Air France takes delivery of ‘Angers’, its twentieth A350-900

Air France continues to integrate latest-generation aircraft, with an improved economic and environmental performance, into its fleet.

On 25 November 2022, the airline welcomed its twentieth Airbus A350-900 into its fleet, registration F-HTYT. The aircraft has rolled off the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse and has completed its ferry flight to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, where it will operate on the airline’s long-haul routes.

It will make its first commercial flight on 26 November 2022, flying to Lima (flight AF480).

The front of the fuselage bears the name “Angers”, a tribute to this city in the West of France once home to the kings of France.

Since 2019 and the delivery of its first Airbus A350, Air France has revived the tradition of naming its aircraft after French towns. Before « Angers », Air France named its previous 19 Airbus A350 « Toulouse », « Lyon », « Saint-Denis de la Réunion », « Nice », « Bordeaux », « Marseille », « Reims », « Dijon », « Saint-Malo », « Cannes », « Aubusson », « Pointe-à-Pitre », « Fort-de-France », « Chambord », « Cayenne », « Lille », « Menton », « Deauville » and « Biscarosse ».

In total, the airline has ordered 38 Airbus A350-900s, with deliveries continuing at a steady pace through 2025.

By 2030, latest generation aircraft (Airbus A350s, Boeing 787s, Airbus A220s) will make up 70% of the Air France fleet - compared to 7% today – thanks to an ambitious investment plan of one billion euros per year.

The latest generation of environmentally friendly aircraft

The Airbus A350-900 symbolizes the transition to more sustainable air transport. It consumes 25% less fuel (2.5 litres per passenger per 100 kilometres) than an equivalent-sized, older airliner, thanks to the use of lighter materials: 53% composites and 14% titanium. Its noise footprint is also reduced by 40%.

The best of Air France onboard the Airbus A350

The Airbus A350 has 324 seats, with 34 in the Business cabin, 24 in the Premium Economy cabin and 266 in the Economy cabin.

On board, customers enjoy

a spacious cabin in Business, Premium Economy and Economy,

30% larger windows,

an optimized air pressure system, providing a more comfortable cabin atmosphere with regularly renewed air,

lighting adapted to the different phases of the flight.

To stay connected on board the Airbus A350, customers can access Air France CONNECT, the in-flight Wi-Fi service.

20 destinations to discover onboard the Airbus A350 this winter

This winter, the Air France Airbus A350 will serve 20 destinations on four continents on departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle: Atlanta, Chicago, Miami and Seattle (United States), Montreal (Canada), Mexico City (Mexico), San José (Costa Rica), Lima (Peru), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago de Chile (Chile), Conakry (Guinea), Bamako (Mali), Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Cairo (Egypt), Tel Aviv (Israel), Beirut (Lebanon), Delhi and Bangalore (India).

IAG Cargo restarts services to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro from Madrid

 IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has announced the revival of two services from its hub at Madrid Barajas Airport to Caracas (Venezuela) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). These routes join IAG Cargo’s increased capacity to Latin American destinations this winter, including Chile, Mexico and Ecuador.

 

The flights to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro will operate three times a week, commencing in November; the services to Caracas will utilise the bellyhold of an Iberia A350 aircraft and an A330-200 to Rio de Janeiro. IAG Cargo’s sister airline Iberia recently announced a return to pre-pandemic levels and has re-established its entire network of flights and destinations in Latin America, adding the two remaining destinations (Caracas and Rio de Janeiro).

IAG Cargo announces the restart of services from its Madrid hub to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro.

These routes join IAG Cargo’s increased capacity to Latin American destinations this winter, including Chile, Mexico and Ecuador.

The addition of these services will offer customers more uplift between Latin America and Europe

 

These routes facilitate the movement of perishables and popular foods grown locally including flowers, papayas, mangos, and figs. Every year IAG Cargo transports large volumes of perishables out of Central and South America to European markets, via its Constant Fresh service, designed to optimise shelf life using aircraft hold temperature settings monitored closely throughout the flight.

 

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo said: “I’m delighted to offer our customers additional capacity between Latin America, Europe and UK. The revival of these services will have a great impact on the economy and livelihoods in both Caracas and Rio de Janeiro, as exporting food and perishables plays a huge part in their economies. When it comes to transporting perishables - air cargo plays a vital role, ensuring products arrive on supermarket shelves in the same condition as harvest.”

