EUROPEAN AIRLINE SCENE - WEEK ENDING 12-05-12
The information in this blog comes from a variety of sources, though particular credit must be given to the following sites, which are very highly recommended.
Chris Witt/Skyliner
http://www.skyliner-aviation.de/
Jethro/UK & Ireland Airline Fleet Listings
http://www.jethros.org.uk/
Puget Sound - Boeing test Flights
http://boeing-test-flights.blogspot.com/
Afriqiyah A/W has placed an order for three A333s.
Air Arabia A320 A6-ANJ (5143) made its first flight on 2/5 as D-AVVJ & was delivered from Finkenwerder to Sharjah on 10/5.
Air Baltic B752 YL-BDC (26253) left Riga on 3/5 in full TonleSap A/L scheme on delivery to Cambodia.
Air Berlin A320 D-ABDX (3995) was ferried from Ostrava to Munich on 11/5 after painting into Vueling scheme. D-ABDB (2619) has become SP-IAH & was delivered from Ostrava to Warsaw on 11/5 in OLT Express scheme. B738 D-ABME (37766) made its first flight on 10/5.
Airbus single-aisle deliveries to other customers
B-6876 A320 (5135) to China Eastern 8/5
B-6893 A320 (5136) to China Eastern 9/5
N519AV A319 (5119) to Avianca 8/5
RP-C8618 A320 (5140) to Philippine A/L 10/5
Air New Zealand B744 ZK-NBT (24855) left Auckland on 8/5 for storage at Goodyear, AZ.
Air Nostrum AT72 EC-LRH (999) was delivered from Toulouse to Valencia on 9/5 & wears a 1000th sticker.
Air Seychelles B763 S7-FCS (28884) left Abu Dhabi on 2/5 bound for Miami, FL on return to ILFC, who will then lease it to Ethiopian A/L in June.
All Nippon B772 JA724A (40901) made its first flight on 7/5.
AnadoluJet B737s TC-JKS (32419) & TC-JKT (32420) were reregistered TC-SAF & TC-SAG respectively on 3/5 for Sun Express, but will continue to operate for AnadoluJet in their scheme.
AtlasJet A332 TC-ETK (358) was ferried from storage at Abu Dhabi to Istanbul/Ataturk on 8/5.
Belle Air A319 F-ORAH (2277 ex M-ABEK) was noted in full scheme at Shannon on 4/5 awaiting delivery.
Blue Islands JS31 G-EIGG (773 ex C-FAMK, OY-SVO, SP-LGH) arrived at Jersey on 8/5 for service with Blue Islands. Fk50 PH-KXX (20262) left Jersey on 11/5 on return to Denim Air following the return to service of AT42 G-ISLF (546).
BMI A332 G-WWBM (398) will be ferried to Malta for maintenance on 19/5 & returned to the lessor in October. A Meridiana-Fly A332 will be leased from 19/5 to 29/7.
BMIBaby is currently expected to cease operations on 10/9 unless a buyer can be found in the meantime.
BMI Regional. Subject to CAA approval, the carrier is to be sold to Sector Aviation, a Scottish consortium, previously known as Granite Aviation.
Boeing single-aisle deliveries to other customers
B-5648 B738 (38639) to Shandong A/L 9/5
B-5670 B738 (39129) to Shenzhen A/L 9/5
N891NN B738 (33315) to American A/L 8/5
N8307K B738 (36987) to Southwest 7/5
N68452 B739 (40005) to United A/L 10/5
PK-GMW B738 (38069) to Garuda 7/5
VT-SGZ B738 (39423) to SpiceJet 10/5
Bombardier deliveries to other customers
N448QX DH8D (4409) to Alaska Horizon 5/5
British A/W B734 G-DOCU (25854) was struck by a baggage truck on the ground at Genoa on 30/4, resulting in a four-foot gash in front of the forward cargo door (through which it seems you can see into the cabin). A temporary hangar has been erected over it while BA & Boeing engineers inspect it to determine whether it is repairable.
Brussels A/L. Three stored B462s appeared on the UK register on 8/5:
G-CHDT (E2292 ex OO-DJS) for Trident Aviation Leasing, stored at Southend
G-CHFE (E2294 ex OO-DJT) for Trident Turboprop, stored at Kemble
G-CHFR (E2290 ex OO-DJR) for Trident Aviation Leasing, stored at Southend (not previously mentioned by me, this arrived at Southend from Brussels on 20/3)
Cargolux B748F LX-VCE (35810) made its first flight on 5/5.
Cathay Pacific B773 B-KQB (39235) was delivered from Paine Field to Hong Kong on 7/5.
Cimber Sterling. The part of the business that was making money was that relating to the CRJ2s flying for SAS. As a result, OY-RJA/B/G/H/I have been returned to service on SAS flights.
City A/L E145 SE-RAC (145098) has become PP-JIP & is to enter service this month with Irmaos Passaura SA as a company staff shuttle.
CSA. See under Holidays Czech A/L.
Cubana. See under Euro Atlantic A/W.
Denim Air. See under Blue Islands.
EasyJet A320 G-EZUX (5138) made its first flight on 4/5 as D-AVVH. G-EZUY (5146) was delivered from Finkenwerder to Gatwick on 8/5. G-EZUU (5150) was delivered from Finkenwerder to Bristol on 11/5. A319 G-EZIG (2460) was noted all white outside at Southend on 10/5 as SP-IBC & was due to leave there on 11/5 for painting into OLT Express scheme. The following information regarding future deliveries was announced at a half-year presentation earlier this week "The 32 future easyJet deliveries and 2 ex-GB Airways deliveries are anticipated to be delivered over the next three financial years; 16 in 2012, 10 in 2013, 6 in 2014 and 2 in 2015 (both GB Airways)".
Egyptair A321 SU-GBU (0687) suffered a tail strike on take-off from Aleppo for Cairo on 6/5. The aircraft returned safely to Aleppo, but has reportedly received substantial damage.
Embraer deliveries to other customers
B-3138 E190 (19000539) to China Southern 9/5
Emirates B773 A6-EGP (35599) left Paine Field on 8/5 on delivery to Dubai. A388 A6-EEB (109) made its first flight on 11/5 & was ferried from Toulouse to Finkenwerder the same day.
Ethiopian A/L. See under Air Seychelles.
Euro Atlantic A/W B763 CS-TFS (25411) was ferried from Havana to Lisbon on 6/5 following winter lease to Cubana.
Eurowings CRJ2 D-ACRG (7630) has become VP-BBE & was delivered from Dusseldorf to Tyumen for Yamal on 7/5. D-ACRJ (7864) was noted at Dusseldorf as C-GMZN on 5/5 & left there on 11/5 en route to Canada on delivery to Bombardier.
EVA Air has ordered a further three B773s & taken purchase rights for another four.
Evergreen International. See under World A/W.
Holidays Czech A/L will shortly add two former CSA A320s to its fleet. OK-LEE (2719) was flown from Prague to Bournemouth for painting into HCA scheme on 27/4 & returned to Prague on 6/5. OK-LEF (2758) was ferried from Prague to Norwich on 7/5 for painting.
Jet2. The carrier's next B752 will be G-LSAN (26635) & it arrived at Southend on 6/5 as HC-CIY still in full Aerogal scheme.
Jet4you B734 CN-RPC (24125) has become EI-ETT for Mistral Air & was delivered all white from Brussels to Naples on 9/5.
Kelowna Flightcraft. See under World A/W.
Malev B737 HA-LOL (29352) was delivered from Shannon to Moscow/Domodedovo for Transaero as EI-EUX on 5/5. B737 HA-LOB (29346), temporarily EI-EUV, was noted as Shannon on 8/5 as OK-SWT in full Smart Wings scheme.
MEA. The carrier's next two A320s made their first flights on 9/5. Their in-service registrations are not yet known, but they wore the test registrations D-AXAD (5162) & F-WWBZ (5152).
Meridiana-Fly. See under BMI.
Mistral Air. See under Jet4you.
Niki A320 OE-LEJ (5115) has become SP-IAI & was ferried from Ostrava to Warsaw on 7/5 after painting into OLT Express scheme. OE-LEO (2668) was ferried from Vienna to Ostrava on 9/5 for painting for OLT Express. A321 OE-LET (3830) suffered a bizarre accident at Vienna on 6/5 after landing on a flight from Malaga. The aircraft had docked when the jetway suddenly lifted, became entangled with the front passenger door & lifted the aircraft about 8 inches before the door separated from the aircraft which then fell back onto the apron. Damage is described as substantial.
Non-Airline
C-FETB B720 (18024) of Pratt & Whitney Canada was ferried from St Hubert to Trenton on 9/5 for preservation. This was the last airworthy B720.
(RA-)97004 SU95 (95005) crashed on Mount Salak, Indonesia on 9/5 while on a demo flight from Halim. Tragically, all 44 on board perished.
Norwegian Air Shuttle B738 LN-DYZ (39013) made its first flight on 4/5. B733 LN-KKS (24094) left Lasham all white on 6/5 heading for Stuttgart MAP, AR & a new operator.
OLT Express. See under Air Berlin, easyJet & Niki.
Orenair. See under TUIfly Nordic
RAM B734 CN-RMG (24808) left Casablanca on 11/5 heading for Keflavik en route to a new operator.
Ryanair B738 EI-DHM (33821), temporarily registered N338CR on 2/5 & then cancelled on 7/5, left Dublin on 9/5 as HS-DBD on delivery to Nok Air still in basic Ryanair scheme.
Singapore A/L B773 9V-SYB (28516) is now EI-UNP & left Singapore on 4/5 on delivery to Transaero at Moscow/Domodedovo.
Sky Bosnia A320 E7-SKB (0325) was delivered from Bishkek to Tuzla still as EX-32003 on 7/5.
Smart Wings. See under Malev.
Sun Express. See under AnadoluJet.
S7 A/L A320 VQ-BPN (5167) made its first flight on 10/5 as F-WWBV.
Thomson A/W B738 G-TAWJ (38108) arrived at Manchester on delivery on 9/5. G-THOO (29335) flew its last revenue service on 29/4 from Heraklion to Manchester & was ferried to Shannon the same day on return to the lessor.
THY A321 TC-JSA (5154) made its first flight on 7/5. B739 TC-JYE (40979) made its first flight on 8/5 as N981TK. A333 TC-JNR (1311) was delivered from Toulouse to Istanbul/Ataturk on 9/5. B738 TC-JHM (40980) made its first flight on 9/5.
Transaero. See under Malev & Singapore A/L.
Travel Service B738 OK-TVK (32740) left Quebec City for Prague on 10/5 still as C-FGVK following winter lease to Sunwing A/L. OK-TVV (38027) left Boeing Field on 10/5 on delivery to Prague.
TUI A/L Belgium B738 OO-JAQ (35148) left Montreal/Mirabel on 4/5 on return to Brussels following winter lease to CanJet, with OO-JBG (35142) following the next day.
TUIfly B738 D-ATUK (39094) left Montreal on 7/5 still as C-GRWZ heading for Hannover following winter lease to CanJet.
TUIfly Nordic B738 SE-DZK (28231) was ferried from Norwich to Hannover on 9/5 after painting for Orenair.
VIA A320 LZ-MDR (5158) made its first flight on 10/5 as D-AXAC.
Vietnam A/L is to lease eight B789s from Air Lease Corp, taking their total order for this type to 27.
Vueling. See under Air Berlin.
World A/W DC10F N303WL (46917) was registered to Kelowna Flightcraft as C-GKFT on 4/5. B744F N741WA (25702), currently parked at Marana, AZ, is due to be acquired by Evergreen International as N493EV.
Yamal A320 EI-ELN (1993) was ferried from Woensdrecht to Southend on 10/5 following painting & prior to delivery. Also see under Eurowings.