Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington), Amy Svitak (Paris)
Space agency chiefs from the U.S., Europe and Russia are setting up talks aimed at finding a way to work toward a Mars sample-return mission in the face of budget uncertainty in the U.S. that threatens to upend the joint effort worked out by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Airlines, airports and the government have long been at odds over who is responsible when there is trouble in the air transportation system. Judging from the recent $900,000 fine assessed against American Eagle for violating the so-called tarmac rule, regulators now know where to pin the blame, though.
If Russia drops an extra “royalty” imposed on airlines flying across Siberia, it could shave as much as $100 per passenger from round-trip flights between Europe and Asia—and help level the playing field for European airlines vying for passengers with competitors from the Middle East.
The New Zealand government is planning a wide-ranging overhaul of its aviation policy framework, in an effort to improve access to overseas markets and make its regulatory process more flexible.
With the merger between LAN Airlines and TAM Grupo now in the final stages of approval, Latin American commercial aviation is entering the next stage in its rapid development. The deal has already had a deep impact on competitors in the region and it will shift the balance of power between the global alliances in one of the world's major growth markets.
Air traffic is growing fast in most of Latin America, but vastly differing economic policies, ranging from strict state control to open markets, are still a major hurdle for air transport in parts of the region.
It has been an eventful year for Brazil's two largest carriers, marked with consolidation efforts both at home and abroad and continued expansion, albeit at a more conservative rate than planned. Despite the best efforts of Brazil's many startups (see p. 55) the domestic market is dominated by Grupo TAM and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, which combined provide close to 80% of the country's air services. And while organic growth is powering some of this dominance, the two airlines are also trying to acquire new capacity to maintain their positions.
In many cases, Latin American airlines may be fierce competitors, but most of them have one thing in common—bad infrastructure. And there is no short-term relief in sight. Airports are quickly becoming a nagging bottleneck as the region's airlines continue their fast-paced growth. The capacity shortfall is seen in almost all major markets, even where facilities are partially privatized. Even though renovation projects are under way in some locations, their completion may be too late to satisfy airline customers.
Fuel costs could be driving more airline aftermarket work to vendors closer to operators' home bases. Although 82% of all airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is outsourced, according to TeamSAI, only 21% leaves an operator's region. While “geography is not a prime consideration in the decision process” for selecting maintenance vendors, it “clearly can impact costs both positively and negatively,” says Delta Air Lines spokesperson Ashley Black.
The global airline industry appears to have passed its latest financial peak, and the billion-dollar question now is how far—and how quickly—it will fall before bouncing back. Airlines will be hoping that the dip is a brief one, but the cyclical history of this industry shows that a sustained drop is just as likely.
While mainline airlines are on the decline, their low-cost-carrier (LCC) rivals appear to be faring better as the industry grapples with the prospect of another downturn. This is one of the themes revealed by the latest mid-term update to Aviation Week's Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) study. The charts and analysis below examine the slowdown and reversal of the mainline carrier recovery since 2008. And the three other charts show that while low-cost carriers are under pressure, there is still growth in key regions.
While the economic outlook may have darkened since the last Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) study, the best airlines are still on top. This mid-term update shows the same three carriers ranked first in their sectors by healthy margins, proving that their business models still give them an edge during global uncertainty. Note that these are not full TPA lists—merely a snapshot of the top 10 in each category.
The A318 is a twin-engine, 107-132-passenger narrowbody jetliner. Initial flight occurred in January 2002. In May 2003, the A318 (with CFM56 engines) was certificated by the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA); FAA certification followed a month later. Deliveries began in July 2003. Through 2010, Airbus produced 74 A318s. The A318 is powered by two 21,600-23,800-lb.-thrust turbofan engines, either the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 or the CFM International CFM56-5B. Primary competitors are the Embraer 190 and 195 and Bombardier CSeries.
In December 2010, Airbus announced that it was launching the NEO (new engine option) line of reengined A320 family aircraft. The NEO variants are offered with either Pratt & Whitney PW1100G or CFM International Leap-X engines. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015. Airbus will continue to offer its baseline A319/A320/A321 models (with the traditional engine options). Including baseline and NEO models, production of 5,251 A319/A320/A321 aircraft is forecast for 2011-20.
The A330 twin-engine, widebody commercial passenger transport was developed by Airbus to replace aircraft such as the A300, DC-10-10 and L-1011. An A330 prototype first flew in November 1992. Deliveries began in December 1993. Customers have a choice of turbofan engines in the 64,000-72,000-lb.-thrust class: the GE CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700. Three A330 models are available. The A330-300 seats 335 passengers in two classes or 295 in three classes. The -200 seats 293 in two classes or 253 in three.
The A340 is a four-engine, intercontinental widebody commercial transport aircraft. A prototype flew in October 1991, and deliveries began in January 1993. The A340-200 and -300 were certificated by the European Joint Aviation Authorities in December 1992 and FAA in February 1993. Both are powered by four 31,200-34,000-lb.-thrust CFM International CFM56-5C4 turbofan engines. Two newer models, the longer-range -500 and stretched -600, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500s. Typical seating for the -200, -300, -500 and -600 is 262, 295, 313 and 380 passengers, respectively.
In developing the 525-passenger A380, Airbus chose to leap past Boeing's 747 in capacity class. Boeing is marketing the 747-8 to indirectly compete with the A380, but no direct competition exists in the 500-plus-seat market. The A380 is powered by four turbofan engines rated at 70,000-76,500 lb. thrust each, and can be outfitted with either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or GE/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200. Airbus currently produces only a passenger version of the A380, delaying development of a freighter version until at least 2014.
The C212 made its first flight in March 1971 and deliveries began in May 1974. It is built in Spain by Airbus Military (formerly known as EADS CASA) and under license in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). Approximately 474 C212s (of all versions) were built through 2010. The C212 is an unpressurized 21-28-passenger regional turboprop. The C212-200 is powered by two Honeywell TPE331-10R-511C or -512C turboprop engines rated at 900 shp each. The C212-300 used two TPE331-10R-513C turboprops, also rated at 900 shp each.
The An-124 is a four-engine, intercontinental-range heavy-lift cargo transport, while the An-225 is a six-engine, heavy-lift jet designed to carry the Soviet shuttle orbiter Buran. Initial flight of a production An-124 prototype took place in 1982 and commercial operation began in 1986. Both are powered by Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines. Fifty-five An-124s and one An-225 have been produced.
The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine following in 2007. Power comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Seven An-148s were built through 2010 and an additional 151 are forecast for production through 2020. The An-158, a stretched 99-passenger version, first flew in 2010.
The ATR series are turboprop-powered regional transport aircraft. ATR is a joint venture of EADS and Alenia Aeronautica. The ATR 42 was first delivered in 1985 and the ATR 72 in 1989. The latest versions are the ATR 42-600 and 72-600. The latter received European Aviation Safety Agency certification in May 2011. Both -600 variants are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines, rated at 2,400-2,750 shp each. Through 2010, 940 aircraft in the entire ATR series were produced. Production of 668 is forecast for 2011-20.
The 737 series is a family of twin-engine, narrowbody commercial transports. Seating capacity varies depending on model, though the most typical two-class configurations are 126 passengers for the 737-700, 162 for the 737-800 and 180 for the 737-900ER. All three models, which are the current production versions, are powered by two CFM International CFM56-7 turbofans. The first 737 flew in April 1967 and received FAA certification in December 1967. Through 2010, Boeing produced 7,092 737s.
The 747 is an intercontinental, four-engine widebody commercial transport aircraft. A total of 1,467 747s were produced through 2010. First flight and certification occurred in 1969. In February 2010, Boeing achieved the maiden flight of the 747-8 series, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model and 747-8 Freighter. Both versions feature four GE GEnx engines rated at 66,500 lb. thrust each. The 747-8I is stretched 18 ft. compared to the 747-400 to accommodate 467 seats in a three-class configuration.