IAG Cargo’s hub at Madrid airport handles over 200,000 tonnes of cargo every year with frequent services to cities in Europe such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. The Madrid hub is also an important gateway for Spanish textile manufacturers transporting the latest fashions into the Americas.

Finnair to start weekly service from Helsinki to Guangzhou, China

Finnair ready to start weekly service from Helsinki to Guangzhou, China

Finnair will operate a weekly service between its Helsinki hub (HEL) and Guangzhou (CAN) in China, starting 6 September. The flight will be operated with an Airbus A350 aircraft, with departures from Helsinki on Tuesdays and departures from Guangzhou on Thursdays. Flights are available through Finnair's direct sales channels and travel agents as of today.   

The Guangzhou flight offers connectivity to a range of Finnair’s European destinations with transfer testing, as required by the Chinese authorities, available at Helsinki Airport for the flight to Guangzhou. Further instructions available at finnair.com.

“We are excited to return to Guangzhou and look forward to gradually increasing our offering for the Chinese market,” says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair.  

Finnair also flies to Shanghai once a week. Finnair has a network of some 70 European destinations for the winter season 2022. Helsinki Airport has been recently renovated to offer more space and even better and more convenient transfer experience.  

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Its not often you see a whale at Luton Airport.....

It's not something you see every day,  but during the week London Luton Airport was visited by a massive Airbus Beluga XL on a training sortie.

.

Beluga and Beluga XL's can shift so much odd-sized cargo....

The Bulga XL transports A350 wings

Arriving in Bremen 

'Sustainable 50’ Etihad Airways Airbus A350 makes inaugural flight to New York.....

Etihad Airways celebrated the arrival of its new Airbus A350-1000 in the United States following the inaugural commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on 30 June. The aircraft, which accommodates 371 passengers, is one of five new Airbus A350s to join Etihad’s fleet this year.

All Etihad flights servicing New York and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will be operated by the A350, joining Mumbai and Delhi routes that began flying in April this year.

Etihad passengers travelling to the US have access to Etihad’s US pre-clearance, the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East. This allows passengers bound for the United States to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight, avoiding immigration and queues on arrival in the US.

“We are proud to bring the Airbus A350 into service in the US. This is an incredible aircraft with highly efficient fuel consumption and CO2 savings, which enables us to support our goals to reduce carbon emissions and deliver an unmatched flight experience for our guests,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Cargo, Etihad Airways. “By introducing the A350, we have almost doubled premium capacity on our New York and Chicago routes to 44 seats in the Business cabin, which provides a luxurious experience comparable to First Class on other international airlines.”  

Sustainable50

Formed as a partnership between Etihad, Airbus and Rolls Royce in 2021, the Sustainable50 programme will make use of Etihad's A350s as flying testbeds for new initiatives, procedures and technologies to reduce carbon emissions. This will build on the learnings derived from Etihad's similar Greenliner programme for the Boeing 787 aircraft type.

The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered Airbus A350 is one of the most efficient aircraft types in the world, with 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin aisle aircraft.

Etihad recently established a formal framework with Airbus to collaborate on sustainability across a number of areas, including the promotion and commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel, waste and weight management, and the development of data-driven analysis.

Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and Tim Hepher Editing by Mark Potter and Louise Heavens

Inside the hangar at the centre of $1 billion Airbus-Qatar jet dispute

Photo  REUTERS/Imad Creidi

Two high-tech Airbus A350 jets sit idle with their windows taped and engines covered in a floodlit hangar in the Gulf, hobbled by an international legal dispute between European industrial giant Airbus (AIR.PA) and Qatar's national carrier.

From a distance, the planes might seem like any other long-haul jetliners crowding the busy Doha hub. But a rare on-site visit by Reuters journalists showed what appeared to be evidence of damage to the surface of parts of the wings, tail and hull, reports Reuters. 

The two planes, worth around $300 million combined according to analysts, are among 23 grounded A350s at the centre of a $1 billion London court battle over whether the damage represents a potential safety risk, something Airbus strongly denies.

The planes were grounded by Qatar's regulator after premature paint erosion exposed damage to a metallic sub-layer that provides protection to the fuselage from lightning strikes.

Other airlines continue to fly the A350 after European regulators declared it safe, with several carriers recently acknowledging surface issues while calling them "cosmetic".

Reuters journalists were granted rare first-hand access after requesting the visit on the sidelines of an airline industry meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, this week.

Sporadic surface flaws on the A350s viewed by Reuters included an elongated stretch of blistered and cracked or missing paint along the roof or crown of the jets.

In some areas including on the curved wingtips, the protective lightning mesh that sits between the hull and the paint appeared exposed and corroded.

Photo  REUTERS/Imad Creidi

In other parts it appeared to be missing, leaving areas of the composite hull exposed.

The paint on the tail of one of the A350s emblazoned with Qatar Airways' maroon Arabian Oryx emblem was pockmarked by cracked and missing paint that exposed the dull carbon beneath.

Reuters saw small areas of what appeared to be fraying or delaminated carbon threads on the hull and so-called 'rivet rash' or lost paint from fastener heads on the main wing areas.

Airbus and Qatar Airways had no immediate comment on Reuters' findings.

Airbus acknowledges quality flaws on the A350s, but denies they pose any safety risk because of the number of backup systems and tolerance built into the design.

Qatar Airways has argued this can't be known until further analysis, and is refusing to take more of the planes.

Airbus has argued that some paint erosion is a feature of the carbon-composite technology used to build all modern long-haul jets - a necessary trade-off for weight savings.

Photo  REUTERS/Imad Creidi

It says the cracks are caused by the way paint, anti-lightning material called ECF and the composite structure interact. The tail does not all contain the ECF foil, prompting a debate over whether damage there comes from the same problem.

Qatar Airways has questioned Airbus' explanation, telling a UK court its similar Boeing 787s do not have the same problems.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which oversees the design of the jet, said the degradation seen in the surface protection "does not constitute an unsafe condition".

"EASA’s sole interest in this matter is aviation safety," a spokesperson said. Qatar's own aviation regulator has declined to comment since the dispute began.

Amid hundreds of pages of conflicting technical court filings presented by both sides, Reuters has not been able to verify independently the cause of the damage.

Qatar Airways' Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker and Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury had the opportunity to mingle during the three-day industry gathering in Qatar this week.

Asked whether the relationship had improved after the event, which included the two men seated next to each other over dinner, Al Baker suggested the two sides remain far apart.

Photo  REUTERS/Imad Creidi

"On a personal level I am friends with everyone but when it comes to an issue with my company, then it's a different story. If things were settled, we would not be still waiting for a trial to happen next year," he told a news conference.

Faury said this week he was in discussion with the airline and reported "progress in the sense that we are communicating".

One of the airline industry's most senior officials voiced concerns after the Doha meeting that the dispute could have a toxic effect on contractual ties across the industry.

"It would be much better if we were dealing with friends than dealing in the courts," Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, told reporters.

Photo  REUTERS/Imad Creidi

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ITA Airways becomes first Italian A350 operator

The Italian Government-owned airline ITA Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350 becoming the 40th operator of the type. The aircraft, which is on lease from ALAFCO, landed for the first time in Italy at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on Wednesday evening.

ALAFCO is a Kuwait-based aircraft leasing company and is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. ALAFCO’s portfolio consists of 77 aircraft, leased to 23 airlines in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

ITA Airways’ A350 cabin is configured in a two-class layout, with 334 seats comprising 33 full lie-flat bed Business and 301 Economy seats.

ITA Airways’ A350 will start operations early June 2022 to serve the new intercontinental routes that the company will open in the summer season from Rome Fiumicino to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.

In December 2021, the Italian carrier firmed up an order for 28 Airbus, including 18 Single Aisle (seven A220s, 11 A320neos) and 10 A330neos, the latest version of the most popular A330 widebody airliner. Moreover, ITA Airways already leased more than 50 additional new generations Airbus aircraft, six of which are A350s, to complement their fleet modernisation.

The Airbus A350’s clean-sheet design features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, fuselage and wings made of advanced materials, plus the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency and sustainability for ITA Airways, with a 25% reduction in fuel-burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous generation aircraft.

 

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Project Sunrise leads Qantas to selecting Airbus A350-1000 for those mega long flights..... New order for 52 Airbus planes for Australia's leading airline.

Australia’s Qantas Group has confirmed that it will order 12 A350-1000s, 20 A220s and 20 A321XLRs. The news was announced at a ceremony in Sydney attended by Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce and Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, Christian Scherer.

The A350-1000 was selected by Qantas following an evaluation known as Project Sunrise and will enable the carrier to operate the world's longest commercial flights. These will include linking Sydney and Melbourne with destinations such as London and New York non-stop for the first time ever. Featuring a premium layout, the A350 fleet will also be used by Qantas on other international services. The A350-1000 is powered by the latest generation Trent XWB engines from Rolls-Royce.

A350-1000 to fly world’s longest routes

A220, A321XLR to renew carrier’s domestic fleet

New levels of efficiency, comfort and sustainability

In the single-aisle category, the A220 and A321XLR were chosen under an evaluation called Project Winton. The aircraft will be used by the Qantas Group on domestic services across the country, which can extend to over five hours. In addition, the A321XLR offers the range capability for flights from Australia to South East Asia, enabling the Qantas Group to open up new direct routes. The A220 and A321XLR fleets will both be powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.

This agreement is in addition to the existing order for 109 A320neo Family aircraft, which includes the A321XLR for the Qantas Group low-cost subsidiary Jetstar.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “New types of aircraft make new things possible. That’s what makes today’s announcement so significant for the national carrier and for a country like Australia where air travel is crucial. The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia. It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance.”

“The A320s and A220s will become the backbone of our domestic fleet for the next 20 years, helping to keep this country moving. Their range and economics will make new direct routes possible. “The Board’s decision to green light what is the largest aircraft order in Australian aviation is a clear vote of confidence in the future of Qantas.”

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said: "Qantas is one of the world’s iconic airlines, with a visionary spirit from its inception over 100 years ago. We are honoured by the confidence that Qantas is placing in Airbus and look forward to delivering to the Group one of the world’s most modern, efficient and sustainable fleets. This decision by Qantas underscores the position of the A350 as the reference long-range widebody aircraft."

More Los Angeles-Sydney flights from Delta with its flagship A350-900

Delta Air Lines will increase the frequency of its nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Sydney International Airport (SYD)  beginning Dec. 16, 2022. Customer are advised to check entry requirements prior to travel.

Delta will operate 10 flights per week on its flagship Airbus 350-900 aircraft, featuring Delta One suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin services. Due to Delta’s expansive network from Los Angeles, customers can connect to nearly 50 cities in the U.S. and Latin America.

Delta schedule* for Sydney (SYD) – Los Angeles (LAX) flights during Australia Summer 2022.

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Operating Day	Aircraft
DL41	Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m.	Sydney at 8:30 a.m. two days later	Daily	A350-900
DL40	Sydney at 11:20 a.m.	Los Angeles at 6:00 a.m. same day	Daily	A350-900
DL43	Los Angeles at 11:30 p.m.	Sydney at 9:15 a.m. two days later	Wed, Fri, Sun	A350-900
DL42	Sydney at 2:15 p.m.	Los Angeles at 9:00 a.m. same day	Tue, Fri, Sun	A350-900

*Subject to government approval

Delta, LAX’s largest global and leading carrier, has long been committed to modernizing and upgrading the airport experience for customers at its West Coast hub. On April 20, Delta will welcome customers to the new centralized check-in lobby and expanded security checkpoint and baggage claim area for the first time, creating a more efficient and seamless experience from the moment they arrive.

When the Delta Sky Way at LAX project is complete in 2023, Terminals 2 and 3 will be a consolidated, 1.2- million-square-foot, state-of-the-art, 27-gate complex, providing an easy-to-navigate customer journey as well as connecting Terminals 2 and 3 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B), enabling quick airside connections to Delta and Delta partner-operated flights.

Delta is driving forward social impact by introducing new products onboard that support our long-term commitments to sustainability and equity while providing premium, wellness-focused experiences. In Delta One, new amenity kits produced by Mexican apparel brand Someone Somewhere use regenerated and locally-sourced cotton and eliminate five plastic items, including zips and packaging. Delta One customers can also sleep comfortably with sustainable bedding, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

A350 seat plan. 

More details of Delta's A350

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Airbus Asia Training Centre inaugurates fourth full flight A350 simulator

 The Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC) has inaugurated its fourth A350 Full Flight Simulator (FFS). This sees AATC offer more A350 simulator capacity than any other training centre in the world. 

The addition also consolidates AATC’s position as the largest Airbus-operated flight crew training centre in the company’s global network, with two A320, two A330, one A380 and four A350 simulators. AATC also hosts one ATR 72-600 FFS.

The focus on the A330, A350 and A380 reflects the popularity of Airbus widebody aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region, with nearly 900 in service and around 220 currently on order for future delivery. 

AATC is a joint venture owned 55% by Airbus and 45% by Singapore Airlines (SIA). At almost 10,000 square meters in size, the facility at Seletar Aerospace Park is part of the Airbus Flight Training Network and serves the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Since operations began in April 2016, AATC has successfully attracted 69 airline customers. AATC has the capacity to offer type rating and recurrent training courses for up to 10,000 trainees per year.

Airbus to support Philippine Airlines’ traffic ramp up with cabin upgrades and new material services

Airbus to support Philippine Airlines’ traffic ramp up with cabin upgrades and new material services 

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has selected Airbus to perform cabin modification for 15 aircraft and expand the material services programme for the airline’s Airbus fleet. 

The cabin modification agreement covers 11 A320, two A330-300s and two A350-900s.

When completed, PAL’s A320s will have 24 extra seats to bring the total seat count to 180, a configuration that suits the airline’s requirements for short-haul inter-island domestic routes. The two A330s will gain an additional 50 seats to bring the total seat count to 359 for better airlift capability on key higher-density regional routes and repatriation flights. The A350s will gain another 18 seats for a total of 313 seats, which still preserves the roomy cabin layout and passenger-friendly experience that PAL Business Class and Economy Class travellers enjoy on the A350’s long-haul routes.

PAL has contracted Airbus to provide the relevant Service Bulletins and kits required for the cabin modification programme, which comes as part of the carrier’s fleet restructuring plans. 

“Philippine Airlines believes that, as we exit the pandemic, our fleet restructuring strategy helps us to better adapt to changing market situations and ensure that we are well-positioned for recovery,” said Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez, PAL Chief Financial Officer. “Our aircraft deployment decisions and related technical support arrangements are tailored for a restructured network that suits a vastly different global environment.” 

A journey into more space – the new face of Finnair is unveiled with a €200million investment in the ultimate customer experience

Brand new, spacious Business Class and Premium Economy cabins revealed with rollout starting in February 2022
Major enhancements in Economy for the long-haul customer journey

Finnair has launched the airline’s new spacious, long-haul look with a brand-new Business Class and exciting new Premium Economy cabin as part of a major investment to enhance the customer experience.

The Finnish flag carrier, known for connecting Asia and Europe via the short northern route, unveiled the 200-million-euro investment at a press conference in Helsinki this morning.

The complete cabin renewal covers all Finnair Airbus A350 and A330 long-haul aircraft, with new cabins to be fitted over the next two years, featuring an entirely new Business Class, a brand-new Premium Economy cabin, and a refreshed Economy Class.

The full experience, complete with renewed service concepts, will be available in spring 2022 on selected routes across Finnair’s long-haul network. The routes will be announced at the sales start on March 1, 2022.

Topi Manner, Finnair CEO, said: “Our investment to enhance the long-haul customer experience demonstrates the continuing commitment of the whole Finnair team to deliver a premium experience in every cabin on our aircraft.”

“The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on our industry, but it has not changed our ambition to offer a modern premium experience as we continue to be the first choice for travellers connecting Europe and Asia.”

Finnair is the launch customer for a brand-new concept in Business Class seats, developed in close collaboration with Collins Aerospace, maximising customer space and the freedom to move.

The unique fixed shell lounge space enables a wide variety of sitting and sleeping positions, allowing customers to make the space their own during a relaxing long-haul flight.

Ole Orvér, Finnair Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Space is today’s luxury, and we have put a lot of thought and attention to detail into creating the best Business Class seat for our customers.”

“Both the seat and the whole Business Class experience is centered around customer comfort, space, and choice and is the culmination of our design ethos which will appear throughout our long-haul aircraft to redefine modern premium travel.”

“We look forward to welcoming our customers to experience the new Finnair, as we roll out the cabin renewal across our long-haul fleet over the next two years.”

Finnair’s Nordic design language and the warm, dark, comforting colour scheme throughout the Business Class and Premium Economy follow the palette and design of Finnair’s renewed non-Schengen lounges, unveiled at Helsinki Airport in 2019.

The main entrance for all cabin classes has a stylish new entry area and a refreshment bar, creating a striking impression for customers and new service opportunities for cabin crew.

The Business Class cabin renewal also comes complete with renewed service concepts to further enhance the customer experience.

Customers will be enjoying a choice of dishes served on new chinaware designed by top Finnish designer Harri Koskinen and Iittala specifically for Finnair.

Finnish design house Marimekko has designed a new collection of unique textiles to complement the warm and inviting onboard atmosphere to create a premium customer comfort experience. These include a duvet and pillows for the Business class, as well as a neck pillow and a woven blanket for Premium Economy.

Finnair’s new Premium Economy cabin is being installed in all its long-haul aircraft for the first time, offering the airline’s long-haul customers a comfortable and stylish new cabin choice.

“Premium leisure is a trend that has been significantly accelerated during the pandemic, so we are confident our new Premium Economy travel class with its comfortable seats and more space will prove very popular with customers looking for an upgraded experience from Economy”, said Ole Orvér.

Finnair has also invested in a refresh of its long-haul Economy Class, with new seats and larger Inflight Entertainment (IFE) screens with an updated user interface for its A330 aircraft and three A350s.

Sixteen of Finnair’s A350 aircraft will see their Economy cabins receive new seat covers and an updated IFE user experience to bring them in line with the designs of the new Business and Premium Economy cabins.

Long-haul flights are key to Finnair’s strategy, with the Finnish carrier specialising in connecting Europe and Asia via the short, fuel-efficient northern route, as well as offering excellent connections to the US.

In summer 2022, Finnair plans to serve nearly 100 destinations in Europe, Asia and the US including new long-haul routes to Busan, in South Korea, Tokyo Haneda in Japan as well as Dallas and Seattle in the USA.

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Singapore Airlines selects the world’s newest freighter - the A350F

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Airbus for seven A350F freighter aircraft. The agreement will see the A350F begin replacing the airline's existing B747-400F fleet in the fourth quarter of 2025.

“We are honoured by Singapore Airlines’ vote of confidence in the A350F as it renews its freighter fleet. The A350F is the world’s all-new large freighter and will be unmatched in its market segment in terms of operational efficiency, lower fuel consumption and CO₂ savings,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “It is gratifying that Singapore Airlines recognises the value of the A350F as we build on the strong partnership we already enjoy.”

Earlier this year Airbus received Board of Directors approval for a freighter derivative of the A350 designed to meet the imminent wave of large freighter replacements and the evolving environmental requirements, shaping the future of airfreight. The A350F will be powered by latest technology, fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines. 

As part of the world’s most modern long-range family, the A350F will have a high level of commonality with the A350 passenger versions. With a 109 tonne payload capability, the  A350F will serve all cargo markets. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door, with its fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers.

Over 70% of the airframe will be made of advanced materials, resulting in a 30 tonne lighter take-off weight and generating at least 20% lower fuel consumption and emissions over its current closest competitor. The A350F will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards coming into effect in 2027.

Singapore Airlines is the world’s largest operator of the A350, with 56 aircraft currently in service across its network. The agreement with Singapore Airlines is the third commitment received for the new A350F over the past month. 

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Airbus preparing for an independent legal assessment in response to customer disagreement over A350 surface degradation

 In the face of the ongoing mischaracterisation of non-structural surface degradation on its fleet of A350 aircraft by one of its customers, it has become necessary for Airbus to seek an independent legal assessment as a way forward to resolve the dispute, which the two parties have been unable to settle during direct and open discussions.

Safety is Airbus’ top priority. The surface paint-related findings have been thoroughly assessed by Airbus and confirmed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as having no airworthiness impact on the A350 fleet.

The attempt by this customer to misrepresent this specific topic as an airworthiness issue represents a threat to the international protocols on safety matters.

Aeroflot restarts flights to Havana

 

                                           Aeroflot has resumed regular flights to Havana, Cuba. Starting from 21 December, two weekly flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ticket sales are open on the website.  

Flights to Havana will be operated on the Airbus A350, the newest type of aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Thу A350 has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private business class Suites, including 2-metre full-flat beds; 24 Comfort economy seats with extra legroom; and 264 Economy class seats. 

The long transatlantic flight onboard Aeroflot’s aircraft will be enjoyable and comfortable for travellers. Passengers in all classes will enjoy the latest generation in-flight entertainment system, landscape cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity*. Economy Class offers increased legroom and seat pitch (78.7 cm). In Comfort Class, passengers will savour the special menu, and appreciate the seats with enhanced recline angle, 33cm screens, individual lighting and sockets to recharge mobile devices. The Business Class Suites offer an unprecedented level of comfort and privacy. The Suites come fitted with 54 cm screens and 2-metre full-flat beds.

