Boeing and the Big Three Gulf stole the show at this year's Dubai Air Show, held between Sunday Nov. 17 and Thursday Nov. 21. Officially launching its 777X program, Boeing made a big splash on day one of the air show, securing 225 firm orders of the jet from the Big Three Middle Eastern carriers; Emirates' orders alone totaled 150 aircraft. Including Lufthansa's 34, orders for the 777X now total 259, worth over $95 billion. Boeing also received orders for Dreamliners and 737 MAXs, including their 1000th 787 order, thanks to Etihad, bringing their air show total up to 367 airplanes, with a list price valuation of $100.5 billion.
Boeing may have taken the spotlight Sunday in Dubai, but they weren't the only ones on stage. That same day, Emirates placed an order for another 50 Airbus A380s, bringing their total orders to 140 of the massive superjumbos. Despite being the largest A380 order ever, worth $20 billion, it was also the first order placed for the jet all year. Airbus also secured a substantial order from Etihad: 36 A320NEOs, an A330F and 50 A350s. In total, Airbus secured 162 commercial aircraft orders worth $44 billion, mostly earned in the first days of the air show.
Albeit small, Bombardier had their own day to take the headlines in Dubai, scoring sparse orders on Tuesday. Most of their orders were for their Q400s, but also a few for their new flagship jet, the CSeries. The biggest order, from Iraqi Airways, brought in $387 million (plus $1.2 billion in option) for five CS300 aircraft and 11 more options. All together, the Canadian manufacturer put 22 new entries in their order book, and $1.75 billion in their bank accounts.
What the Dubai air show really showed the world is that the Gulf Big Three are at the helm. While manufacturers would have preferred to have their order announcements spread out over the week, but the Gulf Three had other plans. In a competition to see who could announce their order for the 777X, Etihad pushed their announcement up an hour so they could beat out Emirates and Qatar. The three carriers placed orders worth $84 billion in a short 15 minutes. More than half of the money exchanged for commercial aircraft at the air show came from Qatar, Etihad, or Emirates. Their eagerness to fill their order books and empty their fat checkbooks shows that the Gulf Three are here to stay.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
A Week of First Flights
This week, two different plane models took to the skies for the very first time; Canadian manufacturer Bombardier flew their brand new CSeries aircraft for the first time on Monday, and Tuesday, American aerospace giant Boeing sent their stretched 787, the 787-9, to fly the skies.
On Monday, it was Bombardier's turn to take the first flight spotlight. The entire aviation world looked to Montreal as the CS100, the smaller of the two models, lifted off from Mirabel Airport, just outside Montreal. Taking off just before 10 AM local time, the two and a half hour flight went smoothly, almost without a hitch; the only problem reported was an advisory notice that crew say would not have stopped a commercial flight. Chief test pilot Chuck Ellis said to the media that the flight went exactly according to predictions. "In many ways, we didn't learn anything new; we validated everything we did know," he said.
After more than 10 years of development and a couple of delays, the CS100, which seats 110, is on track to begin deliveries next September. The CS300, which seats 130, is expected to take flight in about six months, and start deliveries at the end of 2014. As the crown jewel of the Canadian aerospace company's commercial jets, the CSeries is expected to compete with Boeing's 737 and Airbus' A320, starting Bombardier's entrance into the mainline aircraft arena. So far, the CSeries has received 177 firm orders from 15 customers, but the manufacturer hopes that this successful test flight will lure more customers.
Just the very next day, across the continent in Seattle, Boeing's newest 787 variant would take to the sky for the first time as well. The 787-9, a stretch version of the 787-8, is 20 feet longer and carries 38 more passengers in a three class configuration for a total of 280. Thanks to the addition of a forward fuel tank added later in the design process, the 787-9 has an increased range as well, able to fly an additional 300 miles per flight. So far, Boeing's order book for the 787-9 variant consists of 388 firm orders from ___ customers. Thanks to the increased capacity and increased range, Boeing believes that, now that it's off the ground, that this stretched 787 will be easier to sell and more profitable than the base model.
The first flight of the variant started an hour later than originally planned, but ultimately went smoothly. Finally taking off at 11 AM local time, the 5+ hour flight took the new jet to 15,000 feet, north around the city of Everett, amd then east toward central Washington, going as far east as Spokane, despite original plans to fly west over the Puget Sound first. The plane landed at Grant County airport in central Washington at approximately 4:20 PM local time. The flight went well according to chief test pilot Randy Neville, "The aircraft did exactly as expected."
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
JetBlue's First A321 Appears in Hamburg
 |
| Video of JetBlue's first A321 surfaced over the weekend |
This particular aircraft, to be registered as N903JB upon
delivery, sports a livery not seen on a JetBlue aircraft before. The
tail consists of a mosaic of triangles of different shades of blue and
surprise, surprise, green. Blue has been all but the exclusive color of
tail designs since the airlines inception in 1998, with only one of the
nine main designs featuring a color other than blue, but green has never
been featured on the tail in unison with blue, making for an
interesting sight on the end of the plane. While JetBlue has yet to
officially unveil the new livery and have not set a date to do so, they
have announced that the livery that appears on the first A321 will be on
all aircraft of the type in the fleet.
The A321 is expected to be delivered to the
airline late this year, and the first four aircraft will be equipped
with the typical all-economy seats that are typical with JetBlue, but
the rest of the A321 fleet will be outfitted with their new premium
cabin seating, including 16 lie-flat beds and 4 private suites. Those
will be introduced in the second quarter of 2014. The first aircraft
will be used on flights from JFK to Florida and the Caribbean. The A321s
equipped with the premium seating will be used on the premier
transcontinental routes of New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco
No official dates have been set for unveiling or delivery of the aircraft.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Department of Justice Tries to Intervene in American Airlines/US Airways Merger
While not quite cancelled, the mega merger between American Airlines and US Airways to form the world's largest airline, has certainly been delayed. Announced in February, the deal is supposed to create, yet again, the largest airline in the States and be the grand finale of airline mergers after more than 5 years of industry consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. The deal was put on hold Tuesday however, when the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against the merger, claiming the merger would reduce competition on routes, raise fares, and increase the likelihood of coordinated actions by the industry. While unlikely to derail the merger, which was scheduled to be finalized next month, the lawsuit will definitely delay its progress.
Washington has become a hot spot for debate for regulators, with officials pushing the new airline to give up slots at National. The joint airline would control 69 percent of takeoff and landing slots, and the Justice Department fears that this will lead to increased fares and fees out of and into the airport, as well as more limited choices for passengers. The lawsuit also alleges that the merger may threaten the presence of airlines like JetBlue at national, who entered the market when they traded slots at JFK in New York with American for slots at National, and they still maintain a relatively weak presence in DC.
The Department of Justice claims the merger is also anti-competitive across the board, not just here in washington. Since the airlines don't share any hubs, they only directly compete on 12 non-stop routes, however, the merger would make the new airline the only carrier to fly the route on seven of the 12. Using an algorithm called the Herfindahl-Hirshman Index to measure market concentration and competition, the DoJ also says that the merger will lower competition on 1,677 routes, including the non-stops, and increase competition on only 210 routes.
Lawyers for American Airlines and US Airways have said they fully intend to fight the suit in court, rather than pursue a compromise or settle out of court.
Special note: From this point forward, blog posts will not come every Monday like clockwork as they have in the past. School is starting soon and the pressure to have one post every week at the exact same time has proven to be too much as sometimes topics will be harder to come by than other times. I will still try to post an average of one post a week, sometimes there will be multiple posts in a week, other times none at all.
Washington has become a hot spot for debate for regulators, with officials pushing the new airline to give up slots at National. The joint airline would control 69 percent of takeoff and landing slots, and the Justice Department fears that this will lead to increased fares and fees out of and into the airport, as well as more limited choices for passengers. The lawsuit also alleges that the merger may threaten the presence of airlines like JetBlue at national, who entered the market when they traded slots at JFK in New York with American for slots at National, and they still maintain a relatively weak presence in DC.
The Department of Justice claims the merger is also anti-competitive across the board, not just here in washington. Since the airlines don't share any hubs, they only directly compete on 12 non-stop routes, however, the merger would make the new airline the only carrier to fly the route on seven of the 12. Using an algorithm called the Herfindahl-Hirshman Index to measure market concentration and competition, the DoJ also says that the merger will lower competition on 1,677 routes, including the non-stops, and increase competition on only 210 routes.
Lawyers for American Airlines and US Airways have said they fully intend to fight the suit in court, rather than pursue a compromise or settle out of court.
Special note: From this point forward, blog posts will not come every Monday like clockwork as they have in the past. School is starting soon and the pressure to have one post every week at the exact same time has proven to be too much as sometimes topics will be harder to come by than other times. I will still try to post an average of one post a week, sometimes there will be multiple posts in a week, other times none at all.
Monday, August 12, 2013
What Has Happened in the Past Month
I arrived back from New York about a week ago, and so I thought I'd make this week's post about what all has happened in the month since I last posted. In an attempt to brush up on my journalism skills, I wrote a short paragraph on each event. Enjoy.
Ethiopian Airlines 787 Catches Fire in London: On July 12 Ethiopian 787 ET-AOP at London Heathrow Airport had a fire near the back of the plane. Currently being investigated is the plane's ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) battery is being investigated as the cause of the accident. Unrelated to the battery problem that plagued the plane in the beginning of the year, the system is activated in the event of a crash and is located in the rear of the plane, above the cabin just before the tail. The damage was sufficient enough that it blackened the roof just above the battery and the airline is considering writing off the airplane that was delivered a year ago, which would be the first time a Dreamliner has ever been written off.
Southwest Jet's Nose Gear Collapses at LaGuardia Airport: On July 21, Southwest Airlines Flight 345 had its nose gear collapse upon landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The flight from Nashville was uneventful until landing when the nose gear on the 737-700 suddenly collapsed. A total of five passengers and three flight attendants reported injuries from the incident. An official cause has yet to be determined, but preliminary reports suggest that the plane landed nose gear first at LaGuardia.
American Airlines Receives First Airbus A319: On July 23, American Airlines took delivery of their first A319 from the European manufacturer Airbus. The airline received their first aircraft in the A320 family at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany, marking the start to a series of more than 130 deliveries over the next 4 years as part of a fleet renewal program. They also have another 130 A320neo family aircraft on order that they will begin taking deliveries of in 2017.
On August 1, the airline also debuted its Embraer E175 regional jet in Chicago.
JetBlue Unveils Premium Transcontinental Product: Announced two months ago, JetBlue's premium transcontinental product was revealed last Monday to much fanfare in the aviation world. The product, which does not yet have a name, will be fitted onto all of JetBlue's newest aircraft type, the A321, set to begin delivery in December of this year. The product will be somewhat separated into two classes. First, a two-to-a-set business class style seat will be found in rows 1, 3, and 5. Second, a suite style first class like seat in rows 2 and 4. JetBlue intends to use the new product initially on routes out of JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Terminal Building at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi Kenya Catches Fire: On August 7, Kenya's main international airport suffered a small fire that escalated quickly into major catastrophe. The flames destroyed the international arrivals hall, several banks, and foreign exchange bureaus. It caused East Africa's busiest international gateway to be shut down. When the airport reopened later that day, only domestic flights were allowed to arrive and depart. Airport officials say they intend to convert an area of the domestic terminal into an international terminal for the time being. While no cause has been established yet, a widely circulating rumor is that the fire could have been started purposefully as part of a terrorist plot, being that the fire occurred exactly 15 years after the al-Qaeda bombings on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Ethiopian Airlines 787 Catches Fire in London: On July 12 Ethiopian 787 ET-AOP at London Heathrow Airport had a fire near the back of the plane. Currently being investigated is the plane's ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) battery is being investigated as the cause of the accident. Unrelated to the battery problem that plagued the plane in the beginning of the year, the system is activated in the event of a crash and is located in the rear of the plane, above the cabin just before the tail. The damage was sufficient enough that it blackened the roof just above the battery and the airline is considering writing off the airplane that was delivered a year ago, which would be the first time a Dreamliner has ever been written off.
Southwest Jet's Nose Gear Collapses at LaGuardia Airport: On July 21, Southwest Airlines Flight 345 had its nose gear collapse upon landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The flight from Nashville was uneventful until landing when the nose gear on the 737-700 suddenly collapsed. A total of five passengers and three flight attendants reported injuries from the incident. An official cause has yet to be determined, but preliminary reports suggest that the plane landed nose gear first at LaGuardia.
American Airlines Receives First Airbus A319: On July 23, American Airlines took delivery of their first A319 from the European manufacturer Airbus. The airline received their first aircraft in the A320 family at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany, marking the start to a series of more than 130 deliveries over the next 4 years as part of a fleet renewal program. They also have another 130 A320neo family aircraft on order that they will begin taking deliveries of in 2017.
On August 1, the airline also debuted its Embraer E175 regional jet in Chicago.
JetBlue Unveils Premium Transcontinental Product: Announced two months ago, JetBlue's premium transcontinental product was revealed last Monday to much fanfare in the aviation world. The product, which does not yet have a name, will be fitted onto all of JetBlue's newest aircraft type, the A321, set to begin delivery in December of this year. The product will be somewhat separated into two classes. First, a two-to-a-set business class style seat will be found in rows 1, 3, and 5. Second, a suite style first class like seat in rows 2 and 4. JetBlue intends to use the new product initially on routes out of JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Terminal Building at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi Kenya Catches Fire: On August 7, Kenya's main international airport suffered a small fire that escalated quickly into major catastrophe. The flames destroyed the international arrivals hall, several banks, and foreign exchange bureaus. It caused East Africa's busiest international gateway to be shut down. When the airport reopened later that day, only domestic flights were allowed to arrive and depart. Airport officials say they intend to convert an area of the domestic terminal into an international terminal for the time being. While no cause has been established yet, a widely circulating rumor is that the fire could have been started purposefully as part of a terrorist plot, being that the fire occurred exactly 15 years after the al-Qaeda bombings on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Monday, July 15, 2013
An Extended Trip to New York City
I will be taking a two and a half week trip to New York City, starting this Wednesday, the 17th, which means I will be unable to write three new blog posts. In addition to the normal tourist sightseeing around the city, starting next Sunday, I will be taking a business intensive course at Adelphi University on Long Island for two weeks to learn more about business, and of course get college credits. But because I will be studying such a wide range of subjects in such a short period of time, I will have little if any time to write for this blog. While I thought I would be able to write a little bit here and there, after looking at the schedule, I've come to realize that it would be impossible. So i chose my future career over my hobby, and I think I made the right decision.
You can expect my first blog post on August 12, a week after I come back.
You can expect my first blog post on August 12, a week after I come back.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Asiana Airlines Flight Crash Lands at San Francisco Airport
Saturday morning started like any other morning at San Francisco International Airport. But after the marine layer had dissipated, that would change. At 11:27 AM, Asiana Airlines flight 214, a Boeing 777-200ER, experienced a hull-loss accident upon landing at the airport. The crash landing caused the tail and landing gear to separate from the plane, the aft pressure bulkhead to burst, and the plane to spin like a top. The crash of flight 214 was the first fatal accident to happen on American soil since the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, New York, which killed all 49 passengers and one person on the ground. Killing two and injuring 183, the flight from Shanghai via Seoul hit the seawall and left a trail of debris as it spun out of control off the runway and into the dirt nearby. The accident was the first involving a fatality for the 777, going to show the outstanding safety record of the model first delivered in 1995.
Among the 307 passengers and crew on the flight, two were killed, 183 were injured ten of which were in critical condition (as of the this writing that number has been downgraded to 6), and 122 walked away uninjured. Most of the injuries consisted of head trauma from the initial impact and burns from the fire that ensued. The two that were killed were Chinese 16-year-old girls Ye Meng Yuan and Wang Li Jia. The flight had 141 Chinese citizens on board, including 70 students and teachers traveling to the US for a summer school program. 91 passengers and crew were South Korean citizens, 61 were American citizens, and the other 11 were citizens of 6 other countries.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane flying extremely low before the accident, and passengers reported hearing the engines revving and the plane tilting upwards seconds before impact. The National Transportation Safety Board has indeed confirmed that the plane was flying too low and too slow to make a safe landing. They have also stated that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the pilot called for a go around, which of course, failed, hence the engines revving moments before impact. Because the plane survived the crash for the most part, the two black boxes were easily recovered, and thanks also to eyewitness and survivor testimonies, the NTSB knows exactly what happened. The investigation must continue however to determine a cause.
At this point so early in the investigation, everything is still on the table, including pilot error and mechanical failure.
Among the 307 passengers and crew on the flight, two were killed, 183 were injured ten of which were in critical condition (as of the this writing that number has been downgraded to 6), and 122 walked away uninjured. Most of the injuries consisted of head trauma from the initial impact and burns from the fire that ensued. The two that were killed were Chinese 16-year-old girls Ye Meng Yuan and Wang Li Jia. The flight had 141 Chinese citizens on board, including 70 students and teachers traveling to the US for a summer school program. 91 passengers and crew were South Korean citizens, 61 were American citizens, and the other 11 were citizens of 6 other countries.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane flying extremely low before the accident, and passengers reported hearing the engines revving and the plane tilting upwards seconds before impact. The National Transportation Safety Board has indeed confirmed that the plane was flying too low and too slow to make a safe landing. They have also stated that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the pilot called for a go around, which of course, failed, hence the engines revving moments before impact. Because the plane survived the crash for the most part, the two black boxes were easily recovered, and thanks also to eyewitness and survivor testimonies, the NTSB knows exactly what happened. The investigation must continue however to determine a cause.
At this point so early in the investigation, everything is still on the table, including pilot error and mechanical failure.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Potential Route Development for Dulles Airport
Last week, British Airways announced their inaugural routes for their first two Dreamliners, saying they will fly to Toronto starting September 1st and Newark starting October 1st, a move that, while not surprising, did disappoint yours truly. While unlikely, it could have been possible for Washington to receive one of British Airways inaugural 787 flights given the fact that British Airways' international 767s fly primarily to the East Coast and Canada, and Dulles gets one of them (read more about why Dulles could have gotten BA's inaugural here). This got me thinking about what other possible inaugural routes Dulles could see. In just the past year and a half since I started following the industry, Washington has seen dramatic growth, adding 3 new airlines and inaugurating the 787 Dreamliner for Ethiopian Airlines. Dulles even had the honor of being the destination of the worldwide launch of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, flown by Lufthansa from Frankfurt. With more and more airlines flying new aircraft like the 787 and A380, and the launch of the A350 just a year away, could Dulles' next superstar route be just around the corner?
When the FAA let the Dreamliner fly again, it opened up doors for hometown airline United to fly some more off-the-beaten-path routes to Latin America and Africa. Cities such as Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Sao Paulo and even potentially Rio de Janeiro could see service from United thanks to the 787's cost efficiency, making niche routes more financially viable. One route United could especially target in the upcoming years out of Dulles is a flight to Accra, Ghana. The West African capital used to receive service from United by their 767s, the primary aircraft the 787 is set to replace, but was dropped a year ago citing poor financial performance. Thanks to the improved economics of the Dreamliner, we could see that route make a comeback.
A few years after the Airbus A350 starts flying commercially, which will come in about a year, don't be too surprised if you see a couple of them buzzing through Dulles airport. Not only does hometown airline United have 35 A35-1000s on order due for delivery in 2018, but many other airlines that already fly to Washington have orders of all variants on the table, including but not limited to, Emirates, Air France-KLM, Aeroflot, and launch customer Qatar Airways. The airlines that have placed firm orders have variants that are perfectly fit to replace the aircraft they currently have flying here. United's order for A350-1000s, the largest variant, are most likely to be used to upgrade capacity on load heavy routes, and along with Newark and Chicago, Washington could see capacity increases on routes to major European cities such as London, Paris and Amsterdam, cities that the airline already flies up with 777-200s, their largest twinjet by capacity.
Disagree on potential routes? Think a different airline could bring something new to Washington? Think I missed something? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
When the FAA let the Dreamliner fly again, it opened up doors for hometown airline United to fly some more off-the-beaten-path routes to Latin America and Africa. Cities such as Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Sao Paulo and even potentially Rio de Janeiro could see service from United thanks to the 787's cost efficiency, making niche routes more financially viable. One route United could especially target in the upcoming years out of Dulles is a flight to Accra, Ghana. The West African capital used to receive service from United by their 767s, the primary aircraft the 787 is set to replace, but was dropped a year ago citing poor financial performance. Thanks to the improved economics of the Dreamliner, we could see that route make a comeback.
A few years after the Airbus A350 starts flying commercially, which will come in about a year, don't be too surprised if you see a couple of them buzzing through Dulles airport. Not only does hometown airline United have 35 A35-1000s on order due for delivery in 2018, but many other airlines that already fly to Washington have orders of all variants on the table, including but not limited to, Emirates, Air France-KLM, Aeroflot, and launch customer Qatar Airways. The airlines that have placed firm orders have variants that are perfectly fit to replace the aircraft they currently have flying here. United's order for A350-1000s, the largest variant, are most likely to be used to upgrade capacity on load heavy routes, and along with Newark and Chicago, Washington could see capacity increases on routes to major European cities such as London, Paris and Amsterdam, cities that the airline already flies up with 777-200s, their largest twinjet by capacity.
Disagree on potential routes? Think a different airline could bring something new to Washington? Think I missed something? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Brussels Airlines Brings Flights to Washington
Last Tuesday, Brussels Airlines added a new design to the rainbow of tails of international airlines that fly into Washington Dulles International Airport. Announced in January, the Belgian carrier has begun flights five times a week between Brussels and Washington, using A330s. Flying as flight number 515, the flights will arrive at Dulles five days a week every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as the second direct link between Washington and Brussels, the first being United's flight 950. Coming in at 7:30, the flights will also be one of Dulles' few evening international arrivals, meaning shorter wait times in customs.
Brussels Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, and because Washington is a major hub for United, also a Star Alliance member, it allows passengers a much smoother connection to reach many other cities in the US. Not only that, but in the other direction, flights leaving Washington can have passengers connecting to other Brussels Airlines destinations. During the summer season, passengers flying to and from the Belgian capital will fly Brussels', A332s and A333s, newly refurbished with more comfortable business and economy class cabins.
The new route is all part of Brussels' expanding long haul route structure. Last year, they added New York as their first transatlantic destination, making Washington its second destination in the Americas. According to CEO Bernard Gustin, over the last four years, Brussels Airlines has doubled its long haul fleet size from 4 to 8 aircraft and added 4 intercontinental destinations. "Washington is part of our strategy to operate the most important intercontinental destinations from Brussels Airport" Gustin said.
Brussels Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, and because Washington is a major hub for United, also a Star Alliance member, it allows passengers a much smoother connection to reach many other cities in the US. Not only that, but in the other direction, flights leaving Washington can have passengers connecting to other Brussels Airlines destinations. During the summer season, passengers flying to and from the Belgian capital will fly Brussels', A332s and A333s, newly refurbished with more comfortable business and economy class cabins.
The new route is all part of Brussels' expanding long haul route structure. Last year, they added New York as their first transatlantic destination, making Washington its second destination in the Americas. According to CEO Bernard Gustin, over the last four years, Brussels Airlines has doubled its long haul fleet size from 4 to 8 aircraft and added 4 intercontinental destinations. "Washington is part of our strategy to operate the most important intercontinental destinations from Brussels Airport" Gustin said.
Monday, June 17, 2013
The A350 Flies for the First Time, Adding Fuel to the Fire in Widebody Race
After years of design, months of assembly, weeks of testing, and days of anticipation, Airbus' newest jet, the A350 took to the skies over Toulouse, France last Friday for its inaugural flight. A crew of 6 pilots and engineers flew the test flight, including Airbus' Chief Test Pilot Peter Chandler and A350 Project Pilot Guy Magrin, in front of hundreds of members of the media from around the world. Under the serial number MSN1, Airbus' A350 XWB test flight was completed successfully and went off without a hitch. "[The flight went] pretty well, the aircraft is in good shape," said Patrick Du Ché, Head of Development Flight Tests for the program. Friday's test flight kicks off a flight test program with around 2500 flight hours and 5 development aircraft. The French aircraft maker intends to have the first delivery to a customer in mid 2014 to Qatar Airways.
Labelled a "Boeing-Killer", the A350 XWB is Airbus' response to Boeing's radically designed 787 Dreamliner, which recently experienced problems with its battery system. The company says that its three models, the A350-800, -900, and -1000 each compete with a different Boeing widebody. The A350-900, the base variant, is built to compete with Boeing's 777-200ER in both range and capacity, but boasting a 25% reduction in fuel burn and operating costs. The A350-800, the shortened variant, is designed to compete with Boeing's 787-9 in range and capacity, but boasting an 8% reduction in fuel burn and operating costs. The A350-1000, the stretched and most troubled variant, aims to compete with Boeing's 777-300ER, its best-selling 777 model, but boasting 25% lower fuel burn and operating costs.
For quite a while after the launch of the A350, while the -800 and -900 variants wereselling like hot cakes, Airbus had trouble drawing new orders for the A350-1000, with customers citing that despite a much improved engine that Airbus added to the design two years ago, pushing back entry into service 18 months, the A350-1000 still does not compete with Boeing's bestselling 777 product, the 777-300ER. Recently however, starting with Cathay Pacific's order converting 16 A350-900s to -1000s and adding 10 more to their total, orders for the longest version of Airbus' new composite jet have been rolling in.
With the introduction of the A350, Airbus and Boeing are locked in a renewed battle for the wallets of international airlines who fly long haul flights. After many traditionally Boeing customers turned to Airbus' new jet to replace their aging first generation 777s, Boeing decided to officially launch its 777X program, a project that many inside the aviation industry had known a lot about already, in order to try to stop the bleeding of customers to rivals across the pond. Believed to be the catalyst for the official launch was the decision by British Airways to order 18 of the Airbus craft as part of their replacement program for their 747-400s. Boeing's 777X will include the -8X, the successor to the 777-300, the -8LX, the successor to the bestselling 777-300ER, and the -9X, which will be in a whole new class of capacity for twinjets, comparable to the 747. While these two companies are no stranger to competition in the widebody aircraft department, never before have the two models been so similar to each other.
Labelled a "Boeing-Killer", the A350 XWB is Airbus' response to Boeing's radically designed 787 Dreamliner, which recently experienced problems with its battery system. The company says that its three models, the A350-800, -900, and -1000 each compete with a different Boeing widebody. The A350-900, the base variant, is built to compete with Boeing's 777-200ER in both range and capacity, but boasting a 25% reduction in fuel burn and operating costs. The A350-800, the shortened variant, is designed to compete with Boeing's 787-9 in range and capacity, but boasting an 8% reduction in fuel burn and operating costs. The A350-1000, the stretched and most troubled variant, aims to compete with Boeing's 777-300ER, its best-selling 777 model, but boasting 25% lower fuel burn and operating costs.
For quite a while after the launch of the A350, while the -800 and -900 variants wereselling like hot cakes, Airbus had trouble drawing new orders for the A350-1000, with customers citing that despite a much improved engine that Airbus added to the design two years ago, pushing back entry into service 18 months, the A350-1000 still does not compete with Boeing's bestselling 777 product, the 777-300ER. Recently however, starting with Cathay Pacific's order converting 16 A350-900s to -1000s and adding 10 more to their total, orders for the longest version of Airbus' new composite jet have been rolling in.
With the introduction of the A350, Airbus and Boeing are locked in a renewed battle for the wallets of international airlines who fly long haul flights. After many traditionally Boeing customers turned to Airbus' new jet to replace their aging first generation 777s, Boeing decided to officially launch its 777X program, a project that many inside the aviation industry had known a lot about already, in order to try to stop the bleeding of customers to rivals across the pond. Believed to be the catalyst for the official launch was the decision by British Airways to order 18 of the Airbus craft as part of their replacement program for their 747-400s. Boeing's 777X will include the -8X, the successor to the 777-300, the -8LX, the successor to the bestselling 777-300ER, and the -9X, which will be in a whole new class of capacity for twinjets, comparable to the 747. While these two companies are no stranger to competition in the widebody aircraft department, never before have the two models been so similar to each other.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Airlines and Their Relationships with Sports Teams
These days, almost every team in major professional sports leagues has an official airline. These official airlines put their name on the big screen at the stadium, appear on local advertisements boasting their status as the "official airline of your team", and sponsor merchandise promotions at the team's home venue. Normally, these are airlines that operate a hub at the local airport or at a nearby major city's airport. But that is just about where the similarities end. Different airlines have very different relationships with their sports teams; some relationships are intimate and rather exclusive and sometimes airlines will have so many teams, that they can number more than 30.
The reason airlines sponsor teams is to attach their name to local fans' favorite teams. In this day and age, here in America and around the world, people are very tightly connected to their favorite team, sometimes even giving their favorite players nicknames or using the pronouns we, us, and our when referring to their favorite team. Advertisers will pay top dollar to be associated with these cultural icons, and airlines are no exception. To an airline, associating with a team means that when fans go to book a flight, they're more likely to think of the airline that has giant billboards at their favorite team's home venue.
But some airlines are a lot less passive in their approach to marketing their brand to sports fans. Just in the US, airlines like JetBlue and US Airways have created special liveries for the teams they sponsor. Internationally, airlines like Air New Zealand and Turkish Airlines have also created special liveries for sports teams; Turkish has even painted the entire roster of FC Barcelona on the side of a 777-300ER. When people see their favorite team's logo flying through the sky, they will clamor to choose that airline the next time they fly, in hopes of being able to fly that special plane.
Other airlines host contests for the team, with the prize ranging from free round-trip tickets to one of their destinations to a season-long vacation following the team to every road game; Everyone loves free things, even if one of those free things is a cramped economy class seat in a plane flying 5 hours across the country, sandwiched between the crying baby and the person who talks too much. These airlines know that by tapping into the sports market, and properly engaging in their communities, they can potentially draw hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of fans, if they form as tight a bond with the fans in the same way the fans have formed a bond with their team, a challenge some airlines have mastered, while others have yet to come close to achieving.
The reason airlines sponsor teams is to attach their name to local fans' favorite teams. In this day and age, here in America and around the world, people are very tightly connected to their favorite team, sometimes even giving their favorite players nicknames or using the pronouns we, us, and our when referring to their favorite team. Advertisers will pay top dollar to be associated with these cultural icons, and airlines are no exception. To an airline, associating with a team means that when fans go to book a flight, they're more likely to think of the airline that has giant billboards at their favorite team's home venue.
But some airlines are a lot less passive in their approach to marketing their brand to sports fans. Just in the US, airlines like JetBlue and US Airways have created special liveries for the teams they sponsor. Internationally, airlines like Air New Zealand and Turkish Airlines have also created special liveries for sports teams; Turkish has even painted the entire roster of FC Barcelona on the side of a 777-300ER. When people see their favorite team's logo flying through the sky, they will clamor to choose that airline the next time they fly, in hopes of being able to fly that special plane.
Other airlines host contests for the team, with the prize ranging from free round-trip tickets to one of their destinations to a season-long vacation following the team to every road game; Everyone loves free things, even if one of those free things is a cramped economy class seat in a plane flying 5 hours across the country, sandwiched between the crying baby and the person who talks too much. These airlines know that by tapping into the sports market, and properly engaging in their communities, they can potentially draw hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of fans, if they form as tight a bond with the fans in the same way the fans have formed a bond with their team, a challenge some airlines have mastered, while others have yet to come close to achieving.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Dreamliners Return to the Skies in Droves
This past week, dubbed Dreamliner week by yours truly, has seen four new airlines "re-inaugurate" 787 services, two airlines receive their first 787, confirmation that all 50 Dreamliners delivered before the grounding have been refitted with the improved battery system, and to top it all off, the first pictures surfacing of Boeing's first 787-9 in final assembly at their production facility in Everett. The Dreamliner flooded aviation news sites in the latter half of last week while Boeing and it's flashy new toy closed one tumultuous chapter and moved on to a new one with less drama and hopefully for Boeing, more cash.
On Saturday June 1st, two airlines put their 787s into commercial service. After more than a month of flight tests, Japanese carrier Japan Airlines put their birds back into commercial service, flying within Asia and to Boston and San Diego. Though ANA decided to push one inaugural flight forward a week, they also put the rest of their 787s back into the air on service in Asia and to San Jose and Frankfurt. LOT Polish also resumed service this weekend, sending their Dreamliner from Warsaw to New York. LAN, however, had originally scheduled its service resumption to also be this weekend, but have pushed back the date another month to July 1st, leaving them to be the last pre-grounding airline still grounded.
Friday, before three different airlines restarted their silent Dreamliner engines, two airlines started their engines and took off for the first time. British carrier Thomson Airways and China Southern Airlines both left Paine Field as brand new owners of their own Dreamliners. And China Southern will be starting commercial flights this week, flying from Guangzhou to Beijing starting Friday June 6th. Thomson on the other hand is not starting flights until late July.
All this comes after Boeing has confirmed that all 50 aircraft delivered before the grounding have been refitted with the brand new battery system. Photos have also surfaced of the first 787-9 in final assembly, with its stretched fuselage and "9" painted on the tail clearly visible. Besides the 787-9, fully painted -8s have coming out of the paint shop non-stop. So far, British Airways, Norwegian, and Hinian tails have all been spotted on the flight line in Seattle, waiting to be delivered. Norwegian and Aeromexico have both announced their inaugural routes. Paine Field should be very busy this summer.
On Saturday June 1st, two airlines put their 787s into commercial service. After more than a month of flight tests, Japanese carrier Japan Airlines put their birds back into commercial service, flying within Asia and to Boston and San Diego. Though ANA decided to push one inaugural flight forward a week, they also put the rest of their 787s back into the air on service in Asia and to San Jose and Frankfurt. LOT Polish also resumed service this weekend, sending their Dreamliner from Warsaw to New York. LAN, however, had originally scheduled its service resumption to also be this weekend, but have pushed back the date another month to July 1st, leaving them to be the last pre-grounding airline still grounded.
Friday, before three different airlines restarted their silent Dreamliner engines, two airlines started their engines and took off for the first time. British carrier Thomson Airways and China Southern Airlines both left Paine Field as brand new owners of their own Dreamliners. And China Southern will be starting commercial flights this week, flying from Guangzhou to Beijing starting Friday June 6th. Thomson on the other hand is not starting flights until late July.
All this comes after Boeing has confirmed that all 50 aircraft delivered before the grounding have been refitted with the brand new battery system. Photos have also surfaced of the first 787-9 in final assembly, with its stretched fuselage and "9" painted on the tail clearly visible. Besides the 787-9, fully painted -8s have coming out of the paint shop non-stop. So far, British Airways, Norwegian, and Hinian tails have all been spotted on the flight line in Seattle, waiting to be delivered. Norwegian and Aeromexico have both announced their inaugural routes. Paine Field should be very busy this summer.
Monday, May 27, 2013
The Toy Airport Set
Looking back, there have been so many things in my life that could have kickstarted a lifelong interest in aviation. For one thing, I had planes fly over my house every day, and still no interest was sparked until I was 15. My dad used to take annual business trips to Frankfurt and the whole family would go pick him up at the airport, and still no interest. I only flew for the first time when I was 8. But my favorite missed opportunity, if thats what you want to call it, was my toy airport set.
When I was about 5, I had a little toy airport set complete with a control tower, "gates", and planes. It even had little baggage trucks with the AA logo on the side. I had three little model planes, and although I don't remember the type, I do remember that there was an American, a Continental, and a Northwest jet. I would play with the set all the time, but somehow the fun never translated to the real ones. Only now, being an AvGeek, do I really wish I had it. But, of course, as with most of the toys I loved as a kid, I have no idea where it is.
I've come to realize that almost everyone has a favorite or cherished aviation related memory from when they were young. Maybe it's seeing a special plane fly overhead, or visiting an air and space museum. Maybe it's a first flight or a favorite toy. What sparked your inner AvGeek? Maybe the memorable event happened after you became an aviation enthusiast. Leave a comment below and tell your story of what fueled your interest in aviation.
When I was about 5, I had a little toy airport set complete with a control tower, "gates", and planes. It even had little baggage trucks with the AA logo on the side. I had three little model planes, and although I don't remember the type, I do remember that there was an American, a Continental, and a Northwest jet. I would play with the set all the time, but somehow the fun never translated to the real ones. Only now, being an AvGeek, do I really wish I had it. But, of course, as with most of the toys I loved as a kid, I have no idea where it is.
I've come to realize that almost everyone has a favorite or cherished aviation related memory from when they were young. Maybe it's seeing a special plane fly overhead, or visiting an air and space museum. Maybe it's a first flight or a favorite toy. What sparked your inner AvGeek? Maybe the memorable event happened after you became an aviation enthusiast. Leave a comment below and tell your story of what fueled your interest in aviation.
Monday, May 20, 2013
What's Behind a Flight Number
Everybody, both occasional travelers and seasoned frequent fliers alike, notices a flight number at one point or another. Whether they're trying to check the status of their flight or identifying an odd or special sequence of numbers, fliers encounter flight numbers all the time as part of the travel experience. But what goes into the selection of those flight numbers? While the selection is a little bit random, the selection of flight numbers is not a completely arbitrary assignment as some may think. Each airline has its own numbering system, and while some have complex conventions, many have much simpler ideas for how to give flights their numbers.
A large number of airlines follow the traditional standard of eastbound and northbound flights receiving even numbers and westbound and southbound flights receiving odd numbers. Other airlines will have an odd flight number for outbound flights from the hub airport, and the return flight have an even number. In almost all cases, airlines chose to have the flight that returns to the hub airport have the next sequential number that follows the flight number that left the hub airport. If an airport has more than one flight per day, they will often have all flights have sequential flight numbers. Airlines also have a range system in which the range of numbers a flight number can be is determined by where the flight goes or if it is operated by a codeshare partner or regional affiliate. For example, Air Canada has flight numbers 0-99 operate to Asia Pacific, 100-199 is for domestic transcontinental, 200-299 for western domestic and so on.
Airlines will also assign special flight numbers to certain flights. For example, JetBlue's flight from New York to Bogota, Colombia (via Orlando) carries flight 1783 in honor of Simón BolÃvar, the leader of Colombia's independence movement. One of Southwest Airlines' flights from San Antonio to Las Vegas flies as flight 711. Air Canada flies flight 88 to Shanghai because the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese folk culture. While JetBlue and Southwest are the primary users of this method of special flight numbers, all airlines have some sort of special flight within their flight numbers. Almost all airlines operate a flight 1, a flight they operate as their flagship flight. Many international airlines operate their flagship between their home airport and London or New York.
A large number of airlines follow the traditional standard of eastbound and northbound flights receiving even numbers and westbound and southbound flights receiving odd numbers. Other airlines will have an odd flight number for outbound flights from the hub airport, and the return flight have an even number. In almost all cases, airlines chose to have the flight that returns to the hub airport have the next sequential number that follows the flight number that left the hub airport. If an airport has more than one flight per day, they will often have all flights have sequential flight numbers. Airlines also have a range system in which the range of numbers a flight number can be is determined by where the flight goes or if it is operated by a codeshare partner or regional affiliate. For example, Air Canada has flight numbers 0-99 operate to Asia Pacific, 100-199 is for domestic transcontinental, 200-299 for western domestic and so on.
Airlines will also assign special flight numbers to certain flights. For example, JetBlue's flight from New York to Bogota, Colombia (via Orlando) carries flight 1783 in honor of Simón BolÃvar, the leader of Colombia's independence movement. One of Southwest Airlines' flights from San Antonio to Las Vegas flies as flight 711. Air Canada flies flight 88 to Shanghai because the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese folk culture. While JetBlue and Southwest are the primary users of this method of special flight numbers, all airlines have some sort of special flight within their flight numbers. Almost all airlines operate a flight 1, a flight they operate as their flagship flight. Many international airlines operate their flagship between their home airport and London or New York.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Ethiopian Resumes 787 Flights Early
Christmas came early for Washington area plane spotters as Ethiopian flight 500 flew as a 787 from Addis Ababa to Washington via Rome, replacing the 777-200ER that had operated the route for more than four months. Previously, Ethiopian said they would resume 787 flights to Washington Dulles beginning May 17, but instead, on Tuesday of last week, they an announced the Dreamliner would be flying to Dulles starting the next day! Ethiopian will continue to connect Addis Ababa to Washington (via Rome) using their 787s until June 16, when they will switch the route back to 777-200ERs, with no word on when, if ever, the 787 will return to Dulles. But until then, Dulles is once again the only airport in the world to process daily flights by all three of the major new airplanes, the 787 Dreamliner, operated by Ethiopian, the 747-8 Intercontinental, operated by Lufthansa, and the A380 Whalebus, operated by Air France.
Monday, May 6, 2013
All Dreamliners Set To Return Flying
Two weeks ago, the FAA officially gave its approval to Boeing's redesigned battery system and lifted the grounding order on the 787 Dreamliner, and already, airlines are rushing to put their planes back into service. Since then, all eight airlines who fly the jet have announced schedules for resuming commercial service, two rushing to do so so fast that they are already flying passengers. Boeing has already dispatched teams to help airlines with the installation of the new system, and they say each fix takes approximately 5 days per aircraft. Boeing still expects to make good on its promise of delivering 60 aircraft by the end of the year.
Ethiopian was the first airline to restart flights, resuming service on a short route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday the 27th, just 8 days after the grounding was lifted. Since then, the airline has resumed service to Dubai and Frankfurt, with London Heathrow to follow. Lusaka, Harare, and Mumbai are also expected to see service within the month of May.
The two Japanese carriers, JAL and ANA, are expected to resume commercial flights starting on June 1st, after both airlines complete several airworthiness tests on their aircraft. JAL's service is expected to be primarily international, while ANA will focus on its domestic network.
LOT Polish, the airline that needed its 787s the most, will not resume flights until June 5th on it's Warsaw-Chicago route. Two days after that, Warsaw-Toronto will be launched by the airline on 787 equipment.
Qatar Airways has also already resumed flights, first operating them between Doha and Dubai from May 1st, before operating long haul routes to London Heathrow on May 15th and Frankfurt on May 26th. Munich will also see Qatari 787s starting May 20th, with Zurich, Switzerland expected to see service June 1st.
United Airlines will run domestic flights beginning May 20th between Houston and Chicago, May 21st between Houston and Denver, and May 24th between Houston and Los Angeles. The airline will resume its international service beginning June 10th between Houston and London Heathrow, and between Denver and Tokyo Narita.
LAN Airlines will resume flights from Santiago de Chile and Los Angeles via Lima, Peru beginning June 1st. This was the only route LAN was operating using the 787 before the grounding. Santiago de Chile to Lima will begin July 8th.
Air India is expected to resume their 787 commercial flights on May 22nd, between Delhi and Kolkata, and between Delhi and Bangladore on the 24th. The airline's international service will resume June 1st to London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Controversial Liveries
I've noticed something interesting in my days as an AvGeek, and that is the polarizing affect that liveries have. While there are some that most agree are good or bad, most aren't so cut and dry. Some liveries can result in totally different opinions. One person may call it great, while another will describe it as terrible. There are some, however, that are some that garner so much attention and controversy that in some cases, people lost their jobs. That's where this post comes in, where I'll be looking at what the brand designers did wrong, or in some cases, what got everybody talking.
It's impossible to write a blog post on controversial liveries without including American Airlines' new livery. Unveiled on January 17, the new look features an overhaul on the eagle, a gray body and a billboard "American Airlines" across the side. But perhaps what was most heavily criticized by media and the average flyer alike was the tail. A very liberal interpretation of the American flag, the tail has gradient stripes instead of stars on a blue background along with only 11 stripes. While most realize the change was absolutely necessary, the tail is still a sore point for most of the aviation community.
Many were hoping that with the announcement made on February 14th of the merger with US Airways that incoming CEO Doug Parker would have the livery changed. However, Parker declined to give a definitive answer on the subject at the merger press conference and no announcement has been made regarding the livery since.
In 1997, British Airways unveiled its new logo along with a new idea they called Utopia. The livery featured a white body with a navy blue belly beginning at the wing level. The tail however, featured one of 30 designs inspired by various countries the airline flies to. From Hong Kong to Africa, India to Romania, the tails were pieces of art. While many liked it, many also did not. Internationally, the idea recieved an overall neutral reaction, but in the UK, where British Airways' core customer vbase lies, the reaction was strongly negative.
In Britain, the new livery met strong resistance in multiple forms. Former British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher remarked with disgust, "We fly the British flag, not these awful things". Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic capitalized on the opportunity by painting the Union Jack on the tails of their aircraft under the marketing slogan of being Britain's "flag carrier", despite British Airways still legally being the flag carrier of the UK.
British Airways CEO Bob Ayling was dismissed from his position and was replaced by Rod Eddington in 2000. While not attributed only to the Utopia idea, the artsy tails were the most public and most heavily criticized decision Ayling made while CEO. In May of 2001, Eddington announced that all aircraft in the other 29 Utopia themes would be repainted in the Union Jack theme, ending a very short-lived attempt to promote Britsh Airways' brand identity abroad. The final aircraft bearing the scheme, an A320 operated by franchise partner BMed, exited the fleet in 2006.
American Airlines #newAmerican
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| Image courtesy of American Airlines |
It's impossible to write a blog post on controversial liveries without including American Airlines' new livery. Unveiled on January 17, the new look features an overhaul on the eagle, a gray body and a billboard "American Airlines" across the side. But perhaps what was most heavily criticized by media and the average flyer alike was the tail. A very liberal interpretation of the American flag, the tail has gradient stripes instead of stars on a blue background along with only 11 stripes. While most realize the change was absolutely necessary, the tail is still a sore point for most of the aviation community.
Many were hoping that with the announcement made on February 14th of the merger with US Airways that incoming CEO Doug Parker would have the livery changed. However, Parker declined to give a definitive answer on the subject at the merger press conference and no announcement has been made regarding the livery since.
British Airways Utopia
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| Image courtesy of the public domain |
In Britain, the new livery met strong resistance in multiple forms. Former British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher remarked with disgust, "We fly the British flag, not these awful things". Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic capitalized on the opportunity by painting the Union Jack on the tails of their aircraft under the marketing slogan of being Britain's "flag carrier", despite British Airways still legally being the flag carrier of the UK.
British Airways CEO Bob Ayling was dismissed from his position and was replaced by Rod Eddington in 2000. While not attributed only to the Utopia idea, the artsy tails were the most public and most heavily criticized decision Ayling made while CEO. In May of 2001, Eddington announced that all aircraft in the other 29 Utopia themes would be repainted in the Union Jack theme, ending a very short-lived attempt to promote Britsh Airways' brand identity abroad. The final aircraft bearing the scheme, an A320 operated by franchise partner BMed, exited the fleet in 2006.
Monday, April 22, 2013
The Week That Was
While not completely aviation related, I felt this past week had to have a post dedicated to it. The past week was such a tragic week all across America as two separate events killed a total of 18 and injured more than 300. The past week was also very newsworthy in the aviation field. This special blog post will consist of a paragraph summarizing the event along with a link to follow in order to read more on the story. Runway1R will return to its original format next week.
Bombs go off at the 116th Boston Marathon: At about 2:50 in the afternoon on Monday the fifteenth, two explosions occurred near the finish line of the 116th annual running of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds. Among the dead was an 8 year old child. The bombs are believed to have been constructed from pressure cookers, superheated to the point of bursting. All across America, tributes were paid to the city of Boston, among the most notable being the singing of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", a Boston Red Sox tradition, at major league ballparks across the country, including at Yankee Stadium, home of their rivals. The week ended with a bang when the entire Boston area was shut down and everyone was told to stay indoors after the two suspects shot a police officer at MIT and robbed a 7-Eleven. The older one, 26 year old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed in the shootout and the younger one, 19 year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, escaped on foot. Dzhokhar was eventually captured after an entire day of searching house to house in Watertown, Massachusetts, west of Boston.
Activity at two US airports halted: A day after the Boston Marathon Bombings, security was heightened at airports across the US, resulting first in a ground stop at Boston Logan because of a bag not checked on a flight from Philadelphia. Two people were removed from the flight. Just fifteen minutes later, an evacuation of the central terminal at LaGuardia in New York was ordered due to a suspicious package. A few hours later, a suspicious bag was found on airport property at Dallas/Fort Worth International in Founders Plaza and a bomb squad used robots to retrieve the bag. This incident however, did not affect flights at the airport.
Explosion in Texas kills 14 and injures hundreds: In the small town of West, Texas, ironically located in the eastern portion of the state, a fertilizer plant caught fire and exploded on Wednesday night, killing 14 and injuring nearly 200. Most of the victims killed in the explosion were first responders called in to fight the blaze and were still close to the building when it exploded. Amateur video emerged showing an already considerable sized blaze when suddenly, the building turned into an enormous fireball accompanied by a very loud bang.
American Airlines suffers computer failure: Tuesday, while the rest of the world was dealing with the aftermath of the bombings in Boston, American Airlines suffered a problem connecting to their reservations computer system. This eventually lead to a company wide ground stop; if people can't check in, they can't fly. The airline was forced to cancel more than 500 flights between it and its regional affiliate, American Eagle. The flight stoppage lasted approximately four hours before American was able to reconnect to its reservation system. The next day, the airline added new one off flights on the most heavily affected routes, including a 777 between Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth.
FAA clears 787 Dreamliner to fly: Three months and three days after the FAA issued the grounding of all Boeing 787s nationwide due to problems with the plane's electrical system, the regulatory agency lifted the ban on the Dreamliner and approved the modifications Boeing made this past Friday, April 19th. While this does mean the plane can fly, it does not mean it will reenter commercial service instantly. The airlines must refit their battery and electrical system, instructions for which Boeing must provide. Also, ANA, the largest operator of the jet says it wants to run at least 200 tests before putting the plane back in commercial service.
Sequestration to hit aviation industry: As expected, congress could not come to an agreement to stop the furloughs of thousands of FAA employees, including those who operate control towers at major airports. While we've known for a while that sequestration would affect air travel by closing towers at smaller airports and causing delays at larger ones, the effects have begun to kick in. Delays of more than an hour have already been reported in Los Angeles and New York, with more expected to come over the coming days. NYCAviation has published some tips to help you avoid and/or get through agonizing delays.
Bombs go off at the 116th Boston Marathon: At about 2:50 in the afternoon on Monday the fifteenth, two explosions occurred near the finish line of the 116th annual running of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring hundreds. Among the dead was an 8 year old child. The bombs are believed to have been constructed from pressure cookers, superheated to the point of bursting. All across America, tributes were paid to the city of Boston, among the most notable being the singing of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", a Boston Red Sox tradition, at major league ballparks across the country, including at Yankee Stadium, home of their rivals. The week ended with a bang when the entire Boston area was shut down and everyone was told to stay indoors after the two suspects shot a police officer at MIT and robbed a 7-Eleven. The older one, 26 year old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed in the shootout and the younger one, 19 year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, escaped on foot. Dzhokhar was eventually captured after an entire day of searching house to house in Watertown, Massachusetts, west of Boston.
Activity at two US airports halted: A day after the Boston Marathon Bombings, security was heightened at airports across the US, resulting first in a ground stop at Boston Logan because of a bag not checked on a flight from Philadelphia. Two people were removed from the flight. Just fifteen minutes later, an evacuation of the central terminal at LaGuardia in New York was ordered due to a suspicious package. A few hours later, a suspicious bag was found on airport property at Dallas/Fort Worth International in Founders Plaza and a bomb squad used robots to retrieve the bag. This incident however, did not affect flights at the airport.
Explosion in Texas kills 14 and injures hundreds: In the small town of West, Texas, ironically located in the eastern portion of the state, a fertilizer plant caught fire and exploded on Wednesday night, killing 14 and injuring nearly 200. Most of the victims killed in the explosion were first responders called in to fight the blaze and were still close to the building when it exploded. Amateur video emerged showing an already considerable sized blaze when suddenly, the building turned into an enormous fireball accompanied by a very loud bang.
