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Airbus makes opening play in bid to divest Dassault stake
Airbus has cut its stake in Dassault Aviation by selling 8% of the company back to the maker of Falcon business jets and Rafale fighters for €794 million ($989 million). The €980/share transaction realised late on Friday, 28 November would appear to represent excellent value for Airbus, which has periodically faced calls to rid itself of a 46.32% minority share that paid it a dividend of less than €295 million for 2013. In August 2013, Airbus Group shareholder The Children’s Investment Trust estimated the Dassault stake to be worth about €4 billion, which would value the whole of Dassault Aviation at €8.6 billion. But the latest deal price would translate into a whole-company value of more than €9.9 billion.
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Supersonic jets could cut traveling time in half
Several companies are working on developing supersonic jets that could travel twice as fast as current planes. Lockheed is developing a supersonic jet for commercial airlines, while Aerion and Spike Aerospace are working on supersonic business jets.
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10 veteran airliner types still in service
News that SkyWest is retiring its remaining Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias prompted us to come up with a list of 10 other veteran types still being operated by airlines, including as freighters. The data comes from Flight International’s World Airliner Census, compiled using Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database.
LinkAirlines
Airlines offer amenities for coast-to-coast routes
Los Angeles International Airport has become a battleground for airlines trying to draw well-heeled business executives and Hollywood celebrities flying coast to coast. The weapons in the fight for the transcontinental VIP are luxuries like down pillows, in-flight espresso machines, chauffeur-driven Cadillacs and meals cooked up by celebrity chefs.
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Fuel remains largest expense for airlines
Airline stocks are soaring as jet fuel prices plummet, but don't expect those savings to be passed on to fliers in the form of lower fares. Investors are betting on fatter airline profits as a result of OPEC's decision to keep its production levels steady in the face of a world oil surplus. That's expected to push the price of jet fuel and other petroleum products even lower in the weeks ahead.
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Air Seychelles takes delivery of first A320
Air Seychelles has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320 in a ceremony held at Mahe International airport. The A320 is configured with 16 business class and 120 economy class seats, and is wet-leased to the airline from 40% shareholder Etihad Airways.
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Alaska Airlines upgrades loyalty program
Alaska Airlines is offering more ways for loyalty program members to receive mileage bonuses. Starting in 2015, members of the Mileage Plan will receive bonuses for booking non-refundable tickets. Alaska is also increasing its bonuses for MVP Gold 75K members.
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Azul commits to 63 A320neos
Azul has committed to 63 Airbus A320neo aircraft, citing comfort and lower operating costs over the competing Boeing 737 Max for its decision. The Brazilian carrier will buy 35 aircraft directly from the European airframer, lease 20 from AerCap and another eight from GECAS, it says. Delivers will begin in 2016 and continue through 2023.
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JetBlue and Zappos team up to surprise passengers with gifts
JetBlue Airways and Zappos partnered up to reward air travelers over Thanksgiving with gifts and free flights. The luggage carousel at John F. Kennedy Airport featured prize panels for lucky travelers whose bags landed on the winning panels.
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India Rejects Mallya As Kingfisher Director
The Indian government has rejected the re-appointment of Vijay Mallya as managing director of Kingfisher Airlines, as pressure mounts on the tycoon to help his company repay its debts. Kingfisher, which has not flown since 2012, said in a statement on Monday that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs had rejected an application for Mallya's re-appointment, without detailing why. Indian banks want Mallya, once known as 'The King of Good Times' for his flamboyant lifestyle, to help repay more than USD$1 billion of loans Kingfisher owes to a consortium of largely state-run banks.
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Thousands Stranded As Lufthansa Pilots Strike
Lufthansa pilots started a two-day walkout on Monday, their ninth strike this year, forcing the airline to cancel almost half of its scheduled flights, leaving thousands stranded. The 1,350 cancelled flights will affect 150,000 passengers. Lufthansa and the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union have been at loggerheads for months over an early retirement scheme for pilots. The most recent round of talks collapsed on Friday. "The negotiations failed because we just cannot agree on key points... Lufthansa basically wants to get rid of the collective agreement and have new colleagues receive no more benefits," VC board member Joerg Handwerg told Reuters.
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Efficient business model boosts Southwest
An efficient business model should make investors look at Southwest Airlines, writes columnist Sagar Joshi. Southwest minimizes maintenance costs by exclusively flying one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. Southwest also reported robust results for the third quarter.
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Southwest leather seats recycled into bags
Before you buy another Christmas gift, think about where it came from and where it’s headed. That is, how was it produced and how will it be disposed of? Looptworks, a Portland-based company, thinks about this constantly. Its products, a selection of handbags, iPad cases, and other accessories, are all repurposed from used materials. Registered as a B corporation, or benefit corporation, Looptworks defines its offerings as “low-impact” products, made from old neoprene (from wetsuits) and polyester – materials that hardly break down.
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United Airlines looks to add flights between NYC and Venice, Chicago and Dublin
United Airlines has announced plans for new routes between New York and Venice along with Chicago and Dublin. The airline is awaiting regulatory approval for these routes.
LinkMilitary
Iraq wins approval to buy $800m C-130 sustainment package
Lockheed Martin has been given a green light to sell the Iraqi Air Force (IAF) $800 million worth of sustainment support and spare parts for its fleet of C-130E and C-130J transport aircraft. The foreign military sales approval was made by the US State Department and announced on 26 November by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). The sale is not yet final, but could include sustainment and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support worth up to $800 million.
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Israel approves order for 14 more F-35s
Israel is to acquire a second batch of 14 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, after the nation’s cabinet approved the purchase on 30 November. One aircraft from the new batch will be a test asset, which will help during the development and integration of Israeli-dedicated systems for the type. The decision also includes an option for a future procurement of another 17 aircraft, pending later approval.
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US pilot killed in Middle East F-16 crash
A US Air Force pilot was killed on 30 November when a Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in what US Central Command (CENTCOM) is calling a non-combat related incident. The crash occurred around 23:00 US Eastern Time while returning to an unnamed base in Middle East, according to a CENTCOM news release. The crash did not occur in Iraq or Syria, where the air force is launching daily strikes against militants fighting with the Islamic State terrorist group.
LinkRegulatory
FAA proposes 787 directive
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed an airworthiness directive that would require updates to proximity sensors on the wings of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
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NTSB 787 battery report details quality concerns at GS Yuasa
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has raised a number of concerns with the manufacturing and inspection processes followed by GS Yuasa, the Japan-based company that makes the Boeing 787’s lithium-ion The board raises its concerns in a report, released today, about the 7 January 2013 battery fire on a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 at Boston. One of the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries caught fire, prompting a three-month grounding by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the type. Though the report says the fire resulted from a general lack of oversight in the design by the FAA and Boeing, it highlights a number of concerns with GS Yuasa.
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Temperature in 787 battery cells spikes in cold conditions: NTSB
Cells inside the Boeing 787’s lithium ion batteries get “significantly” hotter when tested in cold temperatures like the conditions experienced by three aircraft that suffered battery issues, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). “During the cell-level testing, the cells heated significantly more when discharged at temperatures between 0ºF and 32ºF than at temperatures above 32ºF,” says the NTSB in a report released today. The report, the board’s response to a 7 January 2013 battery fire aboard a Japan Airlines 787 at Boston, does not attribute the fire to cold weather. Rather, the NTSB pegs blame on failures of Boeing, its contractors and the Federal Aviation Administration.
LinkGeneral Aviation
Cirrus flies second SF50 certification aircraft
Cirrus Aircraft has marked another milestone in the development of its Vision SF50 personal jet following the first flight late last month of its second production-conforming aircraft. The third and final certification aircraft is being readied for first flight later in December. The Duluth, Minnesota-based airframer flew the first SF50, C0, in March. Since then, the Williams International FJ33-powered type has notched up more than 150 flights and 220hof aerodynamic performance and handling testing. C0 will be used to test the SF50's emergency airframe parachute system.
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Aviation Quote
You know they invented wheelbarrows to teach FAA inspectors to walk on their hind legs.
— Marty Caidin
On This Date
---In 1943...First flight of the Grumman XF7F Tigercat.
---In 1946...First flight of the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor.
---In 1976... The Boeing 747 SCA, an ex-American Airlines airliner which has been adapted to carry the US reusable space shuttle, makes its flight.
--- In 1986... A Concorde airliner carrying 94 passengers returns to Charles de Gaulle airport after an 18-day round-the-world journey; total flying time amounted to 31 hours 51 minutes.
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