Air Inuit to acquire three Boeing 737NG aircraft
July 04, 2023
Air Inuit has announced it will purchase three Boeing 737NG-800 aircraft to gradually replace the Canadian airline's less fuel-efficient 737-200s during the next 24 months. The Montreal-based carrier that operates passenger, charter and cargo flights says that these three 737NGs will be customised with cargo doors to operate both air freight and commercial flights. Air Inuit's main hub is at Kuujjuaq airport in Quebec and it provides services to the Nunavik region's 14 coastal villages to help support and preserve indigenous Inuit communities. "This fleet modernisation project and the growth of the region will require important governmental investments to upgrade Nunavik's airstrips," the airline says. "Discussions are currently underway with stakeholders to ensure this vision is developed in accordance with the priorities of community members." Along with the five 737-200s scheduled for replacement, the airline has a fleet of 11 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 aircraft, seven Dash 6-300s and three Dash 8-100s in service, fleets data shows, along with three King Air 350 aircraft and one Boeing 737-300.
Cebu Pacific powers latest A320neo delivery from China with SAF
July 03, 2023
Philippines-based carrier Cebu Pacific plans to power its latest A320neo delivery from China with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The airline took delivery of the aircraft on 30 June from the manufacturer's final assembly line in Tianjin and plans to operate the delivery flight to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila with a 41% SAF blend. The 188-seat aircraft marks its eighth aircraft delivery for this year out of a total of 15 for 2023. Cebu Pacific has been using blended SAF on delivery flights of its A320-family jets and A330neos from Airbus's Toulouse and Hamburg facilities. It ordered 10 new Neos in 2023 to support its plan to transition to an all-Neo fleet by 2028. Moreover, the airline is also receiving five additional aircraft via a long-term lease.
SAA to serve Sao Paulo from Cape Town and Johannesburg
July 03, 2023
South African Airways will start flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil, from Cape Town and Johannesburg. The carrier says it will operate twice-weekly flights each from Cape Town and Johannesburg from 31 October and 6 November, respectively. This marks its first intercontinental route since the airline returned to the skies in September 2021 after an intensive business rescue process and the Covid-19 lockdown.