NewsCommercial
Analysts: Boeing’s MAX reimbursements could reach $1.4 billion
Boeing’s reimbursements to airlines for 737 MAX-related service disruptions will approach $1.4 billion, assuming the grounded fleet is back in service by October, according to Bloomberg analysts. “We estimate the cost based on typical operating profit per aircraft, per day and benchmarked to Southwest Airlines, the largest operator of the MAX,” with 34 aircraft, Bloomberg analysts wrote in a May 22 note.
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Airbus, SAS agree to study hybrid and electric technology
SAS Scandinavian Airlines has signed a research agreement with Airbus to study hybrid and electric aircraft technology.
The memorandum of agreement covers joint research into the operational and infrastructure challenges involved with the large-scale introduction of hybrid and all-electric aircraft.
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Half of PC-24 positions sold in second order round
Pilatus has sold half of its PC-24 positions within days of reopening the orderbook for the superlight business jet.
The Swiss airframer has allocated around 80 aircraft for the second order round – similar to the 84 positions in the initial run in 2014, which was sold out within 36h.
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ANALYSIS: Lockheed closes in on LM-100J approval
Lockheed Martin is nearing certification for its LM-100J commercial freighter, with a little over a week of flight testing remaining.
Marilou Franklin, director of the C-130J programme, says the company is around halfway through the function and reliability phase of the certification effort, having so far accumulated 85h towards a 150h total.
LinkAirlines
Delta CEO responds to Sanders’ criticism of anti-union campaign
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian on May 22 pushed back against recent criticism from US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and other Congressional Democrats who have alleged the Atlanta-based carrier has engaged in a targeted campaign to intimidate flight attendants and ramp workers from unionizing.
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Chinese carriers ask Boeing for 737 Max compensation
The three largest Chinese airlines have formally asked for compensation from Boeing over the grounding of the troubled 737 Max.
Air China confirmed to FlightGlobal that it has sought compensation from the aircraft manufacturer over losses from the grounding of its fleet.
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Southwest mechanics ratify new labor contract
Mechanics for Southwest Airlines, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), have voted to ratify a new contract through 2024, ending more than six years of contentious negotiations that led to multiple rounds of public finger-pointing and lawsuits between the two sides.
The vote was approved overwhelmingly by nearly 95%, with close to 94% of the union’s 2,500 members participating.
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United to buy up to 10 million gallons of biofuel
United Airlines has agreed to purchase up to 10 million gallons of biofuel over the next two years in a contract renewal with World Energy.
The biofuel, which Chicago-based United uses on every flight departing its Los Angeles hub, achieves a greater than 60% reduction in carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis, the airline said in a May 22 statement.
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Italian minister: Alitalia needs ‘healthy’ investors
Italy’s economic development minister said the choice of a new investor to help rescue bankrupt Alitalia would be independent of any other dossier, in a reference to the Atlantia transport and infrastructure holding company that is said to be interested in taking part.
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Russia’s IrAero boosts transit traffic at Moscow Zhukovsky
IrAero Airline plans to increase transit traffic at Moscow Zhukovsky International Airport, the carrier said May 22.
The airport is a transit point for passengers traveling from Russia’s remote destinations to the south of the country and Europe, as well as for passengers from China flying to Europe, IrAero general director Yuri Lapin said in a statement. He added that airline will analyze the most popular destinations.
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SAS expands European business routes
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will launch new routes between two of its hubs and major European business destinations. Both services will begin in the winter 2019/20 timetable.
From Nov. 4, SAS will fly 3X-weekly from Stockholm Arlanda to Luxembourg.
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BA to scrap services to St Petersburg and Kiev
British Airways is axing its routes to St Petersburg and Kiev this winter.
The UK flag carrier says its services from London Heathrow to both cities will cease on 3 October. It says both routes are "no longer commercially viable".
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Turkish Airlines 777 suffers wing damage at Istanbul airport
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER clipped a lighting pole at the new Istanbul airport today, causing damage to the tip of its right wing.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
LinkAirports
Miami upgrades baggage screening with new CT scanner
A state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) scanner is now at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Miami International Airport.
The new technology provides improved explosives detection capabilities at the checkpoint.
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Europe's regional airports face network, economic and green challenges
Some of the biggest challenges facing Europe's regional airports have came under the microscope at the 12th ACI Europe Regional Airports Conference & Exhibition in Krakow.
Delegates learnt that over the past 10 years, Europe's regional airports have welcomed an additional 251 million passengers – more than the annual traffic of Europe’s three busiest airports (London-Heathrow, Paris-CDG and Amsterdam-Schiphol).
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The solar power plant atop Helsinki Airport is to be extended
With the additional panels, Helsinki Airport’s solar power plant will be the largest airport-based solar power generation facility in the Nordics.
In spring 2019 the solar power plant atop Helsinki Airport will expand to the roof of the west wing and solar panels will be installed on the façade of the new parking hall in 2020.
LinkMilitary
Lack of situational awareness blamed for RAF C-130J write-off
UK military investigators have attributed a 2017 incident, in which a Lockheed Martin C-130J operated by the Royal Air Force’s 47 Sqn was written off, to the flightcrew’s lack of situational awareness as they attempted to land on a temporary strip in darkness.
However, the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) notes that a “variety of inter-linked factors compounded this lack of [situational awareness] making the accident more likely.”
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Boeing to test CH-47F Chinook with two 7,500shp engines
Boeing plans to soon test fly a CH-47F Chinook Block II helicopter with two GE Aviation T408 turboshaft engines, which each produce 7,500shp (5,600kW).
The GE T408 turboshaft has 2,500shp more than the helicopter’s current engine, the Honeywell T55. It is certificated and installed on the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) forthcoming heavy lift helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion.
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Aviation Quote
A squadron commander who sits in his tent and gives orders and does not fly, though he may have the brains of Soloman, will never get the results that a man will, who, day in and day out, leads his patrols over the line and infuses into his pilots the 'espirit de corps.'
- Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell, USAS.
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Trivia
Aircraft Names
Manufacturer and designation provided, you provide the name.
1. North American AJ
2. Ryan FR
3. Douglas AD1
4. Douglas A-3
5. Vought OS2U
6. Vought F7U
7. McDonnell F1H
8. McDonnell F3H
9. Douglas A2D
10. Douglas F3D
