Bombardier goes live with upset training

Bombardier has begun sending crews of newly purchased Challenger, Learjet and Global Express aircraft to a three-day, in-aircraft upset prevention and recovery training program.

The tie-up with Phoenix-based upset training provider, Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), includes an eight-hour, web-based initial training course covering core concepts in upset recovery, followed by three days of ground school and in-flight training with military-trained instructors in APS's Extra 300L single-engine aerobatic aircraft.

The programme is capped by a two-hour session in a Level D full-flight simulator, where differences between the Extra 300L and the actual aircraft the operator purchased are covered with respect to loss-of-control situations. Crews will also receive a "specialized briefing" on high performance swept-wing jet operations, said Bombardier.

 

APS in February 2011 began providing a 3-day upset recovery training programme to student of the KLM flight academy in Arizona, the primary pilot pipeline for Dutch flag carrier KLM. The company in 2008 stuck a deal with training and simulation provider CAE to offer an optional four-day upset recovery curriculum in the Extra 300L and in an Embraer ERJ-145 full-flight simulator.

Bombardier said the one-time only training is included in the purchase of the aircraft and starts when the operator takes delivery.

Flight International test pilot sampled the APS upset programme for a special report in 2010.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bombardier-goes-live-with-upset-training-367906/

A330 sharklets study follows good results on A320 tests

Airbus is looking at the potential of adapting its sharklet wing-tips to the A330 following good results from initial flight tests of the modification on the A320.

The manufacturer is also interested in raising the maximum take-off weight of the A330-200 further, to 240t.

Chief operating officer for customers John Leahy, speaking to Flightglobal Pro in Hamburg, said the airframer was "getting better results than we thought" from the sharklets fitted to the A320.

© Tim Bicheno-Brown-Flightglobal Sharklets on the A330-200 could nudge the twinjet's range closer to the capability of the rival Boeing 787-8.

He said initial results indicated improvements which exceeded early estimates of 3.4%.
Leahy said Airbus was "studying" the possibility of putting sharklets on the A330, and added: "Right now we're still several months away from a decision."

The process was complex, he said, because the A330 already has winglets, so the benefit of sharklets would have to be clear, and the airframer needed to analyse wing loading - particularly because it was also trying to raise the A330-200's maximum take-off weight to 240t.

He said the airframer would "ideally" look for a retrofit as well as new-build solution, but pointed out that Airbus could not indicate a production date until it had determined the nature of the sharklet design. "We don't know what 'it' is," said Leahy.

Leahy added that Airbus would also like to raise the take-off weight of its A330-300, to "the same" level of 240t.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/a330-sharklets-study-follows-good-results-on-a320-tests-367002/

Mitsubishi Aircraft starts ‘iron bird’ test on MRJ

© Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation

 

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) passed an important milestone with the developmental aircraft's "iron bird" rig simulating it becoming airborne for the first time, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp said in a statement.

The MRJ's iron bird rig comprises a flight deck, hydraulic and flight control equipment, and the software to be used aboard the MRJ, said Mitsubishi Aircraft.

"The iron bird is one of the most significant systems integration test of the development process to test the manoeuvring functions of the MRJ," the statement said
The rig is located at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Oye factility in Nagoya, where testing and development of the MRJ is underway.

"The successful start of these manoeuvring tests shows the steady progress of MRJ development toward flight tests," said Mitsubishi Aircraft.

 

Iron bird tests with the MRJ will continue over the next three years. Mitsubishi Aircraft has said that the 90-seat MRJ90 is due to conduct its first flight test in the second quarter of 2012. Mitsubishi Aircraft also plans a 70-seat version.

Only three customers have announced plans to buy the MRJ. Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has a firm order for 15 aircraft and 10 options, and US firm Trans States Holdings has a firm order for 50 and an option for 50 more. In June, Hong Kong-based leasing firm ANI Group Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding to buy five.

ANI is a unit of Aero Nusantara Indonesia, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) firm that also leases aircraft to five Indonesian carriers.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mitsubishi-aircraft-starts-iron-bird-test-on-mrj-366307/

ICAO to consider new safety standards for air transport of lithium batteries

The International Civil Aviation Organisation is to consider new safety standards for air transport of lithium batteries in the wake of increased concern over the potential for in-flight fires.

Following a meeting in Montreal in February, the organisation's dangerous goods panel has put forward recommendations that large shipments of batteries be treated and labelled as dangerous, and that shippers be trained to prepare them correctly.

The standards also involve airlines performing acceptance checks and pre-loading inspections, while pilots would be notified of the location of any battery shipment on board an aircraft.

Such provisions, if approved by the ICAO Air Navigation Commission, would come into effect from the beginning of 2013.

The transport of lithium batteries has been a discussion point for several years, but the loss of two Boeing 747-400Fs - a UPS jet in Dubai and an Asiana aircraft near Jeju - to in-flight fire in the space of 10 months has intensified the debate, as both had been carrying batteries.

After the Dubai incident, Transport Canada, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the UK Civil Aviation Authority analysed the likelihood of further fire accidents to US-registered aircraft. The assessment - based on five previous accidents - predicted six accidents, at least four battery-related, in the 10 years to 2020.

The model also suggested that, in an extreme case, there could be as many as a dozen accidents.

However, during the Montreal meeting the Rechargeable Battery Association rejected the analysis as "flawed" and based on "faulty data and assumptions" - claiming, for instance, that the FAA had based its model on the "mere presence" of batteries on some of the accident flights.

Delegates heard of a disturbing incident at Toronto airport on 29 October, 2011, in which fire ignited on a pallet containing lithium batteries - as well as small-arms cartridges - just before loading on to a Boeing 767 passenger aircraft.

Investigators had no concerns over the equipment design, and found the consignment met "all the requirements" of the technical instructions for shipping, including being correctly classified, labelled, documented and packaged.

However, the initiating event remains "unknown", and in response the shipper amended internal procedures on charging the batteries and opted to transport them using freighters only.

Both the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations have backed the tighter regulations.

"While this recommendation marks critical progress, ALPA pilots will not rest in our work until the safe transport of lithium batteries is ensured on all aircraft," ALPA said.

But it added that it would continue to press for enhanced oversight of battery shippers, better safety standards for batteries contained in electronic equipment and mandatory installation of effective fire suppression in aircraft freight compartments.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/icao-to-consider-new-safety-standards-for-air-transport-of-lithium-batteries-368651/ 

UAC chief Pogosyan details Russian military aircraft production

Russia's United Aircraft Corporation expects to sustain the annual production of between 70 and 90 fixed-wing combat aircraft for the next few years, in line with its performance in 2011.

Military sales accounted for 80% of the 102 aircraft produced last year, said company president Mikhail Pogosyan. The Russian air force was the largest recipient, taking delivery of six Sukhoi Su-34 twin-seat interdiction aircraft, 12 Su-27SM3s assembled from parts manufactured under a cancelled Chinese order, and several twin-seat Su-30M2s.

Four Su-35s were also handed over to support test activities, with the type due to enter air force service in 2013.

Russia also signed a deal in August 2011 for the remanufacture of 30 RSK MiG-31BM interceptors, with these to join 20 modified examples already returned to use.

Export business last year totalled $1.69 billion for 36 Su-30-series fighters sold to Algeria, India, Uganda and Vietnam, while MiG-29s worth $800 million were handed over to the Indian navy, Myanmar and Syria.

In December 2011, Irkut made the first export deliveries of 16 Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers to Algeria under a contract estimated at $200 million. Irkut president Alexei Fedorov said talks are "at an early stage" to sell 10 more to Bangladesh, while Syria has also been reported as having placed an order.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/uac-chief-pogosyan-details-russian-military-aircraft-production-368660/

Boeing locks out 747-8 tail fuel tanks on flutter concerns

In order to meet certification requirements ahead of its first delivery, Boeing will lock out the 12,500l (3,300gal) horizontal stabiliser tail fuel tanks on its 747-8 Intercontinental after a flutter condition was found to occur in a certain structural failure scenario, the airframer confirmed.

"Boeing certified the 747-8 Intercontinental with the tail fuel tanks locked out because during design review of flight test data...it was discovered that, under a certain regulatory-required structural failure scenario, the airplane can experience flutter events when the fuel tanks in the horizontal stabiliser are filled over 15% of their capacity," said Boeing.

To comply with US Federal Aviation Administration regulations, Boeing will deactivate the tail fuel system to satisfy the requirement that no structural flutter be present in the airframe after any single failure condition.

"These conditions do not present themselves when the tanks are empty," Boeing said of the structural failure evaluations, which were only found to occur if the aircraft's wing-to-strut join fitting had failed.
The "requirement for all key structural fittings...need to have a design tolerant of 'any single failure'", said Boeing.

"We're actively working on ways to activate the fuel tanks for the long term."

© Jon Ostrower

Boeing said the lock-out is accomplished through the pulling of a circuit breaker and the FAA has requested a physical separation in the fuel system by removing and capping certain fuel lines between fuel tail tanks.

The change to the fuel system has not affected the pacing of deliveries and only five 747-8s rolled out prior to this decision will require rework as part of the larger post-certification change incorporation operation. The balance of the 747-8s that will be assembled will have their tanks locked out inside the factory.

Reactivating the tanks and incorporating the fix will be be accomplished during normal maintenance operations as part of a service bulletin expected to be issued by the airframer once a solution is identified, said Boeing.

According to its airport planning documents, Boeing lists the 747-8's usable fuel capacity at 238,584l (63,034gal) as established during flight testing and includes the fuel stored in the horizontal stabiliser.

The horizontal tail fuel system is limited to the passenger model of the 747-8, as the recently delivered 747-8F's performance requirement prioritise cargo capacity over range.

Boeing said the absence of tail fuel tanks will reduce the range of the VIP configured 747-8 by about 550-930km (300-400nm), depending on the aircraft's configuration.

For airline operators, the impact on performance will be minimal, said Boeing, as chosen configurations of its customers will prohibit the use of the tail's fuel tanks when non-fuel payload exceeds 60% of the aircraft's maximum structural payload. The balance of the payload would be fuel stored in the aircraft's wing tanks.

"For our mission profile it's not a problem at the moment," said a Lufthansa spokesman, who said the tail fuel restriction would not restrict the aircraft's deployment on its initial routes, which have not yet been announced.

Boeing indicates the passenger capacity of the 747-8 as up to 467 seats in a three-class configuration. Lufthansa will operate the aircraft in a three-class configuration seating 386.

Lufthansa said it is "still quite positive that there will be a modification" that will restore access to the tail fuel tanks, but "of course you want an airplane that can run as long as possible" in unrestricted operation.

Lufthansa is "waiting to hear from Boeing how they will solve this problem," the airline added.
Despite not having a timeframe for a fix, the airline said it is its expectation that the restriction will not exist on deliveries in 2013.

Lufthansa launched the 747-8 in December 2006 with an order for 20 of the General Electric GEnx-2B-powered aircraft. The 747-8 will have the longest range of any aircraft in the airline's fleet, it said, exceeding that of the Airbus A380.

The 747-8's range is advertised by Boeing as being around 14,800km (8,000nm) at maximum takeoff weight of 448t (987,000lb), though the airframer is currently updating the figure for its catalog specifications.

© Jon Ostrower

The 5.6m-shorter (18.3ft) 747-400 also features a 12,500l tail fuel system in the geometrically identical horizontal stabiliser. Despite this similarity, the 747-8 structurally varies from the -400 with an additional 1.5m (4.9ft) stretch behind the wing, along with strengthening for the higher aircraft weight and different materials from its predecessor.

Boeing declined to speculate on why the flutter condition existed on the 747-8 and not in the case of the failure of the wing-to-strut join fitting on the earlier 747-400.

Boeing notes the fitting has never failed in the type's 40 years of service.

The 747-8 programme has faced vibration concerns before, after a 2.3Hz limit cycle oscillation (LCO) in the wings prompted Boeing to develop the Outboard Aileron Modal Suppression (OAMS) system to dampen out vibration with the aircraft's fly-by-wire ailerons.

Certified by the FAA in December, the lock out of fuel tanks allows Boeing to deliver its first 747-8 to a completion centre for VIP configuration in February with airline launch customer Lufthansa to follow in March, said programme sources of the schedule.

Boeing holds firm orders for 36 747-8 aircraft, including five for Korean Air, two for Arik Air and nine for VIP customers.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-locks-out-747-8-tail-fuel-tanks-on-flutter-concerns-367148/

Korean Air Orders Five More Airbus A330-200s

Korean Air has placed a firm order with Airbus for five A330-200s.

The latest purchase agreement increases the total number of A330s ordered by Korean Air to 30 aircraft, of which 23 – 16 A330-300s and seven A330-200s – have already been delivered. All of the remaining aircraft on order are Airbus A330-200s.

As with Korean Air’s existing Airbus A330 fleet, the newly ordered aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW 4000 engines.

The Airbus A330 is a core fleet type for Korean Air, with the airline operating 16 A330-300s and Korean Air also having 14 A330-200s in service or on order

“Korean Air’s latest order underscores the ongoing success of the A330 with leading airlines worldwide,” says John Leahy, chief operating officer customers for Airbus.

“Combining the highest levels of reliability, outstanding medium and long-range capabilities and the lowest operating costs in its class, the A330 is proving time and time again that it is the most efficient aircraft in service today in the mid-size widebody category.”

Airbus has recorded orders for more than 1,100 A330-family jets. More than 750 A330s are now flying with more than 90 operators worldwide.

In addition to passenger aircraft, the A330 family also includes freighter, VIP and military transport / tanker variants.

source: http://www.airlinesanddestinations.com/airlines/korean-air-orders-five-more-airbus-a330-200s/

Airbus A330 Passenger-to-Freighter Conversion Program to Go Ahead

Airbus, ST Aerospace and EADS EFW have signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership to develop the A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion program.

The agreement, setting out the project’s foundation and granting “authorisation to offer” status for the A330P2F, was signed on February 15, 2012 by Chang Cheow Teck, president of ST Aerospace; Tom Enders, president and CEO of Airbus; and Andreas Sperl, CEO of EADS EFW, in the presence of Stanislaw Tillich, Prime Minister of Germany’s Federal State of Saxony.

For the project, ST Aerospace (which is the aerospace arm of ST Engineering) will lead A330P2F engineering development, working with Airbus and EADS EFW. EADS EFW will subsequently be responsible as program lead during the industrial phase, and will undertake most of the conversions at its facilities at Dresden Airport in Germany.

This is an artist's computer graphic image rendering of a Airbus A330-300 freighter which has been convrted from a passenger aircraft under the A330P2F program announced on February 15, 2012 and involving ST Aerospace, Airbus and EADS EFW

The agreement calls for EADS EFW to become the European center for ST Aerospace’s global maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.

The project is subject to the definitive agreements being finalized in the coming weeks and also to regulatory clearances.

Airbus says the A330P2F program includes two versions – the A330-200P2F and the larger A330-300P2F. Of the two models, the larger A330-300P2F will be particularly suitable for integrators and express carriers thanks to its high volumetric payload capability with lower-density cargo, according to Airbus.

Complementing the larger aircraft will be the A330-200P2F, which will be optimized for higher-density freight and longer-range performance. Entry into service for the first A330-300P2F is targeted for 2016.

“Alongside our highly efficient A330-200F factory-built freighter, Airbus has always been committed to extending its freighter portfolio, and the A330P2F is the perfect next step to building the Airbus Freighter family,” said Enders.

“The aircraft industry has a long tradition in Dresden since the first German passenger jet was built there,” noted Tillich. “Following today’s agreement, I am very happy that the resulting A330 Passenger-to-Freighter conversion program will bring EADS EFW to a world-leading role in this industry sector, and it will also tighten the relationship between Saxony and Singapore.”

Most of the initial candidates for the Airbus A330-300 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program are likely to be early-build aircraft delivered in the first half of the 1990s to French and Asian carriers and featuring maximum take-off weights of only 215 tonnes. Later-model A330-300s have maximum take-off weights of up to 235 tonnes, making them much more flexible for passenger operations in terms of range and payload capability

Airbus forecasts that approximately 2,700 freighters will be required over the next 20 years and around half of these will be in the mid-sized freighter segment, including 900 conversions from passenger aircraft.

As well as complementing the factory-built Airbus A330-200F in service today, the A330P2F freighter conversion program will also enhance and sustain A330 family residual values by extending the economic lives of A330 airframes, according to Airbus.

The Airbus A330 family includes passenger, freighter, VIP and Military Transport/Tanker variants and has now attracted orders for approximately 1,200 aircraft.

Today the A330 fleet has accumulated over 20 million flight hours and almost five million revenue flights. More than 830 A330s are now in service with over 90 operators, achieving average dispatch reliability above 99 percent.

ST Aerospace says it is the world’s largest aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider.

According to Airbus, the A330-300P2F (a freighter converted from a passenger aircraft) will be ideal for the low-weight-density, high-volume operations of cargo "integrators" such as FedEx Express and UPS, or express airfreight carriers such as DHL Cargo

This is a claim that might be disputed by a few other organizations such as Lufthansa Technik, Mubadala Aerospace, American Airlines and –  particularly – the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command’s Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and other MRO operations at Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City. Together the Tinker AFB logistics and MRO operations employ 28,000 people.

ST Aerospace has a global customer base that includes leading airlines, airfreight and military operators. The company offers a full range of MRO services, among them airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; and aviation materials and management services. ST Aerospace has a global staff strength of more than 8,000 engineers and technical specialists.

At its Dresden base, EADS EFW combines various aviation and technology activities under a single roof, including the conversion of passenger aircraft into freighter configuration, maintenance and repair of Airbus aircraft and various engineering services.

As of today, EADS EFW has converted more than 170 freighter aircraft for 39 customers globally. Today’s EFW portfolio also includes the A300-600P2F and A310P2F.

source: http://www.airlinesanddestinations.com/aircraft/airbus-a330-passenger-to-freighter-conversion-program-to-go-ahead/

Gulf Air adds 11 more flights to Riyadh, Jeddah

Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air has added 11 extra flights to its existing flights to Jeddah and Riyadh to meet the increasing passenger demand.

The airline will operate four extra flights to Jeddah, increasing its frequency from 10 to 14 per week each direction starting from March 1, while adding seven flights to Riyadh increasing the frequency from its present 14 flights per week to 21 flights each direction, also starting from March 1. Together, these additional flights will offer 3,000 seats and 22,000 kilos of cargo capacity per week.

The new flights underline the national carrier’s business objective of providing double daily and same day return for business travelers, who now have more options to travel to these cities and return the same day after completing their business without the need to stay overnight involving expensive hotel accommodation.

Announcing the additional flights, Gulf Air has offered a special 20 percent promotional discount between Jeddah/Riyadh and Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Karachi, Lahore, Katmandu and Bangkok.
“The introduction of additional flights to these two cities emphasizes the importance we attach to Saudi Arabia,” said Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali.

 “Our business strategy is to concentrate on high-demand routes to ensure our core customer base is served effectively and efficiently.”

Gulf Air has been flying to Jeddah since 1976. “And we have the distinction of being the first international airline to land in Riyadh in 1982 ... since then we have continuously expanded and strengthened our presence connecting customers from the far corners of the Kingdom to the world through our network,” said Majali.

“The departures and arrivals of the additional flights have been timed in such a way that it benefits international and regional business travelers,” he said. Majali thanked Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation colleagues for their cooperation in securing the additional traffic rights.

source: http://arabnews.com/economy/corporatenews/article578378.ece

Airbus discloses details of first A350 engine flight

First flight of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB aboard a dedicated Airbus A380 flying testbed brought the engine to "the edge of the flight envelope of the A350" and generated "very encouraging, satisfactory results", is the verdict of Airbus flight test engineer Emanuele Costanzo.

Such anomalies as arose during the 18 February sortie can be addressed within "the standard development flight test activity for this kind of exercise", added Costanzo.

They included "very gentle oscillations, visible on a plot" when the engine was at minimum idle.

Costanzo was aboard the 5h flight from Toulouse. A Trent XWB development engine, fitted with test sensors, was mounted on the A380's inner-left pylon, replacing one of the aircraft's Trent 900s.

"Flying the actual engine of the A350 on one of our airplanes one year before the first flight of the A350 gives us a tremendous opportunity to identify the engine behaviour, to identify the handling and operability of the engine, and to bring the engine to extreme conditions," said Fernando Alonso, Airbus's head of flight operations.

Alonso stressed that the flight focused not just on the engine itself but also on the engine's interfaces with the aircraft. The A350's generators, bleed system and hydraulic pumps had been fitted. "This is a major contributor to the maturity of the A350 XWB right from its very first flight," he said. "The bulk of the first flight on the flying testbed was about opening the flight envelope."

The A380 reached its maximum operating speed of Mach 0.9 and normal operating ceiling of 43,000ft. It was also operated at high angle of attack and at the minimum speed that would be encountered in normal service. "The engine was fully functional and gave us exactly the performance that we would have expected at Flight Level 100 [10,000ft] and 108kt," said experimental test pilot Terry Lutz.

"When we did the simulator preparation for this particular flight, we noticed that engine acceleration and deceleration characteristics were just slightly better than the Trent 900's, and we were very pleased to find that those characteristics were almost identical on the actual flight," added Lutz.

The flight kick-started a seven-month test campaign Airbus is pursuing jointly with Rolls-Royce. This is set to accumulate 175h, "some three times more airborne flying hours than on previous programmes", and will include hot weather testing likely to take place in the United Arab Emirates in the summer, plus tests intended to support Rolls-Royce's efforts to secure European Aviation Safety Agency certification - for example, identification of the re-light envelope and demonstration of compressor surge margins.

"We will make the compressor surge in flight to determine the surge line of each compressor in new and deteriorated condition," said Costanzo.

Cold weather testing additional to that already carried out by Rolls-Royce is unlikely to happen until the A350 airframe is in flight testing.

A350 systems to be deployed within the flying testbed campaign include the air data computer and a Goodrich nacelle and thrust reverser.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-discloses-details-of-first-a350-engine-flight-368694/

Amsterdam joins Emirates’ A380 Network

Emirates is to upgrade its Amsterdam service to an A380 from August 1. Since launching passenger flights to the Netherlands in May 2010, the route has been operated with a combination of Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200LR aircraft, arranged in a three-class configuration.

Following 18 months of strong demand, the Boeings will be replaced with the airline’s flagship Airbus A380.

Spread over two decks, the remarkably quiet aircraft provides 427 seats in Economy, 76 mini-pods in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites — next to two Onboard Shower Spas.

Available to all premium class passengers on the upper deck is a popular Onboard Lounge where travelers can exchange tales over a drink.

“To upgrade from a 777 operation to an A380 in a relatively short space of time demonstrates the strong demand from travelers to fly with Emirates and experience our superior products and services,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations, Europe & Russian Federation.

“The combination of introducing our largest passenger aircraft onto the route when we already have such an established cargo track record is a formidable partnership, which will benefit tourism and trade between the Netherlands and the UAE,” Obaidalla added.

From Aug. 1, EK 147 becomes an A380 flight, leaving Dubai at 0825hrs and arriving in Amsterdam Schiphol at 1330hrs.

The return double decker service, EK148, departs Amsterdam at 1530hrs and lands in Dubai at 2359hrs.

Amongst its 169 aircraft in operation, Emirates has a fleet of 20 A380s which currently serve Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney and Toronto. Amsterdam will become the 19th A380 point after an A380 deployment to Tokyo in July.

Since being introduced to the airline’s fleet in 2008, the Emirates’ A380 has carried around 8 million passengers and is supported by more than 3,000 dedicated cabin crew and pilots.

source: http://arabnews.com/economy/corporatenews/article576306.ece

Rolls-royce engines to power Air Pacific’s new aircraft

A 210 million US dollar deal will see Air Pacific’s three new Airbus A330-200 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce’s Trent 700 engines.

The Fiji Times reports Air Pacific’s managing director, David Pflieger, as saying the decision to invest in the Trent engine, which is the only engine specifically designed for the A330, is an indicator of the strong momentum behind Air Pacific’s revitalisation plan.

He says Rolls-Royce, with its environmentally friendly technologies, is the right partner to help prepare the company welcome the new state of the art Airbus A330’s into its fleet.

source: http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=66208

Qantas Climbs Most in Six Months on Cost-Cutting, Sales Gain: Sydney Mover

Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN), Australia’s largest carrier, climbed the most in almost six months in Sydney trading after announcing A$700 million ($747 million) in spending cuts and an increase in first-half sales.

The airline surged 6.1 percent to A$1.655 at the close of trading, the biggest gain since Aug. 23. It was the biggest percentage gainer on the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index, which fell 1.7 percent.

Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce announced plans today to cut 500 jobs and slow fleet growth through June 2013 as Qantas contends with competition from Middle East airlines and higher fuel prices. The airline also posted a 6 percent increase in first-half sales even after grounding its main fleet for two days because of labor disputes.

“They are doing their best to manage the business in a difficult time for airlines,” said Peter Esho, a market analyst at City Index in Sydney. “The underlying earnings remain good for them, especially when you consider all the fuel rises and other issues.”

Net income fell 83 percent to A$42 million in the six months ended December, Qantas said in a statement. That missed the A$111 million median estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Sales totaled A$8 billion.

Fuel expenses jumped by A$444 million in the half, and the carrier booked A$194 million in costs related to labor disputes with unions representing pilots, baggage handlers and engineers.

‘We Must Change’

Qantas, which didn’t provide a full-year forecast, will cut staff as it restructures maintenance and catering divisions. The job losses may go higher than 500, with more than 2,000 people employed at facilities under review. A final decision is expected before the end of April, Qantas said.

“The highly competitive markets and tough global economy in which we operate mean that we must change,” Joyce said on a conference call. The carrier “cannot sustain three heavy maintenance bases” and will concentrate operations in one or two facilities, he said.

First-half earnings before interest and tax at the Qantas- branded airline, which includes domestic and international services, fell 60 percent to A$66 million.

Budget arm Jetstar posted a 3 percent increase in profit to A$147 million. The unit is set to open a Japan venture later this year following operations in Vietnam and Singapore.

Southeast Asia Carrier

Qantas is planning to form a premium carrier based in Southeast Asia to help bolster international operations that are losing A$200 million a year. The carrier is still in discussions about the plan, Joyce said.

“We are looking at ways of doing that without expending significant amounts of money or aircraft,” he said. He didn’t say whom the carrier is talking to or when an agreement may be announced.

Qantas’s market share on international routes has fallen to about 20 percent as government-backed Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways Ltd. use hubs in the Persian Gulf to offer connections between Australia and Europe.

The Australian carrier last year announced cuts to its overseas network, including the end of flights to London via Bangkok and Hong Kong. It will scrap flights from Singapore to Mumbai and services between Auckland and Los Angeles, it said today. It still flies to London and Frankfurt via Singapore.

Qantas cut planned capital spending this year and next to A$4.6 billion, A$700 million less than it previously expected. The reduced outlay follows delays in receiving on-order Boeing Co. (BA) 787-800 jets and a scaling back of plans to add seats on domestic routes. Qantas, including Jetstar, has about 65 percent of Australia’s domestic market.

Joyce wants cash flow to match capital spending to reduce the risk of losing Qantas’s investment-grade credit rating. Moody’s Investors Service last month lowered the carrier to Baa3, the lowest investment grade.

Qantas and Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), the largest discount carrier in the U.S., are the only two airlines with investment- grade ratings from both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.

source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-15/qantas-to-cut-500-jobs-after-earnings-slump-83-.html

Cebu Air: Selected Rolls-Royce Trent 700 Engines For Leased Airbus A330-300 Jets

SINGAPORE –  Cebu Air, Inc. (CEB.PH), the Philippine budget carrier that recently announced plans to start long-haul flights using leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft, has decided to power those jets with engines from Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (RR.LN).

Rolls-Royce will also provide long-term service support for the Trent 700 engines in a contract valued at US$280 million, Cebu Air, which is better known as Cebu Pacific, said in a statement in Singapore.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/02/16/cebu-air-selected-rolls-royce-trent-700-engines-for-leased-airbus-a330-300-jets/#ixzz1nCnQ27uq

SINGAPORE: Indonesia's Pacific Royale to launch services in March

Indonesian start-up Pacific Royale Airways plans to begin operations in March and compete in the full-service segment.

It will be based in Jakarta, with hubs in Surabaya, Medan and Batam, said the airline. It will operate initially in the domestic market, and then expand to the regional and international markets, said its chairman and founder Tarun Trikha.

The company will start with a fleet of two Airbus A320s to serve trunk routes and two Fokker F50s for feeder services. Within the first year, it plans to have five F50s, four A320s and one Airbus A330-300.

The F50s will be purchased, while the Airbus aircraft will be leased.
"We wish to provide our passengers with a differentiation in services from on-ground, in-flight to post-flight that makes us different from existing airlines," said Trikha, an Indian national who owns 49% of the airline.

Indonesian businessman Goenarni Gunawan owns the remaining 51% of Pacific Royale, which its owners say will find a niche in a market dominated by Garuda in the full-service segment.

"Our mission at Pacific Royale Airways is to enter Indonesia's market to address the public concerns in flight safety, punctuality and good services," said the airline's CEO Samudra Sukardi, a former Garuda senior executive.

Garuda's subsidiary GMF AeroAsia will provide line maintenance and overhaul services, while the airline has also signed up in-flight entertainment provider Lumexis for its A320s.

source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/singapore-indonesias-pacific-royale-to-launch-services-in-march-368378/

Garuda buys 18 Bombardier CRJ 1000s in network expansion

CRJ 1000 NextGen: Artistic depiction of Garuda Indonesia's Bombardier CRJ 1000 NextGen.Courtesy of Bombardier Aerospace)
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia signed a contract on Wednesday to buy 18 CRJ 1000 Next Gen aircraft from Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace at the Singapore Airshow in Changi.

The contract was signed by Garuda president director Emirsyah Satar and Bombardier president and COO Guy Hachev. Garuda has the option to buy a further 18 aircraft, the flag carrier said in a media statement.

Garuda will take delivery of five airplanes between October and December 2012.
The purchase of the CRJ 1000 NextGen is aimed at supporting Garuda’s development and expansion plans especially on high-density, short-range domestic and regional routes.

Garuda will be using the planes to serve its regional hubs in Balikpapan, Makassar and Medan by the end of this year.

“The aircraft will operate through Makassar, Medan and Balikpapan to increase the connectivity of towns around these three hubs and strengthen Garuda Indonesia’s overall network,” Emir said in the statement.

“Furthermore, the aircraft will increase Garuda’s efficiency because they are up to 30 percent more fuel-efficient.”

Meanwhile, Hachev said Bombardier was delighted to support and cooperate with Garuda.
“CRJ 1000 NextGen is one of Bombardier’s most reliable and environmentally-friendly products with very efficient operational costs,” he said.

The airplane was first marketed in 2010 and can carry up to 100 passengers.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/15/garuda-buys-18-bombardier-crj-1000s-network-expansion.html

Garuda, Bombardier team up for maintenance and repair center

CRJ 1000 NextGen: Artistic depiction of Garuda Indonesia's Bombardier CRJ 1000 NextGen. (Courtesy of Bombardier Aerospace)
Garuda Indonesia’s president director Emirsyah Satar said on Thursday that the airline would team up with Canada-based Bombardier Inc. to build a maintenance and repair center in Indonesia.

It followed the closing of a deal to buy Bombardier aircraft.

The center would be important to support Garuda's operations and to expand its business by maintaining and repairing aircraft from the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

But Emirsyah declined to comment on the estimated costs and what types of aircraft would be served by the center.

“We've agreed to the plan and now our team is working on the details. We expect to get a detailed plan within three months,” he told The Jakarta Post via text message.

On Wednesday, the firms signed a contract to purchase 18 CRJ 1000 NextGen jets at the Singapore Airshow. Garuda has the option to buy another 18.

In addition to the CRJ, or Canadian Regional Jet, series which has a capacity of up to 100 seats, Bombardier also has other products including the larger narrow-body CSeries in the 100-149 seat class, the Q400 NextGen twin turboprops that can seat 78 passengers and various business jets.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/16/garuda-bombardier-team-maintenance-and-repair-center.html o

No charge for sports gear: Garuda

In a bid to boost sports tourism in the country, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will not charge passengers who bring sporting equipment while flying with the airline, president director Emirsyah Satar said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“This is our strategy to promote sports tourism so that we can attract more tourists who want to play golf, surf, or cycle in the country,” Emirsyah said on the sidelines of a promotion agreement signing with the tourism and creative economy ministry.

He said that the free baggage charge will be effective for three years with the possibility for an extension.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu welcomed Garuda’s strategy, as sports tourism in Indonesia is expected to develop further this year.

“People love playing golf and bicycling in Indonesia because we have beautiful scenery to enjoy,” Mari said.

According to Mari, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, West Java and Bali are potential areas for sports tourism
source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/21/no-charge-sports-gear-garuda.html

Citilink set to fly higher in 2012

With the increase in its fleet and new routes, the national fag carrier Garuda Indonesia’s low-cost branch, Citilink, is expected to be able to increase its passengers by about 50 percent in 2012.

Con Korfiatis, Citilink’s technical advisor for board of directors, said in Jakarta on Friday that the operation of several new wide-bodied aircraft this year will not only enable the airline to further expand its domestic flights but also serve international destinations.

The fleet expansion will enable Citilink to compete with other low-cost carriers, he said, adding that with such an advantage, it will be able to increase its passengers by 50 percent to 3 million from 2 million at present.

Korfiatis said that Citilink received its first Airbus A320 aircraft within the last two weeks, and expects to take possession of three more over the next three months. The arrival of the four Airbus airplanes will increase its fleet to 10 planes.

As part of its expansion, Citilink, which is expected to split from Garuda next year to become an independent airline operator, plans to operate between 5 and 10 more aircraft in 2012 in order to meet the surging demand for budget airline services in the country.

“We see great prospects in Indonesia because of its size of population and geography, consisting as it does of thousands of islands. We are optimistic about the future,” he said.

According to The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indonesia is poised to become one of the fastest-growing markets for the airline industry despite the current financial crisis.

The IATA said that in 2014, Indonesia is expected to rank as the world’s ninth-largest market for domestic flights.

Korfiatis said that with its expanding fleet, Citilink would be able to compete both at domestic and international levels. Garuda’s low-cost carrier previously planned to launch international routes linking Jakarta to several cities in Southeast Asia this year, but the plan has been delayed until 2012 because of the lack of airplanes.

“Our aircraft are able to fly within a range of four to five hours [flying time], enabling us to serve international destinations in the region, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia,” he said.

With the increase in the number of planes, Citilink will also be able to establish more regional hubs in Indonesia, such as Medan in North Sumatra, and Makassar in South Sulawesi, in addition to Jakarta and Surabaya.

Garuda is currently in the process of preparing for the separation of Citilink into a stand-alone subsidiary of the Garuda Indonesia group. This is expected to be realized in the first quarter of 2012.

When that occurs, the group will own two prominent brands catering to all sectors in the market, he said.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/01/citilink-set-fly-higher-2012.html

Citilink sees no sibling rivalry with Garuda in expansion plans

Citilink, the low-cost carrier (LCC) strategic business unit of flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, sees no sibling rivalry in the LCC’s attempt to expand and carry more passengers because the two airlines cater to different markets.

Con Korfiatis, Citilink’s board of directors’ (BOD) technical advisor, and not its technical advisor for biological on demand as printed on Oct. 1, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that people who wanted to fly with premium service would still choose Garuda, while budget-conscious travelers who still wanted good service would pick Citilink.

“Someone may travel a full service airline for business, but when on holiday with the family they may seek out low-cost airfares.

Where that is the case, the Garuda Indonesia Group now has a low-cost airline product to offer,” Korfiatis said over the phone.

He added that Citilink would fly the same routes as Garuda, as catering to both segments was a way to increase overall revenues. He did not foresee a trend of Garuda customers switching to Citilink.

Citilink, whose direct rivals include Air Asia Indonesia and Lion Air, was upbeat that it would win the battle with other domestic LCCs because people were buying Garuda’s good reputation and brand from Citilink, such as a good operational environment and good time performances.

“In the low-cost carrier business, we have to always provide good value for our customers,” Korfiatis said.

Citilink received its first Airbus A320 narrowbody aircraft in mid-August and expects to acquire three more in the next three months.

The arrival of the four A320s will increase Citilink’s fleet to 10 planes by the end of 2011, which currently includes the Boeing 737-300/400. Citilink will add five to 10 more airplanes in 2012.

Garuda placed a firm order to buy 25 A320s with an option for 25 more at the Paris Air Show in June.

The fleet expansion will enable Citilink to add frequency to its existing city pairs it flies today where its current frequency could not meet the demand, Korfiatis said.

The city pairs that will have more flights from twice to three times a day are Jakarta–Denpasar, Jakarta–Batam and Surabaya–Banjarmasin. Those flights will add more than 7,500 seats per week. Citilink will also start new domestic routes not currently being served in the second semester of 2012 and is currently studying which cities to fly to.

“We will commence flying regional international routes that are within reach for our A320 aircraft in late 2012 or the next year,” Korfiatis said.

Currently the LCC has 85 pilots and 150 cabin crew and plans to recruit more in 2012 to anticipate surging demand.

“Our pilots are all Indonesians today who come from within Garuda and from another airlines,” he said.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indonesia is poised to become one of the fastest-growing markets for the airline industry despite the current financial crisis.

The IATA said that in 2014 Indonesia was expected to rank as the world’s ninth-largest market for domestic flights.

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/03/citilink-sees-no-sibling-rivalry-with-garuda-expansion-plans.html

Citilink to operate 11 A320s after receiving flight permit

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia’s strategic business unit, Citilink, said it would operate 11 units of the new Airbus A320 this year after receiving a flight permit (SIUAU) from the Transportation Ministry in Jakarta on Monday.

Citilink vice president Con Korfiatis said the 11 additional A320 aircraft would bring the airline up to an operational fleet of 20, consisting of 15 A320s and five Boeing B737-400s given by Garuda Indonesia after a spin-off.

He said two units of the A320 were scheduled to arrive in February.

“Citilink has restructured itself to be the best low-cost carrier airline service and has become an aggressive player in Indonesia,” Korfiatis told the press.

Currently, the airline operates 9 aircraft: 1 B737-300, 5 B737-400s, and 3 A320s, but the B737-300 will no longer be in operation later this year.

Korfiatis said the airline had also been processing its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) that may take a few months to complete.

Elisa Lumbantoruan, Garuda Indonesia finance director, said the AOC could be finished by March.

“We will also inject Rp 430 billion [US$48.16 million] to Citilink as paid-up capital,” he said.

Based on the SIUAU, Citilink is given rights to fly 70 domestic routes and 16 international routes.

Currently, the airline serves 9 domestic routes including Jakarta–Denpasar, Jakarta–Surabaya, Jakarta–Banjarmasin, Surabaya–Makassar and Jakarta–Medan.

With more aircraft, Citilink could add more flights to its existing routes and open new routes, Elisa said.

“Citilink will increase Jakarta–Surabaya flights from seven to nine a day, and Jakarta–Denpasar flights from two to five a day,” he said.

The airline will also open new routes: Jakarta–Pekanbaru, Jakarta–Padang, and Jakarta–Yogyakarta in the second quarter of this year.

The airline will have two flights a day for each route, he said.

In addition, he said that the airline expected to fly 4 million passengers this year, a 150 percent increase from 1.6 million passengers in 2011. “Citilink is also planning to carry out an Initial Public Offering in 2014,” he said.

Citilink will compete with other budget carriers, including Indonesia AirAsia (IAA). Late last year, IAA said it would open new routes linking several Indonesian tourist destinations to major ASEAN cities to support tourism in the country.

IAA said the airline would soon link destinations such as Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara to major cities in ASEAN, such as Singapore and Bangkok.

IAA added that 45 percent of the Air Asia Group’s routes were “unique” routes that linked one city to another, which no other airline served. 

source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/31/citilink-operate-11-a320s-after-receiving-flight-permit.html

Citilink, RBS Aviation ink deal on 4 Airbus A320-200s

Go green: Citilink's Boeing 737-300 painted in new Go Green livery. (Courtesy of Citilink)
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia's strategic business unit, Citilink, will receive four Airbus A320-200 aircraft in a leasing cooperation agreement with RBS Aviation Capital, the state-owned airline says.

Garuda Indonesia Group CEO Emirsyah Satar and RBS Aviation Capital senior vice president Nicolas Clouet signed the memorandum of understanding Thursday at the Singapore Airshow in Changi.

“With the growing number of aircraft, Citilink has targeted to be one of the main low-cost carriers, in terms of number of passengers, in Indonesia,” Emirsyah said in a press statement sent to The Jakarta Post.

“Garuda Indonesia is an important client of RBS Aviation Capital and we hope that we will continue the cooperation for the next challenging years,” Clouet said.

The aircraft, which will be painted with Citilink’s with go-green paint scheme, will be delivered to Jakarta starting in November this year until February 2013.

In 2011, Citilink ordered 15 A320 standard aircraft and 10 re-engined A320Neo aircraft. The fleet will join the airline in 2014, with five airplanes expected to arrive annually until 2018.

Currently, Citilink, which will be spinned-off in April after receiving its air operator certificate (AOC) in March, is operating four leased A320s.
source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/02/16/citilink-rbs-aviation-ink-deal-4-airbus-a320-200s.html

Incident: Iberia A319 near Vienna on Feb 15th 2012, lightning strike

An Iberia Airbus A319-100, registration EC-KKS performing flight IB-3576 from Madrid, SP (Spain) to Vienna (Austria), was on approach to Vienna when the aircraft was struck by lightning. The crew continued for a safe landing on Vienna's runway 29.

The aircraft underwent inspections and as result of the inspection had to be removed from service. The return flight IB-3577 was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the evening flight IB-3575.

The aircraft has not yet departed Vienna 25 hours after landing (standing Feb 16th 12:00Z).


source: http://avherald.com/h?article=44afb0ea

Qantas Targets A330 Joint Venture With MAS

Qantas has made significant changes to its plans for an Asian-based premium carrier, and is now negotiating with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) for a joint-venture based on some of the Airbus A330 aircraft that MAS has on order.

The Australian carrier had previously said it wanted to set up the premium carrier in either Malaysia or Singapore, using eight of the 110 A320s that it had ordered. But Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says that Qantas is now pursuing a “capital-light” plan for the start-up, as it looks to cut capital expenditure.

Singapore is no longer being considered as the location, and discussions are continuing with MAS about a Kuala Lumpur base. No announcement is expected for at least a couple of months, however.
A330s will be used since MAS already has significant orders for these aircraft, AviationWeek has learned. The carriers are still expected to aim the carrier at the premium market, although they will be configured with two classes.

The eight A320 orders that Qantas had earmarked for the new carrier will not be canceled and will be used for other purposes instead. Qantas was in discussions with Airbus about long-range version of the A320 for the Asia-based airline, but there is not expected to be a significant financial penalty for converting these orders to the standard version.

Qantas is aiming to reduce capital expenditure to AU$2.3 billion ($2.5 billion) for fiscal year 2012, compared to the previously planned AU$2.5 billion. As well as the reduced spending on the premium carrier, Qantas will save money due to the deferral of Boeing 787 deliveries caused by manufacturer delays.

In fiscal 2013 Qantas plans to cut capital expenditure to AU$2.3 billion, compared to previous estimates of AU$2.8 billion. The carrier has signaled that this reduction will likely be increased, primarily through canceling, delaying or restructuring existing orders.

In another major cost-cutting measure, Qantas announced a review of its heavy maintenance facilities. The carrier intends to close at least one of its three heavy maintenance bases, Joyce says. Additionally, the carrier is consolidating a wide range of engineering and administrative work to Sydney.

These changes announced so far will result in 500 positions being eliminated, and Joyce says more cuts will likely be needed as the result of reviews. However, he stresses that no jobs are being outsourced overseas.

Qantas has also announced further changes to its international services. It will cut flights from Los Angeles to Auckland and from Singapore to Mumbai in May. The airline will replace Boeing 747s with A330s on its Sydney-Bangkok route in June, and will downgauge the Sydney-Auckland flights from A330s to 737-800s. Service will be added to the Los Angeles-New York route, and Tokyo routes, using 747s.

On its domestic network, Qantas will add A330s on its Melbourne-Perth route, and will replace 747-400s with A330s on certain Sydney-Perth flights.

Due to these network changes, Qantas is retiring an additional two 747s in addition to the four it will retire in April.

For the six months through Dec. 31 2011, Qantas reported an underlying profit before tax of AU$202 million, less than half the profit from the same period in 2010. Strikes had an AU$194 million negative effect, and fuel costs were up by AU$444 million.

source: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/awx/2012/02/16/awx_02_16_2012_p0-426369.xml&headline=Qantas%20Target

Pratt & Whitney Wins $200 Million PW4000 Advantage70(TM) Engine Order from Korean Air

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW -- Korean Air selected Pratt & Whitney's PW4170 Advantage70(TM) engine to power five new Airbus A330 aircraft. The agreement, valued at approximately $200 million, represents 10 firm PW4170 engines. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"We are proud that Korean Air, one of the world's top airlines, has again selected Pratt & Whitney engines to power their new Airbus A330 aircraft," said Todd Kallman, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines & Global Services president. "This agreement further strengthens our already strong relationship."

Korean Air, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is one of the world's top 20 airlines and top-ranked international cargo airlines. The airline offers flights to 119 cities in 40 countries. It is a founding member of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance.

Pratt & Whitney offers the Advantage70 both as a new engine and as an upgrade kit for existing PW4168 engines. The upgrade includes a suite of technology enhancements that can be incorporated into a fleet during engine overhaul. Advantage70 technology delivers superior engine performance, including a 2 percent thrust increase, more than 1 percent reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced maintenance costs.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

This release includes "forward looking statements" concerning expected revenue and other matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include the health of the global economy; strength of end market demand in the commercial aerospace industry; fluctuation in commodity prices, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates.

For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, legal, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC's SEC filings as submitted from time to time, including but not limited to, the information included in UTC's 10-K and 10-Q Reports under the headings "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors that May Affect Future Results," as well as the information included in UTC's Current Reports on Form 8-K.

source: http://www.avionics-intelligence.com/news/2012/02/15/pratt-whitney-wins-200-million-pw4000-advantage70-tm-engine-order-from-korean-air.html

Auckland-LA fares expected to spike

Airfares between Auckland and Los Angeles are expected to rise after Qantas announced it would axe its service from May, handing Air New Zealand a monopoly on the route.
The Australian national carrier has also announced it would also reduce capacity on the ultra-competitive Auckland-Sydney route by replacing the current Airbus A330 wide body service with smaller, single isle Boeing 737-800.
House Travel retail director Brent Thomas said the decision was surprising given the strong demand from New Zealand travellers to the United States.
However, demand from the United States was weak.
Air New Zealand and Qantas have been competing vigorously on the route with return fares of around $1700 in May.
''The consumer misses out if there is not that competition, that is the concern that we would have,'' Thompson said.
Air NZ also offers services to San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada.
Air NZ is conducting a review of its long-haul network which was losing $1 million a week last year.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce did not give any reasons for the changes when he announced the airline's half-year result today.
The airline also plans to slash jobs.
"We anticipate there will be 500 positions affected by the immediate changes that we have announced today," chief exeutive Alan Joyce said today. "The jobs that are going have become structurally redundant."

Qantas today reported an 83 per cent fall in net profit to A$42 million ($54 million) for the six months to the end of December, blaming a A$194m cost from industrial action and the grounding of its fleet, and a A$444m increase in fuel prices.

However, a 52 per cent fall in underlying profit before tax for the half to A$202m was better than analysts had expected. Revenue rose 5 per cent to A$8 billion.

The underlying result also beat Qantas's earlier guidance for between A$140m and A$190m in underlying pre-tax profits.

Qantas has an aircraft engineering base at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, employing about 400 workers who conduct maintenance on its large Boeing 737 fleet. It also has a base at the Lindsay Fox-owned Avalon Airport near Geelong, providing heavy maintenance for the Boeing 747-400 jumbo fleet.

The Avalon base, employing more than 600 engineers and other workers, has been in operation since the late 1990s, while its other heavy maintenance operation is in Brisbane. The latter has about 400 workers.

Qantas also said it won't pay a dividend for the half.

source:

Dreamliner changing airline route maps

New evidence emerged this week that Boeing’s new Dreamliner is beginning to change airline route maps worldwide.

Japan Air Lines announced this week it will begin San Diego-Tokyo service with its new 787 Dreamliners later this year.

The San Diego-Tokyo route is the kind of connection that Boeing has bragged the Dreamliner will make possible because of its long range, mid size and fuel economy. The JAL flight will be the first flight connecting San Diego non-stop to Asia.

JAL is also planning to connect Boston with Tokyo beginning in late April using a Dreamliner. Boston has sought a non-stop connection to Tokyo for years, but the market between the two cities was deemed too small to justify using a Boeing 747 or 777 or Airbus A340 or A380, much larger aircraft that had the range to handle the flight.

Boeing’s 787 launch customer, All Nippon Airways, is also planning to connect mid-sized cities with Tokyo. Seattle will get ANA service to the Japanese capital later this year, and San Jose, Calif. will get an ANA 787 route to Tokyo. San Jose has no other non-stop flights to Tokyo. Seattle has Delta and United/Continental routes to Tokyo.

The smaller 787 allows ANA to enter the market without committing a larger aircraft to the competition.

ANA has already begun 787 service to Frankfurt, and JAL plans to fly to Helsinki from Tokyo with the new jet.

United/Continental has plans to launch two so-called “thin routes” with the Dreamliner. The first 787 routes will link Houston and Lagos, Nigeria and Houston with Auckland, New Zealand.

Reaching those destinations from Houston in the past has required stopovers in such hubs as Los Angeles or London.

source: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/business/2012/02/16/dreamliner-changing-airline-route-maps/

Thousands stranded, airline goes bust

udget carrier Air Australia collapsed Friday, stranding thousands of passengers as its domestic flights and international services to Honolulu, Bali and Phuket were all grounded.

An Air Australia's Airbus A320. Budget carrier Air Australia collapsed Friday, stranding thousands of passengers as its domestic flights and international services to Honolulu, Bali and Phuket were all grounded.

The news came a day after embattled Australian flagcarrier Qantas said it was slashing at least 500 jobs, cutting costs and closing two international routes after posting an 83 percent slump in first-half net profits.

In a statement, the Brisbane-based Air Australia, whose 300 staff have been stood down, said it had appointed KordaMentha as voluntary administrators.

"In the short-term, the fleet will be grounded. It currently appears that there are no funds available to meet operational expenses so flights will be suspended immediately," the administrator said.

"For clarity, it also appears highly unlikely there will be any flights in the short to medium term."

Air Australia flew international routes to the Indonesian island of Bali, Thai holiday paradise Phuket, and Hawaii, and domestically to Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, Derby and Port Hedland in Western Australia.

Administrator Mark Korda said up to 4,000 passengers were currently overseas with Air Australia return tickets and advised them to find alternative arrangements.

He told ABC radio the airline was unable to buy fuel at Phuket International Airport on Thursday night, prompting fears about the airline's solvency.

"Air Australia was unable to purchase fuel in Phuket to refuel the planes so the directors had a meeting at 1.30 this morning and appointed us as administrators due to the solvency of the company," Korda said.

"The supplier of the fuel wouldn't grant any further credit to the company."

The carrier, previously known as Strategic Airlines and relaunched in November 2011 to cash in on underserviced routes, flew five Airbus A330-200 and A320-200 aircraft.

Stranded passengers said they were left in the dark.

"There's actually no one at the airport from Air Australia," Wesa Chau, who was waiting for her flight in Phuket, told Australian media.

"They offered no assistance whatsoever."

The collapse came as a Thai flight attendant told ABC the carrier was paying her far below the Australian minimum wage with Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten saying he was very concerned by the allegations.

"If they are doing domestic sectors in Australia that is not on and I will be contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman... they should make some contact with my office and we'll get on top of that," he said.
Korda said he was hoping to find investors to save the airline.

"Hopefully we can find a white knight, if not the operations will stay suspended and then what we'll do is we'll follow up with everybody about how did this all happen?," he said.

Qantas chief Alan Joyce, whose own airline has been hit hard by soaring fuel costs and a fleet grounding last year due to labour disputes, said he would do what he could to help stranded passengers.

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Hawaiian Airlines also said they would help, while Prime Minister Julia Gillard demanded administrators do all they could to aid passengers and staff.

"I want to say to the administrators, they need to do everything they can to ensure that these people who have been passengers with this airline get back home," she said.

"I do want to see maximum support for those Australians who have been stranded ... and of course we want to see them deal with their workforce properly."

source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/280279/thousands-stranded-as-australian-airline-goes-bust

SIA to run farewell flights to mark B747 retirement

Singapore Airlines will run special commemorative flights between Singapore and Hong Kong on April 6 to mark the retirement of the Boeing 747 after nearly four decades of service.

Flight SQ747 from Singapore to Hong Kong and SQ748 from Hong Kong to Singapore will be operated with the B747-400, replacing existing flights SQ860 and SQ863, which are normally operated with Airbus A330-300s.

The commemorative flights will have an extended flying time of one hour to enable those on board to be treated to a unique inflight experience. This will include specially crafted meal services and inflight entertainment. Customers will also receive limited edition B747 memorabilia.

Customers in first class will be given an exclusive tour of the Airline's cabin crew training facilities and B747-400 flight simulator in Singapore.

In addition to more than 300 commercial passengers, on board will be employees who have worked on the aircraft throughout its storied history, as well as a group of under-privileged children and media.

The special flights, which will be SIA's last commercial passenger services with the B747, are now open for sale. The airline took delivery of its first B747-200 in 1973.

source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120217-328504.html

Direct Flight to Connect SW China's Chongqing, Helsinki

Finnair, Finland's flagship carrier and the country's largest airline, will launch a direct route between Helsinki and southwest China's Chongqing Municipality in May, tourism authorities said Friday.

The route's four flights every week will be serviced by Airbus A340 aircraft. The flight time is expected to be eight-and-a-half hours, said Zhou Cai, an official with the municipality's tourism bureau.

It will also be the first route connecting western China to Northern Europe, said Zhou.

The carrier is now recruiting flight attendants in Chongqing, according to Zhou.

The direct flights will not only provide convenience for local residents traveling Europe, but will also improve the competitiveness of Chongqing's tourism market in Europe, he said.

The route is expected to bring 100,000 foreign tourists to Chongqing each year, according to Zhou.
source: http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/02/17/3124s681770.htm

EASA AD Demands A380 Rivet Replacement

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandated the replacement of six aluminum rivets on the Airbus A380 in its latest airworthiness directive (AD 12-014) for the type. The rivets have been used at the junction of Fuselage Stringer 21 left and right and Frame 0.

During an engineering review, the pieces have been found “not in compliance with the certification requirements.” While the structural limit load capability is still ensured, the rivets may not sustain ultimate load stress, according to fatigue analysis.

EASA says this could, if not corrected, “lead to inflight loss of the radome in case of rapid decompression and could adversely affect the structural integrity of the aeroplane.”

The agency is now ordering that the rivets be replaced with six hi-lite titanium fasteners. A380 operators must comply within eight months.

The AD applies to all A380-841, -842 and -861 aircraft except where an Airbus modification has already been made during production.

EASA already has issued two A380 ADs this year demanding checks and, when required, repairs to A380 wing rib feet after some showed Type 2 cracks–cracking originating from the forward and aft edges of the vertical web of the feet–during inspections.

source: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aviationdaily&id=news/avd/2012/02/17/04.xml&headline=EASA%20AD%20Demands%20A3

Direct flight to connect Chongqing, Helsinki

CHONGQING - Finnair, Finland's flagship carrier and the country's largest airline, will launch a direct route between Helsinki and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality in May, tourism authorities said Friday.

The route's four flights every week will be serviced by Airbus A340 aircraft. The flight time is expected to be eight-and-a-half hours, said Zhou Cai, an official with the municipality's tourism bureau.

It will also be the first route connecting western China to Northern Europe, said Zhou.
The carrier is now recruiting flight attendants in Chongqing, according to Zhou.

The direct flights will not only provide convenience for local residents traveling Europe, but will also improve the competitiveness of Chongqing's tourism market in Europe, he said.
The route is expected to bring 100,000 foreign tourists to Chongqing each year, according to Zhou.

source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-02/17/content_14635910.htm

Asiana Airlines and Lufthansa Technik Extend and Expand Cooperation

The two companies have extended and significantly expanded their existing Total Component Support TCS® agreement for the airline's fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft for 10 years.

 

Asiana Airlines, one of Korea's flagship carriers and a member of the Star Alliance, will continue to rely on Lufthansa Technik AG for the next ten years: the two companies have extended and significantly expanded their existing Total Component Support TCS® agreement for the airline's fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft.

The agreement covers component pooling and MRO services for Asiana's strongly growing fleet of Airbus A320s, currently comprising 29 aircraft, and its eight Boeing 737s. As part of the new agreement, the scope of supply was extended to include many new part numbers.

The airline will be supplied from Lufthansa Technik's material pool and warehouses in Frankfurt and Hamburg.

"Based on the experience and belief on Lufthansa Technik's strong technical/customer support, we are satisfied to extend the long-term partnership", said Mr. Chang-Soo Han, Executive Vice President & CFO Planning, Puchasing & Financing at Asiana Airlines, Inc.

"This new agreement is proof of Asiana's confidence in Lufthansa Technik. We look forward to continuing to demonstrate that this confidence is well-placed," said Dr. Burkhard Andrich, Senior Vice President Aircraft Component Services at Lufthansa Technik.

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines is based in Seoul, Korea, and currently operates a fleet consisting of 72 short- and long-haul aircraft plus 7 narrow body aircraft of its subsidiary Air Busan. The airline serves 12 Korean cities and 68 international destinations, and transports cargo on 20 routes worldwide.

Lufthansa Technik

The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and associates and over 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of technical services for the aviation industry. Its portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services for commercial aircraft: maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and refit, engines and components.

 source: http://www.aviationpros.com/news/10630633/asiana-airlines-and-lufthansa-technik-extend-and-expand-cooperation

Dreamliner brings change to established flight patterns

New evidence emerged this week that Boeing’s new Dreamliner is beginning to change airline route maps worldwide.

Japan Air Lines announced this week it will begin San Diego-Tokyo service with its new 787 Dreamliners later this year.
 
The San Diego-Tokyo route is the kind of connection that Boeing has bragged the Dreamliner will make possible because of its long range, medium size and fuel economy. The JAL flight will be the first flight connecting San Diego nonstop to Asia.

JAL is also planning to connect Boston with Tokyo beginning in late April using a Dreamliner. Boston has sought a nonstop connection to Tokyo for years, but the market between the two cities was deemed too small to justify using a Boeing 747 or 777 or Airbus A340 or A380, much larger aircraft that had the range to handle the flight.

Boeing’s 787 launch customer, All Nippon Airways, is also planning to connect mid-sized cities with Tokyo. Seattle will get ANA service to the Japanese capital later this year, and San Jose, Calif., will get an ANA 787 route to Tokyo. San Jose has no other non-stop flights to Tokyo. Seattle has Delta and United/Continental routes to Tokyo.

 The smaller 787 allows ANA to enter the market without committing a larger aircraft to the competition.

ANA has already begun 787 service to Frankfurt, and JAL plans to fly to Helsinki from Tokyo with the new jet.

United/Continental has plans to launch two so-called “thin routes” with the Dreamliner. The first 787 routes will link Houston and Lagos, Nigeria, and Houston with Auckland, New Zealand.

Reaching those destinations from Houston in the past has required stopovers in such hubs as Los Angeles or London.

source: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/17/2029755/dreamliner-brings-change-to-established.html

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/17/2029755/dreamliner-brings-change-to-established.html#storylink=cpy

Airbus launches investigation into A380 cracks

The Airbus chief executive, Tom Enders, said the world's largest and most advanced passenger airliner was 'absolutely' safe to fly but a probe is now underway

Graphic showing the location of the wing rib brackets in an A380 superjumbo, which are at the centre of concerns over cracking. Photograph: Airbus

 

Airbus has launched an internal investigation into how cracks developed inside the wings of the A380, after emergency safety checks were extended to the entire fleet of superjumbos.
The Airbus chief executive, Tom Enders, said the world's largest and most advanced passenger airliner was "absolutely" safe to fly but a probe is now underway.

Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, he said the company would ensure that the flaws, created during the manufacturing process, are not repeated with the A350 mid-sized jetliner project. "Are we learning from this? Absolutely. We are taking lessons from the A380 programme for the A350 programme."

He added: "We have a thorough investigation underway on how we could make these mistakes in the first place and to eradicate the sources of the mistakes."

Enders declined to comment on a report that expanding the checking regime to all 67 A380s in service would cost Airbus €100m (£83m), because it is liable for losses incurred by airlines when the airplanes are temporarily taken out of service and, if necessary, fitted with new parts.

"We made a little mistake here and we are repairing it as quickly as possible. This plane is absolutely safe to fly," said Enders.

The A380's biggest customer is Dubai-based Emirates, which operates 20 of the 525-seater jets, followed by Singapore Airlines with 15, Qantas with 12, Lufthansa eight, Air France six, Korean Air five and China Southern two.

The problem has been located in brackets that attach the A380s wing ribs - oval-shaped frames that run along the width of the entire wing - to the wing's metal skin.

Issuing a new directive this month, the European Aviation Safety Agency said: "This condition, if not detected and corrected, may lead to reduction of the structural integrity of the aeroplane." Airbus believes the problem is related to the design and manufacture of the wings, which are built at a state-of-the-art plant in Broughton, Wales.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/feb/15/airbus-a380-cracks-investigation?newsfeed=true

High flyers come crashing down with fall of Air Australia

THEY'VE lived life large for the past three years, thinking nothing of handing out $85,000 for a radio fundraising shortfall or of sending an Airbus full of social butterflies on an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii.


But the egos behind Air Australia, formerly Strategic Airlines, have come crashing down as 100,000 people scramble to recover money paid for tickets that can't be honoured, while 4000 others stranded overseas desperately seek alternative routes home.

The culture behind Air Australia has always been one of living big.

Strategic Airlines, which first registered as a proprietary company in May 2008, was started with $12 million.

It propelled itself on to the Australian social scene when it emerged as a major sponsor of the Nikon Indy 300 on the Gold Coast the same year.

As part of the deal, the company was to fly in 26 Indy cars from the US at $500,000 each ahead of the event, thus cementing its stake as the country's first wide-body charter airline, even before its first specialty aircraft landed on Australian soil.

The Queenslander at the centre of the storm is Michael James, a Bundaberg man born in Wellington to a Queensland mum and a Kiwi dad, who bought half of Strategic Aviation in 2002.

It was a company that had been trading as Air Charter Logistics since 1991, specialising in oversize cargo and charters. Mr James turned it towards defence force contracts, and launched the commercial airline six years after buying in to the company.

Strategic bought its way in to the industry, as Mr James told The Courier-Mail a year ago: 'We're new, so we have to buy our market share."

Much of that involved a massive image-building process, with Strategic spending big to be associated with events such as the Australian Masters Golf in 2009, where directors hobnobbed with the likes of Tiger Woods.

By the time Strategic Airlines landed its first aircraft on Australian soil in July 2009, it had hired airline brokerage businessman Paul O'Brien - husband of Channel 10 newsreader Georgina Lewis - and set up offices in places as far apart as Melbourne, London and Paris.
Mr James was described as being "lion-hearted" for bailing out Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O after fundraising for a disabled boy fell short.

The Strategic Airlines head, who has a child with Down syndrome, went on Channel 9's Today Show in August 2009 to hand over an $85,000 donation for the cause.

In James' words: "You can't fill these families full of hope and then pull that out from underneath them."

That same month, Strategic Airlines was flying high after being announced as the Brisbane Broncos corporate hospitality client that offered a 229-seat Airbus A330 to ferry the team to Townsville.

In September, despite being reminded of the carcasses of numerous airlines, including Compass Mark I and II, Southern Cross, Ansett, SkyAirWorld and others, Mr James was convinced he was on to a winning formula.

In February 2010, Strategic Airlines touched down in Perth to meet increasing demand from the booming resources industry.

By June, Mr O'Brien, Strategic Airlines commercial manager, said the demand for labour in Western Australia meant his company was now running direct flights from Brisbane and Melbourne to Port Hedland and the Pilbara.

It was also running a Perth to Bali service on board its Airbus A320 three times a week - its first international commercial venture.

It launched flights from Brisbane to Denpasar in Bali on December 3, 2010, with fares from $309 one-way.

Its inaugural flight included a mix of 146 local business people, travel agents and resource industry heads, including Strategic's own Mr O'Brien, Damien Vasta and CEO David Blake.
At the time, Citybeat's James McCullough reported that Nova 106.9 boss Sean Ryan, singer-songwriter Lisa Mitchell and Channel 10's Georgie Lewis and Amanda McLeay were among the guests for what he awarded "the best Christmas party" of the silly season.

"While it wasn't strictly your traditional festive season bash, the team flew 146 revellers to Bali for the weekend for some serious partying - and to celebrate the airline's first direct flights to Denpasar from both Brisbane and Townsville," he reported.

The airline is also not averse to mixing it in the racing world and last year was in the midst of the action at the Magic Millions carnival with the Strategic Airlines Stayers Cup, and also at Doomben with the Strategic Airlines Class 6 Plate.

Among the places Strategic's name dropped last year was the 17th Annual Rossi's Oscars bash, where it offered a prize of a business class trip for two to Bali, as it did at Shooters Superclub in Surfers Paradise for the debut CD launch of Gold Coast hip hop R&B artist Jes McGarry.

The party continued last March, when the airline threw a Balinese-themed party at Brett's Wharf in Hamilton for airline staff and guests to celebrate its expansion to Bali, complete with tropical cocktails, Balinese massages and hair beading.

There is no doubt that Strategic has been lapping up the high life, but there was more to come when it rebranded to low-cost carrier Air Australia.

Around 350 revellers descended on its hangar and a rebranded Air Australia plane headed for Bali.

"This one was more a family affair for travel agents then focusing on celebrities," said one person on the flight.

By the time Air Australia hit Phuket, the freebies cranked up. Former Big Brothera co-host Mike Goldman - the face of Strategic Airlines - as well as actress Tania Zaetta and Molly Meldrum, attended.

Two months ago, Air Australia threw its biggest bash, launching its Hawaii service at the Hilton Hawaiian village with 200 guests, including Jules Lund, Mikey Robbins, Fifi Box and Grant Kenny.

From the outset, Michael James was an unlikely candidate for airline owner, having left school halfway through Year 12 to work for a regional airline, before joining Ansett's Brisbane check-in counter and eventually flight crew rosters.

It was a quick rise for Mr James, who held a commercial pilot's licence when Ansett collapsed in 2001 - a year later he was co-owner of Strategic.

Mr James made a packet off the company by turning it towards Australian Defence Force contracts in the Middle East and other conflict zones.

The 2005 tender came under scrutiny amid allegations of inside information being leaked to Strategic by a defence worker it later employed.

In 2010, Mr James was forced to place greater focus on commercial flights as a revenue measure after Strategic lost out to a rival company on a $90 million contract defence force contract.

The airline was taking on losses, going from $2.1 million in 2008-09 to $9.3 million in 2010, using a $6 million loan from the charter business for cashflow. Mr James has heard the Ansett-Strategic comparison many times before.

"Being such a young airline, people say, 'How do I know that if I buy a seat from you, you won't end up like Ansett?'," he said last year.

"But when you look at the Australian market, no major airline doing RPT (regular public transport) routes has fallen over in the past 10 years. Ansett was over 10 years ago, but it's a tough industry."

source: http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/egos-come-crashing-down-after-high-life/story-fn7kjcme-1226274279610