Azhul takes delivery of the first ATR72-600

Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas today took delivery of the first ATR 72-600 regional turboprop aircraft. Fast-growing carrier Azul has placed orders for a total of 30 ATR 72-600s, with options an additional 10 aircraft. Azul was founded in December 2008, and in less than three years has developed an extensive network of 40 destinations throughout Brazil. In addition to its ATR 72s, Azul operates a jet fleet of Embraer 190s and 195s. With the delivery of the aircraft today, Azul Linhas  becomes one of the first operators of the newest generation ATR aircraft. With the introduction of its new fleet of ATR 72-600s, Azul will continue to support its growing national jet network with shorter haul regional routes. With its current fleet of 8 ATR 72s, Azul serves more cities within the economically vibrant state of Sao Paulo from its Campinas base than any other carrier.

Brazil has become in recent years a booming market for ATR, whose aircraft are optimally suited for the expansion of domestic short-haul routes due to their low operating and maintenance costs, up to 45% less than its competitors. The environmental friendliness of the ATRs, which produce up to 50% less CO2 than other regional aircraft, are also among the reasons for their popularity in Brazil. Today there are 50 ATR aircraft operating in Brazil, a figure expected to more than double within the next three years.  David Neeleman, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Azul, declared: “We are delighted to introduce the new ATR -600 series in Brazil and to be among the very first operators of the newest generation turboprops in the world. In addition to offering our passengers the highest standards of comfort, we are committed to making flying more accessible to Brazilian customers in terms of both frequency and cost. This aircraft fits this mission perfectly."

Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, declared: “With the new ATR 72-600s, the Brazilian regional passengers will have the opportunity of experiencing the new ‘Armonia cabin’, which features the most advanced technologies in terms of comfort, including larger overhead bins and thinner seats with more legroom. Brazil is a very dynamic market and we are convinced that the performance of the ATRs, coupled with the high levels of comfort proposed to passengers, will continue providing us expansion opportunities across the country and in the whole Latin America”.

Qatar Airways to expand its cargo destinations in North America

Qatar Airways is boosting cargo services to North America, days after its Gulf rival Emirates outlined plans for new U.S. passenger routes. Qatar Airways said Sunday it will begin flying Boeing 777 freighters twice weekly to Atlanta and Houston and once a week to Toronto early next month. The flights will originate in the Qatari capital, Doha, and stop in Luxembourg, where freight carrier Cargolux is based. Qatar Airways bought a 35 per cent stake in Cargolux in June. Qatar Airways already runs a cargo route to Chicago and has passenger services to Montreal, Houston, New York and Washington.

Late last month, Dubai-based Emirates said it was expanding its U.S. service by adding nonstop flights to Dallas and Seattle next year.

Arik Air orders 2 Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

Boeing and Nigeria's Arik Air today announced a deal for two 747-8 Intercontinental airplanes. The order is valued at $635 million at list prices and was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing's website. The order was announced during a signing ceremony at the Corporate Council for Africa's 8th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Washington, D.C. "Air travel within the region continues to grow at a rapid pace and we must prepare our fleet to accommodate that growth," said Sir JIA Arumemi-Johnson, owner and chairman of Arik Air. "Boeing's new 747-8 fits perfectly into our long-term planning. It brings the best operating economics for its size, which is important with the increase in fuel prices."

Arik Air is Nigeria's fastest-growing privately owned airline operating a large fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737s and serves more than 22 domestic, six regional and three long-haul routes. The airline plans to use the 747-8 on its key long-haul routes. "Arik Air is growing to become a leader in aviation in Africa and Boeing is happy Arik will use the 747-8 as a cornerstone of their future growth," said Van Rex Gallard, vice president of Sales for Africa, Latin America, and Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "With its unmatched operating costs and economics, the 747-8 is the right airplane to help Arik Air meet growing demand." The new 747-8 Intercontinental features a new wing design and an upgraded flight deck. The airplane interior incorporates features from the 787 Dreamliner including a new curved, upswept architecture that will give passengers a greater sense of space and comfort.

Using General Electric's GEnx-2B engines, the airplane will be quieter, produce lower emissions and achieve better fuel economy than any competing jetliner. It also increases cargo volume by 26 percent. "As we look into the future, the 747-8 Intercontinental is a must have for Arik Air," said Sir Arumemi-Johnson. "Our airline strives to bring the best, most efficient and most modern products to our customers and that is exactly what this airplane is."

Boeing delivers Soman Air's first B737-900ER

Boeing has delivered the first Next-Generation 737-900ER with the new Boeing Sky Interior to Tajikistan-based Somon Air, making it the first Central Asian carrier to operate an airplane featuring Boeing's innovative interior. The delivery is also Somon Air's first direct purchase of a 737. "This new interior will set Somon Air apart from other regional operators by bringing a new, unmatched flying experience to our valued customers," said Jamshed Rahmonberdiev, chief executive officer, Somon Capital, which owns Somon Air. "Reliability and fuel efficiency are key considerations and the 737-900ER will contribute to our financial performance as well as help us maintain our high standards of safety in accordance with international air transportation standards."

"We congratulate Somon Air on becoming the first carrier in Central Asia to offer the enhanced 737 cabin experience to its passengers," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to playing a role in Somon's future as it continues to expand its network." The Boeing 737-900ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family and is also the highest capacity, longest-range airplane in Boeing's single-aisle fleet. The 737 Boeing Sky Interior takes the passenger experience to a whole new level with new overhead bins, LED lighting, new designs for window reveals and sculpted sidewalls.

As part of Boeing's Humanitarian Delivery Flights program, Boeing partnered with Somon Air, the U.S. Department of State's Humanitarian Program and Project HOPE to transport medical supplies to the country's capital Dushanbe. The relief shipment of 2,852 pounds of medical supplies will improve the quality of medical care for the less-privileged in Tajikistan and help alleviate the shortage of medicines needed for oncology, psychiatric health and in the treatment of infectious diseases. "Boeing, through its Global Corporate Citizenship (GCC) organization, supports humanitarian efforts around the world in partnership with nongovernmental agencies and non-profits like Project HOPE," said Liz Warman, director of GCC for the Northwest Region. "Our Humanitarian Delivery Flights program is another way we can continue leveraging our resources to help those in need."

UTair finalizes orders with Boeing

Boeing and UTair Aviation, Russia have signed an order for 40 Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes, comprised of seven 737-900ERs and 33 737-800s. The agreement was previously announced at the 2011 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at $3.8 billion at list prices. "UTair is a wonderful business partner with Boeing. We are truly proud of the airline's history and accomplishments in Russian commercial aviation. The Next-Generation 737s with the Boeing Sky Interior will enhance their network and customer appeal for both domestic and international routes," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Russia, Central Asia and Middle East, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. All 40 UTair airplanes will be delivered with the new interior that offers unprecedented passenger appeal and comfort with such features as spacious cabin headroom, overhead bins that disappear into the ceiling yet carry more bags and LED lighting that brings any color into the cabin.

Emirates SkyCargo adds new destination in far East and Australia

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates Airline, yesterday celebrated the inaugural service on its new Far East and Australasia freighter route. The weekly air cargo service, operated by its new Boeing 777 freighter, will fly Dubai-Singapore-Sydney-Hong Kong-Dubai, providing the key trading points with additional connectivity to Emirates' Dubai hub, which can link businesses to the 114 destinations on the carrier's network.

The Boeing 777F - which touched down for the first time in Sydney on 12th September - has the capability to carry up to 103 tonnes of freight. "This new route not only bolsters capacity, it provides our customers with more options and increased trade opportunities," said Hiran Perera, Emirates' SVP Cargo Planning & Freighters. "We currently transport cargo in the belly-hold of 126 passenger flights a week between Dubai and Australia, as well 28 Hong Kong flights and 42 Singapore flights, and the freighter - with a wide main deck door - will increase our ability to carry oversized shipments," added Perera. "This takes our import capacity to Australia to 1370 tonnes per week and, in these uncertain economic conditions, is further testament of our commitment to facilitating international trade for businesses in the region."

The inaugural fligh - which carried 100 tonnes of cargo, including medical equipment, diagnostics, spare parts, textiles and clothing - was met by Greg Johnson, Emirates' Cargo Manager Australia, and Alex Barkway, Emirates' Cargo Manager New South Wales. "The addition of a dedicated freighter service is a major milestone in Emirates SkyCargo's growth in Australia, and offers new possibilities for expansion into other areas of air cargo transport," said Johnson. "With the high Australian dollar driving up imports, this new flight will also provide us with much needed additional capacity into the market."

EK9920 will depart Dubai every Sunday at 20:35 and touch down in Singapore at 07:55 the following day. The B777F will then depart at 09:00 and complete its outbound journey at 18:30 when it touches down at Sydney International Airport. The return service, EK 9921, will depart Sydney every Monday at 21:30 and land in Hong Kong at 04:35 on Tuesday. Departing Hong Kong at 07:35 as EK 9865, the service will then terminate in Dubai at 10:35. With a long-range flying capacity and technologically advanced General Electric (GE) engines, the Boeing 777F provides greater flexibility than any other freighter aircraft currently in operation. It maintains the lowest fuel burn of any comparable sized aircraft, consuming nearly 18 per cent less fuel than today's freighters.

Emirates SkyCargo introduced its first Boeing 777F in March 2009. In December 2010, it operated its longest ever non-stop flight on the Boeing 777F; 17.5 hours from Sydney to New York. Emirates is the largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft in the world, with 91 in its fleet currently.

Dreamliner becomes a reality

Boeing delivered its first 787 jet on Sunday. It's been a long time coming. The new jet, which was supposed to be flying passengers three years ago, has been delayed by production and design problems. But now it's here, and airlines expect it to offer travelers much more comfort, open up new routes and provide significant fuel savings. The first one goes to Japan's All Nippon Airways, which has been printing the 787 logo and "We Fly 1st" on its business cards for years. Airlines love the jet, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner. They've ordered more than 800, well above levels for previous new jets. "A lot of carriers are betting that this is going to be a winner," says George Hamlin, president of Hamlin Transportation Consulting in Fairfax, Va.

Instead of the usual aluminum skin, most of the 787 is covered in carbon fiber, basically a high-tech plastic that is strong but lightweight. Military planes and portions of other jetliners have used that material for years, but this is the first time so much has been used on an airliner. The new material brings improvements that passengers should notice. Its strength allows windows to be bigger and higher, so passengers don't have to hunch over to see the horizon. Electronic dimming replaces pull-down shades. That should mean you'll no longer be blinded when the guy next to you falls asleep with the shade up. Finally, the cabin is pressurized to the equivalent of 6,000 feet, instead of the usual 8,000 feet. That means air pressure will be closer to what passengers are used to on the ground. And without corrosion-prone aluminum skin, the humidity can be kept higher. Those two changes should reduce dry noses and throats.

All Nippon plans to begin flying the 787 from Tokyo to Okayama-Hiroshima on Nov. 11. The first international route will be Tokyo to Frankfurt starting in January. The first US customer is United Continental Holdings Inc., which will get its first 787s next year and plans to fly them between Houston and Auckland, New Zealand, and Houston and Lagos, Nigeria. Those are good examples of "thin routes" that airlines say the 787 will be good for - routes for which there is regular demand that won't fill a larger plane. The 787's size, fuel efficiency and long range should allow airlines to turn a profit on those routes. The jet will be as much as 20 percent more fuel-efficient than planes it replaces. Its efficiency was a nice perk when Boeing first proposed the 787 in its current form in 2003. Now it's essential for airlines dealing with high fuel costs.

Building an all-new plane like the 787 is a massive undertaking. Delays stacked up. Boeing was hit with an eight-week strike in 2008. It had to reinforce the spot where the 787's wings meet the fuselage. In November, the company had to delay the plane further after an electrical fire forced a landing during a test flight. Boeing expects to deliver a combined 25 to 30 of the 787s and new 747-8 this year. To meet the high demand. Boeing has set an ambitious goal of building 10 per month by the end of 2013. No one has ever made a large plane that fast. Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at the Teal Group, thinks Boeing will miss that goal because the company hasn't smoothed out its production process fully. It's also not clear when the 787 will make money. Boeing already took a $2.5 billion charge in 2009 on the program, and it owes additional money to customers for the late deliveries. Boeing executives have said they will announce when the jet will be profitable after the first one is delivered.

The 787 list price runs between $185 million and $218 million. Discounts on new jets are common, though. Aboulafia says it's not clear how steep the discounts offered by Boeing were to lock in all the orders. Boeing rival Airbus hopes to soon launch its new A350, also made with a significant amount of carbon composites. A successful 787 will put pressure on Airbus to meet its fuel-efficiency goals, and to deliver the plane on time.

Airbus sees Asia as recession buffer

Demand for new planes from China and Asia will provide Airbus with a buffer for growth in the event of a global recession resulting from Europe's debt crisis, the company's chief operating officer said on Thursday.  "So far we have 1,000 net orders (from Europe) at the end of August and the air traffic is still good," Fabrice Bregier said.  "However, we might well expect some adjustments in the future. This is very different from 2008-2009. In this case we see a problem of some European states with excessive debt but the real economy is very good," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dalian.  The euro area debt crisis has contributed to increasing concerns in financial markets that the world economy could slip into another recession. Bregier said it may be a "challenge" to avoid another recession that would bring about less air.

Demand for new planes from China and Asia will provide Airbus with a buffer for growth in the event of a global recession resulting from Europe's debt crisis, the company's chief operating officer said on Thursday. "So far we have 1,000 net orders (from Europe) at the end of August and the air traffic is still good," Fabrice Bregier said. "However, we might well expect some adjustments in the future. This is very different from 2008-2009. In this case we see a problem of some European states with excessive debt but the real economy is very good," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dalian.

The euro area debt crisis has contributed to increasing concerns in financial markets that the world economy could slip into another recession.
Bregier said it may be a "challenge" to avoid another recession that would bring about less air traffic and slower growth for airlines. But he said he expected growth in Asia and especially China to provide a suitable growth buffer for Airbus. "If there is a big recession there will be less traffic and so the airlines will not generate the cash to buy new aircraft," Bregier said. "Now we are in the global market, so we don't sell exclusively to Europe or America and in our order book our biggest share comes from Asia, and China plays a big role."
Bregier said Airbus will deliver its first superjumbo to mainland carrier China Southern Airlines in a few weeks and the aircraft will be operational in November.

Boeing said on September 7 that China will need 5,000 commercial aircraft worth USD$600 billion over the next 20 years, a 25 percent increase on the company's previous estimate. Airbus, which currently has a 45 percent market share in China, is due to publish its global forecasts on September 20. Bregier said the firm's market share in China will exceed 50 percent in the next few years.
"We plan to deliver about 90 aircraft in China next year and about 100 this year," he said. In June, China placed an order for 88 Airbus A320 planes putting aside a bubbling trade row with Europe over a proposed emissions scheme as it sought to fuel economic growth. The deal, worth USD$7.5 billion at list price and with deliveries scheduled for 2012-15, was signed by China Aviation Supplies and Industrial Commercial Bank of China.

Although China plans to start competing with Airbus and Boeing by building its own narrow-body passenger jets from the second half of this decade, it has ordered large numbers of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to feed traffic growth.
Airbus began assembling planes for the Chinese market at a factory in Tianjin, outside Beijing, in 2009. Bregier said he expects to make inroads into the China market with sales of the A380 superjumbo aircraft. "I think they (other Chinese airlines) will be very interested in A380s when they see the success of China Southern... We expect other top players in China to progressively order A380s," he said. "The trend is clear, China will need bigger aircraft in the future and so we think with the A380, we really have a trump".traffic and slower growth for airlines. But he said he expected growth in Asia and especially China to provide a suitable growth buffer for Airbus. "If there is a big recession there will be less traffic and so the airlines will not generate the cash to buy new aircraft," Bregier said. "Now we are in the global market, so we don't sell exclusively to Europe or America and in our order book our biggest share comes from Asia, and China plays a big role."

Bregier said Airbus will deliver its first superjumbo to mainland carrier China Southern Airlines in a few weeks and the aircraft will be operational in November.  Boeing said on September 7 that China will need 5,000 commercial aircraft worth USD$600 billion over the next 20 years, a 25 percent increase on the company's previous estimate. Airbus, which currently has a 45 percent market share in China, is due to publish its global forecasts on September 20. Bregier said the firm's market share in China will exceed 50 percent in the next few years.  "We plan to deliver about 90 aircraft in China next year and about 100 this year," he said. In June, China placed an order for 88 Airbus A320 planes putting aside a bubbling trade row with Europe over a proposed emissions scheme as it sought to fuel economic growth.

The deal, worth USD$7.5 billion at list price and with deliveries scheduled for 2012-15, was signed by China Aviation Supplies and Industrial Commercial Bank of China. Although China plans to start competing with Airbus and Boeing by building its own narrow-body passenger jets from the second half of this decade, it has ordered large numbers of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s to feed traffic growth. Airbus began assembling planes for the Chinese market at a factory in Tianjin, outside Beijing, in 2009. Bregier said he expects to make inroads into the China market with sales of the A380 superjumbo aircraft. "I think they (other Chinese airlines) will be very interested in A380s when they see the success of China Southern... We expect other top players in China to progressively order A380s," he said. "The trend is clear, China will need bigger aircraft in the future and so we think with the A380, we really have a trump".

AirFrance-KLM splits orders worth $12 billion between Airbus and Boeing

Air France-KLM has split a $12 billion order for long-range jets following a year-long competition, announcing plans to buy 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 25 Airbus A350s. The move is part of a plan to renew the fleet of Europe's largest airline and the order could rise to 110 of the next-generation aircraft including 60 more options. EADS unit Airbus said it expected to receive 35 of these. Air France-KLM shares opened up more than 1 percent before slipping 0.5 percent to 6.035 euros by 4:26 a.m. ET. Shares in Airbus parent EADS were down 1.1 percent.

The deal follows months of politically sensitive negotiations during which the airline appeared to be pulled between pressure from French politicians to protect jobs at Toulouse-based Airbus and its own differences with Airbus over what caused the 2009 mid-Atlantic crash of an Airbus jet. The airline believes pilots have been wrongly blamed. Air France-KLM has said it ignored calls from French politicians to favor Airbus, but in a sign of frosty relations it snubbed the usual practice of endorsing the Airbus part of the deal in the planemaker's press release.

Boeing is delivering its first 787 Dreamliner to Japanese airline All Nippon Airways next week after three years of production delays as it switched from aluminum to lightweight carbon composites. Airbus plans to deliver its similar A350 mid-decade after earlier delays in the design. Air France-KLM said it aimed to operate 73 of the 250-300 seat aircraft through 2024, including 43 Airbus A350-900 and 30 Boeing 787-9 models. The first Boeing 787-9 will enter into service with KLM in 2016, and the first Airbus A350-900 with Air France in 2018. "Later, both airlines will operate both types of aircraft," the carrier said in a statement. The airlines merged in 2004 but maintain separate networks.

Final details of the order are still being negotiated. The firm part of the order for 50 aircraft is worth $6.7 billion to Airbus and $5.5 billion to Boeing, according to list prices. Airlines usually obtain significant discounts. Air France-KLM indicated in June it would follow United Airlines in splitting the order for the new generation of aircraft between Airbus and Boeing. The plane order guarantees business for Britain's Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR.L - News) to provide power for the A350-900, for which it makes the only engines currently on offer. But industry sources say rival General Electric is front-runner to power the Boeing 787s, for which it competes with Rolls-Royce. Air France traditionally buys long-range engines from the U.S. company.

FedEx may buy more freighters

FedEx Corp may buy about 50 wide-body freighters from Boeing Co. and Airbus to update its cargo airline fleet, an industry source familiar with the matter said on Thursday. FedEx is considering Boeing's 767, which lists at $167.7 million, and Airbus's A330, which lists at $203.6 million, according to the source. Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx runs the world's largest cargo airline and No. 2 package delivery company. Its potential freighter purchases were first reported on Wednesday by Bloomberg.

FedEx has been updating its fleet to add more fuel-efficient aircraft. "As a matter of policy, we don't discuss market rumors or speculation," FedEx spokesman Jim McCluskey said on Thursday. Airbus declined to comment, and Boeing had no immediate comment. According to the company's website, the FedEx Express division has 688 aircraft made by various companies, including Boeing and Airbus. FedEx shares were off 1.5 percent at $75.01 in midafternoon trading.