Qatar to defer purchase of A380 aircraft

Qatar Airways is to defer delivery of its five A380 aircraft following concerns over the cracks in the wings of the Superjumbo.

Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Qatar's chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: " "We'll have to defer delivery of the A380 until more details are clear."

Airbus A380s around the world are being inspected for wing cracks after safety engineers found cracks in almost all the planes inspected. The European manufacturer has introduced a repair that is being retrofitted to the aircraft.

Industry analyst Saj Ahmad, commenting on the Qatar decision said: “Airbus has been on damage limitation ever since the emergence to two different types of wing cracks emerged on the A380 fleet. What makes it worse for them, aside from the financial outlay of having to redesign parts to then put into place in its supply and production system is the cost it will have to pay key customers like Emirates for the downtime of their A380s while retrofitting of parts occurs.

 “ It's no surprise then that Qatar Airways is loathe to take delivery of any A380s that will have defective wing components so deferral was the only option. Airbus has said that for the interim, it will still manufacture and delivery A380s with the current wing rib faulty parts until the supply chain changes to newer parts being developed right now - but that's no consolation to the likes of Qatar Airways who are hoping to take delivery of billions of dollars worth of airplanes to augment their rapidly growing airline business.

“Qatar Airways is already exposed to the ongoing delays as launch customer on the A350XWB family across all three variants, as well as the stark possibility of the A320neo also being delayed due to pylon and wing loading issues - it's things like this that will invariably push them to Boeing for more 777-300ERs in the interim. Airbus may well have a great presence in the GCC, but it is not doing itself any favours when one of its biggest customers questions its flagship product - this is not a vote of confidence and begs questions as to what other concerns Qatar Airways has about the A380."

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace

Iran warns that positioning F-22s in UAE is a threat to regional security

Iran's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has warned that the basing of the US F-22 Raptor strike aircraft in the United Arab Emirates is "detrimental to regional security."

According to the FARS news agency Vahidi said today that "The deployment of F-22 fighters in a base in the UAE is a harmful move and undermines the security of the region.      

"We consider such (military) presence in the region as to be useless and harmful and more aimed at creating a psychological ploy and an insecure atmosphere in the region. We don't see it useful" Vahidi told Al Alam TV network, according to FARS. 

Vahidi said that guaranteeing security in region is possible only through cooperation among all the regional states. 

The comments by the Iranian minister came after media reports revealed that the US has recently deployed its F-22 Raptors at the UAE Al Dafra Air Base.

 

In a comment, FARS said that Iranian officials have always cautioned about the devastating consequences of tension in the region, and called on certain regional states to be "watchful of the plots of some aliens who seek to stir tension in this sensitive region."

It said: "Tehran believes that deployment of trans-regional powers in the region impairs security and is a source of tension in the region, reiterating that regional peace and security will be established if all the regional countries grow united and stage all-out cooperation."

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace

ADAC and Etihad Airways donate to Zayed University Financial Aid Fund

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), in collaboration with Etihad Airways, announced today that it has donated 50% of the total revenue of the Abu Dhabi International Airport online auction campaign to Zayed University Financial Aid fund. The campaign was launched in February this year to commemorate the Capital's Airport' 30th Anniversary, whereby bidders were able to win 60 tickets through an online bid, and simultaneously enter a draw to win half of the grand total from all the 30 winning bids.

The grand prize draw was held in a ceremony at ADAC headquarters on 29 April.  The overall winner, Ezzeldin Othman, an Egyptian national, received a cash prize of AED 68,681, and the remaining half was donated to Zayed University.

Ahmad Al Haddabi, chief operating officer at ADAC said: “Abu Dhabi International Airport is delighted with the generated interest in this unique online auction, which saw over 1,300 bids placed, resulting in a contribution to Zayed University to make a difference to the education of young Emirati’s.  ADAC would like to take this opportunity to thank all the bidders for making this auction campaign such a success, and to thank Etihad Airways for their continuous support of its initiatives. Congratulations to all winners, and we look forward to more exciting competitions and promotions to benefit the community in the future.”

