Southwest airlifted around 500 of its customers out of closed Houston Hobby Airport Sunday, according to airline and US government sources with knowledge of the operation. The Southwest customers were stranded inside the airport when the FAA closed it earlier Sunday morning. All roads to and from the airport were also closed. It was unclear how many others were stuck at the airport. The humanitarian rescue mission underscores the severity of Hurricane Harvey's impact on the Houston area. Five of the airline's stranded Boeing 737s flew out of the flooded airport Sunday evening back to Love Field in Dallas. The airline received clearance from the FAA to operate out of the closed airport, according to the two sources. Hobby Airport is expected to remain closed to all non-emergency air traffic until August 30 at the earliest, according to the FAA. Without working airport lights at Hobby Airport, the Southwest aircraft had to move quickly before the sun set over the storm-battered city.<br/>
unaligned
Tokyo-based Japan Investment Adviser (JIA) has finalised an order for 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, valued at $1.12b at list prices. The order was previously announced as a commitment at the 2017 Paris Air Show in June. The new 737 MAX 8s are the first direct-purchased aircraft for JIA and will help bolster the lessor’s growing fleet of next-generation aircraft. Delivery of the new aircraft is expected from 2021-22. JIA CEO Naoto Shiraiwa said he is confident the aircraft will “diversify our operating lease portfolio in the years ahead” and “provide us with a stronger competitive advantage in providing our future airline clients with reliable airplanes that make sense economically.” JIA began operations in 2011 and has a portfolio of around 60 aircraft, but they have until now all been acquired on the pre-owned market. <br/>
Hong Kong Airlines will launch non-stop flights between Los Angeles and Hong Kong on Dec. 18 on Airbus A350 aircraft. The airline will begin with four round-trip flights a week before moving to daily service on Jan. 16. News of the LA route comes less than two months after Hong Kong Airlines began flying from Vancouver, its first North American destination. Beyond its new North American routes, Hong Kong Airlines -- founded in 2006 -- flies from its Hong Kong hub to more than 30 destinations across Asia, Australia and New Zealand. “Following the success of the Vancouver route, we are excited to launch our first route in the continental United States and further expand our international network,” said George Liu, Hong Kong Airlines’ chief marketing officer. “By strengthening the connection between North America and our Asia Pacific destinations, we can provide more options for American business, leisure, academic, and family travellers.”<br/>
China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC) reported strong revenue growth in the H1 2017 as the company continues to expand and diversify globally. In H1, CALC posted a net profit of HK$248.7m (US$32m), up 3.6% from H1 2016. Revenue for the half-year was up 22.5% to HK$1.26b. CALC chairman Chen Shuang said the H1 performance “demonstrated its strong growth momentum. With its successful execution of its globalization strategy and fleet expansion plan, together with the continued expansion and diversification of its clientele, CALC is working toward being a full value-chain aircraft solutions provider for global airlines. We are well positioned to capture significant opportunities globally.” As of June 30, CALC had 90 aircraft and delivered nine aircraft to new customers. In June, the Hong Kong-based lessor placed its first purchase order with Boeing for 50 737 MAX aircraft, scheduled for delivery in stages up to 2023. In addition, the company has 138 narrowbodies on order.<br/>
Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) looks set to spread its wings boldly next year as restrictions imposed by the global aviation audit agency since mid-2015 are<br/>expected to be removed. The country's first long-haul low-cost carrier (LCC) will then begin to add three to four new Airbus A330-300 jets and inaugurate regular flights to Eastern Europe, also ramping up its existing services to Japan and South Korea. This would be a major upgrade for TAAX, whose expansion plan was mothballed for two years as a result of the red flag placed on Thailand's aviation safety by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has spent the past two years addressing the "significant safety concerns" raised by ICAO, which is expected to remove the red flag in October this year, if not sooner. ICAO is due to conduct an audit on CAAT, the agency upon which the safety deficiency was levelled, rather than airlines, on Sept 3. "We are readying our growth plan once the red flag issue is over," TAAX director and founder Tassapon Bijleveld said. After the red flag is removed and clearance is secured from the European Aviation Safety Agency, TAAX will commence regular services from its Bangkok base at Don Mueang airport to Eastern Europe.<br/>
Batik Air, a subsidiary airline of Lion Air, has launched a new charter flight route to Guilin city in China from Jakarta. Spokesman Andy M. Saladin said the maiden flight was conducted on Aug. 26. Batik Air currently travels to 37 domestic destinations in Indonesia and serves international routes to Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and India. “With 49 planes and a newly addition Boeing 737 MAX 8, we will keep on expanding our international routes,” said Andy. Tourism Minister Arief Yahya expressed his appreciation towards the recent venture of Batik Air. “Guilin, also known as the Little Heaven of China, is a historical and cultural city. It boasts beautiful panoramic views such as mountains and old buildings. Every year up to 18 million people come to Guilin. With this direct flight, we are going to attract these tourists to visit destinations in Indonesia,” said Arief.<br/>