Fleet Changes

December  2003

America West Holdings Corp., the parent of America West Airlines, is leasing an A320 aircraft from Boullioun Aviation Services, and has signed a letter of intent to lease three additional A320s from International Lease Finance Corp.  The airplanes are expected to be in service by June 2004.  12-31-2003. 

The FAA has granted a provisional type certificate to Cessna’s model 680 Citation Sovereign.  Cessna anticipates full type certification of the 680 during the first quarter of 2004.  12-26-2003.

China Southern Airlines took delivery of a B-737-800.  The aircraft will be operated by Guizhou Airlines.  12-24-2003.   

California-based Allegiant Air took delivery of the first of three MD-83s from Scandinavian Airlines.  12-24-2003.  

Finnair will acquire a sixth MD-11, leased with Boeing Capital Corp.  The aircraft will join its Finnair’s fleet in the spring of 2004.  12-24-2003.

Boeing Completes B-777-300ER ETOPS Certification  

Boeing completed its GE90-115B-powered B-777-300ER ETOPs (extended operations) certification tests.

During one of eight separate test flights, Boeing pilots shut down one of the airplane's General Electric GE90-115B engines and flew on a single engine  for six hours and 29 minutes.  Boeing also flew 18 hours and 25 minutes nonstop between Sydney, Australia, and Recife, Brazil, to test the airplane’s long range capability.

Boeing expects U.S. and European authorities to certify the 777-300ER in March next year.   12-23-2003.

Korean Air signed a definitive agreement to purchase nine PW4090-powered B-777-200ERs.  The aircraft will start arriving at the airline in June 2005, and will eventually increase KAL's 777 fleet to 22.  12-23-2003.

Air Nelson, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand, took delivery of a leased Saab 340A from Skyways Express Sweden.  Air Nelson now has 17 Saab 340s.  12-20-2003.  

CSA Czech Airlines ordered seven new ATR 42-500s.  Three will be delivered between March and July next year, and four will be delivered in 2005.  12-19-2003.

Air Canada has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bombardier to acquire 45 CRJ regional jets with rights to acquire up to an additional 45.  The MOU covers firm orders for 15 CRJ200s and 30 CRJ700s (series 705 with a dual-class cabin configuration).  The MOU also includes the right to order 15 more CRJ200s and 30 more CRJ700 (series 705).  Deliveries of the CRJ200s would begin in the third quarter of 2004, and the CRJ700s would begin in the second quarter of 2005, if the deal is finalized.  12-19-2003.

Air Canada also reported it has 45 firm orders for two-class Embraer 190s, along with 45 options.  Deliveries of the 190s should start in November 2005.  12-19-2003.

Southwest took delivery of another B-737-700, the last delivery of 2003.  The carrier now has 387 B-737s.  Seventeen new 737-700s were added this year, and five 737-200s were retired.  12-19-2003.

Singapore Airlines has delayed an A340-500 delivery scheduled for this December to January 3, 2005.  SIA has five A340-500s on order and options for five more.  12-19-2003.

NetJets ordered 50 Hawker 400XPs and eight 800XPs for its fractional ownership program, along with an option for 50 additional 400XPs.  The 400XP will become NetJets' new entry-level fractional offering, while the 800XPs will join 75 800XPs already in the program.  Deliveries of the 400XPs will begin in 2004 and continue through 2009.  The 800XP deliveries will start this December and continue through 2005.  12-18-2003.  

Air Madrid leased two used A330-200s from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).  The CF6-80E1 powered aircraft will be delivered in early May 2004.  12-16-2003.    

Qantas will buy six Dash 8 Q300s, to be delivered in the first half of 2004. The Q300s will replace older model 36-seat Dash 8s, currently being used on its regional network, QantasLink.  Qantas has also taken options on two additional Dash 8 Q300s.  QantasLink's fleet currently consists of 33 Dash 8-100s, Q200s and Q300s.  12-18-2003.  

Jetstar, the new Qantas low-cost unit, formalized its previous announced intention to order 20 A320s, plus options for 40 more.  In addition, the airline will lease three more A320s.  All of the aircraft will be powered by IAE V2500 engines.  Deliveries will begin next October.  In addition, Jetstar says it will lease three more A320s.  The airline intends to operate an all-Airbus fleet of 23 aircraft by mid-2005.  12-18-2003.  

SAS Group will delay the delivery of four A321s from next year and 2005, to 2006 and 2007 respectively.  12-18-2003.
 
KLM sold two B-747-300s to Holiday Airlines, which will operate out of Thailand with Phuket Airlines livery.  (Phuket Airlines is part of the same group as Holiday Airlines.)   KLM stopped flying its last seven B-747-300s on December 3.  Three of the seven will be returned to their lessor, and the other four are up for sale.  12-17-2003.  

Puerto Rico’s Fina Air took delivery of a leased Saab 340A from Saab Aircraft leasing.   12-17-2003. 

Venezuela's Aeropostal will lease four MD-83s and three B-737-300s. The three 737s replace two 727s. 12-16-2003.  

LanChile took delivery of its first V2500-A5-powered A319 to replace a B-737-200.  A second A319 is due for delivery before the end of the year.  The airline currently operates a fleet of 14 A320s and four A340s.  12-16-2003.  

Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad (PMB), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, signed a contract for six A380-800s, firming up an earlier commitment announced in January.  Deliveries of the A380s are scheduled to begin in 2007.  12-15-2003.  

Qatar Airways will lease three A330-200s from GE Capital Aviation Services to.  The first two will enter service in January and February 2004, with the third following in June 2005.  12-15-2003  

National Air Services (NAS), a provider of private aviation services in the Middle East, ordered three Gulfstream G300s.  NAS offers a NetJets fractional ownership and leasing program; aircraft charter services; an aircraft management product that includes charter revenue-generation solutions for aircraft owners; and a hybrid program that combines the other three programs.  12-15-2003.

Mesa Air Group, which is buying the assets of bankrupt Midway Airlines, will get eight CRJs (six leased and two owned), and the rights to three additional leased aircraft.  The deal is subject to a final court approval.  12-10-2003. 

Iberia Selects Several Rockwell Collins’s Systems for New A340-600s  

Iberia has specified several Rockwell Collins navigation and communications components for its new A340-600s. The airline has seven of the aircraft ordered from Airbus, with options for five more.  

Included on the aircraft are the Collins' MMR (multi-mode receiver), SAT-906 satellite communications system, ADF-900 automatic direction finder, DME-900 distance measuring equipment, HFS-900 high frequency communication system, CPL-920D digital coupler, VOR-900 VHF omnidirectional range, VHF-920 radio transceiver and TPR-901 transponder.  12-10-2003.

National Air Services (NAS), a provider of private aviation services in the Middle East, including a NetJets fractional ownership and leasing program, ordered three Gulfstream G300s.  Gulfstream will deliver all three by the end of 2004.   12-09-2003.  

South African Airways took delivery of the first of three new A340-600s, powered by Rolls Royce Trent 556 engines, from ILFC.  The other two aircraft are scheduled to be deliver in early 2005.  12-09-2003. 

The FAA has certified Gulfstream’s G500 business jet.  12-09-2003.   

Comair took delivery of another CRJ regional jet, which was Bombardier's 1,000th delivery of the type.  12-09-2003.  

Ryanair entered into a sale and leaseback agreement for up to 10 B-737-800s with RBS Aviation Capital, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The aircraft will be delivered between this month and March 2004.  12-09-2003. 

Qatar Airways firmed a previously announced contract for two A380s and two options, plus two A340-600s and options on a further eight.  Deliveries of the A340-600s will begin in June 2006 and the A380s will arrive in early 2009. 12-09-2003. 

Aerolitoral, a subsidiary of AeroMexico, ordered five ERJ-145LRs and took options for 25 more.   12-09-2003. 

Embraer received a provisional type certification from FAA for its Embraer 170, and expects final certification early next year. 12-09-2003. 

Austrian Airlines converted options on two Bombardier Q400s into firm orders.  Deliveries are scheduled for the first and second quarter of 2005.  The carrier retains options on two more of the aircraft.  The aircraft will fly under the name of Austrian arrows, but will be operated by Tyrolean Airways, a wholly owned unit of Austrian Airlines Group.  The Austrian arrows fleet currently consists of eight Bombardier Q400s, 12 Q300s, 13 CRJ 200s and six F-70s.  12-09-2003.  

Air Tahiti took delivery of its fifth ATR 42-500. The Polynesian regional airline now has five ATR 42-500s and five ATR 72-500s. The airline is scheduled to get another ATR 42-500 in June 2003.  12-09-2003. 

Frontier took delivery of its 23rd A319 on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services.  12-09-2003. 

Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of a B-767-300ER.  12-09-2003.

Qatar Airways purchased two Bombardier Global Express business jets and signed an option for two more.  The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in mid-2004, the second in late 2004.  12-08-2003.

Scandinavian carrier Sterling European Airlines started flying its first B-737-800 with blended winglets, from Boullion.  Another blended winglet -800 leased from Boullion is scheduled for delivery in March, followed by two more on lease from CIT in May of 2004.  12-08-2003.

Vietnam Airlines ordered five A321s.  The first three aircraft will be delivered in July 2004, the fourth in October 2004 and the fifth in early 2005.  12-05-2003.  

Rico Linhas Aereas purchased a B-737-200 that was formerly leased to Varig.  12-05-2003.  

Aer Lingus confirmed it’s leasing seven A320s with International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), and said its will lease 10 more.  These aircraft were ordered from Airbus in November.  12-04-2003. 

Iberia is leasing two new A340-600s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 556 engines, with International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC).  The aircraft will be delivered in February and March 2005.  12-04-2003.  

Honeywell Will Maintain its Supplied Components for AirTran

AirTran will use Honeywell to maintain and service Honeywell-supplied equipment on its fleet of 73 B-717s, as well as the up-to-100 new B-737s the airline has ordered. 

Equipment covered under the service agreements include wheels and brakes, air turbine start systems, heat exchangers, auxiliary power units, environmental control systems, cockpit displays, navigation and communication equipment, recorders, EGPWS (enhanced ground proximity warning systems), and internal and external lighting.

New avionics for the ordered B-737s include weather radar, new communication and navigation equipment, a flight data acquisition and management system, and ACARS (aircraft communication, addressing and reporting system) datalink.  12-04-2003.

NL-Luftfahrt started operations with two A320s, under the provisional name of flyniki.  Two more A320s are expected to join the fleet in 2004.  12-02-2003. 

Qantas will acquire 23 A320s for its new standalone low-fare airline, Jetstar. Jetstar initially will fly 14 B-717-200s as Impulse Airlines, which was taken over by Qantas in 2001 and has operated as part of the Qantaslink regional division.  The 717s will be phased out as the A320s are delivered between June 2004 and mid-2005.  12-02-2003. 

Southwest took delivery of another B-737-700 – its 15th of the year.  Two more 737-700 deliveries are planned for December.  Southwest now has 23 B-737-200s, 194 B-737-300s, 25 B-737-500s, and 144 B-737-700s.   12-02-2003.

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