Facing pressure from fast-selling A320neo, Boeing's hand forced on 737 re-engining Boeing's decision to move forward with an apparent 737NG re-engining—after many months of reluctance by its top executives—is not hard to understand, say analysts who cite, among other drivers, the increasing "pressure" felt by the manufacturer from rival Airbus's success with the re-engined A320neo. Link
Final 737 re-engine configuration down to four possible fan sizes Boeing plans to have a final configuration solidified for its re-engined 737 within three to four weeks, with final decisions focusing on the size of the CFM International Leap-X engine that will exclusively power the new variant, says Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh. Link
American orders 130 A320s, 130 A320neos, 100 737NGs; commits to 100 of 'new 737 variant' American Airlines made one of the largest aircraft order announcements in commercial aviation history Wednesday, signing up for 130 Airbus A320 family aircraft, 130 re-engined A320neos, 100 CFM56-7B-powered Boeing 737NGs and also committing to order 100 of a new variant 737 with CFM Leap-X engines. Boeing and Airbus will help finance the aircraft, AA said. Link Discussion Link
Flybe restructures operations in new acquisition drive UK regional carrier Flybe has restructured its operations into three divisions as part of a major company reorganisation designed to reflect its growing ambitions in Europe and a new emphasis on acquisitions. Link
Russian air force orders thrust-vectoring Su-30SM fighters The Irkutsk Aircraft Plant (IAZ) is assembling two Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighters for the Russian air force, Alexey Fedorov, president of the controlling Irkut corporation, said. The pair will be completed and subjected to flight trials by the end of this year. Link
Textron: V-22 may sell to 10-12 foreign countries Saying export discussions have intensified within the past six months, Textron chief executive Scott Donnelly now estimates as many as 12 countries could buy the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor after 2015. Link
Republic Airways CEO expects Frontier to be profitable Bryan Bedford, the president and CEO of Republic Airways, wrote in an e-mail to company employees that he expects Frontier Airlines to be profitable in the second half of 2011, despite losing about $10 million in revenue due to a recent storm. Frontier was forced to cancel numerous flights as 18 of its planes were damaged on July 13 by a hailstorm in Denver. Link
AMR announces plans to spin off American Eagle AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, today announced plans to spin off American Eagle. The regional carrier launched its first flight in 1984 and now has a fleet of about 281 planes. AMR did not offer a timeline for the spinoff. Link
American Airlines reports wider loss for Q2 American Airlines reported a loss of $286 million for the second quarter, compared with a loss of $11 million in the same quarter of last year. The loss exceeded analysts' estimates. Meanwhile, American also announced plans to shutter a call center in Dublin. Link
FAA celebrates 75th anniversary of air-traffic control Air-traffic control has undergone a host of changes over the past 75 years as the service strives to keep the skies safe for millions of passengers, pilots and airline crew members. The service, which is part of the Federal Aviation Administration, often comes under scrutiny because mistakes can be fatal. Meanwhile, the FAA is trying to modernize the air-traffic control system, but it has faced significant headwinds, mostly because of the cost of the upgrades. Link
U.S. lawmakers aim to block EU's airline emission rules The European Union is planning to subject all airlines flying into its countries' airports to participate in an Emissions Trading System. However, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers plan to explain how they are trying to block the effort in a press conference scheduled for today. Link
Appeals court upholds dismissal of Continental suit on pilots' divorces The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that determining the intentions of divorces was not up to employers and pension plan administrators. In the case, Continental Airlines alleged that nine pilots divorced their spouses to allow the ex-spouses to receive a lump sum from the carrier's pension plan. The pilots allegedly then remarried the ex-spouses. Link
Lawmakers' quarrel could lead to shutdown of FAA The House and the Senate continue to disagree over a labor provision in legislation that would extend long-term funding to the Federal Aviation Administration. The dispute could lead to a shutdown of the FAA, whose operating authority expires this week. If that happens, air traffic controllers would still continue to work because they are considered essential employees, Republican lawmakers said. Link
Other News
Qantas declared that its future is in China, the world’s second biggest and fastest growing aviation market, but the airline needs its staff to embrace the radical change to succeed. Speaking Wednesday at the Australia Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit in Sydney, QF CEO Alan Joyce warned that “out of touch union leaders” who are resisting change don't understand that the carrier's costs are 25% above its competitors such as Singapore Airlines. “Globalization continues to change our world in profound ways and it is still changing the way we work, consume and engage—and it is still driving relentless competition,” said Joyce. “Globalization is not optional and it is not over.”
United Continental Holdings signed a multi-year agreement with Travelocity under which customers of its subsidiaries United Airlines and Continental Airlines will be able to access and purchase tickets through Travelocity's online booking sites.
Negotiations between Air Algerie and its flights attendants, engaged in a four-day strike last week, will resume Thursday, a union representative told Agence France-Presse. After being grounded by the work action, AH flights resumed last Friday following intervention by Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
Pakistan International Airlines added a Boeing 777 simulator to its training center in Karachi, Deputy MD Salim Sayani said.
Flybe Training Academy won a contract from Arik Air for the use of the UK regional's Dash-8 Full Flight Simulator. It will be the first third-party customer of Flybe's flight training facility opened in April.
CAE and Baltic Aviation Academy signed an agreement under which CAE will be Baltic's FFS provider. Initially, Baltic will lease an Airbus A320 FFS from CAE and relocate it to Vilnius. CAE will also provide pilot training for Baltic customers at CAE Training Centers in Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Madrid.
AVIATION QUOTE
When you’re in a high performance airplane, you really have to—despite what might be happening in your personal life or things with your job, or things on the ground—you really have to focus on what you’re doing right now.
— Scott Kelly, Commander of the International Space Station, former Navy test pilot, and brother of shot Tuscon Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' husband Mark Kelly. She was shot while he was in space. New York Times, 4 February 2011
ON THIS DATE
July 21st
---In 1909... The first international Zeppelin (airship) show is held in Frankfurt, Germany.
---In 1911... Denise Moore crashes and dies on a solo flight in a Farman airplane, the first woman killed in a plane.
---In 1919... Anthony Fokker founds the Dutch Aircraft Company at Schipol, near Amsterdam.
---In 1946…a McDonnell XFD-1 Phantom executes the first intentional and controlled landing by a purely jet-powered aircraft aboard a US aircraft carrier, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.
---In 1980…The F-16 is officially nicknamed the Fighting Falcon in a ceremony.
---In 2001…First flight of the XCOR EZ-Rocket, flown by Dick Rutan.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Breakfeast
Do you know what they used to feed German Fliers for breakfast?
— LuftWaffels
TRIVIA
Tail ID
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
Textron: V-22 may sell to 10-12 foreign countries Saying export discussions have intensified within the past six months, Textron chief executive Scott Donnelly now estimates as many as 12 countries could buy the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor after 2015.
I would be stunned if Japan wasn't involved in talks to get some SAR configured V-22s.
We sleep peacefully in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf
