Hawaiian Airlines has put another important piece of its Asian network strategy in place with a new code-share accord with China Airlines on flights out of Taipei. Hawaiian began its three-times-weekly service from Honolulu to Taipei this week. In March, the carrier’s CEO, Mark Dunkerley, told Aviation Week that Hawaiian was working on plans to partner with an airline in Taipei. That partner is China Airlines, and their agreement will see them code-sharing on Honolulu-Taipei services, as well as on flights beyond Taipei.
More than anything else, SACC—an Avic unit in Shenyang dedicated to the civil market—has gained communication skills in its recent work with Western contractors on such programs as the Bombardier Q400 and CSeries, as well as the Comac C919, says President Yang Lei.
EasyJet has firmed an order for 35 Airbus A320 and 100 A320NEO aircraft, and placed purchase right on an additional 100 NEOs, after shareholders approved the deal yesterday at an extraordinary general meeting. “The vote in favor of our new fleet arrangements will allow EasyJet to continue its successful strategy of modest, profitable growth and sustainable returns for our shareholders,” says John Barton, chairman of the U.K.-based carrier.
Bombardier is boosting its aftermarket support network in Africa, tapping customer Ethiopian Airlines as an authorized Q400 maintenance provider and adding both parts distribution and customer support out of Johannesburg. The Ethiopian agreement will cover both Q400 line and heavy maintenance and is expected to be in place by September, Bombardier says.
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has set up CFM56-5 on-site engine support service in Montreal, landing longtime ally Air Canada as its first customer. LHT’s engine services airline support team offers a variety of on-wing and on-site support, including module and blade replacements as well as case repairs. The group currently supports CFM56-5As and -5Bs, but plans call for expansion to other engine types as demand warrants, LHT says.
Australia’s competition watchdog says it will renew its approval of the partnership between Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand for another three years, although it has again set capacity requirements in certain markets.
The instructor pilot in command of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 descending into San Francisco International Airport on July 6 said he had assumed the aircraft’s autothrottle system would keep the aircraft flying at 137 kt., as he and the “pilot-flying” in the left seat guided the Boeing 777-200ER to Runway 28L in visual conditions that morning.
The European Commission (EC) has removed Philippine Airlines and Venezuela’s Conviasa from its new air safety list, allowing the two carriers to operate to airports in the EU. The removal of Philippine Airlines was widely expected, as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in March concluded that the Philippine authorities were in compliance with its safety standards and recommended practices.
China Southern Airlines appears likely to be the first carrier to operate a Boeing 787 scheduled service to New Zealand, as it plans to use the aircraft to boost capacity on its route between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Auckland Airport in December.
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About two years ago, Embraer and Kenya Airways began negotiations on establishing the airframer’s second authorized service center in Africa for commercial aircraft, to specialize in E-Jets. The companies’ ambitions gel well: Embraer wants to expand its total service offering on the continent with a trusted partner, and Kenya Airways operates five Embraer 170s and 12 E-190s, and will receive another three E-Jets by November. The airline also aims to build its maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities.
The formal proposal for a 10-year, €4.05 billion ($5.2 billion) follow-on to Europe’s Clean Sky civil aviation research program has been unveiled by the European Commission (EC). Draft regulations for the investment packages for Clean Sky 2 and similar public-private joint technology initiatives (JTIs) in four other industry sectors will now go to the European Parliament and European Council for approval.
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Evidence of strong and persistent downward pressure on Chinese airline yields is appearing in industry-wide profit and traffic figures, apparently driven by a weakening of the national economy. While Chinese mainland airlines carried 11.4% more passengers in April than they did a year earlier, their aggregate profits fell 28%, to 1.4 billion yuan ($228.3 million), according to figures compiled by analysts at UOB Kay Hian in Singapore.
American Airlines is expecting to take delivery of its first Airbus A319s in two weeks and should have 15 of the type in its possession by the end of the year. The airline, which has not operated an Airbus aircraft since it retired its A300-600 fleet in 2009, intends to place the narrowbody into service Sept. 16 with flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Memphis International Airport and Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.
India’s High Level Committee on Manufacturing, which is chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has approved a long-delayed plan to develop a 70- to 100-seat civilian aircraft. The program, which could be launched by the end of September, is expected to take seven years, with development taking five years and testing a further two years, says a government spokesman. The spokesman did not provide financial details.
The FAA’s Aviation Safety division has a shrinking staff due to federal budget cuts, and so it is betting on less manpower-intensive risk-based surveillance programs to help inspectors keep tabs on aviation businesses.
