NEWS
China Eastern orders 20 777s as 1Q profit plummets 73.7%
China Eastern Airlines (MU) placed an order for 20 Boeing 777-300ERs in an order worth $5.94 billion at list prices, according to the carrier’s statement released by Shanghai Stock Exchange. The deal must be approved by the Chinese government. The aircraft will be delivered between 2014 and 2018. The Shanghai-based carrier said it will sell five Airbus A340-600s to Boeing in 2014 and 2015 as part of the 777 payment. The 777s will replace the A340s on international long-haul routes from Shanghai to New York and Los Angeles.
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SESAR studies UAS airspace integration
Europe’s SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking has begun a study into the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into non-segregated airspace in a SESAR air traffic management scenario. The study will help define the capabilities and equipment that UAS users will need to operate safely and efficiently in a SESAR environment. It will enable the SESAR JU to understand, for example, how UAS will be able to implement new flight separation modes. The study will also examine how the shift from airspace-based operations to trajectory-based operations will influence UAS operations.
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Embraer 1Q profit falls on higher costs
Embraer announced a first-quarter net income of $62.7 million, down 40.4% from the $106.3 million net income in the year-ago period. The regional jet manufacturer said increased financial expenses coupled with higher income taxes contributed to the poorer results.
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Boeing South Carolina celebrates rollout of first 787
Boeing’s North Charleston, S.C. facility rolled out its first 787 Friday. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to Air India in mid-year. Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Jim Albaugh told a crowd of nearly 7,000 employees and guests, “Today I welcome the South Carolina team into a small and elite fraternity—a fraternity of workers who have built one of the most complex machines in the world—a commercial airplane.”
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Delta's Refinery Bid Expected To Be Confirmed
Delta Air Lines' expected bid to buy a US oil refinery has had people in both industries joking that a company from the money-losing airline sector would be right at home in the money-losing world of East Coast refining.
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Iberia Pilots Strike Off After Govt Forces Talks
Iberia pilots called off their strike plans on Friday after the government ordered the Spanish airline and its pilots union to enter talks to resolve a dispute that threatens to disrupt Spanish tourism during the peak season.
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Air Canada, Machinists Union To Resume Talks
Air Canada and the union representing its 8,600 mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents have agreed to resume contract negotiations, the country's largest airline said on Friday.
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United Results Hit By Fuel Costs, Merger Glitches
The parent of United Airlines posted a USD$448 million quarterly net loss, pressured by high fuel costs and expenses related to problems integrating some operations of merger partners United Airlines and Continental Airlines.
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The wing is the thing for Aviation Partners
Seattle-based Aviation Partners (API) is ready to flight test a slate of new technologies with the goal of allowing aircraft operators to boost fuel economy and correspondingly produce less carbon without the need to buy new aircraft. "Fuel will be the most expensive commodity next to gold, so drag-reduction improvements are going to be important," says Joe Clark, president and founder of API. "With many of these aircraft, there's room for a 5-15% improvement in drag during cruise."
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USMC to start F-35B flights next week at Eglin AFB
The US Marine Corps will start local area flights on the F-35B next week at Eglin AFB, Florida, but all is not well at manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Workers at the company's Fort Worth, Texas, factory went on strike at midnight on 22 April after they failed to reach a contract agreement with Lockheed. "The parties are not meeting at this time," a company spokesman says. "And there is no scheduled meeting."
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Other News
All Nippon Airways (ANA) reported first-quarter net income of ￥28.1 billion ($348.3 million), up 20.6% compared to ￥23.3 billion last year. Operating income rose 43% to ￥97 billion and recurring profit increased by 85% to ￥68.4 billion. ANA attributed its strong performance to an economic gradual recovery following the Japan earthquake and its decisive action in dealing with the rising oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations and euro zone problems, which included implementing cost improvement measures and bringing forward initiatives scheduled for this year into the second half of last year.
Republic Airways Holdings (RAH), parent of Chautauqua Airlines, Frontier Airlines (F9), Republic Airlines and Shuttle America, posted a net loss of $7.1 million in the first quarter 2012, narrowed from a $22.4 million net loss in the year-ago period.
Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft has been certified to operate in the high north latitude area, after undergoing trials at Yakutia’s Tiksi Airport (IKS), located at the 71.7 degree of the north latitude. SSJ100 flight prototype MSN95005 performed 11 flights including a nonstop flight from Zhukovsky, Moscow Region to IKS (4,380 km.), eight flights from IKS and a final flight on the IKS–Krasnoyarsk–Zhukovsky route.
Goodrich was selected by Southwest Airlines to supply wheels, carbon brakes, MRO services and comprehensive asset management covering its new fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Precision Conversions won a contract from SF Airlines to provide full 15-cargo position 757-200PCFs. The 757-200PCF modifications will take place at the Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (TAECO) maintenance facility in Xiamen.
T Aerospace announced it has secured approximately $540 million in new contracts during the 2012 first quarter for aircraft maintenance and modification, component total support and engine total support.
Ascent Aviation Services won a contract from Dallas-based Ameristar Air Cargo for heavy maintenance and additional work on one DC-9-15F aircraft.
Air Lease Corporation announced today the following transactions covering 11 twin aisle aircraft and two single aisle aircraft including:
--The purchase of eight new Boeing 787-9 aircraft for lease to Vietnam Airlines. Deliveries of the eight 787-9 "Dreamliner" aircraft are scheduled for 2017 and 2018. This transaction marks ALC's longest lead time for a lease placement to date.
--The purchase from Macquarie Aviation of one B777-300ER on long term lease to Emirates (a new customer for ALC).
--One incremental A330-200 on long term lease to KLM delivering in 2013.
--One A330-300 from the ALC pipeline on long term lease to Sichuan Airlines delivering in 2013. Sichuan airlines also executed a four year extension on one A319 aircraft currently on lease from ALC.
--One Embraer 190 from the ALC pipeline leased to LAM (Mozambique) delivering in 2012.
“These global lease placements demonstrate the growth of our widebody business in Asia, the addition of Emirates to our customer base, our increasing level of business with KLM, as well as our further expansion into proven carriers in Southern Africa such as LAM. The marketplace for the products represented by these lease placements remain strong," said John L. Plueger, President & Chief Operating Officer of ALC.
British Airways has upgraded its website, ba.com, with the addition of a completely new homepage. The ba.com homepage has been comprehensively redesigned to make it easier to use and navigate, as well as making it more inviting and accessible to customers. Striking imagery has been added throughout the page with clearer information on products, services and offers.
AVIATION QUOTE
There are two kinds of airplanes — those you fly and those that fly you . . . You must have a distinct understanding at the very start as to who is the boss.
— Ernest K. Gann
ON THIS DATE---In 1904... The St. Louis exposition opens. Octave Chanute exhibits a replica of his biplane glider of 1896, which he launches by using an electric winch.
---In 1917... Pacific Aero Products Company changes its name to Boeing Airplane Company, with William E. Boeing as its president.
---In 1919... The Air Navigation Directions, laying down rules for aircraft registration and pilot licensing, are published in London.
---In 1928... British pilot Lady Mary Bailey lands to complete a flight from England to Cape Town, South Africa. She took off on March 9th.
---In 1932... An international code of air traffic communication is formally established, following the decision to do so at a 1927 conference in Washington,DC. The new code is based on a series of three-letter code starting with the letter “Q” …
---In 1958…First flight of the Blackburn Buccaneer XK 486.
---In 1962…OXCART’s first “official” flight, A-12 (924). Witnessed by a number of CIA and Air Force representatives. Pilot Lou Schalk. 340 knots, 30,000 feet, 59 minutes. This flight was just under one year later than originally planned. Bill Parks joins the pilot program. (Q)
---In 1966… Surveyor 1 - USA Lunar Soft Lander launched. Surveyor 1 was the first American soft landing on the lunar surface.
---In 1969... The first woman airline pilot in the West, Turi Widerose of Norway, makes her first scheduled flight as a first officer for Scandinavian Airlines.
---In 1969…Aviogenex commences operations.
---In 1981…Peoplexpress Airlines commenced operations.
---In 1982…The United Kingdom declares an air blockade of the Falkland Islands.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
A Fellow Republican
A USMC sniper was real good at his job, and he had a method. He would yell out some insult at the enemy and when someone stood up to reply, BANG - one less insurgent!
After every mission the company commander would ask "How many insurgents have you shot today?"
However, on this particular day when asked about the number killed, he reported "Five killed and I let one go, sir."
"Let one go?" roared the company commander. "What do you mean, you let one go?"
"Well, sir, I yelled out 'Osama is a Homo!' Then this big insurgent stood up and yelled 'Hillary is a Bitch!' I just couldn't shoot a fellow Republican!"
TRIVIA
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