USA: American Airlines Will Cancel 115 Flights Daily, Because Of Grounded Fleet Of Boeing 737 MAX Planes

American Airlines announced on Sunday it would scrap some 115 flights per day in the coming months because its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes is being grounded until August 19.

America’s leading airline had previously only planned to keep the planes out of commission until June 5, with Boeing facing intense scrutiny after 157 people died in an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash on March 10, the second deadly crash involving the aircraft in five months.

The global fleet of 737 MAX planes has been barred from flying since mid-March.

These 115 flights represent approximately 1.5 per cent of American’s total flying each day this summer, American Airlines chairman and CEO Doug Parker said in a statement.

But he stressed his confidence in the aircraft overall. Based upon our ongoing work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, we are highly confident that the MAX will be recertified prior to this time August 19 he said.

By extending our cancellations through the summer, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans.

Once the MAX is recertified, we anticipate bringing our MAX aircraft back on line as spares to supplement our operation as needed during the summer.

American Airlines had lowered one of its first quarter indicators in light of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes being grounded, along with the partial US government shutdown and technical challenges.

Earlier this week, competitor Southwest Airlines said it would operate its 34 aircraft of the same model starting August 5.


Tourism Observer

USA: American Airlines Takes Its First Airbus A321neo Aircraft Of 100 Ordered

American Airlines has received its first of 100 ordered Airbus A321neo aircraft, which will replace the aging Boeing 757-200 and McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft in its fleet.

The airline’s first Airbus A320neo family jet departed from Hamburg Finkenwerder early Friday for its ferry-flight to Pittsburgh, where American Airlines’ technicians will prepare the airplane for its entry into service.

In 2018, the airline reached an agreement with Airbus to defer the delivery of 22 A321neo aircraft that were previously scheduled for delivery in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

American Airlines, a founding member of the oneworld airline alliance, currently operates a mixed fleet of various Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and McDonnell Douglas aircraft. The airline is the largest operator of the Airbus A321 in the world.

Many airplanes in the fleet, for example the Boeing 757-200s, 767-300s or the MD-83 jets, are older than 20 years. Therefore, the carrier started the largest fleet renewal in its history to replace older planes with newer, fuel-efficient aircraft.


Tourism Observer

USA: SkyFlyers Aviation Is Looking For Captain On B737NG For Airlines In Asia, South East Asia And Africa

Job Role: Pilot, Captain / Commander

Location: Unspecified

Type: Contract

Aircraft type: Boeing B737 NG

Job description

Benefits:

- Attractive tax free salary packages;

- Various commuting roster patterns;

- Accommodation & transportation provided;

- Medical & Personal accident insurance provided;

- Different bases are available.

Minimum requirements:

- 4000 hrs total

- 500 PIC hrs on B737NG

- Must hold a current and valid ATPL;

- Current type rating;

Last flight: within 12 months


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Air Peace Orders 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft From Boeing

Boeing and Nigerian airline Air Peace Ltd. have unveiled the first publicly announced deal for 737 jets since July at a signing ceremony in Lagos.

The deal is for an order of 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets. The agreement is valued nearly $1.2 billion at list prices.

We are excited to add the 737 MAX to our fleet as we expand our network to offer more destinations and serve more passengers, said Allen Onyema, Chairman and CEO, Air Peace Limited.

The fuel efficiency and superior operating economics of the 737 MAX will ensure that the aircraft will play a major role in growing our business in the years to come. Air Peace Chairman and CEO Allen Onyema said in a Boeing news release.

Africa is a growing market for commercial airplanes and we are proud that airlines like Air Peace are selecting Boeing aircraft to be part of that growth, said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company.

This order reflects the strong demand that we are seeing for the 737 MAX as airlines choose the airplane’s superior performance and reliability.

Boeing 737 MAX series is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,700 orders from 102 customers globally.

Boeing 737 Max 8 model has a list price of $117. 1 million. Boeing said the single-aisle jet offers airlines more seats than its Airbus A320 rival, as well as 7% lower costs per seat and 300 more miles of range.


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USA: Airbus And Boeing Stuck With Iran Orders, Trump Spoils Deals - As Iran Export Licenses Revoked

The immediate repercussions of President Trumps decision to pull out of the nuclear accord with Iran will see export licenses for Boeing and Airbus revoked according to Steve Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary.

While based in Toulouse, France, Airbus is directly affected as over ten percent of its planes’ parts are manufactured in the U.S. by companies including United Technologies Corp., Rockwell Collins Inc. and General Electric Co., thus making the sale of any of its planes to Iran subject to U.S. export restrictions.

In total, the potential combined sales from the manufacturing duopoly were estimated at US$40 billion.

The consequences for both plane manufacturers will be different as they adopted different approaches to selling planes to Teheran.

In a conservative move, Boeing never closed its transaction with Iran Air, and downplayed the historic deal’s prospects after Trump took office.

More recently, Boeing had discretely approached other customers for some of the 777-300ER jetliners that had been intended for Iran Air in 2018.

Back on April 25 Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told investors - We have no Iranian deliveries that are scheduled or a part of the skyline this year, so those have been deferred in line with the U.S. government processes, If those orders do come to fruition, if we do ultimately deliver airplanes, those represent opportunities for us.

Airbus were more aggressive, recording the sales in its order backlog and delivered three jets, while its ATR venture shipped eight turboprops.

Airbus has 95 undelivered planes intended for Iran Air in its backlog, including 16 crucial orders for the A350 wide-body jet whose program has been dogged with order cancelations, and 28 for its A330neo.

Another 12 smaller turboprops manufactured by ATR were also due to be delivered to Iran’s national flag carrier.

An Airbus spokesman said jobs would not be affected. Our order backlog stands at more than 7,100 aircraft, this translates into some nine years of production at current rates.

We’re carefully analyzing the announcement and will be evaluating next steps consistent with our internal policies and in full compliance with sanctions and export control regulations. This will take some time.

Two years ago, with the pace of aircraft orders slowing, Airbus and Boeing were eager to line up orders from Iranian airlines.

Both companies signed big deals with Iran Air during 2016. Agreements with smaller Iranian airlines followed.

The deal that Boeing eventually struck with Iran Air called for the carrier to buy 80 aircraft, consisting of 50 737 MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs, and 15 777-9s.

In 2017, Iran Aseman Airlines signed a letter of intent for 30 737 MAX planes, bringing Boeing's total orders from Iran to 110 aircraft.

However, Boeing never received licenses from the U.S. government that would allow it to export aircraft to Iran, and so it never included these deals in its firm order book.

Boeing never formally booked any of its orders from Iran-based airlines.

Boeing doesn't need orders from Iran for the popular 737 family, which had 4,673 firm orders as of the end of April. This translates to about seven years of production.

The potential 777 orders from Iran Air were far more valuable. Nevertheless, Boeing has been able to sell out its delivery slots for the next couple of years without relying on deliveries to Iran Air.

Just last week, Boeing sold another four current-generation 777s to Lufthansa Group.

Like Boeing, Airbus doesn't need the narrowbody orders it received from Iran.

The A320 family has an even bigger backlog than Boeing's 737 family.

Airbus is in a much more precarious situation with respect to widebodies.

Iran Air ordered more than 50 widebodies from Airbus, all of which were included in the plane maker's firm order book.

The carrier currently has outstanding orders for eight A330-200s, 28 A330-900neos, and 16 A350-1000s all of which will have to be canceled because Airbus planes use a high volume of American made components.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: Jet Airways To Acquire 75 Boeing 737 MAX Airplanes From Boeing

Boeing and Jet Airways announced a new order for 75 737 MAX airplanes as India’s premier international airline looks to the new and improved 737 jet to power its future growth.

Our new order for the additional 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will allow us to deliver a differentiated and world class customer experience to our guests, said Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airway.

This additional order reemphasizes our trust and confidence in Boeing and also reaffirms our commitment to operate extremely modern, reliable and fuel efficient aircraft as part of our fleet.

Jet Airways’ partnership with Boeing goes back 25 years ever since the airline was conceived and took to the skies.

This order underscores Jet Airways’ commitment to the growth and sustainability of the Indian aviation market.

Jet Airways announced its first order for 75 MAX airplanes in 2015 as part of a strategy to refresh its fleet with the most modern and environmentally progressive airplanes.

The newest order adds 75 more MAXs to support the airline’s future expansion.

Jet Airways is set to take direct delivery of its first MAX airplane later this year.

We are honored that Jet Airways has again placed its trust in Boeing with its order for 75 more 737 MAXs, said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

These additional 737 MAX airplanes will help Jet Airways continue to be an industry leader by combining a superior passenger experience with reliable and efficient operations.

About Jet Airways

Jet Airways is a major Indian international airline based in Mumbai. In October 2017, it was the second-largest airline in India after IndiGo with a 17.8% passenger market share.

It operates over 300 flights daily to 65 destinations worldwide from its main hub at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and secondary hubs at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Chennai International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Incorporated in April 1992 as a limited liability company, the airline began operations as an air taxi operator in 1993. It began full-fledged operations in 1995 with international flights added in 2004.

The airline went public in 2005 and in 2007, it acquired Air Sahara. It became the largest carrier by passenger market share in the country by 2010, a position it held until 2012.

Jet Airways was incorporated as a limited liability company on 1 April 1992. It started operations as an air taxi operator on 5 May 1993 with a fleet of four leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

The airline was granted a scheduled airline status on 14 January 1995. On 12 May 1994, all the shares were transferred to Tailwinds International, whose equity capital was held by Naresh Goyal (60%), Gulf Air (20%) and Kuwait Airways (20%).

In October 1997, as per the directive of Ministry of Civil Aviation forbidding foreign investment in passenger airlines, Goyal took control of the entire company.

The airline launched its first international flight in March 2004 from Chennai to Colombo. The company was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and became public company on 28 December 2004, with Goyal retaining 51% ownership of the stock.

In January 2006,Jet Airways announced its intention to acquire Air Sahara for US$500 million in an all-cash deal; however, the deal fell through in June 2006.[

On 12 April 2007, the deal was back on track with Jet Airways agreeing to pay 14.5 billion (US$220 million). On 16 April 2007, Air Sahara was renamed as JetLite and was marketed between a low-cost carrier and a full service airline.

JetLite became a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways. In August 2008, Jet Airways announced its plans to integrate JetLite into Jet Airways.

In October 2008, Jet Airways laid off 1,900 of its employees, who were later re-instated due to intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In October 2008, Jet Airways entered into an alliance with rival Kingfisher Airlines for code sharing on domestic and international flights, collaboration on frequent-flyer program and sharing crew and ground handling equipment.

On 8 May 2009, Jet Airways launched another low-cost brand, Jet Konnect. It operated a fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation and ATR 72 aircraft and operated on profitable short-haul routes with higher passenger load factors.

In the third quarter of 2010, Jet Airways became the largest airline in India with a passenger market share of 22.6%. In July 2012, the airline officially sought government approval to join Star Alliance.

In June 2011, it became the first domestic airline in India to ban meat products and liquids in check-in baggage.

Jet Airways merged the JetLite brand into Jet Konnect on 25 March 2012 and started offering business-class seats after the demise of Kingfisher Airlines.

In 2013, Etihad Airways planned to buy a stake in the airline following the government's announcement in September 2012 that foreign airlines could take a stake of up to 49% in Indian carriers.

On 24 April 2013, Jet announced that it was ready to sell a 24% stake in the airline to Etihad for US$379 million. The deal which was expected to be signed in January 2013 was postponed and was completed on 12 November 2013.

In 2013, the airline lowered prices and entered into fare war with low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet due to falling passenger demand.

In February 2013, the airline's market value dropped by 4.84 billion (US$74 million) owing to falling share prices.

Jet Airways made profits in the third quarter of the financial year 2013–14, after posting losses over the previous year.

Jet Airways announced on 11 August 2014 that it would phase out Jet Konnect by the end of the year as part of plans to re-position itself as a uniform full-service operator.

On 1 December 2014, Jet Konnect was fully merged with Jet Airways, making it the third full-service airline in India besides Air India and Vistara.

In December 2015, Jet Airways announced the closure of its scissor hub at Brussels Airport by March 2016 and the opening of new hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport effective 27 March 2016.

In 2016, it was the second largest airline in India after IndiGo with a 21.2% passenger market share.

The airline's head office is located at Siroya Center in Andheri, Mumbai. The head office was previously located at S. M. Center, a rented six-storey building in Andheri and was moved following criticism regarding the working conditions.

Jet Airways' original livery was designed by Lowe or Lintas then. It was navy blue with light grey and chrome yellow. The top and bottom of the aircraft were painted in light grey with the flying sun logo in the navy blue background.

In 2007, a new livery was created by Landor Associates which added yellow and gold ribbons; the design retained the dark blue and gold-accented colour scheme along with the airline's flying sun logo.

A new yellow uniform was simultaneously introduced, created by Italian designer Roberto Capucci. Jet Airways introduced its new identity in conjunction with a global brand re-launch which included new aircraft and seating.

The company is listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange. 51% of the stock is owned by Naresh Goyal through his company Tailwinds International and the remaining 49% by other investors.

Jet Airways serves 65 destinations including 45 domestic and 20 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. The airline has its primary hub at Mumbai and secondary bases at Bangalore and Delhi.

In March 2004, the airline introduced its first international destination Colombo with flights connecting to Chennai. London was the airline's first long-haul destination and was launched in 2005.

Since 2007, Jet Airways has had a scissors hub at Brussels Airport for onward transatlantic connections to North America, which was replaced by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from 27 March 2016.

In 2008, the airline was forced to discontinue international routes because these attracted losses due to global economic downturn; it terminated services to San Francisco and Shanghai.

The airline planned to restore the Mumbai–Shanghai route by the end of 2011 but never did so. In 2012, the airline withdrew flights to New York and closed the Delhi–Milan route in 2013.

On 1 March 2016, the airline announced the integration of domestic and international operations in Mumbai airport and moved its entire operations to the newly constructed Terminal 2.

Jet Airways codeshares with the following airlines:

- Aeromexico

- Air Canada

- Air France

- Air Seychelles

- Alitalia

- All Nippon Airways

- Bangkok Airways

- China Eastern Airlines

- Delta Air Lines

- Etihad Airways

- Fiji Airways

- Garuda Indonesia

- Hong Kong Airlines

- JetStar Asia

- Kenya Airways

- KLM

- Korean Air

- Malaysia Airlines

- Qantas

- South African Airways

- United Airlines

- Vietnam Airlines

- Virgin Atlantic

According to Business Traveller, SkyTeam CEO Perry Cantarucci admits that Jet Airways is the next target to join SkyTeam, although currently Skyteam is not out recruiting new members. Perry added that We would love to talk to Jet about becoming a Skyteam member. And they know it.

Jet Airways has ceased its Frequent Flyer Partnership arrangements with Emirates and Gulf Air starting 31 March 2018.

Jet Airways Operates a mixed fleet of ATR-72, Boeing 737NG, Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft. As of April 2018, the Jet Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Airbus A330-200 - 5

Airbus A330-300 - 4

ATR 72-500 - 15

ATR 72-600 - 3

Boeing 737-700 - 5

Boeing 737-800 - 71
Boeing 737-900 - 2

Boeing 737-900ER - 4

Boeing 777-300ER - 10

Total Fleet - 119

Orders:

Boeing 737 MAX — 154 Deliveries from June 2018

Boeing 787-9 — 10

Total Orders - 164

Jet Airways placed its first order for four Boeing 737-400 and 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft on 11 December 1996; and the first aircraft was delivered on 12 November 1997.

It placed its second order for six Boeing 737-700 and two Boeing 737-900 aircraft on 14 June 1999 with deliveries starting in May 2001. On 5 January 2012, it inducted five ATR 72–600 series aircraft to operate on domestic regional routes.

Long-haul routes are served using its fleet of Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline placed an order for 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on 29 September 2005 which was delivered in 2007.

Jet Airways ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on 29 December 2006 to operate on long-haul routes. It placed a further order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on 23 April 2013 as part of modernisation of its fleet of 737s.

This April 2018 the airline entered an agreement to acquire an additional 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

First class is available only in Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.The first class offers private suites; it features seats convertible to a fully flat bed, personal LCD TVs and in-seat power supply.

Premiere class available on long-haul international flights operated by Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft features recliner seats, fully flat beds with personal LCD TVs and in-seat power.

Première class in domestic flights offers recliner seats with larger leg room in 2-2 configuration.

Economy class on long-haul aircraft has a 32 inches (810 mm) seat pitch with a footrest and the cabin is configured in 2-4-2 on the Airbus A330-200 and 3-4-3 on the Boeing 777-300ER.

Economy seats on the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 have a personal 10.6 inches (270 mm) touchscreen LCD TV. Domestic flights operated by Boeing 737 aircraft have Première and Economy classes and the ATR 72–500 have an all-economy class configuration.

Economy class on Boeing 737 have a 30 inches (760 mm) seat pitch with personal LCD behind each seat. Being a Full Service Airline, meals are served on all classes of travel.

Jet Airways has a Panasonic eFX flight entertainment system on board the Boeing 737 aircraft and Panasonic eX2 entertainment system on board the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

The system, known as JetScreen, offers on-demand programming and operates via an individual touchscreen monitor on each seat.

In 2012, the airline introduced a feature called eXport on their Airbus A330s, which allows passengers to plug-in their personal Apple devices.

In February 2016, Jet Airways announced the introduction of an in-flight entertainment service for streaming of entertainment content directly to Wi-Fi enabled personal devices of the passengers.

1 July 2007, Jet Airways Flight 3307, an ATR 72-212A (registered VT-JCE), flying on the Bhopal-Indore route was involved in an accident caused by bad weather.

There were no fatalities amongst the 45 passengers and four crew but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.

3 March 2016, Jet Airways Flight 354, a Boeing 737-900 (registered VT- JGD) flying on the New Delhi-Mumbai route, had a main landing gear collapse while landing at Mumbai, leading to a shut down of the main runway and traffic being shifted to secondary runway.

Out of 127 passengers, no injuries were reported.

27 December 2016, Jet Airways flight 2374, a Boeing 737-85R (registered VT-JBG) on route to Mumbai from Goa skidded off the runway while preparing for takeoff. 15 of the 161 passengers and crew on board suffered injuries during evacuation.

22 January 2017, 168 people on board a Jet Airways flight operated by a Boeing 737–838 (registered VT-JTD) from Mumbai had a narrow escape after the tail of the aircraft hit the runway on landing at the Dhaka International airport, prompting the airline to remove the pilots from duty.

Asmin Tariq, a contractor working for the airline as a security agent at Heathrow airport was implicated in the foiled terror plot on 10 August 2006 to blow up several transatlantic airliners belonging to three different US airlines.

Subsequently, the Governments of UK and Singapore inquired security-related information from the Ministry of External Affairs on Jet Airways, clearance was further delayed to fly to the US.

The US State Department gave the go ahead for the airline to fly to the US on 15 November 2006.

In August 2014, two pilots of Jet Airways were suspended after a plane carrying 280 passengers dropped 5,000 feet (1,500 m) mid-air en route from Mumbai to Brussels.

On 2 December 2016, Jet Airways flight 9W7083 from Bhopal to Mumbai was held up by a large group of passengers headed for a marriage in Mumbai.

There were allegations from other passengers that the wedding party was politically connected and attempted to coerce the cabin crew to disembark passengers, so that additional members of their party could be accommodated.

The airline claimed it was a technical glitch in their booking system which led to overbooking.

One Supreme Court lawyer alleged that his elderly mother was harassed by members of staff and she collapsed and suffered a laceration on her chin.

Among others, a member of staff in-charge at the airport was reported to have told him to go do whatever he could.

In 2016, the airline was implicated in the Gupta family controversy in South Africa when it was alleged by former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor that members of the business family had offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises.

This on behalf of President Jacob Zuma, if she agreed to arrange for South African Airways to drop their India route so that Jet Airways could acquire it instead.



Tourism Observer

USA: American Airlines Orders 47 787 Dreamliners

Boeing and American Airlines have announced a massive 47 aircraft order for the 787 Dreamliner.

The order consists of 22 787-8s and 25 787-9s and is valued at over $12 billion at list prices.

American Airlines also announced that it had canceled its order for 22 Airbus A350-900 aircraft that it inherited from US Airways.

We are extremely honored that American Airlines, is deepening its commitment to the 787 Dreamliner.

This new order is a powerful endorsement of the 787 family’s unique passenger appeal and unmatched ability to help airlines open new routes and grow profitably, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister.

The announcement was initially posted on Boeing’s website homepage Friday afternoon but was quickly taken down. Airways was able to pull up the post through cached data on Google.

We are showing again and again that the 787 Dreamliner is the champion in its class. The airplane’s tremendous value proposition explains why it has become the fastest selling twin-aisle jet in history, said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company.

And when we match the Dreamliner with Boeing’s suite of services, it is a combination that delivers unbeatable value for our customers.

The announcement comes two weeks after Airbus had ended talks with American Airlines for the Airbus A330neo. The lack of an A330neo order combined with the cancelation of American’s A350 order is a major blow to Airbus in the post-Leahy era.

In a release to investors, American touted the Dreamliner order as part of its strategy to simplify its fleet to reduce costs.

The 47 aircraft ordered nearly equals the amount of Airbus A330s (24) and 767s (24) that remain in the American fleet. The 787 will replace both aircraft types in American’s fleet and replace older 777 aircraft.

We have two excellent partners in Boeing and Airbus, and our relationship with both manufacturers goes back many years.

Both offer specific aircraft that provide us with the right lift on specific missions across our global network, said President Robert Isom.

This was a difficult decision between the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 and A330neo, and we thank both manufacturers for their aggressive efforts to earn more of American’s business.

In the end, our goal to simplify our fleet made the 787 a more compelling choice.

Today’s announcement is influenced by our goal to simplify our fleet and reduce the number of aircraft types we operate.

Our prior plan would have had us operating five widebody aircraft types, and with today’s announcement, we will soon reduce that to three, Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said.

These new replacement aircraft are consistent with our previous plans for the size of our widebody fleet.

We see significant advantages to carrying common fleet types, including creating less friction in our operation when aircraft swaps are necessary, reducing inventory needs, and creating a more consistent service for customers and team members.”

American also announced that it has deferred the delivery of 40 737 MAX aircraft due between 2020 and 2022.

American currently operates a fleet of 35 787 Dreamliners including 20 787-8s and 15 787-9s. The airline has seven more 787-9s on order. The American 787-9 Dreamliner seats 285 passengers in a four-class format.


Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Acquires Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

Boeing and Singapore Airlines celebrated the delivery of the first 787-10 airplane, the newest and largest member of the Dreamliner family and a jet that will set a new global standard for fuel efficiency.

About 3,000 people marked the milestone at Boeing’s facility in North Charleston, South Carolina where the latest 787 model is manufactured.

Like the other 787 Dreamliners, the 787-10 is designed with strong, lightweight composites, the most advanced systems, and comfortable cabin features.

The 787-10, though, features a longer fuselage which allows it to carry about 40 more passengers or a total of 330 seats in a standard two-class configuration.

With the additional capacity, the 787-10 provides airlines the lowest operating cost per seat of any widebody airplane in service today.

It is an honour for us to be the world’s first airline to take delivery of this amazing aircraft, said Mr. Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, the 787-10 launch customer.

The 787-10 is a magnificent piece of engineering and truly a work of art. It will be an important element in our overall growth strategy, enabling us to expand our network and strengthen our operations.

Goh added that the 787-10 underscores Singapore Airlines’ longstanding commitment to operate a modern fleet, and marks the start of a new chapter in our shared story with Boeing.

Singapore Airlines – through its subsidiary Scoot – already flies the 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners. With today’s delivery the group will be the first to operate all three Dreamliner models.

Singapore Airlines has 68 additional Boeing widebody jets on order, including 48 additional 787-10s, and 20 of the new 777-9s.

This is a big day for all of us at Boeing and for our global supplier partners. We are thrilled to deliver the first 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s leading carriers.

And we are honored by Singapore’s partnership and trust, as reflected by their repeated orders for the Dreamliner, said Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer.

The 787-10 will extend the Dreamliner effect that we are seeing across commercial aviation as the 787’s superior passenger experience and unmatched fuel efficiency helps airlines open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.

The 787-10’s superior performance and high commonality with its Dreamliner siblings have attracted strong interest from around the world, including in Asia where the jet can connect all points within the region.

The 787-10 also offers Asian operators the flexibility to fly to Europe, Africa and Oceania.

Singapore Airlines plans to puts its 787-10s into scheduled service in May, with flights from Singapore to Osaka, Japan and Perth, Australia.

Prior to the introduction of these services, the aircraft will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes.



Tourism Observer

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Orders For 39 Aircraft From Boeing,

Singapore Airlines and Boeing have announced a deal for 20 Boeing 777-9Xs and 19 787-10 aircraft.

The announcement took place at a ceremony at the White House.

The order is valued at about U.S. $13.8 billion.

Boeing says it will sustain thousands of U.S. suppliers and more than 70,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs during the delivery period of this contract.

Singapore has additional purchasing rights for 12 additional aircraft, with Boeing being six of each type.

Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines CEO said that Singapore Airlines has been a Boeing customer for many decades and we are pleased to have finalized this major order for widebody aircraft, which will enable us to continue operating a modern and fuel-efficient fleet.

The airline’s executive, who was at the ceremony alongside President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also said that these new aircraft will also provide the Singapore Airlines Group with new growth opportunities, allowing us to expand our network and offer even more travel options for our customers.

Boeing’s CEO of Commercial Airplanes Kevin McAllister also commented that Boeing and Singapore Airlines have been strong partners since the airline’s first operations 70 years ago and we are thrilled to finalize their purchase of 20 777Xs and 19 additional 787-10 Dreamliners.

Singapore Airlines’ order is a testament to the market-leading capabilities of Boeing’s widebody airplanes, and we look forward to delivering the very first 787-10 to them next year,” he noted.

This is another significant commitment to the Boeing 777 family, especially from Singapore, who already have over 50 Boeing 777 aircraft.

With a prior order for 30 787-10 aircraft, they will now have 49 on order as well as being the launch customer for the aircraft type which is due to take place between Q118 and Q218.

Singapore’s subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot, and SIA Cargo also operate the 737MAX8, 737-800, 787-8/9 and 747-400F aircraft as a whole collective, which highlights the significance of the relationship between the SIA Group and Boeing.

The 777-9X will be a great move for Singapore Airlines as they could start to implement more of a low-cost model as the aircraft can carry 400-425 passengers with a range of 7,600 nautical miles which means they could become more of an affordable long-haul carrier.

Meanwhile,SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) will debut its new A380 superjumbos on the Singapore-Sydney route on Dec 18, replete with updated cabin designs across four cabin classes.

The carrier announced the new cabins - across Suites, Business, Premium Economy and Economy - will be unveiled over Nov 2-4 at an event in Singapore, and will be fitted on the five new A380s the airline has on firm order with Airbus.

The first flight to Sydney, SQ221, will depart at 8.40pm and arrive at 7.40am the next morning, with more destinations to be announced in the coming months.

SIA's superjumbos fly to airports including Beijing, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Paris and Zurich.

It said that the designs were four years in the making following extensive customer feedback.



Tourism Observer

FRANCE: Ryanair And Boeing Conclude 10 737 MAXs Order At 2017 Paris Air Show

Boeing and Ryanair finalized an order for 10 additional 737 MAXs at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at more than $1.1 billion at current list prices.

The Irish low-cost carrier now has 110 unfilled orders with 100 options for the higher capacity 737 MAX 8, as well as 65 Next-Generation 737-800s.

We are pleased to announce this purchase of 10 additional Boeing 737 ‘Gamechanger’ aircraft, on top of our existing firm order for 100 737 MAXs, with a further 100 options remaining, said Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer, Mick Hickey.

This all new MAX 737 aircraft has 8 more seats than our current 189 seat Boeing 737-800s and incorporates the latest technology engines and winglets which reduces fuel consumption and noise emissions, ensuring we remain Europe’s greenest, cleanest airline. Ryanair is proud to partner with Boeing and has operated an all-Boeing fleet since 1994.

Ryanair is an all-Boeing operator and launched the higher capacity 737 MAX 8 in late 2014 with an order for 100 airplanes.

The airplane will provide Ryanair with 197 seats, increasing revenue potential and providing airlines like Ryanair with up to 16 percent better fuel efficiency per seat than today’s most efficient single-aisle airplanes.

The 737 MAX with 197 seats provides Ryanair with the perfect solution for its additional capacity requirements as it strives to carry 200 million passengers per year by the middle of the next decade, said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president, Global Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The 737 family has been the foundation on which Ryanair has revolutionized low-cost travel in Europe and we are honored that this iconic operator continues to grow in partnership with Boeing.

Ryanair carried 120 million passengers last year with 1,800 daily flights to more than 200 destinations. The Dublin based carrier is the largest 737-800 customer in the world and the largest Boeing operator in Europe.

In March this year Ryanair took delivery of its 450th Next-Generation 737-800 and with today’s announcement has ordered a total of more than 640 airplanes from Boeing.

The 737 MAX family has been designed to offer customers exceptional performance, flexibility and efficiency, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range that will open up new destinations in the single-aisle market.

The MAX 8 and 9 will be followed in 2019 by the smaller MAX 7 and higher capacity MAX 8. The MAX 10 will be introduced in the 2020 time frame.

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

RUSSIA: MS-21 Passenger Plane To Rival Boeing And Airbus

Russia's new MS-21 passenger plane, the first domestically-built commercial aircraft since the collapse of the Soviet Union, is a serious venture capable of competing with industry heavyweights Airbus and Boeing , the head of national airline Aeroflot said.

Russia carried out the MS-21's maiden flight on Sunday and has praised the twin-engine jet as a domestic alternative to those made by America's Boeing and Europe's Airbus, which dominate the medium-range narrow-body market.

Manufacturer Irkut Corporation and its state-controlled parent company United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) say the new plane is more efficient than its Western counterparts, but analysts warn Russia faces a huge challenge to shatter the transatlantic airplane duopoly.

If they achieve the goals they announced, then this is of course a serious plane.

It is a real plane which will compete with Boeing and with Airbus, Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev said.

I think this will be a serious machine, he added. It will be light, economical and effective. Now we are simply waiting for it.

Flag carrier Aeroflot, which operates a fleet dominated by narrow-body Airbus models, has yet to sign any purchase contracts for the MS-21.

But the company expects to do so this year and state defense conglomerate Rostec has already said it will lease at least 50 MS-21 planes to the airline.

Savelyev said he expected the first delivery to be made in 2019 and 40 percent of Aeroflot's fleet would be made up of domestic aircraft by 2023.

No price has been announced yet, but it will have to be competitive to justify future purchases said.

We, as consumers, cannot take a plane that is more expensive than competing versions abroad. If we are to do it, it has to be at a competitive price, Aeroflot CEO said.

The twin-engine MS-21 will be built in two variants: the MS-21-300 which will have 160-211 seats, and the later MS-21-200 which will have 130-165 seats.

It is sometimes referred to as the MC-21 when using the Russian name.

Production is expected to start in the next two years and state media have said numerous contracts with domestic and foreign carriers have already been agreed. Irkut said it so far had "firm orders" for 175 planes.

Majority state-owned Aeroflot is sometimes seen as making business decisions which primarily benefit the Russian government, such as a move in 2015 to buy a 75-percent stake in failing competitor Transaero.

The purchase was later abandoned and Aeroflot agreed to fulfill Transaero's ticket obligations at the state's request.

Savelyev said he had come under no pressure to support the MS-21, which the government is hoping will help rejuvenate domestic industrial production and make the country less dependent on foreign firms.

We are a commercial company, there is no pressure on us or instructions to buy Russian planes, he said.

We would like there to be a domestic aircraft, because every airline all over the world tries to support domestic producers.

USA: GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS)

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is an Irish-American commercial aircraft financing and leasing company.

It is the largest commercial airline leasing/financing company in the world.

It is part of GE Capital, a company of the large conglomerate General Electric.

GECAS buys aircraft from manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing and then leases them to airlines, typically on eight year leases, usually on dry lease contracts.

It also buys aircraft from airlines and leases them back.

The company has three global headquarters, located in Singapore; Shannon, County Clare and Norwalk, Connecticut.

The primary competition for GECAS is AerCap, although other companies such as Air Lease Corporation, Aviation Capital Group, BBAM and SMBC Aviation Capital also compete with it.

GECAS has a fleet of over 1800 aircraft, used by 245 airlines.

Nearly all aircraft owned by GECAS are powered by engines from either GE Aviation, another subsidiary of General Electric, or CFM International, a GE Aviation/Snecma joint venture.

GECAS was formed in 1993 to manage the assets bought from the Irish-based Guinness Peat Aviation.

The company GE Capital Aviation Services Limited was based in Ireland and originally staffed by former GPA employees.
GE Capital also incorporated the California-based Polaris Aircraft Leasing into the group.

GECAS also owns a minority stake in Oxford Aviation Academy retained when they sold 80%,before dilution, of GECAT to STAR Capital Partners in 2007.

In 2015, GECAS took over the Irish-based Milestone Aviation to add helicopters to its leasing portfolio.

GECAS maintains a portfolio of narrow body and wide body passenger aircraft, cargo aircraft, and regional and turboprop aircraft from manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier and ATR.

Through its Milestone Aviation Group, GECAS also owns and leases AgustaWestland, Sikorsky and Airbus Eurocopter helicopters.

Customers finance these aircraft through the following GECAS offerings:
• Operating leases
• Purchase leaseback agreements
• Secured loans
• Aircraft servicing

Additionally, GECAS buys, leases and finances aircraft engines from GE and CFM, as well as from manufacturers Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, IAE and Engine Alliance.

GECAS provides the following for its engine pool:
• Operating leases
• Short-term leases
• Purchase leaseback agreements
• Secured loans
• Engine exchange
• Engine servicing
GECAS distributes recertified engine and aircraft parts through its Asset Management Services group.

The company maintains an inventory of parts from Airbus, Boeing, Douglas and Bombardier aircraft that have been overhauled, repaired or modified and distributes these parts from warehouses in North America, Europe and Asia.

GECAS also operates AviaSolutions, which provides aircraft consultancy services to airports, investors and financial institutions, governments and airlines.

AviaSolutions advises clients on business development, route development, infrastructure planning, airline management, regulations, and various other projects.

IRAN: Iran Aseman Airlines Signs Memorundum Of Understanding With Boeing

Boeing confirms the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Iran Aseman Airlines, expressing the airline’s intent to purchase 30 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes with a list price value of $3 billion.

The agreement also provides the airline with purchase rights for 30 additional 737 MAXs.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an aerospace sale of this magnitude creates or sustains approximately 18,000 jobs in the United States. Deliveries would be scheduled to start in 2022.

Boeing negotiated the MOA under authorizations from the U.S. government following a determination that Iran had met its obligations under the nuclear accord signed in 2015. Boeing will look to the Office of Foreign Assets Control for approval to perform under this transaction.

Boeing continues to follow the lead of the U.S. government with regards to working with Iran’s airlines, and any and all contracts with Iran’s airlines are contingent upon U.S. government approval.

PERU: Peruvian Airlines Boeing Catches Fire On Landing At Jauja In Central Peru

A Boeing jet operated by Peruvian Airlines caught fire on Tuesday while landing at an airport near the Andean town of Jauja in central Peru after it swerved on the runway, but there were no serious injuries, a government minister said.

Peruvian Airlines said in a statement that the Boeing 737-300 jet drove off the runway for unspecified reasons during the scheduled landing, after swerving to the right. It said that all 141 people on board the flight, which originated in Lima, were evacuated safely.

Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred about 4:30pm, involving the Boeing 737-300 jet at the high-altitude airport in an agricultural valley some 265 kilometers from Lima, the capital.

The fire likely started when the wing scraped the runway, Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio said.

"The plane couldn't stop on the runway and they made a maneuver to stop it with the wing and that appears to have caused the fire," Basombrio told reporters on local broadcaster RPP.

Television images showed a large cloud of black smoke streaming from an airliner in flames.

Boeing said it was aware of the reports of the incident and was gathering information.

Boeing, SpiceJet Announce 205 Airplane Deal

Boeing and SpiceJet announced today a commitment for up to 205 airplanes during an event in New Delhi.

Booked at the end of 2016, the announcement includes 100 new 737 MAX 8s, SpiceJet’s current order for 42 MAXs, 13 additional 737 MAXs which were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website, as well as purchase rights for 50 additional airplanes.

“The Boeing 737 class of aircraft has been the backbone of our fleet since SpiceJet began, with its high reliability, low operation economies and comfort,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

“With the next generation of 737 and the 737 MAX we are sure that we can be competitive and grow profitably.”

SpiceJet, all-Boeing jet operator, placed its first order with Boeing in 2005 for Next-Generation (NG) 737s and currently operates 32 737 NGs in its fleet.

“We are honored to build upon more than a decade of partnership with SpiceJet with their commitment of up to 205 airplanes,” said Ray Conner, Vice Chairman, The Boeing Company.

“The economics of the 737 MAXs will allow SpiceJet to profitably open new markets, expand connectively within India and beyond, and offer their customers a superior passenger experience.”

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

The new airplane will deliver 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s and the lowest operating costs in its class – 8 percent per seat less than its nearest competitor.

Demand For 5000 New Airplanes in Asia-Pacific

Boeing presented its Current Market Outlook for the Southeast Asia and Oceania regions during the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ 60th annual Assembly of Presidents meeting in Manila.

Over the next 20 years, the company forecasts a demand for 3,860 new airplanes, valued at $565 billion, in Southeast Asia; while an investment of $160 billion for 1,020 new airplanes is expected in the Oceania region.

“Southeast Asia and Oceania remain important markets for Boeing as airlines continue to add capacity, modernize their fleets and shift their business models to adapt to this competitive market,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“While we see the majority of the demand being for single-aisle airplanes such as the 737 MAX, fuel-efficient twin-aisle airplanes such as the 787 Dreamliner and the 777X will also be needed, enabling airlines to profitably open new routes, never before possible.”

The annual report projects that more than 75 percent of the airplanes needed in both regions will be for single-aisle airplanes, as they continue to see a rise in the number of low cost carriers as well as strong annual traffic, with growth rates of 6.4 percent and 4.7 percent, for Southeast Asia and Oceania, respectively.

Worldwide, Boeing projects a demand for 39,620 new airplanes, over the next two decades. Boeing’s Current Market Outlook is the longest running jet forecast and regarded as the most comprehensive analysis of the aviation industry.

Boeing And Nok Air Unite To Provide Humanitarian Aid Flight

With the help of the international non-profit organization Vital Voices, whose mission is to invest in and empower women leaders, the airline’s 22nd Next-Generation 737-800 will transport and deliver nearly 30 boxes full of relief items including clothes and school supplies.

The items are headed to The Children’s Advocacy Center Thailand (ACT), a non-profit organization dedicated to better the lives of abused children and youth in Thailand. Representatives from ACT will deliver the aid to impacted children and youth throughout Thailand.

“We are honored to play an important role for the well-being of our children and youth,” said Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin. “Providing timely supplies to those in need will affect the lives of many in the region. Nok Air is proud to continue playing a vital role in cultivating the well-being of our community.”

As part of the Global Corporate Citizenship program, Boeing is committed to building better communities worldwide.

“We are honored that Nok Air partnered with The Boeing Company to deliver humanitarian aid to the many children in Thailand who are in need,” said Sam Whiting, Director, Global Corporate Citizenship, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“We look forward to working closely with Nok Air and non-profit organizations like ACT in Thailand to identify future opportunities.”

Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Nok Air is a low-cost carrier that operates an all-Boeing fleet. As part of a tradition in naming its new airplanes, Nok Air has designated this particular airplane ‘Fah Kram,’ which means blue skies.

The airline currently has two additional Next-Generation 737s on order with Boeing after today’s delivery. Nok Air is also a 737 MAX customer with eight 737 MAX 8 airplanes on order.

Smaller Planes Trending In Aviation

Large jetliners appear to be going out of fashion, according to the world’s two largest aircraft makers.

At the annual Farnborough International Airshow this week, the two manufacturing giants both logged huge orders from Asian airlines for smaller planes.

They included a knockout US$12.6 billion order for 100 Airbus single-aisle A321neos from budget carrier AirAsia, and a US$7.7 billion order for 72 A320neos from Indian low-cost carrier, GoAir.

Boeing, which also announced a series of accords with Chinese customers including Xiamen Airlines and Ruili Airlines at the show, raising its annual 20-year global aircraft demand outlook by 4.1 per cent this week.

It predicts the world will need 39,620 new airplanes worth US$5.9 trillion in the next two decades, but it continues to revise down forecast demand for large jets with more than 400 seats such as its B747-8. Compared with its forecast last year, it also lowered the number for medium large jets with 300-400 seats from 3,520 to 3,470.

“The single-aisle market will be especially strong, with low-cost carriers and emerging markets driving growth,” Boeing said, which forecast 28,140 new airplanes worth US$3 trillion will be needed in this segment, an increase of more than 5 per cent over last year.

Airbus, which makes the world’s biggest commercial airliner, the A380 double-decker, said it would build just 12 of the giant planes a year starting from 2018, down from 27 in 2015, within its own predictions which forecast “a trend towards higher capacity aircraft”.

It also lowered its forecast demand for the very large passenger and freighter aircraft combined, by nearly 5 per cent from 1,550 to 1,480.

Thomas Kaplan, an analyst with consultancy Flightglobal Ascend, said: “The Boeing and Airbus forecasts have traditionally diverged in their opinions for the largest passenger widebodies, with Airbus much more optimistic. This is unsurprising, given they have the only Very Large Aircraft – the A380 — in production.”

The A380, seating up to 600, is “a lot of seats to fill and has a high capital cost”, he said, lending itself mostly for use on the busy trunk routes such as those between Asia and Europe.

“The customer base is limited, as is always the case the larger an aircraft gets,” Kaplan said.

The core of future aircraft demand is for smaller widebodies, typically around 300-350 seats, according to Ascend. “These have the flexibility to operate on many routes and offer frequent service on trunk routes including intra Asia, transatlantic and transpacific,” he said.

Boeing expects the world will need 5,100 such planes in the next 20 years, up from 4,770 in its 2015 forecast.

Mark Lapidus, chief executive of Amedeo, which specialises in leasing widebody planes, disagrees that larger aircraft have diminishing appeal. He pointed out that Boeing’s upcoming B777-9x and a possible -10x model under study are getting bigger and bigger compared with their predecessors.

“The A380 is an aircraft some people make a lot of money with, some have struggled, and some are afraid to order or lease. It in particular is a brand-defining aircraft which keeps customers happy. That will bode well for the A380,” he said.

First African Biofueled Plane Takes Off And Lands

South African Airways (SAA) in partnership with Boeing, Sunchem Chemicals and SkyNRG has managed to fly a biofuel plane successfully.

The first ever of its kind in South Africa, took off from Johannesburg two days ago and landed in Cape Town with no issues whatsoever.

Powered by a fuel which is blended from jet fuel and tobacco, South Africa Airways CEO Musa Zwane told the press that the crop is locally grown and viable for this project.

With the push on anti-smoking, SAA hopes to help the main anti-smoking doctor, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi to get rid of tobacco while earning the country income.

Mr. Zwane said that SAA hopes to have half of their fleet flying on biofuel by 2022.

The fuel which was used for this first flight is refined in the United States of America (USA)

IRAN: Iran Air Can Fly In EU

EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc has been quoted as saying in an announcement as saying that the decision follows a visit to Iran and a technical assessment of the country's aviation safety standards.

"Following my visit to Iran in April, a technical assessment was successfully carried out in May," EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said in her statement.

"Based on this I am happy to announce that we are now able to allow most aircraft from Iran Air back into European skies," Bulc added.

Previously, only the carrier's EU-manufactured Airbus planes could operate in the bloc.

Iran's aviation industry - among several other sectors - had been under a draconian regime of US-engineered sanctions for multiple years. The sanctions were lifted in January when a deal between Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany - came into effect. The deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - envisaged steps by Iran to restrict certain aspects of its nuclear energy activities in return for the removal of sanctions against the country.

Iran has since intensified efforts to purchase new planes from global aviation giants including Airbus, Boeing and others.

In January, the country sealed a deal with Airbus during a state visit to Paris by President Hassan Rouhani to purchase 118 new planes. Iranian officials say a similar deal is also being worked out with Boeing.

Officials in Tehran have already emphasized that a bulk of new planes will go to Iran Air.