NewsCommercial
Boeing confirms review of two 737 Max variants
Boeing is considering options for replacing the largest and smallest versions of the 737 Max with more competitive offerings that could be made ready long before more ambitious projects, such as the so-called Middle of the Market (MoM) concept, says vice-president and general manager Keith Leverkuhn. The 180-seat 737 Max 9 is being outsold by a five-to-one margin to the Airbus A321neo. The 126-seat 737 Max 7 has attracted only 60 total orders by three customers and faces a re-energised challenge from the 135-seat Bombardier CS300, which is scheduled to enter service in the third quarter.
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Boeing asks: Can 737 Max fly with missing winglet?
Flying with a missing winglet is now part of the flight test programme for the 737 Max, says Boeing vice-president and general manager Keith Leverkuhn. The wingtip-mounted devices reduce fuel consumption by cutting down on the swirling vortices linked to higher induced drag, but they are also susceptible to damage by wayward servicing trucks.
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Airbus A350-900 gains beyond 180 minutes diversion time ETOPS from FAA
The Airbus A350-900 has gained extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) approval from FAA for routes that require beyond 180 minutes diversion time, which will give US A350 operators more range and flexibility with the aircraft. The A350-900 received beyond 180 minutes diversion ETOPS approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2014. The FAA approval “means that when the first FAA-affiliated operators start to take delivery of their A350s in 2017 they will be able to serve new direct non-limiting routings, compared with a standard 180-minute ETOPS diversion time,” Airbus said in a statement.
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Boeing 737 MAX completes high altitude flight tests in Bolivia
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 has completed high altitude flight testing in La Paz, Bolivia. Boeing noted the flight test marked the first international trip for its re-engined narrowbody, which began flight testing in January. “The airport’s 13,300-ft. (4,050-m) altitude tested the MAX’s capability to take off and land at high altitudes, which can affect overall airplane performance,” Boeing said.
LinkAirlines
Alitalia narrows losses in 2015; on track for profitability in 2017
Italian flag carrier Alitalia has reported a 2015 net loss of €199 million ($217.4 million), narrowed from a loss of €580 million in 2014. The SkyTeam member has confirmed it is on track to become profitable by 2017 under a three-year turnaround industrial plan. Alitalia posted 2015 revenue of €3.3 billion. Passenger numbers stood at 22.1 million with a load factor of 76.2% for the full year.
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American Airlines CEO sets the tone for employee-friendly culture
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker changed his status to an at-will employee of the carrier, giving up his employment contract. "It didn't seem right to me that I should be the only person at American with an employment contract," Parker wrote in a letter to employees. "Rather, it is just another way of demonstrating how much I enjoy what I do, my excitement about our future."
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American faces widening narrowbody gap as A319s leave
American Airlines could begin returning Airbus A319s to lessors in 2017, widening the aircraft size gap in its mainline fleet. The Fort Worth-based carrier operates 125 A319s with 106 leased and 19 owned, a fleet plan at the end of 2015 shows and Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer confirms. It has no outstanding orders for the type.
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IndiGo sees 4Q 2016 profit dip
Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) IndiGo reported a 4Q 2016 net profit of INR5.79 billion ($87.4 million), up a scant 0.3% compared to a net profit of INR5.77 billion in the year-ago period. IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said the airline would continue to reduce fuel costs, which he described as “the single largest element of our cost structure.” The airline’s operating profit for the quarter fell 12% to INR6.8 billion, compared to a 24% year-over-year rise in the 3Q.
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JetBlue to launch NYC-Dominican Republic flights
JetBlue Airways plans to add service from New York City to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The seasonal flights will operate during June to September from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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LATAM flies new livery 767 to collect Olympic flame
The first LATAM Airlines Group aircraft painted in the carrier’s new livery will arrive in Brasilia tomorrow morning bearing the Olympic flame. The Boeing 767-300ER, registration PT-MSY, departed Rio de Janeiro for Geneva on 1 May on a non-revenue flight to collect the Olympic flame. It will depart Geneva today at 22:45 and arrive in Brasilia tomorrow morning at 06:30. Two Brazilian Air Force fighter jets will escort the aircraft, says LATAM.
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Southwest loyalty program wins Freddie Award
The 2016 Freddie Awards honored Southwest Airlines for the best frequent flier program in the Americas region. "We constantly strive to provide our loyal Customers with the best program, so to receive the official title of the Program of the Year means a lot to us," said Jonathan Clarkson, senior director of loyalty, partnerships and products.
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Virgin Australia Q3 Profit Up, But Cuts Capacity
Virgin Australia announced underlying pre-tax profit rose 16.2 percent to AUD$18.6 million (USD$14.17 million) in the three months to March 31, but warned it will cut its June quarter capacity by 5.1 percent due to weak demand combined with uncertainty about the Australian Federal election. For Virgin, the disclosure adds to a sense of instability since its biggest shareholder, Air New Zealand has said it may sell its 26 percent stake.
LinkAirports
Brussels Airport Departure Hall Reopens
Brussels Airport has partially reopened its departure hall, about six weeks after suicide bombers killed 16 people there. The two attackers detonated suitcase bombs in the departure hall on March 22, before a third bomber blew himself up on a metro train in the city. In all, they killed 32 people.
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Iowa airport to celebrate new service to Dallas
American Airlines plans to launch service from Sioux City, Iowa, to Dallas this week. The Sioux Gateway Airport will hold a "First Flight Fiesta" on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the new route.
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Military
Piasecki touts winged compound helicopters for Future Vertical Lift
Piasecki Aircraft chief executive John Piasecki sees an enduring place for the company’s winged compound helicopters within the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift strategy despite the robust competition that has emerged between compound coaxial and tiltrotor types currently engaged in a Joint MultiRole technology demonstration effort. The advanced aircraft design company – which has been pushing winged, propeller-pushed variants of the Boeing AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk – believes that rotorcraft upgrades which allow current generation types to fly faster and farther sooner should be part of the FVL transition.
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Aviation Quote
The danger? But danger is one of the attractions of flight.
— Jean Conneau, 1911.
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