiness to be exported to Sierra Leone. However, it remained at the Kent airfield until late 1940, when it was taken by road to the Pobjoy factory at Northfleet, also in Kent, for repairs to the damage it had sustained when Rochester Airport was bombed by the Luftwaffe on September 21, 1940. Following repairs, the aircraft was again placed in storage before being pressed into RAF service in November 1941. It was taken to RAF Barton in Bedfordshire, and assigned
Anson back in action
The Shuttleworth Collection-owned Avro Anson in action at the Evening of Espionage airshow on May 14 MARTIN NEEDHAM
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to No. 24 Elementary Flight Training School, where it was returned to flying condition as a landplane. Between September 10, 1942 and December 4, 1942, the aircraft amassed 18 hours, 10 minutes flying time over several missions before being damaged in a gale at Cark, Cumbria. The aircraft was again transported by road for maintenance at Short Brothers in Windermere. It re-entered RAF service in April 1943, being used as a liaison and transport aircraft until February 1945, when it was returned to Short Brothers at Rochester. The aircraft was overhauled and sold to Air Carriers of Heston Airport, west London. It was used intermittently, occasionally with cameras fitted for photomapping, until May 1953. After this, the aircraft sat derelict behind a hangar at Southend Airport before being transported to Redhill. Much of the restoration work completed so far was funded by a grant from Rochester Bridge Trust. There are no plans to display it once completed, but there is interest in centralising Kent’s aviation history in a facility at Rochester in the future. The Old Warden-based Avro C19 Anson, G-AHKX (c/n 1333), has returned to display flight duties after almost three years, taking part in both of the Shuttleworth Collection’s May airshows. The 1946-built airliner had been absent from Bedfordshire skies since August 2019, but featured in the flying displays at both the Season Premiere Airshow on May 1 and again at the Evening of Espionage event on May 14. As reported in the May 2022 issue of Airliner World, the Anson was one of three Old Warden residents that were donated to the Shuttleworth Collection by BAESystems earlier this year.
Failure to monitor speed prompts ‘aggressive’ 757 manoeuvres
crew’s failure to adequately monitor the speed of their aircraft led to aggressive control inputs that left three cabin crew members injured, the US National Transport Safety Board has found. The incident occurred on September 6, 2018, as American Airlines flight 279 was descending into New York/JFK to conclude a flight from Edinburgh, Scotland. The Boeing 757-200, N173AN (c/n 32399), was nearing 12,000ft on its descent at 12.45 local time when the autopilot’s ‘Altitude Hold’ mode was engaged. After 15 seconds, the recorded altimeter setting changed from 29.92 to 30.13 inches of mercury, resulting in an immediate change to the displayed altitude. The captain reported the altitude at this time was 12,100ft and changed the mode control panel (MCP)’s auto throttle system to flight level change (FLCH) to return to 12,000ft. Acting as pilot flying, the captain then advised the two other crew members on the flight deck – the first officer acting as pilot monitoring and an international relief officer who
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was sitting in the jump seat – that the MCP was displaying an airspeed of 253-255kts, which was slightly above the desired 250kts. The MCP speed was manually moved to 250kts, causing both throttle lever angles to decrease. Once the throttles had reached the aft stop, the auto throttle entered Throttle Hold (THR HOLD) mode. At this point, the captain began briefing for the approach and air traffic control (ATC) cleared the 757 to descend to 7,000ft before issuing instructions to expedite through 9,000ft. As the autopilot was still set to FLCH with a target altitude of 12,000ft and the auto throttles in THR HOLD, the aircraft’s pitch attitude began to increase so as to maintain an altitude of 12,000ft, while the airspeed began to decay below 250kts. At 12.47, the international relief officer made three comments about the decreasing speed, by which time the airliner had decelerated to 186kts. The international relief officer was of the opinion that the speed was becoming “dangerously low” and, in response to his calls, the autopilot and auto throttle systems
were disengaged. Following this, the airspeed began increasing. At this point, the jet’s pitch attitude was around 10° nose up and the control column was quickly moved forward to introduce a more nose-down attitude. During this manoeuvre, the recorded vertical acceleration varied between 1.476 and -0.156G, with the aircraft’s attitude shifting from 10° nose up to 3° nose down. Following this, the airspeed increased to 250kts, the pitch was stabilised and the autopilot was re-engaged. The flight then began descending to 7,000ft as instructed by ATC and the remainder of the flight was completed uneventfully. In its findings, the NTSB cited the flight crew’s “failure to adequately monitor the airplane’s airspeed” as being the primary reason for “the captain’s aggressive control inputs to increase airspeed.” The manoeuvres resulted in three members of the cabin crew in the aft galley to be thrown against the ceiling. One member of staff sustained a compound arm fracture, while the other two received only minor injuries.
Date
Reg'n
C/n
Type
Operator
Fatalities
Location
Notes
Apr-11 Apr-13
C-GYQK N928JP
B-153 208B2428
Beechcraft A100 King Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Thunder Airlines Gem Air
0 1
Canada United States
Landing gear collapse Crashed into building on approach Crashed during attempted go-around following runway excursion Nosegear collapse following aborted take-off Runway excursion Struck powerlines Heavy landing
Apr-13
PNC0257
9670
Basler Turbo 67
Colombian Police
0
Colombia
Apr-14 Apr-17 Apr-22 May-06
N820DC N225SC UR-UZB YR-BMM
DC-820B 525B0611 11305 40871
Swearingen SA227 Metro 23 Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ3 Antonov An-26B-100 Boeing 737-800
0 0 1 0
United States United States Ukraine Italy
934 5157
Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter 400 Airbus A319ceo
Denver Air Connection GP Aviation LLC Constanta Airlines Blue Air LBK Servico Aereo Especializado Caverton Helicopters Tibet Airlines
May-11
PT-OQR
May-11 May-12
TJ-TIM B-6425
Cessna 208 Caravan I
2
Brazil
Struck a transmission tower shortly after departure
11 0
Cameroon China
Crashed into a forest Runway excursion following aborted take-off
Reports and details of recent incidents
ABOVE • The Rolls-Royce RB211-powered airliner was returning New York/ JFK following a service from Edinburgh at the time of the incident FLICKR COMMONS/ LIAM MCMANUS
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ESTABLISHING & EXTENDING THE
E-JET ENVELOPE It is 20 years since the Embraer E-Jet’s first flight. Bernie Baldwin discovers what getting the aircraft aloft felt like and learns more about the family’s importance to air transport
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uesday February 19, 2002 was the date. São José dos Campos, Brazil, was the place. The first Embraer E-Jet – an E170 – took to the air and a new era (arguably) of air transport really got under way. Rolled out on October 29, 2001, the Embraer E-Jet family was, at the time, in a sales battle with Bombardier Aerospace’s CRJ family (now Mitsubishi) and the 728/928 family being developed by Fairchild Dornier (See Airliner World May 2022). While the CRJs grew out of the development of a business jet platform, the Embraer and Fairchild Dornier products were clean sheet designs. The importance of the E-Jet family is not lost on Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer’s vice-president of engineering, technology and corporate strategy. There are few people who would have a greater
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appreciation of these aircraft over the intervening years. Back in the late 1990s, having been chief engineer on the successful ERJ145 programme, Affonso became the E-Jets programme vice-president at its inception in 1999. He held that role until the aircaft’s entry into service, while he also served as senior vice-president of engineering and new product development. After leading the Executive Aviation business from 2005 to 2011, Affonso’s return to Commercial Aviation as chief operating officer signalled to observers that more developments in that sector were on the way. Indeed, he oversaw the development of the E-Jets E2 programme from its launch until becoming vice-president corporate strategy, innovation and digital from August 2017 to June 2020, at which point he took up his current role.
