A new controversy has surfaced over the transatlantic skies, and it is not about Europe wanting to change ownership and control rules of U.S. airlines or British Airways-parent International Airlines Group plotting a takeover bid for American Airlines. The hullabaloo is about the plans of Oslo-based low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle to operate transatlantic services via a separate company to be known as Norwegian Air International (NAI) using an Irish air operator's certificate (AOC) and several Boeing 787s leased and registered in Ireland.
Airbus has completed modification work on fewer than one-quarter of the in-service A380 fleet, fixes that are required to strengthen wing rib-feet and ribs. Moving all 122 aircraft through the retrofit program will likely take until the end of 2015.
Bombardier has pushed its service-entry target for the CSeries airliner back by at least 12 months, saying it will take longer than planned to complete certification flight testing. The announcement, which was expected, targets a service-entry date for the initial 110-seat CS100 variant for the second half of 2015, with the 135-seat CS300 following about six months later. Malmo Aviation in Sweden will be the first airline to take delivery of the CSeries, Bombardier says. The airline has five CS100s and five CS300s on firm order.
Luxaviation, the European business aviation charter and management group, is continuing on its path of rapid growth through the acquisition of French charter and management company Unijet. The acquisition, completed through Luxaviation’s Belgian subsidiary Abelag, helps secure Luxaviation group’s position as one of the largest in Europe with a combined staff of 350 employees and 60 business aircraft.
American Airlines’ plan to complete required slot divestitures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) leaves a nonstop monopoly in six markets and cuts Washington-area nonstop service completely in six more, while adding New York-area service in just one new market, an Aviation Week analysis shows.
Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Gary Kenneth Toomey has resigned—effective immediately—on Jan. 16, only seven months after joining India’s leading private carrier. Toomey, who was hired last June on a three-year contract, could not be immediately reached for comment. Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, the chief financial officer of the airline, will be the “acting chief executive officer” until the board appoints a new chief, the airline says in a statement.
Transport Canada (TC) has mandated Bombardier recommendations to regularly replace 50-seat CRJ elevator shear pins after learning that the pins “may fail prematurely.” The directive issued Jan. 13, does not explain why the pins are failing, nor does it say how Bombardier learned of the problem. There are no references to in-service issues.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer-Customers John Leahy is optimistic that China will soon agree to take 27 Airbus A330s which have been stalled by a dispute over the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). China blocked the aircraft back in 2012 in protest against the extension of the ETS to include aviation, which triggered an international backlash against the EU.
The budget bill making its way through Congress comes with language—but not dedicated funding—that calls on FAA to evaluate the pros and cons of mandating deployable flight recorders on airliners.
Air Berlin and SAS Group, both among the worst financial performers in the European air transport sector during the past several years, have launched initiatives to obtain fresh capital. Air Berlin confirmed it plans to increase the size of a bond issue placed originally in April 2011 by a further €50 million ($68 million), while SAS plans to ask its annual shareholder meeting to approve a convertible bond and/or a capital increase.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of January 15, 2014, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
A proposed strategic alliance linking Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines will significantly broaden service between the two countries, and will also let Air New Zealand extend its reach into Southeast Asia and other important international markets. The two airlines intend to form a revenue-sharing joint venture on flights between New Zealand and Singapore. They will also code-share and coordinate sales in a range of markets beyond Singapore, and on New Zealand domestic routes.
Bombardier has pushed its service-entry target for the CSeries airliner back by at least 12 months, saying it will take longer than planned to complete certification flight testing. The announcement, which was expected, targets service entry of the initial 110-seat CS100 variant for the second half of 2015, with the 135-seat CS300 following about six months later. Malmo Aviation in Sweden will be the first airline to take delivery of the CSeries, Bombardier says. The airline has five CS100s and five CS300s on firm order.
A U.S. effort to provide public-private financing for NextGen equipage is making significant progress, with access to a fund specifically for general aviation users to be provided in the spring.
U.K. air navigation provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) says it is satisfied with the early results of a trans-Atlantic flight optimization trial. The Topflight project, run by NATS in partnership with NavCanada, tested the principle of “perfect” flights on a trans-Atlantic basis with the aim of potentially offering fuel savings and reductions in delays for customers using the ANSPs.
Atlas Air Worldwide has finalized a deal to acquire three more Boeing 777s for its growing dry-leasing business, continuing the company’s plan to diversify by adding stable sources of revenue. The 777s, purchased from affiliates of Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC, are on long-term lease with TNT, Aviation Week’s Commercial Fleets database shows. The aircraft, each delivered in 2011, are line numbers 947, 963, and 977.
Boeing has begun high-speed evaluations of the 777X derivative in its transonic wind-tunnel test facility as part of a five-month test campaign which includes low-speed work that began in the U.K. earlier in December.
Spirit Airlines has tapped Acro Aircraft Seating to supply 30 shipsets of passenger seats, including five earmarked for in-service Airbus A319s that could help persuade the carrier to increase its commitment for on-order aircraft. In addition to outfitting the A319s, the order covers 25 of the carrier’s 117-aircraft A320-family backlog. The Aviation Week Intelligence Network Commercial Fleets database lists Spirit’s in-service fleet as 54 aircraft, including 29 A319s, 23 A320s, and two A321s. Its backlog consists of 37 A320s, 30 A321s, and 50 A320neos.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Fukuoka - Tokyo Haneda, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats /Dep
FAA communities pained last year by congressional gridlock and the long-feared effects of so-called sequestration budget cuts will benefit from a little more protection under the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill being considered on Capitol Hill this week.
