NewsCommercial
Recaro eyes becoming business-class seating leader
German cabin interiors specialist Recaro Aircraft Seating is aiming to become the No. 1 business-class seating supplier, after posting 15 years of double-digit revenue growth.
In 2018, Recaro’s full-year turnover grew 22% to almost €600 million ($671.5 million). The company estimates the global passenger seat market grew 5% growth over the same period.
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PICTURE: Airbus starts flight tests of GTF-powered A319neo
Airbus today completed the first flight of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered version of the A319neo.
The aircraft took off from Airbus's Toulouse facility at 12:30 and landed back there at 15:30, says the airframer.
Of its re-engined narrowbody family – which also includes the A320neo and A321neo – the A319neo is the last member to enter flight testing.
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Boeing 777X and NMA timelines unaffected by 737 Max issues: CEO
Boeing’s chief executive has assured investors that the company’s massive effort to return the 737 Max to service has not affected – at least not significantly – 777X development or potential development of the “new mid-market airplane” (NMA).
Speaking to investors on 24 April, CEO Dennis Muilenburg walked a fine line, repeatedly stressing that Boeing’s prime focus remains to address issues with the Max, an effort he says has involved employees from across the company.
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Gulfstream records 'solid' first quarter performance
Gulfstream is experiencing a period of “solid but not overheated demand” for its high-end business jet family, and the market remains robust for the foreseeable future, parent company General Dynamics says.
Speaking on a first-quarter earnings call on 24 April, company chief executive Phebe Novakovic was upbeat about the company’s prospects. Following a strong performance in 2018, “we’re off to a good start [this year]", she says.
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PICTURE: First ACJ319neo takes flight
Airbus flew the ACJ319neo – the corporate version of its re-engined twinjet – for the first time on 24 April.
The CFM Leap-1A-powered narrowbody (MSN8612) made a 55min sortie from the airframer’s Hamburg Finkenwerder plant to "verify its corporate jet features". These include five extra fuel tanks in the cargo hold, which deliver a range of more than 6,750nm (12,500km).
LinkAirlines
Southwest 1Q net income down 16%; confident in MAX
A trio of unusual events took a toll on Southwest Airlines’ first-quarter financial performance and is driving unit costs up, but long-term fundamentals remain strong, as does the carrier’s confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX. Southwest posted a 1Q net income of $387 million, down 16% from $463 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating revenues rose 4.1% to $5.2 billion, while operating expenses jumped 7.3% to $4.6 billion.
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Norwegian widens 1Q loss on Boeing 737 MAX grounding
Norwegian Air Shuttle reported a widening first-quarter loss and said it was still assessing the financial impact of the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX, but that it could cost it up to NOK500 million ($57.5 million) in 2019. Norwegian posted a net loss of NOK1.49 billion, compared with a NOK46.4 million loss in the year-ago quarter, and said it would consider changes in its narrowbody fleet in 2019 “given the unresolved situation with 737 MAX 8 worldwide.”
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Hong Kong Airlines transfers pilots after A330, A350 delivery delays
Hong Kong Airlines is offering pilots the option of transferring to alternative airlines as the company faces a surplus of pilots as a result of the delayed delivery of the Airbus A330 and A350.
According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report, these airlines include Hainan Airlines subsidiary Tianjin Airlines, LCC HK Express, Hainan Airlines and Dubai-based Emirates Airline.
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Jet Airways’ aircraft scrubbed from Boeing backlog
Indian carrier Jet Airways has seen its major order for Boeing airliners removed from the OEM’s official order backlog.
The airline suspended all flights April 17 after weeks in which its timetables had slowly crumbled as the carrier was progressively unable to meet lease payments on growing portions of its fleet.
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Fastjet nearly quadruples losses in 2018
African LCC fastjet expects to post a $41.2 million operating loss for 2018, nearly four times its $11.2 million prior-year loss, deepened by $23.9 million in one-off impairments from its December 2018 capital increase.
Fastjet said its full-year loss from continuing operations, excluding the exceptional items, would have been $17.3 million. However, the company said it is on track to deliver “a marginal underlying operating profit” for 2019.
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SmartLynx receives Maltese AOC
Latvian carrier SmartLynx Airlines has secured an air operator’s certificate (AOC) for its new Maltese airline, which it will use as a platform for further growth.
SmartLynx, which was founded in 1992, provides charter and wet-lease capacity.
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No simulator time expected for 737 Max return: Southwest
Southwest Airlines does not expect its pilots to undergo simulator training as part of a process to return the Boeing 737 Max to service, as the carrier stresses its aviators are well-equipped to handle a problem that has emerged as a common link between two fatal crashes of the aircraft type.
"We are not hearing that will be a requirement," chief executive Gary Kelly told analysts on an earnings call on 25 April, in response to questions on whether pilots will have to undergo simulator training ahead of the aircraft's return to service.
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Air Canada removes 737 Max until August
Air Canada is the latest airline to remove 737 Max aircraft from its scheduled flights into August with no sign of how long regulators will keep the aircraft grounded.
The Montreal-based airline has kept 24 737 Max 8 aircraft in storage since grounding the fleet in March, according to Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer. The carrier has compensated for the absence of the Max by flying passengers on some of their other 163 aircraft currently in service.
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PICTURES: Top campaigning liveries on commercial airliners
Lufthansa's new #SayYesToEurope livery – intended to promote the idea of a strong European Union in the run-up to parliamentary elections – is the latest example of an airline using a special livery to promote a particular cause or organisation. Here, we present a selection of such schemes.
LinkAirports
New system offers real-time view of operational activities in Wellington Airport
Fast, proactive decisions can now be made more easily and quickly at Wellington International Airport after an online management system is launched.
Wellington International Airport has deployed a new, online airport management system to assist performance and efficiency optimisation; enhancing the passenger experience.
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Airports See a Driverless Future Across the Tarmac
We may soon see more driverless vehicles on airport ramps. It’s easy to call this a safety risk. It might be. But human drivers have accidents, too.
Nearly 50 years after the first airport automated people mover — that’s transport lingo for a driverless train — debuted at Tampa International, humans still handle most functions on the airfield, such as moving bags, pushing back planes, clearing ice and snow, and driving buses.
LinkMilitary
F-35 work boosts Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems' revenue
Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems business segment saw first quarter 2019 revenue increase 7% year-on-year to about $3.5 billion, partly due to more F-35 work.
More revenue from the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, restricted programmes (presumably including development work on the B-21 stealth bomber), and the MQ-4C Triton unmanned air vehicle (UAV) also helped the company’s sales grow.
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AW149 helicopter nets crucial export order from Egypt
Leonardo Helicopters appears to have secured a vital export deal for its AW149, with the 9t-class rotorcraft selected by Egypt for a requirement of around 20 aircraft.
Cairo intends to use the helicopters for land-based and ship-borne troop transport and search and rescue missions.
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Aviation Quote
Would not the sight of a single enemy airplane be enough to induce a formidable panic? Normal life would be unable to continue under the constant threat of death and imminent destruction.
- General Giulio Douhet, The Command of the Air, 1921.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. Why do some pilots in the Navy’s Blue Angels recommend that their guest passengers (members of the media, et cetera) eat bananas before a demonstration flight?
2. In what motion picture did the star of the movie say, “Now, I don’t propose to sit on a flagpole or swallow goldfish. I’m not a stuntman; I’m a flier.”
3. In 1935, Cosby Harrison crashed his Swallow while flying in stormy weather. What well-known aviation business was begun as a result of his accident?
4. What was the first airline to offer transcontinental passenger service, and what type of aircraft was used?
5. Pilots know that temperature generally decreases with altitude in the troposphere. Why does it increase with altitude in the stratosphere?
6. The Lockheed L–1011 was the first airliner to incorporate direct lift control. What is DLC?
