Mauritania Airlines takes delivery of first 737 MAX 8

Mauritania Airlines International has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737 MAX 8, joining a mostly all Boeing fleet. Commencing operations in 2010, following the demise of former national carrier Mauritania Airways, the airline has become the de-facto flag carrier operating short to medium haul service within West Africa. This is presently MAI's sole order for a 737 MAX 8, and is planned to be operated to Paris and Jeddah.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 MSN 64299 L/N 6704 F/F 12/7/17
Mauritania Airlines International 5T-CLJ Delivered 12/20/17

Mauritania Airlines - Current Fleet
1 x ERJ-145
2 x 737-500
1 x 737-700
1 x 737-800
1 x 737 MAX 8
Total: 6

Talking Points

Delta Air Lines' final regularly scheduled 747-400 flight operated from Seoul to Detroit. The aircraft is now engaged on employee farewell flights and sports charters until year end

N674US at Atlanta 12/19/17 engaged in Delta's 747 Farewell Tour

AerCap sold a portfolio of 21 aircraft (a mix of narrowbodies and widebodies) to Peregrine Aviation Company (Saudi Arabia)

Karun Airlines (Iran) took delivery of a first 737-500

Zambia Airways may be resurrected under a joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines. The airline last operated in 1995

Azur Air Ukraine leased an ex-Lion Air 737-900ER from DVB Bank

Boeing 737-9GPER Azur Air Ukraine UR-AZB MSN 35712/2349

Eurowings (Germany / Austria) to add 30 A320s to it's fleet by summer 2018

Talking Points

Atlanta International Airport (the world's busiest airport) suffered a power outage Sunday afternoon causing wide spread travel disruption, and closing the airport. Limited operations resumed Monday

Onur Air (Turkey) leased two ex-Emirates A330-200s from DAE Capital (UAE)

Delta Air Lines took delivery of the 50th Mobile, AL built A320 family aircraft (A321 msn 7943 N331DN)

Delta Air Lines has asked Bombardier to guarantee that all 75 CSeries CS100s it has on order are built in Mobile, AL

Niki Lauda is preparing a bid to acquire insolvent and grounded airline Niki (Austria), the airline he founded in 2003. Other airline bidders include Thomas Cook / Condor, Ryanair and PrivatAir

COMAC completed the maiden flight of it's second C919 prototype

SkyUp (Ukraine) to launch service from Ukrainian cities to Barcelona, Larnaca and Dubai in 2018 with three 737-800s

Weekend Reading

Why Boeing's CSeries concerns are justified
Aviation Week (Contributor Opinion)

Delta orders 100 Airbus A321 NEOs, says no to Boeing's 737 MAX
Airways (Analysis)

Introducing the most popular plane ever built...
The Telegraph

Airbus A380 draws Christmas Tree in the sky during test flight over Germany
The Independent

Designs that changed aircraft manufacturing
Aviation Week (Photo Gallery)

Jim Albaugh's lessons of aerospace success
Aviation Week (Opinion)

Baby Boomers
BCA / Aviation Week (Viewpoint)

The 'A-Team' that hunts missing planes
BBC

Enough with the hypocrisy, Boeing
Aviation Week (Opinion)

JetBlue's fleet review should wrap up soon - and it's a big deal
Motley Fool

Talking Points

Delta Air Lines ordered 100 A321 NEOs, plus 100 options. The aircraft will replace older ex-Northwest A320s, 757-200s and MD-90s. The P&W powered aircraft will deliver from 2020

FlyBosnia applied for an AOC in order to begin operations in 2018

Delta Air Lines last regularly scheduled 747-400 service will now be Seoul ICN - Detroit DTW arriving 12/19. Various charter and farewell flights will operate through 12/31

OpenSkies (France) last scheduled service will be 9/2/18

Berlin's new Brandenburg International Airport is now slated to open October 2020, almost a decade behind schedule

Aer Lingus to expand it's international long haul fleet with two additional A330s in 2018

Flights between Russia and Egypt will resume in February. Flights were suspended November 2015 on security grounds following the bombing and crash of a Metrojet A321 10/31/15

Meridiana (Italy) to commence Milan to New York & Miami service in June, likely under the Air Italy brand using A330s transferred / leased from equity partner Qatar Airways

Azores Airlines takes delivery of first A321 NEO

Azores Airlines has taken delivery of it's first Airbus A321-200 NEO, leased from Air Lease Corporation (US), one of six being leased from ALC. The flag carrier of the island territory of Portugal, the airline operates an all-Airbus fleet (detailed below). The airline will launch A321 service from Ponta Delgada to Boston January 12th.

