Airliner World – May 2018

12 AIRLINER WORLD JUNE 2018

News Review • CIS

More E-Jets

for Belavia

BELARUSIAN NATIONAL carrier

Belavia has agreed to lease three

Embraer 195s and two E175s from

Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). Delivery

of the first three jets – two E195s and a

single E175 – is expected in April 2019

with the two remaining airframes fol-

lowing in December 2019 and April

2020. All five aircraft are drawn from
      the lessor’s existing order book with
      the Brazilian manufacturer.
      “The medium-haul... E175 and E
      are placed between a capacious
      Boeing 737 and a small [Bombardier]
      CRJ in the Belavia fleet,” explained
      Anatoly Gusarov, the general direc-
      tor of Belavia. “The additional aircraft
      are in line with the enlargement of
      Belavia’s... network in order to satisfy
      passenger demand.”

Martyn Holmes, VP Europe, Russia,

Central Asia & Leasing, Embraer

Commercial Aviation, added: “At

Embraer we’re impressed with

Belavia’s continued growth. Together

with key lessor, NAC, our relationship

with Belavia is helping them expand

their network and frequencies with

the E-Jet family.”

Deliveries of the leased jets will dou-

ble the Minsk-based airline’s E-Jet

fleet to 12 examples, including five

currently in service (three E175s and

two E195s), plus one airframe out-

standing from a two-strong order

placed at last year’s Paris Air Show

and another signed for in December.

Handover of the latter two are

expected later this year.

(Photo Embraer)

First MAX for SCAT Airlines

KAZAKH CARRIER SCAT Airlines has

taken delivery of its first Boeing 737

MAX 8. The jet, UP-B3720 (c/n 61737),

was handed over at the manufacturer’s

Seattle Delivery Center, Boeing Field

on March 28 and is one of six examples

ordered at last year’s Dubai Airshow in

a deal valued at $674m, including pur-

chase rights for a further five airframes.

Vladimir Denisov, president of SCAT

Airlines, commented: “Last year we

celebrated our 20th anniversary and

it is very symbolic that we are entering

a year of adulthood with a purchase

of the newest aircraft model. We are

confident that the acquisition of these

737 MAX 8s will not only raise the level

of customer service on our airline, but

they will also give a new momentum to

the development of the aviation indus-

try in Kazakhstan.”

The carrier said the incoming MAXs

are expected to deliver double-digit

improvements in fuel efficiency and

environmental performance compared

with its current fleet of Classic 737s.

(Photo Huy Do)

Qatar Eyes

Vnukovo

Tie-Up

QATAR AIRWAYS is set to acquire up

to a 25% shareholding in Moscow/

Vnukovo after signing a memorandum

of understanding with Russia’s third

busiest airport. The tie-up, announced

on April 4, is the first such deal

between the Doha-based airline and

an overseas airport, but builds on

growing collaboration between the

two nations – the two formed the

Qatari-Russian Business Council earlier

this year and have declared 2018 “a

year of culture” between the countries.

For its part, the carrier has increased

the frequency of its Doha-Moscow/

Domodedovo service to thrice daily and

added direct links to St Petersburg last

December.

Vnukovo International Airport chairman

Vitaly Vantsev remarked: “Today we

have signed the MOU, the provisions

of which, once implemented, could

establish a foundation for productive

partnership between Qatar Airways...

and Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.”

Far Eastern Connections

AURORA AIRLINES has outlined plans to

acquire a further five Viking Twin Otter

400s, increasing its fleet to eight exam-

ples. Aeroflot’s Far East Russia subsid-

iary said the incoming aircraft, which

will be partially funded by the Sakhalin

Region (a 49% shareholder in the air-

line), will be used to launch services to

the Kuril Islands, a disputed archipel-

ago lying between Hokkaido, Japan

and the Kamchatka Peninsula. This

includes direct links between Yuzhno-

Sakhalinsk and Shikotan Island, which

could start later this year, and flights

from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to

Paramushir Island once construction of

a new runway is completed.

Elsewhere, Yakutsk-based Yakutia

Airlines has suspended operations with

its 72-seat Bombardier Dash 8-Q400s.

The carrier’s three-strong fleet, VP-BOS

(c/n 4159), VP-BKD (c/n 4162) and

VP-BNU (c/n 4171), were acquired in

2012 and 2013 from VEB Leasing under

a ten-year agreement but have since

been ferried to Europe for storage.

Spot On

Rossiya has lent its support to the Far Eastern Leopards conservation campaign by repainting

Boeing 777-312 EI-UNP (c/n 28516) in this spectacular livery. The big cat markings are

reminiscent of the Amur tiger scheme worn by sistership Boeing 747-446 EI-XLD (c/n 26360).

ARTYOM ANIKEEV/TRANSPORT-PHOTO IMAGES