NewsRyanair launches 10 new routes in France; plans new French basesRyanair launched 10 new French routes for its winter schedule and said that with discussions with French regional airports underway, it hoped to have aircraft based in France by winter 2018 or summer 2019.
LinkAlitalia administrators need more time to begin exclusive bidder talksAlitalia’s special administrators need more time before beginning exclusive negotiations with a potential buyer for the bankrupt airline, Italy’s economic development and infrastructure and transport ministries said in a joint statement after a meeting with the administrators.
LinkGE Aviation reconsiders corporate splitFollowers of General Electric and its various aviation business units were jolted back into imagining a more independent future Jan. 16 after GE chairman and CEO John Flannery said he was reconsidering how to structure the Evendale, Ohio-based aircraft engine supplier.
LinkChina allows passengers to use mobile phones in flight modeChina Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines on Jan.17 became the first Chinese carriers to let passengers use mobile phones in flight mode.
LinkGermania to replace 737 fleet with A320neos Berlin-based Germania is preparing its most comprehensive fleet renewal program beginning in 2020. The carrier has said it will begin replacing 10 Boeing 737-700s with Airbus A320 family aircraft within the next 15 months. The first three 737s will leave the fleet by the end of April; the last 737 should leave by the start of the summer season 2019.
LinkAlaska Airlines set to anchor Paine Field opening in late 2018Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is looking to solidify an anchor presence at the redeveloped Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport in Everett, Washington with the Jan. 16 announcement of 13 daily flights to eight cities set to launch in fall 2018. Alaska’s new point-to-point destinations from Paine Field will be Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Phoenix; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California. Alaska said it will detail flight frequencies and departure/arrival times later in the year, pending government approval.
Link747, A380 operators rank low on transpacific fuel efficiency Operating four-engined jets such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 has placed Qantas, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines at the bottom of a recent ranking of airline fuel efficiency on transpacific flights. The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) states in a recent white paper that Hainan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are the most fuel-efficient carriers on transpacific routes at 36 passenger kilometres per litre of fuel used, based on data collected in 2016 and modelling conducted by the agency.
LinkEmbraer almost doubles net firm orders in 2017Embraer received 86 net firm orders for commercial aircraft in 2017, almost doubling the 45 net orders it logged in 2016. The airframer delivered 101 commercial aircraft in 2017, out of a total of 210 jet deliveries. Embraer had previously forecasted commercial deliveries of between 97 and 102 aircraft for the year. In the fourth quarter, it delivered 23 commercial aircraft and 50 executive jets.
LinkArgentina's LASA eyes March launchLASA, the Neuquen, Argentina-based startup airline, has announced that it plans to launch flights in the last week of March, operating Embraer ERJ-145LR regional jets from its Mar del Plata hub. During the presentation of the airline, LASA announced that it initially plans to operate three weekly flights to Neuquen, two to Bahia Blanca, one to Santa Rosa, two to Bariloche, three to San Martin de los Andes as well as one to Temuco and Puerto Montt in Chile, respectively.
Link MRO providers build up 787 capabilities as fleet maturesBefore the Boeing 787 arrived for its first maintenance check, engineers at Air France-KLM’s technical division knew servicing the highly computerized aircraft would require a new set of IT skills and services. But the extent to which software updates for the Dreamliner's equipment could influence other maintenance activities still came as a surprise to the support specialist.
LinkBoeing forms joint venture with automotive seating supplierBoeing will form a joint venture with automotive seating supplier Adient to develop a new line of seating for aircraft cabins, addressing a critical gap in supplier capacity as the industry continues to ramp-up production through at least 2020.
LinkNew Boeing data shows 4.6% employment decline in 2017Boeing slashed overall employment by 4.6% over the course of 2017 as jobs declined faster than a projected reduction in overall sales, newly-released company data shows. The Chicago-based company ended the year with 141,322 employees, or 6,816 fewer than on 1 January 2017
LinkSabena Technics to build Toulouse widebody paint lineAirbus has engaged French maintenance specialist Sabena Technics to build a fourth aircraft painting facility at the airframer's production line in Toulouse. Sabena Technics says the site will be dedicated to painting long-haul aircraft and is to become operational in 2019, with construction scheduled to begin in October.
LinkAmerican Express is building its biggest lounge at JFKAmerican Express says the Centurion Lounge under construction at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport will be its largest. At 15,000 square feet, the lounge spans two levels and is expected to open in early 2019.
LinkAmerican Airlines goes cashless at Miami airportStarting on Thursday, American Airlines will no longer accept cash for transactions at Miami International Airport. The airline says the move away from cash will speed up ticket counter lines. "Moving away from cash allows American to assist customers more efficiently. It also reduces the complexity of work for our agents who will no longer have to worry about handling cash, find exact change or close out a cash drawer at the end of the day," airline spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello said. "In general, our ticket counter agents support the transition to a cashless environment."
LinkUnited to launch new ultra-long-haul flight from Texas to AustraliaUnited Airlines on Friday will launch a new 8,596-mile flight from Houston to Sydney. The carrier will use a Boeing Dreamliner outfitted with 252 seats, including 48 flat beds in business class, 63 Economy Plus seats and 141 economy seats.
LinkEmbraer records fall in 2017 business jet outputEmbraer recorded a 7% fall in business jet output in 2017 as a result of continued weakness across the sector, but says the deliveries were “within outlook ranges for the year”. The Brazilian airframer shipped 109 aircraft in the 12 months ended 31 December, comprising 72 light and 37 large jets, against a total of 117 the previous year, comprising 73 light and 44 large jets.
LinkEMS market drives Russian Helicopters' civil resurgenceRussian Helicopters is making a concerted push to capture more of the emergency medical services (EMS) market as it sees reduced demand for bespoke military platforms. Writing in the manufacturer's triannual in-house magazine, chief executive Andrey Boginsky says that Russian government-led efforts are driving demand for EMS aircraft.
LinkA400M deliveries hit new high in 2017Airbus Defense & Space delivered its first A400M of the new year on 12 January, taking its total output of Atlas tactical transports to 56 units so far. Its most recent delivery was the German air force's 15th A400M – service registration 54+16 (MSN64) – from a total commitment for 53 of the four-engined type.
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