Boeing says Middle East market hot

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Airbus, Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, Dubai, Dubai Airshow, Embraer, News, Sheikh Mohammed, Tourism, Transport, Travel, UAE

The inaugural flight on Oct. 25, 1985.

Dubai’s Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum marked the 30^th anniversary of Emirates airline last month with a bold statement.

“Our vision for Dubai is clear: we are not building the largest airports in the world. We are building the aviation capital of the world.”

He noted the airline’s humble beginning in 1985 with two leased airplanes and its exponential growth in the past three decades, becoming one of the world’s largest airlines with 240 aircraft in service and another 267 on order.

“Our vision for Emirates for the next 30 years is rooted in innovation: to reinvent aviation with new products, technologies and services.”

Today, the world’s largest manufacturer of airplanes predicted that airlines in the Middle East will need 3,180 new airplanes, valued at $730 billion, over the next 20 years.

According to the Boeing Current Market Outlook, released ahead of next week’s Dubai Airshow, 70 per cent of that demand is expected to be driven by rapid fleet expansion in the region.

Single-aisle airplanes will command the largest share of new deliveries, with airlines in the region needing more than 1,400 aircraft, Boeing said.

Twin-aisle aircraft will account for a little under half of the region’s new airplane deliveries over the 20-year period, compared to 23 per cent globally, it added.

“Traffic growth in the Middle East continues to grow at a healthy rate and is expected to grow 6.2 per cent annually during the next 20 years,” said Randy Tinseth, vice-president at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

There is a reason for such rapid growth.

“About 80 per cent of the world’s population lives within an eight-hour flight of the Arabian Gulf.” Tinseth said.

“This geographic position, coupled with diverse business strategies and investment in infrastructure is allowing carriers in the Middle East to aggregate traffic at their hubs and offer one-stop service between many city pairs that would not otherwise enjoy such direct itineraries.”

The Dubai Airshow runs from Nov. 8 through Nov. 12.

The organizers say more than 160 commercial, business and military aircraft will be on display at the show.

Images are courtesy of Emirates and Boeing.

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CSeries skips Dubai Airshow

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Airbus, Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, CS100, CS300, CSeries, Dubai, Dubai Airshow, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

Bombardier will be showing off a few of its airplanes at next week’s Dubai Airshow, but the brand new CSeries aircraft will not be among them.

A list of aircraft that will be on display at the show released by the organizers does not include the CS100 or the CS300.

Instead, the Canadian manufacturer is sending the Q400 turboprop, Learjet 75, Challenger 350 and Global 6000 to one of the world’s premier airshows.

The CSeries aircraft made their airshow debut in Paris this summer, but Bombardier was unable to win any new orders at Le Bourget.

Cost overruns, long delays and most crucially a lack of new orders have beset the CSeries program.

In an effort to resuscitate the CSeries, the Quebec government announced last week that it will invest US$1 billion in the program in exchange for a 49.5 per cent stake in a newly-created partnership.

“This partnership comes at a pivotal time, with the CSeries on the verge of certification,” said Alain Bellemare, president and CEO of Bombardier Inc., in announcing the deal.

“The market is there, our leadership is in place, we have the best product and with the support of the government, we are ready to make this aircraft a commercial success.”

Quebec has also asked the Canadian federal government to match its investment in the single-aisle aircraft project.

The CS100 can carry up to 125 people while the bigger version, the CS300, is meant for up to 160.

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

The Dubai Airshow runs from Nov. 8 through Nov. 12.

The organizers say more than 160 commercial, business and military aircraft will be on display at the show.

Orders worth more than US$200 billion were announced at the last show in Dubai, but analysts say no mega deals are expected this time.

Images are courtesy of Dubai Airshow and Bombardier.

Wow! Reykjavik for $99 from Canada!

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Airbus, Airlines, Aviation, Business, Iceland, Montreal Airport, News, Pearson Airport, Reykjavik, Toronto, Tourism, Transport, Travel, WOW air

Iceland’s only low-cost airline is making an irresistible offer to Canadians travelling to Reykjavik: $99 one way from Toronto or Montreal, tax included!

For an additional $149, passengers can travel one way to several destinations in Europe, including London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

WOW air made the announcement in Toronto on Thursday ahead of the launch of flights from Toronto and Montreal in May.

Service from Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau will begin May 12 and Toronto’s Pearson on May 20. The flights will be operated, using a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

“WOW air prides itself on offering the lowest fares possible as well as the biggest smile and the friendliest service,” said Skuli Mogensen (right), owner and CEO.

“I’m thrilled to now announce our new routes to Canada, especially as I lived in Montreal for nearly a decade and also because the Icelandic people feel a special affinity for Canada.”

The airline said its entry into the Canadian market was expected to create an estimated 100 jobs.

Launched in November 2011, WOW air flies from Reykjavik to 20 destinations in Europe and the United States.

Its expansion into the Canadian market follows the launch of transatlantic services from Boston and Washington, D.C., in early 2015, the airline said.

“We have just had our best summer ever and, with these new routes launching in May 2016, next summer is another chance to break records,” said Mogensen.

“These great Canadian cities will become our newest destinations but I look forward to announcing even more in the not-too-distant future!”

All images are courtesy of WOW air.

CS100: ‘The quietest in its class’

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Airbus, Airlines, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, Canada, CS100, CS300, CSeries, EASA, Embraer, Environment, FAA, ICAO, News, Toronto, Tourism, Transport, Travel, TSB

The message was loud and clear as the all-new Bombardier CS100 made its Toronto debut Thursday: It’s the quietest aircraft in its class.

The company told a gathering of government officials and airline executives that the “aircraft’s noise performance and its outstanding short-field capability make it ideal for city centre operations.”

The CS100 is the smaller version in the CSeries and is on course for certification later this year.

The aircraft that debuted in Toronto was in the colours of launch customer SWISS, or Swiss International Air Lines, and is expected to make the first commercial flight before the middle of next year.

The CS100 can carry up to 125 people while the bigger version, the CS300, is meant for up to 160.

It is not the first time Bombardier is stressing the efficiency of the aircraft. Just before this year’s Paris Air Show, the company declared that the performance of the CSeries was “better than advertised.”

“We announced previously that the CSeries aircraft are exceeding their original targets for fuel burn, payload, range and airfield performance,” said Rob Dewar, vice-president of the program.

“Now we are delighted that the CS100 aircraft’s noise performance tests have confirmed it as the quietest in-production commercial jet in its class.”

The company said the first production CS100 will soon start function and reliability testing, signalling the start of the final flight testing phase.

“For these tests, the aircraft will operate on a commercial airline type of schedule from key airports in North America.”

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

No new orders were announced Thursday but Fred Cromer (above), president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, was very optimistic.

“The momentum continues to grow,” he said.

All images are by the author.

Cochin becomes world’s 1st fully solar-powered airport

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Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Bosch, Business, Calicut, Cochin, Electricity, Environment, God's Own Country, India, Kannur, Kerala, Kochi, Kozhikode, News, Pollution, Solar Power, Tourism, Transport, Travel, Trivandrum

Cochin International Airport (COK) in southern India was opened just 16 years ago. This week it is celebrating a major environmental milestone – it has become the world’s first fully solar-powered airport.

More than 46,000 solar panels laid across 45 acres are generating 12MW of power, enough to run the airport smoothly.

“Now, Cochin airport will have 50,000 to 60,000 units of electricity per day to be consumed for all its operational functions, which technically make the airport absolutely power neutral,” its operator, Cochin International Airport Ltd., said in a release.

CIAL has been a trendsetter since its launch in the late 1990s. Cochin is the first Indian airport to be built under a public-private partnership model.

The company forecasts the project will help mitigate carbon emissions by more than 300,000 tonnes in the next 25 years. That is equivalent to planting three million trees, it said.

The busiest airport in Kerala state and the fourth largest in India, Cochin handled nearly seven million passengers in 2014-15.

The project was built by Bosch Energy and Building Solutions.

Images are courtesy of CIAL.

Austrian quits ‘unsustainable’ Dubai

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Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Austrian Airlines, Aviation, Business, Colombo, Dubai, Dubai Airports, Emirates, IATA, Lufthansa, Mauritius, Miami, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel, UAE, Vienna

Dubai is a hot destination for many airlines, but not so for Austrian Airlines. Not anymore.

The Lufthansa subsidiary announced Monday it will stop offering direct flights from Vienna to Dubai as of September in the wake of intense competition and price wars.

“Unfortunately, the Vienna-Dubai route has become unsustainable for us,” said CCO Andreas Otto.

Austrian, which began flying to Dubai in 1996, said up to 800 seats per day were on offer on the Vienna-Dubai route.

The last Austrian flight to Dubai will be on Sept. 13, returning home next day.

“The capacities which will become available will be deployed for attractive, new destinations, such as Miami, Mauritius and Colombo starting in October,” Otto said.

The image is courtesy of Austrian Airlines.

First Dreamliner goes on show in Nagoya

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Airports, ANA, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Centrair International Airport, Dreamlifter, Dreamliner, Japan, Japan Airlines, Museum, Nagoya, News, Technology, Tourism, Transport, Travel, ZA001

Several key parts of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are made in Nagoya, the heart of Japan’s aerospace industry.

They are then flown from the city’s airport in a converted 747-400 freighter known as Dreamlifter to Boeing assembly plants in the United States.

Today, Boeing rewarded the city for its contribution by donating the first 787-8 flight test aircraft to the Chubu Centrair International Airport.

Code-named ZA001, the airplane first flew on Dec. 15, 2009. It touched down in Nagoya on its last flight on June 22, 2015.

Many of its parts, including the main wing, forward fuselage and centre wing box, were manufactured in Nagoya.

“It is fitting that we bring Boeing’s first-ever 787 Dreamliner back home to Nagoya,” said George Maffeo, president of Boeing Japan.

“Many of our partners here spent countless hours to develop and produce the 787 Dreamliner’s airframe structure and Centrair was with us from the very start of the journey.”

He said the ZA001 had grown to symbolize the partnership between Boeing and Japan’s aerospace industry.

“We are honoured to be selected by Boeing to house the permanent display of the world’s first-ever 787 Dreamliner,” said Masanao Tomozoe, president and CEO, Central Japan International Airport Co., Ltd.

“This milestone will allow us to significantly contribute to the aerospace community as well as the Greater Nagoya region by spurring the imagination and interest of future aviation pioneers here in Japan.”

Located on a man-made island off the coast of Nagoya, Centrair is an international hub serving some 30 cities.

Boeing has now donated three of the six Dreamliner flight-test and certification program aircraft.

The ZA002 was presented to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz. and the ZA003 to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Images are courtesy of Boeing.

Vietnam Airlines gets its first A350 XWB

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AerCap, Airbus, Airbus A350 XWB, Aircraft, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Dreamliner, News, Paris Air Show, Tourism, Transport, Travel, Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines has been in the news a lot in the past few weeks – all for good reasons.

The airline’s brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner was one of the main attractions at this month’s Paris Air Show.

Today, the Vietnamese flag carrier has received its first Airbus A350 XWB (above) through a lease agreement with AerCap.

It will become the second airline in the world to operate the aircraft after Qatar Airways.

The A350-900 will be first used on a domestic route and then for regular non-stop service between Hanoi and Paris.

The aircraft is configured with a three-class layout, with 29 seats in Business Class, 45 in Premium Economy and 231 in Economy, Airbus said.

The airline already operates 59 Airbus aircraft — 49 A321s and 10 A330s. The new aircraft is one of the 14 A350s it has ordered.

“The arrival of the A350 XWB marks the start of a major upgrade of our long-haul fleet,” said Trinh Ngoc Thanh, executive vice-president of Vietnam Airlines.

“Combining the latest technologies, a wider cabin and the highest levels of comfort, the A350 XWB will enable us to fly our passengers in style whichever class of travel they choose.”

In all, Vietnam Airlines has 90 aircraft and flies to more than 50 cities, including 21 international destinations.

Airbus has received 781 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 40 customers worldwide.

Images are courtesy of Airbus.

Bombardier: CSeries ‘better than advertised’

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A350XWB, A380, Airbus, Aircraft, ATR, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, CS100, CS300, CSeires, Dreamliner, Embraer, Le Bourget, News, Paris, Paris Air Show, Tourism, Transport

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.

IATA launches Cabin OK logo for carry-ons

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Airbus, Airlines, Aviation, Baggage, Boeing, Bombardier, Carry-ons, Embraer, IATA, Passengers, Tourism, Transport, Travel

The International Air Transport Association has finally decided to address the perennial problem of carry-on luggage.

The group that represents more than 260 airlines has announced a new initiative to optimize the accommodation of cabin baggage.

“Working with airline members of IATA and aircraft manufacturers, an optimum size guideline for carry-on bags has been agreed that will make the best use of cabin storage space,” it said Tuesday.

“A size of 55 x 35 x 20 cm (or 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches) means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger,” it said in a release issued in Miami, Fl., where IATA is holding its annual general meeting.

To facilitate a smooth check-in, IATA has also developed an “IATA Cabin OK” logo, indicating that a bag meets the agreed size guidelines.

“A number of major international airlines have signalled their interest to join the initiative and will soon be introducing the guidelines into their operations,” the group said.

“The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags,” said Tom Windmuller, IATA’s senior vice-president for airport, passenger, cargo and security.

“We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience.”

IATA said it was working with baggage tracking-solutions provider Okoban to manage the approval process of bag manufacturers.

“Recognition of the ‘IATA Cabin OK’ logo is expected to grow with time as more airlines opt-in to this IATA initiative,” the group said.

Bags carrying the label are expected to reach retail shops later this year.

Images are courtesy of IATA