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News Archive 2003
This page contains an archive of news items relating to the BAe 146, Avro RJ, and Avro RJX regional jetliners built by BAE Systems, from January 2003.
Turkish Avro RJ100 crashes
A Turkish Airlines (THY) Avro RJ100 crashed in thick fog while attempting to land at Diyarbakir, in southeast Turkey, in the evening of January 8. Avro RJ100 TC-THG Konya (msn E3241) was operating flight TK634 from Istanbul, with 75 passengers and five crew on board. She was making a non-precision approach when she apparently hit the ground just short of the runway, broke apart, and burst into flames. Five people survived, including an infant and a crew member, and are being treated at Diyarbakir hospital. THY has a blemished safety record, having lost six aircraft in the last 20 years, including two Boeing 737s and two Avro RJs in the last decade (fortunately, both previous RJ accidents had no fatalities). [2003-01-08]
Azzurra Air codeshares with VLM
Italian Avro RJ operator Azzurra Air began a codeshare service from Milano Malpensa to Rotterdam on January 12, in cooperation with Dutch airline VLM. The daily (except Saturday) flight will be operated with an Avro RJ85. VLM considered acquiring Avro RJs to supplement its Fokker 50s a few years ago, but nothing came of the plan. [2003-01-20]
Air Zimbabwe's BAe 146 still grounded
A team of South African engineers has failed to put Air Zimbabwe's parked BAe 146 back into the air due to a shortage of parts. The series 200 has been parked at Harare since April 2000. Air Zimbabwe hired the engineers from South African Technical (SAT) after dismissing most of its own engineering staff for going on strike in September 2002. However, the government has recently directed the airline to re-hire the striking workers. [2003-01-20]
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| D-AMAJ still shows signs of her lease to Deutsche BA (Stefan Welsch) |
WDL BAe 146s to fly for Air Berlin
Köln-based WDL Aviation will operate three of its BAe 146s on behalf of Air-Berlin. The first will be based at Mönchengladbach from March 1, operating services to London Stansted, Zürich, Vienna, and Bergamo. The second will be based at Berlin Tegel from April 1, and fly to Zürich, Vienna, and Roma Ciampino, while the third will be based at Paderborn from April 1. All three will be painted in full Air-Berlin colors. WDL will provide the flight crews, and Air-Berlin the cabin crews. The agreement will last at least a year, but may be extended further. WDL operated a series 200 on behalf of Deutsche BA under a similar arrangement from March 2001 to 2002. At the beginning of the year, WDL lost the long-term contract it had had to operate several 146s on shuttle flights between Airbus plants in Europe. [2003-01-20] |
Aer Lingus to drop BAe 146s in fleet simplification move
In a move to cut costs, loss-making Irish national airline Aer Lingus is planning to standardize its narrowbody fleet on either the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320 family. The airline currently operates examples from both families. The airline plans to select one or the other as its sole narrowbody in the next few months. As part of the move, the airline will also dispose of of its eight BAe 146s. Aer Lingus has long mulled the possibility of withdrawing the 146s so as to reduce the number of models in the fleet, but has held back as it would mean giving up the profitable route from Dublin to London City. As passenger numbers have declined due to the economic slowdown, reducing the route's profitability, this has become less of a factor. Two 146s were withdrawn from use for several months as a result of the airline's route cutbacks, and have recently been returned off-lease to BAE Systems. The remaining six examples are expected to be withdrawn by the time the winter schedule begins in October. [2003-01-25] |
airBaltic to replace Avro RJ fleet
Latvian national airline airBaltic is taking advantage of low lease rates in the current depressed market to replace its three Avro RJ70s and four Fokker 50s with Boeing 737s. The 120-seat 737s will provide substantially more capacity than the 76-seat RJ70s. The first 737 will arrive next month, and be used on the airline's main route, from Riga to Copenhagen. Others will follow until the entire fleet is replaced, in 2004. airBaltic leased three former Business Express RJ70s from BAE Systems in early 1996, and renewed the leases in late 2000. [2003-01-26]
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| BAe 146 VH-EWS being painted in Albanian colors (Paul Weaver) |
Albanian adds another BAe 146
Albanian airlines has agreed with the administrators of Ansett to acquire one of the bankrupt carrier's stored BAe 146s, series 300 VH-EWS (msn E3197). Albanian carrier bought a series 200 from BAE Systems in April 2001, to begin the process of replacing its Tupolev Tu-134s. The airline also began negotiations to acquire a second example of the type. Other vendors also offered the airline 146s, however, and negotiations proved quite protracted as the airline sought the most favorable offer. [2003-01-28] |
Aurigny to wet-lease a BAe 146
Guernsey-based airline Aurigny will wet-lease a BAe 146 from Titan to provide additional capacity during the 2003 summer season. Aurigny operates Britten-Norman Trislanders on flights between the Channel Islands and SAAB 340s on longer routes. During the busy summer season, however, these aircraft are insufficient to meet the demand. In 2002, Aurigny leased a 46-seat ATR42 from Danish Air Transport. Even this proved insufficient, however, so this year Aurigny turned to a 90-seat 146 to help meet peak-season demand. The 146 will operate on weekends. It will fly a roundtrip from London Stansted to Guernsey, supplementing the 340s on the route, and three roundtrips to Manchester, replacing the 340s entirely on that route. [2003-01-28]
Queen's Flight BAe 146 rescues baby
A BAe 146 from No.32 Squadron (The Royal) made news when it airlifted a baby that needed an urgent operation from Northolt to Glasgow on January 22. The baby needed an operation for a rare condition, and Glasgow's Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children was the only hospital with the necessary facilities and an open bed. An RAF Hercules from Lyneham was scheduled to make the flight, but it burst a tyre on landing at Northolt. The Royal Flight then offered the 146 as a replacement. [2003-01-28]
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| BAE Systems BAe 146-200 G-TBAE (Ian Cobb) |
BAe 146 flies BAE Systems shuttle
Former British European BAe 146-200 G-JEAR (msn E2018) was delivered to the BAE Systems Corporate Air Travel Department Warton as G-TBAE on January 18 after she was painted at Bournemouth. She flew her first service on January 20, on the inter factory shuttle service between Warton and Farnborough. [2003-01-28] |
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| buzz's 146s will fly for Ryanair for the next year (S. Pagiola collection) |
Ryanair buys buzz
Irish airline Ryanair announced on January 31 that is buying KLM's low-cost subsidiary, buzz for EUR24 million. The transaction is expected to be completed on April 1. Ryanair will inherit buzz's fleet, which will then consist of six Boeing 737s and six BAe 146-300s. buzz had earlier announced its intention of replacing the 146s with 737s, and two of its current eight will have been returned off-lease by then. Ryanair will operate the remaining six 146s until the end of March 2004, when they will be returned to KLM and replaced with additional Boeing 737s. They will carry the Ryanair name, but not be repainted in the airline's full colors. Ryanair lost little time in placing its imprint on buzz, announcing its intention to curtail many routes, abandon the planned hub in Bournemouth, and cut about 20% of buzz's staff. [2003-02-05] |
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| G-IRJX arrives at Manchester on February 6 (T. Silgrim) |
Last flight for the Avro RJX
The development Avro RJX-100, G-IRJX, made a final flight on February 6, when she flew from Woodford to nearby Manchester Airport. She took off at noon, and gave a short farewell display at Woodford before flying over to Manchester. She was flown by test pilot Alan Foster, who had also piloted her on her first flight, on September 23, 2001. "It's really sad," he said later. "I took her up on her maiden flight and was at the controls on her last. She's a wonderful aircraft to fly, but I feel so sorry for all of the people who put such tremendous work into building her." At Manchester, she was greeted by a water-gun salute from the airport's fire brigade. She was donated by BAE Systems to a new aviation heritage exhibition being set up at Manchester Airport. Other British-built airliners are expected to join her there, including an Avro 748 and a BAC One-Eleven. The exhibit is scheduled to open in May. [2003-02-08] |
Express-Airways abandons start-up plans
Proposed new German low-cost airline, Express-Airways, has failed to secure sufficient funds to start up as planned. The airline, an off-shoot of cargo carrier Farnair Europe, had proposed using six BAe 146s on low-cost flights between secondary German airports. [2003-02-11]
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| British Airways CitiExpress Avro RJ100s at Birmingham (Chris Sheldon) |
CitiExpress signs Jetspares contract
British Airways CitiExpress has signed a five-year JetSpares contract with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft. The UKP19 million deal extends the airline's previous deal for coverage of its five BAe 146s and adds support for the sixteen former CityFlyer Avro RJ100s the airline is receiving. JetSpares is a customised support program, under which BAE Systems provides spares inventory, logistics, and repairs at a fixed cost per flying hour. Over 100 BAe 146s and Avro RJs are enrolled in the JetSpares program. [2003-02-11] |
SN Brussels announces fleet replacement plans
SN Brussels Airlines has announced plans to gradually replace its BAe 146 and Avro RJ fleet in the coming years. The airline currently operates six BAe 146-200s, fourteen Avro RJ85s, and twelve RJ100s. An evaluation is currently underway to select a new type to replace them. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In the meantime, the airline is about to put into the service the first of three leased Airbus A319s, which will allow it to operate routes beyond the range of the 146s and RJs. Four RJ85s will be returned to their lessors this year. The rest of the BAe 146/Avro RJ fleet will be withdrawn at the rate of about five a year. SN Brussels carried 3.2 million passengers in its first year, and is hoping to increase that number by almost 40% this year. It lost about US$3 million, far less than it originally expected, and hopes to break even this year. [2003-02-18] |
Air China orders A319s to replace BAe 146s
Air China is planning to replace its four BAe 146-100s with Airbus A319s. The order is subject to confirmation from the Chinese government. Air China inherited the four 146s when it was formed from the Beijing division of CAAC in 1989. They are operated on domestic services from Hohot. [2003-02-20]
Avro RJ fleet spared in Swiss cuts
In an effort to stem losses, Swiss has announced a package of emergency measures that will include substantial cuts in its fleet. Twenty aircraft are to be cut, including twelve SAAB 2000s, five ERJ 145s, two MD-83s, and one A321. Its fleet of nineteen Avro RJs (four RJ85s and fifteen RJ100s) is unaffected by the cuts. Swiss' financial troubles may also lead it to delay taking deliveries of the Embraer 170s it has on order. [2003-02-27]
Ryanair takes the axe to buzz
Ryanair has announced swingeing cuts in the operations of buzz, which it is acquiring from KLM. As of April 1 (when the transaction is scheduled to be closed), all buzz flights will be grounded to allow time for the company to be restructured. Service on most buzz routes will be suspended, though Ryanair itself will take over some, in some cases moving the terminus to secondary airports, as is its practice. buzz's aircraft will remain grounded for at least four weeks. When operations restart, only eight aircraft will be operated, including only two of the BAe 146s rather than six as originally contemplated. As a result of these changes, over 400 buzz employees -- two thirds of the total -- will lose their jobs. These announcements have understandably caused considerable distress within buzz, but Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has threatened to shut down the airline entirely if there is any resistance to his plans. [2003-02-27]
Jazz BAe 146 rescues Concorde passengers
An Air Canada Jazz BAe 146 was chartered by Air France when the Concorde operating the Paris-New York flight had divert into Halifax on February 19 because of engine problems. Jazz BAe 146-200 C-GRNT (still painted in full Air Nova colors) was chartered to carry the 47 stranded passengers on to New York. She was then ferried back to Halifax. Loss-making Air Canada is considering selling Jazz to raise revenue. [2003-02-27]
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| WDL BAe 146-200 D-AMAJ in Air-Berlin colors (Klaus Finnemann) |
First BAe 146 painted in Air-Berlin colors
WDL Aviation's BAe 146-200 D-AMAJ (msn E2028) has been painted in Air-Berlin colors. She will begin operating on behalf of Air-Berlin on March 1, operating services to London Stansted, Zürich, Vienna, and Bergamo. Until then, she is operating on the Airbus shuttle contract, with the Air-Berlin titles blanked out. Series 300 D-AWBA (msn E3134) has also been painted into Air-Berlin colors, by QAPS at Amsterdam. Eventually, three WDL 146s will fly for Air-Berlin. [2003-02-27] |
Malmö adds international routes
Malmö Aviation is adding several international routes. The airline has concentrated on domestic scheduled services since it abandoned flights to London City in September 2000, although it also frequently flies international charters. Now the airline is adding several international services. On March 20, it will begin service from Gothenburg to Nice. Then, on March 30, it will begin flying to Brussels from both Gothenburg and Stockholm Bromma. The summer season will also see it operating from Malmö to Venezia, Bologna, Pisa, Glasgow, and Visby, and from Gothenburg to Dublin. On the flights to Brussels, Malmö will codeshare with Virgin Express. The link with Malmö marks the end of Virgin Express' last tie to SN Brussels Airlines. Following SABENA's bankruptcy, Virgin Express had discussed a merger with SN Brussels, but they had been unable to come to an agreement. [2003-03-07]
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| F-GOMA and sistership F-GLNI have been repossessed (J. Woodrow) |
Air Jet restructures
Bordeaux-based Air Jet is in the middle of a substantial restructuring. The airline ran into financial problems after an ill-advised expansion using SAAB 2000s. Problems were aggravated when the BAe 146-300 it had leased was seized in Italy over debts its previous operator, National Jet Italia, had accumulated. As a result, the airline was sold to an investment group with substantial commercial interests in France and Algeria. Negotiations were underway with creditors for extended repayment terms on Air Jet's debts. All seemed to be on track, when former Air Jet owner Jet Services suddenly pulled its contract for night cargo work on behalf of TNT and repossessed the two BAe 146-200QCs it had leased to the airline. The two 146s were flown to Dinard on March 4, to be repainted in the colors of Marseilles-based Axis Airways, who is taking over the TNT contract. Despite this severe blow, Air Jet's new owners are persevering in their efforts to restructure the airline. For the time being, operations continue with the remaining SAAB 2000, but negotiations are underway to secure two BAe 146 for delivery in late April. Two further 146 are also being sought. [2003-03-20] |
Axis Airways to take over Air Jet BAe 146QCs
Marseilles-based Axis Airways is taking over the two BAe 146-200QCs formerly operated by Air Jet. The two 146s are owned by air and road express distribution company Jet Service, which used to own Air Jet. The 146QCs will join several other aircraft in convertible cargo/passenger configuration, including Boeing 737s, that Axis already operates. [2003-03-20]
BAE Systems to remarket BAe 146s
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has been charged with re-marketing several BAe 146s, building on its previous success at placing BAe 146 and Avro RJs from its own portfolio and on behalf of others. The ANZ Investment Bank has entrusted them with finding new homes for a series 100 currently operated by National Jet Systems (NJS), two series 200s currently operated by NJS on behalf of QantasLink, and a former Ansett series 200. All four are available for sale or lease. Separately, DaimlerChrysler has asked BAE Systems for help in re-marketing a series 100 formerly operated by Air Wisconsin. [2003-03-20]
British Airways CitiExpress begins London City service
British Airways CitiExpress began services from London City on March 30, with flights to Paris and Frankfurt. Three daily round trips will be flown to both cities, except on Sundays when only a single roundtrip will be flown. Flights to Glasgow will be added on May 1. Five of the airline's Avro RJ100s have received the modifications necessary to operate the steep approaches at the airport. The last three former CityFlyer RJ100s have just been transferred to CitiExpress. [2003-03-31]
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| Jazz BAe 146-200A (John Davies) |
Air Canada to restructure
Air Canada has filed for protection from its creditors under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Like the US Chapter 11, the CCAA is designed to give bankrupt companies time to restructure so as to return to profitability. The move also includes Air Canada's subsidiaries, including regional airline Jazz, which operates ten BAe 146-200s. Despite its dominant position in Canada, Air Canada has long been hobbled by a high cost structure, a problem which has been accentuated by the fall-off in demand in the wake of September 11. The precipitous decline in passenger volume on its lucrative Asian routes because of fears of the SARS disease proved the final straw. Air Canada has announced that its restructuring would result in the elimination of its smaller fleets, including its Boeing 747-400s and 737-200s, and its BAe 146s. The departure of the 146s at the end of their current had in any case been long anticipated. [2003-04-02] |
End of the line for buzz
Stansted-based buzz ceased flying on March 31, and its fleet -- including its eight BAe 146s -- has been parked at Stansted. The airline is being acquired by Ryanair, but the transaction has been delayed by difficulties in securing the approval of Britain's Office of Fair Trading. Ryanair is also in a dispute with buzz parent KLM over the price it is to pay for the airline. Assuming the transaction goes through, Ryanair plans to spend the month of April re-organizing the airline before re-starting operations on May 1 with a substantially smaller fleet, including only two of the 146s. buzz was created in January 2000 as a low-cost branch of KLM uk. It took over eight BAe 146-300s previously operated by that airline. buzz's operations never proved profitable. [2003-04-02] |
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| Air China's BAe 146-100s are stored at Hohot (Avtrade) |
Avtrade to remarket Air China BAe 146s
Broker Avtrade has acquired Air China's four BAe 146-100s for re-marketing, along with six spare engines, five APU's, and the airline's stock of rotable components. The four 146s were built in 1987, part of an order for ten placed by the then state airline, CAAC, and delivered to CAAC's Beijing division. Air China inherited the four 146s when CAAC was split into separate airlines in 1989. All four were withdrawn from use early this year and placed in storage at Hohot, their main base for many years. They have between 31,500 and 33,000 hours. While they have not received various mandated modifications necessary for operation in Europe or the USA, such as TCAS, RVSM, or the engine modifications to prevent icing-induced rollback, Avtrade is ready to arrange those modifications if required. All four aircraft are available immediately. Avtrade is a well-established supplier of aircraft components, primarily for Boeing aircraft. [2003-04-15] |
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| ex-buzz BAe 146-300 G-UKAG flying for Ryanair (TZ Aviation) |
Ryanair's Buzz Stansted subsidiary returns to the air
Four of the BAe 146-300s formerly operated by buzz returned to the air on May 1, flying for Irish airline Ryanair. Ryanair's acquisition of buzz from KLM was completed on April 11. Ryanair paid EUR20.1 million to KLM for buzz's operations, including the four 146s, six Boeing 737-300, the relevant operating manuals, and some airport facilities. Ryanair has formed a new company, Buzz Stansted Ltd, that will operate the ten aircraft under its own AOC, employing about 130 former buzz employees. CAA approval for the transaction was received on April 28, allowing operations to resume on May 1. Operations had been suspended on March 31 as Ryanair re-organized the companies. The four 146s are being used on twice daily roundtrips to Blackpool, daily roundtrips to Brest, Groningen, Kerry County, La Rochelle, Limoges, and Tours, and roundtrip to Londonderry on Sunday. Ryanair plans to operate the 146s until early next year, at which time they will be returned to KLM. All four 146s are currently flying in full buzz colors. They are not expected to be re-painted, but may have Ryanair titles applied. [2003-05-05] |
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| Swiss Avro RJ100 HB-IYW (Stefano Pagiola collection) |
Swiss to restructure regional operations
In an effort to stem losses, Swiss is planning to place its regional operations in a separate subsidiary, to be called Swiss Express. The change will occur in the fall, at the start of the 2003/04 winter timetable. The move is aimed at reducing costs 20 percent below those of the present airline. It will essentially re-create the previous arrangement in which lower-cost Crossair flew Swissair's regional services. Swiss Express will take over Swiss' regional fleet, including its four RJ85s and fifteen RJ100s. [2003-05-05] |
Axis Airways receives BAe 146QCs
Marseilles-based Axis Airways has taken delivery of former Air Jet BAe 146-200QC F-GLNI (msn E2188) after she was painted at Norwich. The second former Air Jet 146QC, F-GOMA (msn E2211), should follow shortly. [2003-05-22] |
Lufthansa commits to Avro RJ operations
Lufthansa decided that its subsidiary CityLine will continue to operate its fleet of 18 Avro RJ85s well into the second half of the decade. The RJ85s had been due to be replaced by the Fairchild Dornier 728s Lufthansa had ordered, but the manufacturer's bankruptcy has ended that plan. Cityline took delivery of the RJ85s between 1994 and 1997. The airline has hitherto operated its RJ85s in a five-abreast, but is switching to a six-abreast layout to increase capacity from 85 to 100 seats. [2003-05-22]
Newest WDL BAe 146 flies for Air-Berlin
WDL's newest BAe 146-200, D-AMGL (msn E2055). is now flying for Air-Berlin. The airline took delivery of the former Malmö Aviation aircraft on April 4 and flew her to Köln for maintenance. Upon emerging, she joined her fleetmates D-AMAJ, D-AWUE, and D-AWBA, who are already flying for Air-Berlin. [2003-06-01] |
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| Malmö is flying BAe 146 SE-DRM for Skyways (Christer Johansson) |
Malmö flies for Skyways
Malmö Aviation is operating a BAe 146 on behalf of Skyways. The 146 is being used on services from Stockholm Arlanda to Skelleftea, in northern Sweden. Malmö is providing the flight crew, and Skyways the cabin crew. The aircraft being used, SE-DRM (msn E2196), was recently leased from SN Brussels Airlines. She began service on May 18, operating flight JZ294, after positioning from Malmö Sturup earlier that day. At first she was all white, but she has since been painted in full Skyways colors. The lease is intended to last six months. [2003-06-06] |
Druk Air selects Airbus A319 to replace BAe 146s
Bhutanese national airline Druk Air has selected the Airbus A319 to replace its pair of BAe 146-100s. The airline had earlier ordered two Avro RJX-85s for this purpose, but was left high and dry when BAE Systems cancelled the RJX program. An order for two A319s is expected to be placed some time next year. The A319 beat out the Boeing 737-700 for the order, with both types conducting demonstration flights at Paro's constricted airport. The extra range provided by the A319 will allow Druk Air to serve on a non-stop basis destinations such as Bangkok, which currently require an en-route stop with the BAe 146 (the RJX would also have had this capability). The A319, however, will have to limit its capacity on the longer legs, while the RJX would not have had to. Druk is evaluating options for the disposal of its 146s. The airline would prefer to sell them, but the market for the series 100 is limited. An earlier plan to convert one or both to freighters may be revived. [2003-06-14]
Air China BAe 146s arrive at Southend
All four former Air China BAe 146-100s have now arrived at Southend. B-635L (msn E1085) arrived on May 23, B-634L (msn E1083) on May 30, B-632L (msn E1076) on June 6, and B-633L (msn E1081) on June 10. The four aircraft are being offered for sale by broker Avtrade. [2003-06-17] |
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| The BAe 146ARA is nearing completion (BAE Systems) |
Atmospheric research 146 nears completion
The last BAe 146 being worked on at Woodford is nearing completion. This is, ironically, not a new-build aircraft, but a modification of the very first BAe 146 built. BAe 146 msn E3001 was built as the 146 prototype, msn E1001, in 1981, then modified to serve as the series 300 prototype in 1987. She is now being converted into an atmospheric research aircraft (ARA). Once completeted, she will begin a 10-year contract with the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement (FAAM), which has been established by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Atmospheric Science in partnership with the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) Aircraft Consortium (representing aircraft users) and the UK's Meteorological Office. Modifications to E3001 include additional fuel tanks to enhance range; external radiometer blisters on the front port fuselage and the rear fuselage; two LIDAR laser apertures in the upper and lower rear fuselage; two wing pylons each supporting up to four scientific equipment canisters; air sampling and sensing equipment in the upper forward fuselage; various avionic upgrades; and capability for operations up to 35,000 feet. The ARA will have facilities for up to 18 scientific crew and a Mission Scientist, but the normal crew complement will probably be around ten. [2003-06-17] |
NJS to cut back QantasLink flying
Australia's National Jet Systems is to reduce the flying it undertakes on behalf of QantasLink. Beginning in early summer, QantasLink BAe 146 services in eastern Australia will gradually be taken over by other Qantas group operators. As a result, the airline will close its bases in Brisbane, Canberra, and Melbourne, and return as many as five of its BAe 146s as their leases expire. [2003-06-24] |
Further cuts for Swiss
Loss-making Swiss International Air Lines is to make further cuts in its fleet and route structure in a bid to survive. 34 aircraft are to be withdrawn from use, reducing the fleet to 18 long-haul aircraft, 21 medium-haul aircraft, and 35 regional aircraft. The airline did not specify how the regional fleet would be cut, but the reductions are likely to take place by returning the SAAB 2000 fleet, leaving the Avro RJ fleet (15 RJ100s an 4 RJ85s) untouched. The airline is also planning to re-position its in-flight service, offering both a Premium Business Class and an extremely competitively priced Economy Class on European routes. In the meantime, conflict between the former Swissair and former Crossair pilot groups continues to plague the airline. The court of arbitration recently ruled that any job losses should be shared proportionally across the two pilot groups, an approach that the airline claims would result in unacceptably high costs. [2003-06-25]
Flightline rocks
Flightline's BAe 146-300 G-BPNT (msn E3126) operated a series of charter flights on behalf of singer Robbie Williams. G-BPNT is often used for VIP charters, having been configured with a 48-seat executive interior following the end of the Swissair Express operation. [2003-07-11] |
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| Flybe 146s at Southampton: G-TBAE, -JEAY, and -JEAK (TZ Aviation) |
Flybe adds routes, 146s
Flybe celebrated its first anniversary as a low-fare airline by announcing a substantial expansion in the routes it flies from its base at Exeter International Airport, Devon. New routes to Alicante, Malaga, Murcia, Belfast City, Edinburgh, and Glasgow will be launched from March 28, 2004. The airline plans to use its 146s on the three Spanish routes. The move follows previous expansion from Southampton and Birmingham, where Flybe is now the largest operator. To support its expansion, Flybe has leased several additional 146s, including three series 300s (a former buzz example, one of the former National Jet Italia examples that had been stored at Exeter, and the former Air Jet example that had been impounded at Bergamo) and series 200QC wet-leased from Titan. The BAE Systems Corporate Air Travel 146s have also frequently been leased in. The airline also recently placed an order for 17 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops. Longer-term, it is also beginning to evaluate options to replace its 146s, although this would probably require substantial additional financing. [2003-07-11] |
airBaltic expands Avro RJ routes
Latvian national airline airBaltic is planning to serve Brussels from Riga with its Avro RJ70s beginning on September 1. Initially, the service will be flown three times a week, but it could become daily if successful. airBaltic operates three Avro RJ70s. A plan to replace them with Boeing 737s was announced earlier this year. [2003-07-11]
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| ex Queens Flight BAe 146 G-CBXY at Southend (Anonymous) |
Former Queen's Flight BAe 146 heads to Indonesia
The former Queen's Flight BAe 146-100 G-CBXY (msn E1124) is being prepared for delivery to its Indonesian buyer at Southend. She was rolled out from Air Livery in early July, in a striking color scheme, and then flight-tested on July 10. She will eventually become PK-OSP. [2003-07-18] |
Swiss Express plan jettisoned in labor accord
Loss-making Swiss International Air Lines has dropped a plan to create a low-cost regional subsidiary, to have been named Swiss Express. The move is part of an agreement settling a dispute with its pilot union, who agreed to over 550 job losses and not to apply last month's ruling by an arbitration court to re-instate 169 redundant pilots. The airline still plans to implement several of the cost-reduction strategies intended for Swiss Express, however. In other cost-cutting moves, the airline is substantially reducing its route network. Cuts include 15 European routes. [2003-07-18]
SN Brussels begins to repaint its Avro RJs
SN Brussels Airlines has begun to repaint its Avro RJs and BAe 146s in its airline's new colors, which were introduced earlier this year with the delivery of the Airbus A319s. Avro RJ85 OO-DJK (msn E2271) was the first to be repainted. She was rolled out on July 7 from the QAPS paintshop in Amsterdam. [2003-07-29] |
Titan BAe 146 flies for Aurigny
Titan Airways BAe 146-200QC G-ZAPO (msn E2176) is now flying for Aurigny on weekend services from Guernsey. The 146 flies a roundtrip from London Stansted to Guernsey, supplementing the 340s on the route, and three roundtrips to Manchester, replacing the 340s entirely on that route. [2003-08-15] |
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| Air Botnia Avro RJ85 OH-SAJ (BAE Systems) |
Air Botnia gives a home to white-tail Avro RJs
Finnish airline Air Botnia has agreed to lease the last four un-sold Avro RJs. The airline will take delivery of the two RJ85s and two RJ100s in November, and be used to increase capacity on existing routes and add new destinations. The RJ85s will be configured with 84 seats, and the RJ100s with 99 seats. As part of the agreement with BAE Systems, the airline also extended the leases on its five current RJ85s, which were delivered in 2001. The two RJ100s were built in 2001, and the two RJ85s in 2002. All four have been stored at Filton for some time. [2003-08-15] |
Club Air to replace its BAe 146s
Italian airline Club Air is planning to replace its two BAe 146s with Boeing 737-300s next spring. Club Air leased the two former Flightline series 200s from IMP Group in late 2002, and is operating them on behalf of tour operator Valsole Viaggi, primarily on flights to Romania. [2003-08-20]
Lufthansa expected to realign regional operations
Lufthansa is expected to announce a rebranding of its regional operations this fall. At present, wholly-owned subsidiary CityLine is flying under the Lufthansa brand, partly-owned Eurowings and Air Dolomiti under their own brands, and independents Augsburg Airways and Contact Air under the 'Team Lufthansa' brand. Under the proposed plan, all five would begin flying under the new 'Lufthansa Regional' brand. The move will also see, over the longer term, a reduction in the number of types flown. CityLine's fleet includes 18 Avro RJ85s, and that of Eurowings includes eight BAe 146s (four series 200s and four series 300s). CityLine had ordered Fairchild Dornier 728s, but cancelled that order following the manufacturer's bankruptcy and extended the leases on its RJ85s. Lufthansa is taking part in a potential joint order for regional jets with other Star Alliance airlines. [2003-08-23]
TNT 146QTs to fly to Naples and Florence
TNT Airways is launching direct air service to Naples and Florence from its hub at Liège, Belgium, with its BAe 146QT freighters. Service to both cities will begin on September 9. The move is made possible by the delivery of the airline's first Boeing 737-300 freighters, which are replacing the smaller 146s on several routes. [2003-08-30]
CityJet set to restart Dublin to London City services
Irish airline CityJet is planning to resume flying between Dublin and London City later this year. The route had been the airline's first when it began services in 1994. The airline abandoned it in 2000, however, after two years of bruising competition with Aer Lingus, though it continued to fly into London City from Paris. The opportunity for CityJet to return is presenting itself now that the national airline being forced to pull out in its turn as a result of its decision to withdraw its BAe 146s. CityJet recently added another BAe 146, bringing its fleet of the type to thirteen (all series 200s). It plans to continue to increase its fleet over the next several years, pending a decision on a replacement type. The Embraer 170/190 family is thought to be the clear favorite in this respect, not least because of its capability to operate at London City. A decision must await a joint selection of a suitable type by the SkyTeam Alliance, of which CityJet is a member through its parent Air France. [2003-09-20]
AzzurraAir sold to investment group
British investment group 7 Group Plc has announced that it has acquired Italian airline Azzurra Air. Azzurra Air was set up in 1996 by Air Malta and Italian investors. The airline operates three Avro RJ85s and four Avro RJ70s on scheduled services, alongside several Boeing 737-700s and Airbus A320s used for charters. It carries about 1 million passengers annually. The company lost about EUR21 million in 2002, but prospects for 2003 are much improved. 7 Group has not announced its plans for the airline. [2003-09-30] |
Air Botnia goes Blue
Finnish airline Air Botnia, a subsidiary of SAS, has announced that it will be changing its name to Blue1 from January 1, 2004. The name change comes as Air Botnia prepares to substantially increase its capacity, by adding two Avro RJ85s and two Avro RJ100s to its five current Avro RJ85s. The new aircraft will increase passenger capacity by 60 percent and enable the airline to open new routes. Service from Helsinki to Dusseldorf began in May, and service to Geneva will begin on October 6. Air Botnia's RJ85s are configured with 79 seats, while the RJ100s will have 99 seats. They are currently being prepared for delivery. All four should arrive in late October or early November. [2003-09-30] |
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| Flightline BAe 146 G-BPNT flying for the Rolling Stones (Peter Frei) |
Flightline rocks on
Flightline's BAe 146-300 G-BPNT (msn E3126) is back in the Rock'n'Roll business. After operating a series of charter flights on behalf of singer Robbie Williams in the early summer, she was employed to fly the Rolling Stones in the early fall. The inevitable question is: did the band get satisfaction? [2003-09-30] |
Air Wisconsin renews United Express contract
BAe 146 operator Air Wisconsin has finalized a contracts to continue providing flight services for United Express. Air Wisconsin has been flying under the United Express since 1985. The airline currently operates 17 BAe 146s on United Express' behalf (12 series 200s and 5 series 300s), in addition to a large fleet of CRJs. Under the new contract, the relationship with United is extended for a further eleven years. It provides for the airline to continue operating its 17 BAe 146s on United Express services through 2005 and at least 10 of them beyond that date. The 146 is indispensable to Air Wisconsin's United Express operation as it is the only jet allowed to fly into the ski resort at Aspen -- a lucrative destination during the winter. [2003-10-01] |
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| BAe 146ARA G-LUXE (BAE Systems) |
Atmospheric research 146 makes first flight
The BAe 146 atmospheric research aircraft (ARA) made her first flight from Woodford on October 1, following modification to its new role. The aircraft is a modification of the very first BAe 146 built, which had later been modified to serve as the series 300 prototype. She was rolled out on August 18 and entered a ground test phase. The 146ARA will be operated by Norwich-based Directflight on behalf of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurement (FAAM). Directflight is establishing a base at Cranfield Airport to support the FAAM. [2003-10-04] |
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| Mesaba Avro RJ85 N509XJ at Detroit (Stefano Pagiola) |
Northwest considers ending Mesaba's Avro RJ contract
Northwest Airlines is considering cancelling Mesaba's contract to operate thirty-six Avro RJ85s on its behalf under the Northwest Jet Airlink brand. The contract between the two airlines runs through 2006, but under its terms Northwest can terminate it, at its sole discretion, by providing notice to Mesaba on or before October 28. At Mesaba's request, the deadline was extended to December 15. If Northwest does decide to terminate the contract, it would then end on April 25, 2004. Northwest is said to be thinking of replacing the 69-seat RJ85s with smaller aircraft. Mesaba's pilots, however, see a more sinister motive: providing pressure in their on-going contract negotiations with the airline. Losing the contract to operate the RJ85s would be a major blow to Mesaba, as they generate about 40 percent of its revenue. Whatever the ultimate decision, plans call for five of the RJ85s to be withdrawn: three in early December, and two in early January. This would bring Mesaba's fleet down to thirty, one example being still grounded for repairs after a ground taxiing accident in 2002. [2003-10-10] |
Lufthansa rebrands regional operations
As expected, Lufthansa is re-aligning its regional operations under the Lufthansa Regional brand. The move will bring together the 18 Avro RJ85s of CityLine and the 8 BAe 146s of Eurowings. [2003-10-18]
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| Blue1 Avro RJ100 OH-SAM landing at Helsinki (Lauri Huima) |
Air Botnia Avro RJ100s arrive
Air Botnia has begun to take delivery of the two Avro RJ85s and two RJ100s it has ordered. RJ100 OH-SAM (msn E3386) was the first to arrive, on October 22, already painted in the colors of Blue1, the new name that Air Botnia will adopt on January 1, 2004. The second RJ100 should follow in late October, and the two RJ85s in November. Air Botnia already operates five RJ85s. [2003-10-28] |
Azzurra Avro RJs idled by end of Alitalia contract
The seven Avro RJs of Italian airline Azzurra Air have been largely idled by the termination of the contract to provide services for Alitalia. In a cost-cutting move, Alitalia cancelled services to Hamburg, Copenhagen, Porto, and Stockholm from Milano's Malpensa Airport, as of October 26, 2003 -- services that Azzurra had provided. The move leaves Azzurra's Avro RJs with only one scheduled service: to Rotterdam, served once daily in a code-share arrangement with VLM. Azzurra operates four Avro RJ70s and three RJ85s. [2003-10-28]
Croatia Airlines ends BAe 146 flying
Flightline's contract to fly a BAe 146 for Croatia Airlines has come an end. The contract began at the end of March 2002, with series 200 G-OZRH painted in the airline's full colors. A second 146 was to have been added in the fall, but a fall-off in traffic led to that part of the contract being cancelled and G-OZRH soldiered on alone. G-OZRH returned to Southend on September 30, and series 300 G-BPNT took over for the last month of the contract. [2002-10-31]
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| The sun hasn't quite set on Aer Lingus' BAe 146s (Gerry Hill) |
Equipment shortages give reprieve to Aer Lingus BAe 146s
As planned, Aer Lingus withdrew its six remaining BAe 146s from service with the beginning of its winter schedule on October 26. The move did not end the airline's BAe 146 operations, however. A deal to lease additional examples of the Airbus narrowbody family fell through, leaving Aer Lingus short of equipment. Several BAe 146s, therefore, have been pressed back into service -- mainly on the routes from Dublin to secondary British towns that have long been their domain, but also as needed throughout the airline's European network. CityJet quickly took over the route from Dublin to London City, initially using a BAe 146 leased from Flightline. [2003-11-10] |
Further delay for Swiss Avro RJ replacement
Swiss has requested a further delay in the delivery of the Embraer 170s and 195s it ordered. Swiss predecessor Crossair was originally the launch customer for both models. Heavy losses had already forced an earlier postponement of deliveries, along with a substantial cut in the order. Continuing losses have now led Swiss to request that initial deliveries be pushed back another year, to 2005. This will obviously result in Swiss retaining its Avro RJ fleet longer. [2003-11-14]
Air Littoral buy gives work to Azzurra Avro RJs
Investment fund Seven Group, owner of Azzurra Air, has acquired the assets of bankrupt French regional airline Air Littoral. The Group hopes to combine the two airlines to "set up a top-ranking European regional airline to serve the Mediterranean region", in the words of Mario Palmonella, Seven Group chairman. Seven Group will only retain Air Littoral's CRJ fleet. The routes to Corsica previously flown by the French airline's Fokker 70s will now be served using Azzurra's Avro RJs, which were recently idled by the end of code-share agreement with Alitalia. [2003-11-14]
Last production Avro RJ delivered
An era came to an end of November 26, when Air Botnia took delivery of the last Avro RJ produced. The aircraft, Avro RJ85 msn E2394 has been built in April 2002, making her first flight on April 24 of that year. She had then been stored, initially at Woodford and then at Filton, together with three other unsold RJs -- another RJ85 and two RJ100s. Air Botnia bought all four earlier this year, and they were flown to Exeter for customization by Flybe Aviation Services prior to delivery. The other three were delivered in late October and early November, painted in the new colors of Blue 1 -- the new name Air Botnia will adopt from January 1. To mark the end of the BAe 146 and Avro RJ production program, E3294 was flown from Exeter to BAE Systems Regional Aircraft's facilites. She first overflew Weybridge, site of the European Spares Logistics Centre, and Hatfield, home of BAE Systems Asset Management and site of the initial BAe 146 production line. She then proceeded to Woodford, where she had been built, and now home of the Customer Training and Engineering unit, and landed there. A final stop was made at Prestwick, headquarters of Regional Aircraft and centre for customer Support and Engineering. Under the command of Captain Pauli Perttula, she was then delivered to her new home in Helsinki. [2003-11-28]
How many BAe 146s/Avro RJs?
BAE Systems' press release on the delivery of the final Avro RJ notes it "bring[s] the total of BAe 146 and Avro RJs delivered to 390." In fact, 391 BAe 146s and Avro RJs were built, but one -- the series 200 prototype, msn E2008 -- was never sold and was later parted out. The first prototype, and later the series 300 prototype (msn 1001/E3001) was also retained by BAe, but will now be used for atmospheric research. In addition, three RJXs were built -- four, if the first production RJX-85, which was substantially complete when production was terminated, is counted. This brings the total for the entire program to 394 (or, arguably, 395). This makes it by far the most successful British-built jetliner, but falls short of the 444 mark set by the Vickers Viscount (and, of course, the even higher production total of the Britten-Norman Islander, although most of the latter were built outside the U.K.). [2003-11-28]
CityJet to add BAe 146-300s
Air France subsidiary CityJet will add several BAe 146-300s to its fleet of thirteen series 200s. The larger series 300s will allow the airline to add capacity as several new countries join the European Union. The aircraft are likely to be former buzz examples. [2003-12-07]
Mesaba wins reprieve on Avro RJ contract
Northwest Airlines has extended the deadline for deciding whether to cancel Mesaba's contract to operate thirty-six Avro RJ85s on its behalf under the Northwest Jet Airlink brand. A decision hadThe contract between the two airlines runs through 2006, but under its terms Northwest can terminate it, at its sole discretion, by providing notice to Mesaba on or before October 28. At Mesaba's request, the deadline was extended to December 15. If Northwest does decide to terminate the contract, it would then end on April 25, 2004. Northwest is said to be thinking of replacing the 69-seat RJ85s with smaller aircraft. Mesaba's pilots, however, see a more sinister motive: providing pressure in their on-going contract negotiations with the airline. Losing the contract to operate the RJ85s would be a major blow to Mesaba, as they generate about 40 percent of its revenue. Whatever the ultimate decision, plans call for five of the RJ85s to be withdrawn: three in early December, and two in early January. This would bring Mesaba's fleet down to thirty, one example being still grounded for repairs after a ground taxiing accident in 2002. [2003-12-28]
Aer Lingus ends BAe 146 operations
Aer Lingus finally ended BAe 146 operations on November 26. The airline had withdawn its six BAe 146s from its schedule at the end of October, but continued to fly them to cover for equipment shortages. With the arrival of several former Swissair Airbus A320s on lease, however, the BAe 146s were finally retired. The three examples leased from BAE Systems, EI-CTM, CTN, and CTO, were parked on October 31 in preparation for being handed back. They have since been flown to Southend for work by Inflite. The other three examples, EI-CLG, CLH, and CLI, flew on for another month. EI-CLH made the final Aer Lingus BAe 146 flight, arriving on chocks at Dublin at 21:29 local time on November 26. Although they too have now been withdrawn from use, the last three 146s are still under leases than run for several more years. They have been placed in storage in Aer Lingus' hangar at Shannon as the airline tries to find a new customer to take over the leases. [2003-12-28] |
Azzurra parks its Avro RJs
The plan to merge Azzurra Air with bankrupt French regional airline Air Littoral has fallen through due to the failure of Investment fund Seven Group, owner of Azzurra to align the necessary financing. Seven Group missed several deadlines set by the court overseeing Air Littoral's bankruptcy, and finally threw in the towel on December 18. As a result, the plan to use Azzurra's RJs on Air Littoral's routes to Corsica has also fallen through. Five of the airline's RJs were flown to Exeter for storage on December 12, and the last two followed a week later, on December 19. [2003-12-28]
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| BAe 146-200QT VH-JJZ at Broome on her ferry flight (Simon Wilson) |
Titan adds 146 freighter
Stansted-based Titan Airways has acquired a former Ansett Cargo BAe 146-200QT freighter to supplement its current three 146-200QC convertible freighters. The aircraft, VH-JJZ (msn E2114), is one of two that Ansett had operated on its cargo services. She had been undergoing heavy maintenance in Blenheim, New Zealand, when Ansett ceased operations, and was stranded there. She finally returned to Australia in August, and joined other former Ansett 146s in storage in Melbourne. She was test flown at Melbourne on December 11, then departed on her ferry flight as AN146 on December 15, with Captain Peter Holmberg at the controls. She first flew to Alice Springs, where she overnighted, then to Broome and Christmas Island and on to Kuala Lumpur, where she overnighted again. She continued west via Colombo, Karachi, and Dubai, where she overnighted. She then continued on to Amman. Her next leg was to have taken her to Luqa, Malta, but strong headwinds forced a diversion to Heraklion and then Nice. She finally arrived in Norwich at 18:20 local time on December 18. By the next day, she had been re-registered G-ZAPR. [2003-12-28] |
Continue to January 2004 news.
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