20 August, 2019 By: David Kaminski-Morrow, London, FlightGlobal.com
French investigators are seeking assistance to locate engine parts which they believe fell from an Airbus A220-300 as it passed over the east of the country last month.
The Swiss aircraft had been operating the LX348 service to London Heathrow from Geneva on 25 July.
While climbing through 32,000ft the aircraft suffered a mechanical failure of its left-hand Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engine.
The crew shut down the powerplant, says French investigation authority BEA, and diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Inspection of the aircraft subsequently determined that the stage one rotor of its low-pressure compressor was missing.
US investigators have taken the lead on the inquiry.
But BEA is putting out a public call for witnesses in an effort to find missing parts of the engine which, it say, may have fallen into a forest area near Perrigny-sur-Armancon, some 190km south-east of Paris.
It has identified the geographical co-ordinates defining an oblong primary search region.
BEA states that the missing compressor parts are made of titanium and no longer than about 30cm. It warns that the parts could be “very sharp” and should be handled with care, and that anyone finding suspect debris ought to note its location and email a photograph of the item to BEA for further instructions.
None of the occupants of the aircraft (HB-JCM) was injured. Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer shows the aircraft was only delivered at the end of May last year.
The only non-stop flights from Montreal-Seattle, and from Toronto-San Jose, California
Customers to benefit from modern, spacious new cabin interior
A220 technology reduces fuel consumption by 20 per cent per seat
MONTREAL, Aug. 14, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today announced the first two new routes to be operated with the Airbus A220-300, the only non-stop service between Montreal and Seattle and between Toronto and San Jose, California, both beginning in spring 2020. As well, the carrier also provided a first look at the interior features of its newest aircraft, which will offer customers a choice of Business and Economy Class service, its newest in-flight entertainment system, onboard Wi-Fi and more.
Air Canada’s two-class cabin on the A220 will have a total of 137 seats: 12 in a 2×2 configuration in Business Class and 125 in a 3×2 layout for Economy passengers. Every seat on the A220 features a Panasonic eX1 in-flight entertainment system with content available in 15 languages and featuring more than 1,000 hours of high-quality entertainment, including access to Bell Media’s premium entertainment service, Crave, and Canadian-based multi-platform audio service, Stingray. (CNW Group/Air Canada)Air Canada announced the first two new routes to be operated with the Airbus A220-300, the only non-stop service between Montreal and Seattle and Toronto and San Jose, California, beginning in spring 2020. (CNW Group/Air Canada)
Special introductory fares from Montreal to Seattle start as low as $315 CDN one-way, all in, and fares from Toronto to San Jose starts as low $297 CDN one-way, all in. Tickets are now available for purchase at aircanada.com or through travel agents until August 28 for travel between May 4 and July 31, 2020.
“This aircraft is a game changer for Air Canada as there is simply no rival in this category. The A220 will further strengthen our position on transborder and transcontinental markets and be instrumental in our continued growth. Our customers will benefit from innovative design features in a spacious and comfortable cabin. When connecting through our hubs across Canada onward to international destinations, customers travelling on an A220 will benefit from a virtually seamless cabin experience offering the same level of service and comforts as on a widebody aircraft,” said Mark Galardo, Vice President of Network Planning at Air Canada. “The two routes announced today are the first of many future possibilities as the A220 will allow us to further develop our North American network, offering customers new routes and more robust year-round schedules.
Air Canada
“With these two new non-stop routes, Air Canada is deepening its transborder network. This includes strengthening our position in the Seattle market by providing yet another key link for business and leisure travellers with service from Montreal, complementing our existing non-stop service there from Toronto and Vancouver. And with our new Toronto-San Jose route, we are increasing our presence in the Bay Area, adding to our many flights into San Francisco in addition to our existing service to San Jose from Vancouver. Customers from Canada now have another gateway to the Bay Area and Silicon Valley,” said Mr. Galardo.
Montreal-Seattle
Air Canada will begin the only daily year-round flights to Seattle from Montreal on May 4, 2020, complementing existing services to Seattle from Toronto and Vancouver.
Flights are timed to provide connectivity in Montreal to and from Europe and North Africa including Casablanca, Paris, Nice, Lyon, Algiers, London, Frankfurt, Geneva, Rome, Dublin and more.
Flight
Departs
Arrives
Days of Week
AC 565
Montreal 17:55
Seattle 20:45
Daily
AC 564
Seattle 08:35
Montreal 16:34
Daily
Toronto-San Jose
The only year-round, daily service to San Jose from Toronto starts May 4, 2020, complementing existing services from Vancouver to San Jose.
Flights are timed so customers can connect through Toronto on Air Canada’s wide-ranging domestic network, allowing easy connections to another Silicon Valley city.
Flight
Departs
Arrives
Days of Week
AC 765
Toronto 08:55
San Jose 11:28
Daily
AC 766
San Jose 12:15
Toronto 20:10
Daily
Customers can collect and redeem Aeroplan Miles through Canada’s leading loyalty program when travelling with Air Canada, and eligible customers have access to priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits. Eligible connecting international customers departing Toronto Pearson International Airport have access to Air Canada’s Signature Suite, recognised as the World’s Best Business Class Dining Experience by Skytrax.
About the Air Canada A220-300
Air Canada
Air Canada’s first Airbus A220-300, built at Airbus Canada’s Mirabel facility employing 2,500 people, is scheduled to be delivered later this year. Each A220 includes parts from 30 Canadian suppliers.
Air Canada will be the first North American carrier to operate the larger A220-300 version of the aircraft, which has a range of 3,200 nautical miles.
To be initially deployed from Montreal and Toronto on existing Canadian and transborder routes such as to Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and New York – La Guardia, the A220-300 will open new markets such as the Montreal-Seattle and Toronto-San Jose flights announced today.
The two-class cabin will have a total of 137 seats: 12 in a 2×2 configuration in Business Class and 125 in a 3×2 layout for Economy passengers. Customers will have more personal space thanks to the widest economy seats in the fleet, and the largest overhead stowage bins for an aircraft this size.
Additional features include larger windows and full-colour LED ambient and customizable mood lighting that contribute to reducing fatigue while travelling. The high ceilings, extra shoulder room and storage make this an unparalleled interior in the narrow-body segment.
Every seat on the A220 features a Panasonic eX1 in-flight entertainment system with content available in 15 languages and featuring more than 1,000 hours of high-quality entertainment, including access to Bell Media’s premium entertainment service, Crave, and Canadian-based multi-platform audio service, Stingray.
The A220 will come equipped with satellite based high speed connectivity for Wi-Fi access with USB A, USB C, and AC power available to every passenger.
The A220 will also further Air Canada’s environmental commitment, with the innovative Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G geared turbofan engines projected to yield a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption per seat and NOx emissions 50 per cent below CAEP/6 standards. The A220 is also the quietest aircraft in its category thanks to its new technologies.
05 August, 2019 by Jon Hemmerdinger, Boston, FlightGlobal.com
Airbus has started assembling A220s at its Alabama facility, a milestone coming nearly two years after the European airframer announced its intention to open a US A220 manufacturing site.
The company has “officially begun manufacturing the A220 in the US”, with work commencing on an A220-300 that Airbus intends to deliver to Delta Air Lines in the third quarter of next year.
Airbus describes the start of US A220 production as evidence of its position as a top US manufacturer and of its increasingly global manufacturing footprint.
“With Mobile, and our production network in Asia, Canada and Europe, we have strategically created a worldwide industrial base to better serve our customers,” says Airbus Americas chief executive Jeffrey Knittel.
A220 workers in Mobile recently completed training in Mirabel, Canada – home of the original A220 production line, Airbus says.
Earlier this year Airbus began constructing the A220 assembly hangar and other related facilities in Mobile, though the company is using some existing A320 buildings to assemble “the first few” A220s, it says.
Airbus’s production facility in Mobile, where the company makes A320s and A220s Airbus
The first large A220 components, including the cockpit and a fuselage section, arrived at the Mobile site in June.
The start of US A220 production comes despite initial scepticism that Airbus would make good on its US A220 plans.
Airbus announced its intention to open the Mobile A220 site as part of its October 2017 proposed acquisition of the programme, then called CSeries, from Bombardier.
The acquisition came amid threats the USA would impose significant tariffs on CSeries imports – retaliation for Bombardier receiving billions of dollars in government financial support.
Those tariffs threatened Bombardier’s already-announced sale of at least 75 A220s to Delta.
