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Airbus confident of reaching A320neo output target
Airbus Group is confident that it can meet a full-year target of delivering just under 20% of A320s as re-engined variants, despite the snags relating to the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine. The manufacturer stresses that, while it only managed to deliver five A320neos in the first quarter, the response from customers is promising.
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Margin to meet A350 delivery target eroding: Airbus
Airbus Group still believes it can reach a target of delivering at least 50 A350s this year, but the company remains concerned about cabin supply-chain issues. Speaking during a first-quarter results briefing, chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm said the target was still “feasible” but that it was becoming “tougher as time goes by”.
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Embraer posts $106 million 1Q net profit
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer reported a consolidated net profit of $106 million for the 2016 first quarter, reversing its $58.9 million net loss in 1Q 2015. Embraer’s first-quarter consolidated revenues were $1.31 billion, up 23.9% year-over-year (YOY); operating expenses in the first-quarter were $1.05 billion, up 30.1% YOY. The company’s first-quarter operating profit was $261.3 million, up 4.4% YOY.
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Spirit Aero Q1 Earnings Down 5 Percent
Aircraft parts maker Spirit AeroSystems reported first quarter net income down 5 percent at USD$171.6 million. Total revenue fell 3.5 percent to USD$1.68 billion. Spirit makes fuselage parts and some other structural components for Airbus's wide-body A350 XWB planes. The company also makes the wing framework for other aircraft.
LinkAirlines
Aeroflot renounces 13 Transaero route designations
Russia’s Aeroflot Group has renounced 13 route designations that were transferred to the carrier after the bankruptcy of Transaero Airline last year. Aeroflot said in a statement that it “wants to avoid dominating the market.” Aeroflot surrendered 7X-weekly Moscow-New York frequencies, 3X-weekly Moscow-Palma de Mallorca and 4X-weekly Moscow-Ho Chi Minh.
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Airberlin deepens losses in 2015
Airberlin has reported a €446.6 million loss ($485.5 million) in 2015, deepened from a €376.7 million loss in the year-ago period. The German airline said the results were negatively influenced by non-cash charges for deferred tax assets and the valuation of long term liabilities and derivatives.
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Air Canada reports higher traffic for Q1
Air Canada exceeded analyst expectations with its results for the first quarter. Passenger traffic rose 7.7% for the quarter on a year-over-year basis, while revenue climbed 2.8% for the quarter.
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Allegiant Air begins Baltimore-Washington International service
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, the low-cost subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Co., has launched service from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Savannah, Georgia with 2X-weekly services. With this new route, Allegiant service will total six routes to Savannah including Akron/Canton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh; Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
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American Air's Parker Contract Scrapped
American Airlines terminated chief executive Douglas Parker's employment agreement on his request but said he would continue to be the chairman and CEO of the company. Parker changed his employment status to "at will" with the termination of the agreement, the airline said.
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Delta continues narrowbody overhaul with order for 37 more A321s
Delta Air Lines has agreed to acquire 37 additional Airbus A321s valued at $4.2 billion at list prices. The announcement of an additional order for CFM International CFM56-powered A321s comes a day after Atlanta-based Delta placed a firm order for 75 Bombardier CS100s, and will allow the carrier to “cost-effectively accelerate the retirement” of its fleet of 116 MD-88s, incoming Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.
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IAG posts significant 1Q improvement
Europe’s International Airlines Group (IAG)—parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus—posted a first-quarter net profit of €104 million ($118 million), reversed from a net loss of €26 million a year ago. The result was achieved on revenue of just over €5 billion, compared to €4.7 billion for the year-ago period. The January to March first quarter, incorporating the post-festive season dip, is traditionally the weakest period of the financial year.
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IAG To Slow Expansion After Brussels Attacks
IAG said it would slow its plans to fly more routes in the short term, in response to weaker demand from high-margin passengers and a general slowdown after the Brussels attacks. IAG posted operating profit of EUR€155 million for the three months to March 31, due to lower fuel prices and ongoing plans to reduce costs.
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IndiGo Parent Posts 53 Pct Profit Rise
IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation reported a 53 percent jump in full-year net profit to INR19.9 billion rupees (USD$299.9 million), helped by the rapid growth of revenue at its budget carrier. IndiGo is India's largest airline, flying about one in three passengers in the country's booming air travel market.
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Jetstar Pacific gets $139 million cash injection, plans to double fleet size
Vietnamese low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar Pacific Airlines aims to more than double its fleet of 12 Airbus A320 aircraft, partly through a $139 million investment by founding partners Qantas and Vietnam Airlines. The two full-service carriers will inject $42 million and $97 million, respectively, over the next four years. Qantas owns 30% of the carrier, with Vietnam Airlines having equity in the remaining 70%.
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Philippine Airlines confirms six-strong A350 order
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has signed an order for six Airbus A350-900s, plus six options. The contract confirms a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by PAL in February this year, and covers options on six more of the type. PAL president and COO Jaime Bautista said the new aircraft, valued around $1.8 billion at list prices, would likely be used on nonstop flights to the US, as well as on services to “new destinations in Europe.”
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SkyWest nearly triples net income in 1Q
Utah-based SkyWest, parent of regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines, reported first-quarter net income of $27 million, nearly tripled from the $9.6 million net reported in the first quarter of 2015. The company said the positive results were attributed to adding 29 aircraft to profitable flying agreements and the removal of 66 aircraft from unprofitable or less-profitable flying agreements since 1Q 2015. As of March 31, SkyWest had 48 Embraer E175s, 202 Bombardier 65-76 seat CRJs and 406 50-seat RJs for a total fleet of 656. By the end of 2016, it plans to have 634 aircraft in its fleet.
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Turkish Airlines to take delivery of 26 Boeing aircraft in 2016
Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines will take delivery of six Boeing 777-300ERs and 20 737-800NGs in 2016. “Our fleet now stands at over 310 aircraft and is growing,” Turkish Airlines chief investment and technology officer Ahmet Bolat said in a statement.
LinkAirports
Las Vegas airport handled 4.1M passengers in March
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas served 4.1 million passengers in March, a 5.5% increase on a year-over-year basis. The number of domestic passengers rose 6.2% for the month, while the number of international passengers dropped 1.1%.
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Military
Boeing remains confident in Chinook as CH-53K enters market
Boeing’s vice-president of heavy-lift helicopter programmes Steve Parker says the CH-47 Chinook is well positioned to compete for international orders against the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion as the two face off in Germany, which is looking to replace its outdated fleet of CH-53Gs beginning in 2022. Barring any potential Bell-Boeing V-22 offer, Luftwaffe officials say the CH-47 and CH-53K are most suitable. Lockheed Martin-owned Sikorsky now has two developmental CH-53K aircraft flying in West Palm Beach, Florida and recently secured funding from the US government for Lot 1 long-lead parts.
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Aviation Quote
The three worst things to hear in the cockpit:
The second officer says, "Oh shit!"
The first officer says, "I have an idea!"
The captain say, "Hey, watch this!"
— anon.
On This Date
---In 1911... The U.S. War Department approves a suggestion that S.C.No.1 (the Wright Flyer accepted by the Army August 2, 1909) be put at the disposal of the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition purposes following refurbishment.
---In 1924... The first helicopter flight in a closed circle is made in France by Etienne Oehmichen’s helicopter No.2. The previous month, it established a world record by flying 1,182 feet (360 meters).
---In 1936…Amy Johnson sets a speed record of 3 days, 6 hours and 26 minutes on a flight from England to South Africa in a Percival Gull Six (G-ADZO).
---In 1942…The Battle of the Coral Sea is fought between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers. It is the first battle between aircraft carriers in history and the first naval battle in history in which the opposing warships do not sight one another.
---In 1949…The Canadian Blue Devils aerobatic team is formed. Their fleet of RCAF de Havilland Vampire jets would grow to 6 before being disbanded after just over one year when the aircraft type was retired and the team disbanded, although they did perform one more time in August of 1951.
---In 1949…The “Superga Air Disaster”, a crash of a Fiat G212CP (I-ELCE) carrying the Torino A.C. football (soccer) after a game in Lisbon, takes place. Low clouds force them to descend to fly visually and collide with a hill near Turin, Italy. All 31 occupants perish.
---In 1959…First flight of the Pilatus PC-6.
---In 1967…The Lunar Orbiter 4 launches on a 180-day mission to take photographs of The Moon for research purposes. It would take over 500 photos before striking the surface.
---In 1972… Second series of three SR-71 HABU flights launched at Kadena. At 14:16, 14:18 and 15:22. These missions were coordinated sorties to lay down sonic booms over the Hanoi Hilton POW camp. These flight were designed to show solidarity with the prisoners.
---In 1972…An Aeroflot Yakalov Yak-40 (CCCP-87778) crashes due to windshear at Bratsk, Russia, killing all 18 onboard.
---In 1982…Argentinian Navy Super Étendard aircraft fatally damage the British destroyer Sheffield with an Exocet missile southeast of the Falkland Islands. Sheffield sinks on May 10.
---In 1982… The British lose their first Sea Harrier of the Falklands War, shot down by ground fire during a bombing raid over Goose Green. The pilot is killed.
---In 1989… Magellan, USA Venus Orbiter, launched. Magellan was released into Earth's orbit from a space shuttle and then injected into a transfer orbit to Venus by an upper stage. Its primary mission was to map Venus using synthetic aperture radar. The surface of Venus is obscured by thick clouds of carbon dioxide that makes the surface invisible to optical instruments. It arrived at Venus on August 10, 1990. Its radar imaging system was able to produce images at 300 meters/pixel resolution.
---In 2002…EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a BAC-111 (5N-ESF) on a flight from Kano to Lagos, Nigeria, crashes half a mile away from the airport. Both engines fail due to the ingestion of dust and soil after the pilot overshoots the runway on its takeoff roll. A school, 23 houses and a mosque are destroyed, with fatalities including 71 of the 77 people on the aircraft and an additional 78 on the ground.
---In 2003…Frontier Airlines increases service to Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Their regional operation Frontier JetExpress also adds regional jet service to Boise, Oklahoma City and Tucson, while discontinuing service to Oakland.
---In 2004…Air France and KLM merge.
---In 2004…US Airways becomes the 15th member of the airline coalition Star Alliance.
---In 2006…Hawaiian Airlines announces service to the mainland destinations of San Diego, Seattle and Portland with their four additional Boeing 767-300 airliners.
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Aviation Pioneer Jumble
1. SYOKRKSI
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4. NURKEJS
5. RCSSIUT
6. ELACYY
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