NewsCommercial
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft repairing grounded Interjet SSJ100s
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft technical teams have been in Mexico since late December conducting repair work on 11 Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft grounded by Mexican airline Interjet, the only SSJ100 operator in the Americas. A Sukhoi Civil Aircraft spokesperson told ATW the aircraft were grounded because of “technical problems with a stabilizer node.” The grounding affected half of Interjet’s fleet of 22 SSJ100s; the airline has eight more SSJ100s on order.
Link
Bombardier meets goal of seven CSeries deliveries in 2016
Bombardier made good on its goal to deliver seven CSeries aircraft in 2016, with the company delivering two aircraft in the last two days of the year, Bombardier confirms. On 30 December, the company delivered a CS100 to Swiss International Airlines, and the delivery flight of a CS300 to Air Baltic departed Montreal on 31 December, Bombardier says.
Link
MRJ misses end 2016 US fleet size target
The MRJ regional jet program missed its target of bringing a fourth flight test prototype to Moses Lake by the end of 2016. Mitsubishi Aircraft tells FlightGlobal that FTA-3 remains in Japan. Asked why the jet did not make the flight to the US last month, it says: “We are judging it depending on both weather and aircraft conditions. This does not mean that there was a big issue on the aircraft.”
LinkAirlines
Air Canada touts impressive expansion in 2016
Air Canada launched 28 new routes in 2016, including expanding to all six continents. The airline added 1,500 jobs in Canada during what CEO Calin Rovinescu characterized as a "highly satisfying" year.
Link
Africa’s Solenta Aviation acquires 28% of fastjet
Johannesburg-based Solenta Aviation Holdings is to acquire 28% of African low-cost carrier (LCC) fastjet as part of a $48 million equity deal, which is expected to be finalized Jan. 24. Under the agreement, which is subject to fastjet shareholder approval Jan. 23, Solenta will receive 95.6 million fastjet shares, worth $19.2 million, and two board nominations. In return, Solenta will provide fastjet with three wet-leased aircraft and other services over the next five years.
Link
A350 pilot training triggers Finnair A330 lease extension
Finland flag carrier Finnair has extended the lease on an Iberia Airbus A330 until May 31 because of A350 crew training delays. The A330 had been scheduled to leave the fleet Jan. 31. The oneworld carrier had planned to use the A330 on its 3X-weekly Miami route only from Jan. 10-31, but this 21-day lease has now been extended to just under four months. The three-year-old Iberia A330 has 36 full-flat business and 242 seats in economy, equipped with seat-back inflight entertainment.
Link
Hainan Airlines speeds up US expansion pace
China’s Hainan Airlines is applying to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to open routes this year from Chongqing to Los Angeles in the first quarter and New York JFK in the second quarter. The carrier plans to operate these two routes 8X- or 9X-monthly using a Boeing 787.
Link
Hawaiian Airlines rates well in on-time performance for 2016
Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance last year, according to air travel intelligence company OAG, moving up dramatically from ninth place in 2015. For North American carriers, Alaska Airlines was No. 2 behind Hawaiian.
Link
JetBlue signs with Premier Aviation to bring jobs to Rome, N.Y.
JetBlue has signed a maintenance contract with Premier Aviation, a Rome, N.Y., company that employs 150-plus people. The agreement covers maintenance of JetBlue's Embraer 190 planes.
Link
Ethiopian Airlines upgrades Addis Ababa infrastructure
Ethiopian Airlines is upgrading the infrastructure at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for maintenance, cargo and flight simulators as the Star Alliance member continues to grow. Nearing completion is a widebody maintenance hangar and a new cargo terminal, Ethiopian said in a statement.
Link
Southwest to boost capacity 3.5% in 2017, announces 22 new routes
Southwest Airlines, which plans to grow capacity 3.5% in 2017, has released details on 22 new and seasonal routes, including four international routes originating from its forthcoming international concourse at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. As of Nov. 30, 2016, the Dallas, Texas-based carrier had taken delivery of 131 of 155 Boeing 737-800s on order; 32 were delivered through Nov. 30, approximately three per month. At this rate, the remaining 737-800s should be delivered by July, in time for the planned entry-into-service of Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, for which Southwest is the launch customer. Southwest has 200 737 MAXs on order.
Link
United pledges to enhance baggage handling in 2017
United Airlines says it will lead the industry when it comes to baggage handling in 2017, and the airline is pledging to reduce its carbon footprint. Under its Global Performance Commitment, United also previously pledged to improve on-time performance and reduce flight cancellations.
LinkAirports
Southwest Airlines Is Coming to Cincinnati
Frequent flyers from the Midwest have a reason to celebrate: Southwest Airlines is expected to announce it will be making stops at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport. The low-cost carrier will make a formal announcement Wednesday afternoon, during which flight details will also be revealed, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The announcement could comes as welcome news travelers in the area, since Southwest is viewed as the only low-cost airline that might be able to decrease ticket prices across the board.
Link
N.Y. plans $10B overhaul to JFK airport
New York has started an overhaul to La Guardia Airport, and on Wednesday Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $10 billion plan to reconstruct the John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Link
DFW upgrading its duty-free shopping mall
Travelers using Texas' Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will later this year enjoy a new 20,000-square-foot duty-free shopping mall featuring high-end brands like Prada and Michael Kors. Local brands available for purchase will include Bohlin Company western wear and Fort Worth distiller TX Whiskey.
Link
Stockholm Arlanda Airport introduces biofuel as standard
Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport has begun to mix biofuel with normal jet kerosene in its fuel bunkers as standard procedure. The first uptake of the new fuel, which contains around 10% biofuel converted from used cooking oil and is produced in Los Angeles, California, was uplifted Jan. 3 by an SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320neo.
Link
Fitness center to open at BWI
A fitness center will open Monday at Maryland's Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The facility, located in the new connector between Concourses D and E, will feature workout equipment, stretching space and showers.
Link
Military
B-52 bomber drops engine
A US Air Force B-52 bomber dropped one of its engines during a training mission over North Dakota this week, according to the service. During a 4 January training mission from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, the pilot declared an in-flight emergency after discovering the engine had dropped from the bomber. The mammoth Boeing aircraft, which is powered by eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines, landed safely without injuries to the five personnel on board, the air force says in a statement. No weapons were on board during the mission.
Link
Aviation Quote
If man were meant to fly, God would have given him baggy, Nomex skin.
- Anonymous
Daily Video
Editor's Choice
Trivia
DC-10 Trivia
1. The DC-10 made its first commercial flight in August, 1971. Which major air carrier had the distinction of making this first flight?
A. Air Canada
B. Pan American Airways
C. American Airlines
D. United Airlines
2. In a single-class configuration, what was the maximum number of passengers that a DC-10 could carry?
A. 420
B. 340
C. 380
D. 300
3. The DC-10-30AF, an all-freighter version of the airliner, was used most prolifically with FedEx, with orders starting in the mid-1980s. But for which airline was this variant originally designed?
A. Alitalia
B. Japan Airlines
C. Delta
D. British Airways
4. DC-10s have been involved in a number of accidents and incidents over the years. One notable disaster occurred in March, 1974, when a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed near what major city?
A. Berlin
B. Athens
C. Paris
D. Madrid
5. Another notable DC-10 accident occurred in July, 1989, when United Airlines Flight 232 crashed in which midwestern U.S. city?
A. Sioux City, Iowa
B. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
C. Omaha, Nebraska
D. Sioux City, South Dakota
6. The July, 2000, crash of Air France Flight 4590, the only crash of the legendary Concorde, was caused by a piece of titanium that fell off a DC-10 that had lifted off several minutes before the Concorde took off. Which airline owned the DC-10 from which the fatal piece of metal fell?
A. VARIG
B. Lufthansa
C. Continental
D. Northwest
7. The KC-10 Extender, the aerial refueling tanker based on the DC-10, was developed to increase the US Air Force's strategic reach across the globe. In what year did the KC-10 enter operational service?
A. 1980
B. 1982
C. 1983
D. 1981
8. In 1994, ORBIS International began flying a DC-10 aircraft that had been converted for use as what?
A. A private VIP transport
B. A flying eye hospital
C. A flying dental clinic
D. A space-launch platform
9. The company 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC, modified a DC-10 to fight forest fires in rural areas. The aircraft could drop how much water or retardant on a fire in a single pass?
A. 18,000 U.S. gallons (68,137 liters)
B. 15,000 U.S. gallons (56,781 liters)
C. 12,000 U.S. gallons (45,425 liters)
D. 21,000 U.S. gallons (74,494 liters)
10. The last DC-10 in service with a major American passenger carrier was retired in January, 2007. That airline, Northwest Airlines, used the aircraft to fly from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, to which destination?
A. Mexico City
B. London
C. Honolulu
D. Tokyo
