Kenya Airways leases one A330 from Hi Fly
December 30, 2023
Kenya Airways has signed a short-term lease agreement for one Airbus A330 with Portuguese wet-lease and charter specialist Hi Fly. The carrier says the ACMI lease will result in the A330 being added to its fleet immediately to improve operational efficiency and boost capacity. It notes that the aircraft's arrival will also help accommodate the expected increase in travellers following the government's announcement that Kenya will become visa-free starting January 2024. "With the current capacity constraints on the back of the growing demand for airline travel, we need to balance our customers immediate needs by bringing more capacity into the market," states Kenya Airways group managing director and chief executive Allan Kilavuka, adding, "With the arrival of the aircraft, we expect to see improved operational stability and efficiency, as well as enhanced capacity for the convenience of our passengers."
Pegasus Airlines receives first A321neo from Airbus
December 29, 2023
Pegasus Airlines has received its first aircraft manufactured at Airbus's newest A320 family final assembly line (FAL) in Toulouse. The new Pegasus Airlines A321neo is the first delivery from Airbus' manufacturing facility, the European airframer says. The production line, located in the former A380 "Jean-Luc Lagardere" facility, demonstrates Airbus' commitment towards modernisation, Airbus says. The A321neo, which makes up around 65% of Airbus' backlog of A320 family orders, is in line with the growing demand for the aircraft worldwide. The aircraft manufacturer claims that the A321neo has "unrivaled autonomy and performance," and that "more than 5,600 A321neo aircraft have been ordered by over 100 customers worldwide". Pegasus Airlines now operates 93 Airbus aircraft, including six A320ceo, 46 A320neo, and 41 A321neo with 68 A321neos on order. Airbus says the aircraft's delivery to Pegasus Airlines marks the start of the ramp-up of the new Toulouse FAL, which, along with the other A320 family FALs in Hamburg in Germany, Mobile in the USA, and Tianjin in China will help Airbus meet its goal of manufacturing 75 A320 family aircraft per month in 2026.
Swiss adds routes to Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm
December 29, 2023
Swiss will fly from Geneva to Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm next summer, as part of an expansion of its seasonal network. The Lufthansa Group carrier says it will also fly from Zurich to Bremen in Germany, which it already serves in winter, plus add Cluj-Napoca in Romania and Kosice in Slovakia. "We are delighted to be expanding our portfolio of European destinations and offering our passengers an even wider choice of travel options," states Swiss' commercial chief Tamur Goudarzi Pour, adding, "This reinforces our commitment to providing first-class service and a wide range of travel