Air China outlines Boeing 787 configuration and routes

Air China has officially announced details of its Boeing 787-9 cabin configuration as well as its initial long haul operational routes that it intends to deploy the aircraft on. 

Their B789s will accommodate 293 passengers in total in a 3 class layout i.e. 30 business (flat beds) + 34 premium economy + 229 economy class. 

The initial long haul routes that it will be operated on (replacing the A330-200) are nonstop flights from Beijing to Rome and Frankfurt.

Ethiopian increases Toronto

Ethiopian Airlines has officially announced that it will be increasing its presence in the Toronto marketplace by adding a new 4th weekly service from its Addis Ababa hub effective 01JUL16. 

All flight will be operated via DUB to YYZ but nonstop on the return leg from YYZ to ADD using a B787-8. The flight schedule is as follows:

Days: 1/3/5/6

ET 502 Dep ADD 2240 Arr DUB 0450+1
ET 502 Dep DUB 0635+1 Arr YYZ  0830+1
ET 503 Dep YYZ 1120 Arr ADD 0725+1

USA carriers desire for Cuba

USA carriers have formally put forward their wish list to be granted for the upcoming Cuba flight rights which is summarized as below:

American Airlines

*All flights using B738s

• 10 daily Miami-Havana 
• Daily each respectively from Charlotte + Dallas 
• Once a week from Los Angeles + Chicago
• Double daily from Miami to Santa Clara, Holguin and Varadero each respectively

Alaskan Airlines

• Double daily Los Angeles-Havana using B739ERs

Delta Airlines

• Daily JFK-Havana using a B757
• Daily Atlanta-Havana using a B757
• Daily Miami-Havana using a B738
• Daily Orlando-Havana using a B738

Jetblue 

• Four daily Fort Lauderdale-Havana using a mixture of A321s and A320s
• Double daily JFK-Havana using an A321
• Double daily Orlando-Havana using a mixture of A321s and A320s
• Double daily Tampa-Havana using an A320
• Daily from Newark and Boston to Havana using an A320
• Daily A320s from Fort Lauderdale to Camagüey, Holguiìn and Santa Clara 

Southwest Airlines

•  Daily Fort Lauderdale-Havana
• Daily Orlando-Havana
• Daily Tampa-Havana
• Daily Fort Lauderdale to Varadero and Santa Clara 

United Airlines

•  Daily Newark-Havana using a B738
• Three weekly Chicago-Havana using a B738

Air China orders 12 Airbus A330-300s

Air China has officially announced that it has placed a confirmed order with Airbus for 12 additional Airbus A 330-300IGWs. All 12 aircraft will be delivered between 2017-18 and shall be used initially for incremental growth followed by gradually replacing its oldest A330-200s on long haul European routes. 

CA currently has in its fleet 30 A332s + 23 A333s. With this incremental order, it totals 65 A330s.