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Thursday, April 12th, 2018
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LATEST NEWS
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It has been announced that Jet Aviation has signed a binding agreement to acquire Hawker Pacific for US$250 million.
Commenting on the deal, Rob Smith, president of Jet Aviation commented: “The acquisition of Hawker Pacific represents a significant step in expanding our footprint, capability and customer offer across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
“Hawker Pacific has a wide range of services including Civil MRO, Fleet Services, FBO Network and Aircraft Sales,enabling Jet Aviation to further expand its current portfolio, enter new markets, and reinforce the company’s position as one of the world’s leading business aviation service providers.”
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Alan Smith, CEO of Hawker Pacific said of the deal: “We believe the company’s acquisition by Jet Aviation represents an excellent outcome for Hawker Pacific’s investors, employees and customers. It builds on our strong values and passion for exceeding our customer’s expectations and I, on behalf of the management, am confident that the combination of the two companies will create a clear leader in the aviation space.”
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Jet Aviation is a Basel-based business aviation services company and a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, employing over 4,000 staff in 30 airports throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The company is involved in aircraft maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, fixed-base operations, along with aircraft management, charter services. It’s U.S. and European charter divisions operate a combined fleet of over 250 aircraft.
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Hawker Pacific is the market leader in integrated civil and military aerospace sales and product support in the Asia Pacific and Middle East. It operates established businesses in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, China and the United Arab Emirates. It supports a wide range of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters for corporate, charter, defence and special mission operators.
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With consolidated earnings after taxes at around €155m, Munich Airport achieved the best result in its history in 2017. The Group again achieved a year-on-year increase of €100m in annual revenues to around €1.5bn – thanks in large part to a substantial 5.5% rise in total passengers to 44.6 million.
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The airport's strong economic performance also paid off for the neighboring communities, which will again take in business tax revenues of €35m.
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In view of the record figures, Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport, is confident that the company is well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead: "This ensures that Munich Airport will be able to make the necessary investments to handle its future tasks with its own financial resources." Kerkloh's outlook at today's annual press conference in Munich: "All the signs point to a continuation of our very satisfactory performance, so that we fully expect to report earnings at around the same level for 2018."
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A look at the current traffic trends in the recently launched summer timetable period confirms this assessment. With five Lufthansa Airbus A 380 aircraft now stationed in Munich, the Bavarian hub has become just the fourth European airport – after London, Paris and Frankfurt – to serve as a home base for the world's largest passenger aircraft.
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Lufthansa will operate daily services to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Beijing with the superjumbo. In addition, the German carrier has added four plans from the Airbus A320 to its Munich fleet for medium-haul flights. This has further improved the connectivity of the Munich hub.
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Boeing and Qatar Airways have signed a letter of intent to purchase five 777 Freighters. When the purchase is finalized, it will be posted to Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website.
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"The addition of five 777 Freighters is a significant moment for our cargo division," said His Excellency Mr. Al Baker. "As the world's third-largest cargo operator, Qatar Airways continues to invest in fleet expansion. This transaction will be a reinforcement of our confidence in Boeing to continue to deliver an outstanding product that meets our exacting standards. We expect no less than perfection, and we are confident that Boeing will continue to deliver that."
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MTU Maintenance Canada and Lockheed Martin have signed two contracts covering the maintenance, repair and overhaul of CF6-50C2 engines as well as accessory repair for the engines. Combined, the contracts have a value of around US$135m.
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These contracts support Lockheed Martin in their maintenance program for KC-10 Extender refuelling tanker aircraft program on behalf of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). MTU Maintenance Canada is the MTU Maintenance group’s center of excellence for engine MRO in military applications in North America.
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Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, United States, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide. The company is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
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ATR and Mandarin Airlines, a regional subsidiary of Taiwan’s flag carrier China Airlines, have signed a Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA). This comprehensive support package covers the repair, overhaul and pooling services of Line Replaceable Units, along with a door-to-door service through which ATR is providing transportation of spares to the airline’s facilities.
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This GMA covers the entire ATR fleet of the Taiwanese carrier, consisting of nine ATR 72-600s. Turboprop manufacturer ATR hereby reaches a key milestone of more than 300 in-service aircraft under GMAs. Through ATR’s flagship maintenance offer, Mandarin Airlines will benefit from an a la carte pay-by-the-hour maintenance package, with a high level of flexibility that makes it possible to meet a wide range of specific needs, depending on the operator’s local resources, fleet and expected operations.
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This maintenance agreement is part of a broader support from ATR who will be providing a full range of technical and engineering maintenance services, along with comprehensive training solutions for the airline’s flight crew, mechanics and technicians. ATR is also supporting China Airlines and its subsidiaries to set-up in-house capabilities for ATR heavy maintenance, up to C-checks.
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Universal Avionics Systems Corporation (UA) has completed its acquisition by Elbit Systems. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems, the company will lead commercial sales in North America for Elbit Systems’ Aerospace Division’s Commercial Aviation Business Line.
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“Combining our product offering with Elbit Systems’ strengthens our position in the market,” said Paul DeHerrera, UA Chief Executive Officer. “Our vision is to be the premier cockpit avionics supplier for the commercial aviation market, providing a fully-integrated ‘heads-up’ and ‘heads-down’ experience for pilots by combining Elbit’s commercial HUD (Head-up Display) technology with UA’s FMS and display systems,” he added. “Our complete solution will support forward-fit and retrofit aircraft including fixed-wing and helicopters.”
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Elbit Systems’ acquisition of UA brings forward an innovative opportunity to the market that until now, hadn’t existed. The marketplace can expect new commercial avionics technology offerings as two product lines combine to create some of the most forward-thinking technology in cockpit avionics.
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Boeing and the Lion Air Group announced the airline purchased 50 of Boeing's new 737 MAX 10 airplanes. The deal, valued at approximately US$6.24bn at list prices, is the largest incremental order to date of the MAX 10 variant. The order was previously listed as unidentified on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website.
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The Lion Air Group was the first to put the 737 MAX 8 into service and the first to order the 737 MAX 9. Last month, the group became the first to take delivery of a 737 MAX 9, using the airplane's added capacity to launch several international routes.
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Rolls-Royce has announced Jackson Square Aviation as a new customer for LessorCare, the pioneering new service tailored specifically to the needs of lessors.
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Jackson Square Aviation will adopt LessorCare across its existing and future fleets of Trent-powered aircraft, drawing together a range of services under one simple, flexible and comprehensive framework. Rolls-Royce launched LessorCare in January with three customers.
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LessorCare comprises one single, comprehensive agreement for all Trent engine types, giving customers access to all the services that they need throughout the engine lifecycle. It allows lessors to pay for what they want when they need it. The benefits are faster and easier access, the incorporation of services today and for the future, and the maximising of possible return on investment.
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TrueNoord, the regional aircraft lessor, has closed the purchase of three Embraer E190 aircraft from GECAS. These aircraft are under lease with and operated by HOP!, the regional operator for AirFrance-KLM in France. This additional group of three regionally operated E190 aircraft adds to the significant investment in TrueNoord’s Embraer fleet under lease and increases the organisation’s portfolio to fifteen globally operated E190s, with further acquisitions in the pipeline.
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The purchase was partially financed under a new finance facility arranged by BNP Paribas and DVB Bank SE. Pillsbury and Stek acted as legal advisers for TrueNoord throughout the transaction.
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TrueNoord now provides eight E190’s to support the regional operations divisions of the Air France-KLM Group. Anne-Bart Tieleman, CEO of TrueNoord, commented: “Our strategy is to acquire young aircraft with long remaining leases operated by strong carriers, such as HOP!, and we are proud to work with this leading regional airline to support their operation. TrueNoord’s specialist approach is fully endorsed by our leading investors: BlackRock, Aberdeen Asset Management and Bregal Freshstream. There is great investor confidence in the global regional aircraft leasing sector and besides that we are currently developing a number of diverse prospects worldwide, we also look forward to continuing our successful expansion in Europe.
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CTT SYSTEMS AB (CTT), a market leader of aircraft humidity control systems, has announced a Cair™ VIP Inflight Humidification order from Comlux Completion for one Boeing BBJ MAX 8. The BBJ MAX 8 completion will feature humidity in the entire aircraft cabin which requires support from three humidifiers. This award is CTT Systems’ 89th VIP order for Airbus ACJs/Boeing BBJs.
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“We have significant experience in working with CTT on several VIP programs, starting with our first VIP Completion in 2010. Humidification is one of the most important features in engineering luxury and comfort for our most prestigious completion clients.,” stated Scott Meyer CEO Comlux Completion. Meyer continued, “Cair™ VIP Inflight Humidification has proven to be a very reliable and efficient system.”
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The CTT VIP Inflight Humidification (IFH) system achieves a comfortable level of 22 % relative humidity throughout the entire aircraft cabin. Without such system the relative humidity is only 3-5 %, far below the recommended level for human comfort, health and well-being. VIP passengers will, on long-haul flights, benefit from the increase in humidity with reduction of dry air related problems (e.g. fatigue, jet-lag, red eyes, dry skin, spread of virus diseases), but also from improved well-being and sleep. The CTT IFH system utilizes evaporative cooling technology that effectively precludes the transfer of bacteria and improves air quality by reducing particles in the cabin air. The system also offers total anti-condensation protection
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In line with the visit of Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman to Paris, flynas the national carrier and one of the leading low-cost airlines in the Middle East, has signed an agreement with CFM International to acquire LEAP-1A engines.
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With a list price worth US$6.3bn (SAR 23.6bn), flynas’ agreement with one of the world’s leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, includes the acquiring of LEAP-1A engines to power the incoming fleet of 80, A320-neo aircraft ordered by flynas, scheduled to be delivered starting from 2018.
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The agreement also comprises an associated long-term maintenance and service agreement for the A320 new aircraft fleet with CFM.
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Arago, an artificial intelligence (AI) company specializing in intelligent business process automation and AVIATAR, an integrated software platform for digital products and services in the aviation industry, are planning to work together on the progressive automation of the MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) process. A pilot project will therefore be launched in the Base Maintenance division of Lufthansa Technik, using Arago's AI-platform HIRO™.
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The HIRO™ AI platform enables autonomous process automation by leveraging algorithms that apply human expertise to determine solutions, and by retaining that knowledge to solve similar new challenges. Users benefit not only from outstanding automation rates, but also from significant cost savings and the continuation of their expert knowledge.
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With the help of HIRO™, the planning and production expertise used for the current planning process is digitized and centralized in the pilot. This will enable the introduction of a newly automated planning approach with considerable potential for reducing the turnaround times for the entire Lufthansa Technik overhaul network.
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GKN Fokker has signed an agreement with Honeywell to provide customers with component maintenance, repair and overhaul services for avionics and mechanical components. Customers will have access to Honeywell’s world-class avionics and mechanical solutions at GKN’s Fokker Services facilities in the Netherlands, U.S. and Singapore.
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As a long-standing member of the extended Honeywell family, GKN Fokker can now provide OEM based support with Honeywell’s licensed parts and solutions for maintenance, repairs and overhaul, enabling customers to reduce turnaround time on maintenance. With this agreement, customers will benefit from first-rate experience with legacy and mature platforms and from a high standard of repairs as a licensed facility. Honeywell-equipped aircraft will receive high-quality Honeywell parts from local Fokker service centers at a competitive price, enhancing efficiency while reducing costs for operators.
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As an approved Repair Center, GKN Fokker will provide customers with flexible, reliable and competitive OEM solutions to airlines operating Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8 families, ATR42/72 families, Airbus A300 and A320 families, Boeing 717/737/747/757/767 series families as well as Fokker families.
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STG Aerospace has been selected as the supplier for the photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system across Alaska Airlines’ Boeing and Airbus fleets, as the airline begins to streamline the cabins of its Virgin America fleet.
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Alaska Airlines will install STG Aerospace’s next-generation saf-Tglo® SSUL photoluminescent emergency escape path marking system (EEPMS) on 116 aircraft across its retrofitted and new Boeing 737-700, MAX9 and Airbus A320 Family fleets.
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Alaska Airlines will also replace the electrical emergency lighting system in the Airbus fleet, a change expected to realise significant operational cost savings due to the high reliability and fail-safe nature of saf-Tglo®. The retrofit programme is due to commence in late 2018.
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VAS Aero Services, a global leader in aviation logistics and aftermarket services, and Satair, an Airbus wholly-owned subsidiary, announced that they are expanding their strategic services agreement covering servicing, certification, warehousing and distribution of OEM excess parts inventory, with the addition of market-critical engine product types.
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The strategic services for used and surplus parts programs benefit Satair’s global customer base, offering a wide range of opportunities for available parts with VAS’ online parts sales platform and the Airbus Spares portal. Additionally, the agreement provides Satair customers with access to VAS-owned certified surplus new and certified serviceable / overhauled used components, and related operational support.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
June 5, 2018 – Jury’s Inn Hotel, Prague
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