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HAMBURG (Reuters) – Airbus <EADSY> is considering producing a hybrid plane by 2035 as it strives for a low emission aircraft, its chief executive said.
CEO Guillaume Faury, speaking to journalists on Thursday evening in comments embargoed for Friday, said that the plans were at an early stage.
(Reporting by Jan C. Schwartz; Writing Tom Sims; Editing by Riham Alkousaa)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s air safety watchdog said IndiGo must do more to fix its aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, linked to in-flight shutdowns, as it fears the budget airline may not meet its Jan. 31 deadline to replace them.
Deliveries of new planes taken by IndiGo must be used to replace the aircraft that are fitted with the problem Pratt engines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday. Those planes should then be grounded until their engines are replaced with new ones, after which they can fly again.
Indigo is the biggest customer of Airbus A320neo jets.
The regulator’s move effectively prevents India’s top airline from expanding its network until it has replaced all the Pratt & Whitney engines.
United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney engines have consistently caused issues since they entered into service in 2016, forcing IndiGo to ground its planes several times.
In a recent review meeting with the airline, the DGCA felt that the steps taken by IndiGo so far to replace all the engines “do not instil enough confidence with regard to the timely completion of the said task”.
“If left unaddressed, we may find ourselves in a situation, in which, we remain saddled with large number of aircraft with unmodified engines … and we are left with the only option i.e. to ground them,” the regulator said in the statement.
On Nov. 1 the regulator had ordered the airline to replace all P&W engines on its fleet of almost 100 twin-engined Airbus A320neo family aircraft with new power units by Jan. 31, 2020.
If the replacement is not complete, all planes that still have unmodified engines will be grounded and could cause “large scale disruptions” in operations. The latest directive is aimed at preventing such a situation, the DGCA said.
IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, said the current schedule remains intact, and it is working with P&W and Airbus to meet the DGCA guidelines.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah, editing by Louise Heavens)
DUBAI, Nov 22 (Reuters) – The board of Rolls-Royce must urgently address its engine performance problems, the head of Dubai’s Emirates said, as the world’s largest buyer of wide-body jets weighs up who will power its order of Boeing 787 jets.
Emirates agreed to buy its first 787 Dreamliners in a last-minute, $9 billion deal at the Dubai Airshow on Wednesday, without specifying what engine would power it, while reducing its order for the U.S. planemaker’s delayed 777X model.
The 787’s, which can take either Rolls or rival GE Aviation’s GEnx engines, will be delivered to Emirates in 2023, a year later than a tentative purchase plan outlined two years ago.
That gives Rolls-Royce more time to sort out the durability issues in its Trent 1000 engines before Emirates believes a realistic competition can be held.
“Rolls have had a number of wake up calls and they really need to sort themselves out. I think the alarm clock has gone off a number of times,” Emirates President Tim Clark said at the Dubai Airshow.
“If I were on the board, I would be looking to recognise the issues… and deal with them immediately, meaningfully, forcefully and drive change,” he told reporters.
A spokeswoman for Rolls-Royce said it was proud that Emirates had chosen to order 50 Airbus A350s, powered by Rolls’ Trent XWB, in a deal announced this week.
“We are confident in the reliability and performance of our engines, and in our commitment to meeting the high standards expected by our customers,” the spokeswoman said.
“(Emirates) is one of the largest operators of our Trent engines in the world, and we are committed to maintaining our strong relationship with them.”
The Rolls-powered version of the 787 has been hit by repeated technical problems, leading to share price pressure and drawing criticism from airlines.
The engine maker’s chief executive Warren East said on Nov. 7 that the company would spend more on parts and replacement engines to reduce the time aircraft are grounded while turbine blades are replaced.
Clark said that the situation at Rolls was “salvageable” if board acted quickly and accepted the issues they were having.
“With the reputation that (Rolls) has for quality engineering and its excellence in the past, they must restore that as the gold standard,” he said.
He said his comments should not be read as a criticism of any individuals including East.
Clark has been a vocal critic of engine makers, saying in September he wouldn’t take new planes unless their engines were ready and said he was “a little bit irritated” by delays at Rolls and GE.
GE powers the 777X, which Emirates cut its order of on Wednesday after Boeing pushed back its entry into service, partly due to issues with its engines.
Clark said engine makers should only offer technology that was mature enough to work reliably in the demanding conditions of the Gulf, adding: “Don’t use (airlines) as guinea pigs”.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher, writing by Alistair Smout, Editing by Louise Heavens)
DUBAI (Reuters) – After insisting for 15 years that the superjumbo is the future, Emirates airline has been forced by the demise of the A380 to embrace smaller wide-body jets, resulting in a flurry of maneuvers between planemakers at this week’s Dubai Airshow.
