CAPA News Briefs

CAPA - Centre for Aviation stated (29-Jul-2021) flydubai took delivery of one Boeing MAX 8 (A6-FMR, MSN 60993) as recorded by the CAPA Fleet Database. The LCC has now taken delivery of 15 MAX 8s with a further 62 on order.

Air Tanzania, via its official Twitter and YouTube accounts, announced (31-Jul-2021) it received one new Dash 8-Q400 aircraft (5H-TCK) at Dar Es Salaam International Airport on 31-Jul-2021. The aircraft is configured with 10 business class seats (31 inch pitch) and 68 economy class seats (30 inch pitch).

JetBlue Airways announced (30-Jun-2021) firm aircraft orders consisted of 65 A321neo and 67 A220 aircraft as of 30-Jun-2021, scheduled for delivery through 2027. Committed expenditures for the aircraft and related flight equipment as of 30-Jun-2021 is approximately USD400 million for the remainder of 2021, USD800 million in 2022, USD1.6 billion in 2023, USD1.8 billion in 2024, USD1.2 billion in 2025 and USD1.6 billion thereafter. [more - original PR]

Air Premia announced (02-Aug-2021) plans to commence domestic operations with the launch of twice daily Seoul Gimpo-Jeju service on 11-Aug-2021. The start-up airline will operate the service with Boeing 787-9 equipment. [more - original PR - Korean]

Melbourne Tullamarine Airport stated (02-Aug-2021) its Terminal 3 transformation is underway, as the airport prepares to welcome more travellers. The Terminal 3 redevelopment will occur in stages over the next 12 months and under the reconfiguration, domestic travellers will have more leisure time inside restaurants and retailers before boarding their services. The main security screening area will relocate to Terminal 4, enabling travellers to keep laptops in bags while being processed, utilising of the airport's latest smart security technology. Passengers will also experience greater connectivity between domestic terminals due to a new departures level indoor walkway linking Terminals 3 and 4. In addition, a more streamlined exit point in arrivals will intuitively guide guests to outdoor transport options. The airport is also investing in its bathroom facilities and T3 is the first Terminal to benefit from the upgrade. The new parent rooms, located close to Gates 1 and 2, featuring interactive full-length walls. Over the next 12 months, several new Melbourne dining venues and stores will open inside T3. The Terminal 3 upgrade is a continuation of recent efforts to modernise the airport, and is an investment of approximately AUD30 million (USD22 million). Works are expected to be complete by mid 2022. [more - original PR]

CAAC stated (29-Jul-2021) the following China Southern Airlines services will be temporarily suspended:

• Nairobi-Changsha service will continue to be suspended for two weeks from 16-Aug-2021, after seven passengers on flight CZ6044 tested positive for coronavirus on 15-Jul-2021;
• Paris-Guangzhou service will be suspended for two weeks from 02-Aug-2021, after seven passengers on flight CZ348 tested positive for coronavirus on 16-Jul-2021;
• Nairobi-Shenzhen service will be suspended for two weeks from 02-Aug-2021, after six passengers on flight CZ8182 tested positive for coronavirus on 17-Jul-2021;
• Amsterdam-Guangzhou service will be suspended for two weeks from 02-Aug-2021, after seven passengers on flight CZ308 tested positive for coronavirus on 17-Jul-2021. [more - original PR - Chinese]

Los Angeles International Airport reported (30-Jul-2021) the following traffic highlights for Jun-2021:

• Passengers: 4.9 million, -39.2% compared to Jun-2019;
  • Domestic: 4.1 million, -27.3%;
  • International: 761,489, -67.8%;
• Cargo: 246,829 tons, +27.8%;
  • Freight: 238,400 tons, +30.1%;
  • Mail: 8429 tons, -14.5%;
• Aircraft movements: 46,018, -22.2%. [more - original PR]

JAL Group reported (30-Jul-2021) the following traffic highlights for Jun-2021:

•  Passengers:
  • Domestic: 820,411, -71.3% compared to Jun-2019;
  • International: 54,984, -93.0%;
    • Southeast Asia: 20,125, -93.2%;
    • America: 25,483, -80.5%;
    • Europe: 5006, -91.7%;
    • China: 2263, -98.3%;
    • Hawaii/Guam: 1529, -98.3%;
    • Oceania: 578, -96.7%;
    • South Korea: Zero, -100%;
• Passenger load factor:
  • Domestic: 37.4%, -34.7pp;
  • International: 22.7%, -61.3pp;
    • Hawaii/Guam: 45.7%, -42.4pp;
    • China: 23.0%, -61.4pp;
    • America: 27.9%, -58.5pp;
    • Southeast Asia: 20.4%, -62.4pp;
    • Oceania: 9.7%, -65.7pp;
    • Europe: 13.1%, -67.5pp;
• Cargo:
  • Domestic: 18,273 tons, -36.4%;
  • International: 39,267 tons, +14.8%. [more - original PR]

Lufthansa announced (01-Aug-2021) economy class passengers on select long haul routes will have the option of booking a 'Sleeper's Row' at the check-in or at the gate, before their flight. The new offer is available from 02-Aug-2021, with prices between EUR159 and EUR229. It is available for destinations in the Far East, the US' west coast, Central and South America, or southern Africa. The offer allows passengers to book an entire row of seats for themselves, consisting of three to four adjacent seats, for the duration of the flight. This offer comes with a pillow, blanket and mattress topper of business class quality, along with a special safety belt. Passengers who book a Sleeper's Row can benefit from pre-boarding, allowing them enter the aircraft earlier than other guests. Lufthansa tested the Sleeper's Row on the route Frankfurt-São Paulo service for several weeks at the end of 2020. [more - original PR]

Gulf Air announced (01-Aug-2021) plans to increase Bahrain-Istanbul service to daily effective 02-Aug-2021, citing strong demand. As previously reported by CAPA, the carrier resumed twice weekly service on the route in May-2021. Gulf Air acting CEO Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi commented: "We continuously take a closer look at market demands and monitor the trends … With constant changes in rules and regulations, we increase frequencies as we see fit to offer greater flexibility". [more - original PR]

US Department of Transportation (DoT) received (30-Jul-2021) an application from Air Premia for a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority to operate scheduled and charter services between South Korea and the US for the transport of passengers and cargo, under the Open Skies agreement between the two countries. Air Premia aims to commence Seoul Incheon-Los Angeles service in 2Q2022, operated with Boeing 787-9 equipment configured with 309 seats. [more - original PR]

ICAO announced (01-Aug-2021) Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia officially assumed the office of secretary general, succeeding Dr Fang Liu of China. Secretary General Salazar is a former director general of civil aviation for Colombia. He has more than 26 years of experience in civil aviation, public policy, and the management of large and complex organisations. He plans to work closely with the ICAO Council to further strengthen the agency's governance and ethical framework, to review the organisational structure of the secretariat, to build a digital transformation programme, and to modernise the working methods of the organisation to keep pace with aviation innovation. He has also promised to further strengthen ICAO's global presence through its regional offices and support for key regional priorities, and to assure that special efforts are undertaken through the organisation to support developing States that have suffered the most devastating impacts of the pandemic. ICAO will further support member states in the implementation of CORSIA and other capacity building activities aiming at carbon offsetting and initiatives for reducing emissions from international civil aviation. [more - original PR]