Blasts out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) from Rwy 25R on December 29, 2018.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Cessna Citation Longitude achieves provisional type certification
Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, today announced its Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize jet has achieved provisional type certification (PTC) from the Federal Aviation Administration. The PTC allows operators to begin Citation Longitude flight training in preparation for deliveries early next year and paves the way for the program’s final phase of certification.
“From an unmatched cabin experience to its commanding performance, the Citation Longitude truly sets a new standard for the business aviation industry,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “Our focus remains on equipping our customers with this revolutionary aircraft, and achieving this milestone is a pivotal step as we complete the final phase of the program.”
Activity and interest in the aircraft remains strong as customers experience its capabilities firsthand. Earlier this year, the Citation Longitude completed a world tour, circumnavigating the globe and demonstrating impressive performance figures along the way.
The Longitude flight test program, including functional and reliability testing, is complete. During testing, the aircraft completed more than 1,650 flights and accumulated more than 4,050 hours. Longitude production is also underway in Textron Aviation’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility where the jet benefits from cutting-edge assembly methods.
About the Citation Longitude
With a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) and full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), the Citation Longitude is designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class by delivering the quietest cabin, a low cabin altitude (5,950 feet/1,814 meters), more standard features and a comfortable, bespoke interior. With seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, the Longitude features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. A standard double-club configuration delivers the most legroom in the super-midsize class. Fully berthable seats are designed and manufactured in-house and a class-leading walk-in baggage compartment is accessible throughout the entire flight. State-of-the-art cabin technology enables passengers to manage their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity.
The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest ownership cost in its class. It features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles with envelope protection. With Garmin’s new Head-up Display (GHD 2100) and enhanced vision capability, the Longitude facilitates eyes-up flying. The spacious cockpit incorporates easier access and an ergonomic design that fully focuses on crew comfort and efficiency.
No super-midsize business jet offers more range, greater payload or higher cruise speed at a lower expected total ownership cost. The Longitude is designed to feature the longest maintenance intervals in its class – 800 hours or 18 months – expected to make it the most cost effective to operate in its category.
“From an unmatched cabin experience to its commanding performance, the Citation Longitude truly sets a new standard for the business aviation industry,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “Our focus remains on equipping our customers with this revolutionary aircraft, and achieving this milestone is a pivotal step as we complete the final phase of the program.”
Activity and interest in the aircraft remains strong as customers experience its capabilities firsthand. Earlier this year, the Citation Longitude completed a world tour, circumnavigating the globe and demonstrating impressive performance figures along the way.
The Longitude flight test program, including functional and reliability testing, is complete. During testing, the aircraft completed more than 1,650 flights and accumulated more than 4,050 hours. Longitude production is also underway in Textron Aviation’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility where the jet benefits from cutting-edge assembly methods.
About the Citation Longitude
With a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) and full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), the Citation Longitude is designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class by delivering the quietest cabin, a low cabin altitude (5,950 feet/1,814 meters), more standard features and a comfortable, bespoke interior. With seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, the Longitude features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. A standard double-club configuration delivers the most legroom in the super-midsize class. Fully berthable seats are designed and manufactured in-house and a class-leading walk-in baggage compartment is accessible throughout the entire flight. State-of-the-art cabin technology enables passengers to manage their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity.
The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest ownership cost in its class. It features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles with envelope protection. With Garmin’s new Head-up Display (GHD 2100) and enhanced vision capability, the Longitude facilitates eyes-up flying. The spacious cockpit incorporates easier access and an ergonomic design that fully focuses on crew comfort and efficiency.
No super-midsize business jet offers more range, greater payload or higher cruise speed at a lower expected total ownership cost. The Longitude is designed to feature the longest maintenance intervals in its class – 800 hours or 18 months – expected to make it the most cost effective to operate in its category.
(John Hall - Premier Jet Aviation / JetAv News)
Boeing acquires option on 58-acre Everett property for potential new facility at Paine Field
Boeing and Snohomish County's Paine Field Airport have signed a deal for the company to potentially lease 58 additional acres for its sprawling Everett jet-manufacturing operations.
The option agreement, signed Dec. 11 by county officials and Boeing real estate manager Marc Poulin, says Boeing wants the property for "constructing additional aerospace manufacturing facilities and supporting infrastructure, including a taxi lane" to support existing Everett operations.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes spokesman Paul Bergman said the company acquired the option to support "anticipated capacity requirements for airplane storage and ongoing business needs at the Everett Modification Center and Everett Delivery Center."
Boeing agreed to pay the county $123,374 in 2019 for an exclusive one-year option to lease the extra property on the west side of the airport business park.
The option can be extended a second year for $123,374 more, county records state.
That deal now allows Boeing, at its own cost, to carry out detailed engineering studies on the property, including soil tests and borings, to determine its suitability.
Boeing makes 787 Dreamliners and 747 Freighters at its multi-building Everett manufacturing complex.
It also makes 767 freighters and uses 767 airframes and converts them into military KC-46 aerial refueling tankers at the Everett Modification Center.
This summer, Boeing parked several KC-46 tankers in various stages of completion on Paine Field airport taxiways, including some without engines. Months later, the U.S. Air Force still hasn't accepted its first KC-46 tanker for delivery.
Boeing also needed extra space to park 737s earlier this year in Renton after suppliers were late with fuselage and engine deliveries. But last week Boeing released data showing the company has started to recover from those challenges.
Boeing also is weighing plans to build a New Mid-Market Airplane, which some have called the 797, and expects to decide to go ahead with the new jet or not in 2019.
Washington state is working to persuade Boeing to build the proposed new wide-body jet here.
Bergman noted Boeing's long-standing relationship with the Snohomish County airport for airplane manufacturing and pre-delivery activities at the Everett site.
"We are committed to real estate solutions that benefit both the company and the surrounding community and that support the continued Boeing investment in Everett," Bergman said in an email.
Snohomish County records state if Boeing executes its option and signs a long-term property lease, it would generate $1.23 million per year in rent revenue for the Paine Field Airport Fund.
The Everett Herald first reported Boeing's lease option agreement on Monday.
The option agreement, signed Dec. 11 by county officials and Boeing real estate manager Marc Poulin, says Boeing wants the property for "constructing additional aerospace manufacturing facilities and supporting infrastructure, including a taxi lane" to support existing Everett operations.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes spokesman Paul Bergman said the company acquired the option to support "anticipated capacity requirements for airplane storage and ongoing business needs at the Everett Modification Center and Everett Delivery Center."
Boeing agreed to pay the county $123,374 in 2019 for an exclusive one-year option to lease the extra property on the west side of the airport business park.
The option can be extended a second year for $123,374 more, county records state.
That deal now allows Boeing, at its own cost, to carry out detailed engineering studies on the property, including soil tests and borings, to determine its suitability.
Boeing makes 787 Dreamliners and 747 Freighters at its multi-building Everett manufacturing complex.
It also makes 767 freighters and uses 767 airframes and converts them into military KC-46 aerial refueling tankers at the Everett Modification Center.
This summer, Boeing parked several KC-46 tankers in various stages of completion on Paine Field airport taxiways, including some without engines. Months later, the U.S. Air Force still hasn't accepted its first KC-46 tanker for delivery.
Boeing also needed extra space to park 737s earlier this year in Renton after suppliers were late with fuselage and engine deliveries. But last week Boeing released data showing the company has started to recover from those challenges.
Boeing also is weighing plans to build a New Mid-Market Airplane, which some have called the 797, and expects to decide to go ahead with the new jet or not in 2019.
Washington state is working to persuade Boeing to build the proposed new wide-body jet here.
Bergman noted Boeing's long-standing relationship with the Snohomish County airport for airplane manufacturing and pre-delivery activities at the Everett site.
"We are committed to real estate solutions that benefit both the company and the surrounding community and that support the continued Boeing investment in Everett," Bergman said in an email.
Snohomish County records state if Boeing executes its option and signs a long-term property lease, it would generate $1.23 million per year in rent revenue for the Paine Field Airport Fund.
The Everett Herald first reported Boeing's lease option agreement on Monday.
(Andrew McIntosh - Puget Sound Business Journal)
Boeing Gets Another $11.7 Billion in 737 MAX Orders
One hundred orders for the 737 MAX
Within just a week, Boeing has received another major order for its 737 MAX series aircraft from an African airline company. The airplane manufacturer announced yesterday that Green Africa Airways had ordered 100 planes, which were valued at a list price of $11.7 billion. The commitment was evenly split into 50 firm aircraft and 50 options.
As per the company, the latest deal is the largest aircraft agreement from an African nation. According to Boeing’s recently updated 20-year commercial market outlook, the African continent will need 1,190 new planes over the next 20 years. The recent order came within a month of Caribbean Airlines ordering 12 similar planes on November 21. Though the details of the list price and delivery remain unclear, the first plane is likely to be delivered by the end of next year.
Just a day earlier, on November 20, South Korean airline Jeju Air ordered 40 737 MAX airplanes with options for ten additional jets. The transaction is valued at ~$5.9 billion at list prices, and the company has to deliver the aircraft between 2022 and 2026.
The 737 Max: Boeing’s fastest-selling plane
The 737 MAX is one of the major contributors to Boeing’s revenue growth. The 737 MAX model is Boeing’s most advanced aircraft in the single-aisle category. It provides superior economy and fuel efficiency. The single-aisle models come with a capacity of more than 90 seats.
The 737 MAX model is Boeing’s fastest-selling plane in history. Boeing has received a cumulative more than 4,800 orders from 100 customers worldwide for this model. Major US air carriers American Airlines and United Continental have placed orders for 100 planes each, while Southwest Airlines has placed an order for 280 planes.
Record results
Boeing reported its third-quarter earnings results on October 24. The company posted a 4% YoY (year-over-year) revenue rise to $25.1 billion in the quarter. Its core EPS rose 37% YoY to $3.58, higher than analysts’ consensus estimates of revenue of $23.91 billion and EPS of $3.47.
Strong growth in the company’s Defense segment’s revenue seems to have fueled its revenue growth. The segment’s revenue rose 13% YoY to $5.7 million in the quarter. The Defense segment’s orders have been on the rise recently given the boost in US defense spending.
The Commercial Airplanes segment, on the other hand, recorded a 1% YoY revenue fall to $15.3 billion as a result of Boeing’s aircraft deliveries falling 6% YoY to ~190 aircraft compared to the 202 aircraft it delivered in the third quarter of 2017. Boeing’s slowing deliveries are a known factor given the many supplier issues it faces.
Raised guidance
Boeing’s investors have reason to celebrate, as the company has again raised its 2018 revenue and earnings guidance. The company now expects to clock revenue in the range of $98 billion–$100 billion, $1 billion higher than its previous estimates, fueled by the performance of its Defense segment. It expects to clock core EPS in the range of $14.90–$15.10 compared to its earlier guidance of $14.30–$14.50. It has maintained its operating cash flow guidance at $15.0 billion–$15.5 billion.
Stock rises Investors should keep a close eye on the stock. Despite persistent supplier issues, Boeing has maintained its commercial airplane delivery target at 810 for the year, a big jump from the 568 it delivered as of the third quarter.
Within just a week, Boeing has received another major order for its 737 MAX series aircraft from an African airline company. The airplane manufacturer announced yesterday that Green Africa Airways had ordered 100 planes, which were valued at a list price of $11.7 billion. The commitment was evenly split into 50 firm aircraft and 50 options.
As per the company, the latest deal is the largest aircraft agreement from an African nation. According to Boeing’s recently updated 20-year commercial market outlook, the African continent will need 1,190 new planes over the next 20 years. The recent order came within a month of Caribbean Airlines ordering 12 similar planes on November 21. Though the details of the list price and delivery remain unclear, the first plane is likely to be delivered by the end of next year.
Just a day earlier, on November 20, South Korean airline Jeju Air ordered 40 737 MAX airplanes with options for ten additional jets. The transaction is valued at ~$5.9 billion at list prices, and the company has to deliver the aircraft between 2022 and 2026.
The 737 Max: Boeing’s fastest-selling plane
The 737 MAX is one of the major contributors to Boeing’s revenue growth. The 737 MAX model is Boeing’s most advanced aircraft in the single-aisle category. It provides superior economy and fuel efficiency. The single-aisle models come with a capacity of more than 90 seats.
The 737 MAX model is Boeing’s fastest-selling plane in history. Boeing has received a cumulative more than 4,800 orders from 100 customers worldwide for this model. Major US air carriers American Airlines and United Continental have placed orders for 100 planes each, while Southwest Airlines has placed an order for 280 planes.
Record results
Boeing reported its third-quarter earnings results on October 24. The company posted a 4% YoY (year-over-year) revenue rise to $25.1 billion in the quarter. Its core EPS rose 37% YoY to $3.58, higher than analysts’ consensus estimates of revenue of $23.91 billion and EPS of $3.47.
Strong growth in the company’s Defense segment’s revenue seems to have fueled its revenue growth. The segment’s revenue rose 13% YoY to $5.7 million in the quarter. The Defense segment’s orders have been on the rise recently given the boost in US defense spending.
The Commercial Airplanes segment, on the other hand, recorded a 1% YoY revenue fall to $15.3 billion as a result of Boeing’s aircraft deliveries falling 6% YoY to ~190 aircraft compared to the 202 aircraft it delivered in the third quarter of 2017. Boeing’s slowing deliveries are a known factor given the many supplier issues it faces.
Raised guidance
Boeing’s investors have reason to celebrate, as the company has again raised its 2018 revenue and earnings guidance. The company now expects to clock revenue in the range of $98 billion–$100 billion, $1 billion higher than its previous estimates, fueled by the performance of its Defense segment. It expects to clock core EPS in the range of $14.90–$15.10 compared to its earlier guidance of $14.30–$14.50. It has maintained its operating cash flow guidance at $15.0 billion–$15.5 billion.
Stock rises Investors should keep a close eye on the stock. Despite persistent supplier issues, Boeing has maintained its commercial airplane delivery target at 810 for the year, a big jump from the 568 it delivered as of the third quarter.
(Andrew Brunton - Market Realist)
Monday, November 26, 2018
Boeing wins deals for 15 planes from Caribbean and Turkish airlines for 777 and 737 Max jets
Boeing said it won two deals for a total of 15 new airplanes worth $2.5 billion, bolstering work for its Puget Sound region jet factories.
The Chicago-based jet maker said Turkish Airlines ordered three new 777 Freighters, while Caribbean Airlines has picked Boeing's 737 Max 8 single aisle jet to replace its aging fleet of 12 older model 737s.
The freighter deal with Turkish is valued at just over $1 billion at list prices, though the carrier is a big Boeing customer and likely gets discounts of up to 50 percent. It ordered three 777 Freighters just a year ago.
"The additional aircraft will provide us more flexibility to serve even more destinations as we continue to grow our global freight network," Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board İlker Aycı said in a Boeing news release.
Neither company said when the jets will be delivered, but the order helps Boeing fill out the Everett 777 manufacturing line as the jet maker transitions to building the new advanced 777X jet.
Turkish Airline's Boeing jet fleet has grown to more than 160 aircraft, with nearly 100 additional jets on order. Turkish Airlines operates more than 30 777s, putting it among the top 10 operators of the wide-body jet in Europe and the Middle East.
As part of the deal, Boeing said it's planning to open an engineering center in Istanbul, specializing in research and supporting Turkey's aerospace sector.
As well, Turkish Technic, the maintenance arm of Turkish Airlines, becomes a strategic supplier for Boeing's Global Fleet Care program.
The program provides airlines with maintenance, component service and repair for multiple jet models. Boeing and Turkish Technic will also partner to train and certify aircraft technicians.
Boeing declined to say whether its deal with Trinidad and Tobago' carrier Caribbean Airlines was a firm order or merely a commitment for future orders.
A deal for 12 737 Max 8 jets is worth $1.4 billion at list prices. Boeing and Caribbean said in a statement the airline "plans to take delivery of 12 aircraft in the coming years."
A selection ceremony was attended by Boeing executives and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley.
Press reports in Trinidad and Tobago said deliveries are to begin the fourth quarter of 2019.
The Chicago-based jet maker said Turkish Airlines ordered three new 777 Freighters, while Caribbean Airlines has picked Boeing's 737 Max 8 single aisle jet to replace its aging fleet of 12 older model 737s.
The freighter deal with Turkish is valued at just over $1 billion at list prices, though the carrier is a big Boeing customer and likely gets discounts of up to 50 percent. It ordered three 777 Freighters just a year ago.
"The additional aircraft will provide us more flexibility to serve even more destinations as we continue to grow our global freight network," Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board İlker Aycı said in a Boeing news release.
Neither company said when the jets will be delivered, but the order helps Boeing fill out the Everett 777 manufacturing line as the jet maker transitions to building the new advanced 777X jet.
Turkish Airline's Boeing jet fleet has grown to more than 160 aircraft, with nearly 100 additional jets on order. Turkish Airlines operates more than 30 777s, putting it among the top 10 operators of the wide-body jet in Europe and the Middle East.
As part of the deal, Boeing said it's planning to open an engineering center in Istanbul, specializing in research and supporting Turkey's aerospace sector.
As well, Turkish Technic, the maintenance arm of Turkish Airlines, becomes a strategic supplier for Boeing's Global Fleet Care program.
The program provides airlines with maintenance, component service and repair for multiple jet models. Boeing and Turkish Technic will also partner to train and certify aircraft technicians.
Boeing declined to say whether its deal with Trinidad and Tobago' carrier Caribbean Airlines was a firm order or merely a commitment for future orders.
A deal for 12 737 Max 8 jets is worth $1.4 billion at list prices. Boeing and Caribbean said in a statement the airline "plans to take delivery of 12 aircraft in the coming years."
A selection ceremony was attended by Boeing executives and Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley.
Press reports in Trinidad and Tobago said deliveries are to begin the fourth quarter of 2019.
(Andrew McIntosh - Puget Sound Business Journal)
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Cayman Airways Boeing 737-8Max (68309/7256) VP-CIW
(Photo by Joe G. Walker)
The first 737-8MAX destined for Cayman Airways, is captured departing Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI/KBFI) on a pre-delivery test flight to Grant County International Airport (MWH/KMWH), Moses Lake today (November 24, 2018).
The aircraft had been scheduled for her post paint flight on Wednesday November 21 but the flight was cancelled due to bad weather.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Charter Air Ltd. Dassault Falcon 900EXE (c/n 205) M-VGAL "Galactic Girl"
Captured departing Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) on March 29, 2018.
(Photos by Michael Carter)
(Photos by Michael Carter)
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
El Al Boeing 787-9 (42117/616) 4X-EDB "Rishon"
Captured under-tow at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on November 13, 2018 sporting "70th Anniversary" markings just behind the cockpit windows.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
LaudaMotion receives first of two A320s from SMBC
(SMBC)
LaudaMotion has received the first of two Airbus A320s leased from SMBC Aviation Capital as part of the Ryanair subsidiary’s growth plans.
The Austria-based LCC took delivery of the first A320, a former Turkish Airlines aircraft, this week, with the second one set to arrive in January 2019.
Irish LCC Ryanair, which acquired a 75% stake in the airline founded by Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, plans to grow the LaudaMotion fleet to 19 aircraft by summer 2019.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told ATW earlier this year the company must invest more money in LaudaMotion because the airline will lose approximately €150 million ($175 million) in its first “very difficult” year, up from a previous estimate of €100 million. The carrier should break even in 2019, however, and turn a profit in 2020, he said.
LaudaMotion and Lufthansa confirmed Oct. 9 that the companies have agreed that LaudaMotion will redeliver nine aircraft to Lufthansa between Dec. 31, 2018, and June 30, 2019, ending a leasing dispute that escalated in July.
(Kurt Hofmann - ATWOnline News)
Airbus names new CFO, commercial COO
Airbus CFO Dominik Asam
(Airbus)
(Airbus)
Airbus’ management transition continued Nov. 21 with the appointments of Dominik Asam as CFO and Michael Schoellhorn as COO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. Both will also be members of the Airbus executive committee.
The appointments are for two of the last three key management positions that had yet to be filled as part of the manufacturer’s ongoing leadership reshuffle. Asam will replace Harald Wilhelm, who is leaving in April 2019. Schoellhorn follows Tom Williams, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Airbus is in the middle of a broad leadership transition. CEO Tom Enders will step down in April 2019 to be succeeded by Guillaume Faury, currently president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. His predecessor, Fabrice Bregier, left in April after the board decided not to select him as new CEO. Former CCO John Leahy retired in February, and his successor, Eric Schulz, left in October. He was replaced by former ATR CEO Christian Scherer. EVP-Airbus Commercial Aircraft Didier Evrard is to retire soon.
Michael Schoellhorn’s appointment as COO of commercial aircraft (left) is an apparent indication that Faury does not plan to backfill his position as president of the unit when he becomes the group’s CEO. Appointing a COO would otherwise likely have had to wait until a new president was found. Schoellhorn will report directly to Faury.
In the fine-tuned balance of core nationalities in top management, Schoellhorn’s appointment, along with the naming of Asam as CFO, compensates the German side inside Airbus for the loss of the CEO position to a French national. Such balancing acts have officially been declared things of the past that have no influence on company decisions. However, keeping French and German control roughly equal is still an important informal factor. Faury has long experience working and living in Germany and speaks fluent German. Also of note as the UK prepares to leave the European Union is that Schoellhorn replaces Williams, the highest-ranking British executive.
Airbus chairman Denis Ranque earlier made clear that he will not seek re-election at the 2020 annual general assembly. Rene Obermann, the former CEO of Deutsche Telekom and an Airbus board member, is widely considered to be the top candidate for the position.
Asam joins Airbus from Infineon Technologies, where he has been CFO since 2011. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a degree in mechanical engineering from the École Centrale Paris.
Schoellhorn has been COO of BSH Home Appliances since 2015. He served in the German armed forces as a helicopter pilot from 1984 to 1994.
(Jens Flottau - ATWOnline News)
AirAsia X widens net loss in 3Q on higher fuel, operating costs
AirAsia X Group, the long-haul arm of LCC AirAsia, recorded a net loss of MYR197.5 million ($47.7 million), deepened from MYR43.4 million loss in the year-ago quarter, as operating costs continue to increase. The carrier had reported MYR99.3 million loss in the previous quarter.
The airline cited rising fuel costs as the main contributor to rising operating costs, saying the average fuel price per barrel rose from $65 in 3Q17 to $91.
Cost, measured as cost per available seat kilometer (CASK), increased 12% year-over-year (YOY). In addition, doubtful debts provided for subsidiary AirAsia X Indonesia contributed to the negative quarterly performance.
Third-quarter revenue fell 4% YOY to MYR1 billion from MYR1.1 billion because of a 5% drop in average base fare as part of a plan to increase capacity on established routes and introduce new ones.
ASKs decreased 4% YOY after capacity was redeployed to the North Asia region. Revenue per ASK (RASK) dipped 1% YOY, but was up 4% compared to the previous quarter because of improvements in China routes.
“Our average fares have increased by 13% from 2Q18 and we expect to reap further rewards once these routes mature,” AirAsia X Group CEO Nadda Buranasiri said. “While we expect that the provision of doubtful debts will place short-term pressures on the full-year earnings, we remain confident on the ongoing efforts to boost our ancillary revenue, passenger growth and yields in the longer term.”
He said the company is studying the sustainability of AirAsia X Indonesia, which will cease its last scheduled service from Bali to Tokyo-Narita in January 2019 and operate as a non-scheduled airline.
As part of cost-cutting measures, Buranasiri said the group is in advanced negotiations with aircraft lessors to lower lease rates and business partners to reduce ground handling rates at its foreign stations.
The airline cited rising fuel costs as the main contributor to rising operating costs, saying the average fuel price per barrel rose from $65 in 3Q17 to $91.
Cost, measured as cost per available seat kilometer (CASK), increased 12% year-over-year (YOY). In addition, doubtful debts provided for subsidiary AirAsia X Indonesia contributed to the negative quarterly performance.
Third-quarter revenue fell 4% YOY to MYR1 billion from MYR1.1 billion because of a 5% drop in average base fare as part of a plan to increase capacity on established routes and introduce new ones.
ASKs decreased 4% YOY after capacity was redeployed to the North Asia region. Revenue per ASK (RASK) dipped 1% YOY, but was up 4% compared to the previous quarter because of improvements in China routes.
“Our average fares have increased by 13% from 2Q18 and we expect to reap further rewards once these routes mature,” AirAsia X Group CEO Nadda Buranasiri said. “While we expect that the provision of doubtful debts will place short-term pressures on the full-year earnings, we remain confident on the ongoing efforts to boost our ancillary revenue, passenger growth and yields in the longer term.”
He said the company is studying the sustainability of AirAsia X Indonesia, which will cease its last scheduled service from Bali to Tokyo-Narita in January 2019 and operate as a non-scheduled airline.
As part of cost-cutting measures, Buranasiri said the group is in advanced negotiations with aircraft lessors to lower lease rates and business partners to reduce ground handling rates at its foreign stations.
(Chen Chuanren - ATWOnline News)
Italian railway company waits for decision on Alitalia offer
Alitalia Boeing 777-243(ER) (32858/425) I-DISU "Alberto Nassetti" on short final to Rwy 24R at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on October 24, 2017.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) appears to be in pole position to acquire bankrupt Alitalia and is in talks with a number of airlines that could partner with it to run the carrier if its bid is successful.
Italian news agency ANSA, citing FS CEO Gianfranco Battisti, reported that UK-based LCC easyJet is among the airlines with which FS is having talks.
Alitalia received two binding bids, including the FS bid, and one expression of interest by the Oct. 31 sale deadline, the latest step in the long search for a partner to help the Italian flag carrier relaunch, which has dragged on since it filed for bankruptcy in May 2017.
Battisti said Nov. 20 that FS was waiting for a response from Italy’s economic development ministry on whether its offer had been accepted. “We are waiting for the conditions to be made official, after which we’ll get started on the project,” Battisti said.
FS emerged as the frontrunner to revive Alitalia as part of an integrated transport company, which is also aimed at boosting Italian tourism, after Italy’s coalition government said it wanted to keep the carrier at least partly in Italian hands. Alitalia unions are also pressing for the airline to be owned by an Italian company, but FS would need airline management expertise.
ANSA also reported Nov. 21 that FS had received a letter from the special commissioners who have been steering Alitalia through the long-running sale process since it entered into administration, which stated that its bid had been judged positively.
EasyJet has previously confirmed it submitted an expression of interest in Alitalia while Lufthansa has said it will not invest in Alitalia together with the Italian government or a state-owned Italian company, but could imagine a commercial partnership with the airline.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, a fellow SkyTeam partner with Alitalia, is also thought to be one of the interested parties.
Alitalia also confirmed Nov. 20 that one of its special commissioners had resigned. Luigi Gubitosi has been named CEO of Telecom Italia.
(Helen Massy-Beresford - ATWOneline News)
Boeing to brief 737 MAX customers next week
Boeing will hold a set of regional meetings and conference calls next week with 737 MAX customers to address their questions and concerns about a new system that was introduced on the re-engined narrow-body.
Boeing originally planned to hold a single conference call, but that was canceled, and the manufacturer is instead going to brief airlines on a regional basis early in the week of Nov. 27.
Boeing confirmed to ATW that it had rescheduled the 737/NG MAX fleetwide operator calls “to allow for more attendance, more time for Q&A and to accommodate different time zones.”
A spokesperson added that the meetings would be hosted by Boeing field service representatives.
“Safety is a core value at Boeing, and always will be. We have complete confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. Boeing is in constant communication with regulators and our customers,” the company said.
Boeing is under increasing pressure to clarify a feature that was introduced on the MAX family of aircraft called the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS). The system can automatically change pitch in manual flight mode and is designed to help mitigate flight-control issues that the model's new heavier, larger engines and related design changes introduced. MCAS relies on certain parameters to determine when it is needed and is meant to work in the background. But Boeing says it recently learned that erroneous data from one sensor—such as an angle-of-attack indicator—can cause MCAS to move the stabilizer and push the aircraft’s nose down when it is not needed.
A Boeing bulletin on the system linked the issue to the investigation into the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air flight JT610, a MAX 8, though the bulletin did not say MCAS played any role in the accident sequence. Boeing’s bulletins and information on MCAS emerged after the crash.
Since the crash, in which all 189 people onboard were killed after the aircraft dived suddenly into the sea soon after takeoff, there has been growing scrutiny of the MAX and how much information on MCAS was given—and when—to operators and pilots. The pilot unions of some major airlines that operate the MAX, including American Airlines, say they were not informed about the system.
Boeing CEO and president Dennis Muilenburg, in an internal memo to employees, denied that aircraft functionality information was intentionally withheld from customers.
Boeing’s share price fell sharply this week, reaching a one-year low Nov. 20, although it rebounded a little Nov. 21.
Boeing originally planned to hold a single conference call, but that was canceled, and the manufacturer is instead going to brief airlines on a regional basis early in the week of Nov. 27.
Boeing confirmed to ATW that it had rescheduled the 737/NG MAX fleetwide operator calls “to allow for more attendance, more time for Q&A and to accommodate different time zones.”
A spokesperson added that the meetings would be hosted by Boeing field service representatives.
“Safety is a core value at Boeing, and always will be. We have complete confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. Boeing is in constant communication with regulators and our customers,” the company said.
Boeing is under increasing pressure to clarify a feature that was introduced on the MAX family of aircraft called the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS). The system can automatically change pitch in manual flight mode and is designed to help mitigate flight-control issues that the model's new heavier, larger engines and related design changes introduced. MCAS relies on certain parameters to determine when it is needed and is meant to work in the background. But Boeing says it recently learned that erroneous data from one sensor—such as an angle-of-attack indicator—can cause MCAS to move the stabilizer and push the aircraft’s nose down when it is not needed.
A Boeing bulletin on the system linked the issue to the investigation into the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air flight JT610, a MAX 8, though the bulletin did not say MCAS played any role in the accident sequence. Boeing’s bulletins and information on MCAS emerged after the crash.
Since the crash, in which all 189 people onboard were killed after the aircraft dived suddenly into the sea soon after takeoff, there has been growing scrutiny of the MAX and how much information on MCAS was given—and when—to operators and pilots. The pilot unions of some major airlines that operate the MAX, including American Airlines, say they were not informed about the system.
Boeing CEO and president Dennis Muilenburg, in an internal memo to employees, denied that aircraft functionality information was intentionally withheld from customers.
Boeing’s share price fell sharply this week, reaching a one-year low Nov. 20, although it rebounded a little Nov. 21.
(Karen Walker - ATWOnline News)
Ryanair high density Boeing MAX emerges from factory
The first Ryanair 737 MAX 8-200 at Boeing’s Renton factory
(Chris Edwards - Woodys Aeroimages)
(Chris Edwards - Woodys Aeroimages)
Boeing has rolled out the first high-density seating minor-model derivative of the 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft that is specially modified with an additional set of passenger cabin exit doors so it can seat up to 200.
The aircraft, which rolled out of the company’s Renton, Washington, facility in mid-November, is the first of 135 737 8-200s ordered by ultra-LCC Ryanair. The Irish-based airline, which originally launched the model as the MAX 200 with an order for 100 in 2014, subsequently exercised additional options to bring the total to 135. The airline also holds options for a further 75.
Seating 197 in Ryanair’s single-class configuration compared to 189 on the airline’s current 737-800 fleet, the derivative incorporates the mid-fuselage, extra-passenger exit door of the higher-capacity 215-seat Boeing 737 MAX 9 to satisfy regulatory safety emergency-evacuation requirements. The modification, which adds the extra doors at row 26, provides capacity for up to 11 more seats than the standard configuration of the Boeing 737-8. Additional cabin capacity is created primarily by removing elements of the aft galley and installing slimline seating.
Deliveries of the first aircraft are scheduled to begin during the second quarter of 2019 and run through to 2023. Boosted by the expanding fleet, Ryanair plans to grow from around 80 million passengers per year to more than 150 million passengers over the next decade.
The first 737-8 minor derivative emerges from the Renton production system at a challenging time for the program. Boeing, which successfully ramped up the production rate to 52 per month this summer is preparing to accelerate the rate to 57 per month next year as it continues to catch up after production issues that impacted deliveries earlier this year. On top of this, Boeing is readying for the start of initial deliveries of the 737 MAX 7 and is preparing to introduce the 737 MAX 10 test aircraft onto the production line.
(Guy Norris - ATWOnline News)
Friday, November 16, 2018
Alaska Airlines adds more flights to Paine Field after Southwest pulls out
Alaska Airlines plans to launch commercial airline service at the new Paine Field air terminal in Everett on Feb. 11, after a one month delay beyond its control, the airline said.
Alaska has begun ticket sales for Paine Field flights to eight West Coast cities, and the airline has added five extra flights a day after acquiring landing gate slots from Southwest Airlines.
Southwest has decided to delay its Paine Field flights "indefinitely" and transferred its slots to Alaska, said Brett Smith, chief executive officer of Propeller Airports, which is building and operating the passenger air terminal for Snohomish County.
"It's not our decision, but all in all, it makes it easier for us to operate, so I'm not unhappy about it," Smith said.
The extra slots acquired from Southwest mean more flights to several of the previously announced destinations Alaska will serve from Paine Field, including: Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Phoenix; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California.
Alaska is offering a two-day sale on fares to and from Paine Field to celebrate the new airport's launch.
The flights will start slowly at Paine and increase over time as the operation gets up to full speed to ensure smooth flight operations. Only Las Vegas will be served the first day, and only Los Angeles and San Jose served the second day.
The full details on flight schedules in the first month can be seen here.
Alaska also said its Mileage Plan members who fly on all nonstop flight to and from Paine Field through March 31, 2019, will earn double miles after they register for the promotion.
The service from Paine Field will be provided by Horizon Air flying the Embraer 175 regional jet aircraft featuring both first class and economy cabins and onboard entertainment.
"We're tremendously honored to be a part of this historic moment with the opening of a brand new commercial airport," Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' chief commercial officer, said on the airline's blog.
Alaska has begun ticket sales for Paine Field flights to eight West Coast cities, and the airline has added five extra flights a day after acquiring landing gate slots from Southwest Airlines.
Southwest has decided to delay its Paine Field flights "indefinitely" and transferred its slots to Alaska, said Brett Smith, chief executive officer of Propeller Airports, which is building and operating the passenger air terminal for Snohomish County.
"It's not our decision, but all in all, it makes it easier for us to operate, so I'm not unhappy about it," Smith said.
The extra slots acquired from Southwest mean more flights to several of the previously announced destinations Alaska will serve from Paine Field, including: Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Phoenix; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California.
Alaska is offering a two-day sale on fares to and from Paine Field to celebrate the new airport's launch.
The flights will start slowly at Paine and increase over time as the operation gets up to full speed to ensure smooth flight operations. Only Las Vegas will be served the first day, and only Los Angeles and San Jose served the second day.
The full details on flight schedules in the first month can be seen here.
Alaska also said its Mileage Plan members who fly on all nonstop flight to and from Paine Field through March 31, 2019, will earn double miles after they register for the promotion.
The service from Paine Field will be provided by Horizon Air flying the Embraer 175 regional jet aircraft featuring both first class and economy cabins and onboard entertainment.
"We're tremendously honored to be a part of this historic moment with the opening of a brand new commercial airport," Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' chief commercial officer, said on the airline's blog.
