JetBlue introduces the final phase of its Airbus A320 cabin restyling project

The final phase of JetBlue's Airbus A320 interior cabin restyling ushers in a new era of comfort and connectivity 

The US low-cost airline JetBlue announced on Wednesday 20th March,  that its newest cabin experience has taken to the skies on regular services!

The airline says its cabin restyling brings to the skies the widest seats available for the A320 aircraft, custom-designed seatback inflight entertainment (IFE) with 100+ channels of DIRECTV and hundreds of free movies and shows, ability to pair your mobile device to the screen, easy-to-reach power sources at every seat, and expanded coverage of free Wi-Fi connectivity almost everywhere JetBlue flies. 

JetBlue’s Airbus A320 aircraft, which make up the majority of the airline’s fleet, are being updated for the first time since the airline disrupted the industry with onboard live television and all-leather seats in 2000.

easyjet gets first FANS-C-equipped A320 from Airbus

Airbus has delivered the first *FANS-C-equipped A320 aircraft to easyJet. In the framework of Europe’s SESAR Air Traffic Management (ATM) research programme, this aircraft – and others to follow – will take part in the Airbus-led project “Demonstration of air traffic management improvements generated by 4D Initial Trajectory Information Sharing” (DIGITS), which will demonstrate the sharing of an aircraft's predicted trajectory data with air traffic control (ATC).

FANS-C technology will enable airlines to optimise their aircraft’s trajectories and make traffic flows more fluid and aircraft speed easier to manage, which will help them to save fuel and reduce noise. In particular, the sharing of predicted trajectories with ATC controllers will enable smooth aircraft sequencing on approach and in the “Terminal Maneuvering Area.”

Hugh McConnellogue, Group Head of Network Operations at easyJet said: “We are very pleased to be the first airline to receive this new FANS-C technology in our Airbus aircraft – and to try it for real in the SESAR demonstration. Our early hands-on experience already indicates that it promises to be an important enabler to increase the efficiency, safety and on-time performance of our expanding operations – especially in the congested European airspace.”

JetBlue expands out of Boston with new routes and more services

JetBlue to Increase Daily Flights Between Logan and Twelve Key Destinations in Latest Move to Advance Airline’s Leadership Position in Boston

JetBlue to Serve Washington, D.C. and New York City with Hourly Service from Boston

                    The US budget carrier JetBlue may very well be known as New York's hometown airline, but that doesn't stop it developing a much bigger route network out of Boston! It is the top airline out of Logan and a little earlier this week it announced a major growth spurt from the airport.

Beginning this summer, JetBlue will add more flights on twelve popular routes while also expanding or adjusting schedules to offer hourly service to Washington, D.C. and the New York metro area. The move, which will benefit both leisure and business customers, is the latest in a series of growth announcements in Boston where JetBlue flies to more nonstop destinations, operates more flights and serves more travellers than any other airline. 

Allegiant's Make a Wish jet gets an update as the airline reports its latest results

Photo Allegiant

The Las Vegas based low-cost airline Allegiant has released details of its operational performance for December and 2018. Whilst the airline saw passenger numbers slightly dip during December, the carrier performed well over the last quarter as a whole, with numbers up by some 5.2%. (full results listed below)

For the whole year, the firm experienced some impressive growth,  carrying 13,606,103 people on its scheduled services, up just over 12% on 2017 numbers.  Revenue was also up over the year as was load factor and available seat miles.

The Las Vegas hometown airline has also officially unveiled its specially liveried Airbus A320 featuring the new blue and white Make-A-Wish® logo.  This special aircraft will be based at the firm's Orlando Sanford International Airport base.

Finnair increases capacity to London for summer 2019

Finnair increases capacity to London for summer 2019 with 

a second wide-body aircraft upgauge 

and a new daily frequency

One of the leading and most respected European airlines, Finnair, will be adding capacity on its route between Helsinki and London Heathrow for the summer season 2019. From the end of March, the carrier will add a new daily frequency to and from Heathrow, operated with an A320 family aircraft. Providing good connection opportunities from London with Finnair’s oneworld partners, the new flight will leave Helsinki at 11:40 and the return flight from London will depart at 13:50.   

The economy cabin of A330

In addition, Finnair will further increase its capacity on the London route by upgauging the 16:00 flight between Helsinki and London, as well as the 18:10 flight from London to Helsinki, with an Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. The change will provide more than 50 additional seats per flight compared to the current A321 narrow-body aircraft. Finnair currently flies an Airbus A350 aircraft daily for the first flight leaving Helsinki in the morning and for the return flight from London. Customers travelling from London via Helsinki to Finnair’s Asian destinations can now have a seamless business class experience with full-flat seats on their way to Asia and back. 

