NEWSAirbus Mulls US Assembly Plant
Europe's Airbus is seriously studying the possibility of opening an assembly line in the United States, marking a direct challenge to Boeing in its home market as competition heats up in the global jet market, people familiar with the matter said. The plan calls for the possible production of A320 narrowbody jets, Airbus's best-selling model, most probably in Mobile, Alabama, where EADS had planned to assemble U.S. tanker aircraft in a Pentagon contest it lost to Boeing last year.
LinkEU Resists Pressure To Change Carbon LawA global scheme to curb airline emissions, under debate this week in Montreal, or national schemes to make airlines pay for their carbon costs are the only reasons for the European Commission to change a law that has provoked international anger, a series of Commission letters shows.
LinkEU Approves State Aid For Air Malta
The European Commission on Wednesday cleared Malta to support the restructuring of its struggling flag carrier Air Malta with EUR€130 million (USD$162.12 million) of state aid.
LinkAbu Dhabi Airport in USD$2.9 Bln ExpansionA consortium that includes Arabtec and Greek and Turkish firms has won a AED10.8 billion dirhams (USD$2.94 billion) contract from the Abu Dhabi government to build a mid-field terminal at the cash-rich emirate's airport.
LinkGEnx production tempo hints at 14 per month 787 rate
An analysis of the GEnx engine production rate indicates that Boeing may be planning to build 14 Boeing 787s per month some time beyond 2013, a number hinted at by Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh in late April but not confirmed by the airframer. Albaugh, speaking to reporters on the rollout of the first 787-8 from the company's North Charleston, South Carolina final assembly line on 27 April, said the two factories - one in Everett; one in South Carolina - could each produce seven aircraft per month.
LinkGE certifies higher thrust GEnx for 787 GE Aviation has certified a 75,000lb-thrust (334kN) version of the GEnx-1B turbofan engine for the Boeing 787, boosting maximum take-off thrust for the twinjet by 7% from the 70,000lb thrust rating for existing variants of GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The upgrade, approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 14 June, applies to three of the 14 approved GEnx-1B variants available to customers.
LinkIreland strikes deal with UK over leisure pilots The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has made it easier for UK licensed recreational pilots to fly to Ireland on short visits. The initiative complements recent changes to airworthiness requirements whereby pilots of Irish registered aircraft can visit the UK for up to 28 days under a general exemption. Reciprocal arrangements are in place for pilots of UK registered aircraft visiting Ireland.
LinkAMR posts $132m net loss in May
American Airlines parent AMR posted an operating income of $55 million in May, but recorded a net loss of $132 million during the month due to bankruptcy related charges. The Oneworld carrier reported revenues of $2.17 billion and expenses of $2.11 billion in May, according to a stock exchange filing.
LinkBoeing set to deliver six QF-16 target drones before year’s end Boeing is scheduled to deliver six QF-16 target drones to the US Air Force before the end of the year, a senior company official says. "We will be delivering six aircraft by the end of this year," says Torbjorn Sjogren, vice president of Boeing's global maintenance and upgrades business. "We have hadfirst flight. We have tested various aspects of the unmanned capability, but we're still in the pre-EMD [pre-Engineering Manufacturing Development] phase."
LinkConner to take top spot at Boeing Commercial Airplanes Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) president and CEO Jim Albaugh has announced he will retire after 37 years with the company, including the last two-and-a-half years as chief of Boeing’s commercial unit, on Oct. 1. Raymond Conner, BCA senior VP-sales and customer support, will replace him. Boeing chairman, president and CEO Jim McNerney said Albaugh has “helped ensure the certification and successful entry into service of the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8, and the launch of the 737 MAX.” Albaugh took the helm of BCA from Scott Carson at the start of 2010 with the 787 program in the midst of recurring delays
LinkRussian lessor firms order for 35 Irkut MS-21sRussian state corporation Rostechnology’s lessor, Aviacapital-Service, has firmed an order for 35 Irkut MS-21 aircraft. The deal, signed during the Engineering Technologies Forum in Moscow, is valued at $2.32 billion at list prices. Delivery is expected from 2022 to 2025.
LinkAmerican’s unions show new interest in reaching agreementsAs American Airlines’ (AA) pilots consider whether to accept the carrier’s latest labor contract proposal, unions representing AA’s flight attendants and mechanics are also showing a new willingness to negotiate concessionary pacts with airline management.
LinkAviancaTaca says merger delivering higher than expected synergiesThe merger of Colombia’s Avianca and El Salvador’s Grupo TACA into AviancaTaca (AV) has created higher than expected synergies. Chairman Roberto Kriete said on the sidelines of the company’s Star Alliance joining ceremony in Bogota last week that “60% to 70% of synergies” created by the merger have been implemented.
LinkAviation industry faces too much regulation, United CEO saysJeff Smisek, president and CEO of United Continental Holdings, says the airline industry faces challenges in the U.S. "I think we're brutally regulated, we're also brutally overtaxed," he said. Smisek called for national aviation policies in the U.S. and Europe.
LinkFedEx files $30M permit for expansion near Memphis airport FedEx Express has filed a $30.2 million building permit to construct a mixed-use building at 3851 Airways Blvd., the Memphis Daily News reports. It is part of a larger plan the FedEx Corp. division announced in February to invest $142 million consolidating flight simulators and training devices in a new Air Operations Training Center. FedEx also will build 12 bays at the new facility to house additional flight simulators and support training equipment, according to the report. The overall project will retain 333 existing jobs.
LinkDelta Air Lines expects Q2 loss on fuel hedgesDelta Air Lines says it will likely post a loss for the second quarter. Delta lost money on fuel hedges in May and June, which pushed its fuel costs for the quarter to $3.37 per gallon. Delta is the second-largest U.S. carrier in terms of traffic.
LinkConfirmation hearing for FAA nominee hasn't been rescheduledThe remainder of the confirmation hearing for Federal Aviation Administration acting chief Michael Huerta has not been scheduled. A Senate committee paused its hearing for Huerta due to deadlines for a farm bill. Huerta, who has served as interim FAA administrator since last year, was nominated for a five-year term.
LinkStudies indicate growing effect of mobile apps on travel bookingsMore consumers are booking hotel rooms, flights and other travel reservations through mobile applications as smartphone usage continues to increase all over the world, several research firms say. PhoCusWright has reported that 16% of respondents to a survey shopped in 2011 for travel using mobile devices, up from 11% in 2010. A survey by Atmosphere Research Group of nearly 2,400 smartphone users found that nearly 40% plan to use their devices to book a hotel room.
LinkColumn: Premium-economy options are increasing on domestic flightsMany airlines are offering larger premium-coach seats, which are becoming worth the investment to some travelers. For about 35% to 85% more than a basic coach fare, passengers receive five to seven extra inches of legroom in seats that are two to three inches wider, SeatGuru.com says.
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