Airliner World 09.2021

has been very little headway made in
bringing airliners back into service.
While there has been some growth
recently, this has not been sustained
and the active fleet has dropped to
levels previously seen in late 2020
and early 2021. In January, some 772
aircraft were operating across the
continent, rising to 847 examples by
March, and since dropping to 778.

Type breakdown

The Airbus A380 found itself in
increasingly familiar territory in a
figures breakdown of the most active

Type Stored 2019 Stored 2020 Stored 2021 % Stored 2021 aircraft types. Only the McDonnell The Embraer E175 was the
Airbus A220 most active western-built
Airbus A300 4 33 34 26% Douglas MD-90, 1w30hich ma9d6e its final airliner in May 2021
Airbus A310 passenger servic12e4809in June 2126509 20, the according to ch-aviation
Airbus A318 125 127 120 42% shelved Mitsubis4h4i SpaceJe22t and data. US carriers have
Airbus A319 benefitted from a greater
Airbus A320 110 115 115 82% the Lockheed Tri1S17t8ar – of w71h9 ich than usual demand for
Airbus A321 one flying examp4176l6e577remain312s0305w3 ith staycations, while firms
Airbus A330ceo 13 41 22 50% Northrop Grumm113a0n – surp62a8ssed the worldwide have used the
Airbus A330neo jet to right size routes that
Airbus A340 95 664 459 39% Blagnac-built beh43emoth in23terms of would have previously been
Airbus A350 unpopularity. As32o357f0 May 202522519, only two operated by larger types
Airbus A380 224 2429 1654 36% superjumbos we2re20in airlin7e service as AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
Antonov An-124
Antonov An-148 37 870 532 30% long-haul flying 4a7nd dema2n6d for the STUART LAWSON
Avro RJ type remained m131i50nimal – 41w13 ith that
COMAC ARJ21-700 76 682 502 44% figure likely to ha2v4 e been e2v3en worse
ATR 42/72
BAe 146 0 22 20 47% had the double-d10e8c9ker not6a70ccounted
Boeing 717 for 45% of Emirat11e5183s’ overall83f10leet.
Boeing 727 149 218 198 79%
Boeing 737 Original While the COM4A16C ARJ2149tops
Boeing 737 Classic 2 104 78 23%
Boeing 737 NG the charts with ju36s7t four pe4r4 cent
Boeing 737 MAX 4 215 213 97% of the overall flee51t0742i5n6 storag44e4494,3the
Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP figures don’t tell t2h54e whole0story. The
Boeing 747-400 25 20 21 45%
Boeing 747-8 Chinese-built air1l7i1ner is a m25odern
Boeing 757 19 30 24 69% single-aisle desig142n313, with de120l1i60veries
Boeing 767 ramping up and 7n0o1 supply4c01hain
Boeing 777 41 72 67 61% or spares packag8e16issues. It53s6erves a
Boeing 787 Dreamliner handful of carrie71r49s35,1 many b9620e64ing
BAe ATP 1 6 1 4% state-owned, all o38perating 1i2n the
Bombardier CRJ same country. It 1i4s16in Chin8a3’s1 interests
Douglas DC-8 240 597 419 38%
McDonnell Douglas DC-9 78 4
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 83 80 87 74%
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 to make the ARJ22418a succe1s4s as its
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 7 78 73 48% government wor1k9s7 to wean88its airlines
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 off Airbus and Bo14e8ing-buil9t9jets.
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 483 368 367 88%
Viking Series 400 Twin Otter 695 57
de Havilland Canada Dash 7 439 338 323 88%
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100/200/300 A preference fo7r1more fue0l-efficient
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 600 684 601 58% aircraft such as t4h10e Airbus2A83350
Dornier Do 228 and Boeing 787 D112reamline9r2for use
Dornier Do 328 157 2647 1233 22%
Fairchild Dornier 328JET 38 12
Embraer EMB 120 378 380 254 100%
Embraer ERJ135/140/145 on belly-only car4g9o3 flights2a8n9 d the
Embraer E170 194 314 146 85%
Embraer E175 few surviving sch52e0duled ro3u01tes
Embraer E190 201 237 217 50% warranting wide27b96o4dies, ha23s081meant
Embraer E190-E2 fewer examples h87ave been1s8tored
Embraer E195 2 32 21 17%
Embraer E195-E2 compared with o1l9d2er twin-9a1 isle jets.
Fokker 28 199 416 300 43% The 747-400 fell o1927u57t of favo75u256r with
Fokker 50 operators worldw5i7d0 e at the5s2t3art of
Fokker 100 201 393 280 34%
Fokker 70 the pandemic an4d27the A342036has fared
Ilyushin Il-62 101 674 527 37% no better with 7911%902of the g69lo9bal fleet
Ilyushin Il-76 being stored. It is1n1 ’t all bad7news
Ilyushin Il-86 6 322 169 21%
Ilyushin Il-96 for four-engined9j2et fans, th8 e 747-8
Ilyushin Il-114 25 26 26 68% having performe11d2840extreme75l60y well,
BAe Jetstream 41 although its popu32larity as a16freighter,
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 429 819 585 41%
Xian MA-60/MA-600 almost 70% of the36producti6on run, has
Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 88 80 74 95% meant it is better121p91rotected469against
Irkut SSJ100 COVID cutbacks2t1han earli8er types.
Saab 2000 328 239 234 94%
Saab 340 But it is among15narrowbo1dies that
Tupolev Tu-134 111 103 109 55% there has been th7417e smalles11t7number of
Tupolev Tu-154 groundings; the 1A00220 and6A0320neo
Tupolev Tu-204 54 49 49 33%
Tupolev Tu-214 Family, as well as5the Boein0g 737NG
Tupolev Tu-334 590 666 638 92% and MAX and Em4159b8raer jets198c3 ontinuing
Grand Total to be popular as a31i7rlines foc12u6 s on
40 71 71 100%
domestic and reg17i9onal flyin76g as well
70 173 127 31% as modest short-31h736aul intern734ational
connections. So 2it1 is likely 1t1o remain,
7 20 20 18%
for the foreseeab2le, with no0 definitive
27 27 26 68% end to travel rest3r3ic18t4ions in19s4i4g7ht.

136 256 204 41%

38 284 219 42%

57 65 63 24%

34 42 41 52%

51 72 69 79%

77 118 101 53%

256 524 421 43%

23 119 53 42%

0 100 47 8%

51 318 191 45%

2 5 10 53%

4 105 33 32%

0 3 4 36%

99 84 84 91%

59 82 74 60%

84 98 104 58%

13 20 16 50%

30 32 30 83%

42 47 222 76%

7 7 7 64%

12 15 13 62%

17 14 14 93%

40 56 54 76%

48 47 46 98%

34 40 40 40%

0 0 5 100%

42 70 65 41%

14 35 31 63%

152 230 191 60%

21 22 103 58%

209 148 142 81%

30 29 26 79%

12 14 10 48%

3 2 2 100%

7,678 18,551 13,737 41%

www.key.aero 51

Global Fleet

other hand, Boeing’s 787 global fleet

Flying to efficiency: increasedbyjustasingleexample
between 2020 and 2021’s data as the

US airframer resolved ‘shimming’
analysing the global fleet issues on the Dreamliner.
With the onset of While the 767 and 777 both had a 5%
COVID-19 across Meanwhile, for Boeing’s 737 MAX,
worldwide markets there looks to be light at the end of decrease in the global fleet between
during the first the tunnel after a majority of global 2019-2021, the biggest casualty was
regulators gave the green light for the 747-400 with a 21% slump, going
down from 360 to 285 in the
three-year period. This comes as
carriers including British Airways

half of last year, we aircraft recertification. As such, the opted to retire the quad jet earlier in

analyse the trends of the global fleet global fleet for the type now stands favour of fuel-efficient twin-engined

before the pandemic (2019), its spread at 567 – up 196 jets from 2020 alone. types. However, the newest iteration

worldwide (2020) and what we hope is Elsewhere, while figures for the of the ‘Queen of the Skies’, the -8,

the road to recovery (2021). 737NG (-600, -700, -800 and -900) had a slight improvement with a 7%

Overall, between the three years show a fall of 4% over the three-year increase due to its pivotal cargo role.

and despite the major fallout from the period, out of 268 total withdrawals In the turboprop market, ATR

coronavirus pandemic, global fleet 226 737NGs left between 2020-2021. recorded a rise in the global fleet

numbers remained stable from 26,176 For the widebody sector, there has for its combined ATR 42/72 of 47

in 2019, falling slightly in 2020 at been a different turn of fortunes for examples between 2019-2020, before

26,096, before rebounding to 26,114, Airbus and Boeing. The European reducing by the same number

although not to above pre-COVID-19 manufacturer saw a 216% increase between 2020-2021. Meanwhile, as

levels. While operators have phased Azul Linhas Aéreas for the A330neo, from 19 examples the rival De Havilland Canada Dash 8
out older, less-efficient aircraft to Brasileiras became the first in 2019 to 60 in 2021, while the global fleet dropped by 80 to 913 from
reduce the financial burden, many of operator of the A330neo A350 grew by 134 airframes over the 2019 to 2020, it recorded no further
these have, in turn, been replaced by in the region and now same three-year timeframe. On the increase/decrease in 2021.
fields five examples AIRBUS

newer types.

First, in the single-aisle sector, GAR 2021 Global Fleet Analysis Table

the Airbus A220 recorded an 185% Type 2019 2020 2021 Unit Change 19-20 Unit Change 20-21 Unit Change 19-21 % Change 19-21
increase in 2021 compared to 2019, Airbus A220 80 109 228 29 119 148 185
equating to 148 more aircraft. Newer Airbus A318 38 24 23 -14 -1 -15 -39
users of the airframe vary from Airbus A319ceo 1289 1211 1123 -78 -88 -166 -13
Kyrgyzstan’s Air Manas and New Airbus A319neo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
York-based JetBlue Airways to now Airbus A320ceo 4233 4110 3836 -123 -274 -397 -9
established operators of the type, Airbus A320neo 701 952 1275 251 323 574 82
such as Delta Air Lines. Airbus A321ceo 1681 1646 1633 -35 -13 -48 -3
Airbus A321neo 203 322 549 119 227 346 170
Elsewhere, the European airframer Airbus A330ceo 1308 1227 1129 -81 -98 -179 -14
also recorded strong growth in its Airbus A330neo 19 44 60 25 16 41 216
re-engined narrowbody stable thanks Airbus A340 164 129 98 -35 -31 -66 -40
to an 82% and 170% increase of the Airbus A350 289 357 423 68 66 134 46
A320neo and A321neo respectively Airbus A380 235 218 226 -17 8 -9 -4
over three years. The A320neo alone ATR 42/72 1131 1178 1131 47 -47 0 0
increased from 701 airframes in Boeing 737-100/200 98 90 84 -8 -6 -14 -14
2019 to 1,275 in 2021, equating to Boeing 737 Classic 838 806 762 -32 -44 -76 -9
574 examples. Conversely, but as Boeing 737 NG 6600 6558 6332 -42 -226 -268 -4
expected, all older-generation models Boeing 737 MAX 373 371 567 -2 196 194 52
of the A320 Family recorded fleet Boeing 747-100/200/300 28 28 25 0 -3 -3 -11
number drops – for example, with the Boeing 747-400 360 316 285 -44 -31 -75 -21
A318 and A319ceo experiencing a 39% Boeing 747-8 123 127 131 4 4 8 7
and 13% decline respectively. Boeing 757-200 645 590 578 -55 -12 -67 -10
Boeing 757-300 55 53 53 -2 0 -2 -4
Boeing 767 793 767 753 -26 -14 -40 -5
Boeing 777 1461 1465 1392 4 -73 -69 -5
Boeing 787 858 958 959 100 1 101 12
De Havilland Canada Dash 8 993 913 913 -80 0 -80 -8
Embraer E-Jet Family 1449 1404 1407 -45 3 -42 -3
Irkut SSJ100 131 123 139 -8 16 8 6
Total 26176 26096 26114 N/A N/A N/A N/A

52 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

Having spent much of Deliveries drop but
the past 18 months
locked down and lost ready for rebound
in the land of the living
room, it’s difficult to commercial aircraft manufacturer, Airbus A321s are to be built rapid P2F conversions, solutions for
know whether 2019 was two years
ago or 20. Indeed, the dramatic drop but it’s not something the company outside Germany for the first aircraft storage and maintenance,
in Boeing’s delivery digits from a time once the A380 final and assistance with sanitising cabins,
record-breaking 806 in 2018 to less will be too keen to brag about. assembly line at Toulouse/ rather than rattling through its order
than 20% of that just a year later could Blagnac has been adapted backlog. The company’s CEO, Stefano
never have been foreseen, especially While most other airframers for the production of Bortoli, said in a March press briefing
in such a short space of time. With A320 Family jets AIRBUS
COVID-19 rubbing salt in the wounds haven’t been plagued with issues to
of the Chicago-based aerospace giant,
already fighting to get its 737 MAX jets the extent of Boeing, the downturn
recertificated and its 777X through
flight tests, the company turned to the in commercial flying has meant that the company had “reached its
787 Dreamliner to weather the storm.
that none have gone unscathed. bottom” and anticipates it will double
However, manufacturing of the
widebody was halted after Boeing Airbus has retained its mantle as the its 2020 dispatch rate this year.
discovered issues with shims used
to join fuselage tubes and resolved to world’s largest producer of airliners; China’s COMAC bucked trends by
improve its quality control. Boeing’s
annual delivery tally tumbled to although its 2020 score was almost increasing its ARJ21 build rate twofold
157 airliners – its lowest level since
1984. Clearing storage areas of 300 jets down on the previous year for the second year running, up from
more than 400 MAX jets and 100
787s will make up for the slowing as the pan-European firm adjusted 12 to 24. Production is expected to
of Dreamliner production, it having
been consolidated in South Carolina, to a world where social distancing, ramp up further as the state-owned
and may even hand the US airframer
the edge over Airbus in the 2021 quarantines, masks and hand manufacturer gets to grips with more
race to become the world’s largest
sanitiser had very quickly than 500 unfulfilled orders, while

become the norm. The numbers are expected to be boosted

Toulouse-based behemoth has by the first C919 deliveries, planned to

outlined plans to gradually increase take place before the end of the year.

production rates while overhauling Embraer had expected to finish

its A380 line for an A320neo Family 2020 as Boeing Brasil-Commercial,

focus and consolidating its French but the US$4.2bn joint venture was

and German interests – including terminated by Boeing in April. The

Stelia Aerospace, Stade and Premium Brazilian regional jet specialist

AEROTEC – into two new companies. instead saw in the new year with 44

Only ATR’s handover rate deliveries for the previous 12 months.

dropped by a greater margin With a slump in sales, stiff

than Boeing, as the 2018 2019 2020 competition from the A220
Franco-Italian turboprop and the E175-E2 too chubby
titan slid from 68 deliveries in Airbus 800 863 566 for US scope clauses, it
2019 to just ten in 2020. The ATR might be a while yet before
firm prioritised supporting Boeing 76 68 10 Embraer can consider itself
its existing customers with COMAC out of the woods.
Embraer 806 380 157
Irkut
6 12 24

90 89 44

22 6 12

A220-100/300 01/20 02/20 03/20 04/20 05/20 06/20 07/20 08/20 09/20 10/20 11/20 12/20 01/21 02/21 03/21 04/21 05/21 06/21 2020 Total
A320 Family 2 4 2 0 2 1 2 0 5 12 2 6 3 2 4 3 45 38
A330ceo 26 40 30 12 18 31 47 35 43 43 54 67 16 29 60 34 41 57 446
A330neo 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 1
A350 XWB 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 4 1 0 0 2 12 13
A380 2 9 3 1 4 4 0 2 7 12 7 8 1 1 8 6 3 11 59
Airbus Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 11 4
737 MAX 31 55 35 13 24 36 49 38 57 71 64 88 21 32 72 45 50 76 561
737NG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 21 18 19 4 10 33 27
747-8F 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 2
767-300F 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 10 5
777 0 3 2 0 0 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 22 15
787 Dreamliner 2 1 3 1 2 1 1 3 1 4 3 3 3 1 2 2 15 25
Boeing Total 6 12 11 4 1 3 2 4 7 4 0 0 0 0 2 9 21 54
10 16 16 5 3 7 4 9 10 11 5 32 25 20 26 16 16 41 128

www.key.aero 53

SEPTEMBER 2021
A French Bee Airbus
A350-900, F-HREV (c/n
193), at Vancouver
on June 27, 2021
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/

ALVIN MAN

54 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

www.key.aero 55

Conversions/MRO

More freighters, more main

The rising popularity of 81 in 2020 and rising further to 104 by along with the smaller -700BDSF, in Strong passenger-to-
passenger-to-freighter 2021. Of those aircraft converted, the Naples, Italy – the first in Europe. freighter conversion
(P2F) conversions has been Boeing 737-800 is the most popular demand has been shown
evident in recent years at 45 combined examples over the Strong P2F demand has continued for the Boeing 737-800 IAI
thanks, in part, to strong three-year period, with 31 of these in to be shown for the 767-300 in 2021,
demand in the e-commerce sector. 2021 alone. Buoyed by the success of with 18 airframes so far – almost
Then, with the arrival of COVID-19 the Chicago-based manufacturer’s double the number of both previous
in 2020, the sudden drop of cargo Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) years. The widebody P2F market is
carried in the belly of passenger jets, programme, it intends to open two also set to soon be complemented
plus the accelerated retirement of 737-800BCF conversion lines in Costa by the arrival of the 777-300ERSF,
airframes by airlines – leading to Rica by 2022 – an Americas first. launched by IAI's Aviation Group and
cheaper procurement – has caused GECAS, which is expected to have a
P2F demand to soar. According to Elsewhere, P2F modifications of the 25% cargo volume increase over the
Boeing, approximately two-thirds of popular narrowbody jet are also being 777-200F and burn 21% less fuel per
the 2,430-freighter aircraft expected carried out by third-party providers, tonne than the 747-400F.
to be delivered by 2039 will be including IAI's Aviation Group and
converted types. US-based Aeronautical Engineers For Airbus, its newer offering of P2F
Inc (AEI) with the 737-800BDSF models – comprising the A320 and
The upward trend can be seen (pictured) and 737-800SF respectively. A330 Family variants – appears to be
in ch-aviation data (also includes With the type’s strong demand, IAI gaining traction. For example, five
firefighting, tankers and military with Atitech company, has revealed A321P2F conversions were recorded
types) for the past three years, with 58 the blueprints to establish a new in 2020, with October that year
conversions confirmed in 2019, up to conversion line for the 737-800BDSF, marking the type’s introduction into
revenue service with Qantas Freight

Conversions 2019 vs 2020 vs 2021* Maintenance 2019 vs 2020 vs 2021

Type Conversion Conversion Conversion Total Type Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance
2019 2020 2021 Per Type 2019 2020 2021
Airbus A300-600F 0 1 0 1 Airbus A220-300 0 0 1
Airbus A300-600R 1 1 0 2 Airbus A300-600 26 20 17
Airbus A320-200 1 2 3 6 Airbus A300-600 BelugaST 1 0 0
Airbus A321-200 2 5 2 9 Airbus A300B2/B4 4 2 2
Airbus A330-200 2 0 0 2 Airbus A310-300 4 4 2
Airbus A330-300 2 2 5 9 Airbus A318 2 4 4
Avro RJ85 2 4 4 10 Airbus A319ceo 48 110 74
ATR 72-200 1 1 0 2 Airbus A320ceo/neo 128 363 228
ATR 72-500 1 1 1 3 Airbus A321ceo/neo 40 137 120
ATR 72-600 4 5 1 10 Airbus A330-200 32 63 56
British Aerospace BAe 146 1 1 1 3 Airbus A330-300 24 56 41
Boeing 737-300 2 2 2 6 Airbus A330-900 0 2 3
Boeing 737-400 6 4 2 12 Airbus A340-200 3 2 1
Boeing 737-700 1 1 2 4 Airbus A340-300 9 10 4
Boeing 737-800 2 12 31 45 Airbus A340-500 3 0 0
Boeing 747-8 0 0 2 2 Airbus A340-600 8 7 1
Boeing 757-200 6 8 8 22 Airbus A350-900 0 16 7
Boeing 767-200 1 0 0 1 Airbus A380-800 10 22 5
Boeing 767-300 8 7 18 33 Antonov An-124 2 2 0
Boeing 777-300 2 2 1 5 Antonov An-148 1 3 2
Bombardier CRJ100/200 3 2 4 9 ATR 42-300 17 8 4
Bombardier CRJ700 0 10 6 16 ATR 42-400 0 1 0
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 3 1 1 5 ATR 42-500 12 13 11
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 2 1 0 3 ATR 42-600 1 2 0
McDonnell Douglas MD-88 0 0 1 1 ATR 72-200 8 10 5
de Havilland Canada
DHC-6-300 Twin Otter 2 2 2 6 ATR 72-500 28 35 20
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 1 1 1 3 ATR 72-600 25 40 32
de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 0 0 1 1 Avro RJ100 63 2
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 0 1 2 3 Avro RJ70 10 0
Fokker 50 2 2 2 6 Avro RJ85 43 3
Saab 340B 0 2 1 3 Boeing 707-300 01 1
Grand Total Per Year 58 81 104 N/A Boeing 717-200 42 1
Boeing 727-200 74 2
*Data also includes firefighting, tankers and military Boeing 737 MAX 8 10 25
Boeing 737 MAX 9 00 9
Boeing 737-200 85 6

56 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

tenance: a COVID legacy

on lease from Vallair. The A321P2F The rise can be attributed to several to 2019 and 2021, only one and three During 2020, a sharp
programme, a collaboration between factors. Namely, with airframes types respectively exceeded the increase in maintenance
Airbus, ST Aerospace and Elbe grounded by COVID-19, there was threshold of 100. was recorded in comparison
Flugzeugwerke (EFW), is eventually a rare opportunity for airlines to to the immediate
set to be joined by the smaller carry out extensive maintenance For widebodies, the A330-200 years before and after
A320P2F; the prototype, VT-IHM on the majority of their fleets. For ranked first for examples undergoing STUART BAILEY/
(c/n 2737), began the conversion example, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad maintenance during 2020 and 2021,
process in March 2021. Currently, Engineering, the MRO arm of Etihad at 63 and 56 respectively. By contrast, BRITISH AIRWAYS
the A321 is also being converted by Aviation Group, brought forward its the 747-400 peaked in 2019, followed
third-party provider 321 Precision maintenance schedules. It conducted in second place by the A330-200. For
Conversions, a joint venture between work including C-checks, painting, turboprops, the de Havilland Canada
Aircraft Transport Services Group major structural modifications and DHC-6 Twin Otter logged the biggest
(ATSG) and Precision Aircraft cabin refurbishments for both Etihad spike in maintenance, with 49 aircraft
Solutions; designated A321-200PCF. and third-party customers. during 2020 – a sharp difference
between the 27 and 19 examples seen
Elsewhere, the A330P2F Another result of the prolonged the year before and after respectively.
programme, launched in 2012 – also grounding is the requirement by
between Airbus, ST Aerospace and aviation regulators to maintain According to leading international
EFW – is aimed at the ‘express freight’ airframe airworthiness, often referred management consulting firm Oliver
sector with the -200 and -300. The to as preservation maintenance. Wyman, their Global Fleet and MRO
latter recorded a stronger 2021 with Additionally, according to Reuters, Market Forecast 2021-2031 report
five airframes for conversion. These carriers rotated a higher than normal stated that, in the next two years, a
variants complement the airframer’s proportion of grounded aircraft “demand bubble” is likely to arise as a
new production-built A330-200Fs. across their fleets to operate limited large number of airframes will be due
schedules. This allowed them to keep to undergo essential maintenance
In the turboprop sector, while airframes in optimal airworthiness checks in the period.
conversion figures for the ATR condition – a move by operators
72-600 are down in 2021 compared aimed at preparing for the eventual
to previously, the Franco-Italian firm revival in air travel demand.
celebrated the delivery to FedEx of its
first-ever production-built freighter in The type with the most aircraft
December 2020. in maintenance for all three years
was the A320ceo/neo, spiking at
Turning to maintenance, a large 363 examples in 2020. During this
spike has been identified during year, five types – all narrowbodies,
the height of the pandemic in 2020. comprising the A320ceo/neo,
During last year alone, a combined 737-800, Bombardier CRJ100/200,
2,481 aircraft were recorded in A321ceo/neo and A319ceo – had
maintenance, a stark contrast to both above 100 airframes recorded, while
2019 and 2021 figures of 1,474 and the 737-700 notched 99. Compared
1,669 respectively.

Type Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Type Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance
2019 2020 2021 2019 2020 2021
Boeing 737-300 59 60 36 Embraer E170 8 6 4
Boeing 737-400 39 55 34 Embraer E175 7 43 8
Boeing 737-500 15 29 17 Embraer E190-E2 0 1 0
Boeing 737-600 2 5 1 Embraer E195 1 8 14
Boeing 737-700 37 99 73 Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia 25 3 3
Boeing 737-800 66 228 135 Embraer ERJ135 11 16 21
Boeing 737-900 8 49 31 Embraer ERJ140 1 1 0
Boeing 747-200 4 1 0 Embraer ERJ145 37 81 34
Boeing 747-300 1 1 0 Fairchild Dornier 328JET 10 7 4
Boeing 747-400 36 38 24 Fokker 100 23 18 4
Boeing 747-8 5 3 4 Fokker 28 0 1 1
Boeing 747SP 1 1 1 Fokker 50 24 12 5
Boeing 757-200 29 48 42 Fokker 70 9 6 1
Boeing 757-300 2 15 11 Ilyushin Il-62 2 2 0
Boeing 767-200 14 9 11 Ilyushin Il-76 6 9 9
Boeing 767-300 28 48 49 Ilyushin Il-86 0 0 0
Boeing 767-400 0 4 2 Ilyushin Il-96 3 4 0
Boeing 777-200 19 32 38 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 0 1 0
Boeing 777-300 17 20 22 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 4 1 2
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner 21 31 14 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 10 5 3
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 11 8 12 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 18 9 7
Bombardier CRJ100/200 78 156 77 McDonnell Douglas MD-81 0 1 0
Bombardier CRJ1000 7 5 1 McDonnell Douglas MD-82 10 16 6
Bombardier CRJ700/550 28 45 39 McDonnell Douglas MD-83 15 10 10
Bombardier CRJ900 20 71 47 McDonnell Douglas MD-87 3 1 2
British Aerospace ATP 3 5 1 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 2 2 1
British Aerospace BAe 146-100 1 0 0 Saab 2000 11 2 1
British Aerospace BAe 146-200 9 7 2 Saab 340A/B 33 23 10
British Aerospace BAe 146-300 5 1 3 Irkut SSJ100 21 10 9
British Aerospace Jetstream 41 7 5 3 Tupolev Tu-134 1 2 1
COMAC ARJ21-700 2 1 2 Tupolev Tu-154 2 1 0
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 35 22 18 Tupolev Tu-204 3 6 5
de Havilland Canada Dash-7 2 1 1 Tupolev Tu-214 1 2 0
de Havilland Canada Dash-8 48 36 23 Viking Series 400 Twin Otter 3 6 4
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 27 49 19 Xian MA60 1 1 2
Dornier Do 228 3 6 3 Grand Total 1474 2481 1669
Dornier Do 328 6 6 2

www.key.aero 57

Europe

Optimism prevails
There looks to be light at
the end of the tunnel for Digital COVID Certificate, providing occurs in summer 2021. The second, Spanish flag carrier
European aviation as the digital proof of a vaccination, negative mooted as most realistic, would see Iberia phased out
COVID-19 recovery begins. test or COVID-19 recovery, from July 1. traffic recover by 95% compared with the Airbus A340-600
In the United Kingdom The EU says it will “help to ensure that pre-COVID by 2024 if vaccinations, (pictured in the
for example, travellers who are either restrictions currently in place can be more “long-haul flows” and easing of foreground) in favour
fully vaccinated with a National Health lifted in a co-ordinated manner”. travel restraints are “reached” by Q1 of twin-engined
Service-administered (NHS) vaccine in 2022 between global regions. types like the A350-900
the UK (plus 14 days) or on one of the This progress is set to be a welcome V1IMAGES.COM/
country’s formally approved vaccine boost for air travel in Europe after the The third, most pessimistic forecasts GUSTAVO CAÑAMERO
clinical trials could return from amber devastating impact of coronavirus. only a 74% recovery in traffic by 2024.
list locations from July 19 without the The International Air Transport This suggests that reaching pre-crisis TUI Airways has leased a
need for quarantine. Association’s (IATA) Regional Briefing levels could not be achieved until pair of otherwise stored
– Europe – May 2021 said that data 2029 with EUROCONTROL citing Boeing 787 Dreamliners
While pre-departure and day two from IATA Economics showed that new COVID-19 variants/outbreaks, to DHL Air UK for use as
PCR tests remain (the latter after revenue passenger-kilometres (RPKs) “patchy” vaccine uptakes, “persistent” belly-only freighters on its
arrival), in the run-up to July 19 were 81.7% lower in March 2021 restrictions along with “negatively East Midlands-Miami link
airlines experienced a skyrocket in compared with the same month two impacted” passenger confidence as MARTIN NEEDHAM
flight bookings; easyJet reported a years earlier (pre-COVID) – the worst potential inhibiting factors.
400% surge to amber destinations globally. This was attributed to spikes
while British Airways had a 96% in new cases earlier this year, resulting Another pan-European trend is
increase of views on its website in extended lockdown restrictions. the growing concern of the impact
compared to the previous week. At of aviation on climate change. With
London/Heathrow all four terminals EUROCONTROL – a pan-European, the United Nations Climate Change
were once again active in some civil-military air traffic organisation Conference of the Parties (COP26)
capacity from July 15, while – unveiled three scenarios in its due to be held between October 31
two-runway (27L/09R and 27R/09L) Forecast Update 2021-2024 report and November 12, 2021 in Glasgow,
operations also restarted that month. on the recovery in commercial air Scotland it remains unclear on what
travel. Scenario one, dubbed the most new policies may affect the industry.
On the continent there is high optimistic, hypothesises a return to
optimism of the return of free pre-COVID air traffic levels by 2024 if This year, the French government
movement across the bloc after the a combined easing of restrictions and moved to curtail flight emissions
European Union introduced the EU widespread vaccine rollout, plus the when it initially voted to ban domestic
resumption of some long-haul links, rotations that can be replaced by a
direct train to destinations in less

58 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

than two-and-a-half hours. Across took their first examples, while the but twin-engined types – such as the
the European region there has been Ryanair Group earlier cemented its A350-1000 and 777-300ER – continue
a drive towards clean flight, with commitment for the Renton-built to be handed over to bolster the flag
examples including Airbus and its type with a 75-strong MAX 8200 carrier’s long-haul fleet. Fellow IAG
‘ZEROe’ concept to develop (high-density) deal at the end of 2020. carrier, Iberia, also withdrew quadjets
hydrogen-powered, zero emission (A340-600s) as it focuses long-haul
types by 2035, while Rolls-Royce In terms of total fleet changes from links around the A330 and A350.
combined partnerships with regional 2020-2021, data from ch-aviation Widebody reductions were noted
airline, Widerøe, and Italian airframer, unsurprisingly shows that for the at Lufthansa as aircraft such as its
Tecnam, to create an environmentally four of Europe’s biggest airline groups A340-600s and A380-800s were
friendly, 11-seat electric aircraft. listed, International Airlines Group retired and/or placed into long-term
(IAG), Air France-KLM, Ryanair Group storage as a move to efficient
Meanwhile, the European Union and Lufthansa Group, there is no next-generation, twin-engine jets.
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) overall fleet increase from 2020-2021;
approved the Boeing 737 MAX this comes after a drop of 36, nine, 23 A swathe of new narrowbody types
for a return to service on January and 24 aircraft respectively. joined airline fleets as noted in the
27 this year following “extensive 2021 data; SWISS and Iberia Express
analysis”, with TUI Airlines Belgium However, newer aircraft have been since received their first A321neos
conducting the first post-grounding introduced while others have been (two and four respectively), while
services in Europe. Consequently, phased out. For example, with British KLM’s regional subsidiary Cityhopper
carriers including Italian-based Neos Airways’ retirement of the iconic received four E195-E2s.
747-400 the data shows a 100% drop,

European airline groups total fleet changes 2020 vs 2021 data*

*Compares data with year before, not an exact indication of deliveries/retirements by year; all data correct when published. Key: A320N/A321N = A320neo/A321neo; A321NX = A321neo featuring Airspace cabin

International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) Air France-KLM Ryanair Group

Airline/Type ‘20 ‘21 +/- % change Airline/Type ‘20 ‘21 +/- % change Airline/Type ‘20 ‘21 +/- % change

Aer Lingus KLM (*KLM Cityhopper) Ryanair 0
-7
Airbus A320-200 34 31 -3 -9 Airbus A330-200 880 0 Boeing 737-700 110
-2
Airbus A321-200 330 0 Airbus A330-300 550 0 Boeing 737-800 273 255 -18
-12
Airbus A321-200NX 473 75 Boeing 737-700 16 14 -2 -13 Buzz
0
Airbus A330-200 4 3 -1 -25 Boeing 737-800 31 31 0 0 Boeing 737-800 47 46 -1 -5

Airbus A330-300 11 12 1 9 Boeing 737-900 550 0 Lauda Europe % change

British Airways (*BA CityFlyer) Boeing 747-400M (Combi) 3 0 -3 -100 Airbus A320-200 33 29 -4 0

Airbus A318-100 1 0 -1 -100 Boeing 777-200ER 15 15 0 0 Malta Air 0
0
Airbus A319-100 35 35 0 0 Boeing 777-300ER 14 16 2 14 Boeing 737-800 120 120 0 0
0
Airbus A320-200 67 67 0 0 Boeing 787-10 550 0 Total 474 451 -23 -33
0
Airbus A320-200N 12 14 2 17 Boeing 787-9 13 13 0 0 -43
0
Airbus A321-200 18 18 0 0 Embraer E175* 17 17 0 0 Lufthansa Group
-18
Airbus A321-200N 1 0 -1 -100 Embraer E190STD* 32 32 0 0 Airline/Type ‘20 ‘21 +/- 0
-100
Airbus A321-200NX 9 10 1 11 Embraer E195-E2* 044 N/A Air Dolomiti 0

Airbus A350-1000 682 33 Air France (*Air France Hop) Embraer E195LR 15 15 0 0
0
Airbus A380-800 12 12 0 0 Airbus A318-100 18 18 0 0 Austrian Airlines 0

Boeing 747-400 26 0 -26 -100 Airbus A319-100 33 31 -2 -6 Airbus A319-100 770 7
2
Boeing 777-200 2 0 -2 -100 Airbus A320-200 44 44 0 0 Airbus A320-200 29 29 0 0

Boeing 777-200ER 43 42 -1 -2 Airbus A321-100 550 0 Airbus A321-100 330 0
5
Boeing 777-300ER 12 16 4 33 Airbus A321-200 15 15 0 0 Airbus A321-200 330 -5
200
Boeing 787-8 12 12 0 0 Airbus A330-200 15 15 0 0 Boeing 767-300ER 6 4 -2 -17
0
Boeing 787-9 18 18 0 0 Airbus A340-300 2 0 -2 -100 Boeing 777-200ER 660 N/A
0
Embraer E170STD* 330 0 Airbus A350-900 594 80 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 14 8 -6 0
0
Embraer E190AR* 1 0 -1 -100 Boeing 777-200ER 25 23 -2 -8 Embraer E195LR 17 17 0
-3
Embraer E190LR* 6 0 -6 -100 Boeing 777-200F 220 0 Brussels Airlines 0
30
Embraer E190SR* 12 23 11 92 Boeing 777-300ER 43 43 0 0 Airbus A319-100 22 18 -4 0
0
Iberia/Iberia Express Boeing 787-9 9 10 1 11 Airbus A320-200 16 16 0 80
0
Airbus A319-100 11 6 -5 -45 Bombardier CRJ1000ER* 14 14 0 0 Airbus A330-200 2 0 -2 0
-100
Airbus A320-200 14 14 0 0 Bombardier CRJ700* 11 8 -3 -27 Airbus A330-300 12 12 0 6
-100
Airbus A320-200N 682 33 Embraer ERJ145EP* 7 1 -6 -86 Edelweiss Air -54
0
Airbus A321-200 11 11 0 0 Embraer ERJ145MP* 6 0 -6 -100 Airbus A320-200 10 10 0 29
-50
Airbus A330-200 16 16 0 0 Embraer E170LR* 550 0 Airbus A330-300 220 -3
0
Airbus A330-300 880 0 Embraer E170STD* 10 10 0 0 Airbus A340-300 440 0
-4
Airbus A340-600 13 0 -13 -100 Embraer E190LR* 660 0 Eurowings

Airbus A350-900 990 0 Embraer E190STD* 10 11 1 10 Airbus A319-100 28 30 2

Airbus A320-200 19 13 -6 -32 Transavia Airbus A320-200 51 52 1

Airbus A321-200 440 0 Boeing 737-700 7 4 -3 -43 Airbus A321-200 550

Airbus A321-200NX 044 N/A Boeing 737-800 35 35 0 0 SWISS

Vueling Transavia France Airbus A220-100 990

Airbus A319-100 660 0 Boeing 737-800 40 48 8 20 Airbus A220-300 20 21 1

Airbus A320-200 79 76 -3 -4 Total 531 522 -9 0 Airbus A320-200 19 18 -1

Airbus A320-200N 25 25 0 0 Airbus A320-200N 1 32

Airbus A321-200 15 18 3 20 Airbus A321-100 6 5 -1

Total 588 552 -36 -6 Airbus A321-200 330

Airbus A321-200NX 022

Airbus A330-300 14 14 0

Airbus A340-300 550

Boeing 777-300ER 12 12 0

Lufthansa (*CityLine **Cargo)

Airbus A319-100 30 29 -1

Airbus A320-200 64 64 0

Airbus A320-200N 23 30 7

Airbus A321-100 20 20 0

Airbus A321-200 43 43 0

Airbus A321-200NX 594

Airbus A330-300 15 15 0

Airbus A340-300 17 17 0

Airbus A340-600 13 0 -13

Airbus A350-900 16 17 1

Airbus A380-800 5 0 -5

Boeing 747-400 13 6 -7

Boeing 747-8 19 19 0

Boeing 777-200F** 792

McDonnell Douglas MD-11F** 6 3 -3

Bombardier CRJ900LR* 35 34 -1

Embraer E190LR* 990

Embraer E195LR* 220

Total 683 659 -24

www.key.aero 59

Americas

Rebounding Finally, with the recertification of
the Boeing 737 MAX, a swathe of
and more carriers from the Americas have
since deployed the type following
Following the devastating With vaccinated Americans of the G7 Summit in Cornwall in that unprecedented grounding. These
impact of the coronavirus allowed back into Europe, June, CEOs from American Airlines, include Alaska Airlines, Air Canada,
on the USA, which has United Airlines has opened Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways Flair Airlines and Southwest Airlines
recorded approximately new routes targeted and United Airlines – along with (the Dallas-based outfit cemented its
605,000 COVID-related at leisure travellers their UK counterparts from British commitment to the jet after it firmed
deaths as of July 7 according to Johns FLICKR COMMONS/DYLAN T Airways and Virgin Atlantic – came a huge MAX 7 order, complementing
Hopkins University, the country together to push for a reopening to its existing MAX 8 deals).
has been showing signs of strong “ignite economic recovery.” There is
domestic air travel recovery. also hope that travel between both On December 9, 2020 GOL Linhas
countries will return to some level of Aéreas of Brazil became the first
The most recent data from normality as new transatlantic entrant company worldwide to resume
the Transportation Security JetBlue Airways, with its highly revenue services with the MAX since
Administration (TSA) revealed that anticipated services to London’s March 2019, or 638 days since the
2,196,411 travellers were screened Heathrow and Gatwick airports, is beginning of the global grounding,
by the agency on July 2 ahead of billed for an August and September with a rotation between São Paulo/
Independence Day celebrations. launch respectively. Guarulhos and Porto Alegre.
This was the highest figure recorded Aeroméxico followed shortly behind
for people passing through airport While a US-UK travel corridor has with the reintroduction of the jet.
security checkpoints since the onset yet to be implemented at the time However, with the Mexican flag
of the pandemic and actually eclipses of writing, vaccinated American carrier having initiated a voluntary
the 2,184,253 who travelled on the travellers have already started financial restructuring procedure
same date in 2019. returning to Europe. While business under the USA’s Chapter 11 – a move
traffic remains subdued, major US attributed to the “unprecedented
The TSA added that many carriers have capitalised on strong impact” of COVID-19 to make it
US gateways are exceeding leisure demand, with United for stronger and more resilient – the
pre-pandemic levels, especially example having launched a trio airline had plans to slash its MAX
those located at popular holiday of new routes to Athens (Greece), commitment approved by a US-based
destinations including Florida. One Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Reykjavík/ bankruptcy court.
of the main factors for the nation’s Keflavík (Iceland) from Washington/
strong rebound is attributed to an Dulles, New York/Newark and Meanwhile, consolidation was a key
impressive vaccination rollout. As of Chicago O’Hare respectively. theme in the Americas with operators
July 7, data collected by Bloomberg stretching from Canada to Argentina.
showed the USA had administered Elsewhere, the Americas has been In the latter, a merger between
331 million vaccine doses, equating to at the forefront of technological Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral
an average of 865,929 every day. advancement as United signed a was approved by the Argentine Civil
commercial agreement to purchase Aviation Administration in December
There is also high optimism in the 15 of Boom Supersonics’ Overture 2020. Elsewhere, Air Canada revealed
industry with new start-ups having airliners, with options for 35 more. it would consolidate all regional flying
emerged and eager to take a slice of Meanwhile, numerous firms have under the Jazz Aviation brand.
strong passenger numbers. These been exploring the eVTOL market,
included Avelo Airlines and the with UPS placing a ten-strong deal In June 2020, GOL disclosed it
David Neeleman-founded Breeze plus options with Beta Technologies, had entered into an agreement to
Airways, which both commenced while American Airlines invested acquire Brazilian domestic firm MAP
fare-paying rotations. in UK firm Vertical Aerospace, Transportes Aéreos. According to
culminating in a pre-order of “up GOL bosses the decision came due to
Buoyed by the successful rollout, to 250 aircraft” (subject to future “an unparalleled market opportunity
there have been strong calls to open milestones and terms). for rational consolidation in the
travel corridors to/from the USA, Brazilian aviation [sector]” in the
particularly with the UK. Ahead post-pandemic recovery
environment. Finally, staying in the
country, during April this year
LATAM Brasil had confirmed the
phase-out of its entire inventory of
A350-900 widebodies.

60 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

Asia-Pacific

Data insight: Oceania’s youngest aircraft fleets*

First in, Ranking Operator Average aircraft age Fleet size Home base
1 Fiji Link 4.49 years 7 Fiji
2 Air Tahiti 5.29 years 10 French Polynesia
3 Fiji Airways 7.41 years 12 Fiji
4 Air New Zealand 8.14 years 113 New Zealand
5 Jetstar Airways 10.52 years 69 Australia

* Source: ch-aviation

last out?FijiAirwaysanditsregional strict border controls remain in place.
subsidiary Fiji Link have International passenger traffic carried
among the youngest by Asia-Pacific airlines amounts to
airline fleets in Oceania barely 5% of pre-pandemic volumes.”
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/YOCHAI
Amid lacklustre trans-border traffic

While the By comparison, after strong and and stop-start travel bubble initiatives,
Asia-Pacific market lasting growth since the start of larger countries with captive domestic
was the first to be February, Oceania’s capacity numbers markets have generally fared better
adversely impacted dropped slightly as it entered the than most. Carriers in China and
Australia are among those to have
recalibrated their business models

by the pandemic, southern hemisphere’s mid-winter to bolster links between key urban

its recovery continues to lag behind period. By the end of June there were centres and local leisure destinations

other parts of the world. Within this 1.8 million scheduled seats per week. to partially offset the collapse in

hugely diverse region lies enormous To put this in context, this represents international travel.

nuance with regard to COVID policy, a remarkable increase of 220% versus A further bright spot is the freight

reflecting the differing approaches the same week in June 2020. sector, with air cargo volumes on

taken by individual governments. Subhas Menon, director general Asia-Pacific carriers returning to pre-

From Australia and New Zealand’s of the Association of Asia Pacific pandemic levels in response to strong

hyper-protectionism through to Airlines (AAPA), is one of the senior demand. Across the region, freight

more liberal styles adopted by nimble industry figures with concerns about tonne kilometres (FTK) have seen

island nations such as the Maldives, it the patchy nature of the pandemic year-on-year growth, outpacing any

remains a hugely complex picture. recovery in the region: “The uneven increase in offered freight capacity.

