In 2009 the average aircraft utilization for the world’s commercial fleet is expected to drop by 4% compared to 2008, according to the latest Commercial Aircraft Fleets and Utilization Forecast from OAG (www.oagaviation.com), the world’s
leading aviation data business.

This is revealed in OAG’s most recent study of the global MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) service demand projection for the next decade, developed in partnership with AeroStrategy. The
utilization forecast, which drives MRO demand, takes into consideration the significant global downsizing in schedules frequency and capacity that have been filed with OAG in the past six months. Global aircraft utilization typically grows at an average of 3.4% per year.

John Weber, Managing Director, OAG Aviation, said: “Scheduled airline frequency and capacity cutbacks made over the past six months will have a significant impact on planned aircraft utilization, with a corresponding short-term downturn in demand for MRO services. We are projecting a worldwide drop of -4% in average aircraft utilization in 2009 compared to 2008, with only modest recovery in 2010. Normal levels of aircraft utilization growth are not expected to return until 2011.”

The regions worst affected this year by a reduction in aircraft utilization will be North America (-7%) and Western Europe (-5%). Least affected will be China, Eastern Europe, Africa, India and Latin America. North American and European operators accounted for 61% of global aircraft utilization in 2008. The forecast trend indicates a gradual shift of this market dominance to other regions. By 2018, Asia is projected to increase its share of the world’s global aircraft utilization by 2.8% to 25.4%, driving up demand for MRO services in that
region.

Over the next 10 years, OAG forecasts that aircraft retirements will peak in 2016 – 1017 at double the average retirement rates of 2009 – 2013. The global installed base of active aircraft will grow 38% by 2018 compared with 2008.

OAG’s Commercial Aircraft Fleet and Utilization Forecast is a 47-page in-depth report tracking 10 year future trends. It is one of six reports produced by OAG on the Commercial Aviation MRO (“CAMRO”) sector covering airframe, engine, components, modifications and line/field maintenance.

To view or download a copy of the report’s executive summary and illustrative graphs, please visit
http://www.oagaviation.com/aviation-reports/reports-camro.htm.

OAG, part of UBM Aviation (www.ubmaviation.com), provides essential aviation workflow data and analytics sourced from its comprehensive proprietary airline schedules, fleet and MRO databases. UBM Aviation is a division of United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

SEATTLE, March 09, 2009 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Mexicana Group today announced a lease agreement for 25 Boeing 717-200 airplanes to be used by Mexicana’s Click operation.

Under a multi-year arrangement, MexicanaClick will begin receiving the 717s from Boeing Capital Corporation in March, making Mexicana the first North American 717 operator outside the U.S. Boeing Capital is the world’s largest lease provider of the modern, fuel-efficient twin jet.
In addition to the airplanes, Boeing through its Commercial Aviation Services group will provide training for flight crew, cabin crew and maintenance staff as well as spare parts provisioning. In total this approach represents a comprehensive Boeing solution to Mexicana Group’s fleet renewal needs.

“With these 25 airplanes, we give a strong boost to MexicanaClick and a better way to improve the passengers’ experience and the airline’s operating efficiency to maintain its leadership both in quality of equipment as well as on-board services,” said Manuel Borja, Mexicana Group director general.

The Boeing 717 has distinguished itself in service to nine airlines on four continents. Designed for quick turnaround, high-frequency and short- range markets (up to 1,500 nautical miles), the 717 offers big-jet passenger comfort with the lowest noise and emissions in its class. The Rolls Royce-powered 717s will replace Fokker F-100s operated by the airline.

“At a time when economic conditions pose challenges to airline operators and travelers, the 717 offers a wealth of value–greater fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, a modern flight deck and spacious interior,” said Tim Myers, Boeing Capital Corp. vice president for structured financing. “We’re pleased to join forces with Mexicana to bring the 717 to the region.”

Click’s 717 fleet will be configured to carry 104 passengers with 20 in Mexicana Elite class, with two-by-two seating, allowing all passengers to enjoy either aisle or window seats, and 84 in tourist class where the five-abreast, wide leather seats will appeal to travelers.

Boeing and Mexicana have worked together for decades. The airline was among the world’s largest operators of the Boeing 727 and its current long-haul routes depend on the Boeing 767.

“We congratulate MexicanaClick on joining the ranks of airlines that depend on the 717′s high dispatch reliability and low maintenance costs to compete successfully,” said Ihssane Mounir, vice president for Latin American sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Add to that a quiet and fuel-efficient airplane, with great comfort and passenger appeal and an average fleet age of less than five years, and the result is a great platform to grow Click’s market success.”

Geneva, Switzerland, 23 February 2009 – oneworld member Royal Jordanian today launched mobile inflight passenger communications services from industry leader OnAir. The new commercial service, which will be available in the first phase on its recently received A319 aircraft flying to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and India, will enable passengers to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive text messages and emails, make and receive phone calls and access the Internet. Passengers will also be able to access the Internet using their own laptops fitted with GSM data cards.

“Royal Jordanian has always been a leader in e-travel—from providing passengers with the ability to book online to issuing e-tickets, making online seat reservations and using self check-in kiosks at the airport,” said Samer Majali, President and CEO, Royal Jordanian. “We are very pleased to partner with industry leader, OnAir, to offer the latest passenger communications technology onboard our aircraft, and we expect these new capabilities to further enhance the high-quality customer service that our passengers have come to expect from Royal Jordanian.”

Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most robust and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites. With OnAir’s advanced mobile communications technology, Royal Jordanian passengers will benefit from global coverage and high-speed connectivity.

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, commented: “Royal Jordanian operates in a highly competitive and demanding market, in which service excellence is critical. They were the first airline in the Middle East to announce a partnership with us back in December 2007, and we are pleased to offer the highest available standard of connectivity to their passengers, while at the same time helping them generate additional revenues.”

The Royal Jordanian launch comes amidst mounting demand for inflight passenger communications. A growing number of commercial airlines and private aviation companies either currently offer OnAir inflight communications services or will offer them in the near future. This includes airlines such as Air Asia, AirAsia X, Airblue, British Airways, bmi, Jazeera, Kingfisher, Oman Air, Ryanair, Shenzhen Airlines, TAM, TAP and Wataniya Airways. OnAir also serves private VIP and Governmental customers through partnerships with Airbus Corporate Jets, Aviation Centre Cologne and Jet Aviation.

Since December 2007, passengers have used Mobile OnAir services on around 2,500 commercial flights to more than 74 cities in 34 countries in Europe and North Africa. According to a recent passenger survey, 80% of passengers who have used Mobile OnAir services on selected flights would like these services to be available on every flight.

About OnAir
OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

More information about OnAir is available at www.onair.aero.

About Royal Jordanian
Royal Jordanian, which has become a private company since December 2007, was established in 1963 as the national air carrier of Jordan. Its vision is to be the Airline of choice connecting Jordan and the Levant with the world.

The airline is located in the heart of the capital, Amman, and its flights are operated from Queen Alia International Airport. Its modern fleet of 29 aircraft covers 56 destinations on four continents. RJ is also a member in the oneworld airline alliance, along with big names in the air transport industry. The company continuously reviews its plans to improve its air and ground services, broaden its route network and modernize its fleet.

For further information, please visit www.rj.com.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (19th Feb.) launched its inflight mobile phone service initially onboard 20 of its (mainly) Dublin based aircraft. This is the first step in fitting Ryanair’s entire fleet of over 170 aircraft to allow all passengers to make and receive mobile calls and texts on all Ryanair flights.

Passengers on Ryanair’s 20 OnAir enabled aircraft can now make and receive voice calls at (non–EU) international roaming rates (£1.50-£3 pm) text messages (40p+) and email (£1-£2) using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and other smartphones. These price tariffs are set by each mobile service provider and are subject to each customer’s individual price plan.

The service will initially be available to “O2” customers and to customers of over 50 other mobile phone operators across Europe. At the launch OnAir confirmed that it is working with other UK mobile operators (“Vodafone”, “Orange” and “3”) to ensure that their customers can also keep in touch with the office, family and friends when travelling.

Michael O’Leary said:

“Today’s launch by Ryanair and OnAir is the first step to offering in-flight mobile phone services onboard our entire fleet of over 170 aircraft over the next 18 months. This service will allow passengers to keep in touch with the office, family or friends. We expect customer demand for this service to grow rapidly and hope that customers of all UK mobile operators will soon be able to call or text home from 30,000 feet to tell loved ones of yet another on time Ryanair flight.”

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said,

“Mobile OnAir is the most advanced inflight communications service in the world and this European fleet-wide rollout marks a real milestone in aviation. We are proud to work with Ryanair, the world’s largest international scheduled airline, and to provide their 67 million passengers with access to this new technology which will enable them to send and receive emails, text messages, download attachments and make and receive calls just as they would on the ground.’

About OnAir

OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

More information about OnAir is available at www.onair.aero.

18th February 2009 – Emirates Airline today unveiled plans to grow the number of flights across its network by 14 per cent in 2009.

This year, the Dubai based carrier will add 18 new passenger aircraft to its fleet, increasing seating capacity by 14 per cent and enabling it to start new routes as well as increase frequencies on many existing routes. It will also expand cargo capacity by 17 per cent.

The additional frequencies will afford passengers a greater choice of flights, more frequent connections with their target markets and shorter, more convenient connection times.

Emirates currently has a fleet of 129 wide-bodied aircraft. By the end of the 2008-09 financial year (ending 31st March 2009), that figure will stand at 132, including four superjumbo Airbus A380s. The carrier will welcome a further seven A380s in fiscal year 2009-10 (ending 31st March 2010), as well as 10 Boeing 777-300ER, one 777-200LR and one Boeing 777 freighter.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “The next year is not going to be an easy ride for the airline industry. Emirates has prepared the best we can for the challenges we foresee, but we also see it as a time of opportunity. 2009, with our significant capacity increase, will be a year of consolidation for us, with fewer new routes launched than in previous years.

“Instead, we will concentrate on strengthening our presence on routes where there is a greater demand from our customers. All of our new capacity will be deployed in markets where we see growth potential, particularly Africa and the Middle East.”

Indeed, Emirates’ fastest growing markets are Africa and the Middle East, recording 17 and six per cent growth respectively in the last 12 months. To this end, Emirates recently added a second daily flight to Lagos.

It will also introduce services from Dubai to Durban, South Africa on 1st October 2009. The route will be served by a two-class, 278-seat Airbus A330-200 which can carry up to 14 tonnes of cargo into the port city.

Last month, Emirates announced a vast Middle East expansion plan taking the number of seats in the region to 50,000 on 180 flights a week. Additional services to Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait and Damascus were started recently.

Emirates has added 32 weekly flights to its existing Indian services since November. The enhanced capacity means customers now have a choice of 163 weekly flights into 10 gateways in the country.

As new aircraft come online, both Los Angeles and San Francisco – Emirates’ newest routes, launched in October and December – will go from thrice weekly to daily from May. The extra services will add more than 2,000 seats a week between the US west coast and Dubai, which is more than a 100 per cent increase on the current 1,600 seats.

There is increased capacity to Australia with additional daily flights to Brisbane and Melbourne, taking the total number of flights a week to 63 effective from 1st February. Later this year, a third daily service to Sydney will be added. On 1st February, Emirates became the first carrier to operate commercial A380 flights into New Zealand with the launch of its Dubai-Sydney-Auckland service. Operated by a 489-seat Airbus A380 three times a week, it will go daily from 1st May.

Plans are also afoot to deploy superjumbos on Dubai–Seoul and Dubai–Singapore services in November and December respectively.

The first A380 flight between Dubai and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport will depart in November, while the Singapore service will start in December and initially run four times weekly.

In Europe, Emirates has already embarked on an expansion programme. In recent months it has commenced double daily flights into Milan, increased Istanbul services to 11 flights a week, increased services on the Larnaca-Malta route to seven times weekly and Nice flights to five times weekly.

Second daily services into Moscow and Athens are also planned for March.

In total, the additional capacity will see more than 8,635 seats and around 600 tonnes of cargo capacity added to the Emirates fleet.

“Emirates has recorded an annual growth rate of 20 per cent over the last five years,” reported HH Sheikh Ahmed. “In the last two years alone, we have launched 11 new passenger and three cargo-only routes. In 2007, with the launch of its Dubai–Sao Paulo service, we became the first – and only – carrier to fly to six continents non-stop from a single hub.”

Established in October 1985 with flights to Karachi and Mumbai, Emirates Airline today directly serves 101 cities in 61 countries. In October 2008, the Emirates dedicated Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport opened. With a total built-up area of 515,000 sq metres and the capability of handling 43 million passengers annually, the 10-storey concourse was specifically designed with Emirates’ future growth plans in mind.

In 2008, 22 million Emirates passengers passed through Dubai International Airport – an 11 per cent increase on 2007.

For more information, visit http://www.emirates.com/uk