Category: Top Stories

AerCap announces amendment to revolving debt facility

AerCap Holdings N.V. has completed an amendment to its revolving debt facility.  The $775 million non-recourse facility, arranged by UBS Securities LLC, was originally put in place during April 2006 and has now been amended to allow for an additional two year revolving period with a three year term-out period, extending the transaction to June 2016. The facility continues to allow for the acquisition of a range of aircraft types, and provides AerCap committed financing and significant flexibility to purchase aircraft. In addition to UBS, this transaction includes several new and significant lenders for AerCap – Credit Suisse AG, Citibank N.A., Read more

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Boeing opens new South Carolina 787 Final Assembly building

Elected officials and representatives from numerous community and business groups, suppliers and subcontractors joined more than 1,000 Boeing employees at its North Charleston, S.C., facility for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new 787 Dreamliner Final Assembly building. The new Final Assembly building features 642,720 square feet (59,711 m2) of covered space, roughly the equivalent of 10.5 football fields. More than 18,000 tons (16,329 mt) of steel and one million cubic feet (28,316.8 m3) of concrete were used in its construction. At full production rate, the South Carolina Final Assembly facility will produce three 787 Dreamliners per month. Final assembly Read more

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Ameco Beijing signs LDG overhaul contract with Asiana Airlines

Ameco Beijing and Asiana Airlines recently signed a 5-year contract on Boeing 737CL’s landing gear overhaul. It’s the second landing gear overhaul customer from South Korea after Ameco’s contract with Eastar Jet this year. Ameco Beijing started cooperation with Asiana Airlines in 1991. It already performed painting, overhaul and modification on over 30 aircraft of the airline. Asiana Airlines, the second biggest airline in South Korea, operates 70 aircraft covering Boeing and Airbus types.

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Final assembly of first Malaysia Airlines A380 starts

On June 7th, the first A380 for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) entered the Airbus Final Assembly Line in Toulouse for the final production phase. The final assembly process of an A380 is made up of five main phases. At the first station, front, central, and aft fuselages, wings, Horizontal and Vertical Tail Plane (HTP and VTP) are assembled. The aircraft is then moved to the second station where general tests on electric/hydraulic systems, mobile parts and landing gears are carried out while engines are also installed. During the third phase, final ground and first engines tests take place in dedicated facilities Read more

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Embraer wins Super Tucano deal from Indonesian Air Force

Embraer’s sale of eight Super Tucano light attack and advanced training turboprops to the Indonesian Air Force is now in effect. The Company won a bidding competition held by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, in November 2010. Since then, several administrative phases have been completed, culminating in the finished contract, which includes ground support stations and an integrated logistics package. Deliveries begin in 2012.

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Icelandair extends repair relationship with Bombardier Aerospace

Bombardier Aerospace has signed a new repair agreement with Icelandair, based in Reykjavik, Iceland. The seven-year contract means that Bombardier will undertake all repair work on engine nose cowls for Icelandair’s fleet of Boeing 757 aircraft. Bombardier has more than 15 years of experience in repairing RB211 535E4 engine nose cowls, and this new agreement extends a well-established and successful collaboration with Icelandair. Bombardier previously had a five-year repair contract with the airline.

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OGMA got certified as a Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization

Industria Aeronautica de Portugal, got certified as a Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) by the Instituto Nacional de Aviação Civil (INAC), per the European Agency for the Safety of Aviation (EASA) applicable regulations; this new competence includes as well the capacity to perform aircraft condition evaluations and issue the related Airworthiness Evaluation Certificates. With this certification OGMA widens its scope of services to aircraft airworthiness management, including maintenance planning and control, reliability management of components, systems and structures and also condition evaluation, adding value to its already extensive portfolio in aircraft, engines and components maintenance. At start, this certification covers all Read more

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Starflyer takes delivery of first A320-200 from AWAS

AWAS delivered an Airbus A320-200 passenger aircraft to Starflyer, a successful and growing Japanese airline.  This is the first of three planned deliveries from AWAS to Starflyer through 2014, and this delivery will be the sixth aircraft in their fleet.This new aircraft will be used on three routes: Tokyo (Haneda) to Kitakyushu, Kansai and Fukuoka (from July 2011).

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First Airbus Military C295 with AEW&C rotodome completes maiden flight

The first Airbus Military C295 development aircraft fitted with an Airbone Early Warning and Command (AEW&C) rotodome has successfully completed its first flight on 7th June 2011 at Airbus Military’s site in Seville (Spain). The flight follows extensive research and development work, including wind tunnel testing, leading to the conversion of a C295 to be fitted with the in-house developed rotodome. The aircraft took off at 17h16 local time (15h16 UTC) and landed at 20h04 local time (18h04 UTC), after a flight lasting 2h48 (wheels off – wheels down).

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Air Lease Corporation issues $120 million in unsecured notes

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has issued $120 million in Senior Unsecured Notes in a private placement to institutional investors. The notes contain a 5% coupon for a 5-year term with a maturity of June 6, 2016. The issuance constitutes the first time ALC has obtained long term unsecured financing under the SEC’s Regulation D in a private placement to institutional investors. “The issuance of these notes sends a strong signal from the investment community about ALC’s stated goal of tapping unsecured financing to fund our future fleet acquisitions,” said Jim Clarke, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ALC.

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