Tag: Donald (Page 3 of 4)

American Airlines & Qantas Win Tentative U.S. Approval

June 3, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – American Airlines Group Inc and Qantas Airways Ltd have been given the U.S. government’s tentative approval to operate a joint venture after a prior effort was rejected in 2016.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday issued an order tentatively approving the joint business agreement and tentatively granting antitrust immunity to the airlines covering international service. An application for a joint venture covering the United States, Australia and New Zealand was rejected by former President Barack Obama’s administration.

The deal would allow the airlines to coordinate their planning, pricing, sales and frequent flyer programs, with new options and customer service improvements. The airlines planned up to three new routes within the first two years and increased capacity on existing routes, the department said.

American Airlines said a final decision is expected in the coming weeks.

“The joint business will also create additional jobs at our respective companies and in the industries we serve,” said American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker.

The department will require the airlines perform a self-assessment of the joint venture’s impact on competition seven years after it takes effect and report their findings to the government, which could subsequently take action.

Regulators in Australia and New Zealand approved the first application for the joint venture before it was initially rejected by the U.S. Transportation Department.

American and Qantas in February 2018 made a second attempt to gain U.S. regulatory permission under President Donald Trump’s administration for a venture that would let them coordinate prices and schedules. They threatened to cancel services if it was rejected and argued it could “unlock” up to $310 million annually in consumer benefits.

The revised application made significant changes, including removing a provision that would have barred either carrier from code-sharing with other carriers. Code-sharing is an arrangement between airlines in which two or more carriers publish and advertise a single flight under their own flight number.

The airlines argued in their 2018 application that the venture would lead to a reduction in fares and higher capacity as a “more viable third competitor” and require other carriers to respond with improvements in quality, schedules and prices.

Qantas said last year the joint venture would allow the two airlines to “significantly improve service” and “stimulate demand.” The airlines said the agreement could generate up to 180,000 new trips between the United States and Australia and New Zealand annually.

U.S. regulators in 2001 approved similar joint venture agreements for United and Air New Zealand Ltd and in 2011 for Delta Air Lines Inc and Virgin Australia.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)

An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 airplane takes off at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas, Venezuela January 25, 2019. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

Air Canada Reports Surprise Profit Despite MAX Grounding

May 6, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

May 6 (Reuters) – Air Canada on Monday reported a surprise quarterly profit that sent shares up 4 percent in morning trading, helped by flying more passengers and its purchase of a loyalty program, despite rising costs from the global grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX jets.

Canada’s largest carrier said it sees strong booking trends ahead of the busy summer season, and expects second quarter results in line with forecasts made before the March global suspension of the Boeing MAX in March following two fatal crashes involving the model.

Air Canada stock was up 4 percent, even as Canada’s main stock index fell at the open on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on China, triggering a global rout in risky assets.

Air Canada Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu said the carrier, which operates 24 MAX jets, would return the planes to service based on its own safety assessment, in addition to regulators giving it the green light.

During the first three months of the year, Air Canada and other North American carriers that fly the MAX scrambled to replace flights following harsh weather and the plane’s grounding, while facing pressure from rising fuel costs.

“First quarter is always the most demanding for Canadian airlines,” Rovinescu said. “This year was an exception and it was made more so with the unexpected grounding of the 737 MAX.”

Air Canada canceled 1,600 mainline flights during the first three months of the year, a 40 percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2018, Rovinescu told analysts.

The company was able to protect most of its flights from the date of the grounding through April 30 by entering into new leases, among other strategies, he said.

For the first quarter, the company reported a 9.4 percent rise in total operating revenue to C$4.45 billion ($3.30 billion), beating analysts’ estimate of C$4.39 billion.

In January, Air Canada closed a deal to acquire the Aeroplan loyalty program.

Aeroplan revenue and strong demand drove a nearly 5 percent increase in passenger yield, the company said, even as cost per available seat mile (CASM) — a measure of how much an airline spends to fly a passenger — climbed 3.8 percent.

Air Canada said traffic rose 4.2 percent while passenger revenue per available seat mile, a key revenue measure for airlines, increased 4.5 percent in the first quarter.

The Montreal-based company reported an adjusted net income of C$17 million, or 6 Canadian cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, compared to a loss of C$26 million, or 10 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts’ on average had expected a loss of 18 Canadian cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. ($1 = 1.3467 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Allison Lampert and Shanti S Nair ; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Bill Trott)

Trump Says Boeing Should ‘Rebrand’ Grounded 737 MAX Jet

April 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the debut of the Boeing South Carolina Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday urged Boeing Co to fix and “rebrand” its 737 MAX jetliner following two fatal crashes, as regulators worldwide continue to work with the planemaker to review its grounded best-selling aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been meeting major airlines and convened a joint review with aviation regulators from other countries, while federal prosecutors, the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general’s office and a blue-ribbon panel are reviewing the plane’s certification.

In an early-morning post on Twitter, Trump, who owned the Trump Shuttle airline from 1989 to 1992 and is an aviation enthusiast, weighed in with his own advice.

“What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?” Trump tweeted.

The plane’s grounding has also threatened the U.S. summer travel season, with some airlines removing the 737 from their schedules through August.

Trump issued the tweet as Boeing tries to restore trust in its fastest-selling jet, the main source of profits and cash at the Chicago-based planemaker which has won some 5,000 orders or around seven years of production for the aircraft.

Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg has apologised on behalf of Boeing for lives lost in two recent accidents and promised that it would address the risk that flight software meant to prevent the plane stalling could be activated by wrong data.

Boeing has also held dozens of briefings and simulator sessions for airline executives and pilots and held worldwide meetings with airline branding and communications staff.

Pilots are expected to play a major role in regaining public confidence in the aircraft, but Trump’s tweet marks the first time the brand underpinning Boeing profits in coming years has been thrown into question at a high level.

Brand Finance, a UK-based consultancy that tracks the value of global brands, rejected the idea that Boeing should abandon the MAX brand but said its corporate reputation was in the firing line.

“This has without a doubt damaged Boeing’s reputation and we foresee a dent to the (Boeing) brand’s value at over $12 billion (£9 billion),” Chief Executive David Haigh said by email when asked about Trump’s comments.

“This is a temporary blip in the long run for Boeing,” he said, adding Toyota and others had recovered from similar high-profile crises without a drastic rebranding exercise.

Brand Finance had previously estimated the damage to the value of Boeing’s reputation at $7.5 billion immediately after the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner, the second fatal accident involving the 737 MAX in five months.

Boeing has the world’s most valuable aerospace brand, having seen the value of its overall corporate image rise by 61 percent to $32 billion in 2018, according to the same branding firm.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Tim Hepher; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Toby Chopra)

China’s Huge Airbus Order Padded by Old & Incomplete Deals

April 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Exclusive: China’s huge Airbus order padded by old or incomplete deals – source

PARIS (Reuters) – A landmark order from China for 300 Airbus jets signed during a state visit last week was bolstered by repeat announcements of dozens of existing deals and advance approval for deals that have yet to be struck, two people familiar with the matter said.

Echoing an umbrella order for 300 Boeing jets awarded during a visit to Beijing by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017, the headline figure for the new “framework order” for European jets was partly driven by political considerations, the people said.

The Airbus deal would have been worth some $35 billion at list prices but the amount of new business is lower, they added. Duplicate announcements included a deal for 10 A350 aircraft to an unnamed buyer, which represents a repeat announcement of an order for 10 jets by Sichuan Airlines at an air show last year.

The disclosure takes some of the shine off an announcement widely regarded as the economic highlight of a trip to Europe by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Nonetheless the deal marked a return to the aircraft market by China’s state buying agency after a pause of over a year during global trade tensions.

The overall figure of 300 was introduced late in the process and after Xi’s visit was underway, although plane orders typically take months to negotiate, one of the people said.

Airbus declined to comment on detailed orders but left open the possibility that the large total contained gaps.

The agreement “creates the approval framework for aircraft ordered by Chinese airlines, be it existing orders or future orders,” a spokesman said.

TRADE TIES

Airbus shares fell 0.7 percent on Tuesday, extending earlier losses after Reuters reported gaps in the China deal. Airbus’ stock had risen almost two percent after China’s mega-order, signed in Paris on March 25 in front of Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Industry sources say major planemakers play by similar rules when selling to China, where they face a two-tier system of negotiations with airlines within a framework of state-backed umbrella deals that may be influenced by geopolitics.

But the headline figures for new orders during high-profile diplomatic visits, which for several years hovered around 150 aircraft for both Airbus and Boeing, have increased as trade ties between Washington and China go through highs and lows.

In November 2017, months before a trade war erupted with the imposition of tariffs, China announced an order for 300 Boeing jets during a visit to Beijing by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Analysts expressed doubts at the time over how much of that was new business, and said part of the announcement represented renewed government support for deals already on Boeing’s books.

“The most recent Airbus and Boeing deals followed a similar pattern,” said a China aircraft industry specialist.

Boeing is now seen as next in line to secure a 200-300-plane order as part of a possible economic truce being negotiated to end the trade war, but the recent grounding of one of its jets has cast uncertainty over the timing of the deal.

Boeing and Airbus compete fiercely to serve the needs of the world’s fastest-growing airplane market, while bracing for future competition from China’s own aerospace industry.

Analysts say Beijing tends over time to balance U.S. and European purchases, though recent years have seen the rise of a growing number of independent Chinese leasing companies and an increase in autonomous decision-making by several airlines.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Additional reporting by Marine Pennetier; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Richard Lough)

Airbus Shares Take Off After Bumper Beijing Order

March 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: The Airbus logo is pictured at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus shares rose on Tuesday after the European planemaker won a deal worth tens of billions of dollars to sell 300 aircraft to China.

Airbus was up 2.7 percent by 1208 GMT, with the stock having risen nearly 40 percent so far in 2019.

French officials said the deal was worth some 30 billion euros (25.6 billion pounds) at catalogue prices. Planemakers usually grant significant discounts.

The Chinese order was announced late on Monday, coinciding with a visit to Europe by Chinese President Xi Jinping and matching a China record held by U.S. rival Boeing.

Investment bank Citigroup kept its “buy” rating on Airbus.

“We do not have details of the delivery schedule of this order, but China has been taking about 20-25 percent of Airbus production per year and given the A320 family is sold out at announced production rates out to 2024/25, we believe this increases the probability of Airbus moving to a production rate of 70 per month,” wrote Citigroup.

That positive view was echoed by Morgan Stanley, which kept an “overweight” rating on Airbus shares.

“Clearly finalisation of this order is a positive for Airbus, and continues to underpin strong order book coverage and rising production rates in narrowbody,” Morgan Stanley said.

The larger-than-expected order, which matches an order for 300 Boeing planes when U.S. Donald Trump visited Beijing in 2017, follows a year-long vacuum of purchases in which China failed to place significant orders amid global trade tensions.

It also comes as the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX has left uncertainty over Boeing’s immediate hopes for a major jet order as the result of any warming of U.S.-China trade ties.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Leigh Thomas and Jane Merriman)

President Trump Issues Order Ground Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft

March 13, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday grounded Boeing Co’s 737 MAX jets, citing new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.

It was the second time the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries.

Shares of the world’s biggest plane maker, which were up earlier in the session, fell 2 percent to $370.48. The shares have fallen about 13 percent since Sunday’s crash, losing about $32 billion of market value.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co, which has the largest fleet of 737 MAX aircraft, fell 0.4 percent.

“The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today,” the FAA said in a statement, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded.

“This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.”

The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates.

Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights.

The United States joins Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing’s newest plane since the Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa.

The still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers.

The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States.

“He (Trump) did the right thing by grounding this fleet, both for air travelers and aviation workers,” John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represent aviation workers and flight attendants, told Reuters shortly after the announcement.

“Our members are excited, and are no longer concerned about stepping into a workplace which could lead to the end of their lives, potentially.”

NEW SATELLITE DATA

Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October.

U.S.-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said.

Aireon’s space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at systems running inside the plane.

Earlier on Wednesday, Germany’s federal agency responsible for investigating air accidents said it would not analyze the black box from the Ethiopian Airlines plane, casting uncertainty over the process of finding out what may have caused the disaster. The U.S. FAA said the black boxes were headed to France later on Wednesday.

Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds.

“The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back,” he said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Kumerra Gemechu in Gora-Bokka, Ethiopia, David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri and Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa; Doina Chiacu in Washington, Omar Mohammed and Maggie Fick in Nairobi; Tim Hepher in Paris; Jamie Freed in Singapore; Terje Solsvik in Oslo; Aditi Shah in Mumbai; Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Angela Moon in New York; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne, Frances Kerry and Bill; Rigby; Editing by Gareth Jones, Nick Zieminski and Grant McCool)

Boeing Jets Could Be Part of Broad U.S.-China Trade Deal

March 7, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Purchases of U.S.-made Boeing Co aircraft by China could be part of a sweeping deal currently being negotiated to end the months-long trade war between Washington and Beijing, Boeing’s top executive said on Thursday.

A tit-for-tat trade war between the world’s two largest economic powers has slowed the global economy. It has also opened up new risks for Boeing, which calls itself America’s biggest exporter, in the world’s fastest growing aviation market. Boeing sells roughly a third of its top-selling U.S.-made 737 jetliners to customers in China.

Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told an aviation summit in Washington that he sensed U.S.-China trade talks were progressing “in a good way.”

“They are dealing with some of the tough framework issues around intellectual property and things like that,” Muilenburg said. “I do think they are making progress. And at the same time, I think there’s an economic opportunity here for airplanes to be part of the ultimate deal and help further close the trade deficit gap.”

Governments typically use jet deals to achieve broader diplomatic objectives. In talks with Beijing, U.S. officials have demanded more details on China’s pledge to make big purchases of American goods, as well as to push for ways to hold China to any commitments on changes to industrial policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that China shrink its widening trade surplus with the United States. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported the goods trade deficit with China rose 11.6 percent to an all-time high of $419.2 billion in 2018.

China is poised to overtake the United States as the world’s largest aviation market in the next decade and is gobbling up planes made by both Boeing and European rival Airbus SE, while also investing in homegrown aircraft businesses.

Boeing forecasts Chinese demand for 7,700 new airplanes over the next 20 years valued at $1.2 trillion.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Tom Brown)

NOTE: Planesintheair.com forcast that 12 to 16 Boeing 747-8F freighters will be included in any new US-China trade deal!

Boeing & Bamboo Airways Announce Order for 10 787 Dreamliners

February 27, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Bamboo Airways today confirmed an order for 10 787-9 Dreamliners valued at $3 billion according to list prices. The order for the super-efficient and longest-range member of the Dreamliner family was unveiled during a signing ceremony in Hanoi, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump and General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

“We are excited to be adding the new 787 Dreamliner to our growing fleet,” said Mr. Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of FLC Group and owner of Bamboo Airways. “Our long-term vision is to connect Vietnam with key markets in Asia, Europe and North America and the Dreamliner will enable us to launch these long-haul operations. The 787’s superior operating economics and efficiency, as well as the passenger pleasing interior of the Dreamliner, will allow us to successfully grow our business while enabling us to better serve our customers.”

This order was previously unidentified on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website.

Bamboo Airways, a startup airline founded in 2017, began commercial operations in January, offering flights linking the capital of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with cities in Vietnam. The airline plans on offering up to 40 domestic routes in 2019. Additionally, Bamboo is preparing to launch international service to Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and Australia, before broadening service to other destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America.

“The 787 Dreamliner’s unmatched efficiency, range and flexibility make it the perfect airplane for Bamboo Airways to achieve its long-range ambitions. We are excited to advance the partnership between Boeing and Bamboo Airways and we look forward to helping them connect Asia with Europe, North America and beyond,” said Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The 787 Dreamliner family allows airlines to fly long ranges while reducing fuel costs by more than 20 percent compared to previous widebody jets. The Dreamliner’s superior efficiency and range have allowed airlines to open more than 210 new non-stops routes around the world since it entered service.

At 63 meters (206 feet), the 787-9 can fly 290 passengers, in a typical two-class configuration, up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 kilometers). The airplane is 6 meters longer than the original Dreamliner and is capable of carrying more passengers and flying farther.

The 787 Dreamliner is the fastest-selling widebody airplane in history with more than 1,400 orders from 75 customers since its launch. Nearly 800 Dreamliners have entered service around the world, helping airlines save 33 billion pounds of fuel.

Bamboo Airways is wholly-owned by the FLC Group, a Vietnamese multi-industry company, focusing on aviation, real estate, resorts, farming, and golf.

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

Boeing, Vietjet Announce Order for 100 737 MAX Airplanes

February 27, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Vietjet [HOSE: VJC] confirmed that the innovative and growing Vietnamese carrier has purchased 100 additional 737 MAX airplanes, taking their MAX order book to 200 jets. During a signing ceremony today in Hanoi, United States President Donald Trump and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong joined leaders of both companies to unveil the $12.7 billion order, according to list prices.

The deal includes 20 MAX 8s and 80 of the new, larger MAX 10 variant, which will have the lowest seat-mile costs for a single-aisle airplane and be the most profitable jet in its market segment. The order was previously unidentified on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website.

In ordering 80 MAX 10s, Vietjet becomes the largest Asian customer of the airplane type. The carrier plans to use the added capacity to meet growing demand across Vietnam, as well as to serve popular destinations throughout Asia.

“The deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes today is an important move for us to keep up with our international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity, thus offering our passengers with more exciting experiences when being able to fly to more new international destinations,” said Madam Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, President and CEO of Vietjet. “I believe that our fleet will have breakthroughs thanks to new-generation technologies, which helps improve flight quality and enhance operational reliability, while reducing operating costs in the future. Passengers will then have more opportunities to fly with reasonable fares. The contract signing ceremony, which is witnessed by the top leaders of Vietnam and the US on the occasion of the US-North Korea Summit in Hanoi, will mark a milestone in the two companies’ growth path.”

Vietjet placed its first order for 100 737 MAX airplanes in 2016, which set the mark for the largest commercial jet purchase in Vietnam’s aviation sector at the time.

“We are pleased to expand our partnership with Vietjet and to support their impressive growth with new, advanced airplanes such as the 737 MAX. We are confident the MAX will help Vietjet grow more efficiently and provide great travel experiences for their passengers,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Kevin McAllister. “The economic expansion in Hanoi and across Vietnam is impressive. Vietjet and the country’s burgeoning aviation sector are clearly enablers, helping to stimulate travel within Vietnam and connecting Vietnam with the rest of Asia. We are proud to support this economic development, which in turn supports engineering and manufacturing jobs in the United States.”

In addition to airplane purchases, Boeing will partner with Vietjet to enhance technical and engineering expertise, train pilots and technicians, and improve management capabilities at the airline and in Vietnam.

The carrier also uses Boeing’s digital solutions to optimize its operations, including flight planning & Tech Log Book.

About the 737 MAX
The 737 MAX family is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines, and includes design updates such as Boeing’s Advanced Technology winglet that reduces drag and further optimizes the 737 MAX performance, especially on longer-range missions. Together, these improvements reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions by at least 14 percent compared to today’s Next-Generation 737s – and by 20 percent more than the single-aisle airplanes they replace.

The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant in the family. At 43.8 meters (143 feet 8 inches) long, the airplane can seat a maximum of 230 passengers and offer airlines the lowest seat-mile costs in the single-aisle market.

The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history with about 5,000 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.boeing.com/commercial/737max.

About Vietjet
Vietjet is the first airline in Vietnam to operate as a new-age airline offering flexible, cost-saving ticket fares and diversified services to meet customers’ demands. It provides not only transport services but also uses the latest e-commerce technologies to offer various products and services for consumers. Vietjet is a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. Vietjet was named “Best Ultra Low-Cost Airline 2018 – 2019” and awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars in 2018 by safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com. Currently, Vietjet offers more than 385 flights daily, carrying more than 65 million passengers to date, with 106 routes covering destinations across Vietnam and international destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia. For more information, visit www.vietjetair.com

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

Boeing Reportedly Near $3.5 Billion 737 MAX Deal with ANA

January 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co is close to a deal worth $3.5 billion (2.66 billion pounds) at list prices to sell 30 Boeing 737 MAX jetliners to ANA Holdings, two people familiar with the matter said.

The deal is the first sale in Japan for the newest version of Boeing’s best-selling 737 family and marks a reversal for Europe’s Airbus, five years after the same airline became the first Japanese carrier to pick the competing A320neo.

It also coincides with negotiations between Washington and Tokyo over a potential trade pact, with Japan facing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to cut its trade surplus with the United States.

Boeing declined to comment. ANA could not immediately be reached for comment. A deal announcement could come as early as Tuesday, subject to the airline’s final approval, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo have amassed thousands of orders due to significant fuel savings offered by a new generation of engines.

But the world’s largest plane makers continue to wage fierce market battles, while Boeing has been chipping away at Airbus’s recent lead in the market for such medium-haul airplanes.

Trump and other top U.S. administration officials have criticized Japan over trade, asserting that Tokyo treats the United States unfairly by shipping millions of cars to North America while blocking imports of U.S. autos and farm products.

Japan says its markets for manufactured goods are open, although it does protect politically sensitive farm products.

In September, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to start trade talks in an arrangement that appeared, temporarily at least, to protect Japanese automakers from further tariffs on their exports, which make up about two-thirds of Japan’s $69 billion trade surplus with the United States.

Japan has insisted the new Trade Agreement on Goods would not be a wide-ranging free trade agreement, but U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said last year he was aiming for a full free-trade deal requiring approval by Congress.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and by Reuters bureaus; Editing by GV De Clercq and David Evans)

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