Click here to view the pdf Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic, July 2013 Arab Air Carrier Organization Monthly Traffic, July 2013 RPK % Chg. ASK % Chg. Load Factor Jul 13 vs.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) renewal of a partnership between Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand partnership grants some relief to conditions proposed in an earlier draft ruling. According to the ACCC, the two airlines can continue their joint venture on Australia-New Zealand routes through Oct. 31, 2018, a five-year extension on the current authorization.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) late last week ordered inspections of wing leading-edge lift device components on 46 early-build Airbus A380s to correct an issue introduced on the production line. EASA says “a deficient assembly process” could cause small gaps to form between bolt heads and bushings installed on droop nose hinge arm forks. Gaps can transfer stress to the affected fork, causing fatigue damage and possibly breaking them, EASA explains. The directive is based on a July 9 Airbus service bulletin.
Transport Canada has granted a flight-test permit for Bombardier’s first CSeries, clearing the way for flight-test aircraft FTV1 to begin high-speed taxi runs ahead of a first flight from Mirabel, near Montreal. The permit was granted after Bombardier completed low-speed taxi trials at velocities approaching 60 kt., and was required before high-speed runs begin because of the possibility the aircraft could become airborne at higher speeds.
Faced with an ongoing recession in Spain and an onslaught of low-cost carriers, Air Nostrum is deepening its restructuring efforts to return to profitability and has decided to phase out its entire Bombardier CRJ200 fleet, while postponing deliveries of new CRJ1000 and ATR-600 series aircraft. The CRJ200 fleet was responsible for most of Air Nostrum’s losses in 2012, which amounted to €21.1 million ($27.9 million) on revenues of €465 million.
Icelandair next year plans to grow its Boeing 757 fleet to 21 aircraft from 18 to continue its rapid capacity expansion in the North Atlantic market. The airline will use the fleet expansion to add Vancouver International and Edmonton International airports in Canada to its route network as well as increase frequencies to existing destinations.
Norwegian Air Shuttle next year is planning to launch three more U.S. markets starting in May, as the carrier takes delivery of more Boeing 787s, although the more remarkable aspect of the decision is the exclusion of new services to Asia. The airline currently has a five-weekly service from Stockholm Arlanda and Oslo airports to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, and CEO Bjoern Kjos has always argued that the big growth in long-haul travel will be Asia to Europe, with most of the traffic originating in the Asian leisure segment.
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German investigators have not been able to determine why cabin crew of an Icelandair Boeing 757-200 experienced “headaches, dizziness and sweating” and other symptoms during the cruise and descent portions of a July 18, 2012 flight from Keflavik International Airport Reykjavik to Frankfurt Airport. The German Federal Bureau of Accident Investigation, or BFU, concluded that a lack of oxygen “probably” caused the incident, but noted that Boeing has also seen “similar problems” with other 757s.
Lufthansa is likely to face another bruising labor disagreement after unilaterally terminating pensions and early retirement provisions for flight crew. The move affects around 60,000 employees based in Germany. Lufthansa argues that it can no longer afford to spend up to €400 million ($527 million) annually to address a widening pension deficit that is created by the difference between expected and actual interest rates, and improved life expectancy.
In the latest of a series of initiatives to identify and develop regional sources of aviation biofuels, Airbus as signed an agreement with Russian biotechnology firm RT-Biotekhprom for the first study to assess local feedstocks for their sustainability.
American Airlines and US Airways have won their first battle against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), getting a tentative start date of Nov. 25 for the trial that would hear DOJ’s challenge against the carriers’ proposed merger. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted the airlines’ desire for an expedited schedule, ruling that DOJ’s request for an early March 2014 start date was not reasonable. “March 3, I think, is too far off,” the judge said in a hearing on the issue. “It needs to be a tighter, expedited schedule.”
Virgin Australia says there is no firm timetable for its decision on whether to purchase Boeing 787s or Airbus A350s, and it appears that any such order could be further away than expected. The carrier has been stating for several months that it is weighing ordering A350s or 787s, and executives have previously indicated that they would resolve the question by year’s end. But CEO John Borghetti said during the carrier’s Aug. 30 earnings call that a 6-12 month time frame is more likely for a decision, or perhaps even beyond that.
Aer Lingus was close to merging with another airline in 2012, according to the U.K. Competition Commission’s (CC) final report on Ryanair’s shareholding in the competing Irish carrier. The report lists some details of discussions in the appendix section, but it does not identify the potential partner and some parts are heavily edited, because most of the information is confidential. But according to the U.K. CC, “Aer Lingus and another airline entered into confidential discussions regarding a possible combination” in early 2012.
Projected air traffic growth in the Asia-Pacific region through 2032 means that 40% of pilots and maintenance technicians hired globally will be needed to meet demand there, new Boeing data show. Boeing’s latest Pilot and Technician Outlook projects a global need for just more than 1 million pilots and mechanics in the next 20 years, including 496,000 flight crew members. Asia-Pacific’s pilot demand is 192,000 over the time period, while the region will need 215,000 mechanics.
In a move that is expected to tee up a related FAA mandate, Boeing soon will recommend thrust reverser inner wall replacements for Rolls-Royce-powered 777s as part of its latest effort to curb a long-simmering issue that has led to at least two major incidents.
Jazz Aviation’s former maintenance hangar at Ontario’s London International Airport will be converted into the centerpiece of a local university’s expanding aviation program. The C$3.9 million ($3.6 million) sale, completed Aug. 29, puts the final touch on Jazz’s heavy maintenance consolidation at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The carrier announced in July 2012 that it would combine its two heavy lines in London and two in Halifax into three total lines, all in Halifax. It purchased additional office space in Halifax and modified hangars as part of the changes.
SINGAPORE — The cause of the third delay to the MRJ program — getting delegation to perform certification processes — is now resolved, Mitsubishi Aircraft says, predicting only the usual challenges as the regional jet moves toward its new first-delivery target of early 2017.
In observance of the U.S. Labor Day holiday, Aviation Daily will not publish an issue on Sept. 3. Subscribers to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network can visit www.aviationweek.com/awin for continuous updates.
BRUSSELS — The European Commission (EC) says it did not broker an agreement that would exempt Chinese airlines from their obligation to comply with rules of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on intra-European flights.
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