NewsChina Southern creates Yunnan territory baseChina Southern Airlines has set up a branch company in the southwestern Chinese province Yunnan, a stronghold of rival China Eastern Airlines. Eight new China Southern domestic routes from Yunnan will be opened in March and a service to Islamabad, Pakistan, from provincial capital Kunming will begin in June, the carrier said.
LinkEmbraer CEO: Boeing JV outcome still uncertain Boeing, Embraer, and other potential stakeholders are working to wrap up joint venture (JV) talks involving the two aircraft manufacturers "very soon," Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar Silva said.
LinkVietStar targets 2018 launch for LCC serviceHo Chi Minh City-based VietStar Airlines is hoping to launch LCC operations this year, pending government approval. The carrier intends to begin operations with five leased Boeing 737-800s, according to VietStar Aero Engineering commercial director Trinh Quoc Cuong. The company plans to expand to up to 15 aircraft by 2020, Cuong said on the sidelines of Aviation Week’s MRO East Asia conference.
LinkRyanair formally recognizes Italian pilots unionRyanair has signed a union recognition agreement with Italian pilots union ANPAC, continuing the formalization of the airline’s decision to recognize unions across Europe. In December, Ryanair gave in to pressure to change its long-standing policy and agree to recognize unions after a flight cancellations crisis sparked by the airline’s mishandling of its pilots roster threw Ryanair’s uneasy relationship with its workforce into the open.
LinkVirgin Atlantic rolls out competitive response to long-haul LCCsVirgin Atlantic plans to offer hand luggage-only economy fares and remove six seats from its Boeing 787s for an extra-legroom product as a response to increased competition from long-haul LCCs like Norwegian.
LinkNokScoot to boost fleet composition with 737sThailand-based LCC NokScoot intends to add its first Boeing 737s this year, which will allow the carrier to downgauge some of its lower-demand widebody routes. At present, NokScoot operates four Boeing 777-200s.
LinkBrazil’s GOL reports 2017 net profit down 66% on deferred taxesSão Paulo-based LCC GOL reported a BRL378.2 million ($114 million) net profit for 2017, a 65.7% drop from BRL1.1 billion in 2016 net income, as the company paid BRL547 million in deferred income taxes during the year. GOL’s full-year revenue totaled BRL10.6 billion, up 7.2% year-over-year (YOY) driven by a 3.6% increase in passenger traffic and 4.8% higher stage-lengths, despite a 7% rise in average airfares. Cargo and other revenue (including excess baggage fees) increased 16.2% related, GOL said, to improvements in Brazil’s economy seen in the latter half of the year.
LinkTurkish commits to 60 widebodies after inking A350 and 787 deals Turkish Airlines has struck deals covering orders for 25 Airbus A350-900s and another 25 Boeing 787-9s, paving the way for deliveries to begin next year. The deals also include five options on both types, taking the overall widebody commitment to 60.
LinkAmerican Airlines to retire 45 of its oldest Boeing 737sOver the next two years, American Airlines will retire 45 of its oldest Boeing 737 jets to offset new aircraft deliveries. Since 2013, the carrier has received 469 new planes and retired the same number of older aircraft, reducing the average age of the fleet to 10 years.
LinkUnited Airlines reports improved Feb. performanceUnited Airlines saw its February revenue passenger miles increase 5.7% over February 2017 to 14.75 billion. The airline's total capacity was up 3.8% for the month and its load factor increased 1.4 points to 78.1%.
LinkSouthwest Airlines to add 5 new nonstop routesOn Oct. 3, Southwest Airlines will add new nonstop service from Houston's William P. Hobby Airport to Columbus, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky; as well as between Denver and Memphis, Tenn. The carrier will also add Sunday nonstop service between Oklahoma City and Nashville, Tenn.; and Denver and El Paso, Texas.
LinkSouthwest reports higher traffic, capacity, load factorSouthwest Airlines reported a 3.5% increase in revenue passenger miles and a 1% increase in available seat miles for February. The airline's load factor for the month was 81%, a new February record.
LinkIndia to require 1,750 new aircraft over next 20 years: Airbus Airbus has forecast that India's airlines will need 1,750 new passenger and freighter aircraft valued at $255 billion by 2038 to keep pace with the surging demand. The European airframer released the updated forecast at the Wings India air show in Hyderabad, which is up from the 1,600 valued at $224 billion released in 2016.
LinkWhy Rolls-Royce must hope class is permanentRolls-Royce, so long a byword for engineering excellence, is currently struggling to maintain its image as a finely-calibrated machine. Compressor and turbine blade durability issues – particularly on the lucrative Trent 1000 powering the Boeing 787 – have conspired to deliver an almighty headache for the UK-based propulsion specialist.
LinkPratt upbeat about PW1100G performance dataPratt & Whitney does not foresee any new issues to the PW1100G geared turbofan engine and is confident of future orders for the powerplant. Speaking at the Wings India air show in Hyderabad, a source close to developments says that airline data offers hope that no new, major issues will crop up.
LinkArmy orders 35 more UH-72A Lakotas from AirbusAirbus Helicopters announced that it received a $273 million contract from the US Army to deliver 35 more UH-72A Lakotas. The helicopters will be used as training aircraft, and will be split between the initial entry rotary wing mission at Fort Rucker, Alabama, which will receive 17 aircraft, and the observer and controller mission at the Army’s combat training centers, which will receive 18 aircraft.
LinkRiyadh advances on repeat Typhoon orderSaudi Arabia could be set to acquire a follow-on batch of 48 Eurofighter Typhoons, pending the conclusion of government-to-government discussions with the UK disclosed on 9 March. "The UK government has signed a memorandum of intent with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to aim to finalize discussions for the purchase of 48 Typhoon aircraft," BAE says. The Royal Saudi Air Force already has acquired 72 of the European type, with deliveries under its Project Salam acquisition having concluded last year.
LinkCrunch time for T-X trainer biddersWhen discussing the stakes of the competition to build 350 new advanced training jets for the US Air Force, the bidders prefer not to frame the outcome in stark “do-or-die” terms.
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