Alaska Air Group said Tuesday it would buy an additional 23 737 MAX 9 jets, in a move that highlights growing confidence in Boeing Co’s aircraft following a 20-month safety ban triggered by two fatal crashes. The amended deal, under which deliveries are expected between 2023 and 2024, is also expected to increase the pace at which the airline’s fleet shifts back to Boeing planes. Alaska, for which 737 MAX order book inclusive of options and lease commitments stands at 120 airplanes, may exercise further options to purchase 15 aircraft with deliveries between 2023 and 2026. In December, Seattle-based Alaska Air had agreed to buy 23 MAX 9 jets, an order worth about $2.96b at list prices before significant discounts.<br/>
unaligned
At least one lessor believes the low-cost, long-haul model could work, even with so many doubters in recent years. AerCap is leasing nine Boeing 787s to Norse Atlantic Airways that will form the backbone of the startup carrier’s fleet when it starts flying later this year. The 787s are all used — six 787-9s and three 787-8s. These will be the first aircraft in the new airline’s fleet. The 787 isn’t an unfamiliar aircraft to the team behind Norse Atlantic Airways. Norwegian Air recently began divesting its fleet of leased 787s when it ended its long-haul operations. Norse Atlantic was founded by former Norwegian Air CEO Bjorn Kjos and former Chairman Bjorn Tise, along with Bjorn Tore Larsen, the head of an aviation staffing firm that once supplied crews to Norwegian. “We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a brand new airline from scratch,” Larsen said. Norse Atlantic Airways expects to take delivery of its first 787 in December, with the rest following by the first quarter of next year. The airline’s business model replicates the one jettisoned by Norwegian Air when that carrier filed for administration. Story has more.<br/>
Low-cost carrier Ryanair is to open a new base in Zagreb this summer as part of expansion plans for Croatia announced today which will also see it reopen its Zadar base. The budget carrier will base two aircraft at Zagreb to operate 36 weekly flights from the Croatian capital, including a dozen new routes. The 12 new routes include a daily flight to London Stansted, four weekly services to Bergamo near Milan, and thrice-weekly routes to Brussels Charleroi, Frankfurt Hahn, Gothenburg Landvetter, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Rome Ciampino. Ryanair CE Eddie Wilson says: ”We are delighted to launch a new Croatian base which represents a $200m investment at Zagreb. This development will create over 60 direct jobs and offer our Croatian customers a host of European hotspots to choose from this summer,” The Irish carrier will also reopen a Zadar base this July. Ryanair will base two aircraft at the Croatian airport covering 37 routes. Seventeen of the routes are new, including links from Liverpool and Newcastle in the UK. Ryanair director of commercial, Jason McGuinness, says: “As vaccination rollout programmes continue in the coming months, air traffic is set to soar this summer and we are delighted to announce the opening of a base in Zadar this July.”<br/>
The Namibian government has confirmed it is negotiating settlement terms of NAD2.3b Namibian dollars (US$154m) owed to Castlelake for two A330-200s that were leased by the now-defunct Air Namibia, reports the Namibian Sun. Public Enterprises Minister Leon Jooste confirmed: “We are in the process of negotiating a settlement,” but declined to provide further details. The Namibian state-carrier was formally liquidated on March 26, 2021, after no opposing papers were filed against a liquidation application brought by the Namibia Airports Company (NAC). The national airline had owed NAD714m to the NAC in outstanding aeronautical and ground handling charges. The airline had been in provisional liquidation since February 26, 2021.<br/>
Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air swung to an operating loss of Ps20.8b ($428m) for 2020 amid the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenues fell 73% year on year to Ps22.6b, says the carrier in a statement. It also swung to a net loss of P22.2b for 2020, and cited the “heavy impact of the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis.” During the year, the airline flew just 5m passengers, a 78% decline from 2019, while total flights were 41,804, a 71% decrease. “When the country was placed in Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in March 19, 2020, [Cebu Pacific’s] commercial operations were grounded. Commercial operations resumed on June 3, albeit gradually with most of the Philippines still in General Community Quarantine (GCQ),” it says. “This resulted in various requirements and processes from local government units, which continue to be a challenge not only for Cebu Pacific and other airlines, but for the public as well.” In response to the crisis, the carrier reduced operating expenses by 40% during the year to Ps43.4b, with fuel costs showing a big decline owing to fewer flights and lower fuel costs. Cost savings initiatives included reducing its network, fleet, and manpower, in addition to booting efficiency.<br/>