07.12.2023 - 22:47 UTC
The planned USD1.9 billion buyout of Hawaiian Airlines (HA, Honolulu) by Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) could eventually see B737 MAX stock replace Hawaiian's workhorse B717-200s on inter-island routes.
The Beat of Hawaii outlet notes that the investor presentation accompanying the merger announcement earlier this week says Hawaiian's B717 fleet has nearly half its flight cycle remaining but could eventually be replaced by B737s.
Hawaiian's 19-strong fleet of B717-200s has an average age of 21.9 years. According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, the youngest has completed just over 30,800 flight cycles, while the oldest has done almost 76,500 cycles. The aircraft link key Hawaiian airports, including Honolulu, Hilo, Kahului, Kona, and Lihue. Except for the B717s, Hawaiian is an Airbus airline, with the remainder of its fleet comprising eighteen A321-200Ns, twenty-four A330-200s, and one A330-300(P2F). It also has eight A330-300s on order.
In contrast, Alaska Airlines is a Boeing operator. Twenty-four of its 252 aircraft are Airbus types,...
07.12.2023 - 06:37 UTC
S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk) has been unable to acquire the much-anticipated Irkut-manufactured MC-21-300 narrowbody as almost all have been pre-ordered several years in advance by Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo). But this is not necessarily bad, as their new PD-14 turbofan engines have such a short service life, S7 Group’s chairman of the board of directors, Evgeny Elin, said at a recent conference.
Speaking at the Russian Industrialist Forum in St. Petersburg last week, Elin said that the engines will have only 3,600 flight hours between overhauls, in contrast to the 40,000 hours of on-wing time typical of the Franco-American CFM International CFM56. This means the engines will have to be removed and sent for overhaul every year, implying more time on the ground and less commercial service.
Even the Aviadvigatel PS-90 turbofan that powers the Il-76, Il-96, and Tu-204/Tu-214 series has a period between repairs that is almost twice as long, 6,000 hours, he added.
The MC-21, for which the Russian flag carrier firmed...
06.12.2023 - 22:20 UTC
Cebu Pacific Air (5J, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) has sealed a deal with Bulgaria Air (FB, Sofia) to take two A320-200s over five months in 2024 on a damp lease basis. The aircraft will primarily work two domestic routes - Manila Ninoy Aquino to Cebu and Manila Ninoy Aquino to Davao.
"We continue to explore various opportunities to supplement the fleet and ensure operational resilience. This includes signing a damp lease agreement with Bulgaria Air for five months in 2024," Cebu Pacific President and CCO Xander Lao told local outlets this week.
A spokeswoman has since confirmed to ch-aviation LZ-FBD (msn 2596) and LZ-FBK (msn 7345) should start flying in Southeast Asia from mid-January.
The short-term arrangement is in response to burgeoning demand and capacity restraint, partly due to ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine issues that currently see two of Cebu's A320-200Ns parked for maintenance purposes. Bulgaria Air has five A320-200s, with three of those in storage at Varna.
"We expect to increase our...
