ON THE BOEING FRONT

             ANA Extends Boeing Maintenance Performance Toolbox for Entire Fleet

Boeing announced at the recent Singapore Airshow that All Nippon Airways (ANA) has signed an extension for Boeing’s Maintenance Performance Toolbox for another five years.

Maintenance Performance Toolbox allows operators to simplify their maintenance operations by enabling them to manage, distribute, process and view intelligent maintenance documentation in a uniform digital format through a single interface of aircraft manufacturer or engine type.

“The adoption of Maintenance Performance Toolbox is one example of how we have streamlined our maintenance processes through digital tools,” said  Hajime Kaneko, Vice President of the digital Transformation Portfolio Management Department at ANA.  “It has greatly reduced the complexity of managing maintenance to use the Maintenance Performance ToolBox to take advantage of those benefits.”

Today, nearly 350 airplane operators and their MRO providers rely on Maintenance Performance Toolbox to support their engineering and maintenance operations.  ANA and other airlines have deployed its full-fleet capabilities on maintaining their Boeing and non-Boeing aircraft.

“ANA was a development partner for Maintenance Performance Toolbox and was the first customer to go live with the platform’s full-fleet capability in 2013,” said Duane Wahking, Vice President of Digital Aviation Solutions for Boeing Global Services.   “We look forward to continuing to grow and improve Maintenance Performance Toolbox through our collaboration with ANA in support of streamlining their maintenance operations.”

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

                                                      Boeing Orders And Deliveries

Boeing landed orders for 37 commercial jets in February, including deals from Air Lease Corp for 18 737 Max, 14 from American Airlines and five first-generation 777 freighters from Ethiopian airlines.

Deliveries slowed to 15, broken down as follows: 15 737 Maxs one 777F to DHL and one 747-8F to UPS with no deliveries of 787s.

Source: Boeing                   

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                 Airbus & CFM International to Pioneer Hydrogen Combustion Technology

Airbus has signed a partnership agreement with CFM International, a 50/50 joined company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, to collaborate on a hydrogen demonstration program that will take flight around the middle of this decade.

The program’s objective is to ground and flight test a direct combustion engine fueled by hydrogen, in preparation for entry-into-service of a zero-emission aircraft by 2035. The demonstration will use a A380 flying testbed with liquid hydrogen tanks prepared at Airbus facilities in France and Germany.  Airbus will also define the hydrogen propulsion system requirements, oversee flight testing, and provide the A380 platform to test the hydrogen combustion engine increase phase.

CFM International (CFM) will modify the combustor, fuel system, and control system of a GE Passport turbo fan to run on hydrogen. The engine, which is assembled in the US, was selected for this program because of its physical size, advanced turbo machine and fuel flow capability.  It will be mounted along the rear fuselage of the flying testbed to allow engine emissions, including contrails, to be monitored separately from those of the engines powering the aircraft.  CFM will execute an extensive ground test program ahead of the A380 flight test.

Airbus has a long-standing relationship with CFM and parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines; together, the partners have established a great track record of delivering high-performance products that meet the needs of airline customers.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus

                                                Airbus Orders And Deliveries

In February, Airbus delivered 55 aircraft to 35 customers.  Single-aisle deliveries in February totaled 40 A320 Family aircraft composed of 37 A320 NEO, plus 4 A220s and CEO.  On the wide body side, 7 were delivered, comprised of 2 A330 and the rest were A350s.  There were no orders registered for the month.

Source : Airbus     

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                 Tradewind Aviation Expands with 20 New PC-12 NGX

Tradewind Aviation has signed an order for 20 new PC-12 NGX, expanding its fleet of Pilatus PC-12 to 38.  The first single-engine turboprop is slated for delivery in the third quarter of this year, with the remaining orders scheduled to deliver over the next five years at a rate of 3 to 4 PC-12 NGX per year.

