NAS Daily 05 NOV 19

airtrainer 05 Nov 19, 03:48

News

Commercial

Eurocontrol: MAX grounding impeding traffic growth
The grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX is having a modest but “not insignificant” impact on air traffic in Europe, according to Eurocontrol.
Most perceptible is the effect of postponed MAX deliveries on expected traffic growth. The air traffic management organization estimates a growth reduction of 0.3-0.4 percentage points by the end of the year if the MAX does not return to service by then. That extends to 0.6-0.9 points by Easter “in a worst-case scenario.”
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Boeing 737 MAX grounding causes CFM56-7B engine overhaul delays
French aerospace firm Safran reported an unexpected dip in CFM56-7B shop visits in the 2019 third quarter, citing airlines pushing their Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft as long as possible before required maintenance to help offset not having 737 MAXs. “We were a little bit disappointed by the quantity of shop visits on CFM56-7,” Safran CEO Philippe Petitcolin said on the company’s Oct. 31 earnings call.
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India’s DGCA orders all A320neo PW engines replaced
Indian authorities have instructed the country's Airbus A320neo operators to replace the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines on the type with an upgraded version of the powerplant by the end of January 2020.
IndiGo and GoAir each have the PW1100G on their A320neo fleets.
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Airlines

IAG’s Iberia to acquire Air Europa, boosting Madrid hub
International Airlines Group (IAG) Spanish airline subsidiary Iberia plans to buy Air Europa from its current owner Globalia in a €1 billion ($1.12 billion) deal that is set to transform its Madrid base into a “true rival” to Europe’s biggest hub airports.
Air Europa operates scheduled flights to 69 destinations across Europe, Latin America, the US, the Caribbean and North Africa, positioning IAG’s Madrid hub to better-compete with London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
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Russian regional KrasAvia to lease three ATR 72s
Russian regional airline KrasAvia will lease its first three ATR 72s next year to replace aging Antonov An-24 and An-26 turboprops.
The airline intends to develop its regional network to supply traffic for the Aeroflot regional hub in Krasnoyarsk. KrasAvia wants to connect Krasnoyarsk with neighboring cities using ATR 72s as well as smaller Let L-410 aircraft, the carrier said.
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Hong Kong Airlines reduces capacity on tough market conditions
Hong Kong Airlines is further reducing its network and suspending a long-haul route in response to increasingly tough market conditions.
The carrier announced it will cut its operations by about 6%, and one of the major changes will be the suspension of its flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in February. The airline said it will be monitoring the market to determine if the route has to be suspended earlier. Frequencies will be adjusted in other markets.
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Cebu Pacific firms 16 A330neo order for Middle East, Australian routes
Philippines LCC Cebu Pacific Airways has inked a firm order with Airbus for 16 A330-900s, solidifying the MOU signed at the Paris Air Show in June this year. The first aircraft is expected for delivery starting 2021.
Arranged in a high-density single class configuration of 460 seats the A330neo will service Middle East and Australia markets, namely to cities such as Dubai, Sydney and Melbourne, but also in some trunk routes like Hong Kong-Manila and Singapore-Manila.
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JAL profit declines on slowing international demand
Japan Airlines (JAL) reported a net profit of ¥51.2 billion ($472.2 million) for the six months through Sept. 30, down about 30% from the profit of ¥73.4 billion in the same period a year earlier.
Revenue rose 1.3% to ¥759.8 billion, although this was exceeded by operating cost growth of 3.9%. Fuel cost was up 1.9%, and non-fuel costs increased by 4.3%.
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Avianca gives up on acquiring Aeromar
Avianca has confirmed that it is no longer interested in buying Mexican regional operator Aeromar, as the Colombian carrier focuses on executing a strategic plan to restore profitability within its core business in its home country and Central America.
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JAL adds new routes in 2020
Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced the routes it will launch in 2020, covering flights within Asia-Pacific and to the United States.
Starting 28 February 2020, the Oneworld carrier will join compatriot All Nippon Airways (ANA) in launching the Tokyo Narita-Vladivostok route. Flown by Boeing 737-800s, this starts off on a thrice-weekly basis before increasing to a daily frequency from 29 March.
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Mahan Air further restricted from European operations
Italian civil aviation regulators have limited the authorisation of Iranian carrier Mahan Air, cutting off its route permits just a month and a half into its winter schedule.
National regulator ENAC states that the airline will only be allowed to operate until 15 December.
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Airports

Ground broken on MIA Central Base renovation project
Miami International Airport has officially broken ground on its Central Base Modification and Expansion Project, with Miami-Dade Aviation Department officials hosting a groundbreaking ceremony.
Miami International Airport’s Director and CEO, Lester Sola, said: “This is the first of many groundbreakings we will be hosting in the coming months and years as we move forward with our new capital improvement programme.
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Military

Spate of H145M deliveries near for Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters is gearing up to make a flurry of H145M deliveries to military customers, as production of the medium-twin hits its stride. Meanwhile, the airframer is also looking to add extra capabilities through research into manned-unmanned teaming capabilities.
Launch customer Germany has already received its full complement of 15 H145Ms – operated by the country’s air force on special forces missions – while Serbia has taken more than half of the nine aircraft it has on order.
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First operational F-35A arrives in the Netherlands
The Royal Netherlands Air Force has received the first Lockheed Martin F-35A to be based on Dutch soil, with the initial example arriving at Leeuwarden air base on 31 October.
However, the event did not go quite to plan after fire-fighting foam was mistakenly used instead of water to form a traditional welcome arch.
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PICTURES: RAF's first Poseidon delivered for training
Boeing has formally delivered a first P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), with the adapted 737NG to support crew training activities in the USA for the next few months.
First flown on 12 July, aircraft ZP801 touched down at the US Navy’s (USN's) NAS Jacksonville site in Florida on 31 October, after the airframer had completed equipment installation work at its Boeing Field site in Seattle, Washington.
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