Airbus delivers the 400th A320 Family aircraft assembled in Final Assembly Line Asia

Airbus has delivered the 400th A320 Family aircraft from its Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in Tianjin, China. The A320neo was delivered to national flag carrier Air China, based in Beijing. Powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF latest generation engines, the aircraft features a comfortable two-class cabin layout with 158 seats: 8 business and 150 economy.

The milestone is a tribute to the excellent industrial cooperation and partnership between Airbus and the Chinese aviation industry.

The Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) is a joint venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Airport Economic Area Zone & Tianjin Port Free Trade Administrative Committee and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). Airbus and the Chinese consortium hold 51% and 49% of the shares of the joint venture respectively. Airbus has four A320 Family production facilities around the world: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, United States.

Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the efficient A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver at least 15% fuel savings at delivery and 20% by 2020. With more than 6,200 orders received from more than 100 customers, the A320neo Family has captured some 60% share of the market.

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Airbus delivers the 400th A320 Family aircraft assembled in Final Assembly Line Asia

Airbus has delivered the 400th A320 Family aircraft from its Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in Tianjin, China. The A320neo was delivered to national flag carrier Air China, based in Beijing. Powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF latest generation engines, the aircraft features a comfortable two-class cabin layout with 158 seats: 8 business and 150 economy.

The milestone is a tribute to the excellent industrial cooperation and partnership between Airbus and the Chinese aviation industry.

The Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) is a joint venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Airport Economic Area Zone & Tianjin Port Free Trade Administrative Committee and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). Airbus and the Chinese consortium hold 51% and 49% of the shares of the joint venture respectively. Airbus has four A320 Family production facilities around the world: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, United States.

Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the efficient A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver at least 15% fuel savings at delivery and 20% by 2020. With more than 6,200 orders received from more than 100 customers, the A320neo Family has captured some 60% share of the market.

Wizz Air to expand route network from Bulgaria

More Bulgarian growth for one of Europe's fastest growing airlines, as Wizz Air announces further capacity expansion to its Varna network as well as adding another Airbus A320 aircraft to the base the carrier is launch six new routes.

The new Airbus A320 will be joining Wizz Air's Varna fleet in July 2019, which will create 35 additional direct local jobs with the airline and up to 150 in non direct positions.  The new addition will boost the Wizz fleet at the city to 2, with 7 aircraft based at Sofia.

Starting in July 2019, the newest Wizz Air routes will connect Varna with three exciting German cities. The beautiful port town of Hamburg, Cologne the gothic gem and the remarkable cultural hub Berlin are all among the airline’s newest direct routes from Varna. The romantic vibes of Paris, the exciting Mersey-side in Liverpool and the historical harbours and the colourful creativity in Copenhagen are now available for passengers travelling from Varna at Wizz Air’s genuinely low fares.

Frontier Airlines gets a new Airbus A321-200 from Air Lease Corporation

Leasing specialist Air Lease Corporation announced the delivery of one new Airbus A321-200 aircraft on long-term lease to Frontier Airlines on November 29th.

The new jet features CFM International CFM56-5B3/3 engines and is the first of two A321-200 aircraft that Air Lease Corp are to deliver to Frontier Airlines from ALC’s order book with Airbus.

Traditional to Frontier Airlines, this A321-200 aircraft will unveil a new special livery with a “Xavier, The Mountain Goat” animal tail.“ALC is delighted to extend our excellent relationship with Frontier Airlines to include the delivery of this new A321-200 aircraft,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “The A321-200 is a key addition to Frontier’s fleet as the airline continues to excel as an ultra-low-cost carrier within the United States.”

JetBlue's newest special livery celebrating the Brooklyn Nets

The American low-cost airline, JetBlue, is also known as New York’s Hometown Airline and has demonstrated its ties with and love for the city with its latest special aircraft livery, that celebrates the Brooklyn Nets.

The new look jet, nicknamed "BK Blue” was designed by a team of Brooklynites and New Yorkers. The aircraft honours New York City’s largest borough with special touches unique to Brooklyn such as street art, architecture, and hip hop. 

Additional highlights of the livery:

Straying from the airline’s traditional blue paint scheme, this all black and white aircraft includes the Brooklyn Nets logo on the tail, the silhouette of the Brooklyn Bridge and Barclays Center on the fuselage, and the phrase “Spread Love” on the underbelly.
The design includes the airline's co-branded trademark with New York State's iconic tourism campaign and logo, I LOVE NEW YORK, solidifying JetBlue’s status as the official hometown airline of New York.
Aligned with JetBlue’s mission of inspiring humanity, “BK Blue” will “Spread Love” and award-winning service as it travels throughout JetBlue’s network in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.

Air Canada starts two new routes from Alberta - Edononton to Las Vegas & Calgary to Palm Springs.

Canada's largest international airline, Air Canada launched two new daily, seasonal transborder routes over the weekend from bases in Alberta.

