Vietnam Airlines’ profits in 2017 exceeded its previous projections, as the airline continued to build its fleet through deliveries of new widebody jets.
Boeing HorizonX, which the airframer set up to pursue potentially disruptive ideas inside as well as outside the company, has flown a prototype electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) unmanned cargo aircraft. The eight-rotor cargo air vehicle (CAV), which can carry a payload of up to 500 lb., was designed and built in less than three months by a cross-company team. The prototype has completed initial flight tests at Boeing Research & Technology’s (BR&T) Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory in St Louis.
LYON, France—The Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne (DSNA) France’s air navigation service provider (ANSP), is expected to increase the use of cameras to improve safety on taxiways, aprons and runways—although plans to replace two conventional control towers with such systems have been dropped.
American Airlines has provided upbeat guidance for the upcoming release of its fourth quarter 2017 results, projecting higher unit revenue growth than previously projected. Dallas/Fort Worth-based American said its fourth quarter revenues per available seat-mile (RASM) will be up 5–6% year-over-year, up from previous guidance of 2.5–4.5% RASM growth. American’s fourth-quarter RASM performance may indicate the difficult revenue environment U.S. airlines have faced in recent years is easing.
NEW DELHI—India has approved 49% foreign direct investment in Air India, increasing the prospect of its successful strategic disinvestment. Foreign airlines currently are allowed to own up to 49% in an Indian airline, with the exception of Air India. “That restriction has now been lifted by the federal Cabinet,” a senior government official said.
BEIJING—Chinese airlines are likely to gradually introduce fare increases on 306 major domestic routes, following a relaxation in price controls by the civil aviation authorities. The carriers cannot instantly raise fares on all those routes, however, and when they do they will be limited to 10% increases in each half-year service-schedule period. Moreover, all of the affected markets are subject to strong competition, with no fewer than five airlines flying each route. So in many cases there may be little room to charge more.
BEIJING—China will soon order 184 Airbus A320 family aircraft, French President Emmanuel Macron said, as the manufacturer moves to increase output at its Chinese assembly line. Macron and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, encouraged Airbus and Chinese partners to explore further cooperation in relation to the A330, A350 and A380, according to a joint statement issued during the French president’s visit to China.
The AirAsia group is planning to launch an initial public offering (IPO) for shares in its Indian joint venture, part of the parent group’s efforts to seek new investors and monetize its holdings in various units.
Garuda Indonesia has achieved its aim of deferring the arrival of its remaining 737 MAX orders, with the next deliveries now scheduled for 2020. The carrier has already received its first 737-8 delivery, but under its revised plan the rest will arrive between 2020 and 2024, an airline spokesman told Aviation Daily. The aircraft are expected to arrive at the rate of up to 10 per year. Garuda placed orders for 50 737-8s in 2014.
Airbus has rolled out the first complete A330-based BelugaXL transport aircraft airframe as the firm pushes for the first flight of the airlifter by mid-2018.
Boeing claimed an industry record for its 2017 deliveries and has now out-delivered its main competitor Airbus for six years running, according to Randy Tinseth, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ vice president of marketing.
PARIS—Air France-KLM said group passenger traffic rose 5.6% in 2017 as it transported 98.7 million passengers across its Air France, KLM, Transavia and HOP! services.
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) is strengthening its Australian network with the resumption of service to Brisbane, reflecting an improvement in the market in 2017.
Airbus A330-900s are likely to be included in a big aircraft acquisition agreement expected to be announced on Jan. 9 during a visit to China by French President Emmanuel Macron.
