Airbus Updates No.3791

 

Airbus A321	-271NX	8980		EI-KGB	Air Astansa	re-regd first in svc 24feb22 ALA-SCO.ALA	ex P4-KGB
Airbus A321	-253NX	10500		SE-DMS	SAS	delivery 25feb22 XFW-ARN	ex D-AZAS
Airbus A321	-251NX	10627		A4O-OXB	Salam Air	delivery 25feb22 XFW-MCT	ex D-AYAC
Airbus A321	-271NXLR	10694		XA-VBX	VivaAerobus	delivery 26feb22 XGW-KEF-BGR-MTY	x D-AZXC
Airbus A321	-271NX	10715		D-AIEL	Lufthansa	delivery 24feb22 XFW-BER	ex D-AYAD
Airbus A330	-223	454		N454AD	AerCap	regd 22feb22, parked at ROW	ex EC-MTT
Airbus A330	-343	1058		HL8501	T´Way Air	delivery 24feb22 XMN-GMP	ex VQ-BCQ
Airbus A330	-243	1293		5B-DDJ	Tus Airways	air-test at ISL 26feb22, 9H-reg prior delivery	ex 9H-GKL
Airbus A330	-343	1754		9H-AHQ	Airhub Airlines	delivery 26feb22 LDE-RIX	ex ZS-SXJ
Airbus A330	-202	1864		EC-NRG	Iberia	ferried 24feb22 FNI-BCN after mx	ex F-HLVL
Airbus A350	-941	466		VP-BYF	Aeroflot	delivery 24feb22 TLS-SVO	ex F-WWBW
Airbus A350	-941	489		B-324X	China Eastern	onward delivery 23feb22 TSN-PVG	ex B-005U
Airbus A350	-1041	490		G-XWBJ	British Airways	delivery 26feb22 TLS-LHR	ex F-WWXL
Airbus A380	-841	31		B-6136	China Southern	ferried 24feb22 CAN-VCV-MHV, for part-out & scrap (+ 36 B-6137)	ex F-WWSF

Airbus Updates No.3790

 

Airbus A319	-111	2873		G-EZBD	easyJet	ferried 23feb22 LPL-QLA after storage	ex D-AVWK
Airbus A319	-112	3347		N526VA	Alaska Airlines	ferried 24feb22 GSO-PAE after storage	ex D-AVYW
Airbus A319	-112	3689		9H-XFW	HiFly Malta	ferried 25feb22 GIG-SID-LPBJ	ex PS-SIL
Airbus A319	-132	3911		LY-BJG	SASAF II Aviation	ferried 24-26feb22 BKK-BOM-MCT-CAI-CHR, Itapemirim cs (ntu)	x HS-PPA
Airbus A320	-214	1473		EI-IKF	ITA Airways	ferried 25feb22 FCO-SNN for paint	ex I-BIKF
Airbus A320	-214	1736		EI-NPB	Wings Capital Partners 20/02/2002 TLS WWings Capital Partners	ferried 25feb22 ROW-TUS	ex EC-ILQ
Airbus A320	-232	2675		VT-TTI	Vistara	ferried 26-27feb22 BLR-ER-LETL on return to lessor	ex F-WWDX
Airbus A320	-214	3136		9H-VDO	Galistair	ferried 26feb22 PAP-FLL-BYH after storage	ex T7-MP3
Airbus A320	-214	3396		9H-SLD	smartLynx Airlines Malta	onward delivery 24feb22 LCA-TLL	ex OE-LME
Airbus A320	-216	3609		EI-DSW	ITA Airways	ferried 25feb22 SNN-FCO after paint (+ 4152 EI-DTO)	ex F-WWIL
Airbus A320	-232	3674		D-ANDI	Leav Aviation	AOC certification flight 25feb22 CGN-FKB-PAD-CGN	ex EI-GVA
Airbus A320	-232	3748		N374CL	Carlyle Aviation Partners	regd 22feb22 at BYH (+ 2589 N258CL 23feb22 ex PS-SPJ)	ex PS-MGF
Airbus A320	-214	3767		D-AICU	Condor	at DUS 25feb22, all white plus black titl & logo	ex OE-INX
Airbus A320	-232	4053		VH-VKQ	Virgin Australia Regional	delivery 24-25feb22 MPL-CAI-KHI-CMB, OE-reg	ex OE-INN
Airbus A320	-214	4175		C-GCJL	Canada Jetlines	delivery 26feb22 SNN-YQX-YKF	ex OE-IAV
Airbus A320	-232	4223		HA-LWA	Wizz Air	ferried 26feb22 BTS-BUD after paint into all white prior return to lessor	ex F-WWBI
Airbus A320	-232	4645		9H-AMX	Avion Express Malta	delivery 24feb22 LJU-CDT	ex OE-LDO
Airbus A320	-214	5931		9H-	smartLynx Airlines Malta	delivery 25-26feb22 TUSYYR-EMA, N-reg, for paint	ex N593CG
Airbus A320	-251N	8243		OE-LSA	easyJet Europe	regd 24feb22 at LGW after transfer (+ 9110 OE-LSJ ex G-UZLH)	ex G-UZHG
Airbus A320	-271N	10760		HZ-NS46	Flynas	delivery 24feb22 TLS-JED	ex F-WWIC

