United States Marine Corps (USMC) McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C "Hornet" (1127/C302) 164693 / 03 VMFA-232 "Red Devils"

 

(Photos by Michael Carter / Aero Pacific Images)

Friday June 26, 2020 saw the arrival of two USMC F-18 Hornets which will be spending the weekend here at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) performing several flight sorties during their stay before departing on Sunday afternoon.

United States Marine Corps (USMC) McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D "Hornet" (1147/D105) 164707 / 25 VMFA-232 "Red Devils"

 Rolls for takeoff on Rwy 30.

 

 

Following completion of the late afternoon sortie, arrives back at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) smoking the mains on Rwy 30.

(Photos by Michael Carter / Aero Pacific Images)

Au Revoir A380: Air France Bids Farewell To Airbus’ Giant

(Photo - Air France)

It’s always hard to say goodbye, especially when you know that it is for good. However, today (June 26, 2020) Air France says goodbye as it operates its final Airbus A380 flight on an aircraft less than ten years old. The French flag carrier becomes the first airline to scrap the gentle giant altogether.

October 30th, 2009, was a ‘giant’ day for Air France. The French flag carrier took delivery of its first Airbus A380. The airline went on to take 10 of the super-jumbos. However, after today, the A380 will no longer fly for Air France.

Flight "AF380"

Air France picked a fitting flight number for its final Airbus A380 flight. Flight "AF380" was explicitly scheduled by the airline to say goodbye to the type. Much like an aircraft’s delivery flight, this exceptional trip was strictly by invite only. But how did you get an invite?

The flight was open to 500 members of staff, chosen from the pool of crew that had worked on the Airbus A380 during its time in service. After departure at 15:57, the aircraft climbed to 21,000 feet and flew roughly South from Paris until it reached Montpellier.

Unfortunately, the aircraft didn’t get to fly over its Toulouse birthplace. However, it did get to rendezvous with an undelivered Airbus A350 in Air France colors over the Gulf of Lyon. At the time of writing, the aircraft was flying back towards Paris for its final landing to mark the end of an era.

Why is Air France bidding au revoir?

The retirement of Air France’s A380 aircraft didn’t come as a huge surprise. The airline had earmarked the entire fleet to be retired over the next couple of years. Indeed, it had already retired its first A380 before the pandemic.

While it is unfortunate that aircraft under ten years old are being retired, it makes sense for Air France from a financial point of view. According to the airline, retiring the A380 fleet immediately will set them back by a total of €500 million ($550 million). The airline will book this expense in the second quarter as a non-current cost/expense.

However, the alternate doesn’t make sense for the French flag carrier. Air France had earmarked the aircraft for retirement over the next couple of years. Meanwhile, IATA doesn’t believe that demand will return until 2023/24. This means that there is little to no chance these A380s will fly again before they were retired anyway. There is no point in paying to maintain something that won’t fly again.

While sad, this won’t be the end of the Airbus A380. Indeed, the largest operator, Emirates, said that the giant would return to the skies in its colors in mid-July.

(Tom Boon - Simple Flying)

Bombardier's Global 5500 Enters Service

The last and smallest of the upgraded variants of Bombardier’s legacy Global family, the $46 million Global 5500, has entered service with a recent delivery to an undisclosed customer, the Canadian airframer announced today. Unveiled alongside the upgraded Global 6500 at EBACE 2018, the Global 5500 received its type certification from Transport Canada, EASA, and FAA last year.

Featuring three living areas with Nuage seating and powered by a pair of 15,125-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines, the 5500 has a range of 5,900 nm—200 nm more than originally planned. “This spacious and efficient aircraft is the ultimate business tool, with the range and access to safely take our customers where they need to be,” said Bombardier Aviation president David Coleal.

Coleal noted that the 5500, along with the earlier 5000 variant, breaks from tradition with interior completions done at Bombardier’s Wichita site, where the Montreal-based company assembles Learjets, operates service and flight-test centers, and performs specialized aircraft work.

With a top speed of Mach 0.90, the 5500 accommodates up to 16 passengers. It also has Bombardier’s Vision flight deck, Ka-band connectivity, and an air purification system with an advanced HEPA filter.

(Jerry Siebenmark - AINonline News)

Gulfstream G200 (IAI 1126 Galaxy) (c/n 72) N110WA

(Photos by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Operated by Musco Sports Lighting LLC, this lovely aircraft is captured arriving at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) this afternoon June 24, 2020.

Gulfstream G600 (c/n 73036) N636GA

 

(Photos by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

"GLF27" arrives at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) from the factory at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport (SAV/KSAV) 12:05 PST this afternoon.

I really hate when the flights arrive mid day like this during the summer months as the sunlight is horrible for photos but I must document their movements............it's what I luv to do!

WeWork's infamous private jet is still for sale 9 months later — with a new discounted price of $49.9 million

WeWork puts its $60 million jet up for sale in 2019 following the company's failed IPO bid.

The luxurious Gulfstream G650 is now for sale for $49.9 million online — a 16% discount.

The plane was a particularly salient example of the company's exorbitant spending, employees told Business Insider at the time.

WeWork isn't finding any buyers for its luxurious private jet 9 months after deciding to put it up for sale.

The 2018 Gulfstream G650 — one of the world's most opulent and expensive models — is now advertised at a "reduced price" of $49.9 million on a pre-owned aircraft site, with just 414 total flight hours and 131 landings.

The jet played a role in WeWork's failed bid to go public in 2019. Sources told Business Insider at the time that employees were upset at the optics of spending $60 million on a jet for a money-losing company. CEO Adam Neumann was said to hold meetings on the jet since he was rarely in the office.

"I know of instances where people got on the plane, flew across the country, and flew commercial home," one employee said at the time.

In one particularly salient incident, the Wall Street Journal reported that Neumann and friends smoked marijuana on the plane on the way to Israel, with the flight crew angered by finding a "sizable chunk" stashed away for the return trip.

Private jet sales, like those for commercial aircraft, have plummeted amid the coronavirus-induced travel glut, but industry insiders say the market is set to rebound quickly, which could be good news for the We Company as it seeks to offload the plane.

66% of members polled by the International Aircraft Dealers Association in May said they're optimistic about the pre-owned market after the pandemic, with most expecting a slight ding to used prices, such as that of WeWork's jet.

(Graham Rapier - Business Insider)

Boeing 737-42C (24231/1871) N60669 "Connection By Boeing"

 

(Photo by Michael Carter / Aero Pacific Images)

A rare one from my Kodachrome K64 Slide archives, the special "Connection By Boeing" test aircraft on short final to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB.KLGB) on April 2, 2001.

iAero Airways (Swift Air) Boeing 737-3H4(WL) (27691/2695) N397SW

(Photos by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

This ex-Southwest Airlines machine is still going strong as we see her on a very short final to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) this afternoon as she arrives from Laughlin / Bullhead International Airport (IFP/KIFP) as "SWQ6854" at 18:15 PDT.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8Max (36929/5992) N8707P

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Seen arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on December 13, 2018 on a simply gorgeous day here in SoCal.

The aircraft performed her maiden flight on September 4, 2017 followed by delivery on September 27, 2017.

I had the honor of flying on her first revenue flight on October 1, 2017 (the very first WN 737-8Max revenue flight) between Dallas Love Field (DAL/KDAL) and Houston - William P. Hobby Airport (HOU/KHOU).

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747-406(M) (28195/1090) PH-BFS "Seoul / City of Seoul"

(Photos by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Arrives at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on November 24, 2019 wearing the special "100" marking commemorating the carriers 100th birthday.

The aircraft took to the skies on her first flight, October 3, 1996 and later delivered to the carrier on October 15, 1996.

Having served the carrier for 23 1/2 years, the aircraft was prematurely retired on March 27, 2020 and later ferried to Mohave Airport (MHV/KMHV) in California for storage on May 26, 2020 due to the Wuhan Covid-19 virus outbreak.

Lufthansa Airbus A340-642 (c/n 846) D-AIHT

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Seen on short final to Rwy 25L at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on December 15, 2018.

She was delivered to the carrier on April 29, 2008 following her first flight on April 3, 2008 as F-WWCH. The aircraft was originally destined for Virgin Atlantic Airways G-VJAM but was not taken up by the airline.

The aircraft served with Lufthansa for only 12 years before being retired and ferried (MUC/EDDM) - (TEV/LETL) for storage May 19, 2020.

Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 (46852/93) N54629 - W/O September 19, 1989

(Michael Carter Slide Collection)

UTA Flight "UTA772" was operating a scheduled international passenger flight of French airline Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) from Brazzaville Airport (BZV/FCBB) in the People's Republic of the Congo, via N'Djamena (NDJ/FTTJ) in Chad, to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) in Paris when it crashed in the Ténéré desert, near Bilma, Niger, following an in-flight explosion on September 19, 1989 with 170 people on board.

The DC-10-30 departed from N'Djamena International Airport at 13:13 when forty-six minutes later, while cruising at 35,100 ft, a suitcase bomb exploded in the cargo hold, causing the aircraft to break up over the Sahara Desert 280 miles east of Agadez in the southern Ténéré of Niger. The explosion scattered debris over hundreds of square miles of desert and resulting in the death of 156 passengers and 14 crew members.

The DC-10-30 took to the skies for the first time on March 13, 1973 followed by delivery to the carrier on May 1, 1973 from the Douglas factory in Long Beach, California. She had accumulated 14,777 flight cycles over 60,276 flight hours at the time of the crash.

United Parcel Service (UPS) Douglas DC-8-73CF (46090/504) N814UP

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

It was always so fantastic to see the UPS DC-8-73CF's come home to Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) every afternoon back in the 90's! This fine example is seen in April 1998 on short final to Rwy 30 the same Rwy she returned to following her first flight back in November 1969 as she would have departed from Rwy 12 on her departure.

She was delivered to Trans International Airlines as N486FT on December 29, 1969 as a DC-8-63CF. In the following years she flew with the following:

Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) - (August 1972 - December 1972) as N486FT

Trans America Airlines as N486FT

Spirit of America Airlines as N486FT

United Parcel Service (UPS) as N486FT

Flying Tiger Line as N486FT and N705FT

Federal Express (FedEx) as N705FT and N405FE

and finally United Parcel Service (UPS) as N814UP until her retirement in 2009 when she was placed into storage at Roswell (ROW/KROW), New Mexico and later scrapped.

United Airlines Boeing 747-422 (29167/1211) N121UA

Captured at Frankfurt Rhein-Main International Airport (FRA/EDDF) on October 27, 2017 sporting special "747 Friend Ship" markings in commemoration of her final flight which took place on October 29, 2017 between Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN/RKSI) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO/KSFO). 

(Michael Carter Slide Collection)

United States Marine Corps UC-35D (Cessna Citation 560) (c/n 560-0592) 166374 "VM374" 4th MAW

Based at Andrews Air Force Base, this USMC UC-35D was a very pleasant surprise this evening (June 18, 2020) at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB).

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

United Parcel Service (UPS) Boeing 767-34AF(ER) (66240/1197) N369UP

Captured on short final to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) on June 18, 2020. It is one of the carriers newest 767 Freighters having been delivered on November 25, 2019 following her first flight on November 15, 2019.

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4(WL) (32513/2049) N255WN

Captured on short final to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) on March 17, 2018.

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

Last AIRBUS A380 ever leaves for Toulouse plant

Current-generation aircraft ready for cargo conversions

Polar Air Cargo Boeing 767-306(ER)(BDSF) (27611/633) N647GT climbs from Rwy 25R at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on December 15, 2019 during the pre-Christmas package rush.

(Photo by Michael Carter - Aero Pacific Images)

The worldwide grounding of aircraft during the passenger travel downturn has led to a shortage in capacity for air freight delivery, increasing the incentive for airlines to convert Boeing 777s, 737NGs and other newer-generation aircraft for cargo flights.

Aircraft most often converted to freighters during recent years, including Airbus A319s and 767s, are getting older and becoming less available for conversion, leading cargo carriers to look ahead at what aircraft could fit their needs in the years to come.

Historically, US cargo carriers, most notably FedEx, have operated 767s as a backbone of their fleets. The cargo carrier signalled its support for the freighter type by placing 130 orders directly with Boeing for 767-300ERFs over the past decade. Today, FedEx operates 86 767-300ERFs, which is a significant share of its in-service fleet of 386 freighters, Cirium fleets data shows. Asset values for 767Fs remain largely unchanged amid the cargo capacity shortage of the coronavirus pandemic, Cirium values data shows. Declining demand for passenger aircraft is reducing the value of 737NGs and 777s, which Cirium aviation analyst Syed Zaidi says makes them better candidates for freighters because “you want something with value but not too old”.

These aircraft are ageing out of their passenger aircraft prime but are still new enough to make the most of the average 20-year lifespan of a freighter.

“Everyone kept taking advantage of the unprecedented passenger growth and the low fuel prices” by delaying retirements of ageing aircraft including 767s during the high air travel demand that preceded coronavirus, Zaidi says.

The global in-service fleet declined from around 29,000 passenger aircraft in January to about 13,200 in mid-April, Cirium fleets data shows. Airlines now have about 18,000 aircraft in service amid the slow recovery for air travel.

The 28% year-over-year decline in global air freight traffic in April is the sharpest drop IATA has ever recorded, yet capacity declined even further by 42% year-over-year because of the sharp cuts in passenger operations that also carry cargo. Demand for emergency medical supplies and for e-commerce home delivery has provided steady business for cargo carriers while people shelter in place during the pandemic.

Airlines during this crisis are flying cargo on empty passenger aircraft by fastening boxes to seats with nets or stripping the passenger cabins. Emirates Airline is operating 85 of its 777-300ERs as stand-in freighters, in addition to its 11 freighter-converted 777s. Finnair has removed economy-class seats from two of its A330s to operate cargo flights.

These cargo operations are helping to buffer declining passenger revenue for cash-strapped airlines but are a temporary “phenomenon that won’t last longer than a year or two”, says James Flynn, business development manager at US Cargo Systems freighter conversion company.

While Flynn expects 767-300s will remain popular for freighter conversion for the near future, he tells Cirium that “during the next 10 to 15 years I think the 777-300s” are going to become one of the most-sought-after freighter aircraft for conversion. The A330-300 is also positioned to become a popular choice for freighter conversion within the next five years, Flynn says. The A330 and 777 are both more fuel efficient than 767s, of which the last passenger model was delivered by Boeing to Air Astana in 2014.

“There is not an infinite number of 767s available,” Flynn says. “Those are still going to be converted, but instead of it being a steady rate of conversions you may see 18 to 24 conversions of 767s over the next two to three years.”

Flynn expects that the A330 will eventually replace 767 cargo-conversion demand. Indeed, Atlas Air in 2019 told Cirium that the cargo carrier was eyeing 777s and A330s for future conversions to freighter aircraft as 767 passenger aircraft are expected to become less available.
 
THE RIGHT AIRCRAFT FOR THE RIGHT MISSION

For the near future, the ready supply of 767 aircraft and their ability to carry more cargo than narrowbody 737NGs keeps the older aircraft in demand, especially amid low fuel prices and the global shortage of cargo flights, Aeronautical Engineers vice-president of sales Robert Convey tells Cirium.

“I believe there is more than sufficient demand in the marketplace to incentivise airlines to make some of their 767-300 retired aircraft available,” Convey says.

Newer narrowbody freighters, including 737-800s, are growing in popularity, in part because they can make more frequent stops than widebody aircraft to meet the shifting consumer expectations of e-commerce, according to a report published on 12 May by Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

As the more-fuel-efficient 737NGs fall in value due to oversupply during the pandemic, they are increasingly better candidates for conversion because of their ability to meet the needs of the e-commerce market by making those more-frequent shipments.

Carriers in China are among those seeking smaller passenger aircraft for conversion as they expand their cargo fleets, says Alok Anand, chief executive of asset management firm Acumen Aviation.

“With the retirement of older aircraft, 737-800s will surely be good candidates for conversion,” Anand says. “Acumen has already been receiving queries mainly from China on possible conversion projects.”

Amazon Air is leading this trend in the USA by adding 737NGs to its fleet that has so far, like FedEx in recent years, relied on 767s as its workhorse. Despite operating a fleet of 48 767s, Amazon has already added eight 737s, Cirium fleets data shows, and has contracts with GECAS for a further 12 of the type. 

COST OF CONVERSION

Carriers will decide how fast to add 737NGs and other newer aircraft to their cargo fleets based on the costs of conversion, availability, maintenance, and fuel efficiency.

The price of jet fuel as of 12 June was 46% lower year-over-year, according to IATA, but Flynn says, “once fuel prices start to stabilise, the more-fuel-efficient aircraft are going to become more attractive” for freighter conversion.

While 737NGs are expected to be “the most predominant converted aircraft over the next five years”, Flynn says the older model 737-300s and 737-400s are being converted first.

The cost of converting a 737-800 can range from $4-$5 million, depending on the age of the aircraft and whether the contractor wants to have a heavy maintenance check on the aircraft, Flynn says. While older 737-300 and 737-400 series are less fuel-efficient, he says they typically have a lower conversion price range of $2.5 to $3 million.

Demand for 737-800 freighters during the past two years was undercut by the lack of supply due to their popularity as passenger aircraft prior to the coronavirus travel downturn, Convey says. The Florida-based company as of May had converted a total of 118 737-400s, but only two of the newer 737-800 series. On 18 May, the company signed a contract to provide a 737-400SF freighter conversion for Colombia-based AerCaribe. “The 737-800SF will be the main narrowbody freighter with over 1,000 units converted over the next 25 years,” Convey says.

Aeronautical Engineers, which charges $3.75 million to convert each 737-800, “has seen an increase in demand for Classic and NG freighters as a direct result of Covid-19”, Convey adds.

Despite the shortage of 737-800s being set aside for conversion, there is a ready supply of 737-300s and 737-400s “probably for the next two years”, PEMCO Conversions spokesman Paul Cunningham tells Cirium. PEMCO, a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) that focuses on turning 737s into freighters, charges “around $4.3 million” to convert a 737-800.

“This makes the Classic conversion more attractive to a lot of buyers because the full cost of the aircraft and conversion is just a little more than half” of converting a 737NG, Cunningham says.

ATTRACTIVE FOR NOW

The global air freight capacity shortage will eventually fade as economies reopen, air travel recovers and fleets of passenger aircraft with large cargo bellies return to the skies.

“I am forecasting that this demand will continue for the next 24 to 36 months, at which time it will settle into a normal demand cycle,” Convey says.

But much depends on how long the pandemic lasts and how the recovery unfolds.

It could take until “early 2024” for air travel to return to 2019 levels, Adam Pilarski, senior-vice-president of asset appraisal firm Avitas said on 9 June during a webinar hosted by JPMorgan.

“There is no way airlines can continue with the same employment and the same fleets,” Pilarski said. “They will have to change, it will be a different industry.”

For now, however, the decreasing values of 777s, 737NGs and A330s have given their attractiveness a boost, making them affordable candidates for freighter conversion.

(Story by Cirium)