After almost a decade, Air-India has kicked off the process of buying new aircraft. The Ministry of Civil Aviation asked Air-India to submit an expansion plan within three months. This follows a letter from Boeing offering aircraft on reduced prices along with attractive self-financing. Air-India, which will bounce back into black at the end of 2001-02 for the first time since 1994-95, has appointed an in-house committee to decide on the types of aircraft required for the expansion program. A key strategy is to step up operations to the U.S.
FAA yesterday awarded MCI WorldCom a sole-source contract, worth up to $604 million, for MCI to continue providing, for up to five more years, telecommunications infrastructure services for air traffic controllers at the 20 en route centers. The MCI systems would enable controllers to communicate by voice and data with each other and with pilots, according to an FAA spokesman. MCI's present contract for the Leased Interfacility NAS Communications System (LINCS), competitively awarded in 1992, expires in March.
Schedule adjustments made by Brazilian and U.S. carriers have increased the latter's capacity advantage over the former by as much as 69%, according to a study issued last week by Brazil's Civil Aviation Department. While Varig and TAM operate 42 weekly Brazil-U.S. flights, American, United, Continental and Delta have 93. Although U.S. megacarriers cut down flights immediately after Sept. 11, they are quickly regaining lost market share. On Feb. 17, American increased weekly flights by five, and United has been operating at 80% plus load factors.
Some sort of passenger profiling that includes race and nationality is constitutional and should be implemented as part of aviation security, as long as the two characteristics are not the sole criteria under which passengers are screened, security experts told the House Transportation aviation subcommittee yesterday.
Copri, the agency in charge of airport development in Peru, has chosen four international consulting firms from a prequalified bid to work on two projects: final feasibility studies for the new Chincheros Airport to serve the Cusco resort area, and a master plan for the concession of regional airports. The companies are Consorcio Typsa/OIST S.A./Vector Management; Currie&Brown; MPD, and the consortium made up by IMG Infrastructure Group and Lagesa.
Japan Airline yesterday in at the Asian Aerospace show placed a firm order for one 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet on behalf of its J-Air subsidiary. JAL now has five of the CRJs on order and this week's announcement in Singapore represents the conversion of one of three options taken by JAL when it ordered two aircraft in October 2000. J-Air has since taken delivery of the first two planes. J-Air is based in Hiroshima and provides domestic service. Separately, Air Nippon signed a follow-on order for two 56-seat Bombardier Q300 turboprops.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to continue to meet deadlines outlined in the Aviation and Transportation Security Administration Act (ATSA), TSA Deputy Under Secretary Stephen McHale said yesterday at a Washington conference. Several industry experts voiced concerns over the new DOT agency's means of meeting those deadlines.
Allied Pilots Association representing American's pilots yesterday asked Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to protect the "basic rights" of Cathay Pacific pilots in discussions of a new air services agreements.
Boeing now believes that the Mach 0.98 Sonic Cruiser will need advanced technology -- all-new engines and an all-composite airframe -- in order to meet its performance, economic and environmental targets, according to Dan Mooney, VP-product development. Mooney said at the Asian Aerospace show in Singapore that there was "some early optimism" among Boeing leaders who suggested that the radical aircraft could work with simple derivative engines and a conventional structure.
Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) yesterday exercised an option for the purchase of one additional Airbus A320, bringing its total order for Airbus aircraft to 51. The lessor is the largest customer for the A320 line in the region. Including the newly exercised option, SALE has placed orders for three A319s, 42 A320s and six A321s. Of these, 19 A320s and two A321s have already been delivered to SALE and delivery of the new A320 is expected in May 2004.
Airbus, declaring yesterday that the airline industry is showing slow signs of worldwide recovery, predicted it would secure a new order for the A380 by yearend in addition to new deals for the A340 family of aircraft. Airbus VP-Customer Affairs John Leahy told The DAILY in Singapore that he has a goal of signing one new A380 customer every year until the first delivery in 2006. After the aircraft makes its "big splash" that year by entering service, Leahy believes more customers will flock to it.
Colombia's No. 2 airline, Aces, which will join No. 1 Avianca in May in an operational and marketing alliance, has signed an ACMI wet-lease contract with commuter Aerolineas de Antioquia (ADA). The smaller carrier will operate Twin Otters on short-haul routes from Medellin Olaya Herrera Airport to Armenia, Puerto Berrio, serving both with two daily frequencies, and Caucasia with four daily frequencies.
Grounded Transbrasil's steep decline (DAILY, Feb. 7) was compounded by a decision by Brazil's treasure department to seek judicial action this week against the carrier for 70 million reais owed for back taxes. This will probably involve the freezing the company's assets in Brazil and abroad, as well as those of the Fontana family, who still owns the majority of stock. In view of such a bleak outlook, local industry analysts for the first time envisioned the very strong possibility of bankruptcy.
Morten Beyer&Agnew consultants, based on the recent experience of two of its executives, is cautioning frequent flyers to check in advance if they plan to use a code-share ticket in an upgrade. "It seems that some airlines will not upgrade you unless you fly and are ticketed on their own flights." MBA said.
Bolivia's attorney general's office is putting the finishing touches on an early trial as the result of an investigation started last October in which Wagner and Ulises Canhedo, owners of Brazil's VASP, and 15 other former Lloyd Aereo Boliviano executives will be judged for alleged illicit irregularities that led to $60 million in losses while they managed the former Bolivian flag carrier.
Gulfstream this week cracked the Chinese market after selling three Gulfstream 200 business jets to Hainan Airlines for use in the carrier's charter operation. Two of the 10-passenger aircraft, formerly called the Galaxy, will be delivered in the third quarter of this year, and the first quarter of 2003. The deal announced at the Asian Aerospace show is worth about $60 million. Hainan is not new to executive jets; it operates three Hawker 800s.
Lufthansa Technik has opened a new facility in Shenzhen, China, specializing in the overhaul of airframe-related components. Located at Huangtin Airport, the fourth-largest in China, the 18,000-sqare-meter facility will focus on the overhaul of thrust reversers, nacelles, radomes and other components made from composites. Lufthansa holds 70% in the joint venture with Beijing Kailan Aviation Technology Co., which holds 29% and Shenzhen Investment Holding Corp 10%.
Vietnam Airlines is leasing two new Boeing 777-2000ERs from ILFC. The GE-powered aircraft will be delivered early next year on five-year leases. The carrier also leases from ILFC one 767-300ER and an Airbus A321.
The House Transportation aviation subcommittee today will hold a hearing on passenger profiling, chaired by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Witnesses will include Raphael Ron, former security director at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Jonathan Turley of George Washington Law School and Laura Murphy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union. The subcommittee will take up the issue of whether profiling for public safety constitutes racism and is a threat to civil liberties.
Boeing, almost exactly a year after shelving plans to develop a 747X, yesterday announced that it is developing another new version of the long-running widebody, the 747-400X Quiet Longer Range. Boeing officials said at the Asian Aerospace air show in Singapore that its customers have been asking for a longer-range version of the 747 than is currently available and that the company is hoping to announce a launch customer by mid-year and have the aircraft flying by 2004.
Airbus yesterday made public its first technical manual for the A380. "Airplane Characteristics For Airport Planning" is a 177-page overview of data needed by airport operators to support the superjumbo -- everything from pavement loading requirements to projected configurations for ramp-service equipment. A .pdf version of the report can be downloaded from the A380 area on www.airbus.com. The A380 is slated to enter service in 2006.
Emirates tomorrow is expected to chose the Alliance GP7200 engine to power its Airbus A380s. The announcement in Singapore will be a win for the General Electric and Pratt&Whitney joint venture because Emirates has been a loyal Rolls-Royce customer, which has claimed most A380 orders to date with the Trent 900.
