China Eastern orders 20 A350-900s
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines has ordered 20 Airbus A350-900s and 15 Boeing 787-9s to further strengthen its expanding long-haul fleet. Photo: Rendering of A350-900 in China Eastern livery.
Delta orders 75 Bombardier CS100s
Delta Air Lines has placed a firm order for 75 Bombardier CS100s, becoming the US launch customer for the aircraft in a deal that is highly significant for the Canadian-made narrowbody. The order, valued at $5.6 billion at list prices, immediately makes Atlanta-based Delta the world’s largest CSeries customer. Photo: Rendering of a CS100 in Delta livery.
LATAM unveils unified livery
LATAM Airlines Group has unveiled a new unified livery. The rebranding is the culmination of the 2012 merger of Santiago, Chile-based LAN and Brazil’s TAM Airlines under LATAM.
Ivory Coast airline orders A320ceos, neos
Ivory Coast national carrier, Air Côte D’Ivoire, has ordered two Airbus A320ceo and two A320neo aircraft.
Jazz orders five CRJ900s; to operate under Air Canada Express
Halifax-based Chorus Aviation, the parent of Canadian regional carrier Jazz Aviation, has placed a firm order for five Bombardier CRJ900s valued at $229 million at list prices. The five 76-seat CRJ900s, which will include 12 business class seats, will enter service with Jazz in early 2017 under the Air Canada Express brand.
Xiamen Airlines orders 10 737-800s
China Southern Airlines’ subsidiary Xiamen Airlines has placed an order for 10 Boeing 737-800s, valued at $960 million at list prices.
Airbus delivery of first US-built A321 to JetBlue
Airbus has delivered the first aircraft built at its US manufacturing facility, an A321 designated for New York-based JetBlue Airways. The aircraft was produced at Airbus’s Mobile, Alabama A320 family final assembly plant.
St Helena airport receives first passenger aircraft
The remote British island outpost of St Helena has heralded the arrival of the first passenger aircraft to land at the island’s new airport. Photo: British Airways (operated by South African carrier Comair) 737-800
Titan Airways takes delivery of first A321 for Jet2.com
Titan Airways, the London Stansted-based charter and airline sub-charter specialist, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321. The Airbus A321-200, registered G-POWN, joined the Titan fleet at the end of March and was quickly placed in a sub-charter role with Jet2.com.
First US-built A321 flies for the first time at Airbus Mobile
The first Airbus A321 aircraft, produced for American Airlines at the Airbus US Manufacturing Facility, has flown for the first time.
Istanbul New Airport to be world’s largest
Construction of Istanbul’s third airport, called Istanbul New Airport, is moving forward and should be completed by February 2018. By 2035, the New Airport should serve 260 million passengers annually, making it the world’s largest airport, Turkish Airlines president and CEO Temel Kotil told ATW.
Garuda places order for 14 A330-900s
Garuda Indonesia has confirmed an order with Airbus for 14 A330-900neos, which will be delivered from 2019. Photo: Rendering of A330-900 in Garuda Indonesia livery.
Airbus opens pilot training facility in Singapore
Airbus has partnered with Singapore Airlines (SIA) to launch a new $100 million pilot training facility at Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore. Photo: Airbus Asia Training Centre
Airbus installs first A350 XWB full-flight simulator
The Airbus Training Center in Miami has installed its first A350 XWB full-flight simulator. The A350 XWB simulator has received Level-D qualification from both the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
CFM delivers first LEAP-1A shipset to Airbus
CFM International delivered the first shipset of LEAP-1A production engines to Airbus to power the A320neo.
Emirates to take two more A380s
Dubai-based Emirates Airline has ordered two new Airbus A380s, scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017. A source close to the transaction confirmed to ATW that the two A380s had been originally commissioned by Japan’s Skymark Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
AirBaltic boosts CS300 order
Latvian flag carrier and launch operator of the Bombardier CSeries CS300 airBaltic has again increased its order for the new Canadian regional jet. It has firmed the remaining seven options from its initial order of 10 firm and 10 options placed in December 2012.
Russia’s Rossiya Airlines takes first 747 in new livery
Aeroflot Group’s consolidated regional subsidiary Rossiya Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747 in a new livery. The aircraft was previously operated by Transaero.
Batik Air 737 collides with TransNusa ATR at Jakarta
An Indonesian Batik Air Boeing 737-800 on takeoff run at Jakarta’s Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport collided with an empty TransNusa Air Services ATR 42-600 on April 3, causing severe damage and fires on both aircraft.
Airbus rolls out first US-built American A321
Airbus has rolled out the first US-built American Airlines A321 of the paint shop at the Mobile, Alabama facility.
Nesma Airlines takes first two leased ATR 72-600s
Nesma Airlines has taken delivery of its first two ATR 72-600s, which are leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. The aircraft will operate in Saudi Arabia, where the airline is developing regional connectivity with the support of the national government.
KLM begins E190 biofuel flights
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched a series of around 80 biofuel flights from Oslo to Amsterdam using an Embraer E190.
Lufthansa finally accepts second A320neo on conditions
Lufthansa Group’s acceptance of a second Airbus A320neo was conditional on a compensation agreement because the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engine is still not operating to full expected performance levels, the airline said.
