Weekend Reading

Air France retrieves stranded A380 from Canada
FlightGlobal

Urgent action needed to avoid Brexit airline disaster
Air Transport World

How the unwanted Boeing 717 became popular
Business Insider

6 fun historic facts about KLM
Aviation Republic

Amazing airline suites: comparing Emirates and Singapore's cabin
USA Today

Travolta to deliver B707 personally
Australian Flying

CSeries deal presents wider opportunity
FlightGlobal (Opinion)

United explores investing in regional airline ExpressJet
Bloomberg

Talking Points

Qatar Airways ordered 50 A321 NEOs, plus 36 options (this replaces a previous order for A320 NEOs)

Fastjet (Tanzania) retired its last A319, and now operates two E-190s

EasyJet (UK) has now transferred 20 A319/A320s to its new Austrian based subsidiary EasyJet Europe

IndiGo's latest A320-200 NEO delivery brings its NEO fleet total to 30 (plus 118 standard A320s)

Delta has taken delivery of its 30th A321

EasyJet (UK) to commence flying German domestic routes in January

GE Capital (GECAS) took delivery of its final 737NG. The first of 170 MAX 8s will start delivering in January

Primera Air (Denmark) will sell and lease back all of its 737 MAX 9s on order to Aviation Capital Group (US)

Air Astana (Kazakhstan) to lease three new A320 NEOs from SMBC delivering 2019-2020

Travel Service (Czech Republic) ordered nine additional 737 MAX aircraft, total now 39, with first delivery in 2018

China Eastern takes delivery of first 737 MAX 8

China Eastern Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8, becoming the fifth Chinese operator of the new model. The airline has a further 59 on order, and 70 A320 NEOs (none delivered yet).

Boeing 737 MAX 8 MSN 61623 L/N 6542 F/F 11/16/17
China Eastern Airlines B-1383 Delivered 12/6/17

China Eastern - Current Fleet
39 x 737-700
35 x A319
83 x 737-800
1 x 737 MAX 8
74 x A321
180 x A320
28 x A330-200
20 x A330-300
20 x 777-300ER
Total: 480

Talking Points

Primera Air (Denmark) ordered two additional 737 MAX 9s, taking it's order total to ten

Aerolineas Argentinas to issue a tender in 2018 for the replacement of it's entire fleet of 26 E-190s

Colt Aviation's (Brazil) AOC was revoked in November. The airline's last aircraft, a 757-200F, was parked at Miami, FL in February, and subsequently sold

Boeing 757-200F PR-XCA seen stored at Miami, FL

French Blue is to be re-named French prior to commencing service from Papeete, Tahiti to San Francisco (to avoid any confusion with JetBlue)

CALC (China) took delivery of it's first A320 NEO, leased to Frontier Airlines (US)

Frontier Airbus A320-251N N323FR

Jet Time retires last 737-300

Jet Time (Denmark) retired it's last 737-300, leaving it with a fleet of five 737-700s. The airline operated a total of ten -300s, including two convertible passenger / freight aircraft from September 2006. Two 737-400s were also operated briefly, one in 2010 and one in 2013. Five 737-400F freighters were operated between 2013 and this year, with all now disposed of, as the airline focuses exclusively on it's passenger charter services.

Boeing 737-3L9 MSN 27834 L/N 2692 F/F 1/23/95
Maersk Air OY-MAS 2/21/95 - 11/20/98
GB Airways G-OGBE 11/23/98 - 12/24/03
BMI Baby G-OGBE 5/17/04 - 3/5/09
Jet Time OY-JTE 5/4/09 - 12/5/17 [Last Jet Time 737-300]
Stored Lasham, UK

Talking Points

Air Algerie is evaluating the CSeries or E2 as possible contenders to replace it's 12 ATR 72-500s. The ATR 72-600 (of which it operates three) is also in contention

Air Arabia (UAE) is considering the CSeries for a large (up to 100 aircraft) order for it's Moroccan and Egyptian subsidiaries

Aeromexico may acquire some of Delta's early CSeries deliveries, while the trade dispute between Boeing and Bombardier is resolved, possibly affecting Delta's initial deliveries due in 2018

ICBC Financial Leasing (China) ordered 55 Comac C919s, taking the type's total order book to 785

Japan Airlines takes options on 20 Boom Supersonic airliners (and invests $10M in the program). Virgin Atlantic and other undisclosed airlines also have options or expressions of interest

Shanghai Airlines retired it's last 767-300ER, leaving it with four standard 767-300s still in service

ANA (Japan) took delivery of it's 25th 787-9. The airline also operates 36 787-8s

LATAM Airlines Chile takes delivery of first A320 NEO

LATAM Airlines Chile has taken delivery of it's first Airbus A320 NEO, powered by Pratt & Whitney's GTF. Sister carrier LATAM Brazil already operates two, both delivered last year.

Airbus A320-271N MSN 7864 F/F 11/16/17
LATAM Chile CC-BHB Delivered 12/1/17

LATAM Chile - Current Fleet
16 x A319
52 x A320
1 x A320 NEO
16 x A321
19 x 767-300ER
10 x 787-8
13 x 787-9
Total: 127

Talking Points

DHL Express has taken delivery of the first A330P2F freighter

Scoot (Singapore) took delivery of it's tenth 787-8 (9V-OFK "Getting Lei'd"...this is not April 1st, I kid you not!)

Air Seoul (South Korea) took delivery of a new A321, leased from CDB Aviation. It's existing fleet of four A321s were all used aircraft, transferred from parent Asiana Airlines

Air France retired it's last two A320-211s (F-GHQM - the final ex-Air Inter aircraft - and F-GKXA). It's current A320 fleet now numbers 41 A320-214s

Boeing has now delivered 50 737 MAX 8s

Joon (France) commenced operations December 1st, initially to short haul destinations Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon and Porto

Joon A320 F-HEPC

Flybondi takes delivery of first 737-800

Flybondi (Argentina) has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737-800, leased from SMBC. A second aircraft is due soon, which will enable the airline to commence low cost (LCC) service from initially El Palomar, Buenos Aires. Ten aircraft are planned to be in service by the end of 2018.

Boeing 737-8AS MSN 33821 L/N 1698 F/F 4/16/05
Ryanair EI-DHM 4/28/05 - 3/28/12
Nok Air HS-DBD 5/9/12 - 9/22/17
Flybondi LV-HKS 11/25/17 - present

LOT - Polish Airlines takes delivery of first 737 MAX 8

LOT - Polish Airlines has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737 MAX 8, the first of six being leased from Air Lease Corporation (US). It is also ALC's first 737 MAX delivery. Earlier this year, LOT leased four used 737-800s from AerCap, as it looks to substantially expand it's short and medium haul fleet and route network.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 MSN 64067 L/N 6681 F/F 11/22/17
LOT - Polish Airlines SP-LVA 12/1/17 - present

LOT - Current Fleet
10 x Dash 8
6 x CRJ-900
6 x ERJ-170
10 x ERJ-175
6 x ERJ-195
3 x 737-400
4 x 737-800
1 x 737 MAX 8
8 x 787-8
Total: 54

Weekend Reading

What happens when an outsider takes the reins at Etihad Airways?
Airways (Op-Ed)

Leahy reflects on 33 years at Airbus
Leeham News

IAG chooses Paris as second base for low cost airline (LEVEL)
Bloomberg

Meet the woman who's spent 60 years making the skies a little friendlier
The Washington Post

Air France plans return of engine-failure A380 from Goose Bay
Air Transport World

Boeing completes its first 737NG freighter conversion
FlightGlobal

Rolls-Royce's Schulz, ATR's Scherer contenders for Airbus sales chief
Aviation Week (Schulz was subsequently selected)

The Eastern Air Lines rebirth dream comes to a rapid end
Airways

Boeing starts assembling first Max 7
FlightGlobal

Leahy will be missed, although not by Boeing
FlightGlobal

Emirates unveils private suites with virtual windows
Curbed.com

Talking Points

Delta acquired an ex GOL 737-700 from GECAS for spares / part out at Marana, AZ

Venezuelan airline Avior has been banned from operating to Europe (the airline does not operate to Europe!)

Flyadeal (Saudi Arabia) is considering orders for either A321 NEOs or 737 MAX 9s. The LCC curently operates three A320s, with two on order

USGlobal Airlines will no longer acquire Songbird Airlines (US) as intended

Air Austral (Reunion) to acquire a 49% stake in Air Madagascar as a strategic partner

Cargolux (Luxembourg) is considering adding used 747-400Fs to it's existing fleet of 747-400Fs and 747-8Fs

MEA (Lebanon) plans to form an LCC...details and timings to be announced

Lufthansa offers to sacrifice some routes to save it's Air Berlin deal

Turkish Airlines takes delivery of first 777F

Turkish Airlines has taken delivery of a first Boeing 777F, adding to it's existing dedicated freighter fleet that includes three A310-300Fs and eight A330-200Fs

Boeing 777-FF2 MSN 60403 L/N 1532 F/F 11/22/17
Turkish Airlines TC-LJL 11/30/17 - present

Turkish Airlines - Current Fleet
1 x 737-700
7 x A319
80 x 737-800
24 x A320
15 x 737-900ER
68 x A321
1 x A310-300F
25 x A330-200
8 x A330-200F
35 x A330-300
4 x A340-400
1 x 777F
33 x 777-300ER
Total: 302