NewsLucky Air to launch Helsinki and St Petersburg flightsChinese carrier Lucky Air plans to add new European long-haul services to St Petersburg and Helsinki, the next stage in its development after making its intercontinental bow this summer. The HNA Group carrier launched its first intercontinental service to Moscow in June and has now detailed plans to serve Pulkovo airport in the northern Russian city from Chengdu and Kunming. Services to both will be at least twice-weekly, Lucky says, and will begin this winter season.
LinkAir Canada designing loyalty program to launch in 2020Air Canada is meeting with customers and focus groups as it designs its new loyalty program, which is scheduled to launch in 2020. Details will be announced beginning in 2019, said airline executive Michael Rousseau.
LinkAlaska Airlines to launch daily SFO-MSY serviceAlaska Airlines to launch daily San Francisco-New Orleans service
(Alaska Airlines)
Alaska Airlines is starting daily service between San Francisco and New Orleans, using Virgin America's Airbus A320 aircraft.
LinkAmerican Airlines to send relief supplies to Puerto RicoAmerican Airlines is scheduled to deliver relief supplies into Puerto Rico today. "We have thousands and thousands of relief supplies ready to go," said airline executive Alexis Aran Coello.
LinkTurkish Airlines set to buy 40 Boeing 787-9sBoeing has announced that Turkish Airlines intends to order 40 787-9s. The order will be finalised at a later date, says Boeing, and no engine choice was mentioned in a press statement from the manufacturer.
LinkA380 in glideslope deviation incident twice aborted approachRussian investigators have indicated that the Emirates Airbus A380 involved in an altitude deviation incident in Moscow had descended to around 400ft while still 7.5nm from the runway. The information has been disclosed by French investigation authority BEA, citing counterparts in Russia.
LinkBoeing expects strong demand from Southeast Asia to continueBoeing forecasts Southeast Asia's demand for passenger aircraft to reach 4,210 units over the next 20 years, with a value of $650 billion. This is 460 aircraft more than its previous forecast for the region, which was released in February 2016. In value terms, the new forecast for the next twenty years is $100 billion greater than Boeing's $550 billion forecast in 2016.
LinkATR and Bombardier should heed Embraer's turboprop warningBombardier could be forgiven for thinking the world is against it. With Boeing’s anti-dumping claims still ringing in its ears, there comes a strong hint from regional jet rival Embraer that it is serious about a return to the turboprop market. The long-running Q400 line is not a big seller for Bombardier, but still represents a solid, if unspectacular, part of its product line-up.
LinkUSAF provides new detail on KC-46 issuesThe US Air Force’s Boeing KC-46 tanker is facing three outstanding issues as it moves through testing, including a boom scraping problem that could pose serious risk to the tanker’s aircrew. Earlier this week, the USAF’s chief of air mobility command revealed the air force has discovered three major deficiencies during testing on Boeing’s next-generation tanker. Video and data gathered during developmental testing showed the tanker scraped receiver aircraft outside the receptacle, according to the USAF’s program executive for tankers, Brig Gen Donna Shipton.
LinkNational interests are hard to please National interests are not always easy to reconcile with other priorities. In Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a dilemma. He postponed selection of a permanent replacement for a fleet of ageing Boeing CF-18s last year, partly over concerns about the cost of buying 65 Lockheed Martin F-35As. Then, Boeing brought an anti-dumping case against the Bombardier CSeries to the US Commerce Department, forcing him to shelve a planned interim buy of 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
LinkBudget uncertainty could delay F-15C IRST deliveryThe US Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin’s Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system for its Boeing F-15C, but a potential freeze on Pentagon dollars could delay delivery. President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget included $57 million for an IRST upgrade to the F-15C fleet. But if Congress refuses to pass a long term budget, the Defense Department will be forced to operate under a continuing resolution that would maintain funding at the previous fiscal year level. Lockheed plans on delivering its first Legion Pod to the USAF in 2018, but since the programme is considered a new start it could risk a delay under the continuing resolution.
LinkSniper pushes its way onto Hornet fleetsCanada's plans to buy the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet may be off the table, but details of the originally requested configuration show a Raytheon-made targeting pod's grip on the Boeing fighter is under pressure from a Lockheed Martin alternative that was long considered incompatible. Though a dispute between Boeing and Bombardier has thrown cold water on the Canadian deal, the potential sale would have put Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods onto the F/A-18s.
LinkLawmakers warn US government CSeries action could hurt US workersMembers of the US Congress from Connecticut have cautioned senior Trump administration officials that any action against Canada or Bombardier regarding alleged CSeries subsidies could have negative consequences on US aerospace workers, particularly at Pratt & Whitney.
[url=atwonline.com/manufacturers/lawmakers-warn-us-government-cseries-action-could-hurt-us-workers?NL=ATW-04&Issue=ATW-04_20170922_ATW-04_55&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&elqTrack=true]
Link[/url]
FAA reauthorization could be extended through March 31The FAA could be reauthorized through an extension of its current authority through March 31, according to language in a potential bill brewing in the US House of Representatives.
LinkLufthansa, easyJet emerge as preferred bidders for airberlinLufthansa Group and UK-based LCC easyJet have been selected as preferred bidders for the main assets of the insolvent airberlin, the Germany carrier has confirmed.
LinkFlyadeal reports strong initial salesNew Saudi Arabian LCC flyadeal said it has “very solid” bookings through to late October, after opening for sales earlier this week.
LinkAir Malta separates ground-handling operationsAir Malta is to split off ground-handling operations from flying activities, as part of efforts to improve its financial position. Ground-handling staff, numbering more than 450, will form a new, state-owned company. The Maltese government and the island’s General Workers Union signed an agreement for the new arrangement earlier this week.
LinkSWISS goes digital in the cabinSwiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will follow the growing trend for carriers to equip flight attendants with electronic devices by issuing all its cabin crew with tablets. The move follows a successful roll-out of the devices to the airline’s cabin service directors. The carrier will begin issuing tablets to its 3,500 cabin crew members in December, with all personnel to be equipped with the devices in the following two months.
LinkRussian airlines report 20% rise in traffic Russian airlines carried 70.3 million passengers from January-August, up 20% year-over-year (YOY). Traffic for scheduled flights grew 17% to 59.7 million, while charter flight traffic jumped 43% to 10.6 million.
LinkAbu Dhabi airports ride out troubled timesAbu Dhabi Airports (ADA) reported Sept. 22 it had substantially improved earnings for the first eight months of 2017, despite the adverse impact of international events. ADA includes not only Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA), but also Al Ain International Airport (AAN) as well as two smaller airfields at Delma and Sir Bani Yas, and the Al Bateen executive aircraft facility.
Link 
