Air Lease, the lessor led by Steven Udvar-Hazy, is asking Boeing to increase the payload on a proposed double-stretch derivative of its 787 aircraft to extend its range to about 7,000 nm. “We’re talking to Boeing about increasing the range a little more,” Udvar-Hazy said Nov. 8 during a conference call on his company’s third-quarter earnings, when asked about Boeing’s discussions with airlines and lessors regarding a potential 787-10.
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International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh has reaffirmed that IAG would consider investing in a restructured American Airlines. The company, however, would only go ahead “if there is some additional strategic and financial value to do so,” Walsh told investors at IAG’s Capital Markets Day on Friday. IAG currently has no concrete plans to invest, but it is open to the possibility. Walsh also stressed his support of American's CEO Tom Horton, noting he “is the right person to take American through Chapter 11.”
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Nov. 12-14—Airports Council International-NA Airport Concessions Conference, Denver, www.aci-na.org/conferences/ Nov. 13-18—2012 Airshow China, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, www.airshow.com.cn Nov. 14-16—SpeedNews 17th Annual Regional and Business Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference, Montelucia, Paradise Valley (Scottsdale), Ariz. www.speednews.com/ConferenceInfo.aspx?conferenceID=81
DHL Global Forwarding says it has completed much of the work to meet the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) Dec. 3 deadline for 100% screening of inbound air cargo on U.S. passenger aircraft. The forwarding unit next week also plans to meet with 100 of its major importers, along with the TSA and cargo partner American Airlines, to discuss how the transition to 100% screening will proceed, Gary Schultheis, senior VP-air freight, Americas, tells Aviation Week in an interview. The transition has been a work in progress, Schultheis says.
EADS witnessed massive cash outflow in the first nine months of the year and hopes it will be break even on free cash flow for the full year, but is dependent, in part, on achieving targeted Airbus A380 delivery numbers. The company reported a €3.2 billion ($4 billion) negative free cash flow in its third-quarter results briefing for the year to date, with net cash falling from €11.3 billion to €8 billion. This is in sharp contrast to previous cash flow projections.
International Airlines Group (IAG) will make a takeover offer to acquire a 100% stake in Barcelona-based, low-fare airline Vueling. IAG is offering €7 ($8.90) per share in the planned transaction and would spend €113 million for the 54% stake not currently held by IAG subsidiary Iberia. The offer is expected to be made in the first quarter of 2013, and the deal is scheduled to close in the second quarter, says IAG.
Aircastle’s decisions on which aircraft to acquire are being driven in part by where the date of manufacture falls in the production life of the platform, says Ron Wainshal, CEO of the Stamford, Conn.-based aircraft lessor. “We believe that the useful life of an aircraft will be driven in large part by where its date of manufacture falls in the production life of the platform. Aircraft produced towards the end of a production run will likely have shorter lives,” Wainshal said during a conference call on the company’s third-quarter earnings.
The U.S. Air Force and the Homeland Security Department (DHS) can make better use of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for national security and humanitarian missions—such as reconnaissance or assistance flights following hurricanes—says the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a recent report.
Regulatory holdups will delay WestJet’s plans to reconfigure its Boeing 737 fleet with four rows of premium economy seating until the first quarter of 2013. The Canadian low-cost carrier intended to complete the work by the end of the year, but during the company’s third-quarter results conference call President and CEO Gregg Saretsky said the airline still needs regulatory approval to proceed.
SAS Group has delayed the publication of its third-quarter results, as negotiations over its latest restructuring plan and the extension and amount of its revolving credit facility are taking longer than expected. The airline was due to report detailed financial figures on Thursday, but pushed the announcement back by several days. The company stated that finalizing the plan to address its cost structure and complete asset disposals is “an essential part of these negotiations.”
Colombia’s Aerolinea de Antioquia (ADA) will be the first BAE Systems Jetstream 32 operator to adopt a life extension program (LEP) that increases the 19-seat turboprop’s maximum cycles almost 50%, says the European manufacturer. The LEP allows operators to extend the life of the 135 Jetstream 32 in service to 67,000 cycles from 45,000 cycles through a revised structural maintenance program. Most of the Jetstream 32s, which were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, are approaching the previous life cycle limit, says BAE.
The FAA and U.S. aviation industry have agreed to share voluntarily submitted, aggregated safety data with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the first time the safety investigator has gained access to the valuable information. The ground-breaking agreement, announced Thursday, creates an executive board under the existing Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) umbrella. The board will accept specific, written NTSB requests for ASIAS information.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of November 7, 2012, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
Copa Holdings says it will boost capacity 14% in 2013, mainly with the addition of seven new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The growth is in line with CEO Pedro Heilbron’s prediction last month, when he told Aviation Week he expected capacity to rise “between 10% and 15%” (Aviation Daily, Oct. 5). Copa expects to take delivery of the seven 737-800s next year. Copa revised its capacity growth guidance for the full year 2012 to 24%, one percentage point higher than the previously forecast 23%. This was achieved through the net addition of 10 737-800s.
New aircraft financing rules that take effect Jan. 1 will sharply increase the upfront fees the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) charges for its loan guarantees. The fees are expected to more than double from 6.25% to 15% of the total loan and will be adjusted on a quarterly basis, Ex-Im Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg said Nov. 8 during a speech at the International Aviation Club in Washington.
Construction of Argyle International Airport, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ first airport capable of accepting widebody aircraft, now is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, a few months earlier than previously thought. The Tourism Ministry previously said the airport would come online in the middle of 2014. With the new construction forecast, Argyle could be open by year-end 2013 or early 2014, the ministry says. The greenfield airport will replace the existing E. T. Joshua Airport, which can accommodate aircraft of up to 50 seats.
Click here to view the pdf Nonstop Segment Performance: Canada - U.S., 12 Months Ending December 2011, Ranked By Onboard Passengers Onboard ASMs % Chg. Seats Per Market (Metro Ar
International Airlines Group’s (IAG’s) board of directors will meet today to discuss the takeover of Spanish carrier Vueling Airlines. If the board approves, IAG, will be attempting to control Spain’s two largest carriers. IAG was created through the merger of British Airways and Iberia, and since then has purchase the UK’s second largest operator BMI. Iberia already owns 45.85% of Vueling’s stock.
Manufacturers tend to highlight trends such as the burgeoning middle class in emerging markets as key drivers for rising commercial aircraft demand. But the single most important factor is something less strategic: fleet replacement. According to Airbus’s latest global market forecast (GMF), more than 10,000 aircraft will be replaced in the next 20 years. Airbus predicts a total output of 27,000 new single-aisle and larger airliners by 2032. Those will be built by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer—and soon also by Comac and the United Aircraft Corp.
Air Berlin is suing Berlin Airports for damages following multiple delays in the opening of the city’s new airport. The airline says it has tried to come to an agreement with the airport operator during months of negotiations, but that it became increasingly clear an out-of-court settlement would not be possible. Air Berlin claims it has had to deal with millions more in additional costs because of the delay.
