NAS Daily 10 APR 19

airtrainer 10 Apr 19, 05:27

News

Commercial

Airbus aircraft on US government’s list of proposed tariffs
The Trump administration’s international trade representative has released a proposed list of European products to be hit with US sanctions, including Airbus aircraft. The proposals come ahead of an expected ruling by arbiters in one of two World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes between Europe and the US over government subsidies for large commercial aircraft. The list is published for public comment. The list includes custom tariffs on non-military, new aircraft, including ...
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Europe prepares action against US for tariffs
The European Union (EU) plans to retaliate against the US—in the long-standing dispute over state support of aircraft development—in front of the World Trade Organization (WTO). “The Commission is starting preparations so that the EU can promptly take action based on the arbitrator’s decision on retaliation rights,” it said in a statement.
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ATR eyes potential buyers for short-runway ATR 42-600 variant
ATR is working on potential launch orders for its proposed short takeoff and landing (STOL) version of the ATR 42-600, estimating a market of 800 aircraft over 30 years.
Key potential buyers would be airlines serving islands with short runways, ATR head of Asia-Pacific region Christophe Potocki said.
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Boeing: Non-MAX deliveries should not be affected by 737 production cuts
Boeing is confident that its move to cut 737 production nearly 20% later this month will have minimal effect on delivery schedules for the non-MAX aircraft still being made, including the remaining 737NGs headed for airlines. “While the 737NG is part of the same production system, we are working to ensure there won’t be any disruption to deliveries,” a Boeing spokesman said.
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ANALYSIS: Boeing’s costs rise amid signs of lengthy Max grounding
Recent events have signalled to financial analysts that the global grounding of the 737 Max could last notably longer than previously expected, potentially costing Boeing hundreds of millions of additional dollars.
Most notable of those events was the company’s 5 April announcement that it will cut 737 production to 42 aircraft monthly by mid-April, down from 52 month.
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Boeing’s Q1 commercial aircraft deliveries sink amid grounding
Boeings’ first quarter commercial aircraft deliveries slipped 19% year-on-year amid a global grounding of the 737 Max, the newest variant of its best-selling narrowbody.
The Chicago-based company handed over 149 commercial aircraft in the first quarter, down from 184 aircraft in the first quarter of 2018, Boeing says on 8 April.
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RETROSPECTIVE: When Concorde wasn't the UK's cup of tea
When the first UK BAC-Aerospatiale Concorde lifted off on its maiden flight from Filton exactly 50 years ago, the supersonic aircraft was far from securing its legacy as a beloved and admired technological achievement.
Aircraft 002, bearing the registration G-BSST, took off on 9 April 1969, flying 38 days after Concorde became airborne for the first time with the departure of the French-built 001 from Toulouse.
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PICTURES & VIDEO: 50 years on from Concorde 002’s first flight
"The moment as Concorde spreads her wings over Britain for the first time". That was how Flight International described the historic maiden take-off of the UK-built Concorde prototype in our 17 April 1969 issue.
The first flight of Concorde 002, from the BAC production plant at Filton, near Bristol, took place on 2 April, ending less than 25min later with a landing at Fairford. Although the UK-built Concorde 002 had been flying since 2 March, it didn’t take away any of the excitement and anticipation around the event in the UK.
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VIDEO: Concorde’s remarkable droop-nose system
A prominent feature of Concorde at take-off and landing is the pendulous nose of the fuselage drooped (at a faintly supercilious angle) to improve visibility from the flightdeck.
The purpose of the hinged forward portion is to give the pilot, when near the ground, forward vision comparable with that in current subsonic aircraft. After take-off the entire nose-fairing forward of the main windshield, including the visor, is raised to give the aircraft a clean aerodynamic external form during subsonic and supersonic flight.
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Real-time tracking trial begins over the North Atlantic
For the first time, air traffic controllers now have real-time data on the position of planes anywhere in the world, including previously unsurveilled airspace.
Effective of the 2 April 2019, Aireon, the first ever real-time, global air traffic surveillance system, is fully operational and in trial over the North Atlantic. This announcement marks a historic milestone for the aviation industry — ushering in a new era of safety and efficiency that will revolutionise the way people fly.
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Airlines

American lowers 1Q guidance on MAX grounding, flight cancellations
American Airlines is trimming its revenue outlook for the first quarter, citing financial costs and disruptions related to the grounding of the company’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and the temporary removal of 14 Boeing 737-800 aircraft for maintenance.
The Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier now expects 1Q total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) to fall within a range of 0-1% year-over-year (YOY), versus previous guidance of flat to up to 2%.
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Virgin Atlantic debuts Airbus A350 upper class redesign
UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic has redesigned its upper class cabin to include an eight-seat lounge called “The Loft” on its new Airbus A350-1000 fleet, replacing its existing upper class bar area.
“When I joined the company five years ago, we had a very simple mission statement: fix the financials of Virgin Atlantic—get it back on an even keel without destroying the magic. As you will see, the magic is still there,” new Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said, speaking at the A350 cabin launch event at Virgin’s Gatwick headquarters on April 8.
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MRO Americas: Delta CEO is ‘confident’ Boeing, regulators will solve MAX issue
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed confidence in the US aviation regulatory system in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, calling industry-regulator partnerships key to achieving unprecedented safety levels.
“You think about what has given rise to our industry being the safest means of transportation to the world, and the US being the leader,” Bastian told reporters following his keynote address at Aviation Week’s MRO Americas.
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Air Nostrum pilots plan six-day strike during Easter holiday
Pilots of Spanish regional operator Air Nostrum have planned six 24-hour strike days from April 15-17 and April 22-24, during the European Easter travel high season.
The long-running dispute centers around working conditions tied in with outsourcing services.
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Routes Europe 2019: Europe’s TUI outlines MAX grounding costs
European leisure airline TUI Group, which had 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8s in its fleet of 150 aircraft when the aircraft was grounded, expects the cost impact to be about $200 million assuming the MAXs will remain out of service through June.
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Deadline looms for potential Jet Airways investors
The survival prospects of Indian carrier Jet Airways remain unclear, as a deadline for potential investors looms this week and more aircraft are reclaimed by lessors.
A consortium of Jet’s major creditors are leading bailout efforts. The consortium, led by State Bank of India, are seeking a new entity to take a strategic stake in the airline.
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Routes Europe 2019: European landscape still a rough ride for smaller carriers
Europe’s strong airlines will get stronger and the weak will get weaker as consolidation in the region continues, and small carriers see pressure on yields intensifying.
A panel of European airline and airport senior representatives discussed the changing environment at the Routes Europe conference in Hannover April 9. They noted how fast things have changed, with several European airlines failing and competition reaching fever pitch on some routes.
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ANALYSIS: American's Dallas/Fort Worth margin play
American Airlines bustling Dallas/Fort Worth base is about to get a whole lot busier.
The hometown carrier, which has operated a hub at the airport for nearly four decades, will operate a record number of flights – more than 900 on peak days, prompting the nickname "DFW 900" – from DFW this summer, part of a larger growth strategy focused on its most-profitable facilities.
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PICTURES: All BA retrojets together for the first time
To mark the 50,000th customer on a "retrojet" flight by British Airways, all four heritage liveries have been photographed together for the first time.
“The excitement and pride that we’ve witnessed from customers and colleagues as these heritage liveries, which we painted to mark our centenary, have flown around the globe has been unparalleled" says Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive.
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Airports

London Gatwick invests £1 million on new noise monitoring technology
Local residents can now access information on aircraft noise in real time and generate reports on demand following Gatwick's £1 million investment in the latest technology.
In a UK-airport first, the new system - provided by EMS Brüel & Kjær – also allows noise complaints to be submitted via an automated telephone line, a key request from the local community.
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Dublin Airport launches app which tracks assets around the airport
Dublin Airport has created an airport geographic information systems app to track its assets to provide real-time information.
The app was designed using geographic information systems (GIS) technology from software partner Esri Ireland, and has been customised to track and monitor the large number of assets across Dublin Airport’s business. The range of airport assets includes lifts, escalators, car park, security and baggage systems, boarding gates, runways and taxiways.
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Heathrow Airport has launched super-fast Wi-Fi for passengers
Passengers can now browse the web with speeds up to 100 MBPS, as the airport strives to improve the passenger experience.
Heathrow has launched a fast speed Wi-Fi service at the airport. In partnership with Boingo, passengers at all Heathrow terminals are now able to enjoy the new Wi-Fi experience with up to 100 MBPS (megabytes per second) speeds.
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easyJet chooses VINCI Airports’ Nantes Atlantique Airport as new base
Nantes Atlantique has become the sixth easyJet base in the VINCI Airports network; a new milestone highlighting the relevance of VINCI Airports’ global operator model.
The inauguration marks a new milestone in the development of the airport, which VINCI Airports has operated since 2011. easyJet will now base three A320 aircraft in Nantes and open 14 new routes. It will furthermore station nearly 40 pilots and more than 70 cabin crew members in the airport vicinity.
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Military

Search underway for missing Japanese Lockheed Martin F-35
The radar wake of a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter disappeared over the Pacific Ocean about 73nm (135km) east of Misawa air base on 9 April at 19:27 local time.
The Japanese military has commenced a search mission for the aircraft and its single pilot, though the country’s air force offered no details on suspected causes of the disappearance. The Lockheed Martin F-35A was engaging in night-time training with three other F-35A jets, according to The Japan Times.
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Aviation Quote

Too late. No time, no.

- Captain Christian Marty, Air France 4590 Concorde, last recorded words. ATC had just warned, "Concorde zero ... 4590, You have flames. You have flames behind you." 25 July 2000.