CommercialTurkish converts 15 options to 737 Max firm ordersTurkish Airlines has decided to order 15 more Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, adding to a previous firm order of 40 of the type and 10 of the larger 737 Max 9 aircraft. The decision was announced on 9 June in an update posted to the carrier’s investor relations web site.
LinkSouthwest 737 wingtip strikes JetBlue A320 at Boston LoganA Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 collided with a JetBlue Airways Airbus A320 at Boston Logan airport today while it was pushing back from its gate. The Southwest 737 was departing for a flight to Kansas City. While pushing back, its wingtip struck and damaged the right horizontal stabiliser of the JetBlue A320, which was parked at a neighbouring gate.
LinkAlitalia Needs 'A Few Weeks' To Close Etihad DealAlitalia needs a few weeks to seal a deal with Etihad which could see the Abu Dhabi airline invest EUR€560 million (USD$762 million) in its struggling Italian peer in return for hefty job cuts, Alitalia's chief executive Gabriele del Torchio said. "I am confident... that we will finish the agreements in a few weeks," Del Torchio said in Rome's Senate on Monday. Del Torchio said Etihad, which already has stakes in Air Berlin and Aer Lingus, was proposing to invest up to EUR€560 million in Alitalia, which was kept flying by a government-engineered EUR€500 million rescue package last year.
LinkTaliban Attack Karachi Airport, 27 DeadTaliban militants disguised as security forces stormed Pakistan's busiest airport on Sunday and at least 27 people were killed in a dramatic night-long battle at one of the country's most high-profile targets. The assault on Karachi's Jinnah Airport all but destroys prospects for peace talks between the Pakistani Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It also deals a heavy blow to Sharif's efforts to attract foreign investors to revive economic growth and raises questions about security at the country's main installations. In a possible change of tack, the Taliban said their mission was to hijack a plane - a break from their usual pattern of roadside bombs and suicide bomb attacks.
LinkFlight Attendants At American Want Single UnionUnions representing flight attendants at American Airlines has filed a petition with the US National Mediation Board seeking to have a single union named to represent the company's 24,000 flight attendants following the merger of AMR and US Airways last year. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said that it and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) filed a joint petition with the National Mediation Board. The filing is expected to lead to certification of APFA, which represents workers at the former AMR, as the representative for all flight attendants at American Airlines. US Airways flight attendants, represented by the AFA, approved an agreement to be represented by the APFA in February.
LinkAircraft Lessor Avolon Files For US IPOAircraft leasing company Avolon filed with the US SEC on Monday to hold an initial public offering, but said it has not decided how much it planned to raise. JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are underwriting the IPO, the company said in a preliminary prospectus filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Dublin-based Avolon said in a statement that the number of shares to be sold and the price range had "not yet been determined." Avolon is backed by private equity firms Cinven, CVC Capital Partners and Oak Hill Capital Partners, as well as Singapore's sovereign wealth fund. Selling shareholders are offering all the shares. Avolon's listing plans come as aviation draws interest from longer-term investors such as insurers and pension funds, who hope to boost weak returns dictated by low interest rates.
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Virgin Australia ATR operated 13 sectors with damaged tailThe Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is continuing its investigation into an incident where a full inspection of a Virgin Australia ATR 72-600 may have failed to discover structural damage to the aircraft’s tailplane. The ATSB says that the aircraft, registration VH-FVR, suffered overstress damage to its tailplane during a flight on 20 February 2014, but an overnight inspection failed to detect the damage. The aircraft then flew 13 additional sectors before pitch control anomalies were detected on 25 February, after which an inspection following a suspected bird strike discovered the structural damage. The 20 February incident occurred as the aircraft was operating a Canberra-Sydney service. At 1640 the aircraft was at 8,500 feet on approach to runway 16 Left when the crew noticed the airspeed rising quickly. The first officer reduced power, temporarily disconnected the autopilot, and manually raised the nose.
LinkAmerican to offer nonstop service to China, Hong Kong from DFWAmerican Airlines plans to launch nonstop service from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport to Shanghai and Hong Kong on Wednesday. "These slots can help the Chinese people connect to South America and Latin America routes very easily," said Maxine Peng, general manager of American's China division. Over the past five years, airlines at the airport have started flying to more than 20 new international destinations.
LinkS&P: Airline industry benefits from mergersStandard & Poor's Rating Service said it predicted continued growth at most major U.S. airlines. Betsy Snyder, an analyst for S&P, said "we see continued benefits from consolidation in terms of continued capacity constraint and opportunities to increase pricing." She also said airlines are generating healthy cash flows and reducing debt, while at the same time controlling costs and capital spending.
LinkBoeing poised to deliver on backlogBoeing has a backlog of nearly 5,200 aircraft at the end of May, which bodes well for the aircraft manufacturer if it can boost production, analysts say.
LinkUPS CEO worked his way up from part-time employee David Abney started working for UPS 40 years ago, part time. He loaded trucks at night and studied business during the day at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. He needed the job: A scholarship covered his tuition but not dates with his high school sweetheart. Abney, the first in his family to attend college, couldn’t afford to live on campus. He often skipped the 45-minute commute home and slept on couches in the school’s union — the portrait of a scrappy dreamer, his friends say.
LinkFAA orders tech modifications for Boeing 737sThe Federal Aviation Administration on Friday published an order requiring Boeing to shore up the computer systems aboard 737s to protect them from hackers. A Boeing spokesman said the company is already modifying the technology referred to by the order, which applies to to 737-700, -700C, -800, -900ER, -7, -8 and -9 aircraft.
LinkSurvey: Airline websites are frequent travelers' preferred booking channelA survey by FlightView found that 36% of frequent travelers prefer to search for flights on airline websites, with 59% choosing to book flights from airlines. Among the respondents, 30% said they book through online travel agencies and 8% do so through traditional travel agents. "The choice to use one over another often comes down to the experience that the travel provider offers, and how well the provider keeps business travelers informed and engaged during their trip," FlightView CEO Mike Benjamin said.
LinkAir travelers take note of efficiency enhancementsTripAdvisor's annual passenger survey showed that travelers appreciate the strides taken by commercial carriers to streamline procedures such as booking, checking in and boarding flights.
LinkDallas official predicts 50% increase in Love Field trafficMark Duebner, aviation director for Dallas, predicts traffic will soar by 50% at Love Field after the Wright amendment expires in October. "We've got a tidal wave of folks coming into the airport. We're doing everything we can to prepare for that," Duebner said during a speech to the Rotary Club of Park Cities.
LinkAmerican Airlines deploys larger aircraft for N.C. hub The number of passengers flying to and from Charlotte Douglas International Airport was up 2.5 percent through April, the airport said Friday, driven by rising numbers of international and domestic passengers. During the first four months of the year, 14.1 million travelers used Charlotte Douglas. The number of international travelers rose faster, with a 4.4 percent increase through April bringing the total to 877,316.
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