Swiss International Air Lines

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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

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Volume 4 Issue 5 The Kaplanian Report

ON THE BOEING FRONT

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : Rolls-Royce/Rolls-Royce Picture

                      

ON THE AIRBUS FRONT

A350 1000 Wraps Up High- Elevation Tests 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : Flightglobal/Airbus

             

        

REGIONAL/BUSINESS JETS

               CSeries Completes London City Airport Validation Flights 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : Flightglobal/Bombardier

                                                                       

OTHER AVIATION NEWS

            “More comfortable” Economy Middle Seats To be Unveiled

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : ATW/ Molon Labe

 

               Avolon Becomes World’s Third Largest Aircraft Lessor 

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

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

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

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

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

Source : China Aviation Daily/Picture Airbus

     

LATEST NEWS

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

 

AIR CARGO

       Qatar Airways Cargo Takes Delivery of Its Twelfth B777 Freighter

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : Qatar Airways Cargo Press Release

Polar Express Delivery 

 

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

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

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

Source : Air Cargo World

 

 MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OVERHAUL

           Asia’s MRO Surge Could Outstrip Demand

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source : MRO Network

Latest MRO News

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

 

 

Researched and Compiled by : Ed Kaplanian

Commercial Aviation Advisor

Contact – ed@kaplanianreport.com