Airbus Updates No.4385

 

airBaltic resumes all Airbus A220 in-house ops

airBaltic (BT, Riga) has ended the wet-leasing in of all aircraft and will operate all of its in-house flights using its own A220-300s during the Winter 2024/25 season.

"Our adaptability this past summer allowed us to maintain all planned operations despite external challenges. Our first priority is always to deliver the best customer experience through focusing solely on our A220-300 fleet, while we have sufficient aircraft availability, and we're committed to expanding and strengthening our fleet to support the growing demand for air travel from our passengers," President and CEO Martin Gauss said.

The Latvian carrier operates forty-eight A220-300s and has 42 more on firm order from Airbus. One delivery is expected "soon." The airline had been forced to resort to multiple wet leases during the summer season largely due to Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engine issues. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that ten A220s are currently inactive.

Gauss told ch-aviation before the peak season that while the situation had improved compared to 2023 (when airBaltic had to wet-lease in up to 14 aircraft), it was not good enough to avoid the use of supplemental ACMI. As of October 2024, the airline contracted six aircraft: three A319-100s (two from Carpatair and one from Avion Express) and three A320-200s (two from Heston Airlines and one from Avion Express). All of them ended operations for airBaltic on October 26, 2024.

airBaltic continues to pursue opportunities to wet-lease its own A220s out to other carriers. Sixteen of its A220s are currently operating for Lufthansa Group carriers: seven for Swiss, five for Eurowings, and four for Lufthansa.

Airbus Updates No.4334

 

Lufthansa to exit Airbus A330 and A340 operations by 2028

Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) has announced that as a part of its new turnaround programme it will retire all remaining A330-200s, A340-300s, A340-600s, and B747-400s by 2028 to reduce the costly complexity of its widebody fleet.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows the airline currently operates seventeen A340-300s, seventeen A340-600s, and eight B747-400s. It owns all of these aircraft. It also operates nine A330-300s, and while it no longer operates any A330-200s, having retired all five as of 2006, its leisure-focused Discover Airlines (4Y, Frankfurt International) subsidiary operates three.

Lufthansa did not respond to ch-aviation's request for confirmation that the announced plan pertains to the Discover-operated A330-200s.

Lufthansa's quadjet fleet also comprises eight A380-800s (of which five are currently active) and nineteen B747-8s.

Lufthansa Group conceded in its quarterly earnings release that it was becoming "increasingly challenging" for its mainline to hope to break even in 2024. The holding posted a EUR212 million euro (USD229 million) operating loss for the first half of 2024, while Lufthansa itself recorded a EUR442 million (USD478 million) operating loss.

The holding blamed late aircraft deliveries as one of the causes of its current headaches. On a group level, it took 41 fewer B787-9s and B777-9s between 2019 and now than it had planned. It compensated for the delays by extending the service lives of twenty-three A340-300s and B747-400s. This only partially offset the delays, with 18 aircraft still missing, while at the same time there were rising fuel and operating costs. The changes also increase "irregularity costs" and lower crew productivity. As a result, Lufthansa Group estimates the cost of delayed widebody deliveries to be in triple-digit millions of euros.

Lufthansa has twenty-one B777-9s, seven B777-8Fs, and thirty-four B787-9s remaining on orders from Boeing.

The holding identified a host of other issues affecting its mainline carrier, such as "negative market development in the key Asia-Pacific traffic region, inefficiencies in its Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flight operations", and "the disproportionately high increase in location cost in Germany and new collective labour agreements".

The newly launched turnaround programme, which aims to make Lufthansa "fit for the future" and "the Group's flagship again", will also tighten the focus on its premium product, more seasonal network, an increase in Lufthansa City Airlines and Discover operations, and other improvements. Lufthansa Group noted that its other carriers "remain on course in line with market developments". Nonetheless, Swiss was the only one to post an operating profit in the first half of the year. Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings all posted small operating losses not exceeding EUR100 million (USD108 million).

Airbus Updates No.4048

 

Eurowings welcomes 1st Airbus A321neo

On 21 June 2023, Eurowings took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo. The aircraft, A321-200NX registered D-AEEA (11412) was ferried on this day from Hamburg-Finkenwerder to Düsseldorf. Here it will receive additional tender, love and care before it will begin its commercial flights in August. The Airbus is outfitted with 232 seats in a single-class lay-out and will begin its commercial service mainly flying to Palma de Mallorca.

In total, Eurowings will receive thirteen A321-200NXs, which will join a fleet that's currently made-up of 31 A319s, 50 A320s, seven A320neos, six A321s, and four B737-800s.

Airbus Updates No.3847

 

Eurowings Discover To Lease Finnair Airbus A330s This Summer

Finnair will be making a surprise appearance in Florida and Nevada this summer, as it operates a series of flights for German leisure carrier Eurowings Discover. Flights from Frankfurt to Tampa and Las Vegas, and from Munich to Las Vegas, will be flown by Finnair’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft on a wet lease basis.

The agreement is still subject to approval from the US Department of Transport. However, the first Finnair-operated services are expected to begin on May 15th. Being a wet lease means that the aircraft, pilots, and cabin crew will all be provided by Finnair.

This arrangement could prove to be beneficial for both Eurowings Discover and Finnair, for different reasons. Let’s take a closer look…

Finnair – thinking outside the box

Finnair currently has a surplus of aircraft. Its primary market is Europe to Asia, but with China and Japan still shut to inbound tourism, and Russia’s airspace closed, the airline finds itself in an unfortunate situation. While it will continue to operate to many of its Asian destinations this summer, albeit with much-reduced frequencies, the airline has had to explore alternative revenue-generating opportunities.

It recently launched flights from Helsinki to Dallas Fort Worth and Seattle, providing connectivity with oneworld alliance partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines respectively. The carrier also commenced long-haul flying from Stockholm Arlanda to a number of destinations including New York JFK and Los Angeles.

When it comes to the airline’s plans to operate flights for Eurowings Discover, flying on behalf of another airline is an excellent way for Finnair to keep generating revenue with aircraft that would otherwise be idle. It also keeps its aircraft and crew active, which is beneficial in terms of both maintenance and training.

Eurowings Discover – wet leasing to support rapid expansion

Since commencing operations in July 2021, Eurowings Discover has grown its long-haul fleet to nine Airbus A330 aircraft, with two more on order. However, it seems that even this is not enough to keep up with the significantly increased demand for travel this summer, coming particularly from the leisure segment.

In addition to its existing network that stretches from Mauritius to Salt Lake City, the German leisure carrier is keen to capitalize on the recovering market, and has been expanding rapidly.

Eurowings Discover recently launched Europe's first-ever service to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, via Windhoek, Namibia. Later this year the airline will begin flights to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in South Africa, also via Windhoek. Further new destinations for the airline expected to begin this summer include Anchorage, Calgary, and Kilimanjaro.

Airbus Updates No.3831

 

Eurowings Takes Delivery Of 1st Airbus A320neo

The first of 13 Airbus A320neo family aircraft destined for Eurowings arrived in Dusseldorf on April 1 as the start of the fleet's transformation.

On April 1, the first Eurowings Airbus A320neo aircraft arrived in Dusseldorf from Toulouse, the home of Airbus

According to flightradar24.com, flight EW1 left Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS) at 11:59 to travel the 943 kilometers to Dusseldorf International Airport (DUS), arriving at 13:34.

Thirteen A320neo family aircraft to join the Eurowings fleet, starting with an A320neo on April 1

The new aircraft, MSN 10758 and registered D-AENA, is planned to enter service in June and is the first of an expected 13 A320neo family jets to join the Eurowings fleet.

According to data from Planespotters.net, as of April 3, the total Eurowings fleet numbers 83 aircraft, made up of 31 A319, 49 A320-200, two Boeing 737-800, and one A321neo.

While the aircraft arrived last Friday, Eurowings had announced its arrival in November 2021. The airline said it was the first of eight A320neo it would be receiving between 2022 and 2024.

It has also foreshadowed that five Airbus A321neo are being added to the fleet, with deliveries starting from the (northern hemisphere) spring of 2023.

At the time of the November announcement, Jens Ritter was chief operating officer of Eurowings. He said,

"With the neos, Eurowings is getting brand-new, highly efficient aircraft equipped with the best technology currently available. This milestone investment in our fleet is an important signal for all our customers, but also a vote of confidence by the Lufthansa Group in the future viability of Eurowings."

The decision to go with the A320/321neo was obviously well received by parent company Lufthansa Group. Mr Ritter took over as Lufthansa Airlines CEO on the same day the new A320neo landed in Dusseldorf.

In an encouraging sign for those wanting to work their way to the top, Ritter started with Lufthansa as an A320 pilot and, after 21 years working with the group, now has the reins of the flagship airline.

Eurowings A320neos to be powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines

The Eurowings A320neos will be the first within the Lufthansa Group to be powered by CFM-LEAP-1A engines, with earlier deliveries using the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) 1100G.

While the GTF-1100G delivers on all its performance, noise, and emission reduction targets, its entry into service on the A320neo in January 2016 was plagued with problems. At one point, Airbus had an apron full of A320s parked in Toulouse that were dubbed gliders, waiting for the engine issues to be rectified.

In December 2021, P&W launched a new version of the GTF that it claimed would reduce fuel consumption by another 1% in the A320neo. The new engine will also be compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

Called the GTF Advantage, the new engine will become the new production standard for the A320neo family.

Tracking orders for individual Lufthansa Group customers is not simple. The Airbus Orders and Deliveries February 2022 report lists no aircraft orders for Eurowings, Eurowings Discover, SWISS, Edelweiss, Austrian, or Brussels airlines.

However, attributed to Lufthansa are 54 A320neo and 28 A321neo unfilled orders, with those 82 aircraft seemingly to be shared within the group.

In its 2021 Annual Report, Lufthansa reported it had 66 A320 aircraft to be delivered from 2022 to 2026 and 35 A321 from 2022 to 2027. These are from 175 Airbus and Boeing aircraft it has on order, plus options for a further 74 aircraft.

Airbus Updates No.2969

 Eurowings To Paint Airbus A320 In Special Thank You To Employees Livery

In recognition and appreciation of the effort its employees have put in during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings has decided to give its employees a distinctive Christmas gift. Calling it probably the biggest Christmas gift in history, the low-cost airline has surprised its 2,300 employees with a specially painted 40 meters long (131.23 feet) 12 meter high (39.37 feet) Airbus A320 with the words ” Fuelled By The World’s Greatest Team.” The words are written on both sides of the aircraft’s fuselage, with one side in English and the other in German.

The new livery is to thank employees for their hard work. Photo: Eurowings

The 7.7-year-old Airbus A320-200 registration number D-AIZS and its new distinctive livery indicate that management in Düsseldorf is delighted with the team effort its employees have put in during what is arguably the worst time in aviation history. In a statement seen by Simple Flying Eurowings, CEO Jens Bischof praised the airlines’ staff by saying:

“Hardly any other industry has been hit as hard by the pandemic as aviation and tourism. Whether flight attendants, pilots, or staff on the ground – they have all been unable to do their jobs as usual for months. The fact that Eurowings guests were able to take off at all this year is owed to the passionate commitment and high flexibility of all our employees. A remarkable team spirit drives us at Eurowings repeatedly and makes us stand up for each other in difficult times. That is why we are saying thank you in an extraordinary way in a likewise extraordinary year: with a team airplane for the entire staff.”

The plane will move between Eurowings hubs

The specially painted Eurowings Airbus will receive a bilingual varnish during a regular maintenance service ahead of returning to operations in the first quarter of 2021. To allow all Eurowings staff to see the plane, it will move on a rolling basis between Eurowings hubs at the following airports:

• Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS)
• Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
• Hamburg Airport (HAM)
• Stuttgart Airport (STR)
• Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI)
• Vienna International Airport (VIE)
• Salzburg Airport (SCZ)
• Prishtina International Airport (PRN)

The tour operator segment will recover first

In other Eurowings, related news, aviation news website Corporate Travel Community reports that Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof sees clear signs of a market recovery starting in 2021. The 55-year-old airline executive says that the recovery will be especially evident in the tour operator segment. Mr. Bischof said that Eurowings is currently operating 20 aircraft out of its fleet of 100 planes but aims to increase this to 50 aircraft by Easter 2021.

Eurowings hopes to have 50 aircraft operating by Easter 2021. Photo: Eurowings

“If the positive booking trend continues for 2021, we could fly with 80 to 90 aircraft again,” Mr. Bischof concluded.

Airbus Updates No.2595

Lufthansa Group outlines fleet, capacity reduction plans

Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 © Lufthansa Group

08.04.2020 - 08:16 UTC

Lufthansa Group has outlined plans to drastically reshape the fleets that its various AOCs operate in the interests of matching capacity to demand in a soon-to-come post-COVID-19 world.

A statement issued after a Tuesday boardroom meeting said that six out of Lufthansa's fourteen A380-800s, seven of its seventeen A340-600s, and five of its thirteen remaining B747-400s are to be permanently decommissioned. In addition, eleven A320-200s will be withdrawn from short-haul operations.

"The six A380s were already scheduled for sale to Airbus in 2022," it said. "The decision to phase out seven A340-600s and five B747-400s was taken based on the environmental as well as economic disadvantages of these aircraft types. With this decision, Lufthansa will be reducing capacity at its hubs in Frankfurt Int'l and Munich."

Furthermore, Lufthansa CityLine (CL, Munich) will also withdraw three of its five A340-300s from service. Since 2015, the regional carrier has been operating flights to long-haul tourist destinations for Lufthansa.

As recently reported, Eurowings (EW, Düsseldorf Int'l) will see its germanwings (4U, Cologne/Bonn) subsidiary shuttered while the number of aircraft it operates overall will be reduced by ten A320-200s. In addition, Eurowings' long-haul flying will be curtailed.

Concerning Austrian Airlines (OS, Vienna) and Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National), the group said existing restructuring programs will be further intensified due to the coronavirus crisis. Among other things, both companies are working on reducing their fleets. Swiss (LX, Zurich) will also adjust its fleet size by delaying deliveries of new short-haul aircraft and will also consider early phase-outs of older aircraft.

In its own press release, Austrian Airlines said that it did not anticipate a return to the pre-COVID-19 level of demand before 2023 at the earliest. As such, the Austrian unit of Lufthansa Group was talking with its parent and social partners about "realignment including a reduction in the size of the fleet and consistent restructuring".

In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines have already terminated "almost all" wet-lease agreements with third-party airlines. Though the exact contracts that have been axed were not specified, at present time, the list includes:

• TUI fly (Germany) (X3, Hanover) which operates seven B737s (one B737-700 and seven -800s) for Eurowings;
• LGW - Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (HE, Dortmund) which operates sixteen Dash 8-400s for Eurowings;
• Helvetic Airways (2L, Zurich) which operates various E190s/E190-E2s for Swiss (LX, Zurich);
• SunExpress Deutschland (XG, Frankfurt Int'l) which operates seven A330-200s for Eurowings and two B737-800s for Lufthansa.

"The aim remains the same for all employees affected by the restructuring measures: to offer as many people as possible continued employment within the Lufthansa Group," it added. "Therefore, talks with unions and workers councils are to be arranged quickly to discuss, among other things, new employment models in order to keep as many jobs as possible."

Airbus Updates No.1687

Eurowings details wet-lease plans to replace Air Berlin lift

Illustration of Eurowings Airbus A320-200© Eurowings

15 hours ago

Eurowings (EW, Dusseldorf) will wet-lease two A340-300s from Belgian sister carrier Brussels Airlines(SN, Brussels National) starting from the end of March 2018. The plan has been confirmed by Brussels Airlines to Belgium's De Tijd after details leaked to the Belgian press following a meeting between Brussels Airlines management and trade unions.

The two aircraft will be sourced from Lufthansa's current fleet and be based in Dusseldorf for new routes to destinations such as Los Angeles Int'l and New York, routes which were previously served by bankrupt Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel). Eurowings currently does not operate long-haul services itself, but instead wet-leases six A330-200s from Sun Express Deutschland (XG, Frankfurt Int'l), with a seventh such aircraft due soon. The Lufthansa Group low-cost carrier is planning to launch long-haul services from Dusseldorf to Punta Cana on November 8 using a B767-300(ER) aircraft operated by TUI fly (Germany) (X3, Hanover). It plans to serve Punta Cana twice weekly and Varadero weekly this winter season.

According to schedule data, Eurowings will also wet-lease PrivatAir (Switzerland)'s single B767-300(ER) HB-JJF (msn 27613) for the Punta Cana route from Dusseldorf between March 25 and April 29.

Regarding Eurowings' short-haul plans for the upcoming winter season, chief executive Thorsten Dirks told Süddeutsche Zeitung on October 17 that it would only wet-lease seven B737 aircraft from TUI fly instead of the fourteen the German leisure carrier currently operates on behalf of Niki (HG, Vienna). In general however, Dirks expects major difficulties ahead given Eurowings will have to replace the capacity of 32 Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel) A320 family aircraft currently operating on its behalf during the months of November and December as Lufthansa Group waits for European Commission approval for the proposed transaction to take over 81 former Air Berlin group aircraft and subsidiaries Niki and LGW - Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (HE, Dortmund). Unlike parent Air Berlin, which is due to completely suspend operations by the end of next week, Niki will continue to operate leisure routes in cooperation with tour operators in the meantime and might also wet-lease some aircraft to Eurowings.

While LGW will start operating at least ten Dash 8-400 aircraft on behalf of Eurowings next week, Dirks also expects to be forced to lease in whatever equipment is available on the ACMI market to fill the gaps: "There will be aircraft with different liveries and many different uniforms. The goal now is to get as much capacity as possible into the market and to use aircraft from wherever we can find them. Not everything will work as planned."

Meanwhile, Oneworld has announced that both Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel) and Niki (HG, Vienna) will leave the alliance by October 27.