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 Could there be storm
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H
ello and welcome to
Airliner World incorporating
Airports of the World. For
many of you this will be
the final edition of the
magazine before the year end, so it’s an
opportune time to reflect on what has
been a turbulent 2022.
It certainly started off well enough.
After more than 18 months of
disruption, COVID 19 restrictions in the
UK and beyond were slowly lifted early
in the new year, paving the way for the
restoration of flying programmes for
airlines around the globe. This time last
year, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways
had joined forces to much fanfare,
flying simultaneous departures on the
first post-COVID services to the US.
Now, some carriers have recovered
so quickly they’ve already returned
to profitability – a reflection of how
important air travel remains in these
post-pandemic times and how much
more resilient and flexible the industry
has become.
There were also some significant
developments domestically. The
Farnborough International Airshow
made a welcome return in July,
albeit slightly lower key than previous
iterations, and we’ve seen several
new carriers take to the skies in Hans
Airways, BA Euroflyer and Flybe 2.0.
Nevertheless, economic and
geopolitical factors continue to present
challenges. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
in February led to the widespread
termination of services in East Europe.
The closure of Russian and Ukrainian
airspace to commercial flights – the
latter enforced by conflict and the
former a consequence of international
sanctions – has given airlines a major
logistical headache and added many
hours to flying times as aircraft have
been rerouted or forced to make
lengthy technical stops on previously
direct connections.
Elsewhere, staffing shortfalls at many
of Europe’s major hubs during the
height of summer led to misery for
millions of passengers as flights were
delayed or cancelled. It’s also been a
difficult year for manufacturers – Airbus
bagged an impressive 1,033 orders
during 2022, significantly more than
rival Boeing’s 664, but it also received
well over 200 cancellations as operators
adjusted to new norms. Ongoing
legal action by Airbus against Qatar
Airways also saw the Toulouse-based
manufacturer withdraw the flag carrier’s
outstanding commitments for jets,
further denting its order backlog.
Across the pond, Boeing hasn’t fared
any better. Deliveries of 787 Dreamliners
finally resumed after an enforced hiatus
of more than a year, while progress
is also being made to reduce the
number of parked 737 MAXs. However,
certification of the MAX 7 and MAX
10 continues to be problematic, with
the US aerospace giant not expecting
to receive type approval until at least
summer 2023 (see International News,
page 17). The 777X has also been
delayed again, with deliveries now
anticipated to start in 2025, more than
three years later than originally planned.
Despite all this, the aviation industry is
generally upbeat about the long-term
outlook, but continuing war in Europe,
the aviation industry?
spiralling fuel prices and the spectre of AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ALVIN MAN
another global recession suggest there
may well be a little more turbulence to
negotiate over the coming months –
fasten your seatbelts!
Moving on to matters administrative,
your feedback is warmly welcomed
on all aspects of Airliner World. Acting
on your comments, I’m delighted to
report that the January 2023 edition
sees the return of our free year planner
– bundled in with all print copies of the
magazine – while we also continue to
refine both content and layout – we’ll
have more on these improvements
next month. As always, please get in
touch and have your say – email us at
airlinerworld@keypublishing.com
Finally, it only remains for me to thank
you for your continued support over the
last year. We’re privileged to have such
a strong, passionate, and enthusiastic
readership and I hope you continue to
enjoy the magazine over the coming
issues. From myself, Gordon, Thomas
and the rest of the Airliner World team,
we wish you a very enjoyable Christmas
holiday season and a happy and
prosperous New Year.
Craig West
Editor, Commercial Aviation
Craig West
Editor, Commercial
Aviation
Gordon Smith
Editor-at-large,
Commercial Aviation

Thomas Lee
Assistant Editor

Lee Howson
Molly Eastwood
Debbie Walker
Andy O’Neill
Tracey Croft
Designers

Andy Mason
Advertising Manager

Rebecca Antoniades
Ad Production/Design

COVER IMAGE • Virgin

Atlantic’s first A330-
941, G-VJAZ (c/n 2018)
Billie Holiday, arrives
at London/Heathrow
AVIATIONIMAGENETWORK/
NOAH GREGORY

www.key.aero 3
FEATURES
20 Blue sky thinking?
Tom Batchelor reports from Las Vegas as he gauges
the views of top airline executives about the business
prospects for 2023 and beyond

26 Britain’s 707 jet set

Despite objections from protectionists, UK carriers
embraced the Boeing 707 during the 1960s and
1970s. Lee Cross explores the classic jet’s introduction
with various British airlines.

34 All change in Kazakhstan

Airliner World’s Craig West travels east to the Kazakh
city of Almaty to hear how flag carrier Air Astana is
transforming its business to cement its position as the
leading airline in the region

44 United in optimism
United Airlines has no shortage of pioneering projects
in the pipeline. Richard Schuurman catches up with the
chief sustainability officer Lauren Riley to learn more

52 Antalya’s Turkish delights

Ton Jochems returns to Antalya on Turkey’s
Mediterranean coast, to spot some of the rare
and diverse operators currently on display at the
booming tourist gateway

56 Guernsey goes for growth

Andreas Spaeth heads to the Channel Islands to
meet Nico Bezuidenhout, the ambitious new chief
executive of Aurigny

66 Best seat in the haus

Sebastian Thoma shares some of the logistical
preparations behind an incredible air-to-air helicopter
shoot to capture the arrival of Lufthansa’s first 787

70 The Flight xperience

For many aviation enthusiasts, the term ‘flight
simulator’ conjures up images of desktop PCs and
joysticks. Airliner World’s Craig West finds out how
this virtual pastime is being taken to the next level.

90 Virgin goes neo

Airliner World’s Craig West joins Virgin Atlantic’s
inaugural service to Tampa to discover how its new
Airbus A330neo stacks up against the competition

70 66

A subscription to

offers great savings

on the cover price.
See pages 32-33 for details

4 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 REGULARS
06 News review
Airliner World’s comprehensive
global news round-up

64 Airliner Insights
Expert analysis from Cirium

76 Deliveries
The latest commercial acquisitions

80 MRO News
Maintenance, repair and overhaul
insights and announcements

82 Departure Gate
Readers’ comments and lighter stories

84 UK Visitors
Rarities spotted on UK runways

86 Aviation Training
A round-up of recent developments

88 Air Safety
Incident and accident reports

56
90 44
26

www.key.aero 5

SPAIN’S NATIONAL carrier has
published a bullish plan for the
winter season. In the latest signal of
a post-pandemic rebound, Iberia has
confirmed it expects to fly at 105% of
2019 levels during the first quarter
of 2023. The figure has been made
possible due to enhanced frequencies
and new aircraft deliveries.
With the resumption of flights to Rio
de Janeiro and Caracas – with three
weekly frequencies on each – the
airline has reinstated its full roster of
destinations in Latin America.
BRUSSELS AIRLINES has unveiled
its latest special livery aircraft. It has
adorned an Airbus A320, OO-SNO
(c/n 3831), with an impressive trident
design dedicated to both the male and
female national football teams, known
as the Red Devils and Red Flames
6 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
In Mexico, Iberia is flying its largest
schedule ever, with three daily flights.
Overall, Iberia will operate almost
260 flights a week to the region this
winter, with 18 destinations in 16
Latin American countries. Meanwhile,
in the US, it is increasing its overall
capacity by 15% compared to pre-
crisis levels, with around 2,000 flights.
Growth in the US is due in part to its
Dallas route moving to a year-round
operation. The Texas gateway has
increased in prominence in recent
years and serves as a critical hub
Not your usual trident
respectively. According to the carrier,
the scarlet aircraft with a dark tail
“represents a trident that seamlessly
blends into a flame – the perfect mix
of the logos of both teams”.
The previous trident jet was launched
in April 2016 and flew Belgium’s
Iberia eyes
global growth
for oneworld operations. In other
US developments, Iberia was due to
move to Terminal 8 at New York/JFK in
December, bringing it under one roof
with American Airlines and BA.
Within the domestic market, Iberia
aims to bolster its presence within
the corporate segment, notably
through the famous Madrid-Barcelona
'Puente Aereo' (Air Bridge) shuttle
service, which sees up to 86 weekly
frequencies. Other highlights include
the record capacity between Madrid
and Rome, with up to 37 weekly
national football squad to international
fixtures, including the men’s World
Cup in Russia in 2018. At the end of
October 2022, the original aircraft
was handed back to its lessor after
more than 8,000 flights, creating the
opportunity for a new sky-high canvas.
flights, representing Iberia’s highest-
ever number of rotations to the Italian
capital. Paris will see a ramping up of
frequencies, with up to 60 flights a
week split between Iberia and its low-
cost subsidiary Iberia Express.
As of November 2022, the Iberia
Group fields fleet of 150 aircraft,
comprising 82 at its mainline
operation, 45 at regional airline Air
Nostrum and 23 at Iberia Express.
It is an all-Airbus carrier, except for
Air Nostrum’s ATR turboprops and
CRJ jets. (Photo Airbus)
The eye-catching design was painted
by André Eisele, a leading European
XXL-Airbrush artist. On November 16,
the jet restarted passenger service
for the first time since its overhaul,
operating Flight SN3633 to Paris.
(Photo Brussels Airlines)

New look for Leeds Bradford
TERMINAL MODERNISATION at Leeds
Bradford Airport (LBA) has taken a
major leap forward. As part of a wider
upgrade, check-in Hall A is being
reconfigured to optimise space and
improve the passenger experience.
It currently handles the check-in of all
non-Jet2 passengers.
The works will see 14 self-service
kiosks and hybrid self-service
Power partnership launched
ZEROAVIA AND a major British
airport operator are to collaborate
on hydrogen fuel infrastructure and
the launch of zero-emission routes.
In a first-of-a-kind partnership for
the UK, aviation firm ZeroAvia will
work with AGS Airports to explore
the development of the regulatory
framework requirements and
resourcing required for delivering
zero-emission flights from its airports.
The team at AGS, which owns and
operates Aberdeen, Glasgow and
Southampton airports, will work
closely with ZeroAvia’s specialist
airport infrastructure team to assess
the opportunities for hydrogen
production onsite, as well as exploring
potential commercial routes.
The new partners say that
switching certain routes to aircraft
powered by ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-
electric powertrain could help AGS
significantly reduce carbon emissions
and noise and air quality impacts.
The airport operator will explore how
hydrogen can be used to reduce
Aviation Broking ACMI, Dry Lease, Sales, Charters
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automated bag drops installed, as
well as four self-service check-in
e-gates, all produced by Australian
technology firm Elenium. A further 14
manned check-in desks will also be
installed, with the hall itself due to be
extensively refurbished.
It has been more than six years since
the Yorkshire airport last made an
investment in passenger-focused
emissions across ground operations,
while ZeroAvia will share its expertise
in developing and operating its
hydrogen airport refuelling
ecosystem (HARE) at Cotswold Airport
in Gloucestershire.
The two organisations will begin
work towards a flight demonstration
powered by ZeroAvia’s ZA600 600kW
hydrogen-electric engine, which is
aiming to be certified by 2025.
News Review • Europe
technology on this scale. It is hoped
that the update will help keep LBA in
step with rival gateways, where self-
service technology and processes
such as biometric identification are
more commonly deployed.
Vincent Hodder, chief executive of
Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “The
upgrading of Hall A will futureproof
LBA, bringing us in line with the
world’s leading airports. It is also
an early, yet crucial component of
the long-term modernisation plans
for our existing terminal, which will
dramatically improve passenger and
airline experience.”
The work to reconfigure Hall A is
expected to be completed by Easter
2023. The area will not be closed
during the reconfiguration and day-
to-day operations are not due to be
adversely impacted. (Photo Elenium)
The partners suggest that commercial
air routes could follow soon after.
“As a regional airport group, AGS will
be the perfect testbed for hydrogen
flight. Through our partnership with
ZeroAvia we’ll address some of
the challenges associated with the
generation, delivery and storage of
hydrogen on-site,” said Derek Provan,
chief executive of AGS Airports.
(Photo ZeroAvia)
in brief
Work has started on Birmingham
Airport’s new security screening area.
The upgraded space, which will be
located within the existing terminal,
forms part of a £20m project. The
deadline for the completion of the
works is June 1, 2024, the date by
which the UK Government requires
all airports to be compliant with new
standards. The new security area will be
able to accommodate up to 18 million
passengers a year.
Cyprus Airways is due to launch year-
round, scheduled rotations to Paris/
Charles De Gaulle and Rome/Fiumicino
from Larnaca. Links to the French
capital – Flights CY 380/381 – are due
to start from December 16 on a thrice-
weekly frequency. Meanwhile, Rome
is poised to follow on December 20,
with CY 340/341 flying twice-weekly.
Cyprus Airways currently fields an all-
Airbus contingent, comprising a pair of
A320ceos. According to the carrier, a
further two A320 jets are due to join the
fleet in early 2023.
Loganair is set to link Kirkwall in the
Orkneys with London City Airport with
a new one-stop service. From April 4,
a twice-weekly flight (Tuesdays and
Fridays) will be launched. While it
makes a stop in Dundee on the Scottish
mainland, Loganair says passengers
will not have to disembark before
continuing to their final destination.
The journey time from Orkney to the UK
capital will be approximately three-and-
a-half-hours. The UK’s biggest regional
airline already links London City with
Dundee – with ATR 42-500s continuing
onto Sumburgh in Shetland on Mondays
and Thursdays. Loganair also links the
East London gateway with the Isle of
Man, typically using ATR 72-600s.
Riga-based airBaltic has carried its ten-
millionth passenger onboard its Airbus
A220-300s. The airline introduced
the type on December 14, 2016. The
inaugural sortie was between the
Latvian capital and Amsterdam, with
120 passengers on YL-CSA (c/n 55003)
– which also marked the world’s first
CS300 (A220-300) commercial flight.
Since then, airBaltic has completed more
than 114,000 trips with the jets.
www.key.aero 7
 News Review • CIS
ATR takes the Silk way
UZBEK START-UP Silk Avia has
agreed a deal to acquire five new ATR
72-600 turboprops, becoming the
first operator of the type in Central
Asia. This consists of three examples
bought directly from the Franco-
Italian manufacturer and a further two
supplied via an undisclosed lessor.
These are in addition to three pre-
owned ATRs the airline will use to
launch operations imminently.
The new carrier – owned by
Uzbekistan Airports – is intended to
improve regional connectivity and
provide additional domestic links
from Tashkent and is part of a wider
modernisation programme that also
includes the overhaul of existing
From
Minsk to
Moscow
AVIATION AUTHORITIES in Russia
and Belarus are in negotiation
to increase the number of flights
between the two nations. Carriers
operate more than 60 services
per week between Moscow and
Minsk under the terms of a bilateral
agreement. But, with Belarus
one of only two European nations
still offering direct links to Russia
alongside Serbia, the Russian
Ministry of Transport has written to
its counterpart requesting removal
of all restrictions initially until the
end of the 2023 winter season.
Artem Sikorsky, the director of
aviation at the Belarussian Transport
and Communications Ministry
said airlines should continue to
“adhere to the agreement reached”.
Revisions to this deal were due to
be discussed in late November.
Quotas, agreed on a like-for-like
basis, only apply between capitals;
carriers can operate freely to other
destinations in Russia and Belarus.
8 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
airports and the creation of other
facilities to help drive up passenger
and air cargo traffic volumes. It is
anticipated that Silk Avia will initially
operate around 40 routes in the
country, serving all 11 airports across
Uzbekistan, with a further seven
destinations in the pipeline.
Rano Dzhuraeva, chair of Uzbekistan
Airports, commented: “We are excited
to be soon launching our operations
with an all-ATR fleet. As a new low-cost
airline, we undertook an extensive
review of which aircraft would provide
the best solution. The ATR 72-600
is the perfect choice for us and will
ensure we can offer our passengers
the most modern, comfortable and
Qazaq set for MAXs?
ASTANA-BASED QAZAQ Air could
be poised to significantly expand
its operation amid reports it is in
talks with Boeing over the potential
acquisition of up to 20 737 MAXs.
The Kazakh carrier was launched
by the sovereign wealth fund
Samruk-Kazyna in 2015 and
operates a largely domestic network
(together with destinations in
Russia and Azerbaijan) with its fleet
reliable experience in the most
affordable and sustainable way.”
ATR CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude
added: “In a fast-growing country
such as Uzbekistan, Silk Avia will play
a key role by offering vital links for
local communities and boosting the
economy. Studies have shown that
an increase of 10% in regional flights
can lead to a 5% increase in local GDP
and ATR contributions by providing
the most responsible and affordable
regional aircraft.”
The agreement with ATR also includes
a five-year global maintenance
agreement, covering repairs,
overhauls and an on-site spares stock.
(Image ATR)(Photo ATR)
of five de Havilland Canada Dash
8-Q400s. However, according to
the local edition of Forbes, senior
representatives from the fund met
with the US aerospace giant in
mid-November to discuss a potential
order as part of a wider partnership
that could also include further
development of the domestic
aviation sector, support services
and training.
Russia
ditches
foreign
providers
RUSSIAN AIRLINES have completed
their transition to domestic
automated ticket booking systems
as the industry continues to struggle
with international sanctions.
According to the Ministry of
Transport, 53 different carriers
including Aeroflot have moved away
from foreign providers amid
concerns over the confidentiality
of company and personal data
and claims of threats of service
withdrawal and are using the locally
made Leonardo or TAIS systems.
Deputy Minister Dmitry Bakanov
said: “Now, all Russian air carriers
are using domestic ticket booking
systems and are free from threats
of unilateral termination of services
of foreign providers. All settlements
within the system are made in rubles.
Our air companies and developers
have managed to cope with
migration in the difficult conditions
stemming from Western partners’
refusal to provide original data.”
The switch to Russian ticketing
systems mandated by November 1
is part of a wider move to decrease
reliance on Western technology.
A statement from the Samruk-
Kazyna Fund confirmed: “Air Astana
has already signed an agreement
with Air Lease Corporation for
the supply of three new 787-9
Dreamliner widebody aircraft for
operational leasing. The possibility
of acquiring 20 737 MAX family jets
for Qazaq Air with the support of
EXIM Bank is also being considered.”
(Photo Qazaq Air)
 Flying into
the new year.
Avtrade never stand still.
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innovative ideas and the
widest range of services.

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 News Review • Africa/Middle East
The freighter five
EMIRATES IS set to boost its Boeing
777F fleet in the coming years with
five new examples. Thanks to the
firm order – valued at more than $1.7
billion at list prices – two 777Fs are
poised for handover in 2024, while
the remaining trio are scheduled to
follow the year after. The new jets will
be operated by Emirates SkyCargo,
the airfreight division of the Dubai-
based carrier. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and
Maiden Marrakesh
THERE WAS cause for much
celebration at airBaltic after both a
new destination and continent were
added to its scheduled route map.
This came after the airline
performed its inaugural rotation to
Marrakesh in Morocco. Flown by
a five-year-old Airbus A220-300
example, YL-CSG (c/n 55009), it
departed Riga on the morning of
October 31 at 0943hrs local time as
Flight BT 775. It eventually touched
down into the North African country
at 1404hrs local.
Journey time for the route, which
is currently operated at a twice-
weekly frequency, is scheduled at
approximately five-and-a-half hours.
Pauls Cālītis, chief operations
officer at airBaltic, said: “We
are excited to launch our first-
ever scheduled route to Africa.
10 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
chief executive of Emirates Airline and
Group, said: “Emirates is investing in
new freighters so we can continue
to serve customer demand with the
latest fuel-efficient aircraft. This
order reflects Emirates’ confidence
in airfreight demand and overall
aviation sector growth. It lays the
ground for our continued growth.”
Emirates already fields an 11-strong
777F fleet. The carrier was a launch
customer for the widebody type
Marrakesh, or the so-called ‘Pearl
of the South’, is both an exotic and
warm destination, as well as an
important centre of economics,
for Latvia. Moreover, it has plenty
to offer for culture lovers. As the
leading airline in the Baltics, we
continue to build our network,
adding more captivating leisure
destinations for the winter season.”
The Riga-based carrier currently
flies to more than 70 locations
across Europe, the Middle East,
the CIS region and now Africa.
The addition of Marrakesh to its
list of offerings means it is one of
the longest routes on the airBaltic
network, although still shorter in
distance compared with some of its
other popular holiday destinations,
such as Tenerife/South and Dubai/
International. (Photo airBaltic)
after its first example, A6-EFD (c/n
35606), joined in March 2009 – this
particular airframe has since left the
fleet and today flies for Atlas Air. As
part of efforts to boost its air cargo
capability, the UAE carrier already
added a brand-new pair of 777Fs –
A6-EFT (c/n 67462) and A6-EFU (c/n
67463) – in mid-2022. This order
was announced at the Dubai Airshow
2021. As a further boost, Emirates
plans to convert ten 777-300ERs into
Africa-bound
Airbuses spotted
A PAIR of Airbus A320ceos destined
for Nigeria-based Ibom Air have
been spotted.
The CFM International CFM56-
powered duo, LY-GYM (c/n 2584)
and LY-FAS (c/n 4273), were seen
at Madrid/Barajas (pictured below
on November 2) from where they
received the African airline’s paint
job ahead of delivery.
According to ch-aviation, these
180-seat airframes are set to be
wet-leased under a long-term
contract from GetJet Airlines, a
Vilnius, Lithuania-headquartered
company that offers ACMI and
charter services.
While Ibom Air currently uses
a five-strong contingent of
freighters, with conversion scheduled
to begin in 2023.
In other news, Emirates officially
started its two-year aircraft retrofit
programme at the beginning of
November. Consequently, the first
of 120 widebody jets planned for
attention was Airbus A380 A6-EVM
(c/n 264) which received a full cabin
interior upgrade as well as installation
of Premium Economy seating (for
more details on the wider retrofit
programme, see Airliner World,
October 2022 edition). The next
airframe, A6-EUW (c/n 240) – also a
super jumbo – was due to be given its
makeover from December 1.
(Photo Emirates/Boeing)
Bombardier CRJ900 jets on
domestic rotations – including to
major Nigerian cities such as Lagos
and Abuja, among others – the
airline has also briefly operated
Airbus types previously, having
sourced a pair of leased A220s
from EgyptAir.
However, the A220 is scheduled
to make a return to the Ibom Air
fleet – according to data from the
latest Airbus orders and deliveries
posted in October 2022, the carrier
currently has ten -300s in the
orderbook. This was the result of a
firm order between the airline and
Airbus that was signed at the Dubai
Airshow in November 2021.
(Photo José Ramón Valero)

Direct from Doha to Düsseldorf
QATAR AIRWAYS has completed
its inaugural flight to Düsseldorf
– a move the carrier described as
demonstrating its “commitment to
the German market.” The daily route
flown by its inventory of Boeing 787-
8s, is the fourth German destination
for Qatar Airways after Berlin,
Frankfurt and Munich.
Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways
Group chief executive, said: “We are
delighted to launch direct [flights] to
Düsseldorf, expanding our services
in Germany, and marking our entry to
West African widebodies
A NEW African Airbus A330neo
operator has been unveiled. The
development came after Air Côte
d’Ivoire signed a firm order for a pair of
-900 examples – this agreement was
completed in Toulouse (pictured).
According to the West African airline,
introduction of these widebodies
will allow it to grow its network
and, as part of the flag carrier’s
transcontinental expansion strategy,
“efficiently launch long-haul routes.”
While the official announcement
from the European airframer did not
disclose any specific delivery dates,
News Review • Africa/Middle East
the Ruhr region – just in time for the
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. With this
new service, not only will German
passengers enjoy daily flights from
a new location, but customers in the
nearby countries of Belgium and the
Netherlands will also have access to
over 150 destinations across Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.”
Thomas Schnalke, chairman of the
airport management board, added:
"Qatar Airways is one of the most
renowned airlines worldwide. Their
decision to include Düsseldorf in
ch-aviation sources suggest that
the next-generation jets are likely
slated for handover during the “fourth
quarter of 2024 and the second
quarter of 2025, respectively.”
Other African A330neo users include
Air Senegal – which became the first
airline from the continent to fly the
type in 2019 – and Uganda Airlines,
which fields examples of the smaller
and rarer -800 model.
Air Côte d’Ivoire is an existing
Airbus operator, albeit only with
narrowbodies until the new order,
with the current fleet comprised of
their route portfolio is a confirmation
for our location. For business
travellers as well as for vacationers,
the new route is an asset. We look
forward to many years of successful
co-operation with Qatar."
The inaugural service to Düsseldorf
from Doha/Hamad, Flight QR 085,
on November 15 was operated by
the two-class, 254-seat Dreamliner,
A7-BCY (c/n 38343), which received
a traditional water cannon salute by
the airport’s fire service upon arrival.
(Photo Qatar Airways)
a handful of A319/A320ceos and
a sole A320neo. These jets are
complemented by four De Havilland
Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops.
Previously, the airline had two
A319neos on order with Airbus,
but it’s understood this contract
was cancelled. Comparison of the
manufacturer’s orders and delivery
data between August 2022 and
September 2022 appeared to verify
this as the later month showed such
a commitment being absent from the
order book. (Photo Airbus SAS 2022
Pascal Pigeyre/Master Films)
in brief
Due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup,
MATAR, the Qatar Company for
Airport Operation and Management,
has introduced dedicated passenger
overflow areas at Doha/Hamad
and Doha/International for those
departing. The former can handle
24,000 passengers per day and the
latter has a capacity of up to 12,000
customers each day. These are
scheduled to remain in operation until
December 31, 2022, and, while open,
will only be available for travellers –
regardless of their airline – arriving
at both airports more than four hours
and up to eight hours prior to their
scheduled departure time. For more
information relating to World Cup
preparation, see pages 86-87 of the
December 2022 Airliner World.
Menzies Aviation confirmed it has
won a contract with Wizz Air Abu
Dhabi to provide ground services
including ramp, passenger, security
and ticketing at Kuwait International.
According to the global aviation
logistics specialist, this will cover
seven rotations per week for the
budget airline in Kuwait. Charles
Wyley, executive vice-president
for Middle East, Africa and Asia
at Menzies, said: “[The contract]
demonstrates the confidence Wizz
Air has in the ability of the Menzies
team to provide a safe, secure and
consistent quality service. We look
forward to continuing to grow our
relationship with Wizz Air.”
(Photo Airbus/Stefan Kruijer)
Ethiopian Airlines has added a third
destination in Zimbabwe with the
introduction of Bulawayo, the country’s
second largest city. The route is
currently flown four-times weekly
(Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and
Sundays) via Victoria Falls. Mesfin
Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO,
said: “We are glad to serve Bulawayo,
the industrial hub of Zimbabwe and
Southern Africa accelerating trade with
our cargo and passenger services.”
In addition to Bulawayo and Victoria
Falls, the flag carrier also flies to
Harare, a destination it has served
since 1980.
Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International
in Saudi Arabia has welcomed the return
of AirAsia X. On the first flight since
resumption – on November 16, operated
by Airbus A330-300, 9M-XXF (c/n 1126),
from Kuala Lumpur – the Malaysian carrier
reported a load factor of more than 80%.
The service flies six-times-weekly – as D7
700/701 – daily except Fridays. AirAsia X
last operated the route in March 2020.
www.key.aero 11
 News Review • Americas

Bonjour from the Big Apple

JETBLUE AIRWAYS is to expand its
transatlantic footprint after revealing
Paris as its first destination in
Continental Europe.
Initially, the airline is intending to
connect the French capital’s Charles
de Gaulle gateway with New York/JFK
from next summer, while a separate
Boston service is earmarked to launch
at a later date. These routes are to be
flown non-stop by its contingent of
Airbus A321LRs.
Robin Hayes, chief executive officer
of JetBlue, said: “We are offering
something completely unique to what
you get from the big global legacy
airlines on these routes, where a
single high-fare joint venture operates
nearly three-quarters of the flying.
The response to our London service
is proof that combining great service
with low fares works. We can’t wait to
bring our reimagined Mint and core
offerings to Continental Europe’s most
visited city.” it to be able to further establish a carrier from New York and Boston. is now offering five daily rotations
According to JetBlue – currently new transatlantic customer base – This latest move comes after JetBlue between the United States and the
the sixth largest airline in the US – it cites research that indicates the launched its first-ever transatlantic British capital via both Gatwick and
having a “high visibility presence” at French capital is the largest European services to London in August 2021. Heathrow. (Photo AirTeamImages.
Paris/Charles de Gaulle will enable destination not currently flown by the Fast-forward to 2022 and the airline com/Stuart Lawson)

From dreams to Dreamliners

CINCINNATI/NORTHERN Kentucky
International is earmarked to receive
new direct flights from British Airways
(BA), with services due to start from
London/Heathrow on June 5, 2023.
The carrier will employ its 12-strong
fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners
on the route, which will operate
five-times weekly over the summer
season and four-times weekly during
the winter as flight BA120/121. It will
become BA’s 27th US destination
served directly from London.
According to data supplied by
aviation analytics firm Cirium,
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
International is the 49th largest
gateway in the United States by
number of scheduled flights in 2022.
The airport serves the Cincinnati
region, which covers parts of three
states; Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
At present, the airport’s only
connection to Europe is Paris/Charles
de Gaulle flown by Delta Air Lines
using 767-300s. British Airways says
its new direct link offers “incredible
new opportunities” for both business
and tourism on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Neil Chernoff, director of networks
and alliances at British Airways, said:
“This is the first time we’ve flown this
route, and we can’t wait to connect
two cities which both have so much
to offer. Not only will this open up
these destinations to customers on
each side of the Atlantic, but it will
also improve connectivity between
the Cincinnati region, Europe and
beyond, with opportunities to connect from CVG to London/Heathrow is an between the UK and our area of the
to our wider network via London.” all-around win for the Ohio, Kentucky, United States. We look forward to
Candace McGraw, CEO of and Indiana region. The economic a strong partnership with our new
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky impact of this transatlantic flight friends across the pond for many
International Airport (CVG), added: is exponential for business travel, years to come.”
“British Airways’ non-stop service economic development, and tourism (Photo Nick Morrish/British Airways)

Augmenting Airbus arrivals

AIR CANADA will boost its
contingent of Airbus A220-300s
with an additional 15 aircraft. Having
converted options, this means its
total firm order for the type has been
increased from 45 to 60 at the time
of Airliner World going to press.
According to the flag carrier, these
15 new airframes are slated for
handover in 2026.
Michael Rousseau, president and
chief executive of Air Canada, said:
"This expanded order for the A220,
built up the road from our Montréal
headquarters, is an important
development in the modernisation of
our fleet and a clear indication that
we are emerging from the pandemic
solidly positioned for the future. The
A220 has become a mainstay of our
narrowbody fleet, and its performance
and passenger comfort are enabling
us to compete effectively in the North
American market."
Air Canada placed its initial
commitment for the type in 2016,
while the jet was still known as the
Bombardier CSeries, with a 45-strong
firm order plus 30 options. It took
delivery of its maiden Mirabel-built
A220, C-GROV (c/n 55067), on January
16, 2020.
With 31 A220-300s in the fleet –
which have collectively accumulated
almost 120,000 flying hours since
entry-into-service with the airline – Air
Canada was expected to have added a
further pair in late 2022, with 12 more
poised to arrive between 2024 and
2025 (six in each).

12 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


Home is where the heart is
IN A major boost for Boeing, Alaska
Airlines confirmed on October 26 that
it is exercising options to buy 52 737
MAX jets. According to the American
manufacturer, this comprises ten
MAX 9s and 42 of the larger MAX
10 (pictured), growing the airline’s
confirmed 737 MAX fleet from 94 to
146. Deliveries are scheduled to take
place between 2024 and 2027.
Meanwhile, the carrier said it “also
secured rights for 105 more planes
through 2030”. Overall, the deal
represents “the largest commitment
for future aircraft” in the airline’s
Azul signs deal for NEO trio
A FIRM order for a trio of Airbus
A330neos has been agreed by Azul
Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras. Thanks to
the move, it will enable the Brazilian-
based carrier to “further expand its
international network”.
The airline became the first in the
Americas to receive an A330neo in
2019 and the introduction of these
-900 widebodies will complement
Azul’s existing five-strong contingent
Back to the future
A brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 now in service with low-cost giant Southwest Airlines has been painted in the carrier’s Desert Gold retro livery. Spotted at Seattle's
Boeing Field on November 5 prior to handover, the narrowbody, N871HK (c/n 67775), carries the name the Herbert D Kelleher – in honour of the US carrier’s
co-founder – on its nose. It’s not the first time the airline has applied such a retro scheme – it was most recently worn by 737-7H4 N711HK (c/n 27845). JOE G WALKER
history. With the possibility that Alaska
Airlines could operate more than 250
737 MAX jets by 2030, the airline
said that “flexibility built into the
agreement” allows aircraft deliveries
to match with economic conditions.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci
commented: "This investment
secures aircraft to optimise our
growth through the next decade,
which we know will be a formidable
competitive advantage. We're proud
of the strong financial foundation that
uniquely positions Alaska to make this
commitment to our future, and of the
of the next-generation type.
John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul, said:
“We are delighted to have secured
three more next-gen Airbus widebody
aircraft for the upcoming years. This
reaffirms our position as the airline
with the most modern fleet in the
region, with 70% of our capacity
coming from fuel-efficient and
environmentally friendly aircraft.”
In other developments, following
News Review • Americas
fantastic partnership we share with
our hometown aircraft manufacturer
at Boeing."
Elsewhere, with Alaska Airlines
already a sizeable 737 operator, by the
end of 2023 it expects to have an all-
Boeing mainline fleet as the remaining
Airbus airframes are phased out.
Oneworld Alliance member Alaska
Airlines and its regional affiliates
currently operate a combined fleet of
more than 320 aircraft, including 36
737 MAX 9s, and serve more than 120
destinations across the Americas.
(Photo Boeing)
the arrival in Brazil of the first A350-
900 jet for Azul in September (see
Airliner World, November 2022),
the European manufacturer stated
that four examples were due to start
operating with the carrier “in the
coming weeks.” Azul, which has a
domestic network spanning more
than 150 destinations within Brazil,
also flies to further locations in South
America, the US and Europe.
in brief
Fledgling leisure carrier Canada Jetlines
has revealed its first international
destinations will be from Toronto/Pearson
to Las Vegas and Melbourne Orlando
International (Florida). Both are slated
to start on January 19, 2023, though
the airline stated that “operation of
these flights are subject to final Federal
Aviation Administration approval” – prior
to these routes being announced, the
Canadian carrier indicated this process
was expected to be completed “before
the end of the year”. The start-up had
conducted its inaugural fare-paying
rotation on September 22 (see Airliner
World, November 2022 edition) using its
sole Airbus A320-214, C-GCJL (c/n 4175); a
second example of the type was poised to
join Canada Jetlines in December.
US budget carrier Spirit Airlines has
launched a pair of routes from San
Antonio International in Texas. Daily links
to Orlando International and Las Vegas
kicked off on November 17, flown by its
contingent of Airbus A320 Family aircraft.
Jesus H Saenz, director of airports, San
Antonio Airport System, said: “We're
thrilled to have Orlando and Las Vegas as
affordable travel options in and out of the
top tourist destination in Texas.”
In further positive news, the airline
disclosed that it plans a further two links
from San Antonio to Baltimore/Washington
and Fort Lauderdale – both are slated
to launch on March 8, 2023 as daily
connections.
In November, the LATAM Group revealed
it had successfully completed its financial
restructuring process in the United States
and, as a result, has “emerged from the
reorganisation as a more efficient group”.
Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines
Group, said: “[This] marks an
important milestone for LATAM and
our stakeholders. We are pleased
that we have completed a significant
transformation and emerged from our
financial restructuring process with a
strengthened financial position and a
renewed commitment to operational
excellence…” During May 2020, the
Santiago, Chile-headquartered company,
which operates subsidiaries in Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru,
voluntarily commenced its financial
restructuring process in a bid to reduce
debt, access new sources of financing and
transform its business in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Delta Air Lines has boosted frequency
to a pair of key destinations in South
American. Buenos Aires/Ezeiza in
Argentina has increased from five times
a week to daily – served by Boeing 767-
400ERs from carrier’s base in Atlanta.
Elsewhere, Delta’s Santiago, Chile
connection – also linked from its Georgia
hub – has increased from three times a
week to daily using Airbus A350-900s.
The expansion increases the number of
seats offered by the US major from Atlanta
to Buenos Aires and Santiago to more than
1,600 and 2,300 per week respectively.
www.key.aero 13
 News Review • Asia/Pacific
A very special delivery down under
QANTAS AND Australia Post are
celebrating 100 years since the start
of their historic airmail and passenger
service. A century after the first
customer and bag of letters winged its
way across the Queensland outback,
the companies followed the flightpath
to recreate the maiden 1922 journey.
The launch of the fledgling airline
helped lay the foundations for what is
now the national carrier of Australia.
Qantas’s founders inaugurated the
airline as a company in November
1920 and spent two years preparing
for scheduled services by flying
joyriders, raising funds, sourcing
aircraft and planning the first air route.
To mark the occasion, family members
A new STAR is born
THE MAIDEN Airbus A350 for Starlux
has touched down at its Taipei/
Taoyuan base. The -900 variant,
registered B-58501 (c/n 480), was
welcomed with a traditional water
cannon salute from the airport’s fire
service. It is the first of 18 examples
that are scheduled to join Starlux,
with the Taiwanese carrier initially
rostering the widebody type on
flights within the Asia-Pacific
region before being introduced on
transpacific services. The aircraft
are configured in a four-class layout,
14 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
of Qantas founders, top-tier frequent
flyers and guests with a connection to
the early Queensland airmail services
were invited onboard Flight QF 6661
for a special trip.
Operated by a De Havilland Canada
Dash 8-Q400, the centenary sortie
followed the 476nm route taken
by Qantas co-founders and pilots
Paul McGinness from Charleville
to Longreach and by Hudson Fysh
from Longreach to Cloncurry in an
open-cockpit British Armstrong
Whitworth FK8 biplane over two days
on November 2-3, 1922 (pictured). A
replica mailbag with 106 handwritten
letters from local schoolchildren was
among the special cargo onboard.
comprising 240 seats in economy, 36
in premium economy, 26 in business
and four suites in first class.
Glenn Chai, CEO of Starlux Airlines,
commented: "This delivery is a
milestone. The A350-900 is our first
large widebody aircraft, which will
allow us to open markets for longer
routes. [This] also marks the next
step for our partnership with Airbus,
as there will be 17 more A350s
deliveries in the future. With the
addition of the A350-900, [our] fleet
now can cover short-, mid- and long-
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said
the event recognised a defining
moment in the nation’s aviation
history: “This flight celebrates the
entrepreneurship and innovation of
our founders a century ago, that still
exists in Qantas’s DNA today. Our
founding chairman Fergus McMaster
prophetically described our first flight
as a ‘small beginning which would
develop into one of the greatest
services in the world’. Qantas has
gone from that single biplane flight
100 years ago to the brink of a new
era of aviation with our Airbus A350s
on order, positioning us to fly people
and parcels direct from Australia to
any city in the world.”
range flights, providing service to
passengers outside of Asia.”
According to the European OEM,
the A350 has more than 900 firm
orders from over 50 customers, with
almost 500 examples delivered
as of the end of October 2022.
Starlux – which uses the callsign
‘Starwalker’ – boasts an all-Airbus
fleet, consisting of another widebody
type, the A330-900 (currently with
four examples), complemented by 11
A321neo narrowbodies at the time
of writing.
The privately owned company
was first registered in 2016, with
various approvals being sanctioned
by Taiwanese authorities during the
following year. Planned launch dates
in 2019 were pushed back, with the
fledgling airline eventually taking to
the skies on January 23, 2020, with
inaugural routes reaching Macau,
Da Nang and Penang. According to
management, the concept behind
the airline is to create a carrier that is
small enough to provide an individual
touch to the customer while pushing
the boundaries of attention to detail
and service delivery.
(Photo Airbus)
Qantas currently operates up to 16
dedicated Australia Post freighters.
To meet growing demand, the airline
is converting one of its A330s into
another dedicated cargo aircraft. The
overhauled widebody will be able
to carry approximately 42 tonnes of
freight on each flight, almost doubling
the capacity of the A321Fs currently in
operation. The A330F is expected to
start operating in 2023, with a further
six A321P2Fs approved to join the
fleet from next year. According to the
airline, the narrowbodies will have
60% more capacity than the Boeing
737s they’re replacing and be up to
35% more fuel efficient.
(Photo Qantas Archive)
Asia-Pacific
leaders
assemble
AVIATION BOSSES have gathered in
Bangkok for the Association of Asia
Pacific Airlines (AAPA) 66th Assembly
of Presidents. Welcoming a return of
air travel after more than two years
of border closures, the AAPA said
the pandemic has “strengthened
their resolve to address regulatory
challenges relating to passenger
facilitation, safety and sustainability.”
Noting the abundance of regulations
imposed on the air transport industry
during the crisis, AAPA airline
chiefs emphasised the importance
of governments to adopt a more
co-ordinated approach to ensure the
speedy recovery of the sector.
AAPA director general Subhas
Menon said: “Carriers have shown
great resilience in confronting the
challenges brought about by COVID-
19, while maintaining the highest
safety standards. However, the lack
of co-ordination across borders and
the burden of restrictive government
regulations are holding back the
recovery and growth of Asia's carriers,
as well as their ability to contribute to
social and economic development.”

ATR in Chinese boost
Osaka’s airport overhaul
OSAKA’S KANSAI International Airport
has officially opened a new domestic
zone in Terminal 1. Part of the first
stage of wider remodelling works,
the area includes more functional
commercial spaces, redesigned
around local shops and restaurants,
plus a new premium lounge.
The second construction phase
has already begun and is due for
completion in December 2023, with
the opening of the new international
Kiwi comeback continues
AIR NEW Zealand (ANZ) has resumed
its non-stop service to Chicago/
O’Hare. The move means the flag
carrier has reintroduced all 29 of
its pre-pandemic international
destinations. The services to and
from the Windy City – operating as
Flight NZ 7 and NZ 8 – will initially
operate thrice-weekly with Boeing
787-9s. The Dreamliners include
Business Premier, Premium Economy
and the innovative Economy
ATR HAS reported several positive
developments within the China market
for its ATR 42-600. The Franco-Italian
manufacturer confirmed that the
Civil Aviation Administration of China
(CAAC) has approved the ATR 42-600
type certificate – a move the airframer
describes as “a milestone”. Building
on this, ATR also revealed during
the Zhuhai Airshow, held in mid-
November, that it has received a firm
order for a trio of the turboprop type
from an undisclosed customer.
Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR’s chief
executive officer, said: “Receiving
CAAC’s validation of the ATR 42-600
type certificate, along with a firm
order, is a major achievement marking
the reintroduction of ATR turboprops
in China. The ATR 42-600 will
undoubtedly prove a gamechanger.”
zone. This will “improve passengers’
experience along their entire journey”,
including check-in, passport control,
retail and boarding areas, with new
technology deployed to better meet
the demands of the modern traveller.
Supported by the Japanese
government, these works are
described as being the most
important carried out at Kansai
International since it opened in 1994
and prepare the gateway ahead of the
Skycouch options. Customers flying
into O’Hare can also tap into one-
stop codeshare connections to more
than 100 destinations in the US via
ANZ’s partnership with
United Airlines.
Leanne Geraghty, the airline’s chief
customer and sales officer said: “This
is an exciting time for us. Since New
Zealand’s borders reopened, we’ve
been slowly resuming services and to
now be flying to all our international
News Review • Asia/Pacific
Fabrice Vautier, ATR’s senior vice-
president commercial, added: “By
2035, we anticipate that over 150
airports will be built in China and
turboprops will play a key role in
creating a new network of short, thin
routes, complementing the high-
speed train offering. Our 20-year
forecast predicts a need for 280 new
turboprops in the region and ATR is
perfectly placed to meet this demand,
while also contributing to decrease
the reliance on public subsidies and
delivering reduced CO2 emissions.”
Historically, China has not been a
significant market for ATR, with only
a handful of its turboprops in the
country. This included Guangzhou-
based China Southern Airlines which
flew five, 70-seat ATR 72-500s until it
phased them out by 2011. (Photo ATR)
Osaka Kansai World Expo in 2025.
"As Japan reopens its borders to
travellers, [we are] committed to
supporting the resumption of traffic
and welcoming passengers in an
efficient and user-friendly airport,
showcasing Japan's culture of
innovation,” said Nicolas Notebaert,
CEO of VINCI Concessions and
President of VINCI Airports, which has
operated the site since 2016 with its
partner ORIX.
destinations is a milestone moment.
The North American network plays
a key role in Air New Zealand’s
rebuild and as the third biggest city
in the United States, Chicago is an
important destination.”
The Kiwi carrier now serves seven
destinations in North America:
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston/
Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Vancouver and New York/
JFK. (Photo Air New Zealand)
In brief
China Southern Airlines has officially
ended its revenue passenger operations
with the Airbus A380. It’s final service
with the double-decker was on November
6-7 when CZ 328, operated by B-6139
(c/n 088), departed Los Angeles for the
airline’s Guangzhou base. The flight
marked the end of an 11-year relationship
between the quadjet and China Southern.
At its peak, five A380s were operated by
the Chinese airline – the only carrier in
the country to operate the super jumbo.
ZIPAIR Tokyo will increase the frequency
on its new route to San José. The news of
the expansion came before the maiden
flight, which is due for December 12. From
January 11, the carrier – a wholly owned
subsidiary of Japan Airlines – will connect
Narita and San José five-times weekly, up
from an initial thrice-weekly frequency.
The carrier operates Boeing 787s, with
18 full-flat premium seats alongside 272
standard options. ZIPAIR has previously
stated its longer term intention to boost
the route even further to a daily service
“later in 2023”.
Shri Narendra Modi, the Indian
Prime Minister, has formally opened
Bengaluru’s (also known as Bangalore)
new Terminal 2. The long-awaited
launch at Kempegowda International
Airport allows the site to cater for an
additional 25 million passengers each
year. According to the project team, the
sprawling complex is “built as a terminal
in a garden… reflecting a green, modern,
innovative, sustainable and culturally
rich city.” The new structure is located
on the northeastern side of Terminal 1
and was designed by New York-based
architectural firm SOM. It boasts 90
check-in counters and has L-shaped piers
accommodating 19 boarding gates for
Code C equivalent aircraft pulled away
from the main complex to provide greater
room for movement.
Korean Air is resuming routes to China,
Japan and Israel after a long COVID-
19 hiatus. The Seoul-based carrier is
restarting its scheduled passenger
services to Shanghai, Nanjing and
Qingdao in China, along with Sapporo
and Okinawa in Japan and Tel Aviv in
Israel. All of the destinations will rejoin the
network before the end of 2022, with a
range of frequencies spanning from daily
through to weekly. The developments
form part of a wider wave of airline
activity in the region as border restrictions
and travel bans are relaxed.
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has
signed a six-year agreement to bolster
renewable power supplies. BAC is already
producing solar energy from its 6mW
renewables system, which generates
electricity from 18,000 panels installed
across the airport. The corporation will
now increase this by adding a further
5mW of solar capacity on site. Gert-Jan
de Graaff, CEO of BAC said: "This energy
deal delivers on [our] commitment to be a
sustainable, world-leading airport city.”
www.key.aero 15
 News Review • International

Ampaire takes flight

AMPAIRE HAS successfully flown its
nine-seat Eco Caravan for the first
time. The aircraft, a hybrid-electric
version of the Cessna 208 Grand
Caravan, took off from Camarillo
Airport, California, on November 21 for
its 33-minute maiden flight to check
the new propulsion system.
“Aviation is the hardest industry to
decarbonise,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin
Noertker. “Fully-electric aircraft are
range-limited because of the weight
and energy capacity of current-
generation batteries. Hybrid-electric
aircraft, however, can preserve the
range and utility of today’s aircraft.
That’s why we are focused on hybrid-
electric propulsion for a series of
increasingly capable regional aircraft.
It’s a way for the airline industry to
decarbonise more quickly and to
benefit from lower operating costs.”
The Eco Caravan combines a
550hp RED Aircraft AO3 V12 diesel
engine with Ampaire’s electrical
engine that adds peak power. The
latter is supplied by a battery pack,
rechargeable in flight and carried in an
external fairing to preserve passenger
and cargo capacity. According to the
manufacturer, the hybrid – which
has a range of more than 1,000
miles – reduces fuel consumption
and emissions by up to 70%, with
emissions falling to “near zero” when
using sustainable aviation fuel. It
estimates the type will deliver 25-40%
lower operating costs and a per-seat-
mile-cost comparable to driving.
Ampaire expects the Eco Caravan
to receive FAA certification in 2024,
paving the way for a series of larger
hybrid-electric-powered types.
(Photo Ampaire)

Hamburg hydrogen lab unveiled

A DECOMMISSIONED Airbus A320 This real-world lab lets us add a the decarbonisation of the mobility ‘digital twin’, which will be used to
has been given a new lease of life crucial building block to Hamburg's industries. We are pleased to make simulate aircraft systems and enable
by Lufthansa Technik. The German strategy to make aviation more this world-first project possible researchers to predict failures of
MRO, working in partnership with sustainable. We are following two through the Special Aviation Fund.” hydrogen components and develop
the German Aerospace Center strategic goals: the development of a The A320 test lab will be and test predictive maintenance
(DLR), the ZAL Center for Applied hydrogen economy in Hamburg and complemented by the creation of a methods. (Photo Dirk Grothe)
Aeronautical Research and Hamburg
Airport, has converted the airliner
into the Hydrogen Aviation Lab,
a new field laboratory for the
testing of maintenance and ground
processes for future hydrogen-
powered aircraft.
Following completion of the first
phase of its conversion, the former
Lufthansa Group A320ceo, D-AIQF
(c/n 216) Hall an der Salle, will now be
fitted with a full suite of test systems,
an internal tank to carry liquid
hydrogen and an onboard fuel cell,
paired with supporting ground-based
hydrogen infrastructure.
Speaking at the aircraft’s unveiling,
Bundesrat Senator Michael
Westhagemann remarked: “With the
Hydrogen Aviation Lab, Hamburg
has embarked on a great project.
It will make a valuable contribution
to enabling the use of hydrogen
as a fuel for aviation. The focus
on maintenance and refuelling
procedures should provide us with
insights that will be important for
developing hydrogen infrastructure.
16 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
 News Review • International

Embraer lands Chinese approval

BRAZILIAN MANUFACTURER Embraer
has secured type certification for
its E190-E2 from the Civil Aviation
Administration of China (CAAC),
opening the door to potential orders.
Arjan Meijer, president and CEO
of Embraer Commercial Aviation,
commented: “CAAC’s certification of
the E190-E2 is great news for us and
our prospective customers in China.
It paves the way for significant E2
business opportunities in China –
data reveals that one billion people
living in China’s second and third
tier cities have never taken a flight.”
Meijer noted that the E2 family “offers
complementary capacity” to the
indigenous Comac ARJ21 and C919
aircraft, adding: “The E2 will not only
provide the best-in-class economics
and emission reductions for
airlines, but also help to accelerate
implementation of China’s Essential
Air Service programme to connect
more secondary and tertiary cities.”
Local certification of the larger
E195-E2 is ongoing, with approval
anticipated shortly. (Photo Embraer)

BOEING HAS added a third 737 MAX 10

MAX certification rumbles on
to its flight test programme as it ramps
up efforts to secure certification for the
type. The aircraft, N27753 (c/n 66118),
undertook its maiden flight from
Renton Municipal Airport, Washington,
on November 18, wearing the livery
of launch customer United Airlines. It
joins testbeds N27751 (c/n 66122) and
N27752 (c/n 66123), but its arrival is
unlikely to help the US manufacturer
meet a crucial end-of-year deadline for
type approval.
Certification of the 230-seat MAX
10, and the shorter MAX 7, has
been blighted by delays and could
yet fall foul of new cockpit alerting
requirements. Introduced in the
fallout of MAX crashes in Indonesia
and Ethiopia that claimed the lives of
346 passengers and crew and led to
a 20-month grounding, the Aircraft
Certification, Safety and Accountability
Act (ACSAA) enters force on January 1,
2023 and mandates the installation of
modern safety management systems
for all newly certified aircraft. Such
cockpit alerting systems are not
currently present in any of the MAX
variants and, unless US lawmakers
agree an exemption for the best-
selling narrowbody family, Boeing
may be forced to retrofit the MAX 7
and MAX 10 – further delaying type
approval – and provide operators with
additional pilot training.
Citing a letter from the FAA to Senator
Roger Wicker, who is lobbying US
Congress for an exemption for the 737,
Reuters reports the type certificate for
the MAX 10 will be issued “no sooner
than summer 2023.” Boeing must
also secure MAX 7 approval first, as
certification of the longest member
of the 737 family is contingent on the
former’s documentation.
During an investor call in November
2022, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
president and CEO Stan Deal indicated
the MAX 10 may not now gain approval
until late 2023 or early 2024.
(Photo V1Images.com/Preston Fiedler)

Airbus Deliveries Boeing Deliveries

Korean Air is the latest operator to introduce the Airbus A321LR. It took delivery of its maiden example,
HL8505 (c/n 10977) on October 25 V1IMAGES.COM/EDDY CUPERUS
Airbus delivered the following aircraft in October:
Boeing continues to shuffle deliveries of its 737 MAXs, including the pictured example, 9M-LRM (c/n 43010),
A220 5 Air France; Air Lease Corporation (ITA Airways)(2); Breeze Airways; Comlux which was originally destined for Lion Air but later redirected to its Malaysian offshoot Batik Air. It was
Aercap (Spirit Airlines, Tianjin Airlines)(2); BoComm Leasing (China Eastern delivered to the Kuala Lumpur-based subsidiary on October 21 V1IMAGES.COM/PRESTON FIEDLER
Airlines); British Airways; Flynas (2); Frontier Airlines; Go First; Indigo (5); Boeing delivered the following aircraft in October:
A320neo 21
Kuwait Airways; NAS Aviation Services (Play)(2); SAS Scandinavian Airlines;
SMBC Aviation Capital (Avianca); Spirit Airlines; Spring Airlines; Tunisair 777 Partners (Flair Airlines); Air Lease Corporation (Aeromexico, Akasa Air, LOT
Polish Airlines)(3); Alaska Airlines; BBAM (Central Airlines); Copa Airlines; Gol
Air Lease Corporation (Air Astana); Air New Zealand; American Airlines (2); 737 MAX 22
Linhas Aereas; Lion Air (Batik Air Malaysia)(2); Ryanair; Southwest Airlines (5);
Aviation Capital Group (Loong Air); CALC (Volaris); Delta Air Lines (5); Gulf Air; United Airlines (4); VIP Customer (2);
A321neo 26 Iberia (Iberia Express); Indigo (2); JetBlue Airways; Korean Air; NAS Aviation
Services (Starlux Airlines); Pegasus Airlines; Vietjet Air; Viva Aerobus; Volaris; Boeing 747-8F 1 Atlas Air
Wizz Air (4) Boeing 767-300F 2 FedEx Express (2)
A330-300 1 Altavair Boeing 777F 1 DHL Aviation;
A330-900 2 Air Lease Corporation (Virgin Atlantic); Delta Air Lines Boeing 787-8 2 American Airlines (2)
A350-900 4 Air China; China Eastern Airlines; China Southern Airlines; Starlux Airlines; Boeing 787-9 2 Air Lease Corporation; Lufthansa
A350-1000 1 Cathay Pacific Boeing 787-10 2 All Nippon Airways; KLM
Total 60 Total 32
Annual total to date 495 Annual total to date 341

www.key.aero 17
 News Review • Business Aviation
Double breakthrough for Dassault
DASSAULT AVIATION has marked
two major milestones for its 6X
and 10X platforms. Firstly, the new
Falcon 6X extra widebody business
jet has entered the final phase of its
certification flight test campaign.
Speaking at the 2022 NBAA Business
Aviation Convention & Exhibition
(NBAA-BACE) in Orlando, Éric
Trappier, the OEM’s chairman and
CEO said this will pave the way for
service entry in mid-2023.
Citation orders stacking up
AN ORLANDO-HEADQUARTERED
luxury charter operator has placed
an order for up to 20 Cessna Citation
XLS business aircraft. The deal with
Fly Alliance was confirmed by Textron
Aviation at NBAA-BACE and covers
four firm orders and options on a
further 16 examples.
The operator is due to take delivery
of the first aircraft, a mid-size Cessna
560XL Citation XLS Gen2, in 2023,
with the aircraft used for private
charter flights.
Fly Alliance offers jet card and
on-demand Part 135 charters from
its bases in Orlando, Miami, Palm
Beach and Stuart in Florida; as well
as in Providence, Rhode Island. While
its existing fleet includes six Hawker
800XPs, the XLS Gen2 will be the
company’s first Citation.
Kevin Wargo, CEO of Alliance
Aviation Group, said: “The acquisition
of up to 20 brand new aircraft
expands our product offering to our
members and customers. This is an
Embraer reveals biz jet sales
EMBRAER EXECUTIVE Aviation
delivered 23 business jets in the third
quarter of 2022, comprising 15 light
jets and eight mid-size examples.
18 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
The development follows hot weather
trials conducted in the Tunisian desert
last summer (pictured). These tests
were performed at temperatures up
to 48°C, while flying circuits over the
desert at 10,000ft.
As part of the wider flight test
campaign, a Falcon 6X also
completed a round-the-world
demonstration tour in July 2022,
which included 50,000 nautical
miles of flying across five continents,
comprising 50 individual flights.
Trappier said: “The 6X has
distinguished itself as an extremely
remarkable aircraft, sailing
through its certification campaign
excellent path to building our fleet size
to 100 aircraft in the years to come.”
In other news from NBAA, Textron
Aviation confirmed that it has entered
into an exclusive purchase agreement
with ExclusiveJets (operating as
flyExclusive) for up to 14 Cessna
Citations. Eight Citation XLS Gen2 will
be delivered in 2024 and up to six
Citation 700 Longitude super mid-size
The total number of business aircraft
it has delivered up until the end of
September is 52, including 33 light
and 19 mid-size jets.
and consistently wowing pilots
and engineers with its flawless
performance. It will soon be
impressing customers, too.”
Meanwhile, the Dassault CEO has
also confirmed that the company is
preparing the initial subassemblies
for the long-range Falcon 10X
business jet. Preliminary long-lead
items, including the landing gear
assembles, have been completed
and a representative composite wing
is also being finalised for static and
fatigue load testing. Trappier said: “All
the elements for another great Falcon
are literally coming together in our
various production facilities.
business jets could potentially be
delivered in 2025. The operator has
also exercised its option to purchase
an additional five Citation 525 CJ3+
aircraft from an order for up to 30
airframes. These are also expected to
be delivered in 2024.
Jim Segrave, chairman and CEO of
flyExclusive, said: “This agreement
reinforces [our] rapid growth and
The company said the volume of
deliveries in the third quarter is up by
10% compared with the same period
in 2021. The exact breakdown for the
BY NIGEL PITTAWAY
“This new aircraft, the largest
purpose-built business jet on the
market, will embody the latest
technology and set a new benchmark
for passenger experience.”
In other news from NBAA-BACE, the
OEM announced it has introduced
the fourth generation of its Enhanced
Avionics System (EASy) flight
deck, known as EASy IV. Based on
Honeywell’s Primus Epic system, the
EASy IV flight deck will be standard
on the Falcon 6X, and from 2023
on all new-build Falcon 8X aircraft,
as well as being available as an
upgrade for earlier Falcon 7X and 8X
examples. (Photo Dassault Aviation)
further bolsters the company’s
offerings in the fractional space. We
continue to elevate the private flying
experience, delivering consistent,
reliable and world-class service for
our customers. We appreciate Textron
Aviation’s support as we continue to
grow into one of the largest private
jet charter operators in the industry.”
(Photo flyExclusive)
period comprises two Phenom 100s
and 13 Phenom 300s in the light jets
category and four Praetor 500s and
six Praetor 600s in mid-size category.

Silk Way going for the Boeing 777X
AN ORDER for a pair of Boeing
777-8 Freighters – plus options
for two more – has been finalised.
As a result, Silk Way West Airlines
expects delivery of the next-gen
widebody type in 2029 and 2030.
Becoming the maiden customer
in the Central Asia/Eurasia region
to order the 777-8F, the Azerbaijani
cargo carrier stated the move
will allow it to further expand its
international network, as well as
strengthen its Baku base as a key
international cargo hub.
Zaur Akhundov, president of
the Silk Way Group commented:
"We are pleased to announce
this order with our longstanding
partner Boeing and become one
of the world's first customers for
the newest freighter. This year,
Silk Way West Airlines celebrates
its 10th anniversary and, over the
past decade, the carrier has been
operating an all-Boeing fleet. [This
777-8] agreement reflects our
ongoing investment in Boeing's
market-leading freighters. Our fleet
renewal plans will help to further
reduce our operating costs and
enhance fuel efficiency, as well
Airbus for Amazon Air
A FIRM agreement has been signed
by Amazon Air for the lease of ten
Airbus A330-300P2F (passenger-
to-freighter) jets from Altavair. With
the first example scheduled to join
the Amazon Air fleet in late 2023,
these aircraft are to be operated for
the company by Hawaiian Airlines,
which itself has years of experience
flying the European-built widebody
type. Meanwhile, it was confirmed
that Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH
(EFW), the joint venture between ST
Aerospace and Airbus, will convert
all ten airframes.
Philippe Karam, director of
Amazon Global Air fleet & sourcing,
commented: “We’re thrilled to
welcome Airbus to our Amazon Air
fleet. These A330-300s will not only
be the first of their kind in our fleet,
they’ll also be the newest, largest
aircraft for Amazon Air, allowing us
Mediterranean spot brightens day
as make air freight services in our
region more sustainable."
At the time of writing, Boeing had
more than 50 orders for the 777-8
Freighter – which it launched in
January 2022.
Previously, Silk Way West Airlines
had signed a strategic fleet
expansion agreement with the US
airframer to acquire five 777Fs in
to deliver more customer packages
with each flight.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus’s chief
commercial officer and head of
Airbus International, added: "The
endorsement of our freighters by
Amazon speaks volumes about
the market value of the A330 and
the position Airbus widebodies are
gaining in the cargo market.”
Cargo • Tales from the hold
April 2021 (see Airliner World, July
2021 edition). More recently, the
Baku-based operator had also placed
a purchase agreement for a pair of
A350Fs, plus options for two more,
with rival manufacturer Airbus in the
middle of 2022 (see Airliner World,
September 2022 edition).
Silk Way West Airlines, which
serves more than 40 destinations
The A330P2F conversion
programme was launched in 2012
and, as of the present time, both
the -200 and larger -300 models
are available. Thanks to its high
volumetric payload capability with
lower-density cargo, the latter
variant is more appealing for express
carriers and integrators, according to
Airbus. (Photo Airbus)
Since the report in last month’s edition of Airliner
World (see Cargo News, December 2022) regarding
the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and its
intention to enter the increasingly competitive air
cargo market, the company’s maiden aircraft has
now been seen. Spotted here at a very damp Paine
Field on October 31, this Boeing 777F is registered
as N707GT (c/n 67992) and will be operated by Atlas
Air. The brand-new, General Electric GE90-powered
jet eventually completed its first flight on November
8 and was delivered just under two weeks later.
V1IMAGES.COM/PRESTON FIEDLER
globally, currently has a fleet of
12 dedicated jumbos, comprising
seven 747-400Fs and five of the
larger -8F version. The cargo carrier
is part of the larger Silk Way Group,
which was founded in July 2006 and
reorganised into three companies
in 2019: Silk Way Airlines, Silk Way
West Airlines and Silk Way Technics.
(Photo Boeing)
Dedicated
freighter boost
for Alaska
ALASKA AIR Cargo is poised to
increase its dedicated freighter
fleet from three to five examples.
A pair of passenger-configured
Boeing 737-800s will be sourced
from Alaska Airlines and leased
from BBAM. The duo will then
undergo conversion to -800BCF
(Boeing Converted Freighters)
standard at the Cooperativa
Autogestionaria de Servicios
Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) facility
in Costa Rica.
Conversion work is scheduled
to start in 2023, with completion
of the final -800BCF by early the
following year.
Adam Drouhard, managing
director for Alaska Air Cargo,
commented: "Fleet expansion
positions our growing cargo
business to meet increased
demand that we see from industry
and consumers. The 737-800
aircraft provides 40% more load
space than our current 737-700
freighters, essentially doubling Air
Cargo's total freighter lift capacity.
We look forward to getting these
737-800s into service to support
Alaska's supply chain and connect
cargo to over 100 cities we serve
across North America."
www.key.aero 19
Blue sky
thinking? It’s no secret that it’s been a bumpy few years for aviation,
but what might 2023 have in store? Tom Batchelor travels
to Las Vegas to gauge the views of top executives from
some of the biggest carriers in North America

Hawaiian Airlines can trace

its history back to 1929
when its fleet comprised two
eight-seater Sikorsky aircraft
and a Bellanca monoplane
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
FLORENT LACRESSONNIERE

20 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 espite lingering COVID-19 Stateside strength staff: “The people who had jobs

D restrictions, most notably

in China, the global airline
industry mounted a strong
recovery in 2022, with
capacity forecast to end the year at
around 87% of 2019 levels, according
to the latest data by analysts at OAG.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, this
growth trend is set to continue over
the next 12 months, with the effects
of the pandemic retreating into the
distance. However, there are still
major headwinds that could yet cause
problems. Recruitment challenges,
soaring costs, a looming recession,
war in Europe and big question marks
over the number and viability of carriers
mean that dark clouds are lurking on
the horizon.
Amid these changing times, industry
leaders recently gathered in Las Vegas
for the Routes World 2022 conference
to discuss how to weather any future
storm. Talks centred on how their
respective networks may change in
2023, as well as their visions for the
short and medium term, from fleet
growth to recruitment challenges.
Airliner World was at the event to gauge
the mood of the industry and assess
how some of the region’s biggest
carriers are approaching the year ahead.
One slice of the international airline
market that has rebounded faster than
any other is North America. According
to IATA, strong demand in the United
States pushed international traffic
128.9% higher in September 2022
compared with a year earlier, helping
mitigate sky-high fuel prices.
However, the picture isn’t evenly
balanced. Being a remote archipelago,
the US state of Hawaii was subject to
longer lasting COVID-19 restrictions
than the other 49 states, as local
policymakers sought to shield the
islands from the infection risk posed
by inbound travellers. This approach
put Hawaiian Airlines, the state’s
largest and longest-serving carrier, in
a more difficult position than other
American operators. Reflecting on the
period, Peter Ingram, Hawaiian’s CEO,
told delegates at in Las Vegas: “We
were faced with months of negative
revenue, where every single day we
were refunding more tickets that we
were selling for future travel. There was
no demand for our product. We were
completely at the whim of governments
and health authorities.”
Ingram said the single most striking
lesson from the period was the
importance of communication with
were going through an incredible
period of uncertainty. They didn't
know if the company would survive,
they didn't know what the industry
was going to look like. We didn't
have all the answers to that, but we
needed to communicate with them
as much as possible.”
The Hawaiian CEO said this
renewed focus on employee welfare
is still impacting how the company
operates today: “There has been a
change where workers increasingly
value flexibility. There are elements
that we are going to have to rethink…
making sure that we're designing
appealing careers not just from a
standpoint of pay and benefits, but
also in terms of flexibility.”
That ambition is tied up with
industry-wide recruitment issues
that have left many airlines, airports
and service providers short-staffed.
Ingram said that one solution was
to rethink procedures, including
reducing the time that new recruits
are put through training: “I’m not
saying we should go with untrained
people, but is there a way to simplify
transactions at the airport so that
an airport agent doesn't need to
undergo weeks of training?”

