Air Astana takes delivery of A320neo: Air Astana marked the arrival of a new Airbus A320neo in Astana on 29 June 2024, with it becoming the 47th Airbus family aircraft in the group’s fleet of 54 aircraft. In line with Air Astana Group’s strategic goals of reducing environmental impact and enhancing operational efficiency, the new Airbus A320neo features advanced technologies that reduce emissions /noise levels and fuel burn, while delivering increased range. The ongoing growth of Air Astana’s fleet enables it to increase services across an expanding international and domestic network.
Gulf Air launches new Munich to Bahrain route: Munich Airport recently welcomed the Bahrain-based airline Gulf Air, which will be flying regularly to the Bavarian aviation hub from now on. The long-established national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, founded in 1950, will run flights from Bahrain to Munich four times a week – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays – on a modern Airbus A321neo. Landing in Munich is at 6:35 a.m., while the take-off time for Bahrain is 12:20 p.m. The new connection to Bahrain expands the wide range of flights between Munich and the Gulf States, which is also hugely important to tourism in Bavaria. In 2023, the state capital alone recorded around 400,000 overnight stays by guests from this region, up five percent on the previous year.
Star Alliance Los Angeles Lounge wins top honour: Star Alliance’s Los Angeles airport lounge has been honoured with the title of North America’s Leading Airport Lounge for the fifth year running at this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards. Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias commented on the victory, saying: “Our aim at Star Alliance is to make air travel more effortless and stress-free. Lounges are essential for improving the airport experience, and our Star Alliance LAX lounge has been a standout since its inception. We are excited that it has been recognised as one of the top in the industry consistently.” Panagiotoulias acknowledged the team and continued: “I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the hardworking team that ensures our LAX lounge operates flawlessly around the clock. Additionally, I thank our Star Alliance member airlines for their ongoing partnership, which has contributed to the lounge’s success over the years.” The Star Alliance lounge at Los Angeles International Airport is renowned as one of the finest airport lounges globally, consistently earning prestigious industry accolades. Featuring an outdoor terrace with firepits, a water wall, and panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills, the sprawling 18,000-square-foot lounge captures the essence of Californian charm through the day and transforms into a lively space as night descends. For those seeking a calm pre-flight experience or a space to work and dine, the lounge provides ample opportunities to unwind and enjoy.
Vallair dismantles A330 for CORAX: Vallair, the mature aircraft asset specialist dedicated to the support of operators and lessors, is undertaking a comprehensive teardown of an Airbus 330 airframe on behalf of CORAX, the Danish spare components specialist. Previously operated by Hongkong Airlines, disassembly of this 23-year-old aircraft is 80% complete and when finished, over 1,500 parts will have been removed as USM. The Vallair logistics team is processing, listing, and crating all parts for assessment prior to repair and sale by CORAX. Vallair is FAA and EASA approved and has been an integral player in the aircraft teardown and recycling sector for many years. It is one of the founding members of AFRA (Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association), which has now become the global standard for aircraft disassembly and aircraft materials recycling. “We are recognised as a leading independent provider of teardown services and have an extensive network for sourcing and disposal of assets. Our teardown facility in Châteauroux, France, employs skilled and certified mechanics to identify, store and manage parts properly for maximum efficiency and asset value realisation. We work in partnership with parts brokers, investors, lessors and MROs,” says François Biarneix, Operations Director at Vallair MRO in Châteauroux.
Condor partnering with cargo.one: Condor has entered a new expanded partnership with cargo.one to make its entire global network available on the market leading digital procurement platform. The airline is now working closely with cargo.one to target thousands of freight forwarders across cargo.one’s vast footprint of markets. Condor will work with cargo.one experts to bolster digital sales efforts in key forwarding markets such as Europe and USA. Thilo Schäfer, Head of Cargo at Condor, comments, “It is imperative to our digital cargo strategy that Condor services are present on the most popular and relevant booking platforms. Benefiting from our long-standing cooperation, cargo.one can guarantee that every Condor customer receives an excellent experience. We value the commercial expertise that cargo.one brings in supporting Condor to best target market potentials.” Partnering with cargo.one delivers airlines like Condor a rapid increase in sales reach for valuable global markets such as the Americas, Asia and Africa. In time, Condor aims to launch its general cargo, passive temperature controlled and perishables capacity in all relevant markets taken from cargo.one’s community in 121 countries.
Satair, Transavia implement materials solution: Satair, an Airbus Services company, announced the successful entry into service of a significant long-term contract with Transavia France for the provision of its Integrated Material Services (IMS) supply chain solution, which will cover all expendable materials required for line- and base maintenance. Under this agreement, which was signed earlier this year, Satair will supply all expendable airframe materials tailored to meet the specific needs of Transavia France. This partnership is set to enhance Transavia’s operational processes by increasing the availability of spare parts while simultaneously reducing supply chain costs. The IMS solution will manage the entire supply chain, including forecasting, planning, purchasing, and delivery, ensuring that all airframe expendables are covered and the scope can expand as necessary to meet Transavia’s evolving requirements for line- and base maintenance. Transavia will benefit from a tailored solution requiring no upfront investment, simultaneously enhancing material availability and reducing the administrative burden associated with supply chain planning and operations. This contract supports Transavia’s ongoing fleet transition to Airbus aircraft, partnering up with Satair to facilitate a successful entry into service and ensure safe and efficient ramp-up and operation.
EU greenlights Lufthansa’s participation in ITA Airways: The competition authority of the European Commission approved the planned acquisition of 41 percent of Deutsche Lufthansa AG in ITA Airways, subject to conditions Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says: “The approval from Brussels is excellent news for ITA Airways and Lufthansa and especially for all passengers flying to and from Italy. We look forward to welcoming ITA Airways and its outstanding employees as a new member of our airline family very soon. The decision is also a clear signal for strong air traffic in Europe, which can successfully assert itself in global competition.” Following the closing, ITA Airways is to become the fifth network airline to be closely integrated with Lufthansa Group while keeping its brand name ITA Airways. As part of the multi-hub, multi-airline and multi-brand system successfully established by the Lufthansa Group, the Italian airline will utilize numerous synergies, for example in world-wide sales, the loyalty program Miles & More or also in aircraft and fuel purchasing. Lufthansa Group and ITA Airways are jointly planning a swift integration ITA Airways with its almost 5,000 employees will make the corporate culture of the Lufthansa Group even more international and diverse. Rome-Fiumicino will become the Lufthansa Group’s sixth and geographically southernmost hub. Last year, the airport was awarded with five Skytrax stars.
Airbus-built Copernicus Sentinel-2C heading for launch site: After road transport from Airbus in Friedrichshafen to Bremen on 2 July, the Airbus-built Sentinel-2C satellite, the third Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, is about to be shipped to the European spaceport in French Guiana. The container has been loaded today onto the iconic Canopée, the first sail-assisted cargo ship designed specifically to transport Ariane 6 rocket components from European ports to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, where it will arrive in approximately two weeks. Data collected by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites is being used to monitor land use and change, soil sealing, land management, agriculture, forestry, natural disasters (floods, forest fires, landslides, volcanic eruptions and erosion) and to support humanitarian aid missions. Environmental monitoring, which provides information on the pollution of lakes and coastal waters, is also part of these activities, as is the monitoring of glaciers, ice and snow.
Avolon business updated: Avolon, a global aviation finance company, issued an update for the second quarter (‘Q2’) of 2024. The company delivered 15 new aircraft and transitioned 10 aircraft to a total of 16 customers. It sold six aircraft and entered into letters of intent for the sale of a further 17 aircraft, placed 23 aircraft from its orderbook. It also executed 15 lease transactions comprising new aircraft leases, follow-on leases and lease extensions. The company added four new customers, giving a total of 142 airline customers operating in 63 countries and, ended the quarter with an owned and managed fleet of 582 aircraft, with total orders and commitments for 447 fuel-efficient, new technology aircraft. The company said it raised US$2.5 billion of unsecured debt capital, comprised of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due 2029, US$1.05 billion unsecured term loans due 2027, and US$450 million upsize in unsecured revolved credit facility.
African airlines set for small profit IATA says: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on Africa’s governments to take advantage of a strengthening aviation sector to maximise its benefits for economic and social development across the African continent. Recently IATA announced that Africa’s airlines are expected to earn a collective net profit in 2024 for the second year in a row. That is a welcome and hard-won result reflecting the sector’s resilience in its post-COVID recovery. The expected $100 million profit, however, translates into just 90 cents per passenger—well below the global average of $6.14. “Africa’s airlines are making a collective profit. That is good news. But it is razor-thin and well below the global benchmark. And there are wide variations across the continent where many individual airlines still struggle with losses. The demand to travel is there. To meet it, the African airline sector needs to overcome many challenges, not least of which are infrastructure deficiencies, high costs, onerous taxation, and the failure to broadly implement a continent-wide multilateral traffic rights regime,” said Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East. “The challenges facing African aviation are significant, but they are not insurmountable. IATA’s Focus Africa initiative is by no means a panacea, but it does lay out a framework to build a stronger aviation sector that will provide even better support to economic growth and social development. The prize for working together across the continent for safe, efficient, and sustainable air connectivity is well worth focused policy efforts across the continent,” said Alawadhi.
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