News
AirBaltic set for 2015 delivery for first CS300
AirBaltic is scheduled to take delivery of the first of up to 20 Bombardier CS300s in the first quarter of 2015 under an agreement announced during the Farnborough air show today. The Latvian carrier has signed a letter of intent to buy 10 of the 130-seat aircraft and has purchase rights for 10 more. The initial 10 aircraft are set for delivery by 2017. "We reviewed the narrowbody platforms from the major airframers and determined that the all-new CS300 aircraft was the best fit," says Martin Gauss, chief executive of AirBaltic. "The superb economics of the aircraft and the delivery timeframe that is available to us are also key factors in our decision."
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AMR To Move Forward With Merger Review
The parent of American Airlines said on Tuesday it will press ahead with evaluating potential mergers, a move set to satisfy some creditors less than impressed with its stand-alone restructuring plan. A source familiar with the situation said AMR sees itself as an acquirer in potential mergers and at least five airlines -- US Airways, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Air, Republic Airways' Frontier Airlines, and Virgin America -- will be considered.
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BAE Systems unveils potential alternative to GPS
BAE Systems has unveiled research into a new positioning system that could potentially provide an alternative to satellite-based systems such as GPS. Known as Navigation via Signals of Opportunity (NAVSOP), the new system exploits existing transmissions such as Wi-Fi, TV, radio and mobile phone signals, to calculate the user’s location to within a few meters.
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In fuel efficiency race, Rolls unveils new engine variant for 787
Airline obsession with sky high oil prices has prompted a sharpened rivalry among engine manufacturers that are eager to use Farnborough to showcase new products with better fuel efficiency. Rolls-Royce on Tuesday announced it will develop the Trent 1000-TEN, an advanced version of the newest member of the Trent engine family, the Trent XWB. The Trent 1000-TEN – the company says its stands for Thrust, Efficiency and New technology – is targeted at the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and will provide an improvement of up to 3% in specific fuel consumption compared with the Trent 1000s in service today, Rolls said.
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GECAS Commits To Buy 100 Boeing 737s
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has committed to buy 100 Boeing 737 planes, the two firms said at the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday.
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Cathay Plans USD$4.2 Bln A350-1000 Order
Airbus unveiled its first customer for the beefed up version of its A350-1000 wide-body plane on the second day of the Farnborough Airshow as Cathay Pacific said it planned to place an order worth up to USD$4.2 billion at list prices.
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United may launch its first Dreamliner flights by year's end
United Continental Holdings has confirmed that it will receive its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in September, making it the first North American airline to fly the fuel-efficient aircraft. The long-haul Dreamliner is reported to have 30% more range than aircraft of a similar size and to use 20% less fuel. United says it may start commercial flights with the 787 through Chicago as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.
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American reports 8.6% consolidated revenue increase for June
American Airlines has reported a 8.6% rise in consolidated unit revenue for June. "This is a proof point that our network strategy alongside our alliance strategy is starting to yield the results we were expecting and that we have always talked about," said Virasb Vahidi, chief commercial officer for American. AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy in November.
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Are airline service fees fair or unfair?
Some travel-industry experts believe airline fees cost too much and are added at the last minute to confuse the consumer. However, the airlines defend the practice as allowing more choice. "The consumer is now getting a choice of what they pay for," said John Heimlich, chief economist for Airlines for America. "It's in nobody's interest for airlines to charge customers for services (like in-flight meals or entertainment) that they don't use."
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GE Capital Aviation Services will buy 100 Boeing 737s
General Electric Capital Aviation Services has signed an agreement to purchase 100 Boeing 737 aircraft, say to both parties at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K. The deal includes Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes and next-generation 737-800s.
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737 MAX boasts increased range, Boeing says
Boeing officials say the company's revamped 737 MAX passenger jets will have a significant operating cost advantage over the A320neo from rival Airbus. "The 737 MAX will fly farther and offer more revenue potential than its predecessor and its future competitor," Boeing said. "The 737 MAX models will have the capacity to fly more than 3,500 nautical miles ... This will allow our customers the flexibility to open up new markets."
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Other News
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has committed to buying 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 25 737-800s. Announcing the deal at the Farnborough Airshow, GECAS president and CEO Norman Liu said: “The 737 NG family is performing extremely well. This [commitment] is mainly because we’ve run out [of 737 NGs]. The products that we have are leased out so we needed some new kit.”
ALAFCO, a Kuwati lessor, announced a commitment for 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8, the first sale of the type into the Middle East. At list price, the order is worth $1.9 billion. Delivery dates have yet to be agreed.
Delays both technical and commercial have pushed delivery of Irkut’s Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1400G engine back three months to the first quarter of 2015.
Mexico’s Interjet has converted its five Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) options into firm orders from a previously announced order for 15 of the aircraft plus five options. Based on list prices, the value of the 20-aircraft order is approximately $700 million, according to a Superjet International (SJI) statement.
Bhutan’s national airline Drukair has signed a firm order for an Airbus A319, adding to its existing fleet of two A319s. The order, announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in February.
Pratt & Whitney (P&W) and MTU Aero Engines have both increased their stakes in International Aero Engines following Rolls-Royce’s equity exit from the joint venture.
China Eastern Airlines (MU) will enhance its position in Beijing through its CNY350 million ($55.3 million) expansion project at Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY), which opened July 8. MU will also integrate wholly owned subsidiary China United Airlines (KN) with Shijiazhuang-based Hebei Branch Co.
International Aero Engines (IAE) is at an all-time high in terms of production capacity, it said, producing nearly two engines a day, with more than 5,000 engines produced to date and another 2,000 in backlog. More than 4,000 of its engines are in service with an average age of six years, with 60% of this fleet managed under IAE’s V-Services agreement. V-Services represents more than $15 million backlog on over 3,700 engines in the portfolio, it said.
Irkut said that while it is hopeful it will increase the number of MC-21 aircraft sold by the end of the year, it will hold off on “real, aggressive” marketing until assembly of the first aircraft. The maiden flight is scheduled for mid-2015.
Rockwell Collins’ (RC) dispatch program has been selected by Air India (AI), Hainan Airlines (HU) and China Southern Airlines (CZ) to service and support their Boeing 787 fleets. Under terms, RC will provide guaranteed spares availability, systems configuration updates, technical repairs, and performance monitoring on its suite of communications, surveillance, displays and pilot controls systems on the 787.
Accra was announced as the winner of the Routes Africa Airport Marketing Awards last night at a tropical themed Networking Evening held at Cap Lazare in the Seychelles. This award is the final regional heat to the World Routes Awards which will take place in Abu Dhabi later this year. Almost 300 aviation professionals were gathered to witness the presentation of the awards and to take part in the largest Routes Africa event to date.
Pratt & Whitney will offer its PW4170 Advantage70™ engine, the most reliable and fuel efficient engine available for the A330 aircraft, for the new Airbus 240 tonne A330 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.
Embraer is announcing plans on Tuesday for Boeing Co to supply a new weapons system for its light attack fighter, strengthening its offer in a fiercely contested bid for a U.S. Air Force contract in Afghanistan.
Pratt & Whitney celebrates 40 years of F100 propulsion, marking the development and delivery of its first F100 engines to support the F-15's first flight on July 27, 1972. Today, the F100 engine powers the F-15, F-16 and X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), with an expanding F100 family of variants. Twenty-four customers worldwide have selected the F100 to power their F-15 and F-16 fighter jets over the past 40 years. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.
Aviation Quote
I could be president of Sikorsky for six months before they found me out, but the president would only have my job for six seconds before he'd kill himself.
— Walter R. 'Dick' Faull, test pilot.
On This Date
---In 1922... An international convention for the regulation of air navigation begins.
---In 1935... Laura Ingalls arrives in Burbank, California after an 18-hour flight from Floyd Bennett Field, New York, making her the first woman to fly east to west across the United States.
---In 1955... The U.S. Air Force Academy is dedicated at its temporary location, Lowry Air Force Base.
---In 1977…The UK government agrees to fund development of the BAe 146.
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Murphy’s Laws of Combat
1. Friendly fire - isn't.
2. Recoilless rifles - aren't.
3. Suppressive fires - won't.
4. You are not Superman; Marines and fighter pilots take note.
5. A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down.
6. If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
7. Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo and not want to
waste a bullet on you.
8. If at first you don't succeed, call in an air strike.
9. If you are forward of your position, your artillery will fall short.
10. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.
11. Never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself.
12. Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
13. If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush.
14. The enemy diversion you're ignoring is their main attack.
15. The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: a. When they're ready.
b. When you're not.
16. No OPLAN ever survives initial contact.
17. There is no such thing as a perfect plan.
18. Five second fuses always burn three seconds.
19. There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.
20. A retreating enemy is probably just falling back and regrouping.
21. The important things are always simple; the simple are always hard.
22. The easy way is always mined.
23. Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at.
24. Don't look conspicuous; it draws fire. For this reason, it is not at
all uncommon for aircraft carriers to be known as bomb magnets.
25. Never draw fire; it irritates everyone around you.
26. If you are short of everything but the enemy, you are in the combat
zone.
27. When you have secured the area, make sure the enemy knows it too.
28. Incoming fire has the right of way.
29. No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
30. No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat.
31. If the enemy is within range, so are you.
32. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming
friendly fire.
33. Things which must be shipped together as a set, aren't.
34. Things that must work together, can't be carried to the field that way.
35. Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support.
36. Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially during
both).
37. Anything you do can get you killed, including nothing.
38. Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you won't be able to get
out.
39. Tracers work both ways.
40. If you take more than your fair share of objectives, you will get more
than your fair share of objectives to take.
41. When both sides are convinced they're about to lose, they're both right.
42. Professional soldiers are predictable; the world is full of dangerous
amateurs.
43. Military Intelligence is a contradiction.
44. Fortify your front; you'll get your rear shot up.
45. Weather ain't neutral.
46. If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed towards you.
47. Air defense motto: shoot 'em down; sort 'em out on the ground.
48. 'Flies high, it dies; low and slow, it'll go'.
49. The Cavalry doesn't always come to the rescue.
50. Napalm is an area support weapon.
51. Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
52. B-52s are the ultimate close support weapon.
53. Sniper's motto: reach out and touch someone.
54. Killing for peace is like screwing for virginity.
55. The one item you need is always in short supply.
56. Interchangeable parts aren't.
57. It's not the one with your name on it; it's the one addressed "to whom
it may concern" you've got to think about.
58. When in doubt, empty your magazine.
59. The side with the simplest uniforms wins.
60. Combat will occur on the ground between two adjoining maps.
61. If the Platoon Sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.
62. Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never
stay awake when you can sleep.
63. The most dangerous thing in the world is a Second Lieutenant with a map
and a compass.
64. Exceptions prove the rule, and destroy the battle plan.
65. Everything always works in your HQ, everything always fails in the
Colonel's HQ.
66. The enemy never watches until you make a mistake.
67. One enemy soldier is never enough, but two is entirely too many.
68. A clean (and dry) set of BDU's is a magnet for mud and rain.
69. The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.
70. Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. Whenever you are low
on ammo, you can't hit the broad side of a barn.
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