NewsCommercial
Brazil president approves Boeing-Embraer deal
The office of Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro said he would not block Boeing’s proposed purchase of 80% of Embraer’s commercial business.
“The president was informed that the various scenarios had been thoroughly assessed and that the final proposal preserved sovereignty and national interests,” the presidency said. “Given this, the Golden Share will not be exercised to the business.”
Link
US aviation industry outlines ‘real damage’ of government shutdown
Several dozen groups representing a broad swath of the US aviation on Jan. 10 issued the most comprehensive warning yet of the rising “human and economic consequences” to aviation from the ongoing partial US government shutdown, now in its 20th day.
Link
Enders to British lawmakers: ‘Allow for an orderly, agreed Brexit’
Airbus CEO Tom Enders has called on British Parliamentarians to quickly agree on an orderly exit from the European Union (EU).
In a swansong speech in London on Jan. 9 as he prepares to hand over the reins to his replacement, Guillaume Faury, Enders warned that with less than three months to go before Brexit, the future shape of Britain’s relationship with the EU remained “extremely unclear,” and called upon politicians “from all sides to come together and pass a pragmatic agreement that allows an orderly Brexit.”
Link
Italy, Germany strikes start off 2019 with delays, cancellations
The year 2019 looks set to be another year characterized by flight delays and cancellations caused by industrial action across Europe, at least on the airport and air traffic control (ATC) side.
Hundreds of flights are being affected in Germany because of a Jan. 10 strike by airport security workers at three key hubs, and disruption will spread to Italy a day later when the country’s air traffic controllers stop working for four hours.
Link
ANALYSIS: Big two airframers break output records but orders fall
Airbus and Boeing enjoyed another healthy rise in airliner output during 2018, to over 1,600 aircraft. Sales also remained strong – at 1,640 net orders – although this represented an almost 20% decline on the previous year.
Boeing was ahead of its European rival by both measures last year, setting a new industry delivery record of 806 aircraft and securing 893 net orders. Airbus's tally was 800 deliveries and 747 net orders.
Link
Trent 1000s start receiving approved redesigned blades
Rolls-Royce has started installing a redesigned intermediate pressure compressor blade design on certain Trent 1000 engines, following approval from European and US regulators.
The new blades, for the Package C version of the Boeing 787 powerplant, have obtained European Aviation Safety Agency and US FAA certification.
Link
ANALYSIS: Asia-Pacific December 2018 deliveries report
Asia-Pacific airlines took delivery of 113 of the 221 new airliners delivered during the last month of 2018, well ahead of North America and Europe, where each region took 37 new aircraft.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that December was the year’s biggest month for deliveries as airframers rushed to meet full-year delivery targets.
LinkAirlines
Air France-KLM to close Joon affiliate, signs cabin crew labor deal
Air France-KLM has confirmed it will close down Joon, the LCC hybrid sister airline to Air France, and absorb its employees and aircraft into the mainline carrier.
In a Jan. 10 statement, Air France-KLM conceded that the Joon brand was “difficult to understand from the outset for customers, for employees, for markets and for investors.”
Link
Emirates SkyCargo, Avianca deepen partnership
Emirates SkyCargo is deepening its cooperation with Avianca to assist the Colombia-based carrier in transporting cargo from Latin America across its network in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
In return, Avianca will strengthen the Dubai-based cargo carrier’s South American market.
Link
Lufthansa Group reports 2018 passenger record
Lufthansa Group carried 142 million passengers in 2018—a record for the Germany-based company—despite thousands of canceled summer flights and delays.
With more than 1.2 million flights, load factor rose 0.4 points to 81.4% year-over-year (YOY), its highest ever.
Link
EasyJet inks A319 sale-leaseback deal in neo fleet transition
UK LCC easyJet has signed a sale-and-leaseback deal with Willis Lease Finance on 10 Airbus A319s, in order to reduce the costs and risks associated with transitioning to an A320neo-family fleet.
Willis said Jan. 8 it would provide a “tailored solution” that will “support easyJet in the fleet management of its existing aircraft as it introduces the latest generation of Airbus A320neo-family aircraft.”
Link
Frontier pilots ratify five-year labor contract
Denver-based ultra-LCC Frontier Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), ratified a five-year contract worth more than $1 billion on Jan. 10.
According to ALPA, 77% of the 99.1% of pilots who cast ballots supported the agreement.
Link
Air Dolomiti CEO outlines fleet expansion plans
Air Dolomiti, a Lufthansa Group subsidiary, is gearing up for further growth as the Italy-based carrier prepares to expand its fleet from 12 to 17 regional aircraft over the next two years and possibly to 26 by 2024.
President and CEO Jörg Eberhart discussed his plans for the airline with ATW Jan. 9 during an Air Dolomiti special flight.
Link
Lufthansa sells stake in Nigerian ground handling firm
Germany’s Lufthansa Group has sold its 6% stake in Nigerian ground handling firm NAHCO.
The Lagos-based company said in a Jan. 7 statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange that Lufthansa had transferred all its 97.5 million shares, representing a 6% stake, to local firm Godsmart Nigeria Ltd. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Link
Air Canada closes Aeroplan loyalty programme purchase
Air Canada has closed its acquisition of the Aeroplan frequent flier programme, paying C$497 million ($376 million) to purchase the plan from marketing and analytics company Aimia.
The move, which had been in the works for months, brings Air Canada closer to its goal of launching a new in-house loyalty plan in 2020.
Link
Air Cote d'Ivoire to take A319neo after order switch
Airbus’s slack A319neo sales have been given a small lift following conversion of an Air Cote d’Ivoire order to the variant.
Air Cote d’Ivoire ordered a pair of A320neos in April 2016.
But Airbus’s latest backlog revision shows that the African carrier switched the aircraft to the smaller A319neo variant last month.
Link
Etihad Airways cancels A320neo order
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has cancelled orders for all 10 of its Airbus A320neo jets, the airframer’s latest backlog revision has revealed.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has been undertaking a restructuring effort including a review of its fleet and capacity requirements.
Link
LATAM continues to retreat from A350-1000
Latin American operator LATAM Airlines Group has converted another four A350-1000s to the -900, continuing its migration away from the larger A350 variant.
LATAM had originally ordered 27 A350-900s and its Brazilian division TAM received its first in 2015.
LinkAirports
Brisbane Airport earns top 10 ranking in OAG's punctuality league
Brisbane Airport (BNE) has ranked in the top 10 airports in the world within its category in this year’s OAG Punctuality League report.
The Punctuality League is based on 58 million flight records using full-year data from 2018 to create a ranking of the best on-time performance (OTP) for the world’s largest airports and airlines.
BNE ranked eighth in the Large Airports category (10-20 million departing seats per annum), with an OTP of 82.58%.
Link
VINCI Airports adds investment to increase airport capacity in Lisbon
VINCI Airports announces €1.15 billion of investments by 2028 for the extension of the Lisbon airport and for the opening of a new civil airport in Montijo, entirely financed by private funds.
Aeroportos de Portugal, a concessionaire of 10 airports in Portugal and a wholly-owned subsidiary of VINCI Airports, has signed an agreement with the Portuguese government stating the main principles for increasing the airport capacity of the region Lisbon.
Link
HKIA plans to renumber gates to tie in with Sky Bridge project
Boarding gates and parking stands at Hong Kong International Airport are to be renumbered in time for the Sky Bridge project.
A number of boarding gates and parking stands at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will be renumbered to tie in with the Sky Bridge that will connect the Terminal 1 and North Satellite Concourse (NSC). The renumbering is aimed to enhance the consistency and clarity of the wayfinding system of HKIA.
Link
Heathrow to employ new Multimobby vehicles to improve mobility
The new electric vehicles are able to carry up to seven passengers through the terminals quickly, efficiently and safely, improving mobility through the airport.
OmniServ, the UK’s leading airline and airport assistance services provider, and Heathrow Airport, are introducing a new multi-passenger electric vehicle – the Multimobby – which can carry up to seven people plus an operator through the airport’s terminal buildings quickly, efficiently and safely, in a move that will significantly enhance the assistance services provided to passengers with mobility issues or other disabilities.
LinkMilitary
Turkey refuses to cancel S-400 order, risking F-35 delivery again
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country would consider buying Raytheon-made Patriot missiles from the US government, but would not cancel its order of S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia as a condition of the deal.
The US State Department approved the possible sale of 80 Patriot MIM-104E missiles, 60 PAC-3 missiles and related equipment for $3.5 billion to Turkey in December 2018.
Link
USAF accepts Boeing KC-46A air tanker after years of delays
The US Air Force formally accepted the first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus air tanker and will receive delivery of the aircraft at McConnell Air Force Base, in Wichita, Kansas, in the next several weeks.
Boeing said that the USAF signed a DD Form 250, a material inspection and receiving report, on 10 January, officially ending years of missed delivery deadlines for the aircraft. The air tanker has been plagued with production issues that have cost Boeing billions of dollars in cost overruns and caused the US government to refuse delivery of the aircraft.
Link
PICTURE: UK F-35s, Typhoon update hit operational milestones
The UK has met its initial operational capability target for the Lockheed Martin F-35B, with nine examples assigned to the Royal Air Force's 617 Sqn now deemed "ready to be deployed on operations around the world".
Announced on 10 January, the Lightning programme development came less than one year after the UK's first short take-off and vertical landing aircraft arrived at RAF Marham in Norfolk. Seventeen examples have so far been delivered, including assets supporting pilot training and initial operational test and evaluation work in the USA, from a total UK programme commitment for 138 F-35s.
Link
Rafale deliveries hit target in 2018, says Dassault
Dassault met its objective to deliver a dozen new Rafales during 2018, with the company having supplied three-quarters of the fighters to export customers.
Nine Rafales were handed over in support of export deals, along with a trio of jets for the French military, Dassault confirmed in a financial update issued on 7 January. This was in line with its previous planning for 2018. Two updated Rafale Ms were also returned to French navy service during the year, after work to bring them to the latest F3 operating standard.
Link
Aviation Quote
Go-around power please.
- Captain Jim Collins, Air New Zealand 901, last recorded words. 28 November 1979.
Daily Video
Editor's Choice
Trivia
Aircraft Identification
1.
2.
3.
DELETED
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Air France-KLM conceded that the Joon brand was “difficult to understand from the outset for customers, for employees, for markets and for investors.”
ShanwickOceanic wrote:Air France-KLM conceded that the Joon brand was “difficult to understand from the outset for customers, for employees, for markets and for investors.”
In other words: "It was a stupid idea and we were the only ones too stupid to see that."
EasyJet inks A319 sale-leaseback deal in neo fleet transition
ShanwickOceanic wrote:That was the A319s they nobbled by having them drag the weight of two extra overwing exits around?
G222
