NewsUnited's stock shines as CEO vows to keep focus on customersUnited Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, speaking at a shareholders' meeting, has pledged to "redouble our efforts to be more customer-focused in everything we do." United's stock price reached its highest point in a year on Wednesday.
LinkJetBlue sees runway for growth aheadJetBlue Airways has improved unit revenue trends after cutting increases in capacity and the stock price has responded. The company is expecting to record strong demand and revenue gains in the second half of 2017.
LinkHawaiian Airlines' A321neo fleet offers unique customer experienceHawaiian Airlines new A321neos offer Premium, Extra Comfort and Economy seating with cabin designs that "evoke the natural splendor of Hawaii through color and form, bringing the outdoors in and extending 'island time' from the moment a guest steps onboard," the airline said.
Link10 US airports testing for tighter securityFor the past year, the Transportation Security Administration has been testing enhanced security procedures for passengers' carry-on luggage at 10 airports around the US as a way to improve screener performance at checkpoints.
LinkAmerican Airlines Cargo lets military families' pets fly for half-priceMembers of the military will receive a 50% discount from American Airlines Cargo when transporting pets in May, in recognition of Military Family Appreciation Month. The discount applies to international flights. "We're incredibly grateful for the sacrifices our military personnel and their family members make," said Rick Elieson, president of American Airlines Cargo.
LinkInd. airport to undergo renovationsA security station that will be open during operational hours, changes to check-in stations and covered outside walkways are part of renovations planned at Evansville Regional Airport in Indiana. Funding was approved for the renovations, which should begin next week and be completed by summer of 2018.
LinkAmerican Airlines opens new lounge at Houston airportAmerican Airlines has opened a new lounge at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The lounge, known as the Admirals Club, is part of a larger $3 billion investment that American has committed to enhancing the customer experience at airports and on its planes. The lounge will provide complimentary snacks and alcoholic beverages and has 87 seats and ottomans, a business center and charging outlets.
LinkMalindo to rebrand as Batik Malaysia in H2Malindo Air will transition its name and branding to Batik Malaysia in the second half of this year. Lion Air Group founder Rusdi Kirana says that aligning the Malaysian affiliate with its full-service Batik brand will allow the two carriers to jointly sell tickets, and will open up potential commercial and network synergies.
LinkBOC Aviation orders four A320neos, two A330neosBOC Aviation has ordered four Airbus A320neo family and two A330-900 aircraft, all of which will be leased to TAP Portugal. Deliveries will occur between 2018 and 2020, says BOC Aviation. The A320neo family order includes both the A320neo and A321neo.
LinkBombardier denies offering United a shortened CS100Bombardier offered United Airlines a less-dense configuration of its CS100 in a 2015 campaign, not a shortened variant of the 100-seat aircraft. "It's a seating configuration, it's not physically a smaller airplane," says Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, in an interview in FlightGlobal's Washington DC office.
LinkCSeries prices threaten 737 Max 7 'viability': BoeingBombardier's CSeries and its aggressive sales tactics threaten the very existence of Boeing's 737 Max 7 and the US aerospace industry, Boeing's vice-chairman Ray Conner told US trade officials last week.
LinkController halted A320 take-off from wrong intersectionAustralian investigators have detailed an incident in which a Cairns air traffic controller cancelled take-off clearance for a departing Tigerair Airbus A320 after realising it had lined up on the wrong intersection.
LinkLM-100J freighter makes flight debutLockheed Martin's LM-100J completed its debut flight from Marietta, Georgia on 25 May, just over three months after the commercial freighter was rolled out at the site. Flight tracking services record the aircraft – registered N5103D – as having made a 2h 47min flight, at altitudes up to 11,000ft.
LinkA321neo stretches its legsWhen Airbus launched the original A320 in the 1980s, it faced entrenched competition in the narrowbody segment from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. To answer and perhaps better these rivals, Airbus chose to offer an aircraft with a larger-diameter fuselage and advanced fly-by-wire (FBW) technology. Since then, Airbus has stretched (A321), shrunk (A319) and re-shrunk (A318) its innovative design. And, with the exception of the A318, these models have enjoyed huge success in the market.
LinkUltraFan gearbox starts high-power testingRolls-Royce has started conducting high-power tests of the gearbox developed for its new UltraFan powerplant at its German facility at Dahlewitz. The company is developing UltraFan for applications from 2025.
LinkCathay details issues with A350 business class seatsCathay Pacific has detailed the issues with its Airbus A350-900s' interiors, and said that the entire business class cabin on its first three aircraft will be replaced with new seats in the coming months. The first of the three jets – B-LRA, B-LRB and B-LRC – is already in the hangar for the retrofit, says Cathay's head of cabin engineering David Howgego in the airline's monthly magazine.
LinkSecond HAL Light Utility Helicopter takes flightThe second prototype of the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Light Utility Heicopter (LUH) has conducted its first flight. The aircraft, LUH PT2, made its maiden sortie on 22 May, eight months after first prototype, PT1, flew in September 2017, says HAL.
LinkPresident Trump's first budget maintains status quoIt is best not to assign too much meaning to US government budget requests these days, as Congress has failed to enact a defence appropriations bill since 2015. Instead, the gridlocked lawmakers wind up compromising on merely extending that year’s spending law, with extra money added for a few favourite programs, such as Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
LinkBoeing files protest against USAF Compass Call acquisitionBoeing has become the second competitor to file a protest against the US Air Force’s acquisition strategy for the Compass Call recapitalisation programme, alleging L-3 Communications’ lead on the cross-deck effort will hand the award to Gulfstream’s G550.
LinkSikorsky bullish on export prospects for CH-53K helicopterSikorsky hopes it can secure at least 200 export orders for its CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter, with Germany and Israel its clearest near-term prospects. Both nations are seeking to replace elderly fleets of legacy CH-53s delivered in the 1970s and late 1960s, respectively.
LinkHainan Airlines to add 13 787-9s and six 737 MAX 8s HNA Group subsidiary Hainan Airlines is raising funds to acquire 13 Boeing 787-9s and six 737 MAX 8s. China’s Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed Hainan Airlines’ five-year plan, paving the way for the additional 19 aircraft.
LinkSafran reduces offer for Zodiac AerospaceFrench aerospace firm Safran has cut its offer for seating and cabin interior manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace to €25 ($28) per share, down from an earlier price of €29.47. “Safran and Zodiac Aerospace announced … that they have withdrawn the previously agreed transaction structure announced on Jan. 19, 2017 and have entered into a business combination agreement,” the companies said, announcing the new terms May 24.
LinkEtihad takes delivery of 10th and final A380Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has taken delivery of its 10th and final Airbus A380. According to a May 25 statement, the aircraft was officially handed over to Etihad at the Airbus Hamburg Finkenwerder plant in Germany before commencing its delivery flight to Abu Dhabi.
LinkWizz Air reports net profit for FY2017 up 28%Central and Eastern European low-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air reported a net profit of €246 million ($258.3 million) for the financial year ended March 31, up 28% compared to net profit of €193 million in the previous financial year. The Hungarian LCC attributed the results to capacity expansion, higher load factors, greater passenger growth and continued improvements to its ultra-low-cost base.
LinkS7 Airlines to start Moscow-Tehran serviceRussia’s S7 Airlines will start 2X-weekly Moscow Domodedovo-Tehran Airbus A319 service June 22. In February 2016, Russia and Iran established a bilateral agreement designating an unlimited number of carriers on specified routes. According to the agreement, the airlines can operate a maximum of 28 frequencies per week with any aircraft type.
Link 
