Airbus does not see any need to issue updated guidance to Airbus A330 operators following an initial analysis of the AF447 Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR). “At this stage of the preliminary analysis of the DFDR, Airbus has no immediate recommendation to raise to operators,” Airbus wrote in an accident information telex (AIT). The airframer says it will provide more updates once “new significant information becomes available.”
A second HondaJet conforming prototype is scheduled to fly by the end of May and a third should follow by July, says Johannes Graf von Schaesberg, chairman and CEO of Rheinland Air Service (RAS) and HondaJet’s Sales and Service Center for Central Europe. Speaking at EBACE 2011, Von Schaesberg also confirms, “We’re looking at the end of 2012 for FAA certification, and with EASA certification pretty much running in parallel expect that to occur in early 2013.
If Embraer decides this year to build a 130- to 150-seat aircraft, it could have the first one in service by the second half of 2018, says Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, the Brazilian company’s executive VP-airline market. Alternatively, if Embraer decides re-engining its E-Jets is the way to go, the first of those could be in service by 2016, Silva adds.
Boeing is offering its 747-8 Boeing Business Jet customers the option of installing used engines to ferry their aircraft to completion centers for outfitting so they can be assured the latest updated engine configurations. Called the GE Pusher Program, the engine-upgrade option is allowed on the first five BBJs and allows customers to use General Electric GEnx-2B engines from flight test aircraft or a lease pool rather than new engines for the delivered airplane. That way, any engine upgrades can be applied once the business jet enters service.
Qantas is updating its frequent flyer program by offering more earning potential from passengers using its JetStar low-cost subsidiary and higher bonus awards within each cabin class. JetStar also established an ancillary option called “Plus or Max Bundle” that provides for such things as seat changes or greater earning potential.
Shares of Danish low-fare airline Cimber Sterling plunged by almost 13% on May 18, after the carrier disclosed that its losses for the full financial year 2010-2011 ended March 31 will be much larger than expected and that it is searching for investors to strengthen its capital base.
VistaJet carried a record 20,300 customers in 2010 and its revenues rose 25% in the year, up from the 16,500 customers carried in 2009, when revenues rose 20%. “I am extremely pleased with these results through the challenging times of the global economic crisis,” said founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr at EBACE 2011. “That trend is continuing through 2011.” VistaJet has doubled in every measure since 2008, including fleet, infrastructure and IT, said Flohr, adding, “And I’m not talking from one to two aircraft."
Brazil’s largest operator TAM posted a BRL128.8 million (US$78.7 million) net profit in the first three months of the year, a nearly BRL200 million improvement on the BRL70.9 million loss from the same period in 2010.
Mexican carrier Interjet has contracted Aveos to repair and overhaul all components on its fleet of Airbus A320s. The five-year deal includes the establishment of a main base stock in Toluca, Mexico, and access to an inventory pool. Aveos will also help the airline develop its own component and repair capabilities. “This contract is a great step forward for us, allowing Aveos to bring its expertise to a world-class airline, such as Interjet,” says Aveos VP Jerry Kent.
Pratt & Whitney Canada is designing a new 5,000-7,000 shp engine for a larger turboprop, convinced that there are several operators that would launch service with a 90-seater if it existed. Speaking at a press briefing during the Regional Airline Association’s Annual Convention May 17 in Nashville, Tenn., Richard Dussault, P&W VP of marketing, said working on the engine makes sense because fuel costs are making it increasingly difficult for regionals to make money in short-haul markets.
GE Aviation will maintain the engines on Ecuadorian operator TAME’s fleet of three Embraer 190 twinjets under a five-year deal valued at $30 million over the life of the agreement. The aircraft are powered by CF34-10E engines made by General Electric.
A Brazilian federal judge on May 16 sentenced two ExcelAire pilots to four years and four months of community service after finding the pilots guilty on one criminal charge stemming from the Sept. 29, 2006, midair collision of their Embraer Legacy 600 with a GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes Boeing 737.
Aires, the Colombian operator recently purchased by LAN, has signed its first contract with a global distribution system for a full-content distribution agreement with Sabre Travel Network. The deal provides Aires’ inventory, including ancillary fares, to Sabre Connected travel agents in real-time. “As Aires continues to grow, we are confident the Sabre GDS will help us reach more business travelers and expand the visibility of our products through online travel agencies,” says Chief Commercial Officer Pablo Yunis.
Alaska Airlines will help Boeing Commercial Air Services develop an automated identification system for airline parts, components and equipment, using a combination of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and Contact Memory Buttons.
Mitsubishi Regional Jet is “seriously considering” a 100-seat model and has talked to several potential customers about it, says Junichi Miyakawa, executive VP of the Nagoya-based airframer. “We do have a lot of pressure,” particularly from European customers, to add an MRJ100X to a product mix that already includes the 70- and 90-seat MRJ70 and MRJ90, Miyakawa said May 17 at the Regional Airline Association's annual convention in Nashville, Tenn. His company, he added, is “studying so hard” when it will launch the product.
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes’ top executive says the Brazilian carrier has no interest in acquiring a stake in TAP Portugal when the European carrier’s pending privatization becomes final. President and CEO Constantino de Oliveira Jr., to emphasize the point, says rumors of a possible bid by GOL have “no foundation.”
The U.S. Transportation Department has granted all frequencies requested under the 2011 allocation of rights to Brazil. With this approval, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are granted 10 frequencies and nine frequencies, respectively, while Amerijet and Kalitta Air each get seven all-cargo frequencies.
Lufthansa is changing its baggage rules in an effort to make the system less complex, it says, by charging for the number of bags instead of weight only. Effective June 1, it will allow only one piece of checked baggage free of charge for economy class, which can weigh up to 23 kg. The same system will apply to fully owned subsidiary Austrian Airlines. The airline plans to charge for the second bag; the fee will be €50 ($70.55) for domestic and European flights and €150 for long-haul services.
It is no secret that 50-seat regional jets have been falling out of favor as higher fuel costs make them uneconomical on a growing number of routes, which is why many U.S. regional carriers have been trying to shift their fleets to larger aircraft. But a closer look at some numbers shows why regional airlines remain vulnerable on their 50-seat fleets, especially if fuel costs continue to rise.
Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia Airlines’ Pacific Blue division will revise their schedules from November now that the two companies’ alliance has been granted regulatory approval. The alliance will connect Air New Zealand’s domestic network of 26 ports to Virgin Australia’s domestic network of 31 domestic ports. With the changes, Air New Zealand will operate approximately 70% of the capacity and Pacific Blue airline will operate 30%, similar to the relative market share the airlines had prior to the commencement of the Alliance.
A week after returning its X-3 hybrid helicopter to flight, Eurocopter says it has topped the program speed target of 220 kt. by achieving 232 kt. in sustained forward flight. The compound helicopter sustained 232 kt. for several minutes flying at the French Istres flight test center. The prototype received a gearbox upgrade to achieve the performance target, the helicopter maker says.
Uncertainty over the future of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program is causing problems for Great Lakes Aviation’s efforts to refinance its debt. As with many carriers, the Cheyenne, Wyo.-based regional airline historically used debt to finance the purchase of its aircraft, and as of March 31 had $36 million of long-term debt payments or debt maturity debt payments due in the next 12 months. The largest portion of its debt was held by the company’s principal creditor and largest single shareholder: Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corp.
