A new livery has been unveiled by Utair as
part of a wider rebranding. The Russian
carrier described the colour scheme as
deliberately “clear and concise” to illustrate
“simplicity”.
The updated look – consisting of a revised,
minimalist logo and simpli ed titles – was
made public just days after the airline revealed
details of an expansion plan, due to launch
in 2019, with the aim of increasing domestic
market share to 10% from the current 6.8%.
The cornerstone of the strategy is to replace
Utair’s ageing Boeing 737-500s with as-yet-
unidenti ed new-generation airliners.Platov Airport Opens
Commercial operations at Platov Airport in
southwest Russia began on December 1.
Development of the new $786m international
gateway – certi ed for operations by the
Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia,
in early November following several weeks
of trials – was funded by the Russian
government and is part of a wider-reachingprogramme to develop the country’s transport
infrastructure.
The facility, which can accommodate up
to 3 million passengers a year, is intended
to replace nearby Rostov-on-Don’s existing
airport, currently slated to close in March.
The new facility features a single 11,800ft
(3,600m) runway, a 538,000sq ft (50,000m )terminal with nine contact gates and parking
for up to 45 aircraft.
Existing services to the southwestern city
will be transferred to Platov during the rst
quarter of the year, giving the new airport
connections to 24 destinations via 18 different
airlines (13 from Russia, including based
Azimuth Airlines, and ve international carriers).Utair’s new look heralds expansion for the
Surgut-based airline with its hub at Moscow/
Vnukovo being developed to improve regional
connections, via increased frequencies and
additional services. AirTeamImages.com/
Alexander MishinUtair’s New Look
CIVIL NEWS
12 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018The rst of 18 Airbus A321neos on order
by Hawaiian Airlines arrived in Honolulu
on November 17, and will be used
on ights to the US West Coast. The
inaugural ight is scheduled for January 8
on the Kahului-Oakland route, followed on
January 18 by the Kahului-Portland link.
The airline’s seasonal ights from
Lihue to Oakland will resume on April
11 with the A321neo replacing the usual
A330, while the daily service from Kona
to Los Angeles resumes on March 11.Maiden Hawaiian 321neo Arrives
The countdown is on for the inaugural ight by Hawaiian Airlines of its rst A321neo.
Hawaiian Airlines‘Nyet’ to Bizjet Plea
Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev has said ‘no’ to developing
business jet variants of its supersonic strategic bombers, despite
repeated pleas from wealthy individuals.
A company spokesman said such an endeavour would be “a
very costly affair”, adding that some of the technology employed
on the aircraft, such as the variable-sweep wing, would “not be
necessary” on a business jet, while many of the systems on the
Tu-160 in particular remain classi ed.Another First for Ethiopian Airlines
The rst example of the Boeing 787-
Dreamliner to enter service with an African
carrier was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines
on October 27. It extends Ethiopian’stradition of setting aviation milestones for
the continent: it became the rst airline to
introduce the 777-200LR (Nov 2010); 787-
(Aug 2012); 777 Freighter (Sep 2012) and777-300ER (Nov 2013).
The latest airliner, ET-AUO (c/n 38778),
is being operated under a long-term lease
from AerCap.A380 Goes into Storage
The rst Airbus A380, 9V-SKA, to go into service has been
retired and is in storage at Tarbes Lourdes Pyrénées Airport,
France. It entered service between Singapore and Sydney on
August 25, 2007.
The carrier, Singapore Airlines, stopped using the
superjumbo in June and returned it to the leasing company,
the Dr Peters Group, which hopes to nd a new operator for
the aircraft.10-12_14_civil_newsDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 12 04/12/2017 12: