SAA Fleet expands to 20 aircraft.
Ethiopian Airlines partners with DRC Government to launch Air Congo.
Egypt unveils renovated ICAO Middle East Office.
?Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 accident investigation: ICAO extends condolences and pledges full support.
High-Level meetings in Cairo to strengthen regional aviation leadership.
Airbus reports 766 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2024.
Lufthansa Group finalizes 41 percent stake in ITA Airways.
Airlines oppose UK ETA price hike.
Worldwide incidents and accidents.
Bonus video - Douglas DC3 Dakota
AIRLINES, AIRPORTS & AIRLINERS NEWS
SAA FLEET EXPANDS TO 20 AIRCRAFT
South African Airways (SAA) has added two aircraft to its fleet in the last two weeks, successfully growing its fleet size to 20 aircraft.
“This is a remarkable achievement considering that just over three years ago, the airline emerged from business rescue with just six aircraft. Since 2021, the team at SAA has worked strategically and consistently to grow the fleet and route network sustainably. These additional aircraft will enable SAA to continue fulfilling our promise to add seat capacity in both the domestic and regional market and thereby contributing to the affordability of passenger air travel, ” says Professor John Lamola, interim CEO at SAA.
The two leased narrow-body Airbus A320s, branded in SAA-branded livery, have arrived in Johannesburg from Ireland-based AerCap, the world's number one aircraft leasing company. SAA's relationship with AerCap is one proof of the recovery of the airline's credit status with major international aviation finance institutions.
The aviation industry is currently facing post-COVID-19 supply chain crisis that has delayed new aircraft deliveries and increased the cost and scarcity of second-hand aircraft.
Besides the A320s, SAA's 20-strong fleet comprises wide-body A330s and long-range A343s, which are well-suited for the two intercontinental routes that were relaunched last year - from Johannesburg to São Paulo and Perth and Cape Town to São Paulo.
SAA is rolling out a plan of adding five aircraft to its fleet during this 2025 calendar year.
“SAA's fleet growth comes as the airline enters a phase of consolidation, increasing the frequency of flights to service an existing route network, to ensure South African leisure and business travellers enjoy more direct access to major African cities. In addition, SAA Cargo facilitates trade links between economic hubs across the continent and beyond,” Lamola added.
Today, 20th January 2025, SAA launches a connection between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg and is expanding flight frequency on its services to Harare (Zimbabwe) and Lusaka (Zambia) to 12 flights per week, up from 10 and seven flights a week, respectively.
Flights to Lagos (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana) have been increased from three to four times a week, while SAA is now also flying to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) five times a week and began flying to the DRC's mining hub, Lubumbashi, in November 20.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES PARTNERS WITH DRC GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH AIR CONGO
Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest aviation group and a SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is excited to announce partnering with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the establishment of Air Congo. The DRC government will hold a 51% majority stake, while Ethiopian Airlines will retain 49% share, and manage the airline.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew stated, “The launch of Air Congo is a significant step in our strategic plan to collaborate with African governments and enhance air transport across the continent. This partnership will provide greater connectivity for the DRC and Central Africa, facilitating investment, trade, and tourism, thereby contributing to socio-economic growth of the region. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the DRC government, all stakeholders, and my esteemed colleagues for their commitment and collaboration in making this partnership a success.”
Air Congo's operations began with two Boeing 737-800 aircraft, serving domestic markets, starting with seven airports within the DRC. Key technical agreements, including aircraft lease, comprehensive technical support, and systems support agreements have been signed between the two partners. Ethiopian Airlines will also train Congolese nationals as pilots, cabin crew, sales and services staff, and technicians.
This initiative aligns with Ethiopian Airlines' Vision 2035 strategy, which aims to establish multiple hubs across Africa, complementing existing partnerships with ASKY Airlines in Lomé, Malawi Airlines in Lilongwe, and Zambia Airways in Lusaka.
Ethiopian Airlines Group (Ethiopian) is one of the fastest-growing airlines brand globally and the continent's largest airline brand. In its seventy-eight years of successful operations, Ethiopian has become one of the continent's leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian commands the lion's share of the African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian's fleet category consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900, Airbus A350-1000 and De Havilland Q400.
Ethiopian is also pursuing multi-hub strategy through hubs in Lomé, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways. Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world. Ethiopian has been champion in various coveted awards including Skytrax's 'Best Airline in Africa Award' for seven consecutive years among others. The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011 and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.
EGYPT UNVEILS RENOVATED ICAO MIDDLE EAST OFFICE
ICAO recently inaugurated its newly renovated Middle East Regional Office in Cairo, strengthening a seven-decade commitment to regional aviation cooperation. The modernization of the facility, supported by the Egyptian government, will enhance ICAO's regional presence and technical support capabilities.
"This renovation represents a significant investment in our shared aviation future," said ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano during the inauguration. "The enhanced facilities will strengthen our ability to support Member States across the Middle East region."
ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar and ICAO Middle East Regional Director Mohamed Abu Baker Farea met with the Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt, Captain Sameh El Hefny, and the President of the Civil Aviation Authority of Egypt, Captain Amr El Sharkawy, to discuss regional cooperation. "Our Middle East Office has played a vital role in advancing regional aviation cooperation ever since it was established. This modernized facility will help us better serve the growing needs of aviation in the region," Salazar noted. During their mission to Egypt, ICAO's leaders also joined Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation in celebrating ICAO's 80th anniversary.
?AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 8243 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION: ICAO EXTENDS CONDOLENCES AND PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has extended its profound condolences to the families and loved ones of those who perished or were injured in the tragic accident of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 on 25 December 2024.
Pursuant to Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), ICAO is calling upon Member States to extend their full cooperation in support of a comprehensive and independent investigation.
These international civil aviation standards call for an independent investigation, with all affected States to be invited. The investigators are mandated to identify all relevant information on the accident, and to report on the facts and any potential safety or security related factors that may have caused, or contributed to, this tragedy. They are also encouraged to recommend relevant safety improvements resulting from their findings.
It is in the interest of aviation in safety and security that ICAO has readied itself to support this investigation, assigning an ICAO expert to be deployed onsite as an observer to the international investigation team.
The organization is calling on all concerned States and service providers to protect all relevant information and records as part of their full cooperation with the investigation process. The States entitled to participate are the State of the operator, the State of registry of the aircraft, the State of its design and manufacturer (aircraft and engines), as well as States having suffered fatalities or serious injuries to their citizens.
The investigation, as prescribed by Annex 13, shall be conducted with the sole objective of preventing future accidents and incidents, through the collection and analysis of safety data and information. Annex 13 calls for a preliminary report to be produced within 30 days of the accident, with a final report to follow within 12 months.
ICAO's supporting role will help to ensure a thorough investigation that examines all potential contributing factors to this accident so that tragedies of this kind can be prevented.
HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS IN CAIRO TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL AVIATION LEADERSHIP
From 13-16 December 2024, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano and Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar undertook an official mission to Cairo, Egypt.
During their visit, they met with the Prime Minister of Egypt, His Excellency Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, who graciously received them at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital and conveyed his congratulations to the organization on the occasion of its 80th anniversary.
ICAO's delegation also met with Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati. Minister Abdel Aati reiterated the country's support for ICAO and its multilateral initiatives, highlighting Egypt's long-standing relationship with the organization as host of its Middle East Regional Office since 1953.
Discussions during both meetings with Egypt's leadership focused on the development of air transport in Egypt and the Middle East, opportunities for Egypt offered by the Single African Air Transport Market, the newly adopted ICAO Strategic Plan and aviation decarbonization.
While in Cairo, Mr. Sciacchitano and Mr. Salazar also participated in the official 80th anniversary celebration organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation of Egypt. The event was attended by the Minister of Civil Aviation H.E. Capt. Sameh El Hefny, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Sherif Fathy, the Regional Director of ICAO's Middle East (MID) Office, Mr. Mohamed Abu Bakr Farea, the Director of ICAO's Air Transport Bureau, Mr. Mohamed Rahma, and other senior officials.
Both the President and Secretary General also attended the official inauguration of the newly renovated ICAO MID Office, generously supported by the Government of Egypt, where they had the opportunity to meet and engage in discussions with local staff.
AIRBUS REPORTS 766 COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES IN 2024
Toulouse, France, 9 January 2025 - Airbus delivered 766 commercial aircraft to 86 customers around the world in 2024. The Commercial Aircraft business registered 878 gross new orders. As a result, its 2024-year-end backlog stood at 8,658 aircraft.
AIRBUS Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus said, “2024 confirmed sustained demand for new aircraft. We won key customer decisions with most important customers and saw phenomenal momentum for our widebody orderbook, complementing our leading position in the single aisle market. On deliveries, we kept our trajectory and celebrated several landmark firsts. These include the first ever A321XLR as well as first A330neo and A350 deliveries to several customers globally.”
“Given the complex and fast-changing environment we continue to operate in, we consider 2024 a good year. It has been a massive team effort to deliver this 2024 result. A big thanks to Team Airbus who do what they do, every day, for our customers. And a big thanks to our customers for continuing to put their trust in us and grow our partnerships across the world”, he added.
Airbus' 2024 full year Financial Results will be disclosed on 20 February 2025.
LUFTHANSA GROUP FINALIZES 41 PERCENT STAKE IN ITA AIRWAYS
The Italian airline ITA Airways is a new member of the Lufthansa Group. The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Europe's leading aviation group concluded the transaction today. As a result, the Lufthansa Group has a 41 percent stake in the Italian airline ITA Airways. The remaining 59 percent will initially continue to be held by MEF.
The two parties had already agreed in May 2023 that Deutsche Lufthansa AG would acquire a minority stake of 41 percent in ITA Airways. The European Commission had recently approved the participation by approving the remedies on 29 November 2024. Other competition authorities outside the EU have since also approved the participation.
The first step of the investment was implemented today by means of a capital increase of 325 million euros. Options for the acquisition of the remaining shares in ITA Airways have been agreed between the Lufthansa Group and MEF and can be exercised from this year. With today's transaction, ITA Airways is part of the Lufthansa Group and will be the Group's fifth network airline.
Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says: “We are proud to finally welcome ITA Airways to the Lufthansa Group. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this, especially in Rome, Brussels, Berlin and Frankfurt. The ITA Airways team has written an impressive success story in recent years and, with great energy, passion and expertise, has built an airline that is already the pride of an entire nation. We look forward to continuing this success story of ITA Airways together. With our investment, we will now strengthen the Italian and European aviation market and the position of the Lufthansa Group as number one in Europe. Our joint passengers worldwide will benefit from improved offers and optimized connections as early as this upcoming summer flight schedule.”
Italy will thus become a further “home market” for the Lufthansa Group. The country is already the company's second most important international market after the USA, outside the existing home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. The five-star Rome Fiumicino Airport will be the sixth and southernmost Lufthansa Group hub. Milan-Linate, as a metropolitan airport in the economically strong northern Italy region with the second largest catchment area in the EU, will play a prominent role in the Group.
ITA Airways will be retained as a strong brand and developed further. With today's closing of the transaction, the Lufthansa Group and ITA Airways can conclude the first cooperation agreements for their passengers. In a few weeks, ITA Airways frequent flyers will be able to collect their points or miles either in ITA Airways' existing “Volare” program or already in Miles & More, the Lufthansa Group's loyalty program. In addition, Miles & More participants will have the opportunity to earn and redeem miles on ITA Airways flights. Further collaborations, such as joint codeshare connections, mutual use of the respective lounges and the planned admission to the Star Alliance aviation alliance, are to follow successively. Further details will be communicated to customers and partners in a timely manner.
ITA Airways (IATA flight number code “AZ”) is a young airline that has been growing since it started operating in 2021. Its modern, environmentally friendly Airbus fleet currently numbers 99 aircraft, including 22 long-haul Airbus A350-900, Airbus A330-900neo and A330-200 aircraft. ITA Airways flies to almost 70 destinations around the world. The airline's home base is its Rome Fiumicino (5-star Skytrax) and Milan Linate airport. In 2024, the airline welcomed around 18 million passengers on board its aircraft.
AIRLINES OPPOSE UK ETA PRICE HIKE
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) opposes the UK Home Office proposal to increase the costs of UK Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETAs) by 60% to GBP 16. Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General, commented as follows:
“Proposing to increase ETA costs just a week after the system was introduced is bewildering. If implemented it would be a self-inflicted blow to the UK's tourism competitiveness. In November the government laid out plans to increase tourist arrivals by 30% to reach 50 million annually by 2030 in pursuit of tourism's economic benefits. Gouging these travellers with a 60% increase in the ETA is a very bad start. The added cost would come on top of the Air Passenger Duty (APD)-the biggest travel tax in the world-which itself will increase again in April. And let's not forget that travellers have choice and the EU's ETIAS will be far better value-costing about a third as much as this proposed pricing and lasting a year longer.
It's time for the UK government to see the big picture. It has everything to gain by making the UK a more cost-competitive travel destination-including the substantial tax revenues that travellers generate. It makes no sense to discourage visitors with high costs even before they set foot in the country.”
UK aviation and tourism supports 1.6 million jobs currently, providing USD 160.7 billion to the UK's GDP. Please see the IATA Value of Air Transport to the United Kingdom study for further details.
Australia, 150 km W of Pormpuraaw, QLD: Qantas flight QF19, an Airbus A330-200, was en route from Syndey (SYD) to Manila (MNL) at FL380 when it diverted to Cairns. During cruise, fumes were detected in the rear section of the cabin affecting multiple passengers and cabin crew members. The source of the fumes was traced to a blanket that was reported to be contaminated.
Brazil, São José do Rio Preto Airport, SP (SJP/SBSR): A 67-year-old passenger fell down the stairs while disembarking from LATAM Airlines flight 3082, an Airbus A320-214. Rescue services were immediately called to the scene and found him under cardiorespiratory arrest. The passenger perished on site, despite attempts at resuscitation.
USA, Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD): United Airlines flight UA1727, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, struck a coyote during take-off from runway 28R at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). The aircraft climbed to 6000 feet and returned to Chicago for a safe landing on runway 28R about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the nose gear.
USA, Near Phoenix Skyharbor International Airport (PHX/KPHX): United Flight 1724 from San Francisco to Phoenix came within 425ft Vertically and A quarter of a mile Horizontally of Delta Flight 1070. ATC instructed Flight 1724 to land on runway 7 and Flight 1070 to turn toward runway 8. The incident activated TCAS on both aircraft.
