The Latvian national airline, airBaltic, has sealed a major deal with Airbus, to acquire 30 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Additionally, the airline secured the rights to potentially purchase 20 more of the same model in the future.
According to the airline, this move underscores airBaltic’s ambitious plans to expand its fleet substantially, aiming to reach a remarkable milestone of operating 100 A220-300s by the year 2030. As a result, airBaltic is aiming to claim the title of the largest A220 customer across Europe, solidifying its position as the foremost operator of A220-300s globally.
“This day marks a significant milestone in the history of airBaltic – our plans for the first time ever to operate a fleet of 100 aircraft by 2030. For almost seven years already, the Airbus A220-300 has been the backbone of our operations and has played an integral role in the international success story of airBaltic. Being the global launch customer of the Airbus A220-300, we continue to be a proud ambassador of it. We are grateful to our partners at Airbus for the incredible support, trust, and collaboration over these years,” said Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic.
“The A220 has been the instrument for airBaltic in its success and growth thus far and we are particularly proud to be extending this partnership well into the future with this latest order”, said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International.
The A220 offers a unique capability in terms of range, performance, and passenger appeal. Scherer said that it is a game changer for their customers in this important market segment, which Airbus is serving with less fuel-burn, lower emissions and noise.
The revenue for the same period experienced a 16 per cent increase, reaching almost AED 4.45 billion. The airline also revealed the order for 240 CFM LEAP-1A engines to power its existing order of 120 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including the new A321XLR. This deal, exceeding a total book value of USD 3.36 billion, includes a multi-year services agreement and spare engines.
In late 2016, airBaltic became the global launch operator of the A220-300 and since May 2020 operates all its flights with a single-type fleet of this aircraft type. Since then, the airline has carried more than 13 441 000 passengers on the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The airBaltic A220-300s have completed over 150 000 flights and flown 328 000 block hours.In passenger experience, the Airbus A220-300 crafts an exceptional journey for travellers with features such as wider seats, expansive windows, increased cabin hand luggage space, upgraded lavatories, and other amenities.
In addition, the aircraft is also considerably quieter – with a twice smaller noise footprint when compared to the previous generation aircraft. Additionally, at the moment, it is the most efficient commercial aircraft in the world with a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact, helping to reduce CO2 and NOX emissions by 25 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in comparison to the previous generation aircraft and industry standards.
airBaltic, a prominent airline in the Baltic region, boasts a robust network of over 100 routes originating from its key hubs in Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), and Tampere (Finland). This network connects passengers to diverse destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region.
Presently, airBaltic’s fleet comprises a lineup of 44 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, positioning the airline as one of the youngest and most modern fleets in Europe.
[ad_2]
Source link
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is hiring. The ministry has announced an expansion of the workforce in its key aviation regulatory bodies, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
DGCA has initiated the establishment of 416 new positions. These positions, including qualified professionals such as aircraft and aeronautical engineers, pilots, and air traffic controllers, are crucial for ensuring the safety and integrity of the aviation sector.
Notably, 114 of these positions have already been filled, marking a substantial step towards enhancing the sector’s safety.
MoCA has also been actively involved in supporting AERA’s functions, an independent regulatory body tasked with overseeing economic regulations within the Indian aviation industry. To facilitate the efficient discharge of its duties, AERA has witnessed the creation of 10 new positions. Five of these positions have already been occupied, with the remainder set to be filled in the near future.
Addressing false concerns raised regarding staff shortages affecting license issuance, the DGCA clarified several points. It reported that the total number of CPLs issued in 2022 was the highest in the last decade, with this number already surpassed in September 2023. The DGCA has also recently issued Aerodrome licenses to Shivamogga Airport, Rajkot International Airport and Utkela Airport in the last six months.
Additionally, there were 27 existing vacancies, of which 24 have been filled, while the recruitment process for the remaining three is underway. According to the Aviation Ministry, AERA’s mission encompasses promoting fair competition among major airports, encouraging investment in airport infrastructure, and regulating tariffs for aeronautical services.AAI has also announced 796 additional positions for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) in two phases, with 340 posts established in May 2022 and an additional 456 in April 2023. Also, efforts are underway to fill these ATCO positions, aligning with AAI’s commitment to enhancing air travel safety and efficiency.
Recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation officials inaugurated Udaan Bhawan, an Integrated Office Complex at Safdarjung Airport in Delhi, recognising the need for greater coordination among aviation regulatory authorities.
This office complex will house key regulatory bodies, including the DGCA, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and AERA, ensuring better collaboration and synergy among these agencies under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
[ad_2]
Source link