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Airbus deliveries in 'ballpark' of 2012 target

Airbus will far exceed its gross order forecast for 2012 and expects deliveries to be in the region of its target of 580. The airframer has yet to disclose its final backlog and delivery figures for the year, and will reveal the totals during an event on 17 January. But an analyst familiar with the matter says the order for 75 Airbus A320neo jets from Turkey's Pegasus Airlines will be booked into 2012.
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LAN working with Boeing on 787 reliability issues

Chilean carrier LAN is working with Boeing and other suppliers on reliability issues around the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, as the airline launches its first North American flights with the aircraft. The Oneworld carrier, which was the fourth operator to receive the 787, has three 787s in its fleet. It deployed the aircraft type on a North American route for the first time on 2 January, with a non-stop flight between Los Angeles and Santiago. LATAM's vice president of fleet projects Justin Siegel tells Flightglobal that the 787's reliability rate falls below that of the airline's other aircraft, but adds that this was expected.
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United begins 787 international flights to Tokyo

United Airlines' first scheduled international flight on a Boeing 787 from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita departed 5min early at 11:10 local time today.Flight 32 is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo at 15:32 local time on 4 January, according to the Chicago-based carrier's website. "We are delighted to offer our customers in Los Angeles and Tokyo the comfort and spectacular flying experience of our new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft," says Jim Mueller, vice-president of Atlantic and Pacific sales at United, in a statement.
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CIT trebles A350 order with 10 more -900s
Lessor CIT has ordered another 10 Airbus A350-900s, taking its overall commitment to the twinjet type to 15. CIT had originally ordered five A350-800s and a pair of -900s but in mid-2011 it defected from the -800, converting its A350 backlog from seven aircraft into five - all the -900 variant. Airbus has yet to clarify whether the repeat order from CIT will be included in its order total for 2012. CIT Transportation Finance president Jeffrey Knittel says the deal will "further expand" its portfolio of medium-to-long haul aircraft.
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Jet Confirms Stake Sale Talks With Etihad

Jet Airways said on Thursday that it was in talks with Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways for a potential stake sale in the Indian carrier, although terms have not been agreed yet. The statement was the first confirmation of a potential deal by either side, a day after an Indian government source said the Gulf carrier could pay up to USD$330 million for a 24 percent stake in Jet. Jet shares rose 6.4 percent on Thursday. The stock has risen 65 percent since September, when India relaxed rules allowing foreign airlines to buy up to a 49 percent stake in local carriers.
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Polish Government Says: That's Your LOT

The Polish government warned flag carrier LOT not to expect endless state support as it announced a PLN400 million zloty (USD$130 million) loan to keep the ailing airline flying. LOT, which began flying in 1929 and is one of the world's oldest airlines, has been hit by cut-throat competition from no-frills competitors such as Ryanair and easyJet, as well as high fuel prices and depressed demand during Europe's economic downturn. It lost a total of PLN1.1 billion zlotys between 2008 and 2011 and has warned workers that it would be deep in the red again this year and could need further funds to stay aloft.
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Pinnacle Airlines to divest 140 CRJ200s, operate 81 CRJ900s

Pinnacle Airlines and its subsidiaries have reached agreements on a plan for emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Under the strategy it will operate a fleet of 81 two-class Bombardier CRJ900s for Delta Air Lines, removing its 140 CRJ200s from service over the next two to three years. Pinnacle will receive Delta Connection's next 40 CRJ900s, with deliveries planned to begin in the fall of 2013 and completed by the end of 2014.
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UK MoD extends Sea King support deal

The UK Ministry of Defence has extended its in-service support arrangement with AgustaWestland to cover the remaining three years of use with its aged Sea King transport, surveillance and search and rescue helicopter fleets. Announced on 20 December, the £258 million ($416 million) deal to continue the Sea King integrated operational support (SKIOS) framework until the end of March 2016 is linked to around 90 aircraft currently flown by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The MoD signed its first such deal with AgustaWestland in 2005, with the company responsible for providing availability-based depth maintenance services linked to the type.
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American Airlines aims to purchase more Airbus 320 airplanes
American Airlines filed a motion in Bankruptcy Court to purchase more airplanes from the Airbus A320 family, but the carrier did not publicly disclose any details. The carrier's original order with Airbus in 2011 was for 130 airplanes through 2017, and subsequently 130 A320neo airplanes beginning in 2017.
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Other News

FlyNiki founder Niki Lauda has left the Air Berlin board to devote more time to his role as chairman of the Mercedes Formula 1 team. Industry veteran and former British Midland International CEO Austin Reid will succeed Lauda, effective immediately. “Austin Reid is a boost for the board of directors of Air Berlin PLC,” Air Berlin board chairman Hans-Joachim Koerber said in a statement. “He will make an important contribution to the strategic direction of the company with his many years of experience in the industry.”

XL Airways Germany, which temporarily suspended operations Dec. 14, filed for bankruptcy Dec. 27. Plans to relaunch operations in the summer season are unlikely. XL Airways had operated a fleet of five Boeing 737-800s on charter and wet-lease services on behalf of tour operators and other airlines. Three aircraft have been wet-leased to North America’s charter CanJet Airlines for the winter season until May 2013; two planes will be stored at Cologne Bonn Airport.

American Airlines continues to evaluate changes to its iconic polished aluminum livery. The airline is preparing to take delivery of composite aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 787. “We’ve known since we placed those orders that those aircraft cannot be polished as we do today,” an American spokesperson told ATW. “With that in mind, and with our focus on building a new American, we are evaluating how the exteriors of our aircraft will need to be modernized in lockstep with our plans for the interior customer experience ... At this point in time, all we can say is stay tuned.” The delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER in early December came without its traditional livery.

Aviation Quote

A checkride ought to be like a skirt, short enough to be interesting but still be long enough to cover everything.

Anonymous

On This Date

---In 1952... Pan American World Airways inaugurates the first all-cargo service across the North Atlantic with its recently acquired Douglas DC-6A cargo carrier.

---In 1957…The Brooklyn Dodgers order a Convair CV-440 Metropolitan for $775,000, becoming the first major league baseball team to buy an airplane.

---In 1958…Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, falls out of orbit and back to Earth.

---In 1959…Luna 1 passes within 6000 km of Moon's surface, first spacecraft to reach the moon.

---In 1964... Pope Paul VI lands in Amman, Jordan, in a special Alitalia DC-8; it is the first time that a pope has used an airplane for an official visit.

---In 1989…Two US Navy F-14 Tomcats shoot down two Libyan Air Force MiG-23s over the Mediterranean.

---In 1996…First flight of the RAH-66 Comanche.

---In 2004…The NASA Mars Rover Spirit, lands successfully on Mars.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor

The Kiss

Four strangers traveled together in the same compartment of an European train. Two men and two women faced each other. One woman was a very wealthy and sophisticated 70-year-old lady who was decked out in the finest of furs and jewelry. Next to her Sat a beautiful young woman, nineteen years old--who looked like something right off the cover of a fashion magazine. Across from the older lady was a very mature looking man in his mid-forties who was a newly promoted LT. in the Army. Next to the LT. sat a young Paratrooper fresh out of Jump School.

As these four strangers traveled, they talked and chatted about trivial things until they entered an unlighted tunnel, and there they sat in complete darkness and total silence, until the sound of a distinct kiss broke the silence; following the kiss a loud slap could be heard throughout the cabin.

In the ensuing period of silence the four strangers sat quietly with their own thoughts.

The older lady was thinking, "Isn't it wonderful that even in this permissive day and age there are still young women who have a little self-respect and dignity?"

The young woman, shaking her head and greatly puzzled, asked herself, "Why in the world would any man in his right mind want to kiss an old fossil like that when I'm sitting here?"

The LT, rubbing his sore face, was outraged that any woman could ever think that a man in his position would try to sneak a kiss in the dark.
The Paratrooper, grinning from ear to ear, was thinking, "What a crazy and mixed up world this is when a private can kiss the back of his hand and then smack a LT. in the face and get away with it!"

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