The airline and its staff held celebrations in both Edmonton and Calgary ahead of the inaugural flights to Las Vegas and Palm Springs respectively. "We are delighted to offer more travel options to Albertans with the addition of daily, seasonal services from both Calgary and Edmonton, which means golf, entertainment and the desert sun are a short flight away every day this fall and winter. With our flexible and diverse North American fleet, we are continuing to strategically add services to popular destinations," said Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning at Air Canada.

The Edmonton to Las Vegas service will operate daily until the end of April on an Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319 aircraft.

The service to Palm Springs from Calgary also operates daily and again ends on 30th April and is scheduled for an Airbus A320 to fly the routes. 

Jetlines makes another step forward in the race to get airbourne

Canada Jetlines has taken another massive leap forward in its race to get in the air, the company announced this week that it has completed a second set of advance lease payments to leading aircraft leasing firm, AerCap.

These lease payments are for two Airbus A320 aircraft, that are currently flying with Air New Zealand and near the end of their lease term with the kiwi airline.  Delivery of Airbus A320 MSNs 2594 and 2663 which are around 12 years old and are expected by early in the second quarter of 2019. These two planes are virtually identical in design, features, and equipment, allowing Jetlines to expedite the necessary training and maintenance processes to commence operations at an earlier date. 

Jetlines has made another deposit to AerCap for USD $438,000 per the terms of the agreement and in a demonstration of the continued partnership. To date, Jetlines has made payments totalling USD $2,190,000 toward securing these aircraft. CEO Javier Suarez stated “Our operations team has worked diligently on securing quality aircraft, carrying out a meticulous vetting process to ensure that the aircraft are fit for Jetlines’ ultra-low-cost operation. As a part of the process, Jetlines retained Lufthansa Technik to accomplish the preliminary inspection prior to the lease agreement completion to ensure the aircraft suitability and condition. Both AerCap and Air New Zealand have been proactive in supporting the transfer of data and information to Jetlines in order to allow the early entry into service. We look forward to getting these aircraft off the ground and to finally bring low fares to Canada.”

Nose wheels missing in Beijing Capital Airlines A320 emergency landing

A Beijing Capital Airlines Airbus A320 with 166 people on board had to make an emergency landing with two wheels missing at Shenzhen airport on Tuesday after the flight deck crew aborted landing at nearby Macau and declared “Mayday”. 

The flight had taken off from Beijing and according to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) the crew also reported a problem in one of the aircraft's engine. 

Capital Airlines used local social media site Weibo to say that it suspected the flight encountered wind shear whilst attempting to land in Macau with the pilots “concluded that landing gear may have been damaged.”

It said there were 157 passengers and nine crew on board the A320, registration B-6952, was operating flight JD5759 from Beijing to Macau, when the incident occurred around 11:15 local time. and the CACC said five passengers reported physical discomfort during the incident.   

The airport at Shenzhen, shut one of its runways for three hours to accommodate the emergency landing, the airport confirmed on Weibo. Images show plan at a halt with emergency escape chute deployed and no fount wheels, there also appears to be some damage to the left engine. 

Allegiant's first US produced A320 joins the fleet.

That ultra-low-cost airline in the US, Allegiant welcomed its first U.S.-produced A320 aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama this week. 

A team of Allegiant employees and executives from the company's headquarters in Las Vegas joined Airbus' leadership team at the production facility for a special ceremony to officially mark the delivery. The Airbus A320 is the 11th of 13 new A320 aircraft scheduled for purchase directly from Airbus, to be inducted into Allegiant's fleet this year. Previously inducted aircraft have been assembled in Airbus facilities in Toulouse, France and Hamburg, Germany.

This delivery marks another step in Allegiant's planned transition to a single fleet type by the end of 2018. Allegiant currently has a total of 99 Airbus aircraft either in service or committed for future delivery.

Finnair to lease an A320 LY FOX from GetJet between June 2018 and January 2019

Finnair had advised they will lease an Airbus A320 aircraft and flight deck crew from the Lithuanian airline GetJet to support Finnair’s growing traffic from summer 2018 to early 2019.

The leased GetJet aircraft will operate some of Finnair’s flights from Helsinki to Budapest, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Krakow and Pafos between 8.6.2018 and 7.1.2019. The pilots will be from GetJet while the cabin crew and service concept will be from Finnair. The aircraft, registration LY-FOX, is slightly over 18 years old and has previously flown with Iberia, Eritrean Airlines, Balkan Holidays and VietJet before joining the GetJet fleet after a period of storage.  

“We have a record number of flights next summer to both Asia and Europe. The leased aircraft will for its part ensure that we are able to operate all the flights in our traffic plan,” says Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair.

Customers are able to see the operating carrier when they are making their bookings on Finnair.com. Customers who already have a reservation on one of the flights that will be operated with the leased aircraft will be informed of the change in an operating carrier through a text message or email.  Customers can change their travel date due to this change in operating carrier if they so wish.

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Ramp up in Airbus China production

European aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus has announced details of a deal to increase the number of aircraft it makes in China during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.  During his three-day visit, Mr Macron said both France and China must open up to doing business with each other, saying "access to markets which is unbalanced [and] unsatisfying"

Airbus says it plans to produce six of its A320 jets each month by 2020 at the final assembly plant the company has near Beijing.  As part of the agreement, Airbus said it will "enhance its industrial partnership in Tianjin" which is one of four global facilities that assemble the whole family range of A320 craft.

Airbus said it hopes to "strengthen the cooperation with regards to technical innovation, engineering capabilities and supply chain expansion".

The manufacturer currently only produces four aircraft each month in China, this will increase to five by the end of 2019 and then cranking up to six jets by early 2020.

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CALC orders 50 A320neo aircraft

CALC (China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited), a full value-chain aircraft solutions provider for global airlines, has signed a firm order for 50 A320neo Family aircraft. This latest incremental order brings CALC’s total order book to date to around 200 Airbus single-aisle aircraft.

Mr. Mike Poon, Chief Executive Officer of CALC, said, “We are proud to augment our fleet by adding 50 in-demand A320neo jetliners that have outstanding fuel efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort. Since CALC’s inception, we have maintained a close and dynamic relationship with Airbus, and the commitment marks yet another endorsement of our mutual trust. This bulk purchase will significantly expand CALC’s fleet portfolio and further solidify our position as a full value-chain aircraft solutions provider. Currently, the majority of our fleet comes from direct purchase from manufacturers and that will remain the major source of our new aircraft.”

“We are very happy with this repeat order by CALC. It is once more a great endorsement for our leading A320 Family aircraft. With unbeatable fuel efficiency and the lowest operating costs, it is the best match for CALC’s customers. Thanks to the widest single-aisle cabin in the skies, the A320neo passengers will enjoy the best in class comfort,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer - Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

AerCap boosts A320neo portfolio by 50 aircraft

Leading aircraft lessor AerCap holdings has upped its A320neo portfolio after signing a firm agreement to buy 50 additional aircraft. This transaction brings AerCap's firm orders for the A320neo Family aircraft to a total of 270, owned and on order.

Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap said, "As the largest lessor of the A320neo Family aircraft, we have already placed three-quarters of our A320neo Family aircraft from our existing forward order book with Airbus. We have seen significant market appetite for these aircraft from our diverse customer base. This transaction is in line with our portfolio strategy of investing in the most in-demand modern technology aircraft in the world.”

“AerCap is one of the most highly regarded lessors and an additional 50 A320neo Family aircraft to an existing portfolio of 220 is a fabulous endorsement of the world’s favourite single-aisle aircraft,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

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Viva Air finalizes order for 50 A320 Family aircraft

    

Viva Air, the Latin America low-cost carrier group owned by Irelandia Aviation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 50 A320 Family aircraft, comprising 35 A320neo and 15 A320ceo.

Viva Air group modernizes fleet, accelerates network growth with Airbus’ leading single-aisle family

Following an MOU signed at Le Bourget Paris Airshow in June, Viva Air, the Latin America low-cost carrier group owned by Irelandia Aviation, has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 50 A320 Family aircraft. The 35 A320neo and 15 A320ceo will be operated by the group’s airlines VivaColombia and Viva Air Peru and will allow the two all-Airbus operators to modernize their fleets and capture growth opportunities across Latin America.

William Shaw, CEO and Founder of VivaColombia, part of Viva Air, said: “This order reflects our long-term commitment to our customers lowering fares further due to the benefits of this new fleet. We are excited to continue expanding our successful low-cost model and accelerate our growth throughout Latin America making air transportation more accessible and affordable to our customers.”

John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, said: “Airbus is pleased to play a major role in supporting Viva Air in its exciting journey to develop the low-cost model throughout Latin America. With its exceptionally comfortable cabin, low operating costs and excellent fuel efficiency, the A320 and A320neo Families are the best product lines to complement Viva Air’s expansion goals.”

Yes, there is more to this story  -  

Wataniya Airways to add 25 A320neo Family aircraft

Golden Falcon Aviation, the exclusive aircraft provider of Wataniya Airways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 25 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. The agreement was signed earlier this week at the Dubai Airshow 2017 by Dr. Hamad Al-Tuwaijri, Chairman of Golden Falcon Aviation, and John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft in the presence of Ali Al Fouzan, Chairman of Wataniya Airways.

Airline to upgrade its fleet with fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft

Wataniya Airways resumed operations in July 2017 and currently operates a fleet of two A320ceo aircraft serving several destinations in the Middle East and Europe from its home base in Kuwait. The A320neo Family will contribute to the airline’s strategic vision to become the fastest growing and leading airline in the country.