Boeing has begun high-speed evaluations of the 777X derivative in its transonic wind-tunnel test facility as part of a five-month test campaign which includes low-speed work that began in the U.K. earlier in December.
Spirit Airlines has tapped Acro Aircraft Seating to supply 30 shipsets of passenger seats, including five earmarked for in-service Airbus A319s that could help persuade the carrier to increase its commitment for on-order aircraft. In addition to outfitting the A319s, the order covers 25 of the carrier’s 117-aircraft A320-family backlog. The Aviation Week Intelligence Network Commercial Fleets database lists Spirit’s in-service fleet as 54 aircraft, including 29 A319s, 23 A320s, and two A321s. Its backlog consists of 37 A320s, 30 A321s, and 50 A320neos.
Had UPS Flight 1354 arrived at the Birmingham Airport in Alabama 12 min. later on the morning of Aug. 14, a longer runway with a precision instrument landing system (ILS) would have been available for the landing, according to air traffic control tapes and a transcript released by the FAA.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats /Dep
FAA communities pained last year by congressional gridlock and the long-feared effects of so-called sequestration budget cuts will benefit from a little more protection under the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill being considered on Capitol Hill this week.
India may soon consider allowing international airlines to fly the Airbus A380 into the country, a move that could benefit the customers of the largest passenger aircraft in the world in the Indian civil aviation market. Both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Civil Aviation Ministry are consulting all stakeholders, such as Indian carriers and airports, before making a final decision to allow entry of the jumbo aircraft into India.
U.K. air navigation provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) says it is satisfied with the early results of a trans-Atlantic flight optimization trial. The Topflight project, run by NATS in partnership with NavCanada, tested the principle of “perfect” flights on a trans-Atlantic basis with the aim of potentially offering fuel savings and reductions in delays for customers using the ANSPs.
Atlas Air Worldwide has finalized a deal to acquire three more Boeing 777s for its growing dry-leasing business, continuing the company’s plan to diversify by adding stable sources of revenue. The 777s, purchased from affiliates of Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC, are on long-term lease with TNT, Aviation Week’s Commercial Fleets database shows. The aircraft, each delivered in 2011, are line numbers 947, 963, and 977.
Airbus is looking at an increase in narrowbody production even before the transition from the current version of the Airbus A320 family to the A320neo, which is scheduled to be completed by 2018. “There is an upside potential [to the production rate] and we are studying it,” says Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier. He hints that a decision is due to take place within the next few months.
Boeing says a Japan Airlines main lithium-ion battery system worked as designed when it began smoking during on-ground maintenance at Narita Airport on Jan. 13. “The 787 issue on ground at Narita appears to involve venting of a single battery cell during maintenance,” the airframer said in several Twitter messages on Jan. 14. “Improvements to 787 battery system appear to have worked as designed. We regret the impact to Japan Airlines and are working with them to return the airplane to service.”
After several months of delays due to congressional budget squabbles, the FAA is finally beginning the approval process for Hawaiian Airlines’ new turboprop subsidiary carrier, Ohana. Hawaiian wanted to launch Ohana in the summer of 2013, but was unable to do so because the FAA said it did not have the resources to handle the proving flights and other regulatory steps required for the new carrier to begin operations. The agency blamed the congressionally mandated sequestration cuts for the delay.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer-Customers John Leahy says he is “closing in” on an order for 20 Airbus A380s from Doric Lease Corp. Doric inked a memorandum of understanding for the 20 aircraft at the Paris Air Show last June, to build on the 18 A380s it had acquired through sale and leaseback deals. “We are finalizing Doric and I am hopeful that we will have that finalized and announced sometime in the first quarter of 2014,” Leahy said, speaking at Airbus’s annual press conference in Toulouse Jan. 13.
While Qantas has begun receiving Airbus A330-200s that are being transferred from its Jetstar subsidiary, the mainline operation is not due to take delivery of any new widebody aircraft from manufacturers for the next 2-3 years. Most of the Qantas group’s near-term widebody deliveries are allocated to Jetstar. Deliveries have begun on the low-cost subsidiary’s order for 14 Boeing 787-8s, and as these enter its fleet they will replace A330s, which will be sent to Qantas. These will in turn replace Qantas Boeing 767-300s.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Cheju - Seoul, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Cheju - Seoul, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
Singapore’s Changi Airport is changing its procedures and equipment for making runway friction measurements following a runway incursion between an automobile and a landing aircraft on Apr. 4, 2013, according to a report by the country’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The tower ultimately ordered the inbound aircraft to abort the landing on Runway 20R when the aircraft was at approximately 300 ft. in altitude and 0.89 nm. from touchdown point. There were no injuries during the incident.
BRUSSELS — Aegean Airlines says it is confident it will be able to effectively compete with Ryanair owing to its acquisition of Olympic Air, which has allowed it to “hold the size needed for being competitive and grow more.” Aegean concluded the purchase of its smaller rival in October; the combination is Greece’s largest airline.
ALT FUELS: U.S. alternative fuel research will continue to have a bright future under the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill being considered this week in Congress. The giant bill, providing spending for the whole government through Sept. 30, includes language supporting the development of alternative fuels, according to aides for Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), a leading Democrat in the upper chamber and a key budget negotiator across Capitol Hill.
A biofuel supply sufficient to meet up to 1% of aviation’s fuel needs could be available “instantly,” and at a price competitive with petroleum jet fuel, if green diesel is approved for use in aircraft, Boeing says. The company is working with partners to gain approval by the end of 2014.
A European Aviation Safety Agency draft rulemaking tackles a series of recommendations from accident investigators and working groups that call for beefed- up standards and maintenance practices for aircraft flight and data recorders (FDR). The key changes would mandate higher-capacity cockpit voice recorders (CVR) on large aircraft, ban “obsolete recording technologies,” such as magnetic tape, and improve post-crash location broadcasting capabilities.
BRUSSELS — The European Union (EU) and Brazil will launch a new round of negotiations on a comprehensive air transport agreement, aimed at opening market access for airlines and achieving a high level of regulatory convergence in areas such as security, environmental and consumer protection, and fair competition.
Airbus is quietly moving away from the current design of the A350-800 and is considering changes that would make the aircraft larger and likely more economical to operate. There is a “distinct possibility” that Airbus might make the smallest of the three A350 versions larger than currently planned, according to Chief Operating Officer-Customers John Leahy. The change would lead the aircraft to “sit right on top of the [Boeing] 787-9.”
Airbus continues to play down the idea of a re-engined Airbus A330, but admits that there is some pressure building on the airline side. “Customers are coming to us” to talk about the possibility, says Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier. Air Asia X founder Tony Fernandez has been the most vocal supporter of such a project, although the airline just placed an order for 25 of the current A330-300s.
