Category: Airbus news (Page 42 of 48)

IndiGo Airlines Considering Wide-Body Aircraft From Airbus, Boeing

October 15, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Indian airline IndiGo on Sunday said wide-bodied aircraft are an “aspiration” and talks with manufacturers are ongoing but there is no firm timeline amid difficult market conditions in the Indian market.

The budget airline, owned by InterGlobe Aviation <INGL.NS>, faces fierce competition in the very price sensitive Indian market where carriers are struggling to remain profitable despite filling 90 percent of their seats and rising demand.

IndiGo recently reported a steep fall in quarterly profit due to higher fuel prices and continued pressure on yields reflecting price competition.

“Wide-bodied aircraft are an aspiration, we have talked to manufacturers. We are looking at A330neo and Boeing 787,” Chief Commercial Officer Willy Boulter told Reuters in Abu Dhabi, declining to go into details.

IndiGo, India’s biggest low-cost carrier by market share, announced direct flights, starting Monday from two south Indian cities, Kochi and Kozhikode to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

In the Gulf, the airline has direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE as well as to Doha and Muscat. Flights to Kuwait will be launched this week, to Saudi Arabia in November and Hong Kong in December, Boulter said.

In early 2019, IndiGo plans to start flights to London with an Airbus A321 aircraft stopping at a mid-point that is yet to be selected, he said. Other international destinations for launch include Kuala Lumpur and Phuket, Thailand, in November.

IndiGo is working closely with the Indian government to take advantage of opportunities under bilateral agreements where travel rights will become available for additional markets, he said, adding that IndiGo has applied for rights to Europe and Asia.

“We are confident of bilaterals being expanded further,” he said.

IndiGo has a fleet of 192 aircraft and more than 400 aircraft on order. The first batch of Airbus A321neo aircraft with 222 seats will be delivered next month, he said.

(Reporting By Stanley Carvalho)

Lufthansa Adding New Service To Austin and Bangkok In 2019

October 11, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Starting May 3, 2019, Lufthansa will offer its first direct flight between Frankfurt and Austin, Texas. This will be the airline’s third nonstop to Texas, adding to Dallas/Fort Worth and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The flight will be operated by an Airbus A330-300, with service operating five times a week. Flight LH 468 will not operate on Tuesday or Thursday, and will have a flight time of about ten hours.

In addition to Austin, Lufthansa is also adding service between its Munich hub and Bangkok, Thailand. The route will begin operating on June 1, 2019, and will be flown by a new Airbus A350-900. Flight LH792 is scheduled to operate on a daily basis.

In other Lufthansa news, the airline announced it will hold “Fly Through Time: A celebration of the Golden Age of Aviation” on October 14, 2018 from 11am to 5pm in New York, NY.

The year was 1958. It was the Golden Age of aviation and Lufthansa was leading the way. The comfort, class and style of a trip on board Lufthansa’s Lockheed Super Constellation L-1649A aircraft was second to none. Every detail was thought of. Passengers dressed to the nines for travel. The flight was an event.

On October 14, New York City will be given the chance to Fly Through Time with a one-day immersive, innovative experience celebrating of the Golden Age of flight and the birth of Lufthansa‘s Senator Service on board the iconic Super Constellation aircraft, affectionately known as the “Super Connie.”

At the Fly Through Time experience, New Yorkers will be able use the power of augmented reality technology to see the Super Constellation virtually on the streets of SoHo, and dress themselves in the 1950s fashions of the Super Connie’s stylish passengers and crew. And of course, guests will enjoy the iconic sophistication of the ‘Senator Service’ First Class lounge in the skies, recreated for the perfect selfie.

We look forward to welcoming you on board the Fly Through Time experience, a celebration of the Lufthansa’s remarkable heritage.

Fly Through Time
October 14, 2018
11am-5pm
Duarte Square
6th Ave & Grand Street
New York, NY

And of course, guests will enjoy the iconic sophistication of the ‘Senator Service’ First Class lounge in the skies, recreated for the perfect selfie. #FlyThroughTime

Boeing, Air Lease Corp., Deliver First Air Tahiti Nui 787-9 Dreamliner

October 9, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing Press Release:

Boeing, Air Lease Corp., and Air Tahiti Nui celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 787-9 Dreamliner, via lease from ALC. This is the first Boeing airplane to join the Tahitian airline, which plans to use the longest-range Dreamliner to replace aging A340s and connect its home base in the South Pacific with world capitals such as Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Air Tahiti Nui joins other carriers in the Pacific who operate long-distance routes in switching to the super-efficient and long-range 787-9. The airplane can fly up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km), while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent compared to older airplanes.

Air Tahiti Nui configured its new Dreamliner to seat 294 passengers in three classes. The cabin features a new business class equipped with 30 full lie-flat seats, along with 32 premium economy seats.

“Our dream has finally become reality with the arrival of Air Tahiti Nui’s first 787-9 Dreamliner,” said Michel Monvoisin, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Air Tahiti Nui. “The Tahitian Dreamliner will make flying to one of the world’s treasures an unforgettable experience, as we introduce new seats and a culturally inspired cabin on the 787. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year, the 787 Dreamliner will guide us towards another successful 20 years and beyond.”

The airline announced in 2015 it would lease two 787s through ALC and purchase two 787s directly from Boeing as part of its plan to upgrade its fleet for the future.

French Polynesia President Edouard Fritch and other government dignitaries joined the airline in celebrating the milestone delivery at Boeing’s South Carolina Delivery Center.

“We are pleased to deliver ALC’s first aircraft to Air Tahiti Nui,” said Marc Baer, Executive Vice President of Air Lease Corporation. “The capabilities of the 787 will help enhance Air Tahiti Nui’s commercial operations and will significantly increase the efficiency of its future fleet.”

“We are honored to welcome Air Tahiti Nui as a new Boeing customer and the latest member of the 787 Dreamliner family. We are confident the airplane’s market-leading efficiency and unmatched passenger comforts will transform the airline’s operation,” said Ihssane Mounir, Vice President, Commercial Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “This delivery opens a new partnership between Boeing and Air Tahiti Nui, and demonstrates the strength of our partnership with ALC.”

Image from: www.boeing.com

Airbus Picks Guillaume Faury As Next CEO

October 8, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Planemaking boss Guillaume Faury was named as the next chief executive of Airbus on Monday, ending months of uncertainty over the leadership of Europe’s largest aerospace group and underlining the dominance of its commercial jet arm.

The 50-year-old Frenchman will replace German-born Tom Enders when he retires at the next shareholder meeting in April 2019, the Franco-German-Spanish company said in a statement.

Chairman Denis Ranque, a Frenchman, will step down when his own term expires in 2020, it added.

The announcement came after the board brought forward discussions on the handover amid a growing leadership vacuum in the wake of a series of management departures, internal and external graft probes and the pre-announced exit of Enders.

It did so as the board grappled with the need to avoid appearing indecisive following months of uncertainty over the top job and a string of mid-level and senior departures.

On Sept. 28, Reuters exclusively reported Airbus was moving swiftly towards appointing Faury as its next CEO and could announce a decision within weeks.

Faury was appointed head of the core planemaking business last December after Fabrice Bregier agreed to quit following a power battle with Enders, in a shake-up that also saw the German CEO draw back from plans to seek a third term in 2019.

Pressure to end uncertainty over the CEO job grew with the resignation of sales chief Eric Schulz in August, with the former Rolls-Royce executive’s abrupt departure strengthening calls for an internal successor to Enders..

FAURY SEEN COMBINING ROLES

A person close to Enders denied there had been any leadership vacuum since he announced his intention not to seek a third term and said he had remained involved in the business.

As CEO of the only serious rival to U.S. planemaker Boeing, Faury will continue to tackle industrial problems affecting some jet deliveries while overseeing smaller but increasingly autonomous helicopter and defence units.

People familiar with the matter said he would not be replaced in his current role, though this did not exclude shoring up the operational management as two top industrial executives prepare to retire at the end of this year.

The Airbus planemaking business merged with the parent group last year, but until now had maintained separate figureheads.

Faury will also need to restore morale shattered by a probe into the use of middlemen, now in its third year and which has left management sidelined as board directors pilot the inquiry.

Airbus said its board would begin selecting a new chairman “in due course”, with a view to “maintaining international diversity” at board and management level.

Sources said last month that Faury’s hiring could herald changes in the board as Ranque would step down in 2020.

Airbus usually divides chairman and CEO jobs between French and German nationals, though the ability of Paris and Berlin governments to dish out top jobs for purely political reasons was halted in 2013. Although their power is curtailed and Airbus claims full independence, the two governments each maintain a voice as 11-percent shareholders and major defence buyers.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter)

Image from: www.airbus.com

Electric Airplane Startup Zunum Chooses Safran Engine

October 4, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Aircraft manufacturer Zunum, backed by Boeing Co, will use an engine turbine from France’s Safran SA to power an electric motor for the hybrid regional airplane it aims to bring into service in 2022, the company said on Thursday.

Zunum, based near Seattle, is among several companies seeking to reduce emissions, noise and travel costs with electric planes, underscoring growing investment in lightweight propulsion systems to bring the benefits of electric-cars to the sky.

Siemens AG, Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC, and Airbus SA joined forces last year on a hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system, while Honeywell International Inc has developed a high-capacity generator that could be used for electric flight.

Zunum, which is also funded by JetBlue Airways Corp’s investment arm, will offer its 12-seat, 700-mile aircraft – dubbed the ZA10 – to charter airlines, private companies and regional carriers globally, starting in 2022.

Zunum’s planes will be battery powered, with a jetfuel-powered turbogenerator to extend range. It chose the Safran Helicopter Engines’ Ardiden 3Z turbine over competing turbines from General Electric, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls Royce.

The ZA10 will cost less than $300 million to develop, compared to the billions of dollars required to bring a traditional regional jet to market, Zunum’s Chief Executive Officer Ashish Kumar told Reuters.

Norway in June tested a two-seater electric plane, built by Pipistrel in Slovenia, and predicted a start to passenger flights by 2025 as the country moves to reach a government goal of making all domestic flights in Norway electric by 2040.

“This is the future,” Kumar said. “This class of aircraft is going to replace conventional airplanes over these (short-haul) distances.”

Siemens’ e-aircraft unit told Reuters earlier this year its system will work like a Toyota Prius: a gas-fueled engine inside the plane will spin a generator, sending electricity to small propulsion motors on the wings.

In Zunum’s plane, those motors are powered by the battery packs and the turbogenerator installed near the rear of the fuselage.

Kumar said the new aircraft will deliver operating costs of 8 cents per available seat mile or $250 per hour, which is 60-80 percent lower than comparable conventional aircraft.

Zunum’s prototype motor is due to be tested in early December, with an improved version flying on a test aircraft in summer 2019, Kumar said. Conversely, the Airbus, Siemens, Rolls-Royce system is scheduled to begin test flights in 2020.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle)

Image from https://zunum.aero/

Boeing, Embraer To Build KC-390 Military Cargo Jet

October 1, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 1 (Reuters) – U.S. planemaker Boeing and Brazil’s Embraer are in talks to set up an assembly line to build KC-390 military cargo jets in the United States, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on Monday.

In July, the two planemakers announced a deal to give Boeing an 80 percent stake in Embraer’s commercial aircraft arm, marking the biggest realignment in the global aerospace market in decades.

At the time, the companies also announced a deeper sales and services partnership on the new KC-390 military cargo jet through a separate defense venture that they said was likely to eventually receive a joint investment.

According to the report on Monday, which did not detail how the paper obtained the information, the two companies intend to create a defense-related joint venture to install the factory, which would be the second to produce the plane.

Such a partnership would give Boeing a newly designed, U.S.-built tactical transport plane to sell directly against rival Lockheed Martin’s workhorse Hercules C130.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The move would allow the planemakers to grow their collaboration in the defense realm, after Boeing’s original takeover bid snagged on Brazilian concerns about it gaining control of national defense programs. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper Editing by Susan Thomas)

Image from www.embraer.com

Interjet To Reduce Sukhoi Superjet Fleet Size

September 20, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Interjet Airlines of Mexico is reportedly planning on phasing out some of its Sukhoi Superjet 100’s to make room for an additional 20 Airbus A320-neo aircraft. The plan is part of a new 3-year effort to restructure its fleet. The airline currently has 22 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in its fleet, with one of those units parked in storage. Interjet has 8 more of the aircraft on order, but will most likely convert those aircraft orders to the Superjet 130NG currently in development.

The 20 additional A320-neo’s its adding to its orderbook will be delivered over the course of the next five years. Interjet states that the fleet restructuring plan will bring it greater opportunities to be more competitive, further reducing its operational costs and enhance its profitability. The airline is looking to add more international business as it continues to grow. Interjet recently took delivery of its seventh Airbus A321-neo aircraft on September 9, 2018.

