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AirBaltic Expands UK Footprint

Latvian carrier airBaltic has announced plans to fly between Manchester and Riga. The new scheduled services are due to launch on March 29, and will mark the airline’s third UK destination after London/Gatwick and a seasonal operation to Aberdeen. The link is designed to offer convenient connections to passengers flying not only to the Latvian capital, but also to 70 onward destinations across Scandinavia, Russia, and the Middle East. The development boosts competition on the route, with low-cost giant Ryanair already linking the two cities using Boeing 737-800 examples.

The nonstop routing from Manchester will operate four-times weekly and be served using the carrier’s new Airbus A220-300 aircraft. AirBaltic has one of the world’s largest fleets of the narrowbody jet, which represents one of the greenest in its class alongside wider seats and larger windows when compared with its competitors.

Martin Gauss, airBaltic chief executive officer commented on the Latvian capital’s appeal for inbound visitors: “Riga is a dynamic city and a key business centre of the Baltic states and has a lot to offer to both business and leisure travellers. It is also a very convenient transfer point with excellent connections within our wide route network.”

Photo: airBaltic

Traffic on the Riga-based carrier’s existing UK routes continues to grow, with 17% more passengers expected in 2019 than last year – of these, almost a fifth of travellers are transferring onwards. Data from the airline suggests the other Baltic capitals of Tallinn and Vilnius are popular final destinations, along with Helsinki and Turku in Finland, and Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia.

Stephen Turner, commercial director at Manchester Airport added: “Riga is already a very popular destination, so it is great to see the Latvian flag carrier come onto the route too, giving additional choice and flexibility for the 22 million people in our vast catchment area. We look forward to the route starting next year and seeing the airline grow from the UK’s global gateway in the North.”

The news forms part of a wider network expansion from the airline, with plans for four more new destinations for summer 2020: from Riga to Trondheim, Bergen and Yerevan, and from Tallinn to Nice.

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Airbus Shopping Spree for AirAsia X

AirAsia X, the long-haul unit of the AirAsia Group, has confirmed a firm order with Airbus for an additional batch of single and twin-aisle aircraft. In total, the Kuala Lumpur-based firm will acquire 12 Airbus A330-900 examples and and 30 A321XLRs.

The deal, signed on August 30 in the Malaysian capital, increases the number of A330neos ordered by AirAsia X to 78, cementing the low-cost carrier’s position as the largest airline customer for the new type. In a further indication of the power of the Airbus/AirAsia partnership, the A321XLR order sees the wider AirAsia Group solidify its status as the world’s largest airline customer for the A320 Family, having now ordered a staggering 622 examples.

Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO commented: “This order reaffirms our selection of the A330neo as the most efficient choice for our future widebody fleet. In addition, the A321XLR offers the longest flying range of any single aisle aircraft and will enable us to introduce services to new destinations. Together, these aircraft are perfect partners for long-haul low cost operations and will allow us to build further on our market leading position in this fast-growing sector.”

Photo: Airbus

Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO added: “AirAsia X has been the pioneer of the long haul low cost model in the Asia-Pacific region. This new order for the A330neo and A321XLR is a true endorsement of the Airbus solution to meet mid-market demand with a combination of single aisle and widebody products. This powerful solution will provide AirAsia X with the lowest possible operating costs to expand its network and enable even more people to fly further than ever before.”

AirAsia X currently operates a fleet of 36 of the A330-300 variant on a host of services to points within the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to more sporadic operations to and from the Middle East.

Speaking as the news was announced, Rafidah Aziz, chairman of AirAsia X hinted that the new widebody arrivals could see the carrier extend its footprint further west, and potentially into southern Europe: “The A330neo’s revolutionary new features and modifications will move our long-haul service sectors up to a higher level and allow AirAsia X to look at expanding beyond the eight-hour flight radius, such as to Europe, for example,” he revealed.

Photo: Airbus-AirAsia

As part of the agreement, Airbus will expand its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) presence in Malaysia and establish the Airbus Malaysia Digital Initiative to “enhance the competitiveness of the local aerospace sector through the application of new digital technologies” as part of a wider scheme by the country’s government to transform Malaysia into a regional aerospace hub. The European manufacturer is also due to boost its commitment to the Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC) – of which it is a founding member – by appointing an innovation technical director and increasing its funding for joint research programmes, including into the production of sustainable aviation biofuels in the southeast Asian nation.

The order comes just weeks after AirAsia’s Bangkok-based long haul affiliate, AirAsia X Thailand received its first A330-900. The airframe is the first of two leased neos joining the Thai affiliate before the end of 2019.

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Dreamliners Fuel El Al’s International Expansion

Israeli flag carrier El Al has announced its latest long-haul destination as it continues a period of major international growth. A new link to Japan is due to launch in spring 2020 with thrice-weekly non-stop flights on the airline’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner examples.

The inaugural rotation from Tel Aviv/Ben Gurion to Tokyo, is set to be Flight LY091, which will take off on March 11, with maiden service back to the Middle East – operating as LY092 – departing the following day. Flight times are rostered at approximately 11 hours 30 minutes eastbound, and 12hrs 30mins for the return. The announcement marks the first time that scheduled commercial flights have operated between the two nations.

Michael Strassburger, El Al vice president of commercial and industry affairs commented: “We can now offer a non-stop flight experience on 787 Dreamliner aircraft on flights to the land of the rising sun. The opening of the non-stop route to Japan, in particular next year when the Olympic Games are to be held there, is expected to increase traffic and significantly strengthen economic and political ties between Israel and Japan.”

Andre Wadman/Wikimedia Commons

Closer to home, new routes to Dublin are set to take to the skies from May 26, and to Dusseldorf from June 1. El Al will offer three weekly non-stop services to both cities, with the connections operated by 737 examples in a two-class configuration. While the addition of Dublin marks the airline’s first destination in Ireland, Dusseldorf joins Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin in the El Al network, bringing the total number of weekly rotations by the carrier between Tel Aviv and Germany to 36.

The latest announcements follow a period of significant international expansion for the Israeli firm. The airline has recently launched a host of transatlantic routes, including San Francisco, Las Vegas/McCarran and a seasonal service to Orlando. Within Europe, both Nice and Manchester have also been added to the company’s network.

In addition to wider economic factors, the growth of the carrier’s long-haul footprint has been made possible thanks to a major fleet overhaul as elderly 747 and 767 examples are replaced by fuel efficient Dreamliners. El Al currently has 11 of the new widebodies in its all-Boeing fleet, a figure which is due to rise to 16 by March 2020.

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Etihad Boosts Heathrow Year-Round Frequency

Etihad Airways will add a fourth year-round daily rotation between its Abu Dhabi hub and Heathrow within its upcoming winter schedule. The UAE national carrier says the enhanced frequency will launch on October 27 to link the two capitals and timed to depart the Middle East mid-morning and return for a late evening departure from London.

It follows a successful trial by Etihad with extra seasonal services this summer into Heathrow, which has seen up to five connections a day between the two airports.

The airline is rostering its two-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the new frequencies, with the jet configured with 28 Business Studios and 271 economy seats. Guests looking for the airline’s famous ‘Residence’ option or first class ‘apartments’, will need to fly on one of the carrier’s existing thrice-daily Airbus A380 services into the West London airport.

Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “The new service demonstrates our commitment to the crucially important UK market, and ensures we provide our customers with all the benefits of a next-generation fleet across all 42 weekly departures to and from the United Kingdom. Adding a fourth year-round flight will provide much needed capacity and optimised timings and easy connections to key destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.”

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Emirates Announces New Route to the Americas

Following months of speculation, Emirates has finally confirmed plans to connect its Dubai hub with Mexico City. The new daily service will link the Middle East and Mexico via Barcelona from December 9. The UAE airline is rostering its two-class Boeing 777-200LR for the sectors, with 38 seats in a 2-2-2 business class configuration, and 264 in economy.

The route is a new one for Emirates’ mainline passenger division, however its freight business Emirates SkyCargo has served the Mexican capital since 2014, carrying more than 22,500 tons (20,412 tonnes) within the last year alone. Emirates says key products such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive parts and medical supplies are among the most popular exports from Mexico. With the new 777 operation offering up to 14 tons (12.7 tonnes) on each flight, it is unclear if the passenger service will replace or enhance the company’s existing operation.

Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline said: “The availability of high-quality, daily international air services is essential for the development of tourism, business and cultural ties. Trade, especially in high-value and time-sensitive products, will be facilitated by the ample cargo capacity on Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft. We also expect tourism to receive a major boost from the daily flights on our newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR.”

(Jesus Aranguren/AP Images for Emirates Airline)

While the stopover in Barcelona is likely to reap some additional revenue for the carrier, the decision is primarily a technical one. Situated at an altitude of 2,238ft (682m) – almost twice the height of the summit of Ben Nevis – Mexico City’s Benito Juárez Airport can limit the range of departing aircraft. Sir Tim described the Spanish city as “a natural choice” for breaking up the journey, adding that connections between Barcelona and the Mexican capital had “long been neglected by other airlines and remains underserved despite strong customer demand”.

Emirates represents the 43rd carrier operating international flights to Mexico, which is currently enjoying increased popularity among leisure travellers.

Flight EK255 will depart Dubai at 0330hrs local time, arriving in Barcelona at 0800hrs before departing again at 0955hrs and arriving into Mexico City at 1615hrs the same day. The return flight, EK256 will depart the Mexican capital at 1940hrs, arriving in the Mediterranean hotspot at 1325hrs the following day. EK256 will depart once again at 1510hrs bound for the UAE where it will arrive at 0045hr the next day.