American Airlines suffers computer failure: Tuesday, while the rest of the world was dealing with the aftermath of the bombings in Boston, American Airlines suffered a problem connecting to their reservations computer system. This eventually lead to a company wide ground stop; if people can't check in, they can't fly. The airline was forced to cancel more than 500 flights between it and its regional affiliate, American Eagle. The flight stoppage lasted approximately four hours before American was able to reconnect to its reservation system. The next day, the airline added new one off flights on the most heavily affected routes, including a 777 between Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth.
FAA clears 787 Dreamliner to fly: Three months and three days after the FAA issued the grounding of all Boeing 787s nationwide due to problems with the plane's electrical system, the regulatory agency lifted the ban on the Dreamliner and approved the modifications Boeing made this past Friday, April 19th. While this does mean the plane can fly, it does not mean it will reenter commercial service instantly. The airlines must refit their battery and electrical system, instructions for which Boeing must provide. Also, ANA, the largest operator of the jet says it wants to run at least 200 tests before putting the plane back in commercial service.
Sequestration to hit aviation industry: As expected, congress could not come to an agreement to stop the furloughs of thousands of FAA employees, including those who operate control towers at major airports. While we've known for a while that sequestration would affect air travel by closing towers at smaller airports and causing delays at larger ones, the effects have begun to kick in. Delays of more than an hour have already been reported in Los Angeles and New York, with more expected to come over the coming days. NYCAviation has published some tips to help you avoid and/or get through agonizing delays.
Monday, April 15, 2013
JetBlue of the Midwest
For a while now, I've had an idea for an airline in my head. Until I can think of a better name, I just call it the "JetBlue of the Midwest". There really isn't anything else to call it, because that's essentially what it is. Whenever I look at JetBlue's route map, I notice fights all across the Northeast, flights to Florida, the Caribbean, and California. But there seems to be something missing. Something big is missing, looming large, despite being flown over daily on multiple flights. The Midwest is missing, and it's noticeable. JetBlue has tried many times in the past to enter the region but they always seem to fail somehow. In fact, just recently, the airline had to pull it's twice daily Pittsburgh to New York JFK because the route was underperforming, leaving the only Midwestern destination with flights to JFK being Chicago's O'Hare.
I'm not bashing the airline at all, in fact just the opposite here. Every time I read about the founding of JetBlue, I think to myself how that's a great way to start and run an airline. Focusing on your people and culture will in turn be a great benefit to your product. I just think that by marketing itself as "New York's Hometown Airline" and being such a common name in Northeast air travel, the airline is restricting itself. Culturally and economically, cities like Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis and even Pittsburgh are more linked to Chicago than New York City. In the Midwest, life moves at a much slower pace. Northeasterners have a much more fast paced, go-go-go type of mindset and are also much more socially liberal, as opposed to Midwesterners, who will take the time to get to know someone they're talking to and are much more socially conservative. While the Midwest may not play host to as many large cities as the Northeast, it has many more otherwise important cities. Chicago is the heart of the Midwest, probably more so than New York is for the Northeast.
That's where the JetBlue of the Midwest comes in. There are many analogies to be made between the real JetBlue and this new airline. JetBlue set up its primary hub in the heart of the Northeast: New York. Comparatively, the JetBlue of the Midwest would use the heart of the Midwest as its hub. Before JetBlue came to fruition, fares from New York City to cities in Upstate New York were sky high. Similarly, fares between Chicago and other cities in the Midwest such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Minneapolis are also through the roof. JetBlue has made its living flying from the Northeast to Florida, utilizing two hubs on both ends in Boston and New York/JFK in the Northeast and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida. On the other hand, this airline would fly between the Midwest and Florida with Chicago/O'Hare and St Louis in the Midwest and Fort Myers (RSW) and Tampa in Florida.
I'm not bashing the airline at all, in fact just the opposite here. Every time I read about the founding of JetBlue, I think to myself how that's a great way to start and run an airline. Focusing on your people and culture will in turn be a great benefit to your product. I just think that by marketing itself as "New York's Hometown Airline" and being such a common name in Northeast air travel, the airline is restricting itself. Culturally and economically, cities like Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis and even Pittsburgh are more linked to Chicago than New York City. In the Midwest, life moves at a much slower pace. Northeasterners have a much more fast paced, go-go-go type of mindset and are also much more socially liberal, as opposed to Midwesterners, who will take the time to get to know someone they're talking to and are much more socially conservative. While the Midwest may not play host to as many large cities as the Northeast, it has many more otherwise important cities. Chicago is the heart of the Midwest, probably more so than New York is for the Northeast.
That's where the JetBlue of the Midwest comes in. There are many analogies to be made between the real JetBlue and this new airline. JetBlue set up its primary hub in the heart of the Northeast: New York. Comparatively, the JetBlue of the Midwest would use the heart of the Midwest as its hub. Before JetBlue came to fruition, fares from New York City to cities in Upstate New York were sky high. Similarly, fares between Chicago and other cities in the Midwest such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Minneapolis are also through the roof. JetBlue has made its living flying from the Northeast to Florida, utilizing two hubs on both ends in Boston and New York/JFK in the Northeast and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida. On the other hand, this airline would fly between the Midwest and Florida with Chicago/O'Hare and St Louis in the Midwest and Fort Myers (RSW) and Tampa in Florida.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Etihad Inaugurates Daily Service to Abu Dhabi
Two Sundays ago, as most were getting ready for Easter dinner, Etihad Airways inaugurated its long awaited (at least for me) daily service between Washington Dulles and Abu Dhabi, making the airline the fourth middle eastern carrier to serve Dulles and the third to fly there on a daily basis. The route will be served by a A340-500, making the flight the third A340 to fly to the airport daily as of today.
Announced more than a year ago in late February 2012, the service was originally intended to be introduced as the only direct service between Washington and the middle east, but Emirates announced its intention to fly to the city and was able to launch its service in mid-September. The inbound flight operates as EY 131 arriving at Dulles at 5:30 pm and departs as EY 130 at 10:30 pm.
The flight makes Washington the fourth North American destination for the airline. According to James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad, both government and corporate customers on both sides of the Atlantic have indicated that the capital-to-capital route would support daily service. Etihad is also opening a $6.8 million premium lounge in Concourse A for it's Diamond First and Pearl Business Class travellers.
The press release failed to mention any comments from Etihad on potential competition with fellow UAE-based carrier Emirates, which opened it's route late last year.
Announced more than a year ago in late February 2012, the service was originally intended to be introduced as the only direct service between Washington and the middle east, but Emirates announced its intention to fly to the city and was able to launch its service in mid-September. The inbound flight operates as EY 131 arriving at Dulles at 5:30 pm and departs as EY 130 at 10:30 pm.
The flight makes Washington the fourth North American destination for the airline. According to James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad, both government and corporate customers on both sides of the Atlantic have indicated that the capital-to-capital route would support daily service. Etihad is also opening a $6.8 million premium lounge in Concourse A for it's Diamond First and Pearl Business Class travellers.
The press release failed to mention any comments from Etihad on potential competition with fellow UAE-based carrier Emirates, which opened it's route late last year.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Dulles Summer Schedule Changes
- From August 27 to October 25, UA946/UA947 between Washington Dulles and Amsterdam will be operated by a former Continental 757 instead of typically operating United 2-class 767-300ER
- From March 30 to June 5, UA950/UA951 between Washington Dulles and Brussels will be operated by a former Continental 767-400ER instead of typically operating United 3-class 777-200ER
- United's summer operation reduces frequency on route between Washington Dulles and Frankfurt am Main from 3 daily in summer of 2012 to 2 daily effective March 31
- Effective starting March 31, UA922/UA923 operated by a United 767-300ER between Washington Dulles and London Heathrow will become UA004/UA005 and be operated by a former Continental 757
- Effective starting April 26, United introduces a 4th daily service between Washington Dulles and London Heathrow operated as UA130/131 with former Continental 757
- From March 31 to June 5 UA902/UA903 between Washington Dulles and Munich operated by a United 3-class 777-200ER will be replaced by a United 2-class 767-300ER. From June 6, it will be operated by a former Continental 767-400ER
- Effective March 31, UA966/UA967 between Washington Dulles and Rome Fiumicino a United 3-class 767-300ER replaces the 777-200ER currently operating, except from June 6 to August 26 when it will be operated by a former Continental 767-400ER
- From March 31 to August 26 UA936/UA937 between Washington Dulles and Zurich will be operated by United 2-class 767-300ER replaces former Continental 767-400ER
- From August 13 to August 27, UA145 to Honolulu will change flight numbers to UA523 and be operated by a United 3-class 777-200, replacing former Continental 767-400ER
United is also launching new services to North and Central America this summer:
- Starting May 1, UA6096 and UA6181/UA6152 will operate between Washington Dulles and Grand Rapids twice daily operated by an ERJ-145
- Starting April 13, UA1606/UA1658 will operate between Washington Dulles and Guatemala City once weekly on Saturdays to be operated by a 737-800
- Starting April 13, UA1180/UA1623 will operate between Washington Dulles and San Jose, Costa Rica once weekly on Saturdays to be operated by a 737-800
- United last operated this route from February 13 2004 to September 5 2005, initially operated daily service but later reduced to 3 weekly
- From June 8 to August 25, UA1686 will operate between Washington Dulles and Vancouver twice a week on Saturdays and Sundays
- United last operated this route from June 5 2006 to August 31 2008, with up to daily service
Other international airlines also have updates regarding Dulles for their summer schedules as well. International airlines have the following schedule changes for their summer service:
Saudia
- Starting March 31, service between Jeddah and Washington Dulles increases from 3 times to 4 times a week, flying as SV035/SV036 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and as SV033/SV034 on Thursdays. all four flights will be operated by a 777-200LR
Aeroflot
- From March 31 to May 30, service between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Washington Dulles increases from once a week on Thursdays to twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. Afterward, service will increase again to three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Boeing 767-300ER will continue to operate.
