Airbus delivers first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in China

Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin (C&DC), China, taking additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership with China.

The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. At the end of June 2021, China Eastern Airlines operated an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320 Family aircraft, 55 A330 Family aircraft and nine A350 aircraft.

“I’m proud that Airbus successfully extended the capability of the widebody C&DC in Tianjin to the A350, the latest new generation aircraft, at such a difficult time of global aviation,” said George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO. “This is a new milestone in the long-term cooperation between China and Airbus, which further demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to the country. Congratulations to China Eastern Airlines, our long-term strategic partner, for receiving the first A350 delivered from China, and I appreciate their trust in Airbus and in our products as always.”

China Eastern Airlines gets first Airbus A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in China

Airbus delivers first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in China

Airbus delivers first A350 from its widebody completion and delivery centre in China  Photo Airbus

Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin (C&DC), China, taking additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership with China.

The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. At the end of June 2021, China Eastern Airlines operated an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320 Family aircraft, 55 A330 Family aircraft and nine A350 aircraft.

“I’m proud that Airbus successfully extended the capability of the widebody C&DC in Tianjin to the A350, the latest new generation aircraft, at such a difficult time of global aviation,” said George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO. “This is a new milestone in the long-term cooperation between China and Airbus, which further demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to the country. Congratulations to China Eastern Airlines, our long-term strategic partner, for receiving the first A350 delivered from China, and I appreciate their trust in Airbus and in our products as always.”

 

Located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre, the widebody C&DC covers the aircraft completion activities, including cabin installation, aircraft painting and production flight test, as well as customer flight acceptance and aircraft delivery.

 

The centre was inaugurated in September 2017 with its capability on A330s. Then, during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on the Further Development of Industrial Cooperation was signed in Beijing by He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, announcing the C&DC would extend its capability to A350 aircraft.

 

The A350 features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The A350’s ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabin is the quietest of any widebody aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.

 

At the end of June 2021, the A350 Family had received 915 firm orders from 49 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.

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Aviation Capital Group Announces Financing of One Airbus A350-900 and Three Airbus A321neo Aircraft for Turkish Airlines

Aviation Capital Group ACG, a leading aircraft asset manager, announced today the secured financing of one Airbus A350-900 aircraft and three Airbus A321neo aircraft for Turkish Airlines (THY).

In connection with the A350-900 financing, ACG’s Aircraft Financing Solutions (AFS) program utilized a portion of its $650 million secured funding facility to act as a direct lender under a finance lease to THY. Use of the facility allowed ACG to quickly and efficiently progress from mandate to providing delivery date financing in less than four weeks.

Following the A350-900 financing, ACG partnered with Societe Generale (SG) to provide an ACG guarantee for the secured loan component of an Italian lease structure related to three A321neo aircraft, the first of which was delivered to THY this week. “We are very happy that ACG was able to respond to THY’s financing needs as both a direct lender and a loan guarantor. This demonstrates the flexibility of the AFS program and our ability to utilize a multitude of financing structures to address our clients' requirements,” said Andrew Falk, Managing Director of ACG.

“We are delighted to have partnered with ACG so as to provide an extremely competitive financing solution tailored to THY’s needs, executed smoothly in a very short timeframe,” said Emanuele Maiocchi, Director of SG Milan Structured Solution & Leasing team.

Laurent Floquet of SG, Managing Director and Head of Aviation Finance for EMEA, added, “Both THY and ACG are key clients of SG’s global aviation finance franchise, and we are very pleased to have been able to serve both through the delivery of an innovative and value-added solution.”

Aysegul Denli, Turkish Airlines’ Senior Vice President Finance, noted, “With an innovative structure embedding an ACG guarantee coverage combined with an Italian lease for three A321neo and the ACG secured loan facility for one A350-900, a competitive overall cost of financing has been obtained by Turkish Airlines with the solid commitment of the lenders during a challenging time for the aviation sector. Documentation and initial deliveries are achieved in a very tight timeline despite the continuing negative impacts of the Covid crisis and the global lockdowns.”

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KKR and Altavair Close Sale and Leaseback of Four Airbus A350-900 Aircraft with Singapore Airlines

KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Altavair L.P., a leader in commercial aviation finance, announced today the closing of a sale and leaseback with Singapore Airlines (SIA) of four Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The acquisition was funded by funds and accounts managed by KKR, with Altavair acting as servicer on the assets.

“We were honored to be selected by Singapore Airlines to participate in these transactions,” said Steve Rimmer, CEO of Altavair. “Singapore Airlines is continually recognized as one of the top international carriers and we are extremely pleased to be continuing our relationship with them with this new agreement.”

“This transaction with Singapore Airlines is another exciting milestone as we continue to deepen our trusted relationships with leading carriers around the world,” said Dan Pietrzak and Brandon Freiman, Partners at KKR. “These four modern aircraft operated by a world-class airline are a great addition to Altavair’s portfolio.”

Cathay Pacific to operate Hong Kong - Singapore travel bubble flights

Ready, Bubble, Fly

Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble flights are about to take off!

Cathay Pacific is excited to welcome the resumption of the Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble and is ready to fly passengers on board its two-way, all-purpose, quarantine-free Air Travel Bubble flights starting 26 May. These flights will be operated by pilots and cabin crew who have all been fully vaccinated.

With travel having been difficult for everyone over the past year, we know that our customers have been eagerly anticipating the launch of our Hong Kong-Singapore Air Travel Bubble flights so that they can rediscover the joy of flying. We believe the safe and secure bubble flights will be a milestone showcase for the opening of similar travel arrangements with other popular destinations.

 

The ingenious way for airlines to weather the storm

When the Covid-19 crisis hit last year, the grounding of airline fleets across the world struck the aviation industry to its core. But in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.

The global roll-out of Covid-19 vaccination programmes has offered hope that the world will soon start flying again, but while domestic and short-haul trips are likely to reach pre-pandemic levels first, long-haul travel may take a little longer to recover.

 

Boom in cargo demand 

Little wonder, then, that airlines are exploring opportunities created by the crisis and, with Airbus’ help, using their own ingenuity to take advantage of the boom in freight demand.

Now, more than ever, operators are analysing how to optimise their current and future widebody fleets to maximise operational efficiency by carrying more cargo as the world emerges from the pandemic crisis.

 

SAS agrees sale and leaseback transaction for a fleet of four Airbus aircraft.

The aircraft leasing giant CDB Aviation, and  Scandinavia’s flagship airline, SAS have agreed on a new sale and leaseback transaction for a fleet of four Airbus aircraft.  The deal is for three A320neo and one A350-900 aircraft, which are leased to SAS on a long-term basis. 

SAS has already taken delivery of the Airbus A350, which occurred on Friday, March 26, 2021. The remaining three A320neos are expected to be delivered during the spring of 2022.

“We are pleased to expand our long-standing relationship with SAS, with the addition of these new technology Airbus aircraft to the carrier’s growing one-type fleet,” said CDB Aviation Chief Marketing Officer Peter Goodman. “These aircraft will contribute to SAS’ ongoing efforts to transition their fleet to more environmentally conscious operations, with their fleet’s reduced environmental footprint and enhanced cost efficiencies.”

Lufthansa getting ready for mega-long flight from Hamburg to the Falkland Islands

Lufthansa will soon depart on its longest passenger flight with polar explorers on board.

On behalf of the Alfred-Wegener-Institute, the flight will operate with an Airbus A350-900 from Hamburg to the Falkland Islands.

On February 1, 2021, Lufthansa will be departing on the longest passenger flight in the history of its company, marking one of the most unique flights the airline has ever carried out. On behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, the Lufthansa Group's most sustainable aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, will be flying 13,700 kilometres nonstop from Hamburg to Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. The flight time is calculated at around 15:00 hours. There are 92 passengers booked for this charter flight LH2574, half of which are scientists and the other half, being the ship crew for the upcoming expedition with the Polarstern research vessel. 

"We are pleased to be able to support a polar research expedition during these difficult times. Commitment to climate research is very important to us. We have been active in this field for more than 25 years and have equipped selected aircraft with measuring instruments. Since then, scientists all around the world have been using the data collected during the voyage to make climate models more precise and improve weather forecasts," says Thomas Jahn, fleet captain and project manager Falkland.  

