Airbus Updates No.1671

Airbus A330	-343	1803		HZ-AQ28	Saudi Arabian Airlines	delivery 28sep17 TLS-JED	ex F-WWYP
Airbus A330	-343	1814		B-8361	China Southern	delivery 27sep17 TLS-CAN	ex F-WWKF
Airbus A330	-343	1818		B-8363	China Southern	delivery 29sep17 TLS-CAN	ex F-WWYI
Airbus A330	-243	1823		N361HA	Hawaiian Airlines	delivery 29sep17 TLS-PAE-HNL	ex F-WCH
Airbus A400M	-180	54		54+11	Luftwaffe	delivery 27sep17 SVQ-ETNW	ex A4M054
Airbus A350	-941	137		B-LRT	Cathay Pacific	delivery 29sep17 TLS-HKG	ex F-WZNF
Airbus A350	-941	144		HL7578	Asiana	delivery 26sep17 TLS-ICN	ex F-WZNJ
Airbus A380	-842	244		A6-EUZ	Emirates	delivery 29sep17 XFW-DXB	ex F-WWAT
Airbus A400M	-180	59		54+13	Luftwaffe	delivery 29sep17 SVQ-ETNW	ex A4M059

Airbus Updates No.1670

Airbus A319	-132	3352		D-AGWH	germanwings	ferried 27sep17 HAM-NWI for paint prior transfer to Eurowings	ex D-AVYX
Airbus A319	-132	3358		D-AGWI	Eurowings	ferried 27sep17 NWI-DUS after paint on transfer	ex D-AVYZ
Airbus A320	-211	135		D-AIPU	germanwings	ferried 27sep17 LETL-SXF after interim storage	ex F-WWDB
Airbus A320	-216	3643		EI-DSX	Alitalia	last svc for AB 28sep17 TXL-FCO	ex F-WWBT
Airbus A320	-215	3695		EI-DSZ	Alitalia	last svc for AB 28sep17 TXL-LIN as last AZ A320 on wet-lease to AB	ex F-WWBI
Airbus A320	-214	4433		D-ABFK	Air Berlin	ferried 29sep17 MUC-SNN for cabin config prior paint prior Eurowings ops?	ex D-AVVQ
Airbus A320	-214	7531		B-8878	Chengdu Airlines	delivery 29sep17 TSN-CTU	ex B-000Q
Airbus A320	-271N	7533		B-8381	Tianjin Airlines	delivery 28sep17 TLS-TSE	ex F-WWDF
Airbus A320	-251N	7776		VT-EXI	Air India	delivery 27sep17 TLS-DEL	ex F-WWDE
Airbus A320	-214	7836		VP-BTA	Aeroflot	delivery 29sep17 TLS-SVO	ex F-WWIO
Airbus A320	-214	7843		VP-BLN	Aeroflot	for delivery 30sep17 XFW-SVO	ex D-AXAL
Airbus A320	-214	7883		B-8858	China Eastern	delivery 20-21sep17 XFW-TSE-TSN	ex D-AUBA
Airbus A321	-211	1554		LZ-BHK	BH Air	air-test 27sep17 at SOF after storage since 26apr17	ex EI-FSB
Airbus A321	-211	2337		VP-BWO	Yamal Airlines	ferried 29sep17 KUN-MST for paint	ex D-AVZS
Airbus A321	-211	4728		OE-LCH	flyNiki	ferried 29-30sep17 VIE-MST-WOE on return to lessor	ex D-ABCH
Airbus A321	-211	7119		D-ABCT	Air Berlin	ferried 28sep17 SXF-SNN prior paint into at OSR? was never in svc	ex D-AZAR
Airbus A321	-211	7260		D-ABCV	Air Berlin	ferried 29sep17 SXF-SNN prior paint into at OSR? was never in svc	ex D-AYAK
Airbus A321	-231	7826		HA-LXV	Wizz Air	delivery 29sep17 XFW-BUD	ex D-AVXG
Airbus A321	-253N	7847		N761AV	Avianca Colombia	for delivery 30sep-02oct17 XFW-TFS-FOR-BOG	ex D-AVXW
Airbus A330	-223	432		D-ALPB	Air Berlin	ferried 29sep17 DUS-SNN on return to lessor (+ 476 D-ALPF)	ex F-WWYG

Airbus Updates No.1669

Germany and Norway place firm order for fleet of five NATO-owned Airbus A330 MRTT tankers

Madrid, 25 September 2017 – Airbus Defence and Space has received a firm order for five Airbus A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transports from Europe’s organisation for the management of cooperative armament programmes – OCCAR – on behalf of NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) and funded by Germany and Norway.

The order follows the announcement on 29 June of a Memorandum of Understanding under which the two nations would join Netherlands and Luxembourg in the European/NATO Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) programme.

A contract amendment signed at the OCCAR headquarters in Bonn, Germany today adds five aircraft to the two previously ordered by Netherlands and Luxembourg and includes four additional options to enable other nations to join the grouping. It includes two years of initial support.

The programme is funded by the four nations who will have the exclusive right to operate these NATO–owned aircraft in a pooling arrangement. The aircraft will be configured for in-flight refuelling, the transport of passengers and cargo, and medical evacuation flights.

The first two aircraft have already been ordered to be delivered from Airbus Defence and Space’s tanker conversion line at Getafe near Madrid and all seven are expected to be handed over between 2020 and 2022.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) initiated the MMF programme in 2012. OCCAR manages the MMF acquisition phase as Contract Executing Agent on behalf of NSPA. Following the acquisition phase, NSPA will be responsible for the complete life-cycle management of the fleet.

Airbus Defence and Space Head of Military Aircraft Fernando Alonso said: “This new order further demonstrates the A330 MRTT’s position as the world’s premier tanker/transport aircraft. But it also firmly establishes the MMF as one of Europe’s most important collaborative programmes and a model for the future European defence projects which are expected to be launched in the coming years.”

Airbus Updates No.1668

Malaysia to lease six ex-Airberlin Airbus A330-200s

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Malaysia Airlines has provided further clarification on its fleet strategy, following its previous updates on the matter.

Malaysia Airlines fleet strategy is a key component of the ongoing five-year 12-point MAS Recovery Plan (MRP) unveiled on August 29, 2014, which calls for the resetting of the airline’s operating business model towards a competitive cost position, with a focus on the network and revenue management.

In his presentation to media, Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Officer Peter Bellew provided an in-depth update on Malaysia Airlines’ fleet strategy, as well as its business performance, products and services, among others.

As emphasized in its statement on September 21, 2017, Malaysia Airlines has a firm order of 25 Boeing 737 aircraft and options on other types of aircraft, including both new and used aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. Overall, this strategy will provide Malaysia Airlines with the flexibility in deciding which aircraft suits its operational environment best moving forward.

In line with this, Bellew also announced that Malaysia Airlines has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the lease of six (6) second hand Airbus A330-200, as replacement for six narrow body Boeing 737 that are being returned to lessors . The A330-200 aircraft, expected to begin arriving from February 2018, will allow the airline to bridge the next generation wide-body aircraft orders. The LOI with AerCap, the lessor of the aircraft, was signed today.

As per the LOI, the A330-200s will be leased for six years from 2018 to 2023 and will mainly be used to up-gauge several high-demand medium haul routes. The aircraft features are very similar to Malaysia Airlines’ current A330-300 fleet with exactly the same Pratt & Whitney engines. Malaysia Airlines is negotiating a maintenance support program with Pratt & Whitney. The six aircraft will have a two class configuration, 287 seats with 19 fully lie flat Business Class seats, brand new IFE on all seats and WiFi.

Malaysia Airlines previously operated Airbus A330-200s (see photo).

Malaysia Airlines currently operates six A380s, 15 A330-300s and 48 Boeing 737-800s.

Airbus Updates No.1667

Turkish Airlines in talks with Airbus for jets after Boeing deal

September 23, 2017 | 2:35 PM

 

by Reuters

Boeing and the Turkish government also announced a joint initiative to support the Turkish aerospace industry. - Reuters file picture

 

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Turkish Airlines in talks with Airbus for jets after Boeing deal

#Turkish Airlines in talks with #Airbus for jets after #Boeing deal

Paris: Turkish Airlines has begun talks with Airbus to buy up to 40 A350 jetliners worth $12.4 billion at list prices, hours after outlining a similar deal with rival planemaker Boeing, people familiar with the airline said on Friday.

The carrier's first significant moves on expansion since last year's failed Turkish coup appear designed to signal a rebound coinciding with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the United Nations, though no deals have yet been finalised.

In New York, where Erdogan this week attended the UN General Assembly, Boeing said on Thursday Turkish Airlines (THY) intended to buy 40 of its 787-9 Dreamliner jets worth $11 billion at list prices.

Boeing and the Turkish government also announced a joint initiative to support the Turkish aerospace industry.

"During the talks to finalise the order, we are strictly evaluating the $1 billion worth business volume for the local Turkish supplier industry," Turkish Airlines Chairman Ilker Aycı said in a statement on Friday.

