United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which is in the process of buying Rockwell Collins, signed an agreement with ultra-important customer Boeing, representing a green light for UTC’s Rockwell acquisition and the consolidation of major aerospace suppliers.
Lufthansa Group said it has been forced to slow down its 2018 capacity expansion because it is struggling to find additional aircraft and the build-up of low-fare unit Eurowings is taking longer than expected.
Ryanair said it would offer all its pilots in Germany direct employment contracts after the agency supplying pilots to the LCC in Germany said it would stop providing them.
Lithuanian leisure carrier Small Planet Airlines said it would add six Airbus aircraft to its fleet in 2018, bringing the total up to 28, and is poised to become the largest carrier in the Baltic States in terms of passengers, fleet and revenue this year.
Santiago, Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group reported a $155.3 million net profit for 2017, more than doubling the group’s $69.2 million in net income in 2016, on the back of the company’s highest full-year operating income ($715 million, up 25.8% from 2016) since its formative merger six years ago. LATAM met its operating margin guidance for the year, reaching 7%, up from 6% in 2016.
United Airlines is “actively pursuing” more used aircraft and sees its recently activated strategy of adding second-hand lift as a long-term play that provides more fleet flexibility, a top executive said.
FAA expects to save money by retiring some existing radar systems as early as 2020, once the shift is made to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) as its primary means of aircraft surveillance.
Cleveland-based TransDigm Group bought the Kirkhill elastomers business from Esterline Technologies for $50 million in cash, the companies said March 15.
Air Canada's recently-announced plans to increase frequencies on several North American leisure routes next winter includes swapping Rouge-branded Boeing 767-300s to mainline flying with 737-8s.
The freighter market is now in a boom cycle and, thanks to e-commerce, it seems likely to continue, judging from Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings’ experience.
Owned by Google co-founder Larry Page, Kitty Hawk has taken a leading position in the emerging eVTOLl air taxi market by flying full-scale prototypes. Photo: Kitty Hawk
HNA Group denied it is willing to sell Beijing-based subsidiary Capital Airlines to Air China. Aviation Daily reported March 14 that Air China, the state-owned carrier based in Beijing, was negotiating the possible acquisition of HNA’s Capital Airlines for use as a base airline at Beijing’s new airport to win traffic there.
Tokyo Narita Airport has taken an important step in its effort to add a third runway and extend operating hours, after gaining clearance for its plans from local authorities.
Making a business case for Boeing’s potential new mid-market aircraft (NMA) remains the manufacturer’s biggest challenge, Boeing’s chief marketing executive said, even as more airlines are pushing for the aircraft sooner rather than later.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo said its 2017 volumes reached a five-year high and revenue rose 9% year-over-year (YOY) to £199.6 million ($279 million), driven by strong growth in shipments of pharmaceuticals and e-commerce goods—a further indication of the strengthening air cargo market.
At the 2018 two-month mark, Airbus leads rival Boeing in new commercial aircraft orders with 60 firm bookings valued at approximately $13.3 billion at list prices; Boeing has booked 47 new orders valued at $10.1 billion.
American Airlines, hampered by higher fuel prices, is setting up to have a “slightly off” year, but still expects to generate a profit that falls within its notional target range, CEO Doug Parker told attendees at this week’s JP Morgan Global Aviation and Transportation Conference.
Flight tests of the GE9X turbofan for the Boeing 777X began on March 13 when the world’s largest aircraft engine was flown for more than four hours on the number two inboard wing position on General Electric’s modified 747-400 flying testbed.
