Tag: airways (Page 18 of 21)

Air Italy Flights Rekindle U.S. Carrier Anger

December 19, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

ROME (Reuters) – Air Italy will start flying to Chicago next year, a move likely to revive a dispute between its minority shareholder Qatar Airways and U.S rivals trying to squeeze Gulf operators out of their domestic market.

Formerly known as Meridiana, Air Italy is the country’s second-largest airline, behind ailing Alitalia [CAITLA.UL], and state-owned Qatar Airways holds a 49 percent stake in it.

Air Italy will fly to Chicago three times a week from Milan Malpensa airport starting from May 14, 2019, Chief Operating Officer Rossen Dimitrov told Reuters.

Since 2015 the largest U.S carriers — Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), American Airlines Group (AAL.O) and United Airlines (UAL.N) — have argued their Gulf rivals are being unfairly subsidised by their governments, distorting competition.

Gulf airlines have always denied those accusations and in May the companies reached a voluntary agreement, saying they would not add new flights to the United States.

However, Air Italy has been flying to New York and Miami since June and will start serving San Francisco and Los Angeles from April 2019.

That has drawn criticism from an alliance of U.S.-based airlines grouped in the “Partnership for Open & Fair Skies”, that Qatar Airways is using Air Italy to offer additional flights between the U.S. and Europe, despite the agreement.

“Once again, Qatar is using Air Italy as a Trojan horse built from subsidized cash to avoid its commitments to the Trump administration and launch new … routes,” said Scott Reed, campaign manager for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies.

In an emailed statement, Reed called on U.S. President Donald Trump to intercede on the behalf of U.S. airlines.

Dimitrov tried to dismiss any suggestion that Air Italy was acting improperly, noting that Qatar Airways was a minority shareholder.

“They do not dictate what we do and where we go. They do not manage us,” he said.

He added that he would be happy to work with the U.S airlines under code-share agreements, from which both sides would benefit, “rather than spending time and money fighting each other”.

The opening of the Chicago route next year is part of a wider plan, announced in May, in which the airline aims to grow its fleet and passenger numbers fourfold by 2022.

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Alberto Sisto; Editing by Keith Weir and Crispian Balmer)

Image from http://www.airitaly.com

Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX for Cayman & Fiji Airways

December 3, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air Lease Corp. [NYSE: AL; “ALC”] today delivered the first 737 MAX 8 for Cayman Airways. The first 737 MAX to enter service in the Caribbean marks the beginning of the airline’s plans to modernize its fleet and expand its network.

“Cayman Airways is able to achieve the highest levels of efficiency with the 737 MAX 8, along with unparalleled levels of reliability and comfort,” said Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms. “In addition, the MAX’s incredible range opens up the potential for several new markets within the Americas.”

Cayman Airways plans to take delivery of four MAX 8 airplanes to replace its fleet of 737 Classics.

Compared to the 737-300, the MAX 8 offers 30 percent greater seat capacity, and a more than 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency per seat. The MAX achieves the higher levels of performance with the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements.

“ALC is pleased to announce this new Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivery with Cayman Airways today,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hἁzy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “With this new MAX 8 and the additional three aircraft set to deliver from ALC, Cayman Airways is successfully modernizing its fleet with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient aircraft to enhance the airline’s overall operations, maximize customer comfort and bring a new standard of excellence for travelers to and from the Cayman Islands.”

“We are delighted to open a new chapter in our partnership with Cayman Airways and ALC, and bring the 737 MAX to the Caribbean,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “The 737 MAX will help Cayman achieve significant improvement in performance and operating costs, while providing an even better flying experience for their passengers.”

To prepare for their new 737 MAX, Cayman Airways will train pilots at Boeing Global Services’ Miami training campus. Under this agreement, Cayman will use Boeing simulators for its entire 737 fleet including 737 Classics and Next-Generation 737s.

The 737 MAX family is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating about 4,800 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide. Boeing has delivered more than 200 737 MAX airplanes since May 2017.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.caymanairways.com

SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the first 737 MAX for Fiji Airways, which plans to use the fuel-efficient, longer-range version of the popular 737 jet to expand and modernize its single-aisle fleet.

“We are thrilled to take delivery of our very first 737 MAX 8, named Island of Kadavu,” said Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and CEO of Fiji Airways. “The introduction of the 737 MAX is the beginning of a new chapter for Fiji Airways and we look forward to taking advantage of the airplane’s superior performance and economics. These new airplanes will enable us to offer a world-class customer experience through the new Boeing Sky Interior cabins with in-seat entertainment for all guests.”

Fiji Airways plans to take delivery of five MAX 8 airplanes, which will build on the success of its fleet of Next-Generations 737s. The MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

Compared to the previous 737 model, the MAX 8 can fly 600 nautical miles farther, while providing 14 percent better fuel efficiency. The MAX 8 can seat up to 178 passengers in a standard two-class configuration and fly 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 kilometers).

“We are delighted to welcome Fiji Airways to the MAX family of operators and we are thrilled they will be the first 737 MAX operator in the Pacific Islands,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “We are honored by their continued partnership and confidence in Boeing products. The market-leading efficiency of the MAX will pay immediate dividends for Fiji Airways and will help them improve their operation and route network.”

Based at Nadi International Airport, Fiji Airways serves 13 countries and 31 destinations/cities including Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands (Oceania), the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. It also has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners.

In addition to modernizing its fleet, Fiji Airways will use Boeing Global Services to enhance its operations. These services include Airplane Health Management, which generates real-time, predictive service alerts, and Software Distribution Tools, which empowers airlines to securely manage digital ground-based data and efficiently manage software parts.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.fijisun.com.fj

JetBlue Wants Regulators To Review Joint Ventures

November 16, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

(Reuters) – The chief executive of JetBlue Airways Corp, which has made no secret of its desire to expand into transatlantic service, said on Thursday that U.S. and European regulators should review joint ventures that have allowed big airlines to dominate the market.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes, speaking at an airline industry event in New York, said consumers were at risk of decades of high fares because of legacy transatlantic partnerships.

JetBlue (JBLU.O), the sixth largest U.S. airline, wants to service Europe from its main hubs in New York, Boston and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but is concerned about challenges posed by the big three U.S. legacy airlines’ control of important foreign markets through their global alliances.

American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O) are each part of a global airline alliance that together control nearly 80 percent of the transatlantic market. The three carriers also have joint ventures with member airlines in Europe that allow them to coordinate prices and schedules and share revenues.

“We believe that regulators should be doing everything they can to make it possible for new players and new models to have a fair shot at competing,” Hayes said.

Hayes believes competition authorities in the United States, the UK and the European Union should force slot divestitures to create a level playing field for new entrants, particularly in the wake of major consolidation among U.S. carriers over the past decade.

For example, since American Airlines forged a commercial tie-up with fellow oneworld alliance member British Airways (ICAG.L) in 2010, it has merged with US Airways to become the world’s largest airline.

Such mergers have made it more difficult for younger, low-fare carriers like JetBlue to access gates and slots – as airport take-off and landing rights are known – at congested airports where the larger airlines dominate.

A handful of Europe-based budget carriers, including Norwegian Air (NWC.OL) and WOW Air, have broken into the transatlantic market, but two – Primera Air and Monarch Airlines – were forced into bankruptcy over the past year.

JetBlue argues that Mint, the carrier’s version of business class, has driven a 50 percent decline in premium fares on some competing U.S. routes. It believes it can drive a similar reduction for premium travel between the United States and Europe.

Separately on Thursday, JetBlue announced a biometric self-boarding gate for international flights at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), becoming the first domestic airline to launch the use of facial recognition technology to verify passengers with a quick photo capture for international travel.

JetBlue has 14 million annual JFK customers.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Image from www.jetblue.com

Delta The Likely Buyer of 10 Airbus A330neo Jets

November 14, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) has emerged as the probable buyer for 10 Airbus A330neo jets worth $3 billion, industry sources said, in a boost for the becalmed European model.

Airbus (AIR.PA) announced an order for 10 of the 300-seat aircraft in its latest monthly order update on Friday, but withheld the name of the buyer for the Oct. 30 deal.

Two industry sources, asking not to be named, said Delta (DAL.N) was the buyer. A third said Delta had been looking to expand an existing order for 25 A330neo aircraft.

Airbus declined comment. Delta was not immediately available for comment.

If confirmed, the deal would mark the second order for the slow-selling A330neo in as many weeks after Kuwait Airways ordered eight of the long-haul planes in mid-October.

Airbus is aggressively seeking more orders for the latest version of its profitable A330 franchise after sales of the engine-upgraded A330neo model fell short of expectations in the face of heavy competition from the newer Boeing 787.

However, industry sources have questioned how far recent orders represent net new sales for the European giant, saying they could replace at least some earlier orders for the A350.

The new-generation A350 is a longer-term bet for Airbus and competes with the 787 and Boeing 777. But one market source said Airbus was willing to give up some orders for the newer plane in order to keep the A330neo afloat and prevent production cuts.

Airbus has given cautious signals that it is prepared to be flexible in both directions when offering combinations of the A330 and A350, sources said, though it cannot afford to lose too many orders or customers for the more strategic A350 plane.

The wide-body A330neo is part of a pair of upgraded aircraft – the other being the strong-selling A321neo narrowbody – that strategists say Airbus is trying to push into the market to reduce the space for a new 220-260 seat, mid-sized jet being studied by Boeing. A decision on that project is due next year.

Airbus is especially keen to continue A330-series production because it has been a major source of profits and cash.

Airbus also needs an aircraft like the 250-300 seat A330 to offer airlines a step-up into the wide-body market from its largest narrowbody, the A321neo, which holds up to 240 people.

Without it, Airbus’s smallest wide-body would be the 315-seat A350-900, which leaves a large gap in Airbus’s portfolio above the A321neo for rival Boeing (BA.N) to exploit.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher and Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Laurence Frost and Edmund Blair)

Image from www.airbus.com

Low-Cost Viva Air Looks To Expand In South America

November 2, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

BOGOTA, Nov 2 (Reuters) – Low-cost airline Viva Air, which operates in Colombia and Peru, is looking to expand its operations to a third country in 2020, its chief executive officer said late on Thursday.

The airline, owned by Irelandia Aviation LLC of Dublin , is spending $5.2 billion to buy 50 Airbus planes which it hopes will help make it the top low-cost carrier in Latin America, chief executive Felix Antelo said at an event in Bogota. It has already obtained seven of those planes.

“Our bases are Colombia and Peru. We’re looking at a third country that we can’t name. In 2019 consolidating Colombia and Peru will be the focus and from 2020 onward we could see a third country,” Antelo said.

Viva Air operates 32 routes in Colombia, Peru and to destinations including Miami with 19 planes and 800 employees.

It will have served 4 million passengers in Colombia and 900,000 in Peru by the end of the year, Antelo said, adding fares within Colombia can be as low as $10 including taxes.

Irelandia Aviation’s low-cost carriers – including Europe’s Ryanair, Asia’s Tiger Airways, Allegiant in the United States and Mexico’s VivaAerobus, have transported more than a billion people.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by David Gregorio)

Image from Airbus

JetBlue Announces Third Quarter 2018 Results

October 23, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Released : 10/23/2018

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) today reported its results for the third quarter 2018:

Reported diluted earnings per share of $0.16, inclusive of $112 million in one-time costs related to the E190 fleet transition and the recently-signed pilot contract. Excluding these costs, adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.43⁽¹⁾. This compares to JetBlue’s third quarter 2017 diluted earnings per share of $0.55.
GAAP pre-tax income of $68 million. Excluding the one-time costs, adjusted pre-tax income of $180 million⁽¹⁾, a decrease of 39.5% from the third quarter of 2017.
Pre-tax margin of 3.4%, inclusive of the one-time costs. Excluding these one-time costs, adjusted pre-tax margin of 9.0%⁽¹⁾, a 7.4 point decrease year over year.

Highlights from the Third Quarter 2018

Third quarter 2018 revenue per available seat mile (RASM) increased 1.7%, year over year, including 0.4 points of negative impact from severe weather during September.
Operating expenses per available seat mile, excluding fuel (CASM ex-fuel) growth of 3.2%, at the lower end of the updated guidance range of 3.0% to 5.0%. CASM ex-fuel for the third quarter includes a 2.0 point headwind related to recurrent costs of the pilot contract, effective as of August 1^st.

Key Guidance for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018:

Capacity is expected to increase between 7.5% and 9.5% year over year in the fourth quarter 2018. The fourth quarter guidance includes a previously-announced 2.0 point ASM reduction to mitigate the impact of higher fuel prices. For the full year 2018, JetBlue expects capacity to increase between 6.5% and 7.0%.
RASM growth is expected to range between 1.0% and 4.0% for the fourth quarter 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
CASM ex-fuel is expected to decrease between (3.5)% and (1.5)% for the fourth quarter of 2018. CASM ex-fuel for the fourth quarter includes a 3.0 point headwind related to the pilot contract. For the full year 2018, JetBlue expects year over year CASM ex-fuel to be between 0.75% and 1.75%. The headwind from the pilot contract to CASM ex-fuel for the full year 2018 is expected to be equal to 1.3 points.

For further details see the latest Investor Update and the Third Quarter 2018 Earnings Presentation available via the internet at http://investor.jetblue.com.

JetBlue will conduct a conference call to discuss its quarterly earnings today, October 23, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A live broadcast of the conference call will also be available via the internet at http://investor.jetblue.com.

(1) Note A provides a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release and provides the reasons management uses those measures.

Executing our Plan to Reach our EPS Commitments

“I’d like to thank our 22,000 Crewmembers, for all their hard work delivering the JetBlue experience to our Customers. Our financial performance was impacted by fuel prices that increased approximately 37% year over year. We are on track to hit our 2018 CASM ex-fuel guidance, despite pulling capacity in both the third and fourth quarters to adjust to higher fuel prices.

In the short term, we are focused on improving our earnings, particularly in the areas we can control, and have a plan to improve margins in 2019, and again in 2020. We are taking actions to recapture higher fuel costs through price – both with fare increases over recent months and through higher ancillary revenue initiatives. At our Investor Day in early October, we showed how our five building blocks will help us improve our margins and achieve our earnings target between $2.50 and $3.00 per share by 2020,” said Robin Hayes, JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Since 2014 we have a track record of executing our plans – and we have a path to continue improving our relative margins, starting in 2019. We have the culture, the brand and the geography we need to be successful,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

Revenue Performance and Outlook

Third quarter RASM increased 1.7%. Excluding the 0.4 point impact from severe weather during September, RASM was above the mid-point of our updated guidance of 1.0% to 3.0%. During the quarter we saw close-in demand trends improve across the network,” said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s EVP Commercial and Planning.

“We continued to grow our capacity on the lower end of our mid to high single digit range. For the fourth quarter, we expect capacity growth between 7.5 and 9.5 percent. Given the 2.9 points of lost capacity from hurricanes in the fourth quarter of 2017, our schedule-to-schedule capacity growth is approximately 6 percent for the fourth quarter of 2018. We expect to see some revenue benefits from the network changes and the ancillary revenue changes launched during the third quarter.”

Cost Performance, Outlook and Balance Sheet

Third quarter CASM ex-fuel was 3.2%, at the low end of the updated guidance of 3.0% to 5.0%, driven by improvements in unit maintenance costs. “We are on track to hit our 2018 plan despite the added pressure from reducing our capacity in the second half. We will continue to find opportunities to mitigate these pressures, in addition to the savings from the Structural Cost Program that build each quarter,” said Steve Priest, JetBlue’s EVP Chief Financial Officer.

“We continue to see sequential improvement in our underlying non fuel costs, and reached an inflection point during the second half this year, as we execute our Structural Cost Program. We are confident we can deliver on our 2019 commitments made at Investor Day, and are on track to achieve our 0-1 CASM CAGR through 2020.”

Capital Allocation and Liquidity

JetBlue ended the quarter with approximately $937 million in unrestricted cash and short term investments, or about 12.6% of trailing twelve month revenue. In addition, JetBlue maintains approximately $625 million in undrawn lines of credit.

In its commitment to maintaining a balanced approach to capital allocation, JetBlue executed an additional $125 million in share repurchases during the quarter.

During the third quarter, JetBlue repaid $54 million in regularly scheduled debt and capital lease obligations, and raised $261 million in net proceeds in secured aircraft debt. JetBlue anticipates paying approximately $45 million in regularly scheduled debt and capital lease obligations in the fourth quarter and approximately $223 million for the full year 2018. JetBlue anticipates maintaining a 30-40% adjusted debt to cap range and liquidity between 10% and 12%.

Fuel Expense and Hedging

The realized fuel price in the quarter was $2.32 per gallon, a 36.6% increase versus third quarter 2017 realized fuel price of $1.69.

JetBlue entered into forward fuel derivative contracts to hedge approximately 7.7% of its fuel consumption during the fourth quarter of 2018. Based on the fuel curve as of October 15^th, JetBlue expects an average price per gallon of fuel of $2.48 in the fourth quarter of 2018.

About JetBlue

JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 40 million customers a year to 103 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit www.jetblue.com.

Notes

(1) Consolidated operating cost per available seat mile, excluding fuel and related taxes, and operating expenses related to other non-airline businesses (CASM Ex-Fuel) is a non-GAAP financial measure that we use to measure our core performance. Note A provides a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release and provides the reasons management uses those measures.

Image from http://blog.jetblue.com

Embraer Delivers 15 Commercial, 24 Executive Jets In Q3

October 19, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Embraer has released the following press announcement on its website:

São José dos Campos, Brazil, October 19th, 2018 – During the third quarter of 2018 (3Q18), Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3) delivered 15 jets to the commercial aviation market and 24 business jets, being 17 light jets and 7 large jets. On September 30, Embraer’s firm order backlog totaled USD13.6 billion.

Regarding the commercial aviation market, Embraer forecasted in its Market Outlook a demand for 10,550 new aircraft with up to 150 seats worldwide over the next 20 years,. The in-service fleet is set to increase to 16,000 aircraft, up from the 9,000 aircraft currently in operation. Market growth will drive 65% of this demand, while the remaining 35% of the projected demand will be to replace ageing aircraft.

Embraer and Helvetic Airways signed a contract for a firm order of 12 E190-E2 jets during 3Q18. The agreement was announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July as a Letter of Intent. The contract also includes purchase rights for another 12 E190-E2 aircraft, with the possibility of conversion to the E195-E2 model, raising the order potential for up to 24 aircraft. Deliveries should occur between the end of 2019 and 2021. Also in Farnborough, United Airlines made a firm order for 25 E175 jets in a 70-seat configuration. Deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2019.

In 3Q18, Embraer also signed a contract with an undisclosed customer for up to five E195-E2s, being three firm orders and two purchase rights. This agreement was previously announced as a Letter of Intent (LoI) during the Farnborough Airshow. In addition, the Company continues to work on finalizing its recent LoI signed at the Farnborough Airshow for 100 E175 aircraft for Republic Airways, with the expectation that a significant portion of these jets should enter the Company’s backlog by the end of 2018.

A total of 134 jets were removed from Embraer’s backlog in 3Q18. The majority of these planes belong to an order placed by Skywest for 100 E175-E2s, and were removed largely due to IFRS accounting changes. Given current timing uncertainty of the scope clause changes in the U.S. market to allow the heavier E175-E2 to be flown by regional airlines under capacity purchase agreements (CPAs) for mainline airlines, Embraer has proactively adopted best practices to align with the latest IFRS principles and remove the order from backlog given its conditionality terms. Skywest remains committed with the E175-E2 order and its terms are unchanged. The other 34 jets that were removed from the Company’s backlog in 3Q18 are related to cancellations, including an order for 24 E190 jets that were cancelled by JetBlue following its recent fleet renewal decision.

In the business jets segment, Embraer first exhibited the Phenom 100EV, Phenom 300E and Legacy 650E aircraft with full interior at Labace, the largest Latin American executive aviation fair which took place in São Paulo in August. Embraer also delivered its first Phenom 300E in Asia Pacific.

Embraer Services & Support signed relevant agreements in Europe and Africa during the quarter. LOT Polish Airlines, the national carrier of Poland and leading airline in Central Europe, signed an extension of its pool agreement to support LOT’s fleet of 34 Embraer E-Jets. Kenya Airways also joined a service program whereby Embraer will take over the planning and replenishment of a sizeable portion of Kenya Airways’ spare parts stock covering the 15 Embraer E190 aircraft operated by the airline. Sahara Africa Aviation also signed a multi-year Pool Program Agreement for spare parts and support covering more than 500 components for their two recently acquired Embraer ERJ 145 jets.

Story and image from http://www.embraer.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/

Helvetic Airways Firms Up Order for 12 Embraer E190-E2 jets

September 26, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Zurich, Swiss, September 26th, 2018 – Embraer and Helvetic Airways have signed a contract for a firm order of 12 E190-E2 jets. This agreement was announced as a Letter of Intent (LoI) at the recent Farnborough Air Show, in July. The firm order has a value of USD 730 million, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer’s 2018 third-quarter backlog. The contract also includes purchase rights for a further 12 E190-E2, with conversion rights to the E195-E2, bringing the total potential order up to 24 E-Jets E2s. With all the purchase rights being exercised, the deal has a list price of USD 1.5 billion.

The announcement was made by the two companies during the Zurich debut of the E190-E2, the world’s most efficient and quietest single-aisle aircraft, as part of its tour of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The first 12 E190-E2 aircraft will begin replacing Helvetic’s five Fokker 100s and seven E190s, starting in late 2019 and completing in autumn 2021. The purchase options for a further 12 aircraft (E190-E2 or E195-E2) will enable Helvetic Airways to grow according to market opportunities.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,400 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.

Image from https://embraer.com/global/en

Airlines Win, Passengers Lose As Congress Drops Reasonable Fee Rule

September 24, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. airline industry scored a win on Saturday as bipartisan congressional legislation dropped plans to mandate “reasonable and proportional” baggage and change fees, but included other new passenger protections.

After weeks of negotiations, a 1,200-page bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was unveiled early Saturday that would require the FAA to set minimum dimensions for passenger seats — including legroom and width — and prohibits airlines from involuntarily removing passengers from flights after they’ve cleared the boarding gate.

In April 2017, video went viral on social media of 69-year-old passenger David Dao being dragged from a United Airlines flight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after he refused to give up his seat to make room for crew members. United apologized and promised not to remove seated passengers to make room for other passengers.

But airlines had heavily lobbied against new rules limiting fees. U.S. airlines revenue from baggage and reservation change fees increased from $5.7 billion in 2010 to $7.5 billion in 2017. Other fees are not reported to regulators.

The compromise bill did not include language adopted by a Senate Committee in 2017 that would have required the reasonable fee rules. It was struck in a compromise unveiled by Senate Commerce Committee Republican chairman John Thune and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill Shuster, a Republican, along with the top Democrats on the two committees Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Peter DeFazio.

Congress is set to vote on the measure next week ahead of a September 30 deadline.

American Airlines Group Inc became the latest major airline on Thursday to hike checked bag prices by $5 for the first bag to $30, joining Delta Air Lines Inc, United and JetBlue Airways Corp.

Airlines for America, an airline trade group, has said the fee provision would result in “government-mandated price controls” and should be rejected and the Trump administration also strongly opposed the provision.

The bill also requires the U.S. Transportation Department to set new rules authorizing commercial drone deliveries and gives the Justice Department and Homeland Security Department new authority to disable or destroy drones if they pose a threat to government facilities after the Trump administration warned it did not have the legal authority it needed to address threats.

Under the bill, airlines must refund passengers for services they paid for but did not receive and will enshrine in law a prohibition on passengers making mobile phone calls while in flight or using e-cigarettes.

The bill requires airlines to allow passengers to check strollers if they are traveling with a small child and require regulators to determine if it is unfair or deceptive for airlines to tell passengers “that a flight is delayed or canceled due to weather alone when other factors are involved.”

It also makes it unlawful for any person to place a live animal in an overhead storage compartment, prompted by outrage over the death a dog in March in an overhead compartment of a United flight. It also gives the Transportation Department authority to require airlines to allow pregnant passengers to board earlier.

The bill would also authorize a return of “supersonic” transport with reduced sonic booms, and provides for an additional $1.68 billion in immediate funding for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

It also directs the FAA to establish an Office of Spaceports to provide guidance, support licensing for spaceports, and promote infrastructure improvements for future space travel.

The bill also addresses sexual misconduct in aviation by creating a task force to review practices and increases civil penalties for interfering with cabin or flight crew members.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)

Archives