NewsRyanair expects to sign 737 Max deal by end-year Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair expects to sign a deal by the end of this year or early next year for more than 100 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, on top of today's agreement for 175 737-800s. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary confirmed the acquisition plans in a formal signing ceremony for the 737-800 commitment, which is still to be approved by Ryanair's shareholders, in New York with Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Ray Conner. "It is very important to us to have Ryanair as an all-Boeing fleet," Conner says. "That is a big deal for us and we cherish that very much, and we will always fight to maintain that." The order for the 737 Max is under evaluation by a new team formed within Ryanair, O'Leary says.
Link787 Grounding To Cut JAL Profits By USD$19 MlnThe grounding of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is likely to cut Japan Airlines’ operating profit between mid-January and the end of May by JPY¥1.8 billion (USD$18.97 million). The two months to end-May will slice JPY¥1.1 billion from JAL's profit, president Yoshiharu Ueki said on Tuesday, on top of the JPY¥700 million the idled 787s cost the airline between mid-January and the end of March. JAL expects operating profit of JPY¥186 billion for the financial year ending March 31. Japan Airlines' seven 787s have been grounded since mid-January after problems with its lithium-ion battery.
LinkUS Lawmakers Concerned About Fare IncreasesUS lawmakers discussing the US Airways plan to merge with American Airlines parent AMR, asked CEOs from the two companies repeatedly on Tuesday if the deal would mean higher fares or reduced service for the flying public, and were told it would not. The merger of American and US Airways, which is subject to various approvals, would create the world's largest air carrier. The deal is worth about USD$11 billion. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee, argued the deal would mean the top four US airlines would control 80 percent of the US market, and that people needed to know if fewer airlines would mean higher fares. Further, she worried aloud, smaller cities were unlikely to get convenient, inexpensive service.
LinkSmall US Airports Face ATC Tower ClosuresWhen landing a plane amid birds, bobcats or alligators, it helps to have an air traffic controller on the lookout. But many small airports across the United States face losing this extra pair of eyes starting April 1, as budget cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration threaten closure of 189 air traffic control towers. Controllers direct planes to prevent collisions. In places like the Naples Airport in southwest Florida, a busy hub for vacationers that is among those threatened with a tower closure, they also choreograph the delicate dance of aircraft and animals, said executive director Ted Soliday. "If an animal runs across the runway, they'll see it first. Alligators, they take a little while to get across the runway. Bobcats, the little dog thing, coyotes. If they see a flock of birds, they'll alert a pilot: 'Caution, birds at your one o'clock," Soliday said.
LinkBoeing Tech Engineers Ratify Four-year DealBoeing technical workers voted by a wide margin to ratify a new four-year agreement with the company, ending the possibility of a strike that could have cut production at a critical time for the aircraft maker. A strike by just technical workers could have slowed or even halted production of Boeing planes, with the workers key to solving engineering issues on the factory floor. It also could have complicated a wide-ranging review of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner by the Federal Aviation Administration and a probe by the National Transportation Safety Board, after charred batteries on two 787s prompted a grounding of the entire fleet in January. Last month, a second, larger SPEEA bargaining unit representing 15,500 professional engineers narrowly accepted a similar contract.
LinkSouthwest, AirTran complete connected networkSouthwest Airlines and AirTran Airways have completed linking their networks, creating an integrated booking system for travelers. "With a connected network, we can offer customers more itineraries, more destinations, more low fares, and a taste of what's to come once the integration is complete," Bob Jordan, Southwest's chief commercial officer and AirTran president, said in a statement.
LinkPremium Service cabins get an upgrade on UnitedUnited Airlines has revamped aircraft for coast-to-coast premium service. The p.s. service, first launched in 2004, features lie-flat beds and upgraded interiors. The p.s. service is currently available on select flights between New York and California.
LinkSenator introduces bill to caption in-flight entertainmentSen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has introduced legislation that would require in-flight movies and entertainment to display closed captioning and video descriptions. All in-flight safety messages are captioned, and a few carriers offer captioning on movies voluntarily.
LinkRAF's first operational F-35 pilot flies first training sortie The first operational UK pilot selected to fly the Lockheed Martin F-35B undertook his first training sortie in the Joint Strike Fighter on 19 March at Eglin AFB, Florida. "It flies very smoothly," says Royal Air Force Sqn Ldr Frankie Buchler, who previously flew the Sepecat Jaguar and Eurofighter Typhoon. "Nothing unexpected, it went pretty well." US Marine Corps Capt Daniel Flatley, who was flying as Buchler's instructor in another F-35B, says the purpose of the first training sortie was primarily to familiarise the student with the differences between the simulator and the real aircraft. Additionally, the student had to familiarise himself with flying the F-35B around the traffic pattern at the base.
LinkUSAF flies first F-15SA for Saudi Arabia The US Air Force says that it successfully flew a new fly-by-wire version of the Boeing F-15 Strike Eagle on 20 February. The aircraft, designated the F-15SA, is being developed for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). "The successful first flight of the F-15SA is a tremendous milestone for the programme and a testament to the relationship between the [USAF], Boeing and our RSAF partners," says Lt Gen C D Moore II, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. "The F-15SA will add critical capability to the RSAF and enhance the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
LinkIsrael's first C-130J emerges Israel's first Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transport has been painted in customer markings, and will be delivered to the nation's air force in late 2013 or early 2014. Pictured at Lockheed's Marietta production site in Georgia, USA, aircraft 661 is one of three stretched-fuselage C-130J-30s to have been ordered by Israel in 2010. The nation's air force says it needs to acquire more of the type, and late last year began talks with the manufacturer about the possible purchase of another three. The type will be named "Samson" in Israeli service.
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