AirlinesAirAsia signs component MRO deal for A320neosAirAsia has picked Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) for the component MRO support for its fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft. The agreement, which includes component repair services and solutions to maximise aircraft availability, will cover over 300 jets. It also includes the provision of a main base kit at AirAsia’s KLIA2 hub in Kuala Lumpur.
LinkDelta Air Lines wins again in on-time arrival competitionAs it has for many months in recent years, high-flying Delta Air Lines ended November with the best on-time arrival performance of the four major domestic carriers operating in the United States, according to data released today by OAG, a provider of airline and airport data. Weather was relatively decent last month at a time when it can turn dicey in a heartbeat across many parts of America. That helped all four of the major carriers turn in results that exceeded 80 percent of flights arriving on time.
LinkEmirates set to take Trent-powered A380 this monthMiddle Eastern carrier Emirates is set to receive its first Rolls-Royce-powered Airbus A380 on 16 December, after resolving last-minute technical hitches. Speaking at an event in London on 7 December, president Tim Clark said the outstanding matters with the Trent 900 engines for the Dubai-based carrier were “all done”.
LinkEU removes all Kazakh airlines from blacklist, adds Iran Aseman Airlines The European Commission has released the latest update of its European Union (EU) Air Safety List, removing all airlines from Kazakhstan, but adding Iran Aseman Airlines. The EU Air Safety List names airlines that are banned from flying within or into the EU, or that are subject to operating restrictions.
LinkLufthansa Appoints Eurowings ChiefThorsten Dirks has been appointed to Lufthansa’s supervisory board, responsible for the development and expansion of low-cost subsidiary Eurowings. Dirks joined the Lufthansa Group from Spanish-owned German telecom company Telefonica Deutschland where he is chief executive. His appointment, for a term of three years, is effective from May 1, 2017.
LinkPegasus Airlines takes stock of delivery situation Turkish low-cost carrier (LCC) Pegasus Airlines has detailed delays and changes to its aircraft delivery schedule after a tough year in which Turkey’s vital tourism trade has been severely battered by geopolitical events. The shooting down by Turkish fighters of a Russian strike aircraft that intruded into Turkish airspace led to the Russian government barring the sale of package holidays there; Russians are the single largest group of tourists to visit the Near East nation.
LinkPhilippine Airlines finalizes order for up to 12 Q400sManila-headquartered Philippine Airlines has finalized a firm order for five Bombardier Q400s and purchase rights for another seven, launching the two-class, 86-seat variant. The deal dates back to a letter of intent that was originally announced Oct. 14, 2016. The five firm aircraft are valued at $165 million at list prices, or $401 million if purchase rights are firmed, and are scheduled for delivery in 2017.
LinkPIA pilot reported engine failure before ATR 42 crashPakistan International Airlines (PIA) says the flight crew of the crashed ATR 42-500 had made a mayday call and reported the failure of an engine before the turboprop lost contact with air traffic control. The airline tells FlightGlobal that the aircraft's flight data recorder has since been recovered and handed to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
LinkMore Than 200 Spirit Pilots Picket Company HeadquartersOn Tuesday, December 6, and Wednesday, December 7, Spirit pilots, as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), held informational picketing events outside Spirit headquarters in Miramar, Fla. More than 200 pilots from Spirit, as well as United, JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest, and American, walked in unison in front of the corporate headquarters to press the company to provide industry-standard compensation, including pay scales, profit sharing, and retirement. The pilots also picketed Tuesday outside Spirit ticket counters at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.
LinkSunExpress reduces summer 2017 operationsSunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, plans to reduce its 2017 summer schedule to 620 weekly flights, down from 700 flights for summer 2016. According to SunExpress, this year created “challenging conditions” for the airline industry in the tourism sector, including a series of terrorist bombings in Turkey, which depressed yields and slowed bookings because of decreased demand.
LinkTAP Portugal to launch six new destinations in 2017TAP Portugal plans to increase international services next year with the launch of new flights from Lisbon to Toronto (Canada), Budapest (Hungary), Bucharest Otopeni (Romania), Las Palmas and Alicante (Spain) as well as Stuttgart in Germany, from June and July 2017. The Star Alliance member said it will also reinforce frequencies from Porto Madrid, as well as from Lisbon to Manchester, Moscow, Düsseldorf and Faro.
LinkUnited Air forecasts higher Q4 profit margin due to strong bookingsUnited Continental Holdings Inc forecasts a higher profit margin in the fourth quarter, as bookings strengthened and expenses related to employment benefits were lower than expected, the company said on Thursday. United, the No. 3 U.S. airline by passenger traffic, said it now expects its pretax margin to be between 7.5 percent and 8.5 percent, a jump from its earlier prediction of 5 percent to 7 percent for the period.
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