News
ANA 787 grounding to cost $15m in January revenue
All Nippon Airways says flight cancellations associated with the grounding of its Boeing 787 fleet will reduce its revenue for the month of January by Y1.4 billion ($15.4 million). Since the grounding of the 787 on 17 January, ANA says it has cancelled 459 domestic and international flights. "It remains unclear as to when the aircraft will resume normal service," it adds.
Link
ANA Q3 Down, Counts Cost Of Grounded 787
All Nippon Airways, the launch airline for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner said it lost more than USD$15 million in revenue from having to cancel flights this month. ANA said it was unclear as to when the 787 would resume commercial flights, making it harder to predict the longer-term financial impact of having the plane idle. ANA said it had not yet decided whether to claim compensation from Boeing, and it had no plans, for now, to change a growth strategy that has the technologically advanced 787 at its core. But it conceded that a prolonged grounding of the plane would impact that strategy.
Link
JAL, ANA Had Battery Problems Before Recent Incidents
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines replaced lithium-ion batteries on their Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the months before separate incidents led to the technologically advanced aircraft being grounded worldwide due to battery problems. Comments from both All Nippon, the 787's biggest customer to date, and Japan Airlines point to reliability issues with the batteries long before a battery caught fire on a JAL 787 at Boston's airport and a second battery was badly charred and melted on an ANA domestic flight that was forced into an emergency landing. ANA said it changed 10 batteries on its 787s last year, but did not inform accident investigators in the United States because the incidents, including five batteries that had unusually low charges, did not compromise the plane's safety, spokesman Ryosei Nomura said on Wednesday.
Link
NTSB Takes Microscope To Damaged 787 Battery
The US National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday it was carrying out a detailed, microscopic investigation of a battery that caught fire on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Boston as the probe dragged into a fourth week. All 50 Boeing 787s remain grounded around the world, as the US, Japanese and French governments continue to investigate that fire and a separate battery-related incident that forced another 787 to make an emergency landing in Japan. The NTSB said experts at the US Naval Surface Warfare Center laboratories were looking at a second, undamaged lithium-ion battery pulled from the same Japan Airlines plane that caught fire in Boston for signs of in-service damage and manufacturing defects. GS Yuasa, a Japanese company, built both batteries.
Link
Boeing reiterates confidence in grounded 787
Boeing reaffirmed its confidence in the grounded 787 and said “good progress” is being made in finding the cause of recent battery failures. Speaking to analysts and reporters to discuss Boeing’s $3.9 billion 2012 net profit, chairman, president and CEO Jim McNerney said the 787 will be “the most successful widebody that our company has ever made.” When asked about the Dreamliner production plan in light of the grounding, he said, “Business as usual. Let’s keep building airplanes and let’s ramp up as planned.” Deliveries, however, have been suspended. “For 2013 our first order of business obviously is getting the 787 back in service,” he said.
Link
Boeing Q4 profits fall despite 19% sales jump
Boeing saw a 30% decline in fourth quarter earnings despite a surge of commercial aircraft deliveries, but offered no clues to investors about the impact of a battery-related 787 fleet grounding on financial results this year. Net earnings in the period to 31 December 2012 declined to $978 million compared with $1.39 billion in the same period a year ago, resulting in a 3% decline in full-year income to $3.9 billion on a 19% jump in revenues, Boeing says. A 29% improvement in commercial aircraft deliveries to 165 during the fourth quarter fueled the company's revenue gains, but it was not enough to overcome a sluggish performance in the company's defence business, which reported operating income down 3% on a 2% increase in revenue.
Link
AMR CEO's Fate In Balance As Merger Nears
As US Airways and American Airlines parent AMR hammer out the final details of a merger, one of the most thorny issues has been whether AMR chief executive Tom Horton stays or goes. After rebuffing an aggressive takeover push from smaller rival US Airways early in its bankruptcy, AMR of late has embraced a deal, but is now eyeing a high-level position for Horton in the merged airline, according to several people familiar with the matter. With US Airways CEO Doug Parker angling to become both chief executive and chairman of the new company, AMR has proposed splitting the roles and making Horton chairman of the board should Parker become CEO, the people said.
Link
Europe says no to TNT Express/UPS merger
European competition regulators have, as anticipated, blocked United Parcel Service’s (UPS) acquisition of TNT Express, saying the deal could harm consumers. “The Commission found that the takeover would have restricted competition in 15 member states when it comes to the express delivery of small packages to another European country. In these member states, the acquisition would have reduced the number of significant players to only three or two, leaving sometimes DHL as the only alternative to UPS,” the European Commission said in a statement. UPS submitted three packages of remedies, in November, December and January, in a bid to secure competition clearance after receiving a statement of objections to the tie-up.
Link
China Southern Airlines stalls JV talks with Air China
China Southern Airlines has stalled joint venture (JV) negotiations with Air China to operate an Airbus A380 on the Beijing-Paris route, according to an industry insider. The insider denied widespread local reports that the reason behind China Southern’s decision is due to strong opposition from SkyTeam led by Air France-KLM. The insider said the JV with Air China for A380 service was approved by SkyTeam last year. “The real reason [China Southern is stalling negotiations] is both carriers can’t reach agreement on this issue,” the insider noted.
Link
Reduced F-35 performance specifications may have significant operational impact
The Pentagon's decision to reduce the performance specifications for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will have a significant operational impact, a number of highly experienced fighter pilots consulted by Flightglobal concur. But the careful development of tactics and disciplined employment of the jet may be able to mitigate some of those shortcomings. "This is going to have a big tactical impact," one highly experienced officer says. "Anytime you have to lower performance standards, the capability of what the airframe can do goes down as well."
Link
Other News
Hawaiian Airlines parent Hawaiian Holdings posted 2012 net income of $53.2 million, a marked improvement from the $2.6 million net loss it recorded in 2011. Its adjusted net income, reflecting fuel expenses and lease termination costs, was $55.6 million, up 28.7% from the $43.2 million adjusted net profit in 2011. Annual revenue rose 18.9% to $1.96 billion while operating expenses increased 12.4% to $1.83 billion, including a 12.5% drop in aircraft rent expenses. Operating profit improved by $109 million year-over-year to $129.4 million.
Five Forty Aviation is demanding $6.8 million in unpaid debts from Lonrho Aviation, which is now operating as African-low-cost carrier Fastjet. The $6,783,551.67 payment is alleged to cover financial support for Fly540 Tanzania, Angola, Ghana and elsewhere. “Five Forty Aviation confirms that it has instructed its lawyers to recover an acknowledged debt of $6.8 million from Lonrho Aviation,” Five Forty Aviation said in a statement, claiming that Lonrho acknowledged the debt in a letter dated March 22, 2012. However, Fastjet has disputed the claim, saying that the purchase of Five Forty Aviation—its Kenyan subsidiary—has been fully consummated.
Air France leisure arm Transavia France has named Antoine Pussiau as its new CEO, replacing Lionel Guerin in the role. Lionel Guerin is leaving Transavia France to become the CEO of Air France’s new regional airline HOP! Guerin, who was formerly CEO of French regional Airlinair, set up Transavia France and has led the reorganization of Air France’s regional operations. Guerin’s former role at Transavia France will be taken over by Pussiau, who has been Air France general manager for Europe and North Africa since 2010. Pussiau has been with Air France since 1981. He has held a number of positions, as Air France’s Boeing representative in Seattle, head of technical and a number of overseas country manager’s positions.
United Airlines launched Panasonic Ku-band satellite Wi-Fi on a Boeing 747. The connectivity solution offers customers two speeds of service at different price points. The aircraft is the first of its international widebody aircraft to feature the connectivity product. United has also outfitted Ku-band Wi-Fi on two domestic Airbus A319 aircraft. It will install the satellite-based Wi-Fi on Airbus A319s and A320s, and on Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft. It anticipates complete installation of the service across 300 mainline aircraft by the end of 2013. “Satellite-based Wi-Fi service enables us to better serve our customers and offer them more of what they want in a global airline,” United vice chairman and chief revenue officer Jim Compton said.
Aeroflot will equip 26 long-haul aircraft with Wi-Fi Internet access by year end. According to a carrier statement, the service will be available in the first quarter on 12 Airbus A330s and three Boeing 777s to be delivered soon. During the year it plans to implement Internet on one more 777 and seven A330s. Aeroflot will add six more Wi-Fi-equipped 777s in 2014, three in 2015 and three in 2016. Aeroflot has partnered with OnAir to develop its inflight connectivity program. The carrier’s Wi-Fi Internet access system has been tested and is available on five A330s. Aeroflot, which launched its Internet program in 2010, was the first Russian airline to provide onboard mobile connection and Internet access. “Our aim is to make Wi-Fi access available on all our long-haul aircraft,” Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said. Russia’s Transaero also launched onboard Internet last year.
Aviation Quote
There are two types of tailwheel (or retractable gear) pilot, those who have ground-looped (landed gear up) and those that will.
Anonymous
On This Date
---In 1818... The Curtiss R-6 twin-float seaplane becomes the first US-built airplane to operate overseas with American forces at Naval Base 13, Ponta Delgado, in the Azores.
---In 1862…Telescope maker Alvin Clark discovers dwarf companion of Sirius.
---In 1949... Pan Am receives the first Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser to be delivered.
---In 1957…On the first test flight of the Douglas DC-7B (N8210H), the aircraft collides with a USAF F-89, over Sunland, California. The two DC-7B crewmembers died, and only one of the F-89’s crew safely ejected. The planes hit the ground in a schoolyard, killing 3 more people.
---In 1958…Explorer 1, the first U.S. Earth-orbiting satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch vehicle was an Army Jupiter-C rocket. Explorer 1 orbited the Earth every 115 minutes. Its orbit carried it from a low of about 220 miles to a high of nearly 1,600 miles.
---In 1961…Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2), carrying Ham the Chimp, carries the first hominid into sub-orbit. The flight lasted just over 16 minutes, where Ham operated a lever, as trained, to prove that tasks could be performed in space.
---In 1961…USAF launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights.
---In 1966…USSR Lunar Soft Lander launched. Luna 9 landed on the lunar surface and retuned the first photographs from the surface.
---In 1970…Mikhail Mil dies, aged 61
---In 1971…Apollo 14 - USA Lunar Manned Lander (January 31 to February 8, 1971) launched. Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on February 5, 1971, in the Fra Mauro highlands, located at 3°40' S and longitude 17°28' E. They collected 42.9 kilograms of lunar samples and used a hand-held cart to transport rocks and equipment.
---In 1972…US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998).
---In 1977…First flight of the Cessna Citation II.
---In 1986…Boeing completes purchase of de Havilland Canada.
---In 2000… Alaska Airlines Flight 261, an MD-83, plunged into the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu, California while preparing to attempt an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to San Francisco and Seattle, killing all 88 people on board. In its final report, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the cause of the accident to be failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew acme nut threads due to insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly by Alaska Airlines. NTSB further determined that the insufficient lubrication resulted from Alaska's extended lubrication and inspection intervals and from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of those intervals. NTSB also found that the lack of a fail-safe mechanism for the failure of the acme nut threads on the MD-80 design contributed to the accident. This incident, along with the earlier ValuJet crash, led to closer FAA oversight of airline maintenance operations.
---In 2001…JAL Flight 907 and JAL Flight 958 (Boeing 747-400 JA8904 and DC-10-40 JA 8546, respectively) come within 300 feet of one another at a height of 39,000ft over Shizouka, Japan. The error, caused by air traffic control error, forces the 747 to dive in order to avoid a collision. Had they crashed, it might have killed 677 people.
---In 2005…Air Exel ceases operations.
---In 2010…Northwest Airlines ceases to exist upon its merger with Delta Airlines.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Engine Blew Up
While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. “Good lord!” he screamed, “One of the engines just blew up!”
Other passengers left their seats and came running over. Suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side. The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn't maintain order.
Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor made most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seats and began handing them to the flight attendants. Each crew member attatched the package to their backs.
“Say,” spoke up an alert passenger, “Aren't those parachutes?”
The pilot said they were. The passenger went on, “But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?”
“There isn't,” replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. “We're going to get help.”
Trivia
Who am I?
Thanks to Queso for today’s trivia.
1. First flown in 2001, I am the longest airliner currently in production and I can seat 419 in my 2 class seating arrangement. Who am I?
2. I am very famous for the shark-toothed paint job that one group of my operators put onto my nose. Almost 14,000 of my type were built and operated by 28 different nations including the United States and the Soviet Union. I guest-starred in movies along side the likes of John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, and John Belushi. Who am I?
3. I am a 2-seat, rag-and-tube plane first sold in 1964 who loves to fly upside-down and do loops and spins! In fact, my name is my primary reason for flying, (roughly) spelled backwards! Who am I?
4. I have been the King of the Skies for over 30 years, maintaining an air-superiority for the 4 countries who operate my type with an unmatched 104-to-0 kill ratio. One of my type once had an in-flight collision with another aircraft and it's skillful pilot safely landed the aircraft in spite of missing the entire right wing! Who am I?
5. I was the first (and perhaps only) aircraft to have flown with an operating nuclear reactor aboard. I was so heavy the designers went through several landing gear designs to help spread my tremendous weight across the tarmac. In fact, my payload was almost as much as the empty weight of one of the aircraft I replaced! And even though there were several innovative features included in my design such as my "pusher" engines and propellers, I was replaced in service by much faster aircraft after just a few years. Who am I?
6. Developed from a fighter jet design originally planned for Switzerland, my name is sometimes used synonymously as "business jet". I set the standard for small jets with two engines at the rear and a T-tail. Sleek and quite beautiful for the early 1960's era in which I was introduced, I could carry my 2 crew and 6 passengers up to 1,500 miles at well over 500 mph and up to 41,000 feet. The Argentine Air Force even used a couple of my type during the Falklands Island War to act as decoy strike aircraft sent to attack British ships! Who am I?
7. Operated by a tire and rubber company, I am 192 feet long, 59.5 feet tall, and 50 feet wide. I have a cruising speed of 35 mph in calm wind and I carry 6 passengers. You may have seen me circling major sporting events, and two of my type played a major role in the movie "Black Sunday". Who am I?
8. 7,000 of my type earned our keep transporting and evacuating troops in the jungles of Vietnam. We've served with every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, several civilian branches of government, as well as being dependable and reliable money-makers for civilian businesses in jobs such as spraying crops, moving logs and carrying oil workers to and from offshore platforms. My design was also modified by making it much slimmer and lighter to produce one of the most successful gunships ever created and it was named after a snake, even though I share a name with a Baby. Who am I?
9. I am the only commercially successful supersonic passenger aircraft ever produced (thus far). Who am I?
10. I am most successful mass produced light aircraft in history. My type was first flown in 1955 and is still in production. As of 2008, more than 43,000 of my type had been built. I have seats for 4 people and can do a reasonable job of carrying them 600 nm at a speed of about 120 knots. My high wing, tricycle landing gear, and fixed-pitch prop design features and reasonable acquisition and operating cost make me a popular choice as a training aircraft as well. Who am I?
miamiair wrote:-In 1818... The Curtiss R-6
ShanwickOceanic wrote:Isn't the 747-8 the longest now?
