Air Transport Aircraft & Propulsion
Jul 26, 2006
Air Astana of Kazakhstan took delivery of its first leased A320, which it said is the first step in a "major fleet modernization program" that will see it expand its fleet to 34 Western aircraft by 2014. It will take another four A320s this year and purchase six additional aircraft by 2011, including three widebodies in 2008. The airline also operates three 737NGs, four 757-200s and five F50s. It expects to carry 1.4 million passengers this year, up 16.7% from 2005, and 2.3 million in 2007. It is owned by the government of Kazakhstan (51%) and BAE Systems (49%).
Jul 25, 2006
Republic Airlines reached a purchase agreement for 30 Embraer 175s, expanding its existing service contract with US Airways and making it the US launch customer for the 86-seat jet. The Regional currently operates 28 170s for US Airways. The 175s, which will be delivered in 2007 and 2008, will be operated under a 12-year capacity purchase contract that stipulates US will continue to supply fuel at no cost to its partner. Republic Airlines is a subsidiary of Republic Airways, the US launch customer for the 170 with 106 firm orders and 75 options for 170s/175s.
Jul 25, 2006
Blue Wings last week signed an MOU with Airbus for 20 A320 family aircraft, the plane-maker announced. The order is worth $1.6 billion at list prices, according to Reuters, which said the deal reached at Farnborough comprised 16 150-seat A320s and four 185-seat A321s to be delivered starting in 2009. Blue Wings is based in Dusseldorf and operates mostly charter services to Turkey, the Middle East and South Asia. It plans to launch flights to the CIS. It is 48% owned by Alpstream AG, a Zurich-based affiliate of Russian National Reserve Corp.
Jul 24, 2006
Embattled Airbus ended the Farnborough Airshow on a high note, announcing Friday that Singapore Airlines signed a letter of intent for up to 40 A350-900 XWBs and up to 15 A380s, for which SIA is the launch customer. The LOI covers 20 firm plus 20 options for the A350 XWB and nine new orders for the A380 plus six new options. The A350s will be delivered in 2012 and as an interim measure SIA will lease 19 A330-300s for delivery in 2009-10. The first of the newly ordered A380s will be delivered in mid-2008.
Jul 24, 2006
Rolls-Royce announced that Hainan Airlines signed a $250 million contract for Trent 700s to power five new A330s leased from ILFC. Hainan also signed a long-term TotalCare services agreement. Deliveries will begin in November 2007. Rolls said the Trent 700 is powering every one of the 100-plus A330s either operating or on order with Chinese carriers.
Jul 22, 2013
A Russian Sukhoi SuperJet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft touched the runway with its landing gear retracted during a test flight at Iceland’s Reykjavik Keflavik Airport Sunday.
Jul 22, 2013
The US airline industry can expect to maintain profitability through 2013, according to PwC’s June Tailwinds report. Considering favorable metrics such as a 4% increase in load factors since 2008, expectations of easing fuel prices (according to the US Energy Information Agency forecast of $94/barrel average in 2012 dropping to $92/barrel in 2014) and a rebound in consumer confidence, PwC US transportation and logistics leader Jonathan Kletzel said “there’s no question the domestic airline industry is undergoing a renaissance marked by increased revenue and stable profitability.”
Jul 22, 2013
Airbus, which announced last year it is extending the payload-range of its A330 family, said it is investing $180 million per year for -200 and -300 program development.
Jul 19, 2013
Cathay Pacific Airways took delivery of its 39th Airbus A330-300 on Friday in Toulouse, marking the 1,000th delivery of the widebody twin-engine aircraft.
Jul 19, 2013
Airbus is eyeing a “regional version” of the A330 likely to be formally launched by year end, Airbus COO-customers John Leahy told journalists on the sidelines of the delivery of the manufacturer’s 1,000th Airbus A330 to Cathay Pacific Airways.
Jul 19, 2013
Danish carrier Jet Time has inked a long-term contract with US lessor Air Lease Corp. covering a Boeing 737-700 and two new ATR 72-600s.
Jul 19, 2013
West Africa’s Arik Air has acquired the first of four Airbus A330-200s to be delivered in the coming year.
Jul 18, 2013
Virgin Atlantic Airways CEO Craig Kreeger is cautious about the deferred delivery delays of its Airbus A380s, but more upbeat about the Boeing 787-9 and the introduction of regional Little Red.