Skymark Airlines‘ (Tokyo) two biggest creditors, Intrepid Aviation and Airbus, have informed the bankruptcy court that they will reject a rescue plan involving ANA-All Nippon Airways (Tokyo) according to ZipanguFlyer.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo below: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com. Skylark was an Airbus A330-300 operator and was planning to add the larger A380. The pictured A330-343 JA330B (msn 1491) climbs away from Haneda Airport.

Skymark aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air LInes (Atlanta) has formally taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-300 since the Delta-Northwest merger (all previous A330s were ordered by Northwest). Delta is now the launch customer of the new 242-ton Airbus A330-300. The pictured A330-302 N822NW (msn 1627) was formally handed over today (May 29). Delta issued this statement:

Honorees of Delta Air Lines’ Chairman’s Club, the airline’s most prestigious recognition for employees, today took delivery of a new Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft from Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France.

The aircraft is the first new Airbus purchased by Delta following its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2008, and is one of 10 new A330-300s scheduled to enter Delta’s fleet by 2017.

Eighty nine Delta Chairman’s Club honorees, employees recognized by their peers for their dedication and commitment to exemplifying the highest standards of service and excellence, were on hand for the delivery ceremony to officially induct the new aircraft in to service.

Delta currently operates 32 Airbus A330s, the most economic mid-range international widebody aircraft flying today. The new A330-300s are 15-25 percent more fuel efficient per seat than the Boeing 767-300s and 747-400s they will replace. The A330s will operate primarily on Delta’s Atlantic and Pacific long-range routes and provide Delta’s network with more flexibility to optimally match capacity with demand. The aircraft is powered by General Electric CF6-80E1 engines.

The Airbus A330-300 will feature 34 full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access in Delta One, 32 extra-legroom seats in Delta Comfort+ and 227 Main Cabin seats. Customers will enjoy access to satellite in-flight Wi-Fi featuring the Delta Studio library of free streaming programming as well as more than 1,000 on-demand movies, television shows and music on large, high-definition seatback monitors. Customers also will benefit from modern interiors with LED lighting and extra-capacity overhead bins.

Airbus issued this statement and photo:

The first 242-ton Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) variant of the A330-300 was delivered today (May 29) to Delta Air Lines. The Atlanta, Georgia (U.S.) – based airline is the first to receive the aircraft type from among 11 worldwide customers for the option. Delta has selected GE CF6-80E1 engines to power its new A330-300.

Launched in 2012 as Airbus’ latest evolution to the twin-engine widebody A330 Family, the increased take-off weight A330-200 and A330-300 incorporate a new aerodynamic package, engine improvements and an optional centre fuel tank (the latter for the A330-300 version). These upgrades on the A330-300 allow for an extended range of up to 6,100 nautical miles while offering up to 2 percent fuel consumption reduction. This incremental innovation to Airbus’ A330 Family received airworthiness approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in April 2015, and received parallel certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this month.

The delivery ceremony today at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France, is particularly notable as the airline brought some 100 employees – each a member of Delta’s Chairman’s Club. The group is selected by their peers annually from 10-thousand nominees in Delta’s most prestigious corporate recognition program.

Delta Air Lines, Airbus’ biggest A330 customer in North America, flies currently both Airbus single-aisle and widebody aircraft, including 57 A319ceo and 69 A320ceo aircraft, plus 11 A330-200s and 21 A330-300s. In addition to nine more A330-300s and 45 A321ceos still to be delivered to Delta, the airline ordered 25 A350-900 and 25 A330-900neo Airbus widebody aircraft last year.

All photos by Airbus.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery only): 

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and United Airlines (Chicago) have publicly come out in support of the announcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of its intent to expand customs, immigration and agriculture preclearance to 10 additional gateway airports:

American Airlines issued this statement:

American Airlines applauds the announcement by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for their plans to enter negotiations to expand preclearance operations to 10 key gateway airports – seven of which are served by American.

“Expanding air preclearance is a tremendous step forward for improving the overall travel experience for our customers and welcoming more visitors to the United States,” said Robert Isom, chief operating officer for American Airlines. “Preclearance eases the congestion at our U.S. gateway airports and ensures our customers get to their destinations faster. We fully support Secretary Jeh Johnson and the Obama Administration’s plans for bringing more tourists to the United States, and we are excited to begin discussions on expanding preclearance facilities.”

American currently serves seven of the airports on the list for potential preclearance expansion – London Heathrow; Manchester, England; Tokyo’s Narita International; Spain’s Madrid-Barajas; Brussels; Amsterdam Schiphol; and Punta Cana International in the Dominican Republic.

At preclearance facilities, CBP Officers are stationed abroad to screen passengers and their accompanying goods or baggage heading to the United States. CBP Officers retain the authority to inspect these passengers after arriving in the U.S.

American will continue to work with DHS and CBP to ensure the negotiations are successful.

United Airlines issued this statement:

We have worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and support developments that provide more convenience for our customers. We thank Secretary Johnson and his team at the Department of Homeland Security and CBP for their engagement with United and the airline industry, and we look forward to partnering with them on this initiative to facilitate travel and reduce wait times.

Top Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 N274AY (msn 342) of American Airlines climbs away from the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. United Airlines Boeing 767-424 ER N69063 (msn 29463) lands in Zurich.

Air Canada (Montreal) and Unifor, the union representing the airline’s approximately 4,000 Customer Service and Sales Agents, have announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for five years.

The airline continued;

“Along with agreements concluded with other employee groups over the past eight months, this tentative agreement with Unifor, subject to ratification, provides Air Canada with added stability and flexibility to support profitable growth. Importantly, it is a “win-win” agreement which acknowledges the contribution of our customer service and sales agents to Air Canada’s success,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

“We’re very pleased to have achieved important gains for our Air Canada members,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “We listened closely to what our members wanted in this contract and delivered results.”

The agreement is subject to ratification by the union membership. Details of the agreement will not be released pending ratification and approval by the Air Canada Board of Directors.

The union will recommend ratification to its members and the Company will seek the Air Canada Board of Director’s approval for the agreement.

This tentative agreement with Unifor follows on the conclusion in October 2014 of a new agreement with Air Canada’s pilots on collective agreement terms for ten years. It is the fourth tentative collective agreement reached by Air Canada and its unions, including those with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) representing its U.S. unionized workforce and UNITE representing its U.K unionized workforce.

Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Air Canada Airbus A330-343 C-GFAJ (msn 284) climbs away from the runway at London (Heathrow).

Air Canada aircraft slide show: 

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Saudia-Saudi Arabian Airlines (Jeddah), the national carrier of Saudi Arabia will become the first airline in the world to operate the new Airbus A330-300 Regional.

The new aircraft will join Saudi Arabian Airlines’ existing Airbus fleet of twelve A330-300s and 50 A320 Family.

Passenger demand in Saudi Arabia is experiencing high growth both on domestic and regional routes. The new A330-300 Regional variant, specially designed for regional and domestic operations, is Airbus’ solution for markets with large populations and fast growing, concentrated air traffic flows. The A330-300 Regional is set to boost capacity on several of Saudi Arabian Airlines most in-demand routes, enabling the airline to better serve the Saudi Arabian and regional travelling public.

The A330-300 Regional is optimized to seat up to 400 passengers in Airbus’ best in class 18 inch wide economy seat comfort on missions up to 3,000 nm and offers significant cost savings through a reduced operational weight of around 200 tons. The reduction in fuel burn per seat and maintenance costs will result in an overall cost reduction by up to 26% compared with the today’s long-range A330-300. In addition, the A330 Regional benefits from the latest A350 XWB and A380 technologies.

The airline is also planning to add 30 Airbus A320ceo aircraft with this order.

Top Image: Airbus. The Airbus A330-300 Regional.

Saudia-Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Saudia is also ordering 30 of the current version of the Airbus A320. Airbus A320-214 HZ-ASF (msn 4955) in the SkyTeam livery taxies at Frankfurt.

EVA Air (Taipei) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for the purchase of four additional A330-300s. As with its existing A330 fleet, the new aircraft will be powered by CF6-80 engines by General Electric.

EVA Air currently operates a fleet of 29 Airbus aircraft, including 14 A330s and 15 A321s.

Copyright Photo: Yuji Wang/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302 B-16333 (msn 1274) in the third version of the Hello Kitty special livery arrives in Shanghai (Hongqiao).

EVA Air aircraft slide show: 

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) is increasing the number of departures to seven flights a week from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Chicago (Oo’Hare) and seven a week from Copenhagen to Shanghai.

The new departures are part of the SAS plan to expand its long haul fleet network that also includes opening all-new routes.

Earlier this year, SAS announced additional departures from Oslo and Stockholm to New York (JFK) and from Copenhagen to San Francisco.

SAS now announces three additional weekly departures – two extra flights to Shanghai and one more to Chicago. This means a daily service is now available on both routes. The improved services will coincide with the opening of the winter traffic program in late October and means that in winter 2015/16, SAS will offer 108 weekly departures between Scandinavia and the USA and 50 weekly departures between Scandinavia and Asia.

The new departures from Copenhagen to Shanghai will be on Mondays and Wednesdays. The new departures from Shanghai to Copenhagen will be Tuesdays and Thursdays. The new departure from Stockholm to Chicago and return will be on Sunday.

As of the start of the winter traffic program on October 26, 2015, the below five routes will all be upgraded to daily year-round service:

Copenhagen – Shanghai
Copenhagen – San Francisco
Stockholm – Chicago
Stockholm – New York
Oslo – New York

SAS offers long haul flights from Scandinavia to New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo. In September 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. SAS Airbus A330-343 LN-RKH (msn 497) departs from the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.

SAS aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is planning to introduce the Airbus A330-300 (replacing a Boeing 767-300) on the Atlanta – Dublin route on five days a week starting on May 26, 2016 per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 N813NW (msn 799) departs from Tokyo (Narita).

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

Asiana Airlines (Seoul) has announced it will commence twice-weekly service between Seoul (Incheon) and Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on August 8. The new route will be served with Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Yuji Wang/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 HL7792 (msn 1001) approaches the runway at Shanghai (Hongqiao), China.

Asiana Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Turkish Airlines (Istanbul) has announced it will extend the current Istanbul (Ataturk) – Johannesburg route to Durban this fall. Durban will become the third destination for the carrier in South Africa.

Turkish currently has the fourth largest flight network with 276 destinations in 110 countries.

In other news, the carrier started daily service to Dammam flights from/to Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport). Damman becomes the 22nd destination from the secondary airport of Istanbul.

Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-303 TC-JNS (msn 1458) climbs away from the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Turkish Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong) will launch its first thrice-weekly service to Australia next year, commencing on January 8, 2016. The new service is a triangular service starting from Hong Kong to the Gold Coast, and then continuing to Cairns enroute back to Hong Kong.

Airbus A330-300 aircraft with 292 seats including 32 business class seats will be deployed on the route, operating on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Copyright Photo: Gilbert Hechema/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 B-LNP (msn 1398) departs from the Hong Kong (HKG) hub.

Hong Kong Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Route Map (click for full size view):

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) added a significant expansion of its presence in Japan with the launch of double daily services between Australia and Tokyo this weekend.

QANTAS flight QF25 departed from Sydney to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on July 31, followed by the departure of QF61 from Brisbane to Narita Airport yesterday (August 1).

QANTAS’ Brisbane-Narita launch flights will be operated by the airline’s refurbished Airbus A330 aircraft, with lie-flat seats in Business, brand new Economy seats and new inflight entertainment.

The refit of these aircraft, which takes one month each, is being done at QANTAS’ heavy maintenance facility in Brisbane. These aircraft are being introduced progressively onto Asian routes.

To celebrate the launch of the new Japan services, customers onboard flights departing to Narita and Haneda and in Qantas International Lounges in Sydney and Brisbane will be treated to Japanese-inspired menus for the first week of August, including Tuna Tataki Nigiri in Business, and Green Tea flavoured Kit Kats in Premium Economy and Economy.

The launch of double daily QANTAS flights to Tokyo follows Jetstar’s introduction of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Melbourne-Narita route earlier this month, increasing the available seats between the two cities by 20 per cent over the next year. The upgrade from Airbus A330 aircraft to the higher capacity Boeing 787 will be complemented by an increase in flights from four to six per week December to March to meet growing demand for flights between Melbourne and Japan in the peak season.

Copyright Photo: Rob Finlayson/AirlinersGallery.com. QANTAS Airways Airbus A330-303 VH-QPA (msn 553) with a special “80 Years QANTAS International” emblem lands at Brisbane.

QANTAS Airways aircraft slide show: 

US Airways (American Airlines) (American Airlines Group) (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) is currently operating under a single AOC with American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth). However it has been using the US code for its flights. This will all end on October 16-17 when it operates a ceremonial last flight (flight US1939, named after the year All American Aviation started operations). The airline has announced the details of the last flight. Flight US1939 will operate on October 16 from Philadelphia to Charlotte, then on to Phoenix and San Francisco and then back to Charlotte arriving on October 17 at 0618. Tragically the last US flight will not touch Pittsburgh where it all started.

Above Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways Airbus A321-231 N578UW (msn 6035) now with “American” titles will be retained in the 2005 US Airways livery as the US Airways legacy aircraft.

The chronology of All American/Allegheny Airlines/USAir/US Airways (by US Airways):

1939
All American Aviation brings the first airmail service to many small western Pennsylvania and Ohio Valley communities with introduction of a unique ‘flying post office’ service.

1948
Piedmont Airlines begins operations.

1949
All American Aviation becomes All American Airways and makes the transition from airmail to passenger service with introduction of the DC-3 and an expansion of its service. Pacific Southwest Airlines begins operations with service in California.

Above: Allegheny Airlines’ 1953 Route Map.

1953
All American’s route system (above) grows and the name is changed to Allegheny Airlines, recognizing the mountains and river of the same name that lie in the heart of the airline’s network.

1965
Allegheny Airlines begins the transition to turbine-powered aircraft with introduction of the first Convair 580, its workhorse for the next several years.

1966
The first jet, a Douglas DC-9-14 (below), makes its debut in Allegheny colors. It is replaced the following year by the first of what would eventually become a fleet of 62 larger Douglas DC-9-31 jets (below).

Above: Allegheny Airlines 1966 Route Map.

1967
The first Allegheny Commuter service begins, between Hagerstown, MD and Baltimore/Washington International Airport by Henson Aviation, forerunner of today’s Piedmont Airlines. It was the beginning of today’s network of 10 regional airlines that provide US Airways Express service to 172 cities throughout the nation.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Nord 262A-12 N26203 (msn 13) of Lake Central Airlines.

1968
Allegheny merges with Indianapolis-based Lake Central Airlines, expanding the growing route network beyond Pittsburgh to the Midwest including Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati, OH; Indianapolis, IN; and St. Louis, MO.

1972
Allegheny acquires Mohawk Airlines, a Utica, NY airline with service to most cities throughout New York and New England. With the merger, Allegheny acquired Mohawk’s BAC 1-11 jets to complement its DC-9s and becomes the sixth largest airline in the world as measured by passenger boardings.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Mohawk’s Fairchild-Hiller FH-227B N7819M (msn 542) carries an additional Allegheny sticker at Syracuse.

1978
Deregulation comes to the U.S. airline industry. Airlines have new freedom to expand their route systems and more flexibility to develop new and innovative pricing structures, but lose the protection of the fare- and route-setting authorities exercised by the Civil Aeronautics Board, which closes down by 1984.

1979
Allegheny changes its name to USAir to reflect its expanding network, including post-deregulation entry into Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Florida and later, California.

1983
America West Airlines begins operations in Phoenix on August 1 with 230 employees and three Boeing 737-200s, serving Colorado Springs, CO; Kansas City, KS; Los Angeles, CA; and Wichita, KS. The airline’s schedule calls for 20 daily departures.

Above Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Leased Boeing 737-275 C-GCPW (msn 20959) of America West Airlines in the original 1983 livery lands at Las Vegas.

Above: The original 1983 route map for America West Airlines.

1984
USAir introduces its Frequent Traveler program, which provides travel benefits to USAir’s most loyal customers.

1986
Piedmont acquires Empire Airlines and its Syracuse, NY hub.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Empire Airlines (2nd) Fokker F.28 Mk. 4000 N110UR (msn 11182) taxies from the gate at the Syracuse hub.

1987
Large-scale airline consolidation, a partial product of deregulation, continues. Piedmont Airlines introduces European routes in its system. Competition for the lucrative California market intensifies as local carriers are bought and merged into larger partners. Pacific Southwest Airlines of San Diego becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of USAir Group in May. Piedmont Airlines, the dominant carrier throughout the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, also becomes a subsidiary of USAir Group in November 1987.

1988
PSA is merged into USAir.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. PSA’s BAe 146-200 N384PS (msn E2024) taxies to the runway at San Jose, California.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-301 N316P (msn 23234) taxies at Miami.

1989
Piedmont Airlines is integrated into USAir, the largest merger in airline history. The merger brings with it Piedmont’s international routes as well as its Charlotte, Baltimore, Dayton and Syracuse hubs. Baltimore and Charlotte remain hubs. The merger also brings USAir’s first wide body jets, the Boeing 767-200 ERs now used on its transatlantic and some transcontinental routes.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-2B7 ER N651US (msn 24764) taxies to the gate at MIA dressed in the 1989 color scheme.

1990
USAir expands its international flying with service between Pittsburgh and Frankfurt, Germany, complementing existing Charlotte-London service begun in 1987 by Piedmont; and in 1991, international expansion continues with the introduction of new nonstops between Charlotte and Frankfurt.

1992
Philadelphia-Paris is added to USAir’s transatlantic schedules in January. Daily nonstops between both Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington International Airport and London Gatwick Airport are introduced in May.

USAir and Trump Shuttle begin a marketing affiliation under which the service becomes the USAir Shuttle. The Shuttle provided hourly service between New York and Boston and between New York and Washington, DC.

Above Copyright Photo: Denis Goodwin – Bruce Drum Collection/AirlinersGallery.com.

USAir’s new terminal at New York LaGuardia opens, as does the new Midfield Terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.

1993
USAir and British Airways announce an investment/alliance plan, under which USAir gives up its London route authority.

1995
USAir posts its first profitable year since 1988, with earnings of $119.3 million on sales of $7.474 billion. USAir introduces Priority TravelWorksSM, allowing bookings from personal computers.

1996
Stephen M. Wolf is elected chairman effective January 22. Seth E. Schofield retires as chairman after 38 years’ service to the company and three and a half years and chief executive. USAir continues its transatlantic expansion, winning the right to serve Munich, Rome and Madrid from Philadelphia beginning in 1996. USAir introduces ticketless travel. USAir, in a dramatic two-week period, announces what might in time be the largest single order for airliners; then announces a new name, image, identity designed to carry the airline aggressively into the next century. The airline ordered up to 400 new Airbus A319, A320 and A321 narrowbody twin jets for delivery starting in 1998 and continuing through 2009; then within days announced its new identity as US Airways.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 757-2B7 N940UW (msn 27805) displays its new dark blue 1997 livery which tended to fade.

The airline challenged its relationship with British Airways in court, seeking rights to London Heathrow from four U.S. gateways and to require British Airways to dispose of its USAir stock. USAir notifies BA the codeshare between the two will end in March, 1997, and in December, British Airways announces it will sell its shares in USAir and that its three directors will resign.

1997
The name US Airways is put into use officially on February 27. Signs, stationery, ticket stock, business cards, advertisements, marketing materials, ticket folders and counters all start to sport the new US Airways blue, red, gray and white identity, and the first aircraft are painted in the new scheme as the changeover approaches. The US-BA codeshare expires in March.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Ex-Trump Shuttle Boeing 727-225 N918TS (msn 20445) now wears US Airways Shuttle titles.

1998
US Airways Inc., purchased Shuttle Inc., from a consortium of banks. The Shuttle has flown under the US Airways name since 1992, when US Airways became an investor in the Shuttle with a minority ownership stake. US Airways Shuttle flies 17 daily roundtrips between Boston and New York LaGuardia, and 16 daily roundtrips between New York LaGuardia and Washington Reagan.

MetroJet by US Airways starts service, providing the airline with a low-fare unit to compete in the eastern United States. MetroJet’s single-class, using Boeing 737-200 aircraft, proves highly popular.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-2B7 N269AU (msn 22881) displays the unique red fuselage 1998 livery.

Above: MetroJet routes in 2000.

US Airways Express introduces regional jets to its system.

US Airways fleet transformation begins with the introduction of the first of as many as 400 Airbus A320-family aircraft.

1999
US Airways first Airbus A320 aircraft enters service with scheduled daily flights between Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The new 142-seat A320 is part of the US Airways plan to simplify and modernize the fleet by adding Airbus A319, A320 and A330-300 aircraft. US Airways expands its international route network by adding nonstop service between its Charlotte, NC hub and London Gatwick. Charlotte becomes the third US Airways transatlantic gateway.

Colgan Air, Inc. joins the US Airways Express nine-carrier network, expanding service to destinations across the East Coast from Bar Harbor, ME to Atlanta, GA.

The fleet transformation continues with A320-family aircraft arriving at a rate of one per week in the second half of the year.

The US Airways Shuttle begins its transformation to an all A320 fleet (below), retiring the venerable Boeing 727s.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N106US (msn 1044) for a short time wore US Airways Shuttle titles. This A320 would later be ditched in the Hudson River.

2000
US Airways unveils its enhanced and redeveloped website, usairways.com, originally launched in 1996, offering customer-friendly features that include a streamlined process for checking fares, making reservations, purchasing tickets, checking flight status and accessing Dividend Miles account information. The site begins drawing more than 600,000 visitors a week. US Airways begins service to its eighth European destination with the introduction of Philadelphia-Manchester, UK service. US Airways opens an international reservations center in Liverpool, UK.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-301 N350US (msn 23553) wore this unique “No booking fees No brainer” livery to promote the new website.

US Airways takes delivery of its first Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft, making the next step in its fleet transformation. Six A330s will enter the fleet by the end of the year.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 N276AY (msn 375) prepares to land at the Charlotte hub.

2001

US Airways becomes the first carrier to fly the 169-seat Airbus A321. In addition to a common cockpit, which vastly simplifies pilot training and scheduling, US Airways’ A320-family aircraft also have common cabin fittings, such as seats, overhead bins, galleys and lavatories, simplifying cabin service and maintenance.

2002
David N. Siegel takes over as US Airways president and CEO in March, naming other new members of the senior management team over the next several months and undertaking a proactive restructuring plan for the company. As part of the restructuring, US Airways enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on August 11, with the stated goal to emerge as a leaner, more competitive carrier in March 2003.

2003
US Airways begins implementation of a codeshare agreement with United Airlines, introducing customers of both airlines to more than 3,000 codeshare flight segments in the first half of the year, reciprocal airport club use and simplified ticketing and baggage procedures.

Midway Airlines joins the US Airways Express ten-carrier network, bringing expanded regional jet service to destinations such as Jacksonville, FL and Myrtle Beach, SC.

2004
US Airways joins the Star Alliance network, an alliance of member airlines that share networks, lounge access, check-in services, ticketing and other services.

US Airways Group, Inc. files again for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy code on September 14, seeking to restructure operating costs in light of ever-increasing fuel prices and cutthroat industry competition.

2005
America West Holdings and US Airways Group, Inc. announce plans to merge on May 19. Former America West Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker is chosen to run the combined airline.

In August, America West and US Airways unveil the livery that will appear on the aircraft of the new US Airways. Employees of both airlines, some sporting ‘retro’ uniforms heralding back to various periods in the airlines’ pasts, celebrate the new paint scheme as a freshly painted Airbus A320 makes its way across the country, stopping for special events with union leaders of both airlines.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 N109UW (msn 1065) departs from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in the 2005 livery.

The merger transaction is officially complete on September 27, and US Airways Group, Inc. is no longer in bankruptcy. Stock of the merged airline begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the LCC ticker symbol.

2006

Throwback liveries are dedicated mirroring the schemes of PSA, Piedmont, Allegheny and America West. Events are held in the progenitor airlines’ hub cities. The airline posts profits for both the first and second quarters of the year, surpassing analyst expectations and contributing tens of millions of dollars to employee profit sharing programs. The airline employs more than 35,000 aviation professionals and its route map encompasses 3,800+ daily flights serving 239 destinations and 28 countries/territories.

Above Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N744P (msn 1287) departs from Charlotte in the legacy Piedmont livery.

2007

US Airways agreed to add seven Airbus A330-200s to the airline’s widebody fleet to be used to support the airline’s international growth plans.

The airline obtained a single operating certificate from the FAA, hired a new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Robert Isom, and announced plans to build a new 60,000-square-foot flight operations control center in Pittsburgh.

US Airways inaugurated its first-ever service to London Heathrow from its international gateway in Philadelphia. US Airways also announced plans to operate year-round, daily nonstop service to Tel Aviv from Philadelphia, scheduled to begin July 2009. US Airways announced three new transatlantic flights to begin spring 2009: Birmingham, UK and Oslo, Norway from Philadelphia; and Paris Charles de Gaulle from Charlotte. Transatlantic flights in 2009 will total 27 daily flights to 23 destinations.

US Airways successfully activated the airline’s new, state-of-the-art Operations Control Center in Pittsburgh where all flight control and dispatch functions for US Airways’ 1,300 daily mainline flights are carried out.

2009
On January 15, the crew of flight 1549, bound from New York LaGuardia to Charlotte successfully ditched their crippled aircraft in the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crew survived.

US Airways was awarded and began year-round service from its Charlotte hub to Rio de Janeiro, resumed its Charlotte to Paris service and began service from Charlotte to Rome. Also in 2009, the airline began nonstop flights from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv and from Phoenix to Montego Bay. During the year, the airline entered into codeshare agreements with Qatar Airways, ANA and TACA.

In the third quarter US Airways announced an airport slot transaction with Delta Air Lines. Upon regulatory approval, US Airways will obtain 42 pairs of slots (roundtrip flights) at Washington Reagan and will acquire the rights to expand to Sao Paulo and Tokyo. US Airways will transfer to Delta 125 pairs of slots used to provide US Airways Express service at New York LaGuardia. US Airways also announced that, once the transaction is complete, the airline would provide service to 15 new destinations from Washington Reagan. The airline announced that the transaction is expected to improve profitability by more than $75 million annually.

In October, US Airways announced a strategic plan to strengthen its core network by realigning its operational focus on its hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and its focus city Washington, DC. These four cities, as well as the airline’s hourly Shuttle service between New York LaGuardia, Boston and Washington Reagan will serve as the cornerstone of the airline’s network and will present 99 percent of the airline’s available seat miles, compared to the 93 percent in 2009, by the end of 2010.

2010

In March, the airline launched wireless internet through Gogo® Inflight Internet on five of its Airbus A321 aircraft, with the remaining fleet of A321 aircraft outfitted by June. Gogo allows passengers to use their laptops or Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices to access the web, email, log in to corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and access online entertainment options.

In May, Delta and US Airways announced a new agreement to transfer takeoff and landing rights at New York’s LaGuardia and Washington D.C.’s Reagan National airports, which will enable Delta and US Airways to expand service and increase competition at two of the nation’s key cities, and provide the opportunity for additional access to LaGuardia and Reagan National for new entrants and airlines with a limited presence at the airports.

Under the agreement, Delta would acquire 132 slot pairs at LaGuardia from US Airways and US Airways would acquire from Delta 42 slot pairs at Reagan National and the rights to operate additional daily service to Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2015, and Delta would pay US Airways $66.5 million in cash. In addition, the airlines will divest 16 slot pairs at LaGuardia and eight slot pairs at Reagan National to airlines with limited or no service at those airports. The completion of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including government and regulatory approvals. A slot pair is the authority to operate one takeoff and one landing.

Also in July, the Department of Transportation (DOT) tentatively approved the proposed slot transaction, announced in May, at New York-LaGuardia and Washington-Reagan National airports.

In October, Delta Air Lines and US Airways welcomed the decision by the Department of Transportation to approve the proposed slot transaction at New York-LaGuardia and Washington-Reagan National airports, subject to certain conditions. The DOT’s final order represents a clear recognition by the Obama Administration that the slot transaction is in the public interest because of the service benefits and efficiencies that would result in both New York and Washington, D.C.

US Airways: A Heritage Story. By William Lehman.

Founded in 1937, Allegheny Airlines started its life as All-American Airways. Like several other airlines, it began by carrying airmail for the United States Post Office. All-American started airmail service on March 12, 1939, using the single-engine Stinson Reliant aircraft serving several small communities in western Pennsylvania and the Ohio valley. All-American crafted a unique tail-hook, which hung beneath the aircraft to pick up the cloth mail bags, using the same techniques that the railroads had developed in the late 19th century.

After the end of World War II, with a huge surplus of military aircraft that could quickly be converted to carry passengers, the Civil Aeronautics Board started getting swamped with applications from the airmail carriers to be allowed to carry passengers.

All-American was no exception, which was now designated as a local-service airline. The C.A.B. issued All-American a three-year temporary certificate to carry passengers in January 1949; however, passenger service did not begin until March 7, 1949, using a recently acquired Douglas DC-3 which was configured to carry 24 passengers, 2 pilots, and a stewardess. The C.A.B.’s authority for All-American covered Maryland, New York, Ohio, the District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania.

Already, as of November 1949, All-American was flying 28 flights a day to 36 cities in six states. All-American decided that Pittsburgh would be a good home base for this local-service carrier, which was becoming one of aviation’s early success stories thanks to a route system centered around heavy industry and the East Coast, which was the most densely populated part of the United States. At the time, because of where All-American flew, passengers and employees alike starting calling it “the Allegheny Airline” or “Route of the Allegheny’s.”

Above Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Allegheny Airlines’ Douglas C-47A-DL (DC-3) N151A (msn 9471) is pictured in the 1953 “boomerang” livery.

On January 1, 1953, All-American officially became Allegheny Airlines, with 13 DC-3’s making up the fleet. As the 1950’s marched on, Allegheny’s growth continued, but the DC-3’s were limited in range. Allegheny needed another type of aircraft that was capable of flying farther. At the same time, two airlines – California Central and Pioneer Airlines – put several used Martin 202 aircraft that had flown earlier for TWA and Northwest Orient Airlines up for sale. Acquiring the Martin 202’s became the focus of Allegheny’s expansion plans.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Martin 202 N172A (msn 9142) rests between flights in the first livery worn by the Martins.

The first Martin 202 began service with Allegheny on June 1, 1955. The Martin 202, like the DC-3, was unpressurized, but the “Martin Executive”, as they were called, quickly became a favorite among businessmen. On January 1, 1956, Allegheny was issued a permanent certificate to carry passengers by the C.A.B. By now, Allegheny had expanded to sixty cities with a fleet of 14 DC-3’s and 5 Martin 202’s; the airline was so happy with the performance and range of the Martin 202 that it would eventually acquire and operate a total fleet of 18 aircraft.

Toward the end of the 1950’s, several local-service airlines needed to move beyond the piston airplanes that had faithfully and safely carried thousands of passengers to the more powerful and reliable turbo-props, and Allegheny Airlines was no exception.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. A busy ramp scene at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) as Convair 440-97 N8422H (msn 465) prepares to depart the gate. The propliner is painted in the 1965 livery with the slanted italic titles.

Earlier, Convair Aircraft Corporation of San Diego had produced the popular Convair 340 and Convair 440 aircraft. Due to the arrival of the Lockheed Electra plus the Douglas DC-8 and Boeing 707 jet aircraft, several Convairs were being parked and stored in the deserts of California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. This rare photo shows the short-lived Napier-powered Convair 540 N440EL (msn 445) parked at the gate.

The Napier Engine Company in England recognized this as an opportunity and immediately began work on converting the reciprocal piston engines to turbo-props for the Convair aircraft. Allegheny management quickly seized this opportunity and leased the aircraft now called the Convair 540 (above), which began service with the carrier on July 1, 1959. Allegheny leadership realized that the Convair 540 was the right choice for replacing the DC-3’s. The Convair 540’s were pressurized, a first for Allegheny, carried 44 passengers, flew faster, at greater attitudes, and had higher daily utilization than the DC-3’s and the Martin 202’s.

Allegheny had decided that it was time to start retiring the DC-3’s and Martin 202’s as they were starting to show their age, so an aggressive program to acquire more Convair 340 and 440 aircraft was started with eventual plans to convert all aircraft to Convair 540 standards with the turbo-prop conversion.

At the same time the Board of Directors for Allegheny decided to change the corporate logo from a “boomerang” to the “speed wedge” (above), which would stay with Allegheny well into the 1970’s. In addition the operations and maintenance base was moved from Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh.

However, across the pond in England, Rolls Royce acquired Napier Engine Company. Immediately, Rolls Royce decided they would discontinue the conversion program after only seven aircraft had been delivered to Allegheny. This forced Allegheny to convert some of the Convair 540’s back to piston-driven Convair 340 or 440’s. At the same time Allegheny acquired additional Martin 202’s and Convair 440’s so that the DC-3’s could be phased out and removed from the fleet.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The Allison Convair 580 turboprop conversion is seen on N5845 (msn 52).

In 1965, United States-based Allison Engine Corporation, which had been already providing turbo-prop engines for the Lockheed Electra and military C-130 aircraft, offered the power plant for retrofitting existing Convair airframes. Called the Convair 580, it had powerful four-blade turbo-prop engines that quickly shaved minutes off of the piston driven Convair 340 and 440’s. The Convair 580 captured the attention of Allegheny management in Pittsburgh. Without hesitation, Allegheny added this “new” turboprop to the fleet. Allegheny would eventually operate 44 Convair 580 “vistaliner” (above) aircraft.

Above Copyright Photo: Ted J. Gibson/Bruce Drum Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. The Fairchild F-27J were relatively short-lived type with Allegheny Airlines. F-27J N2707J (msn 118) sits at Marana, AZ after its retirement.

Later that same year, Allegheny also acquired the first of ten brand new Fairchild F-27J aircraft (above). With its Rolls Royce Dart turbo-prop-powered engines, high wing, and large oval windows, it was an instant hit with passengers and crews. With the introduction of the F-27 Allegheny started retiring the Martin 202 aircraft. Three Martin 202’s would be reconfigured to carry freight aircraft only.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The very first jetliner for Allegheny Airlines/USAir/US Airways was this leased Douglas DC-9-14 registered as N6140A (msn 47049). This rare photo shows N6140A ground-loading its passengers at Philadelphia bound for Hartford/Springfield and Providence.

Allegheny Airlines knew that the jet age had arrived for local-service carriers. West Coast-based Bonanza Airlines needed to lease out a Douglas DC-9-14 aircraft (above) that had been recently delivered to them due to a downturn in traffic. Allegheny entered into a one-year lease agreement with Bonanza Airlines with the first Allegheny jet flight taking place on September 1, 1966.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 N969VJ (msn 47421) displays the updated 1966 livery introduced with the DC-9s.

Allegheny would receive their first Douglas DC-9-31“vista-jets” in mid 1967 and immediately place the aircraft into service. This would be the first of more than 70 of the popular twinjet and the start of a long and positive relationship with Douglas and its successor McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation.

In September 1967, Allegheny retired the last of the piston powered Convair 440 aircraft. For the first time, Allegheny operated a pure turbo-prop and jet aircraft fleet, made up of Convair 580’s, Fairchild F-27’s, and Douglas DC-9’s.

The first of what would be several mergers occurred on March 14, 1968, when the Civil Aeronautics Board approved the acquisition of Lake Central Airlines by Allegheny. Allegheny was able to further expand the route system and with the merger pick up important new cities in Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois.

Above Copyright Photo: Jacques Guillem Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. French-built Nord 262A-44 N26203 (msn 11) is painted in the special “wine and cheese” livery. The airliner was also named “Nicole d’Allegheny” in concert with the French theme.

