January 31, 2015 by kaplanianreport

Volume 2 Issue 1 January 2015

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Reveals 777-9X Dimensions

Boeing has revealed a preliminary set of external dimensions for the 777-9X aircraft as part of its campaign to prepare airports far in advance of a scheduled entry into service in 2020.

The presentation gives the length of the 777-9X fuselage as 251 ft 9in(76.7 m),or about 0.7ft (0.2m) longer than previously reported and 9.1 ft (2.8 m) longer than the 777-300 ER.

In the same presentation, delivered by Boeing at the Airports Council International Karen Dix-Colony, listed the estimated tail height of the 777-9X as 64.6 ft (19.7m).

The fully extended wingspan of the 777-9X will be 235.5 ft (71.8 m) second to the wingspan of the A380 which is 264 ft (80 m).

That would make the A380 and the 777-9X among the very large aircraft allowed to operate from Class F standard airports.

Boeing, however, is introducing a folding wingtip on the 777-9X that reduces the wingspan on taxiways and at gates to 212.6 ft (64.8 m).

At that length, the 777-9X will qualify for taxiways and gates with clearances designed for narrower Class E aircraft.

Boeing officials are in the midst of a worldwide airport marketing campaign, visiting 30 airports alone in 2014.

The company plans to visit not only airports where the 777-9X is likely to serve. The aircraft will need compatible airports at alternate sites to qualify for extended operations(ETOPS) routes

Source : Flightglobal/Boeing

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Opening a New Chapter in Aviation First Delivery of A350 XWB to Qatar Airways

The big news from Airbus is the first delivery of the A350XWB to launch customer Qatar Airways.

The A350XWB according to Airbus embodies the most advanced technologies and breakthrough innovations in aerodynamics, light-weight materials and aircraft systems. Powered by the ultra-fuel-efficient and very quiet Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

John Rishton, Rolls- Royce, Chief Executive officer said : “We are very proud to have worked with Qatar Airways and Airbus on the A350XWB, using the latest technology to deliver new standards in customer service. This is a very important day for everyone at Rolls-Royce.

It is the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new chapter for our business.”

Source : Airbus/Rolls-Royce/Airbus Photo

BUSINESS/REGIONAL NEWS

COMAC ARJ21 Receives Type Certificate from CAAC

Finally the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given a type certificate to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) ARJ 21 Regional Jet, likely clearing the way for the long-delayed aircraft to enter service this year.

The aircraft an ARJ21-700 is powered by two GE Aviation CF34-10A engines and seats from 78-90 passengers depending on seating configuration.

Launch customer Chengdu Airlines, a COMAC subsidiary, is expected to put the aircraft into service in April or May of this year, which would be eight years later than originally scheduled service entry and 13 years after the program was launched.

COMAC has received a total of 278 orders for the ARJ21-700, mostly from Chinese airlines.

Source: ATW/COMAC Photo

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

Cambodia Bayon Airlines has Received its Air Operator’s Certificate

Cambodia Bayon Airlines has received its air operator’s certificate (AOC) and plans to launch operations by the end of this month.

The carrier took delivery of its first Xian Aircraft MA60 turboprop on December 15, 2014. It has said it will first operate domestic services from Phnom Penh base before venturing into regional operations using Airbus A320s.

The carrier is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayon Holding Limited, which in turn is owned by China’s Joy Air.

Joy Air is a joint venture between AVIC Group and China Eastern Airlines.

Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database shows that Cambodia Bayon has one MA60, another on order, and a letter of intent for further 18 of the type.

Source: Flightglobal

GE Launches Passport Engine Flight Testing

GE Aviation has started flight tests of the Passport engine selected to power the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000 business jets.

Flight testing started on December 30th, 2014 on GE flying test bed- a Boeing 747-100- based in Victorville, California, GE Says.

(as a side note this writer has been inside this test bed and for a 747-100 the aircraft was very well kept inside and out)

The 16,500 lb-thrust power plant remains on track to complete certification by the end of this year despite entering flight tests about six months late.

The Program was delayed while GE ran tests of the engine in a wind tunnel at low altitudes, according to vice-president of business and general aviation Brad Mottier, who briefed journalists on the delay last October.

The passport engine replaces the venerable C34 in GE’s portfolio, but with several key new technologies.