credit: Skyliner Aviation

Airbus Updates No.3789

 4 Ex-Finnair Airbus A321s To Be Turned Into Freighters

The Finnish flag carrier told Simple Flying that the retired aircraft would soon be converted to freighters. All four aircraft will be sold to new owners who plan to sell the engines to resellers and transform the fuselage to be fit for cargo operations. Since delivery, Finnair has been the only operator of these planes, but they are likely to be separated post-conversion.

The airline said in a statement,

“This spring, Finnair are saying goodbye to four of their oldest Airbus A321 aircraft – three of which are the oldest aircraft in the Finnair fleet. These jets have reached the end of their economic life cycle, after carrying customers for a combined total of nearly 90 years. Finnair has mainly used these planes for short-haul flights in Europe, and the retirement of these aircraft will lead to a reduction in the average age of the Nordic carrier’s fleet – helping to reduce their carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency.”

Finnair currently operates a diverse fleet of narrow and widebody passenger jets comprising over 80 aircraft, 19 of which are Airbus A321-200s. The airline uses its A321s to connect several domestic along with some international destinations to Helsinki (HEL).

The aircraft in question

Simple Flying has learned the ill-fated aircraft are registered as OH-LZA, OH-LZB, OH-LZC, and OH-LZD. Notice how the last letter starts with “A” and continues in alphabetical order? That’s because these four were the first Airbus A321s delivered to Finnair. OH-LZA was delivered to Finnair on January 28th, 1999, followed by OH-LZB on March 4th the same year, OH-LZC on March 8th, 2000, and OH-LZD on June 9th, 2000. The airline continued this sequence for the rest of its A321 and has reached OH-LZU. Letters “J” and “Q” have been skipped for unknown reasons.

The four soon-to-be-converted aircraft have an average age of approximately 22.5 years, while Finnair’s entire A321 fleet is 10.7 years old on average. With four of the oldest birds gone, that figure will drop to just 7.6 years.

The final journey

According to data from FlightRadar24.com, all four aircraft were kept in storage at HEL when the pandemic hit in March 2020. In November of the same year, OH-LZA, OH-LZB, and OH-LZD were moved to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG). Ch-aviation also shows OH-LZC sitting on the ground at PRG, but there are no available records depicting the flight from HEL to PRG.

Nevertheless, we think Châteauroux (CHR) airport in France is the ultimate destination for these planes, where they will undergo the conversion from passenger to freighter aircraft. OH-LZA and OH-LZB have already made their way to CHR on February 12th and February 23rd, respectively. The remaining aircraft are expected to undertake the journey soon.

A few days ago, Latvia-based charter airline SmartLynx announced plans to procure six P2F converted Airbus A321s. Other parties interested in the type include Lufthansa, Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo, and Global Crossing Airlines, among others.

Airbus Updates No.3788

 easyJet Agrees Airbus A319 Sale And Leaseback With Aergo

Low-cost giant easyJet has entered into a deal with Dublin-based leasing company Aergo Capital Limited to sell and lease back some of its A319 airplanes. The agreement, announced a few days back, is a first between the LCC and the Irish lessor. easyJet has previously made similar deals with other lessors, raising the much-needed cash to stay afloat during the pandemic.

A319s sold and leased back

Ten of easyJet’s Airbus A319s have gone to Aergo in a successful sale and leaseback agreement, as officially announced by the lessor a few days ago. All ten A319-100 planes entered service in 2008, and the deal was closed within 12 weeks of entering into an LOI.

This is the first time Aergo has made a business deal with easyJet. Fred Browne, the company’s CEO said,

“We are delighted to have completed this first transaction with easyJet. We found the easyJet team a pleasure to deal with, both in the early stages of the transaction, and throughout the impressively efficient closing logistics. We very much look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the team at easyJet.”

 

Fleet

At 62 aircraft, according to ch-aviation, the A319-100 make up the majority of airplanes in easyJet UK’s fleet, although currently, less than half are in active service. They’re also the oldest, with an average age of 13.8 years.

easyJet Europe and easyJet Switzerland also have several A319-100s, all averaging between 10 and 14 years of age. The airline is phasing out these older airplanes with newer neo versions of the A320 and A321. Currently, easyJet UK has more than 30 A320N and 10 A321N, all between 2 and 3.5 years old.

Last year, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren discussed the carrier’s fleet strategy for the coming years. The airline has more than 100 airplanes on order, with the option for an additional 78. The bulk of those orders is the A320neo, with several larger A321neo also on the way.

Previous leaseback agreements

easyJet is not new to the sale and leaseback strategy. Over the course of the pandemic, the airline included this method, among other things, to raise capital. By August last year, the carrier had reduced its fleet ownership from around 70% to 50%.

In October, it signed two deals – one with Wilmington Trust SP Services for five Airbus 320 aircraft for more than $190 million, and the other with Sky High 112 Leasing Company for four A320s, raising more than $205 million.

Lundgren has said that easyJet maintains a good relationship with all its lessors, and it has served the airline well in favorable sale and leaseback deals. While speaking with Simple Flying last year, he said,

"The very good reputation with the lessor is because they know we take care of our aircraft. We have a great maintenance program.”

The airline will be hoping that the latest relationship with Aergo will also turn out just as successful as the previous ones.

 

Airbus Updates No.3787

 

Airbus A330	-941	2003		B-58301	StarLux Airlines	delivery 18feb22 TLS-TPE	ex F-WWCN
Airbus A350	-941	?		F-WTAK	Airbus	ferried 19feb22 LDE-AUH prior delivery to?	ex ?
Airbus A350	-941	52		B-304U	Sichuan Airlines	at CAN 18feb22 in Chengdu FISU World University Games cs after paint	ex F-WZFA
Airbus A350	-941	483		EC-NSC	Iberia	delivery 23feb22 TLS-MAD	ex F-WZFO
Airbus A350	-941	489		B-324X	China Eastern	onward delivery 23feb22 TSN-PVG	ex B-005U
Airbus A350	-941	496		TC-LGF	Turkish Airlines	delivery 18feb22 TLS-IST	ex F-WZHJ
Airbus A350	-941	540		B-	China Eastern	delivery 22feb22 TLS-TSN, F-reg, for cabin config & paint	ex F-WWAW
Airbus A3890	-861	49		F-HPJD	Air France	ferried 22feb22 CDG-LDE	ex F-WWAL
Airbus Canada A220	-100	50060		N142DU	Delta Air Lines	delivery 18feb22 YMX-MSP	ex C-FOWV
Airbus Canada A220	-300	55154		YL-ABG	airBaltic	delivery 22feb22 YMX-RX	ex C-FOVP

Airbus Updates No.3786

 

