NewsEuropean Commission could block Lufthansa’s NIKI takeoverThe European Commission (EC) is seriously considering blocking the planned acquisition of airberlin subsidiary NIKI by Lufthansa, according to industry sources.
LinkBerlin Tegel reports 12% passenger drop after airberlin insolvency
Berlin Tegel Airport has reported a 12% year-over-year (YOY) drop in passenger throughput for October following airberlin’s insolvency.
Tegel was the home base of the bankrupt German carrier, which filed for bankruptcy Aug. 15 after 29.2% shareholder Etihad Airways withdrew financial support. Airberlin operated its last flight Oct. 27 from Munich to Berlin Tegel.
LinkNorway sticks to AW101 helicopter schedule despite ground accidentNorway has no current plans to accelerate deliveries of its new fleet of search and rescue-roled Leonardo Helicopters AW101s despite the severe damage sustained by the lead example in a ground accident last week. A total of 16 AW101s are being acquired by the ministry of justice under the Norwegian all weather search and rescue helicopter programme for operation by the country's air force.
LinkNew national carrier for Albania promisedThe small Balkan state of Albania seems on the verge of opening a new national airline. The impoverished country has not had a flag carrier since 2011, when Albanian Airlines ceased operations. At the time, it had a fleet of four BAe 146 regional jets. Albania’s only other significant airline, privately owned Belle Air, collapsed in 2013.
LinkUSAF Grounds T-6 Trainers After Hypoxia-Like EventsThe U.S. Air Force has grounded the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II training aircraft at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, after five pilots reported physiological episodes with hypoxia-like symptoms while ...
LinkVietnam Airlines and LOT sign interline agreementVietnam Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines have signed an interline agreement that will allow passengers to connect between each others' networks. Passengers will be able to purchase LOT tickets through Vietnam Airlines, and vice versa, says Vietnam Airlines in a statement.
LinkAmerican’s pilot scheduling glitch threatens holiday flyingA technical glitch in American Airlines’ pilot scheduling system has left the Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier without enough pilots during the upcoming holiday season, igniting a social media uproar Nov. 29 when news of the situation became public.
LinkVistaJet Logs Record Gains in Third QuarterVistaJet recently recorded the highest third quarter revenue in its history with a 38 percent jump, the global business jet operator reported. These gains came as the company saw a 32 percent increase in new membership program flight hours flown in the third quarter. North America was a “core driver” in the growth of the company’s membership program, with a 25 percent increase in U.S.-based customers in the third quarter, the company said. Flight hours from North America were up 22 percent.
LinkAirbus pitching A350 long range plane for Sydney-London non-stop flightsAirbus SE’s (AIR.PA) talks with Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) about a plane that can fly 20 hours non-stop from Sydney to London are centered around the A350-900ULR rather than reviving a shorter A350 variant, an executive at the manufacturer said on Thursday. The comments by Airbus’s Iain Grant, head of sales for the Pacific region, could quash industry speculation the European planemaker may revive the smaller A350-800, which had been put on ice after poor sales.
LinkUncertainty Over Brexit Creating Concern For AerospaceBritain’s aerospace companies are beginning to feel the effects of Brexit. Even with 15 months to go before the UK exits the European Union (EU) trading block in March 2019, some businesses are already feeling the impact, due to the uncertainty around the future of the country’s trading relationship with Europe. British companies have already found themselves locked out of contracts on lucrative European space programs, and there is growing concern about the ...
LinkAirAsia A320 at Kuala Lumpur on Nov 30th 2017, overran runway on landingAn Air Asia Airbus A320-200, registration 9M-AHM performing endorsement flight AK-9700 from Kuala Lumpur International to Kuala Lumpur Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (Malaysia) with 4 crew, landed on Kuala Lumpur Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (formerly known as Subang Airport) runway 15 at 05:55L (21:55Z Nov 29th) but overran the end of the runway and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground about 130 meters past the runway end and about 70 meters past the paved surface of the runway end safety area.
LinkAirbus Starts Final Assembly of A330-800Airbus has started final assembly of the newest member of the A330neo family, the A330-800, in time for planned first flight in mid-2018, the manufacturer announced Wednesday. The milestone comes less than two months after first flight of the bigger of the two A330neos, the A330-900, took place at the Airbus Flight and Integration Test Center in Toulouse, France. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans and carrying a 242-metric-ton maximum takeoff weight, the A330-800 can fly segments of up to 7,500 nautical miles, while the recently launched 251-metric-ton variant can reach as far as 8,150 nautical miles.
LinkIberia remodels T4 lounge at Madrid AirportSpanish flag carrier Iberia has refurbished its Velázquez Lounge at Madrid Airport T4, where its hub is based, and offering 2,500 sq m of premium lounge space.
LinkSouth Africa’s CemAir finalizes Q400 orderSouth Africa’s CemAir has finalized an order for two new Bombardier Q400 turboprops, which was announced at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at $66 million based on list prices.
The Johannesburg-based carrier also signed the lease of a used Q400 that was delivered this month, paving the way for the new aircraft to be delivered afterward.
LinkAirAsia Q3 operating profit dips on higher costs
AirAsia reported a 7% fall in operating profit to MYR494 million ($121 million) for the quarter ended 30 September. On a proforma basis, accounting for the consolidation of Indonesia AirAsia and AirAsia Philippines, revenue rose 15% to MYR2.45 billion. Without the consolidation, the figure was up 45%. The fall in operating profit was driven by a 12% increase in operating expenses to MYR1.8 billion, driven primarily by strong increases in staff, maintenance and depreciation costs.
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