flydubai finalizes order for 75+25 B737 MAX 8s, 11 B737-800NGs

India allows B737 MAX ferry, overflights but keeps ban

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has relaxed, but not ended, its ban on B737-8 and B737-9 operations in Indian airspace, allowing only overflights and ferry flights.

According to an order issued on April 20, 2021, the only two types of B737 MAX operations permitted in India's airspace are:

• overflights by foreign-registered aircraft, as long as they are in compliance with the appropriate directives of their local authorities and obtain permission from the DGCA, and
• ferry flights of aircraft currently stored in India to conduct operational readiness checks abroad, after prior approval by the DGCA.

The DGCA allowed airlines and lessors to apply for Special Flight Permits for other operations, including for maintenance reasons but underlined that commercial operations of the type to, from, and within India would remain banned until further notice.

SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) is India's sole operator of the B737 MAX. The airline has thirteen aircraft parked at various Indian airports (five at Delhi Int'l, two each at Ahmedabad and Chennai, and...

Bangladesh closes airspace in new COVID-19 lockdown

All passenger flights to, from, and within Bangladesh remain suspended until April 20, 2021, as the country entered another strict COVID-19 lockdown on April 14, 2021.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) announced all international passenger flights, as well as all sorts of domestic flights, were grounded with effect from 0001L (1801Z) on April 14 until 2359L (0559Z) on April, 20 April.

Only cargo, medevac, humanitarian/relief, and flights cleared under special consideration would be allowed to operate. Standard disinfection, sanitisation, and social distancing procedures for passengers, crew, equipment, and aircraft (inflight or on the ground) were mandatory for flights permitted to operate.

The regulations affect Bangladesh's scheduled carriers, Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka), NovoAir (VQ, Dhaka), and US-Bangla Airlines (BS, Dhaka). National carrier Biman Bangladesh carried the CAAB notices on its website, while US Bangla Airlines on Facebook announced it was temporarily halting services in line with the government-announced lockdown. Dormant Regent Airways (RX, Dhaka) made no announcement.

Apart from their domestic services, Biman and...

Eritrea reopens to limited int'l pax traffic

Eritrea will allow the limited resumption of commercial international flights from Asmara in mid-April, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Flights will be restricted to weekly schedules on routes between Asmara and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia); and Asmara and Dubai Int'l (UAE) with the implementation of strict preventive health measures, including PCR testing before departure and rapid antigen testing upon arrival at the Asmara. Detailed information would follow, according to the statement.

According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa) is scheduled to fly daily between Addis Ababa and Asmara from June 1, 2021. flydubai (FZ, Dubai Int'l) has said it will begin weekly services between Dubai and Asmara from April 14, 2021.

Eritrean Airlines (B8, Asmara) made no immediate announcement about the restart of its services. Its route to Addis Ababa was suspended last year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The carrier owns one mothballed B767-200(ER), ch-aviation fleets advanced data reveals.

Before the pandemic, Eritrea...

flydubai to restart B737 MAX ops in early 2Q21

flydubai (FZ, Dubai Int'l) has announced it will resume scheduled B737 MAX operations on April 8, 2021. Initially, the Emirati carrier will operate four B737-8s and a single B737-9. The remainder of its already delivered MAX aircraft (seven -8s and two -9s) will return to service "over the coming months" as their recertification progresses.

Based on Flightradar24 ADS-B records of test flights, flydubai will initially reactivate -8s A6-FMG (msn 60976), A6-FMH (msn 60979), A6-FMI (msn 60984), and A6-FMJ (msn 60980), and the -9 A6-FNB (msn 60978). The remaining MAX 8s and 9 are in storage mostly at Dubai Int'l. Two aircraft are stored at Dubai World Central and one at Greensboro, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

"We are pleased to see the MAX aircraft rejoin our fleet. While the aircraft’s first flight will be from Dubai Int'l to Sialkot, they will operate to a number of flydubai’s destinations over the coming weeks," Chief Commercial Officer Hamad Obaidalla said.

On top of the fourteen B737 MAX already...