ALL THINGS BOEING

                Boeing Begins Transforming MD-90 into NASA’s X-66 A

Boeing has started dismantling and scanning an old MD-90 as part of a multi-year NASA-supported project to transform the former passenger jet into the X-66A truss-braced-wing demonstrator.

Since the jet arrived at a Palmdale, California, hanger last August, Boeing’s team has removed the MD-99’s twin international Aero Engines V2500 turbofans and completed optical and laser scans of the aircraft, Boeing says on January 8th.

The work has just started.  Boeing and its partners will now spend several years removing the jet’s wings and 19 fuselage sections before equipping it with Boeing’s “transonic truss-braced wing”.  The first flight of the X-66A is targeted for the third quarter of 2028.

On January 8th the company also released a time-lapse video depicting modifications today, including removal of the MD-90”s engines,” jacking and shoring of the jet” and scanning.

Boeing manufactured the MD 90 (registration N931TB) in 1999 and acquired it from Delta Air Lines, Cirium fleets data shows.

Boeing’s truss-braced wing, to be mounted atop the MD-90’s fuselage, will be highly flexible and much longer than traditional jetliner wings, requiring it to be supported by trusses.  That extra length and increased aspect ratio (which denotes the relationship between a wing’s span and area) should generate less drag than traditional wings.

NASA has estimated that truss-braced wings could make a future new narrowbody jetliner 10% more efficient than current aircraft, with other technological advancements bringing total potential efficiency gains to 30%.

Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences is manufacturing the X66A’s composite-material wing in West Virginia.  The wing will then be shipped to Palmdale.

More Details about the X66A will be coming to you in my March report.

Source: Boeing, Picture Boeing

Boeing Orders& Deliveries for December 2023

Boeing logged more aircraft orders and deliveries in December than in any month in 2023, marking a positive finish to a year marred by production and quality issues.

But despite ending 2023 on a bit of an upswing, Boeing has found itself facing another crisis after an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 suffered a failed emergency exit door plug on the 5th of January.

Boeing in December logged new orders for 371 jets, including 301 737s, two 777 Freighters, and 68 787s, the company said on January 9th.

It also logged two order cancellations two 787s by Air Europa bringing the company’s net new December orders to 369.

That strong finish bumped Boeing’s total 2023 net new orders to 1,314 aircraft, 70% more than the 774 net orders it landed in 2022.

Customers to order the 301 737s in December included Avolon Aerospace Leasing for (40), Ethiopian Airlines(20), Lufthansa (40) and SunExpress (45).  Boeing says customers it declines to name ordered another 156 of the jets last month.

The company’s 787 order activity included 11 orders from Ethiopian, 12 from Qantas, and 45 from unnamed buyers.  Unidentified customers ordered two 777Fs.

Boeing also managed to accelerate its deliveries in December, by handing 67 jets to customers more than any month last year.

Source: Boeing                  

ALL THINGS AIRBUS

                  Airbus to Broaden A300-600ST Beluga as New Carrier

Airbus has secured an air operator’s certificate for a new carrier established to conduct outsize freight transport using the airframer’s withdrawn A300-600ST Beluga fleet.

The manufacturer unveiled plans two years ago to set up Airbus Beluga Transport, intending the company eventually to operate as a dedicated airline.

Airbus has introduced the larger A330-700L BelugaXL to replace the five A300-600STs previously used to ship aircraft structures between its manufacturing facilities.

“We now have the aircraft, we have the people and we have the facilities and the certificate,” says managing director Benoit Lemonnier.  ”So now we can operate missions as our own airline”.

The carrier has also established a management structure and recruited some 60 personnel, among them additional pilots.   It offers a new avenue for A300 and A310 cockpit crews, and the company predicts a need for 26 Beluga pilots by 2026.  To bridge the training gap, it will temporarily take 12 Airbus Transport International pilots for up to three years.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus

                    Airbus Orders and Deliveries For December 2023

Airbus handed over a total of 735 aircraft during 2023, managing to exceed its full-year target of 720.

It also secured net orders of 2,094 aircraft – a record figure for the airframer – compared with the 820 reached last year.  The figures mark the first time Airbus achieved more than 2,000 net orders in a single year.

Airbus delivered 247 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2023.  Overall deliveries for the year comprised 571 A320neo-family jets, 64 A350s and 68 A220s.

Source: Airbus

        A330-300 Backlog Falls to Zero 30 Years After Entry Into Service

Airbus has removed the old outstanding order for A330-300s from its backlog, an agreement for eight aircraft with China’s state aviation supply firm CASC.

The adjustment means all 776 A330-300s on firm order have been delivered, almost exactly 30 years since French Airline Air Inter put the first into service in January 1994.

CASC placed an order for 30 A330-300s in October 2015 but still had eight aircraft on the airframer’s backlog by 2019.  Airbus’s latest full-year backlog data shows the aircraft have been removed.  There is no indication which carrier was destined to operate the twinsets.

The A330-300 has evolved into the A330-900, the larger member of the re-engined A330neo family which has taken 284 orders.

Gross orders for the A330neo during 2023 reached 37 aircraft, all but one the -900 variant.

Source: Airbus, Picture Airbus                  

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                   Greek Carrier Sky Express Adds to ATR Fleet

Greek carrier Sky Express continued its fleet modernization efforts by taking delivery of the first of two newly ordered ATR72-600s in December.

Sky Express already operated six 72-600s following an order placed with ATR in the summer of 2021. It has now ordered two more 600 models, the first of which was delivered in December.  The second will follow in the first quarter.  It also operates six older ATR 72-500s.

Sky Express chief executive Konstantinos lliakis says:  ”As we continue to grow our regional fleet, we are delighted to operate the youngest ATR fleet in the region and we have commitments for further fleet standardization and improvement early in Q1 2024.”

The Greek carrier also operates A320neo-family  narrowbodies, having taken delivery of its first A320neo in November 2020 as part of an expansion of its international services.  The airline also last year took delivery of its first two A321neos, which it operates alongside the eight A320neos.

Source: FlightGlobal, picture ATR

                               Envoy to add More Embraer E-Jets

American Airlines’ regional subsidiary Envoy Air plans to add 19 Embraer regional jets, 8 Embraer 175s, and 11 E170s to its fleet, with deliveries expected to begin this year.

The Irving, Texas-based regional carrier disclosed the planned fleet expansion on the 3rd of January, noting that the incoming E-jets will bring Envoy’s total fleet to 169 aircraft – 126 E175s and 43 E170s.

The airline does not specify from where it will receive the jets, or if they will be new or used.  Envoy did not immediately respond to a request for more details.

“This measured, sustainable success is a direct outcome of Envy’s commitment to safety, quality, and cost,” says Pedro Fabregas, Envoy’s chief executive.

The carrier operated 119 aircraft at the end of 2022 and has since aggressively added aircraft to its ready-massive E-Jet fleet.  In June of last year, it retired the last of its 50-seat ERJ-145s.

The carrier flies to some 160 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Source: American Airlines                                          

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

             Boeing Inaugurates Parts Distribution Center In India

Boeing has inaugurated a new distribution center in India, as it eyes continued growth in the Indian airline market.  The 36,000 sqft distribution center is located in Khurja, in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state, says Boeing.  It will distribute parts to customers in the region and should improve aircraft utilization.

“This center will support the emergent needs of spare parts for Boeing aircraft in India, reducing lead times, improving availability, and supporting the MRO industry here,” says Boeing India president Salil Gupte.

The company first announced the new distribution center in February 2023, and it shipped its first parts 10 months later.

Other Boeing initiatives in India include a partnership with GMR Aero Technic to set up a freighter conversion line in Hyderabad, and a Support center in Gurgaon.  Cirium fleet data indicates that there are 158 Boeing aircraft in service with Indian airlines. In addition, Indian carriers have orders for 547 Boeing aircraft.

Source: Boeing, picture Akasa Air.

              Turkish Airlines Secures AOC for Low-cost Unit AJet

Turkish Airlines has secured an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for its low-cost carrier AnadoluJet for when it begins operations as stand stand-alone unit under the AJet Brand.

AnadoluJet was established by the airline in 2008, but last year Turkish Airlines outlined plans to separate the company as a wholly-owned subsidiary from this summer.

To support the move, Turkish Airlines has been working on securing a separate AOC for the airline, under which it is being rebranded Ajet.  In a short statement, the company says the country’s aviation regulator granted AJet’s AOC on January 2nd.  “ AJet is expected to start its operations at the beginning of the summer season in 2024,” the airline says.

Under its long-term growth plans, Turkish Airlines aims to more than double its AJets fleet from 94 at the end of last year to 200 aircraft by 2033.  That will include a completely renewed fleet by 2029.  These expansion plans envisage the fleet by 2029.  These expansion plans envisage the fleet serving an increased network of 80 international destinations by 2033.

Source: Turkish Airlines, Picture Turkish Airlines

         Lufthansa Technik CelestialStar VVIP Cabin for BBJ777-9

Lufthansa Technik(LHT) has revealed the final part of its new CelestialStar cabin concept for the Boeing Business Jet 777-9, a design it sees as ideal for the Middle East head-of-state market.

The German completions house had already teased the unnamed concept at EBACE and NBAA business aviation shows in May and October, respectively, last year. Still, it said it was waiting until the Dubai air show to unveil the full details of the design and branding.

“It says the CelestialStar interior combines traditional influences from the Middle East’s cultural heritage with a modern twist” and is “specifically tailored to the requirements of a new generation of VVIP and head-of-state aircraft”.

While much of the concept has been previously disclosed, details of the forward VVIP cabin and lounge area adjacent to the main cabin entry doors had remained a secret.  The private suite takes the forward part of the CelestialStar design and incorporates a private bedroom and bathroom.

The windows are fitted with electrochromic dimming – a concept first introduced in the 787.

Hassan Gasim, sales director of Middle East VIP & special aircraft services at LHT, says Sister carrier Lufthansa’s position as the launch customer for the 777-9 has enabled the completions unit to build up extensive technical expertise early.

Source: Lufthansa Technik, Boeing, FlightGlobal       

LATEST NEWS

• Akasa Air has ordered 150 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, landing Boeing its first major commitment for the type in 2024.  The order, announced on January 18 at the Wings India India air show in Hyderabad, comprises Max 10s and Max 8-200s.  Deliveries will run until 2032, says the low-cost operator.

• Delta Air Lines has announced an order for 20 Airbus A350-1000s, with options for 20 more marking its first commitment for the wide body family’s larger variant.

• EVA Taiwanese carrier has placed a firm order for 18 Airbus A350-1000s and 15 A321neos, sealing an acquisition previously announced in 2023.
• Alaska Airlines has received its first Boeing 737 Max 8, an aircraft with sufficient range to enable the carrier to launch new transcontinental routes.

• NATO Plans to acquire six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft for introduction in the early next decades as part of preparations to draw down its veteran Boeing E-3A airborne warning and control system(AWACS) fleet.

• Juneyao Airlines took delivery of the first 787-9 Dreamliner to China since 2019.

Sources: Boeing, Delta, Alaska, FlightGlobal, EVA

AIR CARGO

                                     Atlas Air Received Fourth 777F

US cargo carrier Atlas Air has taken delivery of the last of four Boeing 777-200 freighters to fly for Swiss Transport and logistics specialist Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

Atlas parent, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, confirmed the delivery on January 11, saying Atlas is now operating the quartet of widebody cargo jets “on a global basis” on behalf of MSC Air Cargo.

Atlas took its first of the 777Fs in November 2022, while two more were delivered last year.  The newest addition to Atlas’ stable of freighters under long-term aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) agreements with MSC will allow it to boost capacity on flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Hong Kong.

The delivery also builds on the cooperation between Atlas and MSC.  “The delivery of this fourth freighter that we are operating for MSC marks an incredibly exciting milestone of our long-term strategic partnership,” says Richard Broekman, chief commercial officer and head of sustainability for Atlas Air Worldwide.

Source: Atlas Air Worldwide, Picture MSC Air Cargo

                       

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@yahoo.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian