NewsSichuan Airlines to launch five intercontinental routesSichuan Airlines plans to open five intercontinental routes this year as the Chengdu-based carrier accelerates its international expansion pace. Chairman Li Haiying told Chinese local media that the five routes, all originating from Chengdu, will go to Zurich, Copenhagen, Boston, Cairo and Tel Aviv. They have all received regulatory approval and expect to launch beginning in May.
LinkAirberlin administrator seeks more than $1.25 billion in claims against EtihadAirberlin’s insolvency administrator Lucas Floether is nearing a decision on making claims in excess of €1 billion ($1.25 billion) against former shareholder Etihad Airways as he seeks to satisfy as many creditor demands as possible.
LinkHawaiian signs for 10 787-9s and cancels A330-800 orderHawaiian Airlines has signed a letter of intent to purchase 10 Boeing 787-9s, and it has cancelled its order for six Airbus A330-800s, the company says. The news marks a major fleet shift by Hawaiian, but one that had been widely anticipated by industry observers.
LinkAirbus philosophical over loss of sole A330-800 orderAirbus insists the A330-800 still has prospects despite cancellation of the only order for the type, following Hawaiian Airlines' decision to introduce Boeing 787-9s. Hawaiian had six A330-800s on order but was the sole remaining customer following a previous cancellation of four -800s destined for TransAsia Airways before its collapse.
LinkCathay's first A350-1000 rolls out of paint shopCathay Pacific’s first Airbus A350-1000 has rolled out of the paint shop in Toulouse. The Hong Kong carrier expects to take delivery of the first of its 20 -1000s on order in the middle of the year.
LinkMore A380s of interest to IAG but prices 'ridiculous': chiefIAG chief executive Willie Walsh is interested in purchasing more Airbus A380s but "wouldn't waste 10 seconds on it" based on prices he has seen. "We're always open to offers from Airbus," Walsh said in Brussels today. "We're not negotiating – we've said very clearly to Airbus, if they want to sell A380s they need to be aggressive on pricing."
LinkCebu Pacific still optimistic on long-haulCebu Pacific Air is still optimistic on long-haul low-cost and confident that the model can work on certain routes, despite pulling out of three long-haul routes last year. The Filipino low-cost carrier stopped services to Riyadh, Kuwait and Doha in mid-2017 following a substantial oversupply of seats that drove down fares, making the routes “unsustainable”.
LinkEASA details proposed CFM56 blade checks on 737sEuropean safety specialists are proposing a check on fan blades on CFM International CFM56 engines fitted to Boeing 737s. The checks follow an incident in which a blade failed on a CFM56-7B powerplant, the result of a fracture in the fan-blade dovetail.
LinkRolls-Royce takes hit on 787 and A380 blade flawsRolls-Royce has recognised a charge of £227 million ($315 million) in its full-year results relating to costs associated with addressing in-service technical issues on Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 engines. The charges offset an increase in underlying revenues, up 12% to £3.8 billion, as the company delivered 483 large aircraft engines – a rise of 126 on the previous year – and generated a one-third increase in civil aerospace profit to £520 million.
LinkGerman military wrestles with aircraft availabilityGermany is struggling to maintain the operational readiness of its military aircraft inventory, as obsolescence issues and challenges around the introduction of new platforms combine to diminish front-line availability. Helicopters, in particular, are singled out for their low deployability rates by the German defence ministry's latest annual report into the readiness levels of all the major weapons systems operated by its armed forces.
LinkSuper Hornet upgrade takes off with life-extensionBoeing is to advance a planned service-life extension program for the US Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, with the company having been contracted to perform work on an initial four aircraft. To begin in April at Boeing's St Louis site in Missouri, the modernisation will initially focus on extending airframe life from 6,000h to 9,000h. However, the work will be combined with a wider upgrade for the Super Hornet which is intended to maintain its combat effectiveness until at least into the 2030s.
LinkASL Airlines France will launch twice-weekly Paris CDG-Tel Aviv seasonal Boeing 737-700 service from July 3-Aug. 30.
Russia’s
UTair Aviation will launch daily Kaluga-Moscow ATR 72 service March 7 and on April 1 will add 3X-weekly ATR 72 flights to Saint Petersburg; 2X-weekly service to Sochi; and weekly flights to Krasnodar and Mineralnye Vody.
Turkish Airlines began twice-weekly Istanbul-Freetown, Sierra Leone Boeing 737-900ER service.
Delta Air Lines will launch Cleveland (CLE)-Salt Lake City (SLC) Airbus A319 service from July 8.
Delta Connection carrier
Endeavor Air will begin 6X-weekly Chattanooga, Tennessee-New York LaGuardia Bombardier CRJ900 service from July 9.
