Tag: jet (Page 26 of 32)

Air Lease Says Boeing Going ‘Full Speed Ahead’ on Midsized Jet

March 7, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Reuters) – Boeing Co is indicating “full speed ahead” for a new midsized airplane in what would be the first all-new jet program for the world’s biggest planemaker in more than a decade, Air Lease Corp’s chief executive, John Plueger, said on Wednesday.

Boeing reiterated on Wednesday that it will make a decision in 2020 on whether to launch the plane, which aims to address the middle of the jet market between traditional narrowbody jets with one aisle and long-distance widebody planes. It can start seeking offers in 2019, subject to launch.

“Boeing is signalling full speed ahead but there’s still a lot to be decided in these programs,” Plueger said at a conference, noting the company had met with Boeing in Seattle on Friday.

In an emailed statement, Boeing said it is still working through the business case for the new jet, adding: “If we decide to offer the airplane and the market responds positively, we will proceed with a launch decision sometime in 2020.”

Air Lease, one of the largest aircraft lessors, said it sees interest in Boeing’s proposed mid-market aircraft from airlines, some of which are looking for longer range while others, such as Asian carriers, seek the lowest possible cost per seat kilometre.

Still, Boeing is taking a “thoughtful approach” to the potential project following a series of cost overruns and delays with its last jet program, the 787, and has yet to discuss possible pricing, Air Lease Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy said.

Air Lease will meet on Saturday with Airbus SE, which is preparing to counter the potential new jet by Boeing with a new version of its A321 and the larger A330neo.

While Boeing and Airbus have traditionally launched new jets alongside purchase commitments from airlines, interest by aircraft lessors like Air Lease is forming an increasingly important role in the decision-making process, industry sources have said.

Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian said on Monday that it is interested in a mid-market aircraft from Boeing to replace 200 757 and 767 aircraft over the next decade.

Last month, Rolls-Royce dropped out of the race to power Boeing’s planned jet, strengthening a leading position in the high-profile contest for a transatlantic venture involving General Electric Co and France’s Safran.

“Somebody had to drop out and the competition at this point is progressing normally,” Plueger said.

Pratt & Whitney is also a potential supplier for the new Boeing jet.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Interest is rising for Boeing’s new 757 replacement jet!

Bombardier Global 7500 Completes Longest Business Jet Flight in History

March 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

– Global 7500 jet’s extraordinary 8,152 nm flight is the longest mission ever flown by a purpose-built business jet
– Flight also sets record for highest speed over longest distance in business aviation history, connecting Singapore to Tucson, AZ*
– Aircraft landed with fuel reserves well above NBAA requirements; 4,300 lb of remaining fuel represents nearly 1,5 hours of additional flight
– Aircraft provides the industry’s largest cabin and best cabin experience, perfectly suited for trans-oceanic journeys and an exceptionally smooth ride

Bombardier is proud to announce that its Global 7500 aircraft, has once again demonstrated its ability to go the distance by completing the longest range business jet flight in history**, successfully completing an 8,152-nautical-mile flight non-stop, pushing the boundaries of business travel.

The award-winning business jet departed from Singapore Changi Airport at 7:12 a.m. local time and arrived at Tucson International Airport at 8:19 a.m. local time, completing the long-range speed record flight for the city-pair.

“The Global 7500 aircraft was built to break all the records,” said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “It achieved the industry’s longest mission ever in business aviation after only two months in service. We’ve demonstrated its unequaled long-range and high speed capabilities, but also its ability to break records confidently with healthy fuel reserves remaining, once again, confirming its unsurpassed performance to customers.”

Since its entry-into-service, the Global 7500 jet has emphatically proven itself to be the highest-performing aircraft in the industry and this record showcases the real-world capabilities of this impressive aircraft. With a top speed of Mach 0.925, the aircraft has unquestionably shown its ability to fly even further than any other business jet with its advertised range of 7,700 nautical miles. The achievement of a flight that reaches 8,152 nautical miles clearly demonstrates that the aircraft is the only business jet with the high-performance capabilities required for long flights. Providing access to these demanding, long-range routes is an invaluable resource for customers.

Over the last two months, the Global 7500 jet has demonstrated exceptional performance and reliability, this first aircraft has completed more than 170 hours of flight around the world.

The Global 7500 aircraft offers spaciousness that is unique among business jets, with its award-winning interior featuring a full-size kitchen and four true living spaces. The Global 7500 aircraft also debuts Bombardier’s patented Nuage seat, which was meticulously designed for maximum comfort and will be exclusive to the new Global family of aircraft.

About Bombardier

With over 68,000 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion.

Story and images from http://www.bombardier.com

CommutAir Plane Slides off Runway in Presque Isle Landing

March 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, as the old saw goes—but it’s usually better when you don’t have to have emergency services personnel help you off the plane. And that goes double for times when the firefighters don’t need a ladder to reach the boarding door. Still, on the ground is on the ground—which is a place it seems likely that the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 4933 are very happy to be right now, after their commuter jet landed off the runway in rural Maine, ripping the landing gear off in the process.

The United Embraer EMB-145XR commuter jet, which was operated by regional carrier CommutAir under the United Express banner, took off from Newark Liberty International Airport this morning at 9:23am, according to Flight Aware, on a route that was scheduled to see it landing and at the gate in Presque Isle, Maine, at 11:30am.

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CommutAir plane slides off runway

CommutAir

German Government in Talks with Airbus on 600 million Euro A380 Loan

March 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government on Monday said it was in talks with Airbus about 600 million euros (514 million pounds) in outstanding loans for developing the A30 superjumbo jet, which Airbus now plans to scrap.

A spokeswoman for the German Economy Ministry confirmed the value of the outstanding loans, first reported by Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain, but said it was premature to discuss how the issue would be resolved.

“We are analysing the consequences and discussing the issue with the company,” the spokeswoman told a regular government news conference.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Tassilo Hummel; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Michelle Martin)

A380-family-stage

Rolls-Royce Quits Boeing’s Mid-Market Engine Race

February 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LONDON (Reuters) – Rolls-Royce dropped out of the race to power Boeing’s planned mid-market aircraft on Thursday, saying it did not want to risk more disruption for its airline customers by rushing out a product without extensive testing.

The move strengthens a leading position in the high-profile contest already held by a transatlantic venture involving Rolls’ arch-rival General Electric, industry sources said,

Britain’s Rolls-Royce, which makes engines for large civil aircraft and military planes, wants to avoid a repeat of the problems with its Trent 1000 engine that powers Boeing’s Dreamliner 787.

Chief Executive Warren East said he had taken the “very difficult decision” to withdraw from the Boeing competition because it couldn’t make the development of its new UltraFan architecture fit the timetable for the aircraft.

Boeing has proposed launching a new mid-sized jetliner to fill a gap between the narrow and wide-body aircraft, with airline operations beginning in 2025.

“If you enter into service with an engine that is not sufficiently mature, then you are almost inevitably going to run into lots of in-service issues, lots of customer disruption and lots of incremental costs,” East told reporters.

He said, however, that Rolls was still committed to UltraFan, a major new fuel-efficient architecture that will power wide-body jets towards the back end of the next decade.

CFM International — a joint venture between GE and France’s Safran — as well as Pratt & Whitney are also potential suppliers for the new Boeing jet.

Pratt & Whitney recently re-entered the civil market for narrow-body jets and wants to expand to larger ones, but has been hit by industrial problems.

UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS

In the nearer term, Rolls is still dealing with the costs and disruption of fixing Trent 1000 engines caused by the poor durability of components.

“On this issue we have indeed turned the corner,” East said, although he added that the level of customer disruption was still unacceptable.

It raised the Trent 1000 charge to 790 million pounds from 554 million pounds at the half year, contributing to a full-year operating loss of 1.16 billion pounds ($1.54 billion), and allocated another 100 million pounds in cash to the problem.

The issue has damaged Rolls’ standing with its big customers.

British Airways owner IAG said on Thursday it would order 18 Boeing 777-9s, rather than a competing package from Airbus that industry sources said included the A350, which is powered by Rolls.

“I have been frustrated, largely with the performance of Rolls-Royce, not so much with Airbus,” IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh said.

East, however, said Rolls had an excellent relationship with BA and put the choice down to IAG’s fleet requirements.

“I am totally confident we will be continuing to be a major partner with BA for many, many years into the future,” he said.

East said that aside from Trent 1000, the rest of the business was performing well, although the large engine deliveries of 480 fell short of its 500 target, in part due to the challenge of stepping up Trent 7000 production.

Shares in Rolls were trading down 3.4 percent at 950 pence, underperforming a 1 percent drop in the FTSE 100.

The company reported a 8 percent rise in underlying revenue to 15.1 billion pounds and a doubling of operating profit to 616 million pounds.

However, changes in Rolls-Royce’s dollar-pound hedge book had a significant impact on its results, and were in part responsible for a reported full-year loss of 2.9 billion pounds.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle, Additional reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Edmund Blair and Keith Weir)

Boeing Signs Deal for Up to 42 777X Airplanes with British Airways

February 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing and International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, announced February 28, 2019 the airline has committed to purchasing up to 42 777X airplanes, including 18 firm orders and 24 options. British Airways joins a group of leading carriers that have selected the new 777-9, which will debut next month as the largest and most efficient twin-engine passenger jet in the world.

The commitment, valued at up to $18.6 billion at list prices, will be reflected on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website once it is finalized.

“The new 777-9 is the world’s most fuel efficient longhaul aircraft and will bring many benefits to British Airways’ fleet. It’s the ideal replacement for the 747 and its size and range will be an excellent fit for the airline’s existing network,” said Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive. “This aircraft will provide further cost efficiencies and environmental benefits with fuel cost per seat improvements of 30 per cent compared to the 747. It also provides an enhanced passenger experience”.

British Airways has been modernizing its fleet – one of the largest in the airline industry – to more efficiently serve its extensive global route network. In recent years, the airline has introduced the super-efficient 787 Dreamliner family to replace its medium-sized widebody jets. The new 777-9 will replace British Airways’ larger widebody airplanes, mainly the four-engine 747 jumbo jet.

In ordering the 777-9, British Airways extends a long-running relationship with the popular 777 family. The airline is one of the largest 777 operators with a fleet of nearly 60 of the long-range jet. The airline last year committed to four more 777-300ER (Extended Range) jets via operating lease.

The 777-9 is larger and slightly wider than current 777s with the ability to comfortably sit 400-425 passengers in a standard two-class cabin. Powered by 787 Dreamliner technologies, an all-new composite wing, and other enhancements, the 777-9 offers airlines 12 percent lower fuel consumption than competing airplanes. The 777-9 can also fly farther than its predecessors with a standard range of 7,600 nautical miles (14,075 kilometers).

Story and images from http://www.boeing.com

Boeing Unveils Unmanned Combat Jet

February 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

AVALON, Australia (Reuters) – Boeing Co on Wednesday unveiled an unmanned, fighter-like jet developed in Australia and designed to fly alongside crewed aircraft in combat for a fraction of the cost.

The U.S. manufacturer hopes to sell the multi-role aircraft, which is 38 feet long (11.6 metres) and has a 2,000 nautical mile (3,704 kilometre) range, to customers around the world, modifying it as requested.

The prototype is Australia’s first domestically developed combat aircraft since World War II and Boeing’s biggest investment in unmanned systems outside the United States, although the company declined to specify the dollar amount.

The Australian government is investing A$40 million ($28.75 million) in the prototype programme due to its “enormous capability for exports,” Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne told reporters at the Australian International Airshow.

Defence contractors are investing increasingly in autonomous technology as militaries around the world look for a cheaper and safer way to maximise their resources.

Boeing rivals like Lockheed Martin Corp and Kratos Defence and Security Solutions Inc are also investing in such aircraft.

Four to six of the new aircraft, called the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, can fly alongside a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, said Shane Arnott, director of Boeing research and prototype arm Phantom Works International.

“To bring that extra component and the advantage of unmanned capability, you can accept a higher level of risk,” he said. “It is better for one of these to take a hit than for a manned platform.”

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in the United States said last year that the U.S. Air Force should explore pairing crewed and uncrewed aircraft to expand its fleet and complement a limited number of “exquisite, expensive, but highly potent fifth-generation aircraft” like the F-35.