The 555-seat A380 is near the end of production, setting off a series of interlocking deals as top buyer Emirates reviews its fleet against the backdrop of fragmenting travel demand. Delays in the 406-seat Boeing 777X also weighed in the shake-up.
“We have to face the reality of the cancellation of the (A380) program and the effect it has on our network, which is why we conducted a root and branch (review),” Emirates President Tim Clark told reporters at the airshow.
The double-decker A380 superjumbo and the big twin-engined Boeing 777, plus mid-sized 787s and A350s, were all spread out in front of VIP chalets – the queens, bishops and knights in a game of industry chess being played out across the globe.
Big jets tend to be profitable especially when full.
Periodically, the industry designs smaller planes that match both the range and efficiency of larger ones, allowing smaller pieces on the industry chess board to topple larger ones.
While reducing its remaining orders for A380s, Emirates placed an expanded order at the show for 50 Airbus A350s but shelved earlier plans to order the 330-seat A330neo, an upgrade of an earlier model.
It substituted part of an order for delayed 777X jets for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners – 10 fewer than originally planned in a tentative 2017 order – as part of a $25 billion order shake-up.
For passengers, the roughly 300-seat, lightweight mid-sized jets offer more choice and frequencies.
Many airlines say they can fly almost as profitably as the larger models but with less risk to the bottom line.
The downside? Planes fill more quickly and passengers can flee to other carriers. Airport congestion is also a concern.
Emirates insists the superhub model it pioneered – which takes advantage of Dubai’s location to capture global traffic using large aircraft – remains intact despite the new twist.
But the smaller planes allow some of its rivals to fly profitably with fewer commercial risks and this week’s deals imply Emirates no longer feels immune from such pressure.
“Given the changed environment, Emirates has been forced to adapt the tactics of some of the carriers they have been competing with,” said analyst Richard Aboulafia of Teal Group.
STALEMATE
The shift sparked frantic talks by planemakers to ensure their models were included in the new mix of Emirates’ mid-sized jets. Each suffered losses but the result was broadly a stalemate, analysts said.
Airbus suffered a setback with the loss of the A330neo at Emirates and may have to cut output, they said.
But it ensured its own A350 picked up the slack and won a ticket to any future contests to replace A380s still in service.
Boeing <BA.N> cemented a key win for the 787 after two years of uncertainty over the earlier provisional deal. But recent 777X delays opened the door to Emirates readjusting the blend in favor of the Airbus A350, at the expense of the 787.
Emirates’ decision to expand its A350 order coincided with cancellations for the same jet at Abu Dhabi’s struggling Etihad, prompting speculation of a politically balanced adjustment.
Airline officials strongly denied any link and Clark said planners had identified more room for future growth in revenues with the A350 than the A330neo, which would nonetheless remain “in the mix” for the future alongside more 777X purchases.
Analysts said the net result of reducing A380 and 777X orders and switching to smaller models was about 18,000 fewer seats on order than previously planned before the show,
which some analysts described as a response to overcapacity.
“Manufacturers have sold too many airplanes,” Adam Pilarski, senior vice-president at consultancy AVITAS, said.
While the spotlight fell on the Emirates wide-body order rejig, the Dubai show highlighted Boeing’s efforts to shore up confidence in its grounded 737 MAX with fresh sales and changes sweeping the narrow-body markets. Beefed-up single-aisle jets increasingly cover distances reserved for wide-bodies.
Sharjah’s Air Arabia <AIRA.DU> ordered 120 Airbus including 20 of the long-range 200-240-seat A321XLR. Sources say it may leapfrog northern Africa to fly non-stop as far as Casablanca, a mission currently served from neighboring Dubai by an Emirates A380.
“The single aisles are the pawns of the industry but very effective ones,” Rob Morris, head consultant at UK-based Ascend by Cirium, said.
(By Tim Hepher and Alexander Cornwell; Additional reporting by Ankit Ajmera; Editing by Susan Fenton)
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd <MHVYF> is confident that it has the technical and production know-how to build high-tech wings for Airbus SE <EADSY> jetliners, the chief executive of the Japanese conglomerate said on Wednesday.
MHI developed sophisticated production processes at its facility in Nagoya in the process of building wings for the Boeing Co <BA> 787 Dreamliner, Chief Executive Seiji Izumisawa said in an interview.
“We have accumulated expertise in producing aerostructures as a tier 1 supplier, so if the opportunity does present itself we will certainly be willing to consider it,” he said.
It is not yet clear whether Airbus plans to outsource wings on future jets, such as its next-generation single-aisle aircraft, which could come out in about a decade.
Such future work would be important to MHI in part because of Boeing’s decision to bring wing production back in-house on its latest jet, the 777X.
“We do have the capability to produce some pretty complicated components,” said Izumisawa, who said he was involved in developing the 787 wings.
(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low cost carrier, has signed a firm order for 120 Airbus aircraft comprising 73 A320neo’s, 27 A321neo’s and 20 A321XLR’s. The agreement was signed at the 2019 Dubai Airshow in the presence of Air Arabia’s Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer Air Arabia and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer.
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “Air Arabia’s fleet growth strategy has always been driven by commercial demand and we are glad to announce today one of the region’s largest single-aisle orders with Airbus to support our growth plans. This new milestone underpins not only our solid financial fundamentals but also the strength of our multi-hub growth strategy that we have adopted over the years while remaining focused on efficiency, performance and passenger experience.” He added: “The addition of the A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR complements our existing fleet and allows us to expand our service to farther and newer destinations while remaining loyal to our low-cost business model. We look forward to working with Airbus and receiving the first delivery.”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Air Arabia, this is a great endorsement for the A320neo Family which will allow the airline to tap into new markets. We are committed to supporting the fast expansion of Air Arabia and the region”
Air Arabia is an all Airbus operator with a total fleet of 54 A320 Family aircraft including the A321LR. All aircraft will feature a comfortable single-class cabin with one of the most generous seat pitches today.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A321LR which responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. From 2023, it will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm – 15% more than the A321LR and with 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft.
Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the best-selling A320neo Family, comprising the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo, deliver at least 20% reduced fuel burn as well as 50% less noise compared to previous generation aircraft, thanks to incorporating the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets. At the end of October 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 7,000 firm orders from over 110 customers worldwide.
Airbus and Emirates Airline have signed a purchase agreement for 50 A350-900s – Airbus’ newest generation widebody aircraft.
The order was signed at Dubai Airshow 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer.
HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “Today, we are pleased to sign a firm order for 50 A350 XWB’s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. This follows a thorough review of various aircraft options and of our own fleet plans. It is Emirates’ long-standing strategy to invest in modern and efficient aircraft, and we are confident in the performance of the A350 XWB.
“Complementing our A380’s and 777’s, the A350’s will give us added operational flexibility in terms of capacity, range and deployment. In effect, we are strengthening our business model to provide efficient and comfortable air transport services to, and through, our Dubai hub.”
Sheikh Ahmed added: “This deal reflects our confidence in the future of the UAE’s aviation sector, and is a strong affirmation of Dubai’s strategy to be a global nexus connected to cities, communities and economies via a world-class and modern aviation sector.”
“We are honoured by Emirates’ strong vote of confidence in our newest widebody aircraft, taking our partnership to the next level. The A350 will bring unbeatable economics and environmental benefits to their fleet,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to seeing the A350 flying in Emirates colours!”
The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments – up to ultra-long haul (17,900km). Its Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight flying experience. The aircraft features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies result in 25% lower operating costs, as well as 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared with previous-generation competing aircraft – demonstrating Airbus’ commitment to minimise its environmental impact while remaining at the cutting edge of air travel.
– Features night-vision goggle compatibility, Head-Up Displays and Synthetic Vision for mission success
– Advanced human-machine interface will reduce pilot workload
– Touch-screen capabilities to increase ease of operation
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Airbus’ new C295 tactical aircraft will come equipped with Collins Aerospace System’s state-of-the-art Pro Line Fusion™ flight deck, significantly advancing the capabilities of C295 operators. The selection marks the first fixed-wing search and rescue platform to include Pro Line Fusion among its standard equipment. Collins Aerospace is a unit of United Technologies Corp.
The Pro Line Fusion flight deck designed for the C295 includes key features to help operators during search and rescue, and other tactical missions, being equipped with:
In addition, the flight deck was designed to meet evolving airspace and regulatory requirements, future-proofing it for years to come.
“This flight deck implementation is a great example of how Collins Aerospace is able to apply the latest commercial avionics technology and integrate it with military functions and capabilities to create the perfect fit for our customers,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace. “Our Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system will reduce pilot workload and increase ease of operation for all future C295 operators.”
Canada’s Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will serve as the launch customer for the C295 with the first delivery expected before the end of the year.
DUBAI (Reuters) – An eight-month crisis over the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX jets and widespread industrial delays are setting an unpredictable backdrop to next week’s Dubai Airshow, with some airlines reviewing fleet plans even as others look for bargains.
