Aeroflot says 'nyet' to Alitalia

photo courtesy albspotterRussian carrier Aeroflot has withdrawn from the bidding process for Italian airline Alitalia, ending months of speculation of a possible takeover. In a press release, Aeroflot said, "Aeroflot believes that acquiring Alitalia under the current conditions would not be the right decision for it to take."According to the airline, two reasons that led to the decision were the fact that Aeroflot did not get access to "critical...

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727 Landing at Meigs Field

I came across this clip on YouTube recently of a United Airlines Boeing 727-100 landing at the now-closed Meigs Field in Chicago. The 727 is now part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago - I've been there and you can actually go inside the airplane and try out the seats, etc. Meigs Field itself is now closed - the video clip is probably about 15 years o...

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Even more problems for Northwest

Things just seem to be getting worse for Northwest Airlines.The carrier exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month, and that's about where the good news ends. It announced a few weeks ago that it expected 2nd quarter mainline domestic revenue per available seat mile to go down by 2 to 3 percent. Last Tuesday, the J.D. Power and Associates annual customer satisfaction survey was released, and among airlines, Northwest came in last place (JetBlue finished first). "[Northwest's] largest drop in rank position over last year was in satisfaction with the...

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Paris Air Show: Day 5

The Paris Air Show drew to a close today (at least in terms of plane orders) with a few more for Airbus: 20 A350s for Singapore Airlines and 20 A320 family planes for Riyadh-based National Air Services. In a press release, Airbus mentioned its gains with much fanfare. “This Airshow has confirmed that Airbus is very much back on the market, continuing to satisfy customers with the right products. Especially the A380 and A350 XWB have been the highlight of the show, receiving tremendous customer endorsement. They will lead the way in the future in...

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Paris Air Show: Day 4

Surprise, surprise - Airbus has announced several orders so far today while Boeing has announced none. But keep in mind - Boeing has been steadily receiving orders throughout the year, while Airbus tends to save them up for the air show. And even though Airbus handily outsold Boeing at last year's show, Boeing ended up getting more orders for the year.That said, here are today's orders:Columbian flag carrier Avianca has ordered 19 more Airbus planes,...

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Paris Air Show, Day 3

Airbus has completed another order-filled day at the Paris Air Show, eclipsing rival Boeing yet again in terms of orders. Here's a wrap-up:United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways purchased twelve Airbus wide-bodies, dividing the order between five A330-200s, three A330-200Fs, and four A340-600s. The order provides a bit of a boost for the A340 program, which has seen few orders recently.As mentioned yesterday, Aeroflot bought five more A321s, as...

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Aeroflot buys A321, IL-96

Russian carrier Aeroflot has announced that it has signed a contract with Airbus to purchase five Airbus A321s. It has not yet said when the planes would be delivered or how much the airline paid for them.Separately, Aeroflot has also stated that it will buy six IL-96-400s. Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov expressed yesterday his hope that "a contract for the purchase of six such planes for Aeroflot will be prepared before long"....

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Intrepid Aviation and Thai order A330; Leahy: "Airbus is back"

Aircraft lessor Intrepid Aviation announced a firm order of 20 Airbus A330-200 freighter airplanes, the largest order received for the aircraft so far. Deliveries will start in 2010 and run through 2012.Thai Airways International also announced that they would be purchasing A330s (though none of the freighter variety). It has ordered eight more A330-300s, adding to its fleet of twelve A330s that it currently uses on routes across Asia. The airline...

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Fly Asian Xpress orders A330

Malaysian carrier Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) has ordered fifteen A330-300s at the Paris Air Show today, up from its previous commitment of ten. The airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ten A330s back in April. FAX is a privately owned airline that is subcontracted by AirAsia to fly domestic routes in Malaysia. The A330s won't go into service for FAX directly, but instead fly for Air Asia X, which FAX owns and which will operate long-haul budget flights under the brand name of AirAs...

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ILFC orders 63 Boeings

During the second day of the Paris Air Show, the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) announced an order for 63 Boeing aircraft, worth about $8.8 billion at list prices. ILFC is ordering 50 more 787s, with deliveries starting in 2010 and ending in 2017. In addition, ILFC ordered ten 737s and announced that it was exercising options to order 787-8s and one 777-300ER.This announcement makes ILFC the largest orderer of the 787 to date, with...

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Paris Air Show Analysis: Day 1

Day 1 of the Paris Air Show is over, and here are the results:Boeing: 46 total orders (6 today)6 x 777 Freighter (GECAS)40 x 737-900ER (Lion Air - these had already been ordered but the customer was unidentified until today)Airbus: 342 total orders (310 today)3 x A320, 80 x A350, 3 x A380 (Qatar)60 x A320, 10 x A330, 22 x A350 (US Airways - 20 of the A350s had already been noted on Airbus' order sheet)8 x A380 (Emirates)30 x A320 (Jazeera)60 x A320 (GECAS)12 x A350, 7 x A320 (ALAFCO - the A350 had already been noted on Airbus' order sheet)2 x A320...

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Paris Air Show: Day 1

The 47th Annual Paris Air Show opened earlier today in Le Bourget, France. The Air Show is a place where many airlines announce orders for airplanes from the major manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, and this year, the main focus is on two airplanes in particular: the 787 and the A350. Here are the highlights of the first day's events. This post will also be updated throughout the day - check back later! (Pictures are courtesy of Boeing and Airbus.)GECAS...

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Lufthansa, JAL go for Embraer

I'm creating a new post here because the other one was getting a bit long. Not to be outdone by Boeing and Airbus, Brazilian airplane manufacturer Embraer has also announced new aircraft orders at the Paris Air Show:Lufthansa has ordered 30 Embraer 190 airplanes, with the option to order other planes in the 'E-Jet' family. The order is valued at over $1 billion (at list prices, of course). The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in January 2009.JAL...

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EasyJet announces the 'ecoJet'

Amid much prodding of major airplane manufacturers to produce 'greener' planes, European budget airline easyJet has unveiled its design for an aircraft that it calls the 'ecoJet', an airplane that it says will be "25% quieter and would emit 50% less CO2 and 75% less NOx [nitrogen oxide] than today’s newest aircraft (the 737 and A320 families of aircraft)".The design, which is made up of a variety of current technologies, should be implemented by...

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United: still looking to merge

United Airlines CFO Jake Brace recently said that his airline is still looking for a merger partner. He recently said that there are still airlines that United could merge with, but that it isn't looking to do a hostile take-over. He said that "consolidation is not something that one company can do in isolation. We don't believe that ... hostiles in the airline industry are very successful. Our belief is that you have to do something on a consensual...

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Air France retires Boeing 737

photo courtesy albspotterYesterday, French carrier Air France retired the Boeing 737 after 25 years of service. According to a press release issued by the airline, Air France ordered twelve Boeing 737-200s in 1982 - the first aircraft ordered by Air France that required only two pilots.Yesterday's flight was flown by F-GJND, a Boeing 737-500, which was delivered to Air France in December 1991 and flew over 34,500 hours four the airline. The flight,...

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Interflug IL-62

It's been a slow past few days in terms of news, so here's an interesting video clip featuring defunct East German airline Interflug. It's the opening titles from the East German TV show "Treffpunkt Flughafen", which appeared on TV from 1985 to 1986, a show which followed around the crew of an Ilyushin IL-...

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Aeroflot orders Boeing 787

Russian carrier Aeroflot announced today that it will be ordering 22 Boeing 787 aircraft - an order valued at about 3 billion dollars. Aeroflot is the second Russian airline to order the 787 - S7 was first. The airplanes, which are scheduled to be delivered between 2014 and 2016, will complement the 22 Airbus A350 aircraft that Aeroflot bought in March. There have been reports that Aeroflot preferred the 787 over the A350 but ended up getting both because state-owned Vneshtorgbank bought 5% of Airbus parent EADS last year. Boeing emphasized the...

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Korean Air to start low-cost carrier

South Korean carrier Korean Air has announced that it will start a budget subsidiary that will allow the airline to compete with other low-cost carriers, which have made significant inroads into Korean's market. According to a statement from the airline, the subsidiary will start service within three years and will probably be run by Korea Airport Service, which provides ground handling services and is an affiliate of Korean Air.The airline is planned...

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Aer Lingus chooses the A350

In the latest installment of the 787-A350 battle, Irish carrier Aer Lingus has chosen the Airbus A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body) to supplement its fleet of A330s (and to replace some of the older ones). The order for six A350s plus six options is, according to Airbus, the airline's "biggest ever commitment for long-haul aircraft".Aer Lingus CEO Dermot Mannion said, "The A350 XWB fits in with our ambitious plans to expand existing routes and to open up...

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China Eastern can still join oneworld

China Eastern Airlines still has the green light to enter the oneworld alliance despite the fact that Singapore Airlines, a prominent member of rival alliance Star, recently bought a stake in the Shanghai-based carrier. oneworld's managing partner, John McCulloch, said, "China is an unusual market for this sort of activity. We are proceeding as before... I don't think it is going to complicate things." However, it's important to note that oneworld...

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Silverjet looks to expand

London-based business-class carrier Silverjet will receive two more Boeing 767-200ER airplanes that will allow it to possibly extend service to longer-range routes. The planes, which are due for delivery in March 2008, are from British charter airline Thomsonfly. While the airline hasn't yet announced any new routes, the extended range 767s allow it to fly to destinations in Asia, Africa, and the US West Coast. "We are delighted to have secured a...

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Virgin eyes premium market

Speaking on the day of his airline's inaugural flight between London-Heathrow and Nairobi, Kenya, Virgin Atlantic chief Sir Richard Branson recently announced the launch of a business-only airline that would connect London and various European destinations with the US. Branson said that the airline "would provide choice and quality for the customer" and would hopefully be up and running in nine to 18 months.The airline wouldn't be a fully separate...

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A380 arrives at Paris

The Airbus A380 made its first arrival today at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, which has had to undergo several modifications, such as lengthening runways and strengthening taxiways, to ensure that it can handle the aircraft. Airbus Chief Executive Louis Gallois said, "This airplane has created a lot of debate. Now we know it is here, it is beautiful, it is excellent." The plane will stay at CDG for two days in order to undergo testing before...

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