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Leading U.S-based aircraft leasing company Air Lease reveals that it has been in early discussions with Airbus and Boeing on advanced future concepts for a 200- to 250-seat, small twin-aisle aircraft which would have trans-Atlantic range.
Thai flag carrier Thai Airways International (Thai) has signed up with Airbus’s Smarter Fuel Efficiency (SFE) system in an effort to squeeze the last drop of mileage out of its aircraft. “Smarter Fuel Efficiency will serve the objective of efficiently monitoring fuel consumption and maximizing the utilization and reliability of our fleet,” said Captain Montree Jumrieng, executive vice president, technical department at Thai.
Maintenance providers are under-represented in FAA’s push to leverage safety-related data as part of risk oversight—a trend that the agency is willing to dedicate resources to change, says FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety (AVS) Peggy Gilligan.
Air Berlin is quietly preparing a major announcement regarding its structure next week, and is trying to convince the German federal government that it doesn’t need to worry. The airline has been hinting in behind-the-scenes conversations that, whatever happens, it will retain its German air operator certificate and its current brand, several sources with knowledge of the matter say. A stock de-listing is understood to be one option, as is a further capital injection from another investor.
China Southern will open a service to Moscow as part of a build-up of operations at Wuhan, the large central Chinese city, where its chief rival is fellow SkyTeam alliance member China Eastern. Air China, meanwhile, is continuing its expansion at China Eastern’s main base, Shanghai, by announcing a service to Munich. The new routes are part of the Chinese airline industry’s wider push to increase international business, despite a long history of ceding most such services to foreign carriers.
Click here to view the pdf A4A Monthly Passenger Yield, January 2014 A4A Monthly Passenger Yield, January 2014 Domestic International System January 2014 16.5
Airbus has determined that an open-rotor-powered A320-class airliner is technically feasible. The next steps are to prove the concept is economically viable, then demonstrate the propulsion system in flight, which is planned under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 public-private research program.
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo has added two approvals that clear the way for expansion of its intercontinental aircraft installations under deals with Delta Air Lines and Japan Airlines (JAL). The FAA has granted Gogo supplemental type certificates for installing its Ku-band satellite service on certain Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s. The 777 approval was accompanied by Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification, clearing the way for Gogo to outfit JAL’s 18 777-200s. The carrier also has signed up for Gogo service on its domestic fleet.
Boeing this summer will begin offering 737NG customers the option for an in-house runway excursion prevention suite that gives pilots a pseudo-synthetic vision view on the primary flight display (PFD). The package will include four new sources of situational awareness information plotted on the PFD: The flight path vector, conformal runway edge lines, a runway centerline leader that extends 12-14 nm. out from the runway, and runway-remaining “billboards” that appear after touchdown, marking thousands of feet remaining.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) expects to have its first two Boeing 787-9s delivered between July and September, although it is not yet revealing the seating configurations. The carrier will be among the first few airlines to receive the stretched -9 version of the 787, with ANA and rival Japan Airlines both due to begin accepting -9s soon after launch customer Air New Zealand’s initial delivery in July.
An FAA-led review of the Boeing 787 design, certification and manufacturing process will speed the agency’s push to adapt its oversight to so-called manufacturer “risk-sharing” business models that place more than just financial risk with subcontractors. The review’s results, released in report form March 19, found that Boeing’s processes—while not perfect—are producing a safe and reliable aircraft. Review team members also confirmed that FAA’s production approval oversight focuses too much on the top level of the supply chain.
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has moved to buy the U.S. company Barfield from Sabena Technics, a move which AFI KLM E&M’s executive vice president Franck Terner says offers the perfect opportunity to grow within the Americas. The sale, which has been in the pipeline since September last year, is still subject to regulatory approval, but the Franco-Dutch group expects to finalize it within the first half of 2014.
South African carrier Comair has finalized its fleet renewal and expansion plans with an order for eight Boeing 737 MAX 8s, valued at $830 million at list prices, plus purchase rights on a further eight. The order, which was placed in December 2013 and logged to an unidentified customer, marks the first 737 MAXs to be taken by an African airline. An initial four MAXs are scheduled to be delivered to Comair in 2019, followed by another two in 2020 and the final pair in 2021.
The Hawaii inter-island market will lose one of the handful of small carriers that competes with Hawaiian Airlines, with regional jet operator Go! planning to cease operations from April 1. Go! is owned by Mesa Air Group, and the parent company said it is withdrawing the Hawaii service so it can redeploy aircraft to support its growing operations on the U.S. mainland.
The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) says Airbus put certain A330 and A340 operators at risk for in-flight smoke events, diversions and fire between 2005 and 2011 by not properly warning them of a 2005 incident involving the power unit for an onboard light.
Guided by a mix of capacity-conservative plans and flight-grounding winter storms, U.S. full-service airlines—along with behemoth Southwest Airlines—saw capacity grow by just half a percentage point in 2014’s first two months, while the rest of the so-called value carriers added 7% to their networks. Consultancy Oliver Wyman compiled the data for Aviation Week.
Textron Friday closed on its acquisition of Beechcraft Corp. parent Beech Holdings, and said that with the deal complete it will combine Cessna, Beech and Hawker operations in a new segment—Textron Aviation—led by Cessna CEO Scott Ernest. Beech CEO Bill Boisture will not continue on in the new company, a Beech spokesman confirmed.
