DALLAS — Boeing and Air Tanzania (TC) celebrated the arrival of the airline’s first fuel-efficient 737 MAX single-aisle jet. This is a significant milestone for the airline, as it became the first carrier in Africa to receive the larger 737-9 model.

The flag carrier of Tanzania, based in Dar es Salaam, with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), aims to meet the growing demand for travel in West Africa, Southern Africa, and India.

According to Boeing, the 737 MAX family offers enhanced efficiency, improved environmental performance, and increased passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. With CFM International LEAP-1B engines and advanced technology winglets, the 737 MAX reduces fuel consumption and emissions by 20% compared to its predecessors.

Air Tanzania currently operates commercial services across Africa and to destinations in Asia with a fleet that includes two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and one 767-300 Freighter. The 767-300 Freighter, which was delivered in June 2023, has been instrumental in solving critical cargo challenges across Africa while also providing opportunities for global business movement. The airline has an additional 787-8 on order.

Comments from Air Tanzania, Boeing Officials

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, the Managing Director of Air Tanzania, expressed his excitement about the acquisition of the Boeing 737-9, stating that it marks a momentous occasion that reflects the spirit of the Wings of Kilimanjaro. He emphasized that this advanced aircraft fulfills their promise to deliver an extraordinary experience to their customers. The addition of the 737-9 enhances Air Tanzania’s fleet capabilities and demonstrates its commitment. Matindi also expressed his appreciation to Boeing as an invaluable partner in enabling their vision.

Anbessie Yitbarek, Boeing’s vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Africa, highlighted the significance of the 737 MAX delivery for Air Tanzania. The 737 MAX is perfectly suited to connect the airline to prominent markets in Africa, providing enhanced capability and flexibility across its network. Yitbarek emphasized that the 737-9, with its versatility and fuel efficiency, will support Air Tanzania’s goal of opening new opportunities and expanding its network.

According to Boeing’s 2023 Commercial Market Outlook for Africa, the continent will require 1,025 airplanes over the next two decades. African air traffic growth is projected to be 7.4%, which is the third highest among global regions and exceeds the global average growth rate of 6.1%. This highlights the potential for further expansion and development in the African aviation industry.

Featured image: Boeing and Air Tanzania celebrated the arrival today of the airline’s first fuel-efficient 737 MAX single-aisle jet. Image: Boeing

Ural Airlines to Fly A320 Out of Field

Vietjet Announces New International Services from Vietnam

Silk Way West Takes Delivery of Its First

Aegean Airlines Launches More Winter Routes

DALLAS — Vietjet Air (VJ), Vietnam’s largest private airline, has unveiled plans to launch five new international services from Vietnam to Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The move aims to expand the airline’s global network and provide more affordable travel options for passengers in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore.

Ho Chi Minh City-Perth, Hanoi-Hong Kong Routes

To start, the airline is strengthening its flight network between Vietnam and Australia by introducing two new services from Ho Chi Minh City to Perth and Adelaide, with five weekly flights starting on November 21, 2023.

These routes will make VJ the first airline from Vietnam to connect to Australia’s five largest cities: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Starting on December 22, 2023, VJ will then commence daily flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong. The flights will depart from Hanoi at 08:55 and arrive in Hong Kong at 11:50 local time.

The return flight from Hong Kong to Hanoi will depart at 12:50 and land at 13:50 local time. This convenient route will allow VJ travelers from Hong Kong to easily reach various destinations in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc-Busan, Phu Quoc-Taipei Routes

Phu Quoc, a popular emerging tourist destination in Vietnam, will also benefit from new VJ services to Korea and Taiwan. Starting on December 10, 2023, the airline will operate daily flights between Phu Quoc and Busan. The flights will depart from Phu Quoc at 1:15 and arrive in Busan at 8:05 local time. The return flight will leave Busan at 8:55 and arrive in Phu Quoc at 12:40 local time.

Additionally, the carrier will launch a direct service between Phu Quoc and Taipei starting on January 17, 2024. This route will operate four flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The departure from Phu Quoc will be at 08:25, with an arrival in Taipei at 13:00 local time. The return flights will depart from Taipei at 14:00 and land in Phu Quoc at 16:50 local time.

These new international services by the “new-age carrier” will provide travelers with more options for convenient and affordable travel between Vietnam and various destinations in Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Featured image: Ratchapon Pipitsombat/Airways

Air Tanzania Takes Delivery of Its First Boeing

Silk Way West Takes Delivery of Its First

Aegean Airlines Launches More Winter Routes

Pegasus Airlines’ 100th Aircraft, an A321neo, Touches Down

DALLAS – Ural Airlines (U6) will try to fly its Airbus A320 out of the field where it became stranded following an emergency off-airport landing on September 12.

According to key.aero, the plane, RA-73805, was en route from Sochi (AER) to Omsk (OMS) when it made the emergency landing. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said there were 167 people on board, including 23 children and six crew members.

The Accident

“A failure in the [aircraft’s] green hydraulic system occurred as the flight approached Omsk,” Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Ural Airlines CEO Sergey Skuratov as saying.

The green hydraulic system raises and lowers the landing gear, flaps, and slats. In addition, it assists in normal operations for the brakes, the reverser for engine 1, and some of the wing spoilers.

At a press conference following the incident, Skuratov said that the failure increased the required landing distance so that the plane could not land on the 2,500-meter runway at Omsk. A diversion to Novosibirsk Airport (OVB) located approximately 375 miles (600km) to the east of its planned. However, that destination could not be reached.

“The flight increased fuel consumption, and the flight commander realized that there might not be enough fuel to land at Novosibirsk Airport. So, he decided to land the aircraft in a field… with landing gear extended, and he did so successfully.”

Fuel burn was increased by the aircraft’s low altitude, strong winds and the inability to retract the landing gear. Per the airline, all passengers and crew were evacuated without injury, and the Moscow Times said passengers were housed in a nearby village.

The Moscow Times also reported that the airline denied that the problem resulted from a shortage of spare aircraft parts due to Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

Flying Out

The Russian airline issued a statement saying that it had considered “several options for taking off the aircraft from the field” and that it was awaiting the delivery of lifts to “carry out landing gear testing, testing of components and additional studies of the aircraft design.” The plan also includes dismantling the seats to make the aircraft lighter, the statement revealed.

The airline reported today in its Telegram channel that it has performed a baroscopic examination of the engines, and company engineers has determined the powerplants will not require refurbishment.

“The engine flow section was cleared of soil and straw, which was confirmed by repeated inspection,” the airline said.

The airline is now waiting for lifts to “carry out landing gear testing, testing of components and additional studies of the aircraft design.”

Featured image: Ural Airlines Airbus A320. Photo: Daniel Gorun/Airways

Vietjet Announces New International Services from Vietnam

Air Tanzania Takes Delivery of Its First Boeing

Silk Way West Takes Delivery of Its First

Aegean Airlines Launches More Winter Routes

DALLAS – Today in Aviation, Iraqi Airways (IA) recommenced scheduled international operations with a flight between Baghdad and Amman in 2004. This followed the grounding of the airline following the Iraq War.

A new company was established to build the new airline and distance itself from Saddam Hussein’s regime. Today, the carrier operates an extensive network across Europe and the Middle East.

Its fleet includes the Airbus A320, A321, and A330 and there are outstanding orders for 16 Boeing 737-8s and four Airbus A220-300s.

History

Iraqi Airways was founded in 1945 and is one of the oldest airlines in the Middle East. Operations commenced on January 28, 1946.

Five Dragon Rapides were later supplemented by Vickers Viscounts in 1955. The airline entered the jet age in the 1960s with the arrival of the Tupolev TU-124 and Hawker Siddeley Trident.

The 1970s were a boom time for IA. New York (JFK) was added to the network operated by the recently purchased Boeing 707. The service proved so popular that a larger aircraft was required, and the Boeing 747 was added.

First Grounding

However, the rise of Saddam Hussein saw the downfall of the airline. In 1991, sanctions were imposed by the United Nations against Iraq, which led to the carriers grounding.

Limited domestic flights restarted in January 1992 from Baghdad to Basra using the Russian-built Antonov An-24. Because of the no-fly zone imposed by the US and UK over Iraqi airspace, even these became a rarity.

Featured image: Iraki Airways Boeing 737 at MUC. Photo: Iraqi Airways YI-ARA Airbus A320. Photo; Alberto Cucini/Airways

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DALLAS — Aegean Airlines (A3), the national carrier of Greece, has unveiled its upcoming winter 2023–24 schedule, which includes the continuation of popular summer services and the addition of four new destinations, starting at the end of October.

