At Boeing’s request, a judicial panel has agreed to centralize 10 lawsuits related to the July 6 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 to courts in the San Francisco area. “On the basis of papers filed and hearing sessions held, we find that these ten actions involve common questions of fact, and that centralization in the Northern District of California will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses, and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation,” according to the panel’s decision, published on Dec. 13.
The French pilots’ union Syndicat National des Pilotes de Ligne (SNPL) has publicly called on the French government to impose a moratorium on the allocation of further traffic rights to Arabian Gulf airlines because, the union alleges, these airlines “do not respect the rules of fair competition.”
A robust air traffic market usually translates into bustling aftermarket activity, but China has been somewhat of an exception—until now. Chinese carriers have begun de-stocking what has been a traditionally over-stocked spares inventory, opening up opportunities for parts suppliers, reports Canaccord Genuity analyst Ken Herbert.
Cathay Pacific Airways has ordered 21 Boeing 777-9Xs as part of the Hong Kong-based carrier’s high-capacity fleet renewal strategy for the next decade. Boeing originally hoped that the deal—worth in excess of $7 billion at current list prices—could have been announced at the recent Dubai Airshow, where the 777X program was launched on the back of 259 orders and commitments worth $95 billion. However a last-minute board decision by Cathay delayed the final agreement until the announcement of the contract this week.
Honeywell is detecting “modest improvement” in commercial aftermarket sales as 2013 wraps up, giving the company confidence that the stagnation of the last three years could be supplanted by a steeper uptick in demand. The company is projecting 3%-5% organic growth in total 2014 aftermarket sales, driven by a bump in air transport and regional (ATR) flight hours and continued solid demand for business aviation retrofits, modifications, and upgrades (RMU). Honeywell provided the details during its 2014 outlook presentation to analysts Dec. 17.
Citing safety justification and cost concerns, industry groups are reiterating their call for FAA to shelve its proposed airworthiness directive (AD) to require inspections and replacements of Engine Components Inc. (ECi) and Airmotive Engineering “Titan” cylinders found on 6,000 Continental 520 and 550 model reciprocating engines.
Cessna is within days of receiving certification and beginning delivery of its new Citation Sovereign midsize and M2 light business jets, but the new Citation X may still be a number of months away. Cessna is working at a “feverish pace” to wrap up the certification programs for the M2 and Sovereign by year’s end, a goal that Brad Thress, senior vice president-business jets for Cessna believes will be accomplished.
Senate passage of the budget deal on Dec. 18 comes as a relief to general aviation advocates worried that a prolonged impasse could have led to another costly government shutdown in January.
LOS ANGELES – More than 20 U.S. states are sharpening their pencils to bid on assembly of Boeing's 777X follow-on twinjet, now that a second attempt to negotiate a contract extension with Boeing machinists in Puget Sound, Wash., has foundered. Boeing says that on Dec. 12, “in response to a proposal presented yesterday by the union to secure 777X work in the Puget Sound region, Boeing presented a best and final counterproposal. That offer was rejected by the union leadership.”
The European Union (EU) and Israel are planning to integrate the operation of their national airspaces, despite the EU’s lack of progress in setting up a Functional Airspace Block (FAB) to optimize its own airspace and establishing a Single European Sky (SES). Israel will participate in the Blue-Med FAB as a next step in the implementation of the Open Skies agreement between Israel and the European Union (EU), which was signed in June and will fully liberalize market access between the 28 EU member states and Israel by 2018.
Industry leaders remain hopeful that the long overdue repair station security rule will finally shake free from its White House review in the next few weeks, but they are still calling on newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to make sure that happens.
Kellstrom finished consolidating and segregating its business into commercial and defense units, and it expects the first quarter of 2014 to start showing the results of those efforts, as well as its “leaner and meaner side,” says Roscoe Musselwhite, Kellstrom Materials president. Kellstrom purchased AirLiance Materials in May, which subsequently involved not only consolidating and streamlining its commercial parts distribution business, but also all of the operations functions, such as IT migration and vendor code and invoice harmonization.
Preliminary investigations into the LAM Mozambique Embraer 190 crash on Nov. 29 have not revealed any evidence of mechanical failure. The aircraft, which was carrying 27 passengers and six crew, crashed during a scheduled flight from Maputo to Luanda on Nov. 29, killing all on board. The wreckage was found on Nov. 30 in a remote part of northern Namibia.
Despite a sluggish third quarter and a government shutdown that delayed $1.9 billion in deliveries, the U.S. general aviation aircraft manufacturing sector remains on pace for nearly double-digit gains in unit shipments this year and is poised to grow by at least as much next year, according to the Aerospace Industries Association. The gains, if they remain on track, would return the industry to a steady upward trend that began after U.S. deliveries hit a nearly 15-year trough in 2010 with 1,334 shipments valued at $7.9 billion.
Kellstrom finished consolidating and segregating its business into commercial and defense units, and it expects the first quarter of 2014 to start showing the results of those efforts, as well as its “leaner and meaner side,” says Roscoe Musselwhite, Kellstrom Materials president. Kellstrom purchased AirLiance Materials in May, which subsequently involved not only consolidating and streamlining its commercial parts distribution business, but also all of the operations functions, such as IT migration and vendor code and invoice harmonization.
Industry leaders remain hopeful that the long overdue repair station security rule will finally shake free from its White House review in the next few weeks, but they are still calling on newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to make sure that happens.
Industry trade groups are urging the FAA to put the brakes on a well-intended guidance-streamlining effort that would result in mass cancellation of official agency interpretations that are not housed in one of three online repositories. The FAA’s move, outlined in a Dec. 3 memorandum from Flight Standards Service (FSS) Director John Duncan to all FSS employees, would cancel any guidance not found in the Flight Standards Information System, the Regulatory and Guidance Library, “or elsewhere on www.faa.gov,” effective January 14, 2014.
European antitrust regulators have cleared Swissport’s acquisition of Servisair, subject to the disposal of ground-handling activities at four airports. The ground handling rivals said they had begun exclusive talks in July and notified the European Commission of their plans on Oct. 29.
Etihad Airways has confirmed it is in talks with Alitalia, which will on Friday announce that it has managed to meet its €300 million ($413 million) funding target. “Etihad Airways is in discussions with Alitalia. We have no further comment at this time,” said an Etihad Airways spokesman, following reports that the UAE-based carrier is in advanced talks to buy up to 49% of Alitalia.
