Daily2018-02-20

LATEST NEWS

Thursday, January 23th, 2020

Airbus shares hit record high as Boeing now suggests June return to service of 737 MAX

As Airbus shares hit a record high on Wednesday, January 22, the planemaker’s North American rival, Boeing, has just announced that certification of the beleaguered 737 MAX may not be obtained until June. As a result, while Airbus shares were heading in one direction, those of Boeing and also of many of its customers and suppliers fell on disclosure of this latest news.

Airbus shares peaked at €139.32 at 1215 GMT on Wednesday, while those of TUI Group and Norwegian fell by 5% and 1.7% respectively. A spokesman for Norwegian said: “We are continually taking steps to minimize any disruption to the journeys of our passengers during our summer 2020 program.” Back in December TUI had warned that if the 737 MAX was not flying and fully operational by May 2020, anything up to €400 million could be wiped off its annual earnings.

As far as Boeing’s suppliers were concerned, the share price of Safran and the U.K.’s Senior which make the engines for the 737 MAX with General Electric, also fell. British Airways parent firm IAG which confirmed a non-binding order for 200 MAX jets last June is “still progressing with Boeing”, Chief Financial Officer Steve Gunning told Reuters in Dublin. “I think we’re still confident Boeing will get this back in the sky,” Gunning said, adding that the 2024 delivery timeframe left IAG with some room for maneuver.

Another top 737 MAX buyer, Ryanair, declined to comment, though its chief marketing officer had said earlier this month that the Irish budget carrier had thought it was possible it might take delivery of up to ten 737 MAXs by April.

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ANA conducts real-world testing for autonomous electric bus at Haneda International Airport

All Nippon Airways (ANA) will conduct trials for an autonomous electric bus in collaboration with SB Drive Corp., Advanced Smart Mobility and BYD at Haneda International Airport (HND).

The trial will begin on January 22 and last until January 31. The development of this autonomous electric bus is the latest example of ANA harnessing the latest technology to improve passenger convenience and comfort.

ANA has selected a specific course for the trial, with the bus set to travel the same 1.9 km (1.18 miles) segment of restricted area at Haneda Airport multiple times throughout the testing period. During the test, the bus will be evaluated based on its ability to perform the conditional automation with little human oversight.

Because safety is the top priority, ANA is holding the bus to the highest performance standards and the tests are specifically designed to replicate common real-world scenarios. If testing proceeds as projected, ANA plans to implement the autonomous electric buses at Haneda International Airport by the end of this year.

United Airlines reaches 2020 adjusted earnings per share target ahead of schedule

United Airlines (UAL) has reached its 2020 goal -- first announced in January 2018 -- to achieve adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) target of US$11 to US$13 a full year ahead of schedule. UAl has reported fourth quarter net income of US$641 million, up 50% versus the fourth quarter of 2018, pre-tax earnings of US$844 million and pre-tax margin of 7.8%, expanding pre-tax margin 2.5 points versus the fourth quarter of 2018.

Fourth-quarter adjusted net income has reached US$676 million, adjusted diluted EPS of US$2.67, up 11% versus the fourth quarter of 2018, adjusted pre-tax earnings of US$889 million and adjusted pre-tax margin of 8.2%, expanding adjusted pre-tax margin 0.5 points versus the fourth quarter of 2018.

The airline has reported full year net income of US$3.0 billion, diluted EPS of US$11.58, up 51% versus full year 2018, pre-tax earnings of US$3.9 billion and pre-tax margin of 9.0%, expanding pre-tax margin 2.6 points versus full year 2018.

Full year adjusted net income was US$3.1 billion, adjusted diluted EPS of US$12.05, up 32% versus full year 2018, adjusted pre-tax earnings of US$4.1 billion and adjusted pre-tax margin of 9.4%, expanding adjusted pre-tax margin 1.7 points versus full year 2018. Consolidated fourth quarter passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) increased 0.8% year-over-year.

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SWISS to serve new Daxing International Airport with start of 2020 summer schedule

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is to switch its Zurich-Beijing services from the present Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to the new Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). The change will be made with the start of the 2020 summer schedule at the end of March.

The move will offer travellers more attractive timetables on the route. The eastbound service will leave Zurich late in the afternoon and arrive in Beijing just after 09:00 on the following day. The westbound flight will depart from Beijing at 11:00 and arrive in Zurich at 15:35 on the same day. SWISS serves Beijing daily in summer and five times weekly in winter. The route is operated using Airbus A330 equipment.

Sabena Technics opens new maintenance hangar and confirms strategy

Sabena technics, a French independent player in the aeronautical maintenance and modifications (MRO) sector, has opened its brand new hangar on January 21, based in Bordeaux (France).

Confident in its model in the face of the increase in the European fleet, Sabena technics has decided to invest €25 million in a 10,000 m² facility offering more capacity to its civil and military customers.

"The rapid evolution of the markets in which we operate require constant adaptation of our capabilities and know-how. Aware of these developments, we decided to invest in order to offer our European customers more availability with this new hangar capable of accommodating, as part of maintenance or modifications, large aircraft types such as A350-1000, B777-9X or up to six A320 aircraft simultaneously”, says Philippe Rochet, CEO of Sabena technics.

To support its growth, Sabena technics is also strengthening its recruitment strategy in order to welcome more than 250 new talents each year.

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United Kingdom MFTS orders four more H145s

Airbus Helicopters in the U.K. is to provide four additional H145 helicopters as part of an expansion of the U.K. Military Flight Training System (UKMFTS).

The new helicopters will join the existing fleet of 29 H135s and three H145s, known respectively as Juno and Jupiter in UKMFTS service. They will be delivered during 2020.

Operated by Ascent Flight Training Management primarily from RAF Shawbury and also RAF Valley on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, the aircraft are used to train all U.K. military helicopter pilots and rear crew.

Airbus Helicopters is fully embedded at both bases as the rotary wing aircraft service
provider to Ascent.

Aventure acquires two CRJ200s for teardown

Aventure Aviation has acquired for teardown two Bombardier CRJ200 airframes (MSN 7344 and MSN 7397) from Beautech Power Systems. The dismantling is currently underway in Kingman, Arizona, USA.

"This purchase continues Aventure's strategic support for our CRJ200 customers," said Aventure Vice President, Talha Faruqi. "This workhorse aircraft continues to be a key part of the U.S. legacy airlines' network, as a substantial number of CRJ200 flights are still operated through their feeders," he added.

All harvested parts will be inspected on-site, and shipped to Aventure's main facilities in Peachtree City, Georgia, U.S.A., located near Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

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Michael Garcia named Vice President of Commercial by Kellstrom Aerospace

Kellstrom Aerospace, a global aftermarket leader in aircraft lifecycle solutions, has announced the appointment of Michael Garcia to serve as Vice President of Commercial, effective January 16, 2020.

As Vice President of Commercial, Garcia will oversee all Product Line related activities, Technical Services as well as trading and leasing of whole assets for Kellstrom.

Kellstrom continues to grow its presence as a global after market leader, acquiring un-serviceable and serviceable assets to support its customers.

Air Canada now removes Boeing 737 MAX from operating schedule until June 2020

Air Canada said that it has now removed the Boeing 737 MAX from its operating schedule until June 30, 2020. The decision is based on operational considerations following an announcement byBoeing that it estimates the 737 MAX will remain grounded by regulators until mid-2020.

Air Canada is removing the Boeing 737 MAX from its operating scheduled to provide customers certainty when planning and booking their travel. It will also allow the airline to manage its schedule and fleet most effectively as it awaits decisions by Canadian and international regulators on returning the 737 MAX safely into service.

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