Airbus and Boeing split firm orders for 19 jets from the Indian affiliate of Singapore Airlines that is seeking to start international flights and bolster local operations. Vistara will buy 13 of the A320neo and A321neo jets that have a list price starting at about $111m each and six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at about $282m apiece. The combined order is valued at $3.1b, excluding customary discounts, the carrier said Wednesday. “This order is very important for Vistara because we always felt that international operations will give us a leverage on further improving our financial performance,” CEO Leslie Thng said. As a full-service model in an “extensively competitive” local market, Vistara is not yet profitable, he said. Offering premium services in three classes, the airline operates in one of the world’s most expensive aviation markets, where intense competition means fares can be as low as 2 cents despite jet fuel being the costliest in Asia. Still, the allure of the nation of 1.2b people has prompted Singapore Air, Etihad and AirAsia to seek local partners and compete against the likes of budget airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet. Additionally, Vistara will be renting 37 new A320neo family aircraft from leasing companies. <br/>
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Ryanair is braced for its biggest ever strike Thursday after talks with pilots in its Irish home market broke down. Negotiations were adjourned Wednesday with “very little progress to report,” Forsa union spokesman Niall Shanahan said, adding that the walkout is set to go ahead. Ryanair cockpit crews plan to strike for 24 hours from 1 a.m. Dublin time, with as many as 30 flights due to be cancelled by the discount airline. It’s only the second action taken by employees of the airline, which is locked in a series of wrangles after agreeing in December to recognise trade unions. “At the outset today management made it clear to our delegation that they expected the strike to go ahead tomorrow,” Shanahan said. “That position didn’t change.” Talks got no further than a discussion of seniority issues and the possibility of establishing a working group, he said. As many as 120 Ryanair pilots were balloted on industrial action, the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association said Wednesday, though it’s not clear how many are rostered for duty during the strike and what proportion of those will walk out. Ryanair said Tuesday it would scrap as many as 30 of its 290 flights at Irish airports during the action, all of them on routes to the UK.<br/>
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has again called attention to the problem of passengers carrying luggage during emergency aircraft evacuations. Passengers on a WestJet Boeing 737-800 slowed an evacuation earlier this year by bringing bags, says the TSB. "Numerous passengers brought carry-on baggage with them, which slowed down the evacuation process," says the TSB's report into the 5 January fire and emergency evacuation of WestJet flight 2425 at Toronto Pearson International airport. "Investigations into several other occurrences that involved emergency evacuations found that, as in this occurrence, passengers often attempt to retrieve their carry-on baggage during an emergency evacuation," says the report, released 11 July. <br/>
Airbus faces a logjam of undelivered A330 jets worth well over $1b for airlines affiliated to China’s debt-laden HNA Group following a stand-off over late payments, according to industry sources and a Reuters examination of parked aircraft. Companies belonging to the troubled Chinese aviation-to-finance conglomerate have delayed payments for several months, leading Airbus to withdraw deliveries rather than step in to finance the aircraft itself, the sources said. “After six months of talks, Airbus took the decision to withdraw the planes as it does not want to play the financier,” said a person familiar with discussions Wednesday. However, another person involved in the matter cautioned: “It is in the process of being resolved”. The cluster of undelivered A330 aircraft came to light on the sidelines of a ceremony to present Airbus’s smallest new jet. Five A330s were dotted around the delivery center and another parked further away - some with reflective sunshade protectors taped to the cockpit windows and all painted in the flame-red liveries of HNA Group airlines. These include Hainan Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines.<br/>
Canadian niche carrier Porter Airlines has rolled out its own version of basic economy, unveiling a new, discounted fare class that requires passengers pay more for services previously included in the price of the ticket. The Toronto-based airline, which has long sought to differentiate itself through customer service and free amenities, is now offering a "basic fare" on several routes, following a path well-worn by airlines worldwide. The fares are now available on routes from Porter's Billy Bishop Toronto City airport hub to Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Timmins and Windsor, Porter said. "The intention is to make [basic fares] available on additional routes over a period of time," they carrier said. Basic fares cost less than Porter's other fares, but are ineligible for reservation changes, cancellations, refunds or credits. Buyers of basic fares cannot carry luggage onto the aircraft, though small personal items are permitted. Also, seat assignments and checked baggage will cost extra. Basic fares must be booked 21 days prior to departure.<br/>
French leisure airline Aigle Azur has operated its first long-haul flight, linking Paris Orly with São Paulo in Brazil. Throughout its 71-year history, Aigle Azur has focused on short- and medium-haul routes. However, in December 2017 the French carrier ordered two Airbus A330-200s to branch out into long-haul. On July 5, Aigle Azur performed its inaugural commercial transatlantic flight with the first of its A330s, which was delivered two months ago. This kicks off the new 3X-weekly Paris Orly-São Paulo route, which will step up to 5X-weekly by September. Flight ZI035 took off on schedule at 1015 local time, with a full load of 282 passengers (19 business and 263 economy). The aircraft was met by a traditional water cannon salute on arrival in Brazil. “This launch is only the beginning,” Aigle Azur CEO Frantz Yvelin said. São Paulo is the home base of Azul, whose founder David Neeleman has held a 32% stake in Aigle Azur since November. <br/>
AirAsia X announced July 10 it will move its twice-daily operations to Melbourne, Australia, from Tullamarine International Airport to Avalon Airport. The move, to begin December 5, will make AirAsia X the second airline after Jetstar and the first international operator to fly scheduled flights out of the single-runway Avalon airport. Operating the Airbus A330-300, the two daily flights will be adjusted from the current Kuala Lumpur-Tullamarine schedule, arriving Avalon in the morning and evening. AirAsia said that the move would mean lower operating costs. Avalon is undergoing an A$20m extension to handle international flights, which will include adding retail and immigration facilities. The upgrade will make Avalon the second international airport in the Victoria state.<br/>