NewsBombardier CSeries Completes Maiden Flight
Bombardier's CSeries aircraft completed its maiden flight Monday, a key step in the Canadian airframe manufacturer's $3.4-billion program as it prepares to enter the commercial narrow body market for the first time. The first flight of the all-composite CSeries lasted about 2.5 hours, taking off from Mirabel International Airport in Montreal. Flight test pilot Chuck Ellis said the first flight "went very well," upon emerging from the aircraft after landing. Ellis took the plane up to 12,500 feet, and reached a top air speed of 230 knots.
LinkLinkLinkBombardier acknowledges CSeries cost pressureBombardier acknowledged increasing pressure on stabilising the cost of the CSeries development programme at $3.4 billion, with one top executive appearing at first to acknowledge a $540 million overrun and then backtracking to the original number. The conflicting statements occurred in a press conference that immediately followed the landing of the CSeries after a 2.5h, maiden flight from Bombardier’s factory in Mirabel, Canada. When asked about a news report that the cost of the development program had increased to $3.94 billion from the original estimate of $3.4 billion, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Mike Arcamone seemed to confirm the new estimate. “The programme, as we’ve stated before, is roughly in the $3.94 billion [range] and, yes, we’re trending to not surpass that target,” Arcamone said. Another reporter asked why Bombardier had suddenly increased the cost estimate of the development program by more than a half-billion dollars. “We never give precise numbers. We also have said we are below about $4 billion,” Arcamone replied. “I’m telling you right now it’s about $3.94 billion.”
LinkNorwegian Air Suffers Another Boeing 787 FaultNorwegian Air Shuttle has suffered another technical fault with one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the latest in a series of problems to hit the carbon-composite jet. "We had a technical problem with a hydraulic pump, resulting in a weight limitation and unfortunately we had to leave 70 passengers behind in New York on Sunday," Norwegian spokesman Lasse Sander-Nilsen said on Monday. "We have not done the math yet, but we expect that Boeing will take their share of responsibility," he added.
LinkStansted To Cut Ryanair Fees In Return For More FlightsRyanair has persuaded London's Stansted airport to cut the fees levied on the low-cost airline in return for a promise of sharply increased flights to and from the airport in coming years. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary had earlier this year threatened to cut flights through Stansted by 9 percent because of a planned 6 percent increase in fees at the airport, bought by Manchester Airport Group (MAG) from Heathrow Ltd in February. But the Irish airline, Europe's largest low-cost carrier, said on Monday it would boost flights at Stansted by 50 percent over the next decade, having secured a commitment to undisclosed fee cuts linked to passenger targets.
LinkLufthansa CEO Christoph Franz To Leave - ReportChristoph Franz, Lufthansa's chief executive, is leaving the airline, German newspaper Die Welt reported. Die Welt, citing sources familiar with the situation, said Franz was in talks with the airline's supervisory board about a departure before his contract expires. Handelsblatt, citing company sources, reported he was now in advanced talks to join Swiss drug maker Roche. Citing sources from Roche, Handelsblatt also said a decision has not been reached yet but that the talks have reached an advanced stage.
LinkChina Opens World's Highest Civilian AirportChina opened the world's highest civilian airport on Monday, in a remote Tibetan region of southwestern Sichuan province. It will cut journey times from the provincial capital from two days to a little more than one hour. Daocheng airport in Garzi, a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of Sichuan, is 4,411 meters (14,472 feet) above sea level, and overtakes Qamdo airport in Tibet, which sits at 4,334 meters above sea level, for the title of world's highest.
LinkRepublic to provide update on Frontier sale, Indigo seen as buyer Republic Airways is expected to release more information about the pending sale of Frontier Airlines tomorrow, and a source says the buyer is private equity firm Indigo Partners. Republic’s chief executive Bryan Bedford told Flightglobal last week that the company will make an announcement about the sale at a shareholders’ meeting scheduled for 10:00 on 17 September in New York City. The meeting was initially scheduled for 13 August, but during a 26 July earnings call Republic announced the meeting had been postponed due to the pending sale.
LinkCessna delivers first TTx to international ownerCessna has clinched an order from Russian pilot training provider ViraZH for 79 Skyhawks. The order comes on top of another deal in 2011 for the eleven of the four-seat, piston-engined types. Cessna is scheduled to deliver all 79 aircraft from the latest order during the fourth quarter of 2014. Upon delivery of the final aircraft, the Moscow-based company will become one of the world’s largest operators of the high-wing type.
LinkAgustaWestland pursues new AW101 sales avenues AgustaWestland is pursuing two new sales avenues for its AW101, as it as it looks to bolster the backlog of the largest aircraft in its line-up. The Anglo-Italian airframer is increasingly pushing the 15t aircraft as a VVIP transport, alongside the more common anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue or troop transport missions. The type is ideally suited to the role thanks to its large cabin and extensive work to reduce interior noise, says product manager Jim Griffin.
LinkEngine shortage dogs Portuguese AW101 fleetPortugal’s fleet of AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin helicopters, used for search and rescue (SAR) operations across a huge expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, is being prevented from reaching higher levels of readiness due to problems with the support of the type’s Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines. At present, five of the 12-aircraft fleet operated by the Portuguese air force’s 751 Sqn are out of service, either due to the unavailability of engines or spare parts for them, says AgustaWestland’s Nick Green, who runs sustainment activities for the nation’s Merlin fleet from Montijo air base near Lisbon.
LinkNorthrop, Bombardier to deliver last BACN aircraft to USAF Northrop Grumman and Bombardier are set to deliver the last of four Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft to the US Air Force. “There is going to be an official delivery ceremony in the coming weeks,” says Ben Boehm, Bombardier’s vice-president for sales and marketing. “It’s kinda up to the air force when they want to have the ceremony. The airplane is actually ready to go.” The BACN, which will be used to facilitate communications between disparate US airborne assets, has been in development by Northrop since 2005. The idea was to use the communications node to translate data transmitted from stealthy fifth-generation fighters such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter into a format usable by fourth-generation aircraft such as the Boeing F-15 Eagle and vice versa. Originally, BACN was tested on board a NASA-operated Martin WB-57 Canberra bomber. However, a later prototype was installed on a Bombardier BD-700 business jet in 2011, which was ultimately designated as the E-11A.
LinkIndia closes on new C-130J orderNew Delhi has moved closer to finalising an order for a batch of six additional Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transports for the Indian air force, following approval by the nation’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The decision – taken on 13 September by the DAC, headed by defence minister A K Antony – to approve the purchase will now need final ratification from the government’s Cabinet Committee on Security. India had submitted a letter of request to the USA for the purchase of additional C-130Js in September 2012, and received clearance from the US administration in April 2013.
LinkMesa plans to hire hundreds after extending agreementMesa Air Group, based in Phoenix, and United Airlines have signed an agreement expanding the regional carrier's fleet. United will provide 30 Embraer E-175s to Mesa, which also operates 20 Bombardier CRJ700s. To support the additional aircraft, Mesa plans to hire 850 additional employees, including pilots, flight attendants, maintenance and other staff.
LinkDelta offers Smart Travel bundle for SkyMiles membersDelta Air Lines is debuting a bundle of optional services for its Sky Miles members. The Smart Travel Pack offers priority boarding, one free checked bag and other popular amenities for $199 for up to eight on the same reservation.
LinkUS Airways employees travel from Charlotte to D.C. to support mergerUS Airways pilots and flight attendants based in Charlotte, N.C., are traveling to Washington, D.C., this week, to show support for the carrier's proposed merger with American Airlines. US Airways, American Airlines and their employees say the combination will create an even more competitive environment. "It's a good thing. It's good for consumers and all the employees," said Catherine Bossi, an employee for 30 years at US Airways.
LinkAmerican Airlines begins flying Airbus A319s on Monday Some travelers will encounter the most tangible evidence of the reboot of American Airlines on Monday when the airline begins flying its first Airbus A319 jets. American initially will put about a half-dozen A319s into service, flying from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Memphis, Tenn.; and Wichita. Regular routes in and out of Tulsa have not been scheduled yet, but local fliers likely will experience the new aircraft as they make connections at DFW. Although American's struggles to exit bankruptcy and merge with US Airways have dominated headlines recently, the airline never has backed away from its July 2011 decision to place a multibillion-dollar order for 460 new airplanes from Airbus and Boeing. Some analysts have suggested American is taking a risk by spending so much money on new planes at this stage of its restructuring, but the airline seems confident the fuel savings and customer appeal will justify the cost.
LinkFAA needs to facilitate transition to NextGenLeaders of the Department of Transportation plan to meet on Thursday to create different budget scenarios for the Federal Aviation Administration, which could affect NextGen funding. Airlines for America said "the airlines have said all along that we need to realize benefits from existing NextGen-equipped aircraft and that FAA needs to implement policy and procedural changes necessary to facilitate the transition to NextGen."
LinkAirlines are enhancing the passenger experienceAirlines are looking at ways to improve the inflight passenger experience, such as handicapped-accessible bathrooms or lie-flat seats. "The goal is to have a win-win," said Anais Marzo da Costa, interiors marketing director for Airbus. Conventional wisdom previously held in-seat televisions as passé because passengers would watch content on laptops and tablets, but according to aviation analyst Brett Snyder, passengers prefer to have the TV on while on a laptop. Delta is offering more than 5,000 songs, as well as 350 movies and 250 hours of television shows, to passengers.
Link 
