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Alaska Airlines to phase out -400QC fleet by 2017

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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

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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

DL-1150 rejects take-off because of engine failure

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A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N193DN performing flight DL-1150 from Honolulu,HI to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Honolulu’s runway 08R when the right hand engine (PW4060) emitted a bang followed by vibrations prompting the crew to reject takeoff at high speed. The aircraft vacated the runway via the first high speed exit about 2400 meters down the runway and returned to the terminal.
A passenger reported the aircraft was about 1000 feet into its takeoff roll from the reef runway when the right hand engine emitted a loud bang followed by moderate vibrations. The crew rejected takeoff and returned the aircraft to the apron.
A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N154DL reached Los Angeles with a delay of 4 hours.
The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Honolulu until Dec 16th, then was ferried to Atlanta,GA (USA) and is now still on the ground in Atlanta.
The Aviation Herald