Trivia 2020 (miscellaneous news)

[sn26567]

United Aircraft says the IL114-300 will make its first flight in September 2020.

United Aircraft also says the MC-21 passenger jet equipped with PD-14 engines produced in Russia will make its first flight by the end of 2020.

[rwandan-flyer]

LAM Mozambique has just added a A330 to its fleet, to resume service to Portugal. The resume of service to Portgual was several times delayed du to the covid19 crisis.

https://www.facebook.com/VOELAMM/photos ... 444750247/

Probably not the best time to start a such rout and probably a non sense, as usual for Africans airlines. However it's interested to see that Portugal is only country, where TAP is facing off to the direct competition, by airlines, serving former Portuguese colonies in Africa:

Guinea Bissau: Euro Atlantic
Sao Tome e Principe: STP Airways operated by Euro Atlantic
Cabo Verde: TACV
Angola: TAAG
Mozambique: LAM Mozambique


From annaero: https://www.anna.aero/2019/10/08/does-i ... to-lisbon/

An estimated 80,000 people of Mozambique heritage live in Portugal and, paradoxically, 20,000+ Portuguese went to Mozambique in 2013/2014 following the economic troubles that afflicted the country.

In the 12 months to August 2019, 99,000 passengers flew between Mozambique and Portugal, up 2% YOY, with the demand primarily VFR-driven. Perhaps surprisingly, Portugal and Mozambique aren’t big trading partners. To Lisbon alone, 78,000 passengers were carried across all airlines.

João Carlos Pó Jorge, LAM Mozambique’s General Director, said: “[Our service will] satisfy strong demand from customers, including the Mozambican diaspora in Portugal, who had long awaited our direct flights, which is confirmed by market research.”

TAP operates a thrice-weekly service from Lisbon, which is to be operated by the A330-900neo from W19 – significantly more fuel-efficient than the A340-300 it’ll replace and with a better product.

In the year to August 2019, it’s estimated that TAP carried about 79,000 passengers, made up of 48,400 P2P passengers to/from Lisbon and 30,700 connecting over Lisbon – for a SLF of 77%. The pro rata airfare from Lisbon to Maputo – across all airlines – was just $396*, not much for a 5,200-mile sector, as a result of disproportionately strong economy demand. By contrast, the pro rata airfare to Luanda – through which three-quarters of connecting passengers to Lisbon transit – was $496*, a sector of just over 1,700 miles.

The numbers – even at a very high level – don’t seem to stack up for LAM Mozambique to begin this service, leading to the inevitable conclusion: it must be politically motivated. Which is a shame, for it makes infinitely more sense for African airlines to first develop a strong, sound domestic/regional operation before even considering launching fanciful and expensive and very risky long-haul services – if they need to at all, given the possibility for partnerships.

*One-way, USD, excluding taxes and fuel surcharges and averaged across all cabins. Source of data: OAG Traffic Analyser.

[sn26567]

Israir of Israel has started the process of applying for a landing permit in the UAE after the two countries announced last week that they plan to normalise relations.

[Passenger]

After six years D-check on this 1976 Iran Air Force 747-200 (ex Iraqi Airways YI-AGN), an engine run went wrong:
https://samchui.com/2020/08/21/iran-air ... n-d-check/

[Passenger]

Why wasn't the local police asked to evacuate the beachfront?

.

[sn26567]

RwandAir no longer plans to take delivery of the two leased A330neo or two leased B737 MAX jets it ordered. Instead, the carrier is working with future partner Qatar Airways on a new fleet plan.

Rwandan-Flyer, any comment?

[rwandan-flyer]

RwandAir no longer plans to take delivery of the two leased A330neo or two leased B737 MAX jets it ordered. Instead, the carrier is working with future partner Qatar Airways on a new fleet plan.

Rwandan-Flyer, any comment?

I was already pessimistic about this. RwandAir has gained a good reputation, in Africa, however, the airline is not yet profitable. RwandAir and Gov of Rwanda have always said, the main goal for RwandAir is to open up Rwanda. Profits come after.

Despite, to give more money, each year, recently, Rwanda Gov showed some clues, that they want that RwandAir becomes a profitable airline, to find a partner and sell stakes.

Girma Wake (former Ethiopian Airlines CEO) left the airline, John Mirenge (RwandAir CEO) was fired, probably because profits were not there

You can find Imigiho reports (performance contracts) on the web, like this one in 2017/2018, where Gov of Rwanda says that RwandAir needs to make more efforts, to be a protifable airline Pag 9 & 10, for RwandAir: http://www.minecofin.gov.rw/fileadmin/t ... NINFRA.pdf

Search Imigiho RwandAir

They were talks with Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines, but they have failed

I would prefer to see Ethiopian Airlines to buy stakes in RwandAir, Qatar Airways has confirmed that they will buy stakes into RwandAir. I m now waiting for, what will be the Qatar Airways strategy.

Will RwandAir start flights to Doha ?

Will RwandAir will focus only on African network and drop long haul routes to Brussels, London, Mumbai and Guangzhou ?

It's hard to get some Financial infos, from RwandAir, howver some routes are performed well before covid crisis:

Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Johannesburg, Nairobi (Kenya), Entebbe (Uganda), Mombasa (Kenya), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe), Cape Town (South Africa), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Kamembe (Rwanda), Kinshasa (DR Congo), Bujumbura (Burundi), Juba (South Sudan), Dubai, Kilimanjaro.

I have doubt for Dakar, London, Brussels, Mumbai, Cotonou (Benin), Libreville (Gabon), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Brazzaville (Rep of Congo), Tel Aviv, Abuja (Nigeria), and Douala, even if some of these routes are open since many years. I won't be surprised, if the airline drops some routes.

About the fleet

RwandAir has 12 aircraft in the fleet:

4 B737-800 (2 are leased from ALC), oldest were delivered, in 2011, youngest (2 leased), in 2018.
2 B737-700 (2 are leased from ILFC), leased since 2013, but built in 2007, ex Air Berlin
2 CRJ-900NG (2 are owned by RwandAir), delivered, in 2012
2 Q400NG (1 is leased from Palma Holding Limited), delivered in 2014 and in 2015
2 A330 (2 are owned by RwandAir)delivered in 2016 & 2017


It seems that Qatar Airways could lease some aircraft to RwandAir, like they did with Air Italy. Is RwandAir will become an all Airbus. They keep A330s and replace their B737-700-800, by A320s family. Or, they retire A330s, and they replaced them, by A321Neo / LRs ordered by QR. RwandAir was planned to add A321LR

https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/rwa ... 01.article

For me, a fleet like this, could be like this, could be good:

2 A321Neo or LR
2 A320Ceo,
2 Q400,
2 CRJ-900.

I think, it's could a good thing. Before covid crisis, RwandAir was growing fast because Rwanda was growinf fast, but i think, they were alreay too big and now with the crisis, they have to reduce capacity.

Qatar Airways will want to benefit from the fact that SAA is struggling, and Kenya Airways nationalisation is still in debate in Kenyan National Assembly, to expand in Africa

Kigali airport reopens and RwandAir takes off again on 1 August
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/rwan ... -1-august/

[...]

It's hard to know, the consequences of the aviation crisis in Rwanda. Although the airline was growing, RwandAir did not post profits, but the Rwanda Gov was behind. For Rwanda, the objective was above all to have an airline that would open up the country. Profits come later. He also injected 150M USD during the crisis. RwandAir has 2 A33Neo on order, but delivery has been delayed several times (well before covid19), while the 2 B737Max8 will have to wait. The 4 planes are painted and are stored in Toulouse, Châteauroux, for the A330s and San Antonio, for the 737Max. She also had to order an A321LR. I don't know if the government is going to put conditions on RwandAir. In my opinion, the company will have to restructure

Qatar Airways has confirmed that it will take 49% of RwandAir's capital and co-manage the new Kigali airport.

[rwandan-flyer]

Kenya Airways State takeover frozen in legal hitch

The nationalisation of Kenya Airways (KQ) has suffered a setback after Parliament stalled a proposed law that seeks to return the national carrier to government ownership due to lack of public participation.

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/cor ... index.html

[DIBO]

Helicopter from the Antwerp area, hijacked in a failed attempt to prison-break the women's prison in Forest/Vorst:
https://www.dhnet.be/actu/faits/spectac ... 322f34b22c
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/ge ... ~aefa4a73/

[DIBO]

Departed EBAW around 15:00 local
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... m#259a5eb4

[DIBO]

https://www.helispot.be/hs/page/detail. ... ub=logboek

[Passenger]

Helicopter from the Antwerp area, hijacked in a failed attempt to prison-break the women's prison in Forest/Vorst:
https://www.dhnet.be/actu/faits/spectac ... 322f34b22c
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/ge ... ~aefa4a73/

https://www.helispot.be/hs/page/detail. ... ub=logboek

Departed EBAW around 15:00 local
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... m#259a5eb4

Yesterday, four arrests have been made.

[Passenger]

Helicopter from the Antwerp area, hijacked in a failed attempt to prison-break the women's prison in Forest/Vorst:
https://www.dhnet.be/actu/faits/spectac ... 322f34b22c
https://www.hln.be/nieuws/binnenland/ge ... ~aefa4a73/

https://www.helispot.be/hs/page/detail. ... ub=logboek

Departed EBAW around 15:00 local
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... m#259a5eb4

Yesterday, four arrests have been made.

Statement Belgian Public Prosecutor (in Dutch only):
https://www.om-mp.be/nl/article/persber ... pterkaping

A 24-year old man (already convicted in a narcotics case) tried to release his 27-year old wife, awaiting her trial for murdering her (ex-) husband. He was assisted by a 18-year old and a 22-year old friend.

[luchtzak]

Dumb and dumber part 4

[Passenger]

Dumb and dumber part 4

With "dumb" = Kristel and "dumber" = Nick. They married in December 2019 in the prison of Hasselt. But she was transferred to the prison of Vorst/Forest after a cellphone was found in her cell in Hasselt (they lived in Tongeren).

[sn26567]

Azerbaijan cancelled all international flights except for those with Turkey as fighting intensified in the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.

[sn26567]

Dumb and dumber part 4

With "dumb" = Kristel and "dumber" = Nick. They married in December 2019 in the prison of Hasselt. But she was transferred to the prison of Vorst/Forest after a cellphone was found in her cell in Hasselt (they lived in Tongeren).

The news went all the way to America!

https://www.newsweek.com/man-hijacks-he ... ht-1534648

[globetrotter]

KLM has new look Cargo titles https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9863612 and in a darker shade on tail.

[Passenger]

Trivia, but not trivial:

A couple living in Kampenhout = just a few kilometres away from Brussels Airport, has died from malaria. Authorities, like the ITG (Instituut Tropische Geneeskunde Antwerpen - Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp) assume that the couple has been bitten mid September by a malaria musquito that 'flew' hidden in cargo or luggage on a flight from Africa. And then escaped once in open air at the airport.

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/10/10 ... t-malaria/

[sn26567]

Air France has withdrawn its last A340, MSN 207, and ex-Joon aircraft.