Congo Brazzaville firms order for three ARJ21s

Brunei's Gallop Air resorts to chartered aircraft - report

Brunei-based startup Gallop Air is mulling a soft launch using chartered Royal Brunei Airlines (BI, Bandar Seri Begawan) aircraft, according to an Aviation Week Network report. Using chartered aircraft in the short term would allow the airline to launch as soon as 2024.

CEO Cham Chi told the outlet that he wants to charter an A320-200N from the state-owned Royal Brunei while the startup awaits its air operator's certificate (AOC) and the delivery of the first of 30 aircraft on order from COMAC. He said that government officials in Bandar Seri Begawan had been supportive of the prospective airline but did not say if Royal Brunei was receptive to his plan.

ch-aviation has contacted Royal Brunei for comment.

Earlier this month, ch-aviation reported that Gallop Air was in the first stage of a five-stage process to acquire its AOC but hoped to progress to the second stage by the end of the year. Chi confirmed to AWN that it is still in the first stage. He also said the ARJ21-700...

Brunei's Gallop Air talks down chances of a 2H24 launch

The CEO of Brunei-based startup Gallop Air says a planned launch in the latter half of 2024 may be pushed back because the airline still needs to secure regulatory approval, aircraft, and financing.

Speaking to the BizBrunei outlet earlier this month, CEO Cham Chi said Gallop Air is working through the first stage of a five-stage approval process to secure an air operator's certificate (AOC) from Brunei's Department of Civil Aviation. Cham says he expects to conclude the initial stage of the AOC process and move into the next step by the end of the year. The airline must also secure approval from China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC), which may impose certain conditions on Gallop owing to its startup status. China is the likely first destination for Gallop, but Cham says if the CAAC lays down requirements they cannot quickly meet, Gallop will switch to another country to launch.

"We still want to start commercial flights in Q3 next year, but we need to follow all the government regulations,” said Cham. The low-cost carrier, the only one...

Sichuan Airlines to operate China's first A321 PCF freighter

The parent company of Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu Shuangliu) has taken delivery of an A321-200(PCF), N1926B (msn 1926), after it was handed over to Sichuan Aviation Industry Development Co in Chengdu on November 8, 2023. That entity will lease the aircraft to its subsidiary.

The former Air Macau aircraft was converted at the Sichuan Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. (SMECO) facility at Chengdu. The Sichuan Airlines Group holds a stake in the factory. SMECO will convert another three A321-200s for Sichuan Aviation Industry Development Co. In October, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified SMECO's A321-200PCF conversion program which opens the way for Sichuan Airlines and other Chinese airlines to operate A321s converted at the facility.

According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, Sichuan Airlines operates one A330-300(P2F) and three A330-200Fs, the only dedicated freighters in its broader fleet of 194 aircraft. The airline says it wants to grow its cargo operations and also expects to take delivery of two more A330-330P2Fs soon. The A321-200PCF is expected to begin revenue...

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo delivery timeline intact

Delivery of the first A330-900Ns to Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) remains on track to start in September 2024, according to Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) Managing Director Izham Ismail. He also says Malaysia Airlines will issue a request for proposal (RFP) for 20 narrowbody aircraft in the first quarter of 2024 and warns he won't necessarily stick with the carrier's long-term narrowbody aircraft manufacturer.

Speaking at an aviation conference in Kuala Lumpur last week, Ismail confirmed the delivery timelines of the twenty A330-900Ns acquired through Avolon, and first announced in August 2022, remains largely unchanged. "If we stick to our long-term business plan until 2030, we should have at least 55 widebody aircraft by 2028," he said. According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, Malaysia Airlines' passenger-configured widebody fleet now comprises six A330-200s, fifteen A330-300s, and six A350-900s. Ismail also confirmed that Malaysia Airlines had options to order another twenty A330-900Ns and was likely to decide on that in 2024.

In the same presentation, Ismail said he would...