Airlines
LATAM Group to add 10 Boeing 767-300 BCF
LATAM Group to add 10 Boeing 767-300 BCF: Over the course of the next three years, the LATAM Group announced that its freight fleet development would be expanded, which will now include 10 Boeing 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF). By 2023, the fleet will go up to 21 cargo carriers. In December 2021, the service of the first aircraft is scheduled.
Initially, four firm conversion orders with Boeing and four more conversion options were included in the Group’s freighter Fleet development strategy. LATAM exercised the 4 options, 8 planes, and 2 more Boeing 767-300ERs two months after the initial announcement. That means that by the end of 2023, up to 21 aircraft will be in the freighting fleet. Once the plan is over, its cargo capacity has almost doubled as well as the average fleet age will also be decreased from 17 to 14.
With the growth of 11 to 21 freight carrier systems, the cargo subsidiaries of the LATAM Group will be able to extend, strengthen and place the Group as the main freight carrier group in Latin America. The first 8 aircraft were assigned to critical markets for main customer segments.
In the first quarter of 2021, freight revenue for LATAM increased by 36.8 percent to $345.2 million for airliners. In March, LATAM announced that up to eight 767 will be converted to cargo in order to protect this market.
Although all the converted freight aircraft will be received by LATAM, the airline shall operate in a hybrid format with commercial aviation. For this sort of flight, the airline will use around 767-300ER.
It will remove the seats completely from three aircraft that allow up to 46 tons of payload per flight. There are currently two such aircraft operating. In the next few months, the third will be available.
“In general terms, the majority of the plan focuses on improving connectivity between North and South America. In particular, capacity from Colombia and Ecuador will be strengthened to support the flower export industry. Additional flights to support Chilean salmon exports as well as import traffic into the country will also be reinforced. Capacity to and from Brazil will also go up as we add routes from North America and Europe, boosting both the export and import markets”, said Kamal Hadad, LATAM Cargo’s Network and Alliances Director.
Read More: Converting a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into a freighter
Hadad added that the freighter fleet flexibility will help LATAM assess a range of options. “For example, the two additional conversions could be used to refresh the current fleet or to begin new growth projects. The Group still has time to make the relevant decisions,” he concluded.
Read More: Indigo to start cargo business converted 2 passenger jets to a full freighter.
Airlines
Oldest Qantas A380 returns to service after being in storage : 16 years +
The Airbus A380 stands as an icon in the aviation world, captivating travelers with its engineering marvel. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a halt in its production, causing a surge in demand for airline travel and a scarcity of these aircraft. Now, many airlines are eager to reintroduce the A380 into their fleets to address this shortage.
Qantas, among the airlines, had one of its A380 aircraft sitting in storage for over 16 years. Now, they’re keen to put it back into service to meet the soaring demand. Meanwhile, Emirates, Etihad, and British Airways continue to operate their A380s.
Qantas’s A380, which made its debut landing at London Gatwick, had initially landed at 07:45 BST from Sydney via Singapore. Operated by the registration VH-OQJ, this flight marked a significant return to service.
Another Qantas A380, registered as VH-OQA, recently resumed operations after being stored in Abu Dhabi for over a year. Its return to Sydney on April 5 signaled its readiness to serve again. This fifteen-and-a-half-year-old aircraft made its first post-storage flight on April 6, a 13-hour journey from SYD to LAX, devoid of passengers. Shortly after arrival, it was swiftly deployed for a long-haul flight, QF11, from SYD to LAX.
These trial flights, including the Sydney to London Gatwick route, demonstrate the aircraft’s renewed capability for regular services.
Qantas, like other carriers, faces a challenge in meeting the surging passenger demand with its existing fleet. Hence, the decision to bring back stored aircraft to service is a strategic move to cater to this growing need.
Delivered to Qantas in September 2008, this A380 boasts 12 units, all equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines and a maximum take-off weight of approximately 570,000 kg (~1.26 million lbs). Most have a seating capacity of 485, including 14 first-class seats.
Airlines
British Airways Unveils Two Groundbreaking Weather Apps for UK Operations
In an effort to better prepare for and lessen the impact of weather on any planned flight path, British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to launch two next-generation weather applications. These apps will give pilots and the flight planning teams access to real-time weather data.
At the moment, teams rely on manually created weather reports that are created early in the day. The new apps will enable pilots and flight planning teams to make more operationally effective decisions by allowing them to evaluate the effects of weather variations in real-time and better plan and adjust flight paths.
The first app will provide pilots of the airline with convenient access to weather information from The Weather Company, providing in-depth analysis of weather conditions along flight paths both prior to takeoff and during flight.
To further enhance its capabilities, future upgrades will make use of the onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to provide real-time in-flight weather updates. The app that will eventually work with the new technologies available to pilots to provide them with exact information on weather changes will also be accessible to the airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre, the operational hub that keeps the airline operating smoothly.
The technology, which is being implemented ahead of the busy summer season, has been built and set to precisely meet the requirements of british airways credit cards’ wide route network, offering benefits across both short- and long-haul operations. This large investment is a component of british airways amex ‘ £7 billion transformation initiative, which is still focused on expanding the airline’s use of modern technologies throughout its operations.
The airline replaced its paper-based system for engineering teams earlier this year with the new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system, which enables instantaneous data transfer from the aircraft to engineers in a matter of seconds. This allows for the pre-ordering of any necessary parts, speeding up the resolution of issues.
Airlines
IndiGo beats Southwest Airlines to Become world’s largest airline by market cap
India’s aviation giant, IndiGo, has soared to new heights, surpassing the renowned US-based Southwest Airlines to claim the title of the world’s third most valuable airline, as per Bloomberg data released on Wednesday.
The surge in IndiGo’s market capitalization, fueled by a remarkable 4.73% jump in its share price to Rs 3,806, catapulted its market value to $17.605 billion, edging past Southwest’s $17.333 billion market cap.
IndiGo’s strategic plans for expansion further solidify its position in the global aviation landscape. With intentions to add 10 new destinations to its network in the fiscal year 2025, the airline anticipates a substantial increase in capacity and passenger growth, aiming for a gross addition of over one aircraft per week during the same period.
Such ambitious endeavors, coupled with a burgeoning demand for travel attributed to tourism and a stable oil price environment, have contributed to the surge in IndiGo’s stock prices. Analysts at InterGlobe Securities attribute indigo partners airlines upward trajectory to several factors, including the operational challenges faced by competitor Vistara and the burgeoning appetite for travel among Indian households.
The rise in income has elevated air travel to a lifestyle staple, with leisure holidays becoming increasingly prevalent. indigo partners As the holiday season approaches, airports across the nation are bracing for heightened activity, promising sustained momentum for IndiGo in the months ahead.