ON THE BOEING FRONT

        

Boeing 737 Max 7 took of from Seattle Boeing Field on August 4th and headed to China, where the jet will participate in work related to that country’s 737 Max certification, an industry source says.

The airliner arrived in China on Saturday morning, August 6th, after making stops in Honolulu and Guam to begin validation trials aimed at clearing the aircraft to resume commercial  operations in the country.

Approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC) the aircraft ( tail number N7201S) is registered to the manufacturer. It is expected to be prepared to start flight tests with CAAC officials on August 11. Testing in China already began.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed the 737 Max 7 plane taking off from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport, with no destination listed, flying in a south-easterly direction and landed in Zhoushan, the site of a Boeing factory designed to install plane interiors.

Boeing declined to comment on the flights, but sources familiar with the operation confirmed to Bloomberg that its purpose was to position the Max for validation trials in China. The CAAC has not issued an official statement on reports that it is preparing to evaluate the aircraft.

Boeing has already delivered around 100 of the new Max aircraft to China, but these cannot fly commercially until the CAAC has given approval.

Sources: Bloomberg, Flightglobal, Air International,Photo Boeing

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Collins’ Enhanced Vision Sensor to Be Integrated into A320

Collins Aerospace’s next-generation Enhanced Sensor has been selected to be integrated in Airbus’ Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS). EFVS will become a selectable option on Airbus commercial aircraft, expanding approach capability and increasing flight situational awareness during reduced visibility conditions.

The EFVS option, with the collins EVS sensor, will be offered first on the A320 aircraft, with the intention to offer this solution on other platforms in the future.

The sensor uses multiple infrared and visible light cameras to “see through poor visibility conditions” better than the human eye. When the pilots view this camera video on head-up displays, it allows them to better identify the runway environment in all weather conditions—helping pilots overcome many flight disruptions often created by fog or precipitation. In addition, because the technology enables pilots to reduce delays on runway and in the air, it actively reduces the amount of carbon emissions created by the aircraft. The next-generation EVS sensor will also be available for retrofit on existing in-service Airbus aircraft.

Source: Collins Aerospace,Picture Collins Aerospace,Airbus

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JET

                   

Dassault Books First Orders for Falcon 10X

Dassault Aviation has already racked up sales of its Falcon 10X following the new ultra-long-range twinjet’s unveiling in May.

Eric Trappier, the french airframes’s chief executive, told a July half-year results briefing that the 7,500nm (13,900km-range) business jet has “ received a lot of client interest” and “first orders have already arrived”.

Dassault does not break out order intake by model, but during the first half it booked commitments for 25 Falcon business jets’ significant rise on the five deals recorded in the same period last year.

“The market is really becoming this new aircraft,” he says, which will be delivered from 2025. Trappier sees the market for business jets as showing signs of improvement, particularly in the USA, although there is pressure on pricing  

Source: Dassault Aviation,Picture Dassault Aviation 

                    

Skywest Orders 16 More Embraer E175s 

U.S. regional airline SkyWest has placed a firm order for 16 Embraer 175s for operation under its partnership with Delta Air Lines, the companies revealed on August 10. Embraer plans to deliver the first 76-seat, three-class jets in Delta livery in mid-2022 and accept the entire allotment by the end of the year.  The Brazilian manufacturer places the value of the contract at $ $798.4 million.

SkyWest plans to replace 16 of the Bombardier CRJ900s that it owns or has financed with new E175s. Now flying under SkyWest’s Delta contract, the CRJ900s carry expiration dates ranging from the second half of 2022 to early 2023. The airline added that it is evaluating the effect of the displacement of the CRJ900s, including a potential non-cash impairment charge. 

“The E175 is the backbone of the North American regional market and as the industry begins to emerge from the pandemic, we are seeing growing long-term demand for the rightsized aircraft to deliver profitable domestic connectivity,” said v-p of sales and marketing of the Americas Mark Neely.

Source: Embraer, Picture Embraer   

                                                             

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                        

    Parker Hannifin to Acquire Meggitt 

Aerospace mergers are back, with US manufacturer Parker Hannifin revealing plans to nearly double the size of its aerospace systems business by acquiring UK-based aerospace company Meggitt for $8.8 billion in cash.

The deal, which the companies hope to close in the third quarter of 2022, marks a revival of merger activity in an aerospace industry badly depressed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Analysts view the takeover as sensible, noting the already-merged state of the aerospace industry and that the companies each make a broad range of aerospace products.

“The planned acquisition also reveals that some aerospace companies remain flush with cash despite the downturn”, says Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with Teal Group.

“Meggitt and Parker are complementary across diverse portfolios of products, and will thus expand and develop core product lines, and add new capabilities and enable innovations on more-electric, low-carbon and other key technologies,” the companies say.

Meggitt produces a variety of aircraft components, including brakes, fire and safety systems, power and sensing systems, composites and polymer seals.

Its products are found on military and unmanned aircraft, as well as on civil aircraft such as Boeing 737s and 787s, Airbus A220s, A330s and A350s, Comac’s ARJ21, DeHavilland Dash 8 turboprops, and Cessna, Dassault and Gulfstream business jets.

At the end of 2020, the UK company had some 9,000 employees, including 2,305 in the UK and 4,871 in the USA. It generated $2.3 billion in 2020 revenue, losing $436 million.The companies note that 70% of Meggitt’s revenue comes from selling products for which it is sole supplier.

Source: FlightGlobal

        Italian National Carrier ITA Secures Operating Certificate 

ITA( Italia Transport Aereo)on August 16, 2021, started operating test flights using Airbus A330-202 EI-EJN as the AOC proving aircraft. The new airline has completed the certification process for obtaining its AOC-Air Operators Certificate and Transport Passengers License.

Issue of the certificate and license means the carrier will be able to start selling tickets. ITA aims To commence services in October, initially with a fleet of 52 aircraft, increasing to 78 next year. It has already indicated that it wants to acquire the Alitalia name.

The Civil Aviation Authority ENAC president Pierluigi say he hopes the new airline will be able to contribute “in a decisive way” to overcoming the problems caused by the pandemic and supporting a “restart” of the air transport sector.

He adds that ENAC will monitor ITA’s operational start-up and ensure that it complies with passenger rights requirements and other public interests.

Sources: World Airline News,FlightGlobal,Picture ITA

            US Export Bank Backs Turkish Airlines’ $ 833m Purchase of Boeing Jets

The USA’s export-credit agency has agreed to guarantees $833 million in financing for the the acquisition by Turkish Airlines of an undisclosed number of Boeing 737 Max and 787s.

The Export-Input Bank of the United States disclosed the guarantees on August 2nd, though the finance agency has provided few details.

The Ex-IMBank’s board of directors approved “ $832.5 million in loan guarantees to support exports of Boeing 787-9 aircraft, 737 Max 8 aircraft, respectively, to Turkish Airlines in Istanbul”, the credit agency says.

It did not disclose the number of jets those funds will finance. Neither Boeing nor Turkish Airlines responded to a request for comment. The bank could not be reached for comment.

Turkish Airlines holds unfilled orders with Boeing for 10 787-9s and nine 737 Max, according to Boeing’s figures. “These are solid transactions at a critical time, and they provide a reasonable assurance of repayment,” says EX-IM Bank’s acting first vice-president James Cruise. The agency’s support for aircraft export deals is “especially needed at this time because of the significant financial impact of Covid-19”, adds acting president James Burrows.

Source: US Import Export Bank

                         

Alaska Orders Another 12 737 Max 9s

Alaska Airlines has ordered 12 Boeing 737 Max 9s and taken 25 new purchase options-a deal handing another needed win to Boeing’s rebounding narrowbody program. The 12 orders were converted from Purchase options by Alaska, which expects to receive the jets in 2023 and 2024. The new order brings Alask’s total outstanding number of 737 Max 9 to 88 jets.The carrier already has five 737 Max in service.

Alaska’s updated fleet plan called for the Seattle-based airline to receive 12 737 Max 9s in 2021, 31 in 2022, and 32 in 2023 and 18 in 2024.

The Airline has made several changes to its Max orders in recent months. Until late last year,Alaska held orders for 32 737 Max9s and options for another 37.

In December 2020, the airline said it had revamped its agreements with Boeing to include 68 Max9 orders and 53 options. Since then, Alaska has converted 25 of those options to firm orders and taken 25 new options.

Source: Alaska Airlines,Picture Alaska Airlines

LATEST NEWS

• Delta Air Lines has ordered another 30 Airbus A321neos, bringing its total firm orders for the Airbus’ narrowbody to 155 aircraft, deliveries of which are scheduled to start in the first half of 2022.

• Japan Airlines signed an engine services agreement with GE, aviation, covering the CFM56-7B turbofans that power its Boeing 737-800s.

• Emirates is marking the UAE’s 50th anniversary with the unveiling of special liveries to commemorate the nation’s Golden Jubilee.

• Lufthansa enters the Armenian market already serviced by subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. The airline will operate flights between Frankfurt and Yerevan with three frequencies per week.

• Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Etihad Engineering have agreed to partner on two new Passenger to Freighter(P2F) conversion lines for Boeing 777-300ERs in Abu Dhabi as demand for cargo capacity continues to surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

• El Al has deferred delivery of its final Boeing at least until the end of this year, as it holds discussions on financing the twinjet.

• Rolls-Royce has delivered the 100th Pearl 15 turbofan to Bombardier for Global 5500/6500, reaching the milestone a little more than three years after unveiling the Pearl family and less than two years after the engine entered service.

• Sun Country Airlines is prepared to buy aircraft – even if it does not yet need them – to meet its goal of having 50 passenger aircraft by the end of 2023.

• India regulators have cleared the country’s carriers to resume operations with Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

• SpiceJet expects to resume operations by the end of this month, though it acknowledges that the ultimate decision rests with the country’s regulators.

Sources: Emirates,Rolls-Royce,El Al,Japan Airlines,FlightGlobal,Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa

AIR CARGO

    Kargo Xpress to Lease two B737-800 BCFs From GECAS

Kargo Xpress, the freight-focused start-up subsidiary of M Jets International, will lease two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters(BCF) from GECAS.

The first aircraft is set to be delivered to the Malaysia-based carrier in October this year, followed by the second one in December.

Kargo Xpress began scheduled flights with a single Boeing 737-400F in June this year. The added capacity from the GECAS-leased aircraft will enable the carrier to provide “fast, timely and efficient delivery of goods” as it expands its footprint to include Northern China and Western India, as well as operating on thinner, underserved routes.

Gunasekar Mariappan, managing director of M Jets International, commented:”Kargo Xpress appreciates the close working relationship with GECAS to induct our initial two 737-800 BCFs.”

“We are focused on developing a robust, reliable, cost-effective network within Asia, centered around a fleet of 737 freighters.Our goal is to be the provider of choice for express e-commerce shipments, as well as point-to point delivery, trans-shipment and light-truck services for our time-to-market sensitive customers with Asia.”

Richard Greener, senior vice president and manager of GECAS cargo, added: “Thanks to its versatility, efficiency, and reliability, the 737-800BCF is well suited to Kargo Xpress’ planned growth strategy. At GECAS Cargo, we are pleased to support Kargo Xpress as they look to develop more routes and expand their operations.”

Earlier this year,GECAS announced a deal to lease out six of its B737-800BCFs to Russian carrier Atran and four to an unidentified customer. Currently, 40 of GECAS’  B737-800BCFs are in operation.

Source : GECAS Cargo, Kargo Xpress, Picture GECAS 

 

Researched and Compiled by : 

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor  

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian