NewsEtihad shrugs off A330 freighter inactivityEtihad Airways is shrugging off the apparent inactivity of half its dedicated freighter fleet, insisting that the situation is part of a normal review of capacity requirements. Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates that Etihad Cargo's five A330-200Fs have been put into storage. At least two of the five aircraft appear to have been flown to the United Arab Emirates airport of Al Ain earlier this month.
LinkSIA and Vistara consider anti-trust immunity pactSingapore Airlines says it will consider applying for antitrust immunity with Vistara, as part of expanding the areas of cooperation between the two carriers.
LinkFAA approves 787-10 for airworthinessSingapore Airlines can take delivery of the first Boeing 787-10 on schedule after the US Federal Aviation Administration approved an amended type certificate, the manufacturer announced on 22 January. Boeing has scheduled the entry into service for the 787-10 as broadly the “first half of 2018”, but the approval of the amended type certificate now means that the first delivery could happen by the end of the first quarter.
LinkATR triples order tally in 2017 but keeps deliveries flatTurboprop manufacturer ATR tripled its order intake in 2017, ahead of its firming up of a deal with Florida-based Silver Airways to mark a return to the US market. The Toulouse-based joint venture says it last year gathered 113 orders – all but one for ATR 72-600s, and including 30 freighters for US cargo carrier FedEx Express – plus 40 options. The sole ATR 42-600 commitment came from Japan Air Commuter. In 2016, ATR had won 36 orders.
LinkLHT to begin Max connectivity modifications mid-yearLufthansa Technik is to conduct connectivity modifications on Boeing 737 Max jets at its site in the Hungarian capital Budapest "from mid-2018". Without disclosing the identity of the first customer for which the work will be undertaken on "several" aircraft, LHT says the five-day modification includes the installation of a broadband antenna on the jet's external structure and of cabling, hardware and software in the cabin.
LinkSilver Airways firms ATR orderFlorida-based regional carrier Silver Airways has firmed its intention to take an initial batch of 20 ATR turboprops, from an LOI for up to 50 of the aircraft signed in August 2017. The airline will lease the aircraft from Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), which has placed an order with the Franco-Italian manufacturer for 12 ATR 42-600s and three ATR 72-600s. The remaining five aircraft for Silver—four ATR 42-600s and a single ATR 72-600—will come from an earlier order that NAC placed with ATR.
LinkWalsh: IAG eyes another possible A380 orderInternational Airlines Group (IAG) appears to be taking another serious look at a follow-on order for more Airbus A380s. “With the new order from Emirates, the issue regarding additional A380s is looking much better for us,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh told ATW.
LinkAerCap orders Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-TEN engines for up to 15 787sIrish lessor AerCap firmed an order with Rolls-Royce to power 10 forthcoming Boeing 787-9s with Trent 1000-TEN engines—a transaction valued at $450 million at list prices—the UK engine manufacturer said Jan. 22. AerCap will also option Trent 1000-TEN engine purchases for an additional five 787s. AerCap placed an order for 30 787-9 Dreamliners at the Paris Air Show in June 2017, an $8.1 billion investment that vaulted the Dublin-based lessor into being Boeing’s biggest 787 customer. As of Dec. 31, AerCap has taken delivery of 57 Dreamliner aircraft (16 787-8s and 41 787-9s), which are at present leased out to 12 customers. Beyond the 30 787-9s from the Paris Air Show order, AerCap has another 35 787s on backlog, including sale leasebacks.
LinkChina Eastern, XiamenAir urge cross-strait flight approvalChina Eastern Airlines and XiamenAir have called on Taiwan’s aviation authority (CAA) to reconsider approving 176 additional cross-strait flights for the upcoming Spring Festival Feb. 2-March 2.
LinkEmbraer nearing E190-E2 certificationBuoyed by better-than-expected flight-test performance, Embraer said it is just weeks away from finalizing certification of the E190-E2, the first of the company’s second-generation, re-engined single-aisle airliners to reach this stage.
LinkCEO: Air France-KLM plans fleet renewalAir France-KLM is planning to order new aircraft to update portions of the fleets of regional airline HOP!, Netherlands-based KLM and LCC Transavia, according to CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac.
LinkALC forecasts increased lease costs, rising interest rates The anticipated rise in interest rates, combined with strong underlying demand for aircraft will lead to higher lease rates, Air Lease Corp. (ALC) CEO John Plueger forecasts.
LinkPort Authority orders improved New York JFK emergency operations Stakeholders at New York JFK International Airport were told to implement new interim emergency operational measures “immediately” to avoid a repeat of the calamities seen at JFK Airport during and after the Jan. 4 winter storm, according to directives issued Jan. 18 by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). “What happened at JFK, as we have emphasized over the past two weeks, was unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen again,” Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton said. “[These] interim directives and protocols … are critical initial steps to ensure improved operations in future storms.”
LinkLibyan airport reopens after 5 days after deadly civil war clashesMitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, has reopened following a five-day suspension of flights amid fighting in the country’s civil war. Airport DG Lotfi Khalil said operations resumed Jan. 20 with Buraq Air flying to the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk and Libyan Airlines to Tunis, Tunisia. Government-owned Afriqiyah Airways has yet to resume operations, because its aircraft were damaged during fighting in which at least 20 people were killed, Khalil said.
Link MEM reports lower airfares, significant passenger growthSince 2012, the average airfare at Tennessee's Memphis International Airport has decreased by $181.29, leading to significantly higher numbers of passengers using the airport for their travels. "Passenger growth coupled with falling fares is a tremendous combination for Memphis. We're continuing to work hard to add flight options to help continue these trends," said Pace Cooper, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority.
LinkSouthwest Airlines among most-admired companiesFortune's list of 50 most-admired companies includes Southwest Airlines. To create the rankings, Fortune asked executives to choose companies from a preset list.
LinkHawaiian Airlines restores daily Portland, Ore.-Hawaii serviceHawaiian Airlines will bring back nonstop, daily service between Oregon's Portland International Airport and Hawaii's Kahului Airport. The airline is also introducing nonstop daily flights from Oakland, Calif., to Kauai and Los Angeles to Kona as part of its West Coast expansion.
LinkLighter magazine paper boosts fuel efficiency for United AirlinesUnited Airlines has started printing its magazine, Hemisphere, on lighter paper, lowering its weight by an ounce. The weight reduction will save the airline a projected 170,000 gallons of fuel per year.
LinkSurplus Kiowa Warriors to bolster Greek army fleetGreece should later this year complete the administrative work related to its planned acquisition of 70 Bell Helicopter OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed scouts formerly operated by the US Army. To be sourced via the US military's excess defense articles (EDA) programme, the reconnaissance helicopters, plus related weapons and other equipment, should be delivered from later this year. Initial operational capability with the type is expected during 2019.
LinkAirbus Helicopters sees orders and deliveries slip in 2017Airbus Helicopters recorded 409 deliveries in 2017, a slight fall on the 418 rotorcraft it handed over the previous year. Gross orders were 350 units, down from 388 in 2016, while net orders stood at 335, against 353 for the previous 12 months.
LinkAirbus Helicopters delays launch of X6 programAirbus Helicopters is pushing back the launch of its X6 heavy helicopter program, citing continued market uncertainty and the inability of suppliers to deliver "disruptive technologies" at present. Envisaged as a replacement for the current 11t-class H225 Super Puma, the airframer began a concept study phase for the X6 in 2015 which was expected to last around two years. At the time, service entry was foreseen around 2022-2023.
LinkBrazil signs option for third SAR-roled C295Brazil has exercised a contract option that will lead to it operating a three-strong fleet of Airbus Defence & Space C295 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft by 2020. Signed at the end of last year, the update "constitutes the firming of an option included in an earlier contract in 2014", the European airframer says. The previous commitment was for two of the adapted twin-turboprops – the first of which, registered 6550, was handed over in June 2017.
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