GE also is introducing a new form of ceramic matrix composite in the passport engine.

Source : GE Aviation/Flightglobal

Mitsubishi Completes Wing-Body Join of Second Flight Test Jet

Mitsubishi Aircraft has completed the wing-body join of its second flight test aircraft, and says its regional jet program is on track for a maiden flight the second quarter of this year.

A Nikkei report says the MRJ is likely to take its first flight at the end of May, and that the manufacturer has notified major suppliers of the schedule.

When contacted, Mitsubishi says it has neither set a date nor announced a date to its partners, and that the schedule is still for the first flight to happen between April and June of this year.

The Japanese airframer is now conducting functional and performance tests on the aircraft’s various systems. Other tests it will have to accomplish before the first flight include testing the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney PW1200G engines, the Hamilton Sundstrand auxiliary power unit, ground vibration tests, electro-magnetic interference tests, security and taxi checks.

Final assembly of the second flight test aircraft has largely been completed, except for mounting of the engines, says a Mitsubishi spokeswoman.

Source : Flightglobal

LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF

Kuwait Airways have finalized an order with Boeing for 10 777-300ERs valued at $3.3 billion at list prices.

Embraer delivered its 1,100th E-jet to Aeromexico Connect.

GE Aviation has been selected by Boeing to provide the Common Core System CCS) and Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) for the Boeing 777X aircraft.

Qatar Airways have finalized an order for four 777 Freighters, valued at $1.24 billion at current list prices.

Pratt & Whitney’s PurePowerGearedTurbofan(GTF) engine PW1100-JM has received FAA type certification for the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft.

Air New Zealand and Boeing have finalized an order for two additional 787-9 Dreamliners valued at $514 million at list prices.

Avolon Dublin-based lessor Avolon firmed an order for 15 Airbus A##)NEOS, previously announced at the Farnborough AirShow in July.

TransAsia Airways is to acquire four A330-800neo jets it has a given value of more than $480 million.

Dassault rolled the first Falcon 8X on December 17th, 2014 during a dedicated customer event at its 60-year old manufacturing facility at Bordeaux-Merignac.

BOC (Bank of China) Aviation has finalized an order for two additional 737-800s, valued at $186 million at current list prices.

AirAsia X, the long haul affiliate of Air Asia placed an order with Airbus for 55 A330neos aircraft.

Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engines have entered revenue service with Etihad Airways‘ first EA-powered Airbus A380.

NEWS FLASH

New Boeing Winglets to be Built In Washington

GKN Aerospace plans to assemble and paint the winglets at a 57,000-square-foot plant in Sumner near Boeing’s 737 final assembly plant, in Renton. GKN is scheduled to start early this year, open the factory late this year and employ approximately 75 people at full production.

Air Cargo

Cargo Carrier Flies Record Load Through Hamilton

Hamilton airport’s largest cargo carrier has notched its biggest single volume of freight in a single day. In the run-up to Christmas, Cargojet Airways Ltd. moved more than 850,000 pounds of goods through its Hamilton facility in a single day. On an average night, it moves one million pounds across its entire North American network. Jamie Porteous said, this is only a fraction of what the company hopes to achieve this year as it doubles its capacity and gains benefits of a new $12 million cargo terminal under construction at the airport.

Cargojet will take up to half of the new 70,000-square-foot terminal. The building features 16 truck-loading bays, dedicated merchandise and courier handling areas, secured customs areas and refrigerated areas for perishables such as flowers, produce and pharmaceuticals. It also includes facilities to handle live animals.

The terminal will also feature space for shippers to assemble cargo from different areas or break up skids of goods for shipment to numerous final destinations.

Frank Scremin, president of John Munro Hamilton International Airport, has said the new terminal should be in operation by the second quarter of this year.

Another major boost to Cargojet’s growth was its selection in early 2014 as the air freight operator for Purolator and Canada Post. The deal is expected to bring the company $1 billion in revenue over its seven-year life. Based on that contract and its recent growth, the company has doubled its fleet to 24 aircraft since the end of 2013.

Source: The Hamilton Spectator/Ed’s Research

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

January 4, 2015 by kaplanianreport

Volume 1 Issue 5 December 2014

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Begins Flight Testing ecoDemonstrator 787

Boeing has begun flight testing more than 25 new technologies aimed at improving aviation’s environment performance through every phase of flight.

The Boeing ecoDemonstrator Program accelerates the testing, refinement and use of new technologies and methods that can improve efficiency and reduce noise.

This new round of testing, using 787 Dreamliner ZA004,will evaluate software and connectivity technologies related to operational efficiency, remote sensors to reduce wiring; aerodynamic and flight control improvements for greater fuel efficiency and icephobic wing coating to reduce ice accumulation.

“The ecoDemonstrator is focused on technologies that can improve airlines’ gate-to-gate efficiency and reduce fuel consumption emissions and noise,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner.

Supplier partners for the ecoDemonstrator 787 technologies and flight tests also include Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, General Electric and Panasonic.

Source : Boeing/Boeing Pictures

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus to Develop Five New Beluga Transport Aircraft

The Airbus XWB and A330 have been approved for common type rating for pilots training to fly the aircraft.

The new regulatory approval means that pilots who are qualified and current on the A330 can start training to fly the A350XWB by undergoing “differences training” only.

Differences training does not require the use of ground-based full-flight-simulators and reduces pilot training time to just eight days-as much as 65% less than a standard transition course.

It also means that airlines operating both types of aircraft can create a pool of pilots able to fly both the A330 and A350XWB in a single-fleet flying(SFF) concept, allowing for increased scheduling flexibility and mobility.

Source : ATW/Airbus Photos

BUSINESS/REGIONAL NEWS

Falcon Aviation Services Firms Up Bombardier Q400 Order

Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Aviation Services has confirmed an order for three Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprops. Bombardier said the aircraft form part of a letter of intent for five Q400 NextGen’s signed by Falcon at last July’s Farnborough Airshow.

Based on list prices, the three aircraft are worth approximately $90.3 million and represent the next stage in Falcon’s policy of increasingly moving into the leasing market. Currently, most of Falcon’s activities are centered on a fleet of helicopters that undertake oil and gas support work in the Persian Gulf, plus corporate jet, MRO and aircraft management services.

Including this latest transaction, Falcon has booked firm orders for six Q400 NextGEN aircraft this year. In October, it placed one with Senegal Airline on wet lease.

At Farnborough, Bombardier and Falcon also announced a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in addressing the need of modern aircraft in Africa.

“Our fleet of Q400 NextGen aircraft will allow us to present operators with a host of aviation solutions from leasing to turn-key operations that will offer avenues for increased profitability,” Falcon COO Mahmoud Ismael said at the signing ceremony for the latest three aircraft at Bombardier’s Mirabel, Quebec, facility.

“Over the next 20 years, Africa is expected to take delivery of 700 new aircraft in the 20-to 149-seat market segment; receiving 5.3% of forecasted world demand in these segments,” said Ryan Debrusk, Bombardier’s VP-sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Source: Bombardier/Falcon Aviation

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

CFM56 Aftermarket Boom Is Imminent

As the CFM56 order book cools, the aftermarket heats up.

CFM’s new Leap engine family booked 1,393 orders in 2013-or 63 more than it took for the CFM56. The figures mark the first time that the new model surpassed its predecessor in annual order book figures. While the Leap’s future is bright, it will take some time for the model to move past the venerable incumbent as an aftermarket revenue generator.

Demand for more efficient narrow body lift drove Airbus and Boeing to develop new versions of their successful A320 and 737 families, but demand for more immediate lift pushed them to raise production rates on the current versions. With the A320neo and the 737MAX still several years away from full production-entry into service slated for 2015 for the neo and 2017 for the MAX-operators are adding current-generation versions as fast as the manufacturers can build them. This has helped push CFM56 deliveries to record levels. The 2012 figure of 1,442 engines produced was double that of 2002, and delivery figures have risen steadily since, topping 1,500 in 2013 and slated to reach 1,550 this year.

The production surge, combined with on-wing life exhibited by current-configuration, second-generation engines-CFM56-5’s and -7s-means that about 40% of the nearly 20,000 CFM56’s in service have yet to undergo initial shop visits, which usually take place from seven to nine years after entry into service. A Bernstein Research analysis earlier this year determined that 80% have yet to reach subsequent shop visits, which are more lucrative for service providers because of the amount of material needed to complete the overhauls.

“Much of the recent growth in CFM56 aftermarket work has been driven by the second-generation CFM56 engines coming off wing for their first and second shop visit,” Bernstein noted in its report. Citing the trends, Bernstein projects a 9% compound annual growth rate in shop visits through 2019.

Source: Aviationweek/Bernstein Report

JAL Says Skymark Seeking Tie-Up Talks

Japan Airlines said Skymark Airlines had sought talks to discuss a possible business tie-up that would put one of the country’s few remaining budget carriers under the wing of a bigger rival.

“We received the request from Skymark Airlines on the possible cooperation,” a spokesman fro JAL said.

“We will start to discuss some possible cooperation but at the current stage, there is no decided agreement,” he added.

Skymark would codeshare some flights with JAL and cooperate in sales, the Nikkei newspaper reported, although it said the tie-up was unlikely to involve a capital injection from JAL.

A spokeswoman for Skymark declined to discuss what cooperation the two were discussing.

Skymark, which began flying in 1998, had been a rare case of a small carrier in Japan able to thrive without becoming an affiliate of either JAL or Japan’s other carrier, ANA.

Source : Airwise/Ed’s Research

Safran Opens Composites Plant for LEAP Jet engine

On November 24th, French President Francois Hollende inaugurated a $200 million Safran plant in eastern France designed to make carbon-composite parts for its new LEAP aircraft engine.

LEAP is the latest engine produced by the CFM International joint venture between Safran and General Electric, and will power the next generation Boeing 737 MAX jets and many of the A320neo family jets made by Airbus.

The factory at Commercy, near Metz, is sister plant to one opened in New Hampshire in March by Safran in partnership with Albany International, which makes industrial fabrics for the paper making industry and composite parts for aerospace.

Both plants will make “3D woven” fan blades and fan cases.

Together, the two companies expect by 2019 to be making 32,000 thousand composite fan blades a year, up from 600 in 2013.

Safran and GE are expected to use more composite parts as they prepare the next version of LEAP with extra weight savings.

Source : Yahoo Finance

LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF

Lufthansa Technik has broken ground in Puerto Rico for an overhaul facility that will do base maintenance onAirbus family aircraft.
Ruili Airlines has taken delivery of its first purchased Boeing 737-700 purchased directly from the manufacturer. The aircraft registered B-5829 is the first of eight orders for the variant ordered by the Kunming-based carrier

Lion Air will place an order for 40 additional ATR 72-600 turboprops. Prior to this order, Lion Air had 18 ATR 72-600s in its backlog.

Boeing South Carolina has started final assembly of the 787-9 Dreamliner at its South Carolina facility. United Airlines will take delivery of the first South Carolina-built 787-9.

Air France-KLM’s Engineering & Maintenance has secured initial approval to service General Electric GEnx engines for its on-order Boeing 787 fleet.

NokScoot the long-haul, low-cost carrier NokScoot has unveiled the first Boeing 777-200 painted in its distinct livery.

Frontier Airlines has placed its first Airbus A321 order, inking a deal for nine of the type to join its all-Airbus fleet.

Delta Airlines Confirmed an order an order for 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900neos.

Saudi Arabian Airline(Saudi) announced an order for 12 777-300ERs with an option for 10 more. The order was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s orders and deliveries website. The airline also announced an order for eight 787s.

Airbus The final assembly of the first A330 with the new 242 ton Maximum Take-Off-Weight reaches final assembly in Toulouse, France.

AFI KLM will provide component support for all of LATAM Airlines Group’s Boeing 767s,777s and 787s.

MTU Aero Engines will provide services for GEnx turbine center frames worldwide in the GE MRO network.

Air Cargo

ANA, United Prepare for Joint Cargo Venture

For the first time between freight carriers from the U.S. and Asia, Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co.(ANA) and Chicago based United Airlines are preparing to launch an air cargo joint venture that will help both carriers manage trans-Pacific shipments more efficiently.

On Friday, November 21, ANA filed its application with the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for antitrust immunity, which will help clear the way for partnership to begin.

The two carriers are not exactly strangers, as both are members of the Star Alliance global airline network and have been participating in a similar agreement with their passenger flights since 2011. But once the legal hurdles are completed, ANA and UA will be able to jointly manage scheduling, pricing and sales of trans-Pacific cargo, making it easier for both carriers to compete with budget passenger airlines. Shippers will also have more flexibility in choosing routes and finding cargo space.

ANA also has plans to launch a similar cargo venture with Germany’s Lufthansa AG between Asia and Europe later this year or in early 2015.

United Cargo, which manages shipments on more than 700 United passenger aircraft worldwide, has seen revenue-ton-kilometers rise 12.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. ANA Holdings expanded its cargo operations about five years ago, forming the ANA Cargo unit to manage ten 767-300 freighters that operate the carrier’s cargo hub on the island of Okinawa.

Source: ANA Cargo/United/United Photo

We look forward to bringing new issues in 2015.

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

January 4, 2015 by kaplanianreport

Volume 1 Issue 4 November 2015

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Breaks Ground for 777X Composite Wing Center

On October 21st Boeing celebrated the groundbreaking of its new 777X Composite Wing Center in Everett, Wash. campus. Permitting for the new 1 million-square-foot facility was completed approximately seven weeks earlier than anticipated, allowing for an accelerated start to construction.

Boeing is investing more than one billion dollars in the Everett site for construction and outfitting of the new building.

“We’re excited with the progress being made on this new facility that will play a crucial role in bringing the 777X to market,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. ”We wouldn’t be in position without the support of our team-mates and partners throughout the Puget Sound region and in Olympia. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”

To date the 777X has accumulated 300 orders and commitments.

Source : Boeing/Boeing Pictures

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus A350 XWB, A330 Gains Common Rating for Pilot Training

The Airbus XWB and A330 have been approved for common type rating for pilots training to fly the aircraft.

The new regulatory approval means that pilots who are qualified and current on the A330 can start training to fly the A350XWB by undergoing “differences training” only.

Differences training does not require the use of ground-based full-flight-simulators and reduces pilot training time to just eight days-as much as 65% less than a standard transition course.

Source : ATW/Airbus Photos

BUSINESS/REGIONAL NEWS

Mitsubishi Aircraft Rolls Out First MRJ

Mitsubishi Aircraft has rolled out its first test aircraft for the MRJ program, in good time ahead of its planned 2Q 2015 first flight.

The Japanese airframer showcased aircraft 10001 before 500 guests consisting of government officials, customers and journalists at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Komaki South plant in Nagoya on October 18th. Mitsubishi also hosted a live webcast of the ceremony on its website.

The sleek regional jet bears Mitsubishi’s distinctive red, black and gold livery. Mounted on its wings are the Pratt & Whitney PW 1200G engines. This is Japan’s first commercial passenger aircraft to be built in over 50 years, since the NAMC YS-11 turboprop program terminated in 1973.

At a press briefing before the roll-out ceremony, Mitsubishi’s chief engineer Nobuo Kishi says the program’s second and third test aircraft are also in final assembly. The second flight test jet is undergoing wing to body join, while fuselage sections of the third aircraft are being fused.

Mitsubishi is using a fleet of seven test aircraft-five for flight tests and two for ground tests, for the MRJ program.

The MRJ order book stands at 375 aircraft: 191 firm,160 options and 24 purchase rights. Japan Airlines has also signed a letter of intent for 32 of the regional jets

Source: Flightglobal/ Mitsubishi Photos

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

Silvercrest Flight Test Enters Second Phase

Flight tests of Snecma’s 11,000-pounds-thrust-class Silvercrest turbofan on a modified

Gulfstream II have entered a second phase in San Antonio, Texas.

The engine which is developed for Dassault’s large-cabin Falcon 5X and the super-midsize Cessna Citation Longitude, remain on track for FAA Part 33 certification at the end of 2015, says Francois Planaud, director general of Snecma’s commercial engine division. ”We are in the middle of the test program and have built up 1,300 test hours, mostly on the ground of course,” says Planaud. In all, eight Silvercrests are running, with the bulk undergoing ground runs in Villaroche and Istres in France.

Endurance tests are also under way at Safran’s subsidiary Techspace Aero in Belgium.

Source: Aviationweek

Greybull Capital Buys UK’s Monarch

British travel booker And airline company Monarch has been acquired by investment firm Greybull Capital which will invest $201 million as it turns itself into a low-cost budget airline.

Greybull took 90 percent stake in Monarch, with the rest passing to its pension scheme.

The agreement will help Monarch take on budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet.

The deal brings to an end the ownership of Monarch by the Mantegazza family. Greybull considers its ownership of Monarch to be a long-term investment, the statement said.

As part of its plan to shift a low-cost budget carrier from its current charter flights operation, Monarch is shrinking its fleet to 34 from 42 aircraft, ending long-haul and charter flights by April and focusing on core European routes.

On October 31st Monarch confirmed an order for 30 737-MAX 8s the order includes options for 15 additional 737 MAX 8s.

Source : Airwise/Ed’s Research

Virgin Atlantic Foresees Firming 787-9 Options and Possible -10s

Virgin Atlantic intends to exercise its Boeing 787-9 options and is looking at the -10 variant as a potential replacement for leased London Gatwick-based 747s.

Firming of the airline’s four -9 options would bring its 787 fleet to 21 aircraft by the end of 2018, notes chief executive Craig Kreeger. ”We have not exercised those last four options but we are communicating very clearly that we plan to,” he says.

Kreeger also discloses that a follow-on order for the largest 787 variant the -10, is being considered as the airline proceeds toward a decision on how to adapt its fleet after leases on seven Gatwick-based 747s expire in 2019.

While the-10, with 323 seats, is smaller than the other candidate aircraft, the 777 and Airbus A350, it offers the advantage of fleet commonality and the attendant efficiency in pilot training among other areas, he notes.

Source : Flightglobal

LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF

GE Aviation has opened a new indoor engine test facility at its Peebles, Ohio site. The $40 million facility will begin testing production engines by the end of this year.
United Airlines said it converted orders for 787-8 Dreamliners to 787-10 models, a move that defers the delivery date to 2022 and beyond from 2017 to 2018 currently.

Ryanair confirmed on October 24th that CEO, Michael O’Leary has signed a new 5 year contract which commits him to the company until September 2019.

Embraer has cut the first metal component for its E-Jet E2 family of regional jets at its factory in Evora, Portugal.

Monarch Airlines confirmed its order for 30 737 MAX 8s which was originally announced at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.

Air Canada announced on November 6th an order for two additional 777-300 ERs.

Sabena Technics is extending the scope of its activities to overhauls of Boeing 777 aircraft. Sabena will do checks, structural modifications, painting and cabin refurbishment of 777s.

China Aircraft Leasing Co.(CALC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) covering 74 Airbus A320neos, 16 A320ceos and 10 A321ceos.

China Express Airlines has placed a firm order for 16 Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets.

SMBC Aviation Capital announced an order for 80 737 MAX 8s, valued at more than $8.5 billion at list prices.

Globalla has placed an order for 14 long-haul 787-9 to be placed with Air Europa of Spain. Globalla is the hospitality conglomerate that owns Air Europa. In Addition Globalia has entered talks with Boeing to acquire the 737 MAX.

American Airlines the first 787-8 for American Airlines has rolled out of the paint shop at Boeing’s Everett, Washington facility on October 31st.The first American Airlines 787 is line number 241 will become N800 AN (msn 40618) when delivered this month.

Air Cargo

Volga-Dnepr Deliver UN Helicopters to Sierra Leone

To assist with the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak emergency in West Africa, Volga-Dnepr Airlines used one of its heavy-lift An-124 Russian freighters to transport three United Nations helicopters from Moscow to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The multi-purpose helicopters-Russian-built Mi-8’s,each weighing 7.3 tons empty-will be used to support the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER),which was established in late September to fight the outbreak of the virus.

For the October.14 trip, Volga-Dnepr ground handlers made some tricky maneuvers to squeeze all three Russian-built Mi-8 helicopters into the 33 m x 6.4 m x4.4 m cargo hold of the An124. First, they demounted the main lifting and tail rotors, vibration absorbers and fuel tanks. They also removed fluids from the shock struts and wheels, thus reducing the height of the helicopters so they would clear the 4.4 meter-high compartment ceiling. Finally, they aligned the demounted equipment alongside the three aircraft inside the vast main deck.

Source: Air Cargo World/Picture Volga-Dnepr

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com