Fleet Developments

Richard Maslen April 28, 2011

This section of your weekly update will keep you up to date on all the key aircraft orders and deliveries and what they could mean for the route development community. From fleet expansion and the potential for network growth, including delivery dates where known; to the arrival of new aircraft types and how they will change airline operations, this is the area to keep track of airline fleet developments.

KOREAN AIR DEFERS A380 ENTRY TO SERVICE

Korean Air has delayed the proposed entry into service of its first Airbus A380 by an additional week, having already put back the first scheduled service of the type by nine days. The South Korean carrier revealed earlier this year that it planned to place the Super Jumbo into service on the Incheon - Tokyo route on June 1 operating Incheon - Hong Kong later the same day after its return from Japan. However, just a week after it made a formal statement outlining its plans, it emerged that the inaugural flight would slip to June 10. Now, its latest GDS display shows a June 17 entry into service date. The South Korean carrier is due to receive five aircraft by the end of this year with the remaining five following by 2014. After delivery of additional aircraft, the type will be introduced on a daily Incheon - Bangkok schedule from July 1, on some Incheon - New York JFK rotations from August 2 (before increasing to daily from September 1) and a daily Incheon - Los Angeles link from October 1.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES BOOSTS LA FLIGHTS

Independent US carrier Hawaiian Airlines has introduced a third daily flight between its Honolulu base and Los Angeles following the arrival of its fourth Airbus A330-300. The extra rotation started last week (April 25) and will continue to operate until July 10. The aircraft, christened Hanaiakamalama, is one of two Airbus widebodies due for delivery to the airline this year - it is scheduled to take delivery of three more in 2012, three in 2013, three in 2014 and two in 2015. Hawaiian Airlines is currently using the type on its busiest flights from Honolulu to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but they will eventually be used on international services later this year. Hawaiian Airlines is currently the largest operator on the Honolulu – Los Angeles route, accounting for 24 per cent of the estimated 1.03 million O&D passengers that travelled in the past year. It faces direct competition from American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines which each offer at least twice daily services. All of Hawaiian’s new A330s are or will be named after a constellation or star used by Polynesian voyagers for celestial navigation. The new aircraft’s name, Hanaiakamalama, comes from the Hawaiian name for the Southern Cross constellation. Hawaii is the only state from which the Southern Cross can be seen in the night sky and it is believed that ancient Polynesians used the constellation in the southern hemisphere to navigate their way to the Hawaiian Islands.

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES INCREASES CAPACITY

US carrier Continental Airlines has become the first operator in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 737-900ER configured with the manufacturer’s Boeing Sky Interior. The aircraft is the largest variant in the Next-Generation 737 family and in the airline’s configuration can carry 13 more passengers approximately the same range as the smaller 737-800 version. Continental Airlines already operates the second largest fleet of 737-900ERs in the world and has committed to receive a total of 52 after Boeing confirmed that it has converted existing 2012 orders for Next-Generation 737s to the 737-900ER and will take delivery of 19 during 2012. "The 737-900ER is the perfect airplane to replace older, less efficient aircraft because it has one of the lowest fuel burns per mile in our narrowbody fleet, and provides a superior passenger experience," said Ron Baur, Vice President of Fleet at parent United Continental Holdings. "With the new Boeing Sky Interior, our customers will appreciate the modern and spacious design which includes larger overhead bins that retract into the ceiling." Continental currently uses the type on a mixture of business and leisure routes from Cleveland Hopkins International, Houston George Bush Intercontinental and Newark Liberty International as well as between Seattle-Tacoma International and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

QANTAS EYES GROWTH IN THE FREIGHT MARKET

Australian national carrier Qantas is understood to be studying the introduction of modern generation widebodied freighters into its fleet. The carrier already offers a dedicated cargo service using three Boeing 747-400Fs wet-leased from Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) provider Atlas Air, but sources familiar with the matter suggest it could look to acquire either 747-8F or 777F models. It has reportedly already ruled out the smaller Airbus A330-200F. Qantas has been a long-time operator of the 747 but despite expressing a lot of interest in the 777 it has never committed to the programme. A formal announcement is expected to be made in the coming months but the airline is tight lipped about its plans.

PLUNA ADDS MORE CRJ900s

Uruguayan carrier Pluna Lineas Aereas Uruguayas has exercised an option to add three more Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to its fleet. The airline already operates ten examples on flights from Montevideo to Asuncion, Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires, Campinas, Cordoba, Curitiba, Iguassu Falls, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Sao Paulo. “The Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen aircraft has allowed us to increase frequencies and expand to new markets,” said Pluna CEO Matias Campiani. “The aircraft offers a combination of low operating costs, exceptional passenger comfort and proven high reliability.”