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Tuesday, September 24th, 2019
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The Pearl 15, the latest addition to Rolls-Royce’s business aviation engine portfolio, has received official certification by Transport Canada (TCA). The engine, which was developed at the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, is the exclusive engine option for the newest members of Bombardier’s Global business jet family, namely the Global 5500 aircraft and the Global 6500 aircraft.
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The Pearl engine was custom-designed to power the Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft, which have the longest range in their category. The Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft also have the largest cabin in their category and feature Bombardier’s signature smooth ride technology.
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Since receiving EASA certification in 2018, the Pearl 15 has undergone a comprehensive test programme, and aircraft mounted with the Pearl are undergoing final flight validation on track for a planned entry into service in 2019.
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Thomas Cook, the world’s first and oldest travel agent, has gone bust, ceased all operations, and entered into compulsory liquidation early on Monday Morning, U.K. time. The fallout has left over 600,000 travelers across the globe requiring repatriation. In the U.K. alone there are over 150,000 Thomas Cook customers currently on foreign shores. The majority of these British passengers will be repatriated as part of ‘Operation Matterhorn’ under the Air Travel Operators License (ATOL) a U.K. organization which ‘underwrites’ all package holidays sold by tour operators. However, this scheme does not cover those who only bought flight tickets.
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This is the largest repatriation of British citizens since the evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War when over 190,000 British troops were rescued from the beaches of northern France. Thomas Cook has been looking for a financial bailout for many months and in August it agreed a £900 million deal with Fosun Tourism (Fosun), a Chinese company which, among others, owns Club Med. That deal would have seen Fosun take a 75% stake in the travel agency arm of Thomas Cook and a 25% stake in its commercial airline operations, while bankers and bondholders would have exchanged debt of £450 million for equity in the form of a 25% stake in the travel agency and a 75% stake in the airline. The deal would have seen over £1.5 billion in equity written off and ordinary shareholders lose out completely.
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Prior to ceasing operations, the share value of Thomas Cook had fallen 90% this year to £0.045 per share, giving the company which last year dealt with over 19 million customers and which recorded a £9 billion turnover, a value of just £70 million. Subsequent to the Fosun deal, banks then requested an additional cash injection of £200 million to see the stricken company through the traditionally slow winter season and which it has struggled to secure. On order to renew its ATOL operator’s license, due at the end of this month, Thomas Cook would also have to have proven it had sufficient funds, or access to sufficient funds in order to remain operational for the next 12 months.
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Despite desperate last-minute talks with bankers and investors yesterday (Sunday), the company was unsuccessful in raising the additional funds, resulting in Thomas Cook entering into compulsory liquidation. The company employed over 20,000 staff worldwide and over 9,000 in the U.K and while it would have cost bankers £200 million to keep the company afloat, it is estimated that repatriating 15,000 British holidaymakers will cost ATOL and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) £600 million. (£1.00 = US$1.24 at time of publication.)
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STS Aviation Group (STS), a leading global aviation solutions company, acquires Apple Aviation, a world-wide MRO organization based out of the United Kingdom.
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With this acquisition, STS continues its recent global expansion. The company will immediately begin to offer aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) services to customers at a state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance facility located in Newquay, England. The facility houses more than 150,000 ft² of space; 40,000 of which is dedicated as a parts processing facility.
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Mark Smith, President of STS Aviation Group, said “As some may recall, STS made a strategic move into Europe earlier this year after acquiring Triumph Aviation Services’ NAAS Division. And with the recent acquisition of Apple Aviation, our company continues to grow on a global scale.”
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C&L Aerospace has hired Ian Hilton as Director of Business Development for Europe/Africa specializing in ERJ 135/145 and ATR 42-72 aircraft and PW127 and PW127M engines. Hilton has over 20 years of aviation experience consisting of parts sales, inventory management, procurement, logistics and PBH program management.
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Most recently, Hilton was Director of ATR Products for AAR Aviation Services and Commercial Director at ACLAS Global. Hilton will utilize his extensive product knowledge and inventory management background to support customers in getting the right aircraft parts efficiently and at the right price.
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SpiceXpress, SpiceJet’s cargo division, has taken delivery of its first 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) as the India-based carrier expands its air cargo operation to better serve one of the world’s most populated regions and offer new route options.
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“We are expanding the markets we currently serve, particularly in the Middle East, Hong Kong and Bangladesh and the 737-800BCF’s reliability and versatility is helping enable our strategic direction,” said Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet.
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The standard-body freighter, which is the first 737-800BCF to be operated in South Asia, is on lease from NGF Alpha Limited, a division of Spectre Cargo Solutions.
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Delta TechOps, the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) division of Delta Air Lines, has signed a five-year Maintenance Services Agreement with aircraft leasing ORIX Aviation Systems (ORIX Aviation). The agreement will cover the support of CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B aircraft engines.
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As both an operator of, and MRO for CFM56-5B and -7B engines, Delta TechOps is uniquely qualified to provide maintenance services to ORIX. Delta TechOps has been maintaining CFM56 engines for numerous years and will be able to pass along the same operational reliability and
expertise to this globally-established lessor.
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Once every three years the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) holds an assembly of leading aviation authorities and global regulators. This year’s assembly, running between September 24 and October 4, will focus heavily on airlines’ CO2 emissions. Commercial flying is responsible for 2.5% of all carbon emissions, and with passenger numbers estimated to double to 8.2 billion by 2037, experts believe that emissions will rise if no positive action is taken.
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At the 2016 ICAO meeting, it fostered the first global industrial climate initiative with a medium-term scheme to aid airlines avoid adding to their net emissions from 2020. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) requires most airlines to either limit emissions or offset them by buying credits from environmental projects. The industry has indicated that around US$40 billion in climate financing will be generated between 2020 and 2035. The aviation industry is targeting a halving of net emissions by 2050 when compared to 2005 levels. However, there is no similar long-term climate target for aviation set by countries in any international agreement, including the 2016 Paris accord. The industry believes the ICAO can help achieve such goals.
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The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) confirmed last week that emissions from commercial flights are rising up to 70% faster than had been predicted by the United Nations. However, Airlines are adamant they are unable to tackle the problem alone and are pushing for government help for technology, such as alternative fuels.
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Täby Air Maintenance, TAM, has presented Saab 340 Cargo Generation II, a thorough upgrade of its well-known Cargo Conversion Programme. With about a dozen aircraft converted over the last years, the Saab 340 Cargo Conversion Programme brings extended life and new commercial opportunities for this popular regional airliner.
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The new Cargo Conversion package has a focus on weight savings, allowing for increased payload and fuel. Thanks to an extensive use of carbon fibre panelling, the main cargo compartment has been redesigned, and the Cargo Conversion Generation II Programme comprises various refining upgrades, such as:
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- enlarged Cargo Bays by reducing the number of nets installed in five instead of earlier eight positions, giving easier loading and possibility to load larger cargo units as well as reduction of aircraft basic empty weight, allowing for more payload,
- new Carbon Fibre Window Blanks reduces aircraft basic empty compared to current aluminium window blanks.
- total savings on aircraft basic empty weight amounts up to 400 lbs (180 kg).
The above upgrades will be standard on coming cargo conversions with most of them also offered for already converted aircraft with a Service Bulletin. The upgrades are based on operational experience as well as customer requirements to further develop Tam's well proven SAAB 340A & B cargo conversion STC.
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Textron Aviation has achieved Type Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its innovative super-midsize jet, the Cessna Citation Longitude, paving the way for customer deliveries.
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FAA Type Certification follows the most robust flight, structural and component qualification testing completed on a Citation to date. The experimental and demo fleet completed close to 6,000 hours of flight time. In addition to 11,000 test points during the certification process, the Longitude also completed a 31,000-nautical mile world tour, demonstrating the aircraft’s outstanding long-range performance capability and reliability in a variety of environments.
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The Longitude, produced at Textron Aviation’s manufacturing facility in Wichita, benefits from state-of-the-art assembly and fabrication tools and techniques.
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Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminum products, has reported that members of the United Steelworkers (USW) have ratified a new labor agreement, covering approximately 1,700 active employees at five U.S. locations.
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The Company and the union leadership tentatively agreed on August 30 to the terms of the four-year contract, subject to ratification by the union’s members. The USW announced the outcome of that vote on Thursday, Sept. 19.
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The new agreement, which is now in effect, covers employees represented by the USW at Warrick Operations in Indiana, Massena Operations in New York, Gum Springs in Arkansas, Wenatchee Works in Washington, and Point Comfort in Texas.
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Alcoa expects additional operating expenses only in the third quarter of 2019 of approximately US$10 million (pre- and after-tax) related to the ratification of the agreement.
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AIRCRAFT & ENGINE MARKETPLACE
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click here to view in PDF aircraft and engines available for sale and lease
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UPCOMING EVENTS
MRO Europe
October 15 - 17, 2019 – ExCel London, London, UK
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