Philippine Airlines to use A350s on long-haul routes

Rendering of A350-900 in Philippine Airlines’ livery.
(Airbus)

Philippine Airlines (PAL), which expects the first of six Airbus A350-900s to be delivered by the second half of June, plans to deploy the new aircraft on long-haul routes later this year.

The initial A350 will likely be flown on some routes around the Southeast Asia region initially, a PAL spokesman told ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily.

The aircraft will then be used for nonstop flights from Manila to New York JFK, replacing PAL’s one-stop service. PAL is tentatively looking at the last week of October for the New York A350 flight, which would be the start of the winter schedule season.

PAL, which placed the order for six of the type in 2016, expects to receive four by the end of this year and the other two in 2019, the spokesman said. Other early A350 destinations will be London and Toronto.

The A350 arrivals will allow PAL to phase out its remaining five A340-300s. This will not necessarily occur as one-for-one replacement when each A350 is delivered, and the retirement schedule is still being worked out, the spokesman said.

PAL currently serves JFK with 4X-weekly flights using Boeing 777-300ERs, with Vancouver as the stopover point. The Toronto flight is nonstop 4X-weekly with -300ERs, and PAL serves London Heathrow nonstop daily with the same aircraft type.

The carrier is also preparing for the initial deliveries of its Airbus A321neo orders this year. PAL is one of the many customers of the A321neos affected by delivery delays because of issues with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine option. The carrier now expects its first A321neo delivery in June, although late May is a possibility, the spokesman said. PAL has 21 of these aircraft on order, although no update is available as to how many are scheduled to arrive this year.

(Adrian Schofield - ATWOnline News)

Gulf Air reveals new branding, prepares for first 787

Gulf Air new livery
(Gulf Air)

Bahraini flag carrier Gulf Air expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 by the end of this month, the airline said April 6, as it unveiled the first look at its new branding.

The airline expects its Boeing 787-9—the first of 10—to be delivered on April 27. It marks the start of a complete rollover of the airline’s fleet, with the new orders including 17 Airbus A321neo and 12 A320neo, as well as six further options for 787s.

The new aircraft will replace the A320s, A321s and A330-200s that currently constitute the fleet.

The first two 787-9s will serve Gulf Air’s double-daily London Heathrow service, offering increased capacity and improved on-board products and services, from June 15.

The 787-9s will have a two-class, 282-seat configuration with a 26-seat Falcon Gold business-class cabin, plus 256 seats in economy.

A new business class section will be “best in class,” according to CEO Krešimir Kučko, who has said that new business-class seats had been benchmarked not against other carrier’s business class, but first-class, seats. While declining to give further details, he said the cabin would be considerably better than normal business-class offerings from other airlines.

“The same goes with the neo. It will have lie-flat seats in business-class in the A321s flying the longer destinations, such as Paris and Frankfurt.” The airline’s current A321s also have this feature—unusual in a single-aisle aircraft. Gulf Air says that the arrangement has proved popular on the Bahrain-Paris run.

The airline also unveiled its new branding. The current livery of a gold forward fuselage and dark blue engine nacelles will be replaced with an all-white fuselage, with oversized Gulf Air titles on the forward fuselage and a more naturalistic rendition of the company’s falcon logo on the fin. The engine nacelles are painted gold.

The airline said it will reveal further details over the coming weekend, during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix motor race.

(Alan Dron - ATWOnline News)

American orders 47 787s, cancels A350 order

(Boeing)

American Airlines announced April 6 it is ordering 47 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and canceling its order for 22 Airbus A350s. The Oneworld airline is also deferring delivery of 40 Boeing 737 MAX narrow-bodies.

The 787 wide-body order consists of 22 787-8s scheduled to begin arriving in 2020 and 25 787-9s scheduled to begin arriving in 2023, American said. The 787-8s will replace American’s Boeing 767-300s, while later 787-9 deliveries will replace Airbus A330-300s and older 777-200 wide-body aircraft. All of the 787s will be powered by GE Aviation GEnx-1B engines.

American operates a fleet of 35 787s to destinations such as Tokyo, São Paulo and Paris. American will operate 89 787s once all aircraft ordered previously and in today’s deal are delivered.

The A350 order cancellation has long been expected. The deal was struck by US Airways before its merger with American. Since the merger, the A350 no longer fit with American’s strategy to simplify its fleet.

“We have two excellent partners in Boeing and Airbus and our relationship with both manufacturers goes back many years. Both offer specific aircraft that provide us with the right lift on specific missions across our global network,” American president Robert Isom said in a press statement Friday. “This was a difficult decision between the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 and A330neo and we thank both manufacturers for their aggressive efforts to earn more of American’s business. In the end, our goal to simplify our fleet made the 787 a more compelling choice.”

American CFO Derek Kerr further explained today’s announcement by saying it was influenced “by our goal to simplify our fleet and reduce the number of aircraft types we operate. Our prior plan would have had us operating five wide-body aircraft types, and with today’s announcement we will soon reduce that to three. These new replacement aircraft are consistent with our previous plans for the size of our wide-body fleet.

“We see significant advantages to carrying common fleet types, including creating less friction in our operation when aircraft swaps are necessary, reducing inventory needs, and creating a more consistent service for customers and team members,” Kerr said.

As part of the 787 order, American has also reached an agreement with Boeing to defer the delivery of 40 737 MAX aircraft previously scheduled to arrive between 2020 and 2022.

Boeing said the 47 787s are valued at more than $12 billion at list prices and make American Airlines the largest 787 customer in the Western Hemisphere. ANA, the Japanese carrier that was the launch customer for the Dreamliner, is the largest operator of 787s, while lessor AerCap is the largest 787 owner. 

(Karen Walker - ATWOnline News)

Dallas Love Field Airport gate probe dropped

FAA has withdrawn its investigation into whether the City of Dallas violated federal mandates in the long-simmering dispute over Delta Air Lines’ access to gates at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL/KDAL).

DAL is located in the city of Dallas, whereas Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW/KDFW), which is located about half way between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and is the home hub for American Airlines. DAL is the home base for Southwest Airlines.

At issue was whether Atlanta-based Delta’s request to keep operating at DAL must be accommodated by the city and Southwest or another leaseholder, even if all gate space is being used or is allocated for use at the space-constrained airport.

FAA said the decision to drop the probe was made “as part of a settlement agreement” following a 30-month investigation.

FAA’s notice of investigation opened in August 2015 and examined several issues, including whether leases in place at DAL complied with FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant requirements to ensure reasonable access and avoid providing “exclusive rights.”

The dispute grew out of changes at DAL related to the October 2013 expiration of the so-called Wright Amendment that—as part of encouraging growth at DFW—had restricted the length and states from which nonstop flights could operate out of DAL.

Related to that amendment expiration, a cap of 20 gates was placed on DAL, providing capacity for about 200 daily air carrier departures. Southwest got 16 gates, but had to agree to surrender one DAL gate for each gate it takes at DFW. As a result, Southwest chose not to serve DFW. Chicago-based United Airlines has two DAL gates, and subleases them to Southwest as part of a $120 million deal struck in early 2015. Alaska Airlines, via its acquisition of Virgin America, has the remaining two.

Delta, which returned to DAL in 2009, started by sub-leasing space at American gates. The gates were re-assigned to Virgin America as part of the American-US Airways merger. Virgin told Delta it would need all of its space, so Delta turned to other leaseholders, but was rebuffed. Delta then turned to the city, but officials told the carrier that they could not “force accommodation” by requiring leaseholders to surrender space they were using. Delta also went to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), which urged the stakeholders to work out their differences.

In October 2014, Delta struck a short-term deal to maintain its DAL services, leasing space at a United gate until early July 2015. In January 2015, Southwest reached its agreement on the two United gates, with Southwest assuming the remainder of United’s leases that run through September 2028. United rejected offers from Delta for the two gates—a move Delta said should have been reviewed more closely by city officials.

Dallas officials, unsure what to do, turned to the courts and requested that FAA and DOT be ordered to make the decision. The city's move triggered a spate of lawsuits, mostly pitting Delta against Southwest.

FAA’s determination that Dallas' handling of the situation did not put AIP grant money at risk does not end the legal wrangling. But it settles a key issue. It also appears to weaken Delta’s claims that two related DOT letters support the airline's position that it is entitled to ongoing access at DAL.

The city’s position is that DAL’s competitive situation is unique because of the Wright Amendment and so-called “five-party agreement” that, among other things, gives Southwest a majority of the gates at the airport, but at the cost of serving DFW. The agreement also maintains the Wright Amendment-era ban on international flights at DAL. Other carriers do not have Southwest’s level of access to DAL, but they also do not face the same stipulations tied to adding space at 165-gate DFW.

The case is scheduled go to trial in February 2019 if the two carriers do not reach agreement. Neither Delta nor Southwest will publicly discuss the case, and details on settlement talks have been kept confidential. DAL continues to operate five daily flights out of DAL’s gate 15—one of the two gates Southwest sub-leases from United.

(Sean Broderick - ATWOnline News)

Horizon Air gets first new jet since pilot crisis, pointing to an upturn

Regional carrier Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, this week received its first new jet since last year’s crisis over a shortage of pilots prompted it to reduce flights and suspend deliveries of the Brazilian-built Embraer E175 planes.

The new jet landed in Portland, Oregon, and will be integrated into the regional air carrier’s schedule later this month. Four more are to arrive before the end of May, and Horizon expects to take a total of 13 this year, bringing its E175 fleet to 23 aircraft.

These 76-passenger jets, featuring comfortable four-abreast seating, will take over the flying as Horizon retires some of its Q400 turboprop planes.
The E175 will also be the aircraft used on the new routes out of Paine Field in Everett, starting this fall.

The delivery is a clear sign of progress after Horizon’s year of turmoil in 2017.

The E175 deliveries were originally supposed to begin last year, but in September Horizon was forced to defer the first six because the airline didn’t have enough pilots to fly the planes.

This past summer and into the fall, Horizon had to cancel hundreds of flights, and parent company Alaska Air announced that to avoid further disruption it would hand over some of Horizon’s routes to rival regional carrier SkyWest.

That move was a big blow to employee morale.

It also sparked a lawsuit from the union representing Horizon pilots, Teamsters Local 1224, which alleged a breach of its 2016 contract, when the union granted concessions to management on the basis that the company’s investment in the E-175 jets would secure Horizon’s future.

In an internal Horizon staff newsletter, vice president of finance and planning Brooke Vatheuer expressed the relief employees felt at the new jet’s arrival.

“Growing the E175 fleet is essential to Horizon’s future, but I’m sure some of us thought these planes would never come,” she said.

As new Horizon CEO Gary Beck looks to a recovery, he’s also made some pragmatic cuts.

The airline has announced internally that in August it will end its daily service to Lewiston, Idaho, because that market has underperformed financially. The closure affects 14 Horizon employees based there.

And this summer, Horizon will close its airplane-maintenance operation in Medford, Oregon, cutting the jobs of eight employees based there.

(Dominic Gates - The Seattle Times)

FBI offers $10,000 reward for fugitive mechanic wanted in 1996 fatal airline crash

It's been more than 20 years since ValuJet Flight 592 crashed in the Everglades killing all 110 people on-board.

On Thursday, FBI’s Miami Field Office announced a $10,000 reward to help locate an airline mechanic who may have had a role in the 1996 crash.

Ociel Valenzuela-Reyes, who worked for the airline’s maintenance contractor, SabreTech, was criminally charged in 1999 after he allegedly mishandled and packaged oxygen generators that were placed in the plane's cargo space. According to the FBI, the generators didn't have safety caps and ignited the cargo area.

But Valenzuela-Reyes never faced the charges.

“He fled before trial,” said FBI Miami Special Agent Jacqueline Fruge, who has been the primary agent on the case since it began, in a news release.


On Thursday, the FBI announced the reward and shared a new “Wanted” poster including photos from 1996 and images of how he may look today.

Fruge, who has worked with the families of the victims over the years, said in the news release that they “want closure.”

On May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami International Airport heading to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported a fire in the cargo area.

Before it could return to MIA, the plane plunged into the Everglades.

According to the FBI, the investigation “proved challenging” because it was hard to identify the remains and the cause of the crash. Two other SabreTech employees were also charged in the criminal case, but were acquitted.

Valenzuela-Reyes, who also faces additional federal charges for fleeing and failing to appear at his trial, has connections to Atlanta, where his ex-wife and kids have lived, and Santiago, Chile, where he has family, according to the FBI.


“We’ve tried over the years to find him,” said Fruge, in the release. “It bothers me. I’ve lived and breathed it for many, many years.”

(Carli Teproff - Miami Herald)

F-35C Fleet Deployment Preparations Gather Pace

An F-35C of VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” traps aboard USS Abraham Lincoln during the March carrier qualification deployment.
(Photo: U.S. Navy)

Initial operational capability (IOC) for the Lockheed Martin F-35C is expected to come early next year as the Navy stands up its first fleet-deployable squadron. To prepare for initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) trials, pilots from the two fleet replenishment (training) squadrons—VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” from Eglin AFB, Florida, and VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” from NAS Lemoore, California—undertook an at-sea carrier-qualification deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in March, during which 140 arrested recoveries, or “traps,” were accomplished.

During the “carqual” deployment in the Atlantic, the wing-folding capability of the F-35C was put to the test in an air wing environment. The ALIS (automatic logistics information system) offboard fleet management system was also tested.

IOC for the F-35C will be declared when the first deployable squadron with a full complement of 10 aircraft reaches mission readiness. The objective date for IOC was August this year, with a “threshold” date of February 2019. There have been a number of technical issues to overcome, such as a “green glow” reported by pilots in the helmet display during night landings, and problems with oscillations during catapult launches. Alterations to cure the latter were tested during the recent “carqual” deployment, while software changes have helped ease the “green glow” phenomenon. A new helmet is due to be delivered to the fleet from early next year. Another fix being implemented this year is the strengthening of the wingtips of the first 32 F-35Cs so that they can fire the AIM-9X air-to-air missile from the outer underwing pylons.

In the meantime, personnel from the Navy’s first deployable F-35C squadron have begun training on the type with VFA-125 at Lemoore. VFA-147 “Argonauts” flew their last mission in the F/A-18E Super Hornet after they returned from a six-month deployment in December. Training for the F-35C began at both Eglin and Lemoore, with flying now being undertaken at the California base.

VFA-147 is expected to be declared “ready” for operation in October, flying a mix of new F-35Cs from the factory and some aircraft taken over from VFA-125. Work-ups within the carrier air wing will ensue, leading to a scheduled first carrier deployment aboard the USS Carl Vinson in 2021, although that date could be brought forward.

Lemoore received its first F-35Cs in January 2017 to equip VFA-125. Original plans called for VFA-101 to move in from Eglin AFB, but it was decided to stand up a new “schoolhouse” to serve the West Coast F-35C community. Under current plans Lemoore will be home to VFA-125 and the first seven deployable F-35C squadrons. Which units follow in the footsteps of VFA-147 have yet to be announced. Plans for the East Coast fleet have not been revealed, although VFA-101 remains at Eglin to train personnel. By the early 2030s the Navy plans to have 20 operational F-35C squadrons.

In the meantime, the U.S. Marine Corps is preparing to receive its first F-35Cs in late 2019. The service is acquiring 80 of the carrier version to operate with five squadrons as part of Navy carrier air wings. VMFA-314 “Black Knights” at MCAS Miramar is slated to be the first squadron to get the “CV” version of the Joint Strike Fighter.

(David Donald - AINOnline News) 

Kuwait Firms Up Super Hornet Deal

Kuwait's F/A-18C/D "legacy" Hornets have seen action over Iraq and Yemen. They are being replaced by Super Hornets and Typhoons.

(Photo: David Donald)

Kuwait has finalized its long-awaited order for the Boeing Super Hornet, the U.S. Department of Defense announced on March 30. The contract, worth up to $1.17 billion, covers long-lead items associated with 22 F/A-18E single-seaters and six F/A-18F two-seaters, due for delivery by 2022. The aircraft will be equipped with the Raytheon APG-79 AESA radar.

The Super Hornet deal had been held up by a delay in obtaining U.S. State Department approval, but this was received on Nov. 27, 2016. The approval covered 32 F/A-18Es and eight F/A-18Fs, as well as 12 Lockheed Martin AAQ-33 Sniper and 14 Raytheon ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pods.

For Boeing the Kuwaiti order is further good news for the Super Hornet production effort that is centered on its St. Louis plant. The 28-aircraft order comes shortly after news that the U.S. Navy will be buying 24 aircraft in FY2018, an increase of 10 over the 14 that the Department of Defense originally requested.

In the meantime, the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) ordered 28 Typhoons in April 2016, again specifying a 22 single-seater/six two-seater split. Construction is under way for a first delivery in 2020, with all due to be in service by 2023. They are being assembled at Leonardo’s Turin-Caselle plant and will be the first operational Typhoons to have Captor-E AESA radar. They will be equipped with the Sniper pod, and their armament will include MBDA’s Meteor, Brimstone, and Storm Shadow missiles.

Both Super Hornets and Typhoons replace a fleet of F/A-18C/D “legacy” Hornets that has been in KAF service since the first of 40 was delivered in October 1991 to replace Dassault Mirage F1CKs and Douglas A-4KU Skyhawks. As well as being used on Southern Watch air policing duties over southern Iraq in the 1990s, Kuwait’s Hornets have operated as part of the Arab coalition fighting Houthi forces in Yemen. Approximately 12 Kuwaiti F/A-18Cs have been deployed to Saudi Arabia for this operation, and by February 2017 they had flown around 3,000 operational sorties.

Some updating has been carried out on the aircraft, and the Sniper pods covered by the November 2016 State Department approval are intended for initial service on the F/A-18C/Ds. Lockheed Martin received an order for them in May 2017. In January 2017 Congress approved a sale to Kuwait of the AIM-120C7 AMRAAM air-to-air missile to replace earlier versions of the weapon.

(David Donald - AINOline News)

Embraer Delivers First E190-E2 to Wideroe

The first production E190-E2 taxis into position for a ceremony to mark its delivery to launch customer Wideroe at Embraer's main factory in São Jose dos Campos, Brazil.
(Photo: Embraer)

Embraer and Norwegian regional airline Wideroe on Wednesday celebrated delivery of the first production E2 series E-Jet, a 114-seat E190-E2 scheduled to enter service on a route between Bergen and Tromso, Norway, on April 24. The first E2, a high-density example configured with a 29-inch seat pitch, two days earlier had finished a roughly two-hour acceptance flight with Wideroe crew from Embraer’s main production site in São Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

Wideroe, which holds a firm order for three E190-E2s and options on another 12 E2s of any variety, chose the Embraer jets over the Bombardier C Series despite its long relationship with the Canadian manufacturer vis a vis a fleet consisting solely of Q Series and Dash 8 turboprops. Wideroe CEO Stein Nilsen explained that the airline’s potential requirement for smaller jets such as the E175-E2 played a large part in influencing its decision-making. “I think the most important thing was the rightsizing strategy of Wideroe,” said Nilsen. “When we looked around to try to find a solution for an aircraft carrying around 100 seats, there were a lot of good opportunities. But we were fascinated by the possibility to further develop this rightsizing strategy...This was the key issue.”

