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:
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:
N810TD Meadow Lane Air Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650
Highlights which allowed unusual perspectives were the apron tour in July...
TS-INO Nouvelair Airbus A320-214
... and the night tour in December:
D-AUCR DC Aviation Dassault Falcon 900DX
2017 saw also rapid expansion of the Eurowings fleet:
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.
D-ABDX Air Berlin 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 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
Many planes were shifted between Air Berlin and NIKI operations.
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
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:
Lithuanian Avion Express operated A320 and A321 for Condor:
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 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.
This A320 nicely demonstrates the collaboration between Air Berlin and Eurowings:
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
Air Berlin's bankruptcy also affacted Eurowings, which i.a. chartered Air Europa (737-800) and Czech Airlines to fill in the gap:
OK-REQ Czech Airlines Airbus A319-112
This Eurowings A320 received a special scheme advertising for the Europapark:
D-ABDQ Eurowings Airbus A320-214
LOT resumed the route to Warsaw, Mo-Fr doubly daily, Sa-So daily:
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
High loads brought this TAP A319 instead of the usual Embraer 190/195 to Stuttgart:
CS-TTG TAP Portugal Airbus A319-111
SAS started to connect Stuttgart with Stockholm, six weekly with CR9 operated by Cityjet.
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
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.
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
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
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
Since summer schedule 2017 Delta came with the larger Boeing 767-400ER instead of the -300ER:
British Airways' Olympic Dove Livery:
G-EUPH British Airways Airbus A319-131
One of TUIfly's many special liveries advertising the CEWE Fotobuch:
Sun Express Germany's Istanbul Livery (former TC-SUZ):
D-ASXO SunExpress Deutschland Boeing 737-8HX
E-Aviation's red Cessna Citation CJ4:
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
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 US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
Not in Stuttgart, but still in the Ländle (federal state): Arrival of the Landshut in Friedrichshafen on 23.09.2017:
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