Tradewind Aviation, the market leader in regional air mobility, announces its firm order of 20 brand new PC-12 NGX single-engine turboprop aircraft.  The company has operated both on-demand private charter and scheduled “Shuttle” service throughout the US and Caribbean since 2001.  In addition to strengthening Tradewind’s long-standing relationship with the leading leading Swiss aerospace manufacturer, the purchase will enable the private aviation company to significantly grow and enhance its Pilatus fleet, benefiting both clientele and crew members alike.

The latest version of the PC-12, the NGX boasts a completely redesigned and modernized cabin, featuring larger windows and versatile BMW Designworks seating, making for a more enjoyable and productive passenger experience.

Its powerful, worldwide proven Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-E-series engine and advanced single-pilot avionics system automate the flight controls allowing for lower fuel burn and less noise.

Source: Pilatus

                           Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 6X Completes Cold Soak Trials

The Falcon 6X completed cold weather testing, passing another major milestone towards certification, expected later this year.

The test team of engineers consisting of technicians and pilots from Dassault Aviation and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada endured bone-chilling temperatures as low as -37 degrees C (-35 degrees F) during the long trial runs in Iqaluit, a tundra town in the far north of Canada.

“The Falcon 6X continues to impress us with its performance and reliability as we move through the certification process,” said Carlos Brent, Dassault executive vice president of Civil Aircraft.

“The aircraft operated flawlessly at the extreme temperatures an aircraft can be subjected in severest climate conditions.  That includes engines, systems and low-temperature maintainability requirements.”

All told, the 6X flight-test completed 50 hours of cold tests, as well as more than 220 flights and 650 flight hours.  Certification of the large-cabin twinjet is expected later this year.

Source: Dassault, Picture Dassault                                                                  

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                           El Al Seals Codeshare With Moroccan Flag Carrier RAM

Moroccan flag-carrier Royal Air Maroc has reached a codeshare agreement with Israeli counterpart El Al, tightening new ties between the two countries.

RAM inaugurated a service between its Casablanca hub and Tel Aviv on March 13.  It operated a Boeing 787 on the route’s flight AT 228, carrying a Moroccan delegation of cultural and economic figures.

The Oneworld alliance member RAM will operate the route four-times weekly initially before it rapidly in- creasing to five, the airline states.  “We offer our customers direct flights between the two countries in less than five hours and a unique travel experience aboard our aircraft,” says RAM chief Hamid Addou.

Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has since sealed a codeshare agreement with El Al, which takes immediate effect.

Source: FlightGlobal,Royal Air Maroc, Picture Royal Air Maroc 

                                      Rolls-Royce Ultrafan Reaches Milestone

Rolls-Royce has reached a key milestone in its UltraFan technology demonstrator program as the power gearbox (PGB) is dispatched from the company’s site in Germany.  The power gearbox, which has set a world aerospace power record on test, has been shipped to the UK where the first UltraFan engine demonstrator (UF001) is being assembled.

UltraFan offers a step change in gas turbine sustainability, saving 25% fuel compared with the first generation of Rolls-Royce Trent engines.  Critical to the performance is the PGB, which has planetary design and can transmit more power than an entire grid of Formula 1 cars when running at Maximum power.   On test it has delivered 87,000 horsepower of 64 megawatts-enough to  power a medium-sized city.

Cris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said: “This is a tremendous moment for everyone on the UltraFan program as we take another step forward with the dispatch of the power gearbox.  I am proud that we are creating better, more efficient gas turbines which will be an essential part of air travel for decades to come.” 

UltraFan is scalable for narrowbody or widebody aircrafts and is a key element of Rolls-Royce’s commitment to making aviation more sustainable.

Source: Rolls-Royce, Picture Rolls Royce

                                   Emirates Sets June 23 for Tel Aviv Service

Emirates has confirmed that it will be commencing daily services to Tel Aviv from June 23, 2022.  Emirates will operate its three-class Boeing 777-300ER on the route, featuring eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airlines said: “We look forward to finally welcoming customers onboard our flights to and from Tel Aviv this summer, and offer them substantial connectivity to and through our Dubai hub as COVID Travel restrictions continue to ease around the world and more borders open up.  In addition to unlocking tremendous pent-up demand, Emirates’ debut into Israel will mean more choice for travelers as they return to the skies, and more opportunities for businesses to visit Dubai and beyond to our far reaching network of almost 130 destinations, alongside our signature hospitality and award-winning onboard experience.”

