NewsCommercial
Bombardier to unveil improved CSeries performance
Bombardier plans to announce improved performance specifications for the CSeries family at the Paris air show, in a move that could boost sales for the airframer that has recently gone through a management shake-up. “We will be updating our performance of the aircraft at the airshow,” says Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, who stepped into his role in April. “We are updating the brochure [of the CSeries].”
LinkAirlines
American Airlines to begin using Dreamliner on cargo routes
American has announced that it will begin using B787-800 craft on several of its cargo routes. The new 787s offer several advantages for cargo flights to Asia including greater capacity, easier loading, and better fuel economy.
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Delta looks to strengthen international partnerships
Delta President Ed Bastian said the carrier is actively working to strengthen its partnerships with airlines in Central/South America and Asia.
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Delta pilots agreement precludes regional E2 or MRJ fleets
A new labour agreement between Delta Air Lines and its pilots maintains existing maximum aircraft seat and weight limits, precluding the future addition of Embraer 175-E2s or Mitsubishi MRJ90s to its feeder fleet. The agreement must still be ratified by pilots. Delta's regional jets are limited to 76 seats and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 39,010kg (86,000lb) under the tentative agreement, according to an update from Delta's master executive council within the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
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Emirates pushes for better hot performance from 787-10
Emirates is unsure whether it will finalise a deal for Airbus A350-900s or Boeing 787-10s before the end of the year, and is waiting to hear whether Seattle will respond to concerns around hot-weather performance for the stretched Dreamliner. The Dubai carrier launched a study into the A350-900 again alongside the 787-10 last year after cancelling its original order for 70 A350-900/1000s. While impressed with the operating economics of the 787-10, Emirates Airline president Sir Tim Clark is concerned that Dubai’s harsh operating environment will prevent the aircraft being able to carry sufficient payload on critical missions.
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Hawaiian Airlines to maintain capacity as it upgrades fleet
Hawaiian Airlines has announced that it plans to maintain capacity for the next two years as it replaces its older planes with new A321neo and A330-800neo aircraft. The upgrade will increase efficiency and passenger comfort.
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Qatar to display record five aircraft
Qatar Airways is to showcase five aircraft at Paris – a record for one airline and two more than it had on display at Farnborough last year, which was itself unprecedented.
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Southwest, American revise revenue forecast and capacity
Capacity for Southwest Airlines in May rose by 7.6% and the carrier is taking steps to cap capacity growth at 6% by curbing the number of seats it adds. Meanwhile, American Airlines has revised its forecast on passenger revenue, expecting a decline of 6% to 8%.
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Virgin Atlantic Seeks Protection If IAG Buys Aer Lingus
Virgin Atlantic is looking for government help to safeguard competition if IAG buys Irish carrier Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic's Chief Executive Craig Kreeger told reporters. The remarks, made on the sidelines of IATA's annual meeting, come as a takeover of Aer Lingus by IAG becomes more likely. The Irish government recently agreed to sell its 25 percent stake and 4.99-percent stakeholder Etihad Airways said it agreed to do the same.
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Airlines Have USD$3.7 Bln Cash Trapped In Venezuela
Airlines have USD$3.7 billion of cash from ticket sales trapped in Venezuela because of currency controls in the South American country, IATA said. "It's the airlines' money," IATA Director General Tony Tyler told journalists on the sidelines of the association's annual meeting in Miami. "We recognize the country is in a difficult situation and doesn't have a lot of money to spare, but we do want the government to sit down with the industry," and address the long-running issue, Tyler said.
LinkAirports
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Broke passenger records in May
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport reported a 27% increase in passenger traffic over May of last year. Over 135,000 passengers passed through its gates, a record for the airport.
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United Airlines adds daily service between Akron-Canton, Ohio, and EWR
United will add two flights a day between Ohio's Akron-Canton Airport and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.
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Military
WP-3 ‘hurricane hunter’ trials Rolls-Royce T56 engine upgrade
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has validated the performance of the Rolls-Royce T56 Series 3.5 turboprop engine enhancement on its WP-3D Orion “hurricane hunter” in a 3h flight from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, last week. According to Tom Hartmann, senior VP of customer business for Rolls-Royce North America, the flight demonstrated a fuel savings of “a little better than 12%”, exceeding the minimum 7.9% guarantee. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 30,000ft, whereas the aircraft normally operates at about 21,000ft to collect hurricane weather data over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
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UK urged to acquire new maritime patrol aircraft
With only a few months to go before the results of its latest Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) will be announced, the UK government is facing fresh calls to reinstate its military's lapsed maritime patrol aircraft capability. Responding to questions in the House of Lords on 4 June, minister of state Earl Howe said the forthcoming SDSR is "the right point to look again at the requirement for a maritime patrol aircraft".
LinkRegulatory
Iran To Take Legal Action If US Stops New Mahan Air Planes
Iran will take legal action if Washington tries to stop newly acquired Iranian passenger aircraft flying international routes, the head of the country's aviation authority said. Iran's Mahan Air, blacklisted by Washington, bought eight second-hand Airbus A340s and one Airbus A321 in May in defiance of US sanctions. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported last week that the planes would be used on international routes.
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Aviation Quote
In my own view, it was not merely uncomfortable, it was intolerable. It might perhaps have been endurable for a two-hour flight but an eight-hour flight is a totally different matter.
— Judge Gareth Edwards QC, regards JMC's 29-inch seat pitch. The judge upheld a compensation award made to Brian Horan after he suffered deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) on his journey Manchester, England, to the Canadian ski resort of Calgary. Chester County Court, 17 April 2002.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. Upon touchdown, the rudder of a Space Shuttle orbiter splits open and becomes a speed brake. What well-known general aviation airplane incorporated such a feature long before America’s manned space program started?
2. The first air-to-air refueling occurred on 12 NOV 21. How was this accomplished?
3. What was so unusual about the 1931 French-built Makhonine MAK-10 monoplane?
4. What was the name of the famous 1930s airship that was involved in a New Jersey accident and claimed more lives than any other accident in a dirigible?
5. The primary purpose of feathering a propeller following an engine failure is to reduce drag and improve engine-out performance. What are two other important reasons for feathering?
