NewsCommercial
Trans States cancels order for up to 100 SpaceJet aircraft
Trans States Holdings has canceled an order for up to 100 Mitsubishi SpaceJet aircraft, in the latest setback facing the Japanese manufacturer’s long-delayed regional jet program.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. (MAC) announced Oct. 31 that Trans States Holdings—parent company of three US-based regional airlines—has terminated its contract for 50 firm orders of the SpaceJet M90, which included purchase options for 50 more.
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Embraer delivers 44 jets in third quarter
Brazilian planemaker Embraer says it delivered 44 aircraft in the third quarter of 2019, including its first new flagship E195-E2, to launch customer Azul, bringing total deliveries in 2019 to 117 aircraft.
Of the 44 aircraft, 17 were commercial jets and 27 were executive jets, Embraer says in a statement on 31 October. The company’s backlog at the end of the quarter was $16.2 billion.
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Bombardier keeps 2019 delivery goal as 7500 production ramps up
Bombardier remains confident it will reach its goal of delivering 175 to 180 aircraft in 2019, though the Montreal-based airframer must significantly boost aircraft handoffs to achieve that goal.
The company had delivered 117 aircraft in the first nine months of the year, including 90 business jets and 27 commercial aircraft, equating to a rate of 39 aircraft quarterly.
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GAMECO to open 737-800BCF production line in Guangzhou
Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (GAMECO) will open a Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) production line at its Guangzhou base.
The company's general manager Norbert Marx states that it is “working closely” with Boeing in preparation of the new line, which will see the first aircraft inaugurated for conversion in 2020.
LinkAirlines
Qatar Airways postpones fleet retirements on 777X delays
Qatar Airways will postpone the retirement of its current Boeing 777s to compensate for delivery delays of the new 777X variant, group CEO Akbar Al Baker said. The carrier has 60 777Xs on order—10 777-8s and 50 777-9s—and was originally expecting deliveries to begin in 2020. The manufacturer, however, recently announced a further production delay.
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IAG confirms interest in Thomas Cook slots
International Airlines Group (IAG) has expressed interest in some London Gatwick Airport slots previously operated by defunct UK leisure carrier Thomas Cook.
Thomas Cook Airlines, which ceased operations Sept. 23, averaged around 15 daily Gatwick slot pairs in summer and nine daily pairs in winter.
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Air China 3Q net income up 4.4% as costs drop, traffic grows
Air China’s net income rose 4.4% in the third quarter to CNY3.6 billion ($510 million), compared to CNY3.45 billion in the year-ago period, as costs fell and traffic grew.
Operating costs declined 4.6% year-over-year (YOY) to CNY2.8 billion. The group’s traffic, measured in RPKs, increased 5.9%, and capacity was up 5.4%.
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Helvetic Airways begins growth process with first E190 E2
Swiss regional carrier Helvetic Airways has taken delivery of its first Embraer E190 E2, starting a period of significant growth for the niche airline.
Helvetic has a firm order in place for 12 of the aircraft and options for another 12. The airline plans to operate four E2s by early next year and will return three of 10 E190 E1s in the upcoming months.
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Emirates, flydubai optimize network, aircraft utilization
Dubai-based airlines Emirates and flydubai expect to further optimize their network and aircraft utilization, ensuring year-round routes with “seasonal” patterns, while opening up opportunities for both carriers to serve new markets.
The strategic partnership started in October 2017; since then, 5.3 million passengers have used seamless connectivity on the two carriers’ networks.
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Qatar Airways links to outlying Greek destinations with Sky Express
Qatar Airways has signed an interline agreement with Greek regional carrier Sky Express, effective immediately.
The cooperation will enable Greek passengers from locations outside Athens to travel seamlessly between Greece and Qatar Airways’ hub at Doha and onward to Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.
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ANA reduces Hong Kong service on falling demand
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has become the latest carrier to reduce its service to Hong Kong, as the protests in that city take a significant toll on demand.
The airline is suspending two daily flights into Hong Kong and downgauging at least one more. Other overseas airlines, including Australia’s Qantas, have cut capacity into Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific Airways has seen a substantial drop in inbound traffic and has readjusted its winter schedule in response.
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Lithium battery suspected in taxiing El Al 737 fire alert
French investigators suspect that a fire alarm on board a departing El Al Boeing 737-900ER was triggered by a lithium battery installed on a wheelchair.
The alert occurred on 27 October as the aircraft (4X-EHE) was preparing to operate from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Tel Aviv.
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SAA receives first A350 and plans to introduce four
South African Airways has disclosed that it will lease another pair of Airbus A350-900s, after taking delivery of the first of two initial leased aircraft.
The flag-carrier disclosed in mid-year that it was intending to lease two A350-900s and, on 31 October, the first of them arrived at its base in Johannesburg.
LinkAirports
Istanbul Airport serves over 41 million passengers in first year
Turkey’s new Istanbul Airport has served more than 41 million passengers—an average of 210,000 per day—since opening one year ago.
The airport has been operating at full capacity since April 6, when it took over total air traffic from former Atatürk Airport.
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LaGuardia to open new concourse as part of $8 billion transformation
LaGuardia Airport is soon to open its first new concourse and gates at Delta Air Lines’ new Terminal C.
This opening is the latest milestone in the complete rebuild of LaGuardia Airport. The $8 billion transformation, which began in June 2016, aims to provide a world-class passenger experience, featuring modern customer amenities, state-of-the-art architecture, more spacious gate areas and a connected terminal system.
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Charlotte Douglas International Airport to begin Terminal Lobby Expansion
Expected to begin development in December 2019, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) will see its terminal lobby completely refurbished in a bid to increase levels of passenger satisfaction and improve the overall experience of those who visit the airport.
The project was approved in late October 2019 by the Charlotte City Council and is expected to cost $600 million, funded by a combination of revenue from the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), Customer Facility Charge (CFC), General Airport Revenue Bonds (GARBS), and airport cash.
LinkMilitary
How big production increases caused Lockheed Martin F-35 problems
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter’s mission capability rate was hurt due to difficulty Lockheed Martin and its suppliers had producing spare parts, an issue caused by a three-year push to dramatically increase production of the aircraft, a top US Air Force official says.
Over the past several years, production of the stealth fighter increased about 114%, from 66 aircraft produced as part of lot 9 in 2017 to 141 aircraft to be produced as part of lot 11 in 2019, according to Lockheed Martin and the US Department of Defense.
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