The new service to Tel Aviv will also provide 20 tons of cargo capacity on each flight, providing channels for Israeli businesses and start-ups to export products like pharmaceuticals, high tech goods, fruits and vegetables and other perishables.  The flights are also expected to transport manufacturing raw materials and components, semiconductors and e-commerce parcels into Israel.

Source: Emirates, Picture Emirates

      

LATEST NEWS

• Aviation Capital Group LLC has announced the delivery of 1 new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on long term lease to Icelandair.

• JetBlue Airways Has ordered another 30 Airbus A220-300s to take its firm commitment for the type to 100.

• Volotea will add six more Airbus A320s to its fleet this year as it continues to expand beyond its pre-Covid capacity.

• Flydubai has signed a multi-year agreement for parts provisioning and Quick Engine Change (QEC) kits from Boeing to support all-Boeing Flydubai fleet.

• Griffin Global Asset Management announced the delivery of 1 Boeing 737Max 8 to ultra-low cost airline based in the Dominican Republic.

• Swoop has announced it will grow its fleet from 10 to 16 aircraft with the acquisition of six new Boeing 737Max 8 aircraft

• UPS Airlines made this announcement on March 17th, “Our final Boeing 747-8F, (N633UP), rolled out of the paint shop and will soon enter service after completing a conformity check verification pending FAA approval.”

Sources: Boeing, Flydubai, Griffin Global Asset Management, JetBlue, UPS Airlines

AIR CARGO

DHL & Singapore Airlines Ink New Agreement To Expand Partnership

On March 10, 2022, DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, has entered into a Crew and Maintenance agreement(CM) with Singapore Airlines(SIA) to deploy five Boeing 777 Freighters.

This agreement marks a further step in DHL Express’ expansion of its intercontinental air network to meet customer demand in fast-growing international shipping markets.

Travis Cobb, Executive Vice President Global Network Operations &Aviation, DHL Express, said : “With the deployment of five Boeing 777 Freighters, we can expand our express service linking the Asia Pacific region with the Americas.  Following the pandemic, we see good prospects for strong growth in trans-Pacific trade lanes. By collaborating with Singapore Airlines, we see a unique chance to establish a long-lasting relationship with a long time partner who shares common values and operates at the highest standard.”

Based at Singapore’s Changi Airport and serving DHL’s South Asia Hub there, the freighters, which will sport a dual DHL-SIA livery, will be operated by SIA pilots on routes to the US via points in North Asia. SIA will also oversee the maintenance of these aircraft.

The initial agreement is set for more than four years with the opportunity for an extension.  As part of the agreement, the first aircraft delivery will be in July 2022, with the second in October 2022.  The remaining three aircraft are planned for delivery throughout 2023.

Sources: DHL,Singapore Airline,Pictures SIA

                                  Western Global Ordered Two 777Fs in January

US cargo carrier Western Global Airlines is the previously undisclosed customer that ordered two Boeing 777Freighters in January.  Boeing disclosed the order earlier but had not named the customer until 16 February.  Boeing does not say when it intends to deliver the aircraft to Western Global.

“The addition of 777 Freighters will enable Western Global to continue its growth, providing increased capability and flexibility to its operations,” says Boeing senior vice-president of commercial sales and marketing Ihssane Mounir.

Western Global has also taken an option to purchase one more 777F.  Western Global’s existing fleet includes 21 jets: four 747-400Fs and 17 MD-11Fs, according to Cirium fleets data.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

                         

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                           Boeing Reaches Record $2 Billion in E-Commerce Sales

Boeing achieved an annual record for e-commerce parts sales last year with more than$2 billion in online orders.  Fueled by investment in digital tools, Boeing Distribution Inc.(formerly Avail), sold nearly 70,000 parts products through its e.commerce site to commercial and government customs, eclipsing pre-pandemic levels.  Commercial orders accounted for $1.5 billion sales, reflecting the continued recovery in the airline industry.

“Our $2 billion closeout to 2021 was a great capstone as the market heads to a stable recovery.” said Ted Colbert, president & chief executive officer, Boeing Global Services, at theSingapore Airshow on February 14th.  ”Our e-commerce capabilities are a great example of the digital solutions we provide to enable industry recovery and growth.  Our focus as always is on bringing value through our products and services, and we will continue to partner with our customers as they navigate the dynamic environment.”

Boeing Distribution Inc.’s online revenue last year was 15 % higher compared to pre-pandemic levels, while orders were 20 % higher.  The stronger sales came as the company rolled out new tools to improve the customer experience, including a new homepage, a live-chat feature, and online knowledge center.

The refreshed e-commerce parts website, which features over 500,000 products, saw five million visits from 50 countries last year.

Source: Boeing Global Services, Picture Boeing Global Services

                                         Boeing Logs 75 More Orders In January

Boeing kicked off 2022 with a positive order momentum, and padded its backlog during the month with orders for 75 jets, including for the Max and newly launched 777-8 Freighter.

Boeing’s deliveries in January came to 32 aircraft 27 737 Max Jets, a 777F plus four aircraft for military programs.  Deliveries of 787s remained paused in January due to manufacturing quality issues.

Source: Boeing                    

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                           Airbus Setting up New Airline to Offer A300-600ST Beluga Fleet

Airbus has set up a new commercial outsize transport service intended to capitalize on the remaining flying life of its A300-600ST Beluga fleets, as it phases out the type from its main internal logistics operation.

The Airbus Beluga Transport service has already carried out its first work, with aircraft F-GSTC lifting a heavy helicopter from Marignane, near Marseille, to the Japanese city of Kobe at the end of last year.  This long-haul operation involved technical stops at Warsaw, Novosibirsk and Seoul.

The airframer is aiming to attract civil or military customers, not only in the aerospace industry, but the energy, space, maritime and humanitarian sectors.

Airbus Beluga Transport project Leader Clement Beaunis says the Beluga will be a complementary offering to the niche outsize market, which is served by aircraft types such as the Antonov An-124.

Beaunis says that, while the AN-124 is “very good at heavy payloads”, the Beluga, which has a 40t capability, can provide a large-diameter fuselage to handle tall and wide shipments, including engines, without the need to dismantle them.

Source: Airbus,Picture Airbus

                     Airbus Orders And Deliveries for January

Two Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000s have been dropped from the airline’s backlog, the airframer’s latest official figures reveal.

Airbus’s backlog for January 2022 shows the number of Qatar A350-1000s on order has fallen from 42 to 40 leaving total orders for the -1000 from all customers on the A350 at 162.

Qatar Airways has taken delivery of all 34 A350-900s on order, but has only taken 19 A350-1000s so far.

It has listed new orders, including an agreement with US lessor Azorra Aviation, for 22 A220s, plus 14 A320neos and A321neos from two unidentified customers.

But the Qatar cancellations have pushed the airframer’s overall net orders into deficit for the first month of the year.  Airbus delivered 30 aircraft in January, comprising four A350s,24 A320neo-family jets and a pair of A220s.

Source: Airbus

            

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                              8,000th Cessna Citation Delivered to Scotts Miracle-Gro

Textron Aviation has delivered its 8,000th Cessna Citation, the airframer announced on February 15.  The milestone aircraft, a Citation Longitude, was delivered at a special ceremony at the OEM’s headquarters in Wichita to customer Scotts Miracle-Gro. The super-midsize twinjet is the fifth in the lawn-and-garden product manufacturer’s fleet.

“I, along with the members of our flight department, congratulate Textron Aviation on the delivery of its 8,000th Citation aircraft,” said Scotts CEO Jim Hagedom, who personally owns a Citation CJ4 and is a former U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot.  “Reaching this milestone is a credit to the Cessna brand.”

The first Citation 500 was delivered in 1972 to American Airlines.  Since then, more than 30 Citation models have been certified over more than 50-year history of the brand.  Six Citation models are in production, representing the light, midsize, and super-midsize categories of business jets: M2 Gen2, CJ4 Gen2, XLS Gen 2, Latitude, and Longitude.

“A milestone like this wouldn’t be possible without all the owners and operators who love to fly our aircraft,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper.  ”With more than 41 million flight hours across the globe, our customers continue to make Citation jets their aircraft of choice.”

Source:  Textron Aviation

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                                       Korean Air Introduces Its First Boeing 737-Max 8

Korean Air announced that its first Boeing 737 Max 8 was delivered to Incheon Airport on February 13.  The newly introduced Boeing 737 Max 8 is scheduled to begin flying March 1, after undergoing standard safety procedures such as an airworthiness test.

Kicking off with its first delivery of the 737 Max 8, Korean Air is slated to receive a total of six aircraft this year.  In November 2015, Korean Air signed an agreement to acquire 30 737 Max 8s.  Korean will fly the aircraft in a two-class,146-seat configuration, which includes eight premium seats.

South Korean regulators cleared the path to restoring Boeing Max services in November 2021, following the types global grounding.  The 737 Max 8 has demonstrated high operational reliability, with a 99.38% performance over the 898,737 flight hours logged so far.

Source: Korean Air, picture Korean Air 

                                 SIA Places $2.8 Billion Order for GE9X Engines

Singapore Airlines has signed an order for 22 additional GE9X engines, which will power its fleet of Boeing 777-9s.

The contract, announced at the Singapore Airshow, also includes a long-term engine services contract, and adds to an initial order for 40 GE9X first announced in 2017.  It is valued at $2.8 billion at list price, states GE aviation.

SIA has 31 777-9 aircraft on order, and will be the first in the Asia-Pacific region to operate the type.  There are two other Asian operators with orders for the 777X: Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong as well as All Nippon Airways in Japan.

Lau Hwa Peng, SIA’s senior vice president of engineering says: “the cutting edge technologies that have gone into the Boeing 777-9 and GE9X engines will help SIA to increase our operating efficiencies, lower our fuel burn, and materially reduce our carbon emissions.  This will reinforce SIA’s position as a leading global airline, and enable us to capture future growth opportunities.”

Source: GE Aviation, Boeing Picture

               Kenya Airways Signs For Boeing Landing Gear Exchange Services

Boeing and Kenya Airways have signed an MoU for landing gear exchange services.  Boeing will provide nine landing gear chipsets wherever and whenever needed to support the Kenya Airways 787 fleet, enabling more efficient and cost-effective maintenance operations.

“The customer is key in all our operations and this program will help is continue to offer world class customer service.   It will safeguard our operations and minimize disruptions to our guests,” commented Evans Kihara, technical director at Kenya Airways.  ”This allows us to plan our cash outflow in advance and at the same time enables us to work with Boeing to ensure that our network schedule integrity is achieved, bringing the much-desired predictability to our guests.”

“This is just one example of how we can bring value to our customers through solutions tailored to meet their specific needs -in this case, an increase in Kenya Airways’ 787 maintenance efficiency and cost effectiveness.” said Anbessie Yitbarek, vice president of commercial services sales and marketing for Boeing.

“We look forward to implementing these programs with Kenya Airways, and continuing our long-standing relationship for many years to come.”

Sources: Kenya Airways,Boeing,Air International 

      

LATEST NEWS

• Viva Aerobus took delivery of the first of four A321neo leased from AMBC Aviation Capital in Hamburg on February 28th.

• Jaramco Amman-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) has extended its agreement with the global delivery company DHL to cover heavy checks on four of DHL’s Airbus A300-600 wide -bodied aircraft.

• Norwegian Scandinavian budget carrier agreed to lease 18 737s, including several Max variants from AerCap to build is fleet over the next two summer seasons.

