NewsCommercial
IATA: 2018 global air cargo demand harmed by year-end slump
Global air cargo demand weakened in 2018, pressured by a slowdown in freight volumes in the final months of the year.
Demand growth, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), grew 3.5% for the year, down sharply from the 9.7% growth rate recorded in 2017, according to IATA’s Air Freight Market Analysis. Analysts had expected a full-year growth rate of 4.1%.
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Brexit fears fail to trouble Airbus space business in the UK
While the long-term future of Airbus wing manufacturing in the UK may hang in the balance of Brexit, bosses at the company's UK Defence & Space unit are more sanguine about their prospects outside the EU.
UK Defence & Space chief executive Colin Paynter says Airbus Group head Tom Enders' recent warning that Brexit could force Airbus to move its commercial aircraft wing building business out of the UK was absolutely "correct and I would echo that", but tells FlightGlobal that his operation could better weather the storm of divorce.
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Global 7500 awarded European type certification
Bombardier has secured European type certification for the Global 7500, clearing the way for deliveries of the ultra-long-range business jet to begin in the region.
The aviation authority issued the validation on 6 February, three months after US certification was awarded for the 7,900nm- (14,200km)-range flagship, and seven weeks after the first example entered service.
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Airbus opens with order deficit after A380s and A220s cut
Airbus opened the year with a net deficit of orders following the cancellation of eight A380s by Qantas as well as five A220s intended for an executive operator.
No orders were recorded for January, which left the airframer with a net order deficit of 13 aircraft.
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Boeing partners SR Technics for Airbus MRO
Boeing has made a move towards servicing aircraft built by rival manufacturers, partnering with SR Technics for the maintenance of Airbus fleets.
The US airframer is bidding jointly with the Swiss MRO provider for a tender from IAG to provide component maintenance for Airbus A320s and A330s, two sources familiar with the matter have told FlightGlobal.
LinkAirlines
Norwegian widens losses in 2018; bullish on growth-to-profitability shift
LCC Norwegian will slash capacity and divest 13 additional aircraft this year in a bid to stem losses, which widened to NOK3 billion ($350 million) in the 2018 fourth quarter from NOK713 million in the year-ago period. Revenue in the fourth quarter grew to NOK9.7 billion, up 23.2% from NOK7.8 billion a year earlier.
Net loss for the full-year was NOK1.45 billion compared to a net loss of NOK299 million for 2017.
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EasyJet outlines post-Brexit ownership compliance plan
UK LCC easyJet has detailed the steps it has taken to Brexit-proof its operations and says it has a plan in place to ensure it meets European Union (EU) ownership and control regulations, regardless of whether or not airlines are given an adjustment period after the UK departs the bloc.
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Wamos Air steps in for grounded Turkmenistan Airlines on UK flights
Spanish charter and wet-lease carrier Wamos Air has been operating flights from the UK on behalf of Turkmenistan Airlines, which was recently suspended from flying to and from the European Union (EU) for safety reasons.
Turkmenistan Airlines has been attempting to charter flights while its EU operations are grounded, following a Feb. 4 EASA decision to suspend the carrier’s safety authorization “pending restoring of compliance with specific international aviation safety standards.”
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Cebu Pacific to decide on A330neo, 787 for possible widebody orders
Cebu Pacific Air has confirmed the Philippine LCC has begun the process for deciding on a new widebody aircraft order, a move it has often discussed in recent years.
Cebu sent out a request for information (RFI) late last year, an airline spokeswoman told ATW. While it is still studying all options, Cebu’s RFI is focused on the Airbus A330neo or Boeing 787.
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Spirit Airlines 4Q profit down 62.8% despite revenue increase
Boosted by higher fare and ancillary revenue, Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit Airlines posted a fourth-quarter (4Q) net profit of $92 million and saw revenue increase for the period, despite higher fuel and personnel costs.
The ultra-LCC’s 4Q net profit was down 62.8% compared to its 4Q 2017 $247 million net profit, which included a one-time, non-cash tax credit as a result of US tax reform legislation.
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ANALYSIS: Delta seizes opportunities with A220 introduction
Delta Air Lines introduced its first Airbus A220 today, ending what was an unexpectedly challenging road to becoming the North American launch operator of the type.
Nearly three years after ordering the A220-100, previously known as the Bombardier CS100, and nearly a year late - plus an extra week's delay for the US federal government shutdown - the Atlanta-based carrier placed the 109-seat aircraft in service between New York LaGuardia and both Boston and Dallas/Fort Worth on 7 February.
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Thai AirAsia X to fly to Brisbane from 25 June
Thai AirAsia X will launch four-times weekly services from Bangkok Don Mueang to Brisbane from 25 June, making it the first AirAsia-branded carrier to serve the Queensland capital.
FlightGlobal schedules data shows that the flights, which will be operated by Airbus A330-300s, will compete with Thai Airways International’s four weekly Boeing 777 services that fly to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport.
LinkAirports
London City CEO: Further drone incidents inevitable
Further unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, incidents at major airports are inevitable and the civil aviation sector must be prepared to deal with them, London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair said Feb. 7. The appearance of drones on Dec. 19, 2018 led to flights being halted at London Gatwick, the world’s busiest single-runway airport, for three days affecting 140,000 passengers who had their pre-Christmas flight plans severely delayed or canceled.
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Good year for Europe's Airports but capacity and Brexit concerns remain
ACI Europe today confirmed that 2018 was a good one for Europe's airports, which saw passenger numbers rise by 6.1% to 2.34 billion.
The new record means that passenger traffic across Europe has soared by 36% over the past five years.
The 2018 total equates to 136.6 million more people than in 2017, with Europe's top five airports (London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt and Istanbaul Atatürk) welcoming an additional 16.5 million passengers.
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LAWA launches incentive scheme to encourage "cleaner" vehicles at LAX
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is now accepting applications for a new voluntary incentive programme designed to help airport operators achieve compliance with LAWA's environmental policies and further improve the air quality surrounding Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The Zero & Near-Zero Emission Heavy-Duty Vehicle Incentive Program is for businesses operating at LAX looking to replace older, heavy-duty diesel-burning vehicles with new ones that emit very few or zero pollutants.
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Heathrow remains busiest airport in Europe, according to ACI figures
The European airport network grew by 6.1 per cent in 2018, bringing the total number of passengers using Europe’s airports to a new record of 2.34 billion, in new figures released by ACI.
LinkMilitary
Sikorsky stays defiant over SB-1 helicopter prospects
Sikorsky remains confident that the SB-1 Defiant helicopter it is jointly developing with Boeing can achieve a target speed of around 270kt (500km/h), even though the technology demonstrator is yet to leave the ground.
The US manufacturer insists that first flight is imminent – more than a year later than planned – with the fourth in a series of ground runs completed this week.
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Aviation Quote
Americans love rising-from-the-ashes stories. They love the underdog coming back. We're going to take a tarnished brand name and bring it back to a high degree of luster.
- Martin R. Shugrue Jr., President and CEO Pan American World Airways, 1996.
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