Airbus Updates No.1934

Austria's LaudaMotion to double A320 fleet by mid-2019

Illustration of LaudaMotion Airbus A320-200 © LaudaMotion

30.08.2018 - 14:44 UTC

LaudaMotion (OE, Vienna) has announced it would double its A320 Family fleet to eighteen units ahead of Summer 2019. The carrier has also confirmed that Ryanair completed the acquisition of a 75% stake in August.

LaudaMotion currently operates five A320-200s and four A321-200s leased from Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l). The aircraft are subject to legal proceedings as the German group is trying to terminate the leasing contract and reclaim the A320 family aircraft.

Short of going into details about the nine further Airbus narrowbodies slated for induction in 2019, the leisure specialist said it already firmed the delivery dates for these units.

"These nine additional 2019 Airbus deliveries ensure that LaudaMotion will grow again by at least 20% in 2019 to 5 million guests per annum," CEO Andreas Gruber said.

Currently, LaudaMotion also wet-leases ten B737-800s from its parent Ryanair.

The Irish LCC previously said it would try to leverage LaudaMotion's A320 fleet in order to diversify the group's fleet. Ryanair itself operates 443 B737-800s and a single B737-700, while its leisure unit Ryanair Sun (RR, Warsaw Chopin) operates a single B737-800 on its Polish Air Operator's Certificate (AOC).

Airbus Updates No.1933

Status:	Preliminary
Date:	Tuesday 28 August 2018
Time:	11:15
Type:	Airbus A320-214
Operator:	Capital Airlines
Registration:	B-6952
C/n / msn:	5331
First flight:	2012-09-24 (5 years 11 months)
Engines:	2 CFMI CFM56-5B4/3
Crew:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Total:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Macau Airport (MFM) (   Macau)
Phase:	Landing (LDG)
Nature:	International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Beijing-Capital Airport (PEK/ZBAA), China
Destination airport:	Macau Airport (MFM/VMMC), Macau
Flightnumber:	JD5759

Narrative:
Capital Airlines flight JD5759, an Airbus A320-214, diverted to Shenzhen Airport (SZX), China, after sustaining damage in an apparent hard landing at Macau Airport. 
The aircraft departed Beijing Airport at 00:17 UTC (08:17 LT), bound for Macau. Initial reports indicate that the nose wheel bogey broke away during an attempted landing at Macau Airport at 03:15 UTC (11:15 LT). The aircraft performed a go around and entered a holding pattern before the crew decided to divert to Shenzhen Airport, where the aircraft landed at 03:58 UTC.

Classification:

METAR Weather report:

UTC / local time:
VMMC 280330Z 22017KT 170V240 7000 -SHRA FEW009 FEW012CB SCT025 27/25 Q1002 TEMPO 20020G30KT 2500 TSRA 

UTC / local time:
VMMC 280300Z 20004KT 160V290 9999 FEW012 SCT030 29/26 Q1002 TEMPO VRB15G25KT 2500 TSRA FEW010CB SCT020 

UTC / local time:
VMMC 280230Z 18006KT 150V220 9999 FEW012 SCT030 29/26 Q1002 TEMPO 4000 SHRA FEW010CB SCT020 

Photos

 

Video, social media

VariFlight@VariFlight

#JD5759 #Beijing - #Macao experienced severe weather conditions while landing in Macao. One of its gears detached and hit the engine. After declaring #Mayday, the flight was diverted to Shenzhen #SZX where it landed safely. No injuries reported@AviationSafety @Aviationdailyy

Airbus Updates No.1932

Airbus A340	-542	912		CS-TFX	HiFly	posn /ferried 18/21aug18 LPBJ-MAD-LPBJ on wet-lease to Estelar Latinoamérica	ex F-WJKI
Airbus A350	-343	1873		B-300P	China Eastern	onward delivery 17aug TSN-PVG after cabin config & paint	ex B-005X
Airbus A380	-841	6		9H-MIP	HiFly Malta	posn 23aug18 LGW-CDG on wet-lease to Air Austral	ex 9V-SKC

