NewsUS Treasury sanctions Thai firm with links to Iran’s Mahan Air The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Sept. 14 announced new sanctions targeting a Thai aviation firm accused of working with Iran’s Mahan Air, an airline previously designated for its role in ferrying fighters and weapons into Syria. “Treasury is cutting off yet another service provider acting on behalf of Mahan Air, a sanctioned airline that transports soldiers and supplies to Assad and fuels terrorist activities across the region,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement.
LinkSochi overrun 737 landed nearly halfway down runwayRussian investigators have disclosed that the Utair Boeing 737-800 which overran at Sochi touched down almost halfway along the runway. The aircraft landed around 1,300m from the threshold of runway 06 after arriving from Moscow Vnukovo on 1 September, states federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia.
LinkAirbus unveils Delta’s first A220Airbus rolled out Delta Air Lines’ first A220-100 from the painting hangar Sept. 14 in Mirabel, Québec. The aircraft, formerly the Bombardier CSeries 100, was rebranded the A220-100 in July after Airbus took control of the CSeries program.
LinkNew A350s and 787s 'mostly for China market': Ethiopian chiefEthiopian Airlines plans to deploy most of its incoming Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s on routes to China. "We have more than 60 aeroplanes on order," said the airline's chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam at the World Routes event in Guangzhou today. "Most of the widebodies – A350s and 787s… will be deployed here in China."
LinkInterjet to phase out some Superjets in fleet restructuringMexico's Interjet will phase out an unspecified number of Sukhoi Superjet 100s and take 20 more Airbus A320neos in a fleet restructuring that is part of a new three-year strategic plan. "Interjet will be phasing out some of its Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet with an opportunity for delivery of next-generation Superjet 100 aircraft for future use in markets where these aircraft make operational and economic sense," says the Mexico City-based carrier without elaborating.
LinkBudapest Airport opens new pierBudapest Airport has opened its new Pier B project, part of the BUD 2020 development program for the Hungarian capital’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport. The pier, adjoining Terminal 2B, is 225m (738 ft.) long and will add more than 10,000 sq m of space to the current terminal. It has 10 airbridges and its infrastructure will allow three widebody aircraft to be served simultaneously.
LinkComac and HNA eye ARJ21 support in AfricaChina’s HNA Group and Comac have signed a tentative deal to explore establishing maintenance, material support and training businesses to support potential ARJ21 operators in Africa. The deal was signed during a meeting between senior executives at the two companies in Haikou, and follows a broader strategic tie-up struck in June which saw HNA commit to add 200 C919s and 100 ARJ21s to its broader fleet.
LinkRyanair to allow local contracts under Italian cabin-crew dealBudget carrier Ryanair and trade unions representing cabin crew in Italy have reached an agreement that will allow staff to be employed under local contracts. A set of "agreed principles" negotiated with FIT-CISL, ANPAC and ANPAV will form the basis of a collective labor deal applicable from 1 October 2018 until 31 December 2021, says the airline.
LinkInvestors for new Swiss low-cost, long-haul airline outline first initiativesInvestors for a newly planned Switzerland-based LCC—with a working title of Swiss Skies—met this week in Basel to raise at least $100 million by the 2019 second half and discuss initiatives for the new project.
LinkEasyJet Europe reaches 8% market share in GermanyUK LCC easyJet has reached around 8% market share in Germany since it started operations at Berlin Tegel Airport, according to an easyJet Europe executive. “This will continue to grow because we have not yet reached full capacity,” EasyJet Europe MD Thomas Haagensen told ATW on the sidelines of the Austrian Aviation Symposium in Vienna.
LinkBEA considers new Greenland search in Air France A380 engine probe BEA considers new Greenland search in Air France A380 engine probe French air accident investigation agency BEA is evaluating whether to launch a new radar search for engine parts buried beneath the Greenland ice that could provide clues as to why an Air France Airbus A380 suffered an un-contained engine failure in September 2017.
LinkJetBlue reports another strong monthJetBlue Airways had another strong month in August, according to the latest data report from the New York City-based carrier. The company reported 4.72 billion revenue passenger miles in August, a 6.7 percent increase over the same month in 2017. Available seat miles rose by 4.8 percent to 5.319 billion in the same time frame, while load factor rose by 1.6 percentage points to 88.7 percent in August.
LinkFedEx to sponsor UEFA Europa League through 2021FedEx today announced its continued sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League for the 2018 – 2021 seasons. Having been the Main Sponsor of the UEFA Europa League for the past three seasons, FedEx Express will continue as an Official Sponsor of Europe’s largest football tournament.
LinkNetherlands to proceed with major AH-64 upgradeThe Netherlands will spend over $1 billion to re-manufacture and upgrade its 28 Boeing AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to the AH-64E standard. A letter of agreement for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) upgrade deal was signed US and Dutch officials, says the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
LinkUSAF looks for new maker of Joint Air to Surface Standoff MissilesThe US Air Force is researching alternative sources to produce the AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range (JASSM-ER). The service is seeking capabilities statements from potential sources who could produce 360 units of the weapon and begin delivery approximately 27 months after the contract award date, which has not been announced, according to a notice online. This would be for the 17th production lot of the cruise missiles.
LinkUS Navy G550 ready for special-mission updateA specially adapted Gulfstream G550 is set to enter the next phase of its preparation before assuming range telemetry duties for the US Navy in California early in the next decade. Detailing the program's status on 6 September, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) confirmed that the modified business jet was delivered to its Point Mugu test site on 30 July.
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