NAS Daily 27 FEB 19

airtrainer 26 Feb 19, 22:51

News

Commercial

Comac to ramp up ARJ21 production, open second assembly line
Comac will open a second assembly line for its ARJ21 regional jet this year, as it prepares to ramp up production of the type.
The Chinese manufacturer is targeting to produce 22 regional jets to customers this year, up from 15 in 2018, Wang Xingwei, director of the ARJ21 programme office tells FlightGlobal. In 2017, it built six aircraft.
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Embraer shareholders approve Boeing buyout
Boeing and Embraer expect to close their deal-making over commercial and defense aircraft joint ventures (JVs) by year’s end, the two manufacturers said Feb. 26, after Embraer shareholders approved the proposals. Two-thirds of Embraer’s shareholders voted in an extraordinary meeting at Embraer’s headquarters in Brazil, with nearly 99% of voters backing Boeing’s 80% takeover of Embraer’s commercial business, as well as a 49-51% JV to market Embraer’s ...
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ATR simulator earns EASA, FAA approval for stall recovery training
As the industry is assigning an increasing importance to manual piloting skills, regional turboprop manufacturer ATR has received a certification for the use of a full flight simulator in stall recovery training. The device, operated at ATR’s training center in Miami,has been approved by both EASA and FAA for upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT). That includes “full stall,” an ATR spokesperson said.
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IFC provider Gogo expects investors, no longer considering sale
Inflight connectivity (IFC) provider Gogo, which was once considering selling or splitting up the company, now expects to close on a large investment this year as it eyes major growth—a dramatic turnaround for a company seemingly on the brink of collapse just last summer.
Gogo expects to close a round of funding from strategic and financial investors by early May, on better terms than a round of debt and credit financing the company closed late last year during unfavorable debt market conditions, CEO and president Oakleigh Thorne said Feb. 21.
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Comac, UAC aim to secure CR929 launch customers this year
Comac and United Aircraft are both in deep discussions with airlines about the CRAIC CR929 widebody, as they work towards securing launch customers for the type this year.
Comac’s general manager of sales and marketing Brian Zhang tells FlightGlobal that the Chinese manufacturer is in detailed discussions with Chinese airlines on the type, and is confident that an order is imminent. Its key targets are airlines based out of hub airports with international operations.
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AVALON: G600 makes downunder debut
The Gulfstream G600 business jet has made its first Australian appearance in the Avalon air show static park.
The new type joined two show regulars, the G550 and G650ER, at the show.
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Bombardier to expand Singapore bizjet support centre
Bombardier will quadruple the size of its Singapore Service Centre to handle growing aftermarket demand from business jet operators in Asia.
The expanded facility at Seletar Aerospace Park will open in 2020, and will be able to handle over 2,000 visits annually. It will also introduce new customer facilities, a 3,500m2 aircraft painting facility, expanded component repair and overhaul services, heavy structural and composite repair, and a 929m2 integrated parts depot.
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Airlines

PICTURES: Austrian goes back to the ‘80s with A320 retrojet
Austrian Airlines has joined the “retrojet” club with the introduction of an Airbus A320 adorned with the livery the carrier flew in the 1980s.
The aircraft (OE-LBO) has been applied with the distinctive livery featuring an angular chevron, grey belly and traditional red/white/red flag on the tail. This scheme adorned the airline’s Airbus A310 (below) and Boeing MD-80 fleets during that era.
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PICTURE: Icelandair’s first 737 Max 9 arrives, leased from BOC
Icelandair has taken its first Boeing 737 Max 9, which has been delivered on lease from BOC Aviation.
The aircraft, which is also BOC’s first Max 9, joins Icelandair’s existing fleet of four 737 Max 8s, according to Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer.
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IAG, other carriers reach agreement on Heathrow Airport charges
International Airlines Group (IAG) and other carriers negotiated their own agreement with London Heathrow on how excess airport charges in 2020 and 2021 should be repaid, after British Airways’ parent company said it “couldn’t stomach” the proposal put forward by UK regulators. In the past, Heathrow has “kept the money” raised through airport charges when passenger numbers exceeded forecasts, an IAG spokesperson said.
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Pacific carrier Air Vanuatu orders Airbus A220s
Air Vanuatu has become the first carrier in the Pacific region to order Airbus A220s, after announcing a deal for four aircraft.
The airline’s firm order comprises two A220-100s and two -300s. The first delivery is scheduled in June 2020, with a second scheduled for October. The remaining two are expected to arrive in subsequent years.
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Pobeda expects 40% traffic gain as fleet, network grow
Aeroflot LCC subsidiary Pobeda Airlines intends to increase traffic by 40% and carry at least 10 million passengers in 2019 as the carrier expands its aircraft fleet and network.
Pobeda will increase its fleet from 24 to 30 Boeing 737-800s by the beginning of summer, and in November is scheduled to begin receiving up to 15 737 MAXs from lessor SMBC Aviation Capital.
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Aeroflot Group traffic up 14.5% in January
Russia’s Aeroflot Group carried 4.2 million passengers in January, up 14.5% year-over-year (YOY).
Domestic traffic increased 14.2% to 2.3 million; international traffic grew 15% to 1.9 million.
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Turkey’s Corendon Airlines to base a MAX 8 in Cologne
Turkish leisure carrier Corendon Airlines is preparing to establish a base at Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport, operating 25X-weekly flights to 11 destinations. From May, the Antalya-based carrier plans to base a Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Cologne from May.
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SilkAir to launch flights from Singapore to Busan
Singapore’s SilkAir will start nonstop scheduled operations to South Korea’s Busan from May 1. The 4X-weekly service will be the second connection between Korea and Singapore, as currently all flights are linked via Incheon International Airport.
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Japan Airlines, Vistara ink codeshare agreement
Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed a codeshare deal with Indian domestic airline Vistara that will open up more routes between India and Tokyo.
With the new agreement, Vistara becomes the only codeshare partner in India for SkyTeam alliance member JAL.
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Aegean Airlines to add seven new destinations in 2019
Aegean Airlines will add seven new destinations and offer more frequencies on existing routes this year.
From its Athens hub, the Greek flag carrier plans to launch services to Marrakech, Casablanca (Morocco); Ibiza, Valencia (Spain); Sarajevo (Bosnia Herzegovina); Tunis (Tunisia); Skopje (North-Macedonia); and from Greece’s second largest city of Saloniki to Hanover (Germany).
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LOT Polish Airlines expands long-haul timetable
LOT Polish Airlines plans to further increase long-haul operations, making use of its growing fleet of Boeing 787s.
The Polish flag carrier will start a winter-season service from Warsaw to the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo Nov. 3, through March 28, 2020.
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Unqualified pilot at controls before E190 crash at Durango
Mexican investigators have disclosed that an unqualified pilot had been sitting in the first officer’s seat of an Embraer 190, flying the aircraft, moments before it crashed on take-off during poor weather at Durango.
All 103 occupants survived the crash, on 31 July last year, although the Aeromexico Connect aircraft (XA-GAL) was destroyed.
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Aegean plans bond issue to fund A320neo order
Aegean Airlines will seek to raise €150-200 million ($170-230 million) from the capital market to fund pre-delivery payments on the 30 Airbus A320neo-family jets it has ordered.
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Goyal and Etihad back Jet Airways revival plan
Jet Airways' two largest shareholders, chairman Naresh Goyal and Etihad Aviation Group, have backed the bank-led bailout plan for the struggling Indian airline.
In a joint statement, Goyal and Etihad chief executive Tony Douglas, say that a number of stakeholders are working towards "the finalisation and subsequent implementation of the bank-led provisional resolution plan (BLPRP) to ensure that the carrier emerges as a financially strong and resilient airline."
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Airports

