FleetWatch

Airline Suspending Operations: Lufthansa Italia closes

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:59:53 GMT

Lufthansa's Italian subsidiary, which was established in November 2008 to exploit opportunities created by the new CAI-owned Alitalia's cutbacks in Northern Italy, passed into history on 29 October 2011. The German flag carrier announced the planned closure of its Milan-based subsidiary in May 2011, citing commercial reasons. The Italian-based fleet of Airbus A319s has been reintegrated with that of the parent carrier and Lufthansa and Air Dolomiti have now taken over many former Lufthansa Italia routes.

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Airline Start Ups: Syphax Airlines Plans May 2012 Launch

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:14:11 GMT

The Tunisian newcomer has been created with launch capital of TSD10 million ($7.3 million) by Mohamed Frikha, the owner of Telnet, a local telecommunications network and consulting concern. The company applied to the Tunisian authorities for authorisation to proceed in July 2011 and it is planning to launch services from the, little used, Sfax Thyna International airport in May 2012 with two Airbus A319s. Syphax Airlines plans to operate scheduled services to cities in Belgium, France, Italy, Libya, Morocco and Turkey and later plans to operate "special flights" to additional Middle Eastern and North American destinations, subject to the satisfactory development of the Tunisian economy.

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Aircraft Orders: Qatar Airways' Paris shopping list

Fleetwatch Administrator — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:23:35 GMT

The carrier, which already has the world's largest order backlog, worth around $40 billion, is still certain to arrive at this year's Paris air show with a sizeable shopping list. A much anticipated follow-on order for Airbus A380s is expected by some commentators to be for as many as 20 aircraft, but half that number seems more likely. Qatar currently has firm orders for five A380s, and options for two more. Both the airline and the manufacturer have delayed A380 deliveries and the first is not now expected until 2013. The airline plans to announce its engine choice, between the Engine Alliance GP7200 and the Rolls-Royce Trent 800, early next year.

Qatar Airways plans to operate a narrowbody fleet of two aircraft types in the future, which will eventually replace its current fleet of 33, IAE V2500-powered, Airbus A320s, A321s and A319s. Although chairman Akbar Al Baker would have preferred an all-new 737NG replacement over the A320neo, Boeing simply won't be able to deliver such an aircraft in time to meet Qatar's needs. Al Baker now seems very likely to see an order for Pratt & Whitney PW1100G powered A320neos; an aircraft that he has described as 'an old lady in new clothes' as the next best alternative. As for the second narrowbody type, although Al Baker was initially very interested in Bombardier's CSeries, the prospects of an order diminished after Pratt & Whitney initially failed to guarantee the reduced maintenance costs it was claiming for the aircraft's "PurePower" geared turbofans. It seems that these issues with P&W are now resolved and that a Paris order for what Al Baker has called "...a wonderful airplane." (for sectors of up to 3.5 hours) now seems highly likley.The two orders combined are thought likely to be for a total of around 50 aircraft.

Qatar Airways’ show would be nicely rounded off by Airbus announcing the launch of an A330-200 P2F (passenger to freighter) conversion programme. It has been pressing the planemaker to do this for some time, and is keen to convert its current fleet of 29 A330-200s and -300s, as these start to be replaced by Boeing 787s from 2012. How likely Airbus is to launch a P2F programme, for the A330-200 in particular, remains to be seen, as it has so far been understandably reluctant to damage the sales prospects for the already slow-selling new-build A330-200F freighter programme.

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Airline Start-Ups: FLYNEXT to operate charters from Nuremburg

Fleetwatch Administrator — Sun, 08 May 2011 22:15:34 GMT

Originally established in Austria, as a joint venture between LTU and Austrian food retailer Billa AG, Flynext operated charter flights under the LTU Austria brand using two Airbus A320s wet-leased from its Dusseldorf-based parent carrier. Flynext continued to operate a single Airbus A320 wet-leased from LTU owner Air Berlin until 2008, when services were suspended. In January 2011, owner and industry veteren Hans Rudolf Woehrl announced plans to relaunch airline operations, with a charter carrier flying to European leisure destinations. The new FLYNEXT hopes to resume flying before the end of this month, initially wet-leasing two Airbus A319s-112s (reg D-AHIL, serial 3589 and D-AHIM / 3828) which Germania Flug leases from Doric Asset Finance. I understand that the company eventually plans to operate using the AOC of the recently acquired former executive charter specialist Alpha Exec, which will be expanded to cover two Airbus A319s. Contact details are:

FLYNEXT Luftverkehrs GmbH
Hansastrasse 8
D-91126 Schwabach
Nuremburg
Germany

Tel: +49 9122 6930 338
Fax: +49 9122 6930 339

E-mail: info@flynext.de
Web: http://www.flynext.de

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Fleet Plan News: SkyExpress to add first A319s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:42:09 GMT

Russian low-cost carrier SkyExpress is expected to take delivery of the first of three former easyJet Airbus A319s before the end of this month, with the remaining two due in May 2011. The aircraft are being acquired on five-year operating leases from Irish-based lessor Oak Hill Aircraft / OH Aircraft III. The first aircraft is to be registered VQ-BLY. SkyExpress will operate the aircraft with 156 economy seats on both scheduled and charter routes with the most intensive passenger traffic. The carrier is to retain its existing fleet of seven 132-seat Boeing 737-500s and two 148-seat Boeing 737-300s.

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Airline Start-Ups: Air Canada looks again at the LCC option

Fleetwatch Administrator — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:26:47 GMT

After losing market share to growing low cost competitors, Air Canada is planning to fight back by launching its own low cost carrier (LCC) to serve major holiday destinations in the Caribbean, Europe and Mexico. Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines and Westjet have all been expanding in the Inclusive Tour holiday market at the flag carrier's expense. Subject to gaining the agreement of its unions, particularly the ACPA pilots union, the new subsidiary is to launch for the coming winter season. The initial fleet would be four Boeing 767s and six Airbus A319s, configured with single class, all economy and/or two class, economy and premium economy seating arrangements. A fleet of up to 50 aircraft by 2015 is envisioned, made up of 20 767s and 30 A319s, with all but 10 of the A319s sourced from the mainline fleet. Air Canada has twice launched LCCs in the past, creating Tango in 2001 and Zip in 2002. Both LCCs were phased out in 2004, as the carrier achieved the cost savings it needed to make, prior to emerging from bankruptcy protection in September that year. Another former Air Canada subsidiary, Jazz Air, began operating IT holiday charters last year, taking over a contract from the now defunct Skyservice to fly on behalf of tour operator Thomas Cook Canada. Jazz Air operated six Boeing 757s transferred from Thomas Cook's UK-based fleet in the 2010/11 winter season but is expected to operate up to 11 757s this coming winter. Competition in the Canadian winter sun market looks like being tougher than ever in 2011/12.

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Airlines Resuming Services: Hamburg Airways plans a comeback

Fleetwatch Administrator — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:19:37 GMT

The new charter airline was founded in November 2010, as a successor to Hamburg International Airways, which ceased operations in October 2010. The new company's original plans called for a launch of charter services between Germany and destinations in Europe, North Africa and Asia before the end of March 2011. Hamburg Airways will fly primarily on behalf of leading domestic and European tour operators. The airline will operate two of the former Hamburg International fleet of six Airbus A319-112s (reg D-AHIJ, serial 3533, and D-AHIK, serial 3560), both of which will be leased from Amentum Capital. The aircraft were last reported as stored at Shannon. Hamburg Airways will use the ICAO code HHA. Contact details are:

HHA Hamburg Airways Luftverkehrsgesellschaft mbH
Hindenburgstrasse 171
22297 Hamburg
Germany

Tel.: +49 (0) 40 500 501 - 0
Fax: +49 (0) 40 500 501-11

E-Mail : info@Hamburgairways.com

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Fleet Plan News: TACA Peru introduces the E-190

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:16:12 GMT

The Avianca-TACA Group carrier placed the aircraft, an E-190-100AR (reg N988TA, serial 19000399) into service on 15 February 2011, on new domestic routes linking Lima with Tarapoto and Trujillo. TACA International, the El Salvador-based sister carrier already operates six E-190s from an order for twelve placed in September 2007, with four more operated by the Group's Costa Rican arm, LACSA and one aircraft on backlog for delivery in 2012. Prior to what is a major expansion of domestic services, TACA Peru operated only one domestic route, between Lima and Cuzco. A third new domestic route, from Lima to Lake Titicaca, was also launched on 15 February 2011, flown by the carrier's single Airbus A320. Created in 1999 as TransAm by Daniel Rattii and Ernesto Mahle, the airline adopted its current identity in 1999 after Grupo TACA acquired Mahle's 49 per cent shareholding. TACA Peru previously focussed primarily on operating international services from LIma to destinations throughout South and Central America and to Mexico City and Miami, using three A319s as its mainstay.

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Fleet Plan News: Germania's fleet roll-over starts with former Hamburg A319s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:27:57 GMT

German leisure carrier SAT Fluggesellschaft, operating as Germania, has acquired two former Hamburg International Airbus A319-112s (reg D-AHIL, serial 3589, and D-AHIM / 3818). The aircraft are expected to be the first A319s to enter service, as Germania commences the fleet roll-over from all Boeing 737s (five 737-300s and three 737-700s) to all A319s. Germania expects to receive the first of seven new A319-112s in March 2011, two more in April and the final three in 2012.

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Aircraft Orders: Air Astana to acquire first owned A320s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:04:50 GMT

The Almaty based airline, which is national carrier of Kazakhstan, and a joint venture with BAE Systems, has announced plans to order six new-build Airbus A320s from the manufacturer in a deal that it values at US $268 million. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2012. The airline already operates seven A320s, two A321s and a single A319 on lease and has an outstanding order for six Airbus A319s, plus three options, placed in May 2008, for deliveries during 2012/13. The carrier is also expecting to introduce two new-build Embraer E-190s into service this spring, on new services from Almaty to Samara and Tbilisi.

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Airlines Suspending Operations: Mandala Airlines ceases flying, plans to restructure

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:19:04 GMT

The Jakarta-based low cost domestic carrier which introduced its first international routes to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau just last summer, had been losing money in recent months and finally suspended all flights yesterday (13 January 2010). Company President Director Diono Nurjadin told a press conference on 12 January 2011 that the high cost of leasing much of its fleet had been a major factor, and that the carrier now needed to conduct a "major restructuring exercise" in order to attract additional investors. Mr. Nurjadin said that the carrier had applied for a commercial court-sanctioned 45-day window relieved from the need to make debt payments. Mr. Nurjadin also indicated that enquiries from potential investors had already begun and that he was confident of attracting new investment because, once restructured, and given the huge demand for air travel in the country, Mandala would make an attractive investment proposition. In the meantime, the return of eleven leased aircraft, including the previously active fleet of two Airbus A319s (leased from ILFC) and three A320s (two leased from Amentum Capital and one from Aerco Group) should have been completed yesterday. Mandala currently has 25 IAE V2500-powered Airbus A320s on order from the manufacturer, plus five options, with deliveries previously scheduled to start later this year.

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Fleet Plan News: Zest Air to take delivery of first new-build A320

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:13:07 GMT

The Filipino low-cost carrier will this month take delivery of its first new-build aircraft, an Airbus A320-232 (RP-C8991, serial 4533).
The mainly domestic airline, that also links Cebu and Kalibo with Incheon in South Korea, already operates three similar aircraft,
acquired on the used market and a single A319, leased from Volito Aviation.

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Airlines Suspending Operations: Hamburg International Airlines suspends all flights

Fleetwatch Administrator — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:14:35 GMT

The privately-owned charter specialist suspended all operations last night (19 October 2010) and has filed for bankruptcy. The airline's website indicates a planned investment process could not be completed in time to avoid this action becoming a necessity, and that discussions are now taking place between the provisional liquidator and interested parties. One report suggests that the carrier has until 31 October 2010 to secure new funding so as to resume flying. Hamburg International owned only one of its aircraft at the time of the suspension of services, a single A319-100. The rest of the fleet of seven Airbus A319-100s and a single Boeing 737-700 are believed to be in the process of returning to their respective lessors.

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Fleet Plan News: Philippine carrier Seair to introduce Airbus A319s

Fleetwatch Administrator — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:24:45 GMT

Philippine domestic carrier Seair, full name South East Asian Airlines, expects to receive the first of two Airbus A319s in the first quarter of 2011. The aircraft will be wet-leased from Tiger Airways. These plans essentially replicate those first formulated in late 2006, when Seair intended to become the Singapore-based low cost carrier's first overseas subsidiary, operating A320s on wet-lease. The original plans were seriously delayed in the face of opposition from local carriers and ultimately foundered with the deepening economic recession. The two carriers are currently working to define the route network for the new jets, which seems likely to include scheduled regional services straight away, rather than being confined, as now, to Philippine domestic routes. In April 2008 Seair was the object of a planned merger with Asian Spirit Airlines, owned by Alfred Yao's AMY Group. Yao's plan went unrealised and later that year he transformed Asian Spirit into what is now Zest Airways: a low cost domestic and regional carrier which is bound to be a major competitor for the remodelled Seair.

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Fleet Plan News: Pantanal plans to introduce Airbus A320 family aircraft next week to serve expanded route network

Fleetwatch Administrator — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:51:35 GMT

The Sao Paulo-based regional carrier whose current fleet comprises five ATR42-300 turboprops became a regional subsidiary of TAM Linhas Aéreas last year. The airline plans to increase its network from six cities to 17 from 23 August 2010, after adding two Airbus A319s and one A320, which will be sub-leased from TAM for an initial period of six months.

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Fleet Plan News: B&H Airlines delays introduction of first Airbus A319

Fleetwatch Administrator — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:17:03 GMT

The Sarajevo-based flag carrier was originally expected to put its first Airbus A319 (reg TC-JLR, serial 3142) into service on the Sarajevo-Istanbul route from 30 July 2010, operated on wet-lease from shareholder Turkish Airlines (THY). This aircraft was to replace a Boeing 737-400 (reg TC-JDH, serial 25184) which has been operated on wet-lease from the same source. One report indicates that a dispute has arisen over the fact that the A319 was to retain its Turkish registration in B&H service (as had the Boeing and other aircraft previously leased in from THY). The delay meant that the 737-400 was still in service with B&H at the start of August, and another report suggests that THY will now be supplying a single Boeing 737-700 on wet-lease, as an interim measure. The A319 is not now expected to enter B&H service until the airline's winter schedule, effective 31 October 2010.