Short Takes
February 9th 2018
OEMs: The newest member of the Airbus A330neo Family, the A330-800, has rolled out of the paint shop, on track for its first flight in mid-2018. Read More » Boeing has rolled out its B737 MAX 7, the third and newest member of the MAX family designed for up to 172 passengers and a maximum range of 3,850nm, the longest range of the MAX series. Separately, the U.S. OEM completed the firm configuration on the MAX 10, meaning engineers now have all the design requirements in place for the largest MAX variant.
MRO: China Southern Airlines and Triumph Aviation Services are considering the formation of an IAE 2500 and Pratt & Whitney PW4168 nacelles joint venture in Shenyang. SIA Engineering Co. (SIAEC) and GE Aviation have inked an agreement to form an engine overhaul joint venture based in Singapore. Under the agreement, GE will hold a 51% equity stake in the JV, with SIAEC holding the remainder. Singapore Component Solutions was opened by AFI KLM E&M and Sabena Technics to provide avionics, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic component maintenance for ATR and A320 aircraft.
Routes: Air Canada is converting its Vancouver-Delhi B787-9 seasonal service to a year-round operation; from June 8 the Star Alliance member will serve the route four times a week with the -9. Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) will increase frequency on the Taipei-Rome A350-900 route from twice- to thrice-weekly starting July 1. China Southern Airlines will add a twice-weekly Wuhan-Osaka B737-800 route on March 28. Delta Air Lines will terminate its B757 routes from Narita to Saipan and Palau from May 7 and May 8, respectively. Hebei Airlines will start a daily Shijiazhuang-Phuket B737-800 service beginning March 25. Emirates Airline will launch a five-weekly Dubai-Sao Paulo-Santiago de Chile B777-200LR service on July 5 (overall frequency to Sao Paulo will increase from daily to twelve-weekly). Hainan Airlines will start a thrice-weekly Beijing-Tijuana-Mexico City B787-8 route on March 21. Indonesia AirAsia X will add a daily Jakarta-Narita A330-300 rotation commencing May 1. Korean Air will replace the B777-300ER with the B747-8 on the daily Incheon-Atlanta route from June 2. Qatar Airways will increase frequency on the Doha-Penang B787-8 route from thrice- to four-weekly starting July 1. THAI is increasing frequency on Suvarnabhumi-Narita from thrice- to four-daily from March 25. Ural Airlines will launch a twice-weekly Moscow Zhukovsky-Novosibirsk-Pudong A321 route beginning July 4. Vietnam Airlines will launch a four-weekly Cam Ranh-Incheon A321 route on March 25.
