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Avolon sees Airbus ‘keen’ on order for longer-range A321neo
Avolon believes Airbus is "keen" on the Irish lessor ordering the longer-range A321neo model. The European manufacturer launched the 97t version in January and unveiled Air Lease as the first customer, the US lessor have signed a tentative agreement to take 30. Seating 206 passengers, the aircraft will have up to three auxiliary fuel tanks, giving a potential range of 4,000nm. Avolon has 20 A320neos on order, along with 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10 Max 9 narrowbodies.
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Boeing receives order for 747-8 Freighters
The Boeing Co. on Tuesday announced an order from Silk Way West for three of its 747-8 Freighter aircraft. The deal with the Azerbaijan-based carrier is worth more than $1.1 billion at list prices. The company said in a press release that the order will add to the total of 56 747-8 Freighters in use by eight customers.
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Designer envisions plane of the future
Multiple renderings show designer Oscar Vinals' vision of a futuristic plane. The aircraft, called Progress Eagle, seats 800 passengers on three decks and features solar panels, electric wind generators, hydrogen fuel engines and wings that fold up for taxiing and storage.
LinkAirlines
Air Canada to Launch Service to Atlantic City from Toronto Hub
Air Canada announced today it is launching non-stop service between its Toronto Pearson hub and Atlantic City, NJ . The seasonal service, to be flown by Air Canada Express, operated by Jazz, will offer four return trips a week beginning May 22, 2015. "Air Canada is pleased to be adding Atlantic City to its already extensive U.S. network. This new route will enable our customers to conveniently travel non-stop to Atlantic City where they can enjoy its famed boardwalk, beaches and casinos. It will also provide Atlantic City a direct connection to Air Canada's Toronto global hub. The flights will be conveniently timed to link with Air Canada's extensive network for connections to and from the rest of Canada and beyond with customers eligible to accumulate and redeem Aeroplan miles," said Benjamin Smith , President, Passenger Airlines, at Air Canada.
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Alaska Air Group posts 7.9% rise in Feb. traffic
Alaska Air Group Inc. reported that, on a consolidated basis, its February traffic increased 7.9 percent on a 9.4 percent increase in capacity, from prior year. Load factor decreased 1.2 points to 83.4 percent. Traffic measured in revenue passenger miles, or RPMs, was 2.328 billion compared to 2.158 billion, prior year. Capacity measured in available seat miles, or ASMs, was 2.792 billion, compared to 2.552 billion, previous year.
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Asiana Settles US Court Claims In San Francisco Crash
Asiana Airlines has settled compensation claims filed in US courts by 72 people who were passengers on a flight that crashed at San Francisco Airport in 2013, without disclosing financial terms. A spokesman for the carrier confirmed the settlement, disclosed in a court document. The plane's manufacturer, Boeing, and Air Cruisers, which made the evacuation slides, also settled claims, according to the document.
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Delta Air Lines boosts capacity by replacing 50-seat aircraft
Delta Air Lines is boosting capacity by replacing 50-seat regional aircraft with larger planes. "We can put significantly more seats on the airplane without jeopardizing seat comfort or legroom," said Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson.
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JetBlue, Royal Air Maroc ink codeshare agreement
Interline partners JetBlue and Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s flag carrier, plan to step up to a codeshare partnership, pending approval from the Department of Transportation. Under the proposed codeshare agreement, Royal Air Maroc will place its code on JetBlue flights between New York and 22 destinations in the U.S., including Boston, Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Tampa and Washington Dulles.
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Norwegian Air Tries To Limit Strike Impact
Norwegian Air plans to bring in planes and staff to try and keep some of its European routes operating on Wednesday as a strike by pilots over pay at the low-cost carrier escalated. Norwegian has cancelled all its domestic flights on Wednesday in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well as flights between the three countries' capitals, after the number of pilots on strike jumped to 650 from 70.
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Boeing, Ryanair Announce Order for Three Additional Next-Generation 737-800s
Boeing and Ryanair have announced an order for three Next-Generation 737-800s. The order, previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website, is valued at $280 million at current list prices. With this order the Irish low-cost carrier now has unfilled orders for 174 Next-Generation 737-800s and 100 737 MAX 200s.
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Southwest raises fuel cost estimate to $2 per gallon
Southwest Airlines revised earlier projections on fuel, predicting higher fuel costs for the first quarter. In its latest forecast, Southwest said fuel is likely to cost $2 per gallon, instead of the $1.90 per gallon predicted in January.
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Spirit Airlines Adds More Flights From Latrobe/Pittsburgh
Spirit Airlines continues to add new daily nonstop flights from the Latrobe/Pittsburgh area. Today the first Ultra-low Cost Carrier in the Americas announced new daily service from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport which begins May 7, 2015. This new service will also provide ultra-low fare connecting opportunities from Latrobe/Pittsburgh via Chicago to several Western destinations, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
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United Airlines may purchase 25 new aircraft
United Airlines may use some of its $4.4 billion in cash to help purchase new aircraft, said Chief Financial Officer John Rainey. United could pay for 25 aircraft entering its fleet this year with a mixture of cash and financing, which helps the airline rely less on debt financing.
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United to save $800M on non-fuel costs by end of 2015
United Airlines forecast an $800 million drop in non-fuel costs by the end of 2015. United has set a goal of cutting costs by $1 billion by 2017.
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United upgrades free food offerings at O'Hare lounges
United Airlines has announced a new complimentary food menu for its United Clubs at O'Hare International Airport. The new offerings include more health food options.
LinkAirports
Ark. airports to embark on upgrades
Municipal airports in Northwest Arkansas are spending millions of dollars combined on upgrades officials said are needed to attract more airplanes and pilots to the region. Airport facilities are more attractive when they are upgraded, said Johnny Roscoe, director of Fayetteville Executive Airport. It could attract more people to an airport and cause them to spend time and money in the region.
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3 carriers prepared to expand flights at LGA if rule changes
American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines are prepared to expand service at LaGuardia airport if rules are changed that limit distance flown. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey currently imposes a "perimeter" rule that limits flights to 1,500 miles.
LinkMilitary
Germany finalises order for 18 naval NH90s
Germany has finally confirmed a deal that will see it order 18 new NH Industries NH90 NFH helicopters for its navy, while at the same time trimming commitments for the troop transport variant and Airbus Helicopters Tigers. The deal for the naval NH90 – to be known as the Sea Lion in German service – is worth around €1.4 billion ($1.55 billion). However, the German army will now receive 80 instead of 122 NH90s, with two further airframes for training and 22 more covered by options. In addition, its order for the Tiger will fall to a total of 68 attack helicopters. However, 11 early-build examples will be immediately retired from service, with the army targeting a future frontline fleet of just 40.
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Aviation Quote
Air racing may not be better than your wedding night, but it's better than the second night.
— Mickey Rupp, air racer and former Indianapolis 500 driver.
On This Date
---In 1912... Bob Fowler flies from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida. The west to east coast-to-coast journey has taken four months to complete.
---In 1923... The great aeronautical pioneer Igor Sikorsky sets up the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corp. in the United States with the financial help of several important leading figures, including Sergey Rachmaninoff. Sikorsky left Russia in 1917 when revolution threatened his work and his life.
---In 1929…Lineas Aereas nacionales is founded. It is known as LAN today.
---In 1936…The Supermarine Spitfire makes its maiden flight. The single-seat fighter would play a major role in World War II, with over 20,300 being built over the following 10 years.
---In 1943…First flight of the Gloster Meteor prototype DG206
---In 1958…Explorer 2 launches, but due to a mechanical failure, does not reach orbit.
