NewsQatar to put first A350-1000 on Heathrow routeQatar Airways is set to operate its first Airbus A350-1000 service to London Heathrow as it prepares to receive the aircraft at a ceremony in Toulouse. The Rolls-Royce XWB-97-powered twinjet is the first -1000 to be handed to a customer.
LinkTrump 'a friend despite friction': Qatar Airways chiefAkbar Al Baker sees US president Donald Trump as a "friend of mine and of Qatar" but expects that there will "always be a little bit of friction". The Qatar Airways chief executive's comments came weeks after the governments of the USA and Qatar signed an agreement that appeared to end a standoff over alleged state aid for airlines.
LinkQatar Airways interested in supersonic potential: Al BakerQatar Airways has expressed strong interest in the potential of supersonic flight, and would even be prepared to act as a launch customer. Start-up supersonic aircraft developer Boom Aerospace has been working on a programme for a small airliner, around 45 seats, capable of speeds of M2.2.
LinkBoeing partners Oerlikon to speed up adoption of 3D printingBoeing is co-operating with Swiss engineering group Oerlikon to jointly develop additive manufacturing processes in a bid to accelerate the technology's wider employment. Oerlikon says it signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the US airframer to create "standard materials and processes" for the production of "structural" titanium components through 3D printing.
LinkGulfstream poised for major expansion of Appleton MRO facilityGulfstream is to embark on a major expansion of its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Appleton International airport in Wisconsin to cater for its growing business jet fleet. With work scheduled to begin in May, the $40 million project will increase the ground of area of the site from 29,300m² (315,000ft²) to nearly 46,000m² – doubling its MRO capacity. Construction is expected to take about 12 months.
LinkWaves gains EASA approval for Europe flightsAir taxi start-up Waves Technologies has secured approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency to provide commercial flights from its base in the Channel Islands to the UK and mainland Europe. The award, known as third country operator (TCO) approval, comes three months after the Guernsey-headquartered venture launched services.
LinkFlying Colours to modify six Q400MR air tankers for ConairCanadian engineering and completions house Flying Colours has secured a contract with British Columbia-based aerial firefighting operator Conair to modify six Bombardier Q400 air tankers with a multipurpose, quick-change interior. Flying Colours says it will be responsible for the engineering, fabrication, installation, certification and completion of four different cabins to support cargo, passenger, combi-transport and medical evacuation missions for the twin-engined turboprop.
LinkGripen E delivery schedule on target, says Saab bossSaab remains on track to deliver the first series production examples of its Gripen E in the third quarter of next year, and is also hopeful of concluding delayed sales of new-build C/D-model examples during 2018. "We will stick according to the plan and deliver the first two aircraft to the Brazilian air force and Swedish air force next year," says Saab chief executive Håkan Buskhe. "Things are going according to plan," he said while discussing the company's financial results for 2017 on 16 February.
LinkUnited’s first 737-9 routes to include Houston-Anchorage United Airlines plans to place its first Boeing 737-9s into revenue service June 7 on routes connecting its Houston Intercontinental (IAH) hub and five cities, including its summer seasonal-nonstop route to Anchorage, Alaska. The other routes for United’s first 737 MAX-family aircraft link IAH with Austin (AUS), Fort Lauderdale, Orlando (MCO), and San Diego. Most of the routes are currently flown with 737-900s, though United is using some 737-800s on IAH-MCO and Airbus A319s on IAH-AUS.
LinkDelta Cargo adds eight airports to pharmaceutical shipping networkDelta Cargo has expanded its Pharma 4 program, bringing the shipment method for room-temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and biotechnology products to an additional eight global destinations, the Atlanta-based carrier said Feb. 20. With the addition of Beijing (PEK), Bogota (BOG), Frankfurt (FRA), Hong Kong (HKG), Sao Paulo (GRU), Seoul (ICN), Shanghai (PVG) and Sydney (SYD), Delta’s network of Pharma stations extends to 49 global locations.
LinkSunExpress reports strong 2017 on traffic growthSunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, reported a €1.2 billion turnover ($1.4 billion) for 2017, the highest turnover in its history. The carrier transported 8.8 million passengers in 2017, up 10% compared to 2016. Load factor rose to 84%. SunExpress did not report detailed financial figures, but attributed the positive numbers to an uptick in passenger growth, especially a 20% boost in Turkish holiday destination traffic.
LinkEurowings to expand Dusseldorf base Eurowings will expand services from its Dusseldorf base by 30%—to 1 million available seats per month—from summer 2018 when the Lufthansa LCC subsidiary will increase its based aircraft from 26 to 40. The expansion plan includes operating 250 daily flights to 95 domestic and international destinations. Eurowings MD Oliver Wagner said the catchment area around Dusseldorf is 18 million people. “In the region, nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs are created through the growth [of Eurowings],” he said.
LinkEmirates to add new Auckland serviceDubai-based Emirates Airline is launching a new route from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand via Bali, Indonesia, as the second stage of the carrier’s overhaul of New Zealand services. The route is scheduled to begin June 14 with a Boeing 777-300ER. The new service follows the planned suspension of two other Emirates flights to New Zealand.
LinkAir France-KLM Eyes Expanding Transavia France’s FleetAir France-KLM has started looking at how it could expand formerly loss-making Transavia France’s fleet beyond the 40 aircraft it is limited to by an agreement with labor unions. It hopes the subsidiary could help it stave off intensifying competition from other LCCs in the French market. “We have started the process of considering the development of Transavia France beyond the 40 aircraft, with the objective of regaining a strong position including on routes from (French) provincial cities to Europe where low-cost competition is particularly strong,” Air France-KLM chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac said.
Link United Airlines works to improve fuel efficiency, cut emissionsUnited Airlines' new Boeing 737 MAX 9 passenger jets feature advanced technology designed to save fuel. The carrier is also reducing emissions by deploying zero-emissions ground support equipment at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and using a mixture of 70% traditional jet fuel and 30% biofuel.
LinkSouthwest Cargo announces May start for international shipmentsSouthwest Cargo will commence international shipments in May, starting with service to select cities in Mexico before expanding to include more areas in Mexico and the Caribbean. The carrier expects the service to start small and grow significantly over the next five years.
LinkAmerican Airlines launches 3 new routesAmerican Airlines on Thursday launched three new nonstop daily routes. The new services connect North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Arizona's Tucson International Airport; Pennsylvania's Philadelphia International Airport and Texas' San Antonio International Airport; and Virginia's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Florida's Tallahassee International Airport.
LinkRussian Helicopters to produce revamped An-2 in Ulan-UdeRussian Helicopters has reached an agreement with the country's government to launch production of a turboprop-powered update of the Antonov An-2 biplane and to establish airline operations for the aircraft. The manufacturer – a subsidiary of state-owned holding company Rostec – says Russia's industry and trade ministry will subsidise the aircraft's certification process and provide "other potential measures of state support in order to arrange large-scale manufacturing".
LinkNorway tests braking parachute on F-35ANorway has completed the first in-country test of a braking parachute on a Lockheed Martin F-35A, with the trial taking place on 16 February at Ørland air base. "Our combat aircraft must be able to land during extreme Norwegian winter conditions, and Norway, with experience in this, will help develop and test the F-35 braking parachute," says Norway's F-35 programme director, Gen Morten Klever.
LinkAir Canada starts daily year-round Edmonton-Kelowna; seasonal Edmonton-Victoria; and seasonal Calgary-Comox Bombardier Q400 service from July 2.
LOT Polish Airlines begins 6X-weekly Warsaw-Moscow Domodedovo service June 3-Oct. 27; and 6X-weekly Krakow-Budapest Bombardier Q400 service from April 28.
Ukraine International Airlines will launch daily Kiev-Vinnytsia Embraer E145 service from March 25.
Ethiopian Airlines will begin 3X-weekly Addis Ababa-Chicago Boeing 787 service from June 9.
Emirates SkyCargo launched Dubai-Maastricht Boeing 777F services.
Cyprus carrier
Cobalt Air will start 2X-weekly Larnaca-Dusseldorf Airbus A320 service May 3.
Qatar Airways will begin 4X-weekly Doha-Mykonos, Greece Airbus A320 seasonal flights from May 30.
Flydubai will launch daily Dubai-DRC capital Kinshasa from April 15.
Cobalt Air will start 3X-weekly Abu Dhabi-Larnaca service from Feb. 25.
LOT Polish Airlines will begin up to 6X-weekly Warsaw-Zaporizhzhia from July 2.
Turkish Airlines will launch 2X-weekly Istanbul-Freetown, Sierra Leone service Feb. 24.
Pobeda Airlines launched 2X-weekly Boeing 737-800 service to Cologne; and 2X-weekly 737-800 Saint Petersburg--Pisa service.
S7 Airlines starts Novosibirsk-Larnaca weekly Boeing 737-800 service May 1; weekly Saint Petersburg-Pula Airbus A319 service May 27; weekly Novosibirsk-Nadym Embraer E170 service May 1; 3X-weekly Novosibirsk-Kogalym service May 2; 2X-weekly Novosibirsk-Beloyarsky service May 3; and weekly Moscow Domodedovo-Keflavik, Iceland seasonal Boeing 737-800 service from June 9.
Ural Airlines will begin Vladivostok-Krasnoyarsk-Sochi Airbus A320 weekly service March 26.
Russian regional
Kostroma Air Enterprise will launch weekly Kostroma-Anapa and Kostroma-Simferopol Antonov An-26 service June 9 and June 14, respectively.
