Tag: narrow (Page 2 of 2)

FAA to Invite Global Boeing 737 MAX Pilots for Simulator Tests

August 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it would invite Boeing 737 MAX pilots from across the world to participate in simulator tests as part of the process to recertify the aircraft for flight following two fatal crashes.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the agency had asked the three U.S. airlines that operate the MAX to provide the names of some pilots who had only flown the 737 for around a year, including at least one MAX flight.

In a statement, the FAA said it had not specified the number of required hours of flight experience, but said the candidates would be a cross-section of line pilots and must have experience at the controls of the MAX.

Boeing Co’s latest 737 narrow-body model, the MAX, was grounded worldwide in March after two crashes within five months in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

Boeing has been reprogramming software for a stall-prevention system at the center of both crashes, which the FAA must approve before the plane flies again commercially.

The FAA said it had not yet specified a firm schedule for the tests.

Boeing has said it is working toward getting the 737 MAX flying again commercially in the early fourth quarter. Reuters reported on Thursday that it had told suppliers it planned to ramp 737 production back up in February, sending its shares 4% higher.

The world’s largest planemaker slowed its 737 production rate in April because deliveries of the MAX, which makes up the bulk of its single-aisle production, were frozen under the grounding, hitting its supply chain and airline customers.

In the United States, MAX operators Southwest Airlines Co , American Airlines and United Airlines have had to cancel hundreds of daily flights as they wrestle with slimmer fleets at a time of strong domestic air travel demand.

The MAX is Boeing’s fastest-selling aircraft, with about 5,000 pending orders.

As part of its own testing process, Boeing has invited senior airline pilots to experiment with the software fix and use simulators to run scenarios similar to the ones that led to the two crashes.

But sources told Reuters that the FAA also wanted to observe newer 737 pilots. One source said the simulator tests were supposed to be conducted during the first week of September but had been pushed back to the middle of the month.

The FAA, which is working alongside global regulators, has said repeatedly it does not have a fixed time line to approve the grounded jets to fly commercially again.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney)

Delta to Launch New York to Houston Nonstop service between on state-of-the-art A220 aircraft

July 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta is launching its state-of-the-art Airbus A220 aircraft on new flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport this October, with customers enjoying best-in-class service on two daily flights connecting two of the largest business markets in the U.S.

“Our new twice-daily flight to Houston on the finest narrowbody experience in the skies today marks another step in Delta’s ongoing investment to provide New York customers with the broadest network, most comfortable experience, and best products available,” said Chuck Imhof, V.P. — New York and Sales-East.

For Houston customers connecting through JFK, the new service will provide one-stop access to international destinations such as Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; Accra, Ghana; and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Service will begin on Oct. 27, 2019, and will operate on the following schedule:

IAH

Departs IAH at 11:58 a.m. and arrives JFK at 4:22 p.m.
Departs IAH at 6:22 p.m. and arrives JFK at 10:45 p.m.

JFK

Departs JFK at 8:00 a.m. and arrives IAH at 11:19 a.m.
Departs JFK at 2:55 p.m. and arrives IAH at 6:14 p.m.

Delta has grown its presence in New York City by over 65 percent in the last 10 years and today operates more than 520 peak-day departures from its hubs at LaGuardia and JFK. The airline is JFK’s No. 1 carrier, offering more than 240 peak daily departures to nearly 100 worldwide destinations. The airline first unveiled its $1.4 billion, state-of-the-art international gateway at JFK’s Terminal 4 in 2013. Delta also continues to make significant investments to provide more consistency, comfort and convenience in the travel experience throughout all cabins of service on its flights to and from New York.

Service to Houston from JFK complements the five daily flights Delta currently offers between Houston and Delta’s other New York hub at LaGuardia. Those flights also are operated on the A220, which features a modern and spacious interior, and an elevated, customer-friendly onboard experience including:

Thoughtful innovations like high-capacity overhead bins, extra-large windows and full-spectrum LED ambient lighting.
The widest Main Cabin seats in Delta’s entire fleet in a two-by-three layout, with personal power ports and complimentary premium entertainment on individual seat-back screens.
A new First Class seat design in a two-by-two layout, featuring the largest IFE screens of any Delta domestic First Class seat.

Delta’s A220 debuted in February to rave reviews; Business Insider called the A220 “an absolute triumph.” The airline plans to add a total of 95 A220s to its aircraft fleet over the next four years.

Delta Air Lines’ brand new A220 jet lands at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Ga. on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. (Photo by Chris Rank/Rank Studios 2018)

Southwest Expects 737 MAX Cancellations Beyond October 1

July 1, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, July 1 (Reuters) – Southwest Airlines expects it will have to remove the grounded Boeing Co 737 MAX jets from its flying schedule beyond the current Oct. 1 re-entry date following the discovery of a fresh safety issue, Chief Executive Gary Kelly told employees on Monday.

Last week, Boeing said that it would take until at least September to solve 737 MAX software issues – later than airlines had been expecting – after U.S. aviation regulators uncovered a new problem during simulator sessions.

“I’m sure this will cause us to have to take the MAX out of the schedule beyond Oct. 1,” Kelly said in an internal update, adding that the company would also see “what other modifications we might need to make our plans for this year because it’s obviously extending well beyond what I had hoped.”

Kelly did not elaborate on the possible modifications. So far, the Texas-based airline has tried to substitute its MAX routes with spare aircraft but has still been forced to cancel about 115 daily flights.

American Airlines Group and United Airlines Holdings , the other two U.S. carriers that operate the 737 MAX, have removed the jetliner from their flying schedules until early September.

The three airlines are expected to provide more details on the financial toll of a prolonged MAX grounding during second quarter results later in July.

Boeing’s fast-selling narrowbody was grounded worldwide in March following two deadly crashes within five months.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

Qantas Orders 10 A321XLR’s, Converts 26 Additional Aircraft

June 19, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd said on Wednesday it would order 10 Airbus SE A321XLR jets and convert another 26 from a prior order to the new long-range model.

That will take its total A320neo family order to 109 planes, from 99 previously.

The A321XLR jets, to be delivered from mid-2024, have a 4,700 nautical mile range that will allow Qantas or its low-cost arm Jetstar to perform longer-range flights in narrow body jets.

“It can fly routes like Cairns-Tokyo or Melbourne-Singapore, which existing narrow-bodies can’t, and that changes the economics of lots of potential routes into Asia to make them not just physically possible but financially attractive,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Jetstar operates an A320 narrow body fleet, but Qantas uses the rival Boeing 737. Joyce said the A321XLR had plenty of potential uses across both airlines and it would decide closer to the date on where they would be deployed and if they would be used for growth or to replace older jets.

Jetstar is due to receive 18 A321LR jets from 2020 to 2022 and plans to deploy them on domestic and international routes.

The additional 10 jets are valued at more than $1 billion at Airbus list prices, although airlines typically receive substantial discounts.

Qantas said it retained flexibility around the timing and structure of the deliveries depending on market conditions.

“All fleet decisions we make are ultimately guided by our financial framework, which balances our capital expenditure and need to invest for the future with our debt levels and ongoing returns to shareholders,” Joyce said.

Qantas is expected to decide next year on a replacement for its 75 737 jets, which comprise the backbone of its domestic fleet, Joyce said in February.

Contenders include the A320neo family, the 737 MAX and Boeing’s proposed new mid-sized airplane.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Wizz Air Looks to Connect the Dots with Long-Range A321’s

June 19, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LE BOURGET, France, June 19 (Reuters) – Wizz Air will use 20 new extended-range, narrow body Airbus jets primarily to connect existing destinations in its disparate network rather than to fly to new places, the budget airline’s Chief Executive Jozsef Varadi said on Wednesday.

Indigo Partners, the private equity firm of veteran low-cost airline investor Bill Franke, agreed on Wednesday to acquire 50 of the new long-range version of Airbus’ A321neo jet, 20 of which will go to Wizz.

Wizz, which operates a fleet of 113 Airbus A320 and Airbus A321, would not need to change its operating model to accommodate the new A321XLR jets, Varadi said, as it would be able to fly essentially the same planes a little longer.

“Our network spans from the Canary Islands to Astana in Kazakhstan, from Reyjavik in Iceland to Dubai,” Varadi told Reuters after the announcement at the Paris Airshow.

“The XLR gives use the opportunity to connect more dots in our existing network. This is what we’re looking at.”

Airbus opened the Paris Airshow with the launch of the A321XLR, but the announcement was overshadowed on Tuesday when Boeing said British Airways-owner IAG intended to order 200 of its grounded 737 MAX jets.

Hungary-based Wizz, which is focussed on central and eastern Europe, said it had used existing option positions to secure the deal for the A321XLRs, bringing the airline’s total of outstanding firm orders for Airbus aircraft to 276 jets.

Varadi said that in the longer term, it was possible the jet would help open routes to new destinations, but it was not a priority.

“We have always been excited about planting new flags in new territories,” Varadi said. “But the vast majority of the XLR capacity will come in existing markets.”

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Mark Potter)

American Airlines in Talks for up to 50 Airbus A321XLR Jets

June 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – American Airlines is edging towards a deal with Airbus to buy up to 50 newly launched A321XLR extended-range narrow-body aircraft including some converted from existing orders of other models, people familiar with the matter said.

Airbus and American Airlines declined comment.

The people said the order, if confirmed, could be announced to coincide with the Paris Airshow, though officials from the airline were not expected to attend the show in person.

One of the people said that American Airlines was likely to include the world’s longest-range single-aisle jet in its fleet, but the timing of a decision remained unclear.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by Eric M. Johnson)

Cebu Air to Buy Over Two Dozen Airbus Jets

June 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS, June 17 (Reuters) – Airbus is set to win a deal to sell jets worth around $4.5 billion at list price to Philippines airline Cebu Air after a face-off with rival Boeing, industry sources said.

The deal involves 16 A330neo wide-body jets and around 10 of the newly launched A321XLR extended-range narrow-body aircraft, the sources said, asking not to be identified.

Together with other aircraft and options the deal could involve as many as 40 aircraft, one of the sources added.

Airbus declined comment. Cebu officials could not be reached for comment.

The deal follows a fight for business at the Philippines budget airline as Airbus seeks a new foothold for its A330neo in the face of heavy competition from Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

The carrier had at one point been seen as likely to proceed with a Boeing 787 order, prompting Airbus to rescue the deal .

Cebu Air plans to expand its fleet with new aircraft that burn less fuel, CEO Lance Gokongwei said last month.

Asian carriers are looking to renew their long-haul fleets as passenger demand remains robust despite a decline in cargo.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Laurence Frost)

Airbus Faces Cabin Comfort Dilemma in A321XLR Jet Launch

June 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus has broken records by launching the longest-range narrow-body jetliner at the Paris Airshow, but planemakers are having to rethink their mantra on comfort as they squeeze ever more miles out of jets designed for shorter trips.

Airbus and Boeing have been promoting new carbon-fibre long-haul aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner and A350, which offer roomier cabins and help passengers avoid jet lag by providing a cabin pressure closer to that felt on the ground.

But they have also been adding more range and capacity to older and narrower models such as the A320neo family and the 737 MAX as airlines demand more flexibility with the advantages of highly efficient single-aisle planes, supporting low fares.

Airbus pushed that further on Monday by adding a longer stride to the A321neo with its new A321XLR, whose range of 4,700 nautical miles leapfrogs the out-of-production Boeing 757 and nudges it into the long-jump category enjoyed by wide-body jets.

It also eats into a range category targeted by a possible new mid-market twin-aisle jet, the NMA, under review by Boeing.

But there is a debate over whether passengers will enjoy flying longer distances in medium-haul planes, or at what price.

Airline bosses on the long-haul low-cost panel at the Paris Air Forum on Friday differed over whether extended-range narrow-body jets or wider twin-aisles were best suited for their growing industry.

In particular, the rise of the single-aisle long-distance jet involves revisiting years of industry marketing about the benefit of escaping jet lag and fatigue on long trips.

Aircraft cabins are pumped to a higher pressure than the ultra-thin outside air at cruising altitude. But the pressure is still lower than at sea level due to structural limitations.

That’s not a problem for shorter trips but travel experts say the higher altitude setting on older planes can contribute to jet lag on long flights, worsening the effect of time zones.

WELL BEING

Although Airbus stresses the 1980s-designed A320 fuselage is wider than the competing 737 MAX and therefore has roomier seats, it also has a lower cabin pressure than modern long-haul alternatives like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or Airbus A350.

On those airplanes the cabin is pressurised at a level equivalent to 6,000 feet compared with 8,000 feet for the A320 and most other metal-built jets of all sizes.

For the Airbus A330neo wide-body jet the cabin altitude is above 7,000 feet but still below 8,000 feet.

“XLR cabin pressure could be an issue,” said an airline executive who has studied the plane, asking not to be named.

The company itself set out the disadvantages of flying with a high cabin altitude on long journeys when it launched the business-jet version of the A320neo family in 2015.

“A lower cabin altitude makes most sense on long flights, especially towards their end, when an aircraft is able to reach its highest cruising altitude,” Airbus said then on its website.

For the business jet version, Airbus was able to lower the cabin altitude below 6,400 feet. But it could only do so by reducing the maximum number of trips, which matters relatively little to luxury operators but is less attractive to airlines.

That said, cabin pressure is one of many factors influencing the feel of a cabin and is rarely marketed separately.

“Everyone is pushing the ‘well being’ trend … but an A321XLR will arguably be more comfortable than a 9-abreast Boeing 787,” passenger experience expert John Walton said, referring to denser seat configurations used by some airlines.

Placing the first order for the XLR, leasing magnate Steven Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman of Air Lease Corp, said: “We are working on a number of improvements in the cabin to accommodate long-haul operations”.

The A321XLR is expected to be able to fly around eight hours in most cases, linking U.S. eastern cities deep into Europe.

The head of International Airlines Group’s low-cost long-haul carrier Level, Vincent Hodder, told the Paris Air Forum the XLR could be configured to fly as long as 10 hours. Level and others are studying it, he said.

Airbus is chasing potential customers including American Airlines and JetBlue for the XLR and aims to grab up to 200 orders. It is expected to announce a deal with U.S. airline investor Indigo Partners later this week.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)

Saudi Arabian Airlines Close to Placing Airbus Aircraft Order

June 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian Airlines is close to placing a multi-billion-dollar order for aircraft at least partly involving Airbus jets, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The carrier, known as Saudia, has been negotiating with both Airbus and Boeing for wide-body jets for months and its chief executive told Air Transport World in March that a decision for planes like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 was expected soon.

The order for wide-body aircraft, which could also include a number of smaller A320-family narrow-body aircraft, may be announced at the Paris Airshow, the people said.

Airbus declined comment.

Saudia Arabian Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Airbus and Boeing are battling for wide-body aircraft orders worth well over $10 billion as the clock ticks towards next week’s Paris Airshow, industry sources said on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

French Official Says ‘Positive Signs’ in Airbus-China Talks

March 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NAIROBI (Reuters) – There are encouraging signs that European planemaker Airbus is closing in on a long-negotiated deal with China for dozens of new narrow-body jets, an aide to French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

The official said there were hopes Airbus would nail down the multibillion-dollar order when President Xi Jinping visits Europe later this month, but acknowledged there would unlikely be confirmation until the eleventh hour.

“The talks are ongoing,” the official said. “It will be difficult to know for sure until the day before, but the signs are positive.”

China has become a key hunting ground for Airbus and its leading rival Boeing, thanks to surging travel demand, but the outlook has been complicated by Beijing’s desire to grow its own industrial champions and, more recently for Boeing, the U.S.-China trade war.

Macron unexpectedly failed to clinch the Airbus order during a trip to China in early 2018 and the French government and Airbus have been working since to salvage it.

Macron said at the time that China would buy 184 A320 narrow-body jets, an order worth $18 billion at list prices.

The Elysee Palace official also said Airbus was discussing a new order with Ethiopian Airlines. The official gave no details on the size of the potential new Ethiopian order but cited the long-range A350, a model which Ethiopian already operates, and the single-aisle A320 jet as aircraft of interest to the airline.

Macron and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed discussed the negotiations during Macron’s visit to Addis Ababa on Tuesday, two days after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed after taking off, killing all 157 people on board.

Industry analysts played down a possible link between any current negotiations and Sunday’s crash. Ethiopian has been undertaking a major fleet expansion and regularly talks to the market, they said, adding that order talks take time.

(Reporting by John Irish; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Mark Potter)

Archives