To help quantify this, we examined pace of vaccinations throughout These remain deeply uncertain

the latest ch-aviation data to establish the world has delayed the recovery times for civil aviation across the

the total number of weekly scheduled in international air travel. In some Asia-Pacific, a region where the civil

seats. While not perfect, it provides a advanced economies, travel markets air industry was already navigating

reliable metric of commercial aviation are slowly recovering as populations a paradigm shift in consumer

activity and suggests that Asia get vaccinated and business activities behaviour pre-COVID. With many

reached a peak in mid-April 2021, resume. However, the same cannot be legacy carriers haemorrhaging

after which time capacity has been said for the majority of the emerging millions of dollars a week and a

relatively unstable and continuously market economies in Asia, where piecemeal reopening of global air

dropping since the end of May. As of vaccination roll-outs remain slow due travel looking increasingly likely, the

June 30, Asia comprises 28.8 million to supply constraints, logistical issues fear is that even the airlines with the

scheduled seats each week, indicating and limited manpower. As a result, deepest pockets could be in trouble if

an increase of 25% compared to the the travel and tourism sectors in the traffic doesn’t return to meaningful

same week in 2020. region have continued to suffer as levels in the coming six months.

www.key.aero 61

Africa/Middle East

Road to recovery

A ccording to the aircraft may remain in service with While several carriers kulula.com to resume revenue
International Air the airline well into the mid-2030s. globally have phased out the rotations in December 2020.
Transport Association The Dubai-based company has Airbus A380, Emirates plans
(IATA) in its Regional resumed accepting double-decker to keep the iconic super Unfortunately, for some airlines it
Briefing – Africa & Middle deliveries – the latest examples jumbo at the forefront of was the end of the road. For example,
East – May 2021, carriers across both feature its new premium economy its future plans AIRBUS flag carrier Air Namibia was placed
areas are still being heavily impacted. product – and at the time of writing into voluntary liquidation earlier this
is due to take the final four new-build Air Peace was the year after financial support from the
IATA Economics reported that A380s all by 2022. first African operator country’s government ceased. Despite
operators in the Middle East and to accept an Embraer E2 the turmoil of the COVID-induced
Africa had an 80.3% and 71.8% decline Continuing on the theme of aircraft EMBRAER economic climate, airline start-ups
respectively in revenue passenger- ins and outs, Kuwait Airways have continued to emerge, including
kilometres (RPKs) for March 2021, in became the maiden operator of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, South Africa’s
comparison to the same month two the A330-800 after taking the first LIFT and Nigerian-based Cally Air
years earlier (pre-COVID levels) – only two from an eight-strong order. and Green Africa Airways.
one region, Europe, suffered worse Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Air Peace
growth in passenger volumes for the was the first company in Africa to Elsewhere, with the potential easing
same time period. IATA attributed accept an Embraer E2 following the of international travel restrictions
this, among others, to the heavy handover of an E195-E2 in January on the horizon, numerous African
reliance on international traffic. (see below). In a further boost for operators are looking to expand their
the Brazilian airframer on the long-haul links. Uganda Airlines,
It also added that travel recovery continent, Kinshasa-based Congo which commenced operations in
may be hampered in both regions Airways inked a firm order for a August 2019, revealed intentions to
due to the potential continuation of pair of the re-engined narrowbody, start new international destinations
international long-haul restrictions complementing an earlier E190-E2 including London/Heathrow using
which many Middle Eastern carriers deal for two. its pair of A330-800s. Meanwhile,
heavily rely on to feed their hubs, RwandAir and Air Senegal look
especially connecting traffic, and a After Abu Dhabi-based Etihad poised to enter the US market. This
slow vaccination rate within Africa. implemented a restructure to become comes after RwandAir was granted
The impact of the latter has been seen a mid-size carrier, in order to make fifth freedom rights to operate Kigali
recently after South Africa was hit its operations leaner in response to to New York/JFK via Accra, Ghana,
with a third wave of coronavirus with the pandemic, its fleet focus will shift while Air Senegal was given the green
Reuters reporting 26,000 new cases in primarily to the Boeing 787 and A350. light for rotations between Dakar and
the country on July 3 alone. Consequently, the firm outlined Washington/Dulles via JFK.
plans to phase out the 777-300ER
Conversely, cargo tonne-kilometres entirely, although Etihad still Finally, with the signing of the
(CTKs) for Africa in March 2021, remains committed to its 777X order. historic Abraham Accords Declaration
compared with March 2019, was the Elsewhere, South Africa’s Comair in 2020, a thaw in relations between
strongest globally with a 23.1% growth – a British Airways franchisee – had Israel and its neighbours in the region
– thanks in particular to links with its business rescue plan approved, has boosted trade and tourism with
the Asia market – while the Middle allowing it and its low-cost subsidiary the introduction of new scheduled
East was third highest at 9.1%. passenger and cargo connections.

For aircraft types, a common global
trend also noted in the Middle East
was the disposal of Airbus A380s.
While Qatar Airways confirmed five
examples would be permanently
axed, bosses at rival Etihad Airways
said its ten-strong contingent would
likely never operate for them again.

However, in good news for super
jumbo fans, Emirates – the world’s
biggest A380 user (see above) at 119
airframes currently – revealed the

62 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021



supremAviation’s start-up

As even the biggest names in
the business continue to struggle,
it takes guts to launch a new airline

in 2021. In the first of a special
two-part report, Tom Batchelor
has rounded up some of the boldest
new brands from across Europe

ABOVE World2fly, a In a year when many airlines World2fly cabin layout with 432 seats, is pencilled
new long-haul airline have been forced to scale back in for a May 2022 arrival.
founded by the Spanish services, cut capacity and Spain
hotel company Iberostar, reduce routes, it is perhaps “We are delighted to deliver our first
has taken delivery of remarkable that literally dozens Palma-headquartered World2Fly, new A350-900 aircraft to our new
the first of two Airbus of new carriers worldwide have which was founded by the Spanish customer, World2Fly,” said assistant
A350-900s on lease from announced plans to launch flights. hotel company Iberostar, has two vice-president of marketing at Air
Air Lease Corporation long-haul aircraft in its fleet – an Lease Corporation, Matthew Stevens.
YANNICK DELAMARRE From Norway to Nigeria and Brazil Airbus A330-300 and the first of two “ALC is pleased to help launch
to Burundi, start-ups have emerged to A350-900s on lease from Air Lease World2Fly with new A350-900 aircraft
RIGHT World2fly’s fill gaps left by other COVID-induced Corporation – with which it says will and we are confident the A350-900
A350-900s feature a closures and speculative proposals link Caribbean leisure destinations will help distinguish World2Fly in the
single-class cabin layout are betting on a rapid recovery in the such as Punta Cana (Dominican marketplace.”
with 432 seats AIRBUS aviation industry. Republic), Cancun (Mexico) and
Havana (Cuba) with Madrid. Both World2Fly received its air operator
Within this first special report, widebody jets were delivered in June certificate (AOC) in April 2021 for
Airliner World explores the nascent 2021 with the maiden flight to the services from Madrid/Barajas and
European operators that have Mexican holiday hotspot the same has expressed interest in launching
sprung on to the scene in 2021, with month. The second of the two A350s, flights from Lisbon in due course.
the second half in our next issue which have a rather cosy single-class www.w2fly.es
exploring the rest of the globe.

Just a quick caveat before we get set
for take-off, this is not an exhaustive
list, and due to the unpredictable
nature of the pandemic, airline
structures, business models and
timelines are subject to change.

64 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

os aircraft. Flyr's first Boeing 737-800
landed at Oslo/Gardermoen in early
Flyr June following the launch of ticket
sales and carried out its first service
Norway between Oslo and Tromsø on June 30
as Flight FS416. By the end of the year,
Green and white-liveried start-up Flyr expects to have around
Flyr entered the Norwegian market 350 employees.
in June as a new low-cost carrier.
The budget firm deploys Boeing 737 “A concrete plan for the reopening
aircraft to connect Oslo with seven of Norway gives us in Flyr the
destinations within Norway plus predictability we need to start ticket
Copenhagen, Nice, Barcelona, Malaga sales,” Wikstrøm Frislid said. “Flyr will
and Alicante. Further routes across be a robust, Norway-based low-cost
Scandinavia and Europe are planned carrier, with a financially sustainable,
and the airline hopes to have eight efficient and demand driven business
aircraft in its fleet by the autumn. model. We will have modern systems
for operations designed by industry
Flyr's management team, led by experts, a fully digital customer
Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid, the first journey and a management with
female CEO of a major civil aviation extensive airline experience.”
carrier in the Nordics, has said it www.flyr.com
envisages a 30-strong fleet of leased
Flybe Limited critical need for a strong, reliable and ABOVE Tonje Wikstrøm
customer-focused airline”. Frislid is one of the
United Kingdom first female airline
The new Flybe is expected to CEOs in the region FLYR
Prior to its undignified collapse at be significantly smaller than its
the start of the pandemic, the predecessor, but the company BELOW This Flyr Boeing
Exeter-based airline was transporting emphasised that it has intentions to 737-800, since registered
up to eight million passengers a year grow in the future. Data provided as LN-FGB (c/n 40881),
between 81 airports across the UK and by travel analytics experts Cirium was spotted at Shannon
the rest of Europe. showed Flybe had secured 86 summer in April 2021 ahead of its
season slots at London Heathrow entry to revenue service
Its closure in March 2020 turned the airport leased from BA that it planned AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM /
UK domestic scene on its head, with to use for services to Edinburgh TREVOR MULKERRINS
the true impact hidden by the and Aberdeen in Scotland, having
COVID-19 lockdowns. purchased a Dash 8-400 with Pratt
& Whitney Canada PW150A engines
Several carriers, most notably from Austrian Airlines on January 22.
Loganair, easyJet and Eastern
Airways, snapped up prize routes, but But it hasn’t all been blue skies for
some connections remain unfilled. In the fledgling firm. A decision by the
April 2021, the sale of Flybe’s business UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
and assets to a new company earlier this year to revoke the carrier’s
affiliated with investment adviser original operating licence led to the
Cyrus Capital was confirmed, with ‘new Flybe’ appealing to Grant
the owners committing to launch the
refreshed airline later this year. The
new company – previously known as
Thyme Opco Limited – was renamed
Flybe Limited.

A company spokesperson said the
sale was a “critical first step in our
mission to accomplish the first-ever
rescue of an insolvent British airline.
Subject to further success with
vaccinations and relaxation of travel
restrictions, we plan to launch a new
and much improved Flybe sometime
this summer on many of our former
routes where there remains a

www.key.aero 65

ABOVE Flybe's
collapse in March 2020
resulted in dozens of
aircraft being grounded
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
MAURITS VINK

RIGHT Post-COVID,
Eurowings Discover
has ambitious plans to
exploit any travel boom
LUFTHANSA GROUP

BELOW Flybe was
the only scheduled
operator to regularly fly
turboprop passenger
aircraft into Heathrow
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
FLORENT LACRESSONNIERE

Shapps, the UK transport secretary. Eurowings Discover all set to fly them to the world's most
In early June, Shapps backed the beautiful destinations. We have
original decision by the CAA to Germany built an airline in just one year – an
withdraw the licence. A spokesperson ambitious goal that we have achieved
for the company’s administrators told The Lufthansa Group’s leisure with the great support from the entire
the Daily Telegraph: “The decision will offshoot Eurowings Discover received Lufthansa Group, a motivated team
not impact the wider administration its air operator certificate (AOC) in and in close co-operation with the
or the sale of the company’s business June and planned to launch its first German Federal Aviation Authority.
or assets to the purchaser, Flybe route on July 24 from Frankfurt to We wish to express our sincere
Limited, formerly known as Thyme Mombasa with an onward service gratitude to everyone.”
Opco Limited. The new entity, to Zanzibar. Additional destinations
Flybe Limited, is independently in the 2021 summer flight schedule The 2021 winter flight schedule is
and separately licensed by the Civil include Punta Cana, Windhoek, Las due to see links between Germany
Aviation Authority, and will continue Vegas and Mauritius. and Bridgetown, Montego Bay and
to hold a valid and active licence.” the Cuban beach resort of Varadero
www.flybe.com Wolfgang Raebiger, CEO of as well as an expanded programme
Eurowings Discover, explained: “The from November to include short and
timing could not be better. People
can finally travel again and we are

66 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

South African destinations. As of LEFT Eurowings forms
late July, no further information is part of the larger
forthcoming about a revised start date Lufthansa Group of airlines
for scheduled services, but its website LUFTHANSA GROUP
is promoting nonstop routes using a
“A330, A340 and A350 fleet”. BELOW PRAGUSA.ONE
www.pragusa.one intends to focus its efforts
on the Croatian and Czech
Isla Air Express markets
PRAGUE AIRPORT
Spain

New Balearic Islands carrier Isla
Air Express was hoping to launch
its first flights later this year using
DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops,
but a 2022 launch is looking more
likely according to a July 1 report
by ch-aviation. When the airline
does eventually get off the ground,
it plans to use its 18-seaters to offer
“downtown-to-downtown passenger

medium-haul flights to the Canary and A340-300s in a two/three-class transport” between the popular BELOW Could
Islands, Egypt and Morocco. Its fleet configuration in June. However, this Spanish holiday destinations, with seaplanes be the answer
will comprise a maximum of 11 was delayed without a reason being travellers literally able to walk into for inter-island hops
aircraft this year and could grow to given officially. town at some locations. between the Balearics?
21 aircraft by the middle of 2022 (ten VIKING AIR
Airbus A320s and 11 Airbus A330s). First class tickets from the seaside The first route is due to connect
All examples will be sourced from the Croatian city to the Californian hub Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, with
Lufthansa Group fleet pool. are priced at $9,990 while business subsequent services set to link
www.eurowings.com class seats are being sold for $3,890. the two islands with Formentera,
Menorca and later Barcelona, Alicante
PRAGUSA.ONE The fledgling carrier’s website and Valencia.
shows its “2022 network” to include
Croatia further flights from Dubrovnik to “This will be a great time-saver
Johannesburg, and several Asian and most people enjoy travelling
PRAGUSA.ONE intended to launch cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Tokyo, on a seaplane,” explained Klaus
flights from Dubrovnik to New York/ Kuala Lumpur and Singapore) as Dieter Martin, managing director of
Newark Liberty and Los Angeles well as connections from Prague Mediterranean Coastal Airlines.
using wet-leased Airbus A330-200 to all those Asian, American and
One of the co-founders

www.key.aero 67

ABOVE A SkyAlps Q400 behind the innovative project, SkyAlps led to the postponed delivery of its
landing at Luqa in Malta Martin added: “We are waiting for De Havilland Canada Dash 8. The
for maintenance final approval from the Spanish CAA Italy so-called ‘Ambassador of the Alps’
and re-registration (AESA), but the Port Authority has flies to three cities in Italy – Rome,
RUBEN ZAMMIT approved everything. Italian regional carrier SkyAlps Olbia and Parma – two in Germany
started operations on June 17, 2021 (Berlin and Düsseldorf), as well as the
”We will only open ticket sales when from its base at Bolzano in the Spanish island of Ibiza.
we have all the permits.” South Tyrol via Parma to Ibiza. The
www.islaair.com launch date was delayed by five At the time of writing, the airline is
days after a paperwork complication

BELOW The Majorcan
capital of Palma is due
to be the focus of initial
services for Isla Air
Express DE AGOSTINI VIA
GETTY IMAGES

68 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

operating as a virtual carrier and its Grecian Air Seaplanes aircraft, highly qualified staff (pilots, ABOVE Bjørn Tore Larsen
aircraft is run by Malta's Luxwing as cabin crew, administrative personnel, is the chief executive of
it is not yet certified. Greece etc), a lean organisation and a clean Norse Atlantic Airways
slate give us an unprecedented NORSE ATLANTIC AIRWAYS
The city of Bolzano is considered Assuming there are no last-minute opportunity to establish a
the gateway to the Dolomites hiccups, September could see Grecian best-practice and cost-efficient airline BELOW EGO Airways'
mountain range and SkyAlps is Air Seaplanes enter the market without prior financial restraints.” fleet currently comprises
targeting leisure travellers to a connecting a handful of Greece’s a sole Embraer E190,
region popular with walkers and 6,000 islands with the mainland. The The fleet will comprise fuel-efficient with plans to add
skiers. Steven Ridolfi, president of airline said in April 2021 it planned to Boeing 787s and future passengers a further two examples
Canada’s Chorus Aviation Capital, launch services with three 19-seater can expect familiar favourites such EGO AIRWAYS
which is leasing the carrier two Q400 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin as New York, Florida, Los Angeles,
examples, said he was “impressed Otter aircraft linking seaports in London, Paris and Oslo to appear on
by the entrepreneurial spirit and western Greece’s Ionian Sea. the route map, though tickets are not
business vision” of the new firm, yet on sale. The Norwegian start-up
“including their introduction Flights to destinations in the later intends to add destinations in
of regional connectivity to the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, the Asia to its network.
northeastern Italian market, and we northeastern Aegean, the Sporades
are excited at the growth potential”. Islands, the Saronic Gulf and Crete “Our launch will be based on
are all envisaged, subject to various the removal of travel restrictions,
Joe Randell, president and CEO licenses being approved. and demand,” Larsen added. “Our
of parent company Chorus, added: business model allows us to scale up
"History has shown that during The seaplanes are expected to according to demand.”
downturns impacting the aviation provide scheduled and chartered
sector, the regional market is the most flights as well as freight shipments In March, AerCap announced it
resilient. SkyAlps is a terrific example and medical transport. would provide six Boeing 787-9s
of an operator seizing the opportunity and three 787-8s to Norse Atlantic
to start up a new service as regional Norse Atlantic Airways Airways, marking the low-cost firm’s
air travel begins to lead the recovery first lease agreement. The lessor,
in global air travel.” Norway which is based in Ireland, said it
www.skyalps.com would deliver all nine aircraft by the
The team behind Norse Atlantic end of the first quarter of 2022; each
Airways hopes to fill some of the gaps of the aircraft fitted with Rolls-Royce
left by Norwegian Air Shuttle when it Trent 1000 powerplants.
withdrew its Boeing 787 Dreamliners www.flynorse.com
from dozens of transatlantic routes
and scaled down its fleet to around 50
aircraft from a pre-crisis high of 140.
The Arendal-headquartered carrier
says it hopes to tap into the “low-cost
intercontinental market as the
world re-opens” with the first flight
pencilled in for the end of the year or
early 2022.

The company was launched in
March 2021 by shipping entrepreneur
Bjørn Tore Larsen alongside Bjørn
Kljos and Bjørn Kise – the latter two
were closely involved with Norwegian
before it shrunk its operation to focus
on short-haul routes.

Larsen, the founder, CEO and major
shareholder in Norse, also holds
several aircraft type ratings, including
the Boeing 747. He told Airliner World:
“The time to launch a new airline
is perfect. Access to inexpensive

www.key.aero 69

ABOVE The Boeing 787 EGO Airways 400 flights in June, accounting for and insurance) operations, charter
Dreamliner is understood approximately 41,800 seats, with its programmes for airlines and tour
to be the preferred aircraft Italy most popular destinations being operators, plus ad-hoc flights and
for Norse Atlantic Airways Florence (85 flights comprising 7,990 special cargo projects.
BOEING Back in March 2021, when much of seats), Forlì (84 flights, 7,896 seats)
Europe was still battling another wave and Catania–Fontanarossa (81 flights, The Vilnius-based firm reported
BELOW Heston Airways of COVID cases and unrestricted 7,614 seats). it was able to offer an A320 aircraft
has opted for an Airbus travel looked like a distant dream, with a zero-seat configuration if
narrowbody fleet for Italy’s EGO Airways was moving in Marco Busca, president of EGO required. On June 15, Heston Airlines
its initial operations the opposite direction with the Airways, said he hopes the airline will was approved by IATA to use the HN
HESTON AIRWAYS launch of its maiden flight from be a “benchmark for Italian aviation registration code for its aircraft.
Catania-Fontanarossa Airport in at the international level” within
Sicily to Parma/Giuseppe Verdi in the five years. The ambitious carrier hopes to
north of the country using a www.egoairways.com expand its fleet to seven aircraft by
13-year-old Embraer E190AR. The 2022, but was forced to scale back
example is managed by US-based Heston Airlines its initial offering from three jets
lessor Azorra Aviation and sub-leased to two and delay its launch, which
from German Airways. Lithuania was originally scheduled for April.
“Sometimes it felt like bending over
The airline now uses two of the Lithuanian charter and wet-lease backwards, but with this incredible
type to serve 11 destinations in three carrier Heston Airlines announced team of professionals we overcame
countries: nine in Italy (Parma and plans to launch in February 2021. By obstacles and reached this goal,” the
Catania plus Bari, Brindisi, Cagliari, May, it had acquired its air operator company said after securing approval
Florence, Forli, Lamezia Terme and certificate with plans to use its two to operate from the Lithuanian
Olbia), one in Spain (Ibiza) and one Airbus A320s – both 17 years old aviation authority.
in Greece (Mykonos). Data from – for long or short-term aircraft www.heston.aero
Cirium shows it operated more than ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance

70 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

LEFT The Swiftair
subsidiary is using ATR
examples for inter-island
services UEP! FLY

Uep! Fly eye-catching promo fare of just €9.50 BELOW Uep! Fly is named
and intends to expand flights to the after the term used
Spain Spanish mainland subject to demand. by Mallorcans to greet
each other UEP! FLY
Another Balearic start-up, Uep! Swiftair formerly operated alongside
Fly, announced in March 2021 its Air Europa on inter-Balearic routes, LEFT Vilnius-
intention to launch inter-island flights but that partnership is understood based firm Heston
using three ATR 72 twin-engined to have ended. Swiftair currently has Airways has adopted
turboprops. The Swiftair subsidiary 14 passenger ATR 72s, of which nine a clean, modern brand
– named after the expression used were at one point operated for the using contrasting colours
by Mallorcans to greet each other, Madrid-based leisure outfit. There HESTON AIRWAYS
‘Uep’ – is planning initially to run is no set launch date aside from a
twice-daily flights in each direction ‘summer 2021’ target, although the
between Palma and Ibiza and Palma first aircraft in its fleet, a 13-year-old
and Menorca, allowing passengers ATR 72, which at one time was leased
from Ibiza to reach Menorca with just for use by the United Nations, arrived
a short stopover. The airline put its in Palma in June complete with the
first flights on sale in June with an Uep livery.
www.uepfly.com

PLAY

Iceland

Iceland’s PLAY, which was founded
by some of the same executives
behind WOW air, operated its first
flight between Reykjavík–Keflavík
and London/Stansted on June 24
using a leased Airbus A321neo with
LEAP-1A32 engines from AerCap.
The new airline plans to fly between
the northerly island nation and other
destinations in Europe on a similar
low-cost model to WOW.

It reported that it saw a unique
opportunity for PLAY to succeed in
the post-pandemic world, thanks to a
combination of modern aircraft being
available at historically low prices
and for long-term lease, competitors
facing difficulties, high debt and
increased unit costs, plus ready
access to highly skilled staff.

It said ticket sales launched in May
2021 were above expectations for its
initial offering of flights to Alicante,
Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen,
London, Paris and Tenerife. The
airline hopes to expand its operations
elsewhere in Europe and to North
America and adopt a hub and spoke
model. For further insight, and to
hear from PLAY’s CEO, check out the
August 2021 edition of Airliner World.
www.flyplay.com

www.key.aero 71

ABOVE PLAY made Jump Air
its revenue debut
in June 2021 with Lithuania
services to London
and Spain from Iceland Vilnius-based ACMI charter carrier
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ Jump Air plans to launch later this
TAVE MYLIU year with a fleet of passenger and
freight ATR 72-500s. The airline,
RIGHT Jump Air is which was founded at the start of
another Lithuanian 2020 in partnership with engineering
start-up hoping to make support company Aliplan and
2021 its year maintenance organisation EU Wings,
JUMP AIR was expected to receive its first
aircraft this summer.
company then found itself the subject Palma. Its website states it will link
Jump Air is due to offer long and of a lawsuit. The legal dispute was the Canary Islands (its base being
short-term wet lease plus ad-hoc launched by Montenegro’s former Tenerife/South) with the Iberian
and longer-term charters. Africa and national carrier, Montenegro Airlines, peninsula and other European
Asia-Pacific were listed as “priority which is undergoing bankruptcy destinations using an ex-Atlantic
markets” as they are likely to “benefit proceedings. The dispute involves Airways Airbus A319 aircraft operated
the most from domestic or regional alleged use of the same or similar logo by One Airways. Destinations include
air transport” using the 70-seater. and trademark. Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Vigo,
www.jump-airways.com Air Montenegro destinations are due Berlin, Cardiff and Glasgow.
to include Belgrade, Ljubljana, Banja
Air Montenegro Luka (the second largest city in Bosnia In June, the airline said it was
and Herzegovina), Frankfurt and taking steps towards its first flight
Montenegro Istanbul using an Embraer E195 jet. and released photos of crew being
www.airmontenegro.com trained on the nine-year-old jet at
It’s fair to say that new flag carrier Spain’s Ciudad Real Airport ahead of
Air Montenegro has had a rather Lattitude Hub flights being launched in the summer
rocky start. Having successfully – although no official start date has
operated its first flight transporting Spain been given.
Montenegro’s national football team
to Sarajevo for a match against Bosnia Formerly known as Canarian Tenerife is already well served
and Herzegovina in early June, Airways, Lattitude Hub was by regional airlines Binter and
followed on June 10 by the start of founded by a group of 14 tourism Canaryfly as well as Iberia, Vueling
regular commercial traffic with a entrepreneurs and hoteliers from the and dozens of other international
flight from Podgorica to Belgrade, the Spanish islands of Tenerife and La carriers. Explaining why it needed a
new service, David Perez, CEO of the
RIGHT Air Montenegro Tenerife Tourism Corporation, told
held a competition to help RoutesOnline: “We need more airlines
design a new logo and with a business class product on
brand for the carrier board, because we have so many five-
AIR MONTENEGRO star hotels on the island. But that is
not possible with LCCs.
72 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021
“Ryanair, which is the largest airline
on the island, is not the right solution
for some valuable customers.”
www.lattitudehub.com

Flypop hand, has avoided any exposure to ABOVE Romania's Fly
the pandemic and consequently is in Lili intends to use Airbus
United Kingdom the unique and fortunate position to A320-200 passengerand
extract maximum advantage from the and A310-300F freighter
Flypop describes itself as “for the lower costs resulting from the crisis. aircraft FLY LILI
South Asian diaspora run by the Flypop’s cost of entry is much lower
Fly Lili members of the Asian diaspora”. now than it would have been
The long-haul low-cost firm, which pre-COVID-19. Low fares always
Romania has existed for several years without stimulate greater demand. The sector
launching flights, secured investment is currently on the floor, but the
Fly Lili was founded last year, from the UK government’s Future market will return strongly.”
but plans are under way for its Fund, enabling it to announce plans
inaugural flight this summer linking for scheduled departures from For more on flypop’s ambitious
destinations inside its base country London/Stansted, following an April plans, including a chat with the CEO,
of Romania (Sibiu, Suceava and agreement to lease single-class Airbus check out the September/October
Satu Mare) with the German city A330-300s from Avolon. edition of our sister magazine
of Munich. It is expected to offer Airports of the World.
scheduled, charter, ACMI and CMI Nino Singh Judge, flypop founder www.flypop.com
flight operations for both passengers and CEO, said the carrier would
and cargo with a fleet of Airbus “contribute significantly to the Don’t miss part two of our special
A320-200 passenger and Airbus economic growth and closer cultural start-up round-up in the October
A310-300F freighter aircraft. links between [the UK and India] and issue of Airliner World!
eventually with all of South Asia”, but
“We are currently preparing, there warned that the high COVID case
is still a lot to do,” commented rate represented a “direct problem” for
managing director Jürgen Faff in plans to launch services to India.
May. “We hope that in the summer we
will be ready to start, but we will know Flypop’s website lists a dozen target
later a more concrete launch data.” destinations: Amritsar, Ahmedabad,
www.flylili.com Kolkata, Pune, Goa, Cochin, Sylhet,
Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot, Colombo
and Kathmandu. The airline expects
to operate its first flight in October
with one aircraft and plans to add
an extra example every six months.
Former Ryanair executive Charlie
Clifton, who joined flypop as a
senior operations adviser and board
member, said: “The incumbents have
been badly wounded after 18 months
without any revenue but plenty of
costs and debt. Flypop, on the other

ABOVE Flypop's
business model links
the UK to secondary
cities across India FLYPOP

LEFT On July 1,
flypop confirmed
that London/Stansted
would be its first UK
departure airport FLYPOP

www.key.aero 73

Completing

the set

Gordon Smith catches up with some of the key players from Embraer and
Helvetic Airways, as the Swiss carrier adds the E195-E2 to its fleet

The arrival of the E2s has transformed the Swiss carrier's
fleet into one of Europe's youngest HELVETIC AIRWAYS

74 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

Helvetic fleet comparison

Aircraft Number in fleet Seats Powerplants Seating configuration Maximum take-off weight Length
112 2 x GE CF34 2-2 114,199lb (51,800kg) 119ft (36.2m)
Embraer E190-E1 4 110 2 x PW1900G 2-2 124,340lb (56,400kg) 119ft (36.2m)
134 2 x PW1900G 2-2 135,584lb (61,500kg) 136ft (41.4m)
Embraer E190-E2 8

Embraer E195-E2 4

Source: Helvetic Airways

Just a couple of years ago, ABOVE: HB-AZI has been While the festivities were held that have emerged in recent months
joining a Helvetic Airways spotted in Hamburg, mainly online, due to continued vindicate the strategic choices we
service would likely have Germany, since joining the coronavirus restrictions, Tobias made back in 2018.”
meant getting on board Helvetic fleet in late June Pogorevc, the chief executive of
either a Fokker 100 or V1IMAGES.COM/DIRK GROTHE Helvetic, made clear there was still Mission flexibility
Embraer E1 jet. Fast forward to reason for celebration: “With Embraer,
now, and it’s a rather different story. BELOW: A Helvetic Embraer we have both the right types of Helvetic bosses said the staggered
While the pandemic raged across E190-E1 and E195-E2, will aircraft and the right industry partner. capacities of between 110 and 134
the airline’s core European markets, be stationed at EuroAirport Helvetic Airways now operates an passenger seats enabled the Swiss
the Zürich-based carrier was busy Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg optimal fleet mix, in terms of capacity carrier to “fly the right aircraft to
overhauling its fleet in the biggest HELVETIC AIRWAYS operate reliably and economically,
shake-up in the company’s history. and sustainability. And as and also to take full advantage
one of the leading E-Jet E2 of all the new opportunities in a
It’s farewell to the Dutch examples, operators in the world, [we] post-pandemic market”. The largest
and hello to a new generation will now be able to further E2 represented an upgauge to an
of regional narrowbody original all-E190-E2 order.
in an all-Brazilian strengthen its role as a
line-up. Complementing Swiss airline in the Speaking to Airliner World, Cesar
a quartet of Embraer European sky.” Pereira, vice-president EMEA at
E190s are a dozen E2s The Helvetic CEO Embraer Commercial Aviation,
– comprising both was also upbeat added: "It was a great honour to
the E190-E2 and about the industry join Helvetic for the first E195-E2
E195-E2, with the prospects for flight into its new home. It’s another
latter touching down the new jets, milestone in Embraer’s long
at Helvetic’s base suggesting the relationship with Helvetic, [which]
for the first time in delivery of the now operates three variants of our
late June. The arrival E195-E2 was aircraft, in an all-Embraer fleet.”
of the largest of the even more
São José dos Campos critical in a The honours of being the first
family of jets marks a post-pandemic Helvetic E195-E2 fell to HB-AZI
major milestone, both for the world: “The structural (c/n 19020055). It departed Embraer’s
airline and the manufacturer. changes in the headquarters – situated approximately
demand for air travel 65 miles east of downtown São Paulo
– and continued its journey with
scheduled stopovers in the Brazilian
coastal city of Natal as well as Las
Palmas in the Canary Islands, before
arriving in Switzerland. The delivery
sortie covered about 6,100 miles with
a journey time of around 11.5 hours.

The second example arrived in the
first half of July, the third one landed
on July 25 and the fourth is due to be
delivered in mid-August.

Eco considerations

Speaking at the delivery event
broadcast to Helvetic employees in
Europe, Arjan Meijer, president and
CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation
added his thoughts on the milestone:
“With the new E195-E2, Helvetic
builds on its reputation as one of the
most environmentally committed
airlines in Europe. Not only does the
aircraft burn 25% less fuel than its
predecessor, its noise footprint is 65%
smaller. The E2s are great news for
communities near airports.”

The E2’s fuel efficiencies were not
lost on Mehdi Guenin, Helvetic’s
senior spokesperson, who spoke to
Airliner World about the wider fleet
overhaul. Asked why the Swiss carrier
opted for the E2 over rivals such
as the Airbus A220, he explained
the decision came down to three
key elements: “Firstly, we’ve been
operating Embraer aircraft since
2015 – it was therefore logical to
build on this base. Secondly, the E2

www.key.aero 75

family distinguishes itself from the few thousand flights,” said Guenin. ABOVE: The interior aircraft. It is moments like these
competitors with very low operating “This volume is due to the impact of of Helvetic's E195-E2 – when customers really see the extra
and maintenance costs, fuel savings the COVID-19 pandemic on air flagship EMBRAER value Embraer delivers – that creates
between 20-25%, thanks to the traffic. Under these conditions, the special bonds we have with so
latest-generation Pratt & Whitney our eight E190-E2s confirm their BELOW: The E2 features a many of our operators.”
engine, as well as improved incredible ecological performance highly aerodynamic wing
aerodynamics. The E2's range allows with a fuel economy per flight design and latest-generation Reflecting on the monumental
us to fly to destinations that were of nearly 20%, and a very high Pratt & Whitney engines changes that have taken place, both
previously unthinkable for a regional operational/technical reliability. HELVETIC AIRWAYS internally and externally, over the
aircraft. Finally, thanks to its very course of the past two years, Guenin
popular 2-2 configuration, the E2 “After the first flights, passengers acknowledged that it hasn't always
enables a very fast and comfortable [were] impressed by the size of the been easy, but teamwork has been
boarding and de-boarding.” aircraft, but also by its comfort, its critical to success: “The whole
silence and the brightness of its process is indeed a challenge. But
Embraer efficiencies interior due to the large windows.” thanks to the advanced skills of our
different teams and the outstanding
Having previously operated a Embraer’s Pereira said Helvetic’s collaboration with Embraer, we will
mixed-OEM fleet, Guenin added that feedback from using the jets in complete the project on time,” he
commonality between the Embraer revenue service had been very said. “With the arrival of our latest
examples was also an important welcome: “It has been particularly E195-E2 in mid-August, Helvetic
consideration: “Communality is satisfying to see Helvetic’s E2s Airways will have completely
a key factor for Helvetic. By being surpass even Embraer’s promises on renewed its fleet in just 22 months
able to plan our cockpit and cabin fuel burn and emissions performance – an impressive achievement.”
crews independently on the Embraer in the day-to-day operation of [its]
E195-E2 or E190-E2, we can operate
in an absolutely efficient way, both
from an economical and operational
point of view. This avoids many of
the issues frequently encountered
by other airlines operating different
aircraft types in their fleet, with
different qualifications, procedures
and training contents.”

Helvetic joins KLM Cityhopper
(Netherlands), Azul (Brazil), Binter
Canarias (Spain), Air Peace (Nigeria),
and Belavia (Belarus) as global
E195-E2 operators. With the airline
also holding purchase rights for
another 12 airframes, there are hopes
that further Embraer jets could yet
join the fleet – but what has the
response been to the examples
already flying with the Swiss carrier?

“We are very satisfied with the
aircraft's performance, so far. For the
moment, we are on the low end of a

76 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

RE-PRI N T S
Custom re-prints of features
available for use as:

• Press Pack Inserts
• Sales Promotions
• Company Reports and more...

Tailored to your specific needs, re-prints can showcase
your company, products or services in association
with the leading civil aviation magazine.

For further information call ANDY MASON:

Tel: +44 (0)1780 663011 Ext: 150
E-mail: [email protected]

The sudden halt imposed by such unprecedented activity, it is exposed to weather events, with
COVID-19 hit civil aviators comforting to know that the risk numerous incidents of grounded
incredibly hard. In April management processes that made aircraft being damaged by hailstorms
2020, two-thirds of the airline travel safer than any form and hurricanes.
global commercial aviation of travel prior to the pandemic will
fleet sat idle, while passenger traffic continue to drive an unparalleled The risk of shunting or ground
was down 90% year-on-year. Now, in travel safety environment in the incidents also increases, which can
summer 2021, the aviation industry is post-Covid world,” says Dave Warfel, bring costly claims. There were a
slowly rebounding, led by recovering regional head of aviation at AGCS. number of collisions at the start of the
domestic travel in larger nations, such pandemic, as operators transferred
as the United States and China. 2. Air-rage incidents aircraft to storage facilities. AGCS
suggests more are likely when aircraft
As more aircraft return to the skies, Unruly behaviour by passengers is are moved again ahead of reuse.
a new report from aviation insurer an increasing concern, particularly
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty in the United States. In a typical Aircraft in storage typically undergo
(AGCS) suggests some of the unique year, there are about 150 reports of regular maintenance to ensure they
challenges the sector could face as the passenger disruption on aircraft. By are ready to return. However, never
industry restarts operations. Here, we June 2021, there had been 3,000, has the industry seen so many
look at eight possible trends to watch... according to the Federal Aviation aircraft temporarily put out of service.
Administration – the majority The report notes that smaller airlines
1. ‘Rusty’ pilots involving passengers refusing to may face significant challenges when
wear a mask. The report notes that reactivating fleets, as it will be an
Earlier this year, dozens of pilots disorderly passengers may later claim unprecedented process.
reported making mistakes – such as they were discriminated against
taking multiple attempts to land – by the airline in these cases, even 4. Pilot shortages
to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting when in the wrong – a trend aviation
System, with many citing rustiness insurers and carriers alike need to Odd as it may seem, given recent
as a factor on returning to the skies. stay on top of. events, the global aviation industry
Airlines (and other operators) are faces a pilot shortage in the mid to
well aware of the potential for pilot 3. Parked fleet peril long term. The tremendous increase
problems and continue to take steps to in air travel before the pandemic
manage and mitigate these risks. Although a large proportion of the meant pilot demand was already
world’s airline fleet has been parked outstripping supply. More than
Most major carriers have developed during COVID-19, loss exposures do 250,000 are required over the
training programmes for pilots not simply disappear, they change. coming decade, according to AGCS.
re-entering service, depending on For example, parked fleets are often
the length of absence. “At a time of “In less regulated countries,
shortages can lead to pilots operating
78 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

We highlight eight areas to keep
an eye on as commercial aviation
readies for a post-pandemic return

to the skies

commercial aircraft with limited compared to the same two week ABOVE • Global air traffic is double those added in 2016 – driven
qualifications and low overall flying period in 2019. The report expects air gradually recovering, but by Europe (more than 600) and
time,” says Warfel. “Pilot fatigue is also cargo to continue to perform strongly. the picture remains patchy Asia Pacific (more than 500), with
a known risk among existing pilots AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM regional airports set to be the main
[and] that must be properly managed. 6. Business travel beneficiaries. Growth in China’s
Fortunately, there is a lot of industry /OLIVIER CORNELOUP domestic market alone has seen more
expertise and resources available Pre-COVID business travel traffic than 200 new routes added – almost
to assist airlines in building proper amounted to $1.5 trillion a year or the same as the US.
fatigue management systems.” around 1.7% of global GDP. With many
airlines dialling back expectations “This development reflects the
Some airlines are going one step in the short-term, the report asks desire of some airlines to experiment
further and building their own pilot whether those days are over. New in uncertain times,” says Axel von
pipelines, by setting up flight schools. ways of collaboration, such as video Frowein, a regional head of aviation
Given the nature of training, AGCS calls, proved to be effective, and at AGCS. “New routes mean less
reports that flight schools can be more companies are aiming to congested airspace and congestion
prone to accidents, and claims are reduce business travel to improve at airports, which can have a positive
becoming more expensive with their carbon footprint. Therefore, impact on risks such as ground
rising values of aircraft and increased while there will be initial surge once handling incidents. However, flying
activity. Landing accidents are most lockdowns end, many airlines are new routes can bring a heightened
common, but insurers have also seen preparing for a long-term paradigm risk environment.”
total hull losses. shift in travelling, with business travel
expected to be slow to pick up. 8. Insect infestations
5. Air cargo focus
However, what speaks for a possible There have been a number of reports
Although passenger travel has been uptick is that some areas of business of unreliable airspeed and altitude
devastated by the pandemic, other aviation have proven resilient during readings during first flights after
aviation sectors have performed more the pandemic. Companies that had some aircraft have left storage. In
robustly, such as cargo operators. aircraft continued to use them while many cases, the problem was traced
In April 2021, Asia-Pacific reported many that had never purchased or back to undetected insect nests inside
its best month for international air chartered an aircraft before did so for pitot tubes – pressure-sensitive
freight since the pandemic began, the first time. As such, many charter sensors that feed data to an avionics
thanks to rising business confidence, companies thrived. computer. Such incidents have led to
e-commerce and congestion at sea rejected take-offs and turn back
ports. Meanwhile, Latin America to 7. New routes events. The AGCS report suggests this
North America freighter capacity risk increases if storage procedures
grew by almost a third in May 2021, More than 1,400 new air links are are not followed.
scheduled for 2021 – more than
www.key.aero 79

German aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth
shares his personal account of visiting

Concorde at Heathrow on the day the United
States came under attack in 2001

The view

FROM

ATLA
80 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

September 11, 2001 was timing was not accidental but BELOW • The future of by the events that were about to
flagged as an important designed to coincide with the first BA's Concorde fleet was unfold on the other side of the ocean.
one in my diary, long before Concorde test flight carrying a full thrown into jeopardy by
the tragic events unfolded load of passengers after the extended the 2000 crash in Paris After a thrilling few hours spotting,
in the United States. Since stay on terra firma – the date was and the events of 9/11 I made my way over to the BA
my first flight on Concorde in 1993, September 11, 2001. BRITISH AIRWAYS maintenance facility. While I was
as a young aviation reporter, the checking in, my wife called from
supersonic airliner was close to my I had arrived from Hamburg a few home. Apparently, a small aircraft had
avgeek heart as the most incredible hours early before the afternoon hit the World Trade Center in New
flying machine I had – and have visit to BA. To kill time and enjoy York, which had happened at 1346hrs
ever – experienced. the bustle of aircraft movements, I BST. Initial reports suggested it was a
remember visiting the free, if slightly tragic accident, as it didn’t appear to
I extensively covered the Concorde run-down, rooftop terrace of the be a big airliner.
crash in July 2000, with a German Queen’s Building at Heathrow (later
weekly newspaper even going so demolished in 2009 to make room Having visited the South Tower’s
far as to purchase me a ticket for a for the new Terminal 2). It is hard to stunning ‘Top of the World’
British Airways supersonic sortie in imagine nowadays, but access was observation deck on the 107th floor
the week following the disaster. They available without any security check, during previous visits to the Big
paid an insane sum of money to get climbing some dark and slightly dirty Apple, the incident still felt close to
me on board and report on how it felt stairs, and there were no glass walls to home. This, of course, was a time
to fly in the aftermath of the accident act as a physical barrier to enclose the before smartphones or ubiquitous
(those, of course, were the days when terrace. Little did I, or anyone, know Wi-Fi, with most people having
certain sections of the media still had at this moment that these were to fairly primitive mobile phones. Any
big travel expense accounts). That be the final hours of an open and communication while on the move
particular newspaper-funded trip was easy-access rooftop-viewing area at was limited to traditional voice calls or
before Concorde’s general grounding Heathrow for a long time. SMS text messages.
on August 15, 2000.
Of even greater consequence was Along with a few other journalists,
Concorde rebound that all the aircraft I was watching I was taken to a meeting room by
taxi along the apron towards the British Airways officials and told
It was, therefore, very exciting to be runway for transatlantic flights that to wait for Mike Bannister, who, at
invited a year later to visit British afternoon would soon be in dire that time, was still on approach to
Airways’ maintenance base at its straits, unable to complete their Heathrow on his first test flight with a
Heathrow home and hub. The journey to North America. Whether full cabin on G-BOAF. The majority of
itinerary included a briefing by returning to their point of origin those on board were BA staff who had
Mike Bannister, Concorde’s chief or having to divert to emergency won their tickets in an internal lottery.
pilot, as well as various senior BA alternates, such as the Canadian
engineers on the technical progress gateways of Gander and Halifax With me and my fellow journalists
made to ready the jet for its return to – no-one would be unaffected continuing to receive anecdotal
scheduled service after more than 12 reports via SMS and telephone calls,
months on the ground. The

