Airbus A320
Video: First flight of the Airbus A320 with Sharklets
The first flight of the test Airbus A320 aircraft fitted with the new Sharklets has taken place.
First flight to the Maldives by Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways has completed its first flight to Malé and touched down to a colourful welcome in the capital of the Republic of the Maldives this afternoon. Read more
Lufthansa purchases 30 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft
Lufthansa has placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. This contract follows the selection by the Lufthansa Supervisory Board of the A320neo Family in March this year. The order comprises 25 A320neo and five A321neo aircraft. These will be powered by new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan engines. With this latest order the Lufthansa Group, Airbus’ biggest airline customer, will have purchased a combined total of 443 Airbus aircraft.
The Airbus A320neo Family also incorporates large “Sharklet” wing tip devices, which together with the new more efficient engines, will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. This will represent some 3,600 tonnes less CO2 per aircraft, per year. In addition, the A320neo will provide a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions and reduced engine noise, thus being a good neighbour at any airport where Lufthansa is operating the aircraft.
“We are proud that Lufthansa has chosen the eco-efficient A320neo Family as its solution for sustainable growth, and one which will fit seamlessly into its existing Airbus A320 fleet,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.
“Since its launch in December last year, around 1,200 orders and commitments for the ‘neo’ have given it the fastest rate of sales ever for any commercial aircraft.”
Today the Lufthansa Group is Airbus’ biggest operator worldwide with more than 360 Airbus aircraft currently in service. These include: 254 A320 Family; 38 A330 ; 65 A340 ; and eight A380 aircraft. With this latest order for 30 aircraft, the Lufthansa Group has an order backlog which includes 85 A320 Family aircraft, eight A330 and seven A380 aircraft.
The Airbus A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Over 7,500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 4,700 delivered to more than 330 customers and operators worldwide.
The Airbus A320neo Family will have over 95 percent airframe commonality with the existing models making it an easy fit into today’s fleets while offering up to 500 nautical miles more range or two tonnes more payload at a given range.
Qatar Airways launches new Airbus A320 route to Shiraz
Qatar Airways has launched scheduled flights to the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, marking the first of three route start-ups this month. Read more
All economy class aircraft to enter service with Etihad Airways
Etihad are trying something new as the Abu Dhabi-based national airline of the UAE, will start flying its first ‘all Economy’ class aircraft next week.
The Airbus A320 will be configured to carry 162 Economy class passengers, an increase of 42 from the current economy capacity.
From October 31, the ‘all Economy’ Etihad aircraft will be operating to Alexandria, Colombo, Damascus, Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut and Peshawar. Read more
Low cost airline Air Arabia takes off to Abu Dhabi from Alexandria
Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), announced today the start of its direct services from its latest hub in Alexandria, Egypt, to the UAE’s Capital Abu Dhabi. Read more
Iberia, Aena and Ineco test "green approaches" at Madrid - Barajas airport
Iberia Airlines, Spain’s airport and air traffic control authority Aena, and the Ineco transport engineering firm have carried out 620 test flights at the Madrid-Barajas airport involving continuous descent or “green approaches”.
The results of the tests, as announced by the Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR SJU) *, show that the new landing approach technique yields an average 25% reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, as well as significant reduction of noise.
The success of the test has led Aena to analyse the results with a view to instituting these “green approaches” at night all Spanish airports before the end of this year. This was one of the measures included in Aena’s 2009 Environmental Action Plan, aimed at achieving a total fuel savings of 25,000 tonnes per year and a reduction of 75,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions during airport approaches.
The test flights, staged by Iberia, Aena and Ineco, were carried out from June through September last year between midnight and 6 a.m. at Madrid-Barajas airport, and involved Iberia Airbus A-320s and A-340s which made the continuous descent manoeuvres under low power and without horizontal stages.
The tests were a part of the Atlantic Initiative for the Reduction of Emissions (AIRE), at the behest of the SJU and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They constitute one of more than 300 AIRE projects designed to improve energy efficiency and to reduce the CO2 emissions and noise produced by commercial aviation. In 2009 more than 1,000 tests were carried out by the 18 European partners of the AIRE project.
* SJU is the company set up by the European Commission, Eurocontrol and the aviation industry to modernise air traffic management in Europe in the framework of the Single European Sky.
Further information about the SESAR programme and the AIRE Project is available on the SJU website www.sesarju.eu.
Etihad commences flights between Abu Dhabi and Baghdad
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has commenced non-stop flights from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Baghdad, becoming the first airline in the UAE to operate to the Iraqi capital.
VIP passengers on the inaugural flight, which departed from Abu Dhabi Airport at 10.00 am yesterday (April 26) included the His Excellency Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Shehhi, the UAE Ambassador to Iraq, and Dr Abdulelah Al-Jumaili, Cultural Attaché and Mr Ahmed Jaber, Acting Charge d’Affairs, of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq.
Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “These new services are an important step for Etihad and for the UAE, reflecting a commitment to strengthening ties in the region.”
“We believe demand on the route will build quickly, particularly from government and business travellers. We also expect to see strong interest from people from Iraq connecting through Abu Dhabi to Etihad’s extensive global network.”
Etihad operates five return services per week to Baghdad, using two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, and will expand its operation with two additional A320 return services to a second Iraq destination – Erbil – from June 1, subject to government and regulatory approvals.
The Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan (centre), farewelled the first Etihad flight to Baghdad, which departed from Abu Dhabi at 10.00 am on April 26. VIPs on board the first flight included Mr Ahmed Jaber, Acting Charge d’Affairs, Embassy of the Republic or Iraq (left of James Hogan), His Excellency Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Shehhi, the UAE Ambassador to Iraq and Dr Abdulelah Al-Jumaili, Cultural Attache, Embassy of the Republic or Iraq (right of James Hogan)
Etihad’s flight EY555 to Baghdad departs Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.00am, arriving at Baghdad’s international airport at 11.25am the same day. The return flight, EY554, departs Baghdad on the same days at 12.30pm, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 3.50pm.
Etihad Airways to commence services to Iraq
Etihad Airways has announced it will commence flights from Abu Dhabi to Baghdad on starting on the 2th April, subject to government and regulatory approvals, becoming the first airline in the UAE to fly to Iraq.
Etihad will operate five return services per week to Baghdad, operated by two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, and will expand its operation with two additional A320 return services to a second Iraq destination – Erbil – from June 1, subject to government and regulatory approvals.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive, said: “We are committed to building and strengthening ties in our region and we are pleased that Etihad will be the first airline in the UAE to fly to Iraq.
“We expect to see strong demand on these routes, particularly from government and business travellers, as well as people from Iraq visiting family and friends around the world.
“We launched a cargo operation to Baghdad in September 2009, and have recently commenced additional cargo flights to Erbil, which we expect will perform well for Etihad.”
Mr Hogan said the timing of the new services offered air travellers convenient onward connections via Abu Dhabi to a number of key destinations across the airline’s global network, including the GCC and Middle East, Australia, China, Europe, Japan, North America and the Philippines.
“We are grateful to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority for their support, which has enabled us to move forward with these important new services.”
Etihad’s flight EY555 to Baghdad will depart Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.00am and arrive at Baghdad’s international airport at 11.25am the same day. The return flight, EY554, will depart Baghdad on the same days at 12.30pm, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 3.50pm.
Flight EY557 to Erbil will depart Abu Dhabi at 10.00am on Tuesdays and Sundays, arriving in Erbil at 11.50am. The return flight, EY558, will depart Erbil at 1.00pm on the same days, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 4.40pm.