- Starting May 12, service between Frankfurt and Washington Dulles increases to daily from 5 times a week, flying as LH418/LH419 and operated by a 747-8I
- Starting June 10, service between Reykjavik and Washington Dulles increases from 6 times a week to daily
Thank you to RoutesOnline and AirlineRoute for providing the information in this post. Also, thank you to Boarding Area blog "Point me to the Plane" for information regarding the IAD to HNL change specifically.
Monday, March 25, 2013
What's Happened So Far
We're just one week away from Etihad opening a brand new direct route between Washington Dulles and Abu Dhabi, but that's not the only thing going on at the airport. In the first 13 weeks of 2013, a lot has gone on here at Dulles, such as:
After a 6 week absence starting in mid-January, Air France's A380 returned on March 1st, operating as AFR54 between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Washington Dulles, the same flight number it flew previously. The flight was operated primarily by a 777-300ER and sometimes a 777-200 in the A380's absence.
On January 30th, Brussels Airlines announced their second transcontinental destination will be to Washington Dulles. Using their partnership with United, who operates a major hub here, the airline intends to reach out to destinations across the US. The route will begin June 18th and will be flown 5 times a week by an A330 with fully lie flat beds in business class and ergonomic economy class seats.
On February 1st, Emirates' Washington to Dubai flight was upgraded from a 777-200LR to a 777-300ER, boosting the route's capacity from nearly 100 seats from 266 to around 360. The route, operating as UAE231, opened in September of 2012 operated by a 777-200LR.
[UNCONFIRMED] While it is unknown whether there is any truth to this rumor, British Airways is rumored to begin flying its 787s to Dulles by the end of the year with flights beginning as early as July 16th, should no further problems occur with the aircraft or its delivery schedule. I must stress that this is only a rumor, and that it should be taken with a grain of salt.
After a 6 week absence starting in mid-January, Air France's A380 returned on March 1st, operating as AFR54 between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Washington Dulles, the same flight number it flew previously. The flight was operated primarily by a 777-300ER and sometimes a 777-200 in the A380's absence.
On January 30th, Brussels Airlines announced their second transcontinental destination will be to Washington Dulles. Using their partnership with United, who operates a major hub here, the airline intends to reach out to destinations across the US. The route will begin June 18th and will be flown 5 times a week by an A330 with fully lie flat beds in business class and ergonomic economy class seats.
On February 1st, Emirates' Washington to Dubai flight was upgraded from a 777-200LR to a 777-300ER, boosting the route's capacity from nearly 100 seats from 266 to around 360. The route, operating as UAE231, opened in September of 2012 operated by a 777-200LR.
[UNCONFIRMED] While it is unknown whether there is any truth to this rumor, British Airways is rumored to begin flying its 787s to Dulles by the end of the year with flights beginning as early as July 16th, should no further problems occur with the aircraft or its delivery schedule. I must stress that this is only a rumor, and that it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Monday, March 18, 2013
The 787 Grounding and What it Means for Dulles
As anybody reading this blog knows, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been grounded worldwide for the past seven weeks as a result of an incident of an uncontained battery fire on a Japan Airlines flight. As of this writing, most airlines affected have signaled their distrust in a quick solution by canceling flights out May and beyond. Boeing proposed a containment fix to the problem in late February, but, other than the FAA, various regulatory agencies around the world have yet to clear the plane to fly.
While Washington was the inaugural destination for international service for Ethiopian, as of January 16, when the 787 was grounded, Dulles did not have any 787 service. Ethiopian has been flying a 777-200LR since mid-December, so there is no immediate impact to the airport or to its routes. However, United operates a hub out of Dulles and could potentially open routes out of Dulles, and the fleet grounding could push back the introduction of these new routes.
Overall, the grounding of the 787 will have a much greater affect on mid-sized airports and airlines than it will have on a major international airport such as Washington Dulles. Airports such as San Jose International and San Diego International had recently inaugurated 787 service on All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines respectively to Tokyo and were relying heavily on the traffic and revenue the 787 would bring. Airlines such as United were relying on a strong performance by the 787 on routes such as Denver to Tokyo and Houston to Lagos, but no routes out of Dulles have been announced. Other airlines, LOT Polish in particular, will be especially suffering after counting on the 787 to save them on its Warsaw to Chicago route. Larger airports with flights by foreign airlines such as Chicago O'Hare with LOT Polish, Los Angeles International with LAN Chile, and Washington Dulles with Ethiopian will have little impact, especially considering the flights have been replaced with comparable aircraft.
While Washington was the inaugural destination for international service for Ethiopian, as of January 16, when the 787 was grounded, Dulles did not have any 787 service. Ethiopian has been flying a 777-200LR since mid-December, so there is no immediate impact to the airport or to its routes. However, United operates a hub out of Dulles and could potentially open routes out of Dulles, and the fleet grounding could push back the introduction of these new routes.
Overall, the grounding of the 787 will have a much greater affect on mid-sized airports and airlines than it will have on a major international airport such as Washington Dulles. Airports such as San Jose International and San Diego International had recently inaugurated 787 service on All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines respectively to Tokyo and were relying heavily on the traffic and revenue the 787 would bring. Airlines such as United were relying on a strong performance by the 787 on routes such as Denver to Tokyo and Houston to Lagos, but no routes out of Dulles have been announced. Other airlines, LOT Polish in particular, will be especially suffering after counting on the 787 to save them on its Warsaw to Chicago route. Larger airports with flights by foreign airlines such as Chicago O'Hare with LOT Polish, Los Angeles International with LAN Chile, and Washington Dulles with Ethiopian will have little impact, especially considering the flights have been replaced with comparable aircraft.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Just Wondering
Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I became an AvGeek. On the morning of March 11th a year ago I had no interest in aviation whatsoever. Planes were just a fact of my life living under the approach path of Dulles airport's runway 1R that I had learned to ignore. I didn't care about liveries or aircraft types or airlines, until that afternoon. I just happened to look up as what I now know to be a United 777 passed overhead and wondered to myself where that flight came from. So I downloaded planefinder and a whole world opened up for me. Thousands of flights all over the world instantly at my fingertips. And so an interest that would eventually turn into a passion was born.
I should probably have introduced myself. I'm Jonathan Holt, a 16 year old AvGeek living under the final approach path of Washington Dulles' runway 1R who happens to want to start his own airline. Jet noise has been a part of my life since the day I was born, so much so that I wouldn't hear a thing if a plane passed overhead, I was so used to the noise. When I discovered planefinder, not only did it reveal a whole new world and a new interest, but also a whole new niche community, that I've now snuggled myself into nicely. Whether it be on twitter or blogs, I'm always interacting and soaking up as much information as I can. But I'm still learning.
Therefore, on the one year anniversary of the day I discovered the wonders of aviation, I will be starting a blog myself to disseminate information myself, rather than just soak up postings of others. The purpose of this blog is to not only express my opinions on whatever may be going on across the industry, but also to keep the world updated on what's going on at the international airport at the political center of the free world, Washington Dulles International.
I should probably have introduced myself. I'm Jonathan Holt, a 16 year old AvGeek living under the final approach path of Washington Dulles' runway 1R who happens to want to start his own airline. Jet noise has been a part of my life since the day I was born, so much so that I wouldn't hear a thing if a plane passed overhead, I was so used to the noise. When I discovered planefinder, not only did it reveal a whole new world and a new interest, but also a whole new niche community, that I've now snuggled myself into nicely. Whether it be on twitter or blogs, I'm always interacting and soaking up as much information as I can. But I'm still learning.
Therefore, on the one year anniversary of the day I discovered the wonders of aviation, I will be starting a blog myself to disseminate information myself, rather than just soak up postings of others. The purpose of this blog is to not only express my opinions on whatever may be going on across the industry, but also to keep the world updated on what's going on at the international airport at the political center of the free world, Washington Dulles International.
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