Virgin Blue sees downturn as expansion opportunity Virgin Blue is hoping to take advantage of the global downturn to order up to 50 new 737s at "bargain prices," CEO Brett Godfrey said. Link
US airlines' August passenger revenue down 21%; IATA sees slight pickup in premium US Air Transport Assn. said yesterday that US airlines' August passenger revenue fell 21% year-over-year, marking the 10th consecutive month of declines, while IATA said there was evidence of "an upturn" in premium passengers in July but warned that the rebound likely will be slow and excess capacity will keep yields low. Link
Baggage fees boost bottom lines in US Airlines in the US collected $669.6 million in baggage fees in the second quarter, nearly four times more than the amount collected in the year-ago period and up 18.2% from the first quarter, helping boost operating margins nearly across the board, the US Dept. of Transportation reported yesterday. Link
Air France KLM details winter capacity cut Air France KLM Group will trim winter ASKs by 2% year-over-year, comprising a 1.8% reduction in its long-haul network and a 2.9% cut in medium-haul flying. Link
Pratt Finds Probable Cause Of F135 Failure Pratt & Whitney says the “probable cause” of fan-blade damage during ground testing of the F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was a worn bushing — a part in the fan inlet case — causing an aerodynamic disturbance that led to a piece of the tip of a first-stage fan blade breaking off. Link
Unsecured emergency slide cover triggered July 2008 Obama flight diversion The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today said the July 2008 diversion of a Midwest Airlines charter flight with Presidential candidate Barack Obama onboard was triggered by a partial inflation of an emergency slide located in the MD-81's tailcone whose cover was not properly secured. Link
C-130s to demonstrate Spartan mission in Iraq Two Lockheed Martin C-130s will deploy to Iraq in October to pose as surrogate platforms for a bitter rival in the airlifter market - the L-3 Communications/Alenia Aeronautica C-27J. Link
Other News
Mexicana and its MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink subsidiaries officially will become part of oneworld on Nov. 10, the alliance announced yesterday. Mexicana's network spans 67 destinations in 14 countries (including 37 in Mexico). Addition of the mainline and the two subsidiaries, which will join as affiliate members, will add 26 destinations to the oneworld map--24 in Mexico along with Oakland and Edmonton. Oneworld airlines currently serve 13 Mexican destinations. Iberia has sponsored MX during its membership process. Mexicana operates 26 A320s, 21 A319s, 10 A318s, two A330s, two 767-200s and two 767-300s. MexicanaClick operates 24 F100s and six 717s, while MexicanaLink flies 12 CRJ200s. Oneworld said S7 Airlines is "on track" to join next year.
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. yesterday announced concurrent offerings of 30 million shares of common stock and $250 million principal amount of its convertible senior notes due 2014. AMR said it would grant underwriters of both offerings 30-day options to purchase up to 4.5 million additional shares and $37.5 million principal amount of notes to cover any overallotments. It said it would use the net proceeds for general corporate purchases. It announced $2.9 billion in additional liquidity and aircraft financing last week.
Lufthansa plans to cut 15% of the 1,800 employees working in central operations, such as those in the communications and financial departments, a spokesperson confirmed. The company will reduce the number of positions by 5% annually in 2010-12. "During the same period, we want to reduce our nonpersonnel costs by 7% annually," the spokesperson said.
Nigerian Eagle Airlines is the new name of the former Virgin Nigeria, CEO Dapo Olumide announced in Lagos last week. He said the new name and logo, a multicolored eagle in flight, "represent the rich culture and heritage of Africans" and that the rebranded carrier will "fill the gaps in the aviation sector." It is 51% owned by local investors and 49% by Virgin Atlantic Airways. Plans for a private placement to raise operational capital "are underway," it said.
Continental Airlines said mainline domestic advanced booked seat factor for the next six weeks is running 1-2 points higher than the year-ago period, with transatlantic bookings 6-7 points higher. It now expects third-quarter consolidated and mainline load factors to be up approximately 3 points year-over-year to 84%-85% and 85%-86% respectively, it said in an investor update. Full-year consolidated load factor is expected to be 80%-81%, with mainline loads reaching 81%-82%.
Consolidated third-quarter capacity is expected to be down 4.6% from the year-ago period, comprising a 6.4% international cut and a 2.5% domestic reduction. Mainline ASMs will fall 4.2% and regional will be down 7.9%. For the full year, consolidated capacity should be down 5.2%, with mainline ASMs cut 5.1%. Third-quarter consolidated CASM is forecast to be 11.19-11.24 cents, with mainline coming in at 10.36-10.41 cents. It is forecasting full-year consolidated CASM of 11.52-11.57 cents and mainline CASM of 10.66-10.71 cents. The company has $371 million in scheduled debt and capital lease payments programmed for the current quarter and another $60 million planned in the fourth quarter.
Finnair announced the issue of a €120 million ($176.7 million) domestic hybrid bond with a coupon rate of 9% per year. The bond was oversubscribed, the company said, and will be used to "finance the investment program and to strengthen the group's capital structure." Nordea Markets was appointed sole bookrunner. A hybrid bond is subordinate to the company's other debt obligations and is treated as equity on IFRS statements, Finnair said.
International Bureau of Aviation said at last week's SpeedNews Annual Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference in Toulouse that the value of new single-aisle aircraft has dropped 8% in the past year. New 737-800s were valued at $42.2 million in the 2009 second quarter, down from $45.9 million in the 2008 quarter, while the value of a new A320 declined to $40.2 million from $43.5 million. Average lease payments also fell, to $340,000 per month from $415,000 per month for the -800 and to $320,000 from $395,000 on the A320, IBA said. Value of a 10-year-old A330-200 slid 10% to $50.8 million, with lease payments falling 15% to $520,000. Value of a 10-year-old 767-300ER dropped 16% to $34.1 million, with lease slipping 18% to $430,000. Value of a new 747-400F was down 10% to $134.2 million.
US Airways said it will begin installing its new Envoy Suite business class product on its A330-200s in November. Suite includes a lie-flat bad, direct aisle access, 12.1-inch touchscreen from Panasonic Avionics Corp., power outlet, satellite telephone and USB port. The 20-suite cabin will feature a 1-2-1 "reverse herringbone" configuration. First aircraft will be completed in December, with the remaining 14 finished by summer 2011. The design for the A330-300 cabin is "under development," US said, with installation expected by summer 2012.
Ryanair yesterday began offering passengers smokeless cigarettes that "deliver a small amount of nicotine through inhalation" without being lit. Packs of 10 will be available to adult passengers for €6 ($8.82).
Nordic Aviation Capital purchased four ATR 72-500s from Alitalia and four ATR 42-500s from ATRiam. The 42-500s were leased to Airlinair.
Baboo will launch service from Geneva to London City (11-times-weekly), Milan Malpensa (12-times-weekly) and Marseille (12-times-weekly) on Oct. 25 aboard E-190s or Q400s. Air France will codeshare on the LCY and MRS routes.
Etihad Crystal Cargo launched twice-weekly Abu Dhabi-Baghdad service aboard an A300-600F.
Brussels Airlines and bmi announced an expanded codeshare agreement under which bmi will add its code to SN's twice-daily Brussels-London Gatwick service and SN will place its code on bmi's seven-times-daily BRU-Heathrow flights.
Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines reached a codeshare deal under which S7 will place its code on RJ's thrice-weekly Amman-Moscow Domodedovo flights
Delta TechOps signed a one-year contract with LAN Airlines to install blended winglets and provide airframe maintenance on a portion of its 767 fleet.
AVIATION QUOTE
He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.
Friedrich Nietzsche
AEROSPACE TERM
Gnomom
The part of a sundial which casts the shadow, usually a rod or fin pointed at the celestial pole.
DAILY VIDEO
HUMOR
Ladies and Gentlemen…
TRIVIA
Tail ID
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And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
Ryanair have been flogging those smokeless cigarettes for months now, every flight you have two or three announcements, but I've yet to see anyone buy a pack.
Sweet, for once I am not the buzzkill that ruins the fun by providing all the right answers in the first reply . But I will still smart ass-it and say that the reg for the DL breast cancer jet is N610DL .
"I mean, we're in a galaxy far, far away, and we still have to change in Atlanta" (Stewie Griffin as Darth Vader)
PlymSpotter wrote:Ryanair have been flogging those smokeless cigarettes for months now, every flight you have two or three announcements, but I've yet to see anyone buy a pack.
1. U6, Ural Airlines 2. M3, West Jet Airlines 3. VY, Vueling 4. WO, World Airways 5. AL, Skyway Airlines 6. AS, Alaska Airlines 7. AZ, Alitalia 8. DL, Delta Airlines 9. EI, Air Lingus 10. F9, Frontier Airlines
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
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. But I will still smart ass-it and say that the reg for the DL breast cancer jet is N610DL 
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