(Andrew McIntosh - Puget Sound Business Journal)
Thursday, November 15, 2018
China Southern is leaving SkyTeam alliance 2019
China Southern Airlines Boeing 777-31B(ER) (43225/1358) B-2049 departs Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on December 25, 2016 sporting the carriers SkyTeam livery.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
China Southern Airlines announced on November 15, 2018, that it would leave SkyTeam alliance. The Chinese airline decided not to renew its contract with the alliance to align with “the company’s development strategy”.
This decision will come into effect on January 1, 2019. Both SkyTeam and China Southern Airlines declared they would ensure a “seamless transition for all customers and partners”.
As for the reasons behind the decision to leave, there are China Southern’s “strategic development, the changing trends of the global aviation industry and the evolution of alliances,” according to SkyTeam. "The airline puts it even more bluntly: besides strategic development needs, it wants to “better align with the new trend of cooperation model in the global aviation industry”.
A move that SkyTeam say they understand. "We recognize that the airline industry has matured since China Southern joined SkyTeam in 2007, especially in China," said a spokesperson of the alliance to AeroTime. "Against that background, China Southern is evaluating its strategic opportunities."
The carrier said it would now seek partnership with “advanced airlines” outside the alliance.
The decision does not come as a surprise, as China Southern is closely linked to American Airlines a oneworld alliance member. In fact, back in August 2017, American Airlines acquired 2.68% of China Southern Airlines shares.
Now, the chinese carrier is reportedly considering joining Oneworld alliance, but “has not yet made a decision” according to a source cited by Reuters. If it was to do so, China Southern would become the first Chinese airline to be part of Oneworld. For its part, SkyTeam still includes Xiamen Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
(Clément Charpentreau - AeroTime News)
FAA, Boeing study need for 737 MAX software changes after crash
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing Co are evaluating the need for software or design changes to 737 MAX jets in the wake of last month's deadly Lion Air crash in Indonesia, the regulator said on Tuesday.
Boeing shares fell 2.1 percent on Tuesday on concerns related to the first crash of the newest version of the plane-maker's best-selling jet, in which all 189 people on board were killed when it dived into the sea.
Indonesian investigators said on Monday a system designed to deal with the accident scenario was not described in the flight manual. They called for more training for 737 MAX pilots.
U.S. pilot unions later said they were not aware of the new anti-stall system.
Operating procedures and training for the 737 MAX could also change as the FAA and Boeing learn more from the investigation, the regulator said in a statement.
Investigators are preparing to publish their preliminary report on the crash on Nov. 28 or Nov. 29, one month after the Lion Air jet crashed at high speed into the Java Sea.
Until now, public attention has focused mainly on potential maintenance problems including a faulty sensor for the 'angle of attack,' a vital piece of data needed to help the aircraft fly at the right angle to the currents of air and prevent a stall.
The focus of the investigation appears to be expanding to the clarity of U.S.-approved procedures to help pilots prevent the 737 MAX from over-reacting to such a data loss, and methods for training them.
Information recovered from the jet's data recorder last week led the FAA to issue an emergency directive warning pilots that a computer on the 737 MAX could force the plane to descend sharply for up to 10 seconds even in manual flight, making it difficult for a pilot to control the aircraft.
Pilots can stop this automated response by pressing two buttons if the system behaves unexpectedly, the directive said.
But questions have been raised about how well pilots are prepared for such an automatic reaction and how much time they have to respond.
Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told Fox Business Network on Tuesday that Boeing provides "all of the information that's needed to safely fly our airplanes" and that the 737 MAX was a "very safe" airplane.
"This comes out of thousands of hours of testing and evaluating and simulating and providing the information that our pilots need to operate our airplanes safely," Muilenburg said.
"In certain failure modes, if there's an inaccurate angle of attack sensor feeding information to the airplane, there's a procedure to handle that," he added.
The FAA on Tuesday denied a report that it had launched a new probe into the safety analyses carried out by Boeing on the 737 MAX.
Boeing, the world's largest plane-maker, said earlier on Tuesday it delivered 43 of its 737 aircraft last month, up from 37 a year ago, helped by a booming global market.
The number of 737 deliveries was down slightly from the 61 delivered in September due to lingering supplier problems, flagged by a Boeing executive last week.
Boeing shares fell 2.1 percent on Tuesday on concerns related to the first crash of the newest version of the plane-maker's best-selling jet, in which all 189 people on board were killed when it dived into the sea.
Indonesian investigators said on Monday a system designed to deal with the accident scenario was not described in the flight manual. They called for more training for 737 MAX pilots.
U.S. pilot unions later said they were not aware of the new anti-stall system.
Operating procedures and training for the 737 MAX could also change as the FAA and Boeing learn more from the investigation, the regulator said in a statement.
Investigators are preparing to publish their preliminary report on the crash on Nov. 28 or Nov. 29, one month after the Lion Air jet crashed at high speed into the Java Sea.
Until now, public attention has focused mainly on potential maintenance problems including a faulty sensor for the 'angle of attack,' a vital piece of data needed to help the aircraft fly at the right angle to the currents of air and prevent a stall.
The focus of the investigation appears to be expanding to the clarity of U.S.-approved procedures to help pilots prevent the 737 MAX from over-reacting to such a data loss, and methods for training them.
Information recovered from the jet's data recorder last week led the FAA to issue an emergency directive warning pilots that a computer on the 737 MAX could force the plane to descend sharply for up to 10 seconds even in manual flight, making it difficult for a pilot to control the aircraft.
Pilots can stop this automated response by pressing two buttons if the system behaves unexpectedly, the directive said.
But questions have been raised about how well pilots are prepared for such an automatic reaction and how much time they have to respond.
Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told Fox Business Network on Tuesday that Boeing provides "all of the information that's needed to safely fly our airplanes" and that the 737 MAX was a "very safe" airplane.
"This comes out of thousands of hours of testing and evaluating and simulating and providing the information that our pilots need to operate our airplanes safely," Muilenburg said.
"In certain failure modes, if there's an inaccurate angle of attack sensor feeding information to the airplane, there's a procedure to handle that," he added.
The FAA on Tuesday denied a report that it had launched a new probe into the safety analyses carried out by Boeing on the 737 MAX.
Boeing, the world's largest plane-maker, said earlier on Tuesday it delivered 43 of its 737 aircraft last month, up from 37 a year ago, helped by a booming global market.
The number of 737 deliveries was down slightly from the 61 delivered in September due to lingering supplier problems, flagged by a Boeing executive last week.
(David Shepardson in Washington, Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle)
Boeing Stock Drops After Continued Bad News for Its 737 Jets
Boeing dropped after weak deliveries for its 737 jetliner compounded a troubling report about a safety feature linked to a deadly crash in Indonesia last month.
Low October shipments of the 737 put Boeing at risk of missing annual delivery targets for its largest source of profit as the plane-maker works to ease parts shortages that have snarled production. The company has been relying on revenue gains from faster output of the narrow-body jet to help ease financial strain from introducing its newest wide-body aircraft, the 777X.
Boeing will need to deliver 72 of its single-aisle workhorse in November and again in December to reach its planned build rate, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson said in a report to clients Tuesday. Boeing shipped just 43 last month. The company also needs to speed deliveries of its high-margin Max planes, “which affect profit disproportionately,” Ferguson said.
The shares dropped 2.4 percent to $348.63 at 3:26 p.m. in New York, the most in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The stock had climbed 21 percent this year through Monday.
The Max has accounted for 37 percent of all 737 deliveries this year, trailing Boeing’s goal of 40 to 45 percent. The company had warned of a weak October performance, saying deliveries would pick up in the rest of the year.
New System
The deliveries data came a day after Bloomberg News reported that U.S. pilot unions said they hadn’t been notified or properly trained on a new safety system for the Max. The system, which wasn’t on earlier versions of the popular 737, is a focal point of investigators probing the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air Flight 610. That plane plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.
“The bottom line here is the 737 Max is safe,” Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said Tuesday on Fox Business Network. “This airplane went through thousands of hours of tests and evaluations, certification, working with the pilots, and we’ve been very transparent on providing information and being fully cooperative on the investigative activity.”
A union bulletin to pilots at American Airlines Group Inc. said the company hadn’t provided details about the system with its documentation about the plane. “This is the first description you, as 737 pilots, have seen,” the Allied Pilots Association dispatch said. Southwest Airlines Co. pilots expressed similar concerns.
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System in limited instances will lower the nose of the 737 Max if the airplane is close to an aerodynamic stall even if pilots are manually operating controls. Indonesian authorities suspect faulty sensor readings may have caused the Lion Air jet’s computers to repeatedly press its nose downward before the plane accelerated into a final dive into the sea.
Key Information
“The crew may have been hampered in their efforts to understand the airplane’s behavior, and regain control, by the fact that they were missing a key piece of information -- the existence of an automatic system that could adjust the trim, even when the airplane’s autopilot was switched off,” Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, said in a note to clients.
Boeing and regulators have underscored the steps pilot can take to disable the pitch-trim system, as it’s known, in bulletins to 737 Max operators over the past week. Because the safety system is software-based, it could be updated relatively easily if regulators and the manufacturer determine that’s the best course.
Such a fix would be much less disruptive for airlines and Boeing than the three-month grounding that halted the plane-maker’s 787 Dreamliner flights in 2013.
“Because the Max is a derivative aircraft, we doubt that this is a difficult-to-correct technical issue as the battery fire early in the 787’s life, appeared to be,” Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr said in a note.
Low October shipments of the 737 put Boeing at risk of missing annual delivery targets for its largest source of profit as the plane-maker works to ease parts shortages that have snarled production. The company has been relying on revenue gains from faster output of the narrow-body jet to help ease financial strain from introducing its newest wide-body aircraft, the 777X.
Boeing will need to deliver 72 of its single-aisle workhorse in November and again in December to reach its planned build rate, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson said in a report to clients Tuesday. Boeing shipped just 43 last month. The company also needs to speed deliveries of its high-margin Max planes, “which affect profit disproportionately,” Ferguson said.
The shares dropped 2.4 percent to $348.63 at 3:26 p.m. in New York, the most in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The stock had climbed 21 percent this year through Monday.
The Max has accounted for 37 percent of all 737 deliveries this year, trailing Boeing’s goal of 40 to 45 percent. The company had warned of a weak October performance, saying deliveries would pick up in the rest of the year.
New System
The deliveries data came a day after Bloomberg News reported that U.S. pilot unions said they hadn’t been notified or properly trained on a new safety system for the Max. The system, which wasn’t on earlier versions of the popular 737, is a focal point of investigators probing the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air Flight 610. That plane plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.
“The bottom line here is the 737 Max is safe,” Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said Tuesday on Fox Business Network. “This airplane went through thousands of hours of tests and evaluations, certification, working with the pilots, and we’ve been very transparent on providing information and being fully cooperative on the investigative activity.”
A union bulletin to pilots at American Airlines Group Inc. said the company hadn’t provided details about the system with its documentation about the plane. “This is the first description you, as 737 pilots, have seen,” the Allied Pilots Association dispatch said. Southwest Airlines Co. pilots expressed similar concerns.
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System in limited instances will lower the nose of the 737 Max if the airplane is close to an aerodynamic stall even if pilots are manually operating controls. Indonesian authorities suspect faulty sensor readings may have caused the Lion Air jet’s computers to repeatedly press its nose downward before the plane accelerated into a final dive into the sea.
Key Information
“The crew may have been hampered in their efforts to understand the airplane’s behavior, and regain control, by the fact that they were missing a key piece of information -- the existence of an automatic system that could adjust the trim, even when the airplane’s autopilot was switched off,” Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, said in a note to clients.
Boeing and regulators have underscored the steps pilot can take to disable the pitch-trim system, as it’s known, in bulletins to 737 Max operators over the past week. Because the safety system is software-based, it could be updated relatively easily if regulators and the manufacturer determine that’s the best course.
Such a fix would be much less disruptive for airlines and Boeing than the three-month grounding that halted the plane-maker’s 787 Dreamliner flights in 2013.
“Because the Max is a derivative aircraft, we doubt that this is a difficult-to-correct technical issue as the battery fire early in the 787’s life, appeared to be,” Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr said in a note.
(Julie Johnsson - Bloomberg)
Saudi's flyadeal to pick Airbus or Boeing jets by end of month
Saudi Arabian budget airline flyadeal aims to decide whether to order Airbus or Boeing narrow-body jets by the end of this month, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
Flyadeal, a subsidiary of state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, had been due to decide on the order for 30 Airbus A320neos or Boeing 737 MAXs in the second quarter but held off to further assess the performance of the revamped models.
"We want some evidence because we're committing a huge chunk of capital," Con Korfiatis told Reuters at a Dubai conference, adding that the plane-makers had competed "very vigorously".
Flyadeal is a pure low cost airline, with passengers charged for meals and checked luggage, a model that has so far not had major success in the Middle East beyond United Arab Emirates-headquartered Air Arabia.
The order for the planes, which are the latest versions of world's most used jets and typically employed for short to medium haul flights, would be worth more than $3 billion at current list prices, although industry sources say discounts of around 50 percent are common on such large orders.
Although the world’s two largest plane-makers say they are mostly sold out of the jets until 2024, the order will give flyadeal a pipeline allowing it to plan for long-term growth.
The airline, which plans to add around 10 aircraft a year to its fleet from 2020, will next year start leasing the model of jet it orders until it receives its first aircraft from the production line, Korfiatis said.
Flyadeal operates a fleet of eight leased Airbus A320ceos and will add another three by early January 2019, allowing it to expand from 10 to 14 domestic destinations.
The airline, which launched in September 2017, has carried more than 2 million passengers so far and expects to carry more than 3.5 million in 2019, Korfiatis said.
It is also planning to launch its first international flight next year which will likely be to Egypt, Turkey, or to other Gulf Arab countries.
Flyadeal, a subsidiary of state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines, had been due to decide on the order for 30 Airbus A320neos or Boeing 737 MAXs in the second quarter but held off to further assess the performance of the revamped models.
"We want some evidence because we're committing a huge chunk of capital," Con Korfiatis told Reuters at a Dubai conference, adding that the plane-makers had competed "very vigorously".
Flyadeal is a pure low cost airline, with passengers charged for meals and checked luggage, a model that has so far not had major success in the Middle East beyond United Arab Emirates-headquartered Air Arabia.
The order for the planes, which are the latest versions of world's most used jets and typically employed for short to medium haul flights, would be worth more than $3 billion at current list prices, although industry sources say discounts of around 50 percent are common on such large orders.
Although the world’s two largest plane-makers say they are mostly sold out of the jets until 2024, the order will give flyadeal a pipeline allowing it to plan for long-term growth.
The airline, which plans to add around 10 aircraft a year to its fleet from 2020, will next year start leasing the model of jet it orders until it receives its first aircraft from the production line, Korfiatis said.
Flyadeal operates a fleet of eight leased Airbus A320ceos and will add another three by early January 2019, allowing it to expand from 10 to 14 domestic destinations.
The airline, which launched in September 2017, has carried more than 2 million passengers so far and expects to carry more than 3.5 million in 2019, Korfiatis said.
It is also planning to launch its first international flight next year which will likely be to Egypt, Turkey, or to other Gulf Arab countries.
(Alexander Cornwell - Reuters)
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Hawaiian Airlines Raises Bag Fees to Match Rivals
Since late August, U.S. airlines have raised their checked bag fees one after the other. By the end of October, Hawaiian Holdings subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines was one of the last remaining holdouts -- with the notable exception of Southwest Airlines, which is sticking with its popular "bags fly free" policy.
For a while, it seemed like Hawaiian might be reluctant to raise its baggage fees due to the impending arrival of Southwest Airlines in Hawaii. However, Hawaiian Airlines announced this week that it is matching its other rivals' bag fee increases on mainland-Hawaii routes.
A new standard for baggage fees
Until recently, most U.S. airlines charged $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for a second checked bag on domestic routes. However, over the span of a month beginning in late August, four of the top six U.S. airlines raised their checked bag fees to $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second.
Aside from Southwest Airlines, Alaska Air was the only one of the six largest carriers that hadn't adjusted its bag pricing as of the end of September. That made it hard for Hawaiian Airlines to raise its baggage fees, because Alaska is arguably its closest competitor. Indeed, Alaska Airlines flies to Hawaii from eight of Hawaiian's 12 mainland gateway cities: Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
However, in mid-October, Alaska Airlines matched the legacy carriers' $5 bag fee increases, effective Dec. 5. That paved the way for Hawaiian Airlines to follow suit.
Hawaiian Airlines announces new baggage fees
On Tuesday, Hawaiian Airlines increased its first bag fee to $30 and its second bag fee to $40 for mainland-Hawaii routes. (Unlike Alaska Airlines, it is implementing the new fees immediately.) This harmonizes Hawaiian's pricing for checked baggage with that of its major rivals.
Elite-level frequent fliers and holders of Hawaiian Airlines' co-branded credit cards will continue to receive special baggage allowances. Additionally, customers on Hawaiian's international flights will still be allowed to check two bags free of charge.
More interestingly, Hawaiian Airlines is maintaining its special baggage pricing for inter-island flights. Members of the carrier's (free) frequent flyer program pay just $15 for the first checked bag and $20 for the second checked bag. First and second checked bag fees for non-members will stay at $25 and $35, respectively.
A small way to bolster unit revenue
Once all of its larger peers -- other than Southwest -- had decided to raise their checked bag fees, there wasn't much point to Hawaiian Airlines standing pat. Travelers who care a lot about baggage fees are going to gravitate toward Southwest Airlines when it starts flying to Hawaii, regardless of whether Hawaiian charges $25 or $30 to check a bag. For all other travelers, Hawaiian would be leaving money on the table by charging below-market checked bag fees.
Higher baggage fees may help Hawaiian Airlines reverse a string of recent unit revenue declines in the mainland-Hawaii market. Last quarter, Hawaiian's revenue per available seat mile plunged about 10% on those routes due to overcapacity.
Of course, the unit revenue impact of higher baggage fees alone will be fairly modest. An extra $5 isn't much compared to the fares Hawaiian charges for mainland-Hawaii flights, which are typically more than $200 one-way. However, Hawaiian Airlines can use all the help it can get. Furthermore, bag fees are a stable source of revenue that isn't subject to big swings based on competitive dynamics.
Fortunately, Hawaiian Airlines will face easier year-over-year comparisons next year, and the completion of its ongoing fleet transition should also help stabilize unit revenue. And with unit costs trending in the right direction and oil prices finally pulling back, 2019 is shaping up to be another solid year for Hawaiian Holdings.
For a while, it seemed like Hawaiian might be reluctant to raise its baggage fees due to the impending arrival of Southwest Airlines in Hawaii. However, Hawaiian Airlines announced this week that it is matching its other rivals' bag fee increases on mainland-Hawaii routes.
A new standard for baggage fees
Until recently, most U.S. airlines charged $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for a second checked bag on domestic routes. However, over the span of a month beginning in late August, four of the top six U.S. airlines raised their checked bag fees to $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second.
Aside from Southwest Airlines, Alaska Air was the only one of the six largest carriers that hadn't adjusted its bag pricing as of the end of September. That made it hard for Hawaiian Airlines to raise its baggage fees, because Alaska is arguably its closest competitor. Indeed, Alaska Airlines flies to Hawaii from eight of Hawaiian's 12 mainland gateway cities: Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
However, in mid-October, Alaska Airlines matched the legacy carriers' $5 bag fee increases, effective Dec. 5. That paved the way for Hawaiian Airlines to follow suit.
Hawaiian Airlines announces new baggage fees
On Tuesday, Hawaiian Airlines increased its first bag fee to $30 and its second bag fee to $40 for mainland-Hawaii routes. (Unlike Alaska Airlines, it is implementing the new fees immediately.) This harmonizes Hawaiian's pricing for checked baggage with that of its major rivals.
Elite-level frequent fliers and holders of Hawaiian Airlines' co-branded credit cards will continue to receive special baggage allowances. Additionally, customers on Hawaiian's international flights will still be allowed to check two bags free of charge.
More interestingly, Hawaiian Airlines is maintaining its special baggage pricing for inter-island flights. Members of the carrier's (free) frequent flyer program pay just $15 for the first checked bag and $20 for the second checked bag. First and second checked bag fees for non-members will stay at $25 and $35, respectively.
A small way to bolster unit revenue
Once all of its larger peers -- other than Southwest -- had decided to raise their checked bag fees, there wasn't much point to Hawaiian Airlines standing pat. Travelers who care a lot about baggage fees are going to gravitate toward Southwest Airlines when it starts flying to Hawaii, regardless of whether Hawaiian charges $25 or $30 to check a bag. For all other travelers, Hawaiian would be leaving money on the table by charging below-market checked bag fees.
Higher baggage fees may help Hawaiian Airlines reverse a string of recent unit revenue declines in the mainland-Hawaii market. Last quarter, Hawaiian's revenue per available seat mile plunged about 10% on those routes due to overcapacity.
Of course, the unit revenue impact of higher baggage fees alone will be fairly modest. An extra $5 isn't much compared to the fares Hawaiian charges for mainland-Hawaii flights, which are typically more than $200 one-way. However, Hawaiian Airlines can use all the help it can get. Furthermore, bag fees are a stable source of revenue that isn't subject to big swings based on competitive dynamics.
Fortunately, Hawaiian Airlines will face easier year-over-year comparisons next year, and the completion of its ongoing fleet transition should also help stabilize unit revenue. And with unit costs trending in the right direction and oil prices finally pulling back, 2019 is shaping up to be another solid year for Hawaiian Holdings.
(Adam Levine-Weinberg - The Motley Fool)
Airbus likely sold 10 A330neo jets to Delta
U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines has emerged as the probable buyer for 10 Airbus A330neo jets worth $3 billion, industry sources said, in a boost for the becalmed European model.
Airbus announced an order for 10 of the 300-seat aircraft in its latest monthly order update on Friday, but withheld the name of the buyer for the Oct. 30 deal.
Two industry sources, asking not to be named, said Delta was the buyer. A third said Delta had been looking to expand an existing order for 25 A330neo aircraft.
Airbus declined comment. Delta was not immediately available for comment.
If confirmed, the deal would mark the second order for the slow-selling A330neo in as many weeks after Kuwait Airways ordered eight of the long-haul planes in mid-October.
Airbus is aggressively seeking more orders for the latest version of its profitable A330 franchise after sales of the engine-upgraded A330neo model fell short of expectations in the face of heavy competition from the newer Boeing 787.
However, industry sources have questioned how far recent orders represent net new sales for the European giant, saying they could replace at least some earlier orders for the A350.
The new-generation A350 is a longer-term bet for Airbus and competes with the 787 and Boeing 777. But one market source said Airbus was willing to give up some orders for the newer plane in order to keep the A330neo afloat and prevent production cuts.
Airbus has given cautious signals that it is prepared to be flexible in both directions when offering combinations of the A330 and A350, sources said, though it cannot afford to lose too many orders or customers for the more strategic A350 plane.
The wide-body A330neo is part of a pair of upgraded aircraft - the other being the strong-selling A321neo narrow-body - that strategists say Airbus is trying to push into the market to reduce the space for a new 220-260 seat, mid-sized jet being studied by Boeing. A decision on that project is due next year.
Airbus is especially keen to continue A330-series production because it has been a major source of profits and cash.
Airbus also needs an aircraft like the 250-300 seat A330 to offer airlines a step-up into the wide-body market from its largest narrow-body, the A321neo, which holds up to 240 people.
Without it, Airbus's smallest wide-body would be the 315-seat A350-900, which leaves a large gap in Airbus's portfolio above the A321neo for rival Boeing to exploit.
