Ireland's CityJet to add CRJ1000s in early 2Q23

Lessor puts ex-SAS A350-900 up for sale

ORIX Aviation has mandated Airstream International Group to sell the first A350-900 returned by SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK, Copenhagen Kastrup) as a part of its ongoing restructuring.

SE-RSC (msn 391) was retired by the Scandinavian carrier in August 2022 and subsequently ferried for storage to Lourdes/Tarbes on November 29, 2022, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. It remains parked at the French airport. The 2020-vintage aircraft is configured for up to 300 passengers, including 228 in economy class, 32 in premium economy, and 40 in business.

It is one of two A350-900s retired by SAS after just two years of service in August 2022. EI-HJZ (msn 378), formerly SE-RSB, has been parked at Victorville since early January 2023. The Scandinavian airline continues to operate a fleet of four A350-900s and retains two more on firm order from Airbus, with deliveries estimated by ch-aviation for 2024.

Under its US Chapter 11 restructuring process, SAS applied to return 12 aircraft: three A321-200s, three A320-200Ns, three A330-300s, the two...

Ireland's CityJet takes first CRJ1000

CityJet (WX, Dublin International) has taken delivery of the first of five CRJ1000s it is planning to induct in 2023 to support the growth of its white-label ACMI business.

EI-HIC (msn 19017) was ferried out of storage at Ljubljana on March 28, 2023, and, after a series of proving flights, was ferried to Munich on April 1, 2023, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The 11.5-year-old regional jet, formerly operated by HOP! (France) and owned by Regional One, has been deployed since then under the long-term wet-lease contract with Lufthansa CityLine, as previously reported.

A further two CRJ1000s for CityJet, OE-LIL (msn 19024) and OE-LIZ (msn 19006), are currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance at Maastricht airport, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module.

The Irish white-label specialist also operates twenty-one CRJ900s, most of them under a long-term contract with SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Two aircraft currently operate for Brussels Airlines, while one more CRJ900 is wet-leased to Lufthansa Cityline.

VIP conversion of ex-CityJet SSJ 100/95 in Russia stalls

TAP CEO hints at “legal consequences” after Lisbon fires her

The government of Portugal has sacked the chief executive of state-owned carrier TAP Air Portugal (TP, Lisbon) following the delivery of a final report from the Inspectorate General of Finance (Inspeção-Geral de Finanças - IGF) probing an irregular severance payment of EUR500,000 euros (USD534,000) handed last year to a former executive board member.

Christine Ourmières-Widener and the airline’s chairman, Manuel Beja, were dismissed “with just cause” - without the right to receive compensation - after the IGF concluded that the severance deal signed between TAP and the former board member, Alexandra Reis, was illegal. This “makes the return of the unduly paid sums required,” Finance Minister Fernando Medina said during a press conference at the Ministry of Finance on March 6, as quoted by the newspaper Público.

Of the total she received, Reis will have to return EUR450,110 (USD480,468), because that is the part that the report considered to have been allocated illegally, he elaborated.

“It is essential to turn the page, while recognising the merits of the current management” in the implementation of the...