Airbus A319	-153N	10239		B-328A	China Southern	delivery 18-19feb22 XFW-NQZ-CAN (+ 10288 B-328C ex D-AVWG)	ex D-AVWG
Airbus A320	-232	2299		VP-CUG	Avolon	ferried 18-19feb22 HKG-CTS-ANC-HDO	ex B-LCE
Airbus A320	-214	3767		D-AICU	Condor	delivery 22-23feb22 CQM-CWL-SNN-DUS, OE-reg	ex OE-INX
Airbus A320	-214	4357		9H-	MedSky Airways	delivery 18feb22 ISL-MLA, M-reg basic Kuwait Airways cs	ex M-ABNR
Airbus A320	-232	5298		OE-LCI	Avolon	regd 17feb22, parked at HYD	ex VT-IFD
Airbus A320	-214	6107		OE-LDI	SMBC Aviation Capital	regd 21feb22, parked at KIX	ex JA813P
Airbus A320	-214	6991		VP-CJQ	Aviation Capital Group	ferried 19-20feb22 CGK-GUM-HNL-PHX-MLB	ex PK-LAV
Airbus A320	-214	7392		VP-CJU	Aviation Capital Group	ferried 22-24feb22 CGK-GUM-HNL-PHX-MLB	ex PK-LUL
Airbus A320	-251N	10134		TF-PPB	Play	delivery 21feb22 TLS-OSR, for paint	ex F-WWBF
Airbus A320	-251N	10706		EC-NTI	Iberia	delivery 16feb22 TLS-MAD	ex F-WWBK
Airbus A320	-251N	10766		VT-IIS	IndiGo Airlines	delivery 17feb22 TLS-DEL	ex F-WWBT
Airbus A321	-231	6399		N729AV	Avianca Colombia	ferried 16/21feb22 CLO-BOG-IAH-MZJ on return to lessor	ex D-AZAE
Airbus A321	-271NX	10307		VQ-BYI	S7 Airlines	delivery 18feb22 XFW-DME	ex D-AVYM
Airbus A321	-253NX	10614		B-327G	China Southern	delivery 18-19feb22 XFW-NQZ-CAN (+ 10864 B-327H ex D-AZWQ)	ex D-AYAR
Airbus A321	-253NX	10728		N445AA	American Airlines	delivery 18feb22 BFM-SAT	ex F-WZMA
Airbus A330	-223	364		N640CL	Carlyle Aviation Partners	regd 14feb22, parked at MZJ	ex LV-FNL
Airbus A330	-343	497		YR-	Dan Air	delivery 21feb22 DRS-ISL, LN-reg, no titl, basic SAS cs	ex LN-RKH
Airbus A330	-243	1224		N975AV	Merx Aviation	ferried 18feb22 MZJ-CHR	ex F-WWKJ
Airbus A330	-202	1354		EI-EJP	ITA Airways	ferried 18feb22 SNN-FCO for paint	ex F-WWCT
Airbus A330	-343	1533		LZ-DAV	DAE Capital	ferried 19-20feb22 CRK-TLL-PIK, still in AirAsia X cs	ex 9M-XXS

credit : Skyliner Aviation News

Airbus Updates No.3785

 

Latvia's SmartLynx Airlines orders six A321(P2F)s

SmartLynx Malta A321-200(F) (DHL Livery)© SmartLynx

21.02.2022 - 08:10 UTC

SmartLynx Airlines (6Y, Riga) has ordered another six A321-200(P2F)s from Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) as part of plans to expand its operations on behalf of DHL Express.

"We are delighted to work with EFW towards our goal of becoming the largest operator of A321 cargo freighters, as we are convinced that this type of aircraft will become the top choice for customers globally," Chief Executive Zygimantas Surintas said.

The six aircraft will undergo conversion with ST Engineering at its Singapore Seletar and Guangzhou sites in 2022 and 2023. EFW is a joint venture between Airbus and ST Engineering.

SmartLynx Airlines confirmed to ch-aviation that all six newly ordered A321-200(P2F)s would be placed on the AOC of SmartLynx Airlines Malta. The carrier also clarified that it would not confirm at this stage if the six aircraft would operate for DHL Express, even though EFW's press statement suggested that.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that currently, both of SmartLynx's dedicated freighters - one A321-200(P2F) and one A321-200(PCF) - are operated by the Maltese unit which also operates six A330-300 preighters.