NTIC
www.key.aero 81

we insisted that a television was made ABOVE • The author had Bannister took a short glimpse at the situation was in New York. It occurred
available. A set was eventually moved flown on the supersonic jet screen showing one tower emitting to me that everything that was
into the meeting room where we on multiple occasions prior billows of smoke, uttered “Oh, that being said at Heathrow was about to
watched live coverage from New York. to the 2000 grounding looks horrific”, then ordered with become meaningless in comparison,
It was a horrific sight, with the North VIA AUTHOR the authority of a captain giving a with the outside world, as we knew
Tower of the World Trade Center up TOP • Journalists were command: “Now we switch off the TV it, seeming to crumble. I’m sure after
in flames on the top floors, the façade invited to Heathrow on and turn to Concorde.” He clearly had a few minutes, others must have
clearly smashed, but it still remained September 11, 2001, a mission, and nothing would deflect also received messages, but none of
unclear what kind of aircraft had to learn more about his attention on what he was going to the invited guests dared to interrupt
hit it and why. This was particularly the efforts to return deliver to the journalists. or leave the room, which, today,
troubling as it was obviously a crystal Concorde to service probably would happen instantly with
clear blue-sky morning in Manhattan. VIA AUTHOR It felt utterly weird, even at this early smartphones transmitting real-time
stage in the events that would later coverage, always and everywhere.
Around this time, Mike Bannister BELOW • London to New become known as 9/11, but we were
entered the room with a big smile. York was Concorde's there to get long-awaited first-hand Digesting the disaster
I had met him before and had even most important market insights into the process of returning
flown with him on Concorde in the VIA AUTHOR Concorde into service. Bannister’s presentation ended
cockpit jump seat. He was seemingly with him stressing how satisfied he
in a kind of tunnel vision, so focused Minutes after Bannister started his was with the progress made on the
on the task at hand, having just presentation, my wife sent another Concorde project, and how much
completed the first test flight, that SMS: “A second aircraft has crashed he looked forward to the imminent
he hadn’t fully realised what was into the other tower.” That had return of supersonic service. But did
unfolding across the Atlantic. New happened at 1402hrs BST, and even this even matter now? Wasn’t the core
York was Concorde’s main passenger without further information, this transatlantic market for Concorde, the
market, with many of its most made it clear this was an orchestrated bankers, brokers and other movers
frequent fliers having offices in and attack, rather than an accident. It and shakers with endless expense
around the World Trade Center. was surreal, and it was impossible to accounts, collapsing as we spoke?
concentrate on what was being said,
even though I was normally hugely After Bannister, Claud Freeman,
interested in the topic. then Concorde head engineer at BA,
took over the presentation and gave
It seemed like I was the only one in a superb briefing of how Concorde
the room, at that moment, who knew had been modified after the accident
just how horrifying the developing to alleviate concerns of the same
sequence of events ever happening
again. While he was talking about
the new radial tyres and the
custom-sized Kevlar-rubber linings
– 82 in total per aircraft that been
mounted on the bottom of all fuel
tanks by up to 40 mechanics working
simultaneously – I received another
SMS from my wife. Its content was
even more shocking: “Now one tower
has collapsed!”, which had happened
to the South Tower at 1459hrs BST.
It was beyond comprehension,
especially sitting in front of a dark
TV screen, which could have let us
witness this event of world-shattering
consequences, talking about
technical details of an aircraft,
which probably was
rendered useless at

82 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

this very moment. In my memory, made to bring Concorde back – huge BELOW • BA formally retired or another. This, of course, happened,
we didn’t switch the TV on again, dedication and a lot of money being the supersonic jet in 2003 but not immediately, as it later
and instead looked at profile samples spent to make it happen. Before BRITISH AIRWAYS turned out. On November 7, 2001,
of the former Concorde tyre and the we parted ways, Bannister took us transatlantic supersonic services
new radial example, custom-designed outside to see G-BOAF parked in front were restarted. However, after 9/11,
by Michelin to prevent big chunks of of the hangar, on which he had flown the already volatile market for the
rubber coming off, even if penetrated a full cabin of guests just a few hours ultra-premium service never
by a sharp-edged metal piece as in earlier. It felt hollow somehow, and quite returned to pre-2000 levels,
the Paris accident a year earlier. I didn’t know what to make of all of expediting the decision to retire the
this, even though I wasn’t aware at jet completely in 2003.
We then visited the BA Concorde the time that also the North Tower of
hangar to look at the real thing. the World Trade Center had given way But on that fateful day in Heathrow,
Freeman even climbed into one of at 1528hrs BST. my first concern was if I would be
the fuel tanks, demonstrating the getting home at all that evening.
new Kevlar installation and smiling I had a feeling that the events Overflying the British capital was
for photos. It was stunning and unfolding in the United States would prohibited, out of fear something
heartening to see the efforts being mean the end for Concorde, one way similar might be repeated, so there
was a bottleneck of aircraft having to
be re-routed. I watched some of the
overwhelming footage from the US,
which I had missed earlier in the day.
I also gave my first-ever radio
interviews from a mobile phone that
evening, as an aviation expert,
awaiting my delayed departure back
to Hamburg (that ultimately did take
flight). Little did I know that only two
months after 9/11, I would find myself
back on board Concorde on my way
to New York, and about to witness
another catastrophe.

Don’t miss Andreas’ first-hand account
of his post-9/11 trip to New York onboard
Concorde in the November 2021 issue of
Airliner World

www.key.aero 83

The latest AirBlue [PA/ABQ ‘AIRBLUE’] Flair Airlines [F8/FLE ‘FLAIR’]
commercial
AP-BOE A321neo 10162 ex D-AVYE, dd 14.05.21 C-FLEJ 737 MAX 8 64941 ex N57001, N1782B, N1786B, dd 26.05.21, lsd
aircraft fr 777 Partners; fleet #902
deliveries from SereneAir [ER/SEP]
manufacturers Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express) [QK/JZA ‘JAZZ’]
AP-BNG A330-200 900 ex F-WTAU, dd 02.06.21, lsd fr Carlyle Aviation
and lessors Partners C-FEIQ E175 ex PT-SZI, reg’d 14.06.21

New Italian freight airline Emirates [EK/UAE ‘EMIRATES’] C-FEJL E175 ex PT-SZV, reg’d 01.06.21
AlisCargo has accepted
its first aircraft – a A6-EVP A380-800 269 ex F-WWSS, dd 12.05.21 C-FFYG E175 ex PT-SDD, reg’d 30.06.21
19-year-old Boeing 777-
DHL Aviation [ES/DHX ‘DILMUN’] C-FJBO E175 ex PP-PJB, reg’d 01.06.21
200ER, EI-GWA (c/n 30871)
– on lease from Boeing A9C-DHU 767-300ER(BCF) 33085 ex N346AN, dd 25.06.21 C-FRQK E175 ex M-ABKR, reg’d 14.06.21

Commercial Corporation Air China [CA/CCA ‘AIR CHINA’] C-FRQM E175 ex M-ABKS, reg’d 28.06.21
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
TREVOR MULKERRINS B-322W A320neo 10430 ex B-007K, dd 24.04.21, lsd fr BoComm C-FRQN E175 ex M-ABKT, reg’d 23.06.21
Leasing
Key to Abbreviations C-FRQP E175 ex SP-LIE, reg’d 28.06.21
a/c aircraft
als airlines B-322X A320neo 10202 ex B-007P, dd 28.05.21 C-FRQW E175 ex SP-LIF, reg’d 15.06.21
awys airways
bf bought from Capital Airlines (Beijing Capital Airlines) [JD/CBJ ‘CAPITAL JET’] C-FUJE E175 ex PP-PJE, reg’d 30.06.21
b/u broken up/scrapped
canx cancelled B-322M A320neo 9199 ferried TLS-PEK 18.06.21, was dd 29.05.20 C-FXJC E175 ex PP-PJC, reg’d 02.06.21
cls colours
cn manufacturer’s B-322N A320neo 9460 ferried TLS-PEK 25.06.21, was dd 30.12.20 C-FXJF E175 ex PP-PJF, reg’d 02.06.21

construction/serial Chengdu Airlines [EU/UEA ‘UNITED EAGLE’] Wings over Kississing [-/-]
number
cnvrtd converted B-651M ARJ21-700 160 ex B-001K, dd 06.06.21 C-FORC DHC-2 1499 ex CF-ORC, reg’d 18.06.21
dbf destroyed by fire
dbr damaged beyond B-651P ARJ21-700 165 ex B-099C, dd 18.06.21 Morningstar Air Express [-/MAL ‘MORNINGSTAR’]
repair
dd delivery date China Eastern Airlines [MU/CES ‘CHINA EASTERN’] C-FMEZ 757-200(F) 27147 ex N976FD, reg’d 23.06.21
ex previous reg'n
ff first flight B-30CX A320neo 9219 ex D-AVVX, dd 07.05.21, st CSA Leasing & Pacific Coastal Airlines [8P/PCO ‘PASCO’]
frtr freighter lsd back
lrf last revenue flight C-FWZK Be1900D UE-8 ex D-CBSF, reg’d 23.06.21, lsd fr Beau Del
lsd fr leased from B-30CY A320neo 9261 ex D-AXAH, dd 11.05.21 Leasing
lsd to leased to
msn see cn B-30C3 A320neo 9268 ex D-AXAG, dd 07.05.21 PAL Airlines [PB/PVL ‘PROVINCIAL’]
ntu not taken up
oo on order B-323Y A320neo 10137 ex B-007U, dd 17.05.21 C-FPPW DHC 8-100 390 rr C-FDDG 24.06.21
op operated
pax passenger B-323Z A320neo 10153 ex B-007W, dd 24.05.21 Pascan Aviation [-/PSC ‘PASCAN’]
pwfu permanently
withdrawn from use China Express Airlines [G5/HXA ‘CHINA EXPRESS’] C-FKSL Saab 340B 340B-412 ex N412XJ, reg’d 02.06.21
reg’d registered
reg’n registration B-650V ARJ21-700 143 ex B-099R, dd 07.06.21 C-GRDU Saab 340B 340B-415 ex N415XJ, reg’d 02.06.21
ret fr returned from
ret to returned to China Postal Airlines [CF/CYZ ‘CHINA POSTAL’] Questral Helicopters [-/-]
rr re-registered
rts return to service B-5576 737-800(F) 38011 lsd fr BoComm Leasing, cnvrtd to 737-800(F) C-GZAE H215 2567 ex G-CHCF, reg’d 11.06.21
sb sold by at Jinan 06.21
scr scrapped/broken up C-GZXH H215 2395 ex G-CHCI, reg’d 11.06.21
st sold to
std stored China Southern Airlines [CZ/CSN ‘CHINA SOUTHERN’] VIH Cougar Helicopters [-/VHC ‘Wildcat’]
tba to be advised
unk unknown B-323F A321neo 10228 ex D-AYAI, dd 27.05.21 C-GVGZ S-92A 920205 ex N294BG, reg’d 01.06.21
wfu withdrawn from use
w/o written off/destroyed Colorful Guizhou Airlines [GY/CGZ ‘COLORFUL’] LATAM Airlines Chile [LA/LAN ‘LAN’]

Thanks to Dave B-323P A320neo 10543 ex F-WWIZ, dd 21.05.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital CC-BEF A321ceo 6780 ex N495MN, dd 22.06.21
Richardson and Group
LAASI Aviation for CC-BEH A321ceo 6894 ex N891EB, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr Sierra Echo

the above Jiangxi Air [RY/CJX ‘AIR CRANE’] CC-BEJ A321ceo 7036 ex N682GY, dd 03.06.21

B-650X ARJ21-700 160 ex B-099G, dd 18.06.21 CC-BGE 787-9 38478 ex N931DJ, dd 06.21, lsd fr AerCap

Juneyao Airlines [HO/DKH ‘AIR JUNEYAO’] Sky Airline [H2/SKU ‘AEROSKY’]

B-323R A320neo 10326 ex B-007X, dd 18.05.21 CC-AZT A320neo 9344 ferried XFW-SCL 11.06.21, was dd 30.07.20,
lsd fr Alafco
OTT Airlines [-/OTT ‘OTT AIRLINES’]

B-651E ARJ21-700 157 ex B-001U, dd 01.06.21 CC-DBH A320neo 10123 ex D-AVVL, dd 28.05.21, lsd fr China Aircraft
Leasing Group
Qingdao Airlines [QW/QDA ‘SKY LEGEND’]

B-323K A320neo 10325 ex B-000Q, dd 20.05.21 CC-DBJ A320neo 10293 ferried TLS-SCL was dd 26.02.21

SF Airlines [O3/CSS ‘SHUN FENG’] Nauru Airlines [ON/RON ‘AIR NAURU’]

N207DP 767-300ER 30342 ex N207DP, dd 14.06.21 VH-YNU 737-300 25607 ex N256NA, cnvrtd to 737-300(F) at Miami dd
25.06.21
Shenzhen Airlines [ZH/CSZ ‘SHENZHEN AIR’]

B-322S A320neo 10278 ex B-000S, dd 18.05.21 Air Hamburg [HH/AHO ‘AIR HAMBURG’]

Sichuan Airlines [3U/CSC ‘SICHUAN’] D-AAHO ERJ135 reg’d 23.01.21

B-321E A320neo 10399 ex B-005W, dd 26.05.21, lsd fr China Aircraft D-AWOW E190 ex N727EE, dd 21.06.21
Leasing Group
Lufthansa [LH/DLH ‘LUFTHANSA’]

Tibet Airlines [TV/TBA ‘TIBET’] D-AIEG A321neo 10059 reg’d 10.03.21

B-320F A319ceo 10094 ferried XFW-CTU 16.06.21 after storage, was D-AIEH A321neo 10318 ex D-AYAJ, dd 04.05.21; Suhl
dd 03.12.20
D-AIEI A321neo 10304 ex D-AVXZ, dd 01.05.21; Uhingen

Air Macau [NX/AMU ‘AIR MACAU’] D-AIJD A320neo 10281 reg’d 13.01.21

B-MBS A321neo 10294 ex D-AVXE, dd 28.05.21, lsd fr AerCap; Hou D-AIJE A320neo 10360 reg’d 17.03.21
Seng
Fiji Airways [FJ/FJI ‘FIJI’]

STARLUX Airlines [JX/SJX ‘STARWALKER’] DQ-FAE 737 MAX 8 64309 ex N1786B, dd 25.05.21, lsd fr GECAS; Island
of Koro
B-58205 A321neo 10270 ferried XFW-TPE was dd 23.12.20

Air Canada [AC/ACA ‘AIR CANADA’] DQ-FAH 737 MAX 8 64311 dd 27.05.21, lsd fr GECAS; Island of Ovalau

C-GTZS A220-300 55117 reg’d 09.06.21, was dd 27.05.21; fleet #120 Aura Airlines [-/GWR ‘LEMON’]

C-GTZU A220-300 55118 dd 28.05.21, YMX-YYZ 03.06.21; fleet #121 EC-NOZ A320ceo 4113 ex EI-GUJ, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr Aircastle

C-GUAC A220-300 55119 dd 10.06.21; fleet #122 OE-ISS A330-200 1210 ex N618AC, reg’d 21.06.21, lsd fr Aircastle

C-GUPG A220-300 55122 dd 25.06.21; fleet #123 Binter Canarias [NT/IBB ‘BINTER’]

Air Tindi [8T/TIN ‘TINDI’] EC-NPU E190-E2 ex PR-ECV, dd 15.06.21

C-FJAC DHC-2 937 ex CF-JAC, reg’d 02.06.21 LEVEL [-/-]

Calm Air [MO/CAV ‘CALM AIR’] EC-NNH A330-200 1936 ex F-HLVN, reg’d 23.06.21, lsd fr China Aircraft
Leasing Group
C-FJKQ ATR 72-500 888 ex F-OIXL, reg’d 28.06.21

C-GRFU ATR 72-200(F) 455 ex N455CJ, reg’d 03.06.21 One Airways [OX/OEW ‘DREAMER’]

Cargojet Airways [W8/CJT ‘CARGOJET’) EC-NMO A319ceo 5079 ex OY-RCG, dd 22.06.21, op for Lattitude Hub

C-FACJ 757-200(F) 29594 ex N184AN, reg’d 18.06.21 Swiftair [WT/SWT ‘SWIFT’]

C-GAZF 767-300ER(F) 25363 ex N563AZ, reg’d 25.06.21, lsd fr Amazon.com EC-NQJ 757-200PF 24868 ex LZ-BRB, dd 06.21
Services, op for Prime Air
Volotea [V7/VOE ‘VOLOTEA’]

Central Mountair Air [9M/GLR ‘GLACIER’] EC-ISI A320ceo 2123 ex OE-IOQ, dd 15.06.21 OSR-VCE, lsd fr GECAS;
El tiempo pasa volando
C-GUXZ DHC 8-300 554 ex N837CA, reg’d 16.06.21

Conair Aviation [-/FGD ‘FIREGUARD’] EC-NOL A320ceo 2740 ex N623VA, dd 01.06.21, lsd fr Carlyle Aviation
Partners; Love At First Flight
G-ECOG DHC 8-400 4220 ferried NRN-MST 16.06.21

G-ECOT DHC 8-400 4231 ferried MST-YXX 13.06.21 for water bomber EC-NPB A320ceo 3949 ex HK-5222, dd 08.06.21 NWI-VCE, lsd fr DAE
conversion Capital; Calypso

G-FLBD DHC 8-400 4231 ferried MST-YXX 14.06.21 for water bomber EC-NPC A320ceo 3931 ex HK-5223, dd 15.06.21 Norwich – Venice, lsd
conversion fr DAE Capital; Planino

84 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

9H-SLD A320ceo 3396 ex OE-LME, dd 20.06.21 MPL-NTE, lsd fr/op by Bristow Helikopter [-/NOR ‘NORSKE’]
SmartLynx Malta
LN-OII S-92A 920224 ex G-VINL, reg’d 30.06.21

9H-SLE A320ceo 3475 ex OE-LMF, dd 16.06.21 RIX-VCE, lsd fr/op by LN- S-92A 920196 ex G-CHYG
SmartLynx Malta
LN- S-92A 920224 ex G-CIGZ
ex OE-LMN, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr/op by
9H-SLH A320ceo 3425 SmartLynx Malta Flyr [-/FOX ‘GREENSTAR’]

World2Fly [2W/WFL ‘BLUE WORLD’] LN-FGA 737-800 40014 ex EI-GUK, dd 10.06.21, lsd fr Pembroke We welcome
Aircraft Leasing any feedback
ex EI-FBE, dd 11.06.21, lsd fr Macquarie on this listing.
EC-LXR A330-300E 1097 AirFinance LN-FGB 737-800 40881 ex EI-GVP, dd 18.06.21, lsd fr Pembroke Aircraft
Leasing 11 Ltd (The listing is alphabetical
ASL Airlines Ireland [AG/ABR ‘CONTRACT’] with reference to the
Norwegian Air Shuttle AOC [-/NOZ ‘NORSEMAN’] registration of the country
cnvrtd to 737-800(BCF) 06.21 at CAN, dd of origin. Columns indicate
OE-IWA 737-800 33623 17.06.21 LN-DYJ 737-800 39045 ex EI-FHR, lsd fr Wings Capital Partners, reg’d the registration, type,
29.06.21 construction number and
Aircompany Armenia [RM/NGT ‘NIKA’] notes.)
LN-DYK 737-800 39046 ex EI-FHN, lsd fr Wings Capital Partners, reg’d
EK73705 737-800 35105 ex 4L-GTG, dd 03.06.21, lsd fr Georgian 09.06.21 The third Boeing
Airways 737-800 for Bees Airline,
LN-DYR 737-800 40870 ex EI-FHV, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital, reg’d UR-UBC (c/n 29654),
Armenia Airways [6A/AMW ‘ARMENIA’] 23.06.21 was repainted at
Airbourne Colours’ East
EK-SKA 737-500 26297 ex EK-73797, dd 08.06.21 LN-DYX 737-800 39011 ex EI-FHD, lsd fr DVB Bank, reg’d 21.06.21 Midlands facility in April
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
Toos Airline [-/-] LN-DYY 737-800 39012 ex EI-FHA, lsd fr DVB Bank, reg’d 24.06.21 STUART LAWSON

EP-TOA A310-300 576 ex EY-707, seen THR 31.05.21 LN-ENO 737-800 42088 ex EI-FVU, lsd fr ?, reg’d 16.06.21

SmartLynx Airlines [-/MYX ‘TALLINN CAT’] LN-ENP 737-800 42090 ex EI-FVX, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital, reg’d
08.06.21
ES-SAZ A320ceo 3308 ex OE-IHZ, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr GECAS

Sky KG Airlines [-/KGK ‘KYRGZ SKY’] LN-ENQ 737-800 42092 ex EI-FVY, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital, reg’d
02.06.21
EX-47003 747-400 25703 ex EC-KXN, dd 08.06.21

Transavia France [HO/TVF ‘FRENCH SOLEIL’] LN-ENR 737-800 42093 ex EI-FVZ, lsd fr ?, reg’d 11.06.21

F-HUYA 737-800 42271 ex SE-RPC, dd 16.06.21, lsd fr Jackson Square LN-ENS 737-800 42281 ex EI-FVV, lsd fr ?, reg’d 10.06.21
Aviation
LN-ENT 737-800 42282 ex EI-FVW, lsd fr Itochu, reg’d 03.06.21

F-HUYB 737-800 42274 ex SE-RRY, dd 18.06.21, lsd fr Jackson Square LN-ENV 737-800 41140 ex EI-FHK, lsd fr Doric Aviation, reg’d 30.06.21
Aviation
LN-NIH 737-800 43879 dd 11.06.21, lsd fr ICBC Financial Leasing

Bristow Helicopters [-/BHL ‘BRISTOW’] LN-NII 737-800 43877 dd 10.06.21, lsd fr ICBC Financial Leasing

G-CIJC S-92A 920240 ex 5N-BTH, reg’d 10.06.21 LN-NOD 737-800 35280 ex EI-FHE, lsd fr AerCap, reg’d 04.06.21

CHC Scotia [-/GCY ‘HELIBIRD’] JetSMART Airlines [WJ/JES ‘SMARTBIRD’]

G-CHHF S-92A 920158 rr G-EMEE 26.05.21 LV-JQE A320ceo 8539 ex CC-AWG, dd 06.21, leased from Wings
Capital Partners
DHL Air [D0/DHK ‘WORLD EXPRESS’]

G-TUIN 787-9 64293 dd 21.06.21, lsd fr/op by TUI Airways Bulgaria Air [FB/LZB ‘FLYING BULGARIA’]

G-TUIO 787-9 64294 dd 21.06.21, lsd fr/op by TUI Airways LZ-FBI A320ceo 7264 ex OE-INV, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr ICBC Financial
Leasing
Jet2.com [LS/EXS ‘CHANNEX’]

G-DRTP 737-800 39067 ex 2-TJFM, reg’d 28.06.21, lsd fr MC Aviaton Cargo Air [-/CGF ‘CLEVER’]
Partners
LZ-CGA 737-800 30664 ex N364AV, ferried SNN-CGN 11.06.21

West Atlantic UK [-/NPT ‘NEPTUNE’] Air Cargo Carriers [2Q/SNC ‘NIGHT CARGO’)

G-CLXT ATR 72-200(F) 446 ex EC-JRP, reg’d 11.06.21 N370AA Shorts 360 SH3737 ex D-CCAS, reg’d 02.06.21

Wizz Air UK [W9/WUK ‘WIZZ GO’] N973AA Shorts 360 SH3749 ex N749JT, reg’d 02.06.21

G-WUKO A321neo 10479 ex D-AZAH, dd 20.05.21 Air Transport International [8C/ATN ‘AIR TRANSPORT’]

Wizz Air [W6/WZZ ‘WIZZ AIR’] N385AM 767-300ER(F) 27059 reg’d 29.06.21, lsd fr Cargo Aircraft
Management
HA-LVS A321neo 10389 ex D-AVXH, dd 10.05.21, lsd fr BoComm
Leasing N393AN 767-300ER(F) 29430 reg’d 29.06.21, Cargo Aircraft Management

HA-LVU A321neo 10369 ex D-AVXW, dd 19.05.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation Alaska Central Express [KO/AER ‘ACE AIR’]

Helvetic Airways [2L/OAW ‘HELVETIC’] N575A Be1900C UC-83 reg’d 03.06.21, lsd fr Tailwind Investments

HB-AZI E195-E2 ex PR-EAF, dd 23.06.21 N575Q Be1900C UC-160 reg’d 03.06.21, lsd fr Tailwind Investments

HB-AZJ E195-E2 ex PR-ECJ, dd 30.06.21 N1553C Be1900C UC-24 reg’d 03.06.21, lsd fr Tailwind Investments

Viva (Fast Colombia) [VH/VVC ‘VIVA COLOMBIA’] Allegiant Air [G4/AAY ‘ALLEGIANT’]

HK-5367 A320neo 10487 ex F-WWDY, dd 25.05.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital N202NV A320ceo 5440 ex F-WXAV, reg’d 02.06.21
Group; Volaré, oh oh
N289NV A320ceo 4574 ex RP-C3263, reg’d 29.06.21

Air Busan [BX/ABL ‘AIR BUSAN’] N622VA A320ceo 2674 reg’d 30.06.21

HL8395 A321neo 10020 ex D-AZAF, dd 26.05.21, lsd fr AerCap N625VA A320ceo 2800 ex F-WWIJ, dd 03.06.21, lsd fr GECAS

Asiana Airlines [OZ/AAR ‘ASIANA’] American Airlines [AA/AAL ‘AMERICAN’]

HL8398 A321neo 10457 ex D-AZAK, dd 31.05.21 N431AN A321neo 10385 ex F-WZMH, dd 20.05.21; fleet #431

Hi Air [4H/HGG ‘HI AIR’] Amerijet Intertnational [M6/AJT ‘AMERIJET’]

HL5245 ATR 72-500 852 ex F-WNUI, reg’d 28.06.21, lsd fr ATRiam N818NH 757-200(F) 29311 ex TF-LLX, dd 15.06.21
Capital
Bemidji Airlines [CH/BMJ ‘BEMIDJI’]
Aviation Horizons [-/HZS ‘HORIZON SKY’]
N3116N SA227 AC-596 reg’d 22.06.21
ex 9H-AHB, dd 03.03.21, lsd fr Vx Capital
P4-JMD 737-400(F) 27914 Partners Breeze Airways [-/MXY ‘MOXY’]

flynas [XY/KNE ‘NAS EXPRESS’] N115BZ E190 ex N96NC, dd 23.06.21, lsd fr Nordic Aviation
Capital
ex F-WWBO, dd 03.05.21, lsd fr CMB Financial
HZ-NS39 A320neo 10539 Leasing N132NK E190 ex C-FNAI, dd 16.06.21, lsd fr Nordic Aviation
Capital
HZ-NS42 A320neo 10550 ex F-WWBE, dd 10.05.21
N977NC E190 ex C-FHNW, dd 09.06.21, lsd fr Nordic Aviation
HZ-NS44 A320neo 10290 ex F-WWBU, dd 31.05.21 Capital

AlisCargo Airlines [-/-] Cape Air (Hyannis Air Service) [9K/KAP ‘CAIR’]

EI-GWA 777-200ER 30871 ex N528BC, lsd fr Boeing Capital N843CA P2012 033/US reg’d 23.06.21

Sky Alps [-/-] Delta Air Lines [DL/DAL ‘DELTA’]

9H-BEL DHC 8-400 4230 ex G-ECOK, dd 01.06.21, lsd fr Chorus Aviation, N309DU A220-300 55107 ex C-GPRL, dd 09.06.21, fleet #8309
op by Luxwing Malta
N118DY A321ceo 10140 ex F-WZMS, dd 06.05.21, fleet #1018
ex G-ECOO, dd 14.06.21, lsd fr Chorus Aviation,
9H-EVA DHC 8-400 4237 op by Luxwing Malta N120DN A321ceo 10185 ex F-WZMW, dd 04.05.21, fleet #1020

Aero Mongolia [M0/MNG ‘AERO MONGOLIA’] N121DZ A321ceo 10233 ex F-WZMY, dd 27.05.21, fleet #1021

JU-1199 A319ceo 3895 ex 2-SSIA, dd 06.19, lsd fr World Star Aviation N411DX A330-900 1991 ex F-WWYC, dd 27.05.21, fleet #3411

www.key.aero 85

The latest
commercial

aircraft
deliveries from
manufacturers

and lessors

Delta Air Lines has
received its 11th Airbus
A330-900 from an order
for 35 Rolls-Royce Trent

7000-powered jets
V1IMAGES.COM/

CLÉMENT ALLOING

N575DZ A350-900 282 ex PR-XTK, reg’d 22.06.21, lsd fr AerCap PH-NXD E195-E2 reg’d 14.05.21

Empire Airlines [EM/CFS ‘EMPIRE AIR’] Divi Divi Air [3R/DV ‘DIVI AIR’]

N701FE ATR 72-600F 1680 ex F-WNUF, op for FedEx Express PJ-DVG DHC 6-300 347 ex C-FZDQ, dd 07.06.21, lsd fr Kenn Borek Air

Envoy Air (American Eagle) [MQ/ENY ‘ENVOY’] Super Air Jet [SJV ‘PROSPER’]

N761RW E170 ex G-LCYE, reg’d 23.06.21, sub-lsd fr American PK-SAT A320ceo 6032 ex VH-XUG, dd 24.05.21, lsd fr ICBC Financial
Airlines Leasing

FedEx Express [FX/FDX ‘FEDEX’] PK-SAV A320ceo 4637 ex VT-IEE, dd 17.06.21, lsd fr Orix Aviation

N276FE 767-300F 66251 dd 06.05.21; Mckinley Tri-M.G Intra Asia Airlines [GM/TMG ‘TRILINES’]

N277FE 767-300F 66246 dd 14.05.21; Arielia PK-MGZ 737-300(F) 28398 ex N653SW, dd 22.06.21, lsd fr Rostrum
Leasing
N867FD 777F 40673 dd 25.05.21; Jaxson

N701FE ATR 72-600F 1680 ex F-WNUF, reg’d 01.06.21, op by Empire ITA Transportes Aéreos [8I/IPM ‘AEROITA’]
Airlines
PS-ITA A320ceo 2395 ex OE-ILV, dd 22.06.21, lsd fr DVB Bank

Freight Runners Express [-/FRG ‘FREIGHT RUNNERS’] PS-SFC A320ceo 2156 ex OE-IKJ, dd 05.06.21, lsd fr Deucalion
Aviation
N291SW EMB 120 120318 ex N660CT, reg’d 07.06.21

N564SW EMB 120 120339 reg’d 07.06.21 PS-TCS A320ceo 2204 ex VT-IDM, dd 06.21, lsd fr Carlyle Aviation
Partners
Frontier Airlines [F9/FFT ‘FRONTIER FLIGHT’]

N380FR A320neo 10512 ex F-WZMF, dd 19.05.21; Verde the Aeroflot Russian Airlines [SU/AFL ‘AEROFLOT’]
Resplendent Quetzal
VP-BPP A320neo 10193 ex D-AVXK, dd 26.05.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation;
GoJet Airlines [G7/GJS ‘LINDBERGH’] N. Vavilov

N511MJ CRJ700 10104 cnvrtd to CRJ550 & reg’d 30.06.21 VP-BPQ A320neo 10126 ex F-WWDF, d 18.05.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation;
A. Dobrynin
jetBlue Airways [B6/JBU ‘JETBLUE’]

N2102J A321neo 10120 ex F-WZMQ, dd 25.05.21 VP-BPR A320neo 10167 ex F-WWDZ, dd 28.05.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation;
W. Etusch
Mesa Airlines [YV/ASH ‘AIR SHUTTLE’]
ex D-AVYM, dd 28.05.21, lsd fr SMBC Aviation
N85379 E175 ex PR-ECL, dd 17.06.21 VP-BRC A321neo 10314 Capital; M. Godenko

N87380 E175 ex PR-ECP, dd 17.06.21 VP-BXA A350-900 428 ex F-WZFR, dd 27.05.21; A. Vasilevsky

Key to Abbreviations SkyWest Airlines [OO/SKW ‘SKYWEST’] VQ-BFZ A350-900 414 ex F-WZFN, dd 27.05.21; A. Dementyev

a/c aircraft N685SK CRJ700 10093 ex F-GRZI, reg’d 16.06.21 ATRAN – Aviatrans Cargo Airlines [V8/VAS ‘ATRAN’]
als airlines
awys airways N690SK CRJ700 10264 ex F-GRZN, reg’d 16.06.21 VQ-BFX 737-800(BCF) 33717 ex N239GE, dd 11.06.21, lsd fr GECAS
bf bought from
b/u broken up/scrapped Southwest Airlines [WN/SWA ‘SOUTHWEST’] Azimuth Airlines [A4/AZO ‘AZIMUTH DON’]
canx cancelled
cls colours N8807L 737 MAX 8 65438 reg’d 07.06.21 RA-89179 SSJ100 95182 ex 97016, dd 08.06.21; Tobol
cn manufacturer’s
N8810L 737 MAX 8 42647 reg’d 08.06.21 RA-89180 SSJ100 95184 ex 97011, dd 08.06.21
construction/serial
number N8811L 737 MAX 8 42661 reg’d 08.06.21 Azur Air [ZF/AZV ‘AZUR AIR’]
cnvrtd converted
dbf destroyed by fire N8812Q 737 MAX 8 42662 ex N1796B, N1786B, dd 20.05.21 VQ-BZE 757-200 26330 rr RA-73029 06.21
dbr damaged beyond
repair N8813Q 737 MAX 8 42646 ex N1800B, N1795B, N1786B, dd 24.05.21 iFly Airlines [F7/RSY ‘RUSSIAN SKY’]
dd delivery date
ex previous reg'n N8814K 737 MAX 8 42664 ex N1781B, N1786B, dd 19.05.21 EI-GWF A330-300 1265 ex F-HPTP, dd 05.06.21, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
ff first flight
frtr freighter N8815L 737 MAX 8 65473 reg’d 11.06.21 KomiAviaTrans [-/-]
lrf last revenue flight
lsd fr leased from Spirit Airlines [NK/NKS ‘SPIRIT WING’] RA-13344 An-24RV ex CCCP-13344
lsd to leased to
msn see cn N938NK A320neo 10402 ex F-WZMG, dd 12.05.21, lsd fr Avolon; fleet KrasAvia [-/SSJ ‘SIBERIAN SKY’]
ntu not taken up #4938
oo on order RA-67605 ATR 42-500 827 ex VQ-BKO, dd 29.05.21
op operated United Airlines [UA/UAL ‘UNITED’]
pax passenger Nordwind Airlines [N4/NWS ‘NORDLAND’]
pwfu permanently N873UA A319ceo 2004 ex B-6020, ferried XMN-SFO
withdrawn from use ex EI-EPF, dd 26.06.21, lsd fr SMBC Aviation
reg’d registered N6308U A319ceo 2691 ex G-EZAC, reg’d 03.06.21, ferried Lasham – VP-BDP 737-800 40309 Capital
reg’n registration Goodyearfor temp storage
ret fr returned from ex EI-EPH, dd 25.06.21, lsd fr SMBC Aviation
ret to returned to UPS – United Parcel Service [5X/UPS ‘UPS’] VP-BDQ 737-800 40311 Capital
rr re-registered
rts return to service N627UP 747-8F 65780 dd 19.05.21 VP-BUM A330-300E 1361 ex M-ABLV, dd 22.06.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation
sb sold by
scr scrapped/broken up USA Jet Airlines [UJ/JUS ‘JET USA’] VQ-BJC A321neo 7694 ex OE-IFX, dd 09.06.21, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
st sold to
std stored N915DE MD-88 53420 reg’d 11.06.21, std BYH North-West Aircompany [0E/NWC ‘WEST WAY’]
tba to be advised
unk unknown N916DL MD-88 49591 ferried BYH-YIP 16.06.21 for continued storage, RA-73028 A321neo 9524 ex F-WXAH, seen TLL 31.05.21 in full colours
wfu withdrawn from use reg’d 26.06.21
w/o written off/destroyed Pobeda [DP/PBD ‘POBEDA’]
N959DL MD-88 49978 reg’d 26.06.21
Thanks to Dave ex N1786B, dd 20.06.21, lsd fr Avia Capital
N970DL MD-88 53173 reg’d 22.06.21, std YIP, N839US reserved VQ-BHQ 737-800 41226 Solutions
Richardson and 22.06.21
ex N1786B, dd 03.06.21, lsd fr Avia Capital
LAASI Aviation for N971DL MD-88 53214 reg’d 04.06.21, std Dothan VQ-BHR 737-800 41230 Solutions

the above N976DL MD-88 53257 reg’d 11.06.21, std Dothan, N837US reserved VQ-BHT 737-800 41235 ex N1786B, dd 23.05.21, lsd fr Avia Capital
same day Solutions

Western Global Airlines [KD/WGN ‘WESTERN GLOBAL’] Rossiya Airlines [FV/SDM ‘ROSSIYA’]

N452SN 747-400(F) 25452 ferried VCV-TPEfor entry into service VP-BUS 737-800 44435 ex EI-RUR, dd 31.05.21, lsd fr Sberbank Leasing

N784SN MD-11F 48784 ex D-ALCD, reg’d 22.06.21 UTair Aviation [UT/UTA ‘TJUMAVI’]

Wright Air Service [8V/WRF ‘WRIGHT FLYER’] ex A6-FDH, dd 12.06.21, lsd fr Babcock &
Brown
N750RV Ce208B 208B5194 bf N750RV LLC, to registration pending VQ-BLP 737-800 31716
17.06.21
VQ-BLT 737-800 31765 ex A6-FDI, dd 12.06.21, lsd fr Babcock & Brown
N755RV Ce208B 208B5299 bf N755RV LLC, to registration pending
17.06.21 CEBU Pacific Air [5J/CEB ‘CEBU AIR’]

ASL Airlines Belgium [3V/TAY ‘QUALITY’] RP-C4125 A321neo 10273 ex D-AVZE, dd 17.05.21

OE-IXA 737-800(BCF) 33604 ex EI-DPC, reg’d 04.06.21 Norwegian Air Sweden AOC AB [-/NSZ ‘NORLIGHT’]

Great Dane Airlines [DW/GDE ‘GREAT DANE’] SE-RPS 737-800 41143 ex EI-FJD, reg’d 03.06.21

OY-GDA E195 ret fr Bamboo Airways lse 24.06.21 SE-RRO 737-800 40868 ex LN-DYO, reg’d 08.06.21, lsd fr FPG Group

KLM Cityhopper [WA/KLC ‘CITY’] Star Air [DJ/SRR ‘WHITE STAR’]

86 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

SE-RLB 767-200(F) 22222 ex N745AX, dd 01.06.21 VH-YSO Beech 1900C UC-55 ex 5Y-BVI, reg’d 07.06.21, lsd fr Vortex Air
Charter
Enter Air [E4/ENT ‘ENTER’]

SP-ESK 737-800 30693 ex SP-LWE, dd 25.06.21, lsd fr Carlyle Aviation Bamboo Airways [QH/BAV ‘BAMBOO’]
Partners
VN-A261 E190 ex M-ABNX, dd 29.06.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation

LOT Polish Airlines [LO/LOT ‘LOT’] VN-A269 E190 ex M-ABNW, add to previous sections

SP-LNH E195 ret fr Bamboo Airways lease Vietjet Air [VJ/VJC ‘VIETJET AIR’]

SP-LNM E195 ret fr Bamboo Airways lease VN-A533 A321neo 9515 ex D-AYAF, dd 14.05.21 We welcome
any feedback
SprintAir [P8/SRN ‘SPRINT AIR’] Longtail Aviation [-/LGT ‘LONGTAIL’] on this listing.

SP-SPL ATR 72-500(F) 575 ex EI-EYY, updates previous section VQ-BWM 747-400 28460 ex PH-BFV, dd 16.06.21 (The listing is alphabetical
with reference to the
SP-SPN ATR 72-200 704 ex F-HBCL, updates & corrects previous IndiGo [6E/IGO ‘IFLY’] registration of the country
section of origin. Columns indicate
VT-ISU A320neo 10503 ex F-WWDK, dd 17.05.21 the registration, type,
construction number and
Sky Express [GQ/SHE ‘AIR CRETE’] VT-IXS ATR 72-600 1566 ex F-WKVC, dd 24.06.21 notes.)

SX-GNA A320neo 9516 ex D-AUBW, dd 10.05.21, lsd fr SkyServ VT-IXW ATR 72-600 1573 ex F-WKVF, dd 01.07.21 Scoot accepted its first
Airbus A321neos in May.
Amelia International [NL/AEH ‘AEROCUTTER’] VT-IYS ATR 72-600 1542 ex F-WKVB, dd 29.06.21 The Singaporean carrier is
set to receive a total of 16
F-HYOG ERJ145 145526 ex CE-03, dd 14.06.21 Vistara [UK/VTI ‘VISTARA’] examples through deals
arranged direct with
AnadoluJet [TK/THY ‘TURKISH’] VT-TQF A320neo 10464 ex F-WWDS, dd 26.05.21 the manufacturer and
through lessors
TC-JZV 737-800 40319 ex EI-EVY, dd 06.21, lsd fr Avolon Aeroméxico [AM/AMX ‘AEROMEXICO’] AIRBUS

Corendon Airlines [XC/CAI ‘CORENDON’] XA-IMH 737 MAX 9 43711 ex N1786B, dd 28.05.21

TC-TJV 737-800 37740 ex LZ-DAD, dd 19.06.21, lsd fr DAE Capital XA-OCC 737-800 39002 ex SE-RRD, dd 22.06.21, lsd fr FPG Group

MNG Airlines [MB/MNB ‘BLACK SEA’] XA-OOO 737-800 31713 ex G-TUKC, dd 25.06.21, lsd fr Babcock &
Brown
TC-MCN A330-300E 889 ex VQ-BYZ, dd 05.06.21, lsd fr BOC Aviation

SunExpress [XQ/SXS ‘SUN EXPRESS’] TUM AeroCarga [T2/MCS ‘CARMEX’]

TC-SPA 737-800 29684 ex D-ASXP, entered service 02.06.21 after XA-MCP 737-300(QC) 24255 ex 9H-BRE, dd 01.06.21, lsd fr Avmax Aircraft
storage Lease

Turkish Airlines [TK/THY ‘TURKISH’] Viva Aerobus (Aeroenlaces Nacionales) [VB/VIV]

TC-LGE A350-900 454 ex F-WZFZ, dd 05.05.21 XA-VBN A321ceo 5582 ex N901JT, dd 30.06.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital
Group
TC-LTI A321neo 10367 ex D-AVXI, dd 26.05.21

Icelandair [FI/ICE ‘ICEAIR’] XA-VBQ A321ceo 6201 ex N425AC, dd 09.06.21, lsd fr Aircastle

TF-ICB 737 MAX 9 44568 ex N1796B, N1786B, dd 31.05.21; Langjökull airBaltic [BT/BTI ‘AIRBALTIC’]

TF-ICC 737 MAX 9 44359 ex N1786B, ff 27.03.19, dd 24.05.21; Kirkjufell YL-ABA A220-300 55121 ex C-FOWQ, dd 25.06.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital
Group
TF-ICP 737 MAX 8 44360 ex N1786B, dd 24.05.21; Landmannalaugar

PLAY (Fly Play hf) [OG/FPY ‘PLAYER’] SmartLynx Airlines [6Y/ART ‘SMARTLYNX’]

TF-AEW A321neo 8008 ferried LCH-KEF 15.06.21 after paint YL-LCX A321ceo 3191 to be cnvrtd to A321-211(F), std RIX

Uzbekistan Airways [HY/UZB ‘UZBEK’] YL-LCZ A321ceo 2912 to be cnrtd to A321-211(F), std TLL

UK78706 787-8 64438 ex N1015X, N1791B, dd 04.05.21 YL-LDA A321ceo 2903 to be cnvrtd to A321-211(F), std RIX

Qazaq Air [IQ/QAZ ‘SAMRUK’] YL-LDB A321ceo 2342 to be cnvrtd to A321-211(F), std VNO

P4-AIR DHC 8-400 4598 rr UP-DH005 06.21 Airlink [4K/LNK ‘LINK’]

Azur Air Ukraine [QU/UTN ‘UT UKRAINE’] ZS- E190 ex EI-GHJ, dd 24.06.21, lsd fr Nordic Aviation
Capital
UR-AZO 757-300 32242 ex N788BC, reg’d 14.06.21, lsd fr Azex Leasing
Ltd Air Montenegro [-/AMN ‘MONTENEGRO’]

Bees Airline [7B/UBE] 4O-AOA E190 dd 27.05.21

UR-UBC 737-800 29654 ex VP-BQR, dd 02.06.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital Tus Airways [U8/CYF ‘TUS AIR’]
Group
5B-DDL A320ceo 2665 ex 9H-AEN, dd 25.06.21, lsd fr AerCap

UR-UBD 737-800 29658 ex VP-CGS, dd 18.06.21, lsd fr Aviation Capital Air Peace [P4/APK ‘PEACE BIRD’]
Group
5N-BYH E195-E2 ex PR-EFG, dd 16.06.21; Uche Onyema

SkyUp Airlines [PQ/SQP ‘SKYUP’] Ibom Air [QI/IAN ‘IBOM’]

ER-00004 A320ceo 3524 ex XA-VOV, dd 14.06.21, lsd fr/op by FlyOne SU-GFA A220-300 55061 ex C-FOVP, dd 11.06.21, lsd fr/op by Egyptair

UR-SQL 737-900ER 36539 ex 2-JBZI, reg’d 17.06.21, lsd fr GECAS SU-GFD A220-300 55062 ex C-FOVX, dd 05.06.21, lsd fr/op by Egyptair

Alliance Airlines [QQ/UTY ‘ALLI’] Felix Airways [-/FXX ‘FELIX’]

VH-UYC E190 ex N916QQ, reg’d 04.06.21, updates last SX-MAM 737-400 28097 ex N7377D, dd 06.06.21, lsd fr/op by Air
months section Mediterrean

VH-UYK E190 ex N989QQ, dd 29.06.21 ETF Airways [LI/EZZ ‘ENTERPRIZE’]

Hevilift Australia [-/-] 9A-ABC 737-800 30667 ex OE-ISA, dd 18.06.21, lsd fr AerCap;
Enterprise
VH-TOQ ATR 42-300(F) 79 ex EI-SLB, reg’d 08.06.21, lsd fr Airwork Flight
Operations Air X Charter [-/AXY ‘LEGEND’]

VH-TOX ATR 42-300(F) 24 ex EI-SLE, reg’d 08.06.21, lsd fr Airwork Flight 9H-FFC A340-600 431 ferried CHR-HHN 28.06.21
Operations
Airhub Airlines [-/GJM ‘AIRHUB’]

Jetstar Airways [JQ/JST ‘JETSTAR’] 9H-BOB A340-300 668 ex F-WTBJ ferried AMM-SQQ 16.06.21 for work

VH-YXT A320ceo 5940 ex JA23JJ, reg’d 17.06.21, lsd fr MC Aviation Avion Express Malta [MLH ‘SOUTH WIND’]
Partners
9H-AMG A321ceo 2115 ex LY-VEG, dd 11.06.21, lsd fr World Star
Kestrel Aviation [-/-] Aviation

VH-LAI S-76 760103 reg’n canx 23.06.21, exported to South Korea Corendon Airlines Europe [XR/CXI ‘TOURISTIC’]

VH-LHZ S-76 760113 as VH-LAI 9H-TJE 737-800 35106 ex EI-GSN, dd 27.06.21, lsd fr Aircastle

Network Aviation (QantasLink) [-/NWK ‘NETLINK’] Maleth-Aero [-/MLT ‘MALETH’]

VH-UVQ A320ceo 2423 ex VH-XJE, reg’d 01.06.21, lsd fr Qantas 9H-JFS A330-200 466 ex N478DM, dd 02.06.21, lsd fr/op for AELF
Airways FlightService

Sharp Airlines [SH/SHA ‘SHARP’] SmartLynx Airlines [-/LYX ‘MALTA CAT’]

VH-ANA SA227 DC-871B ex VH-HCB, reg’d 30.04.21, lsd fr Eastwest 9H-CGA A321P2F 891 ex N322WS, dd 04.06.21, lsd fr Vallair Solutions
Aviation
9H-SLF A320ceo 3361 ex OE-IOD, dd 15.06.21, lsd fr AerCap

VH-ANW SA227 DC-873B ex N3031Q, reg’d 30.04.21, lsd fr Eastwest 9H-SMA A330-300E 908 ex TC-OCS, dd 09.06.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation
Aviation
9H-SMD A330-300E 1382 ex EC-NBP, dd 03.06.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation

VH-ANY SA227 DC-840B ex N455LA, reg’d 30.04.21, lsd fr Eastwest 9H-SME A330-300E 954 ex OE-INC, dd 20.06.21, lsd fr CDB Aviation
Aviation
Scoot [TR/TGW ‘SCOOTER’]
Southern Airlines [-/-]
9V-NCA A321neo 10229 ex D-AVZV, dd 14.05.21, lsd fr BOC Aviation;
VH-VSO Beech 1900C UC-39 ex N444GH, reg’d 07.06.21, lsd fr Schmidt Wings of Change
Aviation
9V-NCB A321neo 10345 ex D-AVXS, dd 20.05.21, lsd fr BOC Aviation;
Just Wing It

www.key.aero 87

SkySelect signs agreements

The latest
news from
maintenance,
repair and

overhaul
providers

Aircraft parts company, SkySelect, has existing agreement. Erkki Brakmann, Magnetic MRO’s head of supply
revealed deals with TAP Air Portugal SkySelect CEO, said the glut of spares chain, Kaarle Karp, said the
and Magnetic MRO, covering the in market provides opportunities, maintenance organisation had
supply of aircraft components. but good deals are often missed partnered with SkySelect because
by carriers and MROs because the of its ability to provide technical
SkySelect acts as a purchasing arm search for them is labour intensive innovation and customer support.
for airlines and MROs (maintenance – requiring specialist knowledge and
and repair organisations) to drive data management. “[Being] in the 21st century, we are
efficiencies into their processes. For used to having access to information
example, the commitment with the Brakmann said: “Because of the in real-time. But for aircraft material,
Portuguese flag carrier is intended to demand shock, there is an abundance it’s not the case – we are still buying
deliver a streamlined approach to its of aftermarket parts available, which parts like we did 30 years ago.
parts purchasing. provides an opportunity for significant SkySelect can process thousands
material cost savings. SkySelect is of part requirements 24/7 to deliver
The company will also continue to helping airlines and MROs capture meaningful savings,” Karp added.
assist Magnetic MRO to achieve cost that opportunity.” (Photo Airbus)
savings through an extension of an

Flight hour services deals inked

Airbus has signed flight hour services will enable us to work even closer In other Airbus news, the European
(FHS) contracts with Cathay Pacific with both carriers to offer them the airframer and Delta TechOps
and its wholly owned subsidiary, HK best services to cope with the new disclosed that the aviation Digital
Express (pictured), to support their market reality.” Alliance partnership, initiated in 2019,
inventory of A320 Family jets. is expanding to include GE Digital.
The maintenance-by-the-hour, The latest move for the A320
multi-year deals cover integrated Family fleet extends the “service The alliance combines the expertise
component services, such as pool relationship” with Cathay Pacific of partners in aircraft systems
access, on-site stock, and repair. – which has already focused on the knowledge, airline and maintenance
support of its A350 fleet since 2016 operations, digital analytics, and
Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express, – while HK Express has become a operational data, to develop
commented: “We believe this new FHS customer. solutions using the Airbus Skywise
agreement with Airbus, to provide Core data platform. For example,
component management services on real solutions can be developed
our A320 fleet, will help ensure we for commercial operators, including
achieve our operational and reliability curbing operational disruptions and
targets, allowing us to provide unplanned maintenance.
best-in-class service to customers.”
According to Airbus, the inclusion
Bruno Bousquet, head of Airbus of GE Digital into the partnership
customer services Asia-Pacific, enables the company to provide
added: “Airbus’ FHS will support the its “extensive aerospace systems
operational ramp-up at Cathay Pacific engineering expertise”.
and HK Express. These new contracts (Photo Airbus)

Istanbul hangar authorisation

Turkish Technic has been given base biggest in the world at 645,834sq ft, 2020 and are equipped with the
maintenance authorisation for its C/D have capacity for a trio of widebodies latest technology as all elements are
hangars at Istanbul/International. and 11 narrowbodies simultaneously. managed by smart automation.
The hangars, which are among the The C/D facilities opened in October
Following approval, an A321neo,
TC-LSG (c/n 8794) Yozgat (pictured)
from Turkish Airlines received the first
certificate of release to service (CRS).

Mikail Akbulut, CEO of Turkish
Technic, commented: “When all
phases of our facilities at Istanbul
[International] are complete, we will
have 11 hangars and will be able to
maintain and repair 26 single-aisle and
19 widebody aircraft simultaneously.”
(Photo Turkish Technic)

88 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

Base maintenance approvals expanded

Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT) CFM International LEAP-1A-equipped directors, said: “This year we have The latest
has introduced base maintenance A321neos, SE-RKA (c/n 7746) and managed to expand the portfolio news from
services for Airbus A320neo Family SE-RKB (c/n 7807) (the latter pictured). of base maintenance services with maintenance,
operators at its Prague/Václav Havel two models of the latest generation repair and
Airport facility after gaining approval The A320neo Family clearance narrowbodies manufactured by overhaul
from the Civil Aviation Authority of the follows similar Q1 2021-authorisation Boeing and Airbus. All operators providers
Czech Republic (CAA CZ) in mid-June. by CAA CZ for base maintenance of these aircraft can now use our
work on the rival Boeing 737 MAX. complex services. In addition, we can
Sweden’s Novair became the first also combine these types of regular
customer to send its pair of 221-seat, Pavel Hales, chairman of the checks with [airframe] storage in
Czech Airlines Technics board of Prague, which is still of great interest.”

Despite the impact of COVID-19,
CSAT successfully completed more
than 70 base maintenance checks in
the last 12 months. These comprise
existing customers including Finnair,
Neos, Smartwings and Transavia, as
well as new ones such as Austrian
Airlines and Jet2.com. (Photo CSAT)

StandardAero officially
completes acquisition

Scottsdale, Arizona-based highly respected aerospace [firms] to Under the new deal, support for line
StandardAero has completed the provide a multitude of benefits for our replaceable units (LRUs) will also be
acquisition of Signature Aviation’s customers. Acquiring ERO enhances performed at StandardAero’s facility in
Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO) our ability to be one of the most Maryville, Tennessee.
business after the former gained “all efficient and client-focused aerospace
required regulatory approvals.” MRO companies in the world, Johann Christian Jean Charles
providing superior quality products Bordais, president and CEO, Embraer
ERO is an original equipment and responsive service." Services and Support, said: “Both
manufacturer (OEM)-aligned engine companies have been partners for
MRO services provider. With In other StandardAero news, the firm many years under different platforms.
approximately 1,100 staff, ERO has announced it had been selected by This renewal illustrates StandardAero’s
customers including regional carriers, Embraer to provide MRO services for understanding of Embraer’s business
government agencies and corporate Pratt & Whitney Canada APS 2300 model, and it will provide Embraer with
flight departments. Consequently, the auxiliary power units (APUs) enrolled cost reduction in our APS 2300 Pool
“newly combined company” now fields under the Brazilian airframer’s spares Programme. Embraer looks forward
nearly 6,600 employees across 55 pool programme. The new multi-year [to] continuing this relationship.”
locations on six continents. contract extends StandardAero’s (Photo Embraer)
support of Embraer – a long-term APS
Russell Ford, chairman and CEO 2300 support agreement was initially
of StandardAero, said: “[As we] signed between both parties in 2010.
welcome ERO and its experienced
employees to StandardAero, [it will] The 2300 APU is installed on
bring together all of the best practices Embraer’s first-generation E170, E175,
of two successful, well-known and E190 (pictured) and E195 regional jets.

GE90 support contract

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance Organisation, said: of Aerotechnic Industries (ATI), a joint
& Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has “AFI KLM E&M's ability to provide venture between AFI KLM E&M and
entered into a long-term agreement us with a dedicated and customised Royal Air Maroc.
with China Airlines for the support of support programme and adhesion (Photo AFI KLM E&M)
the General Electric GE90 engines to our bidding process gave us
that power its entire contingent of confidence. We worked closely and
Boeing 777F freighters. transparently with them to get a
better understanding of each party's
Under the power-by-the-hour expectations. We are confident that
agreement, AFI KLM E&M will provide this understanding, combined with
MRO services for engine and line AFI KLM E&M's expertise and skills
replaceable units (LRUs), engineering in GE90 maintenance, will contribute
support and spares, transportation positively to the effectiveness of the
and on-wing and on-site assistance. support we will be offered.”
The Taipei/Taoyuan-based firm will
also benefit from AFI KLM E&M’s In further news, AFI KLM E&M
engine predictive maintenance have confirmed the appointment
solution called Prognos, helping to of Tommaso Auriemma as vice
increase operational reliability. president of sales Asia Pacific. His
new tenure begins from August 1 of
Wang Houng, senior vice president this year. Auriemma is currently CEO
of the China Airlines Engineering

www.key.aero 89

Restored VFW Fokker 614 unveiled

Preserving Airbus apprentices, assisted by the Transall C-160 as well as the ‘614. later, with its new livery, and was
Commercial Freundeskreis VFW614, at Hamburg’s After more than 16 years in storage, returned to the registration it wore
Finkenwerder site have completed the while in service with DASA.
Aviation’s restoration of a VFW Fokker 614. The it was returned to the air by Deutsche
Past 1977-built former Air Alsace example, Aerospace (DASA) in 1997, for use as a In all, three airlines operated the
D-ASAX (c/n G.15), has been repainted fly-by-wire trials aircraft. Reregistered VFW 614. The largest operator of
The 15th VFW-Fokker VFW in a blue-and-white demonstrator livery D-ASAX, the airliner received a new the type was Touraine Air Transport,
614 has been repainted and repositioned close to several other avionics fit as well as the digital flight which flew eight examples, while Air
and placed on display preserved airframes at the German control system and was earmarked Alsace flew three and Denmark’s
next to a Nord Noratlas, A320 Family production facility. for use as a test vehicle for the Airbus Cimber Air received two. The West
A380 programme. The jet was stored German Air Force also flew three
an Aero Spacelines Super The airliner made its first flight at Bremen Airport, having been of the 44-seat jets.
Guppy, a Transall C-160 as D-BABO on June 26, 1977, later deemed surplus to requirements,
and a HFB 320 Hansa Jet being reregistered D-BABN, and was and was later displayed on the visitor The last ‘614 to fly was operated by
DIRK GROTHE delivered to French regional airline terrace at the facility. During this time, the Deutsches zentrum für Luft- und
Air Alsace as F-GATI that September. it was repainted in a red-and-white Raumfahrt (DLR, German Aerospace
The jet – the 15th of 19 built – was demonstrator livery. Centre). The jet, D-ADAM (c/n G.17),
deployed on services on behalf of Air was used by the research institute
France but spent less than 18 months The airliner was transported to as the Advanced Technologies
in commercial service. On February Airbus’s Hamburg/Finkenwerder Testing Aircraft System testbed and
29, 1980 it was withdrawn from plant in 2018, and work to restore was retired in December 2012 when
use and stored at Lemwerder, near the regional jet reached a milestone it was flown from Braunschweig to
Bremen, where VFW manufactured when it entered the paint shop in June the Deutsches Museum Flugwerft
2020. It reappeared three months Schleissheim at Oberschleissheim.

Nederlands Transport Museum on the move?

The Nederlands Transport Museum Ruigrok, the Haarlemmermeer Australian Air Force and Eastern Air
(NTM), based in Nieuw-Vennep, North alderman for economy and innovation, Lines Douglas DC-2, NC13738
Holland, has signalled its intention traffic and transport and culture. (c/n 1288), which now wears KNILM
to move to a larger site closer to The museum would initially occupy Royal Netherlands Indian Airways
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The existing buildings before constructing colours, a Noorduyn Norseman and an
new site – four miles southwest purpose-built facilities. Auster Mk.III.
of Schiphol’s Runway 36C threshold
– is understood to be the former depot First opened in April 2018, the The collection also houses a Fokker
of a dredging company. attraction has been housed in the Noorduyn NA-27 Harvard IIb, a Cessna
former Fokker Services building in the T-50 Bobcat, a Consolidated PB2B
Arno van der Holst, the NTM’s centre of Nieuw-Vennep – a site which Catalina and an ex-Belgian Air Force
chairman of the board, has indicated has since been earmarked for housing. Fouga Magister wearing the colours of
a desire for the collection to move the Diables Rouges/De Rode Duivels
to the Rijnlanderweg site to Marja The museum has around ten aircraft (Red Devils) display team.
including a 1934-built former Royal
A replica Fokker F.VII Arguably the most unusual aeroplane
is on display at the on display is a Menasco C4S-powered
Stearman-Hammond Y-1 – an example
Nieuw-Vennep attraction of the twin boom, single-engined
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ pusher-propeller type used by KLM
LIJN 45 to convert pilots from conventional to
tricycle undercarriage aircraft.
90 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021
The museum has also acquired the
third prototype Fokker 28, PH-MOL
(c/n 11003), and is now working to raise
€250,000 to dismantle the aircraft
and transport it from Bamako, Mali
– where it is presently stored – to
the Netherlands.

The 1967-built 65-seater is the oldest
surviving Fokker-built jet airliner.

TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CONTACT: ANDY MASON

• Tel: +44(0)1780 663011 Ext. 150 • Email: [email protected]

OCTOBER 2021... Copy Deadline: Tuesday 17th August • On-sale: Thursday 9th September CLASSIFIED

AIRCRAFT TRANSPORT ENTHUSIASTS

Aircraft Operations AIR-BRITAIN NEWS
Support,
Subscriptions from £43pa
Ferry Flight & 160-200 PAGES PER MONTH INCLUDING
Delivery Planning
* Airliner Registration changes worldwide
Services. * Airline & manufacturer news
* Biz-Jets * Biz-Props
A very personal, world-wide support service - guaranteed.
plus worldwide register updates and much much more
Visit our website: www.af-aviation.co.uk • Drop us a line: [email protected] SAMPLE COPY:https://air-britain.com/pdfs/abnews.pdf

uuuuuu Visit our website for more about us
Books - 2 Magazines - Members area - Research
CLOTHING
www.air-britain.com

ENTHUSIASTS FAIR

SUN DAY 1 2 th SEPTEM BER 2 0 2 1

LGW 2 0 2 1

The 3 2 nd Gat w ick I nt ernat ional Aircraft Ent husiast s Fair

1 0 a m t o 4 pm a t K2 Cr a w le y, M ode ls | Colour Slide s | Phot ogr a phs | Air line
Pe a se Pot t a ge H ill, Cr a w le y, Tim etables | Postcards | Posters | Videos | Aviation
Book s & M a ga zine s | St a m ps | St ick e r s | Pla ying Ca r ds
RH1 1 9 BQ
Aviation Mem orabilia and loads m ore!

Admission: £5 After 1pm £4 ( Accompanied children FREE) | Large Free Car Park | Refreshments
Tom Singfield, 25 Chennells Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 5TW, UK

www.facebook.com/gatwickaviationfair Email: [email protected]

MODELS

Your Aviation Destination

As part of your subscription, you can now enjoy
even more Airliner World more often with the
launch of www.Key.Aero

Visit Key.Aero and use your customer ID SEUXBCSLUCSRIIVBEER
and email address to register today for
your exclusive access

www.Key.Aero 91

Letters to the editor

Information for

the traveller.

MICHEL GILLIAND/ Dear Editor, but it arrived on June 27, 2003 for N707JT called for start, he pushed
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS It was interesting to read the article a night stop and departed in the back and started on the taxiway
about John Travolta's Boeing 707 and early evening of the following day to centreline, which was when we
the plan to get it airworthy and fly it Keflavík, when I was on duty. I recall it realised the aircraft was fitted with an
back to Australia. was a hot day and, when it departed, auxiliary power unit (APU).
there was a crosswind and it used
In the article it said that it only most of the 2,160m to get airborne! I don't know if many were fitted with
visited the UK once: in 2009, when these, but it was certainly the only
it landed at Gatwick. It actually Having been used to Monarch's one that I ever came across.
visited Luton before then, in 2003. Boeing 720s flying from Luton, one
Prior to retirement, I was an ATCO at thing that was interesting was that Well done for producing an
Luton and remember it well. I can't they always started on stand using excellent magazine, especially during
remember where it came in from, a ground power unit (GPU). When these difficult times.

Mike Harper

Dear Editor, Dear Editor, is a large number) that perhaps a
I am a great fan of Germany's I am always pleased when the latest lager font style would help. Keep up
national airline Lufthansa and I like copy of Airliner World drops through the good work – now I’m off to search
to read about the latest aircraft they the letterbox, and eagerly anticipate for my magnifying glass!
a few hours of enjoyable and
take into their fleet. informative aviation news. However, it Duncan Morley,
The one thing that saddened me dawned on me that I must be getting Crawley
rather old as even with my super Ed: Thanks for getting in touch,
recently was hearing the news that expensive varifocal lens glasses I Duncan. We work hard to ensure
they are disposing of one of their was unable to read the graph details that all of our graphs and databoxes
old Boeing 707, D-ABOD. Rather contained in the article on ‘post are legible while conforming with
than parting it out, would it not have pandemic production’ as the font was spatial constraints. That said, I agree
been better to have preserved it in so teeny tiny. A plea on behalf of the that the text was a little too small
older reader (of which I suspect there on this occasion. Apologies for any
an aircraft museum? inconvenience caused.
The significance of ‘Oscar Dear Editor,
On page 36 of the excellent and -50s were modded up from some
Delta’ is that she was the first 707 interesting June issue, in a reference of the original -1s, as were the four
purchased by Lufthansa, and the to Delta Airlines’ Tristars, you state -100s). Admittedly the -100s were
other significant fact it was the first that Delta was the only airline to fly operated under BA’s charter fleet,
Boeing 707 to be fitted with five variants of the L-1011. wearing the blue and gold Caledonian
Rolls-Royce Conway engines. livery, following the demise of British
In fact, British Airways operated five Caledonian proper, but they were still
I know you are going to ask why variants, as my logbook confirms: -1, owned by BA.
am I so worked up about an old -50, -100, -200 and -500 (the three
aircraft. Well, because it is part of John Fry (retired flight engineer)
Lufthansa's history and I believe it is Dear Editor,
worth preserving and not scrapped. Relating to a recent question about is on the same level of importance
using ICAO codes in the magazine, as mentioning an airport’s specific
I know that the airline is free to do I believe it is a very good idea. name after its location.
with it as they please, but how nice
would Oscar Delta look repainted in I play many flight simulators and It would make life much easier for
knowing the correct ‘four-digit’ me and many other flight sim players
period colours? codes would significantly decrease and shouldn’t cause too much clutter
I can only hope that Lufthansa the time I have to spend finding for other readers.
airports to fly to or from. I think it
has enough colour photographs of James Callaghan,
D-ABOD in their archives. London

Kevin Simpson-Woodall
Ed: We share your disappointment,
Kevin! While nothing can bring ‘OD
back, be sure to keep an eye out
for a special Lufthansa 707 feature
in the October issue of Airliner
World, which will hopefully do the

old lady justice.

92 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

Canadian Information for
coincidence the traveller.

Dear Editor, World. The map of the Vancouver C-GUTW. I have attached some of my
I am a volunteer at the London Bus area on page 55 brought memories images from the trip.
Museum located within the Brooklands flooding back of a fabulous trip on
Motor Transport Museum. May 10, 2000, when, after visiting On page 75 there’s a view which
Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island to is very familiar to me of the airliner
After yesterdays' duties driving the see the Martin Mars fire bombers, we park at Brooklands situated adjacent
public around the local area in a Green flew back from Nanaimo to Vancouver to LBM. This is a good place to have
Line Routemaster, my conductor Harbour in Harbour Air's Turbo Otter lunch, especially if the weather is
showed me the June edition of Airliner clement. On page 80 there’s an
interesting letter regarding ‘flights to
nowhere’ – the only airliner flight of
this type in which I have participated
was the last operation of the BAC
One-Eleven in March 2002. The
aircraft involved was G-AZMF which
took us over Brownsea Island and
back to Hurn, birthplace of the type.

Then at the bottom of the page was
a slightly heart-stopping moment for
me when I read the writer's name!

Graham Burnell

Dear Editor, and sounds similar to ’bird’ in Spanish.” Shows & events
A pedant writes! In Chris Sloan’s In French, on the other hand, avelo (à
feature about Avelo Airlines, he vélo) translates roughly as ’by bike’! Enthusiast shows and events worldwide may be listed
reports that the start-up’s name here for free. Organisers are invited to send any
“roughly translates as ’swift’ in Latin Richard Hamilton, correspondence to the editorial department via email:
Banbury [email protected]
Dear Editor,
Reading the article in the July issue in Jordan. It was always kept September 12
regarding the war in Lebanon, I was locked and was only serviced by a Gatwick Aviation Enthusiasts' Fair
interested in the mention of a Boeing dedicated crew. My father was the K2 Centre, Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley RH11 9BQ
720 called ’The Blue Nile’. hanger foreman in those days, so I facebook.com/gatwickaviationfair
got to walk round it, but never inside.
This reminded me of a Vickers I would be interested if anyone has October 10-12
Viscount with the same name that any details about this aircraft. World Routes 2021
is parked up at Gatwick. It was Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy
parked and serviced by Transair in Great articles this month, especially www.routesonline.com
the early 1960s and was, I believe, the cover feature, Cosmic Carrier.
an executive airframe registered October 12-14
David Callcott, Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE)
Crawley Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
www.nbaa.org

October 17
Midland Air Museum (Coventry) Aviation Fair
Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, Baginton,
Warwickshire CV3 4FR
www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk

October 19-21
MRO Europe
RAI Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://mroeurope.aviationweek.com

November 14
Heathrow Aircraft Enthusiasts’ Fair
Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 5AQ
www.aircraftenthusiastfair.co.uk

November 14-18
Dubai Airshow
Dubai World Centre, Dubai, UAE
www.dubaiairshow.aero

Events are subject to late change without Airliner
World’s knowledge. Please check details prior to travel
and adhere to any local COVID-19 regulations.

www.key.aero 93

UK courses offered to develop skills

The latest Following the devastating impact of which is designed to showcase safety risk management, air law, just
training aids COVID-19 on the aviation industry, an individual’s experience while culture and industry recovery, plus
available for which has led to thousands out of developing their expertise. It also aviation regulation, oversight and
the aviation work, short new training courses are aids redeployment and recruitment compliance. The courses are eligible
professional being offered to unemployed aviation for businesses in the sector. Under for enrolment to those currently
professionals in the UK. These this ASRP platform, CAA International unemployed who worked in the UK
are aimed at helping individuals (CAAi) – the technical co-operation aviation sector pre-pandemic.
develop valuable skills to get them and training arm of the UK Civil
re-employed in the industry. Aviation Authority (UK CAA) – was Sophie Jones, head of operations
appointed training provider in June. and training at CAAi, commented:
In February, the UK Department for “COVID-19 has had a devastating
Transport (DfT) launched the Aviation The CAAi offers 16 virtual and impact on UK aviation, [which] has
Skills Retention Platform (ASRP), e-learning course titles. These include led to many colleagues from across
the sector [being] out of work. As a
social enterprise, it was important for
us to help as many people as possible
get back into work. By offering
our courses via ASRP, we hope to
help aviation professionals develop
valuable skills to support their efforts
for redeployment and recruitment.”

If interested in applying, visit:
www.trs-system.co.uk/aviation. Plus,
don’t miss a special flight training
guide in the next Airliner World.
(Photo Flickr Commons/Mike McBey)

Boeing 767 simulator deal signed

CAE and Mexico City-based freight Mexico was due to have commenced scheduled and ACMI (aircraft crew
carrier MasAir Cargo have inked an in July as Airliner World went to press. maintenance and insurance) services.
exclusive five-year aircraft pilot training
agreement and a full-flight Boeing According to Patrick McCarthy, Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group
767 simulator is set to be deployed to strategic planning director of MasAir president for civil aviation training
CAE’s Mexico training centre in Toluca Cargo, the move will help “keep an solutions, added: “The pandemic has
– approximately 30 miles southwest accelerated growth, while maintaining fuelled growth in the cargo airline
of Mexico City – while instructors and our continuous commitment to business [recently]... Our instructors
other equipment for the type will be achieving the highest standards of will be delivering world-class training
provided for MasAir Cargo’s flight deck safety in the industry”. This comes experience and we are looking
crews. The firm’s pilot training at CAE after the company experienced forward to welcoming MasAir’s pilots
“significant demand” for both its to our Mexico training centre.”

At the time of writing, MasAir Cargo
fields a trio of 767 freighters. These
comprise a single -200BDSF, N773AX
(c/n 22788) – an early build example
initially handed over to All Nippon
Airways (ANA) in 1983 – along with
a -300ER(BDSF) and -300F(ER),
N363CM (c/n 24853) and N420LA
(c/n 34627; pictured) respectively.
(Photo Flickr Commons/Aero Icarus)

airBaltic Training fleet boost

In mid-July, airBaltic Training that demand for pilots will return, and up of pilots, cabin crew and ground
enhanced its inventory of Diamond thus we are continuing to welcome staff. Its Pilot Academy currently offers
Aircraft after receiving its ninth new students to our programme.” an Ab-Initio pilot training programme
example (pictured) for the airBaltic for students to gain their European
Pilot Academy. Furthermore, the Since its establishment in 2010, the Aviation Transport Pilot Licence
manufacturer is scheduled to hand subsidiary of flag carrier airBaltic has (‘Frozen’ EASA ATPL) within 18
over an additional DA40 NG to provided training to approximately months. (Photo airBaltic Training)
airBaltic Training “later in 2021.” 3,000 professionals each year, made

Pauls Cālītis, airBaltic’s chief
operations officer, said: “The delivery
[helps] demonstrate the ongoing
commitment by [airBaltic] Pilot
Academy to invest in the best training
aircraft in the industry. Despite the
challenges, our Pilot Academy is
continuing its development and has
already gained [a] significant track
record. Going forward, we are sure

94 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021



MAIL ORDERBooks Books

BOEING 707: BOEING’S FIRST JETLINER NEW MUSTANG: THE UNTOLD STORY

Historic Commercial Aircraft Examines the history of the
Series, Volume 2
The first widely used Mustang afresh, within the
commercial jet, the Boeing orbit of tactical doctrine,
707, brought America into the strategy and even politics, as
‘Jet Age’ of the late 1950s. well as the changing nature
of World War II.
Available for pre-order

ONLY ONLY
£15.99 £20.00

Softback, 96 Pages Subscribers call for your Softback, 96 Pages Subscribers call for your
Code: KB0078 £2 discount Code: KB0036 £2 discount

F-111: FORT WORTH SWINGER SOVIET-ERA AIRLINERS

Historic Military Aircraft Historic Commercial Aircraft
Series: Volume 3. Illustrated Series: Volume 1
with 180 colour photographs, This book follows the fortunes
covering the operational of the great Soviet airliners
period of the F-111 Aardvark over the last three decades.
and EF-111A Raven.
Available for pre-order

ONLY ONLY
£15.99 £15.99

Softback, 96 Pages Subscribers call for your Softback, 128 Pages Subscribers call for your
Code: KB0065 £2 discount Code: KB064 £2 discount

GARUDA INDONESIA AMARG: AMERICAS STRATEGIC MILITARY AIRCRAFT RESERVE

Airline Series Volume 1 The US military stores more
This book, fully illustrated than 3,000 aircraft in the
with over 120 images, looks Arizona desert at AMARG, the
at Garuda’s turbulent history 309th Aerospace Maintenance
from its involvement in and Regeneration Group
Indonesia’s post-war struggle for facility.
independence to the present day.

Softback, 96 Pages ONLY Softback, 96 Pages ONLY
Code: KB0060 £15.99 Code: KB0063 £15.99

Subscribers call for your Subscribers call for your
£2 discount £2 discount

shop.keypublishing.com/books BOOROUOATURKONRSSGV,FHEVIUEOIOLSWPFLIT

Or call UK: 01780 480404 - Overseas: +44 1780 480404

Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm GMT. Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply.
All publication dates subject to change

258/21

Late braking led to Reports
747 runway excursion and details
of recent
A Boeing 747-400F overran airport including a Boeing 757, which the runway end, the jet was travelling incidents
the runway while landing at touched down on Runway 23. The at 100kts. When the jumbo left the
Halifax/Stanfield International 747 crew was not on the same radio runway, it had decelerated to 77kts. At BELOW: The Sky
in November 2018 due to late braking, frequency as the other aircraft, so this point, it was not possible for the Lease Cargo Boeing
a recent report by the Canadian did not hear transmissions regarding aircraft to stop and, five seconds later, 747-400F came to a
Transportation Safety Board has found. arrivals, and remained unaware that it departed the end of the runway. stop 885ft past the
Runway 23 was available. end of the runway
N908AR (c/n 28026) came to a stop Investigators concluded that many TRANSPORTATION
885ft past the end, after striking As the jumbo descended through minor factors contributed to the SAFETY BOARD
the approach lights and localiser 13,000ft, ATC changed the landing crash – among them the “ineffective OF CANADA
antenna array. The number two engine runway to 23 due to a change in wind presentation style and sequence of
detached from its pylon during the direction. This was not communicated the NOTAMs [notices to airmen]”.
impact sequence and came to rest to the crew, but the ATIS was updated.
under the left horizontal stabiliser, They also found that when planning
causing a fire in the tail section. All On initial contact with the tower the approach, the crew calculated a
three crew members received minor controller, the crew was informed faster speed of VREF + 10kts instead
injuries, a passenger was unhurt. of the winds but remained unaware of the recommended VREF + 5kts,
that Runway 23 was available. When because they misinterpreted that a
The aircraft was conducting flight passing around 9nm from Runway 14, wind additive was required for the
4854 from Chicago/O’Hare to ATC informed the crew the winds were existing conditions.
Halifax/Stanfield, which formed part 260° at 16kts, gusting 21kts, resulting
of a larger multi-leg route connecting in a 7kt tailwind component. For the approach, the crew also
the US city with an end destination of selected a flap setting of flaps 25,
Changsha/Huanghua, China. The aircraft touched down firmly believing they had a sufficient safety
1,350ft past the threshold. At this margin. This setting increased the
After a 14.5-hour delay due to point, the groundspeed was 179kts. landing distance required by 494 feet.
weather and paperwork issues, the
flight departed Chicago at 0302hrs. The aircraft landed on the centreline The higher approach speed, the
The captain was pilot flying (PF) with a right crab angle of 4.5°. The firm presence of a tailwind component,
while the first officer (FO) was pilot landing and subsequent deviation from and the slight deviation above the
monitoring (PM). The third crew the middle of the runway surprised glideslope increased the landing
member – an international relief officer the PM whose attention was directed distance required to one greater than
– was seated behind the PM. outside the aircraft. The crew did not the runway length available.
experience deceleration associated
While in cruise, the crew obtained the with autobrake 4 selection. After the firm touchdown, for
automatic terminal information service undetermined reasons, the engine
(ATIS) via the aircraft communications, The auto speed brake moved to the No 1 thrust lever was moved forward
addressing and reporting system UP position and the spoiler panels of the idle position, causing the speed
(ACARS) and determined that Runway began to deploy to 30% but the No 1 brakes to retract and the autobrake
23 – the longer and more suitable strip thrust lever advanced above idle – for system to disengage.
– was unavailable. Runway 14 was in an undetermined reason – causing
use for landings while Runway 23 was the speed brakes to retract and the The PF focused on controlling the
for departures. The unserviceability of autobrake system to disengage. lateral deviation and, without the
the instrument landing system (ILS) on benefit of the landing rollout callouts,
Runway 23 and the displacement of About six seconds and 1,700ft after did not recognise that the deceleration
the threshold made the pilots think it touchdown, the No 1 thrust lever devices were not fully deployed, and
was unavailable for landing. reduced to just above flight idle, so the that the autobrake was disengaged.
speed brakes could fully deploy.
Shortly before the incident flight’s It was also concluded that the crew
arrival, three aircraft landed at the The PF realised that the aircraft was was experiencing sleep-related fatigue
not decelerating as expected and that degraded their performance and
began manual braking. At 800ft from cognitive functioning.

DATE REG'N C/N TYPE OPERATOR FATALITIES LOCATION NOTES
June 16 9S-GRJ 872006 Aircraft Industries (Let) L-410 Kin Avia 3 Democratic Republic of the Congo Crashed during initial climb
June 23 M-ISTY 2085 Gulfstream G280 INEOS Aviation 0 Switzerland Hard landing
June 25 PH-FST 208B0823 Cessna 208B Supervan 900 Skydive Teuge 0 The Netherlands Forced landing
July 2 N810TA 21116 Boeing 737-200 Transair Cargo 0 United States Ditched at sea
July 5 N790JR 424 IAI 1124A Westwind II Transenergie Inc 2 Bahamas Crashed during initial climb
July 6 RA-26085 12310 Antonov An-26B-100 Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise 28 Russia Crashed into cliff on approach

97 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021 www.key.aero 97

From Fort Wor

Chris Sloan speaks A irline network planners
with Brian Znotins, play a fascinating game
of chess, with a strong
vice president reliance on data to
of network and determine the next moves,
schedule planning often many months in advance.
at American Airlines, But what happens when, during the
to learn more about minute-by-minute shifting chaos of
how the world’s a global pandemic, each chess piece
biggest carrier is struck from the board before you
is navigating the can even contemplate a next move?
aviation world’s Almost overnight, this data-driven
biggest crisis blend of art and science was replaced
by unadulterated gut and grit. This
is the story of a high stakes queen’s
gambit: 18 months in the life of the

98 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021

th to 40,000ft

RIGHT • Brian Znotins head of network planning at the WestJet, United, and Continental, he
has held a variety world’s largest operator. joined American Airlines in January
of senior planning 2020, just a month before COVID-19
roles across multiple Airliner World sat down in late June brought the world and airline industry
US carriers with Brian Znotins, the vice president to its knees. While Znotins had been
AMERICAN AIRLINES on the frontline managing route
of network and planning, global network, and hub
BELOW • A Boeing schedule planning strategy through the various crises
777-200ER, N754AN at American Airlines of the 2000s from 9/11 to SARS to the
(c/n 30262), on (AA), at the carrier’s 2008-09 global recession, nothing
approach to headquarters in Fort could prepare him for a scenario
New York/JFK on June 17 Worth, Texas. Znotins, where “100% of your historical data
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ often known by his becomes useless.”
VINCENZO PACE peers as simply ‘Zed’,
is regarded in industry While it might not feel like it in your
circles as one of the top particular corner of the world, the
network planners in the post-COVID recovery is underway.
business. After stints at

www.key.aero 99

ABOVE American Airlines It is wildly bumpy and favours US factors and revenue per available seat Managing what little revenue was
operated its first revenue carriers, as well as other nations with mile (RASM), to hand-to-mouth, coming through the door was just as
flight with the Boeing 787 a large domestic leisure market and/ day-to-day incoming bookings: “We abrupt a pivot as moving from
Dreamliner on May 7, 2015 or comprehensive vaccination rates. got down to single-digit load factors long-range planning to emergency
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ Conversely, carriers in countries with in the domestic network. I remember triage. “We're always working on
PHILIPPE NORET slower vaccination rollouts, continued the day when we flipped from 9% to squeezing that last 1% out of RASM.
high infection rates, and little or no 10% on domestic load factor in our If we had a 1% change in RASM, that
RIGHT Planning chiefs domestic markets continue to be system – that was like the beginning was huge in the pre-pandemic world.
need to consider severely disrupted. of the end of the crisis, when we were [At the height of the crisis] we were
the availability of feeling like we're coming out of this.” working in tenths of a percent. On
ground personnel as American Airlines, along with other the one hand, you’re trying to achieve
well as in-flight roles US firms, has seen strong pent-up Znotins and his team were in other goals as well as keep the patient
AMERICAN AIRLINES demand for certain services, with schedule triage mode to keep as alive. But in our case, we were just
domestic leisure traffic approaching much connectivity intact throughout trying to keep the patient alive at the
or even exceeding pre-crisis levels. the network, rather than amputate peak of the crisis.”
Though business and long-haul are dots on the map and city-pairs.
still way off – most estimates have The AA executive believes this In early Summer 2020, Znotins’s
these at 75% down on 2019 – the surgical banking strategy at its two boss, Vasu Raja, American’s senior
nation’s operators are emerging as largest and most profitable hubs vice president of network strategy, led
different and arguably more resilient – Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and a bold decision for the company to
businesses. Before we examine AA’s Charlotte (CLT) – which favoured a “fly through the crisis”, with a
future plans, it’s vital to reflect on the scalpel over an axe, led the industry. radar-beam focus to add capacity
storm it has just flown through. to the limited outdoor leisure
“Through the crisis, we built far destinations people were generally
Rapid descent more O&D [origin and destination] flying to. “The few [customers] that
pairs than any of our competitors. were travelling were heading to the
As the pandemic took hold just a Rather than shrink each of our nine mountains in Montana, Wyoming,
month into his new job, Znotins had connecting banks at DFW by 80% and Colorado, as well as Florida. The
to reset to a baseline of zero. “We had then have city-pairs that wouldn’t Gulf Coast, from Texas to the Florida
to redesign our entire schedule build connect up, we reduced our number Panhandle, was the hottest place for
process, right from the beginning. of banks to four. The flights that summer last year.”
We've historically been dependent on were remaining all got re-timed into
travel data over the last year – 90% of those banks. That way, we could Yet even with relatively solid
our schedule decisions are based on make sure that at least we [could] reservation numbers, demand petered
prior behaviour.” connect, for example, Tulsa with Fort out as the pandemic peaked again
Myers, because if you are a medical by the middle of 2020. “We thought
However, with COVID turning professional or someone just had a the summer would be strong and
everything on its head, Znotins and death in the family, you really had to then another wave of virus hit us
his team could no longer rely on the go. There wasn't a lot of travel, but the and that suppressed bookings. We
usual methodology. He remembers people who were flying really had to ended up being a little disappointed
vividly when the team switched from go and we wanted to carry them.” in our performance versus what was
looking at historical data from load forecast. But, again, the silver lining
was another learning that taught us
that it's more important to be flexible
than to spend a lot of time trying to
get a forecast right,” reflected Znotins.

Never waste a crisis

The pandemic has been a catalyst
for accelerating business trends
that were already in the making and
using the catastrophe to build more
resilient models. Previous shocks
have resulted in mass layoffs and
industry retrenchment. This time was
different. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
supported US carriers in their payroll
demands, enabling many airlines
to be quick to seize the opportunity

100 AIRLINER WORLD SEPTEMBER 2021