NewsSpohr: Lufthansa to reduce capacity expansion in 2018Lufthansa is forced to slow down its 2018 capacity expansion, as the airline struggles to find additional aircraft and discovers the build-up of low-fare unit Eurowings is taking longer than expected.
LinkParker: High fuel prices may affect American’s profit this yearAmerican Airlines, hampered by higher fuel prices, is setting up to have a “slightly off” year, but still expects to generate a profit that falls within its notional target range, CEO Doug Parker told attendees at this week's J.P. Morgan Global Aviation and Transportation Conference.
LinkJapan’s ANA, China’s Juneyao form codeshareJapan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has entered into a codeshare relationship with China’s Juneyao Airlines, taking advantage of the Star Alliance connecting partner program. Shanghai-based Juneyao became the first carrier to join Star through the connecting partner model in 2017. This program allows regional, low-cost or hybrid airlines to link to the alliance network without becoming a full member.
LinkAirbus leads 2018 new orders while Boeing dominates deliveriesAt the 2018 two-month mark, Airbus leads rival Boeing in new commercial aircraft orders with 60 firm bookings, valued at approximately $13.3 billion at list prices, compared to Boeing’s 47 new orders, valued at $10.1 billion. But Boeing is outpacing Airbus in commercial aircraft output, delivering 88 aircraft to 23 airlines and 10 leasing company customers, compared to Airbus’ 64 deliveries to 23 airlines and 10 lessors.
LinkNew carrier Air Belgium receives AOCA new Belgian airline—Air Belgium—with backing from a huge Chinese travel agency has received its air operator’s certificate (AOC) and plans to begin flying to China in April, beginning with a service to Hong Kong.
LinkUnited assumes ‘full responsibility’ for overhead bin pet deathChicago-based United Airlines assumed “full responsibility” for the death of a passenger’s dog on United flight 1284 from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport to New York LaGuardia Airport the evening of March 12. The French bulldog, housed in a soft-sided small pet carrier, had reportedly been placed in an overhead storage compartment at the insistence of a flight attendant. The animal apparently suffocated from oxygen deprivation during the flight.
LinkBOC Aviation eyes expansion as 2017 net profit up 40%Singapore-headquartered lessor BOC Aviation has announced a record $587 million net profit for the full year ended Dec. 31, 2017, marking a 40% increase on the prior year. BOC Aviation MD and CEO Robert Martin said the company ended the year “in its best condition ever, with liquidity, balance sheet and earnings outlook deliberately structured for expansion.”
LinkIAG board backs ambitious Level growthInternational Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh has said the board is keen to pursue the more ambitious of two possible plans for long-haul LCC Level. Speaking to ATW on the sidelines of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) Aviation Summit in Brussels last week, Walsh said the team had put forward two strategic plans to the IAG board. The first saw Level operating 15 aircraft by 2022, while the second had a 30-aircraft fleet.
LinkJetBlue in fleet negotiations with Bombardier, EmbraerJetBlue Airways is “deep in discussions” with Bombardier and Embraer to replace its Embraer E190s and has sought possible buyers for its regional-jet fleet to help finance a deal, but the airline’s executives caution against assuming a switch is imminent.
LinkFedEx plans $1B upgrade to transit hub in Tenn.FedEx Corp. plans to modernize a transit hub in Memphis, Tenn., and the project will include the construction of a sorting facility and a truck loading facility. The $1 billion project is expected to start construction in 2019, and work should be completed in 2025.
LinkHawaiian Airlines offers Elite Status Extension for top customersHawaiian Airlines' Elite Status Extension allows Pualani Platinum and Pualani Gold members on prolonged medical leave to extend their benefits for an additional year.
LinkAmerican Airlines to partner with chefs on new menu optionsAmerican Airlines will partner with Chef Sean Connolly on new business-class menus for flights departing from Auckland, New Zealand; and Sydney, Australia, and with Chef Jun Kurogi on business-class menus for flights departing from Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
LinkSmartLynx A320 engines shut down after touch-and-go impactEstonian investigators have indicated that both engines on a SmartLynx Airbus A320 shut down as it conducted an emergency approach after suffering damage during a touch-and-go exercise. The aircraft had been engaged in a training flight at Tallinn on 28 February, with seven occupants including an inspector from the Estonian civil aviation administration.
LinkAltimeter oversight caused Nauru 737 to go below safe altitudeNauru Airlines has enhanced pilot training in a range of navigation and approach areas after a serious incident involving a Boeing 737-300 that flew below the minimum descent altitude on a night approach to Kosrae on 12 June 2015. Due to several delays, the aircraft (VH-NLK), operating the carrier’s inaugural scheduled service from the Marshall Islands to Kosrae, reached the island at night in deteriorating weather conditions, says the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in its final report into the incident.
LinkPrecious metal spills from An-12 after load shift on take-offRussian investigators believe a load shift and detached door caused an Antonov An-12 freighter to lose some of its cargo of precious metals during take-off from Yakutsk. The aircraft – operated by a carrier identified as Nimbus – had taken off at 12:50 local time on 15 March, according to the eastern Siberia transport division of the federal Investigative Committee.
LinkCrews seldom train for take-off performance errors: inquiryDutch investigators probing a serious Boeing 737-800 take-off incident at Groningen have noted that pilots are seldom exposed to performance-related events during simulator training. The Dutch Safety Board found that the first officer had miscalculated the take-off weight, introducing a 10t error, which resulted in the Transavia aircraft's only becoming airborne 60m from the end of the runway.
LinkCathay to start boosting 777 economy seating densityCathay Pacific will start increasing the number of economy seats in its Boeing 777-300s and 777-300ERs next month. The first aircraft will enter the hangar in April, with the reconfiguration of six aircraft to be completed before the summer peak. The airline will adopt a 3-4-3 seating configuration in economy, up from the current 3-3-3 configuration.
LinkLufthansa achieves record full-year profit Lufthansa posted a 70% improvement in adjusted full-year EBIT to reach €2.97 billion ($3.68 billion) for 2017 after revenues were lifted by its acquisition of Air Berlin as well as gains from new pilot labor deals.. It achieved the record profit on a 12% rise in revenues to €35.6 billion, during a year in which it expanded the scope of its operations with various Air Berlin assets.
LinkJetBlue stands by A321LR amid talk of new Boeing modelThe chief executive of JetBlue Airways is not ready to discuss interest in Boeing's proposed New Mid-market Airplane (NMA), saying instead that the Airbus A321LR would be the ideal aircraft for a potential transatlantic expansion. "That's a bit further in the future," CEO Robin Hayes replies when asked if JetBlue would consider buying Boeing's proposed 757 and 767 replacement.
LinkOPINION: 737 will be a hard act to followWhen the first A320 was handed over three decades ago this month, few – Airbus included – would have put odds on deliveries reaching 1,000 aircraft, let alone the 8,000-mark recently passed. But more than a quarter of a century later, perhaps the greater surprise is that Boeing’s original short-haul twinjet has consistently seen off the threat from an all-new design half its age, and that it is still being pumped out in huge numbers.
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