Air Berlin and MC Aviation Partners signed a purchase and leaseback agreement for three 737-800s. The first delivery took place in January with the remaining aircraft scheduled for delivery in May and August. All three are powered by CFM56-7B24s.
Boeing yesterday reported "solid" first-quarter net income of $519 million, down 15% from a $610 million profit in the year-ago quarter, and touted "clear progress" on the 787 and 747-8F flight test programs including securing expanded Type Inspection Authorization late Tuesday on the Dreamliner from FAA.
Ship it AOG, the Addison, Tex.-based aircraft parts distributor, was named factory-authorized south-central US distributor of Lektro electric towbarless aircraft tugs. Under the terms, Ship it AOG assumes responsibility for sales of Lektro tugs and parts in Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
AerCap Holdings subsidiary AeroTurbine reached a 10-year deal with Chromalloy Gas Turbine to provide supply chain management services for Chromalloy-owned surplus engine/APU material. Initial inventory selected includes more than 50,000 line items of CFM56, CF6, PW4000, PW2000, V2500, JT8D, various whole APUs/APU piece parts and ground power engine piece parts.
Boeing flew its second 747-8F test aircraft to Palmdale, heralding the transition of testing to Southern California. The 747-8F will be stationed in Palmdale for the majority of its scheduled flight test program. Flight crews will conduct several test flights with fuel mileage and engine performance as key focus areas. In coming weeks two additional 747-8s will arrive in Palmdale.
Cebu Pacific Air ordered seven more A320s, bringing its outstanding orders for the type to 22, which will be delivered beginning in October and continue through late 2014. "This will enable us to have the largest fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft in the Philippines and the second-largest in Southeast Asia, allowing us to offer our trademark low fares to even more Filipinos," President and CEO Lance Gokongwei said. The additional aircraft will bring the carrier's A320 fleet to 43 by 2014.
Aviation Capital Group reported first-quarter activity comprising leases of one new A320-200 by Avianova, a new PW4060 by Delta Air Lines and a new A320-200 by Batavia Air and extension of leases on two 737-800s by Sun Express, two A320-200s by Dragonair, four 737-300s by US Airways, one A321-200 by Spanair and one 737-300 by Southwest Airlines. ACG also acted as an agent, selling one MD-83 to Air Austral. It reported two new order deliveries: One 737-800 by Ukraine International Airlines and one 737-800 by Copa Airlines.
Airbus said it was taking advantage of "scheduled development test flights to assess the impact on the aircraft and its flight systems" of potential volcanic ash encounters. An A380 flew in French airspace and an A340-600 flew in French and German airspace yesterday. The manufacturer said it will "share the findings from these flights with the relevant airworthiness authorities and engine manufacturers as soon as possible."
Recaro Aircraft Seating opened a new service center in Stockholm with the aim of offering closer proximity for services for customers in the Scandinavian region. It said the facility will enable it to offer services on short notice in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in cooperation with partner company Sollentuna Cabin Interiors.
Aerolia announced it has produced the first pipe for the A350 XWB galley cooling system and the first composite ply for the upper shelf panel. It won the contract from Airbus last year ( ATWOnline, May 1, 2009).
Precision Conversions will provide Aerolease International with three 15-pallet 757-200PCFs. The first is scheduled for induction this month with the following two scheduled for delivery in May and July. All three will be modified by Flightstar Aircraft Services.
COMAC signed an LOI with Moog to co-develop the high-lift system including flap/slat actuation, pilot interfaces, electronic controls, power drive units, wingtip brakes, gearboxes and miscellaneous components for the C919. It also selected Parker Aerospace, in a joint venture with AVIC Systems, to supply the fuel, inerting and hydraulic systems. Honeywell was selected to supply 131-9(C9C) APUs and associated equipment.
AirBridgeCargo Airlines said it took delivery of its sixth 747-400 freighter this week. The Volga-Dnepr scheduled service subsidiary, which now operates nine 747Fs, said the latest -400F is being leased from Air France. ABC earlier this month added its fifth -400F, saying the fleet expansion was necessitated by the delay in delivery of its first new 747-8F that was due to join its fleet this year
Curtiss-Wright said it was selected by Boeing to manufacture leading-edge rotary actuators for the 747-8, with deliveries beginning in January 2011 and extending through December 2012.
ILFC announced yesterday it will sell a portfolio of 53 aircraft with a book value of $2.3 billion to Macquarie Aerospace for $1.99 billion. Completion of the sale is slated to occur over the remainder of the year, subject to closing conditions. The sale will raise the average age of ILFC's fleet of approximately 1,000 jet aircraft from 7.4 years to 7.6 years, it said. According to Standard & Poor's, "This is the first sale of a large aircraft portfolio since the global financial and economic crisis began in late 2008.
Cathay Pacific Airways captain and first officer are being lauded after successfully overcoming apparent erratic power surges in the A330 they were operating and landing at an unusually high speed at Hong Kong International Tuesday afternoon. Problems started for the crew of CX Flight 780 en route to HKG from Surabaya when the aircraft, with 309 passengers and 14 crew aboard, was on descent about 20 min. from Hong Kong. Its two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines began to behave erratically with significant variations in thrust. When the A330 touched down at 239 kt.--109 kt.
Bombardier Aerospace announced that Pluna Lineas Aereas Uruguayas signed a follow-on firm order for three CRJ900 NextGen regional jets and has taken options on an additional six. The Montevideo-based airline already operates seven of the type from an order announced in July 2007. Based on the list price for the aircraft, Bombardier valued the order at approximately $120 million, rising to $370 million should all six options be exercised.
An AeroUnion A300B4-200 freighter crashed on approach to Monterrey at around 11 p.m. local time Tuesday, hitting a roadway leading to the airport and striking a car, killing all five crew and a motorist on the ground. Flight 302 operated by the Mexico City-based cargo carrier was en route to Los Angeles via MTY after originating at MEX. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it had been cleared to land but came down about 2 km. short of the runway threshold and "burst into flames."
MTU Aero Engines completed the first high-speed low-pressure turbine for the PW1524G slated to power CSeries aircraft. Pratt & Whitney VP-Next Generation Product Family Bob Saia said the component's completion "ensures the test program for the PW1524G engine continues on schedule." The turbine will be dispatched to Pratt, which plans to put the first PW1524G test engine through its paces later this year on a test stand at its West Palm Beach facility.
Virgin Blue Group canceled two 777-300ERs on firm order for its V Australia subsidiary scheduled for delivery next year, converting the order to two options for 2012 delivery. The company said the move is designed to allow new CEO John Borghetti an opportunity to review fleet strategy. One option under consideration is to take a few "early 787s that have become available," sources tell ATWOnline. Last month, Virgin Blue ordered up to 100 737s for its domestic, New Zealand and regional international flights.
Precision Conversions will provide Shenzhen-based SF Airlines with a 15-pallet 757-200PCF. The 1992 ex-Air China aircraft recently purchased by SF will undergo modification at the TAECO maintenance facility in Xiamen.
Pratt & Whitney Canada and FlightSafety International last week announced a long-term collaboration agreement under which FlightSafety will manage daily operations, develop and produce courseware material and provide Learning Management System capabilities. P&WC will oversee the global customer-training program. For the duration of the agreement, P&WC customers and employees will gain access to FlightSafety's learning facilities and training curriculum for the full range of P&WC engine products.
Fokker Services and R&D Dynamics signed a 5-year contract renewal for the development and distribution of PMA parts for use in Boeing, Airbus, Fokker and Bombardier air cycle machines as well as the CRJ100/200 starter. The partnership, formed in 1998, is "currently working towards the development of new PMA's for use in other aircraft components," Fokker said in a press release.
