AirlinesAir China to test GEE IFE system on commercial 777 flightsAir China will test Los Angeles-based Global Eagle Entertainment’s (GEE) inflight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity service on an Air China Boeing 777 aircraft, the two companies announced Nov. 1. Having already passed a technical trial, the new trial of GEE’s Airconnect Global IFE system will be the first for the system on an Air China commercial aircraft. The trial will be conducted in partnership with Air China, China Unicom and China Satcom under license from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
LinkInvestigators probe American CF6 engine failureAccident investigators are puzzling over the causes of the first-ever failure of a second-stage high-pressure (HP) turbine stage on a General Electric CF6-80C2 engine, which experienced an uncontained release of debris during the Oct. 28 takeoff run of an American Airlines Boeing 767-300ER from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
LinkChina Eastern to become C919 launch customerChina Eastern Airlines is expected to become the launch customer of the Chinese-produced 150-seat C919, according to a cooperation framework agreement signed at the Zhuhai Air Show Nov. 1. The Shanghai-based carrier signed a letter of intent with COMAC for 20 C919s in 2010.
LinkDonghai Airlines finalizes Boeing 787-9 orderShenzhen-based Donghai Airlines has finalized an order for five Boeing 787-9s, valued at $1.32 billion at list prices. Donghai Airlines announced its intent to order 25 737 MAX 8s and five 787-9s in July at the Farnborough Airshow. The carrier finalized its 737 MAX 8 order last month.
LinkEasyJet, pilots reach agreement on fatigue proposalUK low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet has reached an agreement with pilots in a dispute over fatigue, averting industrial action. “In a ballot that closed today, easyJet pilots have voted by 68% to 32% to accept the latest proposal put forward by the company, therefore bringing to an end the potential for industrial action,” the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) said in a statement.
LinkEurowings cabin crew union postpones two-day strikeLufthansa Group low-cost (LCC) subsidiary Eurowings flight attendants, represented by the UFO union, have postponed a two-day strike for this week even though the latest negotiations failed to reach a solution. “The latest offer from Eurowings to UFO [was not] accepted,” Eurowings said in a statement Oct. 31. “Apparently, UFO is pursuing an entirely different, union-politically motivated targets that have nothing to do with the open wage agreements,” Eurowings MD Joerg Beißel said in a statement.
LinkFinnair crew credited with averting serious incursionFinnish investigators are probing an incident in which the pilots of a taxiing Finnair aircraft opted not to cross a runway, despite receiving clearance, because they had sighted another aircraft on approach. Although air traffic control at Helsinki Vantaa had cleared the Finnair Airbus to cross runway 22L, the crew held short after seeing the arriving Bombardier CRJ900, which was being operated for SAS.
LinkGaruda Indonesia reports 3Q net profit of $19.6 millionGaruda Indonesia reported a third-quarter net profit of $19.6 million, down 11.6% compared to the year-ago period, but a marked improvement on the $63.2 million loss in the first half of 2016. The airline expects profits to strengthen in the fourth quarter, and to continue improving in the next few years, thanks to a range of efficiency initiatives.
LinkIcelandair posts stable 3Q performanceIcelandair Group reported a third-quarter net income of $102.8 million, down 0.4% from a $103.1 million profit in the year-ago period. “These results have been achieved in challenging circumstances, and various external factors in our operating environment have not been advantageous.
LinkJazeera Airways 3Q profits down 27% on falling yieldsJazeera Airways has reported a third-quarter net profit of KD6 million ($19.8 million), down 27% on the year-ago period, as continued low oil prices and fare cuts by competitors took their toll. The Kuwaiti hybrid carrier made its profit on revenues of KD18.8 million, down 10.6% on a year ago. “Our earnings for the quarter came in less than expected even though we carried more passengers and we lifted our load factor,” Jazeera Group chairman Marwan Boodai said.
LinkMetroJet A321 suffered internal high-energy eventRussian investigators have disclosed that a MetroJet Airbus A321 which crashed in Sinai a year ago had experienced high-energy damage to its fuselage skin from within. The Interstate Aviation Committee states that analysis has located the area in which the destruction of the aircraft originated.
LinkSaudiGulf Airlines begins operationsSaudiGulf Airlines has launched operations, triggering the next stage in the liberalization of Saudi Arabia’s domestic flight market. The Dammam-based carrier operated its first service to the capital, Riyadh, on Oct. 29, after a repeatedly delayed launch date.
LinkSouthwest flight attendants ratify two-year contractSouthwest Airlines’ flight attendants have ratified a new two-year contract, the Dallas-based airline announced Oct. 31. Southwest’s 14,500 flight attendants are represented by Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556. The new contract includes a ratification bonus and annual wage rate increases over the life of the contract, Southwest said.
LinkSouthwest will look beyond lower 48 for future growthSouthwest Airlines' growth plans include adding routes beyond the continental US, according to CEO Gary Kelly. "Five years from now I'd love for Southwest to be in Hawaii, serving Canada, more destinations in the Caribbean and no doubt we'll have more flights into Mexico," he said.
LinkTAP Portugal rolls out new Airbus cabinsTAP Portugal has completed a cabin overhaul on its first Airbus A319, marking the start of a 48-aircraft roll-out. The initial aircraft to undergo the facelift, an A319 registered CS-TTB, operated flight TP 694 from Lisbon to Luxembourg with its new interior Oct. 30.
LinkUnited Technical Operations Center breaks ground in HoustonUnited Airlines has broken ground on its $162 million United Technical Operations Center at its Houston hub, which will add approximately 200,000 square feet of hangar capacity for maintenance of widebody aircraft. "This significant investment in our Houston facilities will enable us to support more aircraft than ever before in Houston and allow us to return them to serving our customers more quickly," said Greg Hart, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United.
LinkWestJet posts $89 million 3Q net profitCanadian low-cost carrier (LCC) WestJet reported a third-quarter net profit of C$116 million ($88.6 million), a 13.9% increase compared to a C$101.8 million net income in 3Q 2015. WestJet’s third-quarter revenue was C$1.1 billion, up 7.6% year-over-year (YOY) from C$1 billion a year ago, driven by increases in both guest and ancillary revenue.
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