ABOVE • The Embraer E175 can attribute its success to being a perfect fit for US scope clauses VIA AUTHOR
Regarding the E-Jet family’s importance, Affonso recalled the decision to go ahead: “We were enjoying success with the ERJ145. It was a very successful aeroplane as the company moved through privatisation,” he said. “It was a very bold move to launch the E-Jets. At that time, Embraer was a $2bn company, and we were planning to launch a $1bn project – and that’s what we did. The E-Jets were launched in 1999, but, of course, in 1998, we were already selecting engines, planning to have board approval the following year. “We all hoped and expected that the new platform we were designing would be a successful aeroplane, and be in the market for the next 20+ years, which, fortunately, has happened. And we determined that we had to build it with up-to-date technologies, the latest available. www.key.aero
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All round praise from early E-Jet adopter David Siegel and Embraer are inextricably linked. At the Farnborough Airshow in 1996, as CEO of Continental Express, he signed an order for 25 firm ERJ145s, plus 175 options. “We took all of them and also launched the ERJ135 with 75 units for a total of 275 ERJs.” Later, as CEO of US Airways, Siegel ordered 85 E170/175s as a launch customer. Looking back, he highly rates the importance of 20 years of E-Jets in the air. “Embraer’s E-Jets were a total game-changer in the regional industry, a key enabler of growth as their series of product-line innovations continued to develop the market,” he said. He added: “The ERJ145 changed the 50-seat game.” The type was (and continues to be) popular due to its economics – which are similar to those of turboprops – combined with a roomier fuselage than would be found on some turboprobs. Siegel also noted that the larger family members – the E190/195 – changed the regional jet industry again and filled the gap in the 100-seater market. “It was an incredible, hugely successful line of four products that continue to deliver superior economics and performance along with a great passenger experience today,” Siegel emphasised.
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ABOVE • Crossair’s snubbing of the Fairchild Dornier 728JET in favour of the E170 – and the good relationship between the airline’s CEO, Moritz Suter, and Embraer’s president, Mauricio Botelho – informed aspects of the type’s design, including the removal of the middle seat ETIENNE DE MALGLAIVE/ GETTY IMAGES BELOW • The E-Jets family’s steep-approach capabilities were noticed early on in the flight test programme, making the aircraft ideally suited for operations from London/City Airport. As of September 2021, 95% of flights from the Docklands hub were operated by E1s VIA AUTHOR
We had to make an aeroplane as efficient as the available technologies permitted,” he stated.
Main challenges The vision of using technologies new to Embraer – such as flyby-wire, integrated systems in modular avionics, as opposed to federated systems with big boxes – both in avionics as well as in the electric systems, was one of five big challenges in the programme, according to Affonso. “The next important challenge was the size,” he declared. “As you grow the aeroplane, there are phenomena that are different, especially those linked to flexibility, shimmy and
flutter. When you think of the E195, it was a huge aeroplane for Embraer. At the time, our eyes were used to looking at the ERJ145. When we saw the first E170 coming into the open at the rollout, [we thought] ‘My goodness, that’s heavy iron’.” The third challenge was related to the markets, because Embraer was no longer only talking to the regional companies. “We had to talk to mainline companies. So, as well as having discussions with SkyWest, Republic and the like, we were talking to British Airways, KLM [and] United. That’s where we discovered a different level of demands,” he said. “The next challenge was associated to the business model. Because the
programme was so big, compared with the size of Embraer, so we decided to work with partners. We took the risk-sharing partnership of the ERJ145 programme to the next level with partners taking a bit more responsibility for the development, because we wouldn’t have enough resources ourselves. “Finally, the schedule was a challenge, because Crossair wanted to be the launch customer, but they did not want to receive the E-Jets later than our competitor [Fairchild Dornier] was delivering to another European airline [Lufthansa Group]. Crossair didn’t want to be disadvantaged in terms of entering the market, which gave us a very aggressive schedule,” Affonso revealed. “Those five challenges combined made the programme and the project an epic journey for us. When [the E-Jet] flew in February 2002, it was a big achievement. We were all crying on the tarmac.” Affonso said. “A few months later, the aircraft made its debut at the Farnborough Airshow. The flying display of the E170 was very impressive, because our pilots were demonstrating the steepapproach capability, even though we were in maybe the third month of the flight-test campaign, still far from certifying the steep approach. This was done later, close to the end of the flight-test campaign,
A Republic built on an E-Jet backbone Bryan Bedford is the CEO who has overseen the operation of more E-Jets than any other airline leader. The Republic Airways president and CEO is happy to recall the moment the impressive characteristics of the E-Jet led to the type being introduced into the carrier’s fleet. “I remember Embraer bringing an E-Jet to Indianapolis in 2003 for a demo flight. My chief strategy officer and I were sitting across the aisle
from one another,” he said. “About midway through the flight, we looked at each other and had the same thought: this is a game changer for the regional business. The sense of space was unparalleled, front to back. Within three months, we cancelled all our remaining ERJ145 orders and converted them to E170s. There was no going back from there.” Bedford’s assessment of the family’s importance over the years
but demonstrating it so early left it imprinted in my memory.”
