Yearly Archives: 2014

Rohit Nandan’s tenure at Air India extended for up to 10 months

EGYPTAIR CEO Sameh El Hefny, Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil, Singapore Airlines CEO Choon Phong Goh, Air India CMD Rohit Nandan, Austrian Airlines CEO Jaan Albrecht and Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab

In a smart move that should benefit the national carrier, the Government has extended the tenure of Air India’s Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Rohit Nandan up to August 2015. As per an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension “till August 21, 2015 or till the appointment …

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Boeing begins to manufacture the first parts for the 737 MAX

The first 737 MAX fuselage stringer.

Boeing has started production of the first parts destined for the new 737 MAX. The fuselage stringers are being manufactured at Boeing Fabrication Integrated AeroStructures in Auburn, Washington. The stringers run the length of the fuselage structure giving it stability and strength. After forming, the stringers will be sent to Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kansas for incorporation into the first …

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Through the lens: Onboard Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Picking up where we left off last week, we continue on our tour of the Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8 DreamLiner. The aircraft I got up close with was A7-BCM, a brand new Dreamliner built in February of this year at Boeing’s Charleston plant in South Carolina. The aircraft is powered by two ultra silent General Electric GEnx-1B engines. Qatar has …

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British Airways to start Boeing 787 service to Chennai

British Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner G-ZBJC. Image Copyright Devesh Agarwal.

British Airways has announced that it will commence operations with it’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Chennai from 27th October 2014 (Monday). The service will also be upgraded to a daily direct flight from six weekly flights on the Boeing 777 as per the current schedule. After Hyderabad, Chennai will become British Airways second 787 service to India. Christopher Fordyce, Regional …

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Garuda Indonesia announces order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8s

A CGI of a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737 MAX 8. Boeing Image.

US Airframer Boeing has announced an order for 50 737 MAX 8s, valued at $4.9 billion at current list prices from Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. The airline will purchase 46 737 MAX 8s and will convert four existing orders of 737-800s to 737 MAX 8s. The order was previously accounted for in Boeing’s order book, attributed to an unidentified …

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Embraer delivers it’s first Legacy 500

The first Legacy 500 to be delivered. Embraer Image.

Last week Brazilian airframer Embraer delivered the first Legacy 500, the company’s new midsize executive jet. The launch customer is a Brazilian company which took delivery of the aircraft at a ceremony at Embraer headquarters, in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Marco Túlio Pellegrini, President and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets “The entry into service of the Legacy 500 is yet …

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Video: Cargolux Boeing 747-8F pilot does a ultra-low height wing wave

Most pilots when taking-off from Paine field on the delivery flight of their brand new Boeing wide-bodies perform a “wing wave”, the rocking the wings back and forth, symbolically waving goodbye to the airfield since the aircraft will never return in its life. Most pilots do this manoeuvre at around 2,000 feet altitude. Watch this video of a daring Cargolux …

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Etihad Airways plans global flights using leased Jet Airways’ aircraft

Airline Route reports that Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is planning to deploy wide body A330-200s and Boeing 777-300ERs it has leased from India’s Jet Airways on flights around the world in the Winter 2014 schedule which commences from October 26th. Etihad holds a 24% share in Jet. Etihad plans to deploys Jet’s A330-200s on: Abu Dhabi – Johannesburg as …

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CFM LEAP 1-C engine for Comac C919 achieves first flight

CFM LEAP 1-C on the 747-100 flying test bed.

CFM International’s LEAP engine achieved its first flight taking off on a modified 747-100 flying testbed at GE Aviation flight test operations in Victorville, California. In a release the company said “the engine behaved well and completed multiple aero-mechnical test points at various altitudes during the nearly three-hour first flight. Over the next several weeks, the engine will complete a …

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Air India to commence service to Pantnagar in Uttarakhand

Air India Regional (Alliance Air) ATR-42 VT-ABB

National carrier Air India will start a four times a week flight between New Delhi (DEL) to Pantnagar (PGH) in Uttarakhand from October 14, 2014. The flights will be operated by Air India Regional using an ATR-42 aircraft. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 9I-815 departs New Delhi at 14:30 arrives Pantnagar at 15:30 hrs 9I-816 departs Pantnagar at 15:50 …

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Etihad Airlines launches new airline alliance Etihad Airways Partners

(Left to right): Maurizio Merlo, CEO Darwin Airline; Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO airberlin; James Hogan, President and CEO Etihad Airways; Cramer Ball, CEO Jet Airways; Dane Kondić, CEO Air Serbia, Manoj Papa, CEO Air Seychelles; at the launch of Etihad Airways Partners.

Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways has unveiled a new airline alliance called Etihad Airways Partners (EAP). The alliance is initially made-up of six airlines in which the Gulf behemoth has equity stakes, though it claims to offer partnership opportunities for any airline wishing to join, even if it is part of any existing alliance such as airberlin which is a …

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AirAsia under-serves Bangalore, hub of its Indian subsidiary

AirAsia A320 9M-AHS at Penang airport.

A confusion exists on the website of AirAsia with regards to its ‘Fly-Thru’ connectivity service on flights to and from Bangalore. While the flight schedules page of the website offers the connecting service between Bangalore and domestic Malaysian destinations like Penang, Langkawi, Denpesar-Bali, to international destinations like Singapore, Sydney, Perth, and Manila, the booking page does not allow booking of …

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Through the lens: Onboard Qatar Airways’ Airbus A320

At this year’s Farnborough Airshow, I was invited by Qatar Airways to tour the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787-8 DreamLiner that they had brought to the show. This week we will be covering the Airbus A320 and the DreamLiner will be up next week. The aircraft that Qatar brought to the show was A7-AHW which is a two year old …

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Route dispersal guidelines: the anguish of airline network planners

Air India Airbus A321 VT-PPO. Seen here handing in the early morning light at Bangalore Airport.

[bsu_quote cite=”US President Ronald Reagan, August 15, 1986″] If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.[/bsu_quote] Reagan’s critique on government’s view of the economy can be applied to Indian aviation and the remote connectivity policy or route dispersal guidelines (often referred to as RDGs) implemented by the Ministry of Civil …

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Qantas and Emirates commence A380 service to Dallas-Fort Worth

Qantas A380 VH-OQL Phyllis Arnott on its first flight to Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Photo courtesy the airport.

In quick succession Dallas-Fort Worth Airport has joined the major leagues of Los Angeles, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Miami, San Francisco, Houston Intercontinental, and Atlanta as an airport that receives Airbus A380 super-jumbo services. And not just just from one but at least two international carriers, as both Australia’s Qantas and Dubai’s Emirates airline commenced ultra-long haul services connecting …

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Video: Qantas Boeing 767 retirement featured on CBS show 60 Minutes

Qantas Boeing 767-300ER

Qantas first introduced the Boeing 767 in to its fleet, with the smaller -200 variant, taking delivery of VH-EAJ on July 3, 1985. On August 30, 1988 it inducted its first 767-300ER VH-OGA. Over the years the carrier has been steadily retiring its 767 fleet. The airline now operates the 767-300ERs only on domestic routes having already retired the venerable …

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China Airlines receives first Boeing 777-300ER featuring “family couch” economy seat

China Airlines' first Boeing 777-300ER B-18051.

Taiwan’s China Airlines’ first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has landed at its home base of Taipei. Line number 1227, registration B-18051 is part of a 10 aircraft order. The carrier will induct two more 777-300ERs in October and November this year. The 777-300ERs will feature a new cabin product designed by award-winning Taiwanese architect Ray Chen. China Airlines will seat 358 …

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Photos: All five Airbus A350-900XWB’s in formation

On the eve of receiving type certification of the new A350-900XWB from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), European airframer Airbus performed a special formation flight of all the five A350 test aircraft that were used in the flight test process. The aircraft which bear registrations F-WXWB (Carbon Livery), F-WWCF, F-WZGG, F-WZNW (Qatar Livery) (See pictures from inside this aircraft) …

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Lufthansa to fly Airbus A380 to New Delhi from October 27

German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa has officially announced that it will fly the world’s largest passenger jetliner, the 520 seat Airbus A380 to New Delhi effective October 27, 2014. This confirms our analysis published earlier this year. Big boost in economy class seating Lufthansa currently operates its other VLA (very large aircraft) the Boeing 747-8i. Lufthansa’s A380 is configured with eight …

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Photos: Qatar Airways’ first A350-900 XWB progressing to year end delivery

Airbus A350-900 MSN6 first aircraft for launch customer Qatar Airways A7-ALA being readied in the paint hangar.

Airbus A350-900 MSN006 (manufacturer’s serial number), the first aircraft that will be delivered to launch customer Qatar Airways is proceeding through its paces for delivery by the year end. Airbus has received the EASA type certification for the A350-900 as we reported yesterday. The aircraft which will be registered A7-ALA when it enters service is seen here exiting the paint …

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