Qantas-Emirates renew partnership, Boeing revives 797 and more

Qantas, Emirates extend partnership
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given preliminary approval to the renewal of the Emirates-Qantas partnership for another five years. The partnership began in 2013 and has since carried more than eight million passengers.

In the most recent developments, Emirates will drop its flights from Auckland to Dubai via Melbourne and Brisbane in favour of a newly announced direct service via Bali as well as the existing non-stop service.

Qantas will add seven new return flights per week between Auckland and Melbourne and an extra two return services per week between Auckland and Brisbane. These will carry an Emirates code and will connect to Qantas’ London services via Perth or Singapore, and Emirates’ services between Australia and Europe via Dubai.

Qantas, Air Nuigini codeshare
Meanwhile, Qantas is seeking to expand its codeshare agreement with Air Niugini on Australia-Papua New Guinea routes. These include Air Niugini’s nonstop Cairns-Port Moresby and Townsville-Port Moresby services as well as extending the codeshare agreement on the Sydney-Port Moresby route (operated by Air Niugini) and the Brisbane-Port Moresby route (operated by both Qantas and Air Niugini). Previously, Australian authorities have not allowed Qantas to add its QF code on Air Niugini’s Cairns-Port Moresby service.

Qatar revamps Italian airline

Italy’s privately owned airline, Meridiana, has been transformed into a new identity, Air Italy. as part of changes associated with new shareholder Qatar Airways. Another Gulf airline, Etihad, had a disastrous encounter with Italian airlines when it tried but failed to change the fortunes of flag carrier Air Italia after its privatisation.

Air Italy looks a better bet as it is expanding from a smaller base with far less “baggage.” Qatar has bought a 49% interest and has ambitious plans to build a fleet 50 aircraft by 2022. Air Italy has already committed to receiving 20 of the all-new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from April 2018 over the next three years.

The airline will also receive five Airbus A330-200 aircraft this year from the Qatar Airways’ fleet. These will be replaced by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, commencing May 2019.

Air Italy has announced new long-range routes from Milan to New York and Miami, as well as to Bangkok from September 9. These will followed by new short-haul routes connecting Milan to Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania and Lamezia Terme. Further plans also include launching the first long-range destination from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in 2019. Air Italy aims to fly more than 50 year-round routes by 2022.

Qatar may upgrade A350 orders
Qatar Airways has indicated it will switch more of its A350 orders to the bigger -1000 variant after taking delivery this week of its aircraft. Airbus is seeking more orders for its latest model, which was in Auckland last week as part of a worldwide demonstration tour.

Airbus says the aircraft is 25% more efficient than its closest rival, the Boeing 777-300ER, and seats up to 366 passengers. Boeing, meanwhile, is working on plans to leapfrog the A350-1000 with an upgraded B777X with more than 400 seats.

Perth gets first 'stretched' Dreamliner
Perth will become the second scheduled destination to be served by Singapore Airlines’ new Boeing 787-10 fleet. The first of these “stretched” Dreamliners will be delivered next month and will initially be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes, before the first scheduled service to Osaka in May. The 787-10s seat 337 passengers with 36in business and 301 in economy.

Boeing to resurrect 797

Boeing is under pressure from Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to renew plans for a twin-aisled 797, which would be built of lighter composite materials and fit between the 737 and 787 ranges. It would be designed for medium-haul routes and seat 220-270 passengers in configurations of 2-3-2  in economy, 1-2-2 in premium economy and 1-1-1 in business class.

Boeing's 737s have seating of180-230 and can fly economically for about six hours. The next smallest plane is the 787 with 250-350 seating. It has been designed for much longer distances. Boeing says there are about 30,000 city pairs that are not connected and could be served economically with the 797, which could fly economically for up to 10 hours.

Boeing and McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) tried to interest airlines in the 797 concept in the 1980s but couldn’t get enough takers. Airlines are now interested because it would overcome complaints about cramped seating in single-aisled aircraft. Boeing could have first flight and certification of the 797 by 2024.

Boeing last year sold 32 777-300ERs against just one order for the A350-1000. Some airlines have begun downgrading some A350-1000 orders to the 325-seat A350-900, which also comes in an ultra-long range version.

Hawaiian tipped to switch order
Hawaiian Airlines is reported to have cancelled its order for six Airbus A330-800neos in favour of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The report, by aviation insider website Leeham News, has been denied by the airline, which says it hasn’t signed an agreement with either Boeing or Airbus and that an announcement will be made “when it is appropriate.”

Leeham reports Airbus has offered Hawaiian to cut the price of the A330-800neo, or given options for A350-900 slots. Meanwhile, Boeing Capital Corporation has agreed to release Hawaiian from the leasing agreements of three B767-300ERs that it no longer wants.

Route news of the week
Air New Zealand will resume a non-stop Auckland-Taipei Taoyuan service from November 1. Initially it will be five months to March 30 but it is planned to operate on a year-round basis. The airline last flew to Taiwan in the 2005/06 summer season. Boeing 787-9 aircraft will operate this route up to five times a week. The outward trip will be in daylight hours and the return overnight. The flight time is about 11 hours. Taiwan's China Airlines flies to Auckland and Christchurch via Australia.

Malaysia Airlines has postponed the introduction of an A350-900 aircraft on the Kuala Lumpur-Auckland route. The change was planned for August 5. A330-300 aircraft will continue to operate on this route. Cathay Pacific will launch a Hong Kong-Cape Town seasonal service from November 13 to February 18, 2019. It will operate three times using an Airbus A350-900.

Emirates will restore a three-class A380 to its daily Dubai-Houston route from June 1, replacing Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. A second daily Dubai-Lisbon service from June 1 will use a Boeing 777-300ER in a three-class cabin configuration, Emirates will also operate a one-off A380 service to Beirut on March 29. Emirates is testing the operations and necessary infrastructure to sustain an A380 service to the Lebanese capital. 

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