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Avolon shareholders approve Bohai Leasing merger
The shareholders of Ireland-based Avolon have agreed to a merger of the lessor with China’s Bohai Leasing, which should be completed by the first quarter of 2016. Around 87.5% of Avalon’s shareholders voted on the deal during an extraordinary general meeting on Oct. 21, giving approximately 99.8% backing to the merger and other administrative proposals linked with the transaction.
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Boeing Says 777 Production May Fall
Boeing said it could cut production by 15 percent on the 777, one of its most profitable planes and a key source of cash. The talk of a possible slowdown to seven a month from the current 8.3 came as Boeing posted narrower losses on its 787 Dreamliner and voiced confidence in that plane's ability to generate cash and fill the gap.
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Boeing 3Q net profit up 25% to $1.7 billion
Boeing posted company-wide 2015 third-quarter net income of $1.7 billion, up 25.1% from a net profit of $1.36 billion in the 2014 third quarter. Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes division had a strong third quarter, with revenue increasing 9.8% year-over-year (YOY) to $17.69 billion on “higher delivery volume and mix,” Boeing said. The division’s operating margin during the quarter was 10%, down 1.2 points YOY, “reflecting higher R&D and the dilutive impact of higher 787 deliveries partially offset by strong performance on production programs,” Boeing said.
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Boeing: Midsize Jets A 'Niche Market' But 'Important'
A new mid-range plane could be in Boeing's future, but the aerospace giant is still gauging interest from customers about their need for it. On a conference call Wednesday, Boeing management said it still sees a mid-range plane filling a "niche market, but an important one." If customers want such a plane, Boeing would be ready with something in the middle of the next decade, executives said.
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Brazil Embraer sells another 19 E175 jets to Skywest
Brazil's Embraer SA said on Wednesday that Skywest Inc. will buy an additional 19 of its E175 regional jets to fly for Delta Airlines Inc. Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil-based Embraer said in a securities filing the first E175 will be delivered to Skywest in the third quarter of 2016 and the sale will be added to its order book for the fourth quarter.
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Austrian Airlines revamps A320 family cabins
Austrian Airlines began work on revamping the cabin interiors of 29 Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The reconfiguration will cost around €25 million ($28.4 million) and be completed in 2017. “Our new business class is very attractive for our customers in the long-haul segment, but this appeal is missing on the continental fleet. In this case, we will have to spend money in order to significantly improve the product,” CCO Andreas Otto said.
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Eurowings Plane In Checks After Engine Cover Incident
The first plane due to operate long-haul routes for Eurowings, the budget arm of Lufthansa, is being checked after a section of the engine cover fell off during take-off on Tuesday. The Airbus A330 is being used on the route between Cologne and Palma de Mallorca, ahead of starting long-haul services to the Caribbean, Thailand and Dubai from Cologne on November 2.
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FedEx gets EU nod for TNT takeover
FedEx has received an informal notification from the European Commission, effectively clearing its €4.4 billion ($4.9 billion) TNT Express takeover bid. In August, the European Commission began an in-depth investigation into the tie-up after voicing concerns about the impact on the small package delivery sector.
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Finnair to start Singapore A350 flights June 2016
Europe's first Airbus A350 XWB operator, Finnair, will begin Singapore Changi Airport flights using the aircraft in June 2016, and will also increase the frequency from those provided by its existing Airbus A330 services. The Finnish flag carrier operates 5X-weekly services to Singapore, but will increase those to seven using a combination of A330 and A350 aircraft until the carrier takes delivery of more A350s.
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Inmarsat and Lufthansa Group sign ten-year contract
Global mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat has signed a contract to provide high-speed inflight connectivity services Lufthansa’s European continental fleet. The contract, which follows the memorandum of understanding (MOU) announced between Inmarsat and Lufthansa last month, formalizes a ten-year strategic partnership between Lufthansa Group and Inmarsat. It also provides a framework to extend the service to other airline brands in the Group.
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S7 Co-Owner To Buy 51 Percent Of Transaero
A co-owner of Russia's S7 Airlines, Vladislav Filev, has signed an agreement to buy at least 51 percent of Transaero, a spokeswoman for S7 said. Transaero, Russia's second-biggest airline, is laden with debt. Two of its main creditors, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, have filed bankruptcy cases against the airline after it lost out on a lifeline deal with Aeroflot.
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Spirit Airlines, Inc. Announces Webcast of Third Quarter 2015 Results
Spirit Airlines, Inc. (SAVE) will hold a conference call to discuss third quarter 2015 results on October 27, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. ET. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.spirit.com.
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Transaero to be grounded on 26 October
Russian carrier Transaero is to be grounded next week following an assessment of the airline’s operational situation by the federal aviation regulator Rosaviatsia. Rosaviatsia conducted an inspection of the Moscow-based airline over the period from 6-20 October, based on its deteriorating financial position.
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Military
First MH-60R set for delivery to Danish air force
Nine Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters ordered by the Danish Air Force will be provisioned to accept an anti-submarine sensor, should the government in Copenhagen decide to purchase it, a senior air force official says on 21 October. A Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky team is delivering the first MH-60R to Denmark on 22 October without the AQS-22 advanced low frequency sonar.
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Finnish air force launches Hornet replacement project
The Finnish air force has launched a five-year process to select a new fighter to replace 61 active Boeing F/A-18C/Ds acquired in the 1990s. Defence minister Jussi Niinistö authorised the air force on 20 October to begin the selection process for the HX fighter project.
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RAF A400M makes Seoul debut
A UK Royal Air Force Airbus Defence & Space A400M was the star of this year’s Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX). Aircraft ZM405 is the fourth aircraft delivered to the RAF and appeared in the show’s static display. Its stop is part of a round-the-world trip, which has seen the "Atlas" visit Tbilisi in Georgia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia prior to arriving in South Korea.
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USMC F/A-18C crashes near RAF Lakenheath
A US Marine Corps Boeing F/A-18C Hornet has crashed near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, with the pilot reportedly killed. “An incident involving a US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet, which departed from RAF Lakenheath, occurred at about 11am today near Littleport, United Kingdom,” a notice from the USMC on 21 October 2015 says.
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Aviation Quote
Science has not yet mastered prophecy. We predict too much for the next year and yet far too little for the next ten.
— Neil Armstrong, speech to joint session of Congress, 16 September 1969.
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Trivia
General Knowledge
1. When a US Army Air Corps pilot earned their wings in WW2, the center of the wings contained a shield. Some wings contained a star(Command or Senior pilot), a "G"(a Glider pilot), or an "L"(a Liaison pilot). What pilot wings contained a diamond?
2. True or False, a tandem airplane has two seats, one behind the other.
3. In 1943, the RAF's 617 Squadron flew Avro Lancaster bombers exactly 60 feet over three reservoirs at night before dropping "bouncing bombs" to destroy three German dams that were protected by torpedo nets. Altimeters were not sufficiently accurate, and there were no radio altimeters at that time. How did these pilots, "The Dam Busters" level off and maintain the required sixty foot height?
4. Estimate within ten knots the highest surface winds ever recorded anywhere (and not associated with a hurricane or tornado).
5. What biplane was produced in the greatest numbers?
6. Class A airspace begins at Flight Level 180. Flight into that airspace requires that a pilot have an instrument rating, that the airplane be IFR equipped and first receive an appropriate ATC clearance. How may a VFR-only pilot fly at FL240 without meeting any of these requirements and without special permission?
