Tag: Agency (Page 5 of 6)

AirAsia Shares Plunge After Airbus Bribery Allegations

February 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Shares of Malaysia’s AirAsia Group <5099.KL> fell on Monday, after allegations by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office that Airbus <EADSY> paid a bribe of $50 million to win plane orders from Asia’s largest budget airline group.

AirAsia shares fell as much as 11% to 1.27 ringgit – their lowest since May 2016 – while those of AirAsia X tanked 12% to their all-time low of 11.5 Malaysian sen.

Malaysia’s anti-graft agency is investigating the allegations from Britain. AirAsia has said it never made any purchase decisions that were premised on Airbus sponsorship, and that it would fully cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Malaysia’s Securities Commission said on Sunday it would also examine whether AirAsia broke securities laws.

The allegations were revealed on Friday as part of a record $4 billion settlement Airbus agreed with France, Britain and the United States. Prosecutors said the company had bribed public officials and hidden payments as part of a pattern of worldwide corruption.

Airbus said at the weekend it would not comment on the Malaysian investigations.

Analysts said the accusation against AirAsia comes at a particularly bad time as airlines grapple with a slowdown in business because of the fast-spreading coronavirus epidemic that has killed more than 300 people in China and disrupted air travel.

“Besides being embroiled in this corruption scandal, we expect a tough operating environment to persist over the medium term with maintenance cost remaining high … and concerns over the Wuhan virus outbreak which could derail propensity for air travel in the region,” Malaysia’s Kenanga Investment Bank wrote in a research note.

TA Securities downgraded AirAsia Group stock to “sell” from “buy”.

“We choose the ‘sell first, ask questions later’ approach to avoid the uncertainty in association with the corruption investigation by MACC, where the impact on AirAsia could be significant in terms of corporate governance,” it said in a note.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher Cushing)

FILE PHOTO: Thai AirAsia Airbus A320 plane prepares for take off at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok

Airbus BelugaXL Enters Service, Adding XL Capacity to the Fleet

January 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The BelugaXL has entered into service, providing Airbus with 30% extra transport capacity in order to support the on-going production ramp-up of commercial aircraft programmes.

The aircraft, which is an integral part of Airbus’ industrial system, made its first operational flight on 9 January. This is the first of six BelugaXL to begin work alongside the BelugaST predecessors, with the additional aircraft being introduced between 2020 and 2023.

Launched just over five years ago, in November 2014, the entry into service milestone marks yet another successful achievement for the internal aircraft programme that was awarded Type Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in November 2019, following an intensive flight test campaign that saw the BelugaXL complete more than 200 flight tests, clocking over 700 flight hours.

At 63 metres long and 8 metres wide, the BelugaXL has the largest cargo bay cross-section of all existing cargo aircraft worldwide. The BelugaXL can carry two A350 XWB wings compared to the BelugaST, which can only carry one. With a maximum payload of 51 tonnes, the BelugaXL has a range of 4,000 km. (2200nm).

The BelugaXL is based on an A330-200 Freighter, enabling the re-use of existing components and equipment, and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The lowered cockpit, the cargo bay structure and the rear-end and tail were newly developed jointly with partners, giving the aircraft its distinctive look.

The BelugaXL is the latest addition to Airbus’ transportation portfolio. While air transport remains the primary method for transporting large aircraft components, Airbus also uses road, rail and sea transport to move parts between its production sites. Like the BelugaST, the aircraft will operate from 11 destinations in Europe, continuing to strengthen industrial capabilities and enabling Airbus to deliver on its commitments.

Boeing Rolls Out First Space Launch System Core Stage for Delivery to NASA

January 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Teams at Stennis Space Center prepare for core stage hot-fire testing ahead of Artemis I lunar mission

Boeing [NYSE: BA] today delivered the core stage of NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) deep space exploration rocket, moving it out of the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the agency’s Pegasus barge.

The event marks the first time a completed rocket stage has shipped out of Michoud since the end of the Apollo program. SLS Core Stage 1 is the largest single rocket stage ever built by NASA and its industry partners.

The rollout follows several weeks of final testing and check-outs after NASA’s declaration of “core stage complete” during a December 9 Artemis Day celebration at Michoud.

NASA will transport the SLS core stage to its Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in the next few days for “Green Run” hot-fire engine tests later this year. After inspection and refurbishing for launch, the stage moves to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At Kennedy, the core stage will be integrated with the Interim Cryogenic Upper Stage (ICPS) and NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the moon – the first launch of a human-rated spacecraft to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

“The Boeing SLS team has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with NASA and our supplier partners to face multiple challenges with ingenuity and perseverance, while keeping safety and quality at the forefront,” said John Shannon, Boeing SLS vice president and program manager.

SLS is the world’s most powerful rocket, evolvable and built to carry astronauts and cargo farther and faster than any rocket in history. Its unmatched capabilities will deliver human-rated spacecraft, habitats and science missions to the moon, Mars and beyond as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

“We are applying what we’ve learned from development of the first core stage to accelerate work on core stages 2 and 3, already in production at Michoud, as well as the Exploration Upper Stage that will power NASA’s most ambitious Artemis missions,” said Shannon.

Space Launch System Core stage 1 rollout from Michoud Assembly Facility to NASA’s Pegasus barge; for Green Run test. MSF20-0002 Series. Leanne Caret_President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Canadian Agency Mandates Onex Meet Ownership Rules on WestJet Deal

December 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Reuters) – The Canadian Transportation Agency said on Tuesday Onex Corp will need to amend its by-laws to meet the country’s ownership rules related to its proposed C$3.5 billion buyout deal of Canada’s second-largest carrier WestJet Airlines.

The agency has sought the amendment to Onex’s by-laws to ensure that matters related to WestJet are voted where a majority of Canadian directors are present.

WestJet said it is in the process of reviewing the determination.

Air Canada had challenged Onex Corp’s proposed acquisition of WestJet Airlines, on grounds that the deal may not meet the country’s ownership rules. (https://reut.rs/2LHqQvk)

Air Canada had argued that the likely presence of Onex co-investors such as foreign wealth funds and carriers, and “the opaque nature” of the deal to buy WestJet through company subsidiary Kestrel Bidco, will make it harder to ensure compliance with ownership laws.

Under Canada’s Transportation Act, carriers must be Canadian and controlled by Canadians in order to hold a domestic licence.

Shareholders of WestJet Airlines in July voted in favor of the Onex deal.

Under Canadian rules, foreigners cannot own more than 49% equity in a Canadian airline. The rules further restrict a foreign airline and any single foreign owner from controlling more than a quarter of voting interests in a Canadian carrier.

Onex did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Arundhati Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Uttaresh.V)

General Dynamics Begins Gulfstream G500 Deliveries to Europe

November 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Record-Breaking Fleet Grows Around the World

RESTON, Va., Nov. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced today that the Gulfstream G500 has been delivered to its first European customer. An undisclosed Western-Europe-based charter operator took delivery of the aircraft at Gulfstream Aerospace headquarters in Savannah, Georgia.

The G500 earned certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on Oct. 11 and is in service in North America, Brazil, the Middle East and Europe.

“We are excited about making G500 deliveries to Europe,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “Since the introduction of the jet in 2014, customers around the world remain impressed and enthusiastic about the innovative cabin, next-generation technology, including the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck, and high performance, speed and range capability of the aircraft. As the G500 fleet continues to grow in Europe, and around the world, its advanced technology raises the bar for business aviation.”

The G500 can travel 4,400 nautical miles/8,149 kilometers at Mach 0.90 and 5,200 nm/9,630 km at Mach 0.85. Its Symmetry Flight Deck features the first electronically linked active control sidesticks in civil aviation, the most extensive use of touchscreen technology in business aviation and a data concentration network, all of which streamline operations and reduce pilot workload.

Passengers also benefit from technology in the cabin. Along with award-winning, bespoke interior design, the G500 offers the Gulfstream cabin experience of 100 percent fresh air, 14 Gulfstream panoramic windows, a low cabin altitude and whisper-quiet sound levels.

Binter Airlines Receives Its First Embraer E195-E2 Jet

November 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

São José dos Campos, November 21, 2019 – Binter of Spain celebrates the incorporation of the first E195-E2 jet into its fleet at a ceremony held today at Embraer’s main facility in São José dos Campos. The airline is the first European customer to receive the biggest of the three members of the E-Jets E2 family of commercial aircraft. Binter has placed firm orders for five E195-E2s.

“We’re extremely proud to deliver the first E195-E2 in Europe to such an accomplished regional airline. Binter will showcase the very best of the airplane as it expands its network to more cities,” said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

“Today´s event is very special for all of us, who are part of Binter. This Embraer E195-E2 aircraft is an important step in the history of our company that will become as well a jet operator. This new milestone, which coincides with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Binter, adds more advances to the ones that we have made in recent years, and that help to pursue our main objective: the improvement of the connecting of the Canary Islands, both inter-island and with external destinations,” said Binter’s President, Pedro Agustín del Castillo.

The acquisition of the E195-E2s is part of Binter’s overall fleet modernization initiative. Each aircraft is configured with 132 seats in single class. The new aircraft will be deployed across a route network that includes eight cities in the Canary Islands, nine cities in Africa and two in Portugal. Last year, Binter carried 3.6 million passengers.

In April, the E195-E2 received its Type Certificate from three regulatory authorities: ANAC, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil); the FAA (U.S. Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

Flight tests confirmed that the aircraft is better than its original specification. Fuel consumption is 1.4% lower than expected – that’s 25.4% less fuel per seat compared to the current-generation E195. Maintenance costs are 20% lower. The E195-E2 is the most environmentally-friendly aircraft in its class, having the lowest levels of external noise and emissions. The cumulative margin to ICAO Stage IV noise limit ranges from 19 to 20 EPNdB, 4.0 EPNdB better than its direct competitor.

Like the E190-E2, the E195-E2 has the longest maintenance intervals in the single-aisle jet category with 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit for typical E-Jet operations. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over a period of ten years compared to current generation E-Jets.

The E195-E2 features new ultra-high bypass ratio engines, a completely new wing, full fly-by-wire controls and new landing gear. Compared to the first-generation E195, 75% of aircraft systems are new. The E195-E2 has 3 additional seat rows. The cabin can be configured with 120 seats in two classes, or up to 146-seats in a single class layout.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers from all over the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 75 customers from 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.

European Pilot Group Demands Action over Ryanair Sick Leave Policy

November 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

DUBLIN (Reuters) – The European Cockpit Association (ECA) pilot group has urged regulators to take action over what it described as a “safety hazard” caused by Ryanair’s <RYAAY> approach to flight crews’ sick leave, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Europe’s largest budget carrier has spent the last two years negotiating improved pay and conditions with its pilots and cabin crew after a revolt by some staff forced it to recognize trade unions for the first time.

The ECA, which represents pilots’ associations in 33 European countries, said Ryanair adopts a practice of systematically questioning absences due to certified sickness, leading to investigative and disciplinary meetings where staff are threatened with potential dismissal.

Asked about the ECA’s concerns, a Ryanair spokeswoman said the airline operates “a standard sick pay scheme, and like all employers, manages absenteeisms”.

The airline, which has never had a fatal crash and has one of the youngest fleets in Europe, regularly cites safety as its top priority.

The ECA said it raised the issue with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) a year ago but that Ryanair’s “problematic approach” to flight crew’s sickness has not substantially changed.

“In fact, we are concerned that the safety hazard created by this approach remains fully in place, must be considered endemic, and quite evidently is not adequately addressed by the competent national authority: the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA),” the letter dated Nov. 5 said.

A spokeswoman for the ECA confirmed it had sent such a letter to the regulator, the second in a year, and that it was concerned that the safety hazard related to Ryanair’s policy remains unaddressed.

In the letter, the ECA said it was aware that the EASA raised the matter with the IAA following the initial complaint but that the Irish regulator told one of the ECA’s member groups that it was satisfied there was not a systematic issue of crews flying while unfit due to fear of sanction at Ryanair.

The IAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Citing letters sent to staff, the ECA said Ryanair or broker agencies overseeing agency workers used by the airline have gone as far as threatening to halt pilots’ career progression, due to their sickness rate.

The pilot group called on the European regulator to ensure the IAA adequately fulfils its safety oversight role by summoning Ryanair to stop the practice of intimidating letters and investigative proceedings and also carry out an independent confidential survey among Ryanair crew.

(Story by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin, editing by Giles Elgood)

FILE PHOTO: A Ryanair commercial passenger jet takes off in Blagnac near Toulouse

French Navy Received First Two “Standard 6” ATL2’s

November 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Saint-Cloud, October 29, 2019) – This summer, Lann-Bihoué French naval air station received the first two ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft upgraded by Dassault Aviation.

Last week, Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, flew on one of these aircraft.

These two events demonstrate the progress made on the upgrade program which is designed to modernize the ATL2 combat system to standard 6.

The contract for the upgraded (standard 6) ATL2 combat system was awarded by the defense procurement agency DGA on October 4, 2013. The program covers a fleet of 18 aircraft. Dassault Aviation will deliver a further five upgraded ATL2s in the period 2020-2023. In parallel, the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center will upgrade 11 aircraft.© Dassault Aviation – C. Cosmao

Standard 6 includes:

new radar: Thales Search Master with active antenna,
new Thales acoustic subsystem to gather and process signals from the latest-generation air-dropped sonobuoys for submarine detection,
new navigation console designed by Dassault Aviation,
new consoles for the tactical display subsystem, developed by SIAé.

The upgrade work is performed by Dassault Aviation and Thales (co-contractors), in association with Naval Group and in cooperation with SIAé. Architect of the combat system, Dassault Aviation is as well responsible for development of the core system including LOTI software designed by Naval Group. Dassault Aviation is also in charge of overall integration of all subsystems.

All the specifications for this program were established using the PLM Systèmes tool as part of a Dassault Aviation-Thales-Naval Group-SIAé collaborative work platform installed at St-Cloud in the Dassault Aviation design office.

The standard 6 upgrade will improve the ATL2s’ capability to support the Strategic Ocean Force, to deal with modern threats (future nuclear or conventional submarines, naval forces at sea, etc.) and to support air-land missions, until 2030.

France is one of the very few countries producing high-technology maritime patrol aircraft combining detection (optronics, radar, acoustics) with a variety of weapons (anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, laser-guided weapons).

“This expertise as an architect of maritime patrol solutions, both for the platform and for systems integration, is the result of experience dating back to the late 1950s and the launch of the ATL1 program, the predecessor of the ATL2. Dassault Aviation has extended this experience, from the 1970s onwards, with the maritime surveillance Falcons, the latest version of which is the Falcon 2000 MRA-based Albatros program. As we have shown once again with the standard 6, this maritime patrol/maritime surveillance expertise builds largely on the trust and the excellent working relations between our company, the DGA and the French Navy, to which I express my sincere gratitude. We will leverage this know-how to prepare together maritime patrol solutions beyond 2030”, declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

New Swiss A220 Jet Engine Failure Forces Checks

October 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS/ZURICH (Reuters) – U.S. engine maker Pratt & Whitney faces new checks on engines for small jetliners after an engine failure forced a Geneva-bound Swiss jet to divert to Paris and prompted a brief grounding of the rest of the airline’s Airbus A220 fleet.

French air crash investigators classified the problem that disrupted the Swiss flight shortly after departure from London Heathrow on Tuesday as a “serious incident” and said it would be investigated by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

It was the third engine incident involving the same airline and model of jet in as many months and resulted in a small amount of debris being scattered as the aircraft landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle, an airport source told Reuters.

It came just hours after France’s BEA agency launched an unusual appeal for 150 volunteers to scour an uninhabited wood in eastern France for a titanium engine part dating from the first blowout in July, which affected a Geneva-London flight.

A second incident in September caused a Swiss A220 to divert to Geneva, but on that occasion the engine’s housing contained fragments torn loose from the engine, the BEA said.

Swiss, owned by Germany’s Lufthansa <DLAKY>, said after Tuesday’s incident it had initially grounded its fleet of Airbus <EADSY> A220 jets for a “comprehensive inspection” of their engines.

Late on Tuesday, it said the first aircraft had already returned to service but that the inspections had forced it to cancel 100 flights, affecting 10,000 passengers.

Operations are expected to return to normal from Thursday.

ADDITIONAL CHECKS

Tuesday’s incident highlighted scrutiny of the performance of new-generation Geared Turbofan engines developed by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp <UTX>.

A spokesman for the engine maker said it was recommending additional checks for versions of the engine that power the Airbus A220 – an engine known as the PW1500G – and a rival Brazilian jet, the Embraer 190/195-E2.

A similar engine for the larger A320neo family, Airbus’ most-sold aircraft, was not affected.

“Pratt & Whitney and our airframe OEMs (manufacturers), working in coordination with the regulatory authorities, have recommended additional inspections of the low-pressure compressor for PW1500G and PW1900G engines to keep the fleet operational,” a spokesman said.

“The engines continue to meet all criteria for continued airworthiness. We are working closely with our customers to minimise disruption to their operations.”

Prompted by the earlier incidents in July and September, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered inspections on the same engine part in A220s and some Embraer jets in September.

On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines <DAL> said its A220 jets were flying as normal.

Air Baltic, which also flies the A220, said it was closely following Pratt’s latest recommendations but that it used a different version of the PW1500G engine from Swiss.

A total of 90 of the 110-130-seat A220 aircraft have been delivered, initially by Canada’s Bombardier <BDRBF> which designed the carbon-fibre jet, and later by Airbus, which bought the loss-making programme last year.

Airbus said it was working with Pratt & Whitneyand would co-operate with any investigation.

In Brazil, Embraer <ERJ> had no immediate comment.

The company uses Pratt’s PW1900G engine in larger versions of its upgraded 80-120-seat E2 jets.

It has delivered six E190-E2 planes split between Norwegian carrier Wideroe and lessor Aercap <AER>, and one E195-E2, which is not yet in commercial service but has been delivered to Brazilian airline Azul SA <AZUL>.

Azul said its operations were not affected.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, Tracy Rucinski in Chicago, John Revill in Zurich, Michael Shields in Vienna, Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Paulo, Allison Lampert in Montreal, Laurence Frost in Paris; Editing by Jane Merriman and Matthew Lewis)

New ‘Flugzug’ Rail Service Between Lugano and Zurich Airport

October 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

A new ‘Flugzug’ rail service between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport is bookable now for travel from 16 October. The cost of the rail journey is included in the SWISS flight ticket.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) now offer customers a ‘Flugzug’ rail service between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport for travel on or after 16 October. Selected SBB rail connections between Lugano and Zurich Airport will be issued with a SWISS flight number, and the cost of the rail journey is included in the SWISS flight ticket price.

The ‘Flugzug’ timetable offers 14 daily services in each direction between Lugano Station and Zurich Airport. The new rail service thus provides travellers between the two points with even more flexibility than the present four daily flights. The rail services concerned also cover all the relevant SWISS connecting flights from and to its Zurich hub. The new ‘Flugzug’ services are bookable now for travel on or after 16 October, on the SWISS website or at any travel agency.

SWISS is keen to ensure that the Ticino region is well connected with its Zurich Airport air travel hub. The present arrangement is an interim solution, and SWISS and SBB are working closely on optimising the ‘Flugzug’ rail service which as a SBB feeder rail service until now only existed between Basel and Zurich Airport.

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