The $1.03 billion project known as the Big Build, now open at Sacramento International Airport, represents Sacramento County’s largest public capital improvement ever. The new Central Terminal B and 19-gate airside concourse provide capacity to accommodate 16 million passengers a year. New facilities include an international arrivals area, passenger security checkpoints, an in-line baggage screening system and more than 42,000 sq. ft. of concession space.
Airbus is poised to deliver the first A320 family aircraft powered by upgraded CFM International CFM56-5B PIP (Performance Improvement Package) engines. The upgraded -5B PIP package, originally dubbed the -5BE, will enter service on an A320 scheduled for delivery to LAN Airlines of Chile within the next few days.
Development issues with the jointly developed Honda and General Electric HF120 turbofan are forcing Honda to delay first deliveries of the HondaJet light business jet by about nine months to mid-2013. The program was originally aimed at delivering the first aircraft in the third quarter of 2012, but HondaJet President and CEO Michimasa Fujino says development issues are forcing GE-Honda to push engine certification back to the second half of 2013. “This is impacting the HondaJet certification date,” he says.
Virgin Atlantic and a New Zealand company, LanzaTech, plan to develop and produce a low-carbon aviation fuel made from the waste gases of industrial steel production. Boeing and Stockholm-based Swedish Biofuels AB are among the other partners in the project, and a demonstration flight using the fuel is planned in the next 12-18 months.
American Airlines, citing pilot retirements, an uncertain economic environment and high fuel costs, is trimming fourth-quarter capacity beyond stockholder guidance issued just a few weeks ago and cutting close to 9% of its Boeing 757-200 fleet in 2012. The Fort Worth-based airline’s business strategy has come under increased scrutiny, and in past months has been criticized for failing to match capacity cuts announced by its U.S. peers.
The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board this week selected Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Airport Authority, as airport director of Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Landguth serves as president of the South East Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives board of directors. He has been with Chattanooga since his appointment in 1999 as VP-operations. Board Chairman Terry Yeargan said the authority was looking for someone to “drive the organization and strategically turn challenges into opportunities.”
A regional court yesterday banned all night flights at Frankfurt Airport in a surprise decision. Nightly takeoffs and landings are no longer allowed from Oct. 21—the day the fourth runway opens at Europe’s third-largest airport.
Avianova shut down on Oct. 10, leaving Russia without any domestic low-cost carriers and underscoring the challenge of implementing a low-fare model in a nation where the population is clustered in a few high-density regions.
China’s business jet market will eclipse sales in the U.S., in pure dollar terms, in the next 10 years or so. That’s the prediction of Jason Liao, chairman and CEO of China Business Aviation Group (CBA) and one of the most experienced insiders on China’s business aviation scene.
Emirates Sky Cargo is “waiting to hear from Boeing“ on the latest performance specifications for the much-delayed Boeing 747-8 freighter as Cargolux continues to negotiate with the airframer over the terms and conditions for the delivery of its first two aircraft. Emirates Divisional Senior VP-Cargo Ram Menen says the airline “wants to see improvements” in the aircraft’s performance.
Air Canada says it will implement a “partial schedule” if its flight attendants follow through on a threat to go on strike as soon as tomorrow. For now, the airline is saying only that the partial schedule would include Air Canada Express flights operated by its regional partner airlines—Jazz Air, Sky Regional Airlines, Air Georgian and EVAS Air. “Further details of the partial schedule would be communicated prior to implementation,” the airline adds.
Bombardier is confident the CSeries will enter service in 2013 despite a few areas of concern, Bombardier Aerospace President Guy Hachey told analysts yesterday at the National Business Aviation Association show in Las Vegas. With entry into service planned for the end of the year in 2013, CSeries’ first flight should occur by the end of 2012, says Hachey. The first customer to fly the aircraft has not been identified; however, Hachey would not reveal the name of the airline or its region.
Qatar Airways is scheduled to add Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to a Boeing 777 cargo network that includes Houston, Luxembourg and Doha, starting Nov. 2 with twice-weekly service.
American Eagle and the union representing its pilots have reached a critical week in their efforts to craft a plan that could give the regional carrier greater stability after a proposed spin-off from its parent company.
India’s federal government likely will allow cash-strapped Air India to acquire 27 Boeing 787s and three Boeing 777-300ERs after the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) decided to provide $1.3 billion in loan guarantees supporting Boeing commercial aircraft sales to the state-run carrier.
Sweden’s airport operator has halted moves to contract out the country’s air traffic control services because it is not yet clear exactly which services will be included. The Swedish parliament last year decided to open ATC services to competition, and as a result, airport company Swedavia began a procurement process. Incumbent air navigation service provider LFV will likely be one of the bidders, and other European ATC providers are also expected to participate.
Ultimate Air Shuttle, performing well in two of its three markets from Cincinnati Lunken Airport, is mapping an expansion of its corporate jet-like service to at least five new destinations.
Airbus Corporate Jets comes to this week’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention in Las Vegas with nine new orders since this time last year, “and our forecast to the year’s end is for more than that,” says Francois Chazelle, Airbus VP-executive and private aviation. Chazelle also expects further ACJ orders will be announced at the Middle East Business Aviation show in Dubai next month. “We are outselling Boeing at a ratio of two to one. We did it last year, and that ratio will hold this year, too,” he adds.
Cessna Aircraft has introduced a virtually all-new jet, the Citation Latitude, at this week’s National Business Aviation Association convention in Las Vegas, to the surprise of many in attendance. In doing so, the Wichita firm challenged competitors hoping to supplant its leadership in the less-than-heavy-iron market. It’s the second new model to be announced by the company in just two weeks. It unveiled the Citation M2, an evolutionary successor to the CJ1+, in late September.
