Airbus Updates No.2981

2 Former LATAM A350s Are Sitting For Sale In The Mojave Desert

Two former LATAM A350 are up for sale in the Victorville International Airport in California. These airplanes were among the firsts of their kind in Latin America; the current COVID-19 pandemic forced LATAM Airlines Group to return them as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 reorganization. What else do we know about it?

These two former LATAM A350s are for sale in Victorville, California. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | JFKJets.com

What airplanes are we talking about?

The two A350 still have their Brazilian registrations. These are PR-XTA and PR-XTB. PR-XTA was the first A350 to ever fly in South American. On its nose, it had written “Primeiro A350 XWB das Américas”.

These two planes were built in 2015 and 2016. They both have Trent XWB-84 engines. Their cabin configuration is of 30 Business seats and 309 Economy seats, according to MyAirTrade, the website where the two planes are listed.

Currently, both planes are available for operating lease or sale. The leasing company SkyWorks Leasing owns the two A350-900s.

LATAM has ten Airbus A350-900. Photo: Tom Boon via Simple Flying

A quick outlook at LATAM’s fleet

These two airplanes were part of an initial order of up to 25 A350s. Nevertheless, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LATAM Airlines Group has been forced to reduce its fleet size.

At the end of 2019, LATAM had a total fleet of 342 aircraft. Now, after the third quarter of 2020, LATAM’s fleet had reduced to 317 planes. It is composed of:

1. 46 Airbus A319-100
2. 135 Airbus A320-200
3. 13 Airbus A320neo
4. 38 Airbus A321-200
5. 10 Airbus A350-900

LATAM has mostly returned narrowbody airplanes. In May, the airline identified 19 leased aircraft to be cut from its fleet. It included the two A350s, four Boeing 787-9, and 13 narrowbody Airbuses. In September, it added 19 more, composed entirely of A320s and A319s. Obviously, it hasn’t returned all the airplanes, but it is working on it. As LATAM said,

“The Debtors have determined that each of the Leases does not currently provide value beneficial to the Debtors or their estates in light of the economic climate currently facing the airline industry.”

The widebody industry will face a tougher recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Photo: Getty Images

What other A350s are listed?

In total, My Air Trade is listing six Airbus A350-900 ready for lease or sale. Four belong to Skytech-AIC, and the other two are the SkyWorks Leasing former LATAM planes.

The remaining four have French registrations. These are F-WZFG, F-WZFV, F-WZFU, and F-WZNZ. Three of them are registered to belong to Hainan Airlines, while one is of Tianjin Airlines.

All these planes are configured with 33 Business seats and 301 Economy seats.

The crisis of the widebodies

The aviation industry is facing the worst crisis in its history. For aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, it has led to a reduction in production pace after years of continued growth.

We’ve seen how COVID-19 has ended up historical programs like the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747.

The production recovery is something of a mystery at the moment. For instance, aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia recently wrote that air travel demand recovery doesn’t mean that twin-aisle output will recover. He wrote in Forbes,

“Teal Group forecasts don’t call for twin-aisle output to return to the 2015-2019 peak until after 2029. By contrast, single-aisle deliveries will exceed the 2018 peak by 2024.”

Widebody manufacturers will have to rebuild their programs during this decade to adjust to the new reality. We will have to look at what does it mean for the popular A350 across the world.

 

Airbus Updates No.2980

A Winning Year For Airbus – Success Despite A Pandemic

The end of 2020 will signify the end of what has been a successful year for European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. This year has seen the ongoing coronavirus pandemic impact almost every aspect of commercial aviation. Nonetheless, Airbus has been able to enjoy success despite these widespread and varied challenges.

The type certification and first deliveries of the -800 variant of the A330neo have represented particular highlights for Airbus this year. Photo: Getty Images

Yesterday we looked at Boeing’s 2020 highlights, but what have been Airbus’s reasons to be cheerful this year?

A smaller neo – the Airbus A330-800

2020 proved a defining year for the development and production of the Airbus A330-800. This is the smaller of the A330 family’s two ‘neo’ (new engine option) variants. It represents a next-generation version of the original A330-200, with the larger -900 neo corresponding to the original -300 variant.

customers are faced with a choice between longer range and better capacity. The -800 has a typical three-class capacity of 257 passengers and a range of 15,094 km (8,150 NM). Meanwhile, the -900 typically seats 287 passengers across three classes, but has a shorter range of 13,334 km (7,200 NM). Most customers have opted for the -900 variant, which launched commercially in December 2018 with TAP Portugal.

October saw Kuwait Airways take delivery of the first Airbus A330-800. Photo: Airbus

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Certification and first deliveries

The gulf in orders (14 vs. 318 as of November 2020) might have left Airbus in doubt as to how worthwhile further development of the -800 was. Nonetheless, it pushed on, and it received type certification from the EASA and FAA this February. It received upgraded Extended Twin-Engined Operations certification in April, joining its larger -900 counterpart in having an ETOPS grading of 180 minutes.

In October, Kuwait Airways took the first-ever A330-800 delivery. It wasted no time launching it commercially the following month, on a flight from Kuwait to Dubai. Just before Christmas, Uganda Airlines became the second carrier to take delivery of the type. It expects to receive its second example in January 2021.

Uganda Airlines took delivery of its first of two A330neos earlier this month. Photo: Airbus

The advent of the A321XLR

Airbus has also continued to make good progress this year on its latest A320neo variant. Known as the A321XLR, its proposed range of 8,700 km / 4,700 NM outranks the A321LR by 1,300 km / 700 NM. This represents a 15% increase over an aircraft that itself has a 15% longer range than the standard A321neo. Despite the challenges that 2020 has thrown aviation’s way, Airbus confirmed earlier this year that the A321XLR remained on track for a 2023 launch.

As the coronavirus pandemic worsened and passenger numbers continued to fall, the A321XLR emerged as a perfect post-pandemic aircraft on low-capacity long-haul routes. Examples of where the A321XLR might fly can be seen in the graphic below. It has significantly lower operating costs than a widebody long-haul aircraft, and, with its lower capacity, is also far easier for airlines to fill. The aircraft’s order numbers speak for themselves, with more than 450 already having been placed.

The Airbus A321XLR may prove to be the perfect post-pandemic airliner on ‘long thin’ routes. Image: Airbus

The A321XLR also outranks its fellow long-haul aircraft in terms of fuel efficiency. All in all, it is set to be a very cost-efficient aircraft. This will be an increasingly important factor going forward, with airlines needing to save money after what has been an immensely financially challenging year, and typical demand levels not set to return for the foreseeable future. With the A321XLR, Airbus might just have created the solution to a problem that, at the time of its announcement at last year’s Paris Air Show, nobody could have foreseen existing.

 

Airbus Updates No.2979

Moldova's HiSky takes delivery of first A319

© Tis Meyer (PlanePics.org)

30.12.2020 - 12:22 UTC

HiSky (Chisinau) took delivery of its first A319-100, ER-SKY (msn 2326), on December 22, 2020, Skyliner Aviation has reported.

The 16.2-year-old Airbus narrowbody was ferried from maintenance at Ostrava to Chisinau. It is owned by Air Lease Corporation and was operated by South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) through February 2020, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows.

The Moldovan start-up will use the aircraft to complete its certification in Moldova. Its subsidiary, HiSky Europe (HYS, Iasi), has already obtained an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) in Romania and operates a single A320-200.

HiSky Chief Executive Iulian Scorpan recently told ch-aviation the start-up would pursue a dual-AOC strategy in order to be able to operate within the European Union using the Romanian certificate and from Moldova to destinations such as Russia, Turkey, and Israel using the Moldovan one.

Airbus Updates No.2978

 

Airbus A330	-343	1503		B-LBD	Cathay Pacific	ferried 19dec20 HKG-XMN for paint, full cs 29dec20	ex F-WWTY
Airbus A330	-343	1754		9H-AHQ	?	seen regd at LDE 27dec20, South African cs	ex ZS-SXJ
Airbus A340	-211	81		F-RAJB	Armée de l´Air et de l´Espace	last in svc 21/23dec20 CDG-LIS-CDG (+ 75 F-RAJA 18dec20 CDG-LFMI-KUN-CDG)	ex F-HCEL
Airbus A340	-313	199		YV-3507	ConViasa	air-test at IKA 28dec20 prior delivery	ex YV643T
Airbus A340	-313	544		9H-ACX	?	seen regd at LDE 27dec20, South African cs (+ 582 9H-ACY ex ZS-SXB, + 590 9H-ACZ ex ZS-SXC)	ex ZS-SXA
Airbus A350	-941	425		HL8383	Asiana	delivery 29dec20 TLS-ICN	ex F-WZFQ

Airbus Updates No.2977

 

Airbus A320	-214	1725		ES-SAS	smartLynx Estonia	ferried 29dec20 TLL-OSR, all white	ex HK-4817
Airbus A320	-232	2164		N2164E	Bank of Utah	regd 29dec20, parked at CQM	ex TC-JUF
Airbus A320	-232	2752		OE-IKU	AerCap	ferried 28dec20 LFBF-AMM	ex XA-VAG
Airbus A320	-214	3240		B-1825	Lucky Air	all wh 26dec20 at KMG prior return to lessor	ex EI-FDK
Airbus A320	-214	4304		N4304	AerCap	regd 29dec20, parked at GYR	ex XA-ING
Airbus A320	-232	4488		VT-IGU	IndiGo Airlines	ferried 25dec20 DEL-HSR(VO95) prior return to lessor	ex D-AUBH
Airbus A320	-232	6749		2-HXHU	?	seen regd at LDE 27dec20, basic Tigerair´cs	ex VH-XUH
Airbus A320	-251N	7323		PR-YYK	Azul Linhas Aéreas	first in svc 20dec20 VCP-POA-VCP	ex VQ-BXC
Airbus A320	-251N	10045		B-320K	Zhejiang Loong Airlines	air-test 18dec20, regd B-005R, onward delivery 24dec20 TSN-HGH	ex D-AVVC
Airbus A320	-251N	10058		B-322J	China Eastern	delivery 30dec20 TSN-PVG	ex B-007T
Airbus A320	-251N	10061		B-30EH	Hunan Airlines	delivery 22-23dec20 TLS-NQZ-KMG, Air Travel cs	ex F-WWDD
Airbus A320	-251N	10337		B-321V	Colorful Guizhau Airlines	delivery 29dec20 TSN-KWE	ex B-000C
Airbus A320	-251N	10379		B-321U	Hunan Airlines	delivery 30dec20 TLS-NQZ, Air Travel cs	ex F-WWDR
Airbus A320	-251N	10397		B-321X	Zhejiang Loong Airlines	acc flt 28dec20, regd B-005S, onward delivery 30dec20 TSN-HGH	ex F-WWDE
Airbus A321	-211	7311		B-321R	WestAir China	delivery 30dec20 SIN-CKG (+ 7358 B-321T ex D-AAET)	ex D-AAER
Airbus A321	-251NX	9512		RA-	North-West Air Company	delivery 30dec20 XFW-TLL, all white, regd F-WXAG	ex D-AVYZ
Airbus A321	-271NX	10174		T7-ME6	MEA Middle East Airlines	delivery 30dec20 XFW-BEY	ex D-AZAH
Airbus A321	-272N	10232		JA143A	ANA All Nippon	delivery 28-30dec20 XFW-OVB-HND	ex D-AZAK
Airbus A321	-271NX	10371		A6-WZC	Wizz Air Abu Dhabi	delivery 30dec20 XFW-AAN	ex D-AVYV
Airbus A330	-223	253		F-OFDF	Air Caraïbes Atlantique	ferried 27dec20 CHR-ORY after storage	ex HB-IQD

Airbus Updates No.2976

 First Airbus A320neo For Aircalin Departs Toulouse

New Caledonian carrier Aircalin has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo. The airline is set to add to its small fleet of modern Airbus planes, which includes two new A330neo’s. The A320neo will offer improved fuel-efficiency and range and will likely take over operations from Aircalin’s aging A320-200 fleet.

Aircalin brings in an A320neo after acquiring two new A330neo’s last year. Photo: Getty Images

Aircalin takes delivery of its first A320neo

An Airbus press release has announced that Aircalin has taken delivery of its new A320neo. The plane bolsters Aircalin’s small fleet of four Airbus aircraft, with the carrier taking significant strides towards establishing a modern and efficient fleet.

Aircalin has named its new A320neo ‘Tibarama’ in keeping with its tradition of naming its own planes. Tibarama is an island in New Caledonia – it’s other named planes are called ‘Luengöni’ and ‘Kanuméra’ after beaches in the country.

Aircalin operates several flights around the Pacific region out of its hub at La Tontouta International Airport in New Caledonia. With its latest acquisition, the airline stands to benefit from major improvements in range and fuel consumption. According to Airbus,

“… with the A320neo, Aircalin will be able to increase capacity on its flights and open new routes across the Pacific region.”

Aircalin moves towards modernizing its fleet

The A320neo (registration F-OTIB) has two Pratt & Whitney PW1000 engines and was finalized at Airbus’ Toulouse production site. With a single-class arrangement of 168 seats, the aircraft joins Aircalin’s all-Airbus fleet of five planes – three A320’s and two A330’s.

The airline’s other two A320’s are aging, with Aircalin keen to modernize its fleet by investing in new aircraft. According to Planespotters.net, both planes are on lease and have an average age approaching 15 years.

The brand-new A320neo is the latest addition to Aircalin’s modern fleet after the airline bought two new A330’s last year. The carrier began phasing out A330-200 flights last year as it integrated its brand-new A330-900’s into operations.

The airline has had a few issues with its planes

Despite investing in some of the best planes on the market, Aircalin has had a couple of concerning experiences with its Airbus planes. Earlier this month, one of its A330neo’s suffered a flap malfunction as it approached Tokyo Narita International Airport. The plane (registration F-ONET) was forced to land at a faster speed and remained grounded for over a day as repairs were carried out.

The same aircraft also had some trouble last year after “suspicious odors of oil in the cabin” led to the plane being grounded. After a month of service, the plane had to be inspected by experts from Rolls-Royce and Airbus due to the strong odor. Allegedly, some cabin crew also experienced side-effects such as eye irritation, headaches, and respiratory problems. The aircraft was returned to Airbus for over 6 weeks before it re-entered into service.

Airbus Updates No.2975

 Air Lease Corporation Delivers New Airbus A320neo To Japan’s Peach

Air Lease Corporation has delivered a new Airbus A320neo to Japanese budget carrier Peach this week. The plane is the first of four on order with the lessor, including one more A320neo and two A321LRs. Peach is an all-Airbus A320 airline and only began taking delivery of the newer A320neo this year.

Peach took delivery of its first A320neo in September. Photo: Airbus

Modernizing the fleet

The delivery from Air Lease Corporation (ALC) comes as Peach adds the newer A320neo aircraft to its fleet. Until September, Peach only operated a fleet of A320-200s, which while new, are less efficient than the A320neo. The airline now has two of the type in its fleet.

Peach is also looking to take delivery of another popular Airbus aircraft: the A321LR. In 2018, the airline converted a previous A320neo order for two of the long-range (LR) variant, allowing it to access new international markets and carry more passengers. The A321LRs will also come from ALC, with deliveries scheduled for 2021 and 2022.

In a statement, ALC Executive Chairman Steven F. Udvar-Házy said,

“This most recent transaction by ALC in the Japanese market demonstrates our commitment to environmental sustainability with the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft.  ALC is honored to contribute to Peach’s growing all-Airbus A320 fleet and we are confident that our A320-200neo and A321neo LR aircraft will greatly enhance the airline’s operations in its domestic and international market.”

Budget roots

Peach Aviation is a budget carrier owned by ANA, Japan’s largest airline. The airline operates out of Osaka Kansai International Airport, with bases in Tokyo Narita, Naha Airport, and others. Peach currently flies to 28 destinations within Japan and 17 international routes. All of its international routes are currently in East Asia, including Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok, and more.

Peach currently flies to several domestic and medium-haul routes in Asia. Photo: Getty Images

The addition of the A321LR could open up more doors for Peach, including routes to South and Central Asia. However, 2020 has been a difficult year for Japanese budget carriers as demand fell sharply.

Tough year

Japan usually has a bustling domestic market, only third in size to the US and China. But this year’s events have seen demand fall by nearly 70%, forcing airlines to scale back their operations significantly. With international demand nascent and domestic demand falling, Peach has been looking for new sources of revenue.

The carrier recently began offering sightseeing and learning trips to school children in Japan, hoping to see an improvement in its finances. These flights will be “flights to nowhere,” simply allowing children to enjoy flying on a school trip.

This year has been particularly harsh for budget airlines, which also have less capacity to carry cargo. The lack of long-range freighter aircraft restricts the airline’s ability to increase revenue through cargo (prices of which have jumped recently).

However, with a vaccine rollout around the corner and the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July 2021 could be a rebound year for Peach and other Japanese carriers.

Airbus Updates No.2974

 

Airbus A321	-232	1675		OY-KBH	SAS	ferried 23dec20 CPH-CDT for onward storage	ex F-WWBG
Airbus A321	-231	1713		LZ-GNH	Genesis Air Lease	regd at LDE mid-dec20	ex CS-TJG
Airbus A321	-231	1970		LZ-DAS	ATS Aviation Technical Services	ferried 16dec20 TUS-MCI, for part-out & scrap	ex HL8213
Airbus A321	-253NX	9168		B-30EC	China Southern	delivery 24-25dec20 XFW-NQZ-CAN (+ 9240 B-30E6 ex D-AZAA,+ 9472 B-30EX ex D-AVYG)	ex D-AVZC
Airbus A321	-253NX	9288		B-30E5	China Southern	delivery 23-24dec20 XFW-NQZ-CAN	ex D-AVXW
Airbus A321	-251NX	9495		TC-RBF	Pegasus Airlines	delivery 23dec20 XFW-SAW "Nazende" (+ 10007 TC-RBG "Milena" ex D-AYAB)	ex D-AVYU
Airbus A321	-271NX	10010		D-AIEF	Lufthansa	delivery 22dec20 XFW-BER	ex D-AVXZ
Airbus A321	-271NX	10147		T7-ME5	MEA Middle East Airlines	delivery 23dec20 XFW-BEY	ex D-AVYP
Airbus A321	-271NX	10391		A6-WZD	Wizz Air Abu Dhabi	delivery 24dec20 XFW-AAN	ex D-AVXH
Airbus A330	-841	1977		5X-NIL	Uganda Airlines	delivery 22dec20 TLS-EBB "Mt. Elgon"	ex F-WWYS
Airbus A340	-211	81		F-RAJB	Armée de l´Air et de l´Espace	last in svc 21/23dec20 CDG-LIS-CDG (+ 75 F-RAJA 18dec20 CDG-LFMI-KUN-CDG)	ex F-HCEL
Airbus A350	-941	476		JA08XJ	Japan Airlines	delivery 23dec20 TLS-HND	ex F-WZNB
Airbus A380	-842	267		A6-EVN	Emirates	delivery 23dec20 XFW-DXB	ex F-WWAU
Airbus A400M	-180	106		CT-02	Belgian Armed Forces	delivery 22dec20 SVQ-BRU	ex A4M106
Airbus Canada A220	-371	55103		C-GNGV	Air Canada	delivery 21dec20 YMX-YYZ