Airbus A321-253N MSN 7972 F/F 12/7/17
Azores Airlines CS-TSF "Breathe" Delivered 12/15/17 [Leased from ALC]

Azores Airlines - Current Fleet
3 x A320-200
1 x A321-200 NEO
3 x A310-300
1 x A330-200
Total: 8

Talking Points

Singapore Airlines took delivery of a new A380 incorporating an all new interior (it's first new A380 delivery since September 2012)

Lufthansa has withdrawn it's bid for Niki (Austria) following the EU's indication that the deal would not be approved on competitive grounds. As expected, Niki therefore filed insolvency and will cease operations effective today, December 14th

Aurora (Russia) is in talks to take over Khabarovsk Airlines (Russia)

Swift Air (US) acquired an ex-Alaska Airlines 737-400. The airline also indicated it would not be taking delivery of 40 Mitsubishi MRJs ordered by Eastern Air Lines, an airline it acquired (and closed) recently

EasyJet Europe (Austria) leased a first ex-Air Berlin A320 (4316). All previously acquired aircraft it operates were transferred from EasyJet (UK). The airline now has 25 A319/A320s in service

AtlasGlobal (Turkey) is considering the CSeries to replace it's older A320s

Delta Air Lines is reported (by numerous sources) to be about to order a substantial number of A321 NEOs (in preference to 737 MAX 10s)

West Wind Aviation (Canada) ATR-42 (MSN 240) crashed shortly after take off from Fond-du-Lac, Saskatoon. 25 passengers were onboard. Injuries, but no fatalities were initially reported, and later confirmed (Transport Canada suspended the airline's AOC 12/22/17 for various operational deficiencies)

Southwest's 737-700 fleet reaches 500 in service

Southwest Airlines (US) now has 500 Boeing 737-700s in service, over 40% of the world's fleet of 1,183 of the type in service. The airline took delivery of it's first aircraft (as launch customer and the first delivery) December 17th 1997. 363 new aircraft were delivered from Boeing until the last delivery December 21st 2011. In the meantime, Southwest has added to it's fleet with used acquisitions (purchased and leased) since 2000. Only 9 used aircraft were added between 2000 and 2011, but this accelerated considerably thereafter. 11 in 2012, 8 in 2013, 56 in 2014, 28 in 2015, 17 in 2016 and 15 this year, of which six have yet to enter service. Southwest similarly added used 737-300s to it's fleet of new aircraft, where favorable purchase or lease opportunities presented themselves. The same is not true of 737-800s so far, the oldest of which was delivered to Southwest in March 2012. New 737-800 deliveries continue, along with 737 MAX 8s.

Boeing 737-7H4 MSN 27835 L/N 4 F/F 4/1/97
Southwest Airlines N700GS 12/17/97 - present
Original delivery colors, no winglets, 'eyebrow' cockpit windows

New colors, winglets, eyebrow windows removed, but yet to make it into latest colors

Southwest Airlines - Current Fleet
500 x 737-700
173 x 737-800
12 x 737 MAX 8
Total: 685

Neos takes delivery of first 787-9

Neos (Italy) has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 787-9, leased from AerCap, joining it's existing long haul fleet of three 767-300ERs. The 787 will initially operate from Milan Malpensa to Phuket, Mombasa and Cancun.

Boeing 787-9 MSN 38785 L/N 639 F/F 11/22/17
Neos EI-NEO Delivered 12/12/17

Neos - Current Fleet
5 x 737-800
3 x 767-300ER
1 x 787-9
Total: 9

Talking Points

Virgin Atlantic (UK) will lease two ex-Air Berlin A330-200s (msn 432/476) from DVB Bank March / April 2018

Eurowings (Germany) to introduce business class in it's A330-200s in 2018 for service to the US and other select long haul destinations

Aigle Azur (France) ordered two P&W powered A330-200s for delivery in the first half of 2018. New long haul destinations are to be announced. Established in 1946, the airline currently operates nine A320s from it's Paris Orly base

Niki (Austria) may be declared bankrupt in the event that the EU declines to approve it's acquisition by Lufthansa

Somali Airlines may be resurrected by the Government. It ceased operations in 1991

EasyJet's acquisition of certain Air Berlin assets has been approved by the EU. The airline will base 25 A320s at Berlin Tegel next year

Estelar (Venezuela) wet leased an A340-300 from HiFly (Portugal) to operate Caracas - Miami

Air New Zealand to wet lease an A330 and A340 from HiFly to cover for two engine damaged 787-9s during the busy Christmas season

Vietnam Airlines is considering the 777X or A350-1000 for it's planned non-stop routes to the US. An A350-900, with a technical stop, will be used from 2019, as neither types will be available by then

Talking Points

Blue Air (Romania) ferried two 737-400s to the United States for freight conversion. The airline's all 737 fleet includes 30 -300, -400 and -500 classics, as well as 11 737-800s

Georgian Airways leased a third ex-Air Canada E-190 from Nordic Aviation Capital

I-Fly (Russia) leased a P&W powered A330-200 from DAE Capital, joining three RR powered examples. The airline also operates two P&W powered A330-300s, and retains a sole 757-200 (of an original fleet of six of the type)

Azul (Brazil) to reduce it's fleet of Embraer regional aircraft in favor of expanding it's A320 NEO fleet

Belavia (Belarus) ordered one E-195 to replace an existing 737-500 in 2018

Cityjet (Ireland) to retire it's 13 Avro RJs by the end of 2019

T'Way Air (South Korea) plans to add eight 737 MAX 8s by 2020, plus ten wide bodies by 2025. The airline currently operates 17 737-800s

Qatar Airways A321 (A7-AIB) was damaged beyond repair after a fire broke out during routine maintenance at Doha

Air Canada commenced 737 MAX 8 service between Toronto and Calgary

Air Zimbabwe plans to lease up to 15 aircraft from Malaysia Airlines (details TBD, but includes 777s, of which at least one is fully painted)

Lufthansa to acquire the airline operation of Alitalia, with the $353M deal to close by December 19th. Approximately half of the airline's fleet will be retained. Alitalia currently operates about 100 mainline aircraft

Dynamic International Airways (US) changed it's name to Servant Air. The airline is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring

Egyptair took delivery of it's ninth and final new 737-800 leased from DAE Capital (UAE)

IrAero (Russia) seeks to lease three 777s for service to China in Spring 2018

Avianca takes delivery of first two A320 NEOs

Avianca (Colombia) has taken delivery of it's first two CFM powered Airbus A320 NEOs, joining an existing A320 family fleet of 67 aircraft, including two A321 NEOs. Sister carrier Avianca Brazil currently operates eight Pratt & Whitney powered A320 NEOs. Avianca is one of just a few airlines that operates all members of the A320 family, including the A318. (The others include Air France and British Airways, with LAN and Frontier in the past - the latter two having now disposed of their A318s).

Airbus A320-251N MSN 7887 F/F 11/27/17
Avianca N764AV 12/11/17 - present

Airbus A320-251N MSN 7928 F/F 11/30/17
Avianca N765AV 12/11/17 - present

Avianca - Current Fleet
10 x A318
15 x A319
40 x A320
2 x A320 NEO
9 x A321
2 x A321 NEO
12 x 767-8
7 x A330-200
Total: 97

Lanmei Airlines leases first A321

Lanmei Airlines (Cambodia) leased a first Airbus A321 from AerCap. A second aircraft from the same source is expected soon. The airline is a Chinese owned low cost (LCC) airline that commenced operations September 15th from Phnom Penh and Siem to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, initially with a wet leased Myanma Airways International A320.

Airbus A321-231 MSN 3522 F/F 5/20/08
Royal Jordanian JY-AYK 5/20/08 - 3/15/14
Monarch Airlines G-ZBAL 5/31/14 - 10/2/17
Lanmei Airlines XU-919 12/8/17 - current