University of Queensland students won Airbus's inaugural "Fly Your Ideas" challenge at last week's Paris Air Show for a project looking into the use of the castor plant to develop the first single-plant-based composite material for aircraft cabin components. Project's goal was to reduce dependency on nonrenewable sources and improve end-of-life disposal. A feasibility analysis entailing fiber production and testing was conducted that demonstrated "encouraging mechanical and environmental properties," Airbus said. The three students won a €30,000 prize.
Boeing is expected to start slow-speed taxi tests of its first 787 on June 25, according to factory insiders. There had been some suggestions that the first fight would be around that date but the company now may opt for the morning of June 27 or 28. The second 787, ZA002, already is in ANA livery, has started its APU and is expected to be in the air shortly after ZA001.
Assn. of European Airlines released winter schedule (November-March) performance data indicating a slight improvement in baggage handling to 13 missing pieces per 1,000 passengers compared to 15.5 in the 2007-08 winter. Passenger numbers fell 6% year-over-year and flights dropped 9%, AEA noted. Of the 26 members reporting baggage data, Turkish Airlines performed the best at 4.5 missing bags per 1,000 passengers, followed by Air Malta (4.6) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (4.9). Iberia fared worst at 19.2, followed by Air France (18.9) and TAP Portugal (17.3).
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance and AirAsia X signed a contract covering component support for its fleet of A330-300s. The Malaysian carrier ordered 25 of the type and has taken delivery of two. The remainder will enter service between now and 2013.
Austrian Airlines offered to reduce the size of its fleet in order to win approval from the European Commission for its acquisition by Lufthansa ( ATWOnline, June 12), state holding company OIAG CEO Peter Michaelis told Format magazine. In comments cited by Reuters, Michaelis said LH also offered to cut frequencies. "In [Austrian's] case, [the offer] is about the demand to cut AUA in size because of the state aid. In Lufthansa's case, [the offer] is about the antitrust conditions," he said.
Air Mauritius Group reported a loss of €85.5 million ($119.2 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, a reversal from the €17 million surplus posted in the prior year. A €50.8 million charge related to the unwinding of 40% of its fuel hedges and an actual €49.7 million hedging loss were key drivers of the result. Revenue rose 0.2% to €448.6 million on a 9% fall in passenger numbers to 1.2 million.
Dubai fight support specialist JetEx has spread its wings to Paris and has opened a new luxury terminal building s at Le Bourget airport to supply support for its Middle Eastern VVIP customers.
AVISA Gulf, the Middle East joint venture between AVISA UK and Al Jaber Aviation has been awarded the first ever UAE Airworthiness GCAA Part M CAMO (Continued Airworthiness and Maintenance Management) approval.
Comair, a regional subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, will close its maintenance base at Orlando International on Sept. 7 and eliminate 81 jobs, according to a "Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification" filed with the state of Florida and cited by the Orlando Business Journal. Comair said "unprecedented financial challenges due to difficult economic times" prompted the decision. Some employees will be eligible for employment elsewhere within the airline.
The British Airline Pilots Assn. announced a tentative "pay and productivity package" it said would deliver permanent annual savings to British Airways of £26 million ($42.5 million) beginning Oct. 1. The deal, which it said "will help BA get through the current economic downturn whilst, for the first time, giving pilots the mechanism to take a real share in the wealth they will help to create," remains subject to membership ratification. Some 95% of BA's 3,200 pilots are BALPA members.
Thai Airways appointed Piyasvasti Amranand, who served as Thailand's energy minister in 2006-08, as its new president. He will fill the vacancy left by Apinan Sumanaseni's resignation last year. In addition, Chairman Ampon Kittiampon told reporters that Thai will borrow THB23 billion ($670.5 million) from four domestic banks but still needs an additional THB14 billion from foreign lenders for aircraft financing, according to press reports ( ATWOnline, March 2).
Honeywell Aerospace was selected by Gulf Air to provide 15 131-9A APUs for Gulf's A320s scheduled for delivery from this year through 2012. The contract is valued at more than $8 million and covers maintenance through 2022.
Continental Airlines 777 landed safely at Newark yesterday morning after Capt. Craig Lennel, 60, died during the flight from Brussels. CO said the pilot "apparently [died] of natural causes," according to CNN, and the first officer and a reserve officer took the controls. The Associated Press reported that the 247 passengers onboard were not told of the pilot's death, although several passengers, including a doctor, approached the cockpit after the crew asked for the help of any medical professionals onboard.
US Airways named Northwest Airlines Assistant Treasurer Keith Bush as VP-financial planning and analysis and promoted MD-Technology Delivery Todd Christy to VP-business technology.
WestJet and the WestJet Pilots Assn. announced the ratification of a four-year labor agreement effective July 1 with 89% of those voting approving the deal. WJPA Chairman Dave DeVeaux said the contract provides for "fair and market-driven pay scales" and maintains the pilots' position as stakeholders in the LCC.
Mercator, the Dubai-based business technology provider has introduced Jupiter, its new passenger services package, into the marketplace with Kuwait Airways becoming the launch customer
Lufthansa Technik signed a 10-year contract with SAS Scandinavian Airlines covering MRO on landing gear on four A319s, eight A321s, four A330s and seven A340s. AJW Aviation expanded its power-by-the-hour contract with Bulgarian charter airline BH Air to include an additional three A320s.
Continental Airlines said that its 737-800 biofuel demonstration flight conducted Jan. 7 resulted in a 1.1% increase in fuel efficiency in the engine fueled by a 50/50 blend of algae-derived biofuel and traditional jet fuel. Greenhouse gas emissions from the CFM56-7Bs were estimated to be reduced 60%-80%. The flight was conducted over Houston in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation/CFM International and Honeywell subsidiary UOP and was the first such test conducted by a commercial airline in North America.
Cyclone Manufacturing of Ontario won a three-year, $12 million contract from Embraer to supply structural components for the E-190/195 and the Legacy 450-500. E-jet component deliveries (for eight aircraft per month) are scheduled to begin in late July.
Singapore Airlines flew 5.92 billion RPKs in May, down 22.8% from the year-ago month. Capacity fell 13.9% to 8.85 billion ASKs, lowering load factor 7.8 points to 66.9%. Turkish Airlines flew 13.88 billion RPKs from January through May, up 10.8% from the year-ago period. Capacity rose 18.5% to 20.56 billion ASKs and load factor fell 4.7 points to 67.5%.
GKN Aerospace selected Brotje Automation of Germany to provide automated assembly equipment for A350 wing structures. The assembly line will begin operating in 2010.
Japan Airlines said the strikes scheduled to start yesterday by four JAL International unions were cancelled ( ATWOnline, June 16) and that all flights were expected to operate normally.
