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Airline Suspending Operations: Dagestan Airlines is grounded

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:52:54 GMT

The only air carrier in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, operating domestic and international schedules as well as charters, primarily with a fleet of Tupolev Tu-154Ms, had its AOC suspended by Rosaviatsia on 15 December 2011. The carrier had also been operating under a second brand, South East Airlines, since January 2010. The airline had been under increased scrutiny over the last year, following the crash landing of a South East Airlines branded Tu-154M at Moscow Domodedovo on 4 December 2010. In January 2011, the Federal Government was reported to be moving to take over the airline's operations from Makhachkala Airport. This was followed in May 2011 by the announcement by the Transport Prosecutor of Dagestan of a planned action against the airline for disposing of its assets, either illegally or at well below market value.

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Airline Start-Ups: Volotea takes first 717

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:10:48 GMT

The island of Mallorca looks set to renew its long acquaintance with the Boeing 717 as start-up charter airline Volotea Airlines took delivery of its first aircraft, a former Mexicana Click example (current reg N923ME, serial 55185) at Palma on 20 December 2012. The carrier seems very likely to target the same charter and ACMI leasing market that Palma-based Quantum Air briefly sought to exploit in 2009/10. Presumably the new carrier will be starting without the accumulated debt that was cited as dragging Quantum down within just a few months. Quantum's history dates back to the creation of Aerolineas Baleares Blue Star, better known as AeBal in 1999, as a joint venture between Spanair and SAS Group. Aebal leased its Boeing 717s to Spanair which operated them on domestic and international scheduled as well as charter flights between June 2000 and September 2008. The company was relauched as Quantum Air was in 25 May 2009, but had suspended operations before the end of January 2010. Little is known, as yet, about Volotea, although it is reported to have been established by Barcelona based Alaeo SL, an airline company founded in 2010 by a former Vueling co-founder, Carlos Muñoz, and staffed with a number of former Quantum Air/ AeBal employees.

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Airlines Suspending Operations: Tor Air is grounded

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:13:30 GMT

The Gothenburg-based airline, which operated a single Boeing 737-400 (reg SE-RJA, serial 26302) on lease from ILFC, was grounded on 19 December 2011, after Transport Styrelsen, the Swedish transport regulator, withdrew its operating licence over concerns about its financial position. Established in 2008, Tor Air offered ad hoc and inclusive tour charters, sub-charters and ACMI leasing services. The carrier had been sub-leasing in additional aircraft, in the form of Small Planet Poland's Boeing 737-300 (reg SP-HAA, serial 24664 ), which was returned in late October 2011, and BH Air Airbus A320-212 (reg LZ-BHB, serial 294), which was returned to Bulgaria just two days before the carrier ceased operating.

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Fleet Plan News: Gulfstream International receives first Saab, becomes Silver

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:12:28 GMT

Florida-based Gulfstream International Airlines announced its rebranding as Silver Airways on 15 December 2011 with the arrival of its first Saab 340B+. The 34-seat aircraft (reg N437XJ, serial 340B-437) was the first of six which are to be purchased from Saab Aircraft Leasing.

Prior to the rebranding, the company known as Gulfstream International Airlines dated back only to May 2011, when Chicago-based investment firm Victory Park Capital Advisors acquired certain assets, including 23 Beech 1900Ds and rights to the Gulfstream International Airlines brand, from the former Gulfstream International, which had filed for bankruptcy in November 2010.

Silver Airways will deploy the Saabs on routes between Florida and the Bahamas. One unconfirmed report suggests that the airline plans to acquire up to 24 Saab 340B+s over the next two years. The Beech 1900D fleet will continue to be deployed in Silver Airways' other markets, which include operations under the Essential Air Services programme from its Fort Lauderdale main base and second Florida hub at Tampa, as well as hubs at Billings, Montana and Cleveland, Ohio. Beech 1900D operations include services as United Express and the airline also operates certain routes between Florida and the Caribbean under a codeshare agreement with COPA Airlines of Panama. Services as Continental Connection were operated until their rebranding on 30 November 2011, as United Express, reflecting the merger between the two US majors under the United brand.

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Airline Start Ups: Dalian Airlines to launch this month

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:26:29 GMT

After receiving its public air carrier's license from the CAAC on 8 December 2011, the start-up carrier has announced plans to bring forward its launch of services and now expects to operate its first flight from the north-eastern port city of Dalian to Shenzhen on 26 December 2011. The carrier also plans to serve other provincial capitals, coastal cities and tourism destinations, as well as cities in Japan and South Korea. An initial fleet of three to six Boeing 737-800s is expected to be transferred to the carrier by majority shareholder Air China, the first of which is a sub-leased, ICBC Leasing owned aircraft (reg B-5196, serial 36810).

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Fleet Plan News: Belavia to add first E-jets

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:06:58 GMT

Minsk-based Belarusian flag carrier Belavia is planning to acquire two new Embraer E-175s on lease from US lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) in the autumn of 2012. The GE Aviation CF34-8E powered aircraft will be configured in two classes for 76 passengers, with 12 Business Class and 64 Economy Class seats and will be used primarily on international routes from Minsk where there is a constant demand for business travel, including Amsterdam, London, Moscow and Paris. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in September and October 2012 and will be flown under ten year operating leases. Belavia also plans to add two larger Embraer E-190s on lease in 2013, to fill the gap between its existing fleet of 50-seat Bombardier CRJs and 138-seat Boeing 737-500s. ALC, which has already taken delivery of 8 new E-190s and has 17 more on order, is the prime candidate to supply the E-190s.

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Airline Start-ups: Lao Central nears launch of services

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:38:22 GMT

The Laotian start-up carrier, previously known as Phongsavanh Airlines, is planning to launch scheduled services this month. Four times daily services between Vientiane and Bangkok are expected to be operated by two recently acquired Boeing 737-400s. This follows the delivery earlier this month of its second aircraft (reg RDPL-34183, serial 24127). The carrier received its first 737-400 (RDPL-34189/ 24314) on 18 October 2011. Laotian Department of Civil Aviation rules require start-up carriers to have at least two active aircraft. Lao Central Airlines also plans to take delivery of three new Sukhoi SSJ-100-95 Superjets by the end of 2012, with the first due in September 2012, and to eventually expand its network to neighbouring countries, including Cambodia, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

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Start-up Airlines: OLT Express launches jet services with Fokker 100s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:27:30 GMT

OLT (aka OLT Ostfriesische Lufttransport GmbH ) launched jet services from Bremen earlier this month (December 2011) under new OLT Express branding. The services are operated using two Fokker 100s (reg D-AOLG, serial 11265 and D-AOLH / 11452). A new logo and dedicated website has been commissioned to accompany the new services at http://www.oltexpress.com. The route network from Bremen serves Brussels, Copenhagen, Danzig, Toulouse and Zurich. Danzig is also served from Hamburg. OLT has also been operating its F-100s on corporate shuttle services to Hamburg and Toulouse for Airbus since 2008. The carrier's mixed active fleet also includes three Saab 2000s, a Saab 340A, two BN-2A Islanders and a Cessna 208B Caravan.

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Fleet Plan News: SCAT adds first CRJ

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:50:17 GMT

After leasing a Boeing 737-300 (reg UP-B3710, serial 29116) in October 2011, the Kazakh carrier took delivery of its first Bombardier Regional Jet on 7 December 2011. The former Lufthansa CRJ-200LR (reg UP-CJ004, serial 7901) is on lease from Avia AM Leasing. Although Kazakhstan, which previously levied no import duties on western aircraft, introduced a 20% levy on 1 July 2010 as part of tariff harmonisation process with Russia and Belarus, there are currently no duties in the three countries on imported aircraft with seating capacities of up to 50, and over 300 passengers. The Shymkent-based SCAT operates a network within Kazakhstan and international flights, primarily to neighbouring countries and those within the CIS. Although it has previously operated Boeing 737-200s its only other current western-built aircraft is a Boeing 757-200 (reg UP-B5702, serial 25083) delivered in May 2011.

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Aircraft Orders: FedEx expected to place large order for 767-300Fs

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:12:41 GMT

Following news that the company had concluded its negotiations with Airbus over a possible order for a large fleet of A330-200F freighters, reports from the USA suggest that FedEx will shortly place an order worth over $5.2 billion at list prices with Boeing for around 30 Boeing 767-300F freighters. FedEx had previously been in discussions with both planemakers over a potential order for up to 50 new widebody freighters, however the order was deferred and is expected to be scaled back following a lower profits forecast.

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Airline Start-ups: Helitt takes to the air

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:55:36 GMT

After being founded in 2009 to operate a helicopter shuttle service across the Straits of Gibraltar from Andalusia to Tangier in Morocco, the Helitt Aeronautical Group's start-up airline, Helitt Líneas Aéreas, finally operated its inaugural passenger flight from Malaga to the Spanish North African enclave city of Melilla on 21 November 2011. Services linking Melilla with Barcelona and Madrid have also been launched and a fourth route to San Sebastian is scheduled for launch in early January 2012. Helitt has acquired a fleet of three 66-seat ATR72-200s to operate all routes. Helitt will be competing on services to Melilla with Iberia Regional (Air Nostrum) and RYJet. The latter is a small Malaga-based rival, which also launched services on the Malaga-Melilla route on the same day, using a wet-leased BAe Jetstream 31. Another planned Spanish start-up carrier, Airmel, announced plans to launch services between Melilla and the Spanish mainland in the summer of 2011, using ATR72-200 aircraft operated by Danish Air Transport (DAT), but these plans were thwarted by the withdrawal of a key investor, shortly before services were expected to begin.

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Airline Start-ups: Air Côte d'Ivoire to become new flag carrier

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:54:07 GMT

Air Côte d'Ivoire was announced in November 2011 as the government owned replacement of Air Côte d'Ivoire, which ceased operations in March 2011 and was reported to have been liquidated in August 2011. The new airline plans to launch services on 1 January 2012. No fleet or contact information is avaialble as yet.

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Airline Suspending Operations: Prima ceases flying

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:52:07 GMT

The troubled Venice-based domestic and regional carrier has finally ceased operating. Established in 2010 as a successor to Alpi Eagles Airlines, and known as "Eagles" to reflect its origins, the carrier had been forced to announce a rebranding as Prima Aero Trasporti Italiani on 27 May 2011, after being threatened by its predecessor's creditors. Prima operated up to three Fokker 100s. Much like its predecessor, Prima was quickly beset with financial difficulties. There were complaints of too many cancelled flights and tardy or missed refunds during the last summer season. The carrier finally suspended operations earlier this week.

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Airline Start-ups: WOW Air plans summer service launch

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:49:23 GMT

The new Icelandic low-cost carrier, established by a group of investors led by Skúli Mogensen, is planning to launch services from Reykjavik on 1 June 2012. The airline plans to initially serve 12 cities in Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK with a fleet of two leased 168-seat Airbus A320s. Reports suggest that these aircraft will be operated on wet-lease from Avion Express, although the Lithuanian carrier currently operates only three cargo-configured Saab 340s. Avion Express Italia operated a single A320 (reg LY-VEX, serial 375) on charter flights from Milan Malpensa during the last summer season, but the aircraft was returned to the lessor last September. Wow Air has been allocated the IATA code X9. Contact details are:

WOW air
Grosbeak
Eastland 26
Reykjavik 108
Iceland

Tel: +354 590 3000

Email: wowair@wowair.is
Web: http://www.wowair.com

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Airline Start-Ups: Plus Ultra plans long haul services

Fleetwatch Administrator — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:38:24 GMT

The Madrid based start-up airline was established on 25 August 2011 by a group led by former Air Madrid director Julio Martinez. The carrier is planning to launch transatlantic charter and scheduled services between Spain and South America from the second half of 2012, with a fleet of Airbus A340-343Xs. Contact details, so far are:

Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas SA

Calle Capitán Haya, 16

Floor 10B

Madrid,

28020

Spain

Email: contacto@airplusultra.com

Web: http://www.airplusultra.com

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