ABOVE • Republic Airways is the biggest operator of the Embraer E170/E175, having 228 examples on its books AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ STEVEN MARQUEZ
Leading the way With expectations for the technology being brought to market, the development programme was of an order of magnitude above anything previously undertaken. It would be fair to say the technology eventually proved itself wonderfully well. “The E1 put us in a different step in several technologies that are the basis of the KC-390, the Praetors and the second-generation E-Jets. All the technologies introduced were
BELOW • Examples of all four E-Jets E1 variants – the E170, E175, E190 and E195 VIA AUTHOR
was unequivocal: “As the longest and largest operator of E-Jets in the world, I can honestly say Republic Airways would not be what it is today were it not for the creation of the E-Jet. It is still the best product in the regional market and Embraer and GE Aviation continue to invest in improvements and modernisation of the E-Jet performance, maintaining its relevance in the global market,” he declared.
fundamental for those later projects,” Affonso said. On the aerodynamics side, meanwhile, choosing the doublebubble fuselage was very important. It differentiates E-Jets from every other aircraft in the market. “Still, today, the airlines that fly single-aisle aeroplanes [report that] passengers prefer to fly on any jet without the middle seat, with better access to the aisle than on a five- or six-abreast type,” Affonso said. He described the choice of fuselage as one of the defining decisions that can be taken during the predesign conceptual
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E-Jets taking dreamers to new heights Based in Shizuoka, Japan, Fuji Dream Airlines (FDA) is the only current airline to have been launched with a fleet of E-Jets and it has kept its operations solely to the type. When asked to think back regarding the E-Jet characteristics and the airline’s key drivers that led to the type’s selection, the company’s president, vice-president and technical division director jointly commented: “We introduced E-Jets [E170/175] because they were suitable for our business purpose – specialising in regional aviation in Japan – and had the suitable airframe size, cabin capacity and fuel economy performance.
phase, as it affects the rest of the line. “We’ve used exactly the same cross-section for the E2,” he added.
