NEWS
Kenya Airways sees profits halve
Kenya Airways ‘ (KQ) profit dropped more than 50% for the year ended March 31, compared to the year-ago period as the airline felt the effects of high fuel prices, the crisis in the eurozone and generally weak economic conditions. It recorded a profit after tax of KES1.66 billion ($19.5 million), down from last year’s figure of KES3.53 billion. Revenue rose 26% to a record KES107.9 billion, up from KES85.8 million.
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FWA agrees with Qantas on pre-flight safety check issue
Fair Work Australia (FWA) has upheld Qantas’ (QF) position that pre-flight safety checks on Airbus A330 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft are no longer required on every flight. The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Assn. (ALAEA), which disagrees with the ruling, had told its members to continue to perform the maintenance tasks after the mandate took effect June 14. However, after QF filed an application with FWA objecting to ALAEA’s action, the regulator upheld the carrier’s position and issued a binding order to the union, requiring it to cease what it called unprotected industrial action.
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Airbus Tianjin factory to deliver 100th A320 in September
Airbus’ final assembly line at its Tianjin, China, factory is scheduled to deliver its 100th A320 this fall but the manufacturer has yet to secure a partner for its continued operation past 2016. “We [have] already delivered 89 aircraft since our first one on June 23, 2009,” Airbus president-China Laurence Barron told journalists in Beijing this week. This year, 38 aircraft will be delivered—including the first one to a non-Chinese airline, AirAsia. “Our target is to deliver four aircraft per month and a total of 47 aircraft in 2013,” Barron said.
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Aeroméxico to expand MRO services
Aeroméxico (AM) will invest $30 million on a new maintenance facility at its Mexico City hub, which is scheduled to open in September, CEO Andrés Conesa told local media. In addition, the Mexico City-based airline will build an MRO facility in a joint venture with Delta Air Lines (DL); each carrier will invest an estimated $20 million.
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Air Canada, Mechanics Union Strike Deal
Air Canada and the union representing its 8,600 mechanics, baggage handlers and cargo agents struck a new agreement, Air Canada said on Sunday.
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Munich Residents Vote Against New Runway
Munich residents voted against development of a third runway at Germany's second-biggest airport, dealing another blow to airlines seeking growth in Europe's biggest economy.
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Discussion
Delta Heats Up Competition In New York
Delta launched a sale on Memorial Day weekend aimed at drawing attention to a host of new flights that are central to its effort to gain long-term supremacy in New York.
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EADS To Shift Functions To Airbus HQ - Unions
EADS plans to move its human resources and financial operations alongside those of its Airbus unit to the plane maker's French headquarters in Toulouse next year, union representatives said on Friday.
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Farnborough will be crucial time in re-engined narrowbody fight
Airbus recently firmed two outstanding orders for A320neo family aircraft, with Norwegian Air Shuttle committing to 100 A320neos and Air Lease taking 36 of the re-engined jets, including 20 of the larger A321neos. This takes Airbus's total firm orders for Neos to 1,425 from 26 customers. Meanwhile, Boeing has gained what it describes as over 1,000 "commitments and orders" from 16 customers for its CFM International Leap-1B-powered 737 Max, of which 451 are firm orders.
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FAA proposes AD for Piaggio Aero Industries P-180s
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) document for a proposed airworthiness directive regarding Piaggio Aero Industries P180 aircraft. The proposed AD is based off mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) that originated from EASA AD no. 2012-0066, dated April 24, 2012. The MCAI requires operators to identify and correct an unsafe condition on the twin-engined turboprop model, which it describes as "jamming of the external bearing of the screwjack drive gear, which resulted in failure of the main wing outboard flap external actuator." The EASA AD says that P180 operators reported failures of the main wing outboard flap, and an investigation yielded information about the aircraft's external actuator stopping after the screwjack drive gear disengaged from its seat. The inner actuator continued to run. The AD says that the gear disengaging was due to the jamming of the external bearing.
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Other News
Virgin America (VX) has announced an interline agreement with Japan Airlines (JAL), connecting their networks across North American and Asian routes. VX has grown to 18 destinations and a fleet of 52 new aircraft since its launch in August 2007. It also has interline agreements with Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, South African Airways, El Al, Qantas, China Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Air Pacific.
Lufthansa (LH) is negotiating with Chinese authorities to operate its Airbus A380 on the Frankfurt–Shanghai Pudong (PVG) route. LH Group chairman and CEO Christoph Franz told ATW on the sidelines of this week’s IATA annual general meeting and summit in Beijing that the carrier has “great interest” in flying the A380 to PVG.
Mandala Airlines (RI) is expanding its international network with flights to Bangkok (BKK), its third international destination after Singapore (SIN) and Kuala Lumpur, the Indonesian carrier said in a statement. The airline is launching seven weekly flights between Jakarta and BKK from Aug. 10. According to Mandala, the number of Indonesians traveling overseas has increased to 7 million in 2011 compared to 5.1 million year-over-year. As Indonesia is one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia with an annual growth rate of just over 6%, this rate of growth is “expected to continue in 2012,” according to RI.
Japan Airlines (JAL) has adjusted its international route and flight frequencies for this financial year, it said in a statement. The carrier confirmed it will launch 4X-weekly Tokyo Narita (NRT)-San Diego, Calif. Dec. 2, which will be a jointly served with oneworld partner American Airlines
A union representing technical staff at Aer Lingus said it expected the Irish airline to cut or relocate 55 employees from Ireland's Shannon Airport, a move it says is likely to lead to industrial action. The Unite trade union said it believed the airline was planning to announce the closure of its maintenance operations in Shannon within weeks. "If they announce the sale of the hangar at the end of June, I would think industrial action will start immediately," union official Brian Gormley told Reuters. A spokesman for Aer Lingus said the airline was in consultations with staff and their representatives in relation to potential relocation of some Shannon maintenance operations, but declined further comment.
Delta Air Lines' (DAL) shareholders today voted to elect all 12 director nominees to on the airline's Board of Directors, among other things, at the company's annual meeting. Votes to elect the 12 returning directors to the board had a minimum of 98 percent approval in the voting tabulated in New York where the meeting was held. Shareholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young as Delta's independent auditors for 2012.
China on Friday granted conditional approval to U.S. conglomerate United Technologies Corp's $16.5 billion takeover of aircraft parts maker Goodrich Corp, saying Goodrich needed to divest or sell parts of some businesses. Goodrich will have to divest its electrical power generation and transmission systems businesses and should sell 60 percent of Aerolec, a joint venture with Thales Avionics, within six months, China's Commerce Ministry said on its website. The European Commission is also currently examining the deal, UTC's biggest in a decade, with which it aims to build critical mass in new aircraft technology and plane services to take advantage of a recovery in civil aviation demand. UTC has offered to sell undisclosed assets to secure EU regulatory approval of the takeover.
AVIATION QUOTE
And he supposed it might not be the best of days. But then, he was flying the mails and was not expected to squat on the ground like a frightened canary every time there was a cloud in the sky. If a pilot showed an obvious preference for flying only in the best conditions he soon found himself looking for work. This was the way of his life and he had always ascended when others had found excuse to keep their feet on the ground.
— Ernest K. Gann, 'Fate is the Hunter.'
ON THIS DATE
---In 1861... Thaddeus S. C. Lowe transmits the first telegraphic message ever sent from a balloon during a test at the Columbia Armory, Washington, D.C.
---In 1877... Samuel Archer King makes a two-hour airmail flight of 26 miles between Nashville and Gallatin, Tennessee, in the balloon Buffalo.
---In 1922... The first soaring flight of one hour in slope lift (using hill currents) is made by Arthur Martens in a Vampyr sailplane designed by Wolfgang Klemmperer at the Wasserkuppe, Rhön, Germany.
---In 1925…Benjamin Robert Rich is born in Manila, Philippines. He would become known as the “Father of Stealth,” after succeeding Kelly Johnson at the famed Lockheed “SkunkWorks.”
---In 1939... The first direct transatlantic seaplane service is begun by Pan American Airways. It flies from New York to Southampton, England, by way of Botwood, Newfoundland, and Foynes, Ireland.
---In 1965…In Operation Arc Light, the U.S. Air Force flies the first B-52 Stratofortress missions of the Vietnam War, striking enemy positions in Bến Cát District in South Vietnam. "Arc Light" will become a commonly used term for B-52 raids during the Vietnam War.
---In 1971…Southwest Airlines commences operations.
---In 1981…First flight of the F-117 Nighthawk.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Delta Airlines
DELTA:
1. Doesn't Even/ Ever Leave The Airport
2. Don't Even Let Them Aboard
3. Departing Even Later Than Anticipated
4. Damaged Engines Limit Take-off Ability
5. Departures Extra- Late, Tardy Arrivals
6. Directed Everybody's Luggage To Atlanta
7. Doesn't Ever Let Terrorists Aboard
TRIVIA
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WrenchBender wrote:2. C-119 Boxcar
6. DHC-4 Caribou
