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Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems train for 57-per-month 737 production rate
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, a subassembly provider to Boeing 737 and other commercial programs, are practicing for a narrowbody production rate of 57 aircraft a month in Wichita, Kansas.
Spirit’s fabrication unit already is getting into rate 57 production, according to Spirit president and CEO Tom Gentile. But the rehearsals—which were Boeing’s idea—are across the board and have helped identify needed changes before Boeing officially declares the rate increase, starting with a need for additional dollies to shuttle parts around Spirit’s factory.
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Boeing sees $745 billion services market in Middle East
An aging fleet of widebody aircraft in the Middle East and the need to refresh them will drive higher than average maintenance and engineering growth in the region, according to Boeing.
Boeing’s Services Market Outlook forecasts maintenance and engineering will comprise 4% of the $8.8 trillion worldwide commercial aviation services market over the next 20 years, compared to a 4.8% allotment for Middle East services specifically, Boeing Global Services CMO-commercial services Debra Santos said.
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LHT targets further growth in Dubai
Lufthansa Technik foresees the addition of local repair capabilities at its newly expanded component repair shop in Dubai.
The German MRO group doubled the facility’s size to 5,000m² (53,800ft²) in 2018, after the greenfield site near Al Maktoum airport had been opened the previous year.
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Embraer delivered 90 commercial aircraft last year
Brazilian airframer Embraer delivered 90 commercial aircraft last year, in line with its expectation of 85-95.
But a similar level of business aviation deliveries, 91 in total, fell below the manufacturer’s predictions of 105-125 for the year.
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Lockheed remains bullish on supersonic air travel
Despite pulling out of its involvement with Aerion, a startup developing a supersonic airliner, Lockheed Martin remains bullish on the prospect of high-speed air travel, pointing to its involvement developing NASA’s X-59.
The company says that its contract with Aerion, signed in December 2017, was simply to vet the technical viability of its AS2 aircraft design. After that agreement expired on 1 February 2019 it had no plans to renew it. Lockheed Martin says it made no investment in the startup.
LinkAirlines
Icelandair reports 2018 net loss of $55.6 million after ‘difficult’ year
Icelandair Group, which includes domestic operator Air Iceland Connect, capacity provider Loftleidir and several tourism-related subsidiaries, recorded a 2018 net loss of $55.6 million, reversed from a net profit of $37.5 million in 2017. The group said the final quarter of the year was characterized by a squeeze on fares, rising oil prices and poor results in domestic air operation, which is under review.
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Air Italy to scrap newly opened Delhi, Mumbai services
Air Italy will cease or modify three intercontinental routes, just months after launching them. The rebranded Italian carrier is dropping services to Delhi and Mumbai, India, and switching its Bangkok, Thailand services to seasonal. The Bangkok route opened Sept. 9, 2018, while Delhi and Mumbai operations started Dec. 6 and 13, 2018, respectively. Mumbai services will end Feb. 17 and those to Delhi will cease March 29.
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O’Leary could get huge bonus from Ryanair share option incentive plan
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary stands to make almost €100 million ($117 million) in bonuses if he can either double the LCC’s profit figures or its share price within five years.
In a Feb. 8 filing on the London Stock Exchange, Ryanair said it had issued share options to its directors, granting each one options over shares at a strike price of €11.12.
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SilkAir to upgrade MAX 8 business class with Thompson Aero seats
Singapore’s SilkAir has selected UK-based Thompson Aero Seating as the supplier for its Boeing 737 MAX 8 business-class refurbishment program as the Singapore Airlines (SIA) subsidiary prepares to be merged into the parent company.
The upgrades, set to begin May 2020, will see the current fleet of five 737 MAX 8s retrofitted with the new seats, along with 32 aircraft on order. SilkAir’s subfleet of 14 737-800s will gradually be transferred to SIA LCC subsidiary Scoot.
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IAG caps non-EU ownership but counts UK as EU investor
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG is fixing the maximum permitted ownership by non-European Union entities at 47.5%, but the company is not currently planning to classify UK shareholders as non-EU.
Airlines which enjoy the benefits of EU traffic rights must ensure that they are majority EU-owned. The UK currently remains an EU member state but its planned withdrawal, dubbed 'Brexit', on 29 March has caused EU carriers to examine the implications of UK shareholdings.
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ANA eyes Asia growth through network expansion, partnerships
All Nippon Airways (ANA) will focus on using its partnerships with other carriers and its own network growth to tap the potential of the Asia-Pacific market.
Speaking on 8 February, the airline’s president and chief executive Yuji Hirako said equity investments by its parent company ANA Holdings (ANA HD) in other carriers will enable the airline "to solidify our strategy" in the region.
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Qantas argues Cathay codeshare will foster competition
Qantas has argued that the proposed extension of its codeshare arrangements with Cathay Pacific onto the Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Hong Kong markets will help to open up competition across a broader range of international routes.
The Australian carrier made the argument in an additional submission to the International Air Services Commission, which is weighing up if it will grant the regulatory changes required for the codeshare to go ahead.
LinkAirports
Dublin Airport launches A-CDM initiative to improve traffic flows
Dublin Airport has launched a new initiative with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in a bid to reduce delays and improve traffic flows.
The initiative involves incorporating Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) into the management of daily flight operations at the airport.
A-CDM is a Europe-wide initiative under the guidance of Eurocontrol, which is the European organisation for the safety of air navigation.
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Eilat's new Green field gateway opens for business
Israel has opened its first commercial greenfield gateway, Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport (Ramon Airport), located 18 kilometres north of the Red Sea resort city of Eilat.
Commissioned by the Isreal Airport Authority (IAA) and designed by a team led by Mann-Shinar Architects and Moshe Zur Architects, the new airport will replace the existing downtown gateway in Eilat.
According to the design team, the airport features a minimalist and futuristic design and is located on a 1,250 acres in the Negev Desert.
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London Luton Airport has very strong start to 2019
Luton witnessed nearly 13 per cent increase in passenger traffic in January 2019 compared to 2018, kick starting what could be the best year for the airport yet.
London Luton Airport (LLA) has recorded an increase in passengers of 12.9 per cent compared to January last year (2018), with 1.1 million passengers travelling through the airport in January 2019.
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Cork International Airport is the most punctual airport in Ireland
Cork Airport is Ireland’s most punctual airport, according to new research. Global aviation analysts OAG revealed that Cork Airport topped the punctuality league for international airports in Ireland in 2018, with an on-time performance of 80.2 per cent. Aer Lingus, the Irish airline was ranked seventh in the top European airlines, with 78.90 per cent of movements happening punctually.
LinkMilitary
Kratos working on new tactical and ISR drone
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions received $14 million in recent contract awards to develop a new unmanned air vehicle, called Aethon, designed for tactical, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, missions.
The company disclosed little else about the new UAV, saying that “due to competitive, customer related and other considerations, no additional information will be provided related to these recent contract awards”. The customer for the UAV was not disclosed.
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PICTURES: Boeing transfers fifth KC-46A to Altus base
Boeing has delivered its fifth KC-46A Pegasus tanker to the US Air Force, with its latest example the first to be transferred to Altus AFB in Oklahoma.
The heavily adapted 767 – registered 76027 – arrived at the site from Everett, Washington on 8 February, exactly two weeks after Boeing had transferred a lead pair of the type to McConnell AFB, in Kansas. That location also received the programme's third and fourth examples, the company says.
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Aviation Quote
"Since, in the long run, every planetary civilization will be endangered by impacts from space, every surviving civilization is obliged to become spacefaring--not because of exploratory or romantic zeal, but for the most practical reason imaginable: staying alive... If our long-term survival is at stake, we have a basic responsibility to our species to venture to other worlds."
- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994
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Trivia
WW2 Luftwaffe
1. The JU-87 "Stuka" was not a pretty site to look at, all the less so when it was hurtling towards you at an 80 degree angle, but it was not pleasant to hear either. It had a siren on its port landing gear. What was the nickname the crews gave this device?
The Horns of the Reich
The Trumpets of Jericho
The Sirens of Jericho
The Trumpets of Victory
2. This out-of-date bomber was used for high altitude reconnaissance by Germany for a short period of time after the Battle of Britain. Which was it?
Junkers 88P
Junkers 86R
Dornier 217N
Dornier 23R
3. Germany shortly before WW2 is commonly believed to have had little interest in long range heavy bombers, but in fact it had one of the largest supporters of long range bombers from the get-go. Who was he?
Ernst Udet
Ernhard Milch
Kurt Student
Walter Wever
4. Many medium bombers that Germany had were converted into night fighters when the need arose. Which of those was unpopular with its crews?
Junkers 188
Junkers 88
Dornier 217
Messerschmitt 110
5. The He-177 was a great aircraft when it worked. What was one of the things the RLM (Reichsluftministerie) did that caused the 177 to go from a great bomber to a great disaster?
Elimination of the evaporative cooling system
Demands that poor French engines power the He-177
Demands that the He-177 be built out of wood
Underpowered BMW 132 Bramo engines
6. Which one of the three German Battle of Britain bombers could carry the most tonnage, and which could carry the least over a short distance?
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Junkers 88, Junkers 87
Dornier 215, Heinkel 111
Heinkel 111, Dornier 17
7. This is the only bomber in World War II to have a top speed of over 460mph, what was it?
Arado 234
Heinkel 111P
Arado 232
Junkers 388K
8. The Junkers 287 was the intended replacement for the aging Stuka in 1944. With forward swept wings, two Junkers 003 turbojets and something interesting captured from the Americans, the JU-287 would have been a formidable ground attack/bomber aircraft. What was the American "contribution"?
Landing gear taken off B-24's
Rockets of P-47 wing racks
Guns off of P-51D fighters
Norden bombsights off of B-17's
9. Ground attack was a field of bombers in which the Germans excelled. Convinced that more armor was necessary to protect the pilots of ground attack aircraft Henschel came up with the HS-129, what was its nickname?
armored Panzer destroyer
The flying tank
The flying armored car
the flying assault gun
10. The Germans had originally decided to build one carrier known as the Graf Zeppelin. What were the two types of aircraft that were designed to be based on the carrier?
Fi-282, Do-215
He-115B, Bf-110E
Fi-167, Ju-87C
Ju-87T, Bf-109L
