Talking Points

Mistral Air (Italy) ferried it's only passenger configured aircraft, a 737-400, to the US for freight conversion. It will join an existing 737-300F in the airline's fleet

Airbus is reported to be near a deal to sell 30 additional A380s to Emirates (Possible announcement at the Dubai Air Show)

Lufthansa commenced Berlin to New York JFK service, after a break of 16 years

The UK high court denied the administrators of bankrupt Monarch Airlines the ability to sell the airline's airport slots to benefit creditors

China Aviation Supplies ordered up to 300 Boeing aircraft for distribution to Chinese airlines. Airline and Aircraft details are currently undisclosed [The Seattle Times reported this was effectively 'fake news', citing many of these orders as being old orders]

Eurowings (Germany) wet-leased a 767-300ER from PrivatAir (Switzerland)

A company named 777 Partners plans to resurrect World Airways, a US airline that failed in March 2014 (after 66 years of service). Plans call for up to ten 787s operating low cost long haul service (the record of trying to revive previous airline brands is not a good one - none have flourished or survived - CORRECTION: Frontier is one example that has indeed been successfully resurrected).

Air Cairo updates it's livery

Air Cairo added a seventh A320 and updated it's livery at the same time. The airline is Egyptair's low fare subsidiary operating inclusive tour flights from Europe and within the Middle East. This is the airline's third used aircraft acquisition, adding to four new deliveries in 2006 (2) and 2007 (2). This is also the first fleet addition since April 2015, reflective of the region's (terrorist related) tourism downturn in recent years.

Airbus A320-214 MSN 4320 F/F 5/26/10
TAM Airlines PR-MYG 6/14/10 - 5/5/16
LATAM PR-MYG 5/5/16 - 9/11/17
Air Cairo SU-BTM 11/6/17 - present

Air Cairo - Current Fleet
7 x A320-200 (CFM)

Talking Points

Qatar Airways acquired a 9.6% stake in Cathay Pacific Airways

United is considering ordering new 767-300ERs...to replace older 767-300ERs. Despite this appearing unlikely, there are signs that Boeing is considering restarting passenger 767 production, three years since it ended

United ended 747-400 service 11/7 with a farewell flight from San Francisco to Honolulu

Buta Airways added an E-170 to it's fleet, transferred from parent Azerbaijan Airways. The company also operates two E-190s

Aeroflot is evaluating placing a substantial order for either A320 NEO or 737 MAX aircraft to replace it's existing fleet of A320s and 737s

Aloha Air Cargo leased a first 767-300F from (and operated by) Air Transport International

Yemenia suspended all flight operations until further notice

Edelweiss (Switzerland) to expand it's fleet in 2018 with the addition of three A320s and two A340-300s

Meridiana is to be re-branded Air Italy, utilizing the name of an airline it acquired in 2013

Samoa Airways is to commence operations with a wet-leased 737-800 November 14th

Allegiant Air retires the 757

Allegiant Air (US) ended Boeing 757 service, with it's final two aircraft being ferried to Victorville, CA October 31st for storage.

Boeing 757-204 MSN 26963 L/N 450 F/F 4/22/92
Britannia Airways G-BYAD 5/6/92 - 11/1/05
Thomsonfly G-BYAD 11/1/05 - 11/1/08
Thomson Airways G-BYAD 11/1/08 - 11/17/09
Air Finland OH-AFL 3/15/11 - 4/9/12
Allegiant Air N901NV 6/10/12 - 8/31/16
Retired Stuttgart, AR

Allegiant operated six 757s, from July 2011. The entire fleet had been acquired from Thomson Airways in 2010, with Allegiant initially leasing out the aircraft to European airlines. The 757s were primarily acquired for ETOPS service from Las Vegas to Hawaii.

The 757s were Allegiant's first departure from a DC-9/MD-80 fleet, and were subsequently joined by A319s and A320s. The latter types will become Allegiant's core fleet following the MD-80's retirement next year.

The sun has set on United's 747 operations

United today ended 747-400 service, with a final revenue passenger flight from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Like most US Majors in the early 1970s, it was a must have to acquire 747-100s as an airline's flagship aircraft, typically used on premium coast to coast domestic service (United, American & Delta), with Pan Am, TWA and Northwest operating the type on key transatlantic and transpacific routes.

Many also went on to acquire new or used 747-200s, as well as 747-SPs, the latter acquired by United when it took over Pan Am's transpacific routes. No 747-300s were ever ordered or operated by US airlines.

The aircraft proved too large though, with most phased out of domestic service by the mid-70s, and replaced by tri-jet DC-10s and L-1011s (which were also too large initially). Braniff alone stuck with narrow bodies for domestic routes, which turned out to be strategically the correct decision at the time.

The second generation, and most important 747 of the last two decades was the 747-400, ordered in significant quantities by United and Northwest.

Boeing 747-422 MSN 24322 L/N 733 F/F 5/25/89
United Airlines N171UA "Spirit of Seattle II" 6/30/89 - 10/26/15

N171UA was the first -400 delivered to United, seen above in original delivery colors, the first of four liveries this aircraft would carry during it's 26 year career.

N171UA in United's new 1990s livery

United took delivery of 44 747-400s, the final delivery being in May 2000. All were model 747-422s, with the exception of two 747-451s, built for Northwest, but sold new to United.

United's 2000s livery

This livery was relatively short lived, as following the 2011 merger with Continental, the latter's color scheme was selected for the 'new' United.

N171UA - final United / Continental livery

The post 9/11 world saw United make adjustments to it's fleet, and the 747-400 did not escape a reduction. By 2015, 31 were in service, 25 by 2010, and 22 by 2015. N171UA was retired in October 2015.

N171UA in permanent retirement at Tupelo, MS. Others have been retired at Victorville, CA while 13 have gone on to serve other airlines.

United has replaced the 747-400 with 777-300ERs and 787-9s

Condor leases a first A330-200

Condor (Germany) sub-leased an A330-200 from Air Transat (Canada) for the winter. This is the first A330 to be operated by Condor, which to date has operated 767-300ERs on it's long haul services. The airline does operate a modest fleet of nine A320s (with additional aircraft wet leased in during the summer) and seven A321s.

Airbus A330-243 MSN 971 F/F 11/12/08
Mexicana XA-MXQ 12/17/08 - 8/28/10
Air Transat C-GTSZ F/N 202 10/19/10 - present (leased out)
Condor C-GTSZ 10/31/17 - present

Condor - Current Fleet
9 x A320
7 x A321
13 x 757-300
17 x 767-300ER
Total: 46

Air China takes delivery of it's first 737 MAX 8

Air China has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737 MAX 8, the first delivery of the MAX to a Chinese customer. Boeing notes it plans to deliver up to 100 MAXs to Chinese airlines by the end of 2018. 35 737 MAX models have been delivered to date.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 MSN 60872 L/N 6490 F/F 8/23/17

Air China B-1397 Delivered 11/3/17

Air China - Current Fleet

33 x A319

20 x 737-700

47 x A320

122 x 737-800
1 x 737 MAX 8

61 x A321

5 x 777-200

11 x 787-9

30 x A330-200

29 x A330-300

26 x 777-300ER

3 x 747-400

6 x 747-800I

Total: 394

Talking Points

Air Serbia to start a Belgrade to Toronto service, in addition to it's existing New York flights

Atlas Atlantique Airlines (France) ceased operations due to financial problems. The airline had one wet leased A320

TAME (Ecuador) plans to sell it's only owned aircraft: two E-190s and three ATR-42s (presumably for lease back)

An unnamed European airline has plans to order 31 CSeries, with 30 options. Deal to close by year end

British Airways last 747-400 will leave the fleet in 2024

Air New Zealand was voted 'best airline of the year' by AirlineRatings.com, it's fifth consecutive annual win

Emirates receives 100th A380

Emirates Airline (UAE) has taken delivery of it's 100th new Airbus A380. First delivery was July 25th 2008, with 216 A380s in total now having been delivered by Airbus. The carrier operates an all wide body fleet, although it's recent cooperative deal with Fly Dubai has effectively broadened the scope of it's fleet mix.

Airbus A380-842 MSN 239 F/F 2/20/17
Emirates Airline A6-EUV 11/3/17 - present

Emirates - Current Fleet
1 x A319 ACJ
10 x 777-200LR
13 x 777F
5 x 777-300
136 x 777-300ER
2 x 747-400F
100 x A380
Total: 267

Weekend Reading

30 years ago - People Express merged with Continental
Airways Magazine

Onboard United's 'Queen of the Skies" employee farewell flight
Airways Magazine

Onboard British Airways 25th 787 delivery flight
Airways Magazine

17 odd things that are very specific to British airports
Buzzfeed

Retirement of KLM Fokker ends era that began in 1921
FlightGlobal

Airbus/Bombardier C Series deal has broad implications
Aviation Week

IAG is serious about growing it's low cost long haul airline
Skift.com

Chinese capital changing leasing landscape
FlightGlobal

The truth about the luxury of Qatar Airways
aviationrepublic.com

Singapore's new A380 luxury suites
Business Insider

Gulf's fast growing carriers have problems at home
FlightGlobal

Air Canada welcomes it's first 737 MAX
Airways Magazine

The life cycle of planes...
wired.com

Air Canada takes delivery of it's first 737 MAX 8

Air Canada has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737 MAX 8, commencing a roll over of it's A320 fleet. The aircraft will be utilized on the airline's domestic and transcontinental routes, as well as select transatlantic routes. The 737 has featured in Air Canada's fleet before when it inherited 38 737-200s from it's April 2001 merger (acquisition) of Canadian Airlines International. Most were intended to be operated until at least scheduled lease return dates from 2003; however 9/11 dictated the early retirement of the fleet in late 2001, albeit 20 went on to serve Air Canada's low cost ZIP subsidiary between 2002 and 2004.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 MSN 61207 L/N 6634 F/F 10/19/17
Air Canada C-FTJV 10/3/17 - present

The registration C-FTJV has been used before...by an Air Canada DC-8-61, between 1/74 and 5/86.

UTair introduces a new livery

UTair (Russia) has updated it's livery, first seen on 737-800 VQ-BQQ, following repainting at Ostrava.

Originally a regional division of the Soviet era Aeroflot, the airline adopted it's current name and commenced operations in 1991. The airline currently operates an all Boeing jet fleet, plus ATR turboprops from Surgut and Moscow (Vnukovo).

Boeing 737-8GU MSN 37552 L/N 3620 F/F 4/8/11
UTair VQ-BQQ 5/26/11 - present

UTAir - Current Fleet
15 x ATR-42/72
31 x 737-500
6 x 737-400
9 x 737-800
3 x 767-200ER
2 x 767-300ER
Total: 66

Talking Points

American Airlines to phase out the MD-80 in 2019. 45 will remain in service by the end of this year, and 26 by fall 2018

Bangkok Airways is evaluating the A319 NEO, 737 MAX 7 and CS300 to replace 15 current A319s

Estelar (Venezuela) started flights to Miami from Maracaibo

flyGlobal (Malaysia) to expand 777 fleet to ten aircraft. The carrier currently has two

Swoop (Canada) to commence service in June with two 737-800s (six by September and ten within a year of starting service)

WestJet adjusted it's 737 MAX order book to include seven MAX 10s