Since the hygiene requirements for this flight are extremely high, Captain Rolf Uzat and his 17-member crew entered a 14-day quarantine last Saturday, the same time that the passengers did. "Despite the crew restrictions for this particular flight, 600 flight attendants applied for this trip," says Rolf Uzat.

Airbus delivers 34% fewer aircraft during 2020 - A total of 566 aircraft including 38 A220s and 4 A380s

Despite the global pandemic and the downturn in the aviation industry the European planemaker Airbus still managed to deliver 566 aircraft during 2020, just 34% fewer than in 2019.

It also managed to record a total of 383 new aircraft orders, 268 net orders in all market segments.  There were 64 new orders for the A220, 296 orders were received for A320 family of jets. In the widebody sector, Airbus gained 23 new orders including two A330s and 21 A350s. After 115 cancellations by the end of 2020, Airbus’ backlog stood at 7,184 aircraft.

“Working hand-in-hand with our customers allowed us to navigate a difficult year. The Airbus teams, customers and suppliers truly pulled together in the face of adversity to deliver this result. We also thank our partners and governments for their strong support to the sector,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “Based on our 2020 deliveries we are cautiously optimistic as we look into 2021, although challenges and uncertainties remain high in the short term.”

Qatar Airways Welcomed its 53rd Airbus A350 on the Last Day of 2020 Reaffirming its Position as the Largest Operator of A350 Aircraft

With this delivery, the airline will operate 34 A350-900 and 19 A350-1000 with an average age of 2.7 years

Airline’s strategic investment in twin-engine, fuel-efficient aircraft has enabled it to continue flying throughout the crisis and made it the ideal choice for environmentally conscious passengers

Qatar Airways’ sustainable fleet gives it the ability to offer passengers more flexible travel options via the most connected and Best Airport in the Middle East

Qatar Airways was pleased to wrap up 2020 with the delivery of its 53rd Airbus A350 on the final day of the year. The national carrier of the State of Qatar is the largest operator of Airbus A350 aircraft with 34 A350-900 and 19 A350-1000, reaffirming its position as the ideal choice for environmentally conscious long-haul passengers. The A350-1000 is fitted with the airline’s multi award-winning Business Class seat, Qsuite, and will operate on strategic routes to and from Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we continue to invest in our fleet, operating the youngest, most fuel-efficient and technologically advanced aircraft in the skies. This strategic investment in sustainable twin-engine aircraft has enabled us to continue flying during the most challenging year in aviation’s history, helping take over 3.1 million people home since the start of the pandemic. As global travel recovers, our passengers can rely on us to fly greener and smarter with more flights to more destinations via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport.”

Finnair closes a sale and leaseback agreement for one of its A350 aircraft

As a part of Finnair’s rebuild program, the company has finalized a sale and leaseback arrangement for one of its A350 aircraft with Incline B Aviation Limited Partnership as a lessor guarantor, and BBAM Aviation Services Limited as a lease servicer. In the arrangement, Finnair sold the Airbus A350 aircraft, which was delivered in April 2019, and leased it back for its own operation. The initial operating lease period is 12 years, not including extension options.

The arrangement has no major impact on Finnair’s operating result for the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the immediate positive cash effect for Finnair is in excess of 100 million euros.

Finnair has ordered a total of 19 new A350-900 XWB aircraft from Airbus, of which 16 have been delivered as of September 1, 2020.

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Airbus Awards Ethiopian for its Unique Agility and Resilience During the COVID – 19 Global Pandemic Crisis

Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest Aviation Group in Africa, announced that Airbus, the largest aircraft manufacturer, has awarded Ethiopian for the unique agility and resilience that it displayed amid the COVID 19 global crisis. 

In connection with the award, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Ethiopian Group CEO remarked, “We at Ethiopian are immensely delighted that one of the top companies in the world, Airbus, has recognized the efforts of the management and employees of Ethiopian Airlines unique agility and resilience amid the COVID 19 global crisis. We were there when the world needed us most. I would like to express my gratitude to the over 17 Thousand hardworking Ethiopian employees and management team."

Mr. Hadi Akoum, Airbus Vice President Sales Africa and Levant Customer Affairs on his part said, "This is to express the admiration of Airbus executive management and Airbus whole employees for the unbelievable achievement of Ethiopian Airlines in this unprecedented epidemic. While other airlines were just trying to figure out what to do, Ethiopia Airlines was aggressively pressing ahead finding solution, creating solution converting their passenger aircraft to freighters. Ethiopian Airlines is the first one to do it on Airbus A350 and continue to fly and create even new business. This is something unique all over the world.  Today, Ethiopian Airlines is able to maintain the operation of all fleet where others are at 10 percent of their capability, and many airlines have just simply gone bankrupt and people have lost their jobs. This has been done because of the visionary leadership, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam. Ethiopian Airlines today is showing the example to the whole world in resilience and visionary thinking of the leadership. Thank you very much, it is a real admiration that we express at Airbus for your leadership and for Ethiopian Airlines Employees. “

Ethiopian Airlines is the first global airline that converted A350 passenger aircraft to cargo to transport the much needed medical supplies to combat the spread of COVID 19. The Airline is now operating 16 A350 aircraft in its network.

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A350 deliveries put back by Finnair

Finnair defers three A350 deliveries

Finnair confirmed last week that it has concluded negotiations with European planemaker Airbus over delaying the delivery of three A350-900 aircraft.

The airline is struggling to cut its costs following the downturn in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic and has postponed delivery of the A350s.  The aircraft were originally scheduled for delivery from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022, and on average, the new delivery dates for the aircraft will be 24 months later than originally scheduled.

According to the carrier, this deferral will save the carrier €200 million in 2011.  “Finnair has been in intensive negotiations with all of its suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking to reduce expenditures in order to support our ramp-up plans when traffic recovers. This agreement will give us more flexibility to deploy the existing fleet more efficiently and improve cash flow”, says Christine Rovelli, Senior Vice President, Finance and Fleet Management at Finnair.

Finnair has ordered a total of 19 new A350-900 XWB aircraft from Airbus, of which 16 have now been delivered.

The fleet operated and/or owned by Finnair is shown at the company website at https://www.finnair.com/gb/gb/flights/fleet and updated on a quarterly basis in the company’s financial reports.

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Finnair defers the delivery of three A350 aircraft

Finnair defers three A350 deliveries

Finnair confirmed on Friday that it has concluded negotiations with European planemaker Airbus over delaying the delivery of three A350-900 aircraft.

The airline is struggling to cut its costs following the downturn in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic and has postponed delivery of the A350s.  The aircraft were originally scheduled for delivery from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022, and on average, the new delivery dates for the aircraft will be 24 months later than originally scheduled.

According to the carrier, this deferral will save the carrier €200 million in 2011.  “Finnair has been in intensive negotiations with all of its suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking to reduce expenditures in order to support our ramp-up plans when traffic recovers. This agreement will give us more flexibility to deploy the existing fleet more efficiently and improve cash flow”, says Christine Rovelli, Senior Vice President, Finance and Fleet Management at Finnair.

Finnair has ordered a total of 19 new A350-900 XWB aircraft from Airbus, of which 16 have now been delivered.

The fleet operated and/or owned by Finnair is shown at the company website at https://www.finnair.com/gb/gb/flights/fleet and updated on a quarterly basis in the company’s financial reports.

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Finnair re-opens operations to Nanjing for September and October with a weekly frequency

Finnair has received permission from Chinese authorities to operate one weekly flight between Helsinki and Nanjing as of 11 September. The route will be operated with Airbus A350 aircraft until 18 October, and it supports cargo and passenger travel demand between Europe and China. The flight schedule is published in all Finnair sales channels.  

Finnair currently offers smooth connections to 30 destinations in Europe and Finland from its Helsinki hub.

“We are happy to be able to serve another destination in China, which continues to be a key market for us,” says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair. “In September we are flying to Mainland China (Shanghai and Nanjing) two times per week and look forward to further increasing our service to the Chinese market soonest.”  

Finnair currently serves some 40 destinations in Europe and Asia, operating altogether 80-90 flights per day. Finnair constantly reviews its traffic plan and has the capability to add flights and re-open destinations at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed and travel demand recovers. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by cargo demand.

