Amazon purchases eleven aircraft from Delta Air Lines and WestJet Airlines to join the Amazon Air cargo network in 2021 and 2022

Online retail giant Amazon confirmed on Tuesday that it has made its first-ever purchase of eleven Boeing 767-300 aircraft to rapidly expand its fleet. 

The purchases include seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet, which will join the network by 2022. Amazon Air’s fleet expansion comes at a time when customers are relying on fast, free shipping more than ever.

“Our goal is to continue delivering for customers across the U.S. in the way that they expect from Amazon, and purchasing our own aircraft is a natural next step toward that goal,” said Sarah Rhoads, Vice President of Amazon Global Air. “Having a mix of both leased and owned aircraft in our growing fleet allows us to better manage our operations, which in turn helps us to keep pace in meeting our customer promises.”

ATSG delivers a Boeing 767 Freighter to Astral Aviation of Kenya

Air Transport Services Group, Inc -. a leading provider of aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation and related services has confirmed the delivery by its Cargo Aircraft Management subsidiary of a Boeing 767-200 converted freighter to Astral Aviation of Kenya under a five-year lease. This is the first aircraft ATSG has leased to Astral, as well as the first Boeing 767 that Astral has put into service.

“We are pleased to introduce the B767 freighter into our fleet,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, chief executive officer of Astral. “This aircraft will allow us to better serve the needs of our customers throughout our intra-African and Middle East networks, and ATSG’s support and assistance has been indispensable. Establishing a partnership with the world’s largest lessor of 767’s is something we have been after for some time now. I view this as the start to something special for Astral and all of sub-Saharan Africa.”

Astral currently provides scheduled and charter cargo service to more than 50 destinations in Africa and Europe, with its fleet of Boeing 747, Boeing 727, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, BAE ATP, Fokker 50 and Fokker 27 freighters operating out of bases in Nairobi and Liege.

Mike Berger, chief commercial officer of ATSG, said, “ATSG welcomes the opportunity to help Astral broaden its service offerings by delivering its first 767 aircraft, and we look forward to more opportunities to expand our relationship in the future with Sanjeev and his team.”

 

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ATSG 767 Freighter Deployments Expand into Africa, Mexico, and Southeast Asia

Global Leasing Demand and Strong Customer Relationships Drive Growth Beyond Projections

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. the leading provider of medium wide-body aircraft leasing, air transportation, and related services, announced that its leasing subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) has delivered a fifth converted Boeing 767-300 freighter to Atlanta-based package delivery giant United Parcel Service, Inc.

The delivery of this aircraft fulfills CAM’s commitment to UPS for five converted Boeing 767-300 freighters and brings ATSG’s total deliveries this year to twelve. Continued strong demand for its converted Boeing 767 freighter aircraft has driven deliveries to record levels for ATSG.

Leases and projected leased 767 aircraft deliveries for 2020 include:

ATSG delivers 767 freighter to MasAir of Mexico

Air Transport Services Group confirmed the delivery of a Boeing 767-300 converted freighter to Aerotransportes Mas de Carga, S.A. de C.V. (MasAir) of Mexico City under terms of a five-year dry lease agreement with ATSG subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM).

Luis Sierra, CEO of MasAir stated, “We are truly excited to receive this first aircraft from CAM that marks the start of a program to expand our ACMI services for our customers while continuing to provide excellent service and performance, initially in the Americas, setting our eyes on new horizons around the world.”

DHL Expressto get four converted 767-300s

                   

             DHL Express will add four 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) as part of the logistics company’s efforts to continue modernizing and growing its fleet with cost-efficient and reliable freighters.

This step is part of DHL’s effort to modernize its long-haul intercontinental fleet in order to fly more eco-friendly and cost-efficiently. The aircraft are converted from passenger to freighter configuration by Boeing to fit the needs of DHL Express and meet the rising global demand for express services.

ATSG Delivers Boeing 767 Freighter to Raya Airways of Malaysia

Air Transport Services Group, has confirmed the delivery by its Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) subsidiary of a Boeing 767-200 converted freighter to Raya Airways of Malaysia under a five-year lease. This will be the second Boeing 767-200 freighter that Raya Airways has leased from CAM and put into service.

As the global leader in 767 converted freighter dry leasing, ATSG provides dry leasing customers the opportunity to cost-effectively grow capacity to meet market demands.

Raya Airways provides air cargo service to more than 10 locations across the Asia-Pacific region and have been renowned for their safety and professional standards for more than 25 years.

“We are proud to take acceptance of this aeroplane from ATSG,” said Mohamad Najib Bin Ishak, managing director of Raya Airways. “It represents a significant step forward for our business and continued growth of our airline. It was awesome to see this plane arrive to such a warm welcome.”

Mike Berger, chief commercial officer of ATSG, said: “Personally I couldn’t be happier that ATSG was able to deliver this aircraft and increase Raya Airways' capacity. This is the next step in our valued relationship as their service to the Asia-Pacific market continues to grow.”

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American Airlines bidding a fond farewell to five fantastic fleets..........

Farewell Boeing 757-200 from American Airlines fleet                                       Photo American Airlines

The US mega-carrier American Airlines recently announced plans to accelerate the retirement of 99 older, less fuel-efficient aircraft from its fleet a fair bit sooner than it had originally planned. 

Following the record lack of demand, travel bans and restrictions caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, American is rapidly redesigning its flying schedule for the foreseeable future and that basically means a lot less aircraft will be required to be in the air where they rightly belong.  So the massive airline is taking this opportunity to retire a total of five aircraft types all around the same time.

American has officially retired the Embraer E190 and Boeing 767 fleets, which were originally scheduled to retire by the end of 2020. The airline has also accelerated the retirement of its Boeing 757s and Airbus A330-300s. Additionally, American is retiring 19 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft operated by PSA Airlines.

Air Canada Boeing 767 makes emergency landing in Madrid

A Boeing 767 with 128 passengers on board had to make an emergency landing at Madrid's Barajas airport after developing engine and wheel issues during its take off.

The Air Canada jet was heading to Toronto when a loud bang was heard by passengers in the cabin as the aircraft started to climb way for its transatlantic flight.

Passenger Brock Mierzejewski told AP, “Obviously a lot of nervous tension while we were in the air, but the pilots did a terrific job landing the plane, - We are still in a little bit of shock but glad to be safe,”

Also on the flight was Aaron C who took to social media to say  "so just at take-off there was a huge bang under my seat and then I saw smoke and flames from the left engine."

Dimmable aircraft windows coming soon to Airbus aircraft

Gentex Corporation, the world’s leading supplier of electronically dimmable windows (EDWs) for the aerospace industry, announced that Airbus is now offering the Company’s latest generation of electrochromic windows on its aircraft.

EDW's are designed to eliminate the need for traditional shades and allow passengers to self darken the windows electronically. The Gentex EDWs feature high-speed transition between clear and dark and a new ultra-dark low-end transmission. Compared to previous designs, these latest EDWs darken twice as fast and become 100 times darker, effectively eliminating more than 99.999% of visible light.

The Airbus EDWs were uniquely designed to be one, single line-replaceable unit in order to make installation and maintenance easier. They also feature a longer-lasting, scratch-resistant dust cover. “We worked together with Airbus to integrate the latest dimmable windows technology while further enhancing it with an additional speciality coating,” said Gentex President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Downing. “The windows benefit aircraft operators and passengers alike, which ultimately enhances the user experience for everyone on board.”

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Thales Integrated Touchscreen becomes the World's first product of its kind to gain EASA certification

The integrated touchscreen developed by Thales for Airbus A350 cockpits achieved certification by the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) in November 2019. It is the first screen of its type in the world to gain certification for use onboard commercial aircraft. Thales drew on its intrinsic potential for innovation to propose a new screen designed entirely around the pilot's user experience and offering the smoothest possible interaction with cockpit systems.

Airliner cockpits are becoming increasingly digital, connected and optimised to offer the best possible pilot experience. Thales has leveraged its proven flair for innovation and extensive experience of flight avionics systems to develop the first integrated touchscreen for the Airbus A350 to achieve EASA certification. With its large 15-inch display and a design that simplifies crew interactions, the new screen enables pilots to make faster, more intuitive decisions in every phase of the flight.

Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport sees growth in passenger traffic and leads the World in on-time departures in 2019

Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport served 46.38 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2019, an increase of 10.1 percent over the same period in 2018 the airport has announced.

According to FlightStats, which tracks and rates real-time flight status, departures and arrivals, airport delays, and airport information worldwide, Sheremetyevo also had the best record in the world for on-time departures in the Major Airports category and was the leader in on-time departures among the largest airports in Europe.

Flights depart on time at Sheremetyevo 95.7% of the time and led worldwide in that category for nine of the first 11 months of 2019.

Newly modified B767-400 brings Delta Premium Select to Santiago de Chile

2020 brings Delta Premium select product to two Latin American markets

Delta brings its newly modified B767-400 aircraft to customers travelling between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), who now will be able to experience the new Delta Premium Select—Delta’s international premium economy product. Santiago de Chile also will have a 31% capacity increase on its Delta One cabin. Effective Nov. 4, 2019, Delta Premium Select will be available for purchase for travel from Atlanta beginning Feb. 5, 2020.   

“Soon our customers flying to and from Santiago de Chile will have more cabin choices and the benefits of Delta’s continuous investments in its fleet and on-board experience,” said Rodrigo Bertola, Director - Hispanic South America, Central America and the Caribbean. “These new seats, based on our latest design, give our customers a luxurious experience, which is complemented by the refreshed amenity kits and the soon to be announced fall menu and wine selection.”

A new year round service between Montreal and Bogotá to start from Air Canada Rouge

Air Canada has confirmed it will be introducing a new year-round service between Montreal and Bogotá, Colombia beginning June 2, 2020. 

Flights will operate three times weekly onboard Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER aircraft offering a choice of premium and economy service.

"We are very pleased to offer the only non-stop, year-round flights connecting Montreal and Bogotá, two vibrant cities steeped in history and culture. This new route complements our existing Toronto-Bogotá service, and positions Air Canada as a significant player linking the growing markets between Montreal and Colombia's capital and largest city. The addition of Bogotá represents Air Canada's 39th new route launched from Montreal-Trudeau Airport since 2012, firmly illustrating our commitment to developing Montreal as an important, strategic hub. Bogotá  is also strategically situated to allow for seamless travel across South America through Star Alliance partner Avianca," said Mark Galardo, Vice President of Network Planning at Air Canada.

Delta Premium Select brings luxury to Buenos Aires on modified B767-400

Delta brings luxury to customers travelling between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Ezeiza International Airport, who now will be able to experience the new Delta Premium Select,  the airline’s international premium economy product. Buenos Aires will become the second Latin American market to be served by Delta’s newly modified B767-400 aircraft, which also feature Delta One, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Effective Sept. 16, Delta Premium Select will be available for purchase for travel from Atlanta beginning April 15, 2020.   

“We are proud to bring customers flying to and from Buenos Aires more choices and the benefits of Delta’s continuous investments in its fleet and onboard experience,” said Rodrigo Bertola, Director — Hispanic South America, Central America and the Caribbean. “These new seats, based on our latest design, give our customers a luxurious experience, which is complemented by refreshed amenity kits and a new winter menu and wine selection.”

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Omni Air International 767-300 blocked Shannon Airports runway after wheel fire!

Shannon Airport was forced to close for a number of hours earlier today after an air traffic controller noticed smoke and fire coming from an  Omni Air International Boeing 767-300's landing gear shortly before it was due to depart the Irish airport.

Upon the alarm being raised, the airport's fire service raced to the aircraft and extinguished the fire on the main landing gear.  All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via emergency slides, while it remained on the runway and were taken back to the airport's terminal.

There were no injuries reported and after the aircraft was made safe and examined it was moved off the runway and Shannon Airport reopened shortly after 11am this morning.  The Air Accident Investigation Unit confirmed that: "An AAIU go-team are responding to an occurrence at Shannon Airport, involving a Boeing 767 aircraft which was evacuated on the runway following a reported fire in a main-wheel well. Following consultation with the Shannon Airport Authority, the AAIU has given permission for the aircraft to be removed from the runway."

Icelandair expect Boeing's 737 Max 8's to be out of action until at least 16th June.

Photo Icelandair

The financially troubled Icelandic carrier Icelandair has updated its schedule to cover for the grounded 737 Max aircraft until at least the 16th June 2019 the airline revealed on Wednesday, 10th April.

The decision to add wet-leased aircraft to the fleet has reduced the impact of the suspension on Icelandair‘s flight schedule. As announced on 1st April, the Company entered into a leasing agreement regarding two Boeing 767 aircraft. Today, Icelandair has finalised a leasing agreement of the third aircraft, a 184-seat Boeing 757-200, which will be in operation from 15th May until the end of September 2019.

During the period 1 April to 15 June 2019, Icelandair will reduce its frequency of flight trips by around 3.6%, which accounts for around 100 trips. In most cases, these are flights to destination where more than one flight is available on the same day. Despite these changes, the total seat capacity during the period will essentially remain the same since the Company will use Boeing 767 aircraft that are larger than the Boeing 737 MAX. Therefore, these changes will not have significant effects on the total number of passengers during the period.

Icelandair lease two 767 aircraft until September to cover for grounded 737 Max 8

The Icelandic carrier has had to lease two Boeing 767 aircraft to cover for the grounded 737 Max aircraft al the way until the end of September.

The airline is saying the only reason it is taking on these 767's is to minimise interruption to Icelandair’s flight schedule following the suspension of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft,  The first aircraft comes into operation mid-April with the second at the beginning of May.

These are 262-seat aircraft with two classes and are fitted with an inflight entertainment system and while these join the fleet the airline is also currently working on leasing the third aircraft that would be added to its fleet in the summer 2019.

Furthermore, Icelandair is also reviewing its flight schedule for summer 2019 following significant changes in the competitive environment. If the Boeing 737 Max aircraft come back into operation in June or earlier, Icelandair has the possibility of increasing its flight frequency during high season. 

Icelandair is expecting to capitalise on the demise of fellow Icelandic airline WOW air with higher loads and more advantageous fares. 

Uzbekistan Boeing 767 runs off runway at Saint petersburg

An investigation is underway into how a Boeing 767 of Uzbekistan Airways carrying 241 passengers and 15 crew overshot the runway at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia on Saturday.

The aircraft, registration UK-67008 was performing flight HY631 from Tashkent, overran the runway, following heavy snowfalls at the airport. The airline said that there were no injuries and no emergency evacuation was necessary as it is believed only the front wheels came off the snow-covered paved area. 

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Federal Air Transport Agency are investigating the events at Pulkovo airport the airline confirmed and the aircraft was put back into service after an inspection was carried out.  The airline also said it had taken takes all possible measures to resolve the situation and apologizes to all passengers for any inconvenience caused.

Delta to resume Rio service this winter

For the third winter season in a row, US mega-carrier Delta will be flying down to Rio!  The Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport - New York JFK route will be operated using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft which features 25 Delta One flat-bed seats. With regionally inspired meals paired with wines selected by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson and extra wide in-flight entertainment screens.

The aircraft also offers 29 Delta Comfort+ seats with four additional inches of legroom and 171 Main Cabin seats. Delta has made significant enhancements to the Main Cabin experience including free in-flight premium entertainment, complimentary headphones on international flights and access to Wi-Fi on nearly all flights. All customers will be able to enjoy over 300 movies and 550 TV show episodes alongside music and games on individual seat-back screens or streamed directly to a laptop, tablet or mobile.

The End of an Era: Aloha Boeing 767

Hawaiian Airlines said goodbye to the last of  Boeing 767-300ER in its fleet yesterday. The widebody twin-engine jet joined the carriers fleet in 2001, replacing the trijet DC-10s and heralded a new era in aviation for the carrier. 

After flying the Pacific skies for over a decade, the aircraft tail number N594 – named ‘Ulili after the Wandering Tattler bird – completed its final scheduled commercial flight this afternoon when it arrived at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) from Sacramento International Airport (SMF) at 13:30 HST. The airline's agents welcomed the 258 guests and 10 crew members with celebratory lei as they deplaned from the historic HA19.