European Union officials late last week welcomed a deal on a global system to limit aviation emissions, which was agreed Oct. 4 at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, even though it bars the unilateral expansion of Europe’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) to include foreign airlines.
Among airlines, manufacturers and the finance community, news of yet another mid-life aircraft being harvested for parts will rekindle the debate about adjusting the useful life of an airframe.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of October 2, 2013, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
By Paul Rinaldi, President, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association Many people dismiss the effects of a government shutdown on the air traffic control system because controllers continue to work. But this is not the whole picture. No one should be under the illusion that it is business as usual for air traffic control under a shutdown. The air traffic control environment can be likened to a hospital’s operating room.
ATR’s largest customer, lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), wants the manufacturer to develop a proposed 90-seat turboprop. NAC Chairman Martin Moeller, speaking yesterday on the sidelines of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) annual general assembly in Salzburg, Austria, said, “When we talk to airlines, we see a lot of demand [for such an aircraft]. It is about time.” Moeller added that ATR’s CEO Filippo Bagnato “is understating the demand for the 90-seater.”
The FAA yesterday ordered Boeing 767 operators to inspect main landing gear (MLG) components and revise maintenance programs after cracks and heat damage to pivot joint components were found during dozens of gear overhauls. The damaged components included pivot pins, truck beam lugs and inner cylinder lugs, all found in the center of the gear truck between the two sets of wheels. “Heat damage and cracks were found at the pivot joint location [and] caused by the truck pitching motion during normal airplane operations,” Boeing says in a service bulletin.
India’s cabinet has approved the sale of a 24% stake in Jet Airways to Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, paving the way for the first deal between a local and a foreign carrier since last year’s change to the country’s airline ownership laws. The Indian government decided in September 2012 to allow foreign airlines to acquire up to 49% in domestic carriers.
Norwegian Air Shuttle is in the process of replacing the NavAero electronic flight bags (EFB) and software applications on its fleet of 79 Boeing 737s with a new system built by Scandinavian Avionics, running Jeppesen applications.
Embraer yesterday signed E-195 contracts with two customers at the European Regions Airline Association’s annual general assembly in Salzburg, Austria. Belarus state-owned carrier Belavia is taking two E-195s in May and June 2014, and has secured options for two more. The carrier, which currently operates a fleet of 21 aircraft of various types, is expanding, with traffic up more than 25% this year.
Rolls-Royce (R-R) has started tests on a second phase of engine upgrades for the Trent 900, aimed at further reductions in fuel burn for the Airbus A380 as well as improved reliability. “We have now moved into the test phase for the follow-on EP (enhanced performance) 2,” says Peter Johnston, R-R’s head of customer marketing for civil large engines. The upgrade is being tested as part of a multi-phased improvement to the Trent 900, which entered service in 2007 and now powers 58 aircraft with six operators.
Air Malta is on track to meet its restructuring plan’s goals and will break-even next year, the airline’s CEO Peter Davies told Aviation Week yesterday on the sidelines of the European Regions Airline Association annual general assembly in Salzburg, Austria. The airline, which was on the brink of collapse before being rescued by a government loan, expects to close the fiscal year ending in March 2014 with only a small loss of around €3 million ($4 million). That comes after losses of €13 million and €30 million in the previous two financial years.
EasyJet expects to announce a record pre-tax profit of between £470 million and £480 million ($760-776 million) for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, with unit revenue up 6% and units costs excluding fuel increasing 4%. The increase in costs was driven primarily by higher charges at regulated airports. In July, the airline had provided guidance for a full-year pre-tax profit of between £450 million and £480 million. The improved outlook follows strong demand during the summer, EasyJet said in a trading update.
The FAA plans to recall—on an as-needed basis—some furloughed Aviation Safety Organization (AVS) employees, including safety inspectors, if the government shutdown is not resolved quickly. “If the furlough extends longer than a few days, we will begin to recall as many as 2,500 employees back to work incrementally, including safety inspectors, engineers and technical support staff, depending on need,” the FAA says in a statement.
Bombardier collected the first noise data on its CSeries airliner during its Oct. 1 second flight from Mirabel, near Montreal. The data will help CSeries customer Porter Airlines build its case for lifting the ban on operating jets from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which is situated on an island close to downtown. The 90-min. flight was similar to the 2.5-hr. first flight on Sept. 16, says Bombardier, with flight-test aircraft FTV1 retracting its gear and reaching a speed of 230 kt. and altitude of 12,500 ft.
A revised plan to limit aviation’s greenhouse-gas emissions has been presented to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, amid signs the European Union (EU) has softened its stance in a bid to secure a global agreement. After days of closed-door bilateral negotiations, a revised draft resolution on market-based measures (MBM) was presented Oct. 2 to the executive committee. The revisions focus of two key paragraphs that were the focus of disagreement at the first meeting, which was held Sept. 25.
