Last year’s revisions to the aircraft sectoral understanding (ASU) on export credit for commercial transports have significantly increased financing costs, says Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. Financing for African carriers has never been easy, but the changes have “compounded the problem,” he says. The situation is made even more difficult because other access to capital is limited.
The impact of aircraft wake vortices on the air traffic capacity increases possible with performance-based operations is the subject of new research in Europe and the U.S. Avtech Sweden has received SKR3 million ($440,000) in research funding from Vinnova, the government agency for innovation, to study the mitigation strategies for wake vortices within the performance-based air traffic management planned for the European Sesar and FAA NextGen airspace systems.
Designed for anyone with risk on the future level of airfares – for example Airlines, Banks/Credit Card Companies, Corporate Travel Managers, etc. The Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index tracks daily airfares within the domestic airline market. The Aero 100 delivers financial risk mitigation and protection against constant fluctuation of airline ticket prices by providing the price settling mechanism for Commodity Futures Contracts. -- Largest 100 domestic routes, by revenue, using DOT data.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers - Munich, April 8-14, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Top Carriers - Munich, April 8-14, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Departures Airport Share ASMs (mil) AirportShare Seats/Dept.
The Volga-Dnepr Group has bought a 49% stake in Air Cargo Germany (ACG), a Boeing 747-400F operator based at Frankfurt Hahn Airport. The transaction was completed in the first quarter, and ACG and Volga-Dnepr subsidiary Air Bridge Cargo (ABC) started to operate a harmonized schedule last week. The schedule still needs the approval of Germany’s aviation authorities, however.
Airbus hopes to have a final fix for an A380 wing component cracking problem in hand in “a couple of weeks.” Progress is being made, and the goal is return the aircraft wing to the full projected life cycle, Airbus Executive VP-Programs Tom Williams tells Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Achieving the full 19,000 flight cycles is key to financiers. The fix will be installed on new aircraft, those already in service and those completed and still undergoing cabin furnishing.
The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) is looking for more capacity at Shanghai by trying out a new air route and cracking down on airlines wasting slots. Air China this month is flying on the second route between Beijing Capital and Shanghai Hongqiao airports. Though the route is less direct than the current one, which itself is not straight, it makes up for its 250 km (160 mi.) of extra length and more than 10 min. of additional flight time by being free of congestion.
March proved a fruitful month for Delta Air Lines and US Airways, with the Atlanta-based carrier posting another month of double-digit passenger unit revenue gains and the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline recording another solid year-on-year gain. Delta’s 13% year-on-year rise in passenger revenue per available seat miles (PRASM) mirrors February’s performance, with the airline attributing both to strong demand from its corporate customers. Any further comparisons are limited, however, as Delta only recently added PRASM breakdowns to its monthly traffic reports.
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Costs and Statistics, 12 Months Ended September 2011, Regional Jets Page 4 CRJ 900 Manufacturer: Bombardier
FlightSafety Internationa l, Flushing, N.Y., promoted Nancy Ritter to manager of the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., from assistant manager of Part 141, 142 and 61 flight training. She succeeds Daniel Greenhill, who is leaving the company.
The government-backed agency that provided a massive cash infusion to Japan Airlines two years ago is sure to recoup its investment thanks to the carrier’s strong financial rebound, says former JAL Chairman Kazuo Inamori.
Now in sole control of the civil tiltrotor program it began with Bell Helicopter, AgustaWestland plans to begin certification flights of its renamed AW609 next year with the goals of obtaining FAA certification and beginning deliveries by mid-2016. The company reports cash-backed orders in hand for 70 units from 40 customers in 15 countries. Two prototypes have been involved in initial flight tests. A third aircraft is being assembled in Italy and will fly next year. A fourth is expected to follow in 2014.
Moog plans to announce this week that it selected AeroTurbine to provide global logistics support, including inventory management and distribution, for its Boeing 787, 747-800 and Airbus A350XWB components and systems covered through Moog’s support programs. AeroTurbine, a subsidiary of International Lease Finance Corp., will provide warehousing for Moog’s global parts pools around the world, including in Miami, Los Angeles, Singapore, Beijing, Melbourne, Sydney, London and Dubai.
Delta Air Lines, losing about $1 million per month on its Shuttle service between Boston Logan and New York LaGuardia airports, plans to replace the four Airbus A319 aircraft on the route with two-class Embraer 175 regional jets in June.
Delta Air Lines’ board is scheduled to meet April 19 and its agenda will include discussion—and possibly a vote—on whether to acquire or try to acquire a ConocoPhillips oil refinery in Pennsylvania, Aviation Week has learned from a source that has connections with the airline. Delta also will brief the leaders of its pilots union on the potential oil refinery plans during union Master Executive Council meetings on April 18 that also will cover numerous other topics, the source said.
Passenger airlines that think they can offload their Boeing 747-400s to freighter operators at a favorable price may be in for a rude shock. “I have my doubts” about the future market demand and value of 747-400 converted freighters, in light of the fact that fuel efficiency has become such an important factor of success in the air cargo business, Lufthansa Cargo VP-Asia Pacific Helge Krüger-Lorenzen, told Aviation Week and others in a media briefing Friday in Singapore. “Ideally, you need to have 777Fs these days,” he adds.
Air Maintenance Estonia , Tallinn, Estonia, appointed David Williams managing director and CEO, succeeding Lars-Olof Bolinder, who will continue as a Supervisory Board member.
Gulfstream Aerospace , Savannah, Ga., named Thomas Huff aviation safety officer and Lisa Troxell regional product support sales manager for repair and overhaul in the U.S. Midwest.