“Human performance factors are a major driver behind current aerial combat practices,” the policy paper said. “Humans can only pull a certain number of G’s, fly for a certain number of hours, or process a certain amount of information at a given time.”

MULTI-MISSION CAPABILITIES

In addition to performing like a fighter jet, other roles for the Boeing system include electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance alongside aircraft like the P-8 Poseidon and E-7 Wedgetail, said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Boeing Autonomous Systems.

“It is operationally very flexible, modular, multi-mission,” she said. “It is a very disruptive price point. Fighter-like capability at a fraction of the cost.”

Robertson declined to comment on the cost, saying that it would depend on the configuration chosen by individual customers.

The jet is powered by a derivative of a commercially available engine, uses standard runways for take-off and landing, and can be modified for carrier operations at sea, Robertson said. She declined to specify whether it could reach supersonic speeds, common for modern fighter aircraft.

Its first flight is expected in 2020, with Boeing and the Australian government producing a concept demonstrator to pave the way for full production.

“I would say we are some years away from exports, we are probably years away from it being in operation here in Australia,” Pyne said. “It is designed to be a cheaper platform, a shield if you like around the more expensive platforms, to protect our servicemen and women who might be on a Poseidon or a Wedgetail or a F-35A.”

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, is home to Boeing’s largest footprint outside the United States and has vast airspace with relatively low traffic for flight testing.

The Boeing Airpower Teaming System will be manufactured in Australia, but production lines could be set up in other countries depending on sales, Arnott said.

The United States, which has the world’s biggest military budget, would be among the natural customers for the product.

The U.S. Air Force 2030 project foresees the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter working together with stealthy combat drones, called the “Loyal Wingman” concept, said Derrick Maple, principal analyst for unmanned systems at IHS Markit.

“The U.S. has more specific plans for the wingman concept, but Western Europe will likely develop their requirements in parallel, to abate the capabilities of China and the Russian Federation and other potential threats,” he said.

Robertson declined to name potential customers and would not comment on potential stealth properties, but said the aircraft had the potential to sell globally.

“We didn’t design this as a point solution but a very flexible solution that we could outfit with payloads, sensors, different mission sets to complement whatever their fleet is,” she said. “Don’t think of it as a specific product that is tailored to do only one mission.”

($1 = 1.3914 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; additional reporting by Gerry Doyle; editing by Gerry Doyle)

Embraer Says Key Vote on Boeing Tie-up May Proceed

February 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian planemaker Embraer said on Tuesday a key shareholder meeting to vote on the sale of 80 percent of its commercial aviation business to Boeing Co could proceed as scheduled on Tuesday, after it got an injunction overturned.

A federal judge had suspended the meeting on Friday at the request of a union representing some Embraer workers which had lobbied against the deal, partly on concerns Boeing would slash jobs if the tie-up was approved.

Shares in Embraer surged 3 percent in early Sao Paulo trading on news the meeting would take place.

Last-minute legal twists are common in Brazil, and Embraer had already overturned several injunctions that temporarily blocked the deal.

Under the proposed terms, Boeing will pay $4.2 billion to control Embraer’s most profitable division, its commercial aviation business.

The deal will provide a cash influx that the Brazilian planemaker has defended as crucial to its survival as increased competition between Boeing and Airbus squeezes out smaller rivals.

“The potential operation with Boeing will save Embraer,” lawyers for the Brazilian planemaker said in July in a court filing as it battled an earlier challenge to the deal.

But critics say the arrangement will leave Embraer weaker and financially dependent on its two remaining divisions, executive jets and defense, both of which have posted losses in recent quarters.

Foreign shareholders, who own a tiny slice of the company, overwhelmingly voted to approve the deal.

Brazil’s securities regulator late on Monday denied a separate request filed by minority shareholders to suspend the shareholder meeting.

Embraer’s union has vowed to protest the meeting, which will be held at the planemaker’s headquarters in the city of Sao Jose dos Campos. The union’s plans prompted Embraer to seek legal restrictions of its own.

A judge sided with Embraer last week, allowing Brazil’s military police to safeguard the planemaker’s premises while the meeting takes place.

The deal has already been approved by Brazil’s government, which holds veto power over important business decisions at Embraer, which was a state company until its privatization in the 1990s.

(Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Paulo; Additional reporting by Gram Slattery in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Jason Neely, Keith Weir and Bernadette Baum)

Cargo Jet with 3 on board crashes near Houston airport

February 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) – A Boeing 767 cargo jetliner with three people on board crashed into a bay near Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday, police and officials said.

Atlas Air Flight 3591 was en route to Houston from Miami when radar and radio contact with the plane was lost about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of the investigation, the statement said, and FAA investigators were on their way to the crash site.

The Chambers County Sheriff’s office said the plane had been located in Jack’s Pocket, at the north end of Trinity Bay near the small city of Anahuac, according to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office.

Ed Gonzalez, the sheriff of neighboring Harris County, which includes Houston, said on Twitter his office was sending personnel to help with the rescue efforts.

Boeing said on Twitter it was aware of reports of an accident involving a 767 in Texas and was gathering more information.

Atlas Air said there were three people on board the aircraft. “Those people and their family members are our top priority at this time,” the airline said in a statement.

The company, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide has been operating Boeing 767 freighters on behalf of Amazon following a 2016 deal.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the flight crew, their families and friends along with the entire team at Atlas Air during this terrible tragedy,” Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, said in a statement.

(Reporting by Maria Caspani in New York Editing by Paul Simao)

Airbus Pencils in Orders for New A321XLR Jet

February 21, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus has begun lining up tentative orders for a longer-range version of its A321 jetliner, seeking to exploit signs of hesitation at arch-rival Boeing over whether to develop a new model in a hotly contested niche of the airplane market.

The European firm is in detailed talks with airlines over the price and timing of the longer-range design – known as A321XLR – and has pencilled in some orders subject to a formal launch, expected this year, industry sources said.

Airbus is looking for 200-300 draft orders before committing to build the A321XLR, in a move that would limit the space available for a mid-market alternative that Boeing hopes to launch in a gap between medium-haul and long-haul jets.

“Every A321XLR that Airbus sells, means one less potential sale for the NMA (Boeing’s proposed New Mid-sized Airplane),” an industry source said.

An Airbus spokesman said the planemaker is “always talking to customers” and declined further comment.

The middle of the jet market is at the centre of one of the most widely watched airplane design battles for years.

Boeing is aiming its potential new 220 to 260-seat NMA at a niche previously served by two models: its own 757, a long-range single-aisle jet, and its 767, a larger twin-aisle model.

Boeing dominates the upper end of that spectrum but has come under pressure from Airbus at the lower end.

Last month it postponed a decision on whether to launch the NMA to 2020 from 2019, though it said it could still decide whether to offer the plane on a preliminary basis this year. It maintained its goal of seeing any new jet enter service in 2025.

Facing a potential new competitor, Airbus plans a pincer move, using derivatives of two existing models: the A321neo and its souped-up sister versions – the A321LR and the proposed A321XLR – at the lower end and an upgraded A330 at the top end.

Unlike the smaller A321neo, the upgraded A330neo has been selling poorly but received a boost last week when Emirates ordered 40 of the planes.

The A321XLR would attempt to make it harder for Boeing to launch its new plane by increasing pressure at the lower end of the roughly 200-270-seat mid-market, valued at hundreds of billions of dollars over 20 years.

It would have a higher maximum take-off weight of 101 tonnes and 400-500 nautical miles more range than the A321LR, Airbus’ longest-range single-aisle. It would not carry extra passengers.

The A321LR can carry 206 people for 4,000 miles or up to 240 people on shorter trips. Boeing’s proposed new jet is expected to fly 4,000-5,000 miles, but Boeing says it will do so with the greater comfort of a twin-aisle jet and at a lower cost.

Airbus is expected to try to create momentum for the A321XLR by offering airlines with existing orders for the A321neo or A321LR versions a chance to upgrade to the A321XLR.

U.S. sources have dismissed the A321XLR, saying another model in the A321 family would dilute the second-hand market, making it harder to finance orders of the new longer range version for which the market remains relatively niche.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Richard Lough)

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