Transaero Airlines (Moscow) has signed a firm order for four 787-8 Dreamliners. The signing ceremony for the order, valued at $744 million at list prices, made history by being held onboard the 787 during a demonstration flight for Transaero’s executives, employees and special guests.

Captain Evgeny Nikitin, Commander of Transaero’s 767/777 flying unit, was co-piloting the 787 during the entire flight from takeoff to landing as the signing ceremony took place.

Made primarily from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines to open new, nonstop routes preferred by the traveling public. As a result of innovative technologies, the airplane offers unparalleled operating economics, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. More than 850 787s are on order by 59 customers, a testament to the airplane’s unique capabilities. Russia played an important role in creating this revolutionary airplane. Engineers from the Moscow Boeing Design Center participated in designing a number of key sections of the 787. Russian manufacturer VSMPO-AVISMA supplies titanium parts for the 787 Dreamliner.

Copyright Photo: Boeing. From left: Alexander Krinichansky, Transaero Airlines executive director; Alexander Pleshakov, Transaero Airlines chairman of the board; Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Serdar Gurz, director international Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Transaero Airlines Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Boeing (Chicago) will celebrate today the roll-out of the first South Carolina-assembled 787 Dreamliner at the North Charleston factory located at Charleston International Airport (CHS). The CHS facility is non-union.

The first SC-produced Dreamliner will go to Air India.

Read the full story from The Post and Courier: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. This Dreamliner was assembled at Everett, WA.

Air India Slide Show: CLICK HERE

The Boeing (Chicago) 787 Dream Tour will draw to a close with a seventh leg of international trips. During the tour, a refurbished flight test airplane has demonstrated the Dreamliner’s capabilities to more than 59,000 guests with an estimated 6,000 more to see it during the upcoming stops.

On May 23, the airplane known as ZA003 will depart Boeing Field for Sydney, Australia. Airline officials, government representatives, Boeing employees, suppliers and members of the media will tour the airplane during this leg of the tour. Below are the landing dates for each stop during leg seven.

• May 24 – Sydney, Australia
• May 29 – Auckland, New Zealand
• May 31 – Darwin, Australia
• June 1 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• June 3 – Casablanca, Morocco

Upon completion of the tour, ZA003 will go through a scheduled maintenance period and resume its duties in the 787 flight test fleet. While certification of the baseline 787 models has completed, additional testing is being conducted on airline-specific features, product enhancements, and technologies that will be introduced on the next member of the 787 family, the 787-9.

The Dream Tour airplane is outfitted with the 787′s special cabin features including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Thousands of fans have followed the progress of the Dream Tour at www.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour, which will continue to be updated throughout the seventh leg of the tour.

Copyright Photo: James Helbock.

United Airlines‘ (Chicago) first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N20904) was rolled out of the paint shop at Paine Field in Everett today (July 31).

Watch for an upcoming report on this new type for United.

Copyright Photo: United Airlines.

United Airlines: 

United Airlines (Chicago) has announced the first international routes for the airline’s newest addition to its fleet, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. In addition to the previously-announced service from its Denver hub to Tokyo Narita, starting on March 31, 2013, the airline will operate nonstop 787 service five days a week between its Houston (Bush Intercontinental) hub and Lagos, Nigeria, beginning on January 7, 2013. United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service between its Los Angeles hub and its Tokyo Narita hub, beginning on January 3, 2013, and Los Angeles to Shanghai, beginning on March 30, 2013.

United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service from its Houston hub to Amsterdam and London Heathrow on a temporary basis. Houston to Amsterdam service begins on December 4, 2012, and Houston to London Heathrow service begins on February 4, 2013.

The 787 aircraft will display for sale for these routes on united.com and other distribution channels beginning on August 25, while Denver to Narita service is available for sale now.  In the near future, United will announce plans for initial domestic flying for the 787, which will precede the launch of international flights described above.

Configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 72 seats in United Economy Plus and 111 seats in United Economy, the Dreamliner will revolutionize the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.

Copyright Photo: United Airlines. Boeing 787-8 N20904 (msn 34824) is pictured being prepared for delivery at the Boeing facility in Everett (Paine Field).

United Airlines Slide Show: 

ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo), through the ANA Group, has placed orders for eleven additional Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. ANA currently has 55 Dreamliners on order, thirteen of which have been delivered so far.  The new order will take ANA’s fleet of this innovative and fuel-efficient airliner to 66. All eleven aircraft will be the 787-9 model and will be delivered between fiscal year 2018 and 2021. This will give ANA a fleet of 36 Boeing 787-8 aircraft and 30 787-9 versions.

ANA’s future fleet plans involve the gradual replacement of the Boeing 767-300 and Boeing 777-200 fleet with the 787. The fuel efficiency of the 787-9 is similar to that of the 787-8, while it has greater seat capacity, helping support the profitable expansion of ANA’s international and domestic route networks.

ANA is the launch customer for the Dreamliner and started its first 787 operation in October 2011. The aircraft is now flying eight domestic Japanese routes as well as Tokyo (Haneda) – Frankfurt. ANA also plans to launch a new route from Tokyo (Narita) to San Jose, California starting in January 2013 using the 787-8, while the current Tokyo (Narita) – Seattle/Tacoma service will switch to 787 operations from October 1, 2012 and Tokyo (Haneda) – Beijing to the 787 from October 28, 2012.

In other news, the airline is holding a design contest for a new 60th Anniversary logojet design to be painted on a Boeing 767-300. The winning design will be announced on October 9.

For more details: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing has dropped the long-standing customer designation codes with the 787. 787-8 JA813A (msn 34521) arrives back at Paine Field near Everett, WA.

ANA: 

Video: The Marine Jumbo painted on Boeing 747-481 JA8963 (msn 25647) introduced in 1993 was probably the most famous ANA logojet.

United Airlines (Chicago) and Boeing (Chicago) announced today (September 24) the delivery of the airline’s first 787-8 Dreamliner.  United is the first airline in North America to take delivery of the 787.

United has announced it will initially use the 787 on international routes to Africa, Asia and Europe. The airline will conduct temporary domestic flights before transitioning its 787 fleet to international service in late 2012.

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. In addition to providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs, the 787 features a host of new technologies that greatly enhance the passenger experience.

This delivery marks the first of 50 Dreamliners that United has on order. The airline’s 787 cabin is configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 72 seats in United Economy Plus and 111 seats in United Economy. Customers will be more comfortable with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features.

United’s first Dreamliner is expected to arrive in Houston later this week to begin a month-long training and certification program including non-commercial flights to each of United’s domestic hubs.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 N20904 (msn 34824) is pictured at Everett (Paine Field) prior to the official handover.

For an insider’s view of N20904 read Jay Selman’s Guest Editor column: CLICK HERE

United Airlines: 

Video:

Air Canada (Montreal) has unveiled plans to form an integrated leisure group, combining the activities of its tour operator business, Air Canada Vacations, with its new low-cost leisure airline to launch in 2013.  In addition, the airline announced the appointment of Michael Friisdahl as President and Chief Executive Officer to lead its new leisure group which will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Canada.

The new low-cost leisure carrier will commence service in June 2013 with two Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft and two Airbus A319 aircraft that will be released from Air Canada’s mainline fleet. It will serve popular holiday destinations in Europe and the Caribbean that are either currently underserved, or that do not generate adequate profitability with Air Canada’s existing cost structure.  At launch, the leisure carrier will assume select Air Canada leisure services and will also operate certain new destinations not currently operated by Air Canada.  Further details on the leisure airline’s summer 2013 program, schedule and product offering will be communicated later this fall with Air Canada’s 2013 schedule. The carrier’s plans are subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.

The leisure carrier will increase its fleet as Air Canada starts to take delivery of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2014, thereby freeing up aircraft for transfer to the leisure carrier. As this occurs and subject to commercial demand, the leisure carrier may operate up to 20 Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft and 30 Airbus A319 aircraft, for a total of 50 aircraft.

On September 20, 2012, Air Canada announced that it will hire more than 900 employees over the next 12 months to meet its planned workforce requirements at the main airline.  In addition, 200 new jobs will be created for flight attendants and pilots at the new low-cost leisure carrier.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Boeing 767-300s will be freed up with the arrival of the 787 Dreamliners. Boeing 767-3U0 ER C-GHPF (msn 26206) completes its final approach into Miami International Airport (MIA).

Air Canada: 

Boeing (Chicago) yesterday (October 5) marked a historic milestone with delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner built at its North Charleston, South Carolina, facility to Air India (Mumbai).

According to Boeing, “the delivery continues the momentum of the 787 Dreamliner’s entry into revenue service by customers globally and marks the beginning of a new era of commercial airplane production in South Carolina.”

Work on the Boeing South Carolina Final Assembly and Delivery Center began in November 2009. Production of the first South Carolina-built 787 began in mid-2011 and the completed airplane rolled out of the factory in April.

Boeing South Carolina fabricates, integrates and assembles the midbody and aftbody fuselage sections for all 787 Dreamliners. Completed sections are joined in South Carolina Final Assembly, or transported via the Dreamlifter to 787 Final Assembly in Everett, Washington.

This delivery marks the 28^th 787 Dreamliner delivered to date. Boeing South Carolina will increase final assembly production to three 787s per month by the end of 2013.

Air India is introducing the Dreamliner on the Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Bangalore and Delhi-Kolkata domestic routes before its international debut.

Air India: 

Japan Airlines (JAL) (Tokyo) has announced February 25, 2013 as the launch date for its inaugural service between Tokyo (Narita) and Helsinki.

Flight schedule of new Tokyo – Helsinki service, commencing on February 25, 2013:

・The above schedule is subject to government approval.

・The above timings may change after March 30, 2013 following the standard industry switch from winter to summer schedules.

・The increase in frequency to a daily service is subject to the delivery schedule of the 787-8.

In addition, JAL started Tokyo (Haneda)-Singapore and Tokyo (Narita)-Singapore 787 service on October 14. Both routes will be offered three days a week becoming daily service on October 28.

Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa. The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner logojet. 787-8 JA828J (msn 38438) in the special “Sora wo Tobu” (Flying Sky) motif was also introduced on October 14. Designed by Studio Ghibil, the logojet features the art of seven children. JA828J is pictured pushing back from gate 114 of the International Terminal at Tokyo (Haneda) on a late night departure bound for Singapore as flight JL 35.

Hot New Photos: 

JAL-Japan Airlines: 

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) will lease three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from ILFC. ILFC issued the following statement:

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc., announced Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to lease three of Boeing’s new Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft.

Ethiopian will have thirteen 787 aircraft by 2015.

The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2015 and will carry GEnx-1B70/75 engines. ILFC is the largest customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an order book of 74 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 ET-AOR (msn 34746) is seen at Everett (Paine Field).

Ethiopian Airlines: 

RwandAir (Kigali) would like to more than double its fleet in the next five years, including possibly adding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner according to this article by Reuters. The government airline added its first Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) (9XR-WH) (msn 15286) on October 17, 2012.

Besides the CRJ900, the fleet consists of two Next-Generation Boeing 737- 800s, two Boeing 737- 500s and a DHC-8-100.The new CRJ900s are replacing older and smaller 50-seat CRJ200s.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: James Helbock. The first Boeing 737-800, the pictured 737-84Y 9XR-WF (msn 40892), was added to the fleet on August 25, 2011, direct from Boeing. The airline is also the first to operate the 737 with the new Sky Interior in Africa.

RwandAir: 

Boeing (Chicago) and Qatar Airways (Doha) yesterday (November 12) celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane (A7-BCB), the first of 30 787s ordered by the airline, is also the first to be delivered to an airline in the Middle East.

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines such as Qatar Airways to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. The airline has announced that it will deploy the Dreamliner on services to Dubai, London Heathrow, Delhi and Zurich, with others planned as additional 787s join the fleet.

According to the manufacturer, “In addition to providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs, the 787 features a host of new technologies that greatly enhance the passenger experience. Qatar Airways’ customers will also experience cabin environment improvements such as improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features. The airline’s 787 cabins are configured with 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy.”

Qatar Airways’ first Boeing 787 is also the airline’s 32^nd Boeing airplane and will join a fleet of 31 Boeing 777 passenger and cargo aircraft. The Doha-based airline currently flies to a global network of 120 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Copyright Photo: Royal S. King. Boeing 787-8 N10187 (msn 38320) became A7-BCB on delivery.

Qatar Airways: 

Avianca (Colombia) (Bogota) has ordered three additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Boeing has issued the following statement:

Boeing and Avianca Airlines have announced an order for three 787 Dreamliners. The order was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website and is valued at approximately $620 million at published list prices.

This order brings Avianca’s total 787 order count to 15 Dreamliners, which includes the 12 787s ordered in 2007. The total order value stands at more than $3.1 billion.

In other news, Avianca is adding new frequencies and routes:

From December 2012, Avianca will expand its travel offering as follows:

DESTINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

Bogota-Miami-Bogota: With the addition of a new daily flight, Avianca will operate a total of three flights per day on this route from December 16, 2012.
Bogota-New York-Bogota: Starting on December 17, 2012, Avianca will offer two daily nonstop flights between these two cities.
Bogota-Orlando-Bogota: From December 17, 2012, Avianca will operate a daily nonstop flight to Orlando.

DESTINATIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN

Bogota-Punta Cana-Bogota: From December 18, 2012, Avianca will offer four nonstop flights per week, with operations on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from Bogota to this Caribbean island and vice versa.Bogota-Santo Domingo-Bogota: From December 19, 2012, Avianca will operate a daily flight between the Colombian capital and the capital of the Dominican Republic.
Bogota-Havana-Bogota: Avianca will fly to the capital of Cuba with four flights per week, to and from Colombia, starting December 22, 2012. Flights to the island will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Bogota-Rio-Bogota: Starting on December 17, Avianca will operate a daily nonstop flight to this Brazilian city.
Bogota- La Paz-Bogota: Starting on December 18, 2012, Avianca will operate a new daily flight on the Bogota-La Paz-Bogota route.

Avianca is part of AviancaTaca Holding. With a modern fleet of more than 140 short, medium and long-haul aircraft and a team of more than 17,000 employees, Avianca and Taca directly service more than 100 destinations in the Americas and Europe, which connect to more than 750 destinations in the world through interline and codeshare agreements with partner airlines around the world.

Avianca: 

Federal Aviation Administration-FAA (Washington) is issuing a formal order requiring U.S. airlines to inspect the fuel systems of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner according to this report by Reuters.

The fuel issue emerged on Tuesday (December 4) when a United Airlines Boeing 787-8 aircraft with 184 passengers and crew on board was forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans due to an electrical problem. The aircraft was flying from Houston (Bush Intercontinental) to Newark.

United Airlines (Chicago) is currently the only Dreamliner operator in the United States.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Read about the United incident from the Post-Tribune: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner N20904 (msn 34824) is pictured at Paine Field near Everett.

United Airlines: 

British Airways (London) has announced the seating plans for its new Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on order. The company issued this statement:

With the first of the airline’s new long-haul aircraft only six months away from delivery, British Airways has announced the cabin design and layout for its Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft.

Two hundred and fourteen customers will enjoy the comforts of the new British Airways 787 Dreamliner and the A380 will be the largest aircraft in the British Airways fleet, with 469 customers.

The 24 Dreamliners and 12 A380s will feature the elegant cabin designs fitted on British Airways’ new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, which have proved hugely popular with customers.

All eight 787-8s will feature a new Club World 2:3:2 layout, the latest generation World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seats. In addition, the new A380 will also have an enhanced version of First. The exact seating plans of another 16 787-9s on order have yet to be finalized, they could have three or four-cabin configurations.

British Airways is set to be the first European airline to operate both new aircraft types, with its first Dreamliner arriving in May 2013 and A380 deliveries starting in July 2013.

The British Airways Dreamliner will have 35 seats for customers in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 25 seats in a World Traveller Plus layout of 2:3:2; and a further 154 seats for those travelling in World Traveller, with a 3:3:3 configuration.

On the British Airways A380 there will be 14 seats in First on the main deck, with extra personal and stowage space; the Club World cabin will feature 44 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration; and there will be 199 seats in World Traveller, with a 3:4:3 layout.

The A380 upper deck will feature 53 seats in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 55 seats in a 2:3:2 World Traveller Plus layout; and World Traveller will have 104 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration.

Both new aircraft will also feature the airline’s latest Thales inflight entertainment system, which offers customers 50 percent more movies, 200 percent more TV shows and 200 percent more audio programs and music*.

Customers will also benefit from new larger screens in all cabins and an easier to use system with shortcut buttons. They will also be able to connect personal devices, such as laptops and use the in-seat power available for the first time in all cabins.

In 2013, British Airways will take delivery of nine new longhaul aircraft. The first British Airways Dreamliner will be delivered in May 2013. A further three will arrive by the end of the year. The first A380 will be delivered in July, with additional deliveries in August and October. Two additional 777-300 ERs will arrive in September and October 2013.

British Airways will announce the routes the new aircraft will operate in Spring 2013.

* Compared with the Rockwell Collins audio video on-demand system deployed on British Airways fleet of Boeing 747s, 767 longhaul aircraft and most Boeing 777-200s.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. More stretched Boeing 777-300 ERs will be joining the fleet. Boeing 777-36N ER G-STBC (msn 38287) arrives at the London Heathrow hub.

British Airways: 

LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw) put its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (SP-LRA, msn 35938) into revenue service today (December 14). The company issued the following statement:

At 8:00 a.m. today, LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner SP-LRA took off from the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on its first scheduled flight to Prague. It is the first commercial flight of the LOT Dreamliner (and the first by an European carrier).

Flight LO 523 from Warsaw to Prague lasted 57 minutes. On board there were 175 passengers for whom LOT had prepared special certificates commemorating this first extraordinary flight. For the return flight, 149 passengers have been booked. The plane is planned to take off from Prague airport at 10:05 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Warsaw at 11:10 a.m.

The Dreamliner will fly to Prague on selected dates from mid-December to mid-January, 2013. The upcoming flights are scheduled to operate on December 15, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 28. The four remaining dates are January 2, 11, 12 and 14, 2013.

The flight to Prague kicked off a series of promotional flights in Europe, at which time the Dreamliner will visit nine European cities in total: Prague, London, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Hannover, Kiev, Budapest and Brussels.

Copyright Photo: Gordon Stretch. The cabin of SP-LRA is seen on one of the promotional flights in Europe.

We have decided to operate the first Dreamliner flight to Prague, as it is a one-hour flight only from Warsaw and it seems ideal for the first “neighborly” visit of LOT Dreamliner in Europe. Actually, it will not be the only flight to Prague – the Dreamliner will visit the Czech capital a number of times – says Zbigniew Mazur, acting LOT CEO. I am glad passengers from the Czech Republic will be the first to experience the comfort of travel on board the world’s most modern passenger plane belonging to the Polish carrier – adds Zbigniew Mazur.

As we have mentioned previously, the first trans-Atlantic flight of LOT Dreamliner will be operated to Chicago (O’Hare) on January 16, 2013. Its next destination will be Toronto (Pearson) on February 1, 2013. On February 3, passengers will fly aboard the Dreamliner to New York (JFK), and Beijing will welcome the LOT Boeing 787 one month later on March 3, 2013.

In other news on the financial side, LOT Polish has requested state financial aid. According to this report by the Wall Street Journal, LOT Polish Airlines has filed a request for state aid, the first installment of 400 million zlotys ($125 million) according to the Polish government. LOT, which was close to bankruptcy in 2009, lost money in 2011 and is expected to post another loss for 2012. The CEO of the company has resigned.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner SP-LRA is seen at Paine Field near Everett prior to the official handover.

LOT Polish Airlines: 

Boeing (Chicago) and AeroMexico (Mexico City) today announced AM has finalized an order for six 787-9 Dreamliners, with reconfirmation rights for four additional Dreamliners. The order by Mexico’s largest airline, which was first announced as a commitment in July, is valued at more than $1.46 billion at published list prices.

The acquisition of these Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is part of the 100 aircraft announced earlier this year.

Grupo Aeromexico will have a total of 19 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, whose first delivery is expected to be in the summer of 2013.

Made primarily from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow Aeromexico to replace older aircraft on its European, Asian and South American routes. As a result of innovative technologies, the airplane offers unparalleled operating economics, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. More than 800 787s are on order by 58 customers, a testament to the airplane’s unique capabilities.

Image: Boeing.

AeroMexico: 

China Airlines (Taipei) has repainted its Boeing 747-409 B-18210 (msn 33734) which was painted in the promotional Boeing 787 Dreamliner livery. China Airlines, which called the special aircraft “Dynamic Blue”, has repainted the aircraft in its regular colors.

Copyright Photos: Manuel Negrerie. B-18210 is pictured departing from the Taipei (Taoyuan) base before it was repainted.

China Airlines: 

LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw), because of its continued financial losses, is going to shrink in size according to this report by the Wall Street Journal. The carrier is phasing out its Boeing 737s and 767s. The Polish government, which controls 93 percent of the stock, issued $127 million in emergency loans to the struggling state carrier on December 21 to keep it out of bankruptcy. This loan, which may still be deemed illegal state aid by the European Commission, is keeping the airline aloft. The Polish government is restructuring the airline and only the most profitable routes will be kept. One half of the fleet is expected to be returned to the lessors according to the article.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Terry Wade. LOT is proud to be the first operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Europe but will it be able to continue to operate the new type? The 787 is planned to be assigned to the carrier’s long-range routes if those routes can be maintained with the restructuring. The first 787-8, SP-LRA (msn 35938) prepares to touch down at London (Heathrow) on its first visit.

LOT Polish Airlines: