NewsRussian plane crash outside Moscow leaves 71 deadA Russian airliner crashed minutes after takeoff from a Moscow airport on Sunday, killing all 65 passengers and six crew members on board, officials said. The plane was an An-148, a regional jet belonging to Saratov Airlines, that had taken off from Domodedovo Airport and was headed to Orsk about 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow, REN-TV reported. The Moscow Inter-Regional Transport Prosecutor's Office said in a statement to Interfax that all people on board the plane have died.
LinkTrump budget could provide US ATC reform insightThe Feb. 12 release of the Trump administration’s federal budget proposal for the US government’s 2019 fiscal year (FY19), which starts Oct. 1, 2018, will provide insight into how much of a priority spinning off US air traffic control (ATC) from FAA still is for President Donald Trump. The administration used the FY18 budget proposal released last year to officially go on the record supporting an ATC reform plan that largely echoed the legislative efforts of Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania), chairman of the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to create an independent, not-for-profit entity to manage and operate US ATC.
LinkEASA issues GTF-powered A320neo emergency airworthiness directive Airbus said it is “assessing the situation” after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) warning of a potential “dual engine” inflight shutdown on A320neo family aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engines. A Pratt spokesperson said the issue relates to the knife edge seal in the high pressure compressor (HPC) aft hub on a “limited subpopulation” of PW1100G engines.
LinkCanada may mediate ALPA, WestJet negotiations over SwoopThe Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), pushing for a hashing out of pilot work rules at WestJet ULCC subsidiary Swoop, has asked the Canadian government to intervene on the first-ever contract negotiations between the union and the airline.
LinkAirbus to deliver first Qatar A350-1000 Feb. 20 Airbus has confirmed that the first A350-1000 for launch customer Qatar Airways will be delivered Feb. 20. The aircraft will be handed over to Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker in Toulouse. Plans for the day show that Airbus is going to considerable lengths for the event, which will include a press conference with senior Airbus, Qatar Airways and Rolls-Royce executives, and a preview of the aircraft before the actual delivery ceremony in the evening.
LinkSichuan Airlines orders 10 Airbus A350-900s Sichuan Airlines has ordered 10 Airbus A350-900s, the Chengdu-based airline said Feb. 9; the aircraft will help facilitate a rapid international expansion plan. No delivery schedule was given for the widebodies. In 2016, Sichuan signed leasing deals to take three A350-900s from AerCap and one from Air Lease Corp.
LinkThomas Cook ups summer capacity 10% on Airberlin Aviation acquisitionLeisure travel group Thomas Cook has increased its 2018 summer capacity by 10% through its acquisition of Airberlin Aviation, an affiliate of bankrupt airberlin, and has established Thomas Cook Airlines Balearics, which is based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
LinkAlitalia rescue deal unlikely before March electionsA deal to rescue Alitalia is unlikely to be reached before Italian elections in early March, according to a senior government official.
LinkEasyJet shareholders put more Brexit protections in placeUK LCC easyJet is proceeding with plans to protect its business from the possible effects of Brexit on the air transport industry, changing rules governing the ownership of its shares and applying for a standalone UK air operator’s certificate (AOC).
LinkAsiana ends 2017 strong; continues A350 fleet renewalAsiana Airlines plans to continue upgrading its fleet with new Airbus A350 deliveries in 2018, following the carrier’s dramatic financial improvement for 2017.
LinkNorwegian agrees to Spanish labor dealLCC Norwegian has signed a comprehensive collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Spanish pilots’ union SEPLA, covering the next two years. Norwegian Group chief human resources officer Helga Bollmann Leknes described the deal, which will be put to a vote among SEPLA’s members, as “crucial to the group’s future growth.”
LinkDRC authorities cut Brussels Airlines’ flightsThe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has almost halved Belgium’s Brussels Airlines flight frequencies to the African nation’s capital, apparently because of a diplomatic spat between the two nations.
LinkLessor CALC leads Airbus January order tallyAfter Airbus’ record-breaking conclusion to 2017, in which the Toulouse-based manufacturer gained firm orders for 836 aircraft in December alone, the company’s January 2018 commercial orders returned to a normal pace, with a total of 20 aircraft firmed between two customers, valued at approximately $2.2 billion at list prices.
LinkFAA, CAAS expand bilateral airworthiness cooperation The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and FAA signed a revised version of their Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement-Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (BASA-IPA) on the sidelines of the Singapore Air Show this week. The agreement provides for the two authorities to mutually recognize airworthiness certifications and includes an expanded scope of modifications and repairs allowed beyond that of cabin interiors.
LinkProfit-sharing means $543M for Southwest workersSouthwest Airlines' profit-sharing program generated $543 million for employees last year. Part of the earnings will go toward retirement funds with the balance going directly to workers.
Link United to grow offerings at Wilmington, N.C., airportUnited Airlines announced it will expand its services at North Carolina's Wilmington International Airport after the airport improved its infrastructure and saw growth in passenger numbers. The carrier's plan involves routes from Wilmington to more than 50 international cities.
LinkUnited will add Viasat Wi-Fi, entertainment systems to planesUnited Airlines plans to add high-speed Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment systems from Viasat on more than 70 aircraft, including the airline's Boeing 737 Max planes. The new systems will provide gate-to-gate connectivity and a high-capacity Ka-band satellite system.
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'Lufthansa yellow' lives on in uniforms and signageLufthansa will continue to use the colour yellow across the business, despite its decision to largely focus on a dark-blue shade for its new livery. The German carrier formally unveiled the updated livery and branding to staff at an event in Frankfurt on 7 February.
LinkHonda Aircraft secures deal for 16 HondaJets from France's WijetHonda Aircraft has secured a memorandum of understanding for 16 HA-420 HondaJets from French air taxi company Wijet. The light business jets will replace the Paris-based operator’s fleet of 15 Cessna Citation Mustangs, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2018.
LinkMunich prosecutor fines Airbus to conclude bribery investigationAirbus has agreed to pay a $99.5 million (€81.25 million) fine to conclude a six-year-old investigation by the Munich Public Prosecutor into allegations of bribery involving a 2003 sale of Eurofighter Typhoons to Austria, the company announced on 9 February.
LinkUSAF commissions Boeing to build more MOPsThe US Air Force has commissioned Boeing to produce a new batch of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), the 13,600kg (30,000lb) mega-conventional bombs used for burrowing deep inside fortified bunkers and detonating. A nearly $21 million contract awarded to Boeing on 8 February buys an unknown quantity of the weapon. The contract award notice says Boeing will produce “massive ordnance penetrators”, with the plural indicating more than one. The Air Force expects the deliveries from Boeing before 31 July 2020.
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