NewsCommercial
Boeing logs $33 billion in December orders
Boeing booked firm orders* for 289 commercial aircraft from 15 customers in December 2016, valued at approximately $32.6 billion at list prices. For 2016, Boeing’s gross commercial aircraft order total was 803 aircraft, valued at $108.6 billion at list prices. Taking full-year reported changes (cancellations) into account, Boeing logged net orders for 668 aircraft through Dec. 31.
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MD-90 operators told to fit angle-of-attack sensor heaters
Operators of Boeing MD-90s are being instructed to fit external case heaters on angle-of-attack sensors to prevent improper activation of the stick-shaker. The order features in an airworthiness directive, effective from 2 February, newly adopted by the US FAA. It states cites incidents in which the stick-shaker activated at airspeeds above the thresholds of the stall-protection system on the type.
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Rolls poised for key Airbus and Boeing flight-test programs
Rolls-Royce is gearing up to support Airbus and Boeing flight-test campaigns in the coming months as two new variants make their first flights powered by Trent engines. The Trent 1000-TEN is lead engine on the 787-10 while the Trent 7000 is the only engine option on the A330neo. Both new variants are set to fly in the coming months.
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Airbus prepares Beluga XL core for integration
Airbus has assembled the basic core airframe of the initial Beluga XL high-capacity transport designed to replace the A300-600ST logistics fleet. The airframe – based on an A330-200 freighter, with reinforcements – was assembled in December but has yet to be mated with its nose or tail sections.
LinkAirlines
Alaska Airlines launches Los Angeles-Havana flights
Alaska Airlines launched its Los Angeles-Havana service Jan. 5, bringing regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights from the US west coast to Cuba for the first time. Alaska operated the flight using a Boeing 737-900ER. Fifty political, business and cultural leaders from California and Washington state were among the passengers on the inaugural flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), traveling as part of an educational and trade mission.
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Alaska offers complimentary use of messaging apps in-flight
Alaska Airlines launched a new in-flight perk for passengers called Free Chat. The carrier is offering complimentary use of three messaging apps: WhatsApp, iMessage and Facebook Messenger.
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BoraJet bought by financial group
Turkish regional carrier BoraJet has been acquired by Istanbul-based investment group SBK Holding for $258 million, after it bought the shareholding of the airline’s founder Yalcin Ayasli. The airline operates a fleet of seven Embraer E190s and six E195s to domestic destinations, as well as to 80 cities throughout Europe, Iran and Iraq. It also operates several executive jets on charter services.
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British Airways aims to mitigate strike effect
British Airways (BA) has said it anticipates being able to carry all its passengers Jan. 10-11, despite a planned strike by some cabin crew. The national carrier said Jan. 6 that industrial action by around 2,500 members of the Unite trade union, who are employed as cabin crew on BA’s “mixed fleet” based at London Heathrow, would impinge only slightly on travelers.
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FedEx invests millions in Ala. facility
FedEx is investing millions of dollars in its maintenance facility in Mobile, Ala. "We applaud FedEx for its commitment to its employees as well as its commitment to our ever growing aviation and automotive sectors," said Roger Wehner, executive director of the Mobile Airport Authority.
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FlyNiki to cut 13 European destinations, Abu Dhabi route
Airberlin Austrian subsidiary FlyNiki will cut 13 European destinations from Jan. 30, as well as its daily Vienna-Abu Dhabi route from the end of March, FlyNiki spokesperson Milene Platzer told ATW. The move is part of plans to create a new, yet-to-be named leisure airline group based in Vienna. The new leisure airline, which needs regulatory approval, will be 25% owned by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Aviation Group and 24.8% owned by German holiday company TUI Group. The remaining 50.2% share is expected to be held by an Austrian foundation to ensure Austrian majority ownership and maintain international traffic rights.
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KLM to introduce A350 in 2020
KLM has confirmed that it is scheduled to receive its first Airbus A350 in 2020. The Dutch carrier says "current" plans foresee delivery of seven A350-900s by the end of 2022.
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LAM probes 'impact' to 737 on approach
Investigators in Mozambique are looking into the cause of an in-flight impact to a Boeing 737-700 which occurred on approach to the city of Tete. Mozambican carrier LAM says the incident involved its domestic flight TM136 from Maputo on 5 January.
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Lufthansa Group to hire 3,000+ employees in 2017
Lufthansa Group has announced plans to hire more than 3,000 employees—mostly flight attendants—who will join the Group’s various airlines in 2017. Lufthansa will hire 1,400 flight attendants at Frankfurt and Munich; overall the Lufthansa Group airlines will hire more than 2,200 new staff.
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Qatar Airways Changes Order To A321neos
Qatar Airways will upgrade its order for Airbus A320neos to the larger A321neo, the Gulf carrier’s chief executive said. “We are going to take all A321s, there will be no more A320s,” CEO Akbar al-Baker said. The change comes after the airline refused to accept delivery of A320neos in a dispute over engine performance. The Pratt & Whitney-powered A320neos need more time to start in some conditions, a situation Qatar Air found unacceptable.
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Southwest continues capacity growth, new aircraft additions in 2017
Southwest Airlines will continue to grow this year, bumping capacity by 3.5%, while offering 22 new and seasonal routes, including four new international routes. Southwest is in the process of incorporating 155 new Boeing 737-800 passenger jets into its fleet.
LinkAirports
Five confirmed dead in Fort Lauderdale airport shooting
Five people were killed in a shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (Florida) International Airport (FLL), police have confirmed. The Broward County Sheriff’s office said five people were dead and eight injured people were transported to a hospital from the airport. Police said a suspect was in custody. Calls to police about shots fired at the airport were made at 12:55 p.m. local time, the sheriff’s office said. Initial reports indicated there was just one shooter, a male who may have arrived at the airport as a passenger.
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Upgrades planned for Tallahassee, Fla., airport
Florida's Tallahassee International Airport will undergo renovations that include revamping the security area to add a third Transportation Security Administration PreCheck screening lane. Work is scheduled to begin Jan. 9.
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Different plans floated for JFK Airport growth
All three of the New York metropolitan area major airports will see multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments under a proposed new plan, but the New York state governor wants to see far more invested in John F. Kennedy International Airport. The board of commissioners for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has announced a $29.5 billion 10-year capital plan that would include $2.5 billion for the redevelopment of JFK, and a new AirTrain system to serve LaGuardia Airport; $2.3 billion to support the redevelopment of Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport; $600 million for the redevelopment of LaGuardia’s Terminals C and D; and $1.7 billion to build a new connection linking PATH trains to Newark Airport’s rail station.
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Mexico City Announces New Airport Terminal Winner
A consortium led by Carlos Slim’s Carso construction group has won a contract to build the main terminal at Mexico City’s new airport. The consortium’s winning bid of MXP84.8 billion pesos (USD$4 billion) will have a 44-month completion deadline, with the new airport expected to open in 2020.
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A look at how US airports manage waste and recycling
Millions of passengers flood US airports each year, leaving behind waste, recycling and compostable items in bins scattered throughout airport facilities.
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Military
Air Force Secretary: B-52 accident will not push engine upgrade
The Air Force is not moving faster on an effort to re-engine the Boeing B-52, even after a TF33 dropped from a bomber during a training mission earlier this week. In her final speech in Washington 6 January, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the recent accident would not give more urgency to an earlier effort to re-engine the B-52. However, James notes there remains interests in replacing the bomber’s aging Pratt & Whitney engines.
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Early work under way on Tiger Mk III attack helicopter
Defense procurement body OCCAR is in the early stages of defining the Mk III mid-life upgrade for the Airbus Helicopters Tiger, but admits uncertainty over Australia’s participation. Although OCCAR is a European body and Canberra is not even an associate member, as one of four customers for the Tiger, it was assumed it would join the Mk III effort.
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Pilots take no special joy in walking. Pilots like flying.
- Neil Armstrong
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