ON THE BOEING FRONT

                           Boeing To Unveil More Vertical Integration

As Boeing Global Services prepares for its third year of operation starting July 2016, expect to see more vertical integration’s, evidenced by Boeing’s June 14 announcement to buy interiors supplier EnCore Group.

Also expect two vertical integration projects in the avionics arena this year as well as others deployed across its portfolio this year and next…including MQ-25 unmanned aircraft and T-X military trainers well as on the New Midsize Airplane, ( NMA),says Stan Deal,Boeing Global Services president & CEO.  The NMA is advancing as Boeing “builds a robust business case,” he says.

Vertical integration is adding to Boeing’s portfolio “in a way that is creating more value for customers, given the way that we’re doing it to change the acquisition side of the cost equation and the lifecycle side,” he says.  As the company implements these vertical integration plays, ”we’re doing it with the front-end cost acquisition in mind as well as lifecycle costs—so working both of those equations to have better value,” he says.

On the backend, Boeing is about half way finished with implementing SAP across its parts ecosystem— including Aviall, its commercial and government proprietary parts businesses and former KLX Aerospace Solutions (now branded Boeing Distribution Services)— to “eliminate redundancies and rationalizing capacity across the global footprint,” says Deal. This should also reduce repair times, which along with costs, were areas Boeing could improve, according to the 2019 Airline Aftermarket Customer Satisfaction Survey.  While Boeing placed first in this aftermarket survey, Deal acknowledges that customers want Boeing to “improve cycle times and production costs,” as well as provide choices.”They do like the notion of one-stop shopping’s long as it stays competitive,”he says.

As Boeing Global Services started its third year of operation on July 1, Deal forecasts “steady growth,” as evidenced by its 17% year to year growth.  ”We continue to drive where the market is today, but we’ve put the right amount of investment where the market could end up in 10, 20 or 30 years,” says Deal.

Source : Boeing Global Services          

           

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

      Airbus Dropped the Policy of Publishing Prices of its Aircraft

On July 1st, Airbus’s new commercial chief Christian Scherer has dropped the long-held policy of publishing catalog prices for its product line due to their relatively irrelevance in real-world deal values.

The European manufacturer, like Boeing, has traditionally provided annually the pricing range  for each of aircraft by variant. Although Boeing has published its 2019 data, Airbus decided not to.

When asked about list prices at the recent Paris Air Show, Scherer, who is chief commercial officer at Airbus’s commercial division, said: “Catalog prices are relatively meaningless…You’ve seen us go relatively silent on catalog prices.”

While it is widely acknowledged that the values negotiated for aircraft deals are always significantly discounted on the aircraft’s “sticker price”, the publishing of catalog prices enables like-for-like comparisons to be made between Airbus and Boeing products.

Catalog prices do have some relevance in aircraft negotiations.  They can provide the benchmark from which discounts are negotiated and have traditionally been used in aircraft purchase contracts to calculate deposits and scheduled pre-delivery payments.

Source: Flightglobal/Airbus

                    

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

        The FAA has Certified Gulfstream Aerospace G600 Business Jet

The FAA granted both the aircraft’s type certificate and a production certificate, says Gulfstream; clearing the path for the 19-passenger for first delivery later this year.

“Getting both authorizations on the same day is evidence of the maturity of our G600 production processes and speaks to the safety and reliability of the aircraft’s design,” Gulfstream president Mark Burns says.

“The certifications clear the way for the first G600 deliveries to customers as scheduled this year,” Gulfstream says.

The G600 is powered by Pratt& Whitney Canada PW800s and has a range of 6,500nm (12,000Km),and cruises at altitudes up to 51,000ft and can reach speeds up to Mach 0.925, according to the company.

Gulfstream certified the smaller G500 last year and also delivered the first of that variant last year.  Both types have improved fly-by-wire system and Gulfstream’s “Symmetry Flight Deck”, which includes “active control sidesticks” and 10 touch screens.

Source : Gulfstream/Picture Gulfstream         

                                                           

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

  Safran Construct Carbon Brake Manufacturing Facility Near Lyon France

The French aerospace group says the new site in Feyzin, on the southern outskirts of Lyon, will become operational in 2024 and will complement Safran’s existing three production locations for carbon brakes.  They are in nearby Villeurbanne in the northeast of Lyon; at a US facility in Walton,Kentucky; and in Sendayan, near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Featuring a modular design, the new site will “ develop in line with market requirements over the coming decades” and eventually create up to 200 new jobs, Safran says.

The Plant will employ designs to reduce energy and water consumption, and facilitate increased use of renewable energy.

Safran says that it will launch, alongside the new facility, a “major research and technology program” in partnership with laboratories, universities and small businesses in the Lyon region, with local and national government support.

Source : Safran/Picture Safran 

     Air France is to Exchange Six Boeing 787s with KLM Airbus A350s

The French carrier says it will swap the six 787s—with deliveries scheduled in the 2021-23 timeframe — for seven A350s its Dutch sister carrier has on order. 

Air France foresees this will allow the two airlines to “realize fleet efficiencies through harmonization and accelerated growth of similar aircraft at both airlines”.

Options for “further fleet development” at Air France within the wider group are currently under study,  in consultancy with all stakeholders, notes the French carrier.

KLM has 13 787-9s and recently received its first 787-10. By next year, it should have 21 Dreamliners with Air France’s six will increase to 27.

“This is the first step towards harmonizing and simplifying the Air France-KLM Group fleet at its two major airlines,” states group chief executive Ben Smith.

Source: Air-France-KLM Group/Picture Air France                                                                               

BOC Aviation Delivered the Final 737-800 to Skymark Airlines of Japan

BOC Aviation has delivered the final Boeing 737-800 aircraft in its order book on lease to Skymark Airlines.   Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer shows the aircraft, MSN 63410, was ordered by the lessor in February 2017, and placed the aircraft with the Japanese carrier in April.

“ The Boeing 737-800 has been a cornerstone of our company’s development, with 84 currently operating inner owned fleet,” says Robert Martin, BOC Aviation managing director and chief executive.

The delivery also marks a decade of co-operation between the lessor and Skymark. The airline has 29 737-800s in its fleet, of which three are delivered by BOC Aviation.

Source : Flightglobal/Picture BOC Aviation

   

LATEST NEWS

• Azores Airlines has taken delivery of its first long-range Airbus A321LR, one of three destined for the carrier’s fleet.                                                                                                       

• Tap Air Portugal took delivery of another Airbus A330-900.

• Delta Air Lines took delivery of its first of 35 Airbus A330-900s.

• Korean Air has firmed an order for 20 Boeing 787s, finalizing a letter of intent the carrier signed last month at the Paris Air Show.

• Tarom Romanian flag-carrier picks ATR 72-600 turboprops to modernize its regional fleet.

• Qatar Airways A380s are set for early retirements the airline expects to begin phasing out the fleet from 2024.

• EVA Air received its first Boeing 787-10, which it will deploy on high-density inter-Asia routes this summer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
• Zipair Tokyo is on track for 2020 start date, having granted an air transport business license by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.  The budget arm of Japan Airlines will operate two Boeing 787-8 aircraft.                                                 

• Qatar Airways has selected GE Aviation GEnex engines to power 30 on order Boeing 787-9s and signed engine maintenance deals with GE.

• Air Europa has selected Sabena Technics to complete C-checks on two of Spanish carrier’s Boeing 787s later this year.                                                                                           

Sources : Flightglobal, Air Transport World, World Airline News, Japan Airlines,Airbus

 

AIR CARGO

     All Nippon Airways Introduced A Boeing 777 Freighter to its Fleet

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has introduced a Boeing 777 freighter to its fleet, to meet increased cargo transportation demand in Asia and North America.

The Carrier received the freighter on May 24 at Tokyo Haneda International airport, where it will operate cargo flights on the Tokyo Narita-Osaka Kansai-Shanghai Pudong route between July and August 25th.

From August 26, ANA will operate Tokyo Narita-Shanghai Pudong flights instead.  Starting on October 27, it will begin Tokyo Narita-Chicago service.

The aircraft is specially designed to transport large items, ranging from aircraft engines to semiconductor manufacturing equipment as well as delicate cargo like lithium batteries.

The Japanese carrier placed the order for two 777 freighters in March 2018.

Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer shows ANA had received the two freighters it ordered, registered JA771F (MSN65756) and JA772F (MSN65757).

Source : Flightglobal/Picture ANA

 

MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OVERHAUL

                     AAR Adding Composite MRO Services In Clearwater

AAR plans to add FAA part 145 certification to its facility which specializes in composites. As part of AAR Corp.’s quest to grow demand for work on both new legacy aircraft platforms, it intends to add a repair station to its extensive list of composite services, company executives tell aviation week.

Plans call for AAR’s composite facility in Clearwater, FLa., to be granted an FAA 145 repair station certificate late this year or in early 2020, paving the way for customer work to begin “within the next year,” said Brian Sartain, senior VP, repair and engineering services.

Adding the repair station would round out an already long list of composite work AAR performs. Apart 145 certification would open up a direct business line to third-party customers looking for just component repairs.

The need for composite work is expected to increase as more newer-model aircraft designed with higher amount of composite content, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, become more prevalent.But Sartain notes that demand for work to support many older models is already high.

AAR added its Clearwater facility in 1997 through the acquisition of ATR international.  The shop once held a Part 145 certificate, but shifted its emphasis to new production as part of AAR’s strategy to both grow and broadens business line.

( AAR founded in 1951, I.A.Allen Industrial Sales was incorporated in 1955, renamed Allen Aircraft Radio in 1962 and became AAR Corp. In 1969)   Ed K.

Source:  MRO-Network.com

 

 

 

 

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian