The first new airport in Sweden in 20 years has been inaugurated, Scandinavian Mountains Airport in Sälen. Saab is providing the on-site camera tower in Sälen and digital air traffic control services from Saab’s remote tower centre in Sundsvall.
Scandinavian Mountains Airport has entrusted Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions (SDATS) to both install the system and remotely manage air traffic control from Sundsvall.
“One of the advantages of remote air traffic control is operational flexibility, which makes it easier for us to manage varying volumes of traffic over the seasons,” says Per Ahl, CEO of Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions. “Remote air traffic control is also safe and cost-effective. We are now providing a comprehensive concept to the first airport in the world with fully digital air traffic control.”
The contract covers the installation of Saab’s remote tower system at the airport in 2018/19, as well as the provision of air traffic control from Sundsvall for a period of 10 years starting December 2019. The airport mainly serves the ski resorts in the Sälen/Trysil area during the winter season.
“Saab’s Remote Tower technology and services were the natural choice for us when we built our airport,” says Gunnar Lenman, CEO of Scandinavian Mountains Airport. “It enables us to future-proof our business and ensure cost-effective and flexible services. Furthermore, we envision the airport playing a part in large-scale digital transition for our customers.”
Commissioning of the airport will take place during the 2019/20 winter season.
Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions is a joint venture between Saab and the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (LFV). By combining LFV’s unique operational experience with Saab’s world-class technical solutions, Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions can manage the entire process from planning and implementation to the administration of air traffic control services.
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Low-cost airline Ryanair and other budget carriers are expected to start flying from Russia’s St Petersburg airport in 2020, the Russian Transport Ministry said.
The move is part of Russia’s plan to boost tourist flows to St Petersburg and will mean more competition for Russian air carriers, including national flag carrier Aeroflot.
The ministry said on Tuesday that Ryanair, EasyJet, WizzAir, Volotea, Air Baltic and Fly One had expressed interest in flights from St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport, Russia’s fourth largest after Moscow’s three major hubs.
It said the companies had applied for flights from Pulkovo, coded LED by the International Air Transport Association, to 22 countries, including Britain, Germany and France.
Russia will introduce a so-called “Open Skies” regime for the companies for five years, the ministry said, allowing airlines to fly to St Petersburg without requiring the traditional bilateral inter-governmental agreements.
The move follows the introduction of a special electronic visa system for tourists visiting St Petersburg which nationals from 53 countries can take advantage of.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Writing by Andrey Ostroukh,; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Ed Osmond)
An Allegiant Air MD-83 passenger jet takes off from the Monterey airport
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to improve its oversight to address maintenance issues at Allegiant Air, the 11th largest U.S. carrier, according to a report seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The U.S. Transportation Department’s Inspector General, in a 31-page report sent to Capitol Hill on Tuesday but not yet made public, said FAA inspectors since 2011 have not “consistently documented risks associated with 36 Allegiant Air in-flight engine shutdowns for its MD-80 fleet or correctly assessed the root cause of maintenance issues.”
Ultra-low cost Allegiant, a unit of Allegiant Travel Co, said it had not yet see the report and did not have an immediate comment.
The FAA said in a letter attached to the report that it agreed with eight of the nine recommendations made by the inspector general and partially agreed with the remaining one.
Allegiant carried about 14 million passengers last year, serving 122 U.S. cities and Puerto Rico on 450 flight routes.
The inspector general opened the probe in May 2018 after a “series of in-flight engine shutdowns, aborted takeoffs, and unscheduled landings” raised concerns about maintenance practices.
The report said in-flight shutdowns at Allegiant “continued until July 2018 and were only resolved four months later when Allegiant Air retired the last of its MD-80 fleet.” Allegiant now flies an all Airbus fleet.
The report found in-flight engine shutdowns forced 21 Allegiant aircraft to return or divert to other airports between 2014 and 2018, but that regulators did not properly track engine shutdown risks.
A 2015 maintenance provider failure at Allegiant Air demonstrated “severe violations that represent unacceptable safety risks or could result in catastrophic outcomes should also warrant a more stringent oversight approach,” the report said.
The inspector general said the airline’s maintenance provider failed to insert a cotter pin on a critical flight control component that put some 30,000 passengers at risk.
The report said in August 2015, a pilot “almost lost control of this aircraft during takeoff when it unexpectedly tried to lift off prematurely” but was able to abort takeoff and land safely.
After inspectors proposed a 30-day suspension for Allegiant Air’s maintenance provider, FAA regional officials reduced the suspension to a compliance action. FAA inspectors closed out six of eight compliance actions before ensuring Allegiant Air actually took any corrective actions, the report found.
It also found that FAA does not provide inspectors with guidance and comprehensive training to ensure Allegiant Air takes appropriate corrective actions.
The FAA said it had “initiated compliance actions at Allegiant Air that have improved safety for the flying public.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Richard Chang and Bill Berkrot)
Airline passengers walk next to an Allegiant Air commercial flight near an air traffic control tower operated by Serco nc. at the Ogden-Hinckley Airport in Ogden
JetBlue Founder David Neeleman Selects Salt Lake City as Headquarters for New Airline
America’s newest and perhaps most innovative airline does not yet have a name, or any airplanes. But it now has a headquarters.
David Neeleman’s startup will be based in Salt Lake City, where it plans to spend a capital investment of $3.2 million and create nearly 400 jobs over the next five years, according to local authorities. In return, the state offered tax rebates worth as much as about $1.1 million over five years.
“There’s a super strong technology base, and lower cost of living than California and some of the coastal areas,” Lukas Johnson, the airline’s chief commericial said in an interview. “We want to focus more on the technology aspect of the transportation side, and it makes a lot of sense. The tech sector is booming out here.”
The Boeing logo is displayed on a screen, at the NYSE in New York
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Boeing Co <BA> has decided not to compete as a prime contractor to replace the Pentagon’s aging U.S.-based Minuteman III missile system, paving the way for Northrop Grumman Corp <NOC> to win a contract worth tens of billions of dollars.
Friday marked the deadline to submit proposals to continue work on the replacement of the nearly half-century-old intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system as the military embarks on a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons.
Boeing said in a statement that it was disappointed it was unable to submit a bid. Northrop said it had submitted its proposal. No other bidders were expected.
Boeing’s decision not to enter a bid as a prime contractor had been foreshadowed this summer in a letter from the chief executive of Boeing Defense Space and Security, Leanne Caret, to Air Force leadership, saying Northrop’s 2018 purchase of solid rocket motor maker Orbital ATK might make it difficult for Boeing to compete on cost.
Orbital is the top producer of the solid fuel rocket motors generally used in Minuteman III and similar missiles.
Upgrading the U.S. nuclear force was expected to cost more than $350 billion over the next decade as the United States works to replace its bombs, nuclear bombers, missiles and submarines. Some analysts estimated the cost of modernization at $1 trillion over 30 years.
The Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office has said the total cost to replace Minuteman III could top U.S. $85 billion.
FILE PHOTO: A passenger stands in front of a window where Qantas planes are parked at Melbourne Airport, Australia
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Qantas Airways Ltd <QABSY> said on Friday it has chosen Airbus SE <EADSY> as preferred supplier for jets capable of the world’s longest commercial flights from Sydney to London, beating rival Boeing Co <BA> after a hard-fought contest.
The choice of up to 12 A350-1000 planes fitted with an extra fuel tank for flights of up to 21 hours cements Airbus as the leader in ultra-long haul flying globally at a time when Boeing is battling delays on its rival 777X programme and a broader corporate crisis following two deadly 737 MAX crashes.
The Qantas flights would begin in the first half of 2023, but remain subject to reaching a pay deal with pilots, who would need to extend their duty times to around 23 hours to account for potential delays and switch between flying the A350 and the airline’s current A330 fleet. A final decision on an order is expected in March, the airline said.
Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the airline “had a lot of confidence” in the market for non-stop services from Sydney to London and to New York based on two years of flying non-stop from Perth to London, where it has achieved a 30% fare premium over one-stop rivals in premium classes.
“The A350 is a fantastic aircraft and the deal on the table with Airbus gives us the best possible combination of commercial terms, fuel efficiency, operating cost and customer experience,” he said.
Singapore Airlines Ltd <SINGY> operates the world’s current longest flight, nearly 19 hours from Singapore to New York, using an ultra-long range version of the smaller A350-900.
Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer thanked Qantas for its selection in a statement, while a Boeing spokesman said it was disappointed with the decision but looked forward to continuing its longstanding partnership with the airline.
Rico Merkert, a transport professor at the University of Sydney Business School, said the A350-1000 fit the Qantas brief well and was the safer choice, given Boeing has recently reported problems such as the grounding of the 737 MAX, structural cracks in 737 NGs and a fuselage split in a stress test of its 777-9.
“The A350 just seems to be a much safer bet,” he said. “And safety is at the core of everything that Qantas does including its brand.”
Airbus no longer provides list prices for aircraft, but based on its 2018 price list, the Qantas order could be worth up to $4.4 billion before heavy discounts that are standard for airline customers.
Citi on Friday estimated the planes would cost A$3 billion (1.6 billion pounds) to $3.5 billion, with the investment likely to be phased over three years.
The selection of the A350-1000 will add to growing doubts over Boeing’s plans to produce the 777-8 that it had proposed to Qantas for the mission.
Boeing had already said the entry into service for the plane, a smaller, longer-range version of the 777-9, would be delayed beyond 2022 but has declined to give a new date, saying it would be based on customer demand.
Customers Emirates and Qatar Airways have indicated they could switch orders for the 777-8 to the 777-9.
The 777-9 is due to enter service in 2021, following delays associated with its GE <GE.N> engines.
The Boeing spokesman said on Friday the manufacturer was focused on the development of the 777-9 and after that it would complete development of the 777-8, with the first delivery scheduled a few years after that.
(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Sam Holmes and Stephen Coates)
An Airbus A350-1000 performs at the 53rd International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris
SKY, a Chilean-based ultra-low-cost carrier, has signed a Purchase Agreement with Airbus for 10 A321XLRs. The airline will expand its international route network with the new aircraft.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step in the A320neo/A321neo Family, meeting market requirements for increased range and payload in a single-aisle aircraft. The A321XLR will deliver an unprecedented narrow-body airliner range of up to 4,700nm, with 30% lower fuel consumption per seat compared with previous-generation competitor jets, allowing airlines to expand networks by making new longer routes economically viable.
“This new aircraft fleet will allow us to expand our offer of international and wide-ranging routes, always under our successful low cost model and its extremely convenient ticket prices. Now passengers can enjoy new and very attractive destinations on the most modern airplanes in the market,” said Holger Paulmann, CEO of SKY.
Arturo Barreira, President of Airbus Latin America, said: “We are delighted that SKY has selected the A321XLR to further expand its fleet of all Airbus aircraft. The A321XLR will allow SKY to offer its customers new destinations, such as direct flights from Santiago in Chile to Miami in the U.S.”
According to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF), Latin America will need 2,700 new aircraft in the next 20 years, more than double today’s fleet. Passenger traffic in Latin America has doubled since 2002 and is expected to continue growing over the next two decades. Specifically in Chile, traffic is expected to increase from 0.89 trips per capita to 2.26 trips in 2038.
In parallel to the growing fleet, according to Airbus’ latest GMF, there will be a need for 47,550 new pilots and 64,160 technicians to be trained over the next 20 years in Latin America. To cover this necessity SKY also selected Airbus as its flight training provider, making the airline the launch customer for the new Airbus Chile Training Centre. The centre will offer flight crew training for Chilean pilots and will include a full-flight A320 simulator.
SKY has been an Airbus customer since 2010 and became an all-Airbus operator in 2013. The airline’s fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft serves national and international routes connecting Chile to Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay.
Airbus has sold 1,200 aircraft, has a backlog of more than 600 and more than 700 in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a 60% market share of the in-service fleet. Since 1994, Airbus has secured nearly 70% of net orders in the region.
Jetstar group chief executive Gareth Evans says he is encouraged by the strong start to the low-cost carrier’s (LCC) new nonstop Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon service.
The inaugural flight departed Gold Coast Airport at a little past 1200 local time on Sunday, with Boeing 787-8 VH-VKF receiving an Airservices Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) monitor cross prior to taking off as the JQ49 bound for Seoul Incheon.
Some nine hours and a half hours later, the 787-8 touched down at Seoul Incheon just before 2030 local time.
And after about two and a half hours on the ground, the Dreamliner took off as the reciprocal JQ50 bound for the Gold Coast.
Evans expressed confidence that the route would do well, given the stimulatory impact of low fares and South Koreans’ being among the most frequent travellers per capita of any country in the world.
Similarly, Australians were increasingly becoming aware of South Korea as a place to visit for food, history and popular culture influences such as K-Pop.
“There will be a lot of demand from Korea. But we are betting on huge increases in demand from Australians as well,” Evans told reporters at Gold Coast Airport on Sunday prior to the inaugural flight.
“The start to the route has been fantastic so we are off to a very good footing.”
Jetstar’s Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon flights have been scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The 787-8s serving the route have 335 seats comprising 21 business class recliners in a 2-3-2 configuration with 38-inch pitch and 314 economy class seats at nine abreast with 30-inch pitch.
Currently, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air are the only two airlines with year-round nonstop flights between Australia and South Korea.
Asiana flies to Sydney, while Korean Air has nonstop flights to Brisbane and Sydney.
Qantas – Jetstar’s parent company – last served South Korea with its own aircraft in the mid-2000s when it flew Boeing 767-300ERs on seasonal services between Brisbane and Seoul. It also had year-round flights to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Ansett Australia also flew to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Evans said the stimulatory impact of low fares offered by Jetstar compared with those of full-service carriers Asiana and Korean Air would help grow the market.
Currently, the Australia-South Korea market was split 70 per cent South Korean travellers and 30 per cent Australian.
Looking ahead, Evans said he expected the directional flow to become more evenly balanced over time in a similar way the Australia-Japan market has evolved.
“We will grow both ends of the market but particularly we will grow the Australian end of the market,” Evans said.
“Japan sort of started about 70-30 now it is 50-50. We would imagine over time – a number of year – this market would move to a more 50-50 split.”
Further, a partnership with South Korea’s largest LCC Jeju Air, which has added its 7C airline code on the Jetstar flight as part of a hard block codeshare agreement, would also help raise awareness of the route in the South Korean market.
“The reason we are partnering with Jeju is because right now Jetstar brand has very little penetration in the Korean market so you need a strong partner to provide you with that brand strength and distribution in the market,” Evans said.
“That’s what Jeju brings.”
When Jetstar launched the route in May, it offered introductory fares of $179 one way. Since then, Evans said ticket prices for travel between the Gold Coast and Seoul Incheon have been in the $300 to $400 range.
“It’s those low fares that stimulate demand and open up markets,”Evans said.
“It has happened with us on a number of markets around Asia – Japan, Vietnam, Thailand. It will happen with Korea as well.”
Asked why Gold Coast was chosen as the city to launch flights to Seoul Incheon, Evans said that was where the demand was, noting inbound travellers from Asia loved to visit the Queensland city.
Further, Gold Coast was also able to act as a hub and gateway for the airline, offering convenient connections to other parts of Australia in both directions.
“The geography of the Gold Coast and the operation that we have got here into the Gold Coast means that we are building the Gold Coast as a hub for our Australian traffic,” Evans said.
“We are also seeing great demand from customers in Melbourne and Sydney connecting through the Gold Coast.”
Queensland Airports Ltd chief executive Chris Mills said the Jetstar flight opened up another new and exciting destination for locals on the Gold Coast, as well as new nonstop option for South Koreans travelling to Australia.
“South Koreans will have a direct link to our stunning beaches and hinterland, delivering significant benefits to our economy,” Mills said in a statement.
Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones noted the number of South Korean visitors to Queensland had grown by about 20 per cent to 76,000 visitors a year in the 12 months to June 2019, compared with 63,000 visitors in the prior corresponding period.
The new route was supported by the Queensland government’s attracting aviation investment fund, Queensland Airports and Destination Gold Coast.
Jones said the negotiations were completed over an 18-month period.
“Because it is taxpayers’ dollars to secure these new flights we always make sure that we believe that they meet our expectations for taxpayers,” Jones said.
“From our perspective we back flights that we know will attract and bring new tourists to Queensland.”
LONDON and SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Dec. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Wizz Air (PNK: WZZAF) Europe’s greenest airline and leading low cost carrier in Central Eastern Europe, has selected Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, as a strategic partner to enhance its network planning and scheduling technology. With this new agreement, Wizz Air joins a portfolio of more than 80 airlines that have implemented Sabre’s leading technology to optimize complex schedule and slot management processes.
Sabre has a strong reputation in driving results through its intelligent planning and scheduling solutions. Empowering collaborative and intelligent decision-making, Sabre AirVision Schedule Manager helps airlines build and deliver robust, accurate and operationally feasible schedules across their networks. This proven solution has helped airlines achieve up to 9% incremental operating profit and up to 12% increase in productivity.
Wizz Air has implemented Sabre AirVision Slot Manager and Schedule Manager, equipping it with the right mechanisms to reduce the risks of losing valuable historic slot rights, while enabling increased productivity and a fast response to rescheduling.
“Adopting the right planning and scheduling technology has a significant impact on revenue optimization and cost reduction, as well as running a robust and efficient operation,” said George Michalopoulos, chief commercial officer at Wizz Air. “Sabre’s end-to-end planning and scheduling suite provides Wizz Air with the intelligence and flexibility needed to deploy optimized schedules.”
Sabre’s agreement with Wizz Air reflects its ongoing investment in creating technology solutions that are perfectly adapted to the requirements of different airline business models. With a customer community that includes a portfolio of airlines in the network, low-cost and ultra-low-cost categories, Sabre is consistently driving innovation through its partnerships.
“Wizz Air has a solid and ambitious plan for profitable expansion, and therefore needed a strong technology partner,” said Alessandro Ciancimino, vice president sales Europe, Travel Solutions, Sabre. “Sabre’s suite of technology helps airlines to get schedules to market faster, rapidly respond to market conditions in real time, and more efficiently manage a growing network of routes – which will help it position itself competitively, and differentiate itself among increased competition.”
About Sabre Corporation Sabre Corporation is the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Sabre’s software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than US$120 billion of global travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.
About Wizz Air Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, offers more than 700 routes from 25 bases, connecting 152 destinations across 44 countries. A team of more than 5,000 aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 38 million passengers in the past 12 months. WIZZ operates an all-Airbus fleet of 120 aircraft. Its A320s are equipped with 180 seats, its A321s with 230 seats and its A321neo aircraft with 239 seats. According to the latest data of the Swiss airline intelligence provider CH-Aviation, Wizz Air has one of the youngest airline fleets in the world.
HONG KONG, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Cash-strapped Chinese conglomerate HNA Group said on Monday it has agreed a deal to restructure its low-cost carrier West Air with a Chongqing-based asset management firm.
Chongqing Yufu Asset Management Group and its affiliates will together hold at least 70% stake in West Air, becoming the biggest shareholder, HNA said in a statement.
West Air, established in 2007, operates about 160 domestic and international routes with a fleet of 35 airplanes.
It has been directly controlled by HNA, whose affiliates also own struggling Hong Kong Airlines as well as Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd.
Budget carrier Hong Kong Airlines was ordered by Hong Kong’s air transport regulator on Monday to shore up its financial position by Dec. 7 or risk the suspension or loss of its licence.
Hainan Airlines, which has seen declining profits, said in a Shanghai stock exchange filing on Monday that it will seek 4 billion yuan ($568 million) in loans from eight banks led by China Development Bank.
The funds will be used to cover the costs of fuel, maintenance charges, staff salaries and operational expenses, it said in the filing.
$1 = 7.0389 Chinese yuan renminbi
Reporting by Meg Shen; Editing by Edmund Blair and Susan Fenton
