UK regional carrier Flybe is planning to phase out its entire fleet of 14 Embraer E-195s from its UK scheduled operations and is seeking 16 additional aircraft, as it shifts to a turboprop-focused fleet after a £150 million ($250 million) capital increase.
Airbus and the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding in an effort to enable a sustainable growth in air transport.
Premium air travel in international markets grew 4.2% in 2013, a 0.6 point slide from 2012’s 4.8% growth, “[but] while this is a slowdown … growth has picked up over recent months, reflecting improvements in the business environment,” according to IATA’s December Premium Traffic Monitor.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it “has not identified any anomalies” with the United Parcel Service (UPS) Airbus A300-600 freighter that crashed on approach to Birmingham, Ala., Airport (BHM) on Aug. 14, 2013.
The European Commission has adopted new guidelines on state aid for airports and airlines aimed at ensuring good regional connectivity, but also minimizing competition distortion in the single market.
Air France-KLM will take a $100 million stake in Brazilian low-cost carrier (LCC) GOL as the Franco-Dutch group seeks to increase its interests in South America.
Middle East lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is considering reinventing itself as a widebody specialist and may be in the market for more aircraft in 2014.
Kuwait Airways has firmed an order for Airbus 25 aircraft, including 10 A350-900s and 15 A320neo family aircraft as part of the airline's fleet renewal strategy.
On the back of significant sales at the Singapore Airshow, Airbus is investing serious money back into the Asian region with a swathe of support and infrastructure deals valued at some $70-$80 million.
Airbus said its Puerto Real plant in Cádiz, Spain is leading a project to expand the automation of its assembly processes with the use of two armed humanoid robots to perform repetitive tasks.
SunExpress, a joint-venture subsidiary of Lufthansa and Turkish Airline, has placed a firm order for 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 25 737-800. The order, valued at more than $3.8 billion at list prices, also includes options for 10 additional MAX 8s.
Budget carrier Norwegian is playing down reports that it might buy into US carriers if its newly-formed Irish arm fails to secure a permit for transatlantic operations.
Australian government comments that it is “looking closely" at the Qantas Airways’ financial position and “actively considering the issue” of a relaxation of ownership controls or debt relief have prompted a public lash back from rival Virgin Australia.
