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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 2004.
| Index | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| January 2004 |
Finnish Avro RJ operator Air Botnia officially changed its name to Blue 1 on January 1, 2004. The four new Avro RJs the airline recently took delivery of had already been painted with the new titles and livery (which differs from the previous one in having blue rather than red engine cowlings). The airline's five earlier Avro RJ85s are being repainted as well, by Lufthansa Services in Shannon. Blue 1 will be adding new services from Helsinki to Hamburg (twice daily) and Berlin (daily service) in March. [2004-01-01] |
Italian airline Meridiana has ordered four Airbus A319s to replace its four Florence-based BAe 146-200s. The airline has been searching for a replacement for its 146s for quite some time, and was once considered a prime candidate for the Avro RJX. A decision was repeatedly postponed, however. The airline has been negotiating with several potential strategic partners, and wanted to keep its fleet renewal options open until a deal was concluded. With the choice settling on Alitalia (though negotiations have not yet been concluded), the Airbus narrowbody family became the natural choice. The first A319 is expected in March, with the others following in relatively short order. The airline's MD-80s are expected to be replaced by A320s. [2004-01-01] |
Ryanair ends BAe 146 operations
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has retired its four BAe 146-300s, as planned. The airline inherited eight series 300s when it took over buzz in May 2003, but returned four at once to BAE Systems. The four others were used on a variety of routes from Stansted. All four have remained in full buzz colors, with no visible indication of their use by Ryanair. The airline's last BAe 146 service, RYR2757 from Blackpool to Stansted, was operated by G-UKAC on January 4. The four aircraft will be ferried to Norwich for maintenance and storage. [2004-01-08]
New pilot contract keeps Mesaba flying
Mesaba Airlines has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for its pilots with the the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Negotiations had been on-going since 2001, and had become increasingly acrimonious. After the National Mediation Board declared negotiation to be at an impasse, the pilot union issued a strike deadline for January 9, at the end of a Federally-mandated 30-day "cooling off period." In anticipation of the strike, the airline cancelled all its flights on Saturday January 10, so that it could bring in all its aircraft to its maintenance bases. In the event, negotiations continued past the strike deadline and an agreement was reached, allowing full operations to resume on January 11. The new contract reportedly bring Mesaba's pilot pay and work rules to a level comparable with those at Delta Connection carrier Comair, whose 2001 contract is generally considered one of the best in the regional airline industry. The airline is still awaiting a decision from Northwest Airlines on the fate of its fleet of Avro RJ85s, which it operates on behalf of Northwest Jet Airlink. Northwest indicated last fall that it was considering ending the contract because of high costs. A decision has been repeatedly postponed, raising suspicion among the pilots that the move was intended to put pressure on them in the negotiations. Five RJ85s have already been parked, bringing Mesaba's active fleet to thirty. [2004-01-12]
airBaltic to replace its Avro RJs with Boeing 737s
airBaltic has announced plans to add four Boeing 737s to its fleet, replacing its three Avro RJ70s. The airline had already introduced a Boeing 737-500 in November. The first two new 737s will arrive in late January and late February, and the remaining two at the end of the year. [2004-01-20]
SN Brussels to operate Marseilles-Geneva
SN Brussels Airlines will operate an Avro RJ service from Geneva to Marseilles, beginning March 1, as a continuation of its Brussels-Geneva service. The service is made possible by the European Union/Swiss air agreement, which came in force in June 2002. Swissair and its successor, Swiss, have substantially reduced service from Geneva. In addition, SN Brussels will operate several aircraft from Geneva on charter services to Italy, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands this summer. [2004-01-20]
Titan Airways has placed former Ansett Cargo BAe 146-200QT freighter VH-JJZ (msn E2114) into service as G-ZAPR, still wearing her basic Ansett colors. G-ZAPR is Titan's first pure freighter 146; the airline already operates three BAe 146-200QC convertible freighters. [2004-01-21] |
| February 2004 |
German airline Eurowings has extended its leases on five BAe 146s (four Series 300 and one Series 200). The airline currently operates eight 146s, having returned two series 200s in 2003. "We find that the BAe 146 is the right size aircraft with good economics for our operations," Eurowings Senior Vice President Peter Kranich said. "We like its flexibility and its reliability and our passengers love the wide, comfortable cabin." Eurowings is being brought under the Lufthansa Regional umbrella. Lufthansa CityLine also recently extended the leases on its fleet of sixteen Avro RJ85s. With the Eurowings contract, BAE Systems signed new leases and lease extensions covering 42 BAe 146s and Avro RJs during 2003. [2004-02-02] |
