Airbus Deploys airBaltic A220-300 on Demo Tour To Africa, Looking To Court New Customers

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 01:06 PM ET

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An airBaltic Airbus A220 on approach into Amsterdam. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

Airbus presented an airBaltic Airbus A220-300 on a demonstration flight to TAAG – Linhas Aéreas de Angola last Tuesday — Dec. 6 — in Luanda, Angola.

The model is expected to be integrated into the fleet of the flag carrier of the Republic of Angola from August 2023 and will thus receive six units over the next two years via lease agreement with ALC.

The event, which took place at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, saw invited guests boarding the airBaltic aircraft which features 145 seats in a single class passenger cabin. Thus far, airBaltic has carried nearly 10.2 million passengers on the Airbus A220-300 aircraft.

Since May 2020, airBaltic operates all its flights with a single aircraft type – Airbus A220-300, thus minimizing the complexity and benefiting from the additional efficiency provided by the aircraft. The airline’s fleet now consists of 38 A220-300 with two more planned to join by the end of this year.

This is the first time that Airbus has conducted a demonstration flight in the Southern African region.

TAAG announced last week that it’s staff will start training from next February 2023, in order to be able to carry out “safely and efficiently the operation and maintenance of the new aircraft,” and that the A220s will replace the Boeing 737-700 currently in service to regional destinations in Africa.

“The reinforcement of TAAG’s fleet is evidence of the modernization and growth path that includes a more versatile fleet capable of responding to the needs of the continental and Latin American markets (aligned with the growing evolution of TAAG’s network of destinations and frequencies),” said Eduardo Fairen, Chairman of the Executive Committee of TAAG, “which will allow the company to take greater advantage of the country’s geostrategic positioning, boosted by the Luanda hub and the New Dr. Agostinho Neto, which is in an accelerated finishing phase, on the outskirts of the Angolan capital.

“TAAG’s objective is to work with everyone, and with the best manufacturers in the world, structuring its fleet in a multi-brand format (Boeing, Airbus and Dash8) choosing the most appropriate aircraft for our regional and intercontinental operations,” Fairen said.

Powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines, the A220 is capable of flying non-stop on routes of up to 3,400 nautical miles (6,300 kilometeres), and generates fuel savings of up to 25% compared with older generation aircraft of a similar size.

The aircraft is available in two versions, with the -100 variant seating between 100 and 130 passengers and the larger -300 variant seating between 130 and 160 in typical airline layouts.

The A220-300’s have completed more than 117,000 flights and flown over 256,000 block hours.

Today, the aircraft is operated in the African region by several airlines including Air Tanzania, Air Senegal, Air Austral, and EgyptAir on both domestic and international services.

Nigeria’s Ibom Air has an order for 10 units with deliveries to begin in 2023.

To date, Airbus has received 740 orders for the A220 and delivered more than 200.

Victor Shalton

Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.

Air Europa and Azul Linhas Aéreas Sign New Codeshare Agreement

Aviacionline

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 10:54 AM ET

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Pablo Diaz

An Air Europa 787-8 in Madrid. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Air Europa and Azul Linhas Aéreas have signed a new codeshare agreement: as a result of the partnership, the Spanish airline will expand its presence in Brazil and offer more connection alternatives for its passengers from the international airports of São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) and Salvador de Bahia (SSA) to nine other cities in the South American country. The agreement will allow the Brazilian carrier will reinforce its international expansion plan.

Air Europa will use its carrier code to market flights operated by Azul from São Paulo to Cuiabá (CGB), Belo Horizonte (CNF), Curitiba (CWB), Porto Alegre (POA), Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont (SDU) and Recife (REC). The company will also offer its customers connections from Salvador de Bahia to São Paulo-Congonhas (CGH), Belo Horizonte (CNF), Campinas-Viracopos (VCP), Porto Seguro (BPS) and Recife (REC).

Likewise, Azul will use its code on flights operated by Air Europa between Madrid-Barajas (MAD) and Lisbon (LIS).

Estelle Leray, Air Europa’s Director of Alliances, said the agreement is “a great achievement for both companies”. She also stressed that the partnership would allow the company to reinforce its “growth and consolidation”, as well as meaning “more and better flight options with the many benefits and advantages of flying codeshare”.

“For us it is very important that Azul expands agreements with international companies, jointly strengthening our networks and increasing the relevance of the companies involved”, said André Mercadante, Director of Alliances and Planning of the Brazilian airline. “Air Europa, which has been a partner for years, brings more strength to this project, which is a great achievement for us”, he added.

This article was originally published by Agustin Miguens on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.

Aviacionline

Delta Re-Adjusts EAS Tag Flights, Again

Joey Gerardi

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 10:50 AM ET

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Parker Davis

A Delta Connection CRJ-200 in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has once again updated its ever-changing flight schedule for some of the small communities it operates to in the Midwestern U.S. While most of the communities do lose their tag flights and go back to their original nonstop flights, some still do retain them but change where the extra stop will occur. A tag flight is when an aircraft makes a stop in the first city and continues to the next.

It would be worth mentioning all of the communities involved in the tag routes are Essential Air Service, or EAS, communities. The airline that operates the flights to them, in this case, SkyWest, receives federal funding to operate twice daily nonstop flights to a hub. It is unclear whether or not this addition of extra stops has affected the amount of money the airline is receiving from the government.

A Delta Connection CRJ-200 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Previously, the tag flights were planned to operate only from September 2022 until January 2023 due to pilot shortages and had hoped to get rid of them by the start of the new year. With these tags flights remaining to some degree, it is evident the pilot shortage hasn’t completely 100% resolved, but the number of communities that are receiving the tag flights has gone down, signaling that the pilot shortage is calming down to some degree.

Previously, 10 of these EAS communities were affected by and received tag flights: Minnesota cities Bemidji, Brainerd, International Falls and Hibbing as well as Rhinelander, Wisconsin and Michigan cities Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Pellston, Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie.

The tag flights before Dec.1, 2022. Not pictured: International Falls and Hibbing (Screenshot: GreatCircleMapper)

But with this recent schedule change, only four communities are receiving tag flights, Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Alpena, and Pellston, all of which are in Michigan. Alpena and Pellston aren’t unfamiliar with each other and have been linked together in the past when Mesaba served the route.

The current tag flights (Screenshot: GreatCircleMapper)

Iron Mountain briefly had a tag with nearby Rhinelander, Wis. on the way to Minneapolis, and did go back to nonstop flights for roughly a month, before being switched back to a tag. This time the tag will operate on the eastbound segment, stopping in Escanaba on its way back to Detroit.

For just under a month in September 2022, Pellston was tagged with Escanaba and Alpena was tagged with Sault Ste. Marie, then they all went back to their original nonstop flights for almost a month. Now Alpena and Pellston are being tagged together, while Sault Ste. Marie still retains it’s nonstop service to two different hubs.

The flight between Escanaba and Iron Mountain will become the shortest route in the carriers network at only 50 miles, becoming the shortest in the carriers recent history, even shorter than the previous short lived record holder Iron Mountain to Rhinelander which was 67 miles. The flight between Pellston and Alpena becoming the second shortest route at 69 miles long.

With these previously mentioned tag flights scheduled to continue until at least April of 2023, it is evident that these smaller communities in the airlines network will be the ones to face the majority of the obvious effects from the current pilot shortage in our industry. While at the same time, if the past four-to-five months have taught us anything, it is that these schedules are always subject to change and flight schedules could be altered at a moments notice with little to no changes felt by anyone except those that live in these communities.

All flights in this article are operated on SkyWest 50-seat CRJ-200’s under the Delta Connection brand, and schedule data was pulled directly from Delta’s booking platform.

Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.

Air India Expected to Acquire 500 Aircraft

Pete Ainsley

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 06:47 AM ET

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Parker Davis

An Air India 777-300ER (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

According to Reuters, Air India is on the way to sealing the order of 500 jetliners. The contracts include 400 narrow-body jets and 100 wide-bodies flights from Airbus and Boeing. After being acquired by Tata Group earlier this year, Air India has shown its ambition to remain as a global leader. Earlier, the Indian flag carrier has announced to enhance its fleet by leasing six Boeing B777-300ER.

The new order is forecast to be announced in coming weeks and worth tens of billions of dollars. The potential orders have a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from Airbus A350 XWBs to Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 777s. Airbus and Boeing have declined to comment. It is expected the new aircraft would expand its fleet and replace some aging aircraft.

Reuters said Air India has been considering the mammoth contract for months. But Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive of the airline don’t want to rush into making a deal.

Earlier, Wilson revealed the potential order, “We are in deep discussion with Boeing, Airbus and engine manufacturers for a historic order of the latest generation aircraft that will power Air India’s medium-and long-term growth.”

It comes two weeks after the merger of Air India and Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. After merging, Air India becomes the largest international airline and second largest in the domestic. IndiGo is still the largest domestic airline in the country.

Air India and Vistara (including Air India Express and AirAsia India) holding a fleet of 218 wide body and narrow body aircraft. Air India will be the only Indian carrier group to operate full and budget airline services. Singapore Airlines and Tata aim to complete the merger by Mar. 2024. According to Vistara, Vistara will operate as an independent airline before the merge.

Air India determines to increase its market share to 30% on international and domestic markets over the next five years. The airline currently has a domestic market share of 10% and 12% of the international market.

Set Itself Long-Term Goal

According to local media, Air India Express and AirAsia India will merge and rename in the future, and the low-cost carrier would acquire new 50 Boeing 737 Max. Currently, Air India Express owns a fleet of 24 Boeing 737.

India is the third largest aviation market in the world, but the frail domestic infrastructure, pilot shortage and the tough competition with other airlines could be the major obstacles to the airline.

In addition, Air India committed to providing a comfortable flight to passengers, announcing to refurbish its wide body fleet, including 27 Boeing 787-8 and 13 Boeing 777 aircraft, a makeover that cost over $400 million.

Pete Ainsley

Etihad Airways To Reintroduce Airbus A380 After Years of Storage

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 08:02 PM ET

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Parker Davis

Etihad's A380 lands at London Heathrow (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

There’s been much speculation about the return of the A380, but recently Etihad Airways announced that the airline will bring back four of the super-jumbos. The first Airbus A380 will be reintroduced from summer 2023.

Within days of the news of the last Boeing 747 produced in Everett, on the outskirts of Seattle, on behalf of Atlas Air, it was thought that the era of the super-jumbo was definitely over. Airbus had also produced the last Airbus A380 for Emirates, the world’s largest A380 user, marking the end of an era for an aircraft that was once considered the future of aviation because of the ever-increasing demand for passenger transport.

However, because of the pandemic, the huge drop in travelers due to restrictions, the tourism-related civil aviation crisis, and new targets to combat environmental pollution, almost all of the airlines (that survived the impact of the crisis) set aside the super-jumbos for “smaller” and more efficient, next-generation aircraft.

Despite these two very bad years, however, there is a great upswing in tourism, and just a few days ago Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced that it would reintroduce the Airbus A380 into its fleet after a surge in requests from its customers.

Etihad Airways had removed the Airbus A380 from its fleet in 2021 and even Etihad Group CEO Tony Douglas was certain that it would not return to the fleet, even deleting it from the airline’s website.

However, thanks to an incredible surge in demand that has made them financially viable again, four Airbus A380s will operate on the route between Abu Dhabi and London’s Heathrow Airport, and the first will be reintroduced starting in the summer of 2023. The increase in demand for air travel is not only on the single route but has been recorded by the airline across its entire network. Etihad, however, plans to bring four of its A380s back into the fleet in the summer of 2023, with the possibility also to increase frequencies on existing routes and to launch new destinations. The return of the Airbus A380s will also be supported by the addition of five Airbus A320s to the fleet.

Etihad is currently preparing the aircraft to fly again, and part of this preparation includes recruiting and training A380 teams, including pilots, cabin crew, and technical ground staff.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, commented that with the Airbus A380, its award-winning cabins will be reintroduced, such as the famous First Class cabin “The Residence,” for the first time, offered as an option for guests to further enhance their experience in First.

Etihad’s Airbus A380s feature The Residence and three cabin classes on the double-decker aircraft, including 9 First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 405 Economy Smart Seats.

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Vincenzo graduated in 2019 in Mechanical Engineering with an aeronautical curriculum, focusing his thesis on Human Factors in aircraft maintenance. In 2022 he pursued his master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Palermo, Italy. He combines his journalistic activities with his work as a Reliability Engineer at Zetalab.

Turkish Airlines Posts Fifth Consecutive Quarter of Net Profits

Aviacionline

Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 04:23 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Turkish A321 in London. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Turkish Airlines released its financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2022. Turkey’s national carrier reported positive figures, making it the fifth consecutive quarter with a net profit.

As reported by the company itself in a press release, Turkish Airlines made a net profit of 1.5 billion dollars between July and September. The official statement highlighted “operational agility” and “ability to meet growing demand” as key elements of the recovery.

Total revenues reached 6.1 billion dollars, up 52% from what was reported in the third quarter of 2019.

In addition, cargo revenues, which accounted for 14% of the total, increased 110% compared to the same period in the year prior to the start of the pandemic. The company reported cargo revenues of 880 million dollars.

Separately, Turkish Airlines highlighted a 5% reduction in unit costs, excluding fuel, compared to the third quarter of 2019. As a result, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and leasing reached 2.1 billion dollars. The airline said the result “shows the company’s cash generation potential.”

Total seat capacity exceeded 2019 levels by 16% during the third quarter. Between July and September, the airline carried a total of 23 million passengers. The occupancy rate was 91.4% on domestic flights, while it reached 85.3% on international operations.

As of September 30, Turkish Airlines had a total of 390 aircraft in operation in its fleet, 260 of them single-aisle and 109 narrow-body, as well as 21 cargo aircraft.

Despite operational contingencies at many of Europe’s largest airports, especially during the northern summer season, the airline recorded a cancellation rate of 0.3%, well below the European operators’ average of 1.7%.

This story was originally published by Agustin Miguens of Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.

Aviacionline

Boeing’s Final 747 Exits Everett Factory

Mike Mangano

Thursday, December 08, 2022 at 09:57 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

The last Boeing 747 left the company’s widebody factory in advance of its delivery to Atlas Air in early 2023. (Photo: Boeing/Paul Weatherman)

Manufacturing giant Boeing has marked the end of an era as its last 747 rolled out of the factory in Everett,Wash., on Tuesday. With the event having dominated global headlines, the 747-8 Freighter will be delivered to Atlas Air in early 2023, becoming the freight line’s 53rd 747.

Referencing the history of the world’s first wide-body airliner, Boeing Vice President Kim Smith, stated: “for more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees have designed and built this magnificent airplane that has truly changed the world”, adding “we are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come.”

The 747’s operational history is extensive, having entered commercial service with now-defunct airline Pan Am in January 1970. Since then, a total of 1,574 of the ‘jumbo jets’ have been manufactured since production first commenced in 1967, meaning the iconic aircraft has been in service for over half a century – approximately 46% of the 119-year history of flight.

Boeing’s Future Uncertain

While the 747 gave Boeing a long-time edge over its competition, the manufacturing giant’s future is far less certain. The 737 MAX’s legacy continues to haunt the company, with a critical U.S. Senate report finding that “during 737 MAX recertification testing, Boeing inappropriately influenced FAA human factor simulator testing of pilot reaction times involving a Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) failure.”

Boeing this week has been left to continue dealing with the MAX fallout, with Tuesday, Dec. 6 seeing Congress dropping an exemption that would have allowed it to bypass new regulatory requirements. This saw the company’s shares drop two percent on Wednesday, Dec. 7. as Boeing runs out of options to avoid the increased costs required to upgrade the 737-MAX 7 and 737-MAX 10.

According to Reuters on Nov. 29, a proposal was drafted by Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell to give Boeing an exemption to the MAX 7 and MAX 10 if it could implement increased safety “such as enhanced angle of attack (AOA) and a means to shut off stall warnings and overspeed alerts, for all MAX aircraft.”

Mike Mangano

Mike’s love affair with flight and mechanical objects in the sky began at an early age, fascinated by space documentaries and the vintage Flight Simulator ’95. He currently works as an instructor for UAVs and is training to receive his Private Pilot Licence with the goal of working in manned flight instruction. An avid reader of all things aviation and manned space flight, Mike stays close to developments in aerospace while reminiscing and sharing the rich history of flight with others. He loves writing, engineering and science.

Aviation History: Academy Awards Museum at Intersection of Past LA Airfields

John Flett

Thursday, December 08, 2022 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

The Academy Museum, Fairfax/Wilshire Los Angeles (Photo: John Flett)

Dec.7 marked ICAO’s International Civil Aviation Day giving pause for reflection on how the aviation industry has shaped our lives for over one hundred years. Aviation has long been a passion but prior to being involved with the industry directly, I had an involvement in cinema. Interest in the film still looms large in my life, and sometimes the two passions intertwine beyond the obvious of a flight being used to explore destinations that have been featured in movies.

Last year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (AMPAS) opened a museum in Los Angeles dedicated to the film industry. AMPAS is the organization behind the Academy Awards that will hold the 95^th celebration of motion pictures on 12 March. Visiting the museum in the city’s Miracle Mile district alongside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits was an interesting cinematic experience. What was totally unexpected was discovering an intriguing link between the fledgling U.S. commercial airline industry and the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue on which the AMPAS Museum is located.

The Academy Museum is located on the northeast corner of Wilshire and Fairfax in a stunning art deco building that used to house the May Company department store. On the southeast side of the intersection is the Petersen Automotive Museum. However, in the late 1910s through 1930 on the northeast side of Fairfax and diagonally opposite the Academy museum on the southwest side were two airfields. De Mille Field No. 2 on the northeast and across the road on the southwest corner was Chaplin Airfield. These were just two airfields of the 55 ‘airports and landing fields identifiable on a map of Los Angeles county from the first few decades of human flight.

Cecil B. De Mille — the Academy Award-winning director of movies such as The Greatest Show on Earth and The Ten Commandments — had owned an airfield further north on Fairfax imaginatively named De Mille Field No. 1. De Mille’s airline Mercury Aviation Company relocated to Field No. 2 in 1920 and among the airfield’s peculiar characteristics was a gas station that fuelled aircraft on one side and cars on the other.

According to the Miracle Mile Residential Association (MMRA) website’s ‘Aviation History of the Miracle Mile,’ Mercury Aviation flew with surplus World War I aircraft and purchased its first new aircraft in 1920. With the new Junkers aircraft joining the fleet Mercury Aviation operated flights to destinations such as Santa Catalina Island, Calif., San Diego and San Francisco.

Chaplin Airfield was owned by Sydney Chaplin the brother of legendary Hollywood icon Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin had formed the Syd Chaplin Aircraft Corporation offering services to San Diego and scenic flights. According to the MMRA Chaplin advertised “a fleet of newest Curtis one and two-passenger airplanes, large shops with complete equipment and hangars for our own ships as well as those belonging to business firms and individuals.”

The MMRA states that the airfields were the first in the world to offer commercial flights to multiple destinations and that De Mille Field No. 2 was the destination for the first commercial flight, originating in New York operated to Los Angeles. However, both De Mille and Chaplin’s airline endeavors lasted a little over two years, and research shows conflicting reports as to which airfield would be sold and renamed Rogers Airport. Rogers airport operated until the early 1930s, when the demand for residential real estate rose considerably marking the end of an aviation era in the area.

A number of online sources have images of De Mille and Chaplin airfields and the renamed Rogers airport and those viewed for this article were on the Los Angeles Public Library digital collection, Water and Power Associates and Martin Turnbull websites.

John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content. John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

Porter Announces Revamped Economy Product

Ezra Gollan

Wednesday, December 07, 2022 at 09:42 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Porter Airlines Q400 taking off. (Photo: BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada (Monday evening departure) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Toronto-based short-haul carrier Porter Airlines announced a lengthy and exciting new overhaul for its passenger experience on Tuesday. The airline that has made a name for itself with convenient services to Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport with DeHavilland Dash 8 Q-400 aircraft is revamping its offerings on the single-aisle turboprop as well as its brand new, Embraer E195-E2 jets.

The airline announced that all Embraer E195-E2 aircraft will offer free Wi-Fi to all passengers including inflight access to streaming services. Porter says that, on longer flights, it will begin to offer fresh meal options. The airline also says it will be maintaining its standard, 2-2 seating on the E195-E2 fleet allowing more personal space for every passenger.

More perks for everyone

Michael Deluce, President and CEO of Porter Airlines said in a press release, “Other airlines have been focused on taking away perks and comforts for decades, but we believe that people should actually enjoy flying as economy passengers. It is possible, as we know from having already redefined regional travel over 16 years ago. Now we’re ready to do it for a broader North American market in a way that no traditional or low cost carrier is willing to. It’s an enhanced experience that builds on our reputation for providing an elevated level of service to every passenger at reasonable prices in a single class of service.”

The carrier is still making sure to account for the needs of every passenger too, announcing a new set of fare classes that allow customers to choose the perks they do and don’t want.

Something new

Porter Reserve will let passengers experience all of the benefits of Porter’s full service just at a much lower rate while Porter’s traditional economy fare will now be sold as Porter Classic. Seats on the new Embraer E195-E2 will have 132 seats in an all-economy configuration offering various legroom offerings at the front of the aircraft. Porter’s E195-E2 aircraft will allow the airline to expand its services from Toronto Pearson Airport to destinations as far as Mexico while its shorter haul Dash 8s will continue to operate out of Billy Bishop Airport for convenient, short regional flights.

Porter says it aims to show travelers that affordable, comfortable travel can still be done at a time when many carriers continue to cut costs. The airline says the first of its 100 E195-E2 aircraft will be delivered later this year with routes announced later in December.

Ezra Gollan

Ezra Gollan is a student, photographer and aviation enthusiast based in New York, New York. He has spent over half a decade around New York City’s airports as a photographer.

Air Tanzania A220 Inbounded in the Netherlands Over Dispute

Victor Shalton

Wednesday, December 07, 2022 at 11:38 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Air Tanzania A220 (Photo: Airbus)

An Air Tanzania aircraft was seized in the Netherlands on Thursday, December 2, in accordance with a Swedish firm’s tribunal plea.

The arresting party – a private Swedish legal entity – claims that the jurisdiction Tanzania must pay $165 million in damages, over the African country’s move to revoke a land title in 2016 in the multibillion-dollar sugar project in Bagamoyo.

The contended aircraft is an Airbus A220-300 aircraft which is operated by Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), doing business as Air Tanzania. The project in Bagamoyo was for the construction of a bioelectricity plant to switch between sugar and ethanol production based on market demand.

However, in June 2016, the Tanzanian government ruled that the approval of the land transfer to the energy company was made regardless of a warning that the land belonged to the Saadani National Park, and was thus protected.

The revocation of the land was a significant blow for the Swedish company, which had been working on the project for over ten years and had invested $52 million. The claimant alleges that Tanzania has not fulfilled its contractual obligations. As a result, the Swedish company successfully applied to the Dutch court for permission to seize the aircraft.

According to sources, the acquisition of the quite recently acquired aircraft has not been financed or leased. In the meantime, it has been suggested that Tanzania already appealed against the permission to conservatory arrest the aircraft in the Netherlands.

Tanzanian Attorney General Eliezer Feleshi confirmed the aircraft seizure, calling it unlawful. “It’s true that they went to court in the Netherlands after we had successfully appealed to the ICSID for a stay of execution. Everything is under control,” he said to The Citizen.

Feleshi pointed out that it was conducted a day after the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) – an organization that falls under the umbrella of the World Bank Group – issued a stay of execution order. He also stated that the African country’s government has already filed an appeal against the Dutch court’s decision, arguing that it has enough assets to pay the money compensation instead, but declined to offer further details.

The ICSID is an international arbitration institution for legal disputes and conciliation between international investors and States. Tanzania had requested the ICSID to issue a stay of execution in a pending further proceedings.

Is the aircraft seizure valid?

The question arises whether the recent precautionary arrest of the aircraft, which is registered as to nationality in Tanzania, is valid pursuant to international and local laws.

The Dutch court’s judge commented on the decision, arguing that the ICSID’s provisional stay of the compensation execution only took effect on the date the institution registered the state’s annulment request.

Victor Shalton