Carry on: Korean's NZ changes, TAM's first A350XWB and more

Korean upgrades NZ to new jumbo
Korean Air has revised its planned New Zealand operation for early next year. This includes using the airline’s new revamped Boeing 747-8i jumbos on the Seoul Incheon-Auckland route in January and February. The route will use a Boeing 777-300ER on five days a week from October 25-December 2. A daily service will use a 747-400 from December 3-January 4, a 747-8i on three days a week from January 5-31 and 747-400 on other days. A 747-8i will run on all daily flights from February 1-29 and reverting to 777-300ER from March 2-26 when the service reverts to five days a week.
 

TAM's first A350 XWB unveiled
The first A350 XWB for TAM Airlines has emerged from the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse (see photo), The next stages of production include the installation of engines, completion of cabin furnishing and cockpit fitting, before starting ground and flight tests. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery in December. TAM will become the first airline from the Americas to fly the A350 XWB and the fourth operator in the world. LATAM Airlines Group, made up of LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines, has ordered 27 A350-900. It will start operating the A350 XWB in January 2016 between Sao Paulo and Manaus, Brazil, followed by international operations between Sao Paulo and Miami, and Sao Paulo and Madrid. The A350 XWB has 782 firm orders worldwide from 40 customers.

Qantas returns to Bali, Vancouver
Qantas International will operate scheduled services to Bali for the first time since 2008 when it starts peak-season flights this summer. The schedule is four flights a week between Sydney and Denpasar using Boeing 737s. Flights will start on December 4 and run through to January 29. Jetstar will remain the Qantas Group’s main conduit to Bali with 65 services a week.

Meanwhile, Qantas also announced its fourth season of services to Vancouver to operate from late June through to August 2016. A total of 20 return services will operate with Qantas’ refurbished B747 aircraft three days a week from June 30 to August 13.

Boosting Toronto as a global hub
Air Canada is pushing Toronto Pearson International Airport as “North America’s first global transit hub.” The airline wants to use its growing fleet of Boeing 787s to connect passengers to points all parts of the globe via Toronto. Air Canada has nine 787-8s and two 787-9s, with 26 more 787-9s on order for delivery through to 2019.

Guangzhou builds hub
China Southern is boosting capacity on its Guangzhou-Vancouver route and introducing a new one to Rome, giving New Zealanders a new two-flight hop to a European destination. A Boeing 777-300ER will operate the daily Vancouver service from March 27, replacing a 787-8. A 787-8 will operate on the new Guangzhou-Wuhan-Rome route from December 16 instead of an A330-200. It will run three times a week and connect with overnight flights from Auckland.

Qatar steps up European flights
Qatar Airways is adding its flight frequencies to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Brussels. From December 1, Doha-Stockholm flights will expand from a 10-times weekly service to 13 flights per week until March 25, 2016. A double-daily service will be operated every day except Wednesday by a Boeing 787.

Flights to Copenhagen will increase from 11-times weekly to double daily flights from December 2, also using a Dreamliner. Flights to Brussels will increase from seven to eight times weekly from December 4.

Wizz confirms 110 Airbus order
Hungarian low cost carrier Wizz Air has formalised its purchase of 110 Airbus A321neos. The order was signalled at the Paris Air Show earlier this year and is worth worth $US13.7 billion at list prices, though Wizz says it’s being offered a significant discount. Wizz also retained its commitment to purchase a further 48 aircraft from Airbus, comprising 21 A320ceos and 27 A321ceos.The first Wizz Air A321neo aircraft will enter service in November, configured with 230 seats.

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