“The people who had

jobs were going through an
incredible period of uncertainty.
They didn't know if the company
would survive and they didn't
know what the industry was
going to look like. We didn't have
all the answers to that, but we
needed to communicate with
them as much as possible...”

www.key.aero 21
 “I think it is possible to get back very quickly to
a more stable, profitable environment as we get
better at predicting demand and supply...”

ABOVE • Each aircraft in Asia rebound
Hawaiian Airlines’ fleet How quickly airlines return to profitability
is given a unique name, is shaped by their location, with Asia
inspired by the native
birds, constellations, among the slowest regions to reopen.
plants and forests of the Japan, which only announced a
islands relaxation of its COVID-19 travel rules
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
this autumn, is one market that Hawaiian
and other Pacific carriers hope will
help stimulate demand. Ingram said:
“When the market returns to profitability
depends on the geography. Japan is
an important one for us, it is still in that
nascent period but the key for airline
industry profitability is always getting the
right balance of supply and demand. One
of the challenges right now is we have
not been able to forecast demand very
RIGHT • Los Angeles
(pictured) and other
West Coast airports are
critical to the ultimate
success of Hawaiian's
wider business model
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
YOCHAI
well because of the uncertainties of the
last couple of years. I think it is possible
to get back very quickly to a more stable,
profitable environment as we get better
at predicting demand and supply.”
Among the options available, the
introduction of new aircraft with lower
operating costs is one way airlines
are hoping to build back stronger
in 2023. "The A321neo was a really
important investment for us… We were
largely unable to compete because
the market was not big enough to
support the frequency of service that
people demand," Ingram said of the
situation prior to the arrival of the new
generation of Airbus narrowbodies.
"If you didn't have the connecting
capabilities on the US mainland, which
we don't have, what the A321neo did is
it opened up that next tier of origins and
destinations. [We are] able to become
less Honolulu-centric and have more
direct flights to the neighbouring islands.
So we've gone from three direct routes
from Maui to the US mainland to ten or 11
today, from almost all of our West Coast
destinations we've added direct flights into
Kona and Lihue. It's really just right-sizing.”
Sunny outlook?
Back on the mainland, Sun Country
Airlines is an ultra-low-cost airline
headquartered in Minneapolis. It serves

22 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


scheduled, charter and cargo markets
across North and Central America.
According to Jude Bricker, the airline’s
chief executive officer, 2023 is likely to
be shaped by supply chain constraints
including a lack of flight deck crew: “We
are in a state of pretty severe shortages
in terms of capacity, and it's manifesting
itself with really high fares. All the
decisions that I make are either about
how do we get more staff on the line,
or what do we do with the capacity that
we have when we're so constrained. I
can't see anything disrupting that status
quo for quite a while.”
Despite personnel concerns, the
carrier is planning to grow between
15% and 20% in 2023 compared to this
year, which, if realised, would make
Sun Country almost 50% bigger than it
was prior to the pandemic. The airline
currently fields a fleet of 54 Boeing
737-700 and 737-800s (42 aircraft in
its passenger service fleet, alongside
12 freighter aircraft) and this number is
expected to reach 60 in the first quarter
of 2024.
“The biggest strain on the business
is pilots,” said Bricker. “For every extra
pilot, [a Sun Country aircraft flies] 60
more hours. It's really that simple.
Relative to other airlines, we don't have
a big order book, which I think is great
going into this period where you're
seeing interest rates rise. Our net-
interest expense of 2023 will be lower
than it is this year – I don't think any
[other] airline can say that. That's quite
simply because we're continuing to pay
down the debt. We're not committed
to buying aeroplanes unless we have
people to fly them.”
In spite of the challenges the entire
industry is facing, Bricker said he is
“bullish” about the coming year. His
carrier reported a record profit of
$10.7 million during the airline's third
quarter earnings in November, boosted
by strong leisure demand. “Things are
playing out really well – I don't lose
sleep at night these days," he quipped.
A leisurely pace
Another low-cost US airline which has
yet to feel the impact of the uncertainty
creeping into the global economy is
Allegiant Air. The Las Vegas-based
carrier is best known for linking smaller
cities with larger American leisure
ABOVE • A computer
rendering of how Allegiant's
Boeing 737 MAX is expected
to look
ALLEGIANT AIR
BELOW • Despite high fuel
prices and a major hurricane
hitting Florida, Sun Country
posted a robust set of
financial results in
Q3 of 2022
SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES
View from
the regionals
If 2023 – in North America at least – is
going to be defined by pilot shortages, it
is the regional carriers that are going to
bear the brunt of any shortfall. Secondary
and tertiary airports are already feeling the
effects of the pandemic: 14 of them across
the United States have lost all scheduled
commercial passenger services since
October 2019, while 161 airports have lost
at least a quarter of their flights.
The industry is now facing a crisis that will
continue to shape services over the next year,
said Faye Malarkey Black, president and CEO
of the Regional Airline Association (RAA). The
organisation advocates on behalf of more
than a dozen smaller carriers, including the
likes of Ravn Alaska and Republic Airways.
In the US, regional airlines operate an
astonishing 43% of scheduled passenger
flights, and crucially provide the only source
of scheduled air services to two-thirds of
the airports across the country. “It is no
secret that my part of the industry has been
facing a lot of headwinds, and that means
small communities have also been facing
a lot of headwinds, because our fates are
inextricably linked,” the RAA chief said
during an appearance at the TakeOff North
America convention, held on the fringes of
the main Routes event.
“The pilot shortage is not new, it was not
caused by the pandemic, but pandemic
forces absolutely accelerated and amplified
that. The air service of smaller communities
is in crisis now, because the network
carriers who schedule us have been forced
to extract capacity and that capacity is not
coming out of the system evenly.”
She warned that the problem showed no
signs of abating, but said there were ways to
alleviate some of the pressure: “It's going to
take a little bit of courage, but we can solve
it.” Malarkey Black suggested this could
range from reaching out to schoolchildren to
promote aviation careers early to allowing a
greater use of technology to speed up the
training of pilots, as well as short term fixes
such as raising the retirement age from the
current limit of 65 or making it easier for
airlines to recruit foreign pilots, something
which has been resisted by unions.
www.key.aero 23
destinations such as Florida, California ABOVE • Sun Country
shortages, Redmond said: “There's no While the airline has had an
and, of course, its hometown in Airlines’ Boeing 737-800, doubt that the entire industry has been impressive run in recent years, the
Nevada. John Redmond, the company’s N834SY (c/n 40245), faced with this particular challenge. brakes were sensationally put on its
president, said that while prices for food pictured at the company's Our business model always allowed our expansion plans in May 2021, when
Minneapolis base in
and fuel were going up, and in some August 2022 pilots and flight attendants to start and US authorities downgraded Mexico's
cases “impacting people's purchasing V1IMAGES.COM/STEVE RINDE end their day in their own homes, so we country-wide aviation safety rating,
decisions”, that was not yet filtering believe that approach will always allow leaving its airlines restricted in the
through to ticket bookings: “We're us to attract and retain great pilots and routes they could serve. Lowering
still getting people booking air travel flight attendants.” Mexico from Category 1 to Category 2
in the volumes that we were seeing suggested that the US Federal Aviation
in the past. That doesn't mean [a dip Viva expansion! Administration (FAA) believed that flight
in demand] may not happen, but to Across the southern border, Mexican operations throughout Mexico did not
date we haven't seen it in any kind of low-cost carrier Viva Aerobús is also meet “minimum international safety
significant way.” forecasting expansion of its services in standards”, though the regulator did
Founded in 1997, Allegiant flies a fleet 2023. “We have continued growing our not reveal any specific details of the
of Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft with business," said CEO Juan Carlos Zuazua. supposed failings.
scheduled services from more than BELOW • Mexican low-cost "In this fourth quarter, we should be Zuazua is hoping that 2023 will see
carrier Viva Aerobús
110 US airports. Redmond highlighted has leveraged several operating around 84% above 2019 a change in that controversial stance:
that during times of uncertainty, the pandemic-related levels. This is due to the fact that we “The Mexican government is doing their
airline is poised to capitalise on any opportunities to grow its were able to grow aggressively during best effort in getting [Category 1] back,
market share
bargains. One such example regarded the pandemic to find several domestic and we're getting support from the FAA.
AIRBUS
second-hand aircraft, which it snapped and international route opportunities." We don't deserve to be in this category
up during the pandemic downturn as
many carriers sought to offload their
airframes: “For anyone who's followed “I always like to remind people that Mexico
Allegiant, they know we've always been is not part of South America, it is part of
a very opportunistic airline… So when North America, and we're much closer to
an opportunity presents itself that is
something that you have to do pricing
the US than any South American country”
wise, environment wise, and growth wise,
you want to take advantage of that.”
But it isn’t only hand-me-down jets
heading to the LCC. The company
is also investing heavily in brand-
new aircraft, breaking with a tradition
that has seen it opt for older Airbus
examples. In January 2022, the airline
announced a $5.5 billion deal to
purchase up to 50 Boeing 737 MAXs,
which it said would result in savings
through lower operating costs. It is
likely that the carrier will have been able
to negotiate a discount due to the well-
documented difficulties the OEM has
had with the narrowbody aircraft.
Of course, new aircraft are only useful
if you have the people to fly them.
Adding his voice to warnings about pilot

24 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


as a country, which very few countries
in the world are in."
Another key theme is closer working
between airlines. Allegiant Air and Viva
Aerobús unveiled a proposed joint
venture in December 2021, which
gained approval from the Mexican
government in October. If approved by
the US Department of Transportation,
it would be the first major partnership
between two low-cost carriers in the
region. Zuazua also predicted further
consolidation in Latin America, coming
after Brazil’s Gol and Colombia’s
Avianca partnered under the Abra
Group umbrella in May 2022: "The
move was very clever and it was the
right thing to do for South America. LAN
and TAM merged many years ago and
formed a 300-aircraft business, and
I think what Gol and Avianca did was
clever in order to compete successfully
with LATAM. However, I always like to
remind people that Mexico is not part
of South America, it is part of North
America, and we're much closer to the
US than any South American country.
So we are much more focused on our
growth up north.”
Viva Aerobús was due to end 2022
with 70 aircraft, with a further 30
A321neos due to be delivered from
2023-2026. Zuazua said the carrier
would "need to take another aircraft
order” at some point in the future, in
part to capitalise on underserved routes.
“Mexico is still a very virgin territory,
there are untapped opportunities, a lot
of available city pairs. Right now we
have six operational bases, we foresee
at least ten more operational bases in
the next five to six years. So there's
plenty of opportunity, domestic and
international. I am very bullish.”
ABOVE • Viva Aerobús
launched operations in 2006
and today operates ones of
Latin America's largest fleets
AIRBUS
BELOW • As of October
2022, the Viva Aerobús
fleet comprises 40
Airbus A320 and 22 A321
examples
AIRBUS
A European
perspective
Alongside operators from across the
Americas, a wealth of global visitors
descended on Las Vegas for the annual
event. Among these was Ryanair, Europe’s
biggest low-cost carrier, which is, perhaps
unsurprisingly, also confident of a bumper
2023. Jason McGuinness, director of
commercial at the Irish airline, said the
latest summer season had seen the
Ryanair network rebound “exceptionally
strongly, by far and away the best recovery
across Europe.” He noted that the LCC
had grown 15% and fully restored its load
factors, although he added that, looking
ahead to the winter months, he was only
“cautiously optimistic.”
“We're going to grow by 8% compared
with winter 2019,” he said. “I think we're
one of the only airlines adding incremental
capacity to Europe this winter, but we are
cautious in terms of our outlook. We're
clearly in a cost-of-living crisis, we have the
ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine. These
are all factors on the negative side. Looking
forward, I think customers by and large
are flocking to Ryanair – that's happened
throughout the summer. I think customers
are [flying with] us for our reliability – we
cancelled less than 1% of all our flights –
although I think it's going to be a very tough
time for some of our competitors.”
In its November half-year earnings
statement, Ryanair said it was raising its
expectation of passengers in 2023 to
168 million (up from a previous figure of
166.5m), which would be a 13% increase
on pre-crisis traffic. However, the airline is
dependent on Boeing meeting its delivery
commitments, with the carrier having
invested heavily in fuel efficient new aircraft
in the shape of the Boeing 737 MAX 8-200.
At the same time, the company is moving
into 2023 with a renewed call to accelerate
reform of the Single European Sky to
improve air traffic control efficiency, with
the aim of reducing flight delays and cutting
emissions by up to 10% – though for now
progress on this ambitious project appears
to have stalled.
www.key.aero 25
 When Britain joined the
707 JET SET…
Despite protectionist objections from politicians, UK carriers embraced the Boeing 707 during
the 1960s and 1970s. Lee Cross explores the US type’s introduction with various British airlines
he race to enter the jet age
T in the 1950s was a hard-
fought battle between the
British-built de Havilland
Comet and the American
Boeing 707. Despite the Comet beating
the US type to the skies and becoming
the first to cross the North Atlantic,
the 707 would quickly overtake its rival
in terms of reliability, economics and
26 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
overall performance. British Overseas
Airways Corporation (BOAC) – the UK's
state-owned long-haul carrier – could
only watch as its rivals ordered the 707.
At the time, the British government
held a dim view of its airlines ordering
foreign-built airframes and wanted
BOAC to stick with the upgraded
Comet 4, of which it had ordered 19
examples in March 1955.
The corporation persisted, and on
November 15, 1956, BOAC was finally
allowed to do a deal with the Americans
for 15 -436 series jets. In a nod to the
'Buy British' campaign, this was under
the condition that the airframes were
powered by the Derby-built Rolls-Royce
Conway engines, instead of Pratt &
As part of a wider 'Buy
British' campaign, BOAC's
707s were equipped with
Derby-built Rolls-Royce
Conway engines
Whitney JT3s. Its first airframe, G-APFD AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
(c/n 17705), flew on May 19, 1959. ATI COLLECTION
ABOVE: Although 707s were
intended for medium-
ranges, they were soon
flying across the Atlantic
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
THE SAMBA COLLECTION
TOP: This stunning air-to-air
from 1960 shows G-APFE
(c/n 17706) in happier times.
The aircraft hit clear air
turbulence over Mt Fuji in
1966, killing all on board
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
ATI COLLECTION
Despite successful test flights, the UK
Airworthiness Registration Board (ARB)
required modifications to improve the
707’s handling. This saw a redesign of
tail surfaces, which ultimately allowed
certification on April 27, 1960. Boeing
would go on to adopt the changes for
future orders.
Entry into service
‘Foxtrot Delta’ took flight between
London and New York International
Airport (the present-day JFK) on May
27, 1960. The 707 would replace
the Bristol Britannia and Comet on
transatlantic rotations, including those
from Manchester from October 1960.
Later, the US jets took over important
Empire routes to and from the Far East
and Australia.
As more airframes arrived, BOAC
focused its international network
around the 707 and the recently
delivered British-built Vickers VC10. It
is reported that management planned
to standardise operations, with the
Super VC10 for its long-haul fleet, and
to retire the 707s, but subsequently
compromised on a mix of the two. In
total, BOAC would operate 20 of the
-436 series aircraft.
In 1960, the British government
passed the Civil Aviation (Licensing)
Act which allowed privately owned
airlines to apply for scheduled routes.
Rarely one to miss an opportunity, step
forward British Eagle, which requested
several route licences between the UK
and the United States.
Following an investment by the
Cunard Shipping Company in March
1960, British Eagle became Cunard
Eagle. The acquisition allowed for the
purchase of two 707-420s, with
www.key.aero 27
Britannia’s Boeing 707s
Luton-based Britannia Airways received
its first 707-320C, G-AYSI (c/n 18707), in
January 1971 from World Airways. It became
the first aircraft to enter the airline's newly
constructed hangar and the first to receive
Britannia's new corporate livery.
The inaugural flight took place on April 27
that year, between Luton and Tenerife, on a
unique charter, celebrating the opening of a
new hotel on the Canary Island.
Its second 707, G-AYEX (c/n 19417), arrived
in October 1971. Britannia used the pair to
join the affinity charter market and employed
them on busier inclusive tour flights from
regional UK airports. They later allowed the
tour operator to branch out into the Far East
and the Caribbean.
However, by spring 1973, the airline
decided to leave the transatlantic market
and returned both 707s to their lessors. They
served with BCal, which would later lease
Britannia a 707, G-AYVG (c/n 17598), for
summer 1976.
It also leased a single Boeing 720B, TF-VLC
(c/n 18820), from Eagle Air to add capacity
during the peak summer 1979 season.

options on a third, making the firm the
first UK independent operator to snap
up the 707.
In June 1961, the airline was granted
rights to offer daily services between
Heathrow and New York, plus services
from Manchester and Prestwick to
several US cities. BOAC was furious
and instigated an appeal against the
decision, upheld in November 1961.
Cunard Eagle's first 707, G-ARWD
(c/n 18372), arrived in February 1962.
But with no scheduled routes to fly, the
airline put it to work with its Bermudan
subsidiary. Re-registered as VR-BBW,
it commenced flights from Bermuda
and Nassau to London on May 5, 1962.
A month later, Cunard jumped into
bed with rival BOAC and ended its
relationship with British Eagle. The new
partnership would see 'Bravo Whiskey,'
plus eight of BOAC's 707s, transferred to
the new BOAC-Cunard. In total, 11
707s were operated by the subsidiary
until BOAC terminated the arrangement
in September 1966. From 1965, BOAC
began to receive the improved -336
series, which initially were -336Cs, a
convertible passenger-cargo variant. In
October 1969, the board announced
the purchase of two -336B passenger-
only examples, G-AXXY (c/n 20456)
and G-AXXZ (c/n 20457) to serve a new
route to Tokyo via Moscow.
By the summer of 1971, the firm’s
-336B/C fleet had grown to nine. They
also had the honour of being the first
BOAC aircraft fitted with an inflight
entertainment system. Among other
pioneering moves, the 707 was also
the first to dispose of cabin window
curtains, replaced by the more familiar
sliding blind concept.
A new era
BOAC officially became British Airways
(BA) on March 31, 1974, after merging
with British European Airways (BEA).
The partnership had several key
synergies, including that BEA also
had a relationship with the 707 via
BEA Airtours – its in-house charter
carrier – which it launched in 1970. It’s
understood that after announcing the
ABOVE: The post-merger BA purchase of seven 707s from American
inherited 707s, however Airlines for £10.4m (almost £200m in
no examples remained
in the fleet beyond 1984 today’s money) the British government
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ again intervened, demanding that the
THE SAMBA COLLECTION state-owned airline look closer to
home. As luck would have it, BOAC
planned to withdraw its older -436s as
its new Boeing 747s arrived.
Thus it seemed an obvious choice that
BEA should take on these airframes.
The first two arrived in early 1972
and were used on European charters
from Gatwick and Manchester. After
the merger, BEA Airtours would be
rebranded as British Airtours.
In total, 11 of the 707-436s and
the same number of -336B/Cs were
transferred to the new British Airways.
Indeed 707-336B ‘X-Ray Yankee’ would
be the first aircraft to appear in the

28 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

LEFT: Boeing president
William Allen is said to have
"bet the company” on a
vision that the future of
commercial aviation was
jet-based
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
THE SAMBA COLLECTION
new BA Negus livery in September
1973. However, it wasn’t all blue skies.
Spiralling costs and a rather nasty
economic recession led BA to retire
the 707s at a rate of two per season
from summer 1981. The -436s plus
two -336Bs, transferred from BA for
North Atlantic charters, were kept in
service until March 1984 before being
replaced by the Boeing 737-236. All 707
examples had left the British Airways
roster by the end of 1984.

Breaking the monopoly

RIGHT: BEA Airtours focused
its efforts at Gatwick
and Manchester to take
advantage of a boom in
demand for leisure routes
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/CARL FORD
LEFT: This rare publicity
image from 1962 marks
Cunard Eagle Airways' first
707 in the Bahamas
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
ATI COLLECTION
BELOW: Dan-Air was one
of the carriers that made
London/Gatwick a 707
hotspot in the mid-1970s
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/CARL FORD
British Eagle re-ordered the 707 in
1965 with a deal for two -365Cs, and
Caledonian placed an order for two
-320Cs in May 1966. In 1967 the pair,
along with British United Airways
(BUA) and Transglobe, applied for
route licences to fly regular scheduled
services between London and New
York. All were rejected.
Caledonian and Eagle were then met
with a hefty 14% import duty bill on
the airframes, imposed by the British
Board of Trade, which wanted them
to purchase the VC10. The dispute
subsequently led to service entry
delays for their 707s. Caledonian's first
example, G-AVKA (c/n 19415), arrived
at Gatwick in July 1967 and was leased
out to Flying Tiger Line. Eagle's first,
G-ATZD (c/n 19590), finally joined in
early 1968 after several postponements.
It too, was immediately leased out to
Middle East Airlines.
Following the arrival of Caledonian's
second 707, G-AVTW (c/n 19767),
the airline put it to work on so-called
‘affinity charters’ from January 1968.
This style of flying was launched in
the early 1960s to allow groups of
budget travellers the chance to cross
the Atlantic. Strict rules stated that
passengers had to be members of a
specific group for at least three months
and have a valid reason to travel to
the US. Many groups were formed
purely to get around these restrictions,
which would later cause issues for
the numerous airlines that jumped on
the bandwagon. Caledonian was the
first independent carrier to be granted
permission by the US for such services
in 1963. They would become the
biggest part of its operation for many
years, with the airline taking a 22.5%
market share.
Becoming BCal
On November 20, 1970, Caledonian
purchased rival BUA to form British
Caledonian (BCal). By this point, its
707 fleet had swelled to seven, all of
which were transferred to the new
airline. Talks of BCal becoming the UK's
‘Second Force’, competing on routes
monopolised by the state-owned
airlines, led to it becoming the first
independent to be allowed to operate
scheduled transatlantic services. Its
inaugural service from Gatwick to New
York took off on April 1, 1973, followed
a few days later by Los Angeles. The
airline soon added additional 707s for
planned transatlantic expansion and to
take over BUA's South American and
West African routes.
However, BCal withdrew its North
American flights after just 18 months. It
would return in October 1977, launching
a daily service between Gatwick and
Houston. In 1976, BCal chose the
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 for its
long-haul operation and began retiring
the 707. More than 20 examples were
operated before the last was retired in
August 1984.
Another transatlantic pioneer, Laker
Airways, was approved to operate North
Atlantic charters in August 1969. Laker
acquired a pair of 707-138Bs from
British Eagle following its bankruptcy

www.key.aero 29

in November 1968. The airframes,
G-AVZZ (c/n 17699) and G-AWDG
(c/n 17702), had been specifically built
for Qantas with a shorter fuselage and
increased range.
Soon, Laker's 707s offered weekly
charters from Gatwick, Manchester and
Prestwick to the US and Canada. 'Zulu
Zulu' was also used to launch low-cost
services from Luxembourg to Barbados
in 1970 under the Caribbean Airways
brand. As Laker looked at launching
its low-fares scheduled transatlantic
'Skytrain' services, a pair of ex-Cathay
Pacific 707-351Bs, G-BFBS (c/n 18693)
and G-BFBZ (c/n 18585), were also
sourced in May 1978.
The independents
Meanwhile, a flurry of other UK
independent operators also applied to
the US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB)
for permission to operate transatlantic
30 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
charters. The early 1970s marked the
start of the widebody era, with major
airlines ordering 747s, DC-10s and
L-1011s, meaning plenty of secondhand
707s were coming onto the market.
British Midland announced its
intention to purchase two ex-Pan Am
707-321s in March 1970. The first,
G-AYBJ (c/n 17597), arrived at East
Midlands in April that year. At the time,
it was the largest aircraft to land at
the airport. President Nixon granted
permission in May, and a month later
Midland began flying between London/
Stansted and New York. The second,
G-AYVE (c/n 18083), joined the fleet in
March 1971.
Elsewhere, Dan-Air was given the
green light to launch US charters
in October 1970. It established a
subsidiary, Dan Air International, to run
the operation and source its first
707-321, G-AYSL (c/n 17599).
ABOVE: Pictured as G-AYZZ
(c/n 741), this 707-323C
was originally delivered to
American Airlines as N8417
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
CARL FORD
BELOW: British Midland
Airways G-AYVE (c/n 18083)
pictured at Stansted in 1971
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
THE SAMBA COLLECTION
Wearing the airline's new colour
scheme, specially introduced to mark
the type’s arrival, it entered service
in April 1971 between Gatwick and
Niagara Falls via Shannon. A second
707, G-AZTG (c/n 17600), was also
sourced from Pan Am. Dan Air would
also operate four 'convertible' -321Cs:
G-BEAF (c/n 18591), G-BEBP (c/n
18579), G-BEVN (c/n 19271) and
G-BEZT (c/n 18765).
Donaldson International Airways
acquired a pair of 707-321s from Pan
Am and jumped on the North Atlantic
charter bandwagon in early 1971.
Two more were sourced for planned
services to the Far East. However, the
airline overstretched itself and ceased
operations on August 8, 1974.
Among the other notable
independents, Lloyd International
received its first 707-321, G-AYRZ
(c/n 18084), in January 1971, entering
service on flights to the US, Canada
and the Far East from Stansted and
Prestwick. A second 707-324C,
G-AZJM (c/n 18886), was acquired a
month later. It also planned to operate
all freight services to the Far East with a
fleet of -320Cs.
Transatlantic turbulence
Just as business started to boom for
these secondhand 707 operators, in
June 1972, the CAB announced that
British Midland, Dan-Air and Lloyd
International would require prior
approval before operating any further
North Atlantic charters.
This, it stated, was due to the
continuing violations of rules. By
this point, the scheduled airlines had
introduced their own low-cost fares.
Demand for the charters subsequently
decreased leading to overcapacity

ABOVE: Monarch Airlines
707-100 G-BGCT (c/n 18054)
at Zurich in 1979
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
THE SAMBA COLLECTION
TOP: Donaldson International
Airways acquired a pair of
707s from Pan Am, including
G-BAEL (c/n 17602)
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
CAZ CASWELL
in the market. As a result, the affinity
charter programme was overhauled
and rebranded as Advanced Booking
Charters (ABC).
Lloyd International, which had been
struggling financially, ceased operations
on June 16, 1972. Meanwhile, Dan-Air
continued to operate ABC flights with
its 707s, as well as leasing them to
carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Air
France, Biman Bangladesh and El Al.
However, its 707s were some of the
oldest in operation, resulting in more
regular technical issues. This, coupled
with rising fuel costs, led to the 707s’
retirement in 1978.
For its part, British Midland decided
to drop the ABC charters, switching its
707s operations to long-haul inclusive
tour (IT) flights to Africa, the Caribbean
and the Far East. In November 1972,
Midland developed its 'Instant Airline'
concept. This involved the hiring out of
its 707s with a flight crew, cabin crew (if
required) and technical assistance. The
first to take up the concept was Sudan
Airways, which leased both 707s from
November 1972 to mid-1974. The idea
took off, and further airframes were
Irish developments
Meanwhile, across the Irish Sea, flag
carrier Aer Lingus entered the jet age
in December 1960 when it received the
first of three 720Bs: EI-ALA (c/n 18041),
EI-ALB (c/n 18042) and EI-ALC (c/n 18043),
for use on its New York and Boston
flights. The type would replace its L-1049
Super Constellations, with management
believing that the shorter transatlantic
route would make the 720B a better
airframe choice than the larger and more
expensive 707.
However, their limited range often meant
refuelling stops on westbound rotations
and the decision was made to supplement
the 720Bs with the larger 707-300C in
1964. The 720s were disposed of by 1966,
but the 707 soldiered on for another 20
years, later being used on inclusive
tour charters.
sourced, bringing the total to ten. Its
last, G-BMAZ (c/n 19270), was retired in
September 1985.
The Boeing 720
Monarch Airlines entered the jet age
in 1971, receiving its first 720B – a
707 derivative with a shorter fuselage
– G-AZFB (c/n 18381), in its updated
livery. 'Foxtrot Bravo' entered service in
December 1971, flying to Tunis. Further
720Bs arrived between 1971 and 1974
and were used to replace its Britannias.
In 1975, transatlantic services were
introduced with a series of charters
from Birmingham to Toronto and
Vancouver. However, the 720’s limited
range, plus Birmingham's relatively short
runway length, meant a fuel stop was
required on the westbound leg.
Monarch later flew several 707-123Bs,
sourced from American Airlines (AA),
for IT flights to the Caribbean. A larger
-355C, G-AXRS (c/n 19664), came
from BCal on a two-year lease in 1981,
but was returned early in December.
Monarch later took on one final 707,
N751TA (c/n 17649), which was broken
up at Luton in 1982, with its parts used
as spares. Some of the fuselage was
retained as a cabin trainer.
Keeping with the 720B, Invicta
International Airlines purchased two
examples, G-BCBA (c/n 18014) and
G-BCBB (c/n 18013), from AA in April
1974. ‘Bravo Alpha’ had been destined
for Middle East Airlines, which had
decided not to take up the order.
It would later serve with Monarch.
Ultimately, ‘Bravo Bravo’ was never
operated by Invicta and went straight to
Somali Airlines.
Despite the UK government's initial
misgivings regarding its airlines ordering
the 707, the type – together with the
later 720 – proved to be successful with
British operators for many years.
Alongside some creative
interpretations of air charter rules, the
707 allowed transatlantic flights to be
opened up to the masses and laid the
groundwork for today's low-cost
long-haul carriers.
www.key.aero 31
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519/22
 he autumnal sunshine

T streamed through the window

of Peter Foster’s office on an
unusually mild afternoon in
Almaty. Air Astana’s president
and CEO was in an upbeat mood and
understandably so – the Kazakh flag
carrier recently scooped another two
Skytrax awards; best airline in central
Asia and the CIS, and another for best
service in the region. It’s no stranger
to such accolades – having landed the
former on ten separate occasions –
but to do so during such a challenging
period not just for the company, but for
its home nation and the wider region,
is testament to the impressive work of
Foster and his team.

Home advantage
The CEO is the first to admit Air Astana
– which celebrated its 20th anniversary
during 2022 – has been aided somewhat
by wider events: “Some of our regional
rivals, and partners, have had their wings
clipped in recent months so that’s left
the field wide open for us but, to use
footballing parlance, we can only play
the opposition in front of us.”
Speaking exclusively to Airliner World,
Foster remarked: “The awards say a lot
about us and reflects the fact we’ve
taken on a very central role in the
former Soviet Union space. To add

some context, until

this year a lot of business
from Central Asia to Europe and the
US was going through Moscow with
Aeroflot and S7 Airlines, Belavia was also
carrying traffic westbound via Minsk
as was Ukraine International Airlines
through Kyiv – all four of these airlines
have massively scaled back, which puts
us in a very strong position and we’ve
taken full advantage.”
Notably, events between Russia
and Ukraine have had a far bigger
impact on Air Astana than COVID-19.

34 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

AIR ASTANA:
ALL CHANGE IN
KAZAKHSTAN
Airliner World’s Craig West travelled east to the Kazakh city of Almaty to hear
how flag carrier Air Astana is transforming its business and cementing its position
as the leading airline in the region

Air Astana has transformed

significantly over the last
two years from traditional
hub-and-spoke flag carrier
to a leaner and more
efficient point-to-point
operator
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/HAMFIVE

OPPOSITE • Air Astana

president and CEO Peter
Foster has been at the
carrier since 2005
AIR ASTANA

Air Astana
IATA KC
ICAO KZR
Callsign Astanaline
Hubs Almaty, Astana

www.key.aero 35

Kazakhstan, like the US, was buoyed by
strong domestic demand even when
international borders were closed at the
height of the pandemic, so Air Astana
continued to fly almost continuously.
Foster explained: “We lobbied hard for
Kazakhs to be allowed to travel with
minimal restrictions and the government
was responsive to that. Of course,
there were many places they couldn’t
go because of local rules – we closed
flights to Thailand, for example – but
other countries were willing to accept
us so we pivoted our network there
instead.”
Air Astana’s vice-president of revenue
management, Yerbolat Baisalykov, was
front and centre when the pandemic
36 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
LEFT • The Kazakh flag
carrier scooped another
two accolades at this year's
Skytrax awards, including
best airline in central Asia
and the CIS
AIR ASTANA
RIGHT • Like many Air Astana
employees, VP of revenue
management Yerbolat
Baisalykov has been with
the flag carrier for most of
its 20-year history
AIR ASTANA
hit and played a crucial role in ensuring customers home.
the carrier was able to fly on. Like many “By April we’d already worked up our
of his contemporaries, he’s been at the recovery plan – relaunch domestic
airline for the significant majority of its flights, followed by our international
20-year history, flying first as cabin crew network. In retrospect, we were perhaps
before a stint as country manager in a little naïve and overly optimistic,
Azerbaijan, so there’s a strong personal and these plans changed pretty much
investment in seeing Air Astana succeed. daily as we learnt more. We eventually
Speaking to Airliner World in Almaty, returned to the skies in early May 2020
Baisalykov reflected on the initial with three flights between Almaty and
response to the pandemic: “In February Astana – significantly fewer than our
2020, we were flying daily to China usual average of 12. These were carried
and initially we were looking at some out with approval from the government
ad-hoc cancellations, but we didn’t and the civil aviation authority, and we
expect things to change so quickly. employed social distancing, which added
By mid-March we’d stopped flying to the challenge.
almost entirely; operations were limited “On the plus side, I had the entire
to repatriation charters to bring our fleet to choose from, so I selected the

Airbus A321LR (long range) with our
new business class offering – if we were
re-entering the market, I wanted to do
so with our best product!”
Convinced by the success of the flights
and Air Astana’s compelling point about
the positive effect of high-efficiency
particulate arrestor (HEPA) filters fitted as
standard to Airbus jets (the manufacturer
claims they remove 99.9% of all particles
in the air and, when combined with
fresh air drawn from outside, means the
cabin air is renewed every two to three
minutes), the authorities removed the
social distancing requirements. However,
the challenge was to convince the public
that air travel was safe, driving the airline
to launch an extensive educational PR
really have any weak points on our
network.
“We launched what we call lifestyle
routes to leisure destinations such as
the Maldives, Montenegro, Phuket, Sri
Lanka, Greece and a lot more rotations
to Turkey, and we’ve moved completely
away from a sixth-freedom model to
point-to-point – it’s easier to manage
and it’s more profitable.”
Foster revealed the shift was driven
The A321LR has made a by passenger demand in response to
significant impact to the complicated COVID restrictions and
Air Astana fleet – fuel burn
is around 25% less than
bottlenecks at major European hubs
the previous-generation during summer 2022. “Even prior to
A321ceo, and 45% lower this, people were put off [the hub and
than the 757 it replaced spoke model] to the point they were
AIR ASTANA
almost antagonistic towards it. There are
campaign to attract travellers back to exceptions – it still works in places like
the skies. Singapore and Dubai – but we quickly
established our customers didn’t want
The Russian influence this. The Maldives is a great example –
With many of its international traditionally you’d have flown with us to
destinations off limits, Air Astana the Gulf and then switched to a different
refocused its efforts domestically and carrier. Passengers don’t want to do this
on markets where entry restrictions any more, so when we started flying
weren’t as imposing. In short, COVID- directly it was extremely successful.”
19 enabled the carrier to hit reset on its Morphing from one operating model
network, jettisoning lesser-performing to another is no easy undertaking but
routes and rebuilding around those with was made necessary by the prohibitive
the strongest demand. Foster noted: COVID restrictions. Pre-pandemic, sixth
“Frankfurt is performing very well, freedom traffic accounted for almost
primarily on outbound traffic, while 30% of Air Astana’s overall business with
London is doing likewise. Georgia is an key flows from Russia to India, China
absolute winner for us, South Korea is and the Far East via Kazakhstan. Now,
strong as are others in Asia – we don’t passengers prefer to avoid hubs and fly
directly – according to Baisalykov, there’s
sufficient demand to do so: “We not only
The Airbus A321LR is now reviewed our network, but our criteria
the backbone of Air Astana's for adding new routes. It was clear
long-haul fleet. It features a customers want to fly directly to island
low-density 166-seat layout
and ocean destinations, so we offered
including 16 lie-flat business
class seats these leisure and lifestyle destinations
AIRBUS that would appeal to travellers, while

Air Astana fleet list

Type Registration C/n Config
Airbus A320-271n (A320neo) EI-KBI 8483 C16Y132
Airbus A320-271n (A320neo) EI-KBJ 8860 C16Y132
Airbus A320-271n (A320neo) EI-KBK 9459 C16Y132
Airbus A320-271n (A320neo) EI-KBL 9574 C16Y132
Airbus A320-271n (A320neo) EI-KBM 10005 C16Y132
Airbus A321-231 EI-KDA 5357 C28Y151
Airbus A321-231 EI-KDB 5404 C28Y151
Airbus A321-271n (A321neo) EI-KDC 7567 C28Y151
Airbus A321-271n (A321neo) EI-KDD 7634 C28Y151
Airbus A321-271n (A321neo) EI-KDE 8090 C28Y151
Airbus A321-271n (A321neo) EI-KDF 8277 C28Y151
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGA 8837 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGB 8980 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGC 9080 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGD 9432 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGE 10176 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGF 10427 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGG 10421 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGH 10534 C16Y150
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGI 10902 C16Y150 On order
Airbus A321-231NX (A321LR) EI-KGJ 10916 C16Y150
Boeing 767-3KYER EI-KEA 42220 C30Y193
Boeing 767-3KYER EI-KEB 42221 C30Y193
Boeing 767-3KYER EI-KEC 42223 C30Y193
Snow Leopard
Embraer 190 E2 EI-KHA 19020012 C12Y96
special livery
Embraer 190 E2 EI-KHB 19020013 C12Y96 Stored, Astana
Embraer 190 E2 EI-KHC 19020014 C12Y96
Embraer 190 E2 EI-KHD 19020017 C12Y96
Embraer 190 E2 EI-KHE 19020019 C12Y96

www.key.aero 37

The ongoing closure of
Ukrainian airspace means
services between London
and Almaty must make a
technical stop in Aktau, on
the Caspian Sea coast
KEY-CRAIG WEST
The carrier was well
placed to capitalise on the
recent wave of travellers
leaving Russia, with many
of its outbound services
completely sold out
KEY-CRAIG WEST
38 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
making it as easy as possible to negotiate
the differing COVID restrictions. It was
challenging.
“In 2020, we made significant losses
because much of our fleet wasn’t flying,
but we still had to pay lease fees and
salaries, so we became much leaner,
more efficient and more reactive, able to
move quickly to
take advantage of new opportunities.”
Foster added: “COVID-19 helped us
reset. We didn’t need any government
intervention, subsidies or shareholder
injections so we weren’t tied down by
the kinds of restrictions of other carriers.
This enabled us to expand unfettered,
and we’ve now had almost two years of
very strong growth.”
This flexible approach meant by the
time of the Ukraine invasion in early
2022, Air Astana could respond at pace.
Russia was once pivotal to the carrier’s
operations – as a former Soviet state,
Kazakhstan retains close ties with
Moscow and, during its heyday, services
across the border accounted for 12-13%
of the airline’s total traffic. This fell to
zero during the pandemic, but was
on the rise once again when western
sanctions were imposed and Russian
airspace effectively closed.
The CEO reflected: “Moving out of
Russia was a great deal less damaging
to us than if it had happened four years
ago. It could have been a serious blow,
but thankfully we were quickly able to
redeploy this capacity to Turkey, Georgia
and the Far East, which is opening up
again, along with London and Frankfurt.”
Given the strength of performance
elsewhere in the network, Foster hinted
Air Astana would not rush to restore
capacity to Russia if restrictions are lifted.
Challenging times
It hasn’t all been blue skies and tailwinds
for the airline. Though it has reinstated
most of its services to western Europe,
including London/Heathrow, Frankfurt
and Amsterdam, it was caught up in the
staffing shortages that hampered airport
operations over the summer.
“They were shambolic,” Foster
exclaimed. “Some of the statistics from
July were incredible – our on-time
performance to and from Europe this
summer [flights departing or arriving
within 15 minutes of the scheduled time]
was just 6%. This had a massive knock-
on impact – if an aircraft arrives late on
the overnight flight from Europe, then
it’s late departing on its next leg and we
carry that delay through the entire day.”
The closure of airspace over Ukraine to
commercial traffic is also problematic.
Services from Frankfurt to Astana are
now payload limited to ensure the
aircraft can carry sufficient fuel while
those from London have to route down
to the south, along Turkey and then
northeast over Azerbaijan and across
the Caspian Sea. The flight is now so
long it requires a technical stop in the
western city of Aktau – its scheduled
at 10hr 15mins and 11hrs 10mins from
ABOVE • Inflight catering
combines western, central
Asian and even Arabic
flavours, reflecting the
airline's varied network
KEY-CRAIG WEST
ABOVE RIGHT • The smart
business class cabin fitted to
the carrier's fleet of Boeing
767-300ERs. The airline
used its largest type to boost
capacity in key markets
during the recent
Russian influx
AIR ASTANA
and to the UK, respectively, including a
stop – and is only viable because of the
additional efficiencies brought about by
the recently introduced A321LR.
Aktau was a popular summer resort
during the Soviet era (when it was
known as Shevchenko) and is now a
major oil and gas hub for the region. It
attracts limited business traffic in relation
to the latter, but while Air Astana recently
hosted a visit for UK agents to promote
it as a destination for British travellers,
it otherwise brings little extra to the
Heathrow route and it’s unlikely it would
remain in the itinerary if direct flights
become possible again.
Closer to home, geopolitical events
in the region have presented their own
problems. Domestic unrest in January
2022 settled down as quickly as it flared
up, but led to the temporary seizure and
closure of airports in Almaty and Aktau
by protestors, which in turn forced the
cancellation of most Air Astana flights.
Across the border in Russia, calls from
President Vladimir Putin for the “partial
mobilisation” of up to 300,000 reservists
to fight in Ukraine in late September
2022 prompted a mass exile as potential
military conscripts scrambled to avoid
the draft. Many fled by air, while others
– estimated locally to be more than
250,000 in total – drove across the
border into Kazakhstan and then flew
out with carriers such as Air Astana. This
presented the airline with an unusual
problem – the influx meant hotels
were suddenly fully booked, forcing it
to delay the resumption of its popular
stopover service (where passengers can
add a night in Almaty or Astana to their
itinerary for a small cost). Furthermore,
demand for outbound flights to
destinations such as Georgia – which
has no visa requirements for visiting
Russians – along with Turkey and Dubai
rocketed, but the level of no-shows for
return flights has since been unusually
high, as Baisalykov revealed: “We moved
quickly to upgrade equipment on certain
high-yield routes to provide extra

Air Astana's 223-seat

Boeing 767-300ERs
are employed on busy
services to Asia and the
Gulf, such as Seoul and
Dubai, as well as on the
domestic trunk route
between Almaty
and Astana
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/TEK

www.key.aero 39
seats and we still sold out. Being able to
react so readily was very beneficial and
it’s been rather lucrative, but there’s also
a lot of uncertainty. What we thought
would be a short window was extended
by the fact some Russians stayed here in
Kazakhstan before flying on, and we also
need to remember much of this traffic is
one-way, so we can fill a bigger aircraft
on the outbound leg, but that means
more empty seats coming back.”
Baisalykov and his team have
countered this with “tactical pricing” on
fares to Kazakhstan to try to drum up
business, but have struggled with those
who book return tickets but don’t show.
“We’ve seen a lot of customers from
Russia booking round-trips to places like
Dubai, adding hotels and transfers and
then failing to show up for the flight back
– we’re averaging around 15% no-shows
on certain routes.”
A tale of two airlines
One of the most significant
developments in Kazakhstan has been
40 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
the arrival of a genuine low-cost
carrier. Under Foster’s watch, Air
Astana had previously tried to be “all
things to all people”, combining a
full-service offering with operating
costs comparable with some of the
Europe’s leading budget airlines. This
position changed around 2017-18 when
mounting competition weakened the
flag carrier’s grip on the domestic and
short-haul markets. This prompted the
CEO to press ahead with Project KCX, as
it was then known, and the creation of a
new, no-frills offshoot. Enter FlyArystan,
a wholly owned subsidiary employing
a genuine low-cost model, including a
single-type fleet (A320s transferred from
its parent), low base fares but charges
for ancillary products such as checked
baggage, and high aircraft utilisation.
“It’s been a huge success,” Foster said. “It
went from two aircraft in May 2019, to 12
aircraft today with plans for another six
over the next few months. It’s growing at
a phenomenal rate, and it’s profitable too
– it broke even during its first ‘proper’
year of operation in 2021, and it’s on
course to turn a decent profit in 2022.”
Both airlines now operate
domestically, though timetables
and routes are complementary, but
FlyArystan’s fares are on average around
40% lower than its parent. That’s not
to say the start-up is eating into Air
Astana’s market share – on the contrary,
its aggressive pricing model has seen
the no-frills division stimulate growth
in the sector by enticing first-time fliers
away from ground-based modes of
transport such as trains and buses. The
LCC has been so successful, in fact, that
it is on course to carry more passengers
than Air Astana this year – collectively,
the group expects traffic to reach
around seven million for 2022.
Look out for an extended profile on
FlyArystan in a future edition of Airliner
World
Ins and outs
FlyArystan has freed up the mainline
arm to focus on the higher end of the
ABOVE • Kazakhstan has
much to offer visitors,
including the impressive
Baiterek Tower and the
Sphere Nur-Alem in Astana,
and is hoping to attract
more tourists by offering
visa-free entry to citizens
of 45 countries
KEY-CRAIG WEST
ABOVE LEFT • The impressive
Medeu sports complex lies
near the Shymbulak ski
resort in the Medeu Valley,
just a short drive away
from Almaty. Kazakhstan's
second city and its surrounds
is the most visited region in
the country, offering diverse
scenery from arid deserts
and scenic canyons to lush
valleys, snow-capped
mountains, glaciers and
turquoise lakes
KEY-CRAIG WEST
Air Astana has transferred
its fleet of AIrbus A320ceos
across to low-cost offshoot
FlyArystan, leaving it with
five A320neos AIR ASTANA
market. The cornerstone of this is the
A321LR, the first of which was delivered
directly from the Airbus factory at
Hamburg/Finkenwerder in September
2019. The carrier now operates nine
examples of the aircraft, with the tenth
due to arrive in early 2023, and the type
has raised the bar against Air Astana’s
previous offerings. Intended to replace
the long-serving Boeing 757s, they are
now the backbone of the long-haul
fleet and are fitted in a 166-seat low-
density layout including 16 lie-flat seats
in business. They are complemented
by standard A321neos, A321ceos and
A320neos (the fleet of A320ceos are
now operated by FlyArystan).
Foster spoke positively about the
latest addition to the fleet: “They arrived
later than planned, but that fortunately
coincided with the retirement of the 757s
and left us with a much more efficient
fleet when we emerged out of the
pandemic. We’ve added more LRs since
then, and it’s enabled us to concentrate
on long, thin point-to-point routes
where it’s been very successful.”
The operational efficiencies of the LR
make for impressive reading – fuel burn
is close to 25% less than the previous-
generation A321ceo, and 45% lower
than the 757 it replaced. However,
it’s introduction has not been entirely
trouble free, with Foster highlighting
continuing reliability issues with the
Pratt & Whitney PW1100G powerplants
that power both the A321LR and the
rest of the carrier’s A320neo Family
fleet. “We have a good relationship
with P&W, they’re a high-quality OEM
but between supply chain, staffing and
inflation problems in common with
manufacturing worldwide, the reliability
is less than we’d expected so we’ve had
to acquire more spare engines than
we’d anticipated,” the CEO noted. “The
savings we’re making on fuel burn and
operational efficiencies are being eroded
by these issues.”
Consequently, for the last six
months the airline has maintained a
single spare aircraft, but is increasing this
Air Astana received its first
AIrbus A321LR, P4-KGA
(c/n 8837), in September
2019 and is expected to be
operating ten examples by
the end of 2022
V1IMAGES.COM/DIRK GROTHE
BELOW LEFT • Air Astana
launched its dedicated
no-frills offshoot FlyArystan
in 2019. With airfares
around 40% cheaper than
its parent, the subsidiary
is now carrying more
passengers than its mainline
counterpart across a
complementary domestic
and regional network
AIR ASTANA
BELOW • Cabin crew from
Air Astana (right) and
FlyArystan. The flag carrier
remains proactive in its
campaign to recruit
Kazakh nationals into the
aviation industry
AIR ASTANA
to two during peak seasons to ensure
there’s sufficient cover for its flying
programme.
Teething problems with the A321LR
aside, there’s no appetite for a follow-up
order for the extra-long-range A321XLR,
though Foster refused to rule out a
deal in the future, noting the additional
capacity may obviate the need for
payload restrictions and technical stops
on the Frankfurt and London routes,
respectively.
More likely in the short-term is a
deal for pre-owned A320ceos to help
bolster the FlyArystan fleet and reduce
the group’s reliance on the PW1100.
“We’re not going to stay silent on orders.
All new-build aircraft are arriving late
regardless of which manufacturer they’re
coming from, so picking up some
A320ceos that are coming off lease
enables us to plug those gaps.”
The more notable breakthrough on
fleet renewal relates to Air Astana’s
much-delayed order for Dreamliners.
The sense of relief was palpable
www.key.aero 41
as Foster likened the revelation to
“cutting the Gordian knot” – the airline
has had an outstanding commitment
for three 787-8s since 2012 but is yet
to take delivery of the type due to a
combination of production delays and
deferrals by the carrier. However, in
early November 2022 it finalised a deal
with Air Lease Corporation under which
it will now acquire three larger 787-9s,
described by the CEO as “a better fit” for
the carrier. Deliveries are expected to
kick off in 2025.
The deal comes despite Air Astana’s
otherwise increasing reliance on
Airbus products, and the CEO was
bullish about the carrier’s choice: “The
42 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
A330neo and A350 are both excellent
aeroplanes, but they don’t really work
for us. If we wanted to fly to New York,
the A330neo doesn’t have sufficient
range so we’d have to get the A350,
and then there’s no provision for cross-
qualification with the A320 so we’d
still need separate fleets either way.
We’ve had our order in for the 787 for
a long time and we like to keep some
involvement with both manufacturers –
by 2025 we’ll be down to a core fleet of
A320 Family jets and Dreamliners.”
The arrival of the 787 will spell the
end for Air Astana’s 767s, acquired in
2013 as the last passenger examples
off the production line and intended as
ABOVE • The upgrade from
previous-generation
A320ceo Family to the Pratt
& Whitney PW1100-powered
A320neo Family has brought
significant benefits in fuel
burn and carbon emissions,
though reliability has been
significantly lower than
was hoped
AIRBUS
ABOVE LEFT • The airline
finally made a breakthrough
on the Boeing Dreamliner.
In mid-November it
withdrew its long-standing
commitment with the US
manufacturer for the 787-8,
and will instead acquire
three 787-9s from Air Lease
Corporation. Delivery is
expected in 2025
BOEING
An Airbus infographic
showing the benefits of the
A320neo Family
AIRBUS
a stopgap until the Dreamliners were
delivered. They’ve served the carrier
loyally since, including a stint in
semi-freighter configuration at the
height of the pandemic.
Foster, though, has little interest in
delving back into the air cargo sector:
“The air freight market has had its day,
it’s going into recession and if we
were to convert these aircraft into
freighters over the next two years
we’d be getting in at the wrong end
of the cycle.”
There’ll also be changes at the
smaller end of the fleet, with the carrier
confirming it will divest its five Embraer
E190-E2s during 2023/24 as part of a
wider simplification and expansion. The
Brazilian-built regional jets were added
in 2018/19 as a partial replacement
for Air Astana’s first-generation E190s
but, according to the CEO, are “no
longer necessary” following the
successful introduction of FlyArystan
and significant developments in the
domestic market.
He continued: “The E2s were ordered
before we launched our low-cost
division when we thought we’d need
a regional jet to serve smaller routes
around Kazakhstan. Since then, we’ve
seen major growth in traffic and the
aircraft is now too small for our needs.”
Beyond Kazakhstan
The Air Astana Group has transformed
almost beyond recognition over the
last three years, but it remains a work
in progress. Is the carrier chasing the
elusive five-star rating from Skytrax?
In short, no. “It’s not one of our key
performance indicators,” Foster said.
“We want to be the best airline in the
region, and to be as good as we possibly
can be, but frankly we’re not here just to
chase awards.”
Work on a new terminal at the airline’s
Almaty base is under way and, once
completed, should provide a timely
boost – and a significant upgrade in
capability – for Air Astana. However,
one of the major challenges remains
the fragile geopolitical situation across
Russia and the CIS, described by the
CEO as a “millstone around our neck”
and the airline’s “single biggest threat”.
He added: “We need to see some
stability in the region. There’s a political
risk at the moment that will affect
any activity we do, operationally or
financially.”
Foster was also concerned about
the likely impending recession, which
will impact oil prices and domestic
spending power. But he was buoyed
by the presence of FlyArystan, which,
he noted, provides something of an
insurance policy. “We’ve seen elsewhere
that low-cost carriers do comparatively
well in a recession because people
migrate from full-service to budget
airlines. Historically, they’ve triggered
growth spurts for the likes of Ryanair,
easyJet and Wizz Air – the combination
of demand for air travel coupled with
Acknowledgements
The author would like to extend his sincere thanks to president and CEO Peter Foster, director of revenue management Yerbolat Baisalykov,
Elvira Nurbayeva and the team at Air Astana for their hospitality and their assistance with this article. Thanks also to Anthony Phillips at Euro Asia
Communications for facilitating the visit.
degraded purchasing power suits the
no-frills model. FlyArystan gives us a
degree of insurance against changes in
the macro-economic environment, and
we’ve had two very good years so we’re
financially in a strong position.”
Foster was coy about an initial public
offering, mooted for several years but
yet to materialise, suggesting the current
environment would not necessarily
put the airline off such a move, but it
might force it to lower its ambitions
somewhat. Similarly, there’s no interest
in consolidation or alliance membership,
though the CEO did indicate if there was
to be any expansion “we would be in an
acquiring mood; we’re always
looking for opportunities to expand
beyond our borders”. He declined to
reveal any more, but indicated that
Air Astana was working on an
“east-west axis”, adding: “Any growth will
be determined not just by the size of the
market, but the ease and transparency
of doing business in a particular
country.”
Despite plenty of short-term
uncertainty, the outlook was decidedly
positive: “There’s a huge geopolitical
cloud hanging over the region, but we
think there’s potential for massive
expansion in Central Asia and we’re
in an extremely good position to
take advantage.”
Economic and geopolitical
instability in the region are
the biggest challenges to
Air Astana in the short to
medium-term, but the flag
carrier has enjoyed two
years of very strong growth
and is confident
it can weather any
impending storms
AIR ASTANA
www.key.aero 43
UNIT I
n 2015, United Airlines made a
$30m equity investment in Fulcrum
BioEnergy and agreed to purchase
at least 90 million gals per year
of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
The deal was one of the first to involve
a major global airline committing to
sustainability on such a large scale.
In the years that have followed, the
Chicago-based carrier has invested in
electric aircraft including projects with
Heart Aerospace, eVTOLs from Archer
and Eve, hydrogen-electric propulsion
with ZeroAvia and, perhaps most
notably, supersonic alternatives with
with numerous other initiatives, form
part of United’s wider goal to reduce
carbon emissions by 50% by 2035 and
become net-zero by 2050.
For context, low-cost carrier
easyJet recently unveiled its net-zero
roadmap until 2050 and said that
78% of emissions are covered by new
technology aircraft, SAF and operational
improvements, with the remaining 22%
to be reduced by carbon capture. In
essence, United’s strategy
isn’t majorly different, as
Lauren Riley, the airline’s chief
sustainability officer, explained:
LEFT • In her role as chief
sustainability officer, Lauren
Riley leads United Airline's
overall environmental
sustainability strategy
ALL IMAGES UNITED AIRLINES
UNLESS STATED

Boom Overture. These platforms, along
“We all recognise that SAF
BELOW • In December
2021, United made history
by operating the first
commercial flight with
passengers on board to use
100% drop-in SAF for one of
the aircraft’s two engines

44 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

TED
IN OPTIMISM
From eVTOLs to the supersonic Boom aircraft: United Airlines has no
shortage of pioneering projects in the pipeline. Richard Schuurman
catches up with Lauren Riley, its chief sustainability officer, to learn more

www.key.aero 45
for the majority of aircraft that we have
in the sky today is the solution to reduce
emissions.”
However, the dearth of SAF availability
(just 0.1% of all fuel was SAF last year)
has been a topic of much debate
at recent IATA meetings as well as
the ICAO Assembly held in October,
which embraced the goal to speed up
production. Through United’s Eco-Skies
Alliance, corporate partners funded 7.1
million gallons of SAF in 2021, despite
the fuel being two to four times more
expensive than conventional Jet A
fuel. Riley argues that while the overall
numbers may still be relatively modest,
things are moving in the right direction:
“Just three years ago, nobody was
talking about SAF. Now, we talk about it
in the boardroom, with the media, with
corporate partners and our investors.”

Fuelling up
Today, United uses five million gals of
SAF per year from World Energy out of
a total fuel consumption of four billion
gals. It has a contract with Neste for 20
million gals in 2023, plus another uptake
agreement with Alder Fuels for 1.5
ABOVE • The carrier's
billion gals, but this will not be available
initiatives are designed
until September 2025. The firm says to support its goal of
another agreement is coming soon. a net-zero future
“By comparison, in 2020 we used
one million gals of SAF, so going
to 20 million in 2023 is huge,” said
Riley. Yet she's not satisfied. “We are LEFT • Although they
presumably the market leader in SAF typically carry only five
to eight passengers, there
uptake agreements, but that’s not good is increasing momentum
enough. It’s difficult to predict what the behind eVTOL platforms,
supply will be between 2025-2035. We such as this example from
have a three-billion gal target in the Eve Air Mobility

46 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 “We don’t take you from downtown Hollywood to LAX, but we
could if we had an eVTOL. Frankly, it would be a lower-carbon
footprint than an Uber XL, and the price tag would be similar...”
ABOVE • United is
continuing its fleet United States for 2030, which will be
transformation, with a tipping point for US industry. But the
newer aircraft such as production of SAF is constantly delayed.
the Boeing 787 replacing
We need to... de-risk investments in SAF
less efficient models
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ for producers, so that they can move
MEHRAD WATSON from shovel in the ground to production
in a much faster capacity. For example,
United invested in Fulcrum BioEnergy
in 2015. They just turned on to produce
fuel for ground vehicles this year, so it
has been seven years! That’s not okay,
we need to accelerate.”
Riley further highlights the tax credit
system used in the US compared to
the proposed mandate approach in
Europe: “The question of carrots and
sticks really needs to be a combination
of both. I will take as much SAF as there
is available, I don’t need a mandate for
that. What we do need more is supply.”
Electric avenues
United Airlines is also investing
in electric flying. In September, it
confirmed its commitment for up to 100
Heart Aerospace hybrid-electric ES-30s
plus 50 options. This complements
another 100 on firm order plus 50
options by its regional partner Mesa
Airlines. The Swedish start-up grew
it from a 19 to a 30-seater, strongly
encouraged by carriers such as United
and SAS Scandinavian Airlines, who
thought a 19-seater would be too small.
The ‘Hearts’ will become a dominant
factor in United’s regional network, said
Riley: “Today, we fly commuter aircraft
between Washington DC and New York.
That would be a perfect route for us. It
Could retrofitting is the right distance, the technology can
brand-new technology support it, and if we have the mainframe
on to existing airframes with the right amount of seating to
become the norm?
reflect demand, that would be a great
application of it. If it will be used on new
routes or as a replacement, I actually
don’t know, but it will probably be a
combination of both.”
However, even 30 seats is seen by
some as being too small. For example,
Dutch start-up Maeve Aero is in the
early stages of developing an electric
44-seater and it reckons that is the right
size to crack the market. Asked about
this, Riley emphasised the importance
of controlled development: “I assure
you that United probably will want
all of it if there is a 44-seater, but we
need to demonstrate that the battery
technology itself can carry the capacity
of that aircraft. There are infrastructure
challenges relating to charging. Today,
there is the assumption that we will
have access to renewable power in the
US and other global economies to make
charging of aircraft actually low-carbon.
This is all predicating on a renewable
power sector that doesn’t exist at scale.
We have some time to figure out the
right size of aircraft until we can achieve
the environmental benefits deriving
from these electric aircraft.”
A vertical reality?
Also a hot topic is eVTOLs, or electric
vertical take-off and landing aircraft,
which mostly use battery technology.
United has a conditional purchase
agreement for 200 Eve Urban Mobility
examples plus 200 options, made a
$15m down-payment to the Embraer-
affiliated venture and a $10m pre-
delivery payment to Archer for 100
Midnight aircraft.
This is an entirely new segment for
United, but so-called ‘advanced air
mobility’ forms part of the company’s
net-zero strategy, said Riley. “What’s
so cool about what’s happening right
now in the dialogue [is that] it used
to be sustainability as its own driver,
but now it is becoming so core to the
way aviation looks at technological
developments, customer experience,
how it wants to differentiate. It’s right
in the middle of all of that. EVTOLs
are actually an extension of our
service today. We don’t take you from
downtown Hollywood to LAX, but we
could if we had an eVTOL. Frankly, it
would be a lower-carbon footprint than
an Uber XL, and the price tag would be
similar. That would be really exciting for
our customers and for the planet.”
Hydrogen options
The US legacy carrier is also investing
in the hydrogen-electric fuel cell
technology of ZeroAvia, announcing
a $35m equity investment by United
Airlines Ventures and a purchase
agreement for 50 hydrogen-electric
systems in December 2021. These
should be fitted on the Bombardier/
Mitsubishi CRJ regional aircraft when
the system gets certified around 2028.
Converting the CRJs is a smart way to
extend the useful life of these airliners
said Riley: “We purchase aircraft that go to
the sky for 30 years. Essentially, we have
a fixed asset that we are trying to make
more sustainable. ZeroAvia is a retrofit. You
take the existing engine off and put a new
engine on, so we can fly that aircraft for
the duration it was intended to fly. That’s
really exciting to me.
“I know there are some technological
hurdles out there, I know there are
infrastructure hurdles. I know pure
hydrogen-powered aircraft at
www.key.aero 47
large are [encountering] challenges, they
need designated infrastructure to enable
hydrogen at the airport. Not all of that is
insurmountable, it is just a matter of time.”
Many analysts agree that hydrogen
aircraft will ultimately play a part in
decarbonising aviation – the question
is how big a role and how quickly. From
her position, Riley is excited about
the way the current US administration
is investing in hydrogen within the
recently adopted Inflation Reduction
Act, which should result in the
acceleration of development over the
next couple of years: “In the US, we
aren’t there yet. I know that in parts
of Europe, there is more expectation
around hydrogen in the near term. We
will be watching that.”
Riley confirmed that United is
collaborating with Airbus on the ZEROe
hydrogen aircraft project, but that
the airline is currently taking a ‘wait-
and-see’ approach when it comes to
purchasing a hydrogen airliner: “The
application for mainline is unclear at
this point of time. I would like to see us
continue our push in these emerging
pathways for SAF but we are keeping
keen eye on electric and hydrogen.
We will continue to invest across the
board. We expect some technologies to
fail. That’s totally fine, because we can
afford that.”
The Boom times
Last but by no means least, there is
a final project that United qualifies as
sustainable: its conditional purchase
agreement with Boom Supersonic
for 15 Overtures plus 35 options.
Announced in June 2021, United
reconfirmed its commitment in
July when Boom unveiled a drastic
redesign of the supersonic transport.
It’s designed to fly on 100%-SAF, which
should be certified when Overture
enters service in 2029-2030, providing it
can secure an engine supplier.
LEFT • Despite the platform lacking an engine partner, the United and Boom teams remain upbeat about the potential for the supersonic aircraft
48 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
Even if Overture uses ‘pure’ SAF,
the supersonic aircraft will not be as
efficient as a conventional airliner,
as it is expected to use more fuel
for comparable journeys. The Boom
platform could become a very intensive
user of SAF, a valuable product that
could be deployed more efficiently on
current generation aircraft. So how
does that fit into United’s sustainability
agenda? “Innovation and evolution of
the travel experience will continue. We
want to present our customers with the
right kind of service, to enhance the
customer experience. My commitment
on behalf of United is to make sure that
those innovations are a step forward,
with sustainability up front and centre.
“What we are seeing with supersonic
is that, while it will consume more
sustainable aviation fuel, it is designed
to run on sustainable aviation fuel, and
that is paramount. What I don’t want is
supersonic without SAF; that would be
a real detriment. Our commitment is to
really drive forward these innovations
like supersonic with sustainability at
the core of the decisions being made
around how it actually is going to be
operated. If there is enough sustainable
aviation fuel to put on that jet to fly it
more responsibly than the alternative,
I can buy that. The best outcome is ABOVE • Swedish start-up
to drive the supply of SAF. It shouldn’t Heart Aerospace has
be an either/or; all aircraft should be partnered with United
Airlines for the next-
flying on sustainable aviation fuel. I am generation aircraft
hopeful that there is opportunity for all
aircraft to use SAF in 2030.”
SAF, electric and hydrogen are all
technologies that United will be relying
on in the coming years. There’s one
more that the US carrier is also putting
its weight behind: carbon capture. It
is a partner of 1PointFive, an American
direct air capture company that is also
working with Airbus.
“I do believe that we will need carbon
capture. United has been very clear
that we support this technology. Stay
tuned for more news. My personal
view is that the future of flying will be
power-to-liquid, capturing the CO2 out
of the atmosphere and turning it into
fuel. There is a tremendous amount
of innovation happening today in that
space”, said Riley.
“The technology is recent, the
economics are terrible, but we are
taking steps in addressing those. Here in
the US, with the climate policy that
came with the Inflation Reduction Act,
we are seeing that the economics are
beginning to pivot a little bit. That’s a
real step forward.”
LEFT • Despite the
platform lacking an
engine partner, the
United and Boom teams
remain upbeat about
the potential for the
supersonic aircraft
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JANUARY
2023
A Singapore
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AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
ALVIN MAN
 Ton Jochems returns to Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean
AYT/ANTALYA coast to capture some of the rare and diverse operators on
23
28 22 41 1A LW 20 display at the booming tourist gateway

Antalya’s
Turkish delights
I
t’s usually a no-brainer to book
my annual aviation pilgrimage to
Antalya (AYT). However, summer
2022 was a little different, with
many uncertain factors leaving
me to question if a trip to Turkey would
justify the effort. While preparing the
trip, it was not clear if post-pandemic
holidaymakers would have returned to
the sunny beaches of Antalya. On top
of that, the war between Ukraine and
Russia was a significant consideration.
I started monitoring the fantastic
Antalya Airport app, which provides a
wealth of information for the enthusiast.
Going above and beyond the normal
list of flight numbers, it also details
aircraft types and registrations. By early
June it became clear that there was
every reason to revisit the Turkish resort
and that there would be a great mix of
aircraft to enjoy.
Although the airport was busy, the air
traffic itself was very different compared
to my previous visits. For example,
last year there was a strong traffic
flow from Ukraine and Russia, while
operators from western parts of Europe
were relatively absent. In contrast, this
year the main traffic flows were from
western Europe, with the usual charter
and low-cost suspects on show, such
as TUI (all group airlines were present
except TUI Germany), Transavia, Jet2.
com , Sunclass, Edelweiss, Ryanair,
Sundair and Smart Wings. Alongside the
budget operators, there was also a host
of flag carrier and legacy operators such
as British Airways, Luxair, Air Serbia and
also Lufthansa.
On top of these household names,
there was also a notable number of
locally based charters operated by
companies such as Sun Express, Pegasus,
Tailwind and Freebird. It appeared that
Turkish carriers were dominating the
charter market in Antalya. For example,
Condor was not present at all during
my visit but, in the past, more than ten
flights a day could be expected by the
German leisure carrier in the high season.
A further change from previous years
was that Ukraine’s Sky Up Airlines was
operating intensively into AYT, flying on
behalf of Corendon, Freebird, Tailwind
and Travel Service.
Russian shift
When considering Russian traffic at AYT,
there was a total change compared to
RIGHT TOP • This SkyUp
Airlines Boeing 737-800,
UR-SQA (c/n 40150),
was chartered for the
2022 summer season by
Corendon Airlines Europe
RIGHT BOTTOM • Sunday
Airlines’ colourful Boeing
757-200, UP-B5702 (c/n
25083). This example
held the same registration
with its previous operator,
SCAT Airlines
BELOW • An eyecatching Sun
Express Boeing 737-800,
TC-SOZ (c/n 29649), sporting
special Istanbul colours
ALL IMAGES TON JOCHEMS

52 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

This rare Fly Jordan Boeing 737-300, JY-JAX (c/n 23955), was
among the highlights of Ton’s visit to the holiday gateway

before the Ukrainian invasion. Russia

has long been an important source
market for Turkey’s holiday hotspots,
but the current restrictions placed
on leased western aircraft by Russian
operators has altered that picture.
During my visit, just a handful
of Russian airlines were present.
Aeroflot was operating to Moscow/
Sheremetyevo with up to six daily
flights, mainly with RA-registered
Airbus A330-300s and the odd A320.
Meanwhile, Azur Air was serving AYT
up to 15 times daily from various
airports throughout Russia, even up to
Novosibirsk with Boeing 757-200 and
767-300 equipment. Utair could also
be seen on thrice-weekly flights from
Grozny operated by 737-500s.
Elsewhere, Yamal Airlines rostered
an A321 from Domodedovo on a
daily basis, while Rossiya changed
from its pre-pandemic (and western
sanctioned) mix of 737/747/777/A320s
to daily Sukhoi Superjet 100 operations
from cities such as Sochi, Makhachkala
and Kazan. Another Sukhoi operator
is Azimuth, which was also flying into
the Turkish resort with multiple

An Azimuth SSJ100-95R, RA-89080 (c/n 95129). This example

was delivered new to the Russian carrier in July 2017

Mavi Gok Airlines’ Boeing 737-800, TC-MGD (c/n 27984).

The original operator of this jet was Hapag Lloyd, which
took delivery of D-AHFI in March 1999

www.key.aero 53
flights from Mineralnye Vody. Another
notable Russian carrier is Red Wings,
which previously rostered 777s and
A320 Family examples, but now is
only operating its Boeing widebodies,
alongside SSJ100 flights from several
smaller destinations. The last Russian
operator I spotted at Antalya was Ikar/
Pegas Fly, which was flying a single
Nordwind 777-200.
The loss of capacity from western-
built widebodies (which used to
dominate the AYT scene) has been
compensated by local carriers. Turkish
Airlines operates to many Russian cities,
often with multiple frequencies each
day. The Moscow area alone is served
via Vnukovo and Domodedovo with
an armada of A321s. Other scheduled
destinations served by the Turkish
national carrier include Chelyabinsk,
Saint Petersburg, Perm, Omsk, Tyumen
and Yekaterinburg.
Turkish Airlines is also supplemented
by new charter carriers, such as
Southwind, which operates a single
A321 and a pair of A330s to several
Russian destinations.
We spotted A320s in the colours of
MEA, Air Arabia, Qatar Airways, Jazeera
and Royal Jordanian, as well as Jordan
Aviation 737s, Iraqi Airways 737s/
CRJ900s and a Fly Baghdad 737-800.
North African carriers such as Tunis Air,
Nouvelair and Air Algerie were there as
well, but mainly operated during night
hours during our time in and around AYT.
The ‘CIS’ countries are also still very
much present. Uzbekistan was flying
with almost all of their aircraft types
on a daily basis, while Azerbaijan
appeared with a mix of A319/A320s
and the odd B757/767, while its low
cost operator Buta Airways brought
in an Embraer E190. Other highlights
included Armenian’s twice-weekly 737-
800, Belavia’s daily rotation from Minsk
and Air Moldova’s various types. From ABOVE • An unexpected
Kazakhstan there was also a large traffic visitor during the author's
flow operating to and from many major visit was this UT Air Mi-26
helicopter which was
cities by Sunday Airlines’ 757s and 767s, making a fuel stop whilst
while flag carrier Air Astana operated on a firefighting mission.
its 767s, A320s and A321s, and SCAT TON JOCHEMS
Airlines brought in its 737-800 and MAX.
Even in the low season, it’s worth
taking a look at the Antalya Airport app
– you will be surprised by the number
of cities that are served. It really is a
totally different arrival board compared
to Palma or Tenerife. For us aviation
fans, AYT offers surprise every year. BELOW • This Southwind
Airbus A330-200, TC-GRA
You’re guaranteed to see new operators (c/n 1256), only joined
and a lot of wet-leased aircraft the Turkish register in
throughout the season, and a different July 2022, having been
delivered new to Vietnam
traffic flow compared to traditional Airlines in 2011
European charter destinations.

Further changes
Also noticeable was an increase in traffic
from the eastern Mediterranean, with
many flights to and from Israel operated
by Turkish carriers. Moreover, a mix of
charter airlines, low-cost and legacy
operators serve the Middle East.

Slovakian leisure carrier Air Explore brought its Boeing 737-800, OM-IEX (c/n 33016) to the Turkish resort. The 2004-vintage aircraft has previously been operated by Sun Country, TUI Airlines Belgium and Transavia

54 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 TH
50 ANNIVERSARY

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The Airbus A300 is a twin-
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479/22
Guerns
Andreas Spaeth travels to Guernsey to meet Nico Bezuidenhout,
the ambitious new chief executive of Aurigny
“I
didn’t know the Channel
Islands before I came, I only
had a bank account here,”
quipped Nico Bezuidenhout,
chief executive of Aurigny.
He is talking to Airliner World in Saint
Peter Port, Guernsey’s picturesque
capital. It’s unclear if he is making light
of recent comments in the South African
press, some of which have asked if his
move to Europe has something to do
with the region’s amenable personal
finance environment.
Putting press speculation in his
native country to one side, there is one
thing which is certain. Bezuidenhout’s
intercontinental transfer marks the
latest chapter of an impressively varied
career. Despite being just 46 years old,
56 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
his resume includes a stint at the top
of South African Airways (SAA) and
co-founding the now defunct budget
carrier Mango Airlines.
Considering the extreme turbulence,
which can feel like a perennial feature
of the South African aviation market, it is
understandable that Bezuidenhout was
drawn to calmer skies professionally,
but even more so for his family. He
acknowledges that the decision to come
to Guernsey in 2021 was “motivated by
personal considerations and lifestyle
choices”. The executive said there are
major contrasts between Johannesburg,
where he was previously based, and
his new home: “We had to live behind
walls and barbed wire in high-security
compounds – and here everybody
ABOVE • An Aurigny Air
Services ATR 72-600,
G-ORAI (c/n 1599) in the
skies above Southampton
in August 2022
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
leaves their front doors unlocked,” said RICHARD HUNT
Bezuidenhout, still clearly astonished,
more than a year after his move.
Freedom to lead
The Aurigny chief has endured more
than his fair share of attempted political
interference in previous roles, so what
he particularly likes about his new post is
the fact that he is allowed to do his job
undisturbed, as long as he delivers. Since
it was nationalised in 2003, Aurigny Air
Services has been owned by the States of
Guernsey. That said, it has rarely, if ever,
made a profit. Put simply, Bezuidenhout’s RIGHT • Bezuidenhout
held top airline
task is to reverse that. “Politicians find
management roles in
airlines far too sexy, but for the first time South Africa before
I am working with a chairman who has joining the Guernsey
an aviation background, so the politicians flag carrier
sey goes for
growth

here seem to respect that and leave me

to do what I need to do. But I am aware
of the fact that the ‘honeymoon’ will only
last as long as the profitability does.”
The CEO happily highlights that the
airline has indeed been profitable since
April 2022, delivering positive results for
several months in a row for the first time
in more than a decade.
During summer 2022, passenger
numbers were around 10% above 2019
figures, mostly thanks to increased
tourism. “Our recovery has been better
than most other airlines; we expected to
carry around half a million passengers
in 2022,” he said. While this figure is still
below pandemic levels, the CEO is able to
reference some early achievements: “We
reduced overhead costs by 21%, fly more
passengers and have pushed our market
share to about 80% of all flights to and
from Guernsey, from previously a 56%
share. We have also managed

www.key.aero 57
 ABOVE • As part of a to keep fare inflation well below general
streamlining effort, inflation, and Guernsey generally has seen
ATRs now form the a faster recovery than the UK or other
backbone of the Aurigny
operation ATR islands.”

LEFT • An overview of the Deep roots

Aurigny scheduled route Aurigny, the cognate across Norman
map as of summer 2022
languages for Alderney, has a place
close to the hearts of most islanders.
Guernsey itself has a population of
approximately 63,000, with another
2,000 or so located on nearby Alderney,
which both form important parts of
the wider Bailiwick of Guernsey. “The
island is very dependent on the services
BELOW • The long-term
Aurigny provides; there is a deep
future of jet operations relationship between the airline and the
at Aurigny is currently community,” reflected Bezuidenhout.
uncertain While the South African is settling in
ALL IMAGES AURIGNY
UNLESS STATED well to island life, he admits he hasn’t
yet been to visit one of the airline’s

“The island is very dependent on the services

Aurigny provides, there is a deep relationship
between the airline and the community...”
58 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
most iconic symbols: its Britten-
Norman Trislander. Registered
G-JOEY (c/n 1016), the famous
example was retired from revenue
service in 2015 after connecting
the islands, Southampton and the
French town of Dinard for almost 40
years. The aircraft was notable for
its distinctive yellow livery complete
with a bright red nose paint job and
two eyes, making it hugely popular
with commuters and tourists alike.
The Trislander even garnered an
international fan base, with hundreds
of members of an online Facebook
group. After much wrangling and
public pressure, G-JOEY finally found
a new home at Oatlands Village, one
of the island’s most popular visitor
attractions, where it has been on
display since 2018.
While the piston-powered aircraft
was one of the airline’s best known
ambassadors, it was removed from the
Aurigny fleet long before Bezuidenhout
arrived on the scene. That’s not to say
that it would have survived under his
tenure. From his time creating and
developing low-cost carriers, the CEO
has learnt an important lesson, and
that is: “Standardisation drives costs
down, which is a must to get Aurigny
out of losses and keep fares as low as
possible. Our reason for existence is
to provide connections to and from
Guernsey in an affordable and safe
manner, mainly to and from London
Gatwick as our core market.
“The Guernsey economy is reliant
on financial services and therefore
needs good connectivity to the
financial centre of London. Only 1.8%
JOHN DE GARIS/AURIGNY
www.key.aero 59
of our economy is made up of the
tourism market, while the finance and
supporting industries are contributing
54%, so you’ll build an aviation
solution not for tourism, but for
[corporate travellers].”
Lifeline links
That said, it isn’t just about flying
bankers to and from London. Aurigny’s
position as the national carrier brings
other important considerations: “We
also provide lifeline services to and
60 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
from Alderney and connections to
Southampton hospitals for our health
services. That means we have to make
sure to offer a reliable, sustainable
service at all times and that’s what was
happening, even throughout
the pandemic.
“Beyond these lifeline services,
the focus is how do we enable the
economy of Guernsey by providing
BELOW • Bezuidenhout
joined the airline in 2021 connectivity, for example by also
and aims to bring it back offering weekend breaks for locals
to long-term profitability to get off the islands as well as enabling
inbound tourism,” the Aurigny chief
executive continued.
The above brief is not easy to fulfil
for a single airline, operating just six
aircraft comprising three different
types. While it’s quite a change
from the Airbus and Boeing jets that
Bezuidenhout commanded in South
Africa, it is no less of a challenge:
“Aurigny is a small carrier but it is
complex, and being a smaller carrier
doesn’t mean a simpler carrier, and it’s
my task to try to simplify the business.”
 ABOVE • The iconic aircraft fondly known as Joey is now on display in a Guernsey tourist attraction ANDREAS SPAETH
BELOW • A total of 72 Trislanders were built during the 1970s and early 1980s ANDREAS SPAETH

Dornier delivered
This noble attempt to streamline the
organisation is particularly difficult
given its Public Service Obligation
(PSO) routes to and from Alderney.
The neighbouring island is served up
to six times daily on short hops from
Guernsey, however it has an extremely
short runway of just 880m (2,887ft) in
length and often encounters strong
crosswind conditions.
“They needed to find an aircraft
for Alderney as the Trislanders were
ABOVE • The turboprops phased out, so oddly they decided
are mainly used by the on the Dornier 228,” the CEO said of
carrier on trunk routes to
the British mainland
the decision taken in 2015 when the
ATR German-built aircraft were introduced.
A 1988-vintage example is now in
storage, while two new RUAG Dornier
228 NGs built in 2015 and 2018
respectively currently undertake the
all-important Alderney duties. “They
BELOW • The carrier is are good aircraft but very expensive to
just one of a handful of operate. There is only one other airline
civil operators of the – in Japan – operating the Do228 NG
Dornier 228 NG
in scheduled operations. In total there
are just six or seven of the type in
worldwide airline service. As most
Dornier 228 customers are military
operators, the manufacturer has
a different mindset, and that’s a
particular challenge. The 228 NGs
are much better in dispatch reliability
than the classics, no doubt, and of
course it’s hard to compare four-
year-old aircraft with 34-year-old
classics,” said the Aurigny CEO.
There is a scenario where the
Dorniers leave the airline’s fleet.

www.key.aero 61
This largely depends on authorities
giving the green light to lengthen the
Alderney runway to 1,050m (3,445ft) –
a task which would likely take between
18 and 24 months to complete.
“Ideally we could then start to operate
ATRs to Alderney in 2025,” revealed
Bezuidenhout. “It would reduce the cost
of operations – the runway is a higher
capital cost investment, but you save
money as [we] could then operate a
standardised fleet.”
At the time of writing, the £24 million
plan to overhaul Alderney Airport –
which would include a new terminal
building in addition to airfield overhauls ATR 72 ABOVE • Aurigny and ATR This less than ideal situation could
– is due to be voted on by Guernsey have been working closely change to the better if Aurigny’s
Number in fleet Four
to trial its pioneering
politicians. With much larger ATR Built Toulouse, France ClearVision technology
modern ATR 72-600s are deployed to
aircraft able to operate in and out of 2 x Pratt & Whitney PW-127 M Alderney. The airline has three in total
Engines
Alderney, it is hoped that the £2 million Turboprops currently which have an average age of
annual subsidy Guernsey provides Maximum speed 276 knots (318 mph) just three years, but it isn’t just youthful
to keep the airport running could be Passengers carried 72 aircraft which should help boost
reduced to around £800,000 per year. Range 1,023 miles (1,646 km) reliability in poor weather conditions.
Source: Aurigny Aurigny was the launch customer for an
Operational excellence Dornier 228 NG Enhanced Vision System (EVS) from ATR
Another key consideration for the airport Number In Fleet Two
called ClearVision. The Guernsey airline
and aircraft improvements is reliability. Built Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany is currently the only carrier with the
As experienced by Airliner World during 2 x Garrett TPE331-10 system installed and has been helping
Engines
our visit to Guernsey, even light fog can Turboprops support the global certification process
throw schedules to the neighbouring Maximum Speed 223 knots (257 mph) with the CAA and EASA. It is relatively
island into disarray, despite there being Passengers Carried 19 easy to spot an aircraft that’s kitted with
only only 26 miles between the two Range 350 miles (563 km) the EVS as it shows a camera eye above
airports. “At times it can be fogged in Source: Aurigny the nose radome, just below the
here for two to three days at a time,” cockpit windshield.
Embraer E195
said Bezuidenhout, who fortunately has Bezuidenhout provided an update
Number In Fleet One
yet to experience such conditions first- Built Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil
to how the pioneering technology is
hand. But even during our time on the 2 x General Electric CF34-
performing with the airline: “In all of our
island with less severe fog, the first few Engines test runs the technology has performed
10E7 Turbofans BELOW • Aurigny's sole
early flights had been delayed and then Maximum Speed 542 knots (624 mph) jet aircraft, G-NSEY (c/n well. Helmets with visors for the pilots
cancelled, with passengers offered a one- Passengers Carried 122 671) pictured in Liege, to don in bad visibility are stored on
Belgium in August 2021
hour boat transfer in the afternoon as an Range 2,500 miles (4,023 km) AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ board. It’s a camera-mounted system
alternative. Source: Aurigny JAN SEVERIJNS with the lens in the aircraft nose, and

62 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 “90% of our flights operate within 15 minutes of the scheduled times
to Alderney, probably a good 5% above the average of UK carriers”
I guess it works very similarly to a head-
up display on jet aircraft, giving the
pilots additional aids working through
the visor of the camera, providing them
with much clearer visibility.”
ATR claims that ClearVision will help
in 50% of situations when an aircraft
would usually be unable to land due
to bad visibility. The specifications for
Guernsey’s ILS-equipped Category I
Runway 27 sounds promising. Without
the EVS, the decision-height at a
Runway Visual Range (RVR) of 550m
was 200ft, while using the system, an
RVR of 350m is sufficient to halve the
decision height to just 100ft. Meanwhile,
at Alderney on Runway 26, it was
previously a decision height of 330ft
at an RVR of 900m. With the EVS that
comes down to 200ft at 600m. Despite
fog and poor visibility being notorious
in and around the islands, the CEO
stresses that his airline has an excellent
timekeeping record: “Ninety per cent
of our flights operate within 15 minutes
of the scheduled times to Alderney,
probably a good 5% above the average
of UK carriers. While our customer
commitment is 85%, we try to achieve
90%.” That said, he is keen to highlight
that the introduction of EVS won’t
remove all disruption: “There must be
no illusion that ClearVision is an ultimate
fog-buster or guarantee that you can fly
under all conditions – because it isn’t.”
ABOVE • If runway popular link which is served up to six
extension works are times a day in each direction. “We have
given the green light,
taken steps to standardise the fleet on
Bezuidenhout plans to
operate ATR aircraft ATR-72-600s, which is a good type for
between Guernsey our sector lengths. The Embraer E195
and Alderney is a great aircraft, but whether or not
V1IMAGES/ASHLEY STEVENS
it’s suitable for Aurigny’s short sector
lengths is a debatable question, as well
as the fact that we have only one of
them,” said Bezuidenhout. As Gatwick
is often a bottleneck for Aurigny’s
operations, complementing it with
services to London/City is also under
consideration for next summer, which
would be of particular benefit to the
airline’s business customers.
While Aurigny has around ten all-
year destinations – including key
gateways in the UK, plus Dublin – it
also offers summer seasonal services
to leisure hotspots such as Malaga, with
Grenoble on the departure board for
ski-lovers in winter. Although you might
BELOW • The airline expect Guernsey’s relatively wealthy,
is known around the globally-minded population to be big
world for its historic international travellers throughout the
Britten-Norman year, Bezuidenhout says it isn’t that
Trislander operations
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ simple: “A lot of Guernsey residents own
CHRIS SHELDON homes in France, but neither Jersey –
as a bigger island – or Guernsey carriers
have ever succeeded in providing a
year-round service to Europe. But with
our lower cost base now we are looking
again if we can do that. France is the
obvious choice to look at; if we can
prove a business case it’s likely coming
for summer 2023.”
Although the real-world efficiency
of ClearVision is still to be proven,
Bezuidenhout has his own vision
already clearly in place. It centres on
delivering sustainable profits and then
starting a process of consolidation. To
outsiders it can appear rather odd that
Aurigny competes or at least co-exists
with Jersey-based operator Blue
Islands. Could it make sense to join
forces? As Bezuidenhout learnt in Africa,
a continent notorious for unsustainable
micro-flag carriers in many nations:
“There is always consolidation, but only
from a position of strength,” he said.
With that enormous task completed,
who knows, he might be tempted by a
top job at a large international airline,
that is if he ever manages to say
goodbye to the fantastic lifestyle on the
Channel Islands.

End of the jet set?

Talking about simplification, the era of
Aurigny as a jet operator could soon be
over. As soon as April 2023, the carrier’s
sole Embraer E195 could leave the fleet.
“In May 2013 the airline sold some slots
at London/Gatwick and pulled some
services, and as Aurigny didn’t have
more slots, it needed a bigger aircraft
– that’s how the Embraer came into
service,” explained Bezuidenhout.
Gatwick is the carrier’s biggest route
by far. Flight times on the ATRs average
around 45 minutes, and it’s not much
less for the E195 which also flies the

www.key.aero 63
Airliner
Insights
Expert
analysis
from Going the extra

MILE
Cirium

W
ABOVE • Philippine ith the increase in activity
Airlines' links from across the airline industry
Manila to Toronto and
New York make the global
pre-pandemic, new flights
list of the top 15 longest and routes were developed and stage
scheduled flights lengths increased. It is now more common
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ than ever for carriers to offer travel to
OLIVIERG
destinations that would be considered
‘ultra-long-haul’. Analysis from Cirium’s
Diio airline planning system had shown an
increase in such flying up to 2019, but has
the COVID-19 crisis impacted this trend?
Ultra-long-haul routes are classed
as those exceeding 8,000 miles or
have a duration of more than 16 hours.
Geographically, this type of flying is
most frequent for journeys to and from
the Asia-Pacific region, with ASEAN
RIGHT • While
Singapore Airlines countries, Australian, and New Zealand
operates some of routes being the most common.
the most high-profile
routes, the top 15
listing spans nine
Growth in context
different carriers Of all scheduled flights worldwide in
SOURCE: DIIO BY CIRIUM 2019, 30 routes exceeded 8,000 miles,
and this growth has been a steady incline.
Compare this figure to 2015, when there
were 17 routes exceeding 8,000 miles
offered by airlines. In 2005, there were
only six such routes, all of which involved
either Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong.
By 2010, that number had risen to ten.
Singapore Airlines’ flight from New York/
JFK to Changi is currently the world’s
longest airline service. Clocking in at
approximately 19 hours, the 9,487-mile
distance is flown with an ultra-long-range
Airbus A350-900. In fact, Singapore Airlines
as a carrier has contributed significantly to
these statistics – five of their routes from
their Singapore hub are classified as being
ultra-long-haul: Newark, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Seattle and New York/JFK.
The chart opposite highlights the 15
longest routes based on mileage and the
carriers that provide them. The growth of
ultra-long-haul flying can be attributed
to various factors, such as developments
in aircraft technology. The introduction
of longer-range products such as the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2014 and the
Airbus A350 in 2015 have made tackling
significant distances far easier and much
more comfortable for customers and crew.
Additional factors
Other influences have also contributed
to these increased route distances. With
economies recovering from the pandemic,
deregulated markets and the increase of
globalisation, these farther destinations
are made more accessible and desirable
to the rest of the world. With the rise of
Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates,
Saudia and Qatar Airways (all seen in
the chart), more hubs and fleets can
support new intercontinental routes.
While the growth of ultra-long-haul routes
showed a steady rise until 2019, the
devastating impact of COVID-19 on the
aviation industry has also been reflected in

64 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


In our monthly
check-in with
the Cirium team,
we explore the
recent growth
of ultra-long-
haul flying and
consider the
headwinds that
could impact
its expansion
Cirium’s set of post-pandemic statistics.
As the travel industry recovers, Cirium has
recorded that, during the July-September
quarter of 2022, airlines had 22 routes of
at least 8,000 miles. This is a decrease
from the 30 routes that airliners provided
in 2019. The axed links include Doha to
Auckland, Dubai to Auckland and Houston
to Sydney. This makes United Airlines’ San
Francisco to Singapore non-stop service the
longest North American route.
Industry rebound
However, in 2022, four new non-stop routes
that exceed 8,000 miles were added.
These comprise the Singapore to New York/
JFK service, Qatar Airways’ Doha to San
Francisco route, Perth to Rome with Qantas
and Air New Zealand’s Auckland to JFK
link, which was launched in September.
With these additional flights being included
and the efforts of services such as Qantas’
Project Sunrise utilising the longer-range
Airliner
Insights
Expert
analysis
from
Cirium
A350-1000s, the future for ultra-long-
haul routes continues to look promising.
Similarly, Boeing is keen on extending
the range of its popular 787-10s. Cirium
predicts that the number of ultra-long-haul
routes will return to a pre-pandemic growth
trajectory thanks to these developments,
both planned and proposed.
However, as with any aspect of the
aviation industry, the future of ultra-long-
haul depends to a large extent on the price
of fuel. As we know, Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine has pushed up costs around the
world, which has added to the economic
pressure airlines are facing. These very
long flights become much more feasible
if fuel is cheaper. With the current
geopolitical war in Europe and growing
concerns about an economic downturn,
only time will tell if ultra-long-haul flying
can become commonplace for airlines
and their customers.
For more insight visit cirium.com
www.key.aero 65
 viation photography might

A seem straightforward, but

capturing the best images
isn’t always easy. Even if you
know that an interesting
aircraft is on its way, weather and
light conditions can be unpredictable.
As if shooting on the ground wasn’t
challenging enough, things get even
more complex when you take your
camera into the skies. Aerial shots
can be obtained via an open-door

The best
helicopter, literally bringing aviation
photography to the next level, and
offering a range of unique perspectives.
While air-to-air shoots are incredibly
seat in the

haus
interesting, they require a huge amount
of pre-planning. Helicopters can
be expensive, but as drones are not
allowed to fly near airports – for plenty
of very good reasons – taking to a
rotorcraft is often the only way to get
high-quality images from above.
Multiple elements must be considered
while planning an air-to-air photography
flight. First of all, the right helicopter has
to be found, alongside an experienced
pilot. Flying close to airliners – which
The arrival of Lufthansa’s first
are not as manoeuvrable – can be a Dreamliner in Bremen presented
challenge, even more so when the a unique opportunity for pilot,
helicopter pilot has a photographer in
the back who requests different altitudes air traffic controller and aviation
and positions throughout the flight to photographer Sebastian Thoma.
obtain the best possible angles. Here, in his own words, he
Once a chopper and pilot have been
sourced, the next key task concerns the shares some of the logistical
air traffic control (ATC) unit responsible preparations behind an incredible
for the relevant airspace. In the case of
the Lufthansa Dreamliner, this was the
air-to-air helicopter shoot
ATC tower at Bremen Airport, Germany.
Co-ordination between the pilot and
the controllers is paramount and the
photographer should have a precise
plan for the shoot prior to making any
requests. For me, being a pilot and
air traffic controller myself, this was
relatively easy. However, for a non-ATC
person it might be difficult to understand
what’s possible while ensuring the
continued safe handling of air traffic.
When placing the request for the photo
flight to the responsible ATC unit, the
weather is also very important. The time
of the day will likely determine which side
of the runway the photographer wants
to operate, in order to have the sun at
the correct angle. Of course, this isn’t

66 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

ABOVE • The Dreamliner's
predecessor, the sixth
'Berlin', was an A380,
D-AIMI (c/n 72). It was
christened in May 2012,
however, the quad-jet
was decommissioned
during the pandemic

FAR LEFT • Sebastian took

to the skies above Bremen
to capture the scenes
in a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity

LEFT • Weather on the

day was excellent, which
minimised headaches
about the lighting and
optimal angles
ALL IMAGES
SEBASTIAN THOMA

www.key.aero 67
D-ABPA made its first commercial flight
from Frankfurt to Munich on October 19
“We positioned to the south side of the runway at about 500ft altitude. After a
beautiful low pass, the 787 performed another approach with a full stop landing”
always the case and creative types might
consider shooting against the sun to
create a more exciting background. On
cloudy days with a low ceiling, it could
be impossible to plan this sort of shoot as
visual separation between the helicopter
and the airliner(s) is not allowed.
Taking flight
Just before we take off, the helicopter
is refuelled for its upcoming mission.
Among the most popular choices for
these kinds of flights is the four-seater
Robinson R44. Although prices vary by
region, it typically costs around €900
(£785) an hour to hire.
The photographer is usually sitting on
the rear bench as it is easy to remove
both doors in the back of the R44 to
allow an unobstructed view from both
sides of the helicopter. I have found
that when being the sole photographer
on board, the two-seater R22 can be a
more cost-efficient option. However,
this is not available everywhere.
Alongside the financials, weight and
balance is another vital consideration.
68 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
With three photographers and a pilot on
board, the R44 will reach its weight limit
and be fuel restricted, shortening the
maximum flight time.
In theory, it might be possible to
upgrade to a bigger, but much more
expensive, turbine-driven helicopter, but
in most cases, a photographer has to
take what he or she gets.
Dreamliner day out
As Bremen is a reasonably small airport,
all regular commercial passenger traffic
is served by narrowbody aircraft. As
such, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was
a very special visitor indeed. The crew
training flight with the latest addition
to the Lufthansa fleet left Frankfurt
before visiting Bremen and Rostock-
Laage. Both airports are situated in the
north of Germany and are home to the
European Flight Academy, which has
been the flight school of the Lufthansa
Group since 2017. The aircraft continued
onwards to Berlin, where ‘Papa Alpha’,
D-ABPA (c/n 62730) was christened and
formally welcomed by Carsten Spohr,
chairman and CEO of the Lufthansa
Group, the following day.
Before the Boeing 787 arrived, we
positioned the helicopter from a small
airfield in the west of Bremen and landed
on a taxiway. We could see the aircraft
turning on final around ten miles from
our location when air traffic control
gave us take-off clearance. With their
permission, we positioned to the south
side of the runway at about 500ft
altitude. After a beautiful low pass, the
787 performed another approach with
a full stop landing. No other traffic was
moving, giving us the unique opportunity
to follow the aircraft as it taxied through
a ceremonial water fountain back to the
runway for departure to Rostock.
The mission was amazing and a great
example of teamwork between the
helicopter pilot, air traffic control and the
Lufthansa flight crew. Thank you to
everyone involved and I hope you enjoy The 787 is given a
seeing these photographs as much as ceremonial water
canon salute by the
we enjoyed taking them. firefighting team at
Learn more about Sebastian and his Bremen to mark
work at www.atcpilot.com the occasion
'Berlin' was due to enter long-haul
service to New York/Newark on
December 1

The Boeing 787-9 is the seventh Lufthansa

aircraft to be named Berlin. The first was a
Boeing 707, christened on September 16, 1960

ABOVE • According to latest estimates, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of 32 Boeing
Dreamliners before the end of 2027

Sebastian used the Robinson R44 helicopter (pictured) to help capture his incredible images

Where can I do it?

While our Bremen experience was a bespoke photo-mission, there
are places in the world where the so-called ‘heli-spotting’ is done on
a regular basis. The most famous airport is LAX in Los Angeles where
Star Helicopters offer special flights on their R22s and R44s. It is a
great way of getting started in aerial photography. In California the
weather is great throughout the year and the traffic and perspectives
are incredibly interesting. All of the co-ordination with air traffic control
is completed by the pilot, and I’ve found them to be very experienced
and happy to provide support to their photographers.

www.key.aero 69
 The Flight
Experience
For many aviation enthusiasts, the term ‘flight simulator’
conjures up images of desktop PCs and joysticks. But
this virtual pastime is now being taken to the next level,
as Airliner World’s Craig West discovered

The Flight Experience

offers customers the
choice between high-fidelity
Airbus A320 and Boeing
737NG simulators
THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

70 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


The new site in Newcastle features a
welcoming reception area where pre-flight
briefings are undertaken before entering one
of the two simulators THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
The devices are so accurate they are often used
by professional pilots for refresher training
THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
s I eased the two power
A levers forward, I paused
momentarily to let the N1
gauges stabilise at 40%,
before lifting my feet off
the brakes and setting take-off power.
Behind me, I could hear the roar from
the engines as the Boeing 737-800
lurched forward, quickly gaining speed.
I added a little bit of right rudder to
correct for the crosswind and keep the
accelerating jet on the centreline as the
runway lights flashed by.
We soon reached our pre-calculated
V1 speed of 128kts, the maximum at
which we could reject our take-off
and, with everything proceeding as
expected, we continued onwards –
from this point on we were committed
to fly. Another four knots of airspeed
put us at our rotation speed and I pulled
back on the yoke, lifting the nose off
the ground and coaxing the aircraft into
the air. Suddenly, our 60-tonne jet was
airborne, Newcastle’s Runway 25 fell
away beneath us and our windscreen
was filled with vivid yellows, oranges
and golds as the last rays of the day lit
up the clouds in front of us.
We passed 1,500ft in the climb and I
put the 737 into a left bank – a glance
out of the left cockpit window showed
us to be passing over the village of
Throckley, where I was born. We
continued our turn to pick up the River
Tyne, easily visible in the fading light
meandering eastwards towards the
North Sea, before the spectacular Tyne
bridge and its six neighbours, and the
even more impressive St James’ Park
football stadium came into view.
Seeing my home city sprawled out
beneath us was an awe-inspiring sight,
but at the click of a mouse this could
easily have been New York or Las
Vegas... because this wasn’t a regular
737. In fact, according to Lee Johnston,
my co-pilot and owner of The Flight
Experience centre in Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, it is one of the most realistic fixed-
based simulators currently available for
private hire in the UK.
More than a game
Having recently relocated to its new
home in the Newcastle Business
Park, The Flight Experience lies just
a short walk from the northeastern
city centre. From the outside, it looks
rather inconspicuous, with just a small
sign on the wall giving an indication
to what goes on behind closed doors.
However, inside is every wannabe pilot’s
fantasy – full-sized Airbus A320 and
737NG simulators, including complete
flight decks, 230° high-definition wrap-
around screens (enveloping your entire
eyeline) and enough fixtures and fittings
to convince even the most sceptical of
virtual captains that they are indeed at
the controls of a real airliner.
Notably, this isn’t just an exercise in
aesthetics. Both simulators are high-
fidelity, combining Lockheed Martin and
X-Plane visuals and world environments
www.key.aero 71
with ProSim software that provides this is the closest I can get without or hardware of older-generation RIGHT • The A320 and 737
simulators are based on a
accurately modelled aircraft systems flying professionally.” PC-based platforms. He explained: “We
combination of X-Plane
(including failures) and realistic flight He acquired the business in March get a lot of repeat business from those and Lockheed Martin
handling characteristics. Consequently, 2022 before relocating to the current who have tried a 30-minute sampler, platforms, and are driven
pulling and turning the yoke gives the site in late summer and, while the and then want to try something more by ProSim software
THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
impression of genuine mass and inertia facility is still a work in progress, there’s in depth, and we get people travelling
– this isn’t a lightweight fighter, it’s a plenty of flying to be had: “We try to from across Northern England and
60-tonne jet and it handles accordingly. leave a couple of days a week free so Scotland to try our simulators – they’ll
Furthermore, a failed engine doesn’t we can carry out essential works, but often tie this in with another local
just impact the handling, but it also weekends typically average around attraction, but we’re usually the main
affects the related aircraft systems such 12-14 bookings per day across both reason for their visit to the region.
as bleed air and electrics. simulators, and weekdays we only “We’re also starting to see a lot of
The latter point was succinctly usually have one instructor on-site so kids coming in who’ve ‘flown’ on
demonstrated when Johnston they’ll cover around six bookings across the X-Box with nothing more than a
simulated a bird strike while sightseeing both simulators. Sessions are typically wireless controller. This is their first real
over Manhattan, taking out an an hour in length.” experience of an aircraft flightdeck and
engine and cracking the windscreen, The Flight Experience isn’t the only they already know what the switches
necessitating some nifty flying and a show in town – there’s a similar do and where they are – we’re adding a
tricky, single-engined approach into offering elsewhere in the city – but level of reality and tactility to something
nearby Newark. while Johnston considers the market they’ve otherwise only seen virtually.”
The simulators are so accurate to be big enough to support multiple To increase its customer base further,
The Flight Experience is regularly vendors, he’s also keen to expand his The Flight Experience also offers a
used by current commercial pilots already geographically diverse customer customisable fear of flying course. “The
to help prepare for annual simulator base. This has been aided significantly session lasts around 90 minutes and is
check rides with their airlines, those by the recent arrival of Microsoft’s new tailored to the individual to help alleviate BELOW • The simulators
preparing for the flight test element Flight Simulator, which can be played their specific fears. It’s a very hands-on feature full-scale flightdecks
complete with 230°
of a job assessment, or to practise on a games console and does not approach, we generally start with an wraparound screens
some of the more obscure processes necessarily need any of the peripherals informal chat, and then move into the THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
and procedures such aircrew wouldn’t
otherwise be able to while flying ‘on
the line’.
But does this level of fidelity otherwise
put these devices out of reach of the
keen amateur?
“Not at all”, explained Johnston. “All of
our instructors are commercial pilots,
most of whom currently fly either 737
or A320 Family aircraft for UK airlines
and one who is a current, qualified
training captain.
“They’re able to run complex profiles
for professionals, but they’re also very
keen to get involved with our other
customers, too.
“It’s a very different kind of ‘flying’
from airline operations and we attract
a real variety of clientele with wildly
varying skill levels. Weekends tend to
be younger audiences or more casual
‘fliers’ who may not necessarily have a
huge amount of experience but want to
have a bit of fun in the simulators.
“Here, we’re not so concerned with
systems depth, but rather maximising
flying time. Weekdays are often
the more hardcore virtual pilots or
professionals undergoing ‘sim prep’.”

Career change
Johnston’s background is in IT, but
he’s had a keen interest in aviation
since childhood: “I couldn’t really
afford to pursue it as a career when
I was younger, but I eventually saved
up enough to do my private pilot’s
licence in 2015. I mixed with a lot of
professional pilots during my training
and was eventually convinced to make a
go of it so I got my class 1 medical and
completed my ATPL, CPL and IR rating
just as the pandemic kicked off.
“By that point aviation job
opportunities were scarce and, with
my IT business self-sufficient, I started
looking at other options and

72 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

cockpit. In some cases, we’ll simulate a online with a virtual air traffic network ABOVE • The hardware real-world aviation enterprises.
take-off or landing, talking through the such as Vatsim.” and software replicate Johnston and his team of instructors
the actual aircraft as
various stages of departure and arrival, The team is also poised to deliver a have come a long way since acquiring
closely as possible
replicating the various noises they’re special Lapland experience over the THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE The Flight Experience and they are
likely to hear during a real flight – such festive period, offering children a quickly reinforcing themselves as a
as undercarriage and flap retraction – 15-minute flight to the ‘North Pole’ to ‘must visit’ for would-be pilots from
and explaining what they are and why meet Santa Claus before returning to the region and beyond.
they’re happening. Newcastle via a ‘magic’ tunnel. He concluded: “We’re just trying to
“In other examples it can be explaining It marks a departure from Johnston’s be a little more professional in our
and demonstrating technical aspects of preferred business model but will, he offering and hopefully turn each
aircraft operations to help them better hopes, help raise the profile of The session into a learning experience
understand what’s going on.” Flight Experience. BELOW • Both the A320 and for our customers.”
Similarly, he’s hoping to delve into 737 simulators are expected
What’s next? organised events such as WorldFlight, a to migrate to newer
software platforms
Sincere thanks to Lee Johnston and the team
The next major upgrade for the seven-day round the world virtual flight for hosting our visit. You can find out more
to further enhance about the centre and its simulators at:
centre will be the addition of military held annually to raise funds for charity the visual graphics www.theflightexperience.co.uk
simulators – due to be installed and sponsored by simulation and THE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
imminently and combining the Digital
Combat Simulator platform with virtual
reality and a full-motion seat that helps
replicate dogfighting.
For the airliner aficionados, the A320
and 737 simulators will also continue
to receive attention – much like real
aircraft, they need maintaining and
updating. The Airbus came in kit form
from a single supplier, while the Boeing
is a modular design, but both are
expected to benefit from hardware and
software upgrades.
“Beyond that we’re hoping to upgrade
to newer platforms such as X-Plane 12
or Microsoft Flight Simulator to make
the visuals as realistic as possible,”
Johnston explained. “These make a
massive difference, especially for our
more casual fliers. We’re also looking
at what else we can do to further
enhance the experience. We get some
seasoned simmers who want to do a
full ‘cold and dark’ start, programme the
flight management system, pushback
from the gate and perform a full
flight ideally under the guidance of
simulated air traffic controllers, so we’re
investigating whether we can integrate

www.key.aero 73
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520/22
 The latest
commercial
aircraft
deliveries from
manufacturers
and lessors

New Japanese regional AirSial [PF/SIF ‘Air Sial’] ex N853BA, N1784B, N1798B, N1786B, dd
carrier Toki Air took C-FLDX 737-8 61803
28.09.22, lsd fr 777 Partners, fleet # ‘913’
delivery of its maiden AP-BOS A320-232 5472 ex OE-IMM, dd 07.10.22, lsd fr BOC Aviation
ex N57004, N1786B, dd 29.09.22, lsd fr
aircraft in early November. Fly Jinnah [FJL] C-FLQO 737-8 43565
777 Partners, fleet # ‘920’
The ATR 72-600, JA02QQ
ex A6-AQA, dd 03.10.22, lsd fr SMBC Perimeter Aviation [PAG ‘Perimeter’]
(c/n 1620) was originally AP-BOP A320-214 8798
Aviation Capital
intended for Romania's C-FGRC DHC-8 102 195 reg’d 06.10.22
TAROM but not taken up. It ex A6-AQB, dd 03.10.22, lsd fr SMBC
AP-BOQ A320-214 8748 C-GION DHC-8 102 127 reg’d 05.10.22
will instead be used by the Aviation Capital
Niigata-based operator to SalamAir [OV/OMS ‘Mazoon’] Sunwing Airlines [WG/SWG ‘Sunwing’]
launch domestic services ex D-AEUB, dd 19.10.22, lsd fr Babcock C-FPRP 737-8FH 39959 ret fr TUI Airways lease
across Japan during 2023 A4O-OCA A321-211(F) 1994
& Brown C-FWGH 737-86J 37752 as C-FPRP
V1IMAGES.COM/FABRIZIO
SPICUGLIA Air Arabia [G9/ABY ‘Arabia’] C-GFVM 737-8FN 37077 ex OK-TVM, lsd fr Sunwing Airlines
ex N226WG, dd 18.10.22, lsd fr Wings C-GKVL 737-8FN 37076 ex OK-TVL, lsd fr Travel Service
A6-ATG A321-211 7833
Capital Partners
C-GNVR 737-86N 38018 ex OK-TVR, lsd fr Travel Service
CM-NMF A320-214 4539 ex A6-ANC, dd 20.10.22
Swoop [WO/WSW ‘SWOOP’]
flydubai [FZ/FDB ‘Sky Dubai’]
ex EI-GZJ, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital,
ex N4022S, N4022T, dd 13.09.22, lsf C-GLVU 737-8 63975
A6-FKA 737-8 61010 named ‘#Charlottetown’, fleet # ‘383’
SMBC Aviation Capital
ex EI-GZI, lsd fr SMBC Aviation Capital,
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi [5W/WAZ ‘Wizz Sky’] C-GYLP 737-8 42844
named ‘#Halifax’ fleet # ‘382’
A6-WZF A321-271nx 11022 ex D-AVXH, dd 19.09.22 WestJet [WS/WJA ‘Westjet’]
A6-WZG A321-271nx 11030 ex D-AZAT, dd 30.09.22 C-FAJA 787-9 64982 dd 02.09.22, fleet # ‘910’
Central Airlines [I9/HLF ‘Homeland’] JetSMART [JA/JAT ‘Rocksmart’]
B-222P 737-86N(BCF) 35224 ex N102BC, dd 14.10.22, lsd fr ICBC Leasing ex D-AZAR, dd 30.09.22, lsd fr Aviation
CC-AWS A321-271nx 10964
Capital Group, ‘Orca’ tail colours
Chengdu Airlines [EU/UEA ‘United Eagle’]
Air Arabia Maroc [3O/MAC ‘Arabia Maroc’]
B-32AF A320-214 9319 ex F-WHUR, was dd 31.08.20 & std Francazal
CN-NMQ A320-214 5984 ex A6-ANV, dd 20.10.22
B-329W A320-214 8845 ex F-WHUK, was dd 28.03.19 & std Francazal
Portugália (TAP Express) [NI/PGA ‘Portugalia’]
B-329X A320-214 8597 ex F-WHUJ, was dd 28.11.18 & std Francazal
CS-TAY ERJ190-200LR 19000357 ex EC-LZF, dd 22.10.22, lsd fr Azorra Aviation
China Cargo Airlines [CK/CKK ‘China King’]
Bahamasair [UP/BHS ‘Bahamasair’]
B-222K 777-F 67771 dd 16.09.22, lsd fr CES Leasing Corp
Key to Abbreviations C6-BFZ 737-752 30038 ex VP-BYY, dd 15.10.22, lsd fr AepCap
a/c aircraft China Eastern Airlines [MU/CES ‘China Eastern’]
als airlines Condor [DE/CFG ‘Condor’]
ex B-007J, dd 23.09.22, lsd fr BoComm
awys airways B-32CT A320-251n 11034 ex LZ-DBL, dd 06.10.22, lsd fr/op by
bf bought from Leasing 9H-SMF A330-343E 1531
b/u broken up/scrapped SmartLynx Malta
canx cancelled
ex B-000S, dd 02.09.22, lsd fr China
B-32C7 A320-251n 11020 Eurowings [EW/EWG ‘Eurowings’]
cls colours Aircraft Leasing Group
cn manufacturer’s D-AENG A320-251n 10970 ex F-WWBF, dd 08.09.22
construction/serial China Southern Airlines [CZ/CSN ‘China Southern’]
number B-329Z A321-253nx 10831 ex D-AZYA, dd 22.09.22 LEAV Aviation [KK/NGN ‘Yoda’]
cnvrtd converted
dbf destroyed by fire Sichuan Airlines [3U/CSC ‘Sichuan’] D-ANDI A320-232 3674 ret fr Corendon Airlines Europe lse
dbr damaged beyond
repair B-322U A320-271n 10127 dd 25.10.22 Int’Air Iles [I7/IIA ‘Inter Iles’]
dd delivery date
ex previous reg'n B-324K A321-271nx 10400 dd 24.10.22 OK-LRA Let 410UVP-E 892216 ex CCCP-67605, dd 15.10.22
ff first flight Air Europa [UX/AEA ‘Europa’]
frtr freighter Tianjin Airlines [GS/GCR ‘Bo Hai’]
lrf last revenue flight B-32CH A320-271n 11118 ex B-007G, dd 30.09.22, lsd fr AerCap EC-NVJ 737-8K5 35138 reg’d 21.09.22
lsd fr leased from
lsd to leased to Tibet Airlines [TV/TBA ‘Tibet’] Aura Airlines [U5/GWR ‘Lemon’]
msn see cn
ntu not taken up B- A319-153n 11046 ex B-007W, dd 26.09.22 EC-NOZ A320-232 4113 lsd to/op for Tunisair
oo on order
op operated Cathay Pacific Airways [CX/CPA ‘Cathay’] Iberia [IB/IBE ‘Iberia’]
pax passenger EC-NTQ A320-251n 10869 reg’d 21.09.22
pwfu permanently B-LXP A350-1041 503 ex F-WZNM, dd 19.09.22
withdrawn from use Starlux Airlines [SJX ‘Starwalker’] ex F-WZNV, dd 09.09.22, named ‘Teresa
reg’d registered EC-NVR A350-941 549
Hellbig’
reg’n registration B-58207 A321-272nx 10620 ex D-AVXZ, dd 26.09.22, lsd fr AerCap
ret fr returned from ex F-WWDF, dd 30.09.22, named ‘Jorge
ret to returned to ex F-WWYV, dd 28.09.22, lsd fr Air Lease EC-NVS A320-251n 11035
B-58304 A330-941 2017 Loring’
rr re-registered Corp
rts return to service ex F-WZGD, dd 28.09.22, named ‘Pau
sb sold by Amik Aviation EC-NXD A350-941 567
scr scrapped/broken up
Gasol’, 500th A350 delivery
st sold to C-FLXD Cessna 208B 208B1148 ex N891DF, reg’d 05.10.22 Iberia Express [I2/IBS ‘Iberexpres’]
std stored
tba to be advised Cargojet Airways [W8/CJT ‘Cargojet’] EC-LLE A320-214 1119 ret fr British Airways lease
unk unknown C-FCJF 757-223(F) 32382 ex N188AN, reg’d 21.10.22
wfu withdrawn from use Plus Ultra Lineas Aéreas [PU/PUE ‘Spanish’]
w/o written off/destroyed Flair Airlines [F8/FLE ‘Flair’]

76 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

EC-JQG A330-202 745 reg’d 29.09.22 ex C-FOVH, dd 16.09.22, lsd fr Air Lease
EI-HHJ A220-300 55176
EC-NUL A330-202 749 reg’d 30.09.22 Corp

Wamos Air [EB/PLM ‘Pullman’] Jetstar Japan [GJ/JJP ‘Orange Liner’]

EC-MAJ A330-243 992 ret fr Jet2 lease JA27LR A321-251nx 10146 dd 29.10.22
Peach [MM/APJ ‘Air Peach’]
EC-NTY A330-343E 1600 reg’d 02.09.22 We welcome
ASL Airlines Ireland [AG/ABR ‘Contract’] JA209P A320-251n 11024 ex F-WWDA, dd 30.09.22 any feedback
ASL Aviation Holdings, to Jinan 12.10.22 for Toki Air on this listing
OE-LVC 737-883 30194
cargo conversion ATR 42-500 ex F-WWEW, dd 07.10.22, lsd fr Nordic
JA01QQ 1565
Ryanair [FR/RYR ‘Ryanair’] (600) Aviation Capital (The listing is alphabetical
with reference to the
EI-HGF 737-8200 62317 ex N4027A, N1786B, dd 02.09.22 MIAT – Mongolian Airlines [OM/MGL ‘Mongol Air’]
registration of the country
EI-HGH 737-8200 62324 ex N5573K, N4022A, N1786B, dd 14.09.22 EI-MNG 737-8 43795 ret fr Tunisair lease 29.09.22 of origin. Columns indicate
Andes Línhas Aéreas [OY/ANS ‘Aeroandes’] the registration, type,
EI-HMZ 737-8200 67136 ex N4022T, dd 27.09.22 construction number and
EI-IFP 737-8200 65898 dd 22.09.22 ex EI-GWS, dd 19.10.22, lsd fr Babcock notes.)
LV-KFW 737-8GJ 37366
& Brown
SAS Connect [SL/SZS ‘Spinnaker’]
Flybondi [FO/FBZ ‘Flybondi’]
ex D-AUBY, dd 23.09.22, named ‘Agnar
EI-SIP A320-251n 10923 ex N315FA, dd 21.1022, lsd fr Pembroke
Viking’ LV-KEH 737-8U3 30150
Capital
Novair [NG/NAI ‘Novair’]
JetSMART Airlines [WJ/JES ‘Smartbird’]
Let 410UVP-
EK4117 3017 ex OK-JPP, dd 10.10.22 ex CC-AWE, dd 19.10.22, lsd fr China
E20 LV-KGO A320-232 8028
Aircraft Leasing Group
Nordica [ND/NDA ‘Nordica’]
GetJet Airlines [GW/GJT ‘Getjet’]
ex VP-COS, dd 21.10.22, lsd fr Avolon
ES-NAB A320-214 4347 LY-GYM A320-214 2584 ex 2-VIHC, ret fr Wizz Air Lease
Aerospace
Ethiopian Airlines [ET/ETH ‘Ethiopian’] Heston Airlines [HN/HST ‘Heston’]

ET-AZA 737-8 64159 ex N4022T, dd 27.09.22 LY-HMD A320-233 4906 ret fr Condor lse 24.10.22

Aero Nomad [KA/ANK ‘Aero Nomad’] Fly2Sky [F6/VAW ‘Sofia Jet’]

EX-32011 A320-232 1895 ex SU-CJA, dd 18.10.22, lsd fr Sky One FZE LZ-MDO A320-214 879 ret fr TUI lease, lsd to/op for Transavia France

Air France [AF/AFR ‘Air France’] Air Flamenco [F4/WAF]

ex F-WZFS, dd 26.09.22, named N921GD BN2A-8 420 ex XC-FIC, reg’d 18.10.22 to Air Charter Inc
F-HTYS A350-941 576
‘Biscarrosse’ Alaska Airlines [AS/ASA ‘Alaska’]
Transavia France [TO/TVF ‘French Soleil’] N948AK 737-9 44090 dd 26.09.22 & reg’d 07.10.22
LZ-MDO A320-214 879 ex SX-BDS, dd 31.08.22, lsd fr/op by Fly2Sky N952AK 737-9 60390 ex N4022T, dd 30.09.22 & reg’d 07.10.22
St Barth Commuter Allegiant Air [G4/AAY ‘Allegiant’]
Cessna 208B/ ex N3003U, reg’d 05.08.22 to BSM ex F-WWDL, dd 17.08.22, lsd fr Air Lease
F-OSCO 208B5681 N364VA A320-214 7138
EX Investment Corp
British Airways [BA/BAW ‘Speedbird’] ex F-WWDS, dd 12.09.22, lsd fr Air Lease
N365VA A320-214 7207
G-TTNS A320-251n 11026 ex F-WWIN, dd 30.09.22 Corp

dd 14.09.22, lsd fr Babcock & Brown, Alpine Aviation [5A/AIP ‘Alpine Air’]
G-ZBLF 787-10 60642
ferried Charleston – Heathrow 16-17.09.22 N192GL Beech 1900D UE-192 rr N542AX 14.10.22
Eastern Airways [T3/EZE ‘Eastflight’] American Airlines [AA/AAL ‘American’]
ATR 72-212A ex N1026G, dd 01.09.22, lsd fr BOC
G-CMEI 1231 ret fr Portugália lease 02.10.22 N874AN 787-8 65994
(600) Aviation, fleet # ‘8BC’
easyJet Airline [U2/EZY ‘Easy’] ex N5023Q, dd 24.09.22, lsd fr BOC
N877BF 787-8 65997
ex HA-LWA, dd 08.08.22, lsd fr/op by Avion Aviation, fleet # ‘8BF'
9H-MLQ A320-232 4223
Express Malta Amerijet [M6/AJT ‘Amerijet’]
Flybe [BE/BEE ‘Jersey’] N496MM 767-300F 67027 dd 20.09.22, lsd fr/op for Maersk Air Cargo
G-FLBA DHC-8 402 4253 ex C-FVVB, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital Breeze [MX/MXY ‘Moxy’]
Jet2.com [LS/EXS ‘Channex’] N215BZ A330-200 55167 ex C-GPVE, dd 19.09.22
ex G-TCDA, dd 04.10.22, lsd fr/op by Titan Delta Air Lines [DL/DAL ‘Delta’]
G-POWW A321-211 2060
Airways
N312DU A220-300 55170 ex C-GPVF, dd 29.09.22 & fleet # ‘8312’
Loganair [LM/LOG ‘Logan’]
N505DZ A321-271nx 10935 ex D-AZYM, dd 20.09.22, fleet # ‘5005’
ATR 42-500 ex 2-ATRO, lsd fr Nordic Aviation Capital,
G-LMSB 1004 N508DA A321-271nx 10898 ex D-AZYZ, dd 19.09.22, fleet # ‘5008’
(600) named ‘Clan Balfour’
Titan Airways [ZT/AWC ‘Zap’] N413DX A330-941 1995 ex F-WWKA, dd 08.09.22, fleet # ‘3413’

G-POWK A320-233 4701 ret fr Jet2 lse 10.10.22 N414DZ A330-941 1996 ex F-WWYZ, dd 20.09.22, fleet # ‘3414’

lsd to/op for TUI Airways 05.08-01.10.22, Envoy Air (American Eagle) [MQ/ENY ‘Envoy’]
G-POWW A321-211 2060
lsd to/op for Jet2 N769KW reserved 17.10.22 by American
N240NC ERJ170-100LR 17000024
G-ZAPX 757-256 29309 ret fr Jet2 lse 10.10.22 Airlines

ASL Airlines Hungary [FAH ‘Blue Strip’] FedEx Express [FX/FDX ‘Fedex’]

HA- ATR 72-201(F) 195 ex EI-SON, dd 10.22 N264FE 767-300F 66869 dd 16.09.22 & named ‘Mathis’

Sky Cana [RD/SNA ‘Cana’] N871FD 777-F 66260 dd 30.09.22 & named ‘Aven’

ex OE-IEB, dd 26.10.22, lsd fr/op by Freight Runners Express [FRG ‘Freight Runners’]
9H-SMI A330-343 791
SmartLynx Malta N536FR Saab 2000 2000-036 ex 2-ROLL, dd 12.10.22
Air Panama [7P/PST ‘Turismo Regional’] Frontier Airlines [F9/FFT ‘Frontier Flight’]
HP-1891 Fokker 50 20286 ex VH-FKZ, dd 04.10.22 ex D-AZWE, dd 29.09.22, named
N603FR A321-271nx 11032
Copa Airlines [CM/CMP ‘Copa’] ‘Frederick the Bald Eagle’

HP-9919CMP IBC Airways [II/CSQ ‘Chasqui’]

44180 8388
737-9 ex N224TH, dd 06.10.22, lsd fr Jetstream
N9CJ Saab 340B(F) 340B-224
Aerolineas SOSA [NSO] Aviation Capital

HR-HJS Saab 340B 340B-233 ex UR-ALG, dd 02.10.22 ex N368PX, dd 06.10.22, lsd fr Jetstream
N481BC Saab 340B(F) 340B-274
Aviation Capital
flynas [XY/KNE ‘Nas Express’]
Kalitta Charters II [K5/KII ‘Dragster’]
ex OE-IDB, dd 17.10.22, lsd fr Avolon
HZ-NE24 A330-343E 1607 N300SV 737-3Y0(F) 25173 ex JU-8888, dd 19.10.22
Aerospace
ITA Airways [AZ/ITY ‘Itarrow’] N318FL 737-883(F) 28318 ex LN-RCN, dd 24.09.22, lsd fr/op for DHL

ex C-FOWU, dd 01.09.22, lsd fr Air Lease National Airlines [N8/NCR ‘National Cargo’]
EI-HHI A220-300 55168
Corp N537CA 747-446F 33749 ex G-CLAA, reg’d 04.10.22

www.key.aero 77
 Piedmont Airlines (American Eagle) [PT/PDT ‘Piedmont’] Batik Air [ID/BTK ‘Batik’]
N918AE Emb-145LR 14500902 ex PT-SYM, dd 21.10.22 PK-BGK 737-8U3 41798 ex PK-GNK, dd 18.10.22, lsd fr AerCap
SkyWest Airlines [OO/SKW ‘Skywest’] PK-BKK A320-232 5024 ex 2-EIBD, dd 22.09.22, lsd fr BOC Aviation
N320SY ERJ170-200LR 17000921 ex PR-ECV, dd 24.10.22, Delta Connection cls PK-BKL A320-232 5030 ex 2-EIFZ, dd 10.22, lsd fr BOC Aviation
N322SY ERJ170-200LR 17000922 ex PR-ECS, dd 28.10.22, Delta Connection cls PK-LDW A330-343E 1098 ex OE-LDJ, dd 10.10.22, lsd fr ICBC Leasing
Southern Airways Express [9X/FDY ‘Friendly’] Cardig Air [CAD ‘Cardig’]
N803F Cessna 208B 208B1112 N804SA reserved 05.10.22 PK-DJK 737-33A(F) 24789 ex ZS-PKV, dd 28.08.22
Southwest Airlines [WN/SWA ‘Southwest’] Pegasus Air Service
N1803U 737-8 60226 ex N1786B, dd 08.09.22 PK-ICE DHC-6 400 985 ex C-GVTM, dd 11.10.22
N1805U 737-8 60649 ex N1786B, dd 29.09.22 RGA-Black Stone Airlines [RGM ‘Black Stone’]
N8769Q 737-8 67519 ex N4022T, dd 07.09.22 PK-MBM 737-33R(F) 28869 ex 9M-WCM, dd 12.10.22
N8770Q 737-8 67517 ex N4022T, dd 26.09.22 Super Air Jet [IU/SJV ‘Prosper’]
N8771D 737-8 67516 ex N4022T, dd 14.09.22 ex EI-HCP, dd 03.10.22, lsd fr Macquarie
PK-SGB A320-232 5092
AirFinance
N8775Q 737-8 67762 ex N4021S, dd 20.09.22
Azul Linhas Aéreas [AD/AZU ‘Azul’]
N8776L 737-8 67761 ex N4022T, dd 19.09.22
PR-AOY A350-941 168 ex F-WTAO, named ‘50 também é azul’
N8777Q 737-8 67756 ex N4022T, dd 14.09.22
ERJ190-
N8779Q 737-8 67760 dd 22.09.22 PS-AEI 19020077 dd 11.10.22, named ‘Azul tá on’
400STD
N8781Q 737-8 67758 ex N4022T, dd 22.09.22
CTA – Cleiton Taxi Aéreo
N8783L 737-8 67754 dd 30.09.22
Cessna 208B/
PS-CTW 208B5569 ex N582EX, reg’d 01.09.22
N8784Q 737-8 67757 ex N4022T, dd 29.09.22 EX
Spirit Airlines [NK/NKS ‘Spirit Wing’] GOL Transportes Aéreos [G3/GOL ‘Gol Transporte’]
ex F-WZME, dd 07.09.22, lsd fr SMBC ex N1781B, N5573B, N1781B, N1798B,
N961NK A320-271n 11003
Aviation Capital, fleet # ‘4961’ PS-GPH 737-8 44310 N1786B, dd 20.09.22, lsd fr Aviation
ex F-WZMG, dd 22.09.22, lsd fr SMBC Capital Group
N962NK A320-271n 11056
Aviation Capital, fleet # ‘4962’ Sideral Linhas Aéreas [SID ‘Sideral’]
United Airlines [UA/UAL ‘United’] PR-SLA 737-86N(F) 28628 ex N245GE, dd 10.22, lsd fr AerCap
N918BA 737-8 64610 ex N1786B, dd 29.09.22, fleet # ‘7275’ VoePass [2Z/PTB ‘Passaredo’]
ex N40220, N4022T, dd 30.09.22, fleet ATR 72-212A ex OY-YEJ, dd 10.22, lsd fr Nordic Aviation
N17272 737-8 67527 PS-VPA 1262
# ‘7272’ (600) Capital
ex N4022A, N4022T, dd 29.09.22, fleet Surinam Airways [PY/SLM ‘Surinam’]
N27267 737-8 67522
# ‘7267’
ex LY-FOX, dd 13.10.22, lsd fr Airhub
9H-EMU A320-214 1087
N27269 737-8 67524 ex N4022T, dd 26.09.22, fleet # ‘7269’ Airlines
N27270 737-8 67525 ex N4022T, dd 28.09.22, fleet # ‘7270’ Geliks Airlines
ex N4022L, N4022T, dd 16.09..22, fleet RA-76360 Il-76TD 1033414492 dd 11.21
N27271 737-8 67526
# ‘7271’
PAL Express [2P/GAP ‘Airphil’]
N37537 737-9 66607 ex N4022T, dd 13.09.22, fleet # ‘7537’
ex F-WWIL, dd 04.10.22, lsd fr Macquarie
RP-C8619 A320-214 5315
N17017 787-10 66986 dd 30.09.22 & fleet # ‘1017’ AirFinance
USA Jet Airlines [UJ/JUS ‘USA Jet’] Philippines AirAsia [Z2/APG ‘Cool Red’]
N969DL MD-88(F) 53172 rr N835US 21.10.22 RP-C8945 A320-216 3505 ex HS-ABF, dd 09.10.22, lsd fr Fly Leasing
Via Airlines [VC/SRY ‘Stingray’] RP-C8947 A320-216 3489 ex HS-ABE, dd 09.10.22, lsd fr Fly Leasing
ex SE-LSE, dd 29.10.22, ops as Sterling Norwegian Air Sweden AOC [D8/NSZ ‘Red Nose’]
N462PA Saab 2000 2000-046
Airways
SE-RXC 737-86N 38033 ex VQ-BBT, dd 19.10.22, lsd fr AerCap
Vieques Air Link [V4/VES ‘Vieques’]
LOT Polish Airlines [LO/LOT ‘Pollot’]
N663VL BN2B-26 2110 N866VL reserved 26.10.22
ERJ170- ex EI-RDD, dd 04.10.22, lsd fr Nordic
SP-LIP 17000334
Key to Abbreviations N902VL BN2A-26 685 N862VL reserved 26.10.22 200STD Aviation Capital
a/c aircraft Austrian Airlines [OS/AUA ‘Austrian’] Air Cairo [SM/MSC]
als airlines
awys airways ex F-WWBB, dd 13.09.22, named ‘Donau- SU-BUX A320-251n 10791 ex OE-ITD, dd 18.10.22, lsd fr AerCap
OE-LZN A320-271n 10904
bf bought from Auen’
b/u broken up/scrapped SU-BUY A320-251n 10837 ex OE-IBE, dd 10.10.22, lsd fr AerCap
canx cancelled easyJet Europe [EC/EJU ‘Alpine’]
cls colours
Aegean Airlines [A3/AEE ‘Aegean’]
cn manufacturer’s OE-LVG A319-111 2744 ex N6311U, lsd fr ?, (N6311U canx 06.10.22)
ex D-AVXL, dd 19.09.22, lsf SMBC Aviation
construction/serial SX-NAG A321-271nx 11011
OE-LVH A319-111 2777 ex N3315U, lsd fr ?, (N3315U canx 25.10.22) Capital
number
cnvrtd converted Finnair [AY/FIN ‘Finnair’] SX-NAL A321-271nx 10967 ex D-AYAU, dd 23.09.22
dbf destroyed by fire
dbr damaged beyond OH-LZG A321-231 5758 ret fr Eurowings Discover lease Air Astra
repair
dd delivery date OH-LZL A321-231 6083 as OH-LZG ATR 72-212A
ex previous reg'n S2-STB 1352 ex LZ-DAJ, dd 05.10.22, lsd fr DAE Capital
OH-LZN A321-231 7570 ret fr British Airways lease (600)
ff first flight
frtr freighter Go2Sky [6G/RLX ‘Relaxair’] ATR 72-212A
lrf last revenue flight S2-STC 1371 ex LZ-DAI, dd 24.10.22, lsd fr DAE Capital
(600)
lsd fr leased from OM-GTK 737-86N 36809 ex EI-GBB, dd 17.10.22, lsd fr DAE Capital
lsd to leased to AlpAvia
msn see cn Air Belgium [KF/ABB ‘Air Belgium’]
ntu not taken up S5-ASM Emb-145EP 145012 ex 2-SKYW, dd 04.10.22
oo on order ex A6-EYU, dd 07.10.22, lsd fr Altavair
op operated
OE-LCL A330-243 1521 AnadoluJet [TK/THY]
AirFinance
pax passenger ex F-WWBX, dd 26.09.22, lsd fr SMBC
pwfu permanently ASL Airlines Belgium [3V/TAY ‘Quality’] TC-LUK A320-271n 11103
withdrawn from use Aviation Capital
reg’d registered OE-IXH 737-8AS(BCF) 29927 ex N992JP, lsd fr JP Lease
reg’n registration
ex F-WWIS, dd 22.09.22, lsd fr SMBC
Atlantic Airways [RC/FLI ‘Faroeline’] TC-LUL A320-271n 11090
ret fr returned from Aviation Capital
ret to returned to OY-RCG A319-115 5079 ex EC-NMO, dd 05.10.22
rr re-registered ex F-WWDL, dd 02.09.22, lsd fr CDB
TC-LUN A320-271n 11037
rts return to service DAT – Danish Air Transport [DX/DTU ‘Danish’] Aviation
sb sold by
scr scrapped/broken up OY-RUU A321-231 878 ret fr Corendon Airlines lease 03.10.22 Pegasus Airlines [PC/PGT ‘Sunturk’]
st sold to TC-RBO A321-251nx 10814 ex D-AVWZ, dd 29.09.22, named ‘Fatma’
std stored Jettime [JTD ‘New Jet’]
tba to be advised TC-RBV A321-251nx 10925 ex D-AYAJ, dd 30.09.22, named ‘Elanur’
unk unknown OY-JZT 737-8AL 39057 ex EI-HDL, dd 26.10.22, lsd fr BOC Aviation
wfu withdrawn from use Mærsk Air Cargo [DJ/SRR ‘Whitestar’] Air Atlanta Icelandic [CC/ABD ‘Atlanta’]
w/o written off/destroyed
ex N152DL, dd 10.22, lsd fr Cargo Aircraft TF-AMR 747-45E(F) 27898 dd 27.10.22
OY-SYA 767-3P6ER(F) 24984
Management TF-WFF 747-446(F) 26343 opf/lsd to Fly Meta
Thanks to Dave
Richardson and Airfast Indonesia [FS/AFE ‘Airfast’] Icelandair [FI/ICE ‘Iceair’]
LAASI Aviation for PK-OSB 737-33V(QC) 29333 ex PK-DGO, dd 25.10.22 TF-CCG 757-208 24760 ex D4-CCG, reg’d 10.22 to Loftleiðir-Icelandic
the above