Havana is the largest city and the capital of Cuba. The unique architecture and the vibrant atmosphere of the city attract tourists. Thanks to the good transportation service Havana is a convenient starting point to explore the central part of the Island and the famous Cuban beaches.  

Havana will be Aeroflot’s second destination in Cuba. From June 2021, Aeroflot has offered three weekly flights to the resort city of Varadero.

Aeroflot....

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ALC orders 111 Airbus aircraft - 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, 4 A330neos and 7 A350Fs

Air Lease Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent covering all Airbus Families, highlighting the power of the company’s full product range. The agreement is for 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, four A330neos and includes seven A350Fs. The order which will be finalised in the coming months, makes the Los Angeles based ALC one of Airbus’ largest customers and lessor with the biggest A220 order book. Founded in 2010, ALC has ordered a total of 496 Airbus aircraft to date.

With this order, ALC and Airbus are launching a multi-million dollar ESG fund initiative that will contribute towards investment into sustainable aviation development projects that will in the future be opened to multiple stakeholders from the aircraft leasing and financing community and beyond.

Joint creation of a sustainability fund to foster industry decarbonisation solutions

“This new order announcement is the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication by both organizations to optimize and fine-tune the size and scope of this large aircraft transaction in view of the rapidly growing global airline demand to modernize their jet fleets through the ALC leasing medium,” said Steven F Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “After lengthy and detailed consultations with several dozen of our strategic airline customers around the world, we are focusing this comprehensive order on the most desirable and in-demand aircraft types, covering the A220, A321neo, A330neo and A350 families. ALC is an international Market Leader in each of these categories of the most modern Airbus product lineup. These multi-year additions of new technology aircraft assets to ALC’s expanding portfolio will allow us to grow our revenues and profitability while satisfying our airline customer requirements.”

More U.S. flights from Singapore Airlines as Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) introduced.

Singapore Airlines is launching four-times-weekly seasonal services to Vancouver, Canada and Seattle, the United States of America (USA), from 2 December 2021 to 15 February 2022. Two of the weekly Seattle-Vancouver-Singapore flights will operate as Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) services, providing eligible customers quarantine-free entry into Singapore.

SIA is also converting its daily non-stop services from San Francisco, USA, to Singapore, to designated VTL services from Wednesday, 20 October 2021.

These provide additional quarantine-free travel options for customers who wish to travel to and from North America, on top of the earlier announced VTL services from Los Angeles and New York.

Ms JoAnn Tan, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines said: “With the new Singapore-Vancouver-Seattle flights and the conversion of San Francisco-Singapore to a VTL service, SIA customers can enjoy even more seamless travel options to North America during the year-end holiday season. SIA will continue to monitor the demand for air travel, and adjust its services accordingly.”

SIA will deploy the 253-seater Airbus A350-900, with 42 Business Class seats, 24 Premium Economy Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats, on the Singapore-Vancouver-Seattle service.

Flight SQ28 will depart from Singapore at 0915hrs, arrive at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 0730hrs, and depart Vancouver at 0840hrs before arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) at 0930hrs.

Russian airline Aeroflot starting key holiday flights

The Russian airline Aeroflot has opened regular flights from Moscow to key holiday destinations including Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The carrier has started daily services using Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Flights will be operated daily from October 1 on the following schedule:

Route	Flight	Departure	Arrival
Moscow — Hurghada	SU0422	11:40	15:55
Hurghada — Moscow	SU0423	17:25	23:50
Moscow — Sharm El Sheikh	SU0426	12:05	16:20
Sharm El Sheikh - Moscow	SU0427	17:50	00:10(+1)

The resumption of international air service between Russia and Egypt has been long-awaited. Egypt is one of favourite leisure destinations for Russians. Tourists are mostly attracted by the resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. In addition to beach holidays, travellers go on short sightseeing tours to Cairo and to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings.

 Dominican Republic

Another holiday destination to get regular Aeroflot flights from Moscow is Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic), which will initially operate on Fridays and Sundays, and starting from November, on Wednesdays as well. Thus, the frequency will be three weekly services.

Flights will be operated on Airbus A350, the most advanced wide-body aircraft in Aeroflot’s fleet. Aeroflot’s A350 has a three-class cabin layout with 28 private business class Suites, 24 Comfort economy seats, and 264 Economy class seats. The business class cabin design featuring 2-metre full-flat beds in each Suite offers an unprecedented level of comfort, rivalling the first-class cabins of most major carriers.  The Suites provide a high level of privacy and personal space.