Etihad Airways introduces Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to Dublin

                                               

Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 

Etihad Airways has introduced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Dublin route ahead of schedule utilizing both variants of the type -9 and -10 in lieu of its daily EY41/42 Boeing 777-300ER service.  The 787 Dreamliner is fast becoming the backbone of the Abu Dhabi-based carrier's long-haul fleet.

For the summer peak season Etihad will operate four additional Boeing 787-9 services between 27 June to 15 September featuring 28 Business Class flat-bed seats and 271 Economy Class seats.

Originally Dublin was to be one of the first Etihad 787 routes when announced in 2012 Dublin along with Frankfurt, Istanbul, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Nagoya – when deliveries of the aircraft begin in the last quarter of 2014. However Etihad's equity partnership with Air Berlin saw the carrier focus 787 capacity into the German market serving Air Berlin's primary hub in Dusseldorf.

In a statement issued in 2017 the carrier said "With a further 61 Dreamliners due to be delivered over the next few years, the 787s will become Etihad Airways’ flagship long-haul aircraft".

The airline has taken delivery of 28 of 71 Boeing 787 aircraft on order. The airline will continue to take delivery of aircraft until they reach their agreed revised figure.

The airline is the midst of a fleet re-structuring programme with the carrier gradually phasing out its Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft . On the 10 January the carrier cancelled an order for 10 Airbus A320neo aircraft planned for Air Serbia.

On 14 February the carrier significant reduced orders worth $21.4 billion at list prices prices for future Airbus and Boeing orders.  The carrier cut its order for Boeing 777-9 aircraft to 6 jets from 25, while cancelling delivery of 42 Airbus A350 , leaving it with 20.

Etihad said in a statement "This will enable the airline to further progress its transformation and adjust to its new operating model. The airline can now concentrate on the phased introduction of new aircraft types, enabling an efficient rationalization of its fleet, and building a network that connects Abu Dhabi to the world".

Aer Lingus has a code-share partnership on routes to Abu Dhabi and beyond and from Dublin on domestic, European and US routes.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 19 April 2019 All Rights Reserved 

Minimal disruption on Emirates Airlines route to Dublin as DXB runway work commences

                                                 

Boeing 777-300ER image courtesy of Emirates Airlines 

Dubai Airports has confirmed a 45-day closure of the southern runway at Dubai International Airport
(DXB) effective from 16 April to 30 May for an extensive upgrade to boost capacity, infrastructure and safety levels of the runway.

In January, Emirates Airlines said a significant number of its flights will be impacted by this closure. They have grounded 48 aircraft and reduced 25% of the flights operated by the airline during this 45-day period.

The Dublin route will have minimal disruption in this period as service is reduced slightly from 14 to 11 times weekly with EK161/162 closed for bookings three days weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Emirates carried more than 442,000 passengers on its twice daily Boeing 777-300ER Dublin to Dubai route last year, an increase of 2% and transported close to 10,000 tonnes of Irish exports during 2018. Emirates Holidays launched in Ireland last May in direct response to increasing demand for holiday options in Dubai and the growth in the number of people from Ireland choosing Dubai and other United Arab Emirates destinations.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 19 April 2019 All Rights Reserved 

ASL Airlines Boeing 737-300 commences Aer Lingus summer lease

                                                 

EI-STA Boeing 737-31S Credit Sean Flynn

Aer Lingus commenced it's wet-lease of EI-STA Boeing 737-31S MSN 24097  from ASL Airlines (Ireland) (Air Contractors) from Belfast City. The aircraft positioned from Dublin to Belfast City as EIN990P at 1630 hours local on Sunday 14 April two weeks ahead of last year's start on 1 May.

The aircraft is tasked with two daily rotations to Faro (EIN72/3) and Malaga (EIN948/9) enabling Aer Lingus to redeploy the based Airbus A320 to Dublin enabling the carrier operate increased frequency on existing routes.

ASL Airlines has partnered with Aer Lingus since 2014 operating four Boeing 757-200s on wet-lease with two based in Dublin operating selective services on Hartford, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles routes and two in Shannon operating Boston and New York routes. 

This summer the 757 deployed on Hartford will be redeployed to new route Minneapolis-St. Paul upon the entry to service of first Aer Lingus Airbus A321LR.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 19 April 2019 All Rights Reserved 

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Etihad Airways leapfrogs United Airlines to operate first Boeing 787-10 service to Dublin

                                                 

A6-BMA 787-10 image courtesy of @elevationair 

Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways became the first carrier to operate the new Boeing 787-10 the stretched variant of the Dreamliner to Dublin leapfrogging United Airlines 787-10 service schedule to commence on 23 May from Newark. Etihad operated the 787-10 in lieu of the usual Boeing 777-300ER on the route.

airlineroute tweeted on 31 March "ETIHAD 787-10 Dreamliner to serve Dublin from 01APR19 to 04APR19, last-minute changes possible".

Dublin Movements blog reported four of out of five 787-10's visiting A6-BMA 31 March, A6-BMC 1st April, A6-BMC 2nd April, A6-BMA 3rd April, A6-BME 4th April, A6-BMB 14th April.
The carrier operates the Boeing 787-10 in a two class layout with 336 seats 32 Business Studios and 304 Economy Smart.  The airline has 41 Boeing 787-9s on order of which 30 have been delivered and 30 787-10s, of which five have been delivered.

Boeing has a total order book for 173 787-10 aircraft of which 23 have been to delivered with one to ANA Airlines, five to Etihad Airways, nine to Singapore Airlines and seven to United Airlines with 151 Unfilled deliveries.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 14 April 2019 All Rights Reserved

British Airways introduces Airbus A320Neo family aircraft on Dublin route

                                               

Airbus A320Neo image courtesy Brian Griffin 

International Airlines Group (IAG) carrier British Airways has commenced Airbus A320/321Neo operations on its London Heathrow to Dublin route with effect from 28 March ahead of start of official IATA Summer schedule on 31 March.

G-TTND Airbus A320-251N MSN 8308 operated the first service to Dublin as BAW85Q.  The aircraft's first flight was 27th June 18 and delivered Toulouse to London Heathrow on 26h July 18.
British Airways currently has 14 Airbus A320NEO Family in service 10 x A320NEO and and 4 x 321NEO powered by CFM LEAP 1A engines. The airline has total orders for 25 Airbus A320Neo's and 10 Airbus A321Neo's. 

The A320neo Family will offer up to 20% in fuel burn savings per seat by 2020, two tonnes of additional payload, 500 nautical miles of more range, lower operating costs, along with a nearly 50% reduction in engine noise and NOx emissions 50% below the current industry standard.  A key contributor to the NEO’s performance is the aircraft Sharklets. These 2.4-metre-tall wingtip devices are standard on NEO aircraft, and result in up to 4% reduced fuel burn over longer sectors, corresponding to an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of around 900 tonnes per aircraft.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 14 April 2019 All Rights Reserved 

Stobart Air opens Dublin Embraer 195 base

                                                 

EI-GGA Embraer 195 Stobart Air 

Stobart Air is one of Europe’s leading franchise, ACMI and charter aviation specialists has  opened a new Embraer 195 base at Dublin Airport with effect from start of IATA Summer season on 31 March. Stobart has based two aircraft to support operating up to eight flights per day on behalf of KLM Airlines, including Dublin to Amsterdam route.

According to open source flight tracking website Flightradar24.com the Dublin based aircraft operates the first KLM service to Amsterdam KLM932 departing at 0555. Then usually operates a sector to Norwich and Oslo before returning back to Dublin KLM939 at 2235 hours.

According to industry sources an second Embraer 195 will be based in Dublin to operate as an stand-by aircraft for KLM Airlines contract.

EI-GGA Embraer 195LR MSN 19000184 and EI-GGB Embraer 195LR MSN 19000204 are both operated in all white colours.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 7 April 2019 All Rights Reserved 

Stobart Air Retires ATR72-500 Fleet

                                               

Image courtesy of Sean Flynn

Stobart Air one of Europe’s leading franchise, ACMI and charter aviation specialists has retired the ATR72-500 aircraft from its fleet following the cessation of Flybe Isle of Man contract on 31 March where the carrier had been operating services to Birmingham and Manchester. Flybe brought the Isle of Man base in-house using its own DHC8-400 aircraft.

According to John Dwyer NLSPOT List EI-REL MSN 748 operated it's last Flybe service on 16 March and was ferried to Monchengladbach , Germany on 17 March. It's sistershop EI-REM MSN 760 operated its last Flybe service on 30 March and was ferried to Monchengladbach on 31 March.

Aer Arann the predecessor to Stobart Air placed an order for 10 ATR72-500 series in 2006 in a contract valued at over $180 million, is the single largest aircraft investment by a private Irish passenger airline and the third largest in Irish aviation history at the time.

To mark the introduction of the ATR72-500 to the fleet a special colour scheme was commissioned by Aer Arann. Inspired by Celtic rings, or triskels, from the ancient monuments at Newgrange in County Meath. Clusters of triskels signify pulses to communicate the human and personal touch. The colour scheme incorporates refreshed and updated corporate colours. Silver and gold have been added into the palette to bring in a celebratory theme giving the aircraft a really distinctive look.
                                           

Image of courtesy of @elevationair

In 2009 Stobart Air received UK CAA ATR72-500 certification for the airport’s steep approach into London City, the approach path to which demands a 5.5° glideslope.

Stobart Air operates a fleet of 19 ATR42/72 and Embraer 195 aircraft from bases at Amsterdam, Cork, Dublin, London City, London Southend on behalf of Aer Lingus Regional, British Airways Cityflier, Flybe and KLM Airlines and operates Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes from Dublin to Donegal and Kerry, under Aer Lingus Regional brand.

Irish Aviation Research Institute © 7 April 2019 All Rights Reserved

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