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Saudia Accepts Largest Dreamliner Variant

Boeing has delivered an initial 787-10 to Saudi Arabian Airlines, making the Middle Eastern carrier the eighth operator of the largest Dreamliner variant.

The airline has been a 787 user since January 2016 and currently flies 13 examples of the 207ft (63m) long 787-9.

Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, the airline’s director general, said: “Saudia operates a state-of-the-art fleet equipped with the latest technology, and in addition to the airline’s existing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is now adding the 787-10 variant which will further support future network growth plans. The airplane’s onboard cabin features, long range capability and the latest in technological advancements are among the many aspects of what makes the Boeing 787 highly popular with our guests.”

Ihssane Mounir, Boeing’s senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing, added: “Saudia has been a valued partner with Boeing for nearly 75 years and this delivery marks another major milestone in our partnership. Our team takes great pride in building and delivering quality aircraft to Saudia and we are honoured by the continuing confidence in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 families. The addition of the 787-10 to Saudia’s fleet will continue the superior inflight experience that passengers have come to expect of the Dreamliner. Moreover, the unmatched fuel efficiency of the 787 will help Saudia open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.

Boeing says that, since the airliner entered service in 2011, it has “enabled the opening of more than 235 new point-to-point routes and saved more than 40bn pounds of fuel”. To date, the manufacturer has handed over 38 787-10s to Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, United Airlines, EVA Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Saudia.

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Maiden Middle Eastern A220 for EgyptAir

EgyptAir Express has accepted its first of 12 Airbus A220-300s, becoming the first carrier to operate the type in the Middle East. It is only the sixth airline worldwide to fly the type, following deliveries to airBaltic, Swiss, Korean Air, Delta Air Lines and Air Tanzania.

The Cairo-based carrier is set to use the Canadian-built jets on domestic services and international routes to Middle Eastern, North African and Southern European destinations. They will replace 12 Embraer E170s which are gradually being phased out. An initial E1, SU-GCV (c/n 17000170), was retired in mid-June. It has been sold to Tunisian start-up Jasmin Airways along with sistership, SU-GCW (c/n 17000175).

Airbus

The airliner is fitted out with a two-class interior accommodating 125 economy and 15 premium economy travellers. Alongside 11 further A220s, the carrier is awaiting delivery of 15 A320neos from the European manufacturer.

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ATR Receives Tunisair Express Order

Tunisair Express has signed a firm order with ATR for three ATR 72-600s. The deal, worth $80.4m at list prices, will enable the North African regional airline to renew its modest fleet of two ATR 72-500s and a sole Bombardier CRJ-900 – all of which were acquired in the early part of 2011.

The turboprops will provide an additional two seats over their 70-seat -500 predecessors, but a loss of 16 seats when compared with the CRJ-900, which can accommodate up to 88 passengers.

The airline flies from its Tunis/Carthage base to four domestic destinations – Sfax, Djerba, Tozeur and El Borma. Internationally, it connects Tunis with Malta and the Italian cities of Naples, Catania, Palermo, Cagliari, Alghero and Comiso.

Yosr Chouari, Director General of Tunisair Express said: “We have had a long and strong partnership with ATR since the early 1990s, and we are pleased to introduce the modern ATR 72-600 into our fleet thanks to the support of the Tunisian Government and parent company Tunisair. We are sure that our passengers will greatly appreciate the modern, spacious cabin with its widest-in-class seats and the new cutting edge Cabinstream™ technology giving our passengers an exceptional on-board experience.”

ATR CEO, Stefano Bortoli, commented: “The decision of Tunisair Express for three new ATR 72-600s is a further endorsement of our product and validates our policy of continuous development. With a dispatch reliability of 99.7%, its effectiveness in hot conditions, and its performance perfectly suited to the operations envisaged by Tunisair, the ATR is the ideal aircraft to continue supplying essential connectivity throughout Tunisia and beyond its borders.”

The Franco-Italian manufacturer believes there is a demand for “350 new turboprops in Africa and the Middle East over the next 20 years”.

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Photos: airBaltic’s A220 Hattrick

AirBaltic has completed its trio of special Baltic liveried Airbus A220s with the application of the Lithuanian flag to the fuselage and tailplane of YL-CSK (c/n 55039). The jet has also been renamed ‘Vilnius’, after the country’s capital city.

It Joins Latvian and Estonian-inspired colour schemes which were rolled out in November and June respectively.

Coinciding with the country’s centenary, the initial aircraft, YL-CSL (c/n 55041) flew over Riga in formation with a pair of Belgian Air Component F-16AMs and a German Air Force Eurofighter EF-2000, which were deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania and Ämari, Estonia on Baltic Air Policing duties.

airBaltic

Unveiling the third aircraft, the airline said: “During the first six months of 2019 airBaltic has transported over 240,000 passengers to and from Lithuania. The airline has carried 20% more passengers in Lithuania to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East than during the same period last year.”

It reported similar growth in June when revealing it had painted A220, YL-CSJ (c/n 50038), in Estonian national colours: “[Over] the first five months of 2019 airBaltic has transported [more than] 210,000 passengers to and from Estonia. [It also] carried 31% more passengers in Estonia to its network than during the same period [in 2018].”

airBaltic

Martin Gauss, the carrier’s CEO: “We are proud to provide the best connectivity to and from the Baltics. Today, we offer more than 80 direct routes from the Baltics. We are committed to the Baltic states and will continue our sustainable growth path helping the future development of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. airBaltic team is delighted to present this new livery to its Lithuanian passengers. Now the flags of all three Baltic states will proudly wave above our heads high in the skies.”

The three aircraft are expected to be gathered together for an event later this month celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way – a peaceful political protest held on August 23, 1989. Reuters news agency reported at the time that 700,000 Estonians, 500,000 Latvians and 1m Lithuanians joined hands, forming a human chain from Tallinn, through Riga, to Vilnius – around 373 miles (600km).

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Low-cost From London to the Middle East

Jazeera Airways is to connect its Kuwait City base with London/Gatwick from October 27, opening the first new service between the UK and the Middle Eastern nation in 55 years. The low-cost carrier will fly daily services using Airbus A320neos.

In addition to serving Kuwait, passengers will be able to fly onwards to Dubai, Bahrain and Doha in the Arabian Gulf and to New Delhi in India. The link will be the first with the airline’s new premium economy product, which includes a 31in (79cm) seat pitch and a complementary meal, while business class offers a 33in (84cm) pitch, priority boarding and an in-flight meal.

Speaking of the milestone launch, the carrier’s chairman, Marwan Boodai, said: “Jazeera Airways has been building a great reputation in the Middle East in the low-cost airline sector, offering a strong alternative to the legacy airlines. We look forward to serving the UK market, and extending consumer choice to Kuwait and the Gulf, with our value proposition. This is a first an LCC in the Middle East will fly long-haul, using the A320neo aircraft.”

Michael Davenport MBE, British Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, said: “I am delighted to see Jazeera Airways launching this new service between Kuwait and Gatwick Airport, made possible by the new Air Services Agreement signed last year. It is really encouraging, as we mark the 120th Anniversary of the Kuwaiti-British Treaty of Friendship, to see more Kuwaitis visiting Britain and studying at British universities than ever before.”

The new 2,510nm (4,649km) link will not become the longest A320neo route when it begins in October. This distinction is currently held by S7 Airlines’ 2,840nm (5,270km) Moscow/Domodedovo-Tenerife/South connection.

Jazeera Airways currently operates a sole A320neo, 9K-CAQ (c/n 7396), which is understood to be configured with a two-class cabin seating 147 economy and 12 business class passengers. A second example, (c/n 9149, due to become 9K-CBC) was seen at Airbus’ Finkenwerder plant on July 31 in the carrier’s full livery, but without engines fitted. It is likely that this will be fitted with a three-class interior for the Gatwick service.

Schedules, subject to change:

Monday: J9001: KWI 08:40, LGW 12:45; J9002: LGW 13:55, KWI 23:15

Tuesday: J9001: KWI 08:40, LGW 12:45; J9002: LGW 13:45, KWI 23:05

Wednesday: J9001: KWI 08:40, LGW 12:45; J9002: LGW 13:45, KWI 23:05

Thursday: J9001: KWI 08:35, LGW 12:40; J9002: LGW 13:45, KWI 23:05

Friday: J9001: KWI 07:40, LGW 11:45; J9002: LGW 14:00, KWI 23:20

Saturday: J9001: KWI 11:00, LGW 15:05; J9002: LGW 16:40, KWI 02:00 (+1)

Sunday: J9001: KWI 06:45, LGW 10:50; J9002: LGW 12:35, KWI 21:55