Falklands Islanders Upgrading to Garmin Flight Decks

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

(Photo: Figas)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Chris Kjelgaard - AINOnline News)

Cirrus Aircraft Wins Collier Trophy for SF50 Vision Jet

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Chad Trautvetter - AINOnline News)

Deer Jet Obtains U.S. FAA Repair Station Approval

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

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

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

(Kerry Lynch - AINOnline News)

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

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

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

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

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

(Chad Trautvetter - AINOnline News)

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

(Hi Fly)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(David Kaminski-Morrow - FlightGlobal News) 

India’s Jet Airways orders 75 more MAX aircraft

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

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

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

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

(Linda Blachly- ATWOnline News)

Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia terminate partnership

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Adrian Schofield - Aviation Week / ATWOnline News)

Lufthansa Cargo to market Brussels Airlines’ cargo space

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

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

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

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

(Kurt Hofmann - ATWOnline News)

Southwest eyes adding US gateways to international destinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Aaron Karp - Aviation Daily / ATWOnline News)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Andrew McIntosh - Puget Sound Business Journal)

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

(Photos by Michael Carter)

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

Southwest CEO says he hasn't talked to Warren Buffett about a sale to Berkshire Hathaway

If Warren Buffett is interested in buying Southwest Airlines, he's not telling the airline's CEO directly.

Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said Tuesday that he hasn't talked to Buffett since the Berkshire Hathaway CEO sparked speculation with a comment that he wouldn't rule out owning an entire airline.

Berkshire Hathaway already owns 8.1% of Southwest, making it the Dallas airline's second-biggest shareholder behind Primecap Management Co. Berkshire Hathaway also holds major stakes in American, Delta and United airlines.

Some analysts and columnists argue that Southwest could be the financier's most logical target because of its low-cost business model, investment-grade credit rating, and potential for growth. It wouldn't be cheap, however — Southwest's market value is around $33 billion.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, didn't immediately comment.

Buffett's company is sitting on about $116 billion in cash, and he has said the company could make one or two "huge" acquisitions.

Kelly said Southwest talks regularly to all its shareholders including Berkshire Hathaway, "but obviously I can't speak for them or what their interest might be."

Kelly made the comments to reporters after a ceremony marking the opening of a $250 million building to house 2,000 employees and Southwest's pilot-training center.

Southwest hopes to get federal certification that it needs to fly to Hawaii in time to start flights by year end, although they could be pushed back into 2019. Kelly said Southwest is "strongly considering" augmenting flights from California with service between the Hawaiian islands — a bold challenge to Hawaiian Airlines, which dominates intra-island service.

Kelly also said he is not opposed to bullet trains running between Dallas and Houston — a cornerstone route for Southwest — unless the trains receive taxpayer subsidies, which he said would be unfair competition.

(David Koenig - The Associated Press) 

Southwest in Talks With Boeing for Additional 737 Max Jet Orders

Southwest Airlines Co. is considering an order for “more than a handful” of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max aircraft as the nation’s largest discount carrier benefits from lower tax rates and expanding travel demand.

Discussions with Boeing are ongoing, Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said Tuesday without specifying a number for a potential order. The CEO reaffirmed that the airline would potentially add as many as 500 more planes in the long-term future.

Kelly’s comments underscored Southwest’s plans for growth as it experiences a dip in its fleet after retiring a group of its oldest 737s late last year. The CEO said in December that Southwest intended to use some savings from the reduction in corporate tax rates to expand its 706-plane fleet or replace aging aircraft.

“I don’t expect that we would have access to any more deliveries this year, so it probably would begin no earlier than next year,” Kelly said at the opening of the carrier’s new $250 million pilot training and flight operations center. “With the extra capital, we are working on ways to better serve our customers and the first place we want to look is to continue to modernize our fleet.”

Outstanding Orders

Southwest has 227 unfilled orders for the Max, the newest version of Boeing’s best-selling jet, according to Boeing’s website. The carrier, which was the launch customer for the upgraded 737, has taken deliveries of 13 of the aircraft so far. Southwest is the largest operator of Boeing 737s.

The airline in January converted existing options to firm orders for 40 Max 8 aircraft, while delaying deliveries of 23 Max 7s, the smaller variant, until 2023 and 2024. Taking the additional Max 8 planes in 2019 and 2020 means Southwest will receive some of that model every year through 2025.

The carrier remains on track to receive federal regulatory approval to operate flights from the U.S. west coast to Hawaii, Kelly said. If certification is received by October, Southwest should fly to the island state by the end of this year, he said, “but there are no assurances that will happen.”

Southwest plans to serve “multiple” destinations in Hawaii and still is considering flights among the islands, an idea that “we’ve become more intrigued with,” Kelly said.

(Mary Schlangenstein - Bloomberg News)

Boeing Considers Turning Used 777s Into Cargo Planes

Boeing is considering whether to convert used 777 passenger jets into freighters, seeking to capitalize as booming e-commerce sales spur new demand for air freight worldwide, people familiar with the matter said.

While Boeing has studied retrofitting the used wide-bodies for more than a decade, the effort has taken on new life in recent months as air cargo finally emerged from its recession-era slump, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. The new product would also fuel sales at a new global services division as Boeing works to more than triple the unit’s $15 billion in annual revenue over the next 10 years.

Offering revamped versions of the 777-200ERs would expand Boeing’s catalog of freighters but risk cannibalizing sales of factory-fresh jets at more than double the price. Demand for conversions is growing as online shopping surges and package couriers seek lower-cost alternatives to buying new planes. Air freight is expected to climb 4.5 percent this year, after gaining 9 percent in 2017, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Boeing’s freighter lineup currently includes versions of its single-aisle 737 and of the company’s wide-bodies, except for the 787 Dreamliner. Europe’s Airbus also is exploring an expansion of its cargo offerings with a version of its slow-selling A330neo twin-aisle jet.

Dan Mosely, a Boeing spokesman, declined to comment on its plans for retrofitting 777s but said first-quarter sales of the company’s factory-built freighters were double the total for all of last year.

“Across our portfolio of commercial airplanes and services, we are always looking at how we can provide more value to our customers,” he said by email.

A looming wave of retirements for Boeing’s older cargo haulers, such as the three-engine MD-11 flown by FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc., is expected to squeeze cargo capacity in coming years. Meanwhile, prices for used 777s are falling to the point at which they could be affordably remade to haul packages instead of people.

Balancing Act

Still, deciding to retrofit the old jetliners isn’t a slam-dunk. Boeing doesn’t want to cut into sales of factory-built 777 freighters, which will be critical to filling its order book as the company shifts toward an upgraded 777X line through the early 2020s.

“They’ve been talking about a -200ER conversion program for over a decade,” said George Dimitroff, head of valuations at Flight Ascend Consultancy. “It’s doable, and there is available and very cheap feedstock out there. The issue is the conversion cost is too high -- we’re talking around $30 million.”

For starters, a passenger jet’s composite floor beams would need to be replaced with metal ones. Then there is the delicate surgery of cutting large cargo doors into the side of the fuselage, requiring engineers to reroute critical flight-control cables that are in the way on the 777-200ER.

Another Option

The process would be somewhat simpler on a long-range sibling, the -200LR, which is better prepared for freight conversion from the outset, Dimitroff said. But Boeing has sold far more of the -200ER: 422, compared with 59 for the -200LR.

Prices are falling for used 777-200ERs as airlines replace them with the 787 and the Airbus A350, lowering the overall cost of feedstock aircraft and making conversions more economically feasible. The going rate to customers for the converted freighters would be about $60 million, while a new cargo plane costs about $150 million, after customary discounts, Dimitroff estimated.

“I don’t think Boeing wants to make the conversion any cheaper -- even if they knew how -- because they want to sell new 777 freighters,” he said.

(Benjamin D Katz and Julie Johnsson - Bloomberg News)

Boeing 787-10 technical description

Boeing has closed the 15-year-long development phase of the 787 family of aircraft with the delivery of the third and – for at least another decade – final major variant of the Dreamliner to launch customer Singapore Airlines.

The Star Alliance carrier has taken delivery of an aircraft that serves as a visual metaphor for the rise, fall and rebound of Boeing's most significant development effort in two decades. In design and execution, the 787-10 represents equally the breathless ambition of Boeing's original vision for the Dreamliner and the sober, risk-averse spirit that gripped the program after the troubled development and entry into service of the 787-8.

The largest of the three variants boasts the same advanced technologies – electrical, structural and aerodynamic – that make the 787 different from anything Boeing had attempted before or since. At the same time, the 787-10 cedes a 2,000nm (3,700km)-range advantage to its nearest competitor, Airbus's comparably sized A350-900. In exchange, Boeing offers customers – and, not least, itself – the economic advantage of an almost extreme degree of commonality, with about 95% of the 787-9 part numbers reused on the 787-10.

Although it has less range, the 787-10 is no less ambitious than its rival in the market, offering to replace an aging world fleet of A330-300s, A340s and 777-200s.

While Airbus dismisses the 787-10 as a hasty and conservative reaction to the first glimpse of its A350-900, Boeing calls it the most efficient wide-body aircraft it has ever built – one that is still capable of operating 90% of the existing routes served by airlines with an aircraft in its size class.

As a double-stretch of the original 787-8, Boeing pushed the type's computerized flight controls to compensate for the impact of the additional length of the fuselage, in the process inventing a new approach to damping flutter.

The official end of the 787-10 development phase came on 19 January, when the US Federal Aviation Administration awarded Boeing an amended type certificate. The document validated a nine-month-long test program which consumed 900 flight hours and paused only for one of the three 787-10s to make marketing appearances at the Paris and Dubai air shows. "We predicted a quiet test program and we delivered," Boeing's 787 vice-president Bob Whittington told journalists in January.

As a stretched derivative, the 787-10's most important feature is its fuselage length, which is 68.3m (224ft). That makes it almost 4.5m longer than the 777-200 and nearly 5.5m lengthier than the 787-9. Compared with the latter, the extra length is achieved by inserting a 3.04m plug forward of the wing and a 2.43m plug aft of the wing.

It was the length of the forward plug that dictated Boeing's decision to assemble the 787-10 exclusively in North Charleston, South Carolina. For 787-8s and 787-9s assembled in Everett, Washington, completed mid-fuselage sections are flown from North Charleston on the 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF). But the 3.04m extension makes the 787-10 mid-fuselage too long to fit inside the LCF's bulbous payload bay.

The impact of the double stretch, of course, extended beyond the logistics. The nearly 5.5m of extra length means the aircraft can carry four to five more rows in the economy cabin compared with the 787-9. It also adds 38.2m3 of volume in the cargo bays below the main deck.

While the impact of the additional structure on the empty weight of the 787-10 is still unknown – as Boeing has not yet released this metric – it is likely that the empty weight increased at a slightly lower rate than the stretch between the 787-8 and 787-9, when the fuselage length increased by 10.7% and the empty weight grew by 7.42%. Boeing introduced extensive design changes on the 787-9 to reduce structural weight and simplify the assembly process.

Although the empty weight is still unknown, the metric for maximum take-off weight (MTOW) has been a key selling point since the 787-10 program was launched. Despite the 8.71% increase in fuselage length, the 787-10 was certificated with the same MTOW as the 787-9. While the empty weight defines an aircraft's structural efficiency, the MTOW drives the structural design based on the maximum loads. By keeping the MTOW common between the two variants, Boeing minimized the list of structural changes required for certification.

With the exception of the fuselage plugs, the -9 and -10 are structurally nearly identical. All three variants share a 60.1m wingspan and 5.49m cabin width. The additional length of the -10 required Boeing to strengthen the wing in a few spots, Whittington says. To keep the production process as common as possible between the two variants, Boeing made the same changes to the wing of the -9.

"That really made sense to make them backwards compatible to the -9," Whittington says. "It was a small amount of strengthening. It didn’t impact the flight test or the performance."

The same philosophy was applied to the hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) system. The concept of HLFC has been known about for decades. Airflow over any surface – such as a vertical fin or horizontal tail – at some point transitions from laminar to turbulent. Delaying the critical moment of transition as long as possible is a goal of any aerodynamicist. Beginning on the 787-9, Boeing installed an HLFC system to push the transition to turbulent flow as far back along the surface as possible.

Boeing's concept relies on the principle of passive suction. As a door opens in the middle of the vertical fin, airflow approaching the leading edge is drawn through holes in the fin instead of around it. As the air exhausts through the door, it creates a low-pressure field that delays the onset of turbulent flow. The holes in the leading edge are difficult to discern with the naked eye, but the saloon-style swinging doors on the side are visible on the 787-9 and -10.

Similar doors could be found initially in the horizontal tail of the early 787-9. As the design of the 787-10 was frozen, Boeing determined the benefit of using the system in the horizontal tail did not justify the extra cost and complexity. Adding to the commonality theme, the HLFC has been dropped from the horizontal tails of both variants, but it remains in the vertical fin.

Only one new technology is known to be unique in the 787-10. This is called the flaps up vertical mode suppression system (F0VMS, including a numerical zero). The European Aviation Safety Agency refers to the -10's F0VMS as the first "active modal suppression system for flutter compliance" in a commercial aircraft. Both EASA and the FAA developed a special condition to allow Boeing to certificate the airworthiness of the F0VMS in the absence of existing regulations to follow.

The existence of the F0VMS on the 787-10 is another example of how far Boeing was willing to push technology to maximize commonality with the 787-9 on the production line. With a longer fuselage than the -9 but an identical wing, the flutter margin for the wing on the 787-10 was inherently reduced. It is a familiar issue in aircraft design, but one with a textbook solution: either increase the torsional stiffness of the wing or add wingtip ballast weights. However, Boeing rejected both options because "they do not meet [the company's] business objectives", the FAA wrote in 2016, as part of the agency's special-condition justification for the F0VMS.

Instead of a traditional hardware solution, Boeing proposed to use software to achieve the same effect, restoring the 787-10's margin for flutter dampening to acceptable levels. In flaps-up mode only, the system activates by oscillating the elevators. As a software fix with structural implications, the F0VMS is not unlike the original 787's vertical gust load alleviation system, which adapted flight controls to offset the rollercoaster effect of vertical gusts. As a result, regulators allowed Boeing to design a lighter wing than would otherwise be required.

Software again proved useful with the sizing of the horizontal tails. As a stretch of the 787-9, textbook aircraft design would suggest the 787-10 would need larger horizontal stabilizers, offsetting the effect of the longer fuselage on pitch control. Instead, Boeing engineer Vedad Mahmulyin used software to increase the effectiveness of the existing stabilizers. Boeing gave Mahmulyin an internal engineering award for solving the problem. The software-based approach saved Boeing the cost and time of developing and testing new stabilizers for the 787-10, while also maximizing commonality with the smaller -9.

All of this effort to maximize commonality renders the 787-10 design unusually optimized for the payload and range specifications on paper today. Many Boeing models are designed with a margin to provide the option of higher-gross-weight versions, but it is not clear that the 787-10 has that ability.

"We are always looking at that. Our customers will tell us when they need a little extra," Whittington says. "This airplane is point-designed for the strength of the wing matching the landing gear, matching the engine thrust. I don't foresee significant changes. But we will continue to look to see if the market needs a couple thousand pounds more gross take-off weight, and we'll continue those studies."

Facing a four-digit shortfall on nautical-mile range against the A350-900, Boeing does not seem particularly motivated to close that gap with the 787-10. Instead, customers face a choice of buying either an aircraft with similar range and 20-40 fewer seats (the 787-9) now or one with better range and 20-40 more seats (the 777-8) in about four years.

If not on range, the 787-10 will continue to evolve in other ways. When the 777 introduced a new interior architecture 20 years ago, Boeing reapplied the same concept in the 767. Airbus adopted a similar approach with the A350 and the A330. The 787 pioneered several major advancements in cabin design, including larger windows, higher humidity and larger luggage bins. As the 777X arrives in service in 2020, Boeing has the opportunity to backfill new technologies on the 787 family.

"That's something we're always looking at: to take it to the next level, the highest level," says Tarun Hazari, regional director of marketing for Boeing. "I'm not saying it's going to happen. But it's something we’ve done historically, and it wouldn't surprise me if we did."

(Stephen Trimble - FlightGlobal News)

Alaska Airlines ending several California routes

Alaska Airlines Airbus A320-214 (c/n 2800) N625AV (ex-Virgin America "Jefferson Airplane") on short final to Rwy 25L at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX) on February 7, 2018.
(Photo by Michael Carter)

Alaska Airlines is ending service on several California routes as it looks to both cut underperforming routes and harmonize its schedule with merger partner Virgin America.

Four routes are from San Francisco, where non-stops to Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Mexico City will end by mid-June. Another San Francisco route — to Cancun — ended this month.

Two routes from Southern California — Los Angeles-Orlando and San Diego-Mexico City — will be discontinued by summer.

The adjustments come as the lucrative California market has become increasingly competitive, especially since Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Virgin America made it one of the top carriers in the state.

Alaska Airlines said the changes don’t indicate a pullback. Spokeswoman Ann Johnson said Alaska has added 34 new routes from the state since the Virgin America deal closed in December 2016. Of the additions made since then, only four are being discontinued. “That’s a pretty great success rate,” Johnson said.

Other routes that are ending — such as Denver-San Francisco — were launched by Virgin America prior to the merger. Those markets, Johnson said, are being eliminated as part of an effort “to optimize the schedule” as the carriers’ operations are blended together.

(Ben Mutzabaugh - USA Today / Today in the Sky) 

Gulfstream G550 (c/n 5321) N887MM

N887MM, ex-N891E taxies to Rwy 30 at Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) for a short flight to John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA/KSNA) this morning, April 2, 2018.

(Photos by Michael Carter)

Air Belgium to launch first service April 16

Rendering of Air Belgium A340-300
(Air Belgium)

New Belgian airline, Air Belgium, will begin ticket sales April 3 for flights set to launch April 16. Initial flights will serve Hong Kong from the carrier’s base at Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Later Air Belgium will fly to mainland China.

Air Belgium is 49.995% owned by a company called Aviation Investment Holding NV., which is likely held by Chinese and Russian interests previously known to be involved in the project.

Other major investors are Belgian national and regional government companies.

The carrier has been set up with investment from China’s largest travel agency, UTour, which expects to feed it with passengers, according to an industry source in China familiar with the business plan. Other non-Belgian partners include Russian interests, the source said.

Adding an airline business to core activities is expected to be a trend in the Chinese travel agency business.

Aviation Investment Holding will be represented on the Air Belgium board by directors Peter Yip, Alexey Sumchenko and Mikko Rautio, the airline said, detailing its ownership.

But Air Belgium must have majority Belgian ownership if it is to use the traffic rights of its home country. That nationality is evidently supplied by the other shareholders, which, ranked by size, are: 3T Management & Associates BVBA (with 19.993%), regional government investor Societe Regionale d’Investissement de Wallonie NV (12.501%), national government investor Federale Participatie- en Investeringsmaatschappij NV (12.501%) and Sabena Aerospace NV (5.01%).

(Bradley Perrett - Aviation Week / ATWOnline News)

Hawaiian ready to compete with Southwest in Hawaii, CEO says in Q&A

From its perch in the Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines has recovered from bankruptcy filings in the 1990s and 2000s to carve out a profitable niche flying vacationers from the West Coast and Asia to the 50th state.

Peter Ingram, who joined Hawaiian in 2005, was elevated from chief commercial officer to CEO in March, succeeding longtime leader Mark Dunkerley.

Ingram spoke recently to The Associated Press about increasing competition, plans to expand Asia service, and the difficulty of marketing the airline to investors when its headquarters are closer to Tokyo than New York. Ingram says airlines are in better financial shape today but they're still vulnerable to economic ups and downs.

The answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q. How are you settling in?

So far, so good. I've been with Hawaiian for over 12 years, so in some respects it is sliding over into a new chair as opposed to being parachuted into a completely new situation, and that's helpful.

Q. What are the top items on your to-do list?

One of the most important things that we're doing this year is bringing the A321neo into our fleet. We have endured some delivery delays in terms of getting those airplanes in, so some of (my) time has been occupied with trying to manage the uncertainties around aircraft deliveries. One of the other big strategic opportunities that we have is our partnership with Japan Airlines, which is reaching an important milestone this weekend with the first code-share flights (each airline can sell seats on some of the other's flights and share the revenue). We have spent much of the past nine months or so negotiating the terms of a joint-venture agreement.

Q. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker says the industry is so strong that he doesn't expect to ever lose money again. Would you make that promise about Hawaiian?

Doug has had to answer for that quote so many times that I'm probably not going to bite and set myself up for two years of questions about it. I think there are a number of things that are fundamentally different about the industry today that position us better for the future. Airlines are much stronger financially, we have generally stronger balance sheets, strong cash flow, and that is allowing people to make long-term decisions that are sensible. We are still susceptible to economic swings and we are still exposed to currency and commodity volatility, but I do agree with the notion that from a financial-performance perspective, the highs should be higher and the lows should be less low as we go through an economic cycle.

Q. Southwest Airlines is about to start flying to Hawaii. Does that scare you?

It doesn't. We think Southwest is a great airline and we are envious of a 40-plus-year track record of profitability, but it's really not something new for us to have competitors coming into the market. A few years ago we had Allegiant start service to Hawaii and I remember a lot of the investment analysts that cover our stock were sort of prophesizing the immediate doom of Hawaiian Airlines. We've had Alaska coming into the market ... ATA was in the market as a low-cost carrier about a decade ago. There is a long list of competitors we have dealt with.

Q. Does your focus on leisure travel make you more vulnerable if the U.S. economy slumps?

If you look back to the time around the global financial crisis, leisure travel actually held up better than business travel. I don't think that is a fluke or an accident. People value their time off. Our guests don't necessarily live to work, they work to live. When companies are trying to control costs, an order can come out tomorrow that says 'We're cutting the travel budget 25%.' That is a very different dynamic than people making individual decisions about their leisure travel.

Q. Some U.S. airlines have had notable customer-service failures. Is air travel getting that much worse?

It's hard for me to tell how much of it is that traveling has become more difficult or that reporting has become better as everyone has become a photojournalist. Our airplanes are very full and that can create stress and tension sometimes and the overall travel experience — not so much on the airplane, but leading up to travel — can be stressful. (We should make) the transactions, whether it's checking in or checking a bag or getting through security, more seamless.

Q. You are in Honolulu, far from New York. Is it hard to get the attention of mainland investors?

It's absolutely still the case that we are less well-known and less understood by investors. People east of the Mississippi don't have a lot of opportunities to see Hawaiian Airlines flights. We are much better known on the West Coast. Our market capitalization, while still very small relative to other U.S. airlines and certainly the big four U.S. airlines, is much larger than it was, so that makes us more accessible to some investors than we used to be, but it is something we have to constantly work at.

(David Koenig - Associated Press / USA Today - Today in the Sky) 

Boeing awarded $1.1B for Super Hornets for Kuwait

Boeing was awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for production and services on F/A-18 Super Hornet variants for the government of Kuwait.

The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $1.165 billion under the terms of an undefined contract action.

The agreement enables Boeing to provide engineering services, along with radar warning receivers and aircraft armament equipment for the production and delivery of 22 F/A-18E Hornets and 6 F/A-18F Super Hornets.

Work on the contract will occur in multiple locations in the United States and is expected to be complete in September 2022.

More than $275.8 million will be obligated to Boeing at time of award from foreign military sales funds, the Department of Defense said.

The Pentagon says that none of the obligated funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

(James LaPorta - United Press International (UPI))