TransAsia Airways, Taiwan’s third-largest carrier, plans to launch international services to Tokyo and also is eyeing other Asian destinations. Longer-term, the carrier hopes to serve the U.S. Newly appointed President Yee-Choong Chooi says, “Tokyo we are looking at. This week or next week it’s due to be liberalized. Tokyo is very important for our network. We already serve five cities on the northern Japan island of Hokkaido and then further south we serve Osaka Kansai and Okinawa.”
Three months before the planned first flight of its CSeries, Bombardier is grappling with supplier issues crucial to meeting its production cost targets for the 110-/135-seat aircraft. And with shareholders concerned as the Canadian airframer burns through cash at an unprecedented rate to develop the next-generation narrowbody jet, achieving early profitability is essential.
The FAA, releasing its final list of contract towers slated to close beginning April 7, shaved off 24 of the original air traffic control towers from the closure list and then postponed the closure of another 16 towers in the cost-share program until Sept. 30. But the remaining list of 149 contract towers still represents 60% of the entire contract tower program.
Under its merger plan with American Airlines, US Airways intends to use its hubs at Phoenix Sky Harbor and Philadelphia international airports for connecting international traffic while utilizing AMR Corp.’s nearby hubs at Los Angeles and New York John F. Kennedy international airports for their lucrative origin-and-destination markets, the Arizona-based airline tells staff.
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U.K.-based Falko Regional Aircraft has purchased six Boeing 717-200 aircraft from Fly Leasing to add the first non-British Aerospace (BAE) aircraft to its portfolio since Fortress Investment Group acquired and rebranded BAE’s asset management division in mid-2011. All six of the 12-year-old aircraft remain on lease to Qantas, which operates the aircraft in its QantasLink regional network.
Lion Air’s Malaysian carrier Malindo Air, which was launched March 22 with an inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, plans soon to add international services to India and Indonesia. Malindo’s CEO Chandran Ramamuthy has publicly said the startup planned to launch international services by June, and now executives at Indonesia’s Lion Air Group, which owns 49% of Malindo, tell Aviation Week that the intended markets are India and Indonesia.
FedEx is moving quickly with a new Boeing 757-200 purchase agreement with United Airlines and could take delivery of the first aircraft in the next two months.
Despite progress in voice recognition software, the technology is not ready for use in business or commercial aircraft cockpits, says Matt Carrico, senior engineering manager of advanced concepts at Rockwell Collins. Like other avionics makers, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based company has been researching voice recognition systems similar to those found in the consumer electronics world for a variety of cockpit functions, including tasks as simple as switching radios or as complex as interacting with navigation maps or inputting taxi routes to a flight computer.
The proposed one-year suspension of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for non-EU airlines has moved one step closer to legal certainly following the March 20 approval by permanent representatives of the EU’s 27 member states. The text was negotiated earlier this month in a meeting between the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Air Berlin this year will further reduce its fleet, with plans to phase out 20 aircraft while taking delivery of eight new aircraft. The retirements will reduce Air Berlin’s Airbus narrowbody fleet from 67 aircraft to 61 and the Boeing 737NG fleet from 57 to 51. No long-haul or regional aircraft are affected.
Contract tower program supporters are regrouping after Senate leadership again rejected the effort of Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) to prevent mass closures of air traffic control towers beginning April 7. Moran expressed frustration at the inability to move his measure, but says he will urge the FAA to limit the number of expected tower closures and work with appropriators to restore funding.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of March 20, 2012, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
As Boeing prepares to conduct at least one and possibly two test flights as part of the certification of its redesigned 787 lithium-ion battery system, the airframer also is seeking FAA clearance for a series of ferry flights for aircraft stranded around the world. Several 787s remain at airports where they have been stuck since the fleet was grounded in mid-January. Boeing is working with the airlines and the FAA for some of them to be cleared for one-off ferry flights by the end of this month to relocate them to modification centers.
European Commission VP and Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas is hoping talks yesterday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Maxim Sokolov, will end a long-running feud on Siberian overflight charges paid by European carriers.
Saab Sensis is expanding its global presence in air traffic management, helped by its role as the focal point of parent Saab Group’s growing ATM business. Syracuse, N.Y.-based Saab Sensis is part of many of the FAA’s modernization programs, particularly those involving surface operations. It also has been gaining more international contracts, and has further extended its reach as Saab acquires other ATM companies, such as Netherlands-based HITT.
JetBlue Airways next year will offer a “premium” onboard product solely for its transcontinental flights on a dedicated fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft, Chief Commercial Officer Robin Hayes said March 20 during the New York-based carrier’s annual Analyst Day. Hayes, however, offered few details on the planned premium product, and no mention was made of a separate cabin.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Oslo - Trondheim, March 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Oslo - Trondheim, March 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
Mega Maldives Airlines plans to lease more aircraft over the next two years to aid its international expansion. “We’re looking to get one or two aircraft this year and two next year,” Mega Maldives CEO George Weinmann tells Aviation Week. “It will most likely be GE-powered 767s, but I wouldn’t rule out the 757.” Mega Maldives currently operates two General Electric-engined Boeing 767-300ERs and one Rolls-Royce-powered Boeing 757-200, according to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network fleets database.
