Lufthansa outlines A321 freighter ops due in late 1Q22

Brussels Airlines takes delivery of first A320neo

Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) took delivery of its first A320-200neo, OO-SBA (msn 11600), on November 1 after the first-ever new-build aircraft for the Belgian carrier was flown from Toulouse Blagnac to Brussels National. It is the first of five A320neo to join its fleet as part of a Lufthansa Group order.

Brussels Airlines becomes Lufthansa Group's latest A320neo operator following Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine, Eurowings, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines. Equipped with 180 seats, OO-SBA has not yet entered scheduled service according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data with Brussels Airlines saying in a press release that it would "carry out a few remaining upgrades on the aircraft in the coming weeks, after which the first commercial flight will take place." Replacing the smaller A319-100s in its fleet, the carrier expects all five A320neo to be delivered by the end of 2024.

Having recently returned two wet-leased CRJ1000s to CityJet (WX, Dublin International), the Belgian carrier currently has an all Airbus fleet with sixteen...

Germany's City Airlines confirms Summer 2024 launch

City Airlines (VL, Munich) will commence flight operations with A319-100s in the summer of 2024, with recruitment for cockpit and cabin crews beginning in November 2023, the airline group announced.

The Lufthansa Group subsidiary, which received its air operator certificate (AOC) in June, will operate from Munich and Frankfurt International, flying alongside Lufthansa CityLine (CL, Munich) in providing short-haul feeder flights to sister carrier Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International). The Group said the strategy was for City Airlines to strengthen the two hubs, expand the short-haul network, and support the growth of Lufthansa's long-haul operations. "The competitive strengthening of the short-haul network is essential for the market position of Lufthansa Group and for the planned growth of the long-haul segment in the German market," the holding said in a statement.

Operations will start with A319s (presumably from Lufthansa) while considering using other similar-sized aircraft, such as A220s or Embraers. The new airline took over a single A319-100, D-AILX (msn 860), from Lufthansa CityLine to fulfil its...

Pratt & Whitney engine issues impact multiple airlines

Wizz Air Holdings is one of several airline groups grappling with significant numbers of A320neo Family-type aircraft going out of service for an extended period after RTX Corporation, owner of Pratt & Whitney, told customer airlines earlier this week that approximately 3,000 geared turbofan (GTF) engines fitted to in-service aircraft will need to be inspected.

In an advisory published on September 11, RTX expanded the number of PW1100 GTF engines needing inspection. The engines are used on A320neo family-type aircraft. When it first disclosed the metal contamination issue in the Pratt & Whitney-manufactured engines in late July, RTX estimated around 1,200 motors would require inspection. That number has now grown to approximately 3,000, or over 90% of the 3,200 GTF engines presently in service.

The engine inspections, which may take as long as 60 days, will take place between 2023 and 2026 and result in around 350 aircraft being parked each annually through 2026, although RTX says that figure will peak at about 650 planes in the first half of 2024.

• Wizz...

Germany's City Airlines defers launch to 2024