Airbus’s plan to assemble A220s at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, where it already assembles A320 family aircraft, appeared a means to bypass tariffs.
But Bombardier won the trade dispute, eliminating the threat of tariffs. And Airbus, after closing the acquisition last year, still moved forward with its Mobile plan.
Provided by FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd/Globe Newswire
CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FLYHT announced L3Harris Technologies has extended its partnership and agreement to provide custom engineering services used in global voice and data satellite communication (SATCOM) solutions (See press release dated July 15, 2014). Specifically, FLYHT will customize L3Harris AFIRSTM 228S (Automated Flight Information Recording System) to support global communications between pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC), Aeronautical Operation control (AOC) and Airline Administrative Control (AAC) through the Iridium® high-fidelity satellite network used in the cockpit of the Airbus A220.
“We are very excited to expand our relationship with L3Harris,” stated Tom Schmutz, CEO of FLYHT Aerospace. “Extending our coverage to Airbus’ newest aircraft family member with L3Harris makes sense for both partners. Our relationship so far has resulted in the shipment of over 1,500 units to Airbus.”
L3Harris is the prime contractor selected to provide AFIRS 228S integrated telecom and global voice and data communications using the Iridium® satellite network. This network provides high quality and high-fidelity voice and data connections globally, including across oceans and desolate regions.
“Our relationship with FLYHT allows us to deliver reliable SATCOM solutions which enable global, critical voice and data communications for pilots,” said Terry Flaishans, President of L3Harris Avionics.
The relationship between the parties continues indefinitely (unless terminated in accordance with the agreement) and the financial impact of this amendment will be measured according to future purchase orders between the parties which FLYHT will appropriately disclose.
The Air France–KLM Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 60 A220-300 aircraft to modernise its fleet. By acquiring the industry’s most efficient and technologically advanced single-aisle aircraft, the airline will benefit from a significant reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions. These A220s are intended to be operated by Air France.
“The acquisition of these brand new A220-300s aligns perfectly with Air France–KLM’s overall fleet modernisation and harmonisation strategy,” said Benjamin Smith, CEO of the Air France-KLM Group. “This aircraft demonstrates optimum operational and economic efficiency and enables us to further improve our environment footprint thanks to the A220’s low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. It is also perfectly adapted to our domestic and European network and will enable Air France to operate more efficiently on its short and medium-haul routes.”
“It is an honour for Airbus that Air France, a long-standing valued customer, has endorsed our latest family member, the A220, for its fleet renewal plans,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “We are committed to supporting Air France with our A220 by bringing the latest technologies, efficiency levels, and environment benefits. We are delighted to embark on this partnership and we are looking forward to seeing the A220 flying in the Air France colours.”
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market; it delivers unbeatable fuel efficiency and wide-body passenger comfort in a single-aisle aircraft. The A220 brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines to offer at least 20% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft. The A220 offers the performance of larger single-aisle aircraft.
Air France currently operates a fleet of 144 Airbus aircraft.
With an order book of 551 aircraft as of end of June 2019, the A220 has all the credentials to win the lion’s share of the 100-to-150-seat aircraft market, estimated to represent 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.
29 July 2019 by Alfred Chua, Singapore, FlightGlobal.com
The Airbus A220 test aircraft will be making its way to six points in Asia as part of a demonstration tour
The airframer says the A220-300 will visit Seoul, before flying to Yangon, Hanoi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Nagoya. The demo tour will last from 29 July to 6 August, it adds.
Airbus
The A220 deployed for the demonstration tour will be an Airbus flight test aircraft fitted with a typical single class passenger cabin.
Airbus adds: “During the A220 demonstration tour, customers and media will be offered a close up view of the aircraft’s outstanding characteristics, comfort and performance that benefit both operators and passengers alike.”
Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer shows that in the Asia-Pacific region, only Korean Air operates the A220 and it has 10 aircraft in service. Air Vanuatu has four A220s on order.
About 2,500 employees now work on Airbus’s A220 in Mirabel, up from about 2,200 a year ago. PASCAL ROSSIGNOL / REUTERS
Airbus is leaning toward building a new plant in Mirabel within about two years to speed up production of the jetliner formerly known as the C Series.
The proposed pre-assembly facility will be tasked with preparing complete sections of the A220 plane before they are moved to the final assembly line. A decision on whether to proceed with the investment will be make in the coming weeks, according to Philippe Balducchi, chief executive officer of the Airbus Canada Limited Partnership.
“Our goal with this pre-assembly facility is to protect the final assembly line,” Balducchi told the Montreal Gazette Thursday in a telephone interview from Toulouse, France, where Airbus is based. “We are very probably going to build this pre-assembly facility, and we will do it in Mirabel.”
The new line will probably start operating sometime around 2021, Balducchi said. Airbus has ample land in Mirabel to expand, he added.
“People who fly the A220 like it and they want more,” Airbus Canada CEO Philippe Balducchi says. JPG
Airbus inherited Bombardier’s Mirabel facilities a year ago when it took control of the Montreal-based company’s C Series program, which it later renamed the A220. Bombardier retains a 34-per-cent stake in the partnership, while the Quebec government owns 16 per cent.
About 2,500 employees now work on the A220 in Mirabel, up from about 2,200 a year ago. While hiring for the program will continue in the months ahead, “it won’t be massive,” Balducchi said.
Having shipped 21 A220s in the first half of the year, Airbus is aiming to reach about 45 deliveries for all of 2019. Mirabel’s capacity is about 120 planes a year.
Output should climb further next year when a second A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., begins deliveries. The first plane sections have already arrived in Mobile, and assembly work will begin in the coming weeks, Balducchi said. When fully operational, the U.S. factory will be capable of building up to 50 jets per year.
In the meantime, Airbus has begun negotiating with suppliers in a bid to lower production costs of the A220 by more than 10 per cent. In exchange, Airbus can offer suppliers higher volumes as orders pile up for the jet.
“This is a clear effort to reduce costs,” Balducchi said. “We’ve started engaging our suppliers on this, and have reached some agreements. We are looking for double-digit reductions, and we see a lot of potential. We’re also ready to discuss improvements and changes in design with our suppliers in an effort to reduce costs, as long as it doesn’t impact the performance of the plane.”
Prospects for the A220 and its suppliers have been buoyed by last month’s announcement at the Paris Air Show that U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines and JetBlue were ordering additional units of the jet.
“Delta already operates the plane, which shows that people who fly the A220 like it and they want more,” Balducchi said. “Today, we see appetite from airlines in every region of the world.”
Airbus Canada’s CEO is also encouraged by recent commitments from leasing specialists Air Lease Corp. and Nordic Aviation Capital, which should result in the A220 being deployed at new airlines over the coming years.
“ALC and Nordic are very influential lessors, and they are going to allow us to accelerate the dissemination of the plane,” he said. “In the future we will see new orders because of these successes we had in Paris.”
The first Airbus Defence & Space C295 aircraft due for Canada’s Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme has had its maiden flight.
Airbus says that this places the aircraft on track for delivery by the end of 2019, whereupon it will begin operational testing.
The flight took place from Seville, Spain on 4 July, and lasted 1hr 27m.
The 2016 contract covers 16 aircraft as well as support, training, and engineering.
Airbus Defence & Space
An additional five aircraft are in various stages of assembly. Seven simulators and training devices are also undergoing testing. The first Royal Canadian Air Force crews will head to Spain in the coming months to commence training.
The C295 won the FWSAR deal in December 2016 after a 14-year process. The Airbus type defeated the Leonardo C-27J Spartan and the Embraer KC-390 for the deal. Lockheed Martin had considered proposing the HC-130J, but decided not to enter the final round of the competition.
The 16 C295s will replace six de Havilland Canada CC-155 Buffalos and 13 CC-130H Hercules at four bases spread across Canada, providing search and rescue services from the Arctic to the southern border with the USA.
Carrier strengthens its position as a leader in holiday travel this winter with new flight to New Orleans and year-round service to Spain
MONTREAL, July 4, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Transat is pleased to present travellers from Quebec with its enhanced Sun destinations program for winter 2019–2020, including the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, and Europe. The lineup includes a brand-new destination, New Orleans, Louisiana, available as of November with twice-weekly direct service. Named the 2019 World’s Best Leisure Airline by Skytrax, Air Transat will become the only carrier to offer direct flights from Montreal to this festive destination.
With new Airbus A321neoLR aircraft added to its fleet in time for winter operations this year, Air Transat will have greater flexibility to offer travellers a broader range of destinations. The company will feature a total of 42 South and Europedestinations out of Montreal, and 13 out of Quebec City.
On the Europe front, the carrier will now serve Spain’s Costa del Sol year-round, with direct service to Malaga from Montreal (two flights a week), and will also fly to Madrid starting in December (two direct flights weekly).
New Sun destinations Air Transat will put increased focus on Florida travel this winter, continuing its Orlando service (three direct flights per week) and adding frequency to Fort Lauderdale, with direct flights now available daily out of Montreal during the peak season. The carrier will also boost frequency on its Quebec City–Fort Lauderdale route, offering five direct flights a week.
Also out of Montreal, Air Transat will be enriching its Dominican Republic program with one additional direct flight each week to Puerto Plata (for a total of five direct flights a week), as well as adding another flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica(four direct flights per week). Cuba will be more accessible for travellers flying out of Quebec City, with the addition of direct service to Holguin, for a total of two direct flights weekly.
Europe in winterIn addition to the Costa del Sol and Madrid in Spain, Air Transat will continue serving Portugal this winter, with direct flights to Lisbon. It will also maintain its daily direct service between Montreal and Paris. And beginning in mid-December, residents of the Quebec City region will enjoy twice-weekly direct service to the French capital.
Discovering Canada and Europe with domestic and connecting flights Air Transat’s domestic flights, which link some major Canadian cities, will allow Quebecers to explore other regions in Canada as well as transatlantic destinations accessible via connecting flights.The airline will continue its daily direct flights between Montreal and Toronto, and three direct weekly flights linking Montreal and Vancouver.
From Montreal – 42 South and Europe destinations
South
Number of flights (in peak season)
Caribbean
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
2 direct flights a week
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
2 direct flights a week
Montego Bay, Jamaica
4 direct flights a week
Fort-de-France, Martinique
2 direct flights a week
Saint-Martin/St. Maarten
1 direct flight a week
Central and South America
Cartagena, Colombia
2 direct flights a week
San Andres, Colombia
1 direct flight a week
Liberia, Costa Rica
2 direct flights a week
San José, Costa Rica
2 direct flights a week
Roatan, Honduras
2 direct flights a week
Rio Hato, Panama
2 direct flights a week
El Salvador, Salvador
1 direct flight a week
Cuba
Cayo Coco
4 direct flights a week
Cayo Largo
2 direct flights a week
Cayo Santa Maria
4 direct flights a week
Havana
1 direct flight a week
Holguin
5 direct flights a week
Varadero
Daily direct flights
Dominican Republic
La Romana
2 direct flights a week
Puerto Plata
5 direct flights a week
Punta Cana
Daily direct flights
Samana
3 direct flights a week
Santo Domingo
1 direct flight a week
Mexico
Acapulco
1 direct flight a week
Cancun / Riviera Maya
Daily direct flights
Cozumel
1 direct flight a week
Puerto Vallarta
3 direct flights a week
United States
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Daily direct flights
Orlando, Florida
3 direct flights a week
New Orleans, Louisiana
2 direct flights a week
San Juan, Puerto Rico
1 direct flight a week
Europe
Number of flights (in peak season)
France
Paris
Daily direct flights
Italy
Rome
2 flights a week via Toronto (until mid-January)
Portugal
Faro
1 flight a week via Toronto
Lisbon
2 direct flights a week and 2 flights a week via Toronto
Porto
1 flight a week via Toronto
Spain
Barcelona
2 flights a week via Toronto (until mid-January)
Madrid
2 direct flights a week
Malaga
2 direct flights a week
United Kingdom
Glasgow
2 flights a week via Toronto
London
7 flights a week via Toronto
Manchester
3 flights a week via Toronto
From Montreal – Domestic flights
Canada
Number of flights
Toronto
Daily direct flights
Vancouver
4 direct flights a week
From Quebec City – 13 South and Europe destinations
Air Canada in the first-half of 2020 scheduled Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner service on Toronto – Dublin route, replacing A330-300. From Toronto, the Dreamliner is scheduled to operate from 28 MAR 2020 to 30 APR 2020, once a day.
AC842 YYZ 2255 – 1030+1 DUB 788 D AC843 DUB 1225 – 1450 YYZ 788 D
