KLM REVEALS A330-300 NETWORK PLANS
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will introduce its new Airbus A330-300s on its flights from Amsterdam to the African cities of Lagos and Accra, as well as Washington Dulles in the US. The airline has four of the type on order and is scheduled to introduce the first three into commercial passenger service in spring next year. According to the carrier, the A330-300s will be configured in a 294-seat two-class arrangement with 30 Business Class and 164 Economy seats. The latest inventory display on the GDS shows that the aircraft is preliminarily planned to enter service on March 5, 2012, initially flying five times a week to Lagos. The schedule will be upgraded to a daily basis from March 22, while from March 25 the type will be introduced on selected flights to Washington Dulles, operating alongside its smaller A330-200s. From April 29, the A330-300s will also be used on flights to Accra.
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA CONFIRMS ATR 72 PLANS
Virgin Australia will use its new ATR 72-500s on its existing routes from Sydney to Canberra and Port Macquarie as well as to introduce new flights from Brisbane to Gladstone and Port Macquarie; all from October 31. The turboprops are being operated on its behalf by Skywest Airlines under an ACMI agreement signed earlier this year. It is due to receive four examples by the year-end from Singapore-based lessor Avation, with a further 14 on order. The 70-seat turboprops will replace the airline’s Embraer 170s on the two Sydney routes and at the same time will boost the frequency of the Canberra route by increasing the weekly flight count to 60. Virgin Australia currently handles a 23 per cent share of the traffic on this route, approximately 212,000 of the 926,000 O&D passengers that flew between the destinations in the past year, while it has a 33 per cent share of the 174,000 O&D passenger Sydney - Port Macquarie market. The airline has seen its share of traffic on each route reduce in the past 12 months as Qantas has strengthened its own position in these domestic markets through its QantasLink subsidiary. The Brisbane – Gladstone route will be operated twice every weekday and will place the airline in direct competition with QantasLink and Strategic Airlines. Regional carrier Qantas Link dominates the market with a 96 per cent share of the 187,000 O&D passengers that flew between the two destinations in the past year and this is now surprise given that it offers up to eight Bombardier Dash 8 flights every weekday. Strategic Airlines offers a twice daily weekday flight but uses a larger Airbus 320 on its own services. Meanwhile, flights between Brisbane and Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-north coast will be operated once every weekday and will mean passengers will no longer need to transit via Sydney when visiting Queensland. An estimated 11,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year with around 45 per cent flying with Virgin Australia via Sydney. Regional carrier Brindabella Aviation has served this market directly over the past year on a charter basis, carrying around 5,000 passengers. According to Virgin Australia Group’s Executive of Alliance, Network and Yield, Merren McArthur, the introduction of the two new routes reflects the airline’s commitment to the expansion of its regional network. “We are adding services to two unique regional markets to provide guests with more choice and more convenient schedules to connect with our domestic and international services and partner airlines,” She said. “Gladstone is a booming city with a thriving economy that supports the resources, tourism and primary production sectors. We have introduced a schedule to suit both the corporate and leisure traveller in this very important market.”
XIAMEN AIRLINES RECEIVES 737-700 WITH HIGH ALTITUDE FEATURES
Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines has taken delivery of its 50th directly ordered aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing. The 737-700 was delivered late last month and incorporates the new Boeing Sky Interior and more notably a High-Altitude/High-Temperature Airport Operations Feature Package. With this feature, Xiamen Airlines will be able to optimise its 737-700 for operations in China’s demanding conditions, where many airports are located at high altitudes. A new engine thrust rating provides additional payload capability at such facilities and in hot conditions, important for operations in the Tibetan plateau. Among other features that benefit airline operations, the package also includes an extended duration oxygen system and equipment designed for the enhanced navigation requirements at high altitude airports. “We’re honored to partner with Xiamen Airlines in the introduction of a new era of airline service to its expanding fleet,” said Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President of Sales for Greater China and Korea, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737-700 with enhanced features will contribute to the development of Xiamen Airlines’ operations in China’s tableland environmental areas.”
ALLIANCE AIRLINES TO BASE FOKKER 100 AT ADELAIDE
Alliance Airlines is to base a single Fokker 100 at Adelaide Airport from the final quarter of this year to support its growing charter business. The carrier, which specialises in supporting the mining business and more recently providing general tourist charters, is also opening a second maintenance facility at the airport as its existing capacity at its Brisbane will soon be fully utilised. Since we opened our Adelaide base in 2007, it has become increasingly important to us as both a maintenance and operations hub for our Fokker 50 fleet,” said Scott McMillan, Managing Director, Alliance Airlines. “We started in South Australia with two Fokker 50 aircraft and 18 staff, but have grown in a relatively short space of time to five Fokker 50s and 74 staff – and we will continue to expand.” The airline will take delivery of two Fokker 100s in the next week, but these will undergo major maintenance checks prior to entering service in the fourth quarter, one from Adelaide. The aircraft will support a number of new charter contracts which will see Alliance flying tourists to destinations including Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and Coober Pedy.
ATLAS AIR CONFIRMS DELIVERY DATES FOR BRITISH AIRWAYS 747-8F FREIGHTERS
Atlas Air Worldwide, the parent company of Atlas Air and Titan Aviation Leasing and the majority shareholder of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide has revealed that it will receive three Boeing 747-8F freighters during the final three months of this year. In a formal statement confirming its Second Quarter results, the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) specialist says it will take delivery of its first 747-8F in October and will receive two more aircraft in November. The aircraft will be operated by its 49%-owned UK subsidiary, Global Supply Systems Limited, which signed a five-year wet leasing agreement to operate them for British Airways World Cargo last year. The company has had a strong start to the year and its net income attributable to common stockholders for the three months ended June 30, 2011 totalled $23.8 million, or $0.90 per diluted share, on revenues of $349.6 million and pre-tax earnings of $39.4 million. For the quarter, an average of 22.1 aircraft (20.3 Boeing 747-400s, 0.1 Boeing 747-200, and 1.7 CMI aircraft) supported the company’s ACMI operations, compared with an average of 16.8 aircraft (16.4 Boeing 747-400s, zero Boeing 747-200s, and 0.4 CMI aircraft) in the second quarter of 2010. During the second quarter of 2011, Atlas Air Worldwide also acquired a 767-300ER passenger aircraft that will be deployed in military charter service. “Results in the second quarter were driven by our core ACMI business and the global scale and scope of our customer offerings,” said William J Flynn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide. “Our core business is solid, and we continue to expect strong earnings in 2011.” “Our 747-8F aircraft will drive volumes and profitability in our core ACMI business. At the same time, volumes in our military passenger business, including our new B767 operations, are expected to grow to more than 10,000 block hours in 2012 from less than 1,000 block hours this year and none in 2010,” he added.
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