Interjet has experienced some operational challenges with its Sukhoi Superjet 100’s since adding the aircraft to its fleet in 2013. Issues with the airplanes stabiliser forced it to ground half of its fleet in early 2017, and some of the aircraft were grounded after being used for spare parts. Interjet plans to continue differentiating itself from other low-cost carriers, with free checked bags and complimentary snacks onboard. The airline also has continued to pursue global alliances with Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, EVA Air, and Emirates.

Airbus Sales Head Quits After Less Than One Year

September 13, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Airbus named its second new sales chief in less than a year on Thursday after chief commercial officer Eric Schulz resigned nine months after being poached from Rolls-Royce to lead the battle for jet sales against Boeing.

The European planemaker said Christian Scherer, head of turboprop maker ATR, an Airbus veteran who had been beaten to the job by Schulz in November last year, would take over the position immediately, reporting to Chief Executive Tom Enders.

Reuters earlier exclusively reported that Schulz was expected to resign. Airbus said his decision had been taken for personal reasons.

The switch comes as Airbus faces a slowdown in sales and delays and reliability problems with engines that have soured relations with several customers and left the Frenchman increasingly frustrated, the people said.

Schulz could not be reached for comment.

The former head of Rolls-Royce civil jet engines was picked for the high-profile post after Airbus bungled efforts to name an internal successor to John Leahy, the U.S.-born sales kingpin who eventually retired earlier this year.

Schulz’s appointment had been designed in part to bring in outside blood as Airbus endured turmoil over the impact of UK and French corruption investigations.

Some saw him as a potential candidate to replace Enders when he steps down next year.

But Schulz’s tenure was plagued by delays in delivering planes, a growing shortfall in orders compared to Boeing and a malaise in the Airbus marketing machine as a result of British and French probes, which have also sparked a blanket internal investigation.

Multiple sources had also reported a power battle between Schulz and Guillaume Faury, president of the planemaking division, who is the leading internal contender to replace Enders.

“I think (Schulz) understood which way the wind was blowing,” a person familiar with the matter said.

Another person close to the company acknowledged those tensions but denied they had triggered Schulz’s decision to leave.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Geert De Clercq)

Boeing Increases Chinese New Plane Forecast By 6.2%

September 12, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese airlines will buy 7,690 new planes worth $1.2 trillion over the next two decades to keep pace with booming consumer and business demand for air travel, Boeing Co said on Tuesday, raising a previous forecast.

The U.S. planemaker’s latest estimate for the period to 2037 is 6.2 percent higher than its previous prediction of 7,240 planes until 2036 made last year.

“The growth in China can be attributed to the country’s growing middle class, which has more than tripled in the last 10 years and is expected to double again in the next 10,” said Randy Tinseth, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ vice president of marketing, in a statement.

Boeing and its European rival Airbus have been jostling to increase market share in China, the world’s fastest growing aviation market, with both opening assembly plants in the country.

The company has so far been mostly spared in an ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Large airplanes have been left out of China’s retaliatory tariff lists although U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports into the United States.

Boeing also predicted that China will account for 18 percent of the world’s commercial airplane fleet by 2037, up from 15 percent currently, and forecast that the country will need over $1.5 trillion in commercial services to support its fleet.

Three quarters of the 7,690 plane orders over the next 20 years will likely be for single-aisle aircraft while China’s widebody fleet will require 1,620 new planes, tripling the country’s current widebody fleet size, it added.

(Reporting by Stella Qiu and Brenda Goh; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Image from www.boeing.com

Allegiant Airlines Announce Partnership With Las Vegas Golden Knights

September 10, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Allegiant (ALGT) and the Vegas Golden Knights announced today an unprecedented multi-year partnership, designating Allegiant as the “Official Domestic Airline Partner of the Vegas Golden Knights.” The partnership – in Allegiant’s hometown of Las Vegas – promises to engage hockey fans across North America through key activations and sponsored content.

“We’re thrilled to announce this winning partnership between Allegiant and the Vegas Golden Knights,” said Scott DeAngelo, Allegiant chief marketing officer. “Las Vegas’hometown airline will now be able to connect with hockey fans across North America while supporting our hometown team. With fun game day activations, giveaways and more – we can’t wait to celebrate the team’s success with their fans in Las Vegas and everywhere.”

Click the link below for the full story!

Allegiant Airlines Partnership With Las Vegas Golden Knights

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