ARC NEWS
SAS to phase out its 737s in November
October 03, 2023
Scandinavian carrier SAS will operate its last commercial Boeing 737 flight on 19 November. The airline says the service will be operated from Danish capital Copenhagen to the aircraft's base in Oslo in Norway under flight number SK737. A 737-700 named "Dag Viking" (registered LN-RRB) has been selected to operate the flight, SAS adds. Fleets data shows that six 737-700s and three 737-800s, variously built between 2000 and 2013, remain part of SAS's fleet today. The airline introduced its first 737 in 1989, having previously operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and MD-80s across its short-haul network. Its 737 fleet size peaked in 2015, with 30 737-800s, 29 -700s and 26 -600s. Having operated Airbus A320-family jets in parallel with its 737s for years, SAS has decided to standardise its narrowbody fleet around the European airframe. "The Boeing 737 has served us well," SAS states. "But it's time to say goodbye to this iconic aircraft, to make way for the next generation, more efficient aircraft, which we have been phasing in for the last few years." Sixty-six A320-family jets are listed as part of SAS's fleet, including 36 A320neos and three A321LRs. The carrier has another 18 A320neos on order.


Airbus joins Japan's 'Act For Sky' SAF coalition
October 03, 2023
Airbus has joined Japan's "Act For Sky", a voluntary coalition aimed at increasing the adoption of locally-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As a member of the coalition, Airbus will provide technical information and cooperate on SAF-related research and technology activities. "We are delighted to have joined Act For Sky. At Airbus we are committed to supporting SAF as a major lever in the reduction of CO2 emissions as part of the aviation industry decarbonisation roadmap to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050," says Stephane Ginoux, senior vice-president and head of North Asia at Airbus and president of Airbus Japan. In June 2022, Airbus partnered local operator Nakanihon Air to operate Japan's first SAF-powered helicopter flight at Nagoya Airport, and has since used locally-made SAF for further helicopter test flights at Airbus Helicopters Japan’s Kobe Airport facility. The airframer says it will transport helicopters or larger aircraft parts with Beluga aircraft powered with SAF. All Airbus aircraft can be operated with a 50% SAF blend, and it aims to raise this to 100% SAF by 2030 across the entire product portfolio. Act for Sky currently has 31 members, including Airbus and Boeing, and was established in March 2022 by founding members ANA, Japan Airlines, engineering company JGC Holdings and biofuel producer Revo International, alongside 12 other companies.


Pilots at Qantas unit set to strike on 4 October
October 02, 2023
Pilots at Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation have voted to strike for one day from the early hours of 4 October over an ongoing pay dispute, which is likely to impact a number of mining charter and scheduled services from Perth to regional ports in Western Australia. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots says that the 24-hour stoppage will occur from midnight local time, and follows more than 99% of its members at Network Aviation voting in favour of taking the industrial action. "The AFAP remains committed to reaching an agreement for our members in Western Australia who fly for Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation and is disappointed that we have had to take this action," says the union's senior industrial officer Chris Aikens. Pilots have been operating under an agreement that expired in 2016, but have been unable to reach a new deal with Qantas, which has offered pay increases but is also seeking offsets in other areas. "Our proposed agreement offers our pilots significant pay rises and more guaranteed days off each roster period and we’re disappointed the AFAP has chosen to move towards industrial action while we have been trying to negotiate," Qantas says in a statement. Fleets data shows that Network operates 16 Fokker 100s and 15 Airbus A320s under the QantasLink banner. The unit operates charters and scheduled services that support remote mines in Western Australia, and Wednesday represents a peak day for those operations due to shift changes among most of its clients. Networks data indicates that at least 58 scheduled flights to ports including Port Hedland, Broome, Paraburdoo, Exmouth, Darwin and Kalgoorlie will be impacted by the strike, although the actual impact is expected to be larger due to its flights direct to minesites that are not captured in flight schedules. Qantas states that it has contingency plans in place to minimise the disruption to its customers.


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