It’s that time of the day when we look at the commercial delivery headlines from the Farnborough Air Show, as we end Day 3.
And as usual, we’re going by manufacturer order.
Airbus
Finally signs of life from Airbus this show, as the easyJet follow-through with its follow-on order for 56 aircraft.
The order has been green-lighted following shareholder approval. The order is part of easyJet’s fleet renewal and up-gauging, cost and sustainability enhancements to the business. The agreement includes an upsizing of 18 A320neo to the larger A321neo model.
Kenton Jarvis, CFO for easyJet, said:
“We believe this order will support positive returns for the business and the delivery of our strategic objectives. The new aircraft are aligned with easyJet’s sustainability strategy, with the adoption of the more efficient new technology aircraft being a core component of easyJet’s path to net zero emissions. Alongside this, the new aircraft are significantly quieter, with half the noise footprint of the older aircraft they are replacing.”
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said:
“easyJet has democratised flying for millions of travellers and we are delighted this latest agreement for 56 A320neo Family aircraft not only future proofs its growth as traffic rebounds, but also lays the foundations for its sustainability journey”,
ATR Aircraft
Emerald Airlines (the Aer Lingus Regional franchisee) has signed a Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA). Through this eight-year pay-by-the-hour contract, the airline will benefit from the repair, overhaul and pooling services of Line Replaceable Units. The contract also covers propeller availability and maintenance services for its entire fleet of ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Commenting on the announcement, Richard Spencer, Director of Engineering and Fleet at Emerald Airlines said:
“We are very pleased to have signed a Global Maintenance Agreement with our partners at ATR. Entering into an agreement and forging a close working relationship with the aircraft manufacturer, will prove to be significantly advantageous in all aspects of our airline. We will no doubt benefit from the team’s vast experience and operational support as we continue to develop Emerald’s network. We look forward to working closely with the team at ATR.”
David Brigante, Senior Vice-President of Customer Support and Services at ATR said
“An aircraft is only valuable when it is flying,”
“For over 20 years, ATR has been reducing operators’ maintenance costs and increasing time in the air through maintenance and repair. This contributes to making regional air transport ever more reliable, accessible and sustainable. We will be supporting Emerald Airlines at every step of its expansion plan, offering our expertise to ensure it can make the most of its ATR fleet.”
Afrijet and ATR finalised the sale of a further ATR 72-600, to be delivered before the end of the year. This order will bring the -600 fleet size to six ATR 72-600 by 2023,
Afrijet CEO, Marc Gaffajoli, says:
“Regional connectivity has a significant impact on local economies and community integration. To be effective in Africa an aircraft has to be cost-efficient, reliable and versatile. Moreover, the unique terrain in which Afrijet operates, comprising of the Congo rainforest – the world’s second largest tropical forest after the Amazon – makes an even stronger reason to select the most responsible aircraft on the market for such essential connections.”
Fabrice Vautier, ATR Senior Vice President Commercial, says:
“Most traffic in Africa is concentrated on a few well served routes and there is a real need to connect secondary cities. Afrijet is able to do just that, providing a reliable and comfortable service to local communities. Accelerating the transition of its fleet to purchase the latest generation of ATR aircraft, is a clear demonstration of Afrijet’s strong business strategy and commitment to sustainable aviation”.
Boeing
Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for four additional 787-8s.
The Azerbaijan flag carrier currently operates two 787-8s, with today’s announcement the airline intends to grow its Dreamliner fleet to 10 by 2030, enabling it to open new routes across Central Asia.
Jahangir Asgarov, President of Azerbaijan Airlines said:
“Azerbaijan Airlines was the first airline in the Caspian and Central Asia region to operate the 787-8 Dreamliner and we currently have two 787-8s in-service. This MoU is the evidence of joint efforts to scale up the mutually beneficial partnership between Azerbaijan Airlines and Boeing,”
“Over the years, our 787 airplanes have provided impeccable performance, and the addition of more long-haul airplanes will further expand the geography of Azerbaijan Airlines’ route network.”
Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said:
“Today’s agreement extends our long-term partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines as they renew their fleet to capitalize on the growing long-term travel demand that we are seeing globally,”
“The global in-service 787 fleet has been the most-utilized widebody during the market downturn and we are confident in the proven performance capabilities of this airplane.”
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada
It seems the launch of the new cargo options by De Havilland of Canada have garnered interest from Ethiopian Airlines, with Ethiopian signing a proposal for the purchase of two Dash 8-400 Freighter – Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits. The proposal provides an option for an additional two F-LCD conversion kits. The parties are working to finalize a definitive and binding agreement.
Mesfin Tasew, Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines Group said:
“Cargo has played a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines’ operations over the past couple of years, and will remain a key growth pillar of our business over the coming years,”
“The pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts have given rise to significant opportunities in the cargo space and we see great value in converting our older Dash 8-400 fleet to freighters to capitalize on these growing opportunities.”
Philippe Poutissou, Vice President, Customer Experience, De Havilland Canadas aid
“Ethiopian’s proposal with De Havilland Canada is a superb testament to the versatility of the Dash 8-400 aircraft to satisfy a wide variety of operational requirements and we thank Ethiopian for this confidence in the aircraft’s capability,”
“The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s industry-leading operating costs and environmental footprint, as well as its outstanding performance and large cabin volume have facilitated our introduction of a series of freighter options — including Quick Change, Package Freighter and LCD Freighters — to better serve the expanding cargo market.
It’s been a quiet show.
It seems the market is still trying to work out what the last six months is going to do to their networks and plans, with a lot of those probably in some disarray – and it shows this airshow, with comparatively quiet orders from everyone.
As we head into the quietest day of all of an airshow – Day 4 – we can look back at FIA22 and see what promises it had and what has yet to be delivered.
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I appreciate the updates on this show but I keep expecting better photos from the event.
Sadly, I’m doing it remotely – a mixtur of heat and the real world come to hand.
Also, all the companies have been playing their usual games on images and releases. It’s been… challenging as alwaus
Azerbaijan Airlines has a beautiful livery. I wish more airlines would go for something original.
Except American’s gadawful tails. They’re original in the same way a banana and anchovy paste sandwich is.
(No, I didn’t eat that sandwich, there’s a great Instagram account called “Sandwiches of History” where the host makes sandwiches from old recipe books. That one almost made him throw up.)
Speaking of ugly liveries, tomorrow’s my first flight since the Before Times, on Southwest. Wish me luck.