NewsSouthwest reports increase in revenue passengers carriedSouthwest Airlines reported a 6.5% year-over-year increase in November in revenue passengers carried, with a 5.1% increase in enplaned passengers in the same period. The airline also raised its fourth-quarter revenue guidance, predicting a 1 to 2 percent increase in revenue per available seat mile over last year.
LinkJetBlue to launch NYC-Worcester, Mass., service in 2018JetBlue Airways will begin service between Massachusetts' Worcester Regional Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, starting May 3. The smaller airport has recently completed a Category III landing system that allows planes to land in all kinds of weather.
LinkLatest Airline Food Study shows health-conscious fliers' best choicesThe 2017-18 Airline Food Study has been released by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center and DietDetective.com. The study evaluates and scores meals and snacks provided by 12 airlines to help passengers make good choices.
LinkPort Authority allocates $1B-plus for airport renovationsThe Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved an $8 billion budget for 2018, including more than $1 billion to renovate airports run by the agency. LaGuardia Airport's redevelopment will get $578 million for the year, while Newark Liberty International Airport's will get $167 million.
LinkAmerican Airlines to launch Snowball Express from ChicagoOn Saturday morning, American Airlines' Snowball Express flight will take off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The flight takes children of fallen US military members to Dallas for a week of celebrations, including a private concert by acclaimed "Forrest Gump" actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band.
LinkMalaysia Airlines sees small RASK rise in Q3Malaysia Airlines disclosed that its RASK rose 2% year-on-year during the quarter ended 30 September, despite strong competition and adverse currency movements. The airline states that load factor during the quarter was steady at 77.5%, while passenger revenue increased by 3.5%. No figure for revenue was provided, nor were any other financial metrics included in its disclosure.
LinkFiji Airways breaks ground on aviation training facilityFiji Airways has broken ground on a new $45 million aviation training facility that will house two simulators and also provide ab initio training. The Fiji Aviation Academy is based in Nadi and expected to open in 2019. It will house the airline’s Boeing 737 Max 8 and Airbus A330 simulators that have been ordered from CAE, and will expand into full ab initio training later on.
LinkCSeries deal presents wider opportunityAside from the obvious benefit for the health of the program and for the wider company, Airbus's planned acquisition of a majority stake in the Bombardier CSeries could present another opportunity.
LinkAir New Zealand Trent engine damaged by loose engine partNew information indicates there was significant damage to a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine on an Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 that recently was forced to turn back soon after takeoff.
LinkDOT axes proposed rules for ancillary revenue, baggage fee disclosureCritics of perceived federal government overreach regarding US airline industry regulation were handed a victory Dec. 7 as the US Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew two proposed rules that would have forced US airlines to collect and publish detailed data on ancillary revenues and disclose baggage fees to passengers at point-of-sale, respectively. “The department is withdrawing these rule makings because they are of limited public benefit,” DOT said, adding that the withdrawals correspond “with the department’s and administration’s priorities and is consistent with [President Donald Trump’s] Executive Order 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, January 30, 2017.”
LinkRyanair to end GDS partnership with AmadeusRyanair will end its partnership with global distribution system (GDS) provider Amadeus on Dec. 15, after both parties were unable to reach a renewed commercial agreement, the Irish LCC announced Dec. 8. In September 2014, the two companies entered into a partnership making Amadeus Ryanair’s second GDS as part of a drive to attract more business customers. The LCC began listing fares on the platform from Nov. 1 the same year.
LinkAir India incurs rising wheelchair costs at US airportsAir India is contending with a rising trend of older passengers traveling between India and the US opting for wheelchair assistance at airports, particularly when arriving at or departing from US airports.
LinkAir Astana CEO: A320neo fleet to deliver up to 40% capacity increase Kazakhstan’s Air Astana said it is destined to become one of the largest Airbus A320neo family operators in Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) over the next three years.
LinkGermany’s LGW begins Airbus A320 operations for EurowingsGermany-based regional carrier LGW has begun wet-lease Airbus A320 operations for Lufthansa LCC subsidiary Eurowings as part of Lufthansa Group’s €210 million ($247 million) bid to take over a large part of bankrupt airberlin assets, which includes Austria’s NIKI and LGW. “This is a special achievement for us, because we have not had this aircraft in our fleet yet,” LGW head of operations Peter Knecht said.[/b]
LinkBelavia to add one Embraer E195 for route expansionBelavia Belarusian Airlines has ordered another Embraer E195 jet, scheduled for delivery in 2018. The firm order has a list price value of $53.5 million. Following Belavia’s firm order for two E-Jets (one E175 and one E195) announced at the Paris Air Show in June, the new contract will bring the airline’s Embraer fleet to seven aircraft—four E195s and three E175s—when deliveries are completed in 2018.
LinkAeroflot Group forecasts 11.8% passenger traffic growth in 2018Aeroflot Group’s passenger traffic is expected to grow 11.8% year-over-year (YOY) in 2018, the group announced Dec. 6. I
LinkAzul, Turkish Airlines to codeshareAzul Brazilian Airlines and Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement. Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines will add its TK code on Azul domestic flights via São Paulo (Guarulhos) to many destinations in Brazil, such as Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Recife, Goiania and Florianopolis.
LinkEmbraer delivered to
American Airlines its 1,400th E-Jet, an E175, which will be operated by its wholly owned subsidiary Envoy Air.
SMBC Aviation Capital and Avianca announced an agreement for the purchase and leaseback of 11 aircraft, comprising nine A320neos and two A321neos. The nine A320neos are scheduled for delivery in 2018 and 2019 while the two A321neos have previously delivered in the third and fourth quarter of 2017. All 11 aircraft will be equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines.
SMBC Aviation Capital concluded a deal for three Airbus A320neos with Air Astana, the national flag carrier of Kazakhstan. The aircraft will be fitted with Pratt and Whitney GTF engines and will have delivery slots in the last quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
GECAS took delivery of its 394th, and last, Boeing 737NG. It currently has 170 737 MAXs on order.
Turkish Cargo took delivery of its first of two Boeing 777 freighters.
Northrop Grumman targets later phase of Next Gen JammerWith Raytheon’s lock on the first increment of the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer, a mid-band frequency jammer, Northrop Grumman is seeking the low- and high-band jamming pod awards. In June, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released a notice asking industry how existing technologies meet requirements for a new low-band transmitter, which are generally used to jam early warning radars and voice communication frequencies. Increment 3 will address high-band jamming, as part of a comprehensive plan to replace the ALQ-99 pods on the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)’s Boeing E/A-18G Growlers and give the fighters a full spectrum jamming capability.
LinkDamaged F-22 makes comeback after six-year repair jobA Lockheed Martin F-22 grounded since a trainee pilot’s error led to a crash landing in May 2012 could be ready to return to service next March after a nearly six-year-long repair job, according to a new US Air force document. The process to return the aircraft, serial number 4037, to service condition offers a glimpse into the effort the USAF will undertake to keep as many of the limited number of F-22s flying rather than writing them off after extensive damages.
LinkPilatus PC-24 secures US and European type certificationPilatus has received European and US type certification for its PC-24 business jet, and is preparing to hand over the first aircraft to New Hampshire-based launch customer PlaneSense. The approvals come four years after the superlight twin was unveiled by the Swiss airframer – its first business jet program after almost eight decades of producing turboprop-powered aircraft.
Link 
