NewsQatar converts five A350-900s to larger -1000Qatar Airways is taking another five Airbus A350-1000s, by converting previous orders for five A350-900s. The agreement will take the Doha-based carrier’s commitment to the larger -1000 to 42 aircraft.
LinkAir Niugini admits passenger missing after 737 splashdownPacific carrier Air Niugini has disclosed that it is searching for a missing passenger following the crash of a Boeing 737-800 as it attempted to land at Chuuk in Micronesia. The airline had originally stated that all 35 passengers and 12 crew members had been able to evacuate the aircraft safely after it came down in the sea.
LinkUnited to debut 787-10 on Newark-LAX flights in JanuaryUnited Airlines will debut the longest variant of the Boeing 787 family at its Newark Liberty hub in January, ending months of speculation on where it would fly the new aircraft first. The 787-10 is scheduled to enter service with the Star Alliance carrier on flights between Newark and Los Angeles on 7 January, initially operating six-times weekly, FlightGlobal schedules data updated overnight on 28 September shows. United will expand its 787-10 network to include flights between Newark and San Francisco from 14 February.
LinkJetBlue to debut basic economy fare in 2019JetBlue Airways will add a basic economy fare next year as it restructures its fare tiers, joining US mainline rivals in further unbundling its product. The fare overhaul will introduce a new option that comes with some limitations, such as boarding order, seat assignment and itinerary changes and cancellations, JetBlue president and chief operating officer Joanne Geraghty says in a letter to employees.
LinkAir France CEO steps downs as group chief talks of ‘new approach’ Ben Smith, a former Air Canada executive who became Air France-KLM Group CEO Sept. 17, will also head Air France, but until no later than Dec. 31, the company said. While Terner’s departure under new management was not a complete industry surprise, the suddenness of it means more turmoil for an airline that is locked in a long-running dispute with its unions over salaries, a dispute that led to the resignation of the group’s former CEO in May.
LinkLufthansa firms options on 27 A320neo-family jetsLufthansa Group has converted options on 24 Airbus A320neos and three A321neos into firm orders for delivery in 2023-4. Disclosing the deal, the group says it is "reacting to the positive market and earnings development".
LinkEasyJet full-year profit to meet upper end of forecastEasyJet is forecasting a full-year pre-tax profit of £570-580 million ($745-758 million), following a strong fourth quarter, up on the previous year's figure of £408 million. The UK budget carrier says its full-year outlook is in the “upper half” of previous guidance on its financial performance.
LinkAirbus adds AIM Altitude to A320 cabin SFE listAirbus has selected UK interior equipment manufacturer AIM Altitude as galley and stowage supplier for A320-family aircraft. AIM Altitude says it will develop, produce and support galleys and stowage compartments that will become available as supplier-furnished equipment (SFE) on the single-aisle aircraft from 2020.
LinkRegulators mandate more frequent CFM56-7B fan blade checksBoeing 737NG operators must conduct more frequent inspections of engine fan blades as regulators move to mandate a CFM International-recommended reduction in the repetitive-check interval needed to ensure cracks are not forming at the blade roots.
LinkKenya Airways wins US approval for flights to New York JFKKenya Airways has received the last point of departure (LPD) confirmation affirming that Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) meets US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security standards. “The LPD status will now permit us to fly daily nonstop flights to New York JFK as scheduled on Oct. 28, 2018,” Kenya Airways Group MD and CEO Sebastian Mikosz said in a statement.
LinkCityJet to lease two CRJ900ERs from TrueNoordIrish regional airline CityJet has completed a 10-year sale and leaseback deal with Netherlands-based lessor TrueNoord for two Bombardier CRJ900ER regional jets. “These are the first CRJ900s for TrueNoord – and the aircraft type is in line with our ultimate vision and long-term plan to build up a strong portfolio of young regional aircraft types with a good global spread and leased to first-class operators,” TrueNoord CEO Anne-Bart Tieleman said.
LinkFormer US regional airline exec Trenary killedPhil Trenary, a former CEO of US regional carrier Pinnacle Airlines and former chair of the US Regional Airline Association (RAA) was killed Thursday night in a shooting in Memphis, Tennessee. RAA tweeted, “We mourn the senseless loss of our friend Phil Trenary, a former RAA chair who was beloved by those of us in the regional airline community. Phil, CEO of Pinnacle Airlines from 1997-2011, was known for his compassion & big heart. We send our deepest condolences to Phil’s family.”
LinkSalzburg Airport to close for 5 weeks in 2019 for runway renovationAustria’s Salzburg Airport will close operations for air traffic for five weeks in 2019 to renovate its 59-year-old runway. The closure will be effective April 24-May 28, 2019. To make the construction work as simple as possible, the airport decided to stop all operations. The construction site is on the land side.
LinkExpressJet pilots ratify contract, look to United to provide new E175sExpressJet Airlines pilots have ratified a new three-year contract, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)—which represents ExpressJet’s 1,100 pilots—said Sept. 27. The regional airline, based in Atlanta, Georgia and a wholly owned subsidiary of Utah-based SkyWest Airlines, operates as United Express. As part of the new contract, ALPA said the combined effect of pay raises and an earned quarterly override payment came to approximately $14,000 to $15,000 of additional annual compensation for every pilot.
LinkCanada certifies Bombardier Global 7500 business jetCanadian regulators have certified Bombardier's new Global 7500 ultra-long-range business jet, clearing the path for Bombardier to deliver the first of the type later this year. Neither the US Federal Administration nor the European Aviation Safety Agency have yet to sign off on the Global 7500, but Bombardier expects those certifications will "follow shortly', it says in a media release.LinkF-35 suffers first crash in South CarolinaOne day after the US Marine Corps conducted its first air strike with the Lockheed Martin F-35B over Afghanistan, another one of the stealth fighters crashed near USMC Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. The incident is the first ever crash of any variant of the F-35 since the aircraft began flying 12 years ago.
LinkGermany postpones heavy-lift helicopter contestGermany has postponed the start of an acquisition of new heavy-lift helicopters for its air force, throwing the timeline for retiring the service's ageing Sikorsky CH-53G fleet into doubt. Berlin had been expected to launch the procurement this year, choosing between the new CH-53K and Boeing's CH-47 Chinook. However, both potential bidders were notified in late September that the process had been put on hold.
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