Sao Jose dos Campos – Brazil, October 19, 2023– American Airlines Group (Nasdaq: AAL) has signed a firm order with Embraer SA (ADR-NYSE: ERJ) for four new E175 aircraft. The jets will be operated by American’s wholly owned subsidiary, Envoy Air. With all deliveries in Q4 of 2024, Envoy’s all E-Jet fleet will grow to over 150 aircraft by the end of 2024. The contract value is US$230.6 million at list price, and will be included in Embraer’s 2023 Q3 backlog.
The E175 entered service in North America in 2005, and has since come to dominate the sector, due to its comfort, high performance, and efficiency. Customers like Embraer’s trademark two-by-two seating, meaning no one must endure a middle seat. To date, the worldwide E170/E175 fleet has accumulated over 19.5 million flight hours with Envoy having flown 1.3 million of these hours.
Saint-Cloud, France, August 22, 2023 – Today, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued the type certificate for the Dassault (AM.PA) Falcon 6X, followed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
These certifications conclude a more than two-year-long test campaign during which 1,500 flight hours were logged worldwide. It is a significant step on the path to entry into service for the Falcon 6X, with the first units undergoing final completion.
The Falcon 6X is the most spacious, advanced and versatile twinjet in the long-range business jet segment. It has been recognized with various design awards, including the Red Dot Award and the International Yacht & Aviation Award.
Taipei, 30 November 2021 – China Airlines (CAL) has become the latest operator of the A321neo, following the delivery of its first aircraft of the type, on lease from Air Lease Corporation (ALC, NYSE: AL).
The aircraft operated with a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF provides a reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions over its lifecycle, compared to traditional jet fuel.
The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines and seats 180 passengers in a two-class layout. The A321neo incorporates the Airbus Cabin Flex, which enables optimal use of space by relocating various fixtures and fittings, providing the highest levels of passenger comfort.
CAL’s A321neo will be able to fly on routes of up to seven hours from Taipei.
CAL’s A321neos also come with a Cargo Loading System that enables container cargo operations, further reinforcing the airline and Taipei’s position as a global air freight hub.
Altogether CAL will acquire 25 A321neo aircraft, comprising 11 directly ordered from Airbus and 14 under lease agreements. The A321neo will form the core of CAL’s single-aisle fleet and offers cockpit commonality with CAL’s existing A330 and A350 aircraft.
The A321neo is a member of the A320neo Family, which offers the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the latest technologies, including new-generation engines and Sharklets, delivering a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption per seat.
At the end of October 2021, the A320neo Family had won more than 7,500 firm orders from over 120 customers worldwide.
CHICAGO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – United Airlines Holdings Inc announced on Wednesday an agreement to purchase a flight training academy in Phoenix in a move aimed at bolstering its pilot pipeline as the industry faces a global shortage.
To address a tight U.S. labor market created by years of slow pilot hiring, a wave of pending retirements and new rules that in 2013 increased the number of required training hours, U.S. airlines have been taking steps to attract young aviators.
Chicago-based United, which is looking to hire more than 10,000 pilots by 2029, will be the first major U.S. carrier to run its own academy.
“We think this program will alleviate any shortage we would have had and that’s its purpose,” Curtis Brunjes, United’s managing director of pilot strategy, told reporters.
The school, currently operating as Westwind School of Aeronautics, will be renamed United Aviate Academy in September.
United expects approximately 300 graduates in 2021 and wants to expand capacity to accommodate 500 graduates per year, Brunjes said, noting that the academy is among the airline’s most aggressive steps on pilot hiring since the 1960s.
One area of focus at the school will be training for loss of control incidents, a leading cause of plane disasters, that goes beyond the current U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Some of the enrollees will come from Aviate, a recruitment program that United launched last year offering students and pilots from 15 schools and regional carriers a path to a job at the major.
American Airlines Group Inc and Delta Air lines Inc have similar career programs.
United – which plans to design the academy’s curriculum in concert with the Air Line Pilots Association, International – is offering financing options for training and will also launch a scholarship program focused on women and minorities.
It did not disclose financial details of the purchase, with Brunjes saying only that the company paid “more than asset value, but not hugely more.”
The financial benefit down the line will be ensuring that regional carriers, which operate a significant amount of U.S. airlines’ domestic capacity at a lower cost, have enough pilots to fly the routes that United wants to contract.
In recent years, regional carriers have had to double salaries and offer sign-on bonuses to attract pilots to the field, driving up costs.
Boeing Co expects 800,000 new pilots will be needed over the next 20 years to meet growing demand for air travel.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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
Fort Worth, TX (28 August 2019) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X has surpassed more than 20,000 flight hours. Bell has delivered 200 aircraft to customers operating the aircraft spanning six continents.
Since the first delivery in 2017, the global fleet has logged more than 20,000 hours, marking one of Bell’s fastest growing accumulation of flight hours of any current commercial platform.
“Our Bell 505 operators rely on the aircraft to perform from the beginning of each day to when their mission is complete,” said LaShan Bonaparte, program director, Bell 505 and Bell 429. “Logging more than 20,000 flight hours is very impressive for an aircraft in service less than three years. This achievement is a testament to the Bell 505’s performance and our customer’s confidence in the aircraft.”
With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), the Bell 505 is Bell’s new five-seat aircraft designed for safety, efficiency and reliability using advanced avionics technology. It incorporates proven dynamic components, advanced aerodynamic design, a dual channel FADEC Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine and best-in-class value.
P3 completed 34 flights in Sicily, reaching an overall 100 flight test hours. Flight envelope has been opened beyond 10,000 feet and at an airspeed of 135 knots.
In March 2019, Kopter transferred its third prototype (P3) together with a team composed of 20 flight test engineers, pilots and mechanics to Sicily to set up an additional flight test base in Pozzallo.
Pozzallo provides the perfect operational conditions to conduct the SH09 intensive flight test campaign needed in the frame of certification. It offers very limited restrictions and favorable weather conditions throughout the year, while giving the opportunity to experience a demanding climate with hot temperatures, high humidity, strong winds and a salty atmosphere.
Since its arrival and over a period of two months, the flight test crew performed 34 flights with P3, allowing the aircraft to reach around 100 flight test hours. In this timeframe, the first major inspection has been carried out successfully.
The major outcome is the opening of the SH09 flight envelope up to 10,000 feet altitude and up to a speed of 135 knots. During all flights, P3 performed as expected and generated a large volume of valuable data that is being used to finalize the design of the serial production SH09.
The next phase of the flight test campaign, after implementing some aerodynamic refinements further improving P3 handling qualities and the retrofit of the main gear box housing, will see P3 going higher, faster and further. It will allow gathering the remaining data needed to finalize the configuration of Pre-Series aircrafts n°4 and n°5 (PS4 & PS5), which will contribute to the certification flights next year.
2020 remains the target for EASA certification. Kopter management and team are fully committed to deliver the SH09 with the highest levels of safety, performance, flight qualities and competitiveness.
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.
(Reuters) – FedEx Corp said on Wednesday it would hire about 55,000 workers and increase hours for some existing employees for the holiday shopping season as the U.S. package delivery company prepares to cater to the expected jump in shipments due to online shopping boom.
The company said it would also expand its U.S. ground-shipping operations to six and seven days per week for the busiest shopping season of the year.
FedEx said the six-day ground-shipping operations would be extended throughout its U.S. network all-year round.
“The rise in demand for e-commerce goes beyond peak. It’s a year-round phenomenon…,” said Raj Subramaniam, chief marketing and communications officer.
(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
