International Aero Engines (IAE) has stepped into the certified surplus materials arena, announcing the Pure-V designation available to V2500 engines with approved parts and repair histories. Pure-V figures to bring several benefits to both the manufacturer and V2500 owners, notably lessors. Customers with Pure-V-certified engines stand to benefit from the potential of higher residual values when selling them, and will be offered extended warranties on parts.
CFM remains confident in its predictions of a slight fuel burn advantage for the new Leap-1A over the competing Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1100G geared turbofan on the Airbus A320neo, even though the two powerplants currently remain neck and neck in terms of firm engine selections. The joint venture between General Electric (GE) and Snecma has been running the first Leap-1A since Sept. 4, and “the results are outstanding in every way,” said CFM Executive Vice President Chaker Chahrour during the Dubai air show.
Airline ownership in the U.K.’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) will decline following the decision by Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic Airways, TUI Travel and Thomas Cook Group to sell the majority of their stakes in The Airline Group, which owns 41.9% of NATS.
Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce (R-R) are studying new or modified propulsion options for the Airbus A380 after calls for longer-term improvements in fuel burn by Emirates Airline, which operates the largest fleet of this type.
Yields at Malaysia’s two largest airlines are being pressured by increasing competition, but while this kept Malaysia Airlines in the red for the third quarter, rival AirAsia signals that it will report a strong result for the same period.
Boeing says that despite an aggressive program to improve the 787-8’s in-service reliability levels, the aircraft’s overall performance is not expected to reach that of the 777 until sometime before mid-2014. During the Dubai air show, Boeing Commercial Sales Vice President Marty Bentrott said some operators, such as Qatar Airways, have experienced “some early teething problems,” and also have seen “reliability issues with some components.”
Bombardier Aerospace has launched an extra-capacity seating configuration option for the Q400 NextGen that adds up to 14 seats to the cabin to allow operators to carry a maximum of 86 passengers. Thailand-based Nok Air, the launch carrier for the newly configured Q400the launch customer, has placed a firm order for two of these high-capacity aircraft. The airline also holds two options and purchase rights on an additional four. The total list value of the deal is approximately $258 million.
Europe’s largest travel conglomerate TUI Travel says “exceptional” feedback of passengers flying the Boeing 787-8 prompted it to order two additional aircraft, which will be used by its Jetairfly and Arkefly units from 2016. Jetairfly, which is based in Belgium, is due to take delivery of its first 787-8 in the coming weeks while Amsterdam Schiphol Airport-based Arkefly is expected to receive its first 787 in May.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers - Jeddah, Nov. 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Top Carriers - Jeddah, Nov. 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Departures Airport Share ASMs (mil) Airport Share Seats/Dept.
Flybe will close bases in Aberdeen, Inverness, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Newcastle as part of its ongoing restructuring effort. CEO Saad Hammad says the base closures are “necessary to secure a long-term future for Flybe,” but he insists that the airline remains committed to serving the U.K.’s regions and will continue flights to the affected airports.
Boeing on Nov. 17 officially launched the 777X derivative at the Dubai air show on the back of 259 orders from four airlines worth almost $100 billion, making it the largest single commercial launch by value in the history of the industry.
Etihad Airways is taking the development of its “equity alliance” program further by creating a regional network. The scheme, Etihad Regional, is initially intended to provide broader traffic feed to Etihad in Europe, but the airline is considering extending the scheme to other markets over time.
A decision over where and how to make the all-composite wing for the 777X is the key pacing item for the large new twin derivative, says Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner.
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) will move the jet engine overhaul operations of its Irish subsidiary to other locations, most likely to its engine shop in Hamburg, if it decides to close Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI).
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers - Johannesburg, Nov. 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Top Carriers - Johannesburg, Nov. 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Departures Airport Share ASMs (mil) Airport Share Seats/Dept.
The Airbus A380 program has received a major boost, after Emirates Airline announced an order for 50 aircraft on the opening day of the Dubai air show.
Air Europa’s parent company, Spanish tourism conglomerate Globalia, is considering a stock market listing as part of a wider reshuffling of its shareholding structure. Globalia’s Executive President Juan Jose Hidalgo has hired investment bank N +1 to advise on the reorganization of the company’s capital structure and the possible flotation of the group “when the time is right,” Globalia says in a statement.
Qantas is urging the Australian government to intervene in rival Virgin Australia’s capital-raising moves that could see three overseas airlines strengthen their hold on the Virgin branded carrier.
The government of New Zealand is selling off a significant stake in Air New Zealand, although it will still retain majority ownership of the carrier. Currently, the government holds about 73% of Air New Zealand, and will divest 20%. The sale is expected to yield up to NZ$400 million ($334 million). The shares will be placed with retail brokers and institutional investors, with the requirement that they must be sold to New Zealanders. The government’s goal is to have the carrier at least 85% locally owned.
