Tag: Singapore (Page 9 of 10)

Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX for Cayman & Fiji Airways

December 3, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air Lease Corp. [NYSE: AL; “ALC”] today delivered the first 737 MAX 8 for Cayman Airways. The first 737 MAX to enter service in the Caribbean marks the beginning of the airline’s plans to modernize its fleet and expand its network.

“Cayman Airways is able to achieve the highest levels of efficiency with the 737 MAX 8, along with unparalleled levels of reliability and comfort,” said Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms. “In addition, the MAX’s incredible range opens up the potential for several new markets within the Americas.”

Cayman Airways plans to take delivery of four MAX 8 airplanes to replace its fleet of 737 Classics.

Compared to the 737-300, the MAX 8 offers 30 percent greater seat capacity, and a more than 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency per seat. The MAX achieves the higher levels of performance with the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements.

“ALC is pleased to announce this new Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivery with Cayman Airways today,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hἁzy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “With this new MAX 8 and the additional three aircraft set to deliver from ALC, Cayman Airways is successfully modernizing its fleet with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient aircraft to enhance the airline’s overall operations, maximize customer comfort and bring a new standard of excellence for travelers to and from the Cayman Islands.”

“We are delighted to open a new chapter in our partnership with Cayman Airways and ALC, and bring the 737 MAX to the Caribbean,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “The 737 MAX will help Cayman achieve significant improvement in performance and operating costs, while providing an even better flying experience for their passengers.”

To prepare for their new 737 MAX, Cayman Airways will train pilots at Boeing Global Services’ Miami training campus. Under this agreement, Cayman will use Boeing simulators for its entire 737 fleet including 737 Classics and Next-Generation 737s.

The 737 MAX family is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating about 4,800 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide. Boeing has delivered more than 200 737 MAX airplanes since May 2017.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.caymanairways.com

SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the first 737 MAX for Fiji Airways, which plans to use the fuel-efficient, longer-range version of the popular 737 jet to expand and modernize its single-aisle fleet.

“We are thrilled to take delivery of our very first 737 MAX 8, named Island of Kadavu,” said Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and CEO of Fiji Airways. “The introduction of the 737 MAX is the beginning of a new chapter for Fiji Airways and we look forward to taking advantage of the airplane’s superior performance and economics. These new airplanes will enable us to offer a world-class customer experience through the new Boeing Sky Interior cabins with in-seat entertainment for all guests.”

Fiji Airways plans to take delivery of five MAX 8 airplanes, which will build on the success of its fleet of Next-Generations 737s. The MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

Compared to the previous 737 model, the MAX 8 can fly 600 nautical miles farther, while providing 14 percent better fuel efficiency. The MAX 8 can seat up to 178 passengers in a standard two-class configuration and fly 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 kilometers).

“We are delighted to welcome Fiji Airways to the MAX family of operators and we are thrilled they will be the first 737 MAX operator in the Pacific Islands,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “We are honored by their continued partnership and confidence in Boeing products. The market-leading efficiency of the MAX will pay immediate dividends for Fiji Airways and will help them improve their operation and route network.”

Based at Nadi International Airport, Fiji Airways serves 13 countries and 31 destinations/cities including Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands (Oceania), the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. It also has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners.

In addition to modernizing its fleet, Fiji Airways will use Boeing Global Services to enhance its operations. These services include Airplane Health Management, which generates real-time, predictive service alerts, and Software Distribution Tools, which empowers airlines to securely manage digital ground-based data and efficiently manage software parts.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.fijisun.com.fj

Doomed Lion Air Jet Was ‘Not Airworthy’

November 28, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

JAKARTA (Reuters) – A Lion Air jet that crashed into the sea off Indonesia last month was not in an airworthy condition on its second-to-last flight, when pilots experienced similar problems to those on its doomed last journey, investigators said on Wednesday.

Contact with the Boeing 737 MAX jet was lost 13 minutes after it took off on Oct. 29 from the capital, Jakarta, heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang.

In a preliminary report, Indonesia’s transport safety committee (KNKT) focused on the airline’s maintenance practices and pilot training and a Boeing anti-stall system but did not give a cause for the crash that killed all 189 people on board.

The report unveiled fresh details of efforts by pilots to steady the jet as they reported a “flight control problem”, including the captain’s last words to air traffic control asking to be cleared to “five thou” or 5,000 feet.

Information retrieved from the flight data recorder showed the “stick shaker” was vibrating the captain’s controls, warning of a stall throughout most of the flight. The captain was using his controls to bring the plane’s nose up, but an automated anti-stall system was pushing it down.

Pilots flying the same plane a day earlier had experienced a similar problem, en route from Denpasar, Bali to Jakarta, until they used switches to shut off the system and used manual controls to fly and stabilise the plane, KNKT said.

“The flight from Denpasar to Jakarta experienced stick shaker activation during the takeoff rotation and remained active throughout the flight,” the committee said.

“This condition is considered as un-airworthy condition” and the flight should have been “discontinued”.

The pilots of that flight reported problems to Lion Air’s maintenance team, which checked the jet and cleared it for take-off the next morning.

Former Boeing flight control engineer Peter Lemme said stick shaker activation was “very distracting and unnerving”.

“It’s not something you ever want to have happen as a pilot,” he said.

KNKT investigator Nurcahyo Utomo said the agency had not determined if the anti-stall system, which was not explained to pilots in manuals, was a contributing factor.

“We still don’t know yet, if it contributed or not,” he said in response to a question. “It is too early to conclude.”

In a statement, Boeing drew attention in detail to a list of airline maintenance actions set out in the report but stopped short of blaming ground workers or pilots for the accident.

REVISED ANTI-STALL SYSTEM

The manufacturer, which has said procedures for preventing an anti-stall system activating by accident were already in place, said pilots of the penultimate flight had used that drill but noted the report did not say if pilots of the doomed flight did so.

Boeing’s statement did not make any reference to a revised anti-stall system introduced on the 737 MAX which U.S. pilots and Indonesian investigators say was missing from the operating manual.

Boeing says the procedure for dealing with a so-called runaway stabiliser, under which anti-stall systems push the nose down even when the plane is not entering a stall or losing lift, had not changed between an earlier version of the 737 and the newly delivered 737 MAX.

Pilots however say the control column behaves differently in certain conditions, which could confuse pilots who have flown the earlier model.

Indonesian regulators were urged after previous accidents to improve their oversight of maintenance and pilot training.

In an interview, Indonesia’s director general of aviation, Polana Pramesti, said the agency planned to require pilots in Indonesia to be trained on simulators for the MAX series.

Pramesti also said a new regulation was being planned to limit the risk of pilot fatigue occurring and should be issued in the “near future”.

A source at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said a number of factors were ultimately likely to be cited as causes of the crash, including pilot training and maintenance. It had still to be determined how much, if at all, the plane design would be faulted, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Edward Sirait, chief executive of Lion Air, said he had not read the KNKT report but would comply with investigators’ recommendations.

The report provided new recommendations to Lion Air on safety on top of earlier recommendations about the flight manual that have already been implemented by Boeing.

Authorities have downloaded data from the flight data recorder, but are still looking for the cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

Indonesia plans to bring in a ship from Singapore able to stay in position without dropping anchor, to help with the search.

Asked what was needed from the CVR, Utomo said: “A lot. Discussions between the left and right pilots were about what? What procedures did they carry out. Were there any strange noises?”

Without it, he said there would be “a lot of guessing”.

(Reporting by Cindy Silviana and Fergus Jensen; additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, David Shepardson in Washington, Tracy Rucinski in Chicago, Eric M Johnson in Seattle and Gayatri Suroyo in Jakarta; Writing by Ed Davies and Jamie Freed; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Nick Macfie)

Singapore Airlines iPad “Ultimate Cockpit Companion”

November 21, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Singapore Airlines, which first introduced iPads to the airline cockpit back in 2015, has explained the difference they have made – and its plans for the future.

The airline also noted a simple user interface trick it employs to make apps easier to use …

CNET reports that the airline went beyond the weather forecasts and flight chart information that many airlines now put on iPads instead of paper.

Click the link below for the full story!

Singapore Airlines iPad Cockpit

Image from www.singaporeair.com

Wynn Resorts Shares Plunge 15% On Macau News

November 8, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Shares of Wynn resorts (WYNN) dove more than 15 percent Thursday after the casino operator’s chief executive said the company is seeing a “slowdown” at its Macau location.

Though CEO Matthew Maddox said results were strong during China’s seven-day Golden Week holiday, attendance since then has been “choppy” during the week and “sporadic” on the weekends.

Click the link below for the full story!

Wynn Resorts shares plunge 15% on Macau news

VietJet Signs $6.5 bln Deal For 50 Airbus Jets

November 2, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

HANOI, Nov 2 (Reuters) – VietJet Aviation signed a $6.5 billion agreement on Friday to buy 50 Airbus A321neo jets, the Vietnamese budget carrier said.

The agreement, signed during a visit to Hanoi by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, is part of aggressive investment in the Vietnamese airline’s fleet, which has provided lucrative business for both European aerospace group Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing.

VietJet said the order is in line with its growth strategies and will enhance the airline’s operational efficiency and capacity, especially on international routes.

In addition to the aircraft, Airbus will deploy pilot and technician training programmes and fight management and flight safety management for VietJet.

In a separate statement, VietJet said it had also signed a memorandum of understanding with CFM International on a $5.3 billion deal for long-term jet engine maintenance.

VietJet, Vietnam’s biggest private airline, currently operates 60 Airbus jets with more than 385 flights daily within Vietnam and to countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia.

CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao told Reuters this week that VietJet plans to maintain an average fleet age of only three years to minimise fuel and maintenance costs.

It placed provisional orders for the A321neo jets and 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets at the Farnborough air show and has been in negotiations to complete the deals, with deliveries expected between 2020 and 2025.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu Editing by David Goodman)

Image from Airbus

Lufthansa Is Giving Boeing a Shot at New Wide-Body Deal

October 22, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

(Bloomberg) — Deutsche Lufthansa AG is trying to decide whether to take its first Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners, or to expand its fleet of Airbus SE’s marquee A350 wide-body jets as it updates its long-range aircraft, according to people familiar with the plans.

Lufthansa has requested proposals from both Airbus and Boeing, and is looking to order about 20 jets in a deal that may be finalized in the next few months, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private.

Click the link below for the full story!

Lufthansa Is Giving Boeing a Shot

AirAsia X Still Has Not Confirmed Airbus A330neo Order

July 3, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – AirAsia X Bhd (AIRA.KL) needs to ensure the price, performance and engines of the Airbus SE (AIR.PA) A330neo are right before it will “finally confirm” its order for 66 of the jets, its co-group chief executive said on Tuesday.

AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia Group Bhd (AIRA.KL), is the largest customer for the A330neo, which is struggling for sales relative to the rival Boeing Co (BA.N) 787.

AirAsia X has a firm order for the fuel-efficient A330neo widebody jets to replace its older first-generation A330s but it has been pushing back the delivery dates.

It has been talking to Boeing about buying the 787-10 jet as an alternative and is likely to make a decision later this year, a person familiar with the discussions previously told Reuters.

The airline’s CEO, Tony Fernandes, on Tuesday said on Twitter that he was visiting Airbus at its Toulouse headquarters to discuss the A330neo as well as the smaller A321neo.

“We have ordered the 330 but to finally confirm it we must make sure price is right. Performance is right. Engine is right,” he said. “And performance of the 330 251 ton is right. If right (it is) the plane we dreamt of and fought for and then we can order more. Or else.”

The 251 ton version, which could fly non-stop from Kuala Lumpur to London, is a heavier version of the jet and has more range but will not be available for delivery until 2020.

Fernandes added that he believed the A321neo, a large narrowbody jet, was a “great plane” and raised the prospect of ordering more. He is also the CEO of AirAsia, which has 100 A321neos on order.

(Reporting by Jamie FreedEditing by Christopher Cushing)

First 2 Airbus A380 Jumbos To Be Scrapped For Parts

June 5, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A German investment company said on Tuesday it would strip two unwanted Airbus A380 superjumbo passenger jets for parts after failing to find an airline willing to keep them flying following a decision by Singapore Airlines not to keep them in service.

The decision by Dortmund-based Dr Peters Group deals a fresh blow to the planemaker’s efforts to maintain market interest in the double-decker, barely 10 years after it went into service hailed by heads of state as a symbol of European ambition.

“Psychologically it is not good for Airbus, but this is a very large aircraft with a very small second-hand market,” said UK-based aerospace analyst Howard Wheeldon.

Despite strong reviews for its quiet and spacious cabin, demand for the 544-seater has fallen as many airlines drop the industry’s largest four-engined aircraft in favour of smaller twin-engined ones that are more efficient, and easier to fill.

“It’s too big. There was a battle for airline fashions and it lost out,” Wheeldon said.

Airbus says the iconic jet will eventually prove itself as travel demand saturates airport capacity at major cities.

