Aircraft & Propulsion

Aircraft, Engine & Leasing Briefs-April 25, 2018

LOT Polish Airlines will take three additional Boeing 787-9s on 12-year operational lease agreements with Irish lessor Avolon beginning next year, the Warsaw-based-carrier said April 24.

Bombardier is picking up the production pace of its CSeries aircraft as the Canadian manufacturer overcomes interior completion delays that followed earlier issues with the availability of Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines and problems with some suppliers.

Production of Bombardier’s C Series airliner finally is picking up pace as the manufacturer overcomes interior completion delays that followed earlier issues with the availability of Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines and problems with some suppliers.

United Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX-family aircraft, a 737-9, and confirmed plans to start service with the newest Boeing narrowbody twinjets in early June.

Irish LCC Ryanair is exercising options on 25 Boeing 737 MAX 200 aircraft, bringing its total firm orders for the type to 135.

Air France’s hybrid, lower-cost airline Joon is aiming to operate 18 mid- and 10 long-haul aircraft by 2020, as the young airline continues to expand.

Airbus and Boeing ramp up production and roll out new models as new competitors undergo flight testing.

The Airbus A350-900 ULR (ultra long-range) made its first flight on April 23, starting a short flight test program ahead of its first delivery in the second half of 2018.

United Airlines signed a deal to add 20 used Airbus A319s and moved another 23 aircraft it operates from leases to its own balance sheet, continuing its trend of re-shaping the capital costs of its operating fleet.

Air New Zealand grounded two of its Boeing 787-9s April 21 for what could be an extended period after some of the 787 fleet’s engines failed inspections directed by safety regulators.

The FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) late April 20 issued emergency airworthiness directives (AD) calling for inspections of fan blades on CFM56-7B engines that power Boeing 737NGs.

Aircraft Briefs-April 20, 2018

Slovenia’s Adria Airways is on track for profitability and growth, CEO Holger Kowarsch told ATW on the sidelines of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) conference in Vienna.

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has taken delivery of the first Boeing 737-800 converted freighter (BCF).

Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines will reveal a new branding May 15 when it rolls out its sixth Boeing 777-200ER in recognition of the carrier’s 60th anniversary.

New blades that will solve issue are at least a year away. Regulators to slash ETOPS clearance for low-time aircraft to 140 min., down from 330 min.

Mitsubishi Aircraft will conduct demonstration flights of its MRJ regional jet at the Farnborough Air Show in July, the company said, reiterating first delivery is on track for mid-2020.

FAA will issue an airworthiness directive (AD) in the next two weeks requiring inspections of certain CFM56-7B turbofan engines, the US agency announced one day after the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 engine failure.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is focusing on the Japanese market as it replaces older aircraft on some routes with its new Boeing 787-10s.

Even as passenger numbers rise globally, the airline industry continues to record improvements in baggage handling.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has confirmed that almost half of its fleet of 64 Boeing 787s will be affected by new restrictions imposed by regulators on certain Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines.

Romania-based LCC Blue Air is preparing to take delivery of the first of six Boeing 737 MAX 8s in July 2019.

The Norwegian carrier is known for its flights to harsh locations in the Arctic Circle, but wants to grow into a wider European range.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport on April 17 after an apparent engine failure that caused one fatality.