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Finnair complete the sale of an Airbus A350 and lease it back

Finnair has finalised a sale and leaseback arrangement for one of its A350 aircraft with Nomura Babcock & Brown Co., Ltd. (“NBB”), and BBAM Aircraft Management LP as an arranger and lease servicer. In the arrangement, Finnair sold the Airbus A350 aircraft delivered in February 2020 to NBB and leased the aircraft back for its own operation. The initial operating lease period is 12 years, and the lease includes extension options.

The arrangement has no major impact on Finnair’s operating result for the third quarter of 2020. However, the immediate positive cash effect for Finnair is in excess of 100 million euros.

Finnair has ordered a total of 19 new A350-900 XWB aircraft from Airbus, of which 15 have now been delivered.

 

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Qatar Airways to Resume Flights to Helsinki Tomorow

The Doha based Qatar Airways has confirmed it will be restarting its service to the Finnish capital of Helsinki this week!    The gulf carrier resumes three weekly flights from tomorrow, Wednesday, 29 July and will be the fourth Nordic capital the airline flies to.  Qatar has daily flights to Oslo, daily flights to Stockholm and operates to Copenhagen five times a week.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive,  Akbar Al Baker said: “We are glad to see Helsinki return to our network, a significant indicator of the recovery of the Nordic travel market. With a total of 22 weekly flights to the region we are delighted to be the first Gulf carrier to offer flights to the four Nordic capitals of Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm. While the drop in air travel demand due to Covid-19 forced us to temporarily suspend services to Helsinki, we are proud to have never stopped flying to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. As we pass the worst of the crisis, we look forward to increasing our services to the Nordic region to support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”

Finnair heading back to Shanghai each week from 23 July

Weel respected European airline Finnair has confirmed it had now received permission from the Chinese authorities to begin operating a weekly flight between its home base of Helsinki and Shanghai, with effect of 23 July.  The airline will be deploying an Airbus A350 aircraft on the route.  

Finland has opened its borders for work-related travel from China but entry to Finland is still restricted for the time being pending an EU level decision on reciprocity. 

Finnair currently offers smooth connections to 24 European destinations from Helsinki. 

“The re-opening of our Shanghai route is great news for our customers and an important step for us, as China continues to play a key role in Finnair’s strategy”, says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair. “We look forward to increasing our service to the Chinese market soonest.”  

Finnair flies to over 30 destinations in July, operating altogether 80-90 flights per day, and is increasing both routes and frequencies in August and September. Finnair updates its traffic plan on a weekly basis and has the capability to add flights at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed and travel demand recovers. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by cargo demand. 

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British Airways A350 and Emirates Airlines 777 collide on the ground at Dubai.

Photo Airline Kitty

An investigation is underway at Dubai International Airport after two aircraft came into contact on Tuesday morning n Tuesday morning.

The British Airways aircraft, Airbus A350 - registration G-XWBA was operating a cargo rotation from Dubai to London Heathrow and was being pushed back from a stand when part of its horizontal stabiliser came into contact with an Emirates Boeing 777, registration A6-EBR.  Both aircraft received minor damage and will need repairs. 

Emirates confirmed in a statement.“We can confirm that early this morning (April 14), another airline’s aircraft made contact with a stationary Emirates aircraft at Dubai International airport. No one was injured. The incident is under investigation,” 

Photo Airline Kitty

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A350 becomes the long-haul flagship model for Asiana Airlines

The A350-900, introduced by Asiana Airlines in 2017, has become its flagship on long-distance routes.

With the introduction of its 11th A350 to the fleet on February 4, Asiana Airlines’ A350 is now deployed to four routes in the Americas - - New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle - - and three routes in Europe - - London, Paris, and Lisbon. 

In addition, the Asiana A350 provides services to Southeast and North Asia - - Singapore, Jakarta and Tokyo/NRT.

Two additional A350 will be introduced in 2020, bringing the total fleet to 13 by year-end.

The company is pioneering long-distance routes in line with the introduction of new equipment, with destinations such as Cairo, Egypt, Melbourne, Australia and Lisbon, Portugal in December 2019, and it has steadily strengthened its long-haul routes by twice expanding the New York route.

Besides fuel efficiency savings of 25% and provision of in-flight Wi-Fi service, the A350 also benefits from a HEPA air filtration system permits full replenishment of fresh air in the passenger cabin every two to three minutes.

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