NewsCommercial
Boeing books $5 billion in February commercial aircraft orders
Boeing logged firm orders* for 42 commercial aircraft in February, valued at approximately $5 billion, and delivered 49 commercial aircraft, matching rival Airbus’s commercial delivery total for February. Airbus did not record any commercial aircraft orders in February. All seven of Boeing’s February orders were from unidentified customers, the largest of which was an order for five 787-9s, a $1.3 billion transaction.
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Satcom study unveils higher than expected benefits for airlines
A study released at the World ATM Congress in Madrid this week suggests that satellite communication (satcom) in the cockpit has saved airlines more than $3 billion over the last 15 years. The study, conducted by aviation consultancy Helios on behalf of satcom service provider Inmarsat, points to benefits in safety and efficiency made possible by satcom in oceanic airspace as being the key generators of these savings.
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HAV details Airlander updates as accident details published
An investigation into what has been described as “the world’s slowest air crash” found that an electrical fault in a ground winch led to the 24 August 2016 mishap involving Hybird Air Vehicles’ (HAV) Airlander 10. Having conducted a 98min second test flight, the 92m-long (302ft) aircraft returned to its base at Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire, where ground crew attempted to complete mooring.
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FLY Leasing posts $29 million net loss for 2016 amid fleet turnover
Ireland’s FLY Leasing posted a $29.1 million net loss for 2016, reversed from a $22.8 million net profit in 2015. The Dublin-based lessor said the loss was primarily driven by a $92 million non-cash impairment charge imposed during the 2016 fourth quarter. Aside from the charge, FLY’s 2016 adjusted net income for the year was $79.3 million, down 40% from $132 million in adjusted net income for 2015.
LinkAirlines
American Airlines plans investment in Brazil maintenance hub
American Airlines will invest $100 million in its Sao Paulo, Brazil, maintenance center, according to investment partnerships minister Wellington Moreira Franco. The airline confirmed a planned investment in Brazil, but did not specify the amount.
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American Airlines announces network expansion
American Airlines has announced 26 new routes coming this summer, including 11 from Chicago. "The greatest strength of our network is our ability to connect small cities with large ones through service to or through our hubs," said airline President Robert Isom.
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Citywing collapses in wake of Van Air prohibition
Isle of Man airline Citywing has collapsed, two weeks after its operator, Van Air, was banned from serving its UK route network. Citywing had been using Czech carrier Van Air’s Let L-410s on regional routes to several UK destinations. But an incident during adverse weather conditions led to the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s withdrawing Van Air’s route permit on 24 February.
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Emirates needs to 'adjust' business: chief
Emirates Airline is undertaking what its president Tim Clark terms a "major exercise" to adjust its business amid changing customer demand. But he insists: "This is not a revolution... Our business model is fundamentally sound."
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Iran Air takes first Airbus widebody from major order
Iran Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-200, as its re-equipment program gathers pace. The aircraft was handed over to the Iranian flag carrier at Airbus’s final assembly line site at Toulouse, France on March 10.
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JetBlue chairman shares insights on hiring
Making quality hires is the single most important factor for a business, writes JetBlue Airways chairman Joel C. Peterson, who is also a Stanford University professor. "Entrepreneurs should look at hiring like any other critical investment decision: The goal is to invest in people who are likely to generate returns that exceed the costs of their employment by a significant margin," he writes.
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Kenya Airways enters Boeing 737 sale-and-leaseback deal
Kenya Airways has continued its cost-cutting measures with the sale-and-leaseback of two Boeing 737-700s. The remarketing division of Air Partner, the UK-based aviation services group, said March 10 it had arranged the sale of the aircraft to an undisclosed lessor. The two aircraft had then been leased back to Kenya Airways for continued operation. They were originally delivered new to Kenya Airways in 2002 and 2003 and are powered by CFM56-7B26 engines.
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Southwest marks 40 years in Corpus Christi, Texas
Southwest is marking 40 years serving Texas' Corpus Christi International Airport, and the facility held a celebration to mark the occasion. "The roots of the success of Southwest run deep in south Texas," said Southwest spokesperson Brad Hawkins.
LinkAirports
Berlin Flights Cancelled Due To Strike
Most flights at Berlin’s Tegel and Schönefeld airports will be cancelled on Friday as ground handling staff strike in support of a pay claim. Ground staff will walk off the job from 04:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday, the Verdi union said after a ballot of members voted 98.6 percent for industrial action.
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Military
India poised to retire iconic Tu-142 fleet
The Indian navy will retire its iconic Tupolev Tu-142ME “Albatross” long-range maritime patrol aircraft at the end of March. New Delhi was the only export customer for the type, which has been used primarily in the anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol roles, in addition to performing photographic and radio reconnaissance missions.
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Romania axes Orbiter 4 selection
Romania has cancelled its selection of Aeronautics Defense Systems' Orbiter 4 unmanned air system, after a court accepted the findings of a special committee established to investigate the deal.
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Aviation Quote
Hey - what's happening here?
- Captain Robert Loft, Eastern Air Lines flight 401, 29 December 1972, last recorded words before crashing into the Florida everglades.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What country has the world’s worst weather?
2. What is the greatest speed ever attained by a human being in flight?
3. Explain how it is possible for two aircraft to maintain a constant distance and bearing from each other while both maintain the same true heading and altitude, yet are flown at different true airspeeds (in no-wind conditions)?
4. What famous pilot also was a bantamweight boxer who won a West Coast Amateur Championship and became a professional boxer?
5. What U.S. airline was first to operate an all-turbine (turbo-prop) fleet, and what U.S. airline was first to operate an all-jet fleet?
6. A pilot is speaking to an FSS specialist and is overheard saying, “I am going to praise God.” Why does this make perfect sense to the specialist?
7. Who was the first politician to use an airplane to travel between campaign stops?
