Airbus Updates No.3056

 Singapore Airlines Removes A380 From Storage For Refurbishment

After an extended stay in the desert, Singapore Airlines yesterday removed one of its Airbus A380s ahead of a planned refurbishment of the type. The airline plans to fit its entire remaining fleet of 12 aircraft with its latest A380 cabin product. The airline first revealed the plan in November.

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 today left the Alice Springs Storage Facility. Photo: Vincenzo Pace – Simple Flying

Looking at the impact of the current crisis, two aircraft types appear to have been hit harder than others in terms of early retirements. It wasn’t a huge surprise when airlines began retiring the Boeing 747-400, given that the youngest built for passengers is already 16 years old. However, some airlines have already started retiring A380s under ten years old.

Singapore flies the A380 again

This morning a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 took to the skies once more. While not for passengers, the flight represents the first for the aircraft in question since it was flown to Alice Springs for storage in June.

According to data from RadarBox.com, the aircraft departed Alice Springs at 10:04. Following a three-hour, 31-minute flight, the aircraft touched down at 15:06. However, rather than flying across the ocean to Singapore, the aircraft flew across the land to Sydney to undergo a routine return to service check. Qantas typically operated its A380s out of Sydney pre-pandemic.

The aircraft flew to Sydney for standard post-storage checks. Photo: RadarBox.com

Commenting on the flight, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Simple Flying,

“Singapore Airlines can confirm that one of our Airbus A380 aircraft that was stored in Alice Springs has begun its planned returned to Singapore ahead of a schedule retro-fitting and maintenance programme.

“The aircraft, registration 9V-SKQ, has been moved to Sydney to undergo routine checks following its storage, before returning to Singapore where it will be retro-fitted as part of our plan to have all 12 remaining A380 in our fleet fitted with the latest A380 cabin product.”

Good news for the A380 family

The flight will come as good news for the A380 family, especially at Singapore Airlines. In November, Simple Flying reported that the airline was to retire seven more A380s, leaving it with a dozen. However, the airline remains committed to these 12.

The airline is retrofitting its latest A380 product into all remaining A380s, ensuring a consistent experience across the board. If there were any chance that the aircraft wouldn’t return to service, it wouldn’t make sense to spend such funds.

The airline is hoping to refit all of its aircraft by the end of the year. In November, Simple Flying reported that just four aircraft remained to be retrofitted. This will see the airline’s six first class suites at the front of the upper deck. Two pairs of these suites can be converted into a double bed. The remainder of the upper deck is occupied by 82 flatbed business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The new Singapore A380 configuration contains 44 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration on the main deck. Behind the second set of doors, the airline has 343 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.

Airbus Updates No.3055

Asiana Airlines Doubles Its Fleet Of Makeshift Cargo Airbus A350s

South Korea’s Asiana Airlines announced today that it had converted two of its 13 Airbus A350-900s into cargo planes as it looks to expand its air freight business. By doing this, each of the aircraft will now carry an extra five tons of cargo.

The conversion was done to help transport the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

According to Asiana, sales from its freight division reached a record-breaking 2.14 trillion won ($1.9 billion), up 64% from the previous year’s figures. The cargo conversions were also done in preparation for the worldwide distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Asiana added more cargo flights

As well as the two passenger planes that were converted to carry cargo last year, Asiana also used non-cargo planes to transport essential PPE and South Korean exports, adding 849 flights to its cargo operations. When speaking to The Korean Herald, a spokesperson for Asiana Airlines said:

“To convert passenger planes to cargo planes has significantly strengthened our capacity, as demand for air cargo is expected to rise in the age of COVID-19, we plan to focus on cargo flights in many aspects to turn around our performance.”

Asiana was the first airline to convert an A350 into a cargo plane. Photo: Airbus

Last year, Asiana Airlines became the first airline to convert an Airbus A350-900 passenger plane into a main deck freighter. The work involved removing 283 economy class seats and installing a steel panel on the floor. The A350-900 can now carry an additional five tons of cargo, bringing up its total cargo load to 23 tons.

The A350 was put on the ICN-SGN route

The newly modified jet made its first flight as a dedicated freighter on September 23, 2020. It carried 20 tons of IT equipment and electrical parts from Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Following the flight to Los Angeles, the aircraft was put on the high-demand route from ICN to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

To help with the conversion, Asiana Airlines worked closely with Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the EASA issued exemption guidelines to airlines so that they could carry urgent medical and PPE supplies. Airbus then worked with the safety agency to develop an SB (Service Bulletin) so that airlines could use the cabins of passenger planes to carry cargo.

When speaking about the decision to convert the A350s, Kim Kwang-Seok, Senior Executive Vice President of Cargo Business at Asiana, said the following,

“We took the decision for aircraft modification after a close review of its capability to secure safety and increase profitability. Cargo sales have become a big part of the airline’s business during the COVID-19 situation, and we will carry out various efforts for the segment.”

When speaking about Asiana’s decision to covert an A350 Anand Stanley, Airbus’ Head of Region, Asia-Pacific, said:

“We congratulate Asiana Airlines on becoming the first operator to convert an A350 using Airbus’ solution. During these challenging times, we are heartened to see our airline partners move nimbly to address their needs. Airbus remains committed to support our airline partners by providing solutions to their new needs.”

South Korea is a major exporter

South Korea is the world’s fifth-largest exporter, so it is no surprise to see Korean carriers turning to cargo when passenger numbers are way down. While air freight will certainly play a vital role in transporting COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, we’re unlikely to see many more airlines converting passenger planes to freighters. Carriers seem to be now pinning their hopes on a summer recovery and will be looking to entice back passengers who have been unable to travel due to coronavirus restrictions.

 

Airbus Updates No.3054

 Lufthansa Flies Another Airbus A380 To France For Long-Term Storage

Today Lufthansa said goodbye to one more Airbus A380 for the foreseeable future. D-AIMI was ferried to Tarbes in France, where it will enter into long-term storage. It is unclear whether the A380 will ever re-enter service with the German flag carrier after the airline’s CEO previously cast doubt on the type.

This morning Lufthansa sent another Airbus A380 to long-term storage. Photo: Vincenzo Pace – Simple Flying

While a marvel of engineering, the A380 hasn’t gone down as the cool kid with many airlines, given the general shift away from four-engined giants in the industry. Of course, it’s not all bad news. While Emirates remains committed to the type for the next decade and a half, Singapore Airlines is actively refurbishing its fleet.

D-AIMI flies the nest

Today was a sad day for Lufthansa, and A380 fans as the German flag carrier dispatched another of its A380s to long-term storage in Tarbes, located in the South-West of France.

According to data from RadarBox.com, the 9-year-old plane departed from Frankfurt Airport at 07:42 this morning. Following a one-hour, 25-minute flight as LH9920, the aircraft touched down at its new home at 09:08. This was the aircraft’s first flight since operating a repatriation mission from Bangkok 11 months ago on March 20th. Before its grounding, D-AIMI operated around 300 flight hours a month to destinations such as Singapore, Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Delhi.

D-AIMI flew to Tarbes in France to join another of the airline’s A380s. Photo: RadarBox.com

When Lufthansa began relocating its remaining A380s away from Frankfurt one month ago, an airline spokesperson told Simple Flying,

“Lufthansa will start the transfer of five of its Airbus A380s from Frankfurt to Teruel/Spain or Lourdes-Tarbes/France in order to save overall parking and storage costs, as we currently have higher fees in Frankfurt than those in Teruel or Lourdes. The five A380s will be relocated between January and May 2021, starting today to Tarbes with the registration D-AIMC. The other four aircraft are scheduled to be transferred one by one, each month one aircraft.”

Five A380s left at Frankfurt

Following this morning’s flight, there are now five Airbus A380s remaining at Frankfurt Airport. Three of these will now head to Teruel to create a total of ten Lufthansa A380s at the Spanish aircraft storage facility. The airline will retain two Airbus A380s in Frankfurt. This will give the Lufthansa the ability to move a large number of people at once if necessary. For example, if another repatriation effort is needed.

Lufthansa will retain two Airbus A380s at Frankfurt if the need for the giant arises. Photo: Vincenzo Pace – Simple Flying

However, barring this, it seems unlikely that Lufthansa will resume flights with the A380. Lufthansa has previously said that the A380 will only return if demand recovers much faster than anticipated.

Airbus Updates No.3053

 Which Airlines Leased Hi Fly’s Airbus A380?

Hi Fly Malta is a Maltese subsidiary of Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly. The carrier is known for having operated an Airbus A380 in a striking ‘Save The Coral Reefs’ livery. This paint scheme raised environmental awareness, warning against coral reef destruction on its travels.

Amid falling demand, Hi Fly Malta withdrew the aircraft from service in December 2020. Photo: Getty Images

As a charter aircraft, it was able to spread this message all over the world. But which airlines leased 9H-MIP during the ex-Singapore Airlines A380’s time at Hi Fly Malta? Let’s have a look at some examples.

Norwegian

Low-cost carrier Norwegian was one of 9H-MIP’s more prominent users between 2018 and 2020. One of the reasons it leased the aircraft was to clear a backlog of delayed passengers caused by the London Gatwick drone incident in December 2018. The A380’s extra capacity over Norwegian’s Boeing 787s was crucial in getting transatlantic passengers home for Christmas.

Reduced ‘Dreamliner’ availability also saw the aircraft return to Norwegian’s Gatwick-New York JFK route in August 2019. The following month, Norwegian operated 9H-MIP on its low-cost New York services from several other European cities, including Oslo, Paris, and Stockholm. The latter of these was the first-ever A380 flight out of the Swedish capital.

The A380 offered extra capacity over Norwegian’s Boeing 787 fleet. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Air Madagascar

Summer 2019 also marked an aviation milestone for the African island nation of Madagascar. Its flag carrier leased 9H-MIP to temporarily replace an Airbus A340, which required engine work. In doing so, the aircraft became the first A380 to land in Madagascar, when it arrived in Antananarivo on a scheduled flight from Paris on June 30th, 2019. Curiously, a Wamos Air Boeing 747 operated the return leg to Paris instead of Hi Fly Malta’s superjumbo.

Air Senegal

Senegal represents another African nation that saw a flight land from Paris operated by 9H-MIP in 2019. Technical difficulties with the Airbus A330-900 that typically operated this route brought Hi Fly Malta’s A380 into play for flight HC404 on April 19th, 2019.

9H-MIP spent just over a month in storage in Toulouse following its withdrawal. It had its livery removed during this time, and it has since transferred to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Anna Zvereva via Flickr

Air Austral

In August 2018, Air Austral flew 9H-MIP to one of its most remote destinations. Again, the flight departed from Paris, which was evidently the place to go if you wanted to catch a glimpse of this rare aircraft! It flew thrice-weekly in late-August and early September 2018 to Saint-Denis on the Indian Ocean island and French overseas department of Réunion.

Estelar Airlines

Venezuelan carrier Estelar Airlines had not been explicitly looking to lease 9H-MIP in July 2019. Indeed, it was already leasing another Hi Fly aircraft, namely an Airbus A340, at the time. However, when this plane needed to be sent for repairs, the A380 stepped in to fill the gap for two weeks. It operated Estelar’s scheduled services between Madrid and Caracas in this spell.

A charter for football fans

In each of the previous instances, airlines leased the A380 to provide cover or extra capacity on scheduled services. However, it has also seen action on one-off charters for sporting events, for which thousands of fans need transporting in a short period of time.

Hi Fly Malta’s A380 initially belonged to Singapore Airlines. The Singaporean flag carrier received the aircraft in March 2008. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

One of these was the 2019 Europa League final, which took place between British clubs Arsenal and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan. With limited scheduled flights between the UK and Baku, several charters were operated before the game in May 2019.

The one that provoked the most interest from an avgeek’s perspective had to be that involving 9H-MIP. This represented the first-ever A380 flight out of London Stansted, which has limited facilities for handling such large aircraft. Chelsea ended up winning the match by a score of 4-1, capping off a great few days for anyone in the middle ring of the Chelsea fans/A380 fans Venn diagram!

Airbus Updates No.3052

 Volaris Returns 1 A319 But Takes 3 A320neos

During the fourth quarter of 2020, Volaris returned one Airbus A319 and took delivery of three new A320neos, the airline stated in its financial results. The Mexican low-cost carrier is currently upgauging its fleet by retiring the older planes. How will it look in the next few years?

Volaris has a fleet of 86 aircraft. Photo: Volaris

Let’s look at Volaris’ fleet

Since its inception in 2006, Volaris has been an all Airbus-based operator. It has used the A320 family to bring the low-cost concept into Mexico, and with great results.

As of February 2021, Volaris has the second-largest fleet in Mexico, behind Aeromexico’s. Previously, Volaris was on a close race with Interjet, an airline that used to have a fleet of 88 aircraft.

Volaris finished 2020 with a fleet of 86 aircraft. It has six A319, 64 A320s, and 16 A321s. The average age of its fleet is 5.3 years.

During the fourth quarter, Volaris returned one A319 aircraft and incorporated three new A320neo.

The airline started 2020 with 82 aircraft (eight A319, 58 A320s, and 16 A321s); Volaris didn’t incorporate additional aircraft into its fleet during the first quarter. Between April and June, it returned one A319 and brought one A320neo. Finally, during the third quarter, it returned one A320 and got three new A320neo.

At the end of 2020, Volaris’ fleet had an average of 188 seats per aircraft; 79% were sharklet-equipped, and 35% were NEOs. By the end of 2021, Volaris will have a fleet of 87 aircraft; by 2022, it will be 93, and by 2023 it will be 85. After that, the airline still doesn’t know.

Amid the pandemic, Volaris is playing aggressively, looking to capitalize on the crisis of its competition. Photo: Getty Images

What will the future bring for Volaris?

Volaris is playing aggressively in the current pandemic. The airline knows that there’s a unique opportunity in the current environment for growth in Mexico. Of the four leading carriers in the country, one has all but disappeared (Interjet), and the other (Aeromexico) is under a Chapter 11 financial reorganization.

Therefore, as Enrique Beltranena, CEO of Volaris, stated, the airline is poised to be a long-time winner from the pandemic. Last week, we reported that Volaris expects to receive up to 98 planes by 2028. According to the airline, 58 will be A320neo and 40 A321neo.

While the airline still doesn’t know what size it will have by 2028, it most likely will be the largest Mexican carrier by that time.

Grupo Aeromexico could reduce its size to 80 aircraft by the end of this year; it will take time before Aeromexico grows in size again due to its Chapter 11 reorganization. Meanwhile, Viva Aerobus expects to receive up to 42 Airbus A321neo between 2021 and 2026. That year, Viva Aerobus could have a fleet of up to 80 aircraft, the airline said to Simple Flying.

Good results for the low-cost operator

Volaris finished 2020 on a strong note. The airline reported a net income of US$45 million in the final three months of the year, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Nevertheless, the financial hit of the two previous quarters was too much, and Volaris posted an annual net loss of US$215 million.

Volaris is one of the feel-good stories of 2020. The Mexican airline had a V-Shaped recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the leisure and VFR traffic in Mexico and the US.

According to stats from the Mexican government, Volaris consolidated itself as the country’s largest domestic operator. In 2020, it transported over 14 million passengers, a decrease from the 21 million it had the previous year.

During the final quarter of 2020, Volaris began operations in two new domestic routes and seven new international routes. From Mexico City, it launched flights to Campeche, Dallas, Houston, Fresno, Ontario, San José (California), and Sacramento; from Cancun, it started operating to Oaxaca, and from Morelia to Chicago O’Hare.

Airbus Updates No.3051

 First Air France Airbus A220 To Be Delivered In September 2021

Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the airline industry, Air France is pushing forward with the integration of its Airbus A220 order into its fleet. It has recently emerged that the French carrier will be sticking to its original timescales, receiving the first example this autumn. Specifically, the first Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft will arrive in September.

Air France has a total of 60 A220s on order. Image: Airbus

Engine order has been finalized

Earlier this month, Pratt & Whitney confirmed that deliveries of Air France’s Airbus A220s would commence this September. The news emerged when the US engine manufacturer announced that the Air France-KLM Group had ordered more than 120 of its GTF engines, otherwise known as the PW1000G, to power the new aircraft. Specifically, Pratt & Whitney confirmed that:

“Air France-KLM Group has finalized an order for more than 120 GTF engines to power a fleet of 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. (…) The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in September 2021.”

 These turbofans represent a modern and efficient choice for single-aisle jetliners. They also feature on certain next-generation Embraer E-Jets and Airbus A320neos series aircraft. Among their advantages are a greatly reduced noise footprint, and “double-digit improvements in fuel and carbon emissions.” Air France’s Chief Commercial Officer, Angus Clarke, said:

“Thanks in large part to Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, we expect our A220 fleet to deliver significant economic and operational benefits to Air France, and far lower noise and emissions, which will benefit our customers, communities and planet.“

A significant order

The first delivery in September will mark the end of more than two years of waiting for the French flag carrier, which first announced its order in July 2019. It firmed the order in December that year. Last April, the airline announced that it was expecting to receive the first example in autumn 2021. As we can see from Pratt & Whitney’s announcement, this is a timescale that, despite the current crisis, it has managed to stick to.

Air France will use the A220 to replace older A320 series aircraft, such as this A319. Photo: Jake Hardiman -Simple Flying

All 60 aircraft that will come to Air France will be the larger A220-300 variant, which is currently the largest version available. However, the airline has stated that it would also be interested in a stretched A220-500 variant. The -300 has sufficient capacity to replace its A318 and A319 aircraft (of which Air France has 18 and 32 respectively).

However, it also has its larger A320 (44 examples) and A321 (20 examples) to consider in terms of fleet modernization. If Airbus does not produce such an aircraft, Air France may deviate from its all-Airbus short-haul fleet trend and order the Boeing 737 MAX.

A popular short-haul game-changer

The integration of the A220 into its operations will represent an exciting step forward for Air France’s short-haul fleet. The aircraft, which was originally known as the Bombardier CSeries, has quickly become popular among airlines and passengers.

From an airline’s perspective, the aircraft’s improved efficiency and reduced noise pollution are pleasing factors in terms of both operating costs and environmental impact. Meanwhile, passengers have come to appreciate the extra space that the A220’s 3-2 seating configuration offers. Its extra-large windows are also a bonus from a passenger experience perspective!