Boeing seems to have a popular concept in the NMA, but offers few clues on if it is any nearer to closing the business case for a widebody at narrowbody prices.
Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider SIA Engineering (SIAE) and additive manufacturing equipment supplier Stratasys have created a joint venture (JV) to establish a service center to provide 3-D-printed parts for commercial aviation, the companies said Feb. 8.
Europe’s technology program for air traffic management (ATM) modernization, airline operations control centers (OCC) have begun using a so-called extended flight plan (EFPL) to optimize agreed—as opposed to requested—trajectories.
Aigle Azur is preparing to present a new strategic plan within the next month that will shift the airline’s focus beyond its traditional short- and medium-haul routes to long-haul operations.
Vietnam Airlines has postponed plans to add Berlin, Amsterdam or Rome to its network, as the market situations have changed and Middle East carriers and Turkish Airlines have become the toughest competitors.
Kuwaiti hybrid carrier Jazeera Airways is edging closer to becoming an LCC, as it seeks to cope with continued tight margins in an oversupplied market.
The C919 delivery objective has slipped again by one year, but Comac is at least publicly disclosing it, which probably indicates a higher level of confidence.
Singapore Airlines plans to deploy its first Boeing 787-10 on the Singapore-Osaka route in May, with subsequent deliveries to be used elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.
By Rupa Haria, Bradley Perrett, Guy Norris, Jens Flottau
Nuggets of information coming from OEMs at this year’s Singapore Airshow give us a big insight into future-focused programs, including engine decisions for the joint Sino-Russian widebody, Boeing’s new midsize airplane, design freeze of the 737 MAX10, and the continued ramp-up of production rates.
The PD-14 turbofan engine secured its place under the wing of the Irkut MC-21 narrowbody airliner. Russia’s largest carrier, Aeroflot, plans to equip half of its future MC-21 fleet with the Russian powerplants.
Aegean currently operates 46 Airbus A320-family aircraft and 12 turboprops. The Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families are both understood to be in contention.
IATA plans to partner with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to establish a Safety Predictive Analytics Research Center (SPARC) in Singapore, according to a memorandum of collaboration signed Feb. 7 by the parties.
The All Nippon Airways (ANA) Group intends to use its existing LCCs Peach and Vanilla Air to launch its planned medium-haul low-cost operation, with aircraft types still to be decided.
Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr expects increased competition in the German market in the aftermath of airberlin’s insolvency, with airlines looking to fill the void.
