Airblue may get wide bodies

[LUNN]

Rumor from insiders that the Pakistani airline will lease two A330 or 340 in the near future, the airline currently fly one A320 with a second one to join and four A319s flying as far as Manchester probably the longest commercial service by A319, the flights are routed via Istanbul though both as just tech stop and some with traffic rights.

[LUNN]

Also planning to add some Dash8 Q400.

[SAMRPICS]

Hmm strikes me as a coincidence that there are two ex Bmi A330s soon to be going on the market, could these be the ones that Air Blue will be taking i wonder.

[LUNN]

Could be but the A340 rumor is stronger, interestingly Shaheen Air are also planning on inducting wide bodies and are seeking pilots for A330-300.

[LUNN]

90% confirmed Air Blue are going for two Turkish airlines A340s on lease due in June.

[AA 1818]

My question is this; what are you going to do with a pair of A340s? What route in the network, or future route, will need something as big, and as old, and as fuel inefficient enough to warrant these planes.

Yes, perhaps there is a need for greater capacity outside Pakistan (on the route to Manchester), but why make such a huge jump to the A340, when the A330 is smaller, much more efficient, and in more healthy supply (as compared to A340s which are never going to see their numbers increase i.e increasingly diminishing.)

What would need that range and/or capacity, except for perhaps American cities. But then again, doesn't EK and to a much lesser extent PIA (and to an even lesser extent, other International carriers) already carve that up well enough to remove all illusions of any would be entrant into those markets?

[AA 1818]

Oh, and another question - does AirBlue do Hajj flights?

[LUNN]

They dont do Hajj yet, only Shaheen have been doing that since last year, the A340s are said to be easily available and much cheaper to lease than A330 could be thats why they went for them, these could help them expand to Jeddah and upgrade Dubai maybe head elsewhere, Canada perhaps, Gatwick maybe.

[SAMRPICS]

I wouldnt be too shocked to see them on the Manchester flight but either way its always nice to see new A340 operators as it happens somewhat infrequently these days.

[Highkeas]

Originally Posted by AA 1818

My question is this; what are you going to do with a pair of A340s? What route in the network, or future route, will need something as big, and as old, and as fuel inefficient enough to warrant these planes.

................................

Perhaps the life cycle cost of the A340s. If the aircraft acquisition cost is low enough then maintenance and fuel costs do not matter so much.

[AA 1818]

Originally Posted by Highkeas

Perhaps the life cycle cost of the A340s. If the aircraft acquisition cost is low enough then maintenance and fuel costs do not matter so much.

But, could that make the A340 a viable option for AirBlue longterm? Or, is this a way to just get their feet wet, and then move onto more efficient types soon?

[AA 1818]

Originally Posted by LUNN

They dont do Hajj yet, only Shaheen have been doing that since last year, the A340s are said to be easily available and much cheaper to lease than A330 could be thats why they went for them, these could help them expand to Jeddah and upgrade Dubai maybe head elsewhere, Canada perhaps, Gatwick maybe.

Another question - AI has to do special "security clearance" procedures on non-stop flights to the U.S. Would the same be applicable to AirBlue if they wished to operate to U.S. cities? Is AirBlue, via the A340 capable of non-stop North American flights? As for Dubai, and LGW, that would be great cities to cover, and perhaps it would open them up to other cities as well, and finally give some real competition to PIA on the Pakistani long-haul markets (though, EK also does that well)...

[LUNN]

Air Blue is not immune to the same security procedures demanded for US flights by other regional carriers and PIA, even if capable of flying nonstop with A340 they wont be allowed to as arent PIA except on the return leg back home.

It looks like they are aiming at challenging PIA, with the A340 they can also add Oslo and Copenhagen both of which are served by PIA 777s, Bangkok in the East, maybe even move to Ataturk Airport from Sabiha Gokcen and begin code share with Turkish airlines to other European cities and North America, something which PIA couldnt do due to its narrow minded staff, by the way Dubai is already served along with Muscat, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

[AA 1818]

Originally Posted by LUNN

Air Blue is not immune to the same security procedures demanded for US flights by other regional carriers and PIA, even if capable of flying nonstop with A340 they wont be allowed to as arent PIA except on the return leg back home.

So, in essence, all of their flights stop at another nation on the route to the U.S.?

Originally Posted by LUNN

It looks like they are aiming at challenging PIA, with the A340 they can also add Oslo and Copenhagen both of which are served by PIA 777s, Bangkok in the East, maybe even move to Ataturk Airport from Sabiha Gokcen and begin code share with Turkish airlines to other European cities and North America, something which PIA couldnt do due to its narrow minded staff, by the way Dubai is already served along with Muscat, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Great point! It would be nice to see Turkish have a partner in the Pakistan, and you're right - PIA had a great opportunity, and they blew it.

[LUNN]

Yes they all require stop at another foreign city enroute to US.

[LUNN]

Shaheen's A333 plan is being dismissed as a PR stunt, but others say they plan to add just one aircraft in June either from Malaysia Airlines or Air Berlin.

[LUNN]

Shaheen got their rumored widebodies before Air blue in mid July, ex-Aer Lingus aircraft leased from ILFC, the latters first aircraft arrives on 30 August.