Tag: Toulouse (Page 6 of 9)

Airbus Marks 1,000th A320neo Family Aircraft Delivery

October 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus has delivered the 1,000^th A320neo Family aircraft. The aircraft, an A321neo produced in Hamburg, Germany, was delivered to Indian airline IndiGo.

IndiGo is the world’s biggest customer for the A320neo Family with orders totaling 430 aircraft. Since its first NEO was delivered in March 2016, its fleet of A320neo Family has grown into the world’s largest with 96 aircraft operating alongside 129 A320s. In an extremely competitive aviation market, the fuel efficient A320 Family has been instrumental in IndiGo’s rise to become India’s largest airline by fleet size and passenger numbers.

The A320neo Family is assembled at Airbus’ four global sites: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, USA. The world’s first A320neo was delivered in January 2016 and the programme has achieved milestones every year since: the first A321neo in 2017; the first A321LR in 2018 and the launch of the A321XLR in 2019.

The A320neo programme was designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Building on the A320ceo’s popularity, the aircraft delivers 20% reduced fuel burn as well as 50% less noise compared to previous generation aircraft. Seating up to 240 passengers, depending on cabin configuration, the A320neo Family features the widest single aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,660 firm orders from close to 110 customers worldwide.

Ryanair Opens New Toulouse Base and S20 Schedule

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

23 ROUTEs (13 NEW), 1.4m customers & 33% GROWTH

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (27 Sept) celebrated the opening of its new Toulouse base (its 3^rd in France) and the launch of its new summer 2020 schedule, with 2 based aircraft and 23 routes (13 new), connecting Toulouse to Athens, Brest, Budapest, Dublin, Lille, Luxembourg, Marseille, Oujda, Palermo, Palma, Porto, Tangier and Valencia, which will deliver 1.4m customers p.a. at Toulouse.

Ryanair’s new Toulouse base will deliver:

2 based aircraft
23 routes in total
13 new routes to/from Athens (2), Brest (3), Budapest (2), Dublin (daily), Lille (daily), Luxembourg

(3), Marseille (5), Oujda (2), Palermo (2), Palma (2), Porto (3), Tangier (2) &

Valencia (2)

More frequencies on 2 other routes to/from Fez (3) & Seville (4)
4 million customers p.a. (+33%)
1,000* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Toulouse consumers and visitors can now book their holidays for summer 2020 enjoying the lowest fares and Ryanair’s industry leading on-time performance and customer care improvements.

To celebrate the launch of its new base, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares on its new Toulouse routes available from just €9.99, for travel until November, which must be booked by midnight Sunday (29 Sept) on the Ryanair.com website.

In Toulouse, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“We are pleased to open our third French base in Toulouse, with 2 based aircraft and 23 routes, delivering 1.4m customers p.a., supporting over 1,000* airport jobs.

We are also pleased to announce our biggest ever Toulouse S2020 schedule, with 23 routes, including 13 new routes to and from exciting cities such as Athens, Dublin, and Tangier. To celebrate we are releasing seats for sale on these new routes from €9.99 for travel until November, available for booking until midnight on Sunday (29 Sept) Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com to avoid missing out.”

Philippe Crébassa, Chairman of the Board of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, said:

“After arriving in 2016, Ryanair strengthens its local presence with the opening of an operational base at our airport. Ryanair’s presence will generate local jobs and offer 13 additional destinations to France and Europe this autumn to our passengers. Our region is thereby even more connected internationally and will welcome new customers in the coming weeks from Luxembourg, Budapest or Tangiers.”

Air France Takes Delivery of its First A350 XWB

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Air France has taken delivery of its first A350-900, the world’s most efficient all new design wide-body aircraft. The first jet out of a total order of 28 was handed over to Anne Rigail, Air France Chief Executive Officer and Benjamin Smith, Air France-KLM Group Chief Executive Officer, by Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer during a ceremony held in Toulouse, France.

Air France will deploy the A350-900 fleet on its transatlantic and Asia routes. The Xtra WideBody aircraft features a comfortable three-class layout with 324 seats including 34 full-flat business, 24 premium economy and 266 economy class seats. Fully in line with Air France’s commitment to the environment, the all-new A350-900 will provide a 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions. Additionally, the aircraft’s delivery flight from Toulouse to Paris will be powered with a blend of conventional and synthetic biofuel.

Air France operates an Airbus fleet of 143 aircraft. It includes 114 single-aisle and 29 wide-body planes. The airline recently opted to purchase Airbus’ newest aircraft family member, the A220, which will join the fleet over the next years.

The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments – up to ultra-long haul (17,900km). Its Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight flying experience. The aircraft features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies result in 25% lower operating costs, as well as 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions compared with previous-generation competing aircraft – demonstrating Airbus’ commitment to minimise its environmental impact while remaining at the cutting edge of air travel.

At the end of August 2019, the A350 XWB Family had received 913 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever.

Ryanair Launches Irish Summer 2020 Schedule

September 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

4 New Dublin Routes To Marseille, Palanga, Podgorica & Verona

Ryanair, Ireland’s No.1 airline, today (25 Sept) launched its Irish Summer 2020 schedule, with 160 routes in total, including 4 new Dublin routes Marseille, Palanga, Podgorica and Verona, and 3 new summer services from Cork to Katowice and from Dublin to Billund and Toulouse, which will deliver 17.2m customers p.a. and support 12,900* jobs at Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Knock and Kerry airports.

Ryanair’s Irish Summer 2020 schedule will deliver:

At Dublin:

4 new routes: Marseille (5 per week), Palanga (3), Podgorica (2) & Verona (3)
2 new summer services: Billund (2), Toulouse (daily)
More flights on 4 other routes: Bristol (3 daily), Bydgoszcz (3), Riga (daily) & Vilnius (4)
105 routes in total
14.3m customers p.a.
10,725* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Shannon:

15 routes in total
775,000 customers p.a.
580* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Cork:

1 new summer service to Katowice (2)
More flights on 2 other routes: Malaga (6) & Palma (4)
23 routes in total
1.2m customers p.a.
900* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Knock:

11 routes in total
600,000 customers p.a
450* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Kerry:

6 routes in total
310,000 customers p.a.
210* “on-site” jobs p.a.

Irish consumers and visitors can now book their holidays on 160 routes as far out as October 2020, flying on the lowest fares and with the greenest/cleanest major airline in Europe, with the lowest CO₂ emissions.

To celebrate, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares on its Irish routes available from just €14.99, for travel until the end of November 2019, which must be booked by midnight Friday (27 Sept), only on the Ryanair.com website.

In Dublin, Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said:

“Ryanair is delighted to bring the lowest emissions and fares to Ireland with our Summer schedule 2020, with 4 new Dublin routes to Marseille, Palanga, Podgorica and Verona, and 160 routes in total, which will deliver 17.2 million customers p.a. and support over 12,900* jobs at Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Knock and Kerry airports.

Irish customers and visitors can now book low fare seats on 160 routes as far out as October 2020. To celebrate, we are releasing seats for sale from just €14.99 for for travel until the end of November 2019, which are available for booking until midnight Friday (27 Sept). Since these amazing low prices will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

“Against the current economic backdrop, we welcome the fact that Ryanair capacity for 2020 will be up by +1%. Most of the routes which are important for Irish tourism will be retained and we look forward to co-operating with Ryanair to maximise the promotion of its new flights from Marseilles and Verona to Dublin Airport. As an island, the importance of convenient, direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated – they are absolutely critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism.”

Airbus Announces New and Expanded Capability for OceanFinder

September 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, 18 September 2019 – Airbus Defence and Space has released the latest version of OceanFinder, its digital maritime service to detect, identify and track collaborative and non-collaborative vessels around the globe.

First launched in 2018, OceanFinder leverages Airbus’ advanced constellation of optical and radar satellites, combined with real-time global Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, and the latest in automated analytics, to support a broad range of critical applications across defence and security, shipping, oil and gas, and insurance markets.

OceanFinder’s latest updates introduce a number of innovative features – extending the service’s capabilities in several key areas. From today, users will benefit from enhanced imagery and AIS data correlation to identify the precise location of a non-responding vessel in near real-time. This development has been combined with the latest in fully-automated detection and classification, which utilises powerful proprietary algorithms to determine a vessel’s identity in just a few seconds. Subsequently, Airbus’ human analysts are able to focus on providing additional, value-added intelligence, such as interpretation of specific behaviour or threats, without delaying a report’s delivery. New tools have also been incorporated to provide the most relevant acquisition plan to predict routes and projected locations of vessels, based on last position, date, trajectory and speed.

Several of the unique features have been made possible through a multi-year partnership with exactEarth, a leading provider of satellite-AIS data services. The agreement, which provides OceanFinder with access to exactView RT – exactEarth’s second-generation real-time satellite-AIS data platform – includes all live and archived data.

“By combining Airbus’ satellite imagery with the most advanced AIS data services and analytics, we are positioning OceanFinder as a key reference for maritime detection and identification” said François Lombard, Director of the Intelligence Business for Airbus Defence and Space. “Automation and near real-time are the two pillars through which we will provide our customers with the insights they need to make decisions faster, whether for real-time situational awareness, Search and Rescue operations or location and tracking of illegal maritime activities.”

OceanFinder is accessible through the OneAtlas web portal (oneatlas.airbus.com), enabling customers to ‘self-order’ the required products through a simple user interface that is available 24/7.

First Fiji Airways A350 XWB Rolls Out of Paint Shop

September 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Fiji Airways’ first A350 XWB has rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse featuring the airline’s signature livery. The aircraft, an A350-900 leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, will be the first of its type to be operated by an airline in the South-Pacific region.

The aircraft will now proceed to the final phase of the assembly process, with the installation of engines followed by ground and flight tests, before delivery to Fiji Airways in Q4.

The aircraft will be configured with 33 full lie-flat Business Class and 301 Economy Class seats. The aircraft will be deployed to enhance existing long-haul services from Fiji to Australia and the U.S., and to provide the opportunity to open additional routes.

The A350 XWB is the world’s most modern wide-body family and the long-range leader. It is the only all-new design aircraft in the 300-410 seat category, offering the lowest cost per seat of any large wide-body. The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (9,700 nm).

The A350 XWB is an all-new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB has the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. At end of August 2019, Airbus has recorded a total of 913 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 51 customers worldwide.

Two ATR’s Heading for Aeroscopia

September 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Two ATRs to be part of the permanent exhibition as early as 2020

A spectacular operation took place from the 26 – 30 August, centred around Aeroscopia: five aircraft were delivered in convoy to the aeronautical museum, where they will be on public display as of next year. Those five aircraft included the third ATR to come off our assembly lines, an ATR 42, and our penultimate prototype, an ATR 72, offered to the museum run by Toulouse Métropole.

Dozens of people, officers from the gendarmerie and police officers, employees of Blagnac city council and Manatour – the firm that operates Aeroscopia – plus staff from Airbus and ATR, worked as a team for five days to carry out this mission successfully: a unique task on an unprecedented scale. All roads around the museum had to be closed for an entire working week, but even more overwhelmingly, one of the five aircraft was an A380, requiring a military-style preparation of the route and the utmost precision on the big day.

The operation was a resounding success. Put the date in your diaries: in 2020, the entire ATR family will be among the treasure trove of aeronautical masterpieces on display at Aeroscopia!

Tunisair Express Acquires Three ATR 72-600’s

September 6, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, 5 September 2019 – Tunisair Express and ATR, the world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer, today confirm a firm order for three ATR 72-600s. The aircraft will renew Tunisair Express’s regional fleet and supply essential connectivity, both domestically and internationally.

The market-leading modern ATR turboprops support airline operations by burning 40% less fuel and emitting 40% less CO2, compared to a regional jet. The ATR -600 cabin will also introduce the best onboard experience to Tunisair Express passengers, including the ATR’s Cabinstream™ In-Flight Entertainment system, enabling passengers to enjoy their flight by accessing a range of multimedia content on their personal electronic devices.

Tunisair Express Director General, Yosr Chouari, said: “We have had a long and strong partnership with ATR since the early 1990s, and we are pleased to introduce the modern ATR 72-600 into our fleet thanks to the support of the Tunisian Government and parent company Tunisair. When deciding on a fleet renewal strategy, it was clear that the combination of its unbeatable economics and most eco-responsible performance made the ATR the best choice for our regional network. Furthermore, we are sure that our passengers will greatly appreciate the modern, spacious cabin with its widest-in-class seats and the new cutting edge Cabinstream™ technology giving our passengers an exceptional on board experience.”

ATR Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Bortoli, commented: “The decision of Tunisair Express for three new ATR 72-600s is a further endorsement of our product and validates our policy of continuous development. With a dispatch reliability of 99.7%, its effectiveness in hot conditions, and its performance perfectly suited to the operations envisaged by Tunisair, the ATR is the ideal aircraft to continue supplying essential connectivity throughout Tunisia and beyond its borders.”

ATR’s Market Forecast sees a demand for 350 new turboprops over the next 20 years for the Africa and Middle-East region. Regional aviation provides essential connectivity around the world. A 10% increase in regional flights generates additional increases of 5% in tourism, 6% in regional GDP and 8% foreign direct investment. Turboprops are key in connecting communities around the world: 36% of all commercial airports rely exclusively on turboprops and 50% rely, also exclusively, on regional aircraft.

About Tunisair Express:
Tunisair Express is a Tunisian public airline that is a subsidiary of the Tunisair group. It serves the Tunisian domestic network as well as nearby international destinations. The company also offers a charter service, notably to European tour operators. Tunisair Express as created in August 1991, under the name Tuninter and operated its first flight in March 1992. The company transports over 300,000 passengers every year across its network. The renewal of its fleet will allow Tunisair Express, to both reinforce its domestic and neighbouring services from Tunis, as well as open new routes.

British Airways Takes Delivery of its First A350-1000

July 29, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

British Airways (BA) has taken delivery of its first A350-1000 at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France, making it the first operator of the larger A350-1000 in International Airlines Group (IAG). In total, BA has ordered 18 A350-1000’s. Iberia, which is also part of IAG, already operates five of the smaller A350-900’s.

BA’s A350 XWB with its modern and comfortable Airspace cabin will usher in new levels of comfort with the launch of the Club Suite, the first new business class seat for British Airways in 13 years. The airline’s sophisticated and newly-branded “Club Suite” offers direct-aisle access, a suite door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The three-class layout includes 56 Club Suites, 56 World Traveller Plus and 219 World Traveller economy seats.

BA, celebrating its 100^th anniversary, will initially use the aircraft to fly between London and Madrid prior to flying long-haul routes from September.

BA operates a fleet of over 150 Airbus aircraft from the smallest A318 to the largest A380.

The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (15,000 km). It features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions. The A350 XWB’s Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.

At the end of June 2019, the A350 XWB Family had received 893 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever.

Delta’s 50th U.S.-Made A321 Powered with Sustainable Jet Fuel

July 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus has delivered Delta Air Lines’ 50th A320 Family jetliner produced in the U.S. manufacturing facility at Mobile, Alabama; this aircraft – an A321 – is shown during a pre-delivery test flight

Airbus has expanded its aircraft deliveries using sustainable jet fuel blends, with one of the latest involving the milestone 50th A320 Family jetliner provided to Delta Air Lines from Airbus’ production facility in Mobile, Alabama.

The landmark aircraft was an A321 – Airbus’ longest-fuselage version in its A320 product line – and the first of 20 for the U.S.-based airline whose delivery flights over the next year will operate with blends of sustainable jet fuel.

Sustainable-fuelled jetliner deliveries originated with Airbus

This continues the strong Airbus commitment to minimising air transportation’s environmental impact – which includes becoming the first aircraft manufacturer offering customers the option of receiving new jetliners with sustainable fuel in their tanks. Such delivery flights have been available since 2016, starting from the Airbus headquarters production facility in Toulouse, France.

Airbus offers this option as part of its strategy to promote a more regular use of sustainable fuels within the aviation industry. In the longer term, the company also envisions supporting industrial production of sustainable fuels for aviation in the southeastern U.S. – the broad geographical region in which the Mobile, Alabama production facility for A320 Family jetliners is located.

Delta Air Lines is the second U.S customer to have its aircraft delivered by Airbus from the Mobile final assembly line using sustainable fuel blends. The initial was JetBlue Airways, which received an A321 loaded with 15% sustainable jet fuel in September 2018.

The fuel for Delta Air Lines’ 50th A320 Family aircraft delivered from Mobile was supplied by Air BP and loaded into the jetliner by Signature Flight Support (Airbus’ fuelling services provider in Mobile). This fuel is certified compliant with the sustainability requirements of the European Union Renewable Energy Directive and the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification.

4 New Dublin Routes To Marseille, Palanga, Podgorica & Verona

In Dublin, Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said:

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

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