Aviation Gazette

Bringing the aviation news to you!

AviationGazette © 2025 ______________________________ Log in

Alaska Airlines to phase out -400QC fleet by 2017

By

In 2017, Alaska Airlines will phase out its five Boeing 737-400 “combi” planes that move cargo and passengers primarily around Alaska.
The five combi planes have flown around the state — Seattle is the only stop they make Outside — since 2007. Each has space for 72 passengers in the back half of the plane and 6,000 pounds of cargo in the front. These planes were introduced to the fleet to replace several 737-200s, offering the ability to carry 20 percent more cargo and passengers.
They will be replaced with three Boeing 737-700s, which will be converted from all-passenger planes to freighters. It’s part of a broader plan to phase out all 26 of the 737-400s in the Alaska Airlines fleet and move toward more fuel-efficient planes.
The work to retrofit those three 700s will start in February. The change is meant to improve the airline’s cargo service in Alaska.
“It will allow us to offer a cargo schedule that better serves the cargo needs of the communities we serve in the state of Alaska,” said spokeswoman Halley Knigge.
She said, however, that the change isn’t driven by heightened demand for air cargo services within the state.
Alaska Airlines Senior Vice President of Communications Joe Sprague told the Associated Press earlier this year that the move is “an opportunity for us to step up our game from a cargo standpoint.”
These flights currently operate among Anchorage, Ketchikan, Kotzebue, Bethel, Juneau, Sitka, Nome and Seattle. Combi flights between cities in the southern part of the state are more frequent than those to cities like Kotzebue and Nome.
Knigge said because the transition is still far off, it’s not yet clear how schedules and passenger service might be affected.
Alaska Dispatch News

Pope to fly on Dreamliner of Aeroméxico

By

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — At an internal event held to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, Aeromexico announced that it will fly His Holiness Pope Francis during his first apostolic journey to Mexico.
Aeromexico will use two different types of aircraft for the papal flights, including a Boeing 737-800 Sky Interior with 160 passenger seats to fly His Holiness and his entourage to the cities of Morelia and Tuxtla Gutierrez, and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 243 passenger seats for the trip to Ciudad Juarez, and from there to Ciampino Airport in Rome.
This is the first time a pontiff will travel on board a Boeing 787, an aircraft widely regarded as the most advanced commercial airplane, on his way back to Rome that will last approximately 13 hours.
Aeromexico CEO Andres Conesa spoke at the event and said, “We thank the Holy See and the relevant authorities for trusting us with this special operation. I can assure you that everyone involved will work with the utmost enthusiasm and dedication to make sure that His Holiness Pope Francis enjoys the natural warmth and hospitality that characterize the Mexican people, and the excellence of our service as Mexico’s global airline.”
This will mark the fourth time a pope has flown with Aeromexico, as the carrier served as the official airline for Pope John Paul II on his visits to Mexico. The first and most symbolic of these visits was held in January 1979 when a DC-10 called “Mexico City” carried the Pope from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Mexico City, before taking His Holiness back to Rome.
During Pope John Paul II’s second visit, Aeromexico flew the pontiff to different cities in Mexico including Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Durango, Monterrey, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Veracruz, and Zacatecas with one of its MD-88 airplanes, and took the Pope back to Rome on its DC10-30 called Chapultepec Castle.
Lastly, on August 1, 2002, a Boeing 767 christened “Mexico Siempre Fiel” (Mexico, Always Faithful) flew Pope John Paul II back to Rome after his fifth visit to Mexico.
As on previous visits, a team formed by representatives from different Divisions within Aeromexico is working together with the authorities and the pastoral visiting team to make sure that all of the flight services scheduled for the trip are provided with the highest possible level of efficiency and safety.
PR Newswire

Delta Air Lines purchases 20x E-190 and orders 20x 737-900(ER)

By

Delta will add up to 20 Embraer 190 and 20 new Boeing 737-900ER jets acquired through a new agreement with The Boeing Co.
The agreement is part of the airline’s continued strategy to improve its efficiency by adding additional 737-900ERs and upgauging its mainline fleet with the nearly 100-seat, twin-engine E190 jets while reducing the use of small regional aircraft.
The order announced today offered Delta more compelling economics over a previously cancelled order that also included Boeing-held E190s.
“Delta continues to look for opportunities to deploy larger aircraft, which bring customer experience enhancements and improved economics, across its fleet,” said Greg May, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management. “This aircraft order is another example of Delta’s unique fleet strategy to deploy a mix of new and used aircraft, maintain low capital costs, and leverage significant capacity flexibility to produce superior returns for our shareholders.”
Expected to begin flying in early 2017, Embraer’s unique cabin design in the E190 includes two-by-two seating throughout the Main Cabin, one-by-two in First Class, and large overhead bins and oversized windows.
The additional Boeing 737-900ERs will bring the total in Delta’s fleet to 120 by 2019. The aircraft features large overhead bins and audio/video seatback entertainment with 20 seats in First Class, 21 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 139 seats in the Main Cabin.
Delta Air Lines