Riyadh terminal upgrades to increase capacity by 11 million
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) is aiming to increase the capacity of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport by 11 million passengers annually following the completion of a major refurbishment project.
Terminals 3 and 4 are undergoing expansion and improvements as part of a wider development program at the airport. Terminal 3 was previously a domestic terminal but is being modified to accept international services. Terminal 4 has not been used since it was constructed but is being brought into service to help accommodate the growth of air transport in Saud Arabia.
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Journey smoothing technology makes passengers happy - new report
Airline passengers are using automated technology for passport checks at double the rate recorded in 2017, according to the latest aviation IT report.
Indeed, passengers are happier when technology smooths their way through passport checks and other aspects of their airport journey, reveals SITA's 2019 Passenger IT Insights report.
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Auckland Airport reveals plans to reduce prices to airlines
Auckland Airport has decided to reduce prices to airlines by $33 million over a five-year period, this equates to roughly 31 cents per passenger.
Adrian Littlewood, Auckland Airport’s Chief Executive, said: “Our approach to pricing reflects the need to provide for the future and address business risks specific to the airport, including undertaking a multi-billion dollar 30-year infrastructure programme...
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Danish aviation industry aims to be carbon neutral by 2050
The Danish aviation industry will work together and come up with a climate initiative, which is aimed at reducing carbon emissions caused by air traffic.
In a new, joint initiative, Dansk Luftfart (the trade association of the Danish aviation sector), is taking an ambitious step towards greener aviation. In specific terms, the trade association’s climate proposal comprises a number of new, targeted initiatives to ensure that the Danish aviation industry will be CO2 neutral by 2050.
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Military

Leonardo nears IFR approval for TH-119 US Navy trainer bid
Leonardo Helicopters is closing in on instrument flight rules (IFR) certification for the TH-119 light-single it is pitching for a 130-unit deal with the US Navy.
“We are almost through with company testing having completed more than 95% of the flight-test plan without any issues.
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PICTURES: Serbia receives MiG-29 fighters from Belarus
Serbia formally accepted four RAC MiG-29 fighters donated by Belarus during a ceremony at the latter's 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in Baranavichy on 25 February.
Maintenance and overhaul work to be funded by Serbia, along with the replacement of some avionics and the installation of new navigation and communication equipment, will take up to 18 months to complete, with Belgrade expecting its first modified aircraft to be available before year-end.
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AVALON: RAAF C-17s keep it cool on Antarctic missions
Boeing C-17 strategic transports operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are providing a heavy lift capability to the nation’s research mission in Antarctica.
The aircraft operate about eight flights per season to Australia’s Wilkins Aerodrome during two windows, says Squadron Leader James Gotch. The aircraft fly heavy equipment to the continent from October to November, and fly it out again in February-March.
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AVALON: Boeing eyes T-X opportunity in Australia
Boeing is positioning its T-X advanced jet trainer and its accompanying training system for a long-term requirement in Australia.
No request for proposals has been issued, but Boeing has held discussions with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for the T-X, says Boeing vice-president Thom Breckenridge.
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Aviation Quote

Buddy of mine once told me that he'd rather fly a jet than kiss his girl. Said it gave him more of a kick.

- Jerry Connell, in the 1951 movie Air Cadet