All Posts By

Lucy Powell

Ryanair and Shell sign sustainable fuel agreement

By Sustainability

Ryanair and Shell have signed a Memo of Understanding (MOU) to supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at over 200 Ryanair airports across Europe.

There will be a particular focus on SAF supply at the low-fare carrier’s largest bases like Dublin and London Stansted.

At present, however, SAF accounts for a small part of jet fuel usage worldwide. This agreement with Shell will give Ryanair potential access to 360,000 tonnes (120m gallons) of SAF between 2025 and 2030, saving over approx. 900,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions (equiv. to over 70,000 flights from Dublin to Milan).

This agreement ties in with the ambitious sustainable target which Ryanair has set itself of using 12.5% SAF by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Speaking at Ryanair’s Sustainability Day in TCD, Sustainability Director, Thomas Fowler said:

“SAF plays a key role in our Pathway to Net Zero strategy, and also our commitment to a target of 12.5% SAF by 2030. Today’s agreement with Shell helps Ryanair secure access to c.20% of this ambitious goal. Shell is a key sustainability partner for Ryanair, and we look forward to building on this collaboration with Shell as our Group grows sustainably to carry 225m passengers annually by FY26.”

President of Shell Aviation, Jan Toschka, added:

“It is fantastic to build on our existing relationship with Ryanair to now look at what we can achieve together on sustainability. This initial agreement demonstrates that both companies recognise that SAF is the key to unlock a net zero future for aviation. We share the same ambition to enable Ryanair’s passengers to fly lower carbon.”

December 1, 2022

Korean Air takes delivery of its first A321neo GTF-powered aircraft

By Featured

Pratt and Whitney have announced, alongside Korean Air, of the delivery of its first A321neo aircraft, powered by P&W GTF engines.

The plane is the first of fifty aircraft to be delivered, of which the carrier selected GTF engines back in 2020. The aircraft is set to take flight in December.

Pratt and Whitney power more than 70 of aircraft within Korean Air, including the GTF-powered A320 and A330, as well as Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft.

“We are delighted to receive our first A321neo, which will be a great asset to our fleet, network and passengers,” said Soo Keun Lee, executive vice president and chief safety & operation officer of Korean Air. “This fuel-efficient, next-generation A321neo will bring our customers’ experience to a new level.”

Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney commented: “Korean Air becomes the fifth airline to operate two different fleets of GTF-powered aircraft,” said . “Pratt & Whitney is uniquely positioned to power airlines’ needs across the latest single-aisle fleets, with GTF engines powering aircraft that carry 96 to 244 passengers and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles.”

November 30, 2022

ATR delivers first ATR 72-600 to Air Corsica powered by PW127XT engines

By Featured

ATR has delivered the first ATR 72-600 with the brand new PW127XT engine to its launch customer, Air Corsica.

With the firm order for five new ATR 72-600 announced at Dubai Airshow in 2021, this delivery marks an important step in Air Corsica’s fleet upgrade and sustainable development.

The new PW127XT engine offers a 20% reduction in maintenance costs, and a 3% improvement on fuel consumption. The aircraft cabin will also be equipped with USB charging ports, a first for any ATR aircraft.

The airline will also be optimising the maintenance of its entire fleet, signing a 12-year global maintenance agreement.

Marie-Hélène Casanova-Servas, President of Air Corsica’s Supervisory Board, commented: “ATRs are central to our model of air travel in Corsica. They have proven to be the right product for our short-haul operations, enabling us to limit our impact on the island’s pristine environment and to meet our passengers’ demand for quick, frequent, reliable, and yet lower emission, air travel.”

“Selecting both the latest generation turboprop, the newest engine on the market to equip it, and the best maintenance programme to optimise its reliability, makes perfect business sense, and moreover, is the most responsible choice.”

ATR’s CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude said: “As our product evolves to meet new market needs and incorporates further innovations, it remains the most reliable, efficient, cost-effective aircraft on the market, as well as the most sustainable platform to operate regional routes. This makes ATR and Air Corsica a perfect match.”

November 29, 2022

Croatia Airlines signs order for six A220 aircraft

By General News

Croatia Airlines has signed a firm order for six A220-300 aircraft, and will lease an additional nine, taking its total committed number for the type up to 15. 

The A220 aircraft will replace the carrier’s previous generation fleet, which will improve its operating costs and environmental efficiency.

At present, the Croatian carrier operates an Airbus fleet of seven single-aisle aircraft from the A320 Family (five A319s and two A320s).

Speaking on this ordering signing, Croatia Airlines’ CEO and President of the Management Board of Croatia Airlines, Jasmin Bajić, said: “It marks the beginning of a new period of aviation, a new period in the life of Croatia Airlines, a new period for our passengers, and a new period for Croatia’s tourism and economy as a whole.”

“We are thrilled to add Croatia Airlines as a new A220 customer. The A220 is ideally suited to Croatia’s aviation needs, providing operational flexibility and efficiency allowing its airline to pursue its ambition for both regional and international connectivity without compromising on any aspect, be it passenger comfort or trip and seat cost economics,” added Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International.

November 29, 2022

SalamAir launches direct flights to Bangkok

By Featured

Salam Air has announced a direct route from Muscat to Bangkok, beginning on 18th December. 

This route will operate three flights a week, and is the carrier’s second destination in Thailand after it launched flights from Muscat to Phuket back in 2019. The route time will take around six hours.

Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said “We are delighted to commence flights between Muscat and Bangkok, providing our customers with a perfect value-for-money product that allows them to be flexible, save on airfare with our competitive pricing and add services they prefer. The flights will boost tourism, economic relations, and business opportunities between Oman and Thailand.”

The carrier, which operates six A320neo and four A321neo, is confident Bangkok will appeal to a broad range of leisure travelers looking to satisfy their wanderlust.

 

November 28, 2022

Ryanair launches two new Mediterranean routes from Shannon Airport

By Featured

Irish low-fare carrier, Ryanair, has launched two new services from Shannon Airport to Porto and Naples. 

The new routes are slated to start in summer 2023, and will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays. This will also increase the number of routes flying out from Shannon Airport to 26, with a total of 180 weekly flights.

This will up capacity up 35% from summer 2022.

“This is fantastic news for our passengers and another win for Shannon Airport, due to the hard work of our Aviation Development team,” said Mary Considine, CEO The Shannon Airport Group. “Porto is a great coastal city with incredible history, while Naples offers so much to see and do, and opens opportunities for passengers to explore the wonderful Amalfi coastline.

November 28, 2022

Rolls-Royce and easyJet set world first with successful hydrogen engine run

By Featured, Sustainability

Rolls-Royce and easyJet have confirmed a world first run of a Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine using hydrogen.  

The ground test was performed on this early concept demonstrator, and took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down. The green hydrogen used was created by wind and tidal power. Following this early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said: “This is a real success for our partnership team. We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement.

The partnership is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed up to, committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

November 28, 2022

RwandAir takes delivery of its first dedicated freighter

By Featured

RwandAir has taken delivery of its first dedicated cargo aircraft as the carrier expands its fleet.

The Boeing 737-800 SF, which is painted in RwandAir’s first cargo livery, will be based at the carrier’s Kigali hub. The new jet will allow the Rwandan carrier to further expand its cargo operation.

RwandAir will operate the new freighter to a number of key destinations in Africa and the Middle East, including Johannesburg, Nairobi, and the United Arab Emirates.

Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “The delivery of our dedicated cargo aircraft is a huge milestone in RwandAir’s fleet expansion plans.

“Cargo is of ever-increasing importance for the aviation industry, and as a landlocked country, we recognise the importance and value of good cargo connections.

“We want to ensure that Africa is seamlessly connected to the world, driving economic growth and valuable trade deals.”

November 25, 2022

Goshawk delivers A320 to Heston Airlines

By Featured

Goshawk has announced the delivery of one A320 aircraft to Heston Airlines. The A320 was successfully delivered to the Lithuanian ACMI operator towards the end of November.

Stephen O’Dwyer, Airline Sales & Marketing, EMEA at Goshawk said: “We are delighted to deliver the first aircraft by Goshawk to Heston, marking the beginning of an exciting partnership as they immediately place the aircraft into operations to serve their expanding customer base.”

Jonas Rinkauskas, CEO of Heston Airlines, commented: “The addition of this aircraft will help us achieve our target of building a larger, modern, fuel-efficient fleet. This in turn will enable us to deliver our products and services to a wide network of ACMI and Charter clients.”

November 24, 2022

Silk Avia introduces first ATR aircraft in Uzbekistan

By Featured, Regional Turboprops

New regional airline, Silk Avia, has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with ATR for the acquisition of five new ATR 72-600 aircraft. Three of these will come from ATR directly, whilst two will be delivered via a lessor.

The airline is expected to begin operations soon with three used ATR 72-600 aircraft already in its possession.

Silk Avia and ATR also announced the signing of a five-year Global Maintenance Agreement. This pay-by-the-hour contract will allow the Uzbekistanian regioanl airline to take full advantage of ATR’s expertise to support its ATR aircraft, reducing maintenance costs and boosting operations.

ATR Chief Executive Officer, Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, comments: “There is no better solution to provide essential links than an ATR 72-600, the sustainable benchmark in regional aviation today. In a fast-growing country such as Uzbekistan, Silk Avia will play a key role by offering vital links for local communities and boosting the economy.

“We warmly welcome Silk Avia as one of our newest customers, opening a new market for ATR in Central Asia.”

Rano Dzhuraeva, Chair of Uzbekistan Airports, says: “We are excited to be soon launching our operations with an all-ATR fleet. As a new low-cost airline, we undertook an extensive review of which aircraft would provide the best solution. Our selection of the ATR 72-600 is the perfect choice for us as they will ensure we can offer our passengers the most modern, comfortable and reliable experience in the most affordable and sustainable way.”

November 23, 2022