The number of airline seats available worldwide in December increased almost 1% due to the addition of new aircraft and the first net reduction in stored aircraft since August 2011, says the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The addition of 142 new aircraft and the net increase of 22 previously in storage brought the rate of new seats to a 10% annualized growth, significantly higher than the 2-4% range indicated in previous IATA “financial health” reviews.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) acknowledges that it needs to do a better job managing its canine detection program at domestic airports after a federal report highlighted lapses across the program. Passenger screening canines are trained to identify and track the odor of explosives on individuals, but some canine teams repeatedly failed to meet the TSA’s monthly training requirement for explosives detection proficiency over a period from May 2011 through April 2012, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
A demonstration plant to scale up production of a 100%-biofuel drop-in replacement for use in aircraft is to be built in the U.S. by fuel developer Applied Research Associates (ARA) and biodiesel producer Blue Sun Energy. Biofuels so far approved for use in aircraft are limited to blends of up to 50% with conventional kerosene, but ARA’s ReadiJet can be used unblended. The first civil 100%-biofuel flight was conducted by the National Research Council of Canada in October with a Dassault Falcon 20.
The continued grounding of the world’s 787 fleet has prompted Japan Airlines (JAL) to delay the introduction of services between Tokyo Narita International Airport and Helsinki Airport. The four-times-weekly 787 service was due to start Feb. 25. JAL’s postponement is not a surprise, as the airline has been forced to cancel many flights on existing 787 routes as it tries to cover for the temporary absence of its 787 fleet.
Qantas Airways is cutting some routes and boosting others as part of an Asian network reshuffle prompted by plans to move its main European connection point from Singapore to Dubai and end its close partnership with British Airways (BA). Because its Asian flights are no longer tied to European connections, Qantas is realigning its schedule for the benefit of Asia-bound passengers. However, without the connection of Qantas and BA flights to Europe, routes from some Australian cities to Singapore and Hong Kong are being reduced or cut.
Some of Indonesia’s smaller operators appear to be the main beneficiaries of Batavia Air’s sudden collapse, with Citilink, Expressair and Mandala Airlines all applying for route authorities once held by the bankrupt carrier. According to government officials, Citilink will operate 14 routes once served by Batavia, while Expressair and Mandala combined will serve another six. Batavia operated on 42 routes before its closure, say the officials.
Etihad Airways plans to make a decision on a potential investment in Indian carrier Jet Airways as early as next week. CEO James Hogan said during the airline’s Feb. 4 annual results webcast that he plans to take a proposal to the board following conclusion of the due diligence process.
European airports will handle just 0.5% more passengers this year, with a growing divergence between EU and non-EU facilities, Airports Council International-Europe predicts in a new report. “Given our industry’s traditional reliance on dynamic traffic growth to sustain its capital-intensive nature and high proportion of fixed costs, this is a significant business challenge. In all probability, things are going to get worse before they get better,” ACI-Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec warns.
A program of improvements aimed at reducing fuel burn by as much as 5.5% in some E-Jet versions is being introduced by Embraer as part of plans to bolster the regional jet product line in the run-up to the introduction of the re-engined second generation in 2018. The Brazilian manufacturer also has announced that Honeywell’s Primus 2 integrated avionics system will be used for the second generation and that other key equipment choices will follow in the next three months.
Two years ago, Boeing, Cessna and Gulfstream were the leading edge for introducing lithium-ion main-ship batteries into new aircraft in the civil aviation market. But by late 2011, evidence had emerged that the technology was not yet mature, spurring business aircraft makers Gulfstream and Cessna to return to more traditional, lower-performance and heavier batteries for the G650 and CJ4, respectively.
The FAA could begin asking for unmanned aerial system test site proposals as early as Monday, industry officials tell Aviation Week. The FAA was charged with selecting the six sites by the end of 2012, but the process has been delayed by privacy concerns.
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Allegiant Air this year will retire as many as seven of its MD-80 family aircraft, but plans to hold on to its remaining 51 for a while, says Maurice Gallagher, chairman and CEO of parent company Allegiant Travel. “We do not have any more planned retirements for this airplane in the near term,” Gallagher said during a conference call on the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2012 earnings. “This aircraft is and will continue to be a solid performer. It will be a key part of our fleet for the foreseeable future.”
Mexicana de Aviacion’s pilots union is blasting the government for failing to intervene in the carrier’s restructuring. Mexicana has been in the country’s version of bankruptcy protection for 30 months, and the government has made numerous promises to revive the carrier but has failed to realize any of them, ASPA, the pilots union, says in a message to members. The union points to the turmoil around Mexicana’s recapitalization as evidence of the need for government intervention.
AAR plans to add a second line of aircraft maintenance services at its Duluth, Minn., facility in February, about two months after starting operations in the city; it has capacity for four lines. Danny Martinez, AAR’s VP-technical services, expects to start a third line in “early spring.” The company launched operations in Duluth with one line Nov. 27, 2012, when it received its first customer aircraft, an Air Canada Airbus A320. The carrier signed a letter of intent with AAR in mid-October for airframe maintenance and modifications for 89 A320s.
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Qantas Airways Group, which has Boeing 787s on order for its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, is unsure if the current grounding of the global 787 fleet will continue long enough to affect its business. “We don’t know the implications [of the 787 grounding] for delivery,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told reporters on the sidelines of a Oneworld event in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 31. Qantas has ordered 14 787s for Jetstar, which is due to receive its first aircraft in the second half of this year. The 787s are an eventual replacement for Jetstar’s A330s.
