Short Takes
March 18th 2016
AIRLINES: The Wall Street Journal reports Air France has dropped an order for two A380s in favour of three A350s. Flydubai has been granted IATA membership after a successful safety audit last year. Read More » Ho Chi Minh-based Jetstar Pacific will retain the A320ceo as the backbone of its fleet after studies showed current oil prices coupled with higher capital costs had rendered the proposed transition to the A320neo too costly, for the time being, said COO, Leslie Stephens. South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will issue a permit to Korean Air, but not Asiana Airlines, to operate a four-weekly Incheon-Tehran service. Royal Brunei operated its first ever all-female flight crew service last month, a B787 flight from Brunei to Jeddah. Royal Jordanian has posted a 21 million dinar ($29.5 million) net profit for 2015, a reversal of the previous year’s 49.5 million dinar loss. Shanghai Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, has retrofitted its five B767-300s with seats and interiors. United Airlines plans to retrofit 19 of its 74 B777s into a ten-abreast high-density domestic economy configuration, used primarily on services to Hawaii.
COMPONENTS: Avtrade has acquired two serviceable B737-700s (MSNs 28088 and 28089), of which EASA and FAA-certified components of which will be parted out to increase inventory and support Avtrade's services to more than 3,000 global customers, including some 500 airlines.
MANUFACTURERS: Boeing said Kawasaki Heavy Industries this week started major assembly of the first B787-10 by installing circular frames into the mid-forward section of the fuselage, two weeks ahead of schedule. The -10 will be the largest B787 variant, with the first delivery scheduled for 2018 to United Airlines.
MRO: Lufthansa Technik has signed a long-term contract with Tigerair Taiwan to provide APU repair services on the LCC’s A320 fleet.
ROUTES: Air Canada will increase frequency on the Delhi-Toronto B787-9 route from four-weekly to daily from October 30. Air India will terminate its thrice-weekly Delhi-Abu Dhabi A319 service from May 15. Delta Air Lines will launch a daily Beijing-Los Angeles B777-200ER service from December 16. Emirates Airline will replace the B777 with the A380 on one of its two daily Dubai-Vienna operations from July 1. Mahan Air will launch a thrice-weekly Tehran-Paris A340 rotation starting June 20. Malindo Air will increase frequency on the Kuala Lumpur-Ho Chi Minh B737-800 route from daily to twice daily starting April 22. Qatar Airways will replace the A320 with the B787-8 on the daily Doha-Geneva service commencing July 1. Thai AirAsia will launch a daily Don Mueang-Kochi A320 service from May 16. VietJet Air will increase frequency on the Ho Chi Minh-Bangkok A320 route from twice to three times daily from April 27 and will launch a daily Ho Chi Minh-Kuala Lumpur A320 service on June 1. Vietnam Airlines will replace the A330-200 on Ho Chi Minh-Melbourne and the B777-200ER on the Ho Chi Minh-Sydney route with the B787-9 from December 1. Vistara will launch a nine times a week Delhi-Srinagar route from April 7 followed by a daily Delhi-Srinagar-Jammu service from April 9 and a daily Mumbai-Kochi flight from April 14 – all operated by the A320.
