ON THE BOEING FRONT

          Boeing adds 787-10 to 2023 ecoDemonstrator Program

Boeing intends this year to operate a 787-10 under its ecoDemonstrator program using that jet and a 777-200ER to evaluate technologies intended to improve aircraft efficiency.  On April 27 Boeing disclosed details about its planned 2023 ecoDemonstrator flights, saying the 787 will be the first of what it calls “ ecoDemonstrator Explorer” jets.

Boeing will use Explorer jets to “focus tests on specific technologies” while plain ecoDemonstrators serve as test beds for multiple technologies, Boeing says.   The first Explorer, the 787-10, “will conduct tests this month from Seattle to Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok”, Boeing adds.

Under Boeing’s plantar traffic controllers in USA, Japan, Singapore and Thailand “collectively sequence the airplane’s routes to achieve the optimal flight path across multiple regions, factoring in conditions such as weather, air traffic and airspace closures”. Boeing says such coordination can improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel burn by 10%.

Boeing also intends to continue flying a 777-200ER as part of its 2023 ecoDemonstrator program.It will use that jet to test 19 technologies, including a “fibre-optic fuel-quantity sensor compatible” with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and a “smart airport maps” application supplied by Boeing-owned Jeppesen and displayed on electronic flight bags intended to make safer and more efficient.

Additionally, Boeing will use the 777-200ER to test cargo-hold wall panels made from “40% recycled carbon fibre and 60% resin made from bio-based feedstock”, it says.Boeing plans to fuel the 777 partly with SAF for ecoDemonstrator flights.

Source: Boeing, Boeing

Boeing Orders And Deliveries for April

Boeing orders for April included the following:

BOC Aviation ordered three 737 Max, Luxair ordered two.

Orders from Unidentified customer included 11 737 Max, one 777F, plus 17 787.

On the delivery side Boeing delivered the following:

Boeing delivered 17 Max aircraft, one 787-9 to Gulf Air, one 787-9 to Qantas, one 787-10 to British Airways, one 787-9 to Air Canada, one 787-10 to Singapore Airlines and one 787-10 to EVA  Air.

In addition the company delivered one 777F to CES Leasing Corp of China and one 767-300F to FedEx and and a couple of P-8s to the Korean Air Force.

Source: Boeing             

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                Airbus Expands Aircraft Storage and Recycling in China

Airbus has established a Chinese joint venture to expand the aircraft storage and recycling capabilities of specialist affiliate Tarmac Aerosave.  The Chinese facility to be located in Chengdu will have storage capability for 125 aircraft and its creation follows a provisional agreement reached in January of last year.

To be known as Airbus Lifecycle Services, the venture will also conduct maintenance, conversion and dismantling operations in a single center.  “The new center in Chengdu fits perfectly into Airbus’ approach to environmental responsibility across the entire aircraft lifecycle”, says airframer’s senior vice-president of customer services, Cristina Aguilar.

Airbus says the center will be “embedded in a complete eco-system” with aerospace manufacturing and service firms located in an adjacent Chengdu business district.  Tarmac Aerosave already has three European aircraft storage facilities sited in Tarbes, Terual and Toulouse Francazal.  Three-quarters of the aircraft stored at Chengdu will transition to a second lifecycle, the company states, while the remaining ones will be dismantled.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus

                               Airbus Orders and Deliveries in April

Airbus delivers 54 airplanes in April, bringing its total for the year to 181, down 5% from the same period a year ago but enough to re-establish an industrial lead over U.S. rival Boeing.

Airbus also sold five planes in April, all of them to undisclosed companies or private customers.  That brought new orders so far this year to 161 planes, or a net total of 144 after cancellations.      

                                   REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                             Textron Aviation Hands Over 400th Citation CJ4

Textron Aviation marked the delivery of its 400th Citation CJ4 aircraft on April 25, a milestone reached 13 years after the aircraft entered the market in 2010.  The 400th copy, a CJ4 Gen 2, went to Koch Holdings of Eastern, Pennsylvania, with representatives from both companies attending a special delivery ceremony at Textron Aviation headquarters in Wichita.

“Our customers appreciate the quality and reliability’s well as the comfort and flexibility provided by the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior v-p of global sales and flight operations for Textron Aviation.  “This aircraft is a direct response to continued conversations with our customers.  Their input, combined with the excellent work by our employees, helped create an incredible aircraft.”

The CJ Gen2, the largest of Cessna’s light aircraft line, can seat 10 passengers and has a 1,040-pound baggage capacity.  Certified for single-pilot operations, the aircraft has a 2,165-nm range, can fly at speeds of 451 ktas, takeoff from 3,410-ft runways, and used for a range of missions from business and air ambulance operations to maritime patrol, search and rescue, and aerial survey.

Source: Textron Aviation                 

                              Pilatus Delivers 2,000th PC-12 TurboProp

Pilatus celebrated with the delivery of the 2,000th aircraft in its PC-12 family.  During a ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Stans, Switzerland, the turboprop single was handed over to long-time U.S. PC-12 operator PlaneSense.  The New HamShire-based fractional ownership provider has operated an all-pilates fleet since the delivery of its first PC-12 in 1995 and now has a fleet of 43 PC-12s and 11 PC-24 light jets.

“ This unique aircraft constitutes the backbone your operation and has been an important part of the success of the PlaneSense program,” said PlaneSense president and CEO George Antioniadis.

“Our clients have enjoyed the aircraft’s versatility, reliability, comfort, and efficiency for 28 years.  Our partnership with Pilatus has been incredibly valuable and we look forward to expanding it further in the years to come.”

Since its introduction in 1994, the aircraft has been continuously upgraded.

The latest version, the PC-12NGX, was launched in 2019.  Pilatus delivered 80 of the type last year-end the global PC-12 fleet has amassed more than 10 million flight hours.

Source: Pilatus, Picture Pilatus

                                    OTHER AVIATION NEWS

     Oman Air Equips Training Center with 737 Max Simulator

Middle Eastern carrier Oman Air has equipped its training center with a Boeing 737 Max 8 simulator.  The airline says the system has been acquired from specialist CAE, and installed in the flight-training center at Muscat.  Oman Air has 13 Max 8s in its fleet of 45 aircraft.

“The MAX 8 is the mainstay of our fleet, and the new simulator will enable us to optimize our operational efficiency and ensure significant cost sayings,” says chief operating officer, Capt. Nasser Al Salmi.

Oman Air has been pursuing an ‘ Omanisation’ program to attract nationals of the sultanate to the carrier and says this has reached a level of 81% for its pilots.

Source: Oman Air, Picture Oman Air

                      WestJet Completes Acquisition of Sunwing Airlines

WestJet Group has acquired competing carrier Sunwing Airlines, completing a deal that had raised competitive concerns but that WestJet insists will benefit travelers.  Calgary-based WestJet Group, owner of low-cost airline WestJet, disclosed on May 1 that it closed the purchase, roughly one year after announcing its intention to acquire Sunwing, in March 2022.  The deal also brings Sunwing’s vacation business into WestJet portfolio.

The Acquisition “ combines the two Canadian aviation and Leisure travel success stories and will bring greater choice, competitive airfares and increase direct access to sun destinations to Canadian traveler”, WestJet says. 

“It positions Sunwing to continue its growth across Canada and permits the newly merged company to protect jobs.”  WestJet and Sunwing will initally operate separately, while “maintaining a sharp focus on providing an exceptional guest experience and ensuring safe operations”, WestJet says.  The deal gives WestJet a stronger presence in eastern Canada.  WestJet’s flight network is heavily weighted toward flights of western Canada.  

Founded in 1996, WestJet has long been Canada’s second-largest airline by various measures, behind Air Canada.It has 14,000 employees and 175 aircraft, including seven 787-9s and 105 737s operated by main subsidiary WestJet, 16 737s in the fleet of ultra-low-cost subsidiary Swoop and 47 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops operated by regional-airline subsidiary Encore.  Sunwing operates 32 737s, including 737 Max 8s, and has another three in storage, according to Cirium data.

Source: WestJet, WestJet

    Qatar Airways Aims to Receive All 737 Max 8s End-July

Qatar Airways has introduced a second Boeing 737 Max 8, and will bring in another seven of the type by the end of July.  The Middle Eastern carrier took delivery of its first in mid-April after taking advantage of an opportunity to introduce a batch of the twinsets to its fleet.  Qatar Airways says it has since installed streaming in-flight entertainment and undertaken pilot-training programs with the jet.

“Utilization of the Max 8s will add capacity to help drive future growth, especially in short-haul markets,” says the carrier.  It says the type, used on Doha-Kuwait route, will be deployed on other sectors primarily operating to Gulf Co-operation Council states.  “These efficient and modern aircraft are a welcome addition to the narrowbody fleet to support our sustainable expansion plans,” it adds.

Qatar Airways has 25 of the larger 737 Max 10 on order, and the airline says the jets have a number of operational synergies notably pilot training and ground-handling with the Max 8s.  The airline says the Max 10s will have alternative amenities including a different in-flight entertainment system.

Source: Qatar Airways, FlightGlobal, Picture Qatar Airways

 Air New Zealand Make Multi-Billion Investments In New Jets

Air New Zealand is set to make significant investments in its fleet, capacity and marketing over the next five years as the airline closes in on pre-pandemic recovery.  Airline chief Greg Foran says the airline will invest about $2.2 billion dollars in new aircraft and cabin retrofits.  The new jets comprise 8 Boeing 787s comprising a mix of -9s and -10s, as well as five Airbus A320neos, all of which are in its existing orderbook.

Foran also discloses that Air New Zealand is in final negotiations to lease a 777-300ER to beef up capacity, bringing its fleet of 777s to eight examples.  The investment also covers ongoing work to update its cabin products, which was first announced in June 2022.  The new products, which cover all cabin classes and includes a sleep-pod concept in economy class, are set to debut in 2024 on its 787s.

Foran, who was speaking at tourism business event in Christchurch, says the airline’s international capacity is making good recovery and is now around 91% pre- pandemic levels.

On the domestic network, the airline has fully recovered to pre-pandemic capacity, and is looking to add more seats.

Source: Air New Zealand      

                                                LATEST NEWS

• Luxair Luxembourg’s flag-carrier, is to purchase another pair of Boeing 737 Max 8s, taking its overall commitment to four of the type.

• Lessor BOC Aviation has agreed to purchase 7 AirBus A320neo-family jets, with deliveries commencing this year.

• Philippine Airlines has committed to 9 A350-1000s that it will use on ultra-long-haul flights to North America and Europe.
• Air Algérie has reached an agreement with Boeing to acquire eight 737 Max 9 aircraft powered by CFM International Leap-1B engines.
• Ryanair reaches a deal with Boeing for 737 Max 10, taking up to 300 Max 10s with deliveries et to begin in 2027.  About half of these will replace older 737s in its fleet, while the rest will be used for expansion.

• Lessor BOC Aviation has agreed to purchase seven more A320-family jets with deliveries commencing this year.

• Irish-Based Lessor Avolon is intending to order 40 Boeing 737 Max jets, for delivery over the course of 2027-30.

• China Airlines will exercise options to purchase 8 more Boeing 787-9 aircraft, adding to an existing order for 16 examples first announced in August 2022 and firmed up a month later.

• Royal Jordanian Airlines has firmed-up orders for eight Embraer E2-family jets following a memorandum of understanding signed with Embraer in October last year.

Sources: Ryanair, Lessor BOC Aviation, China Airline, Lessor Avolon, Air Algerie, Luxair.

    Air Cargo

                  Airbus A350 Freighter Service Date Slips to 2026

Airbus has shifted the entry into service for the A350 freighter into 2026, but is more broadly maintaining its industrial targets for other programs.  Airbus, which has disclosed first-quarter results, says the industrial planning for the freighter is being “slightly adjusted” as its initial milestones are reached.

Chief executive Guillaume Faury, speaking during the results briefing, said the slip was a “few months” from the previous end-2025 timeframe.  But he insists it does not amount to a “re-baselining” of the schedule, and states that the shift relates to overall program execution.   Airbus recently produced the first components for the freighter at its Airbus Atlantic plant in Nantes.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus

                     Mammoth 777 Conversions Feature Personnel Area

US aerospace firm Mammoth Freighters has detailed plans for a personnel area behind the cockpit of its converted Boeing 777 cargo aircraft.  The company, which is aiming to offer conversion of 777-200LR and-300ER is seeking US FAA approval for the four-person zone.  This will bring maximum occupancy to eight, because Mammoth is designing the aircraft to accommodate two observers in the cockpit as well as the two pilots.

Its conversion involves installing a main-deck Class E cargo compartment and large freight door in the left side of the aft fuselage.  Rigid 9G barriers will be fitted to protect the occupied areas from fire or cargo shift.  The area will have four business-class seats, a new galley and a two person crew rest.

It also features the retained forward left-hand lavatory, the left-and right-hand passenger exit doors-along with their emergency slides and miscellaneous storage compartments.  All the other passenger doors will be de-activated as part of the conversion.

Mammoth is requesting, in its regulatory filling, that up to three personnel be permitted to enter the cargo compartment during the flight to attend to the freight.

Source : Mammoth Freighters.

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                       Boeing Reports 737 Max  in Service in China

  All 11 Chinese Boeing 737 Max operators have resumed operation of the airplane as of April 10, Boeing reported on April 11. The airlines have returned 43 Max jets to service, accounting for 45 percent of China’s Max fleet.

Boeing confirmed the numbers as it announced an upgrade of flight training device (FTD) at its Shanghai Flight Training Campus to support Chinese airline operations.  A fixed-base unit that simulates the airplane’s flight deck and aircraft operations, the 737 Max FTD allows trainees to learn and practice advancing to the final stage of the course in a full flight simulator.  China Southern Airlines resumed commercial service of the model this past January 13th with a flight from Guangzhou to Zhengzhou.

The first revenue flight came more than a year after Chinese authorities issued an airworthiness directive on Dec.2, 2021, that ostensibly marked an imminent return to service.  Actions required for compliance include installation and verification of new software meant to correct flight control computer and display system anomalies; rerouting of wire bundles for the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer; installation of stall warning stick shaker circuit breakers and various flight manual revisions.

At the time, China’s Civil Aviation Authority stood as the last major hurdle to the model’s full return to service among Boeing’s global customer base.  In July of 2021, Boeing CEO David Calhoun said he expected China to clear the airplane for revenue flights by the end of that year.  Calhoun did concede, however, that political risks remained a consideration, if not worry. “I don’t want to imply that anything is risk-free on this front,”  said Calhoun. “ It’s not.  It never will be, especially when it relates to China relations, which are real.”

Source: Boeing

Boeing Orders & Deliveries

Boeing’s commercial aircraft orders and deliveries bounced back in March as it once again began delivering 787s and 767s following a pause to address quality issues.  In total, Boeing shipped 64 aircraft: 52 737 Max narrow bodies’ single 737NG based P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol craft, and 11 widebodies.

United Airlines and Southwest Airlines took the most Max aircraft during the month, 12 each, followed by Air Lease Corporation with 7 and Ryanair with 5.  Iraqi Airways also received its first three units of the re-engined narrowbody type during March.

In February, the company had delivered 28 aircraft, of which 25 were 737s.   Boeing also handed 7 787 Dreamliners in March to six customers: American Airlines, Japan Air Lines, Aercap (for lease to Aeromexico), Lufthansa,  Vistara and United.

In March, it also delivered 1 767-300F to FedEx and 3 777 Freighters, one each to China Cargo Airlines, China Postal Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

On April 13 Boeing halted some 737 deliveries due to a newly disclosed quality problem, which might effect future deliveries.  Let us see what happens from April forward.

The company reported net new orders for 60 aircraft for March, including 40 Max jets 21 from Japan Airlines, 2 from Luxair and 17 from unidentified customers and 20 787 Dreamliners, 7 from Lufthansa, 5 from EVA and 8 from unidentified customers.

During the first three months of this year, Boeing received 107 net orders.

Source : Boeing

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                   Airbus Opens a Second Assembly Line in Tianjin

Airbus has reached an agreement to open a second A320 family line in Tianjin during a French state visit to China.

The European aircraft manufacturer opened a final assembly line in Tianjin in 2008, one of four for the A320 family along side those in Hamburg, Toulouse and Mobile in the US.  It has since assembled more than 600 aircraft from the Chinese plant and in March local Carrier Juneyao Air took delivery of the first A321neo completed in Tianjin.

Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury has signed an agreement with the Tianjin Free Trade Zone Investment Company and Aviation Industry Corporation of China to expand A320 family final assembly capacity with a second line at its Tianjin site.

It has also signed a general terms of agreement with China Aviation Supplies Holding Company, covering the purchase of 160 jets.  This comprises earlier announcements covering 150 A320 narrowbody and 10 A350-900 widebody aircraft orders.

Source: Airbus, Airbus Picture

Airbus Orders & Deliveries

Four more Airbus A350 freighters have been booked to Airbus’s back log, attributed to an undisclosed customer on March 23.  The agreement brings to 39 the number of A350Fs on firm order.

The four aircraft are among 20 added to Airbus’s backlog, of which 15 were passenger A350s for Lufthansa.  These included 10 A350-1000s.  Airbus also recorded a single A319neo order from a private customer.

Cancellation of two single-aisle jets during the month meant Airbus ended the quarter with net orders of 142 aircraft, comprising of 42 A350s, 88 A320neo-family jets and 12 A220s.

Airbus delivered a total of 61 aircraft in March, bringing overall first-quarter deliveries to 127; among them, 5 A350s and 6 A330s. In the same period last year, it achieved 142 deliveries.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus

                                         REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

            Gulfstream Adds Sales/Design Center In Beverly Hills

Gulfstream Aeros has expanded its presence on the U.S. West Coast with the opening of a sales & design center in Beverly Hills, California.  The 12,000-sq-ft facility is designed to provide customers with firsthand look at the cabins and furnishings of the Gulfstream fleet as they make completion and finishing decisions to tailor aircraft to their mission requirements.

The Center showcases cabin mockups of GulfStream’s G400, G700, and G800 living areas, as well as the seat designs of the G500 and G600.  An interior design team at the center will help customers select finishes, veneers, floor coverings, leathers, textiles and other interior elements.  In addition, the center is equipped with Gulfstream’s digital cabin creator and exterior paint configurator tools.  “We are always looking for new opportunities to enhance the GulfStream customer experience,” said GulfStream president Mark Burns.

“Expanding our portfolio of sales and design centers to the U.S. West Coast is the next phase in our strategic expansion plan and provides further investment to our customers and the growing worldwide fleet.”

Source: Gulfstream, photo Gulfstream Aerospace

                     Pacific Air Charters Orders Two Tecnam P2021

Italian aircraft manufacturer Tecnam has secured orders for two of its P2012 Traveller commuter aircraft from Hawaii’s Pacific Air Charters.  The Honolulu-based airline also took options to order another 23 of the nine-passenger, twin-piston-engined type, which is among the few new-build commuter aircraft.

Tecnam disclosed the orders on March 29, saying two aircraft are due for “ immediate delivery”.  Pacific Air’s website says it expects to receive the aircraft in late July.

“We are excited to bring comfortable, convenient and modern multi-engine travel to the islands of Hawaii and other areas of the Pacific Ocean,” Pacific Air says.  “The P2012 Traveller is the perfect aircraft for our routes.”

The global in-service P2012 fleet includes 47 aircraft, 30 of which are operated by Massachusetts-based regional airline Cape Air.

Source: Tecnam, picture Tecnam                                                                 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                              Icelandair Signs for 13 A321XLRs

Icelandair has signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 13 Airbus A321XLR aircraft to replace its fleet of aging Boeing 757s.The airline’s first Airbus order ever.

The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed, and will comprise options for another 12 of the long-haul narrowbody.

Deliveries are expected to commence from 2029, though Icelandair says it intends to start operating Airbus aircraft from 2025 and is looking to lease 4 A321LRs first.

The new A321XLRs are likely to seat about 190 passengers, seven more than the 757s, and up to 30 more passengers than its 737 Max fleet.

Airline chief Bogi Nils Bogason says the new aircraft will “open opportunities for future growth by entering new and exciting markets”.

Source: Icelandair

                          Austrian to Modernize Fleet With 787s

Lufthansa Group carrier Austrian is expecting to modernize its entire long-haul fleet with Boeing 787-9s over the next five years.

It will introduce its first of 10 787-9s from next year, increasing the airline’s overall fleet to 66 aircraft for the 2024 schedule.

This fleet replacement will be completed by 2028.  Austrian will source the aircraft from orders placed by Lufthansa Group.

Chief executive Annette Mann says the modernization “shows that we are fit for investments and the future”.  She says the aircraft will offer 20% better fuel consumption than its 767s.  Austrian has three 767-300ERs and six 777-200ER, plus a short-haul fleet of Airbus single-aisle and ember regional jets.

Lufthansa Group had indicated Austrian would be a 787 operator when it ordered the type in 2019.

Source: Austrian, picture Lufthansa Group

                      Qatar Airways Takes Up Leases of Nine 737 Max 8s

Qatar Airways has decided to take over the pending leases from Air Lease Corporation(ALC) .

The Airline took delivery of its first 737 Max 8 on April 14 leased from Air Lease Corporation, A7-BSC (msn 43329) was delivered from Everett via Reykjavik Keflavik to Doha Hamad International, but has yet to be inducted into revenue service, although it operated a test flight around the Qatari hub on April 16.

Qatar Airways has not filed the schedules for the type yet.  The aircraft is the first of nine B737 Max 8s originally destined for S7 Airlines which were recently picked up by the Qatari carrier.  Last year, the airline ordered twenty- five B737-10s with a further twenty-five options.  Qatar Airways becomes a new operator of the type, and expanding its short-hail operations.

Source: ch-aviation, picture Qatar Airways               

LATEST NEWS

• Mexico’s VIP 787 the Mexican Government has agreed to sell its controversial presidential Boeing 787-8 to the government of Tajikistan after the Tajik authorities express interest in the aircraft.

• Alaska Air Cargo plans to boost its fleet supporting the state of Alaska in 2023 by converting two Boeing 737-800 into freighters, with the first jet expected to start hauling cargo this summer.

• Elbit Systems is to supply the large main-deck cargo door for the Boeing 777-8 freighter, under an aerostructures agreement with Boeing.

• AAR Supply Chain is to acquire nine Boeing 757-200 passenger jets and their 18 Rolls-Royce RB211 engines from American Airlines to provide spare parts for freighter aircraft.

• Azerbaijan Airlines Is ordering a dozen Airbus single-aisle jets, comprising of A321neo and A320neo variants.

• Avolon has completed the delivery of 15 A320neo aircraft to Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

• Royal Jordanian has signaled that it is looking to step up to the Boeing 787-9 operations, as it seeks to acquire thee of the variant.

• E-3 Retirement the US Airforce (USAF) has retired the first of several Boeing E-3 Senttry airborne warning and control aircraft the service plans to decommission in the near future.

Sources: Alaska Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Avolon, AAR Supply Chain, Elbit Systems, FlightGlobal, Royal Jordanian.

                                              Air Cargo

              Mammoth Freighters Builds 777 Order Backlog

Mammoth Freighters, a US company developing cargo-converted Boeing 777s, expects to complete its first 777-200LR modification by year-end and achieve an initial regulatory certification by April 2024.

The company says it now holds orders to modify 35 777s from passenger to cargo configurations, including 9 modified 777-200LRs due for delivery to DHL, under a newly disclosed deal.

Mammoth is also in advance stages of negotiations to sell another 10 of the modified Boeing widebody jets, the Orlando-based company’s vice-president of marketing and sales Brian McCarthy tells FlightGlobal on April 20.

Orlando-based Mammoth previously aimed its 777-200LR modification by the FAA with a supplemental type certificate (STC) in 2023.  But the modification’s expected by the end of this year means the FAA will grant the STC in 2023.  McCarthy Said Mammoth expects to receive an STC for its 777-300ER conversion about six months after that, he adds.

Mammoth’s corporate affiliate, Aspire MRO, is performing the conversion work in a former American Airlines 777 maintenance site at Fort Worth Alliance airport in Texas.  Both Mammoth and Aspire are backed by Fortress Investment Group.

Mammoth is initially setting up three modification lines at the site and is already working on conversions of two 777-200LRs (formerly Delta Air Lines aircraft due for Cargojet) and one 777-300ER(an aircraft owned by AViaAM leasing).

Mammoth plans for the Fort Worth facility to eventually have five modification lines.  It also hired UK Bro shop STS Aviation Services to established another modification facility in the city of Manchester.

Source: Mammoth Freighters, FlightGlobal, Picture Mammoth Freighters

                         Raindo to Lease 737-800 Freighters

Indonesian start-up cargo operator Raindo United Services is to lease a pair of Boeing 737-800 converted freighters.  The aircraft will be leased through Irish lessor AerCap.  AerCap adds that the initial aircraft will be converted at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services, while a second will undergo modification by Boeing & Taikoo Shandong Aircraft Engineering Co Ltd. STAECO.

Raindo United Services is the operating brand for Rusky Aero Indonesia, located in Jakarta, and is aiming to commence flights in July of this year.  The carrier was established last June and has since obtained various licenses including a scheduled air cargo transport certificate.  AerCap has delivered around 50 converted 737-800 freighters.

Source: AerCap, Raindo, Picture Raindo United Services

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Awarded NASA Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Contract

On January 18th, NASA hired Boeing to develop a truss-braced-wing demonstrator, a part of a project aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of future civilian airliners by up to 30%.

“It will definitely have a role to ply some day in the narrowbody world,” Calhoun said on January 25th of the development program.  “There is real interest there”.  He adds that the truss-braced design is less promising for larger passenger jets, such as mid-market aircraft (comparable to 757s) or widebody jets.

NASA plans to contribute $425 million towards Boeing’s development of the truss- braced demonstrator, while Boeing and other commercial partners are to shoulder the expected $725 million balance.  The design involves an aircraft with long, slender wings mounted high on the fuselage. Such designs are complex, though longer wings can reduce drag.  NASA says the demonstrator will make its first flight in 2028.

Calhoun describes the Boeing-NASA partnership as a means of advancing a concept that both it and NASA have studied for years. He says the program will help Boeing “ commercialize” the truss-braced-wing design.  Calhoun also says a future new aircraft must be 25-30% more efficient than current models—an improvement that will likely involve use of higher-bypass-ratio turbofans. Such engines would be wider in diameter than today’s turbofans but could possibly be accommodated by the truss-braced design’s high-mounted wings, Calhoun says.

Boeing plans to spend an additional $300 million in research and development mostly led by its commercial aircraft division in 2023.  That will bring its expected total 2023 research and development expenses to $3.2 billion, Boeing chief financial officer Brian West said on January 25.

Source: Boeing, Rendering Boeing

   Boeing Orders & Deliveries

Boeing’s commercial aircraft orders and deliveries slowed in February following a strong start for the start to the year the previous month.  But the rest of the year is already shaping up to be busy: Boeing’s disclosure of its latest order and delivery figures on March 14 came as two Saudi Arabian airlines & Riyadh Air disclosed plans to order more than 100 787s.

In contrast, February’s activity was relatively quiet, Boeing says.  The company landed orders for only five jets-all 737 Max, all placed by customers Boeing declines to name.  Also during the month, unnamed customers cancelled orders for three 737 Max, leaving Boeing only two new orders in February.

Deliveries also fell month on month, with Boeing shipping 28 aircraft in February, down from 38 in January.

February’s shipments included 25 737s against 35 the previous month, among them one 737NG-based P-8 maritime patrol aircraft for the royal New Zealand Air Force.

Additionally, Boeing in February handed over three widebody jets including the final 747, a -8 Freighter, to Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, one 777F to Air China Cargo and one 787-10 to United Airlines.

Boeing says the 787 taken by United in February had been certified prior to the most recent delivery halt, making the jet’s handover possible.   But 787 deliveries are now set to resume, with the FAA saying Boeing has “addressed” its concerns.

Source: Boeing

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

           Qatar Airways A350 & A321Neo Added to Airbus Backlog

Qatar Airways’ order for 23 Airbus A350-1000s and 50 A321neos has been reinstated on the airframer’s backlog as part of its activity in February.  Airbus had previously cancelled the orders during the legal row over skin-paint deterioration on Qatar’s A350 fleet.

But the two sides eventually avoided a high-profile trial by reaching an agreement to settle the matter without admission of liability on either side.  As part of the agreement, the cancelled Qatar orders are being restored, and were added to the backlog on February 1.  The A350-1000s provide Airbus with its first order for long-haul aircraft so far this year.

It has also booked agreements for 10 A320neos from British Airways, and 15 A320neos from an undisclosed customer, plus a single private A319neo.

Cancellation of 11 single-aisle jets in February, left the airframer with net orders of 124 aircraft for the first two months of the year. Airbus managed to double deliveries in February, compared with the 20 in previous month, handing over 46 aircraft. These included two A350s and two A330s.

Sources: Airbus, FlightGlobal, Picture Qatar Airways

          A321XLR Undergoes Cold-Weather Testing in Canada

Airbus has carried out several days of cold-weather testing of the A321XLR, having flown one of the prototype twinsets to Northern Canada.  The test aircraft – MSN11058, also known as FTV2 – departed Toulouse on February 20 for the airport at Iqaluit.

It undertook a number of flights, conducting circuits and approaches, while also undergoing ground checks in the harsh conditions. The temperature was around minus 33 degrees C.  The aircraft, one of three XLRs in the certification fleets powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.  Airbus says the aircraft returned to Toulouse on February 24.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                  Gulfstream Delivers 100th G600

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced the 100th Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. G600 customer delivery.  The aircraft was outfitted at Gulfstream’s Dallas completions center and delivered to a North America-based customer.

“ The G600 continues to redefine excellence,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.  ”Thanks to its highly customizable cabin design and exceptional performance capabilities, we are seeing unwavering customer demand.  The 100th G600 customer delivery is a testament to that excellence and surging popularity.”

The G600 can travel 6,600 nautical miles, 12,223 kilometers at Mach 0.85 or 5,600 nm/10371 km at Mach 0.90 and has proven class-leading fuel efficiency.  The 100th G600 delivery follows its sister ship, the Gulfstream G500, which took place in the second half of 2022.

Source: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Photo Gulfstream Corp.

                     Atlantic Aviation Completes New Terminal

Atlantic Aviation, one of four service providers at Florida business aviation hub Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, has opened its new FBO terminal.  The 7,000-sq-ft building at the west end of Runway 9/27 more than doubles the chain’s former terminal on the other side of the field, which will be retained for tenant office space.

The facility features two passenger lounges with refreshment bar, 12-seat conference room, kitchen area, on-site car rentals, and a pair of crew cars.  It also includes 170,000-sq-ft aircraft storage space spread among its 24 hangers, capable of sheltering up to a Bombardier Global 7500.

“From absolute first-class decor to high-tech conference rooms and compelling crew services, no detail has been overlooked,” explained Kurt Schmidt, the chair’s senior v-p of operations for the U.S. Southeast.  ” We’re excited to welcome customers to our new facility and feel certain they’ll be amazed at all that has been done.”

Source: Atlantic Aviation, picture Atlantic Aviation                                                               

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                                   Air Greenland’s Retired A330-200

Air Greenland’s long-serving Airbus A330-200, one of the first of the variant to be delivered, has left the fleet and has been flown to Arizona for parts supply.

The aircraft which carried out its final scheduled service on February 16 conducted a ferry flight from Copenhagen to the US city of Tucson on March 10, flying a transatlantic route which enabled it briefly to conduct a circuit around the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.  Air Greenland says the aircraft underwent customs clearance at Tucson ahead of the short final sector to Marana’s Pinal Airpark.

Powered by Pratt & Whiney PW4000 engines, the twinjet, almost 25 years old was being handed over to US-based aviation services firm AAR Supply Chain.

Air Greenland introduced the A330 (OY-GRN) in 2002, after the demise of Belgian flag-carrier Sabena, which it had originally been delivered in 1998 just months after A330-200s entered service.

Air Greenland primarily used the A330 as a transatlantic shuttle to and from Copenhagen, although it has also served as a charter transport.  The aircraft has  accumulated over 10,000 cycle and operated in Greenland at  temperatures of minus 40 degrees centigrade, says the carrier’s technical manager for the aircraft, Herik Keil.   He states that it has been “brought to be a cold-weather aircraft” and “very rarely experienced problems, for which he credits “dedicated” technicians from Scandinavian operated SAS.

Keil says the jet will become an “organ donor”, offering spares.  Air Greenland has replaced the A330-200 with an A330-800, fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines which it received in November last year.

Source: Air Greenland, Photo Air Greenland

                               Livery for ‘Next Air Force One’

US President Joe Biden has selected the livery of the “ Next Air Force One”, the new VC-25B aircraft designated for presidential travel that is currently under construction, formally rejecting the color scheme that had been chosen by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The new livery largely resembles the paint scheme of the current aircraft, the US Air Force(USAF) said on March 10.

“While accounting for the VC-25B’s larger 747-8i aircraft, the VC-25B livery has three primary differences with the VC-25A’s livery,” USAF says.  ”The light blue on VC-25B is slightly deeper, more modern tone than the VC-25A’s robin’s egg blue.

Additionally, the VC-B engines will use the darker blue from the cockpit area instead of the VC-25A’s robin’s egg blue.  Finally, there is no polished metal section on the VC-25B because modern commercial aircraft skin alloys don’t allow for it.”

The Trump scheme would have caused further delays to the program, and further driven up the cost, USAF now says.

“Modifications to the aircraft will include electrical power upgrades, mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations caps abilities,” USAF says.  ”The aircraft will be uniquely modified to provide the president, staff, and guests with safe and reliable air transportation with the equivalent level of communications capability and security available in the White House.”

Deliveries of the two new aircraft are scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

Sources: USAF News, Picture

                     Boeing Lands $1.2bn Contract to Develop E-7s For USAF

Boeing will develop two new variants of its 737-based E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for the US Air Force under a newly disclosed contract worth up to $1.2 billion.  The company and the US Department of Defense (DoD) disclosed the news on February 28, with the DoD saying Boeing is developing the aircraft under its “ E-7A Rapid prototype Program”.

“The E-7 provides a fully integrated, combat-proven, flexible command and control mode that delivers multi-domain awareness in most challenging operational environments,” Boeing says.  ”The E-7’s open systems architecture and agile software design enable the aircraft’s capabilities to evolve and remain ahead of future threats.”

Boeing landed the work from the DoD under a sole-source “undefinitized contract action” with a “not-to-exceed” value of 1.2 billion agency’s contract announcement says.  ”This contract provides for the initiation of development activities for the program.” Boeing will perform the work in Seattle and complete the project by August 2024, the DoD says.

Australia, South Korea and Turkey already operate the E-7, which is also currently in production for the UK.  The Jet-known by the handle “Wedgetail”-is based on the 737-700.

“The E-7 is a proven platform,”says Boeing E-7 program vice-President and general manager Stu Voboril.  ”It is the only advanced aircraft that is capable of meeting the US Air Force’s near-term airborne early warning and control requirement while enabling integration across the joint force.”

In April 2022, the USAF revealed plans to replace some of its 707-based E-3 Sentry reconnaissance aircraft with E-7s, saying a contract award would occur in fiscal year 2023.

The USAF notes it has already established a program management office for E-7 procurement and will use DoD’s rapid prototyping acquisition pathway to acquire the first two aircraft of its planned fleet of 26.

Source: Boeing, Photo Boeing

                                               JAL Tests New Riblet Coatings

Japan Airlines (JAL) is conducting durability tests with “riblet” coatings that can be applied over the paint of an aircraft.  JAL’s partners in a project are Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), O-Well Corporation, and Nikon.

JAL claims that these are the first “sharkskin” riblets that can be applied as coatings directly over an aircraft’s existing paint, and that this saves weight.  Sharkskin riblets are known to reduce friction along an aircraft’s skin by moving tiny vortexes away from the aircraft’s surface.  JAL adds that applying riblets over most of an aircraft’s skin can result in fuel savings of 2%.

The Project saw O-Well’s coating applied to a small area on the belly of one JAL 737-800 and Nikon’s to another.  The aim of the work is to test durability of coatings.  “Durability tests are currently being carried out by performing repeated inspections, measuring the changes in shapes of the riblet’s incurred during test flights”, says JAL.

O-Well’s coating uses a water-soluble mold to apply the riblet’s, while Nikon uses a laser process.  The depth of the riblet groves is 50 microns, about the thickness of a human hair.  JAL adds that applying either coating requires a high degree of skill, because they are “very sensitive” to such factors as the type of underlying paints well as the temperature and humidity of the time of application.

So far, the 737 with the O-Well application has flown 1,500h, and that with the Nikon application 750h.  Both the O-Well and Nikon coatings have demonstrated “sufficient durability.”

Source: Japan Airlines, Photo Japan Airlines    

LATEST NEWS

• Luxair of Luxembourg has ordered two Boeing 737 Max 8s and signed a deal to lease another pair.

• Iraqi Airways has taken delivery of a Boeing 737 Max 8, the first of the re-engined variant in the flag-carrier’s fleet.  Boeing lists 10 737 Max jets as having been directly ordered in 2017.

• Air Japan, the newly launched medium-haul unit of Japan’s ANA holdings, will commence operations in February 2024.

• EVA Air buys five 787-9s in a deal valued at around $1.7 billion in list prices.

• Qatar Airways is to start introducing its own Boeing 737 Max jets to support capacity growth in short-haul sectors.  The airline says it recently had an “opportunity” to acquire a “small number” of 737 Max 8s, without elaborating on the details of the agreement.

• Sunwing the government of Canada has approved WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations following a thorough review.

• Iraqi Airways is preparing to take delivery of its first Boeing 787, one of 10 due to be introduced by the flag-carrier.  Its first aircraft, a 787-8 (Yi-ATC) powered by General Electric GEnx engines.

• Rolls-Royce has commenced testing in support of a re-engining program for the US Air Force’s Boeing B-52H fleet, for the first time pairing its F130 powerplants in the bomber’s distinctive dual-pod configuration.

• Luftwaffe Germany’s air force has received its third Airbus A350-900 for government transport missions following completion of the aircraft’s interior by Lufthansa Technik.

• Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines has ordered 15 Boeing 737-9s and made a “commitment” to order five 787s.

• RwandAir has introduced a third long-haul aircraft, receiving an Airbus A330-200 at its hub in Kigali.

Sources: FlightGlobal, Rolls Royce, Boeing, Airbus, Eva Air, WestJet, Qatar Airways

                                              AIR CARGO

                     Investment Group Completes Atlas Air Acquisition

An investment group led by Apollo Global Management has completed its acquisition of US cargo and charter airlines Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, closing a deal announced last August.  “As result of the transaction completion, Atlas Air Worlwide’s common stock no longer trades on the Nasdaq,” Atlas says in disclosing the acquisition on March 17.

The Investment group has said the deal is worth $5.2 billion.  However, Apollo and its partners agreed to pay $102.50 per share of Atlas stock, which equates to about $2.9 billion.  “We are well-positioned to achieve our growth objectives while continuing to serve the increasingly complex global supply chain,” says Atlas chief executive Jon Dietrich.  “The company will continue to maintain its global presence & continue to operate under the Atlas Air Worldwide name,” Atlas says, adding that Dietrich will remain CEO.

Source: Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, picture Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings

                          ANA to Take Over Nippon Cargo Airlines

Logistics specialist NYK has entered into an agreement to transfer all shares in Boeing 747 freighter operator Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways Holdings.  The shipping group cites the ongoing cost of running the cargo airline for the decision.  The terms of the deal are still under discussion but both parties hope to finalize the transition by October.

“The continuous introduction of new aircraft to expand the operation and maintenance system, and the continuous training of personnel engaged in operation and maintenance required a considerable expenditure,” NCA says.  “In the highly volatile business environment of airfreight transportation, NCA has been facing challenges in expanding its business scale at a level that is commensurate with such costs.”

For ANA, the deal will “dramatically enhance its international air cargo network” and services based in Japan and also with the aim to contribute to the development of global economic activities both in Japan and abroad.

Source: ANA, Picture NCA

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT    

Boeing to Open Fourth 737 Production Line In Everett

Boeing plans in 2024 to expand its 737 Max production footprint by opening a new production line at its facility in Everett, supplementing the three 737 lines at its original 737 assembly site in Renton.  Stan Deal, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, disclosed the plan in a January 30th e-mail to staff, saying the move will give the company four 737 production lines when the Everett line goes live, expected in the second half of 2024.

“To be clear, we are not taking the 737 out of Renton, just adding capacity to capture customer demand, especially for the newer models like the Max 8-200 and the 737 Max 10”.   Deal’s message says “Given the proximity to Renton, Everett is great fit, with availability of highly skilled workers and factory space.  This undertaking is significant,” Deal’s note says.

“ In addition to preparing the facility, we have begun the process of notifying our suppliers, customers, unions and employees as we take the necessary steps to create a new line.  We are methodically working through all our checks and balances, keeping safety and quality top of mind.”

Deal cites demand for the 737 Max8-200s and the Max 10s for driving the expansion.  The Max 8-200 is a high-capacity, 210 passenger variant of the baseline Max 8; while the 737 Max-10 is the largest variant of the Max family, with capacity to carry 230 passengers.  The Max 10 is not yet certificated but Boeing aims to clear that milestone by early 2024.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

                               Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries in January

Boeing handed over 38 aircraft to customers in January, a month during which the company’s deliveries are typically slower than during other periods, Boeing reported on February 14.

The delivered aircraft included 35 737 Max, among them jets received by lessors AerCap,  Air Lease and Avalon Aerospace Leasing and by carriers including Copa Airlines, FlyDubai, Ryanair, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Boeing’s January deliveries also included three 787s one -10 to KLM and one-9 each to Lufthansa and Qatar Airways.

The company’s 38 deliveries last month compare to 69 aircraft (including 54 737s) it delivered in prior month, December 2022.

Also in January, Boeing bolstered its backlog with new orders for 55 aircraft, including 33 737 Max, 7 787s and 15 767-based KC-46 aerial refueling tankers.

Japan’s Skymark Airlines placed four of the 737 Max orders, Germany’s TUI Travel ordered another four and unidentified customers ordered the remaining 25, Boeing says.

On the negative side, unnamed customers cancelled orders in January for 39 737 Max, leaving Boeing’s net orders for the period to 16.  By comparison, Boeing landed 203 net new orders in December 2022 and 55 in January 2022.

January’s changes, combined with accounting adjustments, left Boeing on January 31 with 4,585 aircraft in its backlog, including 3,634 737s, 121 767s, 313 777s, 516 787s and one 747. ( it delivered the final 747 in February closing out the 747 production program.) Boeing’s backlog is up by 269 aircraft from one year ago.

Source: Boeing                   

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                Qatar Airways & Airbus Reach Settlement in Legal Dispute

Qatar Airways and Airbus have reached a mutually agreeable settlement in relation to their legal dispute over A350 surface degradation and grounding of A350 aircraft.  The details of the settlement are confidential and the parties will now proceed to discontinue their legal claims.  The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability for either party.

Qatar Airways is to reinstate in full its remaining orders for 23 Airbus A350s as well as 50 A321neos, which had been cancelled during its legal dispute with Airbus.  But while A350 deliveries are likely to resume this year, FlightGlobal understands, the A321neos will be pushed back to 2026.

While Qatar’s production slots have been protected to a degree, the interruption to the carrier’s order, single-aisle manufacturing capacity constrained, and the popularity of the A321neo has resulted in less flexibility for reinstating the agreement.

Sources: Airbus, FlightGlobal, Picture Airbus 

                           Airbus Orders and Deliveries In January

Airbus has recorded net orders for 36 aircraft all single-aisle models for the first month of the year.

Airbus listed orders for a dozen A320neo family jets from Uzbekistan Airways and a dozen A220-300s for Delta Air Lines.

It also revealed an agreement for 12 aircraft, six A321neos and six A320neos from an undisclosed customer.

Airbus rounded off January orders with a single A320neo for Middle Eastern lessor DAE Capital.

It did not list any firm agreements for long-haul aircraft types.

Airbus delivered 20 aircraft over the month, comprising 18 single-aisle jets plus an A350-900 for Starlux Airlines and an A330-900 for Virgin Atlantic.

Both of the widebodies have been delivered via US leader Air Lease.

Source: Airbus               

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

      StandardAero Completes Western Jet Aviation Acquisition

StandardAero closed on the purchase of Van Nuys, California, based Gulfstream maintenance specialist Western Jet Aviation. The acquisition is StandardAero’s 12th since 2015 and adds significant Gulfstream airframe MRO capability.  It has more than 120,000 sq ft of hanger, shop, ramp, and office space on a 10-acre facility, nearly 100 personnel, and Western Jet’s avionics and interior shops.

The move also marks a return to the West Coast for StandardAero, which previously operated an MRO facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) but closed it in 2018.  ”When we departed LAX, we’d been looking for a location on the West Coast,” said Colleen Back, StandardAero senior commercial director, airframe, who is heading up the integration effort for the acquisition.

“ Van Nuys is one of the busiest business aviation airports in the country, and this will add a large Gulfstream footprint to the company”.  Western Jet founder and owner Jim Hansen said the sale of his company, which he opened in 1999, was bittersweet, but he is excited about the opportunities offered by StandardAero.   He has worked at Nuys Airport for the past 50 years, starting as a mechanic for the Jet Center and other companies before opening Western Jet.  Hansen plans to stay with StandardAero as an executive consultant.

Source: StandardAero

      Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Axes SpaceJet Program

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries confirmed the cancellation of the SpaceJet regional airliner program, nearly two and a half years after suspending development.

In discussion of its first quarter to 3rd quarter financial results, the company cited an insufficient initial understanding of the complex type certification process for commercial aircraft and inadequate financial resources to continue long-term development as the main “lessons learned” from the 15-year exercise.

The Company also said it failed to confirm the viability of resuming program activity since its suspension in October 2020, due to four main reasons.  The first involved further technical revisions necessary to resume prolonged development and need for decarbonization solutions.  Second, the company said it ran into difficulty gaining the necessary cooperation from global partners. Third it also cited little progress on scope clauses in the U.S.; the airplane’s biggest target market but one in which the maximum takeoff weight of the larger of the two SpiceJet derivatives the M90 exceeded the limits specified by language in the pilot union contracts of most regional airlines’ major partners.

Fourth reason it cited pilot shortages, which MHI said adds to the uncertainty of regional jets’ business viability.

Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,Picture Mitsubishi Heavy industries                                                                 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

           Avolon Delivers 5 New Boeing 737 Max-8s to Akasa Air

Aircraft Leasing company, Avolon, has delivered five new Boeing 737 Max 8s aircraft to Akasa Air, India’s newest airline.  Paul Geaney, President and chief commercial officer at Avolon commented: “ We are excited to support new entrants to the markets it is a pleasure to have completed this transaction to lease five new narrowbody aircraft to Akasa.   We congratulate Akasa on their successful launch and look forward to building on our strong relationship with them.”

Bhavin Joshi, co-founder and senior vice president leasing and procurement at Akasa Air said: “ Since our launch last August we have rapidly added capacity, new routes and welcomed one million passengers to our unique offering.  We are delighted to join hands with Avolon and will continue to invest in new technology aircraft that can offer superior reliability and carbon efficiency.”

Sources: Akasa/Avolon, Image Akasa/Avolon

                         KlasJet Expands Wet-lease Fleet With 737-800s

Baltic corporate charter specialist KlasJet is expanding its fleet of Boeing 737s to underpin passenger wet-lease operations ahead of the summer season.  It is introducing eight 737-800s which will be configured with 186 to 189 seats, in an all economy layout.

Vilnius-based KlasJet is aiming to reach a fleet of 15-800s by the end of this year and expand its passenger wet-lease fleet to 35 within five years.  “We see a very strong need for wet-lease in the market right now and it’s expected to grow,” says KlasJet deputy chief Lukas Petrauskas.

The airline has pointed out that lower supply of Boeing jets this year could constrain capacity for carriers expecting deliveries for the peak season.   The company, part of Avid Solutions Group, already has several older-variant 737s a mix of -300s and -500 which are configured with low-density seating.

It recently disclosed that it was reinforcing its business charter fleet with a 23-seat BoeingBBJ2 from April this year, which would be stationed in Dubai.

KlassJet is aiming to offer 737 capacity to carriers affected by lower delivery rates.

Source: Avia Solutions Group, Picture KlasJet

            CFM Aims to Deliver 1,700 Leap Engines in 2023

Safran is confident that 1,700 CFM International Leap-series narrow body engines can be delivered in 2023, a 600 unit increase on 2022 despite ongoing supply chain disruption.  Last year, CFM shipped 1,136 leap power plants, up 34% on 2021’s 845 engines.

But the Safran_GE Aerospace joint venture expects to raise output further, by around 50% over the course of 2023 to match growing demand from Airbus and Boeing.  However, supply constraints in 2022 caused CFM and rival Pratt & Whitney to miss delivery targets to the airframers.   Consequently, Airbus failed to reach its delivery goal for the year.

Nonetheless, Safran believes its 2023 output forecast is attainable.  ”We are confident on 1,700 we have discussed it with our partner GE and we are confident we should be able to be around there,”  says chief executive Olivier Andries.  ”This is meeting our two airframers’ demands.”

Both Airbus and Boeing plan to increase production of their respective A320neo and 737 Max narrowbody families in 2023.  The Leap-1A is on option on the Neo, while the -1B variant is the exclusive power plant on the Max.

Andries, briefing analysts on Safran’s full-year results on February 17, said “that overall supply chain situation has not eased, it has improved a bit on propulsion.”

Source: Safran, Picture Safran

LATEST NEWS

• Norwegian Air agreed with Air Lease to lease six additional Boeing 737 Max 8 with delivery well ahead of the Northern hemisphere summer season.

• Boeing has agreements to purchase 5.6 million gallons ( 21.2 million liters) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by SAF producer Neste, to support its U.S. commercial operations through 2023.
• SmartLynx Airlines has agreed to take a pair of 737 Max jets from lessor SMBC Aviation Capital.

• Alaska Airlines unit Horizon Air operated the last of its De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s flights on January 8.

• GE Aerospace received an order of GE Aerospace and CFM International engines, including 800 Leap engines, 40 GEnx-1B and 20 GE9X engines with long-term service contracts to power the recent Boeing order from Air India.

• Scoot has committed to taking nine Embraer E190-E2 jets from lessor Azorra, making it Southeast Asia’s first E2 family operator.
• Emirates is preparing for the introduction of its Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X fleets with a new pilot-training facility in Dubai.  The facility, to be sited next to its current training center, is scheduled to open next year.

Sources: Tata advanced systems, Alaska Airlines, Norwegian, Boeing, GE Aerospace, FlightGlobal

                                               AIR CARGO

                Final Boeing 747 Departs Everett for Its New Home

The final Boeing 747 to be built left the airframes’s Everett, Washington, plant on February 1, closing a five decade long era for the company.  The aircraft with the registration number N863GT, which was delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air Worldwide on January 31, left its parking position at precisely 7:47 local time, and received a water cannon salute as it taxied to runway 16R at Paine Field, north of Seattle.

It lifted off from the airfield at 8:19 local time, and headed southeast for Atlas hub Cincinnati.  Before it left the Seattle area, however, it performed one final fly-by over the factory complex which has produced 1,574 of the type since 1969.

But while the events over the past two days mark the end of a successful chapter in Boeing’s history, the youngest 747 airframe will likely fly for the next 40 years, says Atlas Air chief executive officer Jon Dietrich.  Atlas was the customer for the final airframes that Boeing produced.

“There’s no specific replacement to the 747-8 and that’s why we are so excited to take the last four,” Dietrich said. Atlas now operates 56 of the type in its all Boeing fleet.

Source: Boeing, Atlas Air, Picture Atlas Air

OTHER NOTEWORTHY NEWS

            Air India Orders 250 Airbus Aircraft and 290 Boeing Jets

The order aims to both modernize and expand the airline’s fleet with the objective of creating a larger and premium full-service carrier that will cater to the growing travel demand in the region.  Deliveries are set to start commencing with the first A350-900 arriving by late this year.

“Airbus has been a longstanding partner of Air India, and these new aircraft will play an important part in Air India’s comprehensive transformation and growth strategy,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India.

“ A core element of this transformation is a significant expansion of our network, both domestically and internationally, coupled with elevation of our on-ground and onboard product to world class standards.  This order marks the start of a new chapter for both Airbus and Air India.”

Air India has also selected Boeing’s family of fuel-efficient aircraft to expand its future fleet with plans to invest in 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X aircraft.

The agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s.  When finalized, this will be the largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company’s nearly 90-year partnership with the carrier.

Air India has also contracted with Boeing Global Services for lifecycle support services, including digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange programs, pilot and maintenance technician training, aircraft modifications and other services.

Sources: Airbus, Boeing, Air India, Picture Boeing

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                                     Boeing Hits 2022 Delivery Target After Strong December

Boeing ended up exceeding its twice-revised 737 delivery goal for 2022; shipping 387 of the narrowbody jets during the year, thanks to the rapid pace of deliveries in December.  In addition, Boeing logged new orders for the final month of 2022 for 250 aircraft.   The highest monthly total for several years according to the airframer’s latest performance figures, disclosed on January 10.  Boeing ended the year with 4,578 jets in its backlog, up from 4,250 at the end of 2021.

It is worth noting that Boeing revised its delivery target twice last year.  The manufacturer started with what proved an ambitious goal of delivering 500 737s, including 737NGS before year-end.  As 2022 progressed, operational troubles accumulated and executives repeatedly tried to estimate, ultimately cutting it in November to 375.

Boeing actually exceeded figures with the 387 737s deliver last year, albeit that 13 were 737NGs for military programs along side 374 737 Max jets.

Boeing’s delivery pace ticked up in December, when it handed over 54 737s more than in any other month last year. Notably, Southwest Airlines alone received 18 737 Max in December, the most Maxs Boeing has ever delivered to a single buyer in a month, it says and United Airlines took 11 of the type.

Also in December, Boeing delivered 15 widebody jets, including 10 787s, two 767-300 Freighters and three 777Fs.

United was the largest contributor to Boeing’s Commercial aircraft business in December, handing the US airframer fresh orders for 90 737 Max and 90 787s.  When disclosing those orders in December, United said it would take 100 of each type; but Boeing now says the total included orders for 10 of each aircraft it had not disclosed the identity of the customer.

Boeing’s other 737 Max deals in December included orders for 40 aircraft from BOC Aviation, five from Pembroke Capital, five from Avolon Aerospace Leasing and nine to undisclosed customers.

Its other 787 orders in December included two from Avolon, one from El Al Israel Airlines, two from Hawaiian Airlines and six where the customer was not  revealed.  Boeing has reported 774 commercial orders last year after cancellations and conversions.

Source: Boeing, Picture United Airlines     

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                             Airbus Falls Short of 2022 Delivery Target, Blames Supply Chain

Airbus fell short of meeting 2022 delivery target by 39 airplanes, thanks to a supply chain environment company CEO Guillaume Faury said remains at a  “very low point” during a media call on January 10.  The delivery tally of 661 airplanes represented just 8 percent over the company’s total in 2021, when the company largely overcame Covid-Related market complexities to exceed its delivery target of 600 aircraft by 11 units.

Notwithstanding the supply chain challenges, Airbus COO Christian Scherer portrayed the market environment last year as robust, as the company collected gross orders for 1,078 airplanes and registered a net order of 820.  He also characterized cancellations as “in line with previous years”.

The Airframer handed 98 aircraft in December.  Airbus recorded 10 A350s, but a net deficit of 65 A330s.  Its single-aisle range however, was 875 net orders including 105 A220s.

Airbus long-haul activity picked up slightly in the closing weeks of last year, with the airframer recording an order for four A350 freighters from undisclosed customer.

It also booked 10 A330neos from lessor Avolon and a pair of A350-900s from a client identified simply a ‘financial institution’ during December.  Airbus unusually did not record any single-aisle orders for the month; however, it removed 21 A220s from the backlog.   All 20 were previously assigned to Lease Corporation International, plus one for Macquarie Air Finance.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus                 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                                  ATR Delivers First ATR 72-600 to Maldivian

ATR and Maldives’ national airline Maldivian announced on January 3rd, the delivery of the carrier’s first ATR 72-600, as part of a firm deal for two ATR 72-600 and one ATR 42-600.  The latest generation turboprops will replace the airline aging models, contributing to offer best-in class fuel consumption, CO 2 emissions, operating costs, and passenger comfort.

Equipped with brand new PW127XT engine, soon to be 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel compatible, the brand new aircraft will contribute to offer local communities and tourists with further affordable and sustainable connectivity.  The PW127XT offers 20% lower maintenance costs and 3% reduction in fuel consumption compared to ATR’s previous generation engine.

Having a mixed fleet of ATR 72 and 42 aircraft will also provide Maldivian with maximum flexibility and the capacity to constantly adjust to passenger demand.

Source: ATR, Picture ATR

                                           Textron Marks Delivery of 3,000th Caravan

Textron Aviation has delivered the 3,000th Cessna Caravan, the company announced on January 13.  The milestone aircraft, a Grand CaravanEX, was purchased by Azula Conecta, a subsidiary of Brazilian airline Azul, and will be based at Jundai Airport in Sao Paulo.

Employees and representatives from Azul Conecta attended the ceremony at Textron Aviation’s plant in Independence, Kansas, to mark the delivery.   “The Cessna Caravan’s versatility and reliability have made it the most popular aircraft in the utility turboprop category,” said Lannie O’Bannon, senior v-p of sales and flight operations at Textron Aviation.

Introduced by Cessna in 1985, the airplane offers low operating costs, with a short-takeoff capability in mountainous terrain and is designed for rugged utility use in remote areas.  Sales of the Caravan were also propelled by TedEx, whose initial order for 30 of the airplanes later swelled to 300.

“ The Grand Caravan EX will proudly fly the Brazilian skies and connect our 158 destinations, many of which are made possible by the aircraft’s utility & flexibility,” said Flavio Costa, chief technical officer of Azul & president of Azul Conecta.

Source: Textron Aviation, Picture Textron Aviation                                                                 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

L3Harris SRVIR25 Receives Supplemental Type Certification For Installation and Economical Recorder Replacements On Boeing 737NG Aircraft

Operators of Boeing 737NGs can now take advantage of the latest generation flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders approval for retrofit.  In addition, the validation will allow carriers using Canadian-registered 737s to meet a safety mandate that comes into force this year.

• L3Harris Technologies has received supplemental type certification from The FAA And Transport Canada for installation of its SRVIVR25 A757 recorder on the Boeing narrowbody.  The same system is already standard equipment on the latest Airbus single-aisle aircraft.

Highlights of the SRVIVR25 A757:

. Provides technology upgrades and capabilities which extends the product lifecycle.

. Reduces maintenance costs and provides in-service recorder updates and fleet commonality.

. Exceeds current and future voice and light data recorder global mandates and recommendations

Source: L3Harris, Picture L3Harris

                            TUI Looks To Transition to Boeing 737 Max and 787 Fleets

TUI continues to plan for a full roll-over of its widebody fleet to Boeing 787s and its narrowbody fleet to Boeing 737 Max jetliners.  Unfortunately the progress of the Germany-based tourism group’s fleet renewal has slowed due to Max grounding, Covid-19 and Boeing’s struggle to deliver a steady stream of new aircraft.

“For us, right now, it is important that the MAX 10 gets certified and enters into service,” Marco Ciomperlik, chief airline officer of TUI Group, told AIN.  “But our main focus is of course to make further progress on the Max 8 deliveries.”

The Max8 and Max10 will constitute the group’s narrowbody fleet across its five subsidiaries, consisting of TUI Airways in the UK; TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Netherlands, TUI fly Germany, and Sweden-based TUI fly Nordic.  The carriers operate from around 30 bases in Europe and fly customers to the group’s more than 400 hotels and 16 cruise ships in all major holiday destinations around the globe.

The TUI Group served 16.7 million customers in the financial year ending September 30, 2022, up 212 percent year-on year, of which most flew on TUI Airline’s own airplanes.  Load factor averaged well above 90 percent.

The TUI Group has acquired 72 Max jetliners and in 2018 converted 18 of the orders for the 737-8s to the Max 10s, becoming the first European operator to select the largest Max variant, which can seat up to 230 passengers in a single-class layout.

TUI Group has taken delivery of 37 Max 8s to replace its less fuel-efficient Next-Generation 737s.  TUI does not intend to change its strategy to source all its aircraft from Boeing, despite the several problems that have beset the U.S. airframer over recent years.  ”I think that for an airline our size, a single provider and one-type provider narrowbody fleet has its advantages, in terms of licensing, spare parts, commonality, pricing, and so on,” said Ciomperlik.

“ We know they have issues, but we have a long-standing relationship with them, of more than 50 years.We have been global or regional launch customers of every aircraft type since the 757.”

On the wide body side, the TUI Group plans for a uniform 787 fleet.  “ We have already phased out all out 757s and the four last 767-300ERs are slated to leave the fleet in the next two years,” noted Ciomperlik.   The company ordered 19 GEnx-1B powered Dreamliners, a mix of -8s and the larger-9s with 300 and 345 seats, respectively and has taken delivery of all of them.

Source: TUI Group,Picture TUI,AIN

                                            Australian LCC Startup Bonza Awarded AOC

Australian low-cost operator Bonza has been awarded its air operator’s certificate, paving the way for an imminent launch after lengthy delays.  In a Linkedin post on January 12, Bonza, Australian slang for excellent or first-rate, says it is working to launch ticket sales from its Sunshine Coast Hub.

It adds: “With the approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2023 is set to be even bigger year for domestic tourism.  We can’t wait to connect communities and in turn, stimulate new markets for Australia’s domestic tourism industry.”

Bonza, Australia’s first independent low-cost carrier in nearly a decade, is backed by Miami private equity firm 777 Partners, which also owns Canadian low-cost operator Flair Airlines.  The airline in August 2022 took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8, which came from 777 Partners’ order book.  It has three MAX 8s in its fleet.

Bonza touts a different operating model from other low-cost operators: point -to- point services from secondary cities in Australia, eschewing operations within the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Source: Bonza, Picture Bonza       

LATEST NEWS

• Uzbekistan Airways ordered 12 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft as part of a fleet modernization.

• Croatia Airlines is to take six new Airbus A220s from US lessor Air Lease, including a pair of A220-100s.

• Hawaiian Airlines has ordered two additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, bringing the airline’s firm order of the type to 12.

• air Baltic the Latvian national airline welcomed its 39th Airbus A220-300 jet to its fleet.

• Alaska Airlines operated its last revenue-generating A320 services on January 9th, with the final flight-operating to Victorville – taking place on the 10th.  The A320 joined Alaska’s fleet in 2018 following the tie-up with Virgin America.

• Skymark Airlines has confirmed an order for up to six Boeing Max aircraft to support its post-pandemic growth plans.  The carrier’s board approved the order during a January 18th meeting.

• Delta Air Lines has firmed up an order for a dozen more Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing the airline’s total firm order to 119 aircraft.

• Israeli Firm Elbit Systems is to supply the large main-deck door for the Boeing 777-8 freighter, under an aerostructures agreement with Boeing.

Sources: Air Lease, Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Skymark Airlines, Alaska Airlines, FlightGlobal, Elbit Systems

AIR CARGO

                                         MSC Mediterranean Lauches Air Cargo Operations

MSC Mediterranean Shipping stepped into the air cargo industry on November 28, 2022, as its operating partner Atlas Air took delivery of a Boeing 777-200LRF Freighter, which Atlas Air will operate on behalf of MSC.

“We are delighted to see the first of our MSC-branded aircraft take to the skies and we are looking forward to start serving the market with our new air cargo solution,” Jannie Davel, vice-president of air cargo at MSC, said.

“We believe that MSC Air Cargo is developing from a solid foundation thanks to reliable on going support of our operating partner Atlas.”

The aircraft was delivered apart of a long-term aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance agreement between the Purchase, New York-based Atlas and MSC, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is the first of four new 777-200LRFs that Atlas will operate for MSC, which is eying an expansion into booming post-pandemic air cargo market, driven largely by high ocean shipping rates and the broad shift to online shopping.

“We are looking forward to this partnership with MSC, the world’s largest shipping company as they enter into air cargo,” says John Dietrich, Atlas’ Chief Executive.  “We are pleased that all four of our newly acquired 777-200LRFs are placed on a long-term basis with MSC, providing them with dedicated capacity to support their growth and expansion.”

The longest-range twin-engine freighter in the world, the 777-200LRF is capable of flights as far as 4,880nm (9038km).  Atlas expects the other three 777-200LRFs will be delivered throughout 2023.

Source: Atlas Air, MSC Mediterranean, Picture MSC Mediterranean

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                                                Boeing Left With a Single Undelivered 747

Boeing has delivered the second-to-last production 747-8F to Atlas Air on November 23rd.  Atlas has now received the third of four 747-8 freighters that it ordered from Boeing in January 2021.  The single remaining in -production 747 also a 747-8F destined for Atlas Air left Boeing Production line on December 6th in advance of its delivery to Atlas Air early this year.  The aircraft, -8 Freighter (MSN67150) the operator has seven 747-8F in operation, according to Cirium fleet data.

The Boeing 747 program began production in 1967, with the first example making its debut in 1969.  With the last built 747 Boeing has delivered 1574 747s of five major variants.  The first 747 took off on its maiden flight more than 53 years ago, in February 1969.  The 747 proved a remarkably enduring aircraft, remaining in production even as Airbus started, then stopped producing the larger A380, many thought would kill of the 747.

Boeing offered both passenger and freighter 747-8 variants, which are powered by four 66, 500 lb thrust GE Aerospace GEnx-2B turbofans.  The 747-8F proved popular thanks largely to its ability to carry heavy loads over long distances, such as the Pacific Ocean.

The freighters have 4, 325nm (8010km) range, capacity to carry 133.1 ton (293, 400 lb) of revenue-generating cargo and space for 34 cargo pallets on its main deck, according to Boeing.  The 747 has played a key role in Boeing’s history of aerospace leadership.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

                                   Boeing Orders and Deliveries For November

Boeing added more orders to its backlog with fresh orders for 737 Max and 767 freighters in November, and closed the month without logging any further cancellations.

During November, Boeing took orders for 21 aircraft, including for 18 737 Max placed by an unnamed customer or customers.  Additionally, FedEx ordered one 767-300F and Japan ordered two 767-based KC-46 aerial refueling tankers, the company said on December 13th.

These deals brought Boeing’s total 2022 orders through November to 685 aircraft, including 548 737s and 137 widebody jets. November was strong month for deliveries, with Boeing handing over 48 aircraft, up from 35 in October.

Shipments included 33 737s for various airlines and one 737NG-based P-8 military surveillance jet to South Korea.  In addition, Boeing delivered 15 widebody jets including one 747, six 767s, two 777s and six 787s.

Source: Boeing                 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                      U. S. Approves Conditions for Airbus A321XLR to Address Fire Risks

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it has approved special conditions for the Airbus A321XLR after concerns were raised that a novel type of fuel tank could pose fire risks in its newest narrow-body jet.

Rival plane maker, Boeing, told European regulators in 2021 the architecture of fuel tank intended to increase the A321XLR’s range ”presents many potential hazards”.

The FAA said in a filing seen by Reuters that it will require that the lower half of the A321XLR fuselage, spanning the longitudinal area of the tank, be resistant to fire penetration to protect passengers.  The FAA publication provides further clarity surrounding the development of the new jet, whose introduction has been delayed to 2024.  Industry sources say proposed delivery schedules of the longer-range single-aisle jet have been left in a state of flux while regulators pondered how to treat the novel design.

“While discussions with the airworthiness are still on going, we are not in a position to comment during the public consultation period”, an Airbus spokesperson said.  Entry-to-service remains scheduled for the second quarter of 2024, the spokesperson added.

The FAA said the special conditions are needed because the new Airbus twin-engine plane includes an extra fuel tank moulded into the airplane fuselage rather than its wings.  The tank is in an area of the lower fuselage that partially replaces the rear cargo compartment of earlier aircraft designs.

Sources: FAA Publication, Ed’s research, Reuters, Airbus

                           Airbus to Fall Short of 2022 Deliveries of 2022 Deliveries Target

Airbus no longer expects to achieve its target of “ around 700 ” commercial aircraft deliveries for 2022, citing the “complex” operating environment.  The European aircraft manufacturer gave the updated guidance after delivering 68 aircraft in November.  That took deliveries to 565 as of the end of November.

Alongside 68 aircraft deliveries in November, Airbus registered 29 new orders and 14 cancellations during the month.

Source: Airbus               

                               REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                             Japan’s Oriental Bridge Takes First ATR 42- 600

Japanese regional carrier Oriental Air Bridge (ORC) has taken delivery of its first ATR 42-600, which it will operate on regional routes out of Nagasaki.  The carrier will commence services with the 48-seat aircraft in July of this year, according to ATR. The carrier ordered the aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow in July .

The aircraft delivered in Toulouse carries the brand-new ORC livery.   The Japanese carrier will plan to start operating the ATR aircraft in July 2023 to further support the airline’s domestic activities in providing essential connectivity from Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu in Japan.

ATR will support the aircraft through a Global Maintenance agreement contract.  Cirium fleets data indicates that ORC also operates De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q200s with an average age of 22.2 years’ single Airbus Helicopters AS365-N3+ helicopter.

Source: Oriental Air Bridge, Picture ATR

                                       Pilatus Aircraft Delivers Last PC-6 Porter

On December 12, 2022, the last PC-6 Porter was delivered to Indonesian charter operator Smart Aviation, marking the end of 63-year production run for the rugged, unpressurized turboprop single.

Stans, Switzerland-Pilatus announced in 2017 that it planned to cease P-6 production in 2019, but the pandemic and other delays stretched that to 2022.  At the time, the aircraft manufacturer said it was dropping the PC-6 line to focus more of its attention on the PC-24 twinjet.

According to Pilatus, 604 of the multi-role Pilatus Porters were produced since 1959, with more than 500 made at the manufacturer’s Stans headquarters and 100 manufactured in the US under license.  The PC-6 is known for its short and landing capabilities and general versatility.

Source: Pilatus, Picture Pilatus                                                                 

                                OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                     United Airlines Reboot for Long-and Short-Haul Fleet with Boeing

United turned to Boeing for a firm order for 100 787 Deamliners, with options for 100 more, and also announced the purchase of 100 737 Max aircraft (including 56 new orders and confirmation of 44 Options).

Under the agreement with Boeing, United will start taking delivery of the 787s between 2024 and 2026.  It will choose the mix of the-8, -9 and -10 models to serve various long haul routes, in what United says is the largest widebody aircraft order ever placed by a U.S. carrier.

As part of the United next 206 fleet capacity plan, the airline will take the first batch of 44 747 Max twinsets between 2024 and 2026, with additional 56 units to follow in 2027 and 2028.  The Company says it expects to take delivery of some 700 airliners by the end of 2032, with an average of more than two each week in 2023 rising to three each week in 2024.

The 787 Dreamliners will replace older 767 and 777 wide bodies, with the older 767s due to be completely removed from United’s fleet by 2030.  Depending on the final choice of specific 787 and 737 Max models, the deal with Boeing is likely to be valued at least $65 billion, based on current lis prices.

Source: Boeing, Photo Boeing

                                      New Zealand Receives First P-8 Poseidon

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has taken delivery of its first Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft at a ceremony in Seattle’s Boeing Field.  The aircraft is the first of four examples that the Pacific nation is acquiring to replace its six Lockheed P-3K2 Orions.  New Zealand’s Consul-General to Los Angeles, Clarke-Watson, represented Wellington at the ceremony.

“For New Zealand, as a maritime nation and one of the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zones, the ability to quickly survey the ocean is vital,” says Clark-Watson.

The aircraft, obtained under the US government’s Foreign Military Sales process, will be stationed at RNZAF Ohakea.  Boeing will provide sustainment under its P-8 International Program.  Wellington’s remaining three P-8s are in advance stages of production, with delivery due in 2023, says Boeing.

Boeing has awarded Lufthansa Technik a contract for sustainment services with its support of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s future fleet of four P-8A aircraft that will leverage commercial capabilities to improve readiness rates.

Source: Boeing, Photo Boeing

Rolls- Royce UltraFan Technology Demonstrator Build Complete & Getting Ready for Testing

On December 19, 2022, Rolls-Royce announced it has completed building and is preparing to test its UltraFan technology demonstrator.  In a major milestone for the program, the demonstrator engine was transported from the build workshop and into Testbed 80 in Derby, UK, where it was mounted in preparation for testing.  The first test demonstrator is expected to take place early this year and will be operated using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Chris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said: “Seeing the UltraFan demonstrator come together and getting ready to test in Testbed 80 is a great way to end 2022.  We have all been waiting for this moment, which is such an important milestone for the program and for the team who have worked on it.”

The next stage will be to see UltraFan run for the first time on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel, proving the technology is ready to support more sustainable flight in the future.”  Combing a brand new engine design with a suite of technologies to support sustainable air travel for decades to come, the UltraFan demonstrator has a fan diameter of 140 inches and offers a 25% fuel efficiency improve meant compared with the first generation of Trent engine.

UltraFan offers a variety of sustainability solutions that will support the journey to net zero aviation.  In the nearer term, there are options to transfer technologies from the UltraFan development program to current Trent engines to deliver enhanced fuel efficiency and reduction in emissions.  In the longer term, UltraFan’s scalable technology from -25, 000 -110, 000 lb thrust delivers the potential to further improve fuel efficiency of both narrowbody and widebody aircraft by up to 10 per cent.

Testbed 80, the world’s largest and smartest testbed, was designed and built especially to accommodate the size and technical complexity of the UltraFan demonstrator.  It was opened in 2020 and has already completed many hours of experimental engine testing.

Source: Rolls-Royce, Photo Rolls-Royce  

LATEST NEWS

• NetJets has ordered four of Bombardier’s ultra-long-range, newly rebooted Global 8000 business jets in a deal with a list-price value of $312 million.

• L3Harris Technologies intend to acquire propulsion systems expert Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings in an all-cash deal valued at $4.7 billion, the companies said on December 18.

• Condor German leisure has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-900, one of 16 which will modernize its fleet.

• Air Greenland has become the third operator of the Airbus A330-800 following delivery of the single example ordered by the airline.

• Ethiopian Airlines Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines again partnered to bring humanitarian aid to those in need— this time using the airline’s three recently delivered 737 Max 8 airplanes to transport more than 12,000 pounds of supplies to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• Bombardier is to open its sixth service center outside the USA, breaking ground on December 6th on a 9, 300 sq m (100 sq ft) site at Abu Dhabi International airport.

• Uzbek Start-Up Silk Avia has agreed to a deal to acquire five new ATR 72-600 turboprops, becoming the first operator of the type in Central Asia.

Sources: NetJets, Condor,  Air Greenland,  Airbus,  Boeing,  Ethiopian, Bombardier.

                                              AIR CARGO

                         Nippon Cargo Airlines Extends GEnx Support Agreement

Japan’s Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) has extended its support agreement for the GE Aerospace GEnx-2B engines that power its Boeing 747-8F fleet.  The Extension runs for six years, and extends the “Rate Per Flight Hour Engine Services Agreement” between the two companies, says GE Aerospace.

“GE Aerospace is proud to support NCA and the GEnx fleet,” said Dave Kircher, General Manager of GEnx Product Line at GE Aerospace.  ”It’s an honor to continue the relationship and provide exemplary service and support.”

NCA And Ge have a long-standing relationship that began with the CF6 engine.  Today NCA operates an extensive fleet of aircraft powered by GE’s CF6 and GEnx.  A unit of Japan’s NYK Line, NCA operates eight 747-8Fs, Cirium fleets data indicates that the average age of its 747-8Fs is 10.3 years.

Source: GE Aviation, Photo NCA

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian   

Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

                                      ON THE BOEING FRONT

                     Boeing Lost No Orders to Cancellations in October,  a First Since July 2019

In October, Boeing logged its first month in more than three years without a single cancellation and padded its backlog with orders for 10 more 787s and more than 100 737 Max aircraft.

It had not reported a cancellation-free month since July 2019, shortly after aviation authorities globally grounded the 737 Max Boeing said on November 8th.

In October, the company landed orders for another 122 aircraft, largely to orders from Alaska Airlines, British Airways and Iberia parent IAG to respectively bought 52 and 50 737 Max jets.  Boeing also received orders in October for one 737 Max from American Airlines, and three Max from an undisclosed customer of customers.

In addition, Boeing has not named which customer or customers placed orders in October for 10 787s.  Those deals throw more momentum behind the 787 program following a delivery halt that lasted roughly 20 months, ending in August.  Also in October, Boeing took commitments for one 767-300 Freighter from FedEx and for five 777Fs from unnamed buyer which turned out to be Emirates.  The combined 122 orders Boeing secured in October were more than it received in any month this year except July.

But the US manufacturer’s pace of aircraft deliveries slowed in October as the company continued struggling to offload aircraft amid a fact of challenges, including its continued inability to deliver the 737 Max to Chinese airlines.

Last month, Boeing delivered 35 aircraft of all types, including  one 737NG -based P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, 22 737 MAX, one 747-8F, two 767-based KC-46 military refueling tankers, two 767-300Fs, one 777F and six 787s.  For the year to end of October, Boeing received orders for 664 aircraft and logged 114 cancellations, leaving it with 550 net orders.

Over the same period, it has delivered 363 aircraft, including 300 737s.  That compares with 268 aircraft, including 201 737s, it shipped in the same 10 months of 2021.  At October 31, Boeing’s backlog stood at 4,441 aircraft, up from 4,4,354 at the end of September.  The backlog includes 3,590 737s, two 747s (for Atlas Air), 111767s, 318 777s and 420 787s.

Source: Boeing

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                                    Airbus Speeds Deliveries, Books Key Chinese Jet Order

Airbus deliveries accelerated in October to reach 497 airplanes so far this year.  An underlying total of 495 after excluding two Aeroflot deliveries cancelled due to Western sanctions against Russia, the planemaker said on Tuesday, November 8th.

Airbus delivered 60 jets in October, up from 55 the previous month.  It still has what most analysts have called a stretching but broadly achievable task to reach a target of 700 deliveries in 2022, following problems with tattered global supply chains.  Within the total deliveries so far this year, widebody deliveries were robust, Airbus said.

Airbus also posted 177 new orders in October after rejigging of new order from British Airways owner IAG, which placed an expanded order for 59 aircraft that superseded an earlier batch of 14 single-aisle jets.  Airbus also booked an order for 40 jets from traditional Boeing operator Xiamen Airlines, which had provisionally added Airbus as a supplier in September in a sign of Beijing’s apparent tilt towards Europe amid tensions with Washington.  Boeing declined comment on the order, whose publication coincide with the first day of Chin’s Zhuhai Airshow.

The update comes on top of existing orders for 140 jets re-announced by China in what expert described as an effort to showcase a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.  The Xiamen deal brought Airbus orders so far this year above the 1,000 mark.  After 223 cancellations, its 1,033 gross orders fell back to a net total of 810 in the first 10 months.

Sources: Airbus, Reuters 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                  Embraer Got Chinese Approval for E190-E2, with Larger E195-E2 to Follow

Chinese regulators have certificated the Embraer 190-E2, with the approval process for the larger E195-E2 also under way.  Embraer announced the certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China at the Zhuhai air show on November 10th.  It expects validation for the E195-E2 to “follow shortly”.

The Brazilian airframer has a requirement in China for up to 1,445 new aircraft in the up to 150-seat category over the next 20 years.  The hot-and high performance of the twinsets is an ideal fit for the country’s geography.

“Embraer believes the E-190-E2 is the best aircraft to serve low density but high elevation markets in western China with the right performance, more profitability.”  Its only Chinese customer for the E195-E2 is lessor ICBC, which has a firm order for 10 aircraft. To date, five have been delivered and are operated on lease by KLM Cityhopper,  Cirium fleets data shows.

Source: Embraer, Picture Embraer

                                            Boeing Business Jets Joins Dealers Group

Boeing Business Jets is the newest OEM member of the international Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), the group announced on November 14th.  The manufacturer of the BBJ 737/Max family, BBJ787, and BBJ777X, has delivered more than 260 business jets since its founding in 1996.

“Boeing Business Jets is delighted to be an OEM member of IADA.  The organization of airplane transaction experts has become a force in promoting transparency and integrity in aircraft sales”, said company president Erika Pearson.  ”As the market evolves following the pandemic, we look forward to working with other IADA members to meet the needs of the growing ranks of private flyers.”

The Boeing subsidiary joins airframers Textron Aviation, Bombardier, Airbus Corporate Jets, Dassault Falcon, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Honda Aircraft.  IADA dealers comprise the top 12 percent of aircraft brokers who are involved in 46 percent of used aircraft sales.

Source: ainonline, Boeing Business Jets, Picture Boeing Business Jets                                                                   

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                               Atlas Air Awarded Extension of Air Force One Pilot Training

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. has announced that the United States Air Force (USAF) has extended its agreement with Atlas Air to train pilots and flight engineers for Air Force One.

Under the five year extension of the agreement, which Atlas Air has held since 2007, crews for the Air Force’s VC-25, a modified version of the Boeing 747-200B, will receive ground and flight-simulator training at Atlas Air’s world-class training center in Miami, Florida.

“Air Force One,” the designated call sign of the aircraft when the President is on board, consists of two specially configured Boeing 747-200B aircraft.  The past four U.S. presidents have been flown to locations throughout the world by Atlas-trained pilots and flight engineers who received their certification from Atlas Air.

Source: Atlas Air,Picture Boeing

                 Boeing & Lessors Back Study into Potential Irish Sustainable Fuel Facility

Boeing is linking with Irish Lessors Avolon and Orix Aviation, to support energy specialists’ examination of potential sustainable fuel production in Ireland.  The feasibility collaboration is being led by Dutch-based future fuel firm SkyNRG and local sustainability partner SFS Ireland.  They aim to identify opportunities for a commercial-scale sustainable fuel production facility in the country.

SkyNRG chief executive Philippe Lacamp says the study will bring “great value” to Irish aviation’s effort to meet decarbonization aims.  “Each new sustainable aviation fuel research project pathways and sustainable feedstocks are available and helping evaluate how best to assist the aviation industry in meeting undated targets,” he says.

Avolon says planned growth of renewable energy sources makes Ireland a potential location for sustainable aviation fuel production, adding that Ireland is the base for a number of important stakeholders with interest in decarbonizing aviation.  Avolon says the study will be completed next year.

Boeing vice-president for environmental engagement, Sheila Remes, says the industry requires a “massive increase” in sustainable fuel production.  “Scaling sustainable aviation fuel is paramount,” she says. “Ireland’s growth in renewable energy makes it a prime location for production with zero climate impact.”

Source: FlightGlobal,  Avolon, Boeing

                                        First RAF Wedgetail Gains its MSA Radar Array

The first of three Boeing 737NG airframes is undergoing modification into the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control configuration for the UK, has had its distinctive “top hat” radar array installed.

The Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor was fitted on the future Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance asset at STS Aviation Services’ modification facility in Birmingham, the UK, the prime contractor Boeing announced on November 4th.

Prior to fitting the MESA arry—which had earlier this year completed testing a Northrop’s Linthicum, Maryland facility—the narrow body’s mid-fuselage ‘Section 46’ was removed and strengthened, in order to bear the structure’s weight.

All three of the RAF’s on-order Wedgetails are currently in modification at the Birmingham site, with work involving more than 100 Boeing and STS personal.  Two of the airframes were previously operated as business jets, while the third is a new-build example, delivered in mid-July.

“The sensor itself is a critical enabler to surveillance and air dominance, and the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will provide the RAF with a combat-proven advantage against even the most sophisticated adversaries,” says Ian Vett, Boeing’s director of the UK E-7 program.  The UK’s E-7 A fleet is scheduled to achieve operational capability during 2024.

Sources: STS Aviation Services, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Picture Boeing

Regional Jets

                        Malaysia Airlines Eyes 25 More Narrowbodies; Does Not Rule Out 737 Max

Malaysia Airlines is to kick off air framer discussions for a potential order for 25 more narrow body aircraft’s as the airline awaits delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max in about half a year.

Chief executive Izham Ismail says the airline will “evaluate all options”, and does not rule out ordering more 737 Max aircraft, or “even regional Aircraft”, as long as “the aircraft meets our business goals”.

“ We are agnostic to the aircraft types as long as it is commercially viable and meets our sustainability goals,” says Izham, who was speaking to FlightGlobal in Bangkok, on the sidelines of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ Assembly of Presidents.

The Kuala Lumpur-based carrier has 25 737 Max 8s on order, the first example is expected to be delivered by the second quarter of 2023, with deliveries running through 2025.

The new aircraft, which are expected to be fitted with new cabin products, replace the airline’s 737-800s on a one-for-one basis, says Izham.  Malaysia Airlines will take seven 737 Max aircraft next year, a move which will see five-800s moved to low-cost unit Firefly.

Source: Malaysia Airlines, Picture Malaysia Airlines

LATEST NEWS

• Air Astana the national carrier of Kazakhstan has signed a deal to take three Boeing 787-9 through lessor Air Lease as it continues with its fleet upgrade.  The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in early 2025 through spring 2026 from ALC’s order book with Boeing.

• Japan’s Skymark Airlines  announced on November 10th the airline’s plan to add up to 12 737 Max airplanes.

• Mongolian Airlines (MIAT) operated a Boeing 737 Max-8 from Ulaanbaatar to Guangzhou.  The Mongolian airline will operate the flight on a weekly basis with the previously banned type.

• Italy will increase its planned purchase of Boeing KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers to six aircraft, up from two previously.

• Royal Jordanian and Pratt & Whitney signed propulsion contracts to equip the carrier’s future Airbus A320neo-family and Emrbraer E-Jet aircraft with geared turbofan (GTF) engines.

• Aeroitalia is to take three Boeing 737 Max 8 jets on long-term placement from Air Lease, as the Italian Start-up carrier seeks to expand its operations in the coming years.

• BOC Aviation has announced that it has completed the delivery of six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to Norwegian carrier Norse Atlantic Airways.

• Antonov Airlines has announced it will spend about half a billion dollars to rebuild the damaged (by the Russians) AN-225 Mriya, the world’s largest cargo plane.

• Brazilian Carrier Azul has ordered a further three Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered Airbus A330neos taking its fleet of widebody twin to eight.

• The Egyptian Government spotted at Hamburg Airport this Boeing 747-8i sporting the special livery of the Egyptian government.  The aircraft bearing the registration SU-EGY(c/n37826) was originally destined to Lufthansa as D-ABYE, but the example was not taken up by the European Carrier.  It is understood that the 2011-vintage has been in storage in the U.S for more than a decade pending new ownership.

Sources: Air Lease, BOC Aviation, Boeing, Royal Jordanian, Antonov Airlines Mongolian Airlines, Skymark Airlines, Italian Government.

AIR CARGO

                      Silk Way West Airline Announces an Order for two 777-8 Freighters

Azerbaijani cargo carrier Silk Way West Airlines has placed an order for two Boeing 777-8 Freighters and taken an option on two more of the type.

The deal, which was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s orders and deliveries website, marks a further commitment to the freighter Boeing launched in January this year and for which it has booked more than 50 orders.

Boeing launched the new freighter with a 34-strong commitment from Qatar Airways.  All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines have all made commitments to the freighter, while Cargolux last month firmed an order for 10 of the type.

Silk Way Group president Zaur Akhundov says: “This year Silk Way Airlines celebrates its 10th anniversary, and over the past decade the carrier has been operating an all-Boeing fleet.  Today’s agreement reflects our ongoing investment in Boeing’s market -leading freighters”.  Silk way also placed a commitment for up to four of Airbus’ Freighter in June.

Sources: Boeing, Silk Way West Airlines, Picture Boeing

                                 Emirates Places a Firm Order for Five New 777LRFs

Emirates has placed a firm order for five Boeing 777Fs in a deal worth over $1.7 billion at list prices.  Two aircraft will be delivered in 2024 and three in 2025, says Emirates.  The deal pushes the carrier’s total orders to 200 widebody jets.

“Emirates is investing in new freighters so that we can continue to serve customer demand with the latest fuel-efficient aircraft,” says Emirates chairman and chief executive Ahmed bin Said Al Maktoum.

“This order reflects Emirates’ confidence in airfreight demand and overall aviation sector growth.  It lays the ground for our continued growth, which is driven by the reach of our diverse global network, the advanced handling infrastructure at our Dubai hub, and the tailor transport solutions that Emirates has developed to serve our varied customers’ needs.”

The jets will add to the carrier’s freighter fleet, which now stands at 11 777Fs.  Emirates, the launch customer for the 777F, says the type is effective at transporting items that are sensitive to time and temperature, such as fresh products, medicines, pets, cars, and horses.

“We value the trust that Emirates has repeatedly placed in its all-Boeing freighter fleet,” says Stan Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Sources: Emirates, Boeing, Picture Emirates

                           MSC-Mediterranean Shipping Company SA to Develop MSC Air Cargo

MSC Mediterranean shipping Company SA, a global leader in transportation and logistics, has started developing a new MSC Air Cargo solution in response to customer demand and as a complimentary service to its container shipping solutions.

MSC Air Cargo has been under development for several months and the new solution will be available from early 2023, following the delivery of the first of four MSC- branded Boeing 777F aircraft.  They will be operated by Atlas Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.

MSC has appointed Jannie Davel, formerly of Delta Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo and DHL, to develop its air cargo business and build the team that will implement it.  MSC Air Cargo’s First Boeing 777F has been already painted by Boeing pending delivery.

Source: MSC Air Cargo, Picture MSC Cargo

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                 All Nippon Airways Launches Boeing’s New Insight Accelerator

Boeing announced All Nippon Airways(ANA) will be the launch customer for Insight Accelerator(IA), a new cloud-based digital solution employing artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency and avoid high impact service disruptions.

While the latest generation of commercial airplanes like the 787 generate a large amount of flight data, many operators lack the infrastructure to manage and leverage the information.  By using augmented analytics to discover and deploy predictive algorithms for anomaly detection, our Insight Accelerator solution enables airlines to take proactive maintenance and repair action and prevent unscheduled delays.

“There are many products on the market for flight data analytics but Insight Accelerator is the most effective tool for our aircraft operation,” commented Manubu Tono, All Nippon Airways manager of planning& Administration, Engineering.  “ It’s very innovative and meets our primary goal of leveraging features in flight data that indicate a system failure before it happens.”

Boeing developed the IA platform based on decades of experience supporting the global fleet and developing rigorous methods while assisting Airplane-on-ground situations.

“IA’s built-in artificial intelligence, guided exploration and powerful visualizations allow airlines to investigate flight and maintenance data, identify trends and discover insights-all without specialized coding or programming skills,” said Duane Wehking, vice president of digital Aviation Solutions at Boeing Global Services.  ”This is an easy-to-use solution that will provide value to airlines from day one”.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

                              Boeing Orders & Deliveries for September

Boeing, in September, ramped up its aircraft deliveries and logged a solid month of orders, handing over 51 jets, including seven 787s, to customers during the month.

The 787 deliveries are the most in one month that Boeing has moved in two years coming after the company started re-delivering the type in August following a pause due to manufacturing quality issues.

The company in September landed orders for 96 jets, including 51 737 Max and 45 widebody aircraft, Boeing says on October 11.

Source: Boeing                    

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

               Airbus Invites Public to Submit Artistic Ideas for A350F Promotional Livery

Airbus is opening a public competition to design a livery for its new A350 freighter, which is expected to conduct its first flight in 2024.

The competition was formally launched on October 5th and will run for around eight weeks with submissions due by November 28th.  Airbus says the successful entry will be unveiled on March 15 of next year.  “We are inviting professional designers, amateur artists or students, creative talents from around the world to design the livery of our new A350F,” it adds.

It has various criteria with which the design must comply.  The Airbus and A350F logos must be ”clearly visible” and remain unmodified.  Certain areas of the aircraft cannot be used for artwork , while others such as the cockpit, area, tail cone, nacelles and wing fairings, can only support specific limited designs.

Entries should consider how the new aircraft “can benefit air freight operators and airlines from around the globe”.  Airbus design specialists will work with the artist behind the successful entry, and the airframer says the livery will “showcase” the A350F to operators.

Source : Airbus, rendering Airbus

Airbus Orders & Deliveries for September

Two Airbus A330neo twinsets have been ordered by an unidentified customer, both the -900 variant, and logged another 13 jets to Airbus’s gross order during September.

Another undisclosed operator ordered four A321neos, while China’s Sichuan airlines is taking three A321neos and three A320neos.

For the month of September Airbus delivered 55 aircraft.

Source: Airbus          

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                              Eviation Flew its Medium-Range Electric Airplane, Alice

St Eviation flew its medium-range electric airplane, Alice, for the first time the first time on Tuesday, September 27th, zipping over Grant County International Airport in rural eastern Washington.  The airport is a retired military facility with very long runway, making it uniquely suited for testing aircraft of all sizes.  That has special value in the Pacific Northwest, which is a major hub for aircraft design.

Alice is designed for flights of up to 250 miles.The electric plane has a “maximum useful load” of up to 2,600 pounds, which Eviation says is enough to carry up to nine passengers at a time over these shorter distances.  The zero-emission plane traveled at an altitude of 3,500 feet for its eight-minute inaugural flight.

Eviation was founded in 2015 by Aviv Tzidon in 2015 in Israel, and the company is now based in Washington State.

Source:  Eviation, picture Eviation

  Air Tahiti Firms ATR 42-600s Commitment &  Adds Further 72-600

Air Tahiti has signed for an additional ATR 72-600 and firmed its previous commitment to take two of the manufacturers new short take-off and landing version of the ATR 42-600 turboprop.

The Polynesian carrier emerged as a prospective launch customer for the ATR 42-600S when the program was unveiled at the Paris air show in 2019.  The program was formally launched later that year.

ATR revised initial entry into service date for the type from 2022 due to the pandemic.  Test flights of the STOL versions began earlier this year and ATR says first deliveries are expected for the end of 2024.

No delivery date was disclosed for the additional ATR 72-600 Air Tahiti has signed for.  The airline already operates seven ATR 72-600s and a pair of ATR 42-600s.

Source: ATR, Picture ATR                                                           

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

           Beyond C919 Certification Euphoria Comac Must Confront Realities

The certification of Comac’s C919 jet announced in time for China’s National Day Celebrations has been hailed by commentators in the country as a major milestone and a national pride for the domestic aerospace industry.

Yet, it is only the start of the long journey for the Shanghai-based airframer, one that is overshadowed by a slowing economy and more crucially, rising geopolitical tensions

While the actual certification ceremony took place on September 29, it was only a day later the Chinese officials publicly disclosed the news.

Between when images of the ceremony first showed up on Chinese social media, to when the official statement of President Xi congratulating Comac was released, there was a period of unusual silence from stat media and the airframer.

For now, as Comac and to an extent, China revels in hitting a milestone for a program hopes will rival Boeing’s 737 Max and Airbus’s A320neo family, it must confront a number of realities.

For one the airframer has to look towards building its C919 order book or risk the program. So far, China Eastern remains the Launch and only customer, though Comac is always quick to point out it holds hundreds of commitments.  The first C919 is expected to be delivered by this year’s statement from the airframer and with China Eastern only holding five firm orders, deliveries could end by next year.

As AeroDynamic Advisory managing director Richard Aboulafia puts it: “Comac needs to learn how to build it in a consistent way.”

“They need to establish a product support network, with 24-hour AOG support and it needs to be everywhere the C919 flies.  That’s a massive investment,” Aboulafia said.  In addition, the program is all but entirely reliant on Western technology, from engines to avionics and cockpit systems.

Sources: AeroDynamic Advisory,FlightGlobal,Ed’s research

                    Rolls-Royce Delivers 1,000th BR725 Engine to Gulfstream

Rolls-Royce has delivered the 1,00th BR725 engine to its customer Gulfstream Aerospace.  The engine was developed and assembled at the company’s business aviation headquarters in Dahlewitz, Germany, and shipped to Gulfstream in Savannah, Georgia.

The BR725 engine exclusively powers Gulfstream’s highly successful ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 and Gulfstream G650ER business aircraft.  Since its entry into service in 2012, the G650 aircraft family has established a reputation for excellent reliability, efficiency and speed, all combined with outstanding environmental performance.

The BR725-powered G650 aircraft family holds 120-plus world speed records, including the one for the farthest, fastest flight in business aviation history.  With more than 500 aircraft in service, the G650ER and its sister aircraft, the G650, prove they are among the most trusted business jets in the world.

Dr. Dirk Geisinger, director Business Aviation, Rolls-Royce, said “Having delivered 1,000 BR725 engines to gulf stream is another testament of our leading position in the business aviation market.  Our partnership with Gulfstream, that started some 60 years ago, is a real success story and it will continue into the future with the  Pearl 700, which powers the Gulfstream G800.”

Source: Rolls-Royce,Image Rolls-Royce

                 LOT Set to Double 737 Max 8 Fleet as it weighs Renewal Options

Polish flag-carrier LOT is to introduce another six Boeing 737 Max 8s, more than doubling its fleet of the re-engined type.  All six aircraft are being sourced on long-term lease from US company Air Lease.

The carrier is undertaking a fleet modernization program but, while it evaluates options for regional and single-aisle replacement, it is sourcing aircraft as a “bridging solution”, says LOT chief operating officer Maciej Wilk.

LOT will bring in the first of additional from Air Lease- as well as a Boeing 787 and expansion will take Lot’s Max fleet to 11.

Source: LOT,Picture LOT 

                      Icelandair Seeks Proposals for Fleet Replacement Beyond 2024

Icelandair Group is fleet-planning for modernization beyond 2024, with requests for proposals to Boeing and Airbus, as well as engine manufacturers.

The Company says it is aiming to secure ”efficiently” a delivery stream of aircraft throughout the current decade, and support replacement of Boeing 757 fleet along with expansion.

Icelandair Group is undergoing modernization with Boeing 737 Max jets, one of which was delivered in the third quarter.

It is also scheduled to introduce another three over the period to the first quarter of next year-end lease two more in the fourth quarter of 2023 by which point it will have 20 Max jets.

Icelandair is expanding is cargo network with delivery of a 767-300Er freighter during the third quarter.  Icelandair will broaden the cargo network from January next year, a result of the increased capacity, with flights to Liege, New York JFK, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Source: Source Icelandair     

LATEST NEWS

• Aerolineas Argentinas hopes to add 10 more Boeing 737 Max jets over the next three years under a fleet growth plan.

• Omani Carrier SalamAir has placed a firm order for six Embraer E195-E2s with six options, as it plans to expand its currently all-Airbus fleet.

• Ethiopian & Boeing celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first 787 Dreamliner delivery to the African carrier.

•   Finnair on October 18th Finnair resumed flights to Eilat in Israel, after an absence of over two years.  The Finnish flag carrier is one of the first European airlines to fly to Eilat this year, relaunching weekly flights from its hub in Helsinki.

• Jet2 UK leisure carrier has firmed orders for another 35 Airbus A320neo-family jets with the potential to take up to 71.

• Titan Aircraft investments, have announced the placement of a Boeing 737-800SF converted freighter on long-term lease with ASL Aviation Holdings.

• Boeing celebrated the opening of new 3D printing facility in South King County and employs nearly 100 people running 3D printers making parts and components for aircraft.  The center has printers of all sizes, including one of the largest in the world.

• Royal Jordanian Airlines and Embraer have signed a memorandum of understanding for the carrier to introduce 10 E2 family jets to its fleet .

• Evia Aero has committed to ordering 25 all-electric Alice commuter airplanes from electric aircraft developer Eviation, the companies announced at NBAA-BACE 2022.

Sources : FlightGlobal, Boeing, Royal Jordanian, Finnair, Titan Aircraft, Jet2, SalamAir.

AIR CARGO

                                   Cargolux Firms Order for 10 777-8 Freighters

Luxembourg freighter specialist Cargolux Airlines has ordered 10 Boeing 777-8 freighters, finalizing an agreement disclosed by the companies at July’s Farnborough air show.

As part of the deal, the cargo carrier also secured options for a further six of the type, which it intends to use to replace its aging 747-400Fs.

“The agreement signed on October 12, will consolidate Cargolux’s position as a global leader of air freight services,” says Cargolux chief executive Richard Forson.

Boeing says the jets will help Cargolux improve operational efficiency, noting the type will be 30% more fuel efficient and cost 25% less to operate per ton of cargo, than the 747-400F.  Cargolux’s current fleet includes a mix of 27 747-400Fs, and newer 787-8F.

Powered by GE Aviation GEX power plants, the 777-8F will have range of 4,410nm (8,167km), carry a 112,300kg (247,580 lb) and boast a 365,160kg maximum take-off weight, according to Boeing’s preliminary specification.

The aircraft will have composite wings spanning 71.8 m (235.6ft) and capacity to carry 31 cargo pallets on its main deck and 13 inits lower hold.

Sources: Boeing, Cargolux, Picture Boeing

                              Lufthansa Cargo Celebrates its 150th SAF Flight

On October 14 Lufthansa Cargo celebrated its 150th SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) with its partner DB Schenker.  Since the start of the partnership, LH Cargo has been able to mitigate 39,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Source: Lufthansa Cargo,Picture Lufthansa Cargo

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                    Boeing to Open New Sustainability Research Center in Nagoya

Boeing has announced that it will open a new research center in the Japanese industrial city of Nagoya. The new Boeing Research & Technology(BR&T) center will focus on researching aviation technologies that will have no impact on the environment, says Boeing.  The announcement follows a cooperation agreement between Boeing and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(METI).

Originally signed in 2019 with the focus on sustainability, the cooperation agreement has been recently expanded to cover hybrid-electric propulsion, batteries, and the manufacturing of composites for the future of urban mobility.

“We are excited to open our latest global research and technology center here in Japan,” says Greg Hyslop, Boeing Chief engineer and executive vice president of Engineering,Test & Technology.

“Working with terrific partners like METI, the new center will expand upon Boeing-wide initiatives in sustainable fuels and electrification, and explore the intersection of digitalization, automation and high-performance aerospace composites for greater sustainability in our future products and production systems.”

Nagoya is heavily involved in the aerospace sector, and many Boeing suppliers are based there.  The BR&T-Japan Research Center adds to the company’s other regional R&D centers that are in Australia, China And South Korea.

Source: Boeing, Picture FlightGlobal

Boeing Orders & Deliveries for August

The orders booked in August include deals for 13 737 Max aircraft – two for American Airlines and 11 for unidentified customers, Boeing said on September 13.  Additionally Boeing logged orders for five 787-9 from Irish lessor AerCap, eight 767 Freighters from UPS and four 767-based KC-46 aerial refueling tankers for Israel.

Boeing delivered 35 aircraft in August, up from 26 in July, including two 787s: a-9 to Lufthansa and a-10 to KLM, it says.

Boeing’s other August  deliveries include two 767Freighters and one 777Freighter to FedEx, one to China’s Leasing and one 777 Freighter to DHL .

Source: Boeing                    

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                       Airbus Reshapes A350’s Cabin to Squeeze up to 30 More Seats

Airbus is nearing introduction of new interior configuration standard for the A350; it will permit 10-abreast economy seating and potentially add 30 seats to the aircraft’s accommodation.

The densification change will allow the A350-1000 to carry “well over” 400 passengers in certain configurations says chief commercial officer Christian Scherer.

He says the new standard provides “increased volume” in the cabin that allows the airframer to “very comfortably” put a ten-abreast layout in economy, and provide 20-30 more seats depending on the pitch.

Scherer stresses that this is achieved “without compromising seat width”, and involves fitting such features as a slights-reshaped cabin wall linings the walls are ”pushed out a little bit”, providing additional interior width.

“That’s something that is beginning to get good resonance in the market, because the comfort  standards of the A350 have proven to be unparalleled.” he says.  “The cabin altitude on the airplane, the air quality, the sound levels of the A350 provide passengers with a very unique comfort environment.”  Initial aircraft featuring the new standard will enter service shortly.

Source: Airbus

                                           Airbus Orders & Deliveries For August

August orders for Airbus in August were 0.

Airbus deliveries for Airbus in were 39 aircraft from 22 customers.

Airbus activity for August shows the 19 aircraft cut in August in a single sweep were for Qatar Airways.

Source: Airbus            

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                         Daher Delivers 20th TBM960 Turboprop Single

After receiving FAA type certification in late June, Daher said on August 30th, it has delivered its 20th TBM 960 turboprop single.  Florida businessman Johnie Weems took delivery of the milestone airplane at Daher’s aircraft division in Tarbes, France, and along with ferry pilot Margit Waltz made the transatlantic flight to Florida.

In all, 17 of the 20 TBM 960s delivered thus far have gone to U.S. customers, with the remaining three going to European customers.  Daher aircraft division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert said demand is strong for the $4.7 million airplane.  ”We are nearly fully booked for 2023, with a significant percentage of these orders coming from customers in North America and Europe,” he noted.

Key features of the TBM 960 include the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT engine and Hartzell’s five-blade Raptor propeller, which are linked to the type’s dual -channel digital engine and propeller electronic control system.  Other improvements include LED ambiance strip lighting on both sides of the overhead cabin ceiling panel and electronically dimmable windows.

Source: Daher, photo Daher

                       PW127XT-M Powerplant Wins Transport Canada Approval

Pratt & Whitney Canada, a business unit of Pratt & Whitney, announced on August 26th that Transport Canada Civil Aviation has type certified PW127Xt-M regional turboprop engine that will power new builds of ATR aircraft.

“The PW127XT-M is the new standard for operating economics, maintenance and sustainability for regional aircraft,” said Timothy Swail, vice president, Regional Aviation and APU Product Marketing & sales for Pratt & Whitney Canada.  This certification is an important step toward the entry into service of new ATR aircraft and we continue to support ATR as it builds a strong order Book.”

Revealed at the Dubai AirShow in November 2021, the PW127XT-M engine offers 40% extended time on the wing, 20% lower maintenance costs and 3% improvement infield efficiency, due to engine improvements making the regional turboprop even more sustainable.  Regional turboprops currently boast up to 40% improvement in fuel efficiency compared with similar missions for the 30-70 passenger regional jet aircraft market.

“We worked closely with ATR earlier this year on flight testing of our new PW127-M and previous generation engines using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” said Swail.

“Most notably, Braathens Regional Airlines flew on of its ATR 72-600 aircraft using 100% SAF in both its PW127M engines with excellent results.”

Source: Pratt & Whitney Canada,Picture P&W Canada                                                                  

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

              Qatar Airways Selects Inmarsat as (IFC) Provider on 787 & 737-10 Fleet

Qatar Airways provides one hour of free access to its ‘Super Wi-Fi’, powered by GX Aviation, with the option to purchase full access for the remainder of each flight.

The seamless and reliable broadband will be available across the airline’s aircraft and flight routes, allowing passengers to stay connected to family and friends, browse the internet, stream video and audio, enjoy social media, shop online and more.

The announcement comes as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November, with huge influx of tourists set to travel by air into Doha’s Hamad International Airport.  With a fully connected fleet, Qatar Airways passengers will be able to stay up-to-date with match scores, watch video replays and even livestream games from 30,000 fleet, enhancing their onboard experience.  Inmarsat is committed to meeting the bandwidth requirements generated by this forthcoming event and, alongside its partner Safran Passenger Innovations, installed and activated GX Aviation on the first Qatar Airways 787-9 aircraft in less than five months from contract award.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group chief executive, said, “Over the years,Qatar Airways has pioneered a range of game-changing innovations as part of our exceptional five-star passenger experience.  This in turn, has resulted in the international air transport rating organic Skytrax naming us ‘Airline of the Year’ an unprecedented six times.The laugh of our Super Wi-Fi powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, is a prime example.  We were amongst the first airlines in the world to adopt this technology and remain the largest operator of GX-equipped aircraft in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Source: Qatar Airways,Image Qatar Airways

   Israel to Ban Boeing 747s, Other 4-Engine Planes Amid Environmental Concerns

Israel will ban Boeing 747 and similar aircraft with four engines as of March 31, 2023, to reduce noise and air pollution, its airport authority announced on September 4, 2022.

As part of a broader plan under development to improve the surrounding environment, the authority said that it had already told airlines they would not be able to land large aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv as of the 2023 summer season.

The directive is mainly for cargo aircraft since most, if not all, carriers have stopped using 747 and other four engine planes on routes to Israel.  Operation of aircraft with four engines will be allowed in exceptional cases and only with a special permit.

Source: Reuters

                                      Vietjet 737 Max Deliveries Set for 2024-2028

Vietnam low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has signaled that it will receive Boeing Max aircraft from 2024 to 2028, having recently reaffirmed orders for 200 examples.

“Vietjet and Boeing have agreed to revise the delivery schedule of 200 aircraft from 2024 to 2028 to fit the company’s growth and recovery after Covid-19,” says Vietjet.  “The new agreement provides more flexibility for aircraft deliveries and incentives for parties in taking new Boeing Max aircraft.”

Vietjet’s disclosure follows its announcement at July’s Farnborough Airshow that it reaffirmed the Boeing orders, with the first 50 aircraft earmarked for its Thailand affiliate, Thai Vietjet Air.

According to Boeing’s orders and deliveries data, Vietjet has 200 737 Max aircraft on order.  Though Boeing’s web site does not specify the variant, previously have indicated Vietjet is obtaining the 737 Max 200 variant.  The Carrier made the revelation in an investor presentation for the first half of its 2022 financial year to June 30.

Source: FlightGlobal

                   United & Emirates Expand Market Presence Through New Agreement

On September 15 United Airlines made this announcement:  United and Emirates announced a historic commercial agreement that will enhance each airline’s network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of destinations within the United States and around the World.

United will launch a new direct flight between Newark, New York and Dubai starting in March 2023 from there, customers can travel on Emirates or its sister airline fflydubi to more than 100 different cities. Tickets for United’s new Dubai flight are now on starting in November, Emirates customers flying into three of the nation’s biggest business hubs—Chicago, San Francisco and Houston—will have access to nearly 200 U.S. cities in the United network, most of which only require a one-stop connection.

At eight other U.S. airports served by Emirates—Boston, Dallas, LA, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC—both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place.

United and Emirates announced their agreement at a ceremonial event at Dulles International Airport, hosted by United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, featuring United and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight crews from each carrier.

Source: United, Picture United     

LATEST NEWS

• AirCap Holdings N.V. announced on August 29, it has signed lease agreements with Air Europa for the long-term lease of five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and ten Boeing  737 Max 8 aircraft.

• Ethiopian Airlines continues to pursue aggressive growth of its freighter fleet with a long-term leases of three converted Boeing 767-300ERs from lessor Titan Aircraft Investments.

• Virgin Australia will add another four Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to its fleet, amid sustained strong demand for travel, and in line with fleet growth plans.

• Lufthansa has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9, as the airframer resumes deliveries of the type to European customers.

• Saudi Arabia has announced it is to launch a new airline tipped to be called “RIA’. The new airline will become Saudi’s second national carrier, based out of Riyadh.

• Air India will lease five 777-200LRs, and twenty-five Airbus A320neo-family jets in its first major fleet expansion since being fully acquired by the Tata Group.

• Aeroflot is expected to order over 300 Russian-made aircraft’s part of a shift in fleet strategy from Western-built jets to indigenous aircraft.

• Air Transat has placed a long-term lease for four A31XLRs that will be delivered within several years, US lessor Corporation(ALC) said on September 8th.

Source: ALC, Air India, Lufthansa, AirCap, Ethiopian, FlightGlobal

                                                  AIR CARGO

              Boeing CEO Reveals 787 Freighter as Front-Runner to Succeed 767F

On September 15, 2022, Boeing CEO David Calhoun said Boeing is leaning toward developing a freighter version of its 787 Dreamliner as a replacement for the 767 freighter.  He said the cargo market is on a strong upward trajectory that will boost sales of all-cargo aircraft well into the future.

Boeing must terminate production of the popular 767 and 777 freighters at the end of 2027 to comply with global emissions rules.  The company recently launched the 777-X program as the next generation successor to the large 777, but has nothing in place for the medium widebody category.  Boeing has 43 firm commitments for the 777-8 freighter since it went on sale nine months ago, plus options for 18 more.

In the most definitive statement so far by any official about Boeing’s future freighter strategy, Calhoun told FreightWaves the 787 is the most likely candidate for the next cargo jet.

“We know there’s value in it a 787 freighter.  But we are going to pace all of our freighter developments,” he said on the sidelines of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s aerospace summit in Washington.  “We have a 777 coming down the pike.  The legacy is still in demand.  Someday.  Probably likely.  But we have not pulled any triggers.”

Source: Boeing

   National Airlines Introduces Ex-AirBridge Cargo 747-400 ERF to Freighter Fleet

US Operator National Airlines has introduced a Boeing 747-400ERF to its fleet, an extended-range version of the high-capacity freighter.  The carrier which is based in Orlando but operates hubs in several locations, already has six 747-400Fs, as well as Boeing 757 and Airbus A330 passenger transports.

It identifies the latest addition as MSN53237, a General Electric CF6-powered airframe originally delivered to Russian freight carrier AirBridgeCargo in 2008.  National Airlines says the 747-400ERF, with a payload capability of 128t, is a “logical choice” for long distance cargo services.

Chairman Christopher Alf says the carrier is aiming to meet “growing specialized cargo demands” by offering “newer and innovative” options.  “Introduction of the 747-400ERF aircraft is part of our greater vision to modernize our fleet and enhance our service offerings to our customers,” he says.

National Airlines underlines the flexibility presented by the 747’s nose-loading door, and says the aircraft is “particularly suitable” for cold-chain shipment.

Source: National Airlines, Picture National Airlines

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                    Boeing Takes New Role to Help Cut Aviation Emissions Faster

Boeing will represent the aviation sector in a global alliance, jointly established by the US Government and World Economic Forum to accelerate clean technologies and reduce carbon emissions.

The First Movers Coalition(FMC) was created in late 2021 to leverage the purchasing power of major companies to speed up the pace of decarbonizing industrial sectors such as shipping, chemicals and trucking.   Boeing, a founding member of the coalition, will serve as the ‘champion’ for the aviation sector.

As part of its new role, Boeing commits to supporting greater commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels and advancing other low-carbon technologies.  Scaling up sustainable solutions is critical to the aviation sector’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and the broader goal of holding global temperatures to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, the so-called ‘1.5 °C pathway’.

Boeing said it will leverage current technologies and increase industry partnerships in expanding sustainable aviation fuel supplies, while shaping strategies for developing new solutions.

Boeing has recruited one of the leading experts in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to work with more than 50 companies in the First Movers Coalition and industry partners.   Robert Boyd will join Boeing from the International Air Transport Association(IATA) where he led decarbonization efforts, including advancing the commercial deployment of SAF and addressing policy, economic, sustainability and logistic challenges.

“We are honored to service as ‘champion’ for our sector and committed to partnering with FMC members and others on scaling SAF and accelerating low-carbon technologies to decarbonise aviation,” said Brian Moran, Boeing Vice President of Global Sustainability Policy & Partnerships.

“ Boeing has been a pioneer in making SAF a reality and having Robert join our team is further proof that we are 100% committed to working together to meet the industry’s net-zero emissions commitment by 2050,” said Moran.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

Boeing Orders & Deliveries for July

Boeing landed new orders for 130 aircraft in July, most of which were 737 airframes.  The 130 new orders included 127 737 Max aircraft — 100 of which will go to Delta Air Lines, 25 to Qatar Airways and 2 to American Airlines.

In addition, the company landed orders for three 777F freighter aircraft: one for Fedex and 2 for Air Canada.

Deliveries in July included 23 737 Max and three widebody jets which included one 767-300 F for FedEx, one 767-300F for Maersk and one 777F went to CES leasing Corporation.

Source: Boeing 

                                    ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Invests in World’s Largest Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure Managed by Hy24

Airbus has joined the world’s largest clean hydrogen infrastructure investment fund, managed by Hy24-a joint venture between Ardian, a world-leading private investment house and FiveTHydrogen, an investment manager specializing in clean hydrogen investments.

Hy24’s investment fund will provide capital to back credible, large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure projects world-wide.  Airbus’ involvement assures its commitment to the scaling up of a global hydrogen economy, prerequisite for the successful entry-into-service of its zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.

“We are delighted that Airbus has joined the fund along with other key industrial and financial investors,” said Pierre-Etienne Franc, the CEO of Hy24.

“Since 2020, Airbus has partnered with numerous airlines, airports, energy providers and industry partners to develop a stepped approach to global hydrogen availability,” said Karine Guenan,  VP ZEROe Ecosystem, Airbus.

Source: Airbus

                                              Airbus Orders & Deliveries in July

Airbus has added nearly 400 net orders to its total for the year, following a strong July, and includes the large agreement from four Chinese carriers.

The Chinese operators are collectively taking 196 A321neos, plus 82 A320neos and 14 A319neos.

Airbus also recorded 39 A321neo orders from LATAM, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Jet2 and an undisclosed customer.

Cancellation of 4 A350-900s from Aeroflot’s total of 20 meant net twin-aisle orders declined.

Source: Airbus           

                                 REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                Thrive Aviation Earns Argus’ Top Safety Rating

Argus has awarded Thrive Aviation its Platinum safety rating, following an on-site audit of the Las Vegas-based charter operator and jet card provider. The audit was an in-depth historical safety analysis of Thrive’s aircraft, pilots, and procedures, as well as a validation of its safety management system and emergency response plans.

“This is not just a stamp of approval in process, but a reflection of our team’s hard work and commitment to superior culture of safety before anything else,” said Thrive director of safety Brian Harlan.

The awarding of safety rating comes as Thrive prepares to put its first ultra-long- range jet into services Gulfstream G600, as well as earning IS_BAO stage I certification.  Over the past two years, Thrive has also taken delivery of several CitationLongitude and Sovereign+ twinsets, adding to its fleet of XLS+, CJ3 and M2 aircraft.

“We have always been a safety-first organization, but with our rapid growth over the past few years, we know that we needed to invest heavily in scaling that culture,” said Thrive co-founder Stuart Edenfield.

Source: ainonline.com, Picture Thrive Aviation                                                                    

                                  OTHER AVIATION NEWS

              ST Engineering Expands Leap-1B MRO Capabilities with New Test Cell

ST Engineering will expand its MRO support for CFM International’s Leap-1B turbofan with new test cell capabilities in its Singapore facility.  The facility is expected to be ready by the end of 2023, the company states.

ST Engineering’s commercial aerospace division will work with testing and technology development provider Calspan Aero System Engineering in setting up the test cell facility.

“Calspan Aero System Engineering is very proud to continue our long relationship with ST Engineering by adding test-enabling hardware and updating control systems to allow testing of the LEAP-1B engine in Singapore”, said David Meier, President of Catspan ASE.

The move follows the setting up of Leap-1B engine quick-turn services in February, as well as regulatory approvals from the EU,USA and China.  The Leap-1B is the exclusive power plant for the Boeing Max family aircraft.

Source : ST Engineering

Delta to Add Split Scimitar Winglets for its 737-800, 737-900ERS & up to 70 757-200s

Aviation Partners Boeing and Delta Air lines announced on August 16th an agreement to purchase Split Scimitar Winglets for its 737-800 fleet and a number of recently acquired 737-900 ER aircraft and up to 70 of Delta’s 757-200 aircraft.

Delta has, once again, turned to APB’s winglet products across its fleets to deliver savings in jet fuel consumption and gains in fuel efficiency.

“The recent challenges for the industry have forced many airlines to focus on efforts other than emissions reduction and operational efficiency” said Craig McCallum, Aviation Partners Boeing senior director of sales and marketing.

“We could not be more excited and honored to continue our partnership with Delta Air Lines to reduce aircraft fuel consumption and carbon emissions.  We are inspired by Delta’s ambitious sustainability goals and extremely grateful for their continued endorsement of APB products,” says Aviation Partners Boeing chief commercial officer, Patrick LaMoria.

APB estimates that its products have reduced aircraft fuel consumption worldwide by over 13.4 billion gallons to-date, thereby saving over 141 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Source: Aviation Partners Boeing

                           CAE, Qantas to Set Up New Pilot Training Center in Sydney

CAE and Qantas have signed an agreement for a new pilot training center in Sydney, Australia.  The new center will be located near Sydney airport and provide training for up to 4,500 new and current Qantas and Jetstar pilots from early 2024, says Qantas.

The center will be operated by CAE under a 15-year agreement.  The center will have up to eight full motion simulators for four Airbus and two Boeing types covering the A320, A330, A350, A380, 737-800, and 787.  In addition, it will have flight training devices for the A330, A380 and 787.

Qantas and Jetstar captains will provide training at the center, while CAE will maintain the simulators and manage day-to-day operations.

CAE will provide training for other carriers at the facility.  The training provider will deploy a new A320 simulator at the center, and purchase Qantas’s 737, 787, and A330 full motion simulators.

“Qantas has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century and we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales with this custom-built facility,” says Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce.

Source: CAE, Artist impression of the new Sydney training center   

LATEST NEWS

• Copa Airlines on August 12th, the flag carrier of Panama, took delivery of one new Boeing 737 Max 9.  The aircraft is under a long-term lease from Aviation Capital Group LLC.

• IAG British Airways and Iberia owner IAG has converted a loan to parent company Air Europa into a 20% stake in the airline.

•   ALC announced a long-term lease placements for 19 new Airbus aircraft with Condor of Germany; including 17 Airbus A321neos and 2 A320neos.

•   Malaysia Airlines has selected the Airbus A330neo for the carrier’s widebody fleet Renewal Program.  The initial agreements cover the acquisition of 20 A330-900 aircraft, with 10 to be repurchased from Airbus and 10 to be leased from Dublin-based Avolon. 

• Russian Airlines, according to Reuters, including Aeroflot, are being forced to strip western leased Airbus and Boeing aircraft parts from grounded aircraft to keep others flying.
•  Qanot Sharq Uzbek carrier to introduce a pair of Airbus A321 jets through US lessor Air Lease. Qanot Sharq, whose name means ‘eastern wings’, is a privately-owned operator and has a small fleet of A320s.

•   Air Greenland new Airbus A330neo exits the paint shop.  Airbus has issued the first photos of the aircraft named “Tuukkaq”.

• Boeing is to open a second surge line for the 737-800 freighter conversions at its facility near London Gatwick airport.

Sources: Airbus, Boeing, Reuters, Air Lease, Copa Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, IAG.

                                                      Air Cargo

          Apolo-led Investor Group to Acquire Atlas Air Worldwide for $5.2 bn

US freight and passenger Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by Apollo Global Management in an all-cash deal worth $5.2 billion.  The investor consortium includes J.F.Lehman & Company and Hill City Capital, the logistics specialist said on August 4.

Under the terms of the agreement, Atlas’ shareholders will receive $102,50 per share in Cassia 57% premium on the company’s current 30-day average trading price.

Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in the final quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, Atlas will become a privately-held company.

Chief executive Jon Dietrich and his management team will remain in place, the purchase, New-York headquartered company says.

Source: Atlas Air

                           SIA Inducts First 777 Freighter Under DHL Partnership

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its first DHL Express Boeing 777 Freighter, which it will operate on flights to the USA under a commercial partnership with the logistics giant.  The aircraft (9v-DHA) features a dual SIA-DHL livery and is the first of five 777Fs to be operated by the flag carrier.

In March, SIA and DHL entered into a four-year “crew and maintenance agreement”, which sees SIA operate and maintain the fleet of five 777Fs.

SIA says it expects to take delivery of its second 777F in November, with the remaining three examples delivered across 2023.

The Carrier expects to operate the type on flights between the USA and Singapore via North Asian and Australian points.  Its first pair of freighters will be deployed on Singapore- Incheon- Los Angeles-Honolulu- Singapore route six times weekly.

DHL Express executive vice-president for aviation Robert Hyslop says:  “The new Boeing 777 Freighter demonstrates our on going effort to strengthen our network and adjust flight routes, as well as lower our carbon emissions to achieve greener logistics.

Mr Lee Lik Hsin, Executive Vice President Commercial, SIA, said: ”SIA’s longstanding partnership with DHL reinforces Singapore’s position as key air cargo and -commerce logistics hub, and highlights our firm commitment to our cargo business”

Ms Christy Reese, Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing,Asia PacificBoeing said: “ We are thrilled that the partnership between DHL and Singapore Airlines will be predicated on the strength of Boeing 777 Freighters.

The versatile 777 Freighter is the world’s largest, most capable twin-engine freighter and can fly long-range trans-pacific missions in excess of 6,000 nautical miles with 20 percent more payload than other large freighters like the 747-400F”.

Source: Singapore Airlines,Picture Singapore Airlines

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian