Etihad Airways will reconfigure several of its A320s to an all-economy class cabin fitted with 162 seats, with the first two aircraft set to re-enter service in October.
Embraer reported second-quarter net income of $70.3 million, up 3.7% from a $67.8 million profit in the year-ago period, and expressed a positive outlook regarding commercial aircraft demand.
US FAA and EASA jointly certified CFM International’s advanced CFM56-7BE engine for the 737NG. The engine is scheduled to enter service in mid-2011 to coincide with 737NG airframe improvements being implemented by Boeing. Over the past year, the CFM56-7BE has completed 450 hr. of ground and flight testing. Boeing said the improved 737NG will offer an enhanced airplane/engine combination providing a 2% improvement in fuel consumption and an equivalent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Air China subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines has decided to purchase 10 A320s, worth $814 million at list prices, to boost its capacity in the southeast and southern parts of China. CA revealed the transaction in a stock filing released by the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Shenzhen will take delivery of the aircraft in 2012 and 2013. Shenzhen operates a fleet of 134 aircraft, which includes 32 A320 family aircraft.
Airbus parent EADS posted first-half 2010 net income of €185 million ($241.7 million), down 51% from a €378 million profit in the year-ago period, but expressed optimism going forward owing to rebounding commercial aircraft sales. Large numbers of orders announced at this year's Berlin and Farnborough air shows "reflect an improvement in the commercial aviation market," CEO Louis Gallois said. EADS's first-half order intake jumped 79% year-over-year to €30.8 billion "due to higher commercial aircraft orders," the company stated.
The inability to recover the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from AF447 is causing the aviation industry to take a look at streaming data from aircraft in flight.
AJW Aviationexpanded its power-by-the-hour contract with Danish carrier Jet Time to include a seventh 737-400. GECASyesterday announced the delivery of one new 737-800 to Japan Airlines under a sale and leaseback transaction.
TAM, the largest Airbus operator in Latin America, finalized an MOU for 20 A320 family aircraft and five A350-900s announced at the ILA Berlin Air Show in June. TAM's A350s will be powered by Trent XWBs; engine selection for the A320s was not announced ( ATW Daily News, June 9).
An A321 operated by Pakistan's privately owned Airblue crashed on approach to Islamabad from Karachi at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time Wednesday. All 146 passengers and six crewmembers were killed when the aircraft went down in the Margalla Hills around 15 km. from Islamabad International Airport, according to multiple press reports. A statement on the airline's website described the weather as "poor...with thick fog." Flight ED202 departed Karachi around 7:45 a.m. local time for the approximately two-hr. trip.
Boeing reported second quarter net income of $787 million, down 21% from $998 million in the year-ago period, and expressed optimism regarding potential revenue growth in 2011 even as it repeated its warning that planned first delivery of the 787 to ANA in the fourth quarter may be delayed by "a few weeks."
Jetscape leased one E-175LR to Royal Jordanian for eight years beginning in October. Curtiss-Wright Controls said it will provide the flap track assembly for the outboard and inboard flap system on 737-800s under a contract with Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The assemblies will be manufactured at Curtiss-Wright's facility in Shelby, N.C. beginning in 2012.
A Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 freighter crashed on landing at Riyadh yesterday, catching fire and breaking apart. The two pilots were able to escape via the emergency slide and were being treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. LHC said in a statement it had spoken with both pilots by phone.
Aviation Partners Boeingannounced orders from both Allegiant Air and Air China for blended winglets. Installations have begun for Allegiant's six shipsets of 757-200 blended winglets; delivery of Air China's 30 737NG blended winglets will begin in 2011. It additional said that Hainan Airlines has committed to install winglets on all future 737-800 deliveries (it currently has 45 on order).
Flybe announced it has brought forward the delivery of the first of its 35 E-175s to Spring 2011 to place the aircraft on an eight-times-daily Guernsey-London Gatwick service. “We’ve pulled out all the stops with Embraer … to bring forward the delivery of the first of our new E-175 jets so that we can base an aircraft in Guernsey,” CCO Mike Rutter said.
Turkish Technic reached a maintenance services contract with ULS Cargo to provide C checks on three A310Fs through the end of the year. PPG Aerospace introduced redesigned windshields for the A320 family that improve moisture resistance. The windshields incorporate new PRC sealants, a different interlayer and an improved electrical system, said PPG Aerospace Global Director James Romano. Egyptair will switch aircraft on Cairo-New York JFK flights from a 777-200ER to a 777-300ER on Jan 1.
Air Berlin and Air Lease Corp., a new leasing company led by former ILFC Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy, signed a sale/leaseback agreement for one A320-200, one A321-200, two 737-800s and one used A320-200. All are equipped with CFM engines. The first delivery, which took place May 19, was for the A320-200. Delivery of an A321 and a used A320 took place in June. Delivery of the two 737-800s is scheduled for later in the year and early 2011.
Uzbekistan Airways received its first A320, configured in a two-class cabin layout seating 150 passengers, 12 in business and 138 in economy. It is the first of 10 A320s ordered directly from Airbus as part of the carrier’s strategic fleet modernization program. The A320 will make its first commercial flight today from Tashkent to Baku.
Airbus said it is “well on track to meet its full year’s target” of delivering at least 20 A380s in 2010 following the handover of two of the aircraft Friday to Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa respectively. Those deliveries brought the 2010 A380 total to 10. SIA now has 11 A380s while LH has two. Emirates also has 11 of the extra-large aircraft while Air France has three and Qantas six.
Air China plans to renew its fleet by introducing more widebody aircraft, a move it said will improve its overall operational efficiency. The Beijing-based carrier said in a statement that it is holding talks with Boeing and Airbus for new aircraft orders. It is interested in both the 787 and the A350. MD-International Affairs and Cooperation Lou Yongfeng told ATW last month that the carrier's international ambitions currently are curtailed by a shortage of long-haul aircraft.
