CHINA: Xiamen Airlines Makes 200th Aircraft With First Boeing 737 MAX

Xiamen Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, expanding its fleet to 200 aircraft.

The airline passed the first milestone of 100 planes in 2013 and has continued to grow by adding roughly 20 aircraft per year, now doubling the size of its fleet within five years.

After gorwing its fleet to 100 airplanes in 2013, Xiamen Airlines accelerated its expansion move into international markets.

The airline bought the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in August 2014 and launched the first intercontinental flight, between Xiamen and Amsterdam, in July 2015.

Over the following two years, the airline launched 10 intercontinental flights to cities across Europe, North America and Oceania, including Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Seattle, Sydney and Vancouver.

All the intercontinental flights are now serviced by Boeing 787 aircraft.

In the last 5 years the airline's operating profits have increased year-by-year, reporting gross profits exceeding 10 billion Yuan (approx. US$1.5 billion).

The airline has now been profitable for 31 consecutive years, reflecting the rapid growth, and huge potential, in China's civil aviation industry.

Over the past five years, the US, Europe and China recorded an average annual growth rate of roughly 4%, 6% and 10% in civil aviation passenger volume, respectively, while Xiamen Airlines experienced an average growth rate of 15%.

With a white egret logo on its tail fin, the latest model of the Boeing 737 family started its maiden trip for Xiamen Airlines on a direct air route from southeast China's Xiamen to the eastern city of Shanghai.

Born in 1984 in the Xiamen Special Economic Zone, Xiamen Airlines is the epitome of China's surging civil aviation amid the country's reform and opening, said Che Shanglun, chairman with Xiamen Airlines.

The airline has achieved total profits of 10 billion yuan (about 1.57 billion U.S. dollars). It has also celebrated 31 consecutive years of profitability.

It's a milestone of Xiamen Airlines to become a big carrier with the 200th aircraft joining the fleet, said Che, adding that the airline doubled its fleet from 100 to 200 in less than four and a half years.

Boeing has had a very special relationship with Xiamen Airlines in the past three decades.

Now it receives its 737 MAX, which will surely make it more profitable," said Kevin McAllister, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

With the delivery of this aircraft, we hope it begins the next chapter of our long-term relationship, he said.

As the latest member of the Boeing 737 narrow-body aircraft family, the 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing's history.

Boeing has gotten more than 4,500 orders from nearly 100 customers worldwide.

The 737 MAX boasts advanced technology winglets and LEAP-1B engines, which contribute to its reduced fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions compared to the single-aisle airplanes it replaces.

In 2017, Boeing delivered a record high of 202 new aircraft to China, representing its sixth consecutive year of more than 140 deliveries to the country, according to Boeing China.

Boeing's global deliveries of commercial aircraft reached 763 in 2017, with those to China making up 26 percent.

Now, each one of three Boeing narrow-body 737 family aircraft is made for the Chinese customers.

China's surging aviation industry has been creating great opportunities for global companies, especially U.S. giants and many enterprises on the extensive industrial chain, said insiders in the aviation industry.

As an air carrier of all-Boeing fleet, Xiamen Airlines uses the fleet of 737s, 757s, and 787 Dreamliners to expand its airline network home and abroad, including ten transcontinental air routes.

Che announced that the airline has set a target to expand its Boeing fleet to 560 by 2035, similar to the current fleet size of the country's biggest carrier, China Southern Airlines


Tourism Observer

VIETNAM: BAA Training Vietnam Established

BAA Training, one of the largest aviation training centres in Northern Europe, has announced the establishment of a new company in Vietnam – BAA Training Vietnam which is to operate a training centre of 4 full flight simulators and Ab Initio flight school by 2023.

According to the Boeing projections Asia Pacific region will require up to 253,000 new pilots until 2036.

Looking at South East Asia alone, the aircraft numbers will grow from 1,410 in 2016 up to 4,200 aircraft by 2036, 77% of which will be made up of single aisle airplanes, mainly A320 and B737 family aircraft.

The total number of A320 fleet is predicted to rise from 120 aircraft in 2017 to 226 aircraft in 2024.

Starting from 2019 a number of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the market will multiple, reaching 59 aircraft and will continue to grow reaching 317 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the region by 2023.

To respond to the growing training needs in the region, BAA Training Vietnam is building a brand new training facility.

As constructions of the training centre are underway the first Airbus A320 full flight simulator is set to be deployed by the end of 2018.

To continue the development and increase the training centre capabilities Airbus A320 NEO and Boeing 737 MAX full flight simulators are planned to be assembled until 2020.

In addition, BAA Training Vietnam aims to open an Ab Initio flight school in the next five years, in order to provide the region with complex pilot training solutions.

The Vietnamese aviation market has been growing by average 8% per year and is expected to continue its growth in the upcoming 20 years.

By establishing BAA Training Vietnam we aim to share an exceptional know-how built through years of experience of BAA Training operations as well as securing region with the transparent and high standard aviation training for both corporate and private clients, comments Egle Vaitkeviciute, CEO at BAA Training.

The new company in Vietnam is not the only proof of the successful aviation training business development of BAA Training.

Just last year the company announced the accusation of 4 full flight simulators, three Airbus A320 and one Boeing 737 NG, of which three will be located at BAA Training headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, by the end of 2018.

Also, the company invested into the renewal of current full flight simulators and assembled a brand new, only of its kind in the Baltic States, Airbus A320 Door and Slide Trainer reaching an investment of approximately 32 mln. euros into training equipment.


Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: Norwegian Expands In The United Kingdom

Low-cost airline Norwegian is ready to take-off its biggest year ever, with the introduction of brand new aircraft, exclusive new routes – including its first long-haul flights outside the USA – and more affordable flights on the UK’s only direct low-cost transatlantic services.

Europe’s third largest low-cost airline will expand its young aircraft fleet with nine brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and launching Boeing’s latest aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX.

These new aircraft will unlock more affordable flights and never before seen routes while offering UK passengers, high-quality travel at great value. Norwegian last year, carried more than 4.5 million passengers from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham airports.

The fast growing airline launched more than 10 new routes from the UK, including routes to Boston, Oakland-San Francisco and Las Vegas on its award-winning USA flights at a time when Norwegian flew more than four million passengers to and from Gatwick for the first time in a single year.