• How Will Russia-Ukraine Conflict Affect Air Travel? the flights will be longer, the fuel costs will be higher, there will be fewer planes flying.

• Alaska Airlines has switched its 737 Max order, adding the smaller 737Max 8 & the largest 737 Max 10 to its fleet.  The move will see Alaska exercise all its options, bringing the fleet size to 145.  The new breakdown of the fleet will see 60 737 Max 10s,70 Max 9s, and 15 Max 8s.

• WestJet Group & Sunwing announced on March 2nd that they have reached a definitive agreement that WestJet Group of companies will acquire Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines.

• Corendon Airlines of Turkey will take nine Boeing 737 Max jets from US Lessor Air Lease.  The airline will receive five 737Max 8 in the spring of this year and the rest to follow in the first quarter of 2023.

• Etihad Airways has selected Boeing to provide the airline with the Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor digital solution for the carrier’s 787 Dreamliner fleet.

•   BOC Aviation Limited has announced it has agreed to purchase 11 new Boeing 737 Max-8 from Boeing for lease to Lynx Air.

Sources: Alaska Airlines, WestJet, Norwegian, FlightGlobal, Jaramco, DHL, Boeing, Etihad

AIR CARGO

                        Ethiopian Signs An MOU For Five Boeing 777-8 F Freighters

On March 4th, Boeing and its longstanding customer Ethiopian Airlines, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with the intent to purchase of five 777-8 Freighters, the industry’s newest, most capable and most fuel-efficient twin-engine freighter.

The MOU to order the 777-8 Freighter will enable Ethiopian Airlines to meet the expanding global cargo demand fro its hub in Addis Ababa and position the carrier for long-term sustainable growth.

Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January of this year and has already booked 34 firm orders for the model, which features the advanced technology from the new 777X family and proven performance of the market-leading 777 Freighter.  With payload capacity nearly identical to the 747-400 Freighter and 30% improvement in Fuel Efficiency, emissions and operating costs, the 777-8 Freighter will enable a more sustainable and profitable business for operators.

Source: Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, Picture Boeing

OTHER NOTEWORTHY NEWS

                 Italian Prosecutors To Wrap Probe On Boeing 787 Parts by July

Prosecutors investigating suspected flawed parts produced by Italian company for the Boeing787 Dreamliner are expected to wrap up probe by July; when they will say if the alleged defects could threaten the airplane safety, two sources said.

A team of independent experts appointed by the prosecutors in analyzing the components and their impact on the overall airworthiness of the aircraft, the sources close to the matter told Reuters.

The experts are currently focusing on the bigger components, including titanium parts that help secure the aircraft’s floor, which were removed in Italy from around 30 fuselages intended for Boeing 787 airplanes, a third source said.

Boeing said some 787 Dreamliner parts supplied by Italy’s Manufacturing Process  Specification(MPS) had been improperly manufactured, marking the latest in a series of industrial snags to hit the wide-body aircraft.

MPS and its now-bankrupt predecessor company Process Speciali had supplied floor fittings, spaces, brackets and clips to Italian aerospace group Leonardo, which makes two fuselage sections for the Boeing 787 at its plant in Grottaglie, near Brindisi.  Both Leonardo and Boeing have dropped MPS from their Supplier’ list.

In December of last year, prosecutors ordered the seizure of titanium and aluminum parts supplied by MPS and its Predecessor from Leonardo’s Grottaglie plant.

Initial results of the investigation launched by Brindisi prosecutors suggest that MPS and Process Speciali produced more than 4,000 flawed parts between 2016 and 2021 for the Boeing 787, the prosecutors said in a confidential report seen by Reuters in December.

Prosecutors allege that MPS or Process Speciali made parts using titanium and aluminum of different quality and origin from those ordered by the customer, breaching the relevant technical specifications.

Eight individuals, including the former head of MPS and former head of Processi Speciali, are under investigation for fraud and for actions threatening the safety of air transport.

Source: Reuters,Picture of Dreamliner Boeing.

                         

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian