ATW Photo Gallery-In the News-January 2016

The Boeing 737 MAX has achieved first flight. A 737 MAX 8 flight test aircraft, powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines, took off from Renton, Washington, at 9:48 am local time Jan. 29 in rainy conditions.

Czech leisure carrier Travel Service is aiming to operate 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8s by 2025 and has just leased a further 16 aircraft, increasing its total commitment to 25 of the type.

Boeing delivered the 8,888th 737 to come off the production line to Xiamen Airlines. The 737-800, features a special livery commemorating the airplane's significance. With this delivery, Xiamen Airlines has now expanded its fleet size to 133 Boeing airplanes, including 17 737-700s, 106 737-800s, 4 757-200s and 6 787-8s.

Hong Kong-based Dragonair (right tail) is being renamed Cathay Dragon (left tail) in an effort to align itself more closely with parent Cathay Pacific. Its aircraft will be repainted with a livery design similar to Cathay Pacific’s. However, the two airlines will continue to be operated separately under their own licenses.

Airbus is assembling the main airframe sections of China Airline’s first A350 XWB at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, as a 2016 third-quarter delivery date approaches.

Boeing has scheduled the first flight of the 737 MAX for Jan. 29, though it cautions the date is subject to change.

Alaska Airlines has unveiled its first major brand change in 25 years on a newly painted Boeing 737-800.

TAM Airlines’ first Airbus A350 XWB took off Jan. 25 on its first scheduled flight from São Paulo/Guarulhos to Manaus, Brazil.

United Airlines said it has reached an agreement to acquire 40 new Boeing 737-700s, which will be used to replace a portion of the carrier’s domestic capacity now being operated under contract by regional airlines.

Bahraini flag-carrier Gulf Air has announced major new and adjusted orders, as expected, at the Bahrain International Air Show. The new deals will see the airline expand again in coming years after a period of retrenchment. Photo: Rendering of A320neo in Gulf Air livery

Lufthansa Group has taken delivery of the first Airbus A320neo following a delay from the re-engined narrowbody’s planned end-of-2015 delivery schedule.

Bombardier has begun the ramp-up to full CSeries production, after completing the structural build of Swiss International Air Lines’ first CS100, which is scheduled for delivery in 2Q 2016.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has agreed to acquire Southern Air Holdings for $110 million in an all-cash transaction.

United CEO Oscar Munoz and part of his medical team on Jan. 11 on his discharge from the hospital following a heart transplant Jan. 6: (Left) Dr. Allen Anderson, medical director, Center for Heart Failure, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern Medicine; and (Right) Dr. Duc Pham, director of the Northwestern Medicine Heart Transplant Program

Following its recent change of ownership, TAP Portugal is rebranding its Portugalia (PGA) regional operation as TAP Express and renewing its fleet with eight ATR 72s and nine Embraer E190s. Pictured: From left, new owner Humberto Pedrosa, TAP CEO Fernando Pinto and new owner David Neeleman

The first Airbus A320neo will be delivered to Lufthansa within two weeks, by the end of January, according to Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier.

KLM Cityhopper, KLM’s Dutch regional subsidiary, has confirmed options for two additional Embraer E175s. The original contract, covering 17 firm orders (15 E175s and two E190s) and 17 E175 options, was announced in March 2015. Options for 15 aircraft of the same model still remain.

Airbus logged three firm A380 orders in December 2015 to an undisclosed customer, but the manufacturer declined to comment on whether they are destined for Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA). Speaking at the manufacturer’s annual press briefing in Paris, Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier said: “We have three new A380 orders. The customer has asked to remain undisclosed, but it is a firm order.”

ANA celebrates 100,000th Boeing 787 Dreamliner revenue flight. ANA was the launch customer for the type in 2011.

WestJet has launched flights from Calgary and Edmonton to Hawaii using its own Boeing 767-300ERs, a major step for the Canadian low-cost carrier as it gears up for widebody service to London Gatwick after achieving ETOPS approval.

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has confirmed the suspension of its Paris and Amsterdam routes will allow it to retire its remaining Boeing 777-200ERs, and that many of the pilots from this fleet will also be leaving the airline.

Air China has ordered six Boeing 777-300ERs, worth $2.051 billion at list prices, according to a statement released by the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The new aircraft, which will be used for international expansion, are scheduled to be delivered between 2016-2017. The deal is subject to Chinese government approval.

Singapore-based leasing company BOC Aviation (BOC) has placed an order for 18 Airbus A320neos and 12 A320ceos, valued at more than $3 billion at list prices.

Air France will end more than 40 years of Boeing 747 operations with a final commercial flight from Mexico City to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on Jan. 10. The French flag carrier will conduct two tribute 747 flights over France and several landmarks on Jan. 14 to and from Paris CDG.

The industry is mourning the loss of the former test pilot, Andre Turcat, the first pilot to fly the Concorde, who passed away on Jan. 4 at age 94 at his home in Aix-En-Provence. Photo: From left, Test pilots Andre Turcat with Brian Trubshaw in front of a Concorde supersonic airliner in Bristol, England, Dec. 9, 1968.

Bombardier delivered the first Q400 passenger-cargo “combi” to launch customer Japan’s Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC). The combi can carry up to 9,000 lb. of cargo and 58 passengers. Okinawa-based RAC, which is a member of Japan Airlines Group, received its first Q400 combi on Dec. 31, 2015, kicking off deliveries from its five-aircraft order.

Austrian Airlines launched its first Embraer E195 scheduled flight on Jan. 4, 2016, on the Vienna-Stuttgart route.

Aeroflot subsidiary Aurora Airline took delivery of its first of three Bombardier Q400 aircraft on Dec. 31, 2015.

Lufthansa Group subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has taken delivery of the first of nine Boeing 777-300ERs  in Zurich.