The rst Airbus BelugaXL transport aircraft
has been rolled out of the paintshop
in a special ‘Beluga Whale’ livery. The
new colour scheme and ‘smiley’ livery
was chosen by 40% of 20,000 Airbus
employees who voted for it in a poll
offering six choices. The aircraft will nowundertake ground tests before its rst ight,
which is expected to take place shortly.
A certi cation programme will then be
undertaken and the aircraft should enter
service the following year.The decision to build the BelugaXL
was taken in November 2014 to address
the transport capacity needs for Airbus
beyond 2019. The ve new oversize air
transporters are based on the A330-
Freighter, with a large re-use of existing
components and equipment.The BelugaXL transport shortly after leaving
the paintshop in late June. AirbusBelugaXL Rolls Out of the Paintshop
Boeing delivered Jet Airways’ rst 737 MAX
aircraft on June 19. The airline will be rst
Indian carrier to y the new 737 variant,
which delivers a double-digit improvement in
fuel efficiency and better passenger comfort.
“The 737 MAX is a critical element to our
future growth strategy and we are proud to
become the rst airline in India to introduce
this brand-new aeroplane to our customers,”
said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways.
“The 737 has been the backbone of our
eet for many years and we are excited to
leverage the superior capabilities of the new
737 MAX.”
This delivery marks the rst of 150 737
MAXs the Mumbai-based airline has on
order with Boeing, following two separate
orders for 75 jets placed in 2015 and earlier
this year.
Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia-
Paci c and India Sales, Boeing CommercialAircraft, said: “This milestone delivery adds
another chapter in our long and successful
relationship with Jet Airways. Jet Airways
continues to demonstrate their leadership in a
highly competitive market and I am con dent
that these new 737 MAX airplanes will enablethe airline to successfully achieve long-term
growth going forward.”
Jet Airways is India’s second-largest
airline with a eet of nearly 120 aircraft
serving more than 60 destinations across
Asia, Europe and North America.Southend Hub for Ryanair
Ryanair is to open a new base at London
Southend Airport in Essex in 2019. Three
aircraft will operate from the airport
providing 13 routes to eight European
countries, including six new destinations,
under a ve-year agreement, extendable to
ten, with the facility owner, Stobart Group.
Warwick Brady, CEO of Stobart Group,
said: “Passengers are increasingly turning
to London Southend Airport amid the
capacity crisis found elsewhere in thecapital, where holidaymakers and business
travellers face frustration from overcrowded
airports, impacting on customer service. In
contrast, London Southend Airport offers an
excellent, efficient passenger experience,
and we are delighted that this is becoming
increasingly recognised, demonstrated
by the tremendous momentum within our
aviation division.
“We have a clear and focused strategy
to grow our airport in order to welcome vemillion passengers a year by 2022. This
long-term partnership agreement with a
leading airline such as Ryanair will help us
achieve that aim.”
The Dublin-based carrier said it
is making a $300m investment in the
new routes, which will include Alicante,
Barcelona/Reus, Bilbao, Dublin, Malaga,
Milan/Bergamo, Palma and Venice. It will
operate more than 55 weekly ights from
London Southend Airport.CIVIL NEWS
6 Aviation News incorporating Jets August 2018Jet Airways’ 737 MAX VY-JXA leaving the Boeing plant in Seattle. BoeingFirst 737 MAX for Jet Airways
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