NewsCommercial
AAR sees widebody MRO work returning stateside
Demand in the USA for MRO work on widebody aircraft is on the rise as airlines increasingly chose to have such work completed stateside, according to MRO service provider AAR. The company tells Flightglobal that a facility it plans to open in Rockford, Illinois, is being designed specifically to accommodate newer widebody types like Boeing 787s and 777s, and competing products from Airbus. “The focus will be on next-generation widebody aircraft,” the Wood Dale, Illinois-based company says. AAR, which announced plans for the new 200,000ft2 facility in August, says it expects to break ground this year and complete the site in spring 2016.
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Airbus wins 1,001 gross plane orders in Jan-Aug
European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) said on Thursday that it won 1,001 gross plane orders in the first eight months of the year. Taking cancellations into account, net orders totalled 722 aircraft through August.
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Boeing Beating Airbus On 2014 Orders
Airbus and Boeing both topped 1,000 new jet orders in the first eight months of the year, with Boeing leading the race after adjusting for cancellations. Airbus sold 21 aircraft in August, a traditionally quiet month following the Farnborough Airshow in July, bringing its total gross orders for the year to 1,001 aircraft. In contrast, Boeing booked 107 orders in the same month, bringing total gross orders for the year to 1,004.
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Boeing predicts China will need more aircraft
Boeing Co said on Thursday it expects China to need more than 6,020 aircraft in the next 20 years, an 8 percent rise over last year's two-decade estimate, as growing overseas leisure travel drives demand for single-aisle and wide body planes.
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Boeing delivers first GE-powered 787-9
Boeing has delivered the first GE Aviation-powered 787-9 off the production line to United Airlines, which also becomes the first North American customer to receive the stretched model of the Dreamliner. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month approved certification of GE’s second performance improvement package (PIP II) of the GEnx-1B engine, clearing Boeing to begin deliveries of the 74,000lb-thrust variant that powers the 787-9.
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Macquarie, Orix Among Suitors For AWAS Portfolio
Australia's Macquarie Group and Japan's Orix are among a handful of companies exploring binding offers for the USD$5 billion aircraft portfolio being sold by Dublin-based lessor AWAS. Macquarie's aircraft leasing subsidiary Macquarie AirFinance, and Orix Aviation, part of the Japanese financial group, are set to compete against other Asian parties bidding for the asset, including Cheung Kong, which has confirmed its interest. Other bidders include Hong Kong Aviation Capital, which is owned by China's HNA Group and Bohai Leasing, and SMBC Aviation Capital - part of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, according to people familiar with the matter. AWAS, one of the world's biggest aircraft lessors and owned by British private equity firm Terra Firma, plans to seek second-round bids in late September with the hope of agreeing a deal by next month, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is not public.
LinkAirlines
AA-US Airways integration is making progress, CFO says
Derek Kerr, the chief financial officer for American Airlines, said the integration between American and US Airways is proceeding smoothly. "It's early and we have a lot of work to do in 2015," he said. American is reducing debt, returning cash to shareholders and starting "a total fleet replacement program" within four to five years, he said.
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Air France-KLM Accelerates Low-Cost Plans
Air France-KLM has announced plans to accelerate the development of its low-cost unit and cut back freighter operations in its latest efforts to boost competitiveness. Europe's second-largest traditional carrier by revenue said its board had approved a plan to open new bases under the Transavia low-cost brand in Europe. By expanding its low-cost operations, Air France-KLM is following the example of Lufthansa, which is expanding budget services via its Eurowings carrier and considering a budget long-haul unit. The project is part of the Franco-Dutch group's new strategic plan, Perform 2020.
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Alaska offers early boarding for fans who wear Seahawks QB jersey
Alaska Airlines, Seattle's hometown carrier, is still very charged up about the fact that the Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions. So charged up that, starting with today's NFL season-opening game in Seattle between the Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers, the airline is offering early boarding privileges on its Seattle-departing flights to anyone wearing a No. 3 jersey just the like one worn by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
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Delta reports 3.1% increase in passenger traffic for August
Delta Air Lines reported that passenger unit revenue rose by 2% in August, while passenger traffic rose by 3.1% for the month. The carrier lowered its outlook for passenger unit revenue in the third quarter, and raised the forecast for fuel costs in the quarter.
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Garuda Delays Plan To Sell Citilink Stake
Garuda Indonesia's chief executive Emirsyah Satar said the airline has postponed a plan to sell a stake in its loss-making budget unit Citilink. The reason for the delay was because the price offered by potential buyers was too low, the Jakarta Post had reported earlier. "We will still develop Citilink," Satar said. The budget carrier competes with Lion Air at home and other Southeast Asian low-cost airlines such as Malaysia's AirAsia. Garuda has been trying to sell up to 49 percent of Citilink for several months. The Jakarta Post said the airline had reviewed two potential buyers, but did not identify them. The delay in selling the Citilink stake comes at a time when market conditions are deteriorating for carriers in Southeast Asia, including in the low cost Indonesian market.
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Hawaiian Airlines offers locally brewed craft beer
Hawaiian Airlines started serving craft beer from Maui Brewing Co. on international flights this week. The local brewer's Bikini Blonde Lager will also be available on domestic flights next month. "We're continuously exploring the Islands' many offerings of locally made products to identify selections we believe our guests will appreciate," said Alison Croyle, a spokeswoman for Hawaiian.
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JetBlue to ramp up return on invested capital, exec says
JetBlue Airways is aiming to increase its return on invested capital through new routes to the Caribbean and Washington, D.C. James Leddy, treasurer for JetBlue, said the carrier aims to boost the return on invested capital "by on average 1% a year going forward."
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Lufthansa Pilots In Frankfurt To Strike On Friday
Pilots locked in a row with Lufthansa over an early retirement scheme announced a second strike in a week, this time affecting Europe's third-largest airport in Frankfurt. Union Vereinigung Cockpit said the strike would run from 1700-2300 local time on Friday and would affect short-haul and medium-haul Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt airport. Lufthansa said the strike was likely to result in the cancellation of over 200 flights, affecting around 25,000 passengers. Pilots went on strike at Lufthansa's low-cost unit Germanwings last week, costing the airline more than EUR€10 million (USD$13 million). The union said more strikes could come at any time after Friday's action.
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Virgin Atlantic could reach profitability in 2014
British airline Virgin Atlantic is to beef up its core transatlantic services and stop flying to Tokyo, Mumbai, Vancouver and Cape Town, to help it try to reach a level of profitability which has proved elusive for the past 15 years. The airline, which is 51 percent owned by its founder Richard Branson and 49 percent by U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines, also said on Wednesday it was on track to make an annual profit by the end of this year, after two years of running at a loss. Virgin said by 2018 it was targeting "record" profitability. The current record was set in 1999 when it posted a pretax profit excluding special items of around 99 million pounds.
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Streaming entertainment could replace seat-back screens
Seat-back screens could give way to entertainment streamed to passengers' own devices as airlines embrace in-flight Wi-Fi. Not all airlines look ready to ditch the older technology, however. Delta Air Lines' latest plane orders include seat-back screens.
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Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi cost varies widely
Passengers who surf the Web in flight may find it tricky to know what they're paying for that service, as providers such as Gogo create different price points based on usage and other factors. Gogo's dynamic pricing model relies on sophisticated tracking systems that monitor sign-ups as they occur.
LinkAirports
FAA gives perfect score to Milwaukee's Mitchell International
Mitchell International Airport has earned a perfect score on its annual inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration, airport officials said Wednesday. This is the seventh consecutive year that the airport has earned a perfect score on the inspection. The FAA report found that MKE meets or exceeds all requirements under the FAA Regulation Part 139, which governs the certification and operation of U.S. commercial airports. Part 139 outlines strict standards for governing airfield and pavement conditions, airfield lighting, snow and ice control, aircraft rescue and firefighting, personnel training and handling and storage of hazardous materials. Emergency planning and wildlife hazard management are also reviewed.
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Mexico to open new mega airport in 2018
Mexico plans to build a new international airport serving Mexico City, targeting a speedy 2018 opening after years of delays. The airport will have three runways and a design capacity of 50 million passengers annually when it opens, a presentation by the Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto and secretary of communications and transport Gerardo Ruiz on 3 September shows. It will be located near the existing Mexico City Benito Juarez International airport.
LinkMilitary
F-35 has emerged from 'tragic past': US general
The US Air Force general in charge of steering the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program says the fighter’s development has emerged from a “tragic past” and will meet future development milestones as advertised. During a 3 September speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan acknowledged the storms that the Lockheed Martin F-35 has weathered, including a recent engine fire that destroyed one of the jets, ballooning procurement costs that now top $400 billion and production delays of at least six years. What is done cannot be undone, Bogdan says. Though the complex fifth-generation fighter is sure to encounter future problems, Bogdan says the Pentagon, Lockheed and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney will meet milestones, such as initial operating capability for the Marine Corps in July 2015.
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Engine cracks pose fresh delay risk for F-35B
The US Marine Corps faces a new delay for Lockheed Martin F-35B entry into service if operating limitations caused by a recent engine problem cannot be limited by the end of September. “I need the rest of the test airplanes back to full envelope by the end of this month, otherwise we will start seeing delays in future milestones that we haven’t pushed up against yet,” says Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, chief of the Pentagon’s F-35 joint program office (JPO).
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India looks to acquire 18 ShinMaywa US-2 amphibians
The Indian navy is looking to acquire 18 ShinMaywa US-2i amphibian aircraft, according to informed sources. “The US-2i will be manufactured by the private sector and final assembly and integration will take place in India,” an official involved in the process says. This strategy will exclude state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics from any licenced production deal.
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E-2D completes air refuelling capability review
The US Navy and Northrop Grumman have completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for a new aerial refuelling capability for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control system aircraft. Under a $226 million engineering, manufacturing and development phase contract awarded to Northrop in 2013, the company was contracted to design the systems necessary to integrate the capability into the aircraft, which will provide longer endurance for the E-2D.
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Aviation Quote
Running an airline is like having a baby: fun to conceive, but hell to deliver.
— C. E. Woolman, principal founder Delta Air Lines
On This Date
---In 1908... The 1st flight of a full-size triplane, the French Goupy, is made. Built by Ambroise Goupy, it has three sets of wings each stacked above the others and is powered by 50-hp Renault engine.
---In 1945…First flight of the Douglas C-74 Globemaster.
---In 1948…A US Navy Martin JRM Mars sets a new cargo record of 62,262 lb (28,242 kg).
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Humor
Parachute Joke
An airplane was about to crash; there were 4 passengers on board but only 3 parachutes.
The first passenger said, I'm Kobe Bryant, the best NBA Basketball player. The Lakers need me, I can't afford to die.." So he took the first parachute and left the plane.
The second passenger, Hillary Clinton, said, "I am the wife of the former President of the United States; I am the most ambitious woman in the world. I am also a New York Senator, a potential future President and, above all, the cleverest woman in the world." She just grabbed the second parachute and jumped out of the plane.
The third passenger, The Pope, says to the fourth passenger, a 10year-old school boy, "I am old and frail and I don't have many years left. As a Christian I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute."
The boy said, "It's Ok, there's still a parachute left for you. America's cleverest woman took my school backpack.
