Jun 27 2012

Garuda mulling over turboprop purchase in 2013

Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia, according to reports, is considering the purchase of 50 turboprop regional aircraft during 2013. The airline has indicated that it is considering aircraft built by ATR and Bombardier to fulfill its requirements. The ATR option would be the ATR72 aircraft and Bombardier would be offering the DHC-8Q-400.

The airline’s chief executive Emirsyah Satar indicated that a decision would be made by the first half of 2013. It is assumed that the addition of turboprop aircraft to the airline’s fleet is to increase service to Indonesia’s remote areas, many of which have airports that cannot support regional jet aircraft service..

In February 2012, the airline came to an agreement with Bombardier to buy six CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets and has options on another 18 more aircraft. In the past week, the airline also announced that it would lease another 12 CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft from a leasing company outside of their Bombardier order.

Jun 24 2012

Delta Airlines makes regional carrier changes that make the future of Comair a question

Comair LogoThe future of Comair is uncertain as Delta Air Lines negotiates plans to reduce the number of 50-seater regional jets it operates which may result in the airline deciding to close the operations of its regional carrier.

Comair is in the final stages of the airline’s previously announced reduction in its CRJ100 and CRJ200 fleet, which will reduce the type fleet from 68 in September of 2010 to 16 aircraft by August 2012. The airline currently also operates 15 CRJ700 and 13 CRJ900 aircraft under contract to Delta. This was expected to be the Comair CRJ fleet numbers at the end of 2012, however according to various reports and rumours at Comair, this may be in question. Reports indicate that Delta, looking at all of its regional carriers, plans to remove 218 50-seat RJs from its regional fleet, leaving 125 in service. The plans are also to add 70 76-seat jets by 2015. These plans, in total, would mean that the Delta Connection fleet would shrink to 450 aircraft. Delta is also in negotiation with AirTran Airways to purchase 88 Boeing 717-200 during this timeframe as well.

Delta’s plans depend on its pilots union approving the agreement, which is currently under consideration in a vote due to be completed on June 29th, 2012. Delta will remove two 50-seat regional jets for every 76-seat aircraft added to its fleet under the plan, according to reports. However, in doing so, this plan would likely render Comair unviable as a carrier for Delta and would then likely be closed, or, Delta would have to enter negotiations with its other regional carriers to spread out the fleet reductions.

The majority of the 50-seat regional jet fleet operated by other Delta regional carriers is contracted through 2017 or later. Delta leased 12 CRJ700s that are owned by Comair to Trans States Airlines-owned GoJet through 2020 earlier in 2012. Delta did not publicly comment on its plans for Comair, but did note that it would not discuss fleet plans until after its pilots vote on the tentative agreement.

Comair was established in March 1977 and started operations in April 1977. It was founded by Patrick J. Sowers, Robert T. Tranter, David Mueller and his father Raymond Mueller in Cincinnati and began scheduled services with two Piper Navajo aircraft. Under its parent Comair Holdings, it became a public company in July 1981. The airline became a Delta Connection carrier in 1984 and in July 1986, Delta Air Lines acquired 20% of Comair stock and then acquired full ownership on October 22, 1999 at a cost of over 2 billion dollars. The airline began operations with the Canadair Regional Jet in 1993 and has operated all major versions of the CRJ during its history.

Jun 22 2012

Transaero orders six Sukhoi Superjet 100s

TransaeroTransaero Airlines announced that it has signed a firm order with Sukhoi Aircraft for six Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft. The airline also placed an option for an additional ten future aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015.

The aircraft will be delivered in a two-class 90-seat configuration, eight seats in business class and 82 in economy.

The Sukhoi Superjet currently operates with Aeroflot, which has seven aircraft, and Armavia with one. According to reports, Sukhoi has firm orders for 174 SSJ100s.

The program had a setback when a Superjet crashed on a demonstration flight in Indonesia on May 9th, 2012, killing all 45 people on board. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Sukhoi has indicated that the crash has not altered their plans for the program.

Jun 20 2012

Nordic Aviation Capital Orders 12 CRJ1000 for Garuda Indonesia

Nordic Aviation Capital

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Nordic Aviation Capital has placed an order for twelve Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft to be forward leased to Garuda Indonesia.

Garuda plans to operate up to 36 CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft as part of their fleet renewal plans, and has previously been announced as the launch customer for the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft program in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nordic Aviation Capital is one of the world’s largest lessors of regional aircraft in the world with over 160 aircraft in operation with 30 different airlines in 20 countries worldwide. According to Bombardier, the total value of the order is set at 595 million US dollars.

Garuda Indonesia

This order of twelve aircraft, with Garuda’s previous order with Bombardier earlier this year, will mean that Garuda will operate eighteen CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft in total. The airline also holds an option on an additional eighteen CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft directly from Bombardier.

Including this order from Nordic Aviation Capital, Bombardier has recorded firm orders for 1,729 CRJ aircraft, with 1,665 delivered as of March 31, 2012. CRJs are in service with more than 60 airlines and more than 30 customers operate corporate variants of the aircraft. The aircraft are operating in over 50 countries, and on average, a CRJ aircraft takes off every ten seconds somewhere in the world.