NewsCommercial
Boeing to boost 737 production, cut 777 build rate
Boeing will further increase the 737 production rate to 57 aircraft per month in 2019, citing robust demand for narrowbodies, but the manufacturer is also cutting 777 production to seven aircraft per month in 2017. The 777 rate cut to be implemented next year, which will bring production down from the current rate of 8.3 777s built per month, follows on the heels Boeing’s decision to cut 747-8 production to just 0.5 aircraft per month starting in September 2016. The 777 production rate slowdown will occur as Boeing transitions to 777X production—the first 777X is expected to roll out in 2018 with service entry slated for 2020.
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Boeing’s 2015 net profit falls 5% on tanker, 747-8 charges
Boeing reported net income of $5.18 billion for the full-year 2015, down 5% from a net profit of $5.45 billion in 2014, as significant one-time charges related to two programs—the KC-46 tanker and the 747-8—hit the bottom line. Boeing president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, however, pointed to a “solid core operating performance” driven by “record deliveries and revenues in commercial airplanes.” He added that Boeing is “well positioned for profitable growth.”
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Travel Industry Faces Growing Concern Over Zika
Airlines, hotels and cruise operators serving Latin America and the Caribbean are facing growing concern over travel to countries potentially affected by the Zika virus after the WHO warned of its likely spread to most of the Americas. The outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, comes as a record percentage of Americans plan a vacation in coming months and a near-record proportion of them look to travel abroad with a strong US dollar making overseas destinations more affordable.
LinkAirlines
FedEx to repurchase up to 25M shares
FedEx Corp. announced a plan to buy back up to 25 million shares of common stock. "Since FY14, we have returned nearly $8 billion to shareowners through the repurchase of over 57 million shares, and we remain committed to delivering long-term value for shareowners," said Frederick Smith, FedEx chairman, president and CEO
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Hawaiian reports strong results for 2015
Hawaiian Holdings reported a profit of $37.9 million for the fourth quarter, and a profit of $182.6 million for 2015. "The strong financial results validate the decision we made to grow rapidly in the last five years," said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley.
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Jet Air Kathmandu Flight Evacuated Again
Passengers on a Kathmandu-bound Jet Airways aircraft were forced to evacuate minutes before take-off from New Delhi on Wednesday due to a security alert, the second such incident this week on the same flight. The plane's doors were closed and it was ready for take-off when the alert was raised, according to a Jet Airways spokesman. All 122 passengers and seven crew members were asked to leave the plane, security agencies were investigating.
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JetBlue adds flights from hub airports
JetBlue Airways is expanding service at Boston's Logan International Airport with a flight to Salt Lake City starting in May. The carrier will also add a flight from its hub at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to San Diego, Calif. "We are so pleased to continue JetBlue's growth in our East Coast focus cities and in the western US with these two new nonstop routes," said Dave Clark, a vice president for JetBlue.
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JetBlue Airways to accept MasterPass later in 2016
MasterCard added JetBlue Airways to its list of merchants that will accept its digital payment solution called MasterPass. "MasterPass adds a fast and simple way to complete a booking, and we look forward to adding it into our mobile app and online experience later this year," said Mike Stromer, a vice president at JetBlue.
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Argentina Orders Halt To LATAM Airlines Strike
Argentina has ordered striking aviation employees to resume wage talks with LATAM Airlines and return to work, after a walkout grounded four flights out of Buenos Aires' main airport. The workers, who belong to Argentina's Union of Commercial Airline Senior and Professional Personnel, went on strike at dawn at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza Airport over stalled pay negotiations.
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Southwest marketing exec announces retirement
Kevin Krone, chief marketing officer for Southwest Airlines, announced plans to retire on Feb. 15. Krone has worked for Southwest for a quarter of a century. "To this day, Southwest relies on the site he developed, Southwest.com, for ticket distribution that, without Kevin's vision and leadership, would not have grown to the biggest travel website in the world," said Bob Jordan, chief commercial officer at the carrier.
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Travel Service bumps Boeing order to 25
Czech carrier Travel Service just ordered 16 737 MAX commercial aircraft from Boeing. Including this latest order, Travel Service plans to buy a total of 25 new Boeing aircraft.
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Two United Investors Raise Stakes
Two investment firms have raised their stakes in United Airlines to engage it on issues ranging from board composition to capital structure and enhancing shareholder value. Altimeter Capital Management increased its stake to 3.1 percent, while PAR Investment Partners had taken a 2.4 percent stake. The companies have had smaller stakes in United for months and have already engaged the airline on such issues.
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Wizz Air’s full-year profit forecast grows
Central European low-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air reported net profits of €15.6 million ($17 million) for 3Q 2015, a drop of 20.9% on the same quarter a year previously. Revenue increased 17.3% to €310 million. Particularly noticeable in the latter figure was the rise in ancillary revenues compared to the year-ago period, up 25.8% to €123 million; ticket revenues rose 12.4% to €187 million. Unit costs, meanwhile, fell by 7.4% to 3.4 euro cents per ASK for the comparative period.
LinkAirports
ACY Evacuated
The Atlantic City International Airport has been evacuated as authorities investigate a possible explosive device. The device was reported around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
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Moscow airports' international traffic down 10.4% in 2015
Moscow’s three airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo—handled 37.9 million passengers in 2015, down 10.4% year-over-year (YOY), according to statistics released by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia. Domodedovo handled 30.5 million international and domestic passengers, down 7.7% YOY, which was the biggest loss. Sheremetyevo handled 31.3 million passengers, up 0.1% YOY, and Vnukovo handled 15.8 million passengers, up 24.2%.
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Military
F-35B due to make second attempt at UK airshow debut
Two years after Lockheed Martin's attempt to give its F-35 an international debut was scuppered by an engine fire, as many as five Joint Strike Fighters will be in the UK in July to appear at two major air shows. UK defense secretary Michael Fallon says the fifth-generation type will participate in both the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough air show this summer – the two events it was forced to miss in 2014 after severe flight restrictions were imposed following the issue with an A-model's Pratt & Whitney F135 powerplant.
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Design review to unlock Sikorsky HH-60W funds
US air force’s Combat Rescue Helicopter program is on track to complete a preliminary design review in April that will unlock funds for five more aircraft. Program officials from the service and Sikorsky say that during 2015 the two sides came to an agreement on more than 1,000 design requirements and 3,000 subsystem specifications through the government’s "system requirements review" process.
LinkSpace
Record-breaking rocket to thrust astronauts to Mars
The first mission for the world's most powerful rocket will take astronauts on a record-breaking trip to the far side of the moon in 2021, and the ultimate mission will be Mars. Those are the goals for a Boeing project that will produce 8.5 million pounds of thrust, equivalent to 31 Boeing 747s, from its massive load of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
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ESA considers Europeanized version of Dream Chaser spaceplane
The European Space Agency is considering a Europeanized version of Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser spaceplane. The ESA version would be used for transportation to the International Space Station, as well as satellite recovery and other specialized projects.
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Aviation Quote
I just made a balls of it, old boy. That's all there was to it.
— Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, about his December 1931 roll performed immediately after takeoff that ended in the crash that led to the loss of both legs. He later flew fighters again, and led a wing of Spitfires during the Battle of Britain.
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Trivia
Aircraft Names
Provided is the name, you provide the designation
1. HAVOC
2. BALTIMORE
3. BOLO
4. DRAGON
5. JETMASTER
6. DESTROYER
7. VENTURA
8. TORNADO
9. CANBERRA
10. HUSTLER