“We can’t comment on the decision by Dr Peters, which is the owner of the aircraft,” an Airbus spokesman said.

“We remain confident in the secondary market for the A380 and the potential to extend the operator base.”

Singapore Airlines launched A380 services amid fanfare in December 2007, but returned the first two aircraft to their German financiers when leases expired some 10 years later.

The two discarded aircraft were repainted and flown to Tarbes in the French Pyrenees to be stored, and since then their fate has been uncertain as their owner looked for other takers.

“After extensive as well as intensive negotiations with various airlines such as British Airways, HiFly and IranAir, Dr Peters Group has decided to sell the aircraft components and will recommend this approach to its investors,” the company said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Airbus has been working for months to try to stimulate a second-hand market for the A380 to encourage new airlines to take the risk of investing in the plane, knowing the asset would be worth the right amount when they decide to sell it on.

When it was launched, the A380 boasted highly customised interiors to help airlines promote a luxury feel, but the cost of replacing such bespoke fittings is now seen as a handicap.

“The problem is the cost of reconfiguration. It is $40 million (£30 million) or more per plane,” a senior industry source said.

PARTS RAID

The planes will not be scrapped entirely, but their huge frames will be combed for valuable components such as landing gears and electronics, a Dr Peters official told Reuters.

Their engines have already been removed and leased back to manufacturer Rolls-Royce for use as spares.

U.S.-based VAS Aero Services will be responsible for extracting and selling parts.

Dr Peters said the deal would yield a positive return for investors in funds used to finance the jets. It operates a number of boutique funds targeted at wealthy individuals and has two more A380s in Singapore that could face the same fate.

While dismantling the first two passenger-carrying A380s will embarrass Airbus and dismay the plane’s 3,800 workers, later examples of the flagship jet may not be as vulnerable.

Early copies of a new plane tend to be less efficient and Singapore Airlines recently ordered some new A380s. However, overall demand is thinner than Airbus expected, forcing it to slow production to a trickle while looking for more business.

Still, Emirates, the largest A380 customer, is keeping faith with the jet which brings millions of passengers a year through its Dubai hub and is associated with the airline’s global brand.

Throwing the loss-making programme a lifeline for a decade, Emirates recently ordered up to 36 more A380s and set out plans on Tuesday to install 56 Premium Economy seats.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Mark Potter and Jason Neely)

Hi Fly Airbus A380: Boom or Bust?

May 12, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Lisbon, Portugal based charter airline Hi Fly has announced that it plans to acquire an Airbus A380. The carrier plans to configured the aircraft with 471 seats, with 12 in first class, 60 in business class, and 399 in economy class. The A380 is scheduled to begin flights with the airline in mid 2018, and is a leased aircraft that was returned by Singapore Airlines.

Hi Fly will become the fourth airline based in Europe to operate the aircraft along with Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa, but will be the first as a dedicated charter airline. The A380 has seen slow sales, as the logistics of continuing to be able to fill 550 plus seats on a consistent basis has been a challenge for most operators. One has to wonder how a charter airline will be able to operate the aircraft with not only enough paying passengers, but also enough of a schedule frequency to be able to cover the acquisition and operational costs?

Hi Fly currently operates a fleet of 8 Airbus aircraft, including 1 A321-200, 3 A330-200’s, and 4 A340’s. The carrier also has 12 A330’s on order, with 2 A330-200’s also scheduled to enter service starting this June. The other 10 are A330-900neo’s, as well as plans for a second A380. This seems like a huge increase in capacity for the carrier, but they also provide “for hire” services to other airlines. If another airline is unable to operate a flight due to maintenance or scheduling issues, they can call Hi Fly to operate that flight for them. Only time will tell if the increase in the carrier’s revenues can cover their costs.

BOC Aviation to buy six Boeing aircraft worth $1.7 billion

March 29, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

HONG KONG (Reuters) – BOC Aviation Ltd said on Thursday it would buy six new Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Boeing worth a combined $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion) at list prices.

Asia’s second-biggest aircraft lessor, which had 491 aircraft as of the end of last year, said it expected to take delivery of the aircraft in 2018 and 2019. The deal will be funded through cash on hand, loans and borrowings.

The Singapore-based company, which is majority-owned by Bank of China, this month posted a better-than-expected 40 percent rise in full-year net profit on higher revenue and U.S. tax cuts.

http://bocaviation.com

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