Archive for August 2015
Boeing 777X jet milestone, Company says program on schedule
Boeing Co said on Thursday it has determined the basic design of its 777-9 jetliner, a key milestone that suggests it is on schedule to deliver the first of its new family of long-range 777X jets by 2020. Development of the 777X, which includes the 777-9 and smaller 777-8, comes as Boeing speeds up commercial…
Read MoreBritish Airways just can’t get enough of Boeing’s 747
If it’s the end of the line for Boeing’s 747 jetliner, nobody told British Airways. The largest operator of the hump-backed icon – dubbed the Queen of the Skies on its debut in 1970 – is plumping up seat cushions, hanging fresh curtains and upgrading entertainment systems on 18 planes. Yet competitors can’t seem to…
Read MoreBoeing raises China 20-year aircraft demand, says outlook rosy
Boeing Co on Tuesday raised its forecast for China’s aircraft demand over the next 20 years, saying it was optimistic about the long-term outlook for the world’s second largest aviation market despite a slowing economy and weak stock market. The U.S. plane maker expects China will need 6,330 aircraft over the next 20 years, a…
Read MoreQantas announces it will buy eight Boeing Dreamliners
The Qantas turnaround has happened faster, and more dramatically than anyone – even management – could have ever imagined. The underlying pre-tax profit today of $975 million means it is close to the billion dollar profit mark not seen since before the Global Financial Crisis. And, truth is, there is more in store for Qantas…
Read MoreDark Clouds Loom for Airlines Even as Their Profits Take Off
U.S. airlines are producing their biggest profits ever. But instead of clear skies, they are encountering problems that their recent prosperity, in some cases, is making worse. Employees at Southwest Airlines Co. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have rejected labor contracts in recent weeks, with some arguing that the compensation wasn’t sufficient given the industry’s…
Read MoreNew Airbus Wing for A350-1000 Morphs In Flight
Airbus has started production on a new wing for the A350-1000, considered to be the next generation of the new wide-body airliners in the A350-XWB family. The wing, 32 meters long and six meters wide, morphs in flight changing shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency throughout the duration of the flight. The wing is also the…
Read MoreBoeing contends with $489B order backlog
The Boeing Co. sees demand for its products surge and currently carries a $489 billion backlog of jet orders. Greg Smith, CFO and executive vice president of business development and strategy, said this week that Boeing Commercial Airplane’s order book has created a “unique time in our history,” and the company is now focused on…
Read MoreChina Eastern to buy 15 Airbus jets for $3.6 billion
China Eastern plans to acquire 15 Airbus jets for about $3.6 billion to meet booming demand for air travel. Airbus is scheduled to deliver seven A330s in 2017 and a further eight in 2018, China Eastern Airlines Corp said in a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange. “The company is purchasing 15 Airbus A330 planes…
Read MoreIndian Airline IndiGo Finalized huge order for 250 Airbus A320neo jets
Indian budget airline IndiGo finalized an exceptionally large order for 250 single-aisle Airbus A320neo jets on Monday to keep up with rapid growth in the country’s air travel. IndiGo, India’s largest domestic airline, had signed a preliminary order last year and firmed it up Monday, Airbus said in a statement. The manufacturer based in Toulouse,…
Read MoreHow Airbus’s bet on big Airbus A380 went awry
Toulouse is always beautiful in August. But for staff at the Airbus HQ there, last week was particularly sweet. British Airways and its sister airlines Iberia and Vueling signed orders for 31 spanking new aircraft to add to their fleets. The shopping list was hefty, including 11 wide-bodied planes to drive Iberia’s new long haul…
Read MoreAirbus lands biggest single order for airliners with IndiGo deal
Airbus has landed its biggest ever order after securing a deal with Indian budget airline IndiGo to sell 250 of its A320neo jets. Worth $26.6bn (£17bn) at list prices, the deal is the largest number of aircraft bought in a single order for the pan-European aerospace company. However, it is unlikely that IndiGo will pay…
Read MoreIndonesian Trigana Air Crash: Debris Spotted in Mountains
Indonesian searchers believe they have located debris from an airliner that crashed in a mountainous area with 54 people on board. A search plane spotted the wreckage Monday, but a ground team hasn’t yet been able to reach it, said Raymond Konstantin, an official for Indonesia’s search and rescue agency. Authorities had said earlier that…
Read MoreSwiss International Air Lines, frustrated by Bombardier CSeries delays
“Decision to be first operator was ‘not easy’ Swiss International Air Lines AG has been a champion of sorts for Bombardier Inc.’s troubled CSeries program as both the first customer to place a firm order for the aircraft in 2009 and eventually the first to fly it commercially once it’s ready next year. But the…
Read MoreBoeing says domestic airlines moving closer to break-even
Boeing Corporation on Thursday expressed hope that domestic airlines, which have been bleeding for many years now, are moving closer to break-even as operating costs have fallen faster than fare reductions following the sharp dip in oil prices. “I believe that Indian airlines are moving closer to profitability after years of losses. Spicejet has declared…
Read MoreChinese carriers plan for international route launches
Chinese carriers are continuing their push towards international expansions, with three carriers applying to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for rights to launch services to Australia, the Middle East and the Maldives. Xiamen Airlines is seeking rights for daily services on the Fuzhou-Sydney route from 15 October, using Boeing 787s. Capital Airlines meanwhile…
Read MoreANALYSIS: Regional pilot woes could speed fleet changes at United
United Airlines could speed up the shift to large regional jets and small mainline aircraft from 50-seat regional jets if the pilot shortage at regional carriers gets worse in the coming years. The Chicago-based carrier removed 30-seat Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops from its feeder fleet during the first half of 2015 and is on-track to…
Read MoreBoeing sees demand for jetliners, pressure to increase production
Boeing Co sees continued strong demand for civilian aircraft and pressure to increase its production rates, despite concerns about growth in China and several years of record aircraft orders. “We’re not seeing a slowdown in demand” for commercial jetliners, Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said at an investor conference on Wednesday. Boeing sees demand for…
Read MoreBoeing, Airbus ‘collide’ at Saudi hangar
The tough competition between the world’s two aircraft giants Boeing and Airbus appears to have spilled into Saudi Arabia, where two of their planes collided inside a hangar. A local newspaper affirmed the clash was not deliberate. The two aircraft, owned by Saudi Arabia’s official carrier Saudia, were being moved inside the airline’s hangar in…
Read MoreBoeing Raises India New Plane Forecast as Demand Grows
Boeing Co. raised its market forecast for India as the planemaker expects travel demand to grow in the world’s second-most populous nation. Boeing predicts Indian airlines will need 1,740 new planes over the next 20 years, up from the 1,600 planes it forecast a year ago, Dinesh Keskar, a senior vice president at the Chicago-based…
Read MoreStudy: Air controllers’ fatigue threatens aviation safety
Grueling schedules and lack of sleep for air controllers puts safety of national air traffic system at risk, study finds Air traffic controllers’ work schedules often lead to chronic fatigue, making them less alert and endangering the safety of the national air traffic system, according to a study the government kept secret for years. Federal…
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