Eurocopter vectors growth Eurocopter's C$625 million ($653 milllion) acquisition of Toronto-based helicopter and engine maintenance provider Vector Aerospace is a major step for the manufacturer as it seeks to grow its aftermarket support business and foothold in America, particularly in respect to military and other government-operated aircraft. Link
Gulfstream G650 test aircraft crashes on takeoff, killing four The US Federal Aviation Administration and Gulfstream Aerospace have confirmed one of the manufacturer's five G650 test aircraft has crashed at Roswell International Air Center Airport in Roswell, New Mexico, killing two pilots and two test engineers aboard. Link
Southwest cancels 300 flights to inspect 737s Southwest Airlines on Saturday cancelled 300 flights after one of its Boeing 737-300s suffered a depressurisation event triggered by a hole discovered in the top of the aircraft after it diverted and landed in Yuma, Arizona. Link
AeroMobile sees busy year as airlines embrace mobile connectivity AeroMobile is on the cusp of a new era of growth, as a raft of tier one airlines prepare to bring the Telenor subsidiary's eXPhone in-flight mobile connectivity solution to their fleets. Link
AeroVironment investigates cause of Global Observer crash AeroVironment has confirmed the GO-1 Global Observer crashed early on 1 April, about 18h through its ninth test flight at Edwards AFB, California. The company has announced no further details about the mishap, but confirms "there are no reports of injury or damage to other property". Link
Search locates Air France flight AF447 crash site French investigators are confident that they have located the crash site of the Air France Airbus A330-200 which was lost over the South Atlantic nearly two years ago. Link
House passes FAA reauthorization bill; negotiations with Senate next The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a four-year, $59.7 billion FAA reauthorization bill by a 223-196 vote, setting the stage for negotiations with the Senate to attempt to craft a final bill that could pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Barack Obama. Link
SkyWest issues first-quarter profit warning, expects $13-$15 million net loss SkyWest Inc., the Utah-based parent of regionals SkyWest Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet, said Friday it is expecting to report a $13-$15 million net loss for the first quarter. Link
UK regulator extends Heathrow, Gatwick price controls The UK Civil Aviation Authority extended current price controls at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports by one year following consultation with the airports and its airline users. Link
NTSB investigating second Southwest 737 decompression event in two years US NTSB has pulled the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the Southwest Airlines 737-300 that experienced an inflight decompression event on Friday afternoon in which a hole, estimated by witnesses at up to four feet in length by 1 foot in width, opened in the ceiling of the passenger cabin leading to rapid loss of pressurization. Link
Other News
Pratt & Whitney President David Hess said he expects to begin seeing a sharp uptake in engine deliveries, possibly reaching levels last seen in 1983 when the company delivered 1,000 engines. Speaking to journalists at the Pratt test facilities in West Palm Beach, Fla., Hess said he believes the company could be back up to those levels "as early as 2016."
United Continental Holdings and All Nippon Airways announced April 1 the launch of their transpacific joint venture, though which “United Airlines and Continental Airlines may coordinate sales and marketing with ANA and improve benefits offered to each airline’s frequent flyers.” UCH President and CEO Jeff Smisek said the JV “will offer travelers greater choices, convenience and flexibility for their transpacific travels.” It was enabled by the US-Japan open skies agreement and antitrust immunity granted by US and Japanese regulators.
Turkish Airlines confirmed that it has exercised options for 10 Boeing 737-800s and five 737-900ERs, valued at more than $1.2 billion based on list prices. The options were part of a firm order for 20 737NGs placed last year. The 15 additional 737NGs, the firming of which had been previously revealed in stock market filings, are slated for delivery from 2013-2015. The fast-growing carrier last month ordered 10 Airbus A321s and three A330-200 freighters.
LCC Fly Niki, the Austrian partner of Air Berlin, reported 2010 net income of €5.7 million ($8 million), down 68% from an €18 million profit in 2009, on a 25.2% increase in revenue to €337.4 million. Passengers carried in 2010 rose 31% year-over-year to 3.38 million.
Bombardier reported net income of $769 million for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, up 8.8% over a $707 million net profit in its prior fiscal year. Revenue for the year dropped 8.6% to $17.71 billion.
Goodrich said it signed an agreement with SSCP Aero Holdings to acquire Microtecnica, "a leading provider of flight control actuation systems for helicopter, regional and business aircraft, missile actuation, and aircraft thermal and environmental control systems."
AVIATION QUOTE Whoever wants to learn to fly must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance:-one cannot fly into flying! - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Thus spoke Zarathustra: A book for everyone and nobody, 1883-1885.
ON THIS DATE
April 4th
· In 1907... Santos-Dumont, disappointed by his failure on March 27 and shocked by Charles Voisin’s flight of 197 feet shortly afterwards, tries again with his Nº 14bis. He makes a short flight of 164 feet in Saint-Cyr, France.
· In 1946... Sears, Roebuck & Company begins a new, regular weekly overnight shipment of women’s clothing from New York to the West Coast by airplane.
· In 1947... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is officially founded in Montreal, Canada. It is an intergovernmental organization, established to regulate air transportation on a worldwide basis, its authority restricted only by the number of signatory nations.
· In 1966... British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) opens its first scheduled service to Mexico, flying to Mexico City via Bermuda and Kingston, Jamaica.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
No Frills Airlines
You'll Know It's a No-Frills Airline If: 1. They don't sell tickets, they sell chances. 2. All the insurance machines in the terminal are sold out. 3. Before the flight, the passengers get together and elect a pilot. 4. If you kiss the wing for luck before boarding, it kisses you back. 5. You cannot board the plane unless you have the exact change. 6. Before you took off, the stewardess tells you to fasten your Velcro. 7. The Captain asks all the passengers to chip in a little for gas. 8. When they pull the steps away, the plane starts rocking. 9. The Captain yells at the ground crew to get the cows off the runway. 10. You ask the Captain how often their planes crash and he sez, "Just once." 11. No movie. Don't need one. 12. Your life keeps flashing before your eyes. 13. You see a man with a gun, but he's demanding to be let off the plane. 14. All the planes have both a bathroom and a chapel.
