LONDON – Hello and welcome to the AviationSource weekly recap for the 16th-22nd January 2023. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this week’s highlights!
This weekly recap will replace previous versions of the AviationSource Newsletter that we used to do, meaning everything can be accessed from the website only instead of annoying emails!
Let’s take a look at the top 10 highlights from this week!
Delta Air Lines Continues Airbus A220 Expansion…
Delta Air Lines will continue refreshing its fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art fleet after executing options for 12 new Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Slated for delivery in 2026 and 2027, the expansion of Delta’s A220 family is an important step towards the airline’s ongoing efforts on fleet simplification while investing in more sustainable aircraft that provide a best-in-class customer experience.
HAECO Xiamen completes its first Airbus A321-200PCF freighter conversion
HAECO Xiamen, a member of the HAECO Group, has now completed and redelivered its first Airbus A321-200PCF converted freighter with Supplemental Type Certificate (‘STC”) partner, 321 Precision Conversions, LLC (“Precision”).
HAECO Xiamen has been an authorized Precision Conversion Centre since 2010, and this first A321-200PCF redelivery marked yet another milestone in the continued development of HAECO Xiamen’s capabilities.
Croatia Airlines Will Receive Its First Airbus A220 in 2024
Croatia Airlines will receive its first Airbus A220 in 2024, following a placement announcement by Air Lease Corporation for six units of the type.
Croatia Airlines will receive four A220-300s and two A220-100s from Air Lease Corporation through the placement agreement.
The jets are due to be delivered from 2024 all the way through 2025, based on the orderbook the lessor has with Airbus.
Embraer Wins Order for Fifteen E195-E2s
Embraer has secured a new firm order for 15 new E195-E2 aircraft from an undisclosed customer. The order is valued at US$1.17 billion at list price and will be added to the Q4 2022 backlog.
Embraer has enjoyed a healthy closeout to 2022, with burgeoning prospects for its E2 E-Jet range.
Avolon predicts global air traffic return to pre-pandemic levels in June
The aviation sector is set to thrive in 2023, with global traffic to reach pre-pandemic levels by June, according to a paper published today by international aircraft leasing company Avolon.
After a 70% recovery in passenger traffic last year led by a recovery in Europe and North America, Asia will drive growth in 2023, helped by the recent reopening in China. For every two seats of airline capacity added in the world today, one is in Asia.
The traffic recovery brought the sector back to the brink of profitability in 2022 after combined sector losses of $180bn in 2020 and 2021. A profit of c.$4.7bn is forecast for 2023 as recovery continues.
Virgin Atlantic Fined By U.S DOT For Iraqi Overflights
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) fined Virgin Atlantic for overflying Iraq whilst using Delta Air Lines’ DL code.
Virgin Atlantic will be fined $1.05 million for operating flights carrying a Delta DL code in regions where a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight prohibition was in effect over Iraq.
The DOT has said that the airline was ordered to cease and desist from future similar violations.
Third Qantas incident in three days as flight returns to Melbourne
For the third time in three consecutive days, a scheduled Qantas flight has been forced to make a precautionary landing following an engine-related issue.
On January 20, the Sydney-bound Qantas flight QF430, operated by a Boeing 737-800 registered VH-VXP, made a precautionary return to Melbourne after the flight crew received an indication of a “minor engine issue”.
Uzbekistan Airways orders 12 A320neo Family aircraft
Airbus has announced this week that Uzbekistan Airways has ordered 13 A320neo Family aircraft as the carrier looks to continue to modernize and expand its fleet amid the growing demand for travel.
It is understood that there will be a decision made on the engine options at a later stage, but the 12 new aircraft will join the airline’s fleet of 17 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
First Air Serbia, Now Azur Air: Bomb Threats & Russian Involvement
First Air Serbia, now Azur Air: When it comes to Russian involvement, commercial airline bomb threats are becoming more frequent.
Azur Air has had two bomb threats in the last two weeks, with the reasoning for these threats unknown but could possibly be related to Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, which you can see more about by clicking the link below.
Air India Order Rumor Mill Expected To End on Friday
Based on a report from Reuters, it looks like the Air India order rumor mill will end on Friday with a blockbuster order. Let’s take a look into this.
The report from the media outlet stated that Air India is expected to order up to 495 aircraft via an announcement due to take place this Friday (January 27).
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