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Tuesday, October 30th, 2018
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LATEST NEWS
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The Indonesian Ministry for Transportation has confirmed that a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed 9 miles (15km) off the coast of Indonesia. Contact with Lion Air Flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta while en route to Pangkal Pinang, capital of the Bangka-Belitung tin mining region. The plane took off from Jakarta at 6.20 a.m. local time on Monday morning with 189 passengers and crew, including 23 government officials, on board.
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“We don’t know yet whether there are any survivors,” search and rescue agency head Muhmmad Syaugi told a news conference, also confirming that no distress signal had been received from the aircraft’s emergency transmitter. He also confirmed that various items, including life vests, were discovered in waters about 30 meters to 35 meters (98 to 115 ft) deep near where the plane had lost contact.
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Under international rules, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will automatically assist with the inquiry into the crash, along with technical advisers from Boeing and U.S.-French engine maker CFM International, co-owned by General Electric and Safran.
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According to Reuters, Lion Air Group Chief Executive, Edward Sirait, told reporters the aircraft had a technical problem on a previous flight from Bali to Jakarta but that it had been “resolved according to procedure”. He would not comment on the issue but made it clear that none of the other ten Boeing 737 MAX 8s had experienced the same problem, adding that currently there was no intention to ground the other aircraft.
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This is the first reported accident involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and only the second fatal accident in the history of Lion Air, which was founded in 1999. In 2004 a Lion Air MD-82 crashed on landing at Solo City, killing 25 of the 163 passengers and crew on board.
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Lion Air is one of Boeing’s biggest customers – last April the Indonesian carrier confirmed an order for 50 737 MAX 10 narrow-body jets.
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AFI KLM E&M has won the call for tenders launched by Air Corsica for C-Checks on two of its A320s.
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The aircraft will be overhauled in Casablanca by Aerotechnic Industries (ATI), a 50/50 joint venture between AFI KLM E&M and Royal Air Maroc. The two checks will take place in the first quarter of 2019 and will include implementation of a Service Bulletin (SB), and cabin maintenance and engineering services.
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International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) has presented Group consolidated results for the nine months to September 30, 2018. The company reported third quarter operating profit of €1,460 million before exceptional items (2017 restated: €1,450 million). Net foreign exchange operating profit impact for the quarter adverse €111 million.
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Passenger unit revenue for the quarter was up 1.3%, up 2.4% at constant currency. Non-fuel unit costs before exceptional items for the quarter was up 0.5%, down 0.7% at constant currency. Fuel unit costs for the quarter was up 14.3%, up 15.0%at constant currency.
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Operating profit before exceptional items for the nine months period was €2,575 million (2017 restated: €2,400 million), up 7.3%.
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(Restated for new accounting standards IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from contracts with customers’ and IFRS 9 ‘Financial instruments’.)
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Graham Williamson, President of the Aircraft Management and Charter Division for TAG Aviation Europe, has made the decision to leave his position, effective end of October.
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Williamson has played a pivotal role in the development and success of TAG Aviation since he joined the organisation back in 2004 and has been catalyst to overseeing the delivery of many significant accomplishments throughout his fourteen years of dedicated service.
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In the coming weeks Carlos Gomez, Chief Operating Officer for TAG Aviation UK, will step up from his current position to assume the role of Managing Director and work in tangent with Williamson to ensure a smooth and seamless transfer of responsibilities. Gomez has led TAG Aviation’s Centres in both Spain and Asia and formed part of the leadership of TAG Aviation Europe for twelve years.
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The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), have joined a growing list of industry associations to host their cluster on Valuechain’s new intelligent Business-to-business networking platform, iQluster, by launching their NEAA Cluster Link initiative.
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The NEAA Cluster Link, powdered by iQluster, is the first regional industry association to host their cluster on the platform, following effective training and implementation phases. This follows successful iQluster projects with leading European Aerospace and Robotics clusters, and a 9-month pilot with the Advanced Propulsion Centre that began in September 2017. Valuechain’s iQluster platform will provide the NEAA and their members with an interactive database to host their network on; while also giving members the tools to create and track collaboration projects, within the online portal.
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Launched in March 2015, and with over 300 cluster participants, the NEAA is the largest regional automotive cluster in the UK and one of the fastest growing clusters across Europe. iQluster is integrated with Valuechain’s software applications, offering analytics & reporting, data capture solutions and CRM tools, to all users of the platform.
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Japan Air Commuter (JAC) has taken delivery of its first ATR 72-600 following the conversion in June of one of its orders of an ATR 42-600 to its larger 72 version. The aircraft will have a 70-seat configuration.
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Hiroki Kato, President of Japan Air Commuter commented: “The performance of our existing ATR fleet has been highly satisfactory and this acquisition of an ATR 72-600 will allow us to be more flexible with our operations, matching capacity to demand more efficiently. The aircraft’s blend of one of the most modern cabins in regional aviation with excellent economics allows us to deliver the high standards of comfort that our passengers expect.”
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CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., has appointed Nick Hazeldine as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
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Hazeldine will begin his role in November 2018 and will be based in CDB Aviation’s recently opened global headquarters in Dublin. He is a seasoned aircraft leasing professional with more than 16 years of experience in asset finance, working for lessors exclusively owned by large financial institutions.
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Hazeldine’s background spans a number of key operational areas, such as: risk, commercial negotiation, contract management, and aircraft deliveries. In his most recent role, he was credited with establishing and leading the industry’s first aircraft leasing innovation lab.
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Hazeldine joins CDB Aviation from SMBC Aviation Capital, where most recently he was Head of Innovation.
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As part of capacity expansion for its aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business in the US, ST Engineering is pursuing the development of a 655,000 ft² airframe MRO complex at the Pensacola International Airport in Pensacola, Florida. The development cost for the MRO complex is estimated at US$210 million (about S$290 million), of which ST Engineering will invest US$35 million (about S$48 million ), with the rest to be funded by the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., the State of Florida as well as several other state and federal organisations.
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the new facility was signed on October 27, with the City of Pensacola, represented by its Mayor, Ashton Hayward. The Mayor, along with Escambia County Commissioner, Jeff Bergosh and FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance CEO, Scott Luth were in Singapore for the signing ceremony.
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Under the MOU, ST Engineering and the City of Pensacola will develop the MRO complex, over four years after the formalisation of definitive agreements. The design-to-build complex, adjacent to ST Engineering’s newly opened 173,500 ft² MRO facility, will consist of three state-of-the-art widebody aircraft hangars and an administration building.
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When completed, it will contribute about 1.5 million labour hours in annual capacity, bringing ST Engineering’s total annual capacity of its Pensacola MRO facility - to be called the Pensacola Aerospace Campus - to 2.1 million labour hours. Since opening in June 2018, the current facility has already redelivered 25 aircraft.
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Boeing has opened its first component factory in Europe, at Sheffield in the U.K. The premises will be used for the manufacture of actuation system components for the Boeing 737 and 767 jets from raw materials sourced in the U.K. Parts by the thousand will be produced each month, then shipped to Boeing’s Portland, Oregon facilities back in the U.S. Actuation systems move the flaps at the back of the wing to provide extra lift at low speeds during takeoff and landing.
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Sheffield will be responsible for manufacturing over 100 different high-tech actuation components of the 737 and 767 wing trailing edge, Boeing having invested some £40 million (US$51.2 million) in the 62,000-square-meter facility. There is a total of 52 employees, including experienced mechanics, engineers and more than 20 apprentices working in the current Boeing Sheffield team.
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“We appreciate all the community support for Boeing’s new advanced manufacturing factory in the UK. This is a fabulous example of how we are engaging global talent to provide greater value to our customers,” said Jenette Ramos, Boeing Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations. “In Boeing Sheffield, we are building on longstanding relationships and the region’s manufacturing expertise to enhance our production system and continue to connect, protect, explore and inspire aerospace innovation.”
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Greg Clark, U.K. Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “Boeing choosing the heart of South Yorkshire as its first European home is testament to our capabilities, talent pool and strong manufacturing supply chains which are vital to job creation and creating value for local economies.
“We are leading the world in UK aerospace manufacturing and through our modern Industrial Strategy, we, along with industry have committed to invest £3.9 billion (US$5 billion) in aerospace.”
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UPCOMING EVENTS
November 6 - 8, 2018 – Singapore
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February 19 - 20, 2019 – Palma de Majorca, Spain
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