Hours after the Boeing announcement, attention switched behind the scenes to Boeing's arch-rival Airbus as Turkish Airlines also sought prices from the European planemaker for up to 40 wide-body A350-900 jets, the people said.

It was not immediately clear whether this might lead to a separate order or clash with the 787 talks or even be just a case of THY checking Boeing's prices against Airbus's. But THY typically maintains a balanced fleet from the rival planemakers and analysts said the diplomatic setting and wider industrial agreement suggested the Boeing deal was likely to go ahead.

That deal came as US President Donald Trump praised Erdogan as a friend, despite tensions between the two countries over Turkish security officials involved in street fighting with protesters during a visit to Washington in May.

But the timing and nature of the US deal were unexpected. THY had previously expressed interest in the larger 777X.

Both Boeing and Airbus declined to comment on discussions with the airline. THY was not available for comment.

THY is growing quickly to compete with Gulf carriers but diplomats say it also has a history of making political points with airplane deals as well as using new routes to project Turkey's 'soft power' abroad. In the past, it has tied abortive talks to buy the Airbus A380 to European Union accession talks, according to industry sources and cables released by Wikileaks.

Industry sources said the latest separate discussions with Boeing and Airbus appeared to have been accelerated to fit this week's diplomatic schedule, with no visible tendering process.

"There are politics involved," one industry source said.

Aircraft negotiations often take months, even years, and are usually kept under wraps until there is at least a preliminary agreement. Follow-up talks with each side may take some time.

"Turkish Airlines intends to buy 40 787-9 aircraft. However, it has not actually ordered the aircraft, so we’re not sure that this is really an announcement at all," Robert Stallard, aerospace analyst at Vertical Research Partners, said in a note.

THY's passenger numbers were hit by last year's coup attempt, as well as security concerns and tensions with Russia, prompting the airline to postpone Airbus and Boeing deliveries. Passenger numbers grew 6.1 percent between January and August.

Airbus Updates No.1666

New Airbus A330 Completion & Delivery Centre Opens Up in China

The first Airbus wide-body completion and delivery centre outside Europe has been inaugurated in Tianjin, China, complementing an already broad and worldwide footprint with assembly lines in Toulouse, Hamburg and Mobile.

The new completion center is built at the same location of the manufacturer’s current Tianjin assembly line for single-aisle A319 and A320 aircraft. With this location, Airbus will be catering the largest A330 customers in the world.

The construction of this Completion and Delivery Centre (C&DC) began in March 2016 with a ground-breaking ceremony hosted by Tianjin’s Vice-Mayor, Duan Chunhua, National Development and Reform Commission Vice-Minister, Lin Nianxiu, Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Bregier and Aviation Industry Corporation of China president Lin Zuoming.

The project is part of a joint venture between Airbus, Tianjin Free Trade Zone, and Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

This A330 C&DC will host cabin installation, aircraft painting, and production flight test activities, as well as customer flight acceptance and aircraft deliveries.

According to a note released by Airbus, over 150 Chinese Airbus C&DC staff members were trained in Toulouse to guarantee full compatibility with the manufacturer’s guidelines at the new China-based site. It is expected to see a further expansion of 250 workers that will strengthen this new operations center in China.

“The inauguration of our A330 C&DC in Tianjin, together with the first of many deliveries, marks a new milestone for Airbus’ international footprint and underlines the strong spirit of cooperation with our Chinese partners,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus COO and President of Commercial Aircraft.

“Wide-body aircraft completed in China is an Airbus and an industry first, which demonstrates our mutual commitment to a strong and growing Chinese aviation sector.”

EMPTY CABINS, UNPAINTED AIRCRAFT TRANSFORMED

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The US$240 million center will receive empty, unpainted A330 aircraft previously assembled in France, which will then be transformed into final products as ordered by the customers.

The C&DC features a paint shop, a weighing hangar, and one main hangar with three aircraft positions, covering an area of 16,800m2. Its current capacity is set to deliver two aircraft per month by early 2019.

The inaugural ceremony was paired with an official delivery of the first European and Chinese-made A330 to Tianjin Airlines. The aircraft was assembled and equipped in Toulouse by Chinese and European staff and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The airliner is equipped with 260 seats in a two-class configuration.

FORECASTING THE CHINESE MARKET

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According to Airbus, the A330-200/300 is the most popular wide-body aircraft in China. The manufacturer reports that there are about 200 A330s that are currently operated by nine Chinese airlines.

Airbus claims that it has a strong 61% market share in the long-haul sector in the country.

According to Eric Chen, President at Airbus China, the country’s airlines will need about 6,000 airliners over the next two decades, specifically for large carriers as a result of the increasing passenger traffic in China, where an expansion of 14% per year is forecasted.

Manufacturing competition in the region is also alive, with Chinese manufacturer COMAC launching its medium-haul C919, and Boeing opening up a new 737 assembly next year.

By the end of August 2017, the in-service Airbus fleet with Chinese carriers includes 1,484 aircraft, of which 1,282 belong to the A320 family, and 202 to the A330 family. To date, the A330 family has 1,700 orders.

Airbus Updates No.1665

AIRBUS WINS A321NEO ORDER FROM LA COMPAGNIE

The all-business class, luxury carrier La Compagnie, has announced an order for two Airbus A321neo set to replace the airline’s aging Boeing 757-200s on its Transatlantic Paris (CDG) – Newark (EWR) flights. The new Airbus airliners are expected to be delivered by 2019.

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The premium carrier is the only survivor of a Premium Class-only craze that began in the early 2000s, which saw a flurry of startups and quick failures, including Maxjet (MY, 2003-2007), Eos (E0, 2004-2008), and Silverjet (Y7, 2006-2008).

Today, La Compagnie operates two Boeing 757-200s fitted with just 74 seats on the premium Paris-New York route.

AIRBUS TAKES THE WIN

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Back in January, the airline’s co-founder and former CEO, Frantz Yvelin, told Airways that the aging Boeing 757s were soon due for replacement and that both Boeing 737-9 MAX and the Airbus A321neo were being contemplated as candidates.

“We don’t want to alter our business model or think ‘too big’,” explained the CEO. “So we’ll remain with single-aisle aircraft with a size similar to the 757,” he said.

Yvelin said La Compagnie would be “making a decision within months and in a couple of years we’ll have a last-generation fleet in the air.”

After today’s announcement, however, it’s clear that Airbus takes the win with its A321neo, the model that has ripped a large share of the middle of the market (MoM) segment from Boeing. The A321neo remains as the best-selling MoM aircraft in history.

As far as Boeing is concerned, failing to find a proper replacement for its successful Boeing 757 program continues to pay its toll by giving away business to its European counterpart.

THE ORIGINS OF LA COMPAGNIE

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It took four years to launch this boutique airline. Frantz Yvelin, the co-founder and former CEO of La Compagnie, told Airways “The idea of a new model of Premium Class came to me during a flight from the U.S. to Europe back in 2005,” he said.

“That evening, I found myself stuck in the middle of the central row of seats aboard a wide-body airliner for what were going to be 11 painful hours. Before takeoff, I asked one of the flight attendants if I could be upgraded to Business Class and she replied that, for €4,000 (US$4,400), she could find me a seat up front.”

“That’s when I started to reason about a model of the cabin that could be both comfortable and affordable. A sort of ‘democratic Business Class’,” he revealed.

Yvelin and his new business partner, former Swissair and Jet Airways COO Peter Luethi, raised €62 million (US$69 million) and in October 2013 officially created La Compagnie.

La Compagnie dry-leased two Boeing 757-200s; one from Icelandair Group and the other through lessor Aercap. The cabins are arranged in a 2-2 layout.

The seats, designed and manufactured by Contour, offered 62in pitch and seat-recline of 155 degrees. Flight entertainment was carried on 12.2in screen Samsung Galaxy tablets, and the menus were developed by Michelin-starred chef Christophe Langrèe.

LIE FLAT IN SIGHT

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Currently, La Compagnie’s Boeing 757-200s aren’t fitted with fully lie-flat seats.

Yvelin told Airways that, “we have reasoned about the possibility of offering lie-flat-180° reclining seats, but that would require more space for each row of seats and would reduce capacity by approximately 20%. Consequently, ticket price would be increased by 20%, and that would be the end of La Compagnie and its ‘democratic Business Class’.”

The cabin inside a La Compagnie Boeing 757. (Credits: La Compagnie)

However, the A321neos will be fitted with fully flat seats, an all-new entertainment system, and Wi-Fi connectivity—a major upgrade to the current hard product.

La Compagnie hasn’t revealed further details on the new hard product’s branding and configuration.

OPTIMIZING LA COMPAGNIE

---

In December 2016, La Compagnie merged with French Low-Cost Carrier, XL Airways. Both Paris-based carriers now formed the new XL Airways-La Compagnie Group, led by CEO Laurent Magnin.

Magnin said in a statement, “Since the merger with XL Airways, less than a year ago, we are working on optimizing La Compagnie’s performance. The acquisition of these A321neo aircraft, more modern and efficient than the current Boeing 757, was essential to accelerate the company’s development and enable us to enter the market on a long-term basis.”

While La Compagnie will continue to focus on the premium Paris-New York all-business class route, XL Airways will carry on with its high-density Airbus A330 fleet flying to more than 10 long-haul destinations in North America, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean.

Expect an update as soon as the airline reveals details on the configuration and hard product branding of their new Airbus A321neos.

Airbus Updates No.1664

Airbus A321	-231	7756		N909AM	American Airlines	delivery 15sep17 BFM-DFW	ex F-WZMM
Airbus A321	-231	7882		B-1005	Juneyao Airlines	delivery 14-15sep17 XFW-TSE-PVG-SHA	ex D-AZAS
Airbus A330	-343	277		C-GFAF	Air Canada	ferried / in svc 16-17sep17 ARA-YYZ-LHR-YYZ after paint into new cs, 1st repainted A330	ex F-WWKO
Airbus A330	-223	891		5N-JIC	Arik Air	ferried 17sep17 PGF-BOD after storage	ex EI-EWH
Airbus A330	-302	1535		5A-ONR	Afriqiyah Airways	noted again in svc 17sep17 MJI-JFK	ex F-WHUT
Airbus A350	-941	138		B-18909	China Airlines	delivery 14sep17 TLS-TPE	ex F-WZFS

Airbus Updates No.1663

Airbus A319	-111	1154		EC-HGR	Iberia	last svc 08sep17 MAD-MUC-MAD prior return to lessor	ex D-AVYY
Airbus A319	-111	1654		9H-LCB	Hyperion Aviation	ferried 14sep17 MLA-BUD after storage	ex EI-ETN
Airbus A319	-111	1753		9H-MCS	Hyperion Aviation	ferried 14sep17 MLA-BUD after storage	ex EI-ETP
Airbus A319	-112	1916		UR-CQG	Dart Airlines	ferried 06sep17 DJE-IEV after wet-lease to Tunisair	ex 2-VKCW
Airbus A320	-211	117		D-AIPT	germanwings	ferried 11sep17 LETL-CGN prior return to svc	ex F-WWIL
Airbus A320	-211	218		D-AIQK	germanwings	ferried 15sep17 LETL-SOF prior return to svc	ex F-WWDX
Airbus A320	-212	427		SX-ABX	Olympus Airways	ferried 12sep17 ORY-IEV after wet-lease to Aigle Azur	ex 2-TGXE
Airbus A320	-232	667		RP-C8993	Philippines AirAsia	ferried 14-16sep17 CRK-CTS-ANC-GWO for part-out & scrap	ex N403AC
Airbus A320	-214	2584		VT-IHC	IndiGo Airlines	delivery 14sep17 CMB-DEL	ex 4R-ABK
Airbus A320	-232	2661		XA-VAB	VivaAeroBus	delivery 15sep17 GIG-SJO-MTY	ex PR-MAY
Airbus A320	-211	382		D-AIQR	LH Technik	at SOF 01sep17 in special weird livery for movie shooting prior scrap	ex F-WIZ
Airbus A320	-214	6467		A7-LAB	Qatar Airways	ferried 16sep17 CMN-DOH after wet-lease to Royal Air Maroc (+ 6494 A7-LAC, + 6622 A7-LAE 04sep17)	ex F-WWIO
Airbus A320	-271N	7507		VT-WGF	Go Air	delivery 15sep17 TLS-DEL	ex F-WWBH
Airbus A320	-214	7773		B-8593	Zhejiang Loong Airlines	delivery 13sep17 TSN-HGH	ex B-000T
Airbus A320	-251N	7794		9M-AGH	AirAsia	delivery 16-17sep17 XFW-KRW-KUL	ex D-AVVF
Airbus A320	-214	7817		HZ-AS60	Saudi Arabian Airlines	delivery 18sep17 TLS-JED	ex F-WWDY
Airbus A320	-214	7819		PK-LUW	Batik Air	delivery 15-16sep17 TLS-AZI-KUL-CGK	ex F-WWBP
Airbus A320	-251N	7854		PR-OBL	Avianca Brasil	for delivery 19-20sep17 TLS-SID-POA	ex D-AXAJ
Airbus A320	-214	7867		HZ-FAB	Flyadeal	delivery 15sep17 XFW-JED	ex D-AVVW
Airbus A320	-214	883		LY-SPH	Small Planet Airlines	posn 07-08 sep17 VNO-ALA-REP on winter lease to Sky Angkor Airlines	ex SP-HAE