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Boeing Mulls Larger 737 MAX Engine - Report
Boeing is considering putting a larger engine on the 737 in an effort to blunt the success of the Airbus A321neo that outsells it by four to one. The plane maker would offer a modified version of the larger and more powerful LEAP-1A engine used on Airbus's A321neo rather than the LEAP-1B used on the 737 MAX 9, they said. That would enable Boeing to add range while stretching the 178-seat jet to fit 12 or more extra passengers and gain a capacity advantage over the 185-seat A321neo, the sources said.
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Has industry been unfair to Bombardier?
It was 1994, and Airbus was already becoming more than a mere nuisance to Boeing. Tensions spiked at the Farnborough air show, when then-Boeing president Ron Woodard accused his opposite number at Airbus of lying: “I’ve watched him and his nose does grow when he talks.” Airbus repaid the Pinocchio-themed insult almost 18 years later, publishing an advert ahead of the 2012 Farnborough event showing a 737 with a comically-elongated nose, and accusing Boeing of “stretching the truth” about fuel efficiency claims.
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Fraudulently obtained travel documents a growing security challenge
The problem of fraudulently obtained travel documents is outstripping forged passports as one of the key identity validation issues facing the air transport industry today. Matthew Finn, managing director at independent security consultancy AUGMENTIQ, told the SITA Air Transport IT Summit in Barcelona this week that there had been a shift away from people trying to falsify travel documents, but an increase in identity fraud involving genuine but fraudulently obtained passports.
LinkAirlines
Aegean 1Q losses widen as it invests in capacity
Greek flag carrier Aegean Airlines recorded a net loss of €21.5 million ($24 million) for 1Q 2016, widened from a €8.3 million net loss for the year-ago quarter. The loss came on revenue up 7% at €147.9 million compared to €138.1 million a year ago. Passenger traffic was up 9% at just over 2 million, while load factor slipped 1% to 69.3% compared to the year-ago period.
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AirAsia Gets Takeover Offer For Leasing Unit
AirAsia has received a USD$1 billion offer for its aircraft leasing unit, according to a media report. AirAsia intends to divest the business, Asia Aviation Capital, at some point, chief executive Tony Fernandes told Bloomberg, but added that the offer needs to be discussed further with the board.
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ANA introduces new translation, medical functionalities in cabins
Japanese full-service carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) will introduce two new services to help avoid language barriers and ensure rapid emergency medical attention on flights. The carrier is to equip its cabin staff—and some ground crew—with a specially developed tablet dubbed the ANA Communication Board. The tablet, to be introduced from June 2016, uses smart technology to translate languages and offer pictograms for those with communication difficulties.
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Gulf Air flight diverts after turbulence
Bahraini national carrier Gulf Air said May 27 that one of its flights made a diversionary landing in India after passengers and crew sustained injuries when the aircraft hit turbulence. The carrier said the incident occurred while the aircraft was en route from Manila, capital of the Philippines, to Muharraq, Gulf Air’s home base.
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Korean Air Boeing 777 catches fire at Tokyo Haneda Airport
A Korean Air Boeing 777-300 experienced an engine fire and aborted takeoff from Tokyo Haneda International Airport May 27. The 302 passengers and 17 crew members on flight KE2708 bound for Seoul’s Gimpo Airport in Korea were evacuated by emergency chute from the aircraft. Unconfirmed reports in local media cite several passengers as suffering minor injuries during the evacuation.
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Lufthansa Suspends Caracas Flights
Lufthansa will temporarily suspend flights to Venezuela from June due to economic difficulties in the South American nation and problems converting local currency. International airlines have for years struggled to repatriate billions of dollars in revenue held in the local bolivar currency due to exchange controls, prompting many to limit service and require that passengers pay fares in US dollars.
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Malaysia Airlines reports ‘marginal’ improvement in 1Q results
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), now a government-controlled entity of Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, said in its May Quarterly Progress Update (QPU) it was seeing “strong indications [of] positive results” as a result of ongoing restructuring. The Malaysian flag carrier said it was experiencing “good progress” on its turnaround plan, with a 23.4% rise in yield to MYR 0.23 ($0.6) per passenger on the back of a significant 32.9% cut in operating costs over the quarter.
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Pegasus Airlines widens net losses in 1Q
Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines reported a first-quarter net loss of TRY173.6 million ($61.2 million), widely sharpened from a net loss of TRY50 million a year ago. First-quarter revenue increased 19% to TRY691.1 million year-over-year (YOY), while passengers carried rose 18.6% YOY to 5.36 million.
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Singapore Airlines adds Johannesburg to A350 service
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will add Johannesburg, South Africa, to its list of Airbus A350-900 routes beginning June 27. It will begin with Monday, Thursday and Saturday services and will eventually move to daily, and will include 4X-weekly Singapore-Capetown service.
LinkAirports
Calif. airport handled more passengers in April
John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., reported a 8% increase in April passenger traffic on a year-over-year basis. The airport handled 891,000 passengers last month.
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United Airlines to offer daily service from SFO to Israel
United Airlines plans to offer daily San Francisco-Tel Aviv service starting on Oct. 8. The carrier now flies the route three times a week. "This is a response to demand from our customers for direct flights to one of the United States' most popular business and tourism destinations, with the added benefit of convenient onward connections from our San Francisco International hub," said Avi Friedman, managing director of sales in Israel for United.
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Military
KC-46A boom problem busts USAF schedule
The US Air Force has delayed a full-rate production decision for the KC-46A Pegasus until August and deliveries to the first operational unit will come about three to six months late, and even then will lack one critical system for at least another 12 months. The announcement on 27 May on the eve of a USA federal holiday confirms months of findings by operational testers and government auditors that the five-year-old KC-46A development programme was unlikely to stay on original schedule, despite repeated vows by USAF and Boeing officials to the contrary.
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US approves $420m support deal for Kuwait Hornets
The US State Department has approved a $420 million support package for Kuwait’s fleet of Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter aircraft. The package comprises a range of service including engineering, maintenance, and other support, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in a statement.
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Aviation Quote
Earthbound souls know only the underside of the atmosphere in which they live … but go higher - above the dust and water vapor - and the sky turns dark until one can see the stars at noon.
— Jacqueline Cochran
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Editor’s Choice
Trivia
WW2 Luftwaffe
1. The JU-87 "Stuka" was not a pretty site to look at, all the less so when it was hurtling towards you at an 80 degree angle, but it was not pleasant to hear either. It had a siren on its port landing gear. What was the nickname the crews gave this device?
The Horns of the Reich
The Trumpets of Jericho
The Sirens of Jericho
The Trumpets of Victory
2. This out-of-date bomber was used for high altitude reconnaissance by Germany for a short period of time after the Battle of Britain. Which was it?
Junkers 88P
Junkers 86R
Dornier 217N
Dornier 23R
3. Germany shortly before WW2 is commonly believed to have had little interest in long range heavy bombers, but in fact it had one of the largest supporters of long range bombers from the get-go. Who was he?
Ernst Udet
Ernhard Milch
Kurt Student
Walter Wever
4. Many medium bombers that Germany had were converted into night fighters when the need arose. Which of those was unpopular with its crews?
Junkers 188
Junkers 88
Dornier 217
Messerschmitt 110
5. The He-177 was a great aircraft when it worked. What was one of the things the RLM (Reichsluftministerie) did that caused the 177 to go from a great bomber to a great disaster?
Elimination of the evaporative cooling system
Demands that poor French engines power the He-177
Demands that the He-177 be built out of wood
Underpowered BMW 132 Bramo engines
6. Which one of the three German Battle of Britain bombers could carry the most tonnage, and which could carry the least over a short distance?
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Dornier 215, Heinkel 111
Heinkel 111, Dornier 17
7. This is the only bomber in World War II to have a top speed of over 460mph, what was it?
Arado 234
Heinkel 111P
Arado 232
Junkers 388K
8. The Junkers 287 was the intended replacement for the aging Stuka in 1944. With forward swept wings, two Junkers 003 turbojets and something interesting captured from the Americans, the JU-287 would have been a formidable ground attack/bomber aircraft. What was the American "contribution"?
Landing gear taken off B-24's
Rockets of P-47 wing racks
Guns off of P-51D fighters
Norden bombsights off of B-17's
9. Ground attack was a field of bombers in which the Germans excelled. Convinced that more armor was necessary to protect the pilots of ground attack aircraft Henschel came up with the HS-129, what was its nickname?
armored Panzer destroyer
The flying tank
The flying armored car
the flying assault gun
10. The Germans had originally decided to build one carrier known as the Graf Zeppelin. What were the two types of aircraft that were designed to be based on the carrier?
Fi-282, Do-215
He-115B, Bf-110E
Fi-167, Ju-87C
Ju-87T, Bf-109L
