Welcome

H ello and welcome to the July issue

Global Airlines takes off

THE UK’S newest carrier, Global Airlines, completed its

KLM bound for Barbados

DUTCH FLAG carrier KLM is adding some Caribbean

Wizz Air receives maiden XLR

(Photo Key-Robert Veitch) WIZZ AIR finally got its

Ryanair’s record-breaking year

(Photo Vincenzo Pace) LOW-COST GIANT Ryanair has become

in brief

Croatia Airlines welcomed its third Airbus A220-300 into

Easy expansion

(Photo easyJet) EASYJET WILL re-open its base at

IAG goes widebody shopping

INTERNATIONAL CONSOLIDATED Airlines Group (IAG) disclosed a major

ITA reports profit

ITALIAN FLAG carrier ITA Airways clinched a full-year

Oil spill 727s to be replaced

(Photo Key-Jamie Ewan) UK-BASED 2Excel Group will retire

PLAY continues strategy shift

ICELANDIC LOW-COST carrier PLAY saw a year-on-year decline

MC-21 moves forward

(Photo United Aircraft Corporation) THE FIRST prototype Yakovlev

New CEO for S7 Airlines

(Photo Airbus) S7 AIRLINES has announced Igor Melkhov

Air Astana cuts India from network

(Photo Key-Craig West) AIR ASTANA has cut flights

Landmark touchdown for Uganda Airlines

UGANDA AIRLINES inaugurated its new year-round service from

Qatar builds its future

(Photo Vincenzo Pace) QATAR AIRWAYS has announced an

Etihad’s expansion

HOT ON the heels of Qatar Airways’ mammoth

Flynas firms IPO

(Photo Airbus/Alexandre Doumenjou/Master Films) LOW-COST CARRIER flynas has

South African spreads its wings

(Photo Airbus) SOUTH AFRICAN Airways (SAA) has announced

in brief

Emirates looks set to launch its fifth route

Air Canada ups its offering

(Photo Vincenzo Pace) AIR CANADA has announced a

GOL’s restructuring approved

THE US Bankruptcy Court has approved the reorganisation

United’s MAX 10 woes continue

(Photo United Airlines) UNITED AIRLINES CCO Andrew Nocella

CommuteAir extends United Express tie-up

WESTLAKE, OHIO-BASED CommuteAir has extended its contract with

WestJet snuggles up to SkyTeam

(Photo Vincenzo Pace) DELTA AIR Lines and Korean

BermudAir adds E190

FLAG CARRIER BermudAir took delivery of its first

Spirit’s EAS tie-up

(Photo Vincenzo Pace) SPIRIT AIRLINES is set to

in brief

United Airlines touched down in Faro for the

China Airlines to add 777Xs

(Photo Boeing) TAIWAN-BASED CHINA Airlines has become the

SIA 737NGs to be retired

(Photo Singapore Airlines Group) SINGAPORE AIRLINES (SIA) plans

ANZ debuts Dreamliner cabin

(Photo Air New Zealand) AIR NEW Zealand’s first

Skymark selects more MAXs

JAPANESE CARRIER Skymark Airlines has ordered six Boeing

Boeings on the move

VIETNAMESE LOW-COST carrier VietJet Air has agreed to

Virgin Atlantic plans Seoul flights

UK-BASED VIRGIN Atlantic is continuing its eastward expansion

Progress for Thai

THAI AIRWAYS International has taken a significant step

Qatar calling for Philippine Airlines

(Photo Airbus) FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines and Qatar

in brief

Taiwan’s EVA Air is set to roll out

Boeing strengthens safety culture

(Photo Boeing) BOEING’S EFFORTS to improve its safety

C919 EASA approval delayed

CHINESE MANUFACTURER COMAC’s C919 airliner will likely not

Potential boom for Boom

(Photo Boom Supersonic) BOOM SUPERSONIC has welcomed bicameral

Archer aims high at LA28

(Photo Archer Aviation) ARCHER AVIATION has been appointed

Airbus Deliveries

Cyprus Airways accepted delivery of Airbus A220-300, 5B-DEF

Dreamliner surpasses one billion passengers

BOEING’S 787 Dreamliner has carried more than one

Airbus locks in Spirit deal

EUROPEAN AIRFRAMER Airbus has reached an agreement with

Boeing Deliveries

Air Canada accepted delivery of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner,

Manchester’s terminal transformations

(Photo Manchester Airport Group) MANCHESTER AIRPORT has announced

Newark’s nightmare

NEW YORK/Newark Liberty International Airport has been in

Orly’s outage

(Photo Groupe ADP) OPERATIONS AT Paris/Orly airport were

Change comes to Changi

GROUND HAS been broken for the new Terminal

Sky View

Insights and opinions on the industry’s hottest topics

Airliner DeliveriesAirliner Deliveries

The latest commercial aircraft deliveries from manufacturers and lessors

Letters to the editor

Information for the traveller Dear Editor, Your feature

Magnetic MRO’s C-check milestone

The latest news from maintenance, repair and overhaul providers

UK Visitors

We present a selection of images of visiting aircraft from airports around the UK. For the most part, they’re commercial jets, but almost all of them are unusual types, wearing new or unique liveries, or first visits by an airline or airliner to a particular airport. If you see something out of the ordinary while on your travels, please send in your pictures. Photos can be emailed to airlinerworld@keypublishing.com Please ensure you provide full details with the images, particularly the date, location, airline name and aircraft identity

Flydubai launches pilot programme

The latest training aids available for the aviation professional

British Airways 777

caught fire at Gatwick after RTO

Capital gains

British Airways CityFlyer has become a leader in regional operations, aided by a main base which continuously punches above its weight. Bernie Baldwin reflects on how it reached such a strong position.

PREVIEWING PARIS

As the global aerospace industry descends on the French capital for the 55th Paris Air Show, Robert Veitch looks at what might be on the cards at the biennial event

Speedbird Jumbos

It’s been five years since British Airways retired its Boeing 747 fleet. Lee Cross uncovers the fates of some of the airframes and chats with former pilots who share their memories of this aviation icon

Edelweiss’ new bloom

Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss Air made history on April 1 when it became the first airline in the country to operate the Airbus A350, pipping to the post Switzerland’s own flag carrier in the process. Thomas Haynes was onboard for the historic occasion

The Caucasus connection

Edward Paine reports on Azerbaijan Airlines’ ambitious plans to simplify its fleet and expand its route network as it seeks to reposition itself as a hub-and-spoke operator

OF DEVILS AND DETAILS

A quarter of a century since the loss of Concorde, few appreciate the range of factors that conspired to cause the crash. Robin Evans examines the chain of events of that fateful day on July 25, 2000

Airbus'widebody waiting game

The Airbus A350-1000 is a perfect replacement for the Boeing 777-300ER but while the widebody jet has got its size right, its timing might be slightly off. Martin Needham considers the XWB’s fortunes thus far

ROUTES ROUND-UP: ASIA ON THE ASCENT

Airline strategists from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered at Routes Asia 2025 in March to outline the opportunities and challenges ahead, and the insights offered presented a compelling overview of where things stand in one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets. Edward Paine reports

A First-Class Renovation

Lee Cross met members of the Duxford Aviation Society to learn more about their ingenious plans for the cabin restoration of their iconic BOAC de Havilland DH106 Comet 4