NEW DELHI—Air Works India Engineering is teaming up with Nepal’s Yaksa Investment to form Air Works Nepal, which will extend aviation maintenance services to international and domestic operators from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The joint venture reaffirms Air Works’ commitment to extend its presence to neighboring countries, says Vivek N. Gour, managing director of Air Works.
Most major U.S. airlines report they’re closely following Airbus’s proposal to launch a long-range version of the Airbus A321, but the carriers note it’s too early to discuss purchase plans.
The European Commission (EC) will start discussing with its members states the actions it could take to press the U.S. authorities to approve low-cost carrier (LCC) Norwegian’s application for a foreign air carrier license for its Irish subsidiary, Norwegian Air International (NAI).
Indonesian low-cost carrier (LCC) Lion Air has boosted its order for ATR 72-600s by 40 aircraft, which the manufacturer says makes Lion its largest-ever customer for the turboprop type. The new deal means Lion has ordered a total of 100 ATR 72-600s, including those already delivered. The carrier says the aircraft will be used to increase its regional network via its subsidiaries. Indonesian rival Garuda is also ramping up its ATR fleet to serve outlying domestic destinations.
The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) says its expects the first several truck convoys carrying the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 to begin arriving at the Gilze Rijen Air Base in the Netherlands the second week of December. The DSB, which is conducting three simultaneous investigations into the accident, plans to reconstruct a section of the aircraft at the air base.
Denim Air ACMI has been sold to its management by Panta Holdings and intends to launch scheduled services, complementing its current activities portfolio of Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) contract flying and ad-hoc charter operations.
LONDON—If new, devolved powers are introduced, the Scottish Parliament could have the right to decide the percentage of Air Passenger Duty (APD) rate levied on flights leaving Scottish airports. The move would be part of a wider package of measures suggested by the Smith Commission, launched by British Prime Minister David Cameron in the wake of the “No” vote in Scotland’s September independence referendum.
Azul Brazilian Airlines has signed a purchase agreement for 35 CFM-powered A320neo-family aircraft and is to lease a further 28 for long-haul domestic and high-density routes. The order comes on the eve of Azul’s U.S. launch, with the carrier poised to begin daily flights from São Paulo’s Viracopos/Campinas International Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Dec. 2. This service is the carrier’s first to the U.S.
Air France is in talks to upgrade its ATR fleet to the latest -600 variant and is looking to replace its Embraer ERJ-145s and Bombardier CRJ700s around 2020. The Air France regional operation comprises three airlines—Airlinair, Brit Air and Régional. Each has its own air operator’s certificates and fleet type, but they all fly under HOP! branding. Together, the three airlines operate a combined fleet of just under 100 aircraft. Airlinair has 24 ATRs--13 ATR 42-500s and 11 ATR 72-500s.
German railway company Deutsche Bahn is seeking more than €2.1 billion ($2.6 billion) in compensation from a group of cargo airlines that have already been fined for price fixing activities by the U.S. government and the European Commission, among others.
The U.S. NTSB has issued 18 recommendations to the FAA, Boeing and lithium-ion battery manufacturer GS Yuasa Corp. following its 23 month investigation into a 787 auxiliary power unit (APU) battery fire on a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 on the ground in Boston on Jan. 7, 2013. A second battery failure nine days later, on an All Nippon Airways 787 in flight over Japan, led to an FAA airworthiness directive on the main and APU batteries (which have identical designs) and grounding of the nascent fleet of 50 aircraft.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Tony Tyler has reiterated long-lasting calls on European policymakers to deliver a Single European Sky (SES), while vowing that IATA “will never give up” pushing for the overhaul of the continent’s air traffic control (ATC) system.
BEIJING—China’s three largest airlines have ordered or are negotiating deals for more than 100 commercial aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, including re-engined types from the European manufacturer, industry officials say. In contrast to the usual style of Chinese airliner orders as a new economic planning period approaches—in this case, the 2016-20 five-year plan—the deals that have been concluded or are under negotiation appear to be quite fractured, covering mostly small quantities of each aircraft type.
