China Eastern orders 16 Airbus A 330s

Yesterday China Eastern has announced that it has ordered 16 Airbus A 330s for delivery from 2011 to 2014. Interestingly there are currently rumours that Gulf Air has cancelled 16 Airbus A 330s because they want to focus more on regional flights instead of longhaul flights. Could it be that those 16 planes were originally destined for Gulf Air?
Once all A 330s are delivered, China Eastern will operate a fleet of 36 aircraft of this type.
Here is a link:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/28/336640/china-eastern-signs-for-16-a330s.html

Malaysia Airlines orders 15 Airbus A330s

Today Malaysia Airlines (MAS) announced its order for 15 Airbus A330-300 for delivery between 2011 and 2016. Furthermore they also signed for 10 options of the type. The whole deal should be worth 5 billion USD.

More on Flight International:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/22/336479/mas-orders-15-a330s.html

ANA orders 5 Boeing 767 and 5 Boeing 777

In an unexpected move today All Nippon Airways - ANA - announced its order of 5 Boeing 767-300ER and 5 Boeing 777-200ER. The 767s are "gap fillers" until the much delayed 787 Dreamliners arrive. The 777s are intended as replacements for the last remaining 747s.
The deal is worth 2 billion Us-Dollars.
Here is a link:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/21/336420/ana-orders-5-767s-5-777s-in-185.2-billion-deal.html

The biggest order of the year

Yesterday United Airlines placed the biggest aircraft order of this year worth $ 10 bln for each 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 25 Airbus A350 XWB. Furthermore 50 options for each plane have also been signed. This is by far the biggest aircraft order of this year. The planes will be delivered from 2016 to 2019 and will replace Uniteds huge fleets of Boeing 767s and Boeing 747s (pictured).

Here is a link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSGEE5B715B20091208

The Spell has been broken - Korean Air orders 5 B747-8I

Yesterday Korean Air announced it has ordered 5 Boeing 747-8I from Boeing for delivery between 2013 and 2015. So for now, the spell has been broken and Boeing finally has a second customer for the passenger version of its revamped Jumbo Version. The last and - up to now - only order by an airline was in 2006 from Lufthansa!

Here is a link:

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=979

Airbus sold 52 Airbus A 320 to an undisclosed customer

Today it was announced that in November Airbus sold 52 A 320 Aircraft to an undisclosed customer who currently does not want to be named. So the speculation is on, which mysterious airline has concluded this massive plane order?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNGEE5B21PU20091203?rpc=44&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Boeing 747-8F Leaves the Paint Hangar

The first Boeing 747-8F left the paint hangar last Wednesday and looks quite impressive.
You can see the picture on the Boeing homepage:

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=13&item=944

Back from Dubai Airshow

Just to give all readers a short update on things to expect. I have returned from last weeks Dubai Airshow which was quite spectacular. In the coming days and weeks I will post my impressions and will release new articles about airlines in the region and specific airline types. Be prepared for a treat on the Ilyushin 76.

The Beast is out - B747-8F roll-out

Yesterday evening, the B747-8F number 1 finally left the hangar where she was built for the first time.

You can see some pictures here:

http://boeingblogs.com/randy/archives/2009/11/night_moves_1.html

The Boeing 747 - The Queen of the Skies Part V

The new version - the Boeing 747-8

This fifth part of my article series on the Boeing 747 will introduce you to the new and revamped version of the Queen of the skies. When Airbus first came up with the plan to develop a giant four-engined mega airliner with two passenger decks, Boeing came under increasing pressure to either design a similar giant or to stretch the Jumbo Jet. Since the middle of the 1990s there have been several attempts to stretch the 747 or to even extend the upper deck over the whole length of the aircraft, but neither version gained any serious customer interrest. But in November 2005 the Boeing 747-8 was officially launched in two versions: The 747-8F freighter and the 747-8i passenger mover. The designation “8" was chosen to show a connection to the Boeing 787 mid-size jet, that is currently selling like hot cake. For both versions the length is stretched to 76.4 m, thus becoming the longest civil airliner (unless you count the ukrainian Antonov 225 special freighter which has a length of approximately 89 m but exists only as a single aircraft). The interior of the passenger model will be completely upgraded and will be analogue to the Boeing 787, the stair to the upper deck will be changed to a curved one, the windows will be 8 % bigger than the current windows and the cabin lighting will be completely modernized, in order to give passengers a more comfortable feeling. The wings on both variants will be strengthened and instead of the traditional winglets the new jumbo will have raked wingtips, just like the latest versions of the Boeing 777. Many parts of the 747-8 are interchangeable with those of the 400 series and due to only slight flight deck upgrades the aircraft can be flown with the same type rating as the 747-400. The General Electric Genx, which is one of the 787 engines will be the only engine available for the 747-8. So far airline interest for the passenger 8i is relatively modest, only Lufthansa has ordered 20 aircraft and 7 additional VIP aircraft, mainly destined for the Middle East, have been sold. In contrast the freighter has as of now gained 78 orders from such names as Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Emirates, Atlas Air and Cathay Pacific. The range of the 8i will be more than 15.000 km at a MTOW of 442.250 kgs, the MTOW of the freighter will be the same. To learn more about the Boeing 747-8 Family please visit the following link to the Boeing homepage:

http://boeing.com/commercial/747family/747-8_background.html

The Boeing 747 - The Queen of the Skies Part IV

The first modern version - The Boeing 747-400
In this fourth part on the queen of the skies you will get to know the current version of the queen of the skies - the Boeing 747-400. This particular subtype with its many different versions became a sales success right from the start. Externally it does not look to different from the previous model, the 300, but internally Boeing completely revamped the majestic bird. For the first time in a Jumbo Jet the station of the flight engineer was removed and instead a new electronic EFIS cockpit (electronic flight instrumentation system) with a FMS (flight management system) computer was installed. All relevant flight information is shown on 6 CRT (cathode ray tube) screens. Again some minor aerodynamic improvements were made to the airframe, including new wing/fuselage fairings and an additional fuel tank in the horizontal stabilizer. Perhaps the most visible change is the addition of an 1.8 m wingtip extension and the fitting of large winglets. The 400 series was first offered in 1985 and Northwest Airlines became the first customer. In addition to the pure passenger model, again a combi version and a domestic version for Japan was offered and built. This domestic version, tagged the Boeing 747-400D, omitted the winglets because its fuel saving effect becomes only effective during long cruise and the 400D is only beeing used for short domestic hops. 1993 saw the delivery of the first 400F to launch customer Cargolux. The 400F is the all cargo variant based on the fuselage of the Boeing 747-200 (and thus the short hump) but with the wings and winglets, as well as with the flight deck from the Boeing 747-400. From the beginning the three big engine manufacturers offered new engines for the 400 series. The typical MTOW for a 747-400 is between 385.000 and 394.000 kgs, however a new extended range version - the 747-400ER - with an MTOW of 412.769 kgs entered service with Qantas Airways in 2002. Based on this ER model an improved freighter, the 400ERF was introduced and proved popular with many cargo operators. Both ER versions have their airframe, wings and gear strengthened and carry additonal fuel tanks in their belly. The standard range of the 400 is 13.565 km with the ER version adding another 805 km extra range. In total 694 Boeing 747-400 of all versions have been built, the last one rolled of the Boeing assembly line in August 2009. As from now on all Jumbos will be of the new Boeing 747-8i and 747-8F variant, with the first one currently under construction (please see my earlier blog posts).

Boeing installs engines on B747-8F

Before I present you the article about the 400 series of the queen of the skies, I want to give you a short update on the latest ongoings at Boeing. This week the prototype Boeing 747-8F got its engines installed. The engines are of the new GEnx-2B engines and the prototype 747-8F is the first aircraft to actually receive this particular engine type. Also on the starboard side the raked wingtip has been installed increasing the span by about 4 metres. I have to admit this will be one good looking plane. See for yourself by clicking on the following link:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2009/09/boeing-to-747-8f-go-on-a-diet.html

Boeing shows Pictures of B747-8F

Last week Boeing showed pictures of the almost complete new Jumbo version, the Boeing 747-8F freighter on its Blog by Randy Tinseth, vice president for marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle. The first airframe is roughly 80 % finished and should be rolled out in October and take first flight in the fourth quarter of 2009. The aircraft has been powered on and is "alive". I must admit it really looks great. I will write an article on this future Boeing 747 variant shortly.
You can see the aircraft when you click on the following link:

http://boeingblogs.com/randy/archives/2009/08/big_time.html

The Boeing 747 - The Queen of the Skies Part III

The intermediate version - The Boeing 747-300
In this third part of my article series on the queen of the skies I will inform you about a version of the Boeing 747 which is quite rare - the Boeing 747-300. This subtype was first offered in 1980 and the most visible change was the stretched upper deck. (SUD - which was later also retroactively refitted on several 100B and 200 series aircraft). The upper deck was extended by approximately 7.11 m and an emergency exit door was installed on both sides. Another change was the straight stairway to the upper deck instead of the spiral staircase found on the earlier versions. Due to some minor aerodynamic changes of the airframe, the cruise speed could be increased from Mach 0.84 to Mach 0.85. Also from the start the 300 series was offered with an engine choice of Rolls Royce, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. From the beginning the Boeing 747-300 was no sales success, with airlines hesitant to buy the Jumbo with the stretched hump. Most carriers were waiting for the next and vastly improved version, which was launched in 1985 as the Boeing 747-400. Also a combi version and a short range version for the Japanese domestic market (with reduced MTOW and derated engines and with seating for more than 600 passengers) were built. Production of the 300 ended in 1990, after just 81 aircraft were handed over to the airlines. Although no freighter model was offered by Boeing, several aircraft were converted to all freighter configuration after the year 2000. Most 747-300s in the passenger role are now retired, with Saudi Arabian Airlines, Aerosur, Pakistan International, Surinam Airways and Orient Thai Airways still operating the type. The picture on top shows the last Boeing 747-300 built in combi version, which was delivered to the Belgian flag carrier Sabena in September 1990. This particular aircraft now flies in an all cargo configuration for the Russian cargo airline AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

The Boeing 747 - The Queen of the Skies Part II

The classic version - The Boeing 747-200B
In the second part of my article on the Boeing 747 we will take a look at the most classic of all versions - the Boeing 747-200B. Early on it was clear that the 747 held enormous potential for growth and therefore several upgrades and changes to the airframe were studied by its manufacturer including even such radical desings as a 747 trijet (with two engine under the wings and a third engine in the tail). The 200B version enabled airlines to operate non-stop services from the West Coast of the U.S. to airports in Western Europe by increasing the MTOW (versions from 351.534 kgs to 378.000 kgs). The 747-200B was introduced in 1971 with KLM Dutch Airlines (serial number 96). Starting that same year the 10 windows on each of the upper deck sides became production standard. While externally the dimensions of the upper deck remained unchanged, internally it was rearranged so that there was additional seating for 16 more passengers available. The 200 was also offered as a combi version, the 200M, which mixed passengers and cargo on the main deck, separated by a removable partition with the cargo loaded in the aft section of the aircraft through a side cargo door (SCD). Also a C version was built which could be easily converted from passenger to freighter model in a matter of hours, with the seats installed on pallets which could be easily offloaded. This C version retained the nose of the dedicated freighter model. This dedicated freighter model, the 200F was a sales success right away from the start. Both F and C models could be ordered with or without the side cargo door of the combi version. The 200 series was also the first version which was offered with an engine choice of General Electric, Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney - while the earlier 747-100 was only offered with Pratt & Whitney engines. I will depict all available engines for the Boeing 747 in a later part of this article series. A total of 367 civilian Boeing 747-200s plus 6 military versions for the U.S. Air Force (of which two were VC-25s, known as “Air Force One” once the U.S. President takes a ride on them) were built, with the last one delivered in 1991. A few 200s from KLM and UTA (which subsequently merged with Air France) were later retrofitted with the stretched upper deck (SUD), which was a standard production feature of the later 300 and 400 versions, thus making the Boeing 747-200B SUD externally indistinguishable from a Boeing 747-300, which will be featured in the next part of this article series.

The Boeing 747 - The Queen of the Skies Part I

The first version - The Boeing 747-100
In this multi-part article I will introduce you to the true queen of the skies - the Boeing 747. First conceived in the mid 1960s the Boeing 747 is still being produced after 40 years, a myriad of different versions of this truly distinctive airliner (more than 20 different configurations) has been built. As of July 2009 1.419 Jumbo Jets rolled of the assembly lines near Seattle, Washington. The 747 is assembled in Everett inside a huge aircraft production plant which is still the biggest building of the world by volume. The 747 is flying as a passenger plane, as a freighter, as a combined passenger / cargo carrier, some are in government use as means of transportation for heads of state (the most famous being Air Force One - the transport of the U.S. President) and some even serve as firefighters or are carrying back the Space Shuttle from California to Florida. The 747 can probably be identified by most members of the travelling public due to its distinctive hump on top of the main aircraft body. Originally the Boeing 747 was a participant in a military contest for a new heavy transport aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. Boeing lost this competition and the production order went to Lockheed and its heavylifter which would eventually become the C-5 Galaxy. Later the losing Boeing design was adapted for use as a passenger mover for up to 400 or even more people and thus became the first widebody passenger jet. Legendary American carrier Pan American Airways was the first taker of this aircraft which would soon be named the Boeing 747. Initially the airline industry expected that in the 1970s subsonic passenger aircraft would be replaced by supersonic planes (like the European Concorde or Boeings own planned Boeing 2707), which would render their subsonic predecessors obsolete. Therefore the front loading cargo door was retained for the freighter version as - at that time - Boeing thought that in a few years only the freighter version would still generate sales. Well, history had some other plans and only 14 supersonic Concords were built and all other civil supersonic aircraft remained on the drawing boards. Subsequently both the passenger and freighter version of the Boeing 747 gained impressive sales with the before mentioned front loading door becoming a unique feature of the F-model (F=Freighter) of the 747 series. The first version was the Boeing 747-100 which entered service with Pan Am in January 1970 on the New York - London route. Originally this version was only offered with 6 windows (three per side) on the upper deck, as originally the upper deck was envisioned for use as an inflight bar. Later airlines found out that additional seats could be installed there - often exclusive business or first class seating - and subsequently Boeing offered 10 windows for the upper deck and also offered the retrofitting of the additional windows on older aircraft A total of 167 aircraft of the 100 series have been built plus an additional nine aircraft of the 100B version with improved MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight) of up to 340.000 kgs, (the original 100 version has an MTOW of 333.000 kgs) which has only been ordered by Saudi Arabian Airlines and Iran Air. The maximum range with a full load of passengers and underfloor cargo and mail is 5.300 Nautical Miles (9.800 km). No 100 series aircraft has been specifically built as a freighter but many have been converted to freighter after their lifes as passenger airliners had ended. As of 2009 approximately 20 aircraft of this early Jumbo version are still in use. The Boeing 747-100 was superseded in the 1970s by the Boeing 747-200 which will be featured in the next part of this article.

Gulf Air - Once the Pride of Arabia

Gulf Air was founded when in 1950 an existing air taxi company was renamed Gulf Aviation. The young airline started with several piston-engine planes like Avro Ansons and De Havilland Doves. In 1951 British Overseas Aviation became a major shareholder in the company, taking 22 %. In 1973 the governments of the Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi took over the airline, with each government holding 25 % and renamed it Gulf Air. At that time long haul flights from the Gulf were already established using Vickers VC-10s. In the seventies Boeing 737s and BAC One-elevens joined the airline and of course the famous Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, which soon formed the backbone of the long haul fleet. Up to 19 units of the Tristar where in use by the carrier. At that time Gulf Air was very famous for its luxury service throughout all classes. From 1988 the fleet expanded with the delivery of 20 Boeing 767-300s, but soon the Gulf War rapidly stopped the expansion plans and many aircraft where soon leased out to other airlines or outright sold after delivery. At that time 14 narrowbody Airbus A320 where delivered to the Middle Eastern Carrier and 6 Airbus 340-300s were taken, but most of them were immediately leased out after delivery. At the time of the 50th anniversary in the year 2000 6 Airbus A330-200 were taken for service to Europe and Asia. In the year 2002 the emirate Qatar withdraw from Gulf Air in order to pursue Qatar Airways, which is now one of the few 5 star airlines. Similiarly Abu Dhabi quit in 2005 and finally Oman in 2007 leaving Gulf Air solely in the hands of The Kingdom of Bahrain. In 2003 the carrier was completely rebranded and received its now beloved golden-white livery. Currently 41 destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia are served from the Kingdom.

Currently the fleet consists of the following aircraft:
9 Airbus A340-300s
10 Airbus A330-200s
10 Airbus A320s
2 Airbus A321s
2 Airbus A319s
4 Boeing 777-300s (leased from Jet Airways India, to be returned by September 2009)

A massive fleet replacement programme was started and 59 aircraft are currently on order:
20 Airbus A330-300s
24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
15 Airbus A320s

Saudi Arabian Airlines - The Legacy Carrier

Saudi Arabian Airlines was founded in 1946 as a state run company and started operating DC-3s in the region. After the DC-3s came the Bristol 170, the DC-4 and then the Convair 340. With the Boeing 720, a shortened and simplified derivative of the famous Boeing 707, the company entered the jet age in 1962. Soon 707s and 727s were added. The fleet was further diversified when in the 1970s the queen of the skies, the Boeing 747 and the famous Lokheed L-1011 Tristar were introduced. Meanwhile the airline was flying to destinations all over the Middle East, Europe, America and Asia. In the decade that followed the Airbus A 300 was introduced in huge numbers (in total Saudi Arabian Airlines operated approximately 90 A300s at all times) and the Fokker 28 complemented the short haul Boeing 737s which were operated since the 70s. In the 1990s the Boeing 777-200 replaced many older widebodies and the airline became the biggest operator of the MD-90 when it bought 30 units of this updated and fully modernised DC-9 / MD 80. The MD-11 complemented the long-haul fleet and as the first legacy carrier of the Middle East it ordered 15 Embraer 170 regional jets. Since 2006 SV is no longer the biggest carrier in the region, being surpassed by Emirates. Currently a fleet roll-over programm is in the works and the carrier ordered 8 Airbus A330, 12 Boeing 787 and 45 Airbus A320 (mainly as a replacement for the not so old MD-90s). Currently more than 70 destinations worldwide are served. In addition to regular scheduled flights Saudi Arabian Airlines is offering charter flights with special emphasis on Hajj pilgrim travellers. The carrier has its base in Jeddah with Riyadh and Dammam being focus cities.

The fleet as of July 2009 consists of the following aircraft:

23 Boeing 747 (of which 4 frames are freighters)
4 MD-11 freighters
2 Airbus A330-200 (leased from Atlasjet)
23 Boeing 777-200
6 Airbus A300-600 (leased in from Onur Air)
4 Boeing 757 (leased from Atlasjet)
2 Airbus A321 (1 leased from Onur Air, 1 leased from Atlasjet)
28 McDonnell-Douglas MD-90
15 Embraer E-170

The Airbus A330 - The Workhorse of the Region

Before we start going into detail and before showing you the airlines of the Middle East, I want to give you a short overview on the fleet numbers of the real workhorse of the region: The Airbus A330. At first it was only a two engine version of the Airbus A340 and it was expected that the four engined A340 would be the big seller but it turned out different. Roughly 60 % of all planes of the 330/340 family so far are A330s. And there are only a few A340s still to be built (approximately 20 aircraft) but several hundred A330s are still on order by the airlines worldwide. The aircraft is currently offered in two passenger versions (there is also a military tanker variant and a soon to be built freighter model), the Airbus A330-300 (length circa 63.5 m) and the shortened longer range version Airbus A330-200 (length circa 59m). Right from the start this aircraft was very popular with the airlines of the Middle East, due to its unrivalled economics and also because it is quite common to fly big aircraft around in the region. It seems to be a prestige thing to generally have bigger aircraft even for short hops than elsewhere.

As of July 2009 these are the numbers for this beautiful plane in the Mideast:

Emirates Airlines - 29 A330-200s plus a so far unconfirmed LOI for 30 new A330-300s

Etihad Airways - 16 A330-200s plus orders for 2 A330-200s, 3 A330-300s and 3 A330-200 Freighters

Gulf Air - 10 A330-200s plus orders for 20 A330-300s

Qatar Airways - 16 A330-200s and 13 A330s-300s

Saudi Arabian Airlines - 2 A330-200s (leased from Turkish Atlasjet) plus orders for 8 A330-300s

Oman Air - 2 A330-200s (leased from Indian Jet Airways) plus orders for 10 A330-200s and 4 A330-300s

MEA Middle East Airlines - 4 A330-200s

Aviation in the Middle East

Hello Dear Readers,

with my new blog I want to show aviation enthusiasts, aircraft fans and novices the wonderful world of aviation in the Middle East, currently the only growth region in air traffic. In the coming weeks I will supply insight into the regions´s biggest and most famous airlines and also show you the smaller and lesser known companies.