Airbus Updates No.2251

Airbus A319	-111	2198		N	American Airlines	ferried 05aug19 TPA-GYR, old N-reg, for paint prior delivery	ex N926FR
Airbus A319	-115	2762		JY-	Royal Jordanian	delivery 04aug19 SHJ-AMM, EI-reg	ex EI-GOF
Airbus A319	-112	3139		EI-GOH	STLC Euope Leasing	ferried 07aug19 NUE-KUN	ex LZ-AOA
Airbus A319	-132	3463		RP-C9388	Royal Air Charter Services	delivery 10aug19 KOS-CRK	ex XU-963
Airbus A319	-115CJ	3542		LX-GVV	GlobalJet Luxembourg	ferried 10aug19 BSL-NWI for paint into?	ex 9H-GVV
Airbus A319	-115	4336		PR-AVD	(Avianca Brasil)	ferried 05-06aug19 CGH-GIG-CLO after storage	ex D-AVXG
Airbus A319	-112	4663		LY-KIT	GetJet Airlines	posn 07/08aug19 VNO-CRL-VNO on short wet-lease to TUI Airlines Belgium	ex D-ASTA
Airbus A320	-211	209		D-AIQE	Lufthansa Technik	last in svc 13nov18, transferred 01aug19 for use as ground trainer at HAM	ex F-WWDY
Airbus A320	-214	3206		OE-LOR	Laudamotion	regd 06aug19, delivery 07aug19 CTU-OMS-VIE	ex B-6316
Airbus A320	-214	3242		XY-	Myanmar Airways International	air-test at WOE, LZ-reg prior delivery	ex LZ-AWW
Airbus A320	-214	4273		HZ-AS32	Saudi Arabian	ferried 12aug19 SAW-MPL prior delivery to?	ex F-WWBY
Airbus A320	-214	4519		HZ-AS23	Saudi Arabian	ferried 04aug19 JED-SAW after storage, still for Allegiant Air as N270NV?	ex F-WWDE
Airbus A320	-214	5167		VQ-BPN	S7 Airlines	ferried 09/12aug19 DME-MRV-DME, S7 titl/ logo temporarily replaced by Sibiria titl on fuselage and full tail cs	ex F-WWBV
Airbus A320	-214	6561		PR-TYM	Latam Brasil	posn / first in svc 02/04aug19 QSC-CGH-LDB-CGH	ex PR-OCM
Airbus A320	-214	6689		PR-OCQ	(Avianca Brasil)	ferried 03aug19 GIG-QSC	ex F-WWIS
Airbus A320	-251N	7175		PR-YYL	Azul Linhas Aéreas	delivery 13aug19 LETL-SID-CNF, VQ-reg	ex VQ-BXA
Airbus A320	-214	7411		F-WHUS	Airbus	ferried 09aug19 NRT-KUL	ex JA10VA
Airbus A320	-251N	7514		PR-YYI	Azul Linhas Aéreas	ferried 13aug19 SNN-LETL, VQ-reg after paint prior delivery	ex VQ-BXF
Airbus A320	-214	8911		D-AIWH	Lufthansa	delivery 12aug19 XFW-SXF	ex D-AXAG
Airbus A320	-251N	9136		VP-BRX	Ural Airlines	delivery 07aug19 TLS-SVX	ex F-WWBV

Airbus Updates No.2250

Australia's Qantas Freight to add A321 freighters from 4Q20

Illustration of Qantas Freight Airbus A321-200F © Qantas Group

12.08.2019 - 14:39 UTC

Qantas Freight (XME, Sydney Kingsford Smith) will induct up to three A321 P2F-converted freighters as part of an expanded domestic and international air freight agreement with Australia Post.

According to a joint statement, the seven-year agreement is valued at over AUD1 billion Australian dollars (USD679 million) and will give Australia Post access to Qantas Freight’s fleet of dedicated freighters aircraft and priority access to bellyhold space onboard Qantas and Jetstar Airways passenger flights.

The three A321-200(F) freighters, for which Qantas Freight is the type's launch operator, are due to enter the fleet in October 2020. they will, however, be operated on its behalf by fellow Qantas Group subsidiary, Express Freighters Australia (QE, Sydney Kingsford Smith).

“Australia Post plays a critical role connecting Australian businesses and communities to each other and the rest of the world, and with the continued growth in online shopping, we can now take it to new heights,” Christine Holgate, CEO and Managing Director, Australia Post, said in a statement.

“This agreement will further boost our unrivalled, dedicated air freighter network with newer aircraft and more capacity right up until the opening of the new Western Sydney Airport in 2026."

“The enhanced air freighter network complements AUD900 million (USD611 million) in investment across our network through automation and infrastructure, and provides the speed, flexibility and reliability customers expect."

Qantas Freight wet-leases in its freight capacity which, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows, currently consists of two B747-400(FSCD)s wet-leased from Atlas Air, four B737-300(F)s, one B737-400(F), and one B767-300(F) all wet-leased from Express Freighters Australia, four BAe 146-300(QT)s wet-leased from JetEx (JTE, Adelaide), and one B757-200(PCF) wet-leased from Pacific Air Express (Australia) (PE, Brisbane Int'l).

Airbus Updates No.2249

UK's Virgin Atlantic adds first A350-1000

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1000 © Airbus

12.08.2019 - 15:34 UTC

Virgin Atlantic (VS, London Heathrow) has taken delivery of its first of twelve A350-1000s on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) after G-VLUX (msn 274) was positioned from Toulouse Blagnac to London Gatwick on Saturday, August 10.

The widebody jet features 335 seats with 44 in business, 56 in Premium Economy, 36 in Economy Plus, and 199 in Economy. According to the ch-aviation schedules module, it is due to make its longhaul debut on September 10 on the London Heathrow-New York JFK route.

"Our A350-1000s will first operate on flights between London Heathrow, New York JFK and Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson creating more capacity in Upper Class and more choice for customers," the airline said in a statement. "We’re providing a seamless customer journey across our joint venture, aligning closely with Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) who introduced a three-cabin configuration with their first A350 in 2017."

Virgin Atlantic is expecting four A350-1000s to deliver this year with the remaining eight due over the course of 2020/21. By 2021, the airline expects to have phased out its remaining quadjets which currently number five A340-600s (due to leave in late October this year) and eight B747-400s.

Virgin Atlantic also operates four A330-200s, ten A330-300s, and sixteen B787-9s (two A330-200s and two -300s are operated by Virgin Atlantic International (VGI, London Gatwick)). The A330ceo will be replaced with fourteen A330-900s due to deliver from 2021 through to 2024.

Airbus Updates No.2248

Turkish Airlines rejigs A321neo order book

Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200 © Tis Meyer / planepics.org

12.08.2019 - 16:30 UTC

Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul New) has deferred into 2020, two A321-200neo that were to have been delivered in 2019.

According to the carrier's 2Q19 financial statements, only 13 of the type will deliver during the remainder of 2019 against 1Q19's projection of 15.

Those two aircraft have now been added to 2020's backlog which now stands at twenty-four A321neo against 1Q19's anticipated twenty-two.

The remainder of Turkish Airlines' A321neo delivery schedule remains unchanged with twenty due in 2021, eighteen in 2022, and fifteen in 2023.

It currently operates seven A321neo.

Airbus Updates No.2247

Thai AirAsia X takes delivery of first A330neo

Thai AirAsia X Airbus A330-900N © AirAsia X

12.08.2019 - 17:25 UTC

Thai AirAsia X (XJ, Bangkok Don Mueang) took delivery of HS-XJB (msn 1903), its first of two A330-900s that will arrive from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) on lease from Avolon in 2019.

According to the carrier, the widebody jet features 377 seats of which 12 are in premium while the remaining 365 are in economy. It will be based out of Bangkok Don Mueang and used on flights to Australia, Japan and South Korea. As previously reported, Europe is on the cards for Summer 2020.

TAAX is a 49/51 joint venture between AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia. It currently operates ten A330-300s on flights from its Don Mueang hub to 11 cities in China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

Airbus Updates No.2246

The month in review: July 2019

Airbus logged orders for 33 commercial jetliners in July – paced by the wide-body A350 XWB and A330neo, while making 69 deliveries during the month from across its product line of A220, A320 Family, A330, A350 XWB and A380 single-aisle and wide-body aircraft – which included numerous “firsts.”

The wide-body new business was led by Air China’s acquisition of 20 A350 XWBs in the A350-900 version. This Chinese carrier already is a major Airbus customer, currently operating A350-900s, along with A330s, A319s, A320s and A321s.

Also logged in July was Virgin Atlantic’s booking for eight A330-900s to support the UK carrier’s fleet renewal and expansion; this agreement originally was announced at the 2019 Paris Air Show. Completing the month’s wide-body bookings was Dubai Aerospace Enterprise’s acquisition of two A350-900s.

Single-aisle orders in July involved two A320neo jetliners for Spain’s Iberia and one ACJ319 Airbus Corporate Jetliner for a private customer.

The month’s deliveries were made to 41 customers overall, with the activity led by 52 jetliners provided from the single-aisle A320 Family. Notable deliveries included the first A321neo for South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, and the initial A321LR long-range version delivered to Aer Lingus of Ireland. Two A220 jetliners – the newest addition to Airbus’ single-aisle aircraft line-up – were delivered during July as well.

Wide-body aircraft provided to customers involved seven A330s in both the NEO and CEO versions, seven A350 XWBs in the A350-900 and A350-1000 configurations, along with one A380. Delivery “firsts” in July included the no. 1 A350-1000 for British Airways and the first A330-900s delivered to Air Calin of New Caledonia and Indonesia’s Lion Air.

Taking the latest orders, deliveries and cancellations into account, Airbus’ backlog of jetliners remaining to be delivered as of 31 July stood at 7,198 aircraft. The single-aisle total was composed of 5,822 A320 Family jetliners and 431 A220s; while the wide-body tally involved 618 A350 XWBs, 276 A330s and 51 A380s. 

A300/A310	A220/A320	A330/A340/A350	A380	Total
Total orders	816	15284	3029	290	19419
Total deliveries	816	9031	2135	239	12221
Aircraft in fleet	306	8612	1970	237	11125

Airbus Updates No.2245

Russia's Ural Airlines takes first A320neo

Ural Airlines Airbus A320-200N © Airbus

09.08.2019 - 01:59 UTC

Ural Airlines (U6, Ekaterinburg) has taken delivery of its first A320-200neo, the carrier said in a press release.

VP-BRX (msn 9136) was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac to Ekaterinburg on August 7, 2019. It is dry-leased from CDB Aviation. Ural Airlines plans to take two more A320neo and two A321-200neo by the end of 2019.

According to schedule data at hand, the Russian carrier plans to start operating the new Airbus narrowbody on August 15. The aircraft will be based out of Moscow Domodedovo and will be initially deployed to Blagoveshchensk (daily), Kaliningrad (4x weekly), and St. Petersburg (2x weekly).

The carrier's fleet also includes five A319-100s, twenty-four A320-200s, and sixteen A321-200s. It has a further seven A320s on order from Airbus.

Airbus Updates No.2244

Air Namibia looks to exit A330 ops; Gov't engages Castlelake

Air Namibia Airbus A330-200 © Airbus

08.08.2019 - 12:04 UTC

Air Namibia (SW, Windhoek Int'l) is looking to return its A330-200s to lessor Castlelake given the unsustainable losses it has incurred as a result of their operation.

Minister of Public Enterprises Leon Jooste confirmed to The Namibian newspaper this week that he and officials from the transport ministry and the attorney general's office are currently in the United States attempting to negotiate an early exit from the two leasing contracts.

Air Namibia secured the new-build widebodies from what was then Intrepid Aviation on 12-year-long contracts back in late 2013 to replace its then fleet of A340-300s. It had intended to use the jets to improve the quality of its longhaul product. However, with the arrival of a growing number of foreign carriers in Namibian skies, the need for the A330s diminished to the extent that they are now bleeding Air Namibia to death.

According to an internal cabinet memo on the future of Air Namibia drafted by Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein back in June, early release from the lease agreements is expected to cost the state-owned carrier as much as NAD2.5 billion Namibian dollars (USD165.9 million), a burden that will have to be borne by the fiscus.

Given Air Namibia's growing unsustainability, coupled with a EUR25 million debt owed to the estate of Challengair (1I, Brussels National), Schlettwein's memo outlined four cost estimates that it would take to keep the airline alive.

One of the options shows that the airline would require NAD3.5 billion (USD232 million) to continue operating in its current form for three years. Another foresees a board-supported bailout plan which would cost between NAD2.5-3.3 billion (USD165.9-219 million).

A third option proposes the drafting of a new business plan that would need NAD4.1 billion (USD272 million), while the fourth, that recommended by the minister himself, is the total closure of the airline which would provide for the termination of all existing contracts including the NAD2.5 billion needed to return the A330s to Castlelake.

“The scenario is financially the most predictable [NAD2.5 billion worst case] and therefore the preferred option,” the document said.

In addition, Schlettwein's memo said that Air Namibia has been unable to deal with its NAD1.3 billion (USD86.3 million) worth of legacy debts given a lack of financial transparency at the company.

“The company has considered approaching the market for external financing and borrowing against assets. However, this option is not feasible, given the consistent message in the past that banks refuse to advance financing in the absence of audited financial statements, aircraft is an asset class which cannot be converted into cash, and due to low confidence in management capability, given the historic challenges,” he said.

In terms of Air Namibia's current business, the minister said that its Victoria Falls and Durban King Shaka routes were the only two of its nine regional services to turn a profit.

To that end, Air Namibia would also have to consider the future of its fleet of four A319-100s. Of the quartet, the two that are leased from Deucalion Aviation Funds - V5-ANL (msn 3346) and V5-ANK (msn 3586) - will see their respective contracts end in December 2019 and July 2020, with an outstanding balance of NAD66 million (USD4.38 million).

“It is clear that Air Namibia under the current model is unsustainable, and that key decisions have to be taken urgently at shareholder level regarding the future of Air Namibia,” Schlettwein said.

Commenting on the report, Air Namibia told ch-aviation in a statement that although the Cabinet Committee on Treasury for Public Enterprises has not taken a decision yet regarding its future, the airline's board of directors and management, together with recently appointed consultants, and the government are engaged in a process of re-evaluating Air Namibia's strategy and business model aimed at ensuring the airline's sustainability as a going concern.

"The objective of this exercise is to identify opportunities to improve financial performance, enhance efficiency and reduce costs across the airline’s entire route network," it said.