Reports: Airbus to build A320 FAL in US Airbus plans to build an A320 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Mobile, Ala., several media outlets have reported. Airbus said in a statement that no final decision has been made: “There are conditions that would need to be met for such a concept to be implemented. This just isn’t the case right now. So far there is nothing to announce.” Link
Airbus Poised To Invest USD$600 Mln In New US Plant Airbus is poised to invest USD$600 million in a new US production facility in Mobile, Alabama, for its A320 passenger jet that is expected to produce four planes a month by 2017, according to two people familiar with the company's plans. Link
Pratt & Whitney closes on buyout of Rolls-Royce’s IAE shares Pratt & Whitney has closed on its $1.5 billion buyout of Rolls-Royce’s shares in the International Aero Engines (IAE) joint venture that produces V2500 engines for Airbus A320s. The change in IAE’s makeup was announced last year. Japanese Aero Engines and MTU Aero Engines will remain part of the JV, and Rolls will continue as a key supplier, but Pratt’s buyout will give it the predominance of control over IAE by mid-2013. Link
Aer Arann poised to announce ATR order at Farnborough Irish regional carrier Aer Arann (RE) is understood to be finalizing an ATR 72 deal, which could be announced at the Farnborough Airshow. RE, which flies as Aer Lingus Regional, operates four ATR 42-300s, four ATR 72-200s and four ATR 72-500s. Over recent months, the airline has been evaluating both the Bombardier Q400 and ATR; however, it is expected to remain an all-ATR operator. Link
China’s ABC bank orders 45 C919s The Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) Financial Leasing Co. has placed an order for 45 Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) C919s. Including this order, COMAC has received 280 orders for the C919 from customers including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, China’s Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., China Development Bank Leasing Co., ICBC Financial Leasing Co., China Aircraft Leasing Co. GE Capital Aviation Services and BOC Aviation Link
BA expects business traffic hit during London Olympics With less than a month to go before the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games, British Airways is preparing for a temporary fall in business traffic but is confident about the long-term benefits of its association with the games. Link
Sweden signs new support deals for Gripen fleet Saab has secured contracts worth a combined SKr3.6 billion ($520 million) to support operations with the Swedish air force's Gripen fighters through 2016, and to also continue with the type's development. Key elements of the package include new performance-based support, maintenance and logistics deals, as well as "an addition to Gripen development package MS20". It also contains funding to perform studies and definition work linked to possible later enhancements to the single-engined type. Link
Other News
Virgin Group, parent company of Virgin Atlantic Airways (VS), has sold its 10% stake in Malaysia’s AirAsia X (D7), the long-haul, low-cost carrier (LCC). The move comes as Virgin Group realigns its investments to concentrate more closely on its own brand.
Middle East Airlines (ME) joined SkyTeam Alliance Thursday, becoming SkyTeam's 17th member and second Middle Eastern carrier following Saudia. From its hub in Beirut, ME flies to 30 international destinations throughout Africa, the Middle East and Europe. SkyTeam member Air France sponsored ME’s membership and integration into the alliance. The carrier operates four A330-200s, four A321s and nine A320s.
Gogo has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with global satellite operator SES to bring Ku-satellite connectivity service to commercial airline passengersfor a near-term solution before the Inmarsat Global Xpress Ka-satellite service becomes available.
Emirates Airline (EK) said its expansion plan will be readjusted after it lost nearly $100 million from necessary modifications to repair wing rib cracks on its in-service Airbus A380s. EK president Tim Clark said recently that the expansion plan includes destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Erbil, Lisbon, and “maybe Harare and maybe some more coming by end the of this year.” But the number of new destinations will depend on the availability of the A380, which is undergoing necessary modifications to repair wing rib cracks. He said in 2013 there will be always four A380s on the ground.
Brazilian domestic traffic measured by RPKs grew 5.7% year-over-year in May, against a 5% growth in ASKs, according the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANCA). Industry load factor grew 0.7 percentage point to 67.6%.
Abacus International signed a multi-year exclusive distribution agreement with Jetstar Pacific, giving Abacus travel agents exclusive access to the airline’s domestic and international fares and inventory.
Discover the World Marketing was selected by Hainan Airlines to serve as its sales and marketing agent in Greece and Cyprus.
Navtech signed a multi-year agreement with EuroAtlantic Airways to provide aeronautical electronic charts for the iPad in a class 2 EFB.
Sabre has signed a full-content agreement with Sol del Paraguay Lineas Aereas to distribute all seats and fare information to travel agencies.
French aerospace unions pressed Airbus on Sunday to provide guarantees over jobs and production as it prepares to unveil plans for a new assembly plant in the United States.
FedEx Corp is advancing its FedEx Express unit's fleet upgrade to more fuel-efficient aircraft by buying 19 additional Boeing Co (BA) 767-300 aircraft. This order is in addition to FedEx Express' agreement with Boeing announced in December 2011 to buy 27 new 767s for delivery between fiscal 2014 and 2018 and to delay delivery of 11 of the 777 aircraft to save on fuel and cut costs.
Aviation Quote
I just made a balls of it, old boy. That's all there was to it.
— Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, about his December 1931 roll performed immediately after takeoff that ended in the crash that led to the loss of both legs. He later flew fighters again, and led a wing of Spitfires during the Battle of Britain.
On This Date
---In 1859... Two American balloonists, John Wise and John La Mountain, fly in their balloon from St. Louis, Missouri to Henderson, New York. The 809-mile trip takes 20 hours.
---In 1900... The first trial of the first Zeppelin airship, the LZ-1, takes place over Lake Constance, Germany. The first of the rigid, monster airships, it is 420 feet long and contains 16 separate gas-bags with a total capacity of 338,410 cubic feet. It is tentatively successful, and attains a speed of 8½ mph. It is housed in a floating hangar, the first in history.
---In 1919... The first crossing of the Atlantic by airship, as well as the first double-crossing (return flight), is made by the British rigid airship, R-34. This giant dirigible, which flies non-stop from Scotland to Long Island, New York, has a 30-man crew and is piloted by Major G.H. Scott.
---In 1926... The U.S. Army Air Corps is formed out of the former Air Services. Provisions are made for an assistant secretary of war and a five-year Air Corps expansion program.
---In 1937... Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are lost over the South Pacific near Howland Island in a Lockheed Electra. This was to be her last long-distance attempt.
---In 1967… First international flight of an SR-71 (972). During a training mission the ANS (Astroinertial Navigation System) failed and the aircraft accidentally flew into Mexico. Pilot Jim Watkins, RSO Dave Dempster.
---In 1994…A USAir Douglas DC-9 crashes in North Carolina, the victim of a microburst, killing 37 people.
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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
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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
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