78 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

TF-ISH 767-304ER 28883 ex N28883, lsd fr Titan Aviation Holdings ex VP-CBQ, dd 14.10.22, lsd fr/op by
ES-SAB A320-214 3644
SmartLynx Estonia
Tunisair [TU/TUN ‘Tunisair’]
ex 2-ACSD, dd 14.10.22, lsd fr/op by
ex EI-GUJ, dd 20.10.22, lsd fr/op by Aura ES-SAW A320-232 1663
EC-NOZ A320-232 4113 SmartLynx Estonia
Airlines
ex OE-IET, dd 18.10.22, lsd fr/op by
Qanot Sharq Airlines [HH/QNT ‘Qanot Sharq’ ES-SAY A320-232 2689
SmartLynx Estonia We welcome
ex D-AZYN, dd 30.09.22, lsd fr Air Lease Arik Air [W3/ARA ‘Arik Air’] any feedback
UK-32110 A321-253nx 10942
Corp
LY-NZL A320-214 2388 ex VT-IHT, dd 10.09.22, lsd fr Heston Airlines on this listing
FlyArystan
Manta Air [NR/MAV ‘Sea Wing’]
ex F-WWDX, dd 28.09.22, lsd fr Aviation (The listing is alphabetical
EI-KBP A320-271n 11120 8Q-RAN DHC-6 300 620 ex N888PV, dd 09.10.22
Capital Group with reference to the
Trade Air [C3/TDR ‘Trade Air’] registration of the country
SCAT Airlines [DV/VSV ‘Vlasta’]
of origin. Columns indicate
ex VP-CUW, dd 10.22, lsd fr Aviation 9A-BTH A320-214 1454 ret fr TUI lease 27.09.22 the registration, type,
UP-B3733 737-8HX 29654
Capital Group Air Atlanta Europe [CT/AAE ‘Euroviking’] construction number and
ex VP-CUX, dd 10.22, lsd fr Aviation Capital notes.)
UP-B3734 737-8HX 29658 9H-AKA 747-45E(F) 27899 ex TF-AMA, dd 20.10.22
Group
Airhub Airlines [AH/GJM ‘Airhub’]
Air Urga [3N/URG ‘Urga’]
ret fr Air Malta lease, lsd to/op for Surinam
UR-UZA An/26-100 5901 ex UR-CHT, lsd fr Expedition Avia FZC 9H-EMU A320-214 1087
Airways
SkyUp Airlines [PQ/SQP ‘Skyup’] Avion Express Malta [X8/MLH ‘Southwind’]
UR-SQF 737-8H6 40151 ret fr Corendon Airlines Europe lease 9H-MLO A320-214 5653 ex EI-GSZ, dd 26.09.22, lsd fr JP Lease
Supernova Airlines 9H-MLQ A320-232 4223 ret fr Eurowings lease
UR-UZI An.26-100 7108 ex UR-MDA, lsd fr Expedition Avia FZC Eurowings Europe [EWL ‘Black Pearl’]
Alliance Airlines [QQ/UTY ‘Unity’] 9H-EUW A320-214 4606 ex D-ABFP, dd 27.10.22
VH- ERJ190-100AR 19000072 ex N946UW, dd 19.10.22 Galistair [GH/GTR Galister’]
VH- ERJ190-100AR 19000133 ex N953UW, dd 15.10.22 ex B-6501, dd 23.10.22, lsd fr CDB
EI-MAE A330-343(F) 964
Bonza Airlines [BNZ ‘Bonza’] Aviation, lsd to/op for MasAir
VH-UIK 737-8 43975 ex N1786B, dd 29.09.22, lsd fr 777 Partners Malta Air [AL/MAY ‘Blue Med’]
Skytrans Airlines [QN/SKP ‘Skytrans’] 9H-QER 737-8AS 33582 ex EI-DHV, dd 29.10.22
VH-FWX Cessna 208B 208B2298 ex 4R-EXP, lsd fr Aero Facilities Pty SmartLynx Airlines Malta [2N/LYX ‘Malta Cat’]
Tasman Cargo Airlines [HJ/TMN ‘Freightexpress’] 9H-SLE A320-214 3475 ret fr TUI Airlines lease 16.10.22
G-DHLF 767-3JHF 37806 dd 27.08.22, lsd fr/or for DHL Wizz Air Malta [W4/WMT]
Virgin Australia Airlines [VA/VOZ ‘Velocity’] 9H-WAC A321-271nx 11017 ex D-AZAU, dd 29.09.22
VH-NBP 737-7K2 38128 ex VP-CET, lsd fr Babcock & Brown 9H-WAG A321-271nx 10526 ex HA-LVX, dd 28.10.22, lsd fr AVIC Leasing
VH-NBV 737-7K2 39446 ex-PH-BGR, named ‘Christies Beach’ 9H-WAJ A321-271nx 10369 ex HA-LVU, dd 20.10.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation
Bamboo Airways [QH/BAV ‘Bamboo’] 9H-WAK A321-271nx 10260 ex HA-LVL, dd 13.10.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation
VN-A228 A321-251nx 10284 ex D-AVYG, was dd 26.07.21 9H-WAL A321-271nx 10336 ex HA-LVR, dd 19.10.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation
Longtail Aviation [6T/LGT ‘Longtail’] 9H-WAQ A321-271nx 10393 ex HA-LZC, dd 27.10.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation
ex N531UA, dd 12.10.22, lsd fr Aero 9H-WAT A321-271nx 10508 ex HA-LZH, dd 11.10.22, lsd fr CDB Aviation
VP-BCX 757-222(F) 25042
Acquisitions Jazeera Airways [J9/JZR ‘Jazeera’]
InterCaribbean Airways [JY/IWY ‘Islandways’] 9K-CBJ A320-251n 10850 ex F-WWIK, dd 21.09.22, lsf CDB Aviation
VQ-T DHC-6 200 182 ex VH-CKB, dd 12.10.22 9K-CBK A320-251n 10934 ex F-WWIR, dd 21.09.22,lsf CDB Aviation
SpiceJet [SG/SEJ ‘Spicejet’] Kuwait Airways [KU/KAC ‘Kuwaiti’]
ex N4022T, dd 31.10.22, lsd fr/op by 9K-APH A330-841 2005 ex F-WWKU, dd 28.09.22
TC-MKB 737-8 65901
Corendon Airlines
9K-API A330-841 2016 ex F-WWYQ, dd 28.09.22
ex N4022T, dd 17.10.22, lsd fr/op by
TC-MKC 737-8 65900 AirAsia X [D7/XAX ‘Xanadu’]
Corendon Airlines
TC-MKD 737-8 65186 as TC-MKC 9M- A330-343E 1475 ex 2-MAHY, dd 10.22, lsd fr FLY Leasing
ex N1779B, dd 31.10.22, lsd fr/op by Batik Air Malaysia [OD/MXD ‘Malindo’]
TC-MKE 737-8 43334
Corendon Airlines ex N5515R, N1782B, N5002K, N1786B, dd
9M-LRK 737-8 43005
TC-MKF 737-8 43340 as TC-MKB 09.09.22, lsd fr Aergo Capital Deliveries of the Boeing
Viva Aerobus (Aeroenlaces Nacionales) [VB/VIV] ex N57001, N1782B, N1796B, N1786B, dd 737 MAX continue apace.
9M-LRL 737-8 43012
30.09.22, lsd fr Aergo Capital Air Canada's latest
XA-VXF A321-271nx 10940 ex D-AYAN, dd 12.09.22 example, C-GEPG (cc/n
Goma Express
Aerro Direkt [4D/DIR ‘Direkt Wings’] 61241), seen here during
9S-GGP Let 410UVP-E3 882033 ex YU-PPK, dd 08.22 pre-delivery testing, is
ex N498TA, dd 29.10.22, lsd fr Fortress
YR-ADB A320-233 3418 Kin Avia its 38th MAX in total and
Investments
ex YU-KIN, ferried Piešťany – Khartoum
ninth in the last year.
Dan Air [JOC] 9S-GLA Let 410UVP-E3 892336 It was delivered at the
11-14.10.22
YR-DSE A320-232 2479 ret fr Wizz Air lse 04.10.22 end of October
YR-URS A319-132 3614 ret fr Air Serbia lse V1IMAGES/PRESTON FIEDLER
Hello Jets [H3]
YR-BMQ 737-8FH 35101 ex B-5359, dd 10.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
YR-BMR 737-7K2 33465 ex OE-IAH, dd 10.22, lsd fr Air Lease Corp
Air Serbia [JU/ASL ‘Air Serbia’]
YR-DSE A320-232 2479 ex SX-SOF, dd 12.10.22, lsd fr/op by Dan Air
ex VQ-BZZ, dd 13.10.22, lsd fr Wings
YU-APO A320-232 6388
Capital Partners
Great Barrier Airlines [GB/AFW]
ZK-SDG Cessna 208B 208B2041 ex F-HFTR, reg’d 14.10.22
Africa Charter Airline [FSK ‘African Sky’]
ZS- 737-36E(F) 26322 ex N104RA, dd 17.10.22
Airlink [4Z/LNK ‘Link’]
ZS- ERJ190-100AR 19000312 ex 2-HZPN, dd 09.22, lsd fr Chorus Aviation
Berniq Airways [NB/BNL ‘Manara’]
5A-BRD A320-214 4519 ex M-ABOP dd 04.10.22
Air Peace [P4/APK ‘Peace Bird’]

www.key.aero 79
 Global deals for AFI KLM E&M
The latest AIR FRANCE Industries KLM Engineering
news from & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) signed
maintenance, support agreements with four carriers
repair and and expanded its engine MRO capabilities
overhaul during October and November. The first
providers sees the MRO provide component support
for Italian start-up airline AeroItalia’s four
MRO News Boeing 737-800s. Contracted services will
by Nigel include component repair, access to the
Pittaway spare parts pool, logistics support and the
provision of a local stockholding.
Gaetano Intrieri, the airline’s CEO said:
“For a young airline, being able to rely
on the experience of a major and historic
player in aviation maintenance such as
AFI KLM E&M is a token of confidence and
peace of mind. In addition to the reliability
of performance levels their service package
provides, the attention paid to our needs
and limitations was just as important in
order to ensure that we would benefit from
Lufthansa Technik wins service contracts
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK has secured major
contracts with a group of international low-
cost carriers including Wizz Air, Frontier
Airlines and Condor. The ten-year Total
Component Support (TCS) contract with
Wizz Air Hungary includes the carrier’s
subsidiaries in Abu Dhabi, Malta and the UK
and adds a component lease and supply
service. The operator currently fields 166
Airbus A320s, but the fleet is planned to
grow to as many as 500 aircraft by 2030.
Elsewhere, the agreement with Frontier
will include on-site team support at 11 of
the carrier’s maintenance stations in the
United States. The Denver-based airline
has 115 A320-family aircraft in service
today, with this number expected to grow
rapidly by the end of the decade. Volaris
80 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
a mixture of solutions that was optimally
adapted to our operational needs.”
The European MRO has also announced
an agreement with Norwegian carrier Norse
Atlantic Airways, covering component
support for its 12 Boeing 787s and will
provide flight-hour repairs, access to
spares, the provision of a main base kit,
logistics services and use of the Prognos
predictive solutions tool. Meanwhile, Virgin
Atlantic has extended its long-standing
partnership with AFI KLM E&M, enlisting
the MRO to provide component support for
the 16 Airbus A330-900neo it has on order.
They will be supported through a main
base kit in London, as well as flight-hour
repairs and access to the pool of spares.
Elsewhere, AFI KLM E&M has signed a deal
with CFM for the full scope of repairs to
LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines.
François Planaud, Safran Aircraft Engines’
will also benefit from Lufthansa Technik’s
parts pooling operation in North America,
as well as access to its AVIATAR digital
operations suite. The Mexican carrier
currently operates 114 aircraft but is set to
almost double its fleet over the contract
period with the MRO. In total, the European
MRO expects the three TCS contracts
to cover around 1,000 Airbus A320
family jets.
In related news, Lufthansa Technik has
signed a TCS contract with Condor to
support the German carrier’s new Airbus
A330-900neo fleet. The deal, signed at
the MRO Europe conference in London, is
due to come into effect on January 1, 2023.
Christian Schmitt, COO at Condor said:
“The supply of necessary components for
executive vice president of support and
services, said: “The addition of such a
major, reputable provider greatly enhances
and strengthens our open MRO network.
With its vast experience on engines such as
the CFM56, GE90 and GEnx product lines,
its innovative capabilities, and its ongoing
focus on designing new solutions, AFI KLM
E&M will undoubtedly make significant
contributions to the continued development
of world-class support for the LEAP engine,
throughout its life.”
Finally, on November 8, AFI KLM E&M
announced it had concluded an agreement
with Pratt & Whitney for the maintenance
and repair of PW1500G engines used to
power the Airbus A220. The MRO will
receive its first engine in its facility in Paris
in the second quarter of 2023.
(Photo Norse Atlantic Airways)
MRO NEWS BY NIGEL PITTAWAY
our new aircraft is an important aspect
for the service entry and operation of the
A330neo. The continued co-operation with
Lufthansa Technik ensures a consistently
optimal support, according to the highest
quality standards in this area. We are
convinced of the work of Lufthansa Technik
as well as the services it offers and look
forward to having this important reliable
partner at our side in the long term.”
In separate company developments,
Lufthansa Technik has inked a five-year
contract extension with Parker Meggitt
for the supply of spare parts and MRO
services, and a long-term agreement with
Airline MRO Parts (AMP) for the supply of
consumable and expendable materials.
(Photo Condor)
 FL Technics unites
group MRO operations
FL TECHNICS has revealed that it plans to
unite its global network of MRO business
under a single brand. ‘FL Technics’ will
replace Storm Aviation (UK), Chevron
Technical Services and Chevron Aircraft
Maintenance (Scotland), Flash Line
Maintenance (Italy), Wright International
(Canada), FL Technics Engine Services
(Lithuania) and FL Technics Indonesia.
Zilvinas Lapinskas, chief executive officer
of FL Technics explained the reasoning
behind the move: “[We are] developing
at a high pace despite the global and
economical restraints, as we continue
to grow the business and network of
operations worldwide. Such a pace
OGMA in
E2 breakthrough
EMBRAER SUBSIDIARY OGMA has been
confirmed as the first authorised E-Jets
E2 maintenance organisation in Europe.
The announcement was made during
the Brazilian manufacturer’s Embraer
Operators Conference (EOC) held in
Lisbon, following certification of OGMA
from the Portuguese aeronautical
authority ANAC (Autoridade Nacional
da Aviação Civil) to enable it to perform
commercial heavy maintenance on the
OEM’s flagship type. The certification
allows OGMA to undertake heavy
maintenance, total fleet management,
support maintenance and future aircraft
modification activities.
In related news, the Portuguese MRO
challenges us to maintain efficiency and
consistency on all levels, and proper
identity with strong brand presence is one
of the ways to achieve this. With a global
mindset and open culture within our group,
I am confident this rebranding will bring
clarity and strengthen our foothold in
current and future markets we aim
to enter.”
In other news, the MRO also announced a
new contract with Wizz Air in late October,
covering wheels and brakes overhaul
services for the carrier’s growing Airbus
A320 fleet. The deal includes repair
and overhaul, storage, supply chain and
management solutions. (Photo FL Technics)
further announced at the EOC that it has
signed a contract with Widerøe – the E2
global launch customer – to perform the
type’s first heavy maintenance check.
Alexandre Solis, OGMA chief executive
commented: “We are delighted to reach
such an important milestone, which
results from the tireless work of a great
team. Being the first Embraer Authorised
Maintenance Centre for the E2 in the
Europe, Middle East and Africa region is an
important credential in such a competitive
and demanding sector. This is just the
starting point of an important cycle for the
company's growth, with more business,
new customers, and opportunities.”
(Photo OGMA)
The latest
news from
maintenance,
repair and
overhaul
providers
Liebherr
and AMTEK
MRO
partnership
AEM, A division of Stansted-based
AMETEK MRO, has signed a landing
gear overhaul agreement with Liebherr-
Aerospace to support Embraer E-Jets E1
airliners in the Europe, the Middle East
and Africa.
The contract will allow Liebherr-
Aerospace Lindenberg in Germany to
offload contracted landing gear overhauls
to AEM – a landing gear MRO based in
Ramsgate in the UK. The agreement
will increase the number of E1 landing
gear overhaul slots available to clients.
Commenting on the new arrangement,
Christian Franz from Liebherr-Aerospace
Lindenberg said: “For our customers, this
partnership generates more flexibility
and availability in planning and selecting
overhaul slots, which will optimise the
fleet operation of our E-Jet E1 customers.”
Andy Wheeler, deputy vice president
and managing director of AEM added:
“Our Ramsgate team has many years
of experience in providing the quality
of service that Liebherr-Aerospace’s
customers demand. This partnership
further cements AEM as a leading
landing gear maintenance provider and
complements wider landing systems
capabilities offered by AMETEK MRO.”
(Photo AMETEK MRO)
www.key.aero 81
 Information for
the traveller.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I found the article on the Staines Air
Disaster very interesting. My late father
worked for BEA in the mid-1960s until
the early 1970s. We were returning
from a family visit to Portland when the
traffic ground to a halt. As we passed,
my father noticed BEA vehicles and
said to my mother: “I think one of our
kites has gone in.” She wondered how
he knew and he said some of the vans
parked on the side of the road never
left London Airport and didn’t even
have number plates. He read a number
of books and articles on the crash and
had heard of Captain Key before the
disaster. He would have found your
article extremely interesting.
Geoff Burrows
Dear Editor,
I noted in the September 2022 edition
that The DesignAir stated that the
Condor stripped livery was "perhaps
the bravest livery and brand image
we've seen in a decade." I must
point out an earlier (1973) and braver
corporate rebranding by Braniff
Airlines referred to as ‘Flying Colors’
and designed by the world-famous
artist Alexander Calder (example
pictured). Each aircraft was a canvas
and took corporate ‘branding’ to a
very high (perhaps unmatched) level.
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/ Gary F Keller
CARL FORD South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
An Austrian advisory...
Dear Editor,
I greatly enjoyed reading the recent
article on Innsbruck Airport. I know
a number of UK carriers have and
do use it, but one which never did
was British European Airways (BEA).
They had a sales office in Innsbruck
for many years at the main railway
station, and my father (BEA Station
82 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
Dear Editor,
I wholeheartedly agree with Werner's
comments in regard to the ugliness of
Condor's new livery, except that the
word horrible is not strong enough;
I would use the word hideous. If
prisoners' clothing is the new style
of aircraft decoration then this would
be more suited to Air Koryo, the state
airline of North Korea.
The last few years have seen
cartoons and smiley faces on newly
decorated aircraft, a process that can
only be described as dumbing down.
In Condor's case, the entire fleet
appears as a rolled up beach towel
on wheels…
David Rosenthal
London
Dear Editor,
I agree with Werner. Condor’s new
look, while not a tragic Euro-white,
is still a miss. When looking at the
different options Condor had on
page 30 of your September issue,
several are overarchingly superior. If
numbered one through nine from the
top of the page, livery number eight
wins over the stripe mess!
Your magazine should have a write-
in contest, with voters picking their
favourite livery. Then Condor in
conjunction with you should paint one
of their workhorse Boeing 757-300
steeds in the design... You could even
Superintendent Southampton) and
I paid a visit there in 1968. Chatting
to the local Manager, I asked if BEA
had ever flown into Innsbruck. He
said yes, just once. He could not
recall the exact date but said in 1950
or thereabouts, when a BEA Viking
landed at the airport flown by a very
senior BEA Captain. His verdict was
charge a little fee, that your magazine
and Condor could donate to a current
cause in need!
Catherine Talaga
Dear Editor,
Having read your recent feature
on Condor’s wacky new livery and
doing some more research online
(both on social media and more
official sources) it feels like I’m the
only person in the world that actually
likes the stripes. Sure, they’re not
all that easy on the eye, but boy are
they good fun. At my local airport it’s
the same mix of Boeing and Airbus
narrowbodies in basic corporate
paint schemes, which doesn’t make
for a very interesting experience.
I have to congratulate Condor
management for being bold enough
to say yes to such a quirky series of
liveries, especially when there were
safer options on offer.
I sincerely hope that they stand firm
and resist the temptation to revert
or tone down the new look simply
because some boring types – who
probably never have, or will, fly
Condor anyway – take exception to
it. It’s two thumbs up from me; just fly
them to Sweden!
Benjamin Taylor
Malmö
‘never again’ and so BEA never flew
into Innsbruck!
Interestingly enough, though BEA did
not fly there, BEA Innsbruck handled
passengers every day because there
was a coach link from Munich Airport
for passengers wishing to travel to the
city and surrounding ski resorts.
Phil Lo Bao
 Flying 4 Engines 4 Art
Dear Editor, I am 12 years old and I’m already an Ed: A superb effort Rishee! There
My name is Rishee and I’m absolutely avgeek. Hopefully I will become a pilot aren’t as many A340s flying as there Information for
obsessed with Airliner World. I read very soon. I drew an A340-600 for used to be, so it’s great that you’ve the traveller.
your magazines everyday when I’m your magazine. picked a rarer aircraft to draw for us
bored. During the pandemic I kept Rishee Chauhan and our readers. Wishing you all the
waiting for your magazines to arrive. Leicester best for your future flying aspirations.

Shows & events

Enthusiast shows and events worldwide may be
listed here for free. Organisers are invited to send any RISHEE CHAUHAN
correspondence to the editorial department via email:

It’s the ‘Franken-MAX’!

airlinerworld@keypublishing.com
January 8, 2023
Croydon Airport Aviation and Model Show
Croydon Aerodrome Hotel , Purley Way, Croydon, CR9 4RT
Contact: Dave Sutton on 07973 885754 Regular contributor Joe G Walker originally destined for Jet Airways as
or davidsutton16@aol.com spotted this rather curious mash-up of VT-JXK. When photographed, the
May 7, 2023 airlines on a single aircraft recently. He aircraft had the rudder of the Indian
Gatwick Aviation Enthusiasts Fair
K2 Crawley, Pease Pottage Hill, RH11 9BQ
writes: “On October 2, ‘Boeing 591’, a operator, the winglets of new carrier
facebook.com/gatwickaviationfair 737 MAX 8 (c/n 44866), left Boeing Field Akasa Air, and engine covers of
June 19-25, 2023 (BFI) for Victorville (VCV) via Moses Lake European leisure giant TUI. Joe notes
Paris Air Show (MWH) – not a usual routing for a stored that based on the winglets, the aircraft
Paris Le Bourget Exhibition Centre, France
www.siae.fr/en/ aircraft that will be later painted.” is most likely going to end up with
June 21-24, 2023 It’s understood that the example was Akasa Air. JOE G WALKER
Airliners International 2023 DFW
Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport, Texas
www.airlinersinternational.org
Events are subject to late change without Airliner World’s
knowledge. Please check details prior to travel and adhere
to any local COVID-19 regulations.

GET IN TOUCH WITH AIRLINER WORLD

Do you have a historical tale, burning question or comment about the magazine to share with our global audience? Get in touch via
airlinerworld@keypublishing.com with the subject ‘Letters to the Editor’, or drop us a message on Facebook.com/AirlinerWorld, on Twitter
@_AirlinerWorld or join the debate on our Key.Aero forum. As we have returned to the editorial office, we welcome letters once again – the
postal address is: Airliner World, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1XQ
www.key.aero 83
UK
Visitors
UK VISITORS
We present a selection of images of visiting aircraft from airports around the UK. For the most part, they’re
commercial jets, but almost all of them are unusual types, wearing new or unique liveries, or first visits by
an airline or airliner to a particular airport. If you see something out of the ordinary while on your travels,
please send in your pictures. Photos can be emailed to airlinerworld@keypublishing.com Please ensure
you provide full details with the images, particularly the date, location, airline name and aircraft identity
Making a very welcome
Stansted change from the throng
of 737s at Stansted is this
very rare 727 example. The
1967-vintage was delivered
new to Pan American World
Airways as N358PA (c/n
412) and has been in active
service with corporate
operators since 1981. Now
wearing VP-BAP, the trijet
arrived from Athens and
departed to Portsmouth,
New Hampshire
DAVE POTTER

This former Stobart Air

ATR 72-600, EI-FAS (c/n
1083), emerged from the
Airbourne Colours paint
shop in full Air Serbia
livery and still bearing
the Irish registration. It
is understood that the
turboprop will adopt
YU-ALZ prior to entry with
the Belgrade-based carrier
KARL NIXON

East Midlands
This SkyUp Airlines Boeing
Glasgow 737-800, UR-SQO (c/n
40880), is pictured parked
on Stand 39 at Glasgow
Airport on October 24. The
jet had arrived the previous
day from Rzeszów, Poland,
carrying Ukrainian football
team FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
The narrowbody returned
to the Polish city on the
morning of the October 26
FRASER MURDOCH

Pictured operating its

maiden revenue flight on Heathrow
October 19 is this Austrian
Airlines Airbus A320neo.
The example, OE-LZN (c/n
10904), flew in from the
flag carrier’s Vienna hub
and is pictured on final
approach to Runway 09L.
The jet has been a frequent
visitor to the west London
gateway since mid-
October, chalking up more
than a dozen visits in its
first month of flying
CLIVE GRANT

84 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

 Manchester UK
Visitors
Catching the eye of a
number of enthusiasts at
Manchester recently was
ER-AXM (c/n 1786). The
Airbus A319, operated by
Air Moldova, arrived on
its first visit to the English
city carrying FC Sheriff
Tiraspol – travelling
to the city to play
Manchester United in a
Europa League match
NIK FRENCH

Spotted arriving into

Glasgow/Prestwick is Prestwick
this Boeing 787-8 from
TUI Airlines Netherlands.
The example, PH-TFM
(c/n 36429), flew in from
Amsterdam and was visiting
the Scottish airport to have
an engine replaced. The
Dreamliner is a 2015-vintage
and was originally operated
by ArkeFly before being
rebranded as part of the
European leisure
travel group
STUART HAIGH

Turning heads in Devon

on October 30 was this
Olympic Air ATR 72-600.
The turboprop, SX-OBN
(c/n 1073), departed
Exeter Airport as Flight
OAL3300 bound for
Athens. The aircraft had
the distinction of being
the first to be repainted
at the newly opened
Airbourne Colours paint
facility at the airport.
Its sistership – SX-OBQ
(c/n 996) arrived the
day before for similar
treatment, with the
inbound crew ferrying
-OBN back to the
Greek capital
IAN SIMPSON
Exeter
A rare visitor to Manchester
on October 28 was this
airseven Boeing 737-400.
The classic jet, registration
OY-ASB (c/n 27007) was
inbound from Milan/
Bergamo for a football
charter. It is understood
the aircraft – one of three
737-400s in the airseven
fleet – later departed for the
Danish city of Odense.
MARTYN CARTLEDGE

Manchester
www.key.aero 85
 Lufthansa launches Airbus VTP
IT HAS been confirmed that Lufthansa
The latest Group will be the launch customer of the
training aids Airbus Virtual Procedure Trainer (VPT), a
available for new training system presented in Berlin at
the aviation the European Airline Training Symposium
professional (EATS) 2022.
According to Airbus, the “innovative”
software solution enables trainees to be
immersed within a virtual, fully interactive
cockpit (see below). The benefits of this
advanced procedure training – which can
now be achieved without using either
a flight simulator or on-site procedure
trainer – are that it allows pilots to “drill
procedures repeatedly” and to hone their
CAE increases Canadian capacity
IN A bid to meet the increased demand
for pilots, technology company CAE has
confirmed its Toronto training centre will
have a new Boeing 777 full-flight simulator
(FFS) which is due to enter service soon.
This, it says, will complement existing
in-service 737 MAX and 787 FFS examples.
Elsewhere, CAE’s Montréal training centre
Latest airBaltic pilot graduates
THERE WERE celebrations at the airBaltic
Pilot Academy after its 15th cohort of
students graduated, comprising ten
males and three females who hailed from
countries across the Baltic region, as well
as from Finland, France, Germany and
Spain. Consequently, each has received
a commercial pilot licence following
conclusion of a full-time airline transport
pilot programme.
86 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
knowledge on Airbus Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs).
Gilad Scherpf, the head of aviation
training development at Lufthansa
Group, commented: “As part of a unique
partnership, training expertise will be
mutually shared to provide an innovative,
integrated pilot training approach. The
resulting training enhancements will
enable further use cases as well as
regulatory acceptance. This will be based
on the jointly gathered data while aiming
at a trainee-centric, flexible solution to
support key competencies.”
Fabrice Hamel, VP of Airbus flight
is to have a de Havilland Canada Dash 8
Classic FFS installed as part of an aim to
“better align with demand for training” on
this turboprop type in the country.
Applications for Jazz Approach – an
ab-initio pilot training programme
offered by CAE and Jazz Aviation – are
being accepted. This allows prospective
Pauls Cālītis, airBaltic’s chief operations
officer, commented: “We are proud of
the most recent graduates of the pilot
academy. In order to join the team of
airBaltic very soon, some of them will start
further training this month [November
2022]. It is a delight to see not only men,
but also women, amongst the graduates,
which confirms that the pilot profession
and the studies at the academy are on a
operations & training, added: “Using our
Virtual Procedure Trainer, pilots have
demonstrably learnt procedures more
effectively and efficiently, offering the
potential to shorten their Type Rating
course. The new tool also offers much
more flexibility because trainees can
choose to train alone with an AI or
together online.”
According to the parties, Airbus A320
procedure training for Lufthansa Group
carriers will be delivered by Airbus and
Lufthansa Aviation Training across VR,
PC and iPad devices.
(Photos Airbus)
candidates with little or no flight experience
to enrol on the cadet programme, which
lasts approximately 20 months, and offers
a direct pathway to a first officer position
with Jazz Aviation on the Bombardier
CRJ200 (see below left). According to CAE,
Jazz Approach is set to offer three classes
annually, beginning from next year.
Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president,
civil aviation, said: “We’re adding new
simulators and essential training capacity
to support the increased demand for pilots
from our Canadian airline customers. Our
partnership with Jazz Aviation will allow
us to create a pipeline of pilots for Jazz
and provide a new pathway to a dream
career. We look forward to making similar
programmes available to other Canadian
airlines soon.” (Photo AirTeamImages.com/
Mathieu Pouliot)
continuously growing demand, regardless
of gender.”
Meanwhile, during November, it was
revealed that the 16th group had already
begun their professional studies at the
pilot academy, with this cohort
encompassing 15 students.
At the time of writing, the airBaltic training
programme had 71 active students at
various stages of the curriculum.
 TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CONTACT: ANDY MASON
• Tel: +44(0)1780 663011 Ext. 150 • Email: andrew.mason@keypublishing.com
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www.Key.Aero 87
 Reports
Cause of BA 787 nose gear
and details
of recent
incidents collapse confirmed
G-ZBJB (c/n 38610) pictured uthorities have concluded a
in regular service before
the June 2021 accident.
AVIATIONIMAGENETWORK/
SIMON GREGORY
A major investigation into the
events which resulted in the nose
of a British Airways Boeing 787 hitting
the ground. The Dreamliner, G-ZBJB
(c/n 38610) was parked on Stand 583
at London/Heathrow when the incident
took place on June 18, 2021.
Due to international travel restrictions and
reduced traffic flows during the COVID-19
pandemic, the aircraft, a -8 variant of the
Boeing widebody, was being prepared for a
cargo-only flight to Frankfurt. In its final report,
the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch
(AAIB) said a ground maintenance team was
working to address three fault messages
associated with the nose landing gear (NLG)
doors while the flight crew prepared the aircraft
for the short flight to Germany.
The briefing pack collected by the pilots
referred to an outstanding technical issue
with the aircraft related to the NLG door. They
consulted the relevant minimum equipment
list entry and established that the defect
caused no operational or aircraft performance
issues. The aircraft was due to be operated
by two pilots accompanied by an overseas
engineer (OSE) to provide technical support
down-route.
Preparing the aircraft
Upon arrival at the remote stand at
approximately 0625hrs, the pilots and
the OSE met three ground engineering
personnel on the flight deck. The report
says the crew were told that the engineers
88 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
were attempting to resolve a number of
engine indicating and crew alert system
(EICAS) status messages related to the NLG
door solenoids (devices that open and close
orifices to control air or fluid flow). The AAIB
notes that the OSE: “offered his assistance
to the ground personnel in dealing with the
issues but was told he was not required,
[and] left the flight deck to perform his pre-
departure checks of the cabin.”
The captain, having been told by the licensed
aircraft engineer (LAE) that it would likely
take around 40 minutes for the problem to be
rectified, left the flight deck to conduct the
pre-departure aircraft walk-around. The AAIB
says that during the checks, the captain
“did not recall seeing any landing gear
locking pins installed”.
The report continues: “Two of the ground
engineers left the flight deck and the LAE
remained in the left seat working through
the engineering procedures on a laptop. The
co-pilot sat in the right seat and began his pre-
departure checks. The co-pilot had limited
interaction with the LAE as he was focused
on his own task, [but] he did recall that the
engineer pressurized a hydraulic system.
The co-pilot received the flight departure
clearance by datalink at 0650hrs and very
shortly after that recalled the LAE raising the
gear lever to up.”
The co-pilot recalled “hearing the gear
system actuate” before the nose of the
Dreamliner struck the ground. While the
co-pilot sustained a minor injury, the engineer
was unharmed. Following the incident, the
co-pilot said that AC electrical power had
been lost and the auxiliary power unit (APU)
had shut down.
Upon completion of their walk round, the
captain reboarded the aircraft and was in
the galley adjacent to the R2 door, along with
the OSE and the turn-round manager (TRM),
when the NLG retracted. The investigation
found that although some hot drinks were
spilled onto the TRM, none of the personnel
in the galley were injured. An engineer who
was seated in the forward cabin was also
uninjured, however a member of the cargo
loading crew who was standing on a loader
was “struck on the head by the cargo door
as the aircraft fell to the ground”. He suffered
minor injuries and was taken to hospital
for examination.
After confirming that there were no injuries
in the cabin, the captain and OSE went to the
flight deck. The two pilots left the cockpit to
establish safe escape routes from the stricken
aircraft. The OSE then turned off the inertial
reference system and all electrical power.
The airport rescue and firefighting service
(RFFS) arrived and entered the aircraft through
the L2 door which “had been extensively
damaged by contact with the access stairs
when the NLG retracted”.
The final report notes that emergency
responders suggested that “all on board
should vacate through the L2 door but due
to safety concerns related to the escape
slide in the damaged door, the commander
suggested that R1 was used when additional
steps arrived”.
Aircraft damage
After the accident, the 787 was resting on
its nose with no NLG visible but with both
main landing gears down and their down
locks in place. The investigation found
that the front lower fuselage and both NLG
doors were badly damaged, and the doors
were partially detached from their hinges.
Crushed underneath the nose was a metal
articulated conduit containing the ground
power supply cables, and on the left side of
the aircraft, aft of the NLG bay, deep vertical
scratches were scored into the fuselage
skin where it had been in contact with the
fixed power unit when the nose lowered to
the ground. The fixed power unit was also
“deformed and damaged” by the impact
with the aircraft and there were signs of
distressed rivet heads along the bulkhead
rivet lines forward and aft of the NLG bay.
The AAIB inquiry also reveals that in the
main cabin, “the force of the impact with the
ground as the aircraft’s nose lowered was
sufficient to cause some of the passenger
oxygen masks to drop down from their
containers and some overhead baggage
compartment doors to open”.
Event aftermath
Among its various findings, the
investigation highlights that due to the
relative proximity of G-ZBJB to maintenance
offices, a “large number of the operator’s
personnel were quickly at the scene of
the event”. While the AAIB acknowledges
that some airline representatives, such as
the members of its aircraft recovery team,
had a legitimate reason for their presence,
it argues that “the majority were not
required” and the emergency services “did
not have the capacity to release personnel
to conduct crowd or traffic control”.
Moreover, in the airside environment “it
was not appropriate to use incident tape
to cordon a scene due to a FOD [foreign
object debris] risk”. The report continues
that the rescue and firefighting service
DATE REG'N C/N TYPE
5-Oct SX-EIT 530 ATR 42-500
23-Oct HL7525 219 Airbus A330-300
27-Oct I-DPCN 2070 Canadair CL-415
6-Nov 5H-PWF 819 ATR 42-500
commander considered “the large numbers
of uncontrolled personnel in the vicinity [to]
cause a reduction in the safe conduct of the
incident response”.
The crew described the situation as
“mayhem” and felt the pressures from ground
staff impeded their conduct of post-incident
duties. The report states that “some of the
maintenance personnel involved were taken
from the scene by one of the operators’
quality engineers for their wellbeing”,
however the airport police “were concerned
that it may have represented an attempt to
coach witnesses on their statements as it took
a significant period of time before the location
of the witnesses could be subsequently
established”. The operator stated that the
personnel involved were taken off the ramp to
facilitate their preparation of statements.
Cause determined
The report concludes that the aircraft NLG
retracted on the ground when the landing
gear selection lever was selected to up
as part of a maintenance procedure. The
NLG downlock pin had inadvertently been
inserted in the downlock link assembly
apex pin bore instead of the downlock pin
hole. It added that the design of the aircraft
nose landing gear downlock assembly
“created an opportunity for error when
inserting the NLG locking pin, with two
holes located so close together that the
pin could be inadvertently inserted in the
incorrect location”. While a service bulletin
and airworthiness directive was available
that would have prevented the accident,
this had not yet been completed on G-ZBJB.
“There were powerful auditory and tactile
cues that could easily mislead someone to
believe the pin was correctly inserted even
when it wasn’t and there were no strong visual
indications to distinguish between the correct
and incorrect placements,” reports the AAIB.
“The determination of the risk of incorrect
installation of the NLG downlock pin in the
manufacturer’s service bulletin (SB) and the
OPERATOR FATALITIES LOCATION
Sky Express 0 Greece
Korean Air 0 Philippines
Vigili del Fuoco 2 Italy
Precision Air 19 Tanzania
regulator’s airworthiness directive (AD) did
take account of the design of the Boeing 787
NLG and the associated probability for error.
The operator’s process to embody ADs and
SBs considered flight safety, airworthiness Reports
and the AD’s ‘effect’ in enhancing safety, and details
but there was no documented evidence of recent
that health and safety risks had been incidents
fully considered.
“Had these risks, that were clearly
highlighted in the AD and SB, been given
greater significance by the operator during
the embodiment process, the priority of the
modification may have been escalated
and avoided the decision to defer
implementation to the end of the
compliance period”, it concluded.
Safety actions
The operator and the airport have
introduced a number of safety actions
which cover the adoption of corrective
modifications to the aircraft, and changes
to maintenance and incident response
procedures. The report states that British
Airways has ensured that the AD and SB are
fully installed on all applicable 787s and the
airline has reviewed its processes to assess
SBs and ADs to develop “appropriate
organisational structures to identify and
manage health and safety risks more
effectively”. The operator has also provided
ramp maintenance personnel with access to
manufacturers’ technical data, documents
and manuals via their issued iPads.
For its part, the airport operator has taken
safety actions including the amendment of
airport emergency orders action cards for
each stakeholder to contain “a requirement
for each business unit to make an individual
assessment of the incident categorisation and
communicate that to the RFFS commander”.
The airport EOs also include a cordon
requirement in all categories for the campus
security manager.
The full report is available to view on the
AAIB website.
NOTES
Collision with airport equipment
Runway excursion on landing
Crashed into mountain during firefighting mission
Landed in lake, short of runway
CREDIT: AAIB
www.key.aero 89
 Virgin Goes
Airliner World’s Craig West joined Virgin Atlantic’s
inaugural service to the Floridian city of Tampa to find out
first-hand how the carrier’s new Airbus A330neo stacks up
against the competition

90 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


t’s hardly one of the great
I philosophical debates of our time,
but Virgin Atlantic’s latest route
launch raised a curious question; is it
really an inaugural flight if the aircraft
in question has already been in service
for several days?
In retrospect, it’s more a minor point
of order, and it certainly didn’t diminish
from the fanfare that accompanied
the carrier’s Airbus A330neo debut to
Tampa on November 2. It was floral
shirts galore as passengers, invited press
and dignitaries embraced the ‘tropical
Florida’ theme, celebrating not only the
official debut of G-VJAZ (c/n 2018) Billie
Holiday – despite it having flown three
rotations to Boston prior to this – but
also Virgin’s inaugural service to Tampa.
LEFT: Virgin Atlantic founder
and president Sir Richard
Branson was in Tampa to
welcome the inaugural flight
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
From left: Tampa Airport's
Joe Lopano, Shai Weiss
and Sir Richard Branson of
Virgin Atlantic, Delta CEO Ed
Bastian and Mayor of Tampa
Jane Castor share the stage
at the press conference
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Destination Tampa
Never one to shy away from a publicity
opportunity, Virgin Atlantic president
and founder Sir Richard Branson was
in town to welcome the first flight,
resplendent in a personalised Tampa
Bay Buccaneers jersey gifted to him by
NFL superstar quarterback Tom Brady
(CEO Shai Weiss was similarly decked
out in the colours of the Lightning ice
hockey team).
Sir Richard was unsurprisingly the
centre of attention at the following
press conference, where he joked
about being a pirate and regaled
the assembled masses with tales of
his swashbuckling adventures with
his grandchildren on Necker Island.
Continuing the theme, he later cruised
Virgin Atlantic took delivery of the first of 16 Airbus
A330-900s, G-VJAZ (c/n 2018) ‘Billie Holiday’ in mid-
October. It expects to be operating four examples
(alongside an additional A350-1000) by summer 2023
AVIATIONIMAGENETWORK/NOAH GREGORY
around Tampa Bay on a jet ski flying the
Union Jack and Stars and Stripes!
Anecdotes aside, the mood was
jubilant as the airport celebrated
arguably its biggest coup to date – a
flagship route to London/Heathrow
(British Airways also serves the Floridian
city, albeit from nearby Gatwick).
The four-times weekly connection,
which was expected to go daily
from November 28, is operating in
partnership with Tampa International
Airport, Visit Tampa Bay and Visit St
Pete Clearwater and is being flown
exclusively by Virgin’s new A330neos.
A grinning Tampa CEO Joe Lopano
commented delightedly on the
“nonstop service to a world-class
destination” describing being “aboard
www.key.aero 91
an aircraft that reflects our commitment
to cutting-edge innovation and
[Fleet renewal is] a
unparalleled service”. fantastic opportunity
Having abandoned his hockey jersey to deliver more for
for something a little more stylish, Virgin
Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss added: “We
our passengers,
always say it wouldn’t be Virgin without but it’s far more
the Atlantic. The US is our heartland, than just the hard
and this is just a continuation of our product – our people
quest to be the best airline across the
Atlantic. Florida has an important role in
absolutely power the
our American portfolio, so I’m delighted customer experience
to be bolstering connectivity to the and this is what
region with the only direct flight to
Heathrow. We fly to Orlando, we fly to
differentiates us from
Miami, and now we're adding Tampa – the competition...
by summer 2023, we’ll have seven daily
flights to Florida.
“It’s also fitting that our new route will
enjoy our newest aircraft, the A330neo.
This airplane has evolved our customer
experience, with every traveller
receiving a premium experience
regardless of the cabin they travel in.
It also plays a significant role in our
multi-billion-dollar fleet transformation,
demonstrating our commitment to
the planet.
“We know the most impactful thing
we can do as an airline is to fly the
cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet
possible and the A330neo is integral to
achieving this goal.”

Sunshine State expansion

Given Virgin’s already sizeable presence
in Florida, what does the new Tampa
AIRBUS
route bring? Speaking to Airliner World
on board the inaugural service, the
Never one to shy away from
carrier’s chief customer and operating a photo opportunity, Sir
officer Corneel Koster explained: Richard Branson took to
“Florida is a strong market and we felt Tampa Bay on a jet ski flying
there was room for further growth in the Union Jack and Stars and
Stripes flags
our portfolio – it really complements VIRGIN ATLANTIC
our offering.
“The Tampa Bay area is a popular leisure
destination and there’s a huge number
of people who own second homes
in the area. It’s also a fast-growing
city – the technology and healthcare
communities are expanding quickly, and
there’s a lot of direct investment from
the UK, including
from Virgin.”
Notably, its close relationship with
Delta Air Lines – which holds a 49%
stake in its British counterpart – means
Virgin is not solely reliant on point-
to-point traffic from Heathrow, but it
can also take advantage of its fellow New route, new jet However, underneath it’s a very
SkyTeam member’s expansive domestic One of the biggest selling points of different beast. Virgin has extolled
network to offer onward connections to Virgin’s latest destination is its exclusive the aircraft’s green credentials and
almost a dozen destinations. use of the A330neo on the route. understandably so: the new powerplant
“Having a strong partner helps us Externally, the changes are subtle. The and aerodynamic changes combine to
tremendously when we’re trying to -900 features a new, ‘twisted’ wing deliver an 11% reduction in fuel burn
grow our presence in the US, and that adds more than 12ft to the span, and carbon emissions; it’s 50% quieter
Delta’s route network from Tampa gives together with A350-style winglets and than its predecessor over the typical
our customers a lot of options – our larger nacelles to house the cutting- airport noise contour; and it can fly
destination traffic is being topped up edge Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. almost 1,000nm further.
by connecting passengers, and it’s not Otherwise, it’s only the black outline But for most passengers it’s what the
just on this side of the Atlantic – around around the cockpit windows – referred airline has done inside the cabin that
20% of those flying from Tampa are to in certain quarters as sunglasses or a matters. As it did with the A350-1000
travelling on to Europe via Heathrow raccoon mask – that set the neo apart and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner before
– so we’re connecting with partners at from the previous-generation A330-300 it, Virgin has used the arrival of the
both ends.” also operated by the airline. A330neo to unveil yet another cabin

92 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023


ABOVE: The carrier celebrated
the launch of its new service
with an elaborate outdoor
party attended by Tampa's
'movers and shakers'
KEY-CRAIG WEST
ABOVE RIGHT: Invited
journalists and dignitaries
were entertained by musical
trio The Wandering Hands on
several occasions, including
on the outbound flight
KEY-CRAIG WEST
upgrade (see page 95 for an extended
in-flight review).
Koster told Airliner World: “Every new
aircraft is an opportunity to evolve, to
lift the bar and to give our customers a
fresh experience. These programmes
can take three or four years to come
to fruition and a lot can change in that
time, so we look to see how we can
implement the lessons we’ve learnt and
how we can elevate our offering further.
“The social space on the A330neo is
an excellent example. It’s been a great
hit on the A350, and it provides an
opportunity for customers to interact
with each other and the crew, so we’ve
retained that. What we have done,
however, is raise the height of the
seats in this area so you’re at eye-level
regardless of whether you’re sitting
or standing – it’s a subtle change, but
when these interactions are one of the
most important and popular elements
of the Virgin Atlantic experience it
makes a big difference.
“Our offering has also evolved
elsewhere. The new Upper Class suites
have privacy doors [rather than the
extending divider used on the A350],
which are very popular on night flights
in particular and give customers the
option of interacting with others in the
Virgin Atlantic's chief customer and
operations officer Corneel Koster
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss
addresses assembled media at Tampa
International Airport VIRGIN ATLANTIC
cabin, or enjoying their own personal
‘bubble’.” Koster was particularly proud
of the Retreat Suite, an innovative
use of otherwise wasted space that
transforms the two centre seats on row
1 into a four-seater booth. The suites
are marginally larger than the others
and incorporate ottomans that convert
into seats, enabling passengers to enjoy
restaurant-style dining or conduct
meetings in a manner not entirely
dissimilar to Qatar Airways’ Q-Suite.
“We’ve taken this relatively
underutilised space at the front of the
cabin and developed something special.
These suites are very versatile and
www.key.aero 93

enable you to enjoy that interactive
social experience with your travelling
companions, or you can close the
privacy partition and door and stretch
out in front of the biggest IFE screen
we’ve ever had.”
Virgin has also invested heavily in
its in-flight entertainment across
all classes, with more choice of
programmes, movies and music
shown on larger screens, Bluetooth
connectivity enabling passengers to
listen to their personal headphones and
link their devices, and latest-generation
wi-fi internet provided by Viasat.
Going green
The introduction of the A330neo is
the latest step by Virgin to reduce the
combined age of its fleet. Its oldest
are the ten A330-300s it acquired
between 2011 and 2012, but even then
a combined average age of below seven
years is, according to Koster, one of the
lowest of those flying across the Atlantic
and compares favourably with the
12-year industry average.
“Our fleet regeneration has already
94 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023
reduced our carbon footprint by 20%
over the last decade, and we’re aiming
to bring that down another 15% by 2030
– these new aircraft will be a big part of
that,” he said.
This does, of course come at a price:
lower operating costs of a new aircraft
are often offset in part at least by higher
The Rolls-Royce Trent 7000s
fitted to the A330neo help
the aircraft deliver an 11%
reduction in fuel burn and
carbon emissions over
its predecessor
AIRBUS
In keeping with its tradition
of naming its aircraft,
Virgin's first A330neo pays
tribute to American jazz and
swing singer Billie Holiday.
The aircraft is suitably
registered G-VJAZ
AIRBUS
lease fees. And while the chief customer
and operations officer was reluctant to
talk specifics, he did highlight the overall
benefits of the renewal programme:
“Our total ownership operating cost
is obviously very important, but our
fleet overhaul aims to achieve three
things; most importantly to have less
Externally, the A330neo
bears more than a passing
resemblance to the Classic.
Changes include larger
nacelles to house the new
Trent 7000 engines, and an
extended, 'twisted' wing
that adds more than 12ft to
the span
AIRBUS
Airbus A330neo Flight Review
Airliner World was invited to travel on the first
service to Florida to find out first-hand how the
A330neo stacks up against the competition.
As it did with the A350-1000 and the Boeing
787 Dreamliner before it, Virgin has used the
arrival of its newest type as an opportunity to
unveil yet another cabin upgrade. Up front, the
30 Thompson Aero Seating VantageXL suites
continue to blur the line between traditional
business and first-class products. They’re
all fully forward-facing – unlike the angled
herringbone seating in the A330ceo and A350,
and the 787’s ‘toast rack’ – and arranged in
a 1-2-1 configuration each with direct aisle
access and individual doors for additional
privacy (centre pairs can be separated by a
retractable screen). Notably, they include a
‘do not disturb’ function for those keen on
catching some shut-eye or getting their heads
down in their laptops.
The seats recline fully flat into a 6ft 4in
bed, as opposed to those in the A350 and
787, which fold forward, while the suite also
features a 17.3in touchscreen TV with full
Bluetooth connectivity, enabling passengers to
connect their personal headphones and even
use their devices as a remote (this functionality
is available throughout the aircraft).
The airline has helpfully retained the
inner overhead bins (and air vents),
which are otherwise often lacking in
premium cabins, and just as well too.
The suites incorporate a few small cubby
holes, including one for shoes and
another containing a vanity mirror, but
storage space is rather limited and larger
passengers will find access to certain
seats, where the table is on the aisle-
side, to be a bit of a squeeze. Notably,
the three-point seatbelt – installed at
the request of aviation authorities in the US
– is also very short, leading to gripes from
passengers and crew alike.
However, there are plenty of charging
options with AC, USB A and C ports and
a wireless charging pad, together with
personalised mood lighting.
Retreat Suite
One of the highlights of the Upper Class cabin
is the Retreat Suite, an innovative use of
otherwise wasted space that transforms the
two centre seats on row 1 into an impressive
The new Upper Class suite addresses many of the shortfalls
of the A350 product, including adding privacy screens and
sliding doors, though storage space remains limited
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
four-seater booth. The suites are marginally
larger than the others and incorporate
ottomans that transform info foldout seats,
enabling passengers to enjoy restaurant-style
dining or conduct meetings in a manner not
entirely dissimilar to Qatar Airways’ Q-Suite.
This is, of course, providing that all four
customers are already flying in the upper-class
cabin and are willing to pay an additional
premium for the bigger suites, which go on
sale around 14 days before departure. The
seats, which also feature 27in touchscreen
TVs, will otherwise be offered as an upgrade
option for those holding elevated frequent
flyer status, and can be used in regular single-
occupant mode with the same doors and
privacy screens as elsewhere.
It’s a smart use of the available cabin space,
and was a popular feature for the journalists,
vloggers and bloggers on board, but it’s not
entirely clear yet whether it’s a practical and
viable product, or more of a gimmick that
ultimately gets little real-world use.
Further back, Virgin has dispensed with the
popular bar that graces the area by the 2L/R
doors on other types in favour of The Loft,
In the economy cabin
it's more revolution than
evolution. Seats are set
at a 31in pitch (34in in
Economy Delight) and
feature a larger IFE
touchscreen and in-seat
power options
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Virgin has invested heavily
in its IFE offering, with
more movies, programmes
and music displayed on
its biggest touchscreens
to date. The A330neo also
has impressively fast and
intuitive Viasat wi-fi
KEY-CRAIG WEST
a social area with self-service fridges where
passengers can gather, stretch their legs and
chat, or grab a snack or drink.
Premium by name...
The remainder of the aircraft is more evolution
than revolution. Aft of The Loft is the revamped
premium cabin, which builds on Virgin’s
previous award-winning offering. The 46
armchair-style seats retain their 38in pitch and
add wireless charging for personal electronic
devices and 13.3in touchscreen IFE.
Passengers travelling during daylight
hours would likely appreciate the additional
legroom, but with no footrest (they are
instead fitted with a calf rest), limited recline,
fixed armrests and just an extra 1in of width
over economy, they may not be especially
comfortable for those trying to catch some
sleep on a ‘redeye’ service.
The 184-seat economy cabin has also
been revisited, albeit with a light touch,
with new brown and dark red fabric seats
pitched at 31in (or 34 in Economy Delight)
and personal 13.3in Bluetooth screens – the
biggest ever fitted to Virgin’s lower end
offering. The airline has also included in-seat
USB charging.
Verdict
It’s safe to say Virgin’s A330neo lives up
to the hype, particularly in Upper Class.
The new product delivers a significant
improvement over the carrier’s 787s and
addresses many of the shortcomings of the
A350 cabin. But where the airline truly excels
is in its service. Its attentive cabin crew never
fail to impress with their friendly demeanour
and ‘can do’ attitude regardless of which
cabin you’re travelling in; the in-flight catering
was good (menu choices on the inaugural
Tampa flight included chicken and mushroom
pie with colcannon mash, miso and sesame
crusted salmon in a honey and ginger sauce,
and a vegetable korma with pilau rice and
paratha) and the drinks flow freely.
Combined with the excellent IFE system
and the impressively fast and intuitive Viasat
on-board Wi-Fi, quick enough to stream
video and available at no cost for the first
month of operations and then otherwise
for a set fee based on the data package
you choose, there’s plenty to keep the
passengers entertained.
With four A330neos due to be in service
by summer 2023, opportunities to fly on
the type will increase significantly over the
next few months. The aircraft are initially
being deployed on services to Boston and
Tampa, followed by Miami and likely New
York as more examples come online – those
with flexibility in their travel plans and an
inclination to fly on the A330neo will be
pleasantly surprised.
www.key.aero 95
impact on the planet, but also to have
new aircraft that are more efficient and
require less maintenance, meaning they
fly more and are cheaper to operate.
It’s also a fantastic opportunity to
deliver more for our passengers.” He
added: “But it’s far more than just the
hard product – our people absolutely
power the customer experience and
this is what differentiates us from the
competition.
“It helps our financial outlook to be
flying modern and efficient aircraft – it’s
part of who we are and what we do.”
Deployment of the neo will be
relatively rapid over the next six months.
A second example, G-VTOM (c/n 2019)
Space Oddity was handed over in mid-
November, with the third due by the
end of 2022 and the fourth following by
summer 2023 (alongside an additional
A350-1000). All 16 A330neos are due
for delivery by 2026/27.
Koster confirmed that the incoming
jets will replace the ageing A330
Classics, though some examples are
anticipated to fly on a while longer to
help facilitate network growth and route
development. “We’re initially deploying All Airbus? pilots are licensed by the UK CAA to fly
Shai Weiss and Sir Richard
Branson showing their
the A330neo on routes to the US east Operationally, the new aircraft brings the A330 and the A350, but they need support for the local ice
coast – Boston and Tampa to start, other benefits for Virgin, including to undertake additional training before hockey and American
football teams with
and then Miami when we receive the crew training. The A330neo shares a they do so. The aircraft have slightly
personalised jerseys
third aircraft. Common Type Rating (CTR) with the different cockpit layouts and systems, VIRGIN ATLANTIC
“As our new flagship, I also see this A350 also flown by the carrier, meaning but are otherwise very similar and under
serving New York at some stage, but dual-qualified pilots can seamlessly the Airbus philosophy we use the same
with so many daily rotations [to the UK] I switch between the two. SOPs [standard operating procedures]
think it’s better in the short term to stick “Our pilots can be cross-trained to and cockpit calls.
with those lower frequency markets, so fly both types, so from a crewing and “The computerised flight control
passengers know what they’re getting.” engineering perspective, this basically systems are also designed to produce
Longer term, Virgin has no firm plans gives us two fleets rather than three,” the same handling characteristics,
The A330neo offers many
for where else it might use the type, but Koster explained. particularly during key phases of synergies with the carrier's
is expected to take advantage of the Speaking exclusively to Airliner World flight such as take-off rotation and existing fleet of A350s.
aircraft’s versality and extended range during the inaugural flight, Captain the landing flare, so from a flying They can both be flown
to support new market opportunities Rob Lawton, Virgin’s senior manager perspective it feels very similar flying the under a Common Type
Rating, simplifying
and to ‘right size’ on existing routes Airbus, provided further background on A330neo as it does the bigger, longer training requirements
during traditionally quieter periods. the CTR: “Under a common rating our and heavier A350. AIRBUS

96 AIRLINER WORLD JANUARY 2023

According to Corneel Koster,
Virgin's people are what
differentiates the carrier
from its competition
VIRGIN ATLANTIC/
ADAM GERRARD
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor,
Virgin CEO Shai Weiss, Sir
Richard Branson and Tampa
airport CEO Joe Lopano pose
for photos on the apron
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
“Pilots qualified and current on the
A330 will complete the CTR either
in-house or with Airbus in Toulouse.
This takes eight days in total – around
four days of self-study ground school,
two simulator sessions and then line
training under the supervision of a
training captain.”
The process is simpler for those
progressing from the A330 Classic
to the neo, requiring successful
completion of an online course. Lawton
added: “As the first UK operator of the
A330neo, we’ve put in place a robust
training programme for pilots moving
across from the Classic, including a
requirement for crew to re-familiarise
themselves with key differences, such
as crosswind limits or systems nuances
[including the weather radar and
unreliable airspeed protection], before
every departure.”
Virgin has already undergone a degree
of fleet consolidation in recent years –
since 2020, it has withdrawn its 747s,
A340-600s and A330-200s – and the
synergies between the A330neo and
the A350 have led to speculation Virgin
could scale back further. The carrier
has traditionally maintained a foot in
two camps, affiliated to Boeing since
its launch almost four decades ago, but
also a loyal customer of its European
rival Airbus since it introduced its first
A340 in 1993. However, the oldest of the
carrier’s 787 Dreamliners has now been
in service for eight years and the airline’s
onboard product has gone through two
hefty overhauls since then, leaving Virgin
with an awkward predicament.
Koster revealed: “We’ve got a fantastic
product in our A350, but we do have a
decision to make around the Dreamliner
– do we keep them longer, in which
case it presents a fantastic opportunity
to retrofit the cabin, or do we phase
them out? That’s a medium-term
decision we’re yet to make, but we
have the 787s on 12-year leases so we
will have plenty of time to evaluate our
options.”
For most other carriers, a fleet of
widebodies with an average age of
barely 6.5 years would be looked upon
fondly, but it’s testament to how quickly
Virgin and its customer experience is
transforming that these aircraft are
already under scrutiny.
The arrival of the A330neo and its
new-look cabin have seriously upped
the ante in the highly competitive
transatlantic premium market, and set
the bar extremely high not just for its
rivals, but apparently also for Virgin
Atlantic itself.
www.key.aero 97
 On sale
January 12*
The February 2023 issue of Airliner World includes:

Tapping into Booming Old Dougs,

new markets
Much has changed at TAP Air Portugal in
recent years, including a comprehensive
fleet renewal programme that has seen
the airline replace its older Airbus types
with more efficient, latest-generation
A320neo Family and A330neo aircraft.
Airliner World goes behind the scenes
at the Lisbon-based flag carrier to find
how it is integrating these innovative new
additions into its operation
in Brazil
Driven by strong market demand
across South America and beyond,
and underpinned by the arrival of new
narrow and widebody aircraft, Azul has
accelerated its growth plans and is on
the hunt for new destinations – and
strategic partners – at home and abroad.
The Airliner World team ventures to São
Paulo for an update on the carrier’s latest
developments and future prospects
New Tricks
Few aircraft have proven their versatility
and durability like the ubiquitous Douglas
DC-3. Today, one company continues
to capitalise on the type’s popularity
by overhauling and modernising these
80-year-old veterans to make them fit for
21st century operations in some of the
most unforgiving environments on Earth.
We head to Oshkosh in Wisconsin and
pay a visit to Basler Turbo Conversions
PLUS
Airliner World’s comprehensive
20+ pages of global aviation news
(contents are subject to change)
*UK scheduled on-sale date.
Please note that the overseas
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AZUL

AIRBUS

Polar 6 takes off at Rothera

Research Station in Antarctica
ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE/
MICHAEL FISCHER

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