Three of SmartLynx Airlines' A321-200s were ferried to Guangzhou for conversion in late 2021 under an earlier deal with EFW. A fourth, covered by the earlier agreement, remains parked at San Antonio Int'l but will enter conversion later this year. The newly ordered six units are incremental.

Both SmartLynx A321 freighters operate on behalf of DHL's EAT Leipzig on services connecting the integrator's hub at Leipzig/Halle with Linz and Brescia.

Airbus Updates No.3784

 

China Southern adds first A319neo

China Southern A319neo© China Southern

21.02.2022 - 01:33 UTC

As the type's launch operator, China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou) took delivery of its first A319-100Ns on February 19 with B-328A (msn 10239) and B-328C (msn 10288) arriving at Guangzhou from Hamburg Finkenwerder via Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev.

A press release said the two aircraft are powered by CFM International LEAP-1As and feature 136 seats in total - four in business class, 24 in pearl economy class, and 108 in economy. They will both undergo further preparation ahead of their service entry in July this year. Given their operational performance, the A319neo will be deployed on flights to hot-and-high airports i.e. those above 2,438 metres ASL.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, China Southern currently operates nine A319-100s, a far cry from the 40+ it used to operate between 2009 and 2014, since which the number has gradually diminished. It also operates 107 in-house A320-200s, thirty-nine A321-200s, twenty-eight A321-200Ns, and twenty-three A321-200NXs. Boeing-wise, it employs twenty B737-700s, eighty-eight B737-800s, and twenty-four B737-8s (still inactive)

Airbus Updates No.3783

 

1st passenger A319neos delivered

Today, Friday 18 February 2022, the first two passenger A319neo aircraft have been delivered. B-328A (10239) and B-328C (10288) were both delivered to China Southern Airlines and ferried from Hamburg-Finkenwerder to China.  Both aircraft are equipped with CFM LEAP -1A engines and have a passenger cabin with 132 economy seats and four business seats. Airbus has already delivered four A319neo Corporate Jets.

The A319neo is the slowest selling variant of the Airbus A320neo-family. As of mid-February 2022, Airbus has only sold 63 pax versions of the A319neo and eight A319neo Corporate Jets. The two aircraft delivered today, are the only A319neos China Southern Airlines has ordered. Other airlines which have ordered the pax version of the A319neo are Spirit Airlines (31 aircraft on order) and Air Cote d’Ivoire (Two aircraft on order). 28 A319neos have been ordered by  “unannounced commercial operators”

Airbus Updates No.3782

 Qatar Airways Wants To Undo Airbus' A321 Order Cancellation

Qatar Airways is seeking an injunction against Airbus to stop the aircraft manufacturer canceling its A321neo order.

The dispute between Qatar Airways and Airbus continues to bubble away with the Doha-based airline in court on Friday trying to stop Airbus canceling an order for A321neo planes. Earlier this month, Airbus canceled an order for 50 A321neos and two A350-1000s after Qatar Airways sued the plane manufacturer and refused to take further delivery of completed A350s.

Qatar Airways chasing an injunction stopping A321neo cancellation

Now Reuters is reporting that Qatar Airways asked a London court on Friday for an injunction to prevent Airbus canceling the A321neo order. Qatar Airways was expecting six A321neos a year from next February. Qatar's lawyer, Philip Shepherd, told the court the cancellation was "a hand grenade thrown in our bunker," and said the decision to do so was misguided and illegal.

The bad blood between Qatar and Airbus stems back to an issue over blistered paint and degradation to anti-lightning protection on Qatar's existing A350s. Qatar says the problem has forced the grounding of 21 planes. Airbus denies there is a safety issue. The airline went on to sue Airbus for US$600 million plus $4 million a day while it awaits for a formal analysis of the problem. Airbus is reportedly preparing a counter-claim again Qatar over the A350 matter.

"They took the risk and knew it would be absolutely incendiary. We have paid $330 million for this A321neo contract so far," Mr Shepherd told the court. He said canceling the A321neos was a tactical move designed to put pressure on Qatar over the A350 dispute.

Airbus questioned if cancellation was a self-serving decision

Some observers have questioned why Airbus decided to cancel the A321neo order in its entirety while only canceling two of the A350s. Qatar Airways originally ordered 42 A350-1000s of which 19 have been delivered. Take off the two canceled planes and 21 A350-1000s remain due. However, the A350 is a slow seller at Airbus whereas the A321neo sells like hotcakes. At a recent Airbus media conference, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury denied self-interest was at play and that the manufacturer canceled the A321neo knowing it could easily resell the planes but only trimmed the A350 order knowing the resale process would be a much harder task.

Airbus says reinstating Qatar's A321neo order would cause problems for other customers

While acknowledging other airlines had blistered paint and degradation issues with their A350s, no airline other than Qatar Airways was viewing it as a safety issue. Mr Faury also noted EASA was not viewing the matter as a safety issue.

Airbus says when Qatar stopped paying for the remaining A350s per the original contract, they breached that agreement and triggered a clause in the A321neo contract allowing it to cancel.

On Friday, Airbus told the court they'd removed Qatar's A321neo order from its production schedule and reinstating it would cause significant delays to other customers. As of January 31, Airbus had undelivered orders for 3,359 A321neos. Just 103 A350-1000s are undelivered. Qatar accused Airbus of a "campaign of terminations and disruptive behavior."

A hearing on Qatar's request for an injunction is set to begin in London on April 4. The ongoing A350 dispute is due back in court on April 26.

Airbus Updates No.3781

 

Qantas Wants Airbus To Upgrade Its Converted A321 Freighters

The 20-plus-year-old jets will be getting the latest standards in onboard equipment.

Qantas has signed an agreement with Airbus to upgrade its A321P2F aircraft. The passenger to freighter conversions will get new systems and upgrades to the airframe to deliver greater operational performance.

Specifically, the modifications are set to include LCD displays in the cockpit, the latest standards in weather radars and onboard flight data management, as well as capability for ETOPS 120. Airbus will also apply its extended service goal (ESG) airframe life enhancement program to the freighters.

Speaking about the agreement, Klaus Roewe, Airbus Head of Customer Services, said,

We are very pleased that Qantas is entrusting Airbus’ engineering expertise to upgrade its aircraft to the latest technical standards. This upgrade also shows how Airbus Customer Services is committed to keeping its in-service aircraft current with all modern capabilities, thus preserving the value of the assets and our customers’ long-term investments in our products.”

Airbus will be assisting Qantas in its upgrades of the A321P2F with Service Bulletins, updates of technical documentation and engineering support.

Airbus has delivered a total of six A321P2F aircraft since launching the converted freighter. Along with the three at Qantas, there is one placed with each of SmartLynx, Titan Airways and Titan Airways Malta.

Despite the relatively small number being operated right now, interest in the type has been strong. Global Crossing and IndiGo are among the operators set to being using the type in the coming years.

Qantas’ A321 freighters

Qantas operates three A321P2F aircraft under its subsidiary Express Freighters Australia. The cargo division also has four Boeing 737-300Fs, one 737-400SF, and a 767-300F.

The Airbus freighters are notable because they were the very first of the A321s to be converted from passenger to cargo operations. In October 2020, Qantas took delivery of the first aircraft, registration VH-ULD. This was a former British Midland aircraft, having been in service with the airline from 1998 to 2010. It spent a few years with Onur Air, before being converted to a freighter in 2020.

Since then, Qantas has taken delivery of two more A321P2F, the first of which arrived in October 2021. This aircraft is a former Aero Lloyd plane, and had also spent time at Spirit and Jetstar before being converted.

The final A321P2F arrived in November 2021, having had a similar ownership pathway to its sister aircraft, operating for Aero Lloyd, Spirit, and JetStar before its conversion.

Across the three aircraft, the average age is 22.2 years. While there are other A321s still in operation that are as long in the tooth as these jets, their 20-plus-year-old equipment could certainly do with an upgrade. As such, this agreement with Airbus will go a long way towards keeping them in the skies for many years to come.