India plans to invest over $12 billion by 2017 to improve airport infrastructure and support the country’s rapidly expanding air transport network. “The Indian government has envisaged investment of $12.1 billion in the airports sector during the 12th Plan period [2012-2017], of which $9.3 billion is expected to come from the private sector for construction of new airports, expansion and modernization,” says Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.
The FAA says it is “defining the roles and responsibilities” for its human factors specialists in parallel with a new rule that calls for better man-machine interface design requirements to boost flight deck safety. The changes are intended to avoid delays in flight deck certification and retrofit programs requiring “findings of compliance” with the new regulations, while at the same time helping the FAA understand how to delegate the authority.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al Baker is considering an order for Airbus A330s and the conversion of Boeing 787 options to boost long-haul capacity. Al Baker told reporters in Dubai that he may add more A330s to the carrier’s fleet to counter a capacity shortfall caused by the delay in 787 deliveries. Qatar Airways currently has an order for 30 787-8s, five of which have been delivered. According to al Baker, the airline also could convert 30 787 purchase options, although these would be for the stretched 787-9.
Etihad Airways’ expansion into Africa will be aided by a bilateral alliance with South African Airways (SAA). A memorandum of understanding signed yesterday includes code-sharing between and beyond Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi, reciprocal frequent flyer program recognition and joint initiatives in procurement, training and maintenance. Etihad affiliates Air Seychelles and Jet Airways also signed up for code-sharing with SAA.
The NTSB has issued an “urgent” procurement request to have a Maryland company perform computed tomography (CT) scans on as many as 48 Boeing 787 lithium-ion battery cells. “[The tests] must also be completed within the shortest timeframe possible to provide the fastest possible receipt of this information to avoid potential future accidents involving this type of aircraft battery,” says the NTSB in a “sources sought” notice published May 3. The 787 fleet is expected to return to commercial service later this month.
The U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) and the FAA have remained silent, at least publicly, over the fate of 149 contract towers as officials assess the FAA’s new funding flexibility granted by Congress, but aviation executives are hoping to soon receive clarification. And while industry waits on this guidance, Capitol Hill and local officials have begun sending another round of letters urging the government to reverse course on plans to end funding for the towers on June 15 as part of the sequestration mandate.
Lufthansa has resolved its pending leadership crisis following a tumultuous day, after its former CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber late May 6 reversed his decision not to run for the chairman’s position. Mayrhuber earlier in the day said he was no longer available for the chairman’s position at Europe’s largest airline. Lufthansa had published Mayrhuber’s decision in a regulatory filing, saying it would come up with a new proposal later in the day. That proposal, however, reconfirmed his nomination.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Cape Town - Johannesburg, May 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Cape Town - Johannesburg, May 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way
Frontier Airlines, which parent company Republic Airways soon hopes to sell, has introduced a complex pricing structure for services that varies depending on how a passenger purchases a ticket. The fees build on efforts Frontier launched last September to revamp its website and impose penalties for customers booking the cheapest fare via third-party sites or travel agents.
Syphax Airlines, which is seeking to become a rival to Tunisair, has issued an initial public offering to fund an aggressive expansion that includes plans to operate scheduled services to Morocco, China, Canada, the U.S. and Brazil as well as Central and Eastern Europe.
Aircastle expects to part-out half of the 16 aircraft with lease expirations scheduled this year. The planned retirements include at least one mid-aged Airbus A319 and many Boeing 767-300ERs. High engine values are the driving factor behind the decision to sell the parts instead of re-leasing or selling the jets, Aircastle executives said May 2 during the company’s first-quarter earnings conference call. “We have a team now to position us to benefit from the strength in engine values,” CEO Ron Wainshal says.
May 7-9—Airline Purchasing & Maintenance (AP&M) Europe Conference & Expo, Olympia Grand Hall, London, U.K., www.apmexpo.com/ May 12-14—International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Asia 2013, Tokyo, Japan http://www.istat.org/p/cm/ld/fid=60 May 13—25th Greater Washington Aviation Open (GWAO), Lansdowne Gold Resort near Leesburg, Va., call 202-383-2358 or email: [email protected] May 13-15—31st Annual Texas Aviation Conference, Hilton Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas, www.tti.tamu.edu/conferences/tac13/
Air Cargo Germany (ACG) May 3 declared itself insolvent, two weeks after Germany’s aviation authority temporarily withdrew the company’s air operator certificate.
Click here to view the pdf Data Watch: Top Carriers, Brasilia - Sao Paulo April 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000)
A Dubai-based aircraft lessor may have found the secret to succeeding in the treacherous business of supporting airlines in trouble spots like Somalia, South Sudan and Afghanistan—wet-leasing to a selective client base. Aerovista recognizes the value in working to bring air travel to underserved areas. Irfan Dhankot, Aerovista’s CFO notes that many of the emerging markets, particularly those in Africa, are incredibly under-served and that an airline that can provide a reliable and efficient service will generally do well.
SAS Group has sold its highly profitable regional subsidiary Wideroe to a consortium of Norwegian investors. The investors, Torghattan ASA, Fjord1 and Nordland Fylkeskommune, now own an 80% stake in Wideroe, and hold an option to acquire the remaining 20% by 2016. The sale is one of the measures pledged by SAS to a group of banks that helped the carrier avert bankruptcy late last year.
U.K. leisure carrier Thomson Airways now expects to receive its first 787-8 from Boeing at the end of this month. The aircraft will be flown for about a month on short- and medium-haul routes to ensure that crews are familiarized with the aircraft before putting it into long-haul service on July 8. “We can confirm we will receive the first two aircraft in time to start our long-haul routes from July 8. The third and fourth aircraft will also be delivered this summer,” an airline spokesman tells Aviation Week.
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Fly Leasing sold nine aircraft with an average age of 13.5 years for a total of $78 million in the first quarter, generating a $6.5 million gain over net book value and contributing to a big increase in its first-quarter profit.
Air France-KLM is preparing further cuts to its cargo division to accommodate the current weakness in global airfreight. “We must continue to reduce capacity in this business,” the group’s CFO Philippe Calavia said May 3, during a first quarter earnings call. “We believe there is too much capacity and we are competing with other transport modes.” Calavia believes the weakness of global air freight is partly structural, and Air France-KLM is adapting by focusing more on belly cargo.
To help meet the environmental and energy-saving goals of NextGen, the FAA plans to establish a cost-sharing partnership between academia, industry and the government to advance alternative fuels development and reduce emissions and noise. The university-based Center of Excellence (COE) for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment is planned to be operational by late this year to carry on research conducted by the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (Partner), which has run for 10 years.
