Rolls Royce

by

The Kaplanian Report August 2020

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                    ‘smart pipe’  Technology for New Boeing 777X

Inmarsat and Boeing are delivering digital aircraft transformation through innovative new ‘smart pipe’ technology on board the new Boeing 777X aircraft.

The new advance in communications technology provides fast and secure inflight broadband connectivity, from the cockpit to the cabin, allowing airlines to use multiple third-party applications at the same time.

The brand new infrastructure has been designed to independently allocate connectivity bandwidth to multiple applications. This enables airlines to unlock important operational benefits such as predictive maintenance, route optimization, modernised air traffic management and real time crew communications, while also offering enhanced passenger entertainment, including high-speed internet and live television.

This ‘smart pipe’ functionality means that applications delivered on two of Inmarsat’s award-winning satcom solutions-GX Aviation and SwiftBroadband-safety (SB_S)-are each able to have a unique service level agreement and guaranteed performance levels, independent of other applications that are also operating through the same terminal.

Phillip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and SB_S are already established as the aviation industry’s most advanced global connectivity solutions.”

“The results from initial tests for our ‘smart pipe’ are promising and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Boeing in preparation for the forthcoming entry into service of its new 777X aircraft.”

Source: Arabien Aerospace/Picture Boeing

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

       Airbus Concludes ATTOL with Fully Autonomous Flight Tests

In completing this project, Airbus has achieved autonomous taxiing, take-off and landing (ATTOL) of a commercial aircraft through fully automatic vision-based flight tests using on- board image recognition technology-a world- first in aviation.

In total, over 500 test flights were conducted.  Approximately 450 of those flights were dedicated to gathering raw video data, to support and fine tune algorithms; while a series of six test flights, each one including five take-offs and landings per run, were used to test autonomous flight capabilities. 

The ATTOL project was initiated by Airbus to explore how autonomous technologies, including the use of machine learning algorithms and automated tools for data labelling, processing and model generation, could help pilots focus less on aircraft operations and more on strategic decision-making and mission management.  Airbus is now able to analyze the potential of these technologies for enhancing future aircraft operations, all the while improving aircraft safety, ensuring today’s unprecedented levels are maintained.

Airbus will continue research into the application of autonomous technologies along  other innovations in areas such as materials, alternative propulsion systems and connectivity.  By leveraging these opportunities, Airbus is opening up possibilities for creating new business models that will transform how aircraft are developed, manufactured, flown, powered and serviced.

Source: Airbus/Picture Airbus            

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                         Bombardier Delivers 350th Challenger 350

Bombardier celebrated the 350th delivery of its super-midsize Challenger 350, a milestone reached some six years after the 3,200-nm-range twinjet entered service it announced July 9th.  The Canadian business aircraft manufacturer launched the model in 2013 as an upgraded version of the Challenger 300, with a new wing, more powerful Honeywell HTF7350 engines, larger cabin windows, and redesigned interior.

“The 350th delivery of a Challenger 350 aircraft, reached after only six years in service, speaks volumes,” said Bombardier Business Aircraft senior v-p of worldwide sales and marketing Peter Likoray.  ”This achievement shows the great confidence customers place in this aircraft and demonstrates Bombardier’s production proficiency and strong supplier base.”

As of May 31, the worldwide fleet of challenger 350s has logged more than 648,000 flight hours and more than 383,000 landings.

Source: Bombardier/Picture Bombardier

                 Air China Completes Its Maiden ARJ21 Service 

Air China has completed its maiden flight of a Comic ARJ21 on the domestic routing from Beijing to Xilinhot.

The Star Alliance carrier took delivery of its first of the regional jet on June 28 alongside China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

Last August, the three carriers announced on the same day deals to each purchase 35 ARJ21-700 regional jets from COMAC, with deliveries from 2020 through 2024.

The ARJ21 entered commercial operations four years ago after a lengthy development period and is China’s first domestically manufactured airliner.

Source: Comac/Picture Air China        

                                                             

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                          VIP RAF Voyager Ready for Global Role 

The Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager “Vespina” has completed its refurbishment to provide a secure, cost-effective and suitably profiled transport for Government Ministers and the Royal Family. The aircraft now proudly displays the Union Flag alongside RAF markings and is ready to represent the UK across the globe.

The smart new paint scheme will promote the UK around the world while transporting Ministers, senior members of the Royal Family and their delegations on trade, diplomatic and other missions.

After weeks of work, the Voyager returned to RAF Brize Norton where it will operate alongside the rest of the RAF Voyager fleet. Alongside its VIP Role, the aircraft remains certified for its original use, including Air-to Air Refueling and personnel transport. It can fly from almost any airport across the world that can take an Airbus A330, and its range allows it to reach much of the world without costly and time-consuming refueling.

The aircraft, known as Vespina is also referred as’ZZ336’ which is its military registration number, was previously visually indistinguishable from the rest of the Operational Voyager Fleet. This external Paint Scheme will better reflect its VIP mission and Contribution to ‘Global Britain’.

Source: RAF News/Picture RAF

           British Airways Took Delivery of Its First Boeing 787-10 

On Sunday June 28, 2020, British Airways took delivery of the first of twelve Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

Aircraft G-ZBLA  landed at London Heathrow after being dispatched from Charleston, South Carolina .

The arrival of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft is some six months later than intended.

BA originally planned to take delivery of six Boeing 787-10s this year, with the first originally due in January and all twelve aircraft delivered by 2023.  The first route was due to be Atlanta, but this may change.

IAG has confirmed that, since Covid-19, it plans to defer the delivery of eleven new long-haul aircraft between now and 2022—some of these include planned deliveries to Iberia.

The Boeing 787-10 will take BA’s fleet of 787 family aircraft to 42. Compared to other Boeing 787 aircraft, the 787-10 is a larger aircraft, with length of 68 m(223 ft) compared to 57m(187ft) for the 787-8 and 63m(206ft) for the 787-9, but with the same height and wingspan.

Other airlines operating the 787-10 include Etihad, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines.

For BA, the Boeing 787-10 is configured in four classes with 8 seats in first Class, 48 in Club World (featuring Ba’s new Club Suite), 35 seats in World Traveller Plus and 156 seats in World Traveller.

Source: london travel.com/British Airways/Picture British Airways  

      LATEST NEWS

  • Sino-Russian CR929 Russia has disclosed that the Sino-Russian CR929 wide body program will make its first delivery in 2028-2029, with what appears to be another round of delays in the program’s production time line.
  • American Airlines’ pilot union is now reviewing Boeing’s latest 737 Max pilot training draft—a document the union describes as vastly more thorough than previous drafts.
  • Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Operators of Rolls-Royce powered Boeing 787s are set to be instructed to conduct inspections of Certain Trent 1000 low-pressure turbine discs, over a possible braking risk.
  • De Havilland Canada delivered the first of six Dash 8-400 aircraft to TAAG Angola Airlines, as it builds out its networks to the country’s smaller communities.
  • BOC Aviation has cancelled an order for 30 Boeing 737 Max jets, and intends to defer delivery of others.
  • Airbus delivered 196 aircraft over the first six months of the year, half the figure of 389 it had achieved at the same point in 2019.

  • FAA(the Federal Aviation Administration)  has completed three days of flight tests on the Boeing 737 Max ahead of possible recertification in the coming months.
  • China Southern Airlines launches ARJ21-700 service with an inaugural flight between Gangzhou and Jieyang, a city in eastern Guangdong province. 

  • Helvetic Airways has signed a commitment with Embraer to convert four of their remains firm orders to the larger E195-E2 aircraft.

  • Garuda Indonesia is in talks with Airbus to delay deliveries of four aircraft this year.The Indonesian flag carrier has nine A330neos on order that have yet to be delivered, according to the Airbus order book.

Sources: Airbus, Garuda, BOC Aviation, Embraer, De Havilland Canada, Rolls -Royce, Flightglobal.

AIR CARGO

        Sky Gates Airlines Grows Fleet by Adding a B747-400 Freighter

After launching services between Russia, Europe and the Far East at the end of last year; Sky Gates Cargo airlines is going to increase their freighter fleet with another Boeing 747-400 freighter.

The Boeing 747-400F is an ex-Cathay Pacific aircraft which is currently operated by Silk Way West Airlines who is the partner airline of Sky Gates.

Sky Gates is a Russian all-cargo airline with its European Hub in Maastricht serving Moscow and Novosibirsk on scheduled bases to and from the Fair East.

Senior vice president, Nidjat Babayev explains: “As a startup carrier we are happy to pursue our strategy in increasing our fleet step-by-step.  After having received the 2nd aircraft, the planning of a 3rd 747-400F will start.

“We are motivated by the support of our customers and we are convinced of the huge potential the Russian air cargo market will offer Sky Gates. Not only we do see high numbers of flown hours on our first aircraft, we already do have commitments on the 2nd aircraft.”

Source: Air Cargo Week

 OTHER NOTEWORTHY NEWS

                          British Airways Retires Its Boeing 747s

On July 17th, British Airways said it has retired “with immediate effect” its 31 Boeing 747s, adding that the airplanes have “likely” flown their last commercial service.  The airline attributed the abrupt decision to accelerate the retirements to Covid-19 affects.

For over 50 years, Boeing’s “Queen of the Skies” has been the world’s most easily recognized jetliner with its humped fuselage and four engines.  But its days were already numbered before the pandemic struck earlier this year.

The move by BA comes after Australia’s Qantas Airways said in June it would retire its remaining 747 felt immediately, six months ahead of schedule.

BA’s predecessor airline BOAC first introduced the 747 on London-NewYork route in 1971 after one year delay caused with dispute with pilots over terms for flying the new jet.

Hugh Dibley, a former BOAC captain and racing driver who joined the airline in 1958, said the 747’s introduction marked a new era, but was beset with teething problems with its engines.

Landing and taxiing also took some getting used to, from the cockpit positioned almost 30 feet above the ground-or more when angling the nose higher just before touching the runway.

“It was a delight to fly as it was so stable.  The initial issue was its height from the ground.  It was like landing a block of flats from the 2nd floor,” Dibley told Reuters.

BA’s Jumbos are the 747-400 model, the most-sold version of the jet which was introduced in 1989.  After BA, only a handful of airlines including Rossiya Airlines and Air China continue to operate them, according to Cirium data.

Source: Reuters/Picture British Airways

 

 

                         

Researched and Compiled by : 

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor  

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian  

 

 

 

by

The Kaplanian Report – May 2020

ON THE BOEING FRONT

                 Status of Boeing Strategy Concerning the 737 & 787

Boeing believes it will resume 737 Max deliveries in the third quarter of 2020, with chief executive David Calhoun saying the company is progressing well through certification work despite challenges posed by coronavirus.

“We currently expect the necessary regulatory approval to allow Max deliveries in the third quarter,” Calhoun says on April 29.  ”We are very confident that the process will conclude with the certification.”

Boeing is now working through what Calhoun describes as “a mountain” of documentation work.  He says the certification pace has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced staff to work from home.

Boeing expects to resume 737 Max production this year at “low rates”.   It does not specify initial production volumes, but says production will “gradually increase” to 31 aircraft monthly in 2021, with additional increases to follow.

As to the 787, Boeing has no immediate plan to restructure its 787 manufacturing footprint despite announcing a major cut in production.  However, Chief Executive David Calhoun says Boeing will have time to review it manufacturing strategy in the coming years, as 787 production further declines.

On April 29 Boeing announced it will reduce 787 production from 14 aircraft monthly to 10 monthly this year-end then to seven monthly by 2022.

“Certainly, both lines will be running during the initial phase of reducing production to 10 787 monthly.”  Calhoun says.  ”We have not made any decision on the 787 production locations,” he adds of production requirements after 2020.

“We will have plenty of time to figure out exactly the way to go.”

Source: Boeing

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

  Airbus Sees More Pain in Commercial Market Through 3Q 2020

Airbus does not expect to have clear visibility of full short-to medium-term impact of the Covid-19 crisis until June.  In a briefing for financial analysts the morning of April 29 to announce diminished first-quarter results for 2020, Airbus indicated that it will likely defer decisions on steps to right-size the business for another two or three months.  This will allow more time to reassess the situation of its airline customers and also get more complete guidance from governments on steps to ease lockdown restrictions.

Group CEO Guillaume Faury told analysts that the greatest Covid-19 impact so far has been on its commercial aircraft business.  Its short-term reaction has been to scale back production rates by around a third to 48 units a month, including 40 A320s, 6 A350s and 2 A330s.  The A220 production line in Canada is expected to return progressively to a monthly output rate of 4 aircraft.

“The industry is now facing the gravest crisis in its history and we have a strong focus on matching production to demand and also cash containment,” Faury said.

Earlier in April Airbus announced that it is tapping government-backed payroll protection support schemes.  This has resulted in around 3,000 being furloughed on close to full pay in France and a further 3,200 in the UK.

Airbus is deferring further decisions on possible workforce reductions until June, when it expects to have a clearer idea of reduced demand for airliners.

Source: Airbus          

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

  Supersonic Jet Maker Aerion to Build Manufacturing Site In Florida

Supersonic business jet company Aerion will manufacture its in-development AS2 transport aircraft at a new facility in the Florida city of Melbourne, in the heart of the state’s aerospace cluster.

The company, currently based in Reno, intends this year to begin constructing in Melbourne a “global headquarters and integrated campus for research, design, build and maintenance” of the AS2, Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ office said on April 24.  Aerion’s media representative confirms the plan.

The $300 million project will create a facility called “ Aerion Park” in a region of Florida known as the “Space Coast”, says the governor.

The Company intends to begin manufacturing AS2 there in 2023, and the site will employ 675 people by 2026. 

“ Having evaluated a number of potential locations for our new home, we are excited to partner with Florida and Melbourne community to create a sustainable supersonic future,” says Aerion chief executive Tom Vice.  Aerion has said it hopes to complete first flight of the 12- passenger AS2 in 2024.

Source: Aerion/Picture Aerion          

                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

        AvioInteriors Seating Innovation Addresses Covid Concerns

Italian aircraft seat and cabin interior supplier AvioInteriors has released a concept for new seating solution designed to theoretically allow airlines to fill their middle seats amid Covid-19 concerns.  Calling it a “kit-level solution”, operators can install on existing seats to make close proximity safer, the company’s Glasssafe and Janus products feature transparencies to create an isolated volume around the passenger to avoid or minimize the spread of germs between occupants.

The Company can supply a Glasssafe retrofit kit in opaque material or with different degrees of transparency.   AvioInteriors designed the application with various executions and fixing systems that allow easy installation and removal and to allow for traditional seat-back magazine pockets and tables.

The Proposal for the second product, called Janus, features a center seat of a three-abreast layout positioned in the opposite direction, while passengers seated on the side seats, aisle, and fuselage continue to face in the forward direction.

As in the Glasssafe applications high shield that prevents breath propagation surrounds each Janus seat.  But another advantage of the Janus setup is the middle seat passenger has unobstructed access to both armrests.

If approved the AvioInteriors products would allow airlines to generate 33 percent more revenue if regulators call for middle seats to remain empty.  In fact, International Air Transport Association director general Alexandre de Juniac warned of the likelihood of higher airfares due to empty middle seat requirement.

Source: ainonline

              Southwest Delays Deliveries of 59 737 Max to Post-2021

Southwest Airlines, among the world’s top Boeing 737 Max customers, has pushed back deliveries of 59 Max aircraft in response to the travel downturn caused by the coronaviris pandemic.

Previously, Southwest anticipated receiving 107 Max jets from Boeing in 2020 and 2021, including 62 aircraft that had been scheduled for delivery in 2020 and 45 scheduled for 2021, securities filing shows.

The airline provides few details about how many 737 Max aircraft it intends to acquire in 2020 and 2021, other than saying it expects to receive less than 27 jets from Boeing this year.

Those 737 Max are aircraft Boeing manufactured for Southwest after regulators grounded the type in March 2019.  Boeing continued manufacturing the jets after grounding, storing the airliners until the grounding lifts.

Southwest is “still working on specifics of how many we want to take between now and the end of the year,” chief financial officer Tammy Romo says, during Southwest’s first-quarter earnings call on April 28.  “We have fleet flexibility.”

News of the deferrals came the day Southwest reported a first-quarter loss of$94 million, reflecting the collapse of travel demand during the pandemic.

While some Max customers have cancelled orders in recent weeks, Romo says Southwest still prefers to take new jets.”Our preference is to get new airplanes from Boeing,” she says.

Romo adds that “Max’s 14% fuel savings (compared to 737NGS) is still very meaningful and significant”, despite tumbling fuel prices, which have eroded the financial value of efficiency.

Source: Southwest/Flightglobal

                   Delta to Retire Its MD-88, MD-90 Fleets in June

Delta Air Lines will retire the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft earlier than previously planned, with both aircraft types exiting the fleet effective June 2020.

The accelerated retirement schedule of both aircraft is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic as the airline reduces capacity systemwide.

Delta cut its overall active fleet by about half, parking more than 600 mainline and regional aircraft in the last two months.

The 149-seat MD-88 was previously set to retire by the end of 2020.  As of February this year, prior to the coronavirus-driven fleet reduction, there were 47 MD-88s and 29 MD90s operating.  Both aircraft operated across much of Delta’s domestic network and have been workhorses for the airline.

Delta continues to evaluate its broader fleet plan and will consider additional aircraft retirement to focus on a modern, more simplified fleet going forward.

Source: World Airline News

                

LATEST NEWS

  • Airbus has backed out of a joint venture with Thai Airways to build a new MRO campus at Thailand’s U-Tapao airport.
  • El Al Israeli flag-carrier has reached a sale-and-leaseback agreement with an unidentified foreign company covering three Boeing 737-800s.
  • American Airlines sets a company cargo record on a Boeing 777-300, the flight on April 15 broke American’s all-time record for freight volume, removing 115,349 pounds(52,321 kilograms) of soybean seeds.On one of American’s cargo-only routes from Buenos Aires to Miami.

  • Lufthansa is prematurely phasing out six Airbus A380 as part of fleet cuts across the airline group.
  • Rolls-Royce says it is aiming to bring the number of Boeing 787s on the ground for Trent 1000 engine modification reasons down to fewer than 10 by the end of the second quarter.
  • Silver Air a private jet management and charter company has added a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with unrestricted charter access based in West Palm beach, Florida.

  • Boeing conducted a successful first flight of its second 777X airplane. Designated WH002 the second of four 777-9 flight test vehicles.

  • Qantas is putting Project Sunrise on hold, citing the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on air travel.
  • United Airlines will sell and lease back 22 planes to Bank of China(BOC) Aviation.The deal involves six Boeing 787-9s and 16 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft.
  • German Government First A350 Airbus has transferred the first of three A350-900s for the federal German government to Hamburg for outfitting at the Lufthansa Technik facility on May 7.

Sources: United Airlines, Flightglobal, Boeing, Qantas, Rolls-Royce, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Airbus, El Al. 

 

AIR CARGO

                         Air Freight Market Goes Into Overdrive

Damian Brett, the editor of Air Cargo News, outlines how the freight sector has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

While passenger airlines have heavily reduced their services over recent weeks, the air cargo market has gone into overdrive as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The sector is managing a huge capacity crunch as airlines have largely stopped operating the bellyhold services which make up roughly 50% of cargo capacity.

Consultant Seabury estimates that at the end of March, cargo capacity was down by around 35% compared with the year-ago figure.

The drop-off in demand lags the capacity reductions, as a result, freight rates have taken off.

Numbers from Tac Index show that rates an services from China/Hong Kong to Europe increased by 156% from March 2 to April 6.

On China/Hong Kong to North America an increase of 90.5% as recorded during the same timeframe.

So what of the coming months? There are some early signs that the situation is easing as carriers have started to re-activate parked-up freighters aircraft, passenger aircraft are being utilized as ad hoc freighters and containership operations come into play.

Lufthansa Cargo chief executive Peter Gerber says that while it is impossible to predict what the future holds, it could be the case that there are several spikes in cargo demand over the coming months as production plants in various countries come back on line.

The prospect of this outcome was also posited by logistics and parcels giant Deutsche Post DHL in recent business performance update.

“While the development of the business situation in China has been quite promising in the last weeks, Europe and North America are still in an earlier stage of the pandemic,” DP DHL said.

Source: Air Cargo News/Picture Cargolux

 

OTHER NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Lessors see no ( one-size-fits- all ) solution to help airlines through crisis

While aircraft lessors are agreeing to a number of rental deferral requests to help airline customers struggling through the coronavirus crisis, leasing executives stress there is no one size-fits-all approach being sought by airlines.

Speaking  on May 6 during the Leasing Leaders on Aviation Crisis webinar, organized by FlightGlobal in association with IBA Group.  BOC Aviation chief executive Robert Martin notes rapid funding action- including measures from governments-means some airlines have been more interested in, for example, sale-and lease-back activity.

“Clearly a lot of our customers were immediately hit and have asked for help, but it’s not one-size-fits-all,” he says.”  Some airlines didn’t need liquidity because they already have access to liquidity in other ways.  So actually they were more interested in doing purchase-and lease-back business, and we have done $5 billion of that since Covid started.”

“As we have addressed these issues, it’s clear to us you can tell the experienced airlines who have been through something like this before,” he says.  For example, editing the speed with which North American carriers acted to improve their liquidity and that Chinese carriers tapped their domestic bond market.

Another lessor leader panelist on the webinar, chief executive of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Firoz Tarapore, concurs that there is no single response.

In publishing its first quarter results, the lessor says that at the end of April, it had granted rent deferral requests from 25 customers – an aggregate rent totaling 5% of annual revenue. It is also evaluating rent deferral request from 33 customers, the aggregate rent deferral for which totals 10% of annual revenue.

“It’s been a deliberate and corroborative approach to make sure we carefully balance the needs of our clients and our own needs to make sure we are here for our other customers tomorrow.” said Tarapore.

Separately another aircraft lessor, Avalon, in reporting its first quarter results said it has received requests for payment relief from more than 80% of its current owned and managed customer base.

Source: Flightglobal.com/webinars

                         

Researched and Compiled by :

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

by

Kaplanian Report March 2019

On the Boeing Front             

    Boeing Partners with Aerion to Accelerate Supersonic Travel                                                 

On February 5th Boeing announced a partnership with Aerion, a Reno, Nevada-based company pioneering next-generation supersonic aircraft.

As part of the agreement, Boeing made a significant investment in Aerion to accelerate technology development and aircraft design and unlock supersonic air travel for new markets. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Boeing will provide engineering, manufacturing and flight test resources, as well as strategic vertical content, to bring Aerion’s AS2 supersonic business jet to market.

The AS2 is designed to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.4 or approximately 1,000 miles per hour. With the ability to fly up to 70 percent faster than today’s business jets, the AS2 will save approximately three hours on a transatlantic flight meeting environmental performance requirements. The aircraft is slated for first flight in 2023.

“Boeing is leading a mobility transformation that will safely and efficiently connect the world faster than ever before,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt. “This is a strategic and disciplined leading-edge investment in further maturing supersonic technology.  Through this partnership and experience, we have the right team to build the future of sustainable flight.”

Founded in 2003 to develop new, more efficient aerodynamic technologies for supersonic aircraft, Aerion introduced its AS2 12-passenger business jet design in 2014.  The company unveiled the AS2’s GE Affinity engine design in 2018.

Source : Boeing/Picture Aerion

                     

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                                      Airbus Terminates A380 Program                                                     

While stressing it would continue to fully support the A380 customers that operate a total of about 230 of the four-engine jetliners, Airbus on February 14th confirmed enduring speculation it would end the program.  It was launched in 2000 as part of its goal to gain a share of the market Boeing had covered with 747.

Airbus CEO Tom Enders described the decision as “painful” but inevitable after Emirates Airline, by far the largest customer of the aircraft, reduced its outstanding A380 order by 39 aircraft.

Speaking Thursday during a fourth-quarter/full-year earnings presentation with analysts, Enders said the European OEM had “invested a lot of efforts lot of resources, and a lot of sweat” in the A380 program.”  But obviously we need to be realistic,” he explained. ”With the decision of Emirates to reduce their orders, our order backlog is not sufficient to sustain production beyond 2021 despite all our sales efforts with other airlines in recent years.” 

Airbus said it will produce just 17 A380s—14 for Emirates and three for All Nippon Airways—until it closes the type’s final assembly line. The last two, for  Emirates, will roll off the assembly line in 2021, when the Dubai airline will have taken delivery of 123 units. 

Source : Airbus,World Airlines,Photo Emirates       

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

    Business Jet Deliveries To Middle East Are Expected To Total 200

This according to data from the Aviation Week Network, with 12 deliveries in 2019 rising to 20 in 2028.  The top deliveries through the 10-year period from 2018 through 2028 are expected to be the Boeing 737 MAX, with 23 deliveries, followed by the Gulfstream G650, with Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G600 tied for third place.  At the same time, the business jet fleet in the Middle East is expected to grow to nearly 435 aircraft in 2019 and to 580 by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.3%, according to AviationWeek data.

Source : BCA

                         Pilatus Delivers PC-24 To Swiss Government            

                              

Pilatus has delivered a PC-24 to the Swiss government.  The aircraft was handed over during a dedicated ceremony in Berne on February 18th, and will replaced a similarly sized Cessna Citation XLS in service.

The eight-seat PC-24 will be used for government transportation “primarily around Europe, and operated by the Swiss Air Force”. 

Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk describes the latest addition as “the new Swiss Air Force One” and says he is “confident that other governments will adopt the PC-24 once they see the unrivaled opportunities and flexibility which it offers.”

The PC-24 is powered by the Williams International FJ44-4A with a range of 2,000nm(3,700km) and designed to take off from grass and gravel strips.

Source : Pilatus/Picture Pilatus                                                                                                                                             

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

                                   El AL Brings Its 767 Era to a Close                                                          

Israeli flag-carrier El Al has formally withdrawn the 767 from its fleet, following a final service from Milan to Tel Aviv on February 3rd.

El Al says it has used different variants of the 767 for 36 years, following the introduction of -200s in 1983, and that the type has logged over 100,000 flights with the airline.

The carrier has been introducing Boeing 787s to replace the 767.  It has eight 787-9s in its fleet.

Chief executive Gonen Usishkin, who opted to accelerate the withdrawal of the 767s, says the aircraft has featured in some high-profile roles for the carrier, including transport of the country’s prime ministers.

The 767 enabled the carrier to become the first airline to operate a twin-engined aircraft on the transatlantic commercial service.

Source : Flightglobal/Picture El Al                                                                                                         

                     Boeing Seeing More Airplane Buyers Paying Cash                                Financing than Ever Before

“We’re seeing more customers with near-term demand and in the ability to either finance or pay cash than we’ve ever seen,” Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith told FOX Business.

The company will now produce 57 737s a month (up from 52) and will increase production of its 787 Dreamliner to 14 per month (up from 12). The U.S. airplane maker has nearly 5,900 aircraft currently on backlog, valued at $490 billion.  Over the course of next 20 years, Boeing forecasts 8,800 airplanes will need to be delivered to airlines.

“When you look at assets that are in North America today…almost half are being replaced with much more efficient aircraft than those they are operating today,” Smith said, regarding operating costs. ”So that’s creating a lot of demand.”

“There’s lot of replacement opportunity there near term and long term,” Smith said. “There’s also more growth there, and that just goes to the fundamentals of what’s happening within their society and their economy; with the growth in middle class and a real desire to travel…within the region but also outside of the region.”

Source : Boeing/FoxBusiness

British Airways’ BOAC-Painted Boeing 747-400 Lands at London Heathrow

Monday, February 18, 2019—Large crowds gathered at Heathrow in the rain to watch the much-anticipated arrival of a British Airways Boeing 747-400; painted in the iconic design of its predecessor British Overseas Airways Corporation BOAC.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “The enormous interest we’ve had in this project demonstrated the attachment many people have to British Airways’ history. It’s something we are incredibly proud of, so our centenary year it’s a pleasure to be celebrating our past while also looking to the future. We look forward to many more exciting moments like this as our other aircraft with heritage designs enter service.” 

From the paint bay at Dublin Airport, the BOAC Boeing 747-400 flew directly to Heathrow on the aptly named BA100 touching down in the morning.  Its next flight on Tuesday February 19, when it departed for New York JFK operating as flight BA117.   This flight is particularly significant as it was the first route the Boeing 747-100 flew in BOAC colors.

The BOAC livery will remain on the Boeing 747-400 until it retires in 2023, to allow as many customers as possible to have a chance to see it. By this time, British Airways will have retired the majority of its 747 fleet, replacing them with new state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft.

Source : British Airways/Picture British Airways    

      

LATEST NEWS

  • Icelandair has taken its first Boeing 737 Max 9, which has been delivered from BOC aviation.                                                                                                                                         
  • US Bangla Airline has agreed to lease a Boeing 737 Max 8 from AerCap, making it the first Bangladeshi carrier to have committed to the re-engined variant.
  • Bahamasair takes first 737-700 purchased from AerCap and formerly operated by Alaska Airlines and Lucky Air.
  • EgyptAir plans to begin new service to Washington Dulles International in June. EgyptAir has six 787-9s leased from AerCap on order with all aircraft due this year.             
  • British Airways is ordering up to 42 Boeing 777-9s to modernize the UK flag-carrier’s long-haul fleet. Eighteen are firm orders complimented by another 24 as options.             
  • Rolls-Royce has pulled out of the competition to develop an engine for Boeing’s proposed New Mid-market airplane. The UK engine manufacturer says it is ”unable to commit” to the required timetable and ensure that it has a “sufficiently mature” power plant for the aircraft.
  • Lufthansa On February 19, Lufthansa revealed that the body sections of its first 777-9 have been joined on the assembly line in Everett, Washington. The Lufthansa aircraft is the first of 20 777-9s the German flag carrier has on order, with deliveries due from the summer of next year.
  • Bamboo Airways & VietJet Air have firmed up commitments to order 110 Boeing aircraft 10 787-9s for Bamboo and 80 Max 10s and 20 737Max 8s for VietJet Air             

Source : BOC Aviation, AerCap, Flightglobal, British Airways, Boeing                                                

AIR CARGO

            Pemco Launches Full Conversion Program for 737-700                                 

Pemco Conversions has launched a passenger-to-full-freighter conversion program for the Boeing 737-700, the first of which would enter service with Bahraini non-scheduled cargo operator Texel Air.  The Tampa-based maintenance, modifications, and engineering company announced it the first week in February.

Texel’s parent company, Chisholm Enterprises, collaborated with Pemco to develop the conversion for use out of Bahrain International Airport.  Chisholm also served as the launch customer for Pemco’s 737-700 FlexCombi converted freighters supplemental type certificate for which remains pending.

“As we developed the 737-700 FexCombi conversion, our understanding of their requirements grew, allowing us to implement comprehensive solutions that enhance our vision of the 737-700 full freighter.  This made Chisholm the ideal launch customer for the conversion,” said Pemco director for conversion programs Mike Andrews.                                     

Pemco plans to receive a 737-700 for full freighter modification at its headquarters in Tampa during the second quarter of this year. The Company plans to amend its pending application with the FAA for the 737-700 FC STC to accommodate the full freighter conversion in an effort to streamline the approval process.  After gaining FAA approval, Pemco plans to certify both 737-700 conversion programs with the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

When the aircraft is delivered to Texel Air, it will join two 737-300 converted freighters in Texels fleet.

Source : ainonline/Picture Texel Air                                                                                                        

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

                          United Breaks Ground on a New                                             Technical Operations Center at LAX

United Airlines and Los Angeles World Airports(LAWA) broke ground on February 28 on a state-of-art Technical Operations center (TOC) at Los Angeles International Airport(LAX) that will enable the airline to provide exceptional service for all its aircraft fleets. The new facility will include two connected buildings-a ground service equipment and facilities maintenance building and a line maintenance hanger, including an engine support shop that will focus on the aircraft’s Dreamliner fleet.

The commencement of this $352 million TOC pushes the airline’s investment at its Los Angeles hub to nearly $1 billion in recent years.

The new TOC will consolidate two facilities that United currently operates at LAX that are located a half mile apart, improving efficiency with not only moving aircraft around the airport .With this new facility, transporting employees, parts, tools and other supplies-ultimately leading to more efficient operation for customers.

The TOC will be located near the airline’s terminal and stand at 407,408 square feet. The facility’s hanger will be able to accommodate up to six narrow-body and two wide body aircraft at a time, supporting United’s 150 flights that depart from LAX every day.

Source : United Airlines

                         

 

 

Researched and Compiled by : 

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor 

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian 

by

Volume 5 Issue 7 The Kaplanian Report

On the Boeing Front

                     Boeing Gets Approval for Folding Wings on 777X

Boeing’s 777X will become the first heavily used commercial airliner with the technology. 

While the wings are common on smaller defense aircraft, the FAA had to institute new regulations for Boeing’s commercial plane to avoid mishaps like the wing flaps coming loose during high winds.

Boeing assured the regulator that a locking mechanism would make it impossible for the wings to retract while in flight. The FAA finally gave approval to the 777X on Friday May 18.

Airlines will be able to park the 777X at current gates despite its 235 feet wing, thanks to the 12-foot foldable section.

The wings are made from lighter carbon fiber composites instead of aluminum. ”This airplane will be the most efficient twin-jet overdeveloped in commercial history,” Terry Beezhold, the 777X’s chief project engineer called it “this beautiful wing” in a recent video made by the company. ”This airplane actually will be the most efficient twin-jet ever developed in commercial history.” Beezhold said.

Source : Bloomberg/Boeing 

              Boeing Marks 737 Max Anniversary with 130-Strong Fleet   

Boeing has passed the one year anniversary of the 737 Max with a staggeringly large in-service fleet that has fulfilled promises of improved fuel efficiency. The company delivered 130 aircraft representing two versions of the 737 Max in the 12 months since the first delivery to Lion Air’s Malaysia-based subsidiary last May, the company says in an online blog post.  

The deliveries might have been even higher, but engine supplier CFM International fell several weeks behind on a planned ramp-up of Leap-1B engine production, CFM plans to catch up on deliveries in the third quarter.

So far, the 28 737 Max operators have logged 118,006 hours on 41,797 flights that carried 6.5 million passengers, according to Boeing.

The fleet now stands at a mission dispatch rate of 99.4% and should improve to the 99.7% standard by the end of the year.

Boeing has sold 4,509 firm orders of the 737 Max family with the 737-8 version is by far the most popular.

Source :  Boeing                

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

                              Airbus BelugaXL on Track for First Flight

Airbus said the BelugaXL has passed the ground vibration test (GVT), a requirement for certification of the aircraft that paves the way toward its maiden flight this summer.

“The objective of this test is to measure the dynamic behavior of the aircraft and confirm theoretical models of various flight conditions, such as maneuvering, flying in gusty conditions and landing. This test data also helps clear the aircraft’s flight envelope,” Airbus said in a statement.

The BelugaXL was launched in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019.  The new oversize air transporters are based on the A330-200 Freighter, with large re-use of existing components and equipment. The first of five BelugaXLs will enter service in 2019. 

Source : Airbus/Picture Airbus

          

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                Air Baltic Signs for 30 More CS300s

Latvian carrier Air Baltic has signed for 30 more Bombardier Series aircraft and taken options for 30 more of the type. Deliveries of the new aircraft are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Air Baltic has already ordered 20 of the type, eight of which are in commercial service. “In 2017, we successfully executed our fleet modernization strategy, and are excited to further grow our fleet up to 80 CS300 aircraft while phasing out our other types in the next three years.”

The new aircraft will support the next stage of its business strategy, which targets significant route expansion in key Baltic markets Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

“A critical part of this new strategy is the introduction of a larger and exclusive fleet of all CS300 aircraft, which are the most suitable aircraft for the markets in which we operate,” said chief executive Martin Gauss. 

Source : Reuters/Picture Air Baltic      

      Boeing Business Jets Grows Order Book with New Sales

Boeing Business Jets have won four new orders in 2018 as elite customers continue to favor Boeing’s portfolio of ultra-large-cabin, long range airplanes, the company announced on May 28 at the European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (EBACE).

The New Orders this year follow an impressive 2017 in which customers purchased 16 Boeing Business Jets. Two of the new orders this year are for the BBJ MAX airplane, adding to a backlog of 19 airplanes and making the BBJ MAX one of the best-selling business jetliners in history.

“The performance advantage of the BBJ MAX is a big sales driver,” said Greg Laxton, leader of Boeing Business Jets. ”The airplane is perfectly suited for discerning customers who want to fly further without stopping.” 

Source : Boeing Business Jets Communications

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

      SIngapore Airlines To Merge Regional Silkair Unit into Main Brand 

Silkair’s Boeing 737 fleet will undergo a major cabin overhaul pending the unit’s merger with the main Singapore Airlines brand.

The full merger will take place after 2020, which gives the SIA Group time to upgrade the cabins aboard the regional carrier’s narrow body fleet, says SIA. 

“The program will comprise investment of more than $100 million to upgrade the wholly owned subsidiary’s cabins with new lie-flat seats in business class, and the installation of seat-back in-flight entertainment systems in both business class and economy class”, says SIA. “ This will ensure closer product and service consistency across the SIA Group’s full-service network.  

“Singapore Airlines is one year into our three-year Transformation Program and the announcement of May 18 of merging Silkair into Singapore Airlines is a significant development to provide more growth opportunities and prepare the Group for an even stronger future,” says SIA chief executive Got Choon.

Silkair operates 34 aircraft. They comprise of five 737 Max 8, 17 737-800s, three Airbus A319s, and nine A320s. The A320 family aircraft are being phased out in favor of the 737s, of which Silkair has orders for 32 Max 8s. 

Source : Singapore Airlines

                     GE9X Completes First Phase of Flight Testing

In early May, GE wrapped up the first phase of a two-stage flight-test effort on the 105,000lb-thrust GE9X. Phase 1 included 18 flights on board the company’s Victorville-based 747-400 flying testbed, GE9X program manager Ted Ingling said. The 105,000lb-thrust power plant was flown to Evendale, Ohio to prepare for phase 2, which is scheduled to begin in the third quarter.” It will be months of work to bring the engine down and back up again. The majority of the activities are around the instrumentation that we have on this vehicle. There’s over 1,600 pieces of discrete information through sensors that get bundled onto the engine routed into the aircraft,” Ingling says. 

“We want to preserve that instrumentation for the missions that follow. As a result, what would normally be a quick turn-around for incorporation of the hardware changes takes us a much longer time to bring the engine down and back up and make sure all the instrumentation is working,” he adds.

The first phase of flight-testing with the GE9X kicked off on March 13, with engine designated as No.4 within the program lifting off in Victorville. In nearly two months, the 747-400 flying testbed logged 110 flight hours overall during the 18 flights.

“We are very encouraged about the engine. All indications from flight test is that the engine is doing exactly what we want it to do and we’re on track to meet our objectives on performance,” Ingling says. ”The engine is really performing well and we couldn’t be happier with that.”

Source : GE Aviation

      JetBlue Founder Raising Funds for New U.S. Airline, Report Says 

David Neeleman, who started JetBlue Airways Corp.with $100 million in 2000, is raising money to launch a new low-cast carrier focused on secondary airports in the U.S., according to Airline Weekly.

The airline, to be called Moxy Airways, has secured orders for 60 Bombardier CS300 aircraft, the trade journal, citing people familiar with the matter.  The first would arrive in 2020, perhaps a ply on the word Moxie—meaning determination and pep—Moxy Airways reportedly aims to get of the ground in 2020.

The timeline coincides exactly with when Bombardier – and its new partner Airbus – intend to open a Series assembly site in Mobile, Alabama.

Moxy is designed to maximize the economic advantage of the C Series, along with the use of smaller, secondary airports such as Providence, Rhode Island, Forth Worth, Texas, Gary,  Indiana and Burbank, California. Plus the Long Island cities of Islip and Farmingdale, Airline Weekly said. The advanced jetliner reduces fuel burn due to its modern engines and carbon-fiber fuselage.

With 60 CS300 orders, Moxy would become the second-largest C Series customer after Delta Airlines.  Delta is acquiring 75 of the smaller CS100 model and plans to begin service with the plane next year. 

Source : Bloomberg/Ed’s Research

 

    LATEST NEWS

  • IATA downgraded its 2018 profit forecast for the global airline industry, projecting airlines will collectively earn $33.8 billion this year, down 12% from the $38.4 billion predicted in December 2017 as fuel costs rise. 
  • Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker has been appointed the chairman of ATA board of governors. 
  • Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of its 100th aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on June 6,2018, once again leading the way in fleet expansion and modernization in Africa.
  • LOT Polish Airlines is acquiring six more Boeing 737 MAX 8s as part of its fleet modernization plans.
  • United Airlines debuted its first passenger service utilizing a 737 MX 9 between Houston and Orlando International Airport on June 7. 
  • BOC Aviation Limited delivered its first Boeing 737 MAX8 aircraft to its newest customer Corendon Airlines based in Turkey. 
  • CDB Aviation Lease Finance delivered two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Ukraine International Airlines. The aircraft delivered from CDB Aviation order book with Boeing.
  • AirAsia Group received shareholder approval to sell 55 Airbus A320 family aircraft and seven CFM56s on an operating lease to FLY leasing; deal includes options on another 20 A320neos.
  • Vistara the Indian affiliate of Singapore Airlines Ltd has opted for six 787s with an option to buy four more. Vistara is considering between the 787-9 and the 787-10 version. 
  • Xiamen Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737MAX 8, expanding its fleet to 200 aircraft. The air carrier operates an all Boeing fleet of 737s,757s and 787s, with 31 consecutive years of profitability. 
  • Royal Brunei Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo aircraft during an event in Toulouse, France. 

Sources : Ed”s Research From Various Aviation Resources.

 

AIR CARGO

           Lufthansa Cargo Introduces Twice Weekly B777Fs to Chengdu

Lufthansa Cargo has confirmed its latest capacity increase into Chinese cargo market by adding twice weekly B777 freighter services to the city of Chengdu. 

Chengdu in western China has joined Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong as Lufthansa Cargo freighter connections to the country.

Speaking at Air Cargo China in Shanghai, Frank Naeve, Lufthansa Cargo vice president Asia-Pacific, said: “The extension to our network will allow us to offer solutions for booming markets in the west of China”. “These new flights to Chengdu are strengthening our position in China. It is a further investment into the very important Chinese airfreight market,” he declared.

Lufthansa Cargo flew 240,000 tons of cargo from and into China in 2017.

In addition to this news, Lufthansa has ordered two Boeing 777Fs to add to its fleet of five B777Fs, to be delivered in February and March of 2019.

“The Boeing 777F is not only the world’s most powerful, efficient and environmentally friendly freighter, it is a visible sign of our modernization strategy,” said Peter Gerber, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo.” He added: “With the growth of our B777 freighter fleet, an important milestone has been reached on our way to forming a company for the next generation.”

With a full payload of 103 tons, the B777F is able to stay in the air for ten and a half hours. It covers a distance of more than 9,000 kilometers ( 5592 miles) non-stop.

Source : Aircargonews/Lufthansa/Picture Lufthansa

 

 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

Services May Justify Future Boeing Aircraft: Fitch

 Boeing’s increasing emphasis on services and lifecycle revenue streams for its product is a “key development” for the company, says Fitch Ratings.

The credit rating agency had affirmed Boeing’s long-term rating at ‘A’ with a stable outlook, and says that Boeing’s 4.25 billion takeover of parts supplier KLX Aerospace Solutions—expected to close in the third quarter—will not affect this assessment.

Fitch broadly approves of Boeing’s aftermarket strategy, which it believes could drive growth and margin gains. It also increases the viability of clean-sheet aircraft programs by opening another revenue stream to recoup high development costs.

“Potentially greater services revenues through the life of a program could make some proposed programs more economically viable than if evaluated only on an original equipment basis,” Fitch states.

The obvious potential program in this regard is Boeing’s new midsize aircraft (NMA). Fitch questions whether Boeing’s current setup can provide a business case for the aircraft given development costs, but notes this might change with production system improvements and aftermarket gains.

“Key questions for Boeing over the next year will be whether it raises 737 rates further and whether the supply chain can support additional rate hikes”

Source: Fitch Credit Rating Agency

        MRO LATEST NEWS

  • ST Engineering Aerospace opened a $46 million, 173,500 sq ft maintenance and overhaul facility in Pensacola, Florida.  It’s the third facility in the US.  They have signed UPS as launch customer for Boeing 757s.
  • Boeing & Safran agreed to form a joint venture to design, build and service APUs.
  • Skytech-AIC was appointed by Kuwait Airways to market for sale the airline’s single, low-time, GE-powered 747-400 Combi and its first A340-300 aircraft, delivered new to Kuwait Airways in 1994-1995.
  • Thai Airways & Rolls-Royce signed cooperation agreement over Trent Maintenance.
  • German Asset Manager Dr Peters, on June 5th, disclosed plans to part out two ex-Singapore Airlines Airbus A380s.  Dr Peters executive, Anselm Gehling, estimates that the company can achieve a residual value of about $80 million per aircraft. This is done with  $45 million from parting out airframe, about $4 million from leasing engines over the next 18 months, and $32-$33 million from selling the engines in 2020.    

        

 

 

 

 

Researched and Compiled by : 

Ed Kaplanian    Commercial Aviation Advisor  

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

Editor:   Lee Kaplanian  

by

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

by

Volume 4 Issue 10 October 2017 The Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Expands Helena Site for 777X Parts Production

Boeing’s Helena, Montana, manufacturing site is set to install new machinery for manufacturing critical titanium parts for the 777X production.  The new 90,000 sq.ft. expansion of Boeing Helena brings the site’s total footprint to over 257,000 sq.ft.

Machine parts for the 777X to be manufactured at Boeing Helena will include side-of-body chords and terminal end fittings which connect the wings to the fuselage, Boeing  said. The site has become a vital part of Boeing’s commercial airplane supply chain, the company said, specializing in complex machining of hard metals for Boeing’s 737, 747, 767, and 787 aircraft models.

“Our investment in Boeing Helena…further positions our…Montana team of nearly 150 employees as key partner of Boeing Commercial Airplanes,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP and GM-Fabrication Kim Smith said.

Boeing purchased the former Summit Aeronautics Group facility in December 2010 and renamed it Boeing Helena. The facility is part of Auburn, Washington-headquartered Boeing Fabrication, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and is one of 12 Boeing Fabrication sites located around the world.

Source : ATW/Boeing

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Delivers First U.S.-Produced A320 To Spirit Airlines

The first delivery of an A320 aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility has taken place in Mobile, Alabama. The aircraft, delivered to Spirit Airlines, is the 37th overall delivery from the U.S. facility since production began in July 2015. The previous 36 aircraft were A321 aircraft, making this delivery another important milestone for Airbus.

Airbus commenced final assembly work on the A320 around May this year. The aircraft is fitted with International Aero Engines V2500 power plants. With this delivery Spirit’s all-Airbus fleet increases to 106 aircraft, says the carrier.   Around half of its jets are A320s.

Today, the Family has won over 13,200 orders and more than 7,700 aircraft have been delivered to some 400 customers and operators worldwide.

Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama,  in July 2012, and broke ground for the $600 million facility in April 2013.  Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of this year.

Source : Airbus/Pictures Airbus

 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

   MRJ Test Fleet Grounded After PW1200G Flameout         

Mitsubishi Aircraft has grounded its MRJ regional jet flight test fleet, following an engine “flameout” on one of its test prototypes on August 21.

The “uncommanded shut down” on prototype FTA-2 happened on the left Pratt & Whitney PW1200G engine during a flight test.

Mitsubishi would not say what tests the aircraft was conducting when the flameout occurred, but said the incident happened in training airspace over the ocean, about 170km (106 miles) west of Portland.  Pilots were alerted to the issue only when the left engine shut down.

The Aircraft had taken off from Moses Lake at 14:00 local time and had to make an unscheduled landing at Portland International airport at 17:12 local time.

The FTA-2 Prototype has since returned to the Manufacturer’s test base at Moses Lake, after replacement of the troubled engine

Mitsubishi has since grounded its test fleet. It will decide when to resume flight tests after the cause of the incident is determined.(as of this writing testing has resumed.)

Source : Flightglobal/Mitsubishi

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

            EASA has Granted Certification for The Trent 1000 TEN 

Rolls-Royce has been granted full-flight certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its Boeing 787 Trent 1000 TEN engine.

The Trent 1000 TEN, which will power all Boeing 787 variants, has improved Thrust and efficiency because of cross-over technologies from the Airbus A350’s Trent XWB power plant and Rolls-Royce’s Advance turbofan, a new engine program that was announced in 2014.

“This marks another critical step in our journey toward delivering additional capability and new technology for the Boeing 787,” Rolls-Royce chief engineer for Trent 1000, Dave Taylor said.

The certification came as Rolls-Royce delivered its first set of production engines to Boeing in Seattle, ready for entry into service later this year.

Source :  Rolls-Royce

 

      Qantas to Base Half of 787 Fleet In Brisbane 

Qantas will base four of its upcoming 787-9s in Brisbane, complementing the four aircraft that will be based in Melbourne. Qantas says in  a statement that the four aircraft earmarked for the Brisbane base will be delivered during the second half of 2018.

“We have said that initially our Dreamliners will replace the routes that our older 747s fly, but there are also new destinations we are looking at, given capability of the aircraft,” says Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce.

At present, Qantas’s only 747 services from Brisbane are to Los Angeles, Flightglobal schedules data shows, making that the likely

launch route for 787s from the Queensland Capital. The airline says, however, that the aircraft could potentially open up new services to destinations including, Seattle, Chicago and Vancouver.

Joyce adds that decisions on these new routes will be made in the coming months.

The Australian airline will take delivery of its first 787-9 in October, and will use the aircraft  on domestic services for six weeks for crew training purposes. From December 15, the type will be used on Melbourne-Los Angeles services, and from March 2018 on the Melbourne-Perth-London route.

According to Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Qantas has options on a further 45 787s, but it has given no indication if or when it may exercise those options.

Source : Qantas

Air Tahiti to Replace A340s in 2018

French Polynesian carrier Air Tahiti NUI is preparing for a major upgrade of its long-haul international fleet in 2018, when it will begin the replacement of its Airbus A340s with Boeing 787-9s.

The Carrier has four 787s on order, two leased and two purchased. These will replace four A340-300s it operates on flights to Auckland and Tokyo and a route to Paris via Los Angeles.

The 787-9s are scheduled to arrive between October 2018 and September 2019. The leased aircraft will enter service the fleet first, followed by the two purchased aircraft in 2019. Cabin configuration is still being finalized, and training is expected to begin next year.

CEO Michel Monvoisin noted the carrier is now making a positive contribution to the national budget, as its majority owner is the government of French Polynesia.

Source: ATW   

                                                   

LATEST NEWS

  • Rolls-Royce has secured European flight certification for the Airbus A350-1000’s power plant, the Trent XWB-97.
  • Southwest has become the first U.S. airline to receive Boeing’s 737MAX 8 aircraft. It is expected to take delivery of eight more this month.

  • Singapore has quietly parked the first Airbus A380 aircraft to enter commercial service.
  • Kish Air of Iran has signed an MOU with Boeing to purchase ten 737 MAX aircraft.
  • Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has announced the delivery of an Airbus A320-200 aircraft to new customer, Flyadeal a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Airlines group.
  • Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is considering ordering the Airbus A321neoLR to operate on routes from Zurich to long-haul destinations in Africa.
  • Orion Airways is one of new Cypriot airlines to emerge following the demise of flag carrier Cyprus Airways in 2015. Its first aircraft, is a former Jordan Aviation Boeing 737-300.
  • Gol Airlines of Brazil announces sale and leaseback transactions with Ge Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) for seven aircraft, including five 737 MAX 8 aircraft and two 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft. Additionally, the company signed the direct operating lease for five additional 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
  • Egyptair takes delivery of the 7th of nine new Boeing 737-800s ordered as part of plans to upgrade its aging fleet on Thursday, August 31st.
  • EL AL Israel Airline took delivery of its first 787-9 leased through an agreement with Air Lease Corporation.

AIR CARGO

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Flying for Nippon Cargo 

Purchase, New York-based air cargo operator Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings started operating a second Boeing 747-400 freighter for Japan’s Nippon Cargo Airline (NCA) on September 1 .

Atlas Air initiated its relationship with the Narita International Airport (NRT)-based cargo carrier in December 2016, launching flights for NCA in January. The two companies indicated additional aircraft may be added to their agreement in the future.  As with the first 747-400F, additional freighters will fly transpacific routes connecting Asia and the US, Atlas Air said.

Atlas Air Worldwide president and CEO William Flynn said the move follows the “successful start of the first aircraft for NCA earlier this year and underscores our focus on fast-growing Asia Pacific market.”

Atlas Air’s transpacific routes flown for NCA fly an eastward trajectory between Narita (NRT), Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) and Chicago O’Hare International (ORD).Atlas Air’s westward NCA flights operate in three trajectories: ORD-Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)-ANC;ORD-DFW-ANC-NRT; and a direct nonstop ORD-NRT flight.

Nippon Cargo operates a fleet of eight Boeing 747-8Fs (all leased) and five 747-400Fs (one owned by NCA, the remainder leased).

Source : ATW/Picture Atlas Air

 

 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

         Opinion: Uncertainties Abound In Engine Leasing Market

The commercial engine leasing market is growing, though entry of new models and OEM involvement in MRO are creating uncertainty.

Opinion is divided concerning the size and value of the engine leasing market. Some of the uncertainty comes from the involvement of OEMs and their large engine-lease pools that support their respective aftermarket maintenance packages. As a result, identifying the true market is difficult because so much trading and maintenance activity is ring-fenced.

However, both OEMs and operators potentially benefit from such arrangement via guaranteed cash flows through flight-hour agreements for the OEM and reduced risk for the operator.

The engine market is well-stocked, notably with much-talked-about CFM56-5B,CFM56-7B and V2500-A5, expected to have significant shop analyzing the outstanding order book for these types, forecasts that Pratt & Whitney PW1000 and CFM Leap engines will far surpass the quantities of the CFM56 and V2500 engines today. While OEMs seek to secure more maintenance agreements for engines, the overall number of engines is expected to grow and thus, by engine count, the OEM and independent leasing/MRO markets are expected to increase their stocks.

Further on, OEMs will still be very present in this market, for example, CFM spent $4 billion in research and development units latest Leap engine programs.

Capturing more of the maintenance market allows OEMs to invest more heavily in the next generation of engines and helps offset the discounts offered to airlines for the latest A320neo and 737MAX-family engines. Independents, tear-down entities and MROs all stand to lose out from this shift in strategy.

Source : MRO-Network.com

 

 MRO Short News

  • Monarch Aircraft Engineering has a contract from Evelop Airlines, Spain, to provide base maintenance services, initially on an Airbus A330, out of Birmingham.
  • HEICO agreed to acquire Southern California-based Aeroantenna Technology.
  • Pacific Aerospace Resources and Technologies based in Victorville, California has retained Cloud Investment Partners and Tiger Group to sell company; bids were due on or before September 7 as a going concern, and auction of all assets was scheduled for September 21.
  • Certified Aviation Services (CAS) signed a service agreement with Boeing Global Fleet Care to provide MRO services in the US for Boeing’s aftermarket support system. Under the agreement, CAS will provide scheduled maintenance operations in support of the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner.

 

Puzzler of the Month   

 

 

ANSWER TO LAST MONTH’S PUZZLER

A Wet Lease means an organization (airline) or person who owns the aircraft will provide the lessor with the aircraft as well as one or more crew members to the lessee. Even more important, the lessor promises to conduct adequate maintenance & procure the insurance necessary to operate.

A Dry Lease means an organization (airline) or person provides the lessee the aircraft; however, without a crew and promises to conduct adequate maintenance & procure the insurance necessary to operate.

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

by

Volume 4 Issue 8


ON THE BOEING FRONT

The 777 Best Plane Boeing Has Ever Built

On June 12, 1994, the Boeing 777 takes its first flight, kicking off a career that would revolutionize the airline industry.

Once every few decades, an airplane comes along and simply redefines what a modern airliner is capable of delivering for airlines and its passengers. Boeing did it with its first jet-powered airliner, the 707. Boeing changed the game again, when it launched the 747 and turned the industry upside down and in 1994 Boeing did it again with the 777.

In two decades since its first flight, the 777 became the trusty long-haul workhorse for the world’s international airlines. Through June 23, 2017, Boeing has sold a whopping 1,944 777s, making it the best selling wide body in company history.

The following is a short history of the Boeing 777.

The Boeing 777’s journey began in October of 1990 with an order from United Airlines for a twin-engine wide body airliner larger than Boeing’s 767. Leading the program was its general manager, Alan Mulally. From the start, Boeing knew the 777 would be special. It was

the first airliner to be designed completely using a computer. Using 3D computer graphics, Boeing was able to digitally pre-assemble the 777, foregoing the need for costly and time consuming clay models. To produce the 777, Boeing selected its Everett, Washington production facility.

Even though the 777-200 is smaller than the 747, it is still massive airplane at 209 feet long with a 191-foot wingspan. The jet’s high bypass turbofan engines built by Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and GE are the largest engines ever installed on an airliner.

The 777-200 featured a state-of-the-art two-person digital cockpit. In the back, passengers are treated to a more comfortable and quiet ride with greater in-flight entertainment options.

The resulting aircraft could carry 305 to 440 passengers up to 8,270 miles. The cask 200 could cruise at 615 mph and fly at 37,900 feet. In 1995, the 777-200 entered service with United Airlines marking the start of the plane’s game changing career.

With the 777, Boeing was able to convince the government to give the plane an ETOPS 180 rating. The four-engine jumbo jet was not immune to the market dominance of planes like the 777. Along with the twin-engines Airbus A330, the 777 has decimated four-engine passenger sales.

In 1996, Boeing rolled out a more potent version of the 777 with an even greater range called the 777-200ER for extended range. In 1998, Boeing stretched the 777 to create the 550 seat 777-300. Boeing did not stop here. In 2002, extended the range version of the Dash 300 called 777-300ER. With more than 800 sold, the 300ER is by far the most popular version of the 777. In 2006, Boeing introduced the longer range 777-200LR. The 200LR can carry 301 passengers nearly 11,000 miles. With more than two decades of service under its belt, the 777 is getting ready for a major makeover. In 2019, Boeing will introduce the next generation 777-9 and 777-8.

Source : Business Insider/Ed’s research.

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Rolls-Royce Sends First Trent 7000 Pair to Airbus

Rolls-Royce has shipped the Trent 7000 engines for the first Airbus A330neo toToulouse. The UK manufacturer says the power plants have left its facility in Derby and will be installed on the re-engined twin jet during this summer, following integration with Safran nacelles at that company’s Toulouse site.

Airbus has previously indicated its intent to start test-flying the A330neo toward “end of the summer”, potentially as late as September. The airframe originally planned for the A330neo to enter service in late 2017. Now, spring 2018 is the target for starting deliveries.

Rolls-Royce’s Trent 7000 is the sole engine available for the A330neo.  Airbus rolled out the first two A330neos earlier this year, which have been parked in Toulouse engineless awaiting the delivery of their Trent 7000s (picture shown)

The Trent 7000 with twice the bypass ratio of the Trent 700 powering the current-generation A330, Rolls-Royce says the Trent 7000 cuts specific fuel consumption by 10%.

Source : Rolls-Royce/Airbus

 

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                 Embraer Marks One Year of E190 Operations in Japan                                                 

On June 20, Embraer announced at the 52nd International Paris Air Show, that it has signed an agreement with Japan Airlines for a firm order of an additional E190, after Embraer marks one year of E190 operations in Japan. Japan Airlines’ subsidiary J-Air made its first revenue flight in May 2016. J-Air currently operates seven E190s and 17 E175s – 24 E-jets in total, with an additional eight E-jets on backlog. The firm order has a value of USD $50.6 million, based on 2017 list prices, and will be included in Embraer’s 2017 second quarter backlog.

J-Air’s E190 fleet is based at the airline’s Osaka (Itami) base and features a dual-class arrangement with 95 seats, including the well-received Class J (business class) seats, with Free Video Program services for Wi-Fi devices. J-Air’s E-190s currently fly to seven routes in Japan, including services to Narita from Osaka (Itami) and Sapporo that started from June 8. Network growth will continue to include cities like Tokyo (Haneda).

Source : Embraer/Japan Airlines

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

GE Tells Boeing It Won’t Share 797 Engines With Arch-Rivals

General Electric, the world’s biggest jet-engine maker, said it’s not prepared to share turbine production on Boeing Co. planned middle-of-market plane with its two global rivals.

Should Boeing opt for multiple suppliers, ”we’re out,” David Joyce, head of GE’s aero-engine arm, said at the Paris Air Show; adding that his company still carries “scares” from being one of three engine providers on the Airbus A330 two decades ago.

“What happens is, all three of us spend a lot of money to design a brand new engine and then all of a sudden you’re splitting the market,” Joyce said.  “You look at the returns on that, unless you find a bunch more applications for that engine immediately, you end up in a world where it just doesn’t work.”

“Think of the difference between whether you’re sole or not,” Joyce said. ”In terms of how you make the business case and return on investment, it’s no cheaper to build the engine if there’s two of you than if there’s one—but the return on it is a hell a lot different.” GE has already gone through three rounds of submissions on the new Boeing plane, he said.

Divisional chief McAllister declined to elaborate on the likely engine architecture of the plane, saying that “it’s still very early in the game”.

Source : Bloomberg/GE Aviation

AerCap Holdings Signed Lease Agreements for 65 Aircraft in the 2Q

Dublin-based lessor AerCap Holdings signed lease agreements for 65 aircraft in the 2017 second quarter, more than dubbing the 27 leases the company secured in 2Q 2016. AerCap’s signed leases during the quarter covered 18 wide body and 47 narrow body aircraft, the company said on July 12.

AerCap purchased 11 aircraft in the 2Q (eight Airbus A320neos, one A321neo and two Boeing 787-9s and sold 24 aircraft from its owned portfolio and eight from its managed portfolio.

In April, AerCap announced it has signed $7.2 billion in financing transactions during the 2017 first quarter, a figure that, in three months, eclipsed the company’s entire 2016 financing transaction total by $2.6 billion.

Source : AerCap/Rendering of 737 MAX in AerCap livery Boeing

Air Transat To Introduce A321LRs In North America  

Canada’s Air Transat expects to become the first North American operator of the Airbus neoLR after it takes delivery of the first 10 it has agreed to lease for 12 years from AerCap starting in 2019.  Scheduled for delivery between the spring of that year and the fall of 2020, the A321LRs will replace Air Transat’s aged Airbus A310s, which the airline plans to gradually retire.

Air Transat said it will deploy the single-aisle jets on both holiday destinations and transatlantic routes, alongside its Airbus A330s and Boeing 737s. The A321LRS will come configured with 200 seats in dual-class layout.

“The A321neoLRs will perfectly complete our fleet of A330s and Boeing 737s”, Transat  President and CEO Jean-Marc Eustache said. This agreement with AerCap will allow us to continue offering our customers the service and comfort they are used to, at the best possible price.”

Air Transat’s fleet currently consists of 31 permanent aircraft in what it calls a unique flexible-fleet model. This allows it to deploy more wide body aircraft in summer for high transatlantic season, with narrow body aircraft in winter to cover the high season for leisure destinations.

Source : Air Transport

 

LATEST NEWS

  • Delta Airlines took delivery of its first of five A350-900s this year, it is the first US airline to operate the type.

  • SMBC Aviation Capital and Chinese low-cost carrier Lucky Air have entered into an agreement for 4 Boeing 737-8 MAXs.
  • The Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC) has approved a production certificate for the ARJ21-700, produced by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC).

  • AviaAM Leasing delivered an Airbus A321 to Russia’s Aeroflot.
  • Azimuth Airlines Russia’s new regional carrier, took delivery of its first SS100 aircraft on July 7th. The aircraft is leased by State Transport Leasing Co.

  • Sunrise Airways, Haiti based airline, received a new Airbus A320, configured in two classes. The 150-seat aircraft features 12 seats in first class and 138 in economy.
  • BOC Aviation has placed an order for four 787-9s which will be leased to Air Europa of Spain.
  • FLY Leasing purchased 4 new aircraft, including a new Boeing 787 and a new 737 MAX 8, its first of the type. The 787 is on a 12-year lease to a European airline and the 737 MAX 8 is on a 12-year lease to an Asian carrier.
  • Azur Air, the new German airline, has begun operations and launched its first flight from Dusseldorf to Lama de Mallorca, Spain on July 3.

  • Alaska Airlines is launching flights from Paine Field, (PAE) Washington State, to give passengers living north of Seattle a more convenient alternative to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac).

 

AIR CARGO

West Atlantic To Become Launch 737-800BCF Operator

West Atlantic Airlines committed to lease 4 Boeing 737-800 converted freighters from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). This will make it the first operator of the type after taking delivery of the freighter later this year or the first quarter of 2018.

GECAS launched the 737-800 converted freighter program and gave the prototype aircraft to Boeing in 2016. GECAS expects the conversion to take about 3.5 months, or 100 days, per aircraft.

Boeing’s modification facility in Shanghai will do the conversion. The value of the lease to West Atlantic Airlines, a European operator of mail and express freight, was not disclosed, but the carrier did say the aircraft will enable it to expand into new markets, possibly Asia.

Kurt Kraft, Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP modification and conversion services, says Boeing has 60 orders and commitments for the program.  “We predict that demand for the standard-body will continue to be strong and grow more than 40% of demand coming from Asia.”

The 737-800BCF is powered by CFM56-7B engines and will carry 23.9 tons of cargo over 2,000 nm.

Source : GECAS/Boeing

 

 Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul News

American Airlines Honors MRO Employee with 75 Years of Service 

Azreil Blackman celebrated his 75th year of service at American Airlines on July 18th. To put this in perspective, Blackman, who is still actively working for the airline, received the FAA’s Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award for his 50 year of MRO experience 25 years ago.

“When I first started as a junior mechanic, Al was my crew chief and was celebrating his 45th anniversary. I thought to myself, 45 years with one company. That’s amazing,” said Robert Needham, senior manager aircraft line maintenance at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). “Here we are celebrating his 75th, 30 years later, and it’s just mind-blowing.”

The Aviation Maintenance technician crew chief started with the airline (named American Export Airlines at the time) at New York’s La Guardia Airport at age 16 as a sheet metal shop apprentice for $0.50 per hour. The 91-year-old, who moved to New York LaGuardia Airport in the 1960s, has worked on almost all the airline’s aircraft including from the 1940s to today’s aircraft.

American Airline surpassed him during his 75th anniversary celebration by naming a Boeing 777 in his honor (pictured). In addition, The Guinness World Records was present to honor Blackman with the “longest career as an airline mechanic.”

Next month Blackman will turn 92. American noted that his shift starts at 5 a.m, but he usually arrives just before 3 a .m. ”When you like what you do, it’s no work,” says Blackman.

Source : mro-network/American Airlines

 

 MRO Short News

  • MTU Maintenance and Air Burkina have signed an exclusive three-year maintenance agreement. The contract for the airline’s four CF34-8E engines from their Embraer E170 aircraft covers MRO, on-site services and guaranteed spare engine leasing availability.
  • Lufthansa Tecknik has a 15-year El Al, Israel Airlines, contract for Boeing 787 component support.
  • Turkish Technic has signed a Royal Air Maroc contract to perform two Boeing 767 C checks.
  • Boeing Shanghai has an SF Airlines contract to provide Boeing 737F and 767F heavy maintenance.
  • DHL Supply Chain Division began overseeing logistics for 80,000 parts numbers, components and equipment used for airline maintenance for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon’s aircraft .
  • AAR and FlyDubai signed a long-term contract to provide comprehensive flight-hour components support for its new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The Dubai-based airline is set to take delivery of 100 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft ordered at the 2013 Dubai International Air Show by the end of 2023.

Puzzler of the Month

 Which US airline has the oldest fleet by age?

              

Answer will be given in my September Report.

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com

by

Volume 3 Issue 9 September 2016

On the Boeing Front

 The 787 is Becoming the Work Horse of the Airlines that Acquired it

In spite of all the initial launch problems with the 787, it is proving that it is a capable, fine aircraft with all the airlines that bought it and are flying it.

Boeing incorporated improvements to the aircraft that include the introduction of simplified display and control(DCA) software, which in mid-2014 was cited as the third largest cause of delays after issues with spoiler control units and brakes.  “Since then, we have rolled a couple of block software changes,” says Mike Fleming, Boeing’s 787 vice president for service & support.

“We continue to track every interruption on the fleet, and the engineering teams review it to understand if it’s a known or new problem. Over the last two years, the rate of new problems has come down on the aircraft. Once we know about them we are devising improvements,” adds Fleming, who says that the main focus for improvements is now on elements of the flight controls, electrical system, software and air conditioning system.

The key issues are “a combination of things. Most are component problems as opposed to system problems or integration issues,” he says.

The following are comments from airlines that are flying the 787:

  • The economics of the aircraft are strong. Air Canada recently told investors that when it switched from the 767 to the 787-8 between Toronto and Tel Aviv, it was able to carry 31% more passengers and 350% additional cargo while using 3% less fuel.
  • After a difficult start, LOT Polish Airlines stated that one of its aircraft, which is wet leased to Air Europa, has enjoyed a dispatch reliability of almost 100%. “As such, it is the most reliable Boeing 787 in the world,” says LOT. In terms of fuel burn against the 767-300 which the airline used before the 787, shows average savings of 10-11% on the same routes.
  • All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest airline operator of the 787. On August 17th, the airline took delivery of its 50th 787 Dreamliner, a 787-9.  The airline is pleased with the aircraft and stated that fuel savings versus the 767 are at 21% for the long-haul flights & 17% for short-haul.

As of this writing the fleet has accumulated 1.3 billion revenue miles, saving 9 billion pounds of fuel in the process. The aircraft has opened new nonstop markets that did not exist before this airplane went into service.   An impressive feat.

Source : Aviation Week/Boeing/Ed’s Research from Various Sources.

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

Airbus Decision Concerning the on A380

Qantas Airways said it does not want the remaining eight A380’s it still has on order because the 12 aircraft it operates now are sufficient to meet demand, further dimming future sales prospects for the aircraft.

“Our intention is that we are not taking those aircraft”, Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said on Friday August 5th at an airline conference in Brisbane, Australia.

Qantas was one of the original operators of the A380 and looked to become one of the biggest buyers of the A380.Joyce has pushed back delivery of the remaining planes for about two years now, joining customers including Virgin Atlantic, that have not outright canceled orders but are unlikely ever to have them fulfilled. That leave Emirates of Dubai as the one committed buyer of the aircraft.

Airbus announced a drastic cut in production last month of the A380, saying it would build about 12 of the planes annually compared with close to 30 in recent years, Emirates’ orders amount to close to 50 percent of the model’s backlog.

Following Airbus’ latest decrease, it will produce one A380 a month come 2018, more than halving the current rate of monthly jets.

At present,13 airlines operate the aircraft: with Etihad, Qatar and Asiana Airlines most recently taking their first A380s back in 2014.

But while production on the A380 has slowed down, it remains somewhat unclear at this stage how this will impact on the MRO segment, with some of the aircraft now reaching the age for some of their first D-checks.

Source : China Aviation Daily/Ed’s Research

                     

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

                                                       The 100th Series 400 Twin Otter

The 100th series 400 Twin Otter took flight recently from Viking Air’s production facility in Canada. The aircraft, serial number 944, will be operated by Pacific Sky Aviation, Viking’s sister company demonstrator. Headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Viking holds the type certificates for all out-of-production de Havilland aircraft, from the DHC-1 Chipmunk through the DHC-7 Dash-7 50 passenger STOL regional airliner, and provides exclusive spare parts manufacturing for the legacy de Havilland fleet.

The company launched the upgraded Twin Otter program in March 2007, the first version flew from Viking’s final aircraft assembly facility in Calgary, Alberta, in March 2010; Transport Canada issued the aircraft’s Type Certification the following June. Series 400 Twin Otters now operate in 29 countries.

Recently Tara the Nepalese regional carrier has signed a purchase agreement with Viking for three Twin Otter Series 400s.

Source : Business & Commercial Aviation/ Picture

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

 Alaska Airlines Breaks Ground on New Aircraft Maintenance          and Engineering Facility in Anchorage, Alaska

On August 22nd Alaska Airlines broke ground on a new $40 million aircraft maintenance and engineering facility located at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The design of the new 105,000 square-foot facility by Anchorage based artifact firm McCool Carlson Green was also unveiled.

The new facility will be more than double the size of the current hanger and holds two 737-Max 9 aircraft, which will be the largest and widest in Alaska Airlines fleet. The current facility, located about a half mile from the new site, measures only 37,500 square feet and is unable to accommodate the newer, larger aircraft.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2016 and is scheduled to be complete in the second quarter of 2018. The new facility will house 80 engineering and maintenance employees in Anchorage,” said Kurt Kinder, Alaska Airlines Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering.

Source : Alaska Airlines Press Release

 

      American Airlines Retiring 20 MD-80s in One Day 

American Airlines retired 20 of its MD-80 jets on Tuesday August 23rd. All 20 aircraft were sent to Roswell, New Mexico, as part of what American called “one of the largest single-day aircraft retirements in airline history.”   

Of the 20 planes headed to the New Mexico desert, 17 were originally delivered to American Airlines.  The three others were inherited by American via acquisition of TWA. The average age of the 20 retiring jets is 28 years old. The 140-seat MD-80 arrived to Roswell throughout the day arriving at a clip of about one every five minutes during an 85-minute window starting at 11:20 a.m. local time. Still, American Spokesman Josh  Freed said, “Today’s 20 retirements do not indicate an acceleration of MD-80 retirements.”

“It’s just that we have a long-term MD-80 retirement plan and with the busy summer flying season winding down, August 23rd was a good day to take care of these,” Freed adds.

American had 87 MD-80s remaining in its fleet as of the second quarter of 2016.  By the end of the third quarter, American says that number will have dropped to just 53 – aided in large part by this mass retirement.  Freed said some MD-80s will remain in the carrier’s fleet “through at least summer of 2018.”

In Roswell, two full-time American employees processed incoming aircraft as they arrived. Planes can sit indefinitely in storage in Roswell, where the desert air helps keep the idle aircraft from corroding. Some find second lives, taken to cargo carriers or by smaller airlines in the developing world. Others face a stark end – raided for parts or scrapped altogether.

Source : USA Today/American Airlines  

 

 Rockwell Collins Nears Finish Line with Cockpit Displays  

Rockwell Collins is planning to deliver the final software load to Boeing for the 737 MAX cockpit displays in the middle of this month, followed by initial deliveries of the final hardware components by year end.

The handover will wrap up four years of design, development and test work made more challenging by Boeing’s goal of maintaining maximum commonality between the 737NG and the 737 MAX, in part to retain common type ratings between the two minimal “differences training” for pilots.

Boeing is targeting 2017 for first deliveries of the re-engined and otherwise modernized 737, for which it has garnered more than 3,200 firm orders.

“One of the things that has been a challenge for us and for Boeing is that we are taking a 2015 display system and sticking it on an airplane that was designed in 1964,and has not changed all that much in terms of hydraulics, electrical and air conditioning systems,” Keith Stover, MAX program chief engineer for Rockwell Collins, said.

Source : ATW/Rockwell Collins Picture

                 

LATEST NEWS

  • Albawings Albanian start-up based in Tirana, Albania has taken delivery of its first aircraft, A Boeing  737-500.
  • Armenia Air has taken delivery of its first two aircraft. The carrier, which launched services earlier this year using a Boeing 737-700 leased from Georgian Airways has acquired two of its own-former Westjet 737-700 and a 737-500.
  • Precision Aircraft Solutions completed its 50th Boeing 757-200 freighter conversion.
  • Rolls-Royce has won a $1.5 billion order from China Eastern from China Eastern to power 15 Airbus A330 aircraft.
  • Thai Airways has take delivery of its first of 12 Airbus A350s.The aircraft, an A350-900,is on lease from US-based CIT.

  • Aseman Airlines of Iran plans to buy 20 Mitsubishi Regional jets. The aircraft will be acquired through a lease-purchase contract.
  • Silk Way Airlines Azerbaijan’s national air cargo carrier received another new Boeing 747-8 F aircraft. This is 4th Boeing 747-8F aircraft operated by the airline.
  • BOC Aviation lessor BOC (Bank of China) Aviation has ordered another five Airbus A321s,to be delivered in 2017,all five are to be leased to an Asian carrier.
  • Aerolease Aviation Miami based lessor has firmed an order for 10 Mitsubishi MRJ90 regional jets with options for 10 more.
  • LATAM LATAM Airline Group has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo from the airframe’s facilities in Toulouse, becoming the first Americas operator of the re-engined narrow body.

 

  • Aviall Boeing subsidiary has signed an agreement to acquire up to 36 CF6-80A engines powering the 767 and A310 aircraft from GE Aviation.

                           

IN FOCUS

                         Boeing 747 Designer Joe Sutter Dies at 95

Boeing engineer and aircraft designer Joe Sutter, who achieved aviation icon status as the “Father of the 747”, died on August 30th at age 95. 

Known principally for ushering the West’s first wide body airliner into service in 1970, barely four years after the program launch, despite severe technical, supplier and production obstacles. Sutter also played roles in multiple Boeing aircraft programs spanning seven decades.

Sutter a native of Seattle, began his career with a summer job at Boeing in 1940 while studying for an aeronautical engineering degree at the University of Washington.

In the library of Boeing history books, Sutter’s role in the company is widespread, from delivering the technical data that drove the decision to use a T-tail on the 727 to recommending underwing podded engines on the original 737-100.

His preference for mounting engines underneath the wings would have a lasting impact on the industry beyond Boeing.  Sutter’s legacy, however, is forever linked to the 747, the Boeing aircraft credited with opening international air travel to the masses.

“Joe lived an amazing life and was an inspiration, not just to those of us at Boeing, but to the entire aerospace industry,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Ray Conner wrote to employees.

AIR CARGO

             Online Retailer Amazon Enters the Air Freight Market 

Amazon signed agreements with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent company of Atlas Air and Air Transport Services Group, under which those companies will each operate 20 767s for Amazon.  Amazon will be operating under the name Prime Air.  Amazon got its first branded 767-300 ER Freighter the company calls “Amazon One”.  The aircraft, registration N1997A, flew on August 5th during the Boeing Seafair show.

Aircraft N1997A was manufactured in 1994 and is powered by General Electric CF6 turbofans, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. The aircraft N1997A had accumulated 90,000 hrs and completed 17,400 cycles as of November 2015 according to Analyzer.

Atlas expects to have the 20 aircraft flying for Amazon by the end of 2018.  As part of the deal, Atlas gave Amazon the right to purchase up to 20% of Atlas stock over five years, and the possibility to purchase another 10% of shares.

That deal followed an announcement in March that Air Transport Services Group had reached an agreement to operate 20 767s for Amazon. The Air Transport Services deal gave Amazon the right to purchase 19.9% of Air Transport Services shares.

Source : Flightglobal/Photo Amazon

      

                                                 MILITARY NEWS

 Resurrected B-52H Returns to Flight After Eight Years in Storage 

A US Air Force Boeing B-52H is back in flight after spending eight years parked in storage in the Arizona desert. The regenerated Stratofortress, nicknamed Ghostrider, completed first flight on August 30th at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, rising into the sky without a painted livery.

The base’s Air Logistics Center was tasked with restoring the airworthiness of the unretired B-52H, reversing a normally one way trip for aging military aircraft to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, Arizona.

The Air Force will use Ghostrider to replace another B-52H severely damaged by fire in 2014, restoring the strategic bomber fleet to approved levels. The Air Force maintains a fleet of 58 B-52s in active duty force and 18 more in reserve units.

Ghostrider, tail number 61-007,arrived at Tinker last fall before entering the boomer’s firsts programed depot maintenance cycle in 12 years.  The Air Logistics Center plans to complete several more flights of the B-52H at Tinker before handing the bomber over to an operational squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota.

Source : Flightglobal

                         

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ekaplanian@msn.com

by

Volume 3 Issue 4 April Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

Boeing Selected Panasonic Avionics to Supply the Cabin Services System for the 777X

Panasonics Avionics has been selected by Boeing to supply the cabin services system (CSS) for the 777X.

The win extends Panasonic’s CSS win streak on next generation Boeing wide bodies; the company also supplies the CSS on the 787 and the 747-8 intercontinental.

“Panasonic’s CSS is a scalable, database driven, Ethernet-based network that provides core cabin functions – such as passenger address, cabin inter phone and environmental controls,” Panasonic said in a statement.  ”CSS directly integrates with external subsystems – such as cabin lighting and other airplane member systems across the airframe networks, including the inflight entertainment and connectivity solutions.”

Boeing completed firm configuration for the 777-9X in August 2015. Orders and commitment for the 777X total 320 aircraft from six customers.  The 777-9X is slated to enter service in 2020, followed by the smaller 777-8X in 2022.

Source : ATW/Boeing

 

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT 

Airbus Launches New Cabin Brand “Airspace by Airbus”

On March 23rd Airbus launched the “Airspace by Airbus”, bringing together an enhanced experience for passengers and optimum performance for airlines – based on four dimensions: comfort, ambience, service and design.

Introduced with Airbus’ wide body A330neo (new engine option) – and incorporated on the A350 XWB – Airspace cabins offer a more relaxing, inspiring, attractive and functional environment for travelers and optimizes the use of cabin space for operators.
 csm_A330neo_Airspace_by_Airbus_Ambience_e23cddabea

Signature design elements recognizable throughout all Airspace cabins include wider seat, larger overhead storage bins, spacious, contemporary lavatories with antibacterial surfaces, along with unobstructed under-seat foot space.  Other features are a unique and customizable welcome area at the main passenger boarding door, the latest in LED technology for ambient lighting, as well as clean shapes and surfaces throughout the interior.

Features for operators include a range of new galley/lavatory options – such as modular Space-Flex to maximize trolley capacity, wheelchair-accessible lavatory configurations to suit individual airline requirements and freeing up of main deck space to allow for additional seating.

Source : ATW/Airbus

 

BUSINESS/REGIONAL NEWS

  Qatar Executive Adds Second G650ER

Middle Eastern VIP operator Qatar Executive has added a second Gulfstream G650Er to its fleet.  The handover comes three months after the first ultra-long-range type joined the company’s line-up of high-end business aircraft from Airbus and Bombardier stables.

The lead pair are part of a 2014 order from Qatar Airways subsidiary for up to 30 Gulfstream business jets, including six G650ERs and 24 G500 and G600s, for which it is the launch customer.

The flagship G650ER was selected, Qatar Executive says, for its market leading 7,500 (13,890km) range, which allows passengers “to fly non-stop from the Middle East to North America or from destinations in Asia to Africa.”

Qatar’s G650ERs have a two-cabin configuration, with capacity for up to 13 passengers.

Source : Flightglobal

 

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

Scoot, Tigerair to Merge, Expand Reservation Systems

Singapore based long-haul, low-cost carrier (LCC) Scoot and regional LCC Tigerair will finalize a merger of their reservations systems by the end of 2016, according to Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson. “This will make Tiger our biggest partner,” he said. He said two LCCs already shared ground handling and other operational facilities and costs, and that a more complete integration of ticketing systems would bring a greater ability to capitalize on potential opportunities across the two carriers.

Both LCCS are Subsidiary airlines of parent Singapore Airlines, which Wilson says is working to develop long-term working structures that are shared between the two carriers.

Wilson added that Scoot would expand its fleet of 10 Boeing 787s with another 10 787s by the end of July 2019, which would enable it to add routes to India, China and northeast Asia.

Source : ATW/Scoot

 

Rolls-Royce Has Successfully Completed First Flight of The Trent 1000 Ten

Rolls-Royce has successfully completed the first flight of its new Trent 1000 TEN (thrust, efficiency and new technology) engine which will power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family of aircraft.

Capable of up to 78,000 lbs thrust, it will be available to power all three variants of the Boeing 787: the -8, -9 and future -10.

The engine’s first flight was on a Boeing 747 flying test bed which took off from an airfield in Tucson, Arizona. A distinctive paint scheme on the engine nacelle-depicting a “perfect ten pin ”bowling image – easily identified the Trent 1000 TEN engine on the aircraft.

Iain Dudley, Head of Marketing, Trent 1000 said : “We are delighted that the first flight went smoothly and we look forward to a successful program on the 747 test bed before flight testing begins on a Boeing 787 later this year. We know that this engine will deliver a step-change in efficiency and performance for the 787 when it enters service.  In fact it’s perfect for it.”

The Trent 1000 is already the most reliable engine on the 787 and was the first to power both the -8 and -9 versions into service. Over one and a half million flying hours have been successfully achieved and now the TEN version is set to deliver new levels of fuel efficiency and thrust for customers.

Trent 1000 engines were the first to put the Boeing 787 into service in 2011 with ANA of Japan and the first to put the 787-9 into service last year with Air New Zealand.

Source : Rolls-Royce

 

 Rolls-Royce and El Al Sign 787 Trent 1000 Service Deal

On March 21st, 2016, El Al announced in a media release that Rolls-Royce will provide support for the Trent 1000 engines that will power El Al’s incoming fleet of Boeing 787s.

El Al says the deal reflects the strength of a business relationship with Rolls-Royce that has been ongoing for more than 50 years. It adds that the agreement is the “largest ever business arrangement between the United Kingdom and Israel.”  El Al did not provide the value or length of the agreement: the carrier’s media representative did not immediately provide additional details.

In August 2015, El Al stated it would buy and lease a total of 15 787s to replace its 747-400s and 767-300ERs.

The carrier plans to begin flying the first eight 787-9s starting in 2017 and the first of seven 787-8s starting in 2019.  In October, El Al announced it opted for all 15 of the 787s to be powered by Trent 1000s.

Source : Flightglobal

 

Cayman Airways to Replace Fleet

Cayman Airways will replace its fleet of aging 737-300s classics with four new 737s over the next four years.

The government has approved a fleet modernization plan for the national airline to replace the four 737-300 jets; which are between 15 and 20 years old, with new 737-8Max planes straight off the Boeing production line.

The 737-8Max planes have 40 more seats and burn 20 percent less fuel than the 300-series. Mr  Fabian Whoms, Cayman Airways CEO said the technical advances made by Boeing in developing the next generation aircraft made the arrangement possible.

The airline will bring a different Boeing 737-800 plane into service as an interim measure; it intends to replace the entire fleet of 737-300s on a phased timetable between 2018 and 2020.

By 2020, the airline will have a full fleet of four 737-8Max aircraft.

Source : Cayman Compass

 

LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF  

  • Air India agreed to lease 14 LEAP-powered A320neos from ALAFCO for delivery in 2017-2019.
  • GoSky of Slovakia took delivery of one Boeing 737-800 aircraft on March 18th.
  • Aegean Airlines has taken delivery of the final of seven Airbus A320ceos.  It has 61 of the type in its fleet.
  • Aircelle (Safran) began the manufacturing of titanium engine exhaust systems for Boeing’s new 777X, marking an on-time industrial activity startup on Aircelle’s first major role as a supplier to Boeing.
  • GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) delivered a new leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Chinese airline Okay Airways to expand the Carrier’s fleet.

  • Mitsubishi Aircraft completed construction of new 44,000 sq m MRJ final assembly hanger to build up to 10 aircraft per month; it will now start installing related tooling.
  • Air France has cancelled its remaining pair of Airbus A 380s in favor of taking three additional A350-900s.  Deliveries of the A350s have been rescheduled from 2018 to 2019 and 2020.
  • Boeing started major assembly of the first 787-10 Kawasaki Heavy Industries started installation of the circular frames into the mid forward fuselage on March 14th,two weeks ahead of schedule.
  • Embraer, the Brazilian manufacturer, announced on April 4th that E190-E2 completed the first engine run. The E190-E2 is powered by two PW1900G turbofans that are rated at Up to 23,000 .lb – thrust each for take-off power.
  •   Air France-KLM Group chairman and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, is set to replace the retiring Tony Tyler as IATA’s DG and CEO after a unanimous recommendation by the IATA board of governors.

  • Exclusive – Boeing said it will buy seats directly from new supplier, LIFT by EnCore of Huntington Beach,California for its 737.

 

Air Cargo

  Air France- KLM Moves to Protect Perishables with “Kold Kart” Dolly

When on the ground in high temperature locations, the ruination of perishable cargo or pharmaceuticals is a real issue.  Air France-KLM – Martinair Cargo’s most recent weapon in the war against temperature incursions is the “Kold Kart”, a new dolly system that maintains proper temperature while shipments await transfer to planes or trucks.

After testing the product,  AF-KLM found that Kold Kart was able to protect temperature-sensitive commodities while reducing waste and extending the shelf life of products being shipped.  Once perishable container shipments are weighed and checked in for a flight, they are placed inside a Kold Kart dolly.  The dolly is then moved onto the tarmac area and held until it can be pulled by a tug to the outbound aircraft.  The Kold Kart unit also has a conveyor floor that permits container shipments to roll in and out of the dolly.

For inbound shipments, the dolly meets the aircraft and perishable containers are off-loaded from the aircraft to the Kold Kart dolly and pulled back to the cargo building.  The temperature can be set anywhere the customer requests.

Source : Air Cargo World/Air France-KLM Cargo

 

MILITARY

     How the Very First Air Force One Was Saved – Columbine II, President Eisenhower’s Ride  is Back in Action – Part I

Getting a 70-year-old Lockheed C-121 Constellation ready to fly cross-country isn’t easy.  Besides making sure the large airframe is structurally sound, you have got to get four enormous 18-cylinder,2,500-horsepower radial engines running reliably.  Karl Stolzfus had plenty of motivation to see this project through. In doing so, had been saving and preserving history: the first Air Force One.

First Lady Maimie Eisenhower named the airplane “Columbine II” after the official state flower of Colorado, her adopted home state.  Her husband, President Dwight D.Eisenhower, was traveling in Columbine II in 1953 when air traffic controllers became confused.  An Eastern Airlines commercial flight (8610) had the same call sign as the President’s (Air Force 8610) and the two aircraft accidentally entered the same airspace.  The potentially dangerous situation spurred creation of the unique call sign “Air Force One” for Columbine II, and the name stuck for all subsequent presidential planes.

Columbine II was built as a VC-121A transport for the Air Force in 1948, but converted to VIP configuration for President Eisenhower and re-designated VC-121E.

It served Ike from late 1952 through 1954 when it was replaced by another VC-121E, this one called “Columbine III.” (it currently resides at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio).  Columbine II remained as a “spare” Air Force One into 1955, when it was transferred to Pan American airlines, serving on special assignment to the government of Thailand as the “Clipper Fortuna.” The aircraft later returned to Air force transport duties until its retirement in 1968.

It was a derelict by the early 1980s but was restored using parts from another VC-121 in 1989-90. The Air Force One went on  to  the air show circuit in the early 1990s.  When the owner lost interest, it was put up for sale in 1998.  Nobody wanted Eisenhower’s ride at the time and it was flown to Avra Valley Airport near Tucson in 2003.

Karl Stolzfus is the owner of Dynamic Aviation, a Virginia-Based contractor that provides the federal government and other clients with aircraft and crews for tasks from surveillance to data acquisition.

Rather than let Columbine II languish, Stolzfus bought the airplane and starting in March of 2015, a team of engineers from Dynamic aided by volunteers from Texas-based Mid America Flight Museum, travelled to Avra Valley and retired Columbine II to air worthiness.   According to Brian Miklos,who lead the Dynamic’s team, says the constellation was in reasonably good shape, considering its history, but needed work.

“The Airframe and the hard parts of the airplane were great condition but all the soft components, hose and seats, were brittle from the desert environment.  We had to replace all of that.  We did not do that much  engine work, we just made sure the top-ends were well lubricated and replaced engine accessories.”

Source : Popular Mechanics

Story of the restoration of this aircraft will continue in my May Report

 

 

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