Low-cost airline Wizz Air anticipates its profit for the year will be at the high end of its estimate, thanks to robust demand; its operational performance in March was good as well, with a decrease in cancellations.
Four aircraft retrofit specialists—EAD Aerospace, Envoy Aerospace, Etihad Airways Engineering and Lufthansa Technik—have officially launched the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance (IAMA), firming up an MOU that was first announced in January.
Aircraft interior design consultants, physicians and cabin-amenity providers are revivifying the airline industry’s efforts to improve passenger sleep now that data-gathering and analytics technologies are opening new possibilities.
Aircraft seat manufacturer Recaro has launched its lightest-weight economy seat at the 2019 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, shaving 1 kg (2.2 lb.) off its predecessor, along with an economy sleeper-seat option. Meanwhile, its smart-seat and flexible-configuration concepts from prior years are beginning to gain traction.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced on Apr. 2 that it has grounded two of its nine Boeing 787-10 due to premature blade deterioration found on the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines.
Investment company Searchlight Capital Partners is buying 26% of French aerostructures and electrical systems manufacturer Latecoere, the Toulouse-based company said Apr. 2.
Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) has appointed its president, Hsieh Su-Chien as its new chairman, following a meeting by its board of directors on Apr. 2. Hsieh will retain his position as CAL’s president.
Airbus is working with industry stakeholders to create a data-producing aircraft cabin—covering smart galleys, lavatories, overhead bins and seats—with the aim of adding the data to its predictive maintenance and analytics platform Skywise.
Airbus has extended its Airspace customer definition center (CDC) at Hamburg Finkenwerder to include the cabin customization of its A320 and A330 programs, which complements existing A350 XWB customization areas, which launched in 2014.
Boeing’s proposed changes to its 737 MAX family flight-control software will undergo “additional work” and may not be in regulators’ hands for a final review for another six weeks.
U.S. lawmakers, determined to leave no stone unturned as they push for answers in the aftermath of two Boeing 737 MAX accidents in five months, have asked the Transportation Department’s (DOT) auditor to investigate pilot training, with emphasis on cockpit automation and international standards.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-New York) is urging the FAA to temporarily suspend Boeing from a rulemaking advisory committee, describing the manufacturer’s inclusion on the panel as a “potential conflict of interest” amid continuing investigations into the 737 MAX.
Carriers will increasingly seek to personalize the passenger experience through activities such as livestreaming events to passengers’ onboard devices, according to speakers at the Passenger Experience Conference in Hamburg Apr. 1.
The airline industry has to speed up its pace of innovation, not by 10%, “but by ‘times x,’” Lufthansa Group’s Chief Digital Officer Dr. Christian Langer said Apr. 1.
UK carrier Virgin Atlantic is planning to use the acquisition of UK regional Flybe to boost its own long-haul growth, which will have a renewed business traveler focus.
UK budget carrier easyJet warned that uncertainty over Brexit is curbing customer demand, leading to a more cautious outlook for the second half of the year, as it confirmed that its flights will continue to operate even in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Hawaiian Airlines is dramatically improving its access to the Australasian market thanks to an expansion of its codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia.
