BOC Aviation Limited orders A320neo | Photo: Airbus
Bank of China Aviation (BOC Aviation) recently announced it will add 80 Airbus A320neos to its fleet. BOC Aviation is one of the largest aircraft leasing companies worldwide, managing 530 Boeing and Airbus aircraft operating across the globe. This brand new order will be the largest order ever placed by BOC Aviation.
The order consists of 20 A320neo, 50 A321neo, and 10 A321XLR. Those jets are highly acclaimed by carriers, and they are in high demand in the market now.
Continued Partnership
“We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Airbus, with whom we have partnered for more than 26 years,” said Robert Martin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BOC Aviation in the joint news release with Airbus.
Headquartered in Singapore, BOC Aviation already holds 125 Airbus A320neos, 33 of which are yet to be delivered. A320neo series jets are extremely popular among carriers, and the family already received over 7,900 orders worldwide. Boeing has its 737MAX to compete with Airbus A320. However, fatal crashes caused by its Maneuver Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) followed by the prolonged grounding of 737MAX made Boeing finds itself in second place in a two-person race.
High Demand Jet
BOC Aviation did not specify the end customer for those jets. BOC Aviation has customers around the world, and its main customers are carriers in Asia. The three state-owned carriers of China, Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern announced their ambitious fleet expansion plan, despite the record-high loss they made in 2021.
Air China, in its year-end report, laid out a plan to add 17 Airbus A320neo series jets in 2022. Additionally, the carrier will also introduce 9 Airbus A350s. Albeit the disappointing results of over a billion dollars loss, the airline is still maintaining a high rate of fleet expansion.
China southern planned 12 deliveries of the Airbus A320neo series in 2022. It also plans to receive 39 new Boeing 737MAX. Recently, China southern announced that it will retire all its Airbus A380 fleet due to high operating costs. The carrier is optimizing its fleet with more flexible and economical types of aircraft.
As the international oil price continues to fluctuate at a high position, airlines are motivated to upgrade their fleets to reduce fuel costs. Airbus A320neo reduced 20% of fuel consumption as well as CO2 emissions compared to the previous generation of Airbus A320ceo. With this advantage, Airbus developed A321LR and A321XLR, using the saved fuel to extend the range of aircraft. A321XLR is capable of flying 8,300km, which is 40% further than the previous generation of A321.
As the world continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the traveling demand is bouncing back dramatically. The market is no longer the same as we see before the pandemic. With the help of aircrafts such as Airbus A321XLR, international or even intercontinental flights are not only the privilege of mega-metropolis anymore. More and more cities will be connected with mid-level, long-range aircraft, and the dynamic will continue to fuel the future growth of the global aviation market.
Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.
Behind-the-Scenes at “Hawai’i’s Hometown Airline” in Honolulu
A Hawaiian Airline Boeing 717 inside the hangar at Honolulu Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
An AvGeek couldn’t visit the Hawaiian Islands without thinking about the airline that carries the namesake of them, Hawaiian Airlines. Based in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu, the airline spans across the Pacific Ocean in all directions and now with the global pandemic finally calming down, the airline has begun to expand once again.
We had a chance to have an in-person interview with Alex Da Silva, the Director of Communications with Hawaiian Airlines, and ask him some burning questions regarding their operation.
AirlineGeeks (AG): Pilot shortages are hitting many airlines hard. Has Hawaiian Airlines felt this shortage, and if so, how are you dealing with it?
Alex Da Silva (ADS): We are targeting to hire 80-100 pilots in 2022. Despite the competitive landscape in hiring pilots, we are still seeing, for every pilot we hire, 7 times the number of applicants. Our location, fleet type, safety record, and company culture continue to allow us to attract pilots and we don’t anticipate any issues in meeting our staffing plan.
(AG): The Boeing 717 aircraft are getting up there in years. What are the airlines’ plans with these aircraft, is a replacement in order, or will you fly them as long as possible and refurbish them?
(ADS): We expect our 717s to be with us at least through the middle of this decade. Any 717 fleet replacement aircraft will depend on several factors including capabilities, performance, seat count, and operating and ownership costs. Our 717 provides us reliability, durability, and high density at 128 seats and remains a perfect aircraft for the Neighbor Island mission.
A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 departing Honolulu Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
(AG): What aircraft are you looking into replacing them with?
(ADS): We are currently evaluating similarly sized narrowbody and regional aircraft but don’t have any frontrunners currently.
Hawaiian Airlines has shown that it can take care of its older aircraft and keep them running for many MANY years. Hawaiian’s first-ever aircraft, a 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker is still airworthy and resides with the airline at the Honolulu Intl. Airport and will occasionally fly around the island of O’ahu
A 1929 Bellanca, Hawaiian Airlines’ first aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
(AG): When will the Boeing 787 be introduced into the Hawaiian fleet?
(ADS): We have pushed the delivery of our first two 787s from the end of 2022 to the first half of 2023. We have not finalized this timing with Boeing, but this is our planning assumption. We do not anticipate any changes to the aircraft deliveries for the rest of the orders with 3 in 2024, 3 in 2025, and 2 in 2026.
(AG): What routes will the Boeing 787 be introduced onto first?
(ADS): It will be flying to high-density and long-haul markets – routes where we can maximize its fuel efficiency, range, and seating capacity. We will also be rotating the aircraft through our U.S. mainland maintenance bases.
A visual mock-up image of Hawaiian’s first 787-9 (Photo: Hawaiian Air)
(AG): Is Europe a possibility with the 787?
(ADS): While the aircraft has the range, Europe is not part of our current 787-9 plans and we believe the aircraft will allow us to continue to grow within our existing Asia-Pacific and U.S. mainland footprint.
(AG): You stopped Ohana by Hawaiian during the pandemic, will you eventually look back into this once air travel recovers?
(ADS): While we continue to explore opportunities to return to Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i, and to reconnect all islands as Hawai‘i’s carrier, we don’t have any plans to resume service in the near future.
‘Ohana by Hawaiian’s ATR-42 (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)
(AG): Does Hawaiian plan on partnering with Mokulele/Southern to access passengers in smaller inter-island destinations you don’t serve?
(ADS): When we ceased operations, we supported Mokulele Airlines by lending it some of our ground support equipment. We also considered possible partnerships but could not formulate a feasible arrangement.
(AG): Are there any other domestic or international destinations Hawaiian is looking into for the near future?
(ADS): We are excited by the response we’ve received in Austin, Orlando, and Ontario, California – three U.S. mainland markets nearing their one-year anniversaries. We are focused on maturing these new domestic markets and staying ready to resume more service in Japan and South Korea as border restrictions relax, and eventually returning to New Zealand.
We would like to note, that since this interview was conducted the airline has announced the date it plans on resuming service to Auckland, New Zealand. Flights to New Zealand will resume on July 2, 2022, and operate on a three times weekly basis using the Airbus A330.
The inaugural Hawaiian Airlines flight from Austin departed on April 22 and received a celebratory water cannon salute. (Photo: Austin Airport)
(AG): What is your busiest route?
(ADS): By far, that would be Honolulu to Kahului. The route operates over 20-daily flights in each direction and is served by every aircraft in our fleet, Boeing 717, Airbus A321, and occasionally our Longhaul Airbus A330. Although all aircraft do fly the route, 98% of the time it’s on our inter-island workhorse, the Boeing 717.
A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 in Kahului (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
(AG): Would you say that more tourists or locals fly inter-island on Hawaiian?
(ADS): I would say it’s a healthy mix. In the early mornings and late evenings, it tends to lean slightly more towards the locals that use us to commute between the islands for jobs, and through the middle part of the day, we do see slightly more tourists.
(AG): Hawai’i is known for its Aloha spirit and hospitality. How does Hawaiian Airlines incorporate this into not only your brand but for your onboard experience?
(ADS): As Hawai‘i’s hometown carrier, we are proud to connect people with aloha by welcoming our guests onboard our aircraft with our distinct and warm Hawaiian hospitality. Guests boarding our aircraft are surrounded by the sights, sounds, and tastes of the islands, from the soothing Hawaiian music we play during boarding and deplaning, to our complimentary, island-inspired meals, as well as exclusive Hawai‘i-made products and cabin designs that pay homage to our archipelago. Our employees, most of whom were born or raised in Hawai‘i, innately deliver our service with genuine aloha and excitement to introduce travelers to our islands.
Economy Class cabin onboard Hawaiian’s new A321neo aircraft. (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)
While in Honolulu, AirlineGeeks also had the pleasure of touring the carrier’s maintenance base, led by the director of base maintenance Brian Kirkpatrick. We got to see some of the unique aspects of the Hawaiian maintenance operation. The airline does most of its maintenance, inspections, and cabin refurbishments in-house right in Honolulu.
Entrance to the maintenance base (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Due to the climate and the Pacific Ocean, each aircraft has a special sealant over seams, bolts, and screws to add an extra layer of protection against the ocean spray and salty ocean air. This also keeps the maintenance costs down as they don’t have to replace items more often due to corrosion.
Baggage door of a Boeing 717 getting sealant put on (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
In addition to the cabin refurbishment, they also reupholster all the passenger seats at the base.
Seats waiting to be reupholstered (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
They check every part of the engine from top to bottom, including inspecting each individual engine blade for cracks and warps.
Inspecting the engines, in this photo of the Boeing 717 and Airbus A330 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Inspecting each individual engine blade for defects such as cracks or warps (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
They also have a very unique aspect which I found interesting. When aircraft have the interiors taken out, the aircraft becomes very tail heavy meaning most of the weight is on the tail end of the aircraft. In order to get the now empty aircraft to not tip backward due to the weight of the engines and vertical stabilizer, they place two 850lbs cans on the front end of the aircraft which old the nose to the ground.
Weight holding down the aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Being in the Hawaiian Islands, I had to take the obligatory photo with a Hawaiian Airlines plane showing the “peace out” or “Shaka” gesture which is commonly used in the islands.
Posing in front of a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | 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.
Boeing 727 XC-MPF. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mark Evans)
The Boeing 727 has a long history in Mexico, and the iconic Trijet can still be seen after more than 55 years of operations. With less than 50 of the 1832 B727s built still in service, Mexico is one of the few places where you can still see one fly.
The first Boeing 727 in Mexico belonged to Mexicana. It took delivery of its first aircraft back in 1966, only a couple of years after the type first entered service in 1964. Mexico’s oldest airline operated almost 70 of the type in total before phasing them out by 2003. This was the largest B727 fleet outside of the USA. Unfortunately, the Mexican carrier ceased operations in 2010.
The Mexican Government also made good use of the type. A 727 was used as the presidential aircraft for several years from 1979 before being replaced by a Boeing 757. A further six were utilized by the Mexican Air Force until 2019 and the Mexican Police are still operating them with three based out of Mexico City.
In December 2021 they could still be seen operating regular flights in their distinctive grey color schemes. All three of them just turned 40 years old having originally been delivered to Mexicana in 1981 and are registered XC-MPF, XC-NPF, XC-OPF.
Other airlines that operated the Boeing 727 in Mexico include Taesa, Allegro Air, Aerolineas Internacionales, Aeroejecutivo, Aeroexo and Aviacsa.
Two Boeing 727s sitting on the ground in Mexico City. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mark Evans)
Not Inflight, But Still In Use
In addition to the three still in service, at least a further 19 Boeing 727s can be seen parked around the country. Many of them have been left derelict for years but fortunately a few have been preserved including two former Air Force aircraft.
3503 is parked at Town Center Shopping Mall in Zumpango, not far from its former home of Santa Lucia Air Base which is now being converted into Mexico City’s new international airport.
3504 has been converted into an amusement park called Tematico Tizatlan park in Tlaxcala on the outskirts of Mexico City.
The view of 3504, a former Mexican Air Force Boeing 727, that has since been used as part of an amusement park. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mark Evans)
XC-FPA, a former Mexican Police aircraft now resides in Parque Tangamanga 1, San Luis Potosi.
XA-HOV is used as a training aircraft at IPN-ESIME Ticoman Aeronautica Engineering University in Mexico City.
XA-AAD is also used as a training aircraft at CONALEP Aeronáutico near Queretaro airport.
XA-MEE is now a paintball target at El Portal Gotcha near Monterrey North airport.
XA-SKC is preserved just outside the airport perimeter at Cuernavaca. It sits inside a small compound painted in Aeromexico colors and fake registration XA-LSV.
XA-RRA is preserved at Parque Metropolitano de Leon. It has been painted in its former Mexicana colors with fake registration XA-SEM.
The rest of them can all be seen derelict at the various airports.
Mark has been interested in aviation since the age of eight when he first went plane spotting at Manchester Airport, England. Trips around various European airports in the following years and then to the USA as a teenager furthered his desire.
This led to Mark wanting to work in the industry and at the age of twenty one was accepted to train as an Air Traffic Controller. After training and working for several years in England, Mark moved to Bahrain in the Middle East where he worked for six years. He then moved to Sydney, Australia where he resides today after twenty years in the profession.
Mark's pursuit to see planes has seen him visit over 140 countries and territories, including places, like North Korea, Sudan and Iran. He has flown over 1,100 times, visited over 700 airports and can always be found researching his next trip.
President Biden Renews Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credits
United 787 Dreamliner is field with Sustainable Aviation Biofuel at San Francisco International Airport (Photo: San Francisco International Airport)
On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden made remarks supporting a renewed push for tax credits for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is an integral piece for reducing carbon emissions from air travel — an industry known for its high CO2 output.
The tax credits were first introduced last year as part of the Build Back Better Agenda. Biden called for tax incentives that would ultimately help coordinate leadership and innovation across the federal government, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, fuel producers, airports, and non-governmental organizations to advance the use of cleaner and more sustainable fuels in American aviation. By 2030, the White House aims to have a 20 percent decrease in aviation emissions by increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuels to at least 3 billion gallons. The incentives will play a critical part in achieving this goal.
Today, the aviation industry accounts for 11 percent of United States transportation-related emissions. The push for more sustainable options will help keep both the industry and economy in the United States on track to achieving the much larger goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“In recent weeks, global fuel shortages have underscored the growing need for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. To protect the environment and meet the needs of the public, elected officials must reimagine how we travel and prioritize measures to make Sustainable Aviation Fuels a reality,” U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes said in a statement, according to TravelPulse. “U.S. Travel applauds President Biden for identifying the critical need to advance policies and long-term solutions that make travel more sustainable, and for recognizing the opportunity to not just recover from the pandemic, but to rebuild to be stronger than we were before. We do not have to choose between traveling and saving the planet—both are possible if policymakers continue to work with the travel industry to accelerate sustainability.”
Since the initial introduction of the proposed tax credits, Congress has been reluctant to approve them, as they are a part of that larger spending bill, hence the reason behind President Biden’s additional remarks at a biofuel processing plant in Menlo, Iowa on Tuesday.
“It’s going to require billions of gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel,” Biden said. “You simply can’t get to net-zero by 2050 without biofuels.”
This comes at a time when airlines in the United States are put under the microscope by environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint and have pledged to use more Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
Currently, the fuel is made in very small quantities from feedstocks such as cooking oil and can be two to three times more expensive than standard jet fuel, making it difficult for carriers to reduce their carbon footprint in an affordable way.
Additionally, the administration is committed to transforming the aviation sector in a way that creates good-paying union jobs in manufacturing, improves the environmental quality for airport and airline workers and unlocks rural economic opportunities for sustainable fuels from many different pathways.
Chase Hagl grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. His love and passion for Aviation landed him in Orem, Utah where he obtained a B.S. in Aviation Management with a minor in Business Management from Utah Valley University. Chase currently works as a flight attendant in Charleston, SC and is also the primary Inflight ASAP ERC representative for startup airline, Breeze Airways. His experience in the aviation industry spans back four years, working in areas including agriculture application, customer service, maintenance, and flight ops. In his free time, Chase enjoys road biking, astronomy, and flying.
Rolls-Royce SAF flying testbed. | (Photo: Rolls-Royce)
Rolls-Royce has recently signed a sustainable aviation fuel agreement with AirBP as part of its goals to meet reduced carbon emissions. In a recent press release, according to the aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures power systems for aircraft, the agreement will reduce lifecycle carbon emissions for its testing plants at Derby, U.K.; Bristol, U.K. and Dahlewitz, Germany.
The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a blend of 10% sustainably-sourced waste-based substances, such as used cooking oils, and will be blended with traditional aviation fuels. The fuel will be in use by 2023 and reduce carbon emissions during the testing and development of Rolls-Royce engines. The agreement is part of a bigger push by Rolls-Royce to make sustainable fuel use more economical.
New Engine’s Commercial Sustainability
Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan demonstrator engine, the largest and most efficient commercial turbine engine, will demonstrate the efficiency and economical potential of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The new engine will run on 100% SAF and is designed to lead the way for decarbonization in the aviation industry.
The UltraFan turbine engine — designed to be scalable for both narrowbody and widebody aircraft — will improve the affordability of more expensive sustainable fuels by increasing fuel efficiency by up to 25% in comparison to first-generation Trent and Business engines. Rolls-Royce believes this is an important step in promoting sustainable fuel use since such fuels are predicted to be more expensive than current fuels in the short-term future.
The power gearbox — which Rolls-Royce says can manage the power “of an entire grid of Formula 1 cars” —increases the bypass ratio to 15:1, a huge improvement to the Trent 700 used on earlier A330 aircraft with a ratio of only 5:1. The benefits of lower fuel consumption and reduced noise will be able to lower fuel use and thus lower expenses associated with SAF.
The process for testing the 140-inch diameter fan engine has already commenced and has operated for 650 hours. The engine will continue to be tested for all phases of flight, including take-off, climbs, descents and banks.
Company’s Strategic Collaboration
On Thursday, April 7, Rolls-Royce announced a new collaboration with digital services and consultation company called Infosys. Infosys — based in Bangalore, India — will work with Rolls-Royce “to explore opportunities for driving digital and engineering innovation and associated cost optimization strategies.”
According to the press release, the joint “Aerospace Engineering and Digital Innovation Centre” in Bengaluru, India, will engage in high-end research and development over the next seven years.
Kishore Jayaraman, President of India and South Asia Rolls-Royce, said, “Given the aerospace sector is poised for revival and growth in India and across the world, this joint innovation centre will strengthen Rolls-Royce’s global engineering ecosystem and position us well for the future.”
Rolls-Royce aims to play a fundamental role in helping aviation achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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.
IATA Director General Willie Walsh at the International Air Transport Association's 77th Annual General Meeting. (Photo: IATA)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a strong rebound in air travel in February as the impact of the Omicron variant of Covid diminishes.
However, IATA Director General Willie Walsh noted “unacceptably long lines” at airports ahead of a surge in Easter travel and warned of “a huge increase in passenger numbers in the coming months.”
Total traffic in February was more than double that of February 2021, up almost 116%. However, global traffic remained 45% down on February 2019. Worldwide domestic traffic rose 61% year on year and was just 22% below the level of 2019 despite wide variations by market.
Walsh also noted that the war in Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, did not have a major impact on traffic levels.
“The recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions. States that persist in attempting to lock-out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that a restoration of international connectivity will bring,” Walsh said in a statement.
International Passenger Markets
African airlines had a 69.5% rise in February revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) — a measure of airline capacity — versus year ago, a large improvement compared to the 20.5% year-over-year increase recorded in January 2022 compared to the same month in 2021. February 2022 capacity was up 34.7% and load factor climbed 12.9 percentage points to 63.0%.
Asia-Pacific airlines had a 144.4% rise in February traffic compared to February 2021, up somewhat over the 125.8% gain registered in January 2022 versus January 2021. Capacity rose 60.8% and the load factor was up 16.1 percentage points to 47.0%, the lowest among regions.
Middle Eastern airlines’ traffic rose 215.3% in February compared to February 2021, well up compared to the 145.0% increase in January 2022, versus the same month in 2021. February capacity rose 89.5% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 25.8 percentage points to 64.7%.
European carriers saw their February traffic rise 380.6% versus February 2021, improved over the 224.3% increase in January 2022 versus the same month in 2021. Capacity rose 174.8%, and load factor climbed 30.3 percentage points to 70.9%.
North American carriers experienced a 236.7% traffic rise in February versus the 2021 period, significantly increased compared to the 149.0% rise in January 2022 over January 2021. Capacity rose 91.7%, and load factor climbed 27.4 percentage points to 63.6%.
Latin American airlines’ February traffic rose 242.7% compared to the same month in 2021, well up over the 155.2% rise in January 2022 compared to January 2021. February capacity rose 146.3% and load factor increased 21.7 percentage points to 77.0%, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 17th consecutive month.
The U.S. remained the stand-out domestic market, with traffic in February 112% up on a year ago and just 7% down on 2019. The world’s second biggest domestic market — China — remained 35% down on 2019.
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.
Maersk — a Danish shipping company — is known for its massive ships navigating the seas and its operational focus on being a shipping firm. The company also deals with inland freight transportation and associated services, such as supply chain management and port operation. They are now shifting their attention to a different aspect of nature: the skies.
Last year in November, Maersk announced and hinted at a push into air freight by ordering two Boeing 777F aircraft for the new cargo airline’s fleet, as well as acquiring German forwarder Senator International, which has its own air freight operations.
Maersk Air Cargo — the shipping company’s airline built on its existing integrator, Star Air — is the first step in what appears to be a full-scale entry into the airfreight business. Maersk Air Cargo, — based at Billund Airport — will take over Star’s operations and serve existing and future customers as well as Maersk’s end-to-end logistics. It will operate daily flights out of Billund Airport when it becomes operational in the second half of the year.
Fleet and Plans
Maersk will operate five aircraft, two 777Fs and three leased Boeing 767-300Fs, as well as three new 767-300Fs, according to the company. The three leased B767-300 freighters will be operational next year through Cargo Aircraft Management, ATSG’s leasing arm. The 777 freighters, which were purchased last year, are scheduled to be delivered by Boeing in 2024.
The B767 freighters will be utilized on US-China operations. When asked about the practicality of a 767 on the transpacific, one airline executive explained, “It can work, depending on rates of course, and also routes. Quite honestly, with the Trans-Siberian routes closed, for what I think will be years, the economic case for this will be OK for quite a while, especially if it’s a new generation production 767.”
The new aircraft will join operations between the second half of this year and 2024.
One-third of Maersk’s yearly tonnage will be carried on its own network, which will consist of a mix of owned and leased aircraft “replicating the structure that the company has within its ocean fleet”. Strategic commercial carriers and charter flight providers will provide the remaining capacity. The decision to start an air cargo firm comes as supply lines continue to be disrupted by Covid lockdowns, port logjams, and the Ukraine situation. Airfreight has helped organizations who need to move urgent cargo to keep their supply chains running smoothly.
Aymeric Chandavoine, Maersk’s worldwide president of logistics and services, explains the company’s huge push into air cargo: “Airfreight is a crucial enabler of flexibility and agility in global supply chains as it allows our customers to tackle time-critical supply chain challenges and provides transport mode options for high-value cargo.
“We strongly believe in working closely with our customers. Therefore, it is key for Maersk to also increase our presence in the global air cargo industry by introducing Maersk Air Cargo to cater even better to the needs of our customers,” Chandavoine added.
The Danish company believes that the new stand-alone airfreight service, when paired with its existing panoply of ocean, inland, warehousing and Customs services, will give customers a wider range of diverse supply chain alternatives. Customers are increasingly resorting to a combination of sea and air freight for more time-critical deliveries, according to logistics executives, as a result of the global supply chain disruption observed over the last two years.
Torben Bengtsson, global head of air & less than container load, AP Moller–Maersk, said, “Maersk Air Cargo is an important step of the Maersk Air Freight strategy, as it will allow us to offer customers a truly unique combination of air freight integrated with other transport modes. We see an increased and continued demand for air cargo both today and going forward as well as growing demand for end-to-end logistics, why it is important for us to strengthen our own-controlled capacity and advance further on our air freight strategy.”
The carrier plans to engage in an agreement with the Flight Personnel Union, which is part of the Danish Confederation and Trade Unions, in order to create jobs in the west Denmark region. Billund Airport’s chief executive, Jan Hessellund, stated that the airport is ecstatic to have been chosen as Maersk’s European airfreight hub and looks forward to taking the partnership to new heights.
Company Expansion
The company is likely to make additional expenditures on air freight as a result of this move. According to online reports, Maersk has participated in a ‘pre-bid’ to invest in the Jewar airport, which is being built west of Delhi. It’s fascinating to see lines get involved in airport development as well as ports. By their very nature, freight buyers are multimodal.
Maersk has also lately made investments in a number of logistics firms. Visible Supply Chain Management, a Salt Lake City e-commerce fulfillment company; Li & Fung Logistics, an Asian contract logistics and omnichannel fulfillment company; Pilot Freight, a US last-mile specialist; and Performance Team, a North American warehousing and fulfillment company are among the companies it has acquired. It is looking to cover the entire end-to-end chain, but what appears to be missing is a ground handler.
In regards to Maersk’s Air Cargo venture, Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo told CargoForwarder, that she doubted shipping lines’ capacity to incorporate air cargo into their wider operations.
“Personally, I see few synergies between the two business segments of sea and air. The proponents probably underestimate what it takes to operate an airline profitably over a longer cycle. It requires a minimum fleet size and high commercial and operational competence to be financially successful,” Boxberg said. “To me, it appears that shipping companies are chartering freighters in response to, and for the duration of, the current capacity squeeze. Shipping companies that operate freighters will find out how tedious the air cargo business is without the involvement of freight forwarders.”
Kalai has always wanted to work in the aviation industry, having been fascinated by its inner workings since he was a child. In pursuit of his dream, he obtained a diploma in aviation management and is currently interning with a low-cost airline, under in-flight policies. In his free time, he loves to engage in recreational activities, and watch sports. In the upcoming years, Kalai intends to pursue his degree at a business school before working as an executive for a global airline around the world.
Tokyo’s Narita International Airport Completes its Expansion
Tokyo’s Narita International Airport — one of the major gateways into Japan — has completed its expansion on terminal three during the pandemic. The terminal opened in 2015 and is best known for hosting no-frills carriers. It is believed the terminal expansion can entice more travelers to go to Japan without breaking the bank.
Terminal three was designed to handle a maximum capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually in the first place. By popular demand, the number of passengers has easily reached its maximum to 7.64 million in 2017. In 2018, Narita International Airport announced an expansion after three years after launching terminal three.
The airport started its construction in 202, and the project costs 14 billion yen ($111.7 million). The expanded airport is expected to handle 15 million every year. According to the airport, the new terminal is 1.5 times bigger than the original size — adding 60 self-service check-in kiosks to enhance its contact-free services.
In addition, Narita has built a corridor between terminal three and terminal two. Transit passengers can benefit from the new corridor, as the walking distance will be cut by half.
Japan’s aviation industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. In 2021, Toyko’s Narita International Airport recorded 5.2 million passenger capacity, which was 50% less than in 2020. Ironically, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo did not stimulate the aviation sector last year due to the travel restrictions in the country. The travel bans have left the Olympics with no live audience. In 2019, the airport handled 44 million passengers.
Japan’s travel restrictions have put a strain on the airlines. According to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, who are both major carriers in the country,the demand for international travel remains weak, where the pair carried 66,000 and 71,000 passengers in February respectively. The neighboring countries, such as South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia have been gradually reopening their borders to international travelers. Japan has closed its border to most travelers since the pandemic has begun.
Travel Restrictions Lifted
Recently, Japan has shown a sign of relaxing its travel restrictions by increasing the daily arrivals to 10,000 foreign visitors from 7,000. Earlier, Japan has allowed business travelers and students from low-risk countries, such as Singapore, South Korea and New Zealand, to enter the country.
Moreover, Japan has lifted the travel restrictions on 106 countries’ citizens, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Business travelers, foreign students and researchers from those 106 countries have been given a green light to enter Japan again. However, tourists are still barred from entering the country.
“There won’t be anyone new who will be able to enter Japan as a result of this change,” the Justice Ministry made itself clear in a statement.
The 74-year-old Alitalia was broken off into different business units prior to the shutdown of its flying division in October, with the handling and maintenance arms of the company to be auctioned off separately, as decided by the bankruptcy tribunal following the instructions of the European Union that was trying to ensure a suitable business discontinuity between the old Alitalia and the new ITA Airways.
During the past week, the extraordinary commissioners that have been handling the Alitalia receivership for the past three years have essentially concluded their work by completing the sale of the handling division of Alitalia to Swiss handling giant Swissport, and the sale of Alitalia’s maintenance division to Atitech, the Italian privately-owned MRO company based at Capodichino Airport in Naples, Italy.
The offers from Swissport and Atitech were presented earlier this year and preliminary agreements were signed on March 14, the Financial Post reported.
Almost 10,000 Jobs Preserved
The Italian government approved the sale of the two units for an undisclosed price, and this contextually takes care of the biggest problem that was left unsolved from the Alitalia bankruptcy: job preservation. According to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, of the 10,440 people that were still employed by Alitalia on Oct. 15, 2021, the date the company formally ceased to exist, more than 4,000 were employed in handling or maintenance — 2,700 people have now been reabsorbed by Swissport and a further 1,400 are now on Atitech’s payroll.
Between former Alitalia employees that have already been hired by ITA Airways and others that will be reintegrated by the end of the year, approximately 9,600 people of the original 10,440 have been reassigned to other companies, a percentage the government claims to be between 90% and 95%. The fate of Alitalia workers after the company’s demise has always been a major stumbling block in all the attempts made throughout the last decades to permanently solve Alitalia’s chronic inability to turn a profit and to align itself with the productivity levels of its competitors.
ITA Airways To Be Privatized by June
After more than 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion) of taxpayers’ money have been poured into the airline’s coffers since 2008, Alitalia finally ceased flying last October and was replaced by a smaller, state-owned airline called ITA Airways roughly half the size of its predecessor.
Now the Government has decided to privatize the airline selling it to a larger group in order to enable ITA Airways to be more competitive in the international marketplace. After establishing plans to completely renew its fleet with a large order of short-haul and long-haul Airbus aircraft, the carrier will be sold to the highest bidder among the interested parties, which at the moment include a joint venture between Italian shipping company MSC and Lufthansa, the U.S. equity fund Indigo Partners, already owning stakes in European LCCs such as Wizzair, and another U.S. equity fund, Certares, proposing a commercial partnership with Delta Air Line and Air France-KLM.
The deadline to present expressions of interest is April 18, which will also be the date when interested subjects will get access to the data room. The Italian government expects the sale to be completed by June 20, Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reports.
Vanni fell in love with commercial aviation during his undergraduate studies in Statistics at the University of Bologna, when he prepared his thesis on the effects of deregulation on the U.S. and European aviation markets. Then he pursued his passion further by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University in the U.K. followed by holding several management positions at various start-up carriers in Europe (Jet2, SkyEurope, Silverjet). After moving to Canada, he was Business Development Manager for IATA for nine years before turning to his other passion: sports writing.
The city of Taos, N.M. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
As the winter sports season draws to a close, airlines are ending or getting ready for flights that operate to winter sports-friendly destinations. Advanced Air operates winter seasonal flights to two of these destinations — Taos, N.M., and Mammoth Lakes, Calif. But with a relative lack of flights on the horizon for the summer, Advanced announced it would once again continue to operate flights to the two regions.
Pulling up to the terminal in Taos, N.M. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
This isn’t the first season that summer flights have operated to Taos, and AirlineGeeks even had the opportunity to fly to this destination with the carrier last summer.
“Summer is one of the best times of year to enjoy everything that the majestic town of Mammoth Lakes has to offer,” said Levi Stockton, Founder & President of Advanced Airlines. “We’re pleased to continue partnering with Mammoth Lakes Tourism to create an accessible and premium way for Southern Californians to get to one of their favorite summer destinations.”
Flights for the summer season to both destinations begin on June 16, and run until Sept. 12. The Mammoth Lake flight will operate four times a week to both Hawthorne, Calif. and Carlsbad, Calif., the latter of which is located just north of San Diego. Flights to both will operate Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays using the carrier’s 30-seat Dornier Jet.
On final approach to Carlsbad, Calif. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Advanced Air is the only airline operating directly into Mammoth Lakes Airport, as United Airlines moved its winter seasonal flights to Bishop Airport. But during the summer months, Advanced is the only option for flying to the region at all. It is also the first time in many years that the region will have flights operating during the summer months as they is more well known for the winter season, but they do hope to change that this season.
John Urdi, the Mammoth Lake Tourism Director, said of the flights, “Summer in the Eastern Sierra is truly magical, and with the addition of Advanced Airlines summer service to Mammoth Yosemite Airport, it’s easier than ever to get here to enjoy it ”
Flights to Taos, N.M. will operate on Thursdays and Sundays from Austin and Carlsbad, and will operate on Mondays and Fridays from Dallas’s Love Field Airport and Hawthorne. Passengers can even use Taos as a connecting point between Dallas and Hawthorne or Austin and Carlsbad.
Taos Air route map. (Photo: Taos Air)
Advanced Air doesn’t have a specific livery for the Dornier Jet but instead paints the aircraft based on the region it is flying to. This is seen in Taos as the airline has painted a Taos Air livery onto the jet that operates there.
A Taos Air Dornier 328J departing Carlsbad, Calif (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Along with this Taos Air livery, Advanced Air has released its first aircraft wearing a Mammoth Lake livery.
(Photo: Dakota Snider, Mammoth Lakes Tourism)
All flights to Taos and Mammoth Lakes will operate non-sterile, meaning passengers won’t have to go through TSA screening prior to getting on the flights making the actual time spent traveling shorter than it would be with security.
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.
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