Planespotting at Stuttgart airport - 2017 review 2017-12-31

Highlights

Cargolux Jumbo Freighter arriving at Stuttgart Airport - LX-VCV | Cargolux | Boeing 747-4R7F

LX-VCV Cargolux Boeing 747-4R7F

Among my favourite pictures taken at the Stuttgart Airport in 2017 are this Cargolux Jumbo Freighter incoming from IAH and the Hi Fly Airbus A340-500, which arrived on behalf of TUIfly from Ibiza:

Hi Fly A340-500 in Stuttgart - CS-TFX | Hi Fly | Airbus A340-500

CS-TFX Hi Fly Airbus A340-500

The A340-500 is quite rare so I was very happy to catch it taxiing from close distance in the evening light. Out of 34 manufactured A340-500 only 12 are still in operation, half of them as government jets. Only the A340-200 variant was produced in even smaller numbers (28). For comparison: A340-300 built 218, still active 115 / A340-600 built 97, still active 76 (src [1] [2] [3])

A business jet in the warm evening light with the edge of the Schwäbische Alb in the background:

Businessjet taxiing in the warm evening light - N810TD | Meadow Lane Air | Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650

N810TD Meadow Lane Air Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650

Highlights which allowed unusual perspectives were the apron tour in July...

Stuttgart Airport apron - TS-INO | Nouvelair | Airbus A320-214

TS-INO Nouvelair Airbus A320-214

... and the night tour in December:

Businessjet with snow at night - D-AUCR | DC Aviation | Dassault Falcon 900DX

D-AUCR DC Aviation Dassault Falcon 900DX

2017 saw also rapid expansion of the Eurowings fleet:

Eurowings operated by Airberlin Taxiing und Start - D-ABZK | Eurowings | Airbus A320-216

D-ABZK Eurowings operated by Air Berlin Airbus A320-216
Air Berlin signed a wet-lease agreement over 33 Airbus A320 series jets on 16.12.2016, which entered service for Eurowings in spring 2017. The liveries were changed quickly.

However, that deal didn't rescue Air Berlin from bankruptcy, which was filed on 15.08.2017.

Air Berlin

D-ABDX | Air Berlin | Airbus A320-214

D-ABDX Air Berlin Airbus A320-214

D-ABHC | Air Berlin Oneworld Livery | Airbus A320-214

D-ABHC Air Berlin Airbus A320-214

This almost entirely white Boeing 737-800 with airberlin titles was operated by TUIfly for NIKI:

D-ABAG | Air Berlin operated by TUIfly for NIKI | Boeing 737-86J

D-ABAG Air Berlin Boeing 737-86J
Air Berlin's leisure operations were outsourced to its subsidary NIKI, which was planned to be merged with TUIfly. This transaction did not succeed. TUIfly operated 14 Boeing 737 for Air Berlin, the leasing rates were said to be well above usual market terms and a price for Air Berlin's acquisition of TUIfly's city network in 2009.

D-ABHI | Air Berlin | Airbus A320-214

D-ABHI Air Berlin Airbus A320-214
Many planes were shifted between Air Berlin and NIKI operations.

OM-GTD | NIKI operated by Go2Sky | Boeing 737-46J

OM-GTD NIKI operated by Go2Sky Boeing 737-46J
Go2Sky operated one Boeing 737-400 for NIKI.

D-ABQI | Air Berlin op. by LGW | Dash 8Q-400

D-ABQI Air Berlin op. by LGW Dash 8Q-400
Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter mbH (LGW) operated up to 20 Dash 8Q-400 for Air Berlin and was acquired completely by Air Berlin in July 2017. LGW is the part of Air Berin which will be taken over by Lufthansa. DH4 are to enter service for Eurowings.

Operational irregularities on the Düsseldorf-Stuttgart route, which usually was served by LGW Dash 8Q-400, brought interesting wet lease operations to Stuttgart:

I-ADLW Mistral Air ATR 72

I-ADLW Mistral Air ATR 72

LN-WDE | Widerøe | Dash 8Q-400

LN-WDE Widerøe Dash 8Q-400

Wet Leases

Lithuanian Avion Express operated A320 and A321 for Condor:

LY-VEI | Avion Express | Airbus A320-233

LY-VEI Thomas Cook operated by Avion Express Airbus A320-233

In July 2017, Qatar Airways supported British Airways operations with nine A320 to mitigate negative impacts of „Mixed Fleet“ cabin crew insutrial action. Because of the Qatar diplomatic crisis QR had free capacity, and holds 20% of the stakes of BA's parent holding IAG:

A7-ADE | Qatar Airways | Airbus A320-232

A7-ADE Qatar Airways operated for British Airways Airbus A320-232
QR narrow bodies were regularly seen at Stuttgart Airport in 2011 when Qatar commenced the route between Doha and Stuttgart. In summer schedule 2012 this route was changed to be a tag-on to the Zürich route, and eventually ceased to the end of 2012 summer schedule.

Eurowings

This A320 nicely demonstrates the collaboration between Air Berlin and Eurowings:

D-ABZN | Eurowings operated by Air Berlin | Airbus A320-216

D-ABZN Eurowings operated by Air Berlin Airbus A320-216

Eurowings operated additional flights to Mallorca (PMI) with the A330-200, bringing the Cologne-Bonn based long-haul jet to Stuttgart:

D-AXGA | Eurowings operated by Sun Express Deutschland | Airbus A330-203

D-AXGA Eurowings operated by Sun Express Deutschland Airbus A330-203

Air Berlin's bankruptcy also affacted Eurowings, which i.a. chartered Air Europa (737-800) and Czech Airlines to fill in the gap:

Czech Airlines with Stuttgart television tower in the background - OK-REQ | Czech Airlines | Airbus A319-112

OK-REQ Czech Airlines Airbus A319-112

This Eurowings A320 received a special scheme advertising for the Europapark:

D-ABDQ | Eurowings | Airbus A320-214

D-ABDQ Eurowings Airbus A320-214

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New Routes

LOT resumed the route to Warsaw, Mo-Fr doubly daily, Sa-So daily:

SP-LIO | LOT | Embraer ERJ-175LR

SP-LIO LOT Embraer ERJ-175LR

Since 10.06.2017 TAP flies between Lisbon and Stuttgart again. Flights were operated twice daily by TAP Express Embraer 190:

CS-TTY | TAP Express | Embraer 195

CS-TTY TAP Express Embraer 195

High loads brought this TAP A319 instead of the usual Embraer 190/195 to Stuttgart:

CS-TTG | TAP Portugal | Airbus A319-111

CS-TTG TAP Portugal Airbus A319-111

SAS started to connect Stuttgart with Stockholm, six weekly with CR9 operated by Cityjet.

KLM Cityhopper F70

To the end of summer 2017 KLM retired its remaining Fokker 70 aircraft, which were seen for the last time at Stuttgart Airport this summer:

PH-KZB | KLM cityhopper | Fokker 70

PH-KZB KLM cityhopper Fokker 70

Austrian Airlines also retired its Fokker 70 / 100 fleet to the end of 2017, replacing them with Embraer 195, which were transferred from Lufthansa Cityline.

Other Changes

CRJ900 previously operated by Eurowings were transferred to Lufthansa Cityline. The background of this CRJ900 is still revealed on its fin's livery:

D-ACNR | Lufthansa CityLine | Bombardier CRJ900LR

D-ACNR Lufthansa CityLine Bombardier CRJ900LR

Swiss Global Air Lines flew many times with their Bombardier CSeries to Stuttgart, however, the first passenger flight already took place in 2016.

HB-JBG | Swiss Global Air Lines | Bombardier CS100

HB-JBG Swiss Global Air Lines Bombardier CS100

Dash 8Q-400 operated for Swiss by Austrian Airlines were seen on most flights to Zürich, since Swiss retired their remaining Avro RJ100 in 2017:

OE-LGR | Austrian Airlines | Dash 8Q-400 | Star Alliance Livery

OE-LGR Austrian Airlines Dash 8Q-400

Since summer schedule 2017 Delta came with the larger Boeing 767-400ER instead of the -300ER:

N844MH | Delta |  Boeing 767-432ER | Skyteam Special Scheme

N844MH Delta Boeing 767-432ER

Special Schemes

British Airways' Olympic Dove Livery:

G-EUPH | British Airways | Airbus A319-131 | Olympic Dove Livery

G-EUPH British Airways Airbus A319-131

One of TUIfly's many special liveries advertising the CEWE Fotobuch:

D-AHFZ | TUIfly | Boeing 737-8K5 | CEWE Fotobuch Livery

D-AHFZ TUIfly Boeing 737-8K5

Sun Express Germany's Istanbul Livery (former TC-SUZ):

D-ASXO | SunExpress Deutschland | Boeing 737-8HX | Istanbul Livery

D-ASXO SunExpress Deutschland Boeing 737-8HX

E-Aviation's red Cessna Citation CJ4:

D-CHRA | E-Aviation Eisele Flugd. | Cessna 525C CitationJet CJ4 - red Cessna Citation Businessjet

D-CHRA E-Aviation Eisele Flugd. Cessna 525C CitationJet CJ4

ASL Airlines France visited Stuttgart a few times:

F-GZTM | ASL Airlines France | Boeing 737-3B3QC

F-GZTM ASL Airlines France Boeing 737-3B3QC

Military Movements

US Army's Stuttgart Army Airfield provides frequent military traffic at Stuttgart's airport, e.g. a Globemaster and an Apache were here in 2017:

08-8197 | USAF | Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

08-8197 US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

US Army | Boeing AH-64 Apache

US Army Boeing AH-64 Apache

Arrival of the Landshut in Friedrichshafen

Not in Stuttgart, but still in the Ländle (federal state): Arrival of the Landshut in Friedrichshafen on 23.09.2017:

Arrival of the Landshut in Friedrichshafen

The aircraft was involved in the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181 1977. All passengers were rescued by German counter-terrorism forces in Mogadishu, one crew member and the three terrorists died. The aircraft was later sold by Lufthansa, was then flown by various airlines, and eventually parked and rotting in Fortaleza, Brasil. In 2017 it was acquired to be exhibited in the Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen.

published on 2018-01-03

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Cargolux Jumbo Freighter arriving at Stuttgart Airport - LX-VCV | Cargolux | Boeing 747-4R7F

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Hi Fly A340-500 in Stuttgart - CS-TFX | Hi Fly | Airbus A340-500

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Businessjet taxiing in the warm evening light - N810TD | Meadow Lane Air | Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650

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Stuttgart Airport apron - TS-INO | Nouvelair | Airbus A320-214

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Businessjet with snow at night - D-AUCR | DC Aviation | Dassault Falcon 900DX

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Eurowings operated by Airberlin Taxiing und Start - D-ABZK | Eurowings | Airbus A320-216

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D-ABDX | Air Berlin | Airbus A320-214

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D-ABHC | Air Berlin Oneworld Livery | Airbus A320-214

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D-ABAG | Air Berlin operated by TUIfly for NIKI | Boeing 737-86J

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D-ABHI | Air Berlin | Airbus A320-214

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OM-GTD | NIKI operated by Go2Sky | Boeing 737-46J

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D-ABQI | Air Berlin op. by LGW | Dash 8Q-400

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I-ADLW Mistral Air ATR 72

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LN-WDE | Widerøe | Dash 8Q-400

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LY-VEI | Avion Express | Airbus A320-233

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A7-ADE | Qatar Airways | Airbus A320-232

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D-ABZN | Eurowings operated by Air Berlin | Airbus A320-216

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D-AXGA | Eurowings operated by Sun Express Deutschland | Airbus A330-203

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Czech Airlines with Stuttgart television tower in the background - OK-REQ | Czech Airlines | Airbus A319-112

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D-ABDQ | Eurowings | Airbus A320-214

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SP-LIO | LOT | Embraer ERJ-175LR

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CS-TTY | TAP Express | Embraer 195

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CS-TTG | TAP Portugal | Airbus A319-111

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PH-KZB | KLM cityhopper | Fokker 70

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D-ACNR | Lufthansa CityLine | Bombardier CRJ900LR

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HB-JBG | Swiss Global Air Lines | Bombardier CS100

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OE-LGR | Austrian Airlines | Dash 8Q-400 | Star Alliance Livery

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N844MH | Delta |  Boeing 767-432ER | Skyteam Special Scheme

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G-EUPH | British Airways | Airbus A319-131 | Olympic Dove Livery

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D-AHFZ | TUIfly | Boeing 737-8K5 | CEWE Fotobuch Livery

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D-ASXO | SunExpress Deutschland | Boeing 737-8HX | Istanbul Livery

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D-CHRA | E-Aviation Eisele Flugd. | Cessna 525C CitationJet CJ4 - red Cessna Citation Businessjet

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F-GZTM | ASL Airlines France | Boeing 737-3B3QC

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08-8197 | USAF | Boeing C-17A Globemaster III

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US Army | Boeing AH-64 Apache

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Arrival of the Landshut in Friedrichshafen

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