Belavia has launched service to Moscow Zhukovsky

Belavia this week has launched new service to Zhukovsky, 40 km southeast of central Moscow. From 12SEP16, the airline operates Minsk – Zhukovsky service once a day, with Embraer ERJ175 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Planned schedule as follow.

B2971 MSQ0815 – 0940ZIA E75 356
B2971 MSQ0815 – 0940ZIA 733 1
B2973 MSQ1805 – 1930ZIA E75 24
B2973 MSQ1805 – 1930ZIA 733 7

B2972 ZIA1020 – 1145MSQ E75 356
B2972 ZIA1020 – 1145MSQ 733 1
B2974 ZIA2005 – 2130MSQ E75 24
B2974 ZIA2005 – 2130MSQ 733 7

Routesonline

Air Astana resumes Astana–Kiev flights in 01JUN17

Air Astana in summer 2017 season plans to resume Astana – Kiev Borispil operation, based on recent schedule update. Current listing shows the airline once again operates 3 weekly flights, with Embraer E190 equipment. Operational schedule from 01JUN17 as follow.

KC403 TSE1440 – 1605KBP E90 146
KC404 KBP1705 – 2359TSE E90 146

The airline previously operated this route from April 2013 to July 2014.

Routesonline

Air Moldova starts Chisinau-Brussels flights from 11OCT16

Air Moldova from October 2016 plans to add service to Belgium, with the offering 2 weekly Chisinau – Brussels flights. From 11OCT16, Embraer E190 aircraft will operate this route on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The following schedule is effective 01NOV16.

9U801 KIV0540 – 0735BRU E90 2
9U801 KIV0730 – 0930BRU E90 4

9U802 BRU0825 – 1200KIV E90 2
9U802 BRU1050 – 1420KIV E90 4

Routesonline

Aeromexico adds new route to Austin from 17NOV16

Skyteam member AeroMexico from November 2016 is adding new service to Austin, using AeroMexico Connect Embraer E170 aircraft. From 17NOV16, the Skyteam member will operate Mexico City – Austin route, 4 times a week. Planned schedule as follow.

AM2686 MEX0930 – 1153AUS E70 x135
AM2687 AUS1309 – 1533MEX E70 x135

This route will be operated by Embraer E190 aircraft for the week of 04DEC16.

Routesonline

Arkia eyes E-Jet E2s & A330neo order

Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Embraer (São José dos Campos) for the purchase of up to ten EMB-195-E2 jets, consisting of six firm orders and four purchase rights. Arkia will configure the twinjets in a single-class layout of 134 seats.

Also during the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow, Arkia firmed up an MOU signed with Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) in February last year for four A330-900neo aircraft.

As it stands, the Israeli leisure specialist's fleet currently consists of three ATR72-500s, two B757-300s, two EMB-190s, and two EMB-195s. It also has orders for four A321neo.

ch-aviation.com

Boeing, Embraer Unveil Newest ecoDemonstrator Aircraft

- E170 airplane to test technologies to boost fuel efficiency, cut carbon emissions

- First non-Boeing airplane used in ecoDemonstrator program will be powered by Brazil-based biofuel

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Embraer S.A. [BM&F Bovespa: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ] unveiled the next phase of the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program today. The program expands Boeing and Embraer's cooperation agreement and will test technologies to improve airplane environmental performance and accelerate their introduction into the marketplace.

An Embraer E170 will serve as the flying testbed and will feature advanced environmental technologies that will undergo operational testing in Brazil during August and September.

"Collaborating with Boeing on the ecoDemonstrator program in the structuring and implementation of new technologies tests reinforces, once again, Embraer's commitment towards a sustainable future," said Mauro Kern, Executive Vice President of Operations at Embraer. "At the same time, as we integrate and test different technologies in a single aircraft, we contribute to consolidate in Brazil a powerful tool to support technological development and innovation – the technology demonstrator platform."

"As industry leaders, we have a unique opportunity to invest in technologies that encourage our industry's long-term, sustainable development, while supporting our customers' environmental goals," said Boeing Chief Technology Officer John Tracy.

