Oman Air Transport plans to move ahead with a multi-billion dollar order for wide-body jets early next year even though it won’t now break even in 2017 as the low oil price curbs growth in the Persian Gulf. The carrier is now aiming to end losses by the end of next year, contingent on demand not deteriorating further, CE Paul Gregorowitsch said Tuesday. While the carrier will also delay plans to expand to a fleet of 70 aircraft and 75 destinations to 2023 from 2020, it still plans to order 15 new wide-body jets needed to replace older planes and add capacity, he said. Further discussions will be held with manufacturers and leasing firms next week as Oman Air seeks to agree terms to take either the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787-9. The US model has a slight advantage because the carrier already operates 6 Dreamliners. <br/>
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WestJet has agreed to buy up to 20 Boeing 787-9s. The order includes commitments for 10 787-9s to be delivered between Q1 of 2019 and Dec 2021, with options for an additional 10 aircraft to be delivered between 2020 and 2024. WestJet president and CE Gregg Saretsky said, “We have carefully executed on our strategic plan, first launching WestJet Encore to connect smaller communities across Canada to our growing network followed by our successful venture into widebody flying to Hawaii and London Gatwick. Now, with the most sophisticated commercial airliner available, we turn our attention to further growing our international presence.” WestJet is converting 15 firm orders for the Boeing 737 MAX that were to be delivered between 2019 and 2021 to options available between 2022 and 2024. <br/>
Start-up carrier Cyprus Airways, which will launch operations in June, has confirmed its first routes as Heraklion and Rhodes in Greece and Tel Aviv, Israel. The carrier—which will use a one-class, 144-seat Airbus A319 on the services—has not disclosed frequencies, but said it would reveal 2 additional destinations over the next few weeks. In the fall, Cyprus Airways said it will announce a revised and extended flight schedule to be implemented in March 2018, with the arrival of a second A319. The airline said it is looking into adding more aircraft by the end of 2018. The Cyprus Airways brand was secured by Charlie Airlines in July 2016 under a 10-year deal with the Cypriot govt. Charlie Airlines was founded by Russia’s S7 Group co-owner Vladislav Filev. The former Cyprus Airways went out of business in Jan 2015. <br/>
UK regional carrier Flybe has signed a “combined commercial arrangement,” placing 2 Embraer E195s with Irish regional Stobart Air. The aircraft will be Stobart Air’s first jets, joining its existing fleet of 13 ATR 72-600s, two ATR 72-500s and two ATR 42-300s. Under the contract, Stobart Air—which was formerly known as Aer Arann—will take the aircraft on wet lease for up to 20 months, subject to earlier termination options. The pair of aircraft will be based at London Southend Airport. They will initially be operated by Flybe, but Stobart will take over operations by no later than Jan 1, 2018. “The aircraft will be operated in Flybe branding under the existing franchise agreement between the two companies,” Flybe said. Flybe has been working to rationalise its fleet and a large part of that has involved placing its excess E Jets. <br/>