Ethiad Airways increases stake in Virgin Australia to 19.9 percent

By BA Staff

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, confirmed its equity stake in Virgin Australia Holdings had reached 19.9%.

This follows a series of on-market purchases of Virgin Australia shares over recent weeks. The Abu Dhabi-based airline now holds more than 515 million shares in the airline.

At 19.9%, Etihad Airways has reached the threshold approved by Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board in June 2013.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: 

“We are delighted to have reached this milestone. It reflects our strong support for the business strategy and management team of Virgin Australia and our enduring commitment to the Australian market. It also reflects the close working relationship between our two airlines and we look forward to strengthening its commercial foundations. The strategic partnership continues to deliver significant revenue streams and other benefits to each airline. Increasing our equity in Virgin Australia will further enrich the commercial benefits which the partnership delivers for both airlines as well as increasing the benefits to Australian travellers and visitors to Australia.”"

Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia signed a ten year strategic partnership agreement in August 2010 that includes code-sharing on flights, joint sales and marketing activities, and reciprocal earn-and-burn on their respective frequent flyer programs.

Those benefits include seamless connectivity to more than 40 codeshare destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Thailand and loyalty program privileges such as priority baggage handling, priority boarding and airport lounge access for top tier program members.

Combined, Etihad Airways (25) and Virgin Australia (3) operate 28 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and Australia and passengers have access to a combined global network of more than 280 destinations.

Etihad Airways began flying to Australia in March 2007, when it launched services to Sydney. Flights to Melbourne and Brisbane followed in 2009. The airline has carried more than 2.5 million passengers between Abu Dhabi and these three Australian gateways in the past six years. The airline plans to operate services to Perth in Western Australia in the future.

Etihad Airways also holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia and Aer Lingus, will acquire 49% of Air Serbia from January 2014, and, subject to regulatory approval, will acquire 24% of India’s Jet Airways. It also has codeshare partnerships with 47 airlines worldwide.

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Boeing delivers first 737-800 to Russia's UTair

By BA Staff

Boeing delivered to UTair, one of Russia's leading national carriers, its first directly purchased Next-Generation 737-800. The airline currently has 40 Next-Generation 737s on order to be delivered in the next several years.

Andrey Martirosov, CEO of UTair said:

"Next-Generation Boeing 737 airplanes meet today's development needs of the airline by their optimized operating performance and value-for-money proposition. We successfully operate aircraft of this type and new airplanes will allow us to continue enhancing efficiency of our route network and drive customer appeal for both domestic and international flights."

Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for the Middle East, Russia & Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said:

 "The new airplanes will help UTair deliver an unmatched level of service for passengers and dramatically reduce operating costs, fuel costs and environmental impact. We are very proud of our relationship with UTair, a valued business partner in the region."

UTair's new 737-800 seats 162 passengers and features the new Boeing Sky Interior. This interior is the latest in a series of enhancements for both airlines and passengers. It introduces LED lighting and curved architecture that welcomes passengers onboard and creates a greater sense of spaciousness and comfort in the cabin. The interior also features modern, sculpted sidewalls and overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling, yet carry more bags.


Based in Russia, UTair is an integrated air carrier and aircraft services company with over 40 years of experience. Today, UTair operates one of the largest aircraft fleets in Russia and ranks among the top three largest Russian carriers by passenger volume.      

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Boeing Delivers EL AL Israel Airlines' First Next-Generation 737-900ER

By BA Staff

Boeing has delivered to El Al Israel Airlines the carrier's first Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range) airplane.

The delivery is the first of six 737-900ERs the Israeli flag-carrier has on order and is the latest addition to El Al's all-Boeing fleet.  

Elyezer Shkedy, president and chief executive officer, El Al, said:

"The purchase of the Boeing 737-900ER aircraft marks the high point of El Al's re-equipping and fleet renewal impetus. This positions El Al at the forefront of international aviation technology, further elevating El Al's in-flight experience. Our investment in the new modern Economy Class seats and in a sophisticated entertainment system, that will be launched in the coming months, is in line with the target we set for ourselves - to provide the best product and most advanced service for passengers and thus retain El Al's status as the most preferred airline for flights to and from Israel. We would like to thank Boeing and all the other partners for their outstanding work on El Al's six new aircraft."

The Boeing 737-900ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family. It has the highest capacity and lowest seat-mile cost of Boeing's single-aisle family and will fit perfectly into El Al's existing short and medium-haul fleet of Next-Generation 737-700s and 737-800s. El Al's latest addition to its fleet will seat 172 passengers, with all passengers able to enjoy the option of power sockets for their laptops and USB connections. The Israeli-flag carrier operates an all-Boeing fleet of nearly 40 airplanes including Next-Generation 737s, 747-400s, 767s and 777s and serves 30 destinations worldwide.   

El Al's 737-900ER will be its first airplane to feature the new Boeing Sky Interior. This interior is the latest in a series of enhancements for both airlines and passengers. It introduces new LED lighting and curved architecture that welcomes passengers onboard and creates a greater sense of spaciousness and comfort in the cabin. The interior also features modern, sculpted sidewalls and overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling, yet carry more bags.
  
Todd Nelp, vice president of Sales for Europe, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said:

 Europe, while offering its passengers the superior passenger comfort of the Boeing Sky Interior. We share a proud history with El Al, and are honored to once again play a significant role in this all-Boeing carrier's fleet renewal. El Al has already experienced the excellent reliability and operating economics of the Next-Generation 737 family with its fleet of 737-700s and 737-800s. The 737-900ER will enable El Al to greatly expand its operations across.

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SilkAir joins Virgin Australia Velocity frequent flyer programme

By BA Staff

SilkAir (MI), the regional airline of Singapore Airlines, will become the latest airline partner to join Virgin Australia's Velocity frequent flyer program.

From October 10, 2013 onwards, Velocity members will be able to earn points and status credits or redeem their Points on the SilkAir network across South East Asia, India and China. This includes the ability to redeem points for reward seats or any seat up to 331 days in advance on any Virgin Australia marketed flights.

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Neil Thompson said:

“Today’s announcement builds on our existing offering with Singapore Airlines. Asia is a very important market for business and leisure travellers and we now offer the ability to earn Points and Status Credits to more destinations than ever before.”

Velocity’s Gold and Platinum members will also be able to use their Elite Benefits across the SilkAir network including priority check-in, priority boarding and complimentary lounge access for the member and a guest on day of travel.

SilkAir is Singapore Airline’s full service regional subsidiary flying to over 44 destinations across 12 countries. SilkAir flies from Darwin to Singapore, connecting the Northern Territory with Singapore Airlines’ global hub.

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AirAsia introduces new flexi-fare service 'Hi-Flyer'

By BA Staff

AirAsia has introduced ‘Hi-Flyer’, a new flexi-fare service which offers guests greater convenience, flexibility and added benefits while travelling with both AirAsia and AirAsia X.

• Complimentary 20kg check-in baggage allocation
• Complimentary ‘Pick-A-Seat’ for both Standard & Hot Seats (Hot Seats are subject to availability)
• Priority Boarding
• Up to 2x flight change - for flights up to 2 hours before the scheduled time of departure without any change fee. Fare difference will apply.
• Earn 2x BIG Points as a Hi-Flyer

Siegtraund Teh, Group Chief Commercial Officer of AirAsia said:

“Many different groups of people fly with AirAsia, and we would like to ensure that our guests are offered the best options that cater to their needs. Hi-Flyer is specifically tailored to the business traveller group, who are constantly on the go and  benefits such as complimentary 20kg check-in baggage, complimentary seat selection, priority boarding and flexibility to change flights up to 2 hours before their scheduled departure will be a great convenience factor. Business travellers make up a significant portion of our guests’ profile and this new product offering will further add value to their travel experience with AirAsia.”

‘Hi-Flyer’ is available throughout all flights for AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK), Thai AirAsia (flight code FD), AirAsia Indonesia (flight code QZ), AirAsia Zest (Flight Code Z2 and PQ) and AirAsia X (flight code D7).

Guests who have booked regular promo fares can easily upgrade to ‘Hi-Flyer’ fares by logging onto to the AirAsia website and modify their flights through the ‘Manage My Booking’ option, and guests will only need to pay the fare difference after selecting the ‘Hi-Flyer’ flexi-fare.

Apart from the value-added services, AirAsia guests who are also members of the AirAsia BIG Global Loyalty Programme are able to earn 2x BIG Points when they book the ‘Hi-Flyer’ flexi-fare.

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Emirates to give away tickets to the 2013 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix

By BA Staff

Emirates is offering 100 Emirates Skywards members the opportunity to win tickets to the 2013 edition of the Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix event on October 27 in Delhi. Emirates is a Global Partner of Formula 1.

From now until 16th October, Emirates will be giving away 100 tickets to the race. The competition is open to Emirates passengers who book and purchase their tickets on the Emirates India website for travel to one of Emirates’ 135 destinations before 30th November.

Non members will have to join the program to be eligible to enter the competition for their chance to win one of the tickets.

All passengers will be expected to register with a valid Emirates Skywards membership number, and answer a question on Formula 1® correctly.

Brian LaBelle, Senior VP Skywards said:

“Emirates offers 185 weekly flights from its 10 Indian gateways, giving passengers travelling from India an extensive selection of flight options. As of today there are already over 700,000 Emirates Skywards members in India who are already earning Miles on our flights. Miles can also be earned at a wide range of airline, hotel, car rental and financial partners, including India-based partners, such as Jet Airways, the Taj Group and The Standard Chartered Bank of India.”

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Japan Airlines to launch Sky Suite on Tokyo Narita Vancouver route

by BA Staff

Japan Airlines will launch its upgraded cabin JAL Sky Suite II business class product on its revamped 767-300ER service between Tokyo (Narita) and Vancouver, from December 9, 2013.

The airline will also offer its Sky Wider improved economy class product on the same flight.

The Sky Suite II is a 24 seat business in a 1-2-1 configuration to offer direct aisle access to every passenger. The seat opens in to a full flat bed with a length of 200 cm and width of 52 cm. The TV screen is 15.4 inches, and each seat is equipped with a USB port and a universal AC power outlet.

The new Sky Wider economy class seats were initially tested in the airline's Boeing 777-300ERs. On the 767-300ERs 175 seats will be in a 2-3-2 abreast configuration. The new slim line seat offers increased pitch of 5 cm (2 inches) to 84 cm., a 10.6 inch touch sensitive TV screen, and each seat is equipped with a USB port and a universal AC power outlet.

The airline has also specially designated its 767s fitted with the Sky Suite product as SS6 in the time table.

After Vancouver, Kuala Lumpur will be the next destination, from January 2014, service by the revamped aircraft type. The airline also plans to expand this new service onto other long distance routes in South-east Asia and to Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

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Analysis: Air India sells Boeing 777-200LRs to Etihad. Aircraft ill-suited for its operations.

by Devesh Agarwal

Air India Boeing 777-200LR.

Two days ago, when gulf major, Etihad Airways, announced its intention to fly between Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles, we at Bangalore Aviation were the first to indicate that Etihad's announcement was a pre-cursor to its purchase of Boeing 777-200LRs from Air India.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Air India will indeed sell five of its eight Boeing 777-200LRs to the gulf carrier.

As per an Etihad statement

the aircraft will be delivered to Etihad Airways from the beginning of 2014 and each will be re-fitted in a three class cabin configuration consistent with similar aircraft in the Etihad Airways fleet. It is expected the first aircraft will enter service in April 2014.

Etihad currently does not have any 777-200LRs in its fleet. On its 777-300ERs, Eithad follows the lead of its fellow UAE carrier Emirates and has a bone crunching ten abreast 17 inch wide economy class seating. For the LR, Etihad has announced a configuration of eight first class suites, 40 business class flat beds, and 189 economy class seats. This is similar to Air India's current configuration of 8/35/195 which features a more comfortable nine abreast 18.5 inch wide economy class seating. Emirates which has the narrow ten abreast seating even in its LRs has 42 business class and 216 economy class seats. So it appears that Etihad will continue with the nine abreast seating.

Etihad is expected to pay an estimated sum of $500 million. For aircraft that are about six years old, while this is a reasonable price, for Air India it is a distress sale. We should thank a former civil aviation minister, for whose failed flights of fancy, we tax-payers, are ultimately paying for.Despite the haircut, this is a beneficial development for Air India as it will help the carrier reduce about $60 million a year in expenses, but this is a drop in the veritable ocean of losses for the mismanaged carrier whose debt now tops a whopping $6.7 billion, well ahead of the entire health department's budget of the nation for this year.

Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER

For reasons best known only to it, Air India will still retain three 777-200LR aircraft. One is hard pressed to understand why, since Air India had these five LRs on the tender list for a long long time.

Most likely, to operate Newark, which is essentially the only long haul flight in Air India's system that is profitable. Air India also operates LRs to Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, and Hong Kong, which is akin to taking our money and setting it on fire.

The 777-200LR is a niche aircraft, called WorldLiner because of its ultra long haul (ULH) mission profile. It can fly close to 20 hours non-stop. However, to fly so long, the LR needs to carry a lot of fuel which takes up the weight of fare carrying passengers. The Air India LRs have the same engines, GE90-115B, as bigger brother, the 777-300ER, and hence similar fuel burn characteristics, yet the LR is about one-thirds smaller than its bigger brother. Additionally, the LR sacrifices weight and cargo space for the additional fuel tanks required to carry that additional fuel. The LR carries only around 235 passengers which is only 58% i.e. almost half, of the 400 carried in the ER. All these factors force an airline to earn more per passenger-kilometre flown.

To achieve this income, the plane has to be virtually filled to capacity with high fare paying passengers. Part of the higher fare comes from the "front of the bus" i.e. premium class passengers. Unfortunately with years of sloth, indifferent service, and unreliable schedules, Air India has completely lost the trust of the corporate flyer who pay for these premium seats.

For the shorter missions like Delhi Hong Kong Japan or Korea, the additional fuel tanks, become dead-weight, further burdening the carrier, which requires the airline to fill to at least 95% of the seats just to break-even. An impossibility for an inefficient state carrier like Air India. So one should ask why is the carrier burning money operating these routes? and what are the solutions?

As to why the carrier operating these routes with a clearly mismatched aircraft. From within Air India the answer is likely to be, "We need to operate this route and we do not have any other wide body medium capacity aircraft". So why not lease an A330 or a Boeing 777-200 which will provide better economics? Here the ugly head of corruption rears itself. The carrier's record is poor to say the least.

Another solution could be with Jet Airways, India's other wide body carrier. Jet has its fleet of A330s parked and under-utilised. Some are due to be leased to Etihad. Air India can outsource these routes to Jet on a wet lease? May be Jet, with its Etihad partnership, is not too keen at this moment, but more likely, Jet knows that such a proposal will not be able to overcome the farce of sympathy that will be created by the politicians?

Then of course is the much hyped Boeing 787 Dreamliner. However, as Boeing boss Dinesh Keskar told us "the 787 is not the airplane to go to Dubai and back", the 787 delivers fuel savings only when flying medium to long distances. Not short regional routes like New Delhi Dubai or New Delhi Hong Kong or onwards from Hong Kong to Korea or Japan.

What are your thoughts on the 200LR situation? Share them with a comment.

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Jet Airways' JetPrivilege inks partnership with Color Plus

By BA Staff

Jet Airways' JetPrivilege frequent flyer program announced a partnership with ColorPlus, a clothing brand for men.


JetPrivilege members will get rewarded with 10 JPMiles for every Rs. 100 spent on purchases made at ColorPlus exclusive stores across India.

JetPrivilege members will now get to experience premium ‘Smart casuals’ and the many product enhancements, introduced by ColorPlus' innovations, including Wrinkle-Free Chinos, Golf Ball wash, Wrinkle-Free linen, Stain free shirt variants.

According to Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways:

 “JetPrivilege has always endeavoured to offer its members exceptional value and an enhanced lifestyle experience with programme partnerships across varied categories and segments. The introduction of this elite lifestyle brand to our JetPrivilege programme is yet another step in that direction, enabling our JetPrivilege members to enjoy exclusive offers in the retail space. We are delighted to bring yet another vibrant brand - ColorPlus to our esteemed JetPrivilege members, with benefits like a fine retail experience as also earn JPMiles. Above all, this makes for an unmatched shopping experience."

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John Dabkowski to join Amadeus

By BA Staff

Amadeus, a technology provider for the global travel industry, announced that John Dabkowski is to join the company’s Airline IT business unit, effective October 14 as Vice President Airline Commercial and will assume responsibility for commercial activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the Americas.

Dabkowski joins Amadeus from Navitaire, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Accenture. Navitaire provides technology and business solutions to the airline industry on an outsourced basis. Dabkowski was managing director at Navitaire.

Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President of Airline IT at Amadeus said:

 “We are delighted to welcome an executive of John’s calibre to Amadeus. His track record is second to none in the industry and he brings with him a wealth of experience and insight that will be invaluable as we seek to extend our leadership in IT solutions. His arrival is great news for Amadeus and great news for our customers, as we are confident that he will play a significant role in the development and execution of our strategy.”

Dabowski had this to say about the partnership:

“Amadeus has a unique role in aviation, being at the heart of both IT and distribution for airlines. And with so much change in the industry right now there are many opportunities and challenges for the company and I’m very excited to be joining at this time and I’m looking forward to getting involved and making a contribution."

Dabkowski’s career in the technology industry stretches back more than 30 years to when he joined GEC Avionics direct from university. His career since then has taken him from London, where he worked with the IT group Logica, to Dallas where his roles with Sabre included Senior Vice President of the airline solutions division.

Dabkowski will report to Julia Sattel and be based in Amadeus’ headquarters in Madrid.

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Boeing delivers Royal Canadian Air Force's fifth CH-147F Chinook helicopter

by BA Staff

Boeing image

Boeing has delivered the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) fifth CH-147F Chinook helicopter.

Steve Parker, Boeing director of International Chinook Programs and Canada CH-147F program manager said

"The Canadian Chinook is one of the most advanced military cargo helicopters ever delivered to the global market, and Boeing has executed the program on or ahead of schedule for every major milestone since contract award," "These early deliveries are another example of the H-47 team’s dedication to providing this important capability to the RCAF."

Boeing is scheduled to deliver two more CH-147Fs this year and another eight by June 2014 to provide Canada with its full complement of 15 helicopters. Boeing is also providing in-service support to the CH-147F fleet for the next 20 years under a Performance-Based Logistics contract, with Canadian industry playing a key role.

The CH-147F Chinook is an advanced, multi-mission helicopter that features a modernized airframe with a long-range fuel system allowing it to fly twice as far as standard range models. An upgraded electrical system provides additional power and redundancy, while a fully integrated Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit and Digital Automatic Flight Control System reduce pilot workload and provide greater situational awareness. The aircraft also has an advanced Aircraft Survivability Equipment suite that includes a Directional Infrared Countermeasures system that increases crew safety while allowing operations to be conducted in a wider range of threat environments.

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Etihad Airways to commence Los Angeles flights using Air India 777-200LRs?

by Devesh Agarwal

Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the launch of direct non stop flights between its home base of Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Los Angeles, California, USA (LAX), from June 1, 2014, subject to regulatory approvals.

The announcement goes on to say,

Etihad will deploy a three class ultra-long haul (ULH) Boeing 777-200LR on the Los Angeles route. The aircraft will be configured to carry 237 guests, with 8 Diamond First Class suites, 40 Pearl Business Class flatbed seats, and 189 Coral Economy Class seats.

This is interesting since the airline does not have any 777-200LR's in its fleet, nor does it have any on order with airframer Boeing. It appears that Etihad will commence the Los Angeles services using 777-200LR (77L) aircraft it is expected to buy from national carrier Air India which has been trying to sell five of its 77Ls for some time now, without success

The purchase of the 77Ls could be a quid-pro-quo on the part of the UAE government for the recent approval of the 400% increase in seat allocation between India and Abu Dhabi under the bilateral air services agreement (BASA) and approval of the 24% stake purchase by Etihad in Jet Airways.

The Air India 77Ls are configured in an eight first class (non-suite), 35 business class and 195 economy class cabin, and this will imply that Etihad re-configure and upgrade the cabin to its specifications after completing the purchase.

When compared to fellow UAE carrier Emirates' 77L configuration of 8/42/216 seats, it appears that Etihad will opt for a more comfortable nine-abreast economy class configuration.

Schedule

Flight EY171 will depart daily from Abu Dhabi at 08:45 and arrive in Los Angeles at 14:15 the same day. The return flight, EY170, will the depart Los Angeles at 16:15 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 19:35 the following day. The timings are designed to provide onward connectivity to the Indian sub-continent.

Los Angeles will be the airline's fourth destination in the United States, joining Chicago, New York and Washington D.C, all of which see a daily non stop from Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways will extend its code-share partnership, in place since September 2009, with American Airlines on the Los Angeles flights. Etihad markets its EY code on American flights through its current gateways of Chicago, New York and Washington DC to more than 70 US cities. American places its AA code on all Etihad Airways flights between the US and UAE.

Visit the Etihad for more details.

What are your thoughts? Share them via a comment.

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MASwings welcomes second new twin Otter Viking Series 400

By BA Staff

Malaysia Airlines’ subsidiary MASwings Sdn. Bhd. today took delivery of its second out of six orders for the Twin Otter DHC6-400 from Viking Air Ltd of Canada. The ceremonious handover was graced by the Right Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada in recognition of strong international cooperation between Malaysia and Canada.

Courtesy of Malaysia Airlines

The aircraft bearing serial no. 883 and Malaysian registration: 9M-SSB arrived at Hangar 5 of Malaysia Airlines Engineering Complex at Kuala Lumpur international airport (KLIA).

Speaking at the event, Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari expressed his excitement with the delivery of the second aircraft within the course of two months:

“The new DHC6-400 not only allows MASwings to provide improved and additional services to the rural areas in Sarawak and Sabah, but it is capable of offering full freighter services. The aircraft can also be fitted with a stretcher kit for medical evacuation. The purchase of these state of-the-art aircraft demonstrates MASwings’ full commitment in providing air linkage for the people in the rural community, connecting them to Sabah, Sarawak and beyond.”

The new DHC6-400 aircraft is fitted with the most advanced flight avionics system in its class. With a new full glass cockpit, auto-flight system, dual global positioning navigation system, coupled with satellite communication system, the new DHC6-400 raises the safety and operational bar of MASwings to a higher level.

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Royal Brunei Airlines receives its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Boeing (NYSE: BA) delivered to Royal Brunei Airlines, the flag carrier of the Sultanate of Brunei, the airline's and South-East Asia's first 787 Dreamliner. The carrier has ordered a total of five aircraft.

The 787 is scheduled to begin flying regionally to Singapore on October 18, with long-haul service to London, via Dubai, set to begin on December 1. Royal Brunei anticipates delivering on its promise of all Dreamliner long-haul service in the second quarter of 2014 when it will introduce the 787 on flights to Melbourne, Australia.

The airplane flew 6,540 nautical miles (12,112 km) non-stop from Paine Field, Everett, Washington state, home to Bandar Seri Begawan international airport in Brunei.

Dermot Mannion, chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines said

"This exciting addition keeps passenger comfort and high quality service at the heart of our airline and is yet another effort to ensure our fleet remains modern and offers peaceful and tranquil travel," "As a small airline we offer truly personal service, delighting our passengers with an authentic Bruneian grace to enrich their journeys."

Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said

"We are delighted that Royal Brunei Airlines has chosen to expand its fleet with five 787s," "The choice is a testament to the airline's commitment to offer the best possible service to its passengers and to operate the most efficient airplane flying today."

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Jetstar receives Australia's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner

by BA Staff

Boeing (NYSE: BA) delivered to Jetstar Airways of Australia the carrier's first 787 today, which is also the first Dreamliner for the nation of Australia.

Jetstar Australia Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VH-VKA

Jetstar, is the Qantas Group's low-cost brand. Like every other airline which has taken delivery of this new type of aircraft, Jetstar too will introduce the 787 Dreamliner first on domestic routes, to ensure its pilots achieve the required number of landings, its cabin and ground crews get familiar with the aircraft, and then move the Dreamliners to its international network. The airline has a total of 14 787 Dreamliners on order and expects to fly an all-787 long-haul fleet by 2015.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said

"Today is a historic milestone for the Qantas Group and Jetstar as we welcome the most advanced passenger aircraft ever constructed to the fleet," "In just 10 short years, Jetstar has grown to be the largest low fares carrier in the Asia Pacific, carrying more than 100 million passengers. The 787 will set up the airline for another decade of growth."

The aircraft departed Monday morning local time from Boeing's Everett, Washington state delivery centre for Melbourne, Australia where it will be greeted by airline employees and special guests.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner said "

We're proud to deliver the revolutionary 787 Dreamliner to our partners at Jetstar," "The 787s unmatched fuel efficiency will give Jetstar an advantage in the marketplace and its passengers will travel with the world's most advanced in-flight experience."

"Jetstar customers will have the chance to fly in a larger and more spacious cabin, enjoy gate to gate in-flight entertainment and arrive at their destination more refreshed thanks to a lower cabin altitude to reduce the impact of jet lag," said Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka. "The entire Jetstar team is very excited to have the 787 take to Australia skies."

Boeing Aerostructures Australia manufactures the movable trailing edge on the wing of every Dreamliner.

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Japan Airlines places its first ever order on Airbus

by BA Staff

Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed a purchase agreement for 31 A350 XWBs (18 A350-900s and 13 A350-1000s), plus options for a further 25 aircraft. This is JAL's first ever order for Airbus aircraft. (Japan Air System used purchase Airbus aircraft prior to its merger with JAL).

Video of Fabrice Bregier, President and CEO of Airbus, below the fold

Computer generated images of JAL's A350-900 and larger A350-1000

This is also the first order Airbus has received from Japan for the A350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body). JAL and Airbus aim for entry into service from 2019, with the airline's A350 XWBs gradually replacing its ageing fleet approximately over a six year period.

Yoshiharu Ueki, President of Japan Airlines said

"We will utilize the A350 XWB to maximum, which offers high level of operational efficiency and product competitiveness, while positively catering to new business opportunities after slots at airports in Tokyo are increased," "In addition to improving profitability with advanced aircraft, we always aim to deliver unparalleled services to customers with the latest cabin and steady expansion of our route network."

Fabrice Bregier, President and CEO of Airbus said

"Japan Airlines is well known as one of the most preferred airlines in the world providing its passengers with an excellent flight experience. We sincerely welcome Japan Airlines as a new Airbus customer and feel honored by this first ever order from Japan for our all-new A350 XWB," "It fills us with pride to see a leading Japanese airline start a new chapter with us. This highlights a very bright and flourishing future for both of us, JAL and Airbus."

The configuration of JAL's A350s have not been disclosed. In a typical three-class layout the A350-900 comfortably seats more than 300 passengers on routes as long as 8,100 nautical miles (nm). The A350-1000 is the largest member of the A350 XWB Family, seating 350 passengers on even longer missions up to 8,400 nm. All A350 XWB models are equipped with the new Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

The A350 is Airbus' new weight-efficient airframe of which over 70% is made from advanced materials combining composites (53 percent), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys.

To date, the A350 XWB MSN1 has completed around 300 flight test hours out of the campaign's total 2,500 hours which are to be achieved by five flight test A350's over the next 12 months. Entry into commercial service of the A350-900 is scheduled for the second half of 2014. With this latest commitment, Airbus has recorded more than 750 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 38 customers worldwide.

Airbus has fostered strong industrial connections in the region, with Japanese companies such as Bridgestone, Panasonic, Yokogawa Electric and Minebea contributing to all of Airbus’ current production aircraft. In addition, Toray and Toho Tenax signed a long-term agreement in 2010 to supply carbon fibre for the company’s jetliners.

Japanese partnerships with Airbus range from 17 companies for the double-deck A380, to 12 each for the A320 and A330 families, as well as four for the A350 XWB.

Airbus also benefits from research and technology cooperation in Japan, including: composite research in partnership with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); and Japan’s Research and Development Institute for Metal and Composites for Future Industries (RIMCOF) – in developing structural health monitoring technology.

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Boeing reports third quarter deliveries

by BA Staff

American manufacturer Boeing has reported its aircraft deliveries for the third quarter of 2013, with 213 deliveries recorded in the three month period, split as 170 Commercial and 43 Defense & Space. For the year to date, Boeing has recorded 595 deliveries, split as 476 Commercial and 119 Defense & Space.

Find the full breakdown of Boeing's third quarter and year to date deliveries in the table below:

Program	3rd Quarter 2013	Year to Date 2013
Commercial
737NG	112	330
747	4	16
767	5	17
777	26	73
787	23	40
Total	170	476
Defense & Space
AEW&C	0	0
Apache	11	31
Chinook	15	32
C-17	2	8
F-15	0	3
F/A-18EF & EA-18G	12	36
P-8	2	7
Satelites	1	2
Total	43	119

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