---In 1962... A Convair B-58 (serial no. 59-2458) of the Forty-third Bombardment Wing breaks three records during a round trip between New York and Los Angeles in 4 hours 41 minutes 14.98 seconds. The fastest trans-continental crossing between Los Angeles and New York is accomplished in 2 hours 58.71 seconds at an average speed of 1,214.65 mph. The third record notches the fastest time between New York and Los Angeles.
---In 1963… Country music star Patsy Cline and three others are killed in the crash of a Piper Comanche near Camden, Tennessee.
---In 1966…First successful launch of the Tagboard Drone (#503) from M-21 (941). Blackbird pilot Bill Parks. Takeoff from Groom Lake. Launched Drone over Pacific Ocean at 80,000 feet, Mach 3.2 Successful launch. Drone traveled 150 miles and ran out of fuel. Launch Control Officer was Heith Beswick.
---In 1966…BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707-436 (GAPFE) enroute to Kai Tak International, crashes shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport, killing all 124 people aboard. The aircraft encounters severe turbulence, resulting in structural failure, beginning with separation of the vertical stabilizer. The crash comes one day after Canadian Pacific Fligth 402 crashed at Tokyo Airport, with the BOAC 707 taxiing past the smoldering wreckage minutes before their own crash. Similarly, the Canadian Pacific aircraft crashed while returning from Kai Tak.
---In 1967…Lake Central Airlines Flight 527, a Convair CV-580 (N73130), crashes in Marseille, Ohio, killing all 37 on-board. The crash is attributed to all 4 blades off of the right propeller separating, the #2 blade piercing through the aircraft.
---In 1968…U.S. launches Solar Explorer 2 to study the Sun.
---In 1975…Shin Meiwa US-1 enters service with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
---In 1978…The Landsat 3 launches, third in a series of photo satellites. Its Earth-snapping work would last five years until March of 1983.
---In 1978…Venera 14, a Soviet space probe for intended to explore Venus, arrives at its destination. The aircraft has a twin-ship, Venera 13, which launched and also arrived 5 days prior.
---In 1979…Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at a distance of 172,000 miles.
---In 1980…Earth satellites record gamma rays from remnants of supernova N-49.
---In 1982…Venera 14 landed on Venus.
---In 1993…Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crashes moments after takeoff on runway 34 in Skopje, Macedonia. The Fokker F-100 (PH-XXL) failed to climb due to the crew’s failure to have the aircraft de-iced, killing 83 of the 97 aboard.
---In 2000…Southwest Airlines Flight 1455, a Boeing 737-300 (N668SW) overruns runway 8 at Burbank-Glendale Pasadena Airport on landing after a flight from Las Vegas McCarran International. The accident is blamed on the pilot’s failure to abort landing after approaching too fast and too high. The pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder moments afterward saying “Well, there goes my career.” Thankfully, all 142 occupants survive.
---In 2004…First flight of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
---In 2005… Steve Fossett completes the first non-stop, solo circumnavigation of the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, completing the trip in 67 hours and 2 minutes.
---In 2011…An Antonov An-148 crashes at Garbuzovo, Alxeevsky Region, Belgorod Oblast, Russia following an in-flight break-up. All six people on board are killed.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. Why do some pilots in the Navy’s Blue Angels recommend that their guest passengers (members of the media, et cetera) eat bananas before a demonstration flight?
2. In what motion picture did the star of the movie say, “Now, I don’t propose to sit on a flagpole or swallow goldfish. I’m not a stuntman; I’m a flier.”
3. In 1935, Cosby Harrison crashed his Swallow while flying in stormy weather. What well-known aviation business was begun as a result of his accident?
4. What was the first airline to offer transcontinental passenger service, and what type of aircraft was used?
5. Pilots know that temperature generally decreases with altitude in the troposphere. Why does it increase with altitude in the stratosphere?
6. The Lockheed L–1011 was the first airliner to incorporate direct lift control. What is DLC?
