Category: Top Stories

U.K. aviation industry reveals plans for net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050

Even with the building of Heathrow’s proposed third runway which will substantially increase the volume of traffic at London’s principal airport, the British aviation industry has published its plans to hit its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Sustainable Aviation coalition, which includes industry giants such as Rolls-Royce, easyJet, AirBP (the aviation offshoot of BP) and European planemaker Airbus, published the plans on Tuesday of this week (February 4). To achieve its goals, several major changes will require adoption by the aviation industry, including greater use of sustainable aviation biofuels and use of more fuel-efficient aircraft. The aviation Read more

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Ongoing 737 MAX grounding forces Ryanair to reconsider expansion program

©Ryanair

Ryanair has been forced to rethink the timeline for its current expansion program. The Irish airline had hoped to be carrying up to 200 million passengers on an annual basis by 2024, but this depended on the arrival of the first deliveries of 210 Boeing 737 MAX jets which are on order. With the 737 MAX still grounded and unlikely to receive its new FAA certification of airworthiness for upgrades to the software and internal wiring before the middle of the year, Ryanair has had to have a serious rethink about its expansion strategy. Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said Read more

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AirAsia suspected of being involved in Airbus bribery deals

No sooner had Airbus admitted to bribing public officials and making hidden payments involving the U.K., USA and France, than U.K prosecutors have now accused executives of AirAsia Group and AirAsiaX of receiving bribes from Airbus to secure plane sales. According to Reuters News Agency, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) revealed last Friday that between October 2013 and January 2015, Airbus’ then-parent business EADS paid US$50 million to sponsor a sports team that was jointly owned by two people described as AirAsia Executive 1 and Executive 2. The SFO said the executives were rewarded for an aircraft order from Airbus, Read more

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SkyWest signs contract for 20 Embraer E175 jets

SkyWest will operate 20 new E-Jets within the American Airlines network ©Embraer

Embraer and SkyWest have signed a firm order for 20 E175 jets in a 76-seat configuration. The order has a value of US$ 972 million, based on 2019 list prices, and is already included in Embraer’s 2019 fourth-quarter backlog. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2020. “Embraer and SkyWest enjoy a partnership marked by a longstanding history of service to the mainline carriers, and we relish the opportunity to break new ground,” said Charlie Hillis, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, North America, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Today, we are excited to announce that these 20 new aircraft will be the first Read more

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Carbon exchange platform to be formed by global airline group

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has jointly announced it will be teaming up with Xpansiv CBL Holding Group (XCHG), a commodity exchange company, to provide a common marketplace called The  Aviation Carbon Exchange, for eligible emission units. While passenger growth is predicted to grow, airlines are aiming to cap CO2 emissions at 2020 levels through adopting a global carbon offsetting plan.  The plan, known as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), is the first of its kind for a single industry in response to climate change. “We expect airlines from all over the world to participate,” Read more

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Boeing supplier CAM being sold to Stanley Black & Decker for US$1.5 billion

North American toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker has announced it is to acquire Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing LLC (CAM) for up to US$1.5 billion. CAM is a major supplier of Boeing Co and approximately US$200 million of the purchase price is contingent on Boeing obtaining certification for the still-grounded 737 MAX from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration enabling it to return to service, and Boeing production figures for the beleaguered jet reaching an agreed level. CAM makes fasteners and other components for the aerospace industry and is presently owned by the investment firm Tinicum. “Growing and diversifying our industrial business through Read more

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Leonardo buys 100% of Swiss helicopter company Kopter from Lynwood

©Kopter SH 09

Leonardo has signed a contract with Lynwood (Schweiz) AG to acquire 100% of Kopter Group AG (Kopter). This move allows Leonardo to further strengthen its worldwide leadership and position in the rotorcraft sector; leveraging innovation, new capabilities and engineering skills which have been developed by the young, agile Swiss Company. Kopter’s SH09, a new single-engine helicopter, is a perfect fit for Leonardo’s state-of-the-art product range offering opportunities for future technological developments. The Swiss company’s competencies will boost future developments towards more disruptive technologies, mission capabilities and performances, including innovative hybrid/electrical propulsion solutions. This acquisition will replace the planned investment aimed Read more

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Boeing-Embraer deal gets go-ahead from Brazil antitrust regulator CADE

Brazil’s Administrative Council of Economic Defense (CADE) has approved Boeing’s acquisition of Brazilian planemaker Embraer’s commercial aviation division without placing any restrictions on the deal, though CAD’s principal administration council could still reconsider the situation and settle the case through a vote. It follows clearance from jurisdictions such as the USA, China, Japan, South Africa, Montenegro, Colombia, and Kenya so now, Boeing only has to wait for approval from the European Commission. After halting the process in November 2019, the European body resumed its work on the probe on January 6, 2020, setting April 30 as the deadline for the Read more

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WIZZ Air selects Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines to power additional 166 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft

WIZZ Air Airbus A320neo ©P&W

WIZZ Air Hungary (WIZZ Air) has selected Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines to power an order of 166 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. The order consists of 90 aircraft from WIZZ Air’s 2016 selection, an additional 56 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft and 20 Airbus A321XLR aircraft. This brings WIZZ Air’s combined total order to 276 GTF-powered A320neo Family aircraft. Pratt & Whitney will also provide WIZZ Air with engine maintenance through a long-term EngineWise® Comprehensive service agreement. WIZZ Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe and an affiliate of Indigo Partners, will be one of the largest A320neo Read more

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Boeing’s 777X jet finally takes to the skies for successful maiden flight

©Boeing's 777X makes its first flight at Paine Field in Everett, Washington

A year later than projected, Boeing’s 777X twin-engine wide-body jetliner has finally taken to the skies after two further days of delays owing to bad weather conditions. This is the first new jet the American planemaker has produced since the ill-fated 737 MAX and took to the skies and all eyes will now be on the FAA and the certification process for the 777X after accusations of an all-too-cozy relationship between Boeing and the FAA. Having taken off from its assembly line north of Seattle approximately four hours earlier, the jet touched down at Boeing Field at 2 p.m. local Read more

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