Summary
- Austrian Airlines will receive its first and second 787 Dreamliners by the top of February for growth, not alternative.
- The brand new aircraft will allow the airline to expand its network, including the launch of flights to Boston.
- The Dreamliners will undergo testing and technical work before entering service in the summertime, with the primary long-haul flights to North America expected in late June or early July.
Austrian Airlines expects delivery of its first and second 787s by the top of February before their entry-to-service by late June or early July. The brand new aircraft will enable the carrier to grow its network, including launching a brand new path to Boston.
Austrian 787 deliveries soon
In a LinkedIn post, Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann provided an update concerning the airline’s inbound Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Notably, Mann said the brand new widebodies are intended for growth quite than alternative, with Austrian set to launch flights to Boston Logan (BOS) using its latest planes.
Photo: Austrian Airlines
Mann wrote,
✈️ that our very first Dreamliner will arrive as early as end of February 2024
✈️ that we’ll welcome not only one, but TWO Dreamliners – because one might feel a bit lonely, right!? 😉
⬆️⬆️ that each aircraft are planned for #growth, not yet for replacing our existing fleet.”
The CEO added that the primary Dreamliner (and the tenth long-haul plane in its fleet) will primarily be deployed “,” while the second Dreamliner will make it possible so as to add Boston to its network.
Summer transatlantic flights
Once Austrian’s latest Dreamliners arrive, they can be subject to the same old testing and technical work before an anticipated entry into service in the summertime. Austrian pilots have already began simulator training, with the Dreamliner expected to start line training flights on short-haul routes in May.
Photo: Austrian Airlines
The airline will launch a brand new route between Vienna International Airport (VIE) and Boston in July using its Boeing 767 fleet. At this stage, it’s unclear if Austrian plans to make use of its Dreamliners on this route, but CEO Mann has confirmed they can be ready for the primary long-haul flights to North America in “late June / early July.”
Long-haul growth
The 787 Dreamliner has been earmarked because the successor to Austrian’s aging Boeing 767 and 777 fleet. The carrier currently flies three 767-300s and 6 777-200s with a mean age approaching 24 years old. Austrian plans to induct ten 787-9 Dreamliners over the following few years to switch its older Boeing fleet completely.
Austrian Airlines Expects To Take Its 1st Of 10 Boeing 787s Next 12 months
The carrier will eventually replace its existing long-haul fleet with Dreamliners.
Nevertheless, the primary two Dreamliners won’t be like-for-like replacements as they arrive. Austrian will proceed to fly its 767s and 777s in the interim, using the brand new Dreamliners to open up additional routes, because it did with Boston. This implies the carrier’s long-haul fleet will grow from nine to 11 aircraft, a process that Mann said, “.”
Additionally it is within the strategy of welcoming latest narrowbody aircraft into its fleet – Austrian recently welcomed its fifth Airbus A320neo, which might seat as much as 180 passengers.
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