Vietjet orders 30 Airbus A321s

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A Vietnamese budget airline, which was launched just four years ago, was the top newsmaker on the third of the Dubai Airshow.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietjet announced an order for 30 Airbus A321s.

“Today’s order for additional A321s responds to our growth strategy and to the need for additional seat capacity on both domestic and international routes,” said Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, president and CEO

“Our aim is to be Vietnam and Asia’s new-age carrier, known for quality, efficiency and comfort and our A320 fleet has earned us this reputation.”

Vietjet already operates a fleet of 29 A320s and with Tuesday’s announcement, the airline has placed firm orders for a total of 99 A320 family aircraft.

Airbus also won an order from Oman Air to upgrade the cabins of its A330s.

This interior modernization will harmonize the airline’s business class cabins across its long range fleet and ensure the latest standards in its in-service A330s, Airbus said.

The project is to be completed next year.

In other show news:

Mercedes-Benz Style and Lufthansa Technik AG unveiled their new VIP cabin design to initial customers.

The two German companies said they had been working on the design since it was first announced at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva in May.

“The floor plan presented here visualizes the typical Mercedes-Benz modern luxury combined with Lufthansa Technik’s highest quality design approach,” said Walter Heerdt, senior vice-president at Lufthansa Technik.

“The result is a unique, organic and functional design for a modern VIP Jet. Together with Lufthansa Technik’s latest in-flight communication and entertainment innovations, the new cabin will be ideal for global players wishing to travel in style.”

The images are courtesy of Airbus and  Lufthansa Technik.

Emirates signs $16B service deal with GE Aviation

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Emirates has announced the biggest deal yet of the 14th Dubai Airshow — the UAE national carrier has signed a US$16 billion agreement with GE Aviation for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the GE9X engines that will power the airline’s fleet of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft over a period of 12 years.

This is the airline’s single largest engine MRO contract to date. Emirates ordered the 150 aircraft at the last show in 2013.

Earlier Monday, Indian carrier Jet Airways announced an order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes.

The order includes options and purchase rights for an additional 50 aircraft, Boeing said.

“Incorporating the latest design and technology features, the highly efficient 737 MAX will allow us to drive our operational efficiency and reaffirms our commitment to providing a best-in-class full service travel experience to our guests,” said Naresh Goyal (below), chairman of Jet Airways.

“This order is an endorsement of our confidence in the long-term prospects of the Indian aviation sector, which reflects the positive forecast for the country’s economy and offers tremendous potential for growth and development.”

Jet Airways will be the first airline in India to take delivery of the single-aisle aircraft, said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“The 737 MAX will bring new standards for fuel efficiency and economics, and a premium passenger experience to Jet Airways.” The deal is worth about $8 billion.

In other show news:

The UAE Air Force announced the purchase of two new Saab Global 6000 long-range surveillance aircraft.

Under the $1.27-billion deal, a further two Saab 340 jets already in UAE ownership will undergo systems upgrades.

Meanwhile, GE Aviation announced the opening of its Middle East Aviation Technology Center in Dubai. It will serve as a regional customer and product support hub.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi Aviation to work towards the establishment of Abu Dhabi Aviation as an authorized service facility for the Q Series aircraft.

“When a final agreement is reached, Abu Dhabi Aviation will become the first ASF for Q Series aircraft in the Middle East and will offer line and base maintenance services,” Bombardier said.

A 3D-printed drone, billed as the world’s fastest, largest and most complex, was unveiled Monday as part of the 3D Printshow.

The jet-engine powered aircraft took just two months to create and can break speeds of 320 kilometres an hour, the show organizers said. It was manufactured by 3D printing-technology leader Stratasys.

“This is the final piece in the puzzle for aerospace and we’re really excited to present it today,” said Jay Shelby of Stratasys.

“We’re here to show manufacturers what can be done when you take this technology and build your design around it. ”

The images are courtesy of Boeing, GE Aviation and F&E Aerospace.

Dubai Airshow in pictures

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A few images from Sunday’s opening of the 14th Dubai Airshow by the emirate’s Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Visiting the brand new two-class Emirates Airbus A380.

Touring Qatar Airways A380 with the airline’s GCEO, Akbar Al Baker.

Touring the CS100 with Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

At the UAE Space Agency pavilion.

The images are courtesy of F&E Aerospace, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Bombardier and the UAE Space Agency.

Dubai Airshow takes off

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The focus was on partnerships rather than mega deals as Dubai 2015 opened Sunday with more than 1,100 exhibitors from around the world descending on the city to showcase their products.

Aircraft orders worth more than US$200 billion were announced at the previous show in 2013, but analysts say they don’t expect any major deals this time as airlines have ordered enough airplanes to meet their demands.

Instead, manufactures like Boeing and Airbus are expected to announce partnerships with regional aerospace companies.

The UAE Space Agency is one of the new exhibitors at the show. The government organization was created last year to regulate and support the country’s space sector.

Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who opened the airshow, also toured the space agency pavilion.

“With the addition of the UAE Space Agency to our existing exhibitor list, we have added yet another dimension to the Dubai Airshow,” said Michele van Akelijen, managing director of F&E Aerospace, the organizers of the Dubai Airshow.

Dubai 2015 has also added a dedicated 3D print pavilion, 3D Printshow Dubai.

“With (3D printing leader) Stratasys recently reported to have 3D printed more than 1,000 in-flight parts for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and GE already developing and testing engines with 3D printed parts, the technology is a natural fit for inclusion in the Dubai Airshow,” the organizers said.

In other show news:

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced that the CS100 flight test program is almost complete.

“Only a few tests remain to be completed and Bombardier is on track to have the aircraft certified this year with Transport Canada,” said president Fred Cromer (right).

“We’re proud to be moving into the entry-in-service and production phase as we look to deliver the aircraft in the first half of 2016 to SWISS, a customer that has been with the program from the beginning.”

Bombardier also announced that Riga, Latvia-based airBaltic will be the launch customer of the CS300 aircraft when it takes delivery in the second half of 2016.

The Latvian flag carrier has 13 CS300 aircraft on firm order and retains options for seven CS300 aircraft.

“Bombardier’s CS300 airliners are integral to the execution of airBaltic’s business development strategy and fleet optimization plan,” said Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic.
“The CS300 aircraft has exceeded our expectations in terms of its noise and emissions footprint, aligned with airBaltic’s low environmental impact vision, ” he added.

“Additionally, it will offer airBaltic passengers a widebody, unparalleled in-flight passenger experience, perfectly complementing our modern fleet of 12 Bombardier Q400 turboprops.”

The show runs until Thursday.

Images are courtesy of Dubai Media Office, UAE Space Agency, airBaltic and Bombardier. The CS100 photo is by Abdul Latheef.

Stars of the Dubai Airshow

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The 14th edition of the Dubai Airshow opens on Sunday. DAS 2015 is the biggest in the show’s history. More than 160 aircraft will be on display at the five-day show.

Featured below are some of them: The first two-class configured Emirates A380, the Sukhoi Superjet 100, the Bell 429, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Airbus A350XWB, the Bombardier CS100, the Bombardier Global 6000, the Gulfstream E650ER, the Embraer Legacy 650, the Dassault Falcon 9000LX and the Embraer Phenom 100.

Images are courtesy of their respective owners. 

Bombardier: CSeries ‘better than advertised’

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On the eve of the opening of the Paris Air Show, Bombardier has announced that the performance of its all-new CSeries aircraft is “better than advertised.”

It said, based on flight tests results, its CS300 and CS100 airplanes exceeded their original targets for fuel burn, payload, range and airfield performance.

“In addition, the CSeries aircraft are on track to meet noise performance targets, making them the quietest commercial jets in production,” the Canadian aircraft manufacturer told a special media event in Le Bourge.

It said the CSeries aircraft’s maximum range had been confirmed to be up to 3,300 NM (6,112 km), some 350 NM (648 km) more than originally targeted.

The CSeries is delivering more than a 20 per cent fuel burn advantage compared to in-production aircraft, and a greater than 10 per cent advantage compared to re-engined aircraft, Bombardier added.

“The CSeries performance is better than advertised,” said Fred Cromer (right), president, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

The long-delayed CS300, designed for the 100- to 149-seat, single-aisle market, is making its air show debut in Le Bourge, four months after its maiden flight.

The aircraft is expected to enter service in late 2016.

Bombardier believes the CS300 offers the best seat-mile cost in its category and is ideal for a range of routes from short-haul to longer transcontinental markets.

Test flights for the smaller CS100, which can carry up to 125 people, began in 2013.

Certification for that aircraft is expected in the second half of this year with commercial flights starting shortly after that.

Bombardier has won 243 firm orders for the CSeries aircraft, 180 of them for the CS300.

The 51st edition of the Paris Air Show opens Monday.

The week-long event has attracted more than 2,200 exhibitors from 45 countries including 18 from Canada.

The stars of the Paris Air Show 2015

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Some of the aircraft that will be on static/flying display at the Paris Air Show next week.

The Bombardier CS300

The Bombardier CS100

The Airbus A350 XWB

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The Bell 429 WLG

The Embraer ERJ135

 Images are courtesy of Bombardier, Qatar Airways, Boeing, Bell and Embraer.

New Emirates A380: Sorry, no First Class

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All of the 13 airlines currently flying the Airbus A380 use aircraft with a three-class configuration, featuring First-, Business- and Economy-class cabins.

The world’s largest operator of the superjumbo is planning to change that with the introduction of a two-class A380 later this year.

Emirates is launching a daily service from Dubai to Copenhagen in December, using what it says is the world’s first two-class configured A380, which can carry up to 615 passengers.

But the down side is the new A380 will not have a First-Class cabin. Instead, it will have 58 seats in the Business Class and 557 in the Economy Class.

Emirates began flying to the Danish capital about four years ago, using an Airbus A330. A few months later, the airline switched to the bigger Boeing 777.

Tim Clark and Thomas Woldbye announce the A380 service.

“Today, based on strong load factors, we are happy to further up-gauge the route to our iconic double-decker, the A380,” said president Tim Clark.

As of December, the airline will offer more than 8,600 seats a week between Copenhagen and Dubai.

Emirates also noted that the aircraft would be more environmentally efficient than others, producing the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre of all commercial airplanes.

“Emirates is making history with this aircraft, its fuel efficiency is better than most modern small passenger cars in terms of fuel economy per passenger kilometre, allowing us to reduce emissions without compromising on comfort,” said Clark.

Meanwhile, the airport says it is investing heavily to make its infrastructure A380-compatible.

Copenhagen will be the first in Scandinavia to offer a scheduled A380 service.

“The increased capacity will hopefully stimulate more trade and tourism between Denmark and countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa,” said Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Copenhagen Airports.

Emirates has 59 A380s in its fleet, operating from Dubai to more than 30 destinations worldwide. The airline has ordered a total of 140 superjumbos.

Images are courtesy of Emirates and Copenhagen Airport.

Study: Emirates has big impact on European economy

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As one of the world’s biggest travel shows opens in Berlin, Dubai’s Emirates airline has released a study suggesting its operations support more than 85,000 jobs in the European Union countries.

The study, by the consultancy Frontier Economics, also says the airline’s purchases of Airbus A380 superjumbos support an additional 41,00 jobs.

In all, the airline had a €10.2-billion impact on the EU GDP, Emirates quoted Frontier as saying. The study covered 2013-2014.

“Emirates is fully committed to the European market,” said Tim Clark, president of the airline.

“The relationship goes back to 1987 when we first started flying from Dubai to London Gatwick. Since then, we have witnessed growth based on demand and now operate over 350 passenger flights a week from Europe, providing global connectivity via our hub in Dubai.”

The Frontier analysis covered 28 cities served by Emirates in 16 EU states.

Emirates is among the thousands of companies showcasing their products and services at the 49th edition of ITB Berlin, which runs from March 4 until 8.

More than 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries are participating in the show.

According to official estimates, deals worth €6.5 billion were concluded during last year’s show.

Images are courtesy of Emirates and ITB Berlin.

Airbus raises aircraft prices

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A year ago, the Airbus A380 cost a mere US$414 million.

As of January 1, the price of the superjumbo has gone up by $14 million to $428 million, the European aircraft manufacturer announced this week.

The single-aisle A318, the smallest member of the A320 family, will cost just over $74 million while the brand new A350-800 jet will sell for $269.5 million.

On average, the company has increased its list price by 3.27 per cent.

That is the price nobody pays though, as airlines typically negotiate a better deal.

“The 3.27 per cent price increase has been calculated according to Airbus’ standard escalation formula over the January 2014 to January 2015 period, and enables Airbus to continue to enhance its profitability,” the company said.

 

Last year, the price went up by 2.6 per cent.

 

Airbus offers aircraft ranging in capacity from 100 to over 500 seats and has

sold more than 15,000 airplanes to some 380 customers worldwide.

 

Images are courtesy of Airbus.