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Air Mekong is to enter the domestic Vietnamese market in October of this year with 4 Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft. Utah based SkyWest is to take a minority shareholding in the new operation. All four aircraft previously operated with Italian operator MyAir which collapsed in July 2009. Three of the aircraft have been painted in Shannon by Eirtech Aviation and the fourth arrived in Dublin yesterday, June 25 where it will be also be painted by Eiretch Aviation.
EI-DUY (msn 15112) , pictured above was the first aircraft to be painted at the Eirtech Aviation facility in Shannon. It arrived from Exeter on May 25 and along with EI-DUU was painted all white in anticipation of a lease to SkyWest who operate 24 CRJ-900 aircraft as Delta Connection. This lease apparently fell through and both were subsequently painted in Air Mekong colours. EI-DUY departed again for Exeter on June 15.
EI-DUU (msn 15102) was the second CRJ-900X to arrive in Shannon for painting with Eirtech Aviation. The aircraft, pictured above arrived on June 1 with basic MyAir colours but with the tail logo of Uruguayan operator Pluna, an existing CRJ-900 operator with a fleet of 8 aircraft. It departed for Exeter in Air Mekong colours on June 14.
CRJ 900X registered EI-DUM (msn 15103) arrived from Exeter on June 15 in full MyAir colours, pictured above. It departed again in full Air Mekong colours on June 22, returning to Exeter. Paul Morris captured the departure, pictured below.
The fourth and final aircraft to be painted in Air Mekong colours will be CRJ-900 registered EI-DUX (msn 15111). It arrived in Dublin, yesterday evening, June 25 where it will be painted in the Eirtech Aviation paintshop in Hangar 3. Derek Gannon pictured EI-DUX, below on arrival in Dublin, it too still wearing full MyAir colours.
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Austrian operator Tyrolean Jet Services are an occasional visitor to Dublin. On Tuesday last, June 22, the company’s Dornier 328JET registered OE-HMS (msn 3121) visited the capital. Tyrolean are often used for intercity transport on concert tours. Green Day played Dublin on Wednesday although it is not know if they were the customer this time round.
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There are just three Gulfstream 550 aircraft (as opposed to C37) listed in the United States Air Force inventory. The latest aircraft serial 09-0525 (msn 5247, hex AE4A81) is believed to have made its first trip on this side of the pond when it arrived in Shannon on Monday night last, June 21. Originally designated as serial 09-0501 the aircraft would appear to have had its current marks allocated in the past three weeks. Pictured above 09-0525 is seen on finals to R24 in early evening sunshine.
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G-RUBE is one of five Embraer Legacy aircraft operated by London Executive Aviation. Registered just over a year ago, the aircraft is owned by Autumn Breeze International and carries msn 14501100. According to the Lonex web site the interior boasts white leather seating and a carpet colour which isn’t much darker than the seating. The aircraft visited Dublin yesterday, June 22 and was pictured by Joe McDermott during its layover.
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2010 produced one of the few evenings in many a year where the summer solstice sunset was visible in Ireland and what was lacking in quantity was made up for in quality this year. Paul Daly captured Irish Air Corps Agusta Westland A139 serial 275 (msn 31059) as the sun sank just before 10pm local.
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Bulgaria Air has recommenced its summer charter series from Cork to Bourgas. First flight of the 2010 season took place on Monday last June 21 2010, operated by Boeing 737-330 registered LZ-BOV (msn 23833) Built in 1987 as D-ABWA for German operator Condor the aircraft was subsequently acquired by Germania who operated the aircraft until 1998 when it went Stateside. Delta Airlines operated the aircraft as N241DL until 2006 when Bulgaria Air took possession of the aircraft in its current guise. Unfortunately Bulgaria Air have seen fit to skimp on non white paint as can be seen from Paul Daly’s picture above.
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Another visitor to Cork over the past weekend was Avioneta LLC’s Gulfstream IV registered N12NZ. Built in 1999 with msn 1376 the aircraft spent 5 nights in Cork and was pictured by Paul Daly on Sunday June 20.
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European Net Jets’ Gulfstream 550 aircraft are an uncommon sight on the aground at Irish airports due to the long legs of the type. Fuel stops are almost unheard of. Last weekend however Cork played host to CS-DKK (msn 5201) which was built in 2008. The aircraft wears the current Zorro cheatline which was adopted by the company approximately two years ago. Paul Daly pictured the aircraft on Sunday June 20, prior to its departure to Luton.
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Built originally for Portuguese operator Elitavia Servicos Aereos, Airbus A318-112CJ msn 3932 was delivered as CS-TSR just in time to make year end billing for 2009. Shortly after delivery however the aircraft was ferried to Chateauroux in France where it was painted in the colours of the Saudi Red Crescent. As HZ-RCA the aircraft will now be operated by Mideast Jet and it made its first visit to Shannon over the weekend of June 18 / 19 as it routed Hamburg – Stansted – Shannon – Halifax.
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Spicejet’s latest aircraft Boeing 737-8GJ registered VT-SGG (msn 36368) was delivered through Shannon last weekend. The aircraft was ferried Boeing Field – Gander – Shannon - Ankara – Delhi with a layover in Shannon on Saturday.
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Since Air Jamaica ceased its scheduled services from Kingston to London Heathrow, the only opportunity to see the carrier’s aircraft on this side of the pond is when aircraft visit on maintenance flights. On May 1 2010 the airline was officially acquired by Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines and the fleet size reduced to just 6 aircraft – one Airbus A319, four Airbus A320 and one Airbus A321.
On Tuesday last, June 15, Air Jamaica’s Airbus A320-214 registered 6Y-JMG (msn 1390) arrived in Shannon for a check with Shannon Aerospace. The aircraft, built in 2000 is no stranger to Ireland since it was operated by the ill fated Irish carrier Eirjet between June and November 2005 as EI-DKG. Following the demise of Eirjet, EI-DKG which had been operated in Air Jamaica colours but with Eirjet titles was restored to the Jamaican register. Pictured above, 6Y-JMG is seen on finals to R24 in Shannon at the end of its ferry flight from New York’s JFK airport.
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Established in 2005, Kuwaiti low cost carrier Jazeera Airways is currently believed to be in the process of downsizing its fleet from 11 A320 aircraft to just 5 frames. The entire fleet have all been delivered as new aircraft with the last delivery in January 2010. The first aircraft to leave the fleet is A320-214 registered 9K-CAG (msn 3656) which was delivered on October 28 2008. On Tuesday last, June 15 it routed from Kuwait via Turkey to Shannon and onwards to Boston and Miami where it has joined the Virgin America fleet as N641VA, marks which were taken up on June 18.
Pictured above 9K-CAG is seen on finals to R24 in Shannon.
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Following painting at the Eirtech Aviation facility in Shannon and an engine Change at Air Atlanta Aero Engineering, Boeing 737-33V msn 29337 registered 5N-VND (hex 064074) was delivered to the latest reincarnation of Virgin Nigeria – Air Nigeria. The aircraft arrived in Shannon on May 27 last and was pictured above departing R24 for Palma on Tuesday last, June 15.
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Ryanair are to mimic McDonalds Restaurants “supersize me” product offering by introducing a new larger checked bag weight of 20kg which will cost €/£25 and will be sold as an alternative to the carrier's current 15kg checked bag which costs €/£15.
A second checked bag will also be introduced at the 15kg limit for an additional €/£35 which will certainly make those who view luggage limits as targets to be reached think twice about packing those extra pairs of shoes before leaving home.
The existing 10kg free take on board bag allowance will remain unaffected by the changes although checked bags will now be subject to peak months July and August surcharges.
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Both Dublin and Cork had a visit from Gulfstream 550 registered N2929 (msn 5023). Registered to Roma 550 LLC in Dallas Texas the aircraft is operated by Net Jets subsidiary Executive Jet Management (EJM) was built in 2004. Paul Daly pictured N2929 departing Cork for Kiev on Tuesday last June 14, having arrived from Dublin earlier that day.