Rolls-Royce named John Rishton CEO to replace John Rose, who will retire at the end of March 2011. Rishton has been a non-executive director of Rolls-Royce since 2007 and chairs the board's audit committee. He was CFO of British Airways for four years until 2005 and was appointed CEO of the Dutch retail group Royal Ahold in 2006. Rose has been Rolls's chief executive since 1996, having joined the company in 1984.
Vietnam Airlines confirmed to ATW it has converted its 16 787-8 orders to the 787-9 "due to unexpected performance limitations on the original model," it said, though on its Orders and Deliveries website Boeing still lists the carrier's order as eight 787-8s.
Luxair Luxembourg Airlines ordered a 737-800 for delivery in January 2015 to support the growth of LuxairGroup's tour operator LuxairTours. It previously ordered a 737-800 in June for delivery in December 2012. Both aircraft will be equipped with Blended Winglets.
AWAS delivered one 737-400 to Bangkok-based Nok Air for operation on domestic routes in Thailand. Messier-Bugatti reached an agreement with Turkish Airlines to equip new, yet-to-be-delivered 737-800s (10) and 737-900ERs (10) with carbon brakes. FLY Leasing Limited reached a sale/leaseback agreement with flydubai covering three new 737-800NGs. Aircraft are scheduled to be delivered from Boeing in October, December and February.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on Thursday began cutting aluminum material for the horizontal stabilizer frame on Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp.'s MRJ, marking the commencement of manufacturing on the regional jet slated to achieve first flight in 2012 ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 28).
China Southern Airlines announced Thursday that its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines agreed to buy 10 Boeing aircraft valued at $699 million. The information was contained in a statement by CZ to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The aircraft are believed to be 737NGs.
Boeing on Thursday said the first 747-8 Freighter will not be delivered to launch customer Cargolux until "mid-year 2011," marking the third delay for the troubled program.
Boeing on Thursday said the first 747-8 Freighter will not be delivered to launch customer Cargolux until "mid-year 2011," marking the third delay for the troubled program.
Turkish Airlines took delivery Wednesday of its first A330-300 and first A330-200F, both of which are part of an order signed in 2009 with Airbus for 10 A330-300s, two A330-200Fs and 24 A320 family aircraft.
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft President Gary Scott said the CSeries program is “going quite well,” noting that the manufacturer just “finalized the Joint Definition Phase and [is] now in the Complete Product Definition Phase.”
Boeing and Air China Monday finalized a previously announced commitment for four 777-300ERs, valued at $1.1 billion ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 13). "This is a great day in the history of our long and enduring partnership with Air China," said Boeing Commercial VP & Marketing Marlin Dailey.
SuperJet International CEO Alessandro Franzoni told ATW that Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co.'s Superjet 100 is on track to receive a Type Certificate in November from Russian aviation authorities with deliveries to launch customers Aeroflot and Armavia occurring in December ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 16).
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. reiterated that the development of its MRJ “is on track” and that production of the first aircraft will officially start Thursday, with a metal cut ceremony at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works Oye plant ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 16).
ATR won an order from Caribbean Airlines for nine 72-600 aircraft, with deliveries starting in late 2011. The order is valued at $200 million. The aircraft will be configured with 68 seats, featuring ATR’s new Armonia cabin.
Aergo Capital Limited and ASL Aviation Group reached a sale and purchase agreement under which ASL will acquire aircraft assets valued at $250 million. It will take ownership of "various Irish aviation leasing entities" including Safair Lease Finance Limited and Safair Operations and will acquire five 737-800s, five A300 B4 freighters and three ATR 72-500s. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by the end of November.
LOT Polish Airlines subsidiary EuroLOT is in talks with ATR and Bombardier regarding an order for 14 ATR72-600s or Q400s, respectively, and a further six options to renew its ATR fleet, EuroLOT President and CEO Leszek Sieluk told ATW on the sidelines of the European Regions Airline Association AGM in Barcelona late last week.
Norwegian Air Shuttle announced Friday it plans to order wide-body aircraft as it gears up to begin its first long-haul flights in 2011. CEO Bjoern Kjos told Bloomberg that the carrier held talks with Airbus and Boeing and will choose between ordering the A350 or 787. Because there are delivery backlogs for both aircraft, Kjos said Norwegian may agree to take older models such as the A330 or 767. According to Bloomberg, the carrier is planning its first routes from Oslo Gardermoen and Stockholm Arlanda to New York JFK and Bangkok respecitvely in the second half of 2011.
JetBlue Airways and ViaSat on Thursday signed an MOU to equip the carrier's fleet of more than 160 Embraer 190s and A320s with an inflight broadband product they called "the first of its kind" in commercial aviation. The two parties intend to sign a definitive agreement by the end of the year.
Rockwell Collins was selected by COMAC to provide the "cabin core system" for the C919 under a letter of intent signed Tuesday. The CCS will allow flight attendants" to control all subsystems on the aircraft including in-flight entertainment, passenger connectivity, lavatory, heating/cooling and lighting." RC said it will team with Shanghai Aero Measurement-Controlling Research Institute, which will provide design, development and integration support, and Cobham, which will supply the public address system.
Cathay Pacific firmed up its previously announced commitment for six more 777-300ERs worth HK$12.5 billion ($1.61 billion) at list prices (ATW Daily News, Aug. 5).
Estonian Air signed a contract for the delivery of three CRJ900NGs between early 2011 and 2012. The contract replaces the original agreement with Bombardier that was announced in March 2008.
Airbus announced that Malaysia Airlines firmed options for two A330-200Fs, doubling its orderbook for the freighter variant of the twinjet. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines and will be operated by Malaysia's cargo subsidiary, MASkargo. Delivery dates and value of the deal were not released.
Kam Air Executive VP Timor Shahab told ATW that the Afghani carrier is evaluating the renewal of its medium-haul fleet and will purchase “three A319s or A320s in early 2011.” He noted that next year the carrier plans to add one 767-300ER to its long-haul fleet. Currently, KMF operates one MD-82, one MD-83, one 767-200, two DC-8-63Fs, one Ilyushin 76 and a fleet of 23 Russian-built helicopters. It has a staff of 360.
Russian Technologies signed a firm order Friday for 50 737NGs valued at $3.7 billion at list prices plus 35 options. The state-owned company plans to lease the aircraft to Aeroflot, according to multiple reports.
Boeing has been forced to temporarily ground a 787 flight test aircraft after one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s experienced an engine surge during flight testing. The engine has been removed and a new one will be installed. The incident occurred last Friday at Roswell, N.M. A replacement engine arrived early this week and is being installed.
