Spirit Airlines hopes to select an engine by year-end for the Airbus A320NEO aircraft it ordered and plans to lease, but may take longer, if necessary, to get the best deal, CEO Ben Baldanza says. “We are going to have to get to a point where we understand the best terms for both providers,” Baldanza told Aviation Week Oct. 31.
American Association of Airport Executives promoted Todd Hauptli to president of AAAE Gov and Spencer Dickerson to president of AAAE Meetings and International, both new positions.
Boeing named Tony Parasida, president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, to succeed Rick Stephens as senior VP for human resources and administration. Stephens will retire in March 2013 after 33 years with the company.
Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) has flown a Dassault Falcon 20 with one engine burning 100% unblended biofuel produced from carinata, an inedible oil seed crop. Previous biojet flights have used a maximum 50% blend with conventional kerosene, but the fuel’s developers say its hydrocarbon makeup is almost indistinguishable from petroleum-based jet fuel.
Ethiopian Airlines is leasing another three Boeing 787-8s from International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC). The aircraft, which are to be delivered in the first half of 2015, are in addition to 10 787s ordered by the African airline. The airline has already placed its first 787-8 into service and with the new long-term leases expects to have 13 787s in service by the end of 2015. The ILFC 787s will be powered by General Electric GEnx-1B70/75 engines.
Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) plans to develop a new model of the IAe C-212 twin-engine turboprop, as well as an updated variant of the IAe CN-235. The new C-212 will seat 28 passengers, whereas the current model, the C-212-400, seats 24 and the original, the C-212-100, 22 passengers, says an IAe spokesman. He adds that the increased passenger capacity will be achieved through more efficient use of space and a different type of seat.
United Airlines has revived some of its domestic promotional Boeing 787 services scheduled for Nov. 4 after taking delivery of its second aircraft Nov. 1, but still has postponed a December 787 service to Amsterdam until February due to the unavailability of the aircraft.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Nov. 5-8 19th Annual Global Airport Development (GAD)Conference, Pullman Paris Bercy, Paris, France, www.fisherinstitute.org.il/Eng/ Nov. 7-5 Annual Civil Aviation Conference 2012, Israel Air Force Center (IAFC), Herzliyya, Israel, www.fisherinstitute.org.il/Eng/ Nov. 12-14—Airports Council International-NA Airport Concessions Conference, Denver, www.aci-na.org/conferences/
The Philippines Civil Aviation Authority has failed an International Civil Aviation Organization assessment of its ability to provide regulatory oversight of the country’s airline industry, making it unlikely Philippine-designated carriers will gain approval in the near future to operate to the U.S. or Europe. The ICAO team found two significant safety concerns, one relating to aircraft registration and the other to flight safety inspection, sources report.
As Iridium readies to launch its Aireon global aviation monitoring venture, the level of investment to come from partner Nav Canada remains in question. Iridium established Aireon in June to provide global aircraft tracking capability through Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers to be built into Iridium NEXT, the McLean, Va.-based satellite fleet operator’s second-generation communications satellite constellation scheduled to launch in 2015.
Atlas Air last week halved its forecast earnings per share (EPS) growth three months after issuing guidance that it would add almost $1 per share, but still expects to close 2012 with EPS 13% higher than 2011. Executives of the New-York based cargo operator, during the carrier’s third-quarter earnings call, cut full-year earnings-per-share guidance to $4.65. Last quarter, Atlas forecast full-year earnings of $5.10 per share; adjusted earnings per share for 2011 reached $4.12.
South African low-fare carrier 1time Friday ceased operations and filed for liquidation, providing no notice to stranded passengers. The airline operated mostly domestic services with a fleet of 11 MD-80s, although it also provided flights to Zambia and Namibia, and was due to start services to Zimbabwe on the day it ceased operation. 1time was launched in 2004 and has been in financial distress for some time. The company filed for so-called “business rescue,” South Africa’s equivalent of bankruptcy protection, in July and continued to operate.
Delta Air Lines, one of the first carriers to reveal Hurricane Sandy’s impact on its bottom line, says cancellation of more than 3,500 flights in October amounted to about $45 million in lost revenue and reduced October profit by about $20 million. The airline, which has hubs at New York LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International (JFK) airports, says it still is assessing the storm’s impact on revenue and profit for November, but expects it to be less than in October.
