United Aircraft Corp. of Russia announced that it signed an MOU to sell 18 An-148s to "three India-based nonscheduled air operators" in a deal valued at $400 million. Eight of the aircraft are passenger versions of the regional jet while 10 are freighters. UAC official Yuri Grudinin told reporters in Hyderabad that deliveries will start in 2011, according to Bloomberg News. Embraer delivered two E-170s to Gulf Air last week. Aircraft are on lease and will seat seven in business class and 60 in economy.
Babcock & Brown Air reported an $89.1 million profit in 2009, up 85.1% from earnings of $48.1 million the prior year, on a 30.2% lift in revenue to $307.5 million. The lessor said its aircraft portfolio "performed strongly with an annual lease utilization factor of 98%" last year. As of Dec. 31 it owned 62 Airbus and Boeing aircraft (10 A319s, 17 A320s, one A330, 19 737s, one 747, 12 757s, one 767 and one 777). It said it "expect[s] airline and financial market conditions to improve in 2010 and we will continue to evaluate aircraft acquisition opportunities."
CFM International said the new CFM56-7BE now is undergoing a 150-hr. block test and is on schedule to begin a 50-hr. flight test program in the second quarter in California. Engine certification is planned for mid-year, with flights on 737NGs set for early 2011 and entry into service by mid-2011. CFM said 737NGs equipped with the new engine will realize a 2% improvement in fuel consumption and up to a 4% reduction in maintenance costs.
ATR 42-600 flew for the first time last Thursday on a 2-hr. flight over Toulouse. Aircraft was powered by PW127Ms and underwent tests of its engines, avionics, flight data recording, automatic pilot system, hydraulic and electrical systems, among others. EADS said the flight test campaign will last just 75 hr. in part because of the "high degree of commonality" with the ATR 72-600, which began flying last July ( ATWOnline, Oct. 2, 2009).
Qatar Airways took delivery of its 15th 777, a -300ER, and 80th overall aircraft, it said yesterday. It has 17 more on order. It is scheduled to launch service from Doha to Copenhagen (March 30), Ankara (April 5), Tokyo Narita (April 26) and Barcelona (June 7). Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium will add a seventh A320 configured with 180 seats in May.
Atlas Air said it reached an agreement with Boeing to take over operation of the manufacturer's four 747-400 Dreamlifter freighters "toward the latter part of this year." Boeing uses the Dreamlifters to ferry major assemblies for production of 787s. It expects to deliver the first 787 to ANA in the fourth quarter and then begin ramping up Dreamliner production. Atlas and the manufacturer signed a nine-year contract under which the cargo carrier will operate the four Dreamlifters to support the 787 supply chain.
Somon Air of Tajikistan placed an order for two 737-900ERs worth $163 million at list prices, Boeing announced yesterday. The order represents the Dushanbe-based carrier's first direct order from the manufacturer and Boeing's fourth confirmed purchase this year. It also has sold 25 787-8s to United Airlines, 10 737-800s to Ethiopian Airlines and 20 more 737s to an unidentified customer.
Boeing announced the delivery of two 777 freighters to Southern Air, which will operate them on an ACMI contract with Thai Airways. Southern also operates 16 747Fs. Aeronautical Engineers Inc. yesterday delivered its first completed 737-400 converted freighter to Istanbul-based MNG Airlines, which plans to use the aircraft on routes connecting Istanbul Ataturk to Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Luton and Cologne. The aircraft, converted at AEI's Miami facility, can carry a maximum payload of 47,100 lb.
Airbus will defend its presence in the under-150-seat market targeted by Bombardier with its CSeries, Head of Marketing Communications Alan Pardoe said yesterday. Speaking at the 24th Annual SpeedNews Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., Pardoe noted that an aircraft seating 138 passengers, the configuration chosen by Republic Airways in its recent order for up to 80 CSeries 300s, directly impinges on the A319 market ( ATWOnline, Feb. 26).
China Eastern Airlines subsidiary China Cargo Airlines took delivery of its first 777 freighter Sunday as it begins to upgrade its MD11 fleet in order to compete more effectively with Western carriers. The aircraft is scheduled to operate between Shanghai and Luxembourg beginning today. CCA noted that the new 777 will be used mainly on its European network as the city prepares for Expo 2010, which will take place in Shanghai from May to October. CCA plans to introduce three more 777s before August. It currently operates six MD11s, two 747s and three A300 freighters.
Turkish Airlines is considering both the 787 and A350, CEO Temel Kotil confirmed to ATWOnline, while declining to say whether the growing carrier will place an order. "We certainly want new-generation aircraft, but I'm not commenting further," he said, noting that promising to commit to either could be "taken to mean we might not order additional 777s." THY has orders for 12 777-300ERs on the books with delivery starting in September, one month earlier than initially planned.
2010 will be a pivotal year that will set widebody strategies and fortunes for decades to come. The stakes are sky high and the complexity of the aircraft being built is not for the faint hearted.
CTT Systems said it will supply Thomas Cook Scandinavia with six Zonal Drying Systems for installation onboard the Danish airline's A320s and A321s in April and May.
Safran reported a €376 million ($509.3 million) profit in 2009, up 47% from the €256 million posted the prior year, on a 1.2% lift in revenue to €10.45 billion. Its Aerospace Propulsion segment posted a 2.2% fall in turnover to €5.67 billion. It participated in the delivery of 1,263 CFM56 engines, compared to 1,268 in 2008, and took 795 orders. The segment's operating income rose 7.5% to €628 million. The Aircraft Equipment segment, which includes Labinal, Messier-Bugatti and Messier Services, reported a €73 million operating profit, up 21.7%.
Garuda Indonesia announced the sale of four 737-400s through auction. Arik Air last week took delivery of its fourth 737-800 and 25th aircraft overall. Aircraft seats 16 in business class and 132 in economy. AWAS delivered two A320-200s to Viking Hellas Airlines.
Third Sukhoi Superjet 100 test aircraft began cold soak testing last week in Yakutsk. Testing will validate standard flight preparation and systems performance after short (up to 2 hr.) and long (at least 12 hr.) parking. Sukhoi said average February temperature at the airport is -35C.
Cabot Aviation delivered the fourth of seven 737-200s to Karachi-based Shaheen Air International. Aircraft were purchased by Sharjah-based KAL Aviation from Aerotrans Leasing.
Third 787 joined Boeing's flight test program. Aircraft ZA004, the fourth test aircraft built, took off Wednesday at 11:43 a.m. local time from Everett. Boeing said the fourth aircraft was scheduled to fly before ZA003 because the data it is collecting "is needed more quickly both for certification and development of the 787-9." ZA004 flew for 3 hr. 2 min., reached 30,000 ft. and 255 kt. and "operated flawlessly," according to Capt. Heather Ross. ZA004 will be used to test aerodynamics, high-speed performance, propulsion performance, flight loads, community noise and ETOPS.
United Airlines yesterday finalized its order for 25 787-8s worth $4.2 billion at list prices, Boeing announced. The contract includes 50 purchase rights ( ATWOnline, Dec. 9, 2009). UA said it expects to take delivery of the 787s, as well as the A350s it also plans to acquire, between 2016 and 2019. It said it expects its Airbus order to be finalized this quarter.
Republic Airways Holdings, fresh off reporting another profitable year with net income of $39.7 million, yesterday placed a firm order for 40 CSeries aircraft valued at $3.06 billion.
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. announced that Chairman Takashi Nishioka will retire at the end of the current fiscal year ending March 31. He will be succeeded as chairman by Nobuo Toda.
AerCap Holdings reported net income of $165.2 million for 2009, up 8.8% from $151.8 million in 2008. "We're delighted to report that 2009 is truly behind us," Klaus Heinemann, CEO of the Amsterdam-based operating lessor, told analysts during a conference call. He described it as "an extremely challenging year for the aviation and financial services industry," but noted that AerCap did not need to repossess any aircraft, "which came as a surprise to us." Total revenues declined 21% to $1.0 billion on a 47% drop in sales revenue to $324.8 million.
ACSS said that on Feb. 3 it "became the first avionics supplier to certify Change 7.1 software," a functional enhancement for TCAS systems. According to ACSS, Change 7.1 offers two enhancements: "Reversal logic and new aural alerting for Adjust Vertical Speed."
First flight test 787, ZA001, suffered an "uncommanded loss of thrust in one of the [Trent 1000] engines" last Friday during flutter testing and executed an unplanned landing at Grant County International in central Washington State, VP-Marketing Randy Tinseth said on his blog. "Teaming with Rolls-Royce, we determined that the issue had to do with a pressure-sensing component within the engine," he wrote. Parts were sent out and the aircraft returned to Everett Sunday morning. Tinseth said ZA001 "will soon return to flutter testing. .
GKN Aerospace said it was selected by Bombardier Aerospace to design and manufacture the winglet for the CSeries, with first delivery scheduled for next year and entry into service expected in 2013. GKN said the contract "could be worth" more than $100 million and covers the period to 2025.