The ecoDemonstrator flights will test several technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions, fuel use and noise including:

• LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology using lasers to measure air data parameters such as true airspeed, angle of attack and outside air temperature. LIDAR shows potential to increase air data reliability by complementing current sensors, which could lead to further innovations that improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
• An "ice phobic" paint designed to reduce icing and help prevent accumulation of dirt and bugs due to its low adhesive property. The special paint can help operators save water by reducing the need for frequent aircraft washing.
• A new wing design with improved slats to reduce noise on takeoff and approach.
• Special sensors and air visualization techniques near the wing surface to better understand in-flight aerodynamics. This analysis could lead to further innovations to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, such as new wing designs.
• A Brazilian-produced biofuel blend made up of 10 percent bio-kerosene and 90 percent fossil kerosene, the maximum mixture according to international standards. Studies have shown that sustainably produced aviation biofuel emits 50 to 80 percent lower carbon emissions through its life cycle than fossil jet fuel.

The ecoDemonstrator tests illustrate Boeing and Embraer's continued investments to improve fuel efficiency and environmental performance of aircraft and meet the new carbon emissions standard announced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) earlier this year.

The ecoDemonstrator collaboration expands a relationship that began in 2012 when Boeing and Embraer signed a cooperation agreement to benefit their customers, their companies and the global aviation industry. Since then, Boeing and Embraer have supported Embraer's KC-390 defense aircraft program and improved runway safety by providing commercial customers with tools to reduce runway excursions. Last year Boeing and Embraer opened a joint biofuel research center in São José dos Campos to perform biofuel research and coordinate research with Brazilian universities and other institutions.

To date, the ecoDemonstrator program has tested more than 50 technologies, using a Next-Generation 737-800 (2012), 787 (2014) and 757 (2015) as flying testbeds.

Boeing

Embraer crew shortages force Austrian to curtail summer ops - ch-aviation.com

Austrian Airlines (OS, Vienna) has announced several changes and cut-backs to its summer schedule after a lack of suitably qualified flight crew, needed to operate its incoming fleet of seventeen EMB-195s, forced a recent series of flight cancellations.

"Austrian Airlines has hired a total of 110 pilots over the last twelve months. As a result, the flagship carrier now employs about 1,000 pilots. The underlying problem is that about 10% of all pilots cannot yet be deployed due to the elaborate trainings, attributable to the career model of the collective wage agreement, which are carried out over a period of three to six months," it said in a statement.

"Accordingly, the airline does not have standby reserves at its disposal in the case of the short-term unavailability of crews. The measures described ... are designed to enable Austrian Airlines to build up these standby reserves for the summer season."

Austrian is expecting a total of seventeen EMB-195s from fellow Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l) subsidiary, Lufthansa CityLine (CL, Munich), for use in replacing its fleet of fifteen Fokker 100s and six Fokker 70s. But, with nine so far delivered, only six are currently operational. The remaining eight are expected to be deployed by the end of next year.

As such, for the duration of July and August, Austrian will reduce its 23,000 planned flights by 300 by reducing frequencies on select multiple-daily rotations to destinations such as Bucharest Otopeni, Prague, Sofia, and Zagreb. Affected passengers will receive rebooking proposals during the upcoming days and weeks. Long-haul and charter flights will not be affected.

Austrian has also sourced a number of wet-leased aircraft to help mitigate its capacity shortage. Thus far, a B737-800 has been sourced from Sun Express Deutschland (XG, Frankfurt Int'l), an A320-200 from Condor (DE, Frankfurt Int'l), and a CRJ-900 sourced from Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana).

Embraer crew shortages force Austrian to curtail summer ops - ch-aviation.com

Delta inks deal for twenty EMB-190s, twenty B737-900s

Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) has announced plans to acquire twenty EMB-190s and twenty B737-900(ER)s as part of a new deal reached with Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare). The Atlanta-based carrier says the added B737s will help improve its overall fleet efficiency while the 100-seater EMB190 jets will help replace smaller 50-seater CRJ-200s used on domestic US services.

“Delta continues to look for opportunities to deploy larger aircraft, which bring customer experience enhancements and improved economics, across its fleet,” Greg May, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management, said. “This aircraft order is another example of Delta’s unique fleet strategy to deploy a mix of new and used aircraft, maintain low capital costs, and leverage significant capacity flexibility to produce superior returns for our shareholders.”

The ex-Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) Embraer regional jets, which are expected to enter revenue service in 2017, replace a previous cancelled order that included these Boeing-held EMB-190s. The latter order was dropped in July after Delta pilots rejected a tentative agreement concerning their compensation.

ch-aviation.com