Expressing congratulations to the winners, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, Peter Baumgartner said:  “It’s a great honour to have partnered with Abu Dhabi International Airport on their 30th anniversary.  Etihad Airways and the airport are closely linked and we have worked well together since our airline was established more than eight years ago.  Looking ahead, we’re excited about bringing more and more people to Abu Dhabi, and working closely with Abu Dhabi International Airport will ensure that we continue to position the capital of the UAE as a leading business and tourism destination.”

During the competition, participants logged onto the auction page on the airport website to bid for a pair of Etihad Airways tickets to one of its destinations, with a new destination announced each day.   The final revenue was split between the grand prize winner of all logged bids, and Zayed University.

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace

Etihad appoints new General Manager for Thailand

Etihad Airways has appointed Kirk Albrow as its new General Manager for Thailand. He takes up the position from 1 May 2012, reporting to Regional General Manager Asia Pacific South and Australasia, Lindsay White.

Kirk (above) has been with Etihad Airways since 2004 in a number of senior commercial roles, including Regional General Manager for Asia Pacific and for Europe and the Americas. His extensive international sales experience includes management positions at Swissair, United Airlines and British Airways.

Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, Peter Baumgartner, said Kirk Albrow would be a great addition to the airline's Asia Pacific South commercial team.

"With more than 35 years of industry experience, including two years based in Bangkok, Kirk has the right credentials to accelerate the growth of our business in Thailand.

"The Bangkok route is one of the oldest and most important in the Etihad Airways network and Kirk's leadership will be key to its future development."

Kirk said: "I am excited about returning to Bangkok in the role of general manager and to working with the Etihad team and local industry stakeholders to build on our current success."

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace

ALC purchases eight 787-9s

Air Lease Corp. (ALC) has purchased eight Boeing 787-9s, which it will lease to Vietnam Airlines, the lessor announced Monday.

The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2017 and 2018, ALC said.

ALC also announced it purchased a 777-300ER from Macquarie Aviation; the aircraft is on a long-term lease to Emirates, which is a new customer for ALC.

ALC also announced the following aircraft placements: One Airbus A330-200 for KLM to be delivered in 2013; one A330-300 to Sichuan Airlines (3U) to be delivered in 2013 and an A319 3U four-year lease extension; and one Embraer E-190 for Mozambique carrier LAM, to be delivered this year.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Spanish government steps in to end Iberia pilots’ dispute

The Spanish government intervened last week to help resolve the increasingly bitter dispute between Iberia (IB) and its pilots, imposing a compulsory arbitration order on both parties.

The government intervention means that strike action by members of the SEPLA Pilots union was immediately suspended.

Earlier in the week, SEPLA, which represents 1,400 IB pilots, claimed the conflict between the two parties over the creation of the Iberia Express (I2) low-cost subsidiary was “irresolvable,” and called on the government to enforce arbitration.

Since December 2011, the pilots have staged 12 days of strike action, with additional action planned for every Monday and Friday until July 20. The pilots are protesting the launch of I2, which they see as a threat to jobs and working conditions.

Last Thursday, Spain’s tourism sector weighed in on the debate, alarmed by the negative effects of the ongoing strike, and urged “forceful” government intervention.

President of the Spanish Confederation of Tourist Hotels and Accommodation (CEHAT) Juan Molas asked the government to reform labor laws relating to strike activity in the tourism sector, declaring it “an essential service” at a critical time for Spanish economic stability. He said the tourism sector could not be hostage to the threat of pilot strikes every Monday and Friday, and asked the government to intervene accordingly.

VP Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said after the Council of Ministers that the government action is permitted by Spanish law and constitutional jurisprudence and is intended to end a strike that is costing significant revenue and adversely impacting customers.

IB moved swiftly to reinstate flights cancelled on future planned strike days and said it was pleased the SEPLA pilots union had called off the strike. So far, the 12 strike days are estimated to have cost the airline some €36 million ($47.7 million).

Article Source : ATW Daily News

UPS 1Q profit rises 6%

United Parcel Service (UPS) last week reported first-quarter net income of $970 million, up 6% from a net profit of $915 million in the year-ago period, on a 4.4% increase in revenue to $13.14 billion.

Expenses rose 4.1% year-over-year to $11.57 billion and operating profit was $1.57 billion, up 6.6%. Air-intensive international package revenue heightened 2.3% to $2.97 billion while US domestic package revenue increased 6.1% to $8.01 billon.

“Continued weakness out of Asia and increased intra-regional volumes … negatively impacted yield growth,” UPS said in a statement.

The company said it is making a Latin America push, increasing cargo capacity more than 50% on 20 weekly flights in the region during the year’s first three months. It also established a regular flight to Guadalajara.

“UPS delivered earnings growth in line with our expectations, driven by the results of the US domestic and supply chain and freight segments,” CFO Kurt Kuehn said. “We remain confident in our previous guidance for 2012 diluted earnings per share of $4.75 to $5.00, an increase of 9% to 15% over 2011 adjusted results.”

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Aeromexico posts 1Q income down 49%, record-high revenue

Grupo Aeromexico (AM) has reported first-quarter consolidated net income of MXP $135 million ($10.4 million), down 49% on the year-ago period. Revenue increased 17% to a record MXP$9.2 billion ($701 million). 

AM said the results were affected by a peso depreciation of 8%. Revenue increases were mainly due to a 16% improvement in passenger revenues and a 106% increase in cargo revenues.

First-quarter operating profit is MXP$452 million, down 29% from the prior-year quarter.

Passenger traffic rose 9% to 5.5 billion RPKs on a 7% increase in capacity to 7.2 billion ASKs, producing a load factor of 76.9%, up 1.4 point. CASKs increased 13%. Yield increased 0.5% to MXP$1.4.

According to the carrier, aircraft leasing costs increased 15% to MXP $906 million. AM—which leased three 787-8s from International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) and ordered two from Boeing— agreed in March to lease an additional two new 787-8s from ILFC as part of its previously announced international expansion plan to add 20 new aircraft. The two aircraft, to be equipped with GEnx engines, are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2014.

The airline operated eight more aircraft in the period and took delivery of two Embraer E-190s as part of its fleet acquisition plan. AM has 106 aircraft in its fleet, comprising four Boeing 777s, seven 767s, 44 737s, 38 Embraer ERJ-145s and 13 E-190s.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Nordic Aviation Capital sources new ATR financing

Denmark’s Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has secured financing from Deutsche Bank and KfW IPEX-Bank for the acquisition of five ATR 72-600 aircraft.

The twin turboprops are subject to a sale-and-leaseback arrangement with Spanish regional carrier Air Nostrum (YW). The first aircraft was delivered April 26; the remainder is scheduled for delivery from May until July this year.

The financing was structured as a 12-year ECA-Loan Facility insured by Coface, acting as Fronting ECA. Deutsche Bank is acting as Agent and Security Trustee.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Airbus completes first new-build sharklet-equipped A320

Airbus has rolled out the first new-build A320 with sharklets from its Toulouse facility. The aircraft, MSN 5098, will be one of several A320 family aircraft in the certification flight-test campaign starting in May, which lasts around 600 flight hr., Airbus said.

Airbus completed the first flight of its fuel-saving sharklet wing-tip devices on the company’s A320 development aircraft (MSN 001) in December 2011.

According to Airbus, seven new-build A320 family aircraft—fitted with both CFM56 and V2500 engine types—will test the production-standard sharklets. “The results of the tests will lead up to the certification of these fuel-saving devices on each combination of aircraft model and engine selection,” it said.

The CFM56-powered A320 will be the first to enter service with sharklets during the fourth quarter, the European manufacturer said.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

South Korea’s international passenger traffic up 12.4%

South Korea's international passenger traffic jumped 12.4% in the first quarter, to a record 11.4 million from 10.1 million in the year-ago period, the Yonhap News Agency has reported, citing the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.

Air cargo traffic dipped 1.9% from a year earlier, due to a decline in shipments of information technology (IT) products, according to another report cited by the agency. 

Cargo traffic increased 1.98% to 857,000 tonnes, compared to 874,000 tonnes in the year-ago quarter, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.
“The drop resulted mainly from decreased international air cargo volume, which slipped 2.9% year-on-year to 783,000 tonnes. Domestic air cargo gained 9.6% to 74,000 tonnes,” Yonhap said.

The ministry predicts air cargo traffic will maintain a downward trend in the second quarter because of the slow economic recovery of South Korea's major trading partners such as China and the European Union.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Pratt & Whitney launches new water stripping method

Pratt & Whitney has launched ultrasonically pulsed waterjet stripping method PurePulse, a technology to remove hard coatings/materials applied by thermal spraying and plating processes, using 30% of the pressure of traditional units. The method was procured from Ottawa-based VLN Advanced Technologies, and has received its first purchase order, from an unnamed land based turbine engine company.

VP-business development and aftermarket services Bill Begert told, “It uses the pulse of the water that’s precisely tuned to whatever part you’re trying to strip, of chrome or some other type of material, and it does it at a much lower PSI than traditional water stripping machines do. As a result, it improves the producability of stripping it 5 times, 10 times, 15 times depending on the size and the kind of part that you have. It’s able to do this without harming the substraight beneath the chrome or the other material.”

Begert said the PurePulse method may be extended beyond engine technology to landing gear and other aviation parts.

Article Source : ATW Daily News

Etihad and Turkish enjoy Freddie success for loyalty schemes

Etihad's frequent flier programme was the best rated from the Middle East region and Turkish Airlines top in the European and Africa region in the Freddie Awards which were announced in New Jersey, USA on Friday

The annual awards are regionalised as the most prestigeous for the travel-loyalty industry. The competition is divided into regions, with the Middle East included in the Asia and Oceania region, Turkey and North Africa are combined with Europe and the rest of Africa. 

In that European/Africa region Turkish won the Programme of the Year award. (The airline is pictured here receiving its award.

Etihad Guest was recognised for the Best Redemption Ability, Best Elite Program and Best Loyalty Credit Card in its region.

The Abu Dhabi airline's programme was also runner up in the four remaining categories: Best Promotion for Earning, Best Promotion for Redemption, Best Customer Service and Programme of the Year. The region's top award went to Jet Airways of India.

Introduced in 1988 by InsideFlyer magazine's Randy Petersen, the "Freddies" have grown in stature and importance to become the most prestigious member-generated awards in the travel loyalty industry. More than a million votes are cast annually.

The winners were:

Programme of the Year

• Americas Airline: American Airlines AAdvantage
• Americas Hotel: Marriott Rewards
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: Jet Airways JetPrivilege
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Taj InnerCircle
• Europe/Africa Airline: Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Promotion for Earning

• Americas Airline: American Airlines AAdvantage
• Americas Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: Jet Airways JetPrivilege
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Accor A|Club
• Europe/Africa Airline: Lufthansa Miles & More
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Promotion for Redemption

• Americas Airline: Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
• Americas Hotel: Marriott Rewards
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: El Al Matmid Club
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest
• Europe/Africa Airline: Lufthansa Miles & More
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Redemption Ability

• Americas Airline: TAM Fidelidade
• Americas Hotel: Marriott Rewards
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: Etihad Airways Etihad Guest
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Taj InnerCircle
• Europe/Africa Airline: airBaltic BalticMiles
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Customer Service

• Americas Airline: American Airlines AAdvantage
• Americas Hotel: Marriott Rewards
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: Jet Airways JetPrivilege
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Taj InnerCircle
• Europe/Africa Airline: Lufthansa Miles & More
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Elite Programme

• Americas Airline: American Airlines AAdvantage
• Americas Hotel: Marriott Rewards
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Airline: Etihad Airways Etihad Guest
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania Hotel: Hyatt Gold Passport
• Europe/Africa Airline: airBaltic BalticMiles
• Europe/Africa Hotel: Starwood Preferred Guest

Best Loyalty Credit Card

• Americas: Delta SkyMiles American Express
• Middle East/Asia/Oceania: Etihad Guest Above Credit Card
• Europe/Africa: Turkish Airlines Shop&Miles Garanti Credit Card

Article Source : Arabian Aerospace