Taking to the air After the October 2001 rollout, came the wait until the first flight the following February. The preparation work from the moment of the rollout to getting the aircraft in the air was dedicated to safe flight clearance, especially the final version of the software. “The aeroplane was virtually complete at the rollout, but with the fly-by-wire, we had to conclude the validation and verification, to be sure that we would have safe flight,” Affonso confirmed. “We also had activities like the ground vibration test, ensuring we were safe regarding aero elasticity. “In an aeroplane like the E-Jet, where the systems are so integrated,
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“At the time, in 2009, when we started our business, we thought that choosing a regional jet such as an E-Jet was a big advantage, because most airlines in Japan still used turboprop aircraft for regional aviation,” the execs explained. The reactions to the aircraft, from both the cockpit and the cabin, have consistently been positive, the executive trio reported: “The majority of our cockpit crew highly appreciate the natural sensation that E-Jets provide in each flight operation phase. Also, most of our cabin crew appreciate that its cabin configuration (2+2 seat layout) has provided comfortable seating for our customers, with enough leg room and so on. Moreover, we have
ABOVE • Fuji Dream Airlines is one of only two Japanese airlines to operate an all-Embraer fleet, the other being Japan Airlines subsidiary J-Air VIA AUTHOR
received a lot of compliments about the aircraft from our customers.” Having flown E-Jets for 13 of the 20 years the family has been in the air, one would expect the type’s significance to be truly appreciated at FDA and the executives certainly corroborate that: “With the introduction of regional jets such as the E-Jet series, each airline – especially small airline companies like us – has been given the chance to start operating even low-demand routes. We also consider that air networks around the world are getting better year by year because of this scenario,” the trio confirmed.
this is very challenging work, because, on the ERJ145, we had federated systems. In the E-Jets, the brake control box, the anti-skid control box are on a card inside the big box with several other cards of several other systems sharing power supplies, sometimes sharing software. This saves weight, electric power and space – it’s more optimised,” he said. Eventually, Affonso got to stand with crowds watching the aircraft take to the sky. “It was amazing. It’s imprinted in my memory,” he said. “It involved many, many people – basically the entire company. Even compared to recent first flights, the number of people along the runway was amazing. I was with Mauricio Botelho [then CEO] and Fred Curado [then executive vice president commercial aircraft]. We were side by side – I had a walkietalkie radio, following what was going on and talking to them [on the aircraft]. It was our first flight of a fly-by-wire aeroplane. “I was at our facility in Melbourne, Florida, recently and saw a picture
with Mauricio Botelho and myself after that flight, with the aeroplane in the background. It’s one of the pictures I like the most, because it was a realisation moment,” he enthused. “This is what is beautiful about first flights, and about our industry. Developing an aeroplane needs teamwork – brilliant people dedicating their time beyond the call of duty. We knew it was important for the future of Embraer, so people dedicated their time and their knowledge and innovative minds. When it flies, you see thousands of people recognising their work. From the guy who designed certain parts of the aeroplane, to the people in procurement dealing with suppliers and manufacturing, they recognise themselves in that magic moment.” Affonso and his fellow executives watched the take-off and climb and, once the aircraft was out of sight, went to observe the telemetry to follow the flight. “Then came the landing, which [was greeted with] fire engines with the water arch [salute] and we all got wet. I remember
The Embraer E175 visited the Paris and Dubai airshows in 2005, as part of the manufacturer’s sales pitch AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/EUROPIX
Flybe fielded a 25-strong fleet of Embraer E175s and E195s prior to its collapse. The majority of its Brazilian-built jets were of the larger, E195 variant MARTIN NEEDHAM
Right-size fit for Africa’s developing markets Rodger Foster, CEO and managing director of South Africa-based Airlink outlined the challenge his airline faced when the time came to re-fleet: “We needed a replacement for our Avro RJ85 fleet. The successor had to be operationally competent at our difficult destination airports like Pietermaritzburg, Skukuza, Richards Bay and Vilanculos. “The E-Jet offered the best solution, hands down,” Foster stressed. “And it had to be ETOPS/EDTO certified and capable of operating at St Helena, one of the most challenging airports in the world – the E190AR is the best solution for this challenge. “The selection of the E-Jet came with the added advantage of a great range and good operating economics. We also sought exceptional robustness and reliability, especially regarding engines, and the
E-Jet ticked that box unequivocally,” he continued. “We were looking for enhanced customer comfort and the E-Jet, with its two-plus-two configuration, offered the best solution. Those operating the aircraft at Airlink have similar views: “Our crew adore this aircraft,” the CEO said. “The spacious and well-appointed cabin enables our flight attendants to perform their safety imperatives with confidence whilst delivering exceptional service to our customers. Our pilots love flying the E-Jet. It is pilot friendly, easy to fly, constituted with very advanced technology with a high level of automation. It also has brilliant short field performance capabilities, as well as being narrow-runway certified. The type offers low workload, because of its simplicity, and is less fatiguing to fly.
“It is hard to believe that E-Jets have been in the air for 20 years,” Foster said. “This highly sophisticated aircraft was way ahead of its time and still represents some of the most advanced technology in aviation today. We highly value the dispatch reliability that we have been able to extract, without which Airlink would not be able to sustain our exceptional on-time performance, which has exceeded 97% constantly over the past 30 months.” Foster sees the E-Jet platform playing an important role in developing air transportation systems within the intra-Africa environment: “We have already witnessed this aircraft become endeared to our customers on all the routes within Airlink’s comprehensive network throughout southern Africa. It is the right-size fit to Africa’s developing markets.”
South Africa's Airlink uses its E190s on connections to St Helena VIA AUTHOR www.key.aero
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Helvetic support for E-Jet types Approaching its 20th anniversary in 2023, Helvetic Airways has been operating E-Jets for a little more than seven years and currently has E1s and E2s in its fleet. “We took delivery of the first of seven E190s from FlyNiki in December 2014 to replace our seven Fokker 100s,” said the airline’s CEO, Tobias Pogorevc. “The E1 was already a modern, contemporary aircraft with steep approach capability and was already significantly more fuel-efficient than the F100. “The co-operation with Embraer was excellent from the beginning, and the development of the E2 series progressed partly due to our experience and input from Switzerland,” he added. “So, it was an obvious decision to carry out the fleet renewal in 2019 to Having initially started operations with shocking-pink Fokker 100s, Helvetic Airways quickly became an Embraer advocate. It phased out its Dutch-built regional jets in favour of E1s and has since introduced E2s AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/MARKUS MAINKA
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2021 with the new E2 models. It’s the right aircraft for the future. “The E2, again, consumes significantly less fuel than the E1, and, especially in times of rising fuel prices, it makes economic sense to use an aircraft that saves 20-30% fuel on certain routes at high load factors. Our own measured values are even higher than Embraer’s factory specifications,” Pogorevc said. “A key reason for choosing the E2 jet was the commonalities, which is particularly advantageous in the areas of training and maintenance. All our pilots are certified for the E1 and the E2, and the maintenance in our hangar is also certified for both types of aircraft,” the CEO added.
Reactions from both the cockpit and the cabin are enthusiastic: “Working in a brand-new aircraft is always something special, even for long-time employees. In the cockpit, there are numerous innovations of a technical nature – for example, the control panels are no longer controlled by cable but digitally, and the entire layout in the cockpit is much more spacious,” said Pogorevc. “In the cabin, the reduced noise level and lighting make for a pleasant working environment. “Thanks to the new cabin management system (CMS), operating the technology and communicating with the cockpit has also become easier and significantly better.”
Mauricio, Satoshi [Yokota, Embraer’s executive VP, industrial, at the time], myself, all hugging the pilots. It was the most emotional moment for me, having been involved with the programme since day one.”
Joining the family Since then, Affonso has seen another six E-Jet models take to the air. After the E170 came the other three members of the E1 family, before all three members of the E2 family. Then he saw the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 business jets. “The E170 was the toughest one – the one that opened the doors for all the others that came after. They were all emotional days, but that first one was the most exciting and the most emotional.” Regarding the E2, which is now adding to E-Jet sales figures, Affonso believes it’s important to mention that, underneath its retained doublebubble fuselage, the E2 is a new
ABOVE • While Embraer has notched up more than 200 orders for the E2 family, it has yet to secure a commitment for the E175-E2. This is most likely due to the type exceeding the maximum take-off mass permitted by US scope clauses, and the relatively young age of a lot of US-based E1 variants EMBRAER
BELOW • KLM Cityhopper is Europe’s largest E-Jets operator, flying the E190, E175 and, most recently, the E195-E2 V1IMAGES/EDDY CUPERUS
aircraft. “All the systems are new, because, once again, the thought was the same – in launching a secondgeneration E-Jet, we had to make it as efficient as possible for the next 20-30 years. We changed the wings, the empennage, all the systems, while keeping pilot commonality,” he said. “It is a brand-new platform, but our engineering teams are much more mature, so it’s completely different in that respect. On the first generation, we were discovering as we went along. On the E2, we’ve done more. For example, the E1 had mechanical ailerons, but on the E2 it’s 100% flyby-wire, for which we developed the control laws and generated the code.” In visiting customers over the years, Affonso has been on many commercial E-Jet flights, often looking around to watch for reactions to the aircraft. He has also had conversations with fellow passengers who haven’t known he helped create the aircraft.
Republic Airways’ extensive use of the Embraer E175 includes contracts with all three major US carriers through their regional subsidiaries – American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express VIA AUTHOR www.key.aero
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“I like to do that and ask not only the passengers, but the pilots and flight attendants what they’re observing,” he said. “Of course, we did that a lot before we launched the E2. I’ve received lots of positive perceptions, plus a few that have led to improvements on the E2. On the first generation – and this is a phenomenon across our industry – people wanted more overhead bin space. That’s why we created the bigger overhead bins on the E2, basically one per passenger. On the positive side, people love having no middle seats and they feel the cross section is very comfortable and quiet. “Overall, we get very positive comments, including from pilots. They love to fly the E1. They say it’s easy to fly, with the human–machine interface often praised, including the intuitiveness of the controls [and] how responsive the aeroplane is,” Affonso continued. “We also have mechanics commenting that this is a reliable aeroplane. That’s why it’s still a very popular aeroplane, one that has among the most deliveries in the history of commercial aviation. There are not many aeroplanes that have more than 1,600 deliveries.”
ABOVE • Alaska Airlines has also jumped on the E175 bandwagon, joining United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle in the US. Its Horizon subsidiary flies 30 examples of the 76-seater V1IMAGES/HUY DO
Treading softly Finally, as the programme moves on with the E2, Affonso highlighted the greater demand nowadays for lowering fuel consumption and reducing carbon footprints, and the response from Embraer: “Our E2 has a footprint which is 25% lower than the current types on a per passenger basis. That’s a great
evolution as we move towards using SAF [sustainable aviation fuel],” he stated. “It’s an interesting point, because, when we launched it, our thoughts were linked to the efficiency and lowering the costs but, at the end, it is a very sustainable platform, because it’s the most efficient and quietest platform.”
Why LOT flew the whole lot In certain ways, LOT Polish Airlines has a history with E-Jets that few can match. Yes, others may have operated E-Jets in greater numbers, but LOT was a joint launch operator with US Airways and is the only airline to operate all four of the first-generation models. According to LOT’s chief operating officer, Maciej Wilk, traffic demand and further development of the network led the airline to need an aircraft with a capacity of 70-100 seats: “Those requirements were met by the E-Jet series,” he commented. “When we introduced the E170, E175 and E190, our goal was to increase the frequency of European LOT Polish Airlines was a joint launch customer for the Embraer E170 VIA AUTHOR
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routes. We started with three routes a week, then seven routes a week, and, today, we fly to some destinations even twice a day.” The reception by LOT’s customers supported the decision. “Passengers liked the two-plus-two seating arrangement,” Wilk remarked. “The E-Jets definitely met expectations, both in terms of performance, layout and noise level.” Władysław Metelski, LOT’s fleet management consultant, stated: “The E-Jet family is a very important platform, combining the segment of small, turboprop aircraft [60-70 passengers] and narrowbody aircraft with a capacity of 150+
passengers. Thus, it fills an important gap, and this in itself enables exploration of new markets, opening air connections to destinations that do not generate sufficient demand to fill a narrowbody aircraft. “It is also an aircraft very well suited to the needs of hub carriers, those requiring high frequency connections,” Metelski added. “Again, an oversized aircraft in a relatively shallow market would not work. So, certainly, the emergence of this aircraft segment provided an important step in the development of civil aviation.”
