Atlas cancels three 747-8Fs but 'satisfied' Cathay ready for delivery Boeing's 747-8 freighter program was dealt another blow Thursday when Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings (AAWH) canceled three of the 12 -8Fs it had on order, citing "lengthy delays and performance considerations." Coming on the heels of Cargolux's (CV) surprising decision to decline delivery of the first two 747-8Fs, the AAWH move raises more questions about the aircraft's operating performance. A CV executive said the -8F had an "overall performance shortfall," but there has been wide speculation that Qatar Airways, which holds a 35% stake in CV, played a strong role in the delivery deferral, in part to express its dissatisfaction with Boeing over 787 delays. Link
Boeing plans mission-control centre to monitor its early 787s Boeing plans a dedicated mission-control centre to monitor its early 787s in service by harnessing live data streamed from the aircraft. By harnessing live data from the 787's Airplane Health Management (AHM) system, Boeing aims to deliver 777-level dispatch reliability on its 787 fleet. Link
Industry groups push Congress to reject new taxes on aviation A wide range of aviation-related trade groups urged the US Congress to reject any proposed tax increases or new user fees that would be imposed on air travel, reacting to deficit reduction plans put forward by President Barack Obama this week. Link
British Airways swoops for BMI Heathrow slots British Airways has swooped to buy take off and landing slots at Heathrow from loss-making rival BMI British Midland. Six daily slot pairs at the capacity-squeezed London hub have been acquired by BA for an undisclosed sum. Link
UTC agrees to buy Goodrich for $16.5 billion United Technologies Corp. (UTC) will become an even bigger player in aviation if its planned acquisition of Goodrich Corp., announced late Wednesday, gains shareholder and regulatory approvals. The Hartford, Conn.-based parent of aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and aerospace systems maker Hamilton Sundstrand (among other properties) said it has reached an agreement to buy Charlotte, N.C.-based Goodrich, a leading aircraft technology and equipment producer, for $16.5 billion in cash and the assumption of $1.9 billion in debt. Link
Air Berlin to reduce fleet 10% Air Berlin (AB) announced Wednesday the financially troubled carrier will reduce its fleet size by 10% as part of its Shape & Size program to improve earnings by €200 million ($273.2 million). By the summer of 2012, AB said it aims to cut its current fleet of 170 aircraft to 152 aircraft. “In this context, flight performance would only be lowered by 4%; productivity per aircraft would therefore be increased by approximately 200 hr. per year,” AB said in a statement. Link
Moroccan Govt. Bails Out Flag Carrier Morocco's cash-strapped government has offered flag carrier Royal Air Maroc 1.6 billion dirhams (USD$193.3 million) to shore up its finances hurt by growing competition, lower sales and higher fuel prices. The funds are part of a 9.3 billion dirhams package covering 2011-2016 to help the state-controlled airline cut its workforce by 30 percent to around 4,000, renew its fleet to reduce fuel consumption, and revamp its operations, an official source said. Link
Southwest Probes Mystery Plane Markings Southwest Airlines is investigating mysterious markings, not seen as a threat, that began appearing on the bellies of its jets earlier this year and have been described as "similar to Arabic writing," an airline spokeswoman said on Thursday. Link
Boeing, Airbus To Battle For United Order United Airlines is shaping up as the next major US battleground for Boeing and Airbus to sell narrow-body planes, as the world's biggest airline mulls an order sources say could reach 200 aircraft. Bagging the entire order from United Airlines would be a major coup for the victor. An order for 200 single-aisle planes is potentially worth about USD$18 billion at Boeing and Airbus list prices. Link
JetBlue CEO Calls For ATC Reform The chief executive of JetBlue Airways said the United States needs to reform its air traffic control systems to prevent waste and improve mobility in the skies. "Improving the next-generation air traffic control system, this isn't optional," CEO David Barger told Boston College's Chief Executives' Club on Thursday. "This is imperative." Link
LAN Hopes TAM Takeover Complete By Q1 Chile's LAN Airlines said on Thursday it hopes its multi-billion dollar takeover of Brazil's TAM will be completed in the first quarter of 2012, but it is studying conditions imposed by Chile's regulator. LAN's chief operating officer, Ignacio Cueto, told a conference in Santiago that Chile's antitrust tribunal's approval was a step forward, but administrative issues arising from the ruling will take four to five months to iron out. Link
Air Baltic Blames Govt. For Bankruptcy Air Baltic is blaming the Latvian government’s lack of financial support and attempt to offload its holding in the troubled carrier for its decision to file for bankruptcy protection. The carrier, which will continue operations during its bankruptcy, says the government has “neglectfully and repeatedly delayed” decisions on a capital increase requested by management for the past six months and approved by Baltic Aviation Systems (BAS), a private shareholder in the airline. The Latvian state currently owns 52.6% of the airline’s stock, while a further 47.2% is held by BAS. Link
Hola Cuba: Delta to launch Atlanta to Havana charter flights Delta Air Lines’ first flights in recent memory from Atlanta to Havana are scheduled to begin Dec. 7, a charter operator licensed to arrange travel to Cuba announced Wednesday. The charter flights would operate Wednesdays using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 158 seats, including 16 first-class seats, the Marazul charter and travel agency said in a news release. Link
Other News
Oxford Aviation Academy (OAA) concluded a new five-year training services and support agreement with Norwegian Air Shuttle. Under terms, OAA will construct a dedicated three-classroom facility in Oslo solely for the use by the LCC and will purchase a new Boeing 737-800 full-flight simulator. The new simulator is expected to be certified and fully operational by the third quarter 2012.
Mechtronix Systems will equip a new Kitakyushu Airport-based training center with one Airbus A320 full-flight simulator to support the training requirements of StarFlyer, which operates a fleet of six A320s on daily flights to Tokyo.
Baltic Aviation Academy (BAA) announced it has launched an Airbus A320 full-flight simulator (FFS) at its Vilnius-based aviation center. BAA said it is the first A320 FFS in the Baltic states.
AVIATION QUOTE For all professional pilots there exists a kind of guild, without charter and without by-laws. it demands no requirements for inclusion save an understanding of the wind, the compass, the rudder, and fair fellowship. — Beryl Markham, 'West With the Night,' 1942.
ON THIS DATE
September 23rd
---In 1910... Peruvian Georges Chavez, who flies over the Simplon Pass between Italy and Switzerland, makes the 1st airplane flight over the Alps.
--- In 1911... Earl Ovington carries the 1st airmail in the United States in a Ble´riot monoplane from Nassau Boulevard Aerodome, Long Island to Mineola, Long Island.
---In 1913... French pilot, Roland Garros, becomes the 1st person to fly across the Mediterranean, a distance of 470 miles. He lands in Tunisia 7 hours and 53 minutes after taking off from France, which is of particular note because he only had enough fuel for 8 hours of flight.
---In 1941…Hans-Ulrich Rudel single-handedly sinks the Soviet battleship Marat flying a Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber.
---In 1999…NASA announces that it has lost contact with the Mars Climate Orbiter after it descended to a low altitude in Mars’ orbit and was destroyed by atmospheric stresses.
---In 1999…Qantas Flight 1, a 747-400 registered VH-OJH, overruns a runway in Bangkok during a storm. While some passengers receive minor injuries, it is still the worst accident in Qantas history.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Disembarking Passengers
On one particular flight the pilot had hammered his plane into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, give a smile, and a “Thanks for flying XYZ airline.” In light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment, but no one seemed annoyed. Finally everyone had gotten off except for one little old lady walking with a cane. She approached and asked conspiratorially, “Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?” “Why no Ma'am, what is it?” “Did we land or were we shot down?”
TRIVIA
Google Airports
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Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
1. FOR, Pinto Martins, Fortaleza, Brazil 2. CVG, Greater Cincinnati, OH 3. IAD, Dulles International, Washington, D.C. 4. BCN, El Prat, Barcelona, Spain 5. SEA, Seattle-Tacoma International, Seattle, WA 6. OPO, Francisco Sá Carneiro, Porto, Portugal 7. GRB, Austin Straubel International, Green Bay, WI 8. LIS, Lisbon-Portela, Lisbon, Portugal 9. REC, Guararapes, Recife, Brazil 10. BNA, Tri-City, Nashville, TN
Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.
