Airlines

New Hong Kong firm Fly Meta to take converted 777-300ER freighters

Fly Meta, a Hong Kong-based international air cargo charter firm, and AerCap Holdings N.V. announced they had inked lease agreements for four Boeing 777-300ERSF aircraft. In 2024 to 2025, the planes are expected to be delivered.

The Boeing 777-300ERSF, also known as ‘The Big Twin’, is the first passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion program of the Boeing 777-300ER and will be the largest twin-engine freighter when it enters service this year.

Boeing Delivers on 100th 737-800 BCF Order to AerCap(Opens in a new browser tab)

AerCap is delighted to welcome Fly Meta as a new customer to the 777-300ERSF ‘The Big Twin’ freighter conversion program,” said Rich Greener, the Head of AerCap Cargo. “With 25% more capacity than today’s smaller twin-engine long-haul freighters, the Big Twin offers significant cost efficiencies, superior range, and outstanding operational commonality, and is therefore the ideal aircraft to support Fly Meta’s growing widebody freighter fleet.”

“We are thrilled to sign these lease agreements with AerCap for four Boeing 777-300ERSF freighter aircraft. We are confident that the situation will change for the better as China lifts its Covid restrictions, and that the cargo market will grow steadily over the coming years. We believe that the volume capabilities and greater cost efficiencies of the 777-300ERSF will give us a competitive advantage in the market.” said Helen Chen, the CEO of Fly Meta.

SWISS extends Premium Economy Class to its Airbus A340 fleet(Opens in a new browser tab)

AerCap Cargo and Israel Aerospace Industries Group (IAI) launched the 777-300ERSF conversion program in 2019, known as ‘The Big Twin’. Today, AerCap Cargo has a firm order book of 20 Boeing 777-300ERSF aircraft and a further ten options. The first aircraft is expected to deliver in the first half of 2023 to US cargo airline, Kalitta Air.

Airlines

Air India Express Aircraft Engine Part Falls Outside Delhi Airport; DGCA Orders Probe

Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry following reports that metal fragments were discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Air India Express flight made an emergency landing on Monday evening.

The emergency landing was prompted by a detected engine fault, but fortunately, the landing was executed safely without any injuries to the passengers.

The situation began when crew members of the Air India Express flight reported an engine issue, leading to the emergency landing. The DGCA has confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and has directed that the aircraft undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

Air India Initiates Construction of MRO Facility at Bengaluru Airport

The discovery of metal debris outside the airport has raised concerns, prompting the DGCA to probe whether these fragments are linked to the aircraft involved in the emergency landing. Authorities are particularly focused on whether the metal pieces, which were found near the airport, originated from the same Air India Express flight that experienced engine trouble.

While preliminary assessments suggest that the debris could be a broken blade from an aircraft engine, the exact source remains unconfirmed. The airline has yet to verify if the metal fragments are from their aircraft.

Airbus Beluga to Deliver Spare Parts for Stranded British Airways A350

The Delhi Police, working in conjunction with the DGCA, have initiated their own investigation to determine the origin of the metal pieces. A technical team is set to analyze whether the fragments are associated with the aircraft in question. As the investigation continues, a case has been filed with the airport authority to address the matter.