TAS Aviation Memorabilia Fair Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th July 2022 No pre-booking is required. Entry is free, normal car parking charges apply.
The TAS Aviation Memorabilia Fair is once again taking place this summer at the Runway Visitor Park! Outside the Hangar, the ‘Loose Change Buskers’ will be performing lots of well-known tunes throughout the day. Open top buses will be strategically positioned in the Park for photographers to get the best possible views of aircraft arriving & departing. Various aeronautical exhibits will be also be available in the Park, including a Lightning Jet Fighter Cockpit. COME ALONG AND JOIN US, LOTS TO SEE AND DO! Runway Visitor Park, Altrincham, WA15 8XQ
Any enquiries regarding the event, please contact Alison on 0161 489 8324, or email [email protected]
Specialists in Regional Aircraft Marketing ~ Sourcing ~ Lease Management Tel. + 44 1753 832088 [email protected]
Serving the regional airline community for over 25 years We have extensive experience in the Embraer market and are offering a number of ERJ 135/145s and EJets for sale. Visit our website for our latest portfolio. www.skyworld.co.uk
On sale July 14* The AUGUST 2022 issue of Airliner World includes:
Best of the Super Juniors
A tough act to follow
Flying under its own flag
The nine-seat market is becoming an increasingly crowded space. It’s one that has received intense interest from operators and innovators alike as the industry looks to alternative fuel sources to clean up its act. We take a look at the runners and riders in this intensely competitive sector
We visit Cranfield University as the National Flying Laboratory Centre ends its five-decade-long association with the Handley Page/British Aerospace Jetstream. The dependable British twin has made way for a Saab 340 to be deployed in an unusual and specialist role to train the next generation of flight test engineers
Former South African Airways (SAA) franchise partner Airlink has stepped out of its partner’s shadow to become the continent’s second biggest airline. We travel to Johannesburg to speak to key players at an airline flying under its own branding for the first time in its 30-year history
TECNAM
PLUS More than 20 pages of Airliner World’s comprehensive news from across the global aviation sector (Contents are subject to change) * UK scheduled on-sale date. Please note that overseas deliveries are likely to be after this
FLICKR COMMONS/ALAN WILSON
ANDREAS SPAETH
INCORPORATING
Head of Publishing: Finbarr O’Reilly Group Production Editor: David Taylor Publisher, Aviation: John Sootheran Production Editors: Sally Hooton, Angharad Moran, Suzanne Roberts, Sue Rylance Ad & Ed Production Manager: Debi McGowan Head of Design: Steve Donovan Design: Lee Howson Print Procurement Manager: Helen Holmes Head of Marketing: Shaun Binnington Head of Operations & eCommerce: Karen Bean Head of Finance: Carol Pereira Group CEO: Adrian Cox EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES: Airliner World, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1780 755131 Fax: +44 (0)1780 757261 Email: [email protected] web: www.key.aero
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The entire contents of Airliner World is © copyright, and no part of it may be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher: John Sootheran. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from www. keypublishing.com Airliner World (ISSN: 1465-6337), is published monthly by, Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscriptions Department, Airliner World Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1780 480404 (0900-17.30 GMT Mon-Fri) Fax:+44 (0) 1780 757812. E-Mail: [email protected] Readers in the USA can place subscriptions by visiting www.imsnews.com or calling toll-free 757-428-8180. Alternatively, you can subscribe in writing to: Airliner World, International Media Service, PO BOX 866, Virginia Beach 23451, USA. The US annual subscription price is $72.99 Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Airliner World, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA
Subscription records are maintained at Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire,PE9 1NA, UK. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. DISTRIBUTED (UK) BY: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PP. Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY: William Gibbons Ltd, Willenhall, UK.
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