The airline’s primary focus is on enhancing connectivity between Athens and Southeastern Europe. Additionally, A3 will expand its operations to the Middle East and Egypt by introducing and continuing services to Dubai (DXB), Luxor (LXR), and Sharm El Sheikh (SSH).

P. Stamatis, the Chief Commercial Officer of Aegean Airlines, expressed, “Building upon the successful growth of the past 18 months, we are committed to providing our passengers with new options and travel experiences. We are investing in expanding our network with the addition of new destinations for the winter season.”

In terms of European expansion, A3 will commence flights to Innsbruck (INN) and Chisinau (KIV), further expanding its extensive list of destinations on the continent, which now encompasses nearly 120 cities.

A Short-haul-only Network

Greece stands out as one of the few countries whose airline industry experiences a high volume of passenger traffic, yet its flag carrier does not offer any long-haul flights. Instead, the 36-year-old airline exclusively operates a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, with the longest flight being the recently introduced connection from Athens to Dubai, which takes approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

For Greek passengers looking to fly transatlantic or to destinations in Asia, their only option is to rely on foreign airlines to reach cities in the United States, Canada, China, or Singapore.

Although A3, the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried, by number of destinations served, and by fleet size, has established significant codeshare partnerships with these long-haul foreign carriers, its lack of widebody aircraft severely hampers its ability to expand and operate flights to distant destinations according to its own criteria.

Currently, the only airlines offering transatlantic flights to Athens are American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL), Emirates (EK), and United Airlines (UA), along with Air Canada (AC) and Air Transat (TS). For flights from Asia to Greece, Air China (CA) operates services to Beijing (PEK), while Scoot (TR) offers four weekly flights from Singapore (SIN).

Featured image: Aegean Airlines

Silk Way West Takes Delivery of Its First

Pegasus Airlines’ 100th Aircraft, an A321neo, Touches Down

Emirates Celebrates a Decade Connecting Milan and New

Turkish Airlines, China Eastern Sign Cooperation Pact

DALLAS — Silk Way West Airlines (7L) has welcomed its first Boeing 777-8 Freighter at Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), making it the newest operator of this highly capable twin-engine freighter.

This addition to their fleet will significantly increase 7L’s capacity to meet the growing demand for cargo transportation worldwide. The Boeing 777 Freighter, with its impressive range and payload capacity, will allow the airline to optimize its operations and offer more efficient and flexible services.

Fadi Nahas, the Vice President of Silk Way West Airlines, Americas, expressed his excitement about the delivery of the aircraft, stating that it is a milestone in their strategic plan to make the airline greener, more fuel-efficient, and well-positioned for growth.

This expansion will provide 7L with opportunities to increase the number of flights and expand its reach to strategic destinations, further establishing Baku as a regional and global transportation hub.

The Boeing 777F

According to Boeing, the 777 Freighter is designed to seamlessly integrate with 7L’s existing cargo operations, enhancing efficiency and operational flexibility. With a range of 9,200 kilometers and a maximum payload of 107,000 kilograms, the 777 Freighter enables the airline to reduce the number of stops and landing fees on long-haul routes.

Its spacious fuselage diameter allows for the transportation of tall and oversized cargo loads on 3-meter-tall pallets, and the main deck side cargo door is wide enough to accommodate the loading of taller and wider cargo.

The enhanced fuel efficiency of the Boeing 777 Freighter, combined with 7L’s selection of the 777-8 Freighter, aligns with the airline’s sustainability goals in the near and long term.

As the top-selling freighter of all time, with 319 orders since its inception in 2005, the Boeing 777F has established itself as a market leader in cargo transportation. Boeing continues to be the preferred choice for airlines, providing over 90% of the worldwide dedicated freighter capacity, including new production and converted airplanes.

Featured image: Silk Way West Airlines’ first Boeing 777 Freighter arrived at Heydar Aliyev International Airport as the airline became the newest operator of the world’s largest, longest-range, and most capable twin-engine freighter. Photo: Boeing

Aegean Airlines Launches More Winter Routes

Pegasus Airlines’ 100th Aircraft, an A321neo, Touches Down

Emirates Celebrates a Decade Connecting Milan and New

Turkish Airlines, China Eastern Sign Cooperation Pact