Avolon

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Volume 5 Issue 5 May 2018 The Kaplanian Report

On the Boeing Front

                               Boeing Start Assembly of the First 777-9

Major fuselage sections of the first 777X aircraft have entered Boeing’s fuselage assembly center in Everett wide body plant.

In a tweeted photo on March 23rd, (see picture) Boeing showed the first Section 41—the company’s internal designation for the nose and forward fuselage—entered the 40-47 bay of the Everett factory. The first 777-9 version of the 777X family to enter fuselage assembly will be used for static testing on the ground, Boeing says.

Inside the 40-47 bay, Section 41 will be joined to the center and aft fuselage sections, using a new process introduced two years ago on the 777-300ER and 777-200LR programs. Instead of loading the assemblies into a rotating tool fixture, Boeing will mate the 777X using automated upgrade build (FAUB) procession which sections are loaded into movable cradles and are mated together using mostly robots for drilling and fastening.

Later this year, the assembled fuselage will be moved to the final assembly bay for the 777X, where it will be joined with the aircraft’s first new composite wings.  Boeing introduced the first 777-9 wingspan into assembly last year for the static test airplane.

During final assembly, Boeing also mates the fuselage with the wings, onboard systems and the GE Aviation GE9X engines. The 777-9 program is scheduled to enter flight testing in 2019 and enter service with launch customer Emirates in 2020.The longer-range 777-8 will enter service two years later.

Source : Boeing/Flightglobal   

                   

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

      Sections for First All Nippon Airways A380 Arrive in Toulouse

Final assembly of the first A380 for All Nippon Airways is set to start this month.

The main sections of the first A380 for Japan’s All Nippon Airways(ANA) have arrived at the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse, France via a special convoy, with six subassemblies—the nose, central and aft fuselage sections, the tailplane, and the two wings.

ANA Holdings placed a firm order for three A380s in 2016, becoming the first customer for the A380 in Japan. The first delivery is scheduled early in 2019, and the A380 will initially be operated on the Tokyo-Honolulu route. ANA’s A380 will feature a special Hono Hawaiian green sea turtle livery, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.

Source : Airbus/Picture Airbus            

       

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

      Gulfstream Aerospace Has Delivered a Fourth G650ER to Qatar

Gulfstream AeroSpace delivered a fourth G650ER to Qatar Airways for its Qatar Executive commercial charter service.

With the delivery, Qatar Executive becomes the largest single owner and operator of G650ER aircraft, Gulfstream said.

The delivery will help meet increased demand for a longer-range private air travel by Qatar customers, Qatar Airways said. Gulfstream’s partnership with Qatar Airways began in 2014 when it became the launch customer for the Gulfstream G500.

Since then, Qatar Airways has signed orders and options for up to 30 Gulfstream aircraft that include the G650ER,the G500 and the G600.

Source : Gulfstream/Qatar Airways                                                                                                                                  

                 Cambodia Bayon Airlines Commenced Operations                         with MA60 Domestically

Cambodia Bayon Airlines (Phnom Penh) is a new airline in Cambodia which selected the Xian MA 60 to fly domestic operations between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The airline received its AOC on December 23, 2014.

Cambodia Bayon Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayon Airlines Holdings which was established in April 2014.

Bayon Airlines plans to introduce 20 MA60 aircraft and 10 Airbus A320 aircraft within five years to build route network which covers Cambodia and services to Japan , China and Korea.

Little bit about the MA60…it is a stretched version of the Xian A7-200A which was produced on the An24 to operate in rugged conditions with limited ground support and short take-off and landing(STOL) capability. The MA60 has not applied for FAA(US) and EASA(Europe) type certification and is not certified for use in the US and the European Union.

Source :World Airline News/Ed’s Research  

                                                               

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

         China Southern Group to Take 309 Aircraft Through to 2020

The China Southern Airlines Group is currently scheduled to take delivery of 309 aircraft over the next three years, with nearly half of those set to arrive this year.

Over 2018 the carrier will take delivery of 115 aircraft, comprising of 61 Boeing 737-800s,39 Airbus A320 family jets,10 787-9s and five A330-300s.It will retire 29 aircraft, thus ending the year with an estimated 840 aircraft-up from 2017’s 754.

2019 will see the addition of 105 aircraft, comprising of 45 Boeing 737-800s, 42 A320 family jets, seven 787-9s, six A350-900s and five 777-300ERs. It will end the year with 916 aircraft, after 29 retirements.

2020 will see 89 additions, again with the 737-800s forming the bulk of the deliveries at 51, followed by 24 A320 family aircraft, six A350-900s, five 787-9s and three 777-300ERs.With 26 planned retirements, it will end the year with 979 aircraft. China Southern is the largest airline group in China by fleet size. Besides China Southern, the group also has stakes in a list of carriers including Xiamen Airlines, Shantou Airlines, Zhuhai Airlines, Guizhou Airlines, Chongqing Airlines and Hebei Airlines.

Source : Flightglobal                                                                                                                                           

                    American Orders 47 787s for Fleet Replacement

American Airlines has ordered 47 Boeing 787s on April 6 and canceling its order for 22 Airbus A350s.The 787 order consists of 22 787-8s to begin arriving in 2020 and 25 787-9s scheduled to begin arriving in 2023 American said.

The 787-8s will replace American’s Boeing 767-300s, while later 787-9 deliveries will replace Airbus A330-300s and older 777-200s.All the 787s will be powered by GE Aviation GEnx-1B engines. The order is valued at $12 billion at list prices, says Boeing.

“This was a difficult decision between the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 and the A330neo and we thank both manufactures for their aggressive efforts to earn more of American’s business,” says Robert Isom, President of American, in a statement. “In the end, our goal to simply our fleet made the 787 a more compelling choice.”

As part of the deal, American is also deferring the delivery of 40 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbodies.

Boeing says that the order is a new deal from American and not an exercise of the carrier’s options for 58 787s.

American will be the largest operator of the 787 in the western hemisphere, with 89 aircraft. ANA, the Japanese carrier that was the launch customer for the Dreamliner, is the largest operator of 787s, while lessor AerCap is the largest 787owner.

So Far Orders for the 787 Dreamliners stand at over 1,365 that is not counting recent announcements from Hawaiian for 10 787-9s and Emirates for 40 787-10. When confirmed will be over 1,400. (EdK)

Source : Boeing/American/ATW/Flightglobal/Ed’s Research

           

                          Ethiopian Airlines Launches Split Scimitar                              Winglet in Northern Africa

Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced on March 26 that Ethiopian Airlines has become the first operator in Northern Africa of its Split Scimitar Winglet Technology. The first installation of the System was completed on March 20th,2018 in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines intends to install the Winglets on its fleet of Boeing Next Generation 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. Aviation Partners’ latest Winglet design, the Split Scimitar Winglet, uses existing Blended Winglets technology but adds new aerodynamic Scimitar tips and a large ventral strake, further increasing the efficiency of the airplane.

The Split Scimitar Winglet modification reduces Boeing Next-Generation 737 block fuel consumption by up to an additional 2.2% over the Blended Winglets alone. The Split Scimitar Winglet System will reduce Ethiopian Airline’s annual fuel requirements by more than 275,000 liters per aircraft and their carbon dioxide emissions by over 700tons per aircraft per year.

Since launching the Boeing Next-Generation 737 Split Scimitar Winglet program, APB has taken orders for over 1,800 systems, and over 1,000 aircraft are now operating with the technology. APB estimates that its products have reduced aircraft fuel consumption worldwide by over 8.0 billion gallons to date thereby saving nearly 85.0 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions

Source : Aviation Partners Boeing/Ethiopian Airlines/Picture Avimet.cr

     

LATEST NEWS

  • Ukraine International Airlines will take delivery of 10 aircraft in 2018, comprising of four 737-800s, four 777-200ERs and two Embraer E190s.
  • Spirit Airlines agreed to purchase 14 Airbus A319-100s off-lease from AerCap.
  • Avolon delivered one Boeing 787-9 aircraft to Virgin Atlantic. This is the fourth Avolon aircraft on lease to Virgin Atlantic.
  • Jet Airways announced a new order for 75 737 MAX. The new deal is in addition to a similar number of 737 Max 8s of firm orders and purchase rights that was announced at the 2015 Dubai air show.
  • Air Lease has firmed up an order for eight additional Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, valued at almost $939 million at list prices.
  • Royal Jordanian Airlines improved on-time performance to rank third in the Middle East and Africa.                                                                                                                                             
  • Hi Fly Portuguese long-haul wet-lease specialist is to become the latest operator of the Airbus A380, with planes to take delivery of the type around the middle of this year.
  • LOT Polish Airlines received its first 787-9 after a 9h 20 min flight from Everett Paine Field to Warsaw Chopin Airport.
  • Lessor BOC Aviation has signed a purchase agreement with Boeing for six 787-9s, in a deal valued at $1.69 billion at list prices.
  • All Nippon Airways(ANA) has finalized an order for two 777-200LRFs valued at $678 million at list prices. 
  • Gulf Air reveals new branding as it took delivery of its first delivery 787-9 on April 6th.                                                                                                                                                                     
  • Sources : Various Sources Researched by Ed K

 

AIR CARGO

  Air Bridge Cargo Launches Scheduled Freighter Services at Rickenbacker

AirBridgeCargo Airlines(ABC) will become the fifth freighter operator to provide scheduled services at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

The Russia-based carrier joins a network of logistics service providers at the US cargo-dedicated airport, which is located within a one-day drive to nearly half of the US population and one third of the Canadian population.

ABC’s inaugural flight landed at Rickenbacker on April 5th, and weekly flights will continue on Thursdays, carrying freight inbound from the airlines global hub in Moscow and returning to Moscow through Liege, Belgium. The carrier will employ its fleet of 747 freighters that provide up to 139 tons of capacity.

ABC joins Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Cargo as freight carriers that operate up to 15 weekly international lights at Rickenbacker International Airport(LCK).

Source : aircargonews/Photo ABC                                                                                                                   

       Qatar Airways Signs LOI for 5 Boeing 777-200LR Freighters 

On April 10 Qatar Airways signed a letter of intent(LOI) with Boeing to buy five 777-200LR Freighters, worth $1.7 billion at list prices, the airline said in a statement. Al Baker And Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister met in Doha to sign the preliminary agreement. Qatar has taken delivery of 13 out of 16 Boeing 777 Freighters orders in 2006, and has 60 of the next generation jets on order, according to Boeing’s orders and deliveries website.

The order will be posted on Boeing’s orders and deliveries website once the purchase is finalized the statement said.

Source : Reuters

 

   Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

     Rolls-Royce Develops Maintenance Log Reader

Rolls-Royce is preparing to demonstrate part of Intelligent Insights a suite of tools launched under the IntelligentEngine program.

The first of those tools, Technical Insight uses natural language processing techniques to read engine maintenance logs, combining its findings with cloud-based inputs from other data sources.

“Insights are then delivered via visualization tools for the line maintenance environment in an easy-to-use append via the Rolls-Royce portal”, says Rolls-Royce in a statement.

If It works as intended, the tool should make mechanics’ lives easier, removing the need to cross-check various sources of information and presenting important data in an accessible manner.

The main goal is to improve dispatch reliability, but it will also be interesting to see how the new technology contributes to wider aims such as lifecycle management.

Rolls-Royce has not said if Technical Insight was developed with outside help or purely in house.

Source : Rolls-Royce/Rolls-Royce Picture

 

MRO LATEST NEWS

  • Safran Nacelles unveiled the NacelleLife service offering providing complete coverage of its set engine nacelle systems—including thrust reversers.
  • Lufthansa Technik has a total component support agreement with Easter Jet for its Boeing 737NGs.
  • AerFin signed a three-year TrueChoice Material Service Agreement with GE Aviation for serviceable OEM parts, advanced repair and technology upgrades for the CFM56,CF34 and CF-80C2 engines.
  • Wheeltug was selected by Kenya Airways to provide its electric taxi systems for its Boeing 737NGs.
  • Pratt & Whitney was selected by JetBlue Airways to supply GTF engines for another 85 Airbus A320neo family aircraft; the deal includes 15-year EngineWise service agreement.                    

 

 

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian

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Volume 4 Issue 9 The Kaplanian Report September 2017

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Urals Boeing Plant to Triple Partners’ Titanium Capacity 

Shipments of Russian-made aerospace parts will exceed $1billion after the new Urals Boeing Manufacturing (UBM) plant begins operations next summer.  Sergei Kravchenko, Boeing president for Russia and CIS, told reporters during a briefing in Moscow a day ahead of the July 18th to 23rd MAKS 2017 airshow.

UBM, a joint venture between the U.S. airframes and Russia’s Roster Corporation officially launched operations in 2009, but the demand for more titanium parts prompted the partners to invest in a second plant to triple the capacity.

The new plant opens “just in time”, said Kravchenko, considering the 18 to 24 month lead time for major 777X parts.

Russian output grew quickly as Boeing 787 production rose from an initial two to 12 per month.  Each Dreamliner coming off the production line uses 56 parts made of Russian titanium, weighing a total weight of 22 tons, including heavily machined components from UBM and raw material supplied directly by Rostec’s VSMPO-Avisma company.

Financial restrictions have proved most damaging, because they make it harder for Russian airlines to buy Boeing aircraft. ”We continue materializing all we had agreed before, but the political instability restricts our ability to launch larger economic projects that would benefit both sides,” he said. ”I want to see sanctions removed.”

Nevertheless, Kravchenko expressed optimism about the potential of Boeing Global Services(GBS).” Kravchenko said “Stan Deal, GBS president and CEO, asked for my assistance…and I shall be working for him while keeping the current position,” he added.

Kravchenko said he sees the recent achievements of Russian airlines – most notably Aeroflot – in the area of digitization as a major contribution to the new division to provide round-the-clock support for airlines. Boeing plans to take advantage of the time zone difference between Moscow and Seattle, employing engineers in those respective cities “as though in two shifts”.

“This way, we can get airline’s requests for services fulfilled quicker and in a more efficient manner,” concluded Kravchenko.

Source : Air Transport

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Delivers Its 100th A350 XWB

Airbus has delivered its 100th A350 XWB, just some 30 months after the first delivery in December 2014.  The 100th aircraft delivered is an A350-900 for China Airlines.

“The 100th A350 XWB milestone comes as we reach our fastest wide body production ramp-up on track to meet the target of 10 A350 deliveries per month by the end of 2018,” said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus COO and President Commercial Aircraft.

“China Airlines is happy to be receiving the 100th A350XWb,” said Nuan-Shuan Ho, Chairman of China Airlines. To date, the A350 has been delivered to 14 airlines worldwide and is flying with an outstanding operational reliability rate of 99%. ”This is a remarkable statistic at this early stage of the program,” Fabrice Bregier adds.

The A350-1000 is the new member of the A350 XWB family and benefits from its high level of commonality with the A350-900. Scheduled for Type Certification and first Customer delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017, the A350-1000 is currently performing an intensive flight test campaign.

As of July 26, Airbus has recorded a total of 847 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide.

Source : Airbus/Airbus Picture

 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

   Embraer Lauds Services In Q2 Results

Embraer saw a 30% increase in second-quarter sales, due in part to improved revenue from services – an increasingly important business line for the world’s major aircraft manufacturers.

The Brazilian company’s second-quarter revenue rose to $1.77 billion, on factors including higher services sales and increased commercial deliveries.

Embraer delivered 35 commercial aircraft during the quarter, versus 26 in last year’s equivalent period.  It also delivered 24 business aircraft, and noted that its executive jets division had recorded a double-digit growth in services revenue.

Boeing is also pushing its aftermarket product: First-half earnings for its services division unit were up 11% to $674 million and Boeing expects the unit’s operating margin for the full year to breach 13.5%, up from a previous forecast of 12.5%-plus.

And while Embraer’s 2Q trading statement is unclear about services’ contribution to higher revenues within its commercial aircraft division, the manufacturer does offer a full suite of services, including maintenance, modifications, field support, training and materials.

In the first half of 2017, Embraer had invested almost $24 million in parts for its pooling program.  The company also invested in its E2 aircraft program, which is currently running four E190-Es and one E195-E2 prototypes.  The E190-E2, which has 83 firm orders, completed its wing bending test in May and is now more than halfway through its test campaign.

(It is interesting how airframers are now putting more emphasis on the services side of their businesses. As a former spares executive in the car industry and heavy duty Truck industry, I am elated to see the expansion of this business, which handled correctly can generate more profit for airframes)

Source : Embraer/ Embraer Picture

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 

 ALC Looks to Accelerate Boeing Deliveries As Airbus Delays Mount

Air Lease is looking to accelerate some of its Boeing deliveries to offset delays to certain Airbus aircraft in 2018, as it questions the stability of both airframers’ supply chains.

Delivery delays of Pratt &Whitney powered A320neo family aircraft and Rolls Royce- powered A330-900neos continue and are

“sliding right” month-by-month in 2018, says  John Plueger, chief executive of the Los Angeles-based lessor, during a second quarter earnings call on August 3rd.

Steven Udar-Hazy, chairman of All, calls the delays to the A330neos the “Rolls Royce Situation”, during the call. He adds that the aircraft has not even begun flight tests.

As a result of the delays, the lessor is looking to accelerate some of its Boeing deliveries into 2018 and may temper its aircraft sales program, says Plueger.

The lessor has yet to determine the full impact of the delays on deliveries from its order book and to its sales program, says Plueger when asked by Wall Street analysts.  He adds that it is receiving updates from Airbus on a weekly basis and hopes to have some clarity by the end of summer.  ALC attributes the delays to supply chain issues, particularly with engines, that are impacting Airbus and, to a lesser extent, Boeing.

“We don’t have the production delay problems with Boeing that we have with Airbus,” says Udvar-Hazy, when asked about possible acceleration of Boeing deliveries.” It just seems Boeing has its programs under control,” he adds.

Source : Flightglobal/ALC

 

Norwegian Has Performed Its First Commercial Transatlantic 737 MAX 

Low-cost carrier (LCC) Norwegian Shuttle has performed its first commercial transatlantic flights using the Boeing 737 MAX, with two aircraft now in revenue service.

The first Norwegian 737 MAX transatlantic sector was operated July 15 by aircraft named “Sir Freddie Laker,” who is widely recognized as long a long-haul, low-cost pioneer.  The Skytrain executive started long-haul, low-cost flights between London Gatwick and New York in 1977,  with fares starting at $77.

Norwegian’s 189-seat 737 MAX operated between Edinburgh and Hartford, Connecticut; followed by a second rotation from Edinburgh to Stewart International in New York.

The 737 MAX offers longer range compared with older narrow bodies, opening up smaller transatlantic city pairs at an affordable cost and fare price.

Norwegian will take delivery of six 737 MAXs this summer, joining the two it already has in service.

Source : Flightglobal/Norwegian/NorwegianPicture

 

  LOT Polish Airlines Completes Initial Phase of Long-Haul Renewal

LOT Polish Airlines has taken delivery of the final aircraft of its batch of eight Boeing 787-8s, as the Polish national carrier eyes the arrival of the larger-9 model next year.  CEO Rafal Milczarski credits the twin-aisle aircraft as being a factor in the airlines financial turnaround.

The eighth 787-8 will largely be used to increase frequencies on LOT’s Asian routes, notably to Tokyo (from 3X-to 4X-weekly) and Seoul (from 3X-to %X-weekly) beginning this month.  The enlarged fleet will also begin %X-weekly services from Warsaw to Newark Newark, replacing a Boeing 767-300 leased from Portuguese leasing and charter specialist EuroAtlantic Airways.

The final 787-8 will also allow for potential new long-haul services to be launched, even before the arrival of a batch of four 787-9s next year.  That will be used to inaugurate the recently announced Budapest-New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare routes from May.

On the short-haul front, July also saw the deliveries go four 737-800NG completed, while in November, LOT will be one of the early operators of the 737 MAX 8.

  Source : ATW/Picture Norwegian

 

LATEST NEWS

  • Air Lease Corp has finalized an order with Boeing for 12 737 MAX aircraft previously announced at the Paris Air Show.  The agreement also includes two new orders for the 787-9 Dreamliner.

  • Avolon Irish lessor delivered one Boeing 737 Max 8 to Indonesia’s Lion Air.  This is the fourth Avolon aircraft on lease to Lion Air.
  • ICBC, Chinese lessor, has been identified as the customer behind an order for 20 Airbus A320neo placed at the end of 2014.
  • ALAFCO secured a loan from Stellwagen Finance for the first Airbus A320neo for lease to Air India.
  • GE Aviation earned $1.49 billion on $6.53 billion sales in 2Q17 vs $1.35 billion on $6.51 billion in 2Q16.
  • Meggitt aviation component and systems maker has landed a deal with Boeing to provide the airframe with integrated standby flight displays (ISFD) for the 777X.
  • Flydubai Dubai based low-cost carrier (LCC) has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8, becoming the first Middle Eastern carrier to operate the type.

  • Singapore Airlines has dropped its short-haul low-cost carrier (LCC) brand Tingerair, merging the airline into mid-to long-haul LCC Scoot.
  • Saudi Aramco has taken delivery of three new Boeing 737-800s in as many months.

  • New England Patriots has acquired two former American Airlines Boeing 767-300ERs for travel to out-of-town games.  The 767s are owned by a company called Team 125 Inc, operated by New England Patriots LLC and financed by Kraft Group, a company let by Patriots owner Robert Kraft.  The aircraft will be configured in an all-first class configuration and will operate out of TF Green airport near Providence, Rhode Island.
  • BOC Aviation firmed its commitment to order 10 737 Max 10s made at the Paris  Air Show in June.

 

AIR CARGO

Volga-Dnepr Weighs in With Vision for a Larger An-124 

Volga-Dnepr Group has outlined its principal requirements for a future freighter to replace the Antonov An-124-100.

During the MAKS air show in Moscow in July, it outlined its vision of a successor to the Ukrainian outsize-cargo aircraft, developed in the 1970s as a military transport.

“In our view, a new freighter should be 35% to 40% more efficient economically and capable to carry a payload of up to 170t for at least 8,000km to 10,000km (4,300-5,400nm)”, say technical director Viktor Tolmachev.  “This would enable the operator to transport even bulkier cargos on longer-haul routes across the oceans and continents.”

The cargo variant of the An-124 entered commercial service with Volga-Dnepr Airlines in October 1991.  Since then the freighter has undergone several enhancements and modifications, the latest is the-100M-150, fitted with Western avionics and capable of flying 2,430nm with a payload of 150t.

Volga-Dnepr currently uses a dozen An-124s, of which 10 were built 22-27 years ago.

Source : Flightglobal/ Volga-Dnepr Picture

 

 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News                         

One-Stop OEM Shopping?

The aviation aftermarket is being jolted by some bold moves from OEMs that could challenge conventional business models.  Or is this simply part of the next wave of consolidation?

Take Boeing Avionics.  The OEM announced on July 31, that it is setting up the avionics unit to develop avionics for both commercial and military platforms.  That means it will compete against some of its Tier 1 suppliers – such as Honeywell, United Technologies Corp. and Rockwell Collins. The latter “saw its share price whacked on the Boeing Avionics news,” says Robert Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research Partners, who points out Rockwell Collins stock “has since rallied.”

A few days later, on Aug. 4, reports started swirling that United Technologies might purchase Rockwell Collins. Keep in mind Rockwell Collins just finished acquiring B/E Aerospace, the cabin interior product and services company, on April 13th. It had expanded its interiors portfolio and established natural synergies and complementary services in areas such as cabin management, connectivity and communication.

Now that some OEMs aim for more aftermarket revenue, it’s not surprising that they seek greater in-house capabilities for an expanding market, which Aviation Week forecasts to reach $74.3 billion this year.

Expect the market to continue expanding through the year. In Vertical Research Partners’ assessment of the global aerospace and defense market’s second quarter, released Aug. 7, it says the aerospace market grew about 7% slightly higher than the 5% in the first quarter.

While all this is emerging, Stallard also sees “a potential shift in the balance of power between the aircraft OEMs and their suppliers,” some of which “are struggling to keep up with the relentless price and efficiency demands of Boeing and Airbus.”

Source : MRO-Network

 

 MRO Short News

  • Jet Yard was selected by Delta Material Services to perform part outs in Marana, Arizona.
  • ATR extended its global maintenance agreement with Stobart Air for 17 Air aircraft.
  • Czech Airlines Technics was selected by KLM low-cost carrier Transavia for Boeing 737NG maintenance.
  • Zodiac Seats US was selected by Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair to supply Z110 economy seats for Boeing 737 MAXs.
  • Ducommun has a Boeing contract to supply aluminum fuselage skins for the Boeing 737-800BCF.

 

September Puzzler        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August Puzzler Answer :  Allegiant Air the fleet is so old that its most numerous airplanes are McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and -90s, which ceased production 17 years ago. Allegiant also operates a pair of Boeing 757s (out of production since 2004) and about somewhat younger dozen Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft.

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

June 2017 The Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

 Boeing Elaborates on 777-9 Design Details 

Boeing has published further preliminary details of the 777-9’s configuration, three years ahead of entry into service. It shows a slightly lower aircraft with an interior re-sculpted to carve out a precious 10.2cm (4in) of internal diameter.

A 79-page document posted on Boeing’s website offers the first detailed update on the larger 777X variant’s dimensions since a brochure version appeared in 2015.

Boeing released both documents to help airport managers prepare for the arrival of the stretched wide body with its extended wingspan.

Compared with the previous iteration, the update shows the 777-9’s designers have made a few minor tweaks.  For example, the height of the vertical tail above the runway is about 17 cm (6.6 in) shorter,while it remains nearly 1m (3.3 ft) taller than the height of the 777-300ER.

The most critical dimensions for the 777-9 remain unchanged, with a 2.9m (9.5 ft) longer fuselage and 7m (22.9 ft) wider unfolded wingspan compared to the 777-300ER.

The folded wingspan of the 777-9 measures 64.82m (212.7 ft), about 2,54cm (0,083 in), wider than the 777-300 ER. Boeing also has

worked to make the 777-9 more comfortable with a standard 10-abreast layout in economy class.

The 777-9 shares an external fuselage cross-section with the 777-300ER, but the internal sidewalls have been carved out by about 10.2cm (4.0in).

Boeing now lists the 777-9’s standard two-class cabin as accommodating 414 passengers, with a three-class cabin holding 349 seats.

Source : Boeing/BoeingPicture

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                        A330 First Flight Likely to Slip to September

Airbus will now perform the first flight of its A330neo “at the end of the summer”’, a significant delay over its previous timeline for the re-engined aircraft.  Speaking at an event in Toulouse, Airbus executive vice-president for programs Didier Evrard confirmed the slippage.

The initial Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine has successfully completed tests, he says: “We will install it during the summer and fly at the end of the summer.”

The maiden flight, he says, would likely take place around September rather than August, due to the lengthy summer break in France.

In the meantime, lessor SMBC Aviation Capital has ruled out interest in the Airbus A330neo. Instead they are focusing its energies on securing more sale-and-leaseback deals for the A350.

Although leaving the door open for the re-engined wide body, SMBC chief executive Peter Barrett says at the moment “it is not something we have considered”.

Source : Airbus/Flightglobal

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

Fourth MRJ Arrives in US; Mitsubishi                                Evaluating Flight Test Program

A fourth Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. MRJ90 flight test aircraft has arrived at Moses Lake, Washington.  The aircraft, which departed Nagoya, Japan, March 13, arrived April 1 at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake. It made stops in Guam, the Marshall Islands, Honolulu and San Jose, California.

The total flight distance flown from Japan was approximately 14,000 km (8,700 miles) and total time was 19 hr and 48 min.

The latest aircraft to arrive in Moses Lake was the last that had been designated to participate in US-based MRJ flight testing.  A fifth MRJ90 flight test aircraft is remaining in Japan, though the majority of flight testing is slated to occur in the US.

Source : ATW/Mitsubishi Aircraft

 

   Dutch to Replace Royal Transport with 737 BBJ

The Dutch transport minister has announced the purchase of a Boeing 737 business jet to replace the current Fokker 70 that is currently used to transport members of the nation’s Royal family and government officials.

Boeing will supply the airframe, while Fokker Technologies will provide the VIP interior.  The aircraft will have a capacity of 24 passengers: the same as the Fokker 70 in current use.  It will carry the registration PH-GOV.

The preliminary agreement has been signed and final contract was finalized in April. The purchase price is estimated at $98.7 million and anticipated delivery is in 2019.

One of the requirements for the new aircraft is that it should be able to reach parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands non-stop, including the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean.

Four responses were received following the release of a public tender last year, but none met all criteria leading the Netherlands to enter negotiations with Boeing over a BBJ acquisition.

One of the pilots for the new VIP transport will be King Willem-Alexander, who also has flown the Fokker 70. He will commence type rating training on the 737 this year.

Source : Flightglobal

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

Gulf Air on Track for the First 787-9 Delivery

Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, is gearing up for the arrival of the airline’s first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.  It will be delivered in April 2018 and will operate the airline’s long haul routes, gradually replacing its Airbus A330s.

A total of 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will have entered Gulf Air’s fleet by the end of 2018, with an additional 2 aircraft arriving in 2019 and 3 arriving in 2020.

Gulf Air’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will offer 282 seats in a two-class configuration, with 26 Falcon Gild Class seats and 256 Economy Class seats.

“The 787 customer base is growing, not just globally, but in the Middle East as well with airlines such as Gulf Air taking delivery of the Dreamliner,” said Marty Bentrott,Vice President- Sales, the Middle East, Turkey, Russia and Central Asia.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes, ”We are confident that the 787-9 will help Gulf Air achieve a new level of efficiency and profitability, plus will contribute to their future growth and success.”

Source : Bizbahrain

WestJet to Purchase Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

On May 2, WestJet announced a definitive purchase agreement with The Boeing Company for up to 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. This agreement includes commitments for 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft to be delivered between the first quarter of 2019 and December 2021; with options for an additional 10 aircraft to be delivered between 2020 and 2024.  The airline also announced it has selected General Electric’s GEnx-1B engine for the 787.

“We welcome WestJet to the Dreamliner family and look forward to the new destinations they will serve,” said Ray Conner, Vice Chairman of The Boeing Company. “WestJet, for its entire 21-year history, has been a loyal all-Boeing jet customer and we’re excited to see them expand their fleet with the 787.”

As part of the purchase agreement, WestJet is converting 15 firm orders for the Boeing 737 MAX that were to be delivered between 2019 and 2021 to options available between 2022 and 2024.

Source : WestJet

Oman Air Plans Major Aircraft Order                                         Even as Break-Even is Delayed

Oman Air Transport plans to move ahead with a multi-billion order for wide body jets early next year, even though it won’t now break even in 2017. The low oil prices curbs growth in the Persian Gulf.

The Carrier is now aiming to end losses by the end of next year, contingent on demand not deteriorating further, Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch said in an interview on May 2.  While the Mideast carrier will also delay plans to expand to a 70 aircraft and 75 destinations to 2023, from 2020, it still plans to order 15 new wide body jets needed to replace older planes and add capacity, he said.

Further discussions will be held with manufacturers and leasing firms as Oman Air seeks to agree to terms to take either the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787-9.

The 787 model has a slight advantage because the carrier already operates six Dreamliners, with the tally set to increase to 10 in 2018.

Oman Air will also go ahead with deliveries of the 20 Boeing 737 Max planes it has on order  as it leases out some of its current marrow body fleet to better Match seats to demand.

While the carrier is continuing to operate 10 Airbus A330s, which form the core of its wide body operations, those planes will be retired to make way for the new aircraft. Gregorowitsch said.  The upgraded A330neo isn’t of interest.

Source : Bloomberg

 

LATEST NEWS

  • Hawaiian Airlines has launched a companywide rebranding under which it will update its logos and repaint its fleet over the next several years.
  • Rossiya, the Russian carrier has unveiled a Boeing 777-300 with a specialized paint scheme, intended to draw attention to conservation of rare wildlife, including big cats.

  • Delta Air Lines added 10 Boeing 737-900ERs to its order book during the first quarter, bringing its total orders for the type to 130 aircraft.
  • Embraer delivered its 1,100th business jet on May 4. The milestone aircraft is the industry’s best selling Phenom 300, the customer is Net Jets.

  • Boeing has selected Ipeco to design and manufacture a High Comport Attendant Seat for the next generation 777X airplane.  This follows on from a contract awarded last year for the pilot and observer seating for the same aircraft.
  • UPS Airlines is adding its first used Boeing 767-300 freighters to its fleet, with expected entry into service in 2018.
  • SMBC Aviation Capital has placed a direct order from Boeing for three 737-800s, bringing its total owned, managed and committed portfolio for 737-800s to 198.
  • Avolon delivered one Airbus A320-200 aircraft to Batik Air.  This is the sixth Avolon aircraft on lease to Batik Air.
  • Asiana Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, which is on lease from Dublin based SMBC Aviation Capital.  The aircraft, part of a six A350 sale-and-leaseback deal is the first of the type to be operated by a Korean Airline.

  • Primera Air Scandinavian leisure carrier has placed an order for eight 737 MAX 9s, has taken purchase rights on four more.  They will lease another eight from US lessor Air Lease Corp.

 

AIR CARGO

        One of the Last Airworthy Boeing 747-200s                      Flies into Retirement

A Kalitta Air Boeing 747-200 delivers a soft puff of white smoke as the jet completes its second-to-last landing ever on Thursday April 20 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.  On Friday, April 21st, the jet and its crew shuttled the airplane back to Kalitta Air’s home base in Michigan, where the airplane was retired for good by the cargo carrier.

In a time when the iconic jetliner has been disappearing from fleets across the globe at an astounding rate, another 747 biting the dust may not seem particularly remarkable.  Yet this particular airplane stands out among the crowd: It’s one of the last airworthy 747-200s in commercial service. There are two others still in use as Air Force One.

“I tell ya, this is a nice airplane.It’s old school,” Captain Scott Jaykl says during a post-landing interview aboard the aircraft. “It’s a pilot’s airplane,” Jaykl says from the plane’s antiquated flight deck. ”You have manual control over everything.”

Built in 1987, Captain Jaykl’s jet was among the last “-200“ variants of the 747 to come off the assembly line.  The model was then replaced by the updated 747-400 in 1989, and the -200 variant, which debuted in 1971, ended production completely a few years later.

This specific aircraft was originally bought by United Airlines, converted to a freighter for Northwest Airlines in 2000, then transitioned to Kalitta and added to its fleet in 2010 according to public records.

Source : USA Today/Ed’s Research/Picture

 

 Cargolux And Emirates SkyCargo Ink                                                  a Memorandum of Understanding

Luxembourg all-freight operator, Cargolux and Dubai-based Emirates SkyCargo, have signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paving the way for strategic cargo partnership

The partners said the agreement, which was signed at the Air Cargo Europe event in Munich, is the first of its kind in the air cargo industry between a mainline airline and a specialized freighter operator.

Under the cooperation, Emirates SkyCargo will use Cargolux’s nose-loading 747 freighters for heavy and outsized cargo, complementing its own fleet of 13 777Fs and two 747-400ERFs.  The two carriers will also further develop block space and interline agreements on each other’s network.

Emirates SkyCargo will launch flight operations to Luxembourg from this month, while Cargolux will step up its Dubai World Central frequencies to 3X-weekly. Both airlines’ cargo will be handled at the same facility in Luxembourg, Cargolux will be handled by Emirates SkyCargo at Dubai World Central.

Cargolux operates 14 747-8Fs and 12 747-400Fs, covering 90 destinations. ( five and a half years after the first GEnx powered 747-8F went into service.  Cargolux has become the first operator to fly 1 million operating hours with the new engine type so far, the carrier has experienced no engine-caused in-flight shutdown of a GEnx since its entry into service.) Ed

Source:  ATW

 

 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

Lessors Welcome New Engine Entrants

With next generation engine types, the CFM LEAP and the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan having a combined order backlog of nearly 20,000 units, engine lessors are anticipating greater numbers being brought into their portfolios over the next decade.

In a six person panel discussing the engine leasing market at Aviation Week Network’s Engine Leasing,Trading & Finance in London on May 10, lessors foresee opportunities around both the LEAP and the GTF.  While Pat Laffan, SVP structured finance at GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), says the company will focus on GE and CFM engine types in future; primarily in the sale and leaseback market.  They would also consider looking at other engine types should the returns be beneficial.

Julie Dickerson, managing director of Ireland-based Shannon Engine Support, a firm which doesn’t chase sale and leaseback deals, expects a greater focus on early year LEAP engines along with continuing with mature CFM56 types.

The widebody engine market also conjured up some interesting perspectives.  Having found success with sales and aftermarket coverage with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine, Bobby Janagan, vice president and general manager at Rolls-Royce and Partners Finance, conceded associated costs with the engine type could be high. Nevertheless they were similar to those of another wide body engine type, the GE90.

Speaking from the perspective of an independent lessor on the XWB, Dan Coulcher, SVP & chief commercial officer at Willis Lease Finance Corporation, pondered if there would be a competitive aftermarket for the engine type powering the Airbus A350, which has been in service since 2015. He also says entry-into-service challenges around Pratt’s GTF are a concern for would be investors, due to questions over changes to bills of materials on the engine.

Source : MRO Network

                          MRO LATEST NEWS 

  • OEMServices has a 15-year Asiana Airlines contract to provide Airbus350-900 component support.
  • AFI KLM E&M extended component support deal with Malaysia Airlines for 54 Boeing 737NGs.
  • FL Technics signed a contract with Russia’s Nordavia to provide CAMO services for its Boeing 737CL aircraft.
  • Epcor was selected by Kenya Airways for APU support for Boeing 737NGs, 787s and Embraer E190s.
  • Airbus has a UPS contract to upgrade 52 Airbus A300-600Fs with new Honeywell avionics.
  • AerFIn agreed to acquire 15 Embraer E170s, plus spares inventory, from Saudia.

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

Volume 4 Issue 5 The Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

      Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN Powers Boeing 787 for the First Time 

The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN has powered a Boeing Dreamliner flight for the first time.  The flight, which took off and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle, marks the latest phase in the engine’s development program.

The Trent 1000 TEN has also been selected to power the first test flight of the Boeing 787-10 version of the Dreamliner, slated for the end of March, 2017.  This means the Trent 1000 will have powered the first flight of every version of the 787.

Tent 1000 Program Director Gary Moore said: “ Our first Trent 1000 TEN flight on the Dreamliner is another great milestone for our program.  I want to thank everyone at Boeing and Rolls-Royce who have worked hard to make this flight happen.  In addition, our selection to power the first flight of the 787-10 is a great honor, and reflects our commitment to supporting this aircraft as it continues to evolve.”

The Trent 1000 TEN has already powered tests earlier this year on the Rolls-Royce Flying Test Bed aircraft, a Boeing 747, at Tucson, Arizona.

The Trent 1000 TEN (Thrust,Efficiency and New Technology) will power all variants of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family.  The engine draws on technologies from Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine and advance engine program, delivering thrust and efficiency improvements.

Source : Rolls-Royce/Rolls-Royce Picture

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

A350 1000 Wraps Up High- Elevation Tests 

Airbus has wrapped up high-elevation airport testing of the A350-1000 following a 10-day campaign in South America.   Aircraft MSN71 undertook initial tests in Bolivia, operating to Cochabamba and La Paz.

MSN71 carried out several departures and landings at each airport for data-collection, says the airframe, operating at elevations of 7,546 ft – 13,123 ft.

The twin jet also carried out tests at the sea-level Colombian airport of Barranquilla.

“Early test results confirm the good performance and behavior of both the aircraft and its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines,” adds Airbus.

“This is a major successful milestone in the aircraft certification flight-test campaign.”

The airframe typically carries out hot-weather tests in the Middle East, using Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

Airbus is aiming to deliver the A350-1000 for airline service later this year.  Three of the variant are involved in the certification effort.

Source : Flightglobal/Airbus

             

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

               CSeries Completes London City Airport Validation Flights 

On March 23rd Bombardier completed CSeries validation tests at London City airport and expects to receive certification to operate commercial flights to the facility in as little as six to eight weeks.

“The aircraft flew flawlessly.  There were no issues,” Bombardier’s vice president of the CSeries program, Robert Dewar, told FlightGlobal.

Aircraft operating to London City require special certification largely due to the airport’s steep approach requirement.

Bombardier began London City certification tests for the CSeries months ago at other airports, performing approaches as steep as 7.5 degrees, says Dewar.  That’s steeper than London City’s %.5 degrees approach, he adds.

Following those trials, the Canadian airframe flew its second flight-test vehicle (C-GWYD), a CS100 variant to London Stansted airport on March 21st.

The aircraft landed for the first time at London City on March 22nd, completing four validation and demonstration tests that day and four on March 23rd, the company says.

Next, Authorities will review Bombardier’s test data, Dewar says.  The Company needs approvals from Transport Canada, The European Aviation Safety Agency and Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation, according to Dewar.  Pilots must also complete London City specific training.

Bombardier designed the CSeries specifically for operation at London City, Dewar says.  For instance, engineers tailored the aircraft’s wing and flight control laws with London City’s operating requirements in mind, he adds

Source : Flightglobal/Bombardier

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

            “More comfortable” Economy Middle Seats To be Unveiled

Molon Labe has teamed up with BMW’s Designworks and Panasonic Avionics to create an economy-cabin design that would make the middle seat wider and more attractive.

A concept model of the novel design was unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, April 4-6.

The Stagger Seat, or S2, is a variation of Molon Labe Seating’s Side-Slip Seat, which is aimed at faster boarding and quicker turnarounds for time-sensitive short-haul flights.

The Colorado company is launching this new variation on the concept with quite a different goal – to improve economy class passenger comfort on long-haul flights.

The Stagger Seat takes the ergonomic features of the Side-Slip Seat and translates them into a reclining economy seat”like no other,” the company claims.  In the Side-Slip seat, the middle seat is offset, or staggered, downward and backward relative to the seats either side.  This allows the aisle seat to be slid over the middle seat during boarding, to increase aisle width and allow passengers to get past.

Faster turnarounds are not the main aim for long-haul airline, Molon Labe CEO Hank Scott said, so the stagger Seat does not slide, but it will recline.The offset is used primarily to increase space for the middle-seat passenger-and potentially generate more revenue for the airline.

By staggering the middle seat vertically and fore/aft, the arms, thighs and elbows of passengers are no longer adjacent.”The Stagger Seat offers more living space for all occupants,” Scott said. ”The middle seat is also 3inches wider, while the other seats maintain their standard width.”

Source : ATW/ Molon Labe

 

               Avolon Becomes World’s Third Largest Aircraft Lessor 

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, announced the completion of the acquisition of the aircraft leasing business of CIT Group.

Avolon is now the world’s third largest aircraft leasing company, with a combined fleet as of December 31,2016, of 808 aircraft valued at over US$43 billion.

Transaction doubles Avolon’s size and creates the world’s third largest aircraft leasing platform; serves 149 customers in 62 countries with approximately one third of in-service aircraft leased into each of the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions, providing balanced geographic exposure.

The combined business had an owned fleet of 551 aircraft with an average age of 4.7 years: the youngest owned, in service fleet among the world’s top three aircraft leasing companies.

Total orders and commitments for 301 aircraft include new technology aircraft comprising of 196 Airbus Aircraft (A320neo family,A330neo and A350); 61Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 25 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Source : China Aviation Daily/Picture Airbus

     

LATEST NEWS

  • Iran Air has taken delivery of a second Airbus 330-200, two weeks after its first of the type arrived in Tehran.
  • China Aircraft Leasing Group has completed the deliveries of one Airbus A320 each to Air Asia Berhad and Thai Air Asia.
  • Porter Airlines Toronto City-based airport took delivery of its 29th Bombardier  Q400.
  • Airbus the first Airbus A319neo performed its maiden flight on March 31, powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines.
  • MIAT Mongolian Airlines plans to lease two Boeing 737 MAXs from Irish lessor Avolon as it looks to bolster its single-aisle fleet.
  • Boeing Commercial Airplanes after a one-year pricing freeze, Boeing Commercial has raised list prices by a range between 2.16-2.23% across the product portfolio.
  • The Government of Poland announced an order for three Next-Generation 737s.  The order includes two new BBJ2 airplanes and one 737-800, which will be operated by the Government of Poland as head-of-state aircraft for the  president and top government officials.
  • Air Bridge Cargo(ABC) Airlines has taken delivery of the first two Boeing 747-8Fs under a long-term lease agreement with US-based lessor Intrepid Aviation.
  • All Nippon Airways (ANA) will lease four Boeing 737-800 aircraft while it awaited delayed deliveries of the country’s first commercial aircraft in 50 years, the 90-seat Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ)
  • Aseman Airlines of Iran signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for 30 737 MAX aircraft, with a list price value of $3 billion.  The deal includes rights  purchase rights for 30 additional MAXs.

 

AIR CARGO

       Qatar Airways Cargo Takes Delivery of Its Twelfth B777 Freighter

Qatar Airways Cargo received its latest Boeing 777 Freighter in Doha recently, taking its total freighter fleet count to 21.   The addition marks the cargo carrier’s commitment to building its young and modern air cargo fleet to strengthen its growth trajectory.

Ulrich Ogiermann Qatar Airways’ Chief Officer Cargo said, ”The arrival of our newest Boeing 777 freighter comes at a time when we are consciously strategizing our freighter network expansion this year; above and beyond the unprecedented demand and growth in our charter services.”

The Boeing 777 freighter has the longest range of any twin-engined freighter and is based around the 777-200 LR aircraft operating on the ultra long haul routes.  It has a payload capacity of 102 metric tons.

The airplane’s range capability translates into significant savings for cargo operators: fewer stops and associated landing fees, less congestion at transfer hubs, lower cargo handling costs and shorter delivery times. The capacity of the Boeing freighters is unrivaled and the plane’s economics make it an attractive addition to the fleet.

Qatar Airways Cargo operates the Boeing 777 freighters on long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe, the Far East, Asia and some destinations in Africa.

The airline will receive another Boeing 777 freighter later this year, increasing its freighter fleet to a total of 22 aircraft by the end of 2017.

Source : Qatar Airways Cargo Press Release

Polar Express Delivery 

 

An Antonov Airlines An-124 and Air Charter Service delivered a GE90 jet engine for Swiss International Air Lines 777-300 that was forced to make an emergency landing on February 1 in the Canadian Arctic town of Iqaluit  after one of its engines shut down in mid-flight.

The GE90 arrived less than 48 hours later after the Swiss jet landed in Canada; the An-124 remained in Iqaluit for a toTal of five days, while the new engine was installed on the 777 and the unserviceable engine could be retrieved.

Fortunately,the 216 passengers on the Zurich-to-Los Angeles flight only had to wait half a day as the plane sat on the tundra until a replacement jet resumed the journey to Los Angeles.

Source : Air Cargo World

 

 MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OVERHAUL

           Asia’s MRO Surge Could Outstrip Demand

The rapid growth of aircraft maintenance sector in the Asia-Pacific region is creating a significant risk of aver supply, according to some industry executives,  said speakers at Aviation Week’s MRO East Asia conference.

The MRO market is “reshaping itself” and has been “shifting to Asia”, saId Vehbi Ozer, Turkish Technic’s strategy planning and projects manager.  He predicts that in the near future, the Asia-Pacific region will represent the biggest MRO market.

This region now accounts for 28% of the global MRO market value of $64 billion, said Francois Dubrulle, president of asset management company The

Green Airliner Singapore, Asia has essentially caught up to Europe and North America in terms of market share.  The global total is projected to rise to $96 billion by 2025, with Asia-Pacific growth likely to exceed that of the more developed regions.

Rapid expansion is both a challenge and a danger for the MRO industry, said Daniel Stromski, Haeco’s GM for inventory technical management.  He likens the current situation to a “gold rush,” with a wide range of companies looking to set up new operations or joint ventures in Southest Asia and China.

Stromski said this is causing worries about the supply and demand balance.  While Asia represents a great opportunity for MRO providers, the “industry should be careful where it invests,” so it does not “create oversupply of MRO capabilities.”

Source : MRO Network

Latest MRO News

  • ASCO has a Boeing contract to supply had metal/aluminum structural components through 2024.
  • Fokker Services(GKN Aerospace) was named authorized service provider by Bombardier to provide Q400 component repair management under its Smart Parts program.
  • Astronics acquired operating assets of Pacific Northwest-based Custom Controls Concepts,which supplies cabin management and IFE systems for Airbus/Boeing VIP aircraft.
  • Pemco has an Air Incheon contract to convert one Boeing 747-400 to freighter.
  •  Aeromet  has a Boeing contract to supply 777X parts using its A20X aluminum alloy.

 

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com





by

Volume 4 Issue 2 February 2017 The Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Selects CTT for 777X Humidification Systems

CTT Systems has been selected by Boeing to provide the humidification systems for flight deck,  crew rests and cabin zone A/B for the Boeing 777X aircraft.  CTT will be tier-1 supplier to Boeing and the CTT products will be offered as supplier furnished equipment in the 777X catalog.

CTT Systems AB, headquartered in Nykoping, Sweden and listed on the Small Cap of OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm AB, is the leading provider of aerospace products for active humidity control: inside the aircraft cabin-for increasing humidity-and in aircraft structures- for preventing condensation.

Selecting CTT enables Boeing to bring humidification capabilities and performance from the 787 to the 777X and migrate to premium passenger cabins (zone A and B). In total, the Boeing 777X aircraft can be equipped with five humidifiers.

The 777X will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine in the world, with 12 percent lower fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating costs than the competition.

CTT’s humidifier maintains relative humidity in the human comfort zone, 20 percent Relative Humidity. A higher humidity on long-haul flights reduces dry air related problems (e.g. fatigue, jet-lag, red eyes, dry skin, spread of virus diseases) and improves wellbeing and sleep. The humidifier is baed on evaporative cooling technology and uses a method that effectively precludes the transfer of bacteria.

Source : Arabian Aerospace/Boeing

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Prepares Beluga XL Core for Integration

Airbus has assembled the basic core airframe of the initial BelugaXL high-capacity transport designed to replace the A300-600ST logistics fleet.

The airframes, based on an A330-200 freighter with reinforcements, was assembled in December of 2016; but has yet to be mated with its nose or tail sections.

These sections will be added this year, the manufacturer states, as an 18 month integration process commences.  Beluga XL program head Bertrand George says the final integration will be “a series of small steps”.

“The Number of holes to be drilled and fasteners to be installed is far bigger than on any other Airbus aircraft”.  He says. “Sticking to schedule at each step is the key to being ready for first flight in 2018.”

Over the initial 12 months of the assembly, the airframe will be completed and fitted with mechanical and electrical components.  The final six months will involve transferring the aircraft to a new station for Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine installation  and Ground testing.

Airbus is renewing the logistics fleet with five Beluga XLs to meet demand for A350 assembly. The Beluga XL will enter service in 2019.

Source : Flightglobal/Airbus

 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

 MRJ Delay Confirmed; System Revision Cited 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the parent of Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., has made official a further two year delay in the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) program.

Mitsubishi said on January 23, that the first delivery of the MRJ90 to Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) would be pushed back to mid-2020 from mid-2018; meaning first delivery will be nearly seven years later than what was planned in the program’s original timetable.

Four MRJ90 flight test aircraft are currently flying, with a fifth slated to join flight testing this year.

The Latest delay is necessary because of “revisions to certain systems and electrical configurations on the aircraft to meet the latest  requirements for certification,” “the design changes will not effect aircraft performance, fuel consumption of functionality of systems” Mitsubishi said.

MRJ certification is now targeted for the second half of 2019.The company aims to achieve world class commercial aircraft development through integrated work between global and Japanese experts.

Source : Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp./Photo Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp.

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 GE9X Spools Up for Second Test Phase

Testing of the largest turbofan aircraft engine in history will enter a new phase later this year. Until now, GE Aviation has used the first engine to test (FETT) to validate design and performance assumptions.

With the second engine to test now in final assembly, GE is poised to begin a one -year cycle of trials required to earn airworthiness certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Although based on the architecture of the GE90, the GE9X sets new boundaries for the industry in terms of size-notably its 134in (340cm) fan diameter-pressure ratio (a claimed 61.1 margin at top of climb) and application of new materials, including the spread of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) to turbine nozzle guide vanes and combust or liners.

It also improves on the strength of the carbon fiber construction of the fan blades, allowing GE to assign only 16 blades for each engine, despite a 6in wider diameter compared with the 22 fan blades found on the GE90.

Each new feature in the GE9X must be validated as being as safe or better than the proven engine technology already in service, while still meeting performance promises such as a 10% reduction in fuel burn against the GE90.

And it must be proved ready on a tight schedule: Boeing plans to begin deliveries of the first GE9X powered 777-9 by early 2020, which implies a system-level, Part 25 airworthiness certification in late 2019 and an engine-level, Part 33 certification in 2018.

Source : Flightglobal/GE Aviation

 

Southwest Jockeys with Norwegian for 737 Max Launch Title

Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary Kelly says the carrier will be the launch  customer of the Boeing 737 Max “regardless of when we take the first delivery”, even as Norwegian prepares to be the first operator.

Kelly cites the Dallas-based carrier’s extensive involvement with Boeing on the development and testing of the latest generation of the venerable narrow body, as the rationale behind his comment during a quarterly earnings call today.

Southwest is the launch customer of the Max, placing the first order in December 2011. Norwegian placed its 737 Max order a month later in January 2012.

Southwest reaffirms that it will not debut the 737 Max 8 on scheduled flights until the end of the third quarter, when all its 737-300 and -500 aircraft, or classics, are retired.  ”We don’t really need the 737 Max for flying until October 1,” says Kelly.

“Norwegian will now be the first airline to take delivery of the 737 Max, and will be the first airline in the world to operate this brand-new aircraft type,” spokesman for Norwegian says.

The jockeying between Norwegian and Southwest sets up a race between the two carriers to see who will take the first 737 Max, with the odds likely on the latter due to its placing the first order and heavy involvement in the program.

Lion Air, Norwegian and Southwest are all scheduled to take their first Max 8s in May, the Flight Fleet Analyzer shows.  In addition,China Eastern Airlines, FlyDubai and WestJet are scheduled to take their first of the type before the end of September.

Source : Flightglobal     

LATEST NEWS

  • Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s leading low-cost carrier, has signed an agreement with Airbus for 60 A320neo Family aircraft

  • Juneyao Airlines has announced an order for 10 Boeing 787-9s, comprising five firm orders and five options.  The aircraft will facilitate the Shanghai-based carrier’s rapid international expansion.
  • SpiceJet sealed a deal worth $10 billion with Boeing for 100 737 Max aircraft.

  • Air Baltic, the Latvian carrier has received its second Bombardier CS300 aircraft after becoming the launch customer for the larger CSeries variant.
  • Trade Air, the Croatian Charter, carrier received its first Airbus A320, a former SATA international example.
  • Delta Airlines has taken delivery of its first US-built Airbus A321.  The jet N314DN (c/n 7281),was delivered from Mobile, Alabama, plant to Minneapolis, St Paul last December.
  • Arik Air of Nigeria has scrapped a longstanding order for two Boeing 747-8Is, replacing it with a pair of Boeing 787-9s.
  • China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC) signed a long term lease with Thai AirAsia for one Airbus A320, which is expected to be delivered this year.
  • Avolon, the Irish lessor, delivered one Boeing 737-800 to Malaysia-based Malindo Air. This is the forth Avolon aircraft on lease to Malindo.
  • Ukraine International Airlines has taken delivery of the first of six Boeing 737-800s, which are scheduled to join the fleet this year.

 

AIR CARGO

Crustaceans Crush 2016, Leading to 4.1 % Cargo Rise at Halifax 

Thanks to a booming year for lobster, Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) saw substantial cargo growth in 2016, processing more than 33,000 tons of cargo, up 4.1 percent over 2015.  An estimated US$187 million in seafood exports were shipped last year, an increase of approximately $40 million from 2015.  As demand for lobster and other high-value seafood grows in markets such as Asia, Halifax Stanfield International Airport expects continued growth in seafood exports.

Yangtze River Express Airlines was the latest cargo carrier to add services to Halifax Airport and take advantage of the lobster export season earlier this month.

The Chinese carrier operated five 747-400 F cargo flights between Canada and China since the first of the 2016 calendar year.

Passenger numbers were up as well, and bellyhold cargo is an important part of the story. Compared to the previous year, the 2016 passenger numbers were up 5.6 percent, said Joyce Carter, Halifax International president and CEO.  ”We are set to hit 4 million passengers in 2017.”

The airport is Atlantic Canada’s busiest full-service airport, with cargo connectivity to markets across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean Basin, Europe and Asia.  The airport processes cargo worth more than $447 million each year.

Source : Air Cargo World

 

  MRO NEWS

 GECAS Asset Management Services Aquires 737NG Inventory

GECAS Asset Management Services has entered an agreement with Air Berlin to acquire the airline’s entire inventory of 737NG spares including both rotables and expendables.

“Most components will be available for immediate shipment to our customers,” says Stefan Hayes, global commercial leader for GECAS Asset Management Services.

“We will soon have everything,nose to tail,that an operator of this popular aircraft type needs.This purchase represents an exciting opportunity for GECAS AMS to continue our relationship with Air Berlin while bolstering our 737NG stock and increasing our service capability.”

The material will be located at Asset Management Service’s warehouse locations in the U.S.,UK and Singapore.

Source : MRO network.com

    

Qantas Unveils $30 Million Maintenance Hanger for Its A380s   

636213810462889315-qantas-a380-in-new-lax-hangar                               

Qantas Airways unveiled a new $30 million hanger at Los Angeles International Airport, big enough to hold and perform maintenance on its A380s.

The hanger, the only facility in the U.S. designed specifically to hold the behemoth plane, was touted as signaling the airline’s commitment to Los Angeles as well to travelers making long-haul flights between the US and Australia.

“This is a win-win opportunity,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility on Friday, January 27th.

The Hanger is 480 feet by 370 feet and 12 stories tall, big enough to hold four passenger jets.The facility replaces a smaller 1950s-era hanger.

Qantas flies 40 flights per week between Los Angeles and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia, primarily using A380s and Boeing 747 jets.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce, said the new hanger will make maintenance 20% more efficient because it allows more planes to fit the facility at the same time.  When Qantas wanted to work on an A380 in the old, smaller hanger, most of the plane would not fit inside, he said.

Joyce said that Qantas also plans to rent out the facility to other carriers at LAX.

Source : Los Angeles Times/ Photo Qantas

                       

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

by

Volume 3 Issue 11 Kaplanian Report


ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Plans Performance Upgrade for 737 Max After 2021

Boeing has quietly developed plans to roll-out a performance improvement package for the 737 Max family, five years after the first member of the type enters service.

The undisclosed package will improve maximum range values between 1.69-2.7%, depending on the variant of the 737 Max.

Boeing plans to deliver the first 737 Max 8 to Southwest Airlines in the first half of next year with 3,515nm range. An “improvement performance level” available after 2021 will improve range by 2.7% to 3,610nm.

The 737 Max 9 will enter service a year later with 3.510nm range, but will improve by 2.56% after 2021 to 3,605nm.

Finally, the 737 Max 7 enters service in 2019 with 3,850nm range, including an extra 500nm boost by a 1.83m(6ft) extension of the fuselage unveiled last July.

Its range will improve by 1.69% on the 737 Max 7 after 2021.

More recently, the performance improvement package was cited as part of Boeing’s roll-out of the Boeing Business Jet version of the 737 Max 7 at the NBAA convention in Orlando on October 30th.

Boeing officials decline to elaborate on the details of the performance improvements.

Source : Flightglobal

My United 787-8 Adventure 

In spite  of all the challenges and bad press Boeing faced in building the 787 Dreamliner, the aircraft has surpassed its gestation period and proved its worth to the airlines who fly it.

Visiting family in Jerusalem the week of October 8th, I made sure to fly United’s new route from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on their 787-8 Dreamliner.

The aircraft was powered by GEnx engines and the flight duration to Tel Aviv took 13 hours at a cruising speed of 0.84 mach; the altitude on our route varied between 37,000 ft to 40,000 ft.  Boeing’s decision to have the cabin pressure equivalent to that of an altitude of 6000 feet worked as advertised.

When I disembarked in Tel Aviv the following evening, I did not feel the jet lag.

During take off and landing, the aircraft was surprisingly quiet and smooth, due to the technology  Boeing incorporated in the aircraft.   Technology allows it to sense turbulence and adjusts control surfaces for the smoother ride.

Those of you who are aircraft enthusiasts, I highly recommend flying this aircraft whenever you have the chance.  I have to tip my hat to all the people at Boeing involved in building this aircraft.

(1st in a series)

Ed Kaplanian

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Aims to Fly the  A350-1000 This Month

Airbus is aiming to conduct the first flight of the new A350-1000 as early as this month.

The airframer has not disclosed a date for the maiden flight of the stretched aircraft, they are maintaining only that the twin jet is scheduled to fly in the fourth quarter.

But a source with knowledge of progress on the program says the manufacturer’s test flight team is “shooting for November”.

Airbus has recently installed the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines on the first -1000 in the three-aircraft test fleet.

It is carrying out cabin-fit on the second aircraft and finalizing the production of the third.  Airbus has secured orders for 195 A350-1000s, with the first due to enter service in the second half of 2017.

Source : Flightglobal/Airbus   

 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

   Jet Aviation Basel Takes Delivery of 777-300ER for VIP Fit-Out

Jet Aviation’s Basel completions center has taken delivery of the first of two Boeing Business Jet 777-300ERs for interior fit-out. t was commissioned by Boeing on behalf of a government client in Asia.

The wide body twin jet, which arrived at the Swiss site in October, is the first BBJ 777 VVIP completion for Jet Aviation.

“We know Jet Aviation’s commitment to quality matches our own,” says David Longridge, president of Boeing Business Jets. ”They have a demonstrated capability to fit exceptional wide body interiors that combine beautiful design and craftsmanship with cutting-edge engineering and technology.”

Neil Boyle, senior vice-president and general manager of Jet Aviation’s Basel facility, says: “We have a long history of working together with Boeing Business Jets and are delighted to partner with them on our first BBJ 777-300ER interior completions.”

Source : Flightglobal/Boeing Business Jets

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 Lufthansa Bids 737 Farewell After Near Half-Century

Lufthansa ended scheduled passenger operations of the Boeing 737 on 29 October, some 48 years after it gave the short-haul twin jet its world debut.

The German carrier, which launched the 737 in its original -100 form in February 1965, with  an order for 21 aircraft. It was Lufthansa that persuaded Boeing to build the 737 because it matched the fuselage diameter of the 707 and the 727.  It launched the twin jet in February 1968.yourfile

The airline’s final 737 services were flown as the 2016 summer schedule drew to a close. Lufthansa’s very last 737 revenue sector, flown by 737-300 D-ABEF Classic, touched down at 19:53 on October 29th at Frankfurt, with 131 passengers on board. After a flight from Nuremberg. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr was on hand to greet the final arrival.

A final Lufthansa 737 farewell flight was flown on October 31st to Frankfurt from Hamburg.

Foto: Boeing Lufthansa 01.1985 D113-13-305 737-200, D-ABMA Idar-Oberstein

When Boeing decided to put the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-powered 737 into production on February 19, 1965, following an order from Lufthansa, it was the first time that a US manufacturer had launched a new airliner on the strength of an export order.  However, United Airlines quickly followed Lufthansa, but ordered the slightly larger 737-200 variant.  This Version entered service with the US airline in April 1968.

The Original 737-100 variant launched by Lufthansa proved relatively unpopular, with just 30 being built.  After receiving its first -100 in December 1967, Lufthansa became a major operator of the later 737 variants, operating the -200 as well as the CFM International CFM56-powered-300, -400 and -500 Classic versions.

Lufthansa’s fleet peaked in 1992-93 when it operated 110 737s.

Source : Lufthansa/Boeing Pictures/Ed’s Research

 

   P&W Adding Capacity to Accelerate Engine Deliveries

Pratt & Whitney executives say they will open two new factories over the next six months to get delayed geared turbofan engine deliveries back on track. But they also appeared to lower the bottom range for planned deliveries in 2017.

Production capacity and early manufacturing mistakes have plagued shipments of titanium-aluminium fan blades for the PW1100G, for the Airbus A320neo and PW1500G engines for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft family.

As a result, P&W now expects to deliver 150 engines in 2016 or 12.5% fewer than planned. Meanwhile, a lack of engines has forced Bombardier to slash CSeries deliveries by more than half to seven aircraft in 2016.

In September, P&W identified the manufacturing of the hybrid-metalic fan blades as the most critical of five parts causing delivery delays for geared turbofan engines. The unique blades are produced now at a P&W factory in Lansing, Michigan, says Greg Hayes, chief executive of P&W parent United Technologies. In January, P&W’s japan based supplier IHI plans to open a third fan blade factory for the geared turbofan engine, besides the one which produces the same blades in Singapore.

“You’re going to see step-changes in fan blade deliveries through the first half next year,” Hayes says.

Source : Pratt and Whitney

            

Kuwait Airways Unveils New Livery

Kuwait Airways unveiled its new livery on the first of ten new Boeing 777-300ERs that will enter commercial service with the airline over the next 12 months.  At an official launch event held at Boeing Commercial Airplanes,’ a “once in a generation” revision, follows Kuwait Airways’ recent announcement of its new five-year business plan made earlier in September of this year.

The new livery and delivery of the Boeing 777-300ERs mark the airline’s first major steps towards achieving the goals it set out in its “Transformation Strategy”.

Source:  China Aviation Daily/Boeing photo

 

LATEST NEWS

  • Air France first 787 Dreamliner takes to the skies in Everett, on November 9th. This will be Boeing’s 500th Dreamliner.  It is a 787-9.

  • BOC Aviation Limited has taken delivery of a Boeing 777-300ER, the first of five new aircraft to be leased to Air China under a purchase-and-lease back arrangement.
  • Philippine Airlines (PAL) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire up to 12 Bombardier Q400 regional turboprops.
  • United Airlines first United Boeing 777-300ER rolls out of the paint hanger in Everett.The new 777-300ER will feature the new Polaris cabin.
  • Sibir Airlines of Russia, working under the S7 Airlines brand,has approved the lease of 17 Embraer E170LRs.
  • Avolon, Ireland-based lessor has delivered one Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Malaysia-based Malindo Air.
  • Emirates Airlines will equip its upcoming fleet of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft with Thales’ AVANT inflight entertainment (IFE) system.  Deliveries of the 777X aircraft are scheduled to begin in 2020.

  • Uzbekistan Airways will order three additional Boeing 787s, the Carrier said on November 5th.  The new order is for 787-9s.
  • China Aerospace Leasing ordered up to 40 COMAC ARJ21-700s, 20 firm and 20 options at the Zhuhai Air Show

  • Air Lease Corp. placed 12 new Airbus A321neo aircraft on long term lease to Vietnam Airlines.

 

AIR CARGO

AirBridgeCargo Airlines Launch Freighter Services to Oslo Targeting Salmon Demand


ABCCargo Airlines is the second airline to launch a freighter services from Oslo to capitalize on the seafood market.

The scheduled all-cargo airline will offer two services a week between the Norwegian city and Moscow Sheremetyevo, utilizing a Boeing 747 freighter, which can carry more than 100 tons per week.  The service will also cater for the country’s oil and gas industry.

“Global demand for Norwegian seafood, especially salmon, continues to make a significant and growing contribution to the country’s economy,” the airline said.  Norway now exports 220,000 tons of seafood a year, 600 tons a day, using air cargo services to Asia and North America.

“The fast connections and on-time performance ABC offers via its Moscow Sheremetyevo hub, as well as the temperature-control capabilities of ABCCargo

“Boeing 747-8F fleet means we can offer exporters the network and service options they need to continue to grow their business all over the world.” said Georges Biwer, vice president Europe, Middle East and Africa at AirBridgeCargo.

Source : aircargonews

 

 MILITARY NEWS

            Singapore Selects H225M and Chinook Helicopters

Singapore is to acquire an undisclosed number of Airbus Helicopters H225M and Boeing CH-47F rotorcraft as part of a fleet modernization program.

The two types will respectively replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF’s) existing AS332 Super Puma and CH-47SD helicopters.  These have been in service since 1983 and 1994, says the nation’s defense ministry and are “facing obsolescence”.

“The H225M and the CH-47F possess better lift and reach capabilities, They will enable the RSAF to meet the Singapore Armed Forces’ lift requirements more efficiently with fewer helicopters and less manpower,” it says.

Flight Fleets Analyzer lists the service as operating a total of 32 AS332M/ULs, along with 16 Ch-47SDs.

Source : Defense News

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

Volume 3 Issue 8 August 2016


ON THE BOEING

        Boeing Details Range-Boosting 737-7 Redesign

     Boeing decided to stretch the 737-7 by two seat rows and added major elements of the 737-8.  It is the first major tweak to the 737 Max line-up in more than five years after launching the program.

     In a sign of the shifting dynamics in the single-aisle market, the 737-7 has attracted just 60 aircraft orders from three customers. It gives the formerly 126 seat variant less than 2% of the overall backlog for the three member 737 Max family.  The original of the aircraft, the 737-300 Classic, outsold two larger sister variants by a wide margin.

     In an overall market segment from 120-240 seats with more thanks 8,000 aircraft on backlog; a total order book of 465 aircraft on firm order does not appear encouraging. The 465 aircraft on firm order includes the A319neo.  In the end, Boeing decided to stretch the 737-7 by two seat rows and added major elements of the 737-8.

      Boeing does not expect the addition of up to 12 more seats in a typical two class seating configuration to significantly drive new demand into the low end of the single-aisle sector. The move appears to be driven to satisfy new requirements imposed by the two 737-7’s two largest customers, namely Southwest and WestJet.

     “We have now assessed the market.  The customers have said that the bigger airplane is something we would like with that range,” says Keith Leverkuhn, vice-president and general manager for the 737.

     The 737-7 and 737-8 share the same wingspan, but the latter has a thicker wing that can carry more fuel.  The modified 737-7 wing will have more fuel capacity to compensate for the greater weight of the lengthened fuselage and add 500 nm more range”, says Leverhuhn. The fuselage itself is lengthened by 1.17 m (46 in) forward of the wing and 76 cm aft of the wing, he says.  The maximum take-off weight rises from 70,300kg (155,000 lb) requiring the use of the strengthened landing gear of the 737-8.

Source : Flightglobal/ Line Drawing Boeing

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                 Airbus : Delivery of P&W A320 Engine Imminent

     Airbus stated that the delivery of the revamped Pratt and Whitney PW 1100G is imminent by the time this report is out for distribution Lufthansa is supposed to have received the first A320neo with the revamped engine.

     Deliveries have been held up by efforts to correct engine start-up times, as well as other minor technical issues, leaving Airbus with some 25 undelivered A320neos at its production sites.  Airbus Group chief Tom Enders, speaking as the airframe disclosed its first-half results, said the first upgraded ”golden engine” would be delivered to the German flag-carrier Lufthansa.

     P&W parent United Technologies’ chief Greg Hayes, speaking during a briefing on July 26th, said the technical problems were “in the rear-view mirror”  and that the manufacturer was “exactly” aligned with the production plan submitted to Airbus earlier this year.

       He says the geared turbofan power plant, which also powers the Bombardier CSeries, Mitsubishi Aircraft MRJ and other types, has accumulated 5,000 hrs in service with four operators, with a 99.8% dispatch reliability.

    Hayes says the engine is “meeting commitments” on fuel-burn, noise and emission levels. The manufacturer expects to build 140 geared-turbofans engines in the second half of 2016, having produced 60 in the first half of 2016, with 36 delivered to various aircraft platforms to meet a target of 200 for the year.

Airbus has also just started delivering A320neos with the rival CFM International Leap-1A power plant,with the first going to Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines.

Source : Flightglobal/Airbus/Pratt and Whitney

             

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

     E-190-E2 Is Ahead of Schedule But Not Rushing Delivery

     Embraer has no plans to rush the timeline for delivering the first E190-E2 regional jet, even though the flight test program remains ahead of schedule.  The first flying prototype made a debut appearance at the Farnborough air show only after six weeks after achieving first flight.

     The second E190-E2 entered the flight test campaign on July 8th, and the overall program so far has consumed less of the buffer the company built into the schedule,says Luis Carlos Affonso, senior vice-president of operations and chief operating officer for Embraer’s Commercial Aviation unit.

     Embraer will not accelerate the delivery schedule of the first E190-E2, even if the program stays ahead of schedule, Affonso says.  The company will focus on increasing the maturity of the new technologies packed into the E190-E2, including the Embraer developed fly-by-wire control system and Pratt & Whitney PW1900G geared turbofan engines.

    Though summarized often as re-engining project,the E2 version of the E-Jet is a bold project.  In addition to the engines, Embraer is installing a new, high-aspect ratio wing, re-inventing the flight control system and tweaking the cross section.

“ It’s not a re-engining. It’s a new plane,” Affonso says.

Source : Flightglobal/Embaer/Embaer Picture

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

             Cayman Airways a New Customer for the 737 Max

    The Caribbean carrier, a longtime Boeing customer, will replace four 737-300s that are approaching 25 year of age.  The new aircraft, which will come from lessor Air Lease Corp (ALC), will begin arriving in December 2018 through 2020.

       After retiring the -300s, “the logical progression would have been to go to 737 NGs,” Cayman Airways’ president and CEO Fabian Whorms said, but the lease structure put together by ALC swayed them to go with the newer design. The leases will be run for a minimum of nine years.

      Going from a -300 to a MAX8 will save the airline  20% in fuel costs alone. ”In fact, it will be more than that,” Whorms said.  The MAX’s will also be able to carry 40 more passengers than the existing aircraft and their faster cruising speed will save 15-20 minutes on the four hour flight to New York.

Source : ATW/Picture Boeing

                       Gulf Air Chooses Trent 1000 to Power its 787-9s

Bahrain-based Gulf Air selected the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to power its Boeing 787-9s in a deal valued at $900 million.

Gulf Air announced in January that it is ordering 16 787-9s. The contract with  Rolls covers Trent 1000 engines to power 10 787-9s, plus options for additional Trent 1000s to power six more 787-9s. The agreement also includes long-term service support by Rolls-Royce.

( An interesting sidebar, Gulf Air’s long range fleet  was comprised of 22-24 767-300s which the airline used from 1988-2007.  Boeing’s 787-9 meant to be a replacement to the 767-300 with a wider fuselage 168 diameter for the 767-300

with seven across seating vs the 787-9 with a wider diameter fuselage of 226 inches with 8-9 across seating) Ed K

Source : ATW/Gulf Air Picture

   American Defers A350 Deliveries by More Than Two Years

     American Airlines has deferred the deliveries of all the 22 Airbus A350-900s on order. It is working to reduce its capital expenditures and manage capacity through 2018.  The Fort Worth-based carrier will take its first A350 in late 2018 instead of the spring of 2017, American said in a quarterly financial report.  Deliveries will continue through 2022, two years later than originally scheduled with an average deferral of 26 months.

     American will take two A350s in 2018, five in both 2019 and 2020, the remaining ten in 2021 and 2022, the filing shows.  It previously planned to take four in 2017, ten in 2018, six in 2019 and two in 2020.

     The deferral will reduce capital expenditures in 2017 and 2018 and provide capacity flexibility, the airline says.     Aircraft capital commitments are $4.06 billion in 2017 and $2.2 billion in 2018, the filing shows.  This is down from $4.58 billion and $2.89 billion, respectively, that American reported in April.

Source : Bloomberg/American           

      

LATEST NEWS

  • Herous-Devtek Canadian supplier has completed its first set of 777-300 ER main landing gear for delivery to Boeing, ahead of its contract to make the 777X main landing gear.
  • Azerbaijan Airlines is considering buying 10 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, the carrier has announced.
  • Tara Air the Nepalese regional carrier has signed a purchase agreement with Viking for three Twin Otter Series 400S.
  • Kalstar Aviation, an Indonesian regional operator, signed a firm order for five E190-E2s. The value of the order has an estimated value of 582 million dollars.
  • Arkia Airlines signed a letter of intent (LOI) for up to ten E195-E2 jets, consisting of six firm orders and four purchase rights.
  • Porter Airlines, a Canadian regional airline, has signed a firm purchase agreement for three Bombardier Q 400s, valued at $93 million at list prices.
  • Xiamen Airlines officially launched its first ever trans-Pacific flights to North America on July 25, using 787-8 aircraft.
  • Thai Airways International first A350-900 has entered flight testing.  Thai Airways, which confirms the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered jet has carried out its first flight.  Thai has four of the type on order.

  • Fly Leasing has bought five Boeing aircraft.  Three 787-8s were purchased in a sale and lease back transaction with a leading flag carrier.
  • Avolon, the Irish lessor, delivered one Boeing 787-9 to China’s Hainan Airlines. This is the Fourth Avalon aircraft on lease to Hainan Airlines.
  • Qatar Airways doubled its deal for Boeing 777-9Xs on Wednesday July 13th, firming a previous commitment for 50 aircraft and adding new purchases for an additional 50 of the wide bodies.  

  • Allegiant Air  Las Vegas based airline has ordered 12 Airbus A320s from the airframe, in its first purchase of new aircraft.

 

AIR CARGO

           Cathay Pacific Expands Cargo Presence to Portland, Oregon  

     Cathay Pacific Airways announced an expansion of its freighter service in the Americas with the addition of a twice-weekly scheduled service to Portland International Airport (PDX). It will launch on November 3, 2016, subject to government approval.  Portland will be Cathay Pacific’s 18th cargo station in the Americas.

   The new Portland service will operate on a Hong Kong-Anchorage-Los Angeles-Portland-Anchorage-Hong Kong routing every Thursday and Saturday. They will use Cathay Pacific’s newest and biggest freighter, the Boeing 747-8F.

     The Boeing 747-8F aircraft offers more cargo space to carry the anticipated high volumes of semi-finished foot ware and apparel, electronics and perishables from Portland and its catchment area into Asia. Portland is also one of the fastest-growing hubs for e-commerce related shipments in the Pacific Northwest region.

     Cathay Pacific was the first Asia Pacific airline to take delivery of the Boeing 747-8F in 2011 and currently has 13 of this type in its cargo fleet. The Boeing 747-8F employs innovative technologies to bring about significant improvements to the airline’s ultra-long-haul freighter services, particularly on North America routes,while reducing the environmental impact of its operations.

   “We could not be more pleased with the commitment byCathay Pacific to launch Portland-Hong Kong service this fall,” said Keith Leavitt, Port Chief Commercial Officer.

Source : China Aviation Daily/Picture Cathay Pacific

       

MILITARY NEWS

                         KC-46 Completes Required Flight Tests

     The KC-46 Pegasus program completed all flight tests required for the Milestone C production decision on July 15, offloading 1,500 pounds of fuel to an A-10 Thunderbolt II.

   The successful A-10 mission was the last of six in-flight refueling demonstrations required before the tanker program can request approval from Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, to award production Lots 1 and 2, totaling 19 KC-46A aircraft.

      “It is great to see the KC-46 boom back in action and the program moving forward to a production decision”, said Col. John Newberry, the KC-46 system program manager.

   The other five required air refueling demonstrations were the C-17  Globemaster III and F-16 Fighting Falcon using the air refueling boom.  The Navy’s F-18 Hornet and AV-8B Harrier II were also using the centerline and wing drogue systems, and the KC-46 a receiver aircraft.

      This test would not have been possible without contributions from the 412th Test Wing, 23rd Fighter Wing, 355th FW, 124th FW, the 896th Test Support Squadron and  40th Flight Test squadron which all provided aircraft manpower and equipment.  The milestone C decision to begin low-rate initial production is expected this month.

Source : Aero News Network/ Images provided with USAF news release

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

Volume 2 Issue 7 July 2015

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing 757 ecoDemonstrator Embarks on Final Test Run 

Energy-harvesting windows, green diesel biofuel and a 3D-printed flight deck monument are three technologies that will be tested on the last series of flights of T U I  G r o u p – b r a n d e d 7 5 7 ecoDemonstrator; destined to be dismantled by the end of this month. Boeing has partnered with the  Aircraft  Fleet  Recycling  Association  to  disassemble the 757 at the conclusion of the tests.  In the pioneering spirit of the ecoDemonstrator program; however, the disassembly will serve as an opportunity to validate a variety of new options for recycling the various materials and systems.

yourfile

“We are going to recycle the heck out of the airplane”, says Jeanne Yu, Boeing’s environmental performance director, in a recent interview. “Boeing will look to recycle some components in the existing fleet or recycle pieces to be used in other ways on flying aircraft”, she says. Until then, the 757 ecoDemonstrator will continue a new series of flight tests after a first series concluded two months ago.

The 757 ecoDemonstrator follows a series of tests in 2012 on an American Airlines 737-800 and in 2014 a former 787 test aircraft. The first series of flights on the 757 focused on several drag-reducing technologies; such as an active flow control system mounted on a tail fin, bug “phobic” coatings on the leading edge of the right wing and a laminar flow-protecting Krueger flap on the left wing. Finally, the 757 ecoDemonstrator flight deck also features an aft aisle stand made using scrap carbon fiber material from the 787 production system.  A3D printer was used to transform the crap material into the aisle stand.

Source: Boeing/Flightglobal /Photo Boeing

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT 

Airbus A380 Shows Off Illuminated Decal Technology 

One of Airbus’s A380 test aircraft has demonstrated a new electro-luminescent display technology designed for external use on the aircraft.

yourfile

The technology developed by Safran division Aircelle, comprises thin markings which can be applied to the fuselage skin and engine nacelle to provide illuminated branding and logos using on-board electrical power.

Initial airborne tests using A380 MSN1 were carried out at night on June 8th, with the aircraft featuring an Airbus logo on its outboard left-hand Rolls-Royce tent 900 power plant.

Aircelle says the flight was able to demonstrate the “brightness, clarity and readability” of the marking in various lighting conditions.

Aircelle showed the development at the Paris Air Show last month, Aircelle says that the display can be placed “almost anywhere” on the aircraft, including the underside of the fuselage and the tail.

Source : Flightglobal/Picture Airbus

 

BUSINESS/REGIONAL NEWS

Gulfstream Boosts Connectivity for G450 and G550 

Gulfstream has received Us Federal Aviation Administration approval for a modification that allows operators of G450 and G550 aircraft to benefit from enhanced connectivity.

Gulfstream_G450_G550

Covering the installation of the Satcom Direct Router, (SDR) the enhancement simplifies cabin communications on the two twin jets.

“This equipment elevates the airborne office to a new level,” says Mike West, vice-president product support sales and new business development, Gulfstream.

“The addition of a smart router allows for more communications options in the cabin, including Satcom Direct’s GlobalVT, which allows passengers to use their personal smartphones to call and text in flight.”

The SDR also supports mobile applications for onboard cabin services, including moving map and flight tracker, command and control of satellite links and real-time connection status reporting.

Installation of the SDR and accompanying software is standard on new G550 and G450 aircraft and available as a retrofit for in-service examples.

Gulfstream is pursuing similar supplemental type certificates from the FAA to add the enhancement to G650/G650ER, GV and GIV aircraft.

Source: Flightglobal/Gulfstream

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 

Lufthansa Technik Partners with GE for GE9X and GEnx-2B Overhaul

Lufthansa Technik is building a joint-venture overhaul shop with General Electric to service the engines powering Boeing 747-8s and the in development 777X.

The two partners signed a tentative agreement at the Paris Air Show last month, though the closing of the deal will depend on regulatory approval, says the German MRO group. Lufthansa operates 747-8s and has 777Xs  on order, but third-party clients’ engines will also be supported from the European facility.

While the precise location of the operation has still to be decided, a 2018 opening is targeted.

Lufthansa Technik’s own engine overhaul facilities – except for regional aircraft power plants – have traditionally been at its base in Hamburg. It has a shop for CFM International CFM56s and international Aero V2500s; plus a separate facility for large legacy types such as the CF 6.

Capability to overhaul the 777X-powering GE9X promises to give the new joint venture access to a large party customer market, but there appears to be limited potential for services on the GEnx-2B, which equips the 747-8.

The site will form part of GE’s network of international repair facilities, and the two partners will cooperate on development of repairs and on-wing support services.

Source:Flightglobal/GE Aviation

 

Royal Jordanian Eyes North America After European Traffic Decline

Royal Jordanian Airlines is planning to expand its transatlantic network as traffic from Europe has declined as a result of political crises in the Middle East and North Africa.

The airline lost “most” of its tourist traffic originating from European countries because travel packages often combined Jordan with Syria and Egypt, fleet and network planning director Eyad Birouti told Flightglobal at the Connect conference in Killarney in Ireland.

Washington DC and Toronto could be served nonstop from Amman with the airline’s five Boeing 787 fleet. But 787-8 flights to Los Angeles, with full payload, would require a fuel stop in Europe, said Birouti. Amsterdam, Dublin and Vienna are among the cities being investigated as potential stopover points.

The carrier is also planning network expansions in Africa and Asia to compensate for declining traffic from Europe, said Birouti. Connecting flights to the Asia-Pacific region could be a way of filling aircraft on existing routes from Europe.

Source : Royal Jordanian

 

Rolls-Royce Makes Progress on Testing 787 Engine Upgrade

Rolls-Royce is close to completing a round of testing on the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine for the Boeing 787, according to the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) in the USA.

Since earlier this year, AEDC has hosted an R-R team performing altitude operability performance and icing tests on engine serial number 11003, one of several prototypes developed to certificate the Trent 1000-TEN upgrade.

The tests on engine 11003 have been “fantastically successful”, according to Tom Schmidt, a project manager for Aerospace Testing Alliance, which was overseeing the testing by AEDC.

That echoes comments by R-R executives last month, who said the then-ongoing testing at AEDC had shown better fuel efficiency for the Trent 1000-TEN at higher altitudes.

The TEN upgrade migrates several features developed for the Trent XWB engine back into the lower-thrust engine for the 787. The new features include a rising-line compressor and a three-stage blisk at the front of the high-pressure compressor section.

Rolls-Royce has predicted that the Trent 1000-TEN upgrade will provide a 3% advantage on fuel consumption on short flights to 3,000nm; compared to the competing GE Aviation GEnx-1B engine.

Source : Flight Global /Rolls- Royce

 

GE Aviation, Woodward Form Fuel Systems Joint Venture

GE Aviation and Woodward Inc. have formed a 50/50 venture to design, develop, source, supply and service fuel systems for GE90,GEnx, GE9X and future GE large commercial engines.

GE Aviation president and CEO David Joyce said the joint venture will “further strengthen both companies’ capabilities and secure a high quality fuel systems supplier for GE’s record production volume on large commercial engines.”

According to GE Aviation, production rates for its jet engines and components have increased significantly over the last five years; with large commercial engine production more than doubling to close to 500 engines in 2015.

GE Aviation said that under the terms of the joint venture agreement, Woodward will receive $250 million in cash, and the parties will participate jointly in the operating results of respective programs.

Source : ATW/GE Aviation

 

LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF  

  • United Airlines will spend $100 million to acquire a 5% stake in Azul Brazilian Airlines. The two carriers have entered into a strategic partnership that will include code-sharing and reciprocal loyalty program benefits.
  • GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS) has completed a purchase-and-leaseback transaction with Lion Group subsidiary PT Batik Air Indonesia for four new Airbus A320s.
  • Avolon delivered a Boeing 737-800 to Hainan Airlines. This delivery is Avolon’s first aircraft on lease to Hainan Airlines.
  • Bombardier has delivered its 500th Q400 turboprop aircraft to Calgary-based WestJet Encore.
  • Enter Air announced an order for two 737MAX 8s and two Next-Generation 737-800s.  It is the first direct order for Boeing from the Polish charter carrier.

  • Vietnam Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, becoming the second operator of the type.

vietnamairlinesa350xwb-usethisone

  • Transaero Airline has expanded its European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) certificate to include performing C checks on Boeing 737 Classic and 737NG aircraft.
  • Swiss International Air Line has confirmed that it will be the first operator of the Cseries, with service entry slated for the first half of 2016.
  • Embraer has secured firm orders from three airlines and one aircraft lessor for a total of 50 E-Jets, evenly split between the current generation and the E2 variants.
  • Saudia became the launch customer for the A330-300 Regional with a firm order for 20 of the aircraft plus a firm order for 20 A320ceos.

 

Air Cargo

CAL Cargo Air Lines to Transport Aircraft Engines

CAL Cargo Air lines has launched “CAL Express”, service specifically designed for the transportation of aircraft engines.

Under the new service, the carrier will transport every size and type of aircraft engines around the world, using 747-400s.  CAL is also qualified to deal with dangerous goods, so the carrier will be able to transport non-purged engines as well.

This new service also includes ground-handling, storage and road-feeder services.  In the case of aircraft on the ground, CAL is including expedited customs clearance and transit time, as well as charter options.

According to Eyal Zagagi, CEO of Cal Cargo Airlines, one of the reasons CAL Engines was created in response to a 25% per year increase in engine transport business over the last few years.

Source: Air Cargo World / CAL Photo

 

DHL Expands Global Reach with Cincinnati Upgrade

It is no surprise that DHL’s largest U.S. hub is in Cincinnati.  Its central location allows the express carrier to best reach the U.S. East and West coasts from a flight timing perspective.

Since its exit from the US domestic express market in 2009, DHL has set its sights on growing in international service to/from that country.  DHL invested US$108 million to upgrade and expand its American hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG).  Travis Cobb, DHL’s senior vice president, network operations Americas, said part of the investment would be for a new apron to accommodate an additional 18 aircraft. The remainder would be used for infrastructure, including warehousing and automation.

The Cincinnati hub is one of three global DHL hubs – the others are Leipzig,Germany and Hong Kong. Globally, Cincinnati is second in size and volume only the Leipzig hub, processing approximately 46 million international shipments annually.

Source:   Air Cargo World/DHL

 

                                         MILITARY

Boeing Shifts toward Full-Rate Production of Navy Submarine Hunter

Workers assembling Boeing’s biggest Puget Sound area military contract are preparing to lift its production rate; now that the first group of P-8A  submarine hunter aircraft have proved to be a good investment for the government.

The planned increase to 1.5 aircraft monthly will be dwarfed by the 42-monthly rate for the civilian version from the same Renton site.  It is a significant step for the P-8A.

The P-8A Poseidon is an important contract for Boeing’s military side, and it is also important for the Puget Sound area.

In February 2014, Boeing won a $2.4 billion contract for the first 16 of the full-rate jets. Eventually, the Navy wants 117.

The P-8A contract is important for Boeing and the region; partly because of the revenue it’s pulling in, partly because the program is running so smoothly.

Source : Puget Sound Business Journal

 

Canada Accepts First Six Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclones

The Royal Canadian Air Force has accepted delivery of its first six Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone maritime patrol helicopters, making a major step forward for the Sea King replacement program.

The Total value of the Cyclone acquisition is $7.6 billion,including $1.9 billion for development and production of 28 helicopters and$5.7 over 20 years for service contractor support.

The twin-engine, medium-lift Cyclone is derived from Sikorsky’s civil S-92 and is designed for shipboard maritime surveillance and rescue operations on Canada’s east and west coasts.

The cyclones will replace 27 long serving Sikorsky CH-124 Sea Kings that have been in constant operation since 1963 and are the oldest aircraft in the RCAF inventory.

Source : Flightglobal/Picture Canadian Armed Force

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com