Archive for October 2014
Japan’s Top Ten Aircraft Projects
To mark the historic roll-out of Japan’s first new indigenous airliner in half a century, we look at the Mitsubishi MRJ and some of the nation’s other high-profile aerospace products – past and present. The listing is not intended to denote each project’s specific ranking, and intentionally counts only one aircraft developed prior to the…
Read MoreVLM To Debut Superjet in Western Europe
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 will soon find its first home in Western Europe under the terms of a letter of intent between Moscow-based aircraft lessor Ilyushin Finance and Belgian carrier VLM Airlines. The LOI calls for VLM to take a pair of SSJ100LRs in April of next year under a 12-year operating lease, just ahead…
Read MoreIATA Publishes 20-Year Air Travel Outlook
IATA – the International Air Transport Association – has published its take on the next 20 years of air travel. Ultimately, it foresees 2034’s annual passenger total nudging the 7.3 billion mark. That’s more than twice as many than at present and it’s based on average annual growth between now and then of 4.1 per…
Read MoreBombardier Bizjet Deliveries Rise
Bombardier Aerospace delivered 45 business jets (seven Learjet 70/75s, one Learjet 60XR, 12 Challenger 300/350s, six Challenger 605s and 19 Global 5000/6000s) in the third quarter, compared with 36 (two 60XRs, 12 Challenger 300s, eight 605s and 14 Globals) in the same period a year ago. Year-to-date as of September 30, it shipped 126 business…
Read MoreThis airline is making flights to Europe as cheap as $99
Wow Air, the roughly three-year old discount air carrier, is going where few other ultra low cost airlines have gone: across the Atlantic. And if all goes according to plan, it’s going to do it much cheaper than anyone else. The budget airline, which is based in Iceland, announced last week that it will begin…
Read MoreThree generations of 737s help Alaska Airlines ride the Boeing efficiency boom
To understand the importance of Boeing’sadvances in 737 fuel efficiency to the airline industry, look no further than Alaska Airlines. The Seattle-based airline, now head-to-head in a market fight against much-larger rival Delta Air Lines, is basing much of its strategy on Boeing’s 737 planes, and on that aircraft’s substantial fuel burn improvements. The airline’s…
Read MoreAirlines That Still Give Free Perks – Top Ten
Surprise! We lost your luggage. Surprise! Your tray table is broken. While it seems like most airline surprises end in disappointment, a few bold airlines are delighting passengers every day with pleasing perks to make flying just a little better. Some—like traditional sweets on Turkish Airlines and lounge access on Porter Airlines—are available regardless of…
Read MoreBombardier Suspends Plan for Russia Venture to Manufacture Q400 Turboprop
Bombardier Inc reported quarterly earnings that topped expectations on Thursday and said it had put plans for a plane-building joint venture in Russia on hold due to political and economic conditions there, potentially jeopardizing a large Russian order. The Canadian plane and train maker had been in talks with state-owned industrial and defense conglomerate Rostec…
Read MoreDelta and Alaska Airline Rivalry Could Be a Boost For Boeing
While the merger of United Airlines and Continental left a gaping hole at the ticket counter at SeaTac International Airport, frequent fliers are noticing an expansion of Delta and Alaska check-in stations these days. That expansion could mean a great boost to Boeing and Washington’s economy in the future — if state lawmakers hold the…
Read MoreBoeing and Emirates Airline Celebrate Delivery of 100th 777-300ER
Boeing and Emirates Airline are celebrating the delivery of the airline’s 100th 777-300ER (Extended Range), marking another milestone in a partnership that began over two decades ago when the Dubai-based airline ordered its first 777. With this delivery, Emirates will have 142 777s in operation and is the only airline in the world to operate…
Read MoreAirbus U.S. Factory to Start With Larger A321 Jet, Instead of A320
Airbus Group said on Tuesday it plans to start production at its first U.S. factory with the larger A321 jetliner instead of the A320 as originally planned, a move that reflects rising demand for the bigger jet. Airbus Americas President Barry Eccleston told an audience in Seattle that the European aircraft maker was switching the…
Read MoreAir France-KLM Faces More Belt-Tightening Due to Impact of Pilot Strike
Air France-KLM said it would limit investments and accelerate cost controls next year to mop up the remaining impact of a recent pilots’ strike that helped slash its operating profit by more than half in the third quarter. Europe’s second-largest network carrier by revenues said the interim measures were needed to secure a smooth transition…
Read MoreAirbus Gears Up for A350-900 Service Entry
After gaining 370-minute Etops certification for the A350-900 earlier this month, Airbus continues preparations for entry into service with additional approvals such as in-cockpit Wi-Fi and A330 common type rating (CTR), while also expanding parts inventories near customer bases. Airbus has received regulatory approval for A330/A350 CTR, meaning that pilots current and qualified on the…
Read MoreANALYSIS: Why China is the place to be for Airbus and Boeing
When Airbus launched a lower weight variant of the A330 pitched at the Chinese market last year, Boeing scoffed that its competitor was introducing old technology to China, with one salesperson going as far as to say it was an “insulting” move. The episode offers a telling glimpse into the fierce rivalry between the two…
Read MoreAs Oil Price Slides, Gulf’s Private Business May Benefit
Kuwait’s privately owned Jazeera Airways is preparing to bid for a big stake in state-run flag carrier Kuwait Airways, Jazeera’s chairman told Reuters. If the deal goes through, it will be a sign that the business scene is changing in the Gulf. For several decades, Gulf Arab economies have been dominated by the heavy hand…
Read MoreAir India Exploring Lease of Airbus A-320 Neos and Boeing 737 Max
Aiming at taking growing competition head-on, Air India is evaluating leasing fuel- efficient airplanes like Airbus A-320 neos for itself and Boeing 737 Max for its subsidiary Air India Express over the next three to six years. While the national carrier would be getting its 18th Boeing 787 Dreamliners in December, it has already started…
Read MoreOn The Spot: Honor Seat Reservations? That’s Up to The Airline
Question: In the Oct. 12 Letters column in the Travel section of LA Times, a letter headlined “Gloomy Skies” recounted that a US Airways customer service representative said that the airline was not legally obligated to honor seat reservations. Is this fact or something the rep just made up? Is it legal for the airline…
Read MoreHoliday Travel: October is Best Bet for Christmas, Thanksgiving Deals
It’s not even the middle of October and I’m already worried — on your behalf — about booking Thanksgiving and year-end holiday travel. Why? Fuller-than-ever planes and increasing demand, thanks to a better economy. We don’t often associate “deal” with “holiday travel,” which is a good thing because you may already be too late to…
Read MoreInternational Airline Trade Association Seeks Security Revamp
Current passenger security procedures are “not sustainable for the long term” because rapid global air-traffic growth threatens to overwhelm the capacity of screening checkpoints, according to the chief executive of the airline industry’s leading international trade group. Tony Tyler , CEO of the International Air Transport Association, told a security conference here that passenger and…
Read MoreWhich Airline Has The Best Tech?
Although Americans now fly more than ever before, the amenities passengers once expected from domestic airlines in the United States are slowly disappearing or only available to premium fliers. But while the pretzels and leg room may be shrinking, one amenity has only been growing: tech in the air. From in-fight Wi-Fi and streaming entertainment…
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