Airbus announced an order for 10 of the 300-seat aircraft in its latest monthly order update on Friday, but withheld the name of the buyer for the Oct. 30 deal.
Two industry sources, asking not to be named, said Delta was the buyer. A third said Delta had been looking to expand an existing order for 25 A330neo aircraft.
Airbus declined comment. Delta was not immediately available for comment.
If confirmed, the deal would mark the second order for the slow-selling A330neo in as many weeks after Kuwait Airways ordered eight of the long-haul planes in mid-October.
Airbus is aggressively seeking more orders for the latest version of its profitable A330 franchise after sales of the engine-upgraded A330neo model fell short of expectations in the face of heavy competition from the newer Boeing 787.
However, industry sources have questioned how far recent orders represent net new sales for the European giant, saying they could replace at least some earlier orders for the A350.
The new-generation A350 is a longer-term bet for Airbus and competes with the 787 and Boeing 777. But one market source said Airbus was willing to give up some orders for the newer plane in order to keep the A330neo afloat and prevent production cuts.
Airbus has given cautious signals that it is prepared to be flexible in both directions when offering combinations of the A330 and A350, sources said, though it cannot afford to lose too many orders or customers for the more strategic A350 plane.
The wide-body A330neo is part of a pair of upgraded aircraft - the other being the strong-selling A321neo narrow-body - that strategists say Airbus is trying to push into the market to reduce the space for a new 220-260 seat, mid-sized jet being studied by Boeing. A decision on that project is due next year.
Airbus is especially keen to continue A330-series production because it has been a major source of profits and cash.
Airbus also needs an aircraft like the 250-300 seat A330 to offer airlines a step-up into the wide-body market from its largest narrow-body, the A321neo, which holds up to 240 people.
Without it, Airbus's smallest wide-body would be the 315-seat A350-900, which leaves a large gap in Airbus's portfolio above the A321neo for rival Boeing to exploit.
(Tim Hepher and Tracy Rucinski - Reuters)
Monday, October 29, 2018
El Al Israel Airlines 787-9 (63394/735) 4X-EDF "Rehovot"
She was off the deck at 14:28pst, 12 minutes early and sports the carriers "70th Anniversary" Retro Livery.
(Photos by Michael Carter)
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Lufthansa Cargo McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (48784/628) D-ALCD
Arrives at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on October 26, 2018 sporting the carriers new livery.
(Photos by Michael Carter)
(Photos by Michael Carter)
Southwest Airlines' 2019 Hawaii Plans Become a Bit Clearer
Ever since Southwest Airlines announced in October 2017 that it intended to start flying to Hawaii, U.S. air travelers and investors have both been eager to learn more about its plans. Over the past year, there has been a slow trickle of information, but the carrier still hasn't confirmed exactly which routes it will operate, how often it will serve them, and when the flights will start.
However, during its recent third-quarter earnings call, Southwest Airlines provided the most detail yet on its Hawaii plans. What Southwest said could have important implications for Hawaiian Holdings and Alaska Air, which will be its two main competitors in the West Coast-Hawaii air travel market.
Getting closer to launch
The main reason why it is taking so long for Southwest Airlines to launch its Hawaii flights is that it needs to receive FAA approval for long over-water flights. This "ETOPS certification" process -- which entails defining and documenting safety procedures, training flight crews, and then demonstrating the effectiveness of those procedures -- typically takes 12 to 18 months.
According to COO Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines has completed the documentation phase of the certification process. It still needs to do simulations for the FAA and then operate validation flights to receive the final regulatory sign-off.
This suggests that Southwest is at least a few weeks away from achieving ETOPS certification. Yet it does expect to complete the process before year-end. The first half of December now seems like the most likely time frame for receiving ETOPS approval.
Southwest Airlines plans to publish schedules and begin selling tickets for Hawaii flights just a few days after that. Moreover, the first flight could occur as soon as a few weeks after ticket sales begin, which is a much shorter interval than normal. Nevertheless, all signs point to Southwest Airlines' Hawaii flights beginning in early 2019.
Southwest hints at its capacity plans
Back in the spring, Southwest Airlines revealed that it plans to fly to Hawaii from four mainland cities next year, all in California: Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose. It also said that it will serve four airports in Hawaii: Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, and Lihue.
From that description, it was clear that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines faced the biggest threat from the first phase of Southwest's expansion. Excluding the big hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco, Alaska and Hawaiian currently dominate the market for travel between California and Hawaii.
During Southwest's recent Q3 earnings call, CEO Gary Kelly stated that the carrier expects to grow its available seat miles (ASMs) no more than 5% in 2019, with about half of that growth coming on Hawaii routes. That makes it possible to estimate how many Hawaii flights the low-fare airline plans to operate next year.
Southwest Airlines is on track to offer approximately 160 billion ASMs in 2018. Thus, it plans for up to 8 billion ASMs of capacity growth next year, with up to 4 billion ASMs of growth targeted at the Hawaii market. Based on a roundtrip distance of about 5,000 miles and 175 seats per aircraft, that implies an average of about 12.5 daily roundtrips to Hawaii during 2019.
Of course, the Hawaii flights aren't likely to start on Jan. 1, and Southwest will probably allow for a bit of a ramp-up period. Thus, a more reasonable expectation might be for an average of no more than 10 flights a day during the first quarter, rising to as many as 15 flights a day by June. This would allow Southwest Airlines to connect most of the potential city-pairs between its four Hawaii destinations and its four California gateway cities while operating multiple daily flights on the most popular routes.
What does it mean for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines?
If Southwest Airlines actually reached a schedule of 15 daily flights by the summer peak season, that would give it about 80,000 monthly seats to Hawaii. By itself, that would represent a roughly 10% increase in industry capacity to Hawaii compared to 2018, based on Hawaii Tourism Authority data.
That's enough extra capacity to have a significant impact on the overall supply demand balance. Furthermore, it would represent growth of about 70% on average across Southwest's four planned gateway cities in California.
Yet the news isn't necessarily as bleak as it may seem. For one thing, Southwest has a massive base of loyal customers, and there have been rumors about Southwest Airlines flights to Hawaii for years. Thus, the launch of Southwest flights next year will probably unlock quite a bit of "new" pent-up demand -- both from people who have been waiting to cash in Rapid Rewards points and from Southwest loyalists who simply want to fly their favorite airline to Hawaii.
Additionally, industry capacity between the West Coast and Hawaii surged nearly 12% in the first eight months of 2018, so this level of growth is not unprecedented. Scheduled capacity for the rest of the industry to Hawaii is roughly flat for the first part of 2019 as of now -- and if anything, other carriers are likely to trim capacity as the year progresses.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will surely have to make some adjustments as Southwest's Hawaii expansion plays out. But while Alaska in particular may have to cut some flights due to the additional competition, both carriers should continue to enjoy plenty of success in the West Coast-Hawaii market during the years ahead.
However, during its recent third-quarter earnings call, Southwest Airlines provided the most detail yet on its Hawaii plans. What Southwest said could have important implications for Hawaiian Holdings and Alaska Air, which will be its two main competitors in the West Coast-Hawaii air travel market.
Getting closer to launch
The main reason why it is taking so long for Southwest Airlines to launch its Hawaii flights is that it needs to receive FAA approval for long over-water flights. This "ETOPS certification" process -- which entails defining and documenting safety procedures, training flight crews, and then demonstrating the effectiveness of those procedures -- typically takes 12 to 18 months.
According to COO Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines has completed the documentation phase of the certification process. It still needs to do simulations for the FAA and then operate validation flights to receive the final regulatory sign-off.
This suggests that Southwest is at least a few weeks away from achieving ETOPS certification. Yet it does expect to complete the process before year-end. The first half of December now seems like the most likely time frame for receiving ETOPS approval.
Southwest Airlines plans to publish schedules and begin selling tickets for Hawaii flights just a few days after that. Moreover, the first flight could occur as soon as a few weeks after ticket sales begin, which is a much shorter interval than normal. Nevertheless, all signs point to Southwest Airlines' Hawaii flights beginning in early 2019.
Southwest hints at its capacity plans
Back in the spring, Southwest Airlines revealed that it plans to fly to Hawaii from four mainland cities next year, all in California: Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose. It also said that it will serve four airports in Hawaii: Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, and Lihue.
From that description, it was clear that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines faced the biggest threat from the first phase of Southwest's expansion. Excluding the big hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco, Alaska and Hawaiian currently dominate the market for travel between California and Hawaii.
During Southwest's recent Q3 earnings call, CEO Gary Kelly stated that the carrier expects to grow its available seat miles (ASMs) no more than 5% in 2019, with about half of that growth coming on Hawaii routes. That makes it possible to estimate how many Hawaii flights the low-fare airline plans to operate next year.
Southwest Airlines is on track to offer approximately 160 billion ASMs in 2018. Thus, it plans for up to 8 billion ASMs of capacity growth next year, with up to 4 billion ASMs of growth targeted at the Hawaii market. Based on a roundtrip distance of about 5,000 miles and 175 seats per aircraft, that implies an average of about 12.5 daily roundtrips to Hawaii during 2019.
Of course, the Hawaii flights aren't likely to start on Jan. 1, and Southwest will probably allow for a bit of a ramp-up period. Thus, a more reasonable expectation might be for an average of no more than 10 flights a day during the first quarter, rising to as many as 15 flights a day by June. This would allow Southwest Airlines to connect most of the potential city-pairs between its four Hawaii destinations and its four California gateway cities while operating multiple daily flights on the most popular routes.
What does it mean for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines?
If Southwest Airlines actually reached a schedule of 15 daily flights by the summer peak season, that would give it about 80,000 monthly seats to Hawaii. By itself, that would represent a roughly 10% increase in industry capacity to Hawaii compared to 2018, based on Hawaii Tourism Authority data.
That's enough extra capacity to have a significant impact on the overall supply demand balance. Furthermore, it would represent growth of about 70% on average across Southwest's four planned gateway cities in California.
Yet the news isn't necessarily as bleak as it may seem. For one thing, Southwest has a massive base of loyal customers, and there have been rumors about Southwest Airlines flights to Hawaii for years. Thus, the launch of Southwest flights next year will probably unlock quite a bit of "new" pent-up demand -- both from people who have been waiting to cash in Rapid Rewards points and from Southwest loyalists who simply want to fly their favorite airline to Hawaii.
Additionally, industry capacity between the West Coast and Hawaii surged nearly 12% in the first eight months of 2018, so this level of growth is not unprecedented. Scheduled capacity for the rest of the industry to Hawaii is roughly flat for the first part of 2019 as of now -- and if anything, other carriers are likely to trim capacity as the year progresses.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will surely have to make some adjustments as Southwest's Hawaii expansion plays out. But while Alaska in particular may have to cut some flights due to the additional competition, both carriers should continue to enjoy plenty of success in the West Coast-Hawaii market during the years ahead.
(Adam Levine-Weinberg - The Motley Fool)
Friday, October 26, 2018
Apex Oil Company Gulfstream G-IV (c/n 1111) N511PA
Rolls for takeoff on Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) in June 2002.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Kodachrome K64 Slide)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Kodachrome K64 Slide)
Thursday, October 25, 2018
JetBlue’s A321 Fleet Central To Plan To Boost Margins
jetBlue Airbus A321-231(SL) (c/n 7855) N987JT "Sky's The LiMint" on short final to Rwy 24R at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on December 7, 2017.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
jetBlue executives sang the praises of the Airbus A321 for its margin-boosting capability during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, as the New York-based airline addressed the challenges of a 37-percent increase in fuel costs compared with a year earlier.
While its 130 A320s still account for the bulk of jetBlue’s fleet, since 2014 another 60 A321s have proven themselves as the best-performing models in terms of profit generation, both in their 200-seat standard cabin layout and the so-called Mint configuration, which features 16 lie-flat business class seats and 143 economy seats.
Next year jetBlue plans to take delivery of its first of 25 A321neos ordered as conversions from its original commitment for A320neos. Holding delivery positions on a total of 85 A321neos, jetBlue now plans to take 13 next year, 15 in 2020, 16 in 2021, 15 in 2022, 14 in 2023, and 12 in 2024.
“[The A321] is a fantastic aircraft both in the Mint configuration and the high-density configuration,” said jetBlue president and COO Joanna Geraghty. “They have done remarkably well from a margin perspective. Now as we look to the best and highest use of that asset we’re looking at the higher-density version and the margins on that...are actually exceeding that on our Mint routes.”
Geraghty’s comments came as jetBlue embarks on an effort to improve margins overall in 2019 through fare and ancillary revenue increases along with what CEO Robin Hayes referred to as five pillars of cost control. The company also expects see earnings benefits next year as its recently announced network reallocation takes full effect, said Hayes.
The series of network changes will see jetBlue shift fleet resources from what it considers under performing cities and accelerate its focus-city growth strategy in Boston and Fort Lauderdale. The service reallocation will also result in a new jetBlue destination in Ecuador, new service between current jetBlue cities and more flights on popular routes.
Cities slated to lose service starting January 8 include Daytona Beach International Airport from New York JFK airport and from San Juan to Saint Croix. jetBlue also plans to eliminate daily service to Washington Dulles Airport from New York JFK and Boston. Elsewhere on its route map, the airline plans to cut flying on a number of other under performing routes and frequencies in January, including certain flights serving Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Santiago, in the Dominican Republic.
(Gregory Polek - AINOnline News)
United Airlines Studies A321LR for Transatlantic Service
EASA and the FAA recently certified the A321LR to operate with up to three underfloor auxiliary center tanks, including on flights operating under 180-minute Etops rules.
(Photo: Airbus)
(Photo: Airbus)
United Airlines has recently priced a proposal to acquire Airbus A321LR single-aisle aircraft as replacements for the RB.211-535E4-powered Boeing 757-200s it operates on transatlantic routes, according to UK-based aviation technical consulting firm IBA Group.
The proposal studied by United specifically centered on A321LRs fitted with 16 Polaris business-class seats, 72 Economy Plus extra-legroom seats and 90 economy seats, IBA Group head of advisory Paul Lyons said during a webinar on low-cost long-haul airlines the company held recently. Each of the 757-200s United now operates on transatlantic services carries 169 passengers: 16 in Polaris business class, 45 in Economy Plus and 108 in the economy cabin.
While Lyons and Mike Yeomans, the firm’s head of valuations, recognized that the A321neo “has been receiving a lot of attention” and noted the interest various carriers have shown in the type's latest Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) version, they questioned whether the 240-seat maximum capacity of the A321neo ACF (at the A321LR’s 97-tonne maximum takeoff weight) would suit airlines’ longer-haul service needs.
In a 240-seat cabin configuration, all A321LR seat rows would provide a seat pitch of just 28 inches; the second doors on the left and right sides of the aircraft’s fuselage would be removed and therefore unavailable for potential emergency evacuations. Yeomans questioned whether a 28-inch seat pitch would provide enough passenger comfort for any A321neo service of more than five hours in duration. “It’s something we’ve identified, or noted, as perhaps happening with the Wow Air and Norwegian situations,” said Yeomans. Norwegian doesn’t operate A321neos or A321LRs yet, but in 2019 the carrier plans to take the first eight of 30 A321LRs it has ordered and operate them on routes to the U.S. from European cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, and Prague.
Wow Air already operates A321neos (though not yet ACF-configured A321LRs) configured for 220 seats at mixed 30- and 31-inch pitches on routes from Iceland to North America—all of which extend at least five hours in flight duration. Although Norwegian has yet to receive its first A321LR, it operates 189-seat Boeing 737 Max 8s configured to seat 189 passengers on transatlantic services. So Norwegian could conceivably configure its A321LRs to offer a 29-inch seat pitch.
Lyons also noted that the A321LR’s cruise speed of Mach 0.78 is “relatively low … compared to some of its competitors” such as the Mach 0.85-cruising Boeing 787, possibly producing a negative “knock-on effect for utilization on some of the shorter-length but still long-haul sectors” operated by the A321LR.
However, IBA Group does not doubt that the A321LR, fitted with a third auxiliary center fuel tank, will offer sufficient range for even longer-haul transatlantic services. Lyons pointed out the Airbus had flown an A321neo a distance of 4,750 nm in that configuration non-stop from Mahé in the Seychelles to Toulouse with the aircraft’s weight configured for the test flight to represent 162 passengers and with 11 technicians and five crew-members aboard.
(Chris Kjelgaard - AINOnline News)
PAL set to permanently retire A340s as A350 gains traction
Philippine Airlines Airbus A340-313 (c/n 474) RP-C3441 rotates off Rwy 25L at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on March 12, 2018.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is on the verge of permanently retiring the Airbus A340-300, as its A350-900s get up to speed on long-haul routes.
The carrier has one A340-300 that can be put in use should there be a technical issue with another aircraft, says Jose Perez, vice-president of corporate communications at PAL.
He says that recent unsourced reports that the type has been permanently retired are “close to the truth.”
“We actually made a decision to retire them sooner rather than later,” he says. “We might have an announcement to make at some point. There is one aircraft we can use if [there are] technical difficulties with one of our 777s or A350s.”
“Utilization is very low. It may fly to Los Angeles or San Francisco, and then be parked again. Right now, we're reviewing that. We might have to make a decision at a certain point to ground all the aircraft.”
The permanent retirement of the type will mark the end of A340 operations in the Asia-Pacific.
Perez made the remarks in an interview with FlightGlobal at the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) Assembly of Presidents, which was held recently on the resort island of Jeju, South Korea.
Perez adds that the carrier’s four A350-900s have enjoyed a smooth service entry. The type is used on non-stop services from Manila to London-Heathrow and Los Angeles. A four-times-weekly services to New York JFK will commence on 29 October. This will go to five-times weekly on 6 December.
Perez says that the aircraft will be able to operate a full payload in both directions to New York, although there could be restrictions in the winter months. This flight will replace the existing Manila-Vancouver-New York flight. Manila-Vancouver will then be operated by Boeing 777-300ERs as a direct turnaround service.
The carrier will receive two additional A350s in 2019 and is considering additional USA services, either to Chicago or Seattle.
On other types, Perez says the carrier’s four new A321neos have performed well, especially to longer-haul destinations such as Sapporo, Brisbane, and Sydney. He says customer feedback has been positive and notes that the A321neo product resembles that of a wide-body, with full-flat seats in business class, a good seat pitch in economy, and seatback inflight entertainment.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that PAL’s A321neos have 168 seats, with 156 in economy and 12 in business. PAL has an additional 17 A321neos on order, with deliveries to run to 2023. Airbus has proposed the A321neoLR variant of the narrow body type, but Perez says that PAL is still assessing the business case for this.
(Greg Waldron - FlightGlobal News)
Thai Airways delays wide-body retirements to ease capacity issues
Thai Airways is postponing retiring some of its oldest wide-body aircraft to cover delays in its fleet acquisition plans and a capacity crunch caused by Boeing 787 groundings for unscheduled engine maintenance.
The Thailand flag carrier had planned to retire its remaining Boeing 747-400s over the next few years, VP-alliances and commercial strategy Krittaphon Chantalitanon said. However, it has extended the phaseout “for another year or so,” he told ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily on the sidelines of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines assembly in Jeju, South Korea on Oct. 19.
Thai has six passenger 747-400s remaining in service after retiring two earlier this year. Of the remainder, one will be phased out in 2019, one in 2020, two in 2021 and two in 2022.
Thai may also have to keep some older Boeing 777s in its fleet longer than planned. The carrier must either delay their retirement or phase them out, bringing in leased or used aircraft to provide short-term capacity, Chantalitanon said.
Thai is one of the many airlines that must progressively ground its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered 787s for unscheduled engine maintenance.
As of Oct. 19, four of Thai’s eight 787s were grounded for engine work, Chantalitanon said. The carrier hopes the number of aircraft grounded at once can be reduced, but it will still have some 787s out of action for the short term at least.
Thai has not yet had to adjust its schedule or cut flights because of the 787 engine issues as other airlines have done. However, the airline has operated a “very tight schedule” because of the groundings, and there have been many flight delays, Chantalitanon said.
Another reason for keeping the 747s and 777s longer is that no new aircraft deliveries are arriving. The last new delivery received was its 12th Airbus A350 earlier this year, and there are no more outstanding orders.
The carrier intends to place more orders, but this process has been delayed because of a government request for the airline to conduct another review of its acquisition plan and growth strategy. This review is likely to be completed by the end of this year, said Chantalitanon. However, even if an order is placed soon, it would still be at least a few years before new aircraft arrive.
When the acquisition plan was initially submitted to the government, it included the purchase of 23 aircraft. The government has asked for this plan to be resubmitted with more details about whether the aircraft are for growth or replacement, and what its expansion plans include.
The 23 aircraft in the submission were to be two-thirds wide-bodies and one-third narrow-bodies, Chantalitanon said. However, the total and mix may change slightly as a result of the review. No specific models have been selected yet, and if the plan is approved, an order would likely be placed in the first half of 2019, Chantalitanon said.
Thai cannot afford to postpone its fleet expansion plans for too much longer, Chantalitanon said. The carrier’s rivals are upgrading their fleets, and Thai must do the same to remain competitive with its premium product. The lack of fleet growth also means the carrier is focused more on consolidating its existing markets than adding new routes.
While the airline is not adding aircraft, it is taking steps to refresh its existing fleet. Thai is progressively upgrading the cabins on its Airbus A330s—three of 15 aircraft have been completed so far, he said. Five more are scheduled to be finished next year. One of the main features of the upgrade will be the introduction of a lie-flat seat in business class on the A330s.
The Thailand flag carrier had planned to retire its remaining Boeing 747-400s over the next few years, VP-alliances and commercial strategy Krittaphon Chantalitanon said. However, it has extended the phaseout “for another year or so,” he told ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily on the sidelines of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines assembly in Jeju, South Korea on Oct. 19.
Thai has six passenger 747-400s remaining in service after retiring two earlier this year. Of the remainder, one will be phased out in 2019, one in 2020, two in 2021 and two in 2022.
Thai may also have to keep some older Boeing 777s in its fleet longer than planned. The carrier must either delay their retirement or phase them out, bringing in leased or used aircraft to provide short-term capacity, Chantalitanon said.
Thai is one of the many airlines that must progressively ground its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered 787s for unscheduled engine maintenance.
As of Oct. 19, four of Thai’s eight 787s were grounded for engine work, Chantalitanon said. The carrier hopes the number of aircraft grounded at once can be reduced, but it will still have some 787s out of action for the short term at least.
Thai has not yet had to adjust its schedule or cut flights because of the 787 engine issues as other airlines have done. However, the airline has operated a “very tight schedule” because of the groundings, and there have been many flight delays, Chantalitanon said.
Another reason for keeping the 747s and 777s longer is that no new aircraft deliveries are arriving. The last new delivery received was its 12th Airbus A350 earlier this year, and there are no more outstanding orders.
The carrier intends to place more orders, but this process has been delayed because of a government request for the airline to conduct another review of its acquisition plan and growth strategy. This review is likely to be completed by the end of this year, said Chantalitanon. However, even if an order is placed soon, it would still be at least a few years before new aircraft arrive.
When the acquisition plan was initially submitted to the government, it included the purchase of 23 aircraft. The government has asked for this plan to be resubmitted with more details about whether the aircraft are for growth or replacement, and what its expansion plans include.
The 23 aircraft in the submission were to be two-thirds wide-bodies and one-third narrow-bodies, Chantalitanon said. However, the total and mix may change slightly as a result of the review. No specific models have been selected yet, and if the plan is approved, an order would likely be placed in the first half of 2019, Chantalitanon said.
Thai cannot afford to postpone its fleet expansion plans for too much longer, Chantalitanon said. The carrier’s rivals are upgrading their fleets, and Thai must do the same to remain competitive with its premium product. The lack of fleet growth also means the carrier is focused more on consolidating its existing markets than adding new routes.
While the airline is not adding aircraft, it is taking steps to refresh its existing fleet. Thai is progressively upgrading the cabins on its Airbus A330s—three of 15 aircraft have been completed so far, he said. Five more are scheduled to be finished next year. One of the main features of the upgrade will be the introduction of a lie-flat seat in business class on the A330s.
(Adrian Schofield - ATWOnline News)
Hawaiian’s 3Q net income up 31%; A321neo deliveries ‘back on track’
Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321-271N (c/n 8157) N214HA "Kului" on short final to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) on October 18, 2018.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
Hawaiian Airlines reported a 3Q net profit of $93.5 million, up 31% compared to net profit of $71.6 million in the same period a year earlier.
Hawaiian CEO Peter Ingram described this as a “solid” performance, but still short of expectations mainly because of severe weather events in Hawaii and Japan that affected operations. Operating profit fell 31.5% to $115.8 million.
Revenue for the quarter was up 6% to $759 million, with passenger revenue up 4.3%. Operating costs rose 17.6% to $643.3 million. Hawaiian’s capacity increased by 8.1% in the third quarter, with yield down 1.7% and passenger unit revenue dropping 3.6%.
The carrier expects fourth-quarter capacity to be up 4.5%-6.5%, and full-year capacity is forecast to grow by 5.5%-6.5%. For next year, capacity growth is expected to be less than in 2018.
Hawaiian said its A321neo deliveries have caught up to their planned timetable following delays earlier this year, which will allow the airline to phase out its remaining Boeing 767s in early 2019.
A321neo deliveries are now “substantially back on track,” Ingram said during the carrier’s 3Q earnings call Oct. 23. The airline expects to have 11 of these aircraft by the end of this year, which was its target before delays occurred in the first half of the year. Hawaiian currently has nine A321neos.
The delivery slowdown was caused by issues with the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engine that also affected other airlines. However, Ingram said the carrier now has “a lot more confidence” in the reliability of the delivery timetable. Delivery dates are typically moving by just a few days or a week, a major improvement from the uncertainty in the first quarter.
Hawaiian has grown its A321neo fleet to the point that it will be able to retire all its 767s soon after the Christmas/New Year holiday peak, Ingram said. This will mean the airline has simplified its fleet to three types—the A321neos, A330s and Boeing 717s. The Hawaiian fleet is now “better positioned now than at any time in the past decade,” Ingram said.
Regarding Hawaiian’s application for antitrust approval for a joint venture with Japan Airlines, Ingram said the “working expectation” is that a decision will come in early 2019. This would open the way for the joint venture to be implemented later next year.
(Adrian Schofield - ATWOnline News)
JetBlue posts $50 million 3Q profit as fares, ancillary revenues rise
New York-based LCC JetBlue Airways, reacting to a 37% year-over-year (YOY) increase in fuel prices, doubled down on its plan to “improve our earnings, particularly in the areas we can control,” CEO Robin Hayes said in a third-quarter earnings call Oct. 23.
“We are taking actions to recapture higher fuel costs through price, both with fare increases over recent months and through higher ancillary revenue initiatives,” Hayes said. “We are on track to hit our 2018 CASM ex-fuel guidance, despite pulling capacity in both the third and fourth quarters to adjust to higher fuel prices.”
JetBlue EVP-commercial & panning Marty St. George said the airline’s flown capacity for the third quarter grew by 8.7% and fourth quarter capacity growth is expected to be between 7.5% and 9.5%. “Given the 2.9 points of lost capacity from hurricanes in the fourth quarter of 2017, our schedule-to-schedule capacity growth is approximately 6% for the fourth quarter of 2018,” St. George said. “[It] includes a previously announced 2 point ASM growth reduction to mitigate the impact of higher oil, [which] follows the 0.5 point reduction related to the third quarter.”
The airline posted a $50 million net profit for the third quarter, down 72.1% from a $181 million net profit in the 3Q 2017. While total revenues increased 10.5% to $2 billion, JetBlue’s operating expenses rose 28.1%, to $1.9 billion, with fuel and related taxes rising 48.4% YOY, from $347 million to $515 million. The carrier paid $2.32 per gallon, a 36.6% increase over the 3Q 2017 cost. The airline will hedge about 7.7% of its fuel for the 2018 fourth quarter and first quarter of 2019—32 million gallons total—and expects its 4Q per-gallon price to be between $2.25-$2.45.
JetBlue reported $83 million in operating income for the quarter, down 73.6 % YOY. Its operating margin was 4.1%, a 13.2-point drop from a 17.3% operating margin in the year-ago quarter.
Passenger traffic increased 9.7% YOY to 13.4 billion RPMs, as capacity grew 8.7% to 15.6 billion ASMs, producing an 85.9% load factor for the quarter, up 0.8 point YOY. The carrier’s 3Q RASM was 12.91 cents, up 1.7%, while CASM-ex was 8.27 cents, up 3.2% YOY. Yield increased 1% YOY to 14.53 cents.
In the fourth quarter, JetBlue’s Airbus A320s will fly 53% of available ASMs, with its A321 Mint-configured aircraft next at 20%, followed by its “all-core” A321s at 16%, and its Embraer E190s at 11%. Three A321ceos are expected for delivery by year-end; at which point JetBlue’s fleet will comprise 253 aircraft: 130 A320s, 35 Mint-configured A321s, 28 high-density A321s, and 60 E190s.
A significant step in JetBlue’s strategy to increase margins came Oct. 9, when the airline announced network reallocations set for early 2019 that will fortify networks in its three primary focus cities, Boston, New York-JFK and Fort Lauderdale.
“We’re relocating underperforming routes … and expect revenue benefits of $100 million to $120 million by 2020,” St. George said. “We will be closing three cities, Washington Dulles, St. Croix and Daytona Beach. We plan to convert a fourth city, Portland, Maine, to seasonal service. And we are reducing frequencies to Mexico City from both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. We do not take these changes lightly, as we know these relocations impact a number of our crew members.”
“With the uptick in fuel in the second half of the year, I think JetBlue has been very proactive on capacity reductions,” Hayes said, when an asked about expectations for margin expansion in 2019. “We’ve been very proactive on fare increases, we’ve been very proactive on ancillary revenue changes … wherever we can [to] mitigate the cost of higher fuel.”
Hayes emphasized the company has the network building blocks and structural cost programs in place to reach its $2.50-$3.00 EPS goals by 2020. “Many of those start to kick in, in early 2019,” Hayes said. “We are very confident that we will see absolute margin expansion in 2019, even if fuel was to rise from here.”
“We are taking actions to recapture higher fuel costs through price, both with fare increases over recent months and through higher ancillary revenue initiatives,” Hayes said. “We are on track to hit our 2018 CASM ex-fuel guidance, despite pulling capacity in both the third and fourth quarters to adjust to higher fuel prices.”
JetBlue EVP-commercial & panning Marty St. George said the airline’s flown capacity for the third quarter grew by 8.7% and fourth quarter capacity growth is expected to be between 7.5% and 9.5%. “Given the 2.9 points of lost capacity from hurricanes in the fourth quarter of 2017, our schedule-to-schedule capacity growth is approximately 6% for the fourth quarter of 2018,” St. George said. “[It] includes a previously announced 2 point ASM growth reduction to mitigate the impact of higher oil, [which] follows the 0.5 point reduction related to the third quarter.”
The airline posted a $50 million net profit for the third quarter, down 72.1% from a $181 million net profit in the 3Q 2017. While total revenues increased 10.5% to $2 billion, JetBlue’s operating expenses rose 28.1%, to $1.9 billion, with fuel and related taxes rising 48.4% YOY, from $347 million to $515 million. The carrier paid $2.32 per gallon, a 36.6% increase over the 3Q 2017 cost. The airline will hedge about 7.7% of its fuel for the 2018 fourth quarter and first quarter of 2019—32 million gallons total—and expects its 4Q per-gallon price to be between $2.25-$2.45.
JetBlue reported $83 million in operating income for the quarter, down 73.6 % YOY. Its operating margin was 4.1%, a 13.2-point drop from a 17.3% operating margin in the year-ago quarter.
Passenger traffic increased 9.7% YOY to 13.4 billion RPMs, as capacity grew 8.7% to 15.6 billion ASMs, producing an 85.9% load factor for the quarter, up 0.8 point YOY. The carrier’s 3Q RASM was 12.91 cents, up 1.7%, while CASM-ex was 8.27 cents, up 3.2% YOY. Yield increased 1% YOY to 14.53 cents.
In the fourth quarter, JetBlue’s Airbus A320s will fly 53% of available ASMs, with its A321 Mint-configured aircraft next at 20%, followed by its “all-core” A321s at 16%, and its Embraer E190s at 11%. Three A321ceos are expected for delivery by year-end; at which point JetBlue’s fleet will comprise 253 aircraft: 130 A320s, 35 Mint-configured A321s, 28 high-density A321s, and 60 E190s.
A significant step in JetBlue’s strategy to increase margins came Oct. 9, when the airline announced network reallocations set for early 2019 that will fortify networks in its three primary focus cities, Boston, New York-JFK and Fort Lauderdale.
“We’re relocating underperforming routes … and expect revenue benefits of $100 million to $120 million by 2020,” St. George said. “We will be closing three cities, Washington Dulles, St. Croix and Daytona Beach. We plan to convert a fourth city, Portland, Maine, to seasonal service. And we are reducing frequencies to Mexico City from both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. We do not take these changes lightly, as we know these relocations impact a number of our crew members.”
“With the uptick in fuel in the second half of the year, I think JetBlue has been very proactive on capacity reductions,” Hayes said, when an asked about expectations for margin expansion in 2019. “We’ve been very proactive on fare increases, we’ve been very proactive on ancillary revenue changes … wherever we can [to] mitigate the cost of higher fuel.”
Hayes emphasized the company has the network building blocks and structural cost programs in place to reach its $2.50-$3.00 EPS goals by 2020. “Many of those start to kick in, in early 2019,” Hayes said. “We are very confident that we will see absolute margin expansion in 2019, even if fuel was to rise from here.”
(Mark Nensel - ATWOnline News)
Qatar’s cargo operations goes transpacific
Qatar Airways Cargo Boeing 777-FDZ (62085/1410) A7-BFJ on short final to Rwy 25L at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on November 20, 2017.
(Photo by Michael Carter)
(Photo by Michael Carter)
Fast-expanding Qatar Airways Cargo has begun operating services to Macau and onward to North America.
Macau is the airline’s fourth freighter destination in Greater China, with the 2X-weekly services to the southern Chinese city acting as a hopping-off point across the Pacific. The service will be operated by a Boeing 777F.
China and the Americas are key markets for Qatar Airways Cargo, with many of the major industrial and manufacturing centers in the Guangdong province of China located on the Macau side of the Pearl River Delta. Electronics, garments and e-commerce goods are major exports from Macau, while imports into the former Portuguese colony consist primarily of consumer goods.
“We have launched our newest freighter destination, Macau, just in time for the holiday season when air freight demand is high and the market is strong,” Qatar Airways chief officer cargo Guillaume Halleux said. The airline said its cargo arm is now the second-largest dedicated freighter company in the world.
“The new services will connect manufacturing industries and exporters from the region to North America directly and quickly, without requiring a stopover at our hub in Doha,” Halleux added.
In North America, the carrier has a network of nine freighter destinations and 11 belly-hold cargo destinations.
From Macau, the new service operates to Los Angeles and Mexico City. On the return leg, the freighter flies over the Atlantic to Liege, Belgium, before arriving at the carrier’s hub in Doha. One hundred tonnes of cargo capacity is offered on each flight leg.
(Alan Dron - ATWOnline News)
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