The merger also brought more Convair 580’s, plus a new type of aircraft not previously flown by Allegheny called the Nord 262 aircraft (above). The twelve 29-seat French built Nord 262’s would become a huge headache for Allegheny Operations and Maintenance personnel, due to continuous issues with the Turbomeca Bastan turbo-prop engines that then proved to be very unreliable. Eventually Frakes Aviation in the United States would work to convert the engines to the much more reliable Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engines to finally solve the problem. At the same time the Nord 262 was renamed the Mohawk 298.

Allegheny made a bold experiment with Mohawk 298 aircraft by repainting nine of the twelve aircraft in a purple and gold paint scheme and naming them after flight attendants. The plan was to promote a business atmosphere with select wine and cheese on flights targeting the business community. While this did not last long it did prove to be very popular with passengers.

The Mohawk 298 would go on to faithfully serve Allegheny and the spin-off of the nations first organized commuter feeder to mainline airlines called Allegheny Commuter.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The Nord-converted Mohawk 298 N29811 (msn 42), operated as an Allegheny Commuter carrier by Ransome Airlines (Philadelphia), sits at the gate at Philadelphia.

After the merger with Mohawk Airlines, and with the final phase-out of the Martin 202 aircraft, Allegheny found that several cities could not support the larger turbo-prop and jet aircraft due to either small populations or small airports. In 1967, with approval from the C.A.B. the Allegheny Commuter network was set-up. Allegheny Airlines set up marketing agreements with several small commuter airlines that included one-stop check in and seamless travel from the commuter network to mainline Allegheny flights. This included painting aircraft similar to Allegheny as well as providing advertising and marketing.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The Boeing 727-200s were operated on the higher-density routes such as Philadelphia-Pittsburgh. This rare photo shows Boeing 727-2B7 N751VJ (msn 20303) departing from Philadelphia.

By mid 1970 Allegheny purchased two brand new Boeing 727-200 aircraft (above) to add capacity to the fleet. However, with the addition of a Flight Engineer, and the high cost of maintaining just two aircraft, Allegheny sold both aircraft to Braniff International as the home office had decided to stay with the twin jet DC-9 and found other airlines willing to lease their DC-9 series 30 aircraft at very reasonable lease rates.

Above Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. BAC 1-11 204AF N1118J (msn 100) taxies at the former Syracuse, New York stronghold of Mohawk Airlines.

The second merger with Mohawk Airlines was approved by the C.A.B. on April 12, 1972. In the merger Mohawk brought to Allegheny twenty-three BAC One Eleven’s (above) and seventeen Fairchild Hiller FH-227s.

At the time Mohawk was in deep financial trouble and needed the merger to survive. Shortly after the merger was approved, Allegheny purchased additional BAC One-Eleven aircraft from Braniff International, which was phasing out that aircraft type.

By late 1973, Allegheny had continued to grow to become the sixth largest airline. Allegheny leadership continued to aggressively pursue new route opportunities and had a constant presence in Washington D.C. to push for more cities to be added to Allegheny’s network. At the same time, Allegheny was able to purchase additional DC-9-32s from Delta Air Lines, which had earlier merged with Northeast Airlines.

By 1974 Allegheny decided that a new paint scheme and rebranding was in order. The current paint scheme was worn out and dated. Gone was the speed-wedge and blue cheatline that had faithfully served Allegheny for over thirty years. The bold new paint scheme featured a large stripe that went from red at the nose to maroon by the tail, with a three-stripe tail in bright red, dark red, and maroon.

At the same time, while other airlines were introducing First Class on their DC-9’s, Allegheny decided against it. Instead, Allegheny used the “Custom Jet Class” to promote the all-coach configuration with new interiors that provided ample legroom with new seats, and overhead bins to give the aircraft a “wide-body” look.

Above Copyright Photo: Elliot H. Greenman/Bruce Drum Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Short-lived McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 N923VJ (msn 47665) rests at the Pittsburgh International Airport maintenance base in the new 1975 livery.

The new look premiered with a new aircraft type: the DC-9-51 aircraft in 1975. This new airplane provided more capacity, and kept costs down as it was simply a stretch of the DC-9-31 aircraft. Allegheny thought this would achieve the balance in higher density markets that had been tried five years earlier with Boeing 727-200’s.

However, shortly after delivery of eight aircraft, the DC-9-51 was severely weight-restricted in several key Allegheny markets. What was originally thought would be a benefit was now another headache; reduced passenger capacity, and less ability to carry mail or airfreight made the aircraft too expensive for Allegheny’s needs.

Allegheny and Eastern Airlines entered into an agreement to swap Allegheny’s DC-9-51’s for an equal amount of Eastern’s DC-9-31’s. The final transaction was completed in 1978.

Also in 1978, Allegheny phased out the last Convair 580. While the Convair 580 continued to serve the airline well, a decision was made to have a pure jet fleet and have Allegheny Commuter continue to operate the 580’s. Allegheny was now a pure-jet airline flying BAC One- Eleven and DC-9-31/32 aircraft, with the exception of the 12 Mohawk 298’s.

Allegheny continued to push the C.A.B. for more routes in the midwest and west. While frustration was mounting over lengthy hearings and long delays in being awarded new routes or raising airfares, the mood in Washington D.C. was changing. Airlines such as Texas International, Ozark, Piedmont, Hughes Airwest, and Allegheny called for the end of a regulated market, and lobbied heavily for full deregulation of the airline industry.

In late 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the “deregulation act,” which would forever change the industry. Allegheny no longer needed permission or approval to start or stop service and for the first time could set its own fare structure.

As deregulation marched forward United Airlines starting parking older Boeing 727-100 aircraft. Allegheny acquired eleven of the popular tri-jet, while at the same time aggressively ordering additional DC-9-30’s from McDonnell Douglas and new 727-200s from Boeing.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Ex-United Airlines Boeing 727-22 N7044U (msn 18851) is pictured at Pittsburgh.

At the same time, then Chairman and President Ed Colodny decided the name Allegheny Airlines sounded too regional, especially with planned expansion to the west, which had been a long-time goal of Allegheny. After receiving board approval, Mr. Colodny announced to the world that Allegheny Airlines would become USAir on October 28, 1979.

Above Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Initially the re-named USAir would operate under the 1975 Allegheny livery. USAir (later US Airways) was a large Boeing 737 operator, operating the pictured 737-200 type along with the updated 737-300 and 737-400 models.

The new USAir would retain the Allegheny paint scheme, and proudly have the new name placed on the upper forward fuselage and tail. However, the white fuselage would give way to a polished aluminum aircraft, which would weigh less, and save money, a technique used successfully for many years at American Airlines. For USAir, this was just another chapter in the story of a great airline.

The Allegheny Airlines Fleet:

Douglas DC-3 24 — 1953-1966
Martin 202 5 — 1959-1963
Convair 340 17 — 1960-1967
Douglas DC-3 11 — 1948-1962
Convair 440 27 — 1962-1974
Convair 580 40 — 1965-1978
Fairchild F-27J/Fairchild-Hiller FH-227 27 — 1965-1974
Nord 262 13 — 1968-1977
Mohawk 298 9 — 1975-1979
Douglas DC-9-14 1 — 1965-1966
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31/32 70 — 1966-1979
Boeing 727-100 11 — 1978-1979
Boeing 727-200 2 — 1970-1971
BAC One-Eleven 31 — 1972-1979

American Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

USAir aircraft slide show: 

US Airways aircraft slide show: 

US Airways Shuttle aircraft slide show: 

Lake Central aircraft slide show: 

Mohawk aircraft slide show: 

America West aircraft slide show: 

Empire Airlines aircraft slide show: 

PSA aircraft slide show: 

Piedmont aircraft slide show: 

Allegheny Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Airbus (Toulouse) has issued this statement concerning Air China‘s (Beijing) 50th Airbus A330 and also the first 242-ton A330-300:

The 50th A330 to be operated by Air China, which is also China’s first A330-300 with the increased 242 ton maximum take-off-weight (MTOW) capability, has successfully completed its first flight in Toulouse, France.

Displaying a special livery to celebrate the “50th A330 for Air China”, the aircraft will be delivered to the Chinese carrier in September.

Air China is the flag carrier of China, one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets. Air China introduced its first A330 in 2006 and since then has become Air China’s benchmark widebody aircraft, supporting its tremendous growth both on domestic and international routes.

Air China operates a fleet of 169 Airbus aircraft, comprising 120 A320 Family and 49 A330 Family aircraft.

The A330 with the higher, 242 ton MTOW is the platform for the future A330neo, and is a concrete example of Airbus’ incremental innovation strategy. Thanks to latest engine improvements, and an aerodynamic package reducing aircraft drag, the A330 with 242 ton MTOW offers an extended range of up to 500 nautical miles and up to two percent reduced fuel consumption. The 242 ton A330 is capable of missions from 30 min to 15 hours.

Top Copyright Photo: Olivier Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. The pictured Airbus A330-343 F-WWYC (msn 1658) will become B-5977 on delivery. The 242-ton airliner also carries a special “50th A330 for Air China” logo.

Air China aircraft slide show: 

Bottom Photo: Airbus/A. Tchaikovski.

RwandAir (Kigali), the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, has signed a firm contract with Airbus for an A330-200 and a larger A330-300, at a signature ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda. With this order RwandAir becomes a new Airbus customer and is the first East African customer for the long-haul airliner. This agreement firms up a commitment announced earlier this year.
Aircraft deliveries will begin in the second half of 2016, enabling the country’s carrier to deploy its new flagship aircraft on medium and long-haul routes serving destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The two aircraft will feature a three class cabin layouts. The A330-200 will have 244 seats (20 business class, 21 premium and 203 economy class) and the A330-300 will have 274 seats (30 business class, 21 premium and 223 economy class). The aircraft will be equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines.

To date the A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, has attracted more than 1,500 orders and around 1,200 A330s are flying worldwide with over 100 operators. Ever since the original A330-300 entered service, its hallmarks are its very efficient operating economics, innovative cabin features, while offering passengers much wider economy-class seats than any competing aircraft. Moreover, with numerous product improvements and with an operational reliability of 99.4 percent, the A330 is the most cost-efficient and capable aircraft in its class.

Image: Airbus.

RwandAir aircraft slide show: 

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) first departure from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Hong Kong takes off today, making it the only airline to fly direct between Scandinavia and Hong Kong. At the same time, SAS is reopening its lounge at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport following extensive refurbishment, which will provide SAS customers with an even better experience.

The new route is SAS’s fourth direct connection between Scandinavia and Asia, and SAS is the only airline to fly direct between Scandinavia and Hong Kong. Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest airports and is the largest in the world in terms of freight.

Timetable Arlanda – Hong Kong

Departures from Arlanda on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on flight SK963 at 3 pm (1500), arriving in Hong Kong at 7.20 am (0720) local time.

Departures from Hong Kong on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on flight SK964 at 9.05 am (0905) local time, arriving at Arlanda at 2.35 pm (1435).

SAS currently offers long haul flights from Scandinavia to New York, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

During 2016 SAS will open three more routes; Stockholm to Los Angeles, Oslo to Miami and Copenhagen to Miami.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 LN-RKH (msn 497) departs from the Arlanda hub in this winter view.

SAS aircraft slide show: 

Finnair (Helsinki) has announced, starting in April 2016, it will extend its Miami service to be year-round, and will operate to Miami with three weekly frequencies in summer 2016.

“The Miami route has proven to be popular both for our Northern European customers as well as for Miami based customers, for whom we offer excellent connections to Scandinavia via Helsinki. The new schedule will also enable excellent connections from Miami to our Asian destinations. Our oneworld partner, American Airlines, has a large hub in Miami, which enables good connections further to the Caribbean, Central and South America.”

Finnair also adds frequencies to its Chicago service, increasing the weekly flights from three in summer 2015 to five in summer 2016. This will further improve connectivity beyond Chicago to American Airlines’ extensive network in the Americas. This five-weekly service connects well also to Finnair’s Asian network beyond Helsinki.

Both destinations are served with Finnair Airbus A330 aircraft. The flights to Miami International Airport are operated on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and the flights to Chicago O’Hare are operated from Helsinki on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Finnair’s Chicago and Miami services are included in the joint business on transatlantic traffic with fellow oneworld alliance partners British Airways, Iberia, American Airlines and American’s merger partner US Airways. Miami and Chicago are hubs for American, which allows Finnair’s customers quick codeshare connections to destinations throughout the United States, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Miami and Chicago timetables connect well with passengers transferring to and from Finnair destinations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Baltics, including Stockholm, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, St Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw as well as with Finnair’s Asian destinations, including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, Chongqing, Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, Delhi and Bangkok.

In addition to Miami and Chicago, Finnair operates daily to New York JFK and, together with its joint business partners, offers over 120 daily departures over the Atlantic.

Copyright Photo: OSDU/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302 OH-LTO (msn 1013) in the special Unikko (poppy) color scheme departs from the Helsinki (HEL) hub.

Finnair aircraft slide show: 

© World Airline News. Contents cannot be used with prior written permission.

Air China (Beijing) will start Beijing-Kuala Lumpur nonstop service on October 25, 2015.

The flights, CA871/872, are operated four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 16:45 Beijing time and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 23:00 local time. The return flight departs from Kuala Lumpur at 00:20 and arrives in Beijing at 06:45. The flights are to be operated with Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

Air China will follow the launch of Beijing-Kuala Lumpur service with the introduction of Beijing-Mumbai, Beijing-Colombo and Beijing- Islamabad-Karachi routes. These new routes to be started will bring the number of destinations in the Asia Pacific region that the carrier serves up to 19.

In other news, Air China will start Beijing-Islamabad-Karachi service on October 26, 2015. The service will make Air China the first Chinese domestic carrier offering an air link between Beijing and Pakistan.

The flights, CA945/6, are operated 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 18:30 Beijing time and arrives in Islamabad at 21:30 local time and in Karachi at 00:50 local time the following day. The return flight departs from Karachi at 02:20 local time and arrives in Beijing at 11:35. The flights are to be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. The first 242-ton Airbus A330-343 F-WWYC (msn 1658) for Air China became B-5977 when it was handed over on September 29, 2015. The airliner carries a special “50th A330 for Air China” emblem.

Air China aircraft slide show: 

Air Canada (Montreal) has issued this statement:

Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have announced they have reached a new agreement, subject to ratification, on collective agreement terms for ten years for the approximately 6,500 flight attendants at Air Canada and 700 at Air Canada rouge.

“This new, ten-year agreement with CUPE is an important development which will support long term profitable growth for the benefit of Air Canada, our stakeholders and our flight attendants at both mainline and Air Canada rouge,” said Benjamin Smith , President, Passenger Airlines, Air Canada. “This is a win-win agreement that will provide added stability and flexibility while acknowledging the important contribution of our flight attendants towards Air Canada’s future success. As the fifth collective agreement reached with unions representing our employees over the past year, it is further indication of the collaborative partnership that is building Air Canada into a Global Champion.”

“We are pleased that the company has agreed to many key improvements to our current collective agreement, including much-needed provisions on job security amongst other important gains. Following many months of hard work at the bargaining table, the eight members of our bargaining committee are unanimous in their joint endorsement of this tentative agreement. We look forward to a sustained period of growth at Air Canada. Our company’s global expansion in the months and years ahead will be mutually beneficial, and will have a tremendously positive impact on our membership,” said Michel Cournoyer , President, CUPE Airline Division.

The agreement is subject to ratification by CUPE’s membership as well as to certain openers over the 10 year period. Details of the agreement will not be released pending ratification by CUPE and approval by the Air Canada Board of Directors.

The union will recommend ratification to its members and the Company will seek the Air Canada Board of Directors’ approval for the agreement promptly.

This agreement with CUPE, subject to ratification, follows on the conclusion in October 2014 of a new agreement with Air Canada’s 3,000 pilots on collective agreement terms for ten years. It is the fifth collective agreement reached by Air Canada and its unions, including those with Unifor representing the airline’s 4,000 Customer Service and Sales Agents in Canada , the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) representing its U.S. unionized workforce and UNITE representing its U.K unionized workforce.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 C-GHKW (msn 408) is seen in action at a snowy Calgary.

Air Canada aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has issued this new video and description written by Rachel Solomon:

By Rachel Solomon

Mojave, California – With 10 state-of-the-art A330 Airbus airplanes joining Delta’s fleet over the next two years, the airline saw an opportunity to tell a story of an innovative aircraft.

And how Delta Marketing told that story was just as cutting edge.

Equipped with top-notch technology, the A330-300 can fly farther while consuming less fuel than its predecessors. It also features best-in-class onboard features, including flat-bed seats and premium entertainment, reflecting Delta’s efforts to provide a superior customer experience.

The advanced A330 – with the new, sleek Delta logo painted on its belly – demanded a more dynamic video than in the past. So Marketing, in combination with Atlanta-based firm Pouya Creative, embarked on a months-long plan to produce dramatic images that let viewers get up close and personal with the belly-logo livery just as the A330 takes off.

How did the team do it? Thirty-five cameras, nine months of planning and one camera-rigged Porsche driving 160 mph just 200 feet below the plane.

“What would up the ante?”

The project started with Mauricio Parise, Director – Marketing Communications, in January.

“We have great footage showcasing our new 737-900,” Parise said. “But to represent ourselves as the global airline we are, we needed to film a widebody plane like this new A330-300, which flies across the globe.”

Then Delta’s Visual Content leads Mary Welsh, Manager – Brand Strategy and Creative Services, and Chris Fisher, Specialist – Art Direction and Graphic Design, and Pouya Creative teams took it from there.

The plan was to capture a dramatic shot of the belly logo just as the plane was taking off. To do that, the team would need a camera that could be attached to something moving as fast as the plane – say, a Porsche 911. The camera, wedged in the back seat, would need to be wireless and controlled remotely to ensure perfect-angle shots.

Meanwhile, a smaller Learjet and a helicopter would provide aerial shots to show other angles of the A330.

Last year, Delta used a Learjet and a helicopter to film a brand new Boeing 737, but filming in this manner – not only from aircraft but a sports car – took the project to the next level.

“We asked ourselves, ‘What would up the ante?’ this time,” said Pouya Dianat, Project Director and Director of Pouya Creative. “Delta loyalists crave unique perspectives, and we wanted to live up to that.”

Over the next several months, the team recruited all the right people for the job, including Delta employees from Flight Operations, Technical Operations and the Operations/Customer Center, as well as videographers and a professional stunt driver.

“Safety my first concern”

What started out as an artistic idea became a matter of engineering precision and skill. Using Airbus performance software, Cory White, Delta Senior Engineer – Performance Aircraft, figured out the exact calculations to ensure the Porsche-rigged camera could film the underside of the plane clearly and safely.

“I was excited to be involved in such a unique opportunity, but safety was my first concern,” White said. “It’s a heavy burden to make sure calculations are done properly. Checking and rechecking was essential.”

“Delta loyalists crave unique perspectives, and we wanted to live up to that.”

White calculated the effect of temperature and wind on the performance of the Airbus and the acceleration of the Porsche to determine the appropriate distance between the plane and the car, as well as timing of takeoff.
Then, the team put White’s calculations to the test.

Weeks prior to the shoot, the film crew and Delta’s flight team performed more than a dozen practice runs in both the car and a flight simulator. Testing continued during the shoot; Captain Dan Lewis, Delta Chief Line Check Pilot for the A330, and First Officer Robin Grey conducted two trial takeoffs in the A330.

“We’ll need to validate where the plane leaves the ground and have clear range signals worked out ahead of time,” Lewis said in one of several safety meetings. “What we have to do is plan for the worst.”

“Plane in my rearview mirror”

The teams met in September at the Mojave Air and Space Port, an arid location an hour-and-a-half northeast of Los Angeles. The production team had grown to more than 50 people, including pilots and co-pilots, cameramen, audio and video technicians, production crew members and security. After months of planning, everything began to come together.

The crew spent day one reviewing details of the shoot, establishing safety protocols and filming still photos of the A330, which had just landed from Atlanta that afternoon.

“We had a check list of things we needed from each part of the crew in order to be successful,” Dianat said. “It took the safety of the aerial film crews, the precision of the driver and pilots, and camera and wireless operations.”

On day two, the team reconvened at sunrise. Outside of a hangar, a helicopter circled above to capture the perfect shot of the A330 taxiing towards the rust-red Mojave Desert Mountains. The team performed its final test runs before shooting the groundbreaking scene that afternoon.

The A330 lined up on the runway behind the Porsche. Dianat gave the go-ahead, and the Porsche sped off with the A330 shortly following.

“Seeing the plane come up in my rearview mirror was unforgettable,” said Roger Richman, the professional stunt driver. “I’ve been chased by a lot of things, but never anything as large, or with first class seating! But I was amazed at the precision and consistency of these Delta pilots – I would trust my life with those guys.”

“The results are powerful. It really helps bring the brand to life in a differentiated way by showcasing a brand-new aircraft that symbolizes our global scope.”

After four takeoffs, the crew had the shots it needed and wrapped for the day. The following day was spent shooting the A330’s exterior from all angles by Learjet and helicopter.
In all, the team edited more than four hours of footage down to a 60-second spot.

Parise said the most challenging part of the project – aside from the desert heat – was pulling off a project that required coordination across many different teams – internal and external.

“The results are powerful,” Parise said. “It really helps bring the brand to life in a differentiated way by showcasing a brand-new aircraft that symbolizes our global scope.”

About the A330-300

It’s a quieter, more eco-efficient widebody aircraft that operates long-haul flights. Delta took delivery of its first in May.

Passengers: 293
Crusing speed: 531 mph
Range: 5343 miles