Aviation

Airbus starts Hamburg deliveries with sustainable aviation fuel

Hamburg, 17 July 2020 – Airbus is expanding its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operations, now including aircraft deliveries from its site in Hamburg, Germany. Air Transat took delivery of two brand new A321LR on lease from AerCap. Both used a 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel blend to fly the aircraft from Hamburg to Montreal, Canada, non-stop.

Airbus has already successfully established SAF flights out of Hamburg with its Beluga transport aircraft since December 2019. Today’s commercial delivery is another milestone that underlines Airbus’ continuing commitment to minimizing air transportation’s environmental impact – which includes becoming the first aircraft manufacturer offering customers the option of receiving new jetliners with sustainable fuel in their tanks. Such delivery flights have been available since 2016, starting from the Airbus headquarters production facility in Toulouse, France, followed by Mobile, Alabama, USA.

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Airbus offers this option as part of its strategy to promote the more regular use of sustainable fuels within the aviation industry. The fuel for Air Transat’s A321LR aircraft delivered from Hamburg was supplied by Air bp and produced by Neste.

Airbus and Air Transat have a long history of cooperation on environmental affairs. Airbus supported the airline to launch its environmental programme 13 years ago and both have worked together on environmental projects such as fuel efficiency. Air Transat has been operating Airbus single-aisle and widebody aircraft since 1999.

“Sustainability and efficiency are essential for our customers and for Airbus. Sustainable aviation fuel developments will play a key role in reducing the environmental footprint of the aviation industry. By using sustainable aviation fuels on delivery flights with partners like AerCap and Air Transat, who are flying the aircraft from Hamburg to their Canadian homebase nonstop, we take concrete action to contribute to a more sustainable aviation future,” said Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer Airbus.

Aviation

Air India’s US Service Takes a Hit with 60 Flight Cancellations This Peak Season

Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has announced the cancellation of around 60 US-bound flights scheduled for the busy travel months of November and December.

Traditionally, airfares between India and the US climb significantly during this period, and these cancellations are anticipated to push prices even higher, impacting both non-stop and connecting routes.

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The affected flights air india new routes include those from Delhi to Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, along with flights from Mumbai to New York. Currently, Air India remains the only Indian airline offering direct services to the US.

The airline attributed the cancellations to delays in returning several aircraft from intensive maintenance, alongside supply chain issues that have temporarily reduced its operational fleet.

An Air India spokesperson confirmed that the airline has had to cancel a “small number” of flights due to delays from its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider.

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Additionally, some wide-body aircraft remain grounded due to technical issues, exacerbating the shortage of available aircraft.

The spokesperson added, “Due to the delayed return of some aircraft from heavy maintenance and supply chain constraints resulting in a temporary reduction in operating fleet, Air India regrets that a small number of flights have been cancelled between now and December end.”

Air India has assured affected passengers of a full refund, the option to reschedule for another date, or rebooking on nearby flights operated by the air india group, while expressing its apologies for the inconvenience caused by factors beyond its control.