Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) is strengthening its already broad MRO capabilities with General Electric engines and will add the GEnx-1B type to its portfolio, following Air France-KLM’s decision to power its future Boeing 787-9 fleet with GEnx engines. In December 2011, Air France-KLM placed a firm order for 25 787-9s with Boeing, with another 25 on option. The airline now has revealed it simultaneously signed an agreement with ILFC for a further 12 787-9s on lease.
Lufthansa is moving closer a highly disruptive pilots strike after their union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), declared that further talks with management have failed to bring the parties together. VC wants its members to go on strike for three full days next week (April 2-4).
Taxes and airport surcharges are costing Canadian airports an estimated five million passengers a year--and Canada itself C$2.4 billion ($2.2 billion) in economic value--because Canadians cross the U.S. border and fly on lower-priced airline tickets out of nearby U.S. airports, a Montreal-based think tank’s study concludes.
Airbus is extending and broadening its industrial footprint in China, and is being rewarded with an initial conditional order for 70 more aircraft from China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS), the government’s central purchasing vehicle. The CAS order includes 43 A320-family aircraft and 27 A330s, fewer than some industry sources had indicated.
Following hard on the heels of questions on the availability of sufficiently trained crews for rapidly expanding Asian LCCs, an Indonesian Boeing 737-900ER recently landed hard enough to burst a tire, injure passengers and cause structural wrinkles in the airframe. Although the weather conditions were good the Lion Air aircraft bounced four times after initial touchdown at Surabaya, registering a maximum 3.8+G vertical deceleration on the last hit.
Boeing 747-8 operators are installing new engine electronic control (EEC) software as a precaution against possible in-flight deployment of the thrust reversers.
Okinawa-based carrier Japan Transocean Air (JTA) has selected Boeing 737-800s to replace its fleet of 737-400s. The carrier says it has reached a deal to order 12 of the -800s, and it has the option of converting them to 737 MAX orders at a later date. JTA operates 13 -400s on Japanese domestic routes. The carrier is part of the Japan Airlines Group, and is part-owned by JAL. JTA's 737-800s will be powered by CFM56-7 engines. Boeing says the aircraft will be fitted with the latest Performance Improvement Package, and will have the Sky interior.
Air Berlin and Etihad face serious opposition from some of their European rivals against the plan for closer integration and more control for the Gulf carrier. Senior industry sources tell Aviation Week that “airlines will definitely not accept” any new set-up that would be contrary to effective ownership and control mechanisms, and they’re confident Germany’s transport ministry will reject any solution to the growing Air Berlin crisis that is not on firm legal grounds.
All Nippon Airways has opted for Boeing’s 777-9X to replace most of the international component of its large 777 fleet. The carrier’s decision has been closely watched, as it has previously said that it would choose between the 777X and the Airbus A350. This was regarded as a key contract for Boeing to win, following rival Japanese carrier Japan Airlines’ decision last year to order Airbus A350s for its own 777 replacement needs.
Transaero Airlines is easing its dependence on Boeing aircraft for its short- and medium-haul network, signing a deal with China’s ICBC Leasing for six Airbus A321s to be delivered between July 2015 and March 2016. The aircraft will be operated under a long-term operating lease. Discussions with a lessor are underway for delivery of eight more A321 aircraft after March 2016, Transaero says while confirming it plans to take delivery of 30 A321s within the next five years.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of March 26, 2014, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
By R. W. "Bob" Mann / R.W. Mann & Company The Malaysian flight 370 tragedy, and particularly the problem of locating the aircraft to determine its cause, is a classic case of failure to use readily available off-the-shelf technology, and the implications of that lack of foresight. Following the Air France 447 tragedy, there were calls to stream complex and data-intensive Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder information, but that effort stalled over satellite capacity, costs and privacy issues.
Across-the-board declines in AAR Corp’s commercial aviation services segments last quarter underscore the motivation behind the company’s broad diversification strategy, even as the global aftermarket shows signs of recovery. AAR’s aftermarket sales dipped 10% to $368 million in the carrier’s fiscal second quarter, which ended February 28. Several major sub-units, including airframe maintenance, landing gear overhaul, engineering services, and parts sales were notably down. The reasons behind the declines vary, AAR executives say.
Japan Airlines is on track to record a hefty 148 billion yen ($1.4 billion) profit for its fiscal year ending March 31, although the carrier expects a tougher financial environment over the next 12 months. The current fiscal year projection is unchanged from its last update on Jan. 31, when the airline raised its guidance by 20 billion yen. However, JAL forecasts a smaller profit of 115 billion yen for the following fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.
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SpeedNews 2nd Annual Aerospace Manufacturing Conference Registration Open April 1-2, 2014 The Battle House Renaissance Mobile, Alabama Supported by ATI Click here to view the pdf
