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EASA mandates more frequent A330 engine inlet inspections
Operators of Rolls-Royce-powered Airbus A330s face more frequent inspections of engine inlet cowls following a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandate based on revised recommendations from the aircraft manufacturer.
The checks, first mandated in September 2011, focus on acoustic panels that line the inlet’s inner surface. Two cases of collapsed inlets linked to disbonding triggered the initial inspection requirements.
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EU, Qatar reach ‘milestone’ air agreement
The European Union (EU) and Qatar have finalized negotiations on a “comprehensive air services agreement” aimed at ensuring transparency and fair competition between the Gulf nation and the 28-country bloc.
The draft agreement, which has been in the works for more than eight years, was reached Feb. 5. A formal initialing of the draft will take place soon, then it will go to the individual nations of the European bloc for their assent. Final agreement is likely to take more than six months.
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Boeing to help Aerion develop AS2 supersonic jet
Boeing has become the latest – and biggest – aerospace company to partner with supersonic business jet developer Aerion.
The world’s biggest aircraft manufacturer is to provide “financial, engineering and industrial resources”, as well as help with flight testing, to the Reno, Nevada-based firm, which is aiming to fly its AS2 prototype by June 2023, the 20th anniversary of the retirement of Concorde.
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VIDEO: Boeing 747 keeps rolling, 50 years after first flight
People said it would never fly. Too expensive, too ambitious, too big.
Boeing proved them all wrong.
The 747 not only flew – lifting off for the first time 50 years ago, on 9 February 1969 – it prospered and endured, and in the process secured archetypal status as the quintessential jumbo jet.
LinkAirlines
Austrian Airlines likely sold Alliance Airlines stake to Qantas
Austrian Airlines sold its remaining 8.31% stake in Australian carrier Alliance Airlines on the same day that Qantas announced it had taken a 19.9% stake in the Brisbane-based charter specialist.
Disclosures to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) show that Austrian sold 10 million shares on 1 February, but did not disclose the buyer nor the price achieved in the transaction. That is over half the 19.2 million shares in Alliance that changed hands on that day, ASX charts show.
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Cebu Pacific targets to boost ancillary revenue
Cebu Pacific Air is targeting up to a 10% increase in ancillary revenue over the next three years, and has set up a new team to focus on driving that business.
Close to 20% of the airline’s revenue now comes from ancillary sales, and the aim is for the figure to hit 26-30% over the next three years, the airline’s vice-president of marketing and distribution Candice Iyog tells FlightGlobal.
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Turkish Cargo reveals date to begin operations at Istanbul Airport
From the 2 March 2019, operations at Istanbul Airport will begin for Turkish Cargo, adding another Turkish airport for the company’s portfolio.
Providing services to 124 countries worldwide, and with the title of the fastest growing air cargo brand in the world, Turkish Cargo will now also be offering its high quality services from Istanbul Airport, thus carrying out its operations simultaneously at both Istanbul Airport and Ataturk Airport as of the 2 March 2019.
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New Cargo Airline, CargoLogic Germany, joins BARIG
CargoLogic Germany, a cargo airline that is in the process of being established, is now a member of the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG). The association, based at Frankfurt Main Airport, represents the interest of more than 120 airlines to airport operators, politicians, authorities and other institutions.
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Germania files for bankruptcy, ceases operations after funding efforts fail
German leisure carrier Germania filed for bankruptcy Feb. 4 and halted flight operations the same evening following months of increasing financial difficulties.
“Unfortunately, we ultimately did not succeed in concluding our financing efforts to cover our short-term liquidity requirements,” CEO Karsten Balke said in a statement. “We regret that as a consequence there was no other option than filing for insolvency.”
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WestJet ends 2018 with 67% drop in net profit on higher costs
Canadian LCC WestJet reported 2018 fourth-quarter net earnings of C$29.2 million, down 39% year-over-year (YOY). Quarterly revenue increased 6% to C$1.2 billion, while operating costs of $1.1 billion rose 9%. Quarterly operating margin fell 2.8 points to 4.1%. RASM was C14.72 cents, while all-in unit costs rose 3.7% to C14.11 cents. The airline’s per-liter fuel cost 20% to C83 cents per liter. Non-fuel and profit-sharing costs, or CASM-ex, were up 0.3% to C10.29 cents.
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SkyWest 2018 net profit down 35%; revenue up on fleet renewal
With the sale of its ExpressJet Airlines subsidiary and a continuing fleet upgrade, SkyWest Inc. is looking toward more focused operations in 2019.
The sale of regional carrier ExpressJet to ManaAir LLC, a new company with United Airlines as a minority stakeholder, was completed Jan. 22. That leaves SkyWest with its regional SkyWest Airlines subsidiary and its leasing business.
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Austrian sells final 8.3% stake in Brisbane-based Alliance Airlines
Austrian Airlines has sold its remaining 8.31% stake in Brisbane, Australia-based charter and regional carrier Alliance Airlines, according to a notice to the Australian Securities and Exchange Commission, dated Feb. 1.
An Austrian Airlines spokesperson told ATW, “We can confirm that we sold our remaining shares in Alliance Airlines,” declining to give more details.
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Stobart Air to operate KLM Cityhopper flights to Amsterdam
Ireland-based capacity provider Stobart Air—the airline involved in an attempted Virgin Atlantic-led takeover of UK regional operator Flybe—has won a contract to operate flights to Amsterdam Schiphol on behalf of KLM Cityhopper.
The move is interesting because Air France-KLM has agreed to acquire a 31% stake in Virgin Atlantic, which is seeking to boost feeder traffic to its long-haul network through its proposed acquisition of Flybe.
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EASA suspends Turkmenistan Airlines on safety grounds
Central Asian carrier Turkmenistan Airlines appears to be attempting to charter flights to cover services from the European Union, which were suspended Feb. 4 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on safety grounds.
According to Birmingham Airport's website, the Feb. 5 evening flight to Ashgabat—which the airline had hoped to charter an alternative flight—was ultimately canceled.
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GoAir A320 crew shut down wrong engine after birdstrike
Indian investigators have disclosed that the crew of a GoAir Airbus A320 shut down the wrong engine after experiencing powerplant vibrations following a birdstrike on take-off.
The aircraft (VT-GOS) had been departing runway 09 at Delhi, bound for Mumbai, on 21 June 2017.
LinkAirports
Chicago considers public feedback before announcing O'Hare design team
Five teams are in the running to design a state-of-the-art new terminal at Chicago O'Hare as part of Mayor, Rahm Emanuel's $8.5 billion O'Hare 21 vision for the gateway.
The five design teams comprise Fentress-EXP-Brook-Garza Joint Venture Partners; Foster Epstein Moreno Joint Venture Partners; Santiago Calatrava LLC; Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM); and Studio ORD Joint Venture Partners.
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Northern lights inspired artwork comes to Portland International Airport
A new artwork inspired by the Northern Lights is now surprising and delighting passengers at Portland International Airport (PDX).
For the artwork, called Portaurora, changes colour and plays different sounds every time it is approached.
Designed by Sticky Co, a Portland and Amsterdam-based artist team, the new, fun addition to the Oregon gateway is located in Concourse D.
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NATS trialling the use of artificial intelligence to reduce delays at Heathrow
Air traffic management operator, NATS, has begun a trial to understand whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be used to help reduce flight delays.
A project is now underway, within NATS’ bespoke Digital Tower Laboratory, at Heathrow Airport to test whether a combination of ultra HD 4K cameras along with state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technology can be used to help improve the airport’s landing capacity in times of low visibility and improve punctuality.
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New Self-bag-drop Installation at Montréal-Trudeau Airport
Canada’s Montréal-Trudeau Airport (YUL), has announced the introduction of an automated baggage handling system called Air.Go from Materna intelligent passenger solutions (ips).
A total of 16 self-bag-drop kiosks have been in operation at YUL since November 2018. Materna ips installed the kiosks and is contracted to provide operational support for the next three years.
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Report finds Australia's airport regulation appropriate
Australia’s Productivity Commission has found that the country’s major airports have not abused their market power, and has not recommended major changes to how airlines and airports negotiate their charging regimes.
The commission’s draft report from its inquiry into the economic regulation of airports states that Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth airports do have market power, but “have not systematically exercised their market power to the detriment of the community.”
LinkMilitary
US Army upbeat on future armed scout contest
US Army officials say they are pleased with the quality of the bids so far received under its future attack reconnaissance aircraft (FARA) programme, with an initial contracting decision anticipated by mid-year.
Declining to be drawn on the number of competing submissions, Brig Gen Walter Rugen, the army's director future vertical lift cross-functional team, says that it anticipates, no later than June, awarding "up to six" contracts for the next development stage.
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Design issues delay badly needed Combat Rescue Helicopter
Design and manufacturing issues have delayed the first test flight of the US Air Force’s Combat Rescue Helicopter, the Sikorsky HH-60W, and threaten to postpone the start of low-rate production.
The USAF wants HH-60Ws produced and deployed as soon as possible because its 96 HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters have exceeded their expected service lives of 6,000h of flight. As of last August, those helicopters had logged an average of 7,100h of flight, according to a US Government Accountability Office report.
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UK military studies high-speed helicopter benefits
The UK Ministry of Defence intends to complete a study later this year that will determine the future requirements for its medium- and heavy-lift helicopter fleets, opening up the possibility of an acquisition of high-speed designs.
Under an operational analysis study, due to conclude by mid-2019, the defence ministry will look to establish the size of its future inventory and the capabilities of the rotorcraft within it.
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Aviation Quote
Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?
- Captain Oveur, from the 1980 movie 'Airplane.'
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