6 AIRLINER WORLD JUNE 2018News Review • Europe
Jota Adds Freighters
JOTA AVIATION has taken delivery
of its maiden British Aerospace (BAe)
146-300QT freighter.
The aircraft, G-JOTE (c/n E3182), is
one of four examples being acquired
from ASL Airlines Spain under a multi-
million-pound deal which, the
London/Southend-based carrier
said will “substantially increase its
market share and position the
company as a market leader in the
cargo charter sector.”
Jota’s head of commercial, Mike
Sessions, commented: “These aircraft
bridge the gap perfectly between ATR
72 and older BAe ATPs in the cargo
role, and 737s. Offering these unique
freighter aircraft to the market, weare able to deliver a load that is more
voluminous and heavier, faster and
more efficient than that offered by
smaller aviation cargo companies.
Introducing dedicated freighter
aircraft will save customers valuable
time, give us a wider scope of
opportunities and provide more
diversity in our business, keeping us
busy throughout the seasons.”
The first aircraft is expected to enter
service on June 1 and will be joined
by the remaining three examples later
this year. Jota said they will be
available for long- or short-term
contracts, ACMI for other cargo
operators or ad hoc charters,
operating under Jota’s AOC.Shamrocks
in Philly
IRISH FLAG carrier Aer Lingus has
launched direct flights between
Dublin and Philadelphia. The new
link, which operates four-times week-
ly, will increase to daily from May 18
and, along with Dublin-Seattle, is one
of two new transatlantic routes being
introduced by the IAG-owned airline
this summer – its 15th in total.
“We are delighted to commence our
new service to Philadelphia which
marks the beginning of our summer
2018 programme,” the carrier’s COO
Mike Rutter remarked. “We remain
focused on growing our transatlantic
network and further strengthening
our Dublin base as a leading gateway
to North America. Aer Lingus’ transat-
lantic offering not only leads the way
in our home market but our connect-
ing options via Dublin also continue to
gain pace in the UK and Europe as the
smartest route to North America.”LOT Polish Airlines has further expand-
ed its widebody fleet after taking
delivery of its maiden Boeing 787-9.
The incoming jet, SP-LSA (c/n 38083),
arrived at the flag carrier’s Warsaw
base in late March and is the first of
three stretched Dreamliners expected
to enter service with the Star Alliance
airline this year (it’s 12th and final 787
is due for delivery early next year).
“LOT is the first airline in Europe
whose long-haul fleet consists only of
Dreamliners,” the carrier’s CEO Rafał
Milczarski explained. “They are still
considered to be the most state-of-
the-art aircraft in the world offering
unparalleled travel experience in its
class. Dreamliner is the driver of even
faster growth of LOT, in that way
making us even more competitive,
modern and environmentally friendly.
I’m convinced that the 787-9s will
open a new chapter in our history,
significantly increasing the number of
seats on the existing, most popular
routes. The aircraft will be perfect for
our flagship routes to Chicago, New
York City or selected Asian destina-tions and will enable us to launch com-
pletely new routes as well.”
The incoming 787-9 is equipped with
294 seats in a three-class layout – 42
more than the airline’s existing 787-8s.
This consists of 24 full-flat bed seats
in business, 21 seats in premium
economy and 249 in economy class.
The newest Dreamliner is part of a
wider-reaching fleet renewal exercise
under which LOT will take delivery of
11 aircraft this year alone, including
two 787-9s, three 737 MAX 8s and six
Embraer 195s. (Photo LOT)A LOT Bigger
Brussels-based start-up Air Belgium has successfully undertaken its
first revenue flights. The carrier, which intends to offer premium long-
haul connections from its Charleroi base, operated several rotations
from Amsterdam and Brussels to Paramaribo in late March and early
April on behalf of Surinam Airways. It is expected to launch its own
scheduled services, to Hong Kong, imminently. BASTIAAN HARTBelgian
Launch
Austrian Airlines has released the first renditions of its revised branding, the key features of
which are an enlarged logo and updated titles. The first aircraft to wear the new livery is former
Aeromexico Boeing 777-2Q8ER, OE-LPF (c/n 28692), which is currently undergoing maintenance in
Hong Kong and is due for delivery to Vienna in May. AUSTRIANAustrian Revamp