Airbus Updates No.1931

Airbus A319	-112	3728		D-ABGP	LGW	ferried 15aug18 TXL-KUN prior transfer to Eurowings (or Europe) (+ A320 2591 D-ABNU 16aug18	ex OE-LNC
Airbus A320	-232	2502		AP-BMD	Shaheen Air International	ferried 17-18aug18 KHI-KW-MPL on return to lessor ( + 3105 AP-BLM)	ex EI-EXK
Airbus A320	-214	3422		D-ABDT	Eurowings	posn 17aug18 VIE-DUS after storage	ex HB-IOQ
Airbus A320	-216	3628		PK-AZL	Indonesia AirAsia	delivery 20aug18 XSP-CGK on transfer	ex 9M-AHQ
Airbus A320	-232	5940		JA23JJ	Jetstar Japan	ferried 24aug18 OSR-TLS, F-reg prior delivery	ex F-WXAD
Airbus A320	-251N	8107		B-1033	China Eastern	delivery 17aug18 TSN-PVG-SHA	ex B-000N
Airbus A320	-271N	8255		VT-IVM	IndiGo Airlines	delivery 20aug18 XFW-DEL	ex D-AVVI
Airbus A320	-251N	8323		A9C-TA	Gulf Air	delivery 18aug18 TLS-BAH	ex F-WWBB
Airbus A320	-251N	8375		G-UZHL	easyJet	delivery 24aug18 XFW-LTN	ex D-AUBM
Airbus A320	-214	8428		HZ-AS79	Saudi Arabian Airlines	delivery 16aug18 XFW-JED	ex D-AUBI
Airbus A320	-271N	8432		VT-IVW	IndiGo Airlines	delivery 21aug18 XFW-DEL	ex D-AUBE
Airbus A321	-231	1214		15+04	Luftwaffe	ferried 19aug19 OSR-HAM, D-reg after paint prior delivery	ex D-AISE
Airbus A321	-231	3575		VQ-BRO	Nordwind Airlines	delivery 23aug18 MPL-SVO	ex G-OZBU
Airbus A321	-271N	8302		VN-A674	VietJetAir	delivery 18-19aug18 XFW-AZI-SGN	ex D-AVYV
Airbus A321	-251NX	8369		G-UZMB	easyJet	delivery 23aug18 XFW-LGW	ex D-AZAD
Airbus A321	-231	8407		B-300A	Sichuan Airlines	delivery 22-23aug18 XFW-TSE-TSN	ex D-AZAI
Airbus A330	-202	511		EI-	Air Italy	ferried 19aug18 DOH-DUB, A7-reg for paint prior delivery	ex A7-ACC
Airbus A330	-343	989		D-AIKO	Lufthansa	ferried 13aug18 FRA-MAN for paint into new cs, first A333	ex F-WWKJ
Airbus A340	-313	185		9H-FOX	HiFly Malta	ferried 16/24aug18 TUN-CAI-LIS after wer-lease to Tunisair	ex EI-GAC
Airbus A340	-313	483		9H-SOL	HiFly Malta	ferried 17/20aug18 LIS-CAI-LIS after wet-lease to TAP Air Portugal	ex T7-MAN

Airbus Updates No.1930

Delta to use A220s on existing routes for the time being

Illustration of Delta Air Lines Bombardier CS100 © Bombardier

23.08.2018 - 12:30 UTC

Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) will initially deploy its incoming A220-100s on existing routes currently operated by large regional jets rather than use the aircraft to develop new focus cities, Senior Vice-President (Network Planning) Joe Esposito said at the Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit in Denver.

As reported by Flightglobal, Esposito added that the incoming Airbus narrowbody jets could replace EMB-175s operated by the airline's partners under the Delta Connection brand on some regional routes, such as Dallas/Fort Worth-Houston Intc'l.

Delta will look at launching new focus cities with the A220s in the longer term, once it will have taken a larger number of the jets. The carrier has been expanding point-to-point services outside of its bases for a while now.

The carrier has seventy-five A220-100s, formerly known as CS100s, on order with Airbus. Delta is the type's largest customer globally. It plans to take delivery of the maiden unit of the type by the end of 2018 and launch revenue services with A220s in the first quarter of 2019.

Airbus Updates No.1929

Qantas studying A220/E2s for regional fleet renewal

Network Aviation (QantasLink) Fokker 100 © Network Aviation

24.08.2018 - 06:14 UTC

Qantas Group has confirmed it has launched studies into the potential acquisition of Next Generation as well as Future Generation narrowbody aircraft.

According to its FY18 results presentation, in terms of Next Generation technology aircraft, Qantas Group is looking at the A220 from Airbus as well as the E2 series of jets from Embraer. Other NextGen types under review include the A321neo(LR) and the B737 MAX although it is recalled that the group's Jetstar Airways unit already has 18 of the former on order from Airbus with deliveries due from 2020 onwards.

The aircraft would be used to replace the seventy-five B737NextGens, twenty B717-200s, seventeen Fokker 100s, and forty-five Dash 8-200/-300/-400s (as well as Jetstar's five Q300s) currently in service with the group's mainline Qantas carrier, regional partner Cobham Aviation Services Australia and regional subsidiaries Eastern Australia Airlines, Network Aviation, and Sunstate Airlines which operate under the QantasLink banner.

The transition plan also showed Qantas was also looking at Future products under development including the A321neoXLR, an ultra-longrange variant of the A321neo, as well as Boeing's B797 proposal as potential repalcements for its A320 Family and B787 fleets.

In terms of its ultra-longhaul widebody plans, dubbed Project Sunrise, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told Reuters this week that Qantas was still looking at both the A350 and B777X offerings.

Of the A350s, Joyce said Qantas was more partial to the A350-1000 given its greater capacity as well as range over the A350-900, in particular for its flagship Sydney Kingsford Smith-London Heathrow route. However, that advantage did not preclude an A350-900 order, he said, adding that Qantas may even factor in the -1000 into a -900 order, should one be placed. Airbus has previously stated it would consider developing an ultra-long-range variant of the A350-1000, akin to the A350-900(ULR), to suit Qantas's needs of flying 300 seats between Sydney and London non-stop.

In terms of Boeing, Qantas is considering the B777-8, which has a higher seating capacity, Joyce added.

Qantas currently operates ten B747-400s all of which are to be retired by 2020 and replaced by an incoming fleet of at least nine B787-9s. It also has purchase rights for thirty-nine more B787s.

The group has so far not commented on its retirement plans for the other widebody aircraft currently in its employ namely eighteen A330-200s (average age 10.3 years), ten A330-300s (average age 14.1 years), and twelve A380-800s (average age 9 years).

Airbus Updates No.1928

DHL TAKES DELIVERY OF FIRST EX-ETIHAD A330F

BACK TO HOMEPAGESUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEED

 Breaking News

• Updated: Xiamen Air Boeing 737-800 Skids Off Runway in Manila (+Photos) MIAMI — A Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway at Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines. The aircraft’s left engine and main landing gear were detached from the...
• DHL Takes Delivery Of First Ex-Etihad A330F MIAMI — DHL Subsidiary, EAT Leipzig, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200F (D-ALMA), an ex-Etihad Crystal Cargo Aircraft (formerly A6-DCA). The plane was ferried from Abu Dhabi to...
• Updated: Xiamen Air Boeing 737-800 Skids Off Runway in Manila (+Photos) MIAMI — A Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway at Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines. The aircraft’s left engine and main landing gear were detached from the...
• DHL Takes Delivery Of First Ex-Etihad A330F MIAMI — DHL Subsidiary, EAT Leipzig, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200F (D-ALMA), an ex-Etihad Crystal Cargo Aircraft (formerly A6-DCA). The plane was ferried from Abu Dhabi to...

DHL Takes Delivery Of First Ex-Etihad A330F

August 17

08:282018

Print This Article

 by Daniel Sander

MIAMI — DHL Subsidiary, EAT Leipzig, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200F (D-ALMA), an ex-Etihad Crystal Cargo Aircraft (formerly A6-DCA).

The plane was ferried from Abu Dhabi to Leipzig on August 14, 2018.

The German cargo operator is due to receive the other four Etihad Crystal Cargo A330Fs that are currently in storage in Teruel, Spain.

Photo courtesy of Sven Wiehveg. Check out the HQ photo here!

The Arab carrier has effectively phased out all the A330Fs from its cargo fleet, transitioning to an all-Boeing 777F operation.

Etihad withdrew these young A330s (delivered in 2014) at the beginning of the year as part of a major fleet reorganization plan that aims to cut costs and streamline its cargo operation through a single-type fleet system. The planes have been in storage since January.

ETIHAD’S REORGANIZATION PLANS CONTINUE

---

As the Abu Dhabi-based carrier continues to reorganize its business, the largest cuts have been on both its route network and fleet.

“The widebody freighters were withdrawn from service effective 1 January and have been placed into storage in Abu Dhabi Int’l and Teruel ever since,” said an Etihad spokesperson.

Other than the Airbus A330Fs, the carrier also phased out its five Boeing 777-200(ER) fleet.

Etihad’s freighter fleet remains with five Boeing 777Fs, all of which are deployed on cargo flights from Abu Dhabi to India, the Far East, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, North/South America, and Europe.

Etihad Cargo Boeing 777

With an all-777F operation, the airline will take advantage of the fleet commonality between its cargo and passenger operation, where it runs a strong 777-300(ER) and 787-9 Dreamliner fleet.

In the meantime, Etihad is exploring ways to cooperate with its biggest competitor, Emirates.

The Dubai-based giant has said it would explore ways to work more closely with struggling Etihad. “The two UAE-based airlines would consider joint purchases and sharing facilities in countries,” said an open statement.

Etihad’s new CEO, Tony Douglas, said that his airline will become “more rational” and that he would not shy away from axing routes that were “commercially unsustainable.”

The Abu Dhabi carrier rapidly expanded under James Hogan’s tenure by purchasing stakes on a myriad of airlines (all of which failed), as well as placing orders for aircraft that the new administration is now canceling or selling out.