The airline plans to use the airplanes to connect its bases in the southwest of the country to far-flung destinations in the north, as well as to launch services from Bergen to, potentially, several European destinations.

Speaking with members of the press just before the ceremony, Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva called the delivery the start of a new era for the company, coincidentally as talks with Boeing about a possible buyout or joint venture involving Embraer’s commercial airplanes division intensify. Silva expressed optimism about the possibility, notwithstanding the potential for disruption that inevitably could result. He also acknowledged that the motivation for Embraer lay in part with a desire to mitigate the “challenge” associated with selling the E190 and E195 in a capacity segment approaching that dominated by Boeing and Airbus. Nevertheless, he insists Embraer stands ready to compete with Boeing if the sides don’t eventually reach a deal.

“We are not at all afraid to compete with the narrowbodies,” said Silva. “We do believe that we have a very efficient, if not the most efficient family of aircraft in the segment from 70, 80 to 150 seats. However, we have to be mindful of the dynamics of the market.”

Silva added that Embraer does not feel any desperation to move ahead with a tie-up, given the strong financial position in which the company finds itself following six to eight years of investing 10 percent of its revenues in new products and business structures.

“We’re talking about an investment of about four or five billion dollars,” explained Silva. “So we are ready to monetize these investments now. So we don’t need it. However, when we look more towards the future, given the dynamics that exist now, and given that every company would like to grow...it’s a natural aspiration. In order for Embraer to grow faster, I think we would need to [consider a collaboration].”

(Gregory Polek - AINOline News)

Falklands Islanders Upgrading to Garmin Flight Decks

Figas has begun upgrading the avionics of VP-FBD with a Garmin suite, and this is the second Islander in its fleet to undergo the refit and the company's oldest, highest-time Islander.

(Photo: Figas)

Having begun a substantial avionics upgrade on a second Britten-Norman BN2B-26 Islander under a program to upgrade the cockpits of all five Islanders in its single-type fleet, Falkland Islands Government Air Service (Figas) is awaiting a decision by the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands on the carrier’s request to buy a new sixth Islander from the manufacturer.

The avionics upgrade will ensure that Figas's existing Islanders remain productive for the next 10 years and that there will be cockpit commonality throughout the fleet, according to Kurt Whitney, quality manager for engineering and operations. However, he said tourism to the Falkland Islands is growing so quickly each year that “we’re starting to get to the struggle point and we definitely need to add another airframe” to meet growing tourist demand for sightseeing and other passenger-charter flights among the islands’ two airports and 30-plus airstrips.

Whitney told AIN that Figas decided on the avionics upgrade for its five Islanders, which range in age from 28 to 33 years, in part because “we had original fits in there and as time has gone on it has become harder and harder to get [replacement] instruments because of obsolescence.” Figas awarded the contract to Britten-Norman last year following a competitive tender, because the company’s bid “offered the best value,” he said. Britten-Norman has posted two engineers to Figas’s base at Port Stanley Airport to supervise the mechanical work, which the Figas maintenance staff is performing, and complete installation of the new avionics systems.

Figas also wanted each Islander’s cockpit to have GPS navigation capability and all five cockpits to be identical, or in the case of one aircraft very nearly so: the company's two oldest Islanders were originally outfitted with instrument panels “considerably different” from those of the three later aircraft, according to Whitney. Now, except for minor differences in the cockpit of one Islander, the instrument panels in all five single-pilot-operated aircraft will be “absolutely identical.” The one different Islander is flown in fisheries patrol operations, and thus is equipped with weather radar and a marine-band radio; it was the first aircraft given the avionics upgrade.

The upgrade adds the Garmin G600 display system as well as a GTN 650/750 GPS/com navigator, a GTX 335R remote-mount transponder, ADS-B Out, and electronic engine instrument display. Additionally, Figas's two oldest Islanders, which originally had 50-amp generators rather than the 70-amp generators installed in the three slightly younger aircraft, will be upgraded to 70-amp generators under a separate contract.

Under Britten-Norman supervision, Figas will upgrade the cockpits of its two oldest Islanders this year and will complete the upgrade program in 2019 with the refits of its two other passenger service-dedicated Islanders in 2019. But while the upgrade will give Figas at least a decade more in which to assess its potential future aircraft needs, Whitney said the Falkland Islands government has already performed “a lot of work” studying potential Islander replacement types. Of particular interest is the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, and the government is planning to keep a close eye on Cape Air’s operational experience with the first 20 P2012s it has ordered.

(Chris Kjelgaard - AINOnline News)

Cirrus Aircraft Wins Collier Trophy for SF50 Vision Jet

Duluth, Minnesota-based Cirrus Aircraft has won the 2017 NAA Collier Trophy for its SF50 Vision single-engine jet.
(Photo: Cirrus Aircraft)

Cirrus Aircraft today was named the recipient of the National Aeronautic Association’s (NAA) 2017 Robert J. Collier Trophy for its SF50 Vision single-engine jet. The NAA cited the Duluth, Minnesota-based company’s efforts in “designing, certifying, and entering-into-service the Vision Jet—the world’s first single-engine general aviation personal jet aircraft with a whole-airframe parachute system.”

The Collier Trophy is awarded annually “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.”

Other Collier nominees included the NASA Joint Propulsion Laboratory Cassini project team; F-35 Integrated Test Force team; Aurora Flight Sciences and the U.S. Marine Corps Office of Naval Research for their tests in 2017 of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System; Boeing 737 Max; Perlan Project; Vanilla Aircraft for its long-endurance VA001 UAV; and Zee Aero’s eVTOLs.

“At Cirrus, we are honored and humbled to be awarded the 2017 Collier Trophy and to even be mentioned among the giants in aviation and space research that have won before us,” said Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus Aircraft co-founder and CEO. “The arrival of the Vision Jet has forever changed general aviation and personal transportation, and the 2017 Collier Trophy is dedicated to all of our employees and partners who have been a part of the development, production, and now delivery of this airplane.”

The Collier Trophy will be formally presented at the Annual Robert J. Collier Trophy Dinner on June 14.

(Chad Trautvetter - AINOnline News)

Deer Jet Obtains U.S. FAA Repair Station Approval

Deer Jet has received FAA repair station approval, clearing the way for the Beijing-based company to perform maintenance on U.S.-registered aircraft. With the nod, Deer Jet becomes one of only 45 U.S.-approved maintenance organizations in Mainland China, the company said.

The approval, for Deer Jet's Beijing facility, will strengthen the company's position in China as a service organization, it added, citing increasing demand for maintenance with the continued globalization of air travel. In addition to Beijing, Deer Jet operates maintenance facilities in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong and is an authorized maintenance organization for Gulfstream, Dassault Falcon, and Honeywell in Mainland China. Deer Jet further has formed strategic partnerships to serve as a distributor for Honeywell and Rockwell Collins.

U.S certification followed an evaluation for compliance with regulations and safe operating practices, Deer Jet said, noting the inspections covered the facilities, personnel, equipment, and operating rules.

(Kerry Lynch - AINOnline News)

China's New Aircraft Tariffs Hit G550, G650, and BBJ1

Gulfstream G650(ER) (c/n 6109) B-3350, ex N650TY seen at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) on March 26, 2018 as she is being prepared for delivery to a Chinese customer.
(Photo by Michael Carter)

The Gulfstream G550 and G650, as well as the Boeing Business Jet BBJ1, are ensnared in 25-percent aircraft import tariffs imposed today by China as a result of an escalating tit-for-tat trade war with the U.S. It’s unclear if these tariffs are an increase of, or are in addition to, China’s existing 22-percent import tariff on business aircraft.

Aircraft with “unladen weights” (i.e. basic empty weights) between 15,000 kg/33,069 pounds and 45,000 kg/99,208 pounds are included in China’s latest tariff list that covers $50 billion worth of imports. Basic empty weights for the Gulfstream G550 and G650 are approximately 21,546 kg/47,500 pounds and 24,131 kg/53,200 pounds, respectively. The BBJ1 is near the top of the tariff range, with a BEW of 44,334 kg/97,740 pounds. No other FAA-certified, U.S.-manufactured business aircraft appear to fall within this range.

Citi defense and aerospace researcher Jonathan Raviv expects these tariffs to have only a limited effect on Gulfstream, as the bulk of its sales are in North America and Europe. “The bizjet rebound has never been prefaced in China, nor should it; there are other structural impediments, and the Chinese bizjet market has disappointed for years,” he said. “China has been a modest tailwind for Gulfstream lately. This tariff talk could simply further push back the China opportunity.”

(Chad Trautvetter - AINOnline News)

Hi Fly to introduce 471-seat A380 by mid-year

(Hi Fly)

Portuguese long-haul wet-lease specialist Hi Fly is to become the latest operator of the Airbus A380, with plans to take delivery of the type around the middle of this year.

Hi Fly had previously signaled that it was holding talks to introduce a pair of A380s.

The carrier says the first Rolls-Royce Trent 900-powered aircraft will arrive in mid-2018 and will be operated "worldwide", with a 471-seat configuration.

This includes 399 seats on the main deck with 60 business-class and 12 first-class seats on the upper deck – the configuration used by Singapore Airlines, which started withdrawing its older A380s last year.

Hi Fly has yet to confirm the serial number of its first example.

It has provided an illustration of the A380 in the carrier's livery, which appears to include a Maltese registration. The company has a division, Hi Fly Malta, based on the Mediterranean island.

Hi Fly states that it will operate the A380 with a "truly luxurious" interior, with a Panasonic CX2 in-flight entertainment system.

"This acquisition has been part of our company's plans for a while," says Hi Fly president Paulo Mirpuri. "It is a very proud moment for Hi Fly."

Hi Fly operates a long-haul aircraft fleet including Airbus A330s and A340s, and recently disclosed that it intends to acquire a batch of re-engined A330-900s.

(David Kaminski-Morrow - FlightGlobal News) 

India’s Jet Airways orders 75 more MAX aircraft

Jet Airways has ordered 75 Boeing 737 MAXs as the Indian carrier looks to the new aircraft to power its future growth.

The Mumbai-based carrier announced its first order for 75 MAX aircraft in 2015 as part of a strategy to refresh its fleet with the most modern and environmentally progressive airplanes.

The newest order adds 75 more MAXs to support the airline’s future expansion. Jet Airways is set to take direct delivery of its first MAX later this year.

“Our new order for the additional 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will allow us to deliver a differentiated and world-class customer experience to our guests,” Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube said. 

(Linda Blachly- ATWOnline News)

Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia terminate partnership

Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia are ending their strategic alliance covering flights between the two countries. Their current authorization from Australian regulators is scheduled to expire in October and the airlines will not be seeking a renewal, Air New Zealand said in a statement.

Virgin Australia confirmed in a market filing that it received notice that Air New Zealand intends to break off their partnership.

Ending the alliance will see the two carriers become rivals in the already fiercely contested Australia-New Zealand market.

The alliance has been in place since late 2010, although relations between the partners have worsened in recent years. Air New Zealand bought a stake of almost 26% in Virgin Australia, but Air New Zealand sold its shares in 2016 after becoming increasingly frustrated at Virgin’s direction. Some frequent flyer and lounge benefits between the two were wound back last year.

Air New Zealand currently has about 170 weekly return services between Australia and New Zealand, and Virgin Australia has up to 100. The other major player on these routes is the Qantas/Emirates partnership.

The dynamics of the Australia-New Zealand market have changed since the alliance was introduced, Air New Zealand chief revenue officer Cam Wallace said. “The time is now right for each airline to focus on its own objectives.”

“Australia is the largest source of inbound visitors to New Zealand and Air New Zealand has built up a significant presence in this market,” Wallace noted. Ending the partnership “will enable us to deliver a more consistent customer experience by using our own fleet and delivering an improved schedule, which we’ll provide more details about shortly.”

Virgin Australia has had a “strong presence” in the New Zealand-Australia market since 2004, Virgin CEO John Borghetti said. The airline will “continue to enhance our offering to suit both the business and leisure markets,” he said. Flights between the countries will remain “an important part of our network and strategy as an airline group.”

Borghetti said the split “provides opportunities for the Virgin Australia Group” in this market, and hinted that it could introduce its LCC subsidiary Tigerair on these routes as well as the full-service Virgin Australia brand.

Tigerair, which flies a mix of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737-800s, does not have any international services since withdrawing from the Bali, Indonesia market in February 2017. If it were to begin flights to New Zealand, it would have to undertake the standard government and regulatory approval processes.

Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand will “work through” changes to codeshare, flight scheduling, lounge access and frequent flyer reciprocity, the Australian carrier said. Bookings for flights before Oct. 27 will be unaffected.

(Adrian Schofield - Aviation Week / ATWOnline News)

Lufthansa Cargo to market Brussels Airlines’ cargo space

Lufthansa Cargo will market the cargo capacities of Lufthansa Group subsidiary Brussels Airlines from Sept. 1, joining Lufthansa (mainline), Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Sun Express.

Lufthansa Cargo said Brussels Airlines—which flies to 17 destinations in west, central and east Africa—fits ideally into its existing network.

Brussels Airlines CEO Christina Foerster said Lufthansa Cargo has “a lot of experience in marketing the cargo capacities of passenger airlines. This cooperation will help us to make even better use of the freight capacities of our fleet. And we, as the European Africa specialist, can add new destinations to Lufthansa Cargo’s offering.”

The move will increase the belly capacity by 10 Airbus A330-200/300s of Lufthansa Cargo, which also operates 17 freighters and uses capacities from Aerologic, a joint venture of Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express.

(Kurt Hofmann - ATWOnline News)

Southwest eyes adding US gateways to international destinations

Southwest Airlines’s near-term international focus will be to add more US gateways, EVP and chief revenue officer Andrew Watterson told an audience at the International Aviation Club in Washington DC.

The Dallas-based carrier will operate 65 international routes from 23 US gateways by July 2018, up from just four US airports from which it operated international flights when it started flying beyond the US in 2014.

Southwest flies to 15 international destinations in 10 countries, with Cancun (Mexico), San José del Cabo (Mexico) and Montego Bay (Jamaica) being its three largest international destinations.

“Now it’s more about US gateways [than adding new international destinations] because as a point-to-point carrier, you don’t serve all of these international points from one or two gateways,” Watterson explained. “We’ve zoomed up to 23 gateways and I expect that to keep growing. Now it’s more about connecting the dots than adding new [international] dots.”

After 44 years of being a domestic-only carrier, Southwest began flying internationally in July 2014, operating a small number of routes it inherited from AirTran Airways, which Southwest acquired in 2011. It has since developed a larger Caribbean/Mexico-focused international network.

Watterson said Southwest does plan to eventually operate to Canada, but is waiting for the right economic conditions to launch north-of-the-border service. “It’s not a matter of if but when,” he said. The relative weakness of the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar—$1 is currently worth C$1.58—has deterred Southwest, Watterson explained.

Operating to Canada “is probably a couple of years in the future,” he said. “The [Canadian] economic situation doesn’t appear as ripe as some of the other areas where we’re flying.”

Watterson said Southwest is open to extending its international reach through interline and codeshare flights, but will be cautious about doing so. He noted Southwest does not contract out any domestic flying to regional carriers in contrast to rivals such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Codesharing is “something that’s on our roadmap” internationally, Watterson said, although he cautioned the carrier is “not there yet.” And even when Southwest does codeshare, it will be “a modest part of the business,” he said. “We’d much rather have customers fly on our metal.” 

(Aaron Karp - Aviation Daily / ATWOnline News)

Why China's new aircraft tariff doesn't affect Boeing's best-selling jets — for now

China's decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on passenger jets from the U.S. won't hurt Boeing or smaller jet makers like Gulfstream, two top aerospace analysts said Wednesday.

The threat to aerospace supply-chain companies looks similarly small, at least for now, the industry analysts added.

"Bottom line: This tariff's threat to Boeing looks minimal," said Cai von Rumohr of Cowen, an investment firm.

Analyst Sam Pearlstein of Wells Fargo Securities agrees. "It would appear to have limited impact on Boeing," Pearlstein said.

Von Rumohr and Pearlstein, veteran Boeing watchers who've followed the company's China business growth for years, shared their assessments in separate notes to clients.

The analysts said the China tariff appears to target older model 737 Next Generation (NG) jets, made in Renton, not Boeing's best-selling newer 737 Max family of jets, nor its 777 and 787 Dreamliner wide-bodies.

Von Rumohr and Pearlstein noted the 737 Max, the fastest-selling jet in Boeing's history, has a backlog of 4,200 jet orders. Buyers include China's biggest airlines.

Pearlstein said Boeing has just over 300 737 NGs in its order backlog. He estimated only 40 percent of those orders are from Chinese airlines, representing three percent of 2018-2019 Boeing company revenue and three or four percent of its profit.

Von Ruhmor drilled deeper, suggesting the tariff also actually might exclude some 737-800 and 737 900 Extended Range NG models, making the tariff — based on aircraft weight, technology, and fuel efficiency — largely symbolic.

Most Chinese customers can easily avoid the tariff, the analysts argued.

"We suspect that Chinese buyers would convert many of their 737 Next Generation orders to the 737 Max to avoid the 25 percent tariff, suggesting the impact would be even less," Pearlstein wrote.

"Also, since substantial deposits have been made on 2018 deliveries, we suspect few (orders) near-term would be canceled," Pearlstein added.

Von Ruhmor agreed, noting air traffic is rising at explosive rates in China, a country enjoying an airport development boom.

"Because Asia Pacific traffic rose by more than eight percent in 2017, China likely needs the planes," von Ruhmor wrote. "The larger issue is whether a negotiated settlement can be reached or the dispute escalates."

Boeing said the U.S. and China have "outlined positions" that could harm the global aerospace industry. Boeing said it hopes that "productive trade talks" between the countries will continue.

Boeing invested $33 million in a joint venture 737 completion center in China, where it will paint jets and install interiors for Chinese clients.

China is also developing the C919 jet, which it wants to one day be a Boeing 737 rival.

(Andrew McIntosh - Puget Sound Business Journal)

Delta Connection (SkyWest Airlines) Embraer ERJ-175LR (ERJ-170-200LR) (c/n 17000612) N252SY

(Photos by Michael Carter)

Captured on short final to Rwy 30 yesterday (April 3, 2018) arriving from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC/KSLC). This was the carriers first day of operation with the ERJ-175 into Long Beach Airport switching from the CRJ-700 / -900 that they have recently been using.