The Swiss Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has published its report on the crash of Crossair Avro RJ100 HB-IXM on November 24, 2001. The RJ100 crashed near Bassersdorf, Switzerland, while approaching runway 28 at Zürich airport in poor weather. 21 passengers and three crew members lost their lives in the accident, and 7 passengers and 2 crew members survived. The report is highly critical of the actions of the pilot: the commander's decision to descend below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) of the standard VOR/DME approach 28 without having the required visual contact to the approach lights or the runway is identified as the main cause of the accident, along with the copilot's failure to prevent him from doing so. Contributing factors identified in the investigation include the airline's failure to correctly assess and respond to problems in the commander's flying performance; fatigue affecting the commander's ability to concentrate and take appropriate decisions; poor task-sharing between the flight crew during the approach; the lack of a minimum safe altitude warning (MSAW) system and inadequate reporting of visibility on Zürich's runway 28; ATC's decision to runway 28 despite inadequate visibility; and the hills around the airport not being marked on the approach chart. The report does not identify any aircraft malfunction or other way in which the aircraft contributed to the accident. It does note that the accident might have been avoided had the aircraft been fitted with an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). Such a system was not mandated at the time of the accident, however. Crossair's last four RJ100s were delivered with a Honeywell EGPWS, but HB-IXM was not. With the rest of Crossair's Avro RJ fleet, she was awaiting certification of an appropriate retrofit. Installation of EGPWS throughout the fleet has been brought forward and will now be completed by the end of 2004. [2004-02-04] |
Northwest to leave Avro RJs at Mesaba
Mesaba Airlines has announced that Northwest Airlines will not terminate its contract to fly Avro RJ85s on behalf of Northwest Jet Airlink. Northwest indicated last fall that it was considering ending the contract because of high costs. Part of the problem is that the scope clause in Northwest's contract with its pilots prevent Mesaba from operating aircraft with 70 seats or more, thus limiting the RJ85s to 69 seats. Withdrawing the RJ85s would have resulted in severe financial penalties, however. Northwest owns eleven of the RJ85s outright and leases the others from a variety of financial institutions. "We had an opportunity to conduct a detailed study and review our options, and we found economics that allow us to continue to operate the aircraft," said Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. The five RJ85s that were parked in December will be returned to service during the spring, bringing Mesaba's active fleet back to thirty-five. An end to Avro RJ flying would have been a severe blow to Mesaba, as the fleet generates 40 percent of the airline's revenues. Northwest has been expanding its Bombardier CRJ fleet, but so far has placed them all with wholly-owned subsidiary Pinnacle Airlines. [2004-02-04]
When financially-troubled Azzurra Air parked its fleet of four Avro RJ70s and three RJ85s at Exeter in December, it blamed the move on the aircraft's high maintenance costs. But Air Malta has now explained that it took the initiative to repossess the aircraft -- which it had leased to Azzurra -- because Azzurra was in default on its lease obligations. British-based Seven Group acquired a controlling interest in Azzurra in 2003. A plan to combine operations with those of French airline Air Littoral fell through when Seven Group failed to line up the required financing. Azzurra has now suspended all flights, but hopes to restart in the spring, operating charter flights with Airbus A320s and A321s. Air Malta is seeking to re-market the seven Avro RJs. [2004-02-12] |
Austrian Arrows has wet-leased several BAe 146s from WDL Aviation to cover for repairs to one of its Fokker 70s that landed in a field short of Münich Airport on January 5 after it lost engine power. Austrian Arrows is the new name for Austrian Airlines' regional subsidiary Tyrolean. Tyrolean has wet-leased BAe 146s in the past. [2004-02-18] |
New Czech airline considers BAe 146 operations
Czech tour operator Discovery Travel has announced plans to operate a BAe 146 on regular flights between Prague and the town of Kunovice in southern Moravia. Discovery said it would operate the first flight on March 4, but it has yet to secure a suitable aircraft. [2004-02-21]
New merger talks for SN Brussels
SN Brussels Airlines has renewed merger talks with Virgin Express. Both airlines are based at Brussels' Zaventem Airport. They had explored a merger two years ago, but nothing had come of the discussions. SN Brussels operates five BAe 146-200s, fourteen Avro RJ85s, and twelve Avro RJ100s. [2004-02-21]
CityJet has painted BAe 146-200 EI-CNQ (msn E2031) into its own colors, for use on routes from Dublin to Malaga and London City. She is the only CityJet 146 not painted in Air France colors. [2004-02-22] |
| March 2004 |
Start-up OzJet to fly BAe 146s
A new Australian low-cost airline is planning to operate BAe 146s. OzJet is the brainchild of Formula One Minardi Team executive Paul Stoddart. He plans to operate six BAe 146s on routes along Australia's east coast. By using secondary, close-in airports such as Bankstown in Sydney, Essendon and Moorabbin in Melbourne, and Archerfield in Brisbane, he hopes to gain a competitive advantage over established airlines such as Qantas and low-cost Virgin Blue. The BAe 146s are a central part of this plan, partly because of their ability to operate from restricted airports and partly because of their low noise levels. By stressing the type's quietness, Stoddart hopes to overcome some of the inevitable objections that the airports' neighbors are sure to raise. Stoddart is negotiating with Ansett's receivers for several of the BAe 146s that have been in storage since the airline's collapse. Current plans call for operations to start in late fall. [2004-03-11]
Swiss CEO resigns over Avro RJ crash
André Dosé, CEO of Swiss, resigned after Federal prosecutors launched an investigation into the crash of Crossair Avro RJ100 HB-IXM on November 24, 2001, which could lead to manslaughter charges against its management. The official report into the accident, issued in February, was sharply critical of the airline's practices. Dosé was CEO of Crossair at the time of the accident. Crossair merged with the remnants of bankrupt Swissair to form Swiss in early 2002. The move comes at a critical time for Swiss, which has been loosing money since its formation. The airline has cut capacity in its European network, but has so far kept its fleet of four Avro RJ85s and fifteen RJ100s intact. The airline had ordered Embraer 170s and 195s to replace its RJs, but it has repeatedly reduced and postponed its order. [2004-03-18]
SN Brussels agrees to merge with Virgin Express
Belgian BAe 146 and Avro RJ operator SN Brussels Airlines has agreed to merge with rival Virgin Express. Both airlines are based at Brussels' Zaventem Airport. The two airlines signed a non-binding letter of intent to merge. If the agreement proceeds, it would create a holding company that would control both airlines. The two airlines would, however, continue to operate separately -- SN Brussels as a full-service airline and Virgin Express as a low-fare airline. [2004-03-21]
OzJet may be stillborn
OzJet's plan operate BAe 146s on routes linking secondary, close-in airports in eastern Australia may be over before it gets underway. Despite the airline's intention to use BAe 146s, its plans have drawn vociferous opposition from airport neighbors. Only a few days after OzJet's announcement, the management of Essendon airport outside Melbourne indicated that it would reject the airline's bid to operate there. Even before OzJet's plan, Essendon had faced a campaign by neighborhood activists to shut it down. The managements of Sydney's Bankstown and Melbourne's Moorabbin were more receptive, but there too neighborhood associations have been up in arms. Local and Federal government officials have also tended to oppose the project. OzJet had hoped to start operations in late fall, but these plans have now been pushed back by 18 months. [2004-03-21]
| April 2004 |
UN Secretary-General flies on Austrian Arrows BAe 146
WDL Aviation had a distinguished guest on board of one of the BAe 146s it operates on behalf of Austrian Arrows. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan flew on board BAe 146 D-AWUE on flight OS 562 from Zürich to Vienna on April 1. WDL's chief pilot, Rudolf Fehlhaber, was at the controls. WDL is operating three BAe 146s on Austrian Arrows services. [2004-04-08]
Atlantic Airways flies for Norwegian company
BAe 146 operator Atlantic Airways has won a contract to carry employees for Norwegian shipyard Aker Stord, part of Norwegian construction and engineering group Aker Kvaerner. Under the contract, Atlantic Airways 146s will fly Aker Stord employees working on the Snohvit natural gas development in the Barents Sea. Flights will begin in mid-April. The contract might later be expanded to other routes. [2004-04-08]
Swiss ends Avro RJ service to Lugano
A change in regulations is forcing Swiss to suspend Avro RJ operations from Lugano airport in southern Switzerland. Lugano's position in a mountain valley calls for a steep approach. Last November 1, however, the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) issued revised approach procedures which rule out operations by many of the types that have been using the airport, including the BAe 146 and Avro RJ. A temporary reprieve allowed operations by RJ85s and SAAB 2000s to continue for a time, using special visual flight rules procedures. The reprieve was set to expire on June 1, however. Cutbacks have meant that Lugano flights have generally been operated by SAAB 2000s in recent years, but Avro RJs occasionally complemented them. Swiss has contracted for Cirrus Airlines to operate its scheduled flights to Lugano using a Dash 8-300. Cirrus took over the flights on April 1. [2004-04-08]
Blue 1 goes domestic again
Finnish Avro RJ operator Blue 1 resumed domestic service when it launched regular flights between Helsinki and Oulu on April 5. The airline had once had an extensive domestic network as Air Botnia, but since its takeover by SAS in 1998 has concentrated on feeding the Scandinavian carrier at its hubs in Stockholm and Copenhagen. At the beginning of the year, the airline did not operate a single domestic service. Blue 1 is using its Avro RJ100s on the four times daily weekday service to Oulu. [2004-04-21]
Italian airline Meridiana has begun to replace its four Florence-based BAe 146-200s with Airbus A319s. The first A319 was placed into service on April , replacing 146s on the routes to London, Barcellona, and Catania. Additional examples will gradually take over the other routes from Florence as well. As they arrive, the 146s will be returned off-lease to BAE Systems. The first to be returned, I-FLRU (msn E2204), was flown from Florence to Hamburg for maintenance by Lufthansa Technik on April 14. Meridiana started operating BAe 146s in 1991, when it was still called Alisarda. The initial group of aircraft were replaced in 1994 by the last four BAe 146s built. [2004-04-21] |
BAe 146 serves New Guinea
National Jet Systems is operating a BAe 146 between Cairns and Port Moresby on behalf of Air Niugini. The New Guinea airline arranged for NJS to take over the route after noise regulations forced it retire the Fokker F28 it had been using at the end of March. The NJS 146 also occasionally operates domestic services within New Guinea. Air Niugini had wet-leased an Avro RJ70 from NJS in 1999-2000. Last year, a committee recommended replacing the airline's F28s (which continue to be used on domestic flights in New Guinea). The report argued that the BAe 146 has "much better short field performance than the F-28" and that "lease rates of these aircraft are the lowest in their class." Moreover, support is readily available thanks to the large BAe 146 fleet in nearby Australia. Air Niugini, however, has delayed a decision on replacing the F28s and opted to buy a Fokker 100 for the Cairns route. The NJS 146 will operate the route until the end of June, when the Fokker 100 will be available. [2004-04-21]
Hemus Air adds BAe 146s
Bulgarian airline Hemus Air have acquired three BAe 146-200s from ANZ Investment Bank. Two of the aircraft had previously been used by National Jet Systems and the third by Ansett. The first arrived in Sofia on April 1 and the second on April 5. The third is due by the end of the month. The airline already operates three BAe 146s on behalf of Albanian Airlines, but this will be the first time it operates the type on its own services. Hemus plans to operate the 146s on both domestic and international routes. [2004-04-21]
Aer Lingus BAe 146 pilots still grounded
A union dispute has kept many of the pilots who once flew Aer Lingus' BAe 146s grounded since the airline withdrew the aircraft late last year. Aer Lingus withdrew the six BAe 146s in a fleet simplification move. About 46 former BAe 146 flight crew have been at home on full pay since then, costing the airline some EUR2-3 million. They have yet to be retrained onto the airline's Airbus fleet because of a dispute over whether they would be trained as pilots or first officers. [2004-04-26]
| May 2004 |
Mercury spill on Flybe 146
Mercury spilled in the baggage hold of a Flybe BAe 146 operating from Birmingham to Belfast on April 26. The highly toxic spill was discovered by baggage handlers at the airport. Althought the spill was very small, the aircraft was immediately cordoned off and the baggage were taken to hospital as a precaution (they were later released after examination). Aside from being toxic, mercury can react with the aluminum in the aircraft's structure and make it brittle. In 2000, a Malaysian Airbus A330 was written off after a similar spill. The Flybe 146, series 300 G-BTUY, was closely inspected in Belfast, then flown to Exeter for more comprehensive checks. After the checks had revealed no damage, the 146 was returned to service. [2004-05-10]
Flightline to operate for Qantas
Flightline will operate a BAe 146-300 on a twice-daily service between London Heathrow and Manchester on behalf of Qantas. The flights will connect to Qantas' services to and from Australia. The schedule calls for an early morning departure from Manchester with outgoing passengers connecting with QF32 to Sydney, returning to Manchester with inbound passengers arriving on QF9 from Melbourne and QF1 from Sydney. The aircraft will then re-position to Heathrow to pick up in-bound passengers arriving on QF31 from Sydney. Services will begin on June 16 and last for four months at first, with the possibility of being extended to the summer of 2005. [2004-05-26]
Turkish Airlines has grounded its fleet of Avro RJ70s and RJ100s because of fuel tank contamination. The move surprised BAE Systems Regional Aircraft, who learned of it from press reports. THY operates three RJ70s and seven RJ100s, all of them leased from BAE Systems. They were initially delivered between 1993 and 1996, and have had their leases renewed several times, most recently in October 2002. One RJ100 was recently returned, and several others are scheduled to be returned in the near future. BAE Systems apparently did find some contamination in the RJ100 that was returned, but it only required minor repairs. BAE Systems is assisting Turkish to assess what action, if any, they need to take to return its remaining RJs to service. [2004-05-28] |
| June 2004 |
Flybe in the black
BAe 146 operator Flybe announced provisional profits of UKP3.1 million (US$5.7 million) in the 2003/04 financial year. The results indicate that the Exeter based airline's transformation into a low-fare airline is going well. The announcement comes a day after Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, predicted that there would soon be a shake-out in the European low-fare sector, and listed Flybe as a likely casualty. Flybe's managing director, Jim French, could not resist commenting that Mr O'Leary "should refrain from commentating on things he clearly has no comprehension of." Flybe operates sixteen BAe 146s. [2004-06-03]
Flightline BAe 146 damaged in Florence
A BAe 146-300 G-BPNT of Flightline was damaged while attempting to land at Florence on June 3. She encountered severe wind shear when over the threshold. The crew initiated a go-around, but the rear of the fuselage struck the ground. The aircraft went around the circuit and landed safely. As the aircraft had been on a positioning flight for a charter, only the crew were on board. None were injured in the incident. G-BPNT, on the other hand, suffered substantial damage to her rear pressure bulkhead. She is being repaired in Florence, but is likely to be out of action for some time. [2004-06-15]
Czech travel agency Discovery Aviation began operations using a BAe 146 wet-leased from WDL Aviation. The aircraft, series 200 D-AWUE, is painted in full Discovery colors. It flies three times daily from the Czech capital, Prague, to Kunovice, in southern Moravia. It also flies to Antwerp, in northern Belgium, and occasionally to other destinations. The operation is actually a sub-contract to Flightline, which will take it over at a later date. [2004-06-15] |
Meridiana ends BAe 146 operations
Meridiana operated its last BAe 146 service on June 30. Its last 146, series 200 I-FLRI, has now been withdrawn from use and is parked at the airline's Firenze base. The other three 146s have already been returned to BAE Systems. Two are in storage at Kemble. The four 146s were last series 200s built before production switched to the Avro RJ. Meridiana has replaced the 146s with Airbus A319s in a transaction arranged by BAE Systems' asset management arm. [2004-07-01]
Atlantic Airways expands BAe 146 fleet
Faeroe Island airline Atlantic Airways has added a third BAe 146 to its fleet. The aircraft, former Malmö Aviation series 200 SE-DRD (msn E2094), has been re-registered OY-RCB. [2004-07-01]
| July 2004 |
Aer Lingus flies BAe 146s to desert storage
Aer Lingus has flown its three remaining BAe 146s to the USA for storage at Mohave. The airline ended BAe 146 operations in late 2003 and returned several of them off-lease to BAE Systems at the time. The leases on the remaining aircraft run for another few years, and in the current market situation Aer Lingus has been unable to find them homes. They were stored at Dublin and Shannon for a time, but Mohave is clearly better suited for long-term storage. The first 146, EI-CLH, departed Dublin on May 19. She was followed by EI-CLG on June 16, and EI-CLI on June 30. [2004-07-05]
As part of its re-organization plan, Air Canada has announced plans to return off-lease all ten BAe 146-200s operated by its regional subsidiary Jazz. The first one is due to be returned in mid September, with the others following a rate of one per month. Air Canada recently announced its intention to order 45 Bombardier CRJ700s and CRJ705s and 45 Embraer 190s to replace its regional jet fleet, although firm orders have not been signed yet. Air Canada will also phase out its 737s and 747s. [2004-07-15] |
Swiss postpones Embraer 170 deliveries - again
Swiss has once again postponed delivery of the Embraer 170s and 190s it has on order, and will now not receive any of the new aircraft before 2006. Swiss predecessor Crossair was launch customer for the type, which was to have replaced the airline's Avro RJ fleet. Swiss' financial problems have forced it to repeatedly postpone deliveries and reduce the size of its order. The airline will thus continue to operate its four RJ85s and fifteen RJ100s. The RJs have so far been spared from the cutbacks that have slashed the Swiss fleet. [2004-07-15]
THY Avro RJs return to service
Turkish Airlines is returning its three Avro RJ70s and seven RJ100s to service. The airline grounded the fleet in late May because of fuel tank contamination. The move led to a testy exchange of press releases with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft, who learned of it from press reports. THY's RJs are on lease from BAE Systems. Several are scheduled to be returned in the near future. THY recently ordered 31 Airbus A320s and up to 21 Boeing 737-800s to renew its short-haul fleet. It is also considering various types to replace the Avro RJs on regional routes. [2004-07-25]
SN Brussels postpones Avro RJ replacement
SN Brussels Airlines has postponed a decision to replace its BAe 146 an Avro RJ fleet. In February 2003, SN Brussels announced plans to gradually phase out its fleet of six BAe 146-200s, fourteen Avro RJ85s, and twelve RJ100s. A new type to replace them was to have been selected by the end of 2003. That decision has now been postponed until the end of the year. Indeed, the airline is strongly considering retaining its Avro RJ fleet. "The quality-price ratio is the most important for us," company spokesman Cedric Leurquin stated, and the Avro RJ fleet "has a very good quality-price ratio." He also pointed to the type's low noise level as an advantage. [2004-07-25]
Club Air adds more BAe 146s
Italian airline Club Air has leased two more BAe 146s from BAE Systems, doubling its fleet of the type. The new leases were announced at the Farnborough Air Show. They involve former Meridiana series 200 I-FLRU (msn E2204), delivered in May, and former Eurowings series 200 G-CCJP (msn E2066), delivered in June. [2004-07-25]
| August 2004 |
Flightline takes over Discovery flights
Flightline has taken over flying services on behalf of Czech travel agency Discovery Aviation. WDL Aviation had been operating the services since operations began in early June, with BAe 146-200 D-AWUE painted in full Discovery colors. WDL operated its last Discovery services on August 19. Flightline is now using BAe 146-200 G-DEBE on Discovery's behalf. The aircraft is currently in Flightline's own colors, but will be painted in Discovery colors soon. [2004-08-21]
Latvian Avro RJ operator airBaltic is expanding rapidly, with seven new routes being added during August and September, adding to the nine new routes the airline has already introduced since the start of the year. The expansion is made possible by the addition of several Boeing 737s to the fleet. However, the airline's trio of Avro RJ70s is often used for initial services on a new route, with the 737s being substituted later, once traffic has built up sufficiently to justify their greater capacity. airBaltic has announced its intention to replace its RJ70s with additional 737s. [2004-08-21] |
| September 2004 |
NJS 146s fly Australian election flights
The Australian government has contracted for
National Jet Systems to operate two BAe 146s in support of the two main parties contending for the parliamentary elections to be held on October 9. The two 146s are involved are series 100 VH-NJC (msn E1013) and series 200 VH-YAE (msn E2107). One will fly for the governing coalition of the Liberals and the National Party, and the other for the opposition Labor Party. [2004-09-13]
| October 2004 |
SN Brussels and Virgin Express agree to merge
After long negotiations, SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express have agreed to merge. Both airlines are to be subsidiaries of SN Airholding. Virgin Express Holdings Plc will own 29.9% of SN Airholding's share capital, and SN Brussels' current shareholders will own the balance. The two airlines will continue to operate separately, SN Brussels as a full service airline and Virgin Express as a low-fare airline. The transaction is subject to approval by competition authorities. Assuming this is received, the transaction is expected to be completed in early 2005. SN Brussels operates five BAe 146-200s, fourteen Avro RJ85s, and twelve RJ100s. They had intended to select a replacement, but have put off a decision. [2004-10-07]
The BAe 146 was tested in a new role in late September and early October: aerial fireghter. The testing was undertaken by Minden Air, based at Minden-Tahoe airport in Nevada. They involved former Air China series 100 N81HN (msn E1081). She was fitted with ballast equivalent to a 3,000-gallon (11,400 litre) load of fire retardant and flown over mountainous terrain, simulating typical firefighting missions. The goal is to see if the 146 can handle tanker flying. Minden Air's chief pilot, Tim Christy, said that "[we] believe this model will serve as an excellent air tanker. Our goal is to have one in service for the next fire season.'' Minden Air has an option to buy the 146. Minden Air currently operates two Lockheed P-2 Neptunes in the firefighting role, but new Forest Service rules will force their retirement in the near future. If the current tests prove successful, the next step would involve installing a tank to hold the retardant and a drop system. Another year of testing would then be required before the 146 could be used operationally. [2004-10-10] |
Bahrain adds another Avro RJ85
The Bahrain Defence Force has bought one of the former Azzurra Air Avro RJ85s that have been stored at Exeter since that airline's demise in late 2003. The aircraft had been one of four Avro RJ70s and three RJ85s leased to Azzurra Air by Air Malta. Air Malta repossessed them when Azzurra defaulted on its payments. Air Malta is reported to be negotiating to sell the other two RJ85s to Lufthansa. [2004-10-21]
Druk Air receives first Airbus A319
Bhutan's Druk Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A319. The airline ordered two A319s in June 2003 to replace its two BAE 146-100s after BAE Systems cancelled the Avro RJX program. Druk had been a launch customer of the RJX-85, and its first example of the type had been almost completed when the program was terminated. Druk had to demolish a large number of houses along the approach paths to the runway to accomodate the A319s into Paro's constricted airport. A second A319 is due to arrive in December. The airline has not announced specific plans for the two 146s. At one point, it was considering converting one into a freighter. [2004-10-21]
Flybe expands, adds Boeing 737s
Exeter-based Flybe has announced a further expansion in its services, with seven new routes from Birmingham International Airport. It will add several wet-leased Boeing 737-300s to fly these routes. The lease of the 737s is an interim measure, while the airline selects a permanent replacement for its fleet of BAe 146s. The airline operates seven series 200s and nine series 300s. Originally, they were to have been replaced with Avro RJX-100s, of which the airline had ordered fourteen. Flybe is now considering either Airbus A319s or Boeing 737s. [2004-10-26]
Qantas has announced plans to replace the BAe 146s currently operated by National Jet Systems on QantasLink with Boeing 717s. The QantasLink 146 fleet has already been substantially reduced. Eight of the remaining 146s will be replaced between July 2005 and July 2006, and the other two by the end of 2006. The 717s are to be transferred from Qantas' Jetstar subsidiary as they are replaced by Airbus A320s. With 115 seats in a single-class configuration, they will provide a substantial increase in capacity compared to the 146s, which are fitted with 65 to 76 seats, in a dual-class configuration. Qantas has not yet decided whether the 717s will be operated by Jetstar or by NJS. [2004-10-30] |
| November 2004 |
New colors for airBaltic
Latvian Avro RJ operator airBaltic has adopted a new color scheme -- similar in overall design to the scheme of parent SAS, but with a light green tail. None of the airline's three Avro RJ70s will ever be painted in these colors, however, as the airline has announced its intention to replace them with additional 737s. All three RJ70s are expected to leave the fleet by early 2005. [2004-11-01]
The first Royal Flight BAe 146 CC2 was rolled out from the QAPS paintshop in Amsterdam on October 29 wearing a new color scheme. Although rumors had circulated earlier this year that the Union Jack would be removed to make the Royal aircraft less distinctive, the new design retains the flag on the tail. The Queen's Flight acquired two 146-100s in 1986 to replace the unit's Avro Andovers, following a Royal Air Force trial of two examples of the series in 1983. A third example was added in 1991. The Queen's Flight was absorbed into No.32 (The Royal) Squadron on April 1, 1995. One of the three 146s was sold in 1991. The squadron's remaining two 146s are based at RAF Northolt, together with the unit's BAe 125 business jets and Twin Squirrel helicopters. They operate in support of the Royal Family and government officials. [2004-11-20] |
WDL Aviation's operation of several BAe 146s on behalf of Austrian Arrows ended on October 31. WDL began flying for the Austrian airline early in the year, to help cover for repairs to one of Austrian Arrows' Fokker 70s that landed in a field short of Münich Airport on January 5 after it lost engine power. The operation primarily involved series 200 D-AMGL and series 300 D-AWBA, but series 200 D-AWUE was also used for a time. [2004-11-20] |
Turkish investigators have concluded that the crash of a Turkish Airlines Avro RJ100 on January 8, 2003, was the result of crew error, Flight International reports. The RJ100, TC-THG (msn E3241), hit the ground short of the runway while attempting to land in thick fog at Diyarbakir, in southeast Turkey. 74 of 75 the passengers and four of the five crew on board were killed. The investigation showed that the Captain descended below minimum descent altitude (MDA) while making a non-precision approach to Diyarbakir's runway 34. The Captain continued the approach despite a warning from the First Officer about the MDA, apparently confusing the airport's border lamps for the runway lights. Visibility was only about 1km in thick fog. After a second warning from the First Officer, the Captain decided to go around, but it was too late. The aircraft hit the ground just short of the runway, broke apart, and burst into flames. THY has a blemished safety record, having lost six aircraft in the last 20 years, including two Boeing 737s and two other Avro RJs in the last decade (fortunately, both previous RJ accidents had no fatalities). The Diyarbakir accident is remarkably similar to that of Crossair Avro RJ100 HB-IXM at Zürich on November 24, 2001. It, too, hit the ground while undertaking a non-precision approach in poor weather after the pilot opted to descend below the MDA. [2004-11-08] |
Air Wisconsin contract to operate regional jets on United Express flights is threatened by a United Airlines effort to cut its costs. United, which is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection, has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to several regional airlines to replace the regional jet capacity operated by Air Wisconsin. Air Wisconsin operates 70 regional jets on United Express flights, including twelve BAe 146-200s and five BAe 146-300s. United is seeking to cut its costs by about US$2 billion in its effort to emerge from bankruptcy. Earlier, it had attempted to impose a less generous contract on Washington-based United Express operator Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA). ACA opted to drop out of the United Express program and establish itself as a low-cost airline, Independence Air. Ironically, Independence Air is one of the airlines invited to bid on United's RFP. Air Wisconsin is also invited to bid on the RFP, and may retain the contract if its bid succeeds. Indeed, many see the RFP as a means for United to pressure Air Wisconsin into reducing its costs. Should Air Wisconsin not retain the contract, United would have to find another airline to operate BAe 146s or Avro RJs or lose its ability to serve the lucrative Aspen route from its Denver hub. The BAe 146 and Avro RJ are the only jets certified to operate at the popular ski resort. [2004-11-14] |
Euromanx to operate Avro RJ70s
Isle of Man-based airline EuroManx is planning to acquire two former Azzurra Air Avro RJ70s. The airline intends to use them primarily on flights from the Isle of Man to London City, which Euromanx will take over from current operator Flybe on January 10, 2005. Euromanx will also fly from the Isle of Man to Southampton, where it will offer connections on Flybe. Flybe will also maintain and support the RJ70s. The move represents a significant expansion for Euromanx, whose flights are currently being operated by Rossair using Beech 1900Ds and ATR42s. Euromanx expects to take delivery of the first RJ70 by mid December and of the second in early March. Both are currently in storage at Exeter. [2004-11-27]
Efforts to launch OzJet continue
Formula One Minardi Team executive Paul Stoddart is continuing his efforts to launch OzJet, which would operate several BAe 146s on Australian domestic routes. Stoddart now envisions the airline as a full-service carrier, but retains the original plan of operating to closer, less crowded secondary airports. Current plans call for services between the airline's base at Adelaide and Melbourne's Tullamarine airport to begin in March, to coincide with Grand Prix, with Sydney and Brisbane being added later. [2004-11-27]
| December 2004 |
Club Air adds more BAe 146s
Italian airline Club Air has added one more BAe 146, bringing its fleet of the type to five aircraft. The new aircraft, former Meridiana series 200 I-FLRI (msn E2220), is leased from BAE Systems. Club Air began operations in late 2002. Most of its flights are between Italy and Romania, but the airline has also added flights to Albania. On December 13, it intends to launch a new service from Bari, in southern Italy, to Paris. [2004-12-02]
Bath-based airline considers BAe 146 operations
A Bath-based travel consortium is considering operating a BAe 146 between Carlisle and London Luton. The aircraft would operate a daily roundtrip to London, and be available for ad hoc charter work during the day. The consortium is negotiating to aquire a former Flybe BAe 146-100. [2004-12-19]
CityJet and Flybe grow
BAe 146 operators CityJet and Flybe are ending the year with positive results. CityJet, which is fully owned by Air France, carried 22% more passengers than the previous year. CityJet currently operates 17 BAe 146s, including three series 300s added this year. Further growth is expected next year, when the airline takes over the Air France services currently operated by Flybe and adds more aircraft to do so. Flybe is also posting strong results. After attempting several different strategies in the last few years, the airline seems to have found its niche, operating low-cost services linking the British regions while largely avoiding London. The airline carried almost 20% more passengers in November than in the same month of the previous year. The airline will end its franchise agreement with Air France at the end of March, 2005, so as to concentrate on its own services. Flybe currently operates 16 BAe 146s. [2004-12-19]
WDL Aviation is once again operating a BAe 146 on behalf of Czech travel agency Discovery Aviation, joining Flightline. WDL flew Discovery's first services in June, on subcontract to Flightline. Flightline took over in August, using series 200 G-DEBE until October 29, with series 300 G-BTXN taking over after that. G-DEBE then returned on December 2, replacing G-BTXN which is being returned to BAE Systems. WDL's series 300 D-AWBA joined G-DEBE on December 6, giving Discovery extra capacity for the holiday season. Flightline's 146 is mainly flying the services to Genève and Sion, while WDL's 146 concentrates on the Antwerp services. [2004-12-19] |
Hemus Air receives third BAe 146
Bulgarian airline Hemus Air has taken delivery of its third BAe 146, former Ansett series 200 VH-JJS (msn E2093). The aircraft departed Perth on December 22, routing via Learmonth, Christmas Island, Medan, Colombo, Bombay, and Sharjah. This aircraft was originally going to be broken down for spares due to wing tank corrosion but this has been repaired. [2004-12-27]
Continue to January 2005 news.
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