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Lufthansa opens tender for 100 narrowbodies, eight widebodies
Boeing and Airbus are now entering into discussions with Lufthansa to claim newly-authorised orders for eight widebody aircraft and 100 single-aisle aircraft, the German flag carrier says today. Lufthansa's supervisory board in a meeting earlier today cleared the company's executives to begin the negotiations with the airframers. Lufthansa currently operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing widebodies and narrowbodies, but plans to phase out a fleet of 17 Boeing 737-300s and 22 737-500s by 2016. Lufthansa already signed an order in July 2011 for 25 re-engined A320neos and five A321neos powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.
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Winglets fitted to first flying A350
Airbus has started fitting the sweeping winglets to the first flying prototype of its A350 twinjet, ahead of its maiden flight later this year. The winglets will give this variant of the A350 a total span of 64.8m (212ft). Airbus's latest aircraft specification document for the A350-900, released in December 2012, indicates that the winglet sweeps 5.2m from its leading-edge attachment to its rear tip.
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Boeing Hopeful Of 787s In Service By April: Air India
The chairman of India's state carrier Air India said on Wednesday that Boeing is hopeful of getting their 787 Dreamliner back in service by early April. "They said that these planes should start flying again from early April. They can't be sure but they are hopeful," Rohit Nandan said.
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As Parked 787s Multiply, Boeing Cash Drain Increases
Paine Field Airport, next door to Boeing's wide-body plant north of Seattle, is getting crowded as 10 new 787 Dreamliners flank the runway, destined for airlines such as Poland's LOT, Britain's Thomson Airways and China Southern Airlines. It is a similar story several thousand miles away, outside the company's North Charleston, South Carolina final assembly building, where space is taken up by four 787s destined for Air India. A month after the global fleet of the carbon-composite jets were grounded as US and Japanese regulators carry out investigations into overheating batteries, the parked airliners are a stark symbol of deepening problems this is causing Boeing.
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Swelling Found In Second ANA 787 Battery
Cells in a second lithium-ion battery on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner forced to make an emergency landing in Japan last month showed slight swelling, a Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) official said on Tuesday. The jet, flown by All Nippon Airways, was forced to make the landing after its main battery failed. "I do not know the exact discussion taken by the research group on the ground, but I heard that it is a slight swelling (in the auxiliary power unit battery cells). I have so far not heard that there was internal damage," Masahiro Kudo, a senior accident investigator at the JTSB said in a briefing in Tokyo.
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Lufthansa Swings To 2012 Profit, Suspends Dividend
Lufthansa posted a net profit of EUR€990 million (USD$1.32 billion) in 2012, as the one-off sale of equity investments helped it swing from a loss of EUR€13 million a year earlier. The airline said it planned to suspend its dividend payment and fully retain its net profit as it bolstered a restructuring program. "The Executive Board plans to close sites and to merge administrative functions," the airline said in a statement on its 2012 results, released in advance of scheduled publication on March 14. Operating profit fell to EUR€524 million from EUR€820 million a year earlier, reflecting in part costs of EUR€160 million for the group's cost-cutting program, SCORE.
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Walsh backs Airbus A350 battery decision
International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh supports Airbus’ decision to switch the A350 XWB back to nickel cadmium batteries. “I think it is a sensible thing to do,” Walsh said about Airbus’ recent decision to abandon plans to equip the new twinjet with lithium ion batteries. In his keynote address to the Aviation Carbon 2013 event at Heathrow Tuesday, Walsh used lithium ion technology as an example of how hard manufacturers are striving to bring down the weight of their aircraft to optimize fuel and environmental performance.
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Malaysia Airlines firms orders for 20 ATR 72-600s
Malaysia Airlines has firmed up 20 orders for ATR 72-600s to be operated by its regional subsidiaries. The accord follows a memorandum of understanding signed in December for 36 ATR 72-600s; beyond the firm orders, Malaysia took 16 options. Including the options, the deal is worth $840 million, ATR said. Malaysia regional subsidiaries MASWings and Firefly currently operate 22 ATR 72-500s. Deliveries of the 72-600s are slated to begin mid-2013.
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European Parliament backs plan to increase carbon price
The European Parliament has backed plans to increase the price of carbon permits. The European Commission has proposed the removal of 900 million tonnes of carbon permits from the market over the period 2013-15 to help boost dwindling prices. These permits would then be returned to auction in 2019-20. This so-called “backloading” proposal has now cleared an initial vote in the European Parliament’s ENVI committee.
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Aerion and NASA begin laminar flow flight testing
Aerion's determination to be first to market with a supersonic business jet remains as dogged as ever as the US aerodynamics research company embarks on a another round of testing with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The latest tests - which began on 31 January - use an Aerion "phase two" test article mounted in a centreline position on the belly of NASA's F-15B research aircraft flown at speeds of up to Mach 2.0. The eight-week program, involving around 10 flights, is designed to measure the "real-world robustness" of supersonic natural laminar flow - a vital element, Aerion says in its design for the first SSBJ.
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Reborn Beechcraft emerges from bankruptcy protection
Beechcraft emerges on 19 February from bankruptcy protection with a new business plan and a restored leadership team - and without its Hawker-branded business jet division and more than $2 billion of debt, both shed during a 10-month-long financial restructuring process. The bankruptcy court's approval of Beechcraft's recovery plan means the new streamlined and standalone company must face a stubbornly sluggish market that has already driven its business jet segment out of production. Bill Boisture, who is again chief executive after a year-long term as chairman, instead points to the continued demand for the King Air turboprop through the post-2008 recession, its increasing application in the special missions market and low inventory levels for recently manufactured versions of the aircraft.
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Taiwan to upgrade 16 P-3C Rolls-Royce T56 engines
Taiwan will overhaul 16 Rolls-Royce T56-A-14 turboprops under the auspices of the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism. The FMS deal is worth $10.6 million and the work will be undertaken by StandardAero-San Antonio in Texas, the US Department of Defence said in a brief statement on its website.
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Spirit Airlines exceeds expectations with quarterly results
Spirit Airlines has reported earnings per share of 27 cents for the fourth quarter, beating analyst expectations of 24 cents per share. Although superstorm Sandy led to a drop in income, Spirit still reported net income of $19.5 million for the quarter.
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Flight Safety Foundation plans worldwide safety database
Kevin Hiatt, the president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, says the organization is working with the International Civil Aviation Organization to create a worldwide database for safety data. "We've operated in a reactive mode for years, but moved into the more proactive mode we use these days," he said.
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Lufthansa looks to "shark skin" for aerodynamic improvements
Lufthansa, Airbus and a German firm have partnered to study shark skin technology for aircraft. The technology has been used for ships and swimsuits because it mimics the tiny "riblets" that enable a shark to speed through water. The surface coating could also improve the aerodynamics of airplanes.
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More American travelers are choosing destinations other than Europe
Americans are traveling more readily to other destinations besides Europe, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data. U.S. travel overseas rose 5.5% in 2012 while U.S. travel to Europe rose by 3.9%. However, as a destination Europe still beats the Caribbean and Asia, this feature says.
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Other News


Virgin Atlantic is assessing its alliance options, with SkyTeam emerging as the likely fit given the UK carrier’s new relationship with Delta Air Lines. Late last year, Delta announced plans to acquire Singapore Airlines’ 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic. As part of the deal, Delta and Virgin Atlantic are planning to launch a cost and revenue sharing joint venture on flights across the Atlantic. In an interview with the Financial Times, Virgin Atlantic COO Julie Southern has given the clearest indication yet that the two airlines could also become alliance partners. “I suspect in due course you may see us joining SkyTeam,” Southern said. In an official statement, Virgin said: “Joining SkyTeam is not a condition of the joint venture with Delta, although Virgin Atlantic is evaluating its options in this regard. The airline has always kept alliance membership under review but has been clear that it needs to be in the best interests of the business.”

Hamburg Airport’s security workers will strike Wednesday, Feb. 20, in a third day of strikes called by trade union Verdi over pay. Last week, 600 security workers at Germany’s airports—including Hamburg, Cologne and Dusseldorf—walked off the job Feb. 13 and 14, affecting several thousand passengers as flights were delayed or canceled. Verdi has called for a 33% increase in pay for around 1,000 security personnel employed by private firms at two airports. It said it has not reached an agreement with the Federal Association of Security Industry. German airports were also impacted by strike action in January.

Chinese carriers reported a net loss of CNY1 billion ($158.9 million) in January, reversed from a net profit of CNY1.7 billion in the year-ago period. Ping An Securities Aviation Analyst Sun Chao said the loss was due to the oversupply of domestic capacity before the Spring Festival, a slowdown of premium market demand and the impact of high-speed rail. Operating revenue dropped 10% to CNY28.7 billion, which was mainly due to the change in timing of this year’s Spring Festival. Operating expenses rose 2% to CNY26.2 billion due to rising fuel costs.

Lao Central Airlines has taken delivery of its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100). The aircraft, which arrived at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, features a two-class cabin layout and seats 93 passengers. “The aircraft … delivered to Lao Central has become the first Sukhoi Superjet 100 having arrived to Southeast Asia for commercial operations,” Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. president Andrey Kalinovsky said. The Laotian carrier is the region’s second airline to receive the SSJ100. In January 2012 Indonesia’s Sky Aviation took delivery of its first SSJ100; however, the aircraft remains in Russia due to paperwork. Lao Central plans to operate the SSJ100 on domestic and international routes from Laos to Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Singapore and other destinations in Southeast Asia.

Greenland Express, a new carrier based in Greenland, plans to start operations this year using one wet-leased Airbus A319 or A320. In the first phase, the carrier is considering 3X-weekly flights from Kangerlussuaq to Aalborg, Denmark continuing on to Copenhagen (2X-weekly). It will also consider service to Canada, the Netherlands and Northern Germany.

Aviation Quote

You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.

Anonymous

On This Date

---In 1915... During the Panama-Pacific Exhibition, Allan Loughead is allowed to launch an air service and flies 600 passengers across the bay during 50 days. The 10-minute flight costs $10 per passenger.

---In 1924... In Dakar, Lieutenant-Colonel Tulasne, Captain Gama and Lieutenant Michel complete the first trip across the Sahara desert and back, piloting Breguet-14 airplanes.

---In 1942…Lieutenant Edward O’Hare becomes America’s first World War II flying ace after shooting down five Japanese heavy bombers.

---In 1959…The Avro CF-105 Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is canceled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.

---In 1962…Piedmont retires the last of its DC-3 aircraft on the 15th anniversary of its first scheduled flight.

---In 1962…John Glenn becomes the first US astronaut to orbit the earth in Mercury Atlas 6 program on the “Friendship 7” spacecraft.

---In 1963…Austrian Airlines receives the first of five Sud-Aviation SE.210-VIR Caravelles, their first jet aircraft.

---In 1968... A standard Learjet 25 sets a new “time-to-climb” record by climbing to 40,000 feet in 6 minutes 29 seconds.

---In 1972... A USAF Lockheed HC-130H Hercules piloted by a crew commanded by Lt. Comdr. Ed Allison sets a new world record for unrefuelled flight by turboprop aircraft. It flies a distance of 14,052.94 km (8,732.5 mi.) between the Taiwanese base of Ching Chuan Kang AB and Scott AFB, Illinois.

---In 1986…Japan launches Tenma satellite to study x-rays (450/570 km).

---In 1998…TWA retires the last of its Boeing 747 “jumbo jets” The newer and more efficient Boeing 767 is now the airline’s main intercontinental aircraft.

---In 2005…British Airways Flight 268, a Boeing 747-400 departed Los Angeles enroute to London Heathrow, experiences failure of the #2 engine just after takeoff. Instead of returning to the airport, they continued on, making it all the way to England where emergency was declared and a landing in Manchester took place. Though the FAA was upset about their flying an “unairworthy” aircraft, all is forgiven.

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BAD AIR’S ADVERTISING SLOGANS


1. BadAir: When you just can't wait for the world to come to you.

2. BadAir: We're Amtrak with wings.

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16. Bring a bathing suit.

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18. That guy who crashed into the White House was one of our best pilots.

19. Fly BadAir and enjoy a free two-week hospital stay on us.

20. BadAir: A real man lands where he wants to.

21. Cleveland is our hub!

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