Airbus Updates No.4254

 

Bees Airlines from Romania receives AOC

Start-up Bees Airlines from Romania has received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) on 20 March 2024, clearing the way for the airline to officially launch operations. In February, it took delivery of its first aircraft, Airbus A320 YR-BUZ (1922) and has used it on route-proving flights over the last weeks.

Bees Airlines is based at Bucharest and will operate charter-flights to the Mediterranean. According to CH-Aviation, the airline is planning to replace its current A320 with another in the coming weeks. Its website also shows renderings of Airbus A321s but it's unclear if Bees secured these.

It's interesting to note that this airline has no connection with Ukrainian Bees Airlines, which was launched in 2021 and has been dormant since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Illustration by Bees Airlines.

Airbus Updates No.4253

 

Ryanair eyes more A320s for its Lauda Europe unit

Ryanair Holdings is targeting a fleet of around fifty Airbus narrowbodies operated by its Maltese subsidiary Lauda Europe (LW, Malta International), including transitioning to the A320neo Family after 2030, according to group chief executive Michael O'Leary. However, the lack of available aircraft is complicating the plans.

"Airbus is backed up with aircraft deliveries out to 2030. [Lauda] leases only run up to 2028/29. So I would be hopeful of either extending those leases or replacing them with other leased A320ceo until I can get a deal done with Airbus for new Airbus aircraft sometime in the next five to ten years," he told SimpleFlying.

Both A320-200s and A321-200s are being considered.

The Maltese unit is an outlier in the Irish low-cost carrier group's otherwise all-B737 fleet. Lauda Europe is a descendant of Austria-based Lauda, formerly LaudaMotion, which Ryanair Holdings acquired following the collapse of former parent airberlin group by 2019. Having inherited its A320 fleet, the carrier has vacillated between plans to expand the Airbus fleet and add A320neo and drop the aircraft in favour of a unified B737 fleet across its AOCs.

O'Leary said the plan to retire the A320s was not entirely off the table, given issues with securing new A320 aircraft.

"I would like to have a bigger number of Airbus aircraft in the fleet, but at the moment, I can't get them. If I still can't get them by 2028 when we have to return those aircraft, I'll replace them with B737s," he said.

The main driver behind Ryanair Holdings' decision to retain the A320 is the training cost of pilots and crew.

Lauda Europe currently operates twenty-seven A320-200s flying exclusively under Ryanair's 'FR' code. The group's B737 fleet comprises one B737-700, 396 B737-800s, and 145 B737-8-200s across the four Boeing-operating AOCs (Ryanair, Buzz (Poland), Malta Air, and Ryanair UK).

Airbus Updates No.4252

 

Air Arabia Maroc to wet-lease two A320s

Air Arabia Maroc (3O, Casablanca Mohamed V) will wet-lease two A320-200s from Canada Jetlines (AU, Toronto Pearson) for the peak Summer 2024 season between mid-June and mid-September. The aircraft will operate on routes connecting Morocco with destinations in Western Europe.

The Moroccan LCC has yet to file schedules for the wet-lease. Its in-house fleet comprises nine A320-200s.

Canada Jetlines confirmed to ch-aviation that it was planning to add a further two A320-200s to its current four-strong fleet. This will allow it to deploy four aircraft on ACMI contracts in Europe - where it has already committed another two A320s to Corendon Dutch Airlines (CD, Amsterdam Schiphol) between April and October 2024 - and Morocco.

The airline will continue to operate leisure routes to Florida, Cancún, and Montego Bay out of Toronto Pearson and Halifax for the entire Summer 2024 season, according to the ch-aviation schedules module

Airbus Updates No.4251

Egypt's Sky Vision Airlines takes first A320-200(P2F)

Sky Vision Airlines (SE, Cairo International) has taken delivery of its first A320-200(P2F) as it ventures into the cargo charter market segment.

At 18.1 years of age, SU-SKD (msn 2724) was last operated as a passenger aircraft by orange2fly before undergoing conversion by ST Engineering Aerospace at Singapore Seletar. It will become available for cargo charter operations out of its base at Sharjah on March 28.

Sky Vision Airlines confirmed that the narrowbody freighter will be based out of Sharjah until the Egyptian perishables season begins in mid-October.

The carrier shortly expects a second A320-200(P2F), D-AATA (msn 2288), which has already been P2F-converted by GAMECO at Guangzhou airport.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Sky Vision Airlines currently operates two passenger-configured A320-200s. One is wet-leased to Nile Air (NP, Cairo International) and the other to Nesma Airlines (NE, Cairo International).

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Airbus Updates No.4250

Royal Jordanian welcomes 1st Airbus A321P2F

On 21 March 2024, Royal Jordanian welcomed its first Airbus A321P2F (Passenger-to-Freighter) at Amman. The aircraft is registered JY-RAZ (3926) and flew passengers for British Airways before it was converted.

Royal Jordanian is using its new Airbus to expand its cargo operations and has set its eyes on a converted A330 to replace its sole A310-300F, which has been stored at Amman since July 2023.

The airline is busy renewing its fleet and has selected the Airbus A320neo-family and Embraer E2, as well as ordering additional Boeing B787s to do so. In January 2024, the airline took delivery of its first two E195-E2s.

Photo by Royal Jordanian Airlines.

Airbus Updates No.4249

 

Airbus A321	-253NX	11758		B-32GH	China Southern	delivery 27mar24 TSN-SZX	ex B-007C
Airbus A321	-271NX	11776		XA-VYQ	VivaAerobus	delivery 28mar24 XFW-KF-BGR-MTY	ex D-ABYV
Airbus A321	-271NX	11778		9H-WNG	Wizz Air Malta	delivery 28mar24 XFW-BUD (+ 11931 9H-WNG ex D-AXXD)	ex D-AZAD
Airbus A321	-251NX	11799		G-SUNG	Jet2	delivery 27mar24 XFW-MAN, basic cs	ex D-AVYI
Airbus A321	-252NX	11818		PH-YHY	Transavia	delivery 28mar24 XFW-AMS	ex D-AVZC
Airbus A321	-271NX	11851		N717NK	Spirit Airlines	delivery 27mar24 XFW-KEF-DTW	ex D-AVYP
Airbus A321	-271NX	11887		N641FR	Frontier Airlines	delivery 28mar24 XFW-BGR-TPA “Emmitt the Golden-Cheeked Warbler”	ex D-AVXN
Airbus A321	-271NX	11899		N576DN	Delta Air Lines	delivery 27mar24 BFM-MSP	ex F-WZMC
Airbus A330	-243	975		D-AIYC	Avolon Aerospace	ferried 22mar24 BRU-LETL for onward storage	ex OE-LSR
Airbus A330	-343	1167		F-WTBH	Altavair AirFinance	ferried 22mar24 LETL-DRS for P2F-conversion, for Hawaiian Airlines	ex A6-AFC
Airbus A330	-223	1220		B-6526	China Southern	ferried 25mar24 CAN-LDE on return to lessor	ex F-WWKD
Airbus A330	-243	1279		N279AV	Bank of Utah	ferried 27mar24 SBD-MZJ, PR-AIQ Azul Linhas Aéreas ntu	ex F-WWYN
Airbus A330	-343	1681		VP-CLI	Hong Kong Airlines	ferried 27mar24 HKG-HAK prior delivery to?	ex B-LNQ
Airbus A330	-941	1861		OO-ABG	Air Belgium	ferried 27mar25 BRU-LDE after storage	ex F-WWKQ
Airbus A330	-941	2052		EI-TYC	ITA Airways	delivery 28mar24 TLS-FCO	ex F-WWKM
Airbus A330	-941	2058		D-ANRO	Condor	delivery 26mar24 TLS-FRA	ex F-WWYI
Airbus A340	-642	1017		G-ECLJ	European Aviation	ferried 28mar24 CQM-JNB	ex EC-KZI
Airbus Canada A220	-300	55268		N3185J	jetBlue Airways	delivery 21mar24 BFM-YMX	ex C-GPOM

Airbus Updates No.4248

Airbus A300	F4-605R	857		EI-LDC	ASL Airlines Ireland	posn 21mar24 BOD-LEJ after transfer	ex B-LDC
Airbus A319	-132	2898		N523NK	Spirit Airlines	ferried 28mar24 IAH.P0h for part-out & scrap	ex D-AVWN
Airbus A320	-232	1868		EX-10001	Air KG Airline	delivery 28mar24 HAK-FRU	ex CS-TFY
Airbus A320	-214	2743		F-HDRE	Amelia	delivery 27mar24 HFE-TAS-LJU	ex B-6269
Airbus A320	-214	4273		LY-FAS	GetJet Airlines	ferried 03/24mar23 GYD-MLA-MAD after Azerbaijan Airlines Avia wet-lease ops	ex 9H-FAST
Airbus A320	-232	4421		XA-VVA	Volaris	regd mid-mar24 at MEX	ex 9H-AMX
Airbus A320	-214	4649		A6-	Air Arabia	at OSR 20mar24, LY-reg prior delivery	ex LY-NVO
Airbus A320	-271N	11645		CC-DIA	JetSmart Colombia	posn 20mar24 SCL-BOG on transfer	ex F-WZMA
Airbus A320	-251N	11769		OE-LSF	easyJet Europe	delivery 22-23mar24 TSN-TAS-BER	ex B-005D
Airbus A320	-251NCJ	11876		P4-DSH	Sino Jet	delivery 28mar24 TLS-BSL, for cabin config	ex F-WWDJ
Airbus A320	-251N	11963		VT-RTL	Air India	delivery 26mar24 TLS-DEL	ex F-WWID
Airbus A320	-251N	11979		VT-TQW	Vistara	delivery 20-21mar24 TLS-RKT-BLR	ex F-WWBF
Airbus A320	-272N	11982		EI-HOJ	ITA Airways	delivery 27mar24 TLS-FCO	ex F-WWDE
Airbus A320	-251N	11997		G-UZLX	easyJet	delivery 28mar24 TLS-LGW	ex F-WWBI
Airbus A320	-251N	12028		SE-RUO	SAS	delivery 27mar24 TLS-OSL	ex F-WWIA
Airbus A321	-231	8625		HA-LTK	Wizz Air	posn 22mar24 KTW-WAW after transfer	ex G-WUKI
Airbus A321	-271NX	10968		B-32A7	China West Airlines	delivery 25-26mar24 LFBF-ASB-CKG, OE-reg canx 26mar24, for paint	ex OE-IGM
Airbus A321	-271NXLR	11729		EI-HXC	ITA Airways	delivery 22mar24 XFW-FCO	ex D-AVYE
Airbus A321	-251NX	11745		B-32G8	Xiamen Airlines	delivery 27-28mar24 XFW-SKD-XMN	ex D-AVXA
Airbus A321	-271NX	11749		N638FR	Frontier Airlines	delivery 23mar24 XFW-YYR-TPA “Rosa the Pink-Headed Warbler”	ex D-AVXD

credit: Skyliner Aviation News

Airbus Updates No.4247

 

Japan Airlines places orders with Airbus and Boeing

On 21 March 2024, Japan Airlines announced that its board has approved orders for a total of 42 new aircraft, both narrowbodies and widebodies. With Boeing, the airline is set to order ten additional B787-9s, and with Airbus eleven A321neos and 21 additional A350-900s.

The ten B787-9s and 20 of the 21 A350-900s will be used on the airline's international network, replacing older widebodies. This also means, JAL will start using the A350-900 internationally. Today, it uses its A350-900s on domestic routes. The final single ordered A350-900 will be used on domestic routes, replacing the aircraft that was lost at Tokyo-Haneda on 2 January 2024.

The Airbus A321neos will be used to replace the B737-800s, together with 21 B737-8s that were ordered in March 2023.

Japan Airlines' current fleet is made-up of fifteen A350-900s, two A350-1000s, 42 B737-800s, 25 B767-300ERs, two B767-300ERBCFs, thirteen B777-300ERs, 23 B787-8s, and 22 B787-9s.

Airbus Updates No.4246

 

 

Korean Air selects Airbus A350

More happy Airbus A350-news on 21 March 2024 as Korean Air announced it has selected the aircraft as a replacement for older widebodies in the fleet. In total, the airline is set to order six A350-900s and 27 A350-1000s. No delivery timeline has been communicated by the airline or manufacturer.

The A350 will be a new addition to the fleet, although Korean Air is currently in the process of merging with Asiana, which already operates fifteen A350-900s and has fifteen more on order.

Korean Air's-fleet currently consists of ten A220-300s, nine A321neos, five A330-200s, 20 A330-300s, ten A380s, one B737-700BBJ, two B737-800s, nine B737-900s, six B737-900ERs, five B737-8s, four B747-400Fs, nine B747-8s, seven B747-8Fs, eight B777-200ERs, four B777-300s, 25 B777-300ERs, twelve B777Fs, one B787-8BBJ, and thirteen B787-9s.

Next to its new A350-order, the airline has open orders with Airbus for 41 A321neos and with Boeing for 23 B737-8s, seven B787-9s, and ten B787-10s.

Airbus Updates No.4245

 

Airbus A321	-231	2553		N355FL	Spectre Air Capital	ferried 14-15mar24 LETL-TBS-ALA- prior P2F-conversion	ex LY-BLW
Airbus A321	-231	2916		N916NX	Nexus Aviation Ventures	ferried 14mar24 TUS-GYR prior delivery to BBN Airlines (TC-)	ex P4-AAJ
Airbus A321	-253NX	11167		B-32E2	Spring Airlines	delivery 13mar24 TSN-PVG	ex B-007J
Airbus A321	-271NX	11680		N14506	United Airlines	delivery 14-15mar24 XFW-EDI-BGR-TPA	ex D-AZAY
Airbus A321	-271NX	11730		PS-LBH	Latam Brasil	delivery 14mar24 XFW-SID-FOR-QSC	ex D-AVYD
Airbus A321	-271NX	11747		B-18112	China Airlines	delivery 12-13mar24 XFW-DWC-BKK-TPE	ex D-AVXS
Airbus A321	-271NX	11800		HA-LGI	Wizz Air	delivery 13mar24 XFW-BUD	ex D-AVYZ^
Airbus A321	-271NX	11828		9H-WNE	Wizz Air Malta	delivery 14mar24 XFW-BUD	ex D-AVYY
Airbus A321	-271NX	11838		N2180J	jetBlue Airways	delivery 14mar24 BFM-MLB	ex F-WZMX
Airbus A321	-27NX	11863		N639FR	Frontier Airlines	delivery 14mar24 BFM-TPA	ex F-WZMY
Airbus A321	-271NX	11921		XA-VXR	VivaAerobus	delivery 15mar24 XFW-KEF-BGR-MTY	ex D-AZYL
Airbus A330	-202	584		F-GZCN	Air France	ferried 15mar24 LPBJ-CDG after storage
Airbus A330	-243(F)	785		9H-AJI	Airbus	air-test at DRS 14mar24 prior delivery to?	ex B-6075
Airbus A330	-343	843		EC-KCP	World2Fly	delivery 15mar24 LETL-MAD	ex EI-HMF
Airbus A330	-203	925		CS-TCE	HiFly Malta	ferried re-regd 15mar24 CAI-MAD	ex 9H-HFG
Airbus A330	-343(F)	1374		B-LDY?	Air Hong Kong	delivery 15-/18-19mar24 AMA-DUB-BAH-HKG after paint into DHL partner cs, M-reg	ex M-PVDM
Airbus A340	-313	582		YA-KMY	Kam Air	delivery 11-13mar24 LDE-DWC-KBL	ex 9H-ACY
Airbus A340	-642	1017		G-ECLJ	European Aviation	ferried 15mar24 CQM-JNB	ex EC-KZI
Airbus A350	-941	585		VT-JRE	Air India	delivery 15mar24 TLS-DEL	ex F-WHUG
Airbus A350	-1041	647		G-VNVR	Virgin Atlantic Airways	delivery 15mar24 TLS-LHR	ex F-WZFW

Airbus Updates No.4244

 

Airbus A310	-308	620		YA-FGG	Ariana Afghan Airlines	air-test at IKA 12mar24 prior delivery	ex EP-MNP
Airbus A319	-112	1740		EI-IME	ITA Airways	ferried 12mar24 NAP-KUN after storage	ex I-BIME
Airbus A319	-132	2723		N519NK	Spirit Airlines	ferried 09mar24 IAH-P08, for part-out & scrap (+ 2929 N524NK 10mar24)	ex EI-ICY
Airbus A319	-115CJ	3542		TC-VHZ	Zafer Aviation	first in svc 12-13mar24 ESB-VKO-TBS	ex T7-8888
Airbus A320	-214	1286		F-HZGS	Air Corsica	ferried 08mar25 AJA-NOC, for part-out & scrap	ex RP-C8987
Airbus A320	-212	1430		D-ATCH	Condor	ferried 14mar24 NWI-HAM after paint into new cs	ex EC-NAD
Airbus A320	-214	1725		9H-SLK	smartLynx Airlines Malta	ferried 11mar24 SAW-DGX	ex ES-SAS
Airbus A320	-214	1797		OE-ICV	Celestial Aviation	regd 11mar24, parked at NOC	ex OO-SNC
Airbus A320	-214	3400		EC-KMI	Volotea	delivery 13mar24 TLL-NAP	ex F-WWBT
Airbus A320	-214	3594		9H-EUQ	Eurowings Europe	re-regd first in svc 10mar24 DUS-KAO-DUS	ex D-ABHC
Airbus A320	-214	4861		G-ECJL	easyJet	delivery 12-14mar24 HYD-RUH-LCA, RP-reg	ex RP-C3265
Airbus A320	-214	5661		C-	Canada Jetlines	air-test at WOE 13mar23, VP-reg prior delivery	ex VP-CBF
Airbus A320	-214	5687		RP-C3275	Cebu Pacific Air	ferried 1516mar24 HYD-MNL-GUM-HNL-IWA, for Allegiant Air?	ex F-WWDJ
Airbus A320	-216	6619		TC-DCH	Pegasus Airlines	ferried 14mar24 SAW-FMO for paint into?	ex F-WWBJ
Airbus A320	-214	7615		VP-BAC	Spectrum Aviation	ferried 12-14mar24 AMS-TAS-HAK, basic Aeroflot	ex F-WWIK
Airbus A320	-251N	11789		HZ-NS82	Flynas	delivery 14mar24 TSN-DEL-RUH	ex B-005C
Airbus A320	-271N	11904		CC-DIJ	JetSmart	delivery 12-13mar24 TLS-KEF-BGR-PTY-SCL “Alpaca”	ex F-WWIQ
Airbus A320	-271N	11930		CC-DIK	JetSmart	delivery 08-09mar24 TLS-KEF-BGR-PTY-SCL "Cometocino Patagónico"	ex F-WWIP
Airbus A320	-251N	11967		VT-IQU	IndiGo Airlines	delivery 14mar24 TLS-DEL	ex F-WWIX
Airbus A320	-251N	12018		VT-TQX	Vistara	delivery 14-15mar24 TLS-RKT-BLR	ex F-WWDN

credit: Skyliner Aviation News

Airbus Updates No.4243

 

Surinam Airways to phase-out its Airbus A340

On 14 March 2024, Surinam Airways issued a press-release in which it announces the upcoming phase-out of its sole Airbus A340-300. According to the statement, the aircraft is set to leave the fleet on 24 March 2024, and will be returned to its lessor V2 Aviation.

Surinam Airways started flying commercially with PZ-TCW (921) on 11 June 2023. Originally, the lease-agreement was for eight months but that has been extended with a few months.

The airline has the intention to replace the A340 with another own longhaul-aircraft. Until they have secured this aircraft, Surinam Airways will wet-lease an Airbus A330-200 from Maleth Aero to operate the flights between Paramaribo and Amsterdam.

Airbus Updates No. 4242

 Airbus February 2024 orders & deliveries

February 2024 has been a slow month for Airbus when talking about the number of orders received. In total, only two orders were logged. There were no cancellations and the manufacturer was able to deliver 49 new aircraft.

Ordered were:

• 2 A350-900s by an Undisclosed customer

Delivered were:

• 1 A220-300 to AirBaltic
• 1 A321neo to Air Busan
• 1 A320neo to Air Corsica
• 4 A320neos to Air India
• 1 A320neo to Avianca
• 1 A320neo to Azores Airlines
• 2 A220-300s to Breeze Airways
• 1 A350-1000 to British Airways
• 1 A320neo to Brussels Airlines
• 1 A330neo to Cebu Pacific
• 1 A320neo to China Southern Airlines
• 1 A330neo to Condor
• 1 A220-300 to Delta Air Lines
• 2 A321neos to Delta Air Lines
• 2 A320neos to easyJet
• 1 A321neo to Eurowings
• 1 A320neo to flynas
• 3 A321neos to Frontier Airlines
• 1 A321neo to HK Express
• 4 A320neos to IndiGo
• 1 A321neo to ITA Airways
• 2 A220-300s to JetBlue Airways
• 1 A321neo to JetBlue Airways
• 1 A320neo to SAS
• 1 A320neo to Spirit Airlines
• 1 A321neo to Spirit Airlines
• 1 A321neo to Turkish Airlines
• 1 A350-900 to Turkish Airlines
• 1 A321neo to United Airlines
• 1 A321neo to VietJet
• 2 A321neos to Volaris
• 3 A321neos to Wizz Air
• 2 A321neos to Xiamen Airlines

So far, Airbus has received 33 orders in 2024, no cancellations, and delivered 79 aircraft