The biennial civil and military expo is a major showcase for wares from jumbo jets to military drones but faces growing questions over demand and the capability of overstretched suppliers, delegates arriving for the Nov. 17-21 event said.
Top of their agenda will be the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX in the wake of two deadly crashes.
Investors who have pushed up Boeing <BA> shares believe the planemaker is turning a corner after the eight month grounding, with the company predicting commercial flights in January. But it also faces a logjam of undelivered jets that could take 1-2 years to unwind.
State-owned flydubai expects its fleet will now shrink by a third this year, highlighting the cost of the grounding for the biggest MAX customer outside the United States. “Flydubai has very big ambitions … given the scale of those ambitions, there’s little they can do but wait and watch, like everyone else,” said Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Boeing lost one potential MAX customer earlier this year as Saudi budget airline flyadeal ditched a provisional order.
Experts say airline frustrations with plane and engine makers could also disrupt plans by the world’s largest jetmakers pushing for order endorsements. The Middle East’s largest aerospace event will give Airbus <EADSY> and Boeing a chance to sit with some of their top customers who have threatened to walk from billions in deals.
The planemakers are struggling to deliver aircraft on time, forcing airlines to delay expansion plans, while engines on some jets are consistently causing issues for carriers.
“This seems to be a systemic issue across the board,” said Novus Aviation Capital Managing Director Mounir Kuzbari.
“As a result, we see stress on the relationship between airlines and the plane and engine makers.” Dubai’s Emirates, by far the region’s biggest airline, has issued a stern warning to plane and engine makers. It will no longer take delivery of aircraft that do not meet performance expectations, raising doubts over $35 billion in pending orders.
Airbus, Boeing and engine makers will be looking to allay concerns as they finalise jet sales with Emirates, which is also looking at reducing an order for the delayed Boeing 777X.
Airbus is seen close to a final order for A330neo and A350 jets while Boeing aims to salvage a provisional order for 787s.
GULF PRESSURE
Air Arabia could, however, steal the show with a planned order of up to 120 Airbus jets, industry sources say.
Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways is in negotiations with Airbus and Boeing for around two dozen airplanes.
Past editions of Dubai’s premier trade event have featured blockbuster deals, often led by Emirates as Gulf carriers redrew the aviation map around their ‘super-connector’ hubs.
But the Gulf hub model is increasingly under pressure as the once-rapid growth of the region’s biggest airlines slows.
“The market continues to be weak for all airlines in the region; we should see a further 2-3% reduction in passenger numbers for the full year,” said Diogenis Papiomytis, Frost & Sullivan’s Global Program Director for Commercial Aviation.
Middle East military leaders touring the displays will try to gauge whether they are on the cusp of another regional splurge on weapons after an escalation in Gulf tensions.
A series of attacks over the summer has highlighted potential security gaps among some of the world’s top defence spenders who now increasingly buy from China and Russia.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Tim Hepher, Ankit Ajmera, Stanley Carvalho; Editing by Mark Potter)
The aircraft is the first of 13 ordered and will allow the company to simultaneously grow its high-density domestic routes and reduce seat-cost
SÃO PAULO, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Azul S.A., “Azul”, (AZUL), the largest airline in Brazil by number of cities served and daily departures, receives today the first Airbus A321neo ever delivered in Brazil. Configured in a 214 seat layout and powered by CFM International’s Leap-1A engines, the aircraft is the first of 13 ordered. The airline has chosen the A321neo to fly its high-density domestic routes and will provide customers with an industry leading inflight experience, including larger overhead bins, mood-lighting and individual touch-screen inflight entertainment.
“The A321neo is an important milestone for Azul once it will allow the company to simultaneously grow its route network and become more efficient. Customers will enjoy the extra legroom of our Espaco Azul product as well as free unlimited snacks and drinks. The new Airbus will also feature individual seat-back touch screen entertainment with stored content and soon to come streaming live-TV and Wifi”, says John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul.
About Azul
Azul S.A., the largest airline in Brazil by number of flight departures and cities served, offers 910 daily flights to 114 destinations. With an operating fleet of 133 aircraft and more than 12,000 crewmembers, the Company has a network of 237 non-stop routes as of September 30, 2019. In 2019, Azul was awarded best airline in Latin America by TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice and also best regional carrier in South America for the ninth consecutive time by Skytrax. In 2018, the Company was elected best airline by Kayak’s Flight Hacker Guide. Azul also ranked as most on-time airline in Brazil in 2018 according to FlightStats. For more information visit www.voeazul.com.br/ir
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