NewsCommercial
Boeing still expects MAX return to service in 2019
Boeing remains confident the Boeing 737 MAX will be cleared to fly in at least some parts of the world by year-end, even as it acknowledges that regulatory reviews of required changes are taking longer than its return to service timeline assumes.
That prediction came as Boeing reported top-line third-quarter revenue of $19.9 billion, down 21% from $25.1 billion in the year-ago period, largely thanks to the lack of MAX deliveries.
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Boeing to cut 787 production rate; 777X delivery slides to 2021
Weaker demand and program delays have created a perfect storm for Boeing’s widebody business, which continues to see downward pressure on 777 and 787 production rates and a slower-than-planned ramp-up of the 777X. The 787 production rate will be reduced from the 14 per month to 12 starting in late 2020, reflecting primarily a dearth of orders in recent years from China.
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Why the 737 Max crisis is the worst in Boeing’s 103-year history
Boeing remains the world's largest aerospace company by revenue, but its lead over number two Airbus shrank further on 23 October with a third quarter financial report riddled with challenges, among them tumbling revenue, the 737 Max crisis, 777X delays, a 787 production rate cut and unresolved KC-46A quality issues.
Those challenges come as the company faces the added test of balancing a heightened focus on safety and quality with Wall Street's ever-present profitability expectations.
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INSIGHT: Irkut MC-21-300 makes its first international flight
Russia’s new narrowbody jetliner, the Irkut MC-21-300, carried out its first international flight in autumn 2019. The aircraft was on display at the TEKNOFEST Aerospace and Technology Festival, held last September at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.
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Sabena and Airbus partner on ACJ missile protection
Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) and Sabena Technics revealed during NBAA that they are to co-operate in proposing self-protection systems (SPS) for Airbus corporate jets.
Starting with the ACJ320 family, each SPS would integrate an existing directional infra-red countermeasure (DIRCM) system with an Airbus corporate jet to provide protection against missiles fired from man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), the most widespread missile threat today.
LinkAirlines
JetBlue 3Q net income soars; Mexico City service to cease
JetBlue Airways will halt its daily flights to Mexico City and redeploy the capacity to focus on more profitable operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The changes come as JetBlue reported third-quarter net income of $187 million, up 268% from $50 million in the year-ago period on a 4% revenue gain to $2.1 billion.
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Bhutan’s Drukair receives ClearVision-equipped ATR 42-600
Bhutanese flag-carrier Drukair has taken delivery of its first ATR 42-600 turboprop, equipped with new avionics tailored to handle the challenging Himalayan environment.
The aircraft is equipped with the latest-generation Standard 3 avionics suite, which permits required navigation performance approaches to airfields with low visibility, as well as the ClearVision head-mounted sight system.
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Czech Airlines orders four A220s, upgrades A320neos to A321XLRs
CSA Czech Airlines has ordered four Airbus A220-300s and upgraded a previous order for three A320neos to A321XLRs.
The A220-300s will be fitted with 149 seats, while the A321XLR will offer a two-class layout with 195 seats.
“The A220 and A321XLR fit well with our long-term business strategy in terms of network expansion. These aircraft will definitely give Czech Airlines a competitive advantage and will increase the capacity of our regular flights,” board chairman Petr Kudela said.
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Moscow to be FlyArystan’s first international route
Air Astana’s LCC FlyArystan will launch its first international route with daily service between Kazakhstan’s capital and Moscow in December.
Flights between Nur-Sultan and Moscow Zhukovsky will begin Dec. 13, Air Astana president and CEO Peter Foster told ATW recently.
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Air New Zealand to launch New York route, cut LAX-London service
Air New Zealand plans to launch nonstop flights to New York and end its long-running Los Angeles-London service in October 2020.
The airline has previously discussed plans to add New York to its US gateways. In its latest announcement, the airline said it will operate 3X-weekly Auckland-New York Newark service using Boeing 787-9s from October next year. New York Newark is a hub for the carrier’s Star Alliance partner United Airlines.
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Brussels Airlines to downsize
Brussels Airlines is to implement a three-year downsizing strategy aimed at stemming losses and achieving sustainable profitability.
"The airline has grown a lot in recent years, but profit didn't follow," says the Lufthansa subsidiary. "We need to take a step back to enable us to grow in the future."
LinkAirports
Hamad International Airport unveils next phase of its development
Qatar's Hamad International Airport, one of the world's newest gateways having only opened in 2014, is to expand its concourses to raise its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum.
The expansion project will feature a spectacular 10,000sqm indoor tropical garden in a central concourse as well as a 268sqm water feature which will be the focal point of the expansion project.
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New poll reveals the world's best airports for a snooze
Airports located in ACI’s Asia-Pacific region have once again dominated Sleeping in Airports' annual survey for the best gateways to use, and take a nap in, in 2019, with Singapore Changi and Incheon taking the top spots.
According to the most recent passenger poll on the website SleepingInAirports.net, Tokyo Narita, Osaka-Kansai, Taiwan Taoyuan and Hong Kong also make the top ten of the most ‘sleep friendly’ airports in the world.
LinkMilitary
Boeing earns $1.2bil profit by relying on defence & services
Boeing squeaked out $1.2 billion in net earnings for the third quarter of 2019, despite a $40 million loss from operations in its commercial airplanes division.
The company was able to maintain a profit even though net earnings fell 53% from $2.3 billion for the third quarter in 2018, a large decline caused by the grounding of the 737 Max, the company disclosed in its financial filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 23 October.
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Delays mount to Taiwan F-16V upgrade
A programme to upgrade Taiwan’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds to the latest V-model standard is running behind schedule, leaving the country facing a capability gap.
Taiwanese defence minister Yen Teh-fa told the country's parliament earlier in October that so far, just four upgraded fighters have been handed back to the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF).
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Lockheed declares F-35 stealth coating ‘rock solid’
Lockheed Martin has defended both the stealth coatings of the F-35A and its efforts to boost the supply of spare parts, as it eyes the conclusion of three fighter campaigns in 2020 and lower operating costs.
While 2019 has been a relatively trouble-free year in the programme’s long history, reports have emerged regarding concerns about the durability of its low-observable coatings at high speeds, as well as continued issues with spare parts availability.
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Aviation Quote
Are you aware it is private property? Why you'll be asking be to bomb Essen next.
- British Secretary of State for Air Sir Kingsley Wood, regards plans to bomb the Black forest, 30 September 1939.
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