US-based charter carrier JSX has inked a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Swedish aeroplane maker Heart Aerospace to buy 50 of the latter’s ES-30 hybrid-electric aircraft, with an option to purchase an additional 50.

The ES-30 is a regional aeroplane with a standard seating capacity for 30 passengers. On electric power alone, it can travel up to 200km. The hybrid range, on the other hand, is 400km. Its maker claims a range of up to 800km with 25 passengers aboard while complying with the typical airline reserves.

Heart Aerospace has received 250 firm orders for the ES-30, with options and purchase rights for an additional 120 aircraft. Post the latest LOI with JSX, the manufacturer’s count of LOIs has risen to 192.

Also Read: Heart ES-30 To Feature Honeywell Flight Control System

British low-cost carrier easyJet and Airbus have inked an agreement for 157 additional A320neo Family aircraft and purchase rights for 100 more. The order comprises 56 A320neos and 101 A321neo jets. Additionally, the airline has upsized an existing order for 35 A320neo aircraft into the larger A321neo.

The newly ordered planes will be delivered between FY29 and FY34. They will help the airline phase out the older Airbus A319 fleet and replace nearly half of the A320ceo jets in its fleet. Presently, easyJet has 69 A320neo Family aeroplanes in operation. Also, by FY29, it will receive a further 158 A320neos. Like all Airbus aircraft, the A320neo Family can fly with up to 50% SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). The manufacturer has set a target to make its entire product portfolio capable of flying with up to 100% SAF by 2030.

Also Read: Lufthansa Shops For Airbus And Boeing Aircraft

To further boost and modernise its short- and medium-haul aircraft fleet, Lufthansa Group has ordered jets from Airbus and Boeing. Starting with Airbus, Lufthansa Group has placed a firm order for an additional forty A220-300s, an aircraft that has operated with the group since 2016. In fact, Lufthansa was among the first carriers to fly the A220. Ever since it took delivery of the A300 in the 1970s, the Lufthansa Group has gone on to operate all Airbus commercial jets, including the A220, A320 family, A330/A340, A350 and A380.

Also Read: First Airbus A220 Joins Qantas Group Fleet

With Boeing, Lufthansa has placed a firm order for forty 737 MAX jets with the option to purchase an additional sixty. This deal will reintroduce the Boeing 737 in the group’s fleet, as the last specimen from the family, a 737-300, was delivered in 1995. Before that, Europe’s largest airline group had taken delivery of 145 Boeing 737 aircraft, with the first in 1967. Lufthansa retired its last 737 in 2016. In addition to the 737 MAX, there are other Boeing jets in Lufthansa’s order book. It comprises thirty-four 787 Dreamliners, seven 777-8 Freighters and twenty 777-9 planes.

Also Read: Avolon Orders More Airbus And Boeing Jets

It was in August this year when Air India, now under the ownership of the Tata Group, unveiled its new brand identity. Now, the new logo and the branding have begun taking their place in the carrier’s world. For instance, the official website has been revamped, and accompanied by it is a new mobile application. Similarly, the airline’s social media profiles have been updated with the new brand identity. Soon, travellers from Delhi and Mumbai airports will see Air India’s new branding at various touchpoints, including check-in counters, lounges, boarding gates and boarding cards. In the weeks that follow, the same will be extended to the airline’s global network.

The new Air India livery will first feature on the brand-new Airbus A350, units of which will start joining the carrier’s fleet in December 2023. These are part of the massive aircraft order, worth USD 70 billion, that Air India placed with Airbus and Boeing earlier this year. The airline has also inked a USD 400 million contract to refurbish 43 widebody jets. Work on that begins in the middle of next year. Once completed, the jets will have new seats in all cabins, new inflight entertainment systems and Wi-Fi connectivity. With the new aircraft, Air India’s new uniforms for the cabin crew and the pilots will also debut.

Also Read: 400 New Air India Aeroplanes To Have These Engines

Qantas Group, Australia’s national carrier, has taken delivery of an Airbus A220 jet. It is the first of the 29 on order. It will be operated by QantasLink, the Group’s regional airline that serves metropolitan and other regional destinations nationwide.

The A220 will replace the existing 717 fleet, which is part of the regional carrier’s fleet. The Airbus A220 promises twice the range and can fly between any two points across Australia without stopping. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, the single-aisle jet can fly up to 3,450 nautical miles (6,390km). At the same time, it provides 25 per cent savings in fuel and carbon emissions over the previous-gen aircraft.

The Airbus A220 for QantasLink has 137 seats, 127 in Economy and 10 in Business Class. And like all Airbus aircraft, the A220 can operate with up to 50 per cent SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). By 2030, the manufacturer aims to have its entire product portfolio capable of flying on 100 per cent SAF.

Also Read: Turkish Airlines Orders 220 Airbus Planes