As Boeing is quietly beginning to work on what is now being called the -5X project—a small widebody aircraft derived from the new mid-market airplane (NMA) studies—things are getting serious for the three engine OEMs, too.
Low-cost carrier Vietjet has firmed up an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft during a visit by US president Donald Trump to Hanoi. Fellow Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways has also agreed to buy ten 787-9 Dreamliners to help it achieve its long-haul ambitions.
Airbus has sealed a record $50bn order at the Dubai Air Show, one of the largest commercial plane deals in history, but Boeing has hit back with a $27bn agreement of its own.
The Iranian aviation industry is also undergoing significant change and earlier this month Iran Air took delivery of its first new Airbus A321. The airline has concluded deals with both Airbus and Boeing for more than 180 aircraft and is currently in the final stages of agreeing a deal with ATR for regional turboprops, albeit the first half dozen aircraft are already completed and ready for delivery.
After five decades and over 45 years flying variants of the Boeing 747 since the type’s debut in United Airlines operation on flights between California and Hawaii in 1970, the carrier says new technology, and notably the arrival of the 777-300ER into its fleet means now is the right time to retire the iconic airliner.
Around two million passengers a year fly between Australia and the UK (O&D demand for 12 months to October 2016) and the famous Kangaroo Route has been one of the most competitive air corridors in aviation history with tens of airlines competing for traffic via various points across Asia and more recently the Middle East.
Hainan Airlines' landmark Beijing - Las Vegas service has its roots in the US city hosting the World Routes air service development forum back in October 2013 and has been helped subsequently by regular meetings at Routes regional and world events. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) estimates the flights will account for $33.5 million in annual economic impact.
As part of a fleet renewal which has now seen the Gulf carrier retire the last of its A330 and A340 aircraft from commercial operation, Emirates Airline has confirmed it will receive seven of the newly configured 516-seat new-generation A380s this fiscal year, with 51 more on order.
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) began operations of the Dreamliner on October 26, 2011. The airline currently has the largest 787 fleet with 52 aircraft, receiving their 50th in mid-August.
Boeing predicts China will need 5,110 new single-aisle aircraft through 2035, accounting for 75 percent of the total new deliveries. Low-cost carriers and full-service airlines have been adding jets and expanding new point-to-point services to cater for both leisure and business travel demand from a rising middle class in China and throughout Asia.
Air New Zealand is continuing to use its expanding Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet to grow its presence in long-haul markets. The airline confirmed this week that it will introduce the type on its new route between Auckland and Buenos Aires, Argentina as it also debuted the type on a scheduled exclusive basis in the North America market on its Auckland - Honolulu route.
When US manufacturer Boeing first introduced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner it was marketed as a hub-buster, an aircraft that would enable airlines to fly non-stop point-to-point services between non-hub airports. Now after almost five years of airline service, data does not seem to necessary back up the initial views with only one in four current Dreamliner routes classified as a new air service.
There are now almost 390 Boeing 787 Dreamliners flying to destinations around the world and there remains a ‘buzz’ around the modern generation airline programme with the positive impact of what the manufacturer describes as a “game-changing airplane” being used in airline marketing to highlight the equipment.
According to OAG schedule data, ANA has accounted for more than a quarter (25.1 per cent) of all 787 flights since the aircraft’s debut offering almost 30 million Dreamliner seats (29,435,351 as of January 13, 2016).
Etihad currently operates five 787-9s serving the markets of Brisbane, Washington, Singapore and Zurich from its Abu Dhabi International Airport hub. The type will become the UAE national carrier’s flagship long-haul aircraft in the coming years with a further 66 aircraft due to be delivered.
Emirates confirms it will retire 26 aircraft next year, including 12 Airbus A330-200s, four A340-300s, one A340-500, six Boeing 777-200ERs, two Boeing 777-300s and one Boeing 777-300ER. In addition, 13 more aircraft will be retired in 2017 and another 13 will be retired in 2018. Balancing its aircraft retirement programme, Emirates will take delivery of 36 new aircraft in 2016, comprising 20 A380s and 16 Boeing 777-300ERs.
In one of the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, Crystal Cruises will not only introduce new ships to its fleet effectively establishing three brand new classes of cruising, but also induct two commercial airliners to launch Crystal Luxury Air in 2017.
Norwegian is known to be studying a number of new markets for growth as it starts planning for the arrival of its new 787-9s. Although further growth in the US is among the scenarios under consideration, a number of other markets are also under evaluation, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Mumbai, Cape Town and Durban.
WATCH exclusive content from this year's World Routes Strategy Summit. Here we highlight how new aircraft technology is allowing airlines to differentiate their offerings and enhance their competitive edge from the 'Airline Challenges & Growth Concerns' panel session.
The airline, which supports seat-only and package holiday demand between the UK and destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean and into North Africa, is believed to have secured significant discounts to take late production aircraft ahead of Boeing’s transition from ‘Next-Generation’ to ‘MAX’ series production.
The US Patent and Trademark Office recently approved the application from Airbus for the new jet, which says it will travel